#interactions / niamh & aisling .

[quietsnooze]

Info dumping about my homebrew DnD world ahead!

Eidholme is a low magic fantasy DnD campaign setting wherein magic is very limited, feared, and persecuted. The continent is split into 5 kingdoms & 2 empires.

Here's a visualization using Azgaar's fantasy map generator, then painted by me using Inkarnate to show the landforms:

Long ago, there were racial variations (many of the expected DnD races), but war and mistrust tore apart the continent and drove out many as humans struck down the remaining.

Now, there are heritages in the bloodlines of many current day humans that lie dormant as also magic does

(Basically my way of saying "this is an all human campaign... mostly." When the players get to higher levels, they will manifest traits from their heritages if they want to have that aspect included. Most left that up to me to surprise them!)

The deities are known as Guardians. There are twelve who are revered across the continent in different capacities - the kingdom of the Reamers is highly religious and worships all 12, whereas others pick & choose their preferred "endorsed" Guardians.

The Guardians' sigils I designed:

• Pandor, of Pleasure

• Lilabet, of Patience

• Elnos, of Creation

• Phiphine, of Growth

• Aisling, of Endings

• Cohara, of Mercy

• Bodhi, of Progress

• Llyr, of Dominion

• Niamh, of Hearth-keepers

• Keros, of Justice

• Ashtur, of Aggression

• Ryasis, of Curiosity

The event that caused the humanization of Eidholme was over a millennia ago, but the hurt caused by the End of Magic is more recent - a little more than 200 years prior, with fear and abuse of it at an all time high, magic was almost universally banned across Eidholme.

What was the straw that broke the camel's back? The population does not know, other than it was surrounding the tensions that broke apart the Mountainlands into two empires: Marboke in the north, and Oakham in the south.

(My voice game players know tho! They participated in it in prologue)

The continent shares the equinox and solstice celebrations, but have differing, more local traditions for them. Here’s a calendar I created that shows them! In Launlia for example, the Primavernal is celebrated as the Awakening Festival locally, for Niamh, Guardian of Growth.

Another fun fact about Eidholme: the vast majority of the continent's trees and its ONLY forest exist in Duskhollow. The kingdom is shrouded in mystery, in ancient Woods magic, in protections that keep any out who it doesn't want to be there.

The Woods is alive. It decides.

I have a lot of documents my players can comb through for information at their leisure. This one factually lists information that the PCs would know. It is not necessarily Wiki-level accurate, however, as propaganda is a heck of a thing.

Cantrips aren't exactly rare, but depending on where you are, you wouldn't even want to risk casting one. Privilege allows some of higher station to play around with magic in a badly kept secret. Otherwise, you are licensed or regulated by the governing body on your usage.

And that, of course, is why both of the parties who play in this world stumbled across Wanted posters for their questioning and arrest! "Wanted in connection to blasphemy and magic usage in Launlia", while their allies are "wanted in connection to actions against the Crown"...

For as much as I limited in character creation for lore purposes, I gave back through the same world building. Characters can interact with the world, seeking lost ways of old magics, ancient techniques, connections with the natural world… even be taught new (homebrew) cantrips

This is one of those instances where the PCs fit the trope of “chosen one” levels of power, as few ordinary people are powerful like they are and will be. The catch? That also makes them HUGE targets for backlash. Without the right support, they’ll be on the run… everywhere.

That makes it a very socially driven, political ties sort of campaign story. They also have befriended nomads, who can help them in their own way.

Nomads are, expectedly, nomadic people dissenting of law and homeland. They are expectedly hunted or outlawed for their magic use.

Some places welcome them as a novelty, others allow them under tentative circumstances for services granted (easy to locally wash your hands of it and assign blame to nomads who are long gone by the time you’re found out). Their trust is notoriously difficult to gain.

Why? Because they’ve been lured by royals to perform, only to be mass incarcerated. They’ve been promised sanctuary and found instead themselves given to their enemies. The groups do not inherently trust one another, either- friendship with one doesn’t mean friend to all.

As for beyond the continent… not many know what lies beyond. Those who travel out rarely come back, those who do are driven back by storms and critical failures of their ships. The Brackish Tears is the only kingdom who receives imports from beyond the vast waters.

There's a tale of a Tearsian prince memorialized in statue: Eóghan Griogal - a prince, second son to King Cian and Queen Siobhan, beloved by his people in the 17th century, about 200 years BME (Before magic’s end) or prior to the new age. His romance to the wispy foreigner - had many people talking, some excited in the chattering and others devastated by his betrayal. For he found love at sea, a man whose affinity with water was undeniably clear, closer bonded to it than even the water births of the Reamers would boast.

The lore creates a very interesting challenge for a fantasy world:

- wood is expensive and rare, so describing anything, from building materials to origins of fruit, is adjusted

- gemstones are extremely rare and not mined anywhere anymore as the source died with the elves

- magic is mostly outlawed

I'm currently running two games in this world. One traditional DnD via voice sessions who adventure across the continent, one written/play-by-post mixed with Good Society ttrpg, sandboxed in the Brackish Tears' capital.

Here is the star map and constellations. I have so many documents for my players to chew on, and I’m adding to them constantly.

[radiostcr]

@splenetiics​ location: tracks

at some point after the attacks, niamh had noticed a lack of customers coming into tracks after dusk. she can’t blame them—with everything going on, choosing not to promenade the mall at night was a wise option. still, she can’t help but feel anxious in the eerie silence of the virtually desolate store. “do you think it would be okay if we closed up earlier? just for today, at least,” niamh asks when aisling falls into her line of sight. “i don’t think anyone’s coming in anytime soon.��

[warofroyalsrpg]

For days, notices were placed around the village and the palace. These warnings were printed as newspaper headlines and interrupted television broadcasts. But, despite saying that the area was experiencing increased snowfall and high velocity winds, no one was prepared when a weak slab of snow fractured on the mountains, sending tons of snow flowing down towards the area at a frightening pace. 

The flow of snow was spotted at a distance, giving people a chance to jump inside a shop if they were on a village street or dash inside of the palace if they were on the grounds. But as snow barreled into the village and palace, it was clear that the avalanche would not be something easily dealt with. Buildings and areas of the palace were instantly damaged, with numerous people now snowed in wherever the sought refuge in the village as snow blocked doors and the power was knocked out.

In the palace the power was knocked out as well, triggering the automatic metal doors to slam shut, trapping people throughout the palace, unable to open the heavy doors.

Everyone is snowed in with limited food, communication, and warmth.

For the OOC information and to find out where your character is stuck, see below!

This event begins today, March 21st and will end when a post is made on the main page. You are free to continue past threads but we ask that you focus on this plot drop. Because your characters are stuck in certain places, we understand if you cannot reach full activity during the event and that will be taken into consideration. 

Cell service is completely knocked out and your characters can only interact with those around them. Further plot drops will occur through this event so watch the main!

Feel free to use the tag: wor.avalanche

Group 1 – Mia, Gio, Saige, Poppy, Hunter (Zuker Lugt)  Group 2 – Matthias, Maggie, Ivan, Solveig, Katrien (Medical Office) Group 3 – Ollie, Klaus, Duncan, Aisling, Rosa (The Ballroom) Group 4 – Cassie, Alexi, James, Valentin, Cas (The Lilac)  Group 5 – Rebekah, Alys, Pim, Max (The cottage of a kind villager) Group 6 – Bastien, Bee, Claire, Ausra, Renata (Wine Cellar)  Group 7 – Lilliana, Magdalena, Charlotte, Niamh (For Goodness Bakes) Group 8 – Eamon, Sahir, Thomas, Rasa, Avery (Music Room)

[weddingsonlineie-blog]

THE 10 MOST REVIEWED WEDDING BANDS IN IRELAND

Today we’re taking a look at the most reviewed wedding bands on weddingsonline! We launched our reviews service last year and have had tons of couples leaving feedback for all the wedding suppliers who contributed to their Big Day from bands and wedding venues in Dublin to wedding photography and florists. It’s a great way to give some kudos to the people that made your day so special and give other couples some advice and feedback to boot!Your entertainment is a huge part of the day and will ensure that the dance floor is full and that everyone has an amazing time. When it comes to choosing a band, it’s important to take a look at their videos or soundbites or pop along to a showcase to see them in action. But reviews also play a big part in how we make up our mind – they’re a great way to see what other people are saying and get an idea whether the service or product is what you’re after. We tackled the most reviewed wedding venues before, so today it’s the bands turn – check out the 10 wedding bands Ireland that have had the most reviews from couples on weddingsonline below…Looking to see what other couples are saying about your wedding suppliers? Pop over to their profile page to check out their feedback or leave a review! The Best Men“We initially saw the guys when they played my sister’s wedding 4 years ago. When it came to our turn, there was absolutely no doubt as to who we were booking! The Best Men are sensational!! The dance floor was full all night. Everyone has commented on the variety of music and the professionalism of the guys. We just want to say a MASSIVE thank you thank you thank you to the guys! You made our reception. Couldn’t have done it without you! And the ladies in the office, such ease of booking and organisation – Niamh and Joanna – thank you to you both too. Don’t hesitate – Just book these guys – You WILL NOT be disappointed!!!”Gillian & Callum – Married October 2016 Sway Social“First word that comes to mind is ‘wow’. The lads were super and the floor was full all night. When we saw Sway Social at the showcase they were amazing and I only hoped they would be like that at our wedding, but they were even better. From first dance to last they were non stop. Every one of our guests were raving about them. Also a big thank you for allowing me to share the stage with them for a couple of numbers. They have of course been recommended to all our friends. Thanks again to Sway, Joanna and Niamh for all your help during booking and leading up to the wedding.”Fiona & Barry – Married May 2017 Surefire Trio“Thank you so much Roy and the band for making the wedding amazing. I didn’t leave the dance floor the whole night, just at the break. Everybody kept dancing through the night and the dance floor had people on it the whole night. Thank you so much for doing our medley first dance, which I know was a challenge but you guys did it to perfection. I couldn’t fault your service at all. You were able to help us and allowed us to see you guys play before the wedding. You played music that not only myself and my husband liked but also music that everybody enjoyed. It was great to see a wedding were everybody would get up and dance. Thanks for making our night extra special!”Carol McC – Married March 2017 The Beat Boutique“The Beat Boutique surpassed our expectations as our wedding band. We went to one of their showcases so knew they would be good but hadn’t expected the level of music we got on the night. They read the crowd so well, changing their regular playlist to what suited the dance floor and kept it full all night! In particular their versions of Journey – Faithfully & Prince – Purple Rain were outstanding. The band have been all everyone has talked about since the wedding, from both our friends and our parents friends. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.”Sharon McCormack – Married February 2017 The Mixtape“The Mixtape played at our wedding in April in Johnstown Estate and were the highlight of a fantastic night! From the moment they began playing to the very end of the night, the dance floor was full of people enjoying themselves. They played such a wide variety of songs and genres that everyone was catered for. The band really engaged with the audience and so many of our guests commented on how amazing they were. They also provided the DJ to continue the party after the band had finished and, again, they chose brilliant songs that our guests loved! We initially booked the band online before going to see them at a wedding showcase in Barberstown. As soon as we heard them live, we realised we had made the right choice as they displayed so much energy and enthusiasm. Naoise was very professional to deal with throughout, responding to our emails very quickly and giving us great advice on the songs that would keep the dance floor full. We would highly recommend The Mixtape to anyone who is considering booking them! A truly fantastically fun band!!!”Zoe Slevin – Married April 2017 All Talk Wedding Band“Aisling and the rest of the musicians were absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Aisling was so professional and helpful in the lead up to my wedding, getting back to me so quickly and so helpfully no matter what the question or request. On the night the band were nothing short of amazing with everyone up dancing from start to finish. They were so good we even went to see them again the next night. Could not recommend them enough.”Graham & Aisling – Married October 2016 Santoria – Ireland’s Premier Soul Band“One of the most important things to us when we were planning our wedding was the music. I had seen Santoria at a friend’s wedding and absolutely loved them. I wanted the dance floor to be full all night and Santoria did just that. I don’t think any of our guests sat down as song after song was brilliant. Linzi’s voice is amazing and they know how to interact with the crowd. Nearly every guest the next day commented on the music and I feel that’s what really made our night. I would highly recommend Santoria but be prepared for your feet to hurt from all the dancing!!!”Aisling Daly – Married November 2016 The Connor McKeon Band“We spent a great deal of time researching bands for our wedding. We saw Connor and the guys perform in the Liquor Rooms. We had been to a load of weddings and showcases and most bands these days are hard to tell apart. Connor is one of a kind, a great front man, and really got the crowd going. We had Peter perform for our drinks reception and he was fantastic as was their DJ after the band. The dance floor was packed all night. We even had a guest break his leg on the dance floor he got so carried away! Thanks for being a part of our special day guys. Lorna was great in terms of organising everything and song choices. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking to have their venue swinging all through the night.”Alanna & Jonny – Married November 2016 The Panoramics“We booked the Panoramics for our wedding at Clonabreany House on 11th November 2016, and have to say that they were brilliant to deal with from start to finish. Both the Canapé Cruisers for the reception and The Panoramics in the evening were fantastic and read the room so well. I don’t think there was any point when the dance floor wasn’t full! The band were so accommodating and they also agreed to play a song for the first dance that wasn’t on their set list. We have had so many of our guests commenting on how much they enjoyed the music and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the band to anyone planning a wedding.”Caroline & Nick – Married November 2016 Panic Animal“Thank you Panic Animal for playing at our wedding! We really couldn’t have asked for a better band. They kept the dance floor full all night. They catered for all age groups, songs from the 80s, 90s waltz, jives, to modern pop songs and rock classics! Everyone keeps saying how brilliant our band was. The room was hopping! Ali’s voice is wow!!!! Brian was so easy to work with. Quick response to all emails and texts. He put our mind at ease and really listened to what we wanted. Brian also did the DJ set for us. It was brilliant. He could play any request on the night, and again kept the dance floor full. Thank you Panic Animal! We can’t wait to hear you playing again sometime 🙂 :)”

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Why You Should Switch Off For September

http://fashion-trendin.com/why-you-should-switch-off-for-september/

Why You Should Switch Off For September

Have you ever caught yourself mindlessly scrolling through your phone? Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, Email. You might be meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in ages. Maybe you’re sat up in bed with your partner next to you or you’re sat at the gym waiting to do your next set. There you are, a blue glow reflected in your eyes, scrolling through endless filters of information, not really taking any of it in, just, *sigh* scrolling.

It’s a tale as old as social media, which is to say, not very old at all. As the average Brit now spends nearly two and a half hours glued to their smartphone screen a day, can you imagine a time when people called up their mates up to arrange a time and a place for their midnight DMCs or dialled into the internet for 15 minutes at a time, enduring the ear melting screeching along the way?

We are the first generation that communicates in this way, through social media and rampant late night emails, through emojis and corny memes, when the internet and everyone and everything on it is available at the press of a four-number passcode. And while it might look like we’re dealing with this form of open communication with typical millennial ease, perhaps we’re not.

Is ‘Connection’ A Con?

One in six young people will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives while identified rates of anxiety and depression in young people have increased by 70 per cent over the past 25 years. Alongside this, 2015 research from the University of Ottawa found that those that spent two or more hours a day on social networking sites were more likely to report poor mental health as a report last year from The Royal Society for Public Health found four of the five most used social media platforms made the anxiety levels of those surveyed worse (Instagram was the worst while YouTube was the only one found not too).

The same report found that seven in 10 young people have experienced cyberbullying, with its more obvious consequences for mental health. There’s also the very real physical consequences to our overuse of mobile phones and social media – repetitive strain injuries in our shoulders as we hunch over to send another late night message or carpal tunnel syndrome, the crushing of nerves in our wrists that can numb our whole arm.

An addiction to your mobile phone might also affect you while driving, every bleep and buzz driving your attention away from the road, with a survey from last year showing that 88 per cent of drivers had been on their smartphone at the wheel. And what’s more the way social media taps into the pathways in our brain linked to addiction make it harder to escape. Researchers at UCLA using an MRI scanner to image the brains of 32 teenagers when on a social media app, found that certain regions became activated by “likes” in much the same way as if they were winning money.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. The same report found that nearly seven in 10 teens going through tough or challenging times were able to receive that support through social media. “With its almost universal reach and unprecedented ability to connect people from all walks of life, social media holds great potential to support good mental health and wellbeing,” says Niamh McDade, senior policy & communications executive for the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health who has started a campaign to encourage the public to go scroll free for the month of September.

“Social media now forms an integral part of everyday life, yet as with any good relationship, one’s relationship with social media should be one which is balanced.”

Why Do We Do It To Ourselves?

So what is this negative relationship we have formed? Well, firstly social media has a way of making us feel rubbish about ourselves. It allows people to show off details of their life while hiding other less desirable parts to create a removed-from-reality portrait for those that look up to them (not to mention the consequential body image issues) along with a need for validation to make us feel better about these insecurities – one that if left unfulfilled can leave you fragile.

“I feel an expectation to always be doing or engaging with something,” says Rhys Thomas, 21, a freelance journalist. “And to live up to the expectations of the people I admire on social media, which can become a 24-hour preoccupation and almost never possible to achieve.”

Natasha Nanner, who works for the social media agency Truffle Social, finds that photo-centric social media sites like Instagram or Facebook have left her hooked to her phone to see the responses to her posts. “I often will post a selfie and then check back non-stop throughout the day to see the ‘likes’. I have also sometimes stared at the image so much that I just end up deleting it because I have convinced myself I don’t like it any more. It bothers me less if a quote or a landscape picture doesn’t accumulate many likes.”

This need for validation is not a new phenomenon in human behaviour, but social media and the internet now put your image and identity out there to a previously unimaginable scale. You’re not just showing your holiday pictures to your mum here, you’re showing them off to millions of people with everyone comparing and squaring them up against each other. You’re not the wittiest, or the most beautiful and boy doesn’t social media like to tell you so.

“There are people using social media positively so they can give a point of view out to the world, to give some inspiration without needing the validation back,” mentions Michael James Wong, a modern mindfulness coach and author of Sit Down Be Quiet. “Take, for example, a mother posting pictures of her kids saying how much they love them. They don’t need you to tell them their baby is amazing. They’re just doing it out of love”

But then there are people using social media to receive. ‘I need to put out this picture of me in a fun place or doing a fun thing or hanging out with cool people so I can receive the validation of this being time well spent.’ And when you’re just receiving, social media can create a reactiveness within you that restricts your freedom of control. We’re shackled by it so that when our phone rings, we jump. It’s exhausting and makes it hard to switch off.”

While this cycle of insecurity, constantly posing for photos, and validation is certainly a guilty culprit when it comes to burning out, it is not the only one. The checking of work emails during out-of-work hours can also create a similarly jaded feeling. When we’re constantly switched on, it becomes ever harder to switch off.

“A lot of jobs these days require you to be plugged in,” says Joshua Drew, 28, a public sector PR, “going offline can mean relinquishing all responsibility of work and I think that thought scares a lot of people. I will look at my phone right up until I fall asleep which is entirely counterintuitive as I’ll usually struggle to fall asleep after being on it. I use an app on my phone to help me relax before bed, which is ironic in the sense that it still requires me to be around my phone.”

Do You Have ‘Nomophobia’?

A term first coined in a 2008 YouGov study, nomophobia is the fear of being out of contact with your mobile phone. The study found that nearly half of mobile phone users became anxious when their mobile phone was not readily available for use, an anxiety comparable in stress levels to a trip to the dentist or the jitters you might endure before walking up the aisle.

“This ‘over-connection syndrome’ occurs when mobile use reduces the amount of face-to-face interactions and then interferes greatly with an individual’s social and family interactions,” says Dr Kevin Curran, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a professor of computer science at the University of Ulster.

“Clinical characteristics of nomophobia are a growing preference for communication through technologies; keeping the device in reach when sleeping and never turned off; and looking at the phone screen frequently to not miss any message, phone call, or notification, also called ringxiety.”

To act against this some have proposed the right to disconnect as a basic human right. This posits the idea that employees should not answer emails during out-of-work hours at a time when mobile phone usage is dubbed ‘possibly the biggest non-drug addiction of the 21st century’. In France, a labour law was passed in 2016 that allowed for this right, with companies of more than 50 people obliged to set out hours when employees were not supposed to send or answer their emails.

Finding Calm Amid The Chaos

For ambitious, hungry millennials working in the city it might seem like switching off their phone or disconnecting after a certain time is counter-intuitive to their end goal of climbing up the career ladder. But does constantly skipping Monday night yoga or Friday drinks with old university pals for another late one at the office really make you better at your job?

“I’ve worked in that corporate structure and if you’re working hard then you’re working late and you are never fulfilled,” says Wong. “You’re struggling to go to sleep and you’re not putting your mind to rest, becoming less aware and switched on as you continue. But, if you notice when someone has a baby, their list of priorities shift in a very positive way. They get more efficient and maximise their time in the office. Then, when they’ve done their time they switch off because 8pm is time to bathe the baby.”

One of the simplest ways to maximise your time is through controlling your phone and gadget usage says Hilda Burke, an integrative psychotherapist and couples counsellor. “We use our phones when we’re waiting for the bus and justify it as dead time, but actually it’s eating into the time we could be using for other things. Have you ever thought if you had more time you could be exercising more, updating your CV or spending more time with your partner? You could have an extra two hours a day if you actually turn it off.”

Burke mentions that when we’re scrolling through our phones or browsers we largely become unconscious to the act. For example, a 2015 study found that those surveyed actually used their smartphones roughly twice as much as they thought they did. So while we might think that keeping tabs on our Instagram profile and late-arriving emails is keeping us plugged into what’s going on around us really we’ve become completely switched off.

How To Switch Off For September (Or Any Month)

Take Stock

“The first step is to look at the situation and see how much you are using it,” says Burke. “Loathe am I to recommend an app but they are really useful to use for monitoring your usage and they act as a wake-up tool. Use the app for a week, writing down how much you think you use your phone at the beginning and then compare it with the reality at the end.”

Apple and Android are reportedly building tools that help you do this. In the meantime, try Moment.

Replace The Time

Use the dead time you would usually spend on your phone or on your computer to do something positive. This will take your mind off of technology and help you reconnect with the real world and others around you.

“You have to start to implement non-negotiables, that have positive habituations in a way that can actually help us to switch off or calm down or relax,” says Wong. “For example, go to a gym class every day through September but one you know you can’t bring your mobile phone into the room for.”

Start building a life that doesn’t require you to live through the lens of your mobile phone.

Tell People What You’re Doing

By telling people you are switching off for the month of September you can kick-start what’s known as the Hawthorne effect, where an awareness of being watched can help you change your behaviour. Basically, just the idea of your friends having a go at you for green lighting on Facebook can be enough to make you not go there. It also might encourage others to join you so you can all spend more time together IRL. You might even make actual eye contact.

“Rallying a group to join you in taking part can help keep you motivated and make you feel less alone,” says McDade. “Why not run a competition with your peers to see who can stick to Scroll Free September the longest?”

Take A 10 Minute Break

“It comes down to what you’d call the smoke break,” says Wong. “We’re not condoning smoking, but that concept of a 10-minute step away from the hamster wheel is a great place to let yourself breathe quite ironically”.

With the average British attention span lasting just 14 minutes, this means that lulls in your workday might lead you to mindlessly scroll through social media or old emails when a complete break to reset your mind would be far more beneficial to your efficient.

Get Rid Of Temptation

“Why not try getting rid of temptation by deleting social media apps from your devices or turning off notifications?” says McDade. “To resist the temptation to scroll, you could also try using a ‘dumb’ phone which doesn’t support social media so you can remain in contact if needed.”

Just try and not get hooked on 8-bit snake – that game stole our childhood away from us.

Create A No-Go Zone

“Start creating no-go zones,” recommends Burke. “For me, the start was not taking my phone with me for my 45 minutes walking the dog at the beginning of the day. It could be the cinema or when eating. Start small so you don’t get disheartened. You don’t go straight to the big weights, you start small, build the technique and get a taste of what life without your phone is like.”