#apocalyptic beliefs

[nationnow]

'Doomsday mom' Lori Daybell deemed fit to stand trial over death of husband

Chad Daywell became Vallow Daywell’s fifth husband and was later sentenced to death for the murders of both children and his then-wife, Tammy Daybell. Prosecutors in the Idaho case called dozens of witnesses to bolster their claims that Chad Daybell and Vallow Daybell conspired to kill the two children and Tammy Daybell to eliminate any obstacles to their relationship and for the survivor…

[creature-wizard]

Having been researching and watching the New Age movement for awhile now, I can tell ya this: the big shift was supposed to have happened dozens of times already.

For years now - in fact, since longer than you have been alive - people have been predicting the Big Day would happen Very Soon. And each and every time, nothing happened.

"Okay but this time it's different because-"

No, I promise you, it's not. Everybody always thinks it's different this time because, well, it's different this time. The world is worse off than ever. There's more people awakening to the truth than ever before. We found an ancient prophecy that says these are totally the times, you guys. It's different this time, totally, we promise.

This is how it's always gone. Always. It's not different this time; it's literally just another retread of the same failed prediction that's been recycled dozens of times over.

[mariocki]

The Aftermath (1982)

"What happens when you die?"

"I don't know, son. No one does."

"It's sad to die."

"No. Death isn't sad. We all have to die. What's sad is having to go on without someone you love. Just as we have to go on now."

[fiction-quotes]

Being impossible, an abstract belief can only be trusted through its manifestations, the actual shape of the god perceived, however dimly, against the solidity he displaces. Not one of the people around Aunt Fanny believed her father's warning, but they were all afraid of the snake.

  —  The Sundial (Shirley Jackson)

[fearoftheminotaur]

I've always wondered, if Satan is mounting a revolution, is he trying a futile endeavor, or doing something where if he succeeded he would retroactively be ethically in the right?

It's fascinating how a lot of Evangelical Christian anxiety about Satanism seems to be rooted in the unspoken idea that if the Devil gathers enough worship he'll depose God and become the new God, because that's not the party line in any major religion, but it is how it works in Dungeons & Dragons.

[writing-with-sophia]

Common character motivations

Revenge - seeking to get even with someone who has wronged them

Love - driven by romantic feelings for another character

Greed - motivated by a desire for material possessions or wealth

Power - seeking to gain control or influence over others

Justice - motivated by a sense of fairness and a desire to see justice served

Redemption - seeking to make up for past mistakes or wrongdoings

Curiosity - driven by a desire to learn or discover something new

Duty - motivated by a sense of responsibility or obligation to others or a cause

Ambition - driven by a desire to achieve a specific goal or succeed in a particular endeavor

Fear - motivated by a desire to avoid danger or harm

Guilt - driven by a sense of remorse for past actions or decisions

Jealousy - motivated by envy or a desire to possess what another character has

Betrayal - motivated by a sense of betrayal or desire for revenge against someone who has betrayed them.

Ambivalence - a character who is conflicted or uncertain about their goals or desires

Freedom - a character who seeks to escape from a restrictive situation or society

Fame - motivated by a desire for public recognition or notoriety

Identity - driven by a need to understand or define who they are

Family - motivated by a sense of loyalty or obligation to their family or loved ones

Discovery - driven by a desire to explore or uncover hidden knowledge

Patriotism - motivated by a love for their country or a desire to protect it

Rebellion - driven by a desire to challenge authority or the status quo

Artistic expression - motivated by a need to create or express oneself through art, music, or other creative endeavors

Religion or spirituality - driven by a desire to connect with a higher power or to live according to certain beliefs or values

Altruism - motivated by a desire to help others or make the world a better place

Atonement - driven by a need to make amends or seek forgiveness for past actions

Nostalgia - motivated by a desire to return to a simpler time or relive past experiences

Status - driven by a desire for social or professional standing or recognition.

Insecurity - driven by a need to prove their worth or gain acceptance from others

Legacy - motivated by a desire to leave a lasting impact or to be remembered in a certain way after they're gone

Survival - driven by the need to survive in extreme circumstances, such as a natural disaster, war, or an apocalyptic event

Belonging - motivated by a desire to fit in with a certain group or community

Love of knowledge - driven by a passion for learning and acquiring new information

Addiction - motivated by a compulsion to engage in a particular behavior or activity, such as drug use or gambling

Inciting incident - motivation driven by a specific event that triggers or sets the character on their journey

Fear of death - driven by a fear of their own mortality or the mortality of others

Intimidation - motivated by a fear of others or a desire to intimidate others for personal gain

Envy - driven by a desire to possess what others have or to be like someone else

Manipulation - motivated by a desire to control or manipulate others for their own benefit

Protecting others - driven by a desire to protect loved ones or innocent people from harm

Sense of duty - motivated by a sense of responsibility to fulfill a particular role or obligation.

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[anexperimentallife]

The Gaza genocide is going exactly according to the US Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian agenda, with which they hope to wipe out all Jews and Muslims

To anyone raised in the US Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian Dominionist movement in the US, the horror and inhumanity, the genocide Israel is engaged in against Palestinians right now is not a surprise. We all KNEW this was coming, and those of us who got out of the movement we were raised in have been trying to raise the alarm for decades, mostly to either deaf ears, or accusation of antisemitism.

(Because, they would say, "if you don't support Zionism, and stand behind everything Israel does, you must hate all Jews!" Ignoring that many Jews all over the world--yes, including many Israeli Jews--do not support Israel's foreign policy.)

Because everything in the orbit of Israel is going exactly to the Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian Doomsday plan--a plan that has been OPENLY talked about in Fundie circles since I was a little kid being indoctrinated into it.

In case you're not familiar, let me break down the Fundie thinking here:

Their support of Israel and embrace of Zionism is based around their beliefs that:

a) the return of Jews to Israel, and then Israel/all "unconverted" Jews being completely wiped out in an apocalyptic war, is essential to Jesus' return.

b) but that any nation that DIRECTLY opposes Israel will fall even if they defeat Israel. So that in order to fulfill prophecy, they must

c) set someone ELSE up to wipe out Israel/the Jews.

(To go into more detail: They believe that "the Jews were God's original chosen people until Christians took their place in God's favor when the Jews denied Jesus." But that God is still attached to his former faves and will punish anyone who wipes them out--thus the entire fundie idea is to get someone ELSE to do it, then serve as "the instrument of God's vengeance" by genociding the genociders.)

So they support Israel's increasing violence intentionally to create greater and greater conflict and turn more of Israel's neighbor states against them, meanwhile fostering the idea that with the power of the US backing them, they cannot fail.

And here's their next planned phase--maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually

Once things reach a tipping point, the Fundies (currently the single most powerful force in US politics, thanks to ANOTHER multi-generational plan openly talked about in Fundie circles, which was specifically designed to put Fundies amd their allies in powerful positions) will force the US to pull support from Israel so that its neighbors can destroy it, then use that destruction as a pretext for their own genocide against remaining Muslim/Arab (there is little distinction between the two in their minds) peoples.

Christian Fundamentalist support of Zionism has always been about the elimination of both Jews and Muslims, and bringing about a Christian/Capitalist (aka fascist) world.

They emphasize that they LOVE Jews, and maybe don't even entirely HATE the "evil Muslims," but that this is "God's will," and that they have no choice but to obey. They'll even shed crocodile tears about how sad all this is, but believe me--they are CELEBRATING inside. They are OVERJOYED, because they think this will bring about the Rapture, the end of the world, the Thousand Year Reign, and all the other crap in their shitty Doomsday prophecy.

(This is also their excuse for every other group they are trying to destroy. "Oh, I personally have nothing against the gays, but I have to follow God's will. Plus our children need to be protected from their recruitment efforts." During slavery, then segregation, Black folks were often said to have "the mark of Ham, meaning God said they were DESTINED to be slaves because of Ham's sin. Oh, WE'RE not saying it; GOD is!" See also: child marriage, and lots of other talking points.)

Don't believe me? Ask around on the EXvangelical tags. Listen in at some of the more conservative churches in your area. There are a lot of us who were raised being brainwashed with these ideas and had to deprogram ourselves.

[abyssus-aeterna]

彼方の時間と空間の中にて觀らるゝ物の響き。

然て互ひに起こり合ふは、物が何時・何處に在るべければ也。

眞晝の潮汐、煌めく輝きは深みを映し出だす。

此れらの終末的未來像は、所在眺めの中にて見らるゝ皆既也。

[Classical transliteration]

Kanata no zikan to kuũkan no naka nite miraruru mono no fibiki. Sate tagafi ni okori-afu fa, mono ga itu, iduko ni aru bekereba nari. Ma-firu no sifo-zifo, kirameku kagayaki fa fukami wo utusi-idasu. Kore-ra no syuũmatu-teki mirai-zaũ fa, arayuru nagame no naka nite miraruru kaiki nari.

[Modern transliteration]

Kanata no jikan to kūkan no naka nite miraruru mono no hibiki. Sate tagai ni okori-au wa, mono ga itsu, idzuko ni aru bekereba nari. Ma-hiru no shio-jio, kirameku kagayaki wa fukami wo utsushi-idasu. Kore-ra no shūmatsu-teki mirai-zō wa, arayuru nagame no naka nite miraruru kaiki nari.

echoes of objects beheld within the time & the space beyond:

so mutually arising, for that which is, must be where & when;

the tides of high noon, shimmering radiance reflects depth,

these apocalyptic visions, the totality, seen within all views.

[mourn-and-watch]

no no i'm actually not done with timebomb/jayvik parallels. bear with me for a minute

the contrast between the everybody lives timeline ekko and heimerdinger ended up in and jayce's post-apocalyptic wasteland timeline is pretty funny indeed, but i love that juxtaposition because these practically opposite realities serve the same purpose for ekko and jayce. they solidify their goals and, by extension, their willingness to save the person they love.

ekko gets to see the world where his community is thriving; where his childhood friend/crush is loved and happy and enjoys her life in ways the version he knew couldn't. but he learns that this powder is not a complete stranger. this powder is just as talented as jinx, just as brilliant and quirky and so familiar despite all the differences. it has to mean that in his timeline, the girl he knew is still here. she was always there. nothing that has happened to her during these years managed to kill her. ekko would never left his people behind, but he also won't leave jinx: he's the only one who gets through to her and convinces her to do the right thing, even though she might think there's no way for her to be a good person whose life is worth something. ekko doesn't simply believes it's not true. he knows it for a fact.

jayce gets to see the world where viktor won; there's nothing besides corruption, abominations and death, and that's the fate that awaits jayce's timeline if he doesn't succeed. viktor caused all of this, but he's also the one that leads him to the top of piltover. he's the one who gives him a key to salvation, and it is as simple as it is intricate: it's jayce himself. this viktor is a lonely god trapped in a perfect hell he created and it took him ages to realize his mistake — and he believes jayce is the only person who can stop him before it's too late. in all outcomes, it's him. it is as much as a statement of a cosmic powerful being as a belief of a dear friend. jayce is not even certain there's something left of viktor in his timeline, but he has to be. he won't fail. it's a promise he keeps.

it is about saving the world, but also about saving someone very dear to you. someone who is so lost in their own faults and mistakes they forgot they're not beyond salvation, but they don't know you won't save the world without saving them

[notaplaceofhonour]

I was raised in the People of Destiny cult (later renamed, and more well-known as, Sovereign Grace Ministries, now Sovereign Grace Churches).

The valorization of martyrdom and The End Times was so ubiquitous it was ambient noise. We stood in the church lobby theorizing about who the antichrist would be, we argued about whether Jesus would rapture us all before, after, or during the Tribulation Period where Satan would be given free reign over the earth. There was a strong Christian Zionist fixation on Israel as the final battleground and capital of the coming Messianic Age. But the one thing we were all certain of was is that we were in the End Times, that we were not of this world and couldn’t get too attached to our lives here.

We were raised to believe our sin nature made us undeserving of life, that we deserved death and eternal conscious torture.

My parents read us the Jesus Freaks books (a series by Christian Rap group DC Talk about martyrs). I spent “devotional time” reading Fox’s Book of Martyrs. We had guest speakers from Voice of the Martyrs, their pamphlets were often stocked in our church’s information center. We grew up with our dad listening to right wing talk radio and making us listen to songs about how the Godless atheists were outlawing Christianity in America, that we could all become martyrs soon.

The group’s theology was damaging & traumatic in a lot of other ways that contributed to the suicidality I have continued to struggle with for the rest of my life. For a long time I did not believe I would live past 20. There are times when the idea of giving my death meaning by using public suicide to make a political statement has appealed to me.

So now, seeing so many social media posts glorifying the suicide of a US Airman this week, I have been furious. Reading his social media posts, I recognize so much about the way I was raised in his all-or-nothing, black-or-white mindset, the valorization of death-seeking & martyrdom, and the apocalyptic fire-and-brimstone imagery of self-immolation. The moment I saw people I followed celebrating his self-immolation, I said to myself “this feels like a cult”

So when I learned he was raised in a cult too, nothing could have made more sense to me. His political orientation may have changed, but his mindset did not—it was no less extreme or cult-like.

I’ve talked about so many of the reasons this response from the broader left scares me, including how it’s laundering that airman’s antisemitic beliefs, but I cannot think of anything that would hit me in a more personal place than this specific response to this specific situation has.

When I see the images, I think: that could have been me. That scares me, and what scares me more is that so many prominent people are overwhelmingly sending the message to people like me that there is nothing else we can do that would have a more meaningful impact than killing ourselves for the cause.

I do not believe that. I will not even entertain it. And having to see his death over and over and over again, to argue against people who are treating this like an intellectual/moral exercise or a valid debate we all have to consider has been immensely triggering and fills me with a rage I rarely feel. It’s unconscionable that we are even putting self-harm on the table, and that pushing back against that is somehow controversial.

There is hope. Our lives do have meaning. There are far more effective means of fighting injustice. And the world is a better place for having you in it. Don’t fall into believing this is a way to give life purpose.

[thewertsearch]

TC: all my life i believed at a fuckin paradise to come what held the most baller, darkest of carnivals to join. TC: AND A PROPHECY TC: to tell all about a band of rowdy and capricious minstrels steeped in the good harshwhimsy. TC: THE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS WERE FORETOLD TO BE CRASHING THAT FUCKING PIE STAND AND BRING THE HOLY RUCKUS. […] TC: I'M TALKING ABOUT THE VAST HONK, YOU BLASPHEMOUS MOTHERFUCKER.

I suppose I have to take Gamzee's cult a lot more seriously now - which means I should probably at least try to figure out what it is they actually believe.

It appears as if their doctrine is centered around some sort of prophecy, concerning a group of legendary figures known as 'mirthful messiahs'. They're fated to release the Vast Honk - and, in doing so, create some sort of Juggalo paradise.

We don't know any lore about the Vast Honk, but its name sets up intentional parallels with Gl'bgolyb's apocalyptic Vast Glub, as well as the Vast Croak, a holy sound emitted by newborn Genesis Frogs. Both of these sounds accompany enormous, galaxy-shaking cosmic events, so the Honk is presumably no different.

Alternia's First Guardian was 'corrupted' by a genome of the same name, presumably changing him from a standard Sburb NPC into the English cultist we all know and tolerate.

Could the Vast Honk be released by someone corrupted in a similar manner? We already know that Jade's Genesis Frog was spliced with some unknown DNA; it's terrifyingly plausible that said DNA was planted by Scratch, Gamzee, or English himself. There's a very real possibility that the Vast Honk will come from the mouth of Jade's frog.

TC: BUT NOW. TC: because of you. TC: BECAUSE OF ALL YOU AND YOUR FUCKING OUTRAGEOUSNESS. TC: you stole up all my miracles away by revealing at me how the wicked shit was really kicked. TC: LIKE SOME FILTHY FUCKING SCIENSTIFF WHO AT OLD TIMES WOULD BE RULED UNFUNNY WITHOUT EVEN GETTING HIS FUCKING TRIAL ON. TC: and now i don't know what to think about the spiritual fantasies i had.

Anyway, Gamzee can’t seem to reconcile his worldview with this pair of alien rappers who seem to cruelly parody his beliefs.

He’s always been dimly aware of his fictional nature, and as his mind begins to clear, it is forced to confront the possibility that this is all his religion ever was. A viral video and a meme.

For once, he doesn't think it's a very funny joke.

TC: I HAVE THE IDEA THAT YOU PUT IN MY PAN TO SIT THERE. TC: that the paradise planet TC: IS A FUCKING JOKE. TC: and the miracles TC: ARE FAKE. TC: pure fiction. TC: FALSE FAKEY FRAUDY CON JOBS FROM A BUNCH OF UNFUNNY NINJA HARLEQUIN BULLSHIT ARTISTS.

It would be remiss of me not to bring up the possibility that ICP are non-trivially involved with Homestuck's plot. I mean, Betty Crocker is now a key figure in multiple characters’ backstories, so fucking anything is possible at this point.

Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler could literally be the mirthful messiahs, and I have no idea what that could mean. I might actually have to listen to their albums to understand the comic.

[signalhill-if]

Signal Hill Update 1.2.0 is Live

...been a while, huh?

After a long hiatus from this project to focus on my schoolwork, I have a whole update for you lovely folks including over 27,500 words of new content.

For new players, Signal Hill is a text-based interactive fiction RPG set in the post-apocalyptic utopia of Signal Hill. After your caravan is ambushed on the way to the city, you're stranded here- penniless. As you try to recover your cargo, you'll meet a cast of morally dubious characters looking to use you for their own benefit and uncover a web of intrigue far vaster than you ever imagined.

In this update...

DRESS UP GAMES (8.5k). As you embark on your quest to become Yvette's little helper, you'll need to do some dirty work for him- but before you can do that, you've got to look the part. Meet up with him at Darling's Boutique to play dress up with a number of cheeky, route-exclusive clothing items to disguise yourself in an underground genderfuck club.

CROSSROADS (7.5k). The local cult leader wants to meet with you- how could you say no? With tensions high, learn about Levi, the beliefs of him and his followers, and the strange living god they follow.

WHISPERING STREETS (8k). You've been tasked with figuring out who stole that precious cargo from the caravan- who shot you. Ask around, push, prod, and put the pieces together to figure out what the word on the street is. Ask the right people, and you might just learn a thing or two about the twisted web of politics going on behind the scenes.

DEBRIEF (3.5k). Collect your thoughts, share your info, and make a plan for what comes next. This scene has two variations, one featuring Doc and one featuring Levi.

Also, look forward to...

New conversations with some fan-favourite NPCs

Four new route-exclusive clothing items for folks working with Yvette

A simple UI option for desktop users

PLAY NOW.

Cover image artwork by @wuntrum | Buy me a coffee? Bug reports can be sent to signalhilldev@gmail.com

[thecreaturecodex]

Nascent Demon Lord, Carchanore

Image © @chimeride

[Sponsored by @crazytrain48, from Arduin. Carchanone is one of the Arduin demons with the wildest appearances, but relatively little flavor text. Which inspired me to go off in my own direction, tying into some of my favorite topics in Pathfinder, such as the economy of souls and belief, the qlippoth/demon cold war and the machinations of divinities. The mouths in the claws are borrowed from another Arduin archfiend, Gorog-Nor the Hungry One.]

Carchanore The Death Mole, The Burrower Between CE nascent demon lord of burrows, portals and paranoia Domains Chaos, Earth, Evil, Travel Subdomains Cave, Demon, Fear, Portal Worshipers evil molekin, miners, planar travelers, doomsday preppers Minions katpaskir demons, earth elementals, skymetal reavers Unholy Symbol a molehill with a spiked ball protruding from the top Favored Weapon heavy flail Devotion spend one hour digging. At the end of the hour, while standing inside the hole or tunnel, kill a living creature and consume some or all of it. Gain a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against paralysis and petrifaction. Boons 1st—stone call 2/day; 2nd—stoneskin 2/day; 3rd—plane shift 2/day (as 6th level spell)

Nascent Demon Lord, Carchanore CR 25 CE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is the size of a wagon, a cross between a mole and a lobster covered in stony armor and spikes. It has eight elephantine legs each ending in sharp claws, and a long tail tipped with a spiked ball. Its arms are long and have crab-like pinchers. It has a circular whirling maw set in its eyeless face, and similar orifices open up in the corners of its claws.

Carchanore is a monster caught between worlds. Once, the Death Mole was a qlippoth lord who lived as a simple predator, albeit of the great wrackworms that crawl between the planes. His gift at digging is such that he can bore through planar boundaries in pursuit of his prey, and his knowledge of earth and stone made him occasionally revered by subterranean humanoids such as molekin or troglodytes. Deskari, Lord of the Locust Host, considered him a nuisance and a possible competitor to the portfolio of portals, and Yamasoth resented their shared domain of Earth. After Deskari was killed in the Material Plane, the severed faith of his remaining worshipers was cast into the multiverse, and the Burrower Between happened to be its recipient. The exposure to faith and sin warped Carchanore into a nascent demon lord. It made him rather more powerful, but also more vulnerable; without a domain to call his own, Carchanore cannot rejuvenate, and now is terrified that either old enemies or new will slay him. So he roams, digging his way from plane to plane and stopping only to rest.

Carchanore is a straightforward combatant. He prefers to fight with his natural weapons than with his earth magic, although he appreciates his newly gained ability to summon demons. Carchanore’s hide is stony hard and covered with sharp spikes, and weak creatures striking him may shred themselves on his spines before he even lays a claw on the. Carchanore is a juggernaut, trampling earthbound foes before grinding them to pieces with his diamond teeth. Carchanore has three mouths—one in the normal place and a secondary one at the joint of each of his crustacean claws—and any creature killed with these weapons is ground into mincemeat. If creatures keep their distance, Carchanore has a nasty surprise—he can fire the spines on his shell like a barrage of ballista bolts. In his previous life as a qlippoth lord, Carchanore gleefully fought to the death, but now he is quick to flee as he has a newly acquired fear of permanent destruction.

Although the bulk of Carchanore’s cult is made up of survivors of Deskari’s minions, not all of them are. The Burrower Between’s survivalist paranoia makes him popular among others who believe that the end is nigh, and some of his followers are converted from Groetus or other apocalyptic religions. After all, multiple apocalyptic events have been narrowly averted on Golarion, so sooner or later one of them is bound to come to its fulfillment. Such followers are noted for their endless digging, creating vast sprawling bunker complexes for themselves and filling them with provisions and traps. "Dig forever" is a common saying among the Burrower Between's worshipers. Amoral wizards interested in planar travel and mass summoning occasionally call on Carchanore to open gates for them, but doing so is fraught with danger, as the Death Mole views them as challenging prey as often as he does as supplicants.

Carchanore in the Great Game In the Age of Monsters plotline, Carchanore has received his demonic nature as an experiment. Pale Night, who straddles the line between qlippoth and demon herself, brokered a deal with a coalition of powerful katpaskir demons to turn the attentions of the fragmented cult of Deskari to a qlippoth lord, and the Burrower Between was the “lucky” recipient. Pale Night is now observing the Death Mole very closely, to see if he can fight his way into the ranks of true demon lords, or if he will die trying. Pale Night is keeping her reasons for this trial secret even from her allies.

Carchanore CR 25 XP 1,640,000 CE Huge outsider (chaos, demon, evil, extraplanar) Init +9; Senses blind, blindsight 120 ft., Perception +44, tremorsense 300 ft. Aura unholy (DC 25)

Defense AC 42, touch 18, touch 34 (-2 size, +9 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 deflection, +20 natural) hp 546(28d10+392); fast healing 10 Fort +27, Ref +31, Will +29 DR 20/good and adamantine; Immune charm and compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, paralysis, petrifaction, poison, visual spells and effects; Resist acid 30, cold 30, fire 30; SR 36 Defensive Abilities shatter weapons, spiny defense

Offense Speed 40 ft., burrow 60 ft. Melee 2 claws +40 (1d8+14 plus grab), bite +40 (2d6+14 plus grind), tail slap +38 (2d6+21) Ranged 8 stalagmite shots +35 (2d8+14) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Special Attacks adamant attacks, gatecrasher (7/day), powerful blows (tail slap), rake (2 bites +40, 2d6+14 plus grind), trample (DC 38, 2d8+21) Spell-like Abilities CL 25th, concentration +32 Constant—unholy aura (self only, DC 25) At will—chaos hammer (DC 21), greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only), spike stones (DC 21), stone shape, stone tell 3/day—flesh to stone (DC 23), transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, wall of stone, word of chaos (DC 24) 1/day—clashing rocks (DC 26), earthquake (DC 25), repel metal or stone, stone to flesh, summon (9th level, CR 20 or less demon)

Statistics Str 38, Dex 29, Con 38, Int 17, Wis 28, Cha 25 Base Atk +28; CMB +44 (+48 grapple); CMD 68 (80 vs trip) Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Deadly Aim, Dodge, Improved Critical (claw, stalagmite shot), Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical Skills Climb +45,Intimidate +38, Knowledge (engineering, geography) +31, Knowledge (planes) +34,Perception +44, Sense Motive +44, Stealth +32, Survival +40 Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Terran, Undercommon, telepathy 300 ft. SQ nascent demon lord traits, no breath, sprint, stone stride, thagomizer, tunneler

Ecology Environment underground (the Abyss) Organization unique Treasure none

Special Abilities Adamant Attacks (Ex) Carchanore’s natural weapons count as adamantine for the purposes of ignoring damage reduction and hardness. Gatecrasher (Su) As a standard action, Carchanore can tear a hole in reality between 5 to 20 feet wide in an area within his reach. This functions as a gate spell for the purposes of planar travel except that creatures can travel in either direction through it, and remains open for 1 minute or until Carchanore chooses to close it as another standard action. This can even function in the area of a dimensional lock or similar effect, as long as Carchanore succeeds at a caster level check against the caster level of the spell. Grind (Ex) A creature struck by Carchanore’s bite attack must succeed a DC 38 Fortitude save or take 1d4+1 points of Strength and Constitution drain from having its flesh ground. A creature struck by multiple bites a round does not take additional damage, but suffers a -2 penalty to its saving throw for each additional bite. A creature reduced to 0 Strength or Constitution through this effect is slain and cannot be raised from the dead by any spell or effect that requires an intact body. The save DC is Strength based. Shatter Weapons (Ex) Any manufactured weapon that strikes Carchanore takes 4d6 points of damage. Weapons that take any amount of damage above their hardness gain the broken quality. Spiny Defense (Ex) Any creature striking Carchanore with a melee weapon, unarmed strike, natural weapon or touch attack takes 1d8+14 points of piercing damage. Weapons with the reach property do not endanger their wielders in such a way. Sprint (Ex) Once per hour, Carchanore can move 10 times his speed when making a run or charge action. Stalagmite Shot (Ex) Once every 1d4 rounds, Carchanore can fire off eight of his spines as a standard action. Treat these as ranged attacks with a range of 120 feet and no range increment. Carchanore can fire these at the same or different targets. Creatures struck take 2d8+14 points of piercing damage, Carchanore regrows spines effectively immediately, and never runs out of ammunition. Stone Stride (Su) Carchanore ignores difficult terrain and damage from natural, worked or magically altered earth, mud and stone. Thagomizer (Ex) Carchanore’s tail slap deals bludgeoning and piercing damage. Tunneler (Ex) Carchanore can move through solid rock at half his burrow speed, leaving a 15 foot square tunnel as he moves.

[fiction-quotes]

When Aunt Fanny awakened she was perfectly aware of all that had happened, including her own revelations, and – probably resembling in this all souls who have been the vehicle of a major supernatural pronouncement – her first reaction of shivering terror was almost at once replaced by a feeling of righteous complacence. She did not know why these extraordinary messages had been sent through her own frail self, but she believed without question that the choice had been good. She was completely subject to some greater power and, her own will somewhere buried in that which controlled her, she could only become autocratic and demanding.

  —  The Sundial (Shirley Jackson)

[sgiandubh]

Great for S. Jake will be have a good influence on him. We can't say this for AN

Dear AN Anon,

It is my firm belief AN has but a peripheral role to play, these days. Something shifted for the better, once Ashley Hearn entered that building and hopefully will continue to do so. Let the others believe what they want: I know this young woman is legit and I know she means well.

Jake Norton is exactly what the doctor ordered to mend 2024's abysmal PR mishaps: Dubai burlesque gal (I am trying to be elegant, here), loudmouthed wannabe influencer, 'he's mine and will never be yours' (was that Tennis Chick?) and let's not forget 'Go, Sarah'. All of these have been shamelessly taken by a bunch of thirsty older women (nope, I am deliberately not using that four-letter acronym, because I am sure he doesn't...) to apocalyptical levels. Showbiz reputations have been screwed for less, but remember (ROFLMAO), Anon: 'every saint has a past and every sinner has a future'.

What I like the most about this turn of events is the way S managed to redeem a lost project and turn it into something different and positive. With trooping colors, Anon. Fuck the naysayers - people who accomplish something must be supported, simply because it might encourage them to do better and more. Fair's fair.

[howtofightwrite]

perhaps an odd/specific question, but if a character got shot through the hand at very close range without access to medical care (apocalypse) how serious would that injury be? would it be possible to bandage/treat it without medical knowledge?

So, there's a couple factors here that could have a meaningful impact. However, on the question of how serious, this depends on your definition. If you're asking, “is this life threatening?” The answer is yes, but probably not for the reason you're thinking of. If you're asking, “will this cause significant changes to what the character can do,” then, again, the answer is yes.

The chances of bleeding to death from a gunshot wound to the hand aren't especially high, if the wound is properly bandaged, and the victim can stop bleeding. That last part isn't guaranteed, but unless there's some contributing factor (like a history of alcoholism), if they can stop the bleeding, that won't be what kills them.

What might kill them is bacterial infection. Contrary to popular belief (and, even contrary to what I've said in the past), bullets do not burn hot enough to sterilize the bullet. Meaning the bullet can be a vector for bacterial infection (of course, the bandage, and any debris forced into the body by the gunshot, are more likely to become vectors.) In a post-apocalyptic setting, without access to medical treatment, a bacterial infection can absolutely kill you.

Of course, improper bandage hygiene can also result in an infection, days after the original gunshot wound occurred. In a post-apocalyptic environment, you really do not want to ignore open wounds.

On the non-lethal side of the question, they're never going to be able to use that hand again. At least, it's not going to be the same, ever again. How bad it is will depend on what they were hit with. But, in most circumstances, a gunshot to the hand will break bones in the hand. In many cases the bullet can even eject bone fragments from the hand.

Without medical treatment, broken bones in the palm of the hand can permanently impair its use, but when you're ejecting critical portions of the hand's structure, yeah, that's not going to work right without those bits. When you look at most of your skeletal structure, your bones basically create a kind of intricate pulley system. Depending on what's damaged, destroyed, or ejected, that might mean that some fingers are still functional, or it could create a situation where they're unable to use their fingers at all. In some cases (such as with a shotgun), you might even eject enough material that the hand itself is completely unsalvageable.

So, the short version is, it might not kill your character, but that hand is going to be very seriously messed up, and it will probably, permanently change their life, and might still kill them later.

-Starke

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