The Crossroads

A fan of many creators, reader of many stories, writer of some tales, and creator of the occasional passably good work. Expect lots of text. | He/Him

[eswynn]

So there you are, sitting back in your plastic lawn chair on some backwater periphery world, enjoying a beer, when these guys show up. They start talking about the HPG network, the communications relays that link the stars together, and they start going on about some guy named Jerome Blake. Then they get to the good part- Apparently, your phone bill is due, and these guys are here to collect. Don’t worry, they say, they offer local plans (demolisher tanks) and long distance plans (artillery.) What’s your next move?

This was my big project for this last week. I’m in the process of building a full Level III (Battalion) as an interchangeably ComStar / Word of Blake force. In total, It’ll probably end up being more like a pair of Level IIIs, with everything I’ve got planned, but I don’t think I have it in me to go for a full Level IV (Division.) Celestials, LAMs and a full Level II composed entirely of Toyamas are on the painting bench waiting to be activated in the name of The Master.

This Level III is led by Demi-Precentor Vala Vanagand, a shadowy figure cloaked in mystery, but most of the local operations for this unit are coordinated by Adept Julius Vespasian from the cockpit of his Black Knight in the Level II that is primarily built for brawling / assault roles. Both Vespasian and Vanagand are suspected of being members of the Word of Blake, but they won’t be outed for it until the Jihad.

Supporting the Brawling Level II are a mixed arms scout / artillery Level II which mixes fast units with Arrow IV carrying mechs. Armor assets are grouped into two demi-company units, one being composed entirely of classic Demolisher Tanks while the other is composed entirely of Demolishers that have been upgraded with three turret-mounted, 30-point racks of Medium Range Missiles. The MRM variant is canon, but I couldn’t find a model for it anywhere, so I actually created the missile turret in CAD just so I could have these guys in my Level III.

#3dprinting #3dp #3dprinted #paintedminiatures #wargaming #tabletopgames #boardgamesofinstagram #boardgames #scifi #sciencefiction #battletech #robotech #mecha #weaseltech #epicscale #6mmminis #mechwarrior #comstar #wordofblake https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-T1e5ywor/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[doolallymagpie]

given the audios i’ve listened to today (well, finished one and started another), i’m Thinking about these figures in the crooked dice catalog…

big chunk of what’s stopping me is “the stuff i ordered like right before the cyber incident hasn’t arrived yet”

[zizicat]

[laterovaries-deactivated2017022]

This will always be my favorite gifset. Ever.

[onceuponamirror]

im morally obligated to reblog this every time i see it

[shellsweet]

DUO/COUPLE COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!

$50 Each!

With very limited slots! Just doing couple/duo bust shot commissions!

Check out the google doc link before sending requests for all the details and rules + conditions and fill out the request form.

Send your requests to [email protected]

Title the email as “Duo Commission” and we can begin discussing your request.

Payments are done safely through PayPal!

Signal boosts are always appreciated! Thanks in advance! 💜

[katarvitz]

I'm going to have to pass on this due to this month's budget, but if you've liked a lot of the art I've posted on here, you have Shellsweet to thank for them. Please give her a look if you have some cash to spare.

[denofimagination-blog]

Testing NEW TTCombat kickstarter paints + our painter's skills = another quick and amazing freehand!

If you want your mini painted - write to us [email protected]

[wh40kartwork]

Ferrus Manus Vs Fulgrim

by Thibault Ollier

[jayadan-deactivated20240228]

[shadow-manor]

The rest of the thread is here.

tl;dr: Don’t monetize AO3, kids.  You won’t like what happens next.

[ratherembarrassing]

read this thread. this is by far the most concise explanation of a lot of different issues that i’ve seen in fandom spaces in a while. cosigning both the linked thread and the thread about aus/uk/can law that’s linked in-thread.

[eirenical]

Here is the rest of both threads, because Twitter is what it is right now:

[everlovin-blue-eyed-thing-deact]

Listen to: An Ounce of Prevention by Adventures of the Royal Occultist

Another Royal Occultist audio. This one is a bit of folk-horror by way of the Owl Man of Cornwall…

[mercurys-minis]

Soo @katarvitz tagged me with a challenge to show off your WIPs a while ago, and I honestly hadn’t been painting anything for a while, but it did make me realize how long it had been and was part of what got me off my ass and painting. So to that end I started painting my Kill Team barriers, and this is the first one. I’m going to trade them off to a friend that plays Kill Team for three unpainted ones. He doesn’t paint, and he’s gifted me a fair number of models, so I figured I’d give him something painted to put on the table. I’m uh, supposed to tag other people but I honestly don’t really know that many people on tumblr yet 😬

[sixbucks]

[jeanjauthor]

Not into his books, but occasionally he says all the right things.

QUESTION AUTHORITY (politely whenever possible) AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO EASILY KNOW.

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

Tector-class Star Destroyers were a type of starship designed during the Clone Wars. Possessing the signature look of later Imperial-class Star Destroyers, Tectors were heavily armored and lacked a ventral hangar bay, relying on support craft and carriers to deal with starfighters.

Source - Star Wars: The Card Game Imperial Entanglements Card: Customs Blockade (Art: Mariusz Gandzel; 2015)

First Appearance: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Read more on Wookieepedia.

[clientsfromhell]

Me: “How can I help you today, ma'am?” Client: “Is e-mail internet”? Me: “I beg your pardon?” Client: “Is e-mail on the internet? I have no internet, can I still read my e-mail?” Me: “Well yes, you must be able to get online to view your e-mail.” Client: “Oh, dear. I can’t see my e-mail.” Me: “Well, let’s see. Can you open up Internet Explorer for me and tell me what you see?” Client: “Open what?” Me: “Your browser, can you open up your browser?” Client: “My…my…?” Me: “What you click on when you want to browse the internet?” Client: “I don’t use anything, I just turn my computer on, and it’s there.” Me: “Okay. Do you see the little blue ‘e’ icon on your desktop?” Client: “You mean I have to start writing letters again?” Me: “I’m…what, I’m sorry?” Client: “I don’t have any pens at my desk. I just want my e-mail again.” Me: “No, ma'am, your desktop, on your computer screen. Can you click on the little blue ‘e’ on your computer screen for me?” Client: “Oh, this is too much work. I’m too upset. Just send me my e-mail. Can’t you send me my e-mail?” Me: “We…okay, ma'am. Can you tell me what color the lights are on your router right now?” Client: “My what?” Me: “The little box with green or possibly a couple of red lights on it right now - it’s most likely near your computer?”

Client: “Lights and boxes, boxes and lights, just get my e-mail for me.

Me: “My test is showing that you should be able to get online right now. Can you tell me what you’re seeing on your computer screen?” Client: “It’s been the same thing for the last two hours.” Me: “An error message?” Client: “No, just stars. It’s black and moving stars.” Me: “…Do you see your mouse next to your keyboard?” Client: “Yes.”

Me: “Move it for me.” Client: “Move it?” Me: “Yes. Move it.” Client: “My e-mail!”

[mer-squared-deactivated20200212]

This post gave me a fucking ulcer.

[honey-wine-and-time]

You meet people like this at the library. People who have been coming in every day for YEARS to use the computers and monopolize your time with conversations like this, that seem to go out of their way to avoid listening to anything you try to teach them because they’d rather you just do it for them.

So one day, this tiny, frail little woman comes to the desk with a huge folder of papers under her arm. She says “I need to use one of the computers,” and I’m like “alright, I’ll set you up with a guest account.”

And then she says “I’ll also need you to show me how to use a computer. I’m 97 years old and I’ve never even touched one before, but I need to file my health information and they told me I needed to do it using this,” and she holds out a little scrap of paper with a url scrawled on it in a shaky hand.

And I’m just mentally like ‘oh no,’ but I say of course I can help her. So I sit her down and sign her in, and she stops me to ask basically what the mouse is, and I explain it, but I’m just thinking that this is going to take a million years. But I start doing a quick and dirty run down of the parts of the computer, the programs, the desktop, what a url is and what the Internet is, what a search engine is, what websites are, and so on.

She doesn’t interrupt or ask any questions or anything, and then I’m like ‘okay let’s go to this url’ and it’s an interactive, multi-page form that she needs to put all that info in her folder into and submit, and I’m just terrified as I’m explaining it that I’m going to spend all day with this woman.

But she’s just like “alright. I think I’ve got it.” And she must have had a secretary job back in the typewriter days, because she just *whips* through the first page of the form and submits and goes on to the next, and tells me she’ll find me if she needs me.

She came over once to tell me she needed an email address and wanted to know how to set one up - I told her about her options and she picked Gmail and went back to the computer and set it up all by herself, and got her information all filed properly in about an hour and a half – and she’d NEVER used a computer before in her LIFE.

When she was done, she came over to ask me how to turn it off and I showed her and she thanked me for being so patient, and I told her quite honestly that I’d NEVER seen a novice adult pick up using a computer so fast.

And she said “oh, but it’s so simple! And so useful! My grandkids made it sound so difficult, but I’m going to pick up my own computer tomorrow!”

And I think she must have, because I never saw her in the library again.

Anyway I hope I’m that quick when I’m 97.

[surprisebitch]

^ thank you for sharing this very positive experience because the experience from OP really gave me a headache. it was nice to end on a positive note.. gives hope

[afloweroutofstone]

My prediction for the evolution of deepfake AI

[elise-mopie]

Relevant xkcd

[troublepunk-ldn]

Petition: Reverse the decision to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

I want the Government to reverse their decision to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, as this legislation contains importa

hey if you're a UK resident can you sign this petition and if not please rb to spread the word

this is an official UK government petition that they have to respond to if it reaches 10,000 signatures

[katarvitz]

"Ladies, Gentlemen, All,

There is no murderer among you. In fact, Essik was brought here under a misapprehension. For you see, Mr. Alkasani ended his own life through hubris.

A collector of ancient things, he believed in their value but held a cynical view to any esoteric threat they offered. Six weeks past, he came into ownership of a relic, taken from the lost flagship of the Sith Lord known as Darth Jadus. Some part of Jadus' power lurks within that relic, slaying and consuming all who come into its possession, until its long-dead master can reclaim it.

Essik is sorry to say that all here, having entered this mansion, are under threat of this curse now. Within three days, unless we find a way to destroy it, all those present will meet with the same end as your late companion."

I've been meaning to add Essik Lyccane onto here for a while, and given Shellsweet did such a fantastic job of drawing him several times, it was only natural to pick her as an option (seriously, please check out her other stuff).

He's also arguably the one who evolved the most since his inception. I specifically created him for the Brotherhood roleplay website, to break the impression of every general leading from the front. As someone in his twilight years and with a far sharper mind than a strong body, it was a fun contrast.

The thing is, outside of social events and writings, there are not many options for a grand master of strategies. So, over time, he turned into basically a detective for murder mysteries, and then kept bumping into the occult. So it was the odd situation of Adama turned Poirot turned Carnacki, just through the stories I kept being given.

Out of all my lot, he's probably the most fun to write in most non-violent situations, or find an excuse to turn Star Wars into every kind of classical fiction genre I can get an excuse to try. Detective stories, gothic horror, conspiracy thrillers, and even Les Miserables to a degree. All with a five-foot-tall bowler hat-wearing mantis man as the protagonist.

If you want to see more, check out the website here, or even the associated (if in various states of update) wikia here.

[archeo-starwars]