#End Terrain 2024

[sklira]

Chronoscapes | Locrian

[edwardos]

Mid-week Minecraft modding world generation nightmares.

[kimkimberhelen]

Utopias (2024)

[jadevine]

Preindustrial travel, and long explanations on why different distances are like that

Update March 1, 2024: Hey there folks, here's yet another update! I reposted Part 2a (the "medieval warhorses" tangent) to my writing blog, and I went down MORE of the horse-knowledge rabbit hole! https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/741423906984951808/my-post-got-cut-off-so-i-added-the-rest-of-it Update Jan 30, 2024: Hey folks, I've posted the updated version of this post on my blog, so I don't have to keep frantically telling everyone "hey, that's the old version of this post!" https://thebalangay.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/preindustrial-travel-times-part-1/

I should get the posts about army travel times and camp followers reformatted and posted to my blog around the end of the week, so I'll filter through my extremely tangled thread for them.

Part 2 - Preindustrial ARMY travel times: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/739342239113871360/now-for-a-key-aspect-that-many-people-often-ask

Part 2a - How realistic warhorses look and act, because the myth of "all knights were mounted on huge clunky draft horses" just refuses to die: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/732043691180605440/helpful-things-for-action-writers-to-remember

Part 3 - Additional note about camp followers being regular workers AND sex-workers: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/740604203134828544/reblogging-the-time-looped-version-of-my

--

I saw a post on my main blog about how hiking groups need to keep pace with their slowest member, but many hikers mistakenly think that the point of hiking is "get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible" instead of "spending time outdoors in nature with friends," and then they complain that a new/less-experienced/sick/disabled hiker is spoiling their time-frame by constantly needing breaks, or huffing and puffing to catch up.

I run into a related question of "how long does it take to travel from Point A to Point B on horseback?" a lot, as a fantasy writer who wants to be SEMI-realistic; in the Western world at least, our post-industrial minds have largely forgotten what it's like to travel, both on our own feet and in groups.

People ask the new writer, "well, who in your cast is traveling? Is getting to Point B an emergency or not? What time of year is it?", and the newbies often get confused as to why they need so much information for "travel times." Maybe new writers see lists of "preindustrial travel times" like a primitive version of Google Maps, where all you need to do is plug in Point A and Point B.

But see, Google Maps DOES account for traveling delays, like different routes, constructions, accidents, and weather; you as the person will also need to figure in whether you're driving a car versus taking a bus/train, and so you'll need to figure out parking time or waiting time for the bus/train to actually GET THERE.

The difference between us and preindustrial travelers is that 1) we can outsource the calculations now, 2) we often travel for FUN instead of necessity.

The general rule of thumb for preindustrial times is that a healthy and prime-aged adult on foot, or a rider/horse pair of fit and prime-aged adults, can usually make 20-30 miles per day, in fair weather and on good terrain.

Why is this so specific? Because not everyone in preindustrial times was fit, not everyone was healthy, not everyone was between the ages of 20-35ish, and not everyone had nice clear skies and good terrain to travel on.

If you are too far below 18 years old or too far past 40, at best you will need either a slower pace or more frequent breaks to cover the same distance, and at worst you'll cut the travel distance in half to 10 or so miles. Too much walking is VERY BAD on too-young/old knees, and teenagers or very short adults may just have short legs even if they're fine with 8-10 hours of actual walking. Young children may get sick of walking and pitch a fit because THEY'RE TIREDDDDDDDDDD, and then you might need to stay put while they cry it out, or an adult may sigh and haul them over their shoulder (and therefore be weighed down by about 50lbs of Angry Child).

Heavy forests, wetlands and rocky hills/mountains are also going to be a much shorter "distance" per day. For forests or wetlands, you have to account for a lot of villagers going "who's gonna cut down acres of trees for one road? NOT ME," or "who's gonna drain acres of swamp for one road? NOT ME." Mountainous regions have their traveling time eaten by going UP, or finding a safer path that goes AROUND, so by the time you're done slogging through drier patches of wetlands or squeezing through trees, a deceptively short 10-15 miles in rough terrain might take you a whole day to walk instead of the usual half-day.

If you are traveling in freezing winters or during a rainstorm (and this inherently means you HAVE NO CHOICE, because nobody in preindustrial times would travel in bad weather if they could help it), you run the high risk of losing your way and then dying of exposure or slipping and breaking your neck, just a few miles out of the town/village.

Traveling in TOO-HOT weather is just as bad, because pushing yourself too hard and getting dehydrated at noon in the tropics will literally kill you. It's called heat-STROKE, not "heat-PARTY."

And now for the upper range of "traveling on horseback!"

Fully mounted groups can usually make 30-40 miles per day between Point A and Point B, but I find there are two unspoken requirements: "Point B must have enough food for all those people and horses," and "the mounted party DOESN'T need to keep pace with foot soldiers, camp followers, or supply wagons."

This means your mounted party would be traveling to 1) a rendezvous point like an ally's camp or a noble's castle, or 2) a town/city with plenty of inns. Maybe they're not literally going 30-40 miles in one trip, but they're scouting the area for 15-20 miles and then returning to their main group. Perhaps they'd be going to an allied village, but even a relatively small group of 10-20 warhorses will need 10-20 pounds of grain EACH and 20-30 pounds of hay EACH. 100-400 pounds of grain and 200-600 pounds of hay for the horses alone means that you need to stash supplies at the village beforehand, or the village needs to be a very large/prosperous one to have a guaranteed large surplus of food.

A dead sprint of 50-60 miles per day is possible for a preindustrial mounted pair, IF YOU REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO. Moreover, that is for ONE day. Many articles agree that 40 miles per day is already a hard ride, so 50-60 miles is REALLY pushing the envelope on horse and rider limits.

NOTE: While modern-day endurance rides routinely go for 50-100 miles in one day, remember that a preindustrial rider will not have the medical/logistical support that a modern endurance rider and their horse does.

If you say "they went fifty miles in a day" in most preindustrial times, the horse and rider's bodies will get wrecked. Either the person, their horse, or both, risk dying of exhaustion or getting disabled from the strain.

Whether you and your horse are fit enough to handle it and "only" have several days of defenselessness from severe pain/fatigue (and thus rely on family/friends to help you out), or you die as a heroic sacrifice, or you aren't QUITE fit enough and become disabled, or you get flat-out saved by magic or another rider who volunteers to go the other half, going past 40 miles in a day is a "Gondor Calls For Aid" level of emergency.

As a writer, I feel this kind of feat should be placed VERY carefully in a story: Either at the beginning to kick the plot off, at the climax to turn the tide, or at the end.

Preindustrial people were people--some treated their horses as tools/vehicles, and didn't care if they were killed or disabled by pushing them to their limits, but others very much cared for their horses. They needed to keep them in working condition for about 15-20 years, and they would not dream of doing this without a VERY good reason.

—

UPDATE January 13: Several people have gotten curious and looked at maps, to find out how a lot of cities are indeed spread out at a nice distance of 20-30 miles apart! I love getting people interested in my hyperfixations, lol.

But remember that this is the space between CITIES AND TOWNS. There should never be a 20-mile stretch of empty wilderness between City A and Town B, unless your world explains why folks are able to build a city in the middle of nowhere, or if something has specifically gone wrong to wipe out its supporting villages!

Period pieces often portray a shining city rising from a sea of picturesque empty land, without a single grain field or cow pasture in sight, but that city would starve to death very quickly in preindustrial times.

Why? Because as Bret Devereaux mentions in his “Lonely Cities” article (https://acoup.blog/2019/07/12/collections-the-lonely-city-part-i-the-ideal-city/), preindustrial cities and towns must have nearby villages (and even smaller towns, if large and prosperous enough!) to grow their food for them.

The settlements around a city will usually be scattered a few miles apart from each other, usually clustered along the roads to the city gates. Those villages and towns at the halfway point between cities (say 10-15 miles) are going to be essential stops for older/sick folks, merchants with cargo, and large groups like noble’s retinues and army forces.

Preindustrial armies and large noble retinues usually can’t make it far past 10-12 miles per day, as denoted in my addition to this post. (https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/739342239113871360/now-for-a-key-aspect-that-many-people-often-ask )

[nasa]

What We Learned from Flying a Helicopter on Mars

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history – not only as the first aircraft to perform powered, controlled flight on another world – but also for exceeding expectations, pushing the limits, and setting the stage for future NASA aerial exploration of other worlds.

Built as a technology demonstration designed to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, Ingenuity performed flight operations from the Martian surface for almost three years. The helicopter ended its mission on Jan. 25, 2024, after sustaining damage to its rotor blades during its 72nd flight.

So, what did we learn from this small but mighty helicopter?

We can fly rotorcraft in the thin atmosphere of other planets.

Ingenuity proved that powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds when it took to the Martian skies for the first time on April 19, 2021.

Flying on planets like Mars is no easy feat: The Red Planet has a significantly lower gravity – one-third that of Earth’s – and an extremely thin atmosphere, with only 1% the pressure at the surface compared to our planet. This means there are relatively few air molecules with which Ingenuity’s two 4-foot-wide (1.2-meter-wide) rotor blades can interact to achieve flight.

Ingenuity performed several flights dedicated to understanding key aerodynamic effects and how they interact with the structure and control system of the helicopter, providing us with a treasure-trove of data on how aircraft fly in the Martian atmosphere.

Now, we can use this knowledge to directly improve performance and reduce risk on future planetary aerial vehicles.

Creative solutions and “ingenuity” kept the helicopter flying longer than expected.

Over an extended mission that lasted for almost 1,000 Martian days (more than 33 times longer than originally planned), Ingenuity was upgraded with the ability to autonomously choose landing sites in treacherous terrain, dealt with a dead sensor, dusted itself off after dust storms, operated from 48 different airfields, performed three emergency landings, and survived a frigid Martian winter.

Fun fact: To keep costs low, the helicopter contained many off-the-shelf-commercial parts from the smartphone industry - parts that had never been tested in deep space. Those parts also surpassed expectations, proving durable throughout Ingenuity’s extended mission, and can inform future budget-conscious hardware solutions.

There is value in adding an aerial dimension to interplanetary surface missions.

Ingenuity traveled to Mars on the belly of the Perseverance rover, which served as the communications relay for Ingenuity and, therefore, was its constant companion. The helicopter also proved itself a helpful scout to the rover.

After its initial five flights in 2021, Ingenuity transitioned to an “operations demonstration,” serving as Perseverance’s eyes in the sky as it scouted science targets, potential rover routes, and inaccessible features, while also capturing stereo images for digital elevation maps.

Airborne assets like Ingenuity unlock a new dimension of exploration on Mars that we did not yet have – providing more pixels per meter of resolution for imaging than an orbiter and exploring locations a rover cannot reach.

Tech demos can pay off big time.

Ingenuity was flown as a technology demonstration payload on the Mars 2020 mission, and was a high risk, high reward, low-cost endeavor that paid off big. The data collected by the helicopter will be analyzed for years to come and will benefit future Mars and other planetary missions.

Just as the Sojourner rover led to the MER-class (Spirit and Opportunity) rovers, and the MSL-class (Curiosity and Perseverance) rovers, the team believes Ingenuity’s success will lead to future fleets of aircraft at Mars.

In general, NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions test and advance new technologies, and then transition those capabilities to NASA missions, industry, and other government agencies. Chosen technologies are thoroughly ground- and flight-tested in relevant operating environments — reducing risks to future flight missions, gaining operational heritage and continuing NASA’s long history as a technological leader.

You can fall in love with robots on another planet.

Following in the tracks of beloved Martian rovers, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter built up a worldwide fanbase. The Ingenuity team and public awaited every single flight with anticipation, awe, humor, and hope.

Check out #ThanksIngenuity on social media to see what’s been said about the helicopter’s accomplishments.

Learn more about Ingenuity’s accomplishments here. And make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[reasonsforhope]

"Over 10,000 square miles of additional protected area will be added to the Heard and McDonald Islands in Australia’s far southern territorial waters.

Coupled with other expansions of existing marine sanctuaries, it puts Australia on course to have 52% of its ocean territory protected, more than any other nation, by the end of the current administration’s term.

“This is not just a huge environmental win for Australia, it’s a huge environmental win for the world,” said Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. “This is a unique and extraordinary part of our planet. We are doing everything we can to protect it.”

Located over 2,000 miles south of the Australian continent, Heard and McDonald Islands make up about 144 square miles of volcanic terrain that represent one of the most remote places on Earth.

They are important breeding grounds for 19 species of bird, including 4 species of penguins, but dozens of other bird species take refuge there. It is a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site, and a RAMSAR Wetland in addition to being an Australian national marine sanctuary.

The quadrupling of the sanctuary borders amounts to 11.5 thousand square miles, (30,000 sq km) of additional protection, but represents one-tenth of the total proposed expansions of marine protected areas.

Under the current guidance, prepared by nationally sanctioned scientific surveys, the total marine protected areas will make up an area the size of Italy.

The current administration of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking to establish a new environmental protection agency, as well as set a high bar for the country’s commitments to an international philosophy of conservation governance known shorthand as “30×30” or “30 by 30,” which states that to prevent the worst effects of general environmental degradation worldwide, 30% of land and waters should be under protections. Often the second thirty refers to a hypothetical 2030 deadline."

-via Good News Network, October 10, 2024

[k-hippie]

K-202 MOD ( AKA GROUND PAINTS ) MAJOR UPDATE 2024

Yesterday, walking inside Sims4Studio terrain files, I discovered something I didn't notice before ... 20 new base game files, after all other expansions ones ... Oo

When this happened ? I don't know :D I was confident, thinking we were more or less up to date with our k-mods ;) <--- sweet summer child ...

But we are not letting few files disturbing our zen :D So, here comes the k-202 Mod latest update with files ending with "20092024"

Enjoy !

Oh, we updated too some expansions terrain paints files here and there ;)

Stay tuned, some other news and releases are coming :) As we lost a lot of pictures and links during the servers transfer, we had to rebuild many stuff into the Sims 4 k-Faktory ... But we'll talk about this next time ;)

Have a super weekend everyone ! See you soon ;)

Download : HERE

As usually, if you think our work is worthing, we have a "Kofi" on our website ;)

...

[fr3sh-tragedies]

Hiii!! Im not sure if you take requests but if you do could you write something for regina goerge (2024) x fen reader please? Thank you

[Mean Girls: 2024] Regina George x Female Reader

[Requested]

Summary: Upon growing closer and ultimately becoming official with Regina, you finally understand the saying that home can be a person.

Word Count: 1.76k Content Warnings: A very brief mention of sex Category: Heavy Fluff || One-shot + Preference

[A/N]: I've been wanting to write for her ever since I saw the movie, so thank you for requesting this! I hope you'll like what I was able to come up with. The last part of it was more of a drabble, but overall this was fun to write.

Enjoy!

“Rough day?” Regina had asked you once you seated yourself in the passenger side of her jeep. You blinked, surprised she had already taken notice of your slumped and fatigued demeanor, but you responded regardless. “Yeah, it just felt like today went on forever. I didn’t think eighth period was ever going to end,” you murmured, smirking to yourself, amused. Regina, when you glanced up at her, was frowning at your words. She ignored Gretchen’s request to hurry up so they can get away from the school and instead took hold of your hand, giving it a small squeeze.

Before shifting into reverse and backing out, she lifted your hand up to her lips and pressed a small kiss against the backs of your knuckles. “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll make sure you can relax. It’s the weekend now, so you don’t need to worry about anything.” You hummed and nodded, face slightly flustered from her actions. She shot a grin your way before her attention focused in on the road ahead of her.

Like usual, the Plastics were going to meet up at Regina’s house after classes, just as they always had. Karen and Gretchen planned on informing their Queen Bee Regina about the latest gossip they had heard, though you already knew they had made half of it up just to stir the pot around school. You generally paid no mind to them when they started talking about drama. You couldn’t understand why Regina was so interested in it all – sure, it helped her gain the upper hand here and there, but it hurt so many people in the process.

You grimaced to yourself when you looked out the window, the soreness from the day already creeping up on you and causing you grief. With your focus pointed outside at the passing terrain, you hadn’t taken notice of how Regina peeked over at you, clearly having heard your small hiss of pain when you turned your head. As Cady and the other two Plastics blabbered on about god-knows-what in the backseat, Regina kept her worry centered on you. After you flinched again from hardly moving your limbs, she huffed, making up her mind.

“I’m gonna drop you guys off,” she announced to the girls in the back, who all stared at her for a moment, purely dumbfounded. “What?” Gretchen started, “But we always go to your house after school. You promised we could come today.” “Well, I changed my mind. I’m dropping you off at your houses instead.” Once again, Gretchen tried to argue against this sudden decision, though a sharp glare from Regina quickly forced her to press her lips shut again. She groaned and slouched down into her seat, causing Regina to roll her eyes.

Curiously, you eyed her from your seat. She felt your attention on her and glanced over at you from the corner of her own eye, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Gently, she squeezed your hand. A silent promise that it would be alright soon.

Almost immediately after making your way into Regina’s bedroom, you spotted one of her shirts draped over the back of the chair stationed at her desk. With a small smile, you plucked it from its original spot and hoisted it over your head, pulling it down over your body and sighing when the scent of her perfume met your senses. Always a comforting smell for you, which she was very much aware of. Each time you came by, she made sure to spray on a little extra.

Your feet led you over to her bed after you kicked your shoes off. Regina was still downstairs, briefly mentioning to her mom that you were going to be staying for the entire weekend. Her mom put up no argument, like usual, and you soon weren’t alone in the room anymore. You had situated yourself on your side of the bed, bundling up against her pillows while you mindlessly scrolled through your phone, and she could feel strings tugging at her heart at the sight, a prideful grin painting her lips.

She joined you on the bed after changing into more comfortable clothes: sweatpants, a loose t-shirt, and the fuzzy socks you had gotten her for her birthday a few months prior. She climbed onto the mattress, sighing at the relief the plushness provided her. Wordlessly, she shuffled until her hip met yours. Her arm slung itself over your shoulder and pulled you to her until your head was resting against her own, then her head dropped to rest on top of yours. Soothingly, her hand ran itself up and down your arm, and her soft lips pressed a chaste kiss to your temple.

Moments like these were what you cherished most. There was no drama to listen to, no prying eyes from other students, no snarky remarks directed your way, no stressful work to deal with. Here, in Regina’s arms, you were able to unwind and feel safe. As she tugged her phone off of her nightstand to click through TikTok, her other hand slid up to your scalp, nails dancing slowly through your hair in such a heavenly way that you couldn’t help but feel your eyes instantly flutter shut at the sensation. When you hummed in satisfaction, she grinned, then pressed another kiss to your skin.

“Ew, why are you back on my feed?” She suddenly questioned beside you. Puzzled, your eyes pried themselves open to glance at her phone, unsure if she was talking to you or not. Thankfully, she was talking about a random girl from school. You couldn’t help but snicker and watch as she immediately tapped the “Not Interested” option and continued her journey through her page. Upon hearing your small laugh, she let out her own and glanced at you.

“What?” Was her question, soft and playful, accompanied by an amused smile as she studied over your features. “Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting you to talk. I thought you were about to fall asleep. I know I am,” you explained, mirroring her smirk.

She shrugged and shook her head, briefly turning back to her phone. “I might. This week kind of kicked my ass.” You could only groan at that for a moment. “Yeah, same.”

A heavy sigh unwillingly slipped past your lips, and you didn’t have to look at her to know she was staring back, fueled with concern. Weakly, you rubbed at your eyes before letting them fall shut again. She said nothing, but you heard her phone click off and get placed back down on her nightstand. Her eyes were trained on you, you knew, but you were too exhausted to meet her gaze.

Instead, you focused in on the comfort she was effortlessly provided you with: fingers toying delicately with your locks, her own weight supporting yours, arm wrapped protectively around your shoulders, occasional pecks against the head. You felt your eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment. A quick yawn passed from you before you nestled further against Regina.

“Scoot closer.” Interrupted from your thoughts and once again being pulled away from sleep, you groaned and opened your eyes, looking up at her with confusion. “What?” “Scoot closer.” You did as told without another word. With a bit of effort thanks to your heavy limbs, you managed to slide over onto your side, which she did in return before pulling your head against her chest. Now feeling fully enveloped in her arms, your body went slack, much to your long-awaited relief. As her hand returned to play with your hair, she shuffled for a bit, trying to get comfortable.

Finally, she settled with a sigh of her own.

“I love you. You know that, right?” She murmured against your head, speech slightly slurred from her own exhaustion. You nodded. “I love you too.” Her nails drug effortlessly against the nape of your neck as she let out a yawn. “If you ever just want us to be alone after school, or… actually, whenever, all you have to do is tell me. I’m gonna get annoyed with Karen and Gretchen anyway, and Cady’s starting to get on my nerves too, so it would be nice to spend more time alone with you.”

A grin broke out across your lips. “Okay.” Silently, you wondered to yourself if she had ever been this soft to anyone before. When you had first gotten together with her, you worried she was going to treat you like she had done to everyone else. However, much to your relief, instead of being met with cold glances and meaningless sex, you found yourself constantly being showered in genuine compliments, longing gazes, soft touches, and plenty of promises for the future.

As she held you in her arms, you couldn’t help but tear up a little, truly feeling safe and secure with every bit of her warmth wrapped around you. Digging your nails into her shirt and burying your face into the soft fabric, you sniffled, which immediately caused her to tense and lean back to look you in the eye. “Woah, baby, what’s wrong?” You laughed and shook your head, the sight of your smile easing her tensed form. “Nothing at all. They’re good tears, I promise.”

Briefly, she eyed you, wanting to ensure you were being truthful. When you softened your gaze and smiled wider, she sighed, nodding and pulling you back against her chest.

Sleepily, Regina huffed out a small chuckle and closed her eyes. “Why’re you wearing my shirt by the way?” She questioned softly. You blushed, one of your hands instinctively slipping down to toy with the collar of said shirt and tug it up to your face. “It just… brings me comfort. That’s all.” You paused. “Is it a bad thing that I’m wearing it?” A quick shake of her head settled your nerves, though she further soothed you anyway. “Of course not. It looks good on you, baby. You should wear my stuff more often.”

You giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind,” you murmured in reply. It only took a few moments before you felt her melt into you. With your head rested against her chest, you were able to feel her breathing even out, slow down, then deepen, signaling she had finally fallen asleep. You yawned, knowing you were going to follow suit shortly after.

Your fingers dug in a little deeper to her shirt as you pulled yourself as close as possible to her. As your eyes fluttered shut, you hummed. “I love you.”

[devilscreekballad]

It's here, it's here. The long awaited Chapter 7 is here.

After the MC got knocked out at the end of ch6 they awake back at the hotel, with Charlie telling them of the rescue mission to get them back. And that an old friend of Lynwood's has joined them, albeit just temporarily. Or maybe he's meant to stay? Also there's a cat.

Play it HERE

-

Updates & Changes (Version 7.0; 10/12/2024)

Added Chapter 7

Added Interlude Chapters from Charlie, Mrs. Meadow's and Lynwood's perspective (Lynwood's is atm incomplete and will be added with the ch8 update)

Updated skintone options

Added option for whether MC swears

Added options to not reveal if you're trans/under the umbrella

Added options to say if you bind/pad your chest or if you are flat-chested

Various bug and prose fixes.

Total Wordcount of this update (with code) 46725 words, bringing the overall wordcount (according to twine) to ~219000 (not counting unused/notes passages).

Can't give an average, sorry, but might very well be around 100k per playthrough now.

Note:

With this update the Choicescript version is on ice, though if there's ever a change to how CoG handles publishing (and if CS gets expanded array usage), who knows what the future holds for a more mobile and screenreader friendly version of Ballad.

For those new to the game:

The West is Wild and the West is Weird. A new century is around the corner, and you are an outlaw traversing the towns and terrains of the Frontier, only to one evening get wrapped up in chasing down the means to stop a doomsday cult from bringing forth the end of days. You’ll face hustlers, grifters, gunslingers and vengeful brides as you make your way to the ghost town of Devil’s Creek to find answers, and hopefully get out of there alive.

What can you play as?

Ballad allows you to set your a broad variety of factor besides gender and age, all which will have a variety of impacts on the story.

Who can you romance?

Right now there are six possible ROs, with more going to be added later:

Charlie, your best friend and partner in crime

Seán and Tommy, and odd couple of outlaws happenstance put into your little posse (they can only be romanced together)

Lynwood, a Pinkerton Agent on Seán's trail

Mrs. Meadows, widow, sharp-shooter and doctor there to make sure you'll uphold your end of the deal

Isaac, former colleague of Lynwood's picking up the trail of a cold case

As this is a Weird West game, some Warnings do apply:

Death

Blood

Violence

Swearing

Alcohol

Smoking

Mindsets and Vocabulary of the late 19th century North America/Europe

Mentions/Discussions of

Sexual Violence/Abuse

Spousal/Parental Abuse

Racism, Sexism, other forms of bigotry

Miscarriage

Infertility

Murder

Animal Death/Animal abuse

Guns

Spiritism

Mediumship

Ghosts

Supernatural events

Capitalism

Pinkertons

Like what you're seeing?

You can support the author on Pat or Ko.

~+~

But now, have fun with the game.

Stay safe, stay hydrated, stay weird. <3

[judgeitbyitscover]

Southern Reach series (10th Anniversary Editions) by Jeff VanderMeer

Cover art by Pablo Delcan

MacMillan, 2014-2024

Annihilation (2014)

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.

The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything

Authority (2014)

After thirty years, the only human engagement with Area X—a seemingly malevolent landscape surrounded by an invisible border and mysteriously wiped clean of all signs of civilization—has been a series of expeditions overseen by a government agency so secret it has almost been forgotten: the Southern Reach. Following the tumultuous twelfth expedition chronicled in Annihilation, the agency is in complete disarray.

John Rodríguez (aka "Control") is the Southern Reach's newly appointed head. Working with a distrustful but desperate team, a series of frustrating interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, Control begins to penetrate the secrets of Area X. But with each discovery he must confront disturbing truths about himself and the agency he's pledged to serve.

In Authority, the second volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, Area X's most disturbing questions are answered . . . but the answers are far from reassuring.

Acceptance (2014)

It is winter in Area X, the mysterious wilderness that has defied explanation for thirty years, rebuffing expedition after expedition, refusing to reveal its secrets. As Area X expands, the agency tasked with investigating and overseeing it—the Southern Reach—has collapsed on itself in confusion. Now one last, desperate team crosses the border, determined to reach a remote island that may hold the answers they've been seeking. If they fail, the outer world is in peril.

Meanwhile, Acceptance tunnels ever deeper into the circumstances surrounding the creation of Area X—what initiated this unnatural upheaval? Among the many who have tried, who has gotten close to understanding Area X—and who may have been corrupted by it?

In this last installment of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may be solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound—or terrifying.

Absolution (2024)

When the Southern Reach Trilogy was first published a decade ago, it was an instant sensation, celebrated in a front-page New York Times story before publication, hailed by Stephen King and many others. Each volume climbed the bestsellers list; awards were won; the books made the rare transition from paperback original to hardcover; the movie adaptation became a cult classic. All told, the trilogy has sold more than a million copies and has secured its place in the pantheon of twenty-first-century literature.

And yet for all this, for Jeff VanderMeer there was never full closure to the story of Area X. There were a few mysteries that had gone unsolved, some key points of view never aired. There were stories left to tell. There remained questions about who had been complicit in creating the conditions for Area X to take hold; the story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coast—before Area X was called Area X—had never been fully told; and what if someone had foreseen the world after Acceptance? How crazy would they seem?

Structured in three parts, each recounting a new expedition, there are some long-awaited answers here, to be sure, but also more questions, and profound new surprises. Absolution is a brilliant, beautiful, and ever-terrifying plunge into unique and fertile literary territory. It is the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time

[murfeelee]

IWTV INSP CC Dump - Simblreen 2024

This CC file dump includes 40 items and 1 lot (*gasp~!*) for your TS3 vampires with a penchant for being interviewed! I separated the CC into thematic zip files, in case y'all aren't interested in everything.

IWTV INSP Build Mode Dump:

EA Master Suites Fireplace REDONE (basegame)

Gold Chinoiserie Wallpaper Birds (found under Paint IIRC)

Herringbone Pattern 4 & 5 (found under Wood)

IWTV INSP Buy Mode Dump:

AikeaGuinea Sordid Cassette Tapes SEPARATED (Stackable)

Goblet Decor RECOLORABLE

IWTV S3 INSP Clapperboard Decor

TS4 to TS3 Dining Out Candle Table Light

Vinyl Record Decor (Stackable) V2

IWTV INSP Dubai Wall Art:

IWTV INSP Basquiat Painting

IWTV INSP Marius' Temptation of Amadeo Painting

IWTV INSP Rembrandt Painting

IWTV INSP Transformation Painting

IWTV INSP Lestat CAS Miniset:

Lorandia Rings Male Right REDONE (Only 4)

Simsimi Kimono ACC Unisex (SHEER)

TS4 to TS3 Gramsims Feathers as ACC (SMALLER)

TS4 to TS3 Akasha CAS Miniset:

TS4 to TS3 Akasha Crown ACC

TS4 to TS3 Akasha Dress

IWTV INSP Theatre des Vampires Ads:

IWTV INSP Baby Lulu (AMR Dollhouse Blocks) RETEX (Decor & End Table)

IWTV INSP Lestat Portrait

IWTV INSP Marquee Wall Light

IWTV INSP KHD Morris Column RETEXTURED

IWTV INSP Posters 2

IWTV INSP Posters

IWTV INSP Theatre des Vampires Wall Decal

EA Paving Fan Cobblestone GREY Terrain Paint

TS4 to TS3 Neon Letters VAMPIRES:

Neon Letter V, A, M, P, I, R, E, S (only!)

IWTV INSP Claudia CAS Miniset:

Grue SilkySunflower Mashup Hair

Peggyzone Bag ACC REDONE

IWTV INSP Mods Dump:

All Raw Fish Edible Tuning Mod (REQUIRES Nona's Custom Food Script at MTS)

EA Book Overrides for IWTV

EverlastingGarden_Books as a functional Bookshelf RETEX (IWTV INSP)

IWTV INSP Theatre des Vampires Lot:

IWTV INSP TdV Community Lot (No Visitors Allowed) for Sims 3 > Library folder

+ CC MERGED file (for Sims 3 > Mods > Packages folder)

+ Decor People MERGED file (for Sims 3 > Mods > Packages folder)

(Granthe's OMSP & Buhudain's OMSP Resizers NOT included, but still REQUIRED)

Enjoy, and Happy Simblreen!

Download (package files) : Mediafire | SimFileShare

Descriptions & preview pics under the cut:

IWTV INSP Build Mode Dump

I used these in my NOLA 1132 Rue Royale gameplay way back in 2022, and never got around to sharing them, oops.

IIRC the Chinoiserie Wallpapers are non-recolorable, but come in 2 variations of normal & albino peacocks.

I forgot what I changed about the Master Suites SP Fireplace. Probably the RGBY channels. Plus it's basegame compatible now.

And ofc you can see the Herringbone patterns, which I love using on floors. Has 3 RBG channels. Found under Wood.

IWTV INSP Buy Mode Dump & Lestat CAS Miniset

Random CC I've been using:

I separated & retextured AikeaGuinea's Sordid Cassette Tapes, and made them stackable. IDER which category they're in--use LazyDuchess' Search Mod like god intended!

"There's a GOBLET on the table!" No worries, it's only decorative & fully recolorable--the "blood" inside is fake. (In that gif you can obvs see the Gramsims Feathers as ACC--tuxedo not included, sorry. Found under Bracelets, Everyday - Outerwear, fully recolorable. And you can also see Lorandia's Rings Male Right, which I redid to only keep 4 of the 8 original rings.)

The Clapperboard comes in 2 non-recolorable variations.

The decor Vinyl Record is fully recolorable and stackable (variations come with and without the Vampire Lestat VL logo).

I made Simsimi's Kimono ACC sheer (& unisex). Found under Necklaces, fit/fat morphs, Everyday - Outerwear, fully recolorable.

The TS4 to TS3 Dining Out Candle Table Light is fully recolorable.

IWTV INSP Dubai Wall Art

Louis' Basquiat painting:

Marius' Temptation of Amadeo Painting:

Armand's (stolen) Rembrandt & Louis' Transformation paintings:

TS4 to TS3 Akasha CAS Miniset

Akasha Crown ACC found under Glasses, Hat Slider compatible, Everyday - Outerwear, fully recolorable. Akasha Dress YAF/AF, full/fat morphs, Everyday - Outerwear, fully recolorable.

IWTV INSP Theatre des Vampires Ads

I retextured the red EA Paving Fan Cobblestone Terrain Paint Grey. Found under Stone/Rock/whatever it's called.

Baby Lulu (AMR Dollhouse Blocks) RETEX (Decor & End Table). (IIRC I had to use OMSP resizers on these.)

"Who's that handsome man on the wall?" The Devil Brat Prince himself! Lestat's Portrait, found under Wall Art.

IWTV INSP KHD Morris Column RETEXTURED, Posters 1 & 2 all have the same variations, mixed with AMC's posters and the IRL posters from Grand Guignol Theatre AMC used as inspo.

Theatre des Vampires Wall Decal, recolorable.

IWTV INSP Marquee Wall Light, recolorable, comes in multiple variations. (IIRC I gave the bulbs the fullbright shader so they always glow, but I may just be sleep deprived, IDER.)

TS4 to TS3 Neon Letters VAMPIRES

Neon Letter V, A, M, P, I, R, E, S (only!)

Fully recolorable, found under Wall Lights. (IIRC I gave these the fullbright shader so they always glow, but I may just be sleep deprived, IDER.)

IWTV INSP Claudia CAS Miniset

The Grue SilkySunflower Mashup Hair is a frankenmesh of Grue's Sunflower hair and Grue's Silk hair. IIRC, uses the same recolor channels. Everyday - Outerwear, Teen - AF, etc etc. I redid the Peggyzone Bag ACC cuz the original wasn't showing up in my game. Recolorable, found under Bracelets, Everyday - Outerwear, blahblah.

IWTV INSP Mods Dump

I made the Edible Raw Fish tuning mod for 3 reasons:

Not ALL raw fish are edible for werewolves (inc. crocodiles)--thanks a lot, EA

I needed my loup-garou/Swamp!Lestat to be able to actually eat the crocodiles on my bayou lot

OF COURSE I needed a way for Saint Louis to gulp down fish instead of killing sims (especially in my IWTV Mersim AU)

Naturally, for raw fish to fill the Vampire Thirst need, my mod REQUIRES Nona's Custom Food Script at MTS.

I made yet another EA book texture default replacement, this time with EA Book Overrides for IWTV. Browse here for the in-game swatches.

There are A LOT of books in TS3, so I tried to match Anne Rice's books (including but not limited to just her vampire books), plus a couple non-Anne Rice vampire books, to TS3′s particular genres:

Academic, Generic: Daniel Molloy's Under the Burning Sky

Academic (Business): The Vampire Armand

Academic (Communications): DM's Hate & Ashbury

Academic (Fine): Blood & Gold

Athletic: Prince Lestat, The Vampire Lestat

Bar, Mixology: True Blood

Biography, Drama, Masterpiece, Non-Fiction: Interview with the Vampire

Butler: Lasher

Charisma, Fantasy: Memnoch the Devil

Cooking: Feast of All Saints

Egypt: The Mummy

English, Fiction: Dracula

Fishing: Blackwood Farm

France: The Vampire Lestat, Interview with the Vampire

Generic, China: Anne Rice's Alphabettery

Handiness: Servant of the Bones

Historical: Queen of the Damned

Horror, Masterpiece: The Vampire Chronicles (Collection)

Humor: The Vampire Lestat

Inventing: The Mummy

Logic: Daniel Molloy's A Shadow on the Skin, Hate and Ashbury, The Internet's Gavel

Martial Arts, Military: Queen of the Damned

Math, Medical, Robot, Science, SciFi, Future: Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis

Music (generic): Violin

Music (Bass, Piano, Drums): Queen of the Damned

Music (Harp): Cry to Heaven

Mystery: The Witching Hour

Photography, Street Art: Blood & Gold

Poetry: Dead Brides - Vampire Tales

Prenatal: Blackwood Farm

Recipes: AR's Alphabettery (China), Queen of the Damned (Egypt), Feast of All Saints (France)

Riding: The Wolf Gift, Wolves of Midwinter, The Vampire Lestat (Wolfkiller cover)

Romance, Trashy: Sleeping Beauty

Social: Blood Communion

Spellcraft: Merrick, The Witching Hour, Lasher

Sports, Academic (Phys): Tale of the Body Thief

Toddler, Comics, Children: Claudia's Story

Vaudeville: The Vampire Armand

I retextured EverlastingGarden's Books as a functional Bookshelf to match some of the IWTV EA Book Overrides, so it could look like sims were really pulling those books off the shelf to read. Browse the 3 swatches here.

IWTV INSP Theatre des Vampires Lot

IWTV INSP TdV Community Lot (No Visitors Allowed) for LIBRARY folder (64x64 lot IIRC--maaaaybe 50x50?)

+ CC MERGED file (for PACKAGES folder)

+ Decor People MERGED file (for PACKAGES folder)

I've hit Tumblr's photo limit, so for in-game pics of the lot, see my posts here & here.

WARNING: I have all TS3 EPs installed, plus a few SPs, and I use A LOT of EA's Store CC, so I CANNOT guarantee that this lot will look the same in your gameplay as mine, if y'all don't have the same DLC. The list of Store CC that's NOT included is here.

As a rule, Granthe's OMSP and Buhudain's OMSP Resizers are REQUIRED. I didn't include them in the Merged CC file, just in case.

__________________________________________________________

"And that's the end of it. There's nothing else!"

Enjoy, and Happy Simblreen!

Download (package files) : Mediafire | SimFileShare

[fluffypotatey]

things i noted on my 2nd watch of Twisters (2024)

where each song from the soundtrack plays (idk how many times i listened to it but y’all there was hell or high water playing at the diner when Javi was talking to Riggs and i felt like my third eye opened lmaooooo)

Dexter nerding out over everything (noticed this before but like 🥰🤧 this old man has my heart y’all 🥺 do you see how excited he gets mapping out the terrain and remembering which tornado effect is which???? yeah sure he probably never went to university or finished high school but you can see his love for learning and education and i bet he read every book in every library he visits)

white shirt OT3 o7 (Kate begins the white shirt effect and then it switches to Tyler and switches back to Kate then switches to Javi which switches to Tyler at the end. now, you could argue that Javi begins the white shirt effect bc Storm Par includes white shirts in their uniforms but NO! because they’re polos AND Javi wears the blue and black uniform. so truly the real argument would be Scott wore it but he’s separate from the OT3 and is meant to draw Javi away unlike Kate and Tyler and in this essay—)

Boone not answering Tyler calls (like, last time i did see when Tyler was asking Boone for forgiveness when he chased a tornado with Kate instead of Boone but the fact that Tyler only called Lily because Boone wasn’t answering just adds to that lmao)

Tyler being all shy and sweet with Kate (yeah i saw it before last time but like 🥺 he’s such a sweetie with his little crush and little smile and trying to act all cool asking for her opinion about where the twister is like 🤧🤧 adorable)

Lily teasing and being a great wingman (calling out his red face and handing Kate the food. and ok, yeah, sure, it’s a lot more likely that she didn’t see Kate and Tyler have a mini argument where Kate assumes the worst of them, but i like to think she saw how it ended and decided to clear the air her own way)

Benjamin Shopshire III (100% laughed when i read that name, i’m so sorry Ben lmao)

Mrs Carter’s narrative similarities to Aunt Meg (bbq & steak and eggs; team loving protag’s relative; not taking protag’s bs)

dead bf’s name is Jeb not Jeff (pretty sure that’s short for something but i have never heard of a Jeb before)

Tyler complimenting Javi’s radar (solely for OT3 purposes)

“Storm Par” & “Owens” (very much the when a name begins toned derogatory but ends the story affectionate)

they never specify which branch of the military Javi’s from (…….it’s free real estate)

Never Left Me plays when Javi and Kate are driving into Oklahoma (very much seals the “there was a time i’d do anything for you” quote)

but yeah there’s some. imma be letting it all soak in my brain while i rot ✌️

[floofeh-purpi]

Getting isekai'd?! (Pt. 1)

please bro I dont have the motivation to make a decent title

Sagau! Genshin Fatui x Gn! Reader (ft. Your bsf)

Warnings: Cursing, spelling errors maybe, reader has a dog, your bsf involved lol, this shits as short as my lifespan 💔

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

☆

★

☆

★

☆

★

☆

★

☆

★

☆

★

☆

Nah... NAH... Ain't no fucking way...

..Bro.

The fuck is this place?! That was your first thought as soon as you went outside to touch some grass. (cuz bro tf is the last time you even touched the ground outside?!). Except the ground you touched was soft.

And cold. You blind ass somehow didnt see the snow

You flinched at the coldness of the ground, not noticing it was snow, you immediatly went back inside to your bedroom and warm your ass up. Ayo wait...

Wait is this one of those isekai fanfics?! *ehem* get the fourth wall builder please

Except...

Bitch your house somehow also got isekai'd with you in this... well, place. Hey atleast you have your dog with you. Yey! But regardless...

It doesn't change the fact that you're literally in the middle of nowhere. What. Anygayyys, you check your phone to see the time.

3:10am. You could've sworn your phone wasn't fully charged cus it was like, what, 30% last time. But eh, you brushed it off.

"Wow, such a great time to be awake." You thought sarcastically.

Suddenly, (y/b/f/n) (your best friend's name) yawned.

"Bro... why the fuck is it looking so cold outsi— Woah..." Your best friend's sleepiness mysteriously disappeared as they looked outside at the snowy terrain.

"The fuck is we in right now bro?"

"Dunno, bet we got isekai'd into another world like in those fanfics." You shrugged.

.

.

.

.

"I feel like exploring with (d/n)." You suddenly said after an awkward amount of silence. "Omg sureeee!" (Y/b/f/n) happily said.

You and (y/b/f/n) dressed up in matching jackets thats thicker than your class pick me's skull omfg frfr in your favorite shade of (f/n) and you both wore the hoods on your head. You both went downstairs to get your dog that was outside in the backyard. Your dog is so loyal that it doesn't even wanna escape. W dog.

*Insert y'all going outside*

"Omfg why does she/he have to be so cute?!?!!" Your best friend thought as they petted your husky's head.

You both ended up walking the dog together cus ya'll nothing else to do, not knowing that a group of fatui agents practically saw you both.

★☆★☆

Omg I finally written what I always wanted to write! :D

Also bro sorry if this is too short for you I don't really write long chapters cus I get lost literally 100% of the time ☹

Published in: June 27, 2024 at 10:22am.

【Part 2】

[apod]

2024 April 12

Total Totality Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Korona

Explanation: Baily's beads often appear at the boundaries of the total phase of an eclipse of the Sun. Pearls of sunlight still beaming through gaps in the rugged terrain along the lunar limb silhouette, their appearance is recorded in this dramatic timelapse composite. The series of images follows the Moon's edge from beginning through the end of totality during April 8's solar eclipse from Durango, Mexico. They also capture pinkish prominences of plasma arcing high above the edge of the active Sun. One of the first places in North America visited by the Moon's shadow on April 8, totality in Durango lasted about 3 minutes and 46 seconds.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240412.html

[jilyawards]

The Jily Fandom Rec List 2024 is a compilation of Jily stories our readers want to keep an eye on for this year's awards.

JULY

Genius (completed, 4.3k) by @petalsthefish. Rated M.

After Lily breaks her iPhone, she finds herself at the Genius Bar on Valentines Day, and an old flame is there to help her in all things technology and romance.

That Summer (WIP, 13.3k as of 31 July 2024) by @thecasualauthor. Rated T.

In which James and Lily spend the summer in a house by the sea. (and fall in love in the process)

to dream the impossible dream (completed, <1k) by @emeralddoeadeer. Rated T.

From Tumblr prompt asks: “I called you at 2am because I need you.”

Only Nineteen (completed, 2.2k) by @petalsthefish. Rated M.

Lily and James discuss what to do about Lily’s unplanned pregnancy during a forced holiday up north after a mission went wrong. My prompt for the May jilychallenge was “Skinny Dipping” and I decided to make it skinny dipping but with angst because I needed a good cry

The Bath of a Lifetime (completed, <1k) by @chierafied. Rated M.

James wanted a stiff drink, a hot bath and to lounge on the couch by the fireplace. The drink seemed unlikely. The couch was a possibility. But he’d definitely be getting that bath.

star light, star bright (completed, 9k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated G.

It's seventh year, somehow, that clinches the case, claiming the grand prize in the annals of Lily Evans's misfortunes. Because, as it turns out, harbouring feelings for James Potter while also navigating the precarious terrain of friendship with him is a fate crueller than death. [or: James keeps accidentally touching Lily and she's about to lose her mind]

December's Valentine (WIP, 16.2k as of 31 July 2024) by @stonecoldhedwig. Rated E.

Sometimes, a one-night-stand with a guy off Tinder is just that: a one-night-stand. No lasting feelings, no strings attached. It's the kind of thing that's easy to get your head around when you're trying to get your heart around the end of a relationship. Sometimes, it's not that simple. Sometimes, you're a journalist, and you get assigned to write a piece on an up-and-coming restaurateur, who just might be that one-night-stand from Tinder that you can't stop thinking about. And sometimes, to make matters worse, the two of you get snowed in... **** Or: Lily shags James, and thinks she'll never see him again. Right? Wrong.

The Smallest Men Who Ever Lived. (completed, 7.3k) by ninazenikcult. Not rated.

The time has come for Lily to leave Cokeworth, and with it, two of the smallest men who ever lived; her father and Severus Snape. But leaving the town where she has been trapped for years and exchanging it for an idyllic new life with James proves more difficult than first thought.

My Life's Blood (completed, 18.2k) by @ohmygodshesinsane. Rated E.

James Potter, Duke of Peverell, lingers on the outer edges of the Prince Regent Regulus's court, steadfastly plotting his overthrow. When the Prince Regent's new bride, the lovely Lily of Innsbruck, arrives, a formal introduction leads to James's realisation that the folk tales are true -- and that if he fails to contrive a way to stay at the princess-to-be's side, their lives will be forfeit.

Check out the previous months' recs too: January, February, March || April || May || June

[book--brackets]

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (2001)

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. 

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams (1988-1992)

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (2013-2015)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? 

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (2004-2024)

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's… well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (2006)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty . . .

Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can throw her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce (2003-2004)

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu (2015-present)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (2013-2017)

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce (1999-2002)

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon. The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights. He says she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even when the test is unfair.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012-2018)

Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. 

 The King of Limeros's son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father's trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. 

 Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

 Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.