#red dwarf advent

[miniherodesktales]

Advent 8: Snow

Kryten was examining a Christmas card sent to Hollister by one of his many secret children long, long ago. It wasn't very imaginative. Just a standard robin standing on snowy log. But to Kryten, it was a novel image.

'I've never seen a robin,' he said longingly. 'And the first time I ever saw snow was when Cat and I came to rescue you and Mr Rimmer from that frozen planet.'

'And there was too much of it there,' smiled Lister. 'Never mind, Kryts, one day we'll find another Earth with gardens and birds and the proper amount of snow every winter.'

'It was my first time too, bud,' said the Cat. 'No snow on the Dwarf. My outfit was on point, though.'

'And it was my first time,' added Rimmer. 'I didn't like it much.'

'Guys, are you serious?' said Lister. 'You've never built a snowman, been in a snowball fight? Never told a younger kid to eat yellow snow because it tastes like a lemon ice lolly?' He lent back in his chair. 'All this time I've been travelling with a bunch of snow virgins.'

'It's not our fault!' snapped Rimmer. 'We just grew up on the wrong moon and in the wrong time periods.'

Lister put on a posh voice. 'Not to worry, my dear friends. Come join me in the virtual world tonight. I have a cold surprise for you.'

Rimmer shook his head. 'No.'

'Oh c'mon, don't be a spoil sport. Don't you want to get drunk, fall over and make a snow angel?' Lister lent over Rimmer's chair, pushing his face close to Rimmer's. 'You can cuddle up to me to keep warm. Go on, go on, Arn, say yes!'

'Ugh. Fine, fine! Just back off, you have morning curry and larger breath!'

'I'll come too,' said the Cat. 'Just let me change my clothes.'

'I'm coming too,' said Kryten. 'I want to try tobogganing.'

'That's the spirit, guys!'

[starspanner]

That "e" can have consequences!

[bestanimatedmovie]

Welcome to Revenge of the Underrated!

Some of you asked me to put a "haven't watched both" to be more fair to the more unknown movies, but I've seen other tournaments doing this and I think it limits too much who can participate in the polls. So what I decided to do is a double elimination!

What does that mean? That means a movie has to lose twice to be eliminated. In other words, there will be a sorts of losers bracket that'll be part of main bracket. I'm undecided on whether to do this for only one round or the whole bracket, as it would make the tournament very long. Do let me know if you have any opinion about it.

Anyway, Revenge of the Underrated, Round 1:

Miss Hokusai vs Happily N'Ever After

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children vs Tiger and Bunny: The Rising

Ballerina vs Book Girl

On-Gaku: Our Sound vs Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie Part 1

Cats don't Dance vs The Flight of Dragons

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge vs The Girl Without Hands

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix vs Flatland: The Film

Felidae vs Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West vs Unico in the Island of Magic

Rock and Rule vs Rock-A-Doodle

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning vs Freddie as F.R.0.7

The Plague Dogs vs The Magic Riddle

Pokemon Heroes vs The Pebble and the Penguin

Strange Magic vs Sea Prince and the Fire Child

Help! I'm a Fish vs Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

16.Azur and Asmar: The Prince's Quest vs Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer

17.Titan A.E. vs Ico, the Brave Horse

18.The Adventures of Mark Twain vs A Troll in Central Park

19.The Case of Hana and Alice vs Once Upon a Forest

20.Underdogs vs Long Way North

21.Mars Needs Moms vs The Twelve Months

22.Phineas and Ferb: The Movie: Candace Against the Universe vs Blinky Bill

23.Robot Carnival vs Revue Starlight: The Movie

24.One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island vs Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom

25.Ruben Brandt, Collector vs Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie

26.Lupin III: The First vs Pippi Longstocking

27.The Three Caballeros vs The Legend of Manxmouse

28.Princes and Princesses vs The Snow Queen

29.A Letter to Momo vs Seven Days War

30.The Wild Thornberrys Movie vs The Rabbi's Cat

31.Night on the Galactic Railroad vs The Boy who Wanted to be a Bear

32.The Swan Princess vs Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito

33.Patema Inverted vs Bartok the Magnificent

34.Next Gen vs Padak

35.Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods vs Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland

36.Thumbelina vs Catnapped!

37.Early Man vs Rainbow Magic: Return to Rainspell Island

38.Junk Head vs Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie

39.Charlotte's Web (1973) vs The Princess and the Goblin

40.Shaun the Sheep Movie vs Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

41. Redline vs Balto

42. The Addams Family vs Inu-Oh

43. Epic vs Mary and the Witch's Flower

44.The Girl Who Leapt Through Time vs Vivo

45.Barbie: Princess Charm School vs Kronk''s New Groove

46.Waking Life vs The Transformers: The Movie

47.Barbie in the Nutcracker vs Barbie as Rapunzel

48.Pokemon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back vs Cool World

49.The Land Before Time vs When the Wind Blows

50.The Secret of NIMH vs Summer Wars

51.The Black Cauldron vs All Dogs go to Heaven

52.The Red Turtle vs FernGully: The Last Rainforest

53.Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas vs Ron's Gone Wrong

54.The Boxtrolls vs Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

55.Arthur Christmas vs One Piece Film Red

56.Barbie of Swan Lake vs The Rescuers Down Under

57.Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole vs Secret of the Wings

58.The Castle of Cagliostro vs Pokemon: The Movie 2000

59.Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust vs Arthur and the Invisibles

60.Tinker Bell vs Barbie as the Island Princess

61.Mind Game vs Tekkonkinkreet

62.The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh vs Dragon Ball Super: Broly

63.Mirai vs Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

64.The Lion King II: Simba's Pride vs Scooby-Doo! and the Cyber Chase

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Chapter 22

I was looking forward to the party facing the dragon, but I'm happy with learning more about the world instead.

So this takes place on an island with a single port city. And underneath the island is an ancient kingdom. The spectre from chapter 1 said the kingdom was sealed beneath the earth. That makes me think that the surrounding lands were either buried under the earth or the surrounding land was raised up to bury the golden city. Either way, the "island" is probably just the top-most point of the seal on the dungeon and the water is either ocean water that flooded in or 1,000 years worth of rainfall.

Calling it "the island" and giving it a backstory of "it had so many names from so many races that calling it the island is less confusing" is such a cheeky thing to do. It's the kind of thing a DM would do when they just want to do a dungeon-crawl adventure.

I want to know what that looks like on the other end.

Judging by the angle, the portal on the other side was against the ground, so it probably feels like crawling through a slightly too-small hole. Kiki was awkward walking through since she had to duck to fit through the portal but also had to avoid falling when stepping out of it.

There were some other painted canvases as well. Probably from previous journeys. The next question is whether that teleportation spell is two-way or not.

Namari didn't handle the trip well at all. Is it a dwarf thing that they get sick from magic effects, or is it something like motion or altitude sickness?

The Tansus are well off enough that they seem to have servants.

GOATS!! I love goats!

More talk about the dungeon becoming more dangerous. It was a closed-off environment for 1,000 years. Then it was discovered and adventurers started exploring it, killing the monsters, and taking any riches they could find. If the mage is trying to preserve the kingdom, it would make sense for him to ramp up the danger to keep adventurers from going further in.

Okay, so the chapter does give some backstory to the island. There was a war on it between elves and dwarfs. Some people believe the dungeon was the result of dwarfs digging so much that it sank the golden city underground. Mr Tansu says that idea isn't credible. What he didn't say is that it's just racism.

I wonder if this war ties in any way to what the Orc chieftain said back in chapter 9. Orcs used to live above ground, according to the chief, but were driven underground by humans and elves. Maybe Orcs fought in the war on the side of the dwarfs and Tallmen fought alongside elves.

Granted, considering Tallmen, Elves, and Dwarfs seem to be living in general peace, but Orcs are still pariahs, maybe these are two different things.

Mr Tansu used the term "human" when talking about the magic runes but "Tallman" gets mentioned later. So "human" is a technical term in this world. I'm going to guess that Tallmen and Half-foots are both classified as "human".

And there's a whole society of Western Elves. This land was previously Dwarven territory that the Elves took and granted to humans.

There's definitely about to be a race war at some point. The Elf King wants to claim complete ownership over the dungeon because they owned it at some point and gave it to the humans.

They probably thought the island was worthless because it's away from other locations and didn't have any obvious utility. Then the moment something valuable was found, the elves are trying to swoop in and claim everything belongs to them.

And they don't care for the dwarfs who had lived there for far longer and the humans who have settled and benefited from the dungeon. Colonizers all.

And Mr Tansu's goal is the immortality spell in the dungeon. Yeah. The initial story premise is almost concluded. Laios and his party are about to face the Red Dragon and (hopefully) rescue Falin. This chapter is putting the pieces into place for the story to continue beyond that.

Yes, this is how the system should work. The adventurers are providing a service and should be getting paid well for it. It would be better if various rescue services were provided for free as well, but at least the lord is getting the right idea about how to run things.

Mr Tansu's mental impression of Laios's party paints them all as freaks.

At this point, everyone on the island probably knows about how the dungeon prevents death. What I'm amazed at is how far the town has gone to integrate the dungeon into the town design. It would be one thing to have a special office to store unidentified bodies in the dungeon. It's another thing entirely that they dug a passage from the temple to that office.

Does the Adventurer's Guild know the exact boundaries of the dungeon so they can set up shops that logically connect to the appropriate above-ground facilities?

Oh my. Namari has a type.

Namari's chat with the twins is adding another layer to what will happen next after Laios's party beats the dragon. We can say for sure that Falin will need to be resurrected, but it's not going to be as simple as it sounds.

The most basic takeaway about resurrection is the success chance depends on how much of the original body is still there. I'm going to guess the challenge mostly has to do with restoring the body to a state where the soul can inhabit the body again.

Mr Tansu's discussion about death in the dungeon implies the soul is forcibly bound to the body and "death" is more akin to the body being too damaged for a soul to operate it.

A single arm is roughly 1/13th of the whole body by weight. If a corpse gets eaten by scavengers, the chances of resurrection would plummet.

I'm headcanoning that is Laios.

And then to cap off all the issues with resurrection, it's possible for a person's personality to change because their soul mingled with a ghost that possessed them.

Overall, this chapter is setting up things for after the red dragon is defeated. There is political turmoil building up, an elvish society is attempting to seize the dungeon, and we cannot guarantee Falin can be resurrected.

This chapter was probably also made to explain some things to readers as the story was originally developing. I can imagine there being several Reddit threads where people talked about how there's no real tension because Laios's party could always just be resurrected and try as many times as needed. But now the actual limitations on resurrection have been established.

Most importantly of all: If Laios's party fails, they are too far into the dungeon to hope for any rescue. They only have one chance to succeed.

back

[ladydeadrabbit]

Bitter, Evil Hearts [Eskel]

Summary: "Unfortunately you are wrong, Ser dwarf. Tonight will be different. Tonight I shall sing a fresh new ballad about not Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, or even Cirilla, the princess of Cintra- but tonight, I shall tell you a story of Esmeray of Carsten and Eskel the Witcher- another couple bound by destiny and fate and heroic justice! Our story begins long before the Great War, decades before Geralt ever even met Yennefer or claimed his Child Surprise. In fact, this story begins long before Geralt is ever even contracted to save Princess Adda. And its title: 'Bitter, Evil Hearts.'"

Notes: Like all of my fic's that I publish on here- I originally had this fic published on Quotev. It's written to somewhat be in the format of a one-shot series, but each chapter is pretty much connected to the other. Unlike on Quotev, however, I will be combining a lot of the chapters together so they will be much longer than the og story. Basically, each chapter will either be based on a specific event from either the game series or the books- so if you are a Netflix-only witcher fan, this fic is definitely not for you.

Chapter 1

'Verily I say unto you, the era of the sword and axe is nigh, the era of the wolf's blizzard. The Time of the White Chill and the White Light is nigh, the Time of Madness and the Time of Contempt: Tedd Deirea'dh, the Time of End. The world will die amidst frost and be reborn with the new sun. It will be reborn of the Elder Blood, of Heh Ichaer, of the seed that has been sown. A seed which will not sprout but will burst into flame.

Ess'tuath esse! Thus it shall be! Watch for the sighs! What signs these shall be, I say unto you: first the earth will flow with the blood of Aen Seidre, the Blood of Elves...'

--Aen Ithlinnespeath, Ithlinne Aegliaep Aevemien's prophecy

"Master Dandelion, Master Dandelion! You promised us a ballad!" A little girl with bright red hair chirped excitedly upon seeing the famed poet getting up from his seat- where he previously was playing a game of dice with a coupe of dwarves. The little girl, somehow keeping up with the poet's long strides, looked up at him expectantly.

Dandelion, like most poets, was tall, lanky, and pale- adorned with only the finest silks and extravagant embroidery.

"Yes, yes! Of battles and brave warriors!" Another child called this time a little boy, from a table over.

"-Of sorceresses and magic!" The same little red-headed girl chimed in as the poet reached the far end of the tavern that had a small stage next to a hearth alight with flame.

"-Of unrequited love!" Dandelion added upon reaching said stage and swiveling around on the heels of his boots to face the small crowd that had begun to gather.

"Silence, brats! You've not been in this world for long, so it is no surprise your heads are hollow," a bald dwarf with a beard that reached his knickers yelled at the children. Dandelion did not know said dwarf, but had just finished playing a round of dice with him and found him rather pleasing to be around- most dwarves usually were, anyhow. "This is Dandelion, friend and companion of Geralt of Rivia! Who might he sing of if not the famed witcher..."

"Unfortunately you are wrong, Sir dwarf. Tonight will be different. Tonight I shall sing a fresh new ballad about not Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, or even Cirilla, the princess of Cintra- but tonight, I shall tell you a story of Esmeray of Carsten and Eskel the witcher- another couple bound by destiny and fate and heroic justice! Our story begins long before the Great War, decades before Geralt ever dreamed he would be famous- no, this story happens before Geralt ever even met Yennefer, or claimed his Child Surprise. In fact, this story begins long before Geralt is ever even contracted to save Princess Adda. And its title is: 'Bitter, Evil Hearts.'

"In the fall of 1232, our beloved Witcher Geralt decided to return early to Kaer Morhen, fearing the quick advent of winter," the poet went on. "The Witcher was angry. The final stretch through northern Kaedwen was usually calm. But not this time...he was twice ambushed by bandits. Then one night wolves attacked and killed his horse- only being added at the last minute by the sorceress Esmeray of Carsten, who Geralt had learned to be Eskel's lover on her way up to Kaer Morhen herself.

"And although the help and company of the sorceress were appreciated, Geralt had grown accustomed to the kindly grey mare he had traditionally christened Roach, and it was because of that fact that the Witcher remained bitter and silent for the rest of their travel up to Kaer Morhen. And to make matters worse, at the foot of Kaer Morhen the two encountered a camp.

"Like all witchers, he believed the fingers of one hand would suffice to count the people who knew the way to the witchers' fortress- Esmeray being an exception. Geralt guessed Eskel had decided this winter, of all winters, to introduce his lover to the rest of the family. And oh, what a time to introduce her to the rest...."

000

It came as no surprise to Geralt that Eskel found Esmeray attractive. She was tall, almost as tall as Geralt himself, and thin- but a healthy sort of thin; with long, straight auburn-red hair that went into a braid down her back. Matched up with milky-white skin and hazel-green eyes. Geralt would've been lying to himself if he said he didn't like the way the shadows of the early morning sun ran down smoothly over her high cheekbones and the hollowness of her jaw- or the way her dark, narrow eyebrows raised or pinched together to convey her emotions as she talked-

But Geralt refused even her pleasant company to lighten his sour mood. Oh no, the witcher was dead set on being bitter. Call him petty, but he had just lost his mare.

"Is that a camp?" Esmeray's voice broke through the witcher's train of thoughts like a needle in a haystack- no wait, that analogy didn't make any sense-

"Huh?" Geralt dumbly questioned before following Esmeray's outstretched finger with his eyes- and sure enough, there was a rather large camp of what looked to be Kaedwen Soldiers camped out near the bank of the river the two found themselves traveling along. "What the hell?" Geralt muttered as his yellow gaze bored into the heads of the soldiers going to and fo.

"Listen," Esmeray reached over and grabbed Geralt by his forearm. "Those are Kaedweny soldiers, and I'm not sure what they want, but I think you should tell them to leave. This forest is private property, no?" Geralt only grunted in response before trudging his way up to the camp- Esmeray lingering some ways behind him with her mare, Elara; who was a beautiful dirty-grey horse in a lavish saddle.

"Perhaps we should return to Caingorn. I have no desire to perish in this wilderness forsaken by the gods..."

Geralt heard a man curse and complain- 'Glad I'm not the only one in a bad mood'- and looked to see a young nobleman dressed by a woman adorned in a tight dress and heavy makeup.

Geralt felt his medallion vibrate, and seeing how far away Esmeray was, he knew it wasn't because of her. The woman with heavy makeup next to the nobleman must've been a sorceress herself.

"Silence, Merwin. They are but wolves," the sorceress scolded the nobleman, now known as 'Merwin.'

"Wolves that fearlessly attack an encampment thick with campfires. I ask your forgiveness, mistress, but these are 'but' wolves like I am but an elven showgirl," a heavy-set dwarf grunted from beside the sorceress; and Geralt, indeed, heard wolves in the distance. Probably the same little bastards who killed Roach-

"Did anyone ask for your opinion, mister Bringgs? No? Then start doing what you are being paid for, and keep your hopelessly cowardly opinions to yourself. We would all be safe if your boys manned their stations instead of constantly playing dice while bathing in drink. Now take away this corpse before its stench fills my tent," the sorceress bitched.

"Cane I ask what happened?" Geralt finally spoke up from the sidelines, startling the group. They must've not known he was there, blasted witcher foot-falls-

"Wolves killed the boy...Nothing unusual about it happening in the camp...It's commonly known that wolves, the cursed beasts, love flames so much they'd bathe in them if they could," the dwarf, Bringgs, answered.

"Enough, Bringgs. Who are you, sir?" Merwin glared at Geralt, crossing his thin arms over his doublet.

"Geralt of Rivia, Witcher."

"And that?" Merwin nodded in the direction behind Geralt and said witcher turned to find Esmeray coming up with Elara in tow.

"Is that? It is! That's Esmeray of Carsten!" The sorceress squawked in a tune far too early in the morning to be using. "But- Ewww! What is she wearing?" The sorceress crinkled her powdered nose as Esmeray finally came to light.

It was still too early in the morning for there to be good lighting- the sun only just now peaking over the mountainside shading the group.

"-In any case!" Merwin cut in. "I am prince Merwin Ademegn of Aard Carriagh. Kind of you to visit, finally. We've been awaiting your response all day."

"Response?" Esmeray cocked one of her beautifully dark eyebrows as she came to a halt beside Geralt- her fingers still gripping the reins.

"Well hello to you too," the sorceress smiled wickedly as Esmeray's eyes widened.

"Sabrina-?!"

'Sabrina,' as Esmeray had called her, laughed before waving away Esmeray's shock at seeing her.

"Friend of yours?" Geralt turned to the ginger sorceress.

"Go on now, Esmeray, introduce us," Sabrina's perfect smile widened.

"Oh- right. Geralt, this is Sabrina Glevissig, sorceress and adviser to King Henselt....we actually went to school together, for a time," Esmeray explained. "But never mind that, what are you doing here, Sabrina?"

"I could ask you the same. Shouldn't you be in Tretogor running errands for Philippa?"

Geralt felt tension grow between the sorceresses, and one glance at Merwin told him he felt the same.

"-But anyhow...Come see me at my tent..." Sabrina's brow eyes trailed over to the bald prince. "Merwin, I assume you won't mind my handling this matter?"

"No, though I will want to know what you agree," the prince answered.

Sabrina nodded to the prince before turning on her heel and rounding into her tent, but before Geralt could follow, Esmeray drew the witcher off to the side.

"Geralt- I'm not sure what Sabrina wants or is doing here, but whatever the case- be on guard. Sabrina is not to be trusted."

"Are you not coming with?" Geralt furrowed his brows at the sorceress.

"No," Esmeray clenched her jaw; shooting a glare at the large blue tent Sabrina had gone into. "I came here to visit Eskel and to take a vacation away from work- Sabrina is clearly here to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. Find out what she wants and then meet me up at Kaer Morhen."

"Do the others know you're coming?"

"Eskel invited me, I'd sure hope he'd at least told Vesemer," Esmeray shrugged before glancing over to Geralt. With a quick goodbye, the two parted ways temporarily.

As soon as Geralt had disappeared from Esmeray's field of vision, the sorceress continued along the bank of the river until the massive fortress came into view.

Kaer Morhen was unlike anything the mage had seen before. Like a stacked cake, the stone fortress wall's loomed and layered over each other until they seemingly touched the skies above. The sun had now fully risen and for a long time, Esmeray just stood there slack-jawed at the sight before her.

At least, until she was rudely interrupted.

"Welcome to Mistress Sabrina's tent," a flamboyant blonde-headed man greeted Geralt as the Witcher stepped inside the seemingly modern tent- only to see that it was much larger on the side. The inside of that tent held a room that looked like it had been cut out of a castle- with stone walls, marble flooring, and even a stained glass window.

"In case you're wondering, this is an illusion," Sabrina called from her place at a vanity mirror.

Unlike Esmeray, Sabrina had brown locks of hair cropped just below her ears- which she held back with a headband similar to the one Geralt usually wore. The sorceress wore a tight, short red dress with black pin-stripes and a pair of long gloves to match her belt.

"Everything here's an illusion?" Geralt raised a brow.

"Yes. But, my dear Witcher, it's an illusion of rare quality. In fact, it barely differs from reality."

"If that's the case, then I wished Esmeray would've conjured something like this up when we camped out together last night."

"Yes, well...Esmeray is a different breed of the sorceress," Sabrina seemed to scowl as she spoke this statement. "No matter. I assume you're returning to Kaer MOrhen for the winter? And what of Esmeray? Is she, too, returning with you this winter? I didn't know witchers took on lovers, y'know, with you not being able to feel emotions and all...."

"You're only half correct. I and Esmeray are returning to Kaer Morhen for the winter, though, we're not a couple."

'Though I wished we were,' Geralt almost muttered.

Sabrina smiled at this statement and stood from her place in the mirror before making her way over to the witcher.

Once more, Geralt found himself enthralled by the gaze of another beautiful sorceress- not that he planned on sleeping with either. Although, if he had his way...

"Right, enough small talk, we have important business to discuss," Sabrina snapped Geralt from his daydream. "You've heard of the Curse of the Black Sun, witcher?"

"The curse of the mad mage Eltibald. I believe he started the whole mess that led to several dozen nobly born women being murdered or imprisoned in towers," Geralt nodded, his thoughts traveling to his first love...

"Eltibald was no madman, and there is no doubt the 'women' were not entirely normal," Sabrina defended haughtily.

"Madness, normality- it's a path steeped in reality. Tell me something specific."

"Autopsies were performed. The mutations witchers undergo are but a minor, clinical operation compared to those caused by the Curse of the Black Sun. The skulls and spines of these girls contained red sponges of some kind. Their internal organs were in disarray, some missing altogether. Everything was covered in moving cilia and pink and blue meat scraps. What say you to that?"

"Nothing. I've seen humans with eagle talons instead of hands, with wolf fangs and eyes. People with additional joints. All products of mages fumbling with magic. It's no proof of a curse. We digress. Why are you here?" Geralt was suddenly feeling very jealous of Esmeray right now. At the moment, she's probably already at Kaer Morhen unpacking her things, getting ready for a hot bath.....while Geralt had to stand around talking to some lunatic with too much makeup.

"A girl affected by the Curse of the Black Sun is inside Kaer Morhen. Princess Deidre Ademeyn, elder sister of Merwin."

"What do I have to do with this?"

"Don't play the fool. That girl is a serious threat to you. Surrender her to me and no one will get hurt," the sorceress demanded with her hands on her hips.

"I'll think about it," Geralt muttered before exiting the tent- only to be immediately stopped by prince Merwin.

"I see you have spoken to miss Sabrina. However, I head this expedition, remember that," the prince taunted.

"I will," Geralt rolled his eyes.

"Are you able to read?"

"I am."

"Then read this scroll," the prince then pulled a parchment from the inside of his blue doublet and handed it over to Geralt.

"To my barons, vassals, and all free subjects..." Geralt looked up from the paper and glared at the prince.

"Go on, go on," the prince urged.

"Let it be known far, wide and by all, that I hereby declare Merwin of Caingorn to be our loyal and trusted servant, and to be loved by us, this rendering all who cause him grief liable to incur our Royal wrath. Henselt, King of Kaedwen."

"Good enough. Understood?"

"Indeed, though 'grief' is spelled differently," Geralt said smugly as he kept his eyes on the paper.

"I see you are quick. So you accept that if the witchers wish to travel freely and unmolested about Kaedwen, they should not cause me grief, no matter how the term is spelled," the prince snatched the paper out of Geralt's gloved fingers.

"You don't seem like anyone's causing you grief," Geralt crossed his well-built arms over each other. A reminder that he was a skilled warrior where the prince was....well...a prince.

"Not you, no, but that may change. And my patience has its limits."

"Riiight, well I'll be going then," not wasting another second, Geralt turned his back to the prince and made his way up to Kaer Morhen. Maybe if he spoke to Vesemir he could get more insight as to what was going on exactly...

'Verily, there is nothing so hideous as the monsters, so contrary to nature, known as witchers for they are the offspring of foul sorcery and devilry. They are rogues without virtue, conscience, or scruple, true diabolic creations, fit only for killing. There is no place amidst honest men for such as they.

And Kaer Morhen, where these infamous beings nestle, where they perform their foul practices, must be wiped from the surface of this earth, and all trace of it strewn with salt and saltpeter.'

--Anonymous, Monstrum, or Description of the Witcher

Esmeray was pissed- no, inraged- no, pissed; and all because of the stupid witcher in front of her.

The redhead sheathed at the man who would not let her cross the river.

"I said beat it," the young witcher, who Esmeray assumed through context clues to be Lambert.

"Didn't you hear me the first time! I'm a guest! I was invited here by Eskel!" The sorceress continued to pout.

After Geralt had gone into the tent to speak to Sabrina, Esmeray and her steed, Elara, attempted to make their way up to Kaer Morhen....only to be stopped before she could even cross the bridge by (who she now assumed) Lambert.

Esmeray had heard plentiful stories of the youngest witcher from Eskel, and in almost all of them, he was immature, quick to anger, and mouthy. All three are a combination of things Esmeray hated in a man.

Although supposedly young, Lambert didn't look much of it. Sure, his face was like that of a toddler, but his dark hair seemed to already be receding into that of a widow's peak. On top of that, he held the gaze of a lame duck.

"Lambert, quit being an ass and let her pass," came the familiar voice of Geralt, and Esmeray turned to find said witcher approaching.

'Geralt's already done talking to Sabrina? Damn. How long have I been standing here arguing with Lambert?'

"Hey, wolf," Lambert greeted with a quick change of attitude. "You know this wench?"

"Yes, now quit being an ass and let her pass."

At Geralt's demand, the now-confirmed Lambert sidestepped and allowed the sorceress to pass- of course, not before she turned back to Geralt.

"Thank you, Geralt. Please come speak to me once you're done here. I wish to know what Sabrina had to say."

Geralt gave a nod to the sorceress as he watched her and her mare trudge through the shallow river and across to the other side.

"So, who else are we to expect for this winter?" Lambert asked, turning back to face the other wolf school witcher.

"I was just about to ask the same."

"From what I know, Vesemir and Eskel...plus a few others...." Lambert's yellow cat-like gaze slid over from Geralt to glare at the campsite set up a few hundred yards from them.

"I know. I've been to their camp. What are you doing here, though?"

"Making sure those bastards stay out of Kaer Morhen- thought that wench that came through here was one of them, trying to make an excuse to get to our base."

"Have any of them tried to make excuses to get through here like that before?"

"A couple of pompous pricks showed up with an escort of dwarf mercenaries. Obviously, I couldn't let them pass- but other than that, no, they haven't tried something as elaborate as that yet, but you can never be too careful. Especially around those sorceress types. Are you sure we can trust her?"

"She aided me against a pack of wolves, and on top of that, she showed me a letter addressed to her from Eskel inviting her here. I think I know my own brother's handwriting. In any case, you are aware that those 'pompous pricks' are carrying a letter of safe conduct from King Henselt?"

"Not interested," Lambert shrugged. "This is Kaer Morhen, royal edicts mean nothing here."

"I hope that's not how you put it to him."

"Didn't have a chance to. The archespores sprouted first, quite a few seem to have planted roots over the summer, I always thought they grew on the graves of the murdered. Some bad wind must've carried the spores to the valley. It's full of them now."

"Damnit, Lambert!" Geralt raised his voice. "I wish you would've told me that before I let Esmeray cross! What if she runs into them before she reaches Kaer Morhen? You know if she gets hurt Eskel will have our heads!"

"Calm down wolf," Lembert raised his arms up in defense. "She's a big girl, I'm sure she'll be fine," Lambert laughed but Geralt didn't hear- he was already storming his way through the water and onto the other side.

Although Kaer Morhen was visible from where he stood- the witcher still needed to go through a small patch of wood to reach the Keep. He could only hope that the kind sorceress hadn't run into too much trouble on her way up there.

000

When Geralt finally got up to Kaer Morhen, the wolf was greeted by the oldest known witcher (and to whom he saw a father) Vesemir.

"Greetings, Geralt. Good thing you're here," the old witcher said.

Vesemir, like many of the other witchers, was tall and well-built- although worn from age, the Witcher didn't have any visible scars on his face. Though, what he did have on his face was a ridiculous handlebar mustache that encased his entire upper lip.

"Greetings," Geralt said in turn.

"How's the path?" Vesemir attempted to make light conversation- Witchers were never known for being conversationalists.

"Tolerable, nothing groundbreaking. What is going on here, Vesemir? And have you seen Esmeray?"

Vesemir let out a long drawn-out sigh.

"We've got a bit of a problem. The princess of Caingorn arrived two days ago claiming her envious brother and an evil sorceress were pursuing her. She's asked for our protection- as for Esmeray, she's up in the tower setting up her room."

"Good. I was worried that she'd run into trouble on her way up here. But this princess....she's got her castles all wrong. No knights in shining armor here."

"She was in bad shape, hungry, cold. We didn't have the heart to drive her off."

'Typical. Vesemir's heart has always been too big for his own good...Now, look what we're dealing with!' Geralt thought with a roll of his eyes.

"And Eskel has been acting strange..." Vesemir continued, entirely oblivious to Geralt's sass. "I made him contact Esmeray, see if she could...oh, I don't know, help in some way? The princess fell asleep with her pack of dogs in the courtyard. Tried to get her a bed but she said she preferred to sleep outside. Before she went to bed she said one more thing- that one cannot flee one's fate."

Geralt listened attentively to the old man's words as he continued.

"Later, Eskel told me a story. Some 20 years ago he saved the prince of Caingorn's life. He called the Law of Surprise, and as they say, destiny proved fortunate- unbeknownst to the prince, his wife was with child....."

"I'm not sure that was entirely fortunate...." Geralt muttered.

"So you've heard of the curse...In any case, on a day when the sky was dark as night at high moon, the princess gave birth to a girl," Vesemir crossed his arms and leaned his back against one of the stone pillars at the entrance of Kaer Morhen. "As far as I know, Eskel never returned to claim the child promised him by the prince. For some reason, ever since then he's always taken the long way around Caingorn. So, now we need to deal with the brother of Eskel's unexpected child, a group of mercenaries, and a sorceress bent on dissecting the woman she suspects of being a mutant. As if that's not enough, the brother carried a letter of safe conduct from King Henselt himself, so we can hardly just drive them all away."

"I know, so what do we do?"

"My advice? Talk to Eskel, she's his surprise. We'll meet back at the ford Lambert is guarding. Think it through, wolf, I'll want to hear your opinion."

"Fine," Geralt nodded. First and foremost, he decided in his mind, he was going to speak with Esmeray before going to Eskel.

When Geralt finally made it to the room in the tower, he found Esmeray in the midst of doing her makeup.

"Well Geralt," Esmeray said, applying dark red lipstick to her lips. "What is it exactly that Sabrina so eagerly wanted to speak to you about? Does it have something to do with that Deadra girl?" She turned around from her vanity to face Geralt.

"Yes. Deadra is the princess of Caingorn and, supposedly, she was born under the black sun. Sabrina wishes for us to hand her over to them so that they might dissect her-"

"And so Deadra thought to find refuge here with Eskel," Esmeray finished.

"So you already know Deadra is Eskel's child surprise, then?" The witcher raised a brow as he watched the sorceress take a stand from her place at the vanity mirror.

Esmeray, not bathed and clean, wearing a long, elegant dark green velvet dress with puffy red sleeves and collar. {Like this, only a dark green}

"Of course. I've known of Deadra for some time now. I am, after all, Eskel's lover. He confided in me many issues that have troubled him- including the surprise child he was afraid to claim."

"And what do you think of that? Of him not coming back for her?"

Esmeray simply shrugged.

"I thought nothing of it, of course. I am a sorceress, Geralt, but I'm not crazy. I don't believe in fate or destiny.....although, now that Deadra is here...I really should have pushed Eskel a bit harder in going back to Caingorn. Maybe then none of this would be happening," Esmeray's hazel eyes dropped to the floors before rising back up to meet Geralt's. "Speaking of which, have you seen Eskel?"

"No, I haven't, but if I know Eskel- he's avoiding the issue altogether and hiding out somewhere. I'll go ask Vesemire, you should probably go talk to this....'Deidre' girl. See what she's all about."

Esmeray nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan."

'Intolerance and superstition has always been the domain of the more stupid amongst the common folk and, I conjecture, will never be uprooted, for they are as eternal as stupidity itself. There, where today seas surge, will one day be deserts. But stupidity will remain stupidity.'

--Nicodemus de Boot, Meditations on Life, Happiness and Prosperity

Deidre was a simple-looking girl with a wide face, square nose, and unplucked eyebrow; Esmeray initially took note of upon finding the girl asleep amongst a pile of hay near the horse stables. Next, she took note of the fact that the 'girl' was not much of a girl anymore. Despite her lack of curves, it was clear to Esmeray that Deidre had to have been somewhere close or around the age of 18 or 19.

Throwing the girl only one more glance, Esmeray decided she had had enough of the sight before her and cleared her throat- startling the girl in the hay out of her slumber.

"Oh! Greetings, Esmeray. I'm Deidre. Visemir spoke of you," Deidre said, shooting up and shaking the hay from her cropped blond hair- that did little justice to her wide face.

"I've heard a few things about you too...." Esmeray replied, putting on a bit of a classic sorceress air- which wasn't something she entirely liked to do, but if Deidre was going to be staying with them, Esmeray was sure going to teach her a thing or two about being a lady.

"If you mean from that lying shrew Glevissig-"

"Calm down," Esmeray raised a hand. "I don't intend to judge based on rumors."

"Then you are to interrogate me?" Deidra glared at the sorceress.

"Call it an interview, if it makes you feel better- but I'm just trying to figure out a way to resolve the situation. Believe me, I want Sabrina gone just as much as you do."

Deidra seemed to relax a little at this statement and waited patiently for the red-headed sorceress to continue.

"What do you want from Eskel?"

"Are you jealous?" The girl taunted with a smirk.

"Just answer the damn question," Esmeray was not amused by any of this. Not even five minutes with the girl and she was already getting on her nerves.

'How on Earth am I going to last a winter with this girl?' Esmeray thought to herself.

"I want him to stop fleeing from his destiny," Deidre answered plainly.

"And you think his destiny lies with you?" Esmeray raised a brow.

"As opposed to you, yes."

"Alright then....how did you find Kaer Morhen?"

"I always know where Eskel is, unlike you, apparently. I merely need to think about him."

Esmeray glared at the girl at this statement.

'Ohhh yeah, this is gonna be a looooong winter,' Esmeray continued to think bitterly to herself.

"Last question and I'll be out of your hair. Deidre, do you know what Sabrina and your brother want from you exactly? Geralt has told me a little, but I'm still confused about the whole ordeal."

"Obviously," Deidra rolled her eyes, "Sabrina wants to place my sweet little brother on the throne of Caingorn. My brother, who is entirely subservient to her, and who as the prince of Caingorn will have a vote on King Henselt-s council-"

"Enough politics, I want something else."

"Alright, then..." Deidre took a deep breath, and she spoke again, she seemed somewhat....younger. More innocent. More like a victim- which Esmeray had no doubt she was. "Sabrina believes me to be cursed, tainted in my mother's very womb. She believes me to be a monster."

Despite the clear rift between the two women, Esmeray reached out and placed a gentle hand on the shorter girl's upper arm.

"I want to hear your side of the story."

Deidre met Esmeray's eyes.

"I was 19 and happy when Sabrina showed up at the castle. My father, who always preferred Merwin, was old and ill by this time, so he could no longer bother me. My brother had been away at King Henselt's court and I could handle most of the courtiers. I was at a tender age and fell in love. His name was Roben. I even considered a morganite marriage....girlish fantasy...."

Esmeray listened carefully.

"Sabrina arrived with my brother, whom she already had on a short leash. She observed me, interrogated servants, and tested the situation. My father's company of Knights treated me like a daughter. I had always liked hunting and took part in manhunts for bandits. She needed proof, some spectacular way to defame me."

"And in your carelessness, you provided her with that proof," Esmeray put two and two together.

Deidre nodded and continued.

"Sabrina decided to provoke me. She seduced Roben using magic so powerful that his mind became confused. He suddenly developed an intense fear of animals, especially of the dogs he bred...I wanted to help him....it was then I discovered that mages found it hard to cast spells in my presence, and that spells previously cast gradually subsided if I was near. I went to the small chamber Roben inhabited just above the kennel....and I found Sabrina there...I admit I was enraged, haunted to tear her apart, but she was too quick. The hag flew out the window on a broom...Roben was left drooling, whimpering like a child.

"Within an hour he had ceased gibbering, and within two he understood what the witch had done to him. I thought all was in order and I could leave him. I wished to settle the score with her and entered the castle. I know not what happened, but the spell grasped Roben once more as soon as I was gone. He began feverishly seeking Sabrina. In his wildness, he entered a pen occupied by a very aggressive hunting hound."

"Did he survive?"

"Yes, though mentally he became a two-year-old child, a child that feared animals intensely...Sabrina blamed the accident on me. I swore then that I would kill her. I carry a blade, lest I get the opportunity to use it."

"I understand, thank you for sharing this info with me, Deidra, and....you're more than welcome to stay with me once we get this situation sorted out. I have a cozy place in Oxenfurt."

For the first time since their meeting, Deidra smiled at the older woman, and Esmeray saw not an ugly girl- but a brave young woman.

Once Esmeray was done speaking to Deidra, she only briefly spoke with Geralt in regard to where Eskel was. And it was there at the mouth of Kaer Morhen that it was decided that and agreed upon for Esmeray to teleport to the cave in which Eskel hid in [she briefly passed it on her way up to Kaer Morhen, so she knew where it was located] to speak to him while Geralt would go and deal with Sabrina and Deidre's brother, see if they could come to an understanding.

000

Bones of some sort greeted Esmeray's heeled feet at the mouth of the cave. She took a shape breath at the sight but continued along the old miner tracks that ran into the dark damp place.

From what Esmeray knew of the place, the mine near Kaer Morhen was at least as old as the fortress. Once, probably, a rich source of iron, ore, and what-have-you now a ruin. Esmeray seemed to have briefly recalled a memory of Eskel telling her that the witchers sometimes used the tunnels to gather ingredients for their witcher potions- of course, when pressed as to what ingredients they found down there, Eskel would change the subject.

Eskel was not afraid to shed light on his life as a witcher and did so openly with Esmeray, but when it came to the secrets of the witchers potions- it was his duty as a witcher to keep those to himself, not even with his own lover would he peep.

It did not, thankfully, take Esmeray long to find Eskel once in the cave. Her lover must've heard or smelled her coming, for she found him waiting expectantly near a small campfire.

"Esmeray," he called her over, and once she was near, he did not hesitate to pull her into a kiss.

Esmeray's lover, Eskel, had to have been around 6'foot something, for he stood at least a few inches taller than Esmeray herself [who was already quite a tall woman]. The sorceress rested her filed nails on Eskel's wide chest before dragging them along his broad shoulders and into his dark locks. Of course, Eskel was as pale as the other witchers, but unlike them, he had a sort of natural rose-tone to his found nose and cheeks.

Eskel wore, on this fine evening, a black jerkin with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of matching trousers, and boots that almost reached his knees.

"Eskel, my darling, this is fantastic- and I'm always happy to see you, but we need to talk about Deidre," Esmeray said upon breaking the kiss.

"Can it wait? I haven't seen you in three months," Eskel grunted into the fabric of Esmeray's collar.

"Well....I....suppose Geralt can wait-" Esmeray was pulled into another intimate kiss.

Despite his depressive mood, Eskel's kiss is sweet but greedy, in hot pursuit of a distraction. And a distraction Esmeray was all the willing to give. A moment later, the witcher is in the process of pulling the strings of her corset, one of the many useful tips he had learned over the course of their relationship, and in another moment, Esmeray found the expensive fabric of her dress on the cave floor.

Rather than annoyance or anger, relief floods the sorceress when Eskel's calloused hands start kneading her breasts- but it's not enough, and so she shakes the witcher's hands off and begins pulling off his jerkin.

Their feverish kisses continue until they're both completely stripped of their clothing and lying on a makeshift bed of said clothes next to the fire. And despite the chilled air of the cave, and the cold hard ground, Esmeray revel's in every moment of it.

000

"Care to tell me something about Deidre now?" Esmeray's voice echoed along the cave walls.

"Ugh....it was about 20 years ago. I rescued Deidre's father from a gang of bobolaks. I must've heard too many of Vesemir's stories about the eternal Law of Surprise...." Eskel's voice trailed off as he nuzzled his nose into the shoulder blades of Esmeray's bareback. Currently, the couple was still in the nude hiding out in the mining tunnel next to the fire.

They've made love for hours and from the entrance of the cave, Esmeray could see the sun setting. They really should get back to Kaer Morhen soon, Esmeray thought.

"The prince, spattered with bobolak blood, looked at me and said: 'you saved my life, witcher. As I am a debtor, say what you wish in return,'' Eskel continued with hesitation. "All I could think of was the famous line: 'you will give me that which you know not that you have! I shall return to Caingorn 6 years from now to see if destiny acted in my favor.' I never went back to caingorn, as you know, but then rumors started circulating about the Curse of the Black Sun, and there was confusion."

"And what do you know about the Curse of the Black Sun?" Esmeray turned over on her side to look at Eskel. Said witcher sitting up from his spot and Esmeray watched with mild fascination as he began to dress.

"I did take an interest in it and even bribed a certain wizard to let me look at documents drafted for the council of mages."

"You know you could've asked for my help, all mages know each other."

Eskel shook his head.

"It was years back before we even met. In any case, it seems the mages screwed up as usual. Which is why Sabrina Glevissig was chosen to examine the princess of Caingorn. It was hatred at first sight, or so I've heard. Something about a guy....."

"Yes, I seem to recall Deidre mentioning a lover..."

"It only got worse. Sabrina concluded she had enough proof to consider Deidre a cursed mutant and to subject her to 'real studies.' As I'm sure you've guessed, Deidre had no intention of being examined, not least because she was a princess. She persuaded several of the prince's warriors to get rid of Sabrina. All hell broke loose at the castle in caingorn. Many died, and there was some priestess among the corpses."

"And that is note-worthy because....?"

"It's not. From what I know, she landed in the wrong place at the wrong time. After it was all over, Deidre fled the castle."

"Which leads the pursuit here and now," Esmeray concluded, standing up from her spot and slipping on her now dirty dress. Normally, she wore light-colored clothes, but she did not regret her decision in wearing the dark green velvet fabric tonight. "We need to start heading back, I sort of left Geralt to deal with the problem. But we still need to decide what to do with Deidre. I believe she's an innocent girl- but she can't hide out here forever, none of you can continue to guard Kaer Morhen."

"I don't know," Eskel sighed. "I understand Vesemir's viewpoint, but I'm not keen on surrendering her to the sorceress. I know she'd meet an unpleasant end."

"She is your child's surprise, Eskel. Even though she's all grown, this is still your call."

"I know, though at this point the matter concerns you as well, we are.....y'know...together."

"I love it when you get all flushed. Fine. I'll consider it, but let's be going now."

Eskel nodded, somewhat relieved he wouldn't be dealing with this entirely on his own, and put out the small campfire before guiding the sorceress out of the dark tunnels.

000

When Esmeray and Eskel finally emerged from the cavern, they found the rest of the witchers by the river bay, and when they approached, Geralt was the first to speak.

"Okay, we're all here, I think it's time we decided on what to do."

"We need to figure out what to do with Deidre and her brother. Eskel wants everyone to say their piece. This concerns our safety and Kaer Morhen. A mistake could cost a great deal," Esmeray was the next to speak.

"I'll start," Vesemir announced. "I think we should stay out of this, meaning we can no longer shelter the girl. The reason is simple: if we meddle and Sabrina informs Henselt, Kaedwen will be off limits to us for decades."

"I don't really care for Deidre," Lambert stated next. "But I detest the fact that some blue blood who rules three coal hills comes here demanding obedience. This is Kaer Morhen, royal authority doesn't extend here. I think we need to drive away the noble and the sorceress."

"What about you Esmeray?" Geralt asked, turning to the red-headed woman.

"Deidre is a grown woman, she can take care of her own- not that I don't feel any sympathy for her, but I think she should come down here and sort matters on her own with her brother. How about you Eskel?"

"I'm torn," the golden-eyed witcher admitted. "I understand Vesemir....on the other hand, I owe the girl, I feel some kind of bond...I'm incapable of being objective. I'd like to hear your opinion, wolf," Eskel turned his gaze to his brother.

"We can't let the sorceress get her hands on the girl. It wouldn't be right," Geralt admitted.

"So what do we do about Sabrina and the nobleman?" Vesemir prompted.

"Deidre must give up her claims. That should satisfy Merwin. And the sorceress, well, she'll have to live with our decision..." Geralt answered.

"Either that or I'll turn her lovely little head into something to place on the mantle," Lambert muttered.

"Lambert, save your morbid lines for later. Let's try to resolve this peacefully," Geralt scolded.

"Alright. Eskel, Geralt, go see our princess. We'll wait for you here," Vesemir ordered.

000

"We've decided to help you," Geralt announced upon finding Deidre pacing back and forth along the path just outside of the Keep.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me," Deidre ceased her pacing and lowered her gaze as the witchers stopped just before her.

"We need to settle things with your brother. You have to go to the camp with us and tell him that you relinquish your claims to the throne and estate," Eskel explained.

"Thus stripping Sabrina of support," Geralt added.

"A high price, but I see no other choice," Deidre nodded, lifting her gaze to meet with Eskel's for the first time.

"That's settled then," Geralt sighed, happy that it was almost all over.

"I'm glad, Deidre, really," Eskel said earnestly.

It did not take nearly as long to get back down the river as before, and when they did, the Witchers and ladies set off immediately to the Kaedweni camp. The soldiers of the camp noticed their approach almost immediately, having been watching them across the river for some time, so by the time they crossed the bank- Merwin and Sabrina were already awaiting them.

"To what do we owe this procession?" The Weasley-looking prince grinned smugly.

"Prince Merwin, there's a way to resolve this peacefully," Esmeray stepped forward. Naturally, as a sorceress, she was used to dealing with royal brats.

"To feed the wolves while saving the sheep," Deidre stepped up next.

"Very well. I shall hear you out," Merwin agreed, gesturing for them to continue.

"Forgetting anyone?" Sabrina emerged from her tent, a furious expression on her face.

"No. This is strictly Merwin's business. We will speak with you too, Sabrina. Later," Geralt, also came to stand next to Esmeray.

"Merwin, I am prepared to relinquish my claim to the throne and the lands of caingorn, I am ready to give up my title as the princess," Deidre explained.

"Unconditionally?" Deidre's brother raised a brow.

"No, but I have only one. You will strike me from your mind. You will cease pursuing me and return home, taking this witch with you."

"Silence, woman!" Sabrina snapped. "Merwin, you must see through this. This is a trick."

"We will draft the necessary documents here and now, witnesses present. All will be clarified," Esmeray defended.

"Merwin, don't believe them. Remember how Roben ended?" Sabrina persisted.

"That was your doing, Glevissig, and your magic!" Deidre bared her teeth at the brunette.

"Merwin, order Bringgs to arrest Deidre. Only then will your title be safe! Without that, you will live in fear, always."

"I shall kill you witch!" Deidre shouted as she drew her blade. The next few moments were all a blur. One moment Esmeray was standing next to Deidre, and the next she found herself cradling Eskel's head on her lap- blood gushing from his face and staining her dress. Her healing magic is basically useless in the presence of Deidre.

000

The entire tavern fell silent. Everyone ceases their movement and chatter to watch and listen to the bard's tale.

Dandelion, knowing full well that all attention was on him, continued- though, with a lot more of a solemn tone than before.

"Eskel's unexpected child, Princess Deidre Ademeyn, born in destiny's shadow....she could have changed her own fate. Abandoned vengeance in favor of forgiveness, demonstrated kindness and humanity...The mercenaries were massacred in the fight at the camp. Was it worth it? Were the death of Nerton Bringgs and his mercenaries truly the lesser evil? No one can know that...In any case, Merwin and Deidre ruled jointly, leading caingorn during the best time in its history. Several years later a large crow arrived at Kaer Morhen carrying a letter bearing the seal of the princess of Caingorn. Eskel threw it into the fire without reading it. And not long after that, the relationship between Eskel and the sorceress, Esmeray of Carsten, fell apart. It wasn't until the arrival of Ciri at Kaer Morhen did Esmeray and Eskel see each other again- but that is a story for another time."

Find more chapters here:

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Novel supernova observations grant astronomers a peek into the cosmic past

An international team of researchers has made new observations of an unusual supernova, finding the most metal-poor stellar explosion ever observed. 

This rare supernova, called 2023ufx, originated from the core collapse of a red supergiant star, exploded on the outskirts of a nearby dwarf galaxy. Results of the study showed that observations of both this supernova and the galaxy it was discovered in are of low metallicity, meaning they lack an abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen or helium.

Since the metals produced within supernovae inform their properties, including how stars evolve and die, learning more about their formation can tell astronomers much about the state of the universe when it began, especially since there were essentially no metals around during the time of its birth, said Michael Tucker, lead author of the study and a fellow at the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics at The Ohio State University.

“If you’re someone who wants to predict how the Milky Way came to be, you want to have a good idea of how the first exploding stars seeded the next generation,” said Tucker. “Understanding that gives scientists a great example of how those first objects affected their surroundings.”

Dwarf galaxies in particular are useful local analogs to conditions scientists might expect to see in the early universe. Because of them, astronomers know that while the first galaxies were metal-poor, all the big, bright galaxies near the Milky Way had plenty of time for stars to explode and increase the amount of metal content, said Tucker.  

The amount of metals a supernova has also influences aspects like the number of nuclear reactions it may have or how long its explosion remains bright. It’s also one of the reasons that many low-mass stars also occasionally run the risk of collapsing into black holes. 

The study was published recently in The Astrophysical Journal.

While the event observed by Tucker’s team is only the second supernova to be found with low metallicity, what’s most unusual about it is its location relative to the Milky Way, said Tucker. 

Typically, any metal-poor supernova that astronomers would expect to find would likely be too faint to see from our galaxy because of how far away they are. Now, due to the advent of more powerful instruments like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, detecting distant metal-poor galaxies has been made exponentially easier. 

“There are not that many metal-poor locations in the nearby universe and before JWST, it was difficult to find them,” said Tucker. 

But the sighting of 2023ufx turned out to be a happy accident for researchers. New-found observations of this particular supernova revealed that many of its properties and behaviors are distinctly different from other supernovae in nearby galaxies. 

For example, this supernova had a period of brightness that stayed steady for about 20 days before declining, whereas the brightness of its metal-rich counterparts usually lasted for about 100 days. The study also showed that a large amount of fast-moving material was ejected during the explosion, suggesting that it must have been spinning very quickly when it exploded. 

This result implies that rapidly spinning metal-poor stars must have been relatively common during the early days of the universe, said Tucker. His team’s theory is that the supernova likely had weak stellar winds – streams of particles emitted from the atmosphere of the star – which led it to cultivate and release so much energy. 

Overall, their observations lay the groundwork for astronomers to better investigate how metal-poor stars survive in different cosmic environments, and may even help some theorists more accurately model how supernovae behaved in the early universe. 

“If you’re someone who wants to predict how galaxies form and evolve, the first thing you want is a good idea of how the first exploding stars influenced their local area,” said Tucker. 

Future research may aim to determine if the supernova was larger at one point, whether just by being a super-massive star or if its materials were stripped away by a still undiscovered binary companion. 

Until then, researchers will have to wait for more data to become available. 

“We’re so early in the JWST era that we’re still finding so many things we don’t understand about galaxies,” said Tucker. “The long-term hope is that this study acts as a benchmark for similar discoveries.”

IMAGE: Locating metal-poor galaxies can reveal unique insights about how they formed during the early universe. Photo: Getty Images

[bluenpinkcastle]

20240601: the History of LEGO Castle day 153. 7036 Dwarves' Mine (2007, 574 pieces, 162 different parts) Dwarves' Mine is a mostly light and dark bluish gray mine front with a track going through large reddish brown doors. This set has seven figures. -One dwarf has a metallic gold helmet with wings, a yellow minifigure head with black scruffy beard and sideburns, a smirk and a dimple, a dark brown beard with two front braid and one back braid, a dark bluish gray torso with dark red arms and yellow hands with a medium brown belt collar and cross-chest belt under light bluish gray leather armor with three disks, and short dark brown legs. Accessories for this minifigure include a pearl gold goblet and a red gem. The helmet, torso, and beard are found in four sets, 7036 Dwarves' Mine, 7979 Castle Advent Calendar 2008, 852293 Giant Chess, and 852702 Dwarfs Blister Battle Pack. The torso is found in an additional four viking sets. -One dwarf has a metallic silver helmet, a yellow minifigure head with a lopsided smirk and reddish brown eyebrows Parts inventory for this set can be found on BrickLink or Rebrickable and a free download of the instructions can also be found under the "instructions" tab on Rebrickable.

[breekelly]

Exploring the Evolution of Character AI: From Pixels to Personalities

In the expansive realm of gaming and interactive storytelling, the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undergone a fascinating evolution. While early character AI was primarily concerned with basic pathfinding and scripted behaviors, modern iterations have transcended mere functionality to embody rich personalities and complex decision-making processes. In this article, we delve into the evolution of character AI, tracing its journey from rudimentary algorithms to lifelike companions and adversaries.

The Dawn of Character AI: Simple Scripts and Pathfinding

In the early days of gaming, character AI was rudimentary at best. NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) followed predefined paths, reacted predictably to player actions, and lacked depth beyond scripted interactions. Games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders epitomized this era, where enemies followed set patterns, offering little in terms of strategic challenge or emotional engagement.

Advancements in Behavior Trees and Finite State Machines

As gaming technology advanced, so did character AI. Behavior trees and finite state machines emerged as popular paradigms for defining NPC behavior. These systems allowed for more dynamic responses to player actions, enabling characters to adapt to changing circumstances within the game world. Games like The Sims and F.E.A.R. showcased the potential of these systems, with characters exhibiting lifelike behaviors such as socializing, working, and expressing fear.

Emergence of Dynamic Systems: Procedural Generation and Adaptive AI

With the advent of procedural generation and machine learning, character AI entered a new era of complexity. Procedural generation algorithms enabled the creation of vast, dynamically generated worlds populated by AI-driven entities with unique personalities and behaviors. Titles like Dwarf Fortress and No Man's Sky exemplify this trend, with AI characters exhibiting emergent behaviors shaped by their environment and interactions with other entities.

The Rise of Personalized Experiences: Deep Learning and Neural Networks

In recent years, deep learning and neural networks have revolutionized character AI, enabling unprecedented levels of personalization and realism. These systems analyze vast amounts of player data to create AI companions and adversaries that adapt to individual playstyles and preferences. Games like The Last of Us Part II and Red Dead Redemption 2 employ these techniques to craft deeply immersive experiences where AI characters evolve and react in ways that feel eerily human.

Ethical Considerations and Future Implications

As character AI continues to evolve, so too do the ethical considerations surrounding its implementation. Questions of agency, consent, and representation loom large, with developers grappling with how best to balance realism with responsibility. Additionally, the potential for AI-driven characters to influence player behavior raises concerns about unintended consequences and ethical boundaries.

Conclusion: The Future of Character AI

The journey of character AI from simple scripts to lifelike personalities is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of technology and storytelling. As we look to the future, the possibilities for character AI are boundless. From immersive virtual worlds populated by AI companions that feel like real friends to interactive narratives where every choice shapes the behavior of AI-driven characters, the future of gaming and storytelling is bright with potential.

In conclusion, character ai alternative has come a long way since its humble beginnings, evolving from basic algorithms to sophisticated systems that blur the line between fiction and reality. As technology continues to advance, so too will the capabilities of character AI, ushering in a new era of immersive experiences and interactive storytelling.

[norwegianpornfaerie]

Drabble Advent Calendar - Decmber 9th

I’m about a week behind, but I’ll get there! Today’s belated prompt is from @clippedionianvowels: Rimmer/Lister: Llama

-----------------------------------------------------

“It’s going to die, you know.” Rimmer leaned over his shoulder, smirking, and Lister sighed. “You’re one to talk.” “I mean it.” Rimmer prodded the red petals. “I don’t know why you’re doing this; you’re terrible with flowers. You’ve killed cacti.” “I like it, it’s Christmassy.” And for all he knew, this could be the last poinsettia in the universe. They’d only found one seed packet. “Why not let Kryten do it?” “I want to do it, all right?” Lister sighed. “It’s just… it’s a little bit of Earth.” A moment, then Rimmer huffed. “Just don’t try to wrap it.”

-----------------------------------------------------

Prompts are still open!

Any fandom, any pairing, open to all, and you can prompt multiple times. Every day until December 24th, a random prompt will be chosen to be written. The prompt drawn on December 23rd will get a double drabble, and December 24th will get a vignette! @roadsterguysblog is doing the same thing over here!

[blackswaneuroparedux]

It simply isn't an adventure worth telling if there aren't any dragons.

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Not until the fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christendom does the dragon in western civilization begin to take on the familiar form we know today in bestiaries and myths. It is perhaps the story of Adam and Eve in the old testament and the appearance of Satan in the form of a serpent that first transfixes the medieval imagination. For nearly a thousand years, the dragon represents evil and becomes synonymous with demons. The dragon is also used by medieval knights emblazoned on their shields and standards to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.  Throughout the epics and romantic stories of this period dragons show up to be slain by the virtuous heroes of folklore, legend and religion.

In the epic of Beowulf (ca. 1000 AD.) the great Scandinavian king slays a monstrous fire-breathing dragon and dies in its arms.

Icelandic tales in the Volsungasaga (1250 AD.) transforms the dwarf prince Fafnir into a dragon to be slain by Seigfried.

The Welsh Epic of The Mabinogion (1400 AD.) depicts the great Red Dragon of Wales battling a White Dragon and causing earthquakes.

In the Christian faith Satan routinely appears a dragon to tempt the saints.  The Golden Legend (1200 AD.) illustrates St. George and St. Margaret as well as several other saints, confronted by dragons.

By 1500 ad. the mystical apex of catholicism combined with the ever-increasing craft of the visual artists finds the archetypal fire-breathing dragon in its full splendor.  This is well documented when Edmund Spenser describes his titanic monster in The Fairie Queene (1590)

After the Protestant Reformation and the advent of the Age of Reason the dragon becomes more a creature of entertainment rather than of spiritual belief.  Protestant artists are prohibited from depicting scenes from the bible and the stories of the saints are abandoned as idolatry.  Dragons and other beasts take on a decorative nature, and as subjects of classical illustration. During this period it is the first evidence that the dragon is being treated as a fantasy creature.

The 19th century sees a resurgence in the dragon as archeologists, historians and the stories of the “Pre Raphaelite” age are studied and adopted as acceptable subject matter, through Bullfinch, The Brother’s Grim and new translations of the classics and folklore. Throughout this period the dragon stories of the dark past are fodder for artists and writers alike.  By the second half of the nineteenth century the neo-isms (Neoclassical, neo-gothic, neo-egyptian, neo-romanesque) of the beaux-arts academic style return to using the dragon as a decorative  embellishment.

With the dawn of the Industrial Age twentieth century science and technology usurps romantic notions of the arts, pushing the stories of dragons into the genre of mythology and the realm of children’s stories.  Painting and literature had embraced Realism and analytical minimalism throwing off all superstitions of the past to try to make a New kind of art.  Any depiction’s of dragons during this period (and there are few) become an outward representation of the artist’s inner psyche.  Psychology has replaced the dragon with the Id and the Ego.

By the 1970’s, however the art world was ready to once again re-embrace spirituality, mythology and the dragon.  Post-Modern artists found the writings of J.R.R. Tolkein and Joseph Campbell.  The mythologies they had drawn from had a renaissance.

In 1976 TSR  introduced Dungeons and Dragons to a world hungry for fantasy and monsters, becoming a popular phenomenon.  McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern 1970, Dragonslayer 1981 were all introduced to a mesmerized audience.  Since then the dragon has entered into the popular consciousness in a way not seen since the Middle Ages.  Everything from Harry Potter to World of Warcraft and Skyrim have adopted the dragon as their go-to monster to inspire awe and magic.

What is it about the dragon that has captivated us for all of civilization?  Is it the sheer power of nature that cannot be tamed.  Is it a psychological metaphor for primal fear?  Is it perhaps a innate memory of our long lost primitive prehistory?  Whatever the reason, in all cultures around the world the dragon , in all its forms has haunted our minds and our imaginations and will continue to do so in the century to come.

**Medieval artwork of a leaf from Harley’s Bestiary, made from Gerald of Wales’ topography in around 1250–1350AD.

[miniherodesktales]

Advent 11: Home Alone Cat - Part 1

'Fellas?' the Cat called, trying very hard not to sound worried. His voice echoed around the empty corridor. 'FFFEEEELLLLASS?'

No reply. The drive room was empty. The TV room was empty. Kryten's cupboard only had brooms and mops; and Lister and Rimmer's bunk room was completely and utterly 100% Lister-and-Rimmer free.

'I'm home alone!' Cat wailed. 'Who'll feed me now?'

***

Out of all the Starbug crashes Rimmer had survived and walked away from, he rated this one as by far the worst.

Starbug was burning and Lister was lying trapped under the twisted metal of his chair.

'Quickly, sir-sir!' Kryten urged from where he lay. 'Get-get him out!'

What do you think I'm trying to do?! Rimmer thought irritably.

He moved his feet and legs, but he remained where he was - floating two inches above the floor. Gritting his teeth, Rimmer focused all his mental powers on taking a step forward. His boots gripped nothing and he slid to the left as though he were trying to walk on ice. But it was a step in the direction - well, almost.

He grabbed a dangling pipe and pulled himself forward. Lister was just ahead of him, not moving. Smoke was pouring into the cockpit. How he would get Lister out Rimmer didn't know, but Kryten was right: he had to hurry.

[gayspock]

ok i finally have time im gonna watch part 2 at LAST

problemo number one. ive forgotten girlies' names. i remember starbuck, my friend starbuck. an DFUCKING GAIUS.. + boomer shes cute....

but i dont recall anyone else's NAME-names if you get me. just vibes

and i liked everyone i think smile so its like good vibes

also "jumping" COME ON. COME UP WITH A BETTER NAME. WARP FACTOR PUSSY. STARBUST. HYPERDRIVE. JUMPING? COME ON. NOT EVEN JUMPING AND POPPING? JOP OR KYS

yesss i knew the girlies would be alive. missus president and the son . theres no way they need to milk him for the drama.. APOLLO. i forgot his name. of course they called him apollo.

THE way gaius is just shaking like a tiny fucking puppydog. oh im going to kick him like a football. whilst he hallucinates a beautiful blonde woman in horror.

tyrol yes his name is tyrol. i love him hes my friendies.

woahi want a beautiful lady chip in my brain to torment me. dorito flavour please!

will this wee cunt be a recurring guy. the arms dealer. i think he'd be a funny addition to the girlies.

I ALSO LIKE THE OTHER GIRL. WHATS HER NAME. tyrol's little.... colleage ehrm. CALLY. SAYS GOOGLE. SMILE. shes so cute

AND BILLY. HES JUST FUCKING VIBING ISNT HE. COULD YOU EVEN IMAGINE.... bles- billy now why did you tell her that. im obsessed with you billy. violence. a bit of billy badness

also fucking hell, this is fucking . good heavens. ... sorry i realise im never discussing whats occurring in the episode im just like wow i li- CHILD DEATH. 😐...

anyway as i was saying like i do rlly like this so far HOWEVER both the vibe & the characters, i have to wonder... how many holdover to the main show hmmmm. im sooo curious

"didnt include a soul in programming" then what do you call the brave redditors on the advent of code sub, making the most bjeautiful visualisations

EVERYONE JUST NECKING IT ON

THE WAY GAIUS' EYES BOGGLED LIKE YEAH BILLYS GOT THE RIZZ YEAH HE DOES . THE FUCK YOU LOOKING AT. AND YOU TWO- WHY ARE YOU GETTING SLOPPY WITH THAT KID JUST STOOD THERE. HEAVENS ABOVE.

oh dear OH NOES

OH MISTER ADAMA LOOK OUT

GOOD HEAVENS

SO MUCH FOR THE CHEEKY LITTLE CRIMINAL IT SEEMS HES- oh good heavens well. to narrate the scene its . its like his head is an ikea kit and mister adama is trying to- oh goodness me

catgeroy 5 #girl event from mister adama (bludgeoned a cunt to death)

gaius is beyond a fucking menace im actually kind of crazy for it -the fucking... YOU CANT ATTACK A MAN IN A RUST COLOURED BLAZER, SILLY.

"lee" or "apollo" (VERY transmasc names btw) not telling his dad he was still alive (transmasc activity) is so me

him hugging his dad is so not me though

ALSO THE WAY GAIUS IS LIKE. ,.. THEYRE LIKE "rumour has it youre a genius" WHEN HES ALSO NOT DONE ANYTHING THIS WHOLE TIME LIKE I DONT DOUBT IT BUT ALSO HES JUST HAD THINGS HAPPEN TO HIM. LIKE... HES LIVING LIFE IN CRIT 1S AND NAT 20S.

ALSO THE WAY HES FUCKING . GETTING THIS GUY BC HE CAUGHT HIM GETTING HIS JOLLIES OFF TO A HALLUCINATION. GAG. AND THE WAY HES CONVINCING THESE GUYS IS JUST SAYING WHATEVER THE FUCK

also ONE criticism i have is im not sure how if eel about some of the music. some of it is so out of place its like kinda odd

"and i studIED PUBLIC RELATIONS!"

its such a big mistake to cross a girl in a statement blazer who studied public relations. you are so going to get your comeuppance for this.

i was about to comment on the cussing & i went to go look at tv tropes to see if there was a specific term for it and can i say tv trops are so funny i scrolled past and it said "gordon bennett" was made up for red dwarf and then underneath there's a note thats like"TRUTH IN TELEVISION. THIS IS USED IN THE UK." LIKE HELP PLEASE

anyway obviously #farscapeheads we cant really talk here but help. FRACK. OF ALL FUCKING WORDS. GOOD HEAVENS. WHAT THE FRICKITY FRACK IS GOING ON. THE

SO theyre going to try to... GO TO EARTH. HUH.

the implications of that.... ok

also YAAY FOR SOME KID. WOO. YIPPEE. LOVE IT WHEN THERES JUST SOME KID DICKING ABOUT THE MILITARY OPERATIONS.

bonus pointd when the kid is wearing a turtleneck. so sensible and smart

ALSO LEE. apollo. he seriously dors look like someone took the average tv boytoy from 2004 and got the mean average its so funny

i do love their slaggy little vests. theyre not like the standard ones that are already quite slaggy. its like theyre from plt's clearance sale

HI PUBLIC RELATIONS ARE YOU OKAY

oh my god he was acylon

WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT GAIUS. THE CRITS. THE NATS. PLEASE.

m

MY

MY GIRLY BOOOMERR? YOOOOOOOOOOOO

RIGHT

I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF MURDER BUT IM STARTING TO SIDE WITH THE CYLONS I DONT TRUST ANY OF YOU BITCHES WHAT

OKAY END OF EP SMILE i finished the mini series yaaayyyy

[chief-eunuch]

Had a dream that I found some rare Red Dwarf books in a random charity shop. I think the books have been on my mind since seeing Dan gift Ashens that trivia book as part of this year's advent.

[jeffersonhairpie]

Chapters: 21/25 Fandom: Red Dwarf (UK TV) Rating: Teen and Up Warnings: Mentions of Rimmer's childhood Relationships: Dave Lister/Arnold Rimmer Summary: Christmas in deep space is pretty miserable

[atlanticinfocus]

Day 2 of the 2021 Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar, one of 25 photos (eventually). This image of the Helix Nebula shows a fine web of filamentary "bicycle-spoke" features embedded in a colorful red and blue gas ring. The portrait offers a dizzying look down what is actually a trillion-mile-long tunnel of glowing gases sitting about 650 light-years away. The fluorescing tube is pointed nearly directly at Earth, so it looks more like a bubble than a cylinder. A forest of thousands of comet-like filaments, embedded along the inner rim of the nebula, points back toward the central star, which is a small, super-hot white dwarf. The tentacles formed when a hot "stellar wind" of gas plowed into colder shells of dust and gas ejected previously by the doomed star. (NASA, NOAO, ESA, the Hubble Helix Nebula Team, M. Meixner, STScI, and T.A. Rector, NRAO)

[whattolearntoday]

November 23rd is...

Cashew Day -  The cashew nut is a seed harvested from the cashew tree. The tree originated in Northeastern Brazil. However, it is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew apples and nuts.

Eat A Cranberry Day -  The word cranberry comes from “craneberry”;  first named by the early European settlers in America who felt the expanding flower, stem, calyx, and petals resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane. Found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs, or trailing vines.  The fruit of the cranberry plant is a berry that is larger than the leaves and is initially white but when ripe, turns a deep red. 

Espresso Day - The word espresso in Italian means ‘quick in time.’ Before the advent of the espresso machine, espresso was simply a coffee expressly made for the person ordering it. It was also made with recently roasted and freshly ground beans. The cup was brewed shortly before serving. In the late 1800s, this practice was commonplace in cafés and restaurants. While today’s espresso maintains the freshness quality, it has undergone a transition in meaning. We’ve come to know espresso as a highly concentrated brew served in smaller quantities. We may also use espresso as a base for other delicious coffee creations.

Fibonacci Day -  Fibonacci is an Italian mathematician who is also known as Leonardo of Pisa and Leonardo Fibonacci. Some say Fibonacci invented the Fibonacci sequence. This pattern of counting means that each number is the sum of the previous two. (0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13, etc.) Computer data storage and processing uses this number sequence today. The sequence is also useful in the trading of stocks and architecture. Another unexpected place we find the sequence is in nature. DNA patterns and hurricanes contain patterns showing this sequence. Math and science classes refer to the Fibonacci sequence as “nature’s secret code” or “nature’s universal rule.” Additionally, the number sequence is tied to the golden ratio and the golden triangle.

Wolfenoot - Celebrates both the spirit of the wolf and kindness. It’s also a day that encourages people to be kind to animals, especially dogs as they are descendants of the wolf. Many people in the United States are gearing up for Thanksgiving. But one holiday you may not have heard of yet is called Wolfenoot (pronounced wolf-a-noot). This holiday revolves around a wolf-like Santa clause that brings presents to humans. This “spirit of the wolf” especially likes those who are kind to dogs.