Colorado currently has a three-year “window” that has opened to allow victims of sexual abuse to file civil claims against an abuser, as well as an organization, for sexual abuse of a minor that occurred since 1960. Claims must be filed before January 1st, 2025. The previous statute of limitations (SOL) was six years after the minor turned eighteen. Going forward there will be no SOL. There is already no SOL for criminal charges for sexual abuse of minors in CO.
For adult victims, Colorado eliminated the SOL for filing civil claims for sexual assault, and gave a six year extension to anyone who was still within the previous law's six year SOL. RAINN has a tool on their website for looking up criminal statute of limitations for sex crimes by state.
Vermont took it the furthest by permanently eliminating the past and future SOL for child sexual abuse lawsuits, including being able to sue an organization that has enabled or hidden abuse. The retroactive aspect of the law is being challenged in the Vermont Supreme Court. The ruling may set a precedent for the rest of the country. VT also removed the SOL for criminal charges starting at the time of the new law. Furthermore, they changed the SOL for sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adult, typically defined as an elderly person or someone with a developmental disability. There is no criminal SOL for sexual assault.
Other states have passed look back windows for civil claims, some only against the perpetrator. New York has opened a look back window for adult victims that will close in November 2023. The traditional reason for statute of limitations laws is that evidence is harder to come by over time and memory fades. However, it is now being recognized that victims of sexual abuse can take many years to be ready to face the abuser or even understand that they were abused. Criminal SOLs are usually longer than SOLs for civil claims.
There have been four criminal investigations by law enforcement involving Shambhala. One was by the Vermont State Police investigating sexual abuse of a minor. Public records of that investigation can be accessed by request. They did not bring charges against the alleged perpetrator because the criminal statute of limitations had expired. A lawsuit against the abuser and the Shambhala organization has been filed. That was made possible due to the changes in Vermont law, but Shambhala is challenging the new law as mentioned above.
Another investigation was by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office (the LCSO) in Colorado. The public records of that investigation were posted in this sub awhile ago. It was a broad investigation of a number of allegations against various people, including underage sexual abuse by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. No charges were filed. At least one case was beyond the statute of limitations. Two cases mentioned in their report, the ones mentioned here from Vermont and Halifax, are outside of their jurisdiction.
The LCSO was unable to find anyone willing to come forward against Mipham. It was considered a blessing to sleep with the guru. Anyone speaking out would face ostracization from the community. That may have changed some now that the Sakyong lineage has parted ways with Shambhala. Survivors should never feel that the burden of ruining Shambhala is on them. Egregious misconduct by all three leaders of Shambhala in a row did that.
The other two criminal investigations were in Boulder, CO. They resulted in charges being filed, both for sexual abuse of a minor. The charges against Bill Karelis, a former Shambhala teacher, were dropped because the survivor declined to testify. The investigation was triggered because someone whom the survivor confided in reported it. The prosecutors wrote an op-ed in general support of a survivor's choice not to testify. It can be an unbearable burden.
Mike Smith, a member of Shambhala, pleaded guilty. His 20 year sentence, which included time already served, was recently resentenced to 10 years prison, 3 years parole, and 10 years probation. Shambhala knew about Smith's underage sexual abuse many years ago and encouraged therapy and a restorative justice approach. An investigation by a law firm hired by Shambhala in Colorado concluded that Shambhala did not discourage the survivor and her family from reporting to the police.
There have been two other investigations of Shambhala conducted by lawyers, plus a listening post. All of the reports they produced are available online. In some cases, the Shambhala organization knew about misconduct, including by the leader Sakyong Mipham. Calls for a truth and reconciliation process looking at the history of misconduct going back to the founder Chogyam Trungpa have been ignored. Recently, abuse by Trungpa has come to light. Shambhala has been through crisis before, notably with the HIV/AIDS scandal and sexual misconduct of the Regent Osel Tendzin (Tom Rich).
Shambhala hired An Olive Branch, who published the information they gathered from the listening post, minus people's names. They also made recommendations on changes in structure and policy for Shambhala, which were only partially implemented.
Buddhist Project Sunshine published three reports on misconduct. The investigator was Carol Merchasin, a lawyer with prior experience conducting investigations. She has investigated other Buddhist and yoga organizations since then.
Wickwire Holm, a Halifax based law firm, was hired by Shambhala to investigate claims following the BPS reports. Shambhala set the parameters so it was limited in scope. For example, they did not investigate the accusation against Sakyong Mipham of attempted rape in Chile.
Wickwire Holm found that Sakyong Mipham committed sexual misconduct. That included validating a claim, which was also in a BPS report, that happened in Halifax in 2011. Although it was not rape, it fits within the definition of sexual assault- non consensual sexual contact. There is no criminal statute of limitations for that. Most of Canada abolished SOLs for sexual assault. It varies by province as to whether the new act is retroactive.
There are now more options available for filing claims in civil court, but they won't necessarily last. There can be advantages to individual cases and advantages to a class action. Usually one files in the state where it happened, but there can be exceptions. Generally, law firms work on contingency, meaning they only get paid if you win. For a civil suit the burden of proof is "more likely than not", which is also the standard used for investigations by lawyers. Whereas criminal trials must prove "beyond a reasonable doubt".
Just to be clear, I'm not a lawyer and am not qualified to give legal advice. I gathered some of this information online, which is not always user friendly, clear in meaning, consistent, or accurate. Obviously, one should always consult a lawyer for sound legal advice. Usually consultations are free. If anyone has questions, I recommend contacting Carol Merchasin. She now works for the law firm that represented the plaintiff who sued the Karmapa. There are also other lawyers who handle these kinds of claims. While a settlement doesn't erase the pain, it can bring some measure of comfort.
Carol Merchasin https://mcolaw.com/team/carol-merchasin/
Colorado Lawmakers Open “Look Back” Window For Child Sex Abuse Survivors https://www.abuselawsuit.com/news/colorado-lawmakers-open-look-back-window/
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-073
COLORADO SENATE BILLS 73 AND 88 CHANGE SEXUAL ASSAULT STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS https://www.leventhal-law.com/blog/colorado-senate-bills-73-and-88-change-sexual-assault-statute-of-limitations/
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/sexual-assault-abuse/how-long-is-the-vermont-statute-of-limitations-for-child-sex-abuse/
https://www.sexualabuseclaimsblog.com/2019/07/statute-of-limitations-in-canadian-sexual-abuse-claims/
https://www.legalinfo.org/legal-information-topics/sexual-abuse
RAINN https://www.rainn.org/
Tool for looking up criminal statute of limitations for sex crimes by state. https://apps.rainn.org/policy/?&_ga=2.264142732.1672697931.1678401356-735465690.1678401356#report-generator
https://www.womenslaw.org/

Key References to Books and Movies
B1 + M1 = Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
B2 + M2 = Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
B3 + M3 = Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
B4 + M4 = Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
B5 + M5 = Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
B6 + M6 = Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
B7 + M7 + M8 = Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
FBAWTFT = Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Some information was gathered or verified from https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
GENERAL
~ ~ At Hogwarts
Transfigured rat cup [Game: Transfiguration spell icon + Transfiguration class revelio page; M2 Ron in second-year done to Scabbers – Vera verto, transfigure animal to glass goblet].
Flying Daedalian Keys [B1 + M1 Flitwick’s protection of Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s stone].
One-Eyed Witch Secret Passageway to Honeydukes [B3 + M3].
Accio to summon people [Game: spell function, discussion between Sabastian & Ominis after charms class (can only summon clothes and not a person’s body); 1st in B4 + M4 accio firebolt, B7 accio Hagrid].
Spell incantations murals outside & inside Charms classroom [see below].
Room under the astronomy tower telescope platform [M6 where Harry hides while Dumbledore confronts Draco].
Hagrid’s future hut & pumpkin patch [Game: revelio page groundskeeper tools + Hippogriff headstone facing the lake behind the house (likely a reference to Hagrid’s actor passing)]. Hut location in game: “South” of the castle and near the Clocktower; Not adjacent the designated Forbidden Forest like depicted in movies.
Student in hospital wing puking up slugs [B2 + M2 Ron Weasley’s broken wand backfiring].
Chamber of Secrets and future Moaning Murtle’s girls bathroom [Game: revelio page, located near Slytherin common room in the dungeons; B2 + M2].
Basilisk [Game: reference in Slytherin Scriptorium; B2 + M2].
Follow the Butterflies quest [M2 Ron says, “Follow the spiders, why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies”].
Portrait resembling the late Richard Harris [played Dumbledore M1 + M2] in Entry hall and other locations.
Quidditch pitch structure details [M2 Harry & Draco match].
Vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement [1st in B5, mostly in B6 + M6].
Sirius Black’s containment cell outside Charms classroom [B3 + M3].
Secrets of the Darkest Arts book [Game: comment by Sebastian Sallow while in library restricted section; B7 used by Tom Riddle for knowledge of horcruxes, removed from library by Albus Dumbledore, retrieved by Hermione].
Death Day party [Game: in dungeons through locked door; 1st in B2].
Headless hunt [Game: tapestry revelio page; B2 Nick rejection].
Kitchens and Pear painting [B4, Fred & George and Hermione regarding S.P.E.W.].
Talking mirrors [Games: various rooms and bathrooms in the castle; B3 Leaky Cauldron B2 Ron’s house].
Leprechaun gold [Game: Professor Ronen lodging, Zonkos niffler attraction with disappearing gold, and student comment; 1st in B4].
References to other Wizarding school [Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America (student dialog), Mahoutokoro in Japan (Kogawa), Uagadou in Uganda (Onai)].
Professor Snape likeness in the Jack-in-the-Box [Game: Room of Requirement walkthrough and professor’s Ronen’s lodging].
Snape’s private stores closet in tapestry corridor “Long Gallery”, Ground floor [M4].
Hogwart’s motto, “Never tickle a sleeping dragon” [Game: Entry Hall, revelio page Dragon Statue in dungeon of the the Bell Tower wing, Central Hall sleeping dragon mural].
Howlers [Game: received by students throughout the castle; 1st in B2 + M2].
Prefects’ bathroom in South Wing [B4 + M4].
Troll-attack bathroom appearance [Game: bathroom near Fig’s classroom; M1].
Barnabas the Barmy and troll ballet tapestry across the hallway from the Room of Requirement on 7th floor corridor (confirmed on revelio page) [B5C18].
Sleeping portraits [Game: Headmaster office revelio pages; B5 + M5 + M3 (Harry looking for Pettigrew at night on Marauder's Map)].
Large wizard’s chess pieces [Game: Room of Requirement walkthrough, professor’s Ronen lodging; B1 + M1].
Rabbit hat [Game: displayed in the Transfiguration classroom; B3C4 Magical Menagerie].
Wendelin the Weird painting, loved burning at the stake 47 times [Game: DADA tower and other castle locations; B3C1].
Sir Cadogan portrait [Game: portrait in the Library Annex; 1st in B3 helping Harry to divination and as Gryffindor House guard in replacement of the traumatized Fat Lady portrait].
Obstacles to boys (wizard) entry to girls (witch) dormitories [Game: Ravenclaw 2 suit of armor guard, Slytherin sliding stairs, Hufflepuff sliding stairs, Gryffindor sliding stairs; B5C17].
“South” rock site past the wooden bridge uphill “north” from Hagrid’s future cabin where Hermione punched Draco [B3 + M3].
Ron’s dress robes for the Triwizard Yule Ball [Game: reward for discovering Hogwarts Secrets; B4 + M4].
Frog Choir [Game: Music classroom; M3].
Boggart closet [Game: revelio page in Astronomy Wing; B3 + M3].
“Not all beasts make good pets” signs on the quidditch pitch [B2 Reference to Hagrid and the acromantula Aragog, also Tom Riddle says something like this to Hagrid in diary memory shown to Harry].
Detention chamber [Filtch comment about the old ways of discipline].
Torture devices in the ramparts of west castle entrance [Filtch comment about the old ways of discipline].
Fat Lady [M3’s Savannah portrait Fat Lady hides in resides in a chamber behind the Map of Arygllshire (revelio page) which she hides in B3]; letter from Fat Lady left in this chamber for Violet referencing their wine drinking B4, B6C17. Monks drinking wine referenced in letter (in game) is also in this chamber, and a duplicate of this portrait is located in the Grand Staircase on the third level B6C17.].
Ancient Runes book [Game: student dialog; 1st in B3].
Mischievous Weasleys [Game: Gareth Weasley potion experimenting; references George and Fred Weasley].
Animagus [Game: sheep in the hospital wing, Forbidden Forest dead man’s letter describing attempt to become an animagus; B3 + M3].
Underground Harbor for first year arrivals [Game: revelio page; B1].
Practice dummy [Game: main quest; B5 + M5].
Tortoise with jewel-encrusted shell [Game: on display, revelio page; B3 animal in Magical Menagerie].
O.W.L.S. material [Game: professor Ronen asks the 5th year class the difference in the incantations of the color change (colovaria) and growth charms (unknown incantation; not engorgio); B5 during charms O.W.L.S., Harry Potter swelled his rat rather than turning it orange].
Dumbledore’s burial site island on Hogwarts ground [M7].
Werewolfs [Game: Werewolf tapestry room, use lumos very near the tapestries for the true story, werewolf statue; B3 + M3].
Gaunt Family [Game: Ominis Gaunt student & his aunt Noctuna Gaunt; 1st in B2 and especially B6].
Gaunt Family [Game: villager comment about Gormlaith Gaunt – the aunt (pure blood supremacy-minded, 1576-1634) to Isolt Sayre, founder of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America].
Bloody Baron hanging out in the astronomy tower [B6 his favorite pastime is going up to the astronomy tower].
Hufflepuff-specific Richard Jackdaw quest: Eldritch Diggory, Minister of Magic [related to Cedric & Amos Diggory; B4 & M4].
Deathly Hallows [Game: Niamh Fitzgerald’s Trial quest; B7].
The Goblet of Fire in casket [Game: stored in the Trophy Room; B4 + M4 same casket in movie and the trophy room is where the champions went to after being chosen].
Side Chamber in Great Hall where Triwizard champions retreated to after being chosen; room features a fireplace and walls covered in paintings of witches and wizards, and three chairs [B4 described].
Divination classroom entrance [Game: entrance as described in book 3 unlike movie 3].
Ravenclaw Sephronia Franklin quiz on wizarding lore (quiz 1, 2,3) + Hall of Herodiana.
Cat Plates [Game: Room of Requirement conjuration; B5 + M5 Dolores Umbridge].
Rule Placards [Game: Room of Requirement conjuration, on quidditch pitch, outside Potions classroom, in Detention room; B5 + M5 Dolores Umbridge].
Rule Placard: Moving Staircases DO NOT Excuse Tardies (2x versions).
Rule Placard: Keep Cauldrons Clean between Concoctions (2x versions).
Rule Placard: Brooms belong on the Pitch (2x versions).
Rule Placard: No Magic In The Corridors (2x versions).
Rule Placard: Not all Beasts Make Good Pets (2x versions).
Rule Placard: The Forbidden Forest is Forbidden for a reason (2x versions).
House-Elf Head plaque [Game: Room of Requirement conjuration; B5 Black family house & tradition].
Potions Classroom element typography art [Interesting because potions (complex ingredients like dittany leaves and bubotuber pus are used) in the magical world is like the muggle discipline of chemistry (purified elements and purified compound chemicals are a focus), but here the elements are being acknowledged. The magical study of alchemy might be more closely related to chemistry]. Will post a table in comments.
~ ~ Hogsmeade
Two red-headed twins outside of Zonko’s Joke Shop [reference to Fred & George Weasley].
Items from Zonkos [Game & Refs: Dungbombs being wrapped & on shelf B1 + B3, Nose-biting teacups B3C14, Frog spawn soap B3C14, Boxing telescope (poster) B6C5 manufactured by Fred and George, Luminous Balloons B1C12, Self-Shuffling Cards being wrapped & on shelf B2 at Ron’s house].
Gillyweed Tonic [Game: poster in Zonkos; B4 mentioned].
Sweets from Honeydukes [Game: Pepper Imps (breath fire), “Elephant on a Bicycle” (animal & train noises), Exploding BonBons, Fizzing Whizzbees (floating), Sugar Quills, Alihotsy-flavored Fudge, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Fizz, Chocolate Skeleton (skull), crystalized pineapple (Slughorn B6 + M6), but also includes to-become-defunct goodies like “Boiled Sweets” and “Doxy Floss” (cotton candy); 1st in B3 + M3].
Chocolate frog [Games: Honeydukes on wall & bench outside Hogsmead as revelio page; 1st in B1 + M1].
Hogsmeade abandoned house [Game: map overview looks like Shrieking Shack from M3, actual shack does not look like the M3 one].
Three Broomsticks Private Room [M3 where Harry finds out that Sirius is his godfather and was best friend of James Potter].
Three Broomsticks: bottled drinks [Game: Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Fire Wiskey, Rose Water, Dandelion Juice].
Three Broomsticks: brooms behind the bar [B6].
Spot Removal quest from Hufflepuff student Sacharissa Tugwood [Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, 2002 on PC; collectible silver famous witches & wizard card, 1874-1966, pioneer of beautifying potions].
Sneakoscope [Game: revelio page in Dervish and Banges; B3 + B4].
Skele-Gro potion [Game: a pink bottle with snail shell- like contents in Lawley’s cellar.]
~ ~ In the World
Magical Nab-Sack [Game: to rescue creatures; looks like Newt Scamander’s bag from FBAWTFT].
Golden Snitch [Game: Quality Quidditch Supplies, Niffler dens, Room of Requirement walkthrough, character profiles screen].
Pensieve sentries during tutorial [resemble those in the Battle of Hogwarts M8, animated by professor McGonagall with Piertotum Locomotor].
Azkaban prison [Game: walk through during Hufflepuff-specific Richard Jackdaw quest].
Dragon pox [Game: “Healer’s Notes” and site of dead healer; B5C9, B6C22, B7].
Poachers and Ashwinders travel like death eaters [M5,6,7]. Lake in the Forbidden Forest where Harry saved Sirius with his Patronus [Game: in front of the entrance to Jackdaw’s tomb; B3 + M3].
Elf burial [Game: near Feldcroft; B7 + M8].
Caterwauling Charm [Game: dialog Poppy questline; B7 + M8].
Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder [Game: revelio page; B6].
Troll Bogeys [Game: used in potion; B1 + M1].
Inferi [Game: enemy; B6 + B7].
Gringotts and Goblins [Game: during tutorial and intro].
Newt Scamander’s companion Teddy the Niffler (plushie version). Also, a plushie Mandrake. [Game: various locations with one or both at a picnic, on a sword, near cliffside (intro near the ruins leading to Gringotts entrance), etc.; 1st in Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them].
Headwig’s theme music [Game: Solved by the Bell quest; Movies].
Owl burial? [Game: headstone with owl engraving and stone perched owl near West Manor Cape Floo Flame; ode to Headwig’s death?].
(other video games) Skyrim helmet armor (around the castle and other places in the world).
(other video games) Sword in camp fire (in cemetery north of the Forbidden Forest); Dark Souls/ Elden Ring save points.
ROOMS IN HOGWARTS CASTLE
Transfiguration classroom + office -Astronomy Wing, Transfiguration Courtyard Floo Flame (Ground floor) -Matilda Weasley -Lodging in Grand Staircase, past Trophy Room.
Defense Against the Dark Arts + office -Astronomy Wing, DADA Tower, DADA Classroom F.F. (2nd floor?) -Dinah Hecat -Lodging in Grand Staircase.
Magical Theory classroom + office -Astronomy Wing, DADA Tower, Professor Fig’s Classroom F.F. (4th floor?) - Eleazar Fig -Lodging in South Wing: Faculty Tower.
Charms classroom + office -Astronomy Wing, DADA Tower, Charms Classroom F.F. (5th floor?) -Abraham Ronen -Lodging in South Wing: Faculty Tower.
Astronomy classroom -Astronomy Wing, Astronomy Tower F.F. (?) -Satyavatsi Shah - lodging in Astronomy Tower, near charms classroom.
Herbology classroom -Library Annex, Central Hall, Greenhouses F.F. (Ground floor) -Mirabel Garlick -Lodging in South Wing: Faculty Tower.
Potions classroom + office -Library Annex, Central Hall, Potions Classroom F.F. (Ground floor) -Aesop Sharp -Lodging in South Wing: Faculty Tower.
Divination classroom -Library Annex, Viaduct Entrance, Divination Classroom F.F. (4th floor?) -Mudiwa Onai -Lodging in South Wing: Faculty Tower.
Arithmancy classroom -Library Annex, Viaduct Entrance, Divination Classroom F.F. (2nd floor?).
Library -Library Annex, Central Hall (Ground floor) -Agnes Scribner.
Beasts classroom + office -Bell Tower Wing, Beasts Classroom F.F. (Ground floor) -Bai Howin - Lodging adjacent the beasts classroom.
Flying class location + office -Bell Tower Wing, Flying Class Lawn F.F. (Ground floor) -Chiyo Kogawa.
History of Magic classroom + office -Bell Tower Wing, Bell Tower Courtyard F.F., North Hall (1st floor) -Cuthbert Binns (deceased).
Muggle Studies classroom -Bell Tower Wing, Bell Tower Courtyard F.F., North Hall (Dungeon).
Alchemy classroom -Bell Tower Wing, Bell Tower Courtyard F.F. (Dungeon).
Music classroom -Bell Tower Wing, Bell Tower Courtyard F.F. Hospital -South Wing, Faculty Tower, Hospital Wing F.F. -Noreen Blainey -Lodging in south wing, hospital wing.
Headmaster -Grand Staircase -Phineas Nigellus Black [portrait in B5 & B7] -Lodging in Grand Staircase.
House Elves -Grand Staircase, (kitchens) -various, Deek -Lodging in Grand Staircase, Kitchens.
House Specters -The Bloody Baron, The Fat Friar, The Gray Lady, and Nearly Headless Nick, but also Peeves (poltergeist).
Caretaker -Gladwin Moon -Lodging in Bell Tower Wing, Hogwarts North Exit.
SHOPS IN HOGSMEADE
Ollivanders wands (separate branch from Diagon Alley).
Tomes and Scrolls.
J. Pippin’s Potions.
Dogweed and Deathcap.
The Magic Neep.
Gladrags Wizardwear.
Dervish and Banges.
Spint Witches Sporting Needs, Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Brood and Peck.
Madam Snelling’s Tress Emporium – change facial features and hair.
Hog’s Head.
The Three Broomsticks.
Zonko’s Joke Shop.
Honeydukes.
Daily Prophet booth – actual newspaper articles to read, specifically a multi-issue story on a hybrid chicken-dragon [B5 ministry official confiscated fire-breathing chicken].
Steepley and Sons.
Bingle and Blatch.
Hogsmead Post Office.
Ceridwen’s Cauldrons.
Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop.
Flutes and Lutes.
CHARMS CLASS SPELL INCANTATION TYPOGRAPHY MURALS
Aberto. Charm. A spell used to open doors. FBAWTFT.
Accio. Charm. Summoning Charm. B4 Charms class, Harry.
Aguamenti. Charm, conjuration. Water-Making Spell. B6 Harry.
Alohomora. Charm. Unlocking Charm. B1. Hermione.
Aparecium. Charm. Revealing Charm. B3. Hermione.
Arresto Momentum. Charm. Slowing Charm. B3. Dumbledore.
Avis. Charm, conjuration. Bird-Conjuring Charm. B4. Mr. Ollivander. Hermione.
Bombarda. Charm. Exploding Charm. M3. Hermione.
Colloportus. Charm. Locking Spell. B5. Hermione.
Confundo. Charm. Confundus Charm. B3. Mentioned Severus. Hermione.
Defodio. Charm. Gouging Spell. B7. Hermione, Harry, Ron.
Deprimo. Charm. Used to blast holes in the ground. B7. Hermione.
Diffindo. Charm. Severing Charm. B4. Harry. Ron.
Diminuendo. Charm. Forces the target to shrink. M5. Nigel Wolpert.
Dissendium. Charm. Used to open passages (One-Eyed Witch and others). B3. Harry.
Episkey. Healing spell. Used to heal relatively minor injuries, such as broken bones and cartilage. B6. Nymphadora Tonks. Harry.
Expecto Patronum. Charm. Patronus Charm. B3. Remus Lupin. Harry.
Expelliarmus. Charm. Disarming Charm. B2. Severus. Harry.
Glacius. Charm. Freezing Spell. Videogame.
Glisseo. Charm. Causes the steps on a stairway to flatten into a slide. B7. Hermione.
Immobulus. Charm. Freezing Charm. B1. Hermione. Horace Slughorn.
Lacarnum Inflamari. Charm. Ignites cloaks. B2. Hermione.
Legilimens. Charm. Legilimency Spell. Allows the caster to delve into the mind of the victim, allowing the caster to see the memories, thoughts, and emotions of the victim. B5. Severus.
Levioso. Charm. Levitation Spell. Videogame.
Lumos. Charm. Wand-Lighting Charm. B2. Many.
Lumos Maxima charm Produces a blinding flash of bright white light from the tip of the wand. It is a variant of the Wand-Lighting Charm. M3.
Meteolojinx Recanto. Counter-charm. Ceases weather effects caused by Weather-Modifying Charms. B7. Arthur Weasley & Ron Weasley.
Mobiliarbus. Charm. Levitates wooden objects a few inches off the ground and moves them in any given direction. B3. Hermione.
Mobilicorpus. Charm. Levitates and moves bodies. B3. Sirius Black.
Nox. Charm. Wand-Extinguishing Charm. B4. Harry. Hermione.
Obliviate. Charm. Memory Charm. B2. Gilderoy Lockhart. Hermione.
Periculum. Charm. Produces a burst of red sparks. B4. Harry.
Petrificus Totalus. Curse. Full Body-Bind Curse. B1. Hermione.
Piertotum Locomotor. Charm. Brings animates inanimate targets. B7. Professor McGonagall.
Portus. Charm. Turns an object into a portkey. B5. Dumbledore.
Prior Incantato. Charm. Reverse Spell. Forces a wand to show an "echo" of the last spell it performed. B4. Amos Diggory.
Protego. Charm. Shield Charm. B4. Harry.
Protego Horribilis. Charm. A powerful shield charm against dark magic. B7. Professor Flitwick.
Quietus. Charm. Quietening Charm. It was the counter-charm to the Amplifying Charm. B4. Ludo Bagman.
Reducio. Charm. Shrinking Charm. B7. Harry.
Reducto. Curse. Reductor Curse. B4. Harry. M5 Jenny.
Relashio. Jinx. Revulsion Jinx. B4. Harry.
Rennervate. Charm. Reviving Spell. Awakens an unconscious victim. It is consequently the counter-charm to the Stunning Spell. B4. Amos Diggory. Dumbledore.
Reparo. Charm. Mending Charm. Seamlessly repairs broken objects. B6. Dumbledore.
Repello Inimicum. Charm. Disintegrates the persons entering this charm. B7. Professors.
Repello Muggletum. Charm. Muggle-Repelling Charm. B4. Quidditch World Cup. B7. Hermione & Harry.
Revelio. Charm. Reveals secrets about a person or object.
Rictusempra. Charm. Tickling Charm. B3. Charms class. Harry.
Riddikulus. Charm. Boggart Banishing Spell. B3. DADA class.
Scourgify. Charm. Scouring Charm. B5. Nymphadora Tonks. Ginny Weasley.
Silencio. Charm. Silencing Charm. B5. Hermione.
Sonorous. Charm. Amplifying Charm. The counter-charm is the Quietening Charm, Quietus. B4. Ludo Bagman.
Specialis Revelio. Charm. Reveals spells cast on objects or potions. B6. Hermione.
Stupefy. Charm. Stunning Spell. B4. Harry.
Tarantallegra. Charm. Dancing Feet Spell. B2. Harry.
Tergeo. Charm. Wiping Spell. Siphons liquid and cleans objects. B6. Hermione.
Vermillious. Charm. Red Sparks. B1. Neville Longbottom.
Waddiwasi. Charm. Used to shoot small, soft masses of whatever the caster so desires at the target. B3. Remus Lupin.
Wingardium Leviosa. Charm. Levitation Charm. B1. Hermione.
FUNCTIONAL SPELLS – Essential
Revelio [] Reveal concealed objects, invisible things, passages, and secretly written messages and hidden markings.
Alohomora [1st in B1] Unlocking Charm.
Petrificus Totalus [1st in B1C16] Full Body-Bind Curse.
Protego [1st in B4 and B5] Shield Charm.
Stupefy [1st in B3] Stunning Spell.
Basic Cast (unique to Hogwarts Legacy).
Ancient Magic & Ancient Magic Throw (this specific kind is unique to Hogwarts Legacy, but the sacrificial protection provided by Lily to Harry is also ancient magic).
FUNCTIONAL SPELLS – Force (purple)
Accio [1st in B4] Summoning Charm.
Depulso [1st in B4] Banishing Charm.
Descendo [1st in B7] make objects fall or move downwards.
Flipendo [] Knockback Jinx.
FUNCTIONAL SPELLS – Damage (red)
Bombarda [1st in M3] Exploding Charm.
Confringo [B7] Blasting Curse.
Diffindo [B4] Severing Charm.
Expelliarmus [B2C11] Disarming Charm.
Incendio [B1 Hagrid] Fire-Making Spell.
FUNCTIONAL SPELLS – Control (yellow)
Transfiguration.
Arresto Momentum [B3C15] Slowing Charm.
Glacius [] Freezing Spell.
Levioso - feather icon. Levitation Spell.
SPELLS – Utility (blue)
Lumos [B2] Wand-Lighting Charm.
Disillusionment [B5].
Reparo [M1] Mending Charm.
Wingardium Leviosa - wings on wand [B1 in Charms] Levitation Charm.
FUNCTIONAL SPELLS – Transfiguration (light green) Conjuring spell.
Altering spell.
Evanesco [B5C17] Vanishing Spell.
FUNCTIONAL SPELLS – Unforgivable Curse (green)
Avada Kedavra - lightning bolt motion.
Crucio.
Imperio.
BEASTS, CREATURES, BEINGS
Acromantula & arachnids [Game: enemy in the Forbidden Forest and main quest; B2 + M2].
Ashwinder [Game: eggs used in potions].
Augurey [Game: skeleton revelio page].
Demiguise [Game: statues].
Diricawl [Game: animal dens].
Doxy [Game: only egg, revelio page].
Dragons [Game: flying around wild, skeleton in DADA classroom, and a part of Poppy questline].
Dugbogs [Game: enemy].
Centaurs [Game: ally in the Forbidden Forest, a part of Poppy questline].
Erumpent [Game: horn as a conjuration for Room of Requirement; B7 + M8].
Fwooper [Game: animal dens].
Giant Purple Toad [Game: animal dens; 1st in B3 Magical Menagerie].
Giant Squid [Game: seen during flying class ride with Everett Clopton of Ravenclaw over the Black Lake, seen occasionally in the Black Lake, attacking Slytherin common room windows to Black Lake, Slytherin-specific Richard Jackdaw quest involving toast; B4C12 & C18].
Gnome [Game: Leander Prewett, ancestor of Molly Weasley, talks fondly of De-Gnoming the garden; B2 at the Weasley’s house].
Graphorn [Game: animal den, main quest].
The Grim [Game: mentioned in a tragedy writing paper, The Grim in underground den south of West Hogwarts Valley; B3 + M3].
Horklump [Game: collect for potions].
Hippogriffs [Game: animal dens & Natasi questline; B3].
Jobberknoll [Game: animal dens].
Kelpie [Game: statue and revelio page].
Kneazle [Game: animal dens; B3 + M3 Hermione ‘s cat Crookshanks, half-kneazle].
Merpeople [Game: mentioned by students and related to ‘Mer-ky’ Depths quest given by Slytherin student, Nerida Roberts].
Mooncalf [Game: animal dens].
Niffler [Game: animal dens; 1st in B4 + FBAWTFT].
Phoenix [Game: side quest to save one].
Puffskein [Game: animal dens; B5 Jenny’s Pygmy Puff + FBAWTFT].
Sphinx [Game: statue behind History of Magic classroom; B4].
Thestral [Game: animal dens & stabled at Hogwarts along with carriage; 1st in B5].
Three-Headed Dog [Game: tapestry near Magical Theory/Professor Fig’s classroom; B1 Fluffy].
Troll [Game: enemy; 1st in B1].
Unicorns [Game: animal den & side quest; 1st in B1].
Werewolf [Game: werewolf tapestry room & statues].
PLANTS
Honking daffodil [Game: around the world; 1st mentioned B5].
Devil’s Snare [Game: environmental hazard; 1st in B1 + M1].
Mandrake [Game: grown to use in combat; 1st in B2+F2].
Venomous Tentacula [Game: grown to use in combat; 1st in B5C9, B7C31 Battle of Hogwarts, M6 Slughorn stealing tentacula leaves].
Chinese Chomping Cabbages [Game: grown to use in combat].
Dittany [Game: grown to use in potions].
Fluxweed [Game: grown to use in potions].
Knotgrass [Game: grown to use in potions].
Leaping Toadstools [Game: collected to use in potions].
Abyssinian Shrivelfigs [Game: grown to use in potions; B2C15 + B3 ].
Mimbulus mimbletonia & stinksap [Game: the pungent passage revelio page; 1st in B5 + M5 in train and Gryffindor password].
Bubotubers & bubotuber pus [Game: Spot Removal quest from Sacharissa Tugwood; 1st in B4, B5C28].
Fanged Geranium [Game: gargoyle dialog].
Dirigible plums [Game: in greenhouses with revelio page; 1st in B7 + M8].
POTIONS Potion: Polyjuice potion [Game: girls bathroom in astronomy tower and The Polyjuice Plot main quest; 1st in B2 + M2 then B4 & M4]. Lacewing Flies + Leeches + Knotgrass + Fluxweed + Bicorn horn (cattle) + boomslang skin (snake) + hair from person.
Potion: Felix Felicis potion [Game: PlayStation exclusive potion to make and use to find treasure; 1st in B6 + M6]. Lacewing Flies + Fluxweed Stem.
Potion: Thunderbrew potion. Leech Juice + Shrivelfig Fruit + Stench of the Dead.
Potion: Wiggenweld potion. Horklump Juice + Dittany Leaves.
Potion: Invisibility potion. Leaping Toadstool Caps + Knotgrass Sprig + Troll Bogeys.
Potion: Edurus potion. Ashwinder Eggs + Mongrel Fur.
Potion: Focus Potion. Lacewing Flies + Fluxweed Stem + Dugbog Tongue.
Potion: Maxima Potion. Leech Juice + Spider Fangs.

19 January 1509
Rome
​

That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I build my church; and the gates of hell prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:18-19

After the stunning victory of the Papacy and its vicars during the year of our Lord, 1508, Pope Martin institutes a flurry of changes to the state of the Church and its neighbors. Following The Declaration of Saint Serafina, Papal interests have extended into Tuscany to prevent a reemergence of any antagonist, unchristianly agents.

Tuscany

The Principality of Piombino - Elevated by his Holiness, Pope Martin VI, the former Lordship of Piombino will now be ruled by Prince Jacopo IV, who is lauded for his fidelity to the Holy See and his success on campaign. The Prince of Piombino receive the counties of Grosseto, Massa Marittima, Punta Ala; the islands of Giglio Campese, Gorgona, Giannutri, and the remainder of the barrier isles of the Elban archipelago (some of which are ceded from the Superb Republic of Genoa); and unique customs exemptions and tax rights in Florence.
The Republic of Pisa - Ever restless in spirit, the Pisans bucked the Florentine yoke during the year. The Holy See will recognize and send nuncios to the Republic of Pisa which controls its pre-war territories of 1499, namely Pisa and its associated contado.
The Republic of Lucca - Formerly a Papal ally, it is only just that the Lucchese once more breathe the free air of freedom. The Holy See will recognize and send nuncios to the Republic of Lucca which controls its pre-war territories of 1502, namely Lucca and its associated contado. Additionally, the republic, as reparations for the sack brought on by Florentine diplomatic mismanagement, will be granted ownership of the exclaves previously marring its territorial integrity from within its contado and to the northwest, as well as ownership of the quarries within them, under the condition that they provide raw materials to the construction of the Lateran Basilica of Saint Peter of the Vatican at a discounted sale price.
The Republic of Siena - Subjugated by Florence during the War of the League of Gaeta, the Republic of Siena will be reestablished under the steady, wisened guidance of Pandolfo Petrucci, the Magnificent, Gonfalonier and protector of the republic. The Holy See will recognize and send nuncios to the Republic of Siena which controls its city, the contado, and some shifted territory to account for the concessions earned by the Piombinese and the damage wrought by Florence on the republic.
Republic of Florence - Though bested in the field and capitulated unconditionally to the Papal forces, the Lord in Heaven and his Saints who walked the earth teach us the value of the virtue of mercy. Mercy, then, we will shower upon the Signoria of this city and its domain in the heartland of Tuscany. Though stripped of jurisdiction from the territorial concessions listed above, the Republic of Florence nevertheless remains. Its institutions will continue, free from the bondage that a more vindictive opponent might have imposed. The only requirements, a low price for the freedom of such a proud citizenry, are that:

-Following the death of Rinaldo Orsini in July 1508, Cardinal Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici is appointed Archbishop of Florence;
-The Republic acknowledges the office of the Archbishop of Florence as head of the Republic and leader of the Signoria to ensure proper Christian governance and the temptations of the past do not reemerge;
-The House of Medici’s ban, particularly on the family of Piero de’ Medici, is to be lifted;
-The city of Florence and its Republic grant special customs exemptions to the merchants of Piombino and those of France.

Emilia and Romagna

The Duchy of Romagna - Crafty Gonfalonier and Captain-General Cesare Borgia has led the Papal forces to yet another victory in the field, proving to those few doubters why he remains laden with the sable chain of his title as standard-bearer for the Papal Keys. For his incredible leadership and unassailable character, the Duke of Romagna receives, from the Republic which he bested, the counties of Firenzuola, Tredozio, and Bibbiena.
The Duchy of Bologna - The Lord of Bologna, Giovanni II Bentivoglio has presided over the scarcely democratic signoria of the city of Bologna with justice and austerity. For nearly the past decade, the master of Bologna has provided himself as an invaluable ally to and productive member of the court of the Holy See. As a member of the Patrimony of Saint Peter, Giovanni II has finally seen the error in past ways and comes to prostrate himself before the Bishop of Rome and kiss the Fisherman’s Ring.
For his long and dutiful obedience to the Papacy, the jurisprudence and wisdom with which he rules, and the services rendered during the last campaign season, the Holy Father and the House of Bentivogli have reached an agreement:

-The Bentivogli are to be invested with a new title, Dukes of Bologna, hereditary and perpetually;
-The Bentivogli are to resume paying the yearly Papal tithe owed by all lawful vicars and fiefs to the Apostolic Camera;
-Construction on the Basilica of San Petronio is to be resumed, with legational oversight to ensure proper adherence to the latest architectural sciences and techniques, with the stipulation that the basilica remain at least 30 meters smaller and 50 meters shorter than the intended final size of the Lateran Basilica of Saint Peter of the Vatican, under construction in Rome;
-Giovanni II’s son, Ermes, is to be wed [or betrothed] to a niece of Pope Martin VI, of the House of Carafa, to ensure familial bonds will cement the love that the new Dukes of Bologna have for His Holiness.

The Duchy of Piacenza-Busseto - Established through Papal investiture, the new Duchy of Piacenza e Busseto covers a wide area in Emilia and shares cultural heritage with southern Lombardy. Since March of 1508, the Marquisate of Busseto has been dissolved and its territory subsumed into the new duchy. Antonio Maria Pallavicino, elevated by His Holiness, rules the realm, as will his heirs after his death and their heirs after theirs. Antonio Maria, notably a knighted member of an exclusive French Chivalric Order, agreed to the following terms for his investiture:

-Formation of a new Papally-invested Duchy of Piacenza e Busseto, with the border stretching from Piacenza in the north to the Emilian Apennines in the south;
-The Pallavicini are to be invested with the aforementioned new title, hereditary and perpetually;
-Total consolidation of the Marquisate of Busseto into the new state.

The Duchy of Ferrara-Modena - Honorable, noble, loyal, the House of Este proved itself once more as a loyal vicar of the Holy See. He is lauded for his commitment to the will of the Lord Almighty in bringing about peace in this war-torn peninsula. For the rendered fealty and obedience to Rome, the Holy See recognizes the family’s claim to Carpi, Correggio, Guastalla, Mirandola, Parma, and Montechiarugolo.

Umbria & Marche

The Papal County of Sansepolcro - Ancient, even to the days of Julius Caesar, the ever-present House of Colonna proved itself and its commanders invaluable allies in the hunt for the white stag of peace in Italy. For their commitment to Pope Martin, his office, and the principles and virtues that we all must strive for, the old Colonna receive a new title. Returned from the frontier with the Republic of Florence which absconded with the territory many years ago, the land will be consolidated in the Papal County of Sansepolcro. Bestowed to Marcantonio Colonna, the vicar will:

-The Colonna are to be invested with a new title, Papal Counts of Sansepolcro, hereditary and perpetually (and the villages of Carpegna and Scavolino);
-The Colonna, through this title, are to begin paying the yearly Papal tithe owed by all lawful vicars and fiefs to the Apostolic Camera.

The Ecclesiastical State of Perugia - Proud and just, the Judges of Perugia have a long history of an independent streak against their liege, Saint Peter’s. The Baglioni, however, since the end of the War of the League of Gaeta, have been taking steps toward reconciliation with the Holy See and have proven their obedience. Gian Paolo Baglioni, a strong leader, has finally seen the error in past ways and comes to prostrate himself before the Bishop of Rome and kiss the Fisherman’s Ring, leading to an agreement:

-The Baglioni are recognized as undisputed leaders of the Lordship of Perugia, under their head of household Gian Paolo Baglioni;
-The Baglionii are to resume paying the yearly Papal tithe owed by all lawful vicars and fiefs to the Apostolic Camera.

The Duchy of Urbino - For decades, the great Guidobaldo da Montefeltro ruled over the Duchy of Urbino, fostering an environment of perhaps the greatest courtly center in the entire peninsula, excluding Rome of course. His contributions to the level-headedness and tranquility of central Italy were great; his son, a young man by the name of Cesare da Montefeltro, will follow in his footsteps, as is his right to inherit the hereditary title of Duke. Given the conflicting interests in the area, the only proper solution is for His Holiness to act as guardian of the young Montefeltro, with a regency established to manage the duchy’s affairs until he comes of age.

-Cesare I da Montefeltro is recognized by the Holy See as Duke of Urbino;
-Pope Martin VI takes the role of guardian of Urbino and its young duke;
-A regency is established with Cardinal Gianvincenzo Carafa, Gonfalonier Cesare Borgia (the child’s Godfather), and Duchess-dowager, Lady Gonzaga (the child’s mother)
-Permission granted to integrate the town of Piobbico and its castle.

 

 
Map here, with changes listed:
Piacenza formed, granted 18 provinces (Busseto deleted)F-M gains Parma and associated counties, as well as 5 minors to the northLucca gains the exclaves and two dots in Massa & CarreraBologa gains a Papal outline and begins paying per tickPisa gains 4 provincesPiombino gains 3 provinces on the mainland and all the entire elba archipelagoSiena gains 5 provincesRomagna gains 3 provincesColonna formed, granted 3 provinces (Carpegna and Scavolino deleted)Urbino gains 1 province (Piobbico deleted)Perugia gains a Papal outline and begins paying per tick

I rewrote this because I felt quite unsatisfied with my writing.
Multiple POVs ahead.
I hope you enjoy.
————————————
Memory Transcription Subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps
Date[Standardized Human Time]: August 21, 2136
I struggled against the bonds holding me as the monstrous soldiers dragged me away to a cell.
We couldn’t fight. Not when they outnumbered us. We could only struggle as I was escorted to some sort of cell, while Marcel was taken somewhere else.
Probably the executioner table.
I was harshly thrown into a cell and locked inside. I immediately tried to retaliate, banging on the glass. The massive guards kept their aim on me.
How do they have soldiers of such size? Did they discover more “prey” species to brainwash?
I couldn’t do anything else. I had been relieved of my weapons and the guards would most definitely kill me if I did manage to break the glass.
I felt weak.
I felt hopeless.
Humanity was a new arrival to the galaxy. We were supposed to protect them.
I had failed my part in that.
…
Wait.
I reached for my belt. They took away my weapons, but I still had my pad.
I immediately pushed the distress button before a soldier opened the door and crushed it in his hands. He then smacked me towards the wall, and I hit my head.
The last thing that went through my head before losing consciousness was the hope that someone caught the distress message.
————————————
Memory Transcription Subject: Captain Sovlin, Anti Piracy Division
Date[Standardized Human Time]: August 21, 2136
I put the engines in maximum overdrive as I raced to the Venlil Exchange Station.
I knew that there was someone in that station that Tyler knew. I wouldn’t let my newest recruit, and newest friend, fall into depression because of incompetence.
I was curious, however…
“I assume that there is someone at that station that you are familiar with?” I asked. Tyler nodded. “You can tell me about them if you want.” I offered some conversation.
His face, previously hardened with anticipation and anger, softened as he began to speak. “His name is Marcel. He’s part of the same military as me, and serves alongside me. He’s a bit intimidating at first glance, but he’s a really kind and compassionate person. He’s a vegetarian, meaning that he has a dietary preference for refusing to eat meat. He’s a really nice guy. He has a fiancé, too. She’s also a really nice lady.” His face turned to the ground in anger. “He’s my best friend. He deserves a happy life. And now he’s about to suffer a fate worse than death. At least that’s the implication I got from how insistent you were on aiding the station.”
I frowned. “The Kolshians and Farsul are monsters. They have a vehement hatred of anything that even remotely resembles a meat eater. Even herbivores with forward facing eyes and serrated teeth for stripping branches of their leaves are not safe. If they saw Marcel, or any human for that matter, there is no doubt in my mind that they would subject him to a fate of unimaginable pain.” I said, gritting my teeth.
Out of my peripheral vision, I could see that Tyler was horrified.
I turned to make eye contact with him. “I swear, as a captain of a force meant to save lives, I will do everything in my power to make sure that Marcel is saved.” I said.
Tyler smiled slightly. “Thanks.”
A beep from the monitor pulled us out of our thoughts.
“Appears to be a distress signal, from a relatively short distance away from the station. It was sent by a member of the Venlil Space Corps. Name is registered as Slanek-“
“SLANEK!?” Tyler shouted, causing me to jump out of my seat. Before I could ask him about it, my question was answered for me. “He’s Marcel’s Exchange Partner!”
My eyes widened. A distress signal meant that Slanek, and presumably Marcel as well, were in a situation of extreme danger and needed assistance immediately.
My horror increased 10 fold as I realized that the signal was in the same exact coordinates as the Kolshian Vessel.
We need to hurry.
————————————
Memory Transcription Subject: Dr. Recel, Scientist of the Kolshian Commonwealth
Date[Standardized Human Time]: August 21, 2136
I stared at the predator as it lay unconscious in its cell.
I don’t know why, but I always felt bad for predators.
They may be murderers and savages, but they were following their instincts. They were only doing what they must in order to survive. To kill them for something completely out of control should be cruel.
I always wondered if it was possible to tame predators. Not through force or genetic engineering, but through simple compassion.
Something that I found quite lacking in the Galactic Herd.
Unfortunately, there weren’t many who shared my worldview, and those that did were often executed for possessing predator disease, falsely accused of being without empathy.
I kept quiet. I made sure nobody knew of my intentions, lest I be culled too.
Now I found myself here. In front of this predator.
A very familiar predator.
Several nights ago, I found myself having oddly realistic dreams. - The very predator that slept before me, starved and injured in a permanent manner. - A massive conflict brought about by bigotry and prejudice. - Me being executed for treason.
As I watched the predator from my dreams slumber before my real self, I was convinced that those dreams were visions of a possible future.
I will not let such a future come to pass. Not when I now have the perfect opportunity to prove my ideals right.
Previous

For Non-Christians He uses it to warn them of the effects of sin so they seek a Savior. For Christians who have been saved by the Prince of Peace, I think He uses it To motivate us to seek out wisdom from God so we stop being naive. Reality check, We’re responsible for our own pain and suffering, not God. When you fall off your bike, the law of nature didn’t cause you to fall off, your own lack of understanding and imperfection caused you to fall off. God allows free will, so when you watch how prideful people use their free will for evil against God’s creation and others, potentially you, you should stop being naive and use your own free will to turn to God’s wisdom and prayer for protection. 1 Corinthians 15:33, Matthew 7:7.
Even non-Christians have a saying about how the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Kinda ironic how they don’t take the advice and continue to think they can live without God. But for Christians, continue to Gain wisdom and understanding especially after suffering so it doesn’t happen again, and above all else spread hope for the glorified body.

Hi all,
Thank you for taking the time to read if you so choose. I just need to get this off of my chest before I have another breakdown.
As the title states, I have been dealing with this situation all of my life & it has finally come to a head. I already silently struggle with an array of mental health issues and can feel myself spiraling with this new revelation. I have no one else to talk to & just need to get this out to help with my healing process.
I'll try my best to keep it short and sweet... but chances are this will be a bit of a long
Here goes:
All my life I have always felt like the odd one out in my family. I've always felt like something was off or missing about my place in the family dynamic & my parents notably treat me differently than my two younger siblings.
I'm a 31 year old female currently estranged from said family after putting up with lifelong physical, emotional, medical and most recently financial abuse from namely my mother who seems to have some sort of grudge against me.
I cut her off after the last round of abuse resulted in her and my stepfather verbally attacking me after I finally lashed out about the large lump sum of cash she stole from my bank account once when I was away for about a year. Luckily, the bedroom door was locked at the time. Otherwise, I was in deep fear of what they would physically do to me if that barrier wasn't there. I wouldn’t put it past them as I often feel like my mother wants me dead or at the very least homeless.
But I digress, that happened two years ago. Luckily my apartment lease wasn’t up like they thought it was and I has somewhere to return to. I have been no contact ever since and shunned from the family. Every time I've set a boundary with her, she slanders my name to my whole family and they stop talking to me too. All the while she’ll secretly harass me from various email accounts with sappy promises & “apologies” until the manipulation has me crawling back.
This time is different though. I took my power back and built a firm foundation by myself. I'm finally at the point where I don't care to maintain those relationships anymore and have come to terms with the fact that I will have to continue on my path to becoming successful alone in order to protect my mental health. And I'm okay with that.
Since then, I have slowly been making strides and getting better. In the meantime, I have gotten completely sober from all drugs and alcohol and I've developed a routine that makes me happy. I feel like I'm finally in a healthy mental space. But there's a problem that is bothering me, and the older I get it becomes more blatantly obvious.
I can't ignore this anymore.
Growing up, my mother would make "jokes" about an old childhood friend of hers that she used to date. His family is still very much so intertwined with my mother's and the way my mother gushes over the man, one can only assume he was her first love or something. She would frequently tell me when he was in town and show me his highschool yearbook pictures saying, "There goes your daddy," or whenever he was in the area , "I just talked to your daddy." As a kid, I kind of used to “laugh” it off but I can admit that it had made me very curious about him and I was always intrigued by photos she showed me of him.
My hometown is very small so everyone knows everyone. With all my mother’s side of the family being a grade school teacher, we were very well known around various schools. One time in the 6th grade, I had a substitute teacher with very long hair like mine and the same lighter-skinned complexion & mixed features greet me as I walked in class with, "Hey, Niece!". I later found out that this same woman is my bio dad's sister.
It's like everyone is in on this cruel joke except for me.
Anyway, when my mother conceived me she was in college in our hometown and chasing behind the man I thought was my father, but he was admittedly a player and she was admittedly “wild.” They both would frequently break up and "cheat" on each other during summer breaks when he would go back home.
Well. I traced the date of my conception back to 20~ June 1992. Summer break.
The glaring issue here is that my non-bio dad has very strong genes. Everyone on his side of the family looks alike. Both my little brother and sister look just like him, act like him & have a heftier body build where I'm more petite. They look more African American and have a tighter curl pattern whereas I often get mistaken for Puerto Rican or mixed. They even have a strong bond where as I can't seem to connect with my “dad” and I am often put off a bit whenever I have tried to spend time with him. He only talks to me about women like I’m some old college buddy & I’m just not interested in hearing about that. Especially if I’m supposed to be his child.
I'm also the only child he and my mother have physically put their hands on. I've been punched in the face, slapped and beat with belts, etc. My “dad” never speaks up or tries to protect me and often believes any rumor my mom tells him even though they are divorced and the “kids” are all grown. They also still financially provide for my grown siblings, but any time I've asked for help I'm given excuses. I've had to provide for myself my whole life and it's been a struggle but I maintain.
As I stated, my siblings look just like their dad and the only resemblance I kind of share is my hair texture, but even then my bio dad's family & I share a looser curl pattern and we very much have more "European" features whereas both of my "parents" clearly look African American. It’s a running joke that I’m “adopted”.
It’s always hit or miss when I ask people for advice & when I try to talk to my siblings about it they gaslight me out of believing that we don’t share the same father. But as I grow older and my face matures, the differences are too hard to miss & raise a lot of questions.
Recently, I found myself looking at my bio dad's facebook photos again, which I tend to do when I'm really stuck in my head. He's friends with my mom on Facebook & when we were in contact, she showed it to me. I was looking at some photos of myself, observing the changes due to aging and I noticed that me and this guy literally make the same exact face/pose when taking selfies. It's a face I do subconsciously & it's a detail that's easy to miss if you're not looking but once you see it you can't unsee it. If you compared side by side photos, I’m like the female version of him.
I compared our smiles, teeth, hairline, forehead, side profile, nose, eyes, etc. on the phone and in the mirror & we look like twins. One thing my mother always alluded to as well was that "I have my daddy's chin." Now that I've lost a significant amount of baby fat in my face and my cheekbones are more prominent, I see that we share the exact same prominent jawline and dimples. I found one of his sisters on his page as well, and we definitely favor one anothe share features as well. My gut just tells me that this is my family.
At first, I was excited as I came to the realization of this and felt like after a long time of feeling lost and out of place I was on the right track of figuring out who I am. Those feelings were immediately shut down when I realized, this man who is in constant contact with my mother and that I am positive has seen me and knows what I look like because all she does is flood facebook with pictures of us as a "perfect little happy blended family unit". If people only knew the truth about her ways. They would run from her as well. For this, I know he has seen me and knows about me. It just crushes me to think about everything I've had to endure from my parents growing up and about how life could've been. I was always a bright ambitious kid with big dreams, but after a lifetime of having my dreams shut down by both sides of my "family" I often struggle with finding motivation/ self-worth.
By the looks of it, my bio dad is a successful businessman & has a wife as well as 3 other children now. It's bittersweet knowing that I have other siblings, but I wander day to day all alone struggling to keep myself together. I find myself crying most nights pleading to the Universe for my father to please come get me, hoping that somewhere in his heart, our blood, & our connected DNA that he would hear my cries...
But the truth is, if he wanted to he would.
My mother went through a similar situation with her father who wouldn’t claim her because of my grandma’s “craziness” at the time. I was there when my mom finally met him in her later 30s. He ended up abandoning her again after his wife and kids disapproved of the relationship. WE never saw him again.
I can’t help but think that the same thing would happen if I were to reach out.
Also my sexual orientation & my physical appearance makes me doubt that he will accept me even more.
I know that these are my own assumptions, and a defense mechanism I use to mentally escape the fact that we are not in contact but after years of getting caught up in a cycle abusive relationships and various deep betrayals I just can’t handle anymore abandonment right now.
& I also can’t help but to think my mother did this to me intentionally to make me suffer like she does. She doesn’t have her real dad so I deserve the same pain. That that’s why she purposefully rubs salt in the wound by alluding to him & his absence in my life all the time.
But like I said, if he wanted to he would.
He knows who I am and where I'm at. He’s even lived 15 minutes down the road from me at one point. Not to be cliche, but I can't help but feel like that Fresh Prince episode where cried to Uncle Phil, "Why doesn't he want me?"
I'm slowly moving along with radical acceptance. I'm focusing on my Spirituality, and am on the brink of finally opening the business I’ve been dreaming about. But today was one of those days that I just couldn't hold it in anymore. & My kitten is looking at me like she's gonna call for a 5150 hold on me at any moment.
In conclusion, thanks again for listening. I'm open to advice if anyone so chooses, but it really just feels so much better to write this all down.
All I have left to say is, please hug your children and tell them you love them.
It really does matter in the long run.
Wishing you all the best.
Peace.
TL:DR; Why does my father not want me?

The Foundations of Humanity 7 (A Choice) - an NoP fanfic
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Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for establishing the Nature of Predators Universe, and for allowing Fanfics to flourish!
​
Memory transcription subject: Valek, Venlil-Human Partnership Program Participant
Date [standardized human time]: August 24th, 2136. Early evening
Door. Curtain. Button. Water. Curtain.
My mind swam in a torrent of thought and worry. Maeve promised me everything she told me was true, and this newest revelation was so haunting, for it to be false, a lie or a joke, would be a cruelty I had convinced myself to believe Maeve was not capable of. I sat down in the steaming water, and felt the heat dissipate my nerves and calm my mind. This was kept from us for a reason, I see that now. No other Venlil, except maybe our upper leadership, knew about this horror. Did they know? Do our leaders still trust Humans even after this? Does Tarva? Should I?
No. Come back. Find solid ground. This is not something that can be kept secret forever, other Venlil will face my choice, and I needed to choose. There has been no instance of Human-on-Venlil violence in the almost two months we have known each other, despite thousands of opportunities and even after instigation by Venlil. Maeve has repeatedly shown genuine care for me, even when, and especially when, no one is looking. The way her eyes shine when she laughs. The way I feel so much more than what I am when she listens. The way we fit together, mind and body; like Puzzle Pieces.
My instinct screamed against my ribcage. My ears searching for any exit. But it is my decision. I choose this. I choose to try to understand.
“I choose Maeve.”
Deep breath. And another. This is right. This is what I want. I reached for my Pad.
I think I’m ready to talk, can you come to the baths? I'm in the near corner on the left as you enter.
Ok! I’m on my way!
Enjoying my soak, but not wanting to have a chocolate ring on my face, I began my cleaning routine. Very thankful for the well-stocked bathing cabinet, I finally got the stain out of my salt-and-pepper velvet, then, while I was already in dirty water, I proceeded to clean the rest of me. I had the good sense to freshen up before coming to the station, but by now my body felt caked in musk from my constant blooming. I was glad to spend most of my time in the room, it would be embarrassing for another Venlil to see me like this.
I was fluffy-clean and finishing up, refilling the tub with fresh water for a leisurely soak, when I heard Maeve come in. After opening the curtain, I looked up to see her wearing her head covering and mask; my ears drooped in worry, but I thought it best not to address it.
“I just finished cleaning, but I think I’d like a soak. Would you like to take the next bath?” I asked, gesturing to the paired tub.
“I-I think I’m alright.” She mumbled, fidgeting with her mask, “If you’re not done I could go back to the room?”
“I asked you to come because I want you to be here. It’s ok, we’re alright.” I stepped out of the tub and, still dripping, grabbed Maeve’s hand and guided her to the side of my bath as I stepped back in. “You don't have to get in, but I’d like you to stay. And,” I dropped my voice and closed the curtain, “I’d like you to take off your mask and covering, please.”
I couldn't see her face, but the stiffening of her shoulders told me she was worried. “Please?”
A pause, then Maeve removed her mask and visor first, and I could see why she hesitated. Her eyes were puffy-red from crying and lips curled in clear anguish. Maeve told me that rejection was painful, but I never imagined this. Trying to hide my worry, I reached out to her face and pulled it to me, resting my snout against her cheek. “Thank you. I’m so sorry to cause you worry, and I would like to try again.”
Reaching over the tub I pulled a small stool beside it, and Maeve gratefully accepted the seat.
Settling into a comfortable position, I took the initiative to talk first. “Thank you for telling me about your people, and your world. If you'd like, I want to talk to you about mine.” Maeve nodded through shaking breaths, her recently-freed hair bobbing in her enthusiasm. “I’m from The Grove. Closest city is Hidden Plains, two stops sun-left on The Ring from the capital and half a claw’s bus ride; It's a farming town. The grove it was named after is long gone, swallowed by the town, but we were still surrounded by trees. The ride there and back is my favorite place to be, with the road winding through old growth. The trees were so incredible! Once you got out of the orchards, you'd see massive trunks, as thick as a house! I'd have to lay on the seat and look up to see any branches, they sat so high. Sometimes, after a good rain, mists would weave through the forest, and I could see sunbeams shining through. I remember sometimes I’d see a predator, in a tree or clearing. The first couple times I’d panic in my seat, and once I saw one look at the bus! I woke up at the station, that time.”
Maeve couldn't hide a sniffling giggle at that, which delighted me. Chuckling, I responded “yeah ha ha, it's very funny… it is though. After the first few times, I realized that they ran from the road more often than not. The only time I ever saw one even near it, they were trying to cross over, and ran off before we got close. I think I knew, around then, that predators didn't really… hunt us. I checked, and attacks on Venlil did happen, but only a pawful every year, and it had been decades since an attack in a city or town. It’s like they know we are dangerous and avoid us. I think it's one of the reasons why I joined this program. I wanted to see what Humans would be like: would they run or would they hunt? What would a smart predator want from us? And the answer, every time, from every Venlil I’ve asked has always been: a friend.”
“You are a good friend Maeve. I won’t deny the… complicated past of humanity. But you are not your ancestors. You are my friend. And I’d like to keep it that way. Ok?”
Mostly calmed down, but still sniffling, Maeve took a deep breath and answered, “Ok. Ok, Valek.” a few more deep breaths and she found her voice, “I think I’ll take that bath now”
Laughing together, she stood up and moved to the other tub while I pressed the fill button. I knew humans preferred modesty, so I raised the rigid privacy screen between us. “My family grows their own strain of Starberries you know? Ours are sweeter and lighter, best used for desserts. Our berry patches are lined up in long troughs, which made running much easier. I was the fastest kid in town, ya know!”
Through a bubbling laugh, “I bet you were!” I could hear her lowering herself into the water, with a contented hum following closely behind. “I needed this, Valek. Thank you… I’d love to try those berries sometime.”
“You will.” I promised, my tail swishing under the water.
“Did you still live in The Grove when you joined the program?” she asked; I could hear water sloshing as she started her own bathing routine.
“Not by then, no. I was actually going to Hidden Plains University for natural sciences! I wanted to find out why predators were more common in some places than others, as well as research whether coexistence is feasible, or even possible. I… didn’t do well in that class. Most of my peers were exterminators-to-be and the class was geared toward that. Honestly, I basically dropped out and asked to join the UN once we talked for a couple weeks.”
“What??” Maeve asked, aghast.
“They wouldn't have me. I got the letter a few days before leaving for the meetup. So, once this is done,” my eyes glossed over, tail curling around me, “I guess I’m… going back home. Everyone needs farmers, and we have a good plot out there. I’ll be fine. I can start my own research in the forest! And… it will be good to run again.”
A moment’s silence, “I’m sorry, Valek. But I'm glad you’re not giving up. I don’t know if you know this, but we have entire sciences dedicated to specific predators. Mostly they fall under the umbrella of Ecology, but so many people specialize so far that they, together, make an amazing body of knowledge.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Well the best way to explain it is how it's built into our education. The specifics vary between countries or cultures, but in general it works like this: your family teaches you enough to go to school, you go to public school, basically until adulthood, to learn the fundamentals of everything humans have ever known. Then, you go to College to learn the complexities of specific subjects. You get your Masters by being successful, and often better, than your peers on harder subjects. Then you get your Doctorate by defending your Thesis. This whole path can take more than 30 years, almost a third a human lifetime, to complete. Your thesis is one piece of new knowledge: something that you have researched and cataloged for however long it takes you to say ‘this is true, and this is worth knowing’. Some people work on their thesis for years, even decades, before they finally defend it well enough.”
“Wow,” I whistled, “does every human do this?”
“Oh, gosh no. But enough do. Many people stop sometime before the end, satisfied with the knowledge they have gained. Most people just focus on what is useful; what is needed to be prosperous. And with that, they become really good at one or two things. Some people are good at languages; they push themselves, and become fluent in around 20 languages, without a translator! Some people become really good at talking; they argue laws, and help governments communicate for peace. Some people become really good at throwing a ball, and can throw it over 160 kilometers per hour.”
“See, now I know you're lying. That's fast enough to knock down a Mazic!”
“It’s true! It’s true that most races can do something better than the average human; for example, I’m sure most Venlil can outrun a human in a sprint. But for anything you can think of, I bet there is at least one human who can do it better. That's the power of specialization.”
I could hear Maeve get out of the tub, and waited a moment, “What do you specialize in?”
“I don’t; or at least, I’m not trying to. But if I had to choose one thing that I think I do better than other people… I would like it to be…”
Strong arms found their way around my torso, coming from behind me and dodging my periphery. With a yelp, I was pulled from the water and locked in a hug against a toweled body.
“Hugs!”
Instinct took over as I thrashed my arms and legs, my tail lashing against her firm stance, screaming Venlil expletives. That I, in hindsight, rather hoped were not captured by the translator. “Maeve, put me down! Stars above, I almost had a heart attack!” I cried petulantly, while my bloom told my tale.
Maeve was still cackling while we made our way to the drying corridor, Maeve’s clothes over her shoulder. I was so glad to see her smile again, my tail was frantic the whole walk to our room. Maeve told me about her time in school; how she never really got on with the competition. I told her about that one time I drifted off in class and gave the wrong date when called; we had moved on to the Iftali Schism, when I was still thinking about the Farsul Great Retirement. It was… nice, seeing where we were so similar, when there have been so many differences. But those differences brought them to the stars, on their own merit, and found us.
Reaching the room, I thought to go for an easy one this time. “How do humans entertain themselves? The way some Venlil say it, you’d think every human subsists on Bloodsport and cub sacrifices."
Chuckling along with me, she replied, "No, no baby sacrifices. And we haven't done duels to the death for at least 300 years-" -- "-wait, what?-" -- "-but we do have a lot of fun with conflict and competition. Close your eyes, I wanna get changed. We use the term Sport to refer to competitive play, and these days most of the money is in Major League Gaming, but that's very recent. Historically sports were very physical; human players using their specifically trained human bodies in a real space. Most games fell under ‘work with a team to take a thing to a place better than the other team’, with a heavy emphasis on teamwork and effective strategy. What about you? What do Venlil do for fun?”
I could hear rustling fabric from in front of me, and quick movements, “We Make, and we Talk. New construction projects and other public works are always on the broadcast, there's always something happening somewhere on the planet. Walking around the city it's not unusual to see community art or writing to make something big. We even have giant sandpits for kids to build in! It's cleaner than letting them play in the mud. But my favorite were the Forums! Comfortable parks, or open concrete, anywhere there's open space you'll see a bunch of venlil talking about something or other. Normally just gossip, but sometimes work, or what restaurants have new stuff. Before I got on the ship, all the buzz was about you guys, of course.”
“You can open your eyes now. And what did you do, Valek?”
Opening my eyes, I saw that Maeve had changed into a two-piece pajama set. The bottoms were dark with a colorful, apparently random, pattern. Some shapes looked like a badge, some just a ball of hair. The sleeves of her top were cut at the shoulder, and a group of three uniformed humans standing on a stage were painted on the front.
“Well the gossip was always fun. I liked talking to the Exterminators; they knew the most about, and had the most experience with predators. There was a lot of… unpleasantness to sift through, but I took what I could get without getting Diagnosed. I really enjoyed painting! There's a piece on the corner of the State building that I did; you can't really see it with everyone else’s work, but I know it's there.”
“That's so cool! We put a lot of emphasis on art too, but it's normally a more personal experience; one artist with big works. It’s getting late, but we could try going to the rec room tomorrow; they may have drawing materials?”
Starting to feel my own fatigue, I struggled through a yawn, “I’d really like that.”
We started our resting routine, I had already bathed so I just settled in; Maeve brushed her teeth and made her bed before climbing in. I used my pad to dim the lights.
“What are you doing after this, Maeve?”
A moment for thought, then, “Honestly I hadn't thought that far ahead. I figured this would be a small thing: make a new friend, exchange some letters. Humans have been doing pen-pals for over a century, it’s nothing new. At the time it didn't seem… real…”
She continued, “But I’m in space. My new… friend," she giggled, "is a whole different life form. I’m here and this is real, and it’s… incredible! I don’t know what I’m doing after this, but I will never forget what this is. I’ll never forget you.”
…
…
“Hey Maeve?”
“Hmm?”
“... can I come up?”
Silence. Longer than existence, but shorter than a breath.
“... I think I’d like that.” The whisper came from above me.
I froze, my breath in my throat. I hadn't honestly expected a Yes. Pulling the sheet from me and grabbing my pillow, I stood up and climbed up to the top bunk; Maeve was facing away from me this time. Bringing my full body up, I stretched out on my side beside her, hopeful the dimmed lights hid my quickly brightening snout.
“Wh…What if we did more of this? After the program?”
Maeve lifted and turned her head. Not enough to see me, but I clearly had her attention, “What do you mean?”
“B-Before the meetup, I was talking to other Venlil on Bleat, others in the program, and… to say it’s a success would be a massive understatement. I’m certain we aren't the only pair who want to keep in contact or maybe… cohabitate?”
Maeve turned her body at that, and was mostly on her back, looking at the ceiling.
“That’s… not something to rush into. I want to sleep on it, please.”
I nodded, and understanding the conversation was over, rolled over to sleep. This, however, was not Maeve’s desired outcome.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Her hand was at my hip, and she pulled to roll me on my back. Maeve was facing me now, and my eye caught the glint in hers.
"That's not a 'No'. That's a 'this is serious and we should think about it'. I try not to make big decisions in the same bed with a boy I like."
Maeve pulled herself towards me, her right arm under my back and hand at my side, her left scratching the base of my chin; I heard my tail slowly thumping the bed at our feet.
"For the moment though, I hope you sleep well. Goodnight Valek."
"Goodnight Maeve."

Trump began peace talks with North Korea which also brought about further developments between the North and South. The South Korean president even said that Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts concerning the Korean conflict. https://archive.vn/ugnAW
UAE Israel peace agreement https://web.archive.org/web/20210120093119/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/joint-statement-united-states-state-israel-united-arab-emirates/
Trump Oversaw ‘Breakthrough’ Serbia-Kosovo Agreement to Normalize Economic Relations https://www.nationalreview.com/news/serbia-kosovo-agreement-will-normalize-economic-relations/
Kosovo thus awarded Trump with Order of Freedom for peace efforts https://archive.is/5zf1H#selection-575.0-580.0
Trump ordered most troops pulled out of Somalia https://archive.is/o7Vi7
Israel Bahrain peace agreement https://web.archive.org/web/20201228230535/https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DECLARATION-OF-PEACE.pdf
Trump continuously used sanctions and other economic strategies on enemy countries in order to combat them without having to put America through another war, using military options only for extreme cases. This strategy yielded positive results. The sanctions on Iran were hurting Hezbollah, which was forced to cut some of the benefits that fighters received. Less benefits = less incentives to join the terror group. Less money due to sanctions also means less resources to carry out terrorist attacks. "Benefits for expenses such as meals, gas and transportation have been canceled, according to another Hezbollah insider." The same probably happened to Hamas behind the scenes. https://archive.ph/5hzEK
Trump canceled $2B aid to Pakistan where US flags are burned and where Osama was found. The Pakistani intelligence agency has also been known to give covert aid to the Afghan Taliban whose leaders find safety in Pakistan's Quetta province. Additionally, Pakistan fails to crack down on the extremist religious schools which send many Pakistanis to aid the Afghan Taliban every year. Money to Pakistan likely went to the Taliban and other terrorist groups. https://archive.is/dYkHQ
Signed the Taylor Force Act, which cut some aid to the Palestinian Authority until it ended stipends to terrorists and the families of slain attackers, some of which were responsible for the murder of Americans. https://archive.is/GF7c5
More economic pressure on America's enemies: The Chinese Yuan Crashed After Trump Weighed Blocking Retirement Fund Access To Chinese Stocks https://archive.is/GGcSd
Trump Signed Executive Order That Blocked Americans From Investing In Companies Connected To Chinese Military https://dailycaller.com/2020/11/12/donald-trump-executive-order-chinese-military-companies-investments/
Imposed visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials and others participating in propaganda or influence campaigns affiliated with the Party’s United Front Work Department. The United Front is a CCP spy branch that works on building networks for political influence. It targets the elites (colleges, politicians, journalists, business leaders) who they then invite to China. The spy fundraising for Swalwell and advising him on who to hire as an aid was part of this department. https://archive.is/6nEgt
$1.8 billion weapon sale to Taiwan https://archive.ph/SRB1o $2.37 billion weapons sale to Taiwan https://archive.ph/q8XAE
SEC regulations delisted companies for not complying with US auditing rules, causing Chinese stocks to slump https://archive.is/CBLw9
The less economically able the CCP, the less likely it would stage an invasion of Taiwan. Also, Putin invaded Georgia under Bush, Crimea under Obama, and the entirety of Eastern Ukraine under Biden. He did not invade under Trump. In fact, Trump threatened Putin with bombing Moscow if Putin invaded. Thus, Putin did not invade Ukraine. Meanwhile, Trump worked through other means to cut Russia's ability to stage an attack. Just look at his conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Trump warned Germany against their oil deals with Russia and the Russian gas pipeline. https://youtu.be/Vpwkdmwui3k
As a deterrence to Russia, the US upgraded Ukrainian ports to fit American warships under Trump. More US troops were sent to Poland in the same year. These strategies worked as Putin did not invade under Trump. https://breakingdefense.com/2019/07/us-upgrading-ukraine-ports-to-fit-american-warships/
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/09/24/us-polish-presidents-sign-pact-to-boost-american-military-presence-in-poland/

Hi there, My name is Vera but you can call me V. I have been roleplaying for quite a while. I write over 3 paragraphs and often hit the discord nitro limit when I am feeling inspired. I am looking for a partner that roleplays not only in the third person but can write 3 or more paragraphs. Anyways on to the plot.
Two human sister kingdoms, North and south. Once at constant war with each other but now had been blessed with over a hundred years of peace. During the great war, the two kingdoms were forced to put their fighting behind them and join forces to defeat the evil, sick land to their western borders. The last kingdoms of man, the last defense for the rest of the good world.
After many months of battle, they prevailed and the young king of the northern kingdom was promised the hand of a high elf as his bride. A son was born, with the strength of men and the immortal life of an elf. An immortal human king destined to rule over his kingdom for eternity and forced to watch all of his loved ones die before him.
The southern Kingdom prospered yet again without the threat of war and the new found friendship of the north. The southern king's sister had a most cunning idea however. Even though the kingdoms were now friends....what if that changed? How could she possibly ensure it didn't?
A wealthy wood elf of the Eastern forest entered into an agreement with the southern princess, not of marriage but of breeding. A princess was born only 15 years after the prince of the north. The mother declared that the girl was to be the wife of the future king of the northern kingdom though the northern kingdom never publicly agreed.
The half elf southern princess grew up with stars in her eyes and a knowledge that she was indeed going the future king. The affections of a naive princess in the form of love letters and loud declarations. She was under the impression her affections were returned.
The northern prince however did not return the love of this woman, how could he? She is naive and he barely knew her. The loud and public declarations of love not only embarrassing the prince but trapping him as well.
So when the Princess turned 18 and traveled to the Northern kingdom to offer her hand, she was promptly rejected rather publicly. The prince felt bad but this had gone on far enough.
Years passed and the northern human king finally passed leaving his immortal son to take his crown. The princess that once was obsessed with him was invited along with many others to his coronation. The new king feared her reaction after their last meeting years before was the most unpleasant. Instead He found a beautiful princess with a level head and a better understanding of their situation all those years ago. She did not hate him or even dislike him. Glad she was not married and had her freedom. What happens when the new king was now the one with dangerous affections?
The obsession becomes the obsessed.
Obviously, you would be playing the new Northern immortal king and I would be playing the princess. This will not just be a love story but have darker content like war, death, betrayal, etc. I would love to discuss this plot more, this is only a rough draft and dont mind small changes or new ideas.

Hi there, My name is Vera but you can call me V. I have been roleplaying for quite a while. I write over 3 paragraphs and often hit the discord nitro limit when I am feeling inspired. I am looking for a partner that roleplays not only in the third person but can write 3 or more paragraphs. Anyways on to the plot, its a long read forgive me.
Two human sister kingdoms, North and south. Once at constant war with each other but now had been blessed with over a hundred years of peace. During the great war, the two kingdoms were forced to put their fighting behind them and join forces to defeat the evil, sick land to their western borders. The last kingdoms of man, the last defense for the rest of the good world.
After many months of battle, they prevailed and the young king of the northern kingdom was promised the hand of a high elf as his bride. A son was born, with the strength of men and the immortal life of an elf. An immortal human king destined to rule over his kingdom for eternity and forced to watch all of his loved ones die before him.
The southern Kingdom prospered yet again without the threat of war and the new found friendship of the north. The southern king's sister had a most cunning idea however. Even though the kingdoms were now friends....what if that changed? How could she possibly ensure it didn't?
A wealthy wood elf of the Eastern forest entered into an agreement with the southern princess, not of marriage but of breeding. A princess was born only 15 years after the prince of the north. The mother declared that the girl was to be the wife of the future king of the northern kingdom though the northern kingdom never publicly agreed.
The half elf southern princess grew up with stars in her eyes and a knowledge that she was indeed going the future king. The affections of a naive princess in the form of love letters and loud declarations. She was under the impression her affections were returned.
The northern prince however did not return the love of this woman, how could he? She is naive and he barely knew her. The loud and public declarations of love not only embarrassing the prince but trapping him as well.
So when the Princess turned 18 and traveled to the Northern kingdom to offer her hand, she was promptly rejected rather publicly. The prince felt bad but this had gone on far enough.
Years passed and the northern human king finally passed leaving his immortal son to take his crown. The princess that once was obsessed with him was invited along with many others to his coronation. The new king feared her reaction after their last meeting years before was the most unpleasant. Instead He found a beautiful princess with a level head and a better understanding of their situation all those years ago. She did not hate him or even dislike him. Glad she was not married and had her freedom. What happens when the new king was now the one with dangerous affections?
The obsession becomes the obsessed.
Obviously, you would be playing the new Northern immortal king and I would be playing the princess. This will not just be a love story but have darker content like war, death, betrayal, etc. I would love to discuss this plot more, this is only a rough draft and dont mind small changes or new ideas.

I don't know where else to share this experience and my friends didn't care about it, so I'm gonna share it here.
​
So, I was at my mom's house last night, and where she lives, despite being in a urban area, there's a lot of trees, plants and animals around. We get monkeys, possums, capybaras and a lot of pretty birds. The possums are usually very shy and only come out at night.
​
I was really happy because I had been successful in something that can get me a nice job very soon, so I got myself a bottle of Catuaba and went outside to smoke and drink it. After drinking about 1/3 of the bottle, I started hearing some "crack crack" in a tree nearby where the possums usually go. I was already kind of drunk, but it was really bothering me, so I decided to check.
​
At first I couldn't see anything, and the noise would stop whenever I came close to the tree, and continue when I went away. Feeling gaslighted after a few attempts, I decided to come closer, and that's when I saw those big eyes. Like the smart ape I am, I got really curious as to what is was doing. By the noise I deduced it was chewing wood or something, but as far as I know possums don't eat wood. I stepped away until it couldn't see me and waited for the noise to come back.
​
It was hard to be silent while drunk and not to step on any branches, but the alcohol kept me trying over and over. I guess the poor thing just got used to my annoying stare after a while because it started to keep chewing even when I got closer. It would keep chewing while staring at me like it was thinking "damn, apes are so annoying!".
​
To my drunk eyes it looked like it was eating some kind of palm leaf, but it was too small. Then I remembered the stories my mom used to tell me about her childhood in a poor rural region, when they would catch and eat possums because they tasted like chicken. Because they eat chicken. The palm leaf was actually a wing, and the "crack crack" noises were probably bones and feathers getting chewed. The possum looked so happy and peaceful eating it's unlucky prey that I just kept there watching for what felt like hours.
​
I couldn't figure out which bird was it, but it wasn't small and the possum stayed there eating for the rest of the bottle. Only in the middle of my last cup it finished it's meal and started to slowly walk away. I thought it had gotten used to my presence, but as it walked away it looked at me like "hey, do you mind? Show's over buddy!". When I stepped back it kept walking, but as I tried to get closer again it would just stop and stare at me. After a while I gave up and turned back, so I don't know what the possum did next. I immediately texted my friends about it because it was a really interesting experience, but they didn't care about it.

{Excerpt Taken From ‘The History of the Croat’, 2007, by Marinus de Witte. His new book, The Central European Fever Dream, recently released, and it can be found here.}

Chapter 10 – 1955 to 2006 – The Path To The Modern Day.

1954 to 1956 – The Istrian Uprising;

Inklings Of Unrest;

After the end of a long and prosperous period that had begun with the ‘Speech of Caution’ in 1928, though with an appetite for more land to settle and hold so as to increase domestic production of food, new expansions began to be planned in 1951, by the successor Overlord to Lord Josip Struna, namely Lord Andrija Glavan. Though his short three-year tenure (1950-53) meant that the number of short-term changes was low, the main visible area of change was the absorption of the area around Vittorio Veneto, a peaceful land that was bordered by Friuli lands and Udino, which lost its prominent position as a frontier town to Vittorio Veneto in 1954. What this meant was that the small western garrison, of 1200 soldiers, was removed from Udino to be posted closer to the redrawn borders around Vittorio Veneto, where heavy investment was placed in order to promote integration as well as a new aircraft industry, which eventually bore fruits in the form of SCI.
However, the loser from this bought of new investment was not just Udino, but all of the Friuli-Istria area. Despite Glavan arguing that the area should keep its special protections and part of the investment received, his early retirement in late 1953 from ill health meant that his successor, Lord Giovanni Calzavara, would not keep this discrepancy. As construction crews and subsidies flowed away from the start of 1954, therefore, a noticeable rise in unemployment in the cities of Udino, Opicina, Pazin, and Nova Rijeka could be keenly felt, with wages falling elsewhere as labour demand dried up. Protests began to erupt, first in Udino as the largest of the four main settlements. These were small scale, being only 5000-strong when they began in April 1954, two months after the Vittorio annexation. Growing to 10,000 by June 1954, with an addition of significant striking, meant that the government brokered a deal with the city municipality to restore much of the investment lost. It was a success for Udino, which still today enjoys healthy attention from the government. Nevertheless, there were still 3 major cities that had no solution.

The Istrian Unrest;

By June 1954, the total size of protests in Opicina, Pazin, and Nova Rijeka only totalled about 3000 combined, and still, like in Udino, these rose to a combined 8500 by October 1954. Despite this, the government continued their policy of balanced budgets, with no resolve being offered to the protesters. Strikes at the port in Rijeka, rather than bringing on negotiations, only brought on strike-breakers. When the ‘Il Piccolo’ newspaper of Opicina tried to report on these events in November, Overlord Calzavara personally ordered the news story illegal to be printed. When a strike broke out in response, the 25th November issue of Il Piccolo only stated ‘SUPPORT US, AND SUPPORT THE FREE’. Pazin was the city most afflicted, however, with protest fever – 1 in 3 residents (5,000 strong) turned out for protests that began on the 1st December 1954, and did not end until the New Year of 1955, and the city was known to be in disorder by then. Isolation from the press was the only measure enacted by Calzavara even still, and with frustration growing, it meant that some saw violence as the only way out.
The Istrian Uprising informally began on the 25th January 1955, with attacks on the police headquarters in Pazin by the new ‘Istrian Restoration Front’ led by fanatic nationalist Leone ‘Liberto’ Lusardi. Using older rifles that were Great-War-era and in poor condition, they nonetheless short dead 3 policemen in the building, and set the structure ablaze to cause injury to 4 more (including one rioter). Attacks on the tax office in Pazin followed the next day, with the ‘Restorers’ (as the Istrian Restoration Front became known as) then spreading to Rijeka. Major attacks on the docks followed, with spilled oil that had been imported spelling out ‘Tua Perdita, Dalla Nostra Perdita’ (Your Loss, From Our Loss). The beginning of February also marked the first of the attacks on the naval base at Labin, one of four which were all responded to with stray shots from enlisted sailors, as well as a few attacks within Zagreb itself. Two cars were set on fire directly outside the Ban’s Palace on the 21st March 1955, before Overlord Calzavara was due to speak. The Restorers had truly begun their campaign.

’A Hard Fought Peace’ In Anguish;

Calzavara’s original speech, postponed one more day to the 22nd and self-proclaimed ‘The Equinox Peace Cry’, denoted the heavy-handed tactics that he would use for the time being. These included; increasing police and military presence on the Istrian peninsula; fortifying and refurbishing existing buildings in order to take care of the new threat; a ‘no-tolerance’ policy on harm towards public officials operating in the area; and, the start of major investigations to entirely shut down the Restorers so as to restore peace. The Restorers, using Il Piccolo as their choice of voice, proclaimed the Speech as only being ‘The Basis for Our Uprising’, and so formally proclaimed the beginning of the Istrian Uprising proper on the 23rd March, with extensive attacks on road and rail links being the first actions. April, May, and June all saw more and more attacks on police and soldiers working with police, resulting in the death of 37 Restorers and 18 Officials, with Calzavara almost becoming a victim on the 5th June 1955 to attempted poisoning of his drink whilst travelling to Udino from Zagreb via train.
The heavy-handed tactics of Calzavara seemed to be working, at least for now, yet to say that they were unpopular is an understatement for the backlash received in both Udino and Zagreb at the time, let alone in Istria. Women and children were operating within the Restorers by August, and the number reached close to 25,000 that same month. 43 Police Stations had by now been attacked, as well as 160 Telegraph Poles, 31 stretches of Railway, and 59 roads including 13 mountain passes. Pazin was entirely within Restorer control by September, but their demands remained modest, though steadily developed towards more autonomy for the region. This kept the public, and even Grand Prince Hubert Salvator, on their side during the whole period, and it was clearly obvious through the press that this was the case. When Grand Prince Hubert Salvator personally visited the area in October, an unofficial ceasefire was established everywhere close to his presence, as his sympathy had leaked to Il Piccolo months ago. It was a smart tactic, and so Calzavara was removed as Overlord by the 2nd November 1955.

Biasoletto’s Beginnings and the Start of Kastelic;

To replace Calzavara as Overlord was going to be a native Istrian (rather than an Italian-descended Lord that had only ever lived in Zagreb) – Lord Samuele Biasoletto, from Pazin itself, was appointed the Overlord on the 3rd November, and the democratic advocate wished for his native homelands to be restored to government control once more. Ordering that Leader of the Restorers, Leone ‘Liberto’ Lusardi, travel to Zagreb under full immunity for negotiations with Biasoletto, Samuele wished to strike terms with the organisation in order to begin desired talks. However, Lusardi rebuffed, stating that it was only ‘a deliberate ploy to break us all up’, and calling for ‘the meeting of myself, yourself, and our Grand Prince in Pazin town’. Consulting with Grand Prince Hubert Salvator led to the conclusion to accept the demands, stunning Lusardi who had bluffed in order to buy time for the planned ransom of the Rijeka Docks Complex for December.
When Hubert and Biasoletto met Lusardi in Pazin on the 29th November 1955, then, the terms for negotiations seemed all too easy for the government commission to meet. Increased autonomy for the region of Istria had already been mooted by Glavan before his retirement, and Biasoletto was in favour of the idea as well, albeit with one small alteration; Istria and Friuli would be united into a single autonomous unit, thus playing the loyal Udinese with the riotous Istrians. Lusardi was urged to sign the agreement by his deputies, but refused to do so by his own hand lest it be misused by the government as he had so feared – instead, the signatory was of Matija Kastelic, a local hero and one of the most popular Restorers for his acts of graciousness towards the unfortunately-injured (i.e. innocent civilians), and later to become First Minister in 1966. The agreements were ratified by Zagreb on the 7th December 1955, but major action still continued outside of the main Pazin centre.
The Rijeka branch continued operating until the 16th December 1955, when dispatchers from Pazin proclaimed the announcement of a new ceasefire and the restoration of communications – with Lusardi’s signature present, the oncoming Docks ransom was abandoned. However, the Opicina Restorers, the most independent of the Restorer collectives, remained in action over the coming winter, with occasional attacks towards infrastructure persisting until the 17th April 1956. That day, Lusardi and Kastelic both spoke over the radio for the deal that had been struck, along with Grand Prince Hubert Salvator. With the former two proclaiming the ‘Istrian Restoration Front’ dead, and the latter talking over the main points, it put an end to the Istrian Uprising.
Overall, the damage of the Istrian Uprising has been measured as being a total of 145,000,000 Krona, a massive amount to cover the new rebuilding costs. 109 deaths in total occurred, alongside 720 injuries, and the peninsula became majorly split between the Restorer backers (coalescing into the later Syndicate Blocs) and those that supported the government (eventually becoming the most ardent supporters of Grand Prince Johann I Stefan). It was a momentous event, and began the most modern era with a kick to the Principality to set itself onto its current path.

The results are in for Match 4. The winner is…
“Tell of the storm-tossed manager, O Muse, who wandered long after she sacked the… whatever it was she sacked. Many the monsters whose towns he saw, whose ways she proved; and many a pang she bore in her own breast at sea, while struggling for her life and her Stand’s safe return. Yet even so, despite her zeal, she did not pass through unchanged,” said a blue Stand, watching over the wine-dark sea. A glimmer of sand, of sea spray, of myths told and retold glinted in the ocean sun as Al continued their cross continental journey. Their exaltation faded to naught but a whisper on the breeze.
“Of this, O goddess, daughter of Zeus, speak as thou wilt to us.”

Val Yao, with a score of 80 to Dirty Ghost’s 69!

Category	Winner	Point Totals	Comments
Popularity	Valentine Yao	12 (2.5+2) - 18 (4.5+2)	Voters greatly enjoyed both strats, but ultimately the fates smiled more fortunately upon Valentine!
Quality	Valentine Yao	21 (7 7 7) - 24 (8 8 8)	Reasoning
JoJolity	Valentine Yao	26 (7 10 9) - 28 (8 10 10)	Reasoning
Conduct	Tie	10-10	No length penalties here!

Val Yao and Dirty Ghost would still be at sea for many weeks to come, but Izuru Boniface Marianus had not been completely correct in his claim that none save themselves knew where they were and what they were up to. The spirit of Dead Drop Bay watched their epic journeys across the sea, recording it in their glowing azure coins.
Dirty Ghost lashed their ship against the oncoming storm, knots pulled taut and boards reinforcing the vessel, even as Val Yao’s painting came undone, progress washed away each night by the salt sea. Their initial rations kept both well-nourished for now, but each still would need to restock and prepare for the further challenges awaiting them on the horizon…
If you're not sick of all this water, there's a "friendly spar" between an idol and a figure skater in a desert oasis!
Scenario: Ibiza, Spain — 11:03AM
In a cafe on the shores of the island of Ibiza, Jamir took a sip from his café con leche and let out a contented sigh. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders—for the first time in roughly two years, he was free from the grip of the Millennium Collection and the Atrocity Exhibition. No more evading Frederick’s omniscient gaze, no more babysitting Marione to make sure she didn’t turn into a world-ending monster again, no more Dirty Ghost and…whatever it was doing. None of that mattered. He felt, for the first time in a long time, hope; genuine, no-strings-attached, hope.
His worries weren’t tempered completely, though. Izuru seemed to be slipping closer and closer to the edge by the day, and he had the nagging feeling that something big was coming over the horizon. To borrow a phrase from Izuru, the “final act” was approaching. Jamir did his best to keep a finger on the pulse of Dead Drop Bay, searching for opportunities outside of the reach of the bloodthirsty dogs of the Millennium Collection. At least now he felt better equipped to deal with whatever fate threw at him next.
Speaking of keeping a finger on the pulse, the phone conversation in the next booth over sounded very interesting. The person on the phone, a peacock of a man, appeared to be a part of the Rinascita Artist Collective, judging by his fancy dress, his obnoxious demeanor, and the fact that he mentioned Rinascita by name loud enough for Jamir to hear.
“Yeah, I just watched the concert vid you sent,” he said through a mouthful of food. “Mid as hell. Like someone ate a gallon of rainbow food coloring and took a shit on stage. Complete disgrace to call that horseshit anything close to art.”
Ibiza…that performance with Izuru, Neon and Atlas was only a few months ago, but it felt like years with how hectic Jamir’s life had become. Good times.
“Anyway, you still good to come to the party at Valencia with me?” the artist continued. “Anyone who’s anyone at Rinascita’s gonna be there. I can only bring one plus one, so you better decide quick.”
And just like that, an opportunity. Jamir casually leaned over the booth and tapped the artist on the shoulder.
“I mean it - hold on, I’ll call you back.” The artist glowered at Jamir. “What do you want?”
“Apologies, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. You see, I’m an artist, and I believe I saw that performance at Ibiza that you mentioned. Personally, I think it was an artful display of creativity and passion-”
The artist laughed loudly and obnoxiously. “You’re shitting me! You call that consumerist drivel “art”? It’s all just fancy lights and colors meant to appeal to an audience too stupid to appreciate real art. The art world’s going down the fucking toilet.”
“Ah, but who’s to say that a toilet cannot be a piece of art itself?” Jamir wondered aloud. “Take Duchamp’s Fountain—obviously, a piece which an artist like yourself has probably studied a hundred times over. A urinal turned on its side, submitted for an exhibition but banned for its artist’s perceived lack of effort, caused an uproar that shook the foundations of modern art and gave birth to a whole new movement of conceptual art. To evoke an emotion, any emotion, in its audience…is that not the mark of true art?”
The artist stared at Jamir, mystified. “Well, ‘true art’ ain’t worth shit if people aren’t paying to see it, right? I’ve sold a few paintings you could buy a house with.”
“Oh yes, I suppose you’re correct. Though, if I recall, a copy of Fountain sold for $1.76 million in 1999, so someone must have seen it as ‘true art’. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“M-man, you’re seriously pissing me off,” sputtered the artist, his confidence clearly shaken. “How do you know what ‘true art’ is, huh?”
“To tell you the truth, I don’t,” Jamir sighed. “I was hoping to find answers from a more successful artist than I. And that ‘party’ you mentioned sounded like a wonderful opportunity to talk to one.”
The artist huffed. “I’m a member of the Rinascita Artist Collective, dude. You’re nothing. You wouldn’t be invited to the party in a hundred years.”
“I suppose not. What a shame. I was looking forward to learning under an accomplished artist like you.”
The artist tapped a finger against the table, annoyed. Jamir innocently sipped his café con leche.
“Fine,” the artist growled. “You want to see real artists? You got it. The party’s in two weeks. Get ready.”
Jamir smiled thankfully. That was almost too easy.
Scenario: Málaga, Spain — 6:03 AM
10538-2095 found herself back at the scene, the Picasso museum. Last time she’d been here, she’d found herself fused to a teammate into a superior being, a cyborg she and Ninian, at least in the moment, would have preferred to remain. But where this fusion and return had given Ninian answers, even cracked the Scot’s egg, if 2095 understood the metaphor correctly, it had left the android only with more questions. Returning from Type-03’s victory, 2095 had gone catatonic.
After the events in Türkiye and her time on the trail of the information-broker ｢Aerials｣, both for the Sultan of Swing and Ashen Memoriam, she’d found some peace, the ability to focus on moving forward, living in the now, rather than hunting through her data for lost memories. She’d made friends beyond just the scope of the Bastards and really begun establishing a sense of self. But really, 2095 knew she was just running from that overwhelming deluge she’d felt last time she was here, the experience of dozens of lifetimes of sensations all at once.
So why had she been continually drawn here? It wasn’t mere ‘gravity’, the series of coincidences that drew Stand users to one another, but some other, more primal instinct. The urge to return to the scene of a past trauma, overpowering the desire to run away… A biological explanation, but not one impossible to render in code.
2095 would have continued to spiral like this had another figure not entered her field of view, and a familiar one: Doctor Dott, the Rinascita artist who had fused her to Ninian in the first place.
“Hello!” cried the not-actually-a-doctor. “You’re back!”
“Indeed,”replied the android, perhaps relieved her conversation partner spoke in as clipped a manner as herself. “I suppose I could say I returned in search of further understanding of ‘true art.’ Or art at all.”
“It’s an interesting subject,” Dott agreed. “I’ve thought about it many times. After our last collaboration I’ve been considering the nature of ‘shocking art’.”
“Shocking art?” 2095 asked.
“Art meant to bring out a sort of shock or surprise from the audience. It could even be horrifying!” Dott explained. “Our exhibit was probably shocking to some people! Marina Abramović’s Rhythm 0 would be another example.”
The name sounded familiar. Perhaps in her knowledge banks there was something…

Marina Abramović Rhythm 0 was a six-hour work of performance art presented in Naples in 1974. The work involved Abramović standing still while the audience was invited to do to her whatever they wished, using one of 72 objects she had placed on a table. A sign next to the table explained that anyone who sat across from her could do anything they liked with the objects with her bearing full responsibility for their actions. There were no separate stages; the purpose of the piece, she said, was to find out how far the public would go: "What is the public about and what are they going to do in this kind of situation?"

“If I understand correctly, the artist was repeatedly assaulted throughout the night,” said 2095.
Dott nodded. “Her clothes were shredded with razor blades. One attendee even tried to shoot her. They were stopped by another audience member. But even this was ‘art’: if it invokes an emotion in you, it’s art, no matter how shocking it might be. And in this case the emotions were shock, fury, violation.”
“And in our piece, would the emotion I felt be pain?” 2095 wondered aloud.
Dott’s face immediately fell. “I’m sorry. I screwed up. At least Abramović knew what she was getting into. Here,” she continued, thrusting an envelope into 2095’s hands. “It’s an invite to a party. Lots of other Rinascita folks will be there. I didn’t feel like going anyway. Too many people. Too many fake smiles. But maybe it’ll be good for you! Get your mind off things. You know?”
2095 nodded, not completely understanding, but appreciating the gesture. Speaking to Doctor Dott was always a confusing enterprise, but somehow she felt this had given her a bit more self-insight. Maybe the party would be good for her, in some way. Pain refused to be ignored, but in a situation like a party, surrounded by new people…she had to exist in the present moment, process the pain differently than just sitting with it. Meeting new people, making new memories. This would be an anvil on which to undeniably forge her identity.
Scenario: Valencia, Spain — 9:54 PM
In a private ballroom in the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Centre overflowing with laughter, gossip and drink, the wealthiest members of the Rinascita Artist Collective delighted in elegant revelry. The ballroom was a kaleidoscope of colors, each guest’s outfit more extravagant than the last—exotic bird feathers, loud color palettes, and altogether impractical capes and headdresses filled the space like an overgrown jungle path.
For once, Charvet Champagne didn’t feel like the center of attention, and he thanked whomever was watching for that. The anonymous invitation promised a night of fun, food and a private performance from famed Spanish guitarist Carmelita Salmorejo. While Charvet’s connection to Rinascita was tangential at best, he didn’t mind getting away from his hectic schedule. His stomach growled, staring at the plates of fine tapas on display at the all-you-can-eat buffet table. They wouldn’t mind if he sneaked one bite, would they?
“Oh my god, is that Charvet Champagne?” An unfamiliar voice trilled. “Come here, I simply must hear about your skincare routine in person!”
…shit. Next time, then.
He grumbled to himself and brushed past 2095, awkwardly holding a glass of wine with no idea what to do with it. She smiled politely at anyone who stopped to stare at her and did her best to make small talk. Dott was right—approximately 94.7% of all of the smiles directed in her direction were fake. Seemed like the guests weren’t interested in straying outside of their cliques. Time for plan B.
2095 listened intently to the conversations around her, auditory receptors tuned to pick up any common words or phrases that she could link to important figures in Dead Drop Bay. After a few minutes, two names caught her attention. The first was Lucetta Domani, the head of the Rinascita Artist Collective—every single guest at the party appeared to be linked to Lucetta in some way. The second was somebody called “the Czar.” While 2095 didn’t recognize the name, the main topics of gossip revolved around him and Lucetta. According to the chatter, the Czar had been involved in a feud with her for some time, and some theorized that this party was an olive branch meant to be the first step in resolving the feud for good. 2095 stored the information in her memory banks for later, and downed her glass of wine in one gulp.
On the other side of the ballroom, Jamir half-listened to his artist companion’s rambling as he surveyed the crowd himself. Unlike 2095, he knew exactly who the Czar was; he had hoped to meet the enigmatic Erasmo el-Amin in-person, in fact. But he was mysteriously absent from his own party.
“...and that’s how I got my membership in Rinascita,” the artist said through a mouthful of chorizo. “Course, Lucetta helped get my foot in the door, but everything after that was all me.”
“Interesting,” Jamir lied. “I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me for a moment.”
Jamir weaved through the crowd, making introductions and glad-handing along the way. His artist friend was not alone, it appeared—almost every member of Rinascita present at the party got their start in the Collective because of Ms Domani. Why invite them, and not her?
He gently pushed on the exit door, intending to make a stealthy exit to snoop around some more. Nothing. He frowned and pushed again, more forcefully this time.
“Hm. That’s a fire hazard,” he joked to no-one in particular. A cursory examination of the frame and the hinges revealed no faults whatsoever, at least from this side. The door didn’t seem stuck at all, but it still wasn’t budging…as if it were sealed shut.
Before he could investigate further, the house lights dimmed. Spotlights lit up the stage on the other side of the ballroom, and the party chatter petered to a halt. The performance was about to begin.
The curtains rose, revealing a person sitting on a stool with an ornate flamenco guitar in hand. Their black Cordoba hat was cocked to one side, their wavy brown hair reaching down to their shoulders. He wore a tailored black-and-gold suit vest over a white button-up dress shirt; a long red traje de flamenca dress covered his bottom half. Her dark-skinned features were scattered with vitiligo markings which stretched across her arms and down to her fingers. The party guests applauded appreciatively as she leaned down to speak into the microphone stand in front of her.
“Hello, I’m Carmelita Salmorejo,” she smiled. “I hope you enjoy the show.”
After accepting the next round of applause, Carmelita settled into her stool and began to play. Their fingers danced across the strings, following the quick tempo that they tapped out with their dress shoes. 2095 had downloaded a few flamenco performances before the party to study in case she needed to make more light conversation. This piece sounded like an original song, one which required quite a bit of technical skill required to play it this well.
Suddenly, 2095 sensed movement. All around the ballroom, a dozen humanoid figures shimmered into existence. They appeared to be made entirely of water, with completely blank facial features and deep blue traje de flamenca dresses that flowed behind them like liquid. They stepped forward in perfect time to the music, clapping along to the beat as they advanced towards the unaware guests.
2095 rose from her seat, summoning ｢Yours Truly｣ to her side. Behind her, the only other two guests who could see the figures followed suit—Charvet gasped, the tiny rat units of ｢Freakum Dress｣ crawling onto him, and Jamir arrived at his seat with a wry smile.
“Jamir, where’d you go?” His artist companion swiveled around, wine glass in hand, clearly not his first or even fifth. “This is a hell of a show-”
CRACK!
A flamenco shoe smashed into his jaw, sending his drink flying out of his hand and spilling over the floor.
All at once, pandemonium erupted. Guests screamed and scrambled over tables and chairs to get to the exits, only to be knocked out cold by swift kicks from the watery dancers. 2095 dodged out of the way of one dancer and slammed her fist into its torso—in a spray of water, it burst and disappeared. Strong, but fragile. Good to know.
“Look out!”
2095 ducked, avoiding a crescent-shaped blade of water that sailed over her head and sliced the champagne glass tower on the buffet table clean in half. The dancers twirled and spun and more projectiles shot out of the edges of their dresses. But just as soon as they did, many of the dancers exploded into a burst of liquid, tiny objects speeding through their “heads”. Another Stand?
“Mes Freakums, attaquez!”
She heard Charvet’s voice before she saw them. Tiny mice crawled onto the dancers and began to spin, their pointed noses becoming a drill that they used to dig themselves into the liquid bodies of Charvet’s attackers. The Stand bodies swam into the dancers, forming internal whirlpools that twisted and contorted their once-perfect forms into a mass of collapsing liquid flowing across the floor. Five, six of them collapsed at once, and another few were already disintegrating before Charvet laughed defiantly.
“Oh ho ho ho! That’s right, I defeated you beasts! I, Charvet Champagne, will no longer let ruffians push me around! From this day forward, mes Freakums et moi will blaze a trail forward and set my own path in life!” Charvet proudly declared, beginning to twirl in place. “I will dance to the beat of my own rhyt-”
Charvet’s declaration was cut off, as he stepped forward and slipped on one of the puddles he had so proudly created a moment ago, falling on his face.
With a flourish, Carmelita strummed their final chord and, for the first time since their performance began, looked up at the ballroom. She gazed at the groaning, mangled bodies of the party guests with a look of mild disappointment.
“Tough crowd,” she muttered. Then, a slow applause began, and their expression brightened.
“What a song. What a performance!” Jamir exclaimed as he sauntered to the middle of the dance floor. “I have heard much about the great Carmelita Salmorejo, but nothing compares to hearing you in-person.”
2095 stared at Jamir in confusion. “She almost killed us all. She almost killed you.”
“If it makes you feel something, it’s art. Fear, exhilaration, the thrill of a near-death experience…how could I not applaud a piece like that?”
“Finally, somebody who appreciates my work!” Carmelita grinned, flicking his hair out of his face. “Whenever I perform, I want everyone in the audience to dance along, not just my Bailaoras. Sometimes, they just need a little kick up the backside. Gwee-hee-hee-hee~”
Jamir grinned back. Carmelita bought his ruse hook, line, and sinker. He took a step closer, extending his hand to shake.
“Jamir O’Santos. A pleasure to finally meet.” Internally, Jamir primed ｢Planet Home｣’s fist to strike at Carmelita the moment they got in range.
Smiling, Carmelita extended her hand towards Jamir. But at the last second, she pulled back and strummed another chord on her guitar. In an instant, a line of faceless dancers sprang in front of the stage, forcing Jamir to leap backwards to avoid concussion via shoe.
“Sorry, O’Santos. No handshakes until the end of the set.” Carmelita regarded 2095 with a glint in his eye. “That goes for you too, señorita.”
2095 met her eyes from underneath the brim of her cap, steel in gaze and spirit.
“Ah, but you will not live to see it,” Carmelita sighed melodramatically. “How unfortunate that I am under strict orders to ensure the deaths of everyone in this ballroom. Until you are broken under the beat of my ｢Corazón Espinado｣, this performance cannot end.”
“Unless…we give you what you want,” Jamir called out. “A performance of a lifetime. A dance of audience and artist, merging together as one. Right?”
2095 almost slapped Jamir before she realized what he meant. “If we dance with you, will you let us go?”
Carmelita rested her chin on her hand, thinking hard. “Hm…that does sound like an interesting idea…and if he asks about it, I can always lie…”
He shrugged. “Eh, what the hell.”
A dramatic strum summoned even more Bailaoras, spread across the ballroom floor and around the shattered tables and spilled wine.
“Just to make things interesting, I’ll be ordering my Bailaoras to attack you for the rest of the performance. Whoever destroys the most Bailaoras when my song ends wins…something. I’ll figure it out later.”
Jamir glanced at 2095, noting her grim expression. “Hey, could be worse. Least we don’t have to fight each other for once. No hard feelings?”
2095 nodded hesitantly. “No hard feelings. Best of luck.”
Carmelita spun their guitar, a manic grin spreading across her face. “As the saying goes; dance ‘til you drop!”
OPEN THE GAME! (Shoutouts to u/TreeTurtle_852 for the match art!)
Location: A ballroom, the area here is 32 by 32 meters (2x2 tiles) with 2095 and Jamir represented by their character tokens.
The Brown circles are dining tables and the Brown shapes in each corner of the map are long tables. The tables are furnished with table cloths, chairs, silverware, wine bottles, and small food platters appropriate for the venue.
The Blue faces are Carmelita’s Bailaoras, Stand created constructs/minions made out of water. More info under Additional information.
Goal: Defeat more of Carmelita’s Bailaoras than your opponent before she finishes her performance! The full performance is 10 minutes, or until both players are defeated, whichever comes first. Direct combat between players is disallowed.
Additional Information: The Bailaoras have C Power, B Speed, and D Durability. They all fight and move to the pace of the music, though there is no set tempo given flamenco music’s structure of being able to gradiently and suddenly shift from slow to fast and vice versa. (We highly encourage both teams to listen to a few example pieces to get a general feel for the driving rhythms.) Although they are otherwise objects, they are treated as “non Stand using persons” with respect to ｢Planet Home｣’s and ｢Yours Truly｣’s abilities; specifically they thus cannot be contracted with or rewinded.
Generally their movements follow a choreographed dance routine, moving through the room rather than chasing after players, but they will position themselves in such a way where they can attack players in their dance’s path.
In terms of dancing, the Bailaoras are able to ‘improvise’ to dodge glancing blows and avoid stationary obstacles/obstructions while moving in time to the music. Their choreography is structured in such a way that they do not go past a 5 meter radius of where they initially spawned (though you can expect them to make full use of the area they are given).
Their primary method of attack is to use their feet to stomp and kick at anything within arms length of them with C POW force. They can also spin their dresses to create short ranged water cutter projectiles with C POW cutting force around them, effective up to 2 meters. The sleeves of their dresses can also fire these projectiles with their movements. They always attack in rhythm to the music, coinciding with major beats and fast paced sections of the song.
Their bodies are composed of a loosely-solid water. If you hit it with a strong enough force, the impact will cause the impacted area to break apart. However all their attacks cannot harm one another.
During slow sections, the Bailaoras enter a flowing state where all physical attacks will harmlessly pass through their watery bodies as they gracefully move and dance around the ballroom.
As the match progresses, Carmelita will summon more Bailaoras on cue to song transitions roughly every 30 seconds. Each wave of additional Bailaoras is more or less evenly distributed across the map and contains 12 more Bailaoras, meaning that more than twelve may be on the stage at once.
For the purposes of this match, the players both effectively have a 2 skill in Flamenco dancing.

Team	Combatant	JoJolity
Bastards of Barcas	10538-2095	"Four steps...Five steps." You’ve watched others dance and socialize, now it’s time to put what you’ve learned into motion. Express yourself through dance, movement, and positioning!
Atrocity Exhibition	Jamir O Santos	"Wait. Why did he take only 5 steps?" There’s style to be had in simplicity and reservation! Express yourself through dance, movement, and positioning!

Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
Link to Match Schedule
As always, if you would like to interact with the tournament community and be among the first to get updates for the tournament, please feel free to PM a member of our Judge staff for an invite to our Official Discord Server!

So this is about to read like a stream of consciousness that should probably be directed towards a therapist, but there's a tl;dr at the end for those of you who'd like to get to the point :')
So my grandmother passed away 3 weeks ago following a bout of the flu and then rapid decline of her health in the hospital. She was in generally good health before that considering her age (83) and when I spent ~a week with her last November she was comfortably living alone, driving herself everywhere, etc etc. Things got bad just after the Christmas holidays, and she finally agreed to go to the hospital after being sick for a week or so. Of course at that age flu can change everything, and she was in the hospital for 50ish days before passing peacefully by her own decision to stop life support. This was all happening during a lot of work and personal travel for me - between Jan 30 and Feb 15 I went from vacation in Utah to Colorado for 12 hours to quickly pack to Georgia for 3 days to be with her in the hospital, then straight to Bangkok for 6 days for a work trip she insisted I still take, back to Georgia for 5 more days to be in the hospital, and then back home to Colorado. When I left we were talking about strategies to get her walking again and I was planning to drive out to GA with my boyfriend and dog so we could stay with her at her house while she gained enough strength to start rehab. 10 days later she passed.
I think because I wasn't there when she died and because I was slammed with work after so much travel, I avoided really processing it until going back for the funeral last week. Now I'm home in CO again and I cannot focus on work for the life of me. I take my medicine and it's as if I haven't taken anything all day. I am so stressed that I am completely avoiding my responsibilities at work and have been having the worst anxiety about it the last few days, but I just can't make myself do anything I need to. Also think maybe I'm having an existential crisis on top of all of it (insert gif of little boy that laughs and then starts sobbing). I care about the work I do but god what is the point of answering a stupid email right now when eventually we die and none of this matters? And it wouldn't be my brain if I didn't question whether I have the right to be feeling any of this at all. I have a very kind and understanding manager who on one hand I'm sure would understand if I told I was having a hard time and would let me take whatever time I needed, but on the other I feel weirdly guilty (and maybe ashamed?) at the thought of doing that because it was my grandmother who was 83.. It's obviously heartbreaking and sucks and anyone capable of empathy would acknowledge that, but also idk I feel like I should be able to push through this because she was older and this is just how life goes? I don't even think that generally speaking, but I think I'm worried others will think that about me?
tl;dr all of this to say, anyone have any advice on how I should handle struggling to focus at work when working through the grief of losing my grandmother? I'm between therapists at the moment so I definitely acknowledge that some of what I'm struggling with would best be dealt with through them, but any tactics for focus or getting myself to do the boring stuff I'd rather poke my eye out than do would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/86851
​
War of the Roses Livery: Update.
This mod adds a total of 75 suits of armor featuring the livery of various Lords during the War of the Roses. The update has added new suits of armor with the historical arms of various lords around Europe. Now including:
French Royal and Knightly Arms:

• Capet (Modern and Ancient)
• Albret
• Dauphin
• Bretony
• Burgundian
• Sir Jean de Carrouges (Played by Matt Damon in "The Last Duel")
• French Men-at-Arms (3 variants)

Spanish Royal Arms
German Imperial Arms
Polish Royal Arms
English Royal and Knightly Arms:

• Plantagenet (All 3 versions of their arms)
• Prince of Wales
• Lancaster (Ancient)
• Sir William Marshall
• Sir John Chandos
• Sir John Say
• Beauchamp (All 3 versions of their arms)
• Montagu (Salisbury)
• Sir Thomas Erpingham
• English Man-at-Arms (Tabard variation in addition to already existing plate version)

Celtic Nations:

• Irish Arms (Variant on Green field instead of Blue for the sake of variation)
• Tudor Ancient Arms
• Sir Rhys ap Thomas
• Owain Glyndŵr
• King Robert the Bruce
• Douglas (Main House and Black Douglas Branch)

Macross Franchise

← Macross Delta Overall Discussion Index Next Episode? →
SDF Macross: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Do You Remember Love?: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Flash Back 2012: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
II: Lovers Again: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
7: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
7: The Galaxy's Calling Me: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Plus OVA Series: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Plus Movie Edition: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
7 Encore: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
7 Plus: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu
Dynamite 7: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Zero: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Delta: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Delta Mini Theater: MAL AniList Kitsu
Delta Movie 1: Gekijou no Walküre: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Delta Movie 2: Zettai Live!!!!!!: MAL AniList ANN Kitsu AniDB
Oboete imasu ka? Me to me ga atta toki wo?
Questions of the Day:
1) Now that we've seen all that Macross has to offer at present, which one character is your favorite? How about your least-favorite?
2) Which series is responsible for giving you the most of your favorite songs from the franchise? And if it is different, which series do you think used its soundtrack the best?
3) Which series do you think had the best and the worst of the love triangles?
4) How do you rank each entry in the franchise, now that we've seen them all? (Or at least most of them, if you had to skip a part for whatever reason.)
5) If Macross II, Macross 7, or Macross Zero received compilation and/or reimagined storyline movie(s) like the other parts of the franchise did, which aspects of those shows would you like to see focused on better or cut out entirely?
6) Pretend you're put in charge of creating the premise for the next entry in the Macross franchise. What would you want it to be about, and what kind of music would you have in it?
7) What do you do at the end of the rewatch? Are you busy? Will you save us?
(See Shimmering-Sky's main comment on this post for two more bonus questions!)
Wallpapers of the Day:
Montage V1 - The Guys
Montage V2 - The Girls
Montage V3 - Rest in Peace
Montage V4 - The Jenius Family

Hawaii HB: 2673 Purpose of this bill: To prevent the replication crimes of Xoyala and Manchad from ever happening to Hawaii again, and to return to a constitutional foreign policy of limited-government by bringing hawaiian troops home, ending our endless wars, and only using military force when required to protect the lives, liberty, and property of Hawaiians. (a) Short Title. - This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Defend the Guard Act.”
(b) Findings. - The Legislature finds that: (1) Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States vests in the United States Congress the exclu- sive power of war; (2) In spite of the clear language of the United States Constitution, vesting the power over war exclusively in the United States Congress, the United States Executive Branch has unconstitutionally assumed that power while the United States Congress has abdicated its constitutional duty; (3) Although the United States Congress has not declared war in over 103 years,(as of 2052)the nation has since gone to war repeatedly at the whim of the executive branch;(including xoyala and joemanchad) (4) When such unconstitutional actions are taken by the federal government, it is the proper role of the states themselves to take action to remedy such situations, as outlined in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798; (5) Guard troops have played significant roles in all modern overseas conflicts, with over 650,000 deployed since 2001. Military.com reports that “Guard and Reserve units made up about 45 percent of the total force sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, and received about 18.4 percent of the casualties.” More specifically, Hawaii National Guard units have participated in missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Kosovo, Egypt and elsewhere. (6)A founder of this country, George Washington, once wrote: “The Constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore, no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure”; (7) The Father of the Constitution, James Madison, once wrote: “The Constitution supposes, what the History of all Governments demonstrates, that the Executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and most prone to it. It has accordingly with studied care vested the question of war to the Legislature”; (8) The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, once wrote: “We have already given in example one effectual check to the dog of war by transferring the power of letting him loose from the Execu- tive to the Legislative body. . .” and “Considering that Congress alone is constitutionally invested with the power of changing our condition from peace to war, I have thought it my duty to await their authority for us- ing force in any degree which could be avoided”; and (9) Another Constitutional framer, Alexander Hamilton, once wrote: “‘The Congress shall have the power to declare war’; the plain meaning of which is, that it is the peculiar and exclusive duty of Congress, when the nation is at peace, to change that state into a state of war. . .”; (c) Definitions. - For the purposes of this section: (1) “Active duty combat” means performing the following services in the active federal military service of the United States: (A) Participation in an armed conflict; (B) Performance of a hazardous service in a foreign state; or (C) Performance of a duty through an instrumentality of war. (2) “Official declaration of war” means an official declaration of war made by the United States Congress pursuant to Article I, § 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the Hawaiian National Guard and any member thereof shall not be released from the state into active duty combat unless the United States Congress has passed an official declaration of war or has taken an official action pursuant to Article I, § 8, Clause 15 of the United States Constitution to explicitly call forth the Hawaiian National Guard and any member thereof for the enumerated purposes to expressly execute the laws of the union, repel an invasion or suppress an insurrection. The Governor shall take all actions necessary to comply with the requirements of this section. _________________ NOTE AGAIN:: The purpose of this bill is to require an official declaration of war or an action to call forth the state militia by the United States Congress before members of the Hawaiian National Guard may be released from state control to participate in active duty combat

O what peace I have through you, O most worthy Son of the Eternal Spirit!
What a Friend I have in you, Jesus, my loving Brother and my Beloved!
What Freedom and Welfare you are for me, O Chosen Prince of the Lord God my Savior!
Through you God reveals all things and in you he restores and perfects all things to himself.
The Father, the Spirit of Life, has entrusted you with all glory, power, and authority, that everything that lives and breathes may know Life through you, to his praise.
I love and adore you, O most precious Servant of God, most beloved Child of God, dearest Apostle of God, because I know that you abide in the Father, and he in you, you in me, me in you, and he in me through you and with you.
Therefore my song shall be for you all the days of my life, O most honored High Priest of the Almighty Spirit, who was consecrated a Lamb for slaughter, that all may be consecrated by you and through you, for the glory of your God, our God.
Blessed be the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Eternal King who crowns you with glory and who has made for himself the most worthy Throne and Temple of his Power in you, that you may be enthroned in him, in the Tabernacle of his Most Holy Presence.
And blessing be to you, O Beloved One, who lived and who died, and who was made alive again forevermore, the Immortal King who was given power and grace to save and glorify as many as you will, according to the infinite mercies which God bestows to all through you.
Yes, all glory, honor, blessing, and praise, all power, tribute, and majesty be to the Father, the Living God and Eternal Spirit, and to his most worthy Son, his Chosen King and his most faithful and obedient Servant, forever and ever.
Yes! Let all the ends of the universe praise the Lord our God! And let all that breathes proclaim: Come soon, O Beloved!
And all that exists in every realm and habitation of his domain says: “Amen and Amen!”

Trying to form Lotharingia as Burgundy is driving me crazy. I have to cripple England and France to prevent them from being a problem early game, no problem. Then, the Germanic idiots declare me a threat to them because I took one too many provinces trying to be King of the Franks, not king of the Germans. Their coalitions screw me over every single damn time. I hate how I’ll have no claims on them, haven’t even been tried to take Lorraine yet, but they’re still terrified of me and give England and France the perfect opportunity to take back the land I took from them. And then on top of that, even though I’ll make sure I get plenty of gold from my peace deals, Poland, Castile, and Austria are so god damn indebted and financially incompetent that they peace out when it comes time to defend me in a punitive war. I hope every German prince dies and goes to hell in their league war.