Oldest vampire in true blood

First Next
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Approximated Earth Date: 3. May. 2235
Teresh's ship entered the Sol system at long last.
Having taken a good two cycles of FTL (faster-than-light) travel to reach. Looking at his diagnostics, he began to perform a LRS (long range scan) of the surrounding planets. Surprisingly, planet No. 626 proved to be the only one with a stable atmosphere. It was perfectly understandable to someone like Teresh. The kooli's own planet was well suited to their needs and they had a difficult time surviving on gas giants or planets with an acidic atmosphere. He went to brush a few stray feather's out of his face, he had to be presentable for the new additions to the Valaxi Empire. It still amazed him, that out of all the child species under the Valaxi, that they had chosen his to make the first contact with the inhabitants of planet No. 626. It was a dream come true for himself and would reflect well on his family's name.
As he began to speed closer to the blue and green sphere, he was curious as to the level of technology the aliens possessed. From what data the Valaxi had collected from afar, it seemed they were around a level 3 class civilization. Having succeeded in attaining space travel, but not FTL travel as far as they were aware. His talons gripped the ship's steering handles tightly. There would be no mistakes on this venture, Teresh was sure of it. He could not return to General Vorin's home in failure, it would spell ruin for him and his family.
He sighed, exhaling a breath. His taloned hand reached up and flipped a few switches, broadcasting a hailing frequency on all available channels. Then, he activated the universal translator around his neck. As he spoke, it would relay his message in all documented languages.
Here we go, he thought to himself.
"Hailing any available, this is Shrike Teresh on behalf of the Valaxi Empire. Flight signature 07-12-2136. I wish to make contact with planet No. 626 and conduct diplomacy. My vessel possesses no weaponry, and I will consent to any scans that you request," Teresh concluded.
He flipped another switch to set the hail to repeat and sat back, exhaling.
Shrike huh? I guess it is a bit odd to hear it out loud. This is the first time I've been at the head of a ship, and the authority of one too, he bemused.
Typically, only the Valaxi piloted for high profile missions, diplomatic or otherwise. It was quite fair of them, they were the more intelligent, more advanced species after all. The kooli were thankful that they even got to fly Valaxi manufactured ships. It was obvious to anyone who has flown them that they handled far better, even if the controls were less friendly. As he thought to himself, a voice suddenly came over the communicator. Almost jostling him out of his seat.
"Vessel number 07-12-2136, you are to deactivate your hail and power down your engines. Failure to comply will result in your immediate seizure," the voice explained.
Is that what they sound like? He wondered. It was very different to anything he had heard before. His own people often spoke in a range of high to low tones, even reaching what some would call a shrill. The Valaxi's dialogue was much more refined and noble, often louder in tone due to their inherent dominance. Then there was the Bouva, Zeesh, Leo-oup, and so on, but nothing like this. The voice spoke in a very composed but neutral tone like his computer. Almost as if it was disinterested in the conversation. He wasn't going to complain though, he was going to do exactly what he was sent to do: comply.
He shut off the hail with a single switch, and then pulled back a lever to cool his engines until he was gently floating in space. He could see the speck of the planet in the distance. His ship currently listing by a larger, dark blue planet. From his scan, he found that it's composition was comprised mostly of dense fluids. Their crystalline structure being recognized as several substances and elements he was familiar with. Ammonia, methane, and water to name a few.
Teresh awaited the arrival of the aliens as he clicked his talons together, a bad habit of his. Hoping that the aliens were not looking to feast on his flesh. His eyes traced along the vastness of space, and then he saw it. He nearly jumped out of his seat as the ship grew larger in his viewport. It was easily five times the size of his vessel, dwarfing it as its shadow began to cast over him. The ship itself was squarer and more rectangular in shape. With a large body and small bridge elevated near the back. Far less elegant to the Valaxi craft that he was used to seeing, and even comparatively to the other species. Though, it was as much as he could expect from a fledgling species. Incredibly pragmatic, with almost no flair or elegance to speak of. It was mostly a dull brown and black in color, sporting some bright yellows with some kind of language written on the side.
"Computer, translate the writing to kooli," he announced, then drawing a talon around the script on the monitor in front of him.
A robotic voice answered him: "Analyzing input... Output: UNE Tarva."
As soon as he read the name, his ship jostled. He was able to catch himself on his chair, but found his ship gently being pulled towards the other.
Ah, so they've developed projected gravitational fields. Perhaps they aren't as primitive as I thought, Teresh concluded.
It wasn't the most impressive feat by any means, usually tractor technology was one of the first to come after space exploration, but it was a good sign. In part, it shows that this species is civilized enough not to immediately fire upon strangers or unrecognized ships. Even if they had, at least he would have perished instead of a Valaxi representative.
The front section of the vessel opened, revealing a large empty space with a few raised platformed areas and stairs leading to them. At the sight of them, Teresh noted that these creatures could not fly like himself. Most likely quadrupedal if he had to guess. He was actually quite astonished by how much space was afforded to his vessel. This was most likely a carrier, meant to hold many smaller ships during conflict. Why such a valuable ship was on its own is a question he couldn't answer. A flagship like this should have been surrounded by their navy if they had one.
"Computer, identify any and all weapons on the ships exterior," he spoke to it again, using the monitor to sieve back through the footage to find evidence of any.
Once more, he heard the generated voice speak, "Analyzing input... compressing footage... The query seems to possess: One, communication tower. One, hanger. Twelve, viewports. One, bridge. And four, unidentified objects."
The computer outlined them for him to see. They were located both on the top and bottom half of the ship, assuming it was mirrored. What he was able to see resembled a black box or base attached to a long tube. With what wiring he could see; it could be evidence of either laser or ion weaponry. Though, ion was a bit of a stretch considering their technology level. Still, for a flagship it was quite impressive. Much more heavily armed than most of the ships in the kooli's decommissioned navy. It paled in comparison to the Valaxi's capabilities, but it was important data to gather. Thankfully for them, they would not need a navy once they became a child species. The Valaxi always cared for and protected their children. They could rely on their military instead of their own.
There was movement in the corner of his eye, and he darted up to see a large hatch open on the platformed area. He strained his eyes as three figures emerged, his heart racing. They were much taller than himself, even matching the height of a Valaxi soldier. Wearing protective suits that were orange in color, he saw reflective, curved black mirrors turn towards his ship.
Was that their head, or another covering? He couldn't tell.
This clearly was their military. These soldiers were dressed head to toe in protective gear meant to shield them from harm. Their large mirror faces meant to intimidate their enemy and reflect their own fear back in them. Such cruel tactics and equipment, the abundance of weaponry on the ship, they had to be warmongers! Reaching down, he attempted to set off his distress signal, finding it disabled and nonfunctional. They had trapped him! He was going to be tortured or eaten and used as a weapon against the Valaxi. Teresh began to pray to his ancestors, asking them to protect his family and General Vorin's as they drew closer. He snatched the ceremonial blade at his hip, awarded to those chosen to go on these missions. His last show of loyalty to the empire was going to be dying an honorable death. He brought the blade to his neck as his ship's landing bay opened, feeling sharp pain in his neck.
"H-hello!? Sorry, the ship's nav can be a bit off-putting. It was from a prison ship," A voice called out. It was much softer, and lower in tone than the one he heard before. Its words echoing through his translator.
Sorry? Prison? I knew it, they're trying to manipulate me so they can imprison and torture me, Teresh panicked, though it stayed his blade.
He curled up in his chair, refusing to turn. Thankfully the translator masked his fear in his voice, "D-Don't come any closer, I won't let you take me alive!"
"Woah! Woah buddy! Hey, let's stay calm. I heard your hail, but it was garbled by system interference. We were just coming to pick you up," the voice replied. The fake sympathy in its voice sickened him.
Help him? Dressed in full regalia and on a prison ship no less! He would become a political prisoner at best and tortured to death at worst.
"You said this was a prison ship, y-you're going to capture and torture me for information. I won't let you!" Teresh yelled, though the translator could only do so much.
"Buddy, jeez! No! The ship’s nav was from a prison ship," The figure stopped, the steps no longer drawing closer. "Look, my name's Tom. I'm from Arizona. Let me take you back home, okay? Are you armed?"
Despite every instinct telling him to end it here, he swallowed and nodded. Then, realizing that they couldn't see him. His translator rumbled, "I have a weapon. Don't come closer."
"Alright, that's okay. I won't come any closer. Do you think you could put the weapon down for me?" Tom asked.
The Valaxi warned him about this throughout his training. Once surrendered, they would try to take as much information about the empire from them. Using it against him and his family. He couldn't bear to imagine the harm that these aliens could inflict on his home, even if the Valaxi were more than capable of exterminating them.
"Y-You're going to-" he began.
"I'm not going to torture you. No one is going to torture you. We want to help you. Take you somewhere safe," Tom continued, sounding almost compassionate in tone.
Even though he knew it was a lie, he clamped down on his beak. If there was a chance they were telling the truth, he could still complete his mission and bring honor to his family's name. There was always the blade if they weren't.
"O-Okay," Teresh muttered, the translator barely picking it up.
"Good!" Tom voice raised, causing Teresh to squawk in fear.
“Oh, sorry, sorry.” His voice suddenly softened again, "Didn't mean to be loud there. Do you think you could turn towards me now? Teresh, right?"
He flinched at hearing his own name through the translator. What options did he have? Either take a risk and listen to these aliens, or... damn it. He couldn't do it. Still a coward, even to the end.
With hesitancy, he began to turn his chair. Eyes widening as he saw the alien standing only a few of its strides away. It was bipedal, over a third taller than himself, towering above with two long arms with five talons each. Though, perhaps that was the wrong word since they appeared rather blunt. The bright orange of his suit was accented with black marks, including one down the middle in a perfect line. Teresh could see his own reflection in the black mirror of the creatures face. He looked small and afraid, curled up like a hatchling and clutching a small knife dotted with his blood. The creature held out its hands, causing him to flinch.
"O-oh wow. You... you're really..." the translator sputtered. Teresh heard a rumble from the beast as it composed itself, "My... My name is Tom. It's nice to meet you Teresh."
Although the taste of bile was in my throat, I swallowed and spoke, "G-Greetings Tom, my name is Teresh. I'd like to ask for your surrender."

“Is it True that the Aliens Won’t Talk To Us ?” Joseph Burkes MD 2023
The blog “Why The Aliens Won’t Talk To Us,,, “ linked below and published by UFO International Project mirrors many of my thoughts and feelings about the world situation. I suggest however that the aliens are indeed communicating with us as evidenced by the responses documented in the FREE Experiencer Survey. Not only were most of the experiences described as neutral or positive, but also most of the responders did not want their encounters to stop. In the FREE survey of over 4000 individuals, positive transformations were reported that in many ways are like the changes occurring in Near Death Experiencers. Those reporting contacts with UAP intelligences described their becoming less materialistic, less competitive, more spiritual but less religious. Thus, when it comes to contact experiencers, the aliens are in a sense “talking” to us, although not in the direct and open ways that people communicate with each other.
In my opinion, the so-called aliens are probably communicating with millions of experiencers worldwide. In response, networks of activists staging HICE (Human Initiated Contact Events) aka CE-5 are attempting to establish a more direct relationship with the beings responsible for the flying saucer phenomenon. I believe this effort creates the possibility of facilitating a radical transformation of human consciousness and society. Fundamental changes in Earth’s civilization are necessary to create, more direct, open, and equal relations with what I imagine might be "friends in high places."
It has been said that a sense of outrage over injustice is one of the most passionate forms of human love. The passionate blog linked below is guided by what I suspect is that kind of "tough love."
Why The Aliens Wont Talk To Us And The ELITE NEED REMOVING!
http://www.ufointernationalproject.com/ufo-topics/problem-humanity-aliens-wont-talk-us/

“Is it True that the Aliens Won’t Talk To Us ?” Joseph Burkes MD 2023
The blog “Why The Aliens Won’t Talk To Us,,, “ linked below and published by UFO International Project mirrors many of my thoughts and feelings about the world situation. I suggest however that the aliens are indeed communicating with us as evidenced by the responses documented in the FREE Experiencer Survey. Not only were most of the experiences described as neutral or positive, but also most of the responders did not want their encounters to stop. In the FREE survey of over 4000 individuals, positive transformations were reported that in many ways are like the changes occurring in Near Death Experiencers. Those reporting contacts with UAP intelligences described their becoming less materialistic, less competitive, more spiritual but less religious. Thus, when it comes to contact experiencers, the aliens are in a sense “talking” to us, although not in the direct and open ways that people communicate with each other.
In my opinion, the so-called aliens are probably communicating with millions of experiencers worldwide. In response, networks of activists staging HICE (Human Initiated Contact Events) aka CE-5 are attempting to establish a more direct relationship with the beings responsible for the flying saucer phenomenon. I believe this effort creates the possibility of facilitating a radical transformation of human consciousness and society. Fundamental changes in Earth’s civilization are necessary to create, more direct, open, and equal relations with what I imagine might be "friends in high places."
It has been said that a sense of outrage over injustice is one of the most passionate forms of human love. The passionate blog linked below is guided by what I suspect is that kind of "tough love."
Why The Aliens Wont Talk To Us And The ELITE NEED REMOVING!
http://www.ufointernationalproject.com/ufo-topics/problem-humanity-aliens-wont-talk-us/

Imagine you’re going to an open house with a real estate agent.
The first thing you see is the front of the house, and maybe you’ll decide then and there if you like the house or not. If the house looks bad, like there are holes in the windows, you ain’t going to buy it.
The same goes for your SaaS product. If your product looks bad — aka your copywriting doesn’t persuade your audience — people ain’t gonna buy it.
That's why creating good copywriting is essential to your SaaS business's success.
In this beginner's guide for SaaS copywriting, you'll discover how to create compelling copywriting even if you have no experience. By understanding your audience, mastering the basics of copywriting, and crafting a strong value proposition, you can increase your sales and conversions.
I’ll also provide examples of how to improve your copywriting to help you get started. With that, let’s dive in.

The Basics of Copywriting

Creating a good landing page requires knowing the basics of copywriting.
It's surprising how many guides online don't emphasize this crucial step. Your copy is what convinces visitors to take action on your page, whether that's making a purchase or downloading software.
To write copy that converts, you need to understand the principles of persuasion. In this next section, we’ll dive into the basics of copywriting, including how you find your audience and your company’s value proposition (plus what a value proposition is).
After you’ve completed this section, you’ll be leagues ahead of most SaaS brands — not to mention most businesses on the internet.

Who’s your Audience?

SaaS owners often obsess over which marketing channels to use: LinkedIn ads vs. Twitter ads; creating homepages with all the necessary features and testimonials; and choosing the right pricing model and determining the optimal price point.
Wrong.
Your obsession shouldn’t be what, but who.
SaaS products without a target audience are worse than worthless. You’re losing money.
Without thinking about real people looking for real solutions, your copywriting will fail. Your copy will sound bland, boring, and self-centered.
So define your target audience. Fill in the blanks of this formula:
My SaaS product is for [title] in [industry] who struggle with [problem] and want [solution].
For example, for Dropbox:
Dropbox is for "individuals and teams" in "various industries" who struggle with "managing and sharing files securely and efficiently" and want "a cloud-based storage and collaboration solution that is easy to use and accessible from anywhere."
See? Easy.
Once you know your audience, you can create your value proposition and write copy. But if you don’t know your audience, you’re sailing a boat into darkness… and that’s no bueno for your business.

Problem, Agitation, and Solution

Humans respond more intensely to negative events than positive events. For example, when our boss gives us a performance review with ten positive comments but one negative comment — we focus on the one negative comment. The secret of great copy is using this same “negativity bias” to sell products. Done correctly, you can get basically anyone to buy anything. The formula good copywriters use is problem, agitation, and solution.
Warning: The problem, agitation, solution formula can be used for good … or evil. I’m trusting that your SaaS business wants to help people. If that’s not you — stay away.
Problem, agitation, solution (from here on out referred to as PAS for my sanity), is when, first, you say your audience's problem. You want them to nod their head and say “yeah I hate when that happens.” After you’ve said the problem, they’ll hopefully read the rest of your copy.
Here’s where you make that problem worse. Much much worse. You agitate the problem. You take their problem and make it a nightmare.
What’s the worst possible thing your audience could suffer? Say it. Get your audience on the edge of their seat, begging for a savior (I’m being dramatic, but you get what I mean).
Lastly, you say the solution, which just so happens to be your product. Make sure you say how your solution solves their nightmare problem. Add some testimonials and add some bonuses and bada bing bada boom — you’ve made a scary good home page and landing page.
Here’s an example of problem, agitation, solution for Dropbox:
Problem:
You need to store and share large files, but you don’t have a secure and reliable way to do it.
Agitation:
But the consequences of not having a reliable file sharing and storage solution can be disastrous. You could lose important files or they could fall into the wrong hands. This could compromise your work or personal life.
Plus, not having a fast and easy way to share files with colleagues can lead to delays, destroying your productivity. This problem is holding you back from your goals.
Solution:
Dropbox solves this problem with our all-in-one file transfer and collaboration….
In other words, with PAS, you:

1. Identify your audience’s problem
2. Rub salt in their wound
3. Become their savior

It’s not enough to just state the problem. Your audience must feel the impact of the problem. You must make your audience’s worst fears and nightmares come true… for them to see why your product saves them.
So start brainstorming all of the possible problems that your target audience faces on a daily basis. You’re gonna use these problems to write your copy.
There’s tons of other copywriting formulas, but this one is the foundation of all of them. While creating your copywriting, you’ll se this formula again and again, so don’t forget it.

What's Your Value Proposition?

It’s so simple, yet so challenging to answer this question:
What makes your company different from your competitors?
If you don’t can’t answer this question, then potential customers are gonna find someone who can answer this question. And with so many SaaS companies — over 10,000 and counting — you’re one fish in a big ocean. You’ve gotta stand out.
So this is why you need a value proposition. For those who don’t know, a value proposition is:
The number one reason why your product is the best for the customer.
In case you’re scratching your head — you’ve already figured this out!
Let’s return to the formula from earlier:
My SaaS product is for [title] in [industry] who struggle with [problem] and want [solution].
Now you’re just gonna chop the formula in half:
My SaaS product is for people who struggle with [problem] and want [solution].
Finally, you’re gonna turn this into an action statement. Ideally, you only want one solution — I’ll explain why later.
My SaaS product helps you {solution} without {problem}.
In the case of Dropbox, this would be that Dropbox helps you “collaborate with your team” without “the hassle of physical drives and data breaches.”
And there you go — that’s your value proposition.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Copywriting

In this section, I’ll run through the markers of good and bad copywriting, plus some examples.
DO this when you write copy:

• Use simple language
• Use concise language
• Show your audience the benefits

DON’T do this when you write copy:

• Use complicated language
• Use vague language
• Show your audience the features

I’ll list three examples of bad copywriting and improve them to show you these principles in action. Again, I’ll use the example of Dropbox.

1. Copywriting with complicated language

“Our revolutionary cloud-based solution will optimize your workflow and streamline your processes."
How I’d improve it:
“Drag and drop files to the cloud and save time.”
This paints a picture for the audience and touches upon a major fear: wasting time.

1. Copywriting with vague language

"Our software has a user-friendly interface and a wide range of integrations."
How I’d improve it:
“Don’t switch up your productivity tools, Dropbox plays nice with all software” and “So simple even a beginner can use it.”
For one, I split the benefits into two separate sentences. Also, I used simpler language that showcases the benefits of the features — showing the audience how easy Dropbox is to use.

1. Copywriting showing features not benefits

"Our solution leverages machine learning algorithms to provide predictive analytics."
How I’d improve it:
“Stop spending hours searching for files. Find your file instantly with our AI-powered search.”
Everybody understands these two sentences, and it communicates yet another value of Dropbox.
In summary, good copywriting is specific, simple, and benefit-focused. Feel free to return back to this section while writing your copy. Plus, don’t worry if your first draft sucks — my first draft most definitely sucked. Just get it all on the page and then return and fix it.
P.S. I hope this helped you, and if you want more personalized advice for your SaaS's copywriting, my pms are open :)

Looking to build a deck, maybe two, for this format. Only ever played commander so this will be my first foray into 60-card.
I'm looking at [Liliana of the veil] and [smallpox]/[liliana's triumph] as my set up, but not sure if Mass discard is viable in this format. Obviously would need more than just discard yo win, so would be looking at reanimatotoken producers or drain and gain cards.
Alternatively I love grixis for its capabilities in what seems like a low to the ground CMC format, and [Nicol Bolas, dragon-god] is the obvious choice for its static ability and relevant loyalty abilities. I would avoid [the Elderspell] as my signature spell despite the flavour as opponents would see it coming a mile away. Alternatively looking at [Maestros charm] or maybe [blood for the blood god] as the spell.
I am not looking to make a top tier competitive build, I'm not a fan of ultra-efficient insta win combos. Just looking for a strong first deck that can deal with opponents shenanigans and get some wins

I'm not sure if I'm over thinking this or not but firstly I just need to establish that my boyfriend suffers from split personality disorder and last year we ended up in a rough patch due to trust issues that we have fixed.
In October last year, I was constantly arguing with my boyfriend over his friends which he was lying about going out with. This obviously lead to screaming arguments which caused serious problems which have been resolved a month after. The reason this all ended was due to an issue with one of my boyfriend's friends in college. Let's call this girl Taylor. But basically she messaged me with this 'hey girlie' text to which I immediately called my boyfriend before responding and asked him if he had anything to confess to me before I continue. He continued to respond to me and tell me he couldn't think of anything that had gone wrong etc etc. I spoke to Taylor who made out that my boyfriend had sexually assaulted him (Assault meaning no touching just words) and that she wanted to let me know. I found this strange as she has never had an issue and I let her explain everything first before believing her. After she explained I realised it was obviously a lie due to the things she said that my bf said which just did not seem in his vocabulary range and also not how any man would approach any woman when trying to flirt sexually. I also learned that she had a problem with my bf as he informed her of a rumour and asked if it was true to which she took offence and walked off in an angry strut. It was obvious she was pissed and wanted to stir some shit so I just blocked her but obviously it hurt hearing this as I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression and I've had loads of trust issues recently and in previous relationships. This girl reported it to the school then confessed that she didn't want anything from it because she wasn't 'bothered' by it and she thought nothing of the words so it came apparent she was obviously a liar. My bf lost a lot of friends due to this and his teachers had turned a bias on him in college (the college he goes to is shit and they don't really care about students).
Recently, her name has came up when I was speaking to my bf as it had recently snowed. I was so confused on why he kept complaining about her and he was telling me how he had threw massive snowballs at her to piss her off. I asked him why does he seem so obsessed with her because recently when I came to collect something from him she even said 'hi (bfs name)' to upset me purposely. He said he wasn't he just does it to piss her off to which me having a bit off a person who doesn't hold grudges responded, 'she wants the attention so why would you give it to her' he just kinda brushed this off but it's something I think about a lot. He's really obsessed with 'pissing her off' but I just don't get it wouldn't you not want to speak to someone or avoid them if they are have hurt your relationship?

I'm a safe guy and this is where my question comes from today. I wonder how you all manage your budget categories for your true expenses.
Situation 1 : I assign 150/month for my car maintenance and bi-annual visit for my oil change, tire changes and minor maintenance here and there. I'm capping this category at 2500$. I never got to that cap yet but got really close at the end of 2022. In January, I got my first big car repair (1400$), I bought and installed Summer tires and I'll have to buy Winter tires in Fall. After setting money aside from my car maintenance category to my tires category for later this Fall, I sit at 125$ in my car repairs. I'm happy in the sense that I managed well my true expenses for my car with this money but now that it's done, I'm not sure what to do.
Life can happen but with money set aside for my Winter tires, my big repair done with confirmation by my mechanic that everything looks good, I have a good probability that everything should be smooth in the next 6-12 months at least and with 2 sets of brand new tires good for a good 5 years. At the same time, I never had this little money in my car repair category so my instinct is to get agressive to fill this category after than usual "just in case". Should I keep the 150$/month as usual even though I'm low or be agressive and get to let's say 1000$ quick and then get back to my usual 150$/month?
Situation 2 : This is the difficult one for me. I live in a condo. Outside of my condo fees and external expenses that could happen on the structure that needs extra contribution (not likely since it's a new construction of 6 years), I don't need more to save outside of my own applicances. I did a rough estimate : Oven, Fridge, Dishwasher, Washer, Dryer, Water Tank, A/C, Bed, Electronics, Bath, Toilet, BBQ and misc items. Those are the big things that will need to be replace. I estimate if I had to replace them all today brand new, it would be around 20k.
I estimated the life expentency on average to be 15 years. I'm starting year 7 and I didn't replaced anything yet everything is working fine so according to my calculations, I'm likely need to prepare to spend 20k in the next 8 years. I'm halfway there and I only have 6k in my category instead of my 10k I should be having based on my estimation.
At the same time, I feel it's a big chunk of money and again, outside of a big streak of bad luck, I won't be changing all of those items in a short period of time and really the only thing that can be planned is the Water Tank since there is an legit expiration date. The rest is pretty much whenever it's broken and it could very be now or in 20 years.
Since I have 6k set aside for this category, I'm missing 14k for the next 8 years : 14k / 8 / 12 is 145$/month. So in my YNAB budget I save 200$ a round number and take into account few minor things I need to buy for my place. Is this a sound way to do it?
Is this too safe? Should I only set aside for the extremely big items on that list and just cashflow the rest when they break?
Thank you everyone :)

I've build my first TrueNAS Scale server on an old junky PC. It's a good ATX case that can hold many drives. I have a spare 2nd gen i3 motherboard that is in there, but very under-spec for what I need. I was given a whole bunch of 8GB ECC DDR3 sticks and have been lurking, trying to find a good CPU/mobo combo to upgrade to for a low cost. I would like it to have at least 2 pcie 16x slots.
I've been looking at the Xeon E5-2680 V2 and a Lenovo S30 motherboard. The issue is how do I identify which version of the motherboard is Ivy Bridge or Sandy Bridge. I need Ivy Bridge for V2 of the cpu. There is lots of info out there about which complete Lenovo computer model came with the IB version, but I can't seem to find anything specific on the model number or other identifying feature of the motherboard.
​
Does anyone know how to identify the Ivy Bridge version? Thanks.

I am The Bard, who must admit some certain fondness for some of my subjects over others. Any historian naturally becomes attached to some characters, and obtains a bias towards them. I am no different in this regard.
It hung like the bones of an ancient lizard king, awesome even in its deiscation. Highest of the high places, casting forth the dying light of the age, and covering the cosmos in an intense metaphysical shadow. None were beyond its antumbra, and heaven and hell alike were bound within its deepest umbra. The weight of history pressing down on reality was bound up here. Here, amidst the ruins of what had once been the seat of the first and greatest king of the age, where dragons first caught fire in their breaths, where they sang and the world was changed. Here, in ruined majesty, lay the breathless word of awe and mournful nostalgia. A kingdom who’s shadow was graven onto the name of the world itself.
Akar. The first and true Akar. The plane of Io. The birthplace of Bahamut and Tiamat, and where the king of heaven died, and the end of the age began.
Many were the treasure seekers, pilgrims, historians, and other sundry who wandered those halls. Many more were the defenders. The servants of Bahamut and Tiamat alike, agreeing only in this, that the ancient palace, their once true and perfect home, should not be defiled by pillagers and scoundrels. So, suffice it to say the presence of the Black Hound Scoundrels was not welcomed.
Raymond’s sword was broken, again. He’d liked that one too, an ancient ilithid weapon, projecting a blade of light though a psionic focusing crystal. It had served him well, right up until the point where the blue dragon’s lightning bolt had overloaded the arcane technology and blown it up in his hand. He was also missing a limb again, but this was less troublesome than when he was alive.
He hit the ground hard as he fell back, rolling over and over on the black marble floor. Several things were definitely broken. They had found themselves near to their goal, in what had likely been a planetarium of sorts before the fall of Io. The room was filled with great orbs, each one depicting in full a different plane of existence, and how they moved and danced around one another in the great cosmic game. Each globe was about three times the size of a man in radius, and formed of material from the plane it depicted. The floor was graven of marble quarried from the negative energy plane itself, malefic energies safely disapated, and opposite it, a ceiling of glowing hypermatter from the positive energy plane supplemented the light of what appeared to be a miniature star in the center of the room.
That light was quickly obscured as the earth shook from the impact of an ancient blue dragoness landing in front of it. One of Tiamat’s consorts, fair and terrible as the sea and stars. The room crackled with static electricity, a storm system building within the confined space from the raw elemental power of the ancient dragon. She stalked forwards, reading another blast fit to reduce Raymond to ashes. As she opened her mouth, something hit her in the chin. The lightning backfired, and blew dragoness and defender alike back.
Pure angel-white armored boots tore up the surface next to Raymond as Elsior ground to a halt. Her wings flared, tensing for another burst of motion. Aegis snapped to the side in a ready position as the white lion guarded her friend. “Ray, you doing okay?”
”Fine. Just give me a moment.” Raymond replied. He focused, charging the depleted stone around him with his power, awakening a fragment of its prior energies. Once charged, he drew it up around himself, reforming his lost limb from the planar material. “Right. Good to go.”
”We cannot afford to be delayed by this guardian overlong.” Aegis warned through their shared mental link. “It must be removed rapidly.”
”Cualli can’t hold her. That’s how the last one broke.” Lamora warned. The changeling flashed into being, emerging from the form of a microscopic bacterium, only to deliver a devastating slash across the dragoness’s face. Her silver blade slashed horn and eye alike, sending the dragoness reeling with an eye cut out and a horn crashing to the floor. The shapeshifter goddess caught the blood from the wound in her palm, then in a crash of thunder, there were two dragonesses in the room, grappling with one another with fang and claw, tearing up the room in their struggle.
”Well best figure something out soon, we’re running out of zombies.” Keelah replied. The kobold, well, not exactly a kobold any longer, reported from the entrance to the room. Beyond it, the corridor was filled with the sound of clashing blades. She snapped around the corner, twin crossbows raised. Demonic energies began to charge from her weapons, then snapped out in a howling chorus as a rain of hellfire burst from the twin weapons. Tiamat’s lesser forces felt the sting of Avarice and Arrogance, as they rained amidst their ranks. She heard the chant of an Abashai sorcerer, and focused. The chanting devil had their spell cut off midway as Keelah fired a focused blast that punched through the sorcerer’s bodyguards and into his skull. The demonic energy exploded, rending the sorcerer to pieces and covering the nearby minions with gore. She fired another shot, this one a scything wave, and bisected a trio of white abashai that had managed to break through Raymond’s wall of zombies.
Despite her efforts, the undead were flanked, and annihilated. “Correction.” She updated. “We are out of zombies.”
”This necessitates a mightier minion.” Raymond remarked. “Cover me!” He pressed his hand to the black surface of the floor, and began to channel. At the same time, Lamora lost her grapple with the blue dragon, who threw her down with her teeth upon her throat. Unfortunately for the dragoness, biting a changeling is somewhat less than effective, as Lamora flowed like mercury away from the bite, taking on her true form and landing a devastating counter-slash along the dragonness’s wing. It turned towards her, roaring in anger, only to be checked and knocked back by a brilliant white flash.
As several of the dragoness’s teeth fell to the ground, Elsior landed, blade directed at the dragoness. “I’ve never fought a dragon before. Have to say, you’re disappointing.” This enraged the dragoness, who focused her fury upon the white lion, and the chamber shook with their battle.
As Raymond focused, the ground began to raise up into an arch. The sorcerer remained focused utterly on his work, defenseless as he chanted a ritual of awakening and binding. The minions of Tiamat surged forwards towards him, but then there came the sound of the unbreakable breaking. With a chime of shattering time, Keelah re-entered the fray. The fourth dimension cracked about her, as the demoness of time channeled the power of the abyss into the gears of the cosmos themselves.
She was about them and untouchable, fragmented across a dozen parallel worldlines, each one tangled in a gordian knot as reality bent at her whim. Her enemies were slowed, moving in molasses as no speed could avail them, and she likewise was a blur, her newfound abyssal power amplifying her speed, and time accelerating around her to push demonic enhancements even further. She was a one-woman platoon, single-handedly trapping the forces of Tiamat with enfilade fire, sniping their commanders into paste, blasting, ripping, and tearing the horde with a storm of abyssal energy.
Then, it was done. Raymond’s ritual completed as the gate stood ready. With a shout of warning, he activated it. The weak died instantly, reduced to their fundamental elements as the power of the negative energy plane ripped into the planetarium. A singularly unfortunate dragonborn was too near to the gate when it activated, and was pulled through, his body stretching out weirdly as the dimensional distortion inflicted a status scientifically know as “spaghettification” upon him.
Then from the gate came winged death, or perhaps death in the shape of wings. It came with an unsound, an unshriek, and an unboom. Its form perhaps suggested a vulture, or some other kind of carrion bird. But it was an impression, an image in the mind which tried to attach something known to the unknown thing. It was a storm of many black wings, and many eyes. About it was an unflame, an echo of the silence before the first words were spoken. The men of Akar called these creatures Nightstalkers, for they were the hunters and the dragons of the deathly plane. The shape of death, with it antithetical resonance, fell upon the brightest source of life, the blue dragoness. The two forces ripped against one another, lightning flashing desperately as silence smothered the thunder.
The scoundrels ran. “Minion.” Keelah grumbled as time wearily mended itself around her. “Minon. Minion implies you can control that thing!” She growled.
”Theoretically, I can.” Raymond replied. “Though I’d rather not try to put theory into practice right now.”
”So, in other words, you aren’t controlling it.” Keelah said.
”Why do you think I’m running too?” Raymond replied, and Keelah started running faster.
Then, they were there. They knew it at once, the presence of the place was palpable. A wrongness, a sorrow, a stain and scar upon the fabric of the world, invisible but impossible to miss or ignore. Raymond and Lamora felt their stomachs churn, their hair stand on end. Their senses screamed at them that this was a place nobody should be in, a place that should not exist. An absolute defilement hung upon the area, an abomination of desecration so severe that the world screamed around then.
Elsior fell to a knee, struggling to breathe from the overwhelming pressure of the area. Even empowered by Aegis, the dragonborn felt it more strongly than any of them, a death so profound its mere memory was enough to cause her heart to briefly stop, fitfully start, and then stop again. If she remained overlong, it would kill her. The effect upon Keelah was less severe, but without an artifact to protect her, she suffered terribly. The kobold was not a kobold any longer, her shape was formed from the material of the abyss, held together by her sheer ego more so than by any natural law. In this place, her scales screamed, writhed, and began to rip off her body into a twisting coil around her. Her skin boiled under it, her crossbows reknit themselves into her flesh. She retained her shape, her size, but more and more she leaned further away from the draconic heritage and into her new demonic nature to desperately avoid the ancestral agony gathered in this place.
It was odd, one of the simpler rooms in the great planetary palace. A dining room, with three chairs suited for draconic beings. It hadn’t been touched in centuries, nothing had even been here to shed the dead skin cells that would produce dust. Whatever meal they had been eating was long since rotted away, but the table was still half-set, broken plates and cookware scattered. It was as though it might have been left only a few minutes ago. If not for the blood, so much blood. It painted the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the furnitutre. Dried and set like stone into the fabric of the world, the blood of Bahamut, of Tiamat, and of their father.
This was where Io had died. This was where Bahamut and Tiamat’s war began, where they ripped their father’s heart from his chest and tore it in twain, split between them. It still carried the echo of Io’s dying scream, a memory potent enough to bring those with draconic blood to their knees. A memory potent enough to help fuel the birth of a new god of the dead.
”Ray. Grab it. Quickly.” Elsior ordered. “We aren’t meant to be here. Nobody is meant to be here.”
”On it.” Raymond replied, setting down his staff. It began to flicker, grey light sweeping out from it and scanning over the room again and again and again. Ghostly images began to form, memories of the room, playing back in reverse across the centuries. It had been so long that the process would take some time. “It’s set.” Raymond said, and placed a charm on the staff to return to him when it had captured the memory sufficiently. “Let’s get out of here.” He said, moving quickly back towards the planetarium. Everyone knew what waited for them there, it was better than this place.
”I just hope that your staff can get you the memory fast enough.” Keelah grumbled, piecing herself back into her false form. “There’s been trouble enough with-“
”Keelah, if you jinx us I’m going to kick you halfway back to the abyss.” Elsior cut her off.
Lamora stiffened. “Too late. She’s coming. Ray, timeline on that memory?”
”No idea.” Raymond replied. “At its current rate, maybe five minutes.” He started to sprint, and the others continued, Elsior picking up Keelah to bear her along more swiftly. “Maybe the nightstalker can slow-“
He went silent as they emerged back into the planetarium, and the world rent. An overwhelming dominance threatened to stop the hearts of everyone. The nightstalker turned its many-eyed gaze towards the rift and what came through. Drawn like a moth to a flame, it turned its gaze from the desiccated remains of the ancient blue dragoness and hurled itself towards the coming prismatic light. There was a sound like an earthquake, like a hurricane, and like a meteorite impacting as pure chaotic energy ripped it apart, blasting the apex predator of the Negative Energy Plane to dust in an instant.
The ground shook, as a thing unmatched in beauty and in horror stepped through. Five heads snaked on five necks, built upon a powerful body. The very magic of the room trembled as an impossibly powerful aura made the strands of the universe quiver. Five voices spoke in one, in absolute rage and fury, as Tiamat, queen of dragons, made her presence and displeasure known. “YOU DARE. YOU DARE, TRESPASS UPON MY HOME, IN THE PRESENCE OF MY PAIN? YOU COME, CRAWLING AMIDST THE TOMB OF GODS, AND THINK TO ROB IT, TO DARE TO STEAL FROM THE QUEEN OF DRAGONS?”
Lamora covered the scoundrels in a spell of invisibility, but Tiamat turned her gazes upon it and stripped the spell away with all the ease of a mother throwing away a sheet a troublesome child was trying to hide under. “I SEE YOU THERE, LAMORA, FALSE GODLING, PATHETIC LITTLE EXCUSE FOR A DEITY. EVEN IN YOUR MIGHTIEST FORM YOU WERE NO MATCH FOR ME. DO YOU THINK THIS LATEST MORTAL YOU USURPED WILL AVAIL YOU?”
Another head turned towards Elsior, towards Aegis. “I SEE YOU ALSO, DEVIANT, REMNANT AND REGRET. HOW MUCH THE TRUE YOU FEARS YOU, HOW ALIKE YOU ARE IN YOUR COWARDICE AND WEAKNESS. DAUGHTER, TRAITOR, CHILD OF THE USURPER. THAT TRINKET WILL NOT AVAIL YOU. BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP ME, AND I MAY SHOW YOU MERCY.”
Still another, full of wrath, gazed upon Raymond and he quietly thanked Adonai he no longer had a digestive system. “THE SAME WILL NOT BE SAID OF YOU, SORCERER, PARASITE, THIEF. HOW MUCH I REMEMBER YOU, BROKEN AND IN AGONY BY A MERE FAMILIAR, A CONCUBINE, AND NOW YOU THINK TO AVENGE YOURSELF UPON ITS MASTER BY OBTAINING GODHOOD? BY STEALING AWAY THE MEMORY OF MY GREATEST AGONIES TO EMPOWER YOURSELF? HAH. YOU, A FAILURE MORE TIMES THAN EVEN MY TREASURES CAN COUNT. FAILURE AS A FATHER, AS A LEADER, AND NOW YOU THINK TO BE A GOD? THE PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR ARROGANCE WILL BE LEGENDARY. YOUR SCREAMS WILL ECHO THROUGH THE MILLENIA, AND YOUR PAIN WILL BE ETCHED UPON THE STARS, SO THAT EVEN HELL SHALL GAZE UP AND SHUDDER. THEN ALL SHALL KNOW THAT I AM TIAMAT, HIGH GODDESS OF THE HIGH GODS, MY WRATH IS MIGHTY, MY VENGANCE SURE.”
”AND AS FOR YOU.” She finished, snarling at Keelah. “Who’s familiar are you again?”
Keelah grinned. "I am the goddamn eggshell caught in the universe's gears, holding it back from sheer spite even when I should be broken. I am the demoness of time, the greatest thief in the cosmos, the abyss couldn't hold me, and heaven can't keep me out. I am Ordani, a godslayer, and a true daughter of Io. In other words bitch, I'm your worst nightmare!"
There was a moment of stunned silence as Tiamat processed that she’d just been defied in the midst of her holy fury. Furthermore, that she’d been defied by a kobold of all things. A slave race dared to defy the queen of the universe? She was simply stunned by the audacity. Then, she ceased to be stunned, and became enraged. All five heads focused on the kobold, opened their mouths, and the battle was on.
A wave of annihilating prismatic energy roared towards Keelah, only to be intercepted by Lamora. As perhaps one of the most powerful attacks in the cosmos bore down on her, Lamora simply raised up her blade, and cut. The wave of destruction parted like the red sea, as Lamora stood, framed by the light of her blade and the apocalypse crashing past her and her party. She may have been the weakest among the gods, but to underestimate the heroine with a thousand faces was the utmost folly!
Elsior roared a battle cry and rocketed forwards, blade set to pierce the dragon queen’s adamantine hide. Only for her to miss, entirely. She paused, confused for a moment as Tiamat seemed to utterly vanish. However, as she looked down, and beheld a prismatic dragonborn, it was clear she had only changed her shape. A blast of supercooled acid hit the white lion, beginning to melt through her armor as it froze her solid to the ceiling.
Time shattered around Keelah as she took cover behind the planets, opening fire with a dozen piercing shots. They shattered in the air a meter from Tiamat’s form, and she calmly waved a hand. One of the planets Keelah was cowering behind exploded into corrosive gasses, instantly melting two timelines to goo. The gas rapidly spread, forcing Keelah to cover her mouths and hold fire, lest she risk igniting the gas.
Tiamat raised her hand, and fired a blast of fire. It was no stream as with a normal breath weapon, but a concentrated ball of heat and death, more akin to a fireball than a normal breath weapon. Raymond hurled a singularity at a nearby planet, dragging it off course and into the path of the fireball. The fireball hit it, and ripped the planet apart, sending magma spraying throughout the room. Irritated, Tiamat glared towards Raymond. A moment later, a bolt of lightning ripped out of nowhere and slammed into the mage. He went sprawling, body ablaze. As he rolled, he lifted his hand, and redicrected the energy. The power was still enough to blast his directing arm to ashes, but he managed to send the majority of the attack back at Tiamat.
The queen of dragons didn’t even deign to block the attack, letting the bolt of lightning pass harmlessly over her. She was the daughter of chaos itself, and no elemental magic could harm her, not even her own. The blade of Lamora on the other hand, could. As Tiamat was blinded from being inside a lightning bolt, Lamora struck, landing a glancing blow on the dragon queen’s arm. The hero’s blade slashed open the virtually indestructible scales, drawing a goddess’s blood. The dragon queen’s eyebrows suddenly raised, and she retreated away from Lamora, teleporting to the other side of the room and firing off another blast in her direction.
Keelah moved clear of the gas, and began hammering Tiamat’s position with fire. Tiamat once again blocked it, only for one of the bolts to vanish, replaced with a now one-armed mage. Raymond held a spike of pure negative energy in his remaining hand like a spear, and drove it into the wound Lamora had opened. The spear drove in, and wrapped itself around the dragon queen’s arm like a shackle. Tiamat’s eyes went wide, and she smiled briefly before moving in to rip Raymond’s head off. He shouted an alert. “Her magic’s sealed! Now!”
Tiamat’s foot swung with enough force to reduce the mage’s torso to paste, but it didn’t connect with him. Raymond vanished, and the dragon queen’s heel instead connected with the brilliant white armor of the White Lion. Elsior grunted, but she had traded blows with Ascalon, Tiamat was still murderously strong, but she wasn’t a fighter. “My turn.” She replied, stepping in and answering with an attack that hurled Tiamat across the room.
Tiamat landed on her feet, scales smoking but unbroken. Even a full-powered attack from Aegis could only bruise her scales, not break them. The power of a trueborn goddess was not something any mortal weapon, even an artifact, could overcome with simple brute force. That didn’t seem to stop the scoundrels though, as Elsior charged, Keelah opened fire, and Raymond hurled another singularity, this one aimed directly for Tiamat’s throat.
Tiamat smirked, and reality bent. Elsior found herself suspended in the air, dangling from invisible threads. A wall of crystal interposed itself between Keelah’s bolts and their target, and Tiamat conjured a staff of similar crystal, using it to focus a blast at Raymond’s singularity. The miniature black hole froze solid, fell to the floor, and shattered.
”Magic sealed my as-gh!” Elsior swore, as Tiamat crossed the distance and struck her. Her armor unraveled, and the dragonborn lost her grip on Aegis. She hit the ground sprawling, chest caved in and body starting to tear itself apart. It was like she was coming apart at the seams, body fraying like a damaged tapestry.
”It is sealed, this is something else entirely!” Aegis shouted, blade struggling in the threads before Tiamat casually picked the greatsword up in one hand to examine it like a child studying a new toy.
”Indeed, oh treasure mine.” Tiamat mused. “I am Tiamat, axiomatic to dragons. Where they are, I am also. All dragons, and all things that are called dragons. Do you understand? Besides, I could hardly call myself the greatest sorceress in the cosmos if I limited my self to only a single continuity’s power.”
Aegis tried to fight back, forming armor to restrict the dragon queen’s movements, but he could find no purchase. Every time he tried to manifest the restricting plates, he found his progress blocked by strange structures, as though the underlying threads of reality had been woven into armor for the dragon queen.
Lamora struck, and was deftly parried by Aegis. The two goddesses clashed for a few seconds. Lamora was far more skilled, but the gap in raw power was too much. Tiamat was toying with her. Keelah circumvented the wall of crystal and prepared to fire, but the wall collapsed into eyes, which intercepted her bolts with freezing rays of their own, before turning towards her. Raymond reformed his arm, and shaped a singularity into a staff. He swapped with Lamora, giving to buy the cleric time to heal Elsior.
With a two handed blow, Tiamat shattered Raymond’s staff, staggering the mage. Then, she drove the blade into his stomach, and twisted. Raymond was a spirit, not a man, but this was still a ruinous blow, and he fell forwards onto the blade. Still, he grit his teeth, and vanished, taking the blade with him. Lamora reappeared in his stead, and in a single motion, slashed open Tiamat’s throat. The dragon queen staggered back, before her blood flash froze, keeping her avatar in the fight. Lamora lunged to finish her, but invisible threads caught her blade and redirected it. With a thunderclap, her blade severed the shackle sealing Tiamat’s magic.
In a surge of power, Tiamat resumed her true form and hurled Lamora back. Her power was simply too great for the scoundrels to face even this aspect. Keelah opened fire, piercing the dragon queen’s hide with many bolts, and then ran for cover as Tiamat swept her tail out and threw half the room at the kobold in return.
Raymond leaned on Aegis like a cane, holding his essence in with one hand. He focused, mending himself to the point where he wasn’t about to disapate, but the effort left him weakened. He was practically out, and nothing was even slowing Tiamat down. He looked about, and gaze focused on the sun in the center of the room. He had one more gambit.
”I have an idea. Give me a moment, and time moving as fast as possible on that star.” He requested.
”I hope this one works Ray.” Keelah warned, and then fired a bolt. The sun began to spin faster. Elsior took back her blade, and with a roar of challenge, once more faced down the queen of dragons. Her brilliant blade met the fang, claw, and crushing tail of the dragon goddess, their blows shaking the ground, before Tiamat focused another prismatic blast and hurled her back. She advanced, as ruin came to the planetarium around her. The orbs were desiccating, falling back to their component elements and being drawn irrevocably to the star in its center, which began to swell and turn a sickly red.
Tiamat advanced on Raymond as he chanted, focus entirely on his spell. Keelah bombarded her but her attacks were only pinpricks. She prepared a blast to finish the mage, only to be intercepted by Lamora’s fist, and the bellowing roar of a Tarrasque. The sight of that monster drove Tiamat into a berserk frenzy, and she threw herself at Lamora’s mightiest form with an animalistic rage. She bit and tore and rent, tearing massive chunks off of the changeling. Her magic and breath weapons seemed forgotten as she screamed in utter rage and hate for the thing in front of her. All Lamora could do against the onslaught was defend, and not to protect herself truly, but to simply die more slowly.
”There’s not enough mass!” Aegis warned, as the last of the planets were dragged into the swirling maelstrom of the star.
”Then we’ll have to use acceleration as a substitute!” Raymond retorted, and hurled a singularity into the heart of the star. “Elsior! Throw the sun at her!”
Elsior looked at Raymond like he was crazy, and then shrugged. If this didn’t work, they were all dead anyways. She hurled herself into the heart of the star, trusting her armor to protect her from the incredible forces at work. With a cry, she threw the dying sun at the queen of dragons. “ORDER ON ME!”
Raymond threw the last of his power into briefly phasing the scoundrels out of existence, as the star impacted Tiamat and exploded. The queen of dragons was resilient, but even her armor was nothing before the force of a supernova. The planetarium vanished as the power of a collapsing star, even a miniature one, ripped it apart. But as the blinding light faded, Tiamat still stood, smoking and battered, stunned, and breathing heavily, but stood.
But so also did the scoundrels! Emerging back into existence, they attacked with everything they had left. Keelah blinded the dragon queen with an unendring rain of abyssal bolts, giving cover for Lamora to take on her true form and carve a ruinous slash across one of Tiamat’s throats. Elsior took the chance, shedding her armor and moving with enough force to create a sonic boom, she struck the weakened throat with all her might. In a spray of divine blood, the head severed, and with a crash, the red head of Tiamat fell to the ground.
Tiamat’s rage was incalculable. Her wings stirred up a veritable hurricane, throwing the scoundrels off of her as she took flight. The scoundrels looked up, and awe came upon them as the empress of dragons began to cast a spell of incomprehensible power. She wove together ley lines, the very flows of magic through the cosmos, and she wove them into being, not one, but five at once. Then, they began to align, one to each cardinal direction, and one pointed like a targeting beam directly at the scoundrels.
Raymond was unconscious, so Lamora called Cualli to hand and activated it. The scoundrels vanished into the staff, and it vanished into itself seconds before the spell began to activate. A beam of brilliant white light filled the air, and the ley-lines collapsed into themselves, into the directing one, and hurtled downwards. The scoundrels re-appeared on the Astral Hound moments before a spell powerful enough to shatter a planet detonated on the space they had just been standing. Akar’s ancient magics held it together, directing the force outwards. The plane survived, barely, with a seventy-mile wide hole punched through it, straight from one end to the other.
Keelah rushed to the Astral Hound’s helm and swiftly began directing the aethership away from Akar as fast as it could go, supplementing her own power to accelerate it through time and space even faster. They watched with baited breath, as they prayed that Tiamat’s aspect wouldn’t chase them down. Forutnately for them, the damaged avatar was destroyed by its own working. Within Ascalon’s domain, the true dragon queen raged that her prey had escaped her, though privately, she was mildly amused that any mortal had managed to push one of her avatars so far. It was the first time in a very, very long while.
”Did you get it?” Keelah asked as soon as Lamora restored Raymond to consciousness. “Because that was far too close to have been for nothing.”
Raymond focused on the staff, and projected out the memory. “Yeah, and I see why Tiamat didn’t want us to find it.” He replied. The hazy grey memory stood clear, as Io breathed his last, and his daughter wept for what she had done.
”Well that’s a fascinating little parcel of information, beyond simply its use in creating our own deity to counter her.” Aegis remarked. “But perhaps not the most actionable piece we recovered on this expedition. Did any of you notice what wasn’t there?”
”Even as supposedly the good half you’re an insufferable smart-ass you know that?” Keelah replied. “Just fucking tell us.”
”Takes one to know one mini-Mat.” Aegis replied. “There were no forces from Ascalon’s own armies. It was exclusively Tiamat’s.”
”Given her response to us being there, I think she’d have killed him if he tried to add his own.” Elsior replied. “Though, that probably wouldn’t stop him.”
”Exactly.” Aegis replied. “He’d only avoid having his own forces around to monitor the situation, and probably try to kill all of us, if there wasn’t already something else he needed them for. He’s preparing to make his move.”
”Another invasion of Akar?” Raymond guessed. “It’s only been fifty years. He can’t be ready for that so quickly.”
”We don’t take losing well.” Aegis replied.
”Fair enough. Even so, we’re going to need more information, and more firepower.” Raymond considered. “This memory is only a part of what I’ll need, and the energies required will take more than a little while to accumulate.”
”So,” Keelah considered. “What I’m hearing is that we need to break into heaven again.”
”And persuade an archangel to not only avoid killing us, but come with us. Because there’s no way Kazador will come with us without her.” Elsior groaned. “And maybe somehow pick up Matlal on the way, providing he’s not busy on the mortal front.”
”He will be. Can’t keep himself out of trouble that one.” Lamora remarked. “Though as for persuading Senket, I suspect she has words for Ascalon long overdue.”
”No doubt. So, in the interest of not having to ask Kaz to reforge me, please don’t tell her who’s soul is in this sword.” Aegis requested, with not a little fear.

I’m pretty sure my thyroid cancer is back. My voice has been really hoarse for the past four weeks. I have an ultrasound and blood appointment later this month and an appointment with my endocrinologist mid April. For the past 12 days or so, I’ve also had a cold that just won’t go away. No matter what meds I take, I can’t get rid of it. So Can thyroid cancer in my lymph nodes cause this never ending cold? My nose is so stuffed and I just want it to go away! It’s not COVID either, I tested for it twice and it came back negative both times.

I started noticing a widening part when I was 9. I used to experiment with different shampoos and hairstyling products back then and my diet was terrible. By age 14, I had lost a significant volume of hair and most of it above my widow's peak. After a migraine diagnosis at 14 and high doses of meds and dropping 25 lbs in 2 months, I could literally see my scalp through my hair. I had lost 70% of hair all over my scalp. My first derm said it was due to severe dandruff and prescribed an ointment and vitamin E supplements. When I woukd wash off that ointment,I woukd lose a lot of tiny baby hairs and in just a few weeks,I had lost more hair than before. New derm said it was "SEVERE FPHL". She didn't ask bout my meds, didn't order any blood tests and didn't take my history. I used topical minox 2% for 1.5 years and regrow a lot of hair. Got rid of the dandruff issue, adopted a healthy diet and lifestyle and tapered my migraine meds. Haven't used minox for 2+ years now and still haven't lost any hair. However my hair isn't the same as it used to be before. I'm seriously confused as to what type of hairloss I have and so are the doctors considering the fact that AGA never begins at age 9

I just wanted to make a lame post about how much I love this game…So I’ve never played a FromSoftware game in my life besides 15 minutes of Sekiro lol but I have had Elden Ring on my list for so long due to the open world and it looks fantastic on PS5. What a freaking surprise. This is probably my favorite game I’ve played in like 3 years. Don’t get me wrong, a total newbie to this genre I’ve probably died 40 times in my 8 hours of Playthrough but I can’t seem to put it down once I start. I chose a bandit class to start (probably a bad idea for someone who didn’t know the mechanics) but now I’ve leveled up to almost level 30, I’ve defeated plenty minor bosses, I’m dual wielding two crazy blood loss daggers, and most importantly I’ve crushed this steep learning curve lol is anyone else a green thumb to these games but found out it’s one of the best games ever made????

Welcome to Week 2 for another Joseph Murphy book review!
Like many of his books, this book is mainly a collection of real-life stories written by Joseph Murphy from his clients, friends, and acquaintances he met in his life.
This book shows you that you can use your subconscious mind to achieve anything you want in life. There's no central theme in the book, but reading it will motivate and give you a surge of inspiration in the infinite possibilities of the mind.

Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)

Pointers from the book and my own summary:

1. Negative and destructive thinking over a long period of time brought on diseased conditions. Your body cannot be healed while you are full of resentment and hostility.
2. It is no use to say, "God is healing me now," if you believe deep down that cancer can kill you. You must cast out fear of all manifested states. The power is not in those states, but in you. Ulcers, cancer, arthritis, etc, are externalized, manifested states, are the result of conscious or unconscious thinking.
3. A member of the JM organization once told his story. "My case was diagnosed as cancer of the skin. I said to myself, "I am not afraid of cancer; I know it has no power, I realize that it is a product of false thinking, and it will have no power to continue its existence. The appearance on my skin is the termination. I am now exalting God in the midst of me, and I know that my thoughts of wholeness, beauty, and perfection must manifest where the trouble is."

I kept this attitude, and the cancer rapidly disappeared. I had only two treatments in the hospital, though I was scheduled for much more prolonged therapy.
This man had the right approach. Furthermore, he imagined his physician saying to him, "you are completely healed." The image he held in his mind sank down into his subconscious mind, and whatever is impressed on the latter is expressed.

1. Your surgeon may remove the block, such as the ulcer, or the abnormal growth which was caused by negative thinking, but unless you change your thinking, there will be no permanent healing.
   
2. You must constantly watch over the patterns presented to your conscious mind.
   
3. The law of life is the law of belief. Whatever you mentally accept and feel to be true will come to pass.
   
4. Man's world is changing. He now realizes that he is the artificer of his own fortune.
   
5. The law is no respecter of persons. The sun shines on the just and unjust, and Law has no morals. If a murderer can swim, the water will sustain him as well as a holy man.
   
6. It is not what a man does externally that matters. It is the inner movement of his heart that counts. It is what he thinks, feels, and believes deep down in his heart that matters, not what he professes to believe.
   
7. You will always gravitate to that which you most secretly love. You will meet in life the exact reproduction of your own thoughts. Because this world is only a mirror.
   

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31)

1. All your difficulties are caused by mental patterns and beliefs lodged in your own subconscious mind. The great deception, in essence, is the belief in material causation.
   
2. Job said: "What I greatly feared has come upon me." His great fear brought on these accidents. His subconscious mind took his great fear as a request and manifested it on the screen of space. You are the mirror of your life, there is no power outside of you.
   
3. The great deception is to enthrone the idea in your mind that things, conditions, and phenomena are the determining causes of your misery, suffering, and misfortune.
   
4. Each man is a ship traveling on the ocean of life. All of us are immersed in the great universal sea of consciousness.
   
5. God, had no beginning, and it has no ending. Man, being Life as God in manifestation, cannot die. When the vehicle or body is no longer a fit instrument here, it is laid aside. Spirit then clothes itself in a new body.
   

JM described an interesting story of him living outside of his body for 3 days after falling deathly ill.

1. Before you can receive wealth, you must first impress your subconscious mind with the idea of wealth, and whatever is impressed is expressed on the screen of space.
   
2. What you are seeking is seeking you.
   
3. To have effective prayer, you must let go and release all hostility and resentment within yourself. Forgive everyone in your life.
   
4. There 4 steps to praying effectively
   

​

1. The first step is complete allegiance, devotion, and loyalty to the only presence and power, God. This power is within you.
2. Secondly, you must definitely, absolutely, and completely refuse to give power to any external thing but God. You give no power to the phenomenal world or to any person, place, or thing.
3. Whatever the problem or difficulty may be, turn away from it and affirm feelingly and knowingly that the power of God is healing or resolving it.
4. Give thanks to the happy solution. Know that God is in action now and your prayers are answered.
5. If you want to ascend spiritually, you must cease once and for all to give power to any external conditions, circumstances, people, or any externally created thing. There's no power in them!
6. Suggestions of fear and impotence will have no effect upon a man full of faith in God and all things good.
7. Reject the belief in incurability, drop your hostility, and realize God's love can heal you.
8. Is not that which you are afraid of merely a thought in your mind? You should check into all your beliefs and find out their source and origin. Believe nothing that you don't understand.
9. The stumbling block to our health, happiness, and achievement is always in our own mind.

Let us make man in our image and likeness (Genesis 1:26)

1. God imagines himself to be the sun, moon, stars, world, or man; then He feels Himself to be what he imagined Himself to be. The idea and feeling unite (male and female), and the cosmos comes forth.
   
2. Whatever you affix to I AM, you become. I AM is the name of God, which means pure Being, Awareness, or Life.
   
3. Hatred is a deadly poison that debilitates the entire organism, resulting in mental and physical deterioration.
   
4. This is a mental and spiritual universe, and what man wants can be claimed, appropriated, and accepted mentally.
   
5. Creed, dogma, tradition, superstition, fear, and ignorance rule the mind of the average man. The average man does not own his own mind at all. It does not belong to him.
   
6. Are you believing in antiquated, dead, grotesque, ignorant superstitions and prejudices in the name of religious beliefs, or have you made a serious inquiry into the workings of your subconscious mind and conscious mind?
   
7. You cannot count the infinite riches of God which are all around you. The sands on the seashore or the stars in the heavens above. Did you ever try to count the flowers by the wayside as you drive along the road? Everywhere you look you see a profusion of God's wealth. You are meant to be wealthy, there is no limit in God's universe.
   
8. Misfortunes, accidents, and tragedies of various kinds are signs of mental and emotional disorders that have broken out into manifestation in your life.
   
9. You may ask: what steps should I take after I fully believe that my prayer is answered? The answer to that is he will be compelled to take whatever steps are necessary for the fulfillment of his desire. When you assume something to be true in your mind, the subjective wisdom directs your actions automatically.
   

I’m almost a month in, it could be a month idk I stopped counting. I have some cravings but not much. What’s really great is now I’m on 2 different medications!! One for anxiety and one for high blood pressure. The high BP ever since I quit has prevented me from eating all sorts of foods, drinking coffee food and coffee is all I had left at this point and now that’s gone too), even exercising too hard. I just find it so funny that I used to smoke a plant which lowered my high blood pressure, now I have to take 2 pharmaceutical drugs with many terrible side effects. What is the point, actually? Like if we’re doing a risk/reward evaluation can I honestly say that weed is the riskier one? Lol nope. I can’t. My high BP puts me at a greater risk for heart attack and death for fucks sake. Seriously what is the lesser of 2 evils here? I will not let emotions control this situation. I want to be healthy and be able to do normal people things. I’m not even withdrawing anymore and my life is so much worse than when I was smoking. God.
And yes believe me I know. “Weed was just masking your problems” and so is the medication that I must be on. Not taking about the anxiety meds, no I don’t have to take them. But I will need to be on at least one medication.

I was in a relationship with an Indian man around 10 years ago. He was 30 and I was 47. He lived in Jaipur, the same city as Rishi, so this segment on 90 day fiance this season is really hitting home for me! Every Sunday I watch the show. I have major flashbacks and triggers to my time there and I have a mix of so many emotions watching these segments for both Jen and Rishi because I went through sooooo much there and I learned & experienced sooooo much there in my time. A little about my relationship and my time there - it differs in some ways but also has a lot of parallels too. Admittedly the relationship was a bit strange…I met him - a man I will call “S” the year before, when I was traveling there on my own. My long term marriage had just ended that year (my ex’s decision not mine) and looking back, I was in a lot of pain and just needed to leave my life behind and “go somewhere”. I met S on my first trip. Very charismatic man, charming, successful, good looking,., . We began to be platonic friends and he invited me to his home, I met his family, and took him up on the offer to travel to his families village in rural Rajasthan. I think this was the key turning point for everything. It made me love Rajasthan, the way of life, the family, respect him because he told me so many stories and secrets and we became very close but still platonic friends.
I continued my travels around India and once back home we remained in contact daily, by email, Skype etc. We loved to just chat and there was a definite spark between us that was there…. We talked about deeper topics and we decided that I would return a few months later, and this is when our relationship become intimate. We agreed not tell anyone as his friends and family would have a heart attack and die. This would not be seen as an acceptable relationship for S. We would continue to pose and close platonic friends. Here is where our relationship differed from Jen and Rishi though...we knew and discussed from the start that "this" was not going to be anything long lasting- we would never marry - it would be "good while it lasted". Famous last words...
I returned to India and began what I can only describe as the craziest 6 yr relationship I have ever had in my life (long story). I also had what I can only describe as some of the best experiences of my life too. I got an intimate inside look at rural Rajasthan village life, having spent almost 2 years (in 2/3/4 month blocks) in India. I would often spend 2-3 weeks in the village or farm without electricity or water. We would cook over open fire, sleep under the stars on the roof of the cement one room house and get water by walking over 1 km with jugs and putting them on our heads on the way back ( I learned to balance a little one!) Some of my time would be in the same city as Jen (Jaipur). I’d ride my bicycle or the scooter around to do errands. I would go to Bollywood movies, cook dinner, hang out with the neighbour ladies... I learned a good amount of basic Hindi to do shopping. That is why I never understood why Jenny needed Sumit to go shopping….very strange.
I became very close to the rest of the family. They just accepted me as part of the family and loved me. Anyhow, it came to an end between me and S because of an recurring issues unfortunately after about 6 years. I’m still in touch and close to some family members but not S…..
Some of the things we have seen so far on the show -
-Men eating before the women - From what I have seen this is quite common in Rajasthan. This is a state steeped in more tradition. Jaipur has a lot of people from villages that are very very traditional. Every time I go to the villages, the men are fed and the women eat. EVERY wedding I go to, the men even have a separate SECTION for men and women to sit and eat and I have pix to prove it :)
I was “allowed” to sit with the men, because I was always treated as a “special guest” because I am white. I have so many wedding stories you would not believe - I really could write a book…
-Inshallah - I have heard this used as a common greeting in jaipur. Was not surprised that Jen used it with a lawyer. Have heard S use it in business meetings, when shaking hands and greeting other business collegees
-Neighbours and friends being in others business - totally happening. Everyone is in everyone's else's business. Especially family. Parents are totally controlling kids' futures. Big oldest brothers have WORLDS WEIGHT on their shoulders in my opinion. Lots of arranged marriages still, and still underage going on.
-Jen’s visa - with all due respect to Jen, I do not know how she got this one wrong. LOL. These visas are very clear when you apply and when you receive them what you are applying for and when you must leave by. So I am not sure what is going on there…
Rishi- I had a lot of empathy for him not wanting to tell Jen about his mom arranging marriages for him. This is something I feel is being constantly done in the background, in some cases, in some families, such as some of the ones I knew, even since birth!! It is out of his control and he cannot stop his mom from doing it. The older he gets the more frantic she will become because the more pressure she will get from the outside (friends and family) and about why he isn;'t married or when is he going to get married? It is a vicious circle! I think in his own way he was just trying to protect her feelings.
India is a marvellous country- caught between the past and future. I have seen some wonderful progress over the years, but there is a long way to go. I am going back this year for a wedding and really looking forward to it, I highly recommend travel there!Anyhow, I thought I would post some of my thoughts and reactions - I have not posted in ages, but this relationship really got my mind going and brought back a flood of memories (good & bad). I love seeing the shots around Jaipur, esp when they shoot inside the walled city. And this past week I think they went to the Galti Ji Monkey Temple - which is one of my favourite places. I'm really looking forward to watching more! I'd be happy to answer any questions (from my perspective if anyone has any!)

I watched this movie wanting to be scared and I just ended up being annoyed. So many inaccuracies based on my understanding of the Catholic faith.
Spoilers for sure

1. Opening scene people end up casting a spirit into a doll to lock it away. And tie a person to a tree and then set the tree on fire. Find out this was suppose to be an exorcism. I have never been to one personally, but I don’t think priests trap spirits into dolls.
   
2. Main character is at church as her uncle says mass. Right before they line up for Eucharist the main character walks outside to the haunted tree. Her uncle a priest also follows instead of finishing communion. Like really? People leave to go to the washroom, for an emergency, etc. all the time I don’t get why the whole congregation would follow her instead of finishing mass.
   
3. Congregation was primarily teenage children. I know that I can’t speak for every parish but common. I’ve been to many small towns in canada for work stuff. When I attend it’s always dozens of older folks, a handful of young families. Not tons of teens like you’re at a mall.
   
4. So many word play. they call her ‘the Lady’. They call her ‘Mary’. You just put your faith in Mary. Pray to Mary. Entrust your soul to Mary. Ummm…a Catholic would know that’s not how a the Virgin Mary would interact people and Catholics should be uncomfortable dedicating your soul to Mary.
   
5. The mandatory scene where demon appears to the uncle priest in a church. Maybe I’m crazy but why use the crucifix around your neck, or the holy water to ward off the demon. Can’t you go get the Eucharist in the tabernacle as a ‘weapon?’ I dunno I always thought why not.
   
6. A bishop of all things is involved with a conspiracy of knowing the true events but let’s people still believe this is a miracle. The Monsignor sent to debunk the miracles was never given the ‘true story’ by the bishop. It was locked away in the Vatican archieves. The Vatican knew about the excorism was actually preformed on a Mary who was possessed, Vatican was aware the town had this history already.
   
7. Bishop was made to look and act like a televangelist but in Catholic garb. He was celebrating the fiest of the immaculate conception at the site of the burned tree. Ummmm I know I’m in canada but shouldn’t there be snow on the ground of this American town? And what prayers was he reciting? I don’t recall those bishop.
   
8. Passage at the end made it feel more like a lesson against Catholicism and the movie proves why Catholicism is wrong and how Catholics will worship anything.
   

Anyways just my Monday rant. Hahah cheers

Hello!
I’m taking the plunge and have accepted admittance to grad school this fall. Besides all the worry of financial stuff, I’m pretty excited for this awesome opportunity!
Questions: 1. I’m from the southwest with mild winters, how are winters in MA?

1. I’m thinking of driving, epic road trip! I want to have a car there so I can explore New England. Pros/cons? Like will I need to register with MA?
   
2. School culture - what can I expect? I’m really laid back, and love to meet people— are people friendly?
   
3. On campus or off campus housing? Was looking at the HU site for apartments, they are expensive. I also don’t want roommates or to stay in a dorm - I’m an older student who has had my share of that!
   
4. Elitism — how will I fit in as a middle/low income teacher? Are there Walmarts around? Lol
   
5. Best places to visit around Boston or to eat. My fam will probably come at some point would like to recommendations to get true east coast experience.
   
6. Down time— how much down time should I expect as a grad student?
   
7. Any other tips or advice! Thanks!