This week I created the second artifact for my world. That's right, I basically made fast travel a thing.

Palorid Waystone

Before the Sundering, when the new continent was still known as Paloriden, the peoples of the continent erected a network of waystones. The Palorid people created them to aid in travel and to keep each other connected. Nowadays, the Palorid Waystones sit grown over, scattered, awaiting rediscovery from intrepid adventurers in the new continent.
The waystones have a short, stone, cylindrical pillar that is wider at the bottom, tapering inward as it gets taller. A sequence of three symbols is engraved vertically in the pillar. The pillar sits upon a stone platform with two rings engraved into it. The platform has a diameter of 10 feet. The first ring is engraved in a 2 foot radius around the pillar, the second is engraved in a 3.5 foot radius around the pillar. The pillar is 3 feet tall, 9 inches wide at the base, with a 6 inch diameter brass, concave crest. Atop the crest is a 6 inch diameter quartz orb. On dormant waystones, the orb sits directly atop the crest. On active waystones, the orb hovers slightly.
Each waystone has a unique three symbol sequence. When using a waystone, an attuned creature must trace the sequence of their target waystone into the quartz orb. When they do so, all creatures standing upon the platform are instantly teleported to the target waystone. In order to utilize and teleport to a particular waystone, a creature must become attuned to it. Attunement merely requires the creature to touch the orb of an active waystone. Waystones are valid targets for teleportation spells that require a target with a particular sequence. Teleporting in this way does not require attunement to the target waystone. A waystone requires 7 days to recharge before it can be used for teleportation again.
Due to the fact that the waystones have not been used in such an extended period of time, many have gone dormant. Dormant waystones can be reactivated by channeling magic into their quartz orbs. Some may take only an hour or two of channeling to return to an active state, while others may take multiple days worth of a single spellcaster’s allotment of magic.

Week 1: Magic System
Week 2: Technology Level
Week 3: Pantheon
Week 4: Faction - The Weavers
Week 5: Nation - Brathir
Week 6: Artifact - Primordial Mote
Week 7: The Peoples
Week 8: Adventure Location - Quill Archipelago
Week 9: Antagonist - Lazarus
Week 10: Calendar and Timeline
Week 11: Ally - Draco Aereus
Week 12: Artifact - Palorid Waystone

Hi all;
I'm having trouble stretching my foreskin. I can't seem to move past a 28mm ring to a 30mm for an extended amount of time, maybe can only do 2-3 stretching sessions before I have to go back to a 28mm ring. Does anyone have any tips or tricks to help get past this? It seems like it doesn't want to stretch anymore and I don't know why.
Also, is there anyone here who's from Canada and has had surgery done on their frenulum? Mine is short and I want to look into getting it fixed, but I can't seem to find anywhere that talks about how much it would be.
Thanks everyone.

Questioning if im trans mtf
Recently the past 3 months I have been saying to myself I'm a transwoman lesbian I'd use face app and similar apps to see myself as a woman I'd make profiles on dating and chat apps as a woman but would then delete by the end of the day only to do it again the next day and its a cycle that is repeated . And when I was 9 I had a dream I was female and I put on my mums lipstick and panties she asked if I wanted to be a girl and asked if I wanted it cut off (srs) I didn't understand at the time it freaked me out I said no I started secretly wearing her clothes at age 11 and started wishing i was a girl. Until age 17 I realised I might be trans I have come out before twice once to freinds at school age 18 but put myself back in the closet then age 19 I came out again to my mum she supported me shaved my face and arms let me wear her bra and panties to school that day I was scared someone would notice no one did but went back in the closet because I was scared of being bullied because of it. My mum asked me If I was trans still later and I said no I don't know If she even remembers this because I'm 25 now. This didn't go away it is always in my mind I wouldn't want hrt or surgery but I would love to wear a white dress for my hypothetical wedding and be a mum one day.

Okay so I know there's only one end to this game, but seriously I have survived for 41 days.
I have the backpack, crampons, deer pants/boots, rabbit mitts/hat. I have a bow, hatchet, and a knife and I've started murdering wolves to make a nice jacket.
But I see the end is coming. It's getting pretty damn cold, and that's the next challenge. I need to keep moving.

Questioning if im trans mtf
Recently the past 3 months I have been saying to myself I'm a transwoman lesbian I'd use face app and similar apps to see myself as a woman I'd make profiles on dating and chat apps as a woman but would then delete by the end of the day only to do it again the next day and its a cycle that is repeated . And when I was 9 I had a dream I was female and I put on my mums lipstick and panties she asked if I wanted to be a girl and asked if I wanted it cut off (srs) I didn't understand at the time it freaked me out I said no I started secretly wearing her clothes at age 11 and started wishing i was a girl. Until age 17 I realised I might be trans I have come out before twice once to freinds at school age 18 but put myself back in the closet then age 19 I came out again to my mum she supported me shaved my face and arms let me wear her bra and panties to school that day I was scared someone would notice no one did but went back in the closet because I was scared of being bullied because of it. My mum asked me If I was trans still later and I said no I don't know If she even remembers this because I'm 25 now. This didn't go away it is always in my mind I wouldn't want hrt or surgery but I would love to wear a white dress for my hypothetical wedding and be a mum one day.

「英単語解説」dress-for-dinnerの意味について
dress-for-dinnerは【食事のためにフォーマルな服を着る】意味として使われています。 和訳：【夕食のドレス】
詳細はこちらへアクセスしてください: https://eigo-bunpou.com/dress-for-dinne
#英語文法 #英文法

I want to ask anybody that is willing to answer and withoutoffending anybody. I want to know how I can find another crossdresser or trans girl to hang out with. Dress up with. Maybe more hopefully. Looking to be with my first of either but I don't know how to find anything for it. Anybody have a answer?

Florence

1. Arma Inscripta I: Passive Skill “Angelic Allure” Enhanced

Charms the target after several consecutive Normal Attacks, increasing its Attack Speed.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] The Charmed target’s Normal Attacks will taunt enemies. If Charm fails, damage dealt to the target is increased instead.

1. Arma Inscripta II: Active Skill “Special Care” Enhanced

Heals the target and grants multiple stacks of Nursing to the target. The Healing Effect is stronger on targets as remaining HP becomes lower.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] The healing effect is slightly increased and adds more stacks of Nursing.

1. Arma Inscripta III: Passive Skill “Angelic Allure” Enhanced

Charms the target after several consecutive Normal Attacks, increasing its Attack Speed.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] When an ally unit’s HP drops below a critical threshold for the first time, they are granted invulnerability for a short duration.

——
Abigail

1. Arma Inscripta I: Passive Skill “Emergency Drill” Enhanced

Projects [Sentinel's Aura] on all nearby ally units within 1 tile, significantly increasing their Physical Damage Reduction.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] The range of [Sentinel’s Aura] is increased. Allies within the area’s influence will, upon being attacked, deal damage back to the attacker. This damage can deal critical damage.

1. Arma Inscripta II: Auto Skill “Canine Enthusiasm” Enhanced

Grants [Agitation] to all ally units, slightly increasing their Crit Rate and Crit Damage.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] When an ally unit deals critical damage, they speed up Abigail’s Auto Skill recharge. Any extra critical rate is converted to a proportional amount of critical damage bonus.

1. Arma Inscripta III: Passive Skill “Emergency Drill” Enhanced

Projects [Sentinel's Aura] on all nearby ally units within 1 tile, significantly increasing their Physical Damage Reduction.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] When allies within [Sentinel's Aura] and are affected by [Agitation] defeat enemies, they speed up Abigail’s Active Skill recharge.
——
Aki

1. Arma Inscripta I: Passive Skill “Scarlet Moon” Enhanced

Crit Damage significantly increased. For every Normal Attack that does not crit, Crit Rate continues to increase. This effect expires when a Normal Attack deals critical damage.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] Crit Damage is further increased. When a Normal Attack deals critical damage, the Crit Rate buff remains active for a short duration.

1. Arma Inscripta II: Passive Skill “Scarlet Moon” Enhanced

Crit Damage significantly increased. For every Normal Attack that does not crit, Crit Rate continues to increase. This effect expires when a Normal Attack deals critical damage.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] When Aki deals Normal Attack damage, the damage is increased based on the target’s percentage of HP lost.

1. Arma Inscripta III: Active Skill “Murasame” Enhanced

Slashes the current target multiple times, each attack dealing Physical Damage that can crit.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] During skill activation, Aki takes less damage and deals increased damage.
——
Daiyan

1. Arma Inscripta I: Passive Skill “Brisk Lament” Enhanced

Crit Damage and Attack Range are increased. Normal Attacks carry soundwaves, which penetrate enemies after passing through an ally unit and deal Physical Damage to all enemies hit.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] Soundwaves which pass through allies affected by Daiyan’s Auto Skill will increase their ATK and Hashrate.

1. Arma Inscripta II: Auto Skill “Idyllic Resonance” Enhanced

Daiyan fires a broad Soundwave, applying [Concordia] to all allies it passes through whilst dealing Physical Damage to enemies. [Concordia]: Abilities can now deal Critical Damage.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] The [Concordia] effect has been upgraded to [Concordia+], and is now applied to all allies. [Concordia+]: Abilities now deal Critical Damage. Abilities that would have already dealt Critical Damage before this effect now deal additional Critical Damage.

1. Arma Inscripta III: Auto Skill “Idyllic Resonance” Enhanced

Daiyan fires a broad Soundwave, applying [Concordia] to all allies it passes through whilst dealing Physical Damage to enemies. [Concordia]: Abilities can now deal Critical Damage.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] When allies with [Concordia+] deal critical damage, they charge the Ultimate Skill energy of the team.
——
Antonina

1. Arma Inscripta I: Passive Skill “Data Corrosion” Enhanced

Antonina's Normal Attacks inflict [Trojan], which Stuns the target for a few seconds at maximum stacks. When the target dies, the [Trojan] effect will infect another enemy.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] The Stun effect from [Trojan] has its duration extended.

1. Arma Inscripta II: Active Skill “Chain Pollution” Enhanced

Antonina deals varying amounts of Operand Damage to a target and other enemy units, applying 1 stack of [Trojan].
[Arma Inscripta Effect] Within a short period after the duration of Antonina’s Active Skill, if there exists an enemy target which can trigger Data Corrosion, they will additonally trigger [Conduction].

1. Arma Inscripta III: Passive Skill “Data Corrosion” Enhanced

Antonina's Normal Attacks inflict [Trojan], which Stuns the target for a few seconds at maximum stacks. When the target dies, the [Trojan] effect will infect another enemy.
[Arma Inscripta Effect] Antonia’s Normal Attacks will affect a second enemy on the field, and will inflict an additional stack of [Trojan]

This build has easily been one of the most powerful builds I've played during the beta. It absolutely melts bosses and trash packs alike, and has a super flexible playstyle.
Skill Tree:
Fierce Storm Strike (Rank 1)
Raging Tornado (Rank 5)
Passive: Predatory Instinct (Rank 3)
Preserving Earthen Bulwark (Rank 1)
Passive: Bad Omen (Rank 3)
Passive: Elemental Exposure (Rank 3)
Passive: Charged Atmosphere (Rank 1)
Supreme Cataclysm (Rank 1)
Important Legendries:
While not mandatory, these legendries massively boost the powerlevel of this build, and I encourage you to target farm them.
Stormchaser's - Tornadoes will seek up to 5 enemies
Runeworker's - Critical Strikes with Storm Skills charge the air around you for [1-2] seconds, causing Lightning Strikes that damage enemies. Additional critical strikes extend the duration.
Overcharged - Lucky Hit: Up to a 40% chance when dealing lightning damage to overload the target for 3 seconds, causing direct damage to pulse for additional 300 damage to it and nearby enemies.
Notes:
You'll notice you don't have enough skill points to fill out your action bar. Look for +Ranks to other skills to fill this out. Hurricane is the most important because as a Storm skill it will synergize the most with your kit. I've found Trample to be another good choice for the mobility it provides. Aim for utility skills here because you do not need additional sources of damage.
All three important legendary powers are "weapon" powers, so you can find them pretty easily by purchasing Gloves from the purveyor of curiosities.
Key Interactions:
Runeworkers and Overcharged build an engine that can be self fulfilling, literally killing enemies without you having to press a button. While Runeworker's requires a crit from one of your Storm skills to start, once it's going, any crit will extend its duration. This promotes a highly mobile playstyle with minimal downtime and incredibly efficient damage.

You know we're living in pretty interesting times when not only did we get a bill last year with the same name as the title talking about limiting the copyright laws to 56 years but now this year we get a bill that can limit it to 28 years with the option to extend one Ip to another 28 if one wishes. If either bill gets in we'll be living in a grand era of creativity. Though in regards of the 2023 Bill I do have questions.

1. With the bill saying the copyright laws will be reduced to 28 that'll mean then every IP that's over 28 years will be in the public domain which means characters like Roger and Jessica Rabbit, Venom, Harley Quinn, Spawn, Horror icons like Leatherface, Jason Vorhess, Micheal Myers, Freddy Kruger along with Ghostbusters, TMNT, Transformers, and Jurassic Park book and movie versions would be in the public domain. So does that mean should the bill get in every IP up to 1993 to 1994 will be in the public domain or no?
2. Will the Bill also reduce the copyright years for other countries like Europe and Asia as well or will this only affect American IPs?
3. If the bill gets approved how long will it take to be put into effect? Like in a single day or will it be in effect the first day of every new year like what every IP that enters into the public domain like what every IP before it traditionally did?

If anyone has solid answers to any of these questions let me know.

I've subscribed to Acorn TV for 3 or 4 months now, month-to--month (not annual), starting cancelling to switch to Britbox, gave "prioritising other services" as my reason and they offered me a free month; essentially they extended the end of my current subscription by a month. Anyway, maybe some of you can use this for a small discount.

Diablo was built around loot and items. Why did we lose waist, shoulders, wrists, etc? Just feels like we lost alot of depth, variety, and extending the whole gearing up process.

Prep type: Dulcolax/Miralax
Preexisting conditions:

• I already had a bidet, you can get them for $40 on amazon. Ended up helping
• Did a low-residue diet for one week
• Began water only 24 hours before my prep
• Had taken milk of magnesia for two nights leading up because I was super constipated

Materials:

• Zofran (odansetron)
• Prep stuff: gatorade, miralax, dulcolax
• Diaper cream (applied before beginning prep)
• Wipes (didn't end up needing as much because of the bidet)

Prep experience:

• I took 1 zofran at 14:45, and then drank the dulcolax with 2 cups of water at 14:30. I started drinking the miralax/gatorade and finished it by 14:50. I felt like I had a gatorade baby. A gatorbaby. My stomach was full of liquid.
• 15:50: first liquid bowel movement. While it came very suddenly, I was able to get to the bathroom and pull my pants down and everything. There was minimal cramping. For the next hour or so, I proceeded to have these geyser-like movements every 7 minutes (yes, I am that anal retentive). They then gradually grew further apart, until they were every hour or so. I started out with dusty-looking, gatorade-colored diarrhea, which became clear with flecks of clear mucus within the hour, because I'd already been fasting and such.
• 18:00: got super dehydrated and exhausted. I went to sleep at this point, but ended up waking up every hour or so for the geysers. Again, no pain or cramping, no nausea (but keep in mind I was on Zofran). Just casual urgent diarrhea.
• I took 1 zofran at 01:45 and drank my second gatorade/miralax at 02:00. The reason I did this so early was because I was still diarrhea-ing from round one every hour or so. I had an hour commute to the clinic for my colonoscopy, and was paranoid about having to go while on the train. This round was harder to get down because I actually hate gatorade. Once again, felt like I had a gatorbaby. I walked around my apartment a bit to get the bloating down.
• Once again, I proceeded to have movements every 7 minutes, gradually expanding to every hour. Around 04:00 I fell asleep, trusting my body to wake me up when I needed to go. This was a mistake. My sheets are in the dryer now.
• I was indeed going to the bathroom right up until my procedure. I did manage to make the entire train ride without going, though. They suctioned out remaining liquid, and I got the max score for prep. Woohoo! Apparently it's unusual to be having the diarrhea for this long, so hopefully that doesn't happen to you.

Things I wish I had done differently:

• Worn an adult diaper to bed...had a nice laugh at myself
• Bough clear pre-surgery ensure. This would've helped me to feel less weak during this

Overall, obviously this was an unpleasant experience, but it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I have had food poisonings which were much, much worse. Prepare ahead of time and you will be a-okay!

Recently, a friend sent me a text about writing witty dialogue and I found it particularly illuminating. It made me a realize that my dialogue has a ways to go till it is good.
" Well, I wouldn't call [your dialogue] weak so much as pragmatic, as direct. It gets the job done in setting up tension, character etc., but sometimes the characters talk in an anachronistic manner that...breaks immersion, at least for me.
In addition to that, I think that the sometimes the dialogue is too direct or leans too heavily on formulaic exchanges. When I was surprised or captivated, it was exclusively when plot, tension etc. was the focus, but I would have also loved to delight myself with interesting/novel ways dialogue can develop
I rummaged through my collection of unused sentences and came up with a few examples:

• "You don't have to starve yourself. Come, eat." -> "Rye, stop martyring yourself at the breakfast table, there's enough jam for everyone."
• "You're going to be the death of me." -> "If you were a gift, you must have been given with malicious intent.""

​
I'm still struggling on the following suggestions. If you think any of them are alright as is, or have ideas on how to dress any of them up, I'd appreciate it! I put everything I had doubts on here, although I definitely don't expect help on all of these--just some personal bookkeeping.
​

1. "Well lookie here. The little foxie has run out of fox holes to hide behind. Give back that shiny law you pocketed, and maybe the King will only exile you for your kitsune blood." <- This guy is not supposed to be that smart, so maybe this one is fine. The kitsune blood bit is a bit direct though.
2. "Wait. That one seems strangely out of breath, doesn’t he?"
3. "You have the eyes of an eagle boss. Good catch!"
4. "Idiots. They lack the brains to make a simple fox trap, yet claim I am the helpless one."
5. "Honestly, this castle is truly filled with imbeciles."
6. "You heard what? I thought I was safe within these castle walls! Can’t you guards just double your numbers to keep me from becoming a martyr at the tender age of 15?"
7. "Three guards will come along and inspect the guide to make sure I really am safe, because Marshall is a paranoid old geezer. There, it’s all settled."
8. "The guide is another old man? Geez, the geriatric problem in this country is getting out of control."
9. " I needed the help of a peasant to disguise me as I run my investigation, and you’re as much as a dice roll as any of the peasants I already know--maybe even less so. All the ones I know hate me because they’re jealous of my glory."
10. "You have such a commoner stench that I think you’ll be able to disguise me nicely. You better not disappoint, and maybe I’ll consider tossing something shiny your way."
11. " Oh? You’re feisty. What, think you’re owed respect because you spent 60 or so years twiddling your thumbs on this Earth? Think again old man, you should be proud to stand next to my shining visage—I’ll accomplish more in this year than you ever have in your life."
12. "I assume you’ll keep my absence from the castle quiet while I’m gone? I don’t want to come back to see that seven hurricanes and a plague happened without me. Try to keep a lid on it."
13. "Yeah, yeah. The name is Isaac. I would demand [you refer to me with respect], but I don’t have to—people just naturally respect me. You’ll see, within a few days, you’ll be treating me like a god. "

Crossposted to Screenwriting

I was joking with my wife while watching Hold Me Like a Grudge that I was going to dress up like Wrestler Patrick for the show in July. I was kidding, but she asked whether people did that for concerts. So I'm posing the question: do people cosplay random Fall Out Boy music video characters to live shows?
(Also, if I was going to dress up, I'd do Joe's Aardvark Jinx.)

The results are in for Match 6. The winner is…
9:25. Just five seconds left. 2095 danced in a furious frenzy, out of rewinds, out of tech, just the purest expression of dance and combat.
9:27. She dove full-body at Jamir, still in his point of central control, embracing him and carefully dipping him to merely an inch or so above the floor, meeting his shocked expression with a gaze of her own passionate enough to ignite the pair where they stood.
9:30. The final wave. The Ventisca De Porcelana sailed over the pair, any errant shards striking 2095 before they would strike her rival as the deep dip is held. What water clones remained were shredded. The android rose rapidly and spun Jamir out of their embrace, bowing deeply in apology for securing her own victory. In the same beat, the music reached its final climax, prompting 2095 to extend a hand with a loud stomp as if to demand the man join her in one last display of fiery footwork.

10538-2095, with a score of 79 to Jamir O Santos’s 78!

Category	Winner	Point Totals	Comments
Popularity	10538-2095	14 (3+2) - 16 (4+2)	Voting had a slow start, but as the pace quickened, 2095 held a one vote lead by the skin of her teeth!
Quality	Jamir O Santos	25 (10 7 8) - 24 (8 7 9)	Reasoning
JoJolity	Tie	29 (10 9 10) - 29 (10 9 10)	Reasoning
Conduct	Tie	10-10	Nothing to report!

The android’s mind wandered as she danced face-to-face inches away from her rival. Was the answer always this simple? To act as though your ideal ‘self’ was your own? She took the lead between the two, placing a hand on his chest as the two desperately worked to keep their breath. Would they be friends after this? Enemies? She no longer cared about the ends, her ideal ‘self’ was enjoying the heat of the moment, lost in the passion of exposing herself for the world to see. She spun away from the intimate distance, joining Jamir shoulder-to-shoulder as the final seconds ticked down and their feet seemed to blur beneath them. This is what she had been after, the secret buried beneath the layers of human complexity and illogical behavior, a feeling so foreign to her but one she cannot imagine to live without from that moment on:
Passion.
Her arms lashed out, framing her new ‘self’ perfectly as she shouted with the final note.
For his part, win or lose, Jamir was satisfied. “You did you, just as I expected… no, huhu.. you exceeded my expectations.”
None of his prior aggression was there, he was just a guy congratulating a partner.
“Though… My performance has yet to conclude. There’s a small, special part, just for you.”
Before he could hand the android the contracted thumbdrive, she caught him off guard with another full-body hug. “Thank you! For everything. For helping me reach this new level of emotion! I didn’t even know if…if it was even possible for me.”
Jamir nodded, doing his best to maintain his cool nonchalance as the android continued.
“And Carmelita too…I think I’m grateful for what they did to bring this out, but…” 2095 hesitated. “I also hate them. I hate them so much. Is that right?”
"....huhuhuhu. I have tasted hate in its many forms, in fact I can say I've been molded by it. It's a fire. An intense. Burning fire..." Jamir smirked. This would be very interesting to watch indeed. "How will you use it? Will it be your dance? Will you control it, or will it control you? These are questions I cannot answer for you, you must choose the path you walk for yourself."
As his partner literally processed this information, Jamir took the opportunity to return to his planned remarks. “But this may be helpful to you.”
Still not breaking her hug, he slipped the android a thumbdrive alongside a business card.
“That there is a ’memory recording’, a vessel into which I’ve transferred some of my memories. It’s one of the many services I provide…has commentary I think you’ll find gainful.” He grinned, “Ah. Don’t worry for me, I’ve already made a copy.”
He turned about, offering 2095 a backwards wave as she released him from the embrace.
“I hope you’ll come see me again… As the Merchant of ’Desires’ there’s plenty I can offer you - not that you can’t find it on your own! Huhuhuhu~”
(Shoutouts to u/TheSlyKoopa for the match concept and mechanics!)
Scenario: Pic du Midi de Bigorre, France — 10:46 AM

Located in the French Pyrenees, the mountain Pic du Midi de Bigorre hosts the famous Pic du Midi Observatory! Construction of the observatory began in 1878 under the Société Ramond, until rising costs forced them to hand over construction to the French government. Construction was completed in 1908, and the following year, its powerful equatorial reflector was used to discredit the theory that there were canals on Mars! Today, the observatory is used for international collaborations to advance our knowledge of the cosmos!

Silence permeated the snow-packed peaks of the Pyrenees mountain range. The untouched snow and stark landscape muffled any sound outside of the howl of the freezing mountain winds. At this elevation, little life could exist—save for the scientists of the Pic du Midi Observatory and, for today only, their guests.
The search for the lost civilization of Pieduro attracted the attention of many powerful players from across the Mediterranean, all eager to get their hands on its artifacts and technology—most notably, the enigmatic House of Muses and their patron, Cullinan Dwarf Star. But the man spearheading the charge didn’t represent any of them. Over the past several months, Dédalo Viatger and his faithful companion ｢Perdida｣, intrepid explorers and part of the crew of the H.H. Typhon, had discovered several Pieduron outposts and claimed their artifacts for himself. He didn’t want them for power or money—he wanted to protect them, study them, learn from them. And day by day, Dédalo was getting closer than ever to a major breakthrough.
Today, he and a small group of other explorers were on the trail of one such breakthrough. An avalanche had broken through an ice wall on the side of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, revealing the telltale architecture of a Pieduron outpost. The journey would be treacherous, even for an explorer of Dédalo’s caliber. He needed backup.
At the mouth of the cave behind the shattered ice wall, the Pyrenees stretching out behind him like a blank canvas, Dédalo studied a Temple gifted to him by Al; a small glass orb with a crystalline compass needle suspended inside via string. The red tip of the needle pointed straight ahead, leading further into the natural cave system hidden inside the mountain.
“We’re in the right place,” Dédalo announced. “Everyone ready to go inside?”
“Gladly,” replied a shivering Ninian, immediately switching on her headlamp and heading further into the cave. “This outpost had better be a Pieduron sauna or something. Fucking freezing out here.”
“I have spare warming pads in my pack if you need them. Don’t go too far inside!” Dédalo called into the cave. Ninian ignored him, sat down in a corner, and summoned a small pile of hot sand from the recesses of Endless Rest as a makeshift campfire.
Perdida materialized beside him, concerned. “We did try to warn her about the wind-chill. And how cold leather can get in these conditions.”
“At least we convinced them to ditch the fishnets,” Dédalo chuckled. “Grey? Cody? Are you two ready to go?”
Grey Selioutsky took a moment to respond, looking up from his notepad to give a silent thumbs-up. To see a bonafide ancient civilization must have been a dream come true for a history teacher—he could be forgiven for being excited.
Cody, meanwhile, was leaning against the wall of the cave, watching the group with amusement. It wasn’t his first time working with members of the Hundred Head Voyage, having made a temporary alliance with them before to take down top members of Agoraeus. Volunteering to help them on behalf of the Coleccionistas de Karma was an easy decision to make. Plus, he’d rather be the one to be involved with Pieduro than someone like Deimos. He would have been salivating over the ancient technology, if his new body even had saliva.
After their preparations, the party traveled further into the caves, guided by the needle of Dédalo’s Temple. It led them through winding tunnels, around pits of icy stalagmites, and over near-bottomless chasms via convenient stone bridges.
“It’s like they hollowed out the mountain,” Grey muttered to himself. Perdida marveled at her surroundings with a similar look of awe. No wonder Pieduro covered most of the Mediterranean at their peak.
The group suddenly stopped. At the head of the party, Dédalo stared at the gigantic cave that spread out in front of them, illuminated by their headlamps. Stalactites hung from the high hemispherical ceiling, a wide stream of brackish water cutting through the cave and draining deeper into the mountain. Carvings covered the floor, worn by time but still recognizably man-made—words in a language that Cody could only guess was Pieduron, circling in a spiral around an altar-like stone set in the middle of the floor with seven divots carved into it.
“Any idea what this is?” Ninian asked, their voice echoing off the walls of the cave as the group surveyed the chamber. Dédalo shook his head.
“This is definitely Pieduron architecture,” he replied. “But…it’s nothing that I’ve ever seen before.”
Grey traced a finger over the carvings, studying his notebook in his other hand. “I can only recognize a few words. Temple…lock…viewer…a word that means either “Earth” or “sphere”...and heart.”
Dédalo’s hands unconsciously went to his neck. Adjusting the collar of his coat, he pulled out his necklace, a tortoise-shaped medallion with a square crystal embedded in the center. As he held it to the divots, the crystal glowed with a greenish-blue light.
“El Cor Terra…the Earth Heart,” Dédalo whispered. “Perdida, can you call the Pilots?”
Perdida focused and summoned the baseball-shaped orbs of light to her side. The numerous Temples that Dédalo had gathered on his previous adventures began to glow—and the carvings glowed along with it, the greenish-blue shimmer of Cleria Stone now visible underneath the rock. One by one, Dédalo inserted each of his Temples into the divots. His sword, his bow, his boots, his gauntlet, even the necklace that had never left his side until now.
He nodded to Perdida. She brought the Pilots closer to the altar and, with great care, infused them with each of the seven Temples.
Immediately, the carvings illuminated, bathing the darkened cave with a warm glow. The stream of water bubbled and light shone through it, refracting across the walls in an array of dazzling colors. The colors shimmered and focused into spots of light. Then, three-dimensional shapes began to form in the light. A night sky filled with stars, miniature approximations of the planets, and constellations of great beasts and serpents; humanoid figures dressed in unfamiliar but impressive regal garb, surrounded by more in similar clothing; great, towering buildings under construction in mountains and sand dunes and jungles.
“Holograms…” Cody muttered. “Sweet.”
“It’s more than that,” Dédalo wondered aloud. “It’s a theater. A theater of the history of Pieduro.”
Ninian squinted at the holograms showing the Piedurons in wartime, studying their elaborate weapons with a mix of amazement and concern. “Good thing E.E.P. didn’t find this place first. They’d have a field day.”
Wiping an immaterial tear from her eye, Perdida laid a gentle hand on Dédalo’s shoulder. “Dalo,” she whispered. “If these projections show the history of Pieduro…do you think that it shows…the end?”
Dédalo nodded solemnly. “I was thinking the same thing. It doesn’t seem chronological, but-”

KRNK!

All five heads whipped downwards in the direction of the metallic crash that resounded throughout the chamber. Stood to a projection of a Pieduron warrior, a very real armored silhouette loomed over them from a previously unseen lower level, resting their hands on a massive greatsword with its tip planted in the stone.
“The Piedurons met the same fate as all living things,” a harsh metallic voice announced. “They died, decayed, and disappeared. The true question is…will you suffer the same?”
Scenario—Earlier that day
“Weaklings, the lot of them,” Errok thought aloud. He stared at the party from above, marveling at the naivete so nakedly on display. Studying weapons of great power? Protecting them?
“Hnrh. A weapon’s only purpose is to kill and maim.” An unsightly blemish against the mountain-white snow, he had been following this party of would-be adventurers since the base of the mountain, using his rotten arm to scale a part of the mountain they wouldn’t see him approaching from.
Despite his ability to keep pace, mountain climbing was far from his area of expertise; when Errok couldn’t throw himself up the mountain face with his fell arm, he lumbered and clattered around the uneven surface until he shuffled into the same entrance his prey had used. He spoke to an audience of himself as he stalked across the rafters of this strange complex, hollowed out of the mountain. “This temple could contain only that, yes…some weapon of unimaginable power. Ohohoho…what could such a weapon destroy?”
Errok knew what he was about to say was wishful thinking, but wish he did. However outside his wheelhouse this excursion was proving to be, it was far from the first indignity rained upon him. The Spaniard had left his accursed organs within Errok’s perfect form, and he had been relegated to a mere lowly thief to steal resources from others for his ‘team.’
Bah! It had weighed on Errok, this attack on the warrior of waste’s very soul, and he’d had more than enough. From this moment on, he was striking out for himself; he would suffer these slights no longer and seek a weapon to reduce anything in his path to ash.
“The soul…yes, that would be the perfect target indeed. To destroy the soul is to destroy utterly, to leave nothing behind…” Errok chuckled. “...To truly rot something away; that’s something I’d kill for!”
Engrossed in the dramatic gravitas of his soliloquy (and subsequent fit of chuckling laughter), Errok’s foot met an icy patch, and he slipped headfirst over the edge of the platform, forcing him to swing Gravetender to catch himself.
The sword snagged a crevice, wedging open some stuck aperture. His eyes darted to the opportunity, and his hand reached out to grab it. Lest he fall to the base of the mountain, ｢You Are Blood｣ burst forth, coiling into what must have been the air vent, fingers finding putrid purchase as he swung precariously, holding himself up by sheer brutish strength. Strength that so easily came to him, and let him so easily gradually rappel himself inside the temple proper.
Whatever this was, it most certainly wasn’t the traditional path inside—the creaking of machinery not meant to support him confirmed that he had broken the intended sequence. A smug grin curled across his visage as he shuffled through the narrow passage. “I have defiled this temple’s consecrated path; rot flows from my very footsteps.”
Before him was an empty chamber, grand and numinous in design; if any great and terrible was ever to be stored, it would certainly be locked away somewhere like here. The only sound was the whispering of the whelps above. Even if he did not yet have a weapon to destroy the soul, he had his trusty blade to carve through them all the same. Still ignored, he squeezed out from the vent and brandished the sword with a flourish, spinning it and slamming it into the ground with a mighty

KRNK!

Cody glanced around at the group, weapons drawn and Stands summoned. Ninian looked the most surprised to see the figure below.
“Errok?” She yelled. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?!”
“Nothing of your concern, girl,” Errok spat, relishing the menacing echo that the stone walls gave his voice. “Now, stand aside, lest your blood stain these relics of the past that you find so precious-”
Wait. Where did one of them go?
Errok ducked, nearly catching a surfboard across the jaw, as Cody skid to a stop next to him, having spiraled and surfed down from the group. The rest of the party was most immediately interested in learning about Pieduro, he was just tagging along for help and for fun. Buying them time to make the proper discovery was doing both.
“Damn. Almost got you.” Cody grinned, tucking ｢Surfin’ Bird｣ under his arm similar to Errok’s own stance. “Listen, dude, if you wanted to kill us, just kill us, ‘kay? You look scary enough as is, you don’t have to give a whole speech about it.”
“Ahahaha-” Errok rasped, his armor creaking discordantly. “This temple’s guardian, trying to prevent me from plundering its riches, superweapons sealed away for the destruction they might wreak.”
Cody blinked. “…No, I’m just a friend of Dédalo. He’s the blue-haired dude in the hat. And I’m pretty sure that the Temples are the artifacts; I think this place is actually called an outpost. Besides, we haven’t found any-”
“You haven’t found them yet!?” He barked, a revolting grin spread across his face. “Then I suggest you get out of my way, before you taste the edge of Gravetender.”
Cody quickly glanced up at the higher level. Dédalo had already disappeared, probably continuing deeper inside the outpost with the others. The carvings and holograms were beginning to shift, long-inactive mechanisms whirring to life. A section of the wall suddenly lit up like a screen, showing an image of an age long past. The rest of the expedition party was surely watching the display with academic interest, and if ‘Errok’ was going to disturb them…
“Alrighty then,” Cody pointed at the glowering titan before him. “If you want to get to the secrets of this temple, then you’ll have to get through me.”
“Very well! I will christen my conquest of this temple with your blood!” Errok bellowed, hoisting his sword into the air and tightening the gauntlet containing ｢You Are Blood｣ into a fist. “OPEN THE GAME!”(Shoutouts to u/TreeTurtle_852 for the match art!)
Location: Pic du Midi de Bigorre, France; more specifically a hidden Pieduron “planetarium” recently discovered within the depths of the mountain.
The arena is a 40m diameter hemisphere with each tile being 2x2 meters, a projection of light along the domed ceiling being the only source of light
Over time the maps will change and has 5 stages:
Stage 1 and Stage 2:

• Green Triangles are trees
  
• Small Circles are player starting positions
  

Stage 3:

• Dark Teal Squares are 2.5x2.5 buildings
  
• Cyan Arrows are Jump Pad Temples
  

Stage 4 and Stage 5:

• Pale Red Ring is a floating platform
  
• Red Frowny Face is the large face that extrudes from the mountainside in Stage 5
  
• All remaining trees will wilt at the end of Stage 5
  

Goal: RETIRE your opponents!
Additional Information: The documentary has 5 stages, each depicting a different era of Pieduro - changing the terrain and lighting along with it. Each stage lasts for about 1 minute, with the last stage remaining as is until the fight is over.
Stage 1 - Birth of Civilization

• The lights go completely dark in the circular room as a large spire of Cleria extrudes from the center (18m tall, 10m diameter). A soft, sunset orange glow illuminates the room as holographic farmers start tilling the "fields" around the central mountain. 2m tall trees will also have grown just in time for the “game” to have been “opened”. Over the course of this stage, the holographic farmers will move to areas where trees have been uprooted by players and said trees will regrow with B POW and B SPD. These trees and any components players tear off of them are Stand-affecting.

Stage 2 - Discovery of Spirit

• The lights dim once more and a crescent moon appears at the peak of the dome. White orbs will start to randomly appear across the stage to further illuminate the area. These orbs have A DUR and can be physically manipulated by Stand and user alike.

Stage 3 - Creation of Temples

• The arena makes sudden changes during this stage. Any still-rooted trees in a 5m donut around the mountain's base will wither away, and that section of ground will rise 5m. 12 2.5x2.5m hollow cubes representing buildings will erect on this new platform, evenly spaced out around the mountain similar to the numbers on a clock. Facing outward on each building is a door, in front of which is a "Temple" artifact resembling a streetlight. These can be easily pulled out of the ground and when activated, will attract all loose wood in a 1m radius around the top "light" portion of it. Also, at the base of the new raised platform in each cardinal direction, a "jump pad" Temple will extrude out of the floor. When activated, the jump pad will consume its energy source and allow its user to jump 15m up into the air and land safely back on the ground. Each Temple can be activated with one of the floating orbs formed in the previous stage. The lighting during this stage also changes to a sky-blue color.

Stage 4 - Diaspora of Influence

• The lighting changes to a deep purple color as images of famous landmarks from past civilizations appear along the walls of the dome. A large, flat, floating ring appears at the peak of the mountain that pulses with white light. The jump pad Temples from the previous Stage can allow players to jump up to this ring platform. Along the edge of the floating ring, players can find removable "Pieduron candle" Temples that can consume one of the floating orbs to eject a 2m B POW spray of fire - though each of these Temples only has one use. There are about 15 of these along the ring.

Stage 5 - Peak of Hubris

• The lighting in the room gradually shifts to an ominous red color as a humanoid face forms on the side of the mountain, the number 0 etched into its forehead. This face takes one whole minute to form, and as it finishes its eyes will suddenly flow red as well. Abruptly, all glowing orbs from Stage 2 will extinguish and all active Temples will deactivate. The remaining planted trees from Stage 1 will wither as well. Oddly enough, the floating ring platform and its pulsing glow will be unaffected. These effects will remain as is for the rest of the match.

Temple Items:

• Wood Magnets: Streetlight-looking Temples that can be easily pulled out of the ground. When activated, they will attract all loose wood in a 1m radius around the top "light" portion of it with C Power.
  
• Jump Pads: Emblemed panels on the ground around the base of a raised platform. When activated, the jump pad will consume one floating orb placed into it and allow its “user” to jump 15m up into the air and land safely back on the ground.
  
• Pieduron Candles: Small, cone-shaped trinkets that can consume one of the floating orbs to eject a 2m B POW spray of fire - though each of these Temples only has one use.
  

The whole room, and anything stated to be made of Cleria, is A DUR.

Team	Combatant	JoJolity
Bastards of Barcas	Errok	“I, Nikolas Garland, seek a true God, with true power... not some mythical deity invented to scare children!” Embody the Pieduron element of “Obsidian”, symbolizing power and its contradictory brittle nature in how it can often bring down those that use it as well!
Coleccionistas de Karma	Cody Enfield	“That's what I'm screamin'! Walls, zero; Dogi the Wall-Crusher, like, a million! Who needs doors, when they got me?!” Embody the Pieduron element of “Quicksilver”, symbolizing the chaotic flow of nature and how the clashing of the wills of mankind are constantly changing the world around them!

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!
About a week ago…
“Turn me into a pig too.”
Circe blinked. “From whence do you come, castaway?”
“Serbia. Punjab. Turn me into a pig.”
“...okay, fine.”
And Dirty Ghost became a pig. It felt the sun on its back, heard the snurfling of its piggy companions. There was no need to harm the woman who did this, no desire to disembowel her and wear her intestines as a scarf. The only thing on the swine’s mind were how nice the mud felt on its body and the warmth of the sun felt against its skin. The heat was counteracted by the cold mud, the cold was counteracted by the sun.
There is no need to push forwards. There is no need to find something stimulating and new. There is no emptiness, no boredom, no thoughts of the future or past. There is a mud puddle.
As the swine swaddled itself in its ego death, followed around by the other pigs that once comprised its ship, another castaway landed on the other end of the island. The next morning, Circe awoke to the smell of… fresh-cooked pork? And not only so, but a variety of different smells, incredible dishes made to only the finest of standards. Fresh herbs, meats cooked to perfection, a veritable buffet of mouth-watering, tantalizing meals.
…But why?
Val waltzed to Circe, crouching down to explain, ”The dinner’s almost ready, so prepare yourself for the show of a lifetime!” with that elusive charisma of hers.
Before Circe could interrupt her, she slid dish after dish towards her, pork cooked every which way, bacon, ham, soups, pomegranate punch, fig jam, and more.
”Now, let’s turn to our judge, for the final scores! Were those dishes scrumptious enough to undo my cursed luggage?” She cackled, turning to Circe. When Circe finally agreed…
”This concludes today’s episode of the Valentine Yao Cooking Hour; we certainly hope you enjoyed our program, but we must be going now!”
Val returned to her pigs, now again a realized vessel. She gathered more wood in thick slices of logs and the fibers of grasses, for the braiding of ropes
And she boarded once again, with a barrel of salt-pork in tow and her canvas under her arm.