Short dreads braided styles

As usual, before a big final, I like to get a little behind the scenes insight. Last time, I got up close and personal with the players, but as a result, a restraining order was issued, so this time, I leveled up and installed some cameras in their hotel rooms. This will give us a first-hand look at their prep for the finals.

Casp-o-vision :

Sunday, June 11th. The clock strikes 6:00AM. Norwegian music begins playing. Casper’s eyes open. “Ahhh Kongesangan,” thinks Casper, “the only choice for brushing one’s teeth”. Casper begins brushing. He is already in the bathroom, where he sleeps standing up to maximize efficiency. He brushes the right side efficiently, and does the best he can on the other. Though these teeth are mainly defensive, they are constantly improving. Casper turns to his coaches, who are sitting in the tub watching him brush. They nod and make fists, the only coaching he has ever received from them. He nods and makes a fist as well. The main coach, whose name he has never learned, hands him a plate of Fårikål, and he begins eating. “Shouldn’t I have eaten this before I brushed my teeth?” he asks, but perhaps the storyteller, like Casper’s team, did not think this through. Still though, Google is very informative. “Boy, I sure do love Oslo,” muses Casper. “And fjords.” Wow, Casper is ready for Roland Garros.

Djokocam :

Sunday June 11th. The clock strikes 6:00AM. Norwegian music begins playing. “Perhaps we should not have been roommates” thinks Novak, as he looks across the room to Casper’s bed. But Casper is not there. Djokovic stretches his impervious to cramps body. He is not in a bed, but gently relaxing on a bed of moss, which grew when he summoned it with warrior one. He eases slowly into chair pose, and a chair appears. Goran quickly sits in it. “Look at my cool new shades!” says Goran. “Very nice, Goran,” says Novak, as he closes his eyes to begin meditating. “You think we can win, Novak?” asks Goran, while swinging his legs excitedly in the chair. “Yes, Goran,” answers Novak. “Can you believe they eat snails here?” asks Goran, while pretending his hand is an airplane. “Yes, Goran,” answers Novak. “Would you ever eat a snail?” asks Goran, while pretending he is an airplane. “Yes, Goran,” answers Novak. “Wow,” says Goran. His friend Novak is so cool.
Casper emerges from the bathroom, and Djokovic heads in. There are crumbs in the sink, and Ruud’s team shake their fists and nod at him as he begins combing his hair. Novak shakes his head. He is ready for Roland Garros.

Men’s Singles Final :

There is something about Casper Ruud’s game that makes it seem like he is not doing anything special. He is ultra-consistent, and he makes the right choices in almost every situation, but his disciplined approach can make a player like Zverev or Rublev seem like they are on another level. Ruud has made two Grand Slam finals already (both last season), but was summarily written off before they began, suffering defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, and Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. Here again, he is being given very slim chances by most people. When you do everything right (by the book), there is a sense that you become predictable, and the greats of the game have excellent situational awareness. If they can move early to your shots, you’re not going to get many errors from them. It makes this a very uphill battle for him, because Novak Djokovic is a player that is unlikely to be rattled by the classic patterns and approaches to the game, and is one of the most consistent players the tour has ever seen. Once he gets in a rhythm, you’re playing a tennis game set to expert, so Casper will need to elevate his aggression here.
Ruud will thankfully be fresh for the finals, but after watching the Alcaraz demise it’s hard to gauge how long that will last. Him being a bit older does give him a bit more stamina and experience, and he had a fairly quick match against Zverev. He’s also done this before, so I think physically he is ready to go 5 sets. Thinking, though, isn’t it always the cause of our blunders. Zverev looked competitive in parts of their match, but he is not at the top level of the game yet. His ceiling is, but where does his ceiling lurk? Ruud is nearly robotic out there. You know he is going to execute and move the ball well and his defensive skills are solid enough to make his opponent play several shots to win a point. It’s the discipline he has that allows him to do this regardless of the stage and the opponent. Zverev, on the other hand, is very much thinking out there. When he has a setup, it’s very up in the air what he should do. He’s often creating angles and situations that he is only going to play 1-2 of per match, and it leads to errors as he second-guesses and hesitates on shots (especially rough in choosing when and when not to come to net). In truth, he could have wound up deep in the match against Casper, but when Zverev had control or time, he made a lot of unforced errors trying to crack Ruud’s defenses. Despite having a ton of experience on tour, Zverev has not really ironed out his game and since returning from injury, he hasn’t really dealt with a match where he had to play hard every point in order to win. The ability is there, but the repetition of effort is not.
Speaking of repetition of effort, it should be noted what a great adjustment Djokovic made in his semifinal match. He is very frequently a slow starter on clay, but he came out and looked to match Alcaraz’s aggression from the start. It was a very “I’m not going to miss and I want you to know that” approach, and digging in in this manner started to forced Alcaraz to come up with more and more ambitious attempts. They both have a lot of heat on their shots, but Alcaraz is certainly the one swinging harder on the average ball. He started to make errors, but it looked to me like he would wear down Djokovic’s defenses with the onslaught. There have been a number of matches this tournament where the first couple games were furiously played, and eventually one player settled into their role as a defender, or folded up and forced offense until they lost. This didn’t feel like the case here, as both of these players can legitimately expect to hit a high percentage of their shots no matter what style they proceed with. A good example is how a post-cramp, immobile and defeated Alcaraz was able to guide winners off Djokovic’s serve. Not a strategy to win the match, but something that he rarely uses in match-play yet was instantly able to do.
After losing the first set, I still like Alcaraz’s chances. It had become the best type of ATP match, one where the player who is serving doesn’t just automatically win. The great big 3 matchups featured so many breaks and yet those breaks weren’t huge cracks or fails at all, it was just that at the highest level, players can play defense and offense from everywhere on the court. They exchanged breaks late in the 2nd set, and it seemed like Alcaraz’s aggression was finally mentally wearing Djokovic down. Early in the third though, disaster struck in the way that it always seems to when a phenom plays Djokovic at a major. Carlos Alcaraz cramped. Spectacularly. His hand cramped, his calf cramped, and he looked like Medusa slid in his DMs for a moment. Big credit to Djokovic for being bigger than the moment, and coming across the net to express concern and help Alcaraz to his chair. Cramping is something that affects a lot of players on tour, but it was pretty unexpected from Alcaraz. His physical strength is off the charts, and he trains extremely hard. If some combination of nerves and over-exertion really caused this, then it’s a by-product of Djokovic being willing to go toe-to-toe with him right from the start of the match.
There are great nutritionists working on the tour, but once you actually go full-cramp, it is nearly impossible to continue playing tennis. The muscle is in pain, and doesn’t want to fully flex even if you do. In short, you’re fatigued, in pain, and weak. Alcaraz forfeited the game so he could get treatment, but with 2 full sets left against the guy who is leading the GOAT debate currently (and competing against off-tour opponents), you’re pretty much finished. Brave of Alcaraz to finish out the match, and I had some hope that the kid would go full-tank and hydrate to recover for a 4th, but it appeared the damage was irreversible. He stood in on some returns, and while this means that any poor returns leave your court position too shallow to cover both wings of the court, he did show a pretty good ability to utilize this tactic. I’d love to see him do more of this in the future, as the best returners are pretty much hugging the baseline and you need this to win with minimized effort on hardcourt and grass. I’d also add, his deep return position was allowing Djokovic to serve and volley an awful lot, and Novak really was the one scoring off the dropshot in the non-cramp sets so Alcaraz will need to work on some other strategies. A good restful win for Djokovic, and a new wrinkle to the “how high will Alcaraz rise” debate. I don’t think too many people were really expecting cramps (to my knowledge it’s the first time he’s dealt with that on tour), and he had the momentum before they occurred.
One of the best things about majors is how long the players are out there. It allows for so many deviations in strategy and planning. Dumping sets to conserve energy, planning to sprint early then take a set off, and changes in strategy (holding back a bit of pace on serves early or playing frequent dropshots to take your opponents legs) can be really effective. Djokovic got the benefit of an interesting result here. It seemed like his defense was good enough to keep Alcaraz at bay but he wasn’t able to counter-punch. If this was by design, kudos to him and his team for allowing Alcaraz to punch himself out. If it wasn’t, it has at a minimum inspired other players to dig in on defense against Carlos now that they’ve seen the gas tank actually on E, which is tremendous for the tour since we’ve seen a few top guys fold against him already. The names on the trophies are less important than creating an environment where these guys can compete at their freest, because the sport won’t continue to grow unless the product is visibly enticing to the non-tennis public.
Djokovic Ruud should be a great match, the same way Swiatek Muchova was today. Ruud has yet to win a set against Djokovic in his career, but almost every single set has been confined to a single break of serve. That’s largely what I expect here. Ruud is good enough to compete with Djokovic for 75% of the match. Similar to the CA/ND situation that caused the cramps, Ruud is good enough to play Djokovic on even terms, but not really able to get out of trouble once he’s in it. Since Djokovic’s measured approach won’t wear himself out like Alcaraz’s did, this means a long match, with a vaguely assured result. This is good for Ruud for a few reasons. One, he won’t be distracted very often. When you’re going uphill but are a great competitor like Ruud, you don’t get caught up in the “what ifs” of an L or fret changes in the scoreline, you just keep an eye on how you’re doing out there. Trying different approaches, working on the spots you’re losing ground in, and communicating with your box constructively rather than complaining are useful, and keep you in the present moment. That’s a good place to stay for Casper here, because the crowd is very likely to get behind him. Djokovic is a beloved champion, but fans want to see a long match. If Ruud was considered an even contender here, he could almost enter villain territory, as fans would not want to see a great champion dethroned. Since he’s publicly regarded as a plucky underdog, he’ll have plenty of support.
Tennis-wise, the problem here is simple. Djokovic has the best backhand in tennis, and Ruud fights his off. He can create some great angles with it, and hits passes fairly well, but it’s a safe target for Djokovic which means the majority of shots are going to go there. We all saw how devastating a weapon the dropshot and forehand inside-in became for Alcaraz when Tsitsipas attempted to camp in his backhand corner, and I fear that Ruud will have similar issues in this match. This is doubly tricky because Djokovic’s backhand dropshots are much better and much more frequently attempted down the line. Ruud served well against Zverev, but he went out wide from the duece court a lot and Zverev never really punished him for it. Djokovic ropes these shots cross-court very well and he’s good at picking a few spots to up the aggression. If Casper is forced to abandon this serve, it’s a problem because it’s generally the best way to ensure that his second shot is a forehand. He plays well behind the pattern, but great returners (and great teams hello Goran) are likely to notice any significant lean on a particular serve. The odds at -450 indicate that Ruud will be competitive (because basically everyone watching is looking to bet on Djokovic at this point), but this would be the most surprising result that has occurred in tennis in a very long time. I think Ruud wins the same set via steady play and heavy hitting that Khachanov did, but it’s hard to see Djokovic struggling with patterns and opponents that he has already figured out. Djokovic in 4.

Cover Art <<Previous Start Next >>
A few days after Kazue and Mordecai finished the fifth floor they had a set of visitors from Riverbridge which included a couple of surprises. One of those surprises was the inclusion of Brongrim and Nainvil with the set of guards coming in for training. The dwarf and half-orc had managed to negotiate a supervised parole where they worked for the city guards, and part of that duty was going to include training at the dungeon.
The other surprise was a visit from their sister-in-law, Hainako. Moriko’s little sister had been sent with a few sets of medicines for Kazue to try and report back on efficacy. Once satchel and note were delivered she hung out with them in the war room so she could watch the training group move through the dungeon.
The group had two recruits with only a basic level of training, which bogged down the team a bit. Mordecai sent out instructions to keep the challenge down to a minimum, but even so they only barely managed to scrape through the fourth floor and it was clear that they weren’t getting through the fifth floor. Mordecai was glad that they’d shown the good sense to call it off there, he’d have considered intervening if they’d tried to drag the newbies through the fifth floor, the chances of an accidental death were too high.
One side benefit of this particular group coming through was that Mordecai finally got to see what an expert gunner looked like. Brongrim’s fighting style was a skirmishing type that mixed pistol and short sword, and it allowed him to cover his reloading with attacks from his blade. It only worked because he also had his waxed-paper bullets readied in specialized bandoleers. You had to have everything set up for it, it wasn’t the sort of thing you could do on the fly and Mordecai could see where you had to dedicatedly practice certain movement combinations to bring gun and bandoleer into the right alignment without interfering with the rest of your movements. Still, the biggest flaw he could see in guns was the need to reload each shot that way, not that crossbows were any better really. Bows and slings both had much more fluid actions to ready the next piece of ammunition, but they also took more time to master, and neither could be used with only one hand.
Nainvil’s technique was a more straightforward style that focused on a two-handed grip for power, but with a light enough sword that he could free a hand for other uses and still be able to swing. That wasn’t a new variant for Mordecai, but all the styles and techniques of their visitors were being studied by the laganthros. Even if Mordecai knew most of them, there was no good way for him to try and teach every possible style, so he kept to the basics and let them practice and train to find their preferences. Though some of the works Moriko was bringing back included older copies of technique scrolls, maybe he should encourage Betty to study those and start her own school for laganthros.
They were the mundane type, with no learning enchantments or anything, but for the most part he preferred those anyway. Learning what you are actually doing was usually better than just having a combo or technique implanted in your head.
But that was for much later as the wagons were going much slower than Moriko on her own. For now, he made arrangements for everyone to have someplace to sleep for the night, including a private room for Brongrim and Nainvil. No special prizes however, since the group didn’t clear the dungeon. Getting bonuses for clearing everything was going to get harder as they grew, and Mordecai was fine with that. Technically it wasn’t required, he just liked doing it, but it also wasn’t something he wanted to be dealing with constantly.
Now he could turn his attention to something else that Hainako had brought with her. It was a commission and payment for a set of equipment, with some interesting measurements for the armor and cloak. Traxalim was who had sent the commission with her, but according to the note he was relaying the commission from someone else. The work wasn’t particularly hard, but some of the materials were unusual, and the payment included samples of them: Wyvern hide for the armor, Worg fur for the cloak.
The request also wanted a pair of daggers long enough he’d almost call them short swords, except that the specifications for the armor were for someone rather tall and lanky. The instant return enchantments for the daggers were a fairly common design so it was no trouble adding those to each dagger as well.
On top of that was a full gear set complete with an Expanded backpack. It had just about everything one could want for exploring the world and surviving in a range of environments. It was like baby’s-first-adventuring-kit, except most folk couldn’t afford this level of gear when they first stepped into the world of explorers and mercenaries.
It wasn’t enough to keep someone incompetent alive, but it would make the job easier for someone new at it. And all the major components had a rather interesting insignia attached or inscribed in some way: A wolf with three horns. He had no idea what that meant.
But it didn’t matter, the dungeon had gotten some new materials to add to their repertoire, some more raw materials for the laganthros to work with, and a few new small animals that had been easy to carry in a cage this far. It was a fair trade. By the time the group was awake the next morning the dungeon’s part of that trade was complete. And when they had left, it was time to begin on the sixth floor. “Are you ready love?” He asked Kazue.
.
This was a bigger section to do all at once than she’d done before, but after talking it over with her husband Kazue rather liked the idea. They’d gone straight down so far, each floor looping back under the floor above it, but now that they were down this deep there was no reason to not also expand horizontally. The end of the fifth floor was approximately under the end of the first floor, this left them ‘pointing’ back under the mountain. So this time when she gathered energy to push their home complex down, she also pushed ‘out’.
There were a couple of design changes as well. Looping back and forth had made it simplest to bring the two paths back to each other at the end of each floor, and they’d used the stairwells down to keep them isolated. But there was no simple stairway between the fifth and the sixth this time. While the last door for each side could still either lead forward or reroute back up to the start of the sewer path, the forward paths merged into a meandering and slowly widening tunnel.
The tunnel opened up onto a wide, well-lit cavern that was almost meadow-like, excepting only that the ground cover was of a similar makeup to fungal floor five. At the far end of the meadow was a basin that would become a vast lake once filled, and at the shores of this lake-to-be was a large village once more occupied by laganthros. Only this time it was set to be a more well-rounded village, with a clear mix of potential combatants and noncombatants. A well-trod path lead toward this village, complete with a sign saying “Lapin Lake Village”.
At the other end of the basin that was slowly filling with water the lake was split by a large peninsula that ended at the far wall. This signaled the divergence of the paths again, with two underground rivers splitting off from either side of the peninsula. This entire setup meant that at this stage people could decide to switch paths, though they would be obligated by the rules of the new path that they chose.
This did run some risk that someone might try and trick their way this far by taking the non-combat route to conserve their resources before switching, but they would still need to be well-armed to tackle further combat so it seemed unlikely that she or Mordecai would be unable to spot them and call them out on it. And they did intend to offer it up as an option for those who had cleared the fifth floor of the combat route previously and that were in good favor with the dungeon.
The village itself was the first challenge in progressing, as the laganthros were going to be building docks and boats, and the boats could be either sold or rented with a guide who would help pilot them. For the absolute cheapskates, they could even do a short rental to get them to the peninsula, where there were plenty of both normal and mushroom trees to potentially harvest and make their own rafts or boats from.
This was also an optional challenge and reward as some of the vegetation and fungi here were rare or valuable, if you knew how to identify and harvest it.
As for the rest, well, for the moment they had a pair of fairly simple rivers that led to another lake, though this one just had a sandy shore to pull up onto. Filling the floor out was a future endeavor, but the layout was ready. And now their home was even further under the mountain itself.
Kazue had been careful with this by using a trick Mordecai showed her, probing ahead with their mana as she sought to claim more territory. Running into worked stone or large caverns would have felt different and let her pull back before she fully claimed that area. Even if they had a perfect map of the dwarven kingdom, and right now they had no map at all, there was always a chance that something else lived down here.
Well, actually, there had been plenty of that. But those were all simpler underground creatures, and she’d been able to invite them into her dungeon’s ecosystem or as inhabitants. Kazue surveyed her work and was quite pleased with herself. Mordecai approved as well, but she realized then that he’d been partially distracted while she worked on their next level. Before she could ask about what had taken up his attention, his mental voice became excited.
“Kazue! Take a look at this. Focus on the aura of any of your dire rabbits on the first floor. Look at the whole thing.” He seemed to be eagerly anticipating something, so she followed his instructions with curious confusion.
What he wanted her to see quickly became obvious. Some of their mana was flowing into all of their inhabitants, enough to leave her a little hollow feeling given how much they’d just spent, but it was having an interesting effect, one that was most dramatic in the simplest creatures. She could see energy sparkling along the pathways of their brains, the individual components compacting into more efficient forms, then multiplying and creating more complex pathways.
Their auras fluctuated in response to these changes, their very spirits being altered by this physical change until suddenly collapsing into a denser, stronger form of spiritual energy. Every single one of her wonderful creatures now had a spark of true sentience in them, complete with the rise of a soul! A quick check verified it even applied to the clockwork creatures in the library and the spiders on the fifth floor, though not the simpler, reactive vegetative fungi.
This was great! They’d always been able to communicate ideas and concepts to all their inhabitants, but this would allow deeper, language-based communication! Though closer examination revealed that the mental capacity upgrade only barely breached that level, it would in many ways be like talking to a not particularly bright child. On the other hand, the upgrade seemed to affect all but the smartest of her inhabitants to some extent. Which meant Horace and a small percentage of the laganthros.
Hmm. And Mordecai seemed pleased but not particularly surprised. Kazue’s thoughts focused on him with suspicion only to be met with amusement, so her avatar stirred from where they were cuddled on their bed and bit into his shoulder.
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Ch. 1086 p1_2
The chapter starts with this color spread. Very colorful, very very clean. It's very readable. Every element, including water on the characters is easily understandable, the ground is beautiful and the puddles are even more beautiful. That's the good part.
I have three problems with the cover, though:

1. Mugiwara pirates again and again and again. We've had some similar color spreads in the past and it gets to a point where they feel repeated, even if they aren't. I'm convinced most readers would prefer more different characters making it to the color covers.
2. Franky's hairstyle. Because Franky wasn't horrible enough in last chapter's cover, Oda needed to find a new and even more silly hairstyle for Franky. I wonder if he's ever going to swallow his pride and go back to draw Franky either with his original hairstyle or the shaved style with which he came back after the time skip. Every single other hairstyle has been ridiculous and has only served to ridicule Franky.
3. The perspective is completely messed up. The flowers in the top right part of the cover show peprfectly where the vanishing point is (in the middle of the image very close to the top). The vanishing point is the point where the camera is "looking" to, even if Oda likes to put it outside the image sometimes for artistic reasons. The thing is, every character on the ground (not Luffy), and most notably Nami, is drawn with very short legs as though Oda was trying to do a very high angle shot. And that doesn't make any sense accounting for the perspective of the background, but also because he's really only shortened their legs and not the rest of their body and it's very very weird. Look at Nami's legs and the umbrella. The umbrella isn't distorted but the legs are. That defeats the purpose of distorting the legs and it simply feels like she's a dwarf now.

In any case, the work on the reflections of every character in the puddles are awesome.
Ch. 1086 p3
Last chapter ended with Wapol escaping from Pangaea castle with Vivi (and Kinderella?), and this one begins and they have already successfully left Mariejoise. Igaram, Pell and Chaka are searching for king Cobra and Vivi.
It isn't clear at all when is this happening:

• The same day as last chapter but later? Probably too soon since last chapter meetings were still held.
• Next day? Or the following?
• Many days since last chapter? Very unlikely that those three are still wandering at Mariejoise completely clueless. But later events will suggest this to be the case.

I find it very strange, regardless of time, that Igaram, Pell & Chaka haven't been dealt with by the nobles. It's not like they're hiding precisely. The way I see it, there are only 2 ways to proceed with them:

1. Tell them "the king is here, please come" and kill them.
2. Tell them about Cobra's death and frame Sabo as soon as possible in ortder to avoid suspicion.

If they aren't killed, and the nobles are not answering to their questions about the king either, anyone would connect the dots and imagine Cobra was murdered by the nobles.
Also, it's good that Igaram cares for Vivi, but what about caring a chapter or two earlier? What was more important for Igaram than protecting Vivi? What was he actually doing??
In fact, why was Vivi waiting for a Gondola to leave the Red Line when his father was just getting to a meeting with the Gorōsei??
Ch. 1086 p4
Wapol and Vivi are hiding in the Aegis' kingdom ship and arrange a way to go with Morgans. Good. That takes partial care of explaining how they ended up with Morgans. But the real question is how did left the Red Line? Did really no one go looking for them? It's ridiculous.
First the Revolutionaries show how anyone can infiltrate at Mariejoise and now multiple people show how anyone can escape as well. The humiliation is scandalous.
Wapol doesn't want to tell Vivi about Imu or his dead father because he's sure CP0 are trying to kill him. That doesn't make sense. If you're sure they're going to kill you you don't act in your future assassin's favor. If anything, trying to get as much attention as possible from the world is the way to go. It might fail, but there's a chance the attention could make Imu want to discredit Wapol rather than kill him and fuel the conspiracy theorists.
Ch. 1086 p5
With the recent announcement about Oda having eye surgery and him saying he couldn't see properly, it would be reasonable to consider how that could have affected his ability to draw.
Let me tell you the truth about two things:

1. People with astigmatism don't become functionally blind until they have surgery correct their vision. They wear glasses and that's the end of it. Surgery will make Oda not need glasses, but that's all. The astigmatism wasn't preventing him from drawing at all.
2. Look at the cover again. Oda can draw really well when he wants. Look now at this page. It's difficult to know whether it's king Stelly in the first panel or not because he's as much of a scribble as Sabo's picture, that might be a legit scribble.

Spandam, Gismonda ans some other agents are lookinig for Vivi and Sabo, but not the former CP9 members, who had Vivi in their custody and lost her. Also, where's Rob Lucci and what's he doing? Is he completely ignoring his duty as well?
Ch. 956 p9
So... Stelly was staring so hard at Vivi's poster that he didn't see Sabo's poster and couldn't listen to anything regarding the terrorist attack lead by his brother despite the whole Mariejoise was being searched for him. Interesting.
Ch. 1086 p6
The gorōsei pick up the ringing den den mushi. This is the only relevant thing happening in this whole page.
The narrator puts emphasis on Cobra's death and Vivi's disappearance but not on the clash between the Revolutionaries and the admirals. Why is that? It's to bolster the retcon'd timeline.
Ch. 925 p9 & 10_11
Remember that back in chapter 925, the highlight about the Reverie was the clash between the Revolutionary Army and the admirals. And it was said to happen during the 4th day of the Reverie. However, in this and the immediately previous chapters, events are happening during the 7th day (the last).
Another detail is that then the silhouettes indicated that the news included Sabo fighting the admirals, but during this recent flashback, Sabo didn't even met them.
Ch.. 956 p4
Then, in ch. 956 Garp explains that the incident with Cobra happens after the Reverie ended. That clearly separates the operation of the Revolutionary army (4th day) and Cobra's death (+7th day).
At the same time, Garp says that happened after they left, and that it was reported to him even later. And asks Neptune and his family not to fear humans because of it.
This and Shirahoshi's reaction make sense only if they had no better reasons to fear humans, like Shirahoshi being assaulted a second time by Charloss, and if Shirahoshi bid farewell to Vivi while everything was fine and now she's surprised to hear that.
But that's not what the recent flashback tells us.
Ch. 1086 p7
Contrary to last page, this one has mane things to consider.
Imu wants to "test" the "Mother Flame", a Vegapunk's invention, and the Saturn says they haven't had the chance to try it yet. Another gorōsei suggests a forest for the test but Imu wants "Lulucia" kingdom. The gorōsei show concern for the choice but at no point they question it.
We will see in the next page that they're talking about the weapon that destroyed Lulucia kingdom. And the first thing that calls for my attention is that the gorōsei look like complete amateurs here.
They've had a mass destruction weapon for "some" time, but haven't tested it yet. Can you imagine how many things could go wrong when trying new technology for the very first time? But don't be fooled, Imu doesn't want to "test" it. She wants to use it.
The gorōsei have been waiting with such a weapon in their power without testing it because...?? It's obvious that there must be a lot of places in the world were Imu, the gorōsei and the World Government in general should be perfectly fine with testing the Mother Flame, from certain uninhabited areas of the Red Line, to unaffiliated countries and from the top of my head, if anything else, Punk Hazard comes to mind. A government island they think is closed off because Akainu and Aokiji made it useless. It's the perfect place to test these kind of things. But they think they've had "no chance to try it yet". Sure.
In an attempt to defend Vegapunk from the undeniable increasing evidence of his evilness, I read some say the weapon is not "he Mother Flame" but "Uranus" and that the Mother Flame is only a power source.
That makes even less sense. First, because Imu clearly instructs to use the Mother Flame and not Uranus. And second because there's no way they can actually think they haven't had the chance to try a power source
Ch. 1086 p8_9
Imu answers about the reason to choose Lulucia and the five gorōsei are formally introduced. And three things stand out to me:

1. They're named after planets of the solar system (other than the ones already used lol) and at the same time, they're not. There's Saturn and Mars, but there's also Ju Peter and V. Nasjūrō, who read like Jupiter and Venus + japanese traditional name ending. And lastly there's Valcury, who by elimination and obvious similarity should reference Mercury, but this one is clearly different. And I wonder if this is Oda wanting to name the gorōsei after planets and at the same time being obsessed with being unpredictable.
2. With this names two middle names are introduced: "Ju" and "V.". So far, only "D." has been a thing. It was odd enough if you think about it, but the fact that now two more exist and that they do so in order to not write the name exactly like the planet feels quite odd to me as well.
3. What is this "warrior god" thing? What does that even mean for them? I mean, I understand what "warrior god" means, but what's an "agriculture warrior god" or a "finance warrior god"??

Has Jupiter ever waged war in the name of agriculture or something like that? I get it, it's something meant to assign specific roles to each of them despite they have acted like a council for 1086 chapters, but wouldn't it make more sense to be "finance god" and "justice god" instead without the "warrior" part?
Also, do they really have any authority over their "department"? Last page showed they are nothing but the butlers of Imu. It's difficult to imagine they have agency.
To me, this looks like the upteenth attempt at hyping us for nothing. First, people living in Mariejoise were titled "World Nobles". Then they were rebranded as "Celestial Dragons". And recently they've been rebranded again as "Gods". And for no reason and without explanation. Just the narrator coming up with new ways to extol them. But at the end of the day, words are just that and so far, even the gorōsei have only prooved (this chapter too) to be very incompetent.
Now that I think about it...

• Is V. Nasjūrō going to have problems because some countries are increasingly refusing to pay tribute? He's in charge of finances, right?
• Is Ju Peter going to be held responsible for the lack of food they're currently facing?
• Shouldn't Valcury have been the one to... Oh wait, we haven't gotten to that part, yet.

​
Imu says Lulucia has been chosen for proximity alone. So, officially, both the fact that Sabo had gone there and that the country had rebelled aren't the reason. I wonder whether Imu's answer is just a way of saying the gorōsei to not even ask for explanations and just obey or actually a whimsical and very plot convenient occurrence.
The gorōsei note the convenience of being able to use the Mother Flame "freely" and I'm sure they're not talking about authorization, because Imu rules the world, but about the cost. Certainly the Mother Flame must consume a lot of energy. If only they had some scientist trying to develop a troll-science self´-sustaining power source, right?
Well, they got one but they're very heeadstrong in killing him, for some reason.
Ch. 1086 p10
We get to see the seraphim we hadn't yet seen. I don't think there's anything relevant in this page, but I've read some people arguing S-Croc could be a girl, you know, the old theory about Crocodile being originally a woman since Ivankov said he made Croc a huge favor, even though it could actually be anything else.
Personally I don't think S-Croc has particularly female traits in this image, but it's true that he has the same starry eyes as S-Snake, while S-Shark and S-Hawk do not (the others haven't shown their eyes). But if I had to guess, I'd put my money in Oda has decided to always have at least one gender-ambiguous character to troll the readers with left and right.
Ch. 1086 p11
Sabo telling more of what we already knew and saw.
Ch. 1086 p12
And this page is again, dedicated to justify the retcon'd timeline as though it was not.
Back in chapter 1060 (that's the beginning of this very arc, do you still remember what this is arc was about?), Sabo was at Lulucia when the annihilation happened.
Ch. 1060 p13, 14_15 & 16
We saw him as we were only seeing Lulucia and its citizens being shot by the Mother Flame and also the call ending abruptly immediately after the shot.
Now, Sabo says he was near, but not exactly there. And tries to explain the ending call saying it was an indirect call that was "rerouted" through another den den mushi on Lulucia.
First I wonder how do you do that from a ship? It's true that the specifics about how den den mushi are operated have never been told, but regardless, if this "rerouting" were a thing, surely it would have come in handy to many characters through the story before.
Also, since when can Marines (or any third party) locate den den mushi? They have been able to intercept communications and listen to them, but not guess where was any of the snails making the call. And even if they could, given he himself says it was not an encrypted den den mushi, hence being vulnerable to interception, why wouldn't they locate the original signal from Sabo just like the one at Lulucia?
Ch. 1086 p13
I don't remember Lulucia's name being romanized before, but it can be read in the ship's sail. It's written with a C (until another assistant thinks otherwise at least).
Sabo rules out living thing and natural disaster as the cause for Lulucia's annihilation and Ivankov pretty much implies Imu is someone from the void century who has lived this long because she's immortal thanks to the Ope Ope no mi.
Regarding Sabo's claim, I think we've seen all sorts of surreal things in One Piece to agree his assumption is very bold. A shadow in the sky is no indicator of no living thing or natural disaster. In fact we've seen shadows in the sky caused no more and no less by living beings and natural phenomena.
Ch. 299 p12_13
On his part, Ivankov's assumption is also quite bold. Does a name really reference one single instance of a living being? There can only have ever been one Imu? What about one Oars?
There's also plenty of people known for their outstanding longevity like Kureha. (Interesting that this made me think of her...)
It's true that Ivankov accounts for the name being not truly a reason next page, but the fact that he implies it with this force under an argument he knows is very weak... This is just Oda telling us "this is this way because a character is saying it" or trolling us for fun.
Ch. 1086 p14
Also, as I said last chapter, anyone can know of Imu and it was completely unreasonable of Imu not to tell Cobra about her, considering they were going to kill him no matter what and she said she was going to address his questions.
Could anyone else than Imu from 800 years ago be the one commanding the gorōsei? Why not? What kind of reasoning is that?
Next Ivankov makes his best guess of the day and claims Vegapunk must have created the Mother Flame (confirmed some pages ago by Imu). And it's now of all assumptions that Dragon intervenes to stop jumping to conclusions. Really??
"Vegapunk would never intentionally design a dedicated killing machine". What kind of joke is this?

1. Kuma
2. Mass-produced Pacifista model 1
3. Mass-produced Pacifista model 2
4. Mass-produced Pacifista model 3
5. Seraphim

And after this and out of absolutely nowhere, they speak of ancient weapons. This page and the previous one is some of the most forced text I've seen in One Piece.
Ch. 1086 p15
For the final page of the chapter (yes, 15 pages only again, 2 of them cover), a new character makes his debut by sentencing to death Saint Donquixote Mjosgard.
He's named Saint Figarland Garling and is said to have been king of God Valley. Unlike everyone else, apparently, I'm not going to theorize about his relationship with Shanks, I want to talk to you about two other characters.
First, Dr. Kureha.
Ch. 154 p8
She looks just like she was Garling's twin sister. It's interesting, because a couple of pages back the matter of longevity was brought up and now we see a world noble said to have been king of a land outside Mariejoise and outside the Red Line. As we've been told in a number of occasions (last one being last chapter), only the Nefertari family were founders of the World Government who stayed at their homeland. This means if Garling was actually king of God Valley and not just a descendant of the last king, he's from the void century. Not as an hypothesis like with Imu, but confirmed. Thus, the simmilarities with Dr. Kureha aren't just physical. Both have incredible longevity and I think it was worth noting.
Last, I want to talk about Garling's predecessor: Crescent moon Gally.
https://preview.redd.it/pst3taqyc85b1.png?width=548&format=png&auto=webp&s=cd252883d36d4c0c3ae546f045bb46fead21c52e
He's the villain in the first version of the Romance Dawn oneshot that would later become One Piece. As you can see, The crescent moon motive in the hair is there just like with Garling (and the nose too). If you take the crescent moon out of the hat and apply it to the hair together with the beard, and change the mustache stretching to the sides for more hair to make it more exaggerated, you get Garling. Even the pose and facial expression is pretty much the one in this image.
Also, in his original name written in japanese, there's no indication of whether his name is "GaRling" or just "Galling".
And that would be... Oh! I almost forgot! Yeah... given Garling sentenced Mjosgard, where does this leave Saint Topman Valcury? Wasn't he the "Justice warrior god"? Why isn't he the one handing out justice? What other affairs regarding justice does he manage if not judging disputes among celestial dragons?

Hello everyone.
I'd like to hear some feedback from those who have some experience in TikTok and even more if you are part of the Creativity Beta program.
I'm working on a storytelling (long format >1 minute) type of content where I need to use some footage (photos, short videos (~10s), etc.) to visually support the story. Also self created graphics, my own editing style, own voice and so on. All faceless.
And I have some questions:

• The fact that I might use some visual content not made by myself to visually support the story (for example: images of a known individual, footage of a certain palce, etc.) could it be considered non original video and then banned by TikTok? As far as I've read community guidelines it seems like this is original. But one thing is theory and another is reality.
  
• For Creativity Beta, even though not yet available in my country (european), if I make just 1 minute and 1 sec. content it's valid? And also, people watching for 5 or more seconds it already counts as qualified, right?
  

Thanks, hope to hear some feedback.

Hey everyone. I need to share with you a story that's been unfolding right in front of me - a horrifying reality that's more sinister than any ghost story, more unsettling than any tale of haunted houses or cursed objects. I'm a medical doctor, and my usual focus is human health, but today I want to tell you a tale that begins with our best friends, our canine companions, and ends with a very human horror.
Have you ever watched, or read, Pet Semetary? Or Poltergeist? Or any other of the myriad pieces of pop culture that attributes misfortune to ancient native american curses? It is a popular well to draw from, but despite what one may think there does indeed exist an ancient curse left by long- since deceased denizens of the americans- they just were not human.
Let's step back in time to pre-Columbian America. Before the arrival of European settlers, the continents were home to indigenous breeds of dogs. These dogs had evolved in isolation from their Eurasian counterparts for thousands of years, leading to distinct breeds that were truly American. But they have long since gone extinct, outcompeted and replaced by breeds brought by the European settlers.
However, a relic from those extinct dogs, a deadly and horrifying echo, has survived. One of these prehistoric dogs developed a form of cancer. But this wasn't your typical cancer - this was transmissible. It had the rare and terrifying ability to spread from one dog to another, a trait that has allowed it to survive to this day.
Transmissible cancers are rare in nature. Aside from this, only two other cases are known in mammals: one affects Syrian hamsters, and the other is a scourge on Tasmanian devils. But this canine cancer is unique for its persistence. It's as if the spirit of the extinct dogs still lingers, exacting a deadly, biological revenge for their displacement.
I am sorry for my long digression, but there is a point to it; recently, I've seen a number of patients presenting with an aggressive sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the connective tissues. Such a cluster of cases in a small area within a short span of time is unusual enough to warrant investigation.
My epidemological investigation led me to an unexpected and chilling link - all these patients had been treated in the same COVID ward during the pandemic. But the horror didn't end there. The cancer cells from these patients, when analyzed, revealed almost identical DNA sequences that did not match the genetic material in the patients' own blood samples. The conclusion was as shocking as it was inevitable - the cancer was transmissible, and it had jumped from one human to another.
The thought of a transmissible human cancer, lying dormant for years before adapting to its new host, is terrifying. The fact that it seems largely untreatable, and that patient zero remains unidentified, only adds to the dread. Who knows how many could already be infected?
And now, I can't help but think of the frightening parallels between this new epidemic and the ghostly cancer that still haunts our dogs. What if this is the start of a similar narrative for us? What if this cancer evolves, as the canine cancer did, and becomes an inescapable part of our legacy? With our massive global population and the resultant vast biomass, this disease will have countless opportunities to mutate and adapt. Perhaps it will become airborn, or jump the species barrier?
I have no idea how many are already infected. I might well be. So might you for that matter. All the patients were old, with compromised immune systems. Perhaps healthy young people cant be infected or, more likely, they can be but the incubation period is rather longer.
I expect we`ll find out soon.

I recently finished Bookshops of Arkham which is a short live play series of an original Call of Cthulu scenario that was also meant to promote Roll20.
An interesting thing they did with it was that they had costumed, walk-in actors come in to play as the NPCs in conjunction with the Keeper (the CoC GM). They had their own stat blocks and everything to be responsible for, and I thought that dynamic was really cool thinking about what sort of prep they did with the Keeper to be on the same page, while simultaneously still being flexible and responsive to everything happening as their own character. But at the end of the day, they made a very clear distinction that they weren't the Keeper and had no power in shuttling everything forward.
I am a huge fan of collaborative/GM-less systems such as A Good Society. Systems like those require a good sense of reading off of and volleying with your other fellow players to keep moving things forward, and what they did with Call of Cthulu basically reminded me of that.
I would love to hear about any other live plays that have done something similar like this, or if something like this was even incorporated in your own game experiences, especially for systems that technically weren't built for this sort of, multi-GMing style.

About Us We've just Season 3 on May 20th and are excited to be going with a more modded server with a vanilla feel to it. We have a great core community and love adding new members to join in on the fun! We pride ourselves on having a friendly, drama free environment where you can be yourself and have fun, no matter your play style. We are LGBTQ+ friendly and we do not tolerate any hate speech or harassment of any kind.
Our Community Our community consists of builders, restoners, explorers, and everything in-between. Whether you’re a hermit or love being social, there is a place for everyone here! Check out our past seasons https://imgur.com/gallery/kouxKdO
Our Staff We have an active staff that tries to keep their interference at a minimum, they are there to play the game like everyone else :) Staff does regularly check for cheaters and will ban anyone cheating to keep the game safe and fair for all players on the server
Mods We’re excited about Season 3, where we will be adding Terralith, Charm, and Bits and Chisels mods. We also use a variety of Vanilla Tweaks and QoL mods. We have voted and talked about mods as a community and have carefully picked our favorites that we hope will improve the quality of your gaming experience. :D
More about us • Version: 1.19.2 (will be updating to 1.20 ASAP) • Whitelist only • Dynmap • One player Sleep
Things we’re planning for Season 3 • Nether Hub and Highways • Village at Spawn • Expansive Shopping District
Requirements to join • 18+ • Short application process to join discord • Mod pack install required to join server (we can help you if you aren’t sure how to do this)
If you'd like to join us, check out our discord here: https://discord.gg/VWXrnahf

The long and short of this for me is this: I go through ups and downs exercising - usually in the summer months I get back into it for a few months, then by September I stop. I've repeated this cycle for the last few years. I'm currently back in the gym again as its summer, and I can just feel that its not going to last for me. The way I see it, the issue for me is simple - I don't like it. I don't enjoy going to the gym, I don't enjoy working out, it's a chore to me. The thought of going is off-putting. People who enjoy the gym talk a lot about the satisfying feeling you get from a good session, or enjoying the long term benefits, but I don't feel any of that. 2 years ago I had a goal for losing weight, and I dropped about 10 pounds over the summer, then just put it back on again. Mentally, I recognise I need to go for my health - I'm 30 and I've had a sharp decline in my fitness (covid really kicked a lot of lung capacity out of me) and I really need to stretch to prevent stiffness. I've done all kinds of different workouts for the sake of variety to maintain my interest, but absolutely nothing appeals to me. I think an activity like a sport would be more appealing but I live in the middle of nowhere and do not drive, and I hate travelling any distance for exercise (I don't think I'd even go to my gym if it wasn't a short walk from my house). I should even go today but I'm just dreading the thought.
How do I learn to care about doing something I don't like for the sake of my health? Has anyone gone through something similar?
​

I remember playing a demo of an isometric fantasy adventure game (must've been around the year 2000 I guess). I remember at first walking around in a forest of sorts, then in a dungeon, then the demo ending. I clearly remember having two spells: one more short range (like a fireball perhaps?) and one long range (which was either thunder or a meteor coming down on an enemy like 10 "tiles" away). I can recall that in the dungeon, there was a gap/abyss with a skeleton enemy walking around the other end of the gap, and just barely being able to hit it with my long range spell.
Otherwise, I can remember there being an opening animation (slightly janky pixelated, different style than the actual gameplay) to the demo where the protagonist (possibly called Jacob, but could be a false memory) is going through a forest where he is ambushed by some creatures/goblins/can't recall.
...any clues, or too vague to call? :-)

I started smoking in 2010, smoked 20-30 a day till about 2016? Then I made the change to vaping, but I vaped extremely heavy, constantly, all day. I drive for a living and constantly use it, in my down time I use it while on my pc every couple of minutes, totally dependant on it if I’m honest. I decided last week to change my vape for a pod style rather then sub-ohm to try and treat it more as a cigarette & only use it outside, which didn’t work, I just used it the same amount but with more nicotine in…. I’d had what I thought to be a stomach bug for 4-5 days, a terribly upset stomach with cramps waking me up in the night . Then I thought.. I wonder if it’s the vape? I’ve been using it with stronger nicotine and just as often…
Then it suddenly hit me, I have self diagnosed ibs, ( never been to dr about it, but most days I have to have Imodium ) and started tracking back to when it started, so I wrote a timeline down & worked out, my bad stomach issues actually started at the same time I started vaping in 2016, prior to this I had no issues what so ever. For the last 7 years I’ve had a constant dodgy stomach, bloating, anxiety about going out due to not making it to a toilet etc.
To make my vaping habit worse I have an extremely addictive personality
It’s been 48 hours since I went cold Turkey, my stomach is 10x better then it was, I’m also not bloated for the first time since I can remember, but oh my god, I am so irritated I just feel like I want to rip the skin off my face with my bare hands constantly. There’s literally no stopping this relentless craving and irritation, when I sleep, I wake up every 15-30 minutes.
The feeling of frustration and wanting to use my vape is so overwhelming, I’ve never experienced anything like it, i feel like screaming & crying. I just hope it’s worth it in the end.
It comes in waves, its always there niggling but it’ll hit me hard for 15 minutes then settle down a bit.
I feel sorry for my wife and son because my fuse on my temper is so short, it just goes 0-100 over the smallest stupid things. Thankfully she’s very understanding about it.
I don’t want to try gum or anything as I don’t want to replace a habit with another.
I really hope I can get over this soon

I’m not sure where to start, I’m sorry if this is jumbled. TW: csa, sa
How do I go see a therapist to help me get over my trauma when the trauma is therapy? I haven’t been in therapy for a few years, and my mental health is awful right now. I’m terrified to go see any therapist. I have severe depression, autism probably, and have experienced many traumatic events. I know I could benefit from a therapist who is the right match, but I don’t know if they exist.
I started therapy when I was 8, with my school’s counselor. I liked seeing the school counselor, I liked talking to her about things I couldn’t tell my parents. But when I told her some of the things my mother had been doing to me (no details, but it was assault), I remember she got very serious and a lot less friendly. My parents pulled me out of school soon after this session, and they only took me to therapists who would allow them to sit in the room with me and/or read over the therapy notes after our sessions.
This continued well after I was 18 but still living with them. I had a very difficult time opening up about any issues with a therapist because I was scared they’d drop me. I know now that’s probably not what happened with that school counselor, but I didn’t know better. I’m ashamed to say it, but I was relieved when someone outside my family assaulted me for the first time so that I could finally talk about it in therapy.
My mother even brought me to some of the sessions with her therapist to “work on our relationship”. I dreaded these sessions. My mother was often framed in the most positive light possible by her therapist. Every issue was “fixed” with CBT, usually by concluding that we have a toxic family, my mother only ever did her best, I should have been more understanding. Finally, I blew up at the therapist, I was so done being blamed for everything my mother did and her never having to take responsibility. The therapist scolded me for making my mother cry and said I wasn’t invited back. Needless to say, I don’t have much of a relationship with my mother anymore.
When I tried to find a therapist after leaving my parents, none of them seemed to actually care about helping me. I was too scared to talk about my mother’s abuse right away, so I started with smaller issues. Each therapist had a different style, but they all continuously hug boxed me and assured me that nothing was my fault, even if it very clearly was, like bullying a girl in middle school. I liked the last therapist I was seeing, so I challenged her on that. I said that her telling me I’ve done nothing wrong doesn’t help me move on from my traumas or how to avoid putting myself in those situations. She told me she’d think about how to implement that into our future sessions. A few days before my next appointment with her, she dropped me and said I’d do better finding someone else. I don’t know if what I said was too abrasive or mean. I felt the same way I did when I was 8, trying and failing to ask for help. I haven’t been to a therapist since then.
My issues haven’t fixed themselves, though. I know I need to see a therapist, but any time I try to look for one through my insurance portal, I get so angry and overwhelmed and I have no reason to believe that another therapist can help. But I can’t eat more than a few sips of broth a day, I don’t sleep more than 4 hours, and I’m so explosively angry that I don’t leave the house except maybe once a week. I want to believe that there’s some therapists out there who want the best for their clients, but I don’t think I’ve seen one yet. How do I find them? Thank you in advance.

So, I‘m fairly creative and love making the best out of things but I‘m literally at my wit’s end with the place my boyfriend and I will soon move to. Basically, his parents build a new house for their retirement and will give us their old house on their farm. We are obviously beyond grateful.
However, the place is a mess. Not, like that it has bad structure or anything just the long-term-design-choices made by his mum are mismatched and hideous. We are talking bright red sinks and giant, Mediterranean fire places hideous. And worst of all: the ginormous living room has a fluffy red carpet! It’s so obscenely ugly paired with the terracotta+white fireplace, that it literally makes me angry 😂 the carpet is still relatively new and replacing it is unfortunately outside of our budget right now. Plus, I would feel bad wasting a high quality carpet like that after 6-7 years of use.
Red is the one color that matches nothing but white/cream or even more red for the walls and curtains. The cheap 2000s wedding vibes I get from that makes me not want to walk in there, ever. My boyfriend and I both despise the carpet and the way it limits our options for a room that we will have guest over in and spend a lot of time in.
Has anyone ever taken a carpet out and dyed it? Is that possible? How did it go? We would both love to have it dark gray/anthrazit. Space is not a problem. There are large buildings on the premise that would definitely allow for such a process.
If not: does anyone have any ideas how to make this room not look horribly outdated? If you have red carpet, what color is your couch? How did you paint the walls? What color is the rest of the furniture? How did you decorate?
Basically, my main issue is that I‘m not into Mediterranean style. The fireplace can be styled farmhouse-aesthetically through decoration but that doesn’t work too well with the red carpet. I’m already dreading the red carpet+black TV+white walls combination. The only thing I hate more is animal print with pink.

The Window of Opportunities
Time has really moved at a break-neck speed, it's already been 2.5 years since I was made the Assistant Branch Manager of the SBI branch, Ambattur. I am probably two quarters away from becoming the Branch manager. I did an exceptional performance last quarter and had the best loan management throughput in southern India. I donned the youngest employee of the branch, but my older colleagues, who usually are my sub-ordinates, respected me and maintain a good rapport. All though everything seems great, the monotony was slowly creeping in. Sometimes I feel nothing new or interesting ever happens here.
***
It was such a usual boring Monday when something changed forever. Hema, a new clerk had joined our branch. I don’t hold the youngest employee tag anymore but happy to pass it to her. She was allocated a table facing my cabin entrance window. She seems a bit nervous, as it was her first day at this office. The peon and later the cashier had given her the office tour, and after meeting the BM, she entered my cabin. She wore a cotton yellow chudithaar with an umbrella cut, a simple black sandal, silvery earrings, and neatly braided hair with few strands floating over her forehead. She was really tense and her voice was feeble when she introduced herself. Hemamalini Manimaaran, that was her name. Maybe I will ask her out for a coffee someday.
***
It's been 4 months since Hema joined the branch. I haven’t asked her out for a coffee yet, but I have made steady progress toward asking her out. In these months, I haven’t had any chance to talk something other than office work. We do exchange occasional Hi-byes and daily greetings. Today, she is wearing a cool-blue cotton chudithar, with a white shawl. Her hair was neatly braided with a red rose pinned tightly by a small metal hair clip. Still, a few strands of hair defied the bun and floated in the air, caressing her tiny black spade-shaped bindi. I had assigned her to clear monthly balance sheets and finish up some data entry work as well. She looks pretty settled and comfortable in the office these days, often listening to music in her thin white earphones when not attending to the customer's queries. She wears her watch on her right hand, and her handwriting is super-legible even on challans written at high speed. I had turned punctual these days, taking care of my appearance, bathing daily, dressing formally, polishing my shoes and combing my hair. I spend most of my days in my cabin, releasing cheques, issuing drafts, processing loans and watching her work through my window. She is a slow poison to my soul. I have delayed it too much already, today there isn’t much work, and the climate also seems to be good, I will be taking her, sorry I mean asking her out for a coffee later this evening. I am a bit nervous though.
***
It has been 2 years since Hema stepped into my branch for the first time. I haven’t been promoted to Branch manager yet, but my Bosses from HQ have promised me a promotion coming quarter. It doesn’t matter though. Hema, my love, she is turning beautiful for every account opened, cheque passed, loan cleared and query resolved. Nowadays I feel that I am coming to my office just to see her work. She is not the nervous new girl anymore, she has gotten steadier, sincere and more responsible in her work. Today she is wearing a neatly ironed maroon cotton saree, nothing fancy except for the beautiful peacock embroidery at the border. Yes, She had started wearing sarees to the office these days. Some things have changed in these two years, she had changed her sandals twice and mobile phone once, but still owns the same earphones, uses the same perfume and wears the same watch but with a different strap. Something nice happened 3 months ago, the cashier had once invited me to have lunch in the common break room with everyone. yes, I was pathetically eating my lunch all alone in my cabin all these years. He just invited me once but I somehow made it into a routine. Hema checked her watch and turned off her PC, Yes! Lunchtime. This twenty minutes of having lunch at the same table along with Hema is the best thing that could happen today. She is silently eating lemon rice and beetroot poriyal that she bought in her green Tupperware lunch box. By the way, I haven't asked her out for a coffee yet, but we did have a couple of coffees and a few teas in these 2 years in our office paper cups that had been shrunken in size as a part of budgeting last fiscal year, but who cares. I may have not asked for a date yet, but I have come to the conclusion that she is the one for me and after my promotion next quarter, I will propose to her for hand in marriage. I think that kind of gesture would suit both of our personalities. Anyhoo…tell me how does anyone describe the feeling when you see your future wife eating Lemon rice silently in a corner. God, I love her so much. She occasionally brings curd rice, pulao, sambar, podi-idly, and chapathi for her lunch, but I often noticed her eating lemon rice for lunch. I think she is the one who cooks and packs her own lunch. I always wanted to share her lemon rice with me. Maybe after marriage, I will daily cook her something more nicer than lemon rice, if lemon rice is not her favourite lunch.
***
It was my eighth year at Ambattur Branch SBI. I had turned into branch manager a few weeks ago. It's a Monday, and sadly Hema will not be coming to the office today, I approved her maternity leave last Friday. She won’t be coming for the next 6 months. Yeah, she got married to a nice-looking gentleman. She seems happy and she literally glowed beautifully when I signed her approval. I redistributed her work to the rest of the employees. I don’t know where to eat lunch today. Last Friday she said, she was due in 3 months. Hope she has a safe delivery. The past year has been a little hard for me, both on the professional and personal front. Hema got engaged and then got married. I attended the marriage reception with other branch colleagues. Our overall branch performances dropped, and targets were falling short. My previous branch manager retired. I was eventually made BM, but I didn’t change my cabin though. I gained some weight, my hairline receded, don’t talk much. I am turning 33, tomorrow.
***
I am retiring this month, as BM of the Ambattur SBI branch. Hema entered my cabin with her lunch bag and two small paper cups of office coffee. I cleared my table for her to place the cutleries. We had taken an early lunch today. She is my best friend here. She and my wife are good friends too. She sat facing me, her grey hair strands still floating gracefully over her wrinkly forehead. She had brought Lemon Rice today. We shared it. Though my wife’s veg biriyani outclasses the lemon rice by a huge margin, I have a soft spot for the Lemon rice. Hema talks a lot, she loves to talk, and I love to listen to her. The conversation glided smoothly over a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from naming her grandchild, my son’s college, the rapidly changing banking sector, retirement plans, office hot goss, last quarter’s audit, SEBI regulations, and real estate. After 90 minutes of memorable lunch, we winded up and she walked back to her table. When I retire this month, she would be the oldest employee of the branch. She still has 3 years of service. I am sure she can manage on her own. I sat in my cabin and looked at her through my cabin window, She is wearing a beige-coloured cotton saree with simple floral patterns, I still remember her first day at the branch, in her yellow Chudithar. Lots have changed in these 35 years, our hair greyed, skin wrinkled as we worked, smiled, cried and grew in this small office space. Lots of opportunities have passed by. I have missed all of them. Regretted for a few years for missing them, but now looking back at all these years, I have witnessed all my love for this woman, beautifully transform into respect and friendship. She was skimming through some files at her desk, she paused and turned to see me through the window, and our eyes met. I smiled. She smiled.
***

In this nearly life-size statue made of white limestone, Horemheb is seated on the right side of Horus, who places his right arm around the king’s waist. The god’s left hand is holding the sign of life.
The two figures greatly resemble each other. Both have bare upper bodies and wear the short ritual kilt and the double crown. The king is also wearing the striped royal headdress and a false beard. On first inspection, the sculpture appears to be in a perfect state of preservation, but this is deceptive.
Horemheb ascends the throne at a complex transitional moment in Egyptian history when, with the “heresy” of Akhenaten over, there is a return to the cult of Amun under Tutankhamun. Because the latter dies young and without heirs, after Ay’s reign it is Horemheb, supreme leader of the army, who takes the crown.
The statue has been extensively restored in modern times and several parts were added: the two outer arms and the feet of both statues, the left hand, beard, and the tip of the nose of the king, as well as the beak of the falcon.
The appeal of this work lies particularly in the contrast between the traditional rigidity of the overall modelling on the one hand and the face on the other, the style of which has been largely determined by late Amarna art.
The realism with which the anatomical details have been represented and the retaining of the portraiture despite the idealizing nature of the piece are a continuation of the art of king Akhenaten. All in all, this sculpture seems to bring us closer to the personality of the forceful statesman Horemheb more than any other of his portraits.

i am insecure when it comes to my stomach so i prefer to wear higher waisted pants, and most men’s board shorts aren’t. does anyone know any options? it doesn’t have to be men’s but i prefer something masculine in style. affordable would be prefered but if you know any pricey options that’s okay too.

Hi there!! I'm Jay! :)
I want to find a guy that is compatible to me and shares the same values. Hoping to find him here!
I am a 22 year old who graduated college and and am currently living in New York!
I am looking to form a bond with someone, and then continue with an in person relationship!
A bit about me: - I have natural hair that I like to keep short, and I occasionally like wearing different wig styles to show my personality!
-I am on a weight loss journey! So I cherish healthy living and fitness. I am looking for someone who will motivate me to make the right decisions but at the same time also loves my body the way it is right now. I am currently 170lbs, my goal is around 130-140lbs. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again! I love walking and being active so definitely looking for a man who is the same!
-I am looking for someone who is mature and is established. Meaning, a man who works hard every day in any aspect of his life (career, family, or fitness). Someone who is level headed. But I am also looking for someone fun, kind, affectionate, and chill to hang out with!
-I am looking for a man who will prioritize spending time with me, whether it is virtually or in person. Someone who communicates and is neither pushy on me texting back within seconds, but someone who respects me enough to let me know if they're busy/to expect a longer wait time. Someone who is not shy to take random pictures of themselves and send them to me just so I know those silly little thoughts you have. Also someone who doesn't mind me taking tons of pictures too (because I do take a lot of pictures haha)
-I believe in communication! I need someone emotionally available, someone who isn't afraid to have those long, deep conversations with me. Someone who will hear me out and not judge me. A man that really listens but also has enough confidence to speak up too!
-My love languages are words of affirmations and quality time! It's my top two love languages :) Also, I want a man who intentionally plans dates/hang outs/skype sessions, and wants to genuinely have fun with me!
-I love anime! I watch so much anime, and I need a guy who is willing to watch some with me!
A bit about my careeschool...
-I am a published author! I have written 3 books, first one dating back when I was only 13! I was introduced to the publishing industry at a young age, so I went to college to study creative writing. I am currently minoring in creative writing and majoring in psychology! What I plan to do in the future is become a licensed Expressive Writing therapist and/or create books for the youth to help their mental health!
-I used to have 3 on campus jobs when I was on campus. Library Assistant, tutor, and I work at the gym as a proctor. I am going to be starting a new job soon so I would consider myself a busy person, but I ALWAYS make sure to prioritize my relationships that are serious, and I expect my man to do the same with me.
***I consider myself to be a religious person, and this is something that value. I am Catholic and hope to meet someone who shares my faith! I'm looking for a deep connection, where we can pray together and listen to gospel music!
*** I smoke weed! So I am also looking for a man who does the same! I'm very 420 friendly!
*** I would consider myself to be asexual, which means that I want to form a relationship where sex is not a priority and isn't expected of me. Sending nudes is also something I will not participate in and is a hard boundary. However, I am an extremely romantic person and value intimacy and closeness in other ways! If you want clarification on this, I will gladly explain further over PM!
I am open to talking to anyone between the ages of 22-29 years old!
I want to say that I am a very open-minded person and welcome many different guys! Please decide for yourself if you meet these qualities and send me a message! All I ask for is commitment to having something serious and someone who is ready for that. Looking forward to finding you!

When you're rich enough, you get perks you can only dream of. Literally. But somehow, my paradise turned into hell.
Have you ever had a dream so amazing, you wished you could relive it? Explore it? Relish it? Well, when you're rich enough, you don't have to wish. It's a reality thanks to dream banks. You may have heard of them and their pricy services, which include recording, saving, and projecting dreams.
For example, if you'd like a dream recorded, you can book one of their luxurious suites for the night, where the dream techs will fit you with a special helmet and leave you to rest. The next morning, they'll replay the recorded dream for you via the helmet and ask if you want to shell out the extra bucks to save it. If you don't, they'll delete it and you can pay to book for another time to try again.
If you do decide to save it, you must select an item within the dream that will act as the exit key. (This will come in handy during projections.) While still wearing the helmet, you must touch the item, and the dream techs will label those electric signals as the key.
Afterwards, everything is saved under your name, and you can now relive your dream at any time by booking a suite for three, five, or eight hours. Unlike recordings, during projections, you don't have to wait for sleep to come. After you enjoy a snack of your choice, the helmet is fitted and you're immediately transported to your dream, where you have free will and can enjoy it at your leisure. And if you ever need to leave early, this is when you touch the key, which will shut down the helmet right away.
In my case, the key is the stegosaurus leather rug I have hanging on the wall of my throne room. I never have a reason to touch it otherwise, making it a perfect key. I've also never had to touch it. Experiencing life as an all-powerful, worshipped being who lives on my own planet and hunts dinosaurs in my spare time, I relished my dream to the last second.
Yes, the fees are exorbitant, but at the time, I felt it was worth it. The techs were skilled, the system was sleek, and the dreams were private. Each could only be unlocked by the unique brainwaves of the dreamer.
Or so I thought.
My literal nightmare began when I booked a five-hour projection on a rainy Friday afternoon. After taking a sip of champagne to wash down the cranberry brie bites, I settled into the cool silk sheets with a smile. My usual dream tech smiled back as she fastened my helmet, and the last thing I heard was her wishing me pleasant dreams before I was plunged into darkness.
I waited for the split-second adjustment from reality to the dream world, and my confusion grew when I didn't find myself on my throne surrounded by fawning gods and goddesses.
Instead, I found myself in the middle of an endless street. Alone. There were no cars, no life, not even wind. Towering street lamps lined the sidewalk as far as I could see, arcing over the road and tinting everything an eerie red. Behind them, identical buildings stood side by side, silent, their dark, narrow windows hollow.
My pulse spiking, I whipped around. The other direction was just as endless. Uneasy confusion prickled beneath my skin. This had to be someone else's dream. The techs must have made a mistake. I didn't know how it was possible, but there was no other explanation.
My unease piqued as my situation sank in. I was in a stranger's dream and I didn't know the key. I was stuck here until my five hours ran out. Or until the techs realized their mistake. I was ready to rip them a new one once I was out, but until then, I had no choice but to wait.
I studied my surroundings with a frown before I walked over to the curb and sat down, and that was when I noticed I couldn't feel anything. I also noticed I was naked. It didn't matter. There was no one here, and none of this was real anyway.
Time passed, and I tried to distract myself from my nettled offense by humming, but no sound came out. Sitting up, I took a deep breath and screamed. Not even a squeak was heard. I slapped my hand against the ground. Nothing. This place was like a black hole of the senses.
Sighing, I lay down on my back and stared at the red light above me, wondering if I could fall asleep in a dream. I tried, but the more I wished to escape this silent, crimson prison, the more it seemed to come into focus. Soon, the utter lack of noise and movement grew from slightly unnerving to completely intolerable.
There was no way I could wait. I'd go insane. I had to get out of here. I had to find the key.
Jumping up, I ran to the nearest building and wrenched open the door, and a pitch black void greeted me. I gasped, and gasped again as it felt like my very breath was being suctioned out of my lungs. Panicking, silent wheezes rattled in my chest as I struggled to yank myself out of the vacuum, jerking my limbs and bucking my body until I toppled over backwards on the sidewalk.
Gulping in fitful breaths, I scrambled to my feet and ran down the road without looking back, my wide eyes scanning the horizon for salvation. I just wanted out of here, but the hellish path stretched on forever, making me feel like I was running in place as every identical building and street lamp mocked me. Even my silent stomping and mute panting served to draw insanity closer.
And then, a person showed up.
There, in the distance.
With my hope spurred, I raced towards them, desperate. I didn't care who they were. I needed to break this monotony.
As I got closer, hope morphed to confusion, and then to despair. The person was me. It was a mirror, propped up across the entire street.
Sweat-soaked, I slowed down to a jog before I stopped right in front of my reflection. It was me alright, naked, exhausted, and frustrated. But the eyes, something was off about the eyes. With an anxious frown, I stepped closer, staring into them, and they stared back …
… until they glanced behind me.
I gasped and jumped away, and so did my reflection … before it glanced over my shoulder again.
A chill trickled down my spine. My reflection had nothing behind it but the empty street, so I gulped and turned around, and my mouth fell open in a silent scream as a lovecraftian behemoth barrelled its way towards me. With its slick shell gleaming red beneath the lights, it slammed down one spiny tentacle after the other as its five mouths bared their dripping, concentric fangs.
Drenched in undiluted horror, tremors gripped my body as I stumbled away until my back was against the mirror. I knew death was a foolproof key in a dream, but I didn't know if this creature would kill me right away or leave me to suffer in agony until my five hours were up.
With it only inches away, I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed myself into the mirror, and my stomach flipped as I fell backwards. I opened my mouth to gasp, but there was nothing for me to draw in. Floating in an airless void, I flailed and thrashed, my wild eyes scanning the darkness for answers as I began to spin around.
Although death would free me, one of my greatest fears was suffocating. On one of my weightless rotations, a red, glass cube passed me by, and I grabbed it, hoping it was a breathing device. I brought it close to my face, and I gawked at what it held within.
Me.
Surrounded by identical buildings and red street lamps while a lovecraftian behemoth tore me apart.
Horrified, I threw the cube as far as I could and increased my efforts to escape this void. Yet all the flailing and thrashing was for naught as the darkness revealed no end. My eyesight began to go red as my lungs spasmed, and I clawed at my throat as my pulse stuttered in my chest.
The red kept growing and growing until it engulfed my entire vision, and I gave up. There was nothing to do but face my fears and die. With my straining heart lumbering, I let myself go limp as I stared at the red and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
I wasn't dying.
In fact, I could breathe just fine.
Frowning, I opened my eyes, and intense unease spread through my core. Above me, a red moon had taken up the entire sky, each one of its craters crystal clear, like eyes watching me. I turned my head away, and I realized I was in a park, laying down on the grass. Sitting up, I blinked in surprise at the pond right beside me, its opaque water reflecting the moon's red light. Ducks were swimming in a circle across its surface, their movements smooth with nary a splash.
Trees surrounded us, so dense I couldn't tell when one began and the other ended. It was mind-numbingly quiet here as well, and I still couldn't feel anything or make any noise, but at least the ducks were moving. This place seemed more tolerable than the last, and I was willing to wait out my five hours here. I hoped at least an hour had passed already, but with dreams, one never knew. All I knew was that I was too exhausted to search for the key. And too scared. I didn't know whose dream this was, but they had to be masochistic if they saved this nightmare.
Curling up beside the pond, I worked on calming myself down as I watched the ducks swim in their systematic circle over and over and over. I tried counting the rotations the way one would count sheep, but that still didn't lull me to sleep. I wished I'd chosen the three-hour projection, but at least I hadn't chosen the eight-hour one.
Distorted circus music crackled around me and I jolted up, my heart ricocheting in my chest. There was finally sound, but the last thing I wanted to hear was a cliche horror movie soundtrack. Gulping, I looked around. The music was coming from the trees, and my stomach dropped when I spied a shadow behind one of them. Then another. And another. They emerged into the crimson moonlight, and my blood turned to ice.
Clowns.
I whipped around, trembling to the rhythm of my frantic pulse. They were surrounding me. Dozens of them. As classic as any clown could be. Colorful clothes, big shoes, silly hair, exaggerated makeup. I wasn't scared of clowns, as long as they were where they belonged. And they didn't belong here, staring at me with big, empty eyes and yellow, toothy grins.
I tried to convince myself that they weren't dangerous since they didn't have weapons and didn't seem monstrous, but when they took a step closer in unison, I jumped back, nearly falling into the pond. The ducks remained oblivious, still swimming in their circle. The distorted circus music got louder, and my hair stood on end when I saw the grass ripple in front of each clown. They were sending something my way through the ground.
Panicking, I jumped into the pond, and I screamed as I sank right in. There was no bottom. There was no water either. The pond was filled with red, translucent spheres, each the size of a tennis ball. Still able to breathe, I began swimming through the spheres with clumsy breast strokes, just hoping I could end up as far away from the clowns as possible.
After swimming for what felt like enough time, I tried to swim up, until I realized I had no idea which direction I was facing. Remember a trick for those stuck in avalanches, I spat, but my glob of saliva just hovered in front of me. Before panic could set in, I noticed what looked like an office desk floating amidst the spheres in the distance. After blinking a few times to make sure it was really there, I swam towards it, desperate for any change in my situation.
It was an office desk, a wooden one with carved borders and locked drawers. Tucked beneath it was a stool, and the moment I pulled it out and set it under my ass, an office replaced the red spheres.
I grunted as gravity returned, and I looked around in bewilderment at the cluttered bookshelves and grimy floors. Dust was floating everywhere, highlighted by the red light filtering in through the blinds behind me. I jumped as a clock hanging on the wall chimed. Its glass was too dirty for me to tell the time, but I was glad I could hear. I coughed at the dust. And I could make noise. I dusted my hands. And I could feel. I could even smell, which I now wished I couldn't as I wrinkled my nose at the faint stench of rot.
After failing to read the spines of some of the books on the shelves, I studied the shadowy corners of the room. A slack-jawed skeleton hung in the far end, and a faded poster with anatomical diagrams curled off a cupboard. This had to be a doctor's office. Was the creator of this dream a doctor?
A silhouette slid in front of the frosted glass door, and I gulped as the knob began to turn. A hand reached in, gripping the edge one finger at a time, and my heart dropped as I knew this horror cliche was only going to be followed by another. Having no time to think, I slid off the stool and crouched beneath the desk, my hand over my mouth as cobwebs clung to me.
Praying spiders wouldn't swarm me, I peeked through a small slit in the wood, and I froze when an emaciated nurse walked in the room. Layers upon layers of blood coated her scrubs, so much so that I couldn't even tell what color they originally were. She had no shoes. No feet either. Just ankle stubs, and my stomach turned as I heard bone clunk against the tiles.
A surgical mask covered her face, as bloodstained as her scrubs, and grimy lab goggles obscured her eyes. I was grateful, because judging by the pus leaking out of her scabbed, balding scalp, I didn't want to know what her face looked like. The closer she got, the stronger the stench of rot became, and I struggled to keep myself from retching.
She stopped halfway into the room, and I gawked at her hands. They were transforming. Her fingers elongating into razor-edged blades. She then began to hunch over, and I cringed as her spine cracked and popped until she was as bent as a candy cane, her face staring at her pelvis.
As if that wasn't unsettling enough, her head creaked as it spun around 180 degrees, now facing the front, upside down. Right after, her arms shot to the ground, and I watched with increasing dread as she bent them at the elbows and wrists so they flanked her head like distorted T-Rex arms.
She spread her fingers out and took a few more steps towards me, and I held my breath, hoping she couldn't hear my rabid heart or smell my fear. Her ankle bones clicked and clacked against the tiles as she made her way around the desk, and I cowered as my frantic eyes searched for a weapon. I found none, but I did spy a brass button beside my head.
With her legs now an arms distance away, I had nothing to lose as I jammed my thumb into the button. The back of the desk flung open, and I scrambled to my feet and dashed out from my hiding place, screaming in response to the nurse screeching behind me. Bursting through the door, I held up my fists and began punching like a maniac in fearful anticipation of a horde of nurses swarming me.
Except I was no longer in a hospital. I was in an outdoor parking lot. Alone. And judging by the roiling red clouds, a storm was brewing. After a second to collect my bearings, I dove into the closest car, thankful it was unlocked. The moment I slammed the door shut, lightning blinded me as thunder cracked and the downpour began. Sighing in relief, I tried to shake away my adrenaline, but the bloodshot eyes in my rearview mirror reignited my panic.
Before I could react, a belt snapped over my neck, pinning my head back against the headrest. With a frightened wheeze, I clawed at the leather, and I flinched as hot, heavy breath wafted across my ear. Gagging at the putrid smell, I reached over, desperate to scratch my strangler's face or poke their eyes out.
I felt their greasy hair and tried to pull it, but my fingers refused to hold on. I tried again and again, using my nails for purchase, but the strands just kept slipping out of my weak grip. Shifting focus, I tried to claw at their eyes, but it felt as though I was moving through molasses as my hand slid down their face. Once I felt a wet, bulbous eye, I tried to scratch it, but I didn't have enough strength to do anything damage.
My frustration clashed with my terror and I tried to punch them, but my arm swung back in slow motion and merely prodded a stubbly cheek. Tears welled in my eyes as I writhed and gasped, my strangler's laugh adding insult to injury. Despite knowing death will set me free, fear and self-preservation rummaged through my mind, searching for a solution. And they found one.
Hoping I had enough grip and energy, I reached down and found the reclining lever. Wrapping my fingers around it tight, I jerked it up and heaved my body back, and I gulped in a deep breath as I fell backwards, the belt now slack. Not at all prepared to face my attacker, I slipped out from beneath the belt, flung open the door, and zoomed out into the storm.
Sheets of rain obscured my vision, but not enough for me to see that the keys were left inside a red convertible. After making sure no one was hiding in the back, I jumped in, started the engine, and took off, the wheels squealing through the puddles. A sole street curled down a hill, and I took it, adrenaline pumping in waves through my quivering body.
This rush was a confusing mixture of exhilaration and apprehension. I wanted out, but I wasn't giving up. I made it this far, and I was going to survive every cliche this masochist dreamed up. Sharks? Snakes? Zombies? Bring it on. And afterwards, I was going to detail every single trial and tribulation I went through as I sued the dream bank for all the trauma they caused me.
Up ahead, the road curved, and I gasped as it ended in a cliff. I slammed the breaks, but they didn't do anything. Breaking out in a cold sweat, I slammed them again and again as I yanked the hand break as far as it would go. The car refused to slow down, and I cursed myself for not anticipating this cliche. In a move of desperation, I swerved, but it wasn't enough as the car careened over the edge and took me with it.
My heart hung in my throat as I hung on to the steering wheel, my knuckles white, my screams frozen in my lungs, the raindrops like needles. An endless body of water spread below me, and I knew sharks were my next challenge. I screwed my eyes shut as I awaited the inevitable plunge …
… and I gasped as the car crashed against the surface.
I lurched forward, and I cried out as I bashed my forehead against the wheel. Groaning, I leaned back, my ears ringing as I looked around, disoriented. I was still in the convertible, but we were right side up, having crashed into the concrete wall of an indoor garage. Blood trickled down my face and I reached up, only to feel around my head in shock.
I was wearing the helmet.
Why was it in the dream?
Or had I made it out?
I looked down. I wasn't naked. My pyjamas were plastered to my sweat-soaked skin. I was out. I looked around at the broken glass and mangled metal in confusion. But if I was finally out, why was I in a car and not between silk sheets?
I removed the helmet, and a yell from behind made me jump. I turned to see one of the dream techs running towards me. Was she always that skinny? And why were her scrubs red instead of the usual blue?
She made it to me, panting as she took the helmet out of my hands, and I wrinkled my nose at her unpleasant breath. She said I'd had a nightmare and began sleepwalking, and I'd left the dream bank and stole a car from their underground parking before she triggered a wake-up signal in the helmet, which made me crash.
I stared at her, not believing what I was hearing. I told her I'd booked a projection, not a recording, and she gave me a concerned frown and claimed the opposite. Anger replaced my confusion, and I called her a liar and accused them of misconduct, and she reminded me that dreams can only be unlocked by the dreamer.
Furious, I cursed at her as I tried to get out of the car, demanding to see my file. She was quick to tell me not to move in case I made my injuries worse as she pulled out her phone and said she was going to call an ambulance.
While I sat there and waited, fuming, I glimpsed my reflection in the dangling rearview mirror. Unease rippled beneath my skin and I sat up, grabbing the mirror and angling it to show my neck.
There was an angry red mark across it.
As though I was recently strangled.
Trembling, I tilted the mirror up.
Cobwebs. Stuck in my hair.
Dumbstruck in utter stupefaction, I scanned the rest of my body. My pyjamas were dirty and there was black under my fingernails, but the rest of my examination was cut short by tinny circus music. A chill jolted down my spine and I whipped my head to face the dream tech. That was her ringtone. She smiled as she answered the call, and I drew back at her yellow, toothy grin.
What was going on? I was out of the dream, I knew I was. Had everything been real? What had the dream bank done with me? Done to me?
Ambulance sirens wailed as they entered the underground parking, and the flashing red lights reflecting off the walls triggered my recent traumas. With terror-fueled adrenaline flooding my veins, I jerked my legs free of the wreck, jumped out of the car, and booked it, the dream tech's yells merging with the screeching sirens behind me.
SR

I can't believe it.
So a No Somniel run pretty much means that during the run, all activities that are done in the Somniel are banned. There are several combat-related implications of this - no refining weapons (no early strong weapons like a Levin Sword until Ch. 11 for example and can only use base weapons), no engravings, no Bond Rings, no cooking, no activities, no Well, and no Arena. The early Steel weapons that you get upon going to the Somniel from an update are banned as well as the Heroes rewards (the Bond Rings and the weapons, Folkvangr, Fensalir, and Noatun). No Arena means that leveling up the bond rank of Emblems on each character will have to be done in the maps themselves and skill inherits are impossible. Reclassing is still possible, but more difficult now that you have to level up bond ranks in maps and because weapon proficiencies past bond rank 5 will need at least two maps with the Emblem Ring. No DLC either, but that doesn't impact me since I don't have it anyway. And while it's not a Somniel activity, I didn't have Network Connection enabled for the weapon drops, EXP, and other small benefits scattered on a map. I had finished a normal Ironman run with no big issues (one death, RIP Louis), but I went into this run fully expecting to lose it. An Ironman means no using the Draconic Time Crystal, so no rewinding my mistakes and every input I make is final. If a character dies because of my poor decisions or they get crit by the enemy, they remain dead.
Run casualties:

• Chloe: Died in Ch. 6. Fog of war claimed another life. Chloe got hit by an axe fighter and a thief that I didn't have vision of. It was entirely my mistake to overextend with her when I could've just played it safe. I was going to use Chloe this run as an early carry before likely transitioning her to a more support based role if her combat couldn't keep up.
  
• Yunaka: Died in Ch. 8. Overall, I think Chloe's death kinda snowballed the deaths in Ch. 8. Going into this chapter, I lost a character that was going to be one of my early carries. Lapis was Chloe's replacement, but I needed to get staff proficiency on her just in case I was going to pivot her to a support later (especially since I can't get staff proficiency for a long time after Ch. 10). Lapis therefore had to have Micaiah for several maps and I tried to continue using Marth on Alear on Ch. 8 instead as a carry. However, because of my poor timing of Engage attacks and just being badly positioned because I was unprepared for when Kagetsu and Zelkov started moving, I got myself in a situation that required me to hit a 65% to defeat Kagetsu. Missed the 65% and Yunaka died to him.
  
• Framme: Died in Ch. 8. I didn't have Lodestar Rush or enough power in general to take down Ivy in one turn. But I had to start taking down her health bars eventually otherwise I would have game over'ed since enemies would've reached the target point. As such, almost all of my units were in range of Ivy at that point and she had free reign to choose whoever she wanted to kill. In the end, she chose to Killer Axe crit Framme to death (Framme would've died even without the crit).
  
• Celine: Died in Ch. 10. I'm really mad at myself for this death because Celine died on turn one. I calculated how much damage she would take from the armor and pegasus knight on the left if they both hit her and concluded if Celine was next to Alear, she would live at 1 HP. Well, she didn't live at 1 HP because I didn't account for the Resonance damage from having Celica on her. And of course both the armor and pegasus knight hit their 50% attacks. Celine was my only early game carry because Chloe had died. And now she was dead on turn one of a difficult 2-part map.
  
• Diamant: Died in Ch. 10. Got frozen by Hortensia and I couldn't get in range to Restore him without risking Alear's death to Hortensia's Dragon effective Luin. However, I did forget to have him equip a lighter weapon and because he had the armorslayer equipped, he got doubled by Hortensia and died. I don't fully remember if he could've lived if he wasn't doubled by Hortensia (because there were other enemies around him), but I'm still frustrated at myself for letting that happen. I don't know if it's just me, but I always have trouble with taking down Hortensia in this chapter; on my normal Ironman run, I had to resort to freezing her due to a lucky early Freeze staff from the Well, but alas, no such resources like that exist in a No Somniel run.
  

RIP Chloe, Yunaka, Framme, Celine, and Diamant.
The Final Team:
Some quick notes - the screenshot on the top has HP tonics already applied to everyone so subtract 5 if you want to see their true HP. That was the first thing I did when I went into the final map and then thought maybe I should screenshot everyone. The screenshot on the bottom has everyone with their Emblem Rings and full tonics applied to them.

• Martial Master Alear (Lucina): I really like support Alear and having them as the Bonded Shielder has worked wonders in my previous playthroughs. I figured that I would need Alear's +3 flat damage for my carries and since they support everyone in the cast, they provide +10 hit for free as well. I chose to go with Martial Master Alear because my combat carries were going to be in several different class types and I wanted the flexibility to have 100% activation rate on Bonded Shield for all of them if the need arises. I also really like Chain Guard. As such, in early game, I fed Alear experience through Mercurius farming and then gave them Micaiah to get staff proficiency and to farm via Great Sacrifice. By Ch. 11, Alear was a Griffin Knight because I believe having Alear in a flying class in Ch. 11 is invaluable so you can quickly reach the point on the map to trigger Ivy, Zelkov, and Kagetsu to join you before you get overwhelmed by Corrupted with Emblems. After staying a few more chapters in Griffin (until I could give Alear Lucina after getting sword proficiency off of her on another character), Alear became a Martial Master and mainly Bonded Shielded or Chain Guarded. Not being able to Micaiah Engrave a Shielding Art to drive enemy hit rates close to 0% meant that I had to be more cognizant of where I used Bonded Shield. The enemy AI mostly decides which character to attack based on expected damage (combination of actual damage they'll do in a round of combat, how likely it is they'll hit, and their crit chance on you is also factored in). So when Bonded Shielding, I had to make sure that Alear was not going to get targeted and if they were, that they were not going to get killed from it. As such, it wasn't as simple as plop two units down and go to town deleting enemies, but it was still really strong nonetheless.

Stat Boosters: One Boots, one Seraph Robe, one Speedwing, three Dracoshields, three Talismans, two Goddess Icons

• Wyvern Knight Amber (Lyn): For Amber, I was particularly cognizant of the fact that in my previous normal Ironman run, he sometimes had 90% hit rates in the endgame despite having a +hit rate engraving on his lances. That's why I decided to go with sword/lance Wyvern instead of axe/lance Wyvern even though it would've been easier to get axe proficiency on him (axe proficiency is at bond rank 2 on Leif while any sword proficiency requires at least bond rank 6, which means at least two maps worth of using a specific Emblem vs. just one). That decision really paid off. Amber was mostly using swords throughout the midgame of this playthrough because he wasn't getting 90%+ hit on lances even while I was activating his personal for +20 hit. I can only imagine his hit rates while using axes... it just spells disaster if a crucial attack misses in an Ironman (Yunaka's death...). If I saw Amber's hit rate really going into the gutter by the endgame, I was prepared to have him switch to Sniper and just kill fliers, but that never ended up happening especially after I used all my Secret Books on him (none of my other combat characters could use them since many of them capped dex and for those that didn't, they were accurate anyway). Amber remained good throughout even though by endgame, he rarely one-rounded enemies.

Stat Boosters: One Energy Drop, three Secret Books, one Speedwing

• Warrior Kagetsu (Roy): I had my sights set on getting Kagetsu into Warrior despite Wyvern being easier to reclass into and still a strong class for him because I felt I needed the absolute best out of my units to get through this run (and I believe Warrior is Kagetsu's best class). Getting him into Warrior was a bit of an endeavor, but having to delegate an Emblem to Kagetsu wasn't going to make the game harder; on the contrary, it likely made things easier because Kagetsu is such a strong unit to start with. Kagetsu immediately got Lyn for Ch. 12 and 13 to get bow proficiency. This worked out for me in a lot of ways because Ch. 12 is an easy chapter so Emblem allocation isn't that important to get through the map. Plus, Lyn on Kagetsu for Ch. 12 doubles the Wolf Knights once you get two Speedtaker stacks so I found it quite nice having Lyn on him. And my strategy for Ch. 13 always involved Lyn on Kagetsu (see my chapter thoughts in the comments) anyway. Now, he's got bow proficiency just in time for Ch. 14, where Ike immediately goes on Kagetsu to get axe proficiency. And soon after, he's a Warrior and just snowballed from there. I was initially a bit worried about using axes at all in this playthrough considering their low base hit rates (I was prepared to pivot Kagetsu into Wyvern and have him use swords if I needed to), but Kagetsu had 100% hit rate with a Silver Axe often. His Longbow was accurate too (same base hit rate as Silver Axe). Overall, Kagetsu snowballed hard. And when I got Roy on him, and eventually the Binding Blade unlocked, he could clear entire groups of enemies by himself (cleared the entire top lane of Ch. 24 himself with just a healer nearby). After this run, I wholeheartedly believe Roy is Kagetsu's best Emblem and it reaffirms my belief that Warrior is Kagetsu's best class. He just hits so hard with axes and doesn't take much damage either. Wyvern's great for Kagetsu, but really, try him in Warrior if you get the chance. He won't need crits to one-round, only a Silver Axe. If he can cleanly one-round a ton of endgame enemies with just a base Silver Axe and no inherits on this kind of challenge run, actually forging a Silver Axe up a bit and maybe giving it an engrave should achieve similar or better results than what I got as I'm pretty sure my Kagetsu is about average strength-wise (+1 strength than average if I calculated correctly, he got two Energy Drops and is overleveled which is why his strength looks astronomical). My Kagetsu was speed screwed (speed and build were lower than average in the midgame) for nearly the entire run because he should've capped speed way before looping and he didn't cap until after looping in Warrior. That actually mattered a few times and it made me really miss having Speed+X on him, but it wasn't something I couldn't work around and he was a powerhouse regardless.

Stat Boosters: One Boots, one Seraph Robe, two Energy Drops

• Mage Knight Pandreo (Marth): After I got Pandreo, I immediately gave him Lucina to get sword proficiency to switch into Mage Knight. He did pretty well in Mage Knight, but it wasn't until after getting partway through Ch. 17 (gave him Eirika so he got bond rank 3 for Bravery at that moment and got the Bolganone that Griss drops), where he really started to snowball. After that, he could consistently one-round a lot of enemies without help until Ch. 20. Unfortunately, that's when his speed cap in Mage Knight caught up and in the endgame, 31 base speed that is not quite enough without a bit of speed boosting from an Emblem considering I cannot inherit Speed+X. In the last couple of chapters, I mostly used Marth (sometimes switched to Eirika) on Pandreo. Marth has some +speed stat boosts innately and can boost damage as well if Engaged via Divine Speed providing an additional attack at 50% damage. Using Marth on a magic unit was something I did before when I played around and used Mage Knight Kagetsu lol It worked well then and it worked well now. This Mage Knight Pandreo's stats besides magic have actually been the least impressive I've had so far. I think his magic is maybe around +2 to +3 above average though (I forget what level I class changed him from High Priest to Mage Knight), which more than makes up for his other stat deficiencies. I'm just surprised he didn't cap dex or resistance by the end of the game when he usually does. Nonetheless, Pandreo was a powerhouse and carried the run like Kagetsu even though I couldn't just send him into a group of enemies without being covered by Bonded Shield and know he'll live whilst taking them all down (unless it's a group of enemies with Great weapons he can double, those are fodder to Pandreo).

Stat Boosters: Three Spirit Dusts

• Warrior Merrin (Eirika): Unlike with Kagetsu, I didn't go through four whole maps of raising bond ranks up for Merrin to change classes. That's because she'll probably end up being able to change into Warrior by Ch. 18 if I did that. Meanwhile, if I just waited until Ch. 17 to get Leif back, I would have Warrior Merrin in time for Ch. 19. It's a one chapter lag for a huge team power difference from Ch. 14 through 17 as one of my stronger units wouldn't be able to use Lyn or Ike. Merrin mostly chipped as a Wolf Knight and even when I got her into Warrior, she still was chipping (occasionally, she would one-shot fliers with the Radiant Bow) because her damage wasn't good enough and she was under the level curve. Plus, her hit rates were shaky for a good amount of time. However, I wanted her to be more so I kept feeding her kills whenever I could and I gave her Eirika after I got Marth back. With Eirika, she could sometimes do some great damage with a Brave Axe (and Eirika's damage boost helped her hit some one-round thresholds with a bow on magical enemies, that's how low her damage output was). But once she got access to Sieglinde, she could finally one-round some endgame enemies due to effective damage.

Stat Boosters: One Speedwing

• Thief Zelkov (Byleth): Bought a Short Knife just for him because I didn't want this unlucky guy to get randomly crit if he faced any combat, but in hindsight with all the luck that Byleth provides, maybe that wasn't necessary. Byleth on a covert gives +5 speed when Instructing and after a Goddess Dance and considering that I cannot inherit Speed+X on my characters, I knew I was going to need the speed buff since the speed thresholds get really high on Maddening. In the end, that speed buff wasn't needed for my primary carries (Kagetsu and Pandreo) until Ch. 20, but after that, it really was needed. Pandreo caps speed in Mage Knight at 31 (so with a speed tonic, Special Dance from Seadall, and Chaos Style activated, Pandreo can only naturally double enemies that are at 34 speed or below) and Kagetsu caps speed in Warrior at 35 (so with a speed tonic, Special Dance from Seadall, and while Engaged with Roy, Kagetsu can only naturally double enemies that are at 38 speed or below). From what I saw, enemy speed can reach up to 44 so that Instruct was absolutely needed so that they could double enemies up to 39 or 43 speed respectively.
  
• Dancer Seadall (Sigurd): I don't think there's much to say about Seadall except that I put Sigurd on him because I only have one Canter to give out and having it on a dancer felt like the most useful. I can't use Override, but that's a small price to pay for the flexibility in positioning for Goddess Dances.
  
• Sage Citrinne (Corrin): Citrinne replaced Celine's role as an early game carry after Celine's death. While she only really had one map to shine (Ch. 11), she really did shine in that map. I luckily had the foresight to get a melee weapon proficiency on Citrinne in case I needed to make her a Mage Knight. I could've promoted her to Sage, but I compared the stats and saw that Mage Knight Citrinne would double a lot of enemies on Ch. 11's map and that's what I needed at the time. Citrinne put in a lot of work that map, immediately one-rounding the first axe fighter (if not for Roy's Hold Out). I had Citrinne stay in Mage Knight for several chapters as she was my best option for a magical carry for some time (Pandreo was stuck in High Priest for several chapters while having Lucina equipped before he can reclass) and her performance was pretty good. If I kept using her for combat and gave her resources like Lyn, I feel she would've turned out great. But in the end, Citrinne reclassed to Sage once I got Corrin because she was one of my few units that could be in a Mystical class (no tome proficiency to work towards either for a long time) and pivoted into a support role after that (which was my intention with Celine once I reached that point). She was great nonetheless. Corrin on a Mystical unit is a tried and true combo that I really like because it means being able to debuff and freeze enemies in place from three range (especially important now that I don't have Canter), and the Fire Dragon Vein is the most useful one imo. In all honesty, I didn't use the Fire Dragon Vein much to ward enemies off. My combat carries were strong enough that I rarely needed it. As such, it was mostly spammed to raise Corrin's bond rank. But it was still great to have that option in my back pocket in case I needed it.
  
• Griffin Knight Lapis: Lapis replaced Chloe, but not as well as Citrinne replaced Celine. I couldn't really use Lapis much in combat because she had to have Micaiah equipped to get staff proficiency in the early game. I think I messed up and didn't focus enough on leveling Lapis's bond rank with Micaiah because she had to keep Micaiah all the way until Ch. 11 to get the proficiency. But tbf to myself, I nearly lost the run on Ch. 8 so leveling up bond rank wasn't on the forefront of my mind. By Ch. 11, there was no real justification I could make to try to make her combat work. As like any other staff user, she did her job.
  
• Cupido Fogado: I was unable to get Fogado off the ground in this playthrough. He was alright up to around when I did Roy's Paralogue as he could still one-shot the Wyverns there with a Radiant Bow even if his hit rates were in the 70s (had to just make sure to have a backup plan if he did miss, which he did a few times); but soon after that, I couldn't consistently find ways to have him contribute and he was left in the dust. I still brought him into the final chapter because maybe some of the chip damage he could do to fliers would help and I felt like I had enough staff users (he actually was helpful in two occasions on the final map!).
  
• Lindwurm Ivy (Ike): I probably would've used Ivy as a carry if not for the fact that she faces crit from nearly every enemy. Her inaccuracy with tomes is a problem as well, but I didn't need her to chip too often. Essentially, no engravings to fix these issues meant she was relegated to staff duty. She did her job and I think throughout this playthrough she had higher offensive staff hit rate (Freeze, Fracture) than Hortensia most of the time, though it wasn't by a significant amount. After midgame, Ike eventually went on Ivy mainly because I have just one source of Reposition (I really missed not being able to put this skill on most of my support units) and I wanted it on a flier.
  
• Slepnir Rider Hortensia (Micaiah): Nothing to really say about this as it's as standard and straightforward as can be. She and Citrinne had held a Surge tome just in case I needed someone with 100% accuracy to finish off an enemy (this did happen a couple of times this playthrough).
  
• Griffin Knight Mauvier (Leif): He's a staff user that can luckily take a few hits because he did need to survive a few in my playthrough. I put Leif on him because Leif wasn't doing much on anyone else after the midgame. But then again, it didn't much on Mauvier either besides being used to Quadruple Strike the Dark Bishop on the final map.
  
• Sage Veyle (Celica): I kinda messed up because I didn't realize Veyle had access to S tomes in her Fell Child class and the main thing I wanted to do was use her with Nova. I could've saved myself the trouble of reclassing, but in the end, it was okay because reclassing to Sage does increase Veyle's offensive stats. I do miss out on the Fell Child class skill (which is quite nice), but getting Celica Engage back is low priority anyway so the trade-off was fine. Since my team lacked a second source of magic damage, Veyle was helpful as someone who can do a lot of damage with magic. She didn't one-round a lot of enemies, but her performance was satisfactory.
  

Stat Boosters: One Seraph Robe, one Speedwing
In comments below, I detail my thoughts on the individual chapters if anyone's interested (starting from Ch. 6 since that's the first chapter where something actually happened and where I also had a clear goal in mind for the map). I never thought I would successfully complete this run so I don't have any screenshots to chronicle events from before Ch. 24-ish (also, I forgot to screenshot too many things). I unfortunately don't remember the exact details of the early/midgame chapters that well anymore, but I tried my best to recall whatever information I could. This is listed by the order I tackled the maps. A full turn count, playtime, and MVP list is here.

Reddit Account: u/MevilMevil
Discord Tag: Mevil#7118
Name and House: Wulfgor, Father of Thousands
Age: 56
Cultural Group: Free Folk
Appearance: He has a face hollowed out and marked by several wounds, long gray hair, an unkempt beard, and a mustache gathered in two braids. His physique is sculpted despite his age, forged by years of fighting and night running. His hands are large and his attitude is that of an inflexible leader with little inclination to forgive
Trait: Inspiring
Skill(s): THW (e), Tactician, Vanguard (e), Outrider, Footwork (e)
Talent(s): Standing in the cold with light clothes, Staring menacingly, Fathering Sons
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Chieftain of the Nightrunners
Starting Location: With the rest of the Free folk
Alternate Characters: Eden Oakheart, Gynir Greyjoy, Morgan Uller, Ilyn Crakehall, Luceon Lipps
Family Tree:
8 wives - 3 alive / 5 dead 52 sons - 31 males/21 females 39 alive/13 dead
BIOGRAPHY
We run in the night
For life, for death, for the Gods
Wulfgor was born during a storm, amid the glacial cold and heavy snowfall.
He was the son of a Nightrunner among the less fortunate and valiant in his village, who had managed to gain a wife after years and years of night runs.
Nevertheless, Wulfgor survived and grew up admiring and respecting the fastest and most tireless runners.
He ran in broken and ruined shoes, quickly worn out by the rough terrain he explored daily.
Running for the Gods
He was taught the way of his people, and Wulfgor diligently and inflexibly learned the dictates and mysteries of the Nightrunners.
He learned that by day one had to walk, one had to be strong and sure in the light; but as soon as dusk came one had to run, take with the spear what was necessary, and run away.
The demons of the night were dangerous, and those who did not run were caught.
These legends remained imprinted like fire in the mind of Wulfgor, who from that moment decided that he would become the best among his people.
His trust in the Old Gods was deep, and the first reason he ran was for them.
Running for Death
Years went by, and on turning 18 Wulfgor managed to win his first wife, who by tradition was left to the most powerful warrior.
Immediately she bore him a son, who was named Brogg in honor of the Chieftain who instructed Wulfgor and commanded the night runs.
He ran even faster than the others, and before long the number of wives and children increased.
A turning point in his life was the War of Ice and Fire, in which Chieftain Brogg was killed.
Taking up the axe of his late mentor, he faced in a duel a man who was standing out as one of the most powerful in the battle, Jeor Forrester.
Wulfgor managed to wound that Black Crow's eye, but they were interrupted before the fight was over.
Since that day he has held tightly in his heart the desire to face him again, to have a definite ending.
Wulfgor ran again for many years, carrying his axe and raids against all the peoples of the Free Folk.
His power was unstoppable, the second reason to run was death.
Running for Life
Wulfgor quickly became the new Chieftain, continuing his usual life and instructing his sons in the way of the Nightrunners.
In time he came to forget even their number, along with details of his past life.
His mind began to be less clear, and his bursting strength became less fulminant.
His daughter Seryn began to help him because of her formidable memory, standing by his side and learning to lead the Nightrunners' raids along with him.
Quickly his children grew in age, and many of them distinguished themselves by their prodigious abilities.
Holly for her healing talents, Brogg for his strength, Arrow with the bow, Dan for his charisma, Lancia for her accuracy and agility with the spear, Robb for his hand speed, and Yogg...
He loved even Yogg, although he was unable to do anything.
The last of his wives was Yarsa, who gave birth to the last of his children recently.
Wulfgor is now a different man, running for his people and his family to keep everyone safe.
The last reason he ran was for life.
TIMELINE
144 AC - Wulfgor is born, only son of Vekkon
150 AC - He starts running in impervious places, wearing out all his shoes and hurting himself several times
152/162 - Chieftain Brogg teaches him the way of the Nightrunners, preparing him to become his successor
165 - The War of Ice and Fire, Wulfgor obtains his mighty two-handed axe and maims Jeor Forrester in combat
167 - Wulfgor becomes the Chieftain of the Nightrunners and he continues fathering a new generation of strong sons
173/185 - Twelve years of night runs increase his prestige and combat experience, but cause the resentment of the majority of the people beyond the Wall
190 - Wulfgor begins to forget details of his life, such as the names of his sons or wives; the only memories that do not slowly disappear are those related to his night runs and the war
195 - Seryn begins to stand by his side, helping him remember details of his life
200 - His newest daughter is born, and he vows on the memory of his missing children to fight against the ice demons
NPCS

• Brogg / Warrior 38

First son of Wulfgor, strong and authoritative.
He is most loyal to his father and follows religiously whatever Wulgor says; the loss of his mother during his childhood is a wound he has not been able to overcome

• Seryn / General 19

Endowed with the finest intelligence and a memory bordering on perfection, Seryn has earned Wulfgor's trust and respect over time.
She has a bitter rivalry with Brogg, who is convinced that she manipulates her father by deceiving him and creating false memories in him.

• Holly / Medic 23

A pure and unspoiled soul, she loves nature and helping others with all her heart.
With her herbs and knowledge she is a key figure within her people, healing the wounded and assisting women about to give birth.

• Freccia / Marksman 19

Fire-red hair and a devilish mind, the uncontrollable daughter of Wulfgor prides herself on being the best with the bow.
Her words are venomous and she is convinced that being Wulfgor's daughter makes her worthy of unconditional admiration

• Dan / General 32

Soft eyes and warm words, Dan has always been able to convince minds with impressive ease.
Along with Brogg, he is one of the leading candidates to be his father's successor, although he prefers freedom to the narrow responsibilities of his path.

• Lancia / Warrior 18

"Should I be afraid of her?"
person naively walking toward his death
Lancia's prowess with any kind of weapon is uncanny, despite her inoffensive appearance her brothers quickly learned to fear and respect her.
She is the newest addition to their army, and a threat on the battlefield

• Robb / Bandit 34

Treacherous and untrustworthy, Robb is easily corruptible and despised by his brothers.
His plundering skills have often been useful, but he is always watched closely because of his treachery-prone nature.