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earthstellar · 1 year ago

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Currently combing through the Transformers Exodus novel, as I often do.

Some notes, by which I mean, this is going to be long:

Using an Abandoned Hydraulic Mining Facility as a Battle Arena: This Sort Of Happened in Real Life -- Know Your Labour History

The building in Kaon that is used by Megatron for gladiatorial battle is an abandoned hydraulics works, and on the page prior to this it refers to extremely deep slag pits, which indicates this hydraulics facility was almost certainly used for mining. The location is given specifically as "to the south of Kaon's centre".

This makes me wonder if the now-abandoned Orgreave Coking Plant may have been some inspiration to someone somewhere in building the backstory; A coking plant uses massive amounts of hydraulic machinery and components, and the location of this specific facility is to the south of the centre of Rotherham.

Plenty of Brits work on Transformers, and I wonder if any English people who may have been on the team for developing the Aligned Continuity bible/character backstories might have thought of Orgreave as some kind of inspiration.

It's worth noting Orgreave Coking Plant was famously the site of a huge labour dispute which turned into a borderline Battle of Harlan situation, called the Battle of Orgreave in 1984.

Which makes it excellent potential inspiration, both visually and in terms of historical significance in union/labour and working class struggle against the oppressive upper class- A significant theme in Transformers.

Nearby, there is also the abandoned Orgreave Colliery, and while all abandoned collieries would fit the mechanical and dark, heavy design of Kaon, Tarn (the location, not the bot) and so on, it's still worth pointing out that Orgreave has plenty of industrial ghosts (abandoned industrial facilities).

That having been said, hydraulic mining works could also refer to actual hydraulic mining methods rather than just any hydraulic machinery present, which would also explain the large pits that Orion Pax sees at the site in Kaon, and would add another level of horror: Using fluids to carry out this type of mining would be a huge hazard to bots. I'd imagine rusting was a common problem, not to mention gradual armour/frame wear, increased fall/slip hazards for most frame types, etc.

CONTENT WARNING: Here's where some medical conjecture begins, you might want to skip this section if you're sensitive to medical discussions! There is no detailed comparison to any particular real world cases in this segment, however there is brief mention of ableism in a fictional context.

This would also account for the description of optics and audials needing more frequent repair even prior to suffering any gladiatorial damage--

--In some frame types, these components/sensory systems may be more exposed to the environmental pollution as mentioned in the text, but also, would be sensitive to abrasive damage from spray back/high pressure soil/stone/crystal like particulate materials present in Cybertron's surface and sub-surface layers acting essentially as sand paper against their bodies as they worked in any such hydraulic mining sites.

This is the type of shit Kaonite workers in these mining facilities were likely exposed to on a regular basis, because they are Cybertronians and could physically tolerate this kind of thing without dying-- At least, not right away.

A combination of repeated extreme wear, chronic overwork, likely poor medical resources, and complicating factors like questionable access to healthy fuels etc. would have inevitably resulted in a generally very unwell population with high workplace casualty rates.

This was the type of life most low class/caste heavy labour designated frame types were assigned to, under the Functionist system.

I've talked about my headcanons re: hearing disabled Megatron before, and it's kind of interesting to see that canonically here, that's very much possible. Audial damage from mining, audial damage from the fighter's ring.

But in general, the Kaonite population is seriously at risk, especially medically. Same deal with other low class/caste designated regions across Cybertron. Much like many Appalachian mining populations, where COPD is as common as flies in summer, the chronically poor health of this population would be staggering in comparison to better-off polities like Iacon.

Rust in their optics, rotting their optical components from within, likely leaving many workers sightless--

--At which point they were probably deemed "useless" under the ableist Functionist system, as they would then likely be unable to work their prior jobs or would only be able to work in limited or different capacities; Any system that determines worth by perceived functionality is inherently ableist, and Primus knows there were almost certainly no disability accommodations provided or available potential repairs/treatments in places like Kaon on Cybertron.

As a result, these newly disabled bots were likely left unemployed and therefore without any income source for Shanix, therefore left to their deaths via fuel deprivation etc.--

--Unless they fell in with mob-controlled sources of materials or aid, as a last resort...

Apparently Megatron Displaced The Local Kaonite Mafia: Pit Bosses Could Be Mob Bosses Too

This is also a real thing, as a lot of productive industrial facilities (not just mining, but textiles etc.) were often tied into in local black market raw material goods and organised crime shit, owing to less than moral site owners and company bosses. (At least in the USA, it may have varied in other countries or from region to region.)

This is because if you have a productive facility, you can make a fuckload of money bypassing any common sense safety rules or proper waste/product handling or disposal protocols etc. and skip the whole regulated market and just go right to making a fuckzillion moneys from whoever will buy this shit illegally.

(This is part of why a lot of Appalachia is polluted to hell and back-- Even at the time, a lot of these industrial works and companies knew perfectly well that dumping coal ash and other horrible shit into every single river and creek available was a bad idea. They did it anyway. Why? It saved money overall and they didn't have to pay for more long distance drivers to reach actual approved waste sites etc.

For those of you who may not be familiar with this USA specific shit, let me introduce you to the concept of a Superfund Site. It's depressing. Most are former industrial illegal waste dumping sites. These places are so fucked up that even the American Government was forced to acknowledge how bad it is. Some of them are straight up literal nuclear waste sites.)

This has been a huge problem in American industrial history, because America can turn out some very, very productive sites using very, very unsafe and cruel means to force workers to work. Paying in scrip etc. were all methods to ensure a workforce could not leave. And so on.

Not to mention the horrendous impact on Native populations, the poor in general, immigrants in general, etc. who were all subject to the worst possible treatment throughout.

And there are many modern examples too-- Not just in the USA, but in many places around the world, such as Peru. Note that capitalism is often the facilitator of mistreatment, pollution, etc. and serves as the motivating factor for much of this fuckery worldwide. This also includes factors like western companies wanting to appear more "green", so they simply go abroad to abuse people in other nations and exploit their labour and raw labour products instead.

Capitalism is the root problem, on Earth and evidently, likely on Cybertron as well.

Can you imagine the amount of Shanix these fucking Kaonite mob bosses were making, possibly from selling raw materials and energon crystals mined in Kaon to other polities with fewer natural resources, arranging illicit under the table deals with large energy distributors etc. in other regions? Depriving Kaon of its own natural goods and stealing the near-entirety of their labour, constantly, endlessly?

(If this all reminds you a bit of Marx's Theory of Alienation, you are correct.)

Much of Kaon is, essentially, a Superfund Site. Dangerous industrial waste, materials, and abandoned facilities, all affecting the population in all sorts of ways into perpetuity even long after one industry dies and another rises-- Or a new industry never comes along, and you end up with even worse off sections of an already brutally deprived area, living in the remnants of an equally hellish past that was just marginally better enough to make some bots yearn for the good old days of having a job to be worked to death at.

If this is relatable or frustrating to you, you are correct. These are all real world problems. It's easy to relate to the plight of the Kaonites-- Megatron, at this time, is still largely a sympathetic figure to many.

Because of course, even from the outside, it is clear that this degree of suffering cannot be sustained. Even Orion Pax recognises this, despite his own total lack of exposure and lack of class awareness at the time in which he initially starts speaking with Megatron.

Anyway. Briefly back to our real world example, because it's important here:

All of this capitalist corruption is another example of systemic level rot; A lot of the time regulators knew that facilities were engaging in illegal dumping and worker rights abuses etc. but couldn't do anything about it due to a lack of federal involvement and lack of means or resources to raise a larger case or investigation on the scale that would be needed.

And of course, some regulators and investigators were paid off. Sigh.

It's genuinely impressive that Megatron was able to run off an industrial crime syndicate, because that shit goes very deep and has lots of tendrils that tie into pretty much everything else going on in a given area, especially in towns or regions where only one or two industries make up the entirety of everything.

It doesn't surprise me at all that Megatron gained such a large following so quickly.

Nobody else in Cybertron was willing or able to acknowledge (let alone try to address) the horrible abuses going on in Kaon.

Endless, brutal labour, often resulting in horrible deaths. No reward for any of their work, with much of their meagre pay going to the mob and likely to companies based in other polities around Cybertron, so none of the materials or money ever stayed local. No care was put into their living conditions or standard of living, with most bots being used up and worn down with nothing to show for it but the industrial hell that consumed their own region.

And by getting the organised crime rings out of the local industries and community, by turning this abandoned facility into a gladiatorial ring, that provided both a more personally rewarding use of their physical skills developed through hard manual labour and gives an opportunity to gain legitimate funds and potentially fame-- Granting a social status previously completely unattainable to Kaonites, while clearly being built up on the legacy of all of their prior labour.

No wonder the appeal to follow Megatron was so strong, even in the early days.

Not even Primus helped these people, none of the Primes helped these people--- But Megatron did.

And that is powerful, to be liberated by one of your own, someone you know truly understands the difficulty and suffering and misery of a cruel, unending grind.

All that most of these bots could ever look forward to previously was dying in a hopefully not-as-painful way.

Now, there is potential for a genuinely tangibly better future, quite possibly for the first time in Kaon's history. Certainly for the first time within living memory.

Megatron turned an immiserated local population with no hope and no prospects beyond being worked to death into up-and-coming athletic stars with a burgeoning sports industry, using their local culture and previously disparaged frame types to prove the inherent wrongness of the class/caste system to a literal mass audience.

Megatron essentially took waste from the Cybertronian equivalent of colliery spoil tips and used it to forcibly create some kind of real hope and better future for every Kaonite, both individually and gradually on a larger regional scale, while living under an oppressive system that was just as likely to kill him in the same way as it had been killing everyone else around him his entire existence.

Megatron turned an industrial hell into a revolutionary city-state.

And he started local, he started with the injustices closest to him, what was visible rot to him in the environment he grew up in. Start small, strategize, your morals are your fuel-- In part because they keep stealing the fuel we mine. Does that seem fair? Does that seem just? What sense does it make, to have a system in which your most important workers are kept deprived and struggling into perpetuity?

He is the perfect Cybertronian revolutionary, he is the figurehead the people of Kaon needed, and his words were heard planet-wide from an arena he facilitated the building of himself, that he reclaimed from decay and loss.

From the bare frame structure of an abandoned mining pit, Megatron spoke words that inspired the downtrodden and lifted up countless impoverished populations through solidarity, the collective power of the working class, the low caste bots, the low class frame types.

The people that were previously discarded, were now using their means and their frames for their own purposes, gradually weakening the grip of the Council, gradually proving to more and more bots that this system is broken and this world can be better and we deserve better, and by any means, we will obtain better. We will make it better, with or without your permission.

No wonder Megatron became so powerful, so quickly.

He appealed perfectly to his people and others in similar living conditions, he articulated perfectly the flaws in oppressive Cybertronian society, he showed that different frame types can and do have multiple uses beyond the classist interpretation of their build schematics--

--All Megatron did, fundamentally, was care.

He cared about what was happening around him, he did not buy into the idea that life has to be miserable and this is the way things are and it can never change or get better, he saw and lived the awful conditions and suffered discrimination and understood that working together for each other would improve things for all.

And he acted on this understanding. There is always someone who is first to act, because there must be.

And Megatron does not act in half-measures.

I like that they mention him getting rid of the crime syndicates, here; It gives you a good idea of his morality pre-war.

It would have been easy to collaborate with these crime syndicates for some time, to secure funds for a new gladiatorial ring.

But instead, he took out the crime syndicates entirely and opted to build his arena inside an abandoned facility.

No capitulation to capital.

No money was exchanged, not a single Shanix, no deals made. No fucking around. This is Kaon, and you are no longer powerful here.

Megatron is increasingly powerful, however, because he embodied to the people the collective power of the people; He reflected themselves and their experiences back at them. But actions like this also played a large part in gaining that trust, in proving his skills and worth as a revolutionary and potential leader. It's not enough to be like everyone else. You have to prove you're not just another asshole looking to exploit everyone for influence or other personal benefit.

If you want a collective movement, it has to be about the collective. And for Megatron, it very much was. And things like this helped him prove that from very early on.

The Council and the mobs effectively have no authority anymore; They are losing control. Megatron, very quickly, becomes the accepted authority. Kaon becomes a freed city-state, it escapes the grasp of Functionism.

Standing up to one crime syndicate may not seem significant in the grander scheme of things, knowing how things occur in the story from this point onward.

But it is hugely significant-- It is a very important thing to highlight.

Because it is "smaller" things like this which are actually massively important and impactful.

And each "smaller" thing built up, and improved things for people to the point where Kaon could function entirely independently with a better off population of previously severely oppressed peoples.

Every "smaller" thing counts. Every "smaller" thing is the entire world to someone, or to a lot of someones.

How many lives were saved and debts erased, when Megatron took out this one crime syndicate?

How immediately did that improve a lot of lives, how quickly did that endear those people to him, to his ideology, to his plans for their collective future? How fast did they start listening, when he started speaking?

This is how revolution happens.

Anyway, thank you as always if you read any of this-- I know this got very long and it is nearly 2 AM now where I'm at, so it may have lost a bit of coherency here and there.

tl;dr labour history is important, fuck capitalism (this includes fictional capitalism), and intersectional solidarity is key to collective survival in general but especially among the working class and all groups subject to systemic oppression/discrimination in various forms

#megatron #megatronus #orion pax #tfp #transformers prime #aligned continuity #transformers exodus #transformers novel #maccadam #maccadams #transformers #tfp megatron #kaon #cybertron #long post #tw medical discussion #I try to tag medical talk even fictional stuff in posts that aren't explicitly medical discussion focused #just because I know some people are not into the medical talk stuff #tw ableism

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warsofasoiaf · 10 days ago

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Is the Pax Americana over?

I'd argue it's already been over. The defense industrial base was allowed to wither. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were aggressive and de-stabilizing, far from the First Gulf War or the war to stop Milosevic's genocide in Eastern Europe which were launched to stop the outbreak of conflict and preserve a status quo. Obama's "red line" against chemical weapons turned out to be a phantom threat, emboldening revisionist powers to stake out their own pursuits with less fear of intervention. Russia stole Ukrainian territory that Russia itself recognized as Ukrainian by treaty (Putin himself signed multiple treaties with Ukraine). China has been slowly stealing territory from Bhutan and building fake islands/claiming reefs in the South China Sea for years. Even smaller powers are acting more aggressively provided they have a sufficiently powerful patron to deter intervention.

Welcome to the new jungle. As I've mentioned before, we're likely to see a new level of nuclear proliferation as states see security guarantees as an insufficient means to safeguard their borders from foreign incursion.

Thanks for the question, Cle-Guy.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#modern politics

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elysiumcircusif · 5 months ago

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Please welcome the ROs of ELYSIUM!

AURORA

Your second oldest friend (because the first one is your favourite breakfast cereal). You have known Aurora ever since you can remember. In fact, your first memory is her extending an arm out to help you.

She is impatient, but that is a part of her charm. Aurora woke up on the free fall ride. She is deathly afraid of heights and would never go on that ride. She remembers falling...but she doesn't recall from where. She only realized that she was on the ride after her fall was over. You aren't sure about why or how you both ended up in this circus but what you are sure about is the fact that Aurora will have your back all the time and she will always have you to fall back on.

With a million dollar smile, soft hands and a charming personality that disarms anyone within a foot radius, Aurora is indelible.

"How could I ever forget you?"

PAX

Pax has never really been the one in the spotlight. They mostly keep to themselves, but they won't shy away from taking action when it's necessary. They can be seen riding their motorbike off into the sunset after a tiresome day.

Pax doesn't know why they ended up on the ferris wheel of Elysium. The ferris wheel is their favourite ride since early childhood but they haven't ridden one in years. Just like you, they don't remember ever getting on the ride.Pax doesn't enjoy the puzzles of Elysium even though he is really good at solving them.

Pax may seem like he doesn't care, but in reality, he is afraid of caring too much. When you finally take a peak inside his heart, you'll find that it's not all stone.

"Uh, yea...that's not how it works. Here, let me show you how to do it."

VIOLET

Sweet, sweet Vi. She is incredibly logical and calculating but deep inside, she's a free spirit. Her mind and her heart are at constant odds with each other.

Violet always thinks one step ahead. She doesn't like doing things without a plan. If she can't envision the future, she doesn't go along with a course of action. She loves to let loose at times and will always find a way to lift up your spirits.

Vi won't ever ask for help, not even if her life depended on it. She believes that she is capable enough on her own to solve every single problem that life throws her way but more than that, she does not want to be a burden. But you know when she is at her limits and you can help her realize that it is okay to take a step back.

"We might just be trapped in here but I don't mind it. After all, it is kind of nice being alone with you."

NICK

Nick has a talent for getting himself in and out of trouble. He is the most carefree person you have ever come across. Ever the curious cat, Nick just can't resist exploring things he shouldn't.

He is adventurous and will never pass on an opportunity to try something new. You can be anything around him, just don't be boring. Nick is the type of person who loves speed, pushing themselves to the edge and adrenaline. For him life is nothing but a smooth highway he wants to ride aimlessly on.

When things go south, he does not lose hope. He knows that there is always a way out. Nick will never abandon anyone, no matter what. He is clumsy, but he is sure he can count on you to catch him.

"Sorry for dragging you down here with me. Well, at least we have something to do now don't we?"

{Note: the links under their names take you to their Pinterest board and the links under their quotes take you to their description post}

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goetiae · 1 year ago

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"For though this appeare a proper pulpet peece, yet whan the fox preacheth, then beware your geese."

This proverb, one of many from the Collection by John Heywood (1497-1580), is descriptive of the common imagery seen in many examples of Medieval art: a fox, dressed as a monk, is preaching to a flock of oblivious geese.

On this spoon, which dates back to 1430 and presents an example of South Netherlandish Gothic art, a similar scene is depicted: a fox, disguised as a monk, is carrying three dead geese on its back - in its hand, there's a scroll or another document with the word "pax", peace. The second fox is seizing the geese as they are being distracted by the fox priest.

Pieces such as this one were often created during the Medieval Times to mock the hypocrisy of the church and the clergy, which preached to the masses they prey on. This specific object might have been made for Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy and a great patron of arts.

#༺⛧༻ 𝕮𝔞𝔫𝔢𝔰 𝖁𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔠𝔦 ༺⛧༻#༺✧༻ 𝕸𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔞 ༺✧༻#history #art #antiquities #netherlandish art #medieval art #middle ages #religious art #mfa boston

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twisted-confessions · 5 months ago

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Just curious but are there any other TWST fans in Australia? I'm heading to Melbourne for PAX and getting my (non-twst) cosplay ready for it and was wondering if mayhaps anyone else in the fandom would be there and willing to meet up?

#twisted wonderland confessions #twst confessions #father twist's preachings #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twst #disney twst #twistedwonderland #PAX #australia

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shiftythrifting · 2 years ago

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Have you ever considered doing a pop-up a bit closer to Boston, or even Lowell? I would love to go to one but Worcester's a bit far for me since I don't drive

So far our live events have all been in Worcester (home of Didi), but I'm looking into a Georgetown venue so I AM setting my eyes east, slowly. 👀

#didi answers #the only other places we've sorta popped up are pax east and pax south #so far #I bet I could get in on a Georgetown popup at some point #ma

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ejsuperstar · 8 months ago

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This man is not thief I'm sorry I refuse it

I think I've decided that when I do my "human" designs for everyone I'm just gonna fucking throw canon out of the window. Fuck Stanley. Fuck whatever the hell is going on with robot. Fuck- actually no warrior would wear that shit. Fuck- no wait that inventor design is pretty cute... Mainly just mad at robot and thief

sobbing violently rn

#dicey dungeons #stanley parable ass fit #canon is my bitch #taking inspo from the teaser trailer designs too cos no way in hell im taking anything from fucking Mr Parable over here #also its v funny to me that inventors design barely changed from teaser trailer to pax south trailer #im giving robot its antenna back you cant stop me

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violethowler · 1 year ago

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Red Rising-era Mars Map

After several days of carefully going over all the locations mentioned on Mars across the entire Red Rising saga, I've complete a map of the planet post-terraforming and marked out all the cities mentioned in the books, as well as my best estimates on their location.

Surprisingly it wasn't that hard to figure out a general idea for a lot of things because of how many real-life regions and landmarks on Mars that are namedropped throughout the series.

Explanations for why everything is placed where it is are below the cut. Fair warning though that my distance is based on eyeballing things based on comparing distances to Earth maps, so the distances between cities isn't exact.

Landmasses

Apollonia - mentioned in Dark Age as the continent where Agea and the Valles Marineris are.

Cimmeria - the name comes from the Terra Cimmeria region in the eastern hemisphere of Mars (seen on the right side of the map), but in Dark Age the continent of Cimmeria extends as far north as the Olympus Mons, where Olympia is, and the edge of the continent is implied to be east of Agea (see below in the Bodies of Water section).

Arabia Terra - mentioned in Morning Star as a northern continent and there is an actual region on Mars called Arabia Terra in the northern hemisphere, so i traced the boundaries of the region as the shape of the continent.

Sirenia - we don't know anything about where Sirenia is, particularly since the region it's named for, Terra Sirenum, is directly bordered by the Terra Cimmeria region, but based on the implied size of Cimmeria, i assume it's probably in the eastern hemisphere of Mars.

Elysium - the ancestral home of House Arcos gets its own island because its name comes from the IRL Elysium Planitia and Elysium Mons west of Olympus Mons north of the equator.

Bodies of Water

Borealis Basin - mentioned in Red Rising, said to stretch across the northern hemisphere. Name comes from Vastitas Borealis, the lowland region of Mars that encircles the north polar landmass.

Golan Basin - mentioned in Morning Star. Since the other named Basin takes up a large chunk of the northern hemisphere surrounding the north pole, I logically assumed that the Golan Basin was the southern equivalent.

Thermic Sea - Morning Star implies it's near the equator. In Golden Son, when Darrow is heading toward Agea after landing on Mars during the Iron Rain, he's travelling north and mentions the Thermic Sea being on the left, which puts it west of Agea. Dark Age mentions that when Pax is fighting the Red Hand's torchShip to help Lyria the bases is on the northern thermic, indicating that the sea is south of Cimmeria.

Amazonian Sea - Virgnia flies over it while heading to Cimmeria during the Iron Circle in Dark Age. Named for the Amazonis Planitian, aka the Amazonian, a lowland region west of Olympus Mons and northeast of IRL Terra Cimmeria.

Gorgon Sea - mentioned in Golden Son with not specific details about its location so i put it between Terra Arabia and Sirenia for lack of major cities and landmarks in that area.

Cities and other Major Locations

Agea - repeatedly established as being located in the center of the Valles Marineris

The Institute - the Red Rising map and Golden Son place it in the upper arm of the Valles Marineris, and Golden Son establishes that it's 80 kilometers east of Agea.

Thessalonica - In Golden Son, Darrow mentions when they make landfall during the Iron Rain that they're 300 kilometers from where they need to be, and they head north to get to Agea. On the way, they pass Thessalonica with the city on their left at the edge of the Thermic Sea.

Tinos - Morning Star establishes that Tinos is 500 kilometers south of the Thermic Sea, but is also shown to be big enough that the Sons of Ares base extends out into the thermic under the sea floor, bc their meeting room has a clear dome that looks up at the sea.

Nagasos Mine- Sons of Ares Volume 3 establishes that it's 600 kilometers south of Agea. When Ryanna takes Roran and Corthus through a shaft up to the surface already terraformed, there's a shoreline and water depicted near the entrance to the shaft. It could be a lake, but for simplicity's sake I'm assuming it's the shore of the Thermic, particularly based on the location of Tinos.

Varos - Dancer mentions in Morning Star it's half a thousand clicks away from Tinos (1000 clicks=1000 kilometers, so 1000/2= 500 km).

Zephyria - name comes from an actual region on Mars located in the Terra Cimmeria region, so i put it as part of Cimmeria.

Hippolyte - Dark Age mentions it's on an archipelago in the sea. Exact location unclear but i'm putting it in the Thermic Sea for simplicity's sake.

Corinth - Morning Star mentions that Corinth right in the middle of the Thermic.

Ismenia - mentioned in Morning Star as a port city in Arabia Terra, so I picked a random spot along the coast to put it.

Lykos Mine - mentioned in Golden Son that it's in the middle of "the southern taiga", the magistrate mentions going on vacation to landmarks that are later established as being in Cimmeria, indicating that it's in the southern hemisphere on Cimmeria.

Yorkton - Golden Son mentions that it's on the edge of the taiga.

Ishtar - mentioned in Red Rising that it's by the sea, not far from Yorkton, so i had the two close together.

Attica - Golden Son mentions it's a southern city, and Dark Age implies that it's in Cimmeria bc Lyria's distress beacon was boosted to "half of Cimmeria" and people from Attica came to help stop the Red Hand

Kato - mentioned in Morning Star as being in the Alcidalia Provence, with the implication that it's north of Attica. There's an IRL region in the northern hemisphere known as the Acidalia Planitia, so i'm assuming the provence name is a reference to that and put Kato in that area on the map for now.

New Thebes - Morning Star mentions that New Thebes is south of the Aventine Peninsula, and when the Jackal was testing his stolen nukes, the explosion was visible from Phobos and made the Howlers worry it was New Thebes. Morning Star establishes that after 7 hours plus however much time they spent getting into Quicksilver's tower, then getting out and recuperating before Darrow and Sevro had their fight, Phobos was directly over Corinth. Based on the fact that Phobos takes roughly 7 and a half hours to complete one orbit of Mars, the Aventine Peninsula would have to either be in Cimmeria or Sirenia. I went with Cimmeria just to be safe.

Cyprion - Mentioned in Morning Star as north of New Thebes on the peninsula.

#red rising saga #red rising meta #red rising map #mars

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flagwars · 1 month ago

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Video Game Flag Wars: Round 1

Now that the National Pride Fusion Flag Wars has ended, we can return to the Video Game Flag Wars! The prelims decided which flag would represent each series, so now the tournament contains one flag per series. This does not include mods and fangames, as there are multiple flags from Hearts of Iron mods and Roblox games in the tournament. As there are so many flags even after the prelims, there will be 32 polls in the first round rather than the usual 16. Let me know what flag you want to win! See the brackets below.

Round 1:

1. Crimson Cult Banner (Thaumcraft) vs. Flag (Roblox BedWars) vs. Salmon Run Flag (Splatoon)

2. Unnamed Flag (Lego City Undercover) vs. Atlantic Federation (Valkyria Chronicles) vs. Homestead Banner (Palia)

3. Middle Eastern Alliance (Squad) vs. Shadowkin (Raid: Shadow Legends) vs Bilge Rat Adventures Flag (Sea of Thieves)

4. Saker’s Flag (Fable) vs. Novistrana (Republic: The Revolution) vs. Arstotzka (Papers, Please)

5. San Andreas (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) vs. Kirin Tor Offensive Banner (World of Warcraft) vs. Alliance of Galactic Travelers (No Man’s Sky)

6. Black Revolt (Kaiserredux) vs. Aquileian Republic (Supremacy) (Equestria at War) vs. Rescue Corps Flag (Pikmin 4)

7. Tropico (Tropico) vs. Sons of Liberty (Metal Gear Solid 2) vs. Commune of Revachol (Disco Elysium)

8. Mawkin Flag (Metroid: Dread) vs. Calchaqui (Europa Universalis 4) vs. Kazan Military Okrug (Thousand-Week Reich)

9. King Dedede’s Flag (Kirby: Triple Deluxe) vs. Meat Flag (Slime Rancher) vs. Flag of the Crown (Cult of the Lamb)

10. Communist Australia (Victoria II) vs. Delian League (Imperator: Rome) vs. Ominous Banner/Illager Banner (Minecraft)

11. Patagonian Worker’s Front (Kaiserreich) vs. Castle Siege (Super Smash Bros.) vs. Yara (Far Cry 6)

12. Stag Beetle Flag (Animal Crossing: New Leaf) vs. Fortnite (Fortnite) vs. Livonia (Arma)

13. Gaul Úr (Red Flood) vs. Strong Badia (Homestar Runner) vs. Super Earth (Helldivers)

14. Alam Melayu (Rise of Nations (Roblox)) vs. Tiki Tak Tribe (Donkey Kong Country Returns) vs. Sea Slide Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy)

15. Great Lakes Government (Kalterkrieg: Shadow of the Weltkrieg) vs. Principality of Kemerovo (The New Order: Last Days of Europe) vs. Joker Banner (Balatro)

16. Shadow Isles Clash Banner (League of Legends) vs. Rebel Corps, Phantom Thieves Version (Persona 5 Tactica) vs. Antarctica (3D Atlas (1996))

17. Generic Flag (Roblox) vs. Standing Flag (Dragon Blade RPG (Roblox)) vs. Zhu Xi's Legacy (Age of Empires 4)

18. Kitakami (Pokémon Scarlet and Violet) vs. South California (Cyberpunk 2077) vs. Watchers (Overwatch)

19. Avalar (Spyro the Dragon) vs. Union of American People's Republics (Red World) vs. Grey Warden Heraldry (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

20. Eusan Nation (Signalis) vs. Aurelia (Ace Combat) vs. Outer Wilds Ventures (Outer Wilds)

21. Columbia (Bioshock Infinite) vs. Sickle Moon Flag (Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker) vs. Eggmanland (Sonic Unleashed)

22. The Allied Nations (Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3) vs. The Rebellion (Just Cause 3) vs. Federation of the Americas (Call of Duty: Ghosts)

23. Great Lake Revolutionary Council (Extremis Ultimis) vs. Courland (Empire: Total War) vs. Columbia (Crimson Skies)

24. Pontiac Province (Judgement Day: Aftermath of the Red Flood) vs. Communist Iberia (Hearts of Iron IV) vs. International Workers' Armed Forces (Krasnacht: Twilight of the Gods)

25. New California Republic (Fallout) vs. Deep Hollow Valley (Night in the Woods) vs. Victory Flag (Fall Guys)

26. Zheng Fa (Ace Attorney) vs. Golden Deer Banner (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) vs. Warbanner (Risk of Rain 2)

27. Blue Flag (Halo: Combat Evolved) vs. Wario’s House (WarioWare) vs. American Collective (Twilight of the Anthropocene)

28. Niflheim (Final Fantasy XV) vs. Republic of America (Dustborn) vs. American Empire (Pax Britannica)

29. Corvus (Dead Ahead (Roblox)) vs. Banner of the First Fleet (Monster Hunter)

30. Fillydelphia Contingent (Balefire Blues) vs. Federation of Anrakan Isles (Suzerain)

31. Yartar (Baldur’s Gate 3) vs. Hurons (American Conquest)

32. Falkreath Hold (Skyrim) vs. Assassin Jolly Roger (Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag)

#flags #vexillology #video game flag wars #tournament #brackets

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flipping-the-coin · 8 months ago

Text

[Inquisitorial Report: Subject - Megatron of Kaon]

[Authorization Level: Alpha (Elite Guard Selective)]

[Listed Authorizations: Head Elite Guardsmech Smokescreen]

[Assigned Inquisitor: Hush]

[15 Vorns after Cybertron’s Restoration - One Vorn into assignment]

═════════════════

Hush here with another report. As usual, it's been a pretty tame stellar cycle. Megatron really doesn’t do much, Smokescreen. I’m not joking. I thought he was terrifying at first, and don’t mischaracterize me when I say he still is absolutely terrifying, but if you know how to deal with him, it isn’t all that bad. He’s been doing a lot of writing recently, but that’s about it. He wrote a rather well done piece on Orion Pax’s dancing. I didn’t think I was one for romantics, but even I can admit it was a wonderful little thing. It was so sweet and well thought out. I think Orion will like it when he reads it. I plan to go find some nice solarite blooms for Megatron to give to Orion alongside the poem he’s composed. It will be a lovely accent piece to really add to the feeling of the gift.

There really isn’t a lot about Megatron to discuss, but since I would like to meet glyph count and have something to do other than knit another three stuffed turbo foxes, I’m going to tell you more about what’s been going on. Hope you don’t mind Head Guardsmech, but I’m really quite bored and this is a nice way to get my thoughts recorded for when I inevitably have my memory wiped and I need a refresher on handling my targets.

So you know I made up a company, right? Of course you do, I put it in my last report. Anyway, I put on my disguise, changed my paint, and swapped out my visor for a gold one before going to meet Orion as my new persona, Melody. I double-checked that everything looked good and covered up the wings of my badge. Then, once it was a good way through the morning, I walked up and rang the doorbell with my bag of gardening tools. You have no idea how long I spent frantically learning about gardening. I read everything I could get my servos on and I even went to train under a florist for a few deca-cycles. I had Carnage go out and look for plants for me as well. Did you know that the ruins of Crystal City are filled with plants thought extinct? I mean the city has been on fire since the Quints blew up Vector Omega, but the fires aren’t as bad now, so I could feasibly go fetch some plants.

Right, back on topic. I made sure my disguise was perfect and then rang the bell. I made sure Megatron would be out at the time just so that in case things went south I would be able to book it without being murdered. Orion’s field is nasty, but it won’t outright kill a mech, at least not based on what I’ve seen. If the Primal Steward and Megatron can walk it off, I am sure I can handle it too. That said, Orion answered the door pretty quickly and seemed genuinely surprised to see anyone there at all. I smiled as nicely as I was able, and our interaction went something like this:

“Hello! I’m Melody from Melody Photographics and Landscaping! Would you happen to be Orion Pax?”

Orion was really shocked when I introduced myself. He hesitated a lot at the door but replied soon enough.

“Yes, I am Head Archivist Pax. What can I do for you?”

I think he was expecting me to demand money or something with how he was giving me a look. Maybe he thought Megatron hadn’t paid dear Melody for the pictures. He wouldn’t have been wrong if he had thought that. Megatron hasn’t paid me for scrap, but at this point, I do what I do because I’m bored, so I guess it doesn’t matter.

“I was hired to tend to your garden and the exterior of your hab. Would it be possible for me to step in so we can discuss what you would like to get from this arrangement? I can begin work as soon as I know the budget I will have available and what you would like to see your garden become.”

Again, he looked like someone had come and slapped him upside the helm with a brick. Honestly, I can see why Megatron is fond of Orion’s optics. They are very expressive when he’s running through lots of emotions. He invited me in pretty quickly, and we ended up sitting down to discuss plans over tea. Orion makes killer tea by the way. I don’t think I’ve had tea since I got put in this post of mine, so his tea was extra nice. Did you know he likes his tea with loose crystals? I didn’t but now I do.

We chatted for a bit and he asked all about how I got my job and who hired me. I told him Megatron hired me to take care of the place since my photographs turned out well and he liked my work. I also let him know that I do have a feline named Carnage who stays with me to assist me with my visual impairment. That one I came up with on the spot when I accidentally slipped up about my visor. See, the one I was wearing wasn’t actually a medically enhanced one, it was just protective. I think he might have been worried I was hiding something, either that or he was just curious. Whatever the case, I panicked a bit and took off my visor to show him why I have it.

I might have scared him, but I don’t think so. It’s really hard to tell with Orion. Sometimes he’s as clear as crystal, and other times he’s impossible to read. He just looked at my mutated optics, asked if they were painful, and then made an understanding noise. It was… relieving to have somebody look at my face and not be disguised. Megatron is going to have a field day when he finds out that his nickname of 'spider’ for me is far more accurate than he originally assumed. I know what I look like. I know that it’s because of my optics that I was made into an Inquisitor.

Sorry, it’s just nice to not be immediately gagged at. Following my reveal, Orion asked about Carnage, to which I just stated that Carnage comes and goes but doesn’t cause trouble. Then, once he seemed confident in my genuine interest in gardening, he grabbed some datapads, floor plans, schematics, designs, and so much more that I didn’t even know he had. By the time he had everything laid out, his entire kitchen table was covered in documents detailing his property and how he would like his garden to look. It was honestly super fun working with him to design the layout of the garden. We spent all cycle debating what would look best where.

I’ll tell you what, though: Orion Pax is rich. Megatron never spends much shanix, so I haven’t actually seen the sheer amount of cash these two monsters have in their accounts. But when I asked how much I could spend and made it clear I was happy to purchase whatever was missing, Orion outright shut that idea down. He shook his helm and went over the expenses for the garden, which I will have you know are absolutely astronomical considering what Orion wants. This is what he told me:

“Melody, you look like you haven’t fueled properly in vorns. I am not going to have you take shanix out of your hard earned salary to pay for my garden. I have a substantial inheritance to my name, and even with all these expenses, I will still hardly scratch the surface of those funds.”

He showed me his account, Smokescreen. He’s got more shanix than some senators have at this point! He’s disgustingly wealthy, and I did, in fact, choke a bit when I read his account balance. Orion is related to Alpha Trion, right? Well, that fragger must have been swimming in funds because Orion looks like some sort of foreign prince with how much shanix he has just sitting around. He told me a good chunk of his inheritance was made null and void with the shift in economics and the new currency system, but that much of it still held strong because many of his assets are in relics, property, and documents.

It was wild. I ended up handing Megatron a copy of the amount of shanix in his and Orion’s accounts a few cycles later, and he did an actual spittake at the number. I can’t blame him. Even deca-cycles after the matter, I still find myself recalling just how much cash my targets have to their names. I haven’t seen that much money anywhere, much less in one place at the same time.

Back on the subject of the garden. Orion made his plans, and I’ve been spending the past couple of deca-cyles hunting down things he wants. Orion has been helping too, and so far we meet once a deca-cycle to go over plans again. I’ve already begun clearing out the garden of all the random plant growth already there. The dirt is all sifted and energon shards have been distributed to fertilize it all. I got some bots to bring over the trees Orion ordered and I managed to convince Megatron to help me hold them up while I got the holes prepared. Currently, there is one huge techtite tree that shot up like a vining holoshade and two smaller trees from Crystal City that I grabbed. I don’t actually know what they are, and neither does Orion. We are both looking into it, but they are pretty so they are allowed to just kinda hang there.

I spent a cycle with Orion laying down walkways too. That was fun. We talked about all sorts of plants and had lunch on the deck after spending the morning laying down eco friendly path pieces. We got into an argument over a bench we were putting together for the garden, but that argument resolved itself when Megatron came out and showed us that we were both reading the manual wrong. We put one screw in the wrong place, and the whole thing looked like a fragged up mess.

I got laughed at and Orion got kisses. I may or may not have been rather bitter about that. But we got the bench finished and got seeds for some copper growths spread around. I expect them to grow in alongside the newest plants we have shipping in rather quickly. Oh, we also got a nice tea table put under the techtite tree. We’ve had lunch there once a deca-cycle ever since. First Aid even came by once and got to fuel with us! He’s really nice. I really enjoy First Aid’s company. He knows a great deal and is very caring. He took one look at my optics and prescribed me some medication I don’t know.

I’ve been taking it for a while now and I must say, while it hasn’t fixed my life’s problems or the sensitivity of my optics, I can now withstand a little more dust before my optics get all agitated.

As a side note, Carnage has been sleeping on top of my cockpit for a while now, and just the other cycle I decided to open it up because he kept pawing at it. He jumped right in and refused to hop out. He hasn’t emerged in cycles, but he doesn’t seem to be very concerned. I can feel him in there and it’s actually pretty comforting. Is that normal? I mean, I know that some of the big fliers will let others ride in their cockpits, but are they supposed to have to fuel more afterwards?

That’s all I’ve got for now. I will keep you updated, as usual.

═════════════════

[Report Received: Visibility Status - Seen]

[Note from Head Elite Guardsman Smokescreen: Hush for Primus’s sake, you are getting far too comfortable in your role. I can’t exactly stop you now, but please, be careful before giving away your weaknesses. As for your question? I am afraid I don’t have the answer. Very little is known about yours and others frame types. A lot of information was lost during the war. So unless you are in pain, I wouldn’t worry about it.]

#maccadam #transformers prime au #transformers #two sides to a coin au #transformers prime #orion pax #megaop #megatron #two sides supplemental writing #cybertronian culture #hush reports

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