"There are things of the Abyss that are left unexplored and undiscovered. Things beyond our understanding. For to see or hear or try to comprehend them is to lose one's grip on reality and plunge into a fathomless pit of madness.
Of The Entity I know little, if anything at all. What I have witnessed and concluded through my imprisonment within its timeless living boundaries, is The Entity seems to move through the cosmos like a primordial Titan. An incomprehensible Serpent of Chaos, consuming people and worlds for reasons I cannot even begin to comprehend... and won't even try."
-The Observer, Excerpt from Arcus 07

The Entity's Chosen

The Survivors

Azula

Realm of Origin: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Biography:
The prodigal child of Fire Lord Ozai, Azula was the one set to take the throne once her father had conquered the world. After being defeated by her brother Zuko, Azula went mad and was confined to a mental health institution. Years later she was temporarily released by Zuko, now the Fire Lord, in order to search for their long lost mother. Though they were successful in their mission, Azula fled into the Forgotten Valley, unable to accept the reality that she would never be Fire Lord and that her mother truly loved her. It is here where she is taken, her fragile mental state making a prime candidate for the new Trials.

Sylas

Realm of Origin: League of Legends
Biography: Sylas of Dregbourne was born with the rare gift of being able to see magic in people. Recruited by the mageseekers of Demacia, he served them dutifully until he met a young girl he refused to turn in. Imprisoned with the mages he had helped capture, Sylas found his hatred for the nobility of Demacia to grow with each passing day. After discovering that the petricite shackles that bind him allow him to absorb magic, he used this ability to escape his execution. After a failed attempt to assassinate the Demacian king, Sylas fled to the wilderness with his fellow mages to plot to return the kingdom to its rightful owners: the people. Unfortunately, it seems the Entity has new plans for him.

Zero

Realm of Origin: Katana Zero
Biography:
Subject Zero, or just Zero, once served in the Cromag War as a soldier conditioned through the NULL project. With the drug Chronos allowing him to slow time and see glimpses of the future to find the best possible scenario to win any combat encounter, he was nigh unstoppable. After the war he would work as an assassin for his psychiatrist, who would supply him with Chronos to keep the vivid nightmares and hallucinations out of his head. After discovering the truth about himself, however, Zero murdered his psychiatrist in a blind rage. Now only having a limited supply of Chronos in his bloodstream, Zero must survive the Entity's Realm before he becomes trapped in his mind forever.

The Killer

The Purifier

Realm of Origin: Magic: the Gathering
Biography:
The archangel Avacyn was created by the Planeswalker Sorin Markov in order to act as a protector for the humans of Innistrad. After being corrupted by the magical influence of the Lithomancer Nahiri, Avacyn began to view humanity as impure and sought to cleanse them as such. Sorin returned to Innistrad and undid the spell that had created Avacyn, destroying her for good. Now the High Priestess of the Black Vale in the Entity's Realm, Avacyn seeks to create a series of new Trials to not only curb her boredom but perhaps something more…
The first of them was a human, emaciated and hairless. His face was obscured by a gas mask. He never walked, always choosing to hover about. As he flew toward her, Avacyn could see her priests recoil in his mere presence, grabbing hold of their heads as his telepathy probed into the minds of all of those near him.
"Let's get started then, shall we?" The man in the gas mask said.
"First you must partake in a ritual to receive the Boons of the Entity." Avacyn told him. The glow around the Auris faded away and it settled back onto her palm. She reattached it to her belt.
"Boons?" Asked the burning man.
"Indeed. The Dark Mother is not as cruel a host as one might believe. She will provide you with additional strength in your Trials." Avacyn stared momentarily at the vampire who glowered in response.
Avacyn turned to the altar, waving to what hung above it. Four wreaths, each of them assigned to the virtues of the Entity's Killers, were strung there by a length of rope. Each of them provided a different Boon to those who offered them in reverence to the Dark Mother.

Being a woman and single is double jeopardy for modern women.
Being a woman is already considered a crime since the history of patriarchy. From the time of a girl’s puberty, she’s seen as a temptress to men. Some are even accused of being witches and burnt at the stake just because they are different from others.
What a girl wears and how she speaks are criticized before she learns what femininity means. By the time she becomes a full-grown woman and decides she wants to be single for life, she becomes more dangerous to society compared to mothers and wives.
Let’s not talk about the sexual abuse and social degradation women endure because of our gender. Or the fact that women have no right over their bodies. It’s as if being a woman is a crime.
But guess what? Modern women are criminalizing themselves even more and they cannot be convicted twice.
At 38, I’m so happy I can no longer be exploited by men. Now I feel more entitled than ever to have my freedom. If the dude can’t comprehend, he can hit the door.
Just recently, a guy I was crushing on decided to man up and ask me out. You know as a miserable single woman, this guy was doing me a favor since I have no one to take care of me.
That’s right!
Men are deluded to think single women are miserable so I decided to indulge this one. He felt high and mighty until I unleashed my demons.
Dinner was great. I had my fill at Sushi Bar. I made sure to pick the most expensive food and wine in the menu. I’m miserable after all. I need to cool my frustration with all the happy things I can get.
I kept ordering more food and eating bites out of it. The frittata was too good I almost ordered a second plate. Their Maki is the best I have had so far. We ordered different recipes but my favorite was the sushi maki roll.
Mr Goody Two Shoes, was surprised that this miserable lady had a fantastic taste. He was quite the gentleman and didn’t complain as I made unnecessary demands about my food choices. Or maybe he was putting on a brave face to hide his insecurities.
“Oh, this wine is horrible. I think is expired,” I said after drinking one glass of the exotic wine. To be fair I think that wine was really cheap but they marked up the price to $120. I ordered a second bottle from a different brand. This one I managed to drink half the bottle before complaining that it was making me obnoxious.
I requested we go to another diner. I wasn’t done getting over my misery and the guy was getting cocky.
I mean what else can a miserable woman do other than eat and drink to forget her misery?
The waiter came with our bill. A smile crowned my lips as I saw the guy’s face turn red. He was contemplating whether to pay the bill alone or have me contribute.
“C’mon honey, you are getting dramatic. You know how lonely and frustrated these past weeks have been for me. You are the first person to make me happy in a long long time,“ I said. Looking as innocent and disappointed as a toddler about to lose her candy.
He finally had the confidence to pay and paid the $2,630 bill, including the parking lot and tips. I could sense he was cursing me from inside. As we got to the car, about going to our next entry, he got a call. He said he was urgently needed at home.
Damn! Bad timing.
His friend who was also his business partner was waiting for him to discuss something. I didn’t hear their conversation over the phone, but I suspected he used the call as an excuse to cancel.
I bought his lies. But my miserable self wasn’t satiated. I kept waiting for another opportunity to feed my unquenchable monster.
Unfortunately, this guy didn’t talk to me after that night. He went zombie on me. I sent him a text to know when we’ll meet next. He ignored me. We didn’t communicate until after four weeks and five days. Yes, I was counting! Even though I didn’t contact him all this time, I was still hoping he would come back.
When he finally called, I pretended to be surprised. Of course, I had to act real. But I expressed my interest to see him again. He wanted us to meet at some low-key spot.
I lied that I was out of town. I told him I had lodged at Indigo Resort and that I needed to get away because of stress and loneliness. He asked when I would be coming back, and I said I won’t be in Houston for a while. But he can join me at the resort and I will pay for his flight if he seriously wants to see me.
He jumped at my offer. I booked our flights to San Diego. But my date was a day earlier so I would be there before he arrived.
I made reservations for a couple’s spa treatment and arranged for a special dinner date. I even went on a limp to get him a gift, an $1800 Versace watch. I could tell he was overwhelmed by my gesture.
I was having fun myself. I got drunk that night, and this guy thought it was a perfect opportunity to get sex from me. He must have confused my actions or maybe he just expected sex as part of my benevolence.
When we got to his room, I said goodnight and went to my bedroom. He tried to stop me, decorating my neck and face with kisses to get me turned on. I pushed him away and told him to not ruin my day with his selfish demand. That straightened him up a bit.
I already made a sacrifice to pay for this trip so he wouldn’t think I owe him anything. But to my surprise, he wanted more.
Over brunch, he apologized for misbehaving last night. He said he had been thinking of telling me how he feels but was scared I would turn him down. He said he wanted our relationship to be more than just friendship.
He wanted me to consider the possibility of marrying him so he wants us to start with a permanent relationship. He even offered to be my sperm donor since having another child will make me feel less miserable.
Tck! How rude of him!
I was slightly offended that he used marriage to entice me. But I waved that anger away because I wasn’t going to allow his selfishness to get in my happiness.
We spent three days at the hotel, but I made sure the memories were unforgettable. As for his proposal and offer, I didn’t think about it, nor did I revisit the conversation. I’m tired of repeating the same thing to people like him who think women are desperate for marriage.

Society makes single women miserable

Single women are not miserable because they don’t have a husband or child. We are miserable because we have plenty of time to ourselves and we careless about pleasing others.
We are miserable because we have to endure people’s opinions that are contrary to ours. We are frustrated for repeating the same thing over and over again that our happiness lies in our freedom of uncompromised attention to ourselves.
We are frustrated because society can’t seem to understand that taking care of a pet is less of a burden than taking care of a husband or child and they continue to impose family structure on us.
Single women are miserable for living an uncompromising life and giving themselves priority over anything else. But it also makes us happier.

Just like biological parents are having fun raising their kids despite the frustration of paying their child’s insurance and sacrificing ‘me-time’ for their children’s wellbeing. Single women are also having fun despite not having anyone to care for.

Even though statistics prove that parents are less happy than non-parents and that children lower life quality, single women keep getting embarrassed by mothers who think they are more worthy of their womanhood.
Another study shows that single women are 10x happier than married women and the fact that no one approves of single women’s happiness is more depressing than loneliness.
I’m so miserable that that thought of marriage makes me sick. Do you know what’s more terrifying than raising a child? Putting up with a man’s ego.
The nerve of men to expect women to be the perfect loyal partner forever when they cannot stay loyal for more than 12 months in the marriage. Some will even betray you on the wedding day with your bridesmaid.
Life is miserable for everyone in one way or the other. Mothers and fathers don’t have it easier than spinsters and bachelors. We all face challenges in some aspect of our lives.
From all indications, it appears that single women are intentionally shamed because they reject social expectations of women. Society thinks by shaming women for being single, all women will be forced to return to patriarchal standards.
Somehow I’m relieved that I was born after the feminist movement began. This gives me more power to resist social pressure knowing that being selfish is a prerequisite to happiness.
According to statistics, single men are more unhappy than single women, yet, no one shames single men. So next time someone tries to pity me for being single, I will assure them that I’m so miserable that their words fall on deaf ears.
And now that researchers have proven that being single and childless makes you richer, I might just forget my desire to have a son and bank more money for my retirement and live a fabulously rich miserable life.
Is It True That Single Women Are Unhappy? Hello, Love (medium.com)

In D1, he's in a relationship with a spoilt brat that even his parents hated. He could've waited till after the program began before dating a classist. Why? Well, honestly, because he's a simp?
The decisions he makes after that all patronize Mal.
She wants to lock up the VKs? The resistance he puts up is pathetic.
She went to the Isle and wants to be left alone? Evie warns him that he should let the Core 4 sneak in to bring her back because the King getting kidnapped would jeopardize Auradon? We know how that turned out.
Pretending to still be hexed after realizing Mal jumped in to save him was a smart move. If he made Mal scared of getting sent back to the Isle, she'd probably do something emotional that makes the VKs look evil.
But why'd he take her anti-love potion cookie? He had no way of knowing it was safe. He could've carried an Enchanted Lake water bottle and drank from it right after taking her cookie. TBH, he probably lacks the IQ for that. By that time, she would have known he had been faking it for a long time, so he could just tell Mal he knows he was cursed? Nah, just take the cookie and risk Auradon.
"I choose to be a King who moves forward." Yeah, right. /s

So, as kind of a side hobby and a setting for my DnD campaign, and setting for a small skirmish wargame I have (it has lore but it's kind of meh) me and my friend created Midgard, a typical fantasy world with humans living in kingdoms and Elves and dwarves. There's big elven empire of Phoenix that long ago won the ancient Dwarven-Elven war and now slowly crumbles as Elves begin to move to separate sub-factions like Wood Elves and Dark Elves (First ones are Return to tree no progress, last are too much progress and reject morality). There's big human Albion empire ruled by a Griffin Queen from the isles (Griffin is not a nickname). There is big Necroempire of Ur ruled by civil necromancers (And fiedling not-Ossiarchs). To the north are orkish tribes ruled by the strongest, fighting with Northern Jarldoms and between each other, slowly absorbed by the Overlordess clan, a young woman filled with such evil and strength, some say each part of her armor is made out of whole set of armor worn by each ork chief she kills by herself. She beaten the previous strongest ork by her bare fists so they accepted her as the new clan leader.
There are giant knights bred to fight Northern beasts and ice giants worshipping their long dead forefather. On the ruins of ancient civilization of Valhalla.
The continent is slowly invaded by the ancient force known as Burned Men. These are ancient warriors who live in the ash wasteland of the lost continent, forgotten by humans who originated there. They have found the way to take their revenge, led by the Chosen of the god Nid - Burning Vengeance, and his name is The King of Ash.
Also there are mermaid civilization which Just recently began to build underwater cities. And a owl race.
Also a whole pantheon, of gods, but the biggest and youngest faith is The Trinity - The Knight, The Bishop, The Peasant. Which is more of a sentient energy of faith and will than one god. Also Inquisition.
What do you think? Is it cringe to worldbuild something like this? I kind of feel divided, on one hand I Just like the typical fantasy, on the other it's kind of boring if you look at it.

Hey so for the past few periods I've had debilitating period cramps, 10/10 pain. The periods have also been extremely heavy (bleeding through a tampon every 2 hours for around 8-10 days straight) and i've been passing huge period clots, many around the size of my palm. It's extremely painful when I pass a clot and i literally feel like i'm giving birth. It's not a miscarriage as i'm not sexually active and it's been happening for a good few periods now. I've been prescribed codeine 15mg up to 4x a day for when it's really bad, tranexamic acid for the first 4 days of my period when the bleeding is real heavy and then also been told to take ibuprofen and paracetamol. The painkillers help a bit for like an hour or so but nowhere near enough to be comofrtable. The tranexamic acid helps in reducing the flow a bit but not that much, unfortunately. I also get the bad cramps for a week or so before and after the actual period. The pain is localised to my lower right abdomen and is a sharp stabbing pain that comes in waves, usually worse when i pass clots and has mr in absolute shambles. When it first got bad, my GP told me to go A&E but they just ruled out appendicitis and sent me home. It is consuming my whole life. The fatigue is also pretty bad. I just had a pelvic ultrasound today and it came back totally clear. What do I do now?? I am in London btw.

PREVIOUS
In the following week there was much work to be done. I left Eric in bed most mornings and had breakfast sent to my room for him. He needed time to recharge the energy in his leg so that he could walk properly again. That was never a specific limitation I imposed, it was simply that no magic is without limitations. Nothing is endlessly powerful, although some creatures come close.
It was the day after Eric returned that I received a letter from the enforcers and I opened it with trepidation. Only twice before had such a letter ever arrived, and neither of those times had I been the one to deal with it. Unfortunately for me, it stated that I was to meet with one of them in a very short time.
“Of course.” I muttered to myself. They’re an impatient species. When fae make plans it can take months, years or decades before we follow through with them, afterall time moves differently for us than most. But when the enforcers decide on something, it must happen immediately. I would hardly have the time to dress appropriately.
As it was I was still buttoning my vest as I left the castle grounds. Rarely do we permit other species to enter the castle, especially not when we are not familiar. Because of this there is a temple in the woods, just beyond the castle shield, that is a traditional place of negotiation.
I arrived shortly and trotted up the marble steps making no effort to conceal my presence. The temple was clean and well maintained, human monks are responsible for its upkeep. They are not more than a small group, but they understand well that we exist.
“You’re late.” an unfamiliar voice chastised me the moment I entered.
“I was given unreasonably short notice. It’s fortunate I saw fit to come at all.” I replied dryly. I hadn’t even told anyone where I was going, perhaps that wasn’t wise.
“Watch your mouth, Faeling. Where is Lazarus?” Ahead I could hardly make him out from the darkness of the temple. He was a dark, feathered creature hiding in the shadows with an array of glistening eyes and mass enough that the tips of his wings touched the ceiling.
“My father is no longer responsible for these territories.”
He paused for a moment, as if contemplating, “...Very well. Then you are the one responsible for maintaining discretion within your territory. As such, you should be aware of an incident on your northern boundary?”
“I’m afraid you will have to be more specific, the northern boundary is extensive.”
“Two from your castle attended the scene. A small town was decimated.”
My heart began to race, I hadn’t sent anyone out, so he must be referring to Eric and Charles. “Yes. I sent peacekeepers out to investigate, as per treaty laws; all instances of mass human interaction must be investigated and settled. There were no witnesses, and I have already begun implementing cover up steps.” I lied calmly.
“Are you aware of its cause?”
“...No.” I admitted reluctantly. If I were to lie in that instance, it would be easily disproved.
“So then it would seem you don’t know everything.”
“I have never claimed omniscience.”
He chuckled, it was a deep reverberation that rattled my vertebrae. “It seems the old ones have returned to the area. Ensure all matters regarding species confidentiality are handled appropriately, failure to do so will result in unpleasantries.”
“That is inequitable. We cannot be held responsible for the actions of another species.” I argued firmly.
“If they are on your lands, it is in your best interest to do so. Otherwise, we may have to investigate further into your operations, there’s no telling what we may find then.”
“All of Dunkel’s activities are within treaty terms. You are welcome to review the paperwork yourself, if you wish.”
“That won’t be necessary at this stage.” he replied calmly, “Keep a handle on your territory, little fae, or else.”
He vanished without allowing me the opportunity to respond. ‘Or else’, if I didn’t understand that it was a genuine threat I could have laughed at the irony of it. Gradually I realized I had been holding my breath, and I let it out slowly. It’s not often that I’m reminded how little my power is compared to ancient beings. The last time they were near was in 1926.
I only remember it because it happened close to the borders of Dunkel, and our father was concerned enough to visit. It seemed the old ones had been destroying towns haphazardly across the north, until they reached a mining town. For whatever reason they left a single witness alive, an elderly blind woman, and that broke treaty laws.
From what I was told, the family responsible was eliminated entirely in a single night. No man, woman or child was left. They were used to set an example. Before that the last time the enforcers needed to step in was the witch trials.
***
I returned to the castle quickly and began making arrangements immediately. The first step was to understand what human authorities knew of the matter and compulsion would grant me the records easily. Second, I needed to ensure the narrative of what happened was ‘nothing unusual’ as far as humans were concerned. That was easy enough, I sent out a small publicist team. They had handled such things before.
After that I sent word to all alliances, and more reluctantly a letter to my mother at Leúchtend. It was not because I wanted to speak with her. Rather that despite my personal grievances, she was still the current leader of our sister castle and needed to be informed regardless.
Next I needed to secure the borders of our lands better. We needed to know the moment something crossed the boundary, and for that I would need to coordinate with the spell writers. Although I was sure Tóru would be more than happy to express her skills, she almost never let it rest that she wished to do more.
Of course the additional work this incident created was only compounded onto my usual responsibilities. Infirmary reports, construction progress check in’s and permissions, maintenance and repair requests, deliveries and orders. I was grateful when my brother took care of the interpersonal requests, contracts, marriages and so forth.
However when the human interaction documents came in I was ready to quit. Reports from law cases, correspondence from the publicity team - Achaicus could have the castle. I almost didn’t care.
Admittedly most of it is as simple as signing it. Still it all at least needed to be read. It’s important that I know about everything that’s going on both inside and outside of the castle. Unfortunately, when I at last remembered the time I realized I had missed dinner, again.
I sighed, rubbing my eyes, the paperwork was never ending. I would have to come up with a better way of handling it. Achaicus had arranged all the documents so neatly that I couldn’t find anything anymore and I was sure I was going to be the first fae to need glasses at this point. Our eyes aren't designed to focus so close for so long.
“You missed dinner.” my brother commented as he came to stand in the doorway.
“I had realized as much.” I replied bitterly without looking over to him. So when he pushed aside the paperwork and set a plate down in front of me I was caught off guard. “Oh… Thank you.”
“Of course, if you starve, that means I have to take up all the paperwork again.”
“You don’t have to do anything, assign it to someone else, abandon the castle. You’ve got options.”
He ignored me, commenting instead. “You know you missed your appointment with Markos as well. And Jórn has been requesting and audience with you.”
“I’ll see Jórn tomorrow, that matter is unimportant.” I muttered, Markos was going to be pissed with me though.
“And your appointment?”
“I’m fine. I don’t even need it.”
Achaicus sighed exasperated, “Fine. What of your pet then?”
“What of him?”
“He didn’t make any appearances today, is he away?”
“No. He’s probably just still in my room.”
“Your room?”
“Yes, he sleeps there and he needs time to recover from his work.”
He was quiet for a moment, as if deciding something before he spoke more gently. “Brother-..” he began but I cut him off.
“Not you as well.” I groaned.
“Are you and he…?” he continued regardless of my objections.
“What does it matter?”
“If you prefer men-”
“I don’t prefer men.”
He rolled his eyes and I could tell he didn’t believe me. “Whatever, I don’t care what you prefer. However, you could have anyone you wished. Choose someone else, anyone else, choose a thousand others, Nathaniel, just not him.”
“What is it that you have against him? There was a time where you rather enjoyed his company.”
“I only enjoyed his company because he would drink with me without chastising me for it. But that doesn’t mean he’s a good person.”
“Tell me then, which one of us are ‘good’?”
“He will hurt you, and I cannot bear to see it.”
“Eric has never hurt me.”
“He will betray you.”
It was difficult to place the feelings of simultaneous irritation and pure astonishment that he would even dare speak to me about this. “He won’t.”
“How can you be certain? I implore you please, listen to reason. He has a thousand reasons to hate you and he is not the type to forgive.”
“I am certain because I know what betrayal looks like.” I stated coldly and my brother paused. I could see him connecting the meaning behind my words as I continued. “You betrayed me to father, several times. Do you not remember holding a blade to my throat? You wanted to kill me so badly I could see it in your eyes. I loved you most of anyone. When Father sent you away it hurt me so deeply most days I could hardly breathe, and when you returned all you felt for me was hatred. If you believe that didn’t break something in me you’re mistaken.”
“You know how deeply I regret that… You’re my brother, I could never hurt you.”
“That didn’t stop you from trying.”
“Brother I-”
I held up a hand to silence him, “It’s fine, it’s in the past. Which is entirely my point. I trust you regardless of your actions and your intent. It’s not men I like, it’s only him.”
“It’s not real, it’s a trickery.” he insisted, “Believe me, he can make you feel any way he wishes you to feel about him.”
“He’s just a man, how exactly do you believe he has any way of compelling me to feel anything about him?”
“Because I know it!” he exclaimed exasperated, “Because he has used the same charms on me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Do you remember the night you came to find him drinking with me?”
“Yes.” I answered simply. That had been the night Eric had kissed the palm of my hand.
“It was as if I were under a spell. I told him a great many things that not anyone but you or I knew. I told him how I had tried to kill you, and that we had switched. I told him how father killed Raisa and your manticore… I told him everything. I wanted to tell him. There is no natural reason for that, and before I knew it I was on the floor with him.”
“You and he slept together?”
“...No. He left before it got that far… I don’t know where he went from there.”
“Why did you not tell me of this before?” I muttered annoyed.
“Because he was not my property to be doing such things with… I feared you would be mad.”
“I am mad. You were so drunk you couldn’t keep from telling him secrets others were not meant to hear! What else did you tell him!?”
“N-nothing else…”
I felt ill. Those were things I never wished for anyone to know, especially not for Eric to know. “Get out.” I warned coldly. I was just like our father. When I was upset I wanted to hurt something and my temper was rising. As if I hadn’t dealt with enough things that day.
He left as requested and I chose to sleep in my office. Partly because I didn’t want to see Eric knowing what he knew about me, and secondarily because I didn't want to take my anger out on him. The amount of times I had almost hurt him previously were too numerous, how could I claim to have changed only to revert to the same behaviors?
***
In the time that followed I did my best to maintain a certain level of composure. Our mother, sister and two of our nieces arrived with their escorts not all that long after I had sent the letter. With them they brought word of more attacks near to their borders and with that information we were able to track a path downward from Leúchtend toward us.
“It’s almost as if they’re testing the line.” Alvíss commented looking over the map.
We had gathered in the war chambers to discuss the matter and had been doing so for some time. My brother and I sat across from one another while Markos, Alviss, Baltzar and Killian sat down the length of the table.
“Or they could just be traveling in that direction.” Baltzar countered. They had been politely disagreeing for hours, it was clear they didn’t like each other all that much.
“All this speculation is useless.” Markos spoke up at last. “If they are testing the borders, they would strike next beside the lake, if they are simply traveling south they should cut the corner toward the west boundary.”
“If I send guards toward the lake townships, and station look outs near the west border, would that be advisable?” I asked, trying not to sound as tired as I was.
“Yes, I believe that would be wise.” Alvíss agreed and Baltzar nodded. If they were in agreement, that was wonderful. Now this dreadful meeting could end.
Each day had been just as exhausting as the day the enforcer visited. My brother still treated me with unnecessarily apologetic behavior, though I had tried to assure him that it was days ago and I had already resolved it. There’s no point harboring unpleasant feelings and quite frankly, no time for it.
In the early mornings I trained with Charles, and in the afternoon I handled the paperwork. I received notification that Tougo wished to investigate the matter independently from us and I granted the request. While Sofie from the fae to the south replied with a curt letter stating that whatever our troubles she wished no part in our affairs. It was thankful that I heard nothing more from the enforcers at least.
Eric was still unable to find his cane and, after seeing how much distress it caused him to be unable to walk, I had Jórn make a simple wooden cane for him. It was not as fine as his original, nor did it hide a sword within it, but it was enough to settle his complaints.
Unfortunately that did not settle his mood of late. Since returning he had been particularly on edge. He woke in the night more than once sitting straight up in a cold sweat and instinctively reaching for his sword.
“Eric.” I complained groggily as he disturbed me. That was another reason I hardly slept, he could not make it through the night without waking and I had half a mind to order that he leave to his own room.
“Go back to sleep.” he muttered, pushing the hair back from his face as he gradually calmed.
“This happens too often.”
“It’s not like I’m doing it on purpose.” he snapped back, irritated. Exhaustion was getting the better of him as well and it took everything in me not to give in to anger. Yet still he refused to tell me what was causing him such distress.
I allowed myself a moment to breathe out slowly before I pulled him closer to me, wrapping my forearm across his eyes as I did. “Nathaniel..” he complained half-heartedly trying to push my arm off before settling.
“Relax… nothing will harm you right now.”
“…You can’t know that..”
“But I do.” I assured, he was so warm against me and I was almost asleep again.
I couldn’t say how much time passed before he spoke again, “…Are you still awake?” He asked quietly. I thought I answered, however I must not have for he continued, “Do you think you could ever forgive me..?”
I didn’t know what he was talking about, or what he meant. I wasn’t even sure I had heard him speak, or if it was nothing more than a dream. However in the morning he was still beside me, and I assumed I must have misheard.
During the day he no longer attended training with Calla and Charles, instead he disappeared each morning until evening. I hadn’t asked him where he was as I was doing my best not to be so controlling, however, as far as I was aware, no one knew where he went.
Still he was in attendance at dinner each day, so I supposed he wasn’t going too far. Perhaps the most disturbing thing I noticed was that he didn’t speak to Calla, and she didn’t look in his direction. After dinner they went their separate ways and Eric no longer secretly took any additional sugar cubes from the table.
Of course I approached Calla about it. By this time it was clear something was wrong with Eric and it had gone on long enough that I needed to know, “Calla, might we have a word?”
“Yes.” She answered with a small curtsy, “How may I be of service?”
“What's going on between you and Eric?”
“Nothing.” That was a frustrating answer.
“Why are you not speaking to each other?”
“Because there is nothing to say.”
I got the feeling she was being purposefully blunt with me. It was almost rude, and it’s not often that Markos’s well trained doll acts out. “Is there nothing to say, or is it that you don’t want to talk to him?”
“It is both.”
“Why..?”
“He’s not who I thought he was. He cannot be trusted.” she stated simply. For Markos or Achaicus to say it was one thing, but for her to say it gave me pause.
“Did Markos ask you to say that to me?”
“No. May I be excused?” Her eyes met mine and I felt uncomfortable. I recognised the expression, pure deep anger, covered over by a complete lack of caring.
“Yes…” I agreed more softly and she left without another word.
I had enough on my plate, Eric somehow pissing Calla off wasn’t what I needed. Perhaps Charles would know better what was going on. Naturally he was the next person I tried to speak with. However I was interrupted as Jórn approached.
“Lord Nathaniel!” He greeted me in a jovial manner and far too loudly. He is slightly shorter than I, and well built from centuries of forgework. His hair is a long tangle of braids woven into one single larger braid down the length of his back. His eyes are deep purple, and he is older than most, perhaps my fathers age.
“That’s unnecessary.” I complained and he smiled
“I have completed the task you assigned me.”
“It was a request, not a task-”
He hardly allowed me the time to correct him before he presented two velvet boxes to me. I will admit the rings in them were beautiful. Rather traditional upon first glance they appeared to have a simple elegance, but as Jòrn insisted I look closer I noticed fine details.
The groom's ring was traditional; a single ring, with engravings on the inside and subtle textures across the surface. While the bride’s rings were a set of two intended to interconnect and had the same inscriptions.
“The diamond is natural, almost flawless, and all rings are made from the same gold nugget.” He began explaining eagerly, “You can see here, the tiniest inscription for the spell. So long as there is love in their hearts for the other the rings will remain a comfortable warmth and if there is deceit in the union the rings will turn ice cold. Are they to your liking?”
“You’ve outdone yourself.” I assured, of course I realized by now he wanted praise.
“I’m sure your lady will be very pleased. I’ll admit I had heard no word that you were with anyone. Can we expect a wedding? Children?”
I couldn’t help but smile tightly. He was fishing for information, I knew it well and it was exactly why I disliked speaking to others. “They are in fact not for me. But I appreciate the time and effort you put into them nonetheless.”
“Who are they for then?” He demanded more irritably.
“A close friend of mine. I’m sure you will learn who in a short time.”
He folded his arms unhappily. Jórn values tradition and has worked at Dunkel for several centuries. Like many of the older generation he is irritatingly nosy and dislikes being incorrect in his assumptions.
“Fine. They had better admire my work.” he grumbled disapprovingly.
“I’m certain they will be able to appreciate it even better than I. Thank you.”
Jórn nodded gruffly before allowing me peace. Claire was going to owe me doubly for that.
I found the time to give the rings to Miss Walsh shortly after receiving them and did so by dropping the boxes on the table beside her. Just as she had dumped herself on me when she asked I have them made. Initially she looked up from her sewing confused, then seemed to understand and a broad smile spread across her face.
“Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!” she half stood, reaching up without hesitation to wrap her arms around my neck and pull me into an uncomfortable hug.
I suppose I should have expected as much by now as I struggled to push her off. “Claire-” I began disgruntled but when she kissed my cheek I froze.
“Thank you so much Nathaniel, you’re a gem.”
“Please control yourself.” I muttered in response and she gradually let go of me.
“I’m not sorry, oh, and I haven't forgotten I know I owe you one now. Ahhh just nothing, like, horrible yeah?”
“I never agreed to that.”
“Well, if it’s horrible I’ll defer your favor.”
“That’s not permitted.”
“Did you put it in writing?” she countered and I clicked my tongue in annoyance. She’d spent far too much time with Markos it seemed. However, with my silence she continued. “Do you think he’ll say yes?”
“How should I know?”
“You’re friends aren’t you? You talk? Does he ever say anything about me?”
“No, usually he prefers to scold me instead.”
“That’s just because he loves you.”
“Yeah, alright. Don't lose your rings.” I muttered dismissively. Her endless cheer was simultaneously irritating and becoming. Whatever she thought, whatever emotion she felt it all poured out of her without any filter. I supposed she was good for Markos in that way, no way he could mistake anything she wanted or needed with his overthinking.
[NEXT]()
Chapter List
I'm waayyyy too nice this week.

Hi Friends,
Quick Question for you all. I have a logitech m720 for work as its easy to toss in and out of my bag for when I go to/from work. Love the mouse, not as nice as the G403HERO that I love for my gaming but for the job I need done, it's served me well for years and still going strong.
It does however have an issue with the rubber coating peeling something fierce and I want to cover it with grip tape.
Lizard skins seem well offered but the issue is getting a cut to fit sheet or two carries 40USD shipping to where I live in Canada, which is not worth it and amazon resellers want 35CAD for a single sheet...
So - any canadian friends have alternatives? I bought a package of that universal RAZER grips, but it frankly sucks. Not even sure if I can amazon return it, the adhesive isn't good enough and it's awkward to have covered as much (but not all) of what needs covering.
I want a single piece I can cut to fit for the palm area to cover the area that's peeling so I can avoid bits falling off on my hands, and it completely rubbing away and exposing the internals :/
Are there any other grip tapes that aren't necessarily for mice that would do me in a pinch? Is there a regular easy to buy lizard skin for sports equipment I could cut to fit and serve the purpose necessary? No clue where to start and want to avoid spending more money than just buying a new mouse would cost me :/

Hi everyone. I have a wilderness reservation for a group of 4 on June 12th-14th. It’s Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley. I’ll probably cancel tonight if someone has a chance to grab it? Still not sure how that system works but wanted to reach out just in case someone can take it!

Is there any kind of prayer that Theravada Buddhism recognises toward those that are ill or have passed away?
Like for example; placing your palms together and saying something along the lines and equivalence of Rest in Peace?
Thankyou 🙏

Currently on Enfamil Neuropro (yellow).. tried the generic yellow infant & my son seemed to have an off day and some trouble pooping. Not sure if it was coincidence but he only had 3 bottles of it before I felt guilty & put him back on strictly Enfamil. Would I likely be able to try the generic “advantage premium” without super upsetting his belly by mixing in a couple bottles a day before I’m out of Enfamil? I know that one doesn’t contain palm oil like Enfamil does. Just want to find a more affordable option that works for us 😓
ETA: he’s almost 3 months old

Hey guys. because its been so much activity lately ive decided i want to post myself. this story is about something i did when i was a kid that im not particularly proud of now but i know some of you will like it. i handgagged my sister.
All my childhood i had this fetish. i had just a few people to do it to so i guess my solution was to handgag my sister. i havent done it in many many years but ive done it a lot of times through childhood. i will talk about one of them now. Maybe more later if you guys like this.
So my sister is about 20cm shorter than me and is avarage bodyweight. 2 years younger. at the time she had brown long hair. shes got a small nose and big eyes with some small lips. this first time ill tell you about happened when we were visiting Angels family (read my Angel stories). We were all kids so we went and played cops and robber where Angel and my sister were the cops and me and Angels brother were robbers. the rules went as follows:
-cops had to hold the robbers down for 3 seconds to arrest them -the jail was Angels bed -The robbers could free eachother from jail by touching them
It wasnt a lot of rules because we were just kids and wanted to just play. the holding down for 3 seconds rule was also bs because the girls had no chance against us boys. so the game started and we were running around the house trying to escape the girls. we went for a while until i thought i wanted to handgag the girls. so my plan was to get them to chase me into a room and then overpower them and handgag them so «they cant scream for backup».
i first used this strategi on my sister and it worked as a charm. she chased me into the room were they keep all the random stuff. before she could hold me i used my strength and turned her around and put my hand across her little lips and completely sealed them close before she could say a word. she tried to scream for help but almost no sound came out. i had also grabbed her arms and held them behind her back so she was completely helpless and whimpered and struggled against me to no use. i teased her by saying Angel couldnt hear her and i could just hold her like that forever. she became calm and just sat there. she then licked my hand. i remember this clearly because of something that happened later. she made a last attempt trying to wiggle out but she couldnt. i had her whole face and mouth covered with my palms and i could feel her licking me. i was super worried she would find me weird because of the handgag so i thought i should let her go. i said «shhhh shhh. do you promise to not chase me» and she let out a muffled yes and i quickly released her and then ran. away super fast. we saw the other in the living room snd went back to the normal game.
My next handgag victim for the night. Angel. for the Angel handgag i used the exact same strategi as i used on my sister. i got her to chase me into the very same room and i turned around this time facing her. i told her «dont even try to csll for help» of course she took the bait and i quikle put my hand on her lips and turned her around and sat us down on the floor all while handgagging her. i took control of the arms and now she was my slave. she had no chance on getting out and i was instantly on. she tried to scream through my hand but i pressed so hard down on her face and covered her nose that just a little squeek came out. she started kicking the ground and try to scream because she was already out of breath so i let her nose go.
To make the handgag longer i said things like «i couldnt let you catch me you know» and «i cant let you call for backup» and she just moaned under my hand in defeat. i held her mouth so perfect with my hand she couldnt get out a word through it. her hands was behind her back so she tried to grab my pants and pinch me to get free. i just wrapped my legs around her and rolled to the side and kept handgagging her tight while saying shhh into her ear. at this point i had her head on my shoulder and i looked at her and my perfect handgag. she had her eyes closed just struggling to break free. but she had no chance. i kept saying shhh to her and it worked because she went quiet. she didnt fight anymore and just let me sit there with my hand over her mouth. she accepter defeat completely. agian i started to worry that someone might come in and see me so i quikly let her go and ran away just as i did with my sister.
Later when we all grouped up after we were done playing my sister said to everyone «my brothers hand doesnt taste very good» and i panicked for a sec. Angel even said «i agree» even tho she didnt lick my hand. i was super scared to be exposed to everyone that i had handgagged them both but the conversation moved on and i was relieved.
You might think this story is over but my greedy ass wasnt finished. when my sister and i slept in the guest room and our parents slept at a hotel i wanted more. there was a big mirror in the corner and i somehow got my sister to get out of our bed and to come to me by the mirror. i just handgagged her out of nowhere and she didnt even mind. i held her arms again behind her back and just looked at us in the mirror. this mirror shot is a memory i remember so clearly for some reason. she moaned like in movies where they just let out mmhhfff after mmmhfff. i held her mouth so hard her face turned red and she had her eyes closed just like Angel. i just handgagged her and looked in the mirror before i led her to the bed again where she layed on her back and i reverse handgagged her laying beside her on my stomach. i remember so good that she just stared at me while i wiggled my junk back and forward on the mattress until i eventuelt came in my own boxer. i went to the bathroom and cleaned up as good as a kid can and went back to sleep.
And thats the end of that day. remember im not proud of this at all and i have not handgagged her in years. i did this as a kid who didnt know any better. i just wrote this story to the people that might like it.