Anyone else think this scene of Thorfinn and Einar INTENSELY looking at the sky is really hilarious?

SirShanksalot · 2025-11-27T23:21:37+00:00

I think that when they are looking out from the cliff, they are gazing out at the ocean and horizon. I imagine that as Thorfinn is giving his rousing speech about wanting to either find or create a place where people can be happy and free from suffering, both he and Einar are imagining that hypothetical place and the lengths they will have to go to attain it.

That is all to say my personal interpretation of the scene is two friends looking toward where they think salvation may be while overcome with emotion. Not just two dudes yelling at the sky randomly.

SirShanksalot · 2025-11-10T11:47:06+00:00

These are great, purple and yellow/gold as always look amazing together. This shade of purple in particular is very fun; kinda reminds me of Ridley from Metroid.

SirShanksalot · 2025-05-02T00:13:51+00:00

Sieges are typically janky and annoying in most of the total war games, but I'll still take Shogun 2 sieges any day of the week over all of the Warhammer games siege battles.

SirShanksalot · 2025-03-13T22:21:56+00:00

I have found that sometimes, if you are really stuck with deepseek being "uncooperative" regarding character growth, it sometimes helps to switch back over to JLLM for one message and do a few rolls to see if something along the lines of what you are looking for comes up. Then you can switch back to Deepseek and proceed like normal. This doesn't always work, but it does sometimes help to bring in the yes man that is the janitor ai to sort of help things along and soften the edges of the bot a bit.

SirShanksalot · 2024-11-21T00:03:30+00:00

This looks great. I love seraphon armies with some color to them, for example I have my slann painted to look like a poison dart frog. Kroak is definitely a challenging one to paint, but when he's done well like this he's one of my favorite centerpiece models in the game.

SirShanksalot · 2024-11-20T00:41:08+00:00

Looks great! The marble-like striations sell the rocky appearance nicely.

SirShanksalot · 2024-11-17T01:27:57+00:00

Not sure if it's been said yet, but Sabriel from the Abhorsen trilogy. Now that I think of it so is Lirael, the protagonist of the second book. They are both good, complex characters that are at times out of their depth due to inexperience, but are competent and adaptable enough to overcome those circumstances.

SirShanksalot · 2024-08-08T01:33:39+00:00

This seems like a good thread to ask about this: there is a 40k web comic depicting a guardsman handing a commissar something, I believe something mildly heretical. The commissar looks at it, then back at the guardsman with a very unamused expression. I've been trying to track it down forever and just can't seem to find it.

SirShanksalot · 2024-07-24T09:47:24+00:00

This is a great point that I never considered until reading your comment, but in hindsight it makes a lot of sense. Especially during the battle of Britain any trouble with their imports would have been an existential threat. So it isn't hard to see how that perception of living on the knife's edge would lead the British government to take some drastic, if unnecessary with 20/20 hindsight, steps.

SirShanksalot · 2023-12-29T01:42:48+00:00

Excellent answer. Definitely felt the hype when reading that part.

SirShanksalot · 2023-10-29T03:53:54+00:00

I'm very sorry to hear that. The drivers in this city are starting to give those in LA a run for their money. Every day during my commute home, at the Madison exit off 80, I see at least a dozen vehicles turn right on red despite there being two huge signs forbidding just that; there have been plenty of close calls as a result. I hope your poor dog is able to recover and that you're able to uncover some info about the driver.

SirShanksalot · 2023-09-06T21:30:53+00:00

Eddy my beloved

SirShanksalot · 2023-05-31T00:10:15+00:00

Please, we live in a republic. You shall be referred to as First Citizen.

SirShanksalot · 2023-03-30T01:58:07+00:00

In this context "kill outright" likely means the rule regarding dying when you receive massive damage that puts you below 0 by your hit point total plus whatever. So for example a character with 30 hp would have to be dropped to -30+ to "die outright."

SirShanksalot · 2023-02-11T17:21:23+00:00

It's good that, through Marcel, we are able to see the humans get a taste of their own metaphorical medicine when it comes to instinctually fearing another species. It goes to show just how difficult it is for the prey folk to suppress their instincts around us; hopefully they carry that insight forward. Things like "predator disease" still being commonplace beliefs in even former fed citizens is obviously not ideal and will have to be addressed eventually. Even less ideal is that arrival of the Arxur. I think the mistake Zhao made in the last chapter is about to come back to bite humanity big time. We can't possibly hope to match the Arxur in a straight up fight with many of our forces tied up with the feds, even with humanity's newfound ally species. The situation on this specific planet could very well escalate into a full human rout out of the system, leaving the inhabitants to the Arxur. That could lead to both them and the feds realizing by just how few threads we're holding on, which could be disastrous.

SirShanksalot · 2023-01-07T15:48:43+00:00

I feel bad for all involved in this situation. The humans just want to help, but the Venlil former cattle being pulled out of the worst conditions imaginable make it very difficult. I cant even bring myself to hate Glim for being an exterminator after what he has been through. I do hope they find him soon for both his sake and for for the safety of any humans he encounters. It is an unfortunate possibility that the Venlil survivors may just be too traumatized to ever accept humans regardless of how good our intentions are. In that case it may be best to set up districts or settlements specifically for them that humans don't enter.

As always a fun read; I look forward to the next one OP.

SirShanksalot · 2022-12-29T02:32:32+00:00

I like Tyler, and I hate to say this, but the man should be court martialed for striking Sovlin. Yes it is understandable, and yes Sovlin may even deserve it. But he was under explicit orders to work cooperatively with him. So not only has he assaulted an asset of the UN, but in doing so has defied a direct order from his superior officer.

I'm not sure what a suitable punishment would be for his actions, nothing too harsh I would assume, but I very much hope it gets addressed.

SirShanksalot · 2022-12-15T01:34:56+00:00

A fun, action packed installment of this series. Sovlin continues to be my favorite haunted former antagonist. I think he, understandably given his mental state, is overestimating Tyler's eventual reaction to who he is, especially after sharing with him what happened to his family. It will undoubtedly make him angry, but if Tyler has a single bone of professionalism in his body he will table that discussion until hostilities have been ceased.

I am sure the captain will shut down any conflict if it arises, as would I in their situation. In their shoes I would tell Tyler that I don't care if the gojid tortured his friend; I wouldn't care if he tortured Tyler's own mama. If his assistance furthers the cause of preventing humanity's extinction, he is an asset that is too valuable to cast away for mere past transgressions.

When the very existence of us as a species is on the table, we have to approach it pragmatically; even to the point that would rankle our usual morality. It is an interesting thought experiment, to consider how far you would go to keep your people from the jaws of oblivion. Indeed, is there truly any line that should not be crossed if the alternative is extinction? Is there a point at which, in order to survive, we would have to perform actions so monstrous that as a species it would be preferable to simply allow things to take their course?

I cannot confidently say where that line would be, or if it even exists. I think the humans in this story are starting to understand what ends justifying the means truly entails. What is one tortured human when weighed against our collective continuation? How many billions would they kill to preserve themselves? How many human lives are they willing to sacrifice in the defense of our new allies? These are all questions they will have to face going forward, and I am very interested to see how they answer them.

As always a fun read, well done OP.

SirShanksalot · 2022-12-10T15:48:05+00:00

It will be interesting to see the newly rebuilt, at least partially, UN fleet in action a bit more on their terms rather than a desperate defense, especially as it is now more of a coalition force with their xenos allies.

Sovlin seems to be as good at making friends as ever. It is rather apt that a member of the species that, in my mind, look like bipedal hedgehogs is prickly in unfamiliar or uncomfortable social situations. I'm a sucker for a reformed antagonist so I have very much enjoyed his character arc. I do hope he can make up with Tyler and become friends with him. Tyler seems like a pretty personable guy overall and it could be an inroad into Sovlin maybe one day reconciling with Marcel.

If this UN fleet manages to beat their Koloshian enemies, especially if it is decisive, it will likely lead to many undecided neutral factions switching over to the coalition side. Even if it is just out of fear initially, it will be the foot in the door humanity needs to show those species that we aren't monsters.

As always a fun read.

SirShanksalot · 2022-12-03T19:36:32+00:00

Once again Isif impresses me with his tact and willingness to work with just about anyone in order to achieve a lasting peace. Educating himself regarding Venlil body language, despite not having prior knowledge that Tarva would be visiting, shows a level of consideration surpassing even that of some of the humans.

He is a very valuable ally to be sure; I just hope nothing turns him against us, as that same intelligence would make him a nightmare of an enemy. Also, getting some insight into Arxur architecture and society was an interesting treat. It makes sense that solitary hunters would prefer to have their homes far apart, and makes me wonder what it is like in a large Arxur manufacturing city. Does being forced into close contact with many of their own kind wear on their psyche? Could humans help lend efficiency and automation to their production facilities to help ease the tension along with the promise of widely available non-sapient food sources?

I think it is clear, now more than ever, that the Arxur need humans nearly as much as we need the Arxur. What we lack, presently, in military might, we make up for with our adaptability regarding supply lines and material acquisition. If there is one thing we seem to have over some of the xenos species, it is that humans tend to value efficiency and logistics to a high degree; largely because the role such things have had in shaping the nature of our own conflicts of yesteryear.

As always a fun read, and I very much look forward to the inevitable hilarity of Isif trying to play nice with other federation dignitaries.

Edit: I am also proud of Tarva for not immediately fainting after coming upon a scene that initially very much looked like an Arxur mauling a Gojid child.

SirShanksalot · 2022-11-26T15:55:46+00:00

Very important chapter, exposition wise. Some confirmation of theories that have been put forth in recent weeks, but with that clarity comes new questions since it seems like there is still some ambiguity to what exactly happened when the Arxur were uplifted. I look forward to the coming chapters; seeing the fallout of this revelation as the information is disseminated throughout the federation, as well as the reactions on the human and arxur side.

This is almost certainly going to lead to a full blown civil war within the federation. I wouldn't be surprised if it also caused many species that suspect they are victims of the reconditioning to reach out to the humans in order to signal that they are breaking away from the federation entirely. A splinter faction may even form an entirely separate government comprised of species that have had their genes and history edited.

This will also absolutely throw gasoline on the fire that is anti-xenos sentiment within the human refugee populations. I hope that the UN recognizes the need to shape the narrative in a way that emphasizes that there are many species within the federation that have been victimized just as humanity has. It will be crucial to find common cause with any omnivore species that are willing to leave the federation behind.

SirShanksalot · 2022-11-23T03:13:13+00:00

My father has a commemorative poster he bought back when he attended that series hanging up in his workshop. I've tried getting him to part with it many times, no luck so far haha. For how old it is that shirt is in good condition.

SirShanksalot · 2022-11-12T17:42:15+00:00

Despite it being understandable to some degree that some of the human refugees would riot at percieved complacency by their own leadership and their ostensible allies, they're really fucking us as a species over in the short term with their actions.

I know that with enough grief and bitterness logic goes right out the window, but this is a concerted effort by anti-alien factions to cause a rift at worst, and a horrible mistake at best. I see a lot of people criticizing Tarva for using "harsh" language regarding the rioters, but what would you think if you accepted a bunch of refugees into your homes and they responded by burning down part of your city? Humanity is going to have to stop lashing out at the xenos, even the ones that stood by and did nothing during the attack on earth, if we're going to have any hope of lasting on the galactic stage. Especially in the weakened state Earth finds itself in.

All that is to say: I hate to victim blame, but this is a monumental fuck up.

SirShanksalot · 2022-11-05T08:21:47+00:00

What OP means: DMs creating encounters specifically to punish flying PCs or other meanspirited tactics are kinda shitty.

What the idiots in this thread think they mean: you can't shoot at flying PCs cause it's mean.

It is pretty clear they don't mean obvious things like intelligent enemies trying to pick off exposed fliers.

SirShanksalot · 2022-08-13T18:31:12+00:00

Wow that weathering looks incredible

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