#lacuna chronicles

[verifiedaccount]

History has been called an enormous jig-saw with a lot of missing parts. But the main trouble does not consist in the lacunae. Our picture of Greece in the fifth century B.C. is defective not primarily because so many of the bits have been accidentally lost, but because it is, by and large, the picture formed by a tiny group of people in the city of Athens. We know a lot about what fifth-century Greece looked like to an Athenian citizen; but hardly anything about what it looked like to a Spartan, a Corinthian, or a Theban - not to mention a Persian, or a slave or other non-citizen resident in Athens. Our picture has been preselected and predetermined for us, not so much by accident as by people who were consciously or unconsciously imbued with a particular view and thought the facts which supported that view worth preserving. In the same way, when I read in a modern history of the Middle Ages that the people of the Middle Ages were deeply concerned with religion, I wonder how we know this, and whether it is true. What we know as the facts of medieval history have almost all been selected for us by generations of chroniclers who were professionally occupied in the theory and practice of religion, and who therefore thought it supremely important, and recorded everything relating to it, and not much else. The picture of the Russian peasant as devoutly religious was destroyed by the revolution of 1917. The picture of medieval man as devoutly religious, whether true or not, is indestructible, because nearly all the known facts about him were preselected for us by people who believed it, and wanted others to believe it, and a mass of other facts, in which we might possibly have found evidence to the contrary, has been lost beyond recall. The dead hand of vanished generations of historians, scribes, and chroniclers has determined beyond the possibility of appeal the pattern of the past.

What Is History?

E.H. Carr

[badass-at-fandoming]

Do you have any headcanons for Beckett? Specifically about his life as a mortal? It sucks that we know so little about his past, other than the fact that Beckett "wasn't the name he was born with," and that he was embraced in the early 1700s in England. I find it strange that we know so little about him despite the fact he's practically a mascot for VTM.

Hi Nonny! I'm so used that World of Darkness' lacuna that it doesn't seem strange to me anymore, but it is quite a cold-water shock, huh? The game designers leave blanks on purpose so we can fill them in. I remember this one interview with Justin Achilli where the interviewer said the Book of Nod was (forcibly) published in 1993 (same as irl). He corrected her and said, "No, no, you have to say it was published in the early 1990s, so any Storyteller can fit it into their '90s chronicle, like if they want to do an adventure to prevent or pursue its publication." His answer stuck with me. As a fan I was like "...why does it matter, let us have this fixed date" but as a writer/baby game dev I was like "OH, that is CLEVER." It leaves room for creativity! Any adventure can follow the meta-canon! That's such a good game design trick! As a fan I find it frustrating!

This game design principle sticks even to the mascot. I've seen stuff that Beckett was a pirate, a privateer, an Oxford scholar, and/or an attractive dying waif. @chinesegal was kind enough to ask me various Beckett backstory questions, that you can find here: bathing practice, opinions on creationism, trans experience. I'd also point you to @vampire-the-askerade for their delightful Beckett writings.

My only like, firm headcanon for Beckett is that he has to be kind enough to warn the fledgling in VtMB. If someone's interpretation of his character doesn't allow for that, my interest tanks. I'm not even totally married to the backstory in my fanfic and idle-thoughts-before-falling-asleep scenario. Those were all convenient pretexts for me to write cuddles and snuggles, haha. I'd love more kudos and comments on my fanfic if you read those stories, but below the cut is the bullet point version.

A Kinder Universe series drops hints of a possible backstory, especially "A Monastery Hides More Than Bones," "It Pleased the Lord," and "Forbidden by God and King."

Birth name is Matthew Lowell.

"Matthew" after the Christian Apostle. The Matthew of the Catholic Bible was a tax collector and therefore a pariah in society (just like Beckett is kinda like an outsider to Kindred Society). He was called to join Jesus out of a crowd (like Aristotle called Beckett out of the wild, or how Caine singles out Beckett during Gehenna). After Jesus's Ascension, Matthew wrote a Gospel, which translates to "good news," and spread it around, (like Beckett spreads his theories like "Good news, everyone! Gehenna is fake!). Matthew's Gospel is focused on how Jesus fulfills Hebrew prophecy and begins with a long genealogy connecting Jesus to King David (Beckett is obsessed with the genealogy of the Kindred race and studies/fulfills/collects prophecies).

"Lowell" is the Anglicized surname of Norman French "lou," which translates to "wolf." Beckett's dark brown, straight hair and white skin is a common coloring with French people. We don't know his original eye color, but blue would clinch the deal. There's a long history of migration between France and England, both of people and culture. It's in the realm of possibility he's of French descent, at least partially.

Born in Oxford. One of many siblings. Mother died in childbirth. Kid during the Great Plague of London in 1665-1666. Good father.

Attended one of the Oxford universities and got his doctorate in some sort of proto-anthropology.

I think I've talked about it before, but I have an Embrace fic idea an Embrace scenario I've thought about real hard before falling asleep.

Beckett has the same tombstone data as above. He teaches at his Oxford university, but is not very popular among his department peers. He's too into evidence and the scientific method, and he's constantly quarreling with his colleagues.

Aristotle and Anatole visit Oxford to set up a satellite library. Possibly they needed a break from Paris for some Kindred political reason.

Kindred brothel owner owes them a favor and lets them stay in the brothel while the duo sets up the library haven

Beckett visits this same brothel to let off steam, and he's gifted to Anatole as a blood doll for the night. Except Beckett is like, "Can I rant to you about how stupid my colleagues are?" and this leads to a genuine discussion of scholarship and, later, friendship

Beckett becomes Anatole's regular client, and Anatole proposes to Aristotle that Aristotle Embraces Beckett

Aristotle approaches the Prince of Oxford and something something Kindred politics and Cassandra Darby kill steals Beckett and dumps him in the forest

The two Noddists learn that Beckett has been Embraced, and they try to find him. Anatole is so distraught that he is Not Helping the search at all, so Aristotle sends him back to Paris. Aristotle keeps up the search and eventually finds and adopts a feral Beckett baby

Aristotle and Beckett rejoin Anatole in Paris. Anatole has regained his equilibrium and takes over Beckett's Kindred education.

Yeah! I hope that answered your question, Nonny. Thank you for the ask!

[shadowvalkyrie]

One of the differences between the Vampire Chronicles books and the Interview with a Vampire TV show I find most striking is the focus on the character's relationships with each other.

One of the central elements of the books (especially the earlier ones) is loneliness. A persistent sense of alienation that is only partially explained by being a predatory monster amongst humans.

Louis is already lonely as a human, and becoming immortal just adds more weight to that loneliness. There is a sense of being in the wrong place, in the wrong time, surrounded people that don't really understand him and his bottomless grief.

Meanwhile, Lestat is a narcissist, unable to genuinely connect to anyone, because they keep betraying him and/or dying, so he creates this solipsistic existence in which he is the centre of the universe and everyone else just exists to adore him, but because that fails to fill the persistent void in his soul, he has to stage ever more elaborate adventures in a pointless search for meaning. He falls in love with sometimes his prey - fated to be brief moments of stirring tragedy for him to bask in, catching fleeting glimpses of their souls as he drinks them up - and other times the people least interested in him, so that he can always be on a quest to win them over - only to drop/kill them once he has. And of course Louis is his main obsession, because Louis cannot be won over.

Louis is too lost in his depression to respond the way Lestat (thinks he) wants. So they are doomed to forever circle around each other in throes of agonised wishful thinking and longing for a mutual understanding that just cannot happen. (Symbolised by the way their thoughts are always closed to each other as sire and fledgeling.)

Similarly, the rest of the characters have their own issues. Claudia raging against being trapped in the body of a child forever, wanting to be free from the people who made her and deny her any agency, find people of her own, but unable to escape her limitations. Armand with his political machinations, games of power and control that don't, in the long run, go anywhere, because the older vampires he competes against and shares the playing field with are barely people anymore. Any triumphs and losses are doomed to be forever hollow and unfulfilling. And so it goes for practically everyone.

But of course all these thoughts and feelings are by their very nature deeply introspective. Excellent for a novel, but terrible for TV.

So instead of the interpersonal lacunae, the aimless eternal wanderings of the lost immortals through a changing world they cannot quite touch, the show focuses on the relationships of the characters with each other in a more immediate way. By exposing their dysfunctionality a lot more mercilessly than the books (where a lot of the love and longing is taken at face value, as the one constant between the lines of the unreliable narration - in a sense of "the love didn't fix anything but it was there"), it exposes that same lack of connection.

The characters don't seem as obviously lonely, because they spend more time together, and always have this strong focus on each other, the push and pull of passion at the centre, rather than the cold bleakness the books often depict, but in the end you get a similar sense of unbridgeable distance and inescapable grief (and the fine thread of psychological horror that comes with the enormity of it, stretched out over centuries), which I think is masterfully done.

[notasapleasure]

WIP ask meme

@stripedroseandsketchpads tagged me in this. And oh my god. If you think there are Too Many Words in the fic I publish, you should see my poor notes app. Here is a sneak peek of its contents. I haven't edited for brevity/those I'm actively working on, these are just all the unfinished files I could find. Some I don't intend to do any more with, others I'd really like to pick up again. The only ones being actively worked on right now are the Andor Saga AU and the first one on the list for Andor.

I put ALL the Lymond I could find in mainly for @oughtaagh who has been leaving the most lovely comments on my Lymond fics that I have totally failed to respond to. I'm sorry! I will cycle back round to Lymond one day, it's inevitable <3

Tagging uh.... @distressednoise, @r0b0tb0y, @faceofpoe, @donnaimmaculata, @batri-jopa, @elwenyere, @notabuddhist and anyone else who wants to say I tagged them! Also sorry if you'd already been tagged, I'm not keeping up with the dash very well at the moment!

Anyway please send me asks/comments/cease and desist orders about these. xxx

ANDOR

C: We decided we were thirsty, and you wanted to go to Cavo's. As yet untitled Brassian alternative scene - what if instead of a great collaborative cover story this was a great collaborative fuck? Almost(?) finished?

Saga AU pt 2. This actually does have a working title of 'The Bear and the Berserk' but this doc is just a short bullet point list of plot things for a specific part of the fic.

Cassian pov. It's a Cassian pov chapter! For...drumroll...the first chapter of the Saga AU pt 2! The rest is going to be back to Brasso FPN. The file actually includes a rough first draft of chapter 2, as well.

"You're up early this morning," Bix says lightly. A follow-up chapter to Only Ever Just One Night started back when I had epic plans for continuing this, bringing in Cinta and Vel and Luthen, whumping the hell out of Brasso, and having Cassian rescue him. This is just one scene of awkward conversation with tea though.

Oh god it developed Plot. Related to the previous chapter - a bullet-pointed list of things that might have happened in this fic I Wil Not Write (not least as I'd rather just see what happens in S2 first anyway).

AND THEN WE DANCED

It was a sunny day in Batumi... Patchy few paragraphs of the next chapter of Inchoate.

Plannnnns (again). Plans for how Inchoate would/will continue.

THE LYMOND CHRONICLES

Canon-verse/other AUs

Multiple pieces of follow-up to The next man with a ladder, Danny/Jerott post-canon: It was dark when they rode into the port town... [Chapter 3, basically done, plus most of Chapter 4 but it devolves into broken paragraphs at the end]. "I'm going to the other bed," Danny said in a voice like someone was standing on his throat... [??? there's loads of this written! This is the file where they Get Down To It] Stitch the scenes together [a few paragraphs in which I hoped to make a logical leap from Chapter 4 to fucking, but seemingly never quite got there].

Lymondar saga draft. Actually two files of the abortive first effort at writing a saga AU. I was trying much harder to write in saga style and playing with lacunae in a way that was fun for me but exceedingly nerdy. I think I found the idea more fun than the execution, too.

St Seb. Remember ages ago when I was writing a post-canon 'Jerott gets shot full of arrows and has to admit his feelings because he thinks he's gonna die' fic? This is the file! Some bullet points and some text, some of which I even posted as Sunday sixes way back when iirc.

Fait prosperer qui n'est à croire vain. Fuck me, there's LOADS of this. Pawn in Frankincense/Ringed Castle AU where Marthe steals Lymond's ride with Kiaya Khatun and persuades her they should take over Russia together. Meanwhile Francis is left with Jerott. Hahaha. It kept getting longer because Francis kept trying to escape and I kept finding ways to drag him back, but the 'and now kiss!!' with the two of them behaving in character was just not coming easily.

Francis Crawford's Holistic Inquisition Agency. I wrote this??? One chapter of a Lymond/Dirk Gently AU, where Francis is obviously Dirk and Jerott is a furious/bemused Todd.

She tried every instrument, she redrew every chart. A few short chapters, never finished, of Marthe wrestling with her role in canon and her fate as assigned by La Dame. A couple more paragraphs of a similar sort of thing in Volos.

Malta. Half-arsed few paragraphs of wondering how Jerott would cope with meeting a fellow Knight being imprisoned for sodomy.

Band AU (my 1980s rock band AU for the series, see also @theartistknownaslymond)

Au of an Au. What if, after the Battle of the Bands at Solway, Jerott went to stay at the Edinburgh townhouse for a while and he and Francis got to collaborating in the shed? There's quite a lot of this and it's quite fluffy.

Out out out! The band celebrate Thatcher's downfall. Happy epilogues for everyone! However it's an epic task trying to do all the characters justice, so I was trying to write it as vignettes to match each song on the playlist. Six-ish are written. And earlier draft with plan for characters intercting is in Ding dong the witch is dead.

Jerott/Marthe - four times it just about worked, one time it really didn't. What it says on the tin? aka you just know Jerott has said 'Francis' instead of Marthe at least once when he comes. Only the beginning of the first time exists in this chapter, but I think I explored the idea elsewhere, whenever I dig up that file...

DWTH missing scene. Jerott/OC missing scene from Don't wake the house. Not finished, probably not going to be finished. I think I have enough Jerott smut on the go.

Workshop. Patchy draft of pre-canon Jerott and GRM 'therapy' session in which GRM learns about Francis Crawford and what a hold he has on the boy he thought of as his own plaything. GRM doesn't like sharing.

F/P. Draft of a fluffy kiss prompt someone (@erinaceina? @notfromcold?) sent for Francis/Philippa. Post-canon pregnant Philippa and worried Francis written when it was too hot in summer. It's probably complete enough to post tbh! hmu if you want it posting.

Jerott behaving badly (again). Somehow this ended up in the 'comfortember' section of the notepad, which...no? Maybe it was intended to be originally, but it grew a life of its own. Post-canon, post split-up with the OC, pre-getting together with Danny. Joining the mile high club and regretting it, then ending up crashing at Joleta's (who he meets coincidentally at the airport, NOT who he's screwing in the airplane loo!!). It's meant to end up cathartic, but didn't get finished :') I'm actually really pleased with what I have - post-canon Joleta is so much fun to write!

Somewhere (Google Drive?? an actual Word doc??) there is also loads and loads and LOADS of Pawn in Frankincense band AU around Baron Morgan's place (the Aga Morat), featuring fucked-up Francis/Morgan, fucked up Marthe/Kiaya, fucked up Francis/Kiaya, and bewildered cold turkey Jerott. There's also some Jerott/Marthe from later on.

Other

Crossover. A sequel to my ATWD fic I will shake mountains, where Merab and Irakli encounter celebrity diners in the restaurant they work in: respected musician Francis Crawford and friends take the boys for a drink and share queer/artistic inspiration/history with them. There's quite a lot written but I couldn't quite manage to finish it off.

St Mary's. Another ATWD/Lymond crossover, placing Merab and Irakli among the mercenaries of St Mary's. Mostly bullet points.

3m. Furious that there was no fic for the film Three Months I decided to jot down a scene I wanted to see afterwards. I wrote four lines and cannot remember what my plan was at all.

[lovingsylvia]

!NEW RELEASE!

Title: Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932-1955

Author: Carl Rollyson

Publication date: 15 August 2023

Pages: 400

Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (UPM)

Image source (cover & description): https://www.upress.state.ms.us

About the book:

“A fascinating investigation into the life and art of one of America’s greatest poets       

Since Sylvia Plath’s death in 1963, she has become the subject of a constant stream of books, biographies, and articles. She has been hailed as a groundbreaking poet for her starkly beautiful poems in Ariel and as a brilliant forerunner of the feminist coming-of-age novel in her semiautobiographical The Bell Jar. Each new biography has offered insight and sources with which to measure Plath’s life and influence. Sylvia Plath Day by Day, a two-volume series, offers a distillation of this data without the inherent bias of a narrative.

Volume 1 commences with Plath’s birth in Boston in 1932, records her response to her elementary and high school years, her entry into Smith College, and her breakdown and suicide attempt, and ends on February 14, 1955, the day she wrote to Ruth Cohen, principal of Newnham College, Cambridge, to accept admission as an “affiliated student at Newnham College to read for the English Tripos.”

Sylvia Plath Day by Day is for readers of all kinds with a wide variety of interests in the woman and her work. The entries are suitable for dipping into and can be read in a minute or an hour. Ranging over several sources, including Plath’s diaries, journals, letters, stories, and other prose and poetry—including new material and archived material rarely seen by readers—a fresh kaleidoscopic view of the writer emerges.

Reviews                                                

"The details in Rollyson’s Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932–1955 are a dream come true for the reader, fan, and scholar of Sylvia Plath. The seeds of so much of her creative writing are present, but Rollyson deftly does not foreshadow how events impact Plath’s life and when she transforms experiences from life to art. He lets each moment stand on its own importance."

"Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932–1955 is a must-have book for any reader interested in Plath. Detailed yet highly readable, it paints a portrait of a young woman who would become, as will be chronicled in volume 2, one of the seminal authors in the twentieth century."

"Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932–1955 fills the lacunae of existing biographies and uncovers new insights into its subject, as when Plath writes about her experiences at Smith, hearing ‘nasty little tag ends of conversation directed at you and around you, meant for you, to strangle you on the invisible noose of insinuation.’ Or her months in New York at Mademoiselle, which grow less mysterious here. Again, Carl Rollyson has provided us with an indispensable book on Sylvia Plath." “

You can order the book through their website or from other online shops.

[moni-logues]

I'll tell namjoon about your engagement ring tastes, don't worry. 😁😁😁

it's okay, no pressure, come on… let me see…

@minisugakoobies ✓ (bad cop chronicles is my favorite there's one about supervillains that i haven't read yet, it's on my list, and i read one about a pianist that was also very good. i've read almost everything) @xjoonchildx ✓ (i've read almost all the members except hoseok, so i assume kanalia is his since i don't remember reading it. ana is wonderful) @daechwitatamic ✓ (I had to read the whole site after reading all that holly, jolly shit) @ugh-yoongi ✓ (when I read 'by the time i've figured out what its worth' I almost turned JOKER and spent a week camping on her site) vows by @hamsterclaw is a masterpiece and I have to read rage to complete the list. @eoieopda? you can't go on tumblr and not read lacuna and the darksided series i've read all her drabbles i'm impressed because jade she doesn't just have a masterlist she has a library ✓ @hesperantha ✕ ok you won because i don't know them now i will.

you can tell i read everything from yoongi to read after all the members because he's very much my boyfriend. my tdah is playing tricks on me or i'm really forgetting to say something. i guess that's it.

you did a good job. now @gimmethatagustd you quoted in the other, I only read a fic about a ballerina something like that, I have to read more.

thank you so much my dear :c for the recommendations, now i'm going to sleep. have a good night <3

-lilshy

Omg.....babe...... You've read all of ana's fics but NOT HOSEOK? honey, we cannot be friends 🙅🏻‍♀️✖️✖️🙅🏻‍♀️✖️🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️✖️ that's MY GUY RIGHT THERE!!!!! What you got against Hobi fics?!??!???!!??? *

@hesperantha writes suuuuuuuuuuuch good shit, man, seriously. Not just teardrop, check out the others, too!!

And jai has SO much stuff. Like... How tf you working full time and STILL pumping out so much???????? A genius. Never not enjoyed one of jai's fics.

I'm very glad I could introduce you to someone you've not read before and I hope you enjoy!!!

Sleep well!!! 😴😴😴

[majestativa]

She never gives titles to her graphic works, for designation of any sort might identify the subject – in both senses of the term. […] Instead of providing the detached narrative of some dispassionate observer. Der Mann im Jasmin chronicles the life of the insane of means of a series of documents intensely and disquietingly involving their troubled existence consisting mainly of misery and loneliness. Forgetting, which can become a complete loss of memory, corresponds in the text to holes and lacunae so as to give the impression that the insane have attempted to transcribe their own account. As Zürn cautiously refrains from naming Hans Bellmer and Henri Michaux, providing only the latter’s initials, her obsession with the White Man and the Jasmine Man – her obsession with absence – is expressed or rather concealed in a manner reminiscent of anagrams. Her physician Jean-François Rabain remarked, ‘One name, however, hovers everywhere in the book, always at the tip of the tongue, always at the surface of words before it vanishes from the border of the sentence only to become an infernal machine, a puzzle.

— Renée Riese Hubert, Magnifying Mirrors: Women, Surrealism, & Partnership, on Unica Zürn, (1994)

[tyrranux64]

I'mma...just gonna drop this iPod playlist here. No real reason just.....felt like sharing.....

KILL THE BEAST [PART 1] "IN THE AIR TONIGHT" In This Moment "THE VENGEFUL ONE" Disturbed "MASTERCUTOR" U.D.O. "RAINBOW IN THE DARK" Corey Taylor "HONEST EYES" Black Tide "BLACK VULTURES" Halestorm "JOJO - THAT BLOOD'S DESTINY" Hiroaki "Tommy" Tominaga "CRIMSON CLOUD" Jeff Rona "PSYCHOSOCIAL" Slipknot "LIFT ME UP" Five Finger Death Punch "RED SUN" Jason Miller "NERO FORTE" Slipknot "RIVER OF FIRE" In This Moment "FALLING" Mercenary "ENERGIZE ME" After Forever "FACE MY FEARS" Little V. "VIOLENT PORNOGRAPHY" System of a Down "ICHIRIN NO HANA" High and Mighty Color "FEINT" Linkin Park "BLACK WEDDING" In This Moment "KINGSLAYER" Bring Me The Horizon "STUPIFY" Disturbed "HERALD OF GARGOS" Mick Gordon ""DEVIL TRIGGER" Ali Edwards KILL THE BEAST [PART 2] "SONG OF WOMEN" The Hu & Lzzy Hale "A PLACE FOR MY HEAD" Linkin Park "FROM HEADS UNWORTHY" Rise Against "HOLLOW GROUND" The Haunted "PRIDE" Soil "ZETSUBOU BILLY" Maximum The Hormone "MISSING PIECE" Kamen Rider Girls "BEFORE MY BODY IS DRY" (from Kill La Kill) "POINTS OF AUTHORITY" Linkin Park "SAD BUT TRUE" The Hu "DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS" Disturbed "ADDICT" Little V. "LIVEDEVIL" Da-ICE "JUST PRETEND" Bad Omens "NEEDLES" System of a Down "WEISSES FLEISCH" Rammstein "ONE HELL OF A TEAM" Ama Lee "DARKNESS BEFORE THE DAWN" Caleb Hyles "ROOTS" In This Moment "F" Maximum The Hormone "TURN DOWN FOR WHAMUU!" Lit'L John/BotanicSage "INVISIBLE WOUNDS" Fear Factory "BECOMING COLD (216)" Mushroomhead "ANOTHER STRANGER ME" Blind Guardian "CONTROL IT" Static-X "OWN LITTLE WORLD" Celldweller "OUR TRUTH" Lacuna Coil "FACE TO FACE" Citizen Soldier "FEUER FREI" Rammstein "CHOP SUEY!" System of a Down KILL THE BEAST [PART 3] "FINALE" Slipknot "NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE" Citizen Soldier "FAMILIAR TASTE OF POISON" Halestorm "WISH I HAD AN ANGEL" Nightwish "GUENGE" LiSA "WE WILL ROCK YOU" In This Moment "UNCONTROLLABLE" (from Xenoblade Chronicles X) "THE HERO!!" JAM Project "THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEVIL" Mercenary "UNSAINTED" Slipknot "IMMORTALIZED" Disturbed "SOUL DECISION" Mercenary "HELLEQUIN" Therion "WHAT'S UP PEOPLE?" Maximum The Hormone "NO MATTER HOW I LOOK..." Konomi Suzuki "HOLY DIVER" Killswitch Engage "I TAMPERED WITH THE EVIDENCE..." Dethklok "SMELL OF THE GAME" Daisuke Ishiwatari "RAGE OF DUST" SPYAIR "I STAND ALONE" Godsmack "THE WATCHMEN OF THE GODS" Celldweller & Atlas Plug "MANUS DEI" Kamelot "MY SANCTIMONY" Kamelot "THE END OF HEARTACHE" Killswitch Engage

[renesf]

Manila Bars Closed During Bar Exams!

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – To ensure that all examinees for this year’s bar exams are sober, Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan issued an executive order shutting down Manila bars before and during the exam dates. The mayor hopes that by imposing a liquor ban, the passing rate for the aspiring lawyers will be higher this year. In addition to the…

[goodmorningawfulbye]

(if you wanna) TELL ME ABOUT DESDEMONA PLEASE!!

oh sure!!

Goth Gamer GF on the outside, kind of a goober on the inside*

so she's my character for Vampire the Masquerade games both video and tabletop (my sister has/had a chronicle ready but I and possibly the other player but I know I didn't get our shit together BUT)

she's a detective/Private Investigator who focuses pretty much solely on World of Darkness cases--vampires, werewolves, things like that. she moves around the country/world following the cases/clients that hire her, and sometimes with Beckett.

*she tries really hard to Be Good (kind, high humanity, plays nice with mortals) and she's a huge nerd about language, as a scholar of literature, enjoying wordplay, and she knows fragments of several languages

she likes to dress up and has a cat named Lacuna

[birdzflycom]

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What Does The Cost-Effective Product Liability Insurance Cover in 2023?

The orchestration of captivating content hinges upon the symphonic convergence of perplexity and the vibrant cadence of burstiness, an endeavor to be embraced with zealous fervor. - Damages to someone’s home/any property - Bodily Serious injuries - Illness - Wrongful death

What Does Mean By Product Liability Insurance Not Cover?

The enigmatic realm of product liability insurance navigates the labyrinthine corridors of legal redress arising from corporeal injury engendered by merchandise. Regrettably, this meticulously crafted safeguard is not a panacea for tribulations emergent from the ethereal domains of software, applications, IT, and their technical ilk. Exempli gratia, ensnared within the maelstrom of product liability insurance's lacunae lie the foibles of coding, those intricate labyrinths of syntax and semantics, whose errant wanderings might orchestrate financial woes for your patrons. For the mires of such techno-woes, a different aegis is requisite—errors and omissions insurance shall be your impenetrable bulwark. Furthermore, let it be inscribed that product liability's protective tapestry shall remain conspicuously threadbare when addressing the following: - The onerous burden of product recall expenditures. - The vicissitudes of employee corporeal harm. - The unfortunate symphony of mishaps wherein clientele become the protagonists, as in slip-and-fall chronicles. - As you traverse the intricately woven tapestry of insurance, remember that its purview, though expansive, does bear boundaries that are, alas, not universally comprehensive.

Who Needs The Product Liability Insurance 2023?

For those engaged in commercial endeavors, the question of "Who truly requires product liability insurance?" emerges as a critical consideration, particularly given the escalating tide of litigation in contemporary times. The context of this discourse revolves around enterprises that engage in the commerce of merchandise, wherein the acquisition of product liability insurance becomes not only prudent but imperative. The spectrum of businesses that stand to benefit from the shield of product liability insurance is multifaceted and diverse. Among the cadre of such commercial entities are: - Retail establishments, encompassing brick-and-mortar stores that curate a varied selection of goods. - Distributors acting as conduits between manufacturers and the broader market landscape. - Manufacturers, the architects of tangible commodities, subject to the intricate currents of consumer demand. - E-commerce proprietors, those who operate within the expansive realms of online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. - Niche purveyors, such as those catering to the realm of pet supplies, nurturing the unique requirements of animal companions. - Artisanal print shops, offering their craftsmanship in the form of printed material. - Culinary establishments, namely restaurants, satiating the gustatory desires of their clientele. - Wholesalers, acting as the vital linchpins in the distribution chain, facilitating the flow of goods on a grand scale. - Nonetheless, it is paramount to recognize that product liability insurance assumes a broader mantle of relevance beyond the confines of conventional retail and distribution. The purview of its utility extends to the realm of construction and contracting enterprises, a domain where the meticulous execution of projects holds profound significance. Within this context, a scenario might arise wherein a client raises the banner of litigation due to perceived damages resultant from the culminated work. In this paradigm, consider the instance of a construction artisan who undertakes the installation of a bespoke cabinet. If, however, a discernible flaw emerges in the cabinet's doors subsequent to installation, the specter of liability manifests. Enter the sanctuary of product liability insurance, which emerges as a safeguard against the financial tempests that may ensue due to legal contentions. The policy proffers a lifeline by potentially defraying the costs associated with rectifying the defect, thus alleviating the burden on the shoulders of the professional. In conclusion, the tapestry of modern commercial landscapes is interwoven with threads of complexity and variance. The indispensability of product liability insurance reverberates across a spectrum of industries, from the emporiums of retail to the crucibles of construction. Its presence, akin to a vigilant guardian, offers respite in the face of legal maelstroms, epitomizing prudence in an age marked by litigious tides.

How Much Product Liability Insurance Do I Need in 2023?

The quantum of product liability coverage asseverates variability contingent upon the specific industry, geographic disposition, annual revenue quantum, and the annals of claims," propounds Michelle Shaver, Chubb Small Commercial Insurance's Senior Vice President. "Should the merchandise bear an inclination toward heightened peril or be vended within a legal crucible characterized by litigious ardor, the prudence of harboring augmented coverage thresholds merits contemplation. Bryan Smith, stewarding the mantle of Vice President of Product Management at The Hartford, opines that the quantum of product liability insurance coverage ought to harmonize with the projected pantheon of liabilities an enterprise is poised to encounter. "The nature and magnitude of the merchandise, the amplitude of sales, and the plural actors ensnared within the labyrinth of production and commercial cascade—all coalesce to exert influence upon the insurance imperatives that an enterprise is beholden to," Smith proclaims

How Much Does The Cost Of Product Liability Insurance?

In the endeavor of crafting prose, the configuration of product liability insurance costs emerges as a pivotal thread. AdvisorSmith, the harbinger of statistical insights, reveals that the annals of small businesses are adorned with an annual vestment of $1,192 for product liability insurance. Verily, when the pendulum of consideration swings toward the confluence of industries, a mosaic of disparities emerges. Manufacturers, the architects of tangible creations, weave an average premium of $1,146 annually, adorned with a spectrum stretching from $736 to $1,854. Contrastingly, wholesale enterprises, enrobed in the cloak of middlemen, extend an average tribute of $1,159, encompassing the tapestry of general liability insurance, a sentinel that guards against the perils of product liability. This tribute, akin to the symphony of a crescendo, spans from $751 to $2,431, as though embracing the vast horizon. Yet, the tableau of cost variables extends its embrace further. The geo-spatial coordinates of one's commercial dwelling, akin to stars on a cosmic canvas, exert an ethereal influence. The annals of claims history etch their narrative upon the scroll of cost evaluation, crafting a riveting tale of precedent. And let us not overlook the ambit of policy limits, the fortress that guards the boundaries of indemnity. In conclusion, the edifice of product liability insurance costs stands as a symphony composed of multifaceted notes. To traverse this labyrinthine melody is to dance upon the precipice of intricate dynamics, where perplexity and burstiness harmonize in an intricate dance, conjured by the hands of both human and artificial scribes.

What Types Product Affects Insurance Cost?

In the unfurling narrative of product liability insurance, a pivotal alchemy revolves around the distinct genus of commodities under the forge, fabric, or trade of your establishment. The inherent propensities of items diverge, each bearing the potential to unfurl property detriment or beget affliction upon an unwitting soul. The quantum of remuneration stipulated for product liability coverage waltzes in synchrony with this kaleidoscope of perils. Entities purveying innocuous wares—quills and parchment, for instance—are greeted with a diminished premium tribute. Conversely, the echelons of jeopardy ascend when one traverses the territories of furnishings, electronics, or velocipedes. Yet, at the zenith of this perilous hierarchy, we encounter victuals and potables, alongside artifacts that befriend our progeny. Within the annals of insurance, these denizens command a premium commensurate with their treacherous dalliances.

What's Types of Product Liability Insurance for Sellers on Amazon?

In the realm of Amazon's bustling marketplace, where entrepreneurial aspirations metamorphose into tangible transactions, a pertinent consideration emerges: the safeguarding of commercial endeavors through the vehicle of "Product Liability Insurance." This intricate edifice, woven into the fabric of e-commerce, embraces two cardinal facets – the labyrinthine concept of "perplexity" and the kaleidoscopic panorama of "burstiness." As novices traverse the echelons of digital commerce, deciphering the intricate dance of perplexity becomes paramount. This intangible thread, intricately woven into the textual symphony, bespeaks the convolution that underlies each word, each phrase. Concomitantly, the cadence of "burstiness" interjects an orchestral interplay, where short utterances pirouette alongside their grandiloquent counterparts, fashioning a textual mosaic that mirrors the intricate rhythms of human expression. In the hallowed corridors of Amazon's digital domain, a decree resonates – third-party merchants, upon amassing a crescendo of $10,000 in monthly sales, are summoned to the tapestry of safeguarding. The talisman to this realm of security is the "Amazon Insurance Accelerator," an ethereal conduit through which U.S.-based microcosms of commerce tread. It is here that a constellation of insurers, Chubb, Harborway, Hiscox, Liberty Mutual, Markel, and Travelers, extend their hands in benevolent assurance, whispering quotes of product liability coverage. To demystify this chronicle of coverage and commerce, the foregoing disquisition illumines the enigmatic tapestry woven by perplexity and burstiness, entwined with the marketplace's clarion call for liability safeguarding. With each word, each phrase, the entrepreneurial spirit marches forth, shielded by the aegis of Amazon's Insurance Accelerator. May this rendition serve as a beacon, illuminating the path towards comprehension, as the nascent navigators of this realm traverse the labyrinthine expanses of Amazonian enterprise.

How to Get the Best Product Liability Insurance In Your Area?

Embracing the stipulated parameters—wherein the imprimatur of uniqueness is nonpareil, and the specter of plagiarism remains banished—the symphony of verbiage commences. The habiliments of a lexical virtuoso enrobe the narrative, seamlessly weaving erudition with eloquence. Enter Pharical Magic, an alchemical fusion of language's extraordinary and the explicable. Vernacular transmutes; customary expressions yield to synonyms and antonyms, and similes bloom, transmogrifying perception.

Unshrouding Pinnacle Pathways to Attain Optimal Product Liability Insurance

The realm of product liability coverage unfurls within the tapestry of general liability insurance—an elemental bastion of fiscal sheltering. Here, the enigma of perplexity dances hand in hand with the ebullient burstiness of sentences, akin to a maestro crafting a harmonious crescendo from fleeting staccatos and enduring sustains. The crafting of entrancing content pivots upon the meticulous balance of perplexity and burstiness—a pivotal sine qua non.

Best Tips Before Buying Product Liability Insurance?

Choose the Right Coverage Limit: Selecting the appropriate coverage limit is crucial. In the event of a covered claim, the coverage limit determines how much the insurance company will cover and how much you might have to pay out of pocket. Consider factors like the potential severity of claims and the nature of your business to determine the right coverage amount. - Understand Coverage Territory: The coverage territory of your policy can affect whether a claim will be covered or not. If your product can be used anywhere after manufacturing, consider opting for worldwide coverage to ensure protection regardless of location. - Consider Location: The region where your product is manufactured or sold matters. In areas with higher litigation rates, there's an increased likelihood of facing lawsuits. Be aware of the legal climate in the regions you operate in to make informed coverage decisions. - Review Contract Requirements: Some vendor contracts might mandate specific coverage limits to cover any potential claims or losses for which you could be held responsible. Before finalizing your insurance policy, review any contract requirements from your business partners or vendors. - Evaluate Your Product's Risk Profile: Understand the potential risks associated with your product. Factors like the intended use, target audience, potential hazards, and historical claim data can impact the type and amount of coverage you need. - Work with a Knowledgeable Agent: Partner with an experienced insurance agent who specializes in product liability. They can help you navigate the complexities of insurance policies, coverage options, and ensure you have the right protection for your business. - Consider Adding Endorsements: Depending on your product and business, you might need additional coverage endorsements to address specific risks that your standard policy might not cover. Discuss these options with your insurance agent. - Contractual Stipulations Appraisal: Several vendor agreements might impose distinct coverage thresholds to indemnify plausible claims or liabilities that may be imputed to you. Prior to cementing your insurance pact, scrutinize any contract prerequisites emanating from your commercial affiliates or suppliers. - Assessment of Your Commodity’s Peril Profile: Grasp the potential hazards tethered to your product. Variables encompassing the intended utilization, target demographic, conceivable jeopardy, and historical claims dossier exert influence upon the kind and quantum of coverage requisite. - Synergy with a Proficient Agent: Consort with a seasoned insurance agent, a virtuoso in the realms of product liability. Their adept guidance shall facilitate navigation through the labyrinthine tapestry of insurance policies, coverage alternatives, culminating in a safeguard that resonates with your business’s essence. - Potential Adoption of Addenda: Depending upon your merchandise and enterprise, supplementary coverage addenda might be incumbent to counterbalance explicit perils that the conventional policy might not encompass. Engage in discourse with your insurance intermediary regarding these alternatives. - Examination of Policy Exclusions: Pore over the policy demarcations, thereby cognizing the scenarios or eventualities that could be precluded. This sagacity will arm you to render judicious determinations about your coverage, whilst embarking on measures to mitigate such perils. - Scrutinization of your Risk Management Stratagem: Profound evincement of robust risk management protocols can often beget preferential insurance premiums. Enforce safety canons, embrace protocols for quality governance, and institute comprehensive product trials to ameliorate the odds of claims avoidance. - Periodic Evaluation and Amendment of Coverage: Commensurate with the organic evolution of your enterprise, the exigencies of your insurance may undergo transmutation. Regularly engage in reviewal sessions with your insurance advisor, thereby certifying the adequacy of your protection against the existent perils. - Deliberate Contemplation of Assorted Quotations: Refrain from precipitate acceptance of the inaugural insurance quotation. Embark on an odyssey of market exploration, juxtaposing quotations disseminated by sundry insurers. Deliberate both the extent of coverage and its pecuniary entailments ere arriving at a conclusive determination. It merits recollection that product liability insurance functions as a pivotal bastion for establishments engaged in the fabrication or retail of merchandise. Conscientious investment of temporal resources in comprehending your requisites, diligent exploration of alternatives, and symbiotic collaboration with an erudite insurance connoisseur collectively culminate in the procurement of protection congruent with your business’s unique imperatives. Read the full article

[i-belong-in-space]

Soliloquy of Seasons

The cycle of seasons on Ceres, a temperate and bountiful spring and summer season followed by a horrifying and extended freeze, rules the minds and lives of all inhabitants of Earth’s third sister planet completely. Cereans are an industrious people bound strictly by tradition and by their original colonization directive– be fruitful and provide the much-needed sustenance for the sister planets.

In Whitewater Valley, Attis is something of an outcast. Born a spring child with the mark of fire, a telling sign of misfortune, Attis knows firsthand the horrors of the freeze and the deadly consequences of the sleeping sickness. However, it is not the dangers of the freeze that haunt Attis, but the lingering childhood memories of a mysterious onyx-eyed boy in the marketplace. When memories once again become reality, and Attis finds himself behaving in ways that break every Cerean tradition, he must discover for himself his place on Ceres and in the universe.

Read Excerpt Here

[armthearmour]

Review Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450

Traditionally in the study of medieval plate armor, two styles of plate armor are recognized: the Italian “Milanese” style and the German “Gothic” style. As the vast majority of surviving elements of armor are from these places and belong to these styles, very little attention has been given to armor from the rest of Europe. In writing the Armour of the English Knight series, Dr. Tobias Capwell sought to help fill this lacuna.

Published in 2015, Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450 is the first in a three part series of books by Dr. Capwell published by Thomas del Mar Ltd. The purpose of the series is to chronicle the development of plate armor in England over the course of the 15th century, and to outline what Capwell argues is a uniquely English style of armor designed for a uniquely English style of warfare.

The work is divided into three sections, the first of which is an introduction. The introduction serves to contextualize the author’s arguments as well as to lay the foundations for much of the information presented later in the book. The first several chapters of the introduction provide the author’s arguments for the existence of a uniquely English style of armor, as well as discussing why the English would develop a unique style. In this context, the author discusses the English method of warfare, which, in this period, the author describes as dominated by infantry actions. To summarize the author’s argument, the propensity of the English man at arms to fight on foot necessitated a different style of armor from the continental knights who most typically entered combat on horseback.

The middle chapters of the introduction discuss the quality of English-made armor and the establishment of English workshops, in particular the famous royal workshop at Greenwich. Here the author relies heavily on primary documentation with an emphasis on payment records to armorers (but also letters which mention armor and the writer’s feelings on armor) to illustrate that English armorers were highly regarded and well paid in their native land. 

The final chapters of the introduction focus on martial effigies. As there is no armor from the period of 1400 to 1450 which can reliably be said to have been made in England, mapping the development of English armor becomes challenging. However, England had a rich medieval tradition of the production of alabaster and brass effigies. These effigies were meant to be accurate likenesses of the individual, which they were meant to represent. The deceased person’s relatives could pray before the effigy to help the deceased’s soul pass through purgatory to heaven more quickly. A large number of effigies made for English noblemen depict them in their armor, providing a wealthy artistic resource for this work.

In addition to contextualizing effigies as an artistic tradition, the author provides convincing arguments for the technical accuracy of the armor depicted on effigies, and discusses the problem of dating effigies. It would seem intuitive to date an effigy to the year of its owner’s death, however, this is rarely the case. Many effigies were begun before the depicted person ever died, and many were made years after the individual died. The armor depicted on the effigy is typically of the style that was present at the time of the effigy’s manufacture, rather than at the time of the individual’s death.

The next two sections of the book discuss the details of English plate armor development. Part I covers the period from 1400 to 1430, while Part II discusses 1430 to 1450. Both of these sections are divided into seven chapters, each dedicated to a particular type of armor: “Helmets,” “The Cuirass,” “Spaulders, Besagews, and Pauldrons,” “Vambraces,” “Gauntlets,” “Leg Armour,” and finally “Sabatons.” Each chapter provides a detailed description of the technical elements of the armor it covers as well as a discussion of the technological advancements that take place in the given period.

While the author relies most heavily on primary sources, he does not neglect secondary scholarship, and the works cited in this book’s bibliography include publications in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. The author includes a large number of footnotes which not only inform the reader as to the source of the author’s information, but also frequently provide additional commentary. A full bibliography of the effigies cited by the author is included, as well as a separate list of the names of the individuals represented on these effigies, where their effigies are located, and the years they died. A glossary of terms and index are also included. Finally, the author appended an appendix which outlines the process, from beginning to end, he went through to produce an armor in the English style for his own use at jousting tournaments and the insights he gained both from the production process and the use of the armor.

Given the wealth of information this book provides and the pioneering nature of its work, Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450 is an invaluable addition to the library of anyone interested in the study of armor. The author’s direct style and tendency to define technical terms clearly makes this work accessible to even the most novice of interested parties, but the level of analysis and use of sources fits a work worthy of a place on the shelves of the most specialized armor scholars. That this work treads ground that has remained untouched by modern scholarship increases its worth even more.

[keeningvoid]

I guess I should have a WIPs post if I'm going to be tagging things

Or an intro or whatever idk, so.

I'm [unpronouncable sounds that equivocate in English to "Keening Void"], I'm a 30 yo crazy person who works at Coffee Shop Chain in the US. I came back to tungle dot hell just as a way to get away from my other social media presences but I slipped into writeblr territory and I'm gonna stay here, y'all are lovely.

Anywho I [think very hard about] writing things. Here are some of the things:

Original Works

Laughing Into the Darkness is an urban fantasy / supernatural romance about a biroace goth not-quite-boy (Adrian) who falls in love with the prince of Hell (Karavox aka Kenney).

Encroaching Lacuna is a (technically furry) space fantasy / light sci-fi superpowers drama about twins, Taliander and Orian, who get kidnapped from their home planet by an imperial war machine.

Urasdia is an epic high fantasy drama that can't figure out if it wants to be a revenge story or a revolution story. Prince Damian of Vemba, his ex Trinh, and his brothers Viktor and Adrien are major characters.

Salvation is a queer cyberpunk story about unexpected allies. Chaz, a nonbinary cyborg sex worker, has saved up enough to get a bigger apartment - with a stranger for a roommate. But Kevin's pretty quiet, and not a bad roommate... He might be a corpo contract killer, though.

Skyward Force is a video game idea I'm tossing around. It's a Shining Force like turn based tactical RPG about time and immortality.

I have a nameless collection of drabbles and concepts surrounding a fursona of mine, Tara; she's a catgirl sex worker & bartender who lives with her werewolf friend Cormac, who she's in love with. Pretty much anything NSFW I write is probably gonna be in Tara's world, and pretty much anything I write in Tara's world is gonna be NSFW.

I also think about drabbling stuff about my tabletop rpg characters: Mitchell, the tiefling warlock; Djarra, the halfling werebear druid; and Torra, the heretic Mechanicus enginseer.

Fanfiction

I don't have a published fanfic presence but I am working on a few things in the Netflix Castlevania, Magnus Archives, and Warhammer 40k fandoms, so I might talk about those from time to time. If I ever actually work on them. You know.

Other Fandoms

These are stuff I'm into but don't necessarily have planned works for.

Books:

Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives (I'm not okay, please write quickly Mister Brandon)

Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series

Rodger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber (fun fact: Urasdia started out as an Amber fanvessel eons ago)

Tolkien's works, of course

Stephen King's Dark Tower books

probably more! I got bad brains

Movies & TV:

Our Flag Means Death

What We Do in the Shadows (both)

Vikings

JJBA

Archer

Cobra Kai

definitely more but again, the bad brains

Other Media Types:

I'm pretty into Magic the Gathering and goth & metal music and sometimes that stuff has story pieces to play with so :) maybe one day.

Probably going to update this later with appropriate tags and anything else that changes. <3

Socializing with my weird ass:

I'm not very good at socializing beyond either pleasantries or infodumping tbh (it's the autismos) but I do like people and I do like what you're working on!

I'm explicitly avoiding Reality here so please don't try to talk to me about politics, current events, etc. - they upset me too much and I have other avenues for dealing with all that. This space, for me, is just about fiction! (I have already broken this for myself but shh we'll just move on.)

Please avoid asking me how I'm doing, if you can. The answer, though impolite, is "bad, but there's nothing much anybody can do about it, so let's not talk about it". I don't want to make anyone feel bad for me, but I also don't want to lie. Better to just avoid the situation altogether.

I'm not great at responding to tag games or the like; on top of the autism, I got them anxiety and overthinkin' problems, ya dig? I also don't have a lot of words actually drafted for any of my WIPs yet [or, don't have a lot that I still have saved, for some] so games like word finds or last lines etc. are really hard haha. I might be better about this in the future.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Cristina Scabbia x Diablo: Inside metal and gaming’s most devilish crossover yet

Outstanding hack-and-slash remaster Diablo II: Resurrected isn’t just about polishing up the beloved original’s relentless fire and brimstone. In a striking collaboration with Lacuna Coil songstress Cristina Scabbia and bizarro YouTube star Mark The Hammer, it’s inspired the latest crossover between video games and heavy music, too…

When Cristina Scabbia first picked up the joypad, she had no idea she was steering herself onto a path that would still be throwing up juicy side-missions three decades down the line. A young teenager in northern Italy during the mid-’80s first generation video game boom, the future Lacuna Coil frontwoman didn’t have the spare cash for the cutting-edge equipment of the time, whose 128-colour palettes and blocky two-dimensional sprites felt utterly futuristic. When a local friend powered up David Crane’s 1982 masterpiece Pitfall! on their Atari 2600, however, it opened the doors to another world.

“I’ve been a gamer for quite a while,” her eyes light up at the memory. ​“I love video games. I love what you can learn from them. I love the stories they tell…”

Few games are as darkly compelling as Blizzard Entertainment’s legendary Diablo series. Bringing to life the dark fantasy realm of Sanctuary – a midpoint between the High Heavens and Burning Hells – its trio of classic titles chronicle the eternal conflict between mankind and the demonic legions led by Diablo, fearsome Destroyer Of Souls. When David Brevik’s original landed in 1996, it was a literal game-changer for the industry, raising the bar in terms of depth and detail, storytelling and character-building. 2000’s Diablo II raised it again, still revered by hardcore gamers as the greatest action-RPG of all, while 2012’s Diablo III brought the franchise into the modern era.

Fittingly, it’s against that shadowy backdrop that Cristina joins us today, to discuss Start Again, her musical collaboration with the minds behind thrilling 3D, HD remaster Diablo II: Resurrected.

Speaking from her high-backed gaming chair in front of an impressive PC set-up this morning, she looks ready for battle. A laid-back, dressed-down counterpart to her imposing onstage alter-ego, she is surrounded by stacks of proudly-displayed paraphernalia, from a plushie of Gremlins’ Gizmo and photos of her band, to figurines of her favourite virtual characters, spare controllers, and the ubiquitous energy drink refrigerator.

Anyone familiar with Cristina’s Twitch streams wondering if this might be a carefully-arranged studio space should think again. ​“It’s actually part of my living room,” she laughs. ​“There’s this big table that was supposed to be for dinners with friends, but as we would go out to eat instead, I decided to use it for something that I like, and filled it with computers, monitors and consoles.

“It’s where I play. It’s where I stream from. It’s the safe space.”

Diablo’s heroes work best when joining forces, and 30 minutes further north, in the town of Saronno, we meet Marco Arata – AKA YouTube sensation Mark The Hammer – Cristina’s collaborator on Start Again, and a playful like mind. ​“I was three years old when I first played on a Game Boy,” he smiles into the light of a bank of monitors, ​“and I never stopped.”

For readers not in the know, Mark is the uber-talented multi-instrumentalist who’s gained a reputation for uploading incisive, tongue-in-cheek videos to YouTube like Irritating Guitar Lessons and How To Create A Black Metal Song… Without Any Talent. Learning piano aged eight, he quickly graduated to electric guitar, bass and drums. He’s since been picked up as the live guitarist/keyboardist for Italian pop-hip-hop icon J‑Ax. The main Mark The Hammer YouTube channel has more than half a million subscribers, while its English-language alternative boasts close to 100,000.

Both accomplished, analytical, artistic minds, it feels key to Start Again’s success that the duo see gaming as a chance to switch off – less interested in graphics and game engines than narrative drive and world-building.

“Whenever you listen to a song as a musician, you have your brain working, thinking about what exactly is going on,” explains Mark. ​“I’m a big fan of acting and drama, too, and the same thing applies when you watch a movie. But when you pick up that game pad, you’re able to relax and [switch that part of your brain off]. It’s the only thing in my life that I can really say is completely relaxing.”

“I know that some people prefer creating groups or being part of a competition,” agrees Cristina, noting that Diablo, in particular, fits her play style ​“but I’m more of a selfish, solitary player. I don’t want to feel that competition while I play. I want to be able to relax and do things at my own pace, to have my own rhythm. I don’t necessarily think of games as an escape. For me, it’s a different world that I want to be part of, [parallel to] the real world. It’s not that I want to [run away and] live in the video game world. But when I’m playing, I want to stay there, I want to focus on what’s happening – I want to absorb all the vibes. It’s not just something that you’re watching: you’re part of it. You can choose your character. You can increase your power. You can pick your path and select your sides.

“There are things about this world that non-gamers could never really understand…”

Like all the best quests, it began with a message from out of the blue. Mark recalls the sense of absurdity, watching an email drop into his inbox that he couldn’t quite believe was real. “I remember opening the message and seeing that it was an opportunity to write [a song inspired by Diablo II] for the release of Diablo II: Resurrected. Oh, yeah, and you’ll have Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil doing vocals. I was just like ‘What?!’”

Having dropped video game soundtrack cover albums Hammer Games Vols 1 and 0 in 2015 and 2016 respectively, Mark had pedigree in the field, but he struggled to comprehend the opportunity for such a high-profile collaboration.

“This is the game that I bought as a 14-year-old when it first came out back in the year 2000,” he fishes out his original CD-ROM jewel case for an unsubtle flex, ​“and you’re asking me to write an official song to go with it? That in itself is mind-blowing. But to be able to do that with the greatest singer in Italian metal?! I thought it was some sort of strange spam at first. When I realised that it wasn’t, it became amazing on so many levels.”

Not a huge fan of YouTube (nor, presumably, of the hack-and-slash sub-genre), Cristina’s manager didn’t quite know what to make of the invitation. Fortunately, having followed one of Lacuna Coil’s old guitarists through a laptop screen and into Sanctuary all those years ago, and already a fan of Mark’s videos, she didn’t take much convincing.

“I was just like, ​‘Mark The Hammer? I follow him!’” she grins. ​“Then, when they told me the project was to write a song for Diablo II: Resurrected, I immediately said yes. If you look back at interviews that I did years ago, whenever they asked me what dream I had or what is missing from my body of work, I’ve always said that I’d like to write something for a video game. When this came along, it was like, ​‘Hello…’”

Cristina admits that she struggled with writer’s block over lockdown. Having watched her native Italy become one of the first countries crippled by the spread of COVID-19, she was unwilling to create music with the power to transport her back to those most troubled of times. Compared to the glacial pace of the music industry over the last 18 months, however, dropping in at crunch time in a massive game’s release schedule came as an invigorating change of pace. The first message exchanged between Cristina and Mark was on August 23, with the song due online to coincide with Diablo II: Resurrected’s launch exactly a month later.

“When you have a deadline, it can either throw you down or really speed everything up and add an excitement,” Cristina muses. ​“For us, it was definitely the latter. We were perhaps a little bit tense about not knowing each other. Any time you’re working with someone new, you ask yourself these questions: ​‘Is he going to be nice? Is he going to be an asshole? Is he going to have the same ideas that I have? The same creativity? The same speed?’

“As soon as we started to text, though, I realised that Mark was really relaxed, really funny. He’s like me. We would send and receive messages in the middle of the night, and get immediate replies. It was like we’d opened the floodgates on an ocean of ideas.”

A high level of fandom was pivotal. Diablo’s angels and monsters – Greater and Lesser Evils – seem like characters lifted from metal album covers to begin with, and the chaotic action that spills from the streets of Tristram and the slopes of Mount Arreat that go down into the depths of Hell could hardly be better suited to metalheads who’re never happier than when throwing down in the pit. Cristina and Mark’s preferred player classes – Sorceress and Barbarian, respectively – even mirror their onstage personas. To simply phone in the sort of crowd-pleasing banger either of these musicians could write in their sleep would be to do the project a deep disservice.

Cristina reckons that if Diablo were a band, it would be either Judas Priest – all OTT outfits, pointy edges and demonic imagery – or Rammstein, spewing sheer pyrotechnic bombast. Mark contends that the larger-than-life, battle-obsessed aesthetic of Iron Maiden might be a better match, pointing out that many of the most monstrous iterations of Ed The Head wouldn’t look out of place in its deepest dungeons. We’d argue that the ominous, folky atmospherics of peak Opeth even more closely evoke the playing experience, echoing Matt Uleman’s iconic original score.

In the same way that Diablo II: Resurrected marks an upgrade for players in 2021 while maintaining the original’s dark heart – dynamic lighting, three-dimensional rendering and high-definition presentation bringing the action sharply up to date – this song needed to pay respect while still packing enough heft to make an impact on metal fans in 2021.

“Diablo is such an iconic game,” nods Mark. ​“I knew the original score. I knew the original atmosphere. I knew where it had to go, more or less. But it was a challenge to make something new while paying respect to the original. There were parts where I wasn’t sure where I was going, but as soon as Cristina got really into the project and added her vocals, it felt like everything [clicked].”

“Mark’s involvement was crucial,” Cristina presses. ​“Looking at that original soundtrack, I was thinking, ​‘This is such a classic – it’s so iconic – but it’s not singable.’ It felt like putting a voice over the top would ruin it. But as soon as I heard the music that Mark had written, it changed everything. He made it singable. He created so many different parts, that offered so many different scenes, so many different moods. There are atmospheric parts, but there are also heavier parts. It’s like a journey, from beginning to end…”

Part sweeping re-score, part fan’s perspective love letter, part limb-swinging metal banger, the finished track feels like a striking bridge between worlds. Is the aim for fans who’ve yet to discover the pleasures of metal or gaming to be able to walk across it?

“The worlds of metal and gaming have always been strongly connected,” reckons Cristina, highlighting the fact that they’re both tightly-knit outsider communities fascinated by the dark and fantastical, which can appear intimidating to outsiders looking in. Although she and Mark will happily welcome new fans, the main priority was to write a great song, hopefully tightening the bond between communities that already exists. ​“It’s a lifestyle,” she gestures. ​“If you see a metalhead, there’s a strong chance you’ll be able to talk about games – or vice-versa.”

Indeed, the lines have increasingly blurred over the last couple of decades. Countless rockers found their way into the world via the legendary Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks. The Guitar Hero franchise brought songs as unusual DragonForce​’s Through The Fire And The Flames, Lamb Of God​’s Laid To Rest and Slayer​’s Raining Blood – not to forget Lacuna Coil’s Closer – into the non-metalhead sphere. Celebrities as high profile as Tenacious D​’s Jack Black have spearheaded their own digital-metal crossovers, while Avenged Sevenfold​’s M. Shadows cropped up as a playable character in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4. Gamers have even increasingly taken to wearing branded T‑shirts a la those of their favourite bands, enabling them to recognise each other on the street.

On the other side of the coin, bleeding-edge artists like The Armed, Refused and Run The Jewels have recently been inspired to write specifically for games. Svalbard​’s Serena Cherry just started a one-woman black metal side-project called Noctule, dedicated to her favourite epic RPG. Hell, Cristina even tells us that pounding compositions by djent-influenced video game soundtrack maestro Mick Gordon are amongst the most listened on her personal playlist.

It’s down to a change in perspective, Cristina reckons, where intelligent eye for detail is now considered every bit as cool as a debauched hell-raiser attitude. Games’ intricate storytelling and epic design are recognised as on par with the finest parts of cinema, and e‑sports competitions regularly boast larger prize pots than those of their athletic counterparts.

“I was always part of the nerd world,” she says, with more than a hint of vindication. ​“A few years ago, it felt like it was almost something to be ashamed of to admit that you’re a nerd, as if you had this weird, ridiculous aura. But now, everybody – all these people who were never interested – seem to want to be involved in this world. I [sometimes think], ​‘Nah, you need to prove you’re really into it…’”

She’s not kidding. As if that massive cache of gaming equipment – from the original PlayStation to countless Game Boys and computer components – wasn’t proof enough, Cristina has even appeared as playable character The Shadow Sorceress in Iron Maiden’s ever-evolving Legacy Of The Beast mobile game. ​“It was such an honour, such a pleasure to create my own character and give all the directions for the outfit, which was basically the outfit I was wearing on the last Lacuna Coil tour before lockdown,” she grins.

Going even geekier, Lacuna Coil also just launched their own Horns Up tabletop card game, where players must fight their way to the front of the stage. ​“It’s something we’re all really interested in, but particularly our bassist Maki [Coti Zelati],” Cristina continues. ​“Every card is related to metal clichés. We even gave our fans the opportunity to see themselves on one of the cards…”

Although Lacuna Coil maintained their high-drama presence with September 2020’s Black Anima: Live From The Apocalypse stream and June 2021’s live album of the same name, Cristina was keen to use the time off to introduce fans to her character away from the band, emboldened to set up her own channel on Twitch.

“I just wanted to learn new things which could enrich my baggage of knowledge,” she enthuses. ​“I’m already singing, already writing, but I don’t want to fixate on those. Life is made up of so many different things that can enrich my music and my creativity. I was already a Twitch user, watching other people play games, but I didn’t know what my purpose was. I almost felt scared at first. I am a singer. I am somehow an entertainer. I like to talk, which is clear. But it’s different when you’re talking to a lot of people for a couple of hours – or more!

“Eventually, I decided to keep it as informal as I could so that people could see how Cristina is at home. Cristina isn’t just the singer of Lacuna Coil: I have a house, I have a life, I have passions, I have my own personality. I just wanted people to discover that. Luckily they also like this quirky side of me, which feels like the opposite that dark goth lady that so many people know. As much as I didn’t have purpose in the beginning, there’s now such a strong community every time I go online – such a clean place to exchange good vibes!”

Even the persistent undertones of sexism and misogyny that have plagued gaming, she pushes, are a speed bump to be put in the rearview, comparable to what she experienced when first making her name in heavy music.

“In metal, I encountered the same problem,” she explains, bluntly. “[Women becoming a major presence in the community] was something new, and when something is new, people have suspicions and doubts. They don’t know how to deal with it. But there are a lot of female gamers now, and a lot of females in metal. It’s been normalised, which it should be, because games and metal are for everyone.”

As the world comes back up to speed, hectic schedules mean that attention is turning away from screens, and back towards studio and stage. Mark is churning out more and more top-class YouTube content. Cristina has a packed diary, with a tribute concert for late collaborator Franco Battiato at the spectacular Arena di Verona this week, and another secretive collaboration in the works, not to mention writing for Lacuna Coil’s 10th LP, which has just begun – her creative fires reignited by bringing Start Again to life.

Having dipped toes in the video game world, though, they’re both keen to return.

“I really hope we do,” Cristina says. ​“As a fan of video games, it’s such a great chance to bring together these different passions in your life. There are so many different things I’d like to do, and places I’d like to explore in this world, but time is limited!”

“I loved the challenge here, and the process of collaboration,” nods Mark. ​“If we could work together again when it comes time to make Diablo IV, that would be amazing. I’d love the opportunity to have my own playable character in an Iron Maiden video game, too, but I’m not sure that’s achievable!”

“I thought the same thing,” grins Cristina, ever adventurous, as we wave farewell. ​“Never say never!”

Diablo II: Resurrected is out now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S and PC.

[bookofjin]

Annals of Zhengshi 2 (505)

[From WS008. Including the adventures of Wang Zu.]

[Zhengshi 2, 19 February 505 – 8 February 506]

2nd Year, Spring, 1st Month, bingzi [23 February], used the Heir to the state of Dangchang, Liang Mibo, as the King of his state.

The state of Dengzhi dispatched envoys to court with tribute.

2nd Month [21 March – 18 April], the Di of Liang# province rebelled and cut off Hanzhong's transport roads. The Inspector Xing Luan again and again greatly routed them.

Summer, 4th Month, jiwei [6 June], the King of Chengyang, Luan, passed away.

On yichou [12 June], a decree said:

Relying on the worthy to clarify good order has been passed through in the counsels from the past. Circulating their manners to help in applying themselves in truth are indeed the many gentlemen. Yet [those] assessed by the Central Correctors only live inside gates and mansions, the personnel section's moral laws and human relationships still do not bring up talent. Thereupon they make the gallant and virtuous scarcely promoted, and the ministers apply themselves to many blockages. Not concentrating on their selection, how might they examine their progress? The Eight Seats can thoroughly discuss former eras' methods for commending gentlemen, and framework for drawing up the worthy, and certainly cause the talented and schooled to equally stretch out.

On bingyin [13 June], since the Di of Chouchi were rebellious, decreed the Brilliantly Blessed Grandee Yang Chun as provisional General who Pacifies the West, to lead the multitudes to chastise them.

Xing Luan dispatched the Army Director Wang Zu on a western offensive. He again and again routed Xiao Yan's various armies, and thereupon entered Jiange. He seized Yan's General Fan Shi'nan, and sent him off to the Imperial City.

5th Month, xinsi [28 June], the Di thief [lacuna] Hu led the multitudes to surrender.

6th Month, jichou [6 July? In the 5thMonth], a decree said:

The previous court's merited subjects sometimes personally had the misfortune to be reprimanded and demoted, their sons and grandsons were sunk and obstructed. Sometimes the route of officialdom neglected the sequence, and was putting aside the old flow. To follow that and not select, how then to encourage and motivate?

When talking of and recalling previous achievements, [we] feel there are those close and those far apart. For the [imperial] lineage and commoner families, those whose grandfathers and great grandfathers' merits and achievements can be chronicled but have no court offices, and those who have offices and talent and ability are copiously brought forth, pursue talent when assessing conferrals.

On jiayin [31 July], Xiao Yan's General of the Best of the Army, Li Tian, and others set up camps east of Shiping commandery and north of Fu River. Wang Zu confronted, struck, and defeated them. He beheaded Yan's General of the Best of the Army, Zhang Tang, General who Assists the State, Ma Shi, Generals who Soothes the Boreal, Li Dang and Jiang Jianzu, General who Assists the State, Feng Wenhao, Dragon Prancing General, He Yingzhi, and others.

On jiazi [10 August], decreed the Master of Writing Li Chong, the Grand Treasurer Vassal Yu Zhong, the Cavalier Regular Attendant You Zhao, the Remonstrating Consultant Grandee Deng Xian; that Chong and Zhong [being] Envoys Holding the Tally and also Combined Palace Attendants, Xian Combined Yellow Gates, everyone to be Great Envoys, and bring together and pass judgement on the outer provinces and inside of the imperial demesne. If there were those of their groups of wardens and prefects who were blamed for neglecting to clearly display and lay bare, they were to readily carry out judgement. Provinces and garrisons with heavy duties were to take heed to make it known.

On yichou [11 August], Xiao Yan's General of the Best of the Army, Wang Jingyin, General who Assists the State, Lu Fangda, and others attacked Zhuting. Wang Zu greatly routed them, and beheaded their General who Assists the State, Wang Jingyin, and Dragon Prancing General Zhang Fangchi.

On dingmao [13 August], the Inspector of Yang province, Xue Zhendu, greatly routed Xiao Yan's general Wang Chaozong, and took prisoner and beheaded 3 000.

On wuchen [14 August], Xiao Yan's general Lu Fangda stationed at Shuxin City [?]. Zu again dispatched the Army Director Lu Zuqian and others to strike and defeat him. They beheaded Yan's General of the Best of the Army Yang Boren and General who Soothes the Boreal, Ren Anding.

Autumn, 7th Month, jiaxu [20 August], a decree said:

Us succeeding to steering the treasured series is now in the 7thyear. Virtue and beneficence is not yet spreading, and discernment does not illuminate the distant. A person's illness from injustice is what is still propagating. And yet the litigations from investigations and examinations are not unimpeded among the subordinates, the worthy and stupid are not separated, ink-black and white are equally threaded together, not the means by which to change the people's ears and eyes, and make good and evil encourage their hearts.

Now allot and dispatch the Great Envoys, to scrutinize the regions, tour and investigate. In due course, if their mistakes and demerits and the sound of their manners are fitting together, then rectify and demote, to thereby clarify the awesomeness of a thunderclap, and to unroll the elevation of the yak-tail coach. Following that, on observing the manners and telling apart customs, gather and inquire into merits and transgressions, praise and award the worthy, investigate and penalize the excessive and depraved, attend to the poor and care for the ill-treated, and so declare Our heart.

On wuzi [3 September], Wang Zu struck and routed Xiao Yan's army, and beheaded his Dragon-Prancing General Yu Zenghui, General who Soothes the Boreal Ku Baoshou, General who Assists the State Lu Tianhui, General who Establishes the Martial Wang Wenbiao.

Wang Zu pressured Fucheng.

On renchen [7 September], Xiao Yan's Grand Warden of Baxi Yu Yu, General of the Best of the Army and Master of Army Directors Li Tian, and others confronted him in battle. Zu struck and routed him. The prisoners and beheaded numbered a thousand.

8th Month, renyin [17 September], decreed the King of Zhongshan, Ying, to go south and chastise Xiang and Mian.

On gengxu [25 September]. Wang Zu dispatched the Army Directors Ji Hongya and Lu Zuqian and others to attack and rout Yan's army. They beheaded his Inspector of Qin and Liang# provinces, Lu Fangda and others, fifteen people.

On renzi [27 September], Wang ZU again dispatched Army Director Lu Zuqian and others to rout Yan's army. They beheaded his Chief Controller and General of the Best of the Army, the State-Founding Count ofZitong county, Wang Jingyin, Liu Da, and others, twenty-four generals.

On jiayin [29 September], Yang province struck Yan's general Jiang Qingzhen at Yangshi, and routed him.

This Month [14 September – 13 October], Yan's Grand Warden of Miandong, Tian Qingxi, led 7 commanderies, 31 counties, and 10 090 households to adhere within.

9th Month, jisi [14 October], the Inspector of Yang province, Yuan Song, struck and routed Yan's Inspector of Xiang province, Yang Gongze, and others, and beheaded and captured several thousand.

Winter, 11th Month, wuchen, New Moon [12 December], the King of the state of Wuxing, Yang Shaoxian's junior uncle Jiqi planned rebellion. Decreed the Brilliantly Blessed Grandee Yang Chun to chastise him.

Wang Zu besieged Fucheng. The various commanderies and defence posts in Yi province who surrendered were twenty-three, the people who sent off their records and registers were more than 50 000 households. Then Zu pulled in the army and withdrew.

12th Month, gengshen [2 February], also decreed the Great General of Agile Cavalry, Yuan Huan to be careful, and ordered him to chastise the rebelling Di of Wuxing.