Sutera bath stone | | Aussie B Team

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Summer 4986, 15 Akamoth
Shaloon left the Firewyrm with the journeymen, tired and literally drained but smiling since she was allowed to help them feed and clean the animal specimens. Before continuing down the hall, the Archmage turned back to the small stable. She sighed as the Firewyrm hissed at one of the specimens for crowding too close to the bucket of meat she was dishing out to them. She was like a mother chastising over-eager toddlers. Shaloon’s lips curled in a sneer, her words slipping out in a growl of mixed languages, “Appropriate. Might as well be, her samples allowed for their evolution…”
“Archmage?” Journeyman Brom looked up from bottling the Firewyrm's blood. Fool, he would know all the words she'd said… But what sentence structure had she used? She couldn’t remember and hadn’t noticed. She walked away, having been talking to herself anyway.
She walked up the spiral stairs to the larger labs on the ground floor, the laughter of the Firewyrm ringing in her ears. Perhaps mother wasn’t the right word. The girl didn’t see them as children but as something else… “toys,” treasures.
She didn’t bother to knock before entering one of two main labs on the ground floor, and Morndancer didn’t bother to look up from his book, “We need purer samples.” she stated, leaning on the doorframe and crossing her arms to look down on him in the sunken room.
Morndancer snorted, “And where do you expect to find them? We have the Firewyrm.”
Shaloon growled, not looking forward to having this argument again. “She is tainted. Her samples mix on a molecular level, and the spell that changed her…”
“She is our greatest success!” Morndancer slammed his book closed, turning wide, mad, eyes on Shaloon, “You don’t think I tried to make something pure? Something complete? Do you have any idea how many priceless samples and artifacts we wasted before creating something that could actually survive? They are the closest things we have to true-”
“And yet, instead of focusing on replicating them, we waste our time trying to breed the beast out of animals!” Shaloon shouted then cursed, pushing roughly off the door frame, “I have sent to the central Talon and requested pure samples. They will be here in a month.”
“A month…” Morndancer mouthed, then his face twisted, “You sent for them over a season ago and are just now telling me? Why not cut your way there yourself if you are that eager to split our efforts?”
Shaloon turned her nose up at that. She had been transferred here, to this frozen backwater Talon, because she was one of the few Archmages able to cut a hole through space and teleport through the outer planes. She had allowed the transfer because she'd wanted to experiment with this man. What a disappointment. He'd been the greatest mind in the central Talon, making the most substantial progress seen since the extinction. But he refused to continue that line of study, and was now starting to ignore the last fifteen years of experiments here.
“You won’t even let me use the wyvern. It’s been cloistered away in caves for the last two and a half years while you ramble about gods and Chosen…”
“I saw one, Shaloon!” he shouted, jumping to his feet and knocking his book to the ground. Shaloon gasped, rushing down the steps for the book. Picking it up, she held the priceless tome to her chest as if cradling a crying child. “The Talons must shift their focus,” Morndancer paced around the room in circles, talking more to himself than to her, “If there is one, then there will be more. The wyrms gave them the power to reach across the planes. They will be the key. The children will create their own brood…”
Reverently Shaloon placed the book back on its pedestal and turned for the door. Morndancer had finally tipped over the edge. It was the inevitable fate of anyone who exposed their minds to the type of magic they studied. And he had reached deeper than any other. The human mind wasn't meant to converse with the forces that granted their power. She would fall too, eventually.
“But until then…” she turned back to the pacing Archmage, “The samples will be here in a month, escorted by Journeyman Karlo,”
Morndancer finally looked up, "Karlo will never advance past Journeyman, He's halfway to the Outerplains already."
Shaloon smirked, "Aren't we all?" and left the lab.
***
Veon-Zih cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders while he stood in line at the docks. Waiting patiently to present his papers to the guard signing off on the passengers disembarking from Oane. A second guard passed him, heading for a wagon to inspect the goods. The enlisted men looked tense, going through the papers and goods with more focus and efficiency than they usually would, A Paladin officer hovering over them, his hands clasped tightly behind his back and silver armor gleaming in the sun.
Veon-Zih smiled at the Paladin, handing his papers to the enlisted but speaking with the knight, “As much as I appreciate your inspired diligence, Sir, this would go so much faster if you didn’t have them checking and double-checking each signature three times over.”
“Proper procedure is key in keeping us safe, Mr…” he trailed off, looking toward the soldier who flipped to the front of the Monk's massive book to show his name, “Vee… ohn… Zee… ha?”
Close enough, “That it is good Sir. Carry on.” there was no point in arguing with Paladins over proper procedures. Even when it hampered efficiency.
Behind him, the wagon driver shifted nervously as the soldier began asking questions while perusing his trade logs. “I, um… Mr. Karlo?” Veon-Zih glanced over his shoulder as the driver stuttered. The portly man breathed an audible sigh of relief as a second man hopped from the wagon and addressed the soldier. This man was tall, or at least appeared to be, with his head stretched high and back held too stiff, his long straight robe seemed to give his slender body further length. But strangest was how he moved, in snaps and jerks, his head twitching back and forth as he spoke in a whisper to the guard.
“That’s not at all suspicious…” Veon-Zih muttered, taking his papers back from his own soldier and stepping out of the way of the line. Those who had gone before him had already disappeared into the port city, and those behind moved forward to take his place, passing the wagon to reach the free guard.
The driver had the unmistakable look of a merchant, with pouches lining his belt and his guild's badge displayed on his left breast. He should've crossed the straight to Clearhelm many times over as an apprentice before going solo. And yet, he'd stuttered nervously and deferred to his passenger, who was clearly not of the Merchants Guild. Most likely a Mage based on his robe's lack of a religious emblem.
Veon-Zih narrowed his eyes at the strange man as he passed over his papers. The book was nearly as thick as his own, though it bulged with the thickness. Either the Mage hadn’t updated the cover despite the increased pages or…
Veon-Zih cleared his throat, getting the Paladin’s attention, and gestured with his chin towards the wagon. The Paladin looked him over for a moment, his brow furrowed, then glanced towards the wagon. He had no reason to trust Veon-Zih but Paladins were not ordinary soldiers. If there was reason to worry, Hengist would urge him to look for the signs.
The guard shifted his weight just enough to turn his back to the Paladin before opening the book. Veon-Zih sighed, watching the man move. He wasn’t just turning pages. His arm pulled too far back rather than to the side. Most likely slipping something into his coat. The Paladin might not have been able to see, but he'd already caught the scent that something wasn’t right here and started forward, placing his hand on the guard’s shoulder.
“Everything seems to be in order, Sir…” the guard had a superb poker face, a sure sign he'd taken bribes before. He handed the Mage back his papers and turned to wave the wagon on.
Veon-Zih stepped forward just as the Paladin held out his hand to stop the driver. “Headed for the Mages Guild, perhaps?” Veon-Zih asked curiously, trying to sound innocent.
The Mage twitched violently, turning stunning purple eyes on Veon-Zih, “Yes. Very important samples…” he spoke slowly, as if he needed to consider each word before saying them out loud.
“Then why not take a gate?” Veon-Zih chuckled, “I’ve been across this fine kingdom of Daanlan many times over, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wagon carrying Mage goods…” he tapped his own impressive book of papers against his leg, demonstrating his experiential authority on the matter. “What about you, Sir Knight?” he asked the Paladin, ceding control back to the Temple representative.
“Your papers,” the Paladin ordered, holding his hand out for the Mage's book. The Mage nearly vibrated with the speed of his twitching. The driver blanched but swallowed, keeping silent. Though it was his wagon. The Mage handed over his papers again, but then the Paladin added an order to the soldier, “Open the crates.”
The Mage’s eyes bulged, as the soldier he'd bribed moved towards the cart. Veon-Zih and the Mage both stared as the guard climbed into the wagon, opening the nearest crate without removing it. He nodded at the contents then closed the crate again. He had definitely accepted smuggling bribes before.
“Hold, good man…” Veon-Zih called. The guard glared at Veon-Zih, and the Monk grinned. If looks could kill…
“Sir.” the guard said indignantly to the Paladin as though the knight should be offended that Veon-Zih had inserted himself into this business. The Paladin, however, just frowned, waving the man down and nodding to Veon-Zih. Something in the knight's gut insisted that the Monk was to be trusted, and Veon-Zih’s grin widened as he approached the wagon.
Digging past some bottles labeled "griffin blood", he found what was making the driver so nervous, “Scales… dragon scale.” a nearly impossible-to-find, and highly restricted, magical component. Their owners having gone extinct millennia ago.
The Paladin growled, “All of you will come with me. Now.” he snapped the papers closed, shoving them under his arm and turning on his heel towards the Temple.
The Mage hissed like a snake, his arms coming up and black fire shooting from his splayed fingers toward the Paladin’s back. Veon-Zih grabbed the side of the wagon, swinging around it and sliding along the ground, he kicked the Mage's feet out from under him. The Mage tumbled backward, his fire barely licking the Paladin’s blue cape before going out.
The Paladin turned, reaching for his sword, but the Mage had blinked, disappearing before he hit the ground and reappearing ten feet away. “Damn magic users…” Veon-Zih jumped to his feet as the Mage began to chant, his arms becoming wreathed in shadow.
The guard who had inspected Veon-Zih’s papers drew his short sword and started for the Mage. A good man. Stupid. But his heart was in the right place.
Tentacles sprouted from where the Mage’s arms had been, twitching and writhing with the same jerky movements of the man himself. Veon-Zih sprinted forward, trying to close the distance and distract from the guard.
The Mage attacked, sending one tentacle out to strike Veon-Zih, who ducked, throwing his arm up to deflect the living whip. It shouldn’t have hurt this much. Veon-Zih blocked the pain, rolling forward. He needed to get to striking distance before…
The guard screamed, flailing his sword and cutting right through the second tentacle. As if made of smoke, the tentacle broke and reformed behind the swing, smacking the guard solidly on the head. The guard’s helmet flew off, and he dropped to the ground, clutching the side of his face. The skin between his fingers was black and blistering with red pustules.
Veon-Zih reached the Mage, striking up at the man’s chest as he stood, smacking him with the palm of his hand and knocking the wind from his lungs and spell from his lips. Lifting his foot high into the air, Veon-Zih slammed his heel down on the Mage's shoulder, sending him crumbling to the ground.
The Mage hit the stone hard, some of the cobbles breaking loose and flying into the air. His tentacled arms continued to writhe, whipping back and forth behind Veon-Zih, attacking the prone guard again as if on their own.
The Mage laughed. Giggled like a young child, his head lolling to the side, eyes staring at nothing.
Veon-Zih was forced to dodge a tentacle again, this time careful not to touch it. His arm still stung where it had burned through his clothes to reach his skin. Veon-Zih gauged the power needed to knock the man out without killing him. The Temple would want to question him. His fist hadn’t yet hit when the Mage screamed and thrashed. Veon-Zih turned to see the Paladin, sword drawn and glowing with a brilliant blue-white light, standing between the Mage's tentacles and his fallen guard. On the ground at his feet, twitched the end of one tentacle before dissolving into smoke.
The second tentacle whipped forward, thrusting like a spike to stab the knight. But the Paladin calmly cut through it, channeling the divine power of Hengist through his sword to split the tentacle down the middle. The Mage screamed again, then went quiet as Veon-Zih bopped him soundly on the base of his skull.
***
Shaloon burst through the door to Morndancer’s private rooms. The magical door made of starry night slammed into the wall and rattled the mirror across the way. “Something’s wrong.”
“Of course something is wrong,” Morndancer said absently, scratching the chin of the otherworldly pseudodragon draped over his wardrobe, “The world is being reborn, and all we can do is watch.”
“No.” she didn’t have time for his new nihilism, “Journeyman Karlo, we need to find him.”
Morndancer, for once, didn’t argue. He moved to the mirror, placing one hand in the center and holding his other out to Shaloon. She fished in her robes, pulling out a small jar, and upended it into his palm. A piece of flesh flopped into the Archmage's palm, and he closed his fingers around it, chanting softly.
The image in the mirror wavered out from his fingers as if made of water, and when it calmed again, they saw two men on its surface. A Paladin and an old man in lowly peasant garb with a shaved head. “It’s him…” Shaloon whispered.
Morndancer was more focused on the Paladin, “He’s been captured. What do they know…”
The Paladin held his helm under his arm and seemed to be watching them as he surveyed Karlo. “That was like no arcane magic I’ve ever seen before, Master Veh-oan-Zith. What kind of Mage casts spells like that?”
The Monk’s lip twitched in the merest hint of a smile, but it disappeared a moment later when he covered his chin with his hand, stroking it in thought. “The Warlock kind good Sir…”
“That’s enough,” Shaloon said with a sigh. Morndancer nodded, opening his hand and holding the lump of flesh out to her. Her shoulders slumped for a moment, another researcher lost… She draped her fingers loosely over Karlo's flesh and, with a word, set it alight with black flame.
***
“A Warlock, Master Monk? In Clearhelm?” the Paladin sounded horrified. Veon-Zih wished the knight would try and say his name again, just to add a little bit of levity to the solemn moment.
“I’m afraid so. This will be the third time I've faced one, and their magic is not one you forget,” Veon-Zih answered.
The twitchy Warlock was restrained in the center of the room, eyes open but mind far away. It appalled the Paladin how easily the man had almost gotten away with smuggling into his province, doubly so now that he knew the nature of the man’s magic. “He will be questioned thoroughly. Would you like to be present when-”
The Warlock screamed, struggling against his bonds. The Paladin reached for his sword and Veon-Zih dropped into a fighting stance but both had to shield their eyes a moment later as the Warlock burst into black flames from the inside. His eyes shriveled and burned, the flames licking out the sockets and catching his hair alight as his mouth continued to scream forth black fire.
The Paladin recovered enough to begin chanting some kind of healing or disenchanting spell but not fast enough. In mere seconds, the Warlock’s arms fell free from their bonds as they dissolved into ash, followed a moment later by the rest of his body. Leaving only the scorched chair, loose chains, and a pile of ash where once the man had been.
***
“We don’t know how much they learned,” Morndancer stated, turning accusing eyes on Shaloon.
Shaloon looked away, “They won’t find us.”
“You’re right.” Morndancer turned his back on her, “We are leaving. Make the arrangements.”
***
“They're still here then…” General Rasnah stood, looking out the window of her office towards the setting sun, clasping her wrists behind her back.
It had taken Veon-Zih a few weeks to reach Smilnda from the port city of Gehdran, though Rasnah had received the report of the Warlock incident much sooner, the same day in fact, through the Mages Guild mirrors. “Any new information?” Veon-Zih asked, moving to stand beside her. He'd returned to visit Shon in Hamerfoss, but would delay if necessary.
“No,” Rasnah sighed, “I've sent word to my counterparts in Oane and to the kingdom, we are trying to trace the man’s papers and cargo, but it will take time. They've covered their tracks well, probably have been for years.”
“At least thirty…” Veon-Zih muttered, turning away from the window and Rasnah. He took the seat in front of her desk with a road-weary sigh. “Why is it, my dear Rasnah, that you must tease me so?” he asked playfully.
Rasnah managed a laugh, “What?”
“Almost every time I come to Smilnda, something exciting seems to be brewing and then,” he snapped his fingers, “gone. We haven’t heard anything of these Warlocks for over five years, and just when I start to give up hope, bam, wyvern! I don’t suppose you killed it while I was away?”
Rasnah snorted another little laugh, finally turning away from the sunset and taking her seat behind her desk, “Please don’t remind me of the wyvern. It's been two years with no sightings, and Daunas still hasn’t stopped asking to hunt it with every report.”
“Does he want to avenge his father that badly?”
“How is it vengeance when Mung killed that one himself?”
“I wouldn’t think someone Daunas’s age would still be seeking glory…” Veon-Zih stroked his chin in thought, “He’s not much better than you 'retired' lot.”
Rasnah leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers together, and finally gave him a real smile, “He works harder now than he ever did on the road. Us too, truth be told…”
“If you’re trying to convince me to join you again, you’re doing a very poor job of it,” Veon-Zih said, returning her smile. He didn’t want to return her mind to the serious issue at hand, but her’s wasn’t the only mind it was plaguing, “Now we have more Warlocks… possibly the same group. Are they going to disappear again? How many years before Smildna decides to dangle a true adventure under my nose once more?”
“Perhaps it’s a sign, my old, old... ooold friend. Perhaps these are adventures for the next generation.”
“Pah,” Veon-Zih waved that idea down as fast as he could, “I would rather not leave a mess for those coming behind. Besides, they aren’t ready.”
“They get closer every day, V. Don’t blink. As soon as you do, Shon will be Oath Sworn and off to hunt wyverns and Warlocks of his very own.”
Veon-Zih leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “How’s he doing, Rasnah?” It had been a year and a half since Shon had transferred to Hamerfoss for training. Veon-Zih had tried to visit at least once a season, and the jumps in his skills seemed outstanding. Yet something still nagged at the back of Veon-Zih's mind. Was he still disappointed the boy hadn’t chosen the Monk path?
“You’re headed there next, see for yourself,” Rasnah answered shortly, though she also pulled a drawer open.
“Humor me,” Veon-Zih said, but she already was. She didn’t even have to look for the folder, showing him clearly she'd been ready for this very conversation. Before they'd been distracted by internally combusting Warlocks.
She didn’t pass over the file, such breaches of privacy were strictly against protocols, but she did leaf through it herself. “He gets top marks in combat, particularly with ambidextrous weapons and anything that requires finesse over brute strength. His lecture grades are also high, though he struggles with decorum and etiquette. His armor scores are honestly abysmal. Though I’m not sure the blame for that lies with him…” still facing the paper, she glared up at Veon-Zih with just her eyes.
“Well…” Veon-Zih rubbed the back of his neck under that accusatory stare, “He won’t have a problem if ambushed in the bath…”
That got another little snort of laughter out of the Paladin, who closed the file, “If you want anything more personal, you'll have to ask him yourself.”
Veon-Zih nodded. He just hoped Shon had made at least a few real friends since his last visit.
***
"How?" Veon-Zih gaped open-mouthed at Shon while the other Squires tried to stifle their snickers around him, “How did you get injuries from dancing?!”
Shon let go of his dance partner’s hands, and the boy stuck his fingers under his arms as if to warm them from a winter chill. Weary blue eyes turned to Veon-Zih for only a moment before Shon looked away, his cheeks pink. One cheek was bandaged with a thick square of cloth taped in place. His rolled-up sleeves showed the ends of more bandages on his right arm, and he flinched as he rubbed his ribs nervously. Were those hurt too?
“Well, Squire? Answer the man…” Daunas called from a bench against the wall of the fortress courtyard. The Weaponmaster leaned back, his hands laced behind his head, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. He maintained that dancing was for nobles and Paladins and wasn’t the one giving this lesson. Though he'd chosen to come watch regardless.
Shon mumbled something inaudible then turned away to resume dancing. His partner shook his hands out before reaching for Shon, but Daunus called out again, “What was that, Squire? Something about you taking hits on purpose?”
Shon’s eye twitched, and the boys around him tried to smother their laughter, “I won, didn't I?!” Shon called to the Weaponmaster, who snickered. The boys stopped laughing at that. They were the ones he was defeating.
The Paladin giving the dance lesson, gasped, “Squire, push-ups. Now.” Shon saluted sharply and dropped in place to perform the punishment for his rudeness. Daunas laughed louder. “The rest of you get back to work. One two, one two, leaders, don’t let your followers take control. They had their turn earlier…”
Veon-Zih made his way to Daunas’s bench, plopping heavily down on it, “The Cleric?” Veon-Zih asked the Weaponmaster, who was still smiling, though he had closed his eyes to take in the sun while it lasted. Autumn was right around the corner.
“We told him last week they weren’t going to heal anything he could've prevented himself.” Daunas explained, “Your boy has a nasty habit of taking a non-fatal hit if it means he gets the win. Which he always does. But it’s a bad habit.”
“Stubborn…” Veon-Zih muttered, watching Shon jump back to his feet to resume the dance lesson. His partner flinched at Shon's touch but started to dance without further complaint. The boys spun in well-timed circles, some stepping on feet, others pulling a little too hard, but mostly doing well. Shon had the steps down perfectly but looked stiff, like a golem going through programming. Not really feeling the music flowing from the open box beside the teacher still giving the count.
“He’s your boy." Daunas snorted out another laugh at Veon-Zih’s expense, "Sure he’s not a blood relation?” The Monk chose to ignore the insinuation and seeing he wasn’t going to get a reaction from Veon-Zih, Daunus continued, “He really is a great fighter, but he’ll need to be better with plate if he wants to keep taking hits like that.”
“You can hardly move in plate,” Veon-Zih argued, annoyed. Daunas just shrugged, so Veon-Zih leaned back with him, resting his back on the curtain wall’s cool stones, “How about everything else? Has he opened up at all?”
Daunas sighed, “In his own way. He doesn't -not- get along with anyone, and the others seem to like him well enough. But he’s quiet that one, would rather watch and listen than participate during free time, and that's assuming he's not outside practicing! He’s started helping the ones that are falling behind in combat training. It works out. He hardly uses the time he gets off anyway, and before you accuse me of taking advantage, it was his idea. I asked, and he said if they needed extra training, he might as well join them. But before you get too proud, their friendship outside the extra practice seems the same as all the others.”
So nothing had changed. Veon-Zih sighed, was there even a point in wanting Shon to make friends like a 'normal' boy? This was his normal, and if he was happy, then why encourage something different? "I suppose if it isn't harmful..." Veon-Zih whispered.
The hour bell sounded, and the Paladin closed the music box, leaving the deep rings to fill the suddenly silent air as the Squires all snapped to attention. He waited until the last bell faded before calling “Dismissed!” Almost as one, the sixteen boys sagged in relief, laughing and joking with one another as they began their first hour of free time before dinner.
Veon-Zih pushed off the wall and started for Shon. The other Squires smiled and waved or saluted greetings towards him, and he smiled and nodded in response, his feet never wavering from their path.
“Damn Shon, I swear you’ve gotten colder…” Shon’s dance partner said with a smile, rubbing his hands together. Shon just shrugged, and the boy laughed, “See you at dinner then,” before he rushed off to join some of the others heading towards the fortress proper.
Shon turned, then, spotting Veon-Zih, looked away again. Reaching him, Veon-Zih crossed his arms and arched a questioning eyebrow, waiting for the young man to look up. Shon was almost as tall as Veon-Zih now, just a few more inches, and he would overshoot his Master. That didn’t stop him from sounding small as he muttered a soft “Sorry…”
“Are you really?” Veon-Zih asked, keeping his eyebrow up.
Shon looked up, a stubborn glint in his ice-blue eyes, “They never know what to do when a blow actually lands. It ends the fights fast.”
“So you end one fight, but what about the next? Or the one after that? How many little blows do you think you can take before you fall?” Veon-Zih didn’t yell, and Shon would've heard it all from Daunas already, but it was different coming from his Master. He ran his hand through his hair, cut regulation short so not at all in his face, looking truly ashamed for the first time.
“Sorry…”
Veon-Zih sighed, taking Shon by the shoulder, “Don’t be sorry, be better.” Shon just nodded, so Veon-Zih gave him a little shake and a smile, “What about life in general? Still enjoying the military?”
Shon’s smile was as small and subtle as ever, but to Veon-Zih, it lit up his face. Shon nodded, “It’s easy and organized. I wish the Church had been so structured. As long as everyone does what they're supposed to when they're supposed to, it’s perfect.”
Veon-Zih threw his head back and laughed. By the time he looked back down, Shon was staring at him, his eyebrow arched in question. “Shon… you were born to be a Paladin.” Veon-Zih answered.
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Thank you for reading.

Upon the cobblestone, they tarry, awed and whispering, At the marvel of the monument, a cathedral rising high, Its stone facade bathed in moonlight, angels softly singing, A sight to stun the earthbound man, reaching for the sky.
"Behold!" they cry, "A masterpiece, a testament to glory, Unmarred by time, undaunted by the weight of history, Each archway tells a tale, each stained glass panel a story, A symphony in stone, enshrouded in a mystery."
Yet, a cautious few, with courage bound, the sanctum enter, Their steps resound in hallowed halls, their hearts aflame with fear, A sight of chaos greets them, the cathedral's center, A pit of fire, blazing, consuming what was dear.
Oh, the horror! Oh, the agony! The irony so cruel, A beauty shrouded in deceit, a sanctuary aflame, The holy ground defiled, turned into a devil's tool, Echoing the people's cries, in a melody of shame.
Swiftly they secure the doors, the hands that shake with dread, "Confined," they claim, "the flames now are, our cathedral will not fall." But through the prisms of sacred glass, the sky blushes a fearful red, For despite the fortress of locked doors, the fire escapes, it claims all.

Episode 6:
Spirits of The Frozen Forest:
It begins in the Early Jurassic with a cynodont in the darkness at the waters edge when it is eaten a large amphibian the next the day the sun rises awakening ornithischian colony living in the darkness for many months they leave and are grazing on some ferns a herd of Glaciasaurus come to graze and feed together with their symbiotic Dimorphodon buddies. Several panther like cynodonts come out and relax in the summer sun with the ornithischians when they are stalked by a large Cryolophosaurus which manages to kill one Glaciasaurus but nothing else.
The cynodonts are revealed to have a littler of pups which the cynodonts care for and need nutrients for them so the female leaves to find the ornithischian's clans burrows but are scared off when they throw their litter at her the next day a small group of cryolophosaurus young discover the nest and the cynodonts have to move away holding their young in their jaws.
The colonies eggs hatch during the months of darkness and the mothers have to venture out in the dark and the gloom one stops to drink at the waters edge but is killed by an amphibian which was awoken by the chirps. At dawn the group leave to feed with one guarding the burrows and under the cover of darkness they find enough bedding to keep them warm when a pterosaur lets out a warning cry which scares them off the pterosaur then eats the bedding and takes the rest to its chicks. When the sun finally rises a herd of primitive sauropods moves into the area but thanks to their loud noises they interrupt the colony from watching for predators and so a cryolophosaurus kills one and leaves this scares several of the young to the waters edge where the newly awakened water killer attacks and misses with the young being found by their parents and sleep in their burrows safe for now.
Episode 7
New Blood:
The episode begins with a herd of Placerias wading through a large body of water in their desert/ forest home where several are killed by several phytosaurs. The blood pours downstream to a hunting Lilliensternus hunting for lung fish near some trees by a sleeping Desmatosuchus half submerged like a hippo which awakes to the blood and storms off scaring the lungfish. it wiggles its arms in frustration and moves back to its forest home where it comes across a group of hatchling Burolestes (which are noticed as being out of place) and our plucky dinosaur hunts them all apart from one little one that escapes through a tunnel in the ground which was occupied by a small cynodont that has mysteriously left while the dinosaur feasts on the corpses it comes across a pterosaur feasting on some corpses our protagonist kills it chases it away in frustration.
Out in the outskirts of the forest a large corpse with no head or legs or a tail lies in a field of hatching little creatures (that are prosauropods but are only called juveniles) the large corpse in their hatching fields attracts some dinosaurs and the apex predator a female Smok comes and scares the dinosaurs and eats some of the prosauropods but most manage to escape but some are killed by the dinosaurs. A couple years go and the little prosauropods have formed little creche's and are stuck together grazing in a gorge where several cynodonts growl at them menacingly and pterosaurs fly above hunting insects a desmatosuchus sleeping to the side and a Smok coming through the only entrance the prosauropods panic and run towards the Desmatosuchus which while waving its tail kills a prosauropod but also scares the Smok who is content to feast on the carcasses. Several scavenging dinosaurs come across the carrion after the smok is done with it and feast on its remains. The next day the prosauropods exit the gorge and go out to the not forest where a herd of placerias are grazing. The Placerias are eating stones and digging large holes in the ground where they are laying their eggs but small burolestes are sneaking in and laying their eggs in some of the holes to provide their young with a meal when they hatch, the Placerias are shown to live in mega herds as a very successful species with two males fighting over a part of the mega herd one loses and takes its anger out on the prosauropods and kills one and they retreat to the other side of the river. The dry season occurs and most dinosaurs and creatures are killed during a sand storm including all of the mega herd apart from two isolated pockets of only five individuals the survivors like some dinosaurs five of the remaining prosauropods, Smok and the cynodonts and the living desmatosuchus eat the carrion for extra nutrition.
The Smok starved but sane attacks a Desmatosuchus and has its right leg injured it then a few weeks later hunts the last Placerias in the area and has its second leg torn out and it lies there bleeding on the floor she is eaten by a flock of dinosaurs which sanely stay out of the way until it stops moving by the end of the dry season all of the remaining Placerias, phytosaurs, Smok's and Desmatosuchus are bones the dinosaurs and the two surviving prosauropods and cynodonts are the lucky ones that survived the disaster it ends with the prosauropods being revealed as Plateosaurus as a large sane herd of them come by the area to feast on the new plants as all the grazers were killed weeks ago.
Special Episode 8: The Old Doe
The episode begins in the Triassic showing a herd of lystrosaurus being hunted by a mysterious predator when a little lizard like creature hops onto the screen and scavenges from the corpses it then suddenly evolves into a mysterious dinosaur that evolves into a Lambeosaurus male walking through his swampy water home and returns to his home herd of parasaurolophus and Lambeosaurus and Styracosaurus, the Styracosaurus are lead by the strongest individual in this case an old doe with so many scars her skin is most red she steps away from her nest to sip water to instead discover blood dripping out from a re opened wound while she drinks three rowdy young males from a different herd come and challenge hers she attempts to subdue them and manages to accidentally kill one but thanks to there being two they manage to injure her so much she runs away being stalked by a pack of Daspletosaurus but she fends them off.
The old doe stumbles her way to another herd with an old buck as the leader who lets her into the herd she relaxes in the river and watches as a herd of Struthiomimus walk on the banks teaching their young how to swim if any danger is nearby. Back at the old herd a group of Dromaeosaurus feast on the old does eggs and hatchlings. A month passes by and mating season begins with the Parasaurolophus doing their peaceful displays, the Chasmosaurus flushing blood into their frills and the Pachyrhinosaurus ramming into each others heads. The Old Doe at her new herd takes care of her last batch of eggs and hatchlings with red frills from the Old Buck and watches as her old herd comes through with the two males being extremely scarred and weak from challenges by the other Styracosaurus and them foolishly attacking Centrosaurus herds for feeding grounds. The Old Buck holds his ground and manages to kill another one of the styracosaurus males the male runs away and stays in outskirts of the herd waiting for a weakness to exploit.
The breeding season concludes with a flash flood which kills the old Buck and half of the herd and many of the nearby creatures like the scavengers which are killed in the second flash flood. The herd manages to pull through and the Old Doe becomes the leader of the herd but the rowdy male challenges her band this time the doe wins and leaves him for the local Daspletosaurus who teach their young how to kill things. The Styracosaurus then has a mud bath and we conclude with Daspletosaurus evolving into a T Rex (65 MYA) which watches as a herd of Triceratops relax and their young play together in the same spot a bloodshed happened 10 million years before. The credits play off and it ends with how it began following a herd of edmontosaurus the same one from episode 1.

Hello everyone! Back at it again with another reddit Dhgate Best Finds List! This one might be the biggest dhgate finds list I have ever made. NOTE: I have not bought all of the items on the list, but all of them are manually collected from positive reviews and from different dhgate hauls. (Check the reviews of each item or massage the seller for QC pictures before you buy.)
T-SHIRTS / HOODIES / JACKETS

ACCESSORIES / VARIOUS

PANTS / SHORTS

SHOES / SLIDES

“It’s a hard truth to accept, son… but you need to let her go. You need to understand that your daughter is dead. Gone. Whatever's left… that’s not your little girl. Not anymore.”
Those words broke me, but I needed to hear them.

Pastor Sanders put a gentle hand on my shoulder as I bowed my head, feeling the tears come.
“I’m sorry, Father…” I said, expecting him to take his hand away, to chide me for my weakness. But he did no such thing. Ever the gentle shepherd, he comforted me in my moment of need. He was a kind, but stern looking man, with a comforting smile and greying hair.

“It is natural to mourn the death of your own child,” He said. “That’s what any good father would do.”
“I tried… I tried to raise her right… tried to take care of her.”

“You did your best, my son,” Pastor Sanders assured me, “That is all that a man can do. But Satan is relentless. He is devious. He never comes with horns and a pitchfork. He chooses a more innocent form. He comes bearing what seems like wisdom, he comes in the form of a teacher, a friend, a mentor. Your daughter is not the first child whos life he has slithered his way into… and until the day where he is vanquished along with all the demons of hell, she will not be the last. Children are among Satan’s favorite targets. He seeks to indoctrinate them for his glory, he corrupts them and destroys them. I know what it is like as a parent to watch as he takes the child you raised and leaves something evil in its place. Not knowing or understanding what is happening. It’s a horrifying experience.”

“It happened to you too?” I asked.
Pastor Sanders nodded solemnly.
“It did. The pain you’re experiencing right now, I know it all too well. I lost my son about two years ago. He… he used to be a good boy. A proud boy. Then he met some girl…” His voice lowered into a hiss of disgust, “She lured him away from God. Turned him into something he wasn’t. She took him away from me.”

“How did you get him back?” I asked.
“I didn’t,” Pastor Sanders replied. “There comes a certain point where they are too far gone to save. When your child has forsaken God completely, there is no returning from that. There is no life without God, there is only despair and the only salvation that can be offered to them is to prevent them from comitting any further attrocities before God.”

My heart seized up in my chest.
“Father…?” I asked.
He had a far away look in his eye.
“I brought that boy into this world… I took him out. It was the only way I could save him. The only thing I could do to spare him from eternal Hellfire. I sent his soul to God, and through God I hope he may be purified.”

I was silent, unsure what to say to that. It almost sounded as if the Pastor was talking complete madness. He looked back at me, studying my expression for a moment before smiling at me.
“You’re wondering how I could do it, aren’t you?” He asked.
“Your own son, Father?
“Yes, my own son. It was necessary, to save his soul… and if you want to save your daughter…”
“No!” I said, standing up suddenly, “No! No, I couldn’t!”

He remained seated in the pew of the empty church, looking up at me.
“Then your daughter will be condemned to Hell.”
“There must be some way to save her!” I said.
“If there were, I would share it with you. You know that I would. But there is nothing. Nothing more that I have to offer you, here. The only path forward is to deny the Devil his soul.”
“Please, Father… please, I can’t…”

He finally stood up, turning to leave me.
“Father…?” I asked, as he stepped out from between the pews. He sighed before looking back at me. He paused, studying me for a moment before speaking again.
“As I said before, your daughter is already dead. My son was too. Whatever remains isn’t really them. Not anymore. You won’t get her back. All you can do is set her free. In the eyes of our children, we are their greatest heroes, Bill. And the task of a hero isn’t always an easy one. It never has been, even in the oldest myths. Think of Perseus… that’s a name you probably know, isn’t it?”

I nodded. The Greek hero who’d slain Medusa.
“Perseus ventured into the lair of the Gorgon, Medusa as an act of penance. When the King, his stepfather had invited him to a banquet, Perseus had no horse to offer him as a gift. So he asked the King to name his price. He requested the head of Medusa… and so Peresus sought it and when he returned, he earned his redemption. See yourself in Perseus, Bill. Do what needs to be done.”

With that, he left me there, broken in the pews and struggling with the truth he had bestowed upon me.

I already knew what needed to be done. And I knew that I had no choice but to do it.

Pastor Sanders was a stern teacher… but there was always purpose in his lessons. He was a man who spoke only truth, I knew this. It was why others feared him, ostracized him, persecuted him, and those who followed him. He had come to me at my lowest point about a year ago and I had given everything to follow him. My home was his home. My wealth was his wealth. People said I was a fool for what I did, but I knew that when the time came, they would wish that they had made the choices that I had made. I knew that the Lord would reward me for my loyalty to Pastor Sanders and to Him, for my faith in the Lord could not steer me wrong.

That said - I will admit that what Pastor Sanders told me tested my faith in him a little. But only a little. I knew in my heart that he was right. My daughter was dead. All I could do was deny whatever was left of her the chance to sin again, and perhaps free her soul. Maybe then, I might see her again in heaven. Maybe…

I would see her in heaven.

I would see her again and I would have my little girl back and that would be my reward! God willed it! God would make it so!

I knew what I had to do… and by God, I would do it. Like Perseus I would hunt the demon who had taken my daughter from me and I would destroy it, and grant her salvation!

Hallelujah.

***

I knew that I’d raised my little girl better than this. I knew that I’d raised her right. That I’d raised her to be honest, faithful, pure.

But the girl I saw walking down the street looked like none of those things. My daughter had natural hair, she didn’t dye it! She didn’t put on makeup like some whore, she didn’t dress like a whore! But the girl I saw walking down the street wore short shorts, had dyed blue hair, she had tattoos, good Lord! I almost didn’t recognize her as my own flesh and blood, and were it not for her aryan features I might not have recognized her at all.

I’d known that she had been sick… that she had been twisted. But I hadn’t realized just how bad it had gotten. I should never have let her leave home… I should never have let her leave me four years ago. But she’d begged and pleaded with me to let her go to college. She’d said that getting an education would be good for her. But I’d said no. I’d said that she didn’t need to waste her time on such things! A woman has no business slaving away for a wage. That’s a man’s job. That’s a man’s duty. But she’d begged and begged… and in the end I’d given in. I thought that maybe if she saw the depravity of the world for herself, she’d understand why I was so against her leaving. She’d understand why I didn’t want my precious flower to be poisoned by the sickness that has infected this world!

Clearly, I was wrong.

Once my daughter was gone, she never came back. I was sure she’d come home when I refused to continue to pay for her indoctrination at some college, but she persisted. She stayed in the city, put herself in debt to pay her way through school and started living with some other whore, who she paid rent with.

When I demanded that she return to me, she refused. She said that she wouldn’t go back under my roof! Even when I drove into that city to drag her out, to bring her home by force she locked herself in an apartment and had her ‘friends’ stand guard out front, telling me that she refused to see me.

I would have pushed past them, but they fought me tooth and nail. One of them, a particularly tall and somewhat lanky girl that she lived with. This girl I remembered most prominently. She’d had sharp, roman features, intense eyes and a large beanie that she wore on her head that made her look like some stoner, hippie freak. I swore that I even saw dreadlocks under there. She had been the strongest of them, to an almost impressive extent. She’d kept me from even making it into her apartment.

I’d sworn to her that I’d be back, but she hadn’t bothered indulging me with a reply. And when I had honored my word and returned with my brother and some of his friends, we found that someone else had taken over that apartment. My daughter and her whore friends had fled from us… and we weren’t able to find out where they went.

For years, I had not heard a single word from my daughter… and I missed her every day, or at least I suppose I missed the girl she had been, once upon a time. When I had tried reaching out to her, she had ignored me. I even tried getting in touch with some of her friends, but they refused to talk to her on my behalf.

This was not the girl I’d raised! The girl I’d raised would have honored her father, she would have known she owed me her respect and her obedience, she would never have treated me with such contempt!

No… this was nothing like the girl that I’d raised! This was something else although just what, I did not know. Pastor Sanders had said that only an actual demon could change someone so drastically, and I wondered if perhaps he was right.

I’d tried hiring a lawyer to look into some legal avenue I could pursue to have her brought back to me, and when that proved fruitless I tried to sue the college, for indoctrinating my daughter and taking her away from me, but that didn’t get me anywhere either.

My options dwindled away into nothing… and as much as I hadn’t wanted to accept Pastor Sanders truth, it was the only thing that I had left to cling to. Finding my daughter again after all these years was no easy feat… but I was patient and God was on my side.

She didn’t even notice me as she’d walked past my parked car that evening, but I saw her in all of her depravity. I saw the way she held hands with that tall girl I had seen before… the one who wore that disgusting beanie on her head. I watched as they chatted among each other, I observed the way they lingered so close to one another and I knew that they were more than just friends.

The sight of my daughter in some girls arms sickened me… my daughter, corrupted by this vile woman. The way that the woman in the beanie kissed my daughters cheek confirmed it. And as I watched them, I made the silent decision to kill her first… to teach my arrogant, faithless daughter… or whatever was left of her a lesson. To remind her that there was no place on this earth where she was safe from God!

The gun sat in my glovebox, it was loaded and ready. I watched as my daughter and her lover entered an apartment building. I already knew what floor they were going to, and I already knew which apartment.

Finding them had not been easy, but as I said I was persistent and blessed by God on my holy mission. The strength of Pastor Sanders kept me going and my faith was ironclad.

The sky was growing dark. After a few moments, I left my car and made my move. The gun rested heavy in my hand. It may not have been the most divine weapon, but it would do the job.

Floor 7, apartment 721.

That was my destination.

Like Perseus into the lair of Medusa, I stood stalwart and strong. I stepped out of the elevator and into the hall, feeling my heart race with every step. The voice of Satan whispered in my ear, begging me not to slaughter my own child. But I needed to do it. Killing her was the only way she could attain salvation! It was the only way she could return to God’s light!

My heart raced as I pounded on the door.
‘The task of a hero isn’t always an easy one.’
I was a hero, wasn’t I? I would be her hero!

I could hear footsteps approaching the door. I recognized them.

My daughter was close. My daughter was coming.

I would save her.

I exhaled, and when the door open I moved, forcing it open. I saw the wide, terrified eyes of my little girl as I closed my hand around her throat and pinned her against the wall. She tried to scream, but I forced her not to, pressing the gun into her stomach.
“Not a word…” I growled.

Her big blue eyes were fixated on me, wide and full of tears. For a moment, I remembered the child I’d used to know… the child I’d used to love.

I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t do this…

I needed to. FOR HER SALVATION!

Grabbing my daughter, I dragged her deeper into the apartment. I didn’t see any trace of her girlfriend but I could hear a bath running in the next room. I tossed my daughter into the living room, sending her crashing to the ground and keeping the gun aimed at her. She didn’t utter a sound, she just stared at me, knowing what I was going to do.

“Wait…” She said, her voice trembling as she raised a hand to me, “D-Daddy wait…”
I didn’t answer her.

I heard the bathroom door open. Her girlfriend had likely heard the commotion and come to investigate.
“You will watch this…” I said to her, before turning to send the whore who had corrupted my daughter straight to hell.

No sooner had I turned around, did I see her emerging from the bedroom, dressed only in a bathrobe, with a towel wrapped around her head. She seemed to tower over me, and she fixed me in that intense stare of hers, recognizing me and immediately realizing what this was. I aimed the gun at her and watched her freeze.

“You took my girl away from me…” I hissed, “You took her from me…”
My finger pressed down on the trigger. There was no hesitation here. Only rage, pure and unfettered.

I would shoot this woman dead without batting an eye.

It would be easy.

And yet while the gun went off, the bullet missed.

I felt my daughters weight slamming into me, trying to stop me from killing the whore who had corrupted her. I heard her screaming at me, begging me not to. I threw her off of me. She was always a petite girl. She couldn’t stop me for long. I tried to aim the gun at the girlfriend again, but she had taken full opportunity of the distraction that my daughter had produced to close the distance between us. She grabbed me by the wrist with an iron grip, and kept me from aiming the gun at her.
“NO!” I spat, “DIE, YOU WHORE! DIE!”

With my free hand, I clawed at her face. I tore the towel off of her head and then…
Then…

Then I saw what lay beneath it… and my heart froze in my chest.

My daughter's girlfriend seemed surprised for a moment, but not for long. The things on her head on the other hand, seemed almost relieved to be free. They writhed and twisted on her scalp, hissing at me as they fixed me in their burning yellow eyes. They bore their fangs at me, rearing back to strike, but didn’t.

I stared into the eyes of Medusa. Beautiful, yet hideous with tangled emerald serpents for hair… and she looked back at me with a cold disgust that flayed me down to my very soul. Perseus would have stood brave! Perseus would have fought! I needed to fight too!

I struck her again, screaming in both terror and rage. She tried to stop me, but she wasn’t fast enough. I’d hit her across the head once, and was swinging my fist at her again when she caught it. One of the emerald snakes upon her head struck at me, biting my hand. Its bite left a searing pain behind.

I screamed as the Medusa pushed me off of her, sending me crashing to the ground. The gun slipped from my grasp as I gripped my burning hand. Its fingers clenched into a fist, but would not unclench.
No… no! I would not succumb to whatever this was! I would not succumb to the Gorgon’s poison!

“Gabrielle!” My daughter called, rushing to her side. She ran into the embrace of the Gorgon, before looking down at me. Her eyes settled on the bite in my hand, and a solemn look crossed her face.
“Don’t look, May…” The Gorgon said softly, and my daughter turned her head from me.

I tried to stand, but my body was already starting to burn. My muscles felt stiff and moving felt harder and harder… but my skin still looked like skin… it didn’t look like stone! I collapsed, gasping for breath as I did. Watching my skin, I could see something beneath it shifting. It could see my skin begin to bulge and deform. I could see new bone growth appearing in those deformities. My body was burning, growing, changing, coming apart.

I tried to reach for the gun, but my arms would not move anymore.
This shouldn’t be happening!
This shouldn’t be possible, God was supposed to be on my side! I shouldn’t be falling to one of Satan’s monsters! I shouldn’t be dying at the hands of the demon that held my daughter!

I looked up at them one last time. The Gorgon held my daughter close, comforting her as my body turned against me. Every movement caused fresh new pain to erupt through me. Breathing became impossible, as my lungs and throat became solid.

I lay on the ground, gasping for breath until no more breath came and then, when there was nothing left I only watched as the Gorgon gently took my daughter into the next room so she wouldn’t have to watch me die.

The room was empty when I finally slipped away into darkness… and when I did, I knew that God would not be waiting for me.

In the land of the horselords, under the wide blue sky on the windswept rippling tall grasses of the Dothraki Sea, Dany has been taken prisoner by the infamous Khal Jhaqo and his khalasar.... And while its never confirmed that Jhaqo's intent is to drag her back to Vaes Dothrak it seems highly likely that this is the case:
• Being the Dothraki cultural duty of Khal Jhaqo, after the death of Khal Drogo's bloodriders, to bring the widowed khaleesi to join the dosh khaleen... or kill her on the spot.
• Quaithe's remarks about having to travel back to go forwards and east to go west and this being a starting point in Dany's journey.
• Dany's House of the Undying vision of the naked crones (almost certainly the dosh khaleen) kneeling to her at the lake before the Mother of Mountains which did not happen during her ceremony where she muched down the horse heart and then bathed in the Womb of the World after hearing the prophecy of the Stallion Who Mounts the World.
• Tyrion also happens to see a valyrian sphinx in the Velvet Hills and notices that its mate had been dragged back to Vaes Dothrak. A less hopeful omen... likely foreshadowing Dany's own capture and return there (maybe she'll even see the other sphinx along the godsway).
There are elements similar to the HBO show where she is similarly taken captive to Vaes Dothrak, meets the dosh khaleen, decides 'thanks but no thanks', then burns the khals in their tents. The whole thing takes about ten minutes I think? Oh, and Jorah and Daario are somehow there too. Surprisingly most don't really expand on this story too much (if the fandom even discusses it at all), except to say that she will speedrun back to the Battle of Fire to save the day. But there's good reason to think there's a lot of additional depth and symbolism in this scene than was covered by the showrunners, and perhaps some changes too, and I really want to dive in and discuss those ideas here...

Vaes Dothrak - the Empty City

Vaes Dothrak is a city both monstrously vast and empty... ten times the size of Pentos, without walls or limits, 'broad windswept streets paved in grass and mud and carpeted with wildflowers.' There are palaces with hundreds of rooms and doors of solid silver, manses of woven grass as large as castles, rickety wooden towers, stepped pyramids, and log halls open to the sky... none of them alike. But aside from the Western and Eastern Markets where merchants from across the world are allowed to meet in the middle and trade their wares with the blessing of the Dothraki (if they give tribute), and the dosh khaleen and their eunuch servants... the city is a desolate place. Awaiting...... awaiting the prophesized day that all the khals shall return their ancestral homeland at once, under the Mother of Mountains, that Vaes Dothrak must be ready to embrace all its children. On that day the khal of khals can unite the hordes into a single khalasar and ride to the ends of the earth, so that all people of the world will be one herd.
But has that prophecy been averted by the death of Rhaego? The proclaimed stallion who would mount the world.... killed by the blood magic of Mirri Maz Duur. When it happened Dany could 'feel Rhageo receding from her, as if he had never been' as if time itself had been altered. In the House of the Undying again Dany sees his face in the 'daughter of death' group alongside Viserys and Rhaegar, confirming what could have been... a tall lord with copper skin and silver-gold hair beneath the banner of a fiery stallion.
Or has the prophecy simply been forestalled? Now, perhaps more than ever, the great khals may be heading on a trajectory to meet at Vaes Dothrak, where the king of khals shall arise...

A Khal to Arms

There are six known khals left by the end of ADWD that must return to Vaes Dothrak to complete the prophecy of the dosh khaleen:
Khal Moro - Khal Moro was an ally to Khal Drogo and attended Dany's wedding feast with his son Rhogoro, but there's no indication of his location or his view of Dany except that in the AFFC appendix he is listed as an uncertain ally to her alongside Khal Jommo.
Khal Jommo - Similar to Khal Moro not much is know save that he is an uncertain ally to Dany. He attended the child bearing ceremony alongside his wives, and took the seat beside Drogo, a place of high honor.
Khal Zekko - who is only recently mentioned in ADWD, was last seen riding near the Forest of Qohor, and mainly subsists on asking tribute of gold from Qohor itself every three or four years, was last heard fleeing from Khal Pono's khalasar.
Khal Motho - similar to Zekko is only mentioned in ADWD, his outriders are spotted near Dagger Lake. He is an elderly khal, with a similarly aging khalasar which dwindles in size each year. He has also been fleeing the threat of Khal Pono.
Which brings us to the two main Dothraki villians... Khals Pono and Jhaqo. Both are known or suspected enemies of Dany (confirmed plainly in the AFFC appendix) and these two were also the first to leave Khal Drogo's khalasar after his death, taking the vast majority of his followers with them.
Khal Pono - Pono was the first to leave Drogo naming himself Khal, and ten thousand warriors followed him. Alongside these warriors he has taken some of the best horses and many slaves. While Dany thinks that Ko Pono spoke to her gently during her time in the khalasar Jorah warns her that he would not hesitate to kill her if he saw her again. Khal Pono is an unrelenting slaver, intimately connected to that trade, and often asks tribute from places near Volantis (like Volon Therys and Selhorys). As Qavo explains during his game of cyvasse with Tyrion "The horselords come, we give them gifts, the horselords go."
Perhaps we can already narrow down the list of Khals that need to meet at Vaes Dothrak by two as well... both Zekko and Motho were last heard fleeing Khal Pono and there is reason to suspect they have already been absorbed into Pono's khalasar. Were Zekko's men really fighters or were they too used to cushy gifts from the Qohori? And Motho was clearly past his prime. The Dothraki do not tolerate weakness, they only follow strength, and their flight from Pono seems to suggest he was the mightier horselord. In fact the last report Haldon receives of Pono near the headwaters of the Selhoru, (only a couple chapters after the note on Zekko and Motho), his khalasar was mentioned to have grown to 30 thousand riders (from the original 10k when he left Drogo). So there is a strong implication, imo, that they have already been dealt with.
I also believe that it is hinted that Khal Pono's men are heading into the Battle of Fire to join with the Yunkish Alliance, given his support of the slave trade - Meereen, Yunkai, and Astapor are specifically noted as linchpins of the slave trade for Dothraki to sell their captives. It is actually let slip by Qavo that some Dothraki have joined with the Slaver Alliance to attack Meereen, but we haven't actually seen any Dothraki appear yet in the main story or Winds excerpts as of yet. Benerro, the high priest of Volantis, also preaches that the 'minions of night' are conspiring at betrayal with 'godless outlanders' (outlanders being a term that is sometimes used for the Dothraki), and Brown Ben Plumm also hears that the Yunkai sent riders across the Dothraki Sea to bring some big khalasar into the fold.
And most importantly Tyrion and Haldon witness Khal Pono's khalasar near the shores of Selhorys being escorted by Volantene galleys cram packed with slave soldiers and assume they are there out of fear of the khalasar. But Qavo himself does not seem concerned at all with them, and it seems more likely in fact that they misread the situation... Khal Pono was not there as a threat but present alongside the Volantene forces to join with them in the Battle of Fire. In cyvasse the light horse is generally used as a counter to the spearmen, and in the Battle of Fire it makes sense that the Yunkish commanders would use a simple almost academic strategy like that - holding Pono in reserve to counter the Unsullied as they form ranks. Barristan even thinks to himself that if the Yunkish commanders had any sense they would send their horse thundering down on the eunuchs. So as much as some readers had been holding out hope that Pono would fly to Dany's side and help her save the day, I don't know if there's reason to suspect him doing that... his entire livelihood relies on bringing her down. And slaying the Unsullied would be sweet revenge for the Dothraki as well given their past disgrace and cultural shame of the Three Thousand of Qohor. This of course also means that if Khal Pono is to fit into the prophecy of Vaes Dothrak it would have to be after the Battle of Fire clears up, or, if he is removed from the board in defeat. Dany's forces will have a really tough time though fighting both Pono's khalasar and the Yunkish Alliance on their own, and may be forced to evacuate - Barristan is greatly outnumbered out there, even with the Second Sons, Windblown, and Ironborn... and this is even still before the primary Volantene force has shown up to the fight.
Khal Jhaqo - Jhaqo left Drogo's khalasar shortly after Pono did, twenty thousand riders at his back at last count, alongside some of the best horses in the khalasar and even more slaves than Pono. Jhaqo's bloodrider Mago captured a Lhazareen girl named Eroeh during a raid as a 'spoil of war'. But Dany claimed the girl to protect her from rape, and while Drogo was alive he helped her defend that claim. But when Drogo passed away Mago seized Eroeh again out of spite, and after he was done, gifted her to Khal Jhaqo who then gave her to his six other bloodriders after he was finished.... Then they cut her throat. This is the kind of scumbag that Jhaqo is. And Daenerys swears she will have her revenge for this act:

"It was a cruel fate," Dany said, "yet not so cruel as Mago's will be. I promise you that, by the old gods and the new, by the lamb god and the horse god and every god that lives. I swear it by the Mother of Mountains and the Womb of the World. Before I am done with them, Mago and Ko Jhaqo will plead for the mercy they showed Eroeh."

A promise that she reminds herself from time to time. One that may soon be repaid in fire and blood....

The Bells of the Conqueror

But there's really one more khal isn't there? Daenerys herself may be a khaleesi, but she also serves the role of khal as well with her own three sworn bloodriders ("Blood of my Blood") :
Aggo and Rakharo - Are some of Dany's strongest bloodriders, often by her side - they helped stop the assassin wineseller and Aggo rushed to protect her when the Sorrowful Man appears while Rakharo accompanies her to the House of the Undying. I get the feeling that Aggo is a bit more traditional in his Dothraki views, showing ambivalence to Eroeh's fate and looking down on the diseased Astapori. But all of her bloodriders share a kind of friendly rivalry, fighting over who gets the honor of challenging certain opponents, or trying to show each other how not afraid of the sea they are (which for Dothraki is kind of a big deal I suppose).
Aggo was gifted a dragonbone bow by joining her new khalasar after witnessing the birth of dragons, while Rakharo was gifted a great curving arakh. Aggo and Rakharo are both tasked to take ten riders each with them to search beyond the river Skahazadhan for Daenerys after her disappearance.
Rakharo has grown taller and more muscular throughout his service with Dany which has caused Irri and Jhiqui to quarrel over who would be a better match for him. Fortunately, both Irri and Jhiqui were sent to accompany these search parties, which means they will probably get to fight over this hunky Dothraki heartthrob all the way to Vaes Dothrak! I have no doubt that they will be able to track Dany down and we will get to see these familiar faces again there for the culmination of the Dothraki plotline.
Jhogo - Jhogo, as the other two, is a fierce protector of Dany and was given her silver-handled whip for his allegiance after Drogo's death (as well as a tall grey stallion as a reward from Drogo for ensnaring the wineseller). Though Jhogo is in the most complicated situation of Dany's bloodriders right now because we was given as a hostage to the Yunkish camp. This could end in tragedy a few ways - the Yunkish might kill him in retaliation like they did Groleo. And you've got to keep in mind there have been some malicious rumors swirling around of Dany dying in Draznak's pit (including some saying they 'witnessed' it themselves). So as Dany's bloodrider, this means if he believes those words he would be honor-bound to live only long enough to avenge her and then to join her in death. Though one bright spot to his story is that Barristan has tasked Archibald and Gerris with trying to sway the Windblown to free the Yunkish captives....

In Dothraki tradition warriors are meant to tie small bells into their hair for each victory they earn, and their hair is only cut once they are defeated in battle. While Daenerys is still somewhat of an outsider to the Dothraki way of life, I think there is an interesting, symbolism happening in Dany's hair during the story, intentional or not.
During the pyre that birthed her dragons Daenerys hair is singed off, and as a sign of her failure with Drogo and Rhaego, it is a starting point for her conquest.
But as her hair grows, Irri and Jhiqui reward her victory over the Undying of Qarth after the Palace of Dust is burnt to the ground by braiding a tiny silver bell into her hair.
Likewise she receives a second bell after her victory over the Good Masters of Astapor. The third after the Wise Masters of Yunkai. And the fourth after her defeat of the Great Masters of Meereen.
But in Meereen she loses her way as a conqueror... she tries to plant seeds to grow, she capitulates to the demands of Hizdahr to open the fighting pits and compromises on her ideals, wearing 'the floppy ears', and chains up her children, her dragons. And in the final events of Draznak's Pit her hair is singed off again before taking flight. It is a symbolic loss for Dany, and potential foreshadowing for Meereen as well. In the Dothraki Sea she must start over anew and remember who she is... (as Quaithe reminds her)

The Stallion Who Mounts the World

So who will be the King of Khals to unite the khalasars? Though there are some fun theories that the stallion who mounts the world was actually Jinglebell during the Red Wedding, especially the parallels between Catelyn and the rending flesh and tears of blood, I believe the most fitting answer to the riddle will actually be Dany taking on the role after Rhaego's death. Let's look at the original prophecy:

"As swift as the wind he rides, and behind him his khalasar covers the earth, men without number, with arakhs shining in their hands like blades of razor grass. Fierce as a storm this prince will be. His enemies will tremble before him, and their wives will weep tears of blood and rend their flesh in grief. The bells in his hair will sing his coming, and the milk men in the stone tents will fear his name." The old woman trembled and looked at Dany almost as if she were afraid. "The prince is riding, and he shall be the stallion who mounts the world." "The stallion who mounts the world!" the onlookers cried in echo, until the night rang to the sound of their voices.

As swift as the wind he rides? Dany does literally ride the wind via Drogon. A khalasar that covers the earth? I think the combined might of the khalasar hordes would earn that title - and unlike other options only Dany can actually unite the khalasars. And the show was maybe onto something by her starting the fire. Her vision in the HotU suggests she is meant to light three fires - once for life (which was done with Mirri) once for death and once for love (possibly related to Jon). It seems like the burning of the khals could be that fire for death. Fierce as a storm? - Dany is nicknamed the Stormborn too.
After she secures the khalasar her enemies would do well to tremble (even if she is a late entry to the battle of fire or just there for the aftermath - she actually isn't even aware yet that the battle is happening in full force I believe), though it seems clear she will have to intersect with Victarion, Moqorro, and Tyrion in the aftermath per Quaithe's riddle of 'kraken and dark flame', perhaps Drogon will be drawn in by Dragonbinder at some point? In any case it has been foretold by the red priests in Volantis that her wrath will fall upon the slavers.
So maybe the dosh khaleen were only wrong in assuming that it would be a prince. Perhaps Dany is destined to cross the world to the ends of the earth (Westeros) and help unite the people into one herd to fight the real threat, as the grass dies and is replaced by ghost grass (as its already been seen in Qarth), heralding the end times.

~Thank you for Reading!~
TLDR: Dany will be dragged to Vaes Dothrak intending her to join the dosh khaleen, and as per the Dothraki prophecy the khals are set to gather one last time to fill the city as its never been before. Among them are fierce and cruel enemies like Khal Jhaqo and Khal Pono (pending his outcome in the Battle of Fire) who she will have sworn vengeance. Both have grown to wield formidable khalasars. Her bloodriders Aggo and Rakharo along with Irri and Jhiqui are also searching for her and will offer support once they find her. Beneath the Mother of Mountains she will burn the khals as in the show, and the dothraki and the dosh khaleen (as seen in the HotU) will be forced to bow to her strength. Dany will go on to unite the khalasars and eventually to sack Volantis, the heart of the slave trade, before eventually moving onto Westeros fulfilling the role of the Stallion Who Mounts the World by uniting the dothraki people. Her hair will grow again after it was lost in the events of Draznak's Pit (a symbolic loss), and be weaved with new bells as she conquers a path... a sign of her great victories.

“This world should be shrouded in darkness, not bathed in insufferable light…” … That’s it? That’s the motivation? I get that he’s evil, but could he at least have some… reason? Like maybe the Secret Stones were creations of the Gerudo, which the Zonai stole from them. Or SOMETHING.

The end of days has come to Man,
the last Elf's sailed West.
Each Dwarven clan instead began
to weather this final test.

Between the mountains roam the Dead.
Beneath each hides a home.
Those few bred with the courage to tread
outside must go alone.

Such a dwarf is called a Runner.
Such a life is short but brave.
Each message he must deliver
even if it's from the grave.

---

Game is Play By Post on Discord and Roll20. I work 7 days a week at my computer and only have random awkward amounts of free time. I'm looking for a handful of players willing to try out a new system and who enjoy roleplay, writing, and storytelling as much as combat. Please contact me at Puppet#9945 for an immediate response, or send me a DM/chat here for a much slower response.
The Last Holds asks the question: What if the zombie apocalypse, but dwarves? Set in the one of the few surviving Mountainhomes, it explores stories of survival and community as the players explore the world and gradually ascend in position within the fortress or perhaps try to start their own fledgling hold.
This campaign uses a homebrew dice pool system with crunchy combat and player-driven skill resolutions. It also uses the setting of Brazenthrone for beautiful maps and a fully fleshed out dwarven society with a .pdf that players can refer to for lore.
For PBP, it is good to set some expectations:

Please only apply if you are a fluent English speaker with proficient grammar and punctuation. I'm not going to gatekeep writing ability to join or kick anyone out for bad writing, but I can only handle so much pyschic damage before I lose consciousness.
There is no minimum post length, especially for active scenes. 1-3 lines is fine for scenes and skill test prompts, but 1-3 paragraphs is preferred for story posts. As a GM, I will be posting multipara as appropriate.
The game is divided into scenes and story. A scene is any situation where other player characters cannot freely participate, such as a conversation, a fight, a dungeon, etc. Any post that isn't part of a scene is just advancing the story. If you notice that are part of a scene, please try to post at least a couple times a day or otherwise take the initiative to resolve the scene by using the game mechanics. To put it another way, you will never be forced to have a 20-post dialogue with an NPC. At any time, you have the agency to attempt to resolve the scene with a roll and advance the story.

How to join: 1. Send me a message on discord. 2. Confirm that you can post something roughly every day. 3. Join the server and look around. 4. Make a character on roll20. 5. Join VC and talk to me about how to play the system for ~40 minutes. 6. Introduce your character into the RP with ~2 paragraphs. 7. If these steps aren't carried out in a reasonable time frame, I'll bump you for someone else.

I don't know if it's intimidating or inviting, but I'll post the opening scene where we will introduce our characters and get on with the campaign. Remember that there is no minimum post length and no one that joins is expected to write a novel!

---

Colloquially referred to as the "Last Stop," Delvers' Rest serves as a way station between the the Great Hall and the Underdark. It lies about a day's travel from both and is adjacent to the hold's prison, the "Pits of Justice."
It is widely regarded as the worst-smelling place in all of Brazenthrone. Every person passing through has spent the last day or so traversing stairs and they all arrive bathed in sweat. It soaks into the floors, the walls, the barstools. And there is no rain to wash it away. Imagine a gym used by hundreds of people every day that has never been cleaned. For years. Imagine sweat that is not merely old or stale, but antique. It is vintage sweat. That is the smell of Delvers' Rest. It is a hateful smell. The locals are somewhat used to it.
With the notable exception of alcohol, all other goods pass through the hands of two provisioners: Henrik's Finest and Coalbeard's Choice. They are required by law to store all goods brought in from outside the hold until they can be claimed by the guilds or cleared for sale. They are located opposite each other on the main road, and will bid aggressively for the lowest quality garbage. Everything else gets hauled up to the Great Hall, and they have to feed the haulers.
Most of the other shops are most notable for what they don't do. The armorer's shop doesn't have a forge. The inn doesn't serve anything but Clangeddin's Stout. The bathhouse doesn't change out its water. The Mechanics Guild, the single largest employer in the Last Stop, doesn't do anything besides maintain the kilometers-long gauntlet of traps that isolates Brazenthrone from the horrors of the Underdark.
Our story starts in Wayfarer's Inn, an oppressive monument to practicality over comfort. Its walls, carved from the rock itself, are dark and grimy, bathed in the dim orange glow of sputtering torches that throw long, dramatic shadows. The stone floor, slick with countless years of spilt ale and grime, bears the mark of countless boots. There is no hearth to warm the room, no polished bar to invite weary patrons -- just a rough wooden counter, scarred and pitted from countless mugs slammed down in boisterous celebration or bitter despair.
In a corner, a massive cask of Clangeddin's Stout, the inn's sole offering, squats like a drunken god, the only thing in this place that seems well cared for. It's the stubborn, beating heart of the inn, its lifeblood half emptied. The innkeeper, a grizzled dwarf with a face as hard and worn as the stone around him, pours from the cask with a reverence that borders on the religious, his gnarled hands surprisingly gentle. His name is Kol, and he remembers the name of every Runner that has ever passed through here.

21F… this is my first kidney stone so the anticipation is what’s causing the overthinking i think..
i’m not really in any pain. just mild discomfort. i’m peeing like crazy and can sometimes feel the pinching when i pee & sometimes when i lay down… what did you guys do to get your stone out? what helped the most? i’ve tried the apple cider vinegar, the lemons, the countless amounts of water, the warm baths, walking around, jumping, etc.
i’m feeling discouraged and just want this out of me already. i really don’t want a stent done or anything like that.
what did you guys feel like right before it passed? how did you know you were about to pass it? any advice?

Another month, another retirement update! A lot of sets changed dates this month, and even more new sets got added! Which reminds me, I'm considering making a /legoleak Discord server in order to expand more on leaks, answer questions, and provide daily retirement updates. If there's interest in that, I'll work on having it done before the next list!
As always, we owe a massive thanks to ZombieYeti from the BrickHound Discord for providing this valuable data. If you're looking for real-time in-stock/deal alerts for Lego.com and other sites, make sure to check out his server: https://discord.gg/BwezK2t5qf
This information is scraped directly from Lego's website, and all dates are subject to change. ZombieYeti is currently developing a website to host this data and offer real-time updates. In the meantime, here is a list of every set and their corresponding retirement date as per LEGO's system!
FULL LIST ON GOOGLE SHEETS HERE <--
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Due to Reddit's character limits, we can't include everything here, but the full spreadsheet contains every set.
CHANGES IN JUNE:

Theme	Set #	Set Name	Old Date	New Date	Change
Avatar	75577	Mako Submarine	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	-1 year
Avatar	75578	Metkayina Reef Home	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	-1 year
Classic	11020	Build Together	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	-1 year
Duplo	10966	Bath Time Fun: Floating Animal Island	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	-1 year
City	60388	Gaming Tournament Truck	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Creator	31143	Birdhouse	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Friends	41735	Mobile Tiny House	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Harry Potter	75969	Hogwarts Astronomy Tower	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Icons	10306	Atari 2600	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Ideas	21331	Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Jurassic Park / World	76946	Blue & Beta Velociraptor Capture	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Jurassic Park / World	76951	Pyroraptor & Dilophosaurus Transport	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Marvel	76226	Spider-Man Figure	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Marvel	76241	Hulk Mech Armor	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Marvel	76243	Rocket Mech Armor	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Marvel	76245	Ghost Rider Mech & Bike	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Marvel	76256	Ant-Man Construction Figure	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Speed Champions	76906	1970 Ferrari 512 M	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Speed Champions	76907	Lotus Evija	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Star Wars	75333	Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Star Wars	75344	Boba Fett's Starship Microfighter	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year
Technic	42138	Ford Mustang Shelby GT500	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2024	+1 year

NEW SETS ADDED:

Theme	Set #	Set Name	Retirement Date
Holiday / City	60381	City Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Friends	41758	Friends Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Harry Potter	76418	Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Marvel	76267	Marvel Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Star Wars	75366	Star Wars Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71777	Kai's Dragon Power Flip	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71778	Nya's Dragon Power Drift	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71779	Lloyd's Dragon Power Spin	Dec 31, 2023
Batman	30653	Batman 1992 Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76224	Batmobile: Batman vs. The Joker Chase	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76252	Batcave – Shadow Box	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76264	Batmobile Pursuit: Batman vs. The Joker (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76265	Batwing: Batman vs. The Joker	Dec 31, 2024
City	60367	Passenger Airplane	Dec 31, 2024
City / 2K Drive	60395	Combo Race Pack	Dec 31, 2024
City / 2K Drive	60396	Modified Race Cars	Dec 31, 2024
City / 2K Drive	60397	Monster Truck Race	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31144	Exotic Pink Parrot	Dec 31, 2024
DREAMZzz	40657	Dream Village	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41756	Holiday Ski Slope and Café	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41760	Igloo Holiday Adventure	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76419	Hogwarts Castle and Grounds	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76421	Dobby the House-Elf	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	40634	Icons of Play	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71422	Picnic at Mario's House	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76249	Venomised Groot	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76261	Spider-Man Final Battle	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76262	Captain America's Shield	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76263	Iron Man Hulkbuster vs. Thanos (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76266	Endgame Final Battle	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21247	The Axolotl House	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21248	The Pumpkin Farm	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21249	The Crafting Box 4.0	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21250	The Iron Golem Fortress	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71789	Kai and Ras's Car and Bike Battle (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71790	Imperium Dragon Hunter Hound	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71791	Zane's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Race Car	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71792	Sora's Transforming Mech Bike Racer	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71793	Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71794	Lloyd and Arin's Ninja Team Mechs	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71795	Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71796	Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71797	Destiny's Bounty - Race Against Time	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71798	Nya and Arin's Baby Dragon Battle (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	76993	Sonic vs. Dr. Eggman's Death Egg Robot	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75359	332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper Battle Pack	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75360	Yoda's Jedi Starfighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75365	Yavin 4 Rebel Base	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75368	Darth Vader Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75369	Boba Fett Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75370	Stormtrooper Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10987	Recycling Truck	Dec 31, 2025
Duplo	10994	3-in-1 Family House	Dec 31, 2025
Duplo	10997	Camping Adventure	Dec 31, 2025
Ninjago	71799	NINJAGO City Markets	Dec 31, 2025
Technic	42161	Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica	Dec 31, 2025
Icons	10323	PAC-MAN Arcade	Dec 31, 2026
Technic	42160	Audi RS Q e-tron	Dec 31, 2026

SETS RETIRING IN 2023:

Theme	Set #	Set Name	Retirement Date
Classic	11015	Around the World	Jul 31, 2023
Creator	31123	Off-Road Buggy	Jul 31, 2023
Disney	10780	Mickey and Friends Castle Defenders	Jul 31, 2023
Disney	43203	Aurora, Merida and Tiana's Enchanted Creations	Jul 31, 2023
Dots	41962	Unicorn Creative Family Pack	Jul 31, 2023
Mario	71404	Goomba's Shoe	Jul 31, 2023
Mario	71407	Cat Peach Suit and Frozen Tower	Jul 31, 2023
Mario	71409	Big Spike's Cloudtop Challenge	Jul 31, 2023
Mario	71412	Big Bad Island	Jul 31, 2023
Mindstorms	51515	Robot Inventor	Jul 31, 2023
Minecraft	21187	The Red Barn	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71738	Zane's Titan Mech Battle	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71754	Water Dragon	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71756	Hydro Bounty	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71759	Ninja Dragon Temple (4+)	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71762	Kai's Fire Dragon EVO	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71770	Zane's Golden Dragon Jet	Jul 31, 2023
Ninjago	71773	Kai's Golden Dragon Raider	Jul 31, 2023
Technic	42129	4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck	Jul 31, 2023
Minifigures	71038	LEGO® Minifigures Disney 100	Aug 31, 2023
Architecture	21054	The White House	Dec 31, 2023
Art	31203	World Map	Dec 31, 2023
Art	31205	Jim Lee Batman Collection	Dec 31, 2023
Art	31206	The Rolling Stones	Dec 31, 2023
Art	31207	Floral Art	Dec 31, 2023
Avatar	75571	Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch	Dec 31, 2023
Avatar	75573	Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson	Dec 31, 2023
Avatar	75577	Mako Submarine	Dec 31, 2023
Avatar	75578	Metkayina Reef Home	Dec 31, 2023
Batman	76181	Batmobile: The Penguin Chase	Dec 31, 2023
Batman	76220	Batman versus Harley Quinn (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Brickheadz	40540	Lion Dance Guy	Dec 31, 2023
Brickheadz	40541	Manchester United Go Brick Me	Dec 31, 2023
Brickheadz	40542	FC Barcelona Go Brick Me	Dec 31, 2023
Brickheadz / Avatar	40554	Jake Sully & his Avatar	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40377	Donald Duck	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40378	Goofy & Pluto	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40476	Daisy Duck	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40477	Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey & Louie	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40550	Chip & Dale	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40553	Woody and Bo Peep	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Disney	40622	Disney 100th Celebration (Oswald, Mickey, Snow White, Tinker Bell)	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Harry Potter	40495	Harry, Hermione, Ron & Hagrid	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Harry Potter	40560	Professors of Hogwarts	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Minecraft	40624	Alex	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Minecraft	40625	Llama	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Minecraft	40626	Zombie	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Star Wars	40539	Ahsoka Tano	Dec 31, 2023
BrickHeadz / Star Wars	40623	Battle of Endor Heroes	Dec 31, 2023
City	30590	Farm Garden & Scarecrow Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
City	30638	Police Bike Training Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
City	30639	Dog Park and Scooter Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
City	41723	Donut Shop	Dec 31, 2023
City	41726	Holiday Camping Trip	Dec 31, 2023
City	60253	Ice-Cream Truck	Dec 31, 2023
City	60313	Space Ride Amusement Truck	Dec 31, 2023
City	60314	Ice Cream Truck Police Chase	Dec 31, 2023
City	60315	Police Mobile Command Truck	Dec 31, 2023
City	60317	Police Chase at the Bank	Dec 31, 2023
City	60318	Fire Helicopter	Dec 31, 2023
City	60319	Fire Rescue & Police Chase	Dec 31, 2023
City	60320	Fire Station	Dec 31, 2023
City	60321	Fire Brigade	Dec 31, 2023
City	60322	Race Car Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
City	60323	Stunt Plane	Dec 31, 2023
City	60324	Mobile Crane	Dec 31, 2023
City	60325	Cement Mixer Truck	Dec 31, 2023
City	60327	Horse Transporter	Dec 31, 2023
City	60330	Hospital	Dec 31, 2023
City	60332	Reckless Scorpion Stunt Bike	Dec 31, 2023
City	60333	Bathtub Stunt Bike	Dec 31, 2023
City	60335	Train Station	Dec 31, 2023
City	60338	Chimpanzee Smash Stunt Loop	Dec 31, 2023
City	60339	Double Loop Stunt Arena	Dec 31, 2023
City	60341	The Knockdown Stunt Challenge	Dec 31, 2023
City	60342	The Shark Attack Stunt Challenge	Dec 31, 2023
City	60343	Rescue Helicopter Transporter	Dec 31, 2023
City	60346	Barn & Farm Animals	Dec 31, 2023
City	60348	Lunar Roving Vehicle	Dec 31, 2023
City	60349	Lunar Space Station	Dec 31, 2023
City	60350	Lunar Research Base	Dec 31, 2023
City	60351	Rocket Launch Centre	Dec 31, 2023
City	60353	Wild Animal Rescue Missions	Dec 31, 2023
City	60354	Mars Spacecraft Exploration Missions	Dec 31, 2023
City	60355	Water Police Detective Missions	Dec 31, 2023
City	60356	Bear Stunt Bike	Dec 31, 2023
City	60357	Stunt Truck & Ring of Fire Challenge	Dec 31, 2023
City	60358	Cyber Stunt Bike	Dec 31, 2023
City	60359	Dunk Stunt Ramp Challenge	Dec 31, 2023
City	60360	Spinning Stunt Challenge	Dec 31, 2023
City	60361	Ultimate Stunt Riders Challenge	Dec 31, 2023
City	60371	Emergency Vehicles HQ	Dec 31, 2023
City	60382	Vet Van Rescue	Dec 31, 2023
City	60385	Construction Digger	Dec 31, 2023
City	60390	Park Tractor	Dec 31, 2023
City	60393	4x4 Fire Truck Rescue	Dec 31, 2023
City	60394	ATV and Otter Habitat	Dec 31, 2023
City	60398	Family House and Electric Car	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11014	Bricks and Wheels	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11018	Creative Ocean Fun	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11019	Bricks and Functions	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11020	Build Together	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11021	90 Years of Play	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11022	Space Mission	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	11031	Creative Monkey Fun	Dec 31, 2023
Classic	30510	90 Years of Cars Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	30641	Panda Bear Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	30644	Vintage Car Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31111	Cyber Drone	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31118	Surfer Beach House	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31127	Street Racer	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31128	Dolphin and Turtle	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31130	Sunken Treasure Mission	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31131	Downtown Noodle Shop	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	31132	Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	40461	Tulips	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	40469	Tuk Tuk	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	40568	Paris Postcard	Dec 31, 2023
Creator	40646	Daffodils	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	10777	Mickey and Minnie's Camping Trip	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	30646	Moana's Dolphin Cove Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	40521	Mini Disney The Haunted Mansion	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	41168	Elsa's Jewellery Box	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43187	Rapunzel's Tower	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43189	Elsa and the Nokk Storybook Adventures	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43194	Anna and Elsa's Frozen Wonderland	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43196	Belle and the Beast's Castle	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43197	The Ice Castle	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43198	Anna's Castle Courtyard	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43199	Elsa's Castle Courtyard	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43202	The Madrigal House	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43204	Anna and Olaf's Castle Fun	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43207	Ariel's Underwater Palace	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43208	Jasmine and Mulan's Adventure	Dec 31, 2023
Disney	43209	Elsa and the Nokk's Ice Stable	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	30560	Pineapple Photo Holder & Mini Board Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41801	My Pets Bracelet	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41802	Unicorns Forever Bracelet	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41803	Extra Dots series 8	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41805	Creative Animal Drawer	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41806	Ultimate Party Kit	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41807	Bracelet Designer Mega Pack	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41947	Mickey and Friends Bracelets Mega Pack	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41948	Cute Banana Pen Holder	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41950	Lots of DOTS - Lettering	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41951	Message Board	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41957	Adhesive Patches Mega Pack	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41959	Cute Panda Tray	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41960	Big Box	Dec 31, 2023
Dots	41961	Designer Toolkit - Patterns	Dec 31, 2023
Dots / Disney	41963	Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Stitch-on Patch	Dec 31, 2023
Dots / Disney	41964	Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Back-to-School Project Box	Dec 31, 2023
Dots / Harry Potter	41808	Hogwarts Accessories Pack	Dec 31, 2023
Dots / Harry Potter	41809	Hedwig Pencil Holder	Dec 31, 2023
Dots / Harry Potter	41811	Hogwarts Desktop Kit	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10411	Learn About Chinese Culture	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10872	Train Bridge and Tracks	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10882	Train Tracks	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10930	Bulldozer	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10938	Dinosaur Nursery	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10944	Space Shuttle Mission	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10948	Parking Garage and Car Wash	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10949	Farm Animal Care	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10955	Animal Train	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10956	Amusement Park	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10964	Bath Time Fun: Floating Red Panda	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10966	Bath Time Fun: Floating Animal Island	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10968	Doctor Visit	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10972	Wild Animals of the Ocean	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10973	Wild Animals of South America	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10974	Wild Animals of Asia	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10977	My First Puppy & Kitten with Sounds	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10978	Creative Building Time	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	10979	Wild Animals of Europe	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo	30648	Whale Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo / Disney	10899	Frozen Ice Castle	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo / Disney	10960	Belle's Ballroom	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo / Disney	10962	Buzz Lightyear's Planetary Mission	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo / Holiday	10976	Santa's Gingerbread House	Dec 31, 2023
Duplo / Marvel	10963	Spider-Man & Friends: Funfair Adventure	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	30633	Skate Ramp	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	30634	Friendship Flowers Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41443	Olivia's Electric Car	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41677	Forest Waterfall	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41696	Pony-Washing Stable	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41697	Turtle Protection Vehicle	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41699	Pet Adoption Café	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41703	Friendship Tree House	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41704	Main Street Building	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41705	Heartlake City Pizzeria	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41707	Tree-Planting Vehicle	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41708	Roller Disco Arcade	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41711	Emma's Art School	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41712	Recycling Truck	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41713	Olivia's Space Academy	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41714	Andrea's Theatre School	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41715	Ice Cream Truck	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41716	Stephanie's Sailing Adventure	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41717	Mia's Wildlife Rescue	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41718	Pet Day-Care Center	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41719	Mobile Fashion Boutique	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41720	Water Park	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41721	Organic Farm	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41722	Horse Show Trailer	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41729	Organic Grocery Store	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41732	Downtown Flower and Design Stores	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41733	Mobile Bubble Tea Shop	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41741	Dog Rescue Van	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41742	Cat Hotel	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41743	Hair Salon	Dec 31, 2023
Friends	41751	Skate Park	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	30435	Build Your Own Hogwarts Castle Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	30651	Quidditch Practice Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	75968	4 Privet Drive	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	75979	Hedwig	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76386	Hogwarts: Polyjuice Potion Mistake	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76398	Hogwarts Hospital Wing	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76399	Hogwarts Magical Trunk	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76400	Hogwarts Carriage and Thestrals	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76401	Hogwarts Courtyard: Sirius's Rescue	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76403	The Ministry of Magic	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76406	Hungarian Horntail Dragon	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76408	12 Grimmauld Place	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76409	Gryffindor House Banner	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76410	Slytherin House Banner	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76411	Ravenclaw House Banner	Dec 31, 2023
Harry Potter	76412	Hufflepuff House Banner	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	40426	Christmas Wreath 2-in-1	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	40522	Valentine Lovebirds	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	40523	Easter Rabbits Display	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	40570	Halloween Cat and Mouse	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	40571	Wintertime Polar Bears	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	80110	Lunar New Year Display	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday	80111	Lunar New Year Parade	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / City	60381	City Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Creator	30584	Winter Holiday Train Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Creator	30642	Birthday Train Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Creator	30643	Easter Chickens Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Friends	41758	Friends Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Harry Potter	76418	Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Icons	10293	Santa's Visit	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Marvel	76267	Marvel Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Holiday / Star Wars	75366	Star Wars Advent Calendar 2023	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10265	Ford Mustang	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10266	NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10273	Haunted House	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10276	Colosseum	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10289	Bird of Paradise	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10290	Pickup Truck	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10292	The Friends Apartments	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10299	Real Madrid - Santiago Bernabéu Stadium	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	10497	Galaxy Explorer	Dec 31, 2023
Icons	76989	Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck	Dec 31, 2023
Icons / Modular	10255	Assembly Square	Dec 31, 2023
Icons / Modular	10270	Bookshop	Dec 31, 2023
Icons / Modular	10278	Police Station	Dec 31, 2023
Ideas	21325	Medieval Blacksmith	Dec 31, 2023
Ideas	21326	Winnie the Pooh	Dec 31, 2023
Ideas	21329	Fender Stratocaster	Dec 31, 2023
Ideas	21337	Table Football	Dec 31, 2023
Jurassic Park / World	76943	Pteranodon Chase (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Jurassic Park / World	76945	Atrociraptor Dinosaur: Bike Chase	Dec 31, 2023
Jurassic Park / World	76947	Quetzalcoatlus Plane Ambush	Dec 31, 2023
Jurassic Park / World	76948	T. rex & Atrociraptor Dinosaur Breakout	Dec 31, 2023
Jurassic Park / World	76950	Triceratops Pickup Truck Ambush	Dec 31, 2023
Jurassic Park / World	76956	T. rex Breakout	Dec 31, 2023
Lightyear	76830	Zyclops Chase (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Lightyear	76831	Zurg Battle	Dec 31, 2023
Lightyear	76832	XL-15 Spaceship	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	30509	Yellow Yoshi's Fruit Tree Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71406	Yoshi's Gift House	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71413	Character Packs Series 6	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71414	Conkdor's Noggin Bopper	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71415	Ice Mario Suit and Frozen World	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71416	Lava Wave Ride	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71417	Fliprus Snow Adventure	Dec 31, 2023
Mario	71418	Creativity Toolbox	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	10781	Spider-Man's Techno Trike (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	10784	Spider-Man Webquarters Hangout (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	10790	Team Spidey at Green Goblin's Lighthouse (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	30652	Doctor Strange's Interdimensional Portal Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76187	Venom	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76193	The Guardians' Ship	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76206	Iron Man Figure	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76207	Attack on New Asgard	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76208	The Goat Boat	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76209	Thor's Hammer	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76211	Shuri's Sunbird	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76212	Shuri's Lab (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76213	King Namor's Throne Room	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76214	Black Panther: War on the Water	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76215	Black Panther	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76216	Iron Man Armory	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76225	Miles Morales Figure	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76230	Venom Figure	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76242	Thanos Mech Armor	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76253	Guardians of the Galaxy Headquarters	Dec 31, 2023
Marvel	76255	The New Guardians' Ship	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21164	The Coral Reef	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21170	The Pig House	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21172	The Ruined Portal	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21177	The Creeper Ambush	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21180	The Guardian Battle	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21181	The Rabbit Ranch	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21183	The Training Grounds	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21184	The Bakery	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21185	The Nether Bastion	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21186	The Ice Castle	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21188	The Llama Village	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	21190	The Abandoned Village	Dec 31, 2023
Minecraft	30647	The Dripstone Cavern/The Stalactite Cave Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Miscellaneous	40174	LEGO Chess	Dec 31, 2023
Miscellaneous	40382	Birthday Set	Dec 31, 2023
Miscellaneous	40393	LEGOLAND Fire Academy	Dec 31, 2023
Miscellaneous	40584	Birthday Diorama	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	30656	Monkey King Marketplace Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80008	Monkie Kid's Cloud Jet	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80030	Monkie Kid's Staff Creations	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80032	Chang'e Moon Cake Factory	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80033	Evil Macaque's Mech	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80034	Nezha's Fire Ring	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80035	Monkie Kid's Galactic Explorer	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80037	Dragon of the East	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80038	Monkie Kid's Team Van	Dec 31, 2023
Monkie Kid	80039	The Heavenly Realms	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	30649	Ice Dragon Creature Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71757	Lloyd's Ninja Mech (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71760	Jay's Thunder Dragon EVO	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71761	Zane's Power Up Mech EVO	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71763	Lloyd's Race Car EVO	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71765	Ninja Ultra Combo Mech	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71766	Lloyd's Legendary Dragon	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71767	Ninja Dojo Temple	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71768	Jay's Golden Dragon Motorbike	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71769	Cole's Dragon Cruiser	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71771	The Crystal King Temple	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71772	The Crystal King	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71774	Lloyd's Golden Ultra Dragon	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71775	Nya's Samurai X MECH	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71776	Jay and Nya's Race Car EVO	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71777	Kai's Dragon Power Flip	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71778	Nya's Dragon Power Drift	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71779	Lloyd's Dragon Power Spin	Dec 31, 2023
Ninjago	71781	Lloyd's Mech Battle EVO	Dec 31, 2023
Speed Champions	30657	McLaren Solus GT Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Speed Champions	76900	Koenigsegg Jesko	Dec 31, 2023
Speed Champions	76901	Toyota GR Supra	Dec 31, 2023
Speed Champions	76910	Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro and Aston Martin Vantage GT3	Dec 31, 2023
Speed Champions	76911	007 Aston Martin DB5	Dec 31, 2023
Speed Champions	76912	Fast & Furious 1970 Dodge Charger T	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	30654	X-wing Starfighter Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75288	AT-AT	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75292	The Razor Crest	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75300	Imperial TIE Fighter	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75301	Luke Skywalker's X-wing Fighter	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75309	Republic Gunship (Ultimate Collector Series)	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75312	Boba Fett's Starship	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75317	The Mandalorian & The Child	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75318	The Child	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75320	Snowtrooper Battle Pack	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75322	Hoth AT-ST	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75323	The Justifier	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75324	Dark Trooper Attack	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75326	Boba Fett's Throne Room	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75327	Luke Skywalker (Red Five) Helmet	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75329	Death Star Trench Run Diorama	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75330	Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75332	AT-ST (4+)	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75334	Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75335	BD-1	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75336	Inquisitor Transport Scythe	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75338	Ambush on Ferrix	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75339	Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75342	Republic Fighter Tank	Dec 31, 2023
Star Wars	75343	Dark Trooper Helmet	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	30655	Forklift with Pallet Polybag	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42096	Porsche 911 RSR	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42107	Ducati Panigale V4 R	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42111	Dom's Dodge Charger	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42117	Race Plane	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42118	Monster Jam Grave Digger	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42122	Jeep Wrangler	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42123	McLaren Senna GTR	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42125	Ferrari 488 GTE 'AF Corse #51'	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42127	The Batman - Batmobile	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42128	Heavy-Duty Tow Truck	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42131	Cat D11 Bulldozer	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42132	Chopper	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42133	Telehandler	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42134	Monster Jam Megalodon	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42135	Monster Jam El Toro Loco	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42137	Formula E Porsche 99x Electric	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42139	All-Terrain Vehicle	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42140	App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle	Dec 31, 2023
Technic	42144	Material Handler	Dec 31, 2023

First/Previous
Okay everyone. Chiyo began, as all members of the household settled down and sat cross legged in a circle in the living room. We're going to try out a guided meditation. It should help with stress and anxiety, and it's really relaxing! Start by gently breathing deeply through your nose, and then keep repeating this until the guide tells you what to do next…
It was getting late in the evening, and Jack had only returned about an hour ago, having very much lost track of time before he finally made his way back. He had a little trouble finding a path back through the districts despite being able to use a marker on his commlink to pinpoint the location of home. The hot tub, which was slightly larger than Jack had expected, had been mostly finished by the time he arrived. However, due to several employee absences the team leader apologised and promised to finish the last of the plumbing the following afternoon after the group got back from school, which Alora quickly planned out with them. Sephy had swept the area for any possible bugs or electronic tags an undercover enemy could plant, but had fortunately found nothing.
A few of them looked sceptical as Chiyo put on a guided meditation program with some relaxing music in the background, which to Jack sounded like the most bizarre series of timbres and pitches unlike anything he had heard. It had the peaceful, slow quality of meditative music from earth, but it still jarred him somewhat due to its unnatural nature.
Still, he tried to follow Chiyo’s instructions as the Ilithii floated back to the circle to sit next to Sephy, who already looked like she was having trouble concentrating, though she made the effort for Chiyo’s sake. Next to him, Nika was already controlling and slowing down her breathing along with him, both of them semi-used to the concept of meditation already, and it looked like Alora was doing something more akin to prayer. The twins and Vanya seemed to be able to cope enough as well, all having some kind of magical ability that required some basic kind of mental concentration.
“Now, bring your attention to your physical form…” The soothing voice of the instructor gently called out over the background music. “Feel your body pressing into the surface beneath you, and take note of any areas of tension or discomfort…”
“I’m well aware of my injuries you dumb bit-” Nika grumbled before Chiyo psychically reminded her to be quiet during the meditation.
“Do not try to change anything with these sensations, merely observe them…”
Relax Sephy… Chiyo quietly told the Skritta, who was slightly fidgeting. Try not to overthink it!
“Now return your attention to your breathing, noticing all the sensations as you inhale, then gently exhale…” The voice continued. They did so, though by the sounds some of them were making they were overdoing it.
“As you continue to breath, bring yourself mentally to your peaceful place. This could be any location that brings you a sense of tranquillity and relaxation. Now imagine yourself in this place, surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells that make it special to you…”
Jack’s mind brought forth an image of home. His mother, his father, his brothers, his sister, his grandparents all surrounding him. He was safe, he was with his family. He had his whole life ahead of him…
And it had all been taken away from him.
Jack squirmed involuntarily as his mind was dragged back to a dark place, his grief threatening to overwhelm him again…
“As you bask in this tranquil scene, allow yourself to let go of your worries and concerns that may be weighing on your mind. Imagine them fading away, leaving you at ease…”
All the faces of the people he would never see again stared at him coldly, judgingly. He had committed acts of horror he never thought he would ever have to commit. Even if there was a chance he could return to Earth, could his family even recognise the shell of a person he had become? What would they say?
“When you are ready, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, slowly open your eyes, and reorient yourself with your surroundings. Carry this sense of calm and relaxation with you into the rest of your day…”
As the guided meditation came to an end Jack quickly got to his feet to get a drink.
“Jack, is everything alright?” Alora asked him in alarm.
“All good.” He lied. “My legs are just a bit stiff, and the meditation was a bit hard.”
“Yeah I get what you mean.” Sephy used her wings to help her kick up. “I don’t really understand the whole ‘sit-and-do-nothing’ thing to be honest, it’s like I need to be actually doing something. But hell, I still gave it a go…”
Thanks for trying it anyway Sephy! Chiyo smiled.
“So what do we do now?” Nika asked everyone, as Jack returned with some canned drinks for all of them. “Still got a few hours before we probably need to go to bed."
“Nothing exhausting, please. Let’s just watch a movie?” Alora suggested after a few seconds of nobody contributing anything.
Perhaps some of our new housemates have a suggestion? Chiyo asked, looking to Vanya and the two Squa’Kaar, who hadn’t been confident enough to suggest anything as the newest additions to the household.
“I’m only a temporary housemate, I still have my own place.” Vanya smiled softly. But maybe WageMage?”
“That’s a good classic to start with!” Sephy grinned. “Have you seen it before Jack?”
“Can’t say I have, the Temple of Hope didn’t really have movie nights.” Jack reminded her with a smile. “What’s it about?”
“It’s basically a comedy film about an office worker that uses magic to get ahead and prank her bosses!” Vanya told him. “But you really need to watch it!”
“I’ll get some snacks.” Alora called, quickly grabbing a few bags of sweets out of one of the cupboards while the others tried to get comfortable on the sofa. It was large enough for all of them…just about.
“We should probably go furniture shopping at some point.” Sephy pointed out the obvious problem. “Especially if you’re gonna offer refuge for those that need it, Alora.”
“Damn, well, we are gonna hit a few of the rubbish heaps and scrapyards for materials we can use to fix up the shuttle, and anything else that we could use for home improvements.” Nika reasoned. “We even got this sofa from one of them though it was a bitch to drag all the way back here!”
At least we have more people that could help now. Maybe even more depending on who joins us. Chiyo added. Because I remember helping you spend half the day dragging that here, and I swore never to do manual labour ever again!
“Well, perhaps we can find a better way this time.” Alora concluded as she came back with the sweets while everyone sat down, and took a few blankets to warm themselves up with. Jack took one of the ends of the sofa so he wouldn’t be squished between two people this time, and Vanya was quick to sit next to him, even putting an arm around him, which he wasn’t opposed to. The thick, warm brown fur of the Chuna made him feel comfortable, and he subconsciously leaned in and relaxed.
“Ooof!” He grunted, as Sephy sat on his lap, pulling the blanket over them and cuddling up to him. Jack reflexively put his other arm around her to keep her in place, lamenting that he could no longer reach for the bag of sweets until Chiyo telepathically sent one his way.
“Hey Chiyo, could I have one as well?” Sephy cheekily asked the Ilithii.
Sure! Chiyo agreed, sending another sweet floating towards Sephy, before pinging it off her forehead,
“Ow!” Sephy grunted as they started the movie.
Jack appreciated the humour and plot of the movie, with the hapless office worker using magic to explode her boss’s tea, and accidently making her manager believe his wife was cheating on him, only to later discover that she actually was. He could see why this movie was a favourite with the girls, though he didn’t know if it would be well received on earth. Though this film was well written and amusing (despite him not understanding much of the humour), he could imagine it being received as too woke back on Earth. When the plot eventually evolved into the protagonist trying desperately to avoid the investigations of the alien equivalent of ‘HR’, it really ramped up the humour, which had even him chuckling on occasion.
However he was more subdued as the others laughed freely at the shenanigans, his mind going back to the horrible experiences he'd had, and his grief from being separated from his family. Yet all around him, like a beacon of hope was a home full of friends having a good time with him.
Could he get used to this?
Yeah. He thought he could.
*****
Svaartal snarled as his arms ever so slowly pushed the weighted bar up, feeling the burn in his chest and arms as he repeated the motion, over and over, his heart pounding as he pushed himself to lift more weight than he had ever lifted before with his natural strength. Forcing himself beyond his limits, he felt his muscles straining as his breaths became more and more laboured. He knew he was overdoing it, but he didn’t care. He was determined to become stronger, more focused, more powerful. He had Carrow watching over Svaarti, so this gave him the opportunity to really cut loose.
Devil’s Daughter would come for him and Svaarti again. He barely won their previous encounter and it took all he had to stand a chance against the raw power of her spells. Next time he would be better. He had heard the words she spoke to his sister, calling Svaarti a thief, though as far as he was concerned, if his mother looted the Golden Staff during the Demonfire War from the Stygians, it was hers by right of conquest. Not that the Devilspawn would care. If Devil’s Daughter was going to target him, Svaartal had no doubt she would attempt to do so through his sister, so he needed to be ready.
He had been pushing himself harder and harder ever since he first faced Frost to a standstill in that ambush, fully expecting to face him again soon, especially after the Drow of House Mal’Kar recruited him. He had been thoroughly changed by that experience, and he suspected the Outsider was changed by it too. From open hostility towards one another in their first week to caution in the next, it was a strange dance the two of them did.
But now?
Something about the Klown attack had changed him even more. For just a moment the two of them had fought side by side for a common cause, and though he did strongly consider it, he didn’t stick with the human. Despite that however, the words Frost told him certainly stuck with him.
Help me stop them.
And he did, didn’t he? He stopped to rescue several of the trapped partygoers and had cut them a path to safety, only to then decimate the Klown numbers with his most powerful spells. He had been considered a hero of the battle, alongside Frost himself and the dragon-bitch that officially kicked him out of the Red Legion. In a strange way, it felt…gratifying?
‘Though the greatest hero that night may not recover from her sacrifice…’ Svaartal thought to himself sadly. Why, Svaarti?’
He got up from the bench and slowly slunk over to the tension cable, cranking up the weight as high as he dared. Taking a deep breath he grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled, yanking the cable over his shoulder before releasing, then doing the same exercise over his other shoulder.
His memories of his fight with Devil’s Daughter came back to him, though he cursed not having a recording so he could better recall. Many of his actions had been instinctual, so much so that he could barely remember what he even did in several instants. He was fortunate that he kept a versatile array of spells prepared and ready for use in any situation, though it was his blade and quick thinking with his illusion and spacial magic that allowed him to slip through the Stygian’s defences.
But though he focused on the fight, her words still rang out in his mind.
‘Why the hell do you hate my people so much?!’
Dumb question. The Devilspawn killed his mother, and even after the Demonfire War many of their kind went rabid, committing horrific acts on innocent people, just the same as they did when Azazel, Lord of Torment was still alive.
But something about the sheer hurt in Devil’s Daughter’s expression tugged away at the back of his mind, like an itch that wouldn’t go away. Perhaps it was…
He was interrupted by the noise of someone approaching. Letting go of the handle, the cable he was pulling quickly snapped back to ping against the weights as he collapsed to the floor, his body dangerously overheated and his breath coming in ragged gasps. He quickly activated the enchantment of his Riverspray Ring, sending out a cloud of cooling mist that instantly made him feel slightly better.
“Good evening, Dextra.” Svaartal greeted the drow politely as he slinked over to where he had left a towel.
“Hey.” She replied, before something caught her eye and she pointed to his bare back. “What happened there?”
“What do you mean?” Svaartal stiffened at the sensitive question, having an idea what Dextra was referring to.
“By the gods…” She muttered. “Your scales are cracked and fucked up, and you’ve got a lot of scars, how?”
“I am aware that my scales need grooming.” Svaartal replied tersely, trying to be patient with the inquisitive drow despite the sensitive subject. “However I did not have anyone to teach me how to do it growing up. If it displeases you I will attempt to rectify the issue…”
“I’m not my sister, so you can shut up.” Dextra snorted. “You’ve got a fuckton of scars too, that can’t be good for you…”
“It is not.” Svaartal growled in anger before he quickly steadied himself, realising he was talking to a Drow Noble. “My apologies Lady Mal’Kar, what did you wish from me?”
Dextra snorted at the sudden formality, but she paid it no mind as she showed him her commlink. Displayed was a NetTube video from a channel by the name of ‘DevilLover69’.
“What is this?” Svaartal asked, confused.
“You might find this kinda funny!” She grinned, and played the video, the thumbnail of which displayed a medium sized, overweight looking being with pinkish-brown fur, a long cone-like trunk, huge grey bulbous eyes and thin, spindly arms.
“Ahem, attention everyone! Listen up, for I have a message for all of you! Recently, I have heard rumours that somebody out there has apparently defeated my beloved waifu, Devil’s Daughter, in combat! Let me tell you, that is something that will not go unpunished! I have spent countless hours defending her honour online, but now I have heard the call, and The Supreme Gentleman will step up and avenge her!”
“I’ve been training hard all this time, inspired by the queen herself! I’ve watched all of her fights, and I’ve practised martial arts on my Devil’s Daughter body pillow! So I hope the killer is watching, because I’m ready, and I’m coming for you! And I promise you, when I defeat you, you will wish you had never been born! I’ll see you on the streets, punk!”
“Pretty funny right?” Dextra asked, as Svaartal gave a slight grin.
“I really hope that’s not a troll!” he chuckled.
“Well if The Supreme Gentleman is legit and if he comes for you, it’ll give the others a good laugh.” Dextra giggled. “And…um…I could try and help you with the scales if you want? The datanet should have some videos and I could do your back if you want?”
Svaartal considered it for a moment, knowing where this would likely end up. He had not been requested by Izadora tonight, who seemed to be particularly busy with House Mal’Kar business, and they had never been anything more than casual so he had the freedom to do as he wished.
“I don’t see why not.” The Nirah shrugged, as he followed the bubbly drow to her chambers.
*****
“He’s her son.” Grandmaster Ilvella told her with a sad look on closing the door to his quarters. “I knew it the moment I saw him, though I couldn’t believe it.”
“What?” Nya exclaimed, having broken protocol and immediately followed her master to talk, with Rena trying to stop her. “Not a chance! There’s no way! They’re nothing alike! He’s evil, he can’t be!”
“I knew Svaarvali for a long time.” the Grandmaster sighed, drained from sharing his painful memory. “Even if he didn’t resemble her physically, there were subtle things I saw in just those few moments meeting him that could only have been from one of her line.”
“Are you certain he is not a different relation to the Saviour, Master?” Rena asked stoically.
“I am certain.” The Grandmaster nodded, closing his eyes. “But irrespective of how I may feel on the matter I will not sacrifice everything we have built for sentiment. Our plans do not change.”
“What are your orders, Master?” Nya tentatively asked.
“Do not engage this…Svaartal under any circumstances, unless in self-defence, and maintain your civilian cover.” He strictly told them both. “He will no doubt expect Devil’s Daughter to retaliate soon if she is able, so we will be patient and wait. I have not seen this Svaarti you are familiar with, but it seems like she may be more receptive than her brother if she is able to recover. If she does, continue to be her friend and get closer to her.”
His gaze then returned to the steely look Nya was used to from her master.
“However, Devil’s Daughter must be sighted soon, unharmed and doing something good to restore the people’s faith. A few days of inactivity will be expected before you must return, and with luck we can completely obscure the truth of your defeat as mere rumours.”
“I don’t think Head Whisperer Ratai has anything recent, save for the possible signs of the latest Killer Klown attack.” Nya reasoned. “And Scholar Volus is still deciphering what was discovered at the Pallid Pit, though Jack and his group have not relinquished the Gloom Cauldron they discovered as far as I am aware, which had ties to the ritual room, and which they’re theorising might have worked as some kind of beacon, though for what I have no idea.”
“I am sure we will find something.” Ilvella concluded. “Perhaps you and Rena can discover something in your civilian lives? The Outsider for one certainly seems to be a good source of trouble. Regardless, you two are dismissed. Heal up and rest early. You have school tomorrow.”
With that, Nya and Rena took their leave.
“This is…” Rena began.
“Impossible.” Nya snapped. “I refuse to believe it.”
“Nya…” Rena gently called to her, understanding the Stygian’s pain.
No, Rena.” Nya snarled, causing the usually stoic Vulsta to take a step back in shock. This wasn’t like her friend at all. “I should have killed him when I had the chance during our fight, and now I learn he’s related to the Saviour? Her son?!”
“You have another chance in the future.” Rena pointed out. “And you can lay the groundwork for that by preparing and training. Taking a loss like that is difficult, but it can be a blessing if you learn from it.”
Nya looked at her friend conflicted, and Rena was glad that the stone corridor of the monastery was deserted.
“Yes.” Nya sighed as she let go of her anger and returned to her normal self. “You’re right. I’ve taken losses before and I’ve come out stronger. I even faced the Killer Klown himself and sent him fleeing, so the problem isn’t necessarily my abilities, but my mind.”
Rena nodded calmly, seeing that Nya was pulling herself up. “And what is your next move?”
“The Grandmaster is right that I need to make a quick reappearance as Devil’s Daughter.” Nya began, sounding more like her usual self. “The Cult of the Destroyer would be an obvious target but the ones at the Pallid Pit were wiped out when my friends decided to go there for some reason, though at least we were able to kill the Stygian masquerading as me and tarnishing our people’s reputation."
“As a civilian I am already friends with Svaarti.” Nya then reasoned. “And unlike her brother, I can actually believe her being related to the Saviour. I can only hope that she wakes and recovers from her arcane backlash. I did talk to her in astral form, so I have faith.”
“So what will you do now?” Rena prompted. The coolly composed Vulsta still expected an answer to her previous question as Nya closed her eyes to think.
“The Whisperers might have something for me.” She decided. “Though there was clearly nothing worthy of Grandmaster Ilvella’s attention, maybe they have something smaller or less reliable I can use to at least been seen by the public.”
“That would be wise.” Rena agreed. “You still need to heal.”
The Chamber of Whispers was set on the ground floor of the monastery, hidden away and far from the entrance or anything else. Following the subtly different pattern of dim lights, the two quickly made their way to the hidden underground bunker that served as their resident spy headquarters.
“BWAH! I knew you’d be up and ready for more work in no time!” A jovial voice called out before they had a chance to knock on the doors. “Hello to you too, Rena!”
“My footsteps were silent…” Rena muttered as they entered the room.
Upon entering, the first thing that struck Nya’s attention was the sheer number of lights illuminating the chamber, bathing the entire room in powerful brightness, and allowing for no shadows to form in heavy contrast to the route they took to get here. Then she focused on the huge table in the middle, with a large map projection of Naganai City, complete with many extensive annotations on several notable districts, and with one of the Whisperers compiling a report on the Pallid Pit.
The walls of the room were lined with the blue glow of several monitors, either displaying popular all-day news outlets or with investigation boards on notable personages. In one of the side rooms Nya could see one of the monks at a console talking away on a headset, likely tapping into the community’s small network of contacts in the city from the safety of their remote system.
“Nya!” Head Whisperer Ratai grinned as the chubby Stygian waltzed over and gave her a gentle bear hug that still lifted her off her feet. “I’m glad you’re back! We’ve got news but it’s not urgent, so you should probably rest…”
Ratai gave her a knowing wink.
“What’s new Ratai?” Nya smiled, used to acting familiar around the man despite his high position.
“HAH!” The Stygian chuckled. “We mostly have reports of the post-klown cleanup, but a few players have already made their moves. Nothing too big but interestingly I’ve received a reliable rumour that our Outsider friend decided that massacring the klowns wasn’t enough for him and was involved in liberating a thinly populated swamp district."
“He’s claiming it as territory?” Rena asked, suddenly alert. “He may be more of a threat than I had initially warned…”
“No, no.” Ratai’s grin got wider. “Nobody seems to have claimed the land, but interestingly enough Clan Ashtail seems to have rehomed the vast majority of the population, and they seem to be sincere in allowing them to rebuild and recover in their newly annexed territory.”
“Do you consider Clan Ashtail a threat?” Nya asked.
“Of course!” Ratai snorted in amusement. “Vetch Ashtail was the one who all but hinted at the damnable rumour in his last correspondence to me, the smug bastard! His clan plays the game well, but there are many other more nefarious groups that will attempt to take advantage of the chaos. I'm particularly concerned about what Corvin Enterprises will try to do, but if they are planning on making a play, which I am almost positive that they are, then they are being very subtle about it.”
“Anything immediate?” Nya asked.
“That admirer of yours was quick to post a new video!” Ratai teased, causing Nya to bury her face in her hands in embarrassment.
“Don’t remind me.” She groaned. “That guy is pure cringe and you need to stop mentioning him to me!”
“Hah! Well I haven’t gotten much within the city itself, but we’ve found a series of accounts online about gangs trying to run protection rackets and establish themselves as local powers. Maybe you can crush a few of the weaker ones to make an appearance as you recover to full strength?”
“Nya will still need some time to recover.” Rena cautioned. “But if we approach this like any other mission and I act from the shadows, it will be fine.”
“Excellent, I shall begin my delving and let you know.” Ratai smiled. “In the meantime, you kids should go to bed!”
“I wish I didn’t have to.” Nya sighed.
“I didn’t exactly have much of a weekend.”
*****
First/Previous
And with that, the weekend is over for our....heroes?
If you're impatient for the next chapter, why not check out my previous series?
Some pictures have been added to The Galactic High Info Sheet! If you have any fanart or any pictures you think might fit one of the entries, please let us know on the discord!
Don't forget! You all have the ability to leave comments and notes to the entries, which I encourage you to do!
As always I love to see the comments on what you guys think!
Don't forget to join the discussion with us on Discord, and consider checking me out on Youtube if you haven't already! Until next week, it's goodbye for now!

I would first like to clarify, that while I do main Lillia, I am not super in tune with her lore. I just know that I adore her and her Disney-esque whimsy. Secondly, I am an amateur writer who is horrible at writing dialogue, so I tend to write my short stories without it. This is my first attempt at writing a story that takes place in an IP that is not of my own creation. I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback, but also love to hear what you think about this story.
Whispers of the Dreamgrove - A Lillia Story
In the heart of Ionia, where emerald canopies of ancient trees intertwine, a sanctuary untouched by the chaos of the outside world reveals itself. Here, time dances to a different rhythm, and the air sings with a whispered enchantment. It is in this hidden grove that Lillia, the Bashful Bloom, discovers solace and kinship.

The grove, embraced by towering arboreal sentinels, stands as a haven for all that is pure and wild. Its serene beauty weaves a spell that tickles the senses, as gentle sunlight filters through the lush foliage, casting a delightful dance upon the forest floor. Fragrant blossoms scent the air, their delicate aroma mingling with the faintest whispers that ride a breeze meant for the chosen few.

Nestled within this secluded haven, Lillia resides, her ethereal presence a mere ripple in the tapestry of the grove. Cloaked in a soft aura of mystery, she moves with a grace that mirrors the swaying branches above. Her hooves, delicate and soundless, tiptoe upon the mossy carpet, leaving no trace of her passing.

Lillia, the guardian of dreams and secrets, embodies the essence of solitude. Only the ancient trees and the moonlit wanderers of the grove are privy to her existence. Her purpose, twofold, binds her to the very soul of the forest: to protect the slumbering dreams and to safeguard the hidden secrets nestled within the depths of the foliage.

Silent and elusive, Lillia roams the grove, her slender form blending seamlessly with the whispering leaves. Her pale skin, kissed by the moon's gentle light, radiates a luminescence as though she were spun from the forest's essence. Adorning her head rests a crown of antlers adorned with delicate flowers, a whimsical symbol of her connection to the realm of nature and dreams.

The denizens of Ionia, blissfully unaware of Lillia's presence, continue their lives beyond the grove's borders. Unbeknownst to them, a guardian spirit watches tirelessly over their dreams, her existence shrouded in secrecy. The pact between the ancient trees and the enigmatic spirit ensures that Lillia remains known solely to the forest, a charming secret shared between friends.

In this enchanted grove, where the line between waking and dreaming blurs, Lillia stands as an unseen guardian. Her gaze, brimming with wisdom and compassion, pierces through the veils of slumber, nurturing the dreams of sleepers and ensuring they remain undisturbed by the chaos of the outside world.

In recent times, an unusual affliction has descended upon the sacred grove, shrouding its once-vibrant foliage in a dark and foreboding veil. The vibrant colors that once adorned the leaves have now withered, replaced by a sickly hue that hints at an insidious presence lurking within. The gentle whispers that once filled the air with a melodic symphony have been silenced, as if the very essence of the grove has been muted. This delicate balance, cherished by Lillia, now hangs in peril, and her heart resonates with the forest's mournful lament.

Deep within the grove's inner sanctum, where sunlight used to weave its playful dance upon the emerald leaves, now lie shadows that slink with treacherous intent. The once-lively hues have faded into a pallid shade, betraying the presence of a malevolent force. The ancient trees, guardians of the grove, tremble with an eerie unease, their branches stretching out in desperate supplication towards the heavens.

Lillia, ever attuned to the murmurs of the forest, feels the weight of distress that blankets her cherished sanctuary. Her gentle heart quickens with a mixture of determination and trepidation as she embarks on her personal quest. With each step she takes, the soft earth beneath her hooves resonates with both her unwavering resolve and the burden of responsibility she carries.

Guided by her profound connection to the grove, Lillia follows the faint echoes of anguish that linger within its depths. The whispers, once filled with life and beauty, now bear a mournful tone, as if mourning their own fading existence. She traverses the familiar paths she knows so well, her feet barely touching the ground, blending seamlessly with the ethereal ambiance of the grove.

As Lillia ventures further into the heart of the forest, she encounters pockets of the enigmatic darkness that taints the once-vibrant foliage. It clings to the leaves like a suffocating shroud, draining their life essence and casting a somber veil over the grove. Her heart aches with a bittersweet blend of sorrow and determination as she extends her delicate fingers, hoping to kindle a glimmer of restoration in the corrupted leaves.

With each tender touch, Lillia feels the pulse of the grove, a shared heartbeat reverberating through her being. She whispers words of solace, her voice a gentle zephyr that rustles through the branches, carrying the essence of hope upon its breath. Despite the looming threat of darkness, Lillia remains resolute, refusing to surrender to despair. Her resolve, akin to a flickering candle flame, only grows stronger in the face of adversity.

Motivated by her unwavering love for the grove and its denizens, Lillia presses onward, guided by an unseen hand. Though the whispers of the ancient trees have dimmed, their echo still resonates deep within her spirit, urging her forward. She knows that the fate of the grove, and all it symbolizes, rests squarely upon her shoulders, much to her dismay.

As Lillia cautiously ventures deeper into the heart of the forest, an unsettling truth begins to reveal itself. A long-dormant and wicked force has awoken, casting a dark shadow over the once serene grove. This entity, known as the Shadowveil, now emerges with sinister intent. It thrives on the dreams of the innocent, twisting their hopes and aspirations into haunting nightmares.

Within the labyrinthine depths of the forest, Lillia's timid nature senses the presence of this awakened malevolence. Her heart races, and a shiver of fear runs down her spine. The whispers of the trees, usually comforting, now carry a somber warning, urging her to beware the dangers that lie ahead.

With each cautious step she takes, Lillia's trembling hooves navigate the treacherous paths of the grove. She treads carefully, her senses on high alert for any sign of the encroaching darkness. The once peaceful sanctuary transforms into a battleground where opposing forces clash, leaving her overwhelmed and uncertain.

As Lillia continues her journey, she encounters undeniable signs of the Shadowveil's presence. Twisted and thorny vines replace the once vibrant foliage, their grotesque forms seemingly mocking her. The once fragrant air now carries a dank, foreboding scent, making her nose wrinkle in discomfort. The forest she once found solace in becomes an unsettling place that tests her fragile courage.

In a hidden glade deep within the grove, Lillia stumbles upon an ancient mural that tells the chilling tale of the Shadowveil's rise. The vivid images depict innocence transforming into despair, a sight that strikes fear into her trembling heart. Though her natural instinct is to flee, a flicker of determination stirs within her, urging her to face the daunting challenge before her.

With trembling hands, Lillia reaches out to trace the faded lines of the mural, her touch hesitant yet filled with a desperate need to understand. The mural responds to her timid touch, emitting a faint glow as if it recognizes her presence. Whispers, both ancient and gentle, guide her through forgotten incantations that may hold the key to confronting the Shadowveil's grip.

As Lillia cautiously ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, she confronted the twisted creatures that emerged from the influence of the Shadowveil. These grotesque beings, born from the malevolent force, had transformed the once-familiar inhabitants of the grove into corrupted and joyless beings.

With her lithe frame and nimble movements, Lillia engaged in stealthy battles, relying on her agility and the latent magic of her dream-laden branch. Swinging it with grace and precision, she swiftly neutralized the corrupted beings, ensuring that her strikes found their mark.

But it was not only her physical prowess that aided her. Lillia's connection to the dreamscape granted her an advantage beyond mortal capabilities. Tapping into the ethereal realm of dreams, she wove intricate patterns of energy, casting ethereal strands with a wave of her branch. These strands ensnared the minions of the Shadowveil, trapping them within their own nightmares.

As the dream traps took hold, Lillia witnessed a transformation in the corrupted beings. Their twisted forms convulsed and contorted as they struggled against the invisible restraints. In that struggle, their captivated minds were freed, the darkness fading away to reveal glimpses of the innocence and purity that had been stolen from them.

Filled with compassion and determination, Lillia saw these battles as opportunities for redemption, not destruction. Each encounter became a testament to her strength and the power of dreams. With each release, she glimpsed the flickering hope that her efforts might eventually restore balance and light to the grove.

With each victorious encounter, Lillia pressed on, guided by ancient whispers and the luminescent glow of her dream-laden branch. The path ahead grew increasingly perilous, yet her courage blossomed alongside the challenges she faced. No longer burdened by trembling hooves, she moved forward with purpose, delving further into the darkness that enveloped the grove.

And so, Lillia continued her whimsical struggle against the Shadowveil, combining nimble grace with dream-woven magic to battle its corrupted minions. Through each encounter, she inched closer to unraveling the malevolent force's hold on the innocent. With every ethereal trap she crafted, she moved one step closer to reclaiming the dreams that had been devoured by the insidious entity.

As Lillia valiantly battled the twisted creatures born from the influence of the Shadowveil, she embarked on a poignant journey to uncover the origins of this malevolent force. Hidden among the verdant foliage, she discovered ancient carven stones adorned with intricate symbols, each stone revealing a fragment of a sorrowful tale.

Through the hushed whispers of forgotten lore, Lillia pieced together the tragic story of the Shadowveil. Long ago, it was not a harbinger of darkness but a benevolent guardian spirit, entrusted with the sacred duty of nurturing the dreams and aspirations that bloomed within the grove.

Before corruption had tainted its essence, the Shadowveil embodied ethereal beauty and a gentle grace. It danced with the sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting enchanting patterns of shadow and light. Its presence inspired hope and filled the hearts of the grove's inhabitants with a sense of wonder.

But destiny, cruel and capricious, intervened. A lost and tormented wraith, wandering through the realms, encountered the radiant spirit of the Shadowveil. This wraith, consumed by its own suffering, saw the purity within the guardian spirit as an opportunity to perpetuate its own despair.

The wraith's malevolence seeped into the very fabric of the Shadowveil's being, tainting its essence with an overwhelming darkness. The once-ethereal spirit was consumed by the weight of its own despair, transforming into the malevolent entity now known as the Shadowveil.

Lillia's heart ached as she envisioned the radiant spirit that the Shadowveil had once been. She could almost see its luminescent form, glowing with the dreams and aspirations of the grove's inhabitants. It was a heartbreaking reminder of the innocence lost and the tragic fate that had befallen the guardian spirit.

Driven by compassion and a deep sense of empathy, Lillia fought not only to restore stolen dreams but also to bring solace and redemption to the corrupted spirit. Each encounter with the Shadowveil's minions served as a poignant reminder of the beauty that had been extinguished and the pain that now permeated the grove.

Her dream-laden branch pulsed with an otherworldly power, a testament to the dreams and hopes it held. The luminescent glow that emanated from it whispered of forgotten memories, guiding Lillia deeper into the heart of the forest. She was determined to not only heal the grove but also to offer a glimmer of healing to the wounded spirit that had once been the radiant guardian of dreams.

As Lillia pressed onward, the battles against the corrupted minions of the Shadowveil became a somber dance between despair and hope. She fought not only for the dreams and aspirations of the innocent but also for the chance to bring redemption to a spirit lost in the depths of its own anguish.

Driven by her unwavering compassion for the forest and her kin, Lillia ventured deeper into the heart of the grove, guided by the radiant glow of her dream-laden branch. Her destination was the sacred clearing where the formidable Shadowveil stood, its twisted form casting an ominous shadow that seemed to suffocate the land.

With a mixture of grace and occasional clumsiness, Lillia initiated her intricate dance, effortlessly evading the tree-like entity's attacks. Her dream-laden branch emanated an ethereal glow, pulsating with the pure essence of dreams she had reclaimed from the corrupted minions she had encountered. Each strike she delivered resonated with a potent determination, gradually weakening the Shadowveil's hold on the forest.

The ancient guardian spirit, now enveloped in darkness, unleashed waves of malevolent energy, its branches contorting and reaching out hungrily. Yet, Lillia's otherworldly agility allowed her to evade the grasping tendrils with nimble movements. Although her dance bore hints of awkwardness and unrefined elegance, it exuded a raw beauty that stemmed from her unwavering conviction and the glimmer of hope that persisted within the Shadowveil.

The air grew thick with a palpable blend of despair and longing as the showdown unfolded. Lillia's heart thumped with each beat, resonating with the pain and turmoil she sensed within the corrupted spirit. Deep within the layers of darkness, she knew that a fragment of the radiant guardian's essence still yearned to be set free.

With each strike and defensive maneuver, Lillia tapped into not only her own strength but also the collective dreams and aspirations of the grove's inhabitants. The dream-laden branch shimmered, interweaving the hopes and wishes of all who had been affected by the Shadowveil's corruption. Its radiant energy infused her attacks with unwavering power, as if the very essence of the forest rallied behind her, lending her strength in the battle against encroaching shadows.

In the midst of the tempestuous confrontation, the ultimate outcome remained uncertain. The delicate balance between Lillia's compassion and the Shadowveil's despair teetered on the precipice of redemption or eternal darkness. Undeterred, she pressed on, guided by an unwavering belief in the transformative power of dreams.

As the pivotal moment approached, a surge of energy coursed through Lillia's being. A torrent of radiant light, interwoven with the very essence of dreams, gathered within her. With unwavering determination, she unleashed this formidable power, directing it towards the looming presence of the Shadowveil. The luminous cascade enveloped the corrupted entity, penetrating the layers of darkness that had plagued it for far too long.

The surge of radiant energy, infused with the dreams reclaimed from the Shadowveil's minions, acted as a cleansing force, unravelling the insidious tendrils of corruption that had ensnared the ancient guardian spirit. The Shadowveil convulsed, its twisted form contorting in a mixture of agony and relief. Lillia's magic, driven by her boundless compassion, permeated every inch of the entity, offering solace and forgiveness in its wake.

In that climactic moment, the weary guardian found solace at last. The essence of the Shadowveil yielded to the soothing embrace of an eternal slumber, its torment finally laid to rest. Lillia, her voice filled with heartfelt empathy, whispered a tender wish for pleasant dreams to accompany the guardian spirit in its eternal repose.

As the radiant energy dissipated, a serene stillness settled upon the grove. The corrupted tendrils that had tainted the once-vibrant land withdrew, vanishing into ethereal wisps of shadow. The oppressive shroud cast by the Shadowveil lifted, and the grove bathed in the gentle glow of renewed tranquility.

With the malevolence banished, the grove erupted in joyful celebration. The once-stunted flora flourished with newfound vitality, their vibrant hues painting the landscape with a kaleidoscope of colors. Delicate flowers bloomed, their fragrant petals dancing upon the soft caress of the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting enchanting patterns of light and shadow upon the rejuvenated forest floor.

The inhabitants of the grove, from the tiniest woodland creatures to the towering ancient trees, reveled in the return of harmonious existence. Their spirits lifted as the weight of the Shadowveil's corruption dissipated, replaced by a profound sense of hope and bliss. Whispers of gratitude echoed through the verdant expanse, mingling with joyous songs of celebration, creating a symphony of nature's delight.

And yet, amidst the jubilation, an air of anticipation lingered.

Lillia stood amidst the vibrant grove, her heart swelling with a newfound victory and a flicker of courage that had ignited within her. The triumph over the Shadowveil had awakened her spirit to the possibilities that lay beyond the familiar confines of her secluded home. The forest, in all its ancient wisdom, seemed to beckon her towards the mysteries of the wider Ionian realm, urging her to step out and interact with the humans who dwelled there.

As she stared into the distance, Lillia felt a tantalizing sense of adventure tugging at her very core. Her imagination painted vivid pictures of encounters, friendships, and stories that awaited her beyond the boundaries of her forest sanctuary. The allure of the unknown whispered promises of growth and connection, enticing her to take that leap of faith.

But just as she was about to muster the courage to step forward, a chilling breeze of doubt swept through her. Fear, like an old adversary, crept into her thoughts, whispering tales of rejection and the pain of not being accepted by the world beyond. It gnawed at her, threatening to shatter her fragile hopes and dreams.

With a heavy sigh, Lillia gently shook her head, as if trying to dispel the doubts that threatened to hold her back. She knew that her journey, though filled with triumphs, wasn't quite complete. There were still layers of healing and growth she needed to unravel before venturing into the uncharted territory of the human realm.

Resolute in her decision, Lillia chose to return to her secluded existence, at least for now. She embraced the contentment that came with the personal victory she had achieved, finding solace in the healing embrace of the grove. The forest, sensing her choice, whispered its gratitude, a gentle breeze carrying its appreciation through the rustling leaves. The ancient trees, now teeming with newfound life and vibrant energy, swayed and sang songs of heartfelt appreciation to their humble protector.

Lillia understood that her journey would continue, guided by the whispers of the wind and the dreams that still burned within her. She knew that, one day, when the time was right, she would gather enough strength to step beyond the safety of her forest home and embrace the human world with open arms. But for now, she would cherish the tranquility of her grove, nurturing her own spirit and blossoming alongside the vibrant flora that surrounded her.

In this report, I'll mostly list the city I visited during my trip and give my general impression or talk about what I did.
I spend a total of three months in Japan, the first 11 days around Tokyo, two weeks to move between Osaka and Hiroshima one month across Kyushu and finally back in Tokyo for a month, with some overnight trips in the Kanto area.
You can check my itinerary for Kyushu, it will give more detail on location I planned to visit in each city (I mostly followed it) and also gives a bit more info about me. I also wrote about traveling as a Hololive fan and posted on the dedicated sub, but here I posted about anime shopping a bit more in general.
If you want to get my extra tips that you would not usually read here or in other guides, I posted my tips on JapanTravelTips.
Walked from 9k to 31k steps by day, an average of 15k to 20k depending on the month I look at. Total cost including flight was about 8000CAD, I mostly stayed in hostels or similar accommodation, did not use JR Pass and mostly eat food in restaurant while moving around, but back in Tokyo I did much more convenience store/grocery store shopping for food. It did include a lot of craft beer and a bit of souvenir shopping.
Feel free to ask question, especially if I mention a place that you would like to visit, I can give more info. Or if you want to see picture of anything I mentioned, let me know I can try to share.
Kansai/Chugoku

Arima : I only visited during the day, but if you are looking for a nice onsen town close to Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe, then I would recommend. The ambiance might not be as charming as Kinosaki, but you still have the feeling that you are in a small town that revolve around onsen and that is easy to walk. The two main onsen are fine, pretty typical onsen experience if you ask me. Sure you can find nice ryokan too.
Kobe : Went before and to different area, went to two sake breweries in Nada on my first time and would recommend if you want to know how sake is made. This time I went around Chinatown around lunch and it was a great experience, there is so much street food vendors and people everywhere, really recommend. Finished the day with a night view from Venus Bridge, the view was better than from the Nunobiki Herb Garden.
Akashi : The main shopping street was really busy, lot of restaurant that serve the local specialty, Akashiyaki, a kind of takoyaki but much eggier taste and texture, you dunk it in soup to eat it (instead of putting sauce on it). The castle is skippable unless you hunt stamps and the history museum is heavily in Japanese.
Himeji : The castle is huge. Honestly I really recommend to try to see one of the original castle and this one is usually the one that make the most sense to people. Went there close to opening time and could visit the castle and Kokoen garden before lunch. Then hiked Mount Shosha to see Engyo-ji. The hike is not too difficult, the temple is nice but really big, it will take a while to walk around even if you take the ropeway (it was under maintenance when I went).
Ako : Could interest history buff as it is the city from where the 47 ronin from the Chushigura story come from, so the local shrine and the history museum do have things related to it. I actually liked going to see the salterns at Ako Seaside Park. Ako was know to be a big sea salt produced in the past and there is outside exhibit that show how it is done. They also do workshop and weekly demonstration, but even without that I found it interesting.
Bizen (Imbe) : Unfortunately went when the museum was close for change in exhibition. This is a really different sightseeing experience as there is little to no "sight", spent most of the day going from one pottery store to the other. It's easy to get an idea of the Bizen-yaki style, I did not like the red-ish items that much but got a nice tea cup in darker color.
Okayama : The castle and garden are ok, might not be my first recommendation for that combo (Himeji would probably win). The castle focus on the sengoku era, so if you like that part of history you might appreciate. Then went to Kibitsu-jinja where there is a long corridor. Can also learn about the story of Momotaro. If the weather had been better, cycling around Kibi is apparently nice. Do not try the Doppo Peach Pils, I would barely call it a beer, too sweet.
Kurashiki : By the video I saw, it made it sound much bigger. The historic area is not that large, so if you do the boat ride, it won't be that long. There is still a nice vibe and you can get a good taste of a more preserved neighborhood.
Fukuyama : Mostly used this as a convenient place to stay, there is not much to do. When you go to the touristic information and they tell you the top two things are the castle and Tomonoura, well, it show that this is not a top touristic destination. Took a more relax day and only walk to some temple/shrine.
Tomonoura : Here we can also get a taste of preservation of older neighborhood, bus on a smaller scare and different building style compared to Kurashiki. If you are into history and specifically Bakumatsu, you might want to see the small museum about the Irohamaru and Sakamoto Ryoma as the boat sank nearby. The nearby island is nice and you can go for a relatively easy hike, but nothing special.
Onomichi : Love Onomichi, I've been several times already. The city is always as quiet with as little attractions, but still like the vibe. Cherry blossom where quite nice in Senko-ji park. While I have not done the cycling, I visited the islands on Onomichi side. This time I went to Mukaishima for a hike and the view was fantastic. Yes, doing the Shimanamikaido cycling is a way to enjoy it, but it is not the only way to enjoy the islands and the view they can offer. Got recommended a really nice bar that it next to impossible to find without being told (can give more info).
Hiroshima : After several days without seeing much international tourist, here the main sight like the peace park and even the castle are obviously popular destinations. I do not think I have much to add about Hiroshima that you cannot find elsewhere.

Kyushu

Fukuoka : Went before and from my first trip would recommend the Fukuoka City Museum for a nice history museum. This time went to see teamLab, was my first experience and it was quite fun, I can give more info on that too. Went to Maizuru park (Fukuoka castle ruin) and had beautiful cherry blossom.
Yoshinogari : While most historical location showcase more modern aspect of Japan, it was a really interesting experience to see a larger scale location dedicated to Yayoi era. Usually you might see one of the house from that era build in a random park/museum, but here you have the full village with different type of building and the whole walls around. Quite interesting if you are into older Japanese history.
Saga : Was a convenient stop for accommodation, but there is not that much to see. The castle ruin have a reconstructed palace, one of the (if not the) first to be reconstructed. While it is nice, it is really not as flashy as the one in Nagoya castle (in Nagoya city, not Nagoya castle ruin in Saga) or Kumamoto castle.
Arita : Similar to Bizen as the day was focused on visiting pottery/porcelain shops. Here the Kyushu Porcelain Museum was open and I would really recommend, especially as it's free. Really nice experience to see the different style of porcelain made around Arita, it did contrast with my perception that the style was kind of the same across all what is produced, but there is actually a lot of different style.
Takeo : My main reason to go was to see teamLab exhibition, but along the way stopped by different nice garden. Was kind of in a strange time, cherry blossom was almost over and azalea just starting, so I had a bit of both, but not peak of either. teamLab I also did the Mikuneyama Rakuen onsen. While you pay a bit of a premium price, I think that you do have a good onsen experience. The exhibition was also quite nice and despite seeing some other people, I mostly had the art installation for myself. Can give more info if you want.
Nagasaki : Second time in Nagasaki, found the Chinatown a bit dead compared to Kobe. Did the must do things on my first trip like peace museum, Dejima and Mount Inasa at night (would recommend to do these), this time did Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture that is interesting as it focus on the trace with various foreign country, Clover garden that is nice if you are interested in Late Edo/Meiji presence of westerners in Nagasaki. Also did Kameyama Shachu Memorial Museum as I like Bakumatsu and Ryoma. Will continue to recommend two days in Nagasaki.
Unzen : Really unique to walk around Unzen Hells. Did some hiking around, but if you have a chance, going to Nita Pass and up the ropeway is probably better, but the bus to Nita Pass was not running when I went ant the only other option was an expensive taxi ride.
Shimabara : While the castle have nothing unique, the exhibition inside is quite interesting as it will tell more about the Shimabara rebellion and the hidden Christians. Also tried a local sweet that is like small dango in a sweet syrup that strangely taste a lot like maple syrup.
Kumamoto : While it is a major city in Kyushu, I felt that appart from the castle, there is not that much to do. Right now the castle is only partially reopen as they are still repairing the damage caused by the 2016 earthquake.
Hitoyoshi : Unfortunately difficult to access by public transport because of the Hisatsu Line was severely damaged by floods in 2020, you can still go by bus, but it makes it more difficult. You might think that goin by car is the better option, but considering that Hitoyoshi is known for Kuma Shochu (made with rice), you might want to walk to the shochu distillery to partake in some tasting. Also went into a miso and soy sauce factory, that was interesting. Overall not a lot of things to see but still nice countryside town.
Kirishima (Myoken onsen) : The onsen area is not the most convenient to access by public transport, but there is still a bus going. It's getting more difficult if you want to visit some sights around. I ended up being quite lucky as two different person stopped to offer me a ride to my next location. Would only recommend if you have a car or if you are really a big fan of Sakamoto Ryoma.
Kagoshima : I was expecting to need more than a day to visit Kagoshima, but for the city itself, a day seems alright. Shukkei-en is nice and offer a good view of Sakurajima, the garden is also beautiful. Just make sure to get in the sightseeing bus that stop at the entrance. Went to the Meiji Restoration Museum, especially as I like the bakumatsu era. I could have spend my second full day in Sakurajima instead, but the rain was not especially pushing me to do outside activities.
Yakushima : The car ferry was not running so had to pay 22 000yend for the jetfoil. This also changed my total ferry schedule. I initially planned a single day of activity, but ended up leaving in the afternoon of the second day so could re-schedule. On my first full day I went to Hirauchi kaichu onsen, that is a onsen in the ocean, only accessible at low tide, was kind of interesting, but it's mixed gender and you are technically supposed to go naked... except that the other people ether had swimsuit or towels to properly hide themselves, while I had a borderline too small towel. Only had 15 minutes to enjoy the water before going back on the bus to Ohko waterfall, that is quite nice. There I met someone who offered me a drive. My initial plan to walk toward Seibu Rindo, a forest road with wild deer and monkey. Let's say that considering the distance, I realize that my initial plan was not that good. Second day wend to Shiratani Unsuikyo, really nice hike with a great view if you reach the end of the train. The bus schedule does allow to easily do the hike if you start in the morning. Overall, I think Yakushima is doable by public transport, but it does require much more planning, kind of glad I had a ride. Also was lucky to get great weather all the time I was there.
Ibusuki : I asked for recommendation of places to go and was recommended Chiringashima twice, not bad if you have some time to walk around the island and you are on time for low tide, but terrible bus schedule, so I went by bus and returned by walking. A bike rental would have made things easier. The special thing in Ibusuki is the sand bath, it is a strange feeling to be buried in the sand. The main place where you can do it is big and really well organized, I saw a place in Beppu that offer sand bath, but they seemed to have a somehow long wait. Appart from that, you need to go outside of town if you want to do more things.
Makurazaki : a bit of a pain to reach by train/bus. My main goal was to see a shochu distillery. Honestly not totally sure it's worth going that far especially considering I saw other places easier to access. They also produce sweet potato based beer, not bad, but also not the best I tried during my trip. Had to eat some bonito as the city is know to be a big producer of katsuobushi.
Shishibu : Mostly went because I wanted to visit a tea farm. Went to Osumi Teanery, they have a member of their staff that is American and that will do the tour with you. There is just so much we can see of the process in the factory as it is a running factory (at least in season) that is not build to have viewing deck on the production, then despite the rain we went to see the fields and talk about how the tea is cultivated. Also did a hojicha workshop, so that was fun to learn how to roast your own tea. While the place is not the easiest to access, the staff helped me get there so at the end it was relatively easy to do.
Nichinan (Obi) : Kind of fun castle town, they have a special map with coupons and a list of participating restaurant. You buy the map then you can exchange the coupons of food items to eat while visiting the town. The castle does not have anything exceptional, but still fine.
Miyazaki : First day was initially dedicated to Aoshima, but I ended up not spending as much there as I thought. The rock formation is interesting, that is for sure. Used the rest of the day to go to Udo-Jingu (that is technically in Nichinan), not sure it's worth the full cost of the bus, but it's an interesting shrine built in a cave close to the ocean. Miyazaki city in itself does not have that much, the nature and history museum is nice, but as many nature museum, I feel more geared toward child, but it was free, so why not.
Hyuga : Honestly my biggest surprise. I was initially only planning it as a stop before getting in the bus to Takachiho. Ok, it's quite a long walk so a car or maybe a bike would be better, but Umagase was really a natural wonder, it's really beautiful and you can feel the power of the ocean. You might as well stop by the Sea Cross observatory and a point called Sanpo (next to the sea cross). Then you can also check Omi shrine and Uto shrine, the second being a small shrine build in a cave quite close to the ocean.
Takachiho : Again after a while just seeing tourist once in a while, it show that Takachiho is a popular spot for tourist (both Japanese and Foreign. While the gorge is nice, I was much more impressed by Umagase. Also you cannot always ride the boat and it was close the days I was there. For me the Takachiho Kagura was more interesting than the gorge. One difficulty was to find a good hostel as the one easy to book is next to Amanoiwato shrine, that is a bit far from Takachiho shrine and no bus at the time of the kagura plan. But I found guesthouse sankaku thatwas perfectly located and the host, Asuka, was really friendly. Went to Amanoiwato shrine the next day and I think that more than the shrine in itself, the mythology around it is much more interesting. While it is only in Japanese, they do a small tour almors every half hour so you can see the sealed entrance of the cave where Amaterasu hid.
Takamori : That was one more intermediary stop, got to see one of the One Piece statue (that I do not really care about). Got great view on Mount Aso. Went to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine (that is a good walk or infrequent bus from the station), and was surprised to see what felt like a tour bus stop there. Yeah, it's nice to see the torii and the staircase in the forest, but I would not do a day trip from Kumamoto to there as I've seen people here wanting to do that. Also the train line is supposed to fully reopen this summer so it will be easier to access.
Aso : My worst day. It rained and the top of the mountain was in clouds. Honestly I should have saved my money and not go on top. But if you are blessed with good weather, I am sure that it is fantastic, I can say that just by the gorgeous view I had on the mountain the previous day.
Beppu : Yes, Beppu is know for their onsen, but I do not especially feel a special vibe about the city. When I went to the tourist info to have recommendation, appart from the hells that I already visited previously, it was pretty much just to get out of the city to attractions around. Got recommended Takegawara Onsen, it's fine but the bath is small and there is no soap, so bring your own if you want to wash. They also do sand bath, but seems to take time as the place have limited space. It's also located in what I would call a red light district with plenty of girls bakyabakura/soapland, so that is also... interesting. Would highly recommend Beppu Brewery, that seems to be fairly new. Got their tasting set that include a kabosu weise, kabosu is Oita local citrus, then tried the kabosu session. But if you see kabosu beer at the souvenir shop, do not try Kabos and Honey, it's the second worst beer I had on my trip, really sweet. (I wat getting into fruity beers before going to Japan, sour beer are good, not sweet beer).
Oita : Listening to people, I felt that Oita was not really getting much appreciation here, but I found that there was more museums than in Beppu, like the Oita Prefecture Art Museum and Oita Art Museum (but I'm not that into art museum). While yes, there is no that much around the station area, I wished I had searched a bit more about the history of the city, the great discovery was the Old Otomo Residence and Garden, It is a small museum that will introduce you to Otomo Sorin, probably more know as the christian daimyo, would have liked to see if there is more locations related to that part of the region's history. The castle ruin was less interesting as there is not much exhibition, so pretty much only went to get the castle stamp. Getting a car to get to the interesting points a bit further around the city could have been more interesting tho.
Usuki : My first idea here was to visit a series of temples as part of a pilgrimage, but it ended up not being much of a good idea as the second temples I went to was close, so I kind of abandoned the idea. Then I rented a free bicycle from the tourist information and rode it toward the stone carved buddha, unfortunately the back tire went flat and I decided to walk back instead of going all the way to the buddha. Was a bit unfortunate, but the city had some nice streets with older buildings and the food was good.

Kanto

Sakura : Not much people go there but I would really recommend the history museum. If you decide to go, make sure you bring you phone with headphones and a power bank, if you listen to all the audio guide, you can spend hours in the museum.
Narita : While I might not recommend as a day trip from Tokyo, I would absolutely recommend for people who are doing a long layover at Narita and that want to have a taste of Japan without going all the way to Tokyo.
Kamakura : Second time going, while it's kind of possible to do a day in Kamakura and Enoshima, I think that spending two days over the two places is much better. This time I went to Hokokuji and their bamboo grove is really beautiful. While I've seen bamboo elsewhere, like in Sakura, here the place is really clean, all the dead bamboo have been removed and properly disposed. Usually in natural bamboo groves, it is full of dead or broken bamboo or there is piles of bamboo that was gathered in a corner. It was not too crowded and quite enjoyable, but it is not super big. Other than that there is plenty to see in Kamakura, totally recommend.
Enoshima : Went for the first time, while a full day might be a bit much, not too hard to spend a good part of the day walking around. Went on the first day of my Kamakura trip as the weather was nice and I hoped for a Mount Fuji view and I could see it. I had the impression you had to be at a specific spot to see it, but no you can see it right from the bridge (I think the specific spot is if you want to see both Enoshima and Mount Fuji). Despite no cloud, it was not super clear, this can be because of humidity in the air or because of Asian dust (or China Dust) that is more prevalent in spring.
Chichibu : Kind of surprisingly, there is many anime that are taking place in Chichibu, so if you like any of them, that would be a great destination. One of the main thing advertise about Chichibu is nature, but I found that it would work much better with a car to get to the flower fields outside of the town center, or maybe by renting a car. If you want to bungee jump you can do it here (pretty sure it's the place where Chis Broad and Connor went). If you want to go to Mitsumine Shrine, then that will likely require a car rental. I stayed not to far for the night, but the bus service was... let's say not the most convenient. There would also be a bunch of hiking trains in the area around the western side of Chichibu.
Nagatoro : Walking next to the arakawa river is a must and you might want to also do a boat dire on the river. I then hiked Hodosan, but it was not that exciting. There is a famous kakigoori place there, super popular, that's the restaurant I waited the longest for in all my trip, then you get serve a big pile of shaved ice (with the syrup of your choice) and it cost more than a lot of full meals that I had, but I do not regret the refreshment on that hot day.

I'm looking for a fun, smutty fantasy...well...romp, I suppose. I envision the setting is like a fantasy version of ancient Rome with all of its bathhouses, orgies and wine so plentiful a vomitorium had to be kept up. This city is the seat of an Empire and all roads lead to it and so it is a melange of different races, magics and intrigues.
This is pretty much all I have, other than my character, and am thinking some sort of intrigue plot but I'm down to discuss. Is your girl a powerful patrician or a slave girl? Or something else entirely?
I'm looking for dark and gritty but also fun. I don't really do silly a lot except perhaps in dialogue. I'd like us to be fairly low-powered so we have to clever to accomplish our goals. Intrigue.
I am a multiparagraph, descriptive writer who replies quite a few times a day and am looking for the same in return. If there is an availability difference hit me up and we can talk about it. Not looking for a sidekick who is just kind of there, I'm looking for somebody to create equally with me and there is world building we would need to do. I love my more experienced writers but if you can write send me a sample and we can talk about it. I'm okay with 3rd or 1st person.
Limits: scat, vore, gore, minors, smells.
Oh... I prefer chats but if you're hardcore DMs that's fine but I would want to move to Discord preferably.
All characters will be 21+. Or whatever.
SAMPLE In the corner two desultory musicians played the background noise to this frolicsome party that spilled over from the tiled floor to the stone bath. One, an elf, played the flute beautifully at times but seemed off at others. A telltale wine cup sat at her foot. The man beating the skins was a grubby human who looked far too intently at the woman in various states of undress but kept the rhythm satisfactorily.
A comely young man sat regaling a group of women of various ages with a tale of his adventures along the roads to the beating red heart of the empire. "So there was this huge orc with a broken tusk and a golden ring on the other and he wanted blood but I told him that 'while we weren't heavily guarded, our little caravan but we were owned by the powerful House Arinx and the master would have him caught, whipped enslaved and fighting lizard-lions in the fighting pits before the Ides came." The storyteller looked around but studiously did not look at the two hands, from two different women, that had long since snaked under his toga to tantalize him and coax him further along...in his story, surely.