Antediluvian Confidential

What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!

[sunnyyfur]

he would have interviewed the fuck out of those vampires

[cappadocius]

I like to imagine his interview might have looked a little more like this

[important-dog-pics]

[dawnf1re]

birdo!!!

[ach-sss-no]

when brandon sanderson talks about villains in his famous free youtube writing class video lectures he'll say 'what's the difference between gollum and sauron' and of course he means the villain that's present in the narrative and characterized in a way the audience can potentially relate to or sympathize with vs. the looming threatening anonymous far-off force (among other things). but every time he asks that i think 'well one of those guys tracked down frodo and got his ring back'

[mysteryteacup]

Brandon Sanderson: What's the difference between Gollum and Sauron?

OP: Skill issue.

[sharps-container]

eraserhead baby

[theconcealedweapon]

[maarvarq]

Always bear in mind that there is absolutely no legitimate evidence that Luigi was actually the one who killed the insurance company guy.

[theconcealedweapon]

Of course he wasn't. He was at a party with me that day.

[tiny-space-whale]

No but like literally, actually. All bits aside.

He didn't do it.

The cops very clearly planted evidence on him because they had to make an arrest because all eyes were on them and whoever actually did the deed was making them look stupid.

Why would the real killer hero have kept the weapon on his person and traveled two states over while carrying it and a manifesto in his bag, conveniently turning the crime into a federal matter? The same guy whose bag they found in a park, filled with monopoly money? Why did the police turn off their bodycams, take Luigi's stuff, drive a block away, turn their bodycams back on, go back into the restaurant, and then arrest him?

From the moment of his arrest, even left-of-center media has been presuming his guilt without examining anything (e.g. calling him "the killer" instead of "alleged" or "accused") and then when I say he didn't do it, the nearest person chimes in with some quip that tells me they think he did do it but should go free anyway. Don't get me wrong, I would have the same attitude if he had done it. But he didn't. It makes me feel like the only sane person in the world, even among my staunchly leftist friends.

[cerastes]

People don’t even say w00t anymore.

[cerastes]

This sux00rz…

[dragongirlsweetie]

ok i am curious. how long is the longest song in your library (not counting tracks that are like several songs in one file like a full album mix or symphony recording or whatever) (also if it is longer than 20 minutes say the name in the tags i am curious)

how long

< 3:00

3:00–3:59

4:00–4:59

5:00–5:59

6:00–6:59

7:00–7:59

8:00–11:59

12:00–15:59

16:00–20:59

21:00–24:59

25:00–30:00

≥ 30:00

Voting ended onJun 1

[bobacupcake]

its a mystery

[mervynbunter]

You said something in “Smith” which I hope I grasped, and there was a feeling almost of recognition. An odd feeling of grief overcame me when I read it. I cannot explain my feelings any clearer. It was like hearing a piece of music from way back, except that it was nearer poetry by Graves’ definition. Thank you very much for writing it.

Terry Pratchett, in a letter to J. R. R. Tolkien, 22 November 1967

Thank you very much for your letter. The first one that I have received with regard to Smith of Wootton Major. You evidently feel about the story very much as I do myself. I can hardly say more.

J. R. R. Tolkien, in reply to Pratchett’s letter, 24 November 1967

[thesetwoutes]

This is the first I've ever seen this and it makes me wonder if it's why Pratchett was always so conscientious about responding to letters from kids.

[vaspider]

If you were wondering: in November 1967, Terry Pratchett was 19 years old.

[rock-n-roll-fantasy]

And he did in fact say on at least one occasion that it was this that pushed him to always engage with his own fans in the same kind and conscientious manner.

[exxos-von-steamboldt]

[delicatefury]

I just googled this and… yes, it’s absolutely real.

And there are so many articles and videos and discussions. Like, the scientific community is buzzing about this.

So much research will have to be redone because the data was absolutely compromised, off by orders of magnitude, by using standard lab gloves.

The world is probably not horrifically contaminated by microplastics. Sterile laboratories, however, are contaminated by latex and nitrile gloves.

Thank God someone bothered to check.

[beardedmrbean]

>I just googled this and… yes, it’s absolutely real.

Sources beyond dude just trust me, for the skeptics.

Scientists shocked to find lab gloves may be skewing microplastics data

Scientists may have been unknowingly inflating microplastics pollution estimates, and the surprising source could be their own lab gloves. A

https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/scientists-lab-gloves-may-be-causing-an-overestimation-of-microplastics-411138

Nitrile and latex gloves may cause overestimation of microplastics, U-M study reveals

Nitrile and latex gloves that scientists wear while they are measuring microplastics may lead to a potential overestimation of the tiny poll

Nitrile and latex gloves may cause overestimation of microplastics - Phys.org (it’s a pdf)

An Embarrassing Mistake May Have Skewed Microplastics Research All Along

Researchers discovered a standard piece of lab equipment has added thousands of microplastic ‘false positives’ per each square-millimeter un

Ordinary Lab Gloves May Have Skewed Microplastic Data

Ordinary Lab Gloves May Have Skewed Microplastic Data: That doesn’t mean microplastics aren’t a problem, though

That should be enough

[segamascott]

he seems to be doing a pretty good job tbh

[cappadocius]

It really explains a lot.

[thecreaturecodex]

Garbug

Image by Tony diTerlizzi, © TSR inc.

[I really like this illustration of the garbug, even if it is a bit ridiculous. Especially since it’s a bit ridiculous. It looks like it should be delivering invitations to the Queen of Hearts’ croquet game.

The original garbug came in two variants, black and violet. These were made different sexes in the 2e version. I’ve kept that dimorphism, but made them mechanically identical. Although the garbug hasn’t been seen in D&D since 2e, they do appear in the 4e kitbash Gamma World. And I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that they “evolved” into the chuul, which first appeared in the 3.0 Monster Manual. The paralytic tentacles around the mouth are the homologous trait, in this case.]

Garbug CR 4 N Aberration This insectoid creature is the size of a rhinoceros, with four spindly legs and two massive, lobster-like pinchers. Its face grows into a stabbing horn, and a beard of thin, slimy tendrils waves around its narrow mouth. Membranous wings grow from its back, protected by a hard carapace.

Garbugs are oversized vermin that combine physical characteristics of insects, crustaceans and jellyfish. They have a dim, animal intelligence, and garbugs are predators in swampy environments and tropical forests Although they cannot breathe water as adults, their eggs require constant moisture and hatch into aquatic larvae, like tadpoles. Garbugs are sexually dimorphic—the males have glossy black chitin, whereas the carapaces of the females are a pale purple color. Male garbugs are also more social than females, traveling in gangs from place to place while females live solitary, mostly stationary lives near a source of water. Garbug males spar with their horns for mating rights whenever a gang finds a female, but these fights seldom result in serious injury or death.

Garbugs have a taste for giant vermin, but will attack humanoid prey if they get an opportunity, especially in order to provision their young. Both sexes fight with horn and claw, but their jaws are too weak to cut into flesh. A garbug’s mouth is surrounded by a network of delicate tentacles which secrete a paralytic slime. This slime is a digestive enzyme, helping to break prey down in order for the garbug to consume more easily. Garbug kills tend to be messy affairs, and they leave little behind but the bones. Garbugs do not intentionally collect treasure, but the remains of their kills may have small valuable items scattered about.

A garbug stands between five and six feet high at the shoulder and is between eight and ten feet long. Males are typically smaller than females.

Keep reading

[blondebrainpowered]

This is an ancient Egyptian gold ring with a carved jasper frog, dating from 600–30 BC.

[thecreaturecodex]

Quori, Fa'orrah

"The Shadowknight" © Aaron Nakahara, accessed at his deviantArt here

[Sponsored by Jay on the Patreon. This is my first original quori, after having converted a few from 3e Eberron, and this was a fun design space to play in. I do think it's interesting that I've done two sponsored posts in a row for monsters that weaponize despair; can't imagine why that theme is on people's minds of late.

If you'd like to join Jay in sponsoring monsters, see bonus monsters and writing, or just help out an unemployed trans writer, check out the Creature Codex Patreon here]

Quori, Fa’orrah CR 13 LE Outsider (extraplanar) From the waist up, this creature resembles a hooded humanoid figure, except that the hood is its head and it has no face beneath it. From the waist down, eight tentacles of differing lengths grow, dangling beneath it as it floats effortlessly. Its arms end not in hand but in fantastical armaments; a lance that stretches and contracts in one arm and a strange asymmetrical shield in the other. The sound of sobbing surrounds it.

The fa’orrah are sometimes referred to as the “knights of grief”. They are powerful soldiers of the quori, and are often found leading armies of lesser quori and Inspired on behalf of a kalaraq noble. They embody the emotions of sorrow and despair, using these as weapons to pacify populations and crush resistance. A fa’orrah uses its nightmares to target military and civilian leaders, weakening their resolve to fight by showing them visions of their inevitable defeat. Fa’orrah are scholars of history, and use their knowledge of failed rebellions, subjugated slaves and the value of autocrats to turn minds away from the concept of a better future.

Fa’orrah fly magically, using their tentacles to manipulate objects if they need to. Their arms are instead grown into a lance and shield, both of which are especially effective against the demoralized and sorrowful. In combat, a fa’orrah is surrounded by an aura of sobs drawn from the saddest dreams mortals have dreamed, which can shatter the resolve of their enemies and partially blind them with tears. Fa’orrah have powerful psychic abilities that inflict despair, grief and remorse, and use these to debilitate those not affected by their auras and generally spread misery. Against those who are immune to their psychic assaults, fa’orrah can conjure nightmarish weapons of force to wear them down, before finishing them off with their own natural weapons. Fa’orrah understand the value of a tactical retreat, but will sacrifice themselves if so doing will advance the agenda of their kalaraq.

Fa’orrah CR 13 XP 25,600 LE Medium outsider (extraplanar, evil, lawful, quori) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +23, see in darkness Aura sobs (60 ft., Will DC 21) Defense AC 28, touch 14, flat-footed 24 (+4 Dex, +11 natural, +3 shield) hp 172 (15d10+90) Fort +15, Ref +11, Will +14 DR 15/good or silver; Immune charm, fear, sleep effects; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10; SR 24 Offense Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect) Melee dream lance +22 (2d6+7/19-20), sorrow shield +22 (1d8+7) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with dream lance) Psychic Magic CL 13th, concentration +18 24 PE—crushing despair (4 PE, DC 18), mind thrust IV (4 PE, DC 18), overwhelming grief (4 PE, DC 18), terrible remorse( 4 PE, DC 18) Special Attacks invade dreams, possession, powerful charge (dream lance, 4d6+14) Spell-like Abilities CL 13th, concentration +18 At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs objects only) 3/day—dream, nightmare (DC 19), quickened spiritual weapon 1/day—banshee blast (DC 20), greater dispel magic, mantle of doubt (DC 20) Statistics Str 25, Dex 19, Con 23, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 18 Base Atk +15; CMB +22; CMD 36 Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (dream lance), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Missile Shield, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (spiritual weapon), Shield Focus (sorrow shield) Skills Acrobatics +22 (+16 when jumping), Bluff +22, Fly +26, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (history, planes) +21, Perception +23, Sense Motive +23, Stealth +22 Languages Common, Infernal, Quori, telepathy 100 ft. Ecology Environment any land or underground (Dimension of Dreams) Organization solitary, patrol (2-4) or flight (5-9) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Aura of Sobs (Su) All creatures within 60 feet of a fa’orrah must succeed a DC 21 Will save or be overcome with grief. A creature that fails the save is stunned for 1 round, and then weeps as long as they remain in the aura and for 1d4 rounds thereafter. While weeping, a creature suffers a 20% miss chance on all its attacks and a 20% spell failure chance. Creatures with blindsight or without eyes do not suffer the miss chance, and a calm emotions spell or similar effect can remove this penalty. A creature that succeeds its save is shaken for 1 round and immune to that fa’orrah’s aura of sobs for the next 24 hours. Quori are immune to a fa’orrah’s aura of sobs. A fa’orrah can suppress or resume its aura of sobs as a free action. This is a mind-influencing emotion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Dream Lance (Ex/Su) A fa’orrah’s dream lance is treated as a primary natural weapon that deals 2d6 points of piercing damage. Any creature that is suffering from a harmful emotion effect takes an additional 4d6 psychic damage when struck with a dream lance. Flight (Su) The fly speed of a fa’orrah is a supernatural ability. Invade Dreams (Su) When using a dream or nightmare spell-like ability, a fa’orrah can appear as any other creature that can be mimicked with a polymorph spell. Creatures that fail their save against a fa’orrahs nightmare spell-like ability are affected with timidity, suffering a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, damage rolls and initiative checks for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-influencing emotion effect. Possession (Su) A fa’orrah can possess an adjacent willing or helpless humanoid, as per the possessionspell, except that the duration is 15 days. A creature that succeeds its saving throw against this ability is immune to the possession of that quori for the next 24 hours. Unlike other extraplanar outsiders, a quori that possesses a host leaves its body behind (and usually well protected). Sorrow Shield (Ex/Su) A fa’orrah’s sorrow shield is treated as a primary natural weapon that deals 1d8 points of bludgeoning and piercing damage, as well as granting a +2 shield bonus to AC. The sorrow shield grants its bonus to AC even in a round when it is used as a weapon. The fa’orrah gains its shield bonus to AC to its touch AC and CMD against any creature suffering from a harmful emotion effect.

[status-quo-hater]

I think one of the funniest abortion stances I've heard was from my parents neighbor. He's a like, hard-core libertarian viking larper guy who is very tall and very fat and very bald.

He believes a fetus is human with a soul, but also its "basically attacking the woman's body" so if she wants to get rid of it, that's "basically self-defense". He compared it to shooting a home invader. So he supports abortion not as healthcare, but as killing a baby in self-defense

[status-quo-hater]

Y'know I'm so glad someone reminded me of this. Because this was also discussed.

My stepmother did NOT like the way her Libertarian Viking Neighbor framed pregnancy as the fetus "attacking the woman". She incredulously told him this was extremely disrespectful to expectant mothers to portray pregnancy as so violent and negative.

Libertarian Viking Neighbor's response was that people consensually hurt each other all the time, and "there's like a whole community about that, with the acronym the one that starts with a B" And his reasoning was that if the mother was consenting to bring attacked by the baby, it in fact wasn't violent and negative because there was consent.

He brought up people consensually hurting each other, didn't go for one of the obvious answers like boxing or body mods or something, no he went STRAIGHT TO BDSM and he DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE ACRONYM

[hungwy]

Another reason why trains would be good is that most people are not good at driving