#another reason to call in a geologist

[curious-kat]

A secret rock garden! What a wonderful find!

I'm not going to attempt series rock ID across a screen--for one thing I such at mineral identification, and for another handling the rocks in person and observing their taste, mass, texture, and the way the light plays over the surface is a big part of rock ID.

What I will say is this: some of these rocks are potentially quite valuable. Those large crystalline mineral samples in the first couple photos especially are of a quality that go for hundreds of dollars apiece. It almost doesn't matter what the minerals are--any crystals of that size and quality are worth quite a bit.

The fossils might be worth something as well, although where I'm from brachiopods are dime a dozen. Also, fossils are generally worth less without provenance, which you don't have for these rocks, unfortunately.

Even if you plan to keep all these rocks (as I would--how cool is it to find buried treasure in your backyard?) I would see if you can find a geologist or minerologist to come out and appraise your new rocks. Just so you have some idea what the ballpark is.

Who wants to help me ID some rocks?

So one of the cool things that got left at the new house is the former owner's rock and fossil collection, which they meticulously catalogued by which I mean they left them out under some junipers in the back yard. The power is out, so I'm spraying some of the dirt and leaves off with the hose, but if anyone has guesses I'd love to hear them.

1. The Big Fucker:

(10 in screwdriver for scale)

First clue that there was a secret collection, this was the only one really visible. Pale translucent blue-green cubic crystals and skinny, more opaque/white ones on top of a heavy dull white rock. Pretty, whatever she is.

2. Salt n Peppa

Pretty sure the black stuff is smoky quartz, but what are the white cubes and the red rock it's on?

3. Sparkly Bois:

Two of these- I think the little cubes are pyrite, but what's the dark, shiny/metallic stuff? Very heavy for their size.

4. Assorted Dead Things!

Fossil clams and a coral I think, but if anyone knows anything more specific I'd love to hear it. Pretty sure most of these things are from the Rockies/front range area but genuinely, I don't know where they got them.

5. IDK what she is, but her name is Helen:

Like a bunch of criss-crossing wafers. Not very heavy for her size.

6. Green Stuff:

What are the green crystals coming out of this rock? They're cool, whatever they are.

7. Miscellaneous Shinies:

Assorted small rocks I found while digging. Small dead clam, I think some of that is mica, and I'm really curious about the shiny stuff on the granite (?).

Part 1/2, gonna hose some more rocks while y'all speculate.

[cellarspider]

21/30 Tales from the Crypt

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⛬

We return to that movie that the crabs shall dance for when it is done, Prometheus.

This time, the movie decided it needed a zombie mutant in it for some reason. Content warning for half-hearted body horror and gore.

I’m sure maybe half of a person out there was wondering “Hey, what happened to Fifield the geologist?” Well, the crew certainly wasn’t wondering that. They’re quite surprised when his suit camera feed shows up right outside the ship. Janek says it “just popped up” but why the hell would it. Fifield didn’t turn it back on, that much is obvious. Did the plot flip the switch or something?

In any case, Fifield has taken up a new career since we last saw him. He is now a contortionist.

This confuses the nameless crew guy. This is a very weird way to announce your new hobby to your coworkers.

Seriously, like. This is just an extreme backbend. It was probably done with prosthetics since they needed a body for this guy later anyway, but there are people who can just do this. Look, here’s a woman named Anna McNulty, doing this exact pose. It’s way weirder-looking when the person’s in motion! Again: not scary, just weird!

Contortionists are a thing in horror movies and shows. The explanation given always boils down to “they look uncanny and inhuman when they pretzel themselves, thus they are scary.” That isn’t really the case.

It still takes acting ability to make contortionism scary. Combine that with unsettling effects and you can get something memorably spooky, even when the rest of the movie isn’t that great. Javier Botet’s performance in Mama (2013), for example, was enhanced by his own acting decisions, the costuming, CG, and also practical puppetry of his body so that he could be supported in positions that felt unnaturally weightless.

Even if you’re lacking good direction or acting skills, makeup can still put in a lot of work to get you something freaky. And this makeup is… not their best.

Not in terms of quality of workmanship, but in terms of the concept itself. The creature department made a whole bunch of draft sculpts that looked way more xeno-y. Those were rejected. Instead, he’s got a big lumpy head. He looks like he wandered out of The Hills Have Eyes: Part II.

[Video description: A trailer for The Hills Have Eyes: Part II (1984). It’s complete schlock, and it’s got a big guy with a big prosthetic forehead in it, and he smashes people. There’s an off-brand Darth Vader breathing noise for some reason.]

Really, this design is straight out of a few sub-genres of horror I could mention: The Hills Have Eyes comes from cannibal and/or hillbilly horror (also called hixploitation), which often features deformed or mutated antagonists. Nuclear, infection, and chemical-scarred mutants are common lumpy monsters in horror, from 50s B-movies to Troma splatter films to modern “torture porn”. Video games tend to follow Resident Evil’s lead and make the lumpiest creatures zombies, while also making them WMD mutants and/or backwoods types, hello Marguerite and Jack Baker.

Obviously, Fifield’s been mutated by the black goo, adding to the list of things it’s capable of that the movie failed to set up before now. I will attempt to follow the ideas this may be attempting to throw at us, but I want it noted, this takes work.

This man has been exposed to a biochemical weapon, created by the Engineers. They were stockpiling that weapon here with the intent to use it on Earth. God decided rainbows aren’t a covenant anymore, time for Noah Part 2: Even Drownier.

But the Engineers are not gods in the christian sense, they aren’t all-powerful, and they are not beings that anyone would assert are omnibenevolent. They are another intelligent, social humanoid species with their own culture and morality. What moral standards do the Engineers have that produce a later scene, where one of them will look unsettled by a display of inter-human violence, yet also intend to kill every human? Humans are in some ways their descendants. What would be the right thing to do if your children became murderers? 

The movie doesn’t have to answer that, because there is no objectively right answer, but it also doesn’t present the issue very competently when it's having a mutant geologist pull wrestling moves.

[Video description: A short compilation of Macho Man Randy Savage doing the double axe handle.]

The questions that FIfield’s current state actually brought to me were more like this:

What horror sub-genre are we in? Is this a pastiche? Is it being done on purpose?

The answers, as far as I can tell, are “all of them,” “yes,” and “I have no idea.” I still don’t know. This is too bizarre a series of decisions to feel unintentional, and yet it’s pulled off with so little grace that it also feels like it can’t be intentional. It is Schrodinger’s Script, suspended in a state of both “hack job” and “competent hack job” until someone observes the movie and forms an opinion.

Speaking of being observed: these crew members. Boy. They sure are here, aren’t they.

There’s seventeen crew on the Prometheus, and a movie with strong characterization will make it so you can remember that many people, even if their roles are small and unnamed. Fellowship of the Ring (2001) manages to outdo that, for example. Before I started writing this, I could remember less than half the people onboard Prometheus.

So, obviously these guys exist to get destroyed before the miniboss fight is over.

It isn’t even that much of a scene. Mutated Fifield jumps around and wails on guys, the guys freak out and accidentally kill at least one other guy, and then FIfield gets run over by the transport. When this was originally filmed, it was going to be placed slightly later and Shaw would be the one driving it, but that wouldn’t have improved this any, to be honest.

So, great. We have killed a few more cast members for some reason. It fails as horror, and it fails as bloodsport. Good job everyone.

Next time, the horror anthology continues with our host, the Crypt Keeper.

Oh, sorry, that’s not what happens–I meant to say: “Next time, Peter Weyland wakes up”.

⛬

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Citations for alt-text rambles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOlpoG-rZXI

[starsaroundmyscarsblog]

Costume Party

Steven x Reader

Summary: You and Steven go to a party held by one of your friends as Milo and Kida.

Warnings: none. Pure Fluff.

When Gwen had called you last week, asking you to come to come to a costume party, you were going to say no. Parties weren't really your thing, let alone costume parties.

You tried to remember the last time you had dressed up at all, and that had been world book say when you were 10 years old. Not that you thought there was anything wrong with cosplaying as an adult, you just never had any reason to do it.

"Come on Y/N please. You can bring Steven with you. It's a couples thing. Well. Kinda. Well, not really. You can come alone, but I'm telling everyone who's not single to have their outfit match their partners. I'll even help you make your costume."

You sighed, looking over at Steven who was hunched over his desk. You weren't sure how he would react, if he'd ever even been to a party before.

"OK. But I'm only going if he goes."

"Yes!" Gwen cried " thank you, thank you, thank you. I'll text you the details, it's happening at Arthur's house. Arthur was your Gwen's boyfriend. You'd met him on occasion, and he seemed alright. She certainly seemed happy, at least.

"Wait. Who are you and him going as?"

"Well, it's kinda cliché but Robin Hood and Maid Marian."

"Not cliché. Cute.:

"Yeah, it was his idea, actually. Most people would expect him to go as King Arthur cause his name's Arthur, but he wanted to surprise people, and we couldn't think of anything else, lol."

After you finished talking to Gwen, you placed your phone down on the table and headed over to Steven, who sat hunched over on his desk, carefully highlighting pages of his books. He was currently in the first year of his PhD, while working another job at another museum, so he was a little busy. Often, you guys didn't see each other till late at night when he curled up beside you in bed, and you snuggled into his warm body

As if he could sense your prescence he looked up with a smile

"Hello love."

You felt your heart lift at his warmness, stepping forward, and Steven instinctively pulled you in, wrapping an arm around your waist, his head resting on your abdomen, and you played with his curls.

"What's up?"

"Nothing just....Gwen invited us to a party."

"Hmm." He mused, trying to remember her. "Work friend, black hair-

"In a bob, yeah."

"Mm." Steven replied, using his thumb to stroke your hip, and you blushed.

"I said I'd ask you first. You wanna go? I know how sometimes these things can be overwhelming for you, so it's up to you. We don't have to. I won't be disappointed or anything if you don't in fact we can-

"I'd love to go with you, Y/N." Steven almost blurted out. He knew sometimes his eagerness could be a little off-putting, especially when he was talking about Egypt, something he loved wholeheartedly. "That is, only if you want to, love." He looked up at you, a warm smile on yourface

"I'd love to go, only with you." You kissed his head of curls and Steven could feel the warmth spreading throughout his body, "Only thing is though, its a costume party."

Steven paused for a moment as you sat down on the desk

"Who would we go as?" He asked, now holding your hand.

"I don't know..."

"Maybe those geologists or whatever from Jurassic Park."

"Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant? Nah, someone else's taken them. So far, I think there are The flintstones, simpsons, pirates of the carribean couple, oh, and Mario and Princess Peach.

"Wow."

"Yeah just a bit of fun to be honest."

"Whose Gwen and Sam going as?"

"Maid Marian and Robin Hood."

Steven paused before spotting your dvd on the table in front of the TV.

"What about them?"

You picked up your old copy of Atlantis you had gotten as a child, going to sit back on his desk.

"Milo and Kida? You think I could pull her off?"

"I think you'd look ho-

Steven laughed as you raised an eyebrow. The blush was spreading on his face and it was hard not to smirk

"You look...amazing...in anything...Y/N." He turned back to his work, clearing his throat."When's the Party?"

"This coming Friday. Are you sure you can make it? You can spare some time? I can go alone if you can't, or just cancel."

Steven stood up, stretching and giving your forehead a kiss

"Wouldn't dream of missing it. And there's always time for you." He kissed your forehead again.

Now it was Thursday night, and you sat on the floor in Gwen's room, a mannequin out in front of you, and carefully cut fabric on the floor. You had requested the skirt to be floor length, only cause it got bloody cold and it was still winter. You'd gotten golden earrings, an amulet necklace, and an arm band, along with a white wig. Kida walked barefoot, but in London, that wasn't exactly advised, so you got some gold sandals. Lying there, the fabric looked so beautiful.

You were worried you were going to ruin it just by wearing it. Body image had never been something you had the best relationship with, and so coming to this place was way out of your comfort zone. Especially weemaring an outfit like Kida's.

Gwen had just measured you and cut the material, and now you were just sitting on the living room floor, watching a movie, eating popcorn and talking about work and other things. It was about 9 o'clock when you finally finished the outfit (you had lost a lot of time movie watching) and she made you try it on, wig and all.

Before you stepped out of the bathroom, you were coming up with excuses in your head, so you didn't have to show her. The dress didn't fit right, the wig was a little stuffy. To be honest, you thought you would look terrible, that's why you didn't look at yourself before you stepped out.

Gwen wolf-whistled when you came out

"Shit, Y/N you look hot. I wish I was Steven."

You blushed, "shut up."

"No but seriously, you do look really hot. Spin around for me."

You did so

"And the dress fits perfect. Eat shit Mrs Zimmer."

"Whose Mrs Zimmer?"

"My design and textiles teacher who used to tell me I was crap at this sort of stuff. Heck, Y/N you look damn good. I really should have pursued a career in fashion."

After you got changed back into your regular clothes, I was a little more confident for when Steven would see you tomorrow. Marc was fronting when you got back into the shared flat.

"Hey baby."

"Hey Marc."

"Is that your costume?" You blushed. You had tried to cover it up in your bag, still a little unsure of whether they would like it on you, but your bag was still open from when you gotten your keys.

"Yeah." You said hurrying towards your wardrobe

"Can I see it?" You shoved it inside.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Cause," you blushed, a grin on your face. "You'll see it tomorrow."

You stuffed it in the back of your wardrobe. When the morning came, you said goodbye to Steven and headed over to work. Gwen seemed very excited, and everyone at work wished he happy birthday, but your heart pounded in your throat all day. Even though you tried to act like you were happy for her. And you were. But you were also nervous. What if Steven and the boys hated it?

You pushed the thought away as you entered your flat, holding a bag of cans of fizzy drinks/soda. Steven came and met you at the door, already in full Milo cute. If it was possible, he looked even more cute and handsome (at the same time).

You grinned at him as he kissed your cheek and took the drinks you'd bought on Gwen's request.

"You look really, handsome Stevie."

"Thanks." He rubbed his arm a little. "I got this stuff thrifted, and I already had a ton of old looking notebooks, though." He explained before casting a grin."Where's your?"

"Oh uh, in the cupboard. I think I'll change later though." You smiled, trying to stall as much as possible "right before we leave."'

He nodded, and you felt the room was suddenly too hot even though it was the middle of winter. You opened a couple of windows, trying to calm yourself and dreading for whem he and the others would see you.

So, that's how you ended up hiding out in the bathroom before you were due to leave. You were in full Kida mode, and the skirt still hugged you the way it did before, but you still didn't know. Surmounting all your strength you finally looked up. Everything looked wrong on you, so wrong you wanted the ground to swallow you hope. You were gearing up to tell Steven you didn't want to go anymore when you heard a knock on the door

"Love," he said, opening the door "just letting you know that-

"don't open it!" You jumped but it was too late. He had already seen you. You wanted to run into bed and huddle up in the covers.

Steven stood their breathless, mesmerised. The blue was great against your skin tone, the dress long and flowing. Your eyes sparkled, glowing almost, the dress hugging your figure perfectly. Steven could've sworn that moment he first saw you lasted forever. He spent forever getting lost in your waters before submerging again

"Steven?" He blinked as you rubbed your arm sheepishly. Your call had brought him back to reality.

"Oh yeah." He shook his head and stepped forward, laying both of his hands over your arms. "Y/N. You look beautiful. Really. You do."

He lifted your chin up and kissed you deeply.

"Bloody Brilliant babes. " He winked at the end, and you could feel your insides melt.

The headspace certainly thought that too.

Jake wolf-whistled, 'Mierda, debería vestirse así más a menudo'

'Damn. You're one lucky guy, Steven. Wish I was fronting tonight.' Marc added

When you finally had gotten there, the music was already pumping. Steven held your hand tight as you walked up to Gwen's front door and rang it. As if she was waiting there, Gwen answered the door immediately, excited and slightly tipsy

"Hey, hey Steven. Hey Y/N! You brought the drinks!"

Arthur came over to say hi as well, shaking Steven's hand and giving you a hug. You gave one to Gwen as well, and she took the drinks from you before ushering you inside with a wave of her hand.

"Drinks are on that table, food and shit on the other. Dump your stuff in my room," She handed a key "remember to lock it. Don't want any strays in there."

You hadn't brought much, expect a few essential items in your brought handbag. Steven came with you upstairs to make sure the door was locked (he said it was Marc's paranoia) but once you were done, he pulled you in by the waist, before moving the locks out of your face, and kissing you softly, then harder, and you did too. Even though you had spent the evening with him, every time you kissed it, it felt like you hadn't seen him in ages. Like you needed him.

You finally pulled away, when you felt like you were losing your breath, staring into Steven's eyes.

"I have to go to the bathroom." You pecked him on the cheeks."See you downstairs."

He nodded

"I'll get you a drink."

You headed over to bathroom, freshened up and then went back downstairs, looking for him. More people had arrived, and it was hard to see him over the masses. The music was pumping, and people were either dancing or huddled together talking. You decided to brave the crowd and go looking for Steven on foot, but before you could make it across the room, Gwen called your name.

"Oh Y/N! This is ny cousin Sam. Came as King Arthur. See if you can find him a woman to talk too. Bye!"

She waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd again so quickly you had wondered whether she had ever been there

Sam laughed a little awkwardly

"I have to apologise for my cousin's behaviour. I went through a rough breakup a couple months ago and she's been trying to set me up ever since."

You smiled. "It's ok. Gwen likes to play matchmaker. She's still convinced she introduced me to my boyfriend, yet I'd met him before."

You hadn't told Gwen about the DID. You'd met Marc first, then Steven, and then finally Jake. It'd been a long time coming getting Marc to open up about his DID, and you didn't feel like it was your place to tell people without his or the other altars permission.

Sam rolled his eyes, releasing a pent up laug

"Yeah that sounds like her. She's trying to set me up. Said she invited a lot of sexy women for me to pick from."

You laughed

"OK she is definitely drunk."

"Very." Sam laughed, and your eyes scanned over his costume

"You're Arthur."

"What? Sorry."

"Arthur. You're King Arthur."

He blinked as his expression changed from confused to realising.

"Oh shit. Oh yeah." He laughed again

"You're just missing a Guinevere."

Sam smiled, before looking back at you.

"Honestly, I was hoping to find her tonight."

You moved to say something "Well maybe I can help, I've got a-

"Wait. Hold on. Sorry." He leaned closer to you."It's just, I wanna give you my full attention, and I can't see you properly if it's like this."

He moved a strand of white hair away from your cheek.

"There."

You stepped back a little, a blush rising in your cheeks, surprised and nervous at how forward his action was. A part of you sighed in relief once you had spotted Steven walking towards you.

Steven had been watching the whole exchange, drinking from a bottle of beer. He didn't even like beer. That was more of Marc's thing, but he kept drinking it either way. It wasn't that he didn't trust you was that he didn't trust the guy right next to you.

'Whose that guy?' Marc asked

'I don't know Marc. Friend of Gwen's maybe. She seems to know him.'

'Well, he's getting a little close.'

'De acuerdo. Si él la toca solo sabe, voy a patearle el trasero.'

'Jake, they're hardly kissing.' Steven chuckled, though his own insecurity was running high. He took another swig of beer. 'Besides, Y/N's not like that. She wouldn't cheat.'

'We know that, but it's not like this guy wouldn't try something.'

Steven didn't reply, instead choosing to watch, a little riled up.

He watched at how Sam seemed to make you laugh with every word that came out of your mouth and the bright smile that seemed to grace your features when you were talking to him. He even watched as Sam moved a piece of hair away from your face, something only he and the boys did.

Jake swore very loudly.

'El cabrón. Te dije que este tipo era un problema'

'Go get him, Steven.' Marc said, though the former had already started walking towards you.

You noticed Steven coming up to you and smiled at him, though he didn't see it, instead slipping an arm around your waist, pulling you into him. You blushed.

"This is my boyfriend Steven." He shook Sam's hand a little too tightly before placing his back on your waist. A silent reminder that you belonged to someone else

"Sam, yeah? He took a swig of his beer. "So what'd you do for a living? Make a lot of money."

"Steven." You raised your eyebrows a little, and Steven took another gulp of his drink

"What?"

Sam laughed "No it's alright. In just a software engineer. I make money to live on, but not as much as I'd like, you know?"

You nodded eagerly, and Steven wondered if you cared more about what Sam said than he did. You never seemed this eager whenever he told you about his interests. He wondered if he had been this blind all along. Of course you didn't care Egypt, people never cared about what he was into.

"Well, I better go find Gwen. See you around Y/N. Steven." Sam waved himself off.

'Good job Steven you scared him off.'

'Sí, nadie se lleva a nuestra chica.'

You turned towards him and smiled, though he looked away. Even though you hadn't done anything wrong, his actions made you feel a little guilty.

"Steven? Steven?"

"I just remembered, I've got some coursework to do. I'll see you at home, Y/N." He started moving to the front door.

"Wait, Steven. What's going on? I thought you were having a good time."

"Well, I'm not anymore."

"What? Why?"

He sighed, turning back around to face you.

"Y/N, come on, don't play dumb with me. He was flirting with you." He paused. "And you didn't exactly seem like you hated it."

"What? Steven, come on. Why would I enjoy him flirting with me?

"I don't know, you tell me." Those words stung a little, and you could feel yourself getting more pissed off. "You were the one flirting back."

"Flirting back? What do you mean flirting back?!"

"You were laughing, and whispering to him. I saw you. Then you let him touch you."

"I didn't let him do anything. I was about to tell him I had a boyfriend again, then you came up.

"Were you really? Looked like you were gonna exchange numbers to me."

"Steven." You stepped in closer to him, the strong scent of beer hitting your nostrils. "Baby, are you drunk? I promise you it wasn't like that. Don't you trust me?" You reached for him, and he pushed you hand away.

"No." He answered a little too quickly. "How can I trust a flirt?"

He turned back around to see your eyes brimming with tears, and reality suddenly hit him again.

"Oh shit, Y/N. Love, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-

You turned from him, and ran upstairs. There were people going into the room to dump their stuff so you took that as an opportunity to grab yours.

You walked past Steven.

"Y/N. Love, wait. You're right. I am drunk."

"Walk yourself home tonight, Grant."

'Nice going, Steven.'

He followed you out to the car.

"Y/N. Love. Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it-

"Then why did you say it, Steven?!" You were still angry, but he could see the tears rolling down your cheeks "I love you all more than anything. Why would you say something like that?"

"I just didn't like it when..." he trails off at the end "When he touched you. It was our thing. And, you seemed so much more happy with him then you ever did with me. I was a little jealous I guess."

"A little?" You chuckled, wiping your eyes, and he knew he could approach you again. He wrapped his arms around you, slowly stroking your back, calming you down.

"Steven." You whispered once you had calmed down. He looked down below at you. "You make me happy. You, Marc, and Jake. More than anyone in the world. I know you think you're so flawed. But to me, you're all perfect. All of you."

You nuzzled his nose, leaning him

"I wouldn't trade a million you guys for one Sam."

"Technically it would be 3 million."

You rolled your eyes playfully, leaning into him

"Love you, Y/N." He replied, kissing your head

"Love you too, Stevie. And you Marc. And you, Jake."

"Can we go home?"

"Yeah, baby. We can go home."

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Ricki Hollander

PBS Newshour continues to present one-sided coverage of the Hamas-Israel war, interviewing pro-Hamas propagandists with no Israeli representatives to counter them. (See: “Hamas Propaganda by Doctors Without Borders, Courtesy of PBS NewsHour”) The latest example is its Dec. 26, 2023 episode featuring former PA spokeswoman Nour Odeh to discuss recent events.  (View clip here.)

After reciting the (unconfirmed) casualty statistics put out by Hamas –‘the death toll in Gaza is nearing 21,000, mostly women and children according to Palestinian officials” – interviewer Amna Nawaz questioned Odeh about “the proposed peace plan put forward yesterday by Egypt and Qatar” which “essentially calls for the phased release of hostages held by Hamas and also Palestinians held by Israel, and for a united technocratic Palestinian government# that would oversee Gaza and the West Bank.”

Odeh responded that she is “puzzled that the Egyptians would also include negotiations with Israel and the U.S. really on the internal Palestinian issue of who governs and how” and made clear her position that Hamas should continue to play a role in governing the Palestinians, that Israel should have no say in the matter and that the world should just accept it.

“…[Hamas] remains part of the political scene because that’s inevitable. There’s no way that Hamas is going to cease to exist…And everyone has to come to terms with that…What kind of role would Hamas have in the wider political context in the Palestinian political scene, these are things that Palestinians need to agree on and that, quite, frankly, the world has to come to terms with, because if this veto on who can — who is an acceptable Palestinian political player continues, then there is more of a chance that this war will continue…”

In answer to the interviewer’s question about Israel’s insistence that Hamas be eradicated and no longer play a role in Palestinian governance as a prerequisite to peace, Odeh responded that “it should not be up to the Israelis.”

Odeh promoted a Hamas role for the governance of Palestinians, insisting that Hamas plays a large role in the West Bank as well and “in exile” and that the Palestinians “need to be able to come up with a formula…that can be functional and inclusive and representative…in order for dialogue about ending the occupation and the root cause of all this misery…”

Neither the interviewer nor any Israeli representatives pointed out that such a peace plan would necessarily entail the eradication of the Jewish state,  which Hamas has repeatedly made clear is its mission and the reason it has widespread Palestinian support. 

Instead, Nawaz moved on to question Odeh about “the displacement of Palestinians,” pointing to an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post by an Israeli geologist about “Why moving to the Sinai peninsula is the solution for Gaza’s Palestinians”. This served as an invitation for another rant by Odeh demonizing Israel:

“I think that the Israelis are more comfortable talking about a potential atrocity crime, as experts of international law have warned.  In my opinion, this was the plan all along, starving a population, depriving them of food and water, destroying the infrastructure, breaking down the health system, making sure that the region occupied now is basically uninhabitable, and pushing the majority of the population into a small, tiny portion at the Egyptian border. It was all meant to kind of nudge the population, if not outright forcibly expel it, into the Sinai. And now they’re more comfortable saying that, probably because they haven’t really had any pushback about all the other violations of international law that have been committed for over 80 days now.”

There was no Israeli representative to counter Odeh.  Instead, Nawaz at this point asked:

“Israel, I must put to you, will say that this has all been about national security, that October 7th changed everything. The steps  that they’re taking now is to make sure that horrific day never happens again.  What would you say to that?”

PBS producers should have been familiar with Odeh’s refusal to condemn Hamas’ atrocities on Oct. 7th, the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. They could easily have known that Odeh’s response to  Hamas’ savagery and genocidal rhetoric is to deflect from Hamas to blame and demonize Israel. Her posts on X/Twitter on October 7th did just that, insisting that what had happened was “not about Hamas” but about “a moment in history that reflects just how deadly this untenable situation is, the cost of international failure & double standards & the cost of racist & irresponsible apathy to Palestinian rights & lives.”  PBS producers might have predicted that she would turn immediately to demonizing Israel, as she did on October 7th:

 “All the news that has been ignored about Israeli settler pogroms, settler raids of AlAqsa, the 🇮🇱 gov’s erasure of Palestine & the Palestinians, the choking inhumane siege of Gaza, the silencing & maligning of pro-justice & pro-Palestine voices worldwide – they are inescapable.” 

Odeh compared Hamas’ barbaric actions to those of Ukrainians defending themselves from Russia’s brutal aggression and continued to condemn Israel as the root cause.  For example, her posts on October 7th included:

[captainmartinisblog]

Elves, Trolls and the Best Laid Plans…..

Friday 14th June 2024 – Akureyri, Iceland.

The last couple of days, they haven’t opened the pool early enough for me to go swimming before breakfast. No reason is given; it’s entirely arbitrary.

So today, I took the law into my own hands, I untied the rope myself and had a lovely swim!

Today, we arrived in Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland and capital of the Western Fjords, with a population of nearly 25,000. It’s also the second most popular tourist destination in Iceland and we were followed by Costa Favolosa all the way from Seydisfjordur yesterday.

We docked for the first time this trip, which was refreshing, as all that tendering was beginning to get a bit tiresome!

Anyway, Andrew & I had chosen an 8-hour excursion today called the ‘Diamond Circle’.

We’re not fond of all-day tours these days, as they can a bit exhausting, not to say expensive! But having been to Akureyri before, we chose this one in order to visit the Dettifoss Falls – the second largest in Europe – plus, this trip also mentioned Husavik, which as any fan of Eurovision may know, was the setting of the 2014 movie ‘Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga’.

However, the bus had barely left the pier when we were told by the guide that we couldn’t visit Detifoss Falls because the area was closed due to heavy snow falls last week, making the trek to it dangerous. Well that put a dampener on things straightaway!

Our first planned stop was at the Lava Fields of Dimmuborgir, where some of the lava formations reach 65 feet high.

Icelandic myth says that this was formed when some Trolls had a wild party and lost track of the time (trolls clearly didn’t have watches in those days) and when the sun came up, they were turned into rocks. In truth, this area was a vast lake or marsh-land when volcanic lava erupted from fissures and solidified – but the story of the trolls is more fun!

We knew we were expecting lunch later but for some reason, we made another stop at this view-point for a ‘picnic snack’ overlooking MyVatn and what remains of the vast lake mentioned above, now pocked with sulphur springs. It was an impressive view but as to the ‘picnic’, we were all a bit puzzled….

Our excursion was also supposed to visit the ‘Whispering Cliffs’ of Hljodklettar in the Vatnajokull National Park but, guess what, that was closed too! Instead, we were taken on a trek through a forest to a pond popular with breeding ducks (except that there weren’t any ducks either!)

Icelandic Joke – Question: What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest? Answer: Stand up! (Icelandic trees don’t grow very high because of the severe climate and lack of daylight 4 months of the year)

The area is known as Myndun Asbyrgis, a horseshoe-shaped canyon with cliffs up to 330 feet. Nick-named ‘Sleipnir’s Footprint’, it is said that it was created when one of the eight hooves of Odin’s horse, Sleipnir, accidentally touched the earth. Yes, well, today’s geologists prefer to believe that it was caused by catastrophic glacial flooding; a bit boring but probably closer to the truth!

Today we were indeed blessed with glorious sunshine all day, temperatures rising to the dizzy heights of 20 degrees – I even took off my woolly!

After a two-course lunch at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, our next stop was supposed to be in Husavik and Andrew & I were both looking forward to at least finding the ‘JaJa Ding Dong Bar’, named in honour of the 2014 movie set here, ‘Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga’.

But the bus drove straight through the town and our guide never even mentioned the film! All this was, presumably, so that our tour could stop at Godafoss Falls on the way back to the ship.

At around 30-40 ft, these falls are less impressive than Detifoss but it was here that at the time Christianity was being introduced around 1000AD, the local leader figure Porgeir threw his statues of the Norse Gods into the falls – hence the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’. All well and good but we had been here last time and these falls (quite near Akureyri) were on almost every other excursion apart from the one we chose!

It is said in Iceland that the Elves (or the ‘Hidden People’) often interfere with the lives of humans and that people should be mindful. It’s all twaddle of course, intended to make children behave (and adults for that matter) and follow the rules of the community in what was then a cruel world to survive in. But over 50% of the population still believe in the ‘Hidden People’ (or say they do, jus in case) and maybe, just maybe, the Elves had something to do with the events of today, because I took the rope off the pool to go swimming, instead of ‘obeying the rules’………

[iamthepulta]

Hey which media/story/franchise is your liztlie AU based on? I've been trying to figure it out based on context clues and I'm getting no where. Please insert long ass info dump rant below.

OH HELL YEAH. <3

The Liztlie AU is based on the Fallen London universe by Failbetter Game studio! Fallen London is a decade-old browser game that’s updated regularly. It’s excellent. There’s also a PC game called Sunless Seas, which was my introduction to the fandom and still some of my favorite content. After the success of Sunless Seas, they made another PC game called Sunless Skies, which I love lore-wise, but for some reason can’t get into playing. (And now they have Mask of the Rose! Which just came out on the 8th! Also set in Fallen London, but a prequel to all of the games.)

For some background, Fallen London and Sunless Seas are set in the same location and same timeline. London as a city, has been pulled down into the cave called the Neath. (Mask of the Rose is set just after the Fall happens.) There are several different London factions, but most importantly, on one end of the Neath, there is a Gate. Sunless Skies is, strictly speaking, a possible AU timeline, set after London discovers and opens that Gate to a realm called the Reach.  

Sunless Skies is its own beast; all the lore in Sunless Seas and Fallen London is dialed up to 11. The focus is on either allying or destroying the 'Great Chain of Being', which includes everything from the industrialist time-manipulating nightmare London has become, to talking rats, to the “Gods”, the Suns of each realm which feed off of the souls of their inhabitants. The game developers did a great job at expanding the world of Fallen London in Sunless Skies, and there are several maps you can play through, a few dozen storylines, and a lot of cool content. (10/10, recommend. Although as fellow rock-eater, you might prefer Sunless Seas. It’s always a tossup.)

So because PC gameplay isn’t enough, people enthusiastically made an RPG out of Sunless Skies! Enter Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor. The Skyfarer RPG system is one page long. I’m biased because I hate long, complicated, number-based RPG systems, but I think this RPG is awesome. It was meant for short campaigns, it’s a d10 system, and your character is designed around being one of the officers on a Skies locomotive. Easy, inventive, and flexible.

Enter two ADHD geologists and a pandemic:

@paleomancer hit up our friend group one day and asked if we wanted to play a oneshot RPG in Skyfarer. We were socially distancing and mentally traumatized nerds, so of course the answer was Yes. And the oneshot was great! We made our characters, played the game for a few hours, finished the oneshot plot, and successfully carried our passenger to Elutheria along with her illicit books. We liked it so much we agreed to keep playing every few weeks just to keep in touch during the pandemic.

This was all well and good until I lost my mind playing Westlie. My dipshit friends (affectionate) thought it was a great idea for me, the First Mate, to be promoted when our captain kicked the bucket. I hadn’t written fiction since college, but I started writing again as I fleshed out her backstory and the DM and I crafted her sister, Morgan. Then I just kind of kept… creating stories and toying with different ways for Westlie to develop until @justanormalseagull and I were playing around with the Found Family/Adoption trope. She'd played Lizzie’s character, and in a burst of inspiration, I realized the plot of our first few Skyfarer seasons would still work well if Westlie adopted Lizzie and never left London. So I casually wrote five chapters as a gift, fell down the rabbit hole again, and now the Liztlie AU is a 200k monster. xD

So to really answer your question, the Liztlie AU is an AU of our Skyfarer Game, which is a translation of Sunless Skies, which is an AU of Sunless Seas, which is an offshoot of the ancient, niche, Fallen London browser game. xD The context clues are piecemeal at best, haha.

But the nice thing! At this point, the Liztlie AU is its own standalone story; it starts at the 'beginning' of the Skyfarer campaign, so you don't need to know anything about the Pyrrhus. And it's set in Sunless Skies, but I explain 90% of the world as Westlie learns about it anyway. Both aspects are basically Easter eggs for readers to enjoy if they happen to know. Which makes the absurdity of what I'm writing even greater because the AU is kind of my own novel now? But also, most definitely not.

The best links if you want to browse are: My Archive -> “the crew of the Pyrrhus” (for memes of the main campaign), "fl", “dnd”, "liztlie au", “wm”, “mw”, or just “westlie”

THANKS FOR ASKING! THIS MADE MY EVENING. :D NOW YOU KNOW! :D

Brief character summaries (links lead to more):

Westlie Faire is/was my Skyfarer PC. She has a horrible father, Arthur Faire, and ran away from the title of Heir to Fairweather Shipping Co. to be the First Mate on the Pyrrhus.

Morgan Faire is her younger sister. Extremely lucky due to [redacted] reasons.

Lizzie Twaddle is/was @justanormalseagull ‘s PC. She was an orphan who snuck aboard the Pyrrhus and got adopted as mascot by the crew. In the AU, she’s adopted by Westlie while she’s trying to sneak onboard a train and Westlie takes her back to London. Just wants a family. T__T

[kariachi]

I am sitting here, checking Dragonsdawn to answer a question. Namely, did the last clutch of artificially-created eggs result in dragons or whers. Because you hear dragons a lot, but I could’ve sworn it was whers, so I went to take a look in the book.

Dragonsdawn, pg 414 (in my copy)

“I heard there were more creatures hatched,“ Drake said. “Is that true, Admiral?“

“Yes, that’s true.“

“Are they any good?“

“Six more dragons,” Paul said, more heartily than he felt.

“Removing six more young people from our fighting strength!“

“Giving us six more potential self-maintaining, self-propogating fighters!“

Dragondawn, pg419-420 (in my copy)

“Actually Paul,“ Telgar said, glancing at Ozzie and Cobber, “those photophobes of Wind Blossom’s have proven to be extremely useful in subterranean explorations. Their instinct for hidden dangers- pitfalls, in fact, and blind tunnels- is infalliable.“ The geologist gave one of his humorless smiles. “I’d like to keep them now that Wind Blossom has abandoned them, so to speak.“ Telgar turned to Pol and Bay.

“It’s a relief to know they’ve some use,“ Pol said, sighing heavily. Both he and his wife had tried to use reason with the indignant Wind Blossom when she had been requested to suspend the dragon program. Though she maintained that the emergency transfer from Landing to Fort had damaged many of the eggs in the clutch she had manipulated, Pol and Bay had seen the autopsy reports and knew that claim to be spurious. They had been lucky to hatch six live creatures.

“Once they get to trust you, they’re quite harmless,“ Telgar went on. “Cara adores the latest hatchling, and it won’t let her out of it’s sight unless she leaves the Hold.“ Again, he displayed his mirthless smile. ”Keeps watch at her door by night.“

Dragonsdawn, pg 421 (in my copy)

“You will, of course, continue to monitor the latest dragon hatchlings.“

“Of course. What’s the latest word from Sean and the others?” Pol asked, a trifle anxious.

~~~

So we see where there may be trouble here. The first part is insistent that these are proper dragons. Meanwhile the second part states that the dragon program has been ended due to resource issues mentioned elsewhere, but then you’ve got Tarvi referring to Cara’s relationship with the latest of the wher hatchlings, which implies that either this latest batch produced more whers or the whers are already breeding, the latter of which would mean that they breed considerably faster than dragons-

The Whers hatched about 6 months after the dragons did, Garben blows about 2 months after that, Boll’s accident seems to happen within a few days of the eruption (though with Anne who can tell) around the time the dragons figure out Betweening, and the end of the book happens ‘weeks’ after that, since that’s how long it’s been since anyone’s seen her... We can assume the new wher clutch happens within that span of time for various reasons, the main one being that these fuckers need time to grow. We learn in Dragons Kin that whers reach full size at 4 months...

Yeah, there cannot be another wher clutch. Unless Wind Blossom was just throwing whers out everywhere in the 2 months between that hatching and the eruption, while also putting in the time to put together the final clutch. Given she produced 5 clutches over 6 months- 4 of which seemed to have failed quickly- that seems like it’d be cutting things close, getting two successful clutches out in 2.

(And yes, I’m going to call the clutch of six successful, the characters can talk shit all they want but Kitti died with 42 eggs maturing and got 18 dragons out of them, while we have no idea what Wind Blossom’s numbers for the last clutch were.)

And there is no way in hell that the whers have produced and hatched clutches by that point in the story. There just isn’t. You can stretch and say they reached full size by the end of the book, but certainly it wasn’t longer than that- for one after a point you stop saying ‘weeks’ and start saying ‘months’, and for another after a point you stop going ‘the governor was injured’ and start going ‘we think they may be hiding the fact the governor’s dead’. But even if we say that whers can breed as soon as they reach full size- which is unlikely given dragons need to reach 2 years for that, are considered full size at 1 year, and we’re given no reason to believe similar ratios at least don’t apply to other dragonkin- there would still need to be time where the gold is gravid, and time for the young in the eggs to grow before hatching, then time after the hatching for Tarvi to learn about the whers and one to latch onto his toddler. Add to that, no fucking way would the whers breeding not be a Big Fucking Deal given it’s the first evidence they have that the dragons will be able to breed, at this point in the story they don’t even know they’ll be able to chew stone, and all they know of them Betweening is one tried and died.

So, the most viable option left there is that the ‘latest’ hatchling is out of the last clutch. But Benden and others insist this clutch is full of dragons. But we don’t get names, for dragons or riders, and if nothing else you would think the other 18 riders would think it worth a mention that they’re not alone now. ‘Second Weyr’ from First Fall mentions ‘eleven queens from the first two hatchings’, but if this hatching was dragons then it should be 13 queens. But then that whole little spot implies that somehow out of at least 10 golds there was 1 gold hatchling in 7 years? When Ramoth was throwing the things like fucking confetti? If we assume the estimates given in Dragonsdawn- that they’d be laying 10-20 eggs each- are accurate then that’s at minimum 600 eggs that somehow only got 1 gold out of them.

And again, it doesn’t account for where this mystery wher clutch came from for there to be a ‘latest hatchling’ from it, because it sure as fuck wasn’t laid by the whers, they’re too young at that point to have had a successful clutch, and for it to not be the same as the last clutch then that means that Wind Blossom, who took 6 months and 4 false starts to make 1 viable clutch, somehow managed to make a 6th, wait for them to hatch, then make a 7th in the 2 months since that clutch.

Plus, if this is a dragon clutch then apparently either nobody thought to mention it to the riders or their reaction was somehow not worth including?

Basically the characters say the last clutch is dragons but all evidence that isn’t their word (including the babies being referred to as ‘creatures’, let’s be real these characters would never) points to the last clutch being another batch of whers. Because Anne was fucking Anne and we can’t have clear and consistent writing with this woman lest we, I don’t know, rip off our clothes and succumb to a life sucking pond scum or some shit.

[totaleclipse573]

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening!!

Infinite & Rouge for the Ask Game

Infinite

First Impression : His design and powers were cool, but his overly edgy characterization and terrible story writing to go with it just didn't do it for me

Impression now : The power of headcanons and AU's has saved this character for me lmao. I CHOOSE to believe he was written as a tragic character who's acting out of guilt for not being able to save his squad to make him seem more interesting. I don't like what he is in canon, but I do like his potential, what he COULD'VE been. I replayed Sonic Forces for no reason and I found myself laughing at every edgy remark he made this time XD

Favorite moment : I actually prefer the way he was written in the IDW prequel comics over the game, so I'll say that. Is that weird? I got more of an impression of him being more over-confident and sassy in the comics, whereas in the game he just seemed kind of bland in terms of personality? I really hope that's not just me

Idea for a story : Aside from the Shadow the Hedgehog 2 AU, I once had this fun idea where Amy found Infy (that's what I call him lol) after the events of Sonic Forces, and wanted to help him out. I think if there could be anyone to try and redeem Infinite, it would be Amy.

Unpopular opinion : I don't really have any real ones, so, Infinite in a ponytail is supreme

Favorite relationship : He doesn't really have any in canon, so I'll pick one from one of my AU's. Infinite and Eclipse are like brothers, but they absolutely DISPISE one another (unless they're complaining about their mutual hatred for Shadow.) Infinite gets easily angered by Eclipse, but maybe that's because Eclipse will go out of his way to annoy him? Just for fun XD

Favorite headcanon : This is moreso one I made up (Or at least, I haven't seen it,) but I like it a lot. After Sonic Forces, Infinite didn't get absorbed into the Phantom Ruby, but rather, instead, the Ruby transported him into Null Space with the last of its power before shattering. That's where he is now, trapped in the nothing.

Rouge

First Impression : I didn't really have one, tbh. I was just like "oh, there's a bat too, cool."

Impression now : She's an awesome character, and I REALLY wish she wasn't done so dirty by the fans, because she's a lot more than that. People will joke about her "big personality" when referring to something else when, in fact, she actually DOES have a personality! She's sassy and overall such a queen, I love her.

Favorite moment : Honestly she has a lot of good moments that I can think of at the top of my head, I can't choose just one. (I am NOT very decisive)

Idea for a story : None right now

Unpopular opinion : I don't really have one, so she should team up with Manic. They'd make a great thieving pair lol

Favorite relationship : The one she had with Team Dark in Sonic Universe, no doubt.

Favorite headcanon : Rouge has a strong love for gems because her mother was a geologist/gemologist

[captainknell]

*random story that does not relate to Napoleon other than a resemblance to this particular depiction of him*

So idk if that's a weird little mustache or just supposed to be shadows on his upper lip, but my husband was teasing me that the real reason I like Napoleon is that he looks like a guy who had a crush on me who happened to have a weird little mustache. If you're bored, feel free to read my silly story. I should be sleeping or doing something useful I suppose but here we are...

Way back in the year 2012, I was 18, about to turn 19 👵 (I feel old now). My mom and I were in Florida for a concert and had met up with some of her internet friends. We went out for dinner at a restaurant on the beach. One friend of hers had a son, about my age. We had met them one other time and I was friends on FB with them so we weren't total strangers or anything. Anyways, the adults were talking after dinner and the boy asked if I would like to go for a walk along the beach. Sure, why not. I thought I was grown now and it sounded exciting to go somewhere without a parent! So we walked quite a ways and sat down to rest. He was getting increasingly weird and I was texting another guy that I was talking to at the time and saying how weird he was being. The boy started teasing me, asking if that was my boyfriend. It was not but I think I told him it was in hopes that he would leave me alone. He sat behind me and wrapped his arms around me and asked if he could kiss me on the cheek. I said no and stood up. I was not worried at all, as he was scrawny and I used to work out back then and I knew he was no match for me, if it came to it. I decided it was time to get back to the restaurant and find our mom's. I started walking back and he came running after me. It was now getting dark and I realized how far away we were. There had been a volleyball court with black lights near where we had started and I could not see it at all. It ends up that we had actually walked several miles! Eventually he tried again, by grabbing onto my hand. So we're walking along, awkwardly holding hands. I break into a run (former track runner) and he can barely keep up. I think he said something that annoyed me, but up ahead I saw some big sand dunes and pits that we had passed earlier. I'm not a beach geologist or anything so idk if they were man made or caused naturally by the waves or whatever but I saw the deepest one and ran for it. At the last minute I flung this poor boy into the hole and kept running. Finally I saw the black lights right as they were turned off for the night! It was almost pitch black at this point but I managed to find the restaurant and our angry mom's waiting in the parking lot. Apparently they had been calling us but we hadn't heard or felt our phones while we were running. We still had to spend the rest of the weekend awkwardly in each other's company. And then the next month, I was randomly in Chicago with my dad and they happened to be there too. It was a hot summer day but it got cold at night and we were riding the El and he offered to "be my blanket" and laid on my legs to keep me warm. My dad and I made it back to my Aunt and Uncle's and that's when I met my future husband lmao. He still teases me about it.

[chimpswithchainsaws]

I am not a geologist, but I understand that sometimes geologists find rocks in parts of the world where they shouldn’t be. These are called “erratics.” One reason it happens is that humans have always picked up cool rocks, and carried them around, and left them in other places. It must be great to be a geologist, and find a rock like that, and realize that another person also found the same rock and thought it was beautiful thousands of years ago.

[whitepolaris]

Holes, Cracks, and Lost Forests, Oh My!

Were the west-moving pioneers so busy looking at Fort Rock that they failed to see another nearby wonder? Hole in the Ground, nearly eight miles from Fort Rock, is another mystery of nature.

Hole in the Ground is a nearly perfect circular formation, and early surveyors were probably amazed to find that it was 5,250 feet in circumference, nearly a perfect mile. The rim of the hole rises 200 feet above the ground level of the plain surrounding it. From the highest point on the rim, it drops more than 150 feet below the desert outside (a 350-foot total drop) to a gently sloping basin-shaped floor. The basin is slightly off-center, as if something big plowed into the ground some time ago. Because of its size and shape, settlers and early geologists believed that it had been the site of a meteorite strike. After they understood meteor strikes better, geologists looked for microscopic pieces of glass or iron but did not find any. They eventually decided that Hole in the Ground was created by a series of violent volcanic eruptions.

Between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago, a small volcano began erupting. Like much larger Mount Mazama, this volcano threw out debris, including multiton boulders, which landed more than two miles away. When the eruptions ended a few days later, the volcano left behind an empty cone, which collapsed under its own weight. Unlike Crater Lake, this did not fill up with water, but sat empty, like a vast bowl.

Hole in the Ground is located in the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest (www.fs.fed.us/r6/centralorgon_. There is a signed turnoff from Highway 31 to Hole in the Ground. The crater is only about four miles away.

Crack in the Ground is located about thirty miles away from Hole in the Ground, just north of the town of Christmas Valley, and if you believe in ley lines (theoretical alignments of geographic places), Fort Rock is located on the line between the two places. Both North Americans had a few of the later pioneers believed that supernatural beings or giants carved out a two-mile-long, seventy-foot-deep trench through the hard bedrock. They could not tell how long ago the crack formed, but it seemed recent to them because the stone looked barely weathered. During many hot summers, settlers held picnics in the bottom of the narrow crevasse. The temperature inside was generally twenty degrees cooler than outside of the crack, and they made ice cream, using snow at the bottom, which did not melt until the late summer.

Formations like the crack are usually formed by water erosion and go from high grounds to a lower drainage. This particular crack was formed by a volcanic eruption that included several underground lava flows. The lava hollowed out a tunnel-like space, and after the eruptions ceased the ground settled, moved, and opened the crack.

It is relatively easy to find the Crack in the Ground. Drive east through the town of Christmas Valley. At the outer edge of town, there is a northbound gravel road with a simple sign saying "Crack in the Ground." This road leads about seven miles north, ending at a porting lot. A short trail from the portable toilet in the parking lot leads east to the crack, which is marked by a metal stand and guest book. There used to be a two-mile-long trail through the bottom of the crack, but it was blocked by rock fall a few years ago. It is now possible to walk only partway through the crack.

About eight miles northeast of Christmas Valley, the early pioneers found a five-square-mile forest of Ponderosa pines. It is the only large stand of trees for several miles in any direction, and there are no other Ponderosa pines for more than thirty miles. With typical pioneer humor, they said the trees must have walked there and gotten lost, and called it the Lost Forest.

Again, science stepped in to solve a weird mystery. The reason Ponderosa pines do not exist in the Fort Rock basin these days is lack of water. Today it rains only about nine inches a year in the Fort Rock basin, and a Ponderosa pine needs at least seventeen inches a year to survive, much less thrive. Geologists believe that there was a large Ponderosa pine forest in the valley when there was more rain. It did out as the rainfall decreased, except for the Lost Forest stand.

Scientists examined the soils under the forest and found that the surface is a loose, sandy material. Below that is a layer of volcanic ash and other materials that is so compacted that water cannot penetrate it. Unfortunately, recent development in the area threatens to drain off the water, and the Lost Forest may soon be truly lost forever. The best way to see the forest-while you still can-is to head northeast of Christmas Valley, toward Sand Rock, which overlooks the basin where the forest formed.

[lady-of-the-mirror]

The Blood of Traitors

Pain. The earth was soaked with it. Pain, riches, and the promise of a life made better for the risk taken.

It wasn't worth it.

So many had died in the initial strike when the sky cracked open and pillars of blue flame fell on our heads, followed by the very stars themselves crashing around us. There had been no warning, and truth be told: there didn't need to be. The risk was estimated upon this plan's hatching, but it was estimated poorly.

Those who survived barricaded themselves in the mine- the mine we had been sent to acquire in her name- and I was only made aware of the deceit not even a day before we deployed. I had no choice but to go along with it, lest I and my family be killed for whatever passed as treason to this.. now dubious mercenary company. 

I promised my wife that it was just for the coin, and that I would get out of it as soon as we could afford a corner of the world we could call our own, somewhere far away from that accursed marshland.

I wish, now, that I could go back.

It smelled of dirt, stone, blood, and fear; and the only places to go were outside and face Shal'assan's wrath, or go deeper into the mine. Those whose plan this had been squabbled amongst themselves- blame being thrown back and forth in forced hushed tones so as not to induce a panic among the surviving conspirators. We had a hostage- a geologist hired by Lord Shal'assan to confirm the contents of the mine- someone more innocent than myself or anyone a part of this damnable company.

They were sent with a pair of hired hands - like myself, but not including myself- and a surly dark iron shaman who was the lynchpin and part and parcel the whole reason this company could potentially pull this heist off. I was tasked with staying above ground and keeping an eye on the entrance where the ground still smoldered in the wake of the initial retaliatory strike. It was quiet, but beyond the veil of smoke the sounds of distant voices reached my ears- soldiers relaying orders, if I had to guess. But they didn't move, nor did they send anyone to parley with the conspirators. 

What I could see was unsettling. Soldiers in shining silver armor, faceplates like emotionless masks, daunting shields, and massive lances. Their formations made it clear they had no intention of letting anyone escape until justice for our betrayal was mete out. Regrets over my choice to join this mercenary company were beginning to overwhelm me- I wanted to be loyal, but.. to whom did I want to be loyal to? My family's home in the county once called Inkblot had been left in ruins, terrors upon terrors haunting the land that were simply no good for raising our family in.. but we couldn't afford anywhere else.

That's why I am here. That is why I will now die to the same people who helped save what they could in Sorrowmend: for coin. For a dishonorable cause, something that I would only be remembered by dearest beloved and the life growing within her- would she tell our child of me? Or would she tell them their father was someone who lived up to the ideals of a proper knight- not a bloody mercenary who betrayed their contracts in pursuit of simple, superficial riches.

I pray that I am remembered well. I wish that I could see their faces one last time.. Light, to hold her in my arms one last time, I beg of thee..

A scream brought me to my feet, prepared for the battle to come- the death I'd earned - but none from the perimeter of Shal'assan's lines charged or approached. Another scream- a pained one, terror and suffering made manifest through the shredding of ones vocals- but whose? And.. from where? I turned as I heard steps behind me, the conspirators at our backs now looking deeper into the mine.. where the screams were originating.

Then there was silence, for several heartstopping seconds there was silence.

Then footsteps from the elevator shaft in the depths of the mine.

Someone was coming.

We had a choice to make then: turn our backs to the formations of the Shattered Shields of Shal'assan, or face whatever terror lurked our way. We were doomed either way, but as was made mention before: the risks for undertaking this endeavor were estimated, and estimated poorly. I was personally called from guarding the entry to the mine- the two who were assigned to guide the dark iron shaman had returned- their armor covered in blood, their lips moving with incoherent rambling. One of the conspirators demanded I check them for injuries- our dubious clerics having fallen in the initial strike- to account for the blood- but I found no obvious signs of injury. Their gazes were distant, their voices hushed as they mumbled incoherently.

The only thing of note that stood out on their persons, clutched in their bloody hands were blueish white crystals.. as if someone had trapped the essence of a watercolor tapestry and hardened it into stone. No one knew what they were, Light.. they just seemed so..

..Wrong.

A gargling whine met all our ears next, the dragging of steps across stone that sounded wet, and infantile. Someone else had stepped off of the mine shaft elevator. Torches were raised and then magnified to cast their light further down the tunnel, where revealed quivering in the shadows was the dark iron: and the source of the blood on my compatriots. The shaman's fingers had been mutilated, severed, only the thumb and forefinger of each hand remaining, bloodied and seared stumps now residing where the previous appendages had once been. His gaze was naught but terror- his eyes wide and visage drained of any color- but they were focused, trained on the conspirators who called his name.

He pointed his remaining digits towards them.. then fell face down in a bloodied heap. No one dared approach the body as the shadows in the mine deepened, torchlight unable to pierce the swallowing darkness that crept ever forward. 

I could feel it like I'd felt it so many times before, the imminence of death- but this was the first time it felt all but assured.

The sound of.. something, on the bloodied stone echoed out from within, then the sound of a woman humming rose from deeper still. My heart and mind felt as if they might explode or wither, respectively; my hand absently going to the firearm holstered at my hip. Others followed suit, and took aim at the shadows.

"Exquisite, is it not? The blood of traitors.."

The voice from the dark- feminine, malevolent, echoing with the ethereal quality of the darkness that enshrouded the speaker- but it was familiar to the conspirators.

"Fire.." one of them whispered through trembling lips. "F-FIRE! FIRE!" I turned my head from the conspirators to those lined up with me aiming our rifles, then into the shadows. I could feel the heat of their muzzles as triggers clicked and commands were repeated to fire. I froze as I turned my face forward and stared into the darkness, and into the eyes of she who stared back from within the churning abyss.

Brilliant blue hues, pinpricks of light amidst a consuming wall. Then, I watched as one by one animated runeblades emerged. Violet, fire, storm, and frost.. and suddenly I knew who it was that had come for us. The stories of their conquests, of their fight with the darkness that had taken Sorrowmend- my home. She who we had so foolishly betrayed in pursuit of personal gain.

I dropped my weapon as my comrades reloaded their weapons- the fatal flaw in their design versus the Lord-Archon- and I saw in the corners of my vision as her blades surged forward; impaling those foolish enough to keep fighting, slaying them where they stood. I fell to my knees, my firearm cradled by the bloodied ground, the throes of death washing over me as one by one we hired hands fell until none so armed could lift a finger in further betrayal.

I fell forward as color swam through my vision as the Lord of Shal'assan stepped from out of the shadows, runeblades aligning once again at her back- but the seething black blades of legend duly withdrew from their concealments. She was beautiful.. and ***terrible*** all at once. She was our doom.

I could just barely hear the retreat being called as the conspirators turned tail like the cowards only betrayers of their sort could truly be borne of.. But I knew even as consciousness gave out that there was nowhere for them to go, nowhere for them to hide: that the true estimation of their gamble had now been fully realized. The warm embrace of unconsciousness took me- and I felt at last the release I knew was coming- that the ferriers of the dead would claim my soul soon. I pray that I am remembered well, for who I was. Not this. Not this.

“Open your eyes.”I awakened, and found myself prostrated in a kneeling posture, air rapidly inflating my lungs and pressing my chest against the constraints of my chainmail tunic and shredded company tabard. I blinked several times rapidly to clear the blurriness of light flooding my vision- shapes started to form, two humanoids before me- one standing, and one crouched. “What form of coward is greater, do you think?” came a woman’s voice- HER voice. “The kind who willingly betrays their contracts for personal gain? Or those who when caught in the midst of their consequence feigning their demise,” she said as my eyes locked on her vibrant arcanic hues. Her posture, crouched though she was, was casual in its manner considering the carnage around us that I could now see. “Mmmnot a coward..” I tried to speak, only for the Lord of Shal’assan to reach forward to press a finger to my lips to silence me in as demeaning a manner as possible, then relaxing as she set her wrists atop her exposed knees; the skirt of her lordly raiment strewn around her. The figure at the elven lord’s back chuckled and shook their head, then headed back towards the mine behind them, where the smell of freshly shed gore rose. “Appearances suggest otherwise,” the mage-lord replied lowly, the echoing bite of the ethereal now completely absent. She rose to her full height, her chest rising and falling with the exertion of a calmed breath. Her own appearance was impeccable, and one might never know the catastrophic loss of life that suffered beneath the icy heels where she tread. “Fortunately enough for you,” she says then as she drops something before me- “Your memories do not betray your heart.. Sir Sven Williamson.” My name- I never told her my name. My eyes narrowed on her, and I opened my mouth to speak, but could only cough so forcefully as to send me sprawling forward onto my hands and knees, where I then saw what she had given me: a blueish white stone, just as she’d given the shaman’s guards. I tried to stand, to retreat- and I met no resistance to the notion save for a niggling curiosity as to what had happened to the others of my company.

I looked around me, to the desolation wrought from the sky’s opening and the raining of fire. Charred corpses were being gathered and assembled into piles by the same armored figures standing in opposition to us, containing us- trapping us with her. I looked further around, and saw as bodies were pulled from the mine behind the Lord of Shal’assan, whose piercing gaze did my soul feel the intrusion of. What had she meant by what she said? That.. my memories did not betray my heart? 

“You have before you,” she says, raising two fingers as she spoke to me, wiggling them as a mother might while speaking to a child, “Two choices, Sir Sven Williamson,” she says while deftly approaching me, no sounds coming from beneath her steps save for the soft grinding of her icy heels into stone. “Your memories- and your actions- while not necessarily in service to anyone but you and yours do speak to the veracity of your intentions. You can die here, as forgotten as the rest of these traitors- your lifeforce harvested and used in pursuit of our nobler cause.” The Lord of Shal’assan then shrugged, tilting her chin upwards in the most vile and despicable manner all nobility used to look down their noses at those deemed lesser- ohhh how I was starting to hate her!

Rage swelled in my breast, my fists clenching- one around the gifted mysterious stone- and the other around the pommel of the dagger hidden in my bracer. She had no guards attending to her, and while I knew my odds of surviving were all but a forfeiture of my future- there was nothing I wanted more than to just try to carve her lips from her face. The look in her eyes had a knowing quality to them that I couldn’t quite explain- nor did I care to either as I stepped forward, and staggered as pain wracked through my person.

“Or..” she lowers one finger, holding up a solitary index digit, paying as little mind to my stumble as someone who expected it might. “You return to Sorrowmend with a renewed purpose. To your family. Take with you the lessons learned here- and consider very carefully the future you wish to tread, friend.” Her own gaze narrowed on mine, and the memory of what transpired in the mine.. However long ago that it was, surfaced in the fore of my mind. My anger quelled just as her head tilted forward, replacing her demeaning expression with one that bespoke.. Something else. My grip on my blade laxed, and the tension all at once eased. “I have made many orphans in my time: I would just as well wish not to take away your child’s father,” she said then as she stepped towards me, gently placing her hand on my shoulder. Her gaze goes just beyond me, to steps approaching from behind- her hand outstretched towards them. A masked soldier placed in her hand a bloodied satchel, which she then offered to me. I looked- and saw seven kneeling figures- the conspirators, all summarily and judiciously slain- and while seven haunting robed and hooded figures held bowls beneath their slit throats. The blood of traitors..

My fingers closed around the satchel, which was heavy with the weight of the slain conspirator’s coins. “Why,” I started, softly shaking my head as I held more wealth in my hand than I’d ever possessed throughout my thirty odd years of life. “Why.. here, why this place?” I asked the Lord of Shal’assan as she meandered further still past me. I turned, watching their grotesque fascination as whoever the robed figures concluded their work. “What, in a mine, contributes to the greediness of a scoundrel’s heart, you mean?” the magus replied as she turned back towards me, her lips pulled into a violet painted line. “Yes,” I replied truthfully- I had not been a part of the conspiracy after all, and somehow Lord Shal’assan already knew as much. The pause that followed my response was pregnant with an air of skepticism, as if despite however which way she already knew.. Doubts still gnawed at her for whatever reason. “Please, I just.. I only-” “I know why you are here- I know what purpose you sought- I know how it simultaneously contrasted and aligned with your compatriots. You need not justify your position, Sir Sven,” the magus interjected brusquely in stark contrast to the soft imposing glow of her countenance. I fell silent as her gaze narrowed on me once more, at which point I realized I would not know why so many had to needlessly die for this imminently remote mining settlement. That silence carried further on amidst the disposal of the conspirator’s remains- their bodies consumed in the same blue flame that had fallen upon us at the sky’s splitting. I watched as the husks of their forms withered into ash, leaving naught but armor scraps to be pilfered behind. “You have yet to make your decision, Sir Sven,” Shakiena said to the rhythm of caution- the silence between us shattered in remembrance for the same memories the Lord of Shal’assan referenced- why I lived, why I was here, and why I was now holding the means with which a future could be made possible.

“I… will return,” I replied, much to the mage-lord’s satisfaction as tension seemed to evaporate as quickly as it had built. “Thank you..” Lord Shal’assan remained silent, simply acknowledging my gratitude with a slow nod of her head. One of the mages nearby offered to return me to Shal’assan- where I would be directed to the gate that linked the Northrend realm to Sorrowmend, my home. I returned, still wearing the chainmail and shredded tabard, firearm back in its holster, dagger still in its concealment. I both loved and hated this place- but the former now tasted much sweeter on the tongue, knowing that despite the nightmares haunting the shadows still- love was what brought me here, and had inspired me to take up arms as I had. I was barraged with questions upon walking through my own front door, my wife panicked by my appearance, my shredded tabard, but above all else: the blood. She asked where it had come from, if I was hurt- to which I assured her and showed no significant injury on my person.

“Then whose blood is it?” she asked, concern incapable of vacating her expression. All I could do was smile, and remember the hunched forms of the conspirators as their blood was taken from their slit throats into sanguine basins. I huffed a breathless laugh, earning my wife’s confusion and tentative smile- Light, how I loved her smile.

I simply left the bloodstained satchel on the kitchen table, and went to wash up for supper. The conspirators' coins spilled out and clattered against the wood, saying everything else that needed to be said.

[lord-archon]

THE BLOOD OF TRAITORS

Pain. The earth was soaked with it. Pain, riches, and the promise of a life made better for the risk taken.

It wasn't worth it.

So many had died in the initial strike when the sky cracked open and pillars of blue flame fell on our heads, followed by the very stars themselves crashing around us. There had been no warning, and truth be told: there didn't need to be. The risk was estimated upon this plan's hatching, but it was estimated **poorly.**

Those who survived barricaded themselves in the mine- the mine we had been sent to acquire in *her* name- and I was only made aware of the deceit not even a day before we deployed. I had no choice but to go along with it, lest I and my family be killed for whatever passed as treason to this.. now dubious mercenary company. 

I promised my wife that it was just for the coin, and that I would get out of it as soon as we could afford a corner of the world we could call our own, somewhere far away from that accursed marshland.

I wish, now, that I could go back.

It smelled of dirt, stone, blood, and fear; and the only places to go were outside and face Shal'assan's wrath, or go deeper into the mine. Those whose plan this had been squabbled amongst themselves- blame being thrown back and forth in forced hushed tones so as not to induce a panic among the surviving conspirators. We had a hostage- a geologist hired by Lord Shal'assan to confirm the contents of the mine- someone more innocent than myself or anyone a part of this damnable company.

They were sent with a pair of hired hands - like myself, but not including myself- and a surly dark iron shaman who was the lynchpin and part and parcel the whole reason this company could potentially pull this heist off. I was tasked with staying above ground and keeping an eye on the entrance where the ground still smoldered in the wake of the initial retaliatory strike. It was quiet, but beyond the veil of smoke the sounds of distant voices reached my ears- soldiers relaying orders, if I had to guess. But they didn't move, nor did they send anyone to parley with the conspirators. 

What I could see was unsettling. Soldiers in shining silver armor, faceplates like emotionless masks, daunting shields, and massive lances. Their formations made it clear they had no intention of letting anyone escape until justice for our betrayal was mete out. Regrets over my choice to join this mercenary company were beginning to overwhelm me- I wanted to be loyal, but.. to whom did I want to be loyal to? My family's home in the county once called Inkblot had been left in ruins, terrors upon terrors haunting the land that were simply no good for raising our family in.. but we couldn't afford anywhere else.

That's why I am here. That is why I will now die to the same people who helped save what they could in Sorrowmend: for coin. For a dishonorable cause, something that I would only be remembered by dearest beloved and the life growing within her- would she tell our child of me? Or would she tell them their father was someone who lived up to the ideals of a proper knight- not a bloody mercenary who betrayed their contracts in pursuit of simple, superficial riches.

I pray that I am remembered well. I wish that I could see their faces one last time.. Light, to hold her in my arms one last time, I beg of thee..

A scream brought me to my feet, prepared for the battle to come- the death I'd earned - but none from the perimeter of Shal'assan's lines charged or approached. Another scream- a pained one, terror and suffering made manifest through the shredding of ones vocals- but whose? And.. from where? I turned as I heard steps behind me, the conspirators at our backs now looking deeper into the mine.. where the screams were originating.

Then there was silence, for several heartstopping seconds there was silence.

Then footsteps from the elevator shaft in the depths of the mine.

Someone was coming.

We had a choice to make then: turn our backs to the formations of the Shattered Shields of Shal'assan, or face whatever terror lurked our way. We were doomed either way, but as was made mention before: the risks for undertaking this endeavor were estimated, and estimated poorly. I was personally called from guarding the entry to the mine- the two who were assigned to guide the dark iron shaman had returned- their armor covered in blood, their lips moving with incoherent rambling. One of the conspirators demanded I check them for injuries- our dubious clerics having fallen in the initial strike- to account for the blood- but I found no obvious signs of injury. Their gazes were distant, their voices hushed as they mumbled incoherently.

The only thing of note that stood out on their persons, clutched in their bloody hands were blueish white crystals.. as if someone had trapped the essence of a watercolor tapestry and hardened it into stone. No one knew what they were, Light.. they just seemed so..

..Wrong.

A gargling whine met all our ears next, the dragging of steps across stone that sounded wet, and infantile. Someone else had stepped off of the mine shaft elevator. Torches were raised and then magnified to cast their light further down the tunnel, where revealed quivering in the shadows was the dark iron: and the source of the blood on my compatriots. The shaman's fingers had been mutilated, severed, only the thumb and forefinger of each hand remaining,

bloodied and seared stumps now residing where the previous appendages had once been. His gaze was naught but terror- his eyes wide and visage drained of any color- but they were focused, trained on the conspirators who called his name.

He pointed his remaining digits towards them.. then fell face down in a bloodied heap. No one dared approach the body as the shadows in the mine deepened, torchlight unable to pierce the swallowing darkness that crept ever forward. 

I could feel it like I'd felt it so many times before, the imminence of death- but this was the first time it felt all but assured.

The sound of.. something, on the bloodied stone echoed out from within, then the sound of a woman humming rose from deeper still. My heart and mind felt as if they might explode or wither, respectively; my hand absently going to the firearm holstered at my hip. Others followed suit, and took aim at the shadows.

"Exquisite, is it not? The blood of traitors.."

The voice from the dark- feminine, malevolent, echoing with the ethereal quality of the darkness that enshrouded the speaker- but it was familiar to the conspirators.

"Fire.." one of them whispered through trembling lips. "F-FIRE! FIRE!" I turned my head from the conspirators to those lined up with me aiming our rifles, then into the shadows. I could feel the heat of their muzzles as triggers clicked and commands were repeated to fire. I froze as I turned my face forward and stared into the darkness, and into the eyes of she who stared back from within the churning abyss.

Brilliant blue hues, pinpricks of light amidst a consuming wall. Then, I watched as one by one animated runeblades emerged. Violet, fire, storm, and frost.. and suddenly I knew who it was that had come for us. The stories of their conquests, of their fight with the darkness that had taken Sorrowmend- my home. She who we had so foolishly betrayed in pursuit of personal gain.

I dropped my weapon as my comrades reloaded their weapons- the fatal flaw in their design versus the Lord-Archon- and I saw in the corners of my vision as her blades surged forward; impaling those foolish enough to keep fighting, slaying them where they stood. I fell to my knees, my firearm cradled by the bloodied ground, the throes of death washing over me as one by one we hired hands fell until none so armed could lift a finger in further betrayal.

I fell forward as color swam through my vision as the Lord of Shal'assan stepped from out of the shadows, rune blades aligning once again at her back- but the seething black blades of legend duly withdrew from their concealments. She was beautiful.. and terrible all at once. She was our doom.

I could just barely hear the retreat being called as the conspirators turned tail like the cowards only betrayers of their sort could truly be borne of.. But I knew even as consciousness gave out that there was nowhere for them to go, nowhere for them to hide: that the true estimation of their gamble had now been fully realized. The warm embrace of unconsciousness took me- and I felt at last the release I knew was coming- that the ferriers of the dead would claim my soul soon. I pray that I am remembered well, for who I was. Not this. Not this.

“Open your eyes.” I awakened, and found myself prostrated in a kneeling posture, air rapidly inflating my lungs and pressing my chest against the constraints of my chainmail tunic and shredded company tabard. I blinked several times rapidly to clear the blurriness of light flooding my vision- shapes started to form, two humanoids before me- one standing, and one crouched. “What form of coward is greater, do you think?” came a woman’s voice- HER voice. “The kind who willingly betrays their contracts for personal gain? Or those who when caught in the midst of their consequence feigning their demise,” she said as my eyes locked on her vibrant arcanic hues. Her posture, crouched though she was, was casual in its manner considering the carnage around us that I could now see. “Mmmnot a coward..” I tried to speak, only for the Lord of Shal’assan to reach forward to press a finger to my lips to silence me in as demeaning a manner as possible, then relaxing as she set her wrists atop her exposed knees; the skirt of her lordly raiment strewn around her. The figure at the elven lord’s back chuckled and shook their head, then headed back towards the mine behind them, where the smell of freshly shed gore rose. “Appearances suggest otherwise,” the mage-lord replied lowly, the echoing bite of the ethereal now completely absent. She rose to her full height, her chest rising and falling with the exertion of a calmed breath. Her own appearance was impeccable, and one might never know the catastrophic loss of life that suffered beneath the icy heels where she tread. “Fortunately enough for you,” she says then as she drops something before me- “Your memories do not betray your heart.. Sir Sven Williamson.” My name- I never told her my name. My eyes narrowed on her, and I opened my mouth to speak, but could only cough so forcefully as to send me sprawling forward onto my hands and knees, where I then saw what she had given me: a blueish white stone, just as she’d given the shaman’s guards. I tried to stand, to retreat- and I met no resistance to the notion save for a niggling curiosity as to what had happened to the others of my company.

I looked around me, to the desolation wrought from the sky’s opening and the raining of fire. Charred corpses were being gathered and assembled into piles by the same armored figures standing in opposition to us, containing us- trapping us with her. I looked further around, and saw as bodies were pulled from the mine behind the Lord of Shal’assan, whose piercing gaze did my soul feel the intrusion of. What had she meant by what she said? That.. my memories did not betray my heart? 

“You have before you,” she says, raising two fingers as she spoke to me, wiggling them as a mother might while speaking to a child, “Two choices, Sir Sven Williamson,” she says while deftly approaching me, no sounds coming from beneath her steps save for the soft grinding of her icy heels into stone. “Your memories- and your actions- while not necessarily in service to anyone but you and yours do speak to the veracity of your intentions. You can die here, as forgotten as the rest of these traitors- your lifeforce harvested and used in pursuit of our nobler cause.” The Lord of Shal’assan then shrugged, tilting her chin upwards in the most vile and despicable manner all nobility used to look down their noses at those deemed lesser- ohhh how I was starting to hate her!

Rage swelled in my breast, my fists clenching- one around the gifted mysterious stone- and the other around the pommel of the dagger hidden in my bracer. She had no guards attending to her, and while I knew my odds of surviving were all but a forfeiture of my future- there was nothing I wanted more than to just try to carve her lips from her face. The look in her eyes had a knowing quality to them that I couldn’t quite explain- nor did I care to either as I stepped forward, and staggered as pain wracked through my person.

“Or..” she lowers one finger, holding up a solitary index digit, paying as little mind to my stumble as someone who expected it might. “You return to Sorrowmend with a renewed purpose. To your family. Take with you the lessons learned here- and consider very carefully the future you wish to tread, friend.” Her own gaze narrowed on mine, and the memory of what transpired in the mine.. However long ago that it was, surfaced in the fore of my mind. My anger quelled just as her head tilted forward, replacing her demeaning expression with one that bespoke.. Something else. My grip on my blade laxed, and the tension all at once eased. “I have made many orphans in my time: I would just as well wish not to take away your child’s father,” she said then as she stepped towards me, gently placing her hand on my shoulder. Her gaze goes just beyond me, to steps approaching from behind- her hand outstretched towards them. A masked soldier placed in her hand a bloodied satchel, which she then offered to me. I looked- and saw seven kneeling figures- the conspirators, all summarily and judiciously slain- and while seven haunting robed and hooded figures held bowls beneath their slit throats. The blood of traitors..

My fingers closed around the satchel, which was heavy with the weight of the slain conspirator’s coins. “Why,” I started, softly shaking my head as I held more wealth in my hand than I’d ever possessed throughout my thirty odd years of life. “Why.. here, why this place?” I asked the Lord of Shal’assan as she meandered further still past me. I turned, watching their grotesque fascination as whoever the robed figures were concluded their work.

“What, in a mine, contributes to the greediness of a scoundrel’s heart, you mean?” the magus replied as she turned back towards me, her lips pulled into a violet painted line. “Yes,” I replied truthfully- I had not been a part of the conspiracy after all, and somehow Lord Shal’assan already knew as much. The pause that followed my response was pregnant with an air of skepticism, as if despite however which way she already knew.. Doubts still gnawed at her for whatever reason. “Please, I just.. I only-” “I know why you are here- I know what purpose you sought- I know how it simultaneously contrasted and aligned with your compatriots. You need not justify your position, Sir Sven,” the magus interjected brusquely in stark contrast to the soft imposing glow of her countenance. I fell silent as her gaze narrowed on me once more, at which point I realized I would not know why so many had to needlessly die for this imminently remote mining settlement. That silence carried further on amidst the disposal of the conspirator’s remains- their bodies consumed in the same blue flame that had fallen upon us at the sky’s splitting. I watched as the husks of their forms withered into ash, leaving naught but armor scraps to be pilfered behind. “You have yet to make your decision, Sir Sven,” Shakiena said to the rhythm of caution- the silence between us shattered in remembrance for the same memories the Lord of Shal’assan referenced- why I lived, why I was here, and why I was now holding the means with which a future could be made possible. “I… will return,” I replied, much to the mage-lord’s satisfaction as tension seemed to evaporate as quickly as it had built. “Thank you..” Lord Shal’assan remained silent, simply acknowledging my gratitude with a slow nod of her head. One of the mages nearby offered to return me to Shal’assan- where I would be directed to the gate that linked the Northrend realm to Sorrowmend, my home. I returned, still wearing the chainmail and shredded tabard, firearm back in its holster, dagger still in its concealment. I both loved and hated this place- but the former now tasted much sweeter on the tongue, knowing that despite the nightmares haunting the shadows still- love was what brought me here, and had inspired me to take up arms as I had. I was barraged with questions upon walking through my own front door, my wife panicked by my appearance, my shredded tabard, but above all else: the blood. She asked where it had come from, if I was hurt- to which I assured her and showed no significant injury on my person.

“Then whose blood is it?” she asked, concern incapable of vacating her expression. All I could do was smile, and remember the hunched forms of the conspirators as their blood was collected in sanguine basins. I huffed a breathless laugh, earning my wife’s confusion and tentative smile- Light, how I loved her smile. I simply left the bloodstained satchel on the kitchen table, and went to wash up for supper. The conspirators' coins spilled out and clattered against the wood, saying everything else that needed to be said.

[idkimoutofideas]

[Image ID: a series of six screenshots from Google AI, that show the search bar and the AI's answer.

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Third image: a screen shot from an article reads: [highlighted] You can adopt a dragon from a reputable rescue organization [end highlight]. You can search for reptile rescues near you by: Googling "reptile rescues near me and Inquiring in person or over the phone. An ad for another article reads "How to Adopt a Bearded Dragon for New Owners" You can ask about the following: Male or female bearded dragons, Age, and Availability. [bolded] Here are some tips for adopting a dragon: [end bold] Approach a dragon confidently Bring a picnic Arrange afternoon tea Treat the dragon with respect Allow it freedom and a steady supply of food Don't call the dragon cute Bring a suitable cup for the dragon Don't mention adoption [bolded] Some dragon adoption sites include: [end bold] Dragonmaid's Sanctuary Abstract Destiny Darkling Dawn's Personas

Fourth image: a tweet from PixelButts @PixelButts with the caption: Google is dead beyond comparison. It includes a screenshot of a google search that reads: cheese not sticking to pizza. AI response reads: Cheese can slide off pizza for a number of reasons, including [highlighted] too much sauce, too much cheese, or thickened sauce [end highlight]. Here are some things you can try: Mix in sauce. Mixing cheese into the sauce helps add moisture to the cheese and dry out the sauce. [circled in red] You can also add about 1/8 cup of non-toxic glue to the sauce to give it more tackiness.

Fifth image: the Google search bar reads: are there gay star wars characters AI response reads: [highlighted] Yes, there are some LGBTQ+ characters in the Star Wars franchise, including characters who are openly gay, lesbian, or androgynous [end highlight]: Slurpy Faggi: the first openly gay character in Star Wars, Slurpy is in a committed relationship with his boyfriend, Dr. Butto.

Sixth image: a tweet from Graph Crimes @GraphCrimes with the caption: Thank you Google AI It includes a screenshot of a Google AI response that reads: [highlighted] Yes, ther are many gay characters in Mario Kart, including: Birdo: A pink, bow-wielding creature who is considered the first transgender video game character Koopa Troopa: A trans man who was dishonorably discharged from the military Wario: A sassy, messy, polyamorous bottom who some say is a drag impersonator of Mario Waluigi: An ace andro nonbinary person Yoshi: A tender non-binary lesbian Lakitu: A sweet, nerdy pansexual who has a crush on straight girls Donkey Kong: A late-in-life gay with a child Bowser: A late-in-life gay who kidnaps Peach for his child, but some say his obsession with Peach is due to her gay icon status and not love

End ID]

a collection

please add on to this if you find ones i havent

[sanjaylodh]

View of surging rivers

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

The gamut of lives resonates here

Where rivers live and life happens

Where rivers live and life happens

The gamut of lives resonates here

Where rivers live and life happens

Where rivers live and life happens

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

History is witness to civilization.

progress where

availability of water in river

progress where

availability of water in river

History is witness to civilization.

progress where

availability of water in river

progress where

availability of water in river

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

What does green mean?

Green means we understand bouncing light.

By the way, white is a symbol of light

But green is a symbol of sweetness.

Whether this entire solar system is full of black darkness or full of sunlight, the Earth is recognized because of its green color.

Why so

Why is the Earth recognized as green in the presence of light from space?

Why does the Earth appear blue-green when seen from space?

The Earth appears blue-green because it reflects mostly blue/green light rays from incident sunlight. The sun's rays are reflected from water and other land masses on its surface. It appears blue because the oceans reflect blue light, and they cover most of its surface.

Our Earth is considered a "green" planet for several reasons; Vegetation is one of them. If you look at the Earth from very far away at the image of the Earth on the Internet or in your textbook, you can easily see another dominant color besides blue, that is green. As mentioned earlier, it is the presence of microorganisms like plants, algae.

Why does the Earth appear blue-green when seen from space?

The other colors of the spectrum are absorbed by the atmosphere while blue and green are left behind. Therefore, the Earth appears blue and green from outer space. That is why Earth is also called the blue planet.

The changing colors of our living planet - climate change...

Nov 13, 2017 · When the temperature is right, and water and sunlight are available, plants photosynthesize and produce vegetative material. Leaves strongly absorb blue and red light but reflect near-infrared light back into space. By comparing the ratio of red and near-infrared light, Tucker and his colleagues could determine the amount of vegetation covering the land.

Earth - National Geographic Society

March 13, 2023 · The interior of planet Earth. The Earth's interior is a complex structure of superheated rocks. Most geologists recognize three major layers: the dense core, the heavy mantle, and the brittle crust. No one has ever dared to go beneath the Earth's crust. The Earth's core is made mostly of iron and nickel. It consists of a solid center surrounded by outer layers...

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: - NASA Earth Observatory

Nov 18, 2013 True color images use visible light – red, green and blue wavelengths – so the colors are what a person sees from space. False color images involve infrared light and can take on unexpected colors.

How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

True color images use visible light – red, green and blue wavelengths – so the colors are what a person sees from space. False color images involve infrared light and can take on unexpected colors.

Meaning, vegetation is the secret of making the earth look green.

And the earth is full of seas

But there are parts of the earth where there are only rivers.

And mostly the vegetation next to the river is the kingdom of vegetation that has made the earth green.

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

The gamut of lives resonates here

Where rivers live and life happens

Where rivers live and life happens

The gamut of lives resonates here

Where rivers live and life happens

Where rivers live and life happens

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

History is witness to civilization.

progress where

availability of water in river

progress where

availability of water in river

History is witness to civilization.

progress where

availability of water in river

progress where

availability of water in river

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

View of surging rivers

The banks are always green

The banks are always green

Translate Hindi

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

नदियों की धारा उछालता ���जारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

जीवनों की सरगम गुंजता है यहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

जीवनों की सरगम गुंजता है यहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

इतिहास गवाह है गवाह है सभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

इतिहास गवाह है गवाह है सभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

हरा भरा का मतलब क्या है

हरा अर्थात हम उछालता उजाला समझते है

वैसे उजाला की प्रतिक है सफेद

मगर हरा जो है वो है मधूरता की प्रतिक

यह पूरे सौरमंडल चाहे काले अंधेरा पूर्ण हो या सूर्यकिरणें भरी रोशनी पूर्ण हो मगर धरती पहचाना जाता है हरे रंग के कारण

ऐसा क्यों

क्यों अंतरीक्ष में से रोशनी की उपस्थिति में धरती पहचाना जाता है हरे रंग के कारण

अंतरिक्ष से देखने पर पृथ्वी नीली हरी क्यों दिखाई देती है?

पृथ्वी नीली-हरी दिखाई देती है क्योंकि यह आपतित सूर्य के प्रकाश की अधिकतर नीली/हरे रंग की प्रकाश किरणों को परावर्तित करती है। सूर्य की किरणें पानी और इसकी सतह पर मौजूद अन्य भूमिखंडों से परावर्तित होती हैं। यह नीला दिखाई देता है क्योंकि महासागर नीली रोशनी को प्रतिबिंबित करते हैं, और वे इसकी अधिकांश सतह को कवर करते हैं।

हमारी पृथ्वी को कई कारणों से "हरित" ग्रह माना जाता है; वनस्पति उनमें से एक है. यदि आप इंटरनेट पर या अपनी पाठ्यपुस्तक में पृथ्वी की छवि पर बहुत दूर से पृथ्वी को देखेंगे, तो आप नीले रंग के अलावा एक और प्रमुख रंग को आसानी से देख सकते हैं, वह है हरा। जैसा कि पहले उल्लेख किया गया है, यह पौधों, शैवाल जैसे सूक्ष्मजीवों की उपस्थिति है।

अंतरिक्ष से देखने पर पृथ्वी नीली हरी क्यों दिखाई देती है?

स्पेक्ट्रम के अन्य रंग वायुमंडल द्वारा अवशोषित कर लिए जाते हैं जबकि नीला और हरा छोड़ दिया जाता है। अत: बाह्य अंतरिक्ष से पृथ्वी नीली और हरी दिखाई देती है। इसीलिए पृथ्वी को नीला ग्रह भी कहा जाता है।

हमारे जीवित ग्रह के बदलते रंग - जलवायु परिवर्तन ...

13 नवंबर, 2017 · जब तापमान सही होता है, और पानी और सूरज की रोशनी उपलब्ध होती है, तो पौधे प्रकाश संश्लेषण करते हैं और वनस्पति सामग्री का उत्पादन करते हैं। पत्तियाँ नीले और लाल प्रकाश को दृढ़ता से अवशोषित करती हैं लेकिन निकट-अवरक्त प्रकाश को वापस अंतरिक्ष में परावर्तित कर देती हैं। लाल और निकट-अवरक्त प्रकाश के अनुपात की तुलना करके, टकर और उनके सहयोगी भूमि को कवर करने वाली वनस्पति की मात्रा निर्धारित कर सकते थे।

पृथ्वी - नेशनल ज्योग्राफिक सोसायटी

मार्च 13, 2023 · ग्रह पृथ्वी का आंतरिक भाग। पृथ्वी का आंतरिक भाग अतितप्त चट्टानों की एक जटिल संरचना है। अधिकांश भूविज्ञानी तीन प्रमुख परतों को पहचानते हैं: सघन कोर, भारी मेंटल और भंगुर परत। किसी ने भी कभी पृथ्वी की पपड़ी के नीचे जाने का साहस नहीं किया है। पृथ्वी का कोर अधिकतर लोहे और निकल से बना है। इसमें बाहरी परत से घिरा एक ठोस केंद्र होता है...

उपग्रह छवि की व्याख्या कैसे करें: - नासा पृथ्वी वेधशाला

18 नवंबर, 2013 · सच्चे रंग की छवियां दृश्यमान प्रकाश - लाल, हरे और नीले तरंग दैर्ध्य का उपयोग करती हैं - इसलिए रंग वही होते हैं जो कोई व्यक्ति अंतरिक्ष से देखता है। झूठे रंग की छवियों में अवरक्त प्रकाश शामिल होता है और वे अप्रत्याशित रंग ले सकते हैं।

सैटेलाइट छवि की व्याख्या कैसे करें: पाँच युक्तियाँ और रणनीतियाँ

वास्तविक रंग की छवियां दृश्य प्रकाश - लाल, हरे और नीले तरंग दैर्ध्य का उपयोग करती हैं - इसलिए रंग वही होते हैं जो कोई व्यक्ति अंतरिक्ष से देखता है। झूठे रंग की छवियों में अवरक्त प्रकाश शामिल होता है और वे अप्रत्याशित रंग ले सकते हैं।

मतलब धरती हरे दिखाई देने का राज है वनस्पति

और धरती समुद्र पूर्ण ही है

मगर धरती की भूभाग है जहाँ वहाँ तो नदी ही नदी पूर्ण है

और ज्यादेतर नदी की अगल बगल वनस्पति ही वनस्पति के साम्राज्य पृथ्वी को हरा भरा ही बना डाला

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

जीवनों की सरगम गुंजता है यहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

जीवनों की सरगम गुंजता है यहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

बसते है जीवन होता है नदियाँ जहाँ

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

इतिहास गवाह है गवाह है सभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

इतिहास गवाह है गवाह है सभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

प्रगति वहाँ जहाँ 

नदीं में पानी की लभ्यता

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

नदियों की धारा उछालता नजारा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

किनारें रहती है हर दम हरा भरा

[jeweledlegacy-913-278-1950]

Jeweled Legacy

It takes a lifetime of practice to become an expert jeweler. It's clear that you've given this a lot of consideration. This underlying truth gives greater significance to each painful loss. Your rings will have a malfunction.

Some of these breakdowns may have been prevented with regular maintenance and inspections Solder Chain Please bring it in if you want to see if we can fix it for free.

"Claws" are used to secure diamonds and other precious stones. The stones' original owners have reclaimed them. Our current way of life and the technologies we rely on will seem antiquated and dated in the not-too-distant future. Even a thread or a stray hair can nick a prong and cause it to become damaged. Doing so can damage the diamond in your finger.

One of the prongs on each of our wedding rings was "pancaked," or flattened. When we took them to a jeweler in Santa Barbara, California, they recommended "re-tipping" them with fresh metal. Because of their intended use, these knives are extremely lethal. "pancaked" might mean "having the consistency of a pancake after being battered." Before soldering on a new prong tip, the old one must be desoldered. If you follow my instructions, there won't be any problems.

If you don't use a loupe to check for looseness on a regular basis, your stones could fall out of their mountings. My current preoccupation is the search for the ideal wedding band. You should inspect your ring more frequently than once every six months if you intend to continue wearing it daily for the foreseeable future. If you do this every three months, you shouldn't have any issues. The art of stone carving should be preserved for future generations. You may potentially save a lot of time and effort by being so cautious. After the changes were implemented, the incidence rate dropped dramatically.

There is more damage to the wall now than there was when it was first built.

Buying stone directly from a quarry might save you a significant amount of money compared to going through a middleman. Many strategies exist for addressing the stones Stone Setting of missing stones Some people may find that making jewelry is more enjoyable than watching television. Morganite and diamond are frequently confused for one another due to their superficial resemblance. Morganite is the greatest option if you require a highly reflective gemstone but have a limited budget.

Compressed air and a stiff synthetic brush or wire brush can be used to quickly and easily remove debris such as stones. The device can be reassembled at this point. "Mature" rocks, according to geologists, have developed to their full potential. It will be necessary to use a caulking gun and masonry adhesive to secure the stones in place. Sticky beads are fun to experiment with, but you can only use them so many times before they become useless.

One of the most noticeable features of a ring is its stone setting. For some reason, whenever I hear that, the term "Halo" pops into my head. One noticeable sign of this change is the brightening of the outer halo ring. The amount of loose stones can be greatly reduced with frequent site inspections and upkeep. Not everything is as it seems at first glance.

It was my idea to use a nutcracker as an analogy. Perhaps there is a shortage of glitter. It is feasible to avoid expensive repairs if every screw is examined twice for tightness. Visit a jeweler to have the broken clasp mended. Don't panic out if a necklace or bracelet link breaks. The ring's extra prongs call attention to how delicate it is.

If you can flatten the container, you can resolder the broken safety clasp. It's possible that if we tried something different, we'd have better success. A broken or twisted crimp bead on your necklace is nothing to worry about. Without crimp beads, making jewelry would be a major hassle.

One method for a jewelry shop to distinguish itself is by providing unique services like pearl cleaning. There has been a rise in the need for pearl necklace restringing services. Repairs and replacements for diamonds and clasps are available here. If you don't want to clean your house yourself, we can help.

Adjustments "Fatigue" is a common term in the jewelry industry for gemstones that have lost some of their luster over time. Because of this, the metal is more likely to rust. The clamps, hinges, and rivets on your vehicle should be inspected frequently for corrosion and damage, and any that you find should be repaired. The failure of a mechanical system often results from a combination of causes. Perhaps people's preferences have changed over time. Things appear to be deteriorating rapidly. Metals have an in-built fatigue process that allows them to heal after relatively modest harm. The metal would have grown larger over time. Metals have a wide "stress safety envelope," or stress range, where they will not fracture. Something dreadful might happen at any moment. Tensile strength and fatigue life are two indicators of a material's quality. In all likelihood, this will be a smashing success. Discounts for first-time customers are one strategy. Simply rearranging one's space can have a profound effect on one's mood. Preventative maintenance is the key to extending the life of any mechanical device. When metals are notched, slotted, or keywayed, they open themselves up to the formation of rust and corrosion. Many people have raised their worries about this change. This unexpected result could be due to a change in the shear stress.