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Spring 4985, 18 Buromoth
The road to Hamerfoss was north out of Smilnda. By horse, the journey took only two days, one and a half if ridden hard. By foot, it generally took four days, but escorting a heavily loaded wagon would take the squires six.
On the first day out, Thom and Rerves released their excited energy through constant chatter. Talking about how happy they were to finally be on their way to real training. Occasionally Shon would join in.
On the second day, they spoke about how much easier it would be to concentrate without the girls around. Shon didn’t join much in this conversation.
On the third day, they confessed to missing Daisy and Ania. Suspecting they missed the conversation, Shon attempted to chime in more often.
The fourth and fifth days were plagued with spring rain, and the boys did little more than complain, particularly about their new leather armor chafing when wet. Shon couldn't help but grumble in affirmation. He'd hated the armor from the first day.
The sixth, and final, day saw a stop to the rain. The boys spent their walk beside the wagon carefully dodging puddles after Thom submerged his entire boot in one deeper than expected. There was very little talking between them now, all three too nervous and excited for their imminent arrival.
The road outside the city had been the only part with flat fields and open skies on either side. For the rest, they'd traveled through forest, with only the occasional clearing maintained explicitly for travelers to camp. Tall evergreens growing close together blocked the view of anything beyond the road at their feet, giving Shon and the others very little to look at as they marched.
Two sturdy horses pulled the wagon of supplies for the fortress. Barrels of food and crates of scrap metal as well as sacks of letters and the Squire's personal bags, weighed down the laden wagon, the wheels carving deep channels in the muddy road.
Shon had already sketched the wagon, the horses, the Paladin driving them, and his fellow Squires many times over. He even managed a few landscape drawings, for lack of better subjects. He had no idea how the other two managed to calm their excitement before sleep. Perhaps that was why they talked so much every night.
Walking ahead of him, Rerves readjusted the hilt of his short sword while Shon pulled at the neck of his armor for what seemed like the hundredth time each. They hadn’t been trained in the proper use of either, and Shon wondered again why the Paladins had insisted the Squires wear them. They'd been ordered to guard the wagon, but who would be stupid enough to waylay a Temple cart so close to a fortress full of knights? Of course, monsters such as the draken and drakwalves were always a threat, but what were three untrained boys supposed to do against something like that?
Shon sighed, letting his hand fall limply from the gorget. It was no use. No matter how many times he tried to shift it, it would just rub somewhere else until he grew uncomfortable enough to try again. He attempted to distract himself, letting his eyes unfocus and picturing himself going through his kata as he walked in a daze. Master Veon-Zih always said that mental practice was just as important as physical training, though in this case, Shon was just glad it gave him something to focus on besides his nerves and discomfort.
He was about to start the second kata when he nearly ran into Rerves. The taller boy had stopped walking, and Shon arched an eyebrow at him before realizing that the wagon had also stopped. There was no way they were there already…
Stepping to the side, Shon saw what had stalled them. A man in what looked like poorly kept half-plate stood in the middle of the path. A large war ax strapped to his back.
The stranger scratched at his short beard, scraggly and peppered like his hair, “Ho traveler, where you headed?” He called.
The three boys looked to the Paladin driving the wagon, watching as his eyes narrowed, “We are bound for Hamerfoss, good ser…”
“Ah, so the toll you’ll be payin' will be comin' out of them coffers then,” the stranger called, his face splitting into a grin as the boys looked back his way.
“There is no toll on this road, good ser.” their Paladin stated. As if their heads had been placed on a swivel, the Squires returned their gazes to him, but only for a moment as the stranger answered again.
“There is now.” the bandit lifted his hand, the Paladin stood, and the boys looked between the two with wide eyes, not sure what they were supposed to do. The bandit whistled, a sharp sound that sent birds flying from the trees as four hooded figures exited from the gloom to surround the wagon and its three terrified Squires.
The Paladin drew his longsword, ordering the boys, “Protect the wagon!” They turned frightened eyes on each other for only a moment before looking back at the bandits. Each now holding swords of their own.
The knight lept from the wagon and charged the leader, who'd reached for his ax. Thom and Rerves fumbled for their short swords, and Shon dropped into a low stance, his fists held at the ready and heart beating furiously.
“Shon, sword!” Rerves yelled, his voice somehow steady as the four hooded bandits stalked closer.
Shon actually felt himself blush despite the situation and pulled his sword from its scabbard like the rest. He felt off-balance, the weight of the weapon throwing off his well-rehearsed stance. He didn’t have time to adjust before the bandits charged. Two went for Rerves, leaving one each for Shon and Thom.
Shon tried to relax, to stay alert and ready to move, as he'd been taught. But his palm was sweating and he clinched the hilt tighter than intended. Focused on the bandit heading his way, the chaos around him blurred, becoming indistinct, like a drawing left in the rain. Shon held his ground and lifted the sword to one of the ready positions he'd seen the Paladins practice. His attacker was quite a bit taller than he was, and Shon lifted the sword above his head as the first swing came down hard from above.
The hilt shook in Shon's hand, and his attacker didn't hesitate to swing again, this time sweeping around and aiming for Shon's left leg. Clenching his teeth, Shon pivoted the sword down to block again but misjudged the length of his blade. The bandit's long sword passed below the point of Shon's block to strike just above the knee. He felt the impact, but could only imagine the damage, refusing to look and thanking Hengist the limb hadn't buckled. As the shock of the hit ran its course, the attacker flicked his sword up from inside Shon's failed guard, knocking the weapon from his hand.
The short sword flew free, but Shon had already begun his counter, aiming with his free right hand at his attacker’s extended wrist. The hit would have knocked the attacker's arm aside at the least, but with his now empty left hand, Shon struck the same arm from the outside at the elbow. In an instinctual effort to save the joint, the bandit twisted awkwardly, but predictably, bringing his head lower and closer.
Cartilage crunched beneath his knuckles and Shon's attacker reeled back, gripping his nose under his hood and cursing loudly enough for others to hear over the clang of metal and chaos.
One of Rerves' attackers disengaged from his two-on-one fight to aid his friend, who was now backing away from Shon as fast as he could. Shon hesitated a moment then dashed to his fallen sword.
Again Shon felt unbalanced with the weapon in hand. He tried to shift his weight to offset the difference but barely had enough time to bring the sword to bear as the second attacker swung his two-handed greatsword at Shon's right side.
Taking his own weapon in both hands, Shon managed to absorb some of the force of the blow, but he still wasn't strong enough to fully block the strike. His arms buckled, giving way for his opponent's longsword to hit his upper arm. This second hit hadn't fully registered in Shon's mind when the new attacker shoved his shoulder into Shon's chest, trying to push him over.
It worked. Shon fell to the ground with a splash and smack as he habitually swung his hands down to slap the ground, dropping his sword again, but breaking the energy of the fall. Just as Master Veon-Zih had taught him. Perhaps expecting Shon to be winded, the attacker didn't follow through with another attack on the prone boy; instead, turning to look at the companion Shon had punched.
Shon didn't hesitate. Still on his back, Shon twisted his hips, scissoring his legs to either side of the bandit's leg and kicking him behind the knee and inside the shin. The bigger man went down, and Shon swung his legs up, rolling onto his shoulder blades before jumping directly to a standing position. Or at least trying to. The leather armor was heavy and awkward, and he wobbled when he landed on his feet. As he attempted to regain his balance, another whistle rang out from the front of the wagon.
As one, the attackers disengaged from their respective defending Squires. The one Shon had knocked down rolled away and was helped up by his companion sporting a bloody nose. The Squires didn't pursue. Their hands shook with adrenaline, and their eyes tried to dart every way at once.
"Stand down, Squires," it was the Paladin. The knight had sheathed his sword and was moving back towards the wagon, but the boys could barely manage a glance at each other before focusing back on their attackers. Still very much on edge. It wasn't until the attackers in question also sheathed their weapons that the Squires began to slowly straighten, looking between the Paladin, the lead bandit, their attackers, and each other in quick succession.
"You all did very well," the knight said, reaching out to ensure the horses were still calm. They'd hardly moved, causing Shon to determine they must be warhorses, perhaps one was the knight's own partner.
"Not bad, not bad." the lead bandit started forward, slinging his ax back over his shoulder as he moved. Rather than being reassured by the gesture, the Squires dropped back into their fighting stance.
The Paladin snapped, "It was a test, boys. Relax and sheath your swords before you hurt yourselves." The lead 'bandit' laughed out loud at that. It was a booming sound like a bark straight from his belly as he threw his head back and planted his fists firmly on his hips.
"First time seeing battle, even a mock one, and you can't help but be on edge. It's the same every year," he said, the strange speech pattern he'd used before completely gone. He gestured, and his four underlings removed their hoods. The one with the bloody nose still had it pinched, his head tilted forward.
Mock battle… Shon's leg and arm throbbed painfully with every heartbeat, and his knuckles stung as he clenched and unclenched his fists to try and relax. But now that it was over, he realized that both hits had been with the flat of the blade.
The ringleader continued, "These fine Squires are going to be the newest Paladins of Hengist. After their vigil next month." the four attackers saluted and the younger Squires exchanged glances again before finally putting their swords away. "And I," the man slapped his chest, "am your new Weaponmaster. Master Daunas Mung. It will be my job to train you in combat at Hamerfoss."
Rerves was the first to recover. He smiled, but his voice held a hint of sarcasm, "I wish I could say it's nice to meet you, Master Daunas," he tried to laugh, "perhaps once my heart has stopped trying to beat its way out of my chest." That caused the Weaponmaster to bark his own laugh again. Thom smiled nervously at Shon, who was taking slow, measured breaths to calm his own heart.
The Paladin took a moment to examine their various bumps and bruises but only used his magic to heal the senor squire's broken nose. The much larger party continued together towards Hamerfoss, Master Daunas riding with the Paladin in the wagon while the older Squires chatted amongst each other. Thom and Rerves didn’t join in the chatter, both looking as anxious as Shon felt. He could hear the two uninjured seniors making fun of the two who had fought him and wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed or proud. He'd hardly used his sword, -dropped it twice!- and the sword was the sacred weapon of Hengist. The symbol of the god himself.
Eventually, -finally- they left the woods and immediately saw the fortress situated in the middle of a vast field. Hamerfoss was one of the oldest structures still being utilized in Clearhelm. As such, it wasn't nearly as visually impressive as some of the newer Temples in the cities. Even so, as they approached the south gate, the three new Squires gaped at its great stone walls in awe.
The outer curtain wall was twenty stones high, -at least four of the boys stacked one on top of the other- with two layers of iron portcullises, their bars as thick as Shon's forearm. Walking through the first, the boys looked up and saw the faces of Paladins looking down at them through holes in the ceiling, built for dumping hot tar or oil on invaders trapped between the portcullises. They moved a little faster through the second.
Beyond the wall was one of two open courtyards, with training dummies, archery targets, and sparring rings separated by neat stone walkways. The smell of hay and horses wafted over the whole place from the stable against the south wall to their right, and the ringing "tink, tink" of a hammer on metal filled the cool air from the smithy built into the side of the fortress proper.
"Welcome to Hamerfoss!" Master Daunas gestured widely to all before them, and Shon fixed his eyes on the fortress itself, rising up like an indomitable mountain before him. It was about fifteen feet taller than the curtain wall, with one great tower in the center jutting up another fifteen feet above that. The roof was lined with battlements where archers could rain death on an invading army.
Turning his head, Shon could see three of the four bastions at the corners of the curtain wall and the armored figures that must be more Paladins standing guard. His left hand twitched as he longed to unpack his journal and draw every detail. The bare, dead-looking vines covering the face of the west wall, he was sure they would bloom in a few short weeks and cover the stone in green; the squat smithy coming out of his workshop to wipe the sweat from his brow in the cool air of early spring; and the slack-jawed expressions of awe on his companions' faces as they tilted their heads waaay back to try and see the top of the fortress's tower. But there would be plenty of time for that. After all, this would be his home for the next four years.
"Well. Don't just stand there gawkin'! Unload the wagon." Shon jumped in surprise and glimpsed Thom and Rerves doing the same. Master Daunas must have startled them out of their awe as well.
Shon was grateful as Rerves cleared his throat and took charge. His habit of speaking first and taking control had annoyed the girls back in Smilnda, but as Thom was used to it and Shon didn’t like giving orders, it worked out well for the boys. "Thom, you get the horses settled. Shon, you start handing me things out of the wagon." Without a word of argument, Thom nodded and went to the horses, murmuring gently as he began removing their harness and Shon climbed into the bed of the wagon to lift one crate at a time down to Rerves.
Master Daunas snorted, turning away from the new boys to give orders Shon couldn't hear to the older Squires. The young men saluted in unison, one moving to help Thom and two coming back to the wagon to help Shon and Rerves. The last jogged to the blacksmith, who waved him towards the smithy. He returned a moment later, carrying a small box and marching towards the smith, who was speaking quietly with Master Daunas.
"Shon, come on!" Rerves whispered, gesturing with both hands impatiently. Shon shook his head to clear it, handing Rerves another crate. He'd been paying a little too much attention to Daunas and the smith.
"Sorry," Shon murmured, but if Rerves heard him, he just took the box and set it with the others. It didn't take long for the four Squires to finish with the wagon. Shon hopped down with his own pack over his shoulder just as Thom came out of the stable with the senior Squire to meet them.
"Horses taken care of?" Rerves asked, and Shon blinked at him, thinking, Of course, they were; Thom wouldn't have come out otherwise…
"Yep, all settled and ready to go," Thom answered with a smile. Shon would've simply nodded. He was never one to waste words on things that didn't need to be said, and now more than ever, he found himself so focused on taking in everything around him that he could hardly think of words to say.
It seemed Master Daunas had been waiting for something to be said out loud, though, because he turned towards them at the sound, "Alright lads, this here is Nangran Flintchest. He's our resident Smith, and he'll be making all your equipment." The man was only as tall as Thom, but his shoulders and chest were broader even than Master Daunas, with hands the size of shovels and a beard that hung to the middle of his chest.
"Line up, smallest... largest…" As he spoke, Nangran pointed first to the right, then to the left of Shon, and didn't bother to see if they obeyed before turning away from them to open the box the older Squire had brought. Taking out a long measuring tape and a ratty-looking notebook, the smith tossed the young man the notebook without explanation and headed toward Thom with the measuring tape. Thom quickly positioned himself to the right of Shon with Rerves on Shon’s left.
Nangran motioned with his hand, grumbling only "Arms…" Without need for further explanation, Thom stepped forward and lifted his arms like a 't', visibly swallowing down his nerves. Shon watched closely as the smith took the smaller boy's measurements. Around his chest, his bicep, lower arm, from shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, neck to waist, and much more besides. Thom stood stiff, following the old man's clipped instructions with hesitant jerky movements. Shon thought it should be awkward to work around their armor, but Nangran didn't seem to notice.
"Sword?" Nangran asked, and Thom made a confused sound. But the smith waved a massive hand in his face, "Not you, boy. Daunas, what sword?"
Master Daunas had his arms crossed over his chest and was tilting his head back and forth from one side to the other, absently scratching his beard before he finally said. "Two hands." he then pointed at Shon, saying, "Bastard." Shon wrinkled his nose, but the offense was short-lived when Daunas pointed at Rerves, saying, "One hand."
Nangran sniffed, "One each..." he stepped over to Shon and motioned for him to raise his arms. Shon stiffened but obliged, keeping his eyes fixed forward as the old man ran his measuring tape all across Shon's body, fighting not to flinch each time the Smith brushed against him.
"Yep," Daunas answered. They were talking as if the boys weren't even there, and the older Squires just watched. Didn’t they have anything better to do? "And that one," Daunas continued, nodding towards Shon, "is a lefty." Nangran snorted without comment and continued measuring, while the Squire with the notebook scribbled a little something extra besides the numbers Nangran mumbled to him.
But then the smith ran his hand down Shon’s forearm, touching the skin of his wrist, and pulled away in surprise. Shon jerked his hand back but quickly returned it with a nervous swallow. The smith stared at him, his brow furrowed, "You're cold as ice boy. Nervous?"
Shon shook his head, but the smith continued to stare, so he added, "No sir. I'm always cold."
The smith hummed and went back to measuring around Shon's wrist and back up his arm, "They say cold hands make a warm heart," Nangran muttered.
Beside Shon, Rerves and Thom snickered. "Whoever says that has never met Shon," said Thom, who had relaxed noticeably once the smith had finished with him. Face forward, Shon glared sideways at him, but there was no real anger in it, and Thom snickered again.
Master Daunas let out another bark of a laugh, "I see you get along well! That's good; you'll want friends in training." Shon tried to relax, taking a deep breath through his nose and letting it out through pursed lips. He did get along with his fellow Squires. He felt his lips tilt up in an almost imperceptible smile. He would even go so far as to call them friends. Even if they did poke fun at each other. Or maybe it was because they did.
Smith Nangran moved on to Rerves, and Shon looked from the larger boy to the smaller and back again before focusing his gaze on Master Daunas. It seemed neither of them was going to ask the adults to clarify what they meant by the sword assignments, so he would have to. Feeling more at ease, he asked, "I thought we were going to be trained in all weapons…"
Daunas must've seen where Shon was going because he spoke at the pause provided, "Oh, you will, boy. But I was watching you fight back on the road. You didn't think we staged that little raid just for fun, did you?" Shon didn't answer. He had thought it was just for fun. Perhaps some kind of hazing ritual. When Shon didn't say anything, Daunas continued, "You boys haven't been trained, so your movements were on instinct, giving me an idea for what fighting style you may lean more towards." he pointed at Shon, who crossed his eyes to focus on the finger, "You, boy, are going to be a problem. You're the one old man V's been training."
Who? Shon refocused on the Weapon Master's face, arching an eyebrow in confusion. When Master Daunas didn’t respond to the look, Shon guessed, "Master Veon-Zih?"
Daunas continued, "He's got you jumping around with no mind to the armor you'll be wearing or the weapon in your hand. You'll have to work twice as hard to adjust some of those habits." Shon was taken aback, shocked, and a little afraid… He didn't want to lose what he'd already learned… but Master Daunas continued, "But with a hand-and-a-half sword, you'll be able to switch between one and two-handed maneuvers." he smiled softly, and Shon realized his emotions must have been showing on his face more than usual because the Weapon Master seemed to be comforting him. "You mark my words; you'll favor the bastard sword for sure."
Nangran finished with Rerves and began rolling up his measuring tape. He turned his back on the boys but spoke to them as he took his notebook back from the senior Squire, “Take that leather off and put it in the wagon. I’ll have better ready for you by first watch week.” The Squires exchanged looks, then began following the command, stripping off the leather armor and thick gambeson and trying in vain to straighten the sweaty wrinkled uniforms underneath.
“You four,” Daunas addressed the seniors, who moved from parade rest to attention in perfect unison, “show these three around and give them the rundown of how things work around here. You three,” he looked over his shoulder at Shon and the others, scratching his neck again, “this is your last day of freedom, enjoy it while you can.” all seven Squires saluted and Daunas sighed, giving a lazy salute in response before walking off, muttering to himself, “I need to shave…”
The older Squires approached the younger, two of them snickering after Daunas was far enough away not to hear. Shon arched an eyebrow at them and, seeing the expression, the tallest explained, “He’s normally clean-shaven. He let his beard grow out all week for the wagon raid.”
“You’ll be doing one too, in your last year.” another of the four added.
“Sorry about your arm,” the one who had fought Thom said, holding out his hand to the younger boy, “You really did do well, considering.” Thom shook the young man’s hand with a grateful smile at the compliment.
The two who had fought Shon exchanged looks with each other then looked at him, their expressions expectant. Shon arched his other eyebrow instead. Did they really expect him to apologize? They had attacked him. And he was four years younger than they were.
“So…” the one Shon had bloodied started, drawing the word out.
“Who taught you how to fight?” the second interjected.
“Master Veon-Zih.”
When Shon didn’t elaborate further, the two exchanged silent shrugs. Shon looked away from them, frustrated. They could communicate with each other fine in gestures and expressions, yet, he was expected to explain details they didn't need? Would they even know what a Monk was? Did it even matter? He was here to train as a Paladin now.
The only one who hadn’t spoken yet cleared his throat, and the other three turned his way immediately. Apparently, he was the unofficial leader of this group, just like Rerves was the unofficial leader of theirs. “We'll show you the barracks first. You should shower and change your uniforms before we walk around the rest of the fortress.”
“You have showers here too?” Rerves blurted in amazement, then snapped his mouth shut, blushing.
The two who were prone to laughing did so again, “Why wouldn’t we?”
“I bet we need it more than most of the official Temples.” the two laughed again.
Thom shuffled his feet nervously but said, “They told us things would be a lot rougher here.”
“They were probably just trying to scare you,”
“They were talking about the work,” the leader said sharply, then turned towards the fortress.
Shon and the others quickly grabbed their bags and rushed to follow. The leader continued to talk as they fell into step behind him, “Your day will start just before sunrise, at fifth bell. You will get dressed, make your bed as quickly as possible, then gather with the others in the courtyard,” he gestured with one hand at a wide-open spot on the training grounds, “From there we run. Around the fortress ten times in formation. After that are drills and then breakfast. After breakfast, we have prayer, followed by lectures, then heavy weapons and armor training, then lunch.” they made their way into the fortress and up a long flight of stairs to the third floor, “After lunch, there's more classwork, then light weapons and combat training. You’re then given an hour of free time to shower and rest before dinner. After dinner, there is mandated study or prayer time, then another hour of free time before lights out at ninth bell. Once every season, we take four weeks to stand watch, one week for each shift.”
He took them down a long hall lined with doors on one side. Shon tried to listen and count the doors at the same time and was glad he did when the leader stopped beside the ninth, “These three rooms are yours. Go ahead and get a new uniform and meet us back out here.”
One of the nicer boys stepped forward to open the first door, “This one is Rerves, followed by Shon and Thom.” Shon entered to find a small room barely six feet square. Directly across from the door was a bed that took up the entire wall and a small high-set window that looked out over the training field. Beside it was a small desk with a single wooden chair. Under the bed, Shon found a long shallow box full of neatly folded uniforms. His name was embroidered in the lining of each piece, and on top was a pinned note with instructions detailing the laundry procedure. Shon only skimmed it, it was the same as the fortress in Smilnda, and most likely the same the Provence over, perhaps even the kingdom.
He left his pack by the desk and returned to the hall with one of his uniforms to find it empty. Glancing down either side of the hall, he shrugged at Thom’s questioning look when he was joined by his two fellows. They waited at least ten minutes before the seniors returned, without their armor and holding their own spare uniforms. They looked nearly as disheveled as the juniors. The leader gestured for them to follow again and said, “Once you get your armor, you will keep it in your room. It's your responsibility to keep it oiled or polished as appropriate.” well, they would be good at that at least… Had they been left to wait while the seniors cared for their armor? Shon didn’t bother to ask, following the four deeper into the fortress.
They were taken to the showers, a single large room with spigots set into the walls and drains in the floor. The seniors started to strip down, placing their dirty uniforms in a basket by the door and setting their clean sets on the benches set along the same wall. Thom, Rerves, and Shon all exchanged looks before following their lead.
There were only ten showerheads, and Rerves finally asked, “How many Squires are there here?”
The seniors each moved to their own showerhead, and the room was quickly filled with hot steam, “Twentyone, including us, but we will be gone in a month, so that will leave seventeen.” one of them answered, stepping under the hot water with a grateful sigh, rinsing the sweat and dirt from the road off his surprisingly well-muscled body. Shon counted the shower spigots again as he moved towards his own. Almost twenty Squires and only ten showers at a time… it sounded like a nightmare. But at least they had hot running water.
Though he had above-average cold tolerance and preferred the winter chill far more than the summer sweat, Shon always enjoyed a truly hot shower. Master Veon-Zih liked to argue that baths were far superior, but in Shon's experience, baths always cooled off too quickly, which was why most ordinary citizens of Clearhelm used the public steam baths.
After they were washed and dressed, the real tour began. They were shown the hall with the officer's rooms, the infirmary, the mess hall, the library, and the classroom. “There’s only one?” Thom asked, peeking into the room with a blackboard across the far wall and long tables situated in front.
“Tomorrow is the last real day before the watch weeks start. You'll spend those four weeks catching up on foundational stuff. Kingdom-wide law, and your assigned sword dills, that sort of thing. After that, the lessons are given in a four-year rotation, so your first classes after the watch weeks will be new to both you and everyone else." the leader explained.
The nicest one elaborated, “You’ll have the same schedule we did, so comparative law, followed by history, then theology, then comparative cultural studies.” Shon wasn’t sure what he looked forward to least on that list. Though all would be better than fighting for a shower…
"There's also etiquette, monster studies, combat tactics and command, and war history and theory." his friend added, and Shon was relieved that at least most of those seemed more interesting.
Next, they were shown some of the less-used rooms. The war room, full of charts and maps and only used for large-scale tactics training, and an indoor sparring room that looked like it was never used.
“This is supposed to be for heavy weather.” one of the laughers said with a snicker.
“But Master Daunus says your enemies won’t let you move a fight inside, so why practice there,” added the other. Shon happened to agree, but also wasn’t looking forward to training in the rain after having walked in it for two days.
Lastly, they were shown the chapel, not as fine as the one in Smilnda but with the same sweet incense and warm comfort. The atmosphere seeped into Shon’s bones as they approached the head altar for a brief prayer and a blessing from the resident Cleric. He was a young man with pale brown hair and green eyes. He smiled warmly down at the new boys, saying, “Welcome to Hamerfoss, Squires of Hengist.” which in turn made each of them glow with enough pride to banish the nerves of their first day and daunting future.
***
--- Part 2/2 ---
--- Table of Contents ---
All comments and criticism is welcome.

Basketball on Naismith Island is a game of 40 minutes. If you don't play all 40, you can lose a winnable game. See below.
*****
#1 UCLA 80, #8 Michigan 77. Every defensive positioning matters; every play matters; every call matters. It's how you remain the #1 team in the land.
Bill Walton took a charging foul from Chris Webber with 12 seconds left, then sealed the game after being fouled on the inbound, as the Bruins (11-0) stole one from the Wolverines (9-2) to run their winning streak to 48 games in a row.
"I don't know what the complaint is. I had the position, I was far enough away from the basket, and I kept myself still. Chris [Webber] ran into me. It was the right call," Walton claimed.
While block/charge calls will always be controversial, it helped that the result of the collision took Webber's shot off-line. This wasn't a case of Michigan losing the lead on the call; reverse it, and Webber would have gone to the line down one. Still, the feelings of coming close and being so far resonated in the Michigan locker room.
"You can't do that -- you can't make that call," Webber griped after the game. "You gotta let us play, man."
Walton led all scorers with 18 points; Juwan Howard led Michigan with 17.
#3 Kentucky 82, #5 Kansas 81, OT. Wilt Chamberlain has never fouled out. Critics would say that stat plays too heavily in his mind at crucial points in the game -- that if you get a fourth foul on him, he becomes weaker on defense and passive when he should be going for blocks.
Is that what happened here? Obviously we'll never know, but the talk will become louder.
Anthony Davis' dunk over Chamberlain -- whose block attempt seemed to be a product of hesitation -- provided the difference with 1.2 seconds left as the Wildcats (10-1) took out the Jayhawks (9-2) after 45 minutes of end-to-end action.
"Coach [Adolph] Rupp told us that late in games, you could go to the rim," Davis said after the game as Kentucky fans swarmed him. "I didn't know how many fouls anyone had, I just knew that we were one down and the best chance I had was to get inside and dunk it down. I was able to do that, and we won the game as a result."
For his part, Chamberlain denied that his four fouls affected the final play. "I thought I had an angle to block it, but I wouldn't have gotten my hands there in time. I was out of position trying to guard [Dan] Issel on the final play. That's not how you zone."
Chamberlain had a monster game, putting up 19 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks. But it's another number that everyone will focus on -- 4, his foul total for the game.
John Wall led Kentucky with 15 points.
#4 Duke 73, #6 Michigan State 71. A common joke through the years has been that it just isn't a Duke season until they make someone hate them by ripping their proverbial hearts out.
Done.
Kyrie Irving's three-pointer as time expired silenced the partisan Michigan State crowd and lifted the Blue Devis (9-2) to a bounceback win over the Spartans (8-3) in a game both teams sorely wanted for different reasons.
"We needed that win, man," Duke forward Grant Hill, who led all scorers with 16 points, said after the game. "You come off a loss, you're facing an even tougher team, you gotta dig down deep. This was a gut check. We got what we needed."
Irving's last-second heroics -- or villainy, depending on whom you ask -- wiped out an incredible performance from Spartan guard Scott Skiles. With Jason Richardson in foul trouble and Magic Johnson as a shooting guard, Skiles turned back the clock and put up 11 assists to go with his 7 points. He found Johnson (14 points) with 7 seconds to go for the sky hook over Elton Brand that gave Michigan State a 71-70 lead and sent the crowd into a deafening roar.
That roar would go eerily quiet soon after.
*****
Elsewhere...
#25 Illinois 87, #12 Connecticut 70. Eddie Johnson had been hearing noise from the Auburn faithful saying he was an impostor and that the "real" Eddie Johnson resided on the Plains. Your move, Auburn.
Johnson stunned and thrilled the crowd by putting up 27 points with the help of seven three-pointers as the Fighting Illini (9-2) stole one from the Huskies (8-3), who had no answer on defense for Johnson's hot hand.
"Incredible," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said while shaking his head at the post-game press conference. "I don't think I've seen something like that in some time. We knew [Derek] Harper could cause trouble, and I figured we had Red [Kerr] contained, but sometimes it's the last guy you expect."
As Connecticut attempted to double-team the red-hot Johnson, he made the passes needed to keep Illinois on track. Meyers Leonard was a major recipient of those passes, ending with 15 points of his own.
Cliffy Robinson led the Huskies with 16 points.
#2 North Carolina 101, #22 Florida 56. Note to self: never, ever, ever, EVER face Michael Jordan coming off of a close loss. Ever.
Jordan, who when given the green light is almost unbeatable, scored 33 points and had 10 assists as the Tar Heels (9-2) gave a rude welcome to the Top 25 to the Gators (8-3), disheartening the Florida crowd and leaving coach Billy Donovan without answers.
"You know, when you look up at the scoreboard and it's the first half and there you are down 30, 35 points... you try to tell your team to take it one possession at a time, but you know they're thinking about how big that hill is to climb and how close they are to the point of no return," Donovan said. "We spent the second half trying to get our plays in order so that when SEC season began, we wouldn't run into this trouble."
Jordan, for his part, wanted to make a statement in this game. With 6 minutes left in the second half, Jordan even seemed to refuse to come out of the game, much to his substitute Vince Carter's chagrin. Eventually Dean Smith called a timeout to remind Jordan who the coach was.
"Michael's competitive, and we usually like that," Smith said after the game. "Usually."
#9 Notre Dame 78, #11 Ohio State 68. Is Digger Phelps on pace to be a Coach of the Year? He has to be the leader at this point.
With John Havlicek off to a hot start, Phelps went to a bigger lineup, moving Austin Carr to point guard and bringing LaPhonso Ellis in to stop Havlicek's slashing to the hoop. It paid off: only two of Havlicek's 22 points came in the second half as the Irish (9-2) stormed back to beat the Buckeyes (8-3).
"Coach asked me to step up, and I was able to today," Ellis said after the game. "You're facing a tough lineup like that, and you gotta hope for the best. I was able to come through for the team."
Ohio State led 40-33 at the half, but a monumental turnaround began when the Irish cut off Ohio State's top scorer. From there, Adrian Dantley took over, getting 17 of his 22 points in the second stanza -- a near mirror of Havlicek.
"Whatever I said at halftime I need to bottle, don't I?" Phelps joked after the game.
#15 Southern Cal 64, #7 Syracuse 55. Both teams went to a zone defense to unsettle the opposing outside shooters and cut down the passing lanes. It worked, but one team found just enough offense to put themselves over the top.
Bill Sharman's 15 points led all scorers as Syracuse missed 22 of 25 three-point attempts and the Trojans (9-2) knocked off the Orange (8-3) in a game meant for the basketball purists.
"We got them to use almost all of the shot clock on every possession," Sharman said after the game. "When you get a lead, you gotta play airtight defense. I've talked to the guys about being ready to give 110% on both sides of the ball, and it worked tonight."
The first half of this game proved to be a war of attrition. Syracuse missed all 11 of their three-point attempts, while Southern Cal committed four different violations of the 30-second shot clock. The teams went into the locker room tied at 24.
"We need to forget this game as soon as possible," admitted Orange guard Dave Bing, who had 12 points. Carmelo Anthony finished with 10, but on 1-12 shooting from outside the arc.
#18 LSU 66, #19 Georgetown 57. The anticipated matchup was between big men Shaquille O'Neal and Patrick Ewing Sr. That matchup was a battle of the bulls, but it was the shooting guard matchup we should've watched.
Pete Maravich had 21 points, outscoring Allen Iverson by 10, while O'Neal and Ewing had 16 points each. That was the difference, more or less, as the Tigers (8-3) knocked off the Hoyas (7-4) in a bruising clash between two power teams.
Coach Dale Brown was happy with his team's performance after the game. "It was a slow game, it was a half-court game, but we still found the outside shooting we needed to make it work," he told reporters. "It was necessary that we get this win -- I believe we can make noise in the SEC."
Hoyas forward Alonzo Mourning was frustrated all day by Bob Pettit cutting off passing lanes and keeping him from getting the ball. In the end, Mourning had only 7 points.
"I don't know how he did it," he said. "That guy's so underrated, man."
*****
Meanwhile, in our featured game...
#17 DePaul 107, Rhode Island 77. In a surprise move before the game, coach Ray Meyer sat George Mikan and went small-ball, having Terry Cummings take the tip and Quentin Richardson join the starting five. It paid off big-time.
Richardson had 9 points, but he opened others to thrive in an up-tempo game as Mark Aguirre put up 25 points and the Blue Demons (8-3) established the pecking order over the upstart Rams (7-4), surviving their speedier style and winning in it.
Rhode Island coach Frank Keaney was disappointed, but not worried. "Our style is something we practice every day. When the time comes, we'll be ready to steal games with it. We need games like this to show our guys how much work they still have left to do if they want a postseason bid."
Sly Williams led the Rams with 16 points.
*****
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED

1. UCLA 80, 8. Michigan 77
2. North Carolina 101, 22. Florida 56
3. Kentucky 82, 5. Kansas 81, OT
4. Duke 73, 6. Michigan State 71
5. Kansas 81, 3. Kentucky 82, OT
6. Michigan State 71, 4. Duke 73
7. Syracuse 55, 15. Southern Cal 64
8. Michigan 77, 1. UCLA 80
9. Notre Dame 78, 11. Ohio State 68
10. Indiana 85, West Virginia 64
11. Ohio State 68, 9. Notre Dame 78
12. Connecticut 70, 25. Illinois 87
13. Texas 92, Oregon State 56
14. Arizona 92, Iowa State 58
15. Southern Cal 64, 7. Syracuse 55
16. Maryland 82, South Carolina 65
17. DePaul 107, Rhode Island 77
18. LSU 66, 19. Georgetown 57
19. Georgetown 57, 18. LSU 66
20. Minnesota 74, Detroit Mercy 66
21. Alabama 73, Wichita State 63
22. Florida 56, #2 North Carolina 101
23. Iowa 71, Clemson 65
24. UNLV 105, Old Dominion 67
25. Illinois 87, 12. Connecticut 70

Im a 26/f. I’m looking at moving out of the state of Montana to go to school for nursing. Naturally I am looking for a city that has a mix of “city” and “nature.” As well as four seasons (I just hate the heat but could deal with it for a short time). Politics isn’t the most important thing to me, I’m pretty moderate. I love hiking, going to coffee shops, art, working out, bouldering and such. I’d like to be 1-2 hours outside of a major city, for easy access to an airport. It wouldn’t hurt to be in a town/city that have other fellow 25-35 year olds, as I’m single..dating is hard out here these days.
I’ve never really had to deal with the issues of a “typical city”: theft, homeless, drugs, etc. I live in the countryside.
I am looking at: Idaho, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina (specifically NW), Wisconsin, Minnesota Michigan
I am not stuck on these states, I’ve only really been to the top three. I was in Minneapolis for 3 hours and ventured to the Mall during a layover. Never been to east coast, but I hear it’s super expensive? Boston is my number one city I wanna visit.
Any other suggestions out of these would also be appreciated! :)

Now , this is just some massive weird coincidence , that I've collected the pieces of and put them all together in one post , and just give myself something to think about .
Let's go back to MCC 4 , where it all began ...
a massive step back in time and we are , in MCC 4 , the first time they were brought together , little did they know , it was only the beginning . It was early Season 1 , balancing wasn't an issue , so it was pretty unfair , and some players were less competent than others , but that doesn't matter . The Ks were in it to win it but , they fought and got 3rd , came back next event , fought and got 4th (let's say ~3rd) , took a break and came back for the Third time in the 7th event , fought and got 3rd .
3rd , ~3rd , 3rd , you all know it , the captain's curse . MCC 7 , was the last time they teamed , or so they thought . 3 times this many events later , 7 * 3 = 21 , they were finally back , and ready , as they battled through MCC 21 , luck wasn't on their side , but they still got what they were destined to get since they teamed Three times beforehand , 3 * 3rd = 9th .
What a coincidence , Oh my God... NO , well maybe , but riddle me this :
All these events 1-21 , the Captain was along side a Kraken , maybe not on the same team , but in the same event , and had never won just got 3rd most of the time and it was getting annoying , the no-dodgebolt curse was broken once in MCC 15 but they got swept , losing all 3 rounds , until , the 22nd . 22 , the number not related to three , but between two that are .
A team , the Pink Parrots , keep that in mind , came first and banished a blessing to break a curse , the Captain had won . On the third event , of the third year of MCC , the 3rd place curse was broken and the Captain won , but at what cost ?
In the three events that followed , 23 , 24 and 25 , the Pink team got last , 10th place , but on the fourth event , MCC 26 , when three of the Krakens were reunited , Kara Krinios & Krtzyy on the Cyan Centipedes , the pink team got 4th . But why does it matter , they didn't get 3rd , you may ask , and no the pink team didn't get 3rd , because Cyan did , it seemed that the Captain got rid of his curse , but it passed on to the Krakens . Yet somehow it doesn't end here ,
If we take the last two times the Ks teamed and add them up , 7 + 21 = 28 . We got 28 , what happened in 28 ? , the Captain won again , without the Krakens , once more ....
So is it , the Captain's Curse or is it The Kraken's Kurse , I don't know , something that started in early Season 1 and ended at the finish line of Season 2 , hopefully ...
Yeah so basically , just wanted to put it out there in a cool way , and here you go , The Captain's Curse , condensed .
The_Color_Ally <3

Hi all,
Been pulling my hair out at this one today.
We have some internal reports that display various visualisations concerning our consultants' billable time.
We have the main one which was built using a custom connector to our billing system, and then a number of smaller reports that deal with billable time only, one for each department.
These smaller reports are built using the existing dataset of the main report via a live connection. I didn't make this decision, my predecessor did.
I've been asked can I create a version of these smaller reports which will show each consultant only their data - i.e. can I apply row level security to them. Something which would be easy but for some reason isn't working how I expected.
I've created roles in the main dataset/report, tested on that and all looks good for both me and the other team member - but only on the main report. This is both in desktop and on the service after applying the role to me and the colleague.
When we access the new mini report on the service i.e. the one built from the main report's dataset, we can both see that the data displayed is restricted to just our time entries, but there is a lot of data missing. The report shows like 25% of all the data. I've verified this by checking the original data and testing in PBI desktop by applying a filter on all pages for just my name and then again with just my colleague's name.
I've tested the role in the desktop app on the main report, and it's working just fine.
I've created a new workspace and added access for me and my colleague in there, and the issue is still persisting.
There are no hidden filters or slicers impacting the visuals either.
Does that make sense? Is this something anyone has dealt with before? Are there restrictions on RLS when using an existing dataset? Should I change how I connect to the data? I've scoured the documentation and begged chatGPT to give me the answer, but no joy.
Hope you guys can help because I'm at my wits' end!

Aurora Big Brother is now casting its first season!
After 10 drama filled, nail biting seasons of Survivor, we are ready for something new. New and old players are welcome, veterans and newbies to ORGs alike, as Aurora takes on Big Brother! Much like Survivor, Big Brother is a social game that will test your strategic ability as you maneuver twists, turns, and challenges!
(Archives of past seasons are in the server if you’d like to view & discuss!)
Big Brother Season 1 Applications will close on June 14th. Acceptance DMs will be sent same day for check ins!
What Aurora ORGs have to offer: ✧ An experienced host of 40+ seasons. Unbiased & very prompt! Aurora also has a production team to help the experience be as smooth as possible, as well as add some levity and fun to the season. ✧ Clear schedule that will be laid out before the season begins. (Accommodations to players' schedules will be taken into consideration.) ✧ Draft picks for viewers! ✧ Superlatives (w/ roles) voted on by VIPs and Production! ✧ $25 prize for Season Winners! ✧ Server Wiki with character entries! (Depending on production availability!) ✧ Fun challenges! ✧ Fun players, ready to meet new friends, backstab them, and have a fun time!
This is an equal opportunity ORG: We require all contestants to be accepting of all identities and walks of life! (Drama and arguments within the game are allowed- but nothing out of bounds!)
Help Aurora and Crew make this next season another to remember! We would love to have some new friends as viewers or alumni!
Application and more info can be found here: https://discord.gg/VsmD8PEYKD

I like purple. When this season's weekly ultimates were leaked, as they always are, my eyes were immediately drawn to the funky purple patterns of Orchid Cluster. It's a little ugly, but I still want it. I make a note to check the weeks until it comes up, and hope the challenge isn't too grating.
Too many weeks later, here it is, locked behind a deceptively simple challenge.
TLDR: even in their dumbed down form, Challenges still take your normal gameplay and strangle it, reduce it, force you to do things you may not want to do or that - extremely often - are not useful to your team. And even if you don't care about them, every player ON your team is potentially a player who does.
--------
On the surface of it: Get an enemy Spartan with any pistol immediately after switching to it.
The logic this implies: switch to any of the game's 4 pistols and kill someone within about a second of doing so. On the face of it, this is an example of a 'good' challenge - it instructs the player in a core method of getting kills, draining shields with one method before finishing with a reliable headshot weapon. (Well, only two of the pistols can headshot iirc, but I digress.)
But despite doing this repeatedly, it triggered once in total. Out of five. So, what am I missing?
Oh, ok. Turns out that, insofar as my experiments have led me to believe, you need to do damage to them with *weapons only* first. Melee into switch into headshot? Did not work on any occasion. Grenade into switch into headshot? Sorry, buddy, we don't do that kind of thing around here. Ok, fine. Solely utilize your assault rifle or, if you nabbed one, plasma pistol/pulse carbine to get their shields down, then pop them after a switch. Incidentally, I used the sniper rifle during one game, but every body shot I landed into a pistol switch + headshot? Nothing.
... But that still doesn't work 100% reliably, so what else are we missing? Oh! All the damage \must** be yours. If the enemy has even so much as a graze on him from an ally's assault rifle spray from across the map, sorry pal! Outta luck. You did not qualify. Try again.
Y'know, in this team-based shooter. Oh, I guess I could try Ranked FFA - the only current form of FFA in matchmaking is Ranked - but the same issue would apply there anyway, where 1v1s are rare and more often become 1v1vGuy Who Jumped You Both For The Double Kill.
So no, I queue up Quick Play, a game mode with an assured Assault Rifle and Sidekick starting loadout, and then just try to get into constant 1v1s with people with the very specific motion of Reduce Shield > Switch > Shoot Head With Pistol. Grenades? Subdue that reflex. Melee? Not gunna help. Objective? What objective, I'm not here to play your game, I'm here to complete a boring, irritating challenge that couldn't fit its requirements into the limits of its text string and so just kind of lied about them instead, or at the very least omitted half of them.
With all these requirements met, I get the last Quick Draws I need in one game. Oh, and the enemy capped the flag three times while I did so, but hey, I'm sure my team don't mind that one of their teammates was playing like a weird bot the whole game. Or when I grabbed camo purely to wait for someone to walk past me so I could spray their back and get an easy shot on the head in their panic and surprise.
Towards the end, one of my attempts failed - a fight I could have easily won, were I not playing like a rigid freak. The game helpfully chimes in with a death screen hint on the right, insisting upon me The Golden Triangle. The pillar upon which Halo is built: Guns, Grenades, Melee. Grenades, which this medal seemingly detests. Melee, which this medal turns its nose up at.
I'm reminded of a dozen other challenges in the normal pool that are still like this, that still change the way you play the game for the sake of busywork. Get kills with X weapons - hey! What are you doing conforming to The Golden Triangle of shoot + melee?! That's not a kill with the Zumba Wumba Gun, that's a kill with melee! Oh, you died. Well, peep our hint screen, dear player, and let us educate you about The Golden Triangle--
I shut the game off without even looking at my new visor, and give silent thanks that the remaining ultimate rewards this season don't appeal to me.

Steam Profile: https://steamcommunity.com/id/zicnarf
SteamRep: https://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198119381224
FEEL FREE TO CHECK COMMENTS ON MY STEAM PROFILE
2015 CACHE

Flowing Entropy	SPECTRE	25$

2016 CACHE

Nightsilver's Resolve	LUNA (1)	10$
Heir of Terror	BANE (1)	10$

2017 CACHE

Sovereign of the Kray Legions	SAND KING	12$
Cunning Corsair	RIKI	10$
Mechalodon Interdictor	GYROCOPTER	10$
Corruption of the Virulent Krait	VENOMANCER	15$
Shadowforce Gale	LUNA	10$
Secrets of the Katekhein	WINTER WYVERN	10$
Abyssal Vortex	ENIGMA	10$
Rumrunner's Carronade	BREWMASTER	SOLD https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198013926645/
Eternal Testament	DEATH PROPHET	12$
The Dread Prophet	NATURE's PROPHET	10$
Elder Convergence	JAKIRO	5$

2018 CACHE

Dread Ascendance	DOOM	15$
Raiments of the Obsidian Forge	UNDERLORD	10$
Raptures of the Abyssal Kin	QUEEN OF PAIN	8$
Visions of the Lifted Veil	PHANTOM ASSASSIN	25$
Forlorn Descent	UNDYING	10$
Molokau Stalker	VENOMANCER	5$
Morbific Provision	WITCH DOCTOR	10$
Cruelties of the Spiral Bore	MAGNUS	20$
Loaded Prospects	BREWMASTER	SOLD https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198013926645/
Ire of Molten Rebirth	PHOENIX	10$
Fires of the Volcanic Guard	EMBER SPIRIT	8$
Stonemarch Sovereign	WRAITH KING	20$
Third Awakening	DRAGON KNIGHT	SOLD OUT
Shimmer of the Anointed	NYX ASSASSIN	10$
Pattern of the Silken Queen	BROODMOTHER	10$
Fate Meridian	INVOKER	15$
Legends of Darkheart Pursuit	NIGHT STALKER	SOLD TO https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198058366383/

2019 CACHE

Endless Night	ABADDON	10$
Sight of the Kha-Ren Faithful	DROW RANGER	10$
Prized Acquisitions	BATRIDER	10$
Verdant Predator	VENOMANCER	10$
Dapper Disguise	PUDGE	15$
Directive of the Sunbound	CLOCKWERK	10$
Grim Destiny	WRAITH KING	15$
Distinguished Expeditionary	TUSK	10$
Fowl Omen	NECROPHOS	10$
Automaton Antiquity	BROODMOTHER	10$
Fury of the Bloodforge	BLOODSEEKER	10$
Tales of the Windward Rogue	PANGOLIER	15$
Cinder Sensei	EMBER SPIRIT	55$
Souls Tyrant	SHADOW FIEND	25$
Tribal Pathways	WARLOCK	10$
Gothic Whisper	PHANTOM ASSASSIN	65$
Scorched Amber	DRAGON KNIGHT	10$
Forbidden Medicine	DAZZLE	12$
Echoes of the Everblack	ABADDON	12$
Adornments of the Jade Emissary	EARTH SPIRIT	10$
Curse of the Creeping Vine	UNDYING	12$
Appetites of the Lizard King	SLARK	SOLD OUT
Riddle of the Hierophant	ORACLE	10$
Allure of the Faeshade Flower	DARK WILLOW	10$
Poacher's Bane	TIDEHUNTER	10$
The Arts of Mortal Deception	ENIGMA	10$
Defender of Ruin	DISRUPTOR	10$
Glimmer of the Sacred Hunt	DROW RANGER	20$
Priest of the Proudsilver Clan	CHEN	10$
Paean of the Ink Dragon	GRIMSTROKE	10$
Pursuit of the Ember Demons	HUSKAR	10$

2020 CACHE

Flashpoint Proselyte	HUSKAR	10$
Ancient Inheritance	TINY	20$
Heartless Hunt	BOUNTY HUNTER	10$
Herald of the Ember Eye	GRIMSTROKE	10$
The King Of Thieves	KEEPER OF THE LIGHT	10$
Ire of the Ancient Gaoler	ARC WARDEN	SOLD OUT
Horror from the Deep	TIDEHUNTER	15$
Crown of Calaphas	SHADOW DEMON	10$
Steward of the Forbidden Chamber	TEMPLAR ASSASSIN	SOLD OUT
Evolution of the Infinite	ENIGMA	10$
Blacksail Cannoneer	SNIPER	SOLD OUT
Secrets of the Celestial	SKYWRATH	10$
Signs of the Allfather	NATURE's PROPHET	10$
Fury of the Righteous Storm	DISRUPTOR	10$
Beast of the Crimson Ring	BRISTLEBACK	10$
Forsworn Legacy	MARS	SOLD OUT
Mindless Slaughter	PUDGE	10$
Talons of the Endless Storm	CHAOS KNIGHT	10$
Clearcut Cavalier	TIMBERSAW	10$
Lineage of the Stormlords	JUGGERNAUT	25$
Songs of Starfall Glen	ENCHANTRESS	10$
Fissured Flight	JAKIRO	10$
Apocalypse Unbound	ANCIENT APPARITION	10$
Silent Slayer	SILENCER	10$
Carousal of the Mystic Masquerade	RUBICK	10$
Glory of the Elderflame	LINA	20$
Spirit of the Sacred Grove	-	-
Fissured Flight	JAKIRO	10$
Beholden of the Banished Ones	WARLOCK	20$
Origin of the Dark Oath	NIGHT STALKER	10$
Blaze of Oblivion	PHOENIX	10$
Ravenous Abyss	UNDERLORD	20$

I love how much Giannina has grown since her time on Love is Blind. It was such an interesting interview: https://youtu.be/krfUF5ZKqgA
Love is Blind Filming - Giannina received an Instagram DM from a casting director to apply for Love is Blind - They told her during casting it was going to be a Netflix show, and she spoke to Netflix producers during casting (which is interesting because most of us thought the opposite in this subreddit) - They told her she was chosen for the cast 2 days before filming started - She was 25 years old when she filmed Season 1, and Natalie was 29 and Deepti was 30 when they filmed Season 2 - Giannina said the producers blindfolded contestants to the “set” (where they filmed) - Deepti said Natalie’s IBS made her go to the bathroom a lot so they had to stop filming for her often (this part made me lol) - Giannina initially connected with Barnett, and Amber connected with Damien - Giannina stopped drinking on day 2 and never felt so much clarity than she did in the pods (she said she “transcended”). Natalie said she felt the opposite, she closed off when she fell in love with Shayne because producers started to ask weird questions and she wanted to protect Shayne - Giannina acknowledges she was very toxic in her relationship with Damien and “tested” him before going to the altar - She told Damien she was going to say yes, and he said he wouldn’t know what he would yes until he saw her at the altar - She knew he was going to say no when he started crying at the altar
Love Triangle with Francesca - Giannina and Damien dated afterwards for 1.5 years - Giannina said during her relationship with Damien, she received DMs about Damien being flirty with other women. She initially thought the DMs were not true but now realizes it might have been an issue since she never received those types of DMs in her current relationship with Blake Horstmann, who is also a public figure and DJ. - Francesca and Damien shared the same manager, and that manager set up paparazzi pictures to be taken of them holding hands to start rumors - Giannina initially had no idea about the pictures being set up and thought it was funny when she saw the pictures in the tabloids because she was so confident in her relationship with Damien - She didn’t realize the full extent of Francesca and Damien’s relationship until watching After the Altar (ATA). - She said Damien didn’t even have the decency to tell Giannina about his date with Francesca on ATA and him asking Francesca to be his date to the ATA party. She said even if the producers ask you to do something, you can always say no and that producers can’t edit words into your mouth. - Damien taunted Giannina at the ATA party by introducing Francesca to every single person but her and also asking Giannina constantly if she wanted his glass of water because he wanted her to grab it and splash it on him - She ended her relationship with Damien the night of the ATA party
Perfect Match - Giannina was set to film Perfect Match Season 1 after finishing filming All Star Shores - She was going to go on Perfect Match to close the chaptenarrative on Damien and Francesca (sounds like she knew both of them would be on there) - She met and fell in love with Blake on All Star Shores (which is a challenge show), and decided not to go to Perfect Match - She admitted she was only going to do Perfect Match for the clout and Blake was supportive if she decided to go, but she chose Blake in the end.

TL;DR; the cost of the Timberwolves' top four of KAT, Gobert, Ant, and McDaniels alone will put the Timberwolves over the cap in 2024. To sign their draft 2024 FRP, extensions for players like Naz Reid and NAW, and simply filling out the rest of the roster with vet minimum contracts, they will trigger the CBA's new second luxury tax apron. This apron is so punitive and restrictive that it will make breaching that threshold cost-prohibitively expensive to do so, unless you are a team with a surefire championship contending roster, which the Timberwolves are not. As a result, a KAT or Gobert trade in the next year is almost impossible to avoid.
I know we are about to enter the finals, but this feels like an underrated headline coming out of the new CBA agreement, especially with the headlines the Timberwolves generated last summer in acquiring this current team.
In 2023, as of right now, the Timberwolves will be under the luxury tax level. They can run it back with the guys currently signed next season (Conley, Ant, McDaniels, KAT, Gobert, Anderson, Prince, Moore Jr., McLaughlin, and Minott) and could conceivably even have the money for Naz and NAW extensions.
In 2024, things get extremely ugly extremely quickly.
KAT and Gobert will be making 35% and 31% of the cap, respectively. Additionally, with Ant's upcoming extension, the combined cost of KAT, Gobert, and Ant could be as high as 96% if Ant were to make all-NBA next season, which I don't think is that difficult to imagine being within the realm of possibility.
In 2024, assuming a max contract for Ant and a $20-25 mil extension for Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves will be over the cap with JUST their top four of KAT, Gobert, Ant, and McDaniels. This doesn’t include possible extensions for NAW or Naz, the money for signing their 2024 first round pick, a Mike Conley starting PG replacement, and filling out the rest of their roster.
Assuming they went with exclusively with minimum contract guys to fill out the rest of the roster, they would have a luxury tax of $40 million and would be over the second tax apron of the new CBA agreement.
The tax aprons are a pretty confusing/vague without reading the fine print. As a primer, the first apron triggers when a team is $7 million above the luxury tax. Penalties for hitting this threshold include:

• 125% to 110% salary matching in a trade.
• Can’t sign buy-out players.
• Can’t take back more salary in a trade than you send out.

These restrictions are not ideal, but are not catastrophic. The second apron, which triggers at $17.5 million above the luxury tax, is much more punitive. Teams that meet that second tax apron threshold:

• Can’t aggregate players to acquire a player making more money.
  • I.e. you can’t cobble together a couple of role players on 10-15 mil salaries for a max player.
• Can’t use cash in trades.
• Can’t use the mid-level exception.
• Can’t trade a pick more than 6 drafts away.
• If you go over the second apron again in a three-year span, that pick becomes the 30th pick in the draft.
• Increasing per-dollar tax for over-the-tax repeater teams.
  • The mechanics from a financial standpoint of this are not worth getting into, but for context, the existing over-the-tax repeater punishment is what is costing Ballmer and the Clippers $140 mil in luxury tax penalties this season, and that is before the increased punitive scale of the new over-the-tax penalty scale.

So, just to keep this core intact, you are looking at a $40 million luxury tax and all of these additional punitive measures that makes trades and roster improvements on the margins incredibly restrictive, while making the financial cost of hitting these thresholds even greater.
For a team that-- while they showed some really small but extremely promising flashes and, I would argue, drastically increased their stock in the western conference next season as these playoffs played out—won 42 games and didn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs, and also have brand new owners that are not flush with cash the way multi-billionaire owners are.
So what do the Timberwolves do? Something about the composition of those top 4 players has to change.

• No sane team would willingly part ways with Ant and/or Jaden.
• After an underwhelming and injury-plagued season, Gobert's value is low, and-- sunk costs notwithstanding-- trading him for pennies on the dollar a year after making one of the most expensive trades of all time to acquire him would just be a disaster from a Pperception stand point.
• That leaves KAT as the only realistic option for trade.
  • While injuries derailed his season and an underwhelming close to the season have hurt his value, he is a two-time all-NBA player just entering his prime.
  • An elite playmaking big, one of the best high-volume 3-pt shooters in the league, and 3 level-scorer, he's a matchup nightmare.
    • He's also improved his defense to the point that he is not a liability and can in fact sometimes be a positive on that end. A low bar, but a farcry from where he was in 2020-2021 and before.
  • Despite his value being low relative to where it once was, there would absolutely be an appetite for KAT around the league, even if the return for the Timberwolves isn't as good as most trades involving all-NBA players on the right side of 30.

It has nothing to do with KAT as a player, but purely from a practical standpoint, it might make the most sense that he is the odd man out. It will be extremely interesting to see how things play out for the Timberwolves over the next year.
Shoutout to all of the great Timberwolves podcasters, beatwriters, and journalists that have been pumping out content in recent weeks about the latest CBA’s implications for the Timberwolves. No shot I would have fully grasped how precarious the franchise's position is without all of the work they do.

2nd Corinthians   Chapter Twelve  

Visions and revelations
[verses 1-10]  

...
-2. I am acquainted with [מכיר, MahKeeYR] a man in Anointed, that, before fourteen years, was taken [נלקח, NeeLQahH] unto the firmament [הרקיע, HahRahQeeY`ah] the third;
I do not [אנני, ’ahNehNeeY] know if in his body or from out to his body; the Gods knows.  

“As verse seven shows, Paul was the ‘man in Christ’ … because they are not his own achievement, he chooses to refer to them in this indirect way … since ancient Jewish writings varied the number of heavens pictured (three and seven were the most usual suggestions, we cannot be sure; it generally means the place of the blessed, or the state of separate spirits.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, VI p. 352)  
“The Jews talk of seven heavens: and Mohammed has received the same from them; but these are not only fabulous but absurd. I shall enumerate those of the Jews. 1. The velum or curtain, וילון [VeeYLON], ‘which in the morning is folded up; and in the evening stretched out.’ Isai. [Isaiah] xi.22 ‘He stretched out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. 2. The firmament, or expanse, רקיע [RahQeeY'ah], ‘in which the sun, moon, stars and constellations are fixed.’ Gen. [Genesis] 1:17 ‘And God placed them in the firmament of heaven. 3. The clouds, or ether, שחקים [ShahHahQeeYM], ‘where the millstones are which grind the manna for the righteous,’ Psal. [Psalm] lxxviii.23, ‘though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven; and had rained down manna.’ 5. The dwelling place, מעון [Mah`ON], ‘where the troops of angels sing throughout the night, but are silent in the day time, because of the glory of the Israelites’ … 6. The fixed residence, מכון [MahKhON], ‘where are the treasures of snow and hail; the repository of noxious dews, of drops and whirlwind; the grotto of exhalations’ … 7. The Araboth, ערבות, ['ahRahBOTh], ‘where are justice, judgment, mercy, the treasures of life; peace and blessedness; the souls of the righteous which are reserved for the bodies yet to formed; and the dew by which God is to vivify the dead … Psal. lxvii.4 “Extol him who riddeth on the heavens בערבות ba-araboth, by his name Jah.  
All this is sufficiently unphilosophical and in several cases ridiculous.  
In the Sacred Writings, three heavens only are mentioned, the first is the atmosphere, what appears to be intended by רקיע rakia, the firmament or expansion, Gen. 1.6. The second is the starry heaven; where are the sun, moon, planets, and stars, but these two are often expressed in the one term שמים [ShahMahYeeM, “skies”] shamayim, the two heavens, or expansion; and in Gen. 1.17 they appear to be both expressed by רקיע השמים, rakia hashamayim, the firmament of heaven. And, thirdly, the place of the blessed, or the throne of the divine glory probably expressed by the words שמים השמים shamayim hashamayim; the heaven of heavens.  
Much more may be seen in Schoetgen, who has exhausted the subject; and who has shown that ascending to heaven, or being caught up to heaven, is a form of speech among the Jewish writers, to express the highest degree of inspiration.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, VI pp. 351-352)  

-3. I know a man like this - I do not know if in his body or from out to his body, God knows - 4. that was taken unto Garden of ’ayDehN [“Lord”, Eden],  

“The Jewish writers have no less than four paradises: as they have seven heavens … The Mohammedans call it جنت الفردوس jennet alferdos, the garden of paradise: and say that God created it out of light, and that it is the habitation of the prophets and wise men.  
Among Christian writers, it generally means the place of the blessed; or the state of separate spirits. Whether the third heaven and paradise be the same place we cannot absolutely say; they probably are not.” (Adam Clarke, 1831) VI p. 352  

and heard words [מילים, MeeLeeYM] that are not to be spoken [לבטאן, LeBahT’ahN], that are forbidden to ’ahDahM to word [למללן, LeMahLeLahN].  

“The Jews thought, that the divine name, the Tetragrammaton יהוה Yehovah, should not be uttered; and that it is absolutely unlawful to pronounce it; indeed they say that the true pronunciation is utterly lost, and cannot be recovered without express revelation. Not one of them, to the present day, ever attempts to utter it; and when they meet with it in their reading, always supply its place with אדני [’ahDoNah-eeY, “My Lords”] Adonai, Lord.” ((Adam Clarke, 1831, VI p. 352)  

...
-7. And in order [וכדי, OoKheDaY] that I not be lifted [אתנשא, ’ehThNahSay’] because of [בגלל, BeeGLahL] the revelations the ascending, was given to me a thorn [קוץ, QOTs] in my flesh – a messenger of the Adversary [Satan] – to smite me [להכותני, LeHahKOThayNeeY], in order that I not be lifted.  

“What must he have suffered on account of an eminent Church being perverted and torn to pieces by a false teacher?” … Satan, the adversary of God’s truth, sent a man to preach lies … and turn the Church of God into his own synagogue.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, VI p. 353)  

-8. Upon that I implored [התחננתי, HeeThHahNahNTheeY] three times unto the Lord to remove him [להסירו, LahHahÇeeYRO] from me.  

“‘I besought the Lord’ That is, Christ, as the next verse absolutely proves: and the Socinians^v themselves confess. And if Christ be an object of prayer, in it is a sure proof of his divinity; for only an omniscient being can be made an object of prayer. (Adam Clarke, 1831, VI p. 353)  

...  

…………………………………………………  
Worry of the sent-forth [Apostle] to Corinthians [verses 11 to end of chapter]  

…
-12. Lo, signs of the acquaintance of the sent-forth were done in your midst [בקרבכם, BeQeeRBeKhehM], in his full [במלוא, BeeMeLo’] forbearance, in signs, and in wonders [ובמופתים, OoBeMOPhTheeYM], and braveries.  

“The study of the N.T. [New Testament] miracles may best begin with this passage, Rom. [Romans] 15:19, and Gal. [Galatians] 3:5. Writing to churches that would have challenged him had he falsified the facts, Paul refers unhesitatingly, to such miracles; he knows that even his enemies cannot deny their occurrence … Moreover this verse implies clearly that other true apostles were doing similar mighty works.” (Filson, 1953, X. 411)  

...
-15. And I in happiness give also [את, ’ehTh (indicator of direct object; no English equivalent)] what that have to me, and also [את, ’ehTh] myself to sake of your souls.
If I love you in measure [במידה, BeMeeYDaH] more [יתרה, YeThayRaH] will you love me in measure less [פחותה, PeHOoThaH]?”  

“If I be asked, ‘Should Christian parents lay up money for their children?’ I answer – It is the duty of every parent, who can, to lay up what is necessary to put every child in a condition to earn its bread. If he neglect this, he undoubtedly sins against God and nature. ‘But should not a man lay up besides this, a fortune for his children, if he can honestly?’ I answer, Yes, if there be no poor within his reach: no good work which he can assist; no heathen region on the earth to which he can contribute to send the Gospel of Jesus; but not otherwise. God shows, in the course of his providence, that this laying up of fortunes for children is not right; for there is scarcely ever a case where money has been saved up to make the children independent, and gentlemen, in which God has not cursed the blessing. It was saved from the poor; from the ignorant; from the cause of God; and the canker of his displeasure consumed this ill saved property.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, VI p. 355)  
“From St. Paul we receive two remarkable sayings of our Lord, which are of infinite value to the welfare and salvation of man; which are properly parts of the Gospel but are not mentioned by any evangelist… The first is in Acts xx.25 ‘I have showed you the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive”’… the second is recorded in the ninth verse of this chapter, ‘He said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”’… of these two most blessed sayings, St. Paul is the only evangelist.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, p. 356)

...   FOOTNOTES   [v] Socinianism is a form of Antitrinitarianism, named for Laelius Socinus (died 1562 in Zürich) … one of the founders of a religious society that had to operate secretly in order to avoid persecution. In 1574 the Socinians, who referred to themselves as Unitarians, issued a "Catechism of the Unitarians," in which they laid out their views of the nature and perfection of the Godhead, as well as other principles of their group.  
The group became more widely known in Poland and began to prosper, opening colleges and publishing literature, until 1638, when the Socinians were banished from Poland by the Catholics.  
Socinians held views rooted in rationality only and rejected orthodox teachings on the Trinity and on the divinity of Jesus, as summarised in the Racovian Catechism. They also believed that God's omniscience was limited to what was a necessary truth in the future (what would definitely happen), and did not apply to what was a contingent truth (what might happen). They believed that, if God knew every possible future, human free will was impossible; and as such rejected the "hard" view of omniscience. They are to be differentiated from Arians, who believed in a preexistent Christ. The Socinians held that the Son of God did not exist until he was born a man.  
The Socinians congregated especially in Transylvania, in Poland …and in the Netherlands. They were driven from their seat at Raków in 1643.  
Socinianism is considered to be an antecedent or early form of Unitarianism and the term is still used today to refer to the belief that Jesus did not preexist his life as a human.  
Note: In Christianity, Socinianism is also called Psilanthropism, the presumed etymology of "psilanthropism" stems from the Greek psilo (merely, only) and anthropos (man, human being).  
Psilanthropism was rejected by the ecumenical councils, especially in the First Council of Nicaea, which was convened to deal directly with this. Beliefs similar to those of Socinianism continue today in Christian groups such as the Christadelphians and the Church of the Blessed Hope.  
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Chapter Thirteen – Warnings, last  
-1. This [זו, ZO] is time the third I come to you. “Upon mouth of two witnesses or upon mouth of three witnesses is realized a word.”  

“He quotes Deut. [Deuteronomy] 19:15 to warn that trials will be held, witnesses heard, and penalties imposed; as 12:21 indicates, this will mean exclusion from the Church if there is no repentance.” (Filson, 1953, X p.407)  

-2. In my being with you in time the second already [כבר, KeBahR] I said, and now, as that I am not with you, I anticipate [מקדים, MahQDeeYM] and say to [the] same men that sinned in [the] past, and to all the rest,  

“It was from the O.T. [Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible] and the Jews, rather than from the Greeks, that the Christian faith inherited the strong standard of pure living.” (Filson, 1953, X p. 417)  

that if I come again, I will not have pity [אחוס, ’ahHOoÇ].
…
-14. Mercy [of] the lord YayShOo`ah ["Savior", Jesus], the anointed and beloved of the Gods, and fellowship in Spirit the Holy, be with all of you.  

'“This text, as well as that of Matt. [Matthew] lii.16, and that other, Matt. xxviii.19 strongly mark the doctrine of the Holy Trinity … and had not the apostle been convinced that there was a personality in this ever blessed and undivided Trinity, he could not have expressed himself thus.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, VI p. 357)  
“Only Eph [Ephesians] 5:23 is comparable to this triadic benediction, which is not a Trinitarian formula in the dogmatic sense.” (Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, 1990) p. 829    

An Amateur's Journey Through the Bible

Yesterday’s reading of John’s prologue was definitely a deeper reading, one where every little detail could be picked apart and discussed for hours. It also mentioned John the Baptist briefly in vss 6-8 as “a witness to bear witness about the light.” Today’s reading switches over to a more standard historical/narrative format details John’s teaching to the priests and levits as well as his interaction with Jesus.

John 1:19-34 (ESV)

The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Behold, the Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

1. John’s coming is generally thought to fulfill the promise of Elijah returning in Malachi 4:5-6. Jesus even makes this claim explicitly in Matthew 11:14 and in Matthew 17:10-13. Yet here in today’s reading John denies the association to Elijah. How do you understand this association, and why do you think John denied it here?
   
2. What prophecy of Isaiah is John referencing in vs. 23? How did John fulfill it?
   
3. John said his purpose in baptizing with water was that Christ “might be revealed to Israel” (Vs. 31). How did John’s baptism do this?
   
4. What is the significance of the Holy Spirit descending here at Jesus’ baptism?
   
5. John calls Jesus “the lamb of God.” How does this connect to our recent study of Leviticus?