Hello friends, I'm trying to create alternate history maps, and I only use Paint (the only one I can use). However, I'm struggling with adding locations, such as dots indicating cities, in the case, when I see other imaginary maps (or real maps), there are always locations, and dots indicating cities AB capitals, however, I'm not being able to add those. I'm sure that the paint tool to create a circle isn't the answer, It doesn't look like the other maps i've seen here. Can someone help?
if possible, imagine that a 5 year old kid, or someone with the same intelligence level, is asking this.

Brace yourselves, this is gonna be a long one.
Table of Contents
1…… The Main Goal
2…… What I’m Seeking
3…… Personality
4…… Interests
5…… Physical Characteristics (with pics)
6…… Expectations of You
7…… Living Situation
8…… Deal Breakers
9…… Closing Remarks
(1)
The Main Goal:
Well if you’re browsing this subreddit then much like me, you were alone this weekend and I’m sure you’d like to change that as much as me. I won’t lie, I am going through a rough part of my life right now. It’s difficult for me to find the energy for anything at the moment and I’m just really seeking affection in general, anything that will give me a push. I don’t want to be that person who brings everyone down but I could really use someone to talk to right now. I’d really like to find someone who’s similar to me so much to the point that we do everything together and talk about everything while not having to pretend to be interested. I want someone with whom we can mutually spew our emotions onto and have those feelings reciprocated. Not an emotional punching bag, but an emotional teddy bear to hug and cuddle until everything feels better as many times as we need. There’s people who I’m sure have told you the same, they’ll be there no matter how many times you need the support, no matter how many times the insecurities and bad thoughts come back but they don’t mean it. I will be the exception, I’m not so ignorant to think some nice words and tales of relating to you will magically forever heal whatever ails you then get mad when you seek the same support again. Mental ailments are rarely temporary and I don’t care about someone because they’re perfect, caring about someone means being there no matter how many times they need you to be. It doesn’t feel like a chore, it doesn’t get old, and it never will.
(2)
(2.a)
What I'm Seeking:
I will upfront let you know if I’m clicking better with someone else or if you’re the one, I’m not here to tread the sea of fish or keep my options open, I’m here for one singular person.
(2.b)
Relationship:
A relationship is difficult for me right now, it’s been nearly half a year since I got out of my last relationship and the reasons for it ending are partially responsible for how I’ve been feeling and why it’s so hard for me to seek the comfort I so desperately crave. I will tell you about it but for the sake of not treating the entirety of the internet as my therapist, it’ll be in private. I really need the comfort of intimacy and the warmth of someone who cares. I'm not going to feel better if I just sulk and don’t move on. This is my attempt to get better, I’ll admit I’m not great right now and I don’t expect you to be either. If we can help each other heal, then I’d be more than happy :) A relationship isn’t just being there for when someone’s at their best. Even if a relationship is hard at the moment, I do want a life partner and I don’t want to be alone. Things aren’t going to get easier without you so I don’t want to hesitate. I view my other as an equal, I don’t like categorizing us into specific roles. We take care of each other and treat each other how we like to be treated, whatever that is, it's as simple as that. I don't care if you're "successful" or not, living simple lives with our days filled with love is the ultimate measure of success to me.
(3)
Personality:
(3.a)
On the Surface:
As you can tell I can be rather… stoic but that’s largely due to my current stressors, I truthfully am goofy and fun loving but I just can’t find it in me right now. I want to return to that but without someone to light up my world it’s been difficult to just have fun and enjoy stuff. I’m definitely more introverted, you won’t catch me at any parties or really outside at all. I definitely prefer being home though the occasional outing is not out of the question and one day I’d like to travel to other countries because I think that kind of perspective is important.
(3.b)
The Core of My Being:
I like being a spectator to it all and if we bear witness to humanity burning or its miraculous recovery, I want to watch it with you. I enjoy watching humanity advance, less so when it devolves but I want to watch it to the end nonetheless. I’m both a realist and someone who lives with my head in the clouds dreaming of scenarios or worlds that don’t exist. I’m saying that I enjoy a good narrative and can suspend my disbelief to enjoy something but you won’t catch me refusing vaccines or ignoring blatant facts for the sake of some pseudo science or witch doctor’s remedy. I’m an atheist but I do not rule out existence after death, not because I’m agnostic but because due to the nature of potentially infinite time at some point after how many googol years with a googol amount of 0s after that, something’s bound to replicate your consciousness perfectly at some point. It’s actually a really fascinating topic I like talking about. If infinite time and infinite possibilities exist, does non existence exist? Though that’s an awfully existentially dreadful thought process considering the ramifications of infinite existence and infinite possibilities during said infinite existence. I would say I’m confidently left leaning and I don’t think I could truly get along with anyone right leaning, at least America’s definition of right leaning. Left and right seems to have just become; do people deserve to suffer or do they deserve to live good lives? Being political is not something I expected to become but how can you not be when crimes against human rights are being passed on a daily basis and at the end of the day, everything’s political. Oftentimes I imagine the perfect moment as relaxing with my significant other playing games or cuddling in a cold room under blankets.
I value that special someone above all of the existential thoughts, the bad of the world, the good of the world, they practically become my world. So many worries wash away when I’m with them. I don’t know if that’s the defense mechanism my brain created to not feel bad 24/7 but if it is, I’m currently without it.
(3.c)
Insecurities:
I talk of philosophy and politics here but really I spend most of my time just playing games, watching stuff, and trying to not be sleep deprived. I’m also nowhere near as well spoken, heck sometimes I feel like my speech is broken. I won’t claim to be something I’m not, I sit at home while I complain about the world doing nothing about it wishing I had someone here with me. I’m not noble nor do I really want to be, I have morals I uphold but much like most other hypocrites I acknowledge that my comfortable life is built on the suffering of others without doing anything about it. Why? My sleep problems? Am I depressed? Is that why I have no energy to do anything? Do I just think nothing I could do could help? I can’t nail it down myself, maybe it’s a mix of everything, maybe I’m just a bad person. I have always told myself that if I had wealth I would help people but if I get that kind of wealth will I just become a wealth hoarder who tries to justify my riches as something I earned rather than something given to me through incredibly lucky circumstances? If I do help people is it because I’m a good person or out of guilt? Will I die alone? I feel like I drive everyone away with my clinginess, I get paranoid often and need reassurance often. It’s something I want to work on, something I’ve been trying to work on. Hearing that someone cares about me just never gets old. I value self awareness even if it’s painful.
(3.d)
Socializing:
I’m definitely a socially anxious/awkward mess, especially around strangers. I do feel a large amount of anxiety in public, people can’t tell by looking at my face since I kind of go stone faced in an attempt to block everything out but yeah you’ll notice that if we go out in public. Growing up my pediatrician said I was probably autistic, never got a formal diagnosis so that’s just great. But yeah that explains why I can’t make eye contact with people, I kinda just stare at the ground and avoid their gaze at all costs. A lot of these social struggles go away to a great degree once I know you for a bit but yeah I apologize for how terrible I am at socializing at first. Don’t let my social struggles fool you though, I love cuddling and being close with my person.
(3.e)
Sexuality:
I am a heterosexual male, though I’m not very masculine like at all. I may even be a bit feminine sometimes. Not that I believe any activity or manner of acting belongs to a gender but I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m definitely super affectionate and love it when my partner is too. I am open to dating demi people but I do have a libido so I don't think asexual would work out.
(4)
Interests:
(4.a)
Video Games:
As stated before, I do spend a lot of my time playing video games. It’s been hard lately with me having no energy but I really do want to play more games and have a good time playing them with you! I primarily play on PC though I do have a switch. I’m primarily into platform fighters, roguelikes, open world, survival, and sandbox games. As for single player story games, I enjoy watching them through twitch or youtube but for the most part I don’t play them myself. I’d watch you play them though!
Here’s a list of games we can play:
-Minecraft (Java)
-Risk of Rain 2
-Gunfire Reborn
-Roboquest
-7 Days to Die
-Phasmophobia
-Rust
-Unturned
-Bloons TD 6
-Platform fighters: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Slap City, Multiversus, Flash Party, Fraymakers
Whatever you want to play I’ll give it a shot! I will say that League bores me to death but I’ll play it for you :) I try to avoid MMOs, not because I don’t like them but because of how addicted I can get to them. I enjoy learning games in-depth so MMOs can be a fast track to addiction.
I recently got Kerbal Space Program 2 and ehhh not really worth it right now but hopefully later it will be? I’m super excited for Tears of the Kingdom! In the far off future I’m excited for Rivals of Aether 2 which is a platform fighter releasing in 2024, let me know of your most anticipated releases and I’ll see if I could play them with you!
Also I never got into FPS games but I could totally see myself playing like CoD with you or Escape From Tarkov. Any FPS really, I’m down.
I am a fan of Pokemon but with how things have been lately I don’t know how long that will last. Pixelmon is a common Pokemon mod I play for Minecraft if you want to play that! Also if I say I want to play something with you I mean it but there are often times when no matter how much I want to I'm just drained and can do little more than lay in bed so please don't think I'm making an excuse.
(4.b)
Science:
I really enjoy keeping up with the latest advances in pretty much everything, it could be biology, technology, astronomy, anything! I love seeing progression and I love talking about it! Really I could go on and on about what I’m obsessing about that day. I particularly love technology, ask me for my laptop specs I dare you. When I was little I always wanted to be a scientist of any kind but then insomnia and fear of college stuff hit me like a truck aaaand that’s the end of that dream.
(4.c)
Anime:
You got me, I like anime but I’d like to think my tastes are benign.
Here’s some of my favorites I can list from the top of my head:
- To Your Eternity
- Vinland Saga
- Spice and Wolf
- Re:Zero
- Mob Psycho
- Dr. Stone
- Attack on Titan
- Spy x Family
- My Hero Academia
- Ranking of Kings
- Demon Slayer
Okay I can go on and on but I will say I don’t like pointless fan service and the spamming of cliche anime moments. I mostly enjoy action and anything well animated if it doesn’t have a potato story. Heck Demon Slayer could be my top 3 out of season 2’s animation alone. I don’t watch slice of life often or romance but I would with you!
(4.d)
Misc:
I’m not going to go on and on about the tiniest little things when the main ones are covered but I’ll watch pretty much any show with you and anything really. I like random youtube videos that explain some kind of lore or mystery, sometimes mini documentaries too.
As for food I looove sushi and I’m a sucker for fast food. Okay and candy, definitely candy.
I used to play tennis but haven’t really had the opportunity nor friends to play it with and I’m way too socially anxious to seek it out. Also I will say that when we move to something like discord I type waaaay more casually. I’m not going to expect long paragraphs back and forth like we’re writing English papers for each other, I do enjoy long conversations but seriously don’t worry about having to put the utmost effort into every response, I just like making good first impressions I guess.
(5)
(5.a)
My Physical Characteristics:
I’m 5’8 (172cm), 128 pounds (58kg), with curly brown hair and blue eyes. I like keeping my hair long in the winter and cutting it in the summer. I’m pretty slim in general so if you’re looking for someone large, that’s not me. I don’t work out but my work is pretty physical so at least I’m not totally inactive. I don’t have the urge to work out or gain muscle but I do want to maintain my slim figure so if I start losing control of that I’ll work out. I like to keep my face shaved because I don’t think I look good with a beard/mustache so if you’re into those I apologize. I have an average amount of body hair? I’d prefer to be completely shaved but it’s easy to lose motivation with that battle, if you prefer shaved then I’d have no problem complying. Anyways here’s what I look like: https://imgur.com/a/MZZgf2t
(5.b)
My Physical Preferences:
Having physical preferences makes me feel shallow, if I could make myself not have them I would but unfortunately that’s now how that works. I don’t care if you’re shorter or taller than me and I don’t care if you weigh more or less than me. All I ask is that you’re slim-average weight. I would never ask for someone to be something I’m not. I don’t care about tattoos or piercings.**(6)Expectations of You (Relationship Only):**I am not looking for someone “exciting” or someone to “keep me on my toes” I’m not looking for someone to cater to my every whim or anything like that. I don’t care if you’re “boring” or if you aren’t “successful”. I know it’s a common thing for people to not want a “boring” relationship and to seek something argumentative or something with constant challenges but I just want to be with you. During the exciting times, the boring times, and everything in-between, all of it will be great with you! Maybe we do argue sometimes or maybe there will be challenges but that will never be something I purposefully seek out and I don’t want that to be something you seek out either. I will not play tricks on you and I will not play mind games, I expect the same from you. We all have personal measures of success we may or may not have lived up to but what I care about most is our commitment to each other. If we have each other we can get through tough times, near the ends of our lives I want us to look back and feel that this life together was worth more than anything. That’s not saying I want us to be haphazard, I don’t want us to make poor decisions for the sake of yolo and I want us to always be rational, especially with each other. I want you to be someone I can trust to make decisions and weigh the options with a level head, I’ll try my best to live up to the same for you. Most of all I want empathy, understanding, someone to feel the utmost comfort and trust in.
(7)
Living Situation:
Currently my life is pretty relaxed, I work 3 times a week as a night shift stocker. I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment with my roommate but we’re looking to move into someplace larger by the end of the year if everything works out. The internet is weirdly great for Ohio too like I have fiber and later this year we’re supposed to be getting dedicated fiber so that’s neat. I’m not attached to Ohio so the ultimate goal living location wise is probably moving to a country that won’t send you into a lifetime of dealing with the repercussions from one medical emergency.
(8)
Deal Breakers:
Might as well make this simple and make it a list.
- Anti-vaxxers
- Unironically believing astrology
- Right wingers
- Hard drugs (occasional 420 and alcohol is fine, may even join you)
- Wanting children, there was a time when I was younger when I wanted children but with the state of the word that’s a definite no and I feel like I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress. I’d love a stress free life with as much time with you as possible.
- Homophobic
- Transphobic
- Racist
- Super Religious
- Don’t be a bigot and don’t deny facts.
(9)
Closing Remarks:
Well you made it, I was thinking that finding someone I’d be willing to put a lifetime of effort into at least required this much effort. If I think of anything more I’ll update the post. Also about timezones, it really doesn’t matter where in the world you are. I don’t have a sleep schedule and I have most of the week off from work so it really doesn’t matter.
I request that in your response you do put effort into it, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near as long as this but at least enough so I know that you read this and enough about you so I know why you saw potential compatibility. I will seriously read all of it and respond the best I can. I do also request a pic included in your response (sfw please) or one soon after we start talking to prove identity, I’ll send identity proving pics too. As long as this post is up, you can send a reply!

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Noida, a bustling city in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India, has witnessed tremendous growth and development in recent years. With its strategic location and excellent connectivity to Delhi and other major cities, Noida has become a thriving hub for businesses and commercial activities. The city offers a plethora of commercial properties that provide numerous benefits for collaboration and networking. In this article, we will explore the advantages of commercial property in Noida and highlight some prominent projects that offer excellent opportunities for businesses. So, if you're looking to buy or invest in commercial property in Noida, read on!
Commercial property in Noida offers several advantages for businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals. One of the key benefits is the opportunity for collaboration and networking. In today's competitive business landscape, collaboration is crucial for success. Commercial properties in Noida provide a conducive environment that fosters collaboration and networking among businesses and professionals from diverse industries. These properties offer shared spaces, common areas, meeting rooms, and coworking spaces, creating opportunities for individuals and organizations to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas.
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1. World Trade Tower Noida: Located in Sector 16, the World Trade Tower (WTT) is a state-of-the-art commercial property that offers world-class infrastructure and amenities. With its prime location and exceptional facilities, WTT Noida becomes a preferred destination for businesses and professionals looking for a vibrant and collaborative workspace. The tower provides ample networking opportunities, thanks to its diverse tenant mix and networking events.
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3. Bhutani Cyberthum: Bhutani Cyberthum Noida in Sector 140A is a futuristic commercial project that combines innovation, technology, and sustainability. This project offers a unique blend of commercial spaces, retail outlets, and coworking spaces, fostering collaboration and networking among professionals and businesses. Bhutani Cyberthum also organizes regular networking events, seminars, and workshops to facilitate interactions and knowledge-sharing.
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6. Bhutani Techno Park: Bhutani Techno Park in Sector 127 is a technologically advanced commercial project that caters to the needs of IT and technology-driven businesses. This project provides well-designed office spaces, conference rooms, and collaborative areas, facilitating networking and knowledge exchange among like-minded professionals. Bhutani Techno Park also offers a range of amenities, including cafes, fitness centers, and recreational facilities, promoting a healthy work-life balance.
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Feeling Xenophobic lately... time for a story!
(First Fanfic on the sub! Feedback appreciated.
Memory Transcription Subject: Harold K. Clarkson, UN mobile headquarters comms officer
Date: [Standard human time] October 17, 2136
It wasn’t enough… for days our forces hounded away at this nightmare trying to stop it from reaching us… in and out of warp constantly, needing to stop at checkpoints where we blasted all the ships we could. But despite all our best efforts nothing we did was enough… and now? We have genocide approaching our doorstep.
There are so many of them, and they’re closing in fast with the intent to kill people that have done nothing but want to help them… they claim that this is all “Inatala’s will”, a “Righteous act against the predator menace”. I can’t believe this is happening, I can’t understand how the universe decided to simply go about and give us this fucking filth…
I didn’t like the response I saw at Noah’s Summit of Aafa. There were too many species.
Not the fact that there was 300…
Sorry… 299...
Species that saw humanity as so much of a blight… that 24 of the entire collection of species are going to slaughter us, for all their “empathy”, are going to attack us intending to bring us to ashes…
Oh God, please be with us… They’re closing in, but all our guns are trained on them they’re gearing up their plasma lances to attack us, but they’re not too high in terms of numbers, we might stand a fair chance against them, it’s not like we’re alone… The Venlil, or at least their government, have sent us support in aiding in our defense… they were fearful folk, but they had the potential to really help us kick those bird-brain’s beaks straight into the-...
… No…
This isn’t happening…
This comms chatter is absolute chaos right now, Ladar detection systems are showing that 67% of the Venlil’s forces are breaking away from formation… Reading the chatter I see messages like, “I’m not fighting the Krakotl for a predator’s life”, “This isn’t worth it”, "We're meant to defend the republic! Not the predator savages!”
…
The exterminator’s fleet has us within their firing range, and unleash their plasma Lances full force into our formation, the blasts are visible from our viewport, and we return to sender all we can… but with the Venlil’s forces gone, we are far more outgunned than was acceptable… We launched everything we had in the magazines, we fired our railguns as fast as we physically could, but no matter how much we tried, bombs were beginning to run through our defenders.
We couldn’t do anything about it, we were outnumbered 2-1…
Well, looking at the comms chatter we were actually outgunned even more… the 33% that didn’t flee with the other Venlil Forces were practically flailing about, I could hear them screaming in fear through the comms chatter. They barely resemble anything coherent enough for the translator to properly… translate.
This is so much worse… so much worse than anything I could ever conceive… The terminal was beginning to flood with information regarding where bombs were dropping on our capitals, our major cities, our bunkers… they targeted the largest populations with each bomb. They were determined to see us extinct, rather than the actual predators responsible for all of their problems. They thought it was oh so genius to rally behind the flag of their WORTHLESS GODDESS and see us fall despite us not doing ANYTHING TO THEM!
So many bombs… so many cities… Our surface to air defense isn’t enough to stop all the bombs dropping! Soon enough there won’t be any surface to air defenses! Why us?! WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS?! I can’t take this!
This shouldn’t have happened when the Odyssey’s grand journey took place! Extraterrestrial life shouldn’t be this moronic! This is illogical! To think all predators were evil when they only met one? ONE? And to use them as an example? The worst of the worst… comparing us to those baby-eating-Nazi-Gators?!
I can’t help but cry, others join me as we watch as all our achievements, all our culture, our history, is being wiped before our very eyes…
…
…
Why is it like this?
WHY LIKE THIS!
This whole situation could have gone so much better! I’m not even talking about how our first contact could have been actually competent ETs! If those Venlil weren’t such cowardly brainwashed fucks! If they weren’t such racist fools! If they weren’t so… so…
Herd-like…
…
…
…
I hope all this filth burns in a hell of our own making… that is what they all deserve…
Burn! BURN!!!
BUUUURRR-
Error: Memory transcription Failure… Emotional imbalance disruption…
Likely emotion for failure: Wrath
(It's shorter than I expected for a first Chapter... Sorry, I'm still trying to figure out my Rhythm...)

No one can ever predict a Bill Belichick draft.
When people start assuming he’ll act based on his stereotypes (first-round trade down, OL early, no early WRs, all Alabama players or small school guys or guys from Rutgers), he’ll do the opposite. When the consensus is that he’ll shift away from those stereotypes, he’ll lean right into them.
So in observing mock drafts, both full and team-centric, there was a lot of accord that he would follow those stereotypes. (Adam Korsak, both a punter and from Rutgers, was EVERYWHERE.)
But then the end of April came.
Before then, New England had suffered a 2022 season full of embarrassment, from Matt Patricia and Joe Judge’s ineptitude at running the offense to a team that seemed to find new ways to lose in humiliating fashion (a certain ill-fated lateral sequence peak among them). The Patriots went from their dynastic reign as a team which would trounce their opponents in laughers to the team that everyone pointed and laughed at. Mac Jones’ Patricia- and Judge-sparked regression along with impressive cameo appearances by ‘22 rookie Bailey Zappe split the fanbase into Mac and Zappe camps, with sports media fueling the flame by spreading or outright fabricating rumors of Belichick shopping Mac, rumors which lasted through the first day of the draft. It was an ugly season and an uglier start to the offseason.
The franchise clearly needed to make changes in 2023, and changes started near the top. Patricia and Judge lost their roles, the former joining the Eagles coaching staff and the latter moving to lead special teams, a necessary move as this Belichick-led squad had plummeted to the lowest-ranked third unit. (More on that later.) Patricia had filled the dual roles of de facto offensive coordinator and facto offensive line coach, and filled both roles with the acumen of me designing plays in Backyard Football 2002, except I could actually design plays that resulted in touchdowns. Judge had manned the quarterbacks room, and given that Daniel Jones finally broke out for the Giants once Judge had been booted from mentoring him, you can guess how that went for Mac and the Pats. In his new role in charge of special teams, he has already cost the team two OTAs and Bill Belichick $50,000 for an offseason meetings violation, and has elevated his 2022 title of Co-Most Hated Man in Foxboro to Single Most Hated Man in Foxboro.
Anyway, New England needed to fill their old roles, and brought in:
Bill O’Brien, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach A long-time friend of Belichick’s, O’Brien returns for his second stint as Pats OC, having dictated the offense in Rob Gronkowski’s record-setting 2011 season. Additionally, O’Brien comes by way of running the offense and the QB room at the University of Alabama, which spawned Mac Jones. Mac regressed in 2022 after an impressive 2021, but recall that 2022 was under the abysmal leadership of Patricia (calling his plays) and Judge (his direct coach), a situation in which no one could develop. By bringing in his old OC and QB coach, Mac has been put in the best possible position to develop in ‘23, a position which will much more clearly give fans a vision of his future as an NFL quarterback. (And the playcalling will be legitimate! It’s been but a year and we have already forgotten what creativity, route concepts, and misdirection have looked like!)
Adrian Klemm, Offensive Line Coach Belichick’s first draft pick after taking the helm in New England in 2000, Klemm has joined the team after coaching at Oregon last year. He comes with a strong reputation at that coaching position, having headed a Ducks O-line that allowed just five sacks in 2022. Last season, the Patriots saw a regression from their veterans on the line, most notably in Trent Brown’s newfound flag-happiness, and first-round rookie guard Cole Strange put forth a mixed performance. Bringing in an actual offensive line coach gives the team the best chance to fix any issues that showed in ‘22 and to develop their young linemen.
Of course, coaching was not the only issue last season, as New England was criticized for their lack of talent on the roster. Of New England’s high-cash free agent class of 2021, only edge rusher Matthew Judon shined in both his seasons in Foxboro: neither tight end Jonnu Smith nor wideout Nelson Agholor ever got off the ground, tight end Hunter Henry regressed after a solid ‘21, and wideout Kendrick Bourne found himself suddenly in Patricia’s doghouse and off the field. Moves needed to be made as the calendar turned to free agency.
Notable Departures
S Devin McCourty (retired) The most prominent departure from the ‘22 squad, McCourty is one of many who can be termed a quintessential Patriot. A first-round cornerback out of Rutgers in 2010, D-Mac made the switch to safety in 2012 and locked down the position for the next decade. When he was on the verge of leaving the team in free agency in 2015, even reaching out to Belichick to say goodbye, Belichick signed him to a top-valued safety contract and kept him in red, white, and blue. His leadership and personality made him a joy to watch on the field and off, his personality showing itself especially well recently through interactions with his twin brother Jason, who played alongside him for the Patriots from 2018 to ‘20. Statistically, D-Mac ends his career with 35 interceptions, one shy of the franchise record, and 4 touchdowns (two picks, a kickoff return, and a blocked field goal return). We miss him already.
P Jake Bailey (released; signed with Miami) What a drop. After an All-Pro season in 2020, Bailey signed a four-year extension in 2022 only to become the worst statistical punter in the league. After he was injured, the Patriots brought in Michael Palardy, who managed to be even worse (personally, I blame the team’s curse that comes with the jersey number 17). Neither punter remains with the team, Bailey joining an AFC East rival in the Dolphins and Palardy currently unsigned.
TE Jonnu Smith (traded to Atlanta) There is a strong case to be made that Smith is the worst free agency signing Belichick has made as Pats GM. In the two years since inking a 4-year, $50 million deal, Smith totaled just 55 catches for 539 yards and one touchdown, and a ‘22 restructure of his contract meant that Smith appeared to be a monetary albatross the Patriots would not be able to shake loose. What led to Atlanta agreeing to take on his whole contract, sending New England a seventh-round pick to get the player, I have no idea, but I think every Pats fan would agree that Smith didn’t work out in the least and a change was best for all sides.
WR Jakobi Meyers (signed with Las Vegas) Meyers’ departure was somewhat shocking, as the 2019 UDFA had worked his way up to the top of the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart. More of a big slot guy than an outside #1, Meyers had a minor role in his rookie season and started 2020 at the bottom of the depth chart, but injuries to the players above him got him onto the field, and a 12-catch, 169-yard performance against the Jets that November meant he wasn’t leaving it anytime soon. While not possessing top-tier speed or explosiveness, Meyers was the team’s best route runner and separator, and his departure left another void that needed to be filled.
QB Brian Hoyer (released, signed with Las Vegas) Hoyer was third on the depth chart, Zappe having shown enough to take the #2 spot. While a fine veteran mentor, the Patriots chose to go a different direction with that third QB role.
WR Nelson Agholor (signed with Baltimore) Agholor was given a two-year contract in 2021 with the anticipation of his being the #1 receiver, something which did not happen due to his unreliable hands and separation abilities. For those two years and $22 million, Agholor produced 68 catches, 835 yards, and five touchdowns. Not worth it.
RB Damien Harris (signed with Buffalo) By far the most productive member of the Patriots’ atrocious 2019 draft class, Harris was good in New England but had been passed on the depth chart by sophomore Rhamondre Stevenson midway through 2022. Couple that with Belichick’s predilection to let running backs walk instead of giving them second contracts, sprinkle in a dash of two ‘22 draft picks (Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris) who will get more opportunities in 2023, top it off with the return of Ty Montgomery II from injured reserve, and it’s no surprise that Harris is no longer a Patriot.
T Isaiah Wynn (signed with Miami) Another former first-round pick, Wynn was all right as a left tackle though was criticized for frequent injury problems; with his fifth-year option picked up for ‘22, he was inexplicably switched to right tackle, where he was very bad. He never really earned the role of franchise tackle, so it was expected that the Patriots would let him walk.
But on the upside, the team now has:
Additions
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (via Kansas City) After Meyers signed with the Raiders, the Patriots worked quickly to bring in his replacement in the slot. Smith-Schuster revived his career in Kansas City and is now in position to be a primary target for Mac for the next three seasons, possessing more explosiveness and speed than his predecessor. The biggest concern with JuJu is his durability, but I believe the Patriots have made preparations in the draft (spoiler) in case that becomes a significant problem. The fanbase is excited for Smith-Schuster on the field in Foxboro, and deservedly so.
RB James Robinson (via New York (the green side)) A one-time breakout UDFA in Jacksonville, Robinson’s role diminished with the rise of Travis Etienne Jr.; after being traded to the Jets, Robinson never got settled into a role. In New England, Robinson is likely first in line for the #2 RB spot behind Stevenson, an important role given that Stevenson’s overwork saw his productivity decline as last season came to an end. Robinson also possesses the pass-catching versatility that Belichick loves, a role Harris was never used in but Stevenson is, further suggesting he can have a significant spot on the field for the Pats.
TE Mike Gesicki (via Miami) As Smith never worked out as the co-#1 TE, here comes Gesicki. A pure pass catcher at the position, Gesicki has the size and hands to be a reliable target in the red zone, and should pair nicely with Henry for a potential TE-heavy formation as the team approaches the goal line.
T Riley Reiff (via Chicago) T Calvin Anderson (via Denver) While neither comes with the contract expectation of being a long-term solution at either tackle spot, the hope is that Reiff (expected to start at RT) will be an upgrade over Wynn, while Anderson serves as a reliable swing tackle who can start if needed.
LB Chris Board Jr. (via Detroit) Remember that awful special teams unit? Board is one of the NFL’s top special teamers, a player Belichick singled out when New England faced the Lions last year. It’s unsurprising he brought in such a veteran to help solidify the unit after… just all of last year.
QB Trace McSorley (via Arizona) By bringing in McSorley in Hoyer’s stead, the team is showing a bit of a shift in philosophy with how it is using its backup QB spots. Both Mac and Zappe are pocket passers; McSorley does most of his work outside the pocket and can run with regularity, a trend more common among top-level quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. At minimum, he’s worth a camp spot, and that’s fine.
P Corliss Waitman (via Denver) Following the implosion of Bailey and Palardy at punter, the Patriots were on the verge of entering the draft with none on the roster. Waitman is a veteran addition there, but pretty much everyone expected New England to add a punter either as a draft pick or UDFA. (Another spoiler – my bad.)
After this free agency, many saw the Patriots as still having holes at the top of their depth chart at wideout, tackle, and cornerback. Tight end was also considered a need as New England, despite adding Gesicki to pair with Henry, does not have a tight end signed beyond 2023, entering the draft with only Matt Sokol and Scotty Washington behind their name duo.
Then they went on the clock, entering the draft with:
1-14 2-46 3-76 4-107 4-117 4-135 6-184 6-187 6-192 6-210 7-245
Here’s how it all went down.
Draft Picks
TRADE: 1-14 to PIT for 1-17 and 4-120 Although this trade was criticized for receiving too little back from Pittsburgh, it was not a major loss in capital according to the Rich Hill value chart (325 points to PIT, 320 to NE), and it came with enough high-level talent on the board that the Patriots were sure to get one of their targets. The way the board fell, fans most wanted Christian Gonzalez, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers, or Broderick Jones; when the Steelers took Jones, it became clear that the Patriots were not interested in him (reports came out that the Patriots had not been interested in Jones at all due to coachability concerns), but they were sure to land an exciting player after moving down only three spots rather than the seven-plus many mockers had predicted. Additionally, the Steelers landing Jones appeared to knock the Jets’ war room for a loop (though later video has shown that the Jets were expecting the trade), and the only thing New England fans love more than a victory is an opportunity to screw over the Jets.
1-17: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon The Patriots’ selection of Gonzalez received universal acclaim, and it’s easy to see why. Despite having strong CB depth, the Patriots lacked a true #1 corner; Gonzalez has the ability, length, and athleticism to be that from Day One. The first-round pick via Colorado and Oregon was widely projected as a top-10 selection, so for New England to land him at 17 is a tremendous coup. From his interviews and his play style, Gonzalez seems like a quiet guy off the field who wants to shut the opponent down when on the turf. He’ll be fun to watch.
2-46: Keion White, ED, Georgia Tech White is another player falling under the new Patriots draft umbrella under Belichick and Matt Groh: as athletic as can be. While he is raw, White has the athleticism to play three downs along the defensive line and the versatility to move inside when the situation calls for it. The Patriots thought so highly of him that he was a player they were considering drafting in the first round, even considering a move back into the last picks of the round to snag him, but landed him at 46 anyway. How much he will play as a rookie is uncertain as New England has a very good edge duo in Matthew Judon and Josh Uche, but even if White has to take a year to get acclimated to the NFL, that’s not unheard of in Foxboro and has produced success for highly-touted picks: neither Nate Solder (first round) nor Trey Flowers (fourth round) took on long-term starting roles as rookies (though Solder filled in at right tackle plenty), but were established starters in their second years. Similarly, Uche (second round) started off as an occasionally-used part of a pass rushing rotation before hitting double-digit sacks last year, his third season in the league. And if White earns significant playing time in 2023, all the better.
3-76: Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State* Here’s that small-school selection that detractors tend to point at regarding Belichick, but Mapu has elite potential. I got tipped off to Mapu late in the pre-draft cycle, and watching film of him I was reminded a lot of Kyle Dugger, another small-school Day 2 player who has turned into an excellent Patriot. Mapu is going to play linebacker, likely his best position, and fill the role of coverage ‘backer that New England has lacked for several seasons. He’s also athletic and scheme-versatile, having spent time at safety and linebacker while at Sacramento State, so he will be able to move around the defensive formation if the situation calls for it. Add to that his tackling, his closing speed, and his containment, and you’ve got yourself a potential stud.
4-107: Jake Andrews, C, Troy The Patriots need their future long-term center with David Andrews now 31 and having an injury history, and Jake Andrews (unrelated) is set up perfectly to be that guy. Andrews the Younger is built in the same mold as Andrews the Elder: both exited college as smaller in stature than other centers but able to get a push on defensive linemen from below, meaning Jake can easily learn specific bits of technique from David. While not expected to play the role immediately, [anagram: Ned Was a Jerk] is now in position to spend time behind [anagram: Swan Diver Dad], preparing himself to take over at center in the near future.
TRADE: 4-120 and 6-184 to NYJ for 4-112 4-112: Chad Ryland, K, Maryland This is not the first time Belichick has selected a kicker in the fourth round, selecting Stephen Gostkowski with pick 118 in 2006; with the Patriots in desperate need for a strong player at the position, moving up to make sure they could land him makes sense (especially with Jake Moody being selected by the 49ers at 3-99). And Ryland is what Nick Folk is not: a big-legged kicker with kickoff ability. Folk has been appreciated in New England for his accuracy, but his distance and accuracy notably declined in 2022, and when forced to kick off, his lack of touchback distance led to trouble, the Patriots surrendering a league-high three kick return touchdowns (including two in the season finale). It’s clear an upgrade at kicker was a requirement this offseason; with Moody gone, giving up a sixth to move up eight spots is absolutely fine. In doing so, New England has hopefully landed their kicker for the next decade.
4-117: Sidy Sow, G, Eastern Michigan At this point, it may be considered confusing for the Patriots to have drafted a left guard in Sow when last year’s first-round pick Cole Strange is entrenched there and Mike Onwenu mans right guard at an elite level, but Groh’s post-draft comments indicated the team would give Sow opportunities at left tackle as well. And not only does Sow have experience at left tackle, he has the size at 6’5” and 326 pounds. New England’s projected starting tackles are veterans Trent Brown and Riley Reiff, both of whom are over 30 and are in contract years; if Sow returns to the position, the former mauling EMU Eagle (heh, two birds) offensive lineman could ease the need at tackle for next offseason.
TRADE: 4-135 to LV for 5-144 and 6-214 5-144: Atonio Mafi, G, UCLA Another interior lineman? Yes. Mafi is a guard whom the Patriots worked with at the Shrine Bowl, and has the versatility to move between left and right guard. As the aforementioned Onwenu is in a contract year, Mafi has a clear path to a potential starting job in 2024, and the most important thing right now for the development of Mac Jones is keeping him upright. By selecting three offensive linemen – using a quarter of their 12 selections on the offensive trench – Belichick and Groh have signaled their intent to do just that. From all accounts, Mafi, who met with New England in a pre-draft visit, is thrilled to join the team; now it’s about proving it on the field.
6-187: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Boutte is the epitome of a boom-or-bust prospect, his elite 2020 and ‘21 being overshadowed by a disappointing 2022 that dropped him from clear first-rounder to a middle-of-Day-3 selection. As a freshman and sophomore, Boutte looked to follow in the footsteps of highly-drafted LSU wideouts such as Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Jefferson, and JaMarr Chase, showing a complete package of agility, speed, and route running. Unfortunately, an injury plus conflicts with his new coach Brian Kelly led to underperformance, and a poor combine performance cemented his draft stock as having drastically fallen. But if he can get back to his earlier form, where his talent and athleticism led to a combined 83 receptions, 1244 yards, and 14 touchdowns in his first two college seasons, Boutte could become the steal of the draft.
6-192: Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State While New England had signed Corliss Waitman so as to have a punter on the roster heading into the draft, none assumed he was the long-term answer; when the Patriots made Baringer the first punter taken in the 2023 draft, it became clear who was. A walk-on turned cut turned best punter in college football, Baringer has a booming leg that showed itself in an average punt length of 49.0 yards in ‘22; he also holds the Michigan State record for career punting average at 46.0 yards. As a bonus, he worked with Ryland at the Senior Bowl, so the two have already begun to develop chemistry in the holding game. As another bonus, he wore No. 99 in college, and that is awesome.
6-210: Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty When one imagines a typical Patriots slot receiver – small, shifty, and explosive with the ball in his hands – one might well be imagining Douglas. The five-foot-eight Liberty product can absolutely fly, moving all around the formation and catching balls at all levels of the field. New Englanders got a preview of what Douglas’ game might look like when rookie cornerback Marcus Jones began to take snaps on offense last year; Jones was often put in motion before the snap, worked out of the backfield, and assigned touches where his elusiveness was the spark to gain yards. Douglas has said he models his game after Jones, a claim that demonstrates itself when one views his collegiate tape. I had a third-round grade on Douglas, so the Patriots landing him at 210 is a thrill. (Even though the Giants took one of my draft crushes in Tre Hawkins III the pick before, for which I’m still irked.)
6-214: Ameer Speed, CB, Michigan State The unknown about Speed is whether he will develop on defense; that is not his skill at the moment. There are three things known: his size (6’3”, 210 lbs.), his speed (4.34s 40), and his special teams prowess. With longtime special teams captain Matthew Slater likely entering his last year, the Patriots need to develop a new crop of special teams standouts, long a hallmark of Belichick’s Patriots from the time of Larry Izzo. Last year’s UDFA Brenden Schooler looks like one of those players already; Speed will certainly be given every chance possible to be another.
7-245: Isaiah Bolden, CB, Jackson State More tall athletic cornerbacks! The only HBCU selection in the 2023 draft, Bolden is an incredible athlete who likely earned his way to a draft selection by lighting up his Pro Day. Though just a role player on defense, Bolden has developmental traits that any defensive coach would love, and has also been a top collegiate kick returner, leading all of college football in 2021 with a 36.9-yard average on kickoff returns. I don’t see the two late-round cornerback selections as “throw players on the field and see who sticks” à la the ill-fated dual tight end picks of Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in 2020’s third round, but selecting players who might have longer chances to succeed, but if they do succeed can truly shine.
Though Bolden was the last of the Patriots’ 2023 draft picks, that did not conclude their rookie class as the period of UDFA signings immediately began. The Patriots have had an undrafted rookie make the Week 1 roster every year since 2004; with just a four-man class this season, chances are slim. They’re not impossible – their only 2021 UDFA, kicker Quinn Nordin, made it – but they’re definitely slimmer. Here are the four who can continue that streak.
Undrafted Rookies
Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville The most expensive ($200,000) and well-known of the quartet, Cunningham’s slight build and arm as a quarterback led to piles of speculation of his switching positions. However, he has started off his Patriots tenure as a quarterback in rookie minicamp, so he remains a quarterback until further notice. Throughout college, Cunningham’s most intriguing asset has been his supreme athleticism at the position, something which showed up in testing, and it remains to be seen how the Patriots will use that athleticism to help the team. (It may be a good while until outside sources get a look, as minicamp and OTAs have thus far been closed off to the media.)
Johnny Lumpkin, TE, Louisiana-Lafayette After foregoing using a selection on a tight end in a deep draft class (another Belichick trend), New England instead brought in Lumpkin, who projects as a blocking tight end in the NFL. This offsets the biggest negative, his age (he’ll be 26 to start the season), as the Patriots lack a true blocker at the position. Whether Lumpkin can take advantage of this path to a roster spot remains to be seen, but his road to making the team as an undrafted rookie seems easiest at the moment.
Jourdan Heilig, LB, Appalachian State Like Board and Speed, Heilig joins the Patriots as a special teams standout, playing minimal defense as a Mountaineer (three snaps in 2022) but standing out in college on the third unit (210 snaps in 2022). He’ll have a chance to follow in the path of Schooler as a UDFA who makes his mark as a core special teamer.
Justus Tavai, DL, San Diego State The middle of the Tavai brothers (older brother Jahlani is a Patriots linebacker, younger brother Jonah signed with Seattle as a UDFA), Justus played alongside Jonah on the Aztec defensive line in 2022. While Jonah put up eye-popping numbers with double-digit sacks, Justus was a steady contributor as well, putting up 3.5 sacks and intercepting a pass. Tavai is the ninth man on the Patriots’ defensive line right now, so he has a difficult path if he wants to make the team.
He’s not an undrafted rookie, but the Patriots have also brought in veteran free agent Anthony Firsker, TE to compete with Lumpkin, Sokol, and Washington for the third tight end spot, the roster spot opened with their losing reserve Raekwon McMillan, LB to a partially torn Achilles tendon.
Projected Offseason Depth Chart (italics = rookie, (in parentheses = exclusively or primarily a special teamer)) (Note: the Patriots assign temporary jersey numbers in the offseason starting with 50 based mainly on draft position.)
QB 10 Mac Jones 4 Bailey Zappe 19 Trace McSorley 64 Malik Cunningham
RB 38 Rhamondre Stevenson 3 James Robinson 14 Ty Montgomery II 35 Pierre Strong Jr. 36 Kevin Harris 42 J.J. Taylor
WR 1 DeVante Parker 7 JuJu Smith-Schuster 84 Kendrick Bourne 11 Tyquan Thornton 58 Kayshon Boutte 60 Demario Douglas 82 Tre Nixon (44 Raleigh Webb) (18 Matthew Slater)
TE 85 Hunter Henry 88 Mike Gesicki 86 Anthony Firsker 87 Matt Sokol 17 Scotty Washington 65 Johnny Lumpkin
T 77 Trent Brown 74 Riley Reiff 76 Calvin Anderson 75 Conor McDermott 64 Andrew Stueber
G 71 Mike Onwenu 69 Cole Strange 54 Sidy Sow 55 Atonio Mafi 63 Chasen Hines 62 Bill Murray
C 60 David Andrews 53 Jake Andrews 65 James Ferentz 66 Kody Russey
DL 90 Christian Barmore 92 Davon Godchaux 91 Deatrich Wise Jr. 93 Lawrence Guy Sr. 95 Daniel Ekuale 98 Carl Davis Jr. 96 Sam Roberts 70 Jeremiah Pharms Jr. 67 Justus Tavai
ED 9 Matthew Judon 55 Josh Uche 51 Keion White 58 Anfernee Jennings (97 DaMarcus Mitchell) 51 Ronnie Perkins
LB 8 Ja’Whaun Bentley 48 Jahlani Tavai 52 Marte Mapu 30 Mack Wilson Sr. (45 Chris Board Jr.) 43 Calvin Munson 59 Terez Hall 47 Olakunle Fatukasi (66 Jourdan Heilig)
CB 50 Christian Gonzalez 31 Jonathan Jones 13 Jack Jones 25 Marcus Jones 27 Myles Bryant (61 Ameer Speed) 63 Isaiah Bolden 37 Tae Hayes 26 Shaun Wade 34 Quandre Mosely 39 Rodney Randle Jr.
S 23 Kyle Dugger 5 Jabrill Peppers 2 Jalen Mills 21 Adrian Phillips 24 Joshuah Bledsoe (41 Brenden Schooler) (22 Cody Davis) 29 Brad Hawkins
K 62 Chad Ryland 6 Nick Folk
P 59 Bryce Baringer 15 Corliss Waitman
LS 49 Joe Cardona 46 Tucker Addington
Conclusion Is this a perfect Patriots team? No. There are still long-term holes at offensive tackle and tight end, and there is a question mark as to who can be that pass catcher whom defensive coordinators have to plan for, a player the team has lacked for several seasons.
But is this an exciting Patriots roster, a team who has a chance to exceed their middling projections and expectations, a team worth watching and cheering for? Absolutely. Belichick and company have stabilized the coaching staff; added explosive, athletic players at nearly every position; brought in a new crew of players to take over special teams; and begun their draft with three players who could not only start in the NFL but have the potential to star. I fully believe that this is not an 8-9 caliber team, even in an AFC East with three other teams that have added big name after big name.
As Bill Belichick might say, we’re on to 2023.
We’re on to victory.

Greetings weary travelers looking for a group. Come rest, let me tell you a tale. A tale of how a man found himself running his own totally awesome homebrew campaign, and how only 5 sessions in, it collapsed. Collapsed how you ask? Well, from D&Ds most ancient and immortal enemy. What was it you ask? Schedules...(dramatic music swells)
Hi, my name is JB. I have, historically had a lot of trouble finding a group to play DnD with. I studied up on all the rules l, bought the books, but alas, never got accepted into group, offline or on. So, I hosted a D&D club at my school(as a teacher). Due to limited time I never really got to plan out a campaign, just a bunch of one shots for my students.
As my friend above said, I made a totally kickass homebrew (at least I think so, but I am biased). I found some players and a time to play. Two sessions in one cancelled due to increase in workload, 2 others ghosted. So I rebuilt the group. Stonger, better, faster. More compleat (shoutout to mtg nerds who got that reference). Two more sessions in and two others had a change in schedule and had to drop. Oh, and 2 others dropped after I picked them, but before they could start playing for personal reasons.
At this point I was really busy with work, and bringing in more people seemed, well, stress inducing. I really felt I had no other choice but to scrap it, because at that point it wasn't fun for me just looking for people to come in for 2 sessions then bounce.
Now here I am. My schedule is very free and I thought "ya know, Imma put some respec on mah campaign" Im here to give it a second shot.
For those like "yea, yea, I don't read backstory. Just let me playyyyy!!!" read from here:
About this homebrew:
On the surface everything seems normal. Dig a little deeper though, and a darker world opens up. Rule of the Davonian Kingdom is split between three people. In begining all worked well. The kingdom was split equally between the members of the Triumvirate, with each entitled to a third of the capital and the contry. But now, trust has vanished, and greed has taken its place. A secret war has broken out among the members of the Dravonian Triumvirate. Each now ruling from the shadows, refusing to make any public apperances. The once pristine port capital has decended into a world of espionage, theivery, and government condoned crime. Can you naviagte treacherous street gangs, corrupt officals, and the intense inquisition of the triumvirate itself? Will you endevor to bring an end to the maddness that has wrought its toll on the common people? Or will you embrace it?
The campaign is set in the capital city of Daven Port, an industiral revolution london inspired city with roman politics. I really look forward to seeing how your character fits.
A bit about me as a DM. I would still consider myself inexperienced. If you want a DM that is a walking bundle of DnD knowledge and expertise, I might not be the best fit. I also have a lot to learn as far as Roll20, which is what I use. That being said I am relaxed. I like giving people the ability to play as they want to (within reason). I think my strengths lie in world building and story telling.
What I am looking for: I'll be honest, people who can commit to a long term game, and people I jive well with. Friends I think they're called?
I generally do not tolerate actions taken against the party, within reason (trying to avoid being on rpghorrorstories, you get the idea)
I am aiming to play lateish on Fridays EST (sometime between like 9-12/1ish). I live in China, so that is Saturday 9am my time. I have limited room to deal with schedule changes, but we can always try to workshop.
This is a long term campaign, please, for the love of whatever god you pray to, if you apply, make sure (as sure as possible) you can be down for the long haul. My schedule will really clear up in July anyway.
Lastly, because I've be ghosted by two players in the past, I have pretty strict rules on communication. If you have an emergency, totally cool and understandable. If you can't make a session tell me as soon as possible, but I might decide to carry on a session or two without you, using your character.
Congratulations, you made it to the end of this long ass post! If you feel you would make a good fit drop an application on down at the link below. I look forward to hearing from you!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLNevAjU5UnNCUAQbGejBujBkVXkH3CDpE0Ubj2KNUFEU2Ig/viewform?usp=sf_link

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Spoilers ahead! Beware of a very speculative theory!
Classes
We can choose from several classes at the start of the game. While the wretch, bandit, prisoner and vagabound are rather universal concepts with nor specific lore attached, the hero, warrior, astrologer, prophet and confessor are perfectly linked into the Lands Between lore. And then there is the samurai who has also a nice bit of lore. Doesn’t it feel odd if this lore isn’t linked to the Lands Between. Wouldn’t it be more likely that it is?
Templates
With the templates it is quite similar. There are some that have a very direct connection to the lore, like Numen (Marika), Nightfolk (Nox / Silver tears), Draconian (Farum Azula), Warrior (Godfreys kinfolk) We can also establish connections to areas or tribes of the Lands Between to some of them based on their discribtions, like the Northener (Kaiden), Loner (Merchants), Truth Seeker (Prophets / Sages), Aristocrat (Noble), Seafarer (Peninsula / Castle Morne). Again, what’s left would be the Reedlander.
Size and Viewpoint
The game gives us a rich environment with different regions. But still, it is a video game that has to downscale the areas by a huge margin to make it playable. Given the economic backgrounds necessary to have cities and armies with the given scale, the backlands providing them must be enormous. So, we should assume that each major area of the game contains dozens over dozens of square miles of land. The game gives a lot of hints to this concept, with calling areas “lands” and describing them as vast or wide. When the game talks about the “Lands Between” we can pretty much understand this as a real plural talking about several regions which all by themselves could be called a land based on their size.
The realm of Marikas reign seems to be very much centralized with Lyndell as the capital. If this is the heart of the realm, with the scale and the overall layout of the map in mind, it is pretty likely for an inhabitant of Lyndell to call Caelid a “distant land”, Godfrey and his army would most likely share this viewpoint. So, a Samurai being from a “distant land” does not necessarily have to point outside the Lands Between.
A Swamp
If we look into the underground onto the lake of rot, with the Map (Lake of rot) in mind, then the rot in this land, as the item calls it, is probably because of the sealed essence of the god of rot. But if we look at the overall layout and the Grand Cloister then it seems clear that this area would be a lake even without the rot around.
We can take this idea to the swamp of Aeonia. The rot in this area comes from Malenia, but even without this it most likely is still a large swamp. Reeds grow prominently in wet areas like these.
Stuff
Certain Reedland Equipment is with or in the vicinity of their unique users. Like the Ash of War: Seppuku and the White Reed Set (Inaba), Ronins Set and Nagakiba (Yura), Eleonora's Poleblade (Eleonora), Okina Mask and Rivers of Blood (Okina).
But we find a significant number of Land of Reed equipment in Caelid, like the Meteoric Ore Blade (Caelid Waypoint Ruins), Moonveil and Cross-Naginata (Gael Tunnel), Wakizashi (Goal Cave), Land of Reed Set (Isolated Merchant) with the Moonveil even stating that it was made in Sellia.
Some are found not all that far away like the Uchigatana (Deathtouched Catacombs, Stormhill), Ash of War: Unsheathe (Teardrop Scarab, Agheel Lake, Limgrave), Red Thorn Roundshield Shield (Nomadic Merchant, Weeping Peninsula)
That leaves few to be out of this like the Hand of Malenia, Serpentbone Blade (Tanith, Volcano Mannor), Dragonscale Blade (Lake of Rot), where the Dragonscale blade could also be linked to Sellia through Nokron
Dragons
Combining the Map of Dragonbarrow and Greyoll’s roar draws the picture that the dragons are typical inhabitants of Caelid and this much likely for a fairly long time.
Elenora wears the Drake knight set, which describes people who have pride to be both dragon hunter and partaker of dragon communion. It is also stated that from birth, drake knights speak not a word. It is not clear if this is to be understand as a vow of silence from the point of becoming a knight or like someone being born mute and therefor being forced to take this profession. Both interpretations indicate a very strong cultural background of hostility against dragons.
Yura supports us in the battle against Agheel and afterwards he says: “That was my first dragon hunt in quite some time. Paired up with a hothead like you, it was just like old times.” This sounds a lot that it is quite normal for him to hunt dragons.
The starting equipment of the Samurai contains the Red Thorn Roundshield Shield, which particularly boast fire defense. The Long bow also being with the Samurai starting equipment is nicely fitting.
Blood
The Mother of truth is likely the force behind a lot of bloodshed. She is desiring it and within her realm of influence it most likely will occur. We find Mogh in the Mohgwyn Palace after he brought Miquella there, but Mogh himself is a relatively new servant of hers, considering she is a god and most likely ancient herself. So it may be that the area was hers even before Mogh got there. If we compare this region to the lake of rot we see a strong similarity, the lake being polluted by rot, and the Moghwyn palace area by blood. Both outer gods have a strong impact on their surrounding area just by being there.
This area and her realm of influence lies directly under Caelid. The culture and history of the land of reeds is strongly associated with blood and bloodshed. This could indicate her influence is what established the history of bloodshed in the Land of Reeds.
Okina
If the civil war in the land of reeds comes from the influence of the Mother of truth, this can give us a hint to the meaning behind the sentence: “The more he sharpened his mind, the more the absurdities of the world came into stark relief. And so Okina renounced it all, and rose to a higher plane. There was only himself. His katana. And its mastery. Before long, Okina became a demon of a swordsman.”
The funny thing about this is that Okina most likely relocated into the Mountaintop of the Giants into the Church of Repose. From Caelid this quite literally a higher plane. Also, it is the place furthest away from Caelid measuring in overland distance but also a place where Caelid can still be seen from.
Okina was followed by his disciples the Inaba, that probably died somewhere along the way in the mountaintops.
Prime
The divine tower of Caelid does not have a divine bridge attached. The Greattree and Saint image prominent on these bridges is missing in Caelid. Whether you belief in a Greattree or not, and whether this Greattree comes before or after the crubicle, changes the positioning a bit, but overall it seems in the time when the divine bridges of Lyndell, Liurnia and Stromveil were build and therefor in the timeframe around the crubicle age, the Land of Reeds may be in its Isolated and prime state.
We can choose to be Samurai at the start of the game, therefor Reedlanders must be around at the time that Godfrey was banned. This adds up with the Sword Monument in eastern Limgrave at the border to Caelid which states that there was the “end” of Godfreys campaign before he was tarnished. This would indicate his campaign ended with the battle against the Samurai.
Extinction
The great war campaign of Godfrey across the Lands Between seems to be very brutal. There is a surprising pattern within this. It’s not just enemies that were defeated, it seems hole souverain nations ceased to exist.
The Grafted Greatsword description is telling us: “A lone surviving champion from a country now vanished was so determined to continue fighting that he claimed the swords of an entire clan of warriors.” This tells us basically that the Weeping Peninsula or parts of it were once souverain. And only a champion survived and later was killed off by Godfrey at the Siege of Castle Morne.
Then there are the following three items telling another story like this. The Briar Greatshield reads “Originates from Eochaid, a land of proudly solitary ascetics.” the Regalia of Eochaid reads “Treasured sword of Eochaid, a lesser, long-vanished domain.” and finally Marais Executioner's Sword reads “Elemer of the Briar, the Bell Bearing Hunter, snatched the sword from the site of his looming execution, and furnished it with battle skills from his home of Eochaid.” Another souverain land, here called a domain which vanished. Its champion should be executed later but then overtook the shaded castle.
With the Dancers Castellans found also at the shaded castle and the description of the Consorts mask and the Briar Greatshield we might assume that Tanith is also from Eochaid, but that may be a topic for another post.
With these examples we get a picture of what might had happened to the Lands of Reeds and the culture of the Samurai. Like many other nations it did not survive into the realm of Marika and the Erdtree.
Open points
What’s left to discuss would be Okinas support at Rhadans festival and his clash with Mogh. But these would contain even more speculations about the timeline. Also, the connection between the Reedlanders and Sellia. But this post is already long enough as it is and I think it’s enough to share the overall idea.
Thanks for reading