#Highlands Project

[elven-sisters]

Ciri with Triss near Kaer Morhen...

[dailyadventureprompts]

Villain: Brother Humble, the Unlikely Usurper

Your party has been hired to escort a delivery to a monestary high in the mountains, not the most glorious job, but it pays well. Word is that an early frost has stirred up the monsters in the region and has the local bandits looking to fill their larders before the snows force folk off the roads. Best to be quick, quiet, and be ready for anything. 

It’s a hard few days trekking up the mountains, and the heroes’ feet are aching by the time they catch sight of their destination. The monks are happy to welcome them but even more happy to receive what they carry: A large reinforced box containing the bones of one of the members of their order, lost  for some years while she was out on pilgrimage and now finally returned home to rest. Such an act of charity has more than earned the party a few nights of rest and hospitality and the monks, who happen to be as skilled brewers as they are devout souls, are more than happy to provide. Among the crowd of holy hermits the party might just notice a dour faced monk in fraying robes unloading their cart despite wearing ankle fetters, though their hosts ask them to pay no mind: Brother Humble is always in a sour mood and not even an act of god is going to change that. 

Screams wake the party that night, followed by sound of the great bell and the smell of smoke. The monks are being slaughtered, and before they can do a thing about it the part of the monastery they’re staying in catches fire. Just as they’re forced to flee they catch sight of Brother Humble, smiling toothlessly as he runs one of the other monks through with a sword of unearthly black metal, laughing as the world around him burns. 

Adventure Hooks: 

Trying to divert the mad monk from his slaughter turns out to be a hopeless task, as despite the fact that the old man should barely be able to lift the sword he fights with an inhuman strength and speed and a skill that far eclipses the party’s best. He’ll toy with them at first but should any of the heroes try to make a stand he’ll make sure to give them something to remember him by: a brutal scar, a missing hand, a burn as he presses their body up against the building as it goes up in flames. Should they somehow manage to hold their own he’ll bring the whole place down on top of their heads, leaving them to wake up and pull themselves free of the rubble in the morning. 

Though well protected in a concealed compartment within the saint’s bone box, there’s a chance the sword will be discovered during the journey either because of the party’s curiosity or a random encounter mishap. In such a case, the party will feel a calm will wash over them as they inspect the blade, a presence intoning that they are a sacred weapon sought by the monk, and it was sent to the monastery so that a great wrong may be righted. What the party do from that point is up to them, though their might be forces that would steal the sword back should they wander too far astray. 

If you’re using this adventure as the launchpad for a campain, consider the party ending the first leg of their journey taking a rest at a local outpost, or friendly mountain town before continuing on to the monastery. Not only will it give your party a break from the action and a chance to connect before shit goes down, but it will also prove a poignant moment when they limp back into the haven with whatever few survivors managed to escape the massacre. 

Background: Before he was a monk the man known as brother humble was named Firodon and he was the disinherited elder sibling of the realm’s previous soverign. Born to rule and a peerless swordsman, Firodon was unfortunately a monster who awnsered any flaw or failure with anger and delighted in petty acts of violence. He wasn’t thinking of the consequences when he dangled his youngest sister over the castle ramparts, he just wanted the brat to know her place. The ensuing fall would mean the girl would always need a chair to get around and showed the king and queen that their eldest was unfit to inherit their name, letalone a crown. 

A hunting accident was contrived, and while it would have been easiler (and saved everyone else a lot of grief in the longrun) to put a bolt through the back of prince Firodon’s head his parents were goodhearted people, and thought that with a little guidance the boy might grow beyond his wickedness outside the pressures of royal expectation. And so a body was produced, a story concocted, trusted servants sword to secrecy. Firodon was dragged to the monestary in chains and finally humbled. The queen and king might’ve been right in their thinking. Though Humble raged at the indignity of his birthright denied, life in the abby was good for him. The rigors of life living so far from the palace gave him an outlet for the energy that spurred his darkest impulses, and the monks were not affraid to correct him when he was wrong, as so many others had when he was crown prince. He was not happy, he never allowed himself to be, but he found peace, or atleast he would have had the sword dreams not started. 

Firodon’s family decended from an ancient line that first rose to power through a compact with Orcus, the now dead god of oaths, part of which involved the bestowal of Dominion, darksteel sword of great power and the service of a spirit set to watch over and guard the royal house. Working from behind the scenes this spirit served Firodon’s parents faithfully, as was its role, but upon their deaths its protection transfered not to their chosen heir but to their displaced eldest child who had never abdicated and was thus the “rightful” king in accordance with the ancient pact.  Since that day it has been working tirelessly to put the sword in Firodon’s hand and see him back on the throne regardless of how much blood it needs to shed in order to do so. 

Art1

Art2

[terra-tortoise]

my m pose isnt so bad though!

[theoakleafpancake]

Hiii I’m back

And I’m here to add to the collection of Gilan Davidson and his ever-changing appearances

[Image ID: A flat-color drawing of Gilan Davidson from the chest up. The background is differing shades of blue with red streaks behind him. He is wearing a grayish-green tunic with a brown shirt underneath. His skin is tanned, with brown eyes and vaguely spiky red hair that falls just below his chin. There is a faint stubble on his face. He is smiling, looking upwards. The silver oakleaf hangs around his neck. /End ID]

[ridiasfangirlings]

How do you think HOMRA, including Anna would do at the Scottish Highland Games?

This feels like such a random ask XD First, Yata would be so vocally embarrassed about wearing a kilt, he keeps asking why he has to wear a skirt and Totsuka happily explains that it isn’t a skirt (and somehow Fushimi is in the audience so he gets to say ‘nice skirt’ every time Yata walks by). I feel like the Homra guys might actually do pretty decent, at least in some respects. Mikoto and, unexpectedly, Kamamoto feel like they would be the real MVPs here. Like a lot of the games seem to involve the lifting and throwing of heavy things and I could see this being Kamamoto’s real time to shine, I feel like from the way we see him fight in canon there has to be some good muscle mass under all that fat and if anyone’s going to be throwing hammers and stones and stuff it’s going to be him. Mikoto would probably also be good at these once he’s forced to do them (I don’t know why Homra would be competing in the Scottish Highland Games but I feel like it’s fair to assume that it’s somehow Totsuka’s fault and Totsuka spends a lot of the games prodding Mikoto to do events, like come on King it will be fun). Imagine most of the competitors for the strength events being big guys and then Mikoto just strolls in, hands in his pockets, and sends things flying without breaking as sweat.

The rest of Homra do their best with the games, I could see them at least being respectable at the heavy events. I feel like Yata might do really well at the hill race, since he’s athletic and used to navigating around any kind of terrain (is there a rule that he can’t use a skateboard because otherwise he will try). Homra as a whole would do good at the tug of war too, imagine them all working as a team to win this for their King, who’s sitting out this one and napping under a tree. Anna joins in at the tug of war because she really wants to be part of the games too and imagine her being pulled off her feet almost immediately and then just dangling there on the rope. The Homra guys are pissed off that someone dared to pull their princess off her feet and promptly use all their strength to drag the rival team to defeat. Anna is a little disappointed that she didn’t get to compete much so Totsuka takes her over to do some dancing, Anna gets a pretty red tartan skirt and learns a few steps that she gets to perform for everybody, the Homra guys all clapping and telling her how good she is at it. 

[bumblebeeappletree]

We're searching Scotlands Highlands to find and bring back a rare habitat, Mountain Birch.

🌾 To support our work you can become a member here: https://mossy.earth

MOSSY EARTH MEMBERSHIP

===============================

The rewilding membership that restores nature across a wide range of ecosystems.

🌲 Support a diversity of ecosystems

🐺 Rewild habitats to bring back biodiversity

🦫 Fund neglected species & ecosystems

Learn more and become a member here: https://mossy.earth

💪 OUR PARTNERS IN THIS VIDEO

===============================

Reforesting Scotland: https://reforestingscotland.org/

⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️

00:00 Intro

00:40 Adventure begins!

02:18 What is Mountain Birch?

03:31 Why is Mountain Birch Missing?

04:44 What Scotland could look like!

06:05 What we're doing

07:12 Adventure continues...

09:27 Gus' channel?

09:55 To the nursery

🔎 ABOUT THIS PROJECT

===============================

Montane woodland is a virtually extinct habitat in Scotland. Of the 5.1% of native forests in the Scottish Highlands, only a mere 4% exists above altitudes of 400 metres. Although important restoration schemes are working to restore Caledonian pine forest, temperate rainforests and montane willow scrub, a missing piece of the landscape is largely, if not completely neglected - mountain birch woodland. In what should be a transitional zone between lower and higher mountain woodlands, high-altitude adapted species like mountain birch have all but disappeared, leaving a gap in this ecological niche. This Mountain Birch Project (MBP), led by Reforesting Scotland, aims to progress efforts to reinstate mountain birch woodland in Scotland. It will involve locating remaining fragments, mapping their distribution and seed collection and propagation, as well as the establishment of a seed orchard.

Find out more about this project here: https://www.mossy.earth/projects/the-...

[doe-earth-n]

Season 3 arc Underway

Now that the Season 2 arc has officially wrapped up, it is safe to announce that the Season 3 arc is about to begin, and it is going to start out with a bang when Richie and Tori deal with a fork in the road when an old friend of Richie's return and claims her son is his, things take a turn and Tori and Richie can't deny their feelings for one another any longer and they become an official couple.

The side story "Beginning of a New Life", will take place right after the first chapter of the Season 3 arc and it's the M rated story where Felicia Martins returns, joins forces with Ming and kidnaps Richie and then Tori and Duncan along with Amanda join forces with the Defenders of the Earth to save Richie.

Methos will make his first appearance in the Season 3 arc and the last few episodes of Season 3 are going to be altered as far as Richie is concerned. You'll see what I mean.

Look forward to it!

[coochiequeens]

Maybe the TRAs are focused on the wrong group. A transwoman was killed by a woman using her words to "misgender" but by a violent man who used a gun

By Miriam Marini

Detroit Free Press

An 18-year-old Highland Park man was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Asia Davis, a 36-year-old transgender Black woman.

Carlos Lamar Scotland, 18, is facing four charges, including first-degree murder and felony firearm, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced in a press conference Friday. Davis, also of Highland Park, was found deceased with a gunshot wound to her head in a Highland Park hotel room in June 2023, prompting an investigation by Michigan State Police.

On June 1 at around 11 p.m., Highland Park Police officers were dispatched to a hotel on Woodward Avenue for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers found Davis inside a hotel room. Scotland, who was a minor at the time of the incident, allegedly shot Davis and fled the scene. Worthy declined to speculate on potential motives that may have inspired the shooting or the exact nature of Scotland and Davis' relationship, citing concerns for the security of the case.

At the time, Davis had recently finished nursing school and was on the path of a new career, according to the prosecutor's office. She was known to be a generous and compassionate person, Worthy said.

"Back in 2016, I was concerned and actually lost sleep because of the public perception of Detroit," Worthy said. "There were many unsolved murders of trans women of color. No one seemed to care at all. Nothing was really being done. No one was really investigating, and their lives seem to matter to no one."

And thus the Fair Justice Michigan Project was born. The organization is a partnership between prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement in Wayne, Ingham, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties that focuses on advocacy and education of LGBTQ+ and women's civil rights in Michigan. Fair Michigan special prosecutor Kam Towns is leading the prosecution in Davis' case.

"Having worked (at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office) for 30 years before I took this job, I have a general sense of homicide rates in general, but specifically to the LGBTQ community, I can't really address that," Towns said. "I will say this, I feel like people are more brazen. They don't hide in the shadows as much as they used to when they go after members of the LGBTQ community. I've seen that as a change, that they feel more emboldened and more empowered to just act out in a way that they normally wouldn't."

Davis is one of at least 32 transgender and "gender expansive" people who fell victim to fatal violent crimes in 2023 in the United States, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Half of those 32 victims were Black transgender women.

Scotland is facing charges of first-degree murder, felony firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and resisting and obstructing a police officer. While Scotland was a minor at the time of the incident, he will be prosecuted as an adult, Worthy said.

His probable cause hearing is scheduled for March 26.

[chibifox2002]

Today I learned thx to my sister that there is a fanfiction on Wattpad that has my ninth great grandmother as the main character...

[amiharana]

hot soup is one of the greatest joys we will ever experience in our short mortal lives

[e-carlease]

But how will the 2024 Model 3 perform - is the battery / charging and range better? Well, the answer depends on the option you choose with two key selections so far:

RWD - the £39,990 model will have a 57.5 kWh usable battery which will offer 0 – 62 times of 6.1 seconds, 125 mph top speeds and 208 kW (or 279 hp). Expect a combined winter range of 215 miles with warmer weather allowing for 305 miles. On charging, the 11 kW AC max will allow 6 hours and 15 min 0 – 100% charging times with the 170 kW DC maximum allowing 25 minute 10 – 80% times. A cargo volume of 594L is available with this car. It has a vehicle fuel equivalent of 183 mpg. This option can tow 750kg (unbraked) and 1000kg (braked).  This EV will have no Bidirectional charging; and

AWD - the £49,990 model will have a 75 kWh usable battery which will offer 0 – 62 times of 4.4 seconds, 125 mph top speeds and 366 kW (or 491 hp). Expect a combined winter range of 260 miles with warmer weather allowing for 365 miles. On charging, the 11 kW AC max will allow 8 hours and 15 min 0 – 100% charging times with the 250 kW DC maximum allowing 27 minute 10 – 80% times. A cargo volume of 594L is available with this car. It has a vehicle fuel equivalent of 170 mpg. This option can tow 750kg (unbraked) and 1000kg (braked).  This EV will have no Bidirectional charging.

[origingroup]

An Experience of Uncompromising Luxury & Unbeatable Views- Rock Highland By Origin.

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Love hosting gatherings?

The karaoke room and cafeteria are ideal spots to entertain friends and family. These thoughtfully designed spaces make everyday life at Rock Highland not just comfortable, but truly enjoyable.

When it comes to choosing a home, Rock Highland offers... See more

[spirefan]

Let's discuss the phenomenon of why "the grass is greener on the other side" as we dive into the beauty of a diverse world that others witness through conversation and education on this sensational Monday:

[weepingfireflies]

People & countries mentioned in the thread:

DR Congo - M23, Cobalt

Darfur, Sudan - International Criminal Court, CNN, BBC (Overview); Twitter Explanation on Sudan

Tigray - Human Rights Watch (Ethnic Cleansing Report)

the Sámi people - IWGIA, Euronews

Hawai'i - IWGIA

Syria - Amnesty International

Kashmir- Amnesty Summary (PDF), Wikipedia (Jammu and Kashmir), Human Rights Watch (2022)

Iran - Human Rights Watch, Morality Police (Mahsa/Jina Amini - Al Jazeera, Wikipedia)

Uyghurs - Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) Q&A, Wikipedia, Al Jazeera, UN Report

Tibetans - SaveTibet.org, United Nations

Yazidi people - Wikipedia, United Nations

West Papua - Free West Papua, Genocide Watch

Yemen - Human Rights Watch (Saudi border guards kill migrants), Carrd

Sri Lanka (Tamils) - Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch

Afghans in Pakistan - Al Jazeera, NPR

Ongoing Edits: more from the notes / me

Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh/Azerbaijan (Artsakh) - Global Conflict Tracker ("Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict"), Council on Foreign Relations, Human Rights Watch (Azerbaijan overview), Armenian Food Bank

Baháʼís in Iran - Bahá'í International Community, Amnesty, Wikipedia, Minority Rights Group International

Kafala System in the Middle East - Council on Foreign Relations, Migrant Rights

Rohingya - Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, Al Jazeera, UNICEF

Montagnards (Vietnam Highlands) - World Without Genocide, Montagnard Human Rights Organization (MHRO), VOA News

Ukraine - Human Rights Watch (April 2022), Support Ukraine Now (SUN), Ukraine Website, Schools & Education (HRW), Dnieper River advancement (Nov. 15, 2023 - Ap News)

Reblogs with Links / From Others

Indigenous Ppl of Canada, Cambodia, Mexico, Colombia

Libya

Armenia Reblog 1, Armenia Reblog 2

Armenia, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Indigenous Americans, Black ppl (US)

Rohingya (Myanmar)

More Hawai'i Links from @sageisnazty - Ka Lahui Hawaii, Nation of Hawai'i on Soverignty, Rejected Apology Resolution

From @rodeodeparis: Assyrian Policy Institute, Free Yezidi

From @is-this-a-cool-url: North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA)

From @dougielombax & compiled by @azhdakha: Assyrians & Yazidis

West Sahara conflict

Last Updated: Feb. 19th, 2024 (If I missed smth before this, feel free to @ me to add it)

[exopelagic]

I’m almost done complaining abt supervisors I swear