#Vanguard Contracting

[vanguardcontractingsblog]

"Expert Home & Commercial Renovations | Vanguard Contracting

At Vanguard Contracting, we are committed to using our skilled craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail to bring your idea to life.

[t3hsiggy]

Badknights' Quicksand At Home

[feartheoldblog]

i made the bloodborne x ghost band meme as a joke but people’s tags have made me realise that a crossover is perfect

[mesetacadre]

One mistake that is very common for communists to make (both online and offline, though it's more annoying online) when talking about and participating in trade unions is forgetting both your and the union's place in class struggle.

A trade union is by its very nature a reformist entity that fights partial struggles at best and reinforces the state's management of capitalism at worst. The purpose of any trade union is to represent a group of workers at the a company or sector at the same level of the capitalists who run it to achieve better conditions for the workforce. Two crucial aspects of this are (1) that it simply puts the workers at the same level of capitalists to negotiate, it does not question the very role of the capitalist in the wider economy, and (2) its ultimate goal is always to reform the contract that defines the relationship between the worker and the capitalist, not to remove it altogether. It does not matter the amount or length of strikes the union might organize, or how much they embolden workers to act in their (supposed) interest. Every fight organized by a union is, by definition, reformist. The only situations in which unions seize to have this character are in either a dictatorship of the proletariat, and like any other element of the superstructure it's put to work in the interests of the working class, or a situation with a strong communist party pre-revolution that has been able to influence the union in such a way that it becomes internally aligned with the interests of the vanguard.

Does this mean that unions are worthless and that we should ignore them because they don't immediately acquire rifles and take over human resources? No. What we should do is avoid creating false illusions or misplacing importance on these fights

An organized (that is, in a communist party) communist's role is to elevate the working masses to a revolutionary conscience, so that the party can have the sufficient amount of people, and organizational capability, to exploit the crises of capitalism to their favor. And this never changes, no matter the context of your intervention. When you go to a protest, you are a communist in that protest, not just another protestor. When you do work in a union, you are a communist in a union, not a unionist. This means that your work and your interactions with other workers should always be done as a communist. You may be an active member of a union, in fact that's the main way for organized communists to act in a workplace, if their party does not have the sufficient strength to act on its own. But you're a communist first, a communist who understands the utility of unions to create the seed of revolutionary-political conscience in workers.

And a misunderstanding of any of these two concepts usually manifests in what I see some communists do, which is taking the reformist slogans of trade unions ("fight for a just wage", "united we bargain", or just an oversimplified "join a union!", for example) and parroting them without much apparent thought. Trade unionism and socialdemocracy go hand in hand, these two currents hinge on the idea of promising workers a bigger slice of the national wealth. But the difference between these two, and part of the reason why many more communists are less critical towards unions I think, is that unions take the position of workers, the "underdog", while socialdemocracy deals directly with putting reforms in place. But ultimately they both misdirect the spontaneous conscience workers acquire by the everyday class antagonism towards policies that reinforce capitalism and the system of wage labor through which workers are exploited in the first place.

[pluckyredhead]

Character Profile: Gregorio de la Vega and Hugh Dawkins (Extraño and Tasmanian Devil)

I was thinking that it's been too long since I've done a character profile, and then I realized that I don't think I've ever posted about DC's CANONICALLY MARRIED, HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DILFS, a.k.a. Wizard Daddy and his furry husband. I'm so sorry. I've failed you all.

ANYWAY MEET GREGORIO AND HUGH:

Gregorio (on the right) is the first out superhero in comics, ever, from before the Comics Code even allowed gay characters. Hugh is DC's third gay superhero (Pied Piper came out a year before him) and the first canonically queer member of the Justice League. See? Historically significant!

CONTENT WARNING: Homophobia, racial stereotypes, attempted suicide, HIV/AIDS, and some particularly gory fridging (Hugh got better).

Gregorio de la Vega first appeared in Millennium #2. Now, they never actually use the word "gay" in the eight issue Millennium miniseries, but, well...

No, seriously, despite the fact that they never use words like "gay" or "homosexual" in the pages of the comic itself, the art and dialogue make Gregorio's sexuality very clear - and in case that wasn't enough, the editors do use the word "gay" in the letter columns.

Millennium was an event in which the Guardians and the Zamarons identified a group of diverse humans to be "the vanguard of human evolution" and gave them all superpowers. Gregorio is hanging out in a cantina in Peru when they show up to give him the news:

He's calling himself a fruit do you get it??? Honestly I love him so much. He's so extra.

I want to emphasize again how groundbreaking Gregorio is. Like, yes, obviously he is a raging stereotype and arguably a problematic one. But this was 1988. The Comics Code Authority would not be updated to permit queer characters until the following year (probably because of Gregorio, in large part). The fact that he existed at all, and not cloaked in layers upon layers of subtext, was a huge step forward. No, he's not perfect, but when you're the only canonically queer superhero in mainstream comics, that's an impossible ask.

Anyway. Gregorio's not super into the idea of being a main character at first, but after a self-loathing suicide attempt (Wally saves him), he decides fuck it, why not be a superhero, and joins the team that will become the New Guardians. He's granted his superpowers, which are generic magic ones, and takes the codename Extraño.

Unfortunately, in the spinoff series that followed Millennium, New Guardians, things get...uh...kind of rough. By which I mean that a) the original writer left, b) the new writer dialed Gregorio's gay stereotyping waaay back in favor of, um, Latino stereotyping instead (he stops calling everyone "honey" and starts calling them "amigo"), and c) the team is attacked by the Hemo-Goblin, an HIV-positive white supremacist vampire. Yes, really. It's fucking awful.

The Hemo-Goblin scratches Gregorio and bites Jet, a Black woman on the team. They both subsequently test positive for HIV. There are many letters from fans pointing out that it's nearly impossible to contract HIV that way, but the editors insisted that actually it was totally plausible, and then implied that probably Gregorio already had HIV because he was gay (even though he had tested negative earlier in the book). Then Jet dies. Again: it's fucking awful.

New Guardians was canceled soon after that and Gregorio pretty much disappeared. By the 2000s, he was viewed as basically an embarrassment, if anyone even remembered him at all: so stereotypical, so flamboyant, so offensive, so cringe. In the Love Is Love anthology, everyone's least favorite human Dan DiDio wrote a story where he claimed that Extraño died of AIDS back in the 80s, which...literally wasn't true??? The publisher of the goddamn company and even he assumed that the Cringey Stereotype must have died the Stereotypical Death.

And then in 2016, Gregorio got a makeover, courtesy of Steve Orlando and Fernando Blanco:

HELLO.

Yeah, so Gregorio is a silver fox now who hangs out with Apollo and Midnighter, does wizard shit, and lives in Lima with his husband and their adopted daughter. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT HUSBAND:

Could you tell he's Australian???

Hugh Dawkins, a.k.a. Tasmanian Devil (no relation to the Looney Tunes character except that they are both owned by WB and, obviously, Tasmanian) actually first appeared in the Super Friends tie-in comics to the cartoon of the same name, in 1977, as part of a plotline where the Justice League teamed up with a bunch of international superheroes.

As you can see above, Hugh, like the other international superheroes, is a massive stereotype. He's also a were-Tasmanian devil who can grow really big, like many Australians. (Even though he's been around for 50 years, there are very few panels of Hugh in human form, but if you need to know for reasons of all the fanfic I hope you are about to write: he's blond.)

In the late 80s, Hugh and the other international superheroes from this story were incorporated into the main DCU as a team called the Global Guardians. They became occasional supporting characters to the various Justice League International books, and some of them joined various Justice League branches. Others had random cameos here and there, and in a 1992 issue of Justice League Quarterly, Hugh's random cameo involved casually mentioning that he is gay:

Again, this is a big deal. It's only 1992, meaning the only canonically queer superheroes in mainstream comics are Extraño (1988), Pied Piper (1991), and Northstar (1992). And this is a Justice League book. AND IT'S 1992. When Hugh talks about things being hateful for gays, he's likely referring to the virulent homophobia in Tasmania at the time (homosexuality wouldn't be decriminalized there for another five years).

Which means it was also a big deal that Hugh went on to join the European branch of the Justice League shortly after this, making him the first canonically queer member of any branch of the League. Of course, his sexuality was never mentioned during the year and a half he was on the team...or in any comic...until 2006. And then it was a vaguely homophobic joke involving Hal Jordan. But still!

(There is a panel that I SWEAR exists from the JLI era of Hugh describing a total bullshit version of his origin which granted him "the power of 106 Tasmanian devils!" which I cannot for the life of me find but was the first thing that made me fall in love with this character. If you stumble across it, please let me know what issue number it is?)

Hugh then had the misfortune of next appearing...sort of...in the infamously awful Cry for Justice in 2009. I say sort of because it's revealed that the villain, Prometheus, has skinned him and turned him into a rug. So we only see his skin. The late 2000s were really, really rough, guys.

However, a year later he appeared in the Starman/Congorilla special and he was totally fine? Don't ask me how. Gorillas were involved. The issue ended with the possibility of him and Starman (the Mikaal Tomas version) hooking up, but then the New 52 happened, so that never came to anything.

...BUT WHO CARES, BECAUSE NOW HE'S MARRIED TO GREGORIO AND THEY HAVE A DAUGHTER AND THEY ARE IN LOVE.

The nickname! The clutching! I'm dying.

Did I mention the canon threesome with John Constantine?

HUGH LOVES HIS RIDICULOUS HUSBAND SO MUCH. Tragically the JLQ only showed up in these two stories but all the baby queer superheroes in the DCU call Gregorio "Tio" and it makes me want to weep. HE WAS ALL ALONE IN 1988 AND NOW HE HAS A FAMILY. I AM VERKLEMPT. 😭😭😭

Unfortunately Gregorio and Hugh are pretty much relegated to occasionally appearing in Pride specials these days, but maybe if we all wish really hard, DC will let Steve Orlando or Andrew Wheeler write a miniseries about how they met and fell in love. I think Nick Robles should draw it.

ANYWAY I LOVE THESE HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT HUSBANDS, THE END.

[cal-1maf]

Painted up this Eris in my custom merc scheme: Vanguard PMC. They're named and styled after a 1982 Chevrolet Trans Van that used to park in my old neighborhood lol.

They bear the livery of the Lone Wolves, which is a canon merc unit formed from smaller mercenary commands. They operate like a coop which allows them to take larger contracts together. A great place to slot in an OC or two.

[war-is-bad-girls]

\bang bang/ by @agata_3z

source

Caption: Arms Folded Temporary Contract Side Big Favorite Bride Vanguard Caption: Gundam Co., Ltd. CEO Miorine Rembran

[crow-posting]

more

Awoken Headcanons

note: this is mostly based on my own audacity rather than actual lore. 🤫

-

Earthborn and Awoken Guardians are like the book versions of LotR elves, while Reefborn are like the movie versions. They're actually similar, but to outsiders, Earthborn are friendly and full of life while Reefborn are aloof and elegant like their queen. This perception, though frustrating to people like Petra, generally works in Mara's favor so she allows it to continue.

Awoken Speech sounds more like creole than a separate language. This is due to the multitude of languages spoken aboard the Yang Liwei, which then carried over into the dialects in the Distributary. Although some argue Speech is a mixed language rather than creole, consensus from both the Gensym Scribes and Last City's Cryptarchy has not yet been reached.

Portmanteau examples:

daatma (ดาว/"dāw" + आत्मा/"ātman"): Awoken [older gen]

tulatma (tulay + आत्मा/"ātman"): Awoken [younger gen]

luxïn (luz + 星/"xīng"): starlight

noyam (noyer + يوم/"yawm"): Darkness

Traditional Awoken names usually sound "soft," with palatalized consonants and several vowels. The most common ending letters are "A" (Mara, Petra, Amrita) and "N" (Uldren, Jolyon, Nasan), while the most uncommon letter is "K" (Tulnik).

Most Reefborn are highly superstitious, due to the environment they grew up in. However they don't consider themselves superstitious, as it is only "practical" to refer to The Dreaming using epithets instead of names, or to look for omens in dreams, or to treat water and reflections as near-sacred, and so on.

Promises and vows / oaths are generally a life-long ordeal for Awoken, especially for Reefborn and especially if they are made to Mara. This is partly influenced by the post-Distributary riots, partly influenced by contracts with Ahamkara, and partly influenced by Mara's own charisma, which has created an almost religious devotion* amongst her followers.

*(Embarrassingly, when Calus sought to imitate this sense of devotion to lure Awoken Guardians to the Menagerie, he was partially successful.)

Balance is an important part of Awoken culture. Past and future and life and death are strongly emphasized by Reefborn, while Earthborn have integrated Old Earth philosophies like yin-yang and wabi-sabi. While Awoken Guardians tend to be less ardent about balance and/or a desire for it, there are noticeably less Awoken within the Praxic Order than in other Vanguard-affiliated organizations.

The Awoken don't believe in a physical afterlife, only the Unreal. This makes the existence of Awoken Guardians egregious to other Awoken, as they do not "return" from death, but rather "take form" of people who no longer exist. Even so, Guardians (or "Noble Dead") are still treated with respect - out of love for the ones they look like, and fear of the entities they are.

(Awoken don't believe in reincarnation either, as The Awakening is considered an "extraordinary" circumstance.)

Contrary to popular belief, male Awoken aren't ostracized in Reefborn society, and they aren't considered second-class citizens either. Even so, due to the 70/30 split [which has persisted since the Distributary], it is rare to see male Reefborn in high-level positions or as Techeuns. The perceived lack of opportunity has led to an increase in Reefborn emigrants in recent years, especially after the Battle of Saturn.

Due to the loss of resources and difficulties of growing food in the Reef, Reefborn dishes are "bland" compared to Earthborn ones. The most common seasonings are salt, cold-hardy herbs like mint, and corasteri (a star-shaped culinary variant of asphodelia). However, Reefborn food is both warming and filling, which is suited to a life in deep space.

The Dreaming City is surprisingly bare in terms of flora and fauna. Aside from pink asphodelia, queensfoil, baryon bough and memorial trees - most of which are cultivated - there are very few plants to be found. Spectral butterflies and non-native jewel bugs can be found in gardens and lost sectors, and starcats have free rein of the buildings, but there is no urban wildlife like in the Last City and Earth's metropolitan ruins. The vibrance is an illusion; it is as empty as the Reef's biodomes.

Earthborn do not live as long as their Reefborn counterparts; higher oxygen levels, increased gravity, and larger amounts of pollution make life more difficult for people adapted to space. Ironically, this is the inverse issue the Awoken faced when leaving the Distributary.

Awoken anatomy is uncanny if you look closely enough. Most traits fall within expectations (eg resistance to radiation, increased reaction time) but adaptations like tapetum lucidum can still startle people who aren't used to seeing them. Experimental traits, which are common in later-generation Reefborn, make some seem entirely inhuman. And the ability to track Guardians by their Light will never not be creepy.

Experimental traits include but aren't limited to: pointed ears; nictitating membranes (i.e. "third eyelids"); and genital slits [for Awoken specifically created for deep space missions].

Due to a history of bio-engineering, cybernetic augments are seen as unnecessary and rarely utilized outside of eutechs, and later, Techeuns. Fully robotic components, such as exo frames, are practically unheard of and often met with pity or revulsion.

The 891 are forbidden from seeking information about their lives from The Time Before (aka pre-Collapse lives), as it is considered a "distraction" from Mara's plan. Descendant Awoken are also discouraged from pursuing such info unless it is considered pertinent to their mission.

Queenslaw has been partially lifted in the Reef, due to the influx of Guardians after the Battle of Saturn. Many things once considered illegal or taboo are now acceptable, and some things are even encouraged. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with these "sudden" changes and it has done little to reduce tensions between factions, most notably the Gensym Scribes and the Last City's Cryptarchy.

-

Reefborn sobriquets often refer to relationships (Uldren "Queensbrother," Taranis "Rivensmate," Petra "Covensdaughter"). Earthborn nicknames are often more individualized but still invoke a sense of interconnectedness (eg "Swornsister" Takara, Avraam "Firstborn").

Although the Awoken are known for their music (for ceremonies, parties, mourning, etc.) Earth-derived music seems just as violent to them as the Guardians who enjoy it. Knowing this, RZ-3 intentionally made a playlist to "scare" Petra on missions, and has successfully startled several Corsairs by belting out the lyrics to "Teenagers" while doing patrols.

-

[official grimoire / lore books: The Maraid (D1); Marasenna, The Awoken of the Reef, The Dreaming City (D2, general); The Forsaken Prince, A Tangled Web, Ripples (D2, Uldren/Crow), Ecdysis (D2, the Emissary)]

[specific lore that Tickles My Brain: "Holdfast Bond," "The Supremacy", "Third Gift"; "Crow's Best Night"]

-

[see also: "Things I Think About: Awoken Edition"; "Awoken Phrases & Exclamations"; "Last City Lingo"; timeline in the Distributary; Awoken amethyst]

[m1d-45]

liyue, nation of contracts

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

< masterlist hub >

beyond mortality — baizhu

‘Even though I'm the doctor, I've still had to trouble you with my health. How shameful... But don't worry. From this day on, I will take care of you.’

⏵ second chances

⏵ doctor's orders

leonine vanguard — ga ming

‘If I can guard shipments, I can guard people. Since you seem to trust me, how 'bout I be your bodyguard from now on?‘

⏵ vanguard’s fortune

vigilant yaksha — xiao

‘I deal in death. If you cannot bring yourself to kill — speak my name.’

⏵ repentance

⏵ burden to bear

⏵ bird xiao things! (split links)

—⏵ and again, and fanart, and again, and again, and fanart, and fanart, and again

⏵ he who is without sin

—⏵ once more, and again, and again, and again, and again, and fanart, and again, and fanart, and fanart

⏵pari!reader tag (ft albedo)

vago mundo — zhongli

‘The market is closed and the port has settled. Go get some rest.’

⏵ sagau!zhongli

⏵ a dragon’s gems

⏵ to dream of the divine

⏵ adorned

⏵ the pain of rapture

< masterlist hub >

thank you for reading !

[on-wine-dark-seas]

The Godslayer Project

"War is the province of man; and survival the province of women."

🪧 Summary: A year after Sukuna's defeat, Sundari is adjusting to life as an instructor at Jujutsu Tech, as well as integrating into jujutsu society. However, not all are in favor of Sukuna's daughter being one of their own. When sorcerers begin to go missing, Sundari learns that not all of Kenjaku's secrets died with him. 💋 Pairing[s]: Satoru x Sundari [🧿👹] 🔞 Rating: Explicit ⚠️️ Warning[s]: Graphic depictions of canon typical violence; torture; explicit sexual situations; recreational substance use. ⚠️️ Be Advised: This is the direct sequel to Daughter of Disgrace, so it is advisable that you read that fic before you read this one.

⛩️ AO3 𑁍 Parallax OCs 𑁍 Sonder OCs ⛩️

⚛ I. Concordia Salus

CONCORDIA SALUS, “PROJECT EDEN” FACILITY

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

     The rain fell hard enough to sting, cold and biting, with no promises to relent as the convoy swayed and lumbered through the winding mountain road taking them deep into the fragrant heart of the conifer forest that blanketed the slopes almost near to the peak. Alexander had ceased to look out of his heavily tinted window hours ago, resigned that he would see nothing that would give him a clue as to where he was and where he was headed, and confident that even if he could see that he had no knowledge on how to designate his location from nature alone.

So, he’d been content to idly scroll his phone, chewing on a wad of gum that had long since lost its sweetness, and gritting his teeth in annoyance as his phone signal flickered out, leaving him to idly switch between applications, seeking something to keep his attention while his mind fair buzzed with possibilities. Around the same time, his battery flashed a warning. He’d need to charge it soon but with no service this high up in heavens-knew-where, he didn’t see the point and instead tried to find some other way to focus his unquiet mind.

     Six months ago, Alexander had been brewing his morning coffee in his cramped kitchen when he’d seen the sleek, black sedans pull up, windows tinted far beyond what he knew to be the legal limit, and sporting government plates. At first, he thought it was a hallucination; maybe they weren’t here for him, maybe the neighbors had done something. As if on cue, the doors opened and several individuals in bespoke suits were marching up the walkway to darken his front porch. Alexander had kept stirring his coffee while the doorbell wheezed, stuttering out its alert before fizzling to static. It was only when the knocking began that Alexander shuffled into motion, setting his coffee on the counter to answer the front door. He did his best to look calm but only slightly surprised and hoped his mouth could shape a friendly smile before these official-looking agents caught on and he was found guilty of whatever crime they no doubt suspected he committed.

     As it turned out, those bespoke-suited agents were just the vanguard for the real power behind the tinted window: Helena Grinspoon, the CEO of Concordia Salus, a research company that specialized in a wide array of studies—including a hefty hand in the pot of pharmaceuticals—and had built its empire on providing research technology of the bleeding edge variety. Alexander had been relieved that it had not been the FBI or Homeland Security on his doorstep, but no less flustered that he’d been scouted by such a powerful company.

     He hadn’t minded letting his coffee get cold over that encounter.

     Now, months later, he was finally to embark on the mysterious offer and contract with the company. The meeting with Helena had been done entirely via phone, while he sat in the back of a Phantom, enjoying chilled champagne and strawberries fresh on ice. She hadn’t given him any specific details, only that the discovery Concordia Salus made in their never-ending quest for knowledge was likely the most important in human history. Alexander had been polite enough not to scoff at such a claim and had instead let Helena explain what his role would be.

     Tonight, as the convoy rumbled to a stop before a high gate manned by armed guards sporting night vision goggles, Alexander would finally know what warranted a non-disclosure agreement. The financial incentive had been enough to make him choke on a chilled strawberry, forfeiting his advantage of looking only mildly interested. There had been enough zeroes to wipe out his student debt by a significant amount.

     One of the guards spoke to the driver in the car ahead of him, and with a single hand signal, the gate slid open. The convoy pushed ahead into the facility. Much like he had with much of the ride, Alexander did not bother trying to make out much of the campus and instead sighed with relief and anticipation that he would finally be able to see what had merited a meeting with Helena Grinspoon herself.

     The convoy parked in the hangar-sized loading area, and Alexander found himself suddenly assaulted by garish light as his door was opened and he stepped out. The air had the acrid scent of chemically treated wood and new concrete. It was as if the facility were some sanitized bubble nestled in the heart of the natural world. He couldn’t even smell the rain.

     “Dr. Rickman, I’m glad to finally see you here face to face,” a rich voice, enough to send a prickle along the nape of his neck. He turned to stare into the flinty blue eyes of the most unnerving looking woman he’d seen by far, her mouth quirked in a smile that was somehow hard and brittle, as if it were a foreign notion to her.

     “Come,” she said, “I’m sure you have questions, and there’s much to explain.”

     Alexander followed, kept at arm’s length behind her by the hard-looking bodyguards hovering on either side of her. He adjusted his bag, taking note of the fact that they were actually in a hangar bay, but he saw no vehicles that flew.

     “Concordia Salus has spent a lot of time and money investing in this facility,” Helena said as they entered an elevator, “but I believe you’ll find the reasons why make it all worthwhile.” She turned just so, glancing at him with idle curiosity. The smile was gone from her mouth, leaving only the steel of a powerful woman in its wake.

     “How much do you know about what we do, Doctor?”

     Alexander pushed forward, rushing to catch up with Helena’s brisk gait. Somehow, he felt he did not belong here, amidst armed guards and a sharply dressed businesswoman. He went over his list of qualities and skills, trying to understand what Concordia Salus—a company that specialized mostly in robotics—would need with a paleoanthropologist. He blinked, adjusting his glasses.

     “I know you’re foremost in robotics research; you took the danger out of exploring the ocean when yo—” Alexander realized that the place had gone eerily silent. Helena’s cold and pitiless gaze twinkled with what might have been amusement, but he felt more like he was being sized up by a praying mantis more than anything.

     “I’m aware of what our website says, Dr. Rickman,” she said with a raised brow, then turned on her heel to keep walking. She led him through a series of corridors, until he wasn’t sure just how deep into the facility they’d gone. The airy noise of the hangar wasn’t even a distant hum at this juncture. Helena came to another elevator, this one biometrically locked. He watched Helena stand in front of a clear panel, saw the flicker of blue lasers over her face before they flashed green, and the elevator doors opened. As they piled into the lift, the doors closed and suddenly Alexander was aware that the silence of before had been nothing compared to this.

     “A lot of security for a scientific research facility,” he said with a stuttering chuckle. No one else joined him. “Expecting your competitors to storm the gates to rob you of...whatever it is you’re researching?”

     “Yes.” Helena said, her voice like cool water, her expression neutral. “Not only do I expect my competitors to come for what I have, I expect them to do so with all the resources at their disposal. There is a reason our background check on you was so extensive, Dr. Rickman. Believe me, I’d never have brought you within 600 kilometers of this place if I suspected treachery.”

     Alexander smiled. Helena did not. Again, he found it difficult to hold her gaze in its unnerving intensity.

     “VOICE IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR TRANSPORT.” A robotic voice chimed over the speakers. For a moment, Alexander thought that one of the guards had spoken, but he glanced around. The inside of the lift was pristine and stainless steel, and whatever sound system was being used, was as crisp and clear as if it were live.

     “War is the province of man,” Helena said in clear tones, and then turned her gaze to Alexander, smirking almost conspiratorially, “and survival the province of women.”

     “ACCESS GRANTED: WELCOME, HELENA GRINSPOON,” the AI responded politely, and Alexander felt a slight lurch as the elevator slid into motion. They were going down from the feel of it, and quickly. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of the facility from the outside, but he understood now that it had to be massive, carved deep into the heart of the mountain like some modern fortress. The lift coasted downward at an even glide for some time before slowing.

     “Most of our research is done in our urban headquarters around the world,” Helena explained, “pharmaceuticals, mostly, and some of our more paper-heavy genetic research. But we save the more exciting research for isolated sites like this one. Mostly due to safety, but always for security.” The doors slid open smoothly and Helena continued the tour down a bright and pristine hallway. Alexander swallowed.

     “So, I guess I can ask why you’d need someone in my field for your super isolated clandestine research,” he said wryly, “unless you need a dead language translated or a history of prehistoric man, then…”

     Helena gave one of her cold and amused smiles.

     ��As it so happens, you are exactly who I am looking for,” she said and led him to what he hoped was the final door of the journey. “What you know of mankind before its recorded history is quite vital to the outcome of this project.” At that, Alexander began to feel he was either being set up or he had not read the terms and conditions of all his paperwork clearly. Helena seemed genuinely amused, the corner of her mouth lifting up in a smirk that could almost have been a sneer if her face didn’t look like it was meticulously sculpted to never wrinkle. Alexander got the feeling he was not as important as Helena said he was, and that any misstep would force her to prove that. So, he nodded.

     “I’m honored,” he said softly, “but Ms. Grinspoon, you’ve got to throw me a line here. What is this project you keep hinting at? Why the armed fortress?” He hadn’t meant to sound so frantic, like a confused child with no understanding of the how and why of things, only the demand to know. Helena’s expression never changed, and she seemed content to wait out his burgeoning apprehension before she inclined her head with a subtle tilt of her chin. Alexander sucked in a startled breath as her personal guards dismissed themselves. Behind the door, answers waited, but Alexander waited for Helena to react.

     “Are you familiar with the Genesis myth?” She asked. Alexander nodded wordlessly, restraining the urge to expound upon just how much of it he’d studied in relation to his own research over the years. Helena placed her hand on the door.

     “Behind this door, Dr. Rickman is proof that this myth is real.”

     That got Alexander’s interest, and he watched as Helena stood in front of the small screen, saw the flicker of a laser as she endured a brief retinal scan, and then there was a hiss, and the heavy armored doors began to part like a vault.

     And a vault it was, for what Alexander saw was etched forever in his memory after that day.

© 2025 Hajara Asiri. Do NOT copy, translate, plagiarize, repost anywhere without permission [reblogging posts is okay]. This includes copying my masterlist format or feeding ANY of my writing to the uninspired AI garbage machines. I only upload on Tumblr and AO3. Header, footers, and dividers by me.

☕️ Member of the @pixelcafe-network.

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Red Fountain Curriculum

(WIP)

Vanguard School of Combat

Departments

Military History and Strategy Department

Ancient Battles and Warfare Tactics: Study of pivotal historical battles and their strategic significance. Analysis of strategies employed by renowned military leaders.

Modern Warfare: Strategies and Evolutions: Exploration of modern warfare tactics, including guerrilla warfare and asymmetric conflicts. Case studies on recent military operations.

Tactical Combat Department

Close-Quarters Combat Techniques: Training in hand-to-hand combat, grappling, and defensive tactics. Practical sessions and sparring exercises.

Weapon Proficiency and Maintenance: Mastery and maintenance of various combat weapons. Workshops on weapon crafting and enhancements.

Survival Tactics and Freelance Operations Department

Adaptability in Challenging Environments: Training in survival skills in diverse environments (wilderness, urban, etc.).Field exercises emphasizing adaptability and resourcefulness.

Freelance Combat Strategies: Understanding the dynamics and strategies of freelance operations. Scenario-based simulations for independent contracting roles.

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous: Identification and study of magical flora, focusing on their potential uses, properties, and dangers. Practical sessions on harvesting and utilizing beneficial magical plants and avoiding hazardous ones.

Navigating Independent Contracting Roles: Exploration of various independent contracting roles such as guild work, solo contracts, and team-based contracts. Case studies and simulations to understand the dynamics and responsibilities of each role.

Combat Psychology and Ethical Warfare Department

Psychological Aspects of Combat: Study of the psychological impacts in combat situations. Methods to handle stress, fear, and decision-making under pressure.

Ethical Decision-Making in Warfare: Ethical considerations and dilemmas in combat scenarios. Debates and discussions on moral choices in warfare.

Field Operations and Simulation Department

Practical Combat Scenarios: Simulation exercises mimicking real combat situations. Team-based scenarios testing strategy, communication, and leadership.

Medical Training and Combat First Aid: Training in providing first aid and medical assistance in combat situations. Simulated medical emergencies and treatments.

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments: Practical training in navigation using magical and conventional tools in varied environments. Simulated exercises in finding paths, mapping territories, and using magical navigation aids.

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel: Understanding navigation in different dimensions and planes, including dimensional gateways and portals. Simulation exercises involving navigation across multiple dimensions.

Strategic Leadership and Organization Department

Leadership Development in Combat Scenarios: Training in command structures, leadership roles, and decision-making. Practical leadership exercises in simulated combat scenarios.

Organizational Tactics and Logistics: Understanding logistics in combat, resource management, and operational planning. Case studies on effective and failed logistical operations.

Arcane School of Magic

Departments

Magical Theory and History Department

History of Magical Practices: Exploration of magical practices across civilizations and historical eras. Analysis of influential magical theorists and their contributions.

Theoretical Foundations of Magic: Study of magical principles, laws, and universal magical theories. Discussions on the nature and essence of magic

Spellcraft Department

Fundamentals of Spellcasting: Practical instruction in basic spellcasting techniques. Practice sessions focusing on accuracy and incantation.

Advanced Spellcasting and Rituals: Mastery of complex spell structures and ceremonial magic. Practical applications in controlled environments.

Alchemy and Potionology Department

Alchemy Principles and Applications: Understanding alchemical principles, transmutation, and elemental correspondences. Practical experimentation with basic alchemical processes.

Potion Brewing and Elixir Crafting: Hands-on brewing of magical potions and elixirs. Studying potion ingredients and their magical properties.

Magical Artifacts Department

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts: Study of various magical artifacts, their origins, and functionalities. Analytical methods for artifact identification and assessment.

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts: Practical workshops on crafting and enchanting magical artifacts. Collaborative projects to design and create enchanted items.

Mystical Creatures Department

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures: Observational studies on magical creature behavior and habitats. Ethical considerations in studying and interacting with mystical creatures.

Conservation and Care of Magical Species: Methods for ethical conservation, preservation, and sustainable habitats for magical creatures. Hands-on experiences in caring for and understanding mystical creatures.

Taming and Riding of Magical Beasts: Mastery of riding and taming diverse mystical creatures. Developing rapport and control for combat and strategic advantages.

Advanced Biology and Magic of Mystical Creatures: Study of the biological traits, magical attributes, and habitats of various mystical creatures. Examination of how magic interacts with their physiology and behavior.

TechForge School of Engineering

Departments

Techno-Magic Integration and Programming

Introduction to Techno-Magic Fusion: Overview of the principles behind merging technology and magic. Exploring historical examples and contemporary advancements.

Enchanting Technologies: Understanding enchantment methods for technological applications. Practical workshops on infusing technology with magical enhancements.

Properties of Magic Metals and Alloys: Study of magical properties in various materials and alloys used in techno-magical engineering. Analysis of how different materials interact with magical enhancements.

Programming in Magical Systems: Understanding programming languages and coding specific to magical systems and technological interfaces. Hands-on coding exercises for techno-magical devices.

Aerospace Engineering and Dimensional Travel

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics: Principles of flight, airfoil design, and aircraft stability. Hands-on experiments and simulations.

Spacecraft Design and Orbital Mechanics: Design considerations for spacecraft and understanding orbital mechanics. Projects involving simulated space missions.

Advanced Aerodynamics and Interdimensional Travel: In-depth study of aerodynamic principles and their application in interdimensional and cross-dimensional travel. Theoretical discussions and simulations on dimensional travel theories.

Maintenance and Upkeep of Advanced Aircrafts: Techniques and best practices for maintaining futuristic aircraft and spacecraft. Practical sessions on diagnosing and solving maintenance issues.

Vehicle Engineering and Transportation Infrastructure

Automotive Design and Innovation: Study of vehicle dynamics, design principles, and automotive innovation. Design projects for advanced vehicle concepts.

Advanced Transportation Systems Applications: Examination of futuristic transportation systems. Prototyping and development of next-gen transportation solutions.

Interdimensional Transportation Infrastructure: Understanding the civil engineering aspects of futuristic transportation systems. Design considerations and planning for advanced transportation networks.

Maintenance and Optimization of Techno-Magic Vehicles: Techniques for maintenance and optimization of advanced futuristic vehicles. Real-world case studies on improving vehicle efficiency.

Techno-Magic Artifacts & Tools

Construction Techniques and Enchantments: Advanced methods for constructing and enchanting techno-magic artifacts. Experimentation with different enchantment techniques for varying effects.

Practical Workshop: Magical Device Design: Hands-on sessions for students to design simple magical devices. Collaborative projects incorporating magical enchantments into technological devices.

Experimental Prototyping and Testing: Hands-on experimentation and testing of innovative techno-magic concepts. Collaborative projects to prototype and test new techno-magic innovations.

Application and Deployment of Techno-Magic Artifacts: Practical application scenarios for tools and artifacts in various settings. Simulated exercises demonstrating the use of constructed techno-magic tools.

Techno-Magic Innovation & Development

Emerging Technologies in Techno-Magic Fusion: Exploring cutting-edge developments in merging technology and magic. Discussions on potential future advancements.

Ethical Considerations in Techno-Magic Integration: Discussions on the ethical implications of merging technology with magic. Case studies and debates on responsible use of techno-magic fusion.

Research Methodologies in Techno-Magic Fusion: Techniques and approaches to conducting research in techno-magic integration. Project-based learning on innovative research methodologies.

Techno-Magic Weaponry Design

Advanced Weaponry Prototyping: Designing and prototyping technologically enhanced magical weapons. Emphasis on both combat effectiveness and safety measures.

Tactical Strategies for Techno-Magic Combat: Integrating combat psychology with the design and usage of techno-magic weaponry. Simulated scenarios testing weaponry and strategy effectiveness.

Theoretical and Practical Weaponry Applications: Advanced theories and practical applications in creating combat-focused techno-magic weaponry. Simulated combat scenarios to test and refine weaponry designs.

Required Classes

Required Classes for Students of Vanguard

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures

Taming and Riding of Magical Beast

Practical Combat Scenarios

Medical Training and Combat First Aid

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel

Weapon Proficiency and Maintenance

Close-Quarters Combat Techniques

Organizational Tactics and Logistics

Ancient Battles and Warfare Tactics

Modern Warfare: Strategies and Evolutions

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Ethical Decision-Making in Warfare

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous

Required Classes for Students of Arcane

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts

History of Magical Practices

Fundamentals of Spellcasting

Alchemy Principles and Applications

Potion Brewing and Elixir Crafting

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts

Creation and Enchantment of Artifact

Ethics and Magic

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

Required Classes for Students of TechForge

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Properties of Magic Metals and Alloys

Programming in Magical Systems

Enchanting Technologies

Introduction to Techno-Magic Fusion

Advanced Aerodynamics and Interdimensional Travel

Experimental Prototyping and Testing

Ethical Considerations in Techno-Magic Integration

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel

Construction Techniques and Enchantments

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

__________________________

Winx Rewrite Master Post

Red Fountain Polytechnic

___________________________

If you went to Red Fountain what would you specialize in and/or what classes would interest you the most?

[lbulldesigns]

BREAKING NEWS: NOXIAN ATTACK WITHIN DEMACIA!

An attack at Demacias Grand Plaza Station took place at 11:30 AM this morning, the main culprits are a Noxian Fire Mage estimated to be around six years of age, and an unknown assailant who at this point in time is suspected to also be a Noxian agent, the second attacker is unidentifiable at this time what is known about them is that they are a presumed young woman, with long orange hair tied up in a single braid. She is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and is armed with explosives and a firearm; both suspects are at large and presumed highly dangerous.

Captain Garen Crownsguard is leading the search for the attackers and has asked that civilians stay indoors and call the Mageseekers and City Guard if they see anyone suspicious, he also asks that if anyone comes across anyone fitting the assailants' descriptions to stay away and await assistance; the Mageseekers have also implored civilians to not be swayed by the fire mages young appearance, she is confirmed to be out of control of her magic and is suspected to have a contract with a Shadow Bear (a Noxian borne demon).

With the presence of a Noxian mage here in Demacia, the Vanguard are being issued to secure Demacias borders from any further infiltration from Noxius, King Jarvan IV has promised that all threats, internal and external, will be dealt with and has vowed to keep the people of Demacia safe and that the attackers today will be dealt with swiftly.

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e87

We open on the Bells Hells traversing through the storms on foot, with Kraveris in sight through the cleft valley of a mountain. There's one travel roll left, and they roll another, more severe storm.

As the storm abates, there's another flare -- it feels the same, but every Ruidusborn gets 15 temporary hitpoints (does not stack with the flares from before, as with normal temp hp).

FCG casts sending on Ira (twice), and it's like there's a haze between them and the Changebringer so it takes more effort than normal to cast the spell, and the spell itself takes longer to find its destination, but it does work. "Bells Hells here, on the moon with you. We've got information and treasure. And plans. So many plans. Laudna says hi. Where can we find you?" // "Oh, my. You've finally come along! Welcome to the crimson land of the strange and beautiful. I've been busy watching, learning." // "In relation to Kraveris, where might we find you? Please be specific and brief so that we may speak more in person. Laudna still says hi." // "But where's the fun in that? I'm very interested to talk, but I want to see how interested you are in finding me."

They decide to try to connect with the Volition to get access to the city. Imogen tries a sending to Vesh. "You didn't trust us before. Maybe the dispatching of Admuda will convince you. We need to find the Volition. We're here to help. Outside Kraveris." // "Look. If you must talk, find me in the Jagged Edge, within the Clutch. Tell Jodot that you are of the Vanguard, and looking for a contract."

Then, they head to one of the outposts that stands outside the walls of the city itself.

Fearne notes that she could potentially look like a reiloran because she's been practicing her magic, and they work out that because the reiloran's low-level telepathy doesn't give a direction if the creature is unknown, they can do a bit of telepathic ventriloquism to make it seem like she's actually talking.

That brings up a good point though: couldn't they polymorph into reilorans? The ones they've encountered have been of varying class levels, so some of them have had to be lower than level/CR 11, and it's not like PCs haven't polymorphed into other humanoid creatures before.

As they approach the outpost, they see another figure that they haven't seen before: eight feet tall, clad in leather armor, with furred legs almost like a sasquatch. Fearne disguises herself as a reiloran, and Imogen speaks through her: "New recruits for the Vanguard. Our caravan broke down, and yours was the nearest outpost."

This figure has a deep voice, southern accent, and isn't sure why they'd bring recruits here -- it seems like there are fewer reilorans and more armed (possibly drafted) civilians manning the outpost. But they let them through, their ruse works for now.

The tower, though pretty tall, is also empty except for motion-sensitive lanterns and some barebones provisions.

While FCG ritual casts telepathic bond, Ashton and Laudna go up to the top of the tower. There are crenulated parapets here, fit to take cover behind or put a spyglass through; one of the guards, another of the sasquatch-type people, actually has an Exandrian firearm, and the other is a bormodo with a spyglass.

Chetney learns that the name of the outpost is Tyran A.

While Laudna scouts with Pate, Ashton trades questions with the bormodo. They ask what strawberries, apples, and blueberries taste like. Ashton gets the name of a bar, and learns that the Clutch is an outer ward of the city.

With Pate, Laudna sees something carved into the earth, and a protrusion that looks almost like a warhorn (which indicates that telepathy is more of a short-ranged thing, and they need actual sound to project over long distances). In the city, for as refined as she would've expected, it appears that the surface has been eroded away, dilapidated; the fine details and sharp edges have been worn down, there are no bustling throughfares, and it reminds her of Bassuras. (Almost like the majority of the city's infrastructure and populace is below-ground.)

Orym gathers some information about the "Attrition" (I'm assuming he purposefully mispronounced "Volition," but I dunno if I missed something) -- they can come from anywhere, they can be anyone, "it's just kind of a gut feeling... if you hear something loud and dangerous, you run." The sasquatch-guy points out a ruin that was once an outpost.

The two reiloran guards defer to Fearne because Imogen told them she's the Willmaster, and the facade almost cracks because of the latency between Fearne receiving their telepathy and Imogen talking back to them -- but Fearne just makes the deception check. The reilorans refer to "the Will" as if it's some kind of independent council or agency that hires and gives orders to the Willmaster, but this might also be their name for the Weave-mind.

Breaking news: Sam, after a whole-ass campaign playing a bard, learns how ritual spells work.

As they all gather at the base of the tower and prepare to head toward the city, Imogen puts the circlet back on.

They approach the walls of the city, having gone around the main gates, and find that there are homes and businesses clustered together like eggs on the surface-level. Laughter, and they see a group of children petting, grooming some kind of livestock.

Break time!

They descend onto the main street of a semi-subterranean village on the outskirts of Kraveris, and approach the two children: a reiloran and a bormodo -- Asha and Kolito, respectively. The reiloran is speaking with her actual voice, not telepathy.

They tell them that "the Clutch" is this entire section of the city, outside the walls where the buildings are clustered like eggs. They aren't allowed to go underground because they're "clutch-folk" -- their families aren't important enough to be allowed into the lower layers of the city.

All of the above-ground city is the Keluma-Kraveris, and the below-ground part is the Vatera-Kraveris. "The Crumbles" are the parts of the city where the upper layer has crumbled down into the lower layers, and it's a kind of wretched hive, "where the rough folk live."

They also take interest in Chetney -- "you're so small, but so old!" Also, Chetney continues to be fantastic with kids, which is hilarious to me -- they've never had toys before, only dreams of them, and Chetney makes them some.

Hold up-- Chetney says that the more he makes toys, the less special they get. Did he get Condensed Capitalism, The Feat from Nana Morri?

The guardian of these children comes around the corner, and looks afraid of the Bells Hells. There's a nervousness, a reticence, that belays the relationship that the people of the Clutch have with the Emperium. They say that the Emperium wants to put every resource toward "the coming move," implying that they would draft or otherwise steal away or use their small, seven-year-old children to support their war effort. They also point the Bells Hells to the Jagged Edge.

As they move through town, they see a mixture of the native people of Ruidus: bormodos, reilorans, and the gray-furred sasquatch-like people they saw at the outpost. The majority of them are civilians, thin, living rough, afraid. They scatter, and so do the Bells Hells -- but they botched the stealth roll. There's the sound of scratching on stone as two avadons (giant faceless moon wolves), saddled with reilorans on their backs, trudge through the street. Other figures walk behind it as it moves through, accompanying a wheeled container, heading from the entryway to the city toward the outside. One of the avadons sniffs out Fearne: "you're out in strange places, Vanguard... there have been a number of rising attacks against this city, we're on alert. What is your business? Answer my question, Exandrian. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Fearne fumbles her way through the conversation with some decent rolls, but Imogen -- without consulting the party, even though they have telepathic bond up -- takes it upon herself to collapse a building onto the reilorans and every surrounding civilian.

Fearne wildshapes into a tiny-ass fly and tries to get away, triggering an attack from the avadon, and we go into initiative!

They have two choices: either grab Fearne and run, which would let the enemies alert the city, or take everyone out so they can't raise the alarm. It sounds like they're going with the latter, but with some foresight to not cast fireball in the middle of a populated city.

Foregoing the collapsing building plan, Imogen just throws some stones at them, and everyone's engaged and seen at this point so there's no escaping this.

Ashton update: When Ashton deals a critical hit, attacks against that creature have advantage until the start of their next turn. Notably, the wording on this feature -- as Talisein read it -- specified "character," not "creature."

Laudna casts blight through Ashton's hammer, which -- after a spellcasting ability check based on the spell's level -- lets her split the spell and target 2 creatures instead of 1.

Orym update: One of the battle maneuvers he took was riposte.

FCG update: FCG's "toll the dead" is re-flavored to "scramble the dead," and he plays the modem dial-up sound when it happens.

The battle is over and everyone's alive, so they toss all the bodies into the portable hole so that no one else can talk to them later. "We're getting way too good at that -- let's run." Meanwhile, Imogen and Laudna use prestidigitation to get rid of the blood on the streets, and they investigate the cart: it has a 1ftx1ft heavy metal container, which also goes into the hole.

They see a witness in a window, and Laudna sends Pate to intimidate them -- they're an older civilian reilora, spooked. "'ey! You! You don't say a thing. No peeping! Shh. Don't worry; we're all friends here! Look, we even cleaned it up for you! It's a service we provide here. So, what did we learn?"

In the aftermath, they immediately head to the edge of the city. They just barely make a deception check to pass themselves off as people who belong; there are folks talking to each other, gathering -- it's a sense of a military occupying its own city, and it's been like this for a while now. In the Treshi scry ball, they see the faintest blip near the entrance to the city.

FCG casts locate creature on Jodot, and gets a ping within 1,000 feet -- they're far into the city, through this decaying Escher painting that is the surface-level, but they all follow the signal until they come to what appears to be some kind of mercantile district, where hovels, tents, and cabins give way to stained glass, magical lanterns, dyed cloths, and signposts. There are home decor shops, dye shops, gifts -- some have chimneys with smoke. But they eventually come to the outside of a massive kiln, with a structure built around the base of it with a sign carved like the memory of a handwriting. Inside is the clanging of metal, like a workshop.

Inside, it's very warm, and carries the smell of a kiln firing clay. There are all kinds of weapons here -- scimitars with obsidian edges, spears with shards of glass. There are also little knickknacks: models of wuccors, the glass rendition of a dancing reiloran. It's a unique mixture of artistry and weaponry, manned by a tall, rotund, male sasquatch-like creature with stark white hair and heavy goggles, chipping away at a tiny piece of something.

They have a nordic-type accent, I think. The Bells Hells use the key-phrase that Vesh gave them, and they roll insight to see if they're walking into a trap: with FCG's nat20 insight check, they see that the shopkeep is legit.

Jodot walks into a back room, and nearly 5 minutes later, a reiloran shrike emerges: she has dark green eyes with a scar like a C that curves from her eye to the edge of her mouth. As she enters, she's taller than any of them but with a natural hunch to her form. "So. You have my attention -- you said you needed a contract, yes? You wear, ah... deceptive attire. It shows promise. What is your business here in Kraveris? Do you need help smuggling things in, out? What do you want?"

Vesh is speaking with her mouth and voice, like the children from before. She lives among many people, and feels it's best that they all live at the same level. Ashton lays it all out: "We're here to figure out how to stop those who want to release the One Who Sleeps." Imogen clarifies that they're not here to stop reilorans from coming to Exandria, but Ludinus from enacting his plans.

They are not on the opposite side of this conflict from Vesh -- she's not part of the Volition, but she's a liaison between them, so she can show them where to find them. The Volition signals their current safehouse by a different color, and she pulls one from behind a curtain: a deep, royal purple, freshly-dyed. The safehouse is hard to find, so they'll need a vantage point: somewhere in the Banners, a district of the city. She gives them the name of an associate, who will let them through in exchange for wealth. He works at dusk, so they have a few hours, and Vesh can guide them there.

The weapons that used to be built here before the Emperium take-over channeled the lightning from Ruidian storms into attack power.

Stepping back to where she came, Vesh disappears, and Jodot emerges: he allows them to stay in his shop for a short time, so they can rest before heading out again. Chetney offers gold for a gold-plated scythe. Jodot takes the gold and slides it into the kiln, where it'll be melted down, because gold doesn't have much value here apart from being a rare material to work with.

Vesh lets them stay in the basement for an hour to recoup and take a short rest, but they have to be gone by the end of it. Meanwhile, Laudna asks how much the sculpture of the dancing reiloran is -- with a persuasion check, Vesh gives it to her, on the condition that if the Bells Hells are captured and the dancer found, Vesh will give them up.

In the basement of this workshop, they take short rest. Imogen re-attunes to the circlet, while Chetney and Orym investigate the box. The construction of it is familiar -- it's the same as the Cerberus Assembly boxes they procured from the Paragon's Call encampment, and there is a trapped magical lock on it.

Now that sending is working again, FCG wants to contact Frida, and they all wonder why it's suddenly working again. They look at the scry ball, and see that Otohan has moved closer to the center of the city.

They talk a bit about the disparity between classes here on Ruidus, and Imogen expresses that people here might be "better off if they could come to Exandria... they've never seen trees, or anything like that." Orym says that it's beautiful on Ruidus, too, but they want to see what the Dreamers see -- and Laudna recognizes that it's easier to sway those who have been stepped on when they're trying to rally a force against the oppressive Vanguard.

Ashton notes that it's too easy to make assumptions, so they're not exactly infiltrating but they aren't integrating either -- and Chetney, in stride, notes that it wouldn't be the worst thing if half of them got captured. (it would. it would indeed be a terrible thing if half of them got captured. all of them is one thing, but splitting up? disastrous.)

Halfway through this discussion about expendability, Imogen gets a message from Vesh: "wait. Don't move." A half-dozen footsteps sound above them, Laudna casts darkness on the basement, and all they have is the sound of footsteps and silence as we pick up next episode.

[feminist-space]

"Just weeks before the implosion of AllHere, an education technology company that had been showered with cash from venture capitalists and featured in glowing profiles by the business press, America’s second-largest school district was warned about problems with AllHere’s product.

As the eight-year-old startup rolled out Los Angeles Unified School District’s flashy new AI-driven chatbot — an animated sun named “Ed” that AllHere was hired to build for $6 million — a former company executive was sending emails to the district and others that Ed’s workings violated bedrock student data privacy principles.

Those emails were sent shortly before The 74 first reported last week that AllHere, with $12 million in investor capital, was in serious straits. A June 14 statement on the company’s website revealed a majority of its employees had been furloughed due to its “current financial position.” Company founder and CEO Joanna Smith-Griffin, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles district said, was no longer on the job.

Smith-Griffin and L.A. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho went on the road together this spring to unveil Ed at a series of high-profile ed tech conferences, with the schools chief dubbing it the nation’s first “personal assistant” for students and leaning hard into LAUSD’s place in the K-12 AI vanguard. He called Ed’s ability to know students “unprecedented in American public education” at the ASU+GSV conference in April.

Through an algorithm that analyzes troves of student information from multiple sources, the chatbot was designed to offer tailored responses to questions like “what grade does my child have in math?” The tool relies on vast amounts of students’ data, including their academic performance and special education accommodations, to function.

Meanwhile, Chris Whiteley, a former senior director of software engineering at AllHere who was laid off in April, had become a whistleblower. He told district officials, its independent inspector general’s office and state education officials that the tool processed student records in ways that likely ran afoul of L.A. Unified’s own data privacy rules and put sensitive information at risk of getting hacked. None of the agencies ever responded, Whiteley told The 74.

...

In order to provide individualized prompts on details like student attendance and demographics, the tool connects to several data sources, according to the contract, including Welligent, an online tool used to track students’ special education services. The document notes that Ed also interfaces with the Whole Child Integrated Data stored on Snowflake, a cloud storage company. Launched in 2019, the Whole Child platform serves as a central repository for LAUSD student data designed to streamline data analysis to help educators monitor students’ progress and personalize instruction.

Whiteley told officials the app included students’ personally identifiable information in all chatbot prompts, even in those where the data weren’t relevant. Prompts containing students’ personal information were also shared with other third-party companies unnecessarily, Whiteley alleges, and were processed on offshore servers. Seven out of eight Ed chatbot requests, he said, are sent to places like Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Australia and Canada.

Taken together, he argued the company’s practices ran afoul of data minimization principles, a standard cybersecurity practice that maintains that apps should collect and process the least amount of personal information necessary to accomplish a specific task. Playing fast and loose with the data, he said, unnecessarily exposed students’ information to potential cyberattacks and data breaches and, in cases where the data were processed overseas, could subject it to foreign governments’ data access and surveillance rules.

Chatbot source code that Whiteley shared with The 74 outlines how prompts are processed on foreign servers by a Microsoft AI service that integrates with ChatGPT. The LAUSD chatbot is directed to serve as a “friendly, concise customer support agent” that replies “using simple language a third grader could understand.” When querying the simple prompt “Hello,” the chatbot provided the student’s grades, progress toward graduation and other personal information.

AllHere’s critical flaw, Whiteley said, is that senior executives “didn’t understand how to protect data.”

...

Earlier in the month, a second threat actor known as Satanic Cloud claimed it had access to tens of thousands of L.A. students’ sensitive information and had posted it for sale on Breach Forums for $1,000. In 2022, the district was victim to a massive ransomware attack that exposed reams of sensitive data, including thousands of students’ psychological evaluations, to the dark web.

With AllHere’s fate uncertain, Whiteley blasted the company’s leadership and protocols.

“Personally identifiable information should be considered acid in a company and you should only touch it if you have to because acid is dangerous,” he told The 74. “The errors that were made were so egregious around PII, you should not be in education if you don’t think PII is acid.”

Read the full article here:

https://www.the74million.org/article/whistleblower-l-a-schools-chatbot-misused-student-data-as-tech-co-crumbled/

[darkeagleruins]

WOW: The Companies doing the North Carolina Hurricane Helene victim’s home inspections listed on the FEMA website are owned by Vanguard & BlackRock

So the same company that owns majority of the lithium mine in the area will be inspecting the victim’s properties they want.. what are the odds!

“They want to you don't want to pay attention to this one so who is going to inspect the homes that are damaged or gone in North Carolina well recently brought to me by the American thinker and my brother Mike you sent me the story

If you go to the FEMA contract page, you will notice if you search for home inspections, that two companies appear. One is Vanguard and the other one is WSP, who is a Canadian company that is mainly owned by the Canadian pension board. Almost, well, right at a little over 18 million shares represents 15% of its ownership

Now the other piece of the puzzle of who owns WSP is two companies that we well know. One of them being Vanguard. Oh by the way this is all speculation because it's truth right?

You only speculate because it's true.

The other company that owns it is Vanguard. They represent almost 3% of the ownership of WSP, right a little bit over 3 million shares that company.

And the other company is that good old company called BlackRock.”

[heretichromia]

Unit Evaluation - Gladiia

(And also the Abyssal Hunters as a whole.)

Gladiia became available once again today, this time permanently (through Record Restoration). There's a lot of buzz happening around her right now, so I feel like I should throw my hat in the ring.

Mostly because...I disagree with most of the takes I'm seeing.

Gladiia is a very good unit, if used in the right scenarios. I'm certainly biased, but I would encourage anyone who's interested in using her to build her. However, I need to stress that the hype surrounding her is overblown.

Compared to the premier units in this game, she is not by any stretch of the imagination broken. This is not a Młynar or Texas the Omertosa-level unit who'll instantly warp the way you play the game with her awesome might. Don't build her thinking you'll get an obscene powerhouse, especially if you don't have her best partner, Specter the Unchained.

Beneath the cut, I'll break down her strengths and weaknesses, and give you some tips on how to play with her. It gets a little long-winded, so I'll give you a TL;DR:

As a standalone unit, Gladiia's module elevated her from "incredibly mediocre outside of niche use cases" to "decent, but inferior to other 6* options for most players." As the lynchpin of the Abyssal Hunter squad, Gladiia offers you the opportunity to play with some reasonably powerful generalist units whose power largely lies in their mixture of solid damage and self-sufficient durability (with one noteworthy exception). Their power, however, is often overstated; they don't excel in either category, and in many cases are sidegrades or downgrades to other options.

I've also included small TL;DRs for each subsection, if you're just interested in my conclusions.

I don't have a ludicrous Risk 27 Abyssal Hunter CC clear to show to prove that I know what I'm talking about, but mid-risk CC (18-24ish, unsure with the new CC system since I wasn't a fan of Pinch Out and so didn't bother doing above 600) is generally the area of difficulty I like playing around with. Keep that in mind when I'm talking about these operators, so you can take my words with a grain of salt if your personal goals for using them are different!

—

Solo, Without Module

TL;DR: Gladiia has shift power that can't be replicated by any other unit, but without her module is a fragile, low-damage pseudo-Guard that isn't worth using for general content unless you're as stubborn as I am.

Before we talk about her ludicrously-hyped module, it's probably helpful to recall what Gladiia was like before her module came out.

Without her module, Gladiia is a fairly unimpressive unit outside of a very narrow set of use cases. Her power is largely concentrated in her pulling strength, and in those cases, she's completely invaluable:

Her S2's wide range and good shifting power (strength 2, the same as other shifters' S1 at M3) makes it a very flexible skill for things like shifter stalls. Her S3, as well, has some good niche shifting utility that can't be replicated by other operators (though note that the actual max risk clear used S2). Her S1 is also worth using in some situations, as it can store multiple charges, but it's by far the most niche skill in her arsenal.

The issue is that, if you're the average player, you'll almost never be taking advantage of that power. She's like Weedy: Queen in Contingency Contract, but most players will never be doing hard enough content to need to take advantage of the power she has at her disposal.

In terms of general use, she's...not very good by the standards of 6* lane-holders or crowd control units. She'll be a valuable roster addition for new players, acting as a pseudo-Guard. As she's cheap (13 DP), she might be good to shore up holes in struggling rosters.

She doesn't do a whole lot of damage. She's not particularly durable—in fact, she's only slightly less squishy than Pioneer Vanguards, and less durable than Bagpipe. Her cooldowns are relatively short, but her power on-skill isn't very impressive.

She's not useless. I, stubbornly, brought her to almost every map anyways. Her regen passive means she'll be able to handle waves of weak enemies by herself without the need to babysit her with a Medic. Her S3 provides some decent crowd control in terms of a single-target Bind and an AoE pull, though you'll need to get used to how it works to make good use of it. The issue is that she doesn't really do a lot compared to other 6* units, which is...what you'd generally expect from a welfare unit, unfortunately. If you lack lane-holders or cannot use more powerful sources of crowd control (e.g. Gnosis' Freeze), you'll still likely get good use out of her.

—

Solo, With Module

TL;DR: Gladiia's module fixes her fragility and helps her low damage output, but is not itself a magic bullet that'll make her a unit on-par with the stronger 6*s. She becomes a reasonably defensive crowd control-focused unit that can help hold weaker lanes.

Gladiia experienced the single most phenomenal upgrade a unit's ever gotten from a module. That much is undeniably true. Her module gave her pretty much everything she needed to become a solid generalist, and...she is!

The damage reduction and enhanced regen makes her reasonably bulky, but keep in mind that without it she's squishier than off-skill Bagpipe. Putting 30% damage reduction onto that fairly fragile frame isn't going to make her a tank, but while she won't be replacing your Defenders anytime soon, you don't need to worry much about her dying. Her damage increase is nice, too. If you don't have or want to use the other Abyssal Hunters, Gladiia with her module is perfectly fine on her own. She's still not a unit that I'd recommend over a dedicated 6* lane-holder for that role, but can be used to very good effect in conjunction with other units.

I personally prefer using her S3 for general content. It's a solid mixture of crowd control and pretty considerable arts damage on a short cooldown. Others tend to favor her S2 for lane-holding, and I've seen a few recommend putting Mastery points into that first. I've personally...never really been impressed with her S2's performance in these general cases, and only switch to it if I'm using her for pulling, or in specific scenarios where it'd be good in a particular map.

—

With Specter the Unchained

TL;DR: Gladiia is a great unit to support the already quite good Specter the Unchained, and both make each other a good deal more effective. There's a cute synergy between the timings of Gladiia's S3 and Specter's S2, as well.

Here's where I should talk about the unit I effectively always pair her with in some capacity. These two are a match made in heaven, and complement each other very well. If you don't have Specter Alter, then Gladiia is still a perfectly fine unit, but if you do, you'll notice a significant boost to their performance when you use them together.

First, Specter's own Abyssal Hunter faction buff helps considerably with Gladiia's survivability. At max level, even without Specter's Mod-Y, it'll get her to slightly over 3,000 HP. Coupled with her damage reduction and regen, this means she can withstand a good amount of punishment. The only thing holding her bulkiness back is her relatively low DEF, which does sometimes mean she melts faster than you'd think.

Second, Gladiia's module makes Specter Mod-Y (S3)...legitimately decent. She turns from an S2 machine into a more than competent lane-holder capable of tanking and dealing respectable damage to elites and bosses. Nearly 4,000 HP off-skill translates to over 10,000 on-skill, and her middling DEF is offset pretty heavily by Gladiia's staggering 30% damage reduction and over 350/s HP (on-skill) regen. As a bonus, with Specter's Mod-Y, Gladiia's skills have even shorter cooldowns, letting you spam whirlpools.

Third, Gladiia has very nice synergy with Specter's other skill—her most powerful and specialized one, which can't be replicated by Gavial Alter. There's the obvious synergy: Gladiia's damage reduction and regen means that Specter can survive more punishment between her skill cycles, keeping her cycling between periods of invulnerable onslaughts and AoE burn. The less obvious one comes in how well their skills are synced. Specter's skill timings are 20/20/20 at max investment. Twenty seconds off-skill, on-skill, and in her substitute. Gladiia's S3 lasts for 8 seconds, and then has a 35-second cooldown. This means that you can use Gladiia with Specter to consistently lock enemies in overlapping arts damage AoEs between cycles of Specter's blender. I like placing Gladiia 1-2 spaces behind Specter for these purposes.

—

Full Squad

TL;DR: The Abyssal Hunters as a full squad are fun, but do not necessarily or even often represent the strongest thing you can be doing with a selection of 4-5 units in your already limited squad.

...I don't think the Abyssal Hunters are that strong.

I feel a little crazy saying that, since the ubiquitous opinion that I always hear is that they're overpowered. It's everywhere on Twitter, on Tumblr, on Reddit. Even fucking Yii made a video calling them broken.

I really don't agree with that assessment. They're good. They're definitely very good. But in my playtime being stubborn about using the Abyssal Hunters as often as I can in the hardest content I can tackle, I've never really felt like they were the strongest thing I could be doing. When I'm stuck on a stage, I switch off of the Hunters so I can take it seriously. That's not the most objective analysis I can give, though, so...here goes.

The Abyssal Hunters kind of suck.

Individually. They kind of suck individually.

I don't think I need to convince anyone that Guard Skadi is a joke of a 6* by herself, and while Specter is great by 5* standards, she doesn't exactly hold a candle to the 6* lane-holder options when you're not abusing her invincibility. Andreana...

Andreana isn't real. I'm sorry. I wish she was. She's not.

The only one of them that's powerful—not just decent, but actually strong—as a standalone unit is Specter the Unchained.

It's not relevant to this analysis, but it is relevant to the general point of this post to point out that Specter the Unchained is a limited unit from a year ago that a majority of the people just newly picking up Gladiia won't ever have.

Gladiia, Specter the Unchained, and Specter can all be very specialized units who offer very strong roles in specific scenarios. But most of the time, if you're taking the full squad, they're not going to be used in those windows of power. At best, you usually just have Specter the Unchained using her blender optimally. They're just...Guards.

They all do the same thing. They're Guards. You place them in lanes, and they hit things. And none of them besides Specter the Unchained are even particularly good at that. Specter (5*) is great when you're using her to tank unsurvivable damage. She's not so great when you're just using her as a nun-flavored Mountain whose skill options are a reasonable DPS boost that stuns her for 10 seconds and fucking ATK Up γ.

And...yes. I get that stacking enough buffs onto a vanilla stick will eventually make the stick strong enough to break anything. The issue here is that the teamwide buffs are largely defensively-focused. There are some offensive parts of those buffs, but they're the ones with the strongest opportunity cost. They're—likely intentionally—found on the most individually mediocre members, Skadi and Andreana. Skadi feels great to bring when you're using her to 1v1 incredibly strong enemies, but when that's not a great option for the map you're bringing, she feels useless. The worst part is that if you're bringing her for the team buff, you have to choose between her modules, because the one that provides the strongest buff is her worse module by a considerable margin. Skadi Mod-X almost makes her feel like a worthwhile unit, by reducing her redeployment time to 40 seconds, making her (with S2) a decently tanky medium-redeploy unit who can square up against units that would make other helidrops falter.

Andreana gives 20 ASPD to the entire team, which is great—but you can only bring 12 Operators to your mission.

Is that really worth a slot in your team? What are you giving up by bringing someone who's weak enough that she's not even worth deploying?

Yes, with all of the buffs combined, Specter the Unchained does become a monster. But with all of the obscenely powerful units we have in the game, is it ever actually worth it to bring two to three dead weights to use her more effectively? Especially when the most potent buffs, the defensive buffs, will usually only be effective on her for a third of the time when she's equipped with her strongest skill?

Is that worth not bringing Texas? Yato? Surtr? Ines? Bagpipe? A real Defender? A secondary DPS? A plan B, in case something goes wrong?

...Maybe? Maybe that's been the experience for you, and these units actually have felt overpowered in your hands. But that hasn't been my experience. These units are clearly powerful. If this review has seemed largely negative, it's only because it exists in the face of endless praise or even complaints about how strong the Abyssal Hunters are.

The Hunters are tanky. They're really, really tanky. Not quite Hoshiguma or Nian tanky, but...well, nothing is. But we're in a metagame where people are (incorrectly, in my opinion) calling Hoshiguma a bad unit because she doesn't provide much utility other than her tankiness. Which is...almost exactly the same as what the Abyssal Hunters as a full squad bring to the table. They're big meatballs that are largely unimpressive in terms of damage or utility.

What content are the Abyssal Hunters optimal in, exactly? They're not meta in Contingency Contract; while Gladiia and Specter the Unchained are CC mainstays, the full squad is never brought, and Gladiia's "gamebreaking" module isn't utilized at all. They're not meta in Integrated Strategies. They're not even the strongest units in SSS, and that's a game mode that has a dedicated buff for them.

At best, they're optimal units for middling difficulty content—and I'd contest that, but we don't have leaderboards to look to for what units are best for clearing story stages. But even if that were true, to get them to that state, you need to invest large amounts of resources into getting full level 3 modules for each of them—and you inarguably need a year-old limited unit!

Stacking teamwide buffs is a great way to bring mediocre units up to playability, but you really need a critical mass of them in order to make them a serious metagame contender. And I...just don't think we're there. I don't think we're that close, honestly.

...

—

Conclusions?

In summary, build Gladiia!

...Look, she's neat. She's one of my favorite units and I use her all the time. And she is good, just...don't expect her to revolutionize the game for you.

And build the other Abyssal Hunters, too. Just...do it because they're a neat thematic squad that's decently powerful as a whole. They work fine without Specter the Unchained, too. They'll be weaker, of course, but they're still perfectly usable. All you're really missing on the other units is her HP buff, and they're still pretty strong without it.

Build them because you like them, and so Gladiia is surrounded by her family. Not because you think they'll crack the game in half, or something.