#and my singular focus is on a certain way past due update

[valaruakars]

You have some of the most realistic smut I’ve read tbh! Viktor is a clit prioritizer.

Oh! OH!! Thank you!!!!! Love for 1000 years 🥰

It's what I aim for, but I also understand it's super subjective. And yes, I absolutely want him to be! He's focused, a quick study, good with his hands--he'd be a menace of a lover if he applied himself to it. Look, ringing satan's doorbell is EFFICIENT, you see.

[atopfourthwall]

State of the Wall: 1-25-17

You know the drill! Check behind the cut to see updates on various series, a list of upcoming episodes, and more!

Schedule of Upcoming Episodes 1/30 – The Star Wars #4 2/6 – PATREON: Spectacular Spider-Man episode 1×10 – “Persona” 2/13 – Youngblood #9 2/20 – The A-Team #2 2/27 – PATREON: The Batman/Superman Movie: World’s Finest 3/6 – See You Next Mirror: Exiles Retrospective, Part 1 3/13 – See You Next Mirror: Exiles Retrospective, Part 2 3/20 – Reagan’s Raiders #1 3/27 – PATREON: Fist of the North Star, ch. 1

As always, the schedule is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, a lack of material to work with in the review, or any other factors that might come up.

Storyline Like last time, I do apologize about how slow-moving the storyline is going. Rest assured, it’s going to end this year before October, since I already have plans for the Halloween storyline this year that REQUIRES “The Sleepwalker” to be done with. Hopefully I can finish it even before the summer, but I make no promises.

T-Shirts In case you missed the announcement, I’m finally on SharkRobot.com with T-Shirts! Well, right now, it’s just T-shirt singular, since there is one new T-shirt available: a long-awaited I AM A MAN! Shirt!

If you’re wondering why I haven’t uploaded all my previous shirts to the site yet, well there’s a simple reason for that: I can’t… exactly. The thing is that part of Shark Robot’s system is that the more different colors there are for their shirts, the more expensive it is to print them. And let’s face it, a lot of my old shirts were very colorful. Now that’s not NECESSARILY a deal-breaker. What is, however, is the fact that Shark Robot also only keeps certain shirts permanently. In this case, it requires around 19 pre-orders before they allow a shirt to stay up permanently. And since I know all of you have limited income, that means I have to be very picky about what shirts I put up for sale.

As such, expect a new shirt except every few months (maybe 2-3 per year) will be made available. This shirt will be selected by Patreon contributors from a selection of 5 or so choices I’ll present (the shirt designs that don’t make it will likely carry over for each vote), then make that one shirt available for pre-order and (hopefully) it’ll become permanent. This should hopefully keep your wallets from getting overburdened too much and some shirt designs not getting a chance to become part of your wardrobe.

One of the great things about Shark Robot as opposed to previous t-shirt services I’ve used is that buying wholesale shirts from them is A LOT cheaper. It’s what’s kept me from bringing t-shirts to conventions for sale. However, with Shark Robot I can now bring t-shirts to conventions! However, this does raise up a question and I’ll need help from you guys with. See, yes, I can bring shirts… but you all come in various sizes and I have limited space to bring stuff with me, meaning I have to prioritize certain sizes over others. If I were to bring shirts to a convention, what size would you want that would encourage you to buy them? They would likely still be the $20 they’re listed for online.

History of Power Rangers Well, I’m proud to announce since they actually DO have release dates now for the rest of Super DinoCharge (and they’re relatively close by), that I can announce a release date for the History of Power Rangers episode for it! DinoCharge: April 27th Ninja Steel: N/A

As always, this date is subject to change depending on how busy I am with other projects… aaaand other projects are going to start really ramping up as we head into the summer. The revised versions of videos are of course continuing, and in case you haven’t seen, I released two videos for a revised version of Zeo! You can find those videos HERE and HERE! Expect a revised version of Turbo before the end of February. In Space… will be trickier, as you can see in a vlog I’ve put up on my youtube channel answering questions for newcomers to History of Power Rangers.

As a reminder, I do plan on seeing the upcoming reboot movie that’s coming out in March, but it will likely only result in a vlog unless I’m either inspired enough to review it (unlikely) or if a Patreon requests a review (provided it’s still past the one-year cutoff date).

Let’s Play Pokémon Omicron The next stream date for Pokémon Omicron is March 13th at 7 PM Central time! The stream link, as always, is Available HERE. The last stream was sadly cut short due to me being extremely tired. Hoping that won’t be the same here. As I’ve said before, I’m hoping to wrap up Pokémon Omicron this year (at the very least finishing the game in streams this year). I know there’s Post-game content, but the current plan is to end it after the Elite 4 are defeated.

As I’ve said in PO Unboxing videos, I want to start doing more gaming content for the channel, but I don’t want an unfinished Let’s Play hanging over my head with it, hence why I’m rushing to get more Omicron out. I’m sorry it still seems like I’m only releasing one or two per week, but fortunately the process has gotten a lot faster. And more fun, frankly, since I decided to have other people along for the ride. On that same note, thanks to everyone who has been sending in gaming material for future Let’s Plays! Hopefully we’ll have a chance to really sink our teeth into it sooner rather than later.

PO Unboxing Here is your regular reminders that PO Unboxing has no set schedule and to please think carefully about what you send – is it something I’ve already received? Is it something I’ve already reviewed? Has Linkara been saying in these videos for a while “Oh God, please slow down on sending stuff we still haven’t organized it?” Fortunately, I don’t think we’re at the point of CLOSING the PO Box (which, in case you didn’t know, the address for the box can be found on the Contact page via the top header), but it’s certainly getting close. January has thankfully slowed down the amount of stuff sent our way and I hope that continues for a while.

The Next DVD While the Movie and Compilation Disc from last year were awesome (and I thank you all for your continued support of them), I want to try to keep introducing a new DVD at least once per year with fresh content, and sadly we have been severely lacking for a proper NEW DVD of episodes for quite a while. As a reminder, old storyline segments cannot go on the DVDs due to using copyrighted music and not having the original files anymore for them, so the DVDs will ALWAYS contain new, never-before-seen content.

Speaking of, the current plan is to hopefully include the long-awaited Nostalgia Critic review of the AT4W Movie. That had been planned for the Movie’s DVD, but had to be scrapped due to Doug’s own busy schedule. Stuff can still happen, but it’s currently on the table for it. Otherwise, the plan is to have this one emulate the volume 2 DVD: -Two new Atop the Fourth Wall episodes -Three Longboxes -Two Riffs

That will of course change depending on how much space is available on the DVD. I do not currently know at this time whether it will be sold through Screenwave as had happened with the movie and Compilation Disc, since while it’s great to have them available on Amazon, it’s a bit harder for me to have a constant stock of the DVDs in for conventions. More info will become available as it is available.

I’m also announcing the name of the DVD – Vol. 3: Character Reboot, wherein the reviews and riffs will focus on books featuring a character with the same name as more familiar heroes, but obviously very different (and very public domain).

Patreon I’m still taking suggestions for things to help with the Patreon, but thankfully I HAVE found something that might work to increase it’s numbers: namely, Patreon-exclusive polls and information. Yes, it seems there was a serge in patrons after I announced the poll for Event Comics Month, which will be occurring in May. That’s why the next T-shirt vote will be on Patreon for patrons only. We’ll definitely be trying this more often, especially in April when I announce the first viewers’ choice – where I’ll present three comics I could be reviewing and let you guys vote on what you’d like it to be. For now, thanks for the support you’ve given and I’m hoping you will continue to support the show in the future!

Conventions Animinneapolis – Once again, for any of you Minnesota locals who want to meet me, I’ll be at Animinneapolis at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in, well, Minneapolis on May 26-28!

Anime Midwest – I’ll of course be at Anime Midwest again at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois on July 7-9!

Expect a few more old favorites to pop up as we get closer to them, like ConBravo or Too Many Games, but at this time no formal invitation has been sent out, so I make no announcement, either. I’ll of course update the list if anything else comes up between now and the next State of the Wall.

That’s it for now! Questions? Comments? Responses to my own queries? Let me know in the comments (or replies/reblogs/etc. on Tumblr)!

[timothyakoonce]

Take Your Ads From Failing To Scaling

We’ve all been there. Your ads are running just fine and then seemingly out of nowhere they stop performing.

You’re surprised and disappointed to learn that your ads have stopped producing a profitable return-on-ad-spend (ROAS), they don’t have a steady click-through rate, and/or you don’t have any new quality leads.

When the initial shock begins to wear off, you’re stuck wondering where to go next with your ad performance.

Your brain is buzzing with questions: Perhaps you could have monitored your ads more often? Maybe you could’ve tested more creative? Did you make an unintentional mistake on budgeting or ad placements?

Regardless of how you got there, it’s important to know that it will be okay and there is a path forward. Together, we can take your ads from failing to scaling. 

Ad Performance “Stages of Grief”

When your Facebook ads stop performing, your first instinct is probably to panic. Then you immediately wonder why (and why now) this is happening.

Once you go through those initial stages of grief, you can start looking ahead to rebuild your ads for longer-term stability and scaling. This blog post covers all of these stages and gives you some quick-start ideas for account recovery. 

Don’t Panic

When the initial “my ads are totally failing!” feeling hits you, I realize it’s difficult to stay calm and not panic. Trust me, I’ve been there. Just take a deep breath and ask yourself this question:

Is everything truly failing or is it just a few ad sets and/or audiences?

This is an important question to dive into because your findings will usually show that some audiences or ad sets are actually performing the way they should.

I measure ad performance for most clients in cost-per-acquisition, click-through-rate, relevance score, return-on-ad-spend, cost-per-landing page view and other metrics. After I perform this assessment, I build custom dashboards using the Custom Reporting tool within the Ads Manager.

Then I select “Customize Columns” to pinpoint the data I want to report on.

After I further assess this data, it gives me a much better picture of what is working and what’s not. I then take detailed notes on what is still performing well so I can include it in my rebuild.

Take a Step Back and Think About Ad Competition

Let’s take a quick step back and remember that over the past year, specifically in the first half of 2018, ad competition has continued to significantly increase on Facebook and Instagram, especially in the Facebook News Feed.

Facebook warned advertisers about this shift beginning in 2016 and they kept talking about it in 2017.

In short, there are more people advertising than ever before and the “ad load” (AKA the number of ads being shown in the News Feed) has increased while the overall number of users (specifically, users in North America) hasn’t increased at the same steady rate.

To counter the ever growing ad competition issue, Facebook has offered new ad placements in Messenger, Marketplace and Instagram Stories, so results can definitely be stunted if advertisers don’t experiment into these new placements and just stick to their old, previously successful playbook.

Ask yourself: are you still only targeting the Facebook News Feed? If so, keep reading…

In most cases, ad performance has declined due to one or more of the following reasons:

Audiences are “worn out” and have been overused

Creative hasn’t been updated recently

Placements are too limited 

The bid is too narrow

So let’s unpack each of these issues.

1. Audiences are “worn out”

Say this phrase with me: first time impression ratio. It’s a huge deal, folks. This Facebook statistic tells you, by day and by ad set, how many of the impressions you’re showing are for the first time.

When you start a new ad for a new audience, that number is 100%. As you advertise longer and spend more money, that number declines. It’s important to understand this metric in relation to ad performance because if that number dips below 50%, you probably need to refresh creative or rebuild that audience.

You can begin finding “delivery insights” at the ad set level.

Once you click on that “See Delivery Insights” it takes you into this screen.

From here, you are able to see many data points, but there’s one that’s especially important: First Time Impression Ratio. This number shows you how many of those people are seeing the ad for the first time.

In this case, it’s very low. Normally, we want that to be above 50% for prospecting or brand new potential customers. If you’re updating creative and your audience sizes are right, this number will stay above 50%.

Here, the number is less than 10%, meaning 90% of that audience has seen the ad before. If I looked at the frequency metric, I’d likely see that number be above a 3 or 4 within a 7 day period–which is a major problem.

***Important note: is this post interesting to you? Take our upcoming course on this subject! ***

2. Creative hasn’t been updated lately

Be honest: When was the last time you updated your ad creative? When was the last time you tested new creative ideas in all parts of the funnel? How about testing stand-alone photo posts, or Instagram-specific creative?

One of the most common issues I see when auditing Facebook accounts is a singular focus on one ad type.

For example, somewhere along the way a lot of advertisers heard carousel ads “always work really well.” They can perform well, yes, but for prospecting, they actually don’t deliver sustainable results for most companies. Of course, there are many exceptions — but they tend to drive clicks but not as many purchases.

So instead of carousels, why not try focusing on content that looks or feels user-generated, or in fact is user-generated? In today’s competitive environment, it helps to mix in some creative that looks like something a friend took and also explains what the product does, and why it might benefit that person’s life. 

If you can successfully update ad creative and test new ideas every two weeks, you would be in much better shape. 

3. Placements are too limited

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen accounts that only target the Facebook News Feed for placement. Don’t get me wrong, I love the good ol’ News Feed, but at this moment in time, it’s just too competitive to have that be the only place you’re targeting.

Here are some other placements where I’ve recently seen stable performance:

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Messenger

Instagram News Feed

Instagram Stories

Perhaps most noteworthy, I’ve personally seen Instagram stories delivering positive results on prospecting audiences similar to that of the Facebook News Feed.

Have you experimented with new placements?

By simply expanding your options, you can help lower prices and reach more customers in a less competitive environment.

4. Your bid is too narrow

Last week on a coaching call, a client asked me to explain the pros and cons of bidding certain ways under a conversion objective. I started talking and didn’t stop for over an hour. Clearly, there’s a lot to talk about in reference to this subject!

One of the most common scenarios I see is when advertisers bid in a 1-day click window.

I myself have used 1-day click bidding and in many instances, it can work, but let’s think about the signal you’re giving Facebook. You’re saying to Facebook, “Find me people who are likely to buy something within one day of clicking on my ad.” 

This tactic can be incredibly limiting. 

Think about how many times you click on an ad and then buy right away. Most users don’t! We click, look around, think about it and consider that purchase. Then maybe I’ll go back on the weekend and buy the product.

This is the core of the lesson: bid within the window you think your users will actually convert. In many cases, starting with a 7-day click or 1-day view bid can be more helpful to widen that target audience a bit.

There are countless other discussions we could have about bidding, but a little experimentation on conversion windows can go a long way.

Rebuilding for Stability

By now you’ve done the ad autopsy and you’re ready to begin rebuilding for more stability. Rebuilding is a data-rich process based on utilizing what’s worked before, testing out new strategies, and trying to reach people in different parts of their buying journey. When I rebuild, I use the guide below.

Notice that each audience segment has a different offer and different ad copy. Fans are different than previous site visitors and previous customers differ from potential customers that have engaged with you.

Every grouping needs its own tailored creative and message. These offers aren’t specific to what I do every time but it gives you a beginning idea of how I think about it.

Take the Wheel

This post is just the tip of the iceberg of how to turn ads around from failing to scaling — there are plenty of other options and solutions. What has worked for you when things have started to go south? Let me know below in the comments!

Training Course

If this topic is interesting to you, I’m teaching a course called “From Failing to Scaling: Trusted Strategies for Account Recovery and Growth” with Jon. We’d love to have you join us.

You’re not alone if you are experiencing issues with ad performance right now. You want to scale, but you might not know how exactly to turn things around. This course helps you with the following:

Steps to take right away to stabilize an underperforming account

Understanding how to properly and sustainably scale

Bringing new ideas into the mix to save performance

Notice the warning signs moving forward

How to save money and take control

Join us!

The post Take Your Ads From Failing To Scaling appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

from Jon Loomer Digital https://www.jonloomer.com/2018/07/17/facebook-ads-from-failing-to-scaling/

[tamiejoslyn37-blog]

Affection Articles.

When most people lot summer months celebrations, they commonly possess the basic liquors, like draft beer and wine, but seldom do you find a lot give a selection of definitely unique summer season alcoholic beverages. Read the Present from the Magi through Holly, which is actually an instance from a story that makes use of a reversal from success spin (you may also download and install the tale as a PDF). The intent of the activity is to bring out some giggling in both from you, yet you could include a sexual spin to it. A social story to illustrate potential actions will definitely help a child with Autism soothe their worries also. So, he made a decision to compose and also illustrate letters and also memory cards to every from his four grandchildren weekly in just what has actually been actually referred to as a wonderful and truly unique expression from affection by a grandpa for his grandchildren. A truer, a lot more highly effective phrase from love might have been actually the selfless act from Jim residing on his very own because her future. The Mexicans adore to prepare clean food items normally however with a focus on diversity, spice, different colors and also taste. The middle is your story line or even story, and the ending is where your story concludes. Precisely, this is actually setting traits up for the significant show in Chapter 6." Ryan Murphy has been aggravating a game-changing spin in Episode 6 given that the season started, as well as our company are actually thinking that has something to carry out along with Jackson's personality. As you receive even more expert along with updates writing, you'll learn how to weave quotes into your tale or even, also better, create them the base on which you build your story. The location, entitled Evan," engrosses visitors over a one-minute-and-40-second romance with a cooling twist. TL; DR-- My Roanoke Ordeal" has finished, and Phase 6" denotes the starting point of truth horror tale to follow. If you loved this report and you would like to receive a lot more data pertaining to yellow pages residential search uk, Highly recommended Internet page, kindly take a look at our own website. The only concern through this is actually that you also prolong the account on its own and also this is not a good indication. To cut a lengthy tale quick - and also to promote you to see the movie - Oliver is actually sent out as well as satisfies the Artful Cheat - consequently the tale unravels. That vulnerable mind develops a superb setup spin device since everything might have taken place. Perhaps she possesses POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, which sidetracks her coming from a vital part of area info. Most of us understand reduction, woe, disappointment, aggravation - make certain that emotions are powerful components in your tale. At its own center, this is actually an elaborate attempt to present folks as they definitely reside in their complete complexity, creating it complicated for the audience to find to phrases with several of the circumstances in the account. If the story has to do with everyone living via a challenge, determining in the long run that every person in fact passed away may be the ultimate spin. This is cattle breeding place after all and the locals like to eat beef as well as have that simply barbequed, spiced as well as seared or even in a stew like chili, accompanied by edge meals as well as condiments. Sometimes the most ideal technique to start these tales is from completion, pick the spin then operate back, looking at all the hints you can give the audience without revealing the fact. Buddies, coworkers and also instructors make great visitors and also may highlight methods which your story twist performs certainly not make good sense or weakens your narrative. Cease and also deal with where it is actually going, and afterwards consider an alternative ending. United States Scary Story: Roanoke delivered another significant twist with Wednesday's season 6 finale, an incident that makes sure to leave behind audiences along with as many gurgling concerns as when the season first began. In this way the psychological elements, as well as the outcoming story spin, feel accurate to the character. Children at this grow older really enjoy that, specifically if the account is actually lively and also conveniently comprehended. The importance of a charming mystery or even chick illuminated is to produce edginess to the plot. These may not be twists due to the fact that they nearly never intensify the tale however typically carry out the incredibly opposite, showing to readers that factors just weren't actually that poor after all (de-escalation). The audience will definitely experience the ending is actually a cop-out if you don't leave any kind of ideas to the truth. Sure, they are actually insulting each other at the moment, yet in a 50 percent hour, they'll be consuming alcohol with each other and refer to the amount of they either adore or even hate one another. __ 1. The tale is written from a singular viewpoint and also a little one is the point of view personality. The story of a family of little people which live underneath the floorboards, making use of a variety of things which they 'acquire' from the inhabitants of your home. The Story chases our team till our company catch this. Then, that forms a void in between our partner and us. The partnership and also our companion do not stand up a possibility. Variation - Every tale does not need to finish along with a variation, yet a periodic twist can be fun. The Disappointments Room: Starring Abyss babe, Kate Beckinsale, this dramatic movie tells the story from a mama and also her youthful son launching unthinkable scaries coming from the attic room of their country aspiration property. The time begins along with students recollecting their own favorite accounts as well as sharing tips along with their peers about why those certain tales became their favourites. Certainly not merely does this results account display a private sales company's ability to solve problems, that showcases an understanding of service, markets and methods. This kind of finishing is when the account ends with a mirror picture of the starting point. We can easily use Toto as an example from how characters regulate the variation and also the plot and also turns in the account. This sort of ending is actually not every person's excellent end, however Chopin's tragic and also odd spin resulted in the overall awful mood of the account. The plot enlarged when a body was discovered along with numerous bullet wounds to the head, and also identified as John Cameron. The cannibal, incestuous hillbilly Polk household which are actually torturing the rest of the cast and also little by little eating items of Adina Doorperson bear in mind the show is actually gotten in touch with United States Horror Tale, as well as make a decision to inform the tale of just how they became which they are. And they are actually the ace in the hole responsible for those momentous plot spins that amaze visitors and also get posted. The Twist Company has changed the ensign stand by making use of a innovative as well as adaptable layout that is lightweight and quick and easy to set up. I make sure everyone possesses a favorite Dickens tale I perform: A Xmas Carol, this educates 2 of lifespan's essential trainings: that family and friends are actually more vital compared to funds as well as possessions and also to handle individuals as you desire to be addressed your own self. Often the styles deal with love and forgiveness, evil versus great and the consequences of both, effectiveness from all possibilities, market values (Attraction and also the Beast copes with appearing past the outside to exactly what is actually truly important), et. al. A lot of classics present the worth from avoiding lure to compromise so as to reach the objective.

[apples-to-ashes-blog]

An Explanation of the World So Far!

Here is the post for all the world building we have so far! We will continue to update this as we remember and/or make more of the story, so please stay tuned!

What World?

Probably Earth still lol, we’re still deciding, but Earth is the current setting for now. Probably in America too, but the characters do travel often, so we’ll probably get to see other places

World Building

Apples to Ashes takes place in a world where magic and powers are different yet very much real. Witches, Warlocks, Sorcerers, whatever you would like to dub them, have become common place and more or less accepted in modern day society. However, there is an innate power residing in some individuals that give them stunning powers, which have been previously classified as magic but had been proven to be something else entirely. These “super-powers” were given the name “Calculated: Burden”, or Caliburs. Though most individuals are normal people without magic or Caliburs, one cannot say with absolute certainty that seeing someone with either magic or a Calibur, or sometimes even both, is a rare sight. Both magic and Caliburs have become everyday occurrences, and have been known to be used to the advantage of the wielder be it for good or evil.

In addition to Caliburs and magic, the world saw a sudden appearance of monsters. Some were benevolent and sought to help humans--others chose to kill without purpose or drive simply for the sport of it. In an attempt to prevent the extinction of humanity, those wielding magic and/or Caliburs took up arms and their powers to protect the innocent from the malicious forces that wish to destroy humanity. Because of their efforts, magic and Caliburs became more widely accepted, and thus persecuting those with these powers became banned worldwide.

In addition, monster dungeons also popped up, containing hordes of monsters and varying in difficulty.

In order to properly defend themselves against malicious monsters, academies have been built to teach wielders of both magic and Caliburs how to use their potential for good. How each academy teaches their students is up to them, but they always give their students a code name of sorts based on something relating to them. (e.g. A girl who can inflict status ailments such as poison or paralysis might be given the code name Arachne). These code names, supposedly, are for the purpose of getting students ready for real world missions.

Calculated: Burdens

Caliburs were given their name due to the trouble that initially came with it. During the days when people were scared of magic and persecuted those who possessed it, Caliburs were understandably mistaken for magic as well due to it being a supposedly “unnatural” power. Thus, depending on how apparent your power was, they could become a bigger burden, hence the name. The most notable difference between those who wield magic and those who possess a Calibur is how hose with magic can branch off into many different categories, such as elemental, summoning, stealth, so on and so forth. Caliburs, however, are a permanent and singular power that does not have room to give you something different. In addition, Caliburs are unique powers. No two people can have the same Calibur and be alive at the same time. It is possible to have the Calibur of someone from the past, however, said person must have already passed away by the time the Calibur manifested into its new wielder. Additionally, Caliburs seem to come with a sort of “spiritual object”, more often than not a weapon. The type of object depends entirely on the person. Said object can be called upon at any given time with enough practice, and can just as easily disappear when wanted. It is possible to have both magic and a Calibur at the same time, though it is uncommon.

Scan Ability Ordinance

A Scan Ability Ordinance, or Scabbard for short, is a part of a person’s Calibur embodied into an object. The type of object differs from person to person, and although most are weapons, there are some that aren’t. Scabbards can range between heavy guns to simple sticks, and can be called upon at any given time with enough practice. They are essential for those who wish to take up monster slaying, considering these objects are usually stronger than their normal counterpart. 

Injury Ward

An Injury Ward is a magical hex placed on people who go into combat. It acts as a protective barrier to shield the wearer from any physical damage (e.g. Without the Ward, one can easily be cut by a blade. However, with the Ward on them,  though they will feel a small amount of pain, they won’t be wounded and blood won’t be drawn). The ward is not permanent and indestructible, however. A Ward can usually last for only one long, drawn out battle, and that’s if it isn’t hit. The more damage the Ward sustains in place of the wearer, the more fragile it becomes. Eventually, with enough hits, the Ward can shatter and the wielder can become susceptible to any permanent damage. 

Academies

The academies are located across the world, with at least one on every continent. The fame and prestige of each academy differ between how well they teach to which famous person graduated there, but the one we focus on the most is Caladbolg Peak (name courtesy of my brother), most famous for being the first academy to have been established. The academies cover basic studies such as math and science, but also include Combat Classes, Calibur Control and Use, Magic Defense and Offense, and anything else related to the profession. The years do not have a certain age requirement, and it usually takes around five years to graduate. The first year course is strictly for students to learn how to control their magic and/or Calibur so not to unintentionally endanger the public. After controlling their power, students are given the option to leave the school top pursue a different career, or continue on and partake in the monster slaying profession for the next four years. The youngest age to qualify for the first year class is 12, while the second year (the beginning of combat classes) must be at least 13. However, by the age of 18, those who have not mastered their magic and/or Calibur are required to take classes to control their power.

Students are allowed to take on quests from the school mission board. First years are only allowed to take up Basic Level Missions, which are all non-combatant. Half way through students’ second year and above, they are allowed to take on missions which require an understanding of combat. Second Level Missions are for Low-Ranking criminals and monsters, nothing too dangerous. Third Level Missions are for the experts only, and not only include High-Ranking Criminals and Monsters, but Dungeon Exploration and Mapping (DEM). Each mission has a reward given at the end depending on the contents of the mission and how it was executed.

Dungeons

Monster Dungeons are ancient structures, be they natural or manmade, that are generally unexplored and dangerous, but ultimately contain valuable items and resources. They can be ruins, caves, temples, towers, and the list goes on. Although Dungeon Exploration and Mapping does not sound too hard, it can actually be a very dangerous mission, especially when entering a new and unexplored one. Many Demons crawl the dungeon levels, and the further you go, the worse they become. To complete a DEM mission, you must explore and/or map the dungeon to its deepest level. You get an bonus reward if you can map it to its entirety, including the rooms, traps, monsters and such, so these missions become even more hazardous to the more ambitious and arrogant hunters.  However, they tend to be rather rewarding, and you find yourself coming out alive stronger than before should you be successful. Some of the most famous monster slayers are actually very successful dungeon crawlers.

Stay tuned for more!!