Has anyone used a Jonsbo D30 case and know if a AK620 will fit? Will that wireless adapter work for wifi6 on that card? Am I doing anything stupid like spending too much somewhere or not enough? Any help is appreciated.
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-13700K 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor	$399.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler	Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler	$69.98 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Asus PRIME Z790M-PLUS D4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	$169.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$119.99 @ Amazon
Storage	*Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$79.98 @ Amazon
Video Card	Gigabyte AERO OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB Video Card	$899.99 @ Newegg
Case	Jonsbo D30 MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$96.99 @ Newegg Sellers
Power Supply	Super Flower Leadex V Platinum Pro 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$129.99 @ Newegg Sellers
Wireless Network Adapter	Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter	$23.99 @ B&H
Case Fan	Enermax SquA RGB 68.27 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack	$39.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Enermax SquA RGB 68.27 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack	$39.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$2070.87
	*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-03-25 04:58 EDT-0400

I am currently breaking down and cleaning a JC Higgins Model 20 - 12 gauge. The gun has been abused, was incredibly dirty, and has had its action bar broken and rewelded in the past. On my function check after reassembly, the gun cycled fine with no shells in the magazine. Upon inserting shells in the magazine, the action now jams almost all the way back, and it appears the tab on the action bar is trying to pass behind the tab on the cartridge stop. I cycled the action empty and it worked fine while initially inspecting it for the quote, but like an idiot I didn't cycle with shells, so unfortunately I don't know if the issue existed prior to me breaking it down or not. That being said, I didn't hit anything hard or use any force, so I don't think I am the cause of this. Here are some pictures that may help, although it was incredibly difficult to get good lighting and make my phone focus on what I wanted it to.
With no shells, the cartridge stop appears correctly oriented, and the gun cycles fine. When shells are inserted, the cartridge stop moves out of the way, but when it rebounds, it appears to rebound farther towards the center of the gun, which I think might be related to the problem.
When cycling with shells in the magazine, the gun jams about 95% of the way back, and the cartridge stop does not get pushed outward by the action bar, and the lifter does not move past it to pick up the new shell. I can manually push the cartridge stop back, which allows the action bar tab to pass in front of the tab on the cartridge stop, and a shell is spit out onto the lifter and the gun cycles fine.
I thought it might be bent, but it appears straight. I did bend it a little bit back, but the stop wouldn't reliably stop shells from spitting back out when loading with the action forward, so I bent it the absolute most I could that still allowed it to reliably perform as a cartridge stop. I also lightly polished the top and bottom edges, and deburred all corners, thinking maybe it was hanging up on a burr or something, but the problem persists.
Anything else I missed or something else I can try? Any help would be greatly appreciated! (PS - I know the gun's in rough shape, customer didn't want me to re-blue it, so a cleaning and oiling is the best I can do...)

We have not suffered too greatly, fortunately we were not in the path of the Cicatrix Maledictum when the Eye of Terror erupted when Cadia fell. We were down in the Galactic Southwest, helping some ForgeWorlds purge an Ork WAAAGH and update a Sectors defenses to be as efficient as possible against the Tyranids should those foul Xenos assault them. Tragically, 2 of our Strike Cruisers and 7 of our "Escort" Class Warships were damaged beyong repair by the damned Greenskins. We managed to savage one of the Strike Cruisers, but the other crash-landed on a Planet was identified as a dormant Necron TombWorld some 350 years prior and all we could do was evacuate any survivors and briefly have some Techpriests&Techmarines salvage as many Relics as they possibly could from the wreckage before the Necron Defenders arrived at the Crash Sites. We did not have the power to take down a Necron TombWorld before it could call for aid and potentially awaken it's entire Dynasty, so we had the Ark Mechanicus' in our Battle Fleet tow the wreckage of the 5 "Escort" Vessels that weren't blasted into trillions of fragments by the Greenskin Ships aswell as the one dead Strike Cruiser towards the nearest ForgeWorld and begin savaging as much as possible and constructing new Ships with the salvage. This occurred in 967 M41.
It was then that I entrusted the 4 most powerful ForgeWorlds in the Sector with all the Ancient Wrecks&Derelict Vessels my Chapter had acquired and safe-guarded over the Millennia we'd existed to try and repair&restore them when possible, and create new Vessels of War with what could be salvaged from the Vessels that were damaged beyond repair. My Chapters Chief Librarian had a premoniton of a vast conflict against Chaos and the Tyranids that would occur at some point within the next 400 years. It was not enough for us to go to the High Lords of Terra, but it convinced me and all other major Imperial Commanders within 2 Sectors to begin putting all our production capabilities into the maximum possible overdrive in preparation, aswell as warn as many Chapters and ForgeWorlds as best we could, and so every ForgeWorld and Chspter within these 2 Sectors sent out emissaries to warn as many Chapters and ForgeWorlds of the potential arising conflict of beyond apocalyptic scale.
And thus, by using the Wrecks of some 50 Imperial and Mechanicus Warships we barely completed the construction, repairs, restoration, and/or retroftitting of some 27 Warships at least as large as a Cruiser before the Indomitus Crusade Fleet arrived in our Sectors in early M42.
And thus, my Chapter had swelled to some 1,780 Astartes, 250 Scouts and 45 Capital Class Vessels. Aye, we did encounter several Inquisitors who raised concern of ud attempting to Legion-build but we swore that if there was no such conflict or emergency to the Imperium within the 300 years foretold in the premonition that we would devote any "excess" Resources, Personnel and Assets towards the founding of 2 other Chapters that the High Lords of Terra or Inquisition could then order to be deployed anywhere within the Galaxy they deemed most fit. And so, when the Indomitus Crusade issued our Primaris Reinforcements we started up our own Crusade to head into the Imperium Nihilus and hopefully link-up with other Chapters of The Unforgiven.
That, is a summary of why my Chapter has grown so much.
Here, is a fully up-to-date list of my Chapters Fleet, our most valuable Infantry Assets, our most valuable Vehicle Assets and a rough summary of the other Forces that are within our Crusade Fleet:
Chapter Fleet:
-Chapter Flagship: the BattleBarge Indomitable Hammer is fully functional. Length is approximately 18 Kilometers long. Primary Armaments: 1 Nova Cannon, 4 Twin-Bombardment Cannon Batteries, 4 Quad-Lance Batteries and 10 Macro Cannon Batteries.
-Fortress Monastery: Mobile StarFort the Armoury of Caliban. Approximately 70 kilometers in diameter, fully capable of Warp Travel. Primary Armaments: [REDACTED].
-Seconday Fortress Monastery: Unnamed Space Station approximately 140 kilometers in diameter(armed only half as well as the Armour of Caliban but it's durability surpasses that of 3 of the 5 largest known SpaceHulks due to the myriad of technologies that has gone into it's fortification&upgrades over the 14,500 years since it's initial construction) capable of simultaneously dry-docking and repairing 4 Strike Cruisers or 1 BattleShip of any Class or size. It is capable of carrying and supplying 200 Titans, 300 Knights and 1,500,000 Unaugmented Human Soldiers simultaneously and has the means to teleport or drop-pod deploy all 500 Titans&Knights simultaneously and deploying 400,000 Unaugmented Human Soldiers at the same time. It was used to store many of my Chapters Relics and helping safeguard anf maintain many of the Relics and Ships my Chapter has been charged with Safeguarding over the Millennia we have been around. Now it serves as our Mobile Logistics Center.
-13 other BattleBarges of varying sizes&classes(including 2 IronClass Class BattleShips converted into being fully capable of independently supporting&transporting 450 Astartes+Support each and still having all of the normal Armaments&Armour of an IronClad Class BattleShip).
-25 Strike Cruisers of varying sizes&classes.
-6 BattleShips yet to he converted into BattleBarges, we felt it more important to use the resources needed to convert these 6 BattleShips into BattleBarges on boltering the local Fleets, Titan Legios, Knight Households and Armouries of ForgeWorlds, Fortress Worlds and Hive Worlds.
-60 "Escort" Class Warships smaller than a Cruiser but large enough to be capable of it's own independent Warp Travel and not getting bullied by 2 small VoidCraft in a Naval Engagement.
CHAPTER ARMOURY:
We now have so many Vehicles that it would take up too much time listing the numbers, classifications, variants and patterns of Vehicles my Chapter has. But we now have 1,130 Astartes Vehicles each at least the size of a Rhino, 200 of which are SuperHeavy Vehicles...we were incredibly fortunate in what we found when we salvaged a SpaceHulk in 990 M41.
We also have over 1,000 smaller VoidCraft including Gunships, Fighters, Bombers, Transports and Interceptors.
We have over 400 Suits of Terminator Armour and 350 Suits of Gravis Armour. Aswell as several hundred Primaris Marines.
We do expect to distribute many of our unneeded Vessels, pieces of Equipment, Vehicles and VoidCraft to other Astartes Forces in greater need of them aswell as send several hundred of our Astartes to join other Chapters to reinforce them, aswell as most of our Scouts and Initiates.
-Crusade Fleet Composition:
-60 Titans of various Classes from 3 different Titan Legios.
-180 Knights of various Classes&sizes from 7 Knight Houses.
-40 Bulk/Mass Haulers carrying some 3,000,000 Skitarii and 1,500,000 Imperial Guardsmen aswell as all their Vehicles, Support, Supplies and Equipment.
-25 Imperial Navy Cruises of various sizes&Patterns.
-6 Imperial Navy BattleShips of various sizes&Patterns.
-74 Imperial Navy "Escort" Ships.
-87 Adeptus Mechanicus Warships of nearly every size, Class and Armement within Mechanicus Records and Imperial Records.
However, all the remaining Forces within the Sector we departed from have gathered within the 7 most well fortified&built up SubSectors in order to ensure that there is a massive Imperial Bastion Force still within the Sector.
I would go into greater detail on our Forces...but time is of the essence, and our Astropaths and some Librarians have received communications and visions that the Lion has returned, and that The Rock has come into truly great danger several times already. I have a Primarch to re-unite with....even now I can hardly believe it, that the Lion has returned. I truly wept when I learned that he had gone missing during the Destruction of Caliban....but I and everyone in my Crusade Fleet still held out hope. And even through the following 11,000+ years it has been since then, the Chapter that was founded from the survivors of my Crusade Fleet after The Scouring still held out hope he would return one day and help us get our revenge on those Traitorous Curs. And nearly every single Chapter we had interacted with since then said it was foolish to hold onto hope, except for the Imperial Fists, Salamanders, SpaceWolves and their Successor Chapters. They understood the desperate hope we held onto, and they understood why we always held onto that hope....and now, I feel more vindicated than ever, and I, a Veteran of many long, vicious and brutal Wars will be re-united with my Primarch once again. I was there, during the Unification Wars on Terra when the Thunder Warriors were put to rest..I was there, by the Lions side during all of the Rangdan Xenocides. I was there for the horrors of the Ork WAAAAGH of Red-skull Blorok mu-thraka in the Galactic Southwest. I was there, burning down countless Xenos&Warp Abominations during the Great Crusade. I was there, during the fires of the Great Heresy when we heard word that several thousand Sons of Sanguinius had been corrupted by the Warp even worse than the Word Bearers....I was there when a Warmaster Titan of a now long-dead Titan Legio blasted it's horn one last time in sorrow and anger and then it died when we heard news of The Emperor being stricken down during a duel with Horus as we were committing to a final assault against the last of those Bloody Angels and their foul Dark Mechanicum allies...I survived being lost in the tides of the Warp for 11 long years and then being spat out into real-space....nearly 12,000 years after we had entered the Warp. And now, I shall be there by the Lions side once again...I, one of the very few Loyalist Astartes left who fought on Terra during the Unification Wars might also be the one to witness the reunion of the Lion and Guilliman.

REJOICE BROTHERS AND COUSINS FOR TODAY IS A GOOD DAY! THE LION HAS RETURNED, AND SOON HIS FORCES SHALL BE BOLSTERED BY A CRUSADE FLEET OF SUCH SIZE THAT IT HAS ONLY BEEN SURPASSED IN TIMES LESS THAN 200 TIMES INCLUDING THE GREAT CRUSADE OF OLD! FOR THE LION! FOR CALIBAN! FOR TERRA! FOR THE EMPEROR! FOR HUMANITY!

WTS Magpul BTR MilSpec Brace, MOE Grip, Lead Faucet Tactical Brokos Brace, AR Hexmag, & SWAG Patches
https://imgur.com/a/6xI6NJw
Prices do not include shipping costs. PayPal G&S, No notes pls. Patches will be mailed via Snail - Mail.
//
Possible trades: -B5 Systems Type 23 P-Grip
-BCM Gunfighter MOD 0 Stock
-B5 Systems Enhanced SOPMOD Stock
-BCM KAG (MLOK)
-Agilite Pincer Placard
-Agilite Six Pack
-Agilite AMAP II or III Assault Pack
-IFAK Stuff
-UF Pro Cold Weather Combat shirt/jacket
-1911 Safariland
-1911 / Browning Hi Power mods & mags -Arex Delta M accessories -Red Dot Sight
//
Patches (all new):

• SAR USA Patch - Purple - 1 available - $3
  
• Canik "Spy Vs. Spy" Shot Show 2023 Rival SFx Patch - 1 available - $15
  
• Staccato Patch - 5 available - $4 ea
  
• Banana Mag / AK Mag - 3 available - $5 ea
  

//
AR Parts:

• Magpul BTR Brace - MilSpec - BLK, New - 1 available -$45
  
• Magpul MOE Pistol Grip - BLK, New - 1 available - $12
  
• Lead Faucet Tactical Brokos Brace Original - 1 available- $45
  
• 30 rd 5.56 AR Hexmag - BLK, New - 1 available - $12
  

LA Knight who was known as Shaun Ricker at the time signed with WWE in 2013 after grinding for nearly a decade on the indies but was used as enhancement talent and was never given a chance to shine. Knight left the WWE in 2014 and was soon forgotten. Ricker as Eli Drake would sign with TNA in 2015 and he became one of the biggest stars of the post-Hogan TNA era. He held numerous titles such as the Impact World Tag Team Championship with Scott Steiner, TNA King of the Mountain Championship, and even the Impact World Championship. After leaving Impact in 2019, Eli Drake went to the revitalized National Wrestling Alliance where he would win the NWA World Tag Team alongside James Storm. In early 2021, Eli Drake left the NWA in early 2021 and resigned with the WWE after having proven himself time & time again in every company he signed with. 20 years of hard work finally paid off.
LA Knight would become one of the last major signings of the NXT Black & Gold Era. LA Knight had a decent run, having an entertaining feud with Cameron Grimes that involved Ted DiBiase & the Million Dollar Championship. He even had a face run feuding with Grayson Waller, he even teamed up with the old guard of NXT Black & Gold to face the new crop of talent representing NXT 2.0 inside WarGames, a match NXT Black & Gold went on to lose. LA Knight would do the job for Gunther at NXT Takeover Stand & Deliver which would ultimately be Knight’s last match in NXT. Immediately following WrestleMania 38, LA Knight was called up to the main roster and would soon start his own faction called Maximum Male Models with Mace & Mansoor. Knight would have his name changed to Max Dupri and would gain a manager who was his storyline sister Maxxine Dupri. Maximum Male Models has shown potential as a decent undercard stable but is definitely below the talents & capabilities of LA Knight. Soon after Triple H took over creative, Max Dupri would leave MMM and revert back to LA Knight. He would then start losing matches to the likes of Ricochet and feud with Bray Wyatt in that awful Pitch Black Match at Royal Rumble. But despite consistently losing, he is getting louder & louder reactions from the fans and is primed for a huge push after this year’s WrestleMania. So get ready to look at how WWE SHOULD BOOK LA KNIGHT AFTER WRESTLEMANIA 39 YEAHHH!!!

Prelude
WrestleMania 39: Night One
The Miz is the host of WrestleMania and he has an episode of Miz TV with his guest being “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The Miz starts asking Austin general questions about his career and they begin talking about Austin’s match against Kevin Owens at last years WrestleMania. Miz says that Austin was looking a little slow out there and he sees why Austin hasn’t competed since because Austin wouldn’t stand a chance against a real talent such as The Miz. This draws the ire of the Texas Rattlesnake. Austin says that maybe he’ll come out of retirement again so he can wipe that goofy grin off The Miz’s face. Austin manages to goad The Miz into accepting the match RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!!!
The Miz vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Like last year, Austin shows that he’s still one tough SOB really laying a can a whoop ass on The Miz. Austin seems to have the match won when Maryse comes out distracting the referee which allows Miz to hit a low blow on Austin. Miz hits a SKULL CRUSHING FINALE, ONE… TWO… AUSTIN KICKS OUT. Austin makes his way back to his feet and he is PISSED. Austin stomps a fucking mudhole in The Miz and follows it up with a Stunner that send MIZ FLYING. It’s Austin’s turn to make the cover, ONE… TWO… THREE. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN HUMBLED THE MIZ TO KICK OFF WRESTLEMANIA 39!!!
”Stone Cold” Steve Austin defeats The Miz in 8:28
WrestleMania 39: Night Two
On night two of WrestleMania 39, in the middle of the show, we get an impromptu appearance from LA Knight. He puts down the fans and he says that he deserved to be on the WrestleMania card especially over the LA Knight wanna be The Miz and an old retired drunk like Steve Austin. He says they suck and that he should have been on the card over them and that’s a fact of life. This is when Austin comes out and we have a funny & numerous promo exchange between them which results in Austin nailing Knight with a Stunner. LA Knight eventually makes his way back to his feet but he’s still very disoriented. We repeat the spot Austin did with JBL back in 2011 with Austin handing a very disoriented LA Knight a beer then he hits yet another Stunner that Knight sells like The Rock in his prime. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN HAS HUMILIATED LA KNIGHT ON THE GRANDEST STAGE OF THEM ALL!!!
Raw April 3rd, 2023
It’s the Raw after WrestleMania and we bring back the ANNUAL WWE DRAFT!!! The new WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is Smackdown’s first draft pick. New Intercontinental Champion Sheamus gets drafted to Raw. LA Knight however is one of the last picks on Monday Night Raw!!! LA Knight is absolutely furious and he says that next week is the start of his journey to becoming THE GUY ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW!!!
Raw April 10th, 2023
LA Knight vs Seth Rollins: World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First Round Match
After winning the Undisputed Universal Championship at WrestleMania, Cody Rhodes retires the Universal Championship since after all, the WWE Title was the real prize for Cody. Taking the place of the Universal Championship, will be the return of the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!! LA Knight will have to face Seth Rollins and it does not go well for LA Knight who absolutely loses it in the ring after losing.
Seth Rollins defeats LA Knight to advance in the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament in 12:56
Later in the night, Drew McIntyre has a match in the tournament and things are looking good for the big Scotsman but LA Knight cost Drew the match because LA Knight wants to make an Impact by defeating one of Raw’s major players.
Backlash 2023
LA Knight vs Drew McIntyre
LA Knight has a lot to prove against the former two-time WWE Champion. LA Knight does better than anyone expects against Drew hitting a verity of moves that impresses the audience and even gets a very close two count with Blunt Force Trauma. Drew however, is still pissed about being robbed of the World Heavyweight Championship and he turns LA Knight inside out with a Claymore to get the 3 count.
Drew McIntyre defeats LA Knight in 14:48
Raw May 8th, 2023
20-Man Battle Royal: #1 Contenders Match for The Intercontinental Championship
This match is a bit of a clusterfuck but LA Knight does what he does best and picks his spots very carefully, scoring an elimination here and then but keeping a low profile. The final three are LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, and Pete Dunne. McIntyre managed to eliminate Pete Dunne but FROM BEHIND LA KNIGHT ELIMINATES DREW MCINTYRE TO BECOME #1 CONTENDER FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
LA Knight wins the battle Royal to become #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship in 11:56
King & Queen of the Ring
LA Knight vs Sheamus(c): Intercontinental Championship
LA Knight finally has the opportunity to turn his recent string of bad luck around by bringing home his first taste of main roster gold but he’s going against an Irish brute in Sheamus. Knight has a plan however and he attacks the right knee of Sheamus and hit pays off when Sheamus hits the Brough Kick but he’s selling the knee and he takes forever to pin LA Knight and he kicks out at two. Sheamus does manage to power through the pain and he locks in the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF!!! LA Knight desperately tries to stay in this, he’s flipping around like a fish outta water. He scratches & claws his way towards the ropes but he just can’t, LA KNIGHT TAPS OUT. LA KNIGHT’s STRING OF BAD LUCK CONTINUES!!!
Raw June 6th, 2023
LA Knight vs Dolph Ziggler: Money in the Bank Qualifier
It’s Money in the Bank season and LA Knight is ready to shock the world by becoming Mr. Money in the Bank. But first, LA Knight will have to go through a former Money in the Bank Briefcase holder in Dolph Ziggler. They have a fun match that goes almost 10 minutes where Dolph Ziggler make LA Knight look like a million bucks. LA KNIGHT TURNS DOLPH ZIGGLER INSIDE OUT WITH BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO QUALIFY FOR THE MATCH!!!
LA Knight defeats Dolph Ziggler in 9:19
Money in the Bank 2023
LA Knight vs Bobby Lashley vs Cameron Grimes vs Pete Dunne vs Ricochet vs Gunther vs Finn Bálor vs Bronson Steiner: Money in the Bank Ladder Match
While this may not be the first ladder match of LA Knight’s career he is certainly out of his element here and there’ll be no Million Dollar Man to save him this time. LA Knight aims to end his string of bad luck by guaranteeing himself a world title match within the next year. This match is pure anarchy, Ricochet is using the environment around him to take out his opponents using the ladders to , Pete Dunne does ladder assisted joint manipulation, and Solo Sikoa uses his Samoan strength to batter the competition. LA Knight quickly adapts to this chaotic match by picking his spots very carefully like the manipulative bastard he really is. It’s then that LA Knight climbs the ladder and comes face to face with BRONSON STEINER!!! LA Knight wishes that he could get out of dodge having seen what Steiner was capable of in NXT but Knight being on top of the ladder means he has absolutely nowhere to go but down and that’s exactly what happens when BRONSON HITS A FRANKENSTEINER OFF THE TOP OF THE LADDER!!! After a few more minutes of action, LA KNIGHT SNEAKS BACK INTO THE RING KNOCKING OLD RIVAL CAMERON GRIMES OFF THE LADDER CLIMBS THE LADDER HIMSELF TO RETRIEVE THE BRIEFCASE!!! LA KNIGHT IS MR MONEY IN THE BANK, LA KNIGHTS STRING OF BAD LUCK IS OVER!!!
LA Knight wins the Money in the Bank Briefcase in 26:47
Raw August 7th, 2023
LA Knight doesn’t wait long to take advantage of the fact that he’s Mr. Money in the Bank and he attempts to cash in on Seth Rollins but before the match can start, CAMERON GRIMES spoils the cash-in attempt. Grimes says that he was so close to winning Money in the Bank but that sneaky bastard LA Knight knocked him off the ladder and cost him his chance of becoming world champion. Cameron Grimes reminds LA Knight that he kicked his ass in NXT and he’s going to do the same at SUMMERSLAM!!!
Summerslam 2023
LA Knight vs Cameron Grimes
These two have a nice 10 minute match that sees a lot of back & forth action. Cameron Grimes hits his double foot stomp, ONE… TWO… THREE… BUT WAIT! LA Knight’s foot was on the bottom rope m, the match continues. LA Knight levels Grimes with a low blow followed up by BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, Knight makes the cover, ONE… TWO… THREE LA KNIGHT HAS DEFEATED CAMERON GRIMES AT THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE SUMMER!!!
LA Knight defeats Cameron Grimes in 10:36
Raw August 28th, 2023
Edge vs Seth Rollins(c): World Heavyweight Championship
Edge has been on a quest to regain the tile he never lost over 12 years ago. Seth Rollins has been riding high as champion and Edge knows what it takes to beat Seth Rollins but Edge is nearly 50 years old and father time is catching up quickly for the Rater R Superstar and he is nearing the end of his run. Edge fell short at Summerslam but on the August 28th edition of Raw, it will be airing from TORONTO, CANADA!!! Edge is in the fight for his life against a very game Seth Rollins and he defies the odds BY DEFEATING SETH ROLLINS TO BECOME A 12-TIME WORLD CHAMPION IN HIS HOME COUNTRY OF CANADA!!! With a tear in his eye, Edge celebrates with his World Heavyweight Championship until we hear the music of LA KNIGHT!!!
LA Knight vs Edge(c): World Heavyweight Championship
LA Knight cashes in Money in the Bank in an exhausted Edge. Knight immediately takes the fight to Edge, refusing to let this golden opportunity slip through his fingers. LA Knight immediately goes to work on Edge but EDGE CATCHES HIM WITH A SPEAR OUTTA NOWHERE, ONE… TWO… LA KNIGHT KICKS OUT DAMN THAT WAS CLOSE. LA Knight is pissed that another old man almost embarrassed and he hits Edge with BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, ONE… TWO… THREE… LA KNIGHT HAS DEFEATED EDGE IN HIS OWN HOMETOWN TO WIN THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!! The heat for LA Knight is ABSOLUTELY NUCLEAR.
LA Knight defeats Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 3:13
Raw September 5th, 2023
LA Knight boasts about being World Heavyweight Champion and how he has officially won championships everywhere he’s been but that’s when he gets interrupted by Seth Rollins and he calls Knight a fluke champion and says he hasn’t beaten anyone of note in a fair fight. It was Rollins that beat LA Knight in that WHC Tournament a few months ago and Rollins challenges LA Knight to a World Heavyweight Championship Match at Clash at the Castle and LA Knight accepts but he says that there’s a catch. LA Knight had a clause put in his contract anyone who challenges him for the title only gets one match so no matter what happens at the PPV, there WILL BE NO REMATCH AND THATS A FACT OF LIFE!!!!!
Clash at the Castle 2023
LA Knight(c) vs Seth Rollins: World HeavyweightChampionship
LA Knight makes an elaborate entrance as World Heavyweight Champion just to get under everyone’s skin. Rollins is chomping at the bit to shut this loud mouth old fuck up and they go to work. LA Knight uses every heel tactic he knows to gain an advantage that is until he sneaks the WHC Title Belt into the ring as Rollins sets up for a Crub Stomp. Seth Rollins goes for the Curb Stomp but in mid-air, LA KNIGHT CLOCKS HIS ASS WITH THE BIG GOLD BELT!!! LA Knight makes the cover, ONE… TWO… ROLLINS IS A DEFIANT AS EVER. LA Knight immediately picks up the carcass of Rollins and hits BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, ONE… TWO… THREE… LA Knight has defeated Seth Rollins in his FIRST successful title defense.
LA Knight defeats Seth Rollins to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in 19:42
Raw October 9th, 2023
LA Knight comes out with his World Heavyweight Championship with an arrogant smirk on his face. He is only a couple weeks removed from defeating one of the literal best wrestlers in the world in Seth Rollins. LA Knight is in a very floating mood tonight, that is until he’s interrupted by THE PHENOMENAL ONE AJ STYLES!!! AJ says that LA Knight is just a just a pretend world champion, but that’s what he’s been his whole career. Styles says that LA Knight has gotten by his whole entire career by acting like a discount Dwayne. He only made it down in Orlando because AJ left and he only made it here because he hasn’t had to contend with AJ Styles. The flat Earth man says that he didn’t need to cash in Money in the Bank on a weakened opponent to win his two world titles. AJ CHALLENGES LA KNIGHT TO A WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AT CROWN JEWEL!!!
Crown Jewel 2023
LA Knight vs AJ Styles: World Heavyweight Championship
We get to the PPV (I refuse to call it a PLE) and it’s the face of OG TNA vs the face of the post Hogan era of TNA. These two have an old school TNA style match. AJ turns back the clock and busts out moves not seen in years such as the Spiral Tap. AJ completely outclasses LA Knight from a wrestling standpoint but AJ makes a costly error when he takes too long to set up for the Phenomenal Forearm and LA capitalizes by hitting a leap-up superplex followed up by BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, ONE… TWO… THREE… LA KNIGHT HAS DEFEATED AJ STYLES CLEAN AS A FUCKING WHISTLE TO RETAIN THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!! LA Knight has finally been legitimized as a world champion.
LA Knight defeats AJ Styles to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in 21:58
After the match, EDGE MAKES HIS FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE BEING SCREWED OUT OF THE WHC BY LA KNIGHT!!! Edge makes a beeline for LA Knight throwing rights & lefts at the champion before LEVELING HIM WITH A SPEAR. Edge lifts up the very same title that was stolen from him far too soon.
Raw November 6th, 2023
Edge comes out and talks about how 12 years ago, he was in the prime of his career having just retained the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania but just 8 days later he had to retire due to a neck injury and subsequently vacated the title. Not only did he come back 3 years ago so he could finish his career on his terms, but he also wanted to have the world title reign that he was robbed of over a decade ago. Edge calls out LA Knight for doing that to him not only in his hometown but right in front of his family as well. Edge wants a rematch for the title in A HARDCORE MATCH at SURVIVOR SERIES!!! LA Knight comes out and tells Edge to hold his fake outrage because all LA Knight did was do the same thing Edge has done not once but TWICE. LA Knight says that Edge made a career out of being an opportunist, a snake but now because Edge is old and considered a legend he thinks he can pander to the fans and all the sudden give a damn about right & wrong. LA Knight says whether he’s 40, 50, or 60 he’ll always be the same LA Knight because he’ll never claim to give a damn about these people and that’s a fact of life. LA Knight accepts the match so he can put Edge out to pasture for good.
Survivor Series 2023
LA Knight(c) vs Edge: Hardcore Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
This match is gonna fucking go hard, it’s the opportunist of old vs the opportunist of new. Edge isn’t playing any games tonight and he starts throwing all different sorts of weapons into the ring. This match is a fucking car crash that sees both men beaten & broken. LA Knight gets set up on the Apron, flaming table behind him, Edge is poised for a spear. It’s WrestleMania 22 all over again. Edge goes for it but someone moves LA Knight and EDGE CRASHES & BURNS RIGHTS THROUGH THE FLAMING TABLE WITH NOBODY HOME. The man who helped LA Knight is… KEVIN OWENS!!! LA Knight rolls Edge back into the ring and hits BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, KNIGHT MAKES THE COVER, ONE… TWO… THREE!!! LA KNIGHT HAS DEFEATED EDGE TO RETAIN THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!! In a cruel bit of irony, Edge’s very first world title reign started when HE cashed in MITB and his last world title reign ends when someone cashed in on HIM.
LA Knight defeats Edge to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in 29:15
Raw December 18th, 2023
Kevin Owens explained that him costing Edge the World Heavyweight Championship was nothing personal and it was all business. Owens needed Edge out of the title picture so he could move his way up, after all he is a prizefighter and he hasn’t won a the big prize in over 6 years. After dropping the WWE World Tag Team Titles, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn went their separate ways without bloodshed for once. Both men have forged their path in the singles division with great success but now they find themselves both in contention for the World Heavyweight Championship. In the match itself, Owens & Zayn lay it all out in the ring until they are attacked by LA Knight who lays both men out with a steel chair. Triple H comes out and announced that BOTH MEN WILL CHALLENGE LA KNIGHT FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROYAL RUMBLE!!!
Royal Rumble 2024
LA Knight(c) vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn: World Heavyweight Championship
This match is an archaic fuckfest, we have two best friends who are currently on rocky grounds but if there’s one thing that can unite them, it’s their mutual hatred of LA Knight, YEAHHH. Owens & Sami focus all their attention on Knight, taking turns kicking his ass but there’s clear tension between them. LA Knight realizes that he’ll have to use that tension to his advantage and he manages to put them against each other. Despite all that, OWENS STILL MANAGES TO HIT AN AVALANCHE PACKAGE PILEDRIVER ON LA KNIGHT. Owens makes the cover, ONE… TWO… SAMI BREAKS THE PIN!!! Owens is pissed, he gets in Sami’s face and says “I’ve waited seven long years for this!” Sami retorts that, “this is my dream too!” Owens SLAPS Sami and they begin to brawl. They end up outside of the ring and OWENS HITS AN APRON POWERBOMB ON SAMI, KEVIN OWENS IS REALLY TRYING TO HURT SAMI. Owens enters the ring having almost forgotten about Knight and he is immediately hit with a thumb to the ray followed up by BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA. Knight makes the cover, ONE… TWO… OWENS BARELY KICKS OUT AND BOY IS HE FIRED UP!!! Owens spends the next few minutes just kicking the piss outta Knight. Owens hits his original finisher the POP-UP POWERBOMB but before he can make the cover, Sami limps back into the ring, his back is in excruciating pain but he refuses to let go of his dream of FINALLY becoming world champion. Sami is trading blows with Owens and he hits a reverse STO, followed by a Koji Clutch. OWENS IS FADING FAST, SAMI IS JUST SECONDS AWAY FROM BECOMING WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!! Knight breaks up to pins hitting Sami in his injured back but there is absolutely no quit in Sami and he hits the exploder suplex followed up by the Helluva Kick, Sami makes the cover, ONE… TWO… OWENS BREAKS UP THE PIN. Owens tosses Sami out of the ring and pins LA Knight, ONE… TWO… THREE. AFTER SEVEN LONG YEARS KEVIN OWENS IS ONCE AGAIN WORLD CHAMPION!!!
Kevin Owens defeats LA Knight & Sami Zayn to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 26:41
30 Man Royal Rumble Match
We fast forward to the Royal Rumble match and we see Johnny Gargano enter at #27. But before Gargano can enter the ring, LA KNIGHT COMES OUT AND SMASHES GARGANO WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!! Despite having competed earlier tonight, LA KNIGHT TAKES JOHNNY GARGANO’S SPOT IN THE ROYAL RUMBLE AT #27. He limps to the ring and knowing that he’s not at 100% he’ll have to pick his spots even more carefully. A handful of guys are attempting to hoist Braun Strowman over the top rope, Knight grabs Strowman’s arm from outside of the ring assisting in Strowman’s elimination. Knight also manages to score a sneaky elimination over old rival Cameron Grimes. Things are seriously looking up for LA Knight. #28 & #29 come out and LA Knight is still hanging in there, just maybe his luck is finally turning around. That is until entrant #30 who is STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN!!! He runs fast for a 60 year old man and he is hitting Stunners like it’s 1998. LA Knight is completely incensed when he lays eyes on the man who ruined his first WrestleMania. LA Knights gets the jump on Austin, but the Texas Rattlesnake won’t go down with out a fight and he’s throwing haymakers back at Knight followed up by a Stunner that’s send LA Knight flying over the top rope. LA KNIGHT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!! It’s all good though as Gunther chops Austin into oblivion and throws him over the top rope putting Gunther over huge. Not gonna go into detail about the rest of the Rumble since it’s not relevant to the story but GUNTHER WINS!!!
Gunther wins the Royal Rumble in 1:04:28
Raw January 28th, 2024
LA Knight vs Sami Zayn: Elimination Chamber Qualifier
It’s only been 48 hours since LA Knight lost the World Heavyweight Championship then failed to win the Royal Rumble match getting eliminated by none other than “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the man who embarrassed LA Knight at last year’s WrestleMania. Tonight, LA Knight faces a man who also feels that he deserves to be World Heavyweight Champion and that is Sami Zayn. These two have an absolute barnburner of a match as they both have unfinished business from Royal Rumble. SAMI ZAYN BEATS LA KNIGHT TO QUALIFY FOR THE ELIMINATION CHAMBER!!!
Sami Zayn defeats LA Knight in 18:45
Raw February 5th, 2024
We start off with a promo from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and talks about why he entered the Royal Rumble Match. Austin says that he wants whoop some ass and have one final round with the WWE Title and he says that he’s going to enter the chamber and open a can a whoop ass on the five unlucky SOB’s who will be stuck in a chamber with him. That’s when LA Knight’s music his and Austin looks up the ramp expecting Knight to make his way down, BUT AUSTIN GETS CLOBBERED FROM BEHIND WITH A STEEL CHAIR FROM LA KNIGHT!!! LA Knight targets the bad knees of Austin bashing them into the ring post then finally, Knight wraps the chair over Austin’s knee and is getting ready to snap the leg of a 60 year old legend but JOHNNY GARGANO COMES OUT AND RUNS KNIGHT OFF!!!
Elimination Chamber 2024
LA Knight vs Johnny Gargano
The story here is simple, Johnny Gargano wants revenge for being robbed of a spot in the Royal Rumble. Gargano puts on a great showing against Knight which causes him to resort to every heel tactic he can think of to gain the advantage. LA Knight rips off the turnbuckle padding but turns around into a superkick from Gargano. He then picks him up and tries to lawn dart him right into the turnbuckle but Knight slides off and pushes Gargano head first into the exposed turnbuckle. LA Knight sets up for Blunt Force Trauma but that’s when we hear GLASS SHATTER!!! ITS STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN AND HES ON TBE RAMP STARING A HOLE THROUGH LA KNIGHT. This distraction allows for Johnny Gargano to hit a reverse rana followed up by the ONE FINAL BEAT, ONE… TWO… THREE!!! With the help of Austin Johnny Gargano has defeated LA Knight avenging the Screwjob at the Royal Rumble.
Johnny Gargano defeats LA Knight in 11:11
After the match, Austin storms the ring and a huge fucking brawl ensues between the two, multiple referees & security try to break up the braw which allows LA Knight to get away. But Austin isn’t done yet and he clears the ring with STUNNER AFTER STUNNER ON EVERYONE. LA KNIGHT LOOKS HORRIFIED AT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO HIM NEXT!!!!!
WrestleMania 40
LA Knight vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin: No Holds Barred
This match semi-main events Night One of WrestleMania 40. This match is going to be an Attitude Era style chaos. The match starts off hot with Austin throwing lefts & rights at the loudmouth LA Knight. AUSTIN GOES FOR AN EARLY STUNNER, but LA Knight leaves the ring. Austin doesn’t let up however and he drills Knight with a huge clothesline and starts throwing him into the barricade and into the steel steps. They begin fighting on rope of the announce table and that’s when AUSTIN HITS A HUGE BACK DROP ON LA KNIGHT RIGHT THROUGH THE GERMAN ANNOUNCE TABLE!!! Austin rolls Knight back into the ring but is met with a STUNNER FROM LA KNIGHT WHO JUST STOLE AUSTIN’S MOVE, ONE… TWO… AUSTIN KICKS OUT. LA Knight lays down the ground & pound on Austin and now AUSTIN IS BLEEDING LIKE A STUCK PIG as JR would say. Austin doesn’t go down east and he hits A MASSIVE STONE COLD STUNNER ON LA KNIGHT, ONE… TWO… LA KNIGHT KICKS OUT. Austin’s age begins to catch up and LA Knight outclasses Austin from a wrestling stand point. Austin goes for one last Stunner but LA Knight catches him in a single leg powerbomb followed up by BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA ON AUSTIN, ONE… TWO… AUSTIN KICKS OUT!!! Austin slowly makes his way back to his feet and he looks at LA Knight and flips him the bird one last time, LA Knight hits Blunt Force Trauma one last time. HE MAKES THE COVER, ONE… TWO… THREE… LA KNIGHT HAS DONE THE UNTHINKABLE AND DEFEATS STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN AT WRESTLEMANIA!!! After the match, Austin gets his moment in the ring and nods at LA Knight giving his stamp of approval.
LA Knight defeated “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 21:39
Later that night, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens are squaring off in the main event for the World Heavyweight Championship. They have done virtually everything together, they’ve been faces, they’ve been heels, they’ve been tag team champions, they’ve had blood feuds but NEVER have they they met in the main event of WrestleMania for a World Championship. These two former best friends have gone nearly 30 minutes and it’s an absolute barnburner of a match. Kevin Owens has Sami dead to rights but he make a miraculous comeback and hits one finally Helluva Kick to win the match!!! SAMI ZAYN AFTER OVER A DECADE GRINDING IN THE WWE IS FINALLY WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!! Confetti is falling from the sky, various members of the babyface roster come out to celebrate with Sami who they recognize as really deserving of this moment. While everyone is celebrating, we see a beaten up & limping LA Knight at the top of the entrance ramp staring a hole through the new World Heavyweight Champion to end Night One of WrestleMania 40.
Epilogue
LA Knight would be cemented as one of the top heels in WWE for years to come. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens would put their feud to rest until a possible retirement match between them down the line. Kevin Owens & Edge would eventually have their match at Summerslam, ideally set in Canada where Edge can officially retire for good this time. Sami Zayn would enjoy a prosperous reign as World Heavyweight Champion putting on bangers against anyone & everyone, that is until LA Knight finds himself back in the title picture and regain the championship and kickstart yet another great run with the title.

As the months raged by on Kamino, Vader received word that another clone had survived. When Vader returned to the cell of the newest clone, he repeated the similar script he gave to the other clones that had failed him.
Vader: You survived.
Starkiller38: How much time has passed?
Vader: 13 days in Isolation. Impressive.
Starkiller38: The Force gives me all I need.
Vader: From what source?
Starkiller38: The Dark side, my master.
Vader then began to raise the platform restraining the clone out of the cell and he handed him two lightsabers that were similar to the ones the successful clone carried.
Vader: Starkiller's Jedi mentor has been captured.
Starkiller38: General Rahm Kota?
Vader: Yes. When your training is complete, you will go to Cato Neimoidia and execute him.
When the clone hears it, he begins to recoil from a memory aching in his head about when the original Starkiller dueled him above Nar Shaddaa. When the flash ended, Vader took notice.
Vader: You are still haunted by visions?
Starkiller38: Yes, Master. I… sometimes smell a forest on fire, I see the General falling, I feel the ground shake as a starship crashes around me,... and I hear… a woman's voice when I try to sleep.
Vader: They ate memories of a dead man. A side effect of the cloning process and the memory flashes used to train you. They. Will. Fade.
Starkiller38: And if they don't?
Vader: Then you will be of no use to me. Starkiller's emotions made him weak. You must destroy what he created, and you must learn to hate what he loved.
As Vader explained this to him, training droids similar to Proxy appeared taking the forms of Rebel soldiers and Juno Eclipse. His shackles were removed by the Force and the clone activated his two crimson blades. As he had tuned his powers and saber techniques, Vader was impressed, but only knew it would be a true success if the Juno projection was killed.
When the training droid that projected the image of Juno spoke, the clone hesitated and started to give into his memories.
Vader: Strike her down!
Starkiller38: I… can't!
Vader: You WILL! You were created to do. MY. Bidding!
After trying to absorb Vader's orders to strike down the image of Juno, his memories won out and he deactivated the blades and holstered them to his robes.
Vader was disappointed in this clone and began to strike down the image himself. The clone was about to check on it when the visage disappeared.
Vader: Then… it is as I feared.
Starkiller38: Why is this happening to me?!
Vader: The accelerated cloning process is still… imperfect. Your predecessors had succumbed to madness within months. I had high hopes that you would be the first success, but now you must suffer the same fate, like the rest.
Starkiller38: What will you do with me?
As Vader's saber activated, a memory flash had gone off in the clone's head, just as Vader had hoped for. Vader then slowly moved to execute the clone, he was forced to block a surprise torrent of Force lightning before he saw the clone escape the facility with sabers in tow, ready to rampage his way off of Kamino.
This turn of events, for Vader, had been going as he had planned. He then put together a double bounty for the escaped clone and Juno Eclipse. The quickest response to those bounties was from the bounty hunter that Vader, although refusing to admit to himself, has considered his favorite; Boba Fett.
Boba: From the looks of this, he has a very healthy head start.
Vader: Find the woman and bring her to me. That clone will follow.
Boba: I'm gonna need a squadron or two of stormtroopers. They won't be coming back alive.
Vader: The Empire will provide whatever you believe is required.
Vader then reveals what he had done with the failed clones of Starkiller to the bounty hunter. Most have been subject to unimaginable pain until the only ability they have is short range teleportation, small burst stun lightning, and cloaking. These are equipped with wrist blasters, metallic claws embedded into their skin, and a breathing mechanism embedded in their lungs. Other failed clones were hidden among the gold-armored saber guards who were able to block the clone's force abilities. The closest successes were made into unarmed combatants that are proficient with the Force to reinforce Imperial rule on former Separatist worlds. Even fewer have only their brains preserved and used for large droid bodies that looked as if it was a droideka with a gorilla-like body. One brain that Vader had in particular which was a failed experiment of merging two types of DNA was moved to a large Mantis like droid capable of handling larger threats such as walkers, turbolaser emplacements, and even groups of Jedi. What he did with the remainder of the clone corpse parts he used for smaller and more numerous spider-like droids.
Boba Fett saw these machinations and secretly turned pale. While the bounty hunter composed himself, he accepted the use of these types of troops.
When the clone took down a couple of AT-STs with ease, he made his way to Vader's starfighter with Vader on his heels. As the Dark Lord saw his fighter take off, he knew that he was going to save Kota. He then orders the successful clone to Mustafar until ordered back. When X1 arrived in the shuttle, the two boarded and X1 gave him a few lessons on commanding a ship. This destroyer that X1 has been rewarded with was known as the Avarice.
After two years of fighting in a gladiatorial arena on Cato Neimoidia, Kota still maintains his will and taunts the Imperial at the head of Cato Neimoidia's arena. This baron ordered his Neimoidian aides to send another beast to execute the captured Jedi. Seconds later, the baron hears that Vader's TIE was coming in for a landing.
Baron: Secure the landing platform and have the Acolytes ready for any threat that comes our way!
When the bridge extended to the floating landing platform the Baron walked between the ivory formations of troopers with his best posture and eagerness to impress the dark lord. When he saw another being in his place wearing a TIE pilot uniform, he then began to draw his personal blaster, concealing it behind his back, while maintaining his look of confusion and inquisitiveness.
Baron: I… was expecting Lord Vader.
Starkiller38: The Jedi; Where is he?
Baron: No need to worry. He is alive… for the moment.
He then suspected that this individual was going to rescue his most entertaining combatant in his arena, and that was not going to happen on his watch.
Baron: What are the security codes in this sector?
The clone knew that he had no knowledge of the codes and stood ready to activate his blades. After the Baron pressed the clone for the security codes again, he drew his blaster, followed by the Stormtrooper escorts and the clone activated his crimson sabers. As blasters rang out, shots were deflected and troopers were cut down. In the firefight, the Baron had alerted Imperial troops all over the city that another force user was invading and attempting to rescue the Jedi. As the clone fought his way through the city, the Baron had an idea about replacing Kota with him.
Baron: This city lives for the sport of gladiatorial combat. General Rahm Kota is the finest combatant we have had yet. His two-year winning streak has become a fan favorite story, but also a source of dried up profits of gamblers. In my opinion, I see more potential in you as a combatant. If you fight and kill him in the arena, I will forgive your destructive warpath throughout my city.
After fighting many Imperial forces, Sith acolytes, and even taking down walkers and a couple Imperial Gunships, he made his way to the arena, and saw the familiar, yet tattered, Jedi that stood exhausted.
The baron saw the clone enter the arena from the view of his box and hoped that the clone would see reason, but as the clone stood at his side, his anger began to surface. He ordered his aides to send out his most fearsome combatant yet; the Gorog.
Back in the arena, Kota felt as though his body was screaming to relax, but when he heard a familiar voice, those mental screams began to quiet.
Kota: By the Force, I knew you were alive.
Starkiller38: I just hope that I stay that way.
As the arena doors opened, a rancor emerged and the clone thought that it was gonna be an easy fight, and only activated one of his blades. All of that changed when a hand about the same size as the rancor, dragged the creature back into the depths of the arena. The sense of ease quickly faded from the clone as he activated his second blade. Starkiller got his comlink on and began to assess the very large and monstrous threat.
Kota: Please tell me you kept the same comm channel.
Starkiller38: Loud and clear, Kota.
Kota: About time, I didn't know if I could take any more.
Starkiller38: Speaking of time and being out of it, what is this damn thing?
Kota: All I know is that it's huge.
Starkiller: I can definitely see that, but what the hell can I do?!
Kota: I'm not sure on that front.
As the clone dodges every single massive strike from the massive gorilla like beast, he then attacks the restraints and forces them to move into place. Every time he did this, the arena rocked with every smash making the excitement of the spectators blend with concern with every blow the giant delivered. After stabbing his sabers into the head of the massive beast, the restraints began to fail against the Gorog's rage. With the evacuation of the arena underway, Starkiller had no choice but to jump to the highest points in the arena due to the Gorog breaking free and destroying the structure.
Kota: Since those restraints are destroyed, we need to take that beast out of commission!
Starkiller38: Isn't this perceptive? How?!
Kota: Since this place is a hanging city, see what you can do about the supports.
Starkiller38: Blast that, the whole structure will come down!
Kota: You got any ideas?
Starkiller38: Not so much, no.
Kota: I'm going after the Baron if you need anything else.
As the Imperials tried to restrain or kill the gorog, they also had to contend with the clone slashing them apart while the gorog destroyed the supports to the city.
As the Gorog destroyed the last auxiliary support, the clone joined Kota in taking down the Imperial Moff, but the Gorog grabbed the Baron like a toy signaling to the two Force users that they had to get out of there now. As they jump out the window Kota hits a remote as they fall and the Rogue Shadow flies below them to catch the two Jedi. As he did so, Starkiller then threw his sabers to cut down the last support of the arena, sending the structure, and the massive gorog plummeting to the planet sized abyss below with the metal, transparisteel, wiring, and electrical systems stabbing into the thick flesh of the beast. When the Rogue Shadow left Cato Neimoidia, the pair began to calm down from the adrenaline rush they had as the pair brought down an entire structure in a city with no explosives, ships, or massive Force feats.
When the ISD Avarice was ordered to jump to Dantooine, the dark clone and commander meet up with X1's second in command as they covertly deploy the terror troops within the rebel forces heading to the fleet soon to arrive. Many troops have snuck aboard the rebel vessels that stopped for refueling. When Crosshair finished overseeing the infiltration, he regrouped with his Commander. As the shuttle reboarded the Avarice, Vader's plan was set in motion.
On Coruscant, the chaos is absent, but the politicians who have become sycophants to the Emperor all held verbal and documented daggers behind their backs. One of these politicians who had continuously fought for the rights of Clones was Senator Riyo Chuchi of Pantora. With her was her protégé, Omega. When Clones were almost completely phased out, the select few who remained were part of the 501st Legion, part of the Royal Guard, or served as bodies needed for the Dark Trooper project. When the attack on Kamino was brought before the Senate, Rampart had disclosed the mission that the holorecording had showed the vast hall of hovering pods. As Senator Chuchi displayed the information, she cast blame for the loss of Imperial Resources on Rampart's personal agenda.
Chuchi: Tipoca City was destroyed on your orders, Admiral! This recording was from your Venator!
Rampart: This recording shows the after effects of the battle that was won and we had to make sure that the Kaminoans never rebelled again. The Kaminoans had promised us that they would refrain from cloning a military to rival the Empire, but they have done so by taking DNA as part of their "medical treatment." Here is the evidence from one of my trooper's helmets of the supposedly cordoned off facilities.
Rampart then displayed Crosshair's view of the active cloning chambers. When a trooper sat in the pod, it was one of the clone of a trooper who died on Naboo.
Rampart: I also have with me one result of the Kaminoans' treachery. This trooper if you look upon their face has a distinct set of markings under their right eye. These are not medical scars or medical wrappings. The real Imperial trooper has died while being treated and this was the result to appease us.
The trooper rose up and revealed his face, showong the markings of the kaminoan cloning of Imperial conscripts.
Chuchi: An entire city was destroyed on your orders, Rampart! If it is wiped from the galactic maps, that would be cause for your court martial and charged with genocide!
Just as the words exit the Pantoran's lips, the central podium rose from the floor to reveal the Grand Vizier, Mas Amedda, and the Emperor himself. The Senate gradually fell quiet and Palpatine began to speak.
Palpatine: In light of the allegations made by both parties, the loss of Imperial resources will take years to replenish. The destruction of Tipoca City as depicted in the evidence provided by the Senator from Pantora, is ruled as a battle, not a slaughter of innocents. The insurrection has been dealt with, but the response to such an insurrection was unjustified destruction ordered by a rogue Imperial Agent serving his own agenda instead of the Empire. As for the evidence in the cloned conscripts, there is another dilemma present for you, Senator Chuchi. Since you are an advocate for the rights of clones, are those created to replace the dead conscripts included with the veterans of the Clone Wars, as well, or is your advocacy only through words alone?
Chuchi: This is the first time I have been made aware of any clones outside of the last war, My Emperor. Nevertheless, whether the clone is a recruit, or a veteran, I will be their voice in the Imperial Senate.
Emperor: I admire your dedication, Senator, but a new challenge has approached you. I hereby rule that any conscript who is discovered as a Kaminoan clone will no longer be able to serve in the Imperial military. If they do not seek other forms of employment outside of our military complex within 30 days, they will be culled.
Many Senators had cheered for the ruling from the Emperor, and others were silent on the matter so as to not lose their seats. Chuchi realized she had lots of work ahead of her. Omega offered to assist her and the pair began to work on the employment forms. Rampart had been arrested by the Coruscant Guard and sent to a military Tribunal due to his actions. After a few days of hard work, the tired and stressed out senator decided to head to 79's; the bar designated for clones when they were relieved of their posts for the night, or even throughout their long campaigns away from base. When the clones saw her, they knew to make sure she was served right away.
Back with the Rogue Shadow, the Starkiller clone had just picked up Kota from Malastare and was about to jump to hyperspace towards Dantooine when new memories played in his head. When he looked at his memories, he began smelling a very fungal odor, he felt the ground shake as massive footsteps ran towards him, he saw a Jedi fall from a force choke by Vader, and he heard a female voice, but this time, it wasn't Juno. The voice came from a woman with gray skin, red horns, black hair, and yellow eyes.
Kota: What did you see?
Starkiller38: I remember a planet full of fungal trees, I felt as if a rancor was chasing me, and I heard a different voice than Juno's.
Kota: Don't you remember Felucia?
Starkiller38: If that's what I'm seeing, maybe I do, but that other woman, I think I fought her.
Kota: You rescued Senator Organa from that mess of a planet.
Starkiller38: The thing is, Kota, I have never been to Felucia myself. I have memories of that planet, but I haven't ever set foot in that system.
Kota: We'll figure it out later. Anyway, we're coming up on the fleet. I'll do the talking.
Starkiller38: That's fine, General. I have to meditate, maybe I'll see if I can reach Juno.
As Starkiller sat down in what used to be the training facility, he meditated and changed out the crystals of his lightsabers. When they continued talking about Starkiller being back, Kota was updating him on the rebellion's current capability in terms of fighting Imperial Forces. Even though Kota still refused to believe it, he then heard the clone say something that triggered a memory of his own.
Starkiller38: You have no idea what I went through on Kamino.
Kota: Kamino? What city did you escape from? We can put your power to use now that you’re back, and launch a full scale…
Starkiller38: NO! I… just want… Look, I need a place to think everything through, to meditate.
Kota: To hide?!
Starkiller38: Until I find Juno.
Kota: We’re at war and you want a quiet place to think?! Wasn’t your trip before you picked me up specifically for that?! The Alliance will be destroyed, all because you had to continue… finding yourself?
Starkiller38: So now you believe that I’m a clone?
Kota: Yeah, cause you aren’t the first clone of a Jedi I met. After I lost my sight above Nar Shaddaa, I fell into a deep depression and recieved a call from an old friend, he told me about a clone he fought alongside and his exceptional skill. I found him on Dantooine and he looked almost the spitting image of his father, my old padawan.
Starkiller38: What happened to him? Resulting in the clone?
Kota: When he was injured after a battle before the clone wars, we brought him to Kamino to get him some medical attention. When the Kaminoans were finished with thim, they took some of his DNA as payment for the work they did.
Starkiller38: How did he die? I’m assuming it was on Dantooine, right?
Kota: Yes. When the Empire attacked Dantooine, my old padawan was the target. The clone I found was there along with other clones who defected. After a noble defense, he was killed by the other clone produced from his DNA and the clone that I found, had survivor’s guilt and stayed there for about 15 years before I got there and pulled him out of his funk.
The starkiller clone then reached into his pocket and gave the blind Jedi general a pen like item that he snagged from his escape, showing the jedi general how resourceful he was under stress.
Kota: An encrypted code cylinder?
Starkiller38: Everything about the schematics and cloning facilities on… Kamino.
Kota: Oh, and for the belief if you are a clone or not, I don’t think that it matters.
An explosion rings out throughout the bridge and the Jedi make theri way to the bridge, fighting Imperial forces along the way. In the ensuing Chaos, Boba fett infiltrated the ship and snuck his way through the cruiser to the bridge. He ordered different squads of troops throughout the ship to eliminate the rebels and find the Captain for Vader. When Kota encountered some Imperial troops, a lot of them were the basic stormtroopers, and other specialized troops that had no enhancements. When Kota reached the bridge, he briefly reunited with Proxy and took control of the bridge. When starkiller saw the hall that was near the bridge, Boba Fett had captured her already. All the clone and Captain could do was share a glance before Boba dragged her away to the Slave I. After Kota managed every thing from the bridge, and Starkiller fought through vader’s troops and Experiments, he tried stopping Boba fett from taking her to no avail.
Starkiller38: Kota, They’re gone. Send the order to attack Kamino or I WILL GO WITHOUT YOU!!!
Kota: Already done. We’re fixing to jump out of Hyperspace in a couple minutes. Switch channels, there’s something you need to hear.
Both had switched channels and Kota gave the clone a bit of warning.
Kota: You know that Vader is luring you back to him.
Starkiller38: Yes, I KNOW, but he won't be expecting the entire rebel fleet!
Kota: I know. Let's hope we're right. We just got out of hyperspace and are nearing Kamino.
The clone then heard some creaks and groans of metal being moved and bent only to see a huge insect-like walker about to attack the reactor of the entire ship.
Back with Kota, he knew he had to send for help if his fleet was to last against the Empire. He told Proxy to get into contact with any of the rebel leadership so he can call for aid.
Kota: Proxy, we need to get in touch with the Alliance leadership. Our fleet is falling apart.
Proxy: Patching you through to Yavin.
Proxy then changed his form to that of Princess Leia Organa and Kota began to speak.
Kota: Princess, our fleet is near Kamino and our fleet is falling apart. My apprentice is back but he's occupied with Vader's experimental troops! What reinforcements can you send?
Leia: We can send only 1 transport ship to bolster the forces on your capital ships. It may take a while for the transport to get there.
Kota: Anything you can send! We'll hold out for as long as they can!
When the transmission cut out, Starkiller had recovered the reactor and destroyed the insect walker and made his way to the main cannon.
With the Imperial defenses, there were two star destroyers blockading the planet; The Avarice and The Ambition. Each of them have sent TIE Fighters to destroy any rebels attempting to take off. When the rebels' main cannon was fired by the escaped clone, the Ambition took the lethal hit and was split in half. X1 realized that on that ship was his special Unit. X1 then fell to his rage, another ISD, the Desolate jumped out of hyperspace and reinforced the Imperial blockade.
Back with the clone, The appearance of the Desolate made Kota realize that their chances of success have significantly dropped. He made announcements to the hangar bays about sending the Y-wing bombers to attack the new destroyer. When the Imperial boarding parties attempted to go into the hangar bays, the X-wings and A-wings intercepted them and blew them into the vacuum of space.
Kota: We can't hold out much longer! Reroute all power to the forward deflector shields.
Proxy: This ship is also going to pieces. We already lost decks 8 through 12.
Starkiller38: Head to the Rogue Shadow. I don't think those planetary shields can withstand a direct hit from a cruiser.
Kota was almost dumbfounded at the idea, but figured that since their options were limited, he had to give the order he dreaded for the longest time.
Kota: Abandon ship! ABANDON SHIP!!! Are we even gonna survive?
Starkiller38: We'll see when we make it to the ground. Just get to the ship.
When the rebels got in their ships and escape pods, the Starkiller clone began moving debris out of the way of the crashing cruiser. When the cruiser broke through, the ship began to burn up due to reentry. As the cruiser continued burning up, he jumped out of the cruiser and removed all the barriers to prevent any drag in the ship's descent.
When Starkiller landed in a familiar yard-like structure in the facility he had escaped, he began searching for Juno and Vader. When he encountered multiple types of Imperial troops, he merely regarded them as nuisances and turned them upon each other in every room he entered. When it came to the war droids, he used their fire and carbonite shots against them and destroyed them using their shields as cover and a massive projectile against other Imperial forces. When he finally reunited with Kota, they saw that fighters and bombers were flying about and Starkiller used the war droid shields to take out the fighters and bomber squads. As the two continued to fight the Empire, the clone made his way towards the cloning chambers, against the behest of Kota.
Kota: You don't know what else is in there!
Starkiller38: Juno is close, General!
Kota: So is Vader, boy, just stop! Don't go in there alone!
Starkiller38: I know Vader's there, but I'm not stopping.
Kota: We need you on the front lines!
Starkiller38: I told you a hundred times that I'm going after Juno!
Kota: Damn it, Starkiller! I'm coming after you when we finish up here!
Starkiller walked through the cloning facility surrounded by suspended animation pods filled with clones of him. Throughout his walk through the chambers, he had begun hearing Juno’s voice rejecting him, Kota’s voice belittling him, and Vader’s ominous and iconic breathing sending chills throughout his spine and stoking the flames of his anger.
Starkiller38: VADER!!! COME OUT!! FACE ME, YOU COWARD!!!!
At random moments, Vader would surprise Starkiller with attacks using the Force, or using his saber. When Vader attacked with his blade, Starkiller began to press Vader on Juno. Every time he broke the clash or his grip of the Force, memories of him past, present, and future flashed in his mind, giving Vader time to hide and prepare for his next strike. When the clone exited the dark cloning room, he saw Vader atop one of the stasis pod platforms looking down at the clone who had escaped his grip, according to his plan, unbeknownst to the rest of the Empire.
Vader: I knew it was only a matter of time before you returned. Now you will surrender to me, or you will die here, where you were created.
This had further enraged the clone as he met Vader on that platform and ignited his twin sapphire blades ready to butcher the being who saw him as nothing but a weapon, an experiment, and a being with no identity. Vader had continued jumping from platform to platform releasing more unfinished clones towards the one that opposed him, but the clone continued to use them against him and keep him distracted.
Throughout the fight between the creator and his creation, Kota had managed to find the Kaminoan doctors who he tried to help 3 years ago. The kaminoans were about to display their gratitude for their rescuers, but a rain of blaster shots came in from a jetpack wearing bounty hunter, the same one Kota had fought on this planet during the Kamino uprising 3 years ago.
Boba: Now I’ve got you Jedi!
Kota: You again? You’ll never take me to Jabba alive!
Boba: Don’t have to. Your corpse is also acceptable.
When more Saber guards, Jump troopers, and Terror spider droids showed up behind him, the rebels had to steel themselves and fight for their lives. As the bounty hunter and Jedi fought, the transport entered Kamino’s atmosphere and 6 X-wings came out to blast the Imperials away.
X2: General, this is Grey Leader! We arrive just in time?
Kota: Barely, Grey Leader! Make sure that the Kaminoans are secured on your transport before you go! I gotta get to Vader.
Grey 4: Roger that, General. Grey 5, There’s 8 TIEs on your left flank!!
Grey 6: We’re gonna have to wait on that, General! Air support just came in!
Kota: Copy that, Grey 6!
Kota had chased the bounty hunter with every attack he could throw whe it was throwing the bounty hunter with the Force, dodging his flame thrower, redirecting his rockets towards the Imperial troops, and even using Mind triks on the Imperial troops to fight the bounty hunter. When Boba fled the scene, the Rebels brought the Kaminoans to their transport vessel on one of the far platforms.
When vader lured the clone to an office like room with a large transparisteel pane window, Vader had no saber ignited and faced the clone knowing that his use of Dun Moc was working wonders on him, perhaps too well.
Starkiller38: WHERE IS SHE??!!!!
Vader then stepped aside to reveal Juno Eclipse ound in the same shackles he was in when he began the penultimate test of his training. As the clone was about to embrace the blonde captain, Vader lifted her into a choke with the Force.
Vader: Bow before me, or she dies.
Vader was inching closer and closer to cracking her neck when Starkiller gave in and deactivated his blades.
Starkiller38: Wait, wait! I… will do your bidding. Just let her go.
Starkiller got on his knees and hung his head as if he was about to lose the single most important thing in his life. As Vader attemtped to control the clone once again, Juno crawled on the ground beneath the focus of both Force users and snag one of the clone’s blades.
Vader: You will find and kill General Kota. If you refuse, the woman dies. You will return to me and give yourself to the Dark side. If you resist, she dies. And when your training is complete, you will hunt down and execute the rebel leaders. If you fail, she dies!
A saber ignited and Juno began swinging at Vader, and the dark lord treated it like it was child’s play and threw her out the window with the Force, knocking her unconscious, unbeknownst to both Force users. Starkiller began to scream as he attempted to slash Vader to ribbons, but Vader prepared for it and threw him out the same window to the adjacent platform where the weather and rain had gotten worse throughout the battle. Vader leapt onto the same platform and Starkiller had begun radiating energy from the force as he began to barrage Vader with many quick dual bladed attacks. In the moments where the sabers clashed, Vader had continued using Dun Moc on the clone, stoking his fear and anger. As the fight progressed to even greater displays of the Force Kota and the rebel troops were coming up on the platform and saw the clone use the lightning from the electricity in the light poles and the storm Kota and the rebels stayed back until the dangerous displays of the Force subsided. Vader was taking a huge surge of lightning from the combined voltage of the storm, the electricity powering the poles and Starkiller’s raw potential with Force lightning. As Vader knelt in defeat with his dueling hand severed and his breathing apparatus malfunctioning, he goaded the clone to finish him.
Starkiller38: You’ve taken everything from me!
Vader: Your feelings for her are not real.
Starkiller38: They are real to me!
Kota: Wait!
Starkiller38: You want him dead as much as I do.
Kota: Yes, but not yet. Not until he’s told us the Empire’s secrets!
Starkiller38: You want to take him prisoner?
Kota: To a hidden rebel base where we can interrogate him, put him on trial for crimes against the true republic, and then we’ll execute him to show the galaxy that we don’t need to fear him any longer!
Starkiller38: If I let him live, he’ll haunt me forever.
Kota: He’s the only one who knows if Starkiller really survived. He can’t tell you if he’s dead.
The clone now had a choice to make, execute Vader for the trauma he has put him through, or let him live to serve the alliance’s purposes that had no benefit for him. The perfected clone had been hiding in an Imperial shuttle above the planet waiting for the go ahead from his master to attack the rebels and execute Kota and complete his final test. Boba Fett, meanwhile, was on and adjacent platform in a sniping position, ready to execute Kota and the clone on Vader’s orders. When Starkiller deactivated his blades and walked away, Kota began ordering his men to restrain Vader. In the midst of loading Vader onto the Rogue Shadow, the apprentice had acquired his master’s mechanical hand, and told the pilot to reboard the Avarice and set course for Dantooine after overhearing the conversation on the platform above.
When the clone saw a droid tending to Juno, he recognized it and started running to the pair.
Starkiller38: Proxy?
Proxy: Master?
Both: I thought you were dead!
Proxy: It’s quite a long story, possibly for a later time and place, but right now, I can’t revive her, she’s….
The clone then almost began regretting making all the moves he did throughout the galaxyand held the body of Juno Eclipse and began to pull her into an embrace just as the flashes had reminded him of such a moment.
Starkiller38: I should’ve stayed here.
As a tear flowed from is face and landed on Juno’s cheek, the clone began to kiss her, and when she began moving to reciprocate, the clone was almost overjoyed. When the kiss was broken, it was a surprise both of them.
Juno: We’re alive.
Starkiller38: I’ll explain my part later.
The two had shared a moment in each other’s arms before Juno had Proxy take the form of Princess Leia.
Leia: What’s your status?
Juno: We’re alive and we have captured Vader.
Kota: We also got another jedi back in the fight.
Leia: What’s your plan for moving him?
Juno: We’ll send a dozen small freighters in all directions. Even if the Empire knows we have him, they won’t know which ship to follow.
Leia: Excellent. The security detail?
Kota: We will have it covered, Your highness.
Juno: We’ll keep you informed en route to Dantooine.
Leia: Great. This will definitely be a turning point for the alliance. May the force be with you.
As Leia’s visage disappeared, Juno and Proxy were about to board the Rogue Shadow, but the clone was walking over to the restrained sith lord. Starkiller had a few words for the man/machine that took almost every bit of humanity from him in hopes to deliver the pain that his sabers could not.
Starkiller38: I let you live. You tell me that I’m just a clone, but I chose to spare you the pain you have inflicted on my predecessors. Maybe Kota is right. This might be just some ruse to make me forget who I am and make me your weapon again, but despite what you have done to me, I. Let. You. Live. You no longer have and sway over my actions or control over me.
Vader: As long as she lives, you will always be my slave to control, manipulate, and sway any way I please.
With that, Starkiller had left the dark room that housed the restrained dark lord. He then went to the cockpit where the love of his life was at the controls.
Juno: Prepare for lightspeed.
When the hyperdrives kicked in, the Rogue Shadow made is way to Dantooine, and one ship that had appeared from the debris in orbit emerged and followed them.
On Yavin, a Group of rebels had stolen an Imperial shuttle and were going after the Death Star plans, and they knew that they needed the reinforcements, so Chirrut Imwe lead the strike team due to the squadron’s belief in the Jedi as capable leaders, and Rogue Squadron’s ability to sneak into the Imperial base on Scariff As soon as their cover was blown, the rebels had fought every Imperial wave that came their way. These rebels knew that they were in for a fight.
Back on Dantooine, Kota volunteered to stay with the garrison and keep watch over Vader. Outside the prison, Crosshair activated the beacon and saw an Imperial light cruiser launch a TIE Advanced fighter and when it landed a good distance away from the rebel prison, the perfected clone climbed out and had Vader’s severed had with him. During the night, he snuck to a rendezvous point where he met another Imperial trooper, clad in all black armor with a green lens. Both of them stopped when the clone had his blaster raised. Crosshair: Show yourself.
The perfected clone then raised himself up and removed his hood.
StarkillerC: I have a gift for my master who is imprisoned here.
Crosshair: I see, thank you.
StarkillerC: Good luck trooper. Against the jedi, you’ll need it.
Crosshair: I’ll be on my guard.
As the apprentice reembarked on the TIE, he reboarded Vader’s flagship and began to search for a ship to take him to Malachor.
Boba Fett had found the clone and the captain moving Vader to the deepest and most reinforced cell in the prison. Before he can take the shot, the clone gets the sense that they were followed.
Juno: What’s wrong?
Starkiller38: Juno, get back to the ship. We’ve been followed.
Juno: I’ll pick you up after you deall with our tail.
When Boba Fett finds that his target was running, he begins to slowly hunt the jedi clone and just as he was about to find the Jedi’s thermal signature, he becomes engulfed in Force lightning to the point where the jetpack sends him on an uncontrolled flight path and knocked him into a nearby tree. As Boba recovers, he sees the figure approach him with twin sapphire blades, and just as the clone was about to deliver a lethal stab, Boba rolled out of the way and retreated back to his ship, then felt himself get lifted off the ground with a look of fear beneath his helmet and the Jedi spared the bounty hunter by throwing him back to his ship. This defeat against a Force user then burned a rule, almost literally, into his mind for any future bounties, that he will put to the forefront upon any contract he takes.
Starkiller38: Juno, I’m at the landing platforms.
Juno: Copy that, Starkiller. Vader is secure and Kota’s volunteered to guard him.
Later the following night, Crosshair began getting a holocall. This was coming from his direct superior, X1. he then found a spot away from the Prison where the beacon had been activated beneath the surface.
Crosshair: Yes, Commander?
X1: We have responded to your beacon and are ready for an assault. Did you receive the package?
Crosshair: I did, Commander. I’m going to sneak into Lord Vader’s cell and repair his hand. When he is freed and slicing his way through the rebels, block any that exit. There is also a jedi that may occupy him. As teh rebels retreat from Lord Vader, attack them, and leave the jedi for him.
X1: Excellent plan, Captain. We’ll send a company to free Lord Vader.
As Crosshair had finished repairing Vader’s hand, Vader then ordered Crosshair to inform him of what the escape plan is.
Vader: CT-9904, what is the escape plan?
Crosshair: Commander X1 is sending a company of stormtroopers to your rescue and the rebels will be flanked in the firefight.
Vader went along with the plan and remained restrained until the following day when Kota would report to Vader’s cell.The night before, after Kota was relieved of duty, he recorded a holomessage reserved for a bounty hunter friend who had joined the alliance because of Kota.
Kota: Shara, if you are seeing this I’ve left the rebellion. I need to focus on myself as a Jedi and how my life will be affected if the Empire succeeds. There is a clone I want you to fight alongside. He fought in the clone wars and has his own squadron. If you met my padawan, he is the spitting image of him, he is a clone after all, hehe. Anyway, I’m assigning you to Grey Squadron and as an advisor to the unit. May the Force be with you. Always.
Back on Coruscant, Senator Chuchi and Omega had given many clones the occupations outside the empire, but not all of them survived. Some have abandoned life within the Empire and joined the Rebellion, others were given work in service industries, manufacturing, and retail, as well as trade, and the few that couldn't be reached were culled by the Empire. Chuchi and Omega were both haunted when the cullings began. They used it to fuel the passion to fuel clone rights initiatives in the Empire. One night after a session, the two colleagues had said their goodbyes for what would be the final time unbeknownst to them.

Hey all.
Around Christmas I wrote and ran an adventure and the players died terribly during it. Tragic. I loved the storyline and the play leading up to their dramatic death at the turning point with the BBEG so much that I decided others might want to TPK their players in a cold hearted, snowy murder mystery turns mystical fight for the future.
There's a GMBinder document available here: https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-NKV-gQpIWkys9U_FtrF
Let's dive in shall we?

Warm hearts in a Cold winter

About the Adventure

This adventure places a party of level 5 characters at the center of a quarrel between two composers. It is located in Suzail but could as easily be placed in any major city.
Naturally, it should take place during a winter season or in a cold climate.

Precursor

A vengeful sylvan spirit, having possessed a young mage some weeks ago, has murdered and taken the place of a reputable maestro.
His goal is to play a piece of music at the upcoming charity gala where the nobles of the city will be in attendance, subsequently raising his army of snow borne abominations and launching his conquest upon the warm world.

Summary of Events

The city of Suzail is in celebration as the Noble Heart Winter Charity Gala is being built up with structures, merchants and performers stretching upon the promenade from the Royal Court Theatre in either direction for some distance.
The story begins with the players getting in touch with the director of the Royal Court Theater, Antonio Fellini and his assistant Nicolette Fiorelle.
In speaking to the director and his assistant, the players learn that a maestro named Giovanni has stolen the sheet music to be played at the gala by another maestro, Lucian.
Antonio suggests they check his residence and Nicolette takes the players there. Giovanni is not home. Nicolette suggests he may be at The Golden Dice, a gambling hall on the dockside.
Searching Giovannis residence, the players find a collection of cash-out receipts for The Golden Dice gambling hall and a collection of notes and drawings with a strange square signature in the corner of each. Anyone with the artisan background recognizes the signature of Hari Noshi, a tattooist on the dockside.
If the players go to The Golden Dice first, Giovanni is not there and soon after arrives a gang of thugs sent by Lucian who are also looking for Giovanni. After the thugs are dealt with, the owner of The Golden Dice informs the players that Giovanni is likely at his friend Hari Noshi's tattoo parlor down the way.
When the players arrive at the tattoo parlor, they find a robed ogre shaking down a grappled Giovanni. Archers watch close by and a scout sits hidden keeping watch on the alleyway.
If the gang from the gambling hall is still alive, they arrive to assist in any conflict. If the players manage to save Giovanni from the gang, he offers to give the players the sheet music back; he left it with a scribe named Peregrin to have a copy made, and proceeds to take them there.
When they arrive at the scribery they find the door locked but the scribe is visible through a window, hunched over his lectern. However they enter, the players and Giovanni find a dead scribe, his lips blue, a frozen quill in his grasp, frost formed on his fingers and a peaceful look on his face. Giovanni is in shock, and sees that Peregrin had copied across but a single bar of the music. Peregrin is an alchemist as well and maintains a small supply of potions for healing, cold resistance and poisons antidotes.
Giovanni lets the players have the sheet music, deciding that this has all cost him far more than he bargained. The players can decide what to do.
If they return the sheet music to Antonio, they meet Lucian, a lithe pale well dressed figure with white gray peppered hair. When he speaks, it's in a slow passionate tone. He is thankful for their work and offers a reward for the music before adjourning to rehearse. Antonio pays the players and they're free to do as they will until the gala begins.
If the players choose to investigate Lucian in any fashion, events can twist a bit. Ultimately the players should see the gala begin (unless they solve the puzzle before then) and eventually lead to Lucian's performance. As the music crescendos, Lucian's body is suddenly wracked by seizures leading to the release of a slyvan spirit and the sudden spawning of several abominable snow soldiers.
The players must defeat the sylvan creature amidst the army of Purple Dragons, the newly spawned army of snow beings, and the chaos of the galas patrons and the citizens running for their lives.

Adventure Hooks

The director of the Royal Court Theater needs help he can trust to get the sheet music back and not get Giovanni arrested. How the players meet with Antonio and Nicolette should relate to professions and backgrounds where applicable. Some of the following suggestions may work for you.

• A noble background character is delivering a thank you or picking up tickets on behalf of their noble family.
• A bard could come in contact through the local Bards College or by visiting the Royal Court Theater.
• Rogues or streetwise characters could be contacted by Nicolette who needs someone discreet.
• Fighters, Paladins, Clerics would be contacted by a guild or through a church or temple respectively by Nicolette's contacts.
• The players could be visiting the Royal Court Theater as part of a tour of the promenade.

Royal Court Theater

The Royal Court Theater in Suzail is a grand theater located in the capital city of Cormyr. It is known for its opulent interiors, which include a gilded ceiling and ornate chandeliers. The theater is home to a variety of performances, including plays, operas, and concerts. It is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, and is often considered one of the cultural gems of Cormyr. The theater is well-known for its excellent acoustics and has hosted some of the most famous performers in the realm. It is also a frequent venue for events hosted by the royal family of Cormyr.

Meeting Antonio & Nicolette

These two are a bit frantic and unsure of what to do. Antonio is stricken yet calm while Nicolette is beside herself, blaming herself for her irresponsibility.
When they greet they players, they are polite and willing to discuss what they know if it seems the players are to be helpful.
If they ask about Lucian, they state that he left on business of his own soon after he heard of the theft.

The Theft

Antonio & Nicolette explain that the maestro Giovanni had visited to discuss the upcoming gala and what he was expected to perform.
In discovering that another maestro named Lucian was to play, he became angered and although they had assumed he had left, they soon discovered he had stolen the sheet music that was to be played.
Giovanni left a note that stated Lucian did not deserve to play the music as Lucian was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a silver bell to call his wet nurse.
Antonio suggests checking Giovanni's home and Nicolette agrees to take the players there. The residence is only a few blocks away down the promenade.

Finding Giovanni

The players arrive at a two story brick building with a few opulent apartments, each featuring a tall archway patio window with a wrought iron railing encircling a stone patio balcony.
Giovannis apartment is one of the upper floor units although he is not home when the players arrive. The players can force entry on the door, gain access via the unlocked balcony door, or seek the landlord who lives in one of the lower units.
The landlord could be convinced to provide the key with a successful Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check (DC 14) and a plausible story: locked out lover, family member, or parent depending on the individual. A successful Intimidation check will cause the old landlord to die of heart failure.

Nobody's home

Giovannis apartment is disheveled, with old laundry, stacked dishes, piles of parchment with ink scrawled across them and a large four post bed in disarray.
When the players search the apartment they find a collection of receipts for winnings from the Golden Dice, a dock side gambling hall.
If they roll 15 or better, they find drawings with the signature of Hari Noshi. Nicolette explains that is Giovannis tattooist.
If the players do not successfully search the apartment, Nicolette will offer that he gambles and may be at the hall.

The Golden Dice

The Golden Dice is a well decorated and well protected establishment on the dock side. It is the gambling hall known by the wealthy to be seedy but safe to patronize. Care of Dargen Goldhand, the Golden Dice has guards and free ale for house regulars such as Giovanni and any character with the Gambler background.
Giovanni is not here, and the patrons are all too engrossed in their doings to care for the players questions. Asking too many times over may bring the ire of the house guard or the patrons.
If the players seek out the management to ask about Giovanni, they're politely informed that he covered his debts some time ago and that he's not been seen for weeks.
During this time three mercenaries will arrive also seeking Giovanni. Markus, Grimgore and Vaxin consider themselves professionals and don't directly threaten the players, although they make no secret of their objective and tell the players to stay out of their way or suffer consequences. They don't attack unless attacked directly, and will otherwise rush towards Hana To soon afterward.
If the players dispatch the thugs without hearing about Hana To and let the thugs escape, Dargen offers that Giovanni could be at the tattoo shop.

Hana To

When the players reach Hana To, they find the rest of the crew that is after Giovanni as well as Giovanni and his tatooist Hari Noshi.
The tattoo shop is a mess, Hari Noshi is visibly injured, and an ogre by the name of Ogrimm has Giovanni in his grasp.

Ogrimm & Company

If the players attempt to negotiate with Ogrimm he tells the players to mind their own business or be shot. If the players press attempts to negotiate he gives the word for his archers to loose upon the two closest players.
If they still do not engage but continue to try to negotiate, Ogrimm laughs at them and continues to rough up Giovanni.
If attacked, Ogrimm doesn't want to fight to the death and will offer quarter if one or more of his crew are killed.
If the players refuse quarter, he will attempt a tactical retreat, providing covering fire using magic missiles from his wand or while he can cast them and resorting to fire bolts if necessary. If possible, he will grapple and carry Giovanni.
If Ogrimm manages to knock out or kill any of the players, he offers quarter. If the players take it, Ogrimms tells them that they can wait until he is done with Giovanni and then go about their business.
If Ogrimm is afforded the time, he will roughly interrogate Giovanni about the location of the sheet music before finding a receipt for a scribe named Peregrin on Giovanni.
Ogrimm at this point will throw Giovanni aside and leave the scene to go retrieve the sheet music from the scribe.
At this point Giovanni is badly injured from the interrogation but tells the players to get to Peregrin before Ogrimm does.
If the players have dispatched or routed Ogrimm and his crew, or taken Giovanni from Hana To and escaped, Giovanni is thankful and tells them that he is regretful for what he's done and what it's cost his friend. He takes the players to the scribe.

Peregrin's Dead

Peregrins home is a small two story brick book store with a placard that reads his name in gold serif font.
Upon arriving at the scribes residence the players will find the scribe visibly hunched over his lectern, presumably sleeping.
His door is locked however and banging on the door doesn't raise him. Observant (Passive Perception 13 or better) players will note there is a bit of frost on the windows, inside the building.
The players can get in through:

• an unlocked second floor window
• by finding the spare front door key behind a loose brick of the door frame
• breaking any of the locked first floor windows

However the players gain entry, they are confronted with a very dead Peregrin. His lips are blue his finger tips are frozen and his whole body is cold as ice.
Giovanni will be visibly saddened by this and will observe that Peregrin was working on the copy but only managed a few bars in before he died.
At this stage, Giovanni asks the players to see that the music is returned to Antonio, and states that this debacle has now truly cost him far more than he bargained.

Moonlighting

Peregrin kept a lab where he practiced alchemy on the second story of his shop.
Searching his lab will reveal 1d4 + 2 Potions of Healing, 1d4 Potions of Cold Resistance and 1d4 Potions of (Hill) Giant Strength.
In his living area he kept a modest wardrobe, a small savings of 300 gold pieces and receipts for shipments of alchemical goods and book binding equipment arriving.

Enroute

If Ogrimm and his crew are still alive, the players may have to deal with him in some fashion or get to Peregrins faster than them (eg: by horseback). It's up to the DM how long it takes Ogrimm and the crew to reach Peregrin. He is resourceful but he does not have transportation at the ready.

Meeting Lucian

Presuming that the players return to the Royal Court Theater with the sheet music, they will find Antonio, Nicolette and Lucian meeting in the main foyer.
Antonio is relieved to see the players arriving and asks for Giovannis condition. If Giovanni is dead or incapacitated, Antonio is greatly grieved by this and will lash out at Lucian for sending thugs. If Giovanni is alive, the director and Nicolette both breathe a sigh of relief and thank the players for their involvement, avoiding any mention of the thugs.
If the players provide any mention of the thugs, Lucian readily states that he hired and sent them to retrieve his property as was his prerogative. He apologizes coldly for any inconvenience upon the players and offers to pay them what he was to pay Ogrimm's crew.
If the players hand over the sheet music, Lucian thanks them and retreats from the meeting, stating that he must rehearse.
If the players ask about the sheet music before handing it over, Lucian is dismissive of their questions, stating he has no time for their petty, paltry prattlings and that he must get to rehearsals.
Antonio will parrot these statements in a more polite tone while Nicolette will stay quiet and stoic.
If the players accuse, or degrade Lucian in some way, the director, Nicolette and Lucian will all be visibly shocked while Antonio will demand that they hand over the sheet music, take their payment and leave. If pressed, he will threaten to summon the Purple Dragons justice upon the player.
If the players take payment and leave they receive a sum of 100 platinum pieces to be divided amongst them.
If they part on good terms the players are told they can expect special seating for the affairs to come.
At this point, the players are free to wander the promenade and take in the sights of the gala that is now coming under way.

The Noble Heart Winter Charity Gala

The Noble Heart Winter Charity Gala is an annual event held in the city of Suzail, Cormyr. It is a grand affair, attended by members of the royal court and the wealthy elite, as well as various nobles, politicians, and other influential figures. The gala is held in the Royal Court Theater, a magnificent venue known for its opulent decor and state-of-the-art stage and performance facilities.
The gala is held to raise funds for charitable cause, with a focus on helping those in need during the cold winter months. Organized by the Royal Court Theater and the Noble Heart Foundation the charity manages to raise a significant amount of coin each year by pitting the various noble houses against one another in a blind competition of wealth and giving.
At its core, the gala is a mix of high brow showmanship and grass roots fund raising. The various churches are well aware of the ego surrounding the noble houses and how to tread about those egos to maximize the return towards their efforts.
Those who organize the events are masters of negotiation and the effort and cunning they put into enticing the noble houses into providing as they do can not be understated.
In dealing with problems such as general toxicity, outbursts of tempers or outright violence that may surround the event, those who can will attempt to persuade and dissuade the aggressors to understand the core spirit of the event, agreeing and soothing the frustration that some may express.

The Director, Klaus Von Santos

Called a 'man of the people' by his peers, Klaus works tirelessly with a large and wide spread team of passionate people to make the gala a success each year. He can be found in any number of areas around the gala grounds. He is an aging elf of 600 years who emigrated to Cormyr some 60 years past. He has made Suzail his home and is an accomplished musician as well as event coordinator. He is a devout member of the Church of Tyr, swearing that he had his life saved once by the deity. He enjoys reading the daily news and gossip rags to 'keep up with the times' and is an accomplished Mage.

Event Organizers

The passionate people who make the gala possible run the gamut of individuals from laborers and architects to performers, organizers, and on and on. The gala and the construction thereby can be described as an organized chaos consuming the promenade surrounding the theater.

Honored Guests of the Gala

If you are placing this adventure in Suzail, in Cormyr, in the Forgotten Realms canon, then this list of noble houses should suffice as the high level roster of attendees.

Who's who

From the Obarskyrs who rule Cormyr to the Maelstroms from distant Waterdeep, every noble family worth their clout in coin can be seen at the affair. They tour about in carts, dressed to impress and to stay warm, in that order. Here are a few of the families that would attend:

House Obarskyr

The Obarskyr family has ruled Cormyr for centuries, and is the most powerful and influential noble house in the nation. The current ruling monarch of Cormyr, King Azoun V, is a member of this family.

House Barrowmaze

The Barrowmaze family is a powerful noble house in Suzail that is known for its wealth and influence. The family is involved in various businesses and industries, and is known for its charitable works and philanthropy.

House Dauntinghorn

The Dauntinghorn family is another powerful and influential noble house in Suzail. The family is known for its military prowess and its connections to the Purple Dragons, Cormyr's elite military corps.

House Bryne

The Bryne family is a wealthy and influential noble house in Suzail that is involved in various businesses and industries. The family is known for its support of the arts and its philanthropy.

House Maelstrom

The Maelstrom family is a powerful and influential noble house in the city of Waterdeep, one of the largest and most influential cities in the Forgotten Realms.

House Illance

The Illance family is a powerful noble house in the city of Baldur's Gate, another major city in the Forgotten Realms.

Sights & Sounds

There is quite a lot to see and do at the charity gala.

Decorations & Decorum

The entire promenade explodes in color and dress as tapestries, arrangements, lights and statuary are hung from buildings, or placed in the street.

Ice sculptures

The Noble Heart Winter Charity Gala features a stunning display of ice sculptures, showcasing the talents of the city's finest ice sculptors. These intricate works of art range from detailed, realistic pieces to whimsical, playful figures inspired by the winter season.

Ice skating

Guests can enjoy a bit of ice skating along the Promenades specially-made rink.

Sports

Professional athletes and local enthusiasts alike showcase their skills in a variety of winter sports, including ice climbing, ice skating, and skiing.

Fashion show

The Noble Heart Winter Charity Gala also includes a winter fashion show, featuring the latest in winter clothing and accessories.

Hot chocolate bar

From Waterdeep with love, Delphine comes to serve a variety of flavors and toppings for heated milk mixed with chocolate.

Craft brews & Fine wines

Hot mead, the finest spirits and the frothiest ales are served and on tap throughout the gala grounds as artisans local and not come to show their generosity.

Food

Culinary expertise is awash in the streets as various vendors come out to feed to destitute and any others who want a bite to eat.

Silent auction

Guests can bid on a variety of items and favors from the church and is the largest source of income for the gala.

Donations

While the focus of the Noble Heart Gala is the wealthy and the wealth they provide, there is no shortage of provisions provided by the general population.

• Blankets: Piles of blankets can be seen on carts located along the Promenade, donated towards those who need them to stay warm.
• Clothing: Warm, fuzzy coats, lined breeches, gloves, and dozens of pairs of new & old boots can be seen collected in crates and wagons.
• Food: Non perishables such as jerky or salted, wrapped meats, assorted dry goods and even barrels of ale and mead are provided for those in need.
• Heating: From old oil or wood stoves that are still serviceable to the fuels that provide their output, those who are fortunate to have a roof but no heat are thankful for this.
• Medicine: Herbal remedies, alchemical draughts, bandages and other supplies can be found collected in a few locations along the promenade.

If players wish to donate they may although to purchase anything locally is virtually impossible as everything that can be purchased to donate already has been by all the noble houses.

Events

The following events assume that Suzail is your venue of choice and provide a few celebrities from other D&D canon that dungeon masters may or may not want to include.

d10	Loot
1-2	Protestors
3-4	Drunk Noble
5-6	Fire!
7-8	Chef who?
9-10	Thief!

Protestors

A group of protestors from the various churches gather outside the gala. They are angry at the flambouyence and excess demonstrated by the gala shouting slogans and carrying signs such as:

• "Charity starts at home, not a gala!"
• "The rich don't need another party!"
• "Distraction is not a solution!"
• "Spend the money on those who need it!"
• "Showing off is not helping!"

They are peaceful but loud and disruptive.
A successful Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 15) could convince them to take their grievances where it can be properly heard (a magister or event organizer), or a Charisma (Intimidation) check (DC 15) could scare them off.
Alternatively, a Charisma (Deception) check (DC 15) could convince them that their counter parts are else where and that they should seek them out.
If the players do not intervene, the authorities eventually show up and arrest the protesters to much maligned shouting and cursing from the protesters and any nearby gala attendees.
If the players successfully intervene, the protesters leave and the players are thanked cordially by the Purple Dragons.

Drunk Noble

A wealthy, intoxicated patron becomes aggressive towards some of the needy, calling them "riff raff" and "street rats".
A successful Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 15) could convince them to calm down and behave, or a Charisma (Intimidation) check (DC 15) could intimidate them into behaving.
If the players do not intervene, the patron is eventually hit with a snow ball and falls over unconscious in the snow while the thrower is chased off by the authorities.
If the players successfully intervene the noble withdraws and the players are thanked cordially by the vendor.

Fire!

A fire breaks out in a greasy food stall, quickly engulfing the whole of the stall in a horrible blaze. Throwing snow upon the greasy fire causes it to spit and burst wildly. Throwing mud upon the fire wil slowly douse it away.
If the players do not intervene, the stall burns to the ground.
If the players successfully intervene, they are lauded loudly and the establishment owner offers them lodging at a local inn and meals anytime they wish.

Chef who?

A self proclaimed gourmand by the name of Gurney has lost their pass and is trying to enter the gala. He claims he's from Phandalin, come a long way to provide his services, and is visibly frustrated.
A successful Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 15) could convince the gate guards to let them in, or a successful Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check (DC 15) can find their pass wedged in the floor boards of the drivers seating on their wagon.
If the players do not intervene, the chef is told he can purchase a vendors pass with the organizers to which he shrieks that he already has before turning around and leaving.
If the players successfully intervene, the chef thanks them cordially and tells them to visit him once he is set up. If they do, he gifts them with a Bowl of Endless Soup.

Bowl of Endless Soup

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
This simple clay bowl appears to be unremarkable white clay, but upon closer inspection, it is adorned with a border of engraved sigils translating to 'soup' in various languages.
When an attuned user speaks the word 'soup' in their language, the bowl will produce a never-ending supply of steaming hot soup.
The soup constantly replenishes itself and never seems to grow cold or spoiled.
While attuned to the bowl, you gain the following benefits:
You are immune to the effects of extreme cold and starvation.
As an action, you can command the bowl to fill with soup of any flavor you desire. It does not produce stew.
Soup produced this way will satisfy any hunger and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to any creature who consumes it while the soup is fresh from the bowl. Soup transferred to another vessel loses its effect after fifteen minutes and tastes as bland as water.
The effects of the soup last until the creature takes a short or long rest.
The bowl will remain filled with soup until commanded to empty, at which point it will become empty until commanded to fill again.

Thief!

A pickpocket is operating in the crowds at the gala.
A successful Perception check (DC 15) could notice them in the act, or a successful Charisma (Deception) check (DC 15) could pretend to be a wealthy patron and attract them. A successful Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check (DC 13) can get them to leave under threat of the authorities.
If the players do not intervene, they may find themselves victims of the pickpocket. The pickpocket is sighted some time later and arrested soon after by the Purple Dragons.

Bad blood

If Ogrimm and his crew are still alive and were not routed, they will seek out revenge against the players for costing them the job with Lucian.
The crew will organize an ambush at the gala using whomever is still alive.
Ogrimm will look for an opportunity to take care of business off the beaten path and if no good opportunity presents itself he will patiently await his chance.

Investigating Lucian

If the players grow suspicious of Lucian and look into his behavior they will notice a few strange details.

Obelisks & Orihalcum

If the players look for Lucian in the gala, they can find him doing a tour of the promenade. If they follow him they will find him approaching each of the obelisks mentioned above. At each one, he places a small piece of Orihalcum upon the sigil.
If he is approached about this, he states that he is supporting the cause and doing his part for the celebrations.
If the players vandalize an obelisk the Purple Dragons will be summoned and the vandals arrested or driven off.

Loosely dressed

If a player character has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher, they will notice that Lucian is dressed in a simple open collar shirt, silk breeches and high boots; far under dressed for the cold weather.

Cold atmosphere

If a player character has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher and stands within 5 feet of Lucian, they will notice the air is noticeably colder near him.

Frosty breath

If a player character has a passive Perception score of 15 or higher they will notice that when Lucian speaks indoors, his voice steams or that when he speaks outdoors, it does not.
\pagebreak

Crescendo

The central point of the gala is the unveiling of the honors that the noble houses will appreciate for their gifts to the those in need.

Laments of the Frost

The time comes eventually for Lucian to perform his music for the eager nobility.
As Lucian's music fills the air, the temperature begins to drop rapidly.
A burst of icy wind erupts from one of the frost obelisks scattered throughout the gala. A fog quickly rolls through and a howl is heard as a pack of snow wolves materialize out of thin air as beyond them can be heard the tromp of footsteps, the screams of people and the sound of a war horn
The obelisks pulse with cold energy and a blue shaft of sparkling light pulses into the sky from each of the obelisks.
The players must work quickly to destroy the obelisks if they hope to stop the spawning of the sylphs minions and weaken the spirit and ultimately defeat it.

Winter Frost & Company

When the sylvan spirit bursts from his vessel he arrives with a searing cold vengeance and a near army of cohorts. As the gala erupts into a catastrophic war of winter kind hunting the population, the Purple Dragons can be relied upon to leap into action as do the many private companies protecting their noble patrons.

Winters Frost

Medium humanoid (elemental), neutral evil

• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 71 (13d8 + 13)
• Speed 30 ft. ___ STRDEXCONINTWISCHA :---::---::---::---::---::---: 14 (+2)18 (+4)12 (+1)14 (+2)16 (+3)18 (+4) ___
• Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +6, Cha +7
• Skills Deception +7, Perception +6
• Damage Immunities Cold, Fire
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
• Languages Common, Giant, Infernal
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) ___ Frost Aura. Winters Frost is surrounded by an aura of cold that extends 5 feet around him. Any creature that touches him or hits him with a melee attack while within 5 feet of him takes 5 (1d10) cold damage.

Magic Resistance. Winters Frost has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. Winters Frost's attacks are magical.
Innate Spellcasting. Winters Frost's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: frostbite (1d8 + 4 cold damage) 3/day each: ice storm, wall of ice
Snowstorm (1/day). Winters Frost can use an action to create a storm of snow and ice that fills a 30-foot radius centered on him.
The storm lasts for 1 minute or until Winters Frost dismisses it as a bonus action. While the storm persists, Winters Frost has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide, and creatures other than Winters Frost have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect him. In addition, any creature that enters the storm or starts its turn there takes 5 (1d10) cold damage.

Actions

Multiattack. Winters Frost makes two melee attacks.
Frostbite. Ranged attack. +7 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 8

Snow Wolf

Medium beast, neutral

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 7
• Speed 50 ___ STRDEXCONINTWISCHA :---::---::---::---::---::---: 12 (+1)14 (+2)8 (-1)3 (-4)12 (+1)6 (-2) ___
• Saving Throws Perception +3, Stealth +4
• Languages understands Common, Sylvan but can't speak
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) ___ Keen Hearing and Smell. The snow wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Actions

Multiattack. The Creature Name makes Number and type of attacks
Ability Description. Attack Style: Attack Bonus to hit, Reach/Range, one target. Hit: Damage Damage Type damage
General Ability Description. General Attack Description

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor	$258.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler	*be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard	*ASRock Z690 Extreme ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	$159.99 @ Amazon
Memory	*Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$129.99 @ Amazon
Storage	*Crucial MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$39.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Silicon Power P34A80 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$48.99 @ Amazon
Storage	*Silicon Power A80 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$98.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card	$364.99 @ Amazon
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This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 58%. (I'm a bot)

Police in Russia have placed a former speechwriter for President Vladimir Putin on a wanted list of criminal suspects because of his comments on the war in Ukraine, the latest step in Moscow's sweeping crackdown on dissent.
Abbas Gallyamov wrote speeches for Putin during the Russian leader's 2008-12 stint as prime minister.
Russia's Justice Ministry added Gallyamov last month to its register of foreign agents, a designation that brings additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations aimed at undermining the recipient's credibility.
Gallyamov had recently given an interview in which he predicted that an uprising in Russia was possible over its war against Ukraine, and reflected on his time as Putin's speech writer, saying few could have predicted "That Russia would turn into some kind of fascist state, as it is now".
Gallyamov told the Associated Press on Friday that he learned he was on a wanted list from the media.
Discrediting the Russian armed forces became a crime in Russia under a new law adopted after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Summary Source FAQ Feedback Top keywords: Gallyamov^#1 Russia^#2 Russian^#3 Ukraine^#4 against^#5
Post found in /worldnews, /UkrainianConflict, /AlJazeera, /AutoNewspaper and /ALJAZEERAauto.
NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.

Edit: ak-12 price was way too high bc of copy and paste lol
AK-12: https://imgur.com/a/9jggdGm
SVU: https://imgur.com/a/oXZzBdu
recent firing video for the AK-12: https://imgur.com/a/0QcgAyv
I'd be happy to take more detailed/specific pictures, take shooting videos, provide timestamps, etc.
Would accept an offer for SRS parts + cash
Not really looking to trade the AK-12, (definitely interested in a silverback MDR or Double Eagle Sako TRG or M66/Pro 700 though) except for some GBBRs and NGRS models, but feel free to offer whatever you want
......... AK-12:
This is a build I made around late December 2021. It's in great condition externally and internally since I'm the first owner and it hasn't seen a single game (I've only been to one game since I built it, but used my scorpion evo since I don't have extra mags for the AK-12 ;-;)
Despite having a chonky bolt, the trigger response on this is snappy, and with the mass of the mock bolt, it's pretty fun to fire. You won't be able to trigger spam it with the EBB set up (the steel EBB piston installed) because the Leviathan would prevent it before completing a cycle, and because the system literally couldn't cycle that fast without causing PME issues. With the EBB installed, I wouldn't recommend pushing the RoF past 85% (adjusted with the Leviathan app through Bluetooth.)
The EBB can be disabled by just removing the LCT piston and replacing it with a standard V2/V3 piston, and swapping the gears to a standard ratio/ non-high torque (unless you want to run a different half-rack piston for some reason.)
Like I said before, it's in great/ near-new condition (standard wear like the usual AK selector switch mark and marks on the dust cover rail paint from installing and removing optics.) Throughout the testing, I noticed almost no internal wear, surprisingly, since I had heard that previous LCT EBBs would wear the gearbox shell down. I did take some precautions like smoothing the machined edges on the rear of the mock bolt piston pickup tang, and greasing the top and inside of the GB shell well, so that might have something to do with it.
Parts list:

• LCT EBB AK-12 - $420
  
• Jefftron Leviathan V3 - 135
  

-Warhead 35k brushless motor - $150
-Lonex enhanced hopup unit - $20
-Lonex mushroom double o-ring cylinder and piston heads - $30
-Extra LCT EBB steel piston (so 2x in total. Both are modified to lighten them a bit and to reduce friction) - $38
-SHS 32:1 steel gear set - $30
-Lambda 6.03 x 420mm steel tbb - $37
-G&G green bucking flathopped - $6
-Angel Custom 6.03 flat hop patch - $3
-Matrix M120 irregular pitch spring - $10
-RA delay chip - $4
-RA skeletonized flat-faced CNC aluminum trigger - $15
-PTS Enhanced Polymer Stock - $45 (original AK-12 stock included, but not recommended for use because of battery space limitations)
-LCT PP-19 vityaz motor grip - $22 (original AK-12 motor grip included)
-PTS EPG cut to a short length - $12
-Leviathan rewired to the rear with 16 ga silver wire - $8
Total: $985
Asking $675
Exps3 not included
...... Upgraded SVU
First off, this is almost completely functional, it just needs a new sector gear, although I'd recommend getting a Begadi CNC SVD gearset if you can.
This is a project I started a while back and kind of dropped off. The project part was mostly trying to create an EBB function by cutting guides in the gearbox shell and using a steel guitar string to move the mock bolt when the piston cycled. While it did work well, I wasn't able to get it to function smoothly with the dust cover installed, so I just kind of lost interest as I already hadn't been playing airsoft for a while at that point.
Before that, though, I put a lot of work into moderately upgrading the internals, namely creating a mosfet/ETU with cycle detection to get the most out of the dmr platform. It pretty difficult, but worth it, since the Perun ETU++ I used allows for a good amount of programming options, other than the cycle detection. Wired to mini deans and completely rewired with much better 16 ga silver wires and Gate signal wires. I wired an inline programming button to the ETU, which is stored in the handhuard with the ETU++ and battery.
Internally, it has an SHS gold MP5 o-ring aluminum air nozzle sanded down and polished to fit the SVU, Retro Arms full steel rack SR-25 piston modified to fit the SVU gearbox (half tooth piston), aoe corrected, shimmed, greased, Teflon taped cylinder head (only option available), etc. I think I also put a Maple Leaf 70° Mr hop bucking and lonex flat nub in it, but I can check to make sure if you'd like.
Externally, I removed the mock suppressor and bipod, added a PETG printed muzzle break, then installed a metal optic rail that mounts level and securely to the handguard and rear sight block. The mock suppressomuzzle break device and bipod are included. Also includes three 80 round midcaps and one 120 round highcap.
In new condition and has never been used in a game.
Asking $275 + shipping
Again, feel free to message me with any questions/offers - I'm always happy to help.
Thanks for looking

Hello Hardwareswap,Clearing out some stuff, TimestampsLocal is 95747, Roseville / Rocklin area, and available in Auburn as well
All Prices are OBO, please feel free to shoot me an offer, worst I can say is no

Item	Price	Description
New WD Purple Pro 22 TB	$330 Shipped ($15/tb)	Sealed in ESD bag, can test prior to shipping upon request, still has warranty until October 2027
Corsair SF750	$130 Shipped	Brand new in box, comes with all accessories and cables, never mounted in a case
5800x + GB MATX B550M Sold in Combo with ram and corsair psu for $360 to u/Lonyyy	$230 Shipped (+ ram for $20)	Gigabyte B550M DS3H + Ryzen 7 5800x, I personally used the board and cpu before going to Intel for the first time. CPU was a beast, MOBO is a bit bare with features, but still let me overclock to 4.4 ghz with the 5800x. I don't have the manual or the ESD bag right now (I'll look for it and probably find it this weekend).
Asus Prime Z590P	$80 Shipped (+ ram for $20)	Took it out to inspect, still new with ESD bag, IO shield, Manual, SATA cables.
Lian Li SP750 sold for $40 to u/aznchum	$40 Shipped ($20 if combo'd with anything else)	PSU ONLY, NO CABLES, SCREWS, ATX ADAPTER, ETC. You can purchase cables for around $50, I'll send you a link to the only thing I saw for Lian Li direct psu cables.
Roccat Kone Pro Wired	$25 Shipped ($20 combo'd with anything else)	Wanted to try it out, shape was nice and filled out my hands really well but kept finding myself crawling back to my SL-12 Ultralight. Skates are barely used, and comes with replacement ones, too.
Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Wired	$25 Shipped ($20 combo'd with anything else)	New in box, packaging was scraped up a bit, never took the plastic off of the base.
2x8gb 3200mhz RAM	$30 Shipped (20 with Mobo)	2x8gb 3200mhz CL16 G.skill Ripjaws 2019 ram. Original ram of my pc way back when I first built it. It worked through 3 gens of ryzen CPUS without ever giving me an issue.
Withings Scanwatch 42mm Black	$185 Shipped	Pretty much new, I'm gonna try it out this weekend when I go cycling to see if I like the HR data and like wearing it (I have yet to find a smart watch that I enjoy wearing, find the data useful, and find the battery life not be annoying). If this clicks with me then I won't be selling it, but I usually lean towards not being a watch wearer.

​

I've never been good at expressing myself or how I feel due to the stigma and outlandish nature and severity of some of my issues. But in the short 19 years I've been alive, I've never told anyone the things I've done, or the things others have done to me in an attempt to take them to my grave. But seeing as I outlived the life expectancy I imagined, I figured typing it out would allow me to let go of it and feel better because I feel horrible. So, without further stalling, I think I'll just hop into it, starting at the beginning.
When I was little, I lived a life similar to what I'm accustomed to now. Alone and fairly lonely, the few friends I had were due to being more well-adjusted or, at the very least, less fucked up. In addition, one of my friends was the child of my mother's best friend, and we were about the same age. The earliest memory I have is when I was 4 years old and something I can't remember happened. I was upset about something, and my mom left me in the room to cry while she went and played with my friend. While this situation has little relevance today, I think it's a good example of the catalyst that drove my behavior all through my life to what it is now, mainly my relationship with my mom, along with others we'll get to later.
My mother was not the nicest to me, and as I grew older, I would learn how much of an understatement that was. So skip forward a couple of years due to my memory and the irrelevancy of them to the story. Basically, I was a normal-ish kid with a few friends here and there who occasionally got in trouble, for which I almost always got my ass kicked, but who didn't? Jumping back in at around 9 years old, I was in the third grade, probably my favorite year in school due to having met my best friends and getting along with most other kids. The abuse had already taken hold at this age; I was already pretty apathetic to most feelings and never smiled. It was so noticeable that when I finally did smile, a girl at lunch pointed it out like she had seen a unicorn. But I wasn't depressed; I was just angry and didn't know how to express myself.
As a result, I got into more trouble, some of it BS, some of it not, such as my music teacher sending me to the principal for mouthing curse words while quietly talking to myself. In my defense, I wasn't talking about her; I was all the way in the back and didn't know the ambiguous individual could read lips. In fifth grade, I had a female teacher and her assistant whom I disliked because the teacher, in my opinion, was a dick and her assistant would constantly misinterpret what I said as if I were speaking Japanese. She asked me for a paper, and it being a round table, I didn't want to bend all the way across the table to slide her the paper. So I slid the paper gently across the table, and, as anticlimactic as it sounds, the paper slowly made its way to her, and she did not even attempt to grab it or stop it. Instead, she let it fall on the floor and claimed I "threw" it at her. I got sent to my homie at this point, the principal (she wasn't my biggest fan either).
These two incidents led to some of the worst ass beatings I've received at this point in my life. I would later come home to my mom, who is about 2.5 times bigger and stronger than me, and she was furious. I was punched in my chest and thrown into a stool on the ground, followed by a merciless beating with a belt, and left alone to stare at a wall, wallowing in my sadness. I think I could have handled the physical abuse, but the most damaging was the mental and verbal abuse. I would be forced to strip down to my t-shirt and underwear and stand at the door for hours. while she faked phone calls to my relatives, telling them to come get me and that I'd be leaving, before telling me to go sit down. I was constantly threatened with my life if I didn't comply, told I was a worthless "father less individual", etc. I would yell and scream so loudly that apparently our neighbors could hear it, which led to DCFS being called.
How it was explained to me was that the lady next door was crazy (even though we knew her kid, who was like 2 years younger and went to the same school), and the DCFS agent would take me away to a horrible place, a foster home. My mother told me that if that were the case, I wouldn't be placed with my other family members; nope, straight to the government. She came in my room a week before the agent to "warn" me of the dangers I might face if I snitched on her. She made me watch an hour-long documentary about people who were abused by the staff of foster homes, drilling into my head that if I ended up there, the other kids would pick on me and steal from me. That the staff would repeatedly molest (she had a weird thing with this one; I was asked about it every other day if "someone was playing with my butt" completely unprompted from 3rd to 6th grade) me and my toe would be eaten by mice as she claimed happened to my cousin (apparently he needed his toe graphed back on but I never confirmed this with him).
All of this terrified me, so when the time came to nut up or shut up, my nuts retracted back upstairs, and I most definitely shut up big time. Unable to process my emotions, they started manifesting in anger, which led to me being excluded from certain events at school like the outdoor fun day. I had to stay inside while everyone else played. The principal told me that she was going easy on me, and had she been following the rules, I'd have been expelled from elementary school already (I did get suspended though). When it came time to visit the middle school near the end of the year, I had to beg them to let me go because apparently my reputation preceded me, and the middle school principal knew who I was and asked me not to come because of my behavior. My mother had an overwhelming amount of control over my life and others that I would only learn about when I was older (she was responsible for me being in the same class as my best friend 3rd through 5th grade and making sure they served food I would eat on an out-of-state field trip so I wouldn't starve). (It's not really negative, but it sets the tone for how it would soon turn negative.)
Sixth grade rolled around, but this time I got to stay with my great-grandmother in the south. The entire time away from my mother and I improved significantly; I made a lot more friends (probably because of southern hospitality) and overall had a good time (trust me, it was an oddly cool school with equally cool teachers) except for a couple other issues that came with living with my grandma. I returned the next year to mom and a new middle school. All that progress from earlier, yeah, went straight out the window almost immediately. My anger had subsided, and what was left developed into a deep depression and resentment for people, my mom included. I thought people were worthless, making friends useless, so I went out of my way to avoid most people for the longest time. Until I succumbed to my social urges and made a few friends by avoiding the lunch room and eating in one of the science classes with some kids I had other classes with. During this time, I was reluctantly in "therapy" (I had been there since elementary, just talking to social workers, but nothing came of it until now).
Trouble would always seem to follow me; anytime a message was relayed from the school to mom, it almost guaranteed an ass beating. I would seemingly get in trouble for nothing, and my teachers would unknowingly be sending me on my way down death row to meet the executioner. Once I got in trouble for "throwing" another paper. I didn't realize we needed it and put it in the recycling, but the teacher saw it and told me to keep it, so I put it under my seat, and it fell through the bars of my chair basket while I wasn't looking, and she was mad at me for it. I also told my math teacher to "stop harassing me" because every 5 minutes she was hounding me about completing some work I had no intention of doing. That mistake was damn near fatal because, for some reason, I wasn't allowed to feel harassed, and telling my teacher that was apparently way out of pocket. I should also mention I had good grades up until I eventually began failing them.
All of this leads to more violent abuse. I was shoved into a wall, which hurt my arm so bad I needed an ice pack (and had to lie to the nurse about why I needed it). The next day, I was repeatedly hit with a broom, picked up by my collar, and slammed into walls before being thrown on the ground. The physical pain would subside in hours, but because what was done and said to me never left, I would almost always be left to sit and stare alone with my thoughts, and because of this, my mental state would degrade rapidly. Nothing else could bring me to tears like the pain of the person responsible for your entire life, who was supposed to love you unconditionally, constantly tormenting you. Her words would pierce and sting, while the same thing said to me by anyone else would roll off me like water off a duck's back.
Unable to escape the constant beratement, and depending on the severity, this would send me into suicidal spirals, and when I hit emotional rock bottom and couldn't feel any worse about myself, it was the only thing I looked forward to and all I thought about for months. When people asked me, "NT (Me), what are you going to be when you grow up?" or "NT, you're getting older. Have you thought about what you're going to do when you reach x (usually 18+) years old?" I had no idea, no answer. In my mind, living to be older than 16 seemed impossible. They were right when they said time would fly by. Back at school, the stress was getting to me. During a random game of Uno, I broke down and expressed some of my feelings, along with the fact that I was almost getting my ass beat with random objects on a weekly basis.
This ultimately led to no improvements in my life, just more people in my business. The process of them trying to help was akin to getting a law passed, full of procedures and red tape they had to follow because there was no physical evidence—I had no cuts, bruises, or wounds they could see. All they had to go on was the testimony of an emotionally disturbed preteen. They recommended I be placed in a mental hospital. I stayed after school while they called my dad to pick me up, and the car ride was silent until we arrived at the hospital. He asked, "Do you want to go in?" I said, "Yeah," and he couldn't figure out why he said I had it easy as a child. Because all I had to worry about was school and I had no bills to pay, I shouldn't have any reason to kill myself. I was essentially overreacting to him. So we went home.
Because I'm about to enter the next arc of my story. I'll share some extra fun facts that aren't directly related to the story, but I'd be remiss if I didn't. Our principal told us we had too many students for what the building was originally intended for. One day, while walking up the narrow stairs in between a crowd of kids rushing for their lockers, I was knocked over and trampled. I had at least two feet up my ass, one in my back, and one on top of my head, and I couldn't get up because no one could see me. Not long after, a teacher had to stop them from walking up the stairs so I could get up. When I got to my locker, the person whose locker was next to mine casually mentioned the trampling, and to be honest, it had only happened 30 seconds before, so I was pretty blown when she said that (I looked at her like, yeah, ambiguous individual, that was me y'all were just stepping on) and I told her, "Yeah, that was me." But let's not forget the time two of my classmates were fucking around playfighting and threw each other in such a way that the dude kicked me in the face. I sat in the same spot on the wall while waiting for my teacher, and, believe it or not, lightning does strike twice, because they were fucking around again and kicked me in the face in nearly the same way. This was an advisory class we had only once a week, and to make a long story even longer, I learned not to sit next to that wall anymore.
I began high school at the age of 14 and remained largely unchanged during this time. I still couldn't talk to anyone and dealt with the stress of going home to my mom, which significantly impacted how I behaved and how my grades would turn out at first. I had almost all A's before spiraling downward; at that point, I stopped caring what others thought of me and did whatever I could to make myself feel better. I would sleep in hallways on the floor, skip class, and do little to no work. I couldn't concentrate and wasn't worried about the consequences of my decisions until I graduated. The food in my house would run short, and my mom always told me if I ate it all before she went back to the grocery store, she wouldn't buy any more. I started skipping meals and eating less per meal to stretch the food we had, and at times I couldn't move without being doubled over in pain.
I was confined to my room almost constantly. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere but school, a couple of nearby restaurants, and back home. I couldn't leave my house if I wanted to hang out with friends (if only I had any) because I had to be in her presence at all times. I hypothesized about going to hang out with a female friend and was told I wouldn't be allowed to without her following behind us (I was 17 when I asked). If I wanted to hang out with a male friend, they had to go through a background check of sorts (it was easier to get a gun card than to get some friends I could hang with). I had to get their parents' phone numbers so she could talk to them, and then she would decide whether or not I could go, which wasn't even a guarantee. Imagine you're in school, and a kid who wants to be friends with you tells you they need your parents to talk to each other and give their permission. That's embarrassing. I would imagine I'd be laughed at and made fun of, or they wouldn't go through all the trouble for someone who was already known as an incredibly strange individual, so most of the time I never tried out of fear of this.
I had no way to cope surrounded by people, and knowing what some of them might think of me, I would put my head down for weeks in every class because at this point I was genuinely terrified of people. I had developed selective mutism and would not talk to 98 percent of students and about 80 to 90 percent of staff; when I did, it was in short, vague sentences and almost only when spoken to. Up until I was 15, the abuse continued the same as before, but as I got older, it became more Physical I had mostly stopped getting hit with belts, and when I did get hit, it was in the arm and chest, with the occasional hit in the mouth. I'd be backed into a corner while my mother yelled the most vile and hurtful things at me. I was told I ruined her life and that I kept her from having a life. If I ever lost my keys, I would immediately be in trouble, but if I lied about it, that was even worse. My mom worked from home before it was cool to work from home, so she was almost constantly home. If I had lied about having my keys, I would have been locked out of the house for hours until she finished working, rain or shine; snowing and cold; hot and humid; it didn't matter. But that mostly stopped when the damage it did to me became apparent, and I had a psychotic episode.
My mother was upset with me for some reason and was yelling loudly about how worthless I was, that she wished I was never born, and so on. (At this point, I was the most miserable I'd been in a long time. My mental state was comparable to the fragility of a ceramic plate: solid, sturdy, and functional. Just pray to God you don't drop it if you'd like it to remain intact.) I became late because I had misplaced my hat, but when I told her I had it in my pocket, she said, "Let me see it then; why is it not on your head? Put it on!" So I began looking for my hat in my bookbag, and when I found it, she snatched it from my grasp and smacked me on the head with it. I felt something click inside me, like a light switch being turned on. Without warning, I began having a psychotic breakdown. I put my hands on my head and started screaming as loud as I could uncontrollably, "I can't take it! I can't take it anymore," repeatedly while frantically shuffling like a chicken with its head cut off in front of my mom. I had no control over my actions, and my mother stopped me and pulled my hands off my head, but I wouldn't stop screaming, and she had to calm me down in order for me to stop. It was terrifying for the both of us because I think it was the first time she had ever seen anything like that, and it was the first time I ever did anything like that. The feeling was terrifying almost indescribable the closest comparison I could make is to the tea cup scene from get out. I felt like I got yanked out my body while simultaneously remaining in there like my soul was trapped behind my eyes and all I could do is watch.
After that experience, my mother began to soften her stance toward me, and the big 19 began, so I had virtual classes for about two years that I never finished, but I persevered and eventually graduated (while failing a significant number of classes), and when I did, I was enrolled in an alternative school. When I was eighteen, me and my mom got into an argument because I didn't want to go back to school. It was boring and sad because there were only two or three kids in my class, and we did elementary school work all day. There were no phones, we had to wear uniforms, and free time was scarce. The only slightly good part was that we worked a couple hours a day and they paid us. But it was only four dollars an hour, and we worked two hours each day unless you were in the special work program, which meant you worked two extra hours after school. With the long cab ride there, I'd get home around 5:30 to 6:00 every day, only to wake up at 8 a.m. and do it all over again. But we agreed that if I found a job before school resumed, I wouldn't have to go. I had a week and a half to do it.
I applied everywhere and even made it all the way through orientation at one place, but I was in a factory doing 12 hour shifts and about 4 miles from my house, so I turned it down because I was scared and had to be realistic because walking multiple miles through areas I'd never been to daily was just too much for me. I was told I had to leave if I wasn't working or going to school, and I couldn't stay the night. I was kicked out after calling my grandparents, who said I could stay with them. I packed two weeks worth of clothes and walked over there. The first few weeks were weird, but I finally saw the light at the end of the world's darkest and longest tunnel. For the first time in years, I knew what it was like to not be abused and verbally assaulted on a daily basis. But, unfortunately, I was beyond repair, at least on my own. I searched for a job and tried to enroll in college, but I was never taught or allowed to do that growing up. I was raised indoors and was never taught the skills needed to survive outside. I still didn't know how to talk to people, and I was terrified of them. I would have panic attacks a couple times a month and rely on others to feed and clothe me. I was wearing the same two weeks worth of clothes for several months until my great-grandmother sent me more.
Around this time I started smoking weed, and it was amazing how those first times getting high were the best and made me forget all about my problems and truly relax. But I didn't know what I was getting into and developed an exponentially growing habit. I started taking fake Xanax and getting slumped while I went about my day high as a kite. Just to forget about the majority of what I did the following day. The only reason my Xan problem didn't get out of hand was that I kept losing all of the pills after a few times, so I stopped buying them. But it was too late when I exhausted the small amount I had and began withdrawing. Let me tell you, like anyone else who has dealt with Xan withdrawals will tell you, they are not to be played with; hell isn't even a good enough comparison. It's something I truly wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. (My mom excluded.) I had severe paranoia, extreme agitation, a splitting headache that wouldn't quit, and panic attacks frequently (plus a strong urge to KMS as well, which is normal at this point). But I was lucky: Xanax is the only drug that can kill you by going cold turkey, and if your body became physically dependent, you were more than likely to have multiple seizures coming your way.
My replacement for Xanax was fake Mallinckrodt pills, aka dirty 30s, blues, perc 30s, or whatever name you used or knew they were synonymous with fentanyl or worse. (Believe me when I say they most definitely make things worse than fent) I'm confident I got worse because they didn't test positive for fent, which means its something the test couldn't detect. I turned full junkie and was smoking them off foil before I was 19. I overdosed twice going to sleep, and I was never confident if I was going to wake up. The opioid withdrawals are 100x easier than the Xans, and I was smoking drugs stronger than fentanyl. I quit those, and not too long after, I was taking fake ecstasy pills and Molly capsules, which, aside from the slight stimulant psychosis and vomiting, were probably my favorites. They let me experience happiness for the first time and gave me the ability to communicate and interact with other people. It felt like I'd been missing something my entire life.
Now I'm 19 on the cusp of being a broke "adult" with no real skills, aspirations, or anything positive going for him. This year I discovered while in high school I was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, ODD, social anxiety disorder, and antisocial personality disorder, all while attending school, and nobody ever told me or hinted at it to me in the slightest at all. I guess they just wanted me to cruise through life ignorant and struggling. I'm constantly reminded of how much of a burden I am because I can't do much more than take care of myself. I hide it somewhat well due to my lifelong fear of being mistaken for insane, but it takes an enormous amount of effort to even get out of bed and make something to eat. In order to keep the invasive thoughts and feelings away, I have to keep myself entertained and amused all day or else the feelings come rushing back. I honestly hate my life. I have little to look forward to and regret my almost entire life due to me ruining any chance at fun I had growing up because of how I behaved. I can barely leave my house, and if I go anywhere beyond a couple of blocks, I have panic attacks and get extreme anxiety that effects me physically. I feel my ability to comprehend and understand things slowing down. It's harder to focus and pay attention, and I feel almost like an alien when I'm around other people.
Recently, I had a phone call with my mom and had a panic attack (we haven't spoken in 2 years since I was put out). It was just like old times, when she was mad at me about a misunderstanding and was yelling and screaming about how I don't care that I'm wasting her money. (she bought my phone as a gift on a payment plan when I turned 18) As an adult I felt extremely disrespected by the things she said so before my mental health suffered anymore I hung up mid sentence and blocked her. The next day my phone was bricked and completely unusable, as it was technically not paid for, so somebody had to get me a new phone. Today I feel extremely hopeless towards any chance of repairing my life. I don't know what to do and I wish I did. I wish I could shake this dead man walking feeling I've got. Throughout the day, life doesn't even feel real at times. I feel as though if I keep hanging in there, eventually someone's going to find me hanging from somewhere. I don't know how my relatives do it. I could never imagine being their age. This isn't everything that's ever happened to me (I know it's hard to believe), but I feel I've described my story as concisely as possible in a semi-chronological order. Anything else would just be extra or I'd be repeating myself. With all that being said, my think noodle is hurting, and I think (clearly I do too much of this) I need to find it some dopamine. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this fully because, as God knows, I can't tell a living soul who knows me this. Night. -NT

TL;DR: The DM throws random insane stuff that makes no sense at us until we switch him out.
I've been playing in a D&D group for my college class. The class is only 24 people and 6 of us are in the game. I hadn't played in a few years (I was supposed to play in college but ran into some time overlaps and it just didn't happen.) I created our discord and started to organize everything. I made a spreadsheet to find the best time for us to all get together. We didn't have a DM and one of us volunteered. In fact, it's the problem player in this story. I have now since taken over as DM by vote.
To start this guy was someone who gave me a lot of bad vibes from the start. I shoved those vibes down because I had barely known him at the time. Sitting down at our first game we had a small group.
I was playing a Paladin loyal to the god Shakara The Silent (This will be relevant later.) The god himself refused to talk to us mere mortals and my church had the belief that we just were not worthy. Shakara had fought a great demon a thousand years ago and had not been heard from since. Now in truth, Shakara had actually lost that battle and had been locked in chains for a millennium but the church had yet to discover that.
I had to make sure my character was a fresh take from what I was used to. So my character became the best boy out there. His goal in life was to help everyone. He was a missionary carrying 100 pamphlets to hand out. Someone building a house on their travel? Hey, it's a few hours for us but it makes this guy's whole day. In a fight? We can talk them out of it, trust me. He was meant to be naive as hell and a challenge for the party. I made him tanky so I could still be helpful but I couldn't kill anyone.
Now let's say I did kill something by accident... He would go into a deep depression and not be able to function. The hope was that eventually in the game I would be able to use that as some character development.
Foreshadowing.
The DM decided to start before the party would meet. I found that really interesting. K, our group's Rogue (The only other veteran at the table) was in a prison convoy for a crime they hadn't committed. Interesting, I'm sure we'll meet in an interesting way, perhaps I have to break them out of their wrongful imprisonment and-
I got teleported in front of the convoy.
I don't mean the DM just had me wonder in front of the convoy, I mean I found a teleportation door and just happened to show up there.
Now my missionary is then promptly accused of a crime. Sure, okay sounds good, what is it?
I was accused of murdering the king. Later in this same session, we would meet the king. The math is not checking out on this one.
My character pulls out his pamphlets to try and prove that I had just started my mission and it wouldn't be possible. Nope. I was arrested and taken to jail.
This was frustrating, but okay, sure, plot train choo-choo.
From here we came across the 3rd member of our group who has since quit the game for unrelated reasons. The 3 of us were soft-locked by the DM at this point. Our weapons are gone, our armor striped and our items confiscated. There were no cracks in the wall or rust on the bars. This should have been the moment I realized the DM had no idea what they were doing, but that comes later.
I try sparking a conversation with the guard. I hand him my last pamphlet which he then tears up and hands back. The DM then describes it as something that has been written on the interior. What could it contain? All that was written inside was "Escape."
The fuck what now?
We've been asking questions trying to get for 4 minutes and he can't understand we have nothing that we can use to do that. So I ask the guard "And how are we supposed to do that?"
"With this."
And he hands us a club.
"Thanks for holding out on us."
I was IRL kind of annoyed. But whatever, let's break out. I strike the wall with all my force.
AND I KILLED A CHILD SOLDIER ON THE OTHER SIDE. NO DAMAGE DICE. NO ROLL TO HIT.
I BLEW UP HIS HEAD.
Now my paladin starts to freak the hell out. Collecting the bits and pieces to save the kid. When he obviously can't save the kid he starts to carry around the corpse to at least give it a proper burial. The DM at this time is laughing at my character's misfortune. No one else is.
Now, that kid would later be fed to crocodiles by a fellow party member but that's beside the point.
Before we can open the door the king (That I had apparently murdered) bursts through the door with 20 of his best men and tells us that we are going to kill the dragon terrorizing the land. Alright, sure, plot train Choo-Choo hop let's kill the dragon.
He introduces us to our "home base" for the game with a flying sled just like Old Saint Nick's.
Now, this is where the first session ended. At the time I viewed it as a rough start but overall alright.
The second session is the real turn of the tide.
We have our first mission, we hop into our flying sled and as we're flying we enter into my new favorite dimension.
THE MIRROR DIMENSION Music sting.
Yeah, we just slide right in, no saving throws, nothing.
Now it's also around this time now that we're in THE MIRROR DIMENSION Music sting that we find an under-compartment. Now our Rogue decides to slip down there to see what's below. Skulls and body parts. But there was a magic scroll. The Rogue reads it and sees a vision of the future. Where my head is separate from my body, and the 3rd player is sitting on a throne. Always great to hear that my character is going to die. Then the Rogue returns through... The other player's eye...
We were stunned. This didn't even make sense to us, and I'm pretty sure the DM didn't either. Soon after our sled is going to crash. No roll, again. Just going to happen. At this point I am so disconnected I just say "Wait until the last second and jump." I am the only one who pulls it off, I jump out of the sled and the rest end up crashing into a castle.
This is when things just stopped making any sense. Now, what can I do? Mr. The law is the law for a reason. I knock. Inside the castle is god. Just straight up god. God is just chilling inside of THE MIRROR DIMENSION Music sting. And god tells me to leave. I get a little upset because this CLEARLY isn't my god, so I start telling him off a little. "Hey, my friends are in there and I need them!" what does god do?
He strips my paladin powers.
For those who don't understand, this is the literal worst thing that can happen to a paladin. And this is the second session. My Paladin doesn't stop, I start demanding my friends. God then rolls to tell me they don't think I'm their friend and he succeeded.
"No. No, they- You're lying they... OH GOD! Oh god no..."
My character apparently cries for 8 hours. Sure, why not. But the DM is laughing again, and no one else is.
Eventually, I break out the other players, and my character, with their life ruined, decides to start a church here in THE MIRROR DIMENSION Music sting.
Now this session wasn't just bad, it was terrible. The only way we got through it was by making fun of the DM's terrible story. I made the joke that THE MIRROR DIMENSION Music sting was reversed in every regard. Evil became good, left was right, and cats and dogs got along. Now the DM every time someone would make that joke would state "NO! That's not how the mirror dimension works!"
"If you're a good god, then the god on the other side of the mirror dimension must be evil! You need to fight him!"
"That's not how the mirror dimension works!"
"Gravity must be reversed here in the mirror dimension!"
"THAT'S NOT HOW THE MIRROR DIMENSION WORKS!"
All I can say is everything is the way it is inside of THE MIRROR DIMENSION Music sting.
​
Edit: I forgot to mention this: The DM explicitly told me that he wanted to break my character after the second session. I'm not that paranoid.

Name: Ad-Ad Fruit
Ability: The Ad-Ad Fruit (Kōkoku Kōkoku no Mi) is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows the user to create and manipulate advertisements around them. Making the user a Salesman Human.
Appearance: The Ad-Ad Fruit is a white head-sized fruit that has a long pointed nose-like protrusion that sticks out from the large amount of foliage from under the fruit that covers the whole fruit. Sticking out from the top of the foliage is a black stem that comes out of the top of the fruit, the stem form into a ‘G’ shape and then curls flatly similar to dots on both ends of the stem, strangely enough the stem’s coloration switches from black to bright red once.
In-Depth Description: Upon consumption the user is granted the ability to create and manipulate advertisements of any type and through any medium. Through coming into physical contact with an advert, the user is able to completely change the appearance of that advertisement and make it one of their [Ads]. Once that happens, the user is capable of remotely seeing through any of their [Ads] and allowing the user to see the current [wants and needs] of whoever is looking at the advertisement as well as communicate through them; and in-real time the user is able remotely change it’s contents to further appeal to the customer who might take the offer. If the customer were to take the offer on the advertisement through either verbal confirmation, signed documentation, or willingly shaking the user’s hand to officialize the [[DEAL]]. Depending on the few situations after a [[DEAL]] is made will the [true power] of the Ad-Ad Fruit take effect.
After striking a [[DEAL]] with a customer, the user must be able to deliver their end of the [[DEAL]] before being capable of receiving the customer’s payment. If the user is unable to fulfil their end of the bargain, then the [[DEAL]] will be immediately voided and any payment made by the customer will be returned in full back to them. But if the user possesses the [“intended product”], then the deal will proceed as normal with the customer receiving the product while the user receives the agreed form of [payment] while in person or through the [Ad] acting as a gateway for both [product] and [payment]. As to more favour the user, they are able to [[SCAM]] the customer so long as they don’t ask for the user to inspect the [product], sign the [“required”] documentation without reading it, or unconditionally accept the [[DEAL]]. While the user has to meet their end of the [[DEAL]], the quality and condition of the [“intended product”] does not need to meet such requirements as long as it looks like the [“intended product”] or it fulfils the purpose of [“intended product”]. The rules of both of these conditions are incredibly loose in interpretation, allowing the user to exchange a bad copy/bootleg of the [“intended product”] so long as it meets either requirements.
However, in the event that the customer does not possess the required payment either during the immediate [[DEALmaking]] or they fail to meet the steps of alternative paying methods, the user is then able to invoke special string-like green wires that rain down upon the [InDEBT Consumer] and attach themselves into their body from behind them. These [[Silly Strings]] are completely invisible to those who either aren’t indebted to the user or to a customer who hasn’t noticed anything, but if the user were to tell someone how this particular facet of the fruit works, then they will have the capacity to see these green wires. Once someone becomes a [InDEBT Consumer] the user is capable of slowly but surely manipulating them into doing what they want, with the more [[Silly Strings]] embedded into their body, the more overall control and sway the user has over them. So long as one green wire remains, the user will always know where the [InDEBT Consumer] is located. Just having a few green wires attached to you will make one susceptible to the user’s [“sweet words”] and [[Sales Pitches]], as well as being more blind to such actions of the user, to then end up with more [[Silly Strings]] attached onto their body. With a certain amount of green wires, the user is then capable of influencing a [InDEBT Consumer]’s actions through sleight hand movements and or verbal commands, after a few green wires after that stage, they will begin to become more reliant and gullible to such [“endearing encouragement”] from the user.
With enough [[Silly Strings]] attached onto a [InDEBT Consumer], their minds will become fully oblivious to any [“bad publicity”] of the user and do just about any of the user’s whims and bidding. However if a [InDEBT Consumer] were to become too indebted to the user and possess far to many [[Silly Strings]], then their mind will automatically start to deteriorate to the point of insanity, and become potentially become too unstable for the user to verbally manipulate them. When at such a stage, a [InDEBT Consumer] will fully acknowledge the existence of the [[Silly Strings]]. But just like all other [InDEBT Consumers], they themselves are unable to cut their own [[Silly Strings]], requiring the help of [“non-consumers”] to cut these green wires.
Back onto the [Ads] part of the devil fruit, the overall range the user has depends on the amount of [Ads] of any kind relative to each other. With the user’s pseudo-omniscience ranging far and wide as long as an [Ad] is in the relative range of another [Ad]. If a chain of [Ads] are all in relative range of each other and the user is at least in the radius range of one of the [Ads] making up the chain. Then the user will have complete and perfect vision through all of them. If the user is not in range of a mass of [Ads] then the viewing quality from them will begin to lessen. But if there are enough [Ads] in relative range from each other, then that will generally improve the user’s pseudo-omniscience. However the user themselves also possesses an effective range themselves, with the more in range the user and [Ad] are to each other the stronger the connection. The user’s range is able to be widened and increased with the more [[DEALS]] they make, which in turn slowly increases the range of the [Ads]. An individual [Ad] can have their own connectivity increased with the more customers they draw in and the amount of [[DEALS]] the user makes through that specific [Ad].
Now onto the last facet of the devil fruit, the user is capable of manifesting [Ads] from technological mediums such as [Pop-ups], [3D Models], [PNG/JPGs], and [Videos] into the real-world. Taking the same form as viewed on a Computer or Phone and appearing out of them into the real-world, where the user can telepathically move them around, enlarge them, shrink them, and stretch them. Whilst manifested they are very incredibly durable and can withstand any elemental attack as if it were all the same, however by tapping the close button the top right of these digital [Ads] will make them disappear. They function just like regular [Ads] of the physical world, possessing a relative range and can allow the user to see through them.
Weaknesses: The Ad-Ad Fruit is a devil fruit that is not inherently combat-based, requiring a lot of preparation before the devil fruit can be used in such a sense. As on its own it does leave the user with many options besides the primary facets of the devil fruit’s powers. While people who are obvious to the green wires or people who have green wires attached to them but don’t notice the effect they cause are completely unable to see these green wires attached to them and seemingly originate from the sky above. Non-affected people who have been informed by the user themselves of the green wires or have figured out themselves are capable of snipping the green wires. While the user can turn normal advertisable media into their own, allowing for further use of their devil fruit abilities, despite becoming more sturdy in terms of not flying in the wind if a gust came, they will all still possess the same durability and weaknesses as their normal counterparts.
The main demographic for the user are usually run of the mill people, people who aren’t observant enough to pick up the pieces of very slight things that happen to them. Such as the feeling of something latching onto them, their body doing something on their own, or feeling a certain way toward something all of a sudden. All manifested technology ads are the ads usable form combat, however they are at the same time the easiest to deal with. Just by hitting the top right “X” button to close the floating window. Most importantly, the user of the fruit must be somewhat capable of being a sales(wo)man or be willing to learn as a minimum to use this fruit at all or just be able to lie very well to people without feeling guilty.
Combative Info: The Ad-Ad Fruit in its entirety is not inherently for combative use, however it is capable of such use. Through coming into contact with any technological medium that adverts can be placed in, the user can make such ads manifest in the real-world. The windows from computer-like mediums are very durable, easily withstanding multiple cannon fire without such much as a crack. And are also capable of cutting someone by spinning it to further increase the windows cutting power. 3D polygon models act similar to props then anything that the user can telekinetically throw, if it so happened to be an animated model, then once manifested it will repeat its actions in a loop. The user is capable of raising the volume and brightness of video pop-ups to both blind and deafen opponents.
While the user ensnares more people in debt as well as deepening their staggering debt to the user for not doing their end of the deal. The user can forcibly take control of the user’s green wires and puppeteer them into fighting, operating in a similar fashion to Doflamingo’s Parasite technique. And the user is able to detach green wires from nearby indebted customers and manipulate to wrap around or attack the unaffected opponent while at the same time not attaching any debt onto them. However this not only allows the unaffected person to see the green wires, but also be able to cut them while they are in physical contact, even if they manage to snap a green wire, then that wire will not be reattached to their original indebted recipient. But can still be used by the user to attack opponents, but they can still be re-used for their intended purpose on another or an upcoming [InDEBT Consumer].
Non-Combative Info: Despite the absurdly greedy uses of the Ad-Ad Fruit, it is still an incredibly useful devil fruit for normal commercial uses or really any other form of normal trading uses. The user can easily create high-quality advertisements of any kind for any purpose on any advertisable medium. Being able to create a fully fledged security system by viewing through any and all [ads].
Techniques:
[Advertise]: The user physically touches a medium used for advertisement and transforms it into whatever form of marketable advertisement the user can imagine. When used on things such as paper or signs, the user erases whatever was written/printed on them before printing whatever they could think of. When used on a technological device, the user is simply able to instantly create pop-up ads and video advertisements. So long as it was possible on the chosen medium.

• [Limited Time Promotion]: The user creates a special ad under the guise of a promotional campaign, and whatever they are selling will be only available for a limited time. Increasing incentive for unassuming targets to quickly make a deal as the user reduces the time limit to add pressure on them.
• [Auction Sweepstake]: The user creates advertisements through any televised or radio broadcasting linked to a special advertisement that visually presents an auction sweepstake of multiple [“intended product”] that hypes them up and pretends to increase the bidding from a low price to make it look very valuable.
• [Wonder Trading]: The user creates numerous special ads that work off the basis of giving away a random item in response to a target donating a random item through this special advert. The value of the item given and received are completely, but the user can alter such values to weigh to their favour or someone else's. In addition to being able to see one’s wants and needs, the user can give out specific items to targets so that they are incentivized to donate more for similar items they desire.

[[Silly Strings]]: The user summons special string-like green wires from the sky onto the backs of a [InDEBT Consumer]. The more wires attached onto the back of a victim, the more susceptible they are to any of the user’s manipulations. The wires themselves become more durable and stronger the further the number of th deals the user makes, but will decrease the more deals get broken. While general training with them will make the base strength of the wires more stronger.

• [Sleight of Hand]: The user calls for a specific line of [[Silly Strings]] that are attached to a [InDEBT Consumer]. It will descend from the sky and wrap around the user’s finger, from there the user is able to completely control whatever part of the victim the wire is attached to. From making ever so slight hand gestures to weave the [InDEBT Consumer] to do whatever the user wants so long as they don’t make it apparent or obvious that they're being orchestrated.
• [Debt Termination]: The user manipulates all of the [[Silly Strings]] attached to a [InDEBT Consumer] and wrapped them in a dangerous sharp hold; particularly around the neck and in turn strangling them to death. Although when the user does this, the [[Silly Strings]] become visible to anyone around the victim who isn’t in debt, allowing them to snip the wires during this time.
• [Account Freeze]: The user summons all the [[Silly Strings]] attached to a [InDEBT Consumer] and simply halt the movement of the victim, for further entrapment the user wills the strings to wrap around the joints of the [InDEBT Consumer]. However once more doing such an action will cause non-[InDEBT Consumers] to witness the existence of the [[Silly Strings]].
• [Raining Green]: The user releases all the [[Silly Strings]] from a [InDEBT Consumer’s] body, causing them to each detach from that victim. The user then manipulates all of them to rain down upon a target and pierce them straight through. Alternatively the user can wrap themselves in a few of the [[Silly Strings]] to lift themselves off the ground and into the air. Similar to that of the [String-String Fruit].

[Manifested Windows]: The user focuses their [Ad-Ad Fruit] power on an advertisement off a technological screen. This causes the advertisement shown on the screen to begin to distort before literally coming out of the screen and assuming itself a 3d form. These manifested windows can be used in various ways from offence to defence. These 3d advertisements can be interacted with like advertisements the user creates. But the user is able to revert any of these manifests into 2d shapes and place them around like normal handout adverts, minimising them so that they maximise when someone is near, or make them float toward the nearest person and harass them.

• [3D Knockout]: The user creates manifested windows advertisements, and transforms them into 2d windows before having them slide underneath certain parts of a target’s body. And after they’ve slid under, the 2d windows instantly become 3d once more and collide into the target with excessive force.
• [[POP-UP Tabs]]: The user creates manifested windows advertisements, and transforms them into 2d windows before minimising them. The 2d manifested windows then sneak up on a target, and right when they least expect it, the windows maximise themselves and pop-up right in-front of the target.
• [Spam Mail]: The user or their [InDEBT Consumer] sets up many hidden pop-ups, minimised and scattered across every corner, door, window, device, etc and have them activated to the closest sentient being approaches its proximity. The Spam Mail pop-up will surprise and continuously annoy them by playing their own sound clips over and over again. And whenever they are closed, they will slightly shift out of the way.
• [Advertisement Block]: The user either during or out of combat grabs a manifested window and expands the window out to defend against attacks. But when expanded, the user can also turn the entire window 3-D, gaining a sudden immense amount of weight added to it. And crushing whoever the user drops it on, or they can use it as a shield or blockade.
• [Loud Notification]: The user creates a special variation of pop-up tab, that plays a loud and obnoxious-type of ringing noise whenever they are open. They can be programmed to follow targets and continuously play the same sound over again similar to spam mail.
• [Advertised Product]: The user reaches over and sticks their hand into an advertisement that’s showcasing an item and grabs it. Then the user pulls the product out of advertisement and into the real world. The user can use the product similar to the actual version, however it will be only half as effective. All that is left of the product from the advertisement is a white space shaped exactly like the item.

Awakening:
Once the user of the Ad-Ad Fruit awakens, catching up their body and mind to the levels of their own ability. The standard abilities given when first consumed are significantly increased beyond what they were before, the proverbial range of advertisements are increased, the strength and durability of [[Silly Strings]] improved, the intricacies of the [InDEBT Consumer]’s body that can be manipulated are heightened, and much more. The former weakness of the devil fruit where the user needed a pre-established advertisement or materials to use their devil fruit has been lifted to an extent*****. Now all the user needs to do to create an advertisement is to simply make a sales pitch of any kind, with the more grandeur the pitch, the stronger the advertisement. The user can even now conjure pop-up tabs and digital lettering in thin air to help begin a sales pitch, or enhance their own speechcraft. They can even be used in combat if the user desires, though they are not as potent as physical advertisements or manifested tabs.
However that is only half of the entire awakening, the other half focuses on the conceptual power of the devil fruit and what the user can exactly turn into an “Advertisement”. While in the pre-awakening state, the user is only able to bargain for and sell physical objects and beings. Now the user is able to wrap their [[Silly Strings]] on more intangible [products] such as a person’s soul, in turn granting complete control over an individual, or perhaps something that has yet to exist like a person’s first born. Or even something tied to their very being like their devil fruit ability, though [WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT FOR THE USER OF AD-AD FRUIT TO ABSORB INTO THE POWER OF ANOTHER DEVIL FRUIT USER THAT HAD [“willingly”] SOLD THEIR DEVIL FRUIT POWER TO THEM WILL SUFFER FROM SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION OF THEIR ENTIRE BODY. THERE ARE NO REFUNDS\.]*
Lastly while the user is able to wrap their [[Silly Strings]] on more intangible [products], the user is now capable of extending what they can exactly turn into advertisement. Following more in line with a standard paramecia awakening, but in a thematic way, any land the user comes into [“ownership”] of and becomes their [“property”]. The wielder of the Ad-Ad Fruit is able to freely change and manipulate everything within and connected to the user’s square feet of land into advertisements. While the user is unable to manipulate the environment in the same way as other paramecia users due to the less malleable nature of advertisements. The esoteric nature of advertisements and how exactly the user can portray their power because of how broad an advertisement can be makes up for the lack of traditional control over their transformed land. But there is a singular weakness to this facet of the Ad-Ad Fruit, which is that if the deed or proof of documentation (and if there isn't any, one is automatically created every time the user assumes control of a lone land.) is destroyed or damaged, then the affected environment will either be completely reverted back or parts of it will instead.
Awakened Techniques:
[Deal with the Devil]: The user creates a [specil] one time only [DEAL], however compared to the normal advertisements the user creates, this one is created with the intention of the user trading for something not entirely physical but something that has value to a specific customer. This [DEAL] is more one on one than any other advertisement deal. Requiring the soon to be customer to either sign on the dotted line of a document to finalise the dealmaking, or by [“willingly”] shaking the user’s hand.

• [Deal for Another Life]: The user creates a [specil] one time only [DEAL] for someone who needs assistance in saving someone, be it that they're in a dying state or simply injured. By accepting the [DEAL] for the user to save the life of another, the recipient will have their condition ”heal” in a sense depending on the situation. If medical supplies are in the vicinity capable of mending them, then the Ad-Ad Fruit will use those supplies to instantaneously patch them up. If there are none, then the [“customer”] will have either their own life or a certain amount of years off their life to help save or extend out the recipient’s.
• [Devil for a Devil]: The user creates a [specil] one time only [DEAL] for the intent of trading the devil fruit abilities of two people between them. Once that either sign or shake each other’s hands with the user present to finalise the dealmaking. Both people will begin to convulse and scream from the pain of the swapping of devil fruits, what appears out from them appears to be the will or soul of their particular devil fruits which pass by each other before phasing into their new user's body.

[Ad Infinitum]: The user proceeds to make a literal one time only [DEAL] like no other to whom but the Ad-Ad Fruit itself, arranging a [DEAL] that will allow the user to gain a significant amount of power by absorbing all existing goods received through every [DEAL] the user has ever made. In turn however, once the user has finished with what they had intended to do with the power, parts of their own individuality is exchanged by the Ad-Ad Fruit itself with one perfectly lined with the devil fruit’s function. That of being a Salesman and their job of making deals. However once done, they themselves will be ensnared by [[Silly Strings]] with them even knowing, and secretly manipulating them into performing and doing things that allows them to make more deals and benefit them.

• [NEO]: One of two transformations the user can undergo once the deal has been made, and is mostly done through the intake of many material items the user has ["respectfully"] received from a ["customer"]. Granting them a physiology similar to that of a mechanical machine. Allowing to shrug off a majority of dangers that normally threaten a [MEAT PERSON]. They are able to fly at great speeds and ascend as high as they want due to the [[Silly Strings]] attached to their back once in this form. For combat they have many options, from blasting opponents with their arm cannon, opening their chest cavity for their own mechanical heart to spring out and shoot out white diamonds, and even increasing their own size to ram into and squish their opposition.
• [OMEGA]: The second and most powerful and the two transformations the user can undergo once the deal has been made, and is made when on top of absorbing material items, they also take into both the souls of people who gave them up and actual living people who sold their lives to the user. The main difference between the two forms is not only in power but also in sheer size and mobility being more slow. During both transformations, the user experiences a even higher boost in their ability of manipulating and transforming their [“property”] into anything advertisable.

P/N: I had created this fruit around the beginning of 2022, but never got around to actually starting anything. But then around the time Spamton Sweepstakes started I then, randomly out of nowhere, thought of the entire concept for the devil fruit.
I will say that I gave up at the end with the awakening moves, due to not feeling the best. But I just wanted to get this devil fruit over and done with. Any of the moves are up for interpretation.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt anything. My life has become a constant drudgery, even special events have become dull. My son’s fourteenth birthday was a few weeks ago, but it could’ve happened yesterday, or the month before, it’s all been melding into one. I still remember though; I remember being in that moment, and I can tell you the exact details of what occurred, who was there, but I can’t for the life of me remember how it meant to me. I was simply a presence, a bystander. I think my son was happy, I hope he was.
The tasks in my life that were once a burden have become noise to me. In a way I suppose that’s a good thing. I can work my ass off all day, get treated like a dog, and I would be none the wiser. I’m not exactly sure when this happened, I used to hate my job. I guess somewhere along the way I got lobotomized in my sleep. That would explain it. At least I can provide for my son this way.
He reminds me of myself in more ways that I’d like to admit. He’s a pleasure seeker, and the friends that he’s made push these hedonistic tendencies. On his birthday he came back home absolutely plastered, and I should’ve been furious, but it didn’t affect me at. Hell I even offered him another drink. At his age I sought the same type of stimulus, the same type that I yearn for today, so in a way I am living vicariously through him. He’s a good kid though, he’s on this path but he’s not anchored to it. He refused the drink and went to bed. As a father what I did was not good, but as bystander I wish he took it. I wish he prolonged his euphoria. I wish I could see him live.
They’ve been advertising this new medication all over TV. It’s a pill that gives you constant nightmares when you sleep. It’s been all over the news actually. Some people are up in arms about, and for some folks it’s a godsend, folks like me. In my mind this seems like the stimulus I have been craving for so long, but I can’t stop thinking about my son. What happened on his birthday was a moment of weakness. I couldn’t let him know I stooped so low to get a high. Seeking the pleasures in life is one thing, but seeking fear is another. The road my son is on mirrors my own, and I don’t want him to become nullified in the same way. But at this point, he’s becoming a young man before my eyes, and I am indifferent. I need to feel something, I need to be present, not a presence.
After meeting with my doctor, I received the prescription, 30 pills for 30 days. She sternly informed me of the side effects, about how easy it is to overdose, but like all other stimuli in life, it became white noise. But at last, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I could finally feel again, and I couldn’t wait to fall asleep. I waited until the lights in my son’s room went off, and after I saw that he had fallen asleep, I could begin. I sat upright on my bed and pulled out the prescription bottle from my drawer. I took another look, scanned it up and down, maybe even considering a reason not to take it. On the label was a warning sign
“Do not take two doses within a 12-hour period”.
“Good to know” I thought to myself, and I popped open the bottle, took a gulp from my glass of water, and closed my eyes.
Thirty minutes passes, and then an hour, and no effect. Worthless scam. My eyes blasted open, but when I tried to get up, my limbs were numb. I tried closing my eyes again…nothing. I tried breathing and I realized I was suffocating; I couldn’t move any part of my body whatsoever. The sweat from my forehead rolled into my open eye. I couldn’t move, but I could experience pain. As the asphyxiation engulfed me, my bedroom became blurry.
“This is it" I thought, I am about to die.
With each passing second my vision faded until finally, as I imagined would be the last moment of my life, the pain stopped. I could breathe again, and sure enough I rose from my prone position and stood up. I look around, everything is in its normal place. I take a deep breath in relief. Now that the worst was over, I got up to examine the pill bottle. The warning was no longer in English, but instead covered in strange markings.
Suddenly I was dragged down by an unbelievable force through my bedroom floor into a black abyss. There was an extremely loud sound that sounded like deep breathing and I felt as if something was watching my descent. At an instant I fell on a sandy bottom. I looked around, but it was so dark that I could only see at an arms reach. I trudged through the sand, stepping on what felt like organic material occasionally. At last, I reached a metal industrial door, like one you’d see in large freezer. On it was some type of text or message, I squinted my eyes attempting to read it. It was in that same language on the pill bottle. My eyes wander down and I notice a door handle. My heart is beating faster than when I was dying. I smile and reach for it.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
My eyes tear open as if they were glued. I’m back in my room, I can breathe. I realized that I forgot to turn off my Saturday alarm. I exhale in a sense of relief when I noticed something wet underneath me. Damn I pissed my bed… Understandably, I jumped up and exclaimed upon realization. I hear footsteps coming sprinting towards my room. My son opens the door and sees me in my current state.
“Dad are you ok?”, my son said.
“Oh, yeah…I’m fine, just had a bad dream”
My son notices my soaked trousers and bed sheets.
“Are you…feeling alright?” he says.
My cheeks become bright red.
“Oh um…I just…”
My darting eyes reach the half empty water glass.
“Yeah I just spilled a bit when I was taking my medicine”
My heart froze. I didn’t hide the bottle last night. My son’s eyes meandered to the pill bottle on my dresser, and then back to mine. After what seemed like an eternity, my son perked a smile.
“I think you’re just getting old Dad”.
With that he laughed and rolled his eyes while closing the door. Silence at last. I began to laugh quietly to myself. I couldn’t believe it, but I finally felt something again. I could feel the warm embrace of the sunshine seeping through the blinds of my window.
I walk into the kitchen to find my son cooking breakfast. The sweet scent of the bacon permeates my olfactory senses. I take a moment to listen. I hear the low hum of the air conditioner, the upbeat banter of daytime television, and even ever so faintly, the songs of birds outside. I find myself grinning ear to ear. My son places a plate consisting of tater tots, eggs, and bacon in front of me.
“Someone’s chipper today”, he says.
I smile at him.
“Yeah…yeah I’m feeling good”.
My son leans against a wall and tosses a tater tot into his mouth.
“Maybe it wasn’t such a bad dream after all”, he says.
I snag a tater tot off my plate and do the same.
“Honestly I don’t remember what it was about”.
I felt at peace…or at least it appeared so. I took a bite of my breakfast, but with each chew the flavor began dissipating. I squint, the sunshine has become dull and bright. My hand begins to tremble as I feel an object in pajama pocket. I feel a compulsion to reach down. I slowly retrieve the object from my pocket. My eyes widen and my heart begins to race…it’s the prescription bottle, and the English text is replaced once again with a foreign language. I gawk at it sitting in the palm of my hand, and my lips start to form a smile.
“Dad!”
I snap out of it and stuff the bottle back into my pocket. My son is standing behind the kitchen counter.
“Do you want any more bacon before I put it away?”.
“Uh…no thank you, I’m alright for now”
My son stares at me with a charged look.
“All right…” he says.
I quickly regain my composure.
“Son, do you have any plans tonight?”
“Yeah I think Devin’s having some people over tonight…unless you wanted to do something?”
I feign a smile.
“No, no, have fun with your friends!”
“All…right, cool…” my son says.
I jump.
“But maybe we can do something tomorrow?”
My son ponders for a moment.
“I was actually gonna go to Luka’s basketball game tomorrow. A bunch of my friends wanna support him, ya know?…”
He sees a hint of sadness in my eyes.
“But after we could figure something out!” he exclaims.
I smile.
“Yes…that sounds great!”
My son nods and walks out the kitchen door. My hand is still trembling. I look down to see that I had been gripping the bottle the whole time. I check the door; I think he’s gone. I pull the bottle out and examine it, the text has returned to normal. I exhale, I felt safe again.
I hear the door slam closed followed my son’s car screeching out the driveway. He asked if he could spend the night at Devin’s and I complied. It’s seven o’clock in the evening…perfect. I purchased a plastic mattress cover to avoid last night’s mishap, so I put it on the bed, strip naked and sit the mattress. There is a part of me that feels a slight embarrassment at my current situation, but honestly, I’ve been caught doing worse. I also purchased a water-resistant blanket, so I’m not a complete degenerate.
I pull the bottle out from the drawer. The label’s in English…great. I purposefully put the bottle into the drawer and hide it under some of the junk in there, and for good measure, I set my alarm for five in the morning, just in case my son came home early. I pop a pill into my mouth and swallow.
Immediately I am pulled down into the abyss. Darkness has now overcome my entire vision. I am moving extremely fast, much faster than last time. I swear I even feel my ears popping from the change in pressure. BAM!
I slam into the sandy bottom once more. I take a few moments to catch my breath when I notice a light in the distance. It shines an iridescent purple color, unlike I had ever seen. Immediately my feet began trudging towards it, almost automatically. I carefully amble over what seems like a sea of organic matter. I have no inclination of what exactly I’m walking on, but it is consumed most of the sand from before. As I approach the light, I see what I had been drawn to…the door from last night.
Although the door appeared the same as the night prior, it felt…different. I would even say it felt familiar…safe…welcoming. Before I could even think, my hand rose and grasped its handle. It’s difficult to explain, but it reminded me so much of her. I was grinning ear to ear once more. I began to twist the handle, and as I did so the iridescent light that guided me here shined brighter and brighter, once again bathing me in a warm embrace. I peer forward, filled with the most excitement in years, as I’m about to pull the door open.
“Mom! Dad!”
I stop. I look around for the source of the outcry.
“Mom! Dad! Help me! Please!
It’s my son.
Without a second thought I let go of the handle and begin sprinting towards him.
SLAM!
I face plant into the ground. Something has snagged my ankle. The iridescent light has become bright enough to illuminate the ground and…oh my goodness. Around me are what seems like thousands and decrepit bodies, all trying to claw their way out of the sand. I look down at my ankle and see a man gripping me. He has a look of desperation in his eye. I promptly kick him in the face and run off.
“Mom! Dad!”
I’m getting closer.
“Mom! Dad!”
I’m almost there.
“MOM! DAD!”
I can see him! But he’s being engulfed by the bodies and sand below. I sprint as fast as I can when…
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
I scream and flail on my bed. I take a few moments to catch my breath. I glance at the source of the noise…my alarm clock. It reads 5:00 AM. It’s morning. The sun has not fully risen yet, but the warm embrace still reaches me. I glance over at the water glass and pill bottle on top of my dresser. I exhale in relief, it’s over… I throw some clothes and head to the restroom. Fortunately, I didn’t have an accident last night, so there’s no evidence there. And thankfully I made sure to hide the pill bottle last night as well.
Wait.
I sprint back into my room to find the pill bottle on top of my dresser. I try to calm myself down. I must’ve forgotten again. It’s 5 am, there’s no way he’s home. He wouldn’t do that, he’s better than me. I take a deep breath and un-tense my body. Yeah, everything’s ok…
I jump at the pill bottle and count its contents.
“1…2…3….”
With every number my heart races.
“24…25…26………27”
My heart sinks. I burst out of my bedroom and sprint to my son’s room. I slam open the door, and my fears realized. He is lying unconscious on his bed. I check his pulse, he’s alive, but his heart rate is slow, and he’s ice cold to the touch. I panic, looking for anything to help. His slow breaths act as a ticking clock as I search for a solution. I grab a phone and begin to dial 911 when I notice something. Silence.
I rush over to my son’s side. He’s stopped breathing…but his heart is still beating, then I notice something more. All along my son’s chest and arms appear to markings materializing beneath his skin, the same markings on the pill bottle. With no other options, there’s only one action I could take to save my son. I sprint back into my room, grab a pill and swallow it.
What feels like an eternity passes, but I cannot fall asleep. I try taking other sleeping pills, I try asphyxiation, I even try knocking myself out with blunt force. But to no avail, I’m trapped here in the conscious world while my son is fading away. My emotions overcome me.
“Why isn’t it working!”
“I thought you wanted to experience true fear?” a deep voice bellowed out.
I did, whatever was talking to me was right. I wanted to feel something, fear, sadness…anything. But now I’m overcome with only one emotion…rage.
“Release my son!”
Silence.
“Release my son right now, I command you!”
Silence.
I look around the room and spot the pill bottle.
“What if I made you a deal?”
“…Go on” the voice boomed.
“If I swallow every pill in this bottle, would you let go of my son?”.
“But he’s so fresh and ripe…what do you have to offer?”.
“I don’t…I don’t know…nothing!”
Without thinking I grab the pill bottle and swallow the lot. I collapse onto the floor and begin sobbing. I’ve done it, my son has done nothing wrong and has paid the price for my wrongdoings. But wait, I refuse to live on without him. Even if his fate is sealed, I will live on every day from now living to the fullest, in his memory. If he can’t be here to experience what life has to offer, I’ll experience it twice fold!
“Deal” the voice bellowed out.
At once I began my descent into the void, seemingly at the speed of light, but even then, I saw something ascending out of the darkness. Although my fate had been sealed, my son’s is safe. So here I find myself in a sea of now millions of the damned, smiling ear to ear.

2181 – 09:17, Wednesday, January 17th –Agora of the Asari People- Serrice City - Thessia – Parnithia System
"It's done," said Nari in a faint croaking voice as she took a few shaky steps back from her magnum opus – a mural that depicted horror yet hope in the image.
"Easy there Nari," said Sam'nelea gently as she caught the exhausted artist in her arms. Mayises and Miretse rushed up and helped Sam'nelea carry Nari to a chair, giving her a bottle of energy drink so the exhausted artist could at least rehydrate.
"So it is finished Colonel T'goos?," asked Matriarch Seucsha T'sola as she called from behind the barrier that shielded the work from viewing.
"Yes Matriarch. Please, come and see Nari's masterpiece," replied Sam'nelea as she held Nari's head so that the shattered artist could drink.
Mayises was holding the bottle for Nari who swallowed greedily at the nourishing refreshing liquid. She had worked almost 18 hours a day on the mural, only stopping to rest when Sam'nelea forced her to. Even then it was barely enough yet Nari found an inner strength that Sam'nelea and her commandos could but only admire at the artists determination to complete this work.
Matriarch Seucsha T'sola of Serrice had also deployed her commandos to guard Nari and her work. The Serricean matriarch had seen the images of the horror under Fortress T'reaphia and was physically sick afterwards. Nothing like this had ever been seen on Thessia… ever. Asari had a dark side, that was undisputable but this… this was pure evil.
"Dear goddess!" she gasped as she and her senior officers came around the corner and saw the mural. There was cries of shock, anger, revulsion, despair and sadness from all when they saw what Nari had painted. Nari had also carved in bright red sandstone that sat above the mural, the High Thessian pictograms for the words: NEVER FORGET!
Sam'nelea surveyed the artwork with a studious glance. She could see that Nari had been heavily influenced by human art, so very obviously in this case as Nari's mural was a homage to both Picassos "Guernica" and Munch's "The Scream" but balanced by Van Gogh's "Starry Night" for the idea that hope still existed.
Sam'nelea had seen those artworks herself on Earth and was deeply moved by them and appreciated what Nari had incorporated into her mural.
Duncan's influence was evident for those who knew the friendship between the artist and the man who lived twice. The Commando officer was aware of that he had been showing Nari the best of human art.
"What a lurid, emotive, extremely confronting work," murmured Matriarch T'sola as she stared at it awestruck. A tear of empathy had trickled down her flawless lavender cheek. "This will be a testament as long as the Agora of the People stands." Her officers nodded in assent, too moved to speak themselves. "Did you see it, Sam?" she asked quietly.
"No matriarch and I thank all the deities and the universe that I didn't. I saw some of the footage that my matriarch displayed to all of you. That was enough. Even now, the Acolytes and house troopers who were there are still undergoing mental therapy for the trauma they were exposed to."
"And your War Artist? Will she be whole again?" the matriarch inquired with compassion for Nari in her eyes.
"I believe, no… I know she will be fine. Nari is one of the strongest Asari I have met. Her mental drive and fortitude allowed her to produce this masterwork in just over ten days. She barely slept and only rested, ate and drank when I forced her too. Look, she has passed out from exhaustion," said Sam'nelea with a sad resonate tone with deep sympathy in her eyes for her new friend. "She is a true hero of the Asari People matriarch. Not one of valour and great deeds of action, but of her strength of spirit and her artistic talent. Let that be known in Serrice."
The Serricean matriarch nodded in total agreement.
"Her work will last for all time. Go home Sam. You, Nari and your commandos have done enough. I will post guards here on permanent duty. Fiahnni can send some across to be part of the guard who protect this… lesson to us all. We will invite other matriarchs to send their house troops to become a part of the detachment. I will house and feed them all. This will be a sacred duty, separate from being guards here at the Agora. This will be our privilege and duty to all the Asari people."
Matriarch Seucsha T'sola nodded once more to herself, knowing that only just over half of the republics would contribute troops to this force. The others like the Armali would prevaricate and dither, ultimately sending nothing which in all honestly, she was fine with. Less in the end for her to pay for and more glory to those that did contribute.
"As you command matriarch and thank you for all you support and aid. It is greatly appreciated." Sam'nelea gestured to her commando lieutenants and bring Nari's sleeping form with them. "I need to see my daughters and husband," she said tiredly.
Matriarch T'sola gave the Colonel at questioning look.
"I must ask Sam… what is it like being loved by a human male? I truly wish to know as I am considering my…options for a new partner."
Sam'nelea paused for a moment and thought about how to respond.
"Matriarch… I cannot answer that with any real ease in such a short space of time. All I can say is that Phillipe completes me. I met him almost twenty years ago and have never found a more loving, wonderful soul to share my life with and have daughters by. I wish Tevura's blessing upon you if you truly wish to find love with a man. It is challenging as you would understand yet… so rewarding as well once you have melded and know beyond any doubt that he is yours and you are his. I love him with every fibre of my being. We are one. Now… I should go," she said with a sigh as thoughts of her beloved husband threatened to engulf her.
"Be at peace Sam and Athame bless you," replied Matriarch T'sola with a soft smile as she considered Sam'nelea's words very carefully.
Sam'nelea, along with Dr Hethy and a few hundred others were some of the originals who bonded with humans. They were not the first but still, those individuals who in 2161, formed a coterie of Asari which became bonded to humans that year, changing Asari society forever. She vaguely recalled that one of her own junior clerical diplomats based at the Citadel bonded with a famous human male artist yet she couldn't recall their names off hand. No matter, the unions that worked were true examples of love crossing cultural and species lines. Fiahnni was right, Humanity and Asari would be one people in the end.
Seucsha signalled to her senior officers and Acolytes, that they take over from the departing T'daari forces. She also began considering her options of looking for a potential consort from the pool of humanity. The matriarch needed someone she could confide in, who would hold and love her in the dark of the night. She felt too lonely these days and taking an Acolyte to her bed had lost its allure as it was just sex for sex's sake, nothing more. Seucsha needed companionship more than ever after seeing Nari's work. The matriarch made up her mind, she would find her Siame in humanity.
Maybe a young man like the musical Maestro Matriarch Jami Sibeyr had found with her young human Siame? she considered.
Seucsha decided that she needed to speak with the Maestro to gain more insight. She concluded that a young man would last the time with her for her remaining years, they would grow old together which was a great comfort to her as the thought of outliving another bondmate would be too much for her to bare. The matriarch mused to herself that she might even have another daughter with him. They could at least try, after all Benezia T'Soni had her little Liara only a hundred or so years ago. That had been the subject of much gossip within the conclave of matriarchs.
She turned away and began humming the maestro's beautifully soaring piece to herself. "A Love Song for Humanity" which was universally recognised as one of the greatest pieces of Asari music which had been created in generations. Now she began to see why, as she reflected upon what she had observed of Fiahnni's daughters and their relationship with Duncan Larkin.
Pity he was taken, she thought to herself as she left the building to board her waiting air-transporter, he would have made an excellent bondmate and consort.
The gull wing doors of her vehicle closed and as she was whisked away into the busy sky. She sat back into the plush soft leather seats and began opening the Matchmaking site, "Blue to Hue" on her datapad.
What charmed her the most, making her laugh and dispelling the awful visions of the horror that Nari had depicted, was that a classic human song started playing as soon as the Extranet site opened up on her data pad. She knew of this song and smiled widely in approval.
Queen's "Somebody to Love" was a perfect complement for the matchmaking site.
The 894 year old matriarch now began examining the hundreds of thousands of hopeful men who had listed themselves and had been ever so carefully screened as potential bondmates to Asari by the managers of the matchmaking site.
She had time and options and she was now looking forwards to Fiahnni's daughter's fashion show.
So much fun to be had!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2181 – Friday - January 19 – 19:30 – Lyriania's Memorial Amphitheatre – Dassus City
Lileah'sah peeked out from behind the huge gauze stage curtain, over the massive crowd that had filled the amphitheatre with pride and amazement.
"I still can't believe it," she said quietly to Duncan as they observed the full venue from the wings of the stage.
He held her in front of him, his arms wrapping over hers, around her waist and linking over her belly comfortably. She loved that. Turning her head, she laid her left cheek against his chest so as not to poke him with the tendrils of her crest. It was the only thing she thought that humans had as a minor physical advantage over Asari, they had no crest at the back of their heads that could get in the way of things.
"Believe it my love. Our terrific Tre'mete has done it. Tonight is going to make her a legend. She deserves this."
Lileah'sah turned in his arms and looked up at him with a hint of self-doubt in her eyes.
"I know. Although a part of me feels shame Duncan. I should have done this decades ago for her yet I didn't. I was a selfish, self-centred, spoilt stupid maiden, too wrapped up in her own Varen-shit to do the right thing by the one who had always loved me for who I was. Tre'mete only ever wanted me to love her. You did this for her, not me," she said with a heavy sigh and laid her head back on his chest once more.
Duncan cuddled her tenderly.
"Hey there sweetness, you have helped our crazy mad amazing seamstress and bondmate. You have been her tower of strength through this. You have been at her side all the way, helping her with the business side of things. She couldn't have done this without you. Yes I have been the catalyst that brought this into existence but you my magnificent, musical healer, you were the one who made it all happen. Tre' would have been lost without your family connections. No one would have taken her seriously if not for you going to all those meetings with her. Now she is on the cusp of her triumph and we will celebrate like never before. Look, all our family are here, all our friends too. Tre'mete has worked herself hard and I think it was a stroke of genius that she got everyone in the crew, plus our friends children to be models for her garments tonight."
"Again you are correct my dearest darling man. Their Aretḗ is going to only soar after tonight. And Chianay and Elanini… goddess… I would never have thought that my beloved cousins would be fashion models," she giggled lightly.
It had taken the trio plus Chianay and Ray a lot of diligent work to finally persuade the shy, bookish Intelligence Analyst to model some of Tre'mete's clothing tonight. Elanini would be modelling the more demure and reserved lines of garments that Tre'mete had designed, clothing suited for Asari of Elanini's demeanour. The normally quiet Asari was now abuzz with excitement and nervous energy. Ray spoke to her in her aural bud.
"Remember Ela', you are beautiful, powerful and strong. All eyes will be on you but you will see none as you will be bathed in glorious light. Consider this a simple walk in the sunshine wearing fine clothing that your cousin has made for you."
"Thank you Ray. I am glad you are with me. I couldn't have done this without you."
"You are my family Ela' and my friend and I will do anything for you," said Ray humbly and meant every word.
Elanini blew a gentle kiss to one of the security cameras, knowing that Ray was watching her like a guardian angel. Chianay hugged her younger sister in a sign of affectionate support.
The AI along with Luenthvi were the masters behind the curtain, controlling all aspects of the upcoming show. Luenthvi was in the control room supervising the sound and lighting engineers and technicians in conjunction with Ray. Both Asari and AI had planned everything down to the last detail with Tre'mete, leaving nothing to chance. She got the two minute signal.
"Alright everyone, game faces on, it's showtime!" she said in a quiet yet commanding voice.
The Asari engineers and technicians nodded and began their final prechecks of all the systems.
A few minutes earlier, Fiahnni, Aenthiah and Raquelia, the family and close friends had been the last to enter the amphitheatre. A soaring glorious composition of human music rang out as the trio of Asari gracefully made their way through the building. Fiahnni had fallen in love with Händel's "Messiah" recently and shamelessly appropriated various pieces from the opera for herself. Her people loved it.
Jonah, Lomu, Di'naka and Nyanyzia flanked the Grand Matriarch, Fiahnni and Aenthiah. All the bodyguards resplendent in gleaming ceremonial yet fully functional battle armour.
Drokk led them all.
The Battlemaster's face was a picture of serenity as he quietly basked in the triumph of his clan. Krogan were ascendant, well at least in the republic of Dassus and only his clan but details, details he thought to himself with a gleeful inner smile. It was a start he mused to himself.
A storm of applause went up for the Grand Matriarch and Fiahnni, with people rising to their seats and cheering. They all knew what had happened two weeks prior; that the T'daari had shielded the people of Dassus from harm, had struck back at their hated enemies and triumphed, liberating the republic of Ulee from tyranny and returned it back to the rule of the people, by the people for the people. These were deeds worthy of song and celebration.
Fiahnni and Raquelia waved and smiled to their people who roared back with approval.
Behind them walked Kash'shara and Tito with Mirey and Hiroko by their sides. The rest of the family followed including Chianay and Elanini's mother, Sister Shaellei T'daari as well as other lesser relatives of the clan. Behind them came the human families as well as the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, with the senior Acolytes and staff of House T'daari bringing up the end of the procession.
There was a mild degree of puzzlement in the crowd as they wondered amongst themselves where Lileah'sah and Duncan were and why they were not walking with the first family of Dassus? The reason, only known to the immediate family, was that Duncan had insisted that the couple didn't as he wanted the family to receive the ovation, not him. Also Lileah'sah and he were to open the show with some words of welcome to the audience.
Lileah'sah, while wanting him to be cheered, understood. In many ways such public ovations actually embarrassed Duncan. He almost hated them and avoided them as much as he could. It was enough for him to have done good for no acknowledgement as he followed the teachings of Marcus Aurelias in that fashion as best he could.
"We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book Five
Lileah'sah now embraced that maxim for herself. Tre'mete was still on her journey in this regard yet Duncan and herself knew their bondmate would get there soon enough.
Everyone now settled in their seats and the murmuring of the crowd died down.
The lights dimmed down to nothing, blackness engulfing the massive space with only the safety lights running along the stairways visible.
"It's time love," whispered Duncan as he took her left hand in his right. She nodded, gave his hand a squeeze and led him out.
They followed the faint light trail out onto the stage and made their way to their mark.
The spotlights came on a few seconds later, bathing the couple in a soft warm glow rather than a harsh bright white light.
"Good eve to you all, distinguished matriarchs, Justicars, honoured guests and gentle beings and welcome one and all. Tonight you are going to witness a watershed moment in Asari society. Tre'mete Lira, my best friend, my darling lover, my bond and soul mate has been inspired to follow her dream by my other magnificent bond and soul mate, Duncan Larkin. He has given her the wings in which she now will soar with. I present to you all, the first ever collection from Saucy Secrets. Thank you."
Lileah'sah bowed her head while Duncan just nodded briefly to the applause from the audience.
The lights dimmed again as the couple left the stage and went back to the wings.
The stage had been configured to be a massive runway, twenty meters in length and four meters wide, running into the heart of the audience. Lights appeared around the edge of the stage as the main gauze curtain rose.
The raising curtain revealed a full traditional thirty three member Asari orchestra, standing ready behind their ancient traditional Gal'lungael percussion instruments and drums.
Smoke machines expelled their scented, fragrant contents into the air and tiny particles of glitter fell from the domed ceiling, creating a myriad of sparkling motes of light that dazzled the senses.
The music started.
A resoundingly massive explosive thunderclap initially startled the audience was immediately followed by an ancient time-honoured piece of Asari ageless battle music which opened the show.
The drumming and rhythmical percussion started, the Asari musicians all acting in perfect harmony as they expertly pounded out the ancient song on their traditional instruments and drums. Blue Biotic auras flared up from the Asari musicians as they merged their fields with the instruments, creating intricate resonating cascades of interweaving harmonics.
The Asari orchestra then chanted out the archaic words, lifted together in glorious song:
"We are here, We are alive, We exist, We are One!".
All Asari knew this piece as it was timeless, a musical racial memory that reached back into their mists of their distant past, passed down from mother to daughter, generation to generation, yay unto the very first Asari who could remember who she was.
It was burned into the very DNA and souls of the Asari people.
All the Asari in the amphitheatre instinctively sang at the top of their voices, joining in the ancient song unconsciously. The Asari joyously sang out loudly and passionately, feeling the moment and its significance upon them.
This was the ultimate signifier of change, of death and rebirth, the end of old things, the dying of the light and the dawn of the beginning of new ideas.
The future is always born in conflict and pain. Change is inevitable.
Tre'mete was creating a massive statement to her people, the times were indeed "a changing".
The song concluded with a finale crescendo that resonated hugely within the amphitheatre.
As soon as the piece had finished, the spectators thundered out with massive approval, standing, cheering, clapping and shouting as this had not been performed in living memory to a live audience. And not a single garment had been displayed yet.
The lights dimmed once more and the audience settled back into their seats, all abuzz now as this was not your usual fashion show. This was art.
A new, more modern composition of Asari music began, starting softly yet building up, swelling with intensity and passion.
The lights focused on the stage and out strode a supremely confident Olivia McAlpine, dressed impeccably in an amazing ensemble that shouted style, elegance, charm and suitability for a young teenage maiden Asari.
Olivia was followed by her faithful companion Zara Wattling then Eliza Percy and finally Sam'nelea's daughters Gabriella and Triana Aguilar. All the Asari teenagers beamed their dazzling smiles to the roar of approval of the crowd as they strode down the runway. Already Asari matrons in the audience and those watching live began to place orders for these clothes for their young daughters as the garments looked so lovely yet sturdy and comfortable, perfect for a growing young Asari.
The teens paraded down the runway, stepping in time to the soaring music. Each stopped at the end, striking a series of poses before sauntering back to the stage as though it was just another day walking in the park.
The music shifted into a more militaristic themed tune.
Tre'mete had asked her comrades from the Perihelion if they would model for her. All stepped forward without a moment of hesitation.
Led proudly by Captain Eshess, the elite crew marched out to the deafening hailing of the audience. New ceremonial parade uniforms for the Dassus Navy were on display and by the goddess they looked good was the consensus. Tre'mete came up with this herself as she knew that military contracts were always a big money earner. She would win it on merit, not her family connections. Tre'mete knew that her fellow commandos and Navy personnel would clamour for these new uniforms.
The crew all marched casually, with smiles all alight on their beautiful faces, waving to the cheering crowd. They looked magnificent as they filed down the runway.
As the last crew member departed the stage, new music followed the last piece.
Stepping into the light came Icilea and Heretonia, hand in hand with Pania Paewai and Emily Percy, Human and Turian together, an unmistakable symbol of the end of the enmity and the beginning of deep and enduring friendship between the species.
A huge roar of approval went up from everyone in the amphitheatre. A masterstroke of galactical political genius by Tre'mete and the T'daari family. An emblem of harmony and reconciliation which would hopefully resonate beyond Thessia.
The Turian females wore long elegant blue and silver gowns that perfectly suited their body structure and morphology while the young human women were clothed in similar Thessian Glitterwing black silk ball gowns, yet theirs were cut with plunging necklines and slit just enough on one side to reveal their shapely, long legs much to the salacious delight of all the Asari watching.
The four graceful beings made their way down the runway, gently waving and smiling to the audience who lustily cheered them on. Orders from the hundreds of thousands of Turian females who had made their home on Thessia began flowing in as well as the tens of thousands of human women watching who were also Thessian citizens, both species bonded to Asari.
Tre'mete, who was watching from the wings, saw on her data pad the stream of tens of thousands of orders per second which were flooding Saucy Secret's Extranet site.
She, Ray and Duncan had planned for this. Ray had networks of extra server farms to handle the deluge of incoming traffic. If they hadn't have done this, the whole site would have crashed leaving tens of thousands of potential customers angry and upset.
The brawny commando felt her bondmates gather her in their arms and she sighed with a blissful exhalation. This was what she had always dreamed of: her creations being something that people wanted to buy. And the love of her bondmates surrounding her was mana from the heavens.
Tre'mete had made it.
"I will always love you Tre'mete," said Duncan in her aural canal on her right side while Lileah'sah had to briefly ignite her lifting field to rise a few inches to be on the level of Tre'mete's left side aural canal.
"You will always be my heart Tre' my love," she whispered as they both embraced the muscular Asari.
Tre'mete closed her eyes and held back her tears of pure joy as she couldn't afford to have her make up ruined by streaks of tears.
"We are One," was all she could say back to them. Her bondmates lightly kissed her cheeks then laced their arms around Tre'mete's waist, the triad standing together, loving, indivisible and resolute, watching the show they had planned together over the past few weeks unfold.
The Turians and human females made their way back to the stage as the music switched into something that almost no one in the amphitheatre had ever heard before.
A driving electronic tune that had an incredible melody and kick ass back beat.
Olivia walked back out onto the runway after her and her companions had quickly changed, leading them once more, her confident radiant smile beaming for all to see. The Asari teenagers danced up the runway, skipping and twirling to this thumping surging electronica track. The audience took up the beat and started clapping in time with it. Many were inspired to stand up to dance to the music. Soon almost all in the amphitheatre were dancing.
The teens were dressed in chic and classy tunics and pants, each in a different arrangement and colour. Again, Asari mothers with young daughters nodded with approval and clicked the order button on their Omnitools and data pads. This was exactly what young Asari needed. The style was fashionable, and multi-purpose as it could be for formal occasions or everyday wear.
The music was replaced by a banging piece of electro-swing that made everyone's open eyes wide as this tune just rocked.
The Perihelion crew then sauntered out, dancing merrily to the music while the teens were still dancing out the front. Tre'mete had chosen to emulate classic human styles in the line up and had dressed her crew mates in garments that were inspired by 1920's fashions. Light silk knee length Flapper dresses with dozens of thin tassels scintillatingly shimmered and shined gloriously as the crew sashayed down the runway. Her choice of style and music massively gingered up the already excited crowd.
This wasn't art anymore, this was an EVENT!
Asari worldwide got their first taste of electro-swing music, loving the infectious melody and driving danceable beats as they watched the crew and the teens now Jive and Lindy Hop with each other on the stage. The Asari on the stage and runway used their biotics and lifted one another as they spun and twirled in time to the incredible rhythm.
The crowd went wild with cheering and tried to follow this phenomenal new style of dancing. Maidens globally and beyond into the Asari colonies, opened up Human Extranet pages, madly searching for lessons and examples on how to dance like this.
Olivia led her companions back through the dancing crew, waving to the cheers of the crowd.
Aenthiah watched her ward, her heart nearly bursting with pride. She sat with her own daughter, holding her hand, both of them totally transfixed by the sensational spectacle unfolding before them.
"Mother, she is incredible," said Lysila into Aenthiah's aural canal over the noise of the crowd and music. The Asari was most impressed with Matriarch Ruto's granddaughter and had recently heard the dramatic story of how Olivia and her two friends had defeated six commandos in hand to hand combat thanks to the training given by her mother to the teenagers.
"As are you my most precious child," responded Aenthiah with love in her eyes.
The Justicar was thrilled that Lysila had excepted her invitation to attend the show. That Lysila came at all was a minor miracle as she often avoided meeting her mother, the galactically famous Justicar, as she was completely against violence in all its forms although she did approve of Olivia's act of self-defence and understood what Aenthiah had committed herself to. She reached out and took Aenthiah's hand in hers and gently squeezed. A stone melted in the Justicar's heart as mother and daughter sat and enjoyed the amazing event together.
The lights dimmed once more and a new style of music began. A thumping base line with a loud high hat four four drum beat. The lights came back on.
Icilea, Heretonia, Emily and Pania strutted back onto the stage, this time dressed in very revealing underwear. The audience gasped them roared out their approval as they now examined what the four females were wearing. Saucy Secrets was now a legend in fashion as Tre'mete knew exactly what would suit humans and Turian females.
The four females had sultry, saucy wiggle in their hips as the seductively wandered down the runway. The crowd now heard a growly human voice begin to speak over the music as the four danced in a semi erotic fashion. The lights seemed to dim as the man continued to speak.
"There's so many things I like about you,
I just don't know where to begin,
I like the way you, look at me with those beautiful eyes,
I like the way you, act all surprised,
I like the way you, sing along,
I like the way you, always get it wrong,
I like the way you, clap your hands,
I like the way you, love to dance,
I like the way you, put your hands up in the air,
I like the way you, shake your hair,
I like the way you, like to touch,
I like the way you, stare so much,
But most of all...
Yeah.
Most of all..."
The music built to a rising crescendo, then the beat dropped and out stepped Chianay and Elanini.
I like the way you move...
[Songwriters: Christopher James Karyotakis / Dylan Burns]
The crowd went mental as the gorgeously stunning sisters strode and strutted down the stage together, the epitome of Asari beauty on glorious display. Never before had a consort deigned to be a fashion model yet this was perfection.
Once the initial sensation had passed the audience focused on what the sisters were wearing.
Mouths were covered in shock and eyes widened hilarious amazement as they could clearly see on the enormous video screens which clearly displayed what Chianay and Elanini had on.
The pair were wearing a well cut lacey silk bra that had a pair of Blue hands printed on the front of the cups, seemingly holding the breasts within.
It was the underwear though that nearly caused a riot.
Both were wearing the panties that Duncan had come up with.
Stunning high cut panties cut in a thong style, both silvery white in colour, covered in lots of little ice-cream cones with the logo printed boldly on the front in High Thessian saying,
"It's not going to lick itself!"
Pandemonium!
Laughter, incredulous screaming, raucous cheering and furious applause erupted from the crowd.
Lysila sat stunned, wide eyed while Aenthiah just smirked to herself as she knew what the crowning moment of the show would be as she had regularly melded with Duncan, both of them sharing their thoughts and experiences. She knew how his incredibly cheeky and mischievous mind worked. And she knew Tre'mete nearly wet herself laughing when he told her of this idea.
The Justicar glanced across to her left and saw her faithful Acolyte Saendi howling with laughter as were other members of the T'daari family. Raquelia was gently shaking her head but had a huge smile on her face. Fiahnni was cackling like a lunatic. Kash'shara was totally gobsmacked while Tito had fallen off his chair laughing in hysterics. Mirey and Hiroko were shrieking in convulsive giggles. The human families with their Asari partners that were now a part of the house of T'daari were howling with merriment at the audacity that Duncan and Tre'mete had gone with. Even Drokk and Fiahnni's bodyguards couldn't contain themselves. Aenthiah was heartened to see Nari and Lyessrae creased up laughing together at the ridiculously funny panties. She was especially amused to see Chianay and Elanini's mother, Sister Shaellei, guffawing loudly at the sight of her daughters wearing such lurid underwear.
The biggest joke in Asari history was an astoundingly enormous success.
Always make 'em laugh… thought Duncan as he hugged Tre'mete tightly while the trio watched from the wings.
The teenagers and crew came out, this time dressed in a combination of swimwear and casual attire, all now dancing to the ecstatic adulation of the audience who were all up and grooving away to the fantastic music being played.
The BodyRocker's song finally finished and all the models on stage turned and started to clap to welcome the true star of the show, Tre'mete.
Daft Punk's "One More Time" classic track started playing as Tre'mete, walked out leading her bondmates with her. A furious storm of applause and biotic Asari salutes resonated throughout the space.
There was no need for the audience to give a standing ovation as the entire amphitheatre were already on their feet dancing.
Tre'mete, radiant with a smile of quiet triumph, stepped forward letting go of her bondmates hands, took her bow and waved to the adulation of the crowd.
She had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. Tre'mete turned and took her bondmates hands in hers and led them in bowing again to the audience and those watching from beyond. She could not have done this without them. Tre'mete shone with a biotic glow of pure happiness.
Saucy Secrets was a sensational stellar success.

HTML form elements are used to create various types of input fields, allowing users to enter and submit data through your website. The most common form elements include:

1. : Defines the form itself and acts as a container for all other form-related elements. It typically has an action attribute to specify the URL where the form data should be submitted, and a method attribute to specify the HTTP method used for submission (usually GET or POST ).
2. : A versatile element used to create various types of input fields, such as text, email, password, checkboxes, radio buttons, and more. The type attribute determines the type of input field.
3. : Provides a text label for a form element, such as an or . The for attribute should match the id attribute of the associated form element to ensure proper accessibility.
   : Creates a multi-line text input field for users to enter larger amounts of text, such as comments or descriptions.</li> <li><select> : Creates a dropdown list, allowing users to select one or multiple options from a list. The <option> elements define the individual choices within the <select> element.</li> <li><button> : Creates a clickable button that can be used to submit the form, reset the form, or perform other actions. The type attribute determines the button’s behavior (e.g., submit , reset , or button ).</li> <li><fieldset> : Groups related form elements, making it easier to organize and style the form. It can be used with the <legend> element to provide a label for the group.</li> <li><legend> : Provides a label for a <fieldset> element, making it easier to understand the purpose of the group of form elements.</li> <li><datalist> : Provides a list of predefined options for an <input> element. Users can choose from the suggested options or enter their own value.</li> <li><output> : Displays the result of a calculation or user action, typically used with JavaScript to update the content dynamically.</li> <li><progress> : Represents the progress of a task, such as a file upload or a timer. It can be used with JavaScript to update the progress value dynamically.</li> <li><meter> : Represents a scalar measurement within a known range, such as a gauge or a rating. It can display a visual representation of the measurement value.</li> </ol> These form elements work together to create an interactive and accessible form, allowing users to input and submit data through your website. By combining various elements and using appropriate attributes, you can create custom forms tailored to your specific needs.<br /> <a href="?id=4655">https://syntaxschool.co/index.php/courses/html5-fundamentals/</a><br /> </div> submitted by <a href="?id=4432"> nattee_2565 </a> to <a href="?id=2091"> syntaxschool </a> <span><a href="?id=3388">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="?id=2655">[comments]</a></span></p> <hr /> <p>2023.03.25 03:29 <i style="color:green;">Mean-Comparison-9910</i> <b>New</b></p> <p><div class="md">Special operation, March 24. The main thing:<br /> ▪Russia is interested in a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations, but Kiev is not allowed to do this "overseas", said Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Medvedev; <br /> ▪Kiev is preparing for offensive operations, the General Staff of the Russian Federation is preparing its decisions, Medvedev said.<br /> The West is well aware of the negative consequences of the use of depleted uranium ammunition, said Kirillov, head of the RCBZ;<br /> The use of such ammunition will infect significant acreage in Ukraine, which will cause Ukrainian food exports to collapse for decades, he said;<br /> Depleted uranium compounds in the soil for a long time retain the danger of negative effects on people and the environment, Kirillov added;<br /> ▪️In the Donetsk direction, the Ukrainian military lost about 400 people in a day, in the Kherson direction - up to 40 people, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported;<br /> ▪️In the Kupyansk direction, Ukraine lost up to 60 military, in the Krasnolimansk direction up to 125 military, the department noted;<br /> The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the Odessa region destroyed a hangar with Ukrainian military drones, the Ministry of Defense added;<br /> The Russian Federation called the statement of the Slovak Defense Ministry on the transfer to Ukraine of the first batch of four MiG-29 fighters an unfriendly act against Russia.<br /> </div> submitted by <a href="?id=263"> Mean-Comparison-9910 </a> to <a href="?id=1105"> RussiansYouAreFRNS </a> <span><a href="?id=3508">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="?id=1193">[comments]</a></span></p> <hr /> <p>2023.03.25 03:25 <i style="color:green;">LeeCloud27</i> <b>ACT 2-6-8: Lingering Scarlet Fear</b></p> <p><div class="md">*<a href="?id=1227">SHUNK</a>*<br /> A blink of an eye passed, moments after the object was thrown across the room by Efena over to Mystia. Sumireko and the others were stunned by what had occurred; some were perplexed, while others were concerned.<br /> What they saw was Mystia being tightly embraced by Satsujin, in a position where Satsujin could act as a shield, a protector for the Night Sparrow. The object had dug deep into his back, injecting firmly well into him. But the object in question was strange. It wasn’t some kind of special bullet that Efena had prepared, nor was it a blade of any kind. It was a syringe filled with an unusual blue liquid that slowly seeped into Satsujin until it was completely drained.<br /> Satsujin felt a pulse of energy course through him, as if a jolt of electricity had zipped from the top of his head to the ends of his toes. He felt a surge of immense power surging through him, only for it to dissipate and vanish, nothing more than a flickering light that had lost its spark. But other than that, he felt fine.<br /> "Mystia…" He said, looking at the girl’s face. "Are you alright?"<br /> "Satsujin…" Mystia looked at his face, seeing the genuine, reassuring smile he gave her, letting her know everything was alright. "You…took the hit for me."<br /> "Yeah…I did." Satsujin said. "Because I wouldn’t want to witness the one I love get hurt." He said.<br /> Within his subconscious, Satsuki was weeping with tears of joy, as though she were watching a soap opera. Satsugrim, on the other hand, did nothing but facepalm as hard as he could.<br /> "Satsujin… You’re… You’re so brave… You’re so heroic. You’re so…<strong>Gullible</strong>." Mystia’s voice suddenly changed to a dark and scary one.<br /> "W…What?" Satsujin was confused. The way Mystia said that word, it was as though she were now a different person. But that can’t be true, right? He sensed nothing wrong from her, nothing! There’s no way she’s a fake; he would know!<br /> But he was soon to be proven wrong. Mystia’s form slowly began to change. Her hair which was short and pink began to grow long and messy, reaching down to her hips. Her skin turned pale and chiseled like a porcelain doll. Her clothes which were white and brown, decorated with ornaments, turned into a long plain white dress.<br /> "You’re not Mystia…" Satsujin said, backing away from the transforming figure. "Who are you?" He asked.<br /> "Who am I?" The figure said. "Satsujin, have you forgotten what I look like? How shameful of you. I’m Efena. The Goddess of Fear." Efena said, now revealing her true form.<br /> "B-But how!? I thought you were controlling Yukari! You can’t be in two places at once!" Satsujin shouted.<br /> Over by where Yukari was, a root that had been implanted in her neck shriveled up and detached from her, likely due to the force of the impact that she received. Her eyes and form slowly reverted back to normal, as she blinked around, confused about what was going on. But everything clicked when she saw Sumireko and the others.<br /> Sumireko and Suika looked back, seeing Yukari struggling to move. "Wait, if that’s Efena over there. Then that’s Yukari." Sumireko said.<br /> "No…No!!!" She attempted to say something, but her voice was hoarse. She tried to get up, but her legs buckled when she moved. It was as though she were a newborn taking their first steps. "Everyone…Run…Run!!!"<br /> Everyone was even more confused, while Efena laughed. "My roots can do more than grab onto people or spread my fear mist. I can also inject them into the back of their necks and control them for a short period of time. Though I can’t do it on anyone, only those who have succumbed to their fears…Oh, did I forgot to mention I can shapeshift into other beings?"<br /> Of all the moments that Satsujin could be feeling anger, this was one of them. He was furious, a fiery volcano erupting in an explosive manner. To think he'd be duped so easily by someone he hadn't expected. He was heartbroken, knowing it wasn’t Mystia he saved.<br /> "I…Will…Crush you!!!" He shouted, holding his hand out and preparing to unleash a spell card. "Song Sign: Violent String!"<br /> …<br /> But nothing happened.<br /> "What?" Satsujin was now more confused than before. He tried again. "Song Sign: Violent String!!!" But again, nothing, not even a single bullet was casted. "Why is it not working? Violent String! Violent String!!! Violent String!!!!!"<br /> Efena simply smiled, while her roots began to form around her and Satsujin. Slowly they moved to wrap around his legs, throwing him to the ground. He hit the floor hard, nearly banging his head had he not covered his face first. He didn’t even notice the roots surrounding him. And thinking about it now, he can’t sense anything whatsoever. He was completely blind.<br /> Efena began to laugh, watching Satsujin struggle like an infant, trying to pull himself out of the roots. He wanted to use his intangibility, but even that wouldn’t work. He can't use his echolocation, turn intangible, or even cast magic. He was powerless.<br /> "What’s going on!? Why can’t I use my abilities!?" He said.<br /> The others realized what was going on, and they quickly tried to go over and help him.<br /> "Satsujin!!!" Rumia shouted. "What’s happening right-"<br /> Suddenly, the roots in the room began to spray out their mist, hitting everyone that was inside, including Satsujin. They all tried to avoid inhaling it, holding their breaths, but they couldn’t keep it up forever.<br /> "Ack! That smells terrible!" Rumia said, wiping the mist away from her face. "Satsujin… What is going on?"<br /> She opened her eyes. But she didn’t find herself in the Scarlet Devil Mansion… But instead, she was in a dark <a href="?id=4306">forest</a>, where she was met with a woman she was all too familiar with. Donning a fox mask on her face, wearing the traditional clothes of Hakurei, and wielding the honorable gohei that was primarily used for extortions and exterminations.<br /> "N…No…No, it can’t be real… No…Nonono…No…G…Get away…" Rumia said, backing away. "Get away…Get away I’m sorry!!!"<br /> Rumia witnessed her fears come to life. Cirno on the other hand was experiencing something different. She saw the sight of her beloved friends dead on the ground, their weapons broken and shattered, even Letty, the woman she looked up to was nothing more than a corpse.<br /> "E…Everyone…Reisen…Big Sis…Letty." Cirno said.<br /> And as she looked up, she saw a figure floating above the clouds, the full moon embraced behind her, and a single wing that spread wider than their entire body, while a long blade rested in their hand.<br /> "Cirno and the others will be victorious in their fight, managing to defeat the one-winged angel with no casualties." The person said in a cold yet calculating voice.<br /> "You…You killed them…You killed them all… SAGUME!!!!!!!!!!" Cirno screamed with a mix of anger and fear.<br /> The others were experiencing similar fates. Suika had found herself alone again, trapped in her own gourd with no way out. Sumireko was trapped inside a box that was slowly filled with cockroaches. Meiling watched everyone in her family die thanks to the one person who caused it all. Ko witnessed her mother being crushed to death over and over again. Mary simply turned into a rusty blade, worthless in all the ways a blade could be, and forever forgotten as a result.<br /> Satsujin could hear everyone screaming or yelling in fear, while the laughter of Efena played out. "D-Damn you!!! How…How did you do this? How did you take away my powers!?" He demanded.<br /> "Oh? That’s simple." Efena said. "I used a special kind of serum made by a highly intelligent acquaintance of mine. You probably don’t know him, but he’s known by the name Prof. Altalune. He has a very unique ability that was very helpful in dealing with people such as you, the Goddess of Hell, and even the Hakurei Shrine Maiden."<br /> "And what is that!?" Satsujin demanded.<br /> "The ability to disable other abilities."<br /> The way she said it made him realize the gravity of his situation. He can't do anything because his abilities aren't working. He’s nothing more than a regular being.<br /> "I wonder, now that your pesky mental defenses are lowered, that means you should be susceptible to my mist again." Efena giggled. "Only one way to find out…"<br /> She approached Satsujin, imitating a blown kiss while spraying one of her roots directly in his face. He coughed, almost gagging from the intense smell of the mist.<br /> Within his subconscious, his eyes gazed upon a sight that was to behold. He was standing in the middle of the streets of Japan, late at night, with the cold wind blowing by him. He looked at his surroundings, and they were familiar, very familiar.<br /> "This…This is the place that I-"<br /> He stepped back, only to feel a presence behind him. He turned around, looking up to greet the face of a man he swore was dead.<br /> His father was dressed in the same fancy suit, smoking a cigar and laughing so hard it sent chills down his spine.<br /> "Hehehe. Run all you want, boy. But you can never truly escape your past." The man said.<br /> Satsujin, for what seemed like forever, was afraid again. His eyes darted around the place, looking at the buildings and the streetlamps. He saw men and women of various shapes and sizes, all of them wearing identical outfits while holding weapons ranging from bats to switchblades. He walked back, but felt another presence yet again.<br /> He turned around and was greeted by a mature and beautiful woman. She wore a silky dress that showed her shoulders well. Her hair was styled up to make herself look as rich as rich could be, while in one of her hands she held a wine glass that swirled round and round with little effort on her part.<br /> "Mother…You’re also-"<br /> "Don’t talk to me." His mother said.<br /> Satsujin was interrupted by the swiping of her hand, her claws tearing through his skin like paper. He was knocked to the ground, his cheek bleeding. The pain was enough for him to start tearing up, but both his parents were the least of his problems.<br /> When he looked to his right, he saw his brother kneeling on the ground, a bag over his head, and one of the taller guys standing above him, holding a mallet primarily used for pounding mochi. His brother struggled to move because his arms and legs were bound with ropes.<br /> "No…No, what are you doing to him?" Satsujin asked. "Let him go. Please, let him go! He’s done nothing wrong!"<br /> His father let out a laugh, while his mother took a small sip of wine, looking at the man with the mallet and spoke,<br /> "Do your thing already." She said.<br /> "No! NO!!!" Satsujin shouted, he tried to get up but his body was weak. He could only watch as the man lifted the mallet up into the sky, casting a shadow in the moonlight. His father's laughter filled his ears as he screamed in desperation at the sight of him.<br /> "NOOOOOOOO!!!"<br /> Before the mallet could strike, Satsujin was suddenly pulled out of the nightmare by Satsuki and Satsugrim. The gateway to the sequence tried to pull him back using root-like hands, but Satsuki used her bat to crush them into nothing but paste.<br /> "Augh! Gross!" Satsuki said. "I’ll need to clean Ruthless later after all of this."<br /> Satsujin breathed heavily, but began to slow down when he realized he was back in his own subconscious, where it was safe. He looked up, seeing Satsugrim holding a hand out to help him up. He gladly took that hand and stood back up.<br /> "Thanks for pulling me out. I didn’t think that-"<br /> And then Satsugrim punched him across the face, knocking him down.<br /> "Satsugrim!" Satsuki shouted.<br /> "You… Fucking idiot!" Satsugrim shouted. He reached back down to pull Satsujin back using his shirt, forcing Satsujin to stare right into his half-broken mask. "Not only did you ignore my advice, not run away when you should’ve run, and willingly surrender, but now we can’t even use our abilities because of your inept behavior. And for what exactly!?"<br /> Satsujin looked back at Satsugrim, still feeling afraid due to the mist. He could see the level of anger his more negative variant showed, and he can’t help but feel he was right.<br /> "I just...wanted to protect someone," said Satsujin.<br /> "Oh, of course." Satsugrim said in a harsh tone. He shoved Satsujin away from him as he tried to keep his balance. "I guess it was worth giving up all of our powers and skills so you could save the woman who lured all of us into a trap… You’re more incompetent than her right now."<br /> Satsujin wanted to argue, fight back, say something to make his variant shut up. But he can't because he has nothing to say to demonstrate that what he did was worthwhile. He led everyone into a trap, got them all captured, and when they were close to victory, he screwed up in the end.<br /> "Okay, fine. You’re right." Satsujin said. "I fucked up. Is that all you want to hear?"<br /> "Oh wow, you’re actually admitting it." Satsugrim felt a little surprised. "But it’s too late now, Satsujin. We can’t go back after this."<br /> "Well what do you expect me to do then? It’s not my fault that you and everyone else expect me to be perfect."<br /> "Guys, c’mon already!" Satsuki shouted. "What happened to no fighting/bickering? We need to think of a solution that could help us get out of this situation."<br /> "Oh, you got any bright ideas, Miss ‘Swing and a Hit’? Because I am all… all… all…" Satsugrim's tone changed from sarcastic to <a href="?id=3194">fearful</a>. Satsuki and Satsujin were puzzled as they both wondered what caused his mannerisms to change.<br /> "Huh? What is it now? Why did you get so quiet?" Satsuki asked.<br /> Satsugrim’s hand was shakily raised to point forward behind Satsuki. Both she and Satsujin turned around to look at where Satsugrim was pointing. And they both turned baffled.<br /> They saw a figure walk towards them, wearing a classy black suit normally worn at formal events. Their hair was well-combed and styled in a fancy manner. He had both of his hands in his pockets, strolling towards the three while a trail of a purple, glitchy essence trailed behind him on the ground. He wore a purple-oni mask on his face, covering up his identity, but as soon as everyone saw him, he took out one of his hands and removed the mask.<br /> Everyone was shocked when they saw who it was. He had the same face as Satsujin, with the exception that there were no scars around his eyes, and instead of red and blue heterochromatic eyes, they were both a vibrant shade of purple.<br /> "No…No. No no no no no nononononononononononono." Satsugrim said in a panicked tone. "We got to move. Now… NOW!!!" He grabbed both Satsuki and Satsujin, pulling them as he tried to make them move.<br /> "Hey! What is going on!? Who is that guy?" Satsujin said.<br /> "He’s the reason I don’t have my eyes! We can’t stay here! We gotta move now!!!" Satsugrim said.<br /> "What? I'm not going to flee like you, Grim!" Satsuki said, yanking her arm away from Satsugrim. "If he's a threat, then we should deal with him!"<br /> "Wait! No!!!" Satsugrim said.<br /> But Satsuki didn’t listen. She ran right over to the purple-eyed man with her baseball bat. She got close enough to where she could swing it right at him, intending to bash his brains out. However-<br /> *BANG*<br /> She fell to the ground, dropping her bat, and lay there, blood seeping out from the bullet wound she received from the man’s gun, which he had in his other pocket.<br /> "Satsuki!" Satsujin said. "We gotta help her!!!" He tried to pull away from Satsugrim.<br /> "Again with this shit!? The last time you helped someone we lost our powers, we gotta move!"<br /> "I don’t care! I can’t leave her! You can if you want!"<br /> "I can’t! You’re supposed to be the main host! If you fall, then he gets to take back control!"<br /> "Who even is he!?"<br /> The man who had been standing far away from them suddenly appeared in front of them, a casual smile on his face and his eyes glaring down at both variants of Satsujin. Both of them froze in terror, their legs paralyzed by terror. In a desperate attempt, Satsugrim threw Satsujin away from him with as much strength as he could, then proceeded to pull out his severed blade to attack the threat. But the threat blocked the attack using the hilt of his gun, putting in little effort to hold him back.<br /> "Grim! What are you-"<br /> "Just fucking go already!" Satsugrim shouted.<br /> Those words were apparently enough for Satsujin to finally understand the situation. He turned around and began to run as quickly as he could while Satsugrim held back the menace for as long as possible. He ran as far as he could, running for what felt like miles, yet never seemingly running out of breath.<br /> "Damn it Grim! The one time you decide to not act so cowardly." Satsujin told himself. "What do I even do now? I can’t use my abilities, I don’t know where I’m supposed to go."<br /> *BANG*<br /> A bullet shot him in the leg. He fell to the ground, wincing from the immense pain he was feeling.<br /> "Auuugh!!! It hurts!!! Why does it hurt so much!?" Satsujin yelled. He figured he could try and pull out the bullet from his leg, but he didn’t know how he could do that. Instead he watched the figure who he believed he ran away from now walking towards him, dragging behind Satsuki and Satsugrim using what looked to be strings made of the same essence that trailed behind him.<br /> He crawled away, trying to get back up, but he shot his other leg in response, making it so he could no longer run. Satsujin yelled in pain, desperate for a way out.<br /> "W-wait!!! Please… Why are you doing this?" Satsujin said. "Aren’t you supposed to be me or something? We’re supposed to work together!"<br /> The figure continued to remain silent. He walked up to Satsujin, pulling him up with ease, and forced him to make eye contact. Satsujin remained terrified of the person, knowing he could not do anything.<br /> "Who…are you even?" He asked.<br /> And finally, the figure spoke.<br /> "...I’m you… Or rather, you’re me… Dai Kensei."<br /> And then it happened. Satsujin felt a flourish of corruption energy flow right into him. He started to scream sporadically, both internally and externally.<br /> Back in the real world, Satsujin was glitching out, his body twitching and writhing like someone who had a seizure. His screams filled up the room, his form changing to become more and more unrecognizable as if he were a sprite in a game that had been horribly altered to be nothing like how it should look.<br /> And then, it stopped. Satsujin’s form changed back to how he was before he became a vengeful spirit, back into being a full-blooded human, as he collapsed to the ground, his eyes no longer red and blue, not even a bright pink and purple, or even blue and red. They were completely white, lacking any color whatsoever.<br /> Efena was a little shocked at first, seeing Satsujin react in such a way. But her shock turned to laughter, laughter that became more hysterical in a matter of seconds. She laughed as though she truly believed she had won.<br /> "HAHAHAHA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAAAAAA!!! Oh…Inco. To think you had planned this far… I knew you wouldn’t let someone like him be." She said, wiping away tears from her face. "You always…<strong><em>always</em></strong> find a way."<br /> Reaching in her dress, she pulled out PB’s deactivated form that she got from Ko, smiling with <em>bliss</em>. "Now all we need is the cube and die and then-"<br /> Her moment was interrupted when she felt a bullet hit her, albeit a weak one. She looked over, seeing Yukari having regained some of her strength now, as she stood up with a look of frustration and hatred, struggling to move but having enough energy to act if she needed to.<br /> "Oh, yes. I forgot about you for a moment. You’re still regaining your energy though, so you’re not going to be much of a threat, are you?" Efena said.<br /> Yukari stepped forward, waddling back and forth while breathing wearily. She didn’t say anything, instead only focused on walking towards the Goddess of Fear. But a root she didn’t see caused her to trip over, falling to the ground. She struggled to push herself back up while Efena continued to laugh.<br /> "Look at you, trying to stand up like a newborn deer. Maybe I should spray you with some of my mist to help." Efena relocated some of her roots to Yukari's position. But before she could spray out more of her mist, she was sucker-punched hard across the face.<br /> Yukari blinked. One second Efena was standing all triumphant and stoic, the next a blinding light zipped right at her and struck the woman across the face. She stumbled but kept her feet on the ground. Efena checked her face, feeling the lingering pain of a punch left on her.<br /> "What?" She said. She then checked her other hand, realizing that PB was gone. "Wait… Where’s the plate!?"<br /> Just then, a <a href="?id=2460">blinding light</a> reappeared in the room, erasing the darkness. A figure stood in between Yukari and Efena, shrouded in light. The Goddess of Fear’s eyes widened, filled with mixed emotions of fear and anger, seeing the figure holding PB in their hands.<br /> "...You…It’s you…" Efena said.<br /> "...Who are you?" Yukari said with a raspy voice.<br /> The figure looked back at Yukari, "Can you still use your powers right now?"<br /> Yukari was confused by their request. She had regained some of her energy so she should be able to open up a gap. "I should, but why do you ask?"<br /> As if right on cue, the room started to shake, tremendously. It was as though something was shaking the entire mansion, affecting Yukari, Efena, and also the figure shrouded in light.<br /> Deep beneath the mansion, Demise was somewhere close to where the basement was located, using his powers to affect the surrounding rock and dirt by creating vibrations equivalent to that of high-magnitude earthquakes. He hummed to himself, wondering how long it would take for the mansion to collapse. Because while the mansion can handle many types of weather and disasters, a magnitude-10 earthquake is not one of them.<br /> The mansion began to crack, the pillars that supported it began to break and collapse, rooms shattered, and debris fell. It was only a matter of time before the entire mansion was demolished. Efena, attempting to avoid getting hit, had a chunk of the ceiling collapse on top of her, knocking her out easily.<br /> "W-w-what is going on?" Yukari said, trying not to be thrown to the ground.<br /> "Crap!!! Crap! crap! crap!" The figure of light said. "Quick! Make one of those gaps and help me get everyone out to safety! Now!!!"<br /> Yukari listened to the person, and they mustered the energy needed to make a small gap that was big enough for one person to enter at a time. The figure then moved to grab everyone one by one, moving fast, but not too fast over towards the gap and threw them in. Sumireko, Rumia, Cirno, Ko, Gummy, Shanghai, Mary, Satsujin, Suika, and Meiling were all carried into the portal. It was an easy task due to them all being entranced by the effects of the Fear Mist. They also tossed PB through the gap portal.<br /> Once everyone was sent to safety, Yukari moved to enter herself. But was struck on the head however, and passed out immediately.<br /> "Oh no." The figure said, watching the gap slowly close. They knew they had to go help, reaching over to Yukari so they could bring her over to the gap before it was too late. But before they could even touch her, their wristwatch began to beep loudly.<br /> "WARNING: PARADOX IMMINENT! WARNING: PARADOX IMMINENT!"<br /> "What!? No, are you kidding me!?" The figure said with both shock and annoyance. "How is saving her going to distort the timeline!?"<br /> They wanted to complain and ignore the warning. But with their knowledge of how the space-time continuum worked, they could not take that risk. Instead, they were forced to flee, zipping out of the mansion at light speed moments before it completely collapsed with Yukari, Efena, and whoever else had resided inside.<br /> The Scarlet Devil Mansion, home to people of various ethnicities and origins, a place where they could spend their peaceful days like family…Was now nothing but wreckage.<br /> ---<br /> <strong>To be continued in ACT 2-7: Dwell Blind Upon the Siren's Song</strong><br /> ---<br /> On a scale of 1-5 Backstabs, how would you rate this?<br /> <a href="?id=3585">View Poll</a><br /> </div> submitted by <a href="?id=2490"> LeeCloud27 </a> to <a href="?id=3931"> touhou </a> <span><a href="?id=2939">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="?id=3023">[comments]</a></span></p> <hr /> <p></p><h3></h3> <ol><li></li></ol> <p></p><div id="menu" class="menu">[ <a href="?id=1">1</a> ] [ <a href="?id=2">2</a> ] [ <a href="?id=3">3</a> ] [ <a href="?id=4">4</a> ] [ <a href="?id=5">5</a> ] [ <a href="?id=6">6</a> ] [ <a href="?id=7">7</a> ] [ <a href="?id=8">8</a> ] [ <a href="?id=9">9</a> ] [ <a href="?id=10">10</a> ] </div></div> </body> </html><!-- ID: 662 | Time: 1.19782 Sec | Mem: 1681 KiB -->