#the winding road

[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Darklord The Headless Horseman

Domain: The Winding Road Domain Formation: 690 BC Power Level: 💀💀💀⚫⚫ Sources: Darklords (2e), From the Shadows (2e Adventure), The Freak (Short Story)

The Headless Horseman of the Winding Road is a Darklord created based on the classic story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

The history of the Headless Horseman before he was bound to the Winding Road remains a mystery and tales of this Darklord vary from realm to realm. These tales are all rather far fetched from him being a victim of Vlad’s who is known to impale anything that moves (not beheading them) to Ivana of Borca ordering his beheading instead of poisoning him. I would theorize that he is more likely another doomed individual imprisoned here for so called crimes he commited in another reality. Scholarly research on what The Headless Horseman is also differs amongst the realms. In some, he is said to be a ghost and in others a nameless undead. Techincally, this accursed individual is neither.

The Winding Road is a traveling Domain that can appear on any road within Ravenloft. The Headless Horseman is forever bound to ride upon this road on a steed as black as midnight and using his silver scythe to behead those who cross his path in a vain attempt to reclaim his own head. Though a curse or manipulation of another may result in him appearing at any time, the Horseman and the Winding Road typically only appear on the night of a sickle moon or if you wish to get a bit more dramatic with your description, on the night when the moon resembles the shape of a scythe, the weapon wielded by the Horseman. 

The Headless Horseman does like a dramatic entrance, which I can appreciate. The night goes still and dark as clouds obscure the moon and then the sound of rumbling and thunder as if an army on horseback approaches, but it is something much worse - the Headless Horseman. The road becomes the Winding Road - a cobblestone road surrounded by a thicket. 

Though the Horseman cannot leave the road and those that happen upon it will find that the path the road is on will always follow whatever direction they run in. Being immune to magic and lopping off heads with a single stroke of his scythe makes the Horseman quite formidable and the perfect lackey to cut off some Adventurers’ heads for me so I can put said heads in jars and send the would-be-heroes into the past. Ah, good times.

If one manages to escape the Horseman’s deadly scythe, they must face the “first to follow” and “the last to follow”. The first are the floating heads of all the Horseman’s victims who have developed a taste for human flesh. The last are five heads of medusas and one medusaen. The presence of the medusaen, only thought to dwell within the Forgotten Realms, makes it probable that the Winding Road can appear in realms outside of Ravenloft. Because of this entourage, it is a rare individual indeed that survives an encounter with the Headless Horseman. When I convinced the Horseman to gather a few heads for me, the last to follow were made up of beholders instead of medusa, though this is the only known time for that to have happened. My own doing? Perhaps, but I don’t wish to give away all my secrets.

Though this particular Darklord does not have a history and was easily manipulated by yours truly, he is near impossible to destory completely. Though, there has to be a better way to find one 's head other than chopping off other peoples...I will grant him 3.5 skulls on the power scale but without a thought beyond finding his missing appendage, his personality is barely at 1 skull. 

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OOC: The Headless Horseman encounter on the Winding Road is such an easy thing to add to your game if you want a quick 'spooky' session on Halloween in your long-running campaigns.

[aimeekb]

Journeying through the rainforest🌲

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #32

August 30-September 6 2024.

President Biden announced $7.3 billion in clean energy investment for rural communities. This marks the largest investment in rural electrification since the New Deal. The money will go to 16 rural electric cooperatives across 23 states Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Together they will be able to generate 10 gigawatts of clean energy, enough to power 5 million households about 20% of America's rural population. This clean energy will reduce greenhouse emissions by 43.7 million tons a year, equivalent to removing more than 10 million cars off the road every year.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic 10th offshore wind project. The latest project approved for the Atlantic coast of Maryland will generate 2,200 megawatts of clean, reliable renewable energy to power 770,000 homes. All together the 10 offshore wind projects approved by the Biden-Harris Administration will generation 15 gigawatts, enough to power 5.25 million homes. This is half way to the Administration's goal of 30 gigawatts of clean offshore wind power by 2030.

President Biden signed an Executive Order aimed at supporting and expanding unions. Called the "Good Jobs EO" the order will direct all federal agencies to take steps to recognize unions, to not interfere with the formation of unions and reach labor agreements on federally supported projects. It also directs agencies to prioritize equal pay and pay transparency, support projects that offer workers benefits like child care, health insurance, paid leave, and retirement benefits. It will also push workforce development and workplace safety.

The Department of Transportation announced $1 billion to make local roads safer. The money will go to 354 local communities across America to improve roadway safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries. This is part of the National Roadway Safety Strategy launched in 2022, since then traffic fatalities have decreased for 9 straight quarters. Since 2022 the program has supported projects in 1,400 communities effecting 75% of all Americans.

The Department of Energy announced $430 million to support America's aging hydropower. Hydropower currently accounts for nearly 27% of renewable electricity generation in the United States. However many of our dams were built during the New Deal for a national average of 79 years old. The money will go to 293 projects across 33 states. These updates will improve energy generation, workplace safety, and have a positive environmental impact on local fish and wildlife.

The EPA announced $300 million to help support tribal nations, and US territories cut climate pollution and boost green energy. The money will support projects by 33 tribes, and the Island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. EPA Administer Michael S. Regan announced the funds along side Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in Arizona to highlight one of the projects. A project that will bring electricity for the first time to 900 homes on the Hopi Reservation.

The Biden-Harris Administration is investing $179 million in literacy. This investment in the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant is the largest in history. Studies have shown that the 3rd grade is a key moment in a students literacy development, the CLSD is designed to help support states research, develop, and implement evidence-based literacy interventions to help students achieve key literacy milestones.

The US government secured the release of 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua. Nicaragua's dictator President Daniel Ortega has jailed large numbers of citizens since protests against his rule broke out in 2018. In February 2023 the US secured the release of over 200 political prisoners. Human rights orgs have documented torture and sexual abuse in Ortega's prisons.

The Justice Department announced the disruption of a major effort by Russia to interfere with the 2024 US Elections. Russian propaganda network, RT, deployed $10 million to Tenet Media to help spread Russian propaganda and help sway the election in favor of Trump and the Republicans as well as disrupting American society. Tenet Media employs many well known conservative on-line personalities such as Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Lauren Southern, Dave Rubin, Tayler Hansen and Matt Christiansen.

Vice-President Harris outlined her plan for Small Businesses at a campaign stop in New Hampshire. Harris wants to expand from $5,000 to $50,000 tax incentives for startup expenses. This would help start 25 million new small business over four years.

[ed13d1]

the leaving or the return?

photo by marcus ohlsson

[yeye23]

Finally got to it, am all caught up and update on Cass's original comic Marble Sky! Sculptor is my favorite! He is scary and we love him. Thought I would doodle this sinister being.

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts 3 - Scala ad Caelum

[coolthingsguyslike]

[notbecauseofvictories]

I'm re-reading Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters for book club, and there should really be a truly epic saga about The Friendship Of Gytha and Esme, Young Witches Who Absolutely Shouldn't Get Along But Do, Shockingly (Even If Sometimes There are Minor Natural Disasters Because There Has Been A Row)

[eyefoes]

JJBA Olympics AU !! Doppio road cycling & Diavolo BMX ^^

[lionfloss]

by Leontiev Konstantin

[stargirl230]

brush test inspired by a road trip through the Pennsylvania countryside 🏞️

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated!)

[gentlemanmotorslifestyle]

[bubbiethesaur]

Can I offer you a Moon in these trying times?

[seeminglydark]

does caro ever miss or mourn the person they could have been if they been happy with who they were as carrie? i'm an older trans person and have been post op and passing for over a decade now, but every now and then i can't help but feel sad for the version of myself i would have been if i'd been cis. i don't see a lot of stories with gnc characters touch on these feelings even though i think they're a normal part of the trans experience

WOAGH ok. I'm not going to clean up this sketch cuz i think its better you get the sloppy 'couldnt see through my tears replying to this ask' version. In many ways, yes. Its hard to put into words because its not a regret, but its a grief of who they tried to be for so long. It doesn't take away from the joy they have being the person they are now, but for them its like losing a loved one too young, if that makes sense.

i think many people have 'what ifs' and sadness for our baby selves. I write Caro loving Carrie very much, which is a super personal choice for me. I also show Carries story because I feel its really important to understand Caros. And because its really important to mine. I mourn baby me all the time, I was so incredibly lost. And I mourn the man I never became. He lives in John, because in many ways he still exists in me, even if my life took me in a different direction from him. I still love him. Hes still part of me even if my path didn't include him once i learned more about myself. But I'm also incredibly joyful and happy to be the person I am now, and I think teenage girl me, and phantom FtM me would be really proud of 40-something nonbinary living-my life-the-best-way-i-can me.

I think if Caro could meet Carrie in some kinda way, they'd say they were so sorry they couldn't be her, and that they really tried but they just didnt know how. But I think Carrie would tell them she's really happy she gets to be them, and how proud she is of how far theyve come together.

[sculkshrieking]

*holds out my hands like a starving victorian child* please more hoffstrahmdon sir

road trip!!! (they're on the run)

[hewantshisbrideback]

Different Roads: The House of Black and White

At the top she found a set of carved wooden doors twelve feet high. The left-hand door was made of weirwood pale as bone, the right of gleaming ebony. In their center was a carved moon face; ebony on the weirwood side, weirwood on the ebony. The look of it reminded her somehow of the heart tree in the godswood at Winterfell. The doors are watching me, she thought. She pushed upon both doors at once with the flat of her gloved hands, but neither one would budge. Locked and barred. "Let me in, you stupid," she said. "I crossed the narrow sea." She made a fist and pounded. "Jaqen told me to come. I have the iron coin." She pulled it from her pouch and held it up. "See? Valar morghulis." The doors made no reply, except to open. ❦ Arya I, A Feast for Crows