I'm trying to build a custom realtime observability pipeline, for generic applications. A semi-professional project in this case, but still homelabby.
What I'm looking for is to benchmark all stages (pre-processing, insert into storage, retrieval, post-processing) as much as possible.
My idea is creating a custom client that retrieves the data, then inserts it into a database, either directly or through software like Zabbix, and then go display that grafana.
And from then on make a comparison of what works better.
And for that I'm looking for real time data feeds available to query, and transform, as I find it a much more realistic example than a random number generator.
Also, beggars can't be choosers, but it would be better if they weren't stock markets feeds.

Lmao I have never talked about this with anyone but I‘m a nonbinary lesbian (21 y/o) and I‘m pretty masc presenting but also with a strong feminine side. I wear baggy clothes most of the time but I also love accentuating my body (in summer or on parties) because I do a lot of sports and kind of have something to present lol. I remember growing up: after I realized I‘m gay, I wanted to become so good looking, that cute queer women would turn their heads after me on the street (I think I achieved that over the years).
Now the problem is: I‘m a super awkward person. I‘m not vulgar. I don’t have a dominant personality. I am nice; truly a golden retriever lesbian. I am considerate and I‘m scared of overstepping boundaries. In general; I am not an overly sexual person. Therefore I have like no dating game.
I don’t know; I don’t feel comfortable being super sexual. I never was; I believe this comes also from internalized homophobia and generally feeling a lot of shame around sex and sometimes also my sexuality.
I kinda envy bisexual women who can just easily sweep women/enbys and men off their feet with their seductive energy; HOWEVER I DON‘T WANT TO BE SEXUALIZED BY MEN it makes me want to crawl out of my skin and vomit and I hate being catcalled by men and ideally I don’t want to exist to men; like please don’t perceive me at all.
Can anyone relate? And has anyone advice on how to be “sexier“ as a masc lesbian without being sexualized by men?
I appreciate any thoughts and advice lmao

Kali Yuga Timeline- The Age of Demon Linga Purana describes the following symptoms of the Kali Yuga. • Thieves will become kings, and kings will be the thieves. • Rulers will confiscate property and use it badly. They will cease to protect the people. • Base men who have gained a certain amount of learning (without having the virtues necessary for its use) will be esteemed as sages. • There will be many displaced persons, wandering from one country to another. • Predatory animals will be more violent. • Fetuses will be killed in the wombs of their mothers. • People will prefer to choose false ideas. • No one will be able to trust anyone else. • People will be envious. • There will be many children born whose life expectancy is no more than 16 years. • People suffering from hunger and fear will take refuge in underground shelters. • Young girls will do trade in their virginity. • The god of clouds will be inconsistent in the distribution of the rains. • Shopkeepers will run dishonest businesses. • There will be many beggars and unemployed people. • Everyone will use hard and vulgar language. • Men will devote themselves to earning money; the richest will hold power. • The state leaders will no longer protect the people but, through taxes, will appropriate all wealth. • Water will be lacking. • Pre-cooked food will be readily available. This Kali Yuga spans for a long time period of 432,000 years, although multiple other durations have been proposed by many. Human civilization degenerates spiritually during the Kali Yuga,which is referred to as the Dark Age because in it people are as far away as possible from God. Ancient Vedic religion often symbolically represents dharma as a bull. In Satya Yuga, the first stage of development, the bull has four legs, but in each age dharma is reduced by one quarter. 

By the age of Kali, dharma is reduced to only a quarter of that of the golden age, so that the bull of Dharma has only one leg now.

Battle to death. I think Joe has a decent chanche of keep the dog at it’s distance and as soon as the dog comes near he would beat him with his punches/kicks to it’s neck or head. But if the dog gets a good bite and Rogan couldn’t do much after the sheer pain then it’s game over. Joe owns a Golden Retriever himself and said that the dog could probably kill him but I doubt it.

Sometimes when I walk my golden retriever he lays down and refuses to move if I go in a direction he doesn't want. When my boyfriend is with us all he has to do is stand over him and tell him to get up and he will move because he knows that he is strong enough to just lift him up if he doesn't. However when it's just me, I can't get him on his feet, especially when he rolls onto his back and starts flailing his legs. I think he knows this. Treats or sticks thrown in the direction we need to go will work sometimes but not always. He also is very content to stay there if I try to wait it out. What else can I try?

Hi everyone, I'm very new to Unreal and trying to learn how everything works via tutorials and the documentation on unreal's website. I have one project under my belt however it was a gmod deathrun-style obstacle course and it was very short and simple. For my current project I wanted to get a bit more complex and try for a wave based zombie game. My objectives for this game were to learn how to use free 3d characters and animate them without the templated BP_ThirdPersonCharacter, and to learn how to create a combat system.
My problem is I don't know how to animate this character I've retrieved, and all the tutorials I'm seeing are assuming that I already have an animation made, for example a running animation ready to plug in to the sequencer or into an animation blueprint. Is it possible for me to make animations without going to a third party software? If so, how do I plug those anims into a blueprint that will apply it to the player character?
TLDR; Is there a way I can animate a 3d character model in engine to have the player move around and attack?

Would like to say sorry for long post!
Hey. Me and my parents are first time dog owners. We have a 6 month old golden retriever, Zoey.
Recently we and two other families decided to go to a resort for the weekend. First we looked into dog friendly ones but those had no rooms so we had to chose a non dog friendly one.
So we decided to go for dog boarding. Our neighbors have a dog. They recommended us a place which said were good. This place had live camera access as well.
We dropped her Friday afternoon and picked up Sunday afternoon. We gave her food and treats and some of her toys. I am not sure exactly how much food we gave them but it was >1k grams.(purina pro plan large robust puppy).
Now the problem. When we went to pick her up. They said she refused to eat in the morning.(wierd, she is a foodie, but nothing impossible) When she came, we thought she will be excited and go crazy. She greeted us as she would greet people she would meet on walk. We thought she is tired. Took her home. She fell asleep. Woke up after 2 hours. We gave 150g of food. She ate it. My mom took her out for pee and potty. When she came back she slept again. Then she woke up after like 4-5 hours. At this point my dad had started suspecting they didn't feed her and drugged her. I gave her some food again.(150g) She wanted more. Gave another 75g, she ate that quickly as well and still looked like she wanted more. I took her out for pee and when I brought her back. Guess what she slept. I measured the food we got back and adding the one she ate already it came about to 750g. Even during the pee walk she seemed scared of cars and the outside world and seemed in a state of shock. Never been like that before. My dad says he is 100% sure they didn't feed her and gave her sleeping pills. What do you guys think?
Note: She is a field line breed so you can guess just how much energy she normally has.

Happy Sunday! Can any of our mods let me know if they saw my message?
For transparency purposes… 😇
I wanted to make sure it was okay to post my pittie’s fundraiser here to help us cover autoimmune/allergy vet care. Long story but we had to unexpectedly spent over $20,000 last year in vet bills.
Luckily we were able to raise enough funds to help us cover some of our golden retriever’s second TPLO but we didn’t get much support for our pittie. 😢 Most came from our own family that knows and loves our baby Belle…
I welcome other ideas or boards of where to post. Our golden retriever’s GFM was for way much. Honestly we are just trying to help us cover Belle’s shots (one at a time and only IF needed -,as in we can’t come up with the funds on time and she’s in full misery).
It is not a lot compared to Amber’s surgery but… 🤷🏻‍♀️ I really don’t want to assume it’s because of the breed. 💔

Super Saiyan 4 - I've actually never watched Dragon Ball GT but I know some things about it. For instance, there's the golden great ape, which is basically the Ozaru form turned Super Saiyan 1. I find it quite cool that the writers tried to rescue the old lore from the original Dragon Ball. In Dragon Ball Z, they pretty much ignore the fact that all Saiyans have a tail and that they are able to turn into a giant monkey. I don't know if the SS4 has any relationship with the Ozaru form, but judging by the design, I would say yes. You can see that Goku and Vegeta keep their tails and body hair. Art-wise, I would say this transformation is maybe the best; it's such a pity that it doesn't make part of the canon. Rating: 9/10
Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan - Now back to the canon. In this transformation, a Saiyan who reached the level of a Super Saiyan god turns into Super Saiyan 1. At least that's what I could piece together watching the anime. The only visual difference between a Super Saiyan 1 and this transformation is that instead of blonde hair, the Saiyan has blue hair. The problem with this transformation is that it's pretty useless. I mean, in theory, it's a strong transformation, but I can't recall any time Goku or Vegeta actually beat someone using this transformation. It's the most useless transformation of all time. Rating: 5/10
Super Saiyan Rosé - It's the same transformation as the previous one, except it's a different color. You can tell the writers were really eager to create new transformations and teeming with ideas. I think the explanation for the color being different is because it's a god possessing the body of a Saiyan or something like that. It isn't as bad a transformation as the previous one because Zamasu actually manages to beat somebody. Rating: 6/10
Ultra Instinct - Guess what happens with the Saiyan who reaches this transformation? Exactly! They change their hair color! This time the chosen color is grey. It's actually pretty smart to just change the hair color for each transformation because you don't have to spend brain power trying to create some visually appealing material. And you will never run out of colors. You can just change the hue a little bit and call it a new transformation. But anyway, this transformation produced lots of memes, which increases its value a little bit. Rating: 7.5/10

my golden retriever puppy is 16 weeks old and has developed some pretty intense fear. she was meant to be my service dog, so this is quite heartbreaking.
she started off very confident— nothing scared her, but i did notice that she had some separation anxiety from the start. anyway, she is well socialized. she went to the gun range, to various stores and malls, even parades and festivals. she never showed fear and was friendly with everyone. i should note, she did all this in a stroller as she wasn’t fully vaccinated yet. it’s also important to say, we’ve only ever used force free and positive reinforcement training!
Anyway, these past few weeks, it’s like her personality has done a complete 180. the confident, cheerful puppy is now skittish. here’s a few examples:

• we had to move a chair into the hallway for a day or two and she absolutely refused to walk past it. she wouldn’t leave my room. i had to carry her and she clung onto me.
• she is scared of the vacuum. this never spooked her before, but now she will stand near the back door making this whining/groaning/barking (idk what it is to be honest) sound every time it turns on. she will not go near it.
• we moved a suitcase into the living room and she refused to go near it. we can’t even put it into a new room because the sound and sight freaks her out. plus, she would see it in the new room and not want to go in there anymore.
• a kitchen chair was out of place at the kitchen table and she once again refused to go near it.
• if we move the kitchen chairs around her she gets spooked.
• our other dogs barking freak her out
• scared of a toilet plunger that we moved temporarily into the laundry room, which is where we keep her food so she wouldn’t eat in there anymore.
• scared of cars engines
• tried to bolt when she saw a man lifting a flower pot
• and more.

every day it’s a new fear. i purchased her from a breeder who was awarded breeder of merit by the AKC, so i trusted she would be a healthy, mentally stable dog. he even did aptitude testing and she scored well on it. he assured me she would be a confident dog, which i asked him about multiple times. it was, and still is, VERY important to me. but this puppy’s fear is so prominent, she just won’t thrive in my household— not even as a pet (rather than a service dog). i paid so much for her and have grown so attached… i am having near constant breakdowns over this. its so unfair and i feel like a horrible person. yet i know that in my busy home of 6 people, she just won’t thrive.
this is so painful. i’m so lost on what to do. i feel like returning her to him to find a better, more suitable (quiet, less chaotic) home would be best, but just the thought is so painful.

I always hallucinate off my meds and see my main hallucination Kevin holding a stuffed animal that I own, he even named it and gave it an entire personality.
He told he he got it as a baby it was a baby shower gift to him from my mom. Since he also said I'm his parent.
I find this very adorable and uniquely Infatuating. Off my meds, he causes my body to physically feel his crippling anxiety and the stuffed animal I own helps him, I hold it and I can feel him calming down, the stuffed animal soothes him, it's his comfort even though he is only a hallucination.
I was wondering if anybody else with schizophrenia/schizoaffective has experienced this exact, or something oddly similar.

I always hallucinate off my meds and see my main hallucination Kevin holding a stuffed animal that I own, he even named it and gave it an entire personality.
He told he he got it as a baby it was a baby shower gift to him from my mom. Since he also said I'm his parent.
I find this very adorable and uniquely Infatuating. Off my meds, he causes my body to physically feel his crippling anxiety and the stuffed animal I own helps him, I hold it and I can feel him calming down, the stuffed animal soothes him, it's his comfort even though he is only a hallucination.
I was wondering if anybody else with schizophrenia/schizoaffective has experienced this exact, or something oddly similar.

I always hallucinate off my meds and see my main hallucination Kevin holding a stuffed animal that I own, he even named it and gave it an entire personality.
He told he he got it as a baby it was a baby shower gift to him from my mom. Since he also said I'm his parent.
I find this very adorable and uniquely Infatuating. Off my meds, he causes my body to physically feel his crippling anxiety and the stuffed animal I own helps him, I hold it and I can feel him calming down, the stuffed animal soothes him, it's his comfort even though he is only a hallucination.
I was wondering if anybody else with schizophrenia/schizoaffective has experienced this exact, or something oddly similar.

Why do animated characters (Moana, Merida, Isabel, etc..) have such realistic and detailed appearing hair, but obviously exaggerated/animated facial features?
Is this a cost thing or a design thing? A little bit of both? Some of the details in these movies are mind blowing…and then their faces look like cartoons. Didn’t understand why.
The level of detail in the water running off Moana’s hair, or the tangential lighting falling on Merida’s hair in Brave is truly amazing and I really enjoy how they’re able to make characters feel more alive. In all of these movies you can see almost every single strand of hair. And it feels like the examples are innumerable from Flynn Rider to Kristoff to Mama Coco.
However, if you contrast this with the exaggerated eyes, complete lack of skin definition, and abnormal facial proportions it makes for unique and, I would argue, odd appearing characters. When Pixar and others really got up and running, I assumed this contrast was a limitation of the technology of the time and that it would be remedied as development improved. Instead all I’ve seen is the hair detail become even more incredible and therefore the contrast become even more stark. Just wondering if there was some reason behind this that I didn’t know about. Thanks

Edit: Just something to note. I can only start a new game after I die, if I try to load any old save the game crashes after I die with that character...
​
Skyrim SSE v1.6.640
CrashLoggerSSE v1-8-0-0 Feb 1 2023 00:20:05
​
Unhandled exception "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION" at 0x7FFEC36F526D OSA.dll+003526D movss [rcx+0x34], xmm0
​
SYSTEM SPECS:

OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Home v10.0.22621 CPU: AuthenticAMD AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with Radeon Graphics GPU #1: AMD Cezanne \[Radeon Vega Series / Radeon Vega Mobile Series\] GPU #2: Microsoft Basic Render Driver PHYSICAL MEMORY: 8.69 GB/13.90 GB 

​
PROBABLE CALL STACK:

\[ 0\] 0x7FFEC36F526D OSA.dll+003526D \[ 1\] 0x7FF73437925E SkyrimSE.exe+138925E -> 104854+0x20E mov esi, \[rdi+0x84\] \[ 2\] 0x7FF7343799AC SkyrimSE.exe+13899AC -> 104857+0x17C jmp 0x00007FF7343799C3 \[ 3\] 0x7FF73436E524 SkyrimSE.exe+137E524 -> 104767+0x104 lea r8, \[rbp+0x67\] \[ 4\] 0x7FF733952237 SkyrimSE.exe+0962237 -> 53926+0xEE7 test r15b, r15b \[ 5\] 0x7FF733668EF3 SkyrimSE.exe+0678EF3 -> 39074+0x23 xor ebx, ebx \[ 6\] 0x7FF733C5C628 SkyrimSE.exe+0C6C628 -> 69378+0xD8 mov ecx, \[rbx+0x0C\] \[ 7\] 0x7FF733C5CBF1 SkyrimSE.exe+0C6CBF1 -> 69380+0x361 mov r15d, eax \[ 8\] 0x7FF733C5AF7A SkyrimSE.exe+0C6AF7A -> 69344+0x8A movzx eax, byte ptr \[rbx+0xA74\] \[ 9\] 0x7FF733C35E4D SkyrimSE.exe+0C45E4D -> 68445+0x3D mov rcx, \[0x00007FF735FF6898\] \[10\] 0x7FFF0CF826BD KERNEL32.DLL+00126BD \[11\] 0x7FFF0DE8A9F8 ntdll.dll+005A9F8 

​
REGISTERS:

RAX 0x0 (size\_t) \[0\] RCX 0x0 (size\_t) \[0\] RDX 0x86BF1FF028 (void\*) RBX 0x86BF1FF028 (void\*) RSP 0x86BF1FEF40 (void\*) RBP 0x86BF1FEFC0 (void\*) RSI 0x1C13DB7D670 (Events::EventListener::CheckPapyrusUndressingCallbackFunctor\*) RDI 0x1C13E311CC0 (void\*) R8 0x1 (size\_t) \[1\] R9 0xB (size\_t) \[11\] R10 0xFFFFFFFA (size\_t) \[4294967290\] R11 0xB (size\_t) \[11\] R12 0x0 (size\_t) \[0\] R13 0x7FF73625ACF8 (void\* -> SkyrimSE.exe+326ACF8 add \[rax\], al) R14 0x1C08BEDB5F0 (BSScript::Internal::VirtualMachine\*) R15 0x1 (size\_t) \[1\] 

​
STACK: (Removed because text limit)
SKSE PLUGINS:

BetterJumpingSE.dll cbp.dll ConsoleUtilSSE.dll v1.4 CrashLogger.dll v1.8 DynamicAnimationReplacer.dll v1.1.3 FaceGenFixes.dll v1.0.3 fiss.dll Fuz Ro D'oh.dll v2.3.6.1030 JContainers64.dll v4.2.3 OBody.dll v1 OSA.dll v0.3 PapyrusUtil.dll Paraglider.dll v1.10.0.1 po3\_SpellPerkItemDistributor.dll v6.4.0.1 po3\_Tweaks.dll v1.8.0.1 SexLabUtil.dll SimpleDualSheath.dll v1.5.4 skee64.dll TrueHUD.dll v1.1.8 

​
PLUGINS:

Light: 109 Regular: 135 Total: 244 \[00\] Skyrim.esm \[01\] Update.esm \[02\] Dawnguard.esm \[03\] HearthFires.esm \[04\] Dragonborn.esm \[05\] ccasvsse001-almsivi.esm \[06\] ccbgssse001-fish.esm \[07\] cctwbsse001-puzzledungeon.esm \[08\] cceejsse001-hstead.esm \[09\] ccbgssse016-umbra.esm \[0A\] ccbgssse031-advcyrus.esm \[0B\] ccbgssse067-daedinv.esm \[0C\] ccbgssse025-advdsgs.esm \[0D\] cceejsse005-cave.esm \[0E\] ccafdsse001-dwesanctuary.esm \[0F\] Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch.esp \[10\] Lanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - Main.esm \[11\] Heels Sound.esm \[12\] Magicka Sabers.esm \[13\] LegacyoftheDragonborn.esm \[14\] 3DNPC.esp \[15\] Skyrim Extended Cut - Saints and Seducers.esp \[16\] FISS.esp \[17\] SexLab.esm \[18\] SexLabAroused.esm \[19\] BSAssets.esm \[1A\] BSHeartland.esm \[1B\] BS\_DLC\_patch.esp \[1C\] DreadPrison.esp \[1D\] FlowerGirls SE.esm \[1E\] SkyUI\_SE.esp \[1F\] Immersive Sounds - Compendium.esp \[20\] TheEyesOfBeauty.esp \[21\] KS Hairdo's.esp \[22\] UIExtensions.esp \[23\] EnhancedLightsandFX.esp \[24\] Weapons Armor Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp \[25\] Distinct Interiors.esp \[26\] Summermyst - Enchantments of Skyrim.esp \[27\] ELFX - Exteriors.esp \[28\] JKs Skyrim.esp \[29\] Cutting Room Floor.esp \[2A\] Skyrim Immersive Creatures Special Edition.esp \[2B\] Helgen Reborn.esp \[2C\] Cidhna Mine Expanded.esp \[2D\] Immersive Encounters.esp \[2E\] OpulentThievesGuild.esp \[2F\] Odin - Skyrim Magic Overhaul.esp \[30\] ELFX - Weathers.esp \[31\] OwnCivilWar.esp \[32\] Akaviri Ruins of Savirien-Chorak.esp \[33\] Hothtrooper44\_ArmorCompilation.esp \[34\] Bathing in Skyrim - Main.esp \[35\] plebWithoutWaterMod.esp \[36\] RaceMenu.esp \[37\] RaceMenuPlugin.esp \[38\] dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp \[39\] EBT - IC PATCH.esp \[3A\] FNIS.esp \[3B\] RaceMenuMorphsCBBE.esp \[3C\] DiverseDragonsCollectionSE.esp \[3D\] VampireLordFlys.esp \[3E\] XPMSE.esp \[3F\] TakeNotes.esp \[40\] Footprints.esp \[41\] Realistic-Voice.esp \[42\] UltimateDragons.esp \[43\] Bandanas of Skyrim.esp \[44\] throwsmallstone.esp \[45\] Extended Encounters.esp \[46\] RaceMenuHH.esp \[47\] Moonlight Tales Special Edition.esp \[48\] Schlongs of SkyrimSE - 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Hi everyone! To start, I know I am probably overly sentimental, and it's hard for me to let to of things.
I would really appreciate some advice on how to decide on decluttering toys, and also organizing stuffed animals. I have 2 kids, 3 years apart. A lot of the toys and things we have for our eldest, we kept for our youngest to play with and sometimes they play together. But my eldest is 6 so it's a LOT of stuff, and hard to let go of things they still play with or that my youngest would enjoy. But obviously we can get rid of stuff, I just don't know where to begin and how to really decide when they still use it.
The stuff they don't use or haven't used in a while, we have donated or tossed depending on condition. Strategies or advice would really be helpful.
My kids are attached to their stuffies, so for those I think we just need some organization ideas for a small place. I thought about one of those hanging nets but I feel like they would accumulate dust too quickly? I don't really know.
Thanks!

20th of Uktar
This envelope- in addition to the letter- has a thick sheaf of parchment covered in scribbled notes on the topic of fire resistance.

Dear Meriada,

Is it wise to write instead of trancing properly? No, of course not. I’d have told any of you off for it when we were together. But letter-writing seems a better use of my time than staring at the wall.
My caravan will be leaving in a few hours- I’ve long since been packed, and said my goodbyes. My family isn’t happy that I’m traveling again- I get the sense that after four decades of depression followed by a dozen near-death experiences in the span of two weeks, they’d much prefer I stay at home. I can’t blame them for that- when I have children, I’ll probably feel the same. But I can’t stay in one place anymore.
It’s tempting, though. My father was advocating for it- he always saw my holiday from academia as temporary, something that I’d go back to when I was ready. And now that I’m happy and phenomenally powerful and rich enough to study whatever I want(and now that I have a partner that he actually likes, he was never fond of Eöl)- he doesn’t see why I wouldn’t return to what I’d always loved.
I think my mother understands, though. She helped me prepare, gave me a list of places she’d enjoyed seeing when she was two hundred and wandering the world. And I think she managed to convince Dad that I wasn’t going to be gallivanting off into another death trap.Unfortunately, she’s not quite right. That, I have kept very quiet.
Though to understand that bit, I should probably finish the last letter’s narrative and get you up to speed. When I left off(a few hours ago, natch)- I had mentioned there were four things that stopped me from retreating back into a monastic life, where I had complete control and nothing could ever hurt me again. Two were my favorite tieflings- but the third came as quite a surprise.
That surprise materialized as a hissing, sopping-wet bundle of fur that I found on the beach one morning while pulling in my fishing nets. The poor cat had gotten tangled in the net while trying to retrieve his breakfast, and he’d been yowling loud enough to wake the dead by the time I cut him free.I’m… not really fond of animals, Meriada. Even with handsome, well-mannered ones like Truffle, I’ve never gotten on well. And I wasn’t terribly inclined to like this one, either- he’d bitten me several times and eaten half my catch for the day by the time I got him out. I was quite prepared to send him on her way, dispense with the distraction, and get back to work.And then I didn’t.Weeks later, and I was spending time I had reserved for writing or notating gravestones combing his fur and cooking his meals and figuring out if it was possible to turn a mundane animal into a wizard’s familiar. Davian had warmed to me by then, and he was a welcome comfort on the long, dark evenings where my only distraction was a dying fire and twenty-five words from Lucian. I couldn’t spend days laid in bed, listening to the ocean and wishing it could drown out the memories. I had a cat to feed.
I was coming around, thankfully. And, with time, I think these forces would’ve forced me out of my rut. Within ten or fifteen years, I think I could’ve shaken off the forces of ennui and trauma and made my way back to the world. Not so terrible, compared to forty- only a decade lost in the dark. Only a decade alone, this time.I got lucky, Meriada. It only took six months.And that was because when I woke up one morning in early Eyule, I found that I wasn’t alone in the ruins of Aufstra. A band of Thayan slavers had come to town, and were using my people’s graveyard as a convenient rest stop before continuing back towards their home territories.
I spent the day watching their camp, listening to them tell stories about the ghosts that they were sure haunted this place. Long ago, they said, a whole elven city had been wiped out- and that if you listened carefully, on dark nights you could still hear their ghosts wail in agony.Their captives were in bad shape- ragged, emaciated, and a very long way from home. Their future fate was clear- the same as what happened to those of my people that the Thayans didn’t simply kill. A hundred years, and nothing had changed. Not a fucking thing.
Even the thought of trying something was idiotic, of course. The slavers had nearly a dozen people. They had one of the Red Wizards traveling with them for security. I was one, singular, person. No one would expect this of me. This wasn’t my fault. This wasn’t my fight.
But whenever I tried to ignore them, a memory would keep calling me back. Of my mother, when I was very young, proudly telling me about the meaning of my name.
Aerthrandir. Protector of Wanderers.
I crept into their camp in the dead of night. I used all the lessons that you had taught me(even if you never meant to)- stealth, cunning, magic as a lever and not as a bludgeon. And when half the camp was dead- I fought, a feral smile on my lips and the Bladesong in my heart.I try not to be proud of violence, Meriada. But I can’t say I didn’t enjoy taking them apart.
I sheltered the former captives in the ruins for a few days while I figured out a way back for them. The path out of Thayan territory was not easy- that’s probably another letter on its own!- but suffice to say, we made it. And I was suddenly- back in the Sword Coast, with a new cat and a new fire burning in my chest. Or, to be more precise, an old one.I’m still unsure of where my life leads next. But there’s a joy in that uncertainty- one I intend to hold onto. No more hermitage, no more repression, no more fear. Just a life, yet to be lived, by the side of people I’ve come to love.And, as one of those, Meriada, wherever you are, wherever your own guiding lights have led you- I hope you’re well. Talk to you again soon.Your friend,
​

Aerthrandir Aereal

^{High Elf Lore Bard 7, Bladesinger Wizard 6}

The first rays of sunlight splashed on my face waking me up for the day. But I didn’t want to get out of bed. The alarm finally sounded and I quickly turned it off. “Just five more minutes,” I muttered.
“Mark, wake up, it's time for breakfast. Mark? Mark get your butt down here before I come up myself.”
I got up so fast I almost fell flat on my face. “Mom, I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” I yelled, panicking. “I need to brush my teeth and take a shower.”
“Hurry up then,” she responded.
Thank god. She can be really scary when she’s angry.
I turned to face the dashboard in front of me.
“Assistant, turn on the lights and tell me the weather,” I ordered. Unfortunately, I had no response. Oh right, that broke yesterday. Now I have to pay to fix it. I should hurry up and shower. So I headed for my own bathroom. After brushing my teeth I stripped and threw my clothes in the laundry bin. I have to buy more detergent for the washing machine. Why do I have to pay for so many things today?
Cold water caught me off guard in the shower. Unfortunately, I forgot we haven’t paid for this month’s hot water. So I was in a rush to wash up because I hate bathing in cold water. I toweled off and opened my drawer. I grabbed a fresh pair of boxers, a t-shirt and I wore my school uniform on top. It was a black blazer with blue highlights and black plants with black shoes. It had the initials FT for Future Tech, the school I’m enrolled at. However, there was a gold pin that only I had the right to wear with a V imprinted on it for Victor. It was proof that I was number one in my school. It was also like a homing signal for bullies.
After turning on the lights I could see my room clearly now. My hoverboard was strapped to the corner of the wall. My bed was in a mess with sheets and pillows spread all over. My virtual reality set along with my computer was arranged together at my left. With my hoverboard and backpack I walked out the door.
Delicious aromas from my mother’s cooking attacked me when I walked into the kitchen. I smelled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. A big pitcher of orange juice was also on the table along with several clean plates for eating.
“Hello, Mom,” I said. “What’s the occasion? This is a nice spread.”
My mother turned around and sort of smiled. She wore a green shirt with blue sweatpants that had food stains all over. My mom was beautiful. She was caucasian with brighter skin than mine with blue eyes and blond hair. My dad was African American so my skin was a bit darker. However, I inherited her eyes that were brighter than any diamond and her beautiful blond hair. She was 45 but looked 30 and I was lucky to have her.
“So, now you want to get out of bed. I just got paid so I wanted to whip up something special. Eat up because I predict it’ll be a while before you can eat like this again. I’m almost done here, go and eat with your father.”
I gave her a hug and walked to our dining table and sat right next to my father. He’s six feet tall, with strong arms and had a big beard he was super proud of. He was almost 47 but still looked 30 just like my mother. He had a suit and tie on for work and had a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I did the same and my plate was filled with a heap of delectable delicacies.
“Hey, son, how are you doing?” my dad asked in his deep voice.
“ I’m doing fine,” I said in a garbled voice because I was stuffing my mouth with pancakes.
“So, how’s work,” I asked.
“It’s been fine. I'm receiving a pay raise this week,” he said.
“Really?” I almost jumped out of my seat. “That’s great. Recently, some things haven’t been working. I ran out of detergent, my Assistant isn’t working and the hot water stopped running. But don’t worry I’ll pay for all of that stuff by myself. And if there’s anything you need help with-”
“Mark!” my mom cried out.
Oh crap.
“You’re only 16 and you’ve been taking those illegal jobs. What if the government finds you and arrests you. They could imprison you and us or worse. And what about your friend Thomas. Does his mom know about it? Should I contact her?”
“Mom! We need the money and so does Thomas. It's risky but we’re smart enough to not get caught. “
“Mark,” my father said.
“We know that it's difficult for folks like us to make sufficient money to live in District 3. But we moved here despite the difficulties to offer you a better education and better environment.”
“I know!” I yelled.
“But I bet 250 years ago it wasn’t this hard to just live as a normal citizen!”
“They say that the descendants of the Enhanced still live,” my father countered. “They still live in our society planning the destruction of the rest of the world. The people are scared. The government is paranoid. If they discover someone with powers they’ll be hunted down. If they discover if you are associated with one without reporting you could be executed. And if you’re caught in unauthorized territory they’ll execute you.”
“Is that what you want?” my mom demanded.”For both our family and Thomas’ to die! I can’t lose anybody else.”
It kills me to see my mother cry. It also killed me to have to lie to my family. They do so much so I can go to one of the best schools in the country so I can get a good education and a high class job. And live a cushy and luxurious life but I know just how much debt they have even if they don’t know I do. And Thomas’ family is doing even worse than us.
“I’ll stop then and I’ll go to school. Today is our mandatory physical check-up. I’ll meet up with Thomas but don’t worry we won’t do anything illegal.”
My parents both looked at me with total distrust in my eyes.
My mom finally caved in. “Fine, make sure you’re prepared and take the train to school. Make sure you’re careful and follow all instructions!”
“Don’t worry mom,” I grumbled. “It's not like any of us have superpowers anyway.”
I finished my food, grabbed everything I needed and rushed out the door.
Living here is expensive but it sure is amazing if you can succeed.
Even if the world was almost destroyed 250 years ago we sure were able to come a long way in that time. It was great enough that me and Thomas’ parents would try so hard to be able to live here.
At first glance it was beautiful like a dream. Sector 3 was one of the best Districts except 1 and 2.
It buzzed with life with people on their way to work and wherever they needed to go. Cars hovered over the ground at speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour.They made a sort of buzzing noise that was music to my ears. The smells of food cooking in fancy restaurants attacked my nostrils hoping to draw my attention and buy their food. Good thing I had a hearty breakfast because I don’t think I could afford any of them right now. Teenagers like me hung out with their hoverboards doing all types of tricks that could easily backfire in a nearby park. They had neon colored hair, mohawks along with other choices in fashion that my school and I just don’t agree with. Other businesses such as hospitals, hair salons, movie theaters also seemed to attract crowds like a magnet. I even passed by the hospital my mom worked at. It was a huge dark skyscraper with a spacious parking lot with its name Healing Haven Hospital in bright colored letters at the top.
Sector 3 was a great place to live if you could afford it. Although If you looked hard enough you noticed the people that failed to make ends meet. In the slums people slept in man made houses of trash and boxes. Others smoked and did drugs which was kind of illegal. Either they weren’t caught or the soldiers didn’t care enough to check. Children wearing dirty rags who were so skinny you could count their ribs rummaged through trash and fought over any spoils. It wasn’t fair that this greedy government would place laws and taxes that would force them to suffer this horrible fate. I need money whether or not it's legal as long as it can keep my family fed and happy.
15 minutes after I left the house I finally reached the train station. I got off my hoverboard and got in line and thankfully it wasn’t that long. When I reached the doors, I almost had a heart attack. Guarding the door where two sentinels armed to the teeth carrying large guns and dressed in their signature white bulletproof armor.
“Pay up please,” the one on the right said as he stretched out his hand. He held a device that would collect the money you need to take to ride the train.
“Okay,” I agreed with a nervous voice.
I took out my own phone and paid. I was able to get a seat on the train I was keeping all to myself with no troubles.
After we started moving I finally was able to let myself relax. I thought I was this close to being arrested before I could do anything illegal today.
Sentinels are usually stationed in places such as banks and homes of important people like governors. But this is the first time I’ve seen them deployed at a train station. I remember when I wanted to be one when I was a kid and go to District 2 to make lots of money but my parents made me give up that dream. District 2 specializes in military and security. That was where soldiers trained and lived. Higher Ups also had access to a luxurious life in a fancy mansion and more money than what they actually needed. This is where the hovercrafts that soared the sky providing surveillance were built and maintained. Where Epizon’s forces that would protect our country from its threats could prepare for any possibility. Prepare for what I always ask. Most of the world has been destroyed. Africa has never shown any hostility to us. No, they’re just here to enforce this tyrannical government and eliminate any that may possess abilities.
I grabbed my headphones from my backpack and played my favorite songs. At least I can enjoy the view.
It was like I was flying as the train soared through the sky on a railway that snaked throughout the city. Never actually touching since the train was connected through powerful electromagnets saving both energy and money. The city looked even more impressive when you had a bird’s eye view.
Couples and families enjoyed picnics on tables at the Liberty State Park. People walked in and out of the Interpretive Center where history from about 300 years was taught. It still had memorials dedicated to remembering events like what happened centuries ago at 9/11. Now there’s a huge memorial dedicated to those who fought to save us from the Enhanced. It's still so hard to believe that people with super powers exist. I’ve learned about them in history class but they seem so unreal. I’ve never seen somebody shoot fire or fly so either the military is really good at their job or this is all made up.
District 3 of the great utopia Epizon. Named after the Greek word for survivor. When the continents Australia, Europe, South America, and Asia were destroyed in World War Three. By the Enhanced who gained powers that almost destroyed the world. Thankfully, the remnants of North America were able to stand up and defeat all the Enhanced people and create the amazing paradise we live in.
It sounds so unreal it has to be propaganda to control the Sectors.
We flew over the Hudson River Walkway. It was my favorite view on the train ride because I loved the way sunlight would reflect off the pristine turquoise waters. It's a shame we don’t really get to swim or fish though. That’s probably for the best.
The rest of the train ride went fast and before I knew it I was at my stop. I grabbed my hoverboard and raced to school because the Victor can’t be late.
While this District has its downsides it could really get a lot worse from here. However, District 1 was the real paradise. It was where the most important people with the most standing lived. The President, his wife, and other high ranking government officials lived there. In enormous mansions separated by acres where all the other people who enforced laws and taxes that made it difficult for my parents to live and provide for us.
But District 3 was the best place where people who are more fortunate like me could live. As long as you were skilled enough and worked hard enough. My mom was a somewhat prominent doctor at one of the biggest hospitals in this District. District 3 specializes in a lot of fields but the one it specializes in is medical science. Medicine, prosthetics, you can get the best of them from here. And my dad was vice president at a company that released some of the best virtual reality games. Entertainment is just as important as health in Epizon. Which meant I sometimes received popular games before everyone else. I remember so many times my parents and I would play together exploring outer space, fighting monsters. My parents are so cool, right?
You’d think that our life would be a little more luxurious and it was. Unfortunately, the selfish government increased taxes and fees from school started to pile up. As the victor in sophomore year I was exempt from those rules as long as I remained Victor. But my parents have yet to completely finish paying all those debts.
It's dangerous to get lost in your thoughts when you’re traveling 3 feet off the ground at 15 miles per hour on a hoverboard because you might end up running into a moving car. Thankfully, I managed to stop just in time.
“So, the Victor almost crashes to a fatal stop. It would be sad, you know. I’d hate for my best friend to die like that.”
I knew that voice.
I turned around and noticed that mischievous grin with sharp teeth I was so familiar with. With his strong red eyes and messy black hair he could’ve been a criminal. Well he technically should be but we’re too smart to get caught.
“Thomas, how’re you?” I asked as I got off my hoverboard.
“Oh, nothing, just waiting for you,” he replied. “I knew you’d show up here to catch the levitrain.”
He gave me a hug and somehow managed to pick me up and spin me around like something a kid would ask their parents to do.
“How’re you doing my best friend? Did you actually get a huge extravagant meal because I just did. My mom just got paid and she didn’t save a single epi.”
“Yeah, I actually did and so I can actually keep my breakfast and not throw up let me down.”
“Sure!”
“How’re you so strong anyway? I know you work out but are you seriously that strong. Don’t tell me you actually have super strength.”
“I hope I don’t. Life sucks as is but it would get even worse if I suddenly awakened superpowers.”
I feel the same. It’s rough but we can make it better.
“Fistbump!”
We always managed to read each other’s minds.
“Are you ready for these physicals?” I asked.
“I’m so sick of those things,” he replied. “Oh, it’s time for us to cross.”
We both got on our hoverboards and raced towards school.
“Don’t worry about it, you're strong and you’re pretty muscular,” I assured him. “But, I hope you’re not strong enough to throw a car or something.”
“Don’t worry about it, I've already tried. Nah, I’m kidding.”
“So, are we doing that job today,” Thomas asked with a mischievous grin.
“You know it,” I said.
CHAPTER 2
Now you have to admit our school was pretty impressive.
First of all, it was gigantic. It sort of resembled a castle but really high tech in blue, red, and white colors. In the middle FutureTech was printed in red and blue and was highlighted in white. The dorms were on the left side. And the rest of the other facilities and equipment was in the other half. This was FutureTech, a place which was probably the best school a student could ask for. Less than 20% of those who apply here make the cut. And the majority of them were rich kids who could afford to pay the tuition. Me and Thomas barely made it and it was really tough. But we both worked hard and eventually I became the Victor. One of the perks of being a Victor that must’ve been in place for people like us was that the Victor could choose anyone who didn’t have as much money as the others to be their second in command. They would be exempt from the tuition and other crazy rules. Did you know you have to pay a security fee after a year?
Crazy.
But those only applied if the other guy had good grades and a clean track record. But only as long as I’m the Victor and if either of us do anything that breaks the rules we’ll both be kicked out. Talk about pressure.
But this was the best place to learn anything really. Law, business, art, engineering and other sciences. And it could all be done here.
The school had defenses in place to protect the lives of students and staff. An electromagnetic barrier surrounded the entire establishment. Stretching out a few acres across outside the building. If you wanted to get in you had to get through the one gate in the front. At the gate there were security cameras, x-rays, and 10 armed Sentinels just for extra security. The security was just as intense inside making it nearly impossible to do anything that violated the rules. They didn’t waste a single epi.
“Man, the security of this place is unnerving as always,” Thomas complained.
“It never fails to show me just how out of place we are.”
“Of course the security is advanced. The children of really important people receive education here. This helps them make sure they aren’t kidnapped. I do agree it's unnerving but at least it’s secure. Besides you and I both deserve to be here”
We walked through the sliding doors and saw just how beautiful the school was inside.
The place was illuminated by golden lights. Robots made clunky noises while drones wizzed over my head. I could barely hear myself think over the voices of other students. Girls argued over petty things like their hairstyles and whose boyfriend was better. While boys competed to see who’s stronger or more handsome. Rainbow colors flashed from the lab to the right. Future doctors practiced their skills on mannequins in the lab at the left.
“Hey, look, it's the Victor!”
Soon, the whole school had their eyes on me.
Girls and boys waved and applauded. Even the ones on the second floor whooped and jumped around. Not everyone felt the same though. Some students snickered and sneered while others glared with hatred and jealousy. Even when you work hard to be at the top not everyone will appreciate it.
“You’re popular,” Thomas remarked.
“Too bad not everyone is a fan. You still got the ladies cheering for you. You think you could give them a good word about me?” Thomas joked.
“You know that’s not how it is. We’re on different levels in society. I lose my title as Victor and I fade into the background.”
“Besides, you're smart and strong. Try hard enough and you could get a girlfriend. Just don’t let anyone catch on to our extracurricular activities.”
“Look at that smug smile on his face,” a voice rang out.
“It must be nice to be the Victor's lap dog. I could use that so explain why it is getting wasted on that idiot.”
“ He thinks he’s so strong and mighty just because of that stupid pin. Wait till I get my hands on it, fool.”
“He should watch out. It’d be unfortunate if an accident were to happen. No one would miss some commoners who couldn’t support themselves without that Victor title.”
“Who is that?” Thomas demanded.
“If I find out who they are they won’t have to worry about creating any accident.”
“Chill out Thomas. None of them have the guts or smarts to try anything. Besides, together there’s nothing they can do to either of us.”
“You’re right. We have brains and muscles,” he said as he flexed his arms.
I don’t blame some of them though. Kids who weren’t super wealthy but still made it could use the privileges I got from this title. There were also the selfish rich kids who had more money than they really needed. But I couldn't bear to see someone work hard to achieve something they couldn’t. It makes me so sick sometimes. Our parents do our best just to put a roof over our heads and pay taxes. But I became Victor and that’s a problem. I apologize but I’m not giving it up anytime soon.
“ So what’s first on Victor's schedule?”
“First, we have History class. Then, I have to give a report on quantum physics. Then we have lunch right before the physicals.”
“Well, while you’re doing your fancy report on quantum psychics I’m doing one on the state of this Sector. There’s so many children and families without homes. If I simply beg them nothing will happen. I’ll convince them why they should lend money and support to those who really deserve it. They can train adults to help reinforce the Walls. Add them to the military. Children can also be useful for things. Think about all the new medications they could try by using sick children. They could also put extremely smart children to work in engineering. Even the government can’t ignore the potential of children if given the right environment.”
Good old Thomas is always thinking of ways to help those in need. He takes every advantage and tool he can if it means he can improve the lives of his mother’s and others. More reason for me to fight to stay the Victor.
“Thomas, I have a question.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Let’s say if you can do what you plan. What if some of those who you’re helping have powers?”
Thomas' face darkened as he stopped his stride.
I hate to do this to him but what if some of those he’s trying to help are Enhanced. People who have done nothing wrong superpowers or not don’t deserve to be hurt out of fear and hatred. Especially if it was because my best friend was only trying to genuinely help.
“I’m not sure. I can already imagine what the government would do if they got their hands on Enhanced people. But if I can only help people with no powers who actually need it. Am I wrong to try even if it could hurt others?”