#Teleport Hosting Services

[asixhk36]

ASIX was established in 2005 in Hong Kong with the vision of becoming one of the leading, yet practical telecom solution suppliers utilizing its wide range of frameworks which incorporates satellite-based administrations and wireless-based services.

Contact:  +852 2537 3875

Website: https://www.asix.hk/service/asix-co-location-hosting/

[dyssonant-skyline]

Hellbound Hostel Lore: Denizens of Hell

The circles of hell are host to several varieties of devils and demons along with fallen angels and unfortunate damned souls. To a novice, these different hellish inhabitants can blend together, but an experienced eye can discern between Hellbound and Hellborn with relative accuracy. (This is a very surface level layout of the basics for people living in hell, it isn't the most interesting on its own... but it sets up some important ground rules for the story!)

Hellbound

A.K.A. Damned souls, Sinners, Ex-Mortals

Possess souls

Immortal as long as their soul is intact

Don’t have innate magic

Can have supernatural abilities related to their form

Cannot traverse between circles without help

The souls of the damned are called Hellbound, as they are bound to hell, completely unable to leave. They are sometimes called sinners, however not all of them are at the same level of depravity, and others don’t seem to be rotten at all. The denizens of hell don’t know the exact criteria that results in someone being sent to hell, and the people in hell are so dissimilar it is hard to make sweeping conclusions.

The appearance of a Hellbound soul is influenced by many factors such as how the soul died, which circle they were sent to, what sins they committed in life, and a soul’s own subconscious preferences. Hellbound will always be humanoid, though they might be able to transform into non humanoid forms. Some forms have supernatural abilities like flight, transformation, or the ability to teleport. These abilities are considered mundane and non magical in hell.

Hellbound are distinguished from Hellborn primarily by their possession of a soul. Souls are a valuable currency in hell and powerful Hellborn can always use more of them. Hellbound may enter contracts with devils by bargaining their soul in exchange for numerous things. Depending on the contract, this soul debt may be paid off through service over time, their soul may be taken after a number of years, or another condition agreed upon by both parties. Any Hellborn can tell if a Hellbound still has their soul free by placing a hand on the Hellbound’s chest. 

The only way to kill a Hellbound permanently is through destroying their soul. This can only be done through magic. A Hellbound that is killed temporarily reappears in their original circle anywhere from a few days to a week after their initial death.

Hellbound are somewhat bound to the circle they are sent to upon reaching hell. They may only leave if they get the assistance of a Hellborn. Luckily there are many that are willing to assist sinners for a price. There is no way for a Hellbound to leave hell.

Hellborn

A.K.A. Demons, Devils, The Fallen

Do not have souls

Immortal-ish

Have access to innate infernal magic 

Can have supernatural abilities related to their form

Can traverse between circles

Hellborn refers to any creatures created in hell, they need not be humanoid but most of them are. All Hellborn are descendents of the angels that were cast out of heaven along with [Lucifer]. Because of this, Hellborn fall into distinct lineages associated with fallen angels or other high ranking Hellborn. Some of these lineages include Hellhounds, Imps, and Arachnes. While being technically inaccurate, The Fallen are generally accepted as Hellborn for the purpose of classification. In general, more powerful Hellborn are given the title of devils and less powerful Hellborn are called demons, but there isn’t a clear line that defines this distinction.

Instead of biological children, Hellborn are created through a ritual performed by any number of powerful Hellborn. The resulting Hellborn will primarily take after the person who initiated the ritual, however they take traits from all participants. A Hellborn’s form may have supernatural abilities that are not magical just as a Hellbound does.

A Hellborn, in most situations, draws its magical power from the power of hell, which depends on how many mortal souls are trapped within it. Without sinners trapped in hell, they would have no power. This magic involves glowing sigils and rigid rules. In general, every lineage of Hellborn has their own type of magic pioneered by their primary ancestor. They are born with the knowledge of this magic and can perform it innately. Their magic gets weaker outside of hell.

Hellborn can only permanently die in two situations. The first situation is if they are killed by a weapon specifically designed to kill them. This involves a ritual that requires you know a Hellborn’s true name. The second situation is being anywhere aside from hell. The infernal magic that allows for reviving Hellborn is not strong enough within the mortal realm or heaven. Otherwise the Hellborn reappears near instantaneously in a place they believe is safe in hell. 

Hellborn can traverse hell as they please. They may take Hellbound with them when they do, but in some situations there can be complications.

[longveil]

The Fall

[ Photo by Lloyd Newman on Unsplash ]

I want you to know All is blacked out but continues to grow

– Les Friction, “Who Will Save You Now”

Vor’min Evercrown offered a final shallow bow of farewell as the dark-haired man left the room, then returned to his seat. The sin'dorei steepled his fingertips together and took a slow breath before turning to his remaining guest.

“You’re certain, Lady Morrowsun,” Vor’min asked in flawless Thalassian, “that you wish us to extend our services to this man, this Gilnean, on your reference? You understand that it’s quite unusual. Our offices have endured scrutiny enough advocating on your behalf, even if the Lord Regent’s stance has… mellowed somewhat since his marriage and the years of armistice.”

A floating city provides no room for expansion, and Dalaran was a highly valued location - not only as a neutral space of business but for the prestige of proximity to the Kirin Tor. A decade and a relocation to the Broken Isles had done much to erase the memory of Lady Proudmoore’s purge above Northrend. In these times, over five years into the armistice between the Horde and Alliance, square footage in Dalaran came at a premium.

So it was unsurprising that the Evercrown’s “branch office” above the Legerdemain Lounge, sibling to a space in Suramar and an extension of his operations in Silvermoon, was a single, small, if exceptionally well-appointed, room. No. What was surprising was that it existed at all. That anyone would pay the exorbitant prices to lease a space in Dalaran spoke of money. Connection. And a certain sybaritic flair.

Which suited Seraanna entirely.

“I bring you a gift for your service of these… past years, and you question the shape it walks in?” Seraanna reclined in her seat opposite Vor’min’s desk, idly considering the contents of a wineglass held loosely between her fingers, wisps of Shadow wrapping the stem. “Already have I introduced the Lord Hawke to the more open… minded patrons I yet have within Suramar, and my sister is eager to sail the Aralya’diel to his shores. Yet if such trade is beneath… the brothers Evercrown, then I might –”

The ringing of a distant bell - soft, insistent, and atonal - interrupted.

Seraanna glanced question at the door, but her host only shrugged apologetically.

“Dalaran is the city of the Kirin Tor, Lady Morrowsun. Of mages,” Vor’min explained, even as he quickly stacked loose papers and placed a few items into drawers of his desk. “And they are wont to move at their own whims, with little regard for business. That is the warning bell that they intend to do so.” He nodded towards the sideboard, laden with fine wine and fresh fruit. “Do grab a bottle or two, would you? Things tend to become unsteady during teleportation.”

Her expression echoed doubt. Still, Seraanna reached out to grasp the necks of a bottle of port and another of cold voidblend. Arcane energy built in the air, tickled at the void tendrils hidden at the nape of her neck, filled her senses like the coursing static before a lightning strike.

She was nowhere. She was everywhere. She was somewhere. Here.

The shadows cast by sunlight from the window shifted abruptly, and Seraanna yawned to relieve the pressure in her ears as the air changed. A crash of dishware echoed from the Legerdemain below, followed by faint curses, the outcome of some shelf being unsecured before Dalaran moved from one place to a distant other.

“There. See?” Vor’min’s smile was full of reassurances, a gentle nod reminding Seraanna to release the bottles even as he relaxed his own white-knuckled grip upon his desk, the man eager to paper over the interruption. “Nothing but the vagaries of mages. Now, of course, we’re open to this opportunity you’ve brought, but I must ask if this supersedes the arrangements you’ve had us make regarding… the – Lady Morrowsun?”

The ren’dorei drew a gasping breath of shock and curled over her in her seat, her face twisted in a moment of pain as the Shadow cast beneath her twisted and writhed. Her wineglass tumbled from her fingers to shatter on the floor, a red stain spilling into Shaldorei weave.

“…something is… wrong,” she murmured, gathering herself with an effort as the moment seemed to pass. “This was in Telogrus, this was…-”

Seraanna rose abruptly, tenebrous wisps wrapping unbidden about her form as Vor'min leaned back in alarm. Sounds - screams, harsh bells of alarm, crashes of stonework - began to echo from the window. Vor'min’s eyes grew wide with worry, a yet-unspoken question for the darkened shape his client had become.

“…guard yourself." Seraanna's tone was near a whisper. “I must find Jasper.”

Vor’min was still struggling for words as Seraanna swept from the room, moving through the hallway to emerge upon a balcony overlooking Dalaran’s streets. At the other end of the city, streams of arcane energy flowed into the Violet Citadel to feed a shadowed presence that was achingly familiar yet beyond her reach or memory. Above, innumerable rifts tore open the sky to drop skittering creatures to the cobblestones. Chitin clashed against arms as defenders poured from the Silver Enclave and Sunreaver’s Sanctuary, and the city shook as enormous beasts tumbled spires and wreaked havoc.

Seraanna stepped over the railing, shadows carrying her to the streets, and began to snake her way through the chaos. Certainly, Jasper must have had the presence of mind to make for the Silver Enclave, she thought, lashing out to twist the mind of one nerubian - memories from Northrend finally recognizing the attackers - and whispering a Word of Death to another. But something tickled at her ear unbidden in the midst of the chaos, something beyond the whispers of the Void that she'd long endured, something insisting for its place among the myriad truths...

This city will fall.

She redoubled her efforts to reach the Silver Enclave, ichor staining the cobblestones beneath her feet, the screeches of dying arachnids mixing with the fading shouts of Dalaran’s citizenry. She was a creature of Will and Shadow and tousled hair, cutting through nerubians that were only replaced twice and threefold for each that fell.

Nearing the Enclave, Seraanna saw a knot of Silver Covenant valiantly attempt to hold the gate, only to be overwhelmed by the swarming numbers of the onslaught. She felt the gathered energies of arcane portals, heard the shouted directions, the attempt to wrest a retreat from overwhelming force even as defenders fell and Dalaran crumbled. Heedless of the cost, she gathered Shadow for a final press to reach –

– distraction. A glimpse of seemingly familiar crimson from the edge of Seraana’s vision, lost again in the swarm, caused Seraanna’s resolve to stumble over echoes of an old song and a small cottage…

…foxfire?

The prick at the back of her neck caught Seraanna unawares, the pain cold and sharp as it spread. She whirled, her wrath calling shadows that tore apart the nerubian that had crept up behind her. But venom already coursed through her veins. Her skull throbbed and senses grew dull, her limbs falling heavy. A silence that might have otherwise been a welcome respite quieted her thoughts and smothered her will.

Seraanna barely felt the unyielding strands of silk envelope her body, and heard a chittering voice speak from what seemed like an infinite distance.

“She’ll have use for this one. Take it to Azj-Kahet with the others.”

Silence bore the remaining memory into darkness...

– – –

References: @kat-hawke's Jasper Hawke, @maxparkhurst

[luminashdawnwing]

The Last Mage

(( Minor spoilers ahead for the Hallowfall questline "The Last Mage," of course! ))

The Arathi scholar’s handshake was surprising, not only for its firmness, but its enthusiasm. The pleasant surprise of an outsider showing up at his laboratory – and not only a mage, but a magister, heir of those who had taught the vaunted One Hundred their magic thousands of years ago! – clearly overcame him.

“Wenren Althal, at your service, Magister Dawnwing. Please, come in! And do pardon the mess,” the Arathi said, ushering his guest inside.

“Just Luminash will do, please. I am here as myself, not on any state business, after all,” the magister replied as he followed his host.

Inside the laboratory – in truth, a one room farmhouse, one of many occupying a plot of land outside Mereldar, in what appeared to be one of the earliest settlements the Arathi had founded beyond their capital in Hallowfall – there was not nearly so much of a mess as Wenren believed. Perhaps Luminash was simply used to heaps of books, scrolls, and magical reagents.

The focus of the room was a runic circle in the center of the floor, arcane foci arranged at points around its edge.

“Please, do mind my circles,” Wenren advised as he skirted the rune, “It is part of a project I am working on.”

Luminash gave the arrangement a wide berth, taking in the details of the home. Truly, it reminded him much of his own study, down to the mass of literature and half-finished magical research awaiting further attention.

“If I may ask, what is the project? The lorekeeper in Mereldar, Ryfus, said you were attempting some sort of experimental teleportation?”

Wenren nodded, then readjusted his glasses as he offered his guest a seat, “I am! A way to return to the Empire, or to open a portal for reinforcements. If you spoke to him already, you probably know that I am the last mage.”

As Luminash sat, Wenren busied himself with a kettle, “Tea?” And without waiting for a reply, he continued, “There were many of us before we arrived here. I had the luck to be the only survivor of the crash into Hallowfall. An apprentice, truly, at the time.”

“An unenviable position,” Luminash observed, “And that means your more advanced knowledge is self-taught?”

Another vigorous nod, resulting in a readjustment of his glasses, shoulder length dark hair bobbing with the motion of his head, “The foundation was the work of my teachers, the rest I had to extrapolate from theoretical works. And intuition.”

“We are not so different in that respect, actually. Due to a tragedy that struck my own people before I had finished my own apprentice years, I was left with little direction. They say experience is the best teacher, but…” The magister shrugged with a dry chuckle, “Having a real teacher is less painful.”

“Very true,” Wenren mused as he added to a pair of cups a collection of leaves and flowers that Luminash recognized as the same blend that he had been treated to at the Church days before, recommended by Aneya, “But wouldn’t it be stifling, all the same? I know I never would have come upon my ideas on teleportation if I’d listened only to those who came before me.”

“As much as it pains me to admit, as one who has had apprentices myself, it would be. I wouldn’t have hit upon many of my ideas if I’d only listened to my instructors either,” the magister replied, and ventured further, “Nor would the Arathi have developed their ideas on dimensional structure, had they only listened to the One Hundred’s teachers, yes?”

As the kettle began to boil, heated rapidly by tongues of arcane flame, Wenren brightened, “Oh, probably quite right! I am surprised an outsider already would have some grasp of our magical theories.” He continued, pouring the heated water over the leaves, “What are your thoughts, if I may?”

“The multi-dimensional model is a fascinating one, and does explain some ideas I’ve had myself. For example, an idea I’ve toyed with of…fractals,” Luminash began, echoes of the strange song of creation resounding through Zereth Mortis ringing in his mind as he elaborated, “Each ‘pure’ vertex in the Arathi model does seem to me to be some kind of accessible space. I have been, physically, in the realm of Death. Within it, though, there were expressions of the other five ‘pure’ powers.”

Wenren’s attention was rapt as he set the kettle down.

“Native expressions, I should add, not influenced from the outside. One ‘part’ of Death brimmed with Life, another was structured on the tenets of Order, another was a place of accelerated entropy – Disorder – and so on.”

“And so the Arathi model, where the monopoles – what you’re calling ‘pure’ vertices – are interconnected helps to explain that observation,” Wenren stated matter-of-factly, setting down the teacups and joining Luminash at the table. The man’s enthusiasm nearly split his face in two.

“More than that, though. In the region modeled after Order, for instance, were subdivisions that one could interpret as modeled, in some ways, after others still. A lush garden, infused with arcane Order, in the realm of Death: Life in Order in Death. A temple to a single true path: Light in Order in Death. I have been toying with this more recently, but…the Arathi model may go all the way down, as it were. Perhaps even all the way up.”

Wenren’s bespectacled eyes were wide, “Do you have any literature on this, Luminash? I would love to hear more of this, and of…a voyage to the realm of Death? You were physically in the realm of Death! By the Flame, you outsiders have seen much!”

“I do have my own notes, and observations of others, but it is…fringe. These are not accepted ideas,” Luminash admitted, a tinge of shame in his voice, “I would be happy to stop by again after I’ve gathered them up, though, if you would still be interested.”

“My ideas are fringe too, Luminash,” the Arathi replied with a bright smile, “That is what makes this so fascinating! Most brilliant ideas were once fringe, though, and so perhaps time will vindicate us both!”

Wenren motioned with a jerk of his head to the runic circles, “We have no way to open portals home. And before you ask, being a mage yourself, there were so many others who could have established a line to the Empire, and only the darkest luck saw me be the only survivor.

“I am terrible with teleportation, but I believe that everything alive has, within itself, some memory of where it was born, where it came from. If I am able to extrapolate the teleportation signature from the crabs, then I should be able to engineer a way to send for aid from the Empire!”

Wenren’s tone was optimistic, though not confident, but despite holes in the process waiting to be filled in, Luminash was impressed at the audacity. One point, however, caught his attention.

“Crabs,” the magister flatly asked, “have a teleportation signature?” A sip of tea and a raised brow.

“These do, or do not! There is very little arcane energy in Hallowfall, as you might imagine, but recently, I began to detect a great deal from the shores of the Undersea,” Wenren explained, not defensive, but bubbling with excitement, “And that is when I found them. Crabs! Anomalous crabs! I do not know what happened, but they blink about. Crabs!”

Luminash furrowed his brow in thought, “Recently, you say?” A flash of memory, spires and arcane crystals shattered by the Void and crashing into the sea, power leaking from them, nearly boiling the water as they sank.

“A disaster struck the island above that may have had something to do with it. I would…rather not recount it in more detail, but a great, great deal of arcane power entered the local environment.”

The Arathi bowed his head in understanding, “I see. That would explain the new phenomenon. I am…sorry, Luminash, for what it is worth.”

“For what it is worth, I am sorry for your losses as well, when you arrived here,” the magister commiserated.

The pair sat for a time in the quiet, enjoying their tea. Beledar shone bright through the windows, its ever-present glow illuminating the study in warm golds.

“I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, Wenren, truly. Before I depart, though,” Luminash ventured, “I’ve another question: aside from the…crabs. Aside from the crabs, what other sources of the arcane does Hallowfall house? I have come, chasing a vision, to search for just such a font.”

Setting down the teacup with a light clink, Wenren shook his head, “None come to mind. There is some latent energy, of course, just like anywhere else, but nothing that could be classified as purely arcane. I predict my research would come more easily if I had more to work with.”

The magister probed further, “What of the Sacred Flame? Or Beledar itself? The clerics have some ideas that mesh well with the theories we discussed, that it is both holy and arcane. I feel some latent…how to word this? Something I have felt before, both arcane and not. It is everywhere here, yet nowhere.”

Wenren tapped a finger to his lips and nodded thoughtfully, “Ah, there is perhaps something to that. I am less a philosopher, or theologian, but the domain of the Sacred Flame – prophecy, hope, civilization, the order of the Empire – certainly straddles those powers. I have been told it is a matter of faith less than of magic, but I do not see why they cannot coincide.”

“If the Arathi model approaches truth, I do not see why not either,” Luminash agreed, “Ryfus and Aneya sent me to you, and I’ll ask you for my next step: are there any places I might observe the Sacred Flame’s power in a practical environment? I have now been told twice that my visions may be from the Flame, or from Beledar. I would like to observe this power for myself.”

“Aneya?” Wenren perked up at the mention of the young woman’s name, then rapidly collected himself, “Ah, yes, and I am glad that they did ask you seek me out. It’s been very enlightening, and the start, I hope, of a productive scholarly exchange.”

Clearing his throat, he continued, “The Keyflames, though, to answer your question. In the far northeast of Hallowfall, shaded from Beledar’s Light. With so many mouths yet to feed, some of our most enterprising have settled there, even with the danger. Visit them for yourself, see how the Sacred Flame keeps the darkness at bay even without Beledar.”

As Luminash stood to leave, giving a respectful bow of his head, he replied, “I will. And will return soon for another chat. Keep me apprised of your teleportation progress, as well, and I’ll be sure to tell you all I have gathered on my own theories, yes?”

Departing the Althal laboratory, the magister felt light. He was closer to answers than he had been mere hours before, and had found a worthy colleague in an unexpected place.

Looking up to the crystal lodged far away above the Undersea, though, there was always the lingering knowledge: Light could shift at a moment’s notice.

[fvzzyelf]

Xavier School PA system: "Attention X-Men: Danger Room 2 is currently out of service due to one student misinterpreting the phrase 'The Floor is Lava.' In other news, despite his protestations to the contrary, Wolverine is NOT hosting a game of "Pinata With Swords." Lastly, for you teleporters and speedsters, the phrase "I hope you brought enough for everyone" is the teacher's way of saying you shouldn't be eating that food in class, not an invitation for you to "pop out" to get more."

"I don't know what he is even talking about children," says Kurt with five pizza boxes freshly BAMF'd into the classroom.

[amaranthsynthesis]

Baldur's Mouth Gazette: Interview with High Primate Halvyriin

[ Uktar 27, 1491 ]

>> Dear Baldurians, I am here today with a most rare and captivating opportunity. 

As some of us know well, and others have only heard alluded to in hushed whispers, our fair city is host to a Bhaalist enclave. Now, some decry this as a foul threat to be stomped out, but I am a journalist of integrity and will not pass judgment sight unseen. 

I have been granted temporary, limited access to the temple. Escorted there blindfolded, as a matter of course, after having been teleported around the city a few times in a delightful game of misdirection. 

With me today is the highest authority of the temple. Would you care to introduce yourself?

> I am called Ballard of House Halvyriin, formerly of Menzoberrenzan, currently serving as High Primate of Bhaal's Holy Temple as it operates within Baldur's Gate.

>> And how long have you held this position, if you are at liberty to say?

> Sixteen years as primate and seven preparing to take the mantle. Strictly speaking, prior to the violent reorganization of our hierarchy in 1482, the position was only second highest in the temple. 

>> Well! A fascinating trajectory, to be sure. Now, my readers have very little idea of what goes on in religious establishments such as this, the workings of the more...controversial gods are a bit of a black box to the average person. Could you paint me a picture of your daily activities? What is a day in the life, so to speak.

> Our masses are shrouded for a reason, scribe, and I shall not bare their secrets for you here less you are willing to face the tribunal as an aspirant yourself. 

No? 

Perhaps another time. 

Suffice to say our liturgical calendar is both robust and stringent. I no longer lead our daily services but my role is to lead and organize observation of the high holidays and feast days, to guide the lesser clergy in scripture and homily, and to care for the divine upkeep of our temple. I feed us, I pray for us, I follow the hand of Our Father where He demands. 

In my own time, I meditate and exercise. On the occasion I pursue literature; the Gazette could stand to showcase more poetry, saer. I trust the issue will be remedied now that I have brought it to your attention.

>> I see.

So there is a hollyphant in the room: the murders. Many do not particularly care for the idea of it, either as the one holding the knife or the person receiving it. You must forgive us for being conservative on the subject, but I am here today to expand our minds. Do you have a preferred personal method? Manner of disposal?

> I must forgive nothing. Your heresies are your own and condemn you regardless of my approval.

As for the murders--our Dread Father calls for death in droves and waves, and it is my duty as his heir and Chosen to ensure the banks never dry. I am permitted my personal worship, of course, and when able it pleases me to spend hours in the protraction of a single death. It is holy to fear, and to beg mercy, and to deny it. Those I choose to worship with I raise to the heights of a devotion they could never claim of their own.

Regarding method, Knives are traditional, even you must realize, but I am known to be something of a radical. The disposal is managed largely by the lowest priest rank and overseen by my personal assistant. As I understand it, our fuel, our ablutives, and our sacrament are rarely scarce.

>> And how about how you ah, select, your targets? Any safety tips for the people reading? 

> You misunderstand severely. There is no safety in avoiding Bhaal's gaze, only the delaying of this world's end. The temple accepts donations, of course, and our donors may find solitude following their gift, but they may find also that divine will weighs heavier than gold or iron. Even the faithful are called to His side with regularity. Even I will face His altar in the final days, when all others have fallen. 

Walk in company, walk only in the light, make obeisance where you will, but we are none of us invulnerable in public or in private. Perhaps one might prove stronger and more skilled than His Hands at their bloody work, and so preserve a life past His sentence--but there are none stronger than I, and it is my knife at the end of the line.  

>> Thank you ever so much for your time. And for sparing my life. Any closing remarks?

> Your trust and forbearance does you great service. My trust and forbearance I also place in you, that you will record only the truth, unvarnished and unadulterated. Prove that trust misplaced and I will take repayment in blood. 

A fine afternoon to you, saer.

(interview format written by @mycolalia for character voice reasons, thank you again!!!!!! Realized I never posted this off discord oops)

[driftward]

Title: It's Beginning to look a lot like Starlight Characters: Zoissette Vauban, Lyse Hext, Gage Acquisitions and Allies Rating: Teen Summary: Zoissette attends another party on Starlight eve. Notes: The latter part is based on a WIP for my WoL that I decided also needed to happen in Gageverse. Also I am trying something out here.

Hope.

Zoissette adjusted her tie in the mirror, straightened her collar, and gently tapped the rim of her glasses once to activate their enchantments.

Hope was a choice. And that had been proven, over and over again, through her many travels, across her many trials, and indeed, had been the very existential question for the star, had it not?

Hope.

She smiled at herself in the mirror. She could bring hope with her to the season. That would not be asking too much.

And besides, she liked those she worked alongside. A party was definitely not asking too much. Bring them her cheer, and they would return it in turn.

She tilted her head, looking at herself in the vanity as she smoothed down the front of her suit. Nose still too big. Still entirely too tall. Unladylike and awkward and narrow in the wrong places and broad in other wrong places.

Ah well. The gifts of Halone were not to be spurned. She looked like a knight ought, she supposed.

She checked the chronometer, secured her packages, and moments later, vanished in a twinkling of teleport magics.

It was not long before she had found her way to Singing Willow's estate. Actually, if she thought about it, she was not sure who technically owned the place between Singing Willow and Iron Summer. But of the two of Dark Autumn's parents, every time she had visited, it had been Sing who had seemed larger than life, filling the home with her personality and tending to all of her myriad guests as though they were her own children, so it was difficult to think of the place as being anything but hers.

She had arrived a little late. It grated on her to do so, but last time she had shown up rather too early in an effort to offer her services to help and had been fussed at (nicely!) for doing so, and Sing had had entirely too many questions. Being a little late at least allowed her to check on who had already arrived, get a feel for the situation, and steer clear of any potential trouble. She was welcomed with great warmth, Sing and Iron both greeting her within moments of her being inside the door. She gave them both their gifts, and each a peck on the cheek, hoping silently that Klynt had not been having a joke at her expense when she had describe the gesture as a traditional Roegadyn greeting.

If it was a joke, they took it with remarkable grace, and it was not long until she was ushered into the main area where everyone else had already gathered. A quick glance did not reveal any immediate possible problems, and Zoissette allowed herself to relax. She was, in the long past, a proper noble of Ishgard. She remembered the rules to being a good host, and more importantly, she remembered how to be a good guest. And so she looked around for opportunities to be helpful to the smooth going ons of the evening in one way or another.

She noticed Dark and her many siblings filtering in and out throughout the place, doing much the same. Food was being handled, drinks were available in good quantity, and conversation was easily able to be had, so Zoissette let her mind slide past worrying about those possibilities. Also, seeing Dark busy helping play the part of good hostess put her mind at ease. It would make ducking her much easier, and Zoissette did not quite feel up to an accounting of her work just yet.

Sorting out the other Roegadyn present was easy enough. Ryssthota and Klynt were both in attendance, each of them larger than life and gregarious in their own way. Ryssthota had a way of being everyone's friend, and Klynt had a way of flirting outrageously while avoiding causing any actual offended outrage, and so that was well. She went out of her way to try to spy Meya, and suss out the truth of the rumors she had heard herself, and she soon enough spotted the woman. Her and Erick were near to each other, talking casually to those nearby, his arm around her, resting on her shoulder.

Happiness welled up in her at the sight, and she made a mental note to update some of her personal actuarial tables that tracked such matters. Later, of course.

She found and spent some time talking with Minti Chocolate. Minti was interesting to talk with, ever-changing in some ways, steadfast in others, and sometimes Zoissette imagined an almost otherworldly air to her, one that had only seemed to deepen somehow as she had delved into both the secrets of thaumaturgy and the expertise of samurai swordcraft. She hoped the other woman had not been too put out that Zoissette had not waited for her to finish her work in Ishgard before heading to Old Sharlayan, and was glad to find she was not. That matter cleared up, the two talked about what else she had found the city for a bit, and exchanging other polite pleasantries before each going their own way.

Next, feeling a pang of responsibility, she sought out her paralegal, and found him chattering away cheerfully, keeping company with Leonnioux, to her mild surprise. His scientist friend was not in attendance, it seemed, but that seemed to not have dampened his spirits at all. He had, apparently, taken the lessons he had taught himself from the other day to heart. She thought to ask after his choice in companionship, but ultimately decided that she was content to leave well enough alone there.

Nyx could be seen standing at attention near the tree, watching U'rahn, staring as he chattered away excitedly about something or another. That U'rahn was keeping Nyx from disappearing up into the ceiling was a relief. That would keep her from finding any mischief to spy upon.

That also meant Sing would not have to chase her down if she had happened to spot her up there in the first place.

Lennier was being his usual gregarious self, and by the time she had found him, he had apparently found Iron Summer, and a polite little bit of eavesdropping revealed they were deep into conversation about gardening matters. She considered lending her knowledge on Ishgardian crop rotation to the conversation, or hanging out to glean what she could learn, but elected instead to move on. Lennier did not need her asking her usual question this time, she thought to herself with a smile.

She found Apple keeping to herself in the corner. Knowing the woman to be quiet, Zoissette was careful not to intrude overmuch, just making her way over there to ask a few polite questions about her most recent research. It was a fine line, making enough conversation that hopefully Apple felt welcome, but not so much as to be imposing, overbearing, or overwhelming, but Apple seemed glad for the distraction, and when the two had separated, Zoissette felt she had done well enough to thread that balance.

Ioh'juhn was present, and he noticed her attention almost immediately, tossing her a charming smile and a wave. She was polite enough to return the wave with a smile of her own, but otherwise was inclined to give him a wide berth. She knew his reputation well enough.

She thought she spied C'oretta and Reinhardt ducking into a hallway, and almost followed after, a question she had for C'oretta regarding Ul'dah coming to her mind. Before she got too far, however, the smarter parts of herself caught up with her, and she changed her mind. She held up a hand to hide her sudden smile and pivoted away, deciding pointedly to find somewhere else to be at the party. Maybe they were just going to talk. Maybe something else, and either way, no business of hers, and she was going to let them have their fun in peace.

Estinien was present, one of the very few Scions she expected to see at the gathering, mostly because of his attachment to Riven. She was mildly surprised that they had found their way down from Old Sharlayan, but then, she herself had, hadn't she? Estinien looked uncomfortable, but Riven looked like she was at home, talking merrily. She found herself wondering if Mathye and his brother would make an appearance, or the rest of the cohort for that matter, but a glance through a window had answered that question. It looked like one of the dragoons had done some dragoon thing and Mathye was yelling about it now while Augustine's face had gone red on whatever matter. Sebastian could be seen nearby, arms crossed, and Zoissette was not at all sure how to read his expression. He might've been sharing his own opinions on the matter. As she looked away, Zoissette spotted Klynt heading out the door, looking far too eager. Zoissette rolled her eyes. Dragoons.

Making her rounds and making small conversation where she could, Zoissette had been keeping a sharp eye out for two people in particular. One she knew wouldn't be found if he didn't want to be, and the other she truly did not expect to make an appearance, but one could never be too careful. The latter did not appear to be present, as expected. The former she finally found with his arms wrapped around Aeryn. Thancred had a gentle soft smile on his face, listening to Aeryn as she cheerfully chattered away at someone besides Riven about fashion.

Zoissette looked down at herself, and considered the matter. Normally she would ask Meya for advice on matters of fashion, but she did not wish to bother her just now. Maybe she could ask Aeryn about the same later.

But not just now.

Her movements around the party had not gone completely unnoticed, however, and she found herself ambushed by Singing Willow. Protests that she was going to get around to it, promise, fell on deaf ears as Sing corralled her into the kitchen and watched carefully as she loaded up several plates worth of food. Pretending to be chagrined, but quietly secretly grateful, Zoissette had obliged. Satisfied, Sing left her to her own devices once more, and Zoissette took the opportunity to find her way outside, where she could eat in relative peace.

She had hoped to find Yesuntei and exchange notes, but honestly, the woman could be a ghost at times. And aside from that, she had now spotted nearly everyone who she had expected to see, and even successfully avoided those she wanted to avoid. Satisfied, at last, that she had not only met but exceeded Starlight expectations, both for herself and from others, she settled in outside, clearing a log bench to sit on.

The food looked delicious. Mashed popotoes, with the skins still interleaved through them, made with rather more butter than she was used to, and truly luxuriant amounts of Garlean garlic. A slice of fine La Noscean beef, well-marbled and mouth-watering to the senses. Green beans that had been sautéed with onions and mixed with pepper and salt. Some kind of rich pudding she was unfamiliar with, but which looked lovely and even jiggled appealingly. Sing was a superb cook, and had apparently spared little effort in the feast she had made available to her many guests.

Zoissette smiled to herself as she dug in, and she looked out over the landscape behind the homestead. White covered the ground and every tree. The forest was still and quiet, and starlight mingled with moonlight, reflecting off the landscape, lending the entire place an air of quiet.

It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. The Shroud did not have winters like Coerthas did. The quiet was starting to put her on edge, but the house was nearby, and there was a gentle buzz coming from the guests within that she listened to, to help put herself at ease. There would be no dragons in the sky here, and if there were, they would not be swooping down with hostile intent, chasing after her and hers. She recognized the rise of gentle anxiety, however, and took several slow deep breaths to calm herself down.

The war was over.

This was just a lovely winter landscape in the Shroud, with friends nearby, and the warmth and cheer of a well-tended hearth.

Hope, she told herself as part of her efforts to calm herself down, and she held the thought, as she ate her meal. They had always delivered hope, and this Starlight, they got to receive of it as well.

It was not just quiet. It was peaceful, here, and she tried to keep that in mind. A landscape of peace.

She heard footsteps behind her, and closed her eyes, and took a few more slow, deep breaths before looking behind her, to see who was approaching.

Lyse.

This was unexpected, and she was off-center once more, thinking rapidly in her mind. She would need to revisit her assumptions in the future when making predictions about who would be where, because she was certain, barring any other circumstance, that Lyse would not have come down from Ala Mhigo.

She leaned forward, shifting her weight to stand up.

"Oh, sit back down or I'll wallop you," said Lyse. Her tone was light and playful, despite her words.

Zoissette looked at her, and let herself sink back down at the bench.

"I mean, if I even could these days," she said as she sat down beside her. "I suppose my best shot would be to do so while you were still sitting."

"Lyse," said Zoissette. "I did not expect to see you here tonight."

This was true. She had done the math bells ago, examining the equations for the patterns, and had found herself satisfied. She had thought she might need more data, but decided the pattern established enough for her purposes.

Lyse was unaware of her ruminations. "Aw, and why not?" she replied, breezily. "If the Scions are my immediate family, then many of you warriors are much the same, and your friends are like my more distant family. Aunts and uncles from all over the world, tried and true as any blood, I reckon. I love Ala Mhigo, but it's not the only home I have, you know."

Zoissette just nodded, turning her gaze back out to the landscape. She was not sure if this was better or worse than the shivers that had almost come upon her a moment ago.

The snow continued to drift lazily down, the two women shielded from it by a porch overhang.

Zoissette poked a fork at her food, and then turned to offer the plate to Lyse. "Can I offer you some? Willow's food is quite good."

Lyse looked at her blankly for a moment, and then laughed. "You mean Sing? Do you really think I made it through her kitchen without someone making sure I got fed? I've had my fill, thank you very much, and I am not certain I could handle a single bite more."

"I was not sure how well you knew her," said Zoissette.

Lyse looked at Zoissette. "You know I know her well enough, Sette."

Zoissette felt herself go cool, and her thoughts began to focus. She turned her attention to her plate.

"...the others say you've been avoiding them," said Lyse, quietly, after a moment.

"I have been busy," said Zoissette. "I have my duties, and I do my job."

"I know," said Lyse. "I've heard that, too. Ever dutiful Zoissette Vauban over there at Gage Acquisitions, crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's. Making sure the work gets done."

"It is not just me. I have an assistant, Y'zel. Yesuntei handles a fair bulk of the paperwork at my level. Dark and Fink handle finances and other matters above me."

"Yes, yes, I know, I know," said Lyse, with a sigh. "Look, I know why you might keep your distance from us, but... is there at least someone else you confide in these days? Some other friends?"

"I have friends."

"You have acquaintances, more like. How many of them do you know well?"

"You seem to have confused me for Klynt. She is the gregarious one."

Lyse sighed. "I'm just a little worried, that's all."

Zoissette felt herself go cold, now. Cables of steel pulled tight in her shoulders and back, and her thoughts became sharp.

"What do you want, Lyse," she said. Her voice had an edge to it, just the slightest most delicate hardness that she knew most people would not pick up on.

Lyse was not most people, and she could see out of the corner of her eye as the other woman ducked her head down and looked at the snow. Zoissette kept her own gaze on her plate.

"...I wanted to apologise," said Lyse, quietly.

Zoissette did not respond to that, and after a moment, Lyse kept talking.

"I always meant to. When I first announced myself with my real name, as who I am, I remember looking across everyone's faces. And while I expected a few surprised faces, I saw mostly relief. Which I guess it was, in a way, not just for everyone else, but also for me. I didn't think I was fooling anyone, not really. I just - well, I just though the mask was a way of keeping Yda close, and that taking her name was another way of keeping her around, I suppose.

"But when I looked, your face was one of the surprised ones, and I - well, that took me by surprise. I hadn't expected that at all. I didn't know how you didn't know. I'd just assumed Papalymo had told you by that point. I meant to talk to you about it right then and there, but there was so much else going on, and we had a war to win, and it seemed everything else was just so much more urgent. But afterwards, you grew quiet and distant, but... that seemed really normal, all things considered, so I left it alone."

Lyse clasped each of her wrists with her hands in turn.

"I shouldn't have. I should've said something. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting you believe a lie for so long. And... well, I know how apologies are supposed to work. You say you're sorry, and then you say that you won't do it again, and trust me, I won't, I don't even know how that would work - and then you make it up to the person you hurt. And just now, I guess I'm sorry that I don't know how to make it up to you."

Lyse fell silent at last, as all the words finished spilling out of her like an ewer that had been tipped over. And what she had said now sat between the two women, frozen in the cold.

"You do not owe me an apology, Lyse," said Zoissette. She was still cold and tense, but her voice was hollow instead of sharp. "Of course Papalymo did not tell me. I was just some student of his, another feckless adventurer."

"You were more than that, and you know it," said Lyse. "He was a mentor to you. I remember the long hours you spent talking about things that would go clear over my head. Sharing little puzzles between you two. Look, I get it. He and I were close too. He was like - well, I don't have a word for it. He was like an older brother to me. Or maybe a grumpy old dad or a particularly fussy uncle. Close as kin. He was like that to me, and I think he was like that to you, too. And if that was so, then you were kind of like a sister. I remember our sparring matches, and how you tried to teach me some of the games you and he would play. Or that one time in the Sylphlands where I lied about having a leg cramp and you offered to do some hedge magick massage thing to get rid of it for me. All those things and more. I remember them, Sette."

"...and then he died," said Zoissette, her voice quiet.

Lyse looked over at that, and she reached a hand out to gently touch Zoissette's arm, but stopped herself just short of doing so.

"...and then he died," she agreed, almost as quiet. "And then you were distant in the days afterward. I thought to try and help, but after seeing the surprise on your face when I announced myself as Lyse, well, I thought maybe I should, well, give you time and space. Let you come to me, you know, when you were ready. And then - and then the war was going in earnest."

"And then Y'shtola almost died," said Zoissette.

Lyse looked thoughtful. "Y'shtola? Hardly, she's tougher than she looks you know. I think you should know that she's the one who complained to me about how hard it is to keep up with you these days. Apparently she wants your help with some research? She told me what it was, but you know how I am with those sorts of details. She means well, you know. I know she must have seemed bossy for a while there, but that's just how she is. I mean, you know! At least I think you do. I heard you two were practically thick as thieves during your time in Ishgard, and I thought maybe you two had been growing closer together for -"

Lyse stopped herself suddenly.

The snow continued to fall.

"...oh." she said.

Zoissette frowned. "Not like that," she said.

"Maybe not," said Lyse, her voice gentle. "But between Papalymo, and then so shortly after, her encounter with Zenos... it's no wonder you withdrew so much."

She looked down at the snow. "I'll be honest, this may be a bit self-centered of me, but I thought it was - well, I really thought you were mad about the whole Yda thing and decided to keep your distance after that."

"...no," said Zoissette.

She had not even been certain when she had made the conscious decision to start avoiding the Scions, but she had, and she had stuck to it. Her work made it easy to do. Always more paperwork. Always something that needed doing. Always something to keep her occupied, keep her busy, keep her moving.

Keep her from freezing in place.

"No," she said again. "It is not your fault, Lyse. And I apologise. It should not have been your sole responsibility to reach out. I should have - we should have spoken. Especially after - after Papalymo sacrificed himself. To save us all."

She bowed her head. "I can almost hear him chastising me for my mistakes."

Lyse did touch her arm, now. "He wouldn't want you beating yourself up about it, you know," she said quietly.

"No," said Zoissette. "He would want us to finish the job, and we did."

"And then, I think," said Lyse. "He would want us to move on. Live our lives as true to ourselves as possible."

Zoissette looked over at Lyse's hand, and reached up gently to touch it, to hold it, to give it a squeeze.

"I am sorry," said Zoissette.

Lyse gave her a weak smile, and she could see water forming in her eyes. "This is getting rather silly," said Lyse. "I'm supposed to be apologizing to you but now you're apologizing to me. Perhaps if we go back and forth enough we can spend the entire night out here."

Zoissette felt the coldness in her veins shift a bit. She was not even sure why she had been angry at Lyse anymore. It seemed fair ridiculous, now that they were talking.

"Tell you what," she said. "I will accept your apology... if you can tell me what research it was that Y'shtola asked me to help her with."

"Oh now, that's hardly fair," complained Lyse. "It was... uhm... void rift transition something-or-another? Hang on, don't tell me. ... wait just one moment. You're doing the question thing, aren't you?"

"Is that what I am doing?" asked Zoissette lightly, looking off into the snow, but watching Lyse out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, there you are, just like old times, with your questions that go nowhere when we both know the answers perfectly well. Well, I shall not fall for it. Don't think I've forgotten how to tell when you're making fun of me," said Lyse, putting on the airs of being cross.

The two looked at each other for a moment. Zoissette allowed herself to be the first to crack, offering a faint smile, and then Lyse fell into giggling, and just like that, the tension broke. Zoissette felt the ice in her veins shift and let go, and the tightness she was holding unfold and unspool.

Hope, she remembered, belatedly. Hope was a choice one made over despair.

"I really am sorry, though," said Zoissette. "I think... I think you are right."

"About what?" asked Lyse. "I feel like I've talked about five summers worth of stuff tonight."

"I have been avoiding you," said Zoissette. "Not just you. Everyone. I ... I do not know why, to be honest, but I have been. But... if it makes you feel better, I shall try to be... better about that."

She shifted her weight back and forth on the log. Now that she was warming up a bit, she was noticing that her legs had gone a bit cold. She had been sitting out here far too long.

"That's all I can ask," said Lyse, gently.

Zoissette took a deep breath in, and let it out slow, and then laughed.

"I can almost hear him chastising me, you know," said Zoissette. "He would tell me that perhaps I would know what was going on if I had been paying attention. Or else telling me to take a step back, and look upon things with a more critical eye."

"Or he would just fuss at you for not knowing the answer, while acting like he was the cleverest person in the room and had all of them in his pocket."

Zoissette laughed some more, and Lyse gave her a grin.

"...can I get up now?" said Zoissette. "I think I am quite cold enough, and I want to go back inside," she said.

"Sure," said Lyse, standing up and offering a hand. Zoissette looked at it oddly for a moment, before ignoring it to stand on her own.

"Lyse, I am literally twice your weight. I am certain I would pull you down if you tried to help me up."

"Nonsense. You know how strong I am," said Lyse.

"...you certainly are," said Zoissette. "Shall we?"

"After you, Lady de Vauban," said Lyse with a flourish. Zoissette groaned, but Lyse just grinned.

They both went back inside, their conversation lighter, now, and Zoissette was glad for it.

Keeping up with her friends - no, her family - was a duty of hers, Zoissette knew, and one she had neglected for too long.

Well, she could and would do better.

Hope, over despair.

And, after all, they could be, had been, and were, a wellspring of hope.

She decided that from here on out, she would cherish that.

Hope.

[ostrichmonkey-games]

Dungeon23 Week "Three"

Continuing to expand on the town of Spire's Walk, this time focusing on the Lift District which is where a lot of adventurers on their way to the Spire (or at least those who can't afford the High Bridge) spend their time resting and resupplying. Also included are a couple of miscellaneous tables about whisperglass nodules aka "nods" (and a few other bits and bobs).

These "prologue" pages before the megadungeon are really just an excuse to explore the setting a bit more.

The Lift District: NPCs and Services

Italk of the Black Sands: sells esoterica, mainly whisperglass nodules or "nods". Their supplier is a closely guarded secret. Wry, mysterious.

The Engine Room: built out of salvaged strange-metals recovered from the Spire. Adventurer hangout, reasonable prices. Lost of rumors to hear.

Salvage Dens: an array of shops and stalls that focus on the repair and sale of Spire magitech. Prices: 1-3: Average. 4-5: Expensive. 6: Cheap. Quality: 1-3: Barely above scrap. 4-5: Mostly functioning. 6: Fine and Rare.

Esh: mysterious, exile, secretive. Skilled in the sacred-surgical arts used to implant the crystal-spheres pulled from the Spire into one's spine. Grants new and strange abilities.

The Lodestone: general exploration goods. Wayhouse: rooms for long term rental. Hirelings: available to hire on. Variety. Cartography: pay to access Spire map archive.

Dreamsmiths: named for their ability to forge the dreaming crystals that grow in the Spire into implements of power and might. Custom orders only. Pricey and intensive!

Dream Eaters: shady service that salvages the thoughts/dreams from a relatively intact corpse or remains. Needs at least the head. Good for recovering secrets.

Whisperglass Nodules

1d6 Nods

Glow: bioluminesce

Flare: toss an energy/plasma sphere

Flicker: desync from space, step/teleport

Sight: see the unseen

Vigor: ignore injuries, addictive

Shell: grow crystalline armor

Nods are small "glass" nodules that must be crushed in the hand, intermingling with the blood in order to be activated. Single use. Uncommon. It is possible to overuse nods.

1d6 Nod Overdose Effects

Waking dreams

Insomnia

Whisper poisoning, affects the blood

Permanently stained hands

Stained eyes, darkened

Drawn to the Spire

Nods are made with whisperglass harvested from growths/veins that spring up nearby the Spire and throughout the surrounding forest.

Violet Wardens keep track of the most fruitful growths. Whisperglass is parasitic, it needs a living host to grow on. Mostly found on plant life, or at least very fresh carrion.

Rumors of Rusthounds cultivating their own whisperglass patches, using less than savory nutrient sources.

C-spheres or starstones: come from deeper within the Spire. Not the same as whisperglass. Fractal crystalline mycelial growths. Stores energy like a battery. Unstable.

We're starting to dig into some of the weirder stuff now!

[jullinh4x]

The Cursed Robot:Origins/Cursed Mega Man

TW: Violence and grafic content

Obs:This is just the origin of one of the characters in my Creepypasta

⚠️:Don't read this story if you're sensitive!

It was just another normal day... Mega Man had just taken care of some things in the city.

-Great, one more problem solved! Time to go home

The young hero walked between the buildings following the path home, until something caught his eye.

-Hey, boy! Do you know this object?

-Wait...THE MEGA KEY! Give it back now!

Mega Man activated Air Man's schemes and went flying after the flying Robot Master. During the rush, Air Man landed in the Forest and ran off to a mysterious place.

-The forest? How strange... Better investigate

Following the Robot Master's tracks, Mega Man found a strange structure.

-It's better to be prepared, I don't know what can be inside this place

He entered inside the structure, and noticed several strange things...

-This place is not peaceful at all but I need to retrieve the Mega Key immediately

Mega Man walked and found a red door, and got close to the door and asked his partner, Mega Mini to check what was behind the door.

-Hey, Mega Mini! What do you think is behind that door?

-Boss... The Mega Key is here!

Mega Man opened the door and silently walked towards the Mega Key, until Sgt.Night arrived in the room.

-Sgt.Night! return the Mega Key!

-Hahaha...I don't have the Mega Key, boy...

-WHAT?! BOSS! YOU'VE BEEN FOOLED!

-Yes, that's just a useless hologram and you believed it...

-Oh no...!

Sgt.Night walked back slowly towards the hero.

-Let's fight...

-No! I don't want to hurt you, let's talk and that way we'll solve everything without violence!

Mega Man slowly walked backwards and tried to open the door he had entered, but unfortunately he couldn't.

-Not that one...! The door is-AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Mega Man and Mega Mini screamed in horror at the gruesome scene: Sgt.Night ripped off Mega Man's arm with Axe

-MY ARM! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! IT HURTS!

Sgt.Night started to laugh, while Mega Mini cried for his boss's life and already Mega Man couldn't do anything... Since he couldn't hurt a human due to robotic laws and his torn off arm was the same one that had his cannon...

-PLEASE! DON'T KILL ME! I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!!!

-Take it easy, kid...you'll be home soon, JUST NOT!

Sgt.Night took his axe again and with all his strength... ripped off the hero's other arm, mouth and life

-BOSS?! BOSS?! ARE YOU-AHHHHHHHH!

As soon as he finished his service, Sgt.Night took the dead body of the young hero and took him to his laboratory.

-Okay, let's start the first phase of my revenge... But first I need the screwdriver! Where is it again?

As soon as he left the laboratory, a kind of portal was formed in the laboratory and a strange being emerged from it that seemed to be a mixture of a demon and a parasite.

-Augh! What an idiot guard! He teleported me to this place and now I won't be able to see my friends there anymore!

The supposed "Parasite" got up and saw something that caught his attention, a body!

-OH MY! A BODY! I'M GONNA HAVE MY FIRST HOST!

Without thinking twice, the "Parasite" entered Mega Man's body, after which Sgt.Night entered the laboratory and reprogrammed Mega Man.

-Are you listening to me, DM 001...?

-Yes...! What are your orders?

[libertineangel]

Boso Ta, it turns out, was offering the whole fucking station. They were a researcher, a former Split captive who now had the place to themselves, and they wanted someone else to take the general running & maintenance off their hands so they could focus on the very well-equipped lab. A free stable headquarters in a little-policed sector near several major hubs with a willing expert researcher was an incredible offer very easily accepted, and Commander Sloan gladly took ownership.

Boso Ta's first suggestion as to research was a fascinating and highly promising insight into short-range teleportation, which Sloan gave them free reign to pursue (they were also more than willing to help with the solar flare shields, but for that they'd need a sample of the existing proprietary model); in order to work on that, however, the station needed certain resources it didn't currently have the capacity to hold, so Sloan ordered construction of a new storage unit, and for that to get built she needed to find a construction ship for hire, and since there existed no interstellar Yellow Pages she had to go out and find one. She thought she might as well look around Teladi space and receive that promotion at the same time (which, among other things, entitled her to purchase military-grade equipment, including a very tempting M-class corvette), and sure enough she found a builder who was willing to head up to Heretic's End. She also scouted around the Teladi shipyards and hired a host of new marines to defend her ships, including one with a bit of pilot's training by the name of Yusmaeos Yoganis Yalamandis IV, who could probably do a decent job on one of her as-yet-unmanned ships; she also sent the Boron service engineer who came with the Mako fighter, who knew a bit about management as well as engineering, to handle the day-to-day tasks of the HQ, as a small fighter didn't really need an onboard engineer anyway.

Now that the HQ had the necessary space to accommodate the resources for Boso Ta's ideas, the resources themselves needed to be acquired: a hundred units of advanced electronics, and two thousand energy cells. The energy cells could be acquired easily - the Bold Acquisition had just made several runs making minor profits in their bulk sale, as the Riptide Rakers were selling them to Sloan for only nine credits apiece, and the cost of two thousand at that price was practically pocket change. The advanced electronics, however, were far more expensive, and while they were still very much affordable the cost still seemed somewhat excessive for a pirate in possession of an extremely well-made and well-equipped starfighter, and so Commander Sloan looked at the charts to pick a factory suitably far from any security posts.

However, before she could get to work, Boso Ta called with word of an unidentified craft on scanners: this was probably nothing but Sloan didn't want to take the chance, so headed up to meet it.

[world-teleport-associatio8f]

world teleport association

⭐ ⏩⏩⏩️ DOWNLOAD MOD - LINK 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 World Teleport Association. WTA is excited to host webcast - The Virtual Teleport: The Growth of Ground-Segment-as-a-Service tomorrow at 10AM EST. World Teleport Association. Need to run your business better in a competitive market? Learn strategy and tactics from our current & upcoming WTA reports. La WTA (world Teleport Association) publicó el ranking anual de Operadores de Telepuerto para Las clasificaciones anuales de las empresas por los ingresos. La World Teleport Association (WTA) anunció la apertura de las nominaciones para los Premios a la Excelencia Teleport. Estos reconocimientos se han. Noticias, Comunicaciones: La World Teleport Association otorga el máximo nivel a la compañía española. La World Teleport Association (WTA) ha hecho pública su ya tradicional selección con los mejores telepuertos del mundo. Tijuana, B.C., Abril de La Asociación Mundial de Telepuertos (World Teleport Association, WTA) certificó este mes nuestro Telepuerto, dicha certificación. de telepuertos independientes por la World Teleport Association (WTA), en la Ciudad de México bajo el Programa de Certificación Teleport de la WTA. For the 5th consecutive year we have appeared in the #ranking of the Fast 10 Top #Teleport Operators published by the World Teleport Association !!

[r0-boat]

Yo, it's Dom!Reader Anon again. Currently i've been writing a fic for Broker!MC. its coming along slowly, but i'm having fun with it! I wanted to share a small bit i had written up, so I hope u enjoy this nearly 3000 word thing i typed up while on sleep medicine haha. --- "I knew I shouldn't have come to this party. I knew I shouldn't and I did it anyway. Mew isn't going to let me live this down for weeks..." you mumbled under your breath, ducking from room to room. Things had been getting boring lately. There's only so much you can do as the most powerful person on the planet when you had to hide your identity all the time. Hardly anyone had requested your service as of late, so what better way to solve your boredom, than to go to a party in another region? It wouldn't be the first time you ventured out to attend an event, of course. You had attended many different parties over the years, with many different faces and personas. They were prime places to gather information and opinions of the public. This, however, was a mistake. You had been so bored. It had been months since you had left your little island abode, so you decided it was time to venture out once again before you grew too antsy. At first, you hadn't been sure which region to visit, that is, until you heard about a big party being hosted in Hoenn. A party being hosted by none other than Champion Steven Stone. A masquerade party, to be exact. One open to all trainers across the region. You practically salivated at the mouth when you heard this little tid-bit of news. A mask themed party, held by none other than one of your best customers? It was as if a goldmine for entertainment had fallen right into your lap! Mew, however, wasn't convinced it was a good idea. Sure, Steven may not have been the most intimidating leader when it came to organized crime, but he still held a lot of influence across the globe. Therefore, he had a lot of connections. He also had his hand in a lot of companies across the globe. There were bound to be a lot of people at this party. Overall, you may have been one of the biggest names in the underground, but that didn't mean you were untouchable. With there being so many people at this party, there was always a chance something could go wrong. You had many different means of escaping a party, of course. From teleporting Pokemon, to your own experience in fist fighting and free running. But Mew wasn't convinced. They had a weird feeling about this party. However, despite Mew's warnings, you decided to go ahead and go. All trainers across Hoenn, and even the globe, to an extent, were invited. It was too good of an opportunity to pass by, and you couldn't just send a Pokemon in to gather info with how big this ball was gonna be. So, you ordered a very basic masquerade mask. A simple black one with a few ornate designs in white across it that covered the top of your face. A mask to go well with your simple black outfit. Of course, you also brought several Pokemon with you. Pokemon to be on your 'trainer team', and a few Pokemon to protect you, and gather information while you enjoyed yourself. When the day of the party arrived, you were no longer Z, boogeyman of the Underground. Today, you were simply your average trainer looking for fun at a big party! Your arrival to Hoenn had been easy, your Pokemon making the trip as quick as a snap of your fingers. Finding the party had been just as easy. A large building that had been rented out for the event, with tons of masked people entering and leaving the building. It was hard to miss. Quickly, you had gotten to work. Taking to a fish in water, you wore your 'Bright eyed and bushy tailed' trainer persona. Being an eager little trainer made it easy to slip into conversation. When you seemed like fresh meat, everyone wanted to teach you something, or show off something they knew. Especially if you played dumb and got things wrong. People loved correcting others. Slip in a little praise to boost their ego, and bingo! You could practically bring up any

topic without hardly any suspicion. The party was going well into the night, and you had managed to talk to a decent amount of people, not wanting to get too involved. Had to do this just right after all. Talk to too many people, you could turn some heads. This wasn't your first rodeo though, so you had this night in the bag. Or so you had thought. It was getting late, sometime past 10 pm. You were beginning to finish up for the night, having gathered a decent amount of info. That's when you saw him. As it turns out, Steven must have invited all the champions from the other regions, because you were now talking to fucking Lance of all people. Sure, he had a mask on, but you knew too much of this man not to recognize him. From how tall he was, to his dark red hair and deep voice, it was without a doubt, the Kanto Champion. You had accidentally bumped into him at the food table, having paid more attention to the food than the area around you. Rookie mistake. Now here he was, asking about you. Your name, favorite Pokemon, what you did in Hoenn for a living. Regular small talk. You fed him lies with ease, of course, just like you had to everyone else here. However, a champion being so close to you, without your normal get up made you quite nervous. You hadn't even seen Steven this whole time, someone you were prepared to at least say hello and lie to. But no, you had to be blindsided by another champion. You clutched your glass of wine as you flashed Lance another smile. For some reason, he seemed rather taken with you, or at least seemed attracted to your trainer persona. He just wouldn't. Stop. Talking. You had only seen him act this way around your Broker persona. He always seemed eager to please you. You wondered what it was about you he seemed to like, seeing as he didn't act like this to others. You eventually decided you had enough. As much as this was a golden opportunity to talk to Lance with his guard down, you needed to leave. You were mentally and physically exhausted, and very much wanted a nap. Plus, your nerves were completely shot. Not to mention, the champion was asking a lot of questions. You could only answer so many before things started to look suspiciously off. Giving Lance another smile, you made an excuse in needing the restroom. Easily believing your lie, Lance offered to hold your drink for you as you left. What a gentleman. Ha. That's what led up to now. You desperately ducked from room to room, trying to find an empty area in which you could have your Pokemon teleport you out. Of course, Steven had to host such a large party that practically every room was occupied. Grumbling under your breath, you entered another room, and froze. In the room was none other than Steven Stone himself. He was talking to some masked stranger, presumably about business. When you entered the room, however, all talking had stopped. "Ah! Sorry, I was just looking for the restroom!" You quickly lied, attempting to back out. Steven turned towards you, and gave you a smile. "Oh, that's quite alright! You seem lost, do you need some assistance?" he asked you. Thinking quickly, you brought your hands up, shaking them as you shook your head. "Oh no, It's okay, I don't wish to interrupt!" you exclaimed, backing up towards the door. Clapping his hands together, Steven shot you a warm smile. "Nonsense! We were just finishing up here!" He then turned to his associate. You cursed your luck. "Shall we continue this next week?" Setting a time and date with the stranger, he turned back to you as his friend left the room. "Now then, may I have your name?" he innocently asked. You bit your cheek, before giving him one you had tossed around all night. Steven repeated it out loud, almost testing it on his tongue. "A lovely name you have! Now tell me," he began, and walked over to you, and leaned in close. "What's a beautiful thing like you doing wandering around where you shouldn't be?" he asked, gripping your chin in his hand, and tilting your head up. Your eyes widened at the

question. "What?" Steven laughed, and tightened his grip ever so slightly. "Don't act so naive. The restrooms are right next to the main hall, not this far into the building." he casually explained. "Now, what could a little trainer like you have been looking for?" he asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Slowly, you felt him back you into a wall, his grip never loosening. "I mean it! I was just looking for the restroom!" you pleaded, sweat beginning to form. This wasn't good. Steven's eyes narrowed, and he slammed a hand against the wall behind you, causing you to jump. "Don't lie to me. It's obvious." he demanded, all friendliness in his voice now gone. "It's Lance, isn't it? I saw you talking with him earlier. You two seemed rather close. Were you hoping to find something useful here in the rest of the building? Or were you here hoping to glean some information for his precious gang?" he asked. You stared at him, dumbfounded. Did he really think you were one of Lance's lackeys? Were they really on that bad of terms if he was this suspicious of you from just talking to the Kanto Champion? Why did he invite the other champion then? Questions quickly raced through your mind as you tried to piece everything together, nearly forgetting Steven until he spoke once more. "I watched you all night, you know." Steven stated, taking in your silence. That got your attention. Steven had been watching you? You know you felt eyes on you all night, but you had assumed it had been Lance... "Talking to all those trainers, giving them innocent smiles when asking all those questions. What's Lance after, huh? Does he really think I'm that weak that he can have his pretty little trainer walk in and ask whatever they want?" You were speechless. Were you really this rusty at scouting out a party? This damn mafia boss had managed to watch you the whole time without you being none the wiser to his presence? Steven didn't take your silence well, and gripped your throat tight with the hand that had held your chin. Instinctively, you reached up to try and pry his hand away, wincing at the grip. Steven punched the wall next to your head. "Answer me!" he demanded, his grip loosening just enough for you to respond. You sighed, and felt annoyance bubble up in your chest. You wouldn't be able to talk your way out of this one, not with how riled up Steven was. In an instant, your face dropped from fear, to pure annoyance. Steven almost seemed surprised at the action, before squeezing your neck ever so slightly. "I suggest you let go." you told him, feeling the room's temperature drop around you. Steven scoffed. "Oh? Don't act so tough. No one is here but us. Don't even bother reaching for your Pokemon either. I'll break your neck before you reach them." He threatened. You smirked back at him. "Are you sure about that? Would you like to bet on it?" you taunted. In that moment, you felt Steven's grip falter. The tension in the room, the temperature dropping, and your confidence putting him on edge. "What do you-" he began, before he was ripped away from you. Steven yelled in surprise as he was thrown against the wall. Feeling the air rush back into your lungs, you rubbed your neck with a bitter look on your face. "W-What the!? What is this!?" Steven cried out next to you, and you dusted yourself off before facing him. Pinned to the wall next to you, was Steven Stone, Darkrai gripping him tightly with his arms. Feeling all bits of your trainer persona drip away, you felt a wild grin form on your face. "Tsk tsk, did your father ever teach you manners? Didn't you ever learn not to threaten business partners?" you asked, circling the man, who's face only grew paler with each word. Steven took a moment to work up the courage to talk. "Business partners? Listen, I know Lance has been asking a lot lately-" he tried to ramble, but you cut him off. "I'm not one of Lance's little lackeys." You said with a slight growl. You worked alone. Steven's eyebrows rose in confusion. "Then, who...?" he asked weakly, Darkrai's

presence already effecting him deeply. You shook your head. "C'mon, Stone. Don't tell me you don't recognize your favorite business partner. After all..." you spoke, letting fake sadness drip from your voice. Walking up, you passed Darkrai, and gently placed a hand on his cheek. "You asked me to help secure your place as top dog in Hoenn. Did I not succeed?" you teased with a smile. Steven's eyes widened, and you could practically hear the gears turn in his head. "No... It couldn't possibly... Z...?" he asked weakly, eyes wide and unfocused. You patted his cheek, before spinning around, waving a hand. "Ding ding ding! Correct!" you said, turning to face him while clapping your hands. "Now tell me, Stone. How does it feel to be the first one to ever see the real me? Know what half my face looks like? What my voice sounds like?" you asked, enjoying the look of wonder and fear on his face. His answer, however, slightly surprised you. "You're gorgeous!" he said with such certainty, it threw you off a little bit. You took a moment to get a good look at him. His face, once pale, was bright red, and his breathing had picked up immensely. His eyes were still wide, but were completely blown as he took in your figure. He wasn't lying. With a 'hmph', you waved his compliment off. "Flattery will get you nowhere." Steven shook his head. "I mean it! You look gorgeous! I knew you were powerful, but seeing you like this-wow! The power, the grace, it's amazing!" he practically rambled to you. You simply raised a brow. Shaking your head, you frowned. "Save it. As interesting as your compliments are, you won't remember this later anyway." Steven tried to struggle, only for Darkrai to tighten his grip. "Wait! We can work something out, right? Anything you want, I can give it! We can make a deal!" Steven pleaded with you. Honestly, it was almost cute. Going from him threatening your life, to practically begging you for an out. As cute as it was, it wouldn't last. You couldn't let anyone get away with having seen too much of your real face, even if it was obscured. Slowly, you walked towards him, Steven hadn't stopped pleading for you to let him be. You thought he was simply begging for his life and memories. It was partially true, but not for the reasons you thought. Steven thought you were the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. He had watched you all night, hidden away from the crowd. He had been terribly upset at first when he saw Lance talking with you. Figures someone who catches his eyes would be with a rival group. After he had seen you with Lance, he had to leave, and happened upon an associate to talk to and clear his head. But now? Now that he knew who you were? He was one of the only people to have ever seen you in person? Ever heard your real voice? Steven was blown away, almost convinced this was a dream, only the painful grip your Darkrai had on him kept him grounded. You were already gorgeous, but now? The power and confidence you wielded? The elegance as you stalked around him like a predator, him happily your prey? It was intoxicating. He couldn't let this slip past. He could care less about knowing your actual identity. He didn't want this moment to be forgotten. However, after a pause, you turned to face him, and pulled out a pokeball. Your eyes seemingly glowed in the poorly lit room. "Mr. Stone, It was nice having this chat with you. Who knows? Maybe we'll do some business again in the future." You spoke, your voice cold like ice, but your expression almost seemed gleeful. Throwing the pokeball, a Hypno appeared, and slowly began walking towards Steven, who began trying to thrash in Darkrai's grip. "Wait, I mean it! Anything I have, it's yours!" he begged, eyes widening as Hypno drew closer. You simply tsked at his efforts. "Oh Steven, I already have everything I could ever need." Glancing to your Hypno, you gestured towards the pleading champion. "You know what to do." Steven didn't even have time to scream before Hypno put him under his trance, and began

locking his memories. You sighed, and had Darkrai drop a now-unconscious Steven. "What a mess... Let's go home." you ordered, not giving the unconscious man a second glance. You needed a nap. ---. Steven later woke up on the floor with a massive headache. The whole night was a blur, however... He was missing something. Something important. He recognized this feeling. The feeling of someone having messed with his head. He was furious, of course. No one messed with his memories and got away with it. Although Steven didn't know why, he felt desperate. He needed to find a Pokemon to sort through his head. Whatever he was missing, made his chest flutter and his stomach twist. Whatever memories were taken from him were important. He could feel it.

Yes some love for mob Steven!

I've been low-key rooting for him because he's the underdog of the AU.

Steven Stone has a lot of money and lots of money is usually means very dangerous also probably having the largest share in technology of the Pokemon world. And he's sexy like hello?!

Hdjeo

Mob!steven:* gives MC a rock*

Mc: tf is this?

Steven: it's Mewnium Z please marry me!!

[justasimptm]

The Bride C2

By the time I woke up, I felt different, like something was moving under my skin. I barely had a moment to process the change before my mother burst into the room raving about how fantastic the change was. She said she was given a gift, that it healed her and made her stronger, and she in turn gave it to me. Hers made her bigger, stronger, scarier, mine? Well physically I didn’t change much, I was far sicker than my mother was so she theorized it focused more on fixing what was nearly destroyed than improving.

Among other small things, my eyes had changed color, the previously dark brown had shifted to a shining gold, and the pendant I wore with my family crest had essentially burned itself into my skin. My nails were longer, sharper, like claws, and my teeth would ache like they were growing in.

I would soon discover this ‘gift’ was really a curse. I had to learn to live a life I had given up on, and learn to live it as a monster. I could no longer eat the things I enjoyed, even being around food would make me violently ill, and I found myself lashing out more often. We were approached by a woman one day, who claimed herself to be the reason we were what we were. Said she had the answers.

My mother was quick to form her devotion, obsessively thanking the woman before us for her ‘miracle’ and pledging our services to her. Mother Miranda, she would later introduce herself, explained we had been given a rare gift, one that would grant us life for as long as we followed her. She said our hunger, our anger, would be sated with blood, and that she would call on us when she needed us to repay her for her gift. As if the life I was forced into was really so precious. I had no choice in my first life but to accept my death and I have no choice in my second life but to accept it is no longer my own.

Something more changed with my mother as time drew on. Where I had withdrawn, barely doing what was necessary to prolong my existence, she thrived. More than I had ever seen her do previously. She hired more servants, pulling from neighboring villages, working the girls hard and then draining them to sustain herself. She turned them into ‘wine’, poured their essence into finely crafted bottles and kept them stored as if they were vintage. She liked to say they tasted better if left to age in old wine bottles, and said the bouquet that stained the glass would saturate into the blood, making it sweeter.

And then Mother Miranda came again, throwing ideas of family towards her, offering to help her. That she could have more daughters, daughters who would enjoy the life they were offered, who would thrive with her. And how could she refuse? And so they created my sisters. Daniela, Bela and Cassandra, and how they bonded. They were the children my mother wanted more than anything, they wanted to live, they loved the hateful life they were given. They had no remorse for what they had done, what they were doing.

They were perfect. Until we found out they were weaker. They had been normal before this, so when they were changed Mother Miranda said their defects would manifest with their gift. Whereas Mother and I were essentially impervious to most things, my sisters could not fare in the cold. They had to stay in the castle, where they would be safe, or they would die.

How I wished it could end for me as simply as a breeze. My mother swore to keep them safe, punishing any servant who would carelessly leave a window or a door open. Those servants would be brought to the cellar. The others would say they would never be seen again, but they don’t realize they serve them to us in our house glasses. They bottle them and preserve them, thinking its just another wine.

If only they weren’t so naive, perhaps they would have had a fighting chance. Eventually I got sick of the jokes, the jabs from my so-called sisters about how unappreciative I was of my gift, how jealous they were that I was able to go out if I wanted to. If they wanted to play with me weak, I decided I’d see how they’d fare with me stronger. And so I fed, I fed until I was full and I fed some more until the flush it gave my cheeks seemed almost natural. I started offering to help my mother more, offering to retrieve our new servants, participating in her cruel rituals.

Eventually she started thinking I had finally seen how brilliant it was, that I was growing into my life, and ‘living it how I was meant to’. And so she started letting me come to the meetings, with Mother Miranda’s permission. At first it was just us three, until she found others. Then trickled in Donna, a poor woman who's only able to exist essentially with extensions of herself into dolls. Then Moroe, a very horrifying man who basically looks like a giant slug. He was rather simple, not all too smart, essentially just fawning over Miranda and wanting to do everything to make her happy. He ended up being a big part of her experiments.

Then came Heisenberg. A brute of a man, who like us, was able to retain his primary form. His power came in the way of controlling metal. He became essential in helping Miranda build more, essentially creating and running a  factory for her experiments to try to find the right body for her child. My mother did not trust him, she always said he was conniving. That as a man he was untrustworthy and that she loathed him being a part of our ‘family’.

This was one case where I found myself actually agreeing with her. Karl Heisenberg was a vulgar excuse for a man. Crass and loud, overly confident in himself and what he would be doing. Part of him was clearly a facade, whether it was his loyalty or his talent I was unable to tell, but boy did he love making snarky comments about us.

He would quip that clearly he was the more talented of the family, that he could do more for Miranda than we could. That all we were good for was killing the townsfolk and failing. Not as if he ever did much better, though. All his experiments were from the leftovers from us, all of them turning out more dull and stupid than the last. Lycan after lycan, mistake after mistake, and still he had the gall to say he was what was the one making the progress. Even the buffoon Moroe did better than he did, and all he would do was whimper pathetically about how he wants Mother Miranda to love him.

Mother made me promise to keep away from him, something I agreed to easily, I had no desire to be around such a thing and if it would get her to loosen up more with me I was more than willing. This proved, however, to be a more difficult task than anticipated, because apparently he made it his mission to go out of his way and interact with me, even if it was in short bursts. That is where we are now.

Mother Miranda had called on us all for a meeting, requesting my mother host, which of course she agreed to, even though it meant allowing men into the house. She ordered my sisters to stay in their rooms, they were not to come out, but Miranda had requested my presence at the meeting so I, of course, had to go. It didn’t take long for the freak train to roll in. First Moroe, ever the eager pleaser, whom neither my mother nor I greeted, followed by Donna, who was excitedly chittering around. Heisenberg came last, shooting a smirk towards us before dropping onto the old loveseat. It creaked dangerously in protest at the sudden weight and I felt my mother stiffen at my side.

“That’s an antique, you oaf. Be more careful with things that do not belong to you.” I sneer, narrowing my eyes. His smirk widens considerably as he leans forward on his thighs, sliding his glasses down slightly so I can see his eyes.

“Trust me darlin’, I’m plenty gentle. You just have to beg first,” he tosses back at me, and if I had fed today I’m certain I would have flushed at his suggestive tone. My mother lets out a sound of anger but before she can cut in Mother Miranda arrives, essentially teleporting right in the middle of our potential screaming match.

[asixhk36]

The Most Advanced Teleport Operator in Asia

Founded in 2004, ASIX has begun its journey in the year 2005. A new technology was launched by Asix Flyway which is popular as the top Teleport Operator in Asia region. The ASIX teleport hosting services has gained high level of confidence from the talented satellite operators to operate their satellites and to serve their all end users. They started it with a lot of struggle and investments to serve the South Asia, East Asia, Africa, Middle-East majorly for Satellite IP Bandwidth Services in countries. Below mentioned services are available from the ASIX.

Dual UPS system.

Fully redundant generator set.

MVAC N+1 CRAC configuration.

FM200 fire suppression system.

Smoke and heat detection system.

24 X 7 monitoring.

24 X 7 Security guard service

Accurate air-conditioning system.

Raised floor

From the beginning, ASIX was very lucky to offer these services to the majority of satellite operators.

To know more about Satellite IP Bandwidth Services just click on the link highlighted above.

Contact:  +852 2537 3875  

Website: https://www.asix.hk/

Email:     chris@asix.hk 

[genshin-impact-updates]

Version 2.0 "The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia" Update Details (Part 3)

For Part 2, Click Here

VIII. Adjustments & Optimizations

● System

1. Once your account for PSN is linked to a valid email address, you will be able to log in on iOS/Android/PC using your miHoYo Account, or on PlayStation using the account for PSN linked to the email address associated with your miHoYo Account and resume your game progress.

• There are two methods for linking:

Method 1 (Retain Prior Progress From miHoYo Account on Mobile/PC): On the PlayStation platform, using an account for PSN that has never previously logged in to Genshin Impact, open the game for the first time. Follow the steps in the pop-up window to link the email address associated with your miHoYo Account. This will link both accounts.

*IMPORTANT: The pop-up window prompting you to link your accounts only appears when your account for PSN enters the game for the first time, after you agree to the Terms of Service. You can only link an existing miHoYo Account from this pop-up window. There is no other way to link.

Method 2 (Retain Prior Progress From Account for PSN): Log in to Genshin Impact on the PlayStation platform, then go to Settings > Account > User Center > Link Account and link your account for PSN that is logged in to Genshin Impact to an email address that has not already been used to register a miHoYo Account. After linking, your game progress will be shared when you log into your account to play on the same server on iOS/Android/PC/PlayStation.

• Genesis Crystals

Genesis Crystals obtained on PC or mobile platforms and Genesis Crystals obtained on PlayStation will not be linked for the same account. This includes but is not limited to Genesis Crystals obtained via the following means: topping-up, refunds, and compensation for top-up errors for Blessing of the Welkin Moon and Battle Pass.

（For more information, please refer to the HoYoLAB notice, "Notice on Cross-Save Function Between Account for PSN and miHoYo Account")

2. Increases Max Map Pins limit from 99 to 150

3. Adjusts the contents of the Gnostic Hymn Bundle: Replaces Mondstadt's Talent Level-Up Material bundles with Inazuma's Talent Level-Up Material bundles

4. Optimizes UI display on mobile devices upon entering Aiming Mode when using touchscreen controls: The "Abandon Challenge" button is hidden and the text transparency of the challenge objectives is reduced

5. Adds a second confirmation when removing friends.

6. Adjusts the Waverider's Stamina mechanism: The Waverider's stamina is now independent of that of the character's, and Stamina Regeneration is also calculated separately for each.

● Audio

Adjusts Chinese and Japanese voice-over for some characters, and adjusts Korean voice-over for some Quests.

● Characters

1. Adjusts the animation performance of Mona's Combat Talent "Illusory Torrent"

2. Optimizes the expressions of some characters in combat

3. Adjusts the description of Ningguang's Passive Talent "Trove of Marvelous Treasures": Displays the location of nearby ore veins used in forging on the mini-map.

Originally: Displays the location of nearby ore veins (Iron Ore, White Iron Ore, Crystal Ore, Magical Crystal Ore, and Starsilver) on the mini-map.

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Quests

1. Fixes an issue with the Daily Commission "This Novel Is Amazing!" whereby there is a small chance of repeating dialogue.

2. Fixes an issue with the Archon Quest "Wanderer's Trail" whereby the camera shakes when using Traveler's (Lumine) Normal Attack.

3. Fixes an issue with the Daily Commission "Pigeons Go AWOL" whereby there is a chance that the items dropped by animals may refresh abnormally.

● Domains

1. Fixes an issue in the Spiral Abyss whereby the Events icon disappears from the main screen after teleporting to a Domain in the Adventurer's Handbook.

2. Fixes an issue on Floor 7 of the Spiral Abyss whereby the Ley Line Disorder "CRIT hits will generate Elemental Particles and Orbs" may not take effect properly.

● Monsters

1. Fixes an issue whereby Ruin Guards have a chance to be momentarily paralyzed and open to attack even though their weak point was not attacked.

2. Fixes an issue whereby when the character teleports away when a Whopperflower is paralyzed, after returning to battle, the number and animation effect of the Elemental Orbs of the Whopperflower are abnormal.

3. Fixes an issue whereby Abyss Mages may appear on the field abnormally after teleporting.

● Co-Op

1. Fixes an issue in Co-Op Mode whereby map pins may have an abnormal residual effect after exiting Co-Op Mode.

2. Fixes an issue when visiting another Traveler's Serenitea Pot whereby if the host and guest have the same character in their respective realms for whom they have chosen different outfits, the guest will see the clothing they have selected for their own character on the character that the host invited to move inside their realm.

● Characters

1. Fixes an issue affecting some characters whereby simultaneously casting an Elemental Burst and switching characters while the character is sprinting may cause errors with the Elemental Burst.

2. Fixes an issue whereby when a character triggers a Swirl reaction with multiple elements against multiple enemies at the same time, the character abnormally takes DMG.

3. Fixes an issue whereby when bow-wielding characters use the gadget "Wind-Blessed Harpastum" while switching their aiming mode, an error may occur.

4. Fixes an issue with Tartaglia whereby his bow and arrow are positioned incorrectly while executing an Aimed Shot.

5. Fixes an issue with Kaedehara Kazuha whereby switching weapons while he is sheathing his sword may result in abnormal weapon display.

6. Fixes an issue with Rosaria and Eula whereby the characters' heads may not correctly face forward after sitting down.

7. Fixes an issue with Eula whereby the animation of her Lightfall Sword abnormally remains on the field after Eula unleashes her Elemental Burst at the same moment Eula dies from fall DMG.

8. Fixes an issue with the Anemo Traveler whereby resonating with the Statue of the Seven multiple times will result in Lv. 4 Constellation "Cherishing Breezes" and Passive Talent "Second Wind" not taking effect properly.

9. Fixes an issue whereby when the Traveler resonates with the Statue of the Seven, the other characters' Elemental Resonance effects are not activated at the same time.

10. Fixes an issue with·Mona whereby the reflections summoned by her continue to taunt enemies when the skill has already ended.

11. Fixes an issue with Yanfei whereby clipping occurs during her attack animations.

12. Fixes an issue whereby characters could not deal DMG to enemies after triggering an Overloaded reaction by inflicting elemental effects on themselves.

13. Fixes an issue whereby a character may fall to the bottom when performing a Plunging Attack while above the water surface.

14. Fixes an issue whereby attempting to sit down while switching characters will cause the character to teleport and sit down upon switching back to the initial character.

15. Fixes an issue whereby if a character uses a skill at certain locations, the skill effect becomes tilted.

● Audio

1. Fixes an issue whereby some sound effects are missing from some skills and gameplay, and adjusts sound effects in some environments.

2. Fixes an issue whereby some characters' voice lines are not triggered properly when the weather changes.

● System

1. Fixes an issue whereby some Artifact set names were displayed incorrectly in the rewards preview screen of Domains. The Artifact set names have been corrected to reflect their corresponding Set Bonus.

2. Fixes an issue in the Serenitea Pot whereby multiple characters can sit on the same spot on the Furnishing "Soft Lounge Sofa."

3. Fixes an issue in the Serenitea Pot whereby after switching Decorations > Doors, there is a small probability that multiple overlapping doors will be displayed.

● Other

1. Fixes an issue in Qingxu Pool, Liyue, whereby the Geo mechanism effects are not displayed properly (only visual effects are abnormal, puzzle gameplay is not affected).

2. Fixes an issue whereby the duration of healing dishes effects is incorrectly applied under certain circumstances.

3. Fixes an issue whereby the character is pushed aside by Paimon after opening the Paimon Menu under certain circumstances.

4. Fixes an issue with using controllers whereby crafting Furnishings or Dyes will result in default selection of the first option.

5. Fixes textual errors and display issues in Spanish, German, English, French, Indonesian, Japanese, and Russian and optimizes the localization of text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.) Text-related fixes and optimizations in English include:

◆ Revises Kazuha's affiliation to be consistent with that of other characters of the same affiliation. Where the original affiliation reads "Crux Fleet" and the revised affiliation reads "The Crux".

◆ Revises Beidou's 4th Constellation effects to reflect what occurs in-game. The original description implies that she must take DMG to gain a 20% Electro DMG Bonus. The revised description states that attacked, Beidou gains an instance of Electro DMG instead.

◆ "Already" implies that the player knew how to create a certain item prior to this instance, which is misleading. It was thus removed.

◆ "Already" implies that the player had summoned a Waverider prior to this instance, which is misleading. It was thus removed.

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

[mystical-evergreen]

It’s been a “fun” week, so to try and escape a little I thought I’d start to compile all my ideas about Criladith, or some. Sorry for the word spill

So, let’s start with the save itself. “Criladith 1” as we can call it started to shows signs of corruption (I think). Couldn’t load families, certain lots weren’t loading/crashed if they did. I was pretty spooked and contemplating simply building my own lots (I’d been using prebuilt Gwrych lots) and moving families, when I remembered. I had been getting my servants by simply teleporting sims on the sim blender and moving them in, very bad idea because these were all service sims. It was a theory until I checked something, our darling evil Judith Kellers had incomplete data. You couldn’t even extract her appearance (which is why she’ll look different in round 2.) So Judith had been an unsafe npc and Criladith 1 was on a timer.

It many ways a corruption scare was probably just what I needed. I hadn’t been liking the map, the way I had set up four corners each province was going to be its own separate entity in competition with one another. I ended really hating that and the looming rise in households I’d need to play (we started with 16 at the beginning of round 1) and lots I’d need to build. I also wasn’t vibing with the grwych lots, they weren’t meeting the needs of the sims or me. So I extracted all of the sims, recreated them in a new map (terrain?) and started to build everything from scrap. Which has led to a long process of building but it’s been sooo rewarding.

As it stands Criladith will now one day be a kingdom, instead of 4. Each province will be built up as rural villages where my yeoman and peasants will reside. Each will have natural resource lots (ie forest, mine) and a village green and well in addition what other regional specific lots it’s hold. All the other lots and families (families will be randomized from now on, no more couples straight from cas) past hamlet will be built in the “Capital/Charter City” in the middle of the map. The CC will host merchants, gentry, nobles, and one day my royals. Taxes from all the regions will be pooled together toward the CC. So how will we know who is to be crowned our monarch if not through monetary gain? I think I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s whichever noble tops the Politics career first. If the noble dies before they can it falls on their child to continue to fight for their house. The success of the province/level in their career will decide what titles the other three nobles obtain when the royal family is crowned. Not sure if the noble reaches the top of the career before the CC is complete if they will be crowned, maybe maybe not.

Besides the CC and provinces there will be a university section (city planning is not my strong suit, it will either be on the hill or somewhere in the CC). Religious sections will also be built for those that practice convent type devotion. Athos (Vilena’s god) is going to have nuns who run the orphanage and maybe brothers. I also want to build a military compound with a prison tower, knight barracks, regular military barracks (for peasant/yeomans, a much more grueling track than that of knights), a church, training grounds, and some sort of relaxation building. (If you can’t tell this is what I’m currently working in game.) Very heavily inspired by how @mortia handles her barracks. Nectarine Nivell is one of our knights to be, and others will soon follow. Also if anyone has some nice medieval N names for her instead of Nevaeh/Nectarine I’d appreciate the suggestions :)