#forbidden lands pdf

[legionofmyth]

Forbidden Lands by Free League Publishing

Venture into the dark fantasy world of Forbidden Lands by Free League Publishing! 🌌 Survive, explore, and conquer in this immersive sandbox RPG. Perfect for fans of gritty adventures and deep storytelling! #ForbiddenLands #RPG #TabletopGaming #FantasyRPG #FreeLeague

Forbidden Lands by Free League Publishing What is it? Forbidden Lands Forbidden Lands by Free League Publishing is a dark fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in a cursed and perilous world. Players take on the roles of adventurers and rogues exploring a land filled with ancient ruins, dangerous wilderness, and supernatural horrors. The setting is grim and gritty, emphasizing survival,…

[karnesada]

Forgotten Ones Lore

Codex pdf download: DAO DA2 DAI DAV

Dalish myths

fen'harel, the dread wolf - during the endless civil wars in Elvhenan, a group of 'evanuris' called the Forgotten Ones included Geldauran, Daern'thal, and Anaris. They were the gods of terror, malice, spite, and pestilence. Fen'harel was considered one of their own because of his "cunning ways." The Forgotten Ones trusted that Fen'harel could arrange the defeat of the Evanuris proper. He asked the Forgotten Ones to "return to the abyss", and then betrayed them.

arlathan, part two - Fen'harel bade the "lords of evil" to exile themselves to the abyss, so neither Evanuris nor Forgotten One would ever again enter the others' lands. The Forgotten Ones were sealed in "the abyss."

the abyss (or, the Void) - nebulous and unclear. This was the home of the Forgotten Ones, the gods of disease, terror, spite, and malevolence. It was dangerous to the Evanuris, and corrupted Andruil (the corruption was the Blight). Possibly related to "the earth's sorrow" when the sun burned the creations of the earth to ashes and Elgar'nan temporarily buried the sun in the abyss. [Note: this is all very likely related to the Titans.]

veneration - priests of the Forgotten Ones were persecuted during the time of the elven Dales, yet secret worship of them endures in hidden, dark cults. Prayers are usually related to revenge.

World tales

the enigma of kirkwall - explorations into Kirkwall's Tevene history by the 'Band of Three', a group of Seekers. They touch on whether the Forgotten Ones were real and connected to the Forbidden Ones (spoiler alert, they're not the same). The ancient magisters seemed to have been trying to summon one of the demons like the Forbidden Ones.

Ancient legends

elven god andruil - (found in the Arbor Wilds). Andruil, having grown tired of hunting "mortal men and beasts", began stalking the Forgotten Ones, "wicked things that thrive in the abyss." Every time Andruil entered the Void (so presumably after they were "sealed" by Fen'harel(?)), she suffered longer and longer periods of madness from the blight.

fen'harel and the tree - (cw: sexual assault). Andruil captured Fen'harel. As she made camp that night, "the dark god Anaris" found them and swore he'd kill Fen'harel for crimes against the Forgotten Ones. Andruil and Anaris agreed to duel for the right to claim the Dread Wolf. Fen'harel aided Anaris in the fight, calling out a weak point in Andruil's armor. Anaris felled Andruil, but Fen'harel told Anaris that he owed him freedom for giving Anaris victory. Anaris was "so affronted by Fen'harel's audacity that he turned and shouted insults at the prisoner." He got an arrow in the back for it, and both Andruil and Anaris slumbered to heal their wounds.

tales of the forgotten ones - in this ancient propaganda, Anaris is styled as the Light of Elvhenan, Champion of the People, Noblest of Nobles. Despite being "changed/moved", his army still "carried the blood of his people." Anaris rode forth to war upon Elvhenan in "his fight for freedom."

Primary sources (letters, dialogue, etc.)

[mostly about Anaris, with one codex entry by Geldauran and another by one who renounced Daern'thal.

on divine imperatives (found in the lighthouse) - an agent of Fen'harel - Shirahn, One Who Renounced Daern'thal, muses on the wills of the evanuris seeping into their creations, including those of the agents' "Wolf-Lord." Elgar'nan's favorite torture device, the Helm of the Solar, was destroyed, but fire begets fire. The agent remarks that "the light of divinity is uncontainable", a questions "Even as he [Fen'harel] saves us, what does he impart upon us?"

geldauran's claim (found in the Frostback Basin)- there are no gods, and those with will to earn dominance over others gain title by deed, not nature. Geldauran refuses to bow to Andruil, June, or the other Evanuris luring the faithful with promises. Geldauran will claim power of their own, apart from the Evanuris until they "strike in mastery."

the nadas dirthalen - built by Anaris, speaks in Anaris propaganda.

re: Anaris, "as "one of the greatest of Elvhenan, a steward of her glory." re: Fen'harel, an ideologue and a fool who will soon pay the price. When Anaris dispatches the Evanuris, he will spare a thought for Fen'harel. re: the Evanuris, a group of cowards, hiding behind their more 'powerful' magic and 'superior' numbers. Their jealousy of Anaris was palpable, their war is unending. But Anaris will prevail.

mystery substance - this is a series of four scrolls found in Arlathan, written by Anaris

mystery substance - Anaris' disciple Atrahel found a vial of a bloodline liquid that glows yellow and is always ice cold, and nullifies (literally, "devours") all but the most powerful magic. Anaris, in hiding, wants to learn to nullify magic the same way to strike down the Evanuris and "claim what is rightfully mine." notes on a mystery substance - Anaris tested the substance of his "dull" disciple, Atrahel. Despite its nullification properties, Atrahel got renewed vim and vigor from it. further notes - Atrahel's strength did not diminish, but he changed. Sharper, but speaks less, and when he does speak Anaris hears "the voice of another presence joined with us." Atrahel's strength surpasses even Anaris'. final notes - Atrahel consumed the rest of the substance and his form changed - "it rippled, and grew, and shone with an unnatural light." Atrahel was more powerful beyond anything Anaris had seen, decimated everyone (not even dust remained) but Anaris, who shielded himself. Anaris got the hell out of dodge since the other Evanuris would likely catch wind of that power.

the ritual - Anaris wants a physical body to bring him "succor from the storm" and allow him to escape "the Eye."

the fragment of Mythal: the Evanuris were flawed, but they were better than the others who threatened the People; selfish fools like Anaris. Anaris is a monster.

solas: the spirits sang Bellara's praises for her defeat of Anaris.

Modern studies (Veilguard analysis)

a letter from strife - Dalish clans only know the Fen'harel betrayal story or the stories of the Forgotten Ones' wars with the Evanuris. There's little else Strife can gather, other than that Anaris is powerful.

bellara dialogue - the Dalish were told that the Forgotten Ones were the "bad" gods and they couldn't speak their names. The legends used to say Solas was a Forgotten One.

cyrian's farewell note - in ancient times, Anaris turned the elven people into demon soldiers for his army. In the Dragon Age, he was just a spirit who needed a living elf to complete the ritual to get him a body.

[odkrycia-nauce-i-foldery-online]

Scientific Expedition to Yunnan

In the spring of 1932 a joint botanical and zoological expedition was sent to eastern Yunnan by the Fan Memorial Institute of Biology, Peiping, starting from western Szechuan and exploring the bordering regions of Szechuan, Kweichow and Yunnan. The party expects to spend the winter in Yunnanfu. The botanical staff will endeavour to explore regions formerly not thoroughly worked over and collect also specimens in the type loc&lities. Besides collecting flowering plants, special attention will be devoted to mosses, liverworts, ferns and other cryptogams. The zoological staff will collect birds, fishes, other lower vertebrates and land shells. News has been received that the party succeeded in penetrating the forbidden territories of Ta-LiangShan Lolos, where probably no white man has ever entered before. These Lolos are very warlike tribes. They frequently kidnap Chinese and make them slaves. By a curious chance the present powerful chieftainess is the sister of the military governor of Yunnan, and hence much more enlightened in her view toward the purpose of scientific expeditions. The party was welcomed as honourable guests by the chieftainess. Oxen and pigs were slaughtered in their honour, and an elder of the tribe has been handed over to the district magistrate as the pledge of their safety. As two years. ago the lamentable death of the eminent young Chinese palreontologist, Ya-Tseng Chao, at the hands of bandits had cost the district magistrate of Chao Tung Hsien permanent dismissal from office, such precaution is carefully taken by his successor. The party plans to explore the south-eastern part of Yunnan next year.

© 1932 Nature Publishing Group https://www.nature.com/articles/130877b0.pdf

[ravelite]

Without public distribution channels, the special issue of Xiaoniao lives as a PDF passed around among friends. “I have no idea how far it has reached,” Yang said. “There is something samizdat-like to it,” she said, referring to the underground literature of 20th-century Eastern Europe, which circulated hand to hand. In today’s China, people create knowing that publishing is transient in nature — online articles can be taken down; books can be removed from the shelves; writers can be blacklisted; bloggers can be “disappeared.” (One of the websites Xiaoyin frequented, Poetry Life, announced its shutdown on July 13. “Poetry Life was born on the internet where it will dissipate,” the announcement read. “It has been a mirage as well as our real land.”)

The Art of Telling Forbidden Stories in China - The New York Times

[greenhorn-art]

Title: This Tornado Loves You (link to AO3)

Author: @rabbitcrimes | FeelsForBreakfast (link to AO3)

Fandom: MDZS, The Untamed

Length:  8 821 words | 52 pages total

Hanguang-jun is dating a mild mannered, non-cultivator named Wei Wuxian. The Yiling Laozu rolls up to a nighthunt on a motorbike, no relation at all to the previous statement.

The author made a post for the fic here on tumblr, so go check them out!

.

Fonts used: 

Lora

a Agreement Signature

Spartan

Art credits:

Lan Wangji landing the Pizza Hut was photshopped by @rabbitcrimes, 

rat swarm by Vojislav Vasiljevic on ArtStation

Motorbike pictures from Silodrome article

The swirly pattern background from Rawpixel

.

Another short fic bound pamphlet style! 

I knew before I even started reading that this fic was going to be fun -- the first thing that caught my eye while scrolling down AO3 was the tag ‘Dark Rataouille show me the forbidden rat cultivation’. I was not disappointed! It was great! I also had a lot of fun typesetting and designing the cover for this fic.

I really wanted to incorporate the author’s picture of Lan Wangji landing on the Pizza hut and found that it worked well as a silhouette. The red coulour was inspired by the roof of the Pizza Hut from that picture. And of course the swarm of rats from the story. To fill up some empty space I added a fake sticker (a sin, I know. I’m not sorry despite myself) to the back cover with some of the fic’s tags. I chose the swirling pattern seen on the background of the cover because it reminded me of clouds. And at the end of the Author’s Note I added pictures of the of model of motorcycle Wei Wuxian drives. All of the images I used are credited in the colophon at the back, and I added QR codes alongside the links for easy access. The story itself has a QR code on the page with all of the info from AO3. (I just really hate typing out the full URLs. Scanning a QR code is so much easier!)

I had a hard time choosing a font for the title (nothing new there) but in the end settled with a Agreement Signature (link to Fontspace) for the title and headings, and Spartan (link to Google Fonts) for sub-headings and other non-body text. Spartan is a thin font, and it might just be my printer, but it did not print well at regular weight. Especially at a small font size. In the future I’ll try it out as medium or semi-bold. The main body of the fic is in the font Lora (link to Google Fonts) size 10. I like this one a lot, it’s up there with Crimson Text on my shortlist for serif body fonts.

ALSO! I figured out how to avoid the issue of disappearing Blank Pages when I exported to PDF from LibreOffice Writer! Instead of doing page breaks with the Right Page style, I inserted the empty pages using a break with a page style without headers, followed by one with Right Page style. (And there was much rejoicing.)

[benevolentevil]

We’ve reached the start of a new year, and it’s time to reveal more higher-level poison spells to fill out the options for Green Dragon sorcerers and warlocks, necromancers, and villainous druids! You’ve already seen new homebrew poison spells that are themed around poisonous animals, involve conjuring poisonous acid, utilize the power of disease, poison their enemies by poisoning the land, create poisonous plants, and of course, just do poison in simple, classic ways. These two spells, contaminate and polluting sludge, focus on the poisonous effects of pure corruption and pollution itself, which can affect all things, whether mortal or not. The new spells are due to appear in the homebrew tome of forbidden and dangerous magic and lore, The Impermissicon, when it releases this year, but we wanted you to get your hands on them early — whether you’re a poison-loving player or a devious DM!

PDF Link | D&D Beyond: Contaminate, Polluting Sludge

[torillatavataan]

Terve, your blog is a fun cultural insight to suomi and it is greatly appreciated. I am planning a 2 week trip around finland to wild camp, stay at camp grounds, and stay in hotels. Can you discuss camping on public land? How does one know that the land is public and not private? How do i find roads or areas off main roads to stay the night? Also, do gas stations and cafes in finland refill your clean coffee thermos instead of giving a disposable cup? Are there water fountains and ice machines and such at gas stations to fill reusable water bottles? How do I make a friend to discuss details of my trip and get the most finnish experience possible? :)

Terve! I'm really sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you on this.

I'm personally not someone who does camping, so I had to do some research (and I was busy otherwise, and preparing the Independence Day queue took priority). Perhaps one of my followers can give you more practical advice, too.

Most land is privately owned in Finland, but we have a concept called "everyman's rights" which means you have the right to roam and enjoy nature within some limitations and responsibilities regardless of who owns the land.

Everyone is allowed to:

walk, ski, cycle, or horseback ride freely (except very near homes and other private buildings or through farm fields and nursery plantations which could easily be damaged)

camp out temporarily a reasonable distance from homes

pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers, as long as they are not protected species

fish with a simple rod and line

use boats, swim or bathe in inland waters and the sea

walk, ski, or drive a motor vehicle or fish on frozen lakes, rivers, and the sea

all the above can be restricted or forbidden in national parks and other nature reserves during certain seasons or year-round to protect sensitive areas and threatened species of plants or animals. Please pay close attention to any restrictions.

It’s NOT allowed to:

disturb people or damage property

disturb reindeer, game, breeding birds, their nests or young

let pets off leash

cut down or damage trees

collect moss, lichen, or fallen trees from other people's property

light open campfires without permission, except in an emergency

disturb people's privacy by camping too near them or making too much noise

leave litter

drive motor vehicles off road without the landowner's permission

hunt without the relevant permits

fish with nets, traps, or a reel and lure without the relevant permits

This pdf by the Ministry of Environment goes into more detail.

If you want to sleep in the car, there are rest stops on major roads where one could stay. They sometimes have info boards, tables, and dry toilets. But usually just a large bin. As long as you are not bothering anyone and your car is legally parked, you can sleep in your car anywhere you like. Generally speaking for one to two days. As far as the law is concerned, it is always preferable you stop and sleep instead of driving while half asleep. You are also allowed to park for rest/sleep on small private forest roads near the main road for safety.

If you are in a city/residential area, the police might check on you, but generally they'll just want to know you're ok because a concerned citizen called them. They might ask you to move somewhere else if the concerned citizen is somehow inconvenienced by you (maybe you're just too close to their property for their comfort). In that case, the police can advise where you could go instead.

A caravan has more restrictions. If you see a sign saying "leiriytyminen kielletty" (camping prohibited), you'll have to go somewhere else if you want to park a caravan and take out barbecues and lawn chairs. Camping prohibited does not mean you are not allowed to stop for the duration of sleep.

I actually don't know about the coffee cup, but my gut instinct is that yes, they can and will do this for you if they're not super busy and you ask nicely.

There may be public water fountains, but any tap will give you drinkable water. Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in Finland unless specifically advised otherwise. Cafés and petrol stations will probably be happy to fill in your bottle, too, if you ask.

Ice machines are pretty rare in Finland as far as I know. I've only seen them in some hotels for guest use and at restaurants/bars behind the counter or in the kitchen. Your typical Finn will make their own ice cubes in the freezer should they need them. Some supermarkets do sell them though.

I'm not a camper, so hopefully my followers can help you with making friends with like-minded Finns. From the top of my head, I think Reddit's r/Finland might be a place to start. You could also look for camping-related forums.

For a Finnish experience, definitely swim in a lake! Especially if it's summer time. If there's no one around, ditch the swimsuit. :) Also try the sauna. Maybe sleep in laavu or autiotupa.

Remember to have mosquito repellent and a sleep mask. There are a lot of mosquitos in Finland in summer, and if you're not used to the midnight sun, you might find it difficult to sleep without a mask.

[vanrichtensguidetoravenloft]

D&D Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft by Wizards RPG Team Ebook PDF Download

E-BOOK Online D&D Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft by Wizards RPG Team Download PDF Free D&D Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft by Wizards RPG Team ebook library D&D Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft by Wizards RPG Team

Download Now :- https://bit.ly/3tmaRpF

Download Now :- https://bit.ly/3tmaRpF

FACE YOUR FEARS

Unleash the horrors of Ravenloft in this campaign sourcebook for the world's greatest roleplaying game.

Terror stalks the nightmare realms of Ravenloft. No one knows this better than monster scholar Rudolph Van Richten. To arm a new generation against the creatures of the night, Van Richten has compiled his correspondence and case files into this tome of eerie tales and chilling truths.

Discover the mysteries of Ravenloft, mist-shrouded lands where infamous Darklords lurk among ageless vampires, zombie hordes, cosmic terrors, and worse. Then make your choice. Will you create your own Domains of Dread, settings to host endless terrifying adventures? Or will you join the ranks of haunted heroes who embrace macabre lineages, dual-edged Dark Gifts, haunted subclasses, and other forbidden powers?

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft contains everything you need to craft a horror-themed campaign for Dungeons & Dragons. Unleash a treasure trove of new story hooks, character options, and campaign customization to bring one of the most exciting Dungeons & Dragons settings to life!

Travel (perhaps even by choice) to familiar domains and discover new ones—as Ravenloft’s expanded Domains of Dread return for the first time in fifth edition! Includes rules and advice for building custom domains and Darklords using established horror tropes or your own special blend.

Discover a host of new backgrounds and trinkets themed specifically for a horror setting, as well as new character lineages, including the dhampir, hexblood, and reborn.

Find two new subclasses, the College of Spirits for bards and the Undead pact for warlocks.

Explore Dark Gifts for characters that flesh out your place in the Domains of Dread.

Encounter a horrific assortment of creatures from the monstrous bestiary.

And includes a brand-new adventure!

[rpgsandbox]

          Contents of the boxed set, including planned stretch goals

Kalisz. Shit. We’re still only in Kalisz. We need to get out of here. Fast. The artillery barrages are getting closer. The Soviets will be here soon. Sarge says we move out after dark. I’m not sure we’ll last that long.

A classic roleplaying game returns. The new retro-apocalyptic edition of Twilight: 2000, published in partnership with Game Designers' Workshop, goes back to the roots of the franchise with a boxed set for sandbox roleplaying in the devastation of World War III. The new edition will be the fourth in the series, the first being released by GDW in 1984. Just like the original version, the new edition is set in a year 2000 devastated by war – now in an alternate timeline where the Moscow Coup of 1991 succeeded and the Soviet Union never collapsed.

                                         Art by Niklas Brandt

"The first edition of Twilight: 2000 was an iconic game for me back in the '80s, and we are humbled and honored to work with Marc Miller and Game Designers' Workshop to bring a new edition to life. The original game was really ahead of its time. Our goal is to build on the amazing sandbox survival gameplay and develop it further, making it more accessible using the tools of modern game design," says lead game designer Tomas Härenstam.

"When I saw this proposal to revisit the Twilight universe, I signed on immediately. As I have seen the work proceed, I have not been disappointed, and I look forward to seeing this project become reality," says Marc Miller of Far Future Enterprises and co-founder of Game Designers' Workshop.

                Sample Layout Spread – Texts Are Placeholder Only

                Sample Layout Spread – Texts Are Placeholder Only

Also part of the project are Amargosa Press (who have recently announced the new Dark Conspiracy 4th Edition RPG), Polish RPG publisher Black Monk Games (who will act as a consultant on the Poland in 2000 AD game setting as well as publish a Polish edition of the game later on), and Far Future Enterprises (who publishes the fifth edition of the Traveller science-fiction roleplaying game).

                                   The Twilight: 2000 Boxed Set

Making RPGs in boxed sets is expensive, but we really feel it's right way to go for Twilight: 2000, bringing back the feel of the first edition of the game with that iconic Poland map.

If we reach our base funding goal, the boxed set will at the very least include two beautifully illustrated full color books – a Players' Manual and a Referee's Manual, each of about 100 pages detailing rules, setting, gear and scenarios – as well as several empty character sheets and a huge, full color travel map (format 864x558mm) of central Poland on one side and southern Sweden on the other.

If we exceed our base goal, we will add more content to the boxed set as stretch goals. These include combat maps and tokens, cards for initiative and encounters, custom dice, additional content in the books, and more.

                Unlocking stretch goals will add content to the boxed set.

LIMITED EDITION METAL BOX: As a exclusive to this Kickstarter, you can even get your copy of Twilight: 2000 in a limited edition metal box. This deluxe edition of the game will only be available via this Kickstarter and will not be produced again. To get your game in the metal box, choose the LIMITED EDITION reward.

                              Metal Box Design (Work in Progress)

A Referee's Screen will not be included in the boxed set, but can be added to your pledge.

                                Referee's Screen – Work in Progress

Some say it didn’t have to be this way. Some say history could have taken a different turn. If the Soviet Union had collapsed back in ‘91 when it was on the ropes. If the Gang of Eight military coup against Gorbachev had failed, the world would have looked very different today. Some say. I think it’s bullshit. This storm was always coming, sooner or later.

It doesn’t matter anymore, anyway. Now, all that matters is to survive each day.

It’s all up to us now. Our squad. Jonesy. Diaz, manning the M113. That Polish girl Katje. The men and women around me. No one else will come to our rescue. The final words from division HQ, before they signed off for good, left little doubt.

“You’re on your own now.”

Just like the original game, the new edition of Twilight: 2000 is set in Poland, but the game also offers an alternative Swedish setting, as well as tools for placing the game anywhere in the world. In the game, players take roles of survivors in the aftermath of World War III – soldiers or civilians. Their goal, beyond surviving for another day, can be to find a way back home, to carve out their own fiefdom where they are, to find out more about the mysterious Operation Reset, and maybe, just maybe, make the world a little bit better again.

The core gameplay builds on the hexcrawling system established in Mutant: Year Zero and Forbidden Lands RPGs (both Silver ENnie winners for Best Rules, in 2015 and 2019), developing it further to fit the gritty world of Twilight: 2000. The characters explore the devastated lands using a large hexagon map of Poland or Sweden – or wherever in the world you wish to place your campaign.

                    Poland Map by Tobias Tranell – Work in Progress

                      Sweden Map by Tobias Tranell – Work in Progress

                                 Map Detail – Work in Progress

Ronson carries the SAW. Diaz is like the Professor on Gilligan’s Island, he can build a new carburetor out of a pair of coconuts and some dental floss. Kasia, all of 17, is the closest thing we have to a medic since we lost Doc. Jonesy is a ginger who Diaz says looks like the cat in Aliens which is how a German intel officer got a name like Jonesy. Top’s been in the Marines long enough to have fought in the Tet Offensive… and me? I’m just a grunt. We’re all trying to get by. Top once called us “the last family.” He might be right. Kasia made a gagging gesture when he did. But none of us expect to see our actual families again.

                                            Art by Niklas Brandt

The core rules of the game build on the Year Zero Engine (used in award-winning RPGs such as ALIEN, Tales From the Loop, Forbidden Lands and Mutant: Year Zero), but heavily adapted to fit Twilight: 2000 and its focus on gear and gritty realism.

Twilight: 2000 will be crunchier and have less random elements than other YZE games. Twilight: 2000 will get a solid ruleset that captures the gritty, realistic feel of the original, but in a more accessible way and that fully realizes the potential for sandbox gameplay. We aim for a system that retains depth and complexity, but that is less granular and easier to use.

Instead of a dice pool as in other YZE games, Twilight: 2000 uses a two-dice system. You'll roll one base die for your skill and one base die for the attribute connected to that skill. Base dice range from D6s to D12s. Skills and attributes are rated from A to D, with a better score giving you a better die to roll. Attributes and skills are fairly broad, with specialties used to fine-tune your character. Combat uses battlemaps with 10-meter hexes to regulate movement and ranged attacks. Extensive systems for critical injuries as well as component damage to vehicles give crunch to the system, while keeping it fast and playable.

More information about the rules will be presented in updates during this Kickstarter.

                                              Art by Niklas Brandt

                                           Art by Niklas Brandt

Twilight: 2000 is a game with a large and proud community. We want to extend a big thank you to everyone, for your warm welcome to us and the upcoming game since the project was announce a few months back.

Beside the comments field here on the Kickstarter, we have opened a section dedicated to Twilight: 2000 at our forums, and you're very welcome to join the discussions there. Also, of course you have the pre-existing Twilight: 2000 Facebook group which is an amazing resource and community hub, and the new Facebook group Twilight: 2000 by Free League, created specifically for the new edition.

We are very eager to hear your questions, thoughts and requests for the new edition. Even if we might not be able to fulfill every wish, we certainly want to listen to your advice and feedback.

After the Kickstarter concludes, later in the fall, we will share a full Alpha PDF of the game to all backers, so you will be able to playtest the game and  give your feedback on it before it goes to print.

                                             Art by Niklas Brandt

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, September 3 2020 8:00 PM BST

Website: Free League Publishing

[eastafricaart]

Home Is A Woman, by Arao Ameny

Before I enter the matatu for the drive to Kampala then Lira the driver stops me to tell me he’s never seen me on this route “you must live outside” I remember I live outside my own country I pretend not to hear and he says it again, this time behind a cigarette and a smile he asks me “who are your people? who is your father? your grandfather?” saying he may know my people

I tell him my mother’s name and her mother’s name and my great-grandmothers’ names I tell him about the names of the land they could not inherit unless their brothers or fathers or husbands gave it to them I name and map the land, from that tree to the edge of the river I tell him where my great-grandmothers were born where my grandmothers were born where my mother was born I hum the names of the women in my family over and over again like a forgotten prayer a forbidden song he asks again “who are your forefathers, you girl?” I ask him “and who gave birth to them?” and I say the names of the women who gave birth to them

our ride is silent from Kampala to Lira he gives me a curious glance from the rearview mirror at my many faces looking at me while I hold on to my suitcase while I carry all the women living inside of me I carry them home

As published in The Southern Review, where you can download a copy in pdf form and buy a hard copy via an individual subscription for Spring 2020

[nostalgicamphibian]

McPagliacci: A parody comic based on the 1892 opera Pagliacci, a tale filled with tragedy, comedy and 🌟✨forbidden romance ✨🌟 but with McDonalds Land characters.

If you want to read it all with no interruptions a PDF version is available at the artist's Patreon!

Part 1: Cadenza! 🤡 Part 2: Recitative!🤡 Part 3: Coloratura! 🤡 Part 4: Opera buffa! 🤡 Part 5: Finale!🤡🎉

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

I'm looking for a fic where Blaine and Finn are mortal enemies, and they are both leaders of their own crew, but suddenly Blaine meets Kurt and he can't get Kurt out of his head?

Blaine & Kurt by @rumchocolatesouflee-blog

A story of forbidden love between Blaine and Kurt. Could only their deaths mend the poisonous relationship between McKinley and Dalton? Based off of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

~~~~~

West Side Klaine by IFoundYouJustineTime

AU Based on West Side Story: The Hummel-Hudson brothers lead a gang who rule West Lima City. However, their authority is about to be challenged by an old rival gang lead by a cocky newcomer named Blaine Anderson. Then love turns their world upside down.

~~~~~

Know Your Enemy by mmerainbows

AU. Set in another world in another time. Burt, Finn, Kurt, and Noah are the heads of an army that crosses the continent liberating the oppressed from wicked rulers. The time has come to deal with a personal vendetta against the Kingdom of Dalton and it's ruler, King Anderson. But even if they liberate Dalton, can they unite its people under its unwanted son, Prince Blaine?

My first fanfic ever and my first featured fanfic at S&C. Looking back at it now, there's lots I would fix, but redo's will have to wait since I have other fics on the go.

Name from Green Day song of the same name.

~~~~~

Lucky That I by by satonawall  [PDF]  [Epub]

In order to get a powerful ally, Prince Kurt’s step brother Finn marries him off to King Blaine of the Deserted Lands.

~~~~~

Need for Speed ‘Verse by @lady-divine-writes

Kurt Hummel moves from California to Lima after his dad’s heart attack causes them to lose their repair shop. Kurt leaves his prestigious performing arts school and any chance of moving to New York and getting into NYADA. His only other joy in life is custom tuning cars, but his father doesn’t approve. Things seem to get back on track when he joins the Dalton Crew as their mechanic, behind his father’s back. He’ll make the money he needs as long as he can put up with the unwanted attention of Sebastian Smythe. But, how will his dreams change after he meets the head of the McKinley Crew, Blaine Anderson, who decides that winning Kurt Hummel will be his next big challenge?

[mawarputih324]

*PDF/Books* In Deeper Waters BY : F.T. Lukens

In Deeper Waters

By : F.T. Lukens

  DOWNLOAD THIS BOOKS

  DESC:

A young prince must rely on a mysterious stranger to save him when he is kidnapped during his coming-of-age tour in this swoony adventure that is The Gentleman?s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Pirates of the Caribbean.Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family?s kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel.Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming?and secretive?as ever. But before they can pursue anything

[gretchensinister]

Looking for a fic for the weekend?

As of yesterday, all my completed fics are on Ao3! That means you can enjoy them without tumblr’s interface!

Most of them are short, true, but there are 716 of them. Of all ratings and varieties. And even beyond regular tagging I’ve organized the short ones into collections by ship or category.

But what about the longer ones? (Note, all of these are M or E)

Well, for example, there’s: 

The Doors of Perception, a Pitch Black/Sandy (Rise of the Guardians) human AU that starts in the 60s and spans decades of love and pain and healing. 

A Draught of Light, a Pitch Black/Sandy (Rise of the Guardians) epic fantasy AU in which Pitch Black and Sandy learn why they are immortal when all the other adepts of Light and Shadow have died out, and how to return magic to their land. Note for the times--one of the magic issues between them is that when Pitch and Sandy became full adepts of Light and Shadow, they also became literally unable to touch each other. It’s a source of angst and tension but...I didn’t write this story to leave anyone in pieces.

On the other side of the touch spectrum, there’s Give You Everything, a Venom Symbiote/Eddie Brock fic in which those two characters learn to navigate probably the most intimate way of existence possible for two living beings.

Or maybe since things are fucked up you need other things that are fucked up in different ways.

Like Hoddmímis Holt, a Thor/Loki which takes place immediately after Ragnarok and is a long night that follows a mutual love confession. Yeah, the situation is inherently fucked up, but otherwise fairly tender.

Or if you need something absolutely dark, there’s A Perfect Man Is Hard To Find, a Pitch Black/Sandy (Rise of the Guardians) human AU in which they are cannibal serial killers in love. A perfect man is hard to find...but they do find one. And they don’t waste the opportunity.

Or maybe you just want the tentacles. That’s The Dark Watcher. Technically Pitch Black/Sandy (Rise of the Guardians) but like...Pitch is a monster and Sandy is an all-too-enthusiastic human sacrifice. You don’t need to have seen the movie.

And there is a LOT more than these. I didn’t even put summaries of some of my longer works because they’re a little more standard/main movieverse.

***

Now. These fics are free and they are intended to always be free. But I have also written a novel that I intend to self-publish: The Solstice Alliance.

Stella Black has been followed by a terrifying, malevolent entity since she was a child, but she’s never been certain of its ability to affect the physical world until now. With new evidence of its power to affect matter, she can only assume it is finally going to end her life. Desperate, she seeks out a paranormal society, and, to her astonishment, they promise to do whatever they can to help her, despite her destitute state.

The entity, however, proves too powerful to be destroyed by the society’s means. While it is temporarily bound, the mysterious Alexandra Poppy says that she might be able to permanently destroy it using the knowledge contained in books on her rural estate, Dreamers’ Hill.

The powerful draw of freedom and of time spent alone with Alexandra lead Stella to agree to accompany her far away from any life she’s ever known, but the forbidden wishes of her heart are not the strangest possibilities that might come to fruition under the cold stars of the year’s longest night…

The Solstice Alliance is a story of sapphic love and dark magic set in Victorian England, and it’s all ready to blaze it’s way into your eyeballs except for one thing: I want it to be searchable by libraries, and in order for that to be possible, I need an ISBN. A bundle of 10 ISBNs costs $295 in the US (and since I intend to write more it makes sense to buy a bundle).

I currently have ~$129 saved towards the ISBNs. If you donate to my paypal, I’ll send you the PDF. Or you can donate with the message “no PDF” because you’re just so full of love for my other stories but your device isn’t full of storage space.

That’s all folks! I write because if I stopped writing I’d stop being myself, but I love every reader who journeys with me!

[theonyxpath]

It’s Friday, which brings an end to our week of free World of Darkness rulebook PDFs! We hope you’ve enjoyed collecting them, and that you enjoy reading them and playing them (virtually, of course: practice safe social isolation).

Today’s final FREE PDF is Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition!

All the stories they told you about what it would be like after you died? They were wrong.

There is no Heaven and there is no Hell. There’s only the Underworld, with the ravening maw of Oblivion at the bottom and the impossible dream of Transcendence at the top. And in between, all the Restless Dead.

Are you ready to join them?

Wraith: The Oblivion is the Storytelling game of passion and horror. Take the role of a ghost whose unfinished business won’t let them rest.

Protect the things you love in the lands of the living, or travel into the deeper Underworld to become a citizen – or an enemy – of the ancient Empire of the Dead. 

Learn the forbidden Arcanoi, ghostly powers that can terrorize the living or wreak havoc on the dead. 

Fight the pull of Oblivion, the endless void that seeks to drag everything down into it, and come face to face with its corrupt Spectre servants in an endless Labyrinth filled with nightmares. 

Walk the streets of the eternal city of Stygia, where the crumbled monuments of antiquity rise one after another, a thousand destroyed cities blending into one. 

Set sail on the never-ending storm of the Tempest with a wordless Ferryman at your side, or seek the legendary Far Shores, where it is said that every wraith can find peace and contentment. 

So don’t go into the light. You’ve got more interesting things to do in the Underworld instead. Twenty years ago, White Wolf published what many have regarded as their darkest, bleakest, and most mature gaming achievement. Largely disconnected from the rest of the World of Darkness, yet tied to it by fetters of unresolved issues from their lives, the characters also had to face the compelling whispers of their own dark sides, their Shadows. 

This 20th Anniversary Edition of Wraith: The Oblivion returns to that darkly compelling world and both compiles and completes the concepts of the previous two editions.

Led by legendary Wraith: The Oblivion developer Rich “Deadguy” Dansky, our writing team consists of Wraith veterans like Bruce Baugh, Lucien Soulban, Jackie Cassada, Nicky Rea, and Clayton Oliver, as well as familiar names such as Charles Andrew Bates, Matthew Dawkins, and Lillian Cohen-Moore, and they one and all dedicated themselves to making Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition the most playable edition yet – while not losing the incredible depth of setting and emotion that Wraith is known for.

[errgative]

Japanese Literature Essentials

This is a list of five classic Japanese books and short stories that I feel are essential reads for anyone interested in Japan. I’ve chosen these books not only because they are excellent literature in their own right, but because they offer unique insight into Japanese culture and showcase the differences between Japanese and Western literature. Whether or not you are studying Japanese, I think you can gain something valuable by reading them. I know there are many great books I’ve left off this list, but Japanese literature is just too expansive to be summarized in one post - feel free to reblog with your own favorites if I didn’t include them!

Murasaki Shikibu: The Tale of Genji (源氏物語)

Recommended Translation: Royall Tyler

The Tale of Genji is one of the most iconic and foundational works in the history of Japanese literature. Written at the peak of the Heian period, it combined aspects of Chinese literature with traditional forms of Japanese storytelling, resulting in an 1100 page (written almost entirely in kana!!) epic that follows Genji through his adventures and romantic pursuits while giving insight into Heian court life. I feel that Tyler’s translation brings the beautiful Classical Japanese prose to life while preserving the original aesthetics of the tale.

The author, Murasaki Shikibu, was a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court. Although women were traditionally not taught Chinese, she was able to study it due to her immense talent. Her mastery of literature is shown in that Genji was greatly praised even at the time of its release, despite her being a woman. 

Soseki Natsume: Kokoro (こころ)

Recommended Translation: Edwin McClellan

Soseki is often regarded as the founder of modern Japanese literature. His works are informed by his life experiences, as well as issues salient to Meiji-era Japan, such as the westernization of Japan and conflicts between modern and traditional culture. 

Kokoro takes place during the transition out of the Meiji era. The central characters are a young student and the man he idolizes, called Sensei. Through the young man’s relationship with his parents and Sensei, Soseki explores the boundaries between urban and rural values, as well as what it means to receive an education. The third and final part is in the form of a letter from Sensei, and deals with themes of guilt, isolation, and the egoism of youth, as the reality behind the student’s idealization of him is revealed. 

In the interest of full disclosure, this is my favorite book on this list and definitely in my top five books of all time - it has only a spare, basic plot, but manages to convey the feeling of an entire nation in a time of transition, while not sacrificing beautiful language or complex, nuanced characters.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke: Hell Screen (地獄変)

Recommended Translation: I actually don’t know who translated the version I’ve read, since it’s a pdf that doesn’t include the title page. Contact me if you want it, or pick a translation that sounds good to you.

Akutagawa was one of the most influential Japanese writers of the twentieth century. Japan’s most prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He is probably best known outside of Japan for his story Rashomon, which inspired Kurosawa Akira’s film of the same name. Much of his work deals with what he perceives as the corruption and spiritual anxiety of modern life, as well as themes of obsession, isolation, and illusion. 

Hell Screen is a short story set in an ambiguously medieval Japan, potentially the late Heian period. It centers around the painter Yoshihide, who is the finest painter in the land, but hates everything except for his art and his daughter. He is commisioned by a lord to create a screen painted with the Buddhist hell. Through Yoshihide, Akutagawa explores the nature of artistic obsession and the conflict between art and moral behaviour, all while creating a sense of uncertainty around the truth by choosing an unnamed courtier who is devoted to the lord as a narrator. The end result is a wonderfully disturbing story that subtly critiques modern ways of thinking in the guise of a Buddhist parable.

Warning for implied rape.

Mishima Yukio: Forbidden Colors (禁色)

Recommended Translation: Alfred H. Marks

One of the most well-known postwar Japanese authors, Mishima wrote about themes such as beauty, gender, sexual desire, and patriotism, and his work has been equally praised and criticized for its long, flowing descriptions and decadent prose. Today, Mishima is known almost as much for his gruesome death by ritual suicide as for his literary accomplishments.

Some of you might wonder why I chose to include Forbidden Colors on this list rather than the better known and less disturbing Confessions of a Mask. While it’s true that both of them feature gay protagonists and involve similar themes, I feel that the viscerally disgusting nature of Forbidden Colors makes it a much more powerful read. It is by no means enjoyable, essentially being 400 pages of nothing but hatred and vitriol. Both the protagonist, Yuichi, and his ‘mentor,’ Shunsuke, are amoral, manipulative, and hopelessly misogynistic. The plot is based around Shunsuke’s quest to get revenge on the entire female population by using Yuichi’s good looks as his weapon. Yuichi starts out as somewhat naïve and afraid, thinking he’s the only man to ever be gay, but begins to become more and more like Shunsuke, adopting his misogynistic habits and using his experiences in Tokyo’s gay scene to learn how to weaponize his beauty. The horrifying story of what Yuichi does and experiences provides a harsh, angry critique of Japanese society without any moments of hope or levity.

While I do highly recommend this book, please know that it is highly disturbing and if you cannot read books that contain rape/dubious consent, graphic violence, extreme misogyny, or homophobia, it might be a good idea to skip it. 

Enchi Fumiko: Masks (女面)

Recommended Translation: Juliet Carpenter

Enchi is probably the most well-known female Japanese writer from the Showa period. She drew attention to the plight of women in an increasingly militaristic and patriarchal Japan, and achieved success after World War II despite the male-dominated Japanese literary establishment. Her works explore gender and the nature of power.

I had a hard time deciding whether to include Masks or The Waiting Years; both are powerful explorations of female forms of power, and both are quintessentially Japanese in nature. Ultimately Masks won out because of its direct ties to The Tale of Genji, which opened this list. Masks draws on countless layers of Japanese culture, from Genji to traditional shamanistic practices to Noh theatre and art. The story is told from the perspective of men, but as the novel goes on, it becomes clear that the men are being manipulated by the crafty Mieko, whose schemes quickly ensnare the narrators. Central to the story is an essay Mieko wrote on the role of the Rokujo Lady in Genji. Ultimately, Masks is about power, how it can be subverted, and the results of those subversions, while simultaneously exploring the nature of gender, revenge, and legacy. It’s hard to summarize the genius of this book - the way Enchi weaves together differing sources and plot threads into a cohesive, indictive whole - in one paragraph, but I hope you all will read it. 

Once again, I’m including warnings, this time for graphic sex, dubious consent (in that one party does not know who the other is), graphic descriptions of blood, and death.

More Recommendations:

Soseki Natsume: I am a Cat; Botchan

Akutagawa Ryunosuke: Spinning Gears; Kappa

Oe Kenzaburo: The Silent Cry; Hiroshima Notes

Enchi Fumiko: The Waiting Years

Tanizaki Junichiro: Naomi

Kawabata Yasunari: The Old Capital; Thousand Cranes

Mishima Yukio: Death in Midsummer - Onnagata, Patriotism

Murakami Ryu: Almost Transparent Blue

Abe Kobo: The Woman in the Dunes

Yoshimoto Banana: Kitchen