#custom knife scales

[szaszimi]

Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in Maxamet, one of the hardest high alloy-high carbon toolsteels available in production. Excellent edge retention, great edge stability, superb wear resistance and a quickly developing patina which makes this steel unique. Its a great match with the fine polished pure copper scales. No clip screws, just a slim, minimal and elegant carry, a timeless design.

[gibsongunleather]

GIBSON TRADITIONAL ROUND KNIFE by BRUCE GIBSON Via Flickr: www.GibsonLeather.com

[dereliction-if]

DERELICTION - One empire. Three kingdoms. Four races. A fate so fragile, and yet the celestial spirits decided to put it in the hands of their own potential deicide.

In a fractured realm plagued by ancient animosities, where empires clash and races vie for their own goal, their own dominance, a haunting destiny hangs over an unlikely figure. A pariah, an outcast, and perhaps the only hope - You.

You bear the weight of a dark lineage and the remnants of a once-powerful origin - now shunned by all races. While shadows of your tragic past loom large, a seemingly chance encounter thrusts you into a perilous journey. The path ahead is cloaked in uncertainty, an abyss that beckons you to confront your deepest fears, your deepest desires - a choice that may tip the scales toward salvation or everlasting despair.

It’s upon you to decide: Can you outrun your fate, or will you succumb to the very darkness you seek to defy?

/// FEATURES:

Customize the Main Character (MC) and hereby influence your path in the world:

• Name (including Nickname & Alias)

• Pronouns (choose preset or set your own)

• Gender (male, female & non-binary options)

• Appearance (hair, eye colour, size, body type, scars & more)

• Race: Thao‘Raq

• Personality (influencing events, attitudes & behaviour towards you)

• Vices (choose your poison)

• An inner power yet to identify What else? Different POVs (incl. your ROs POVs)

/// HOW IT ALL BEGAN - YOUR STORY:

/// THE WORLD (MAP WIP)

/// CHARACTERS:

For thy company makes thy destiny:

Several characters that highly influence your path, depending on your relationship and choices. Some of them you‘ll encounter just once, whilst others will be your companions for a long while. But relationships might change, due to events in the past, decisions you made. Beware, character deaths are happening and some consequences will only show in the long run.

Important characters to be announced soon

/// ROMANTIC OPTIONS:

Overall there will be 5 ROs and plenty of short term encounters - see below (Spoiler alert)

RO#1: The royal heir

Princess Sonea - she/her, 1,76m (5'9") Prince Solas - he/him, 1,94m (6'4") - 22yo, straight or gay; race: Human

Appearance: tba

Personality: tba

The first time your eyes locked, both your fates were decided. Yet, nobody could have known what consequence just one destined moment would mean for both of you and, further, the whole realm. Will you be each other’s key or knife?

RO#2: The sovereign

Amara Dougal - she/her, 1,81m (5'11") - 31yo, straight or gay, race: Human x Thao‘Raq

Appearance: tba

Personality: tba

You were never meant to be more than a tool for them - an interchangeable toy to kill boredom, play a little game of strength, willpower and dominance. Then you managed to surprise them. Was that your plan all along?

Mood Board: here

RO#3: The mage

Jia - she/her, 1,65m (5'5"); he/him, 1,79m (5'10"); they/them, 1,73m (5'8") - 21yo, demi, race: Eirdimon

Appearance: tba

Personality: tba

You stumbled into their life, being the first light in a long while. They are grateful for the new perspectives you bring into their life, even though you turn their whole world upside down. Still, they decided to never let you go again.

RO#4: The mercenary

Havu Guillame - she/her, 1,73m (5'8"); he/him 1,87m (6'2") - 26yo, pan, race: Sertynan

Appearance: tba

Personality: tba

A rusty knife, straight between their shoulder blades sounded like a much more enjoyable scenario than having to spend time with you. Not because you are exceptionally annoying, which you can be, but because bearing anybody else’s burden is nothing more than a waste of time to them.

RO#5: The knight

Daria Baran - she/her, 1,97m (6'6") Darius Baran - he/him, 2,03m (6'8") - 38yo, straight (?), race: Human

Appearance: tba

Personality: tba

Their oath is the reason why they are stuck with you. If it were possible, they would‘ve avoided it as a whole, but it seems carrying your ass around, reminding you of your manners, duties and cleaning the mess you leave behind you, is their painful responsibility now.

/// RACES: Click on each race to find out more

Sertynan (Original purpose: Diplomacy & Peace)

Eirdimon (Original purpose: Creation & Wisdom)

Human soon

Thao‘Raq (Original purpose: Protection & Defense)

>>> physical appearances - race specific: here

/// FLORA & FAUNA:

Buorshik (Lizard)

/// CONTENT WARNING: 🔞 Dark adult fiction

contains mentions of violence, bullying, racism, body horror, torture, gore, medical procedures, death, alcohol, drugs, addiction, abuse, self harm, optional sexual content incl. prostitution.

Full content warning here.

/// LAST UPDATE: 08.04.2024

In early development. DEMO: t.b.a.

Note: Each chapter will be published once it is finished.

[folksaga-if]

“It is a long story, and it does no credit to anyone: there is murder in it, and trickery, lies and foolishness, seduction and pursuit.  Listen."

- Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology

You are a human. A totally normal one.

Honestly.

You’re a human. You’re a bartender, which is a very normal job for a human to have, and when you walk down the winding streets of Akureyri you can blend seamlessly into any crowd of people which is, without question, only something that a human could do.

The fact that you came here two years ago with nothing but the clothing on your back doesn’t mean anything; you’re hardly northern Iceland’s first wayfaring soul. That you had no money to your name, no friends or family to speak of — that’s a fairly average human thing, too. And that little craving you have, that quiet urge to dig your teeth into any passing stranger’s throat? It's completely, entirely mundane.

It’s manageable. You’re managing.

Or you were, until someone — someone who's decidedly notas good at this human thing as you are — begins leaving a trail of dead bodies at your doorstep, and a trio of god-like siblings take a seat at your bar.

MAGNI THORSON .

No doubt the mightiest of his siblings, the eldest child of Thor is exactly the sort of person you would expect him to be: a giant (half-giant, in fact) asshole with a smoulder and a knife-sharp jawline to match. He’ll match your every word with a cocky grin and a joke that’s nowhere near as funny as he thinks, and he’ll look every inch the prince that he is all the while.

(Well, the prince that he was. Just don’t let him hear you say that.)

MODI THORSON .

For the supposed embodiment of his father’s wrath, the God of Thunder’s second son is surprisingly…not that. He’s no picnic, mind you — he’s broody, he’s secretive, and he's fucking intense, but that hardly equates to fury incarnate. You’re sure there’s something hiding under that moody surface; whether or not you want to uncover it is a different story entirely.

(Looks like even gods aren’t immune to middle-child syndrome. Who knew?)

THRÚD THORSDÓTTIR .

Valkyrie, seidhr,paragon of strength — with all of her mother’s best traits (and a few of her father’s worst), is it any wonder that Thor’s youngest child was also his favourite? Smarter than her half-brothers and more likeable by a longshot, you might find yourself forgetting how easily the fortune-telling goddess could break you in two. You might, but she’ll be happy to remind you if you do.

(Maybe a little too happy, in fact.)

KATLA B̶͍̏L̸̝͑O̵̟͠M̴̳̓Q̴̯̔V̵̺͆I̷̗͛S̵̠͒T̸̬̒ .

A fellow nomad and your coworker at Black Thunder, the first friend you made in Akureyri has remained your closest. Mischevious, magnetic, and often up to no small amount of trouble, there are times when you think you might know Katla better than you know yourself. You even know about her…well, you know that she…sorry, what were you talking about again?

(It's just that it’s nice, being close to someone who’s so very human.)

THE MARE .

There’s a voice in your head and a shadow in your dreams, and they’re telling you to run. You probably shouldn’t trust them.

(…Right?)

Customize your monster character. New life, new you! Choose your gender identity, change your name, cut your hair, and remember: if you’re starting to grow tired of running from your past, try on a new outfit and start running faster.

Play as one of three runway creatures from Norse mythology — a cunning keeper of the forest, a charming warden of the lake, or a formidable guardian of the mountains. Each has its quirks (would you prefer a hollowed-out tree for a back, or webbed fingers and forearms covered in scales?), but they all have two key things in common: they’ll killto protect their homes, and you’redefinitely not one of them.

Choose your own fate, out of the countless that are presented to you. Had oatmeal instead of skyr with your breakfast this morning? You might have just brought about Ragnarök 2.0. Nice one, asshole.

Multiple romance options, with each available to pursue regardless of your gender or background. Ever wanted to kiss a god under a starry sky? Now's your chance! Or maybe you’re through with immortal beings and desperate to ask the pretty server on a date? Go for it! She’s definitelya human too. Totally. You’d be able to tell if she wasn’t. Wouldn’t you?

Save the world — or don’t.It's your choice, and isn't that what true freedom is all about?

Folksaga is inspired by The Edda, Norse mythology, andTwin Peaks, with a bit of tweaking to the myths as needed for the sake of plot. MC backgrounds have been adjusted to fit for all players regardless of gender identity, and creative liberty has been taken with some smaller points for a smoother storytelling experience. All changes will be explained in an FAQ post (too be added in the links below ASAP!)

AS OF AUGUST 21 UPDATE: The current demo consists of the prologue (introductory lore + character creation), + chapter 1, about 70k words total.

I expect it to be somewhere in the range of 600,000 to 700,000 words, but this is subject to change (and likely will due to my propensity for rambling text. oops.).

I’ve written  short and long-form original fiction as well as a lot of fanfic (say hello @ pentaghastly on AO3, and @kendallroynsfw on tumblr!), but this is my first IF! Bugs and coding issues may appear in the demo; please let me know if any issues arise during your playthroughs.

Folksaga is a work in progress. I would love constructive feedback when the demo is posted, as well as any bugs or grammar issues to be brought to my attention if I've missed them :) I would also love patience, because I'm a full time health care worker who gets sleepy lots xoxo

A Swedish farmer named Sven Andersson was executed in 1691 for having intercourse with a mountain nymph, or bergsrå. I will neither confirm or deny if his Wikipedia article was the inspiration for this IF, except I will confirm it and it definitely was.

MC ORIGINS | RO INTROS | DEMO!!!!! | COG FORUMS | PATREON

[skythevirus]

First Time Cosplay Journey: Peppino and Noise Full Body Cosplay

As the title states, this is literally the first time making a full fledged costume. @skyrider3217artz and I started this back at the beginning of July and we wanted to share our experience with making them for the upcoming convention my sister and I be heading to around December close to our birthday.

I'm used to doing custom plushies with my sister with our latest one being a custom 4 foot Mizutsune plush (https://www.reddit.com/r/MonsterHunter/s/jD17gT3R0O) plus a mushroom toppin for a friend and a pinapple toppin for another commission. Honestly, this is a really big jump from making custom plushies but I am feeling optimistic about this project. It has been a long and grueling month working a full time job plus working on this cosplay with weather and workspace not being favorable at our location. This is what we have so far into the project:

Last Updated: 09/18/2024 (Updates Highlighted in Blue)

More details below:

Noise Cosplay

The cosplay is fully completed, here is the post showcasing the costume.

Props

NTV Microphone: Fully completed

Noise Bomb Plush: Fully completed

Noisey Plush: Not a priority

Jetpack Backpack: Not a priority.

Plush Knife: Priority only if we make crazy eyes,

Since we have made the outer costume a separate entity, we can customize the cloths how we see fit. Here are some possible clothing options we can go for: Poise (purple "P" Rank clothing, SkyRider's favorite outfit to use in-game) and Critic. (Pepperman colors, cause it fits for the Christmas theme for the convention) This will still be "if we have time" item on our list, but we have the patterns to replicate it.

Clothes

Peppino Cosplay

Head: We are currently sewing fabric on the foam head. Will be carving out some rounded eyes and lips next.

Body: Body padding blocked out, need to attach to the jumpsuit.

Arms: Base arms complete but need more padding on shoulders.

Hands: Foam hands are done and ready to be covered in fabric.

Shoes: Sole and fabric need to be sewn tight, but almost done.

Props

6" Toppin Plushies:

~Mushroom: Pattern completed via previous commission, needs to be scaled down.

~Cheese: Not Started

~Tomato: Not started

~Sausage: We have tested the pattern and will need to figure out how to properly sew the ends of the sausage without it looking funky.

~Pineapple: Pattern completed via previous commission, needs to be scaled down.

“Peppino Pizza” Pizza Box: Not a priority.

Same as The Noise cosplay, we plan to have separate clothing for customizations since it will be only the white shirt and chef hat that would need to be changed. The colors that I plan to have are: Candy Wrapper, (Purple with Halloween décor; if we can get the costume done before Halloween) Blood Red, and "possibly" an ugly sweater. (with a custom made Pizza Tower pattern for Christmas) Again, these are stuff we plan on doing but may not for time constraints. but we have some wishful thinking.

Clothes

I'll have more progress pictures in the future as I continue to work on this. If you wanna ask questions about the project, feel free to message me and I'll be sure to answer them.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The long bezzle

Going to Defcon this weekend? I’m giving a keynote, “An Audacious Plan to Halt the Internet’s Enshittification and Throw it Into Reverse,” on Saturday at 12:30pm, followed by a book signing at the No Starch Press booth at 2:30pm!

https://info.defcon.org/event/?id=50826

When it comes to the modern world of enshittified, terrible businesses, no addition to your vocabulary is more essential than "bezzle," JK Galbraith's term for "the magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it"

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/09/accounting-gimmicks/#unter

The bezzle is contained by two forces.

First, Stein's Law: "Anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop."

Second, Keynes's: "Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent."

On the one hand, extremely badly run businesses that strip all the value out of the firm, making things progressively worse for its suppliers, workers and customers will eventually fail (Stein's Law).

On the other hand, as the private equity sector has repeatedly demonstrated, there are all kinds of accounting tricks, subsidies and frauds that can animate a decaying, zombie firm long after its best-before date (Keynes's irrational markets):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/02/plunderers/#farben

One company that has done an admirable job of balancing on a knife edge between Stein and Keynes is Verizon, a monopoly telecoms firm that has proven that a business can remain large, its products relied upon by millions, its stock actively traded and its market cap buoyant, despite manifest, repeated incompetence and waste on an unimaginable scale.

This week, Verizon shut down Bluejeans, an also-ran videoconferencing service the company bought for $400 million in 2020 as a panic-buy to keep up with Zoom. As they lit that $400 mil on fire, Verizon praised its own vision, calling Bluejeans "an award-winning product that connects our customers around the world, but we have made this decision due to the changing market landscape":

https://9to5google.com/2023/08/08/verizon-bluejeans-shutting-down/

Writing for Techdirt, Karl Bode runs down a partial list of all the unbelievably terrible business decisions Verizon has made without losing investor confidence or going under, in a kind of tribute to Keynes's maxim:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/08/10/verizon-fails-again-shutters-attempted-zoom-alternative-bluejeans-after-paying-400-million-for-it/

Remember Go90, the "dud" streaming service launched in 2015 and shuttered in 2018? You probably don't, and neither (apparently) do Verizon's shareholders, who lost $1.2 billion on this folly:

https://www.techdirt.com/2018/07/02/verizons-sad-attempt-to-woo-millennials-falls-flat-face/

Then there was Verizon's bid to rescue Redbox with a new joint-venture streaming service, Redbox Instant, launched 2012, killed in 2014, $450,000,000 later:

https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/verizon-redbox-to-pull-plug-on-video-streaming-service-1201321484/

Then there was Sugarstring, a tech "news" website where journalists were prohibited from saying nice things about Net Neutrality or surveillance – born 2014, died 2014:

https://www.theverge.com/2014/12/2/7324063/verizon-kills-off-sugarstring

An app store, started in 2010, killed in 2012:

https://www.theverge.com/2012/11/5/3605618/verizon-apps-store-closing-january-2013

Vcast, 2005-2012, yet another failed streaming service (pray that someday you find someone who loves you as much as Verizon's C-suite loves doomed streaming services):

https://venturebeat.com/media/verizon-vcast-shutting-down/

And the granddaddy of them all, Oath, Verizon's 2017, $4.8 billion acquisition of Yahoo/AOL, whose name refers to the fact that the company's mismanagement provoked involuntary, protracted swearing from all who witnessed the $4.6 billion write-down the company took a year later:

https://www.techdirt.com/2018/12/12/if-youre-surprised-verizons-aol-yahoo-face-plant-you-dont-know-verizon/

Verizon isn't just bad at being a phone company that does non-phone-company things – it's incredibly bad at being a phone company, too. As Bode points out, Verizon's only real competency is in capturing its regulators at the FCC:

https://www.techdirt.com/2017/05/02/new-verizon-video-blatantly-lies-about-whats-happening-to-net-neutrality/

And sucking up massive public subsidies from rubes in the state houses of New York:

https://www.techdirt.com/2017/03/14/new-york-city-sues-verizon-fiber-optic-bait-switch/

New Jersey:

https://www.techdirt.com/2014/04/25/verizon-knows-youre-sucker-takes-taxpayer-subsidies-broadband-doesnt-deliver-lobbies-to-drop-requirements/

and Pennsylvania:

https://www.techdirt.com/2017/06/15/verizon-gets-wrist-slap-years-neglecting-broadband-networks-new-jersey-pennsylvania/

Despite all this, and vast unfunded liabilities – like remediating the population-destroying lead in their cables – they remain solvent:

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/verizon-sued-by-investors-over-lead-cables-environmental-statements-2023-08-02/

Verizon has remained irrational longer than any short seller could remain solvent.

Short-sellers – who bet against companies and get paid when their stock prices go down – get a bad rap: billionaire shorts were the villains of the Gamestop squeeze, accused of running negative PR campaigns against beloved businesses to drive them under and pay their bets off:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/30/meme-stocks/#stockstonks

But shorts can do the lord's work. Writing for Bloomberg, Kathy Burton tells the story of Nate Anderson, whose Hindenburg Research has cost some of the world's wealthiest people over $99 billion by publishing investigative reports on their balance-sheet shell-games just this year:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-08-06/how-much-did-hindenburg-make-from-shorting-adani-dorsey-icahn

Anderson started off trying to earn a living as a SEC whistleblower, identifying financial shenanigans and collecting the bounties on offer, but that didn't pan out. So he turned his forensic research skills to preparing mediagenic, viral reports on the scams underpinning the financial boasts of giant companies…after taking a short position in them.

This year, Anderson's targets have included Carl Icahn, whose company lost $17b in market cap after Anderson accused it of overvaluing its assets. He went after the world's fourth-richest man, Gautam Adani, accusing him of "accounting fraud and stock manipulation," wiping out 34% of his net worth. He took on Jack Dorsey, whose payment processor Square renamed itself Block and went all in on the cryptocurrency bezzle, lopping 16% off its share price.

Burton points out that Anderson's upside for these massive bloodletting was comparatively modest. A perfectly timed exit from the $17b Icahn report would have netted $56m. What's more, Anderson faces legal threats and worse – one short seller was attacked by a man wearing brass-knuckles, an attack attributed to her short activism.

Shorts are lauded as one of capitalism's self-correcting mechanisms, and Hindenberg certainly has taken some big, successful swings at some of the great bezzles of our time. But as Verizon shows, shorts alone can't discipline a market where profits and investor confidence are totally decoupled from competence or providing a decent product or service.

I’m kickstarting the audiobook for “The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation,” a Big Tech disassembly manual to disenshittify the web and bring back the old, good internet. It’s a DRM-free book, which means Audible won’t carry it, so this crowdfunder is essential. Back now to get the audio, Verso hardcover and ebook:

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/10/smartest-guys-in-the-room/#can-you-hear-me-now

[khaire-traveler]

⚖️ Subtle Themis Worship ⚔️

Try veiling

When you have a big decision/judgement to make, blindfold yourself for a moment; be in a place where you're alone and can think quietly

Vote if you can

Get a candle that reminds you of her (no altar needed)

Keep a picture of her in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of her

Stay up to date on local politics

Join a local activism group; LGBT rights, POC rights, women's rights, etc.

Support humanitarian organizations or homeless shelters

Have a stuffed animal lion: have a stuffed animal of any creature you associate with justice, order, custom, prophecy, or judgement

Have imagery of the earth/sky, scales, blindfolds, swords, or lions around

Volunteer at a homeless shelter; volunteer at a soup kitchen

Spread the word about injustice, especially related to humanitarian causes

Speak your mind; be honest and direct with others; note that honest does not mean cruel

Get more comfortable with the idea of conflict; look into healthy conflict resolution skills

Join a debate team; spectate or participate in formal debates

Write letters you will never send to people who have done you wrong; burn them (SAFELY!!!)

Try to get involved with your local community; help run events, join groups/clubs, meet new people, etc.

Cook a warm meal for someone in need

Ask someone in need for the things they need most; buy/give them those things if you can

Practice restraint and grounding, especially when it comes to people who annoy you

Try to stay away from gossip; don't spread rumors about others, especially those that you're unsure the integrity of

Get curious about the world around you and the way things work; encourage yourself to question things

Trust yourself; listen to your gut

Work on setting boundaries with others and yourself

Let people know when they've done something that hurt you; ask them to change their behavior or wording

Feel free to give people chances to change, but if they continue not to make changes, don't put yourself through the extra work of keeping them around

Release things that no longer serve you

Work on accepting constructive criticism; try not to take criticism too personally

Get to know yourself better; feel confident in the fact that you know yourself better than others

Keep a self-growth journal; write down things relating to self improvement, how you're feeling, goals you're working towards, etc.

Learn any discreet form of divination; cartomancy, carromancy, pyromancy, tea leaves, etc.

Hold onto family heirlooms

Practice family traditions or create new ones c:

Learn self-defense; learn how to properly use weapons; pepper spray, pocket knife, etc.

Clean up after yourself; don't litter in the environment; pick up litter you come across

Try your best to take the advice you give to others (easier said than done, I know)

Practice patience and mindfulness; release control over the things that you can't control

Ground yourself if you're feeling anxious or stressed over an issue; learn about healthy coping skills for stress or anxiety if you don't know any

Take regular breaks from screens; walk around outside, and enjoy yourself; get some fresh air

Take a walk/hike outside; connect with nature

Drink a calming, soothing, or grounding tea

Take care of yourself after a hard day; be kind and gentle with yourself; engage in comforting activities

-

I'll likely add more going forward, but for the time being, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Themis. I hope others find this helpful! Take care, everyone. 🧡

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[inafieldofdaisies]

Custom Funko Project: Far Cry 5 | John, Jacob & Faith Seed

/ In the beginning of 2022 I got really into making custom funkos of my most favorite characters & have been marking so many off my to-do list. Today I'm showing off the results for the Seeds and the boxes I designed to go with the figures.

When making the ones for John, Jacob and Faith (and for all characters I recreate really) I wanted to include as many details as possible and get as accurate to the OG character as I can. When it comes to accessories I basically make everything on my own.

For John: I handdrew all the tattoos that would be visible + scar on his chest. Included the EG earring and belt, his watch and made the sunglasses from scratch.

For Faith: Lace details on the dress. The flowers took hours, but I'm so happy with how they turned out. Another thing I handpainted were the butterflies, I never thought I'd be able to paint them in such tiny scale.

For Jacob: All the patches he has on his shirt are yet again handpainted. Necklaces + knife were a must.

And ofc, at some point I plan on making a Joseph funko.

[theoutcastrogue]

8 Fancy Pocket Knives

Etched pocket knife from Eskilstuna, Sweden

Silver / mother of pearl Victorian fruit knife, England

Damascene Toledo knife, Spain

Inlaid Toledo knife, Germany

Silver-plated fruit knife, USA

Damascene Toledo knife, Spain

Etched pocket knife from Eskilstuna, Sweden

Mother of pearl pocket knife from Eskilstuna, Sweden

@victoriansword [details after the cut]

1) Swedish pocket knife by EKA (Eskilstuna Kniffabriks AB), c. 1980-2000. Model 6 GS (1967-2010), with main blade, bottle opener/screwdriver, pen blade, and nail file. Tang stamp "EKA / SWEDEN" (from 1967), etched handle, 7 cm closed.

These were very popular in the 2nd half of the 20th century as gift knives or advertising knives. They were manufactured by many cutlers in Eskilstuna, and widely exported. The decorative pattern appears, with variations, on Swedish knives from at least the 19th century, and is inspired by Norse / Viking art, which often features twisted serpents/dragons. The interlacing perhaps also borrows from Celtic knots.

2) English fruit knife by Martin Bros & Co, 1848. Silver blade with 4 hallmarks (for Queen Victoria, the year, sterling silver, and Sheffield) and maker's mark, mother of pearl scales, 9.5 cm closed.

This is the posh version of what used to be an incredibly useful tool, a knife (and sometimes a multi-tool knife and fork) for eating on the road. The fancier ones were also status symbols, and very popular gifts – millions of silver fruit knives were manufactured in Britain from the 18th to the 20th century, mostly in Sheffield, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.

3) Spanish Toledo knife, as it's sometimes called, a damascened penknife of recent manufacture. Two pen blades, tang stamp "TOLEDO", 6.7 cm closed.

Not to be confused with Damascus blades! The handle is damascened – decorated with gold inlaid into oxidized steel (see here for details). Reminder that gold is a highly ductile metal (you can stretch it real thin before it breaks), so that impressive aesthetic result comes from a tiny amount of gold. It's a cheap knife, is what I'm saying, for tourists basically.

4) German pocket knife, confusingly also called Toledo, by Hartkopf. With main blade, pen blade and nail file. Brass handle inlaid with oxidised steel. Tang stamp "Hartkopf&Co / Solingen", 8cm closed.

It's "damascened" in the broad sense of inlaying, hence the name "Toledo": it supposedly emulates the Spanish style, and perhaps pretends to be Spanish, but both the metals and the geometric patterns are different. Knives of this type were popular in Germany all through the 20th century as gifts and advertising knives.

5) American fruit knife by William Rogers Mfg, made in Hartford, Connecticut c.1865-1898. Main blade, seedpick [also called nut-pick or nut-picker *snickers*], silver-plated nickel silver, decorated with flowers and apples. Tang stamp: an anchor logo and "Wm ROGERS & SON AA", 8.2 cm closed.

Sometimes fruit knives like this were bought by fruit shops/groceries (relatively fancy ones, presumably) in bulk, and sold or given to customers as gifts.

6) Spanish Toledo penknife (another one). With pen blade and damascened handle, different pattern, probably a bit older. Tang stamp again "TOLEDO", 6.8 cm closed.

7) Swedish pocket knife by Emil Olsson, c. 1920-1950. Blade, pen blade and corkscrew. Tang stamp "EMIL OLSSON / [star logo] / ESKILSTUNA", 9.2 cm closed.

Another etched serpent pattern on the handle, though by now you have to squint to see it. This knife has seen some shit. Until ~1940, pocket knives were widely sold and used in Sweden because they came with corkscrews, and all the bottles had corks, and everyone needed to open bottles. After the war, bottle caps replaced corks for everything except wine, and the pocket knife's utility plummeted, and cutleries started closing. There used to be hundreds, and by now only EKA's left. So statistically, if it's from before ~1950 it saw a lot of use, and if it's after ~1950 it did not, it was a gift or something.

8) Swedish pocket knife by EKA, c.1935-1965. Model 38 PB, with blade, pen blade, flat screwdriver, and corkscrew. Handle with mother of pearl scales and nickel silver bolsters, tang stamp "E.K.A. / ESKILSTUNA / SWEDEN", 8.3 cm closed.

The corkscrew is a quirky one, known as Gottlieb Hammesfahr patent: it pivots on the pin and opens perpendicular to the handle, not pulled downwards as in most pocket knives.

[chuckeroo777]

Chuck's Backpack Hero Mods

So, I've obviously been hyper-fixating on Dungeon Meshi lately, but that isn't all I do. For the past year, I've been making mods for my current favorite game: Backpack Hero!

My collection of mods! Look here if you want to check out any of these mods for yourself!

So in this post, I thought it would be fun to go over all my mods, and share some of my favorite details.

Chuck's Bionicle Mod: contains 245 items

Naturally, my first mod was a Bionicle mod. I love Bionicle. While I did a lot of custom spritework for this mod, shout out to Danska's Bionicle Builder, which is what I used for the masks and set-accurate weapons.

The mod's main gimmick is loot boxes! You can find mask packs, and equipment packs which can be opened for random items from the corresponding set wave. If you're real lucky, you may even find a bulk parts pack, which contains random equipment packs!

Nearly every set is represented, and a wide assortment of items from MNOG and VNOG are included too. As my first pack, the balancing was pretty spotty at first, but a few updates have fixed the more egregious examples. Did you know it took me 6 months to realize that the nektann robots had accidentally been set to unfindable?

Chuck's Plants vs Zombies Mod: contains 654 items??? (probably cut that down to like, ~350ish, since packets don't really count as a separate item)

My second mod, and hoo boy is it a doozy. Probably my favorite mod, this mod has a ton of work put into it, containing every plant from the orginal game, PvZ 2, and chinese PvZ 2. Thats a lot of plants!

The main gimmick of this mod is plant packets. Instead of finding plants as loot, you get packets, which grow over time. Once enough encounters occur with it in your pack, it grows into the plant.

But plants aren't the only thing in this pack. There is also a suite of zombie equipment, which grows stronger based on how many plants you have. Not to mention watering cans, pinatas, guppies, and other essentials to help fuel your botanical battle pack!

Chuck's Bloons Mod: Contains 134 items (again, effective number is a lot lower due to upgrades)

Ah yes, my bloons mod. This is probably my least favorite mod, simple because of how jank it is.

Basically, monkey's grow more powerful based on how many bloons they pop. As they reach thresholds, they get upgraded. However, spriting and programming so many upgrades gets rather tedious. This, combined with the fact that playing with the mod is rather feast or famine makes me not particularly fond.

Getting enough bloons can be tricky if you don't find one of the generators, and some monkeys are just way more useful than others, since due to the effort required, fully upgraded monkeys are mostly an endless mode thing, and some of them just don't scale into endless very well.

That being said, most of the monkeys are at least okay at a base level, so in casual play, they are decent, if not exciting.

Also, the monkey loot packs being barrels makes me giggle.

Chuck's Random Items Mod: contains 10 items

A simple little pack containing a few endless focused items. Originally meant for random ideas, but the next mod ended up taking that role.

Some neat examples include the white manastone, which acts as fuel for the vanilla black manastone, the sticky token, which acts as both energy and duct tape, at the cost of gimping defense, and the Fatum Ruptor, my signature sword.

Chuck's Pack of Mediocre Items: contains 109 items

This is a fun one. Basically, when modding, one tends to make things stronger than vanilla. So I challenged myself to make a pack with intentionally weak, but useful items. That doesn't mean it's bad, just lacks a lot of the raw power my other mods have.

As such, it is my recommendation for if you want a more vanilla style pack. Some of these items are literally just vanilla items with a twist. Such as the glove of knife. Just the one. Glove of knives was OP anyway.

Plenty of cheeky little references in here too. Like the candy cane horns which fill you with rage, or the pristine blade which fractures into one of ten different variants.

Chuck's Terraria Mod: contains 111 items

Ah yes, my favorite Minecraft clone. This pack has a little of everything. You got arrows, spears, tomes of ichor based magic, what's not to love?

If you're really lucky, you might find a crate containing items from my second and third favorite mods, Thorium and Calamity. (Sorry guys, you aren't even close to beating Magic Storage in the top spot.)

This pack also has few item type gimmicks I think are cool. Spears can only be used once per turn, but they have strong AOE attacks. Bullets are arrows that can also be used only once per turn. And then there is the copper shortsword. If you swing it 999 times, something cool might happen.

Chuck's Stick Ranger Mod: 174 items

Anyone else remember this game? Man, Stick Ranger was awesome. Pity they never made a sequel. Anyway, this pack contains a wide assortment of items, including 16 weapons from each class, except angel and gunner. Gunner only gets 8. Angel gets... 34???

Yeah, I like rings. I gave them a cool mechanic where they buff other adjacent rings, like a variant of Satchel's hammers. So of course I included a ton of them.

Also, the imperial crown used to hold the record for the laggiest item I ever made, but engine optimizations has made it actually viable to use. Hooray! Much like the game it comes from, the crown massively boosts the threat enemies pose, but greatly rewards you for it.

Chuck's Neo-Battledome Mod: contains 130 items

To be perfectly honest, I never got past the level of duel-wielding scarab rings before I got banned due to my account getting hacked. Hasn't stopped me from obsessively keeping up with battledome weapon releases, even if they're currently releasing, like, three a year.

That's right, did you ever play Neopets and wished you could wield the Darigan Sword of Death? Or really wanted to own a Weird Scarab, even though it was an impossible to find yet completely ineffectual item? Well, now you can do the next best thing!

Chuck's Elder Scrolls Mod: contains 59 items

Ah, Skyrim. My first M rated game. Which I bought without my parents' permission. Honestly, get rid of those terrible blood splatters, and the strangely mild swearing, and it would pass for T. (Seriously, how do Skyrim and Stick of Truth have the same rating???)

Anyway, this mod contains items from not just skyrim, but oblivion and morrowind too. And maybe even an item or two from arena and daggerfall if you're nice.

If you collect 24 Stones of Barenziah, absolutely nothing happens. Just like in Skyrim.

Chuck's MSPA Mod: contains 49 items

Ah yes. Homestuck. I'd say it's pretty good. Shame it ended at act 7. Anyway, here's some items to shove in your sylladex backpack. Lots of Problem Sleuth items too. Those are probably a bit less polarizing.

Probably best to swiftly move along.

Chuck's Enchanting Crystals Mod: contains 18 items

A small, but simple pack. These crystals can be used to add permanent buffs to your items. The more powerful ones contain downsides though, so be careful.

Chuck's RPG Classes Mod: contains 68 items (Only 9 of which are actually findable, lol)

One of my most popular mods, this adds essences which boost various play-styles. They start off weak, but as you kill enemies, they level up! When leveling up, they branch into two options, with six of the base essences each having four different final forms.

Let me give you a hint. If you're using this, or any of my mods with upgrading items, I won't get mad if you use debug mode to check what items will do when they grow up.

Chuck's Card Slinger Mod: contains 88 items

Ask any Backpack Hero player who the worst playable character is, and we'll all agree. It's Tote. So here's a mod to try and make her more fun. Excuse the use of the thumbnail instead of a pack of items. Carvings are a pain to screenshot.

This mod contains carvings for Tote based on a variety of card games, like Hearthstone, Eternal, MtG, Inscryption, and more! Seriously, some of these are obscure as heck. Like the ones from my own card game that I have never shown off publicly.

Generally fitting into a discard-light setup, the minion cards attack each turn, but get discarded if you get attacked too many times. There are also self-discarding spells, and cards which buff your other cards.

Crown of Possibilities is my favorite TCG card of all time, and you can't change my mind.

Chuck's Mod of Loathing: contains 36 items

Couldn't really get into Kingdom of Loathing, but dang if West of Loathing and Shadows over Loathing aren't amazing games.

Anyway, items in this pack are neat, but I may have created the worst item ever in the Spittoon. It hurts you when used, but gives treasure! Most of the treasure is awful. There is only one good item in its pool. And it's a damn good one. So there I go. Reaching into every spittoon I find, taking ten damage for no reason, hoping to get lucky. If that doesn't capture the essence of the spittoon, I don't know what will.

Chuck's Backpack Battles Mod: contains 47 items

Ah yes, my third favorite backpack based game.

Some pretty neat mechanics in this mod. The versitile dagger and thirsting blade both have a mechanic where after using them for a while, they upgrade into a random crafted version. The gems also upgrade over time.

I also added some dragon eggs. I thought they were really swell. How swell? Well...

Chuck's Dragon Eggs Mod: contains 641 items!!! (Like the PvZ mod, cut that roughly in half.)

Originally based on Dragon Cave, I had to take it down and rework it with my own original sprite art. I'd say it turned out pretty good.

This mod contains eggs which hatch after a while into dragons. It is mainly focused on Pouchette, who can find the full selection, but the others can find a more limited selection too. (Except Tote. Tote never gets to have fun. Except when she finds a Darigan Sword of Death.)

I had a lot of fun figuring out the flavor for this mod. There are a ton of different dragon types, each with it's own type of effect. Tarasques are defensive, drakes have power in numbers, bug dragons are totally a real thing, and weren't the result of running out of unique body plans...

Chuck's Randomly Generated Mod: contains 38 items

Exactly what it says on the tin. I set up a random table, rolled two effects, a trigger, and a character, then made an item inspired by the results.

Chuck's Hyperrealistic Mod: contains 15 items

Gonna be honest, this one's a shitpost.

Chuck's Undertale Mod: contains 92 items

This was a fun pack to work on. I love Undertale and Deltarune, so I certainly wasn't lacking inspiration. Most of the equipment and consumables are in there, along with plenty of memes. I got you're stopsigns, a punchcard that provides massive value if you know how to exploit it, maybe even a Prunsel if you're good.

My favorite item has to be the cell phone. Each battle, you receive a random call, providing a small benefit. You might get Undyne slapping spaghetti against the receiver, you might get Papyrus complaining about spike regulations, you might get [half price baloney], you never know!

Chuck's Dredmor Mod: contains 36 items

Ever played Dungeons of Dredmor? It's very silly. And hard. I've never won a run.

Anyway, here's some random items from that game cause I felt like it. What more do you want?

Chuck's Dungeon Dice Mod: contains 52 items (more like 7 lol)

Contains items which randomize their effects at the start of each battle. Pretty cool.

Anyway, those are my mods. Enjoy a screenshot of the nonsense you can get up to with all my mods active.

Hope you enjoyed reading, and maybe enjoy playing with them!

Stay tuned for my next mod, based on Chips Challenge! This may or may not be a joke.

[folksaga-if]

“It is a long story, and it does no credit to anyone: there is murder in it, and trickery, lies and foolishness, seduction and pursuit.                                                                                           Listen."

                               - Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology

You are a human. A totally normal one.

Honestly.

You’re a human. You’re a bartender, which is a very normal job for a human to have, and when you walk down the winding streets of Akureyri you can blend seamlessly into any crowd of people which is, without question, only something that a human could do.

The fact that you came here two years ago with nothing but the clothing on your back doesn’t mean anything; you’re hardly northern Iceland’s first wayfaring soul. That you had no money to your name, no friends or family to speak of — that’s a fairly average human thing, too. And that little craving you have, that quiet urge to dig your teeth into any passing stranger’s throat? It's completely, entirely mundane.

It’s manageable. You’re managing.

Or you were, until someone — someone who's decidedly not as good at this human thing as you are — begins leaving a trail of dead bodies at your doorstep, and a trio of god-like siblings take a seat at your bar.

(Ragnarök might have marked the end of the Norns, but that doesn't mean your fate died along with them.)

MAGNI THORSON .

No doubt the mightiest of his siblings, the eldest child of Thor is exactly the sort of person you would expect him to be: a giant (half-giant, in fact) asshole with a smoulder and a knife-sharp jawline to match. He’ll match your every word with a cocky grin and a joke that’s nowhere near as funny as he thinks, and he’ll look every inch the prince that he is all the while.

(Well, the prince that he was. Just don’t let him hear you say that.)

MODI THORSON .

For the supposed embodiment of his father’s wrath, the God of Thunder’s second son is surprisingly…not that. He’s no picnic, mind you — he’s broody, he’s secretive, and he's fucking intense, but that hardly equates to fury incarnate. You’re sure there’s something hiding under that moody surface; whether or not you want to uncover it is a different story entirely.

(Looks like even gods aren’t immune to middle-child syndrome. Who knew?)

THRÚD THORSDÓTTIR .

Valkyrie, seidhr, paragon of strength — with all of her mother’s best traits (and a few of her father’s worst), is it any wonder that Thor’s youngest child was also his favourite? Smarter than her half-brothers and more likeable by a longshot, you might find yourself forgetting how easily the fortune-telling goddess could break you in two. You might, but she’ll be happy to remind you if you do.

(Maybe a little too happy, in fact.)

KATLA B̶͍̏L̸̝͑O̵̟͠M̴̳̓Q̴̯̔V̵̺͆I̷̗͛S̵̠͒T̸̬̒ .

A fellow nomad and your coworker at Black Thunder, the first friend you made in Akureyri has remained your closest. Mischevious, magnetic, and often up to no small amount of trouble, there are times when you think you might know Katla better than you know yourself. You even know about her…well, you know that she…sorry, what were you talking about again?

(It's just that it’s nice, being close to someone who’s so very human.)

THE MARE .

There’s a voice in your head and a shadow in your dreams, and they’re telling you to run. You probably shouldn’t trust them.

(…Right?)

Customize your monster character. New life, new you! Choose your gender identity, change your name, cut your hair, and remember: if you’re starting to grow tired of running from your past, try on a new outfit and start running faster.

Play as one of three runway creatures from Norse mythology — a cunning keeper of the forest, a charming warden of the lake, or a formidable guardian of the mountains. Each has its quirks (would you prefer a hollowed-out tree for a back, or webbed fingers and forearms covered in scales?), but they all have two key things in common: they’ll kill to protect their homes, and you’re definitely not one of them.

Choose your own fate, out of the countless that are presented to you. Had oatmeal instead of skyr with your breakfast this morning? You might have just brought about Ragnarök 2.0. Nice one, asshole.

Multiple romance options, with each available to pursue regardless of your gender or background. Ever wanted to kiss a god under a starry sky? Now's your chance! Or maybe you’re through with immortal beings and desperate to ask the pretty server on a date? Go for it! She’s definitely a human too. Totally. You’d be able to tell if she wasn’t. Wouldn’t you?

Save the world — or don’t. It's your choice, and isn't that what true freedom is all about?

Folksaga is inspired by The Edda, Norse mythology, and Twin Peaks, with a bit of tweaking to the myths as needed for the sake of plot. MC backgrounds have been adjusted to fit for all players regardless of gender identity, and creative liberty has been taken with some smaller points for a smoother storytelling experience. All changes will be explained in an FAQ post (too be added in the links below ASAP!)

The current demo consists of the prologue (introductory lore + character creation), which is about 20k words. I plan to post it in the next few weeks, after some edits + the completion of chapter one!

I expect it to be somewhere in the range of 600,000 to 700,000 words, but this is subject to change (and likely will due to my propensity for rambling text. oops.).

I’ve written  short and long-form original fiction as well as a lot of fanfic (say hello @ pentaghastly on AO3, and @kendallroynsfw on tumblr!), but this is my first IF! Bugs and coding issues may appear in the demo; please let me know if any issues arise during your playthroughs.

Folksaga is a work in progress. I would love constructive feedback when the demo is posted, as well as any bugs or grammar issues to be brought to my attention if I've missed them :) I would also love patience, because I'm a full time health care worker who gets sleepy lots xoxo

A Swedish farmer named Sven Andersson was executed in 1691 for having intercourse with a mountain nymph, or bergsrå. I will neither confirm or deny if his Wikipedia article was the inspiration for this IF, except I will confirm it and it definitely was.

MC ORIGINS | RO INTROS | demo coming soon!

[jorisjurgen]

1 2 7 11 12 14 17 21 23(im evil) 28 29 (im eviller) 31 33 34 41 42 (for funsies) 43 (im EVIL) 45 56 56 56 56 56

I FINALLY GOT TO YOUR MESSAGE BESTIEEEE i was scared of answering it during the week because i knew it would take me ages.

Excluding the questions I've answered to other ppl, obv. THIS IS JUST A PART 1 OF ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.

What’s the lie your character says most often?

Atcham: he doesn't really lie enough to have a reoccuring one. He just says whatever comes to his mind, I think. Kerubim: literally everything he says is a lie. Especially when talking about past events. He will randomly make shit up, even while knowing that the other two KNOW that he's doing that. Joris: "I am in awe of your intelligence, your majesty. This will be a wonderful move, even if it may upset the leaders of Brakmar."

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

Atcham: he doesn't, except for saying it ironically. Kerubim: anyone he's known for longer than an hour. Joris: likely to apply this word to people with whom he shared 2 near-death experiences with, because now they are connected through the Cosmic Bonds of Fate.

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

I'm not imaginative enough to say what I would yell, but I know what they'd yell to one another.

Atcham: "Someone is mistreating Brakmarian steel swords" Kerubim: "There are discount 90yo chairs here" Joris: "Khan merch from 200 years ago?!"

All of them love buying stuff, so yeah.

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

Atcham: any specific-ass sword facts. Kerubim: what were you doing in Bonta 610 years ago in a boutique with your girlfriend at 10 o'clock and what colour was her dress. Joris: what time he worked until last night. Any answer that isn't "3-4am" is sus.

A more emotional answer is that across 600 years they probably have got a lot of some very hyperspecific things to ask one another.

How do they put out a candle?

Sadly, I think they all just blow on it. Maybe clap and then it magically disappears. I am not a candle expert (candxpert).

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Atcham: most people notice he's bald. he, too, notices that, and never fails to think that it's off-putting. Kerubim: most people noitce how fluffy he is. Kerubim himself notices some random knots in his fur. It's very knot-prone, and he's a bit lazy about brushing his fur. Joris: most people think he's a child, or if they don't they still notice his height. While Joris's daily concern with the mirror is "do I need to tear out some new scales? [checks chin] [checks neck] [checks cheeks] [checks his head]"

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

Atcham: all of it, and no, he doesn't. Kerubim: I don't think he gives a fuck in general. Joris: all of it, yet he still follows. He hates hierarchical things, and he hates hyper specific fork and knife rules, and he hates the way teachers expect children to rise from their tables and bow and greet them, before the classes. But he copes and seethes silently, his whole life. He appreciates the way these things make him come off as more respectable than he may really be, though.

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

Atcham: the Brakmarian approach to building pipe bom—— Kerubim: how to survive your 5th divorce. Joris: why you don't need any relationships or friendly acquaintances outside your family and why that's healthy actually.

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Atcham: Kerubim's tolerance of customers that can be psychologically destroyed instead. Kerubim: Atcham keeps scaring away the customers (Joris does too, but it's a "his noble X vs. Atcham's barbaric Y" situation.) Joris: Kerubim keeps adding way too much sugar to coffee and makes tea way too dilute. It makes him dream of killing both him and himself.

[liquidstar]

baby guild :)

aka the timber scouts! they're basically just a bunch of kids in a sort of guild prep-course. so, not a real full official guild, but functions like one. all the kids have different woodland animal gimmicks to go with the scout vibe. They have a very loose shared uniform too, they're pretty much allowed to customize however they want as long as they keep the white button-up, brown outerwear, dark brown bottoms, and brown boots. also like a lot of kids in other guilds, their weapons are toys or otherwise "safter" items. But that's pretty much all! They aren't super deep characters, but more general info still under the cut :p

Name: Ceres

Name Origin: Dwarf planet named after the goddess of agriculture and motherly relationships

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 29

Guild rank: Guildmaster

Weapon: Pocket knife

Ethos (Power): Aegis (The ability to cast a protective shield around others but not themself)

Flaw power is based on: Their tendency to put others first, in a way that makes them a pushover.

Notes: Suffering.

Name: Aquila

Name Origin: The eagle constellation

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 12

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Hula hoop

Ethos (Power): Aerial burst (A powerful burst of air created with their wings)

Flaw power is based on: They're flighty and feather-brained

Notes: Birds just wanna have fun

Name: Procyon

Name Origin: A star in canis minor, the name technically means "before the dog" but refers to the raccoon family

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 11

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: hacky sack

Ethos (Power): Scaling (He can climb any surface)

Flaw power is based on: His rowdy uncontrollable nature

Notes: Yeah he can kick the hacky sack while on a wall, no big deal.

Name: Kochab

Name Origin: Beta Ursae Minoris- brightest star in the little dipper

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 11

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Honey dipper

Ethos (Power): Honeymelt (She can turn solid structures into a more gooey form with the consistency of honey)

Flaw power is based on: Her sluggish listlessness

Notes: Wait until you meet mama bear

Name: Vulpecula (Val)

Name Origin: The "little fox" constellation

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 11

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Jump rope

Ethos (Power): Tactful sense (Heightened senses for what's going on around her)

Flaw power is based on: Her desire to control everything around her

Notes: She's the first on track to getting a second star (according to herself)

[bretongirlwrites]

Heya

Hope you're doing well!

From the 'nirnbuilding' prompts, how about: Mortifying table manners

(a large force from Windhelm attended the dragon attack on Kynesgrove along with the Dragonborn and co. Afterwards Ulfric put on a feast in what he thought was traditional Nordic style)

The dragon defeated, all that remained was to defeat the feast which, – at ludicrous expense and so to the extra delight of every unpaying guest, – had been prepared for us. Those remaining in the Palace that day, had been jostled about by busy servants, and tempted beyond measure by the smells of things roasting below stairs, – we however unprepared, were perfectly astounded, upon finding the hall transformed, a Nordic banquet spread before us: the sort of illustration one finds in Cyrodiilic picture-books about the extravagantly barbaric customs of Skyrim, – a thing, in short, of legend.

Arrows which yesterday had struck scales and burnt in flame, today had, less heroically, pierced grouse and deer and sparrow; servants overworked on the regular, delivered precarious plates to the table and went away rubbing their eyes; and the force of the Windhelm militia, who yesterday had sung their way into battle, now sang with more force and unison, on approaching this feast. And Ulfric Stormcloak himself, who had hardly dealt a blow yesterday, picked up his carving-knife as if it were his finest sword; and cut flesh.

There was little of the ceremony which had so elongated the dinner in Whiterun: only a pronouncement in some archaic dialect that few could understand; and we may begin. I went at once for some sort of fowl, and a tureen of snowberry sauce offered by a neighbour; but Marcurio going first for his napkin and cutlery, found himself immediately disappointed.

'Where is my fork?' said he: 'oh! I only have a knife. Do you have a fork?'

'No,' said I: 'I think the Empire brought them to Skyrim, or something, –'

'Well, at least we did something right,' said he looking piteously at his sauce-drenched trencher: 'how am I supposed to eat this?'

'Fingers,' said I.

Mine were bitten nails and fingers roughed up by knitting and gardening; but his were delicate enough, when he picked at his meat, and his discomfort so obvious, that his neighbours began to glance at him. They did not laugh, since Skyrim is no stranger to politeness, – a thing, contrary to myth, present even before the fork-wielding Empire, – but though they too were mostly used to forks, they had gone with gusto into this bygone style of eating.

'All I want,' said Marcurio quietly, upon noticing the attention, 'is a damn fork. Is that really so wrong?'

'It is that or go hungry,' said I still in the fatigue of dragon-slaying: 'oh! it's quaint at least. Like the stories...'

'Quaint!' he muttered: 'unhinged is what it is. My kingdom for a fork!'

That he had helped, yesterday, to kill a dragon, – that he had come from the battlefield bloodied and ragged and flushed as the rest of the warriors, – was quite invisible today, for sitting up straight hands hovering over his invisible cutlery, dark hair impeccably done and eyes glowering, there was a gulf between him and his neighbour. This neighbour, enamoured by the charms of barbarism, threw his scraps to a waiting dog: perhaps in the hope that the thing would be some bloodhound, some warhound; and not a sort of oversized lapdog that had been hurriedly brought in for the purpose. Regardless the creature snapped at the meat; and this neighbour, who had been proudly talking in an exaggerated dialect, was so satisfied that he became quite incomprehensible. Marcurio, – if it is possible, in a City accent, – sighed.

'I don't mean to say,' said he, skewering a sparrow with his knife, and in lifting it over, almost dropping it in his mug, 'that the food doesn't look good; or that I'm not hungry; but, –'

'Just eat the damn thing, City-slicker,' someone opposite shouted: and made a good-humoured mockery of holding a fork.

'Well!' said Marcurio, once.

'When in Skyrim...' said I: 'and we have, after all, been here for months.'

'When in Skyrim,' said he scowling.

And in an instant, turned the scowl into that same ravenous gusto which our companions possessed; covered his meat in sauce; and hands transformed as if by magic, from the careful implements of Empire, to the happy barbarism of heroic Nordic festival, – to the cheers and ancient toasts of those around him, abandoned manners both good and poor, and tucked in.

[driftward]

Title: FFXIV Write 2023 - 6. Ring Characters: Y'shtola Rhul Rating: Teen Summary: Y'shtola accepts a local challenge. Notes: None

"I assure you," said Y'shtola, "this is utterly unnecessary."

She stood across 'the ring' from an unruly Roegadyn man who had his arms crossed and even now was giving her a baleful glare from beneath his thick eyebrows. She merely had wished to ask him a few questions.

He, apparently, however, took exception to her entire existence.

So now they were in this ridiculous situation. As little as a year prior, she would have simply washed her hands of the affair and sought other paths to the answers she wished.

However, she now knew the wisdom in seeking, if not the counsel, at least the acceptance of the locals. A useful and helpful woman might glean their knowledge and, perhaps, even their assistance in some matters. A cold outsider would perhaps be tolerated, and only that at best.

"Yeah, and if you want to know what we know," he replied, "then it's completely necessary." He scowled even deeper. "Don't trust witches."

She smiled at that and shrugged. "I am no specter of legend or story tale, I assure you. And your local customs boast no small number of those versed in the magick arts. I wonder what it is about mine that give such offense?"

"Oh Navigator here he goes," groaned a voice from the crowd that surrounded them.

"Nothin' good from magic women!" he said. "Ever since granda' proposed to his ship's weather witch, ain' been nothin' but trouble for my family!"

"Oh come on the worst of his luck was just getting turned down!" jeered another voice. The Roegadyn man shot his glare into the crowd.

"Your oldest man's just sore about the one that got away!" called another one, and the crowd laughed.

Y'shtola sighed, letting her shoulders drop as she looked around the bar, and resolved to attempt to get the situation under control.

"Fine, if we must," she said. "What are the rules of this parlay?"

A tall thin Hyur who looked like he may have been an age of the "granda'" that the Roegadyn had mentioned stepped forward, and put two mugs down on either side of the table that had been set up.

"Alright, s'not a speed contest, so no point to tryin' to drain 'em down and drown yourself out early. Each of you takes a drink. Then another. Then so on. I'll keep 'em comin', so you just stay seated. First one to pass out, loses. If you leave th' ring," and here he gestured at the thin strip of long tarnished brassy metal inlaid into the floor, its color so darkened as to almost match the wood around it, "you lose."

Y'shtola looked back at the Roegadyn, and spread her hands out. "Are you certain you wish to engage in such a competition? I assure you, any legends you may have heard about how a talented master of magicks may extend their stamina and endure any poison are most certainly true in this case."

"Yeah, and how're you gonna do that without your wand?" he retorted. "M'dad had to fight one of you once-"

"That was an arcanist, you louse!" said one of the barmaids. "This one's a conjurer!"

"Don' matter! He said you're all useless without your fancy trinkets!"

"Yeah and your dad lost!"

Y'shtola quirked her eyebrow while the Roegadyn whirled and began to argue with the crowd. It was true that she had been asked to surrender her wand to the barkeep as part of this arrangement, and likewise, the Roegadyn had been asked to surrender his knuckledusters, his knife, his other knife, and his axe.

But she was not helpless without her wand. Not by far. Nor would a great many other mages. True, their tools were near necessary for the proper focus of any large scale uses of aether, but a great many minor magicks were still within her ken.

She cleared her throat noisily, and the crowd's attention returned to her, as did the Roegadyn's.

"You will still find me more than up to the task as detailed. Are you certain there are no other rules?"

"Loser pays for drinks," said the Roegadyn.

"No, no," said the barkeep, looking at him. "We're not at establishin' yet."

"I would like to say, whatever differences your family history may suggest, I am no witch you have ever met. Perhaps a bit of leeway to an outsider, that we may find another way to parlay that does not put your constitution at such risk?"

"Absolutely not. I'm not gonna put myself to be at risk to your tricks, witch! We do this here, in front of all and sundry, where my mates can keep an eye on you. My mum-"'

"Nobody wants to hear about your mom!"

"Shut it!"

Y'shtola rubbed her head, feeling the last of her patience fading. "Well, if you are certain."

"I am!"

"Thrice warned... then shall we get on with it?' she asked, primly hopping up to the barstool. The Roegadyn, after a moment's hesitation, sat down across from her.

The elderly barkeep approached, and looked at both of them, before settling his gaze on the Roegadyn.

"Very well. Challenger goes first. What is your stake in this?"

"Iffen I win, she pays for all this, tucks tail, and leaves back to wherever witches come from."

"Delightfully vague."

He just glowered at her as the barkeep turned to her.

"And your stake?"

"If I win, then he shall answer all my questions forthrightly and honestly. And, I suppose, pays for the collective tab we are about to accumulate."

The barkeep nods. "Alright. Are the stakes equitable?"

"Aye." "We are in agreement."

The barkeep gestured to the barmaid, who stepped forward with a cask over her shoulder, ready to unstopper it.

"Then begin!"

The crowd cheered as the stopper came out and the mugs were filled.

The Roegadyn picked up his first, grinning at Y'shtola broadly, before downing it all in one go to the obvious approval of the crowd. Y'shtola just shook her head as she picked hers up in both hands, and looks disdainfully down at the liquid.

She was unconcerned, because of course she was. A proper Archon did not enter a challenge unprepared, and she would do no less than the situation called for. The precepts in Forever Twenty Summers would prove an unexpected boon now, as she had a great many enchantments that she kept active on her, one of which was a simple low-level spell that kept her humors flowing and her mind clear.

Another was her talent at conjury. After all, she was a woman who enjoyed her wine, but she indulged in it for the sake of the complexity of the flavors it brought forth and the deep histories it oft held in its vintage. A light and gentle bit of a 'buzz' she allowed, but no further. She was a woman of control, and it would never do to lose such, and so she never went to true inebriation or drunkeness, more than the once just to catalog such effects upon herself. As such, she needed no wand to flush herself of the effects of drink with a simple wash of an Esuna-like spell.

She took a sniff of the drink, and made a face. Well. Prepared or not, this was not going to be a pleasant experience. The Roegadyn across from her jeered at her, and she gave him a dirty look before upending the mug and beginning to drink.

Or choke, as she almost immediately put it back down and tried not to retch.

"Doesn't count if you don' keep it in," said the barkeep mildly nearby, as though he was asking after the local skywatcher's report, and the crowd laughed merrily. She gritted her teeth, picked up the mug again, and this time focused, swallowing as quickly as she could to get past the sheer vileness of the experience. She felt her tail go stiff out behind her and her ears fold back even as her face scrunched, and as she set the mug down, she curled in on herself, grasping her midsection. She was dimly aware of the barmaid refilling the mugs.

Y'shtola's life had not been free of hardship, and she did have a great many unpleasant experiences in her history that she could recall. A misadventure beneath the lochs of Sharlayan which had led to an unfortunate encounter with some local seedkin that left her in a fever for days. The time she let her temper get the better of her and she had engaged in an impromptu wizard's duel with someone who proved to be near her equal in conjury. When their stone spell had hit her face, she could remember it felt like her eye socket had been blown out the back of her occipital. The time she had spent entirely too much time around an out of control experiment in one of the Sharlayan ateliers, and had nearly felt as though her aether was evaporating off. Nearly being drowned in the face of an immense swell of water off the shores of Limsa Lominsa.

And she was fair certain she was going to add this experience to the list. The swill, for she refused to call it anything else, tasted of acid that had somehow been brought to rot, and it flowed like thick and sticky cerulean, seeming to coat her mouth tongue and throat with a fine disgusting film. It did not so much kick in the throat as it threw a tantrum, flailing as it fell the whole way down until landing in her gut, where it felt fit to set her stomach to seize. She had liquors that had a pleasant burn, and now she was intimately familiar with one that had a burn that was decidedly not.

Her eyes watering, she gripped the sides of the table, and brought herself back up to sitting upright. The Roegadyn across from her looked absolutely delighted, and she snarled at him, to his uproarious laughter and glee.

She caught her rising temper and choked it down. There was a proper way to go about everything, she only had to find her way back to it. She let the light Esuna spill through her and cleanse away the poisoning effects, at least, though it would do nothing for the taste, the smell, or the sheer awfulness, but it would keep her in this loathsome challenge. Any greater work would have required more concentration and her wand, but at the very least, she had the wherewithal to at least deaden her tongue.

She'd still feel it, but there was no need for her to taste it, and so she would not.

"Best t' back out and leave with your tail intact, witch," said the Roegadyn mockingly. "If you can' handle that first one, 'taint likely to go better for you from here."

That snapped her back fully, and after a moment, she sat up in her seat, and patted herself down, as though to smooth down her clothes. Prim and proper, she sat straight, leveled her head, and regained control of her composure.

"What, and deny myself the unexpected pleasure of the local vintage? I think you'll not have my surrender so easily." she said primly, and the crowd roared with laughter as she reached forward, cool and calm, as collected as any of the most proper archons Sharlayan could boast.

After all, did she not count amongst their number?

She finished composing herself, picked up the refilled mug, held it high in a toast to her opponent, and had another drink.

The contest took near over a bell. Y'sthola was treated to every story of witches the man across from her had, from his grandfather's relationship proposal being spurned, to the multiple times his father seemed to have run ins with local arcanists - and to what end, Y'shtola had wondered, but she kept her questions to herself. She had heard of how his mother had supposedly made a deal with a witch that had wished to steal her children, but that particular bit sounded more like a storytale a mother might use to keep her children well-behaved than any bit of a real actual encounter the woman may have had. And as the challenge had gone on, and he had grown increasingly inebriated, she began to get the general impression that he was fit to blame any hardship in his life on magic, rather than on any bad luck or simple poor judgement on his part.

Still, though, he had lived an interesting life, and he had one more story in him that Y'shtola did sorely wish to hear. All she had to do was see this challenge through.

The crowd had been excited at first, shouting advice, and heckling each of them in turn, but now it had grown to a quiet, sort of concerned buzzing. The Roegadyn was just barely keeping himself in his chair, and it was clear to Y'shtola that he had underestimated her sorely, and was now pressing himself well beyond his limits. No longer intent on winning, he now simply seemed to be stubbornly trying to prove a point, whether to her or himself, she did not know.

For her part, Y'shtola had taken several drinks to get the hang of it, but now she sat tall and steady in her chair, ever the very picture of a cultured conjurer. To be certain, she had miscalculated, and would be paying the price of that shortfall later. While she was no more inebriated than she had been at the start, she had to expand the limits of her spell several times. Now tongue and throat were both dead to sensation, and it would be some bells before she could taste again, she was certain. And while she had spared herself the deleterious effects of the alchohol, she could not deny the physicality of so much drink. The tale she would be telling to the privy later would be a tragedy.

But for now, she was upright, and her opponent was nearly not.

She picked up her mug, freshly refilled, and leveled her gaze at the Roegadyn across from her, to see if he would do the same. It took him several attempts to even grasp the mug and raise it, and she watched him from over her own mug with cautious eyes.

He lifted it into the air, his hand trembling, and began to bring it to his lips, before he spilled it over on himself, and he spilled himself over onto the floor.

The crowd was quiet for a long moment. The barkeep just leaned over the table to look.

"Contest to the challenged," he said, raising a hand in the air on Y'shtola's side. No cheer went up, no celebration occurred. The crowd just buzzed and began to break, and Y'shtola could see some Gil changing hands out of the corner of her eye.

"Well then," she said. "I know others know his tale. Perhaps one of them would be inclined to help me with my inquiry?" she asked the barkeep, but he just shook his head solemnly.

"Apologies, but it's a matter of honor now, miss. Your challenge is with him and him alone. You'll have to wait for him to wake up."

Y'shtola sighed. "Well, at least allow me to pay the tab, I suppose."

"...those weren't the stakes," said the barkeep, looking at her skeptically.

"Indeed they were not, but I do not wish to see his pocketbook as destitute as his liver."

The barkeep nodded at the barmaid, who came over. "Alrighty, if you insist, I won' turn down good coin. She'll handle it."

Y'shtola had little help from there, but she managed anyway. Between her and the barmaid, the place was cleaned up soon enough, and the tab indeed paid for. The man was put to bed, and she was assured that she would be notified as soon as he awoke. Her business at the bar done for now, Y'shtola wandered outside to wait, and perhaps more importantly, to get some fresh air and perhaps see if she could drown the quarrel beginning in her belly with some clean water that did not smell faintly tainted of booze.

She sat down on a barrel outside, drinking deeply of clear draughts, and taking deep breaths, willing her entire nose, no, her entire self to begin its journey back to normalcy. She sighed as she sat, and looked up into the skies, turning to face to where she thought Carteneau may be.

Memories scrabbled at her mind, faint and distant, and too many of them blurry.

"Well, old friend, wheresoever you may be," she said. "I hope you are appreciating my efforts."

She closed her eyes and bowed her head, holding a fist over her heart, and gave a moment to memory, before taking another deep drink.

[lookbotsfollowmeyay]

Making a fucking master sword out of paper for a school project

Woke up at 7:30 on a Sunday to do game nerd bullshit. Started at 8, still haven't had breakfast yet by 8:50.

You'll need:

A pencil

A ruler

A long tape ruler

A pair of scissors

A scapel/box cutter

A fuck ton of paper

Glue

Too much time on your hands

Dedication

(Update from when I just cut the handguard out: you need a fuck ton in the power of a shit ton of dedication. If I paid myself minimum wage for this, I'd be able to afford a custom forged master sword.)

Step 1: measure shit badly

With the power of a free sketch book app, a ruler downloaded from the internet and two reference images (BotW Link with the sword on his back and TP concept art), I set off on my quest to make a sword.

Here are the measurements if anybody ever wants them.

Provided with a 160cm tall Linky:

140cm long in total

105cm blade (everything after the gold gem thingy)

88cm from triforce to tip

9cm wide

1cm tapered side each side

6cm thinner part of the blade behind triforce

3cm golden gem (corner pointing to end of blade) to end of pommel

3cm tall golden gem

3cm weird flared bit above gem

24cm handle+pommel

17cm handle only

7cm pommel only

7cm triforce logo

4cm triforce tall (no lil bits outside)

5cm triforce wide

31cm across the "M"

9cm triforce to M

If you want to give up here, I 100% support that.

Step 2: try figure how to put everything together with tiny prototypes

It's 10:15.

I'm going to try make an A4 length one, roughly to scale but that's not a priority right now. The point of that is to try find out what I need with small scale fuck arounds.

I SPENT HALF AN HOUR MAKING A SKETCH GOD FUCKING DAMNIT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE SO FUCKING LONG!

And we have logistical issues! Whoop.

I'm going to put long rods of rolled up paper inside the sword to give it some structural integrity. The blade is going to be a couple pieces, but will be put together and treated as one. The part with the triforce bit to the M is going to be a piece in itself. And now we have the hardest part: the handle and shit.

I'm going to put the pieces of the M together seperately (once I figure out how to pull that off, I think that would require a bit of origami.) The handle is just a lot of rolling, might look for something to form a core.

(fig.1 what parts I'm going to build this in)

....it's been 45 minutes and 11:00, bloody fucking hell.

Okay. So if I cut these triangular things on the side, I can achieve the squish I need to put the longer bits of the M on to the shorter bits. It's already 14:00 oh my god.

I then spent half an hour trying to improve it, but I forgot what was wrong with the OG one.

Step 3: surrender all planning and wing it.

I gave up on "the process". What a surpise.

So I printed an image of the MS, cut the template out and glued it to cardboard to cut out. I might have to do this twice, I don't know!

We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy

-Moon Tzu

Yes. I do have to do this twice. God fucking damnit, my hands hurt a bit. But as the old wisdom of my people said:

Fuck it, we ball.

We masking tape it down, trace one more

Then we cut that bitch out again.

.... fuck it, we ball.

You may think my hard work looks like a pile of scrap, that's because it is a pile of scrap before I figure out a way to put it together.

I am considering a sandwich of paper/card/paper/card/paper to somehow keep this in one piece. I know I'm failing and desperately grasping, shut the fuck up.

I'm running out of curse words. Godforsaken cunty bloody twat of a project.

Good lord my right index finger. Cut it playing with knives and now it's exhausted because of another knife.

Step 4: how to make my art teacher faint

I've slept on it (procrastinated) and asked Chat GPT for a bit of help and it says I should make the blade and the handle slot together. Good idea. So I have to cut 4 more pieces of cardboard.

Everything's a mess and unplanned, my art teacher that spent 2/3 of our project planning shit and not leaving enough time to do the actual project will faint from the sight of all the abandoned parts because I had a better way to hake it lol

Anyways, I've printed out a sword on paper so I can identify problems before I get to it and realise I fucked up.

Look. It's another picture that testifies I don't think shit through (and decided to put the blade together before I worked out how).

Eh. All I'll need to do is tear out the supports and reuse them. Printer paper that's been processed such a small amount is no loss compared to the cardboard fuck ups.

The triforce on the sword is not equilateral yare yare fucking daze.

Step 5: How to not want to see a scapel ever again for the rest of your life

Here's all the shit I cut out. Subject to change.

I had to use tumblr web on my phone to put this here. One more reason to thank me for my contributions to humanity. Maybe it's from the cutting things in surgical white light or maybe it's because I forgot the eat and drink water, but I kind of feel like throwing up. This is how the sharp end is supposed to be cut.

Then just crease the blade bits along the lines, tape it together with clear tape to form a very long blade. Glue the parts together. If you got this far, I won't bother to explain (definetly not because I forgot to photograph any and can't properly explain shit.) Make a handle with rolled paper (2 sheets, roll, then tape), for strength, cut A4 in half (halve 30cm side) roll those bitches up, glue them into the interior of the big roll, only one circle around then stuff it with tightly crumpled paper. Masking tape that bitch onto the guard that sandwiches the blade at the end. Just make sure it's flat enough to glue the seperate parts of the guard on. I actually had to dispose of some parts to make it work. It's also weak at the point between the blade and guard. What genius idea did I have late at night with this thing due tomorrow? Wrap 2 USB sticks onto both sides with masking tape. I recommend using empty Pilot V5 cartridges or like, hard enough pens instead of USB STICKS TAPED RIGHT ON THE OUTSIDE. Anyways, it's done. The pommel's origami (not on photo).