#the climactic high 5

[cloudberrylane]

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Taskmaster AU (2023): The energy of a sickly child.

Task. Make a dream come true. Best dream wins. (Luke, Nina, and Jimmy’s attempt)

[bikananjarrus]

i have one ask of the final high republic adult book: please pleasepleaseplease pleaseeeeee give me a stellan force vision. preferably elzar having a force vision of stellan (but i would accept vernestra or avar having one too). like would i succumb to an immediate breakdown? sure would! but i would like to see it.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 6/18/2024

might flood today! might not! who knows! i live in the paved over swamp! mackintosh’s main concern is this bowl of grapes

listening

sligo river blues performed by john fahey. part of the point of doing this weekly is when i sit down to draft these, i am occasionally forced to go "ooh. i forgot to listen to music while pacing around last week. maybe that's why i was a tremendous cunt and wanted to claw out of my own skin."

anyway i care about two people on tiktok and one of them is a couple renovating a stunning house in the pacific northwest from a level 5 hoard (DK Dreamhouse), and one is this guy dylanwesch who is i guess music nerd tok? a lot of ambient stuf which i love to click around on the computer to. listened to part of this album while debugging a GIS problem this week

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reading

i read six books this week, which is really the clearest possible sign i need to up my antidepressants. read the shepherd king duology by rachel gillig (Fine but i had some issues with the authorial style, felt very YA as opposed to NA, did have a very cool magic system, unfortunately i liked the second couple’s banter and relationship Way More than the main couple’s). finished the last three books in the temeraire series, i have not much to say about them except i adored them wholeheartedly. also before i read those i wrote all the below in a fit of pique

the great state of west florida by kent wascom. instagram kept serving me ads for this book and i am once again a little unnerved by meta's advertising.

publishers' weekly synopis

In Wascom’s wacky and wild fourth adventure for the Woolsack clan (after The New Inheritors), lawless gunslingers and reactionary Christian nationalists face off in a divided Florida. The year is 2026 and 13-year-old orphan Rally Woolsack is rescued from the abusive foster family who brought him to Louisiana by his long-lost uncle Rodney, who regularly responds to challenges of mortal combat on the app DU3L. Rally is thrilled to get away from his tormentors and return to Florida, although it turns out Rodney has pulled him from the frying pan into the fire. Troy Yarbrough, a state legislator whose family runs a creepy evangelical Christian college in its mansion on Florida’s panhandle, has introduced a bill calling for the region to secede from the state. Rally, reckoning with the long-running bad blood between his family and the Yarbroughs, derides Troy’s vision as a “Jesus-riddled white ethnostate with a beachside pastel tinge.” With the bill on the floor of the state legislature, and with everyone packing firearms, the Florida Wars begin. Fans of pulpy dark humor will relish the climactic showdown between Yarbrough’s henchmen and those loyal to an elusive figure called the Governor, as right-wing nutjob Troy is saddled by mad cow disease and Rally is rescued by his crush. This high-octane satire feels all too plausible. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (May)

i had some trouble with this one! on its face it seems like the kind of thing i would eat with a spoon. in practice it's more of a coming-of-age than a just-before-the-apocalypse story and i have a lot of trouble relating to a thirteen-year-old boy. even if he is bisexual. in this interview wascom says he's "re-mythologizing the Western" which i can kind of see? it's very pulp and ultra-violent in a spaghetti western kind of way, and seems written in a way easily adaptable to the screen. not quite vaporwave but a lot of anime influence: the author thanks twelve Japanese directors and manga artists at the end of the book.

there's an odd authorial quirk where the thirteen-year-old boy often points out (internally and externally) that the adults in his life are just talking at him about politics. which is a pretty accurate portrayal of childhood, but lampshading it in this way doesn't really make me excited about wascom's authorial chops? this is your fourth book. this book revolved around a couple brutal fight scenes (and one giant setpiece crowd scene, which has vibes and atmosphere in spades), and that's a perfectly fine reason to write a book, but if that's your strength i would be very happy to have you focus on that instead of sections where both the kid and i the reader are bored.

there's a scene with babysitter/babysittee sexual abuse that unlocks how the abused character makes decisions for the rest of his life, but it was extremely graphic and i wasn't really prepared for that. i don't know that i would have read this book if i had that knowledge aforethought.

overall not quite what i wanted it to be: the author in this interview said he's been working on it for over a decade and had to keep throwing out parts coming true during trump's presidency. i picked this pulpy novel up as an escape from the terrible politics of today, which is not what this books is. i don't know if i buy that he was simply too good at predicting the future, but i do like the choice stated in his interview "I abandoned the predictive stuff and tried to tell a story like it was written on an obelisk in the future, like what Denis Johnson did with Fiskadoro, or Joanna Russ with The Female Man". it does feel very much like the narrator from Mad Max 2 telling his story of meeting Max as a feral kid. again, some interesting ideas in here, does deliver on the Southern Gothic doomed political family aspect, as well as the same flavor of heat-wave climate tragedy as JG Ballard's The Drowned World, but i would have liked to focus more on his cool furiosa-like aunt in a white mustang with an anime mech arm. criminally underused character

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watching

watched The Hunter (2011, dir. Nettheim) because of the Temeraire books! they used an archaic name for Tasmania that made me go “where the Fuck is that” and then i looked at the media mentions section of the wikipedia page. beautiful film in a very spare way. lots of long loving shots of willem defoe in the wilderness enduring various weather conditions.

i don’t know if it stuck the landing quite as well as i would like, but like defoe you fall in love with the land and the family so slowly it’s very startling when you finally do fully realize it. i think i was supposed to cry at the end but didn’t quite manage it. one of my favorite springsteen songs is part of the diagetic score in a way that made me cry, which i also did not expect.

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playing

shoutout to the Thing Matching genre of phone game. this one is very much watch-ads-to-win but the levels are pretty long and i like shuffling objects around while listening to podcasts and trying to fall asleep

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making

fallow week

[dungeonmastersconsortium]

The anime for One Punch Man really is just SO GOOD. It's a different experience from both the webcomic and the manga, but like... the animation is just SO good, and pleasant to watch in my opinion. The fight scenes are BEAUTIFUL, and it really does a good job of reflecting that all the high-tier heroes around Saitama could ACTUALLY have their own shows/mangas that would be REALLY cool or interesting or funny (with only a few S-tier exceptions). The sparring match between Saitama and Genos as early as episode 5 in season 1 is just... Like, it shows off Genos at "Season Finale" levels of fight-scene badassery, which only adds to the humor of the show.

The fight with BOROS? It's so good. Unbelievably so. It's climactic, it's beautifully rendered, it's backed by an outstanding soundtrack, and it's somehow both emotionally rewarding AND funny in a way that's hard to describe.

The music FUCKS throughout the whole series, the animation is gorgeous, stylistic, and fluid... and the dub (don't come at me with "subs are better," I have a hard time watching shows not in English unless I can devote my whole attention to it, and it's harder for me to read tone) is actually really good, in my opinion.

Go watch one punch man. It's SO much fun. I don't use this phrase lightly, because it implies the concept is bad, but honestly? One Punch Man gives off the vibes of "This has no right to be as good as it is," probably because I started with the webcomic, and didn't read the manga between the webcomic and the anime. (though I went back to the manga and enjoyed it too.)

[mirakurutaimu]

absolute banger of a pub. teammates were all friendly and communicative like actual real flesh and blood humans and not the usual kind of internet stream monster troglodyte you see in these kinds of games. great vibes all around. we all had really high prediction streaks (i put in my streak of 5 and marci said 'you think that's high?' and put in a 9 prediction streak) and predicted despite not having faith in the lineup. but goddamn it went swimmingly look at my antimage i walked that boy to the bus stop for 12 years of his life. i had the huskar on the other team pre-muted and apparently he was raging in allchat. in the climactic fight of the game we were approaching their highground mid and the enemy venge swaps marci in and then she pops unleash and just beats the everloving shit out of skywrath mage. like broke every bone in his body instantly killed him. funniest shit i ever saw

[science-lover33]

Unraveling the Tapestry of Cellular Energy: A Comprehensive Voyage through the Electron Transport Chain 🧬⚙️

Prepare for a deep dive into the labyrinthine pathways of the Electron Transport Chain (ETC), where molecular machinations weave the intricate tapestry of cellular respiration. In this odyssey, we'll navigate the complexities with surgical precision, leaving no nuance unexplored.

1. Prelude at Complex I (NADH Dehydrogenase):

The ETC's overture commences at Complex I, where NADH, a product of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, surrenders its high-energy electrons. Traverse the serpentine route of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and a succession of iron-sulfur clusters, witnessing the orchestrated dance that propels electrons toward the enigmatic ubiquinone (Q).

2. Interlude with Succinate (Complex II - Succinate Dehydrogenase):

As the symphony progresses, Complex II takes the stage with succinate as its protagonist. Succinate dehydrogenase, fueled by succinate from the Krebs cycle, orchestrates a parallel electron flow. Behold the ballet of electrons navigating iron-sulfur clusters and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), converging upon ubiquinone (Q) in a seamless choreography.

3. Cytochrome Waltz (Complex III - Cytochrome bc1 Complex):

The narrative crescendos at Complex III, the cytochrome bc1 complex, where Q takes center stage. Through a series of mesmerizing redox reactions, Q gracefully shuttles electrons to cytochrome c. This transient dancer becomes the ethereal messenger, ferrying electrons with finesse towards the climactic rendezvous at Complex IV.

4. Grand Finale with Complex IV (Cytochrome c Oxidase):

In the climactic finale, Complex IV, personified by cytochrome c oxidase, awaits the electron ensemble. Watch as electrons, guided by a cascade of copper and iron centers, engage in a captivating pas de deux with molecular oxygen. Witness the alchemical metamorphosis as oxygen is humbly transmuted into water, marking the zenith of our electron saga.

5. Proton Symphony and ATP Synthesis:

Simultaneously, the proton symphony unfolds as protons, displaced during electron transit, accumulate in the intermembrane space. This sets the stage for a grand energy transfer. The finale crescendos with protons flowing back through ATP synthase, a molecular turbine, culminating in the synthesis of ATP—the lifeblood of cellular energy currency.

References:

1. Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K., & Walter, P. (2014). Molecular Biology of the Cell (6th ed.). Garland Science.

2. Nelson, D. L., Cox, M. M. (2017). Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry (7th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company.

3. Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L., Gatto, G. J. S., & Stryer, L. (2019). Biochemistry (8th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company.

[theresattrpgforthat]

(To clarify, I don’t have any preferences on genre or tone here, just budget. Or lack thereof I guess.)

THEME: Free TTRPGs (2/2)

I’m so so glad that you posted two asks because holy shit do I have recommendations. This is the second part, once again organized into different pieces of advice!

4. Unofficial games based on a licensed IP. 

Yeah, people do crazy things for the stuff they love, including designing an entire roleplaying game and then releasing it for free! Here’s a few that I’ve found.

Unofficial Hollow Knight RPG, by HKRPG Team.

Vast kingdoms, ancient mysteries, and adversaries far beyond reckoning await you.

The Unofficial Hollow Knight RPG is an original tabletop role-playing system inspired by Team Cherry's hit indie title. In HKRPG, players take the form of daring bugs going on adventures in the strange and wondrous world of Hollow Knight and its insect-populated kingdoms. 

What a labour of love this game is. This TTRPG feels dungeon-crawly, which makes sense considering the game it’s designed after. Each bug has hit points, stamina points, and Soul, referring to their magical reserves. Inventory is also tracked, using a pool called Stash. There are three Bug templates available for you to choose: Small, Average and Large, with different benefits and drawbacks for each template. There’s over 100 pages of character traits and abilities, spells, charms and rituals, items and obstacles, which allow for complex character builds.

On the GM side, there’s links to info for settings and NPCs, as well as Lands Beyond, a supplement that allows you to create your own insect kingdoms and gives you four random roll tables to aid you in this creation. If you want to replicate your own little traumatized bug adventure, this game is absolutely for you!

Skyfarer, by Failbetter Games.

Queen Victoria has brought London into the heavens. The High Wilderness stretches out ahead of you; cruel, unwelcoming, and filled with opportunity. Here you make your living as a Skyfarer, working on board a locomotive jury-rigged to fly through these cold skies and raging winds. Your captain has taken you to the Reach, a frontier on the edge of civilization, in search of fame, fortune and adventure.

You will change out here, where the Empire’s light falters and casts deep shadows, where rebels stake their claim on fragments of sky-rock riddled with fungus, where pillagers dig into ruins built by the now-dead sun. 

Players form the crew of a spacefaring steam locomotive. Gunners, quartermasters, engineers, signallers – even mascots – are brought to the fore as the Captain is struck down by misfortune and the crew must band together to get out of (or into) many surprising kinds of trouble.

Using a simple dice-based system, Skyfarer allows players and game-masters to easily tell stories set in the Fallen London universe with plenty of climactic moments, tense stand-offs, and grim decisions. As characters risk life and limb, they’ll accrue Peril – the more Peril they have, the greater the chance of them meeting a grisly and permanent end.

This game uses both d6s and d10s, and leans more towards the narrative side: your character qualities are descriptive, and your abilities are abstract representations, titled Iron, Mirrors, Veils and Hearts. You’ll collaboratively come up with your starting situation, and include details like who your Captain is, what the current crisis is, and what kinds of Allies and Antagonists are involved. 

One thing that’s really unique about this game is that there’s a character that the GM must play - the Captain, someone who gives orders to others, but for the purpose of this game, can’t carry out their normal duties for some reason or another. Once you set up your characters and determine what your starting scenario looks like, you’re good to go!

5. Playtests.

Sometimes the playtest of a game is released free of charge, with all of its editing errors and without any art. These games won’t be perfect, but they contain rules, as much of the setting as the creator has managed to flesh out so far, and the spark of creativity that can pull you into a fantastic community. Get in early on a playtest and you might find yourself holding the early stages of something truly great - and you’ll get a sense of warmth knowing you got to be part of it.

Aeronauts: Flight After Fall, by Electric Purple Studios.

The world is covered in purple mist, the legacy of some cataclysm long past. Through the haze have risen several powerful city-states, built where the mist is thin enough that they are not constantly besieged by the fog’s lurking horrors. Now airships fly above the mist, and a new era of trade and conflict has begun to bustle in. The city-states, previously only in contact through small trading caravans, are now forced to face the reality of different cultures, different ways of life, and the possibility of war.

Aeronauts: Flight After Fall is a TTRPG of grand quests and small moments, of journeys from the tops of the clouds to the depths of the darkest tunnels. You and your friends tell the story of the crew of a small airship, trying to make their way in a world that is rapidly changing around you. Are you diplomatic envoys endeavoring to build connections, or are you a group of ragtag scoundrels simply trying to survive? It’s up to you.

Aeronauts uses a 3d6 system, and emphasizes narrative role-playing, similar to games like Apocalypse World and Blades in the Dark. When you roll, you add up your dice - a 15 is a critical success, 10-24 is a partial success, and a 9 or less is a failure. You will have access to a pool called Focus, which can add a bonus to your check, as well as tokens, which can be gained using certain actions and spent to alter certain types of rolls. Finally, there is a tool called Kismet, which allows characters to establish details within the narrative, either for their benefit or just to put their own personal stamp on part of the story. 

The rules as put out here are simple, but the ways you can use them and your characters go into much more detail, taking up 198 pages in total. There’s rules for different kinds of combat, examples of how to use certain parts of your character sheet, a delve into the lore, and pre-made characters who want to pick up the game sooner rather than later. There’s also a community Discord advertised in case you want to find other players, talk about the game, and get updates about changes as they happen. 

The Modern Eldritch, by Moondog Gaming Press.

The Modern Eldritch leads you into a world run by mega-corps headed by eldritch horrors who demand brand loyalty over blood sacrifice, wizards who believe themselves better than worldly governments, and non-profits who leverage vast intelligence networks to find donors. Players take on the roles of average citizens who have had their lives shattered by these systems, and now must journey through this world to fight for some sense of normalcy. 

The Modern Eldritch utilizes quick character creation, which revolves around crafting motivations and backstory; a wide skill set and freeform magic system which encourage roleplay and creativity to tackle obstacles; and a unique exhaustion system that invites players to gamble with their own sanity to increase their odds of success.

This PDF starts off with a quick introduction to the world and an outline of some basic concessions that the group should agree on before getting ready to play. Character abilities are ranked from a d4 to a d12, and character skills are ranked from 1 to 5. You’ll be rolling dice pools, and adding up the results to determine whether or not you succeed. You’ll also assign positive and negative elements to your character, to flesh them out and give them exploitable weaknesses - this is an eldritch horror game, after all. 

This game is also supported by a Discord server, and also provides a link to a Playtest Survey, where you can send in your feedback for future edits! My only complaint is that the PDF takes a little bit long to load - it takes patience!

6. SRDs - write your own game!

Maybe you have the perfect idea of a game in your head. Maybe you have a setting that you absolutely adore - you just need rules to tell you how to play a character in that setting. Maybe you really really like filling all of your free hours with matching character tropes to game stats and putting together character sheets and writing random tables…. maybe I’m just calling myself out here.

SRDs are tools to help you design your own game in your own setting using rules that have already been sorted out. They will contain advice about the kinds of games that were in the creator’s mind when designing the rules system, and steps through what a character will need. Creators often offer them up for free, out of the kindness of their hearts and the desire to see just how far people can take their rules and bend the genre.

Caltrop Core, by titanomachyRPG.

Ever wondered how to make your own TTRPG? Welcome to v1.0 of Caltrop Core, an introductory game design system using the humble and sharp d4! It's extremely simple and bare bones so anyone can make a game with it, regardless of your experience level! It can have as much or as little complexity as you like.

This game is extremely beginner friendly, and familiarizes you with the core dice-rolling mechanic before introducing you to character building blocks, ways to communicate genre and tone, and optional elements that help characters change the narrative. There’s also an entire collection of Caltrop Core games for you to check out (some of which are free to download!) that really show off what this system can do!

Titanomachy has also released Caltrop Core EX, which they refer to as a “director’s cut” of the regular SRD, and EMERGE8, an SRD that’s designed to help you create your game as you play it. It uses a d8 dice mechanic that takes inspiration from World of Darkness dice pools, as well as a few other tips and tricks that encourage collaboration between players and GM. 

VRBS SRD, by David Garrett.

VRBS is an ultralight system for creating highly improvisational role-playing games that reward creative, heroic action. It has a universal conflict resolution mechanic that requires a single six-sided die. In VRBS, characters are defined by what they do, not by abstract statistics. Characters can attempt anything that a creative hero would be able to reasonably accomplish and they either succeed or grow in the process.

The VRBS SRD is easy to understand and is excellent for games that need a tight session with an easy-to-predict end time. It uses only d6’s - the easiest-to-find dice - and sets up your characters to move through three scenes, plus one scene through each member of the group. Throughout the game, they will draw on a pool of Energy. If you finish the final Scene without depleting your Energy, you are sucessful! Run out of energy, you go home. Try again tomorrow.

Full disclosure, I have designed a game using this SRD before - Mischief by Moonlight, a game about small gods getting up to shenanigans inside a museum where their relics have been trapped. (Go ahead and download it for free!)

Finally…

Games I’ve recommended in the past!

Mothership, by Tuesday Knight Games.

IronSworn, by Shawn Tomkin.

Straight to VHS, by Lost Cat Games.

[claudia1829things]

"ANDOR" Season One (2022) Commentary

"ANDOR" SEASON ONE (2022) COMMENTARY

Ever since Season One of the Lucasfilm series, "ANDOR" was released on the DisneyPlus streaming channel, it has received a great deal of accolades and high praise. In fact, the series is now regarded as one of the best productions from the STAR WARS franchise, if not the best.

I find this high regard ironic, considering how many STAR WARS fans had reacted to Disney Studios' announcement about a series focused around the character of Cassian Andor, from the 2016 hit film, "ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY". Many were not happy. I, on the other hand, had looked forward to the series. Not only had I been a major fan of "ROGUE ONE", I had regarded both the Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso characters as one of the film's highlights. So, when I finally sat in front of my television series and watched an episode of "ANDOR" unfold each week during the fall of 2022, my reaction resulted in . . . hmmm, mixed feelings?

Season One of "ANDOR" certainly had its highlights. I admired the excellent performances from a cast led by the very talented Diego Luna. I thought showrunner Tony Gilroy's portrayal of a corrupt and violent Galactic Empire seemed pretty spot on. In fact, Gilroy's portrayal of the galaxy at this point in the timeline pretty much matched his, Chris Weitz and director Gareth Edwards' portrayal of the galaxy in "ROGUE ONE". Although the 1980 movie, "STAR WARS: EPISODE FIVE - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" was the first STAR WARS film to portray its protagonists ambiguously, the ambiguous portrayal of the Rebel Alliance first appeared in "ROGUE ONE". Gilroy continued this ambiguity of the Rebel Alliance in the "ANDOR" series. Season One featured scenes that impressed me very much. They included Cassian Andor’s escape from Ferrix in the third episode, (1.03) "Reckoning"; the Rebels Alliance of heist of the payroll of the Imperial garrison on Aldhani in (1.06) "The Eye"; and Cassian’s rescue of Bix and the anti-Imperial riot on Ferrix. Featured in (1.12) "Rix Road", the season finale. But the sequence featuring his stint at the Narkina 5 prison and especially his escape in (1.10) "One Way Out" nearly struck me as brilliant.

Despite these virtues, Season One of "ANDOR" also featured issues that I either found questionable or simply did not work for me. The season's narrative structure of a group of three (or four) episodes per arc barely worked for me. I say barely, because the arcs still managed to form one season-long arc. But it did so in a way that some of the episodes felt like mere padding. And this proved to be one of my main problems with "ANDOR". As I have stated before, the first two episodes could have merged into one. And the fourth and fifth episodes could have merged into one. I also believe that the seventh episode could have merged into the eighth one. For me, twelve episodes seemed like too much for the narrative featured in the series. And I found some of the episodes' endings rather abrupt and problematic. This especially seemed to be the case with the earlier episodes.

I still find myself wondering about the purpose behind those flashbacks featuring Cassian Andor’s childhood in the first two episodes were about, other than revealing his origins. But why feature flashbacks of his past, when they had no real impact on the season’s main narrative? Also, the last two episodes seemed anti-climactic to me. This especially seemed to be the case for "Rix Road", the season's finale. One might questioned this opinion, considering "Rix Road" featured the funeral of Maarva Andor, the protagonist's adoptive mother, her pre-recorded speech bashing the Galactic Empire, the riot that followed and the Rebel Alliance's attempt to kill Cassian before the Empire could capture him. The reason I found all of this anti-climatic is that the series' protagonist had played little or no role in these incidents. During all of these events, Cassian was busy trying to rescue his captured close friend, Bix Caleen, from the Empire's Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). Cassian's rescue of his friend proved to be a lot less difficult than I had assumed it would be. And the Rebel Alliance had decided not to kill him at the last moment.

Speaking of "Rix Road", it had provided one aspect of "ANDOR" that really annoyed me. The episode had paused its narrative to convey Maarva Andor's pre-recorded speech against the Empire. But this was not the first time something like this happened. Two or three times, the series paused the story in order for a character to give this great speech or monologue on the evils of fascism and tyranny. It almost felt as if Tony Gilroy was trying to shove politics down our throats. I am not one of those yahoos who constantly complain about "woke" politics in pop culture movies and TV. But the numerous pauses that resulted in a monologue or speech really got on my nerves. George Lucas managed to do the same with two lines in two separate movies. One line came from the mouth of Princess Leia Organa in "STAR WARS: EPISODE FOUR - A NEW HOPE". Her mother, Senator Padmé Amidala, had uttered an even more famous line in "STAR WARS: EPISODE THREE - REVENGE OF THE SITH". Two separate lines. It seemed a pity that Gilroy was unable to do the same.

My last major issues regarding "ANDOR" revolved around the characters of Syril Karn, a security inspector for a corporate conglomerate and Senator Mon Mothma of the Imperial Senate. Karn spent the first two episodes investigating the deaths of two fellow security officers killed by Cassian on Morlana One. The security officer's investigation led to his violent encounter with Cassian on Ferrix during the third episode, (1.03) "Reckoning". Following Cassian's escape, Karn spent the next nine episodes developing two obsessions - finding and capturing Cassian and developing a romantic (if you want to call it that) fixation for ISB Agent Dedra Meero, while he continuously engaged in verbal combat with his domineering mother. After wasting away for eight episode, Karn learned about Maarva Andor's death and decided to travel to Ferrix to snatch Cassian. Only . . . he never encountered his prey. Not once. Karn only ended up saving Agent Meero from angry rioters. One could say this was a lead up to Karn joining the ISB. But this all felt like such a waste. Perhaps Gilroy could have allowed Karn to be an ISB agent from the beginning. This could have allowed him to take a more active role in the season's narrative.

Finally we come to Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila. I had assumed her presence in the series would be a repeat of her presence in "ROGUE ONE" - simply there to fill in the role as one of the Rebel Alliance's leaders. Instead, Gilroy provided an in-depth look into her private life and her efforts to keep her role as one of the Rebels' leaders a secret. To my surprise, Senator Mothma's arc came dangerously close to dominating this series . . . in which Cassian served as the main protagonist. The worst part - at least for me - is that her arc had no real impact on Cassian’s arc. Or served as any kind of catalyst to Cassian’s arc during this first season.

I find this ironic, considering the numerous complaints lobbied at 2022's "OBI-WAN KENOBI" limited series over the strong presence of the Reva Sevander character. What many have forgotten was that Reva's experiences during the Order 66 purge had led her to seek revenge against former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader. Reva's quest for revenge led her to use both the 10 year-old Princess Leia and former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to achieve it. Her actions ended up serving as a catalyst for Obi-Wan's character arc in the series. Senator Mothma had no such impact on Cassian Andor's arc. Hell, she never met him in person in any of the season's twelve episodes. The only connection they had was Mothma's cousin Vel Sartha, who had led Cassian and others in the Aldhani heist. If Tony Gilroy and Lucasfilm had wanted a heavy emphasis on Senator Mothma that badly, they could have made her serve as the catalyst for Cassian's recruitment into the Rebel Alliance, not Luthen Rael. Or they could have created a separate limited series for her. Tony Gilroy, Lucasfilm and many critics and fans had forgotten the name of this series, which is "ANDOR"; not "THE REBEL ALLIANCE", "REBELS II" or "MOTHMA".

Ever since I had expressed my complaints about Season One of "ANDOR", many have accused me of not liking the series. As if my opinions of it was a damn crime or something. One, I am entitled to my opinion of any movie, television series or any other form of entertainment. Due to my positive opinion of the Cassian Andor character, I had hoped to really enjoy "ANDOR". Unfortunately, that never happened. The first season possessed enough virtues for me to like it. But I believe it also possessed enough flaws for me not to regard it as highly as many others have. Frankly, I believe Season One of "ANDOR" proved to be one of the most overrated productions created by Lucasfilm.

[magnorious]

Percy Jackson and Why the Best Villains are Right

Spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians books 1-5!

Disney isn’t known for fantastic twist villains, and with the upcoming PJO show on Disney+, it’s high time we show some appreciation for a fantastic twist villain, before Disney (potentially) ruins him.

For those who haven’t read the books in a while, Luke Castellan is a son of Hermes, the god of many things whose cabin at Camp Half-Blood also takes in all the demigods who haven’t been claimed by their godly parent, and who might never be. At first, Luke seems like a great guy, nothing seems off about him until the twist and all these little seeds you didn’t see earlier start to sprout.

Spoilers for the entire first series: Luke is seventeen in TLT. He spends the next four books a full-blown villain raising monster armies and turning other demigods to the side of Kronos, a titan who wants to rise and destroy the gods. Percy and the other good guys don’t understand why Luke and these other demigods would join forces with the dark side. They’re going to have to fight their friends, help murder their parents, and probably help destroy the world.

The easy way out would be just to paint these kids like Rowling did with Slytherin and make them all delinquent bastards. Riordan didn’t do that. As the books go on there’s an undercurrent, sometimes blatantly obvious, of godly neglect. The gods go around sleeping with mortals on a whim to have demigods around to do their bidding, leading often to tragically short lives, violent deaths, and scarred mortal parents. The number of unclaimed kids in the Hermes cabin keeps rising and while Protagonist Percy’s dad Poseidon is pretty decent, he’s not exactly deadbeat father of the year.

If anyone’s godly dad of the year it’s Hades but that’s not important right now. So the books progress and we get all these little nuggets of doubt sprouting against the gods. Kids that get sent on quests and don’t come back, gods who take an eye for an eye literally, who very much only see these kids as tools and a means to an end.

Luke, meanwhile, ends up allowing himself to become the host body for Kronos’ spirit. This desperate seventeen year old looking for guidance where he has none, joins the *bad crowd* for recognition and acceptance and praise, because he’s spent his life bitter and unloved by all-powerful gods who don’t understand or care that they’re still supposed to be parents to their kids.

All five books have been leading up to this climactic Great Prophecy that goes as follows:

“A halfblood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds And see the world in endless sleep the hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap A single choice shall end his days Olympus to preserve or raze.”

Naturally Percy and the audience assume that the prophecy obviously means that Percy’s going to get his soul reaped by a cursed blade to decide the fate of olympus.

But that’s not what happens.

The prophecy is actually talking about two different people. The first half is unmistakably Percy, he’s the only halfblood of the eldest gods eligible. But the second half, the owner of the “hero’s soul” is actually Luke. We just don’t realize that until the page where Luke stabs himself with the knife he gave to Annabeth, cursed because he betrayed his promise to her and destroyed their friendship.

Luke dies a hero, stabbing himself and killing Kronos’ host body before Kronos can attain full power and become unstoppable. He dies a hero because he was never the villain. Yes we’re responsible for our own actions and actions have consequences but Luke did die to right his wrongs.

All he wants, as he’s dying in front of Percy, is for Percy to make sure that every unclaimed and unloved kid in his cabin and beyond is shown the respect they deserve. It’s all he’s wanted the entire series and has just been groomed and manipulated by an equally abusive entity to satisfy their own ends.

So in the end, when Olympus is saved and Percy’s staring down the barrel of a wish for literally anything, immortality and godhood included, he says no. He says Kronos happened because of them. Luke happened because of them. They were neglectful parents, so their unloved kids came to resent them enough to not care if the world got destroyed if it meant justice was served.

Luke, in the end, was right. So the gods agree to do better (whether they actually do kinda gets sidetracked by the plot of books six through ten but that’s not the point here).

Children’s media, and adult media, should really take a page out of the Percy Jackson books on how to write a villain. It would not have been the same beloved story it is today had Luke just become irredeemably pure evil and Kronos been more than a phantom voice for 90% of the story. If the gods were awesome attentive parents and Luke came along whining about not getting even more attention, he’d be seen as a selfish, entitled brat.

But he’s not. This story does what a thousand other YA and children’s books do and that’s make world-saving heroes out of children. But these books are in the minority by recognizing how tragic it is to force twelve, thirteen, fourteen year olds into fighting for their lives and dying for a god who can’t be bothered to remember who they are. It’s based on Greek mythology. It wouldn’t be faithful to the source material without a fat dose of tragedy.

Yeah, it’s cool to be a special demigod with water powers and flight and necromancy, but no one wants to be a Hermes kid for a very tragic reason.

[faceofpoe]

Musings about next week's finale and trying to wrap my head around the wonky back half of the season pacing after my adoration for 1-7...

As fun as 'Omega is riding the zillo best outta here' and 'the Echo & Emerie team-up we never knew we needed' are...

And forgiving the big '???' that is Hunter & co's plan at this stage because like, sir, there are three of you (+ deadweight) trying to sneak up on a high-alert secure facility on foot (with no backup sound familiar??) (jfc Echo I hope you called for backup)...

(seriously I do not understand why they did not detach while they were still in orbit and send their coordinates out to Rex & co)

With the exceptions of episodes 2&9-10, this season has been about... Crosshair. Even when it doesn't quite seem like it's about Crosshair... it's about Crosshair.

(8 is very much about Crosshair if you watch it the way I watch it) (it is also very short if you watch it the way I watch it LOL)

(10 could arguably be made about Crosshair, from the perspective of seeing deeper into what Hemlock wanted him to become)

(fuck it, let's even make 2 a little bit about Crosshair, as Deke, Stak, and Mox give us a firsthand account of just how fucking twisted Hemlock is)

(reach with me friends lol)

To a certain extent, I think (I hope?) the pacing feels weird because we're really watching Crosshair's journey. And Crosshair was in something of a holding pattern from eps 5-10. He's home. He's traumatized. He wants nothing more than to put Tantiss behind him. Circumstances won't quite let him.

He plays ball with the datapad, he's as helpful as he's willing to be considering he wants nothing more than to never be obliged to return to Tantiss.

I never did quite sleuth the timing of his 'um actually' about the assassins with Rex; why in that specific moment he deems it worth mentioning besides dramatic irony lol oops there's one in the next room.

But the speed with which he used his ex-Imperial know-how to figure out the datapad was our clue as to how events would progress (with such limited screen time left) after he misses the shot in ep 11. It comes off rushed but only because he's had the tools. He just very much did not want.

So yeah, shoving it back and returning for Omega - who is probably the reason he never spoke up about Rampart in the first place, as her determination to rescue the other clones was the first thing out of her mouth on Lau - brings us nicely full circle with episode 3.

But this short-episode slow-build of eps 12-14 - the way he talks about never wanting to go back, reminding us twice about the hand - needs a dramatic tragic rewarding payoff specific to him. And, given the slow unraveling of information - a payoff specific to just what it is he is still not saying.

I actually do expect a mostly triumphant ending (some of you have extremely dark expectations for this show and these characters good lord) but there's gotta be one more big hit before we get it.

Omega riding the zillo beast out of here (lol) and the Echo & Emerie team-up we never knew we needed are fun, but I can't imagine a satisfying climactic drama to Tantiss that isn't centered around the question of: "Okay but just what has Crosshair fucked up so badly?"

(And being me, the answer of course is: CX-Tech but YMMV)

[26wh57]

Title: "Fractured Bonds"

Summary:

In the small town of Hawkins, a close bond exists between Steve Harrington and Reader, his best friend's younger sister. Their friendship is tested when a mysterious creature threatens the town, leading to a series of events that shake their lives to the core.

Outline:

1. **Establishing Normalcy**: Steve and Reader share a strong bond, filled with banter and a deep understanding of each other. They navigate high school together, finding solace in each other's company.

2. **The Threat Emerges**: A new threat looms over Hawkins, causing chaos and fear among its residents. Steve and Reader find themselves in the midst of the turmoil, trying to protect their loved ones.

3. **Near Loss**: In a climactic battle, Reader finds herself in grave danger, facing the creature alone to protect others. Steve arrives just in time to save her, but not without sustaining severe injuries himself.

4. **Facing Reality**: While Reader recovers, Steve's injuries prove to be more severe than anticipated. As she watches over him, guilt and sorrow consume her, realizing how close she came to losing him.

5. **A New Perspective**: Through this ordeal, both Steve and Reader confront their feelings for each other, realizing the depth of their bond. The near-loss strengthens their relationship, leading to a deeper understanding and affection between them.

6. **Moving Forward**: As Hawkins slowly recovers from the chaos, Steve and Reader stand together, ready to face whatever challenges come their way, their bond stronger than ever before.

Feel free to expand on this outline or modify it as you see fit!

[satoshi-mochida]

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes announced for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC

Gematsu Source

Publisher Arc System Works and developer French-Bread have announced fighting game sequel Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC (Steam). It will launch in early 2024 with rollback netcode and English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language support. It is playable at the Arc System Works booth at EVO 2023, which runs from August 4 to 6 in Las Vegas.

Here is an overview of the game, via Arc System Works:

Created in collaboration with developer French-Bread, the game will feature the final chapter in the “Hollow Night” storyline that began with the original series release over a decade ago!

As a light novel-style action fighting game, Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes brings a fully original addition to the fight game genre, weaving a climactic tale of surviving the Hollow Night and dueling powerful foes accented by fantastic visual environments, 21 returning characters and new In-Births joining to bolster an already potent roster, and compelling background music.

Players take the role of high school youth and story protagonist Hyde as he encounters the mysterious girl, Linne, prompting his inner EXS powers to suddenly awaken. The two band together in a grueling struggle to defeat the fearsome and so-called strongest user of all, Paradox. However, an enigmatic force known as Kuon the Aeon appears and crushes the two victors, proclaiming his advent of the world’s end. This leads to Linne’s disappearance where Hyde, now determined to save their world from Kuon, ventures alone into the Night…

The latest series entry also boasts a unique battle system brought to life by revamped, high-quality pixel art visuals and dynamically detailed facial expressions. Players will also realize the sequel’s true combat splendor through its expanded move list, new character abilities and finely-tuned balances, evolved battle system, and implementation of Rollback Netcode. Simply by pushing the EXS button, even beginners can perform stylish moves with ease, resulting in a sense of speed not found in other traditional 2D fighting games. In addition, newly enhanced network features (alongside Rollback Netcode) allow players to test their skills against global online opponents in smooth Rank Matches and Player Matches!

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here.

Announce Teaser Trailer

English

Japanese

[iamyoursonly]

‘Shadows United’

chapter five: shadows of the past

guys i legit forgot to post im sorry :(

(5)

As Nanami and Y/N continued to face the trials and tribulations of their training, a foreboding shadow from Nanami's past began to cast its dark presence over their lives. Whispers of a powerful curse, a remnant of a long-forgotten battle, reached their ears, igniting a sense of urgency and trepidation.

Nanami's stoic facade wavered as memories of his past failures resurfaced, threatening to consume him. The weight of his previous battles and the lives he couldn't save bore down on his shoulders. Doubts crept into his mind, fueling the fear that he might not be strong enough to protect those he cared about.

Y/N, sensing Nanami's inner turmoil, refused to let him face this challenge alone. She stood by his side, offering unwavering support and reminding him of the strength he possessed. She held the man in her arms, whispering words of comfort. As she vowed to confront the shadows of the past and protect him from the impending threat.

With new found determination in their hearts, Nanami and Y/N devised a plan to confront the powerful curse. They delved into ancient texts, seeking knowledge and strategies that could help them overcome this formidable adversary. Countless hours were spent training, honing their skills, and preparing for the battle that loomed ahead.

Finally, the day arrived when they stood face to face with the curse, its malevolent presence radiating darkness. Nanami's eyes burned with a newfound resolve, his determination unwavering. Y/N, standing alongside him, held her head high, her unwavering faith in Nanami's abilities shining through.

“I trust you.” She whispered. And he just smiled.

As the battle unfolded, their movements became a seamless dance of calculated strikes and defensive maneuvers. Each blow carried the weight of their shared determination to protect and overcome. They fought with unparalleled determination, drawing strength from their love and the unbreakable bond they had forged.

In a climactic moment of intense struggle, Nanami and Y/N's combined efforts unleashed a surge of power.

“Are you ready?” Nanami shouted.

“I’m ready since forever ago.” Y/N shouts back.

Their connection, fortified by their shared experiences and unwavering support, created an energy that pushed back the suffocating darkness of the curse.

As the dust settled, Nanami and Y/N stood victorious, the curse vanquished and their love triumphant. They embraced, the weight of their shared struggle finally lifted from their shoulders. In that moment, they knew that together, they could face any challenge that awaited them.

With their hearts filled with renewed hope and determination, Nanami and Y/N prepared to continue their journey, knowing that their bond would be their greatest weapon against the shadows that may come their way.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

story masterlist

[crusherthedoctor]

For the top 5 prompt: Top 5 Eggman boss battles.

This is yet another list that probably shifts depending on the day, because there's a lot of good ones.

5.

An underrated one. Like Rush Adventure in general.

There's no deep reason, I just think it's a neat fight, and since it uses the Jeweled Scepter, that grants it a plethora of unique magical attacks that you don't often see in an Eggman battle.

4.

I couldn't decide between these two, so fuck it, they're both here. Can you blame me? They're both well-known, and for good reason.

The Egg Walker marks the end of Tails' story, and it follows up the race to the missile in the city. The battle itself is fine, if perhaps a bit easy, but Eggman's tranquil fury in the cutscene prior really sells the mood. Shame he's rarely been given opportunities to show that side of himself since then. But that's where Stellar comes in. Either way, between that and Tails standing his ground, it's a great moment for both characters.

As for the Viper, we all love the obvious meme, but like the Walker, the fight is also fun in itself, and is reasonably tricky for a final boss. But as weird as it might be to say, the ending is what really makes it for me. The way the music stops the instant you get the last hit in, the way Tikal warns you about his kamikaze dive, the way the lonely sound and visuals of the explosion lingers before culminating with what could be mistaken for a volcanic eruption... awesome.

3.

It's an awesome mech. It's an awesome battle. It's an awesome moment for both the hero and the villain. Capped off with descending towards the center of the earth. As someone who considers Unleashed flawed in ways that I can't ignore, even I can't deny that this is one of the game's standout moments, and it deserves all its praise. I'd argue it's a better final boss than the actual final boss, and I'm not just saying that because the latter is another giant monster... okay, maybe that's part of it.

Shout out to the Generations version, because I really enjoy that one in its own right.

2.

Oh boy, here comes the controversial one. How dare I put anything from Forces on a top five that isn't derogatory, amirite.

In all seriousness... look, say what you will about the fight itself. I think it's alright, but I get why it might be considered perhaps a little anti-climactic compared to what it could have been as far as gameplay goes. And you guys know that I always consider gameplay to come first and foremost, no matter how good or bad the story of the game in question is, so it's not like I'm ignoring that part. And of course, there's the Nega-Wisp Armor reskin aspect that everyone complains about, which caused Twitter to throw the baby out with the bathwater and consider Eggman's position as the final boss to be the true problem. Which is probably why the final boss of Frontiers ended up being a talking ballsack. Thanks, everyone.

Anyway, all that said, I think there are certain elements that elevate it in spite of its ultimately okay status. There's the music, but that goes without saying for a Sonic game that isn't Chronicles. But another factor is the combination of the seriously underrated sound design, with the complete and utter silence on Eggman's part, which like @skaruresonic, I interpret it as the doctor being too focused on killing your ass that he disregards his usual banter, and like the Egg Walker cutscene in SA1, I think the effect really works, regardless of the actual intent or reason behind it.

So yes, I'm putting it as #2 for these overlooked attributes. I'm not sorry.

1.

The finale of S3&K will always be particularly special to me. There have been many great Eggman throwdowns, but this one illustrates how the doctor's high octane levels of pure determination rival Sonic's own; perfect for an arch-nemesis. There have been godlike figures who go down after a single fight, meanwhile this mortal man belts out a bonanza, because the mere concept of giving up the Master Emerald does not compute.

The build-up also goes a long way: S3&K as a whole establishes and maintains this aspect of Eggman's character throughout. He's going to get the Death Egg back up and running, and nothing is going to stop him. His robots set the jungle on fire. He himself destroys the ruins in Marble Garden, in the hopes that Sonic will get killed in the process. He's not even phased when the Death Egg falls smack dab into a volcano; his dedication never wavers. Then come the endgame, where he finally fucks off with the Master Emerald after telling Knuckles it was Nothing Personnel Kid, which is followed up with a dramatic chase through the crumbling Sky Sanctuary, which then culminates in the final showdown aboard the eponymous vessel... and then continues even after it blows up.

It's iconic, it's fun, it's climactic, and Eggman's ridiculously exaggerated refusal to quit being on full display cements it as one of my favourite Eggman portrayals, despite hailing from a 2D game with no dialogue.

Honorable mentions (that currently come to mind):

Death Egg Robot, cause c'mon, it's a classic. This mostly refers to the original Sonic 2 version as well as the variations in Generations and Mania.

Egg Shrimp (Sonic Advance 2), for being petty enough to abduct Vanilla after his plan's been foiled, and for the badass moment afterwards in which Sonic narrowly saves Vanilla.

Egg Emperor, because I don't care if it's Metal Sonic, it's an Eggman mech, he's trying to mimic Eggman, shut the fuck up or I'll do a in-depth Shadow the Hedgehog level tier list. The design is rad as hell, and it has the iconic TAKE THI-TAKE THIS, TAKE THI-TAKE THIS.

Egg Salamander (Sonic Rush), for capping off the dynamic between Sonic and Blaze... and because Wrapped in Black.

Nega-Wisp Armor, because the fight is fun despite its simplicity, and it's noteworthy because Eggman finally got to be the true final boss of a 3D mainline installment for the first time. And it only took a decade...

The endgame for Mania, in which Eggman menacingly jumps around in a Pokeball and then holds his own in a three-way standoff instead of being tactlessly upstaged like he's nothing.'

The one in IDW that doesn't exist.

[castlebyersafterdark]

one of the producer writers said the show will end with literal and figurative bangs (quote here: https://www.tumblr.com/will80sbyers/748119963350515712/one-of-the-writers-of-the-show-kate-trefry-about?source=share) and ofc she means explosions and battles + emotional moments, but could she also imply some spice? a lil spicy byler to end the show? hmmmm i'm going with YES

hahahahhaha

This is soooooo interesting for a lot of reasons and while I know you're more interested in the bang aspect here, my theory loving mind is spinning now feeling validation over some of my favorite potential plot theories.

For season 5 they talk a lot about the origin of the UD and what it is, and why the town is being punished. She can't tell what the metaphor of the Upside Down is without spoilering season 5. The show is about people showing up for each other instead of being scared of when someone is different. Being compassionate. The end makes you cry a lot, it has such a beautiful melancholy, classic Spielberg, that sweet loss of innocence, the sorrow of an adventure ending and it ends with literal and figurative bangs.

OOOH WHAT'S THE METAPHOR I WONDER?? 🤭 Repression/manipulating and forming a world based on the inner conflict of your mind and soul/coming of age/literally everything about one William Byers/authenticity and identity and conformity and and and etc. Showing up for someone who is different? Thats gotta be our boys. Mike and Will are going to be ok. Let them suffer, but in the end it's wonderful. God I cannot fucking wait for season five. The bar is so high and I don't even care.

But. Back to the big bang. I really do think there's something to be said for those of us who think the Byler relationship isn't going to be some tiny little add-on, some small acknowledgement of their feelings and a tacked on get-together. I think it's going to be a major arc, a climactic and passionate get together, and one hundred percent entwined with the horror/supernatural theme and narrative. Why wouldn't it be?? I think it's good to keep a realistic mind about what to expect of season 5 concerning Byler, but why do we think the D Bros and the writers are afraid to go there? They've gone there before. This is their big series spanning arc. Doesn't seem crazy that these boys could be given a full uhhh completion to their arc.

And back to the the whole Spielburg comment because I can't shake it from my brain. Oh, yesss there's so much to say. I was talking to a friend recently and it was pointed out that the themes are so blatantly lifted from some of his most cherished 80s films. ET, Poltergeist, etc. (I've never seen Close Encounters but they listed that one too). What was a major inspiration for season one? Elliot and ET. Mike and El. And what happens at the end of that movie? We did see that storyline play out season one but in five? Who might leave of her own accord, be it on some personal self-discovery journey or into an alternate timeline? There's the bittersweet angle that's been mentioned for season 5. I don't think El is dying but she's going elsewhere. And then, I think after all has settled and life is back to a somewhat state of normalcy - I really see it ending with Mike and Will leaving Hawkins together. I just do.

[schizochroal]

A compendium of the terrestrial vertebrates in the Niuri Islands

The Niuri archipelago includes all of the major groups of tetrapods found elsewhere in the world , although ita faunal makeup is decidedly unique. Partially this is attributed to its ancient connection to South America, part of it is due to its geographic isolation since then , part the faunal interchange that occurred with the Suri islands , and part the various unique characteristics that were present in the island both before and throughout these events. In some ways the fauna, because of the remarkable climactic stability of the islands in the last 40 million years or so moreso resembles that of the rest of the world during the Eocene or Paleocene, or South America during the Oligocene. But this belies a surprising degree of ecological and evolutionary change that has shaped the makeup of the islands' animal life, a far more dynamic picture than would be suggested by this "lost world" picture.

Part 1

Birds

Flightless Birds

While it is perhaps to be expected of a largely tropical set of landmasses once connected to South America, the extreme diversity and ecological disparity of birds in Niur is unmatched by most other comparable landmasses, save perhaps for pre-human New Zealand. Unlike New Zealand, the birds of Niuri for most of their history evolved alongside a diverse assemblage of metatherian and placental mammals (as well as a variety of other diapsids) , and yet still managed to maintain dominance in many ecological niches. Of note especially, are the wide variety of small to mid sized flightless or semi-flighted birds that occupy a wide variety of mid size animal niches that elsewhere in the world are exclusively held by mammals. While the large predatory "terror bird" relatives and the various large herbivorous flightless birds are certainly more impressive, they are far less unique than the mid sized flightless birds that seem to be almost ignored by mammalian predators. That is because, this is in fact entirely the case!

At least 5 different groups of birds in Niur have independently evolved to become poisonous, although in most cases the adaptation follows a very similar modality. Rather than being based on a single chemical, the toxicity of these birds derives instead from a small variety of similar toxic compounds which are typically believed to be acquired from plants they eat. Typically these compounds are non toxic to the birds themselves, and infact most "poisonous birds" are entirely harmless to avian (or even in many cases other reptilian predators), but very harmful or even fatal against small or mid sized mammals. Studies (and cultural practice) have shown that many of these toxins are , in small enough concentrations capable of being harmlessly passed by large enough mammals, but for most small mammals, especially those without adaptations to do so , even a small concentration of the toxins can overload their hepatic system. Plants that are toxic to small mammals while harmless to birds are quite common the world over, the uniqueness of this situation is merely the toxin that these plants developed is very easily able to accumulate in the flesh (and especially skeletons and organs)of the birds eating them. In most cases there can be established a general rule with regards to the toxicity of poisonous Niuri birds, where the smaller the bird the higher the concentration of poison, and the highest concentration of poison of all is found in the eggs. This has led to a general tendency of native Niuri mammals to avoid eating the eggs of ground nesting birds, and to some extent this has even extended to reptilian egg eaters as well, as the high concentration of toxins in some eggs makes them at least unpalatable, if not harmful, to many reptiles.

Of course, not all ground nesting birds in Niur have toxic eggs (nor are all those with such eggs ground eating) but the widespread presence of such an adaption has drastically shaped the ecological relationships of all those who live in environments where such birds are present. Even for non-poisonous birds, the risk of ground laying in areas where many birds with similar looking eggs have poisonous eggs is vastly reduced, and in areas where only a few birds have poisonous eggs there are often both imitators and brood parasites of those birds. There are believed to be around six different species of birds in Niur that are obligate brood parasites of poisonous birds, although compared to other brood parasites they are often far less aggressive to adoptive siblings, and in the case of one species (the Banded Nrytlyky) actually is essentially mutualist, rather than parasitic,with the mother providing food to its hosts both before and after laying it's eggs in their nest.

The inverse of this relationship is also displayed with the three species of bird in the genus Sanctavis , sometimes known in English as the "saint birds". These midsized (around the size of a large turkey) flightless birds have a symbiotic relationship with some of the various large , non poisonous bird species. They lay disproportionately large eggs in the nests of both the large predatory and herbivorous birds (depending on species), and in doing so their acutely toxic eggs and juveniles provide protection from predation for their non toxic adoptive siblings. In turn the juvenile saint birds are fed and cared for by larger birds, and adult saint birds are allowed to live alongside the larger birds and are granted protection from predators in that regard. Those that are symbionts with the large, predatory birds, are sometimes even aggressively protected from predation by them.

The predominance of poisonous birds that are inedible to mammals has in effect, created a sort of shadow ecosystem for small and midsized mammals, unable to prey on or compete with birds they instead are forced to compete with and prey upon each other, resulting in unique adaptations from the intense competitive pressure, which might be why some clades of mammals are for the most part absent (most notably land xenarthrans, despite fossil examples from the Eocene).

Outside of the poisonous birds, there are three other prominent clades of flightless birds. The most infamous of these are of course the Niuri Phorusrhacids, the same "terror birds" that once lived in South America. While the taxonomy of the 5 living species , and whether they fall in one, or two subfamilies, and those subfamilies relationship to the extinct South American clades, it's well accepted by biologists that they fall within the family Phorusrhacidae. That there are 5 living species is also somewhat debated, as Niuri taxonomists have typically tended to group similar looking land animals on different islands as falling under the same species, but being different subspecies, while many foreign biologists (and indeed, a newer school of Niuri biologists) view the difference between populations on separate islands enough to justify far more than 5 species. Regardless , for the purpose of a broad overview, as this is intended to be, the taxonomic debate is largely irrelevant, and the traditional figure of 5 species across the islands works well enough.

Niuri "terror birds" go by a variety of names in different languages, but the common name in Nirou-ki that was originally only used for the members of the larger species, Takasyr, is now used generally to refer to all members of the group. All members are active predators, and aside from one species which has adapted to live in forests, live in generally open, or semi-open environments. The smallest species reaches around 1 meter tall and weigh around 8 kg, while the largest can reach 2.5 meters tall and weigh as much as 70 kg. Compared to both the large ratites native to Niur, as well as extinct South American Phorusrhacids, Takasyr tend to be more lightly built, although still are powerful animals capable of taking down animals multiple times their weight. Behaviorally, they tend to live and hunt in pairs or as small groups of up to 5 individuals, although when not breeding or raising young its not uncommon for them to be solitary as well. While the smaller species and the Forest Takasyr occupy the roles of a mesopredators in their environments, the larger species tend to be top ranked predators in most areas they are found, sharing that role with in different areas, the cougar sized carnivoran placental mammal, the Plains Fenerak, the wolf sized sebechosuchid "running crocodiles", the massive yellow-winged eagle, and in areas where other predators aren't found, the larger metatherian carnivores. In those few areas where the great insect Cskxicsxin have remerged though, all other predators are naturally subordinate.

Takasyr are unlike Fenerak or "running crocodiles" unwilling to prey upon people, Niuri-mesai or human, but at the same time generally are not particularly timid around them either, and are more than capable of aggressively defending themselves. As they are not hunted by people (there are very strong, and very old cultural-religious prohibitions on eating both truly flightless birds as well as land predators that are nigh universal in Niuri society) most instances of them injuring or killing people have resulted from them accidentally threatening them or their chicks (or Saint-Birds), or in some instances of attempting to defend pets or livestock from predation. However, some populations of a mid sized species, the Red Ringed Taksyr, have in the past few hundred years increasingly moved towards living in urban or semi-urban environments, and as a result are more likely to come into conflict with people. That being said, they are intelligent, adaptable birds, and despite the high populations of them living in some eastern Niuri cities incidents are still uncommon.

The last major group of flightless birds, of note in Niur, are naturally the ratites, the largest of all birds native to the islands, although that being said not all ratites in Niur are large, or flightless.

The flight-capable tinamous, most well known in South and central America, are also present in Niur in the family Naloninae, and make up one of the important groups of midsized ground birds in both forests and open environments with around 15 species. While the placement of Naloninae with the tinamous is relatively uncontroversial, the other three groups of ratites (all of which are exclusively flightless) have more ambiguous taxonomic alignments. The least controversial of these are the two species of Kanau, birds which much resemble the south american rhea in appearance , size and behavior, although are generally more brown in color and have more feathers on their face. Unsurprisingly, these are usually grouped with the rheas in the Rheidae family, but this isn't universal, and sometimes they are considered to be more closely related to Cassuariformes based on certain studies. Regardless they occupy a similar niche as rheas and live exclusively in open environments, usually grasslands.

The Takakoidae, is sometimes considered to be related to the moas of New Zealand, and even as a group are called "Niuri Moas" colloquially, although this alignment is overall only tenuous. It consists of two subfamilies, the Kalakoinae and the Takakoinae, the former of which has around 13 species and the later having at least 6. The Kalakoinae generally live in forests, both dense and open, and can be found in almost all forest environments in Niur. They range widely in size, from around 5 kg to 50 kg and up to 130 cm in height, and occupy a variety of herbivorous niches in the areas in which they live. They generally have stout bodies, with shorter legs and necks than other flightless birds, and vary in color and patterns, many are greenish or dark in coloration though. Contained within the subfamily is one of the groups of Niuri birds that have evolved to be poisonous, and these now make up 2 of the 5 genera in the subfamily. They tend to be the most common midsized herbivores in their environments, and are solitary or live in mid sized groups depending on the species. The Takakoinae, are the largest of all birds found in Niur, and some of the largest birds extant in the world, 2 species of which are found in open environments and the other four in forests. The largest grassland species can weigh well over 180 kg, and be 2.4 meters tall, rivaling ostriches in size, and the largest of the forest species might reach sizes significantly larger than this, although this species is poorly recorded on account of its remote habitat and general rarity. Takakos have drabber plumage than the Kalakoinae, and resemble the strongly resemble the extinct moas of New Zealand, although overall having again shorter necks and legs, although not nearly to the extent of Kalakoinae. Unlike their smaller relatives, which eat fruits, nuts, seeds, and even insects in addition to vegetation, Takako exclusively eat fibrous vegetation, including leaves, grasses, and even roots and bark in at least one species. All are large, and while there is some size difference between the largest species and the others, the lines between species is more down to habitat preferences. Like the Kalakoinae, they are surprisingly good swimmers, and because of that have established populations on all of the major island of Niur. In the forests, they are usually the largest herbivore and largest animals outright, with the exception being those Nirou forests where large ungulates are present. In grasslands they have more competition from large ungulates many of which are larger, and yet in spite of this size disadvantage they are often ecologically dominant. Indeed, the fossil record shows that in the past larger forest-dwelling ungulates (and indeed, even large herbivorous marsupials, which are now entirely extinct) were present on many of the islands, but as Takako evolved larger size and spread they outcompeted them to the extent that they disappeared most places.

The final group of ratites in Niur is the most enigmatic of all, the Mhaja, which is usually considered to be one species in its own family, although sometimes the Shard and Nirou populations are treated as different species. It is the second largest of wild Niuri birds, and probably the most culturally important flightless bird, on account of its domestication and use as a beast of burden and riding animal in Shard. Tall, gracile, with long beaks, they in some way resemble takasyr more than other ratites, and their placement within ratites is ultimately uncertain. Nonetheless they have a diet most composed of grasses, shrubs, and insects, and are well adapted to life in dry grasslands, shrublands or especially deserts. They have sleeker plumage than other ratites, and long powerful legs capable of running up to 60 kph, and remarkable endurance. In the vast open deserts and plains of Shard they migrate massive distances on a regular basis in search of food and water, allowing them to be the most numerous large herbivore on the island. In Nirou they are only present in some areas, and tend to be a more minor component of the ecosystem. Wild mhaja tend to be around 220 cm tall at most and no more than 90 kg, but domesticated populations have been bred to be up to 3 meters tall and weigh around 170 kg. In the wild they live in mid sized groups of 10-30 individuals, although this is dependent on resources.

Their ease of use as pack-animals (and eventual use as riding animals and more general beasts of burden) is in part because of their exceptional endurance, but also because of their natural lifestyle. The male mhaja is largely responsible for the care of the young, and after incubating the eggs, typically around 5-6 chicks hatch and are then cared for by the father or other male mhaja in the group. However, because of the high seasonal variability of Shard they almost immediately need to leave the nesting ground in search of better foraging areas after hatching, and because of this, for the first half year of their lives the chicks are carried on the backs of the male from place to place as the group finds new forage spots. In the case of exceptionally large broods females also might partake in the carrying behavior. Because of this adaptation, mhaja chicks have a higher survival chance, and the eggs laid by female mhaja need not be nearly as large as they otherwise would be as the chicks do not need to be fully precocial. In order to facilitate this carrying behavior mhaja have long, flat backs, and muscles arranged in a way such that they can carry considerable weight on it without damage or impediment to walking. By the end of the end of the "Carrying period" the combined weight of their chicks can exceed their own, and yet they are still able to cross incredible distances at speed. Its because of all these reasons they were able to be domesticated by the people of Shard, initially as pack animals and for carrying chariot type vehicles in groups, and later as the domestic varieties were bred larger as true riding animals. Unlike the other riding animal domesticated in Niur, the so called "deer", mhaja were not able to be spread to other islands as they tend to do poorly in most climates outside of their native range. To this day domesticated mhaja aren't bred outside of Shard, although Shardian bred mhaja are still used in some places in Nirou.

Fossil records suggest that in the past mhaja had a larger range and were more common outside of Shard, but as the climate in much of Niur became wetter and other taxa diversified they fell into a much more specific niche.

There are other flightless birds in Niur, particularly other poisonous birds in the same family as the saint-birds, some members of the rail family, and a variety of small passerines of different lineages. Additionally there is an assortment of mid-sized birds that are poor or weak flyers. However, other than these (and fossils) there is only one other group of flightless birds in Niur, but it exists in a completely different environment than all others, namely the cooler waters of the northernmost Faln sea and to some extent the parts of the Pacific north of Seneka, namely those regions where kelp grows.

They are the Kelp-Swallows, the Mi-xat-rito, or Mxcictsritse (both names translate to kelp swallow), 2 species of aquatic birds of the family Plotopteridae. Plotopterids evolved in the north pacific, but once lived from Japan to California, but have since gone extinct everywhere but for Niuri kelp forests, likely as a result of the evolution of toothed whales and seals. However, seals are absent from Niuri waters, and toothed whales uncommon or absent in most areas, so they have managed to eke out their narrow survival in these waters. Like their extinct relatives, they are flightless relatives of darters and cormorants, that nest on small rocky islands and somewhat on the north coast of Seneka, and swim for fish and other marine prey in the scattered kelp forests found in the surrounding waters, as well as deeper waters in the case of the larger species. While somewhat similar to penguins, they are much more elongated and swim somewhat differently, additionally they nest in much smaller groups than many other seabirds. The common kelp-swallow is the smaller of the two, and the only one that nests on inhabited islands. They weigh around 8-10 kg, and reach around 70 cm in length, while the larger species, the Crested Kelp-Swallow weighs around 25 kg and is about 140 cm in length. Neither are particularly well known birds as they live in habitats that are rather remote, and are very shy around people. Their common names refer to how the smaller species was observed by divers to appear to fly through the kelp as swallows do thru the air.

While the flightless birds of Niur are distinct and unique and highly diverse, the flighted birds present in the islands are even more diverse and contain a variety of unique groups as well. That being said that so much diversity is still present among flightless birds within Niur, wherein so many other parts of the world they have been rendered extinct or endangered, is a testament to the robustness and uniqueness of Niur's ecosystem.