#i also operate on the barter system

[fraternum-momentum]

[Onlynude.men anon]

you can start by drawing [obscure character here]- Joking joking!!

Im just happy to help! And im very glad my catalog of random info actually helped someone! ♡♡♡ ૮₍˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶₎ა

AIGHT BET GIVE ME A CHARACTER ONLYNUDE.MEN ANON 👍👍👍👍

[autumnslance]

Do you have the werlyt screenshots? 👀

This is only because I love you, Nonny.

I also took time to transcribe these under the "Keep Reading" cut, cuz this is a lot of text and cannot always be read clearly. These images were taken with my tablet. Errors in said transcript are probably just mine. These are pages 120-121 and 169-170 of Encyclopedia Eorzea volume III. The timeline's a little weird (especially the Gaius to Valens handover), but Werlyt was an Imperial province for over 50 years.

There's also pages specifically about the Weapon project and how the Garleans tried to have a system similar to soul crystals in legatus armor, but they were behind the curve on such magic-technology and so the data's incomplete (as we saw in those fights). If there's interest, I may do a follow up with those pages, but this is long enough and I have FC things to do tonight.

Werlyt

Following in the footsteps of its neighbor across the Ghimlyt Dark, Ala Mhigo, this small nation in the far western reaches of Ilsabard recently liberated itself from the Garlean Empire.

Flag: The flag originally bore the crest of the royal family. However, as their bloodline has long since run dry, and the nation now aspires to become a republic, the interim government has organized a committee to decide on a new design.

Motto: --

Government: Werlyt is presently led by an interim government. After careful deliberation, it has decided the nation will be rebuilt as a republic.

Leader: Talbot Hunte

Ruling Body: The interim government is formed of representatives from several rebel factions that fought against the Garlean Empire.

Racial Distribution:

Ilsabardian Hyur: 80%

Near Eastern Au Ra: 15%

Other: 5%

Religion: Though religion was largely discouraged under Garlean rule, the people of Werlyt were polytheistic, believing in thirteen gods. Their religious practices are said to be largely influenced by the traditions of their western neighbors in Eorzea and its teachings of the Twelve, as well as Corvosi mythology from the east.

Industry:

Livestock: The tending of cattle is a longstanding profession of Werlyt, made possible by its lush, far-reaching pastures. A knack for livestock breeding is evidenced by the myriad varieties of both beef and dairy cattle they raise, the latter including an especially rare breed said to number only one hundred.

Dairy: In tandem with their livestock industry, the people of Werlyt excel in the production of dairy products, including butter, yogurt, and milk-based beverages. They are well known for their high-quality cheeses, which became a mainstay export to Garlemald.

Fishing: The southern edge of Werlyt touches the sea, allowing for a bustling fishing trade in coastal towns. Its many steep cliffs, however, ensure their efforts are focused on but a few major ports.

Mining: In the northern mountain range of Werlyt, one can find four mines wherein copper, zinc, tungsten, and several other rare metals are extracted. The process was refined under Garlean rule with the introduction of magitek, and while the equipment remains, the country wants for the ceruleum to operate it. To that end, Werlyt has begin negotiations with Ul'dah to barter for fuel so they may resume their mining operations.

Beliefs: While the Au Ra who migrated from the Corvos region have ostensibly been welcomed in Werlyt, there yet remains a strong sense of social incohesion in this predominantly Hyuran nation. It remains to be seen if these disparate peoples can overcome their differences to flourish in this burgeoning republic.

Diet: Werlyt is perhaps best known for its stewed dishes made using local beef, dairy, and seafood. The intermingling of native wheat-based cuisines and rice dishes brought by the Au Ra also help distinguish Werlyt cooking. Dairy enthusiasts insist that milk produced in Werlyt is indispensable to strengthening one's muscles when training the body, and it is thought to be high in protein and effective in reducing muscle inflammation.

History

A Contentious Foundation

In ages past, the western reaches of Ilsabard, known today as Werlyt, were home to myriad Hyuran tribes. There was no harmony to be found between them, however--the ceaseless cycle of war and peace was no different than the changing of the seasons. Some brave few tribes thought to flee from this war-torn land, crossing the Ghimlyt Dark to pillage and plunder on Eorzean soil. They would inevitably return home, richer for their efforts, but these ventures westward would come to a halt when the leadership of Anshelm Cotter united Gyr Abania, Ala Mhigo becoming a shield from further incursion.

With dreams of pushing farther west dashed, and the Hyuran tribes growing weary of conflict, Au Ra outlanders hailing from Corvos saw this pall of languor as an opportunity. They formed an alliance with a handful of local tribes, and together they quickly subjugated the territories that would come to be Werlyt. Despite their pivotal role in its formation, however, the Au Ra would not seek the throne of this fledgling kingdom, knowing their alchemical knowledge and mastery of the mystic arts would prove no match for the sheer numbers of their Hyuran allies. Thus did they concede kingship to the Hyuran elders. With this, some Hyurs came to see the Au Ra as powerful allies, but others would continue to cruse them as ruthless invaders.

The Garlean Occupation

Unfortunately, the newly founded nation of Werlyt would not last. The advent of magitek and transformed Garlemald into a heretofore unseen military power, allowing them to take Corvos with ease and subsequently draw Werlyt under the Garlean yoke.

The province was charged with supplying foodstuffs and mineral resources to fuel the burgeoning empire, and in some ways the dissemination of magitek would prove a boon. The mechanization of mining, for example, was momentous, but any such innovations as the Garleans would bring ever remained beyond the reach of the subjugated. For thirty years the people of Werlyt toiled thus, but they would eventually be offered a glimmer of hope. The Empire had begin the second phase of its incursion into the Far Eastern territories, a campaign requiring a considerable portion of their military force. Even the occupying force in Werlyt had been greatly diminished, affording rebel factions the leverage needed to reclaim their home.

Their dreams of freedom were fleeting, however, as a young Gaius van Baelsar led imperial forces back to assault the capital of Werlyt and restore Garlean order. As the previous viceroy had been killed by the rebels, Gaius would assume command of the newly reclaimed province.

Two Sides of Governance

Reflecting on the plight of the Werlytian peoples that drove them to rebellion, Gaius, the newly appointed viceroy, well knew that drastic measures were needed to prevent a second uprising. He began by recruiting individuals he deemed competent and capable, paying no heed to their station, race, or place of origin. Indeed, no few Werlytians were sought out for their extensive knowledge of the land, serving in various bureaucratic positions. Over the next twenty years, Gaius would also oversee a more even distribution of the province's wealth; new infrastructure in the form of roads, ports, and harbors; an a compulsory education system that would substantially increase literacy rates throughout Werlyt. But the peace and order he established there was short-lived.

The invasion of Eorzea and its consequences, naturally, left van Baelsar unable to fulfill his duties in Werlyt. The man who would take his place was Valens van Varro, an otherwise unremarkable civilian who had somehow risen through the military ranks. After losing his position amidst political turmoil in the Empire, he was given command of a newly reformed VIIth Imperial Legion. The grim shadow he cast over Werlyt would undo all the good Gaius had achieved and so much worse. Forced labor, imprisonment, and executions quickly became normalcies of day-to-day living. So much so, that it was said one could only find rest under the mortician's roof.

The Treasonous Five

Rather than subjugate the enemy, Valens was satisfied with bleeding both their resources and people dry--a tyrannical approach to governance often said to be heinous even by his fellow countrymen. It was a path that would lead to ruin for the province of Werlyt. Yet despite appearances, he was an exceedingly brilliant engineer, and there was a method to his madness.

Emperor Varis had been assassinated, and as various parties vied for the throne, Garlmald's aristocracy was in the throes of chaos. That is why Valens labored to complete his Weapons project, that he might make a triumphant return to Garlemald, wielding the ultimate tool of war. He well understood the need for urgency, and was more than willing to bring ruin upon Werlyt if it meant assuring his place as emperor.

For all his genius, however, Valens remained ignorant of his coming downfall until it was too late. The orphans he intended to use as test pilots for his project were plotting to use his Weapons against him, and the fruition of their plan would bring the VIIth Legion to its knees. One must not overlook, of course, the significance of Gaius's contributions to their efforts, as well as the rebel factions that also conspired to overthrow the Garleans. Even so, it was ultimately the bravery and sacrifice of five orphans that would spell the end of Valens, and earn Welryt her freedom.

Faces of Werlyt

GAIUS BAELSAR

"I see now that true strength is not granted by others, but resides within us. Strength of character, of spirit, of resolve."

With his defeat at the hands of the Warrior of Light in Castrum Meridianum, this former legatus of the XIVth Legion realized that he had long been a mere pawn in the Ascians' plans. He swore revenge against them for his fallen comrades, taking up the mantle of Shadowhunter, and though his quest for vengeance would claim the masks of Altima and Deudalaphon, the hunt for Ascians was quickly set aside when he learned of the Empire's plans to produce the noxious weapon Black Rose.

En route to Garlemald, Gaius crossed paths with Alphinaud, forming an alliance to halt production of the deadly gas--and this was not his only unexpected encounter with the Scions. As he infiltrated the capital, Gaius chanced to meet Estinien, and together they breached the imperial palace. There, they witnessed the assassination of Emperor Varis at the hands of Zenos. The rogue prince swiftly departed, and not moments later, imperial guards found Gaius standing over the late emperor's corpse.

His relationship with his home nation soured further when he discovered the previously abandoned Weapon project had been revived by the reformed VIIth Legion, who planned to deploy their prototypes in an assault on Eorzea. Gaius set off for Ghimlyt, hoping to warn the Eorzean Alliance before it was too late. There he found the Warrior of Light at the ready--this time, to stand with him against their common for. In a tragic twist, the orphans Gaius once fostered would also be caught up in the conflict.

Now, at the age of fifty-six and with Werlyt freed from the imperial yoke, Gaius has joined hands with its interim government in efforts to restore the region.

VALENS VAN VARRO

"As they say, 'to err is human, to forgive, divine.' And you know how forgiving I can be. When it suits me..."

Legatus of the reformed VIIth Legion, Valens joined the army following the completion of his studies at the Magitek Academy. Known for his ruthless and innovative magitek-based battle tactics, it seemed nothing could stop his ascension through the ranks. Those who served under him, however, knew well his unethical practices and penchant for sacrificing allies to serve his ambitions. Moreover, despite his achievements, he never escaped the shadow of Gaius, who was ultimately chosen to command the XIVth Legion. Believing the position stolen from him, Valens developed a deep hatred for the legatus even as he toiled to recreate Ultima Weapon under Nero's direction. This selfsame spite is what inspired him to later resume work on the Weapon project, believing that, by succeeding where Gaius had previously failed, he might at last prove himself the superior military officer.

Valens has ever been a staunch believer in Garlean supremacy. This was made all too apparent by his heinous decision to use villagers from the provinces as test subjects, believing them to be expendable. In the wake of the Emperor's death, he had hoped to take advantage of the chaos in Garlemald to assume the throne, but his dreams of grandeur would remain unfulfilled. The Weapon pilots, whom he had treated with such disdain, rebelled and eventually proved his undoing. After losing in a duel against Gaius, the fifty-six-year-old Valens met his demise at the hands of the Diamond Weapon.

SEVERA SOUTHER

"All that hatred, festering away...Nothing good could ever come of it."

Daughter to a citizen of Werlyt and a Garlean soldier, Severa joined the army in the hopes of deterring those who would cast scorn on her family. Even as she served, however, the Garleans denied Severa's mother the medicine she needed to maintain her faltering health. Though Severa deserted in the wake of the XIIth Legion's defeat in Ala Mhigo, she returned to Werlyt too late to save her mother and could do little but flee once more, eventually finding herself in the company of Gaius. Now twenty-three, she can often be found offering counsel to young Allie.

VALDEAULIN GANATHAIN

"It's taken me a long time--too long--but I've finally found a reason to live for the present. For the future."

Until Ala Mhigo fell to the Empire, Valdeaulin had made his home in the Black Shroud. As the Garleans continued their expansion, he lost not only his village, but his wife and daughter as well--his family abducted as test subjects for the fatal gas known as Black Rose. He later joined the Order of the Twin Adder, intent on exacting vengeance agains the invaders. The forty-eight-year-old Duskwight would have his chance amidst the ruin of the Praetorium, where he found a wounded Gaius on the verge of death, but ultimately chose to spare the Black Wolf and aid him in his hunt for Ascians.

ALFONSE AAN BAELSAR

"If it is the duty of the strong to lead the weak, we will become strong and protect those who cannot protect themselves."

An epidemic claimed the life of Alfonse's parents when he was still a child, leaving him and his sister Allie living on the streets of Werlyt. The two were adopted by Gaius, and Alfonse soon became an elder brother to all of the children in the Black Wolf's care. Wishing to be of greater help to their adoptive father, the Auri siblings joined the military, serving in the XIVth Legion/ During Operation Archon, they remained in Werlyt on a supply mission, but were soon transferred to the VIIth Legion, where they were coerced into becoming pilots for the Weapon project. Faced with a dire situation, they plotted to take advantage of their position and use the Weapons against the Garleans to liberate Werlyt. Although inextricably fused with the core of the Diamond Weapon, Alfonse managed to kill Valens and secure a future for his home and sister both. He was twenty-one summers old at the time of his death.

ALLIE AAN BAELSAR

"The days we spent together were the happiest of my life, and no matter what happens, nothing can take that away from me."

Allie and her brother were adopted by Gaius and given the surname Baelsar. When they were reassigned to the Legion, the name caught Valens's eye, and he wasted no time in selecting them as candidates for the Weapon project.

The youngest of her foster siblings, Allie was dearly loved by them all. She wanted nothing more than to have their portrait painted together as a family, but it was not meant to be, as she alone would survive the Weapon project. Despite having experienced so much loss by the age of sixteen summers, Allie works dauntlessly at Gaius's side to realize her siblings' dream of a free and flourishing Werlyt.

REX AAN BAELSAR

"This is our way of upholding the ideals Father instilled in us. Our lives are a small price to pay for Werlyt's freedom."

Though he too was tragically orphaned, Rex's cheery disposition always brightened the spirits of his foster siblings. He cared deeply for his adoptive family, and would do anything to shield them from harm, even should it mean defying his superiors. He placed complete faith in his brother Alfonse, whom he held in particularly high regard, seeing the elder brother's dreams as his own. Tragically, the eighteen-year-old's life was cut short when he took the helm of the Emerald Weapon, his essence overwritten with combat data modeling his beloved father Gaius as he merged with the machine's core.

RICON AAN BAELSAR

"You all made me happier than I had any right to be. And now...I've finally found my purpose. I have no regrets."

Though timid by nature, Ricon would not hesitate to lay down his life to save his adopted siblings. Upon joining the XIVth Legion, his skilled hands earned him a place working under Nero to hone his skills as an engineer, and the wealth of knowledge he gained from his training was readily applied to the Weapon project once he was permitted to assist with maintenance. Although determined to help correct the mistakes of past prototypes, he well knew they lacked time to fully prepare the Sapphire Weapon. This did Ricon elect to pilot the Weapon in place of his brother Rex, and the life of another brave youth was snuffed out by the Oversoul system. He was seventeen years of age.

MILISANDIA AAN BAELSAR

"Father still needs you. Please take care of him...in our place."

One of several orphans taken in by Gaius, Milisandia had hair of crimson, though it was not always so kissed by fire. When they still lived in an orphanage, the young lady believed that Alfonse was enamored with one of the institution's matrons and, perhaps hoping to win his attention, dyed her hair the same color as the woman who captivated him. This youthful infatuation would remain unspoken unto her dying day, when she passed away aboard the Ruby Weapon at the age of only twenty summers.

AVILINA AAN HORNE

"There's a way I can make a difference. I know there is."

Ten years ago, Ternclif-born Avilina was conscripted to serve as a magitek engineer in the XIVth Legion. These she met Milisandia, and the two became close friends. After the XIVth's defeat at Castrum Meridianum, she fled back to Werlyt, but with her experience working on the Ultima Weapon, it was inevitable that she would be assigned to the Weapon project with the VIIth Legion. Though the liberation of Werlyt granted her her freedom, she still carries the guilt of having assisted with the Weapon project, knowing that it claimed the life of her one true friend.

[st-armand]

Hobie Brown & Anarchism: A Discussion Pt 1

Authors Note: This is my dissertation for the discourse about Hobie’s politics being misrepresented as your friendly community radical leftist

Warnings: Political Ideologies, mentions of violence and oppression

Hobie Brown is an anarchist, he would be considered a radical leftist, not just by the ideological title of anarchism but by his own actions, he has killed cops, fascists, not just one, probably many considering the Oscorp and V.E.N.O.M worldbuilding where the police and military are symbiotes.

One of the primary bases for a fascist regime is a overly abundant police force, and the police worldwide are authoritarian figures meant to protect wealth and property not people.

Anarchists can go 70/40 on the violent revolutionary means discussion, but Hobart Brown is definitely pro revolutionary violence (we will define this later on), he doesn’t like violence in his everyday life but sees it as a measure to protect people, he also understands that not everyone’s place in the revolution is through armed liberation, but that all roles in the revolution violent or otherwise are all valuable to the end goal.

That being said a very contested discourse around radical leftist politics is the divide between Marxists/Maoists/Leninist etc vs Anarchists because Anarchists believe in a non-centralized, organizational systems, some anarchists can be anarcho-primitivists; they believe in a post-revolutionary society without the heavy industrialized civilization we have now I don’t think Hobie is, he enjoys technology too much to do so but he does believe in a social organization that is communally centralized, but regardless of his ideas of the organization of people post revolution he happily shares space and works in solidarity with leftists of other thinking and practices in the struggle and fight.

What is armed revolution and revolutionary violence? Armed revolution is the act of taking arms through guerrilla warfare, community protection, clandestine operations. Revolutionary violence is pretty self-explanatory, but these two interconnects as an understanding that liberation won’t come from within the systems that oppress us, and to instead arm the people towards liberating themselves from fascism, and state sanctioned violence.

I head canon that Hobie as Spiderman works within a clandestine underground armed forces with mixed ideologies and skillset, they’re all civilians who act as an unassuming threat who focus on assassinations and bank robberies, through those victories they help Spiderman redistribute funds.

Hobie’s praxis doesn’t just extend to revolutionary violence, but he puts labor into community gardens, refurbishing abandoned lots and buildings to be used as clinics, or schools, or housing, his skills especially are shown through his engineering and technical capabilities, like siphoning electricity from higher class neighborhoods for their buildings for free, fixing heating systems, or adapting heating and water systems so that they’re controlled in the community rather than by heating and water conglomerates.

He's also a part of a group of boosters who donate and barter clothes, food and other necessities, they sell their spoils in the middle of the people’s market.

Hobie is also the best comrade during protests, he’s a human shield whether as Spiderman or as a civilian, he’s the kind of person to go head to head with five police officers to de-arrest people who get snatched during protests, he’s returned with so many broken bones and large purple bruises from being wailed on by cops, but however much they hurt him, he can return much worse, especially with his enhanced strength, its actually a pretty cool sight, he’s more likely to kills cops while masked as spiderman, he’s almost entirely focused on defensive and evasive methods as an alternative since he has many warrants out for his arrest as Hobart Brown, but Spiderman has a list of federal and international offensives that he can easily navigate with the obscured identity.

During protests he’s evacuating people to safe zones, distracting cops from looters, defending people from being arrested, creating evasive plans to destroy or disable V.E.N.O.M. technology and weapons, he’s especially adept at guerilla warfare, navigating the skyline, sewers, and alleys of New London to gain a territorial advantage because the cops can’t traverse the projects and slums as easily as someone who lives in the grime of New London.

Books I think Hobie would’ve read;

Anarchism and the Black Revolution – Lenzo Ervin

A Soldier’s Story – Kuwasi Balagoon

Black Jacobins – CLR James

Conquest and Bread – Kroptokin

Anarchy & At the Café – Malatesta

 More in the next parts! Platonic, Romance, Racial and Cultural

[continentalblue]

A continuation of your all tomorrows headcanons?

👀

👉👈

SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG I FORGOT TO ANSWER LMAOOO

i said I would do these yesterday but it's like 12 am so it still counts #slay

also lemme know if u want me to rewrite/clarify any of these I'm typing all that comes to mind

also I wouldn't mind writing more of these lmaoo. this one got a teensy bit long

______________________________

🌌 Bug Facers had a bartering/trade system rather than a cash system. This trade system was highly complex; people who tried to pass off their goods as being more high-quality than they really were were punished severely. They also had a monarchy, with the Queen being 25% larger than the other people. Her citizens were taxed and the best food went to her. Her function was the same as that of an ant's queen. Actually, more to the point, I picture their monarchy as being similar to that of ant's. However, after their invasion, the monarchy was dissolved and turned into a democracy.

🌌 Despite their relative immobility, the Temptors actually developed some form of culture. Males would spread ideas between females, who rued the fact that they could not meet other members of their species. I also feel that the males could talk, though their enunciation wasn't really that good. Based on the sharpness and shape of their beaks, it's possible they were all-purpose feeders who preyed on insects, nuts, and other worms. The females required three times the amount of food as males in order to provide enough energy for their brains.

🌌 The Lopsiders actually experienced some sexual dimorphism. The reason for this is because their designs remind me of anglerfish. Females were markedly larger than males, and the males depended on the females for sustenance. This was slowly phased out as they evolved, as the species would cannibalize others for food. They had no trade system; they operated under a "it's yours if you're fast enough mentality."

🌌 Because their experience became so automized, the Tool Breeders actually evolved away from actually having blood at all! As a result, their flesh became more gelatinous. While a drought would have slowly but surely dehydrated the species' flesh and caused the end of the species, they learned how to make water from seemingly thin air. They have a capitalistic system that constantly pushes new inventions.

🌌 Much of the Titan's mythology focused on figures who were more mobile; ie., those that had two legs. When a Titan was born with two limbs, they were hailed as a god. They were seen as prophets and harbingers of good luck. They emphasized an ideal that the species could no longer go back to.

Since they lived in a savannah, they also grew thick skin on their bodies to account for the insects and the spikes on their favorite plants. They also transferred to a more vegetarian diet, consuming foods similar to those that giraffes and African elephants eat.

🌌 Hand Flappers had mating dances similar to those of birds-of-paradise. Had they developed sapience, Hand Flappers would have pioneered acting as an art form, using their wings to emphasize their stories. High-class Hand Flappers wore bracelets of precious metals that surrounded their wings. Wing care became an important social aspects; to groom someone else's wings was tantamount to declaring your love for them.

🌌 Satryiacs had fairly short lifespans, which accounted for the amount of parties that they had. As a result, their minds matured remarkably quickly: by their first birthday, their minds were already fully developed. Their bodies followed soon after, and six months later, they were already considered adults. They had very loose views on monogamy; as a concept it simply did not exist. They had relationships with whomever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

🌌 Despite their lack of sapience, the Blind Folk actually had fairly defined parental relationships, mirroring that of humans on Earth. Blind Folk babies were born helpless and unable to do much of anything. A cry from a baby would inspire all the adults in the surrounding area to come to their aid, a fact that was occasionally exploited by predators.

🌌 If put on Earth's atmosphere, Spacers would get crushed underneath their own weight. Also, since they have such modified internal systems, they do not need to eat. However, they need to sleep for fourteen hours in a day to recuperate enough energy to move.

[therealslimshakespeare]

Grim Reader here ☠️

That whole little portion where Rosie's talking about the Brass paying the men to never talk about it? I'd love to see some expansion on that. Is there anyone out of the men that actually WOULD talk about it and the Brass would try to enforce a policy of silence? Statistically speaking, there oughta be at least one man who's unafraid to speak about it, at least to Rosie and Ida. And how do the Brass respond? If he's a military man, are they trying to stifle his career because it's not a good look? Are they trying to pay him off or find ways to buy his silence? Where's the support system for this person who is so willing to talk about it but no one will listen? Just a thought haha.

Holy smokes you’re over the target.

Because, not only are the brass both angry over it and have the leverage to damage and suppress his testimony of the same, I feel that the support group is indeed non existent. Becasue who the fuck wants to bond over that? Hell no, they wanna go home and get jobs and enjoy hamburgers and marry women and have kids and never be suspected of ever being less than a man ever again.

So not only do you have the brass being pissed over this, I think his fellow servicemen would as well. Like, just shut up already so this stops being a subject, ya know?

It gets even hairier when you start digging and learning much of this abuse took place in a extortioned bartering sort of scenario, which in military jargon that immediately gets categorized as an event with a certain amount of complicity. Although we’d all recognize it for what it is, this isn’t the same as sexual favors for a nice room at the Ritz, putting yourself in a position between your men and an abuser is not an act of compliance. But try telling that to a society that doesn’t operate from the same presupposition.

Ok but who is this brave and irrepressible whistleblower? Thats a fascinating idea and im not sure i have someone I’m sold on. To be honest i can see Howard Hamilton having the guts and the moral fiber to not give a shit about the nature of things but only their wrongness or rightness. Maybe not a massive disrupter so much as just someone who won’t not say shit, even if it’s not something applicable to himself. Even if it’s about others he witnessed he cannot be bought off and will to his dying day maintain that “that shit was fucked” and say it at a squadron reunion while the clatter of cutlery comes to a dead silence and his pilot gives him those betrayed eyes from across the white table cloth.

I’m also side eyeing Crank for a similar gentle and morally driven rebellion in this way -even if it’s for the cause of others and not his own experience. But I think he’s also discreet so if the victims want it mum? He might stay mumm.

But I think we are all thinking of one guy. Already bucks the system over and over and fights from the heart and not the head, decades ahead of his time in how much emotional expression he gives and demands… John Egan may have not personally experienced a damn thing beyond a black eye but as he sees it, the men and women under him were abused, and they all belong in the same pot, don’t matter if some were attacked or others were forced to trade themselves for their due rations, that don’t matter at all. It is what it is.

And this makes it interesting to think about how the men respond to this. Because they’d want anyone else to shut up already, as mentioned, but they respect the hell out of Bucky so they’d be slower to abandon him than they would one of their own rank and file.

[star-fi]

Do you have more Erchius headcanons or ideas?

hehehe thank you for asking i do indeed!

Edit (Aug 23): sorry for taking so long! this. got longer than i thought it would!

ok so. some of my erchius headcanons can be applied to main lore pretty easily but the other half make more sense in the context of uh. my main "au" is probably the best term for it. I made some pretty big additions to starbound lore for my own stories (which i have not elaborated on much yet). l'll put anything about my main au under a readmore for organization. Edit (Aug 23): I will be putting the au stuff in a reblog. I need to get this post out of my drafts. (Aug 25): Stay tuned for the reblog! It's going to be a lot of oc backstory stuff but also wider worldbuliding.

Edit (Aug 24): Everything is under a readmore now! Post got long.

(For the sake of clarity, I will be referring to the 'Crystal Erchius Fuel' as 'Surface Erchius' and the 'Crystal Erchius' building block as simply 'Crystal Erchius.' Liquid Erchius stays the same.)

Erchius Miners distract the ghost to dig deeper

The most common method, illustrated above, is to gather a large amount of surface erchius and attach it to a ship that will maintain a low enough orbit for the ghost to follow. Surprisingly enough, this method can be considered SpOSHA (Space OSHA) compliant as long as all the necessary guidelines are followed. Most of the guidelines pertain to the amount of time a ship stays in orbit and making sure all miners are evacuated long before the next mandatory ship downtime.

Erchius crystal is a highly regulated, dangerous substance

Even before the first Erchius Incident (emergence of the Erchius Horror) many twisted and malformed bodies would appear in the depths of Erchius mines across the known galaxy. When the accounts of "flesh warping' began to pile up, the Terrene Protectorate banned all Terrene civilians from entering a certain depth into the mines, and then eventually banned entrance into mines completely. This resulted in many mines in protectorate/proc. allied space either shutting down completely, switching to remote controlled mining robots, or continuing operations as usual, illegally. The output from the remote mines decreased considerably after the increase in regulation, resulting in a shortage of ship FTL fuel and an increase in frequency of surface erchius mining by ship crews. Resulting in more erchius ghost-related deaths and injuries.

The illegal mines however, are run by two sorts of groups: Small Covert Groups from the local star system or Letheia Corp. The local groups usually depend heavily on Liquid Erchius in interstellar trade, especially if they don't have any other resources that would be profitable outside their solar system. Many local trade routes/services rely on bartering systems rather than pixels, making the acquisition of out of system resources all the more dependent on the availability of local resources. Now, with the protectorate scrambled and Earth destroyed, many isolated colonies that relied on the backing of the Terrene Protectorate in times of crisis must now rely on more transactional relationships for the acquisition of necessities produced out of their system and for security.

Letheia corp. mines operate on a whole other level. Where the goal of the local mines often is to support one or more colonies, the goal of the corporate mines is to monopolize a market, thereby securing the dependence of most FTL travel in the known galaxy. The majority of Letheia mines started out as local mines and then were bought out by Letheia, who dug deeper than the original owners. To the core. Surprisingly, once they were done, they would give the mines back to the original owners. However, most of what Letheia took from these mines was not Liquid or Surface Erchius, but their Core. Which leads to my next subject:

The Letheia Lunar Bases (A.K.A. The Erchius Mining Facilities) are artificially created Erchius moons

By transplanting the core of an Erchius Moon into a rogue planet, Letheia Corp. created artificial erchius mines substantially larger and efficient than any known erchius moon. However, the chance of an erchius core successfully establishing itself in a new planet are low. If Letheia has at least 12 of these Lunar Bases, who knows how many cores they burned through to get that far. When a natural erchius moon loses its core, the ghost disappears. Over time, the pockets of Liquid Erchius will deplete, no longer resupplied by the core. By taking the core of the local mines, Letheia destroys a renewable resource that most colonies depend on to engage in local and interstellar trade.

So why hasn't anybody done something about this? Well, Letheia is pretty good at covering up after themselves. (They're not the largest mega corp in the known galaxy for nothing.) Before the Ruin destroyed Earth, the local miners that had their Erchius Core taken by Letheia might have complained to the Protectorate, but what can they say? They sold their mine to Letheia and then Letheia gave it back for a fraction of the cost. But it doesn't stop there. By the time the local miners realize the Liquid Erchius is not replenishing, it's too late to search for other resources. They're desperate for solutions. And in comes Letheia corp. with an offer the miners won't refuse: Come work on the new Lunar Bases. In exchange, Letheia will set up stations in their solar system and add them to the Letheia trade routes. The miners are assured that the Lunar Bases may be farther away, but the working conditions are much safer. On the surface, this is a miracle deal, but anyone whose played the game knows: It's a deal too good to be true.

[dyingporcupine42]

I can has ozempic?

Yeah so you need to go to this website called https://churchofshrek.yolasite.com/

I know the URL seems weird it's just so the Authorities don't catch us

Anyway it's gonna ask you for some personal info (age, gender, weight, a quick essay about feminism, mothers maiden name, social security, credit card info, list of previous addresses, list of organs donated, etc. etc.) and then we can get you some ozempie girlypop

Once you receive it in the mail we're also gonna need you to complete a lil survey but there's a coupon attached for a free curderburger at Culver's once you finish it it's just customer satisfaction shit we gotta do. Haha gotta give the people what they want amirite

Anyway typically costs are a little odd because we operate on a trade and barter/odd favors system and it really depends on what shalesman we pair you with like if you get paired with me I typically ask for either my chemical romance tickets and some cash for travel expenses or a set of Turkish flutes but my buddy Shreven tends to go the first born child route. Some people just wanna be written into your will or to go out for drinks or like go on an ice fishing excursion it is all over the place my guy

But yeah that's pretty much everything I think um it's kinda an off brand ozempic we like to call it bozempic around these parts mostly because Shreven has a hard time like making the "o" sound and he has to put a b in front of it so he'll say like bovary instead of ovary like madame bovary which actually gets pretty confusing for his customers because he has ovaries on his barter list but when you speak to him on the phone he'll ask for a bovary and customers will send him copies of madame bovary so he's actually got quite an extensive collection of copies I think he's gotten every edition published

Anyway we are knock off so we have a couple odd side effects nothing too major though LOL like sometimes people grow wings but they only work about half the time and typically were talking like moth wings but they still are fairly large whether or not you can actually fly has more to do with your bone structure than anything. Another thing is um like there's been a couple instances where customers report seeing like little house elves or brownies around their place after purchase but we're not sure if that's related or not. One guy actually has a leprechaun which was weird cause he was Portuguese but who knows. Anyway I'm most people don't really mind their little visitors but if you want them gone just contact customer service and they'll give you some spells to rid your house if their presence.

Ok so I think that should be about it please eme time know if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer any questions if you have any questions and if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them if you have any questions! Stay safe out there! I hear lots of porcupines been dying lately 😬

[unpluggedfinancial]

Bitcoin: The Renaissance of Money

I. Introduction Bitcoin is more than just a digital currency; it is a revolutionary force, akin to the great cultural movements in history like the Renaissance. Just as the Renaissance transformed art, science, and human perspective, Bitcoin is reshaping the very fabric of money, finance, and trust. This transformation challenges the status quo and introduces a paradigm shift in how we think about value and freedom.

II. The Historical Context of Money Throughout history, money has continually evolved. From the early barter systems, to the use of precious metals as coins, and eventually the introduction of paper money, the story of money is one of constant change. Each shift has responded to the needs and technologies of its time, but these systems have always relied on central authorities. With the advent of Bitcoin, a new chapter in the history of money is being written—one that removes the need for centralized control and hands power back to individuals.

III. Bitcoin: A New Dawn Bitcoin represents a new dawn in the evolution of money. It is decentralized, meaning that no single entity, government, or organization has control over it. This is in stark contrast to traditional fiat currencies, which are controlled by central banks and governments, subject to manipulation and inflation. Bitcoin offers an alternative: a peer-to-peer network that is open, secure, and verifiable by anyone, providing a financial system that belongs to everyone.

IV. Cultural Movement of Bitcoin Bitcoin is more than just a currency; it is a cultural movement. It embodies the ideals of freedom, sovereignty, and the democratization of wealth. For many, Bitcoin represents the ability to take back control of their finances—away from banks and traditional financial institutions that often operate without transparency. It aligns with values of fairness and empowerment, giving people the opportunity to participate in a global economy without intermediaries or unnecessary barriers.

V. Financial Sovereignty and Trust One of the core promises of Bitcoin is financial sovereignty. By holding Bitcoin, individuals gain full control over their money, free from the risks of bank failures, currency devaluation, or government interference. The blockchain, Bitcoin’s underlying technology, plays a key role in building this trust. Every transaction is recorded on a public ledger that is immutable and transparent, ensuring that the system remains trustworthy and accountable.

VI. Inducing a Moral Shift Bitcoin’s principles of sound money have the power to induce a moral shift in society. When money is fair, transparent, and unmanipulated, people’s behavior changes in response. Bitcoin encourages values such as delayed gratification, responsibility, and the creation of real value. By moving away from an inflationary fiat system—prone to manipulation and benefitting a select few—Bitcoin inspires a societal shift towards greater honesty, accountability, and long-term thinking. It fosters an environment where hard work and responsible stewardship of resources are rewarded, rather than undermined by inflation and financial manipulation.

VII. Blockchain: A Foundation for Honesty and Transparency The blockchain technology that underpins Bitcoin extends beyond currency—it is a foundation for honesty and transparency in numerous sectors. Blockchain can be applied to industries like supply chain management, where it provides end-to-end visibility and ensures the authenticity of goods. It can also be used for decentralized data management and verifiable public records, eliminating the need for blind trust in opaque institutions. At a time when public confidence in traditional systems is at an all-time low, blockchain offers a powerful solution for transparency and integrity, allowing individuals to verify information for themselves.

VIII. Breaking the Chains of Traditional Finance The traditional banking system is riddled with inefficiencies, high fees, and a lack of transparency. It often operates to the benefit of a few, leaving many underserved. Bitcoin addresses these issues by offering faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions. It removes intermediaries, reduces costs, and creates a more inclusive financial environment. Bitcoin empowers individuals to take control of their financial destiny, bypassing the limitations and bureaucracy of traditional finance.

IX. Impact on the Future Looking ahead, Bitcoin has the potential to play a significant role in a more sustainable, fair, and decentralized economy. The integration of Bitcoin with clean energy solutions can create a harmonious relationship between financial innovation and environmental stewardship. Bitcoin mining can drive investments in renewable energy, transforming how we produce and consume power. A future built on Bitcoin is one where financial systems are fairer, more transparent, and aligned with sustainable practices.

X. Conclusion Bitcoin is more than a technological innovation; it is a transformative movement that has the power to reshape our understanding of money, value, and trust. Just as the Renaissance challenged old paradigms and ignited new possibilities, Bitcoin is doing the same for the financial world. It invites us to rethink what is possible and to be part of a revolution that champions fairness, transparency, and individual empowerment. Join the movement and help shape the future of money.

Take Action Towards Financial Independence

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[ct-1402]

The Bad Batch Pabu Bakery AU

Contains spoilers for The Bad Batch Season 2

While watching Season 2, me and my partner were talking about an au where they get to all live happily ever after on Pabu and they open a bakery and I thought I'd share:

Wrecker

Wrecker would be a one-man kneading machine, I just know he would love the workout

He'd get to keep a small portion of whatever he makes (and I'm sure he'd share with Omega)

He moves stock into their pantry while Tech directs him on exactly where things belong for efficiency

He'd also be honourary taste tester after Hunter but he would say everything they make is the best thing ever

Also his interest in fishing in one of the episodes makes me feel like he'd help Hunter come up with a line of savoury items using the fish that he catches

Hunter

Hunter would be amazing at developing/adjusting recipes

His super senses would be perfect for picking up on the subtle flavours and figuring out new ways to combine them

He could probably figure out what went wrong in a batch of cookies just by smelling them

He would enjoy going on adventures across Pabu to use his enhanced senses to track down plants and things that could be used as ingredients

Tech

Tech would handle finances (if Pabu uses a monetary system) and/or logistics for the various ingredients they would need

I just know he would have an algorithm set up that would predict how much of each ingredient they would need

I think he would also maintain any machines the bakery has as he loves tinkering with things

I don't think he would have a customer facing role all the time but he would definitely be available to infodump about the origins of various origins of ingredients and the processes of making the different items they have in stock

Crosshair

Crosshair took a bit longer to figure out than the others but I think he would be chief decorator

He has an extremely keen eye so would be able to get the details just right on any cakes/decorated cookies

I think he'd also enjoy going out with Hunter to track down new plants that could be used as ingredients

I think he would also enjoy fishing with Wrecker, both sniping and fishing require great deals of patience so he would be great at it, he could also maybe exchange his sniper rifle for a speargun to hunt different kinds of fish

Echo

Echo I think would run the front of house, so being in charge of the sales/bartering

I get the impression that the rest of the batch don't have much experience with talking to people outside of their group or superiors so Echo would be the best at talking to customers and helping them with their needs

He'd create a little signal system with Omega to communicate to each other when they think a customer needs their different style of help

Though I do think Tech and Echo would create different attachments for Echo's prosthetic that would allow him to be a beast in the kitchen alongside Wrecker, especially for bakes that have more precise methods

He'd obviously also work with Tech on building and repairing the bakery's machinery

Omega

Omega is absolutely the face of the operation

She would hang out in the shopfront and would help people decide what they wanted to buy/barter for (she's very convincing)

Omega would love to go out on ingredient gathering "missions" with Crosshair and Hunter but would also gather flowers that aren't usable in baking in order to decorate the bakery

I think there would be a specific kind of cookie that is exclusively decorated by Omega and they sell very well because everyone loves her little icing doodles

Also I am obsessed with @cloneenthusiast's drawings of the batch with Tookas so I feel like they'd have adopted a couple (Hunter and Crosshair weren't convinced at first but then Wrecker and Omega found a mum with a group of kittens and no one can resist their combined puppydog eyes) and now they just laze around in the bakery and occasionally lure people in by looking cute

I just love the idea of the batch being created essentially as specialised weapons for a war they didn't have a choice in joining and instead finding ways to use their specialised skills to do something creative and non-violent.

If this post happens to inspire anyone to create anything please feel free to use these ideas (though I would love to be shown anything that y'all make so I can shower it with love)

[mortul]

introducing the general information about one christoph dowell-- this will be a post detailing what the public knowledge on him is, and it'll also talk semi-public/private aaand private details, as well! please consider this post in a state of perpetual development.

PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ON "JOHN ROE": (this is knowledge anyone can access, learn, andor know.)

do not call him by his actual, government name while he's on the job-- anonymity is of the utmost importance in his line of work. for this reason, christoph'll most likely introduce himself to others as john roe. personally, i don't really care too much what the narration refers to him as (this is mostly to avoid confusion.) but, in terms of what the actual muse knows, they'll know him as john roe only.

you can employ him on the deep web, while using the ever-popular tor browser. there is an entire network of assassins that christoph is affiliated with, and he's usually one of the first faces you'll see.

if you are in need of his services, be prepared to pay a hefty amount. he is not cheap, doesn't accept any kind of bartering, and always takes cash before the hit. the process itself is pretty simple; all you do is fill out the provided form and wait for a response. christoph usually establishes contact in a day or two, after the information is processed by and communicated through his info broker. by then, payment is required before the job, done through an external service his broker graciously "offers".

the network he is apart of is known only as the assassin's bureau, and it does have a base of operation. somewhere. it's underground, at least.

he is exceptionally hard to kill. and even more-so, he is obnoxiously and deeply resourceful. anything that is within reach, he can and will turn into a weapon-- this is one of many reasons he's a popular choice.

loves smoking luxury cigars as a civilian but smokes cheap, gas station cigarettes while on the job.

as a civilian, he's comfortably rich and acts accordingly. while not outright flaunting his luxury and privilege, christoph is the proud owner of more than just a few gucci-brand accessories-- these primarily revolve around lighters, cigar cases, shoes, and a random spread of clothing. with that in mind, yes, his favorite luxury brand is gucci. his second favorite is versace. honorable mentions include dior, hermès, and fendi.

resides in dallas, texas. feel free to say hi if you see him!

SEMI-PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ON "JOHN ROE": (this is information those within the bureau, be it as an employee or employer, would know.)

his first name is christoph, but assassin etiquette dictates that nobody refers to their fellow assassin as their actual name. their code name/alias suffices, unless they happen to cross paths within the underground circuit.

his first hit was an absolute fucking disaster, and it's a miracle he managed to kill the guy in the first place. many consider it a fluke, but christoph's more than managed to prove that he is, in fact, the guy.

there is no real "ranking" system within the bureau, but christoph is considered a top contender within the circuit regardless. the website automatically filters based off of perceived popularity, with "john roe" being spotted in the first-to-second rows on the first page consistently. however... if you were to filter based off of affordability, he's going to be in the waaaay back. his fellow assassins love giving him (sometimes playful, sometimes legitimate.) shit about this, and he always has a snappy comeback such as, "i make it worth it, though! my client always get th'results they want."

SEMI-PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE ON CHRISTOPH DOWELL: (this is generalized information, disregarding the assassin world, that certain individuals would know about christoph, within reason.)

those supernaturally inclined are capable of gathering that christoph simply isn't human. to what extent, however, depends on their own perception skills and what amount of "tells" christoph himself chooses to give. most of the time, the default assumption seems to be zombie or reanimated.

anyone who is aware of what a ghoul is will most likely be aware of how one is made: somebody fucked up a satanic ritual somewhere, somehow. ghouls are a byproduct of a ritual gone awry, always being killed after the intended sacrifice was already brought forth and killed first.

hey, why the hell can he still walk around with his head cut clean off of his neck? and oh my god, why is he asking me for some duct tape and to "come help him for a sec"?

john roe obviously isn't his real name, but he'll take a while to actually reveal his name. and when he does, he refuses to be called "chris"-- it's a long story, weigh down by some heavy baggage and that's as much as he'll disclose.

he likes men. this will seem redundant, but he loves reminding people. in addition to this, he's also married and wears the wedding ring proudly, flashing it occasionally should the opportunity arise.

he prefers smoking luxury-brand cigars, sitting out in his private suite's pool, and losing five of the ten rounds of a video game he's supposed to be really good at. he does, in fact, have a high-end gaming computer, and he maintains regular upkeep on it. tallying up its current worth, it's somewhere in the 4000-to-5000 american dollar range. he loves that machine.

speaking of said suite, it's actually an apartment on the topmost floor of the complex. it's one of those places that as soon as you set foot inside, you just know the owner is made entirely out of nothing but money.

actually has a semi-decent landlord, but it's mostly because said landlord is a bit of an eccentric guy and christoph matches his energy quite well.

he occasionally dabbles in drag as an art form, every so often performing at nearby nightclubs under the pseudonym scab. his style mostly resembled that of genderfuck and embraced said nature. his performances are normally well-received, being noted as high-energy and crowd-focused. in spite of this, he rarely stayed after the show and would only linger behind-the-scenes for as long as he was required before leaving. this is something both the regulars and club has simply accepted about him.

PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRISTOPH DOWELL: (this is information those christoph trusts fully would know, including his family, husband, and similar. if this wasn't discussed between us privately or revealed to your muse personally, there will be ZERO access to this information.)

he struggled with commitment, with his marriage to one leontios dowell (he took his surname, isn't that just the sweetest thing?) being christoph's first, real committed relationship in, well, years. christoph, prior to, would partake in the occasional one-night stand and ensured it stayed as casual as possible.

his first concert was an avril lavigne concert. second was for christina aguilera. he actually loved both experiences and would go again if ever given the chance.

fought for his absolute goddamn life against his husband's sister, aelita, over one of the weirdest misunderstandings ever (long story.) and involved her smashing a tv over his head. he still hasn't forgiven her for that.

with regards to his trauma, only his family (and this does include his husband.) are aware of the details. but even then... christoph is still stingy on the full story, only recently revealing it in full to leontios and only leontios.

[sekhithefops]

Sekhi's Zombie Survival Guide for 7 Days to Die!

Step 1: Do the Tutorial!

It seems obvious, but its a damn good idea. When you first appear in the world of 7 Days to Die you'll start out with a few quests to get you to understand the systems. Even if you already know the gist, its best to do them anyways as doing them gives you FOUR skill points right from the word go, as well as some beginner gear.

Speaking of skill points...

Step 2: Whatcha Good At?

Are you a sharpshooter? A big burly brain-basher? A sneaky stealth-killer? A rigger who makes all sorts of crazy tools? In 7 Days to Die you have five stats that govern your abilities, and this is how they work.

Perception

How good you are at being observant and noticing details. The abilities you can get from this are how to make proper explosives, use a rifle, track animals, and find more loot and other treasures.

Two skills I highly recommend from this are Lucky Looter and Salvage Operations. Lucky Looter makes you more likely to find better loot overall and Salvage Operations gives you more resources from breaking down other things (which we'll go over later.)

Strength

How big, burly, and head-bashy you are! Strength is used for weapons like shotguns and clubs, and also for things like increasing how much you can carry without becoming encumbered as well as your ability to cook (gotta be able to take the heat in the kitchen!) Also heavier armor proficiency is measured via strength.

This also has the Miner 69'er and Mother Lode talents, which govern how fast you can cut down trees and mine metals and other precious materials, as well as how much you get from doing so. Very useful to all builds!

Fortitude

How beefy are you? Fortitude governs unarmed weapons like knuckledusters, as well as the use of machine guns. It also manages traits like Huntsman and Living off the Land which govern how much food you get from harvesting animals and plants respectively.

The big ones for any build are the Recovery Perks though: Healing Factor, Iron Gut, and Rule 1: Cardio. Healing Factor gives you health regeneration, Iron Gut makes you get hungry and thirsty slower, and Rule 1: Cardio makes your stamina regenerate faster.

Agility

Gottagofast! Agility is how fast you are, how good you can handle weapons like bows, handguns, and knives, and other things.

Light armor is governed by this stat, as are things like firing guns from the hip.

The big skill here for all builds is Parkour. It governs jumping ability, but also how far you can fall without getting injured. A fall from a height may not kill you in this game sometimes, but it can result in a broken leg! This, combined with a nearby zombie horde, will likely spell doom if you're not prepared (or very lucky.)

Intellect

SCIENCE!!! Intellect governs weapons like the shock baton, which can send enemies flying with a blast of electricity, as well as automated turrets and the creation thereof.

It also manages most crafting skills such as Advanced Engineering (workbench crafting for weapons, armor, etc,) Grease Monkey (making and maintaining vehicles,) and Physician (medicines and other remedies.)

The really useful one however is Better Barter, which lets you sell for more and buy for less from Traders (which we'll get into soon.)

Step 3: Home Sweet Hellhole

You can build your own bases in this game! You can... but its time consuming, takes a lot of resources, and will provide slow minimal protection.

Instead, take a lesson from the noble hermit crab and do what I did!

Find a good house in a suburban area, preferably near a city or shopping district with lots of good resources nearby.

Go inside the house and kill the everloving hell out of everything inside.

Punch a hole in the wall near the middle and put your land claim block (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!) in there, thus generating a 'zombie no spawn here' field in all directions and claiming the house as your own!

(Insert your favorite joke about the American Housing Market here.)

Whats neat too is that you can use the Land Claim Block to show where the boundaries are for the safe zone it creates, thats how I know where to set up my defensive walls around the building.

You can toggle that on and off so you don't have giant neon green lines hanging around, but it can be useful for spotting your base at a distance as you get used to your new neighborhood.

Once you have it set up, just toss your bedroll on the ground in one of the rooms to mark a spawn point and get to building some defenses. Congrats, you are now surviving! Round of applause.

Step 4: The Post-Apocalypse Economy!

You're not the only survivor in the world. Trader Joel and his buddies have set up shop in every city in the world and will sell you all sorts of useful goodies if you have the coin.

The literal coin that is. Dollars are basically toilet paper in this world (literally sometimes) as the US Government collapsed when Joe Biden's infection progressed too far and he tried to eat the brain of one of his aides.

Funny enough it took the Secret Service about fifteen minutes to realize something was wrong, then another five to finish arguing over who was going to shoot him.

Instead, the post apocalypse uses Dukes, a casino token, as it's currency.

I recommend setting aside a spot in your base for stuff to sell to the traders. Anything you're not planning on using, mods that you have a lot of, medicines you don't want to bother with like steroids in my case, etc.

This is important as some stuff you can ONLY get from the traders! Early on you learn how to make a dew collector to gather drinkable water, but only the traders have the water filters you need to actually build the thing!

Speaking of water...

Step 5: Feed me! Feeeeeeeeeeeeed me!

Food is a concern in the post apocalypse. The local grocery stores ain't getting a resupply anytime soon and McDonald's is right out. You gotta learn how to cook buddy!

Cooking skills are governed by the Strength ability Master Chef and you can learn how to make everything from basic water and grilled beef up to hot coffee and fine tea along with meat stews and other wasteland delicacies. Infact, the better you eat the more health and stamina you have, so get cooking!

To cook you need some fuel (wood, paper, coal, etc) and the right tools. You slot the tools into place (see the upper right there) and it lets you craft the food if you know how. The tools are as follows:

Cooking Pot: Lets you boil murky water to make it safe, as well as making stews and other useful things.

Cooking Grill: Lets you grill meat, corn, and lots of other things. Tasty!

Measuring Cup: Lets you make things like glue from water and bones, and other useful but non-edible stuff.

Pick your foods, turn it on, and let it go and it'll grill you up a feast... but remember to turn it back off once you're done or else you're just wasting fuel... and something might notice the heat from the fire...

But of course to make dinner you need ingredients! Food can be hard to come by as I said above... but you have options. You can hunt animals such as rabbits, deer, chicken, and the like for meat. Kill one and take out a knife or other cutting tool, then butcher it into cuts of meat, cooking fat, and other useful things!

As for veggies you can raid ruined restaurants and storefronts, root through the ruins of people's kitchens, and the like... or you can just grow the stuff!

To grow you need two things: seeds and a farm plot. The farm plots are tricky as you need four things to make one:

Potassium Nitrate

Rotten Meat

Clay Soil

Wood

The Clay Soil and Wood are easy, just need a shovel and axe and a bit of wooded area. Five minutes of work and you're set.

As for the others... well potassium nitrate is something you can mine if you find large white deposits of it in the ground (they look like white crystals) but there is... another way...

Welcome to the Post-Apocalypse kids. Harvesting the bodies of those who didn't escape the zombie horde gets you potassium nitrate and rotten meat for fertilizing your new farm plots! Yummy!

Well, I'm sure the corn thinks they're yummy anyways.

But to make the seeds and food you need to know how to do it... and as for how that works...

Step 6: Read, or the Zombies Will Eat You

Books! There's two types of books in this world.

One time use trait books that give you a big bonus in one go, but you can only benefit from once, and magazines that you can use to learn tidbits of information that unlock tiers of knowledge for making... well... everything!

The magazines are the important ones, and I'll detail a few examples here:

Home Cooking Weekly: Yep, gotta know the recipe before you can make the pie! Reading this unlocks all sorts of cooking tricks. It starts simple with grilled corn and baked potatoes, but the more you read the more you unlock all the way up to things like homemade beer and pasta!

Forge Ahead: Be a Do-it-Yourself-er! This teaches you how to make things like the all important Dew Collector for gathering drinkable water, as well as forges, workbenches, and other things for making everything you need to survive.

Handgun Magazine: Do ya feel lucky, punk? Learn all about the crafting and maintenance of handguns from this book. Early issues give you the knowledge to make better scrap metal guns out of pipes and other found materials, moving up to crafting pistols, magnum revolvers, and even SMGs!

As for the other type of books, those all unlock one of several tiers of knowledge, each specific to a specific volume. But if you manage to unlock them all you get a special bonus for doing so! These include:

Batter up!: All you ever wanted to know about the Great American Pastime (or what was that before, yanno, zombies) Baseball! While this knowledge won't help you much with winning in the big leagues, it will let you know how to swing a baseball bat or club with devastating results for whoever is on the receiving end! Stuff like "Do 10% more damage with clubs," and "craft chain mods for bats and clubs to give them better knockdown chance" and the like. If you manage to find them all, you get a perk that makes power attacks give you back your stamina if they kill a zombie!

Wasteland Treasures: A series of handwritten notes by another survivor who endured after the bombs fell and the dead rose. These include tricks like how to harvest honey from trees when you chop them down (extremely useful for reasons we'll get into below,) find precious gems and jewelry in coffins, how to weave basic plant fibers into useable cloth, and the like. At the highest tier you learn how to harvest Military Fibers, which are used to create the strongest light armor in the game!

Whats more, if you stumble across a book you've already read the traders will pay good coin for them! Don't throw them out if you can avoid it, save 'em and sell 'em!

But now that you have knowledge its time to put it to use...

Step 7: I'm smelting! SMEEEEELTING!!!

Once you have some forge ahead magazines under your belt and in your noggin, you can make forges and workbenches! These are used to make, well, everything!

The forge works similar to the cooking fire, except that it has different tools. This one uses the following:

Advanced Bellows: Improves airflow in the forge to make resources smelt faster (see below.)

Anvil: You can hammer out iron and steel more efficiently! Crafting speed is faster!

Crucible: The pinnacle of blacksmithing tools. Allows the creation of advanced items such as steel bars and bulletproof glass, among others.

However, its not enough to have the raw materials, you need to smelt them into useable forms! How you do this is fill up the forge with fuel, put the items you want to smelt in the smelting slots, then just turn it on and... well... fuck off for a bit.

It'll convert them over time into useable raw materials, banking them in the forge itself, until it either runs out of fuel or materials.

Once you have them you can then convert them into iron bars, nails, glass, and all sorts of useful things.

From there, the workbench comes into play:

The workbench is where you make basically everything, from repair kits to weapons to armor to decorations. The works. Once you have one of these the game really opens up.

All you need is the component parts in your inventory and to tell the workbench to get working. Then in a few minutes, boom, new toys.

A new feature in Alpha 21 that I really like a lot is being able to track recipes too! Select a thing you wanna make and press A on the keyboard and the game keeps a running inventory of whats left to craft it. Super useful!

But now one of the best things to use that workbench for...

Step 8: Have Wrench, Will Travel

Making vehicles! 7 Days to Die has vehicles in it and they are vital to late game and extremely useful at any time. Each vehicle improves your mobility of course, but they also have the benefit of additional storage letting you make longer and longer treks out into the post-apocalyptic ruins!

There's five of them, and I'll detail them here.

Bicycles: The basic vehicle, a standard push bicycle with a little basket for storing goodies you find in ruins. A nice bonus, but going fast in it still drains your stamina and it can't hold much.

Minibike: A little scooter that uses gasoline instead of your legs to go and has more storage, but its fairly fragile and isn't that much faster. Faster than most zombies though so yay there.

Motorcycle: NOW we're hitting the road! The motorcycle is much faster and can hold quite a bit more, and whats more... once you have this vehicle or the next one you no longer need to be afraid of zombies on the roads... THE ZOMBIES NEED TO BE AFRAID OF YOU!!! Ramming into a zombie on a motorcycle at top speed will damage the bike, but it will do TREMENDOUS damage to the zombie, usually killing it outright! Still, you will want to keep some repair kits handy if you plan on making roadkill of the undead horde.

4x4 Truck: Its mah gahtdang truck Bobby! The pinnacle of land-based transport, the truck is a tank. Its a huge jeep with a ton of storage space and good armor that can travel great distances... but takes a lot of fuel to run.

Gyrocopter: Wendy I can fly! ... but not very well. I'll admit I haven't used one of these in a long time, several patch cycles ago, but when I tried it the thing flew like a drunk housefly. Can't recommend, stick with the truck.

The thing is, everything beyond the bike takes gasoline... and that's a resource you'll want a LOT of if you plan on driving much. So I'm sure you and Max Rockatansky want to know how to get their hands on as much as you can... well, there's three ways.

Refine Oil Shale

This one isn't an option until very late in the game as you'll need a chemistry workbench to make it and those take a while to unlock, but inside desert biomes you'll sometimes see these rainbow-colored rocks. This is oil shale and with a modicum of work with a pickaxe or other mining tool you'll have gas for days once you refine it. Find a good mine for this and you're set for the long haul.

Early on however you have two options:

Go to the Gas Station

Yeah its obvious, but its obvious because it works! Ruined gas pumps can be salvaged for gasoline, and intact ones you can just take gas from. Sometimes they'll have barrels of the stuff laying around or in storage areas too. Also keep an eye out for factories with the "Pass-n-Gas" sign, those are oil refineries. Those have LOTS.

But one other benefit to gas stations is what else is there...

Salvage Wrecked Cars

The cars! Their loss is your gain! Break down the cars to harvest all sorts of useful components such as scrap metal, plastics, mechanical parts, and of course whats left in their own gas tanks! Any car can be salvaged in this way, from family sedans all the way up to construction vehicles and big rig trucks... however...

Beware Police Cruisers!

And not for the usual reasons. These things are abandoned now, but are always locked. Thing is, they have a higher chance of REALLY GOOD loot! This one pictured had two hundred 9mm bullets inside (used for protecting our freedoms I'm sure.) You can pick the lock on them to get inside, but if you don't have the lockpicks or aren't confident you can get in without running out you can just salvage the car with a wrench to break the lock open... however...

Police Cruisers Have Car Alarms!!!

Whats rule number one of any zombie apocalypse kids? Thats right: NO LOUD NOISES!

Breaking into a cop cruiser without picking the lock will set off the car alarm, and this will often spawn several VERY strong zombies nearby! This mob was a bunch of nasty ones, including a cop zombie (think it was his car?) that I then had to fight off before I could loot the car and make my escape.

So yeah, you can loot cop cars, but you better be damn ready when you do... or else.

Which brings us nicely into our next item on the agenda...

Step 9: OH FUCK! ZOMBIES!

The zombies! The walking dead! Those who hunger for your brains, and perhaps any other choice morsels, they're not picky eaters.

The zombies come in several varieties, and I'll detail the nastier ones below.

Feral Zombies: These zombies look like normal ones, but their eyes glow and they move faster. They also hit harder and have more health. Its hard to spot them at first since they otherwise look the same, but if you see one its best to kill it fast.

Radioactive Zombies: Its a bit chicken-and-egg as to whether the bombs dropping caused the zombie apocalypse or the zombie apocalypse was why they bombed the cities in the hopes of containing it... but even nuclear fallout just makes them stronger. These zombies are like ferals, except that they also regenerate health at an alarming rate! You can just sustain fire to outpace their regeneration or, if you have it, install the Rad Remover Mod on a weapon to give it the power to negate this ability for a short time.

Fat Zombies: These zombies are... well... fat. They're very very tanky is all. They can take a lot of punishment before dying, but otherwise are no different from normal zombies.

Biker/Lumberjack Zombies: These zombies are both tanky and VERY strong. They were big burly bastards in life and that carries over into undeath. Not only can they take more damage, they can dish it out too!

Police Zombies: Fuck the police, especially so here. These guys are like the boomer and spitter from Left 4 Dead had a nightmare baby and it went into law enforcement. They can spew a blast of highly caustic acid at their enemies, but the nasty part is when they get low on health they'll try to charge you and explode! This explosion will do tremendous damage and can be instantly fatal at low levels! It may be wiser to run away if you're just starting out.

Spider Zombies: These zombies are easily spotted by their penchant for running on all fours, the exposed bones, the heavily mutated face, and their habit of making loud squeals and clicking sounds. They're faster than other zombies, but their main threat is they can JUMP! These things can leap over barricades with ease and get into your base!

Soldier Zombies: In life these zombies served the US Armed Forces, and in undeath they're one of the deadliest you can face. They're very VERY strong, a result of military training honing their bodies no doubt, and they wear military issue body armor! They take a lot to take down!

Screamer Zombies: These ones are different. They're always female and have heavily mutated mouths and necks, huge fangs too. They don't normally show up on their own, but are attracted to 'heat.' That is to say, the heat generated by cooking fires, forges, and torches and other light sources. They'll spawn near your base once you've caused enough heat and when they spot you... they scream. Loudly. Again, rule number one of zombie apocalypse: NO LOUD NOISES! Their screams summon OTHER zombies! Kill them fast or else you'll be facing a horde!

Lastly...

Zombified Animals: Its not just humans that rose from the dead! Animals became zombies as well and they're even more dangerous sometimes! There's three main varieties that I'll list below:

Zombie Dogs: I call them "Hellhounds" and they're easy to spot as you'll always hear them growling and barking before you see them. That being said, they're fast and VERY dangerous! Their teeth can shred armor and flesh with ease and they attack quick! If you have a gun, use it! Its best they go down before they can get close!

Zombified Birds: Carrion Birds in the most literal sense, they can still fly and they can come from above so they can reach you before you see them... but they're also very fragile. One good hit from a melee weapon or a clean shot from a gun sorts them out.

Zombified Bears: Fuck just run. The zombie bears are among the deadliest enemies in the game. Unless you're well geared and really confident its best to just get the hell away as fast as you can.

... but what about when you can't?

Step 10: The Zombies Got Me! ... now what?

Sometimes you just can't get away fast enough and the zombies will get you. They'll claw, they'll bite, they'll tear, and they'll do some damage! In this game there's several status effects that can do some severe harm to you, and I'll list the major ones here and how to remedy them.

Bleeding: You took a bad claw from a zombie's rotting fingernails and now you're gushing blood from the wound! You'll lose health every second and your screen will go grey as your body tries to process the pain. Any bandage will remove this status happily, so its easily remedied.

Lacerations: OH SHIT! That zombie got you DEEP! You're bleeding BAD! This status reduces your maximum health and makes it so if you get Bleeding it has an increased critical hit chance! This one isn't an easy fix though. You gotta stitch the wound shut! A sewing kit will do it, or a First Aid Kit (which has a sewing kit in it.)

Broken Arm: You took a really bad smack from a zombie and your arm is broken! Your attacks are slower and attacking with guns can actually hurt you now (that recoil is no joke!) You can use a splint or a cast to make it heal faster... but it won't heal it immediately, just faster. If you're not careful it'll re-break!

Broken Leg: Like above, but its the lower half! Perhaps a zombie got you in the leg, perhaps you took a tumble off what was once someone's rooftop, either way your leg shouldn't bend like that. Walking speed is slowed greatly and running or jumping can harm you... but a cast or splint will do the same for it as the broken arm.

Sprained Leg/Arm: They got you... but not as bad as it could be. It hurts, but you've had worse. This is the same as the Broken Arm/Leg but less severe and heals faster, however if you're not careful it can become a full on break! A sprain can't be healed by any tools you can make. All you can do is wait it out.

Concussion: BONK! You took a bad blow to the head and you're seeing stars! All your stats are lowered by one and you'll occasionally suffer bouts of dizziness where ALL speeds drop dramatically! This can be annoying in your base, but life-threatening in a fight! Painkillers will immediately remedy this however.

Dysentery: Look, I get it. Its the post-apocalypse, Wal-mart is closed forever, and you were starving... but that meat was so far past the sell by date it was starting to move. You ate something you shouldn't have and now you've got nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, the works. You become hungry and thirsty faster as your body tries to purge the foul thing you ate. Taking herbal antibiotics, drinking goldenrod tea, or drinking pure mineral water will help.

Fatigued: You're just worn right the fuck out. Good nutrition and rest are hard to find in the post-apocalypse and your body is worn down. All enemies do more damage to you because you just don't have the energy to mount a proper defense! If you manage to get some vitamins in you it'll sort it out though.

And then, the biggest one.

Infection: The Zombie Plague

You done got bit. The zombies got you and the sickness is inside your blood. Through some genetic quirk you're resistant to it, but thats all. Resistant. It won't turn you into one of them immediately, but its a nasty one regardless.

The infection is bacterial and comes in four stages. To remedy it you can use the following medicines:

Stage 1: Honey or any antibiotics. Honey is a natural antibiotic and at this stage the infection is relatively minor. Honey can be found in most kitchens, or by harvesting trees if you have the right perk.

Stage 2: Herbal or regular antibiotics. At this stage honey isn't good enough, you need medicines. Proper ones are best, but homemade will do in a pinch. You'll mostly find these in kitchens or bathrooms, or at ruined pharmacies.

Stage 3: Pharmacy Grade Antibiotics. Only the best will do at this point. If it gets any further you're doomed. These will likely be in either ruined pharmacies or abandoned hospitals.

As for the infection itself...

Stage 1: The infection is minor. You feel a bit gross but can cope otherwise. No major detrimental effects at this point. The infection will slowly get worse though, and attacks from zombies can speed it along! After an hour or if it progresses past 14% it advances to Stage 2.

Stage 2: The infection has gotten worse. You're starting to feel really sick and get tired easier. In game terms, your stamina regeneration is reduced. Lasts for three hours or until it reaches 57%, then progresses to Stage 3.

Stage 3: You're in serious danger and need medical aid immediately. The sickness has spread and is beginning to affect your brain. All stats are reduced and your stamina regeneration drops even more. You have three hours to find help, or until the infection reaches 100%. At this point the Infection reaches Stage 4.

Stage 4: Welcome to the Zombie Horde. You immediately drop dead on the spot and, presumably, will rise eventually as one of the undead.

Its important to note that treating the infection with medicines won't cure it IMMEDIATELY, it just makes the counter go the other direction. Instead of the percentage going up, it goes down. The duration is the same. Honey reduces it by 5%, Herbal Antibiotics by 10%, and Antibiotics by 25%. Once it hits that, it starts going up again, so be sure to have spare doses handy! Whats more, further attacks from zombies can re-infect you and make it start progressing once more!

But yes, thats the gist of 7 Days to Die. For a game thats been in alpha for years its surprisingly complex and a hell of a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing what the devs pull off in the future.

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Analysis: Biogenesis's BIG Problem with the Alien-Human Hybrid Virus

Mulder should not have had his brain issues in Biogenesis-The Sixth Extinction-Amor Fati, or Scully should have had them as well; and CSM would have knee-capped himself with his nefarious brain surgery (besides the obvious "dying" plotline of S7.)

Mulder Should Not Have Been Affected in Biogenesis

Mulder's brain deterioration was, by Kritschgau's words, the result of a (reactivated) virus turning him into an alien-human hybrid.

But... that doesn't make any sense, because Mulder was inoculated from the virus in Russia. Even if it was a faulty vaccine (that could have harmed more than helped in the hands of nefarious gulag operators), he walked away with no ill effects and no trace-- even if inactive-- of the virus in his system.

But suddenly it's reactivated two years later by a map rubbing.

There are two main reasons why this wouldn't happen:

A. The vaccine worked on Mulder in Terma. He should have had some immunity to the virus, or the WHOLE POINT of the Syndicate's frantic quest and ruthless actions leading up to the Fight the Future vaccine would have been for nothing, even separate from how canonical events played out. Even if Mulder was infected with a LITTLE bit of the virus in Russia, it left no harmful trace in his system, caused no ill effects, and was proof enough to the Syndicate for them to barter with the Russians for said vaccine (so much so that they nabbed a bit of it before FTF.) And if the vaccine had to be used as a constant treatment rather than a permanent cure, then the events of FTF wouldn't make any sense. SPEAKING OF WHICH--

The Virus Should Have Affected Scully, Too

B. SCULLY WAS INFECTED AND CURED PERMANENTLY with a vaccine in Fight the Future. If the vaccine wasn't a permanent cure, she should not only have had the same effects Mulder did in her hallway, but the same lingering or reoccurring effects because it was established to be the same virus. EVEN IF the virus mutated sometime after FTF, Scully and Mulder had the same exposure to the 'original' viral strain, the same treatment, and the same threat risk by the map (and should have been targeted in equal degrees by the Requiem alien overlords, but I digress.) The map would also have affected others with the same level of exposure (i.e. Krycek and Marita Covarrubias.)

The Virus: Its Beginning in 'Biogenesis' and Its End in 'Deadalive'

As shown in The Sixth Extinction and Amor Fati, the virus opens the mind to hear others' thoughts; but the body cannot keep up with the unbearable pressure, and is ruthlessly shut down. We're shown later stages of deterioration in This Is Not Happening and Deadalive: the body "dies", allowing the virus to incubate for at least 3 months, regenerate, and become a Super Soldier... which would mean after they were tortured long enough, Mulder and all of the Bellefleur abductees underwent the trauma of being locked in their telepathic minds again and 'died' from it (and not, as S8 implies, by being tortured or 'tested' until they developed wholly new symptoms to a new thing that definitely-didn't-at-all exist before~.)

CSM Became a Super Solder after Amor Fati

Canon and its faults aside, this means two things:

A. We know how Mulder and his merry band of Requiem friends died; but more to the point: if CSM had let Mulder 'die' in Amor Fati, Mulder would have turned into a Super Soldier before S8. Neither knew this was a possibility because--

B. CSM wittingly halted the conversion process and plugged a giant chip of Super Soldier bot programming into his own brain.

It does explain his canonical actions and profound lack of dying after that point. Surviving a rocket blast to the face aside, it points to the motives behind his road trip in En Ami-- attempting to restore Scully's fertility (in theory) to see if a child from her and Mulder would pose a threat with its immunity or Gibson-like ability, true; but also, mainly getting the "cure all" out of the hands of the government, an opposing faction to alien colonization.

This theory holds up well in canon or adjacent to it-- at least, it explains why he didn't die after getting late-stage brain disease in Requiem or getting blown up in The Truth (if you consider that canon) or any other nonsense in the Revival.

Restoring Canon with The Facts

In summary:

-Mulder couldn't have been infected by a reactivated virus he was already inoculated against in S4.

-Scully, likewise, couldn't have been infected by this same virus she'd been inoculated against (but she would have HAD to if the Biogenesis map affected Mulder.)

-The map would have affected anyone exposed to the virus, because it uses alien DNA to incubate and hybridize.

-ALL HUMANS WOULD HAVE BEEN 'ACTIVATED' BY THE MAP because they all have inactive alien DNA in their biology-- which means everyone who was in that map's vicinity should have been reduced to catatonia.

-Everyone who had received a smallpox vaccine since the 60s now have more inactive alien DNA in their systems (thanks Syndicate), which would have created even more severe problems.

-Mulder was given the same virus THREE TIMES (even when it was cured the first go-around and cut out of him the second.)

-Regardless of my other conjectures in this post, canonically, Mulder couldn't have been turned into a Super Soldier in Season 8: the infection site was CUT OUT OF HIM by CSM in Amor Fati.

-The events of Biogenesis cancel not only canon in the past and the future but also in its own singular episode. Two people who have been in contact with and cured from the same virus are affected differently. The man who is being turned into a hybrid can read minds like Gibson until his body shuts down; but is back to normal when that slice of his brain is cut out (allegations of brain disease aside.) But it's not ACTUALLY cut out because it's reactivated later-- though he doesn't have brain powers this time but looks really dead. But he's cured again-- not by another operation to his brain or even another vaccine: he's cured by being taken off of life support. And the woman who had just as much-- and more-- exposure to and incubation with the virus wasn't affected at all.

-If the events of Biogenesis are caused by the human genome's reaction to the map-- and not the alien virus-- then all humans would have been affected by the map. It's been canonically established that humanity has been intertwined with alien DNA through two avenues: natural evolution and scientific engraftment, meaning every human that touched the map once would have been reduced to catatonia like Mulder.

In conclusion, Biogenesis and The Sixth Extinction could not have happened with any degree of coherency UNLESS Mulder and Scully are either equally affected by the map and virus or not at all.

What should have happened instead?

Both agents are affected; and there is no trip to Africa.

Skinner and Kritschgau manage to find a way to help both agents; but Mulder is spirited away before they can cure him.

CSM cuts the Super Soldier virus out of Mulder's head and puts it into his own. He begins to turn into a Super Soldier while recovering, possibly slipping into a coma and being put on life support which speeds up the process.

Super Soldier CSM tricks Scully into a road trip, using her to get the 'cure all' away from the human race and changing her fertility (giving her a dose of the technology or tampering with her chip) to see what genes two exposed and resistant humans would pass on.

Requiem stays the same; but Mulder is an incidental abductee while trying to save the Bellefleur residents.

Mulder is returned. He is not 'deadalive' because of the events in Amor Fati. He is, however, maimed and injured; and his injuries are so life threatening that Scully tries to get Jeremiah to cure him. The events of This Is Not Happening play out.

No funeral. Krycek's threat against Mulder is more genuine; and Skinner is even more torn up about terminating life support.

Mulder's recovery can play out any way possible: too injured to resume FBI business, dealing more with his PTSD and impending fatherhood, feeling left behind, etc. Or Doggett was able to get the cure from Krycek (tying it back to the government/shadow government's abilities to make a "cure all" in En Ami), rapidly and thoroughly healing Mulder in time for the events of Three Words.

If neither is affected, the episode doesn't exist.

If both (or either, or only Mulder) are affected in Biogenesis, CSM still becomes a Super Soldier canonically.

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy!

[barbatusart]

Hi I'm back again. This is going to be a weird question so please bare with me.

Is the use of cards in lovos as a form of payment about how popular pokemon cards got in 2020 onward and how popular trading cards have gotten in general because of it, or was it a joke form of payment? Or something else entirely? Thank you very much!!!

OH YES THANK GOD MINUTIA QUESTIONS YESSSSS YESSSSSSSSSSSS

cards are a partial form of payment! desert/outlander/"zone C" operates on a barter system as theres zero currency, so people place value in arbitrary things that shift a bit from generation to generation. there are numberous onscreen & offscreen cultures in zone C but nearly every culture places value in entertainment like books movies & games, as theres Fuck All to do out there otherwise lol. theres also a planned running gag of this completely ridiculous card game that everyone out there likes to play, the rules of which vary wildly depending on the settlement youre playing it in, & so cards wind up being the closest thing to paper money youll find as they have practical use in the form of entertainment & gambling

also for this game it 100% doesnt matter what kinds of cards you use, any card of any kind can be used & theyre divvied up like picture cards vs number cards vs cards with a shitload of text on em vs whatever. i deliberately didnt plan out how the card game works because calvinball the cardgame is funnier to me & also i completely dont care LOL

[nighthazerpg]

Patch Roundup: July 2nd

It’s been a while! I’ve been busy! I have a new animation!

I fixed the problems I was having with the theme so now the description displays the correct version number!

✨ New ✨ Company Scrip! It's money, but worse! Each of the three megacorps issues their own form of internal currency (Sunrise Stars for Dawnray, ClearCredits for Cleartech, Advent Points for ASC) that you can only spend with that company. Make no bones about it, a contract that pays out in scrip sucks. It is a bad contract from a client who thinks you're a chump. But sometimes you're in situations where that's all you can get. It also doesn't work if your Credit Score is too high and you can't buy illegal stuff with it!

Scrip can be traded on the black market - if you roll well, you can trade different kinds of scrip on a 1:1 basis (at the cost of a Barter slot), but the best you can generally get in real money is about a third (0.3kB per 1 scrip) of the face value of your scrip, because nobody really wants to buy Itchy and Scratchy Dollars unless they're in a weird situation.

Lowered the thresholds for "expensive" and "very expensive" difficulty modifiers for Item Selling in line with the general deflation of item prices.

Shield Pack changes: Instead of having two "charges" and four "hits", these have been combined into 8 charges - so you're only tracking one number. Toggling the shield on and off is free and charges are consumed when the shield takes damage. This removes some of the ambiguity over "what happens if I put a partially damaged shield away" - some Operators could interpret that as the charge being spent, some might refund it. So depending on your Operator, this could be either a buff or a nerf. The shield also now has a defined height!

You can now use AI training to produce outputs with a GUMBaLL unit - everything from a chatbot to a virtual video call. This basically works like an illusion - the successes on your roll is how difficult it is to spot the fakery.

The ASGARD Project background now has the added ability to spot this stuff right away.

New Phone app: Consorrt is an AI waifu that can pass for a conversation with a real person... temporarily. A bit like the GUMBaLL powered output function, except in exchange for not setting it up yourself, it's Connected.

Added some flavour text to the Hybrid Heritages because it's kind of warranted, especially for things like Meergrifs which I just made up from whole cloth

New: Social Media apps! Chirrp has been scrapped in favour of six whole entire new ones. They do nothing, it's just flavour. Except...

Added new sub-options for the Addiction trait for Gambling and Social Media! Since these aren't drugs that can stress your system, these are represented by requiring you to have specific apps on your phone, and either raising your Credit Score every month, or eating one of your crafting slots at random and denting your Concentration. I'm not 100% happy with these mechanics but I don't feel too bad just dropping them live because these are sub-options of an optional trait with no benefit. How these work may get another draft when it's not 3am.

[outpost51]

Happy WBW! Tell me anything about the currency of your world! (It can be about denominations, types, regions it's used in, things like that!)

Nopal hiiiiiii

Okay so I’m incredibly boring, they use credits in Xatal.

BUT some cultures will still operate on the barter system which means I get to ramble about uknuk culture and induct you into the uknuk stans club because while I definitely don’t have a favorite species, I definitely do and it’s the gd uknuks. Will this entirely answer your question? Probably not. But uknuks, nopal. Uknuks.

(Below the cut, natch.)

So, starting with a little context, uknuks possess two names within their own society, and a third, which is an alternate for the first, externally. They don’t have “family” names, as the entire community raises the children, and they feel that a “traditional” surname implies ownership of children by their parents, which goes against the central “all for all” attitude of uknuks; just as the responsibility of raising children is shared, so is the joy of experiencing their milestones, their accomplishments, and their mischief. Instead, their second name is received upon completion of their rite of passage, traditionally a stint of community service to introduce them to the responsibilities of full community members, and is indicative of their personalities or personal accomplishments. For example, Dekdek Jumpycup was the most spirited of her litter, and Cosh Pepperjacket was the spitfire of his litter. Second names are lyrical in nature, with an inherent rhythm to them that befits their holder. Given names are typically one or two syllables long, as it’s simply easier to call seven single-syllable children in for supper than seven with complex names.

Still with me? Sick. The reason the uknuks have two first names is because they have a name for legal documents and a name for their actual friends and family. They don’t believe in binding contracts but rather place a heavy emphasis on upholding one’s word/end of the bargain. Unfortunately, galactic society requires them to have IDs and permits and a variety of other legal documents, so they developed business names. These are typically modeled after their given names, so in the case of a slip up in front of a contracted entity, it can be passed off as a nickname. It also helps them get out of contracts with foreigners when their intuition leads them to believe the situation is souring. Going with the previous example, Dekdek and Cosh to their crew, Dassie and Coney on paper.

“So, what does this mean for capitalist ventures, Korble,” you ask, “when the uknuks are living in a stateless socialist society?” I see you, I hear you, I gotchu. Finger guns winky face.

Their direct barter system is one of the few systems in place in uknuk society that is primarily based on individual need, rather than communal. Sometimes, in cases of larger trades, whatever is being traded may benefit the community as a whole, but in smaller cases? Nah, fam. You want this, give me that, and then we’re even.

Say Cosh has just finished a batch of his cargo hold moonshine, and Rees wants a jar. The hardworking crew of the Rae’dinnah are nearing the end of Captain ak-Shagra’s mandatory bimonthly break from jobs, and therefore Rees is at the end of his credit stores. Cosh has plenty of credits, though, so he wouldn’t need the credits anyway! What he doesn’t have are the fancy smokes Rees puffs on all day, and he knows Rees has like three cases in his locker because he buys in bulk when they make port on Thumon, and also he’s a hoarder. It’s a problem (for the crew, not the cazen). One pack of smokes for one jar of moonshine, and they’re both happy as clams.

There is a credit system (without interest) if the goods and/or services being traded are not on hand — i.e. large things such as ships, an item you’re to build or make but do not currently possess, or an arrangement in the future (“If you cater my son’s wedding reception, I’ll cater yours next March.”) etc etc. This credit system, however, operates on the trust and honor of the parties involved. Flake on a deal once, and it might get chalked up as a mistake or hard times. Flake twice and that’s it, no more credit for you. Have the Thing on hand or no deal.

Uknuk markets are quite noisy due to the negotiations everywhere and while most vendors might take credits, there’s always a few “old-fashioned” ones that only accept trades. They also love a good haggle! Just don’t go too low to start, or you risk implying that what the vendor has is of no true value to you. The general rule of thumb is to offer no lower than 45% below asking price if you know each other, and 30% if you don’t.

[crazy-pages]

Yeah I'd also like to elaborate on this, just to make it very clear how sick the system is.

The fundamental concept of capitalism (as in a system oriented around capital, as in liquid money or large valuable assets) is that providing someone's endeavor with capital, with the understanding the capital may be lost or otherwise not returned, is a risk. It's a very important risk for large highly integrated societies though.

When you've got tens of thousands of people living in "small cities", it's kind of impossible to just hold capital in the commons and rely on peer relations and social expectations to ensure that this is distributed fairly and no one abuses it. There are of course all their ways to hold capital in the commons, many governments operate banks, libraries, public transit, disaster relief aid, etc. But of course these are not simple structures and the risks of direct centralized control are non-negligible. Saying that the government should control all capital and distribute it as the people need does not actually ensure that will happen.

Capitalism proposes a simple and straightforward solution to this. If somebody thinks they can make productive use of capital which they don't have, they can go to large coordinated institutions (banks) or those with surplus, and ask for some of their capital, with the understanding that they will pay them back later for that capital and then some if their venture is successful. This incentivizes people with surplus to put it to productive use, in a way that's a net gain. This also gets applied to concepts like housing or guarding against catastrophy. If you can't build a house yourself but need one now, maybe you can pay some amount more than its value at a later date to use it now. Maybe over your lifetime you can pay a bit more than you'd statistically pay for medical care or disaster relief, in exchange for access to relief capital in times of need.

And like that it doesn't sound bad. Okay cool, you give me capital and I pay you back later, and then we're square.

Except this is where the capitalist says, "Hahaha, what? Are no kidding me? No I give you the capital and then you pay me back forever."

Wait.

What?

Where the fuck was that in the premise of capitalism? The fuck? I thought this was about paying down the risk associated with bad capital investments?! Surely those risks are finite???

The capitalist laughs more. "Oh sorry, risk? No absolutely not. See the complex machinery of the commons we're ostensibly making unnecessary? We're going to demand that insure us so we actually can't experience serious losses."

The fuck?!?!

It's a magic trick. One moment you're nodding along to the explanation of mutual benefit for someone being payed back for a loan. And even if you might prefer other systems, you can still acknowledge there's at least some logic to it. Because the concept of fair finite recompense for risk is reasonable.

And the next moment it's an eternal debt. Suddenly this isn't giving someone a loan so they can open a corner store, then shaking hands when they're successful and square up with a little extra. It's becoming a shareholder of a corner store and then owning a portion of its profits as dividends forever. Sometimes the value of the labor being bartered doesn't even belong to the person doing the bartering. A CEO sells shareholders dividends, a permanent right to a fraction of the labor of people who never voted for the CEO and never agreed to give them any rights over their labor except implicitly in where they chose to work (just as peasants once implicitly 'chose' which lords to give taxes and levies to by where they chose to live).

Suddenly It's not a mortgage, paying a bit extra to get access to a large discrete object of value before you've produced that much value in your own life. Suddenly it's rent. An exchange of money which will never convert ownership to you no matter how much you pay. An eternal indebtedness for a finite investment by the capital owner.

Suddenly the amount owed is a percentage, while the amount given remains finite and bounded. And the profits earned by capitalism are the right to make more capital investments. To own an even greater fraction of the pie. A right safeguarded and insured by the very commons which apparently can't be used to grant housing, which can only give limited loans with countless strings to very specific parties.

But where in all of the justifications of capitalism, the mutual net gain, the risk, where in all of that did the concept of trading a permanent fraction of your labor for a finite investment come from? How is that allowed?! How is that not outright forbidden in the same way it's not legal to have someone sign away their human rights? How?!

(The historical answer is simple: The inventors of the modern capitalist market were French nobility looking for a way to maintain noble privilege and taxes in a world that was increasingly hostile to monarchy.)

But the practical answer is even simpler. Desperation and concentration of power. People who need capital, whether that's a business loan or a need for housing, aren't in much of position to withhold that need. People with surplus are by definition in a position to withhold that surplus though. And it's fundamentally easier to organize a few people with a lot, than a lot of people with a little.

Capitalism is rotten to its core because what it is does not even follow from its premise. The concept does not have to be based on infinite growth. The idea of fair exchange of additional later repayment for present risk is not inherently bad. It doesn't have to include infinite eternal repayment that's compounded forever by the profits of that eternal repayment.

But it's impossible to extricate from the on-the-ground reality of the system. Which is that capitalism is a replacement for good complicated democratic stewardship of the commons by an exchange negotiated between those who have resources and those who do not. And those who do not have resources and do not have the safety net of a commons will never be able to negotiate fairly with those who have surplus. It's just not possible!

There's nothing innately wrong with finitely bounded additional payments in exchange for the risk of investment. But there is something fundamentally wrong with it being the foundation of how you negotiate your society's commons. Because if it is, then you have no way of preventing it from becoming something much much worse.