#a race that is by default created to serve; brought into the world without families; not seen as children of the one and not as distincly

[ghostinthetumbchine]

thinking today about all the fatherless and motherless characters in tolkien legendarium. about how the first of all species did not have parents. how tolkien specifies that though there are fundamental differences between ainur, eldar, dwarves and men, psychologically they all function in a similiar way.

thinking on how it must feel to wake up, parentless, and then watch all the next generation with their families and wonder what it is like to have that safe haven - even if they die or are separated, you know someone was there, that there is someone you can relate to or hold onto.

[toe-ruoikawa]

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summer loving- an oikawa x reader smau/classic fanfic ABANDONNED

3. The Diner

(y/n) runs - or, well, bikes - to the miyagi prefecture during summer break to escape her stifling family. while she's out in miyagi, she meets a cute boy named oikawa tooru.

taglist

@theshirleygamer @mikkasquare @krxstynnn @90s-belladonna @ayaeushi @dearkozume @heavenini @thats-kinda-sketchy @pyblos @yacoka (ur bio said u moved lol) @pnkcts @yikes-buddy @ochabby @michelepiekenma @namyari @pleasemelafook-outta-ere @neonghxst @lustingfor5sos @sayoomi @birdiewolf @sorrythatspussynal​ 

yeah, you loved suga's mom probably more than your own, but without suga there to actually create a bridge between the two of you, your conversations were dull and awkward, and you had left the house as soon as you thought she wouldn't mind.

for a few hours you had gone around the town, taking pictures of whatever seemed pretty to you. you had taken at least 50 by the time afternoon rolled around. that's kind of your thing; photos.

your camera roll was full of gorgeous landscapes-rolling hills and swaying trees, gigantic buildings and fluffy clouds, delicate flowers and creeping vines. it was a shame that you had lost some of your best shots when you had gotten rid of your old phone, but at least now you have a clean slate to fill all over again.

you're just finishing up a mini shoot of some train tracks when it hits you.

the single most delicious smell in the entire world hits your nose, and you almost black out it's so wonderful. it smells like frying oil and ice cream, and you almost cackle in glee because you had brought money for food and you just found the best place to spend it.

following your nose like a bloodhound, you start to walk past all the cute little buildings that had served as background for your railroad pictures. the smell keeps getting stronger, mixing and dividing into similar, more specific scents, like french fries and fried chicken. you feel your artist heart squeal with excitement as you round the corner on the block and find yourself in front of a cute American-themed diner.

the name of the restaurant is written over the door in fluorescent green lights, and there are similar signs hung in the windows of the diner. as the sky gradually darkens, you can tell that this is your photographer paradise. the booths in the diner are bustling with people who you swear are all smiling, and there's a bar where a few loners and couples sip at their extra thick milkshakes, with the overflow cup on the side. you haven't even set foot in the building and you could bet away your life's savings that the floors are checker tiled.

"ah," you don't even realize you've gone into the diner until the bell at the door jingles above your head, and you just gaze at it in dreamy shock. your feet are pulled to a red leather stool at the counter where you sit and swivel around a few times.

"what can i get to get you started?"

you swear you almost die when you see the outfit the waitress is wearing. the entire retro vibe of the restaurant has your artist heart weeping tears of bliss and the uniforms are just icing on the cake.

you order your favourite flavour of milkshake and a side of fries and then glance at your phone to see what you've missed from suga.

you don't really ever understand most of his vague volleyball tweets. from what you can gather, the team is a bunch of hooligan children that suga babysits, with the help of daichi, who you only know through suga's texts.

seeing as you don't even want to know what watermelon and hills have to do with volleyball camp, your thoughts drift to your other best friend, aki. you had blocked her with your new twitter account so there would be no chance of her stumbling across it, but you couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt as you look at her account. she's probably the closest thing you have to a sister, which is why you had to leave her behind, too.

sisters are lovely but they're also snitches.

you put your phone face down as the waitress from earlier reappears, setting down a plastic basket full of fries and a milkshake, as well as a large metal cup filled with refill milkshake. ah, the glory of retro american diners. you're about to dig in when the bell rings and you hear laughter from someone your age.

the idea that it could be someone that recognizes you jumps into your head and you spin around in your swivel stool so quickly that you almost launch yourself off of it. in your commotion your eyes lock onto the warmest brown eyes you’ve seen in your entire life and you swear time slows.

they belong to a cute brunette, who has come to the diner with a group of friends. he is quick to look away, playing it off like he had been glancing around the restaurant. he waves to the waitress, who smiles bashfully, and follows his friends to a booth table that you know by the way they are drawn to it is undeniable their booth.

the boy with the warm eyes does another sweep over the diner as his group settles down, and as the chocolate irises linger on you, you realize that you’ve been staring at him the whole time.

flustered and feeling heat rise to your face, you jerk yourself back around in the seat so you’re facing your meal and take a long sip of your milkshake. ignoring the sting in your skull from the sudden cold, you flip your phone around and quickly open your texts. 

taking a deep breath and steeling yourself for the embarrassment you’re about to undergo willingly, you turn around in your swivel stool.

much to your bewilderment, the boy is already staring at you.

he waves at you and you freeze for a moment, taking in his dark hair and his huge, intelligent brown eyes that are gazing right back into yours, and then you offer him a small smile and meek wave of your own hand. the lazy smile that had stretched across his face brightens in return.

instead of earlier when he had entered the diner, now the boy seems content to keep eye contact with you, and, with each quickened beat of your heart, you feel yourself becoming more and more comfortable with his gaze in yours. 

you almost start to daydream when one of his buddies elbows him, clearly jiving him by the way the other boys are laughing. he turns his attention to them exclaiming something you don’t hear that makes the booth burst out into raucous teenage guffaws.

coming to your senses, you’re certain your face must match the shade of red on the ketchup bottle that you clumsily dump on your fries. you shoot suga a few more texts, stuffing a handful of fries in your mouth to keep yourself from squealing.

the mere idea that this beautiful and pretty boy might even consider to be interested in you has your heart melting in purpley yellow puddles of pure simp essence and your brain turning into honey. you find yourself slurping down the rest of your milkshake in an attempt to beat back the steady blush that burns on the apples of your cheeks and the tips of your ears.

sadly, whenever you turn to look back at the booth the boys are eating in, he never has his attention turned on you. you know there’s a chance that you’re just not catching him at the right moments, but as his laughter continues fills the space throughout the evening, your certainty that your shared gaze was a one time occurrence grows. 

eventually, disheartened and a tad embarrassed, you give up on trying to catch the boy’s attention again. you pay for your meal before going to the washroom.

when you return, the group had left. disappointed in yourself, you’re trudging over to the door when you notice a turquoise and white jacket laying in the seat of the booth.

“excuse me, but the group that was sitting here earlier just left, right?” you call out to the waitress that had served both you and the group.

“huh?” the waitress looks up from the table she’s wiping down. “oh, yeah. they’re gone. did matsukawa leave his jacket again?”

“yeah, i guess,” you shrug. an idea pops into your romance driven brain, and for once you don’t wave it away immediately. “if you don’t mind, i could run it out to him. i’m leaving anyways.”

“that’d be a big help, sweetie, thank you!” the waitress graciously accepts your offer and then turns back to the table she’s cleaning.

you’re exiting the diner with a ring of the bell overhead, turquoise and white track jacket in hand with the words ‘aoba johsai’ printed on the back, when you stumble into a wall of warm fabric.

“woah there!” the voice you’ve been tuned to for the past hour replies, and the cute boy’s grabbing your shoulders gently to steady you. you gaze up into the calf’s eyes that you had been so fixated earlier, and they focus back on you for a brief moment, before trailing to the jacket in your arms. “oh, look! you’ve got mattsun’s jacket.”

“oh, yeah, here,” you hand the boy the jacket, only now realizing how much he towers over you in such close proximity. despite how that thought makes your heart race, you jump at the chance to get to know the boy a bit more. “so you’re not matsukawa, then?”

he laughs, not unpolitely, throwing his head back the slightest bit. “no, i’m oikawa tooru.” he fixes you with a sunny smile, like you’ve surprised him in the best way possible, and it’s like you’ve never realized how gorgeous a smile could be.

“(l/n), (y/n),” you grin back. “so oikawa-san, what’re doing here coming back for a jacket that’s not even yours?” on the inside, you’re practically screaming; when did you become so bold?

“well,” his grin turns sheepish. “i meant to ask you for your number earlier but iwa-chan kept breaking my train of thought, so i figured i could try again now.”

“oh, thank god you’re asking,” you let a sigh of relief as you pull out your phone. “i wanted to ask you earlier, too, but i chickened out.”

the two of you exchange phones and enter your numbers in a new contact, while oikawa makes a little joke about your default wallpaper, which you laugh a little too hard at.

“let’s go out sometime this week!” oikawa says as his words of parting, and you hum in agreement, waving goodbye.

once you’re far away enough from oikawa, you check your phone as if making sure the contact is real. you giggle once you realize what he’s put as his name. maybe this summer won't be so bad after all.

[everyaccentthesame]

What is it to be a Dragon?

(This post contains some musings I’ve written to give me mental inspiration for a ‘Tyranny of Dragons’ campaign I plan to run. I wanted to get into the head of a Dragon, and understand what would be required to compel such a being.)

What is it to be a Dragon? To the two-legged smallfolk that cower in fear or desperately flee from the winged behemoths, terrors of the skies, dragons might as well be gods. Many have fallen to worship such beasts- Dragon cults, entire religions dedicated to one or more of these incredible creatures have sprung up across the ages. It has been remarked by many sages and observers, not least among the Dragonkind themselves, that should they so choose, Dragons could claim dominion of the lands, natural lords of the material plane. That they do not is something every mortal should be thankful for. Dragons make for terrible kings. Why they do not requires a deeper understanding of their nature.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Imagine, if you will, being entirely self-sufficient. On your own, through the strength of your talons and the terrifying assault of your breath, you can provide yourself with any food you need, relying on no-one. Your thick hide protects you from the elements. Your wings give you mastery of the air, no far-off land or ocean is barred to you. Spears break against your skin, armour melts, swords shatter, men die when you exhale. The natural world is yours, no mortal creature, barring your own kin, can match you, can claim mastery over you. Imagine all this power, all this freedom. Imagine it not being enough.

 What is it to be a Dragon? All Dragons hoard. Even the ones that the smallfolk mistake for being ‘good’. Some hoard wealth, great mountains of it. Some hoard knowledge, guarding grand repositories of it jealously. Some hoard history, hiding away ancient relics of great significance. Some hoard magic. Some hoard friends. Some hoard subjects. Some hoard slaves. How each Dragon hoards is unique. Some common trends appear based on the Dragon’s hue, but there is no clear rule. One might favour coins minted in a certain kingdom. One might like scholars trained in the art of combat. Another might favour the paintings of a certain artist and her apprentices. One thing is clear however- Dragons hoard what others create. They desire what beautiful things mortals create, because in truth, Dragons can only create one thing of any significance. Destruction.

 What is it to be a Dragon? All Dragons are alone. A Dragon is fiercely independent, and indeed, they can supply all their base needs on their own. But this has another consequence. Save for those rare incidences where a Dragon might cohabitate with a chosen mate, Dragons are intensely solitary creatures. There is good reason for this, unlike more fragile creatures, Dragons do not need the support of a community to survive. Indeed, the only real threat to an individual Dragon, are other Dragons. This is an oversimplification of course- many things can kill a Dragon, and many things have. But from a Dragons perspective, such creatures are usually easily avoided, lacking powerful Draconic wings, or if the Dragon misjudges the capability of a foe, easily fled from. When a Dragon does die to a mortal or monster, others of its kind view this as an aberration- that creature must have suffered from some flaw that they did not. Weakness, stupidity, slowness- the arrogant draconic minds dismiss any possibility that they might share these traits with the deceased. The only thing a Dragon fears are other Dragons.

 What is it to be a Dragon? By default, Dragons are Atheists, by the D&D definition of the word. They know that the Gods exist, they just don’t respect them. A Dragon has no need for prayer, or divine intervention. The Dragons don’t need the Gods, and usually the Gods can’t affect them, residing in planes far from the prime material, so the Dragons simply ignore them. This does, however leave us with a question: If the Dragons do not worship the divine, why are there gods of Dragonkind? Tiamat and Bahumut, alongside other, more obscure deities, claim to be gods of the draconic pantheon, yet few Dragons indeed worship them, and such Deities have turned to the mortal races as their emissaries and agents in the world. Dragons respect the strength of the Draconic gods, as they would the strength of another drake, but long ago abandoned them, when their Empire fell in a millennia long war. It is telling, perhaps, that the Dragons were the ones to abandon their gods, rather than the other way round.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Dragons are proud. They exult in their raw physical and magical power over others. A Dragon might destroy a townhouse with a beat of its wings because it wishes to demonstrate that it can. Another might incinerate a Forest because it enjoys the thermals that such an activity creates. A Dragon might dominate a town because it enjoys the terrified mewling of the subservient folk or save a town from a marauding group of monsters because it desires their applause and adulation. Many ‘benevolent’ Dragons, even metallics, act as they do not due to any moral compulsion, but because they enjoy the praise that is heaped upon them for their acts. Some Dragons even seek to gain worshippers, believing that it is only right that they, the most powerful and deserving of beings, receive treatment normally reserved only for gods.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Dragons possess within them the spark of the divine. Most never realize this, and never cultivate it, but under the right circumstances, these creatures can enter the ranks of the gods. Most famously in Toril, Tchazzar ascended to become a god-like entity, ruling over a city state and with designs upon a nation. Perhaps the draconic gods are just particularly powerful examples of their kind, and this, perhaps is why Dragons don’t worship them. A dragon does not seek to submit itself to another, it seeks to rule.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Dragons do not share power. A Dragon is not content to exist in a subservient state. They seek to either be left alone, or to rule. When Draconic empires have existed, Dragons have competed for power and influence, acknowledging no-one among themselves as King or Queen. Unable to rule over each other without significant risk (a dragon that appears subservient is merely waiting for a moment to strike and claim its authority), Dragons that wish to rule, rule over humanoids.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Dragons are smart. Some act as if they are little more than beasts, it is true, but such creatures typically do so by choice, spurning what they view as the ‘pathetic trappings of civilisations’ and embracing their feral side- the barbarians of dragonkind. They are smart enough to recognize their shortcomings as a species- though they rarely reflect on how they can apply to this analysis to themselves. Instead they have developed ways of working with other members of species without risking conflict. Ancient games that simulate conflict, such as the Xorvintaal, allow dragons to use the lives of others in games of intrigue and open warfare to settle disputes, without coming into open conflict themselves.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Dragons have life-spans far longer than most humanoids, exceeding even that of the elves. The lives of most creatures appear short and inconsequential to them. When dealing with smallfolk Dragons tend to focus more on lineages or organisations than individuals, which become replaced so easily. It takes an exceptional humanoid to be remembered as an individual by a Dragon, much less respected. Dragons slumber for long-periods, guarding their hoards for many years as their bodies and abilities grow and develop, letting the rise and fall of nations and empires pass them by. A Dragon might not care for the individuals of a local township or city, but care deeply for the place itself, even if only for the entertainment and treasure it provides it. A Dragon may come to know a human family well, as it treats with successive generations of individuals, even if it fails to really distinguish the different family members from one another.

 What is it to be a Dragon? Dragons are vulnerable. Dragons are the arrogant lords of the world. They are beings of blistering power and fury. They cannot create, but they can influence the rise and fall of nations, they can compel others to craft great works in their names. Yet for every Dragon of legend, there seems to be a Dragon slayer. A Dragon might be mighty, might be arrogant, but they know these legends too. And they fear death. So, a smart Dragon avoids causing undue trouble, and ensures its subjects or neighbours, while kept fearful of it, do not feel unduly burdened by its presence. Similarly, they avoid provoking more powerful Dragons, and may even make displays of respect or subservience to them. There is no true hierarchy amongst Dragons, but they do respect strength, and theoretically a might Drake, godlike in power, or even a god brought to the mortal plane, could compel them to serve, if only through fear.

 It would take an exceptional humanoid to gain a Dragons respect. Think then, on what it would take for one to gain a Dragon’s service. Bribery, perhaps, could work, for a time. Magical compulsion is always an option, though risky- dragons have a ‘legendary resistance’ to spells such as Dominate Monster. Gaining a Dragon’s fear is perhaps the most difficult, and most reliable option then. Consider the Cult of the Dragon. Consider their leader. What could they have done to gain the allegiance of so many great drakes? What power could they wield? What wealth do they command? What promises have they made, and which can they keep?

 What sort of being could a Dragon fear? 

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Forty-Four: Bearing Fruit ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

For so long, he had so little to show for his actions.

His growth while training in Konoha felt...stagnate. From age seven when the massacre occurred to thirteen when the chūnin exams concluded, it was like he crawled along at a snail’s pace while time raced forward. Time, time, he never had enough time…!

Training under Orochimaru was...better, but still felt...lacking. Not in the sense that the snake sannin was keeping things from him, or...coddling him. More like he didn’t take Sasuke entirely seriously. Their views...differed. Whenever Sasuke spared those Orochimaru demanded he kill, he was called soft. It didn’t matter that he argued no one else had to die but Itachi. He could still see the derision in his teacher’s eyes.

A look that clearly said weak.

Then, finally, nearly a decade of work paid off. He confronted his brother, had a long and bloody battle...but emerged the victor. At last, his clan would have peace. Revenge.

But...no.

It was all a lie.

Madara - or Obito, as Sasuke later learned he was truly called - pulled the rug out from under him. Granted...as furious and confused as he was, Sasuke had to be grateful. If not for Obito and his scheming...he’d likely have never known about the truth of the Uchiha incident. Behind the slaughter of his family, his clan, his people.

But what irked him most wasn’t that he’d been lied to...it was that, once again, all his efforts were in vain. He mourned his brother, of course...but it felt like he’d been knocked all the way back to square one. Seeking revenge against those who wronged him.

Once again he was a little boy staring up angrily at the people who had truly taken everything from him.

But this time...he wouldn’t fail.

Danzō was simple enough. The fool’s martyrdom didn’t bother Sasuke in the slightest. It wasn’t like he’d have lasted much longer anyway. Next on his list was Konoha.

But before that could happen, Obito went and started a war. And during that war, Sasuke confronted even more truths. Learned even more about the futility of his previous plans, as he spoke to both his brother, and the prior Hokage.

Could nothing be simple?

Even his ultimate plan - to clean the slates of the old ways, and bring the shadows of the shinobi world to light - was stopped in its tracks.

By none other than Naruto.

How nauseatingly typical.

Of course, by now, he’s come to terms with that...interruption. But at the time, his rage, his disappointment, his fervor to do something, anything, about a world that had led to so many wars, so many deaths, so many massacres, pushed him to the most radical of solutions.

But at least he’d tried to do something…!

How many others simply laid down and accepted such a world? A world where genin watched young and grown men throw their lives away as tools? Where children were burdened with beasts of unimaginable power...and treated like pariahs when they’d had no choice in such matters? Where an entire clan could be wiped off the map simply for demanding equal treatment beneath a rigged and biased system?

It, quite frankly, sickened him.

But, for a time...Sasuke grew tired. So, so tired. Finally he had the power to make such a change reality. Ten years after the loss of his clan, he was practically a god among shinobi. But his only equal dogged his every step. Tempered him, maybe...but also refused to see any path, any method, but his own.

So, Sasuke intended to leave. Clear his head. Try to figure out the true path to peace.

But, Life had other plans. Itachi was revived. Shisui revealed himself to be alive. His niece and nephew were sparks of potential for a new generation of Uchiha, half-blood or not.

Something new finally bloomed in him.

Hope.

He wasn’t alone…! He had not one, but two of his kin at his side. Suddenly the bleak future of solitude he’d accepted was no more.

...but what to do with that hope?

They started at the top. Oust the prior council. Unite the clans against the imbalance of power between the administration and their populations. Homura and Koharu were forced to step down, stripped of their powers. Never again would they incite violence against their own people. Itachi was pardoned to match his brother.

At last, the Uchiha were free…!

Of course...it wasn’t so simple. Legally they’d been reinstated. Socially? They were still outcasts. But Sasuke cared little about that. He had his family. He needed nothing else.

...well...almost nothing else.

Idling was, for him, an impossibility. Sit too long without an occupation, and he’d surely go mad. So, he started scavenging for something to do. At first he considered rejoining the shinobi ranks - his brother had done so, taking over the ANBU branch. Shisui took a job as a Hokage bodyguard. But what could he do…? Simply doing grunt shinobi work seemed...pointless. He was too strong to be wasted on petty missions. ANBU work was challenging, sure, but...not his style.

And then...it hit him.

He’d return to his roots. A job he’d daydreamed of holding when he was just a boy.

Sasuke decided to rebuild the police force.

Of course, he knew he couldn’t do so alone. Strong as he was, he was just one man. To patrol an entire village - meet all of its citizens’ needs - he’d never manage.

So, he turned to their allies.

Having offered a hand to the Uchiha early on in their return, the Hyūga were like a looming shadow behind them, daring anyone to bring trouble to their distant cousins. Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui were mighty - among the mightiest. But they lacked numbers. And that was where the Hyūga came in.

Among them, Sasuke had been getting to know Hinata best. No longer heiress (and no longer seeking to be), she instead had been serving as a kind of diplomat between their clans. With a returned Neji acting as Hanabi’s advisor, she in turn was the bridge between the families.

Which was wise. She wasn’t stuffy or overbearing like Sasuke quickly learned the rest of the Hyūga were. She he could get along with.

Rather well, actually.

Which is why he brought his idea first to her.

Something had sparked in her eyes. An eagerness. Quickly agreeing, she helped organize and bring the idea before her father, sister, and cousin.

After brief deliberation, it was agreed. The Uchiha and Hyūga would unite to create a new police force. The eyes to watch over Konoha from within.

Just as Itachi watched beyond their wall.

To Sasuke’s honest surprise, Hinata was among the first to join. She admitted to a similar sensation: one of idleness and feeling useless. Diplomacy, yes, she was well-versed in...but it felt unsatisfying. Shinobi missions, too, were just not the same. Not enough. She agreed perfectly that helping Konoha from within would help strengthen it. Clear out bad will, keep order, help those that needed help when a shinobi wasn’t able.

Was it any wonder, then, that they became partners, soon leading the force together?

It was then, some time after their founding, that Sasuke felt...complete. Like he’d finally found his role. All of his efforts - all the years, the work, the pain - were finally bearing fruit. No longer did he feel like a failure, always one step behind.

No...now, he’d taken the reins of his own destiny. He would protect and shape Konoha from within to something bigger, better, than it was before. The shadows would be cleared under his watchful eyes.

And he wouldn’t do it alone.

In fact...he’d never have to do anything else alone ever again. He’d found and gathered his family...rebuilt the bonds with his friends...and found a quiet love in the last place he expected to find it.

The fruits of his labors were sweet, indeed.

     I'm...slightly early for once! Woohoo!      Another of my more...introspective pieces. Sometimes when a prompt feels a bit too...vague, I do pieces like this. Not based on a scene, or dialogue, but more on a recap of how that prompt overarches for a character. And...most of the time it's Sasuke, lol - I don't know why! In all honesty I relate to Hinata very closely, so...I don't know why I default to writing from Sasuke's POV more often. He's just easier for me to write. *shrugs*      ANYWHO, this is - obviously - about how Sasuke finally finds a place and a purpose post-war. ALAS has a LOT of canon divergence post-699 (as my regulars will know), and this sums up a few ways it's different. There's...a LOT more to it, like the main conflict of arc three (aka everything post-699), but...that's not the focus for tonight.      But, before I blabber on, I'll call it a night - I can finally get to bed early for once xD And as always, thank you for reading!

[vennadore]

Races: the Mundanes

Nobles The titled brats of Vennadore, otherwise ordinary humans with normal appearances. Upon reaching adulthood, knights and ladies are the basic rank. For men, training will begin at age ten as a Page, progression to Squire at approximately fourteen, and full Knight at age eighteen. Full education and combat training are of equal importance. Ladies too begin schooling at a similar age with typical feminine activities the majority. At approximately sixteen years of age, they enter the palace as Queen's Ladies to begin their formal interaction with the remainder of society, in particular their class equals. Nobility can lead rather uneventful lives as their main duties include managing their estates, attending court balls and feasts and serving under their King and Queen in council positions, however their lifestyle also allows for more daring travel and exploration as they please; being free from the daily bore of routine and responsibility offers many possibilities. When entering the world beyond palace gates be cautious for nobility are often fragile and ignorant creatures, not yet tried and tested by life itself.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Commoners These lower-class folks form the human population majority. Less educated by books as further education is a luxury offered to nobility alone, despite their basic schooling commoners are the workforce without which Polis could not function. These ordinary citizens are resilient, cultured and capable of adaptation. They are more active and experienced than their 'superiors' by default, travelling for trade purposes and learning the skills of life rather than magic or etiquette and are responsible for founding and maintaining the market bringing together Vennadore's entire population in an overall harmonious environment, not to mention and keeping the economy afloat. Blacksmiths, shop-keepers, seamstresses, flower-sellers, palace maids and hostlers, fishermen and farmers, thieves sliding in and out of sight. Healers hold another extremely important role; these are the doctors of the human-kind and the backbone of every man, woman and child's sustained good health. There is more than meets the eye for this average class and a closer look reveals much more than ever expected.

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Pirates The sea-rats; lovers of the ocean, of treasure, of rum. Singers of songs to make even the hardiest souls blush. Starting out in all walks of life from every angle of the moral compass, these folks flocked toward the calling seas and became the embodiment of the free spirit. The term 'piracy' refers to an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea; it takes no genius to discern the profession of these lovably treacherous scoundrels and although those days are still right beside them a second nature, desire for a section of land to call their own evolved. Settling in the ports of Vennadore, these men and women began to build an empire of their own, a heaven for their kind. The more honourable of the dishonourable bunch began trading above ground with acquired wares including oriental silks and jewels, origins unknown. The remainder delved beneath the surface where a black market flourished despite the crown's best attempts to trample any unlawful activities, respecting one rule and one only: no questions asked. A pirate's Code is the only law they follow, and a pirate's rights at sea are only guaranteed by their ability and willingness to fight for them.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Priests and Priestesses Tied to the academic, educational and spiritual elements of Vennadore but rarely all three; two distinctive personalities display themselves within their ranks: the arrogant and the benevolent. Believing their social status and close link with the deities an indication of personal favour, the arrogant are selfish creatures who cast aside any responsibility involving the remainder of the Vennadorian population, striving instead for the title of Master or Scholar for personal gain and deluded hopes of immortality. These are bitter and judgemental men and women, sly at best and rarely sociable. Feared rather than respected, any individual careless enough to cross their path and hinder progress is met with unfavourable response. Opposing them stands the benevolent, leaning primarily toward the roles of teacher and priest to be seen and greeted in all walks of life by young and old, healthy and dying. The benevolent believe their path toward favour lies through an open heart and mind. Many of these individuals reside within the Royal Palace instructing future knights in book-learning, also tutoring novices and initiates of similar nature and without discrimination and searching for the good within those replicating anything but. Others opt to travel, and some, town-houses among the 'less fortunate' their counterparts despise. This class of Priest are skilled linguists, often serving as diplomats and translators alongside nobility. They are respected by all and feared by none save their rival kin who view their different ways as weak.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Magi Magic within Vennadore is bound by three laws: firstly, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Secondly, no level of power is capable of controlling human emotion; one cannot be forced to love or hate through the use of the Allure. Third and final, the past cannot be altered. These men and women are of upper birth and begin their education along the same route as every other within their social class, offered choice between sorcery and priesthood after three years of initial academic study also including basic combat training. Every sorcerer wields the Allure within them and this manifest of energy is channelled through the usage of Words of Power to create what is known as a spell. Each individual requires gradual development of their will and the Allure alike to properly utilise this ability. Proper instruction is offered to those deviating to walk this path toward Mastery, a title granted purely upon the display of extensive knowledge, skill and control. Sorcerers immerse themselves in all things magical, studying each kind with a creative curiosity that later forms their unique opinion of and subsequent behaviour toward each race. As a whole, these nobles favour the elaborate garments and jewels entitled by their social rank for their expanded attitude and ego is largely a common trait.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Slaves Enslaved by primarily the noble or upper-middle class, various races make up the Slave demographic within the Mundane race. Many of the people enslaved were captured as enemies against the Crown or sold by their own people as a way to gain money and immunities for themselves regardless of it made them traitors to their own kind. Others sell themselves into servitude to pay the debt for their passage to another country, serving the family or company that had paid their fares. Those that are captured or sold to the slave traders go through Kiqa or Seza where they are sold or put through labour camps to help manufacture the goods used for international trade. Many Slaves or Servants are dressed in thin, coarse, drab fabric apart from the other classes set in the Mundane society and most do not have the chance to train or go to school for education. Most education is based on real-life occurrences and prompts for them to learn by experience.

[sirisyonkis]

Board Games for two

Six big "little games" with simple rules but not simplistic for parts of less than 30 minutes with very different mechanics from each other .... That I love !

After the reviews of the past year, the game world quickly turned to the Cannes Film Festival (IFJ) and the long list of games that were presented. The most foresighted, at least the most "bitter", had previously scoured the various sites and playful blogs in search of information on novelties or prototypes not to be missed in order to optimize at best the short 3 days that last this festival. And now the articles will bloom to tell and detail everything that happened during these three days.

I think I will not read them, because I sulk a little not being able to go there this year ... but in truth I am too curious ....

So I wanted to talk to you about the games I'm currently playing, games that do not appear in the IFJ's "hype", rather games with few players since everyone was in Cannes. Yes, yes, I ramble but I wanted so much to go ... sniff. But I love face-to-face games, so what's up?

Despite a beautiful and misleading cover, but so beautiful, Santorini is a pure abstract strategy game. It is played mainly with 2 players but it is possible to play at 3 (it is quite rare in this type of games to note it) and in this case it will know how to ally to betray in time to win. The 4-player version is only a duel version at 2vs2.

I have rarely seen such a simple rule related to a deep and complex game to win in the end. The game is played on a 5 × 5 board. After placing each of his two characters, each player plays in turn and the rule is in two points:

He moves one of his characters on one of the 8 boxes adjacent to his. It must be unoccupied and the character must not have to climb more than 1 level. He builds a floor of a building on one of the 8 squares adjacent to his new position. The box must be unoccupied and the installation of the 4th floor (dome) "condemns" the box for the rest of the game. The first who manages to move one of his characters on a 3th floor immediately takes the party.

This game reminded me of the GIPF Project series by the purity and simplicity of its rules. As these games or the great classics of this type of game (Chess, Go, Ladies, ...) it has, apparently, the same "default", namely that the chance does not exist and that a hierarchy can quickly to create between players.

In appearance I said, because there is the second "tour de force" of this game: the Pantheon: cards "God" or "Hero". When you play these cards, everyone takes one (choice or chance, as you want) early in the game and plays with the particularity of it. Some give an extra "capacity" while others offer an alternative possibility to win. The gods have a lasting power while Heroes have a "one shot" power to use during the game. With these cards the levels can be rebated, the replayability is huge and impossible to "train" at all configurations of duels. Thus a novice will be a little less disadvantaged. The authors were careful to point out that some gods are incompatible with each other. There will certainly be Gods "stronger" than others or that we "prefer", it is also the opportunity to play with a handicap system. Strech goals' "race" forces to attract the barge (yes the game could be reissued via a KS version but is now available in good dairies) many cards exist and the replayability of the game without ever playing the same game is exponential.

Finally: this game is beautiful! I am in awe of the elements of the game. Unlike its original version of 2004, modest self-publishing that remained in the tradition of abstract games in black and white and very clean design even if sometimes pretty, this new version opts for pieces of buildings (one form per floor level + the domes of the 4th) worthy of an architect project. See also the game "customized" with leds. The game board is not spared by the aesthetic work. No words, just pictures to explain:

The work of illustrators Lina Cossette and David Foret (Holds, holds, the Cuddington team ... but they also operate on Charterstone, Jamey Stegmaier's "Legacy Game" project, it promises) is also beautifully expressed on the Hall of Fame cards. Clearly, there is no need to say, it's a real plus to play with beautiful games!

SIXTH Sixth! (or Six Making) is the second game I wanted to talk about today. It illustrates perfectly what I told you about the austere side of abstract strategy games (well, yes it's silver and brown rather than black and white but hey ...). Even if sometimes the mechanics of the games gives constraints for their realization, I really had that I like this game to acquire it. Austere and adorned with a box # plusmochequeçatescensuré (especially in his VF, the same editor having made more happy choices for the English edition for example) the game is really worth to exceed this appearance to discover it.

Sixth! share with the previous the fact of taking place on a plateau of 5 × 5. In this small space, he revisits chess successfully. He is not the first to attempt this difficult exercise, and little has been done successfully. There where Storm on the chessboard had brought chaos and anarchy on the board with the odds of the cards drawn, Sixth! chose to stay in the "pure" line of symmetrical games with complete information. It has just reduced the size of the board and uses only pieces whose displacement will be variable depending on the size of the stack. Here again the rule is more than simple, even if one must first know the movements of the various chess pieces.

The game begins on an empty board. In turn, the player has two possibilities of action:

he introduces a new pawn on the game board by placing it on an unoccupied space OR he moves all or part of a column (of 1 or more pawns) on an already occupied space respecting the displacement rule related to the height of the pile from which it starts. Indeed, according to its height, a stack "equals" to a piece of failure and thus defines the authorized movement:

The player who manages to build a stack of 6 or more pawns with a pawn of his color at the top immediately wins the game.

It's simple, clear, pure ... and complex!

Game of thrones - Hand of the King

A Game of Thrones - Hand of the King is of a different register than the two previous ones. This is a "light and teasing little game", as recently recalled by its author, which will be released in VF in the spring. However the VA (I say English Version because VO for a game in English by a French author ... it's not logical) is already available and I rushed after Micha made me discover this game. Because the game (of course), the illustrations, the theme, .... the human cracks ... and plays, plays!

So here we are in the heart of Westeros and cherish the hope of winning the coveted "King's Hand" position. To achieve this, and win the game, you will seek the services of Varys, the infamous spy master to get the favor of the majority of families present at the meeting convened by the King. The seven families of Westeros are united, represented in variable numbers (from 2 to 8). To set up the game, you will randomly create a grid of 6 × 6 cards each representing one of the seven family members (35 characters) + Varys.

Then the game turn is simple:

Varys will therefore be in the heart of the assembly and can "wander" from one character to another to "convince" to rally to the cause of the one who moves.

On your turn, you must "send" (move) Varys from his new place to a character you are going to recruit along a line or column. You recruit this character and place Varys in the grid instead. If in his move Varys crosses a member (s) of the same family as the target character, you also recruit them. Before finishing your tour you check if with the characters you recruit you have as many or more characters in this family as anyone. If so, you take possession of the family banner. The game ends when Varys can no longer be moved. The player with the most banners wins. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the one with the banner of the most numerous family.

That's all ? No, of course, nothing is so simple in Westeros, you know ... So?

So: as soon as a player recruits or kills the last representative of a family in the assembly he acquires the right to recruit one of the six companions present in the game. These companions possess a power capable of creating beautiful reversals of situation (murder, recruitment with the adversary, ...). There are 14 and six are drawn for a game. According to the companions who appear, it will be necessary to adapt his game strategy because it is impossible to neglect them so their power can be great, but not always, or not at any time of the game. And then what a foot anyway, confess, to be able to decide yourself to "kill" one of the characters in this series with a companion!

The randomness of the set up and the companions randomly selected for the game offers a wide variety of openings and strategies. It's good, it's nasty because the theme fits perfectly with the game (even companions who can be so powerful). The game is beautifully served by the illustrations of Mihaljo Dimitrievski I have already enjoyed the work on North Sea Pillards (GGA 2016 whose extensions are currently proposed in KS campaign). We can blame a risk of kingmaking in the version to 3 of this game I lived: situation before the last shot: two players (including me) have three banners, the third has one but he must play the last stroke of the game and can choose between 2 characters from different families that will give him the one as the other the majority in a family and take a banner to one or the other of his opponents ... but which ? Final result 3/2 / 2. To reproach kingmaking with Game of Thrones would be to blame a cat for being a cat? No ? We negotiated, swore, scolded, "threatened", laughed and replayed to decide ... We had a good time actually. I did not try the 4-player version (2vs2 without communicating, except with the crow).

Schotten Totten Schotten Totten is obviously not a novelty far from it, but it is a little "Madeleine de Proust" that I always take with me. Easy to explain, played almost everywhere and then I play very often with Fanny, waiting for others or to finish an evening, but now she stops playing as soon as she won a round more than me ... , pfff ... Well, she has to win sometimes ... Ha ha

The wear of my box was witness to these trips and many parts. It was time for the game to be reissued. He just came out in the series of small white boxes at Iello, beautifully illustrated by Biboun. And so I released a new box in recent days ... and it is clear that the fighters have taken muscle:

For the record you coordinate the actions of warlike Scottish villagers (54, numbered from 1 to 9 in 6 different colors) who fight to win the maximum of boundaries marking the pastures of their sheep. 9 aligned terminals are to be acquired. You start with 6 cards. In turn, in order:

you put a card in front of a terminal (3 max per terminal, you will see that it will quickly constrain your possibilities) you can claim a terminal if conditions permit you draw a new card to rebuild your hand To claim a kiosk your 3-card combination must be higher than your opponent's. The first to win 5 kiosks or 3 side-by-side. That's it, it's simple, light, effective, not devoid of chance and we always ask a revenge because "It's not possible to be so unlucky at drawing cards ..."

NINJATAISEN

As I placed this article under the theme of small games 2 rather short that I love these days, I will finish by evoking 2 little "new" already played but not yet in my toy library because I wait for them with impatience:

First, my game library will soon be enriched with another small white box Iello because I discovered that they were going to implant in France Ninja Taisen, a small Japanese pearl brought back from Essen by Micha in 2014.

It's still a story of villages in conflict. 9 fields separate these two villages. Each army is composed of 1 leader + 9 Ninjas of type (stone, leaf, scissors) and force (1 to 3) different. She will try to take control of the opposing village. Fighter moves are handled by 3 D3 dice of different colors (1 per type) that the player rolls at the beginning of his turn. When opposing ninjas meet they fight "Chifoumi way" (and you're surprised if I tell you it's thanks to William of the same name that I learned that the game was finally coming? If the fighters have the same weapon, it is their strength that separates them and in case of equality each retreats. In short it's simple, tactical, with a little bit of luck for travel with the dice and bellicose wish! I had an excellent memory of it.

TIKI

Finally, I need to talk to you about a new kid: Tiki, a short finalist contest of the 2014 CNJ where I had discovered. In a Polynesian universe, on a 3 × 3 plateau of nine villages with different "benefits", you will have to win the victory by posing or moving, awélé way, your tikis to "influence" a village and take advantage while pointing to the cursed villages. When I discovered this game, it was a prototype. The tikis were made in Fimo paste by the companion of Nicolas Sato, the author. I liked this game, I wanted the author to be published but I was afraid that the final production does not make as good as this magnificent prototype. The visuals of the game are beautiful, bravo to Pauline Amelin, the illustrator and Oz Edition (publishing house that launches on this occasion) to have respected the aesthetics of this beautiful project and to wear it.

I'm not telling you anymore, Tiki is currently currently being funded on the KS platform, go see, explanations are clear and the game is worth it. This is a project to support a small publisher who launches and without Stretchs Goals in profusion. They deserve it for the product they offer us. I can not wait to play it again.

The complete gallery:

[cladeymoore]

How companies will work post COVID19: embracing a remote-first culture.

Companies are thinking about how and when to have employees come back to work. Due to social distancing requirements, many are realizing that they will only be able to have up to 50% of employees return to offices at most.

At the same time, many companies are realizing that remote work has worked better than they expected. They are now asking themselves whether they should keep some portion of their work force remote indefinitely.

For most companies, it will be a mix of remote and in-office. Here’s why:

Some employees are unable to stay remote indefinitely, because they are in difficult situations at home (studio apartment, no dedicated working space, distractions etc). Even when schools reopen and caregivers return to work, this will only partially alleviate the problem.

Some employees don’t want to return to the office, because they are happier and more productive at home. Once given, items are more difficult to take away, and top talent will come to expect remote work as an option.

A common piece of advice one hears is that a hybrid state of remote and in-office is the worst of both worlds. But given the requirements above, most companies will end up here. So what is the solution?

Options B and C likely require a remote-first culture to be successful.

The solution is to embrace the hybrid state and give it the best chance of success by turning your company into a remote-first culture.

What does remote-first mean?

Remote first means there is no disadvantage to working at home versus in-office. All employees have the same experience. If you don’t make the culture remote-first, you create a prisoner’s dilemma that encourages people to keep coming into offices.

Here is what remote-first means in practice:

1. Everyone dials in separately to meetings

Even if some employees are in one office, they each dial in separately to meetings.

2. More phone booths in office versus conference rooms

Employees dialing in to meetings from the office can do so from their desk, but they may want privacy in phone booth style small meeting rooms.

3. One floor in ten cities versus ten floors in one city

Companies will start to maintain lightweight offices in more cities (probably managed by third parties like WeWork), for employees who still want to come into an office, or direct employees to join co-working spaces. The rest will work from home. There will be less emphasis on a centralized headquarters with an expensive buildout that is customized to one company.

4. Less assigned seating

In the lightweight offices, companies will allocate some portion of desks that are first come first serve. Consulting companies have been doing this for years.

5. More written and asynchronous communication

Teams will rely more on wikis and written documentation. Gitlab has over 5,000 pages of public documentation about how they operate, and tools like Notion have made this easier than ever.

6. Clustering in certain time zones

Opening up most roles to remote work increases the top of funnel, but for everyone to have an equal experience it is beneficial to have employees clustered in certain time zones so that they can work together during the day.

Benefits to remote work

1. Hiring and retaining top talent

Location and commute are one of the biggest challenges companies face when hiring and retaining team members. I frequently hear “soul crushing commute” cited as a factor in departures here in San Francisco, and several friends have commented to me how much more productive/happy they are with an additional 1–2 hours every day where they are not commuting. Opening roles up to remote also dramatically increases the top of the funnel (probably by 1–2 orders of magnitude). A major part of recruiting effort is spent in convincing candidates and their families, often unsuccessfully, to relocate.

2. Employees will come to expect it

There is a fiercely competitive market for talent out there, especially in major hub cities. I believe that as more companies come to offer remote work options, companies who don’t will be at a disadvantage.

3. It de-risks centralizing too much in one location

As a company headquartered in San Francisco, employees have struggled with the rising cost of housing, long commutes, and to some extent quality of life. Part of the vision for Coinbase is to create a world with more economic freedom, and not being tied to one location is a key part of this. I expect that more companies over time will try to avoid vendor lock in, not just in the traditional sense, but in terms of where they are located.

4. Lifestyle

For those who have a suitable work environment set up at home (which is definitely not everyone), there is an aspect of remote work that just seems more fun. Employees can spend time in different cities without taking vacation days, see their children grow up, and avoid noisy or interruption prone offices.

Of course, it’s true that remote work is not better in all aspects.

Risks of remote work

1. Reduced collaboration and creativity

The early stages of remote work can feel more productive, as you finally get to race through your backlogged todo list. But what happens when alignment (that was largely generated in person), starts to fade? Moreover, how do we replace the unplanned moments of serendipity, walking by someone’s desk or lunch table, that lead to new ideas and innovation. More practically, how do you replace the whiteboard?

Potential mitigant: host regular in person meetups for each team, say twice a year.

2. Reduced camaraderie

Working remotely can get lonely. It will be interesting to learn more about remote work’s impact on morale, belonging, loyalty, and retention.

Potential mitigant: recreate team bonding moments virtually, with a variety of tools coming on the market [1 2], in addition to bi-annual in person meetups.

3. Home office set up

While it’s relatively straightforward to get employees the equipment they need, the real question is whether they have the space to use it. Home offices are a bit of a luxury, and a far cry from what many SF residents experience. High rent means less space and more roommates — not ideal for a home office.

Potential mitigant: Give employees the option to work from co-working spaces, or more lightweight offices that the company maintains in certain locations. Give employees budgets and guidance on great work from home setups. [1] Remote work also opens up hiring to lower cost of living locations where employees may have more space.

4. Performance management

It could be tempting for employees to relax their standards without a manager nearby. Remote work comes with a lot of freedom, so it��s important to have high trust that employees will deliver high quality work. An interesting choice to explore is whether remote work should be the default or an earned privilege.

Potential mitigant: practice measuring outputs, not inputs. Note: this is probably best practice in general, since it’s easy to appear busy in an office as well, without getting much done.

5. Learning and development

It can be more difficult for more new and less experienced employees to get up to speed when there is no neighbor to turn to and ask for help.

Potential mitigant: emphasize in onboarding that it is not just ok, but expected, to ask for help if you are stuck on something for more than 15 minutes. Invest in better documentation using wiki software like Notion and Confluence.

6. Time zones

Remote work suffers when teammates don’t have overlapping times of day where they can collaborate.

Potential mitigant: Publish a set of tier 1 (preferred), tier 2 (tolerated), and tier 3 (only approved by exception) time zones to focus your recruiting efforts.

Conclusion

I was initially skeptical of remote work as a way to build a top tier company, but I must say that this forced experiment, brought about by COVID19, has really made me reconsider. Companies have an incredible amount of overhead maintaining various offices and getting employees to show up in the right places physically. It reminds me of companies managing their own data centers before AWS. A remote company can be more nimble and dynamic.

I also can’t wait to see how remote work tools advance with this new wave of investment. VR, whiteboards, and getting all the little details right around lighting, sharing, knowing when to speak, etc will improve greatly in the coming years. Today, an in person meeting is still better than remote (all else being equal), but that gap is closing.

We are trying to figure this out, along with everyone else, and I would say my thinking on it is still evolving. I wanted to collect my thoughts in one place here to help us learn, share with others, and get additional feedback. I’m sure our thinking will continue to evolve over time.

If you are interested in figuring out the future of remote work with us, please check out our open roles and apply for a position. You may be seeing more remote roles open here soon!

How companies will work post COVID19: embracing a remote-first culture. was originally published in The Coinbase Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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