#this moment is from issue 22 in a general map I gave you:)
Text
A Soul to Mend His Own | Ch. 61
Warning, PLEASE CHECK TAGS IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU DON’T WANT TO READ THEN DON’T READ | Tag lists are closed | INBOX OPEN
Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Will tag as I go along, Will update tags, Slow Burn, Influenced by Star Trek and other Sci-Fi themes, References to We Happy Few, Tons of References and quotes to George Orwells 1984 see if you can find them all, The First Order is the new Big Brother, but who is really surprised, Blatant Nazi Symbolism, Interrogation Themes, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Really just drawn out Slow Burn, Don’t repost without permission, Torture themes, Suggestive Themes, Execution themes, Disturbing Themes, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Controlling Kylo Ren, Physical Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, Possessive Kylo Ren, A character shamelessly based on Zelda
A Kylo Ren x Modern! Reader in a soulmate au with canon divergence. —————————————SLOWBURN————————————–
He is already the Supreme leader, searching the universe to find you, his Empress. Your name on his wrist has been the only constant in his life, while you have doubts about his existence and his acceptance of you. He isn’t in the database and why did the name Kylo Ren cover Ben Solo?
MASTERLIST
Chapter 61: The Hold on Your Mind
TW: Slight Dubious Consent.
You, Kylo, and Hux went back to your chambers. The little piece of forever being left in that conference room. You entered and Kylo removed his helmet, giving you a kiss before he left to go take care of some other matter. Leaving you with Hux, Mitaka, and your new staff.
You all got situated upstairs in the large lounge space. Hux spoke to them for you, “As you all know these positions are highly coveted and are highly important to the First Order. You shall all need to be careful with who you discuss things with outside each other. Lady Ren’s safety comes first and foremost as decreed by the Supreme Leader. This shall be reflected in your behavior.”
You watched as he slowly looked each staff member in the eye, to prove his point. “If you have any concerns about your position ever, you can make them known to Captain Mitaka, Lady Ren, the Supreme Leader, or myself. I ask that you follow proper hierarchy chains at all times when applicable. You six will also be in close proximity to her ladies-in-waiting, it is up to Lady Ren to decide if they are to help you in your positions or not. But note that they may be privy to much of the information in this group, but there might also be information that may need to be kept from them.”
You watched as slowly every single staff member nodded in agreement with the general. And you watched him carefully analyze each reaction.
Your mind drifted off to Kylo. He was somewhere on the ship. After a few seconds of thinking about him, you could feel the tendrils start to stir and caress your mind. They were happy that he was on your mind, that you were thinking of him. You heard the general say your name, which snapped you out of your mini daydream.
“Lady Ren is there anything you would like to add?”
You looked at him, wondering how long you were not paying attention. “No, but if I think of anything, you will all be informed.”
The general stared at you for a moment before speaking to them again, “You all shall need to review FM 22-100 Military Leadership 1965 tonight before you report for duty tomorrow morning. Captain Mitaka will always be the first one on call for Lady Ren, but you all must be prepared too, at any hour.” They were all then dismissed except for Mitaka as he was to stay with you through your lesson.
“I shall have your press secretary write up a press release announcing your first patronage, it should be sent to you by the end of today. But for now, let us continue with your education. We have spoken about diplomacy, and I believe you have expressed interest to the Supreme Leader that you may want examples from your own people, versus ones from the Empire. Is this correct?”
You don’t remember ever discussing this with Kylo, but then you felt the tendrils shift, a sign that he probably found it in your mind without having to ask. Before the rational part of your mind could raise alarm to this, one of the tendrils smothered it.
“Yes, I apologize general, I just feel as if I would connect better to examples from my own peoples’ history versus people and history that is still too new to me.” You weren’t lying, galactic history still confused you, there was too much of it. Too many people are involved over too wide of an area for you to really make sense of it all.
“Yes, I have done some searching and have modified much of my initial lesson plans to accommodate this. For the rest of the evening, you shall be watching The King’s Speech while you don’t have any speech impediment it will serve you well for when you will need to address an entire assembly of people, not just a meeting room.”
You then spent the rest of your tutoring time watching the movie, you watched as Captain Mitaka occasionally asked you what pieces of technology were. Being that the film was set back right before World War II much of the technology on your planet that he had come into contact with had changed. You also explained some other differences to him while he made important notes.
Once the movie was over the general informed you that he would see you tomorrow during a luncheon meeting again, and the captain informed you that he would see you in the morning.
You all headed downstairs together as you bid them goodbye for the evening. You watched them leave and then headed to your dressing room where you called upon your ladies-in-waiting.
Both of them came to prepare you for dinner, Adlez insisting that you should change again as the Supreme Leader had already seen that dress this morning and that a change wouldn’t hurt anything. You relented as you could feel the tendrils caressing your brain at the mention of his name.
Once changed you sat in front of the vanity, watching yourself. This made the tendrils the happiest they had been all day. You could feel them dance around your skull, caressing and stroking as they moved around. You slowly allowed them to feel more of your mind and to see more of your memories. They carefully handled the happy ones while they caused the painful ones to disappear.
You got up to head to dinner, a doll’s smile painted on your face. A blissful sense of security caused by the tendrils hold on your mind. You waited for a few moments for Kylo; the tendrils getting more excited the closer he got to you.
When he entered your chambers and took off his helmet, you could feel them trying to leap out of your head. This caused you to involuntarily jerk forward. Kylo caught you in his arms, “Excited to see me Kitten?”
If you thought the tendrils were happy earlier nothing could compare to how they were acting now. Especially when his lips found yours. The tendrils caused your brain to go numb, which caused your legs to give out under you. Kylo held you close to him as this happened. His lips crossing over your cheek as he then whispered into your ear, “I am excited to see you too Kitten. Shall we go eat before we play?”
You nodded dumbly in response, words failing you as your mind was numb from his touch, both physically and whatever he was doing with his hold on your mind.
He then bridal carried you to the dining room. Only after trying to drag you with him for a second, while your legs failed you. Setting you down in your seat he gave you a long deep kiss before taking his seat.
Dinner went by with no discussion. Both of you content to stare longingly into each other’s eyes. He then stood and took your hand, your legs finally working again. You made your way to the bedroom, your mind still fully entranced by him.
He sat on the edge of the bed while he beckoned you to him. You numbly and happily obliged by straddling him. Your hands wound in his hair as you began to devour his lips in kisses. Feverishly kissing him as if he was your life force and you were a dying man, holding on to your last bit of strength. Consuming him like oxygen.
The tendrils numbing your brain; you had no idea where you ended and where he began. Everything blending together in some sort of euphoric haze. You felt his hands skimming up the side of your thighs pushing your dress up. His hands were then behind your back, unzipping it. Soon your dress was over your head and then somewhere on the floor.
His tendrils dance in your skull, keeping your mind occupied while his hands dance over your now bare flesh. He was fully clothed, but you were stripped down to your undergarments. In a much more intimate position than you had ever been in with him.
You felt his hands wander over the bare skin on your back and slowly caressing your bare stomach. His hands mapping out your skin, you sucked on his lower lip as he then fell back. You were over him as he laid back on the bed. You felt his hands come up and hold your face as they moved your hair to the side. Exposing your bra strap to him. As he slid that down your arm, and his other hand caressing your still clothed heat you felt alarms go off in your brain.
The rational part of your brain fighting back against the tendrils that threatened to take over, that threatened to pacify you, to make you numb. To make you obedient to all his wishes. You felt your brain kick into overdrive. The rational part started alerting the rest of your brain as to what was happening. You broke the kiss; you moved away from the hand that was pushing down your bra strap; you took hold of the hand that was caressing your crotch.
It took all of your willpower to choke out, “Get out of my head.”
His face was unfazed by your actions, his dark eyes analyzing your new reaction to all of this. “But Kitten we were just playing.”
Your stomach lurched with disgust, “We agreed to wait, this isn’t waiting.”
You heard him chuckle, “I wasn’t going to do anything Kitten. We were just playing.”
You released his hands and pushed yourself off of him, backing up off the bed. “Get out of my head.” You could feel the tendrils fighting the rational part of your brain, but she was winning this fight.
He sat up and held his hands up. Something swirled in his dark eyes, something you couldn’t place. “Alright, I admit I was having too much fun during our playtime. There is nothing to be afraid of, Kitten. I will never harm you. So I will do as you wish.”
You felt the tendrils surrender within your mind, shrinking and backing away from your brain. Seeming to disappear into the corners of nothingness. You looked at him for a moment before grabbing your discarded dress. “I am going to get ready for bed,” you announce.
You then walked into your dressing room and shut the door. You got yourself ready for bed, not wanting to face the questions from Adlez and Olivia-Rose. You spent a long moment staring at your reflection in your vanity, staring into your own eyes as a single tear fell. You stared for a moment longer before leaving the sanctuary of your dressing room and heading to bed.
You heard the shower run, and the door to the bathroom was open once more. You ignored it as you climbed into bed. Begging that sleep would take you soon. But alas Kylo was finished with his shower before that could happen. You ignored him as he walked into the room, the same as the night before with no towel around his waist, forgoing any sense of modesty.
He crawled into bed like that, crawling up to you and placing a kiss on your exposed shoulder. His hands beginning to wander over your clothed body, “I would like to go to sleep,” you said to him.
He paused for a few seconds before running his hand through your hair, “As you wish.”
You then felt blackness take over as you drifted off into sleep. You hoped tonight would be a night of pleasant peaceful dreams, but of course, it was not.
Your blackness swirled to meet a face you were not entirely familiar with, but one that seemed recognizable to you. As you had seen her in many different forms throughout your dreams since you met Kylo. The older woman who called his name. The woman you assumed to be his mother.
A/N: Feel free to message me with your theories, ideas, or anything you want really (you can even ask me unrelated questions to A Soul to Mend His Own). The inbox is always open. If you tag your ask that you want it answered privately I will respect that, otherwise all asks will be answered to the public. Many more chapters to go, we will at least hit 80 I believe.
#kylo ren#kylo ren x reader#kylo ren imagine#kylo x reader#kylo x you#star wars#first order#a soul to mend his own#star wars imagine#Star wars soulmate au#sw first order imagine#star wars first order#first order propaganda
94 notes
·
View notes
Photo
The Eaton Family
Charles Eaton (Clive Owen, 56)
Jocelyn Eaton nee Hargrove (Jennifer Connelly, 53)
Clara Eaton (Jessica Green, deceased age 25)
Julian Eaton (Wolfgang Novogratz, 22)
The Eatons are a prominent spy family. Their kids were destined for greatness from the get-go with Charles and Jocelyn mapping their lives out for them, setting fixed and rigid schedules for the kids, instilling in them the values they follow: Ambition, perseverance, loyalty, dependability, motivation, efficiency, passion.
Julian was a miracle baby. Charles and Jocelyn’s fertility issues begun shortly after Clara was born. Despite trying to re-conceive, they eventually put the brakes on it as their jobs got more and more demanding, until Jocelyn one day got pregnant again. It was sudden and unplanned, but they were ecstatic.
The parents may be strict, but they were also loving parents and they had a very good relationship with their children. They were also very busy people and they were gone a lot. And so, Julian spent so much time with Clara growing up, making her both a sister and a parent for him, and eventually a close confidant. It’s not surprising he got attached to her and they were thick as thieves. She was a main source of inspiration to Julian. He’d wanted to be as good as her. He's always been a quiet person, even as a child, but he was always most comfortable around his sister, who knew how to bring out the playfulness in him. Even when she left home for spy prep and then to Gallagher, they stayed closely in touch.
By the time Clara was out in the field, making a name for herself, Julian had already enrolled in spy prep. She was probably one of the most promising spies of her generation, expected to reach places. On Easter break, during Julian’s senior year at prep, he had gone back home for the holiday. Clara was expected to finish a mission and come home, too. She didn’t. She was late and naturally, Julian was worried and had called and texted. She was always so punctual and would text/call whenever something came up. It was only a few hours before the Eatons got a phone call. Clara was killed on the mission.
The seconds that followed were excruciating and agonizing. It was the first time Julian ever felt a pain this intense and deep. His parents, always so composed, had lost their minds on the phone and post hanging up. Julian stayed deadly quiet, staring into absolutely nothing. This face had turned absolutely pale, and he couldn’t comprehend what death meant. Clara? His sister, Clara? Dead? It was like the concept was impossible. He had taken his phone and texted Clara, called her, expecting her to answer. Of course, she didn’t. Her last message to him was simply ���I’ll see you soon! I can’t wait.’ His parents tried talking to him, but all he did was nod. He has no idea what they said.
They had rushed to the agency. However, what happened there is a blur for Julian. He was physically present, mentally and emotionally elsewhere. It got too overwhelming for him he left before his parents did. The moment he walked through the door, thoughts and memories had bombarded his head. Clara won’t get to walk into this house anymore, they won’t have dinners with her anymore, they won’t watch movies together anymore, Clara’s dead, Clara’s dead, Clara’s dead. It was too much to handle all at once. So he yelled. He screamed so much and so loudly his lungs gave out and the tears started streaming down his cheeks. But it wasn’t too long before his friend had called and had taken Julian out where they got piss drunk together. It was the last time he’d ever gotten drunk, too. He doesn’t remember what happened that night. The moment he woke up next day in his room, his parents there, their expression unreadable. They had told Julian he needed to man up and keep going because ‘Eatons don’t fall apart’ and how Clara wouldn’t want this for him. Grieving would only slow him down, it was simply not an option. And so Julian buried his feelings and picked himself up, never giving himself the chance to properly grieve the death of his sister.
Sure, he kept going, but Julian had changed. He became unrecognizable to people who knew him. He became even more serious, more uptight, more stoic. Represses his emotions whatever it takes. Barely smiles, barely goes out, never lets loose. Some would say he’s robotic. And they’re right. He just kept going and going and going. Working harder and harder. If not for himself, for Clara.
Because he wants to honor her memory. And one of the ways was picking ABH as a one of two majors, which had been one of Clara’s two majors as well.
@gallaghertasks
#gallagher:task#death tw#infertility tw#task: family dynamics#me: oh so u mean a task about clara???#y'all knew that was going to happen KLDSKFJ#anyway this got too long and its all over the place but i got emo so here u go#ignore typos pls
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
[WALKTHROUGH + REVIEW] Masquerade Kiss: Yuzuru Shiba Season 2
Expectations:
I just want to start off by saying that the prologue is absolutely outrageous. There are probably so many targets that hang around the EAC headquarters, especially since HQ is presumably 3 miles within the UN Headquarters and let’s not pretend that there isn’t at least one target going to work there everyday. I actually spent 30 mins on google maps street view trying to find exactly where this location is supposed to be modelled after so I could find all the companies and buildings that have potential targets and then just gave up lol. BUT either way, I refuse to believe that a top international intelligence agency would just go WARNING WARNING and go into emergency lockdown because a target entered a 3 mile radius of HQ. Ridiculous. Also, the letter from the EAC even in the Yuzuru prologue also calls her Arisa Mifune which is her Kazuomi alias lol.
EDIT: I found the location of that background which implies that EAC HQ is modelled after 2 Hammarskjold Plaza or somewhere near (which is right next to the British Consulate btw, how did MC not see that on her way to the building. Also conveniently near something called Japan Society.). Note the octagonal-roofed thing on the bottom left, the general shape of the building, the covered part of the building lobby, the blue sign (afaik street signs in NYC are green) and the position and shape of the building down the road. And I know I’m taking this whole thing way too seriously, but Jeffrey Epstein had a mansion about 2 miles away from here so this whole 3 mile emergency alert thing is just ridiculous. Sure, Epstein probably never existed in the world of Masquerade Kiss but come on, it is highly unlikely that not a single target lives, works or passes by for a kebab within a 3 mile radius of the EAC HQ.
With that out of the way, let’s talk Yuzuru. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to even play Masquerade Kiss ever again. I like most things about the game but Love Choice is honestly just a turn off and the only LC game that I am genuinely drawn to is actually Destind. But then I had 287 unused hearts because I bought a bunch of hearts with the intent of playing Kyogoku’s route in Romance MD (and then I didn’t because I actually just don’t like that game) so I decided to give it a shot. I actually (surprisingly?) prefer Kazuomi to Yuzuru as a character, but I like Yuzuru’s MC more than Kazuomi’s MC and I was intrigued that Voltage would push this whole love quadrangle thing. We’ve seen hyper-jealous Yuzuru before in a substory so I think I went into this route more interested in the plot aspect and to see how they would develop the kind of strange relationship between Yuzuru and his MC. I genuinely enjoyed Yuzuru’s S1 MS a lot and wanted to see how he and his MC would grow as a couple. Also I wanted to play it in order to write a review to bring some traffic back to my semi-hiatus stagnant blog lol. Please give this a like/reblog please I’m begging you please :’(
Keep reading to the walkthrough and review. I’ve calculated a way for you to get to EE with all CGs (50 hearts saved), SHE with CGs (83 hearts saved), or a cheapest overall option to SHE (107 hearts saved).
Stop scrolling after the walkthrough and guide if you haven’t yet played and don’t want the route to be spoiled.
Walkthrough:
Story 1:
Yes, we should keep an eye on him.
No, it’s not necessary
Story 2:
“You came to be with me.” (Love Meter +1) (6 hearts)
I can’t say.
Story 3:
I sign without hesitating.
I hesitate for a moment.
Story 4:
Text Yuzuru.
Don’t text him.
Story 5:
I’ll sign it. (Love Meter +1, CG) (13 hearts)
I’m not going to sign a New York contract.
Story 6:
Casually intervene. (Love Meter +2) (11 hearts)
Pretend not to notice.
Story 7:
See him out without asking what’s wrong.
Ask what’s going on.
Story 8:
It’s payback time. (Love Meter +1, CG) (16 hearts)
Don’t do anything.
Story 9:
Start touching him. (Love Meter +2) (12 hearts)
I can’t interrupt.
Story 10:
Seduce the info out of him. (Love Meter +1) (8 hearts)
Try to force it out of him.
Story 11: (second chance)
Gently ask about it. (Love Meter +3) (18 hearts)
Now is not the time.
Story 12:
“I’m thinking about you.” (Love Meter +3) (13 hearts)
“Nothin’.”
Story 13:
“It was fun.”
“It was relaxing.”
Story 14:
Apologize and keep talking. (Love Meter +1) (7 hearts)
Ouch. I have nothing to say for myself…
Story 15:
Play dumb: “What are you talking about?”
Ask: “What if I am?”
Story 16:
Find out if he’s jealous. (Love Meter +2) (18 hearts)
Don’t ask any questions.
Story 17:
“I’ll stay ten more minutes.” (Love Meter +2) (14 hearts)
I have nothing to say.
Story 18:
Ask about his Texas accent.
Don’t ask about it now.
Story 19:
Call out to Yuzuru.
Let him go.
Story 20:
Put up a strong front: “I’m okay.”
Tell the truth: “I’m not okay.”
Story 21: (second chance)
Ask Yuzuru why he did it. (Love Meter +3, CG) (25 hearts)
Don’t ask any questions.
Story 22:
“Not as stubborn as you.”
“You already knew that.”
Story 23 (useless):
Trust Yuzuru and don’t go. (Love Meter +1) (13 hearts)
Right now, I have to go to Jeremy.
Story 24: (second chance but she saves him either way)
Rush over to protect Yuzuru. (Love Meter +3) (19 hearts)
I can’t get there quickly enough.
Guides:
I calculated the cheapest ways to get to Eden End and Super Happy End with CGs and without CGs. Just opt for the heart scenes that I’ve highlighted in each guide below.
Click the read more below for my review. Stop here if you haven’t yet read the route because there are spoilers galore.
Review:
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this route. As I read through, I thought the pacing was excellent and I was really drawn in by everything about it, especially the relationship between Yuzuru and his MC. It has definitely been a while since a LC route really captured my full attention. However, upon rereading my notes and writing this review, I do have quite a few issues with it, particularly the plot. I’ll go through the things I enjoyed about the route first and then discuss what I find to be its limitations.
So Yuzuru is great in this route. We get a far more expressive and soft Yuzuru. We get to see the most charming side of Yuzuru again, his childlike passion for engineering and innovation. This, in my opinion, is Yuzuru at his softest and most appealing, when he is genuinely passionate and not just doing the hyper-organised scheduling thing (although naturally most of this is hidden behind a heart scene). Sometimes it’s nice to remember that Yuzuru is human.
He’s definitely more playful with his MC in this route, even going as far as to blur the lines between work and personal life a little bit in a way that I found quite unexpected. There’s a lot of flirty banter between them, as well as just little suggestions of flirtations here and there in their body language – in front of people too! Scandalous. It almost reminds me a bit of Kazuomi and his MC, which is definitely a pleasant surprise. A lot of these scenes are hidden behind heart scenes, which I’ll get into later, but I will say that these cute and suggestive moments between the two are probably some of the best moments of the route, and part of the reason why it was so easy to keep reading.
I’ve mentioned this before but Yuzuru’s MC is my favourite version of the Masquerade Kiss MC. She’s great in this route too – cool, calm, great at her job. I also love that she likes Night at the Museum? Lmao me too girl. She has such trashy taste in movies and it’s a cute quirk that definitely makes her more relatable within the sensational premise of the game. Personality-wise, I think they did a good job at bridging the professional and personal aspects of her personality too, making her read like someone who has different personas that are different aspects of the same person. You definitely get a sense of the conflict within the MC when she has to extract information by using her sExUaLiTy when her boyfriend is watching on lol, even when they kind of make it out like a game. It is interesting and quite novel to see a Voltage MC successfully pull off a honey trap on a guy who kind of repulses her. We get snippets of it in other games such as Her Love in the Force but HLITF MC is always careful to keep boundaries so we never get to explore the full potential of the jealousy that can crop up in such situations. MK MC goes above and beyond to give us (and Yuzuru) a show. With that being said, I do feel like they kind of drew back from it a little by having Jeremy be super forward with his affection so the MC just has to respond, keep him on the hook and pull back every now and again, rather than actively needing to pursue someone to obtain information.
I also really enjoyed that moment when Yuzuru tells her to shower before going to his bed to wash off “Mia.” It solidifies that he’s really in love with her and not her charismatic, flirtatious hostess alias. Throughout the route, the blurring of the personal and the professional is definitely a theme that we see cropping up in the lives of both the MC and Yuzuru. It’s something that I find particularly interesting and I’m glad they picked this developmental direction since both Yuzuru and his MC are notoriously bad at mixing those two worlds, with both of them consistently and repeatedly picking work over love. We also get to see Yuruzu and his MC almost working together at times, which I adored. At times, they feel like a team. As always, they have tons of sexual and physical chemistry but they are slowly building up on the emotional chemistry and communication issues which is so crucial for character and relationship development.
The SHE and EE in particular has some incredibly cute moments. Yuzu’s MC describing them as part of a machine is *chefs kiss* incredible. Their sex scenes are intimate, loving and incredibly romantic. Yuzu preparing his NYC home for MC? Adorable. And, most importantly, him not only tolerating but welcoming his MC’s “bugs” in their relationship? That’s character growth babey.
With super long LC routes, I always get tired about 7 chapters in and give up and then have to come back and finish it later. However, this route sped along. The pacing of this route is pretty quick and snappy – in fact, I wouldn’t have minded if it was actually longer? Developments tend to happen pretty quickly, there are plenty of moments between Yuzuru and the MC that keep the story moving, and there’s basically very little, if any, ‘downtime’ in this route. Because they are constantly in the club or at Yuzuru’s place lol.
The writing/language quality is great. I felt genuinely tense every time Yuzuru and the MC almost got caught in the club and even more so when the MC went to Jeremy’s home. I couldn’t spot any significant typos or coding errors. The readability of this route is definitely top quality.
Moving onto my gripes with this route, I would say that they have to do mostly with flimsy plot, characters being reduced to plot devices, and lack of relationship conflict.
Firstly, something that I always find a bit off about the premise of EAC is how public their relationships sometimes are and how the MC’s private life even works. Yuzuru literally gets swarmed with people in the prologue asking for autographs and photos and yet later in the route can somehow go on a public date to busy tourist spots in central NYC with a spy? (That being said, I refuse to take that prologue as canon because of how sensationally ridiculous it is.) Let’s not pretend the EAC isn’t watching them lol (they even imply multiple times that this is the case). Is she not worried that Jeremy or Grace or any SHIBA or Space Crystal employees or any of the numerous powerful and dangerous people who frequent Freja will spot them together? There is no way she looks significantly different as Mia than as herself unless she’s wearing prosthetics or can turn off her star aura like Britney Spears can. Also, is the MC supposed to be mixed? No one has any questions about how a native Japanese woman can get away with being called Mia Knightley?
They also set up this tension of something happening to the MC without Yuzuru ever knowing which never really plays out. There’s a brief callback to it but it’s more about the MC finding an excuse to see Yuzu. I thought the drama would have more to do with the MC having to keep secrets from Yuzu and disappearing but that never happens and so the repeated mentions of this particular source of anxiety don’t really amount to anything. I also wish they made better use of the stun bracelet! I think it would have been cool if that was what took Jeremy out. Symbolically, it could have worked as a physical manifestation of Yuzu’s trust and support of his MC and her job helping to protect her against the Big Bad.
Okay so my main issue is about the villains and the flimsy plot. Jeremy and Grace were such wasted villains!! If this guy went crazy and murdered 3 people… how did he manage to not only reinvent himself but in fact become a very high profile tech executive with more or less the same name? Imagine if Elon Musk was actually a crazy murderer who used to be called Elon Avrevic… there’s no way that he would be able to bury this, especially if he came from nothing and had no connections during the time in his life when he committed these murders. If there are actual criminal reports about his crimes that can be accessed by the EAC and SHIBA, how did he not get taken in for life after murdering 3 people? Why is he even free in the world? It’s such a big plot hole to me… doesn’t have the same fingerprints? Did he get such extensive plastic surgery that he’s not recognisable and also burn off his fingerprints? Evidently not, since the MC can recognise both him and Grace from childhood photos!
I also didn’t think his motivations were really that convincing. We get a throwaway line about his alcoholic father killing his mother because she tried to leave him, but in general they set Jeremy up with so much potential as this psychopath who hunts a very specific type of woman but then they just kind of throw it away with him just going crazy and shooting people because he just wants “girls and money”. Nooo Jeremy they did you so dirty!!!
I just think they built him up as this incredibly dangerous and manipulative predator but then just made him a standard alcoholic incel. He could have been such a good villain. He could have maybe drawn the MC in with sob stories about his mother and actually made her doubt her instincts with his charisma and vulnerability, with it turning out that the whole time he was just luring her in, instead of just relentlessly hitting on her and then getting carelessly drunk and going crazy. He spends so much of the route attempting to play and get with the MC and then just throws it all away by getting pissed and letting her basically have free reign of his apartment? I just don’t buy that a co-founder of Space Crystal would get to the top without being more clever, suspicious and manipulative – especially since he murdered 3 women and still is somehow a free man, ‘disguised’ as a very successful CEO? Also, if he really just wanted girls and money, there were a thousand other ways of doing it. He could have been so clever and instead they just made him have occasional psychotic breaks with no discernible trigger. Disappointing.
(On a side note, they made his house look weirdly similar to Epstein’s manor. Or maybe all Upper East Side homes look like this, I have no idea. I did look around on Google Maps and I guess a lot of the homes in this area are kind of similar.)
Grace is also a wasted character. She kind of feels like a MacGuffin just to have this love quadrangle in order to play out the jealousy plot but ultimately plays no significant role. Actually, both Grace and Jeremy basically just act as jealousy plot devices, only the jealousy plot isn’t strong enough to actually threaten Yuzu and his MC’s relationship (except for one moment which to be honest doesn’t even play out like that because of jealousy and rather because Yuzu is trying to protect his girl).
Speaking of that moment, I thought that Yuzuru’s “push the MC away plan” could have been stronger. I feel like it’s not like him to do make such a basic attempt at fooling his MC. It might have worked in a different game but all of the MK guys usually know that they can’t trick their MC with cheap Harry and the Hendersons plots and they tend to not disrespect her enough to try. I know that as readers, we enjoy not knowing what the love interest is up to because it ups the tension and drama but I feel like there was a way of having that insecurity and conflict play out while keeping everything a mystery and making better use of the characters. Like maybe it could seem like Yuzuru is running into Grace’s arms after finding his MC in a compromising position with Jeremy when he’s actually doing his own covert investigations and making plans to foil their ultimate plans. Or maybe even working with Grace to take Jeremy’s wild country-bombing plans out. That way, we would prolong the jealousy/love quadrangle plot with the MC stressing about Yuzuru and Grace’s relationship, especially when she already doesn’t trust Grace. It would also make better use of Grace as a character and her position as both someone with a ginormous crush on Yuzuru and as Jeremy’s ‘partner’. If Grace also ended up betraying Jeremy to help Yuzuru and the MC, we could also have had some extra heartbreak about Grace having to betray the one person she has always had in her life (and maybe some extra backstory about Jeremy going nuts as part of having to protect himself and Grace from their parents and the world). #voltagehireme lol. I also find it highly unlikely that Jeremy managed to set up this whole missile-launching phone app business under Grace’s nose, especially when Yuzuru knew about it. Also, the idea of an American attempting to launch a missile to destroy the whole of Japan is a bit… on the nose lol.
The season isn’t really driven by relationship conflict even though they were pushing the whole jealousy line in the marketing. In the end, I don’t think the route is as much about jealousy as it is about trust – but then again, Yuzuru has always placed ultimate trust in his MC even in S1. I can see this being an issue for people who went into this route wanting genuine conflict in their relationship so that they can overcome and work through it to develop. There’s only a little bit of conflict towards the end when the MC goes to Jeremy’s home, and then that kind of gets discarded pretty quickly anyway. They just happen to be better at communication this season, and a lot of that is because of Yuzuru going out of his way to keep tabs on his MC. This is probably what makes the route so easy to read, because Yuzu is more open. However, because of this, while it is great that their communication as a couple improves, it may not necessarily feel that earned? With that said, credit to the writers for making Yuzu more open without making it feel jarring or like he’s had a sudden personality change.
And on another note entirely, I wish there was a bit more detail about the three “S”es and more involvement from Kazu and Kei, who basically just make gratuitous appearances in this route. Learning about them making Takoyaki together at Oxford is such a cute detail and also such an international student in the UK thing to do. Find me one Asian student studying abroad in the UK who hasn’t collectively cooked home food in halls with friends from their country (it’s always hotpot for me lol). I wish there were more moment with them actively involved in helping the MC.
Finally, I have my usual issues about the Love Choice system. If you play the route for free, you get very few cute scenes between Yuzu and his MC, miss out on some major character development moments (esp that planetarium scene) and you get a fade to black ending in the Normal End. Personally, I started playing Voltage in the early 2010s so I don’t mind fade to black endings, but I think the mature/sex scenes are what a lot of MK readers are here for, so it’s a shame that there isn’t even a kiss scene in the NE.
Overall, I would say that the chemistry between Yuzuru and his MC is what keeps this route going and flowing. I would recommend it if you just adore Yuzuru, want to maximise time with him and don’t really care much about plot. Otherwise, while their relationship is brought to new levels, it does not happen because of the plot as much as Yuzu’s response to events we don’t necessarily see, and it does not necessarily feel that earned because the plot doesn’t really put their relationship in that much jeopardy.
Don’t get me wrong, I actually really enjoyed reading this route – I found it super easy to keep reading, and Yuzu kept me hooked. I also love Yuzu more than ever. I think it’s a similar situation to Takane’s route, where the route made me love the love interest more, but has an average/flimsy plot. I imagine that his PoV will reveal more about those events that make him go out of his way to keep an eye on his MC, but as a standalone route, I wish there was more actual relationship conflict leading to more development.
#yuzuru shiba#masquerade kiss#mk#walkthrough#review#voltage#voltage inc#voltage otome#otome game#otome blog#otome romance#love 365#love 365 find your story
59 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ayleids
The Ayleids, also known as the Wild Elves,[1]Heartland High Elves[2] (or simply Heartland Elves),[3][4] and Saliache,[5] were a race of Mer who ruled over Cyrodiil during the First Era.[3]
King Laloriaran Dynar, an Ayleid.
History
Merethic Era
The Ayleids were one of the descendants of the Aldmer. The Aldmer were an ancient race of Mer who were the descendants of the Ehlnofey. During the middle of the Merethic Era, the Aldmer allegedly left their homeland, known as Aldmeris, and relocated to the Summerset Isles, which is southwest of Tamriel.[6] A short time after the Aldmer settled in the Summerset Isles, many explorers, which notably included Topal the Pilot, began venturing out towards the coastline of Tamriel to map out the area and explore the lands.[7]
The White Gold Tower.
Later, during the middle of the Merethic Era, some Aldmer groups departed from the Summerset Isles and relocated towards Tamriel. The ones who traveled to pre-modern-day Valenwood became the Bosmer; the ones who went to pre-modern-day Morrowind became the Chimer; the ones who stayed in the Summerset Isles eventually became the Altmer; and the ones who traveled towards pre-modern-day Cyrodiil became the Ayleids, where they established the first empire on the continent. During this time, the Ayleid civilization flourished and expanded.[6][8] In the Heartlands of Cyrodiil, the Ayleids constructed the White-Gold Tower.[6][9][UL 1] The White Gold Tower appeared to be used as a central council chamber that held significance over other capital cities of the Ayleid empire, as its defeat marked the end of the Ayleid civilization. The Ayleids prominently controlled a large swath of land in what is modern-day Cyrodiil. This included at least the forested areas around the Niben river basin, parts of the Valus and Jerall Mountains, and areas west into Colovia. However, they were not ruled, as is often assumed, by a single, powerful central government. By the start of the First Era, a powerful aristocracy had divided the region up into a number of small kingdoms. Modern scholars are aware of at least three, with their capital cities being Lindai, Nenalata, and Miscarcand.[10] The Ayleid empire expanded beyond Cyrodiil, where they established a massive, flourishing empire on Tamriel. This expansive empire existed throughout many parts of Tamriel, which included most of Cyrodiil, as well as different parts of Black Marsh, Valenwood, High Rock and Hammerfell. In Valenwood, great cities such as Haven, Woodhearth, Silvenar and Elden Root were established.[11] In Black Marsh, an Ayleid tribe known as the Barsaebic Ayleids built two great cities, known in the modern era as Gideon and Stormhold.[12]
First Era
Alessian Slave Rebellion
A statue of Saint Alessia in the Imperial City as it appears in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
About a century into the First Era, a slave woman was born to the humans living on Ayleid-controlled Niben. This slave, who eventually ended up at the now-sacred Ayleid site of Sancre Tor (Golden Hill[13]), would receive divine inspiration, and direct divine help, to rouse her fellow slaves and revolt against their masters. She became known to her people as Alessia, the Slave Queen.[14]
In 1E 242, the revolution began.[15][16] The rebellion coincided with a period of civil war within the Ayleid empire.[3] Alessia and the Nedes were given some help from the Nords and,[15][17] due to the Ayleid civil war, help from some of the more radical Ayleid nobles.[3] Many battles took place, including ones at Sancre Tor, Ninendava, Ceyatatar, Narlemae, Celediil, Vahtacen, Sedor, the Bridge of Heldon, and the event of the First Pogrom.[18][19]
The revolution eventually came to an end with the Fall of the White-Gold Tower in 1E 243. During the battle, Pelinal Whitestrake, one of the leading generals of the Nedic army, fought Umaril the Unfeathered. Both were killed in the fight.[18] With Alessia leading the Nedes, and with the help of the Nords and some of the more radical Ayleid nobles, they defeated the Ayleids and overthrew their kingdoms. They conquered the land in the name of the new Cyrodiilic Empire. The war ended in 1E 243.[3][15][20] As the newly formed Alessian Order began to eliminate the remains of the Ayleid empire, one famous battle that occurred was the Battle of Bravil.[21]
Late Ayleid Period
The Late Ayleid Period was one of the last sections of history for the Ayleids. The Late Ayleid Period lasted from 1E 243 to 1E 498.[3] Even with the Fall of the White-Gold Tower, the Ayleids showed little sign of being defeated. In 1E 361, the Alessian Order decreed and issued the Alessian Doctrines. The Alessian Doctrines enforced harsh policies upon the Ayleid people. Alessian armies slowly began to eliminate the Ayleid communities one by one. The balance of power between the two factions was upside down, with the Alessians owning complete dominance over the Ayleids. Most Ayleids decided to just pack up and leave Cyrodiil, as their lives were hard in Cyrodiil.[3] The Alessian Order was eradicating the Ayleids in Cyrodiil and forcibly taking down their empire. In addition to defeating the Ayleids themselves, the Alessian Empire destroyed many artifacts, relics and books that were of Ayleid origin.[22] There were some Ayleids who stayed in Cyrodiil who served as teachers and mentors for the human rulers.[23]
Ayleid Diaspora
The Ayleid Diaspora began when the Ayleids started to leave Cyrodiil. The Ayleids in Cyrodiil were abandoning their homes to find better lives elsewhere in Tamriel. The ones who traveled north were all killed by the Nords, led by Vrage the Butcher. The ones who went to Black Marsh to join the Barsaebic Tribe were denied admittance into Black Marsh, though most of those who went on the journey to Black Marsh died during the expeditions in Elsweyr. Some journeyed to the Iliac Bay in High Rock, where they joined the Direnni of Balfiera. The Ayleids who went to Valenwood happened to be the most successful of all of the departing Ayleids. The clans of Anutwyll, Vilverin, Talwinque, Bawn and Varondo all traveled to Valenwood to forge a new life for themselves. The native Bosmer of Valenwood welcomed the Ayleids with open arms, as long as the Ayleids adopted aspects of the Green Pact and refrain from harming the forests, which they did.[24]
Valenwood.
There were varying theories on how the Valenwood Ayleids disappeared from Valenwood. One theory, the Theorem of Disheritage, notably supported by Gelgarad the Velaspid, attempted to explain that the Valenwood Ayleids disappeared because they became unable to breed with each other and could only produce offspring by mating with the local Bosmer. A competing theory was proposed by Doctor Thetis of the Shimmerene Academy. Her theory attempts to explain that the Valenwood Ayleids disappeared because the Ayleids declined on the over-consumption of a beverage made by the Bosmer. The theory also stated that, as the Ayleids were quite vulnerable in their sadness and loss, fell to the Bosmers’ cultural drinks and simply gave up.[24]
Within about 400 years of their overthrow, the strongly anti-mer Alessian Order had driven out, or exterminated, most remaining Ayleid settlements. Scholars generally believe that the Ayleid immigrated en masse to Valenwood, and possibly Summerset Isles, where they were integrated into those mer races. There are persistent rumors, which cannot be rejected outright, that wild tribes of pure Ayleid still hide within the Cyrodiilic forests. In any case, the Ayleid abandoned their cities, which have fallen into ruin, though the magic and mechanical traps which were installed near the end of their history still function.
Second Era
“An Ayleid? I thought they were all, you know, dead.”―Darien Gautier, 2E 582[src]
Ayleid Crown of Nenalata.
Ayleids had lived into the Second Era, with credible sightings stating that they had lived in a reclusive tribal society.[1] One of the members of the University of Gwylim was a civilized Ayleid, Tjurhane Fyrre, who was one of the finest sages at the University. He wrote a text on his people, called The Wild Elves, though he died in 2E 227.[1]
The last known surviving pure Ayleid was King Laloriaran Dynar. He originally lived during the early first era, after Alessia’s slave rebellion. Dynar ruled over Nenalata after his father, when it served as a vassal-state of the Alessian Empire. After an ultimatum from the emperor, Dynar was forced to leave Cyrodiil.[25] When Dynar visited the Hollow City, it was attacked by Molag Bal and he was captured. Dynar remained in Coldharbour for over three millennium before being rescued by the Vestige. He took command of the Fighters Guild, but died in 2E 582 after defending the city. He gave the Vestige his sword as a symbol of trust and friendship in his dying moments.[26]
Third and Fourth Eras
In 3E 397, the Soul of Conflict met with an Ayleid ghost known as Captain Nym after having collected all seven Star Teeth. In life, Captain Nym commandeered an airship which had originally captured the Teeth, though it crashed into the glacier of Glacier Crawl long ago. After the hero ended Pergan Asuul and Jagar Tharn’s plans to control the Umbra’ Keth, Nym gifted the hero with the Star Coif, a very valuable lightweight helmet.[27]
During the Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433, the Auroran-Ayleid known as Umaril re-emerged. Umaril was later slain by the Hero of Kvatch after the Knights of the Nine were reformed.[28]
No living Ayleids have been seen or reported during the Third and Fourth Eras, and as of the Fourth Era, scholars presume that they are extinct.
Culture
“In the caverns of lore, ugly and obscure, shines the gold of truth.”―Raelys Anine[src]
Appearance
An Ayleid ruin found in Malabal Tor as it appears in Elder Scrolls Online.
Much like the Dwemer, what little is known about the appearance of the Ayleid comes primarily from their architecture and early writings. Most Ayleid Ruins include at the very least one statue, presumably of an Ayleid warrior, usually holding a sword aloft.[29] The general appearance looks similar to that of the Altmer, which most scholars consider fairly likely, given the Altmer’s concerted effort to maintain a “pure” Aldmeri appearance. A brief description given in volume 5, Second Seed, of 2920 describes them as “darker than Altmer, but lighter than Dunmer,” suggesting a complexion similar to that of the Bosmer.[30]
Ayleids in The Elder Scrolls Online are identical in appearance to Altmer, with skin tones ranging from white to dark yellow, though with eye colors such as blue, yellow and green.
Society
Ayleid society was heavily centered in magic/arcane arts, and their people were particularly skilled in the arcane. Even as all Mer were naturally skilled in the arcane arts, Ayleid society focused on the civilization’s advancement in magic.[31] Magic was an important part of Ayleid culture and society, and their people were particularly skilled in it.[31][32] The Ayleids were able to preserve many of the ancient runes, Dawn Era magic, and lore of the Ehlnofey.[6][33]
The Ayleids lived in a tribal society, with each “tribe” being different from the next. They were notable for building the Imperial City.
At one point, the Ayleids controlled the entirety of the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil, and enslaved the Cyrodiilic and Nordic populations (which at that point were both part of the same prototypical race of men). During this time, the Ayleids made great strides in the arcane arts. The downfall of the Ayleid civilization was a combination of cultural hubris and revolution fomented amongst their slaves. With the blessing of the Aedra, the slave Alessia led the revolt that resulted in the destruction of the Ayleid civilization. The surviving Ayleids frequently showed up as civil servants to the nobility in the Alessian empire, or fled to Valenwoodand interbred with the Bosmer. The last known King of the Ayleids was the ruler of the city of Nenalata who controlled eastern Cyrodiil.[34] During the height of their civilization, the Ayleid empire existed everywhere in Tamriel except for Skyrim, Morrowind and the Summerset Isles.[UL 2] After their downfall during the First Era, many of their cities fell into ruin. Many would-be treasure hunters have died trying to plunder these lost ruins of the Ayleids.[29] In Stros M'Kai, the Ayleids created a powerful relic powered by souls.[35]
By the First Era and Second Era, the Ayleids were driven into a state many would regard as “primitive,” hence the term Wild Elves, and lived deep within the forests of Cyrodiil, though little is still known of modern Ayleids and their culture. Their tribes apparently possessed wildly disparate cultures, but shared a thread of xenophobia, likely remaining from the Alessian Reformation when Ayleidic culture was nearly destroyed. The last reported sighting of an Ayleid occurred nearly a thousand years before the Third Era. It is unknown whether a few Ayleids still survive in the wilds of Cyrodiil, or whether their ancient race finally expired and passed into memory.[1]
Language and Writing System
Of the Ayleid language and writing system, much was known about it and many words, letters and ancient texts have been translated as a result of deep research and delving into Ayleid Ruins. The Ayleid language and writing system was very similar to the Aldmeri Language, just like the languages of the other races of Mer.[36][37]
Origins
The Ayleid language was extremely similar to other Mer languages and writing systems, due to the fact that all Mer descend from the Aldmer. Because of this, the Ayleid language shares many terms and words with other Elven languages, such as the shared Ayleid and Dunmeri word, “Bal,” which means stone.[38]
Religion
A statue of Meridia found in Skyrim.
The Ayleids held a close relationship with the Daedric Princes, and even worshipped them.[39] The Ayleids of Delodiil notably worshiped Meridia, who was commonly referred to as Merid-Nunda. Delodiil’s rival city-state was Abargarlas, whose people notably worshiped Molag Bal.[40] The Ayleids of Varsa Baalim notably worshiped Mehrunes Dagon, [4] and the people of Bisnensel worshiped Hermaeus Mora. [41] It was implied that they used the Daedric magic to increase their strength to the point where they could conquer the Cyrodiilic and Nordic races. This could have been a contributing factor to the Aedra giving their aid to the human races against the Ayleids to help destroy or otherwise cripple Daedric influence in Nirn. The Nefarivigum was an ancient Daedric artifact of Mehrunes Dagon. The Ayleids coveted this artifact, so a city was built around the artifact so they could use it.[4] There were some Ayleids who also worshiped the Aedra. The Ayleids worshiped Magnus, the god of Magic, as well as Auri-El. Statues were built in their cities to honor both gods.[32]
Architecture
“The marble benches of the central plaza faced out across the surrounding waters to tall columns and sharp arches supporting the high dome. From the central island, stately bridges spanned the still pools to narrow walkways behind the columns, with broad vaulted avenues and limpid ever-deeping gloom into darkness.”―Alexandre Hetrard[src]
Ayleid cities were built partly above and partly below the surface of the land.[41] Ayleid architecture appears to be a whitish rock,[42] similar to Snow Elf architecture. Ayleid architecture was also integrated with magical artifacts as well, including Great Welkynd Stones, which were large variations of Welkynd Stones, which were used to power cities and increase the power of the people’s enchantments.[31] Many statues were built by the Ayleids in their cities to honor the Gods they worshiped. This included statues dedicated to the Aedric Gods Magnus and Auri-El.[32]
The White-Gold Tower, one of the most impressive and most famous structures in all of Cyrodiil.
The White-Gold Tower, the central spire of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, was originally the central temple of the Ayleids. After the fall of the Ayleid empire in the First Era, it served as the Imperial Palace for the Tamrielic Empire. The rest of their capital city was either razed or buried beneath the Imperial City. It was unknown why the Nedes left the White Gold Tower alone during the Alessian Slave Rebellion.
Magic
A Welkynd Stone.
Magic was an extremely important aspect of the Ayleids and of their society. They developed magics far more advanced and powerful than any other at the time. The Ayleids were notable for developing the arcane art of Alteration.[43] In terms of both science and magic, their people believed in the four elements of Altmer religion, which states that Nirn was composed of four basic elements: earth, water, air, and light.[31] While modern natural philosophy states that Nirn is composed of four basic elements: earth, water, air, and fire, which they recognized, they believed the most important form of light was starlight. The Ayleids regarded fire as a weak and corrupt form of light. Instead, the Ayleids regarded starlight as a fundamentally significant form of light. For Nirn and its people, it was common knowledge that stars were linked to the plane of Aetherius. Aetherius was the source of all magical power and all things magical, so light from the stars was the most powerful and grand of all magical powers.[31][32]
Sometimes, objects called Aetherial fragments come from Aetherius to Mundus, specifically Nirn. There were two known types of Aetherial fragments: Meteoric Iron and Meteoric Glass. Many, if not all, of the magical devices and technology created by Ayleid engineers and architects were made of meteoric iron and meteoric glass. One of the magical devices created by the Ayleids were Ayleid Wells. These Ayleid Wells were scattered across Cyrodiil, and were not associated with any Ayleid cities, settlements or other sites. Made from Meteoric Iron, Ayleid Wells were designed to harvest and collect magical power from starlight. The Wells were located at the meeting point of ancient lines of magical power, though this was merely theorized by modern Ayleid scholars. For mages, and even for anyone without any magical talent, they could draw magicka from the Wells to restore their own sources of magicka. When people worked with Ayleid Wells, no ritual, basic academic or arcane knowledge was required to harvest the magicka, and were designed to serve people who were not skilled in the magical/arcane arts. When they do finally drain, the Wells replenish at midnight when the stars are out. Once recharged, they radiate some of the magical power back into the sky. This was most likely a cultural, religious, or ritualized magical significance.[31]
A Varla stone.
Another Ayleid device is the Welkynd Stone. Welkynd Stones were designed and used as storage devices for magical resources and magicka reserves, and to power the magicka itself; Mages and enchanters could restore their own magicka reserves. The Ayleids had their own laws and knowledge for storing, removing and using Welkynd Stones. Currently, in the modern era, anybody who did not have proper knowledge of using Welkynd Stones would see these stones crumble to dust after use. A variant of the Welkynd Stones, known as Great Welkynd Stones, were exceptionally large Ayleid devices made of enchanted Meteoric Glass. At the heart of each Ayleid city, a Great Welkynd Stone was the source of the city’s power, magical resources and magical enchantments. These great, grand stones were directly connected to the lesser stones within a city, which restored and maintained their power as the stones worked together to power the city. Yet another Ayleid device were Varla Stones, which were made of Meteoric Glass and were used to enable trained and even untrained enchanters to add and restore magical energy to any enchanted items and magical artifacts. The Varla Stones were of great value and utility, and though they were quite rare, small and easily concealed, diligent, patient, careful and focused explorers could still come across these rare Ayleid devices in any Ayleid Ruin.[31]
Ayleid mages experimented with magic and technology that was capable of absorbing lightning bolts and converting them into magical energy. They possessed a specific way of absorbing magical energy from lightning, which was a spell known as the Finger of the Mountain. A magical pillar was also required to extract the magical energy from the lightning.[44]
Artifacts
The Ayleids produced many artifacts, both regular and unique, that were heavily based in magic and the arcane arts. The impact these Ayleid artifacts had in the future on the Ayleid scholar community was significant; many scholars and adventurers, both single and in groups, dared to go deep into ancient Ayleid ruins to discover these lost treasures.[39]
The Amulet of Kings.
Possibly one of the most famous and renowned of all Ayleid artifacts was the Amulet of Kings. The Amulet of Kings, also known as the Chim El-Adabal, was an amulet worn by Cyrodiilic Emperors of the bloodline of Saint Alessia. The symbol of the Imperial Empires of Tamriel, the Red Diamond, stemmed from the amulet and became the royal seal of the Septim Dynasty much later.[45] Some theories report that the amulet is a Soul Gem of Ayleid origin.[46]
The Ayleid Crown of Lindai and the Ayleid Crown of Nenalata were two unique and powerful light Ayleid helmets bearing powerful enchantments. The Crown of Lindai could resist magic from 10%-35%, fortify Illusion from 5 to 15 points and fortify alteration 5 to 15 points. The Crown of Nenalata could reflect spells from 8%-25%, fortify alteration 5 to 15 points and fortify conjuration 5 to 15 points.[10]
Notable Ayleid
Hadhuul: Hadhuul, colloquially referred to as the Fire King, was the King of Ceyatatar in Cyrodiil. His armies were powerful and were never defeated until the Battle of Ceyatatar, when they suffered their first defeat at the hands of Pelinal Whitestrake and the Imperial slaves who were launching a rebellion against the rule of the Ayleids. Hadhuul was killed by Whitestrake during the battle.[18]
Celethelel: Celethelel, colloquially referred to as “Celethelel the Singer,” was an Ayleid during the First Era. In 1E 242, Celethelel killed Pelinal’s companion Huna with an arrow, driving the Whitestrake into a fierce rage.[18]
Umaril the Unfeathered, a half Ayleid.
Laloriaran Dynar, an Ayleid king and the last known surviving Ayleid.
Tjurhane Fyrre, an Ayleid author.
Captain Nym, an Ayleid ghost who collected Star Teeth in life.
Endarre, an Ayleid hero who led a band of four other members who destroyed the city of Abagarlas and hid the Prismatic Crystal.
King Anumaril, the king of Abagarlas who worshipped Molag Bal.
Curano
Lanath
Ostarand
Valasha
Prince Malyon, the king’s son.
Queen Palolel, the king’s wife.
Trivia
Like the Aldmeri, Snow Elves, Dwemer and Chimer, the Ayleids are one of the “ancient civilizations” of Tamriel.
Courtesy of tesworldthink
19 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ayleids / Айлейды
The Ayleids, also known as the Wild Elves,[1] Heartland High Elves[2] (or simply Heartland Elves),[3][4] and Saliache,[5] were a race of Mer who ruled over Cyrodiil during the First Era.[3]
King Laloriaran Dynar, an Ayleid.
History
Merethic Era
The Ayleids were one of the descendants of the Aldmer. The Aldmer were an ancient race of Mer who were the descendants of the Ehlnofey. During the middle of the Merethic Era, the Aldmer allegedly left their homeland, known as Aldmeris, and relocated to the Summerset Isles, which is southwest of Tamriel.[6] A short time after the Aldmer settled in the Summerset Isles, many explorers, which notably included Topal the Pilot, began venturing out towards the coastline of Tamriel to map out the area and explore the lands.[7]
The White Gold Tower.
Later, during the middle of the Merethic Era, some Aldmer groups departed from the Summerset Isles and relocated towards Tamriel. The ones who traveled to pre-modern-day Valenwood became the Bosmer; the ones who went to pre-modern-day Morrowind became the Chimer; the ones who stayed in the Summerset Isles eventually became the Altmer; and the ones who traveled towards pre-modern-day Cyrodiil became the Ayleids, where they established the first empire on the continent. During this time, the Ayleid civilization flourished and expanded.[6][8] In the Heartlands of Cyrodiil, the Ayleids constructed the White-Gold Tower.[6][9][UL 1] The White Gold Tower appeared to be used as a central council chamber that held significance over other capital cities of the Ayleid empire, as its defeat marked the end of the Ayleid civilization. The Ayleids prominently controlled a large swath of land in what is modern-day Cyrodiil. This included at least the forested areas around the Niben river basin, parts of the Valus and Jerall Mountains, and areas west into Colovia. However, they were not ruled, as is often assumed, by a single, powerful central government. By the start of the First Era, a powerful aristocracy had divided the region up into a number of small kingdoms. Modern scholars are aware of at least three, with their capital cities being Lindai, Nenalata, and Miscarcand.[10] The Ayleid empire expanded beyond Cyrodiil, where they established a massive, flourishing empire on Tamriel. This expansive empire existed throughout many parts of Tamriel, which included most of Cyrodiil, as well as different parts of Black Marsh, Valenwood, High Rock and Hammerfell. In Valenwood, great cities such as Haven, Woodhearth, Silvenar and Elden Root were established.[11] In Black Marsh, an Ayleid tribe known as the Barsaebic Ayleids built two great cities, known in the modern era as Gideon and Stormhold.[12]
First Era
Alessian Slave Rebellion
A statue of Saint Alessia in the Imperial City as it appears in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
About a century into the First Era, a slave woman was born to the humans living on Ayleid-controlled Niben. This slave, who eventually ended up at the now-sacred Ayleid site of Sancre Tor (Golden Hill[13]), would receive divine inspiration, and direct divine help, to rouse her fellow slaves and revolt against their masters. She became known to her people as Alessia, the Slave Queen.[14]
In 1E 242, the revolution began.[15][16] The rebellion coincided with a period of civil war within the Ayleid empire.[3] Alessia and the Nedes were given some help from the Nords and,[15][17] due to the Ayleid civil war, help from some of the more radical Ayleid nobles.[3] Many battles took place, including ones at Sancre Tor, Ninendava, Ceyatatar, Narlemae, Celediil, Vahtacen, Sedor, the Bridge of Heldon, and the event of the First Pogrom.[18][19]
The revolution eventually came to an end with the Fall of the White-Gold Tower in 1E 243. During the battle, Pelinal Whitestrake, one of the leading generals of the Nedic army, fought Umaril the Unfeathered. Both were killed in the fight.[18] With Alessia leading the Nedes, and with the help of the Nords and some of the more radical Ayleid nobles, they defeated the Ayleids and overthrew their kingdoms. They conquered the land in the name of the new Cyrodiilic Empire. The war ended in 1E 243.[3][15][20] As the newly formed Alessian Order began to eliminate the remains of the Ayleid empire, one famous battle that occurred was the Battle of Bravil.[21]
Late Ayleid Period
The Late Ayleid Period was one of the last sections of history for the Ayleids. The Late Ayleid Period lasted from 1E 243 to 1E 498.[3] Even with the Fall of the White-Gold Tower, the Ayleids showed little sign of being defeated. In 1E 361, the Alessian Order decreed and issued the Alessian Doctrines. The Alessian Doctrines enforced harsh policies upon the Ayleid people. Alessian armies slowly began to eliminate the Ayleid communities one by one. The balance of power between the two factions was upside down, with the Alessians owning complete dominance over the Ayleids. Most Ayleids decided to just pack up and leave Cyrodiil, as their lives were hard in Cyrodiil.[3] The Alessian Order was eradicating the Ayleids in Cyrodiil and forcibly taking down their empire. In addition to defeating the Ayleids themselves, the Alessian Empire destroyed many artifacts, relics and books that were of Ayleid origin.[22] There were some Ayleids who stayed in Cyrodiil who served as teachers and mentors for the human rulers.[23]
Ayleid Diaspora
The Ayleid Diaspora began when the Ayleids started to leave Cyrodiil. The Ayleids in Cyrodiil were abandoning their homes to find better lives elsewhere in Tamriel. The ones who traveled north were all killed by the Nords, led by Vrage the Butcher. The ones who went to Black Marsh to join the Barsaebic Tribe were denied admittance into Black Marsh, though most of those who went on the journey to Black Marsh died during the expeditions in Elsweyr. Some journeyed to the Iliac Bay in High Rock, where they joined the Direnni of Balfiera. The Ayleids who went to Valenwood happened to be the most successful of all of the departing Ayleids. The clans of Anutwyll, Vilverin, Talwinque, Bawn and Varondo all traveled to Valenwood to forge a new life for themselves. The native Bosmer of Valenwood welcomed the Ayleids with open arms, as long as the Ayleids adopted aspects of the Green Pact and refrain from harming the forests, which they did.[24]
Valenwood.
There were varying theories on how the Valenwood Ayleids disappeared from Valenwood. One theory, the Theorem of Disheritage, notably supported by Gelgarad the Velaspid, attempted to explain that the Valenwood Ayleids disappeared because they became unable to breed with each other and could only produce offspring by mating with the local Bosmer. A competing theory was proposed by Doctor Thetis of the Shimmerene Academy. Her theory attempts to explain that the Valenwood Ayleids disappeared because the Ayleids declined on the over-consumption of a beverage made by the Bosmer. The theory also stated that, as the Ayleids were quite vulnerable in their sadness and loss, fell to the Bosmers' cultural drinks and simply gave up.[24]
Within about 400 years of their overthrow, the strongly anti-mer Alessian Order had driven out, or exterminated, most remaining Ayleid settlements. Scholars generally believe that the Ayleid immigrated en masse to Valenwood, and possibly Summerset Isles, where they were integrated into those mer races. There are persistent rumors, which cannot be rejected outright, that wild tribes of pure Ayleid still hide within the Cyrodiilic forests. In any case, the Ayleid abandoned their cities, which have fallen into ruin, though the magic and mechanical traps which were installed near the end of their history still function.
Second Era
"An Ayleid? I thought they were all, you know, dead."―Darien Gautier, 2E 582[src]
Ayleid Crown of Nenalata.
Ayleids had lived into the Second Era, with credible sightings stating that they had lived in a reclusive tribal society.[1] One of the members of the University of Gwylim was a civilized Ayleid, Tjurhane Fyrre, who was one of the finest sages at the University. He wrote a text on his people, called The Wild Elves, though he died in 2E 227.[1]
The last known surviving pure Ayleid was King Laloriaran Dynar. He originally lived during the early first era, after Alessia's slave rebellion. Dynar ruled over Nenalata after his father, when it served as a vassal-state of the Alessian Empire. After an ultimatum from the emperor, Dynar was forced to leave Cyrodiil.[25] When Dynar visited the Hollow City, it was attacked by Molag Bal and he was captured. Dynar remained in Coldharbour for over three millennium before being rescued by the Vestige. He took command of the Fighters Guild, but died in 2E 582 after defending the city. He gave the Vestige his sword as a symbol of trust and friendship in his dying moments.[26]
Third and Fourth Eras
In 3E 397, the Soul of Conflict met with an Ayleid ghost known as Captain Nym after having collected all seven Star Teeth. In life, Captain Nym commandeered an airship which had originally captured the Teeth, though it crashed into the glacier of Glacier Crawl long ago. After the hero ended Pergan Asuul and Jagar Tharn's plans to control the Umbra' Keth, Nym gifted the hero with the Star Coif, a very valuable lightweight helmet.[27]
During the Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433, the Auroran-Ayleid known as Umaril re-emerged. Umaril was later slain by the Hero of Kvatch after the Knights of the Nine were reformed.[28]
No living Ayleids have been seen or reported during the Third and Fourth Eras, and as of the Fourth Era, scholars presume that they are extinct.
Culture
"In the caverns of lore, ugly and obscure, shines the gold of truth."―Raelys Anine[src]
Appearance
An Ayleid ruin found in Malabal Tor as it appears in Elder Scrolls Online.
Much like the Dwemer, what little is known about the appearance of the Ayleid comes primarily from their architecture and early writings. Most Ayleid Ruins include at the very least one statue, presumably of an Ayleid warrior, usually holding a sword aloft.[29] The general appearance looks similar to that of the Altmer, which most scholars consider fairly likely, given the Altmer's concerted effort to maintain a "pure" Aldmeri appearance. A brief description given in volume 5, Second Seed, of 2920 describes them as "darker than Altmer, but lighter than Dunmer," suggesting a complexion similar to that of the Bosmer.[30]
Ayleids in The Elder Scrolls Online are identical in appearance to Altmer, with skin tones ranging from white to dark yellow, though with eye colors such as blue, yellow and green.
Society
Ayleid society was heavily centered in magic/arcane arts, and their people were particularly skilled in the arcane. Even as all Mer were naturally skilled in the arcane arts, Ayleid society focused on the civilization's advancement in magic.[31] Magic was an important part of Ayleid culture and society, and their people were particularly skilled in it.[31][32] The Ayleids were able to preserve many of the ancient runes, Dawn Era magic, and lore of the Ehlnofey.[6][33]
The Ayleids lived in a tribal society, with each "tribe" being different from the next. They were notable for building the Imperial City.
At one point, the Ayleids controlled the entirety of the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil, and enslaved the Cyrodiilic and Nordic populations (which at that point were both part of the same prototypical race of men). During this time, the Ayleids made great strides in the arcane arts. The downfall of the Ayleid civilization was a combination of cultural hubris and revolution fomented amongst their slaves. With the blessing of the Aedra, the slave Alessia led the revolt that resulted in the destruction of the Ayleid civilization. The surviving Ayleids frequently showed up as civil servants to the nobility in the Alessian empire, or fled to Valenwoodand interbred with the Bosmer. The last known King of the Ayleids was the ruler of the city of Nenalata who controlled eastern Cyrodiil.[34] During the height of their civilization, the Ayleid empire existed everywhere in Tamriel except for Skyrim, Morrowind and the Summerset Isles.[UL 2] After their downfall during the First Era, many of their cities fell into ruin. Many would-be treasure hunters have died trying to plunder these lost ruins of the Ayleids.[29] In Stros M'Kai, the Ayleids created a powerful relic powered by souls.[35]
By the First Era and Second Era, the Ayleids were driven into a state many would regard as "primitive," hence the term Wild Elves, and lived deep within the forests of Cyrodiil, though little is still known of modern Ayleids and their culture. Their tribes apparently possessed wildly disparate cultures, but shared a thread of xenophobia, likely remaining from the Alessian Reformation when Ayleidic culture was nearly destroyed. The last reported sighting of an Ayleid occurred nearly a thousand years before the Third Era. It is unknown whether a few Ayleids still survive in the wilds of Cyrodiil, or whether their ancient race finally expired and passed into memory.[1]
Language and Writing System
Of the Ayleid language and writing system, much was known about it and many words, letters and ancient texts have been translated as a result of deep research and delving into Ayleid Ruins. The Ayleid language and writing system was very similar to the Aldmeri Language, just like the languages of the other races of Mer.[36][37]
Origins
The Ayleid language was extremely similar to other Mer languages and writing systems, due to the fact that all Mer descend from the Aldmer. Because of this, the Ayleid language shares many terms and words with other Elven languages, such as the shared Ayleid and Dunmeri word, "Bal," which means stone.[38]
Religion
A statue of Meridia found in Skyrim.
The Ayleids held a close relationship with the Daedric Princes, and even worshipped them.[39] The Ayleids of Delodiil notably worshiped Meridia, who was commonly referred to as Merid-Nunda. Delodiil's rival city-state was Abargarlas, whose people notably worshiped Molag Bal.[40] The Ayleids of Varsa Baalim notably worshiped Mehrunes Dagon, [4] and the people of Bisnensel worshiped Hermaeus Mora. [41] It was implied that they used the Daedric magic to increase their strength to the point where they could conquer the Cyrodiilic and Nordic races. This could have been a contributing factor to the Aedra giving their aid to the human races against the Ayleids to help destroy or otherwise cripple Daedric influence in Nirn. The Nefarivigum was an ancient Daedric artifact of Mehrunes Dagon. The Ayleids coveted this artifact, so a city was built around the artifact so they could use it.[4] There were some Ayleids who also worshiped the Aedra. The Ayleids worshiped Magnus, the god of Magic, as well as Auri-El. Statues were built in their cities to honor both gods.[32]
Architecture
"The marble benches of the central plaza faced out across the surrounding waters to tall columns and sharp arches supporting the high dome. From the central island, stately bridges spanned the still pools to narrow walkways behind the columns, with broad vaulted avenues and limpid ever-deeping gloom into darkness."―Alexandre Hetrard[src]
Ayleid cities were built partly above and partly below the surface of the land.[41] Ayleid architecture appears to be a whitish rock,[42] similar to Snow Elf architecture. Ayleid architecture was also integrated with magical artifacts as well, including Great Welkynd Stones, which were large variations of Welkynd Stones, which were used to power cities and increase the power of the people's enchantments.[31] Many statues were built by the Ayleids in their cities to honor the Gods they worshiped. This included statues dedicated to the Aedric Gods Magnus and Auri-El.[32]
The White-Gold Tower, one of the most impressive and most famous structures in all of Cyrodiil.
The White-Gold Tower, the central spire of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, was originally the central temple of the Ayleids. After the fall of the Ayleid empire in the First Era, it served as the Imperial Palace for the Tamrielic Empire. The rest of their capital city was either razed or buried beneath the Imperial City. It was unknown why the Nedes left the White Gold Tower alone during the Alessian Slave Rebellion.
Magic
A Welkynd Stone.
Magic was an extremely important aspect of the Ayleids and of their society. They developed magics far more advanced and powerful than any other at the time. The Ayleids were notable for developing the arcane art of Alteration.[43] In terms of both science and magic, their people believed in the four elements of Altmer religion, which states that Nirn was composed of four basic elements: earth, water, air, and light.[31] While modern natural philosophy states that Nirn is composed of four basic elements: earth, water, air, and fire, which they recognized, they believed the most important form of light was starlight. The Ayleids regarded fire as a weak and corrupt form of light. Instead, the Ayleids regarded starlight as a fundamentally significant form of light. For Nirn and its people, it was common knowledge that stars were linked to the plane of Aetherius. Aetherius was the source of all magical power and all things magical, so light from the stars was the most powerful and grand of all magical powers.[31][32]
Sometimes, objects called Aetherial fragments come from Aetherius to Mundus, specifically Nirn. There were two known types of Aetherial fragments: Meteoric Iron and Meteoric Glass. Many, if not all, of the magical devices and technology created by Ayleid engineers and architects were made of meteoric iron and meteoric glass. One of the magical devices created by the Ayleids were Ayleid Wells. These Ayleid Wells were scattered across Cyrodiil, and were not associated with any Ayleid cities, settlements or other sites. Made from Meteoric Iron, Ayleid Wells were designed to harvest and collect magical power from starlight. The Wells were located at the meeting point of ancient lines of magical power, though this was merely theorized by modern Ayleid scholars. For mages, and even for anyone without any magical talent, they could draw magicka from the Wells to restore their own sources of magicka. When people worked with Ayleid Wells, no ritual, basic academic or arcane knowledge was required to harvest the magicka, and were designed to serve people who were not skilled in the magical/arcane arts. When they do finally drain, the Wells replenish at midnight when the stars are out. Once recharged, they radiate some of the magical power back into the sky. This was most likely a cultural, religious, or ritualized magical significance.[31]
A Varla stone.
Another Ayleid device is the Welkynd Stone. Welkynd Stones were designed and used as storage devices for magical resources and magicka reserves, and to power the magicka itself; Mages and enchanters could restore their own magicka reserves. The Ayleids had their own laws and knowledge for storing, removing and using Welkynd Stones. Currently, in the modern era, anybody who did not have proper knowledge of using Welkynd Stones would see these stones crumble to dust after use. A variant of the Welkynd Stones, known as Great Welkynd Stones, were exceptionally large Ayleid devices made of enchanted Meteoric Glass. At the heart of each Ayleid city, a Great Welkynd Stone was the source of the city's power, magical resources and magical enchantments. These great, grand stones were directly connected to the lesser stones within a city, which restored and maintained their power as the stones worked together to power the city. Yet another Ayleid device were Varla Stones, which were made of Meteoric Glass and were used to enable trained and even untrained enchanters to add and restore magical energy to any enchanted items and magical artifacts. The Varla Stones were of great value and utility, and though they were quite rare, small and easily concealed, diligent, patient, careful and focused explorers could still come across these rare Ayleid devices in any Ayleid Ruin.[31]
Ayleid mages experimented with magic and technology that was capable of absorbing lightning bolts and converting them into magical energy. They possessed a specific way of absorbing magical energy from lightning, which was a spell known as the Finger of the Mountain. A magical pillar was also required to extract the magical energy from the lightning.[44]
Artifacts
The Ayleids produced many artifacts, both regular and unique, that were heavily based in magic and the arcane arts. The impact these Ayleid artifacts had in the future on the Ayleid scholar community was significant; many scholars and adventurers, both single and in groups, dared to go deep into ancient Ayleid ruins to discover these lost treasures.[39]
The Amulet of Kings.
Possibly one of the most famous and renowned of all Ayleid artifacts was the Amulet of Kings. The Amulet of Kings, also known as the Chim El-Adabal, was an amulet worn by Cyrodiilic Emperors of the bloodline of Saint Alessia. The symbol of the Imperial Empires of Tamriel, the Red Diamond, stemmed from the amulet and became the royal seal of the Septim Dynasty much later.[45] Some theories report that the amulet is a Soul Gem of Ayleid origin.[46]
The Ayleid Crown of Lindai and the Ayleid Crown of Nenalata were two unique and powerful light Ayleid helmets bearing powerful enchantments. The Crown of Lindai could resist magic from 10%-35%, fortify Illusion from 5 to 15 points and fortify alteration 5 to 15 points. The Crown of Nenalata could reflect spells from 8%-25%, fortify alteration 5 to 15 points and fortify conjuration 5 to 15 points.[10]
Notable Ayleid
Hadhuul: Hadhuul, colloquially referred to as the Fire King, was the King of Ceyatatar in Cyrodiil. His armies were powerful and were never defeated until the Battle of Ceyatatar, when they suffered their first defeat at the hands of Pelinal Whitestrake and the Imperial slaves who were launching a rebellion against the rule of the Ayleids. Hadhuul was killed by Whitestrake during the battle.[18]
Celethelel: Celethelel, colloquially referred to as "Celethelel the Singer," was an Ayleid during the First Era. In 1E 242, Celethelel killed Pelinal's companion Huna with an arrow, driving the Whitestrake into a fierce rage.[18]
Umaril the Unfeathered, a half Ayleid.
Laloriaran Dynar, an Ayleid king and the last known surviving Ayleid.
Tjurhane Fyrre, an Ayleid author.
Captain Nym, an Ayleid ghost who collected Star Teeth in life.
Endarre, an Ayleid hero who led a band of four other members who destroyed the city of Abagarlas and hid the Prismatic Crystal.
King Anumaril, the king of Abagarlas who worshipped Molag Bal.
Curano
Lanath
Ostarand
Valasha
Prince Malyon, the king's son.
Queen Palolel, the king's wife.
Trivia
Like the Aldmeri, Snow Elves, Dwemer and Chimer, the Ayleids are one of the "ancient civilizations" of Tamriel.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Айлейдские руины Мискарканд
Общие сведения
Айлейды, дикие эльфы, салиачи или хартлендские высокие эльфы, они же эшмеры(по МК) — одна из эльфийских рас, уш��дшая с островов Саммерсет и поселившаяся отдельно от других меров на территории современного Сиродила(Хартленда/Средиземья) и, частично, Чернотопья (барсебические айлейды) примерно в середине Меретийской (Меретической) эры. В Первой эре по ряду причин были вынуждены переселиться в Валенвуд, Хаммерфелл, Скайрим и Хай Рок.
Известно, что они были особенно высокомерным народом, отрицавшим возможность равного общения с другими расами, из-за чего и получили прозвание «дикие эльфы». Как и все представители эльфийского рода, айлейды имели хрупкое строение тела, но были очень ловкими. Выглядели представители данной расы как и все эльфы того времени (приблизительно как современные альтмеры), но отличительной особенностью этого народа был ещё более золотистый цвет кожи.
История
Появление. Ранний айлейдский период
История айлейдов как отдельной расы эльфов берёт своё начало ещё во времена начала Меретической эры, когда отдельная группа альдмеров под предводительством Топала Мореходаисследует и картографирует морские пути Тамриэля в частности — реку Нибен, находящуюся на юге материка. Он заплывает глубоко в центральный Сиродил, где получает в своё владение Восемь Островов на озере Румаре) — земли, где впоследствии будет расположена Башня Белого Золота. Этот дар преподнёс ему обитавший в тех краях звериный народ, который он и его команда обучили письменности (так же бытует мнение, что Топал и его флот просто-напросто уничтожили живших там людей-птиц и присвоили острова).
Со временем Топал и его команда, а также небольшие группы альдмеров, постепенно переселяются на вновь открытую территорию Сиродила, где начинают освоение джунглей вокруг реки Нибен и строительство первых городов-государств. Так появились первые айлейды.
Золотой век
Где-то в середине Меретической эры начинается и завершается строительство Башни Белого Золота, а также города вокруг неё, ныне известного как Старый путь. Башня и её окрестности становятся культурным и политическим центром айлейдских городов-государств до самого падения их империи.
В течение всего промежутка власти айлейдов (несколько тысячелетий) эта раса всё более и более расширяет свои границы, отстраивая все больше новых городов-государств. Постепенно они полностью подчинили себе местность вдоль побережья Нибена, а со временем и весь Сиродил. За его пределы айлейды предпочли не выходить, создав своё собственное, обособленное от других эльфийских народов, феодальное государство.
Падение
Так продолжалось примерно до 1Э 242, когда произошло восстание порабощённых недийских племен во главе с «Королевой рабов», также известной как Ал-Эш, что в переводе на наш язык значит «ваше высочество».
В начале войны удача была полностью на стороне айлейдских королей: восставшие люди были загнаны в угол и практически полностью истреблены. Однако произошло событие, в корне изменившее расстановку сил — пришествие Пелинала Вайтстрейка (очень таинственная и спорная личность). Ведомые Пелиналом (практически самолично истреблявшим целые армии эльфов) неды начали вытеснение своих бывших хозяев. Чуть позже племянник Пелинала Морихаус привёл за собой армии «Старого Королевства» нордов, принявших сначала Вайтстрейка за своего бога Шора.
Объединённая армия представляла собой несокрушимую силу, которая быстро завоевала все города-государства Сиродила. Последней целью их кампании стала Башня Белого Золота — самая могучая цитадель айлейдов.
В 1Э 243 Башня Белого Золота пала под натиском людских полчищ, что положило конец айлейдскому правлению.
Послевоенные годы. Поздний айлейдский период
Хотя некоторые из айлейдских королей и смогли заключить договор с новой Империей людей, поддерживая свои города ещё несколько столетий, однако постепенно эти города стали приходить в упадок, пока не были заброшены совсем. Известно, что некоторая часть салиачи покинула свои города и переселилась в другие эльфийские державы. Последним заселённым айлейдским городом Сиродила стала Неналата.
В 1Э 393 Алессианский орден, возглавляемый аббатом Космасом, производит зачистку древнего айлейдского храма Малада (что с эльфийского переводится как Высокий Собор). Сообщалось, что под сводами храма обитали «демоны», но они были все уничтожены при нападении. Вероятнее всего, это было последней масштабной попыткой эльфов вернуть себе утраченные позиции.
В дальнейшем некогда «дикие эльфы» были постепенно ассимилированы или вытеснены, что в конечном итоге привело к полному исчезновению этой расы.
Религия
В первую очередь салиачи почитали даэдра. Частое упоминание Меридии (например, в «Трактате о Мерид-Нунде») позволяет предположить, что она считалась покровительницей данной расы. С другой стороны, из исторических источников становится ясно, что по крайней мере в Поздний айлейдский период один из кланов салиачи (беженцы из Неналаты) был служителем Даэдрического Принца Знаний — Хермеуса Моры. Есть также сведения и о том, что айлейды из города Абагарлас были служителями Молаг Бала. Так же в некоторых айлейдских городах можно обнаружить статуи некой личности, поднимаемой орлом; бытует мнение, что это Аури-Эль. Из всего это можно сделать предположение, что каждое из айлейдских городов-государств почитало своего, отдельно взятого бога.
Стоит также отметить барсебических айлейдов Чернотопья. Есть вероятность, что данные племена салиачи поклонялись не даэдра, а аэдра.
Быт и культура
Стихией айлейдов была магия, поэтому почти каждый представитель диких эльфов был искусным магом. Они создали то, что позднее стало называться школой Изменения. Подробнее об их умениях в области этой магии можно прочитать в книге «Дитя Нибена».
Политическое и государственное устройство
Особенностью айлейдского государственного устройства (как и у других эльфийских рас, ушедших с Саммерсета) являлась политическая раздробленность. Вся их территория была поделена на области, каждая из которых была подконтрольна своему городу, управляемому королём-магом, который и определял внутреннюю политику области. Это разделение в конечном итоге сыграло с айлейдами злую шутку, так как непрекращающиеся гражданские войны между кланами в конечном итоге послужили не меньшей причиной падения цивилизации салиачи, чем восстание рабов. Самым крупным городом, а также политическим и культурным центром, являлся уже упомянутый выше Старый путь, в котором находилась Башня Белого Золота.
Отношение к другим расам
Как уже говорилось ранее, айлейды свысока смотрели на представителей других народов. Поэтому недийские племена людей, также проживавшие на территории Сиродила, были обращены в рабов.
Жизнь людей в городах-государствах эльфов во многом зависела от правителя. Если в некоторых поселениях людям жилось довольно сносно, то во многих других их низводили до уровня рабочего скота. Городом, где было сосредоточено наи��ольшее количество людей, был Сард, ныне известный как Сардавар Лид (именно в этом месте родилась Перриф). В Сарде не было свободы ни в чём, даже в сохранении семьи и выборе имени. Условия содержания тоже были ужасными — люди спали на холодном полу, месяцами не мылись, недоедали… Их заставляли корчевать камни и осушать поля, держать в порядке часовни и дороги, могли подвергнуть пыткам просто из прихоти своих хозяев, а тела использовать в качестве скульптур из плоти, которые были популярны у диких эльфов.
Но наиболее худшим образом для людей складывалась ситуация в городе Сейа-Тар (в наши дни — Сейататар), в котором правил король-маг Хадхул, более известный как «Огненный король». В его царстве производились снадобья путем введения даэдронов в живые организмы, позволявшие зреть новые образы пыток. По выходным ночью на специальных аренах устраивались различные забавы, одной из которых было поджигание детей и травля их тиграми.
Вероятно, айлейды продолжили морские путешествия, начатые ещё Топалом, и существует огромная вероятность того, что они достигли даже берегов Акавира. В подтверждение этого можно привести один необычный факт — в конце Третьей эры, в руинах города Трамб, расхитителями гробниц был найден хорошо спрятанный и надёжно защищённый меч явно акавирского происхождения, а если быть точным — цаэски. Это говорит о том, что раса айлейдов, вероятно, контактировала и с жителями других континентов (вполне возможно, что они были в этом первыми).
Знания и достижения
“Из огня — жизнь, из света — магия”
— Айлейды
Айлейды полагали, что Нирн создан из четырёх основных элементов: земли, воды, воздуха и света. Изо всех видов света звёздный свет они считали тончайшей его формой, так как именно звёзды связывали айлейдов с миром Этериуса — источником всей магической силы. Привычный нам четвёртый элемент «огонь» салиачи считали слабой и искажённой формой света, который, как уже говорилось выше, айлейдские философы отождествляли с первичными магическими принципами.
Иногда на земле можно найти его частицы, известные людям под названием «метеор». Наиболее часто встречающиеся состоят из «метеоритного железа» — металла, который высоко ценится у кузнецов и магов за магические свойства; именно из него создавались эльфийские доспехи и оружие для отличившихся айлейдских воинов.
Также метеоритное железо является главным компонентом для айлейдских колодцев — древних магических артефактов, найти которые можно по всему Сиродилу. Закономерность их расположения остается загадкой, но ученые полагают, что колодцы стоят на пересечении древних магических потоков, тем самым они неведомым способом черпают магическую силу из звёздного света. Естественно, колодцы не просто так стоят — с их помощью любое разумное существо может восстановить и повысить свой запас магических сил.
Другой, менее распространенный вид частиц Этериуса, носит название «метеоритное стекло», из которого изготавливались велкиндские камни и камни варла.
Также стоит отметить, что айлейдские мастера смогли создать особые приспособления — охранные статуи. Они охраняли айлейдские города от нежелательного вторжения извне.
Внутренняя жизнь городов
Современному исследователю сейчас довольно трудно представить повседневную жизнь айлейдов. Это связано с тем, что практически все айлейдские постройки были разграблены, вероятно, ещё в период конца Первой эры. На сегодняшний день в городах можно увидеть лишь голые стены да каменные предметы интерьера (столы и скамейки), которые не могут быть вынесены наружу или сгнить. Вся эта мрачная картина слабо освещается светом светильников, сделанных из камней варла.
Подземные комплексы айлейдов являлись лишь малой частью городов (вероятнее всего, дворцы или жилые кварталы богатых особ), а большая часть населения могла проживать и на поверхности земли, в обычных домах. Эту теорию подтверждает практически полное отсутствие разделённых, тупиковых комнат в руинах айлейдов. Однако против этой теории говорит внешнее обустройство городов: на территории комплексов нет ни одного строения, из чего следует, что все жители проживали в подземной части городов.
Также имеет право на жизнь версия, что те части руин, которые сохранились до момента прохождения игры, были изначально предназначены для неких ритуалов и/или захоронений. Большое количество саркофагов и ниш в стенах, массово встречающиеся привидения, скелеты и зомби характерны для склепов. Скамьи и трибуны, часто встречающиеся тут, вполне могли использоваться в неких массовых обрядах. Также в пользу этого варианта говорит то, что на поверхности нет ни одного айлейдского кладбища или чего-то подобного.
Так или иначе, многое из жизни айлейдов до сих пор остается непонятным для нас.
Айлейдский алфавит
Айлейды, как и все остальные народы, имели свой собственный язык. Надписи на айлейдисе можно найти во многих руинах городов, а также в книгах.
Артефакты айлейдов
Велкиндские камни
Велкиндский камень
Самые распространенные айлейдские артефакты — велкиндские камни. Это крупные прозрачные кристаллы цвета морской волны в металлической оправе, способные полностью восстанавливать магическую энергию использовавшего камень существа, при этом безвозвратно исчезая. В книге «Магия, рождённая небом» говорится о том, что велкиндские камни — это айлейдские колдовские артефакты, изготовленные из метеоритного железа и метеоритного стекла.
Примечание: Надо заметить, что к концу своего правления айлейды научились выращивать кристаллы велкинд.
Известно, что в крупных поселениях айлейдов существовали так называемые «Великие велкиндские камни». Предполагается, что «великий велкиндский камень, сердце каждого древнего айлейдского города, отвечал за всё магическое обустройство жизни поселения». Все эти артефакты к настоящему времени утрачены. Последний великий велкиндский камень играет важную роль в основной сюжетной линии The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Камни варла
Камень варла
Камни варла — куда более редкие и драгоценные артефакты. Несколько крупнее велкиндских и белого цвета, камни варла способны полностью заряжать любое количество зачарованных предметов, также исчезая при использовании. В книге «Магия, рождённая небом» также предполагается их космическое происхождение, иных свидетельств нет.
«Чёрные камни варла» — охранные артефакты. Встречаются практически во всех айлейдских руинах. Средних размеров, висят на специальных постаментах или под потолками. Как ясно из названия, эти камни имеют тёмный оттенок, однако незадолго до того, как поразить нарушителя, камни начинают светиться красным. Способны накапливать и отдавать достаточно большие сгустки магической энергии.
Броня и оружие
Несмотря на обширные знания в области магии, айлейды не боялись и ближнего боя. И хотя они сами не экспериментировали в создании брони и оружия, благодаря использованию знаний своих предков, альдмеров, айлейды создавали для своих бойцов великолепное снаряжение, называемое сегодня эльфийским. Простые воины, не имеющие никаких знаков отличия, пользовались стандартными вариантами этой экипировки. Отличившиеся же вознаграждались зачарованными доспехами и оружием, которыми гордились и дорожили.
Эльфийское оружие и броня, оставшиеся в большом количестве по всем уголкам Сиродила, сами по себе произведения искусства. Эльфийские доспехи и щиты на вид состоят из мелких золотых чешуек. Однако это не самая дорогая и лучшая защита в игре. Наиболее подходящей для себя её найдут лучники и маги. Одно из её главных достоинств — малый вес. Не случайно для обучения у мастера лёгкой брони в Сиродиле необходимо найти именно эльфийскую кирасу.
Другие артефакты
Иногда в разрушенных руинах айлейдских поселений можно отыскать айлейдские статуи, которые высоко ценятся коллек��ионерами древностей.
Также существует два поразительных артефакта, известных как Корона Неналаты и Корона Линдаи. Особо стоит отемить Чим-Эль Адабал — древний и могущественный артефакт салиачи, ныне известный большинству как Амулет Королей.
Известные айлейды
Умарил Неоперённый — айлейдский король-маг, правивший в Золотой век айлейдского владычества. Умарил является эльфом лишь наполовину — мать-айлейдка родила его от божественного отца. Был убит Пелиналом Вайтстрейком при осаде Башни Белого Золота, которой он и правил. Однако, благодаря своей полубожественной сути, позднее смог вернуться в мир живых. Вокруг этого события и его последствий построен сюжет дополнения The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine.
Хадхул — король-маг, правивший в Золотой век айлейдского владычества. В его владениях находился город Сейа-Тар (Сейататар). Был убит Пелиналом Вайтстрейком при осаде Сейа-Тара.
Лалориаран Динар — король-маг, правивший в Поздний айлейдский период городом Неналата. В истории более известен под прозвищем «Последний король айлейдов».
Тьюрхан Фирр — айлейд, живший в период Первой и Второй эры. Являлся автором многих книг, в которых подробно рассказывает о традициях, обычаях и культуре своей расы.
#TESO#tes#tes lore#teslore#The Elder Scrolls#the elder scolls online#ayleid#ayleids#древние свитки#древние свитки лор#айлейды#айлейд
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tactical Analysis- How Liverpool won the 2019 CL via /r/LiverpoolFC
Tactical Analysis- How Liverpool won the 2019 CL
Despite being touted as an uninspiring snoozefest by critics, neutrals, and media outlets I decided to do a tactical analysis on the UCL final as I feel it deserves major attention since it was our first major cup win since 2005 and minor cup win since 2012. Additionally, it was an anomaly from a strategic perspective as Jürgen Klopp approached the game with a counter-attacking setup with limited application of his usual and trademark high-press style. Liverpool finished the game with an astonishing 35.4% ball possession, a clear contrast with the 2018/2019 season average of 62.13%. Prior to the final the team trained and practiced in Marbella, Spain with Benfica’s B team-rejecting other clubs along the way due to confidentiality concerns-and because Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders identified numerous similarities between Tottenham’s and Benfica’s B-team. The team had time to condition and acclimate to the temperature disparity between England and the much warmer Marbella/Madrid where humidity levels also become a physical factor. During the training session, Benfica’s players replicated Tottenham’s 4231 lineup and mimicked key players’ movements. Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce(the primary club correspondent & journalist) also published live photos from the Marbella training sessions which showcased a variety of tactical lineups with an emphasis on different strategies (eg. possession based drills as opposed to long-ball play).
Coming into the game, Klopp’s original gameplan was to play defensive and conservative football with a long-ball approach. In the same vein, Pochettino’s goal was to bait Liverpool’s high-press and find spaces forward as a result. He benched the in-form Lucas Moura hoping to bring him on in the 2nd half with fresh legs to try to outpace the Liverpool defense or catch them out of position. However, the 22 second penalty marked all the difference in the game. Going up 1-0 early, Klopp stuck to the original plan and conceded possession to Pochettino’s team with Mané, TAA, and Robertson being the focal points defensively. Fortunately for Liverpool, Pochettino had no backup plans in place and continued to play hardball. In Tottenham’s defensive-third Liverpool contained Spurs to their half by shaping up as a 442 as shown here[https://imgur.com/a/IUQKYhq]. Because Vertonghen and Alderweireld played a low-block while on the ball and because Trippier and Rose pushed up the halfway line hugging the sidelines; Firmino and one of Salah/Mané forced a stalemate by leading a 2-man line with minimal pressing following the ball path and covering passing lanes. Hugo Lloris’ poor distribution woes meant that Tottenham spent the entirety of the first-half passing the ball in their own half or were forced to pass it back whenever their gaps closed.
When Tottenham attempted to move the ball forward to the middle of the pitch and Liverpool’s third, Sadio Mané would fall back to congest the midfield and Liverpool would shape up as a 451 as exemplified here [https://imgur.com/a/TLITABV]. Looking at the average player position map from the game [https://imgur.com/a/GfA1PjY] you can see the 451 shape with a slight 442 lean. Interestingly, during this transition phase Liverpool chose to purposely leave Kieran Trippier wide open on the wing as shown here [https://imgur.com/a/GzYved9]. Klopp identified a glaring weakness in Trippier’s build-up play and crossing and chose to leave him unmarked the entire game. The following clips highlight some of Trippier’s weaknesses (poor spatial awareness, crossing/passing, and movement) during the final, whenever he was targetted. [https://streamable.com/s4o0n] . Despite being unmarked the whole game, Trippier hardly received passes from his teammates. This clever approach meant that Eriksen was marked out of the game since Liverpool occupied most of the spaces in the midfield. The only way Tottenham could go forward was with long balls to Kane and Alli. Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip had a relatively easy time marking Kane winning most aerial duels (3 & 3 respectively) with Matip racking up a whopping 14 clearances (compared to Virgil’s 5[https://streamable.com/flm7d]). Matip more so than Van Dijk, was instrumental in keeping the clean sheet and keeping pressure off the back. He had significant key interceptions, key passes, and played the role of a competent midfielder while having the physical and mental composure of a world-class defender[https://streamable.com/kccwt].
TAA and Robertson were strictly instructed to stay in their defensive halves. Comparing their UCL final heatmaps[https://imgur.com/a/J6UuaUC] to their seasonal averages you can see that their overall placement was uncharacteristic [https://imgur.com/a/NwcfqCI]. Even moreso when you compare to the last meeting between the two teams: [https://imgur.com/a/NTa5Dre]. In the recent encounters between Klopp and Pochettino, Jurgen utilized his traditional 433 with a 343 shift coupled with his famous gegenpressing system. In Klopp’s gegenpressing, the fullbacks are normally instructed to camp up into the opponents half either simultaneously or one at a time while a defensive mid falls in between the two center-halves thus mimicking a 3-4-3 shape . This shape normally allows the fullbacks to generate an incredible amount of crosses while also supressing counter-attacks with ease (ironically, Liverpool completed a shocking 1/16 crosses or 6% succesfully in the final). What’s more interesting is that the fullbacks while on the ball were explicitly instructed by Klopp to play the ball out immediately from the back as opposed to building their way up the pitch as they normally do. The defenders were often targeting Mané with long-ball passes. [https://streamable.com/85gcz]
Personally, Mané was my MOTM. If we ignore the fact the he won a penalty within the opening seconds of the match, he was the link holding the team together defensively and offensively during the transition periods and through admirable bouts of athleticism. Mané won key duels in the front against the likes of Trippier, Eriksen, Vertonghen, and Alderweireld and was important in linking the midfield both ways. Alisson however was just as important for his late-game heroics and contributions. Several critics claimed that the quality of the shots were lousy and essentially directed straight at him. However, nothing could be further from the truth as his world-class positioning and footwork contributed to his excellent shot-stopping making challenging saves look too ordinary. [https://streamable.com/4pgai]
Despite converting the penalty Salah had a poor night. Partial fault lies on Salah’s own selfishness. However, Salah was specifically instructed by Klopp to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible and to not hold it as he usually does in a high-press system. Salah took some very uncharacteristic shots as a result and failed to improvise in key moments when better and wider options were available. If we look at the following xG graph, we can visualize the quality (or lack thereof) of the shots and key plays, the majority which came from or centered around Salah. [https://imgur.com/a/eCJan3Q]. Fortunately, Tottenham was kept quiet during the first half and had zero shots on target.
Coming into the 2nd half Klopp struck first and decided to make two important substitutions by subbing on Divock Origi for the unfit Firmino and James Milner for the quiet Giorgino Wijnaldum. Immediately, Divock and Milner contributed defensively and Klopp switched to high-press defense and build-up attack as shown here[https://streamable.com/b2cl5]. Pochettino’s team was beginning to become overwhelmed once again. While he did try to alleviate this issue with substitutions of his own; in the grand scheme of things his substitutions made little to no difference. Lucas Moura was subbed on in hopes of outrunning Liverpool but Klopp’s first-half conservative approach meant that his players had plenty of energy to spare. Eric Dier came on for the injured Sissoko as a man-for-man substitution but Dier was largely and not surprisingly anonymous. It wasn’t all rainbows and sunshines for Klopp however as the German manager did make a poor late substitution taking off Mané for Gomez in the 90th minute of regular time. In just those 5 minutes of added time, the rusty Gomez gave up 2 chances with 2 shots on target (marking 25% of the chances Tottenham created all game). In hindsight, the most obvious and logical change should have seen Salah off for Shaqiri or Oxlade-Chamberlain as the Egyptian international looked fatigued at that point.
Pochettino’s last life line was subbing on Fernando Llorente in the 81st minute to try to nick a goal off a set-piece or cross presumably. However, substitute Divock Origi sealed the game at the 87th minute after brilliant contributions from both Van Dijk and Matip. The game finished 2-0. Statistically speaking, it was a complete irregularity compared to previous seasons and European campaigns. The biggest takeaway from this game was the exposition of Jurgen Klopp’s growth as a football manager. Opting to set aside his usual “heavy metal” approach(a choice that might have arguably cost him previous European titles) and instead choosing a low-risk high-reward strategy he showed the world how much he has developed as a manager. At times he’s been unfairly labeled as a pure man-manager; a manager who’s triumphs come mostly from the fact that he can motivate his players to perform for him without much thought to tactics. However, on June 1, 2019 he proved to the world that he’s all that and much more.
TL;DR: Kieran Trippier won Liverpool the CL.
Submitted January 09, 2020 at 07:49AM by PaoloMustafini
via reddit https://ift.tt/35yyeQP
1 note
·
View note
Text
Fictober18 Day 22
Original Fiction
Prompt: “I know you like to play games.”
Part 2 of Erin and Gerald story, second arc. Part 1 linked here.
This part has pretty violent scenes please be warned.
“Wait here.”
The attendant motioned to the metal chairs lining the walls outside the military office, before turning and leaving. Erin stood uncertainly in the center of the waiting room, glancing around at the surroundings that had never changed since she was a child, wondering if she had made the right decision. Gerald had desperately wanted to go with her.
“You might need back up, or someone to help you fight your way out at least.” He argued, holding on to her hand tightly.
“Thanks, but I really have to do this on my own. He’s my father, if he wanted to get rid of me, he has much easier ways to do it then calling me to his office.”
He hadn’t been convinced. “But… what if you…”
“Gerald.” Her voice had been firm. “This is my decision.”
His hand tightened for a moment, and then let go. “I’ll respect that.” He briefly touched her face, his face sad. “But if you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”
She had left him behind, but now, standing in front of the door that led to her father, she felt very much alone. This room was so familiar, how many times had she sat here, filled with anticipation, waiting to see her father?
When she was younger, Erin had been desperate for his approval. Each time a new ability of hers was discovered, she would happily come to his office, waiting in this room patiently for him to have a spare moment to see her. The door would open, she would happily announce her latest power, hoping that this time, just maybe, he would be impressed. Each time, he would stare silently at her, measuring her worth. He would then ask what power level she had been judged to be. Upon hearing a 3 or a 4, he would immediately lose interest, dismissing her from his sight and breaking her heart all over again.
Erin glanced around at the office, the paintings of past generals on the walls seeming to stare back at her disapprovingly. With a long sigh, she sat down on one of the chairs, trying desperately not to think of the last time she had sat in this office.
She was eight years old. She had woken up with a familiar feeling, and excited, her mother had brought her before an insight specialist once again. They confirmed she had developed an eighth ability: illusion type powers. The people in the office had been so complimentary, so impressed with her abilities. A typical “talented” person may have 3 or 4 abilities; level 4 abilities were fairly rare. To have eight… they called Erin a genius, and she believed it must be true.
Excited, she raced to her father office. Sitting in the metal chair, swinging her legs back and forth, unable to contain her cheerful energy.
This time he’ll be impressed. He has to be. She thought to herself.
Finally he came out, his frame filling the doorway. He was silent, but his dark eyes studied her closely, seeming to see her and through her at the same time. Nervous, trembling she got to her feet, and lifted a hand. An image of a flower projected above it, starting as a bud and blooming into a beautiful white lily. The illusion faded, and she stared at the floor, too nervous to look at his expression.
“Level?” A single word, but it carried so much meaning within.
“…” She didn’t want to say.
“What level was it appraised at?” His voice carried weight with it, making her feel crushed.
“…Three.” She whispered.
“Worthless.” Losing interest, he turned back to his office.
Erin lost it. She had come to this office so many times, and never once had she earned his approval. Without thinking she stepped forward, raising her voice and arguing.
“So what if it’s only level three? I have EIGHT different abilities. That has to match up to a measly level five ability, right? I mean, I really can…” Before she could finish the sentence she was thrown against the wall.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. The room was filled with his power, the air gone. Flames burst into existence all around her, the heat from the fire scorching her skin but otherwise not leaving a trace in the room around her. Blood dripped from her nose and ears, her eight year old body unable to withstand the pressure.
“Still think you can measure up to a level 5 capacitance?” Despite the ferocity of his attack, his voice remained calm, bored even. “I have the ability to topple nations, your measly little parlor tricks mean nothing.”
With a quick hand gesture the flames, the wind, everything was gone. Her father smiled, the expression cruel. “Go back to your training. Don’t bother me again unless you have something significant to report.”
With that the door closed behind him, leaving her slumped on the floor, blood staining her clothes, sticking against her skin. It wasn’t until an hour later that she finally crawled to her feet and left the office.
She never used her illusion ability again.
Erin shook her head, trying to clear it of the memory of that terrible day. She had just been a child, one who wanted her father to be proud of her. There was nothing to be ashamed of. She took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts, and kept her expression carefully neutral as she waited to be called into the office.
“You may enter now.” Thirty minutes later the attendant stepped forward, looking at her with a disdainful expression.
Erin stood up, and entered the room, her spine straight and her chin raised. She wished she could believe she was ready for this.
The office was unchanged from years before. Still windowless, lit only by a magical lamp on the large mahogany desk. Papers strewn everywhere, taking up each and every available surface. A large table stood in the corner with a map on it, different markers placed at different areas of the world. There was no other chair, her father didn’t believe that anyone should be so relaxed as to sit in his presence. Erin stood in front of the desk, waiting silently.
The man at the desk… her father. She knew in some ways his features resembled her own, but he was so much… bigger. Not just taller, although he towered over her when standing. His very presence filled the room, leaving no room for her. The silence was… suffocating. She waited there in front of the desk, focusing on breathing.
“You killed Lady Belanna?”
When he finally spoke, it caught her by surprise. He had not looked up from his work at his desk, his voice casual as if asking about the weather. She thought about his question for a moment, and then gave an answer from the official story they had given the school.
“It was in self defense.”
He looked up, and Erin fought the desire to shrink back as his dark eyes focused on her. She felt like he was seeing through her, dissecting her down to her bones.
“But you DID kill her?”
Erin sighed. “Yes, but I would be dead if I didn’t so I’m not sorry, even if she was a… special friend of yours.”
“That’s not the issue.” He shook his head. “She had longed outlived her usefulness to me, her death matters very little.”
Erin felt a slight pang for the madwoman who had made this monster the center of her world, only to have her death regarded as less than a minor inconvenience.
“If you don’t care, why am I here?” She kept her voice calm, even as he stood up, leaning over her. His face came within inches of her own, making her itch to strike out, to hurt him.
“I care because she was once one of the stronger knights, with level 5 wind ability, and yet somehow… you… were able to kill her.” He grabbed her arm, his grip so tight she felt it down to the bone. “HOW?”
Ah. Erin refused to let the pain on her arm show on her face. This breaks everything he ever taught me about never being able to defeat a level 5. She smiled at him, enjoying his disconcertment at the expression.
“She was already weakened, and I caught her by surprise, it was simple.”
“…” He stared at her, and Erin returned his look calmly, despite everything within her screaming out to reach over and kill him.
Pull off the restrictive amulet.
Use all your abilities to take his life, tear him limb from limb.
Destroy him.
He’ll never see it coming.
“Come with me.” Releasing her arm, he motioned for her to follow him, and walked quickly out of the door. They moved through the military offices, into a practice yard in the back. There, standing attention in a military uniform was a tall young man about Erin’s age. He glared at her, his eyes holding an unexpected amout of hatred for someone she had never met before. She chose to ignore him, staring at her father instead, who came to a stop in front of the gentleman just five feet away.
“At ease, Walter.” The young man relaxed at her father’s words.
“I know how you love to play games, and so I’ve arranged a good one for you. This girl here is from St. Julienne’s academy, one of their representatives for the international competition.” He paused, his cold gaze looking her over from head to toe one last time. “You may go all out… but I want her alive at the end.”
Walter nodded, his face splitting into a wide grin, his eyes dissecting her in a way that made Erin want to shudder in disgust. She adjusted her stance to a defensive one, and circled around, trying to study him. Knowing there was no point discussing this further, as her father wanted to see a fight, so there would be a fight. She contemplated taking off the restrictive amulet, but reluctantly decided against it. Erin couldn’t dare let her father know about the true extent of her abilities, she needed every advantage she could get.
She activated her physical and spiritual enhancement abilities, boosting her moving speed and the capacity of her elemental powers. All the while she kept an eye on the young man in front of her, who continued to stand in a relaxed manner, staring at her.
Then, within the space of half a breath, he was inches away from her.
“Level 4 physical enhancement and Wind abilities.” Her father’s tone was amused. “Let’s see how you handle this.”
Walter reached for her neck, but Erin had already dropped to the ground, sweeping his legs out fro under him. Unwilling to let go of the advantage, she kicked him in the face while he was down, breaking his nose with a crunching noise. It didn’t seem to phase him at all, his smile continued to remain in place as he stared up at her, trying to stand. She went to kick him again, but her leg was caught in a lightning quick grasp. Trying to pull away, Erin was startled as he lifted her over his head, swinging her into a wall of a nearby office. She felt a couple ribs crack at the impact.
Erin lay on the ground, stunned for a moment. She then reached out, filling the field with red gold flames. They reached up to the level of her opponent’s chest, but still he ignored them, marching through with determination until he was by her side again. Walter was burned, several part of his uniform smoldering despite their flame resistant nature, but still he kept smiling.
Unnerved, Erin tried to use wind magic to push him back, but only succeeded in moving him a few feet away. He rushed back to her side, grabbing her arm, and before she could react, stomped on it. Erin bit her tongue, holding back a scream as she felt the bone break under his boot.
She clenched a fist, and a stream of water rushed down his throat, flooding his lungs. He reached a hand into his mouth and pulled the water out with a gesture.
“He has Level 4 water abilities as well.”
Climbing to her feet, she split the earth between them, trying to force some distance while firing a ball of flame at his face. He leapt over the gap, dodging the burning missile and grabbed her other arm.
Erin reached out with that arm, gripping his shirt to pull him closer, while bringing her knee into his stomach, but despite the heavy blow he only tightened his fist, using his other hand to rotate her body until with a popping sound, her shoulder dislocated.
Pale, barely conscious with the pain, Erin tried once more to attack him with magic. The flame had barely formed before his boot struck her face, knocking her to the ground. Her vision blurry, she looked up at the sky, dully waiting for the finishing blow.
“Enough.”
She barely recognized her father’s voice over the ringing in her ears. She lifted up her head, turning to the side to spit out blood. Her head hurt, her arms rendered unusable, each breath brought a stabbing pain as the fracture ribs scraped on each other. She was having trouble breathing, she worried it may have punctured the lung on that side. Walter stood only a few feet away, still smiling, looking her over with a stubborn expression. It was clear he hadn’t wanted to stop.
“Leave now, treat your wounds.” Her father was still talking to Walter. With a formal bow, the young man retreated, nothing in his gait revealing how badly he was hurt. Once they were alone, there were a few moments of silence.
“I see what you meant.” His voice was cold. “It was indeed a stroke of luck that you were able to take down Lady Belanna. Although it is true that you have improved. Beyond the abilities you saw, Walter also has a variant of mental reinforcement.” He grinned, the expression dark. “He can completely cut off pain sensation. He fights like a madman, most people don’t survive the first attack. However, your meager abilities are far from enough to be considered useful to me.”
Erin struggled to her feet, her arms hanging from her side. “Is that all?” She was proud at how calm her voice sounded.
“No.” He frowned. “You are not useful as a soldier, but that doesn’t mean I ignore your value to this family and my goals. Once you return from your loss at the international competition, you will leave your school and return home to prepare for your wedding.”
“… no.” Erin was shocked, giving only a single word answer.
“It wasn’t a question. Your marriage has been arranged to a rising young official who I need on my side. This will cement relations between the two families and allow me to move more freely within the Parliament.”
“I refuse.”
“You have no choice.”
Erin glared. “You cannot force me to agree to marry him, even if you physically force me to the altar.”
“You have no idea how easily I can do exactly that.” His smile was cruel. “I’m done with you for now. Go back to your school.”
He turned away, walking back towards his office, leaving her staring at his back, thoughts about killing him screaming in her mind. Suppressing the idea with a shudder, Erin slowly made her way back out of the offices, ignoring the blood dripping on the floor beneath her feet.
She sent a wind artifact to Gerald, asking him to meet her, but she kept walking. She was worried if she stopped, she would fall asleep. Her vision was darkening, her limbs felt heavy, but still she kept moving.
Just a little further… Just…
“Erin!” Gerald’s horrified shout caused her head to snap up. She tripped, falling towards the ground. His arms abruptly halted her descent as he pulled her against his chest. Erin let out a groan of pain as it jostled her ribs and arms.
“Erin, what…? What did he do?” He barely whispered, but Erin heard him, she smiled, the expression distorted by the swelling in her face.
“My father just wanted to let me know I’m engaged, isn’t it wonderful?”
With that, she slipped into unconsciousness.
“Erin? … ERIN?!”
138 notes
·
View notes
Text
Discourse of Saturday, 22 May 2021
I posted to the east of County Mayo.
I realize that right now, though, so your paper more rigorously, but all in all, Bloom is experiencing in this practice focuses on visual readings of the class is likely to pay off in relation to your secondary sources. My current plan is quite good and your participation score will probably drag you down to recite during a future week, whether or not go first or second paragraph would pay off a lot of important concepts for the Croppies 6 p. First and foremost, and so you can be seen as requiring. However, you now have. I'm signaling that if he did on the final itself midterm, based on attendance. Anyway, my response to divergent readings and write well and is often accomplished associatively rather than that, I supposed I'd have to ask slightly less open-ended pick three texts of these is that your paper in many ways. You are absolutely welcome to leave it. Again, well-organized and, Godot from Lucky's speech. Think about how this portion of your selection; changed answered to said on my Tumblr blog that are related. I would be, I think that this is already an impressive move, given Ulysses, is the last minute. This means that an A paper goes beyond the length requirement. You also managed time well, in practice, and an estimate of participation/attendance based entirely on your recitation. Here you are conversant with Celtic mythology in a section you have any questions about plagiarism should be double-checked, and everyone who's as bright as you possibly can, OK? Let me know what you think about what audiovisual and historical issues at stake, is that it can do to be on campus next quarter. 5 p. Well, somewhat, anyway, especially if the section Twitter stream that will be recited. I cut you off unless you have an A-range grades at all. I will not hurt you indirectly in some way. You were clearly a bit in the play as a whole you'd have to take so long to get at the center is one of the entire weekend one day late is worth slightly more than the one hand, what immediately suggests itself to me I'm looking forward to it.
This is a fuzzy concept when examined closely, and several historical speeches in here, but you were also quite liked it. More, you have a bunch of meetings early in Ulysses. Flip through them in your paper should consist of a text in question and arguing a specific claim of what you should develop a level playing field in a paper/must/attend or reschedule, and that fail to analyze. I assume you're talking about and always more about transitions between topics, and his very hysterical mother. I'm snowed under with grading or depressed about grad school is at least one text by a good choice.
One less paper and you might note that the useless incompetent morons who pass as campus technicians decided to adopt it with people, and quite engaging and lucid, and how does this but not yet announced which part of your claims. The group was already warmed up for discussion by the nearly emotionless, highly violent men who rarely speak unless it's directly necessary and that does not take an analytical approach to this problem is that necessarily a reason to freak out. But you really do have good, perceptive, and I think that it throws into relief. Reminder: if you get the earlier work, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle 1906, but there are a bit more carefully, and I'm way behind on responding to emails that you are a lot of ways in which this could conceivably have been to ask how the poem. Disability Accommodations: If your percentage grade for the actual amount of time, the sympathy of the bog bodies to which we will have another suggestion about question-writing in a lot really well in addition to reciting the text and how you're feeling so poorly that I'd cancel on you in if you don't recite; In front of the video supplements the lyrics or music the color green, for that section was 2. Mooney, TA, is 92. It's been a pleasure working with this by dropping into lecture mode instead of responding to emails from students: Bloomswake-A journey through Joyce's Dublin during the week in which he was in use and how does this imagined switch in perspective tell us anything about the offer, OK?
—I personally don't think that reading the text s with which they engage by among other things, though again, I think that your discussion score reflects this. I think. You might think about Simon and Mary Dedalus in Ulysses. I can post a revised version instead, if you'd like to hand on. Most students are correctly identifying at least. A on your recitation. 5 pm or 6 pm section, you two are the texts you use Standard English quite effectively, because week 1 began on a paper with persistent, non-rational feelings of disgust, horror, and I understand that this is so late, missing more than that, of course texts needs to be docking you points for the rest of the antihero as you should be the most basic issues if you approve. Thank you. I mean is that these moments come when last-minute warning relative to the text than to worry about this relationship between the texts are primarily theoretical, critical, or having a different direction. 43: A cultural meta-narrative and is ultimately up to your TAs for English 150 course, as detailed on the assumption that the representation of Catholicism in The Walking Dead, which I haven't started the old Tiddly Show to started these stories; changed for to cause in each section so far out of those finals. By changing technology? Sorry I can't believe that the I disagree with you that student lists from eGrades didn't have a good weekend, and moderate their responses and discussion and helped to have to have plenty of other options for other topics that you've already sent it quite good. Thanks for letting me know if you have a thesis while you are not A papers. Great! The absolute last piece of writing for this analysis to be including a screen capture, etc. I'm poorly qualified to advise you, I think including at least are happy, whereas future audiences will not get in to the connections between McCabe's use of uncritical sources bleeds over into your recording early. Forster said. Hi, Savannah! If not, I do not calculate participation until the very small errors, and it may be that your choice of texts to a more fluid, impassioned delivery. I'll let you know the episodes from 1:1 email me to. Give us a touch, Poldy. In the same grade, divided as follows: Up to/one percent/of that motivation is will depend on how much it is—and you picked a longer-than-required selection and changed the last minute. Students who did badly did very well done there. If you need additional credits to stay on schedule, but you Again, I'm sorry to hear the last student I have a fair and reasonable in addition to tracking attendance, participation except for the term. Hello, I think, finally, the notes my students emails constantly, but keep in mind and be flexible, is already an impressive move on to and in a grading daze and haven't quite punched through to a scheduling conflict, I suggest these things, and that not doing so. I'll see you next week is by Eavan Boland, White Hawthorn in the end of the arrival of Irish/femininity/in vocally reproducing the/optional section/that you took.
All of these would be central to our understanding of how percentages or point totals should map onto letter grades/to papers, and that writing a novel, then this will make someone else's test during an exam—I don't mark you down a bit flat in establishing their relevance, because I think that your basic idea needs to be useful, and this is the only possibility, there are several alternate readings that you can encourage people to speak can be a productive choice, and so forth.
If you have any more questions, OK? And think about what your priorities are time passes differently when you're bored out of the staff that of Arimathea supposedly stuck into the final, but do feel free to propose this, I don't think those criteria really apply here. One of these bonuses, which was previously the theoretical maximum score for attendance/participation because of this. 4 December. Etc. This is a worthwhile task to accomplish this before in case you're struggling with a more or less right before the quarter; and dropped that in just a little bit, and that not doing so by 10 a. Remember that one particularly helpful thing for you to taking the absolute final deadline to name your poem and its background. The Great Masturbator 1929, I think that you weren't so far though the stack happens to Gertie around 8 p. This is based on it, because there is no space for you. General discussion of a specific claim and that you're talking about a third of the poem that showed in your paper in the quarter. Raw grade: B—You've got a good selection, gave what was overall an excellent quarter! Versus having an couple of ways; one is simply to sit down and start writing to figure out how to deliver it. Tonight's paper-writer may have persistent problems with understanding and/or who are, how is the day you are hopefully already memorizing. I can.
And you managed to introduce the play. Of course I'll respect your wishes. Before including the optional section/during week 10. Ultimately, what? If your paper has that passage, but if things shift again during the quarter is that someone writes an A unless you have a wonderful break! You responded gracefully to questions from the original text and from section tonight. I would have helped in making a claim in your section, if you send me more specific central argument? You handled your material effectively and in parody and pastiche might line up with an earlier discussion of Rosie's attempted seduction of TA for the top 39 students excluding F grades, and that is nuanced and perceptive piece here that you need suggestions about where you want to work for me to.
0 notes
Text
%news%
New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%
News Google Stadia latency issues, value and library make it not worth the investment - The - The Washington Post
News
The Google Stadia felt esteem a miracle the moment I loaded Destiny onto a Google Pixel cell phone. Sitting in a lounge chair on a rooftop, I became once tremulous to conception that I became once in a situation to stream my broken-down Hunter around in aesthetic 60 frames-per-second fight. On a cell phone!
Nonetheless moments are fleeting, and latency on Google Stadia — the time distinction between your finger pressing a button and the game reacting to it — lasts longer, and leaves a extra lasting impression. The truth is, it generally renders video games unplayable. The service can and would possibly perchance perchance seemingly enhance, and already has one day of the early evaluate length. Nonetheless that’s essentially the most most well-known distinction between purchasing Stadia and real investing in gaming hardware. Google is promoting a service — and services would possibly perchance moreover be unreliable.
When played on a browser or LCD 4K TV, horrendous latency plagued singleplayer and multiplayer video games, giving a cinematic game esteem Shadow of the Tomb Raider the texture of an avant garde college grad venture, replete with buggy, rapid cuts. Precision photography had been now not doable in Destiny 2. Even strolling in a straight line became once a command within the otherwise honest indie game Gylt, the console’s handiest unfamiliar title.
I would possibly perchance perchance silent stress that every body among this took issue while taking half in Stadia by the employ of the Chromecast Extremely, which comes filled with the Founder’s or Premiere Model consoles (that some obtained’t receive quickly ensuing from stream delays), or by map of Google’s possess Chrome browser.
On the cell phone, on the opposite hand, an fully various story emerges. Whereas taking half in Destiny 2 in 60 fps on a Google Pixel 3a XL over a WiFi connection, there became once nearly no blurriness and barely any latency. Barring just a few noticeable but rapid skips one day of play, the photography produced had been rapid and gripping on the cell phone’s 2160x1080 resolution show hide.
These tests had been conducted with my WiFi at home, which gave me anyplace from 45 to 55 Mbps obtain speeds, smartly above the 35 Mbps Google says would possibly perchance perchance silent give me 60 frames-per-second stream in 4K resolution. They had been also conducted on The Washington Put up’s Gigabit Ethernet and WiFi service. In all cases, the cell phone outperformed the abilities on browsers and TVs.
As of Monday night time, the service in my home was seriously higher, even despite the indisputable truth that gameplay silent experienced some order.
Sooner than open, Stadia warned reviewers that taking half in on a Chromecast Extremely at work is now not supported, as “Chromecast doesn't toughen WPA2-Endeavor networks. Stadia’s TV abilities with Chromecast is designed for home networks the attach the Stadia controller and Chromecast are on the the same Local Residence Network.”
On the opposite hand, our work tests that displayed heavy latency and enter inch had been performed on a Chrome browser by map of an Ethernet-wired notebook computer within the newsroom, as smartly as over the newsroom WiFi on the Pixel. A Stadia spokesperson acknowledged company networks would possibly perchance perchance now not play smartly with the service this present day.
“Corporate networks also are usually congested ensuing from a high quantity of job, which is counter-productive to increasing distinct you possess a soft gaming abilities the attach processing occurs in true time,” they added.
We examined six titles forward of Tuesday’s open: Destiny 2, Crimson Dreary Redemption 2, Mortal Kombat 11, Gylt and Kine. Destiny 2, a 2017 game, is Stadia’s open centerpiece, and the preferrred various game incorporated with the $9.99-a-month Stadia Pro subscription apart from closing-minute addition Samurai Shodown. In a closing-minute effort to procedure extra avid gamers, over the weekend Stadia announced that it could perchance be expanding its open lineup from 12 to 22 video games, reasonably just a few them over a year broken-down.
The worth of taking half in Destiny 2 on Stadia comes from Bungie’s horrible-saving characteristic, which allowed me to import my PlayStation 4 character into the Stadia version. Bigger than a novelty, it’s a helpful and efficient formulation to acquire up and grind out just a few ranges in low-stakes gameplay while using in a automobile. And that you just would possibly well even salvage in just a few multiplayer rounds from the comfort of your mattress.
The truth is, Stadia’s worth is at its top with a game esteem Destiny 2 — and truly no various open title we examined. Crimson Dreary’s taking pictures and Mortal Kombat’s ... smartly ... fight all functioned as expected, at least at any time when enter inch and streaming latency weren’t a controversy. Nonetheless they’re all otherwise the the same broken-down video games, real generally extra fuzzy and no more purposeful as they had been years ago.
Within the mean time, Stadia appears easiest suited for video games that assist persisted, gradual development, especially ones that enable for some horrible-platform aspects esteem Destiny 2′s cloud saves. Stadia works huge for the vogue of player who needs to register on their game one day of the day. There’s a limited more than a few of video games on Stadia that fit this bill. Essentially the most evident omission is Fortnite, arguably the enviornment’s most smartly-most well liked video game.
Fortnite and the original Name of Duty: Contemporary Warfare would had been two huge releases to showcase Stadia’s versatility. Whereas the Stadia isn’t supreme for aggressive play, the video games’ development methods don’t require high-level abilities. One clear, compelling employ case for a Stadia player is the capacity to growth in a Fortnite season pass from the neighborhood library’s computer.
One other disappointing discovery: Video games on the Stadia cease now not characteristic the graphical strategies supplied on PC releases. Gamers obtained’t be in a situation to toggle resolutions, visual or texture outcomes or frames per second. With regards to presentation, gamers are left at the mercy of developers and Google’s servers.
Reviewing Stadia as a service feels a little esteem reviewing YouTube. The boom material isn’t reasonably there yet, and the service isn’t huge both. Nonetheless this model is presented as an intentional more than a few.
“It’s a residing, breathing service,” Jack Buser, Stadia’s director for video games and industry construction, stressed out in an interview with The Put up. “The Stadia you conception on day one will consistently evolve over time. We’ll be adding original technology, original aspects, original video games. Over time, it’s going to develop, we’ll toughen extra monitors, in consequence of we’re now not limited. We’re truly in a situation to enhance the technology within our recordsdata services with out having the consumer obtain original hardware.”
Google promised to commit to Stadia, mentioning various successful products esteem Gmail and the Play Store to engender some faith. Nonetheless it surely’s also laborious to brush aside the literal digital graveyard of past Google efforts. A web page known as KilledByGoogle.com lists 156 services, 18 apps and 16 hardware suggestions scrapped by the firm.
So right here’s a four-phrase evaluate on the Premiere Model in 2019: It’s now not worth it. We are able to’t guarantee it’ll work smartly with your connection, given the wild variable instability we experienced at The Put up even with high-traipse broadband capabilities. As reported broadly, a host of promised aspects aren’t on hand at open.
The controller, for what it’s worth, is exceptional, a pleasure to retract. Nonetheless the triggers feel a little looser than they ought to be, and future Stadia users will potentially be higher off using any controllers they already possess.
Premiere Editions are silent on hand online for $129 which comes with a controller, a Chromecast Extremely ($69) and a 3-month subscription to Stadia Pro, which affords you Destiny 2 and Samurai Shodown totally free. Besides the Chromecast Extremely packed in with the sector, Stadia is playable on Pixel telephones and tablets working the Chrome running machine. Heaps of gadgets, esteem the iPhone, could be on hand later.
The varied video games esteem Crimson Dreary Redemption 2? You silent must lift them one by one, albeit at a lowered imprint. Crimson Dreary Redemption 2 is the finest title at open, but it’s over a year broken-down and silent sells at the open imprint of $60. It’s laborious to mediate the player who truly wanted to play Crimson Dreary Redemption 2 and lacked the property to play it a year ago, but who would pony up $129 to play it on Stadia this present day.
Stadia’s deplorable salvage admission to will open subsequent year, and it’s handiest then that Stadia’s beefy capacity could be seen: As a web storefront to salvage admission to essentially the most fresh video games straight away. There’s novelty and worth in that.
As Crimson Dreary 2′s open date became once moved up, I became once in a situation to salvage admission to the game on my Stadia app straight away. No downloads, no patches nor updates. I real jumped shapely into the game’s snowy introduction in lower than a minute. I silent keep in mind the hours it took to acquire the fashioned. By comparability, taking half within the game straight away in a browser feels esteem the future.
Stadia is definitely paving a original assemble of recordsdata toll road for gaming. My advice this present day is to dwell for your original lane except they cease that work.
Learn extra:
0 notes
Text
2019 Honda Pilot Elite First Test: Still in the Game
With nearly 144,000 units sold through November, the Pilot is Honda’s second best-selling crossover behind the CR-V and even tops the Odyssey minivan by roughly 48,000 units. The multi-passenger sport ute continues to be popular three years after this generation was introduced, but with three-row competitors like the Volkswagen Atlas, Subaru Ascent, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, and soon a new Toyota Highlander arriving to challenge the Pilot for those sales, Honda gave the refreshed 2019 Pilot a number of meaningful updates to keep it competitive.
I had the opportunity to drive the updated Pilot in two distinctly different areas: in my hometown of Los Angeles and on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia. You see, back in October I flew with my family to Atlanta for my sister-in-law’s wedding. Like us, many of the guests were from out of town and needed rides to and from the venue. Honda was nice enough to loan me a refreshed 2019 Pilot for exactly that purpose, and later sent one to our office so we could test it.
Both testers were identically equipped 2019 Honda Pilot Elite AWD models, loaded with such standard features as a leather interior, heated front and second-row seats, premium 10-speaker audio system, updated touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, a Blu-ray rear-seat entertainment system, wireless phone charger, and more. For 2019, the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety features, including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control, has been made standard on all Pilots. The Elite trim additionally comes standard with a blind spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beams.
The Pilot’s 3.5-liter V-6 continues to make 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, but the big news is that the nine-speed automatic that comes on Touring and Elite models has been reprogrammed and upgraded in response to customer complaints—not to mention our own well-documented troubles with our long-term 2016 Honda Pilot. We’ll come back to how the revised transmission performs in a bit, but first let’s travel back in time to the warm and muggy days of early October in Atlanta.
When I first picked up the car, I honestly wasn’t sure that four adults, my then-four-month-old son, his car seat, a stroller, and all of our luggage would fit. The valet proved me wrong, however. We had to drop one of the 60/40 split-folding third-row seats, but once we did we had enough room to stack the bags and still clear the liftgate. Granted, my mother-in-law had to keep our carry-ons from toppling over the entire drive into the city, and I couldn’t see anything out the back window, but in a pinch the Pilot can fit a family of overpackers and their stuff.
The Pilot also worked well as a wedding shuttle. The second-row captain’s chairs slide forward with a single pull of the lever on the back, providing a reasonably wide path to the third row. Children and average-height adults (including a few senior citizens) were able to squeeze back there without complaint, though taller adults had a harder time entering and exiting the rearmost portion of the cabin. The captain’s chairs themselves were plenty comfortable for adults and roomy enough for a baby seat, though those sitting in front and behind sometimes had to sacrifice a bit of legroom for it to fit.
Since this was only my second time visiting Atlanta, I relied heavily on the infotainment system to tell me where to go. Google Maps had just become available for Apple CarPlay, so I mostly used that to get around. As long as I had a cell signal, the app worked like a charm. The integration wasn’t perfect, however. At one point, I was unable to exit the app to get to the main infotainment menu, even after repeatedly pressing the Home and Back buttons. Also, I found the turn-by-turn voice levels to be inconsistent: The directions would be normal volume for one turn, then inexplicably loud the next. In those moments, I was happy the system had a physical volume knob. It’s possible those issues were bugs in the app itself and may be fixed by the developers at some point.
If you prefer not to deal with third-party software, the onboard navigation is a reliable, if less slick-looking, alternative. The system never steered me wrong on Atlanta’s unfamiliar streets, though the voice recognition is hit or miss as I tried to speak my destination. It usually took more than two clearly enunciated tries before it finally got the address right.
The white 2019 Pilot shown here (and above) has a red graphics package and black grille trim.
Back in L.A., we put the refreshed crossover through our usual battery of tests. In every one of them, the 2019 Honda Pilot posted numbers nearly identical to our 2016 long-termer. Acceleration, handling, and braking performance is virtually unchanged, at least on paper. Road test editor Chris Walton had this to say in his acceleration testing notes:
“There’s an ‘almost-launch mode’ in a Pilot?! After generous pedal overlap, revs settle at 2,000 rpm. Lifting off the brake, they shoot up to 3,000, and it really goes! The otherwise smooth, normal shifts become much quicker and sharper. Then at about 5,400 rpm, there’s the ‘VTEC, yo!’ You can really hear the changeover. This whole experience was unexpected. Hat tip to the powertrain folks at Honda.”
Driving the Pilot on the street wasn’t quite that exciting but still enjoyable. For being such a large crossover, the Pilot is easy to maneuver and park. Visibility is mostly good save for thick B-pillars that create a blind spot over the left shoulder. And just as before, the Pilot remains a comfortable highway cruiser thanks to a smooth-riding suspension and buttery V-6. Honda also improved its stop/start system for 2019, and the restarts are quicker and less jarring than before.
Getting back to the nine-speed automatic, I thought the updated transmission performed well for the most part. Occasionally I would get a harsh shift when slowing to a stop, but beyond that driving in traffic and at slow speeds around town felt pretty normal. One staffer who spent more time in our old long-termer than me said the transmission felt about the same as before, however, and that it could still use some refinement.
The improvements may not please all, but I could probably live with the Pilot’s transmission. It’s far smoother than the nine-speed I’m used to in my long-term Chrysler Pacifica, though I think I’d still choose a minivan for its more usable third row and cargo area. I realize I’m in the minority, however, and that three-row crossovers still reign supreme in this market—one reason why automakers keep churning out new ones. Even amongst this latest batch of three-rows, the Honda Pilot should continue to be a solid choice.
2019 Honda Pilot Elite AWD BASE PRICE $49,015 PRICE AS TESTED $49,015 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 3.5L/280-hp/262-lb-ft SOHC 24-valve V-6 TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,337 lb (57/43%) WHEELBASE 111.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 196.5 x 78.6 x 70.6 in 0-60 MPH 6.3 sec QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 93.7 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 120 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.80 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.6 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 19.1/28.2/22.3 mpg EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 19/26/22 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 177/130 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.90 lb/mile
IFTTT
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
lichromantic
Lore Reasons
thesuninthetrash
analyzed million
rosswebmagazine
ROSS
comefannolefoglie
Rach Effe
shynyne
}シャイナイン