#clearlight

[radiophd]

clearlight -- without words

[bungitonthen]

CD4 of 5

(mislabelled: and I and you ... not siberian khatru)

[my-favourite-zhent]

WIP Wednesday

I never get these done on time, sorry folks.

Tagged by the lovely @coreene (who's forgotten realms lore posts were super useful for some of the world building for this WIP, Wet Parade I'm looking at you!)

I shall tag @fistfuloftarenths @dustdeepsea @thisaccountisagainstmywill

@captainsigge @littleplasticrat @luvwich do as you like, when you like~

Below the cut is a snippet from chapter three of Fortune and Favour. What is Fortune and Favour? Well I started another long fic but haven't posted it here because I'm lazy and didn't edit the screenshot yet, muahaha.

In the distance he could begin to make out the silhouette of the temple.

“There, lass.” He gestured with his chin. “We're coming upon it now.”

“Oh!” She twisted and leaned forward in her seat, straining to see.

He watched as her shoulders sagged in disappointment and confusion. “Are– are you sure that's it?”

“Quite sure.”

“But it doesn't look anything like the illustrations, looks hardly like a temple at all. It's more like…” She was squinting now to try and make sense of what lay before her.

“A fortress?”

“Yes.” Her shoulders were tense now, finally she had realised something was amiss.

“Well we had to fortify it. Too vulnerable otherwise. Never know when they could attack.”

“When who could attack?” She whipped around to regard him. Though she tried to restrain herself, the concern was evident in her voice.

“Why the rival gangs of course. We didn't become the largest faction in Luskan by resting on our laurels.”

“You said you were a priest of Tymora.”

“It's more that I implied it.” He smirked.

“Let me down, let me down now.” The panic in her voice was rising.

“I could do that aye, and you could walk all the way back to the Cutlass through the muck. But you’d have to hand over all your maps and take the first boat out of Luskan.” She could hear the edge in his voice now, the unspoken threat.

“You can’t do this.” She protested. “I’ve worked on those for months.”

“And I’ve cut my way through every half-way competent rival for just as long, not about to let some fool girl show the rest of them how to waltz into my lair.”

“They're my maps! I can't graduate without a thesis.”

“What you seem to be failing to grasp is that I could've just as easily cut you down there in the inn. I'm being more than fair.”

She didn't have a retort for that and only stared at him aghast. He said nothing more, allowing her time to weigh her options.

Isolde turned back towards the fortress. The horse had continued on through their argument and they would be there before long.

“And if I don't get down? What then?”

“You stay at Clearlight as my guest. Help me find these passages. My folk and I will help you find the vault. You get your receipts, I get the gold and then you can go on your merry way. Less the maps of course.”

[fistfuloftarenths]

from @captainsigge 's post here

[jdyf333]

interview by Davivid Rose Via Flickr: I was interviewed by Hamilton Morris in April 2020, here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxRWA3AnLi4 I spoke with him using a cheap cell phone I bought for $5 at a Walgreens drugstore. After listening to the interview, Twitter user Carol-Anne Sabrol commented "If this isn't...content worth paying for, I don't know what is." ("People are always calling me about doing a podcast, but I can't talk for an hour without saying something fucked up." ---Samuel L. Jackson, speaking to interviewer Jonathan Dean, 2.26. 2022, The Sunday Times.) A randomly-edited selection of approximately 700 of my pictures may be viewed by clicking on the link below: www.flickr.com/groups/psychedelicart/pool/43237970@N00/ Please click here to read my "autobiography": thewordsofjdyf333.blogspot.com/ And my Flicker "profile" page may be viewed by clicking on this link: www.flickr.com/people/jdyf333/ My telephone number is: 510-260-9695

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

ALL AMERICAN BIKER-STONER/DOOM -- ONLY ON MAN'S RUIN RECORDS.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on CD/package design for "Free…," the 2001 split release between American stoner rock bands ACID KING and THE MYSTICK KREWE OF CLEARLIGHT. It was one of the final releases before the collapse of Man's Ruin Records in the same year. Sleeve design by the late, great Frank Kozik.

SPLIT CD OVERVIEW: "In the vein of other Man's Ruin split discs, this effort serves up two slices of concentrated, sludgy greatness, with the emphasis definitely on the sludge. ACID KING kicks things into gear with "Free," four slices of pure mind-fuck, showing that Lori S. -- apparently no longer Crover -- and her bandmates still have got the goods.

As seems to be traditional with the group at this stage, there's yet another new bassist on most of the tracks, Guy Pinhas, though Brian Hill is still around for "Four Minutes" (which, logically enough, is over eight minutes long). The tempo-shifting instrumental "Blaze In" makes for major mind-shred, bong-hit action, setting the mood for the rest of the band's slow-as-it-goes death groove.

Lori herself shows again she's got the instrumental chops and vocal abilities for everything, her heavily echoed singing an almost lovely counterpoint to the gobs of feedback. Though there's not much variety between the tracks, it really isn't needed -- it's all about head nodding and tripping out at full volume.

As for the MYSTICK KREWE OF CLEARLIGHT and its section, "The Father, the Son and the Holy Smoke," it's about what might be expected from a DOWN/EYEHATEGOD side project -- lengthy, loud, and intensely pissed off, but with a hearty load of good-time boogie as well. Ross Karpelman's organ gives it that perfect DEEP PURPLE glaze. Only two songs, and they're both trips -- the first, "Buzzard Hill (My Backyard)," sounds like the perfect lost 1974 bad-ass stoner funk trip of dreams, with Jimmy Bower and Paul Webb's guitar charging everywhere and Joey LaCaze hitting some fine drum fills. The 12-minute "Veiled" combines that with a great space-out/head-trip midsection, making something already grand even better."

-- ALLMUSIC (review by Ned Raggett)

Sources: www.acidking.com/js_albums/acid-king-clearlight-split-cd, Allmusic, & Facebook.

[rastronomicals]

Mystick Krewe of Clearlight

[c4lifestyle]

Camaro SS Clears with halo. These hit hard. Drying time 🔥🔥🔥🔥 ————- #camaro #camaross #taillights #custom #halo #retrofit #custom #customlights #cleartaillights #cleartailgang #clearlights https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn5NAYMupbb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fuka-petals]

Clearlight redesign ^^

[thenotsolimited]

[my-favourite-zhent]

Fortune and Favour

Hello folks, a new AU long fic for you.

Summary:

AU set in Luskan 1480DR. Rugan has assumed leadership over the Coin Spinners gang and taken the name Clearlight. When a Waterdhavian noble comes snooping around for Illuskan Netherese relics under the gang's headquarters Rugan steps up to put them in their place. What he instead finds is the chance at an amazing payday and an unexpected prize.

Notes:

This AU is straight out of the filthy mind of @fistfuloftarenths. She head canoned the idea of Rugan of Clearlight based off the screenshots of @captainsigge. Fistful also came up with a lot of the scene ideas, so I'm bordering on being her ghostwriter at this point. Also thank you to @dustdeepsea for helping me with the title and summary. Big shout out to all three for beta reading for me. These fics are pretty much written for the Zhentil Keep Perverts at this point.

Banner by the lovely @coreene

Chapter One below the cut or here on AO3

Chapter One

1480 15 Uktar

Eden of Clearlight was dead, had been for many months now. While she had rallied many of the other gangs to the Coin Spinners banner, she had lost almost as many men in the ensuing chaos. The Coin Spinners had been left adrift, weakened, directionless and Rugan had seen an opportunity.

He’d only been a lieutenant in a lower ranking gang – so low its name does not bear recounting – when Eden had pulled them all into the fold. But now she and most of her officers were dead. There had been a few others that vied for leadership, and all had found a knife in their back. Either each other’s or Rugan’s.

So it came to be that at barely twenty-four Rugan had become the new head of the Coin Spinners, and with it acquired the title Clearlight. So named for the temple-come-fortress that housed them. He had struck decisively at the other criminal organisations before they had gotten their feet back under them. Most had survived but in weakened states. There were few left who would dare challenge him now. Which was why Amnos’ information came as a surprise.

“Some girl’s been asking about you down in the Cutlass,” the redheaded man had said as the pair stood in front of the altar to Tymora that marked the centre of the fortress.

“That right? Looking to get recruited?” Rugan drawled in his lilting Luskan accent. He tilted his head as he spoke, tied back flaxen hair catching gold in the sunlight that trickled through the stained-glass window overhead. It was said to be the last glass window in Luskan, and for which the temple and now Rugan derived their name.

“Doesn't seem like, looked a bit posh to be joining up.” Amnos scratched his beard pensively.

“A noble?” His eyebrow quirked. That was interesting. Not that he had any love for nobles but he’d never heard of one stooping to joining a street gang, especially not in Luskan of all places.

“Seemed so, dressed nice and spoke real educated-like too. Southern accent it sounded like.”

“Who’s she affiliated with?” The thought of a southerner stirring up trouble did give him pause. Kalen Dren, one of the parties who had been involved in the annihilation of the Luskan gangs, had been from Waterdeep and had since returned there. Any locals would’ve known to stay out of Rugan's way.

Amnos shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like she knows the local gangs, we haven’t seen her make contact with anyone. She’s just been reading books when she’s not harassing the locals.”

“Suppose we should pay this little interloper a visit then. We can’t have just anyone trading on my good name.” He smiled shark-like.

+++++

The Cutlass was one of the busier inns. In the city’s heyday it had been a sight to behold. Still turned a profit as it was, but much like Luskan it’s glory days were long past. The timbers were old and rotted, and its windows were made of thin sheets of animal horn rather than glass.

A nervous silence had fallen over the taproom when Rugan and Amnos entered and he felt a smile play at the corner of his mouth. There was power there, in being feared. Rugan’s exploits against the other guilds had been cutthroat and his reputation well earned. He had little interest in the common folk though. These customers had no reason to fear him as long as they didn’t cross him, but there was no need to tell them that.

He nodded at Amnos to wait for him down here before ascending the stairs to the inn’s rooms. The girl had been under watch for a few days now and his men had informed him of which room was hers. He knocked at the door. Whatever this little noble wanted, he'd be sure to send them packing.

The door swung open and there she stood. Little was right, she barely came up to his chest. But gods, she was beautiful. With soft raven waves cascading past her shoulders, a small but perky bust and a delicate waist that was begging to be grasped.

“Heard you've been asking around about Clearlight, lass.”

It was meant to be intimidating, well, just a touch to start. In her excitement the girl didn't seem to notice. She clasped her hands together under her chin and looked at him with wide eyes.

“You know about the Clearlight temple?” The delight in her voice was unmasked. Her eyes were sparkling, and they were lovely too, framed by thick dark lashes.

The girl’s reaction was the exact opposite of what he had intended, and he felt himself swallow unexpectedly. She grasped his hand in both of hers.

“Oh, do please come in!” She began pulling him into the room without waiting for a reply. Rugan allowed this, but not without some trepidation. Was this a trap set by a rival faction?

“I'd love to hear your opinion on the maps. It took a while to piece them together.” She ushered him towards a table that looked like the victim of a mad cartographer. Several maps were scattered over its surface, weighted down with pebbles. He could see underneath was a larger sheet that had connections between these disparate pieces drawn in.

“Now, no one source had all the sections of the undercity of course. What information we have on Netheril and Illusk is fragmented at best. But based on the complete diagrams from various other Netherese ruins we know that the general floorplan of a Netherese vault house follows a distinct pattern…” The girl had taken a seat at the table and continued to chatter on, but she had lost him a while ago. He sat down in the opposite chair, scrutinising her as she spoke. 

A thin braid encircled the crown of her head, adding a touch of order to the chaos that was her hair. Her blouse looked to be of a fine cotton, with ruffled trim along a neckline that dipped deliciously low. He admired how the swell of her breasts peaked out from beneath her top. It was cinched under her bust by a green velvet jacquard corset, laced up the front. Her pants were tan leather, they looked smooth and barely worn. Amnos had been right, entirely too posh to be a recruit. Some noble out of Baldur’s Gate or Waterdeep mayhaps?

“I keep asking about the temple but no one seems to want to talk about it. You'd think it was dedicated to Beshaba rather than Tymora with how skittish the locals have been.”

“People can be a bit superstitious here in Luskan,” he offered, inwardly grinning at his good fortune. 

She was a complete and utter fool. For all her research she had neglected to look into the local criminal organisations before coming to Luskan. Of course she didn't know that the Coin Spinners had taken the temple as their base, and that he had taken its name for his own.

“Ah, forgive my manners. I've forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Isolde.” She held out her hand for him to shake.

“Rugan.” He replied, taking her hand and raising it to place a kiss upon it.

She was taken aback, eyes wide with surprise.

‘Didn't think a guttersnipe like me knew how to address a noble lady, did ya?’ Rugan was both rankled by the thought and smug that he had proved her wrong. 

He noticed a blush creep over her cheeks and how she seemed to be appraising him now as if noticing him for the first time. He felt the beginnings of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. No, it was more than surprise, she was flattered.

“P-pleased to meet you,” she managed to eke out.

“Indeed.”

Then, just as quickly, it seemed his hold on her was broken by a sudden recollection.

“Ah I almost forgot! The onion skin!”

“Onion skin?” 

But she was already out of her seat and rooting through her pack. She returned with a roll of paper that when unfurled was semi translucent. He supposed it did resemble the skin of an onion.

Carefully she placed it overtop the other maps, pinning it down based on some landmarks only she perceived. There was a map on the onion skin he realised. Tymora’s tits, this was—

“It's the blueprint for Tymora’s temple. The clerics in Waterdeep let me take a look at their copy. Took a bit of maths to get it to scale with the others but luckily the walls are mostly square. Mind you, this is from when it was built in the 1370s, there's no way to tell what it looks like now over a hundred years later. At least not short of going in yourself.”

Now this was something. It galled him to think that a map of the hideout had just been floating around in some Waterdeep temple for any preening noble to come have a little look-see.

“And these markings here?” He gestured to the map, careful to keep his tone neutral.

There were four circles and three crosses marked on the onion skin which lined up with structures on the maps below. He already had a sneaking suspicion what they were based on their locations.

“Passages down to Illusk. The circles are confirmed, cross-referenced with some old journal entries of a priestess I found in Candlekeep library.” 

She was correct, two were caved in, but the remaining pair the Coin Spinners had heavily trapped and kept watch over. Never knew what manner of sneak or beast would come up from the undercity.

“And the crosses are unconfirmed?”

“Right, I couldn't find any historical records that mention them specifically, but based on the fact that the first four correspond with the Netherese designs, I think it's safe to assume there would be a temple counterpart for the remaining three. Two of them are connected to a hidden inner chamber while the third connects to the high priest’s chambers, which would explain why they weren't widely known. I mean, it's just a hunch, but I'm fairly confident.”

She looked proud, and he supposed she had reason to be, having found three unguarded entrances to slip into his lair.

“Why would the temple builders create passages, and not just loot the undercity?”

“They may have already looted it or attempted to. But I suspect the temple's location would be particularly auspicious, sitting on top of a coin house. The number of passages also suggests this—seven was considered lucky in many human cultures.” She mused.

There was a sharp whistle and they both started from their chairs.

“Shit, the kettle.” She hurried over to the opposite table where a ceramic kettle bedecked with runes was steaming. Nobles and their magic toys.

“Would you like some tea?” She called over her shoulder.

“Oh, aye.”

Rugan took the opportunity to consider his next steps. He had come here expecting an upstart wanting to buy their way into the guild, or perhaps some imposter trading on his name. Either one he would've cowed or killed, depending on how much he disliked them. He was certainly prepared to dislike some preening noble.

But, technically she was innocent of any crime outside general nosiness. If anything it was his good luck that he had found her before some rival did. He could just take the map but that left the girl as a loose end. 

Rugan watched as she prepared two cups of tea. Killing her would be easy enough, but it would be simpler to find the entrances with her know-how.

‘Besides,’ he thought, as she tucked her hair behind her ear revealing more of her slender neck, ‘Noble or not, it would be a crime to remove such a pretty thing from the world.’

She returned with the two cups, and he noted she had left two sugar cubes on his saucer. Sugar had been a luxury in Luskan of late, seemed like more and more things were luxuries nowadays.

“My thanks.” He accepted the cup politely and dropped both cubes in before stirring. “You bring all this with you from Waterdeep?”

“Yes, that's right. Generally prefer to travel light but the merchants I know in the city were of the consensus that it’s a bit harder to get supplied in Luskan, and in any case it was just the one boat up.” She took the seat beside him and sipped at her tea.

“Not too long of a trip I hope?”

“A little more than half a tenday by galley. Not long at all.”

He nodded and took a deep draught of the tea. Rugan was no deckhand, but you don’t grow up in the city of sails without learning a thing or two about ships. A galley was one of the fastest and most expensive ships to book passage on, just one way may have run her fourty or fifty gold pieces. Definitely moneyed, maybe a merchant family out of Waterdeep? She might fetch a nice ransom. No servants though, at least none that Amnos had observed. This wasn’t entirely unusual with tourists who thought part of the fun was ‘roughing it’ . Especially if they were stingy tourists.

“I’m being rude again, I’ve forgotten to ask about your interest in the temple.” And she really did look sorry.

“Well I live there for one.”

“Live there!” She straightened in her chair. “But the clerics in Waterdeep, they said the clergy has long since abandoned Clearlight temple.”

“We’re not really associated with the Waterdeep branch. None of the large organisations have any interest in Luskan since the Spellplague. You could say we’re a bit esoteric compared to most Tymorans.” Rugan didn’t consider himself a particularly good liar, but the girl hadn’t seemed to have noticed.

She was leaning in close now, barely containing her excitement. “So you’ve been inside? You’ve seen the passageways?” He could smell her hair now, it was like jasmine and orange peels.

“Aye lass, some of them. Most are collapsed but those new ones on your map I haven’t seen before. Could be worth an investigation.” The girl was almost leaping out of her chair, this was too easy.

“Would you permit me to come look?” Her voice had already been high but it seemingly shifted a whole octave up now. “I promise not to disturb anything, and of course there would be a split of anything found down there.”

He let his features fall into a charming smile. “Well, if you're promising.” Of course the split would be highly in his favour, if he let her keep anything at all. Unlikely.

It was his lucky day, Tymora be praised. He was going to secure the fortress, possibly a payday and—he let his gaze linger on her a moment—a bit of company if he played his cards right.

She must have noticed his stare, noticed how close they were because her cheeks were reddening and it seemed like her breath was caught in her throat.

“Are you a treasure hunter, then?” Her cup was no longer steady in her hand and he gently took it from her, placing it on the table.

“N-no, just a student. I've been writing my graduation thesis on Illusk.”

“And the treasures they left behind?” He leaned in closer as well so they were mere inches apart. 

“It's the records I'm interested in.” Her voice was quieter now, it had a breathy quality to it.

“Not the coin?” She merely shook her head and he reached forward to palm her cheek. When she didn't protest, Rugan felt confident in his approach. She was younger than him, not by much, but enough that combined with a sheltered upbringing she was likely inexperienced in these things.

“Seems to me, if we're going to be working together we should get to know one another a little better. Don't you agree?”

[peterbromley]

FOR YOUR CONTEMPLATION Welcome to Friday. If moved, move. Go outside. Breathe deeply. Invite connection to what exists now, apparently. It’s a means to escape a feverish mind churning incessantly with fears, indiscriminate desires and Lord knows what else. Use the senses to connect with this outdoor world. Smell it. Touch it. Breathe it. Marvel. Awe. Revere. Humble. Give thanks. This is one form of cultivating humility and gratitude, imperatives to students who possess a burning desire for liberation: that is, to know what it means to be fully human. Free of earthly conditioning, We are so much greater than we think if only we knew. And knew how to be a humble student and thirsty sponge, to study from a proven source of self knowledge and practice. And practice. And practice. Self knowledge is a moment to moment to moment commitment, practice, labour of self love. And that is often challenging, especially if your wiring is configured in self worthlessness. The challenging news is this is beyond a 10,000 hour exercise. At least it is for me, a work in progress, now in its 200th year (approximately). But to be free…the commitment is worth it as you realize the benefits while escaping the ego’s gravitational pull. Enjoy the flight! A word on this art: I discovered a beautiful, evocative source featuring womens art from around the world. “Wish I had a river” is from Fiona Watson. @womensart1 Peter Bromley Work in progress . . . . #art #liberation #freedom #mentalhealth #ptsd #contemplation #donohsrm @womensart1 #fionawatson #peace #selfworth #values #pesceofmind #nature #vedanta (at Clearlight Evolution) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmyTepfOMQT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jdyf333]

My Microdose LSD by Davivid Rose Via Flickr: (I invented the word "microdose". "If the story about 'Clearlight Brand "microdose" LSD' is true, then the origin of the term 'microdose' for very small doses of LSD precedes all other uses of the term, e.g. in pharmacology [since 1995], in agriculture [since 2005] and by Fadiman [2011]." ---German psychiatrist Torsten Passie, in his 2019 book THE SCIENCE OF MICRODOSING PSYCHEDELICS. The book reproduces a page of the above product information leaflet for "Clearlight brand 'MICRODOSE' LSD" that I wrote and distributed in early 1988.) ("There’s a future where LSD is not simply decriminalized but also legally accessible, says Ethan Nadelmann, founder and outgoing executive director of Drug Policy Alliance, who Rolling Stone has dubbed 'the real drug czar'. 'The information that's increasingly coming out about microdosing makes it more likely that it will happen sooner than later,' says Nadelmann. 'It's presenting a growing segment of the public with a new perspective on LSD, and it's something that really shatters the images of LSD that people may have in their minds.'" ---Stephie Grob Plante, TheVerge dot com, 4.24. 2017.) Please click here to read my "autobiography": thewordsofjdyf333.blogspot.com/ And my Flicker "profile" page may be viewed by clicking on this link: www.flickr.com/people/jdyf333/ My telephone number is: 510-260-9695