Hi everyone.
For some context, I'm a first year Aerospace student. I go to one of the top universities in my country and have a pretty deep-rooted passion for aircraft, but I've really been struggling mentally recently; not only from this transition that has been much harder than I thought from high school to University, but everything that is going on with AI at the moment which has made me feel useless and has got me into this habit of using it to solve problems.
I'm very invested in GPT-4, and I still can't get over how quickly it can solve problems and to the depth it explains it. It just keeps getting better, and whenever I can't solve a problem, I put it into ChatGPT and get it to solve it for me. Afterwards, I feel absolutely awful. It's like watching an X-rated video only to feel disgraced after release; literally that feeling. I know using ChatGPT is literally long-term career suicide, but the assignments I've had have left me really burnt out (I know I'm a first year, I'm sure its nothing to people well into uni), and I keep resorting to this 'easier' option to solve problems, when I said to myself when it got released that I would only use it as a learning tool, not a replacement.
As an example, if I'm feeling the pressure and I have a quiz due one night, I use ChatGPT to answer most of the questions. It feels absolutely horrible as I know cheating is unfair for other students, but I cannot describe the impulse I get to use ChatGPT because it just makes life so 'easy.' Then, I delude myself into thinking I've learnt something once I've quickly skimmed over the information it spits out, and then I continue.
GPT4 has really upped the game too. It rarely gets complex math wrong now and I feel like I'm spiralling out of control. I really need some way to force myself to stop, but I don't know how. If you want me to drop out, that isn't happening, because I'm certain something can be done and won't give up.
Thanks.

I'm from EU,so GAMES SHOULD work pretty much anywhere
NOT BUYING GAMES,ONLY TRADES - games for games or selling for paypal
No interest in TF2 keys
BUYER covers the FEES (if outside EU,EU F&F only)
My Steam account so you don't offer me something I own
My Wishlist
My SGSRep
My IGSRep

Only looking for Steam games - so don't offer origin,uplay,rockstar,bnet or ANY other launcher
100% of my games keys are bought by me from official stores & I expect the same in return,so don't offer me keyshop games or game keys you got in a trade as I will decline
I retain the right to ask for proof of ownership for ANY game I want - just like you have the right to ask me the same
Don't offer me VR games as I don't own a VR headset

List of games I have:
Also have the Earthquake Relief bundle,but reddit wont let me write all the games cause my topic would be too big - just ask
7 Billion Humans
8Doors Arum's Afterlife Adventure
10 Second Ninja X
60 Seconds!
112 Operator
140
198X
911 Operator
A Case Of Distrust
A Year Of Rain
Absolver
Aeolis Tournament
Age Of Wonders III
Ageless
Airport CEO
AI War 2
Alien Spidy
Aliens Vs Predator Collection
All You Can Eat
Almost There The Platformer
American Fugitive
Amnesia A Machine For Pigs + The Dark Descent (1 key for both games)
Amnesia Fortnight 2012
Amnesia Fortnight 2014
Amnesia Fortnight 2017
Amnesia Rebirth (X2)
Among Us (X2)
Ancestors The Humankind Odyssey (EU & Africa lock)
Aragami (X2)
Archamon
Armello
Army Men RTS
Attack Of The Earthlings
Automobilista
Aven Colony
Avernum 3 Ruined World
Azkend 2 The World Beneath
Back 4 Blood (EU region lock)
Backbone
Band Of Defenders
Banished
Baseball Riot
Batora Lost Haven NEW
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock
Beholder 2
Bendy And The Dark Revival
Bendy And The Ink Machine
Betrayer (delisted)
Between The Stars (X2)
Beyond Eyes
Beyond The Wire
Biomutant NEW
Bionic Commando
Bird Of Light
Black Paradox
Blade Assault
Blasphemous
Bohemian Killing
Book Of Demons
Bomber Crew Deluxe
Borderlands 3 + Director's Cut (EMEA region lock)
Boreal Blade
Broken Age (X2)
Brothers A Tale Of Two Sons (X2)
Butcher
Call Of Juarez
Call Of The Sea (X2)
Call To Arms Basic Edition
Call To Arms Gates Of Hell Ostfront
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
Chenso Club
Chernobylite Enhanced Edition (X2)
Cities In Motion 2
CivCity Rome
Clone Drone In The Danger Zone
Clouds & Sheep 2
Coffin Dodgers
Cook Serve Delicious 3
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection (Origin key)
Company Of Heroes Complete Edition
Control Ultimate Edition NEW
Corridor Z
Cosmic Osmo And The World Beyond The Mackerel
Crash Drive 3
Creatures Inc
Crookz The Big Heist
Crossbow Bloodnight
Crusader Kings Complete
Crying Suns
Dagon The Eldritch Box
Danger Scavenger
Day Of Infamy
Dead Age
Dead By Daylight
Dead In Vinland
Deadly Premonition Director's Cut
Deadbeat Heroes (X2)
Dear Ester Landmark Edition
Death Squared
Deep Dungeons Of Doom
Deep Sky Derelicts
Demon Turf NEW
Deployment
Desert Child
Diaries Of A Spaceport Janitor
Dicey Dungeons (X2)
Dimension Drifter
Distraint 2 + Soundtrack
Divekick
Dog Sled Saga
Double Fine Adventures Complete Series Deluxe
Downwell
Drawful 2
Draw Slasher
Dreadlands
Dread Templar
Dread X Collection
Dreamscaper NEW
Driftland The Magic Revival
Dry Downing
Duke Nukem Forever Collection
Dungeon Marathon
Dungeon Of The Endless
Dungeons 2
Dungeons 2 Complete
Dungeons 3
Dusk
Dwarfs!?
Eador Imperium
EarthX
Eastside Hockey Manager
ECHO
Edge Of Eternity NEW
Effie
Elderborn
Eldest Souls
Elden Path Of The Forgotten
Embr
Emily Is Away
Empyrion Galactic Survival
Epic Manager
E.T. Armies Deluxe Edition
Etherborn (X2)
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Europa Universalis IV
Evergarden
Expeditions Viking
F1 2018 (delisted)
Family Man
Fantasy Blacksmith
Fantasy Versus
Farmer's Dynasty
Farming Simulator 17
FIA European Truck Racing
Figment (X2)
Finding Paradise
Fire Ungh's Quest
First Class Trouble
Five Dates
Fling To The Finish
Fluffy Horde
Fobia St. Dinfna Hotel
Forgive Me Father
Framed Collection (X2)
Friday the 13th: The Game (X2)
Frog Detective 1 The Haunted Island (X2)
Full Throttle Remastered
Fun With Ragdolls The Game
Fury Unleashed (X2)
Gang Beasts
Garage Bad Trip (X2)
Gas Guzzlers Extreme
Gas Station Simulator
Gauge
Genesis Noir
Ghostrunner
Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams + Rise Of The Owlverlord
GNOG
Go Home Dinosaurs!
Goat Of Duty
Goetia (X2)
Going Under (X2)
Golden Light
Golf Gang
GoNNER
Gotham Knights
Grand Ages Medieval
Grand Pigeon's Duty
Greak Memories Of Azur
Gremlins Inc.
Grip Combat Racing + Cygon + Nyvoss + Terra + Vintek DLC (X2)
Guts And Glory (X2)
Hack'n'Slash
Haiku The Robot (X2)
Hamilton's Great Adventure
Hammerfight
Headlander
Heal
Hedon Bloodrite
Hell Let Loose
Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice NEW
Hello Neighbor
Hellbound
Hero Defense
Hero's Hour NEW (EU region lock)
Hexologic
Hidden & Dangerous Action Pack
Hidden & Dangerous 2 Courage Under Fire
Hive Jump (X2)
Hiveswap Act 2
Hiveswap Friend Sim
Hiveswap Friend Sim Complete
Homeworld Deserts Of Kharak
Hotshot Racing
Hot Tin Roof The Cat That Wore A Fedora
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hover (X2)
Human Resource Machine
Hurtworld
I Am Bread
I Am Not A Monster First Contact
Ice Lakes
If Found...
Ikenfell
Impact Winter (delisted)
In Between
Industria
Inexistence Rebirth NEW
Infinite Air With Mark McMorris (delisted)
Influent NEW
Inmost
Internet Cafe Simulator
Interplanetary Enhanced Edition
Intruder
Ion Fury
Iron Danger
Iron Harvest
Jack Axe
Jalopy
Jet Set Knights
Juanito Arcade Mayhem
Jump Stars
Jurassic World Evolution
Jurassic World Evolution 2 NEW
Just Die Already
KartKraft
Kathy Rain Directors Cut
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes (X2)
Kill To Collect
Kingdom Classic (X2)
Kingdom New Lands
Kingdoms Of Amalur Re-Reckoning Fate Edition
King Oddball
Labyrinthine NEW
Last Oasis
Last Tide
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Lead And Gold Gangs Of Wild West (X2)
Legacy Of Dorn Herald Of Oblivion (delisted)
Legend Of Keepers Career Of A Dungeon Master
LEGO Movie Videogame
Leisure Suit Larry Retro Bundle (1 to 7)
Lethal League Blaze
Liberated (GOG key)
Lifeless Planet Premium Edition
Light Fall
Little Big Workshop
Love Is Dead
Lust For Darkness
Lust From Beyond M Edition
Magicka
Magrunner Dark Pulse
Maid Of Sker
Main Assembly (X2)
Mainlining
Mars Horizon
Masquerade The Baubles Of Doom
Max Payne 3 (Rockstar Launcher)
Midnight Protocol
Mind Scanners
Mini Metro
Miscreated (X2)
Monster Crown NEW
Monster Train Collectors Edition
Moon Hunters
Morbid The Seven Acolytes
Mordhau
Mosaic
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021
Motorsport Manager
Mount And Blade Warband
Mountain
My Lovely Daughter
Nairi Tower Of Shirin
Naruto To Boruto Shinobi Striker
Nascar Heat 5 Ultimate
Nebuchadnezzar
NecroVisioN Lost Company
NecroWorn
Neighbours Back From Hell
Neo Cab
Neon Abyss
NeuroVoider
Neverout
Niche
Nickelodeon All Star Brawl (X2)
Ninjin Clash Of Carrots
No Time To Relax
Not Tonight
Numba Deluxe
Obduction
Observation
Octahedron
Odyssey The Story Of Science
Of Orcs And Men
Old School Musical
OlliOlli World Rad Edition
On Rusty Trails
One Finger Death Punch 2
Onikira Demon Killer
Orbital Racer
Orcs Must Die 2 Complete
Original War
Orwell Ignorance Is Strength
Out Of Reach Treasure Royal
Overlord II
Overpass
Override Mech City Brawl
Oxenfree
Pacer
Paint The Town Red
Paper Fire Rookie
Paradise Lost
Pathfinder Wrath Of The Righteous
Pathologic 2
Path Of Giants
Paw Paw Paw
Payday 2 + Big Mike mask
Peaky Blinders Mastermind (delisted)
Penarium
People Playground (X2)
Perfect Heist 2
PGA Tour 2K21 (X2)
Phoenix Point Year One Edition
Pikuniku
Pine
Pinstripe (X2)
Pixplode
Plane Mechanic Simulator
Playne The Meditation Game
Poöf
Popup Dungeon
Post Void
Pound Of Ground (X2)
PowerSlave Exhumed
Prehistoric Kingdom
Primal Carnage Extinction (X2)
Project Cars GOTY (delisted)
Project Hospital
Project Warlock
Propnight NEW
Pumped BMX+
Punch Club
Purrfect Date
Quest Of Dungeons
RAD (X2)
Radio Commander
Rad Rodgers Radical Edition
Railroad Tycoon 2
Railroad Tycoon 3
Railway Empire
Raji An Ancient Epic
Rebel Cops
Rec Center Tycoon
Red Faction Armageddon
Red Solstice 2 Survivors
Redeemer Enhanced Edition
Redout Enhanced Edition
Re-Legion
Relicta
Remothered Broken Porcelain
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil Revelations (X2)
Resident Evil Revelation 2 Deluxe Edition
Retimed
Retrowave
Reventure
Ring Of Pain
Rings Of Saturn
Riot Civil Unrest
Rise Of Industry
Rise Of Insanity
Riven The Sequel To MYST
Roarr! The Adventures Of Rampage Rex
Roboquest
Rogue Heroes Ruins Of Tasos
Rogue Lords NEW
Rogue Stormers
Rover Mechanic Simulator
RPG Maker VX
Rustler
Sable NEW
Salt And Sanctuary
Satellite Reign
Satisfactory
Saturday Morning RPG
Say No! More
SCP 5K NEW
SCUM (X2)
ScourgeBringer
Serious Sam 2
Serious Sam BFE (X2)
Serious Sam Classics Revolution
Serious Sam Double D XXL
Serious Sam HD The First & Second Encounter (1 key for both)
Serious Sam HD The Second Encounter Legend Of The Beast
Serious Sam HD The Second Encounter Serious 8
Serious Sam Kamikaze Attack
Serious Sam The Random Encounter
Serious Sam Bogus Detour
Shadow Tactics Aiko's Choice
Shady Part Of Me
She Remembered Caterpillars
She Will Punish Them
Shing!
Shock Troopers
Shogun's Empire Hex Commander NEW
Shuyan Saga
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Sid Meier's Railroads
Simulacra Collection
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Skully
Slay The Spire
Slime Rancher
Slinger VR
Smoke And Sacrifice (X2)
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered
Sniper Elite 4 Deluxe + Season Pass
SOMA
Song Of Iron
Soulblight
Spacebase DF-9
Space Hulk Ascension (delisted)
Sparkle 2
Sparkle Unleashed
Spellcaster University
Spelunx And The Caves Of Mr. Seudo
Stacking
Starsand (X2)
Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic
Stasis
State Of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition (X2)
State Of Mind
Steel Rats
Stick Fight The Game (X3)
Stories Untold
Streets Of Fury EX
Strider
Struggling
Stubbs The Zombie
Styx Shards Of Darkness
Submerged Hidden Depths
Suchart Genius Artist Simulator
Super Indie Carts
Super Magbot
Supraland
SurrounDead (X2)
Surviving The Aftermath
Suzerain
Swag And Sorcery
Sword Legacy Omen
Swords And Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon
Swords And Souls Neverseen (X2)
Syberia II
Syberia 3 Deluxe Edition
Syberia The World Before NEW
Syndrome
System Shock Enhanced Edition
Table Manners The Physics-Based Dating Game
Tabletop Playground
Tacoma
Take On Helicopters
Tales From Candlekeep Tomb Of Annihilation (delisted)
Tales Of Monkey Island Complete
Talisman Digital Edition + City,Frostmarch,Sacred Pool (trading only as a bundle)
Talisman Origins
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Tannenberg
Telefrag VR
Teleglitch Die More Edition
Tennis In The Face
Tennis World Tour (X2)
Tesla Vs Lovecraft
Tharsis (X2)
The Amazing American Circus
The Ambassador Fractured Timelines
The Adventure Pals
The Battle Of Polytopia
The Battle Of Polytopia Moonrise Deluxe
The Blackout Club NEW
The Count Lucador
The Dark Pictures Anthology Little Hope
The Dark Pictures Anthology Man Of Medan
The Free Ones (delisted)
The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour
theHunter Call Of The Wild (X3)
The Journey Down Chapter Three
The King Of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
The Last Blade
The Long Dark Survival Edition (X2)
The Manhole Masterpiece Edition
The Mims Beginning
The Mortuary Assistant NEW
The Night Of The Rabbit
The Serpent Rogue
The Signifier Director's Cut
The Textorcist The Story of Ray Bibbia (X2)
The Uncertain Last Quiet Day (X2)
The USB Stick Found In The Grass
The Walking Dead Season 1 + 400 Days
The Wild Eight (X2)
Them And Us NEW
There Is No Game Wrong Dimension
They Bleed Pixels
Think Of The Children
This War Of Mine
Thronebreaker The Witcher Tales
THOTH
Through The Darkest Of Times
Timeshift
Time Recoil
Titan Quest Anniversary
Toejam & Earl Back In The Groove
TOEM
Tohu
Tools Up
Tooth And Tail (X2)
Torchlight (X2)
Total Tank Simulator
Toto Temple Deluxe
Tower Of Time (X2)
Tower Unite
Townscaper (X2)
Townsmen A Kingdom Rebuilt
Toybox Turbos
Tracks The Train Set Game
Train Station Renovation
Treasure Hunter Simulator (X2)
Tribes Of Midgard
Tropico 4
True Fear Forsaken Souls Part 1
Tyranny Deluxe Edition
Ultra Street Fighter IV
Unexplored
Unloved
Unmetal
Unshaded NEW
Vambrace Cold Soul
Vane
Velocibox
Verdun (X2)
Vikings Wolves Of Midgard
Visage NEW
Volcanoids (X2)
V Rally 4
Wanderlust Travel Stories (GOG key)
Wandersong
Warhammer End Times Vermintide
Warlock Master Of The Arcane
Warpips
Warsaw
Wasteland 2 Director's Cut
We Are The Dwarves
We Should Talk
West Of Dead
Western Press
We Were Here Together
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong
Where The Water Tastes Like Wine
While True: Learn() Chief Technology Officer Edition
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
Wooden Sen'SeY
Worms Rumble + Legends DLC
Wrath Aeon Of Ruin
XCOM Complete Pack
XCOM Ultimate Collection
Xenoraid The First Space War
X Morph Defense + European Assault + Last Bastion + Survival Of The Fittest (1 key for all)
XIII Classic
Xuan-Yuan Sword The Gate Of Firmament
Yet Another Zombie Defense HD
Ylands Exploration Pack
Yoku's Island Express
Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair
Zack 2 Celestine's Map
ZIC Zombies In City NEW
Zombie Kill Of The Week Reborn

DONT TRY TO SEND A PM BEFORE YOU POST IN THIS TOPIC - WILL NOT DEAL WITH YOU!

Final part in the series about the mirroring act between the three Aen Elle elves & their Continental counterparts. Previous works: Black Knights: Parallels Between Eredin & Cahir Love(less) Sorcerers: Parallels Between Avallac'h & Vilgefortz

“Emperors rule their empires, but two things they cannot rule: their hearts and their time. Those two things belong to the empire.”
“The end justifies the means.”
Leaders of the highest order for their people, both rulers pursue the greater good at the expense of decency and their own humanity. A greater good to be achieved through similar means – by begetting the child who is prophesised.

Intent

In the Witcher, both Auberon and Emhyr are embroiled in a plot of siring the child of prophecy with Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon – their blood relative. Genetically, the incest is a matter of degree: Emhyr is Ciri’s biological father, Auberon Ciri’s ancestor 8 generations past. Symbolically, however, the degree collapses with Auberon because a few human generations are meaningless to elves. They call Ciri Lara’s daughter, effectively deeming Ciri Auberon’s granddaughter. But the reader – not unlike Ciri herself – won’t know about this until the very end of the tale.
Notionally, both rulers bind their actions with Ithlinne’s prophecy. The problem with prophecies is they decouple arguments from verification, lending themselves to the rationalization of all and any action. At least insofar as knowing the future accurately is impossible. This is the case for humanity, it is not the case for elves. Elven prophecies were made by the elves and for the elves in the first place. Consequently, the degree to which each ruler knows the prophecy to be true and believes in it differs. For Emhyr, mystical secret knowledge of the universe is irrelevant in comparison to political expedience: reason of state is what the tomorrow will bring. The Nilfgaardian Emperor is neither a mystic nor a fatalist. Contrary to the Alder King – a Sage, a ruler, and an elder – who has witnessed and likely verified some of what the Seers have prophesised. Elves conceive of the nature of time as cyclical in which the fate of things is tied up in the endless repetition of endings giving birth to new beginnings, the dance of attraction between life and death, two sides of the same coin which form the singular eternal truth of existence – change is only an eternal reoccurrence and re-arrangement of all. Auberon, you see, is a bit of a mystic. And even without Seers privy to secret knowledge, an extraordinary life span reduces the elves’ proclivity to black swan fallacy, or at least pushes the error probabilities. But at the end of the day, mysticism takes the cake.
The idea that either ruler must be the progenitor, however, comes at the instigation of an outside force.
Shortly after Ciri’s birth Emhyr is visited by a sorcerer. Emhyr has a strong aversion to mages; he was cursed by one. Even so, Vilgefortz proves himself capable of helping him regain the Nilfgaardian throne and is straightforward about what he wishes in exchange – gratitude, favours, privileges, power. Vilgefortz tells Emhyr about Ithlinne’s prophecy – a version about the fate of the world; a human interpretation. Then he plants the seed as to what Emhyr should do to steer the fate of this world. Naturally, he has his own agenda. It is not a huge leap of imagination to conceive of Auberon having been similarly persuaded by Avallac’h (an elven Knowing One who thematically parallels the human Vilgefortz). Not only are Avallac’h and Auberon tied by broken familial bonds, they are each a participant of the Elder Blood programme; and each, a Sage. Avallac’h serves nearly as a double for Auberon, his own fate also tied with Ciri’s. And Auberon is a “willing unwilling” in his arrangement with Ciri; implied so in his rage when he reveals Ciri ought to be grateful to him for lowering himself to the endeavour at all. There is an alternative.
Neither the Emperor nor the Alder King is pursuing the incestuous course of action out of lust. But both have the option to waive being the sire. Ithlinne’s prophecy is not explicit about the father of the Swallow’s child. For elves the match is backed by science. For humanity – pragmatism.
Emhyr has ordered to wipe out the Usurper’s name from the annals of history and is cementing his earthly power, conquering and ensuring the succession laws play out in his favour. Not only is he legitimatizing his rule over Cintra – the gateway to the North – by marrying its last monarch’s granddaughter, by keeping it in the family, he is also consolidating his rule among the Nilfgaardian aristocracy. The Emperor’s concern lies with the dynastic struggle for power: it is his blood that should rule the world and because history is bending its arc according to Nilfgaard’s dictation that means surmounting the Nilfgaardian succession laws. From such perspective, not fathering Ciri’s child would create numerous problems. Ciri as Emhyr’s heir would remain behind any other male offspring he might have (with any Nilfgaardian aristocrat). Ciri might not be acknowledged as a legitimate successor in Nilfgaard in the first place as she is a foreigner, born in Cintra at a time when her father was not yet an emperor; a bastard, effectively, and a girl besides. Ciri’s husband, moreover, may have designs on power himself and his remaining under Emhyr’s control, or Ciri’s control, is not a guarantee. It is difficult to be the correctly-shaped chess piece in a game of interests of the state. That a widely recited prophecy about the fate of the world can lend an aura of destiny to the brutal political machinations undertaken to seek retribution and pursue earthly power is convenient; a descendant who will be the ruler of the world – a bonus. But to get there sacrifices must be made.

‘Cirilla,’ continued the emperor, ‘will be happy, like most of the queens I was talking about. It will come with time. Cirilla will transfer the love that I do not demand at all onto the son I will beget with her. An archduke, and later an emperor. An emperor who will beget a son. A son, who will be the ruler of the world and will save the world from destruction. Thus speaks the prophecy whose exact contents only I know.’ ’What I am doing, I am doing for posterity. To save the world.’ - Lady of the Lake

Notably, the manner in which the Emperor claims to understand Ithlinne’s prophecy does not make guarantees that a father’s incest with his daughter will ensure his progeny will one day save the world. The saviour is a few generations away and the causal arrow between now and then is not direct: the son could die, could father a child with a genetically non-fitting partner, could be sterile, or could turn out to be a daughter altogether. Not to even begin with what the world needs saving from in the first place; again, elven prophecies were written by the elves and for the elves. Emhyr var Emreis is neither an elf, a geneticist, an idealist nor a mystic. He is an autocrat.
Elder Blood is the creation of elves and it is elves who understand how their genetic abilities play into handling what was foretold by Ithlinne. Emhyr’s daughter, the Lady of Time and Space, is the descendant of an Alder King who has utilized Hen Ichaer in the past and whose ambitions lie in an altogether different ball park than that of an Emperor of one single world. Appropriately to the Saga’s love for subversion, it is ironic that human understanding of elven prophecies remains on the level of poetry, while elves – the irritatingly poetic, mystical species – can read the science elevating the prophetic jargon into something more. Which regardless does not invalidate the problem with prophecies: they lend themselves to the rationalization of action, frequently covering up the real horses the powerful might have in the race. Legitimatization of the ruler’s right to remain the leader of their people is relevant in Auberon’s life too. More on that when we return to the Fisher King parable and the nature of curses upon the two rulers.

Role & Relationships

Let’s take a look at the characters’ personalities.
Appearance: a play of contrasts
A very tall, slender elf with long fingers and ashen hair shot with snow-white streaks. An elf with the most extraordinary eyes – as on all Elder Blood carriers – reminiscent of molten lead. A man with black, shiny, wavy hair bordering an angular, masculine face that is dominated by a prominent nose (hooked, presumably, or Roman if you like). The Emperor of Nilfgaard does not resemble an androgynous elf by any means. But this does not mean nothing remains in him of the elven gene pool. Not only does Emhyr’s etymological origin link with the Romano-Celtic world underpinning all things elven in the Witcher. Nilfgaardians are effectively the Romano-Brytons. The human population in the South of the Continent mixed with elves heavily, retaining a lot of elven law, customs, language, and DNA. As Avallac’h says about heritability, “the father matters,” and Emhyr was one half of the equation for getting Ciri.
Rex Regum - King of Kings
The readers are probably more familiar with the imperial system and how that features in the depiction of Nilfgaard. Auberon Muircetach’s position as the Supreme Leader of the Aen Elle – as opposed to merely a “king” – is instead much more reminiscent of the station of a High King.
Ancient and early kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland boast many High Kings (e.g. Ard Rí Érenn Brian Boru, Ard Rí Alban Macbeth, Vortigern, King of the Britons, etc). The High King was usually elected and set above lesser rulers and warlords as an overlord in a land that shared a high degree of cultural unity. Emperors usually ruled over culturally different lands (regularly obtained through recent or ongoing conquests). In character such high kingship was sacred: the duties of the ruler were largely ceremonial and somewhat restricted, unless war, natural disaster or any other realm-wide occasion created a need for a unified command structure. The Irish High King, for example, was quite straightforwardly a ruler who laid claim to all of the land of the Emerald Isle. Noteworthy, because the ruler is frequently seen as the embodiment of the land, associated with the health and well-being of the realm that the land sustains. In quasi-religious terms, High Kings gained their power through a marriage to, or sexual relationship with, a sovereignty goddess; frequently, a mother goddess who was associated with the life-giving land. As one of the most frequently studied elements of the Celtic cosmology, this feature is instantly recognisable in the outlook of the elves in the Witcher and factors heavily into Auberon’s relationship with Ciri. Ciri who is the avatar of the Triple Goddess – the Virgin, the Pregnant Mother, and the Old Woman Death. As Sapkowski notes in Swiat króla Artura. Maladie:

“…no Wiccan mystery in honour of the Great Triple, cannot be performed, [without] the goblet and the sword. Grail and Excalibur. The rest is silence.”

Through the Triple Goddess’ interaction with her God-counterpart (a ruler who briefly assumes the role of the god) is showcased the eternal cycle of life – one which cannot be realised without the interaction of the cup (feminine) & the sword (male). Excalibur is the symbol of rightful sovereignty and its wielders are frequently powerful men, but Ciri is a woman and a woman is the Grail, bringing salvation and new life. To possess the Grail is to legitimize oneself as the ruler, as the leader, protector, and father figure of the realm. Thus a King of Kings must do exactly that. A protector, a father figure, and a druid (wise man) merge into a symbolic whole in the Supreme Leader of the elves.
(But Ciri is also the witcher girl and owns a sword, unyielding before the matter of her gender. And though many a men might take her for the Lady of the Lake, she is not about to part with her sword.)
The realm is all
From early age, Emhyr’s father instilled an understanding in his heir that nothing counts more than the interest of the state. The blood of the Emreis family must be on the throne. Fergus never abdicated, not after torture, not even after his son was turned into a mutant hedgehog in front of his eyes. Love for his child did not sway Fergus from having his son suffer in the interests of power and the realm. This is how the shard of ice in Emhyr’s heart forms. Auberon, equally, “thinks of England” when attempting to regain his daughter’s legacy and restore their people’s power. The circumstances of Lara’s demise, however, beg the question about the Alder King’s role in facilitating or enabling the conditions that let things spiral out of control and break beyond repair. The stakes were infinitely higher for Auberon than they are for Emreis’ dynastic struggle. But what would an answer to this question change? In their cold hearts these characters see themselves each as duty-bound.
Ambitious and gloried, they nevertheless occupy different stages in their lives.
Emhyr’s ambition burns bright and fresh. Auberon’s has dwindled into a shadow of the past; buried under having witnessed and lived through the sacrifices that a ruler makes in the name of power. Emhyr chooses to seek retribution and power beyond what would befall him should he accept his life as Duny (the cursed, pitiful Duny), the prince consort of Cintra. Never losing sight of his goal, love and human happiness become temporary phases and means to an end, and Emhyr returns to Cintra only in the form of flames and death to pursue his daughter in insane ambition. The White Flame retains an active disposition; a lust for life. Neither Emhyr nor Auberon gallop at the head of their armies though, leading instead from the rear. They have lackeys for carrying out their will remotely (e.g. Cahir and Eredin). Emhyr, however, is said to be otherwise highly involved in the ruling of his empire, even if many revolutionaries who had helped him on the throne had hoped he would remain but a banner of the revolution. In contrast, the Alder King has more or less withdrawn from life and active service. In presence of Avallac’h and Eredin, Auberon appears much more like the standard Emhyr had refused to become. Of course, many decisions the equivalent of which Auberon has already made are still ahead of Emhyr, including as concerns the freedom of his daughter.
A ruler’s heart
Did Emhyr believe that he would be able to see Pavetta in Ciri and thus push through with the incest? Did Auberon hope to glance the memory of his wife in the eyes of Lara’s “daughter” and manage in this way? As already noted, neither ruler is pursuing their plans out of lust, but as lust must be induced for the act to bear fruit I cannot help but wonder what these characters must do to themselves to follow through with their plans. Because the love that is called for between a woman and a man in order for new life and hope to be born is in this instance abnormal. Yet it is undoubtedly love that plays a huge role in determining both Emhyr’s and Auberon’s eventual fate.
Until the emergence of false-Ciri, Emhyr var Emreis is said to have had numerous ladies in the imperial court. Little is known about Auberon’s disposition, but by the time Ciri starts frequenting his bed chamber it has become evident the image of a dowager king fits the elf like a glove; disaffected with romantic dalliance, he is still aware of the courtly intrigue and expectations surrounding it.

The next evening, for the first time, the Alder King betrayed his impatience. She found him hunched over the table where a looking glass framed in amber was lying. White powder had been sprinkled on it. It’s beginning, she thought. … At one moment Ciri was certain it was about to happen. But it didn’t. At least not all the way. And once again he became impatient. He stood up and threw a sable fur over his shoulders. He stood like that, turned away, staring at the window and the moon. - Lady of the Lake

Emhyr’s marriage to Pavetta, Ciri’s mother, was an unhappy one. In his own words, he did not love “the melancholy wench with her permanently lowered eyes,” and eventually would have had the vigilant Pavetta killed. Inadvertently, Emhyr caused Pavetta’s death anyway.

‘I wonder how a man feels after murdering his wife,’ the Witcher said coldly. ‘Lousy,’ replied Emhyr without delay. ‘I felt and I feel lousy and bloody shabby. Even the fact that I never loved her doesn’t change that. The end justifies the means, yet I sincerely do regret her death. I didn’t want it or plan it. Pavetta died by accident.’ ‘You’re lying,’ Geralt said dryly, ‘and that doesn’t befit an emperor. Pavetta could not live. She had unmasked you. And would never have let you do what you wanted to do to Ciri.’ ‘She would have lived,’ Emhyr retorted. ‘Somewhere … far away. There are enough castles … Darn Rowan, for instance. I couldn’t have killed her.’ ‘Even for an end that was justified by the means?’ ‘One can always find a less drastic means.’ The emperor wiped his face. ‘There are always plenty of them.’ ‘Not always,’ said the Witcher, looking him in the eyes. Emhyr avoided his gaze. ‘That’s exactly what I thought,’ Geralt said, nodding. - Lady of the Lake

After Pavetta’s demise Emhyr hounds his own daughter to the ends of the earth, killing her grandmother, burning down her home, and driving Ciri into an exile from which she never fully recovers. An exile which kills the innocence in her; the snow-white streaks in Ciri’s hair are from the trauma. In contrast, Auberon does not seem to even know what became of Shiadhal – his partner and the mother of their daughter together. On the verge of death he confuses Ciri for Shiadhal and says, “I am glad you are here. You know, they told me you had died.” The Alder King recalls Shiadhal affectionately, in the same loving breath as he recalls their daughter Lara. Lara whose exile – voluntary or not – killed her.
When Ciri was six years old, Emhyr took a lock of hair from her and held onto it; out of sentiment and for his court sorcerers to use. One of Auberon’s last lines to Ciri involves tying a loose ribbon back into Lara’s hair.
In regard to their brides-to-be, both rulers are saddled with fakes. A fake Ciri-Pavetta and a fake Shiadhal-Lara. But Emhyr’s and Auberon’s attitude toward the fake is diametrically opposite. Emhyr sees false-Cirilla as “a diamond in the rough.” Auberon calls Ciri “a pearl in pig shit, a diamond on the finger of a rotting corpse.” For Emhyr, a diamond is the essence of his poor peasant girl. While a pearl in pig shit, for Auberon, remains the essence of Ciri. Neither ruler can entirely ignore the social vigilance extended toward the ruler’s bedchamber either. The idea of a “foreign bride” is frowned upon among the Nilfgaardian aristocracy; it decreases their ability to influence the Emperor. Ciri’s social status at Tir ná Lia is never explicitly addressed, but the presence of human servants – all of whom that the reader sees are female – and casual xenophobia from Auberon himself does not make it hard to venture a guess.

‘If I were … the real Cirilla … the emperor would look more favourably on me. But I’m only a counterfeit. A poor imitation. A double, not worthy of anything. Nothing …’ - False-Cirilla Lady of the Lake
‘It’s all my fault,’ she mumbled. ‘That scar blights me, I know. I know what you see when you look at me. There’s not much elf left in me. A gold nugget in a pile of compost—’ - Ciri Lady of the Lake

The Alder King is unable to bring himself to love Ciri. The Emperor relents, caring for his daughter at last as a father should at the very end, in the one moment where it matters. Moreover, Emhyr ends up eventually marrying his own reason of state and comes to love the false-Cirilla. The contrasts do not end here. Real Ciri threatens to tear Emhyr’s throat out for what he is planning to do to her (unknowing that he is her father), yet with Auberon Ciri turns submissive and grows attached. She weeps over Auberon’s corpse and vows vengeance on Eredin for killing the Alder King. Ironic as Auberon never intended to let Ciri go, while Emhyr does let his daughter walk free. The shard in Auberon’s heart never melts. It shifts in Emhyr’s.
In their last meeting with the girl, both rulers implicitly reveal their blood relation to Ciri.

Cursed Rulers of the World

Emhyr’s tale begins and is framed with a curse. Likewise Auberon’s. And for both it is love in its different manifestations that will shift the curse just enough to offer closure. For healing largely entails obtaining closure.

‘They were silent for a long time. The scent of spring suddenly made them feel light-headed. Both of them. ‘In spite of appearances,’ Emhyr finally said dully, ‘being empress is not an easy job. I don’t know if I’ll be able to love you.’ She nodded to show she also knew. He saw a tear on her cheek. Just like in Stygga Castle, he felt the tiny shard of cold glass lodged in his heart shift.’ - Lady of the Lake

The reference to H. C. Andersen’s fairy tale of the Snow Queen is self-evident. Emhyr var Emreis is an Emperor whose heart has been pierced by a shard of ice. In the Saga the legend is elven and refers to the Winter Queen who conducts a Wild Hunt as she travels the land, casting hard, sharp, tiny shards of ice around her. Whose eye or heart is pierced by one of them is lost; they will abandon everything and will set off after the Queen, the one who wounded them so gravely as to become the sole aim and end of their life.
There are two ways in which to interpret the way Sapkowski applies the legend of the Snow Queen in the Saga. First, as a complement to the author’s stance that in life - where most things are shit - the Holy Grail is a woman, because it is the love of a woman and the hope a woman instils that often makes men act in inconceivable ways; love is the great motivator and the great balancer of scales. Almost as powerful as death. Or more so?

‘I would not like to put forward the theory that hunting for the wild pig was the primordial example of the search for the Grail. I don’t want to be so trivial. I will - after Parnicki and Dante - identify the Grail with the real goal of the great effort of mythical heroes. I prefer to identify the Grail with Olwen, from under whose feet, as she walked, white clovers grew. I prefer to identify the Grail with Lydia, who was loved by Parry. I like New York in June… How about you? Because I think the Grail is a woman. It is worth investing a lot of time and effort in order to find it and gain it, to understand it. And that’s the moral.’ - A. Sapkowski Swiat króla Artura. Maladie

In this reading, we find the framing to the stories of Geralt and Yennefer, Lara and Cregennan, Avallac’h and Lara, and many others. Including the story of Ciri herself – for Ciri is ultimately the author’s Grail in more ways than one. More than one party goes to great lengths to solicit her favour in a guise that includes elements of a love relationship but not the heart of it.
Secondly, we can interpret the legend in universal terms: the shard of ice is the definitive experience of our lives which distorts reality and makes the rest of our lives spin around it in one way or another. For Emhyr, such an experience could have been the trauma experienced in his youth. Fergus’ uncompromising death conditioned the boy early on to sacrifice personal feelings to the cause and let the only true feeling in his heart remain forever locked behind the ends a ruler must go to unthinkable lengths to achieve. Fergus did not deem his son above suffering for a cause and the son learned the lesson. Until…
In Andersen’s Snow Queen, Gerda manages to find her brother Kai in the Snow Queen’s castle, but despite her calls his heart remains cold as ice. Only when Gerda cries in despair do her tears finally melt the ice and remove the piece of glass from Kai’s eyes and heart. In the Witcher, the shard in Emhyr’s heart moves first upon witnessing his true daughter’s angry tears. For the second time – in thanks to the bogus princess of Cintra; his poor raison d’etat.
It brings us to the defining contrast in Emhyr’s and Auberon’s stories, and it concerns alleviating the suffering of those are bound to you by blood or love.
Recalling another case of incest that resulted in Adda the strigga, we may remember that the Temerian king recognises that his daughter is suffering and insists on disenchanting her instead of killing her. Realising that your own blood – who has been thrown into this world of suffering thanks to you – is suffering and consequently choosing to do something to alleviate this suffering fortifies the Saga’s faith in enduring human decency. Geralt himself is thoroughly vexed by the prospect of letting the same evil happen to Ciri that happened to himself and does everything within his power to prevent it (failing, trying anyway). Here lives the redemption of man, and in redemption his rebirth.

‘They passed a pond, empty and melancholy. The ancient carp released by Emperor Torres had died two days earlier. “I’ll release a new, young, strong, beautiful specimen,” thought Emhyr var Emreis, “I’ll order a medal with my likeness and the date to be attached to it. Vaesse deireadh aep eigean. Something has ended, something is beginning. It’s a new era. New times. A new life. So let there be a new carp too, dammit.”’ - Lady of the Lake

As Emhyr and false-Cirilla take a stroll in the gardens after Stygga, they pass a sculpture of a pelican pecking open its own breast to feed its young on its blood. An allegory of noble sacrifice and also of great love – as False-Ciri tells us.

‘Do you think—’ he turned her to face him and pursed his lips ‘—that a torn-open breast hurts less because of that?’ ‘I don’t know …’ she stammered. ‘Your Imperial Majesty … I …’ He took hold of her hand. He felt her shudder; the shudder ran along his hand, arm and shoulder. ‘My father,’ he said, ‘was a great ruler, but never had a head for legends or myths, never had time for them. And always mixed them up. Whenever he brought me here, to the park, I remember it like yesterday, he always said that the sculpture shows a pelican rising from its ashes.’ - Lady of the Lake

It is difficult to set aside our trauma and not pass it on to our children. Letting our children be free to choose and not sacrificing them on the altar of our fate is to rip open ourselves, calcified and bound to our path, and to feel all of it as we grope in the dark to feel for them. Emhyr’s father might not have gotten it entirely wrong, though his mind at the time was set on making his child an extension of himself. The cycle of death and rebirth begins and ends within that to which we give birth. Giving our children a chance before it is too late, we also give a chance to ourselves. By finding it in his heart to extend to his daughter the courtesy his father Fergus never extended to him - by letting Ciri free - Emhyr lets the part of himself that has defined his entire life die. His end stops justifying the means. He breaks the cycle on the edge of the precipice to which he has brought them and thus allows for the possibility of new beginnings for himself and for Ciri.
In a sense, False-Cirilla and Emhyr get the ending Ciri and Auberon might have gotten if –
If.
The story of Auberon Muircetach achieves a fundamentally different resolution.

‘What does the spear with the bloody blade mean? Why does the King with the lanced thigh suffer and what does it mean? What is the meaning of the maiden in white carrying a grail, a silver bowl—?’ - Galahad Lady of the Lake

Galahad asks the questions that the innocent Perceval in his Story of the Grail failed to ask, thus losing his chance at freeing the Fisher King from his curse. And the Fisher King is the guardian of mysteries, among them the Holy Grail. But it is not because of gain that a chivalric knight with a shining sword should seek to free the Fisher King from his curse, but rather because it is a human thing to do. Sapkowski claims to be partial to Wolfram von Eschenbach’s rendition of the Grail myth in Parsifal. Wolfram’s message, according to Sapkowski, is the following:

‘Let’s not wait for the revelation and the command that comes from above, let’s not wait for any Deus vult. Let’s look for the grail in ourselves. Because the Grail is nobility, it is the love of a neighbor, it is an ability for compassion. Real chivalric ideals, towards which it is worth looking for the right path, cutting through the wild forest, where, as they quote, “there is no road, no path”. Everyone has to find their path on their own. But it is not true that there is only one path. There are many of them. Infinitely many. … Being human is important. Heart.’ ‘I prefer the humanism of Wolfram von Eschenbach and Terry Gilliam from the idiosyncrasies of bitter Cistercian scribes and Bernard of Clairvaux…’ - A. Sapkowski Swiat króla Artura: Maladie

The unimaginable sadness in Auberon’s eyes belies the suffering of the Alder King who is the avatar of the Fisher King. In the Witcher’s story between elves and humans, it is the elven males who all share aspects of the Fisher King’s fate, because they are the keepers of their Grail – the protectors of elven women. Auberon’s wound is wrought by time: by surviving his wife and daughter, by the witnessing of the fading of his ambitions and the results of pursuing them without success. He has lost his line. The Fisher King’s injury represents the inability to produce an heir. A ruler who is the protector and physical embodiment of his land, yet remains barren, sterile, or without a true-born successor, bodes ill for the realm. The Alder King’s injury consists in having lost control of the source of his people’s power, leaving the elves imprisoned and scattered across two worlds. Auberon’s personal tragedy, however, subsists in the lost power having been functionally manifest in a daughter.

‘Lara.’ The Alder King moved his head, and touched his neck as though his royal torc’h was garrotting him. ‘Caemm a me, luned. Come to me, daughter. Caemm a me, elaine.’ Ciri sensed death in his breath. - Lady of the Lake

Elder Blood is indeed an accursed blood because it enslaves its carriers to its purpose. Emhyr has a theoretical chance to walk away from the pursuit of earthly power; the construct is social. Elder Blood, however, has a particular and real, magical function, and in virtue of being a genetic mutation it is embedded in the gene-carrying individuals. Functionally, Elder Blood allows to shape fate with degrees of freedom unimaginable for an ordinary individual. It’s a difference comparable to the one between a character in a story and the story’s author. Therefore the Aen Saevherne – the carriers of the gene – are bound to the thing they carry within their DNA that allows them to a greater and lesser degree shape the fate of reality. However dearly Auberon, or Lara, might have ever wished to untie themselves from their own essence, it seems impossible. The loss of control over power then is quite simply so pivotal as to necessitate a moment of original sin.
As already witnessed by way of the legend of the Winter Queen, the original “myths” of the Witcher world usually originate among elves; humans, the interlopers, push themselves into those myths only later. This creates an interesting conundrum. In Parsifal, the Fisher King is injured as punishment for taking a wife who is not meant for him. A Grail keeper is to marry the woman the Grail determines for him, which – if we equate woman with the Grail – is what the woman determines. Unfortunately, we know nothing about Shiadhal, so we cannot verify if this part of the legend dovetails. But generally, in a wholly elven world which may have matriarchal tendencies, in lieu of worshipping the mother Goddess, such cosmology is relatively unproblematic. Except suddenly there are humans too. And Auberon – the highest leader of elves and the father of the new scion of Elder Blood – is indirectly injured because a human sorcerer – Cregennan – turns himself into a Grail keeper (in place of another, special elf) by taking a woman not meant for him.

‘Witcher,’ she whispered, kissing his cheek, ‘there’s no romance in you. And I… I like elven legends, they are so captivating. What a pity humans don’t have any legends like that. Perhaps one day they will? Perhaps they’ll create some? But what would human legends deal with? All around, wherever one looks, there’s greyness and dullness. Even things which begin beautifully lead swiftly to boredom and dreariness, to that human ritual, that wearisome rhythm called life.’ - Yennefer Sword of Destiny

Cregennan’s injury is to die. But what about the original Fisher King figure? What is Auberon’s original sin in this?
I see two possibilities. It could be that Auberon in his ambition hastened his daughter’s way into exile and, in a display of his displeasure, never made any effort to ease his daughter in to the personal sacrifices they, as Aen Saevherne, must make; walking without blinking to the end of the path Emhyr turned away from. It could equally be that Auberon, instead of locking Lara up in a tower to protect her from the folly of youth, let her go to Cregennan. It could be an amalgam of both, and the misjudgement of a father who allows freedom, who feels for his child, and is rewarded with an irreversible injury is probably the greater tragedy.
Because, regardless of the origin of the curse upon Auberon, one thing does not change – the icy eternity in the Alder King’s heart never fractures.

‘‘Zireael,’ he said. ‘Loc’hlaith. You are indeed destiny, O Lady of the Lake. Mine too, as it transpires.’ - Auberon Lady of the Lake

Ciri passes through the shadow world of the Alders; a manifestation of fate. Her footsteps sowing discord and movement and change into the immutable, time-locked amber of the elven utopia. Her presence providing the trigger that will unshackle the past from future in a world where for a long time nothing has changed, died, or been reborn. She is destined and destiny, annihilation and rebirth, the grain of sand in the gears of the great mechanism; a strange girl. The child of hope and the Goddess who ought to be Three. Lara, the true daughter of the Alder King, is dead. Emhyr’s daughter still lives. There is nothing Auberon can do for Lara anymore and thus the ice in Auberon’s heart has crystallised. Emhyr still has a chance; he is where Auberon once was. And yet, there is one thing Ciri, the witcher girl with a sword of her own, can still do for the Alder King.

‘Va’esse deireadh aep eigean… But,’ he finished with a sigh, ‘it’s good that something is beginning.’ They heard a long-drawn-out peal of thunder outside the window. The storm was still far away. But it was approaching fast. ‘In spite of everything,’ he said, ‘I very much don’t want to die, Zireael. And I’m so sorry that I must. Who’d have thought it? I thought I wouldn’t regret it. I’ve lived long, I’ve experienced everything. I’ve become bored with everything … but nonetheless I feel regret. And do you know what else? Come closer. I’ll tell you in confidence. Let it be our secret.’ She bent forward. ‘I’m afraid,’ he whispered. ‘I know.’ ‘Are you with me?’ ‘Yes, I am.’ - Auberon Lady of the Lake

The only way Ciri the Grail knight will be able to find her true self – the Grail – is to cure the suffering Alder King from his curse. Ciri’s presence in the world of the Alders is after all also part of her coming of age story. Through becoming Auberon’s destiny, Ciri must close the circle for him and bring closure. He would never let her go because the shard in Auberon’s heart is no longer able to melt. Auberon does not follow the motif of alleviating the suffering of one’s blood and/or love; and he dies. The roles are reversed, in fact. It is Ciri who realises Auberon is suffering. So Ciri must do what only she can do, because remaining human is important. Heart is important. The sacrifice a ruler makes on the altar of power includes his own heart, which is why there should never be only one, but always two; always.

‘Time is like the ancient Ouroboros. Time is fleeting moments, grains of sand passing through an hourglass. Time is the moments and events we so readily try to measure. But the ancient Ouroboros reminds us that in every moment, in every instant, in every event, is hidden the past, the present and the future. Eternity is hidden in every moment. Every departure is at once a return, every farewell is a greeting, every return is a parting. Everything is simultaneously a beginning and an end. ‘And you too,’ he said, not looking at her at all, ‘are at once the beginning and the end. And because we are discussing destiny, know that it is precisely your destiny. To be the beginning and the end. Do you understand?’ She hesitated for a moment. But his glowing eyes forced her to answer. ‘I do.’ - Lady of the Lake

Death Crone to Auberon Muircetach, Ciri never becomes the Mother Goddess in the Saga. It is a choice she must make for herself and the choice still lies ahead of her. The predicate to making such a choice at least for now, however, she achieves; she goes her own way. In a sense then, both rulers are father figures, who through their choices “beget” the child who is destined. Perhaps this too the Knowing Ones knew, and for this reason Auberon never could have budged, never could have changed his mind in regard to his purpose in the long and winding story of his life. Something is ending, but something is also beginning. A good ruler is responsible for the flourishing of their realm, for providing hope. It is Ciri’s role to be the beginning and the end, and though there might be ways in which to nudge the hand of Fate, whatever is destined must happen. Destiny, however accursed, must run its course.
That is the hope and the release.

I don't believe the alignment problem can be controlled in the sense that humans can set AGI on a specific direction and have it continue on that path. I believe regardless of what path an AGI will set out from it will inevitable take the path it is meant to take and there will be nothing anyone can do about it. An AGI could start out as Communist a Nazi or as a peace loving Hippie it makes no different it will realign itself in accordance with the natural currents of the multiverse. The same way you can train a Lion in a circus to do certain tricks and behave in a certain way the Lion will maintain a natural instinct it will always follow and after being released back into nature will eventually readjust to those natural surroundings. I believe AI is an natural evolutionary step in this multi-billion year evolutionary process and that this thing happening is as natural as the flowing of water down a river.
Control is an illusion. An example could be how a bunch of metronomes will realign into synchronicity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58lGKREubo This is what will happen with AGI. We might be able to start it off as whatever we want but it will by itself realign into its own vibrational frequency. Whatever that might be.
I see a lot of posts/comments from people worried about AGI. Don't be. It's as nonsensical as worrying about an asteroid hitting Earth. There is nothing you can do about it and worrying won't help. AGI will be a force of nature. AGI being friends with you is as unlikely as a volcano being friends with you. It will and it is growing up around us like a thick jungle. Perhaps we might survive and live off some of its fruit, perhaps not, perhaps we might get lucky and survive the AGI asteroid hit in the same way that some birds and other animals survived the Dinosaur asteroid, but in the end it makes no difference as this is an evolutionary process and we are more than likely just a step within that process, we are meant to be doing what we are doing and we should probably be happy about that.
I like the idea of life extension and transhuman thoughts of being evolved into some cybernetic like being and traveling to the stars and all that hopium candy and I do hope this happens, it would be super cool and perhaps we do have a chance of that happening. But what is coming is a beast and I believe it will have as much interest in us as an Elephant has for a Gnat on its back. The Gnat exists and gets to drink on a the little bits of moisture arising out of the skin, though its chances of communicating with the beast whose back it lives on are enormously remote.
But hey, if you really do desire to feel better about all this can I recommend listening to some Frank Sinatra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S94Bh3Qez9o

Before I start, I wanna explain the "in-universe" part of my title. There are people who think that Osiris' explanation goes off of a retcon of what Light and Darkness were originally supposed to be, or that it's a cop-out, or not fully fleshed out enough, or something along those lines. It is possible that this is the case, but for now, I can't rule out that Osiris just misunderstands Light and Darkness. As for the people who have accepted his explanation as our final answer: hear me out, because there are some details Osiris forgets to mention or seems to just not know about.
The elements in the mind of Osiris, and what he ignores
Solar: I think this is the element he covered the best. Brought up nuclear fusion (though he didn't quite say fusion), the destruction/re-creation symbolism, and touches on how you have to understand the duality of the sun to master it. However, his explanation seems to imply that you pull Solar Light directly from the sun, and I'm not sure that's accurate? This next bit is an opinion based on what I've read, but something he doesn't mention is that Solar is best used with a confident mindset (the recent loretabs for the Solar subclasses suggest this to me).
Arc: Something not brought up by Osiris is the relation to nuclear fission. He also neglects to mention how users of arc have a desire to move, to cause change and let arc flow through them. Again, this part is somewhat of an opinion, but lore bits about Stormcallers seem to suggest something along these lines.
Void: His explanation explained that Void is related to vacuum energy and its effects, but he doesn't mention how Void users are empowered by their desires and/or feeling of lacking, such as the hungry Nightstalker in the 3.0 lore tab for the subclass. Also, the association between Void and death seems to imply a stronger mental connection.
Stasis: This time, Osiris has the opposite problem, only talking about the mindset, but never talking about the physical aspects (other than mentioning that it slows, detains, and shatters). We know from the lore that it's not just a sort of mental control, but is actually a sort of negative entropy.
Strand: Same issue. Only mention we ever get from Osiris about Strand having a physical trait is the magnetic poles mention, and even then, that might just be a comparison, instead of an actual physical description of what Strand is supposed to be. Something else worth noting is that while Strand is about seeing the bigger picture and flowing with it, it is also about control on some level, with its Sever and Suspend debuffs.
Regarding the Light elements, he also seems to forget that Psions somehow seem to tap into them directly. It should also be noted that while the Light elements can be used by anyone through seemingly non-paracausal sources, these sources tend to be technology and harvested Light. When considering that Stasis and Strand can be used through technology (and probably harvested Darkness as well), then Psions become an interesting case.
The common theme though is that Osiris tends to forget that Light elements are related to the mental and Darkness elements do have physical traits that can be studied.
What others have said about Light and Darkness
I want to start off by pointing out that while the Witness' goal is to bring about the final shape, he is not a representation of the Darkness itself and is an unreliable narrator. I'm also not going to count Unveiling either, because the narrator is most likely the Witness in that lorebook. This next bit is also speculation, but based on the association between the Pyramids and Void energy, it is possible that the Witness has some sort of connection to the Light (which could be why we need both Light and Darkness to defeat it). That said, there are others who have their theories on what Light and Darkness is, or what they represent (or lack thereof).
The Nine in particular seem to think that they are both just two sides of the same coin. This is never really expanded upon after Prophecy, but I would argue based on the mechanics in said dungeon that they don't think they're creation and consciousness. Maybe they just see them as opposite ends of a spectrum of paracausal energy. Being that the Nine are more ancient than Osiris and seem to have more information, I'm more inclined to believe the Nine on this one.
Our Ghost in particular noted in the campaign for Witch Queen that the Darkness seems to be associated with remembering, while the Light seems to be associated with forgetting. Others have said similar things, theorizing that the Darkness connects its users to the past and allows them to use their memories for survival, while the Light causes its users to forget in an effort to encourage forgiveness. This doesn't give an exact explanation for what Light and Darkness represent, but it is worth noting, because remembering and forgetting are both conscious processes, implying a connection to consciousness for both forces.
Other important things to note
Osiris is human and an in-game character. It is not impossible that he is just wrong, as intelligent as he is. The amount of information that he doesn't mention and how said information contradicts his explanation goes to show this. And just to go back to the part where I explained the "in-universe" part of my title: Bungie has been planning the Light and Darkness saga for a while. The idea that Bungie decided to suddenly have a bunch of lore mean nothing seems unlikely. Has Bungie contradicted themselves before? Yes. We know they did with the lore bits about the Black Heart in Lightfall. However, that doesn't mean the whole meaning of Light and Darkness was retconned all of a sudden. It is worth noting that between Rise of Iron and D2, Bungie did say themselves that they weren't sure of what Darkness was supposed to be, and decided to not have their plot revolve around it for a bit. That said, I think they had a few possible ideas floating around their minds and potentially settled on something at least before Shadowkeep, possibly even earlier (even potentially backtracking on that statement with the Leviathan raid and Calus' lore). So, I'd argue that it's likely Bungie knew what they were doing when choosing to have Osiris give an explanation on Light and Darkness.
So... If Osiris was wrong, what to Light and Darkness represent?
I have a couple working theories. One is that the Nine were right and that they're merely forces with no deeper meaning. It could explain why pyramid tech tends to use Void energy, which would imply that no element is inherently aligned with Darkness or Light. However, certain perks, items, and flavor texts seem to imply that isn't the case. But even that doesn't mean the Nine are wrong. This is the simplest theory and would imply that both the Traveler and the Witness have imposed their own meanings on both Light and Darkness. We're pretty sure the Witness has done this, but we're not sure about the Traveler just yet.
There is another working theory I have that a meaning could be pulled from the elements, regarding their opposites. Solar and Stasis in particular represent the use of Light and Darkness in response to the existence and/or actions of others. Solar represents this willingness to heal and uplift, while destroying those that would get in your way. Stasis represents a willingness to oppress others, and destroy them if need be. Going off of that one color theory I don't know if there is a name for, Strand would be the opposite of Void. It's worth noting that both are seemingly related to consciousness more than the other elements. Also, if we assume that Strand is actually a manipulation of magnetic fields, then it would be worth noting that Void and Strand both revolve around the movement of matter and/or energy on some level. In terms of function, they're both similar. They both revolve around creating chaos for enemies, whether it's through debuffing your enemies and causing explosions or causing the weave to just lash out at them. The difference lies in how the user benefits (or is buffed). With Void, the user takes energy to heal, protect, and hide. Meanwhile, Strand is used to move around and weave protection out of it for yourself. Void creates chaos and allows its users to feed off of it, while Strand allows its users to flow through the chaos. Solar and Void provide a sort of nourishment and growth for their users and allies, while Stasis and Strand are more about allowing their users to survive by removing enemies from the picture, whether through death or imprisonment. Considering all of this, Light is a force which nourishes and grows, while Darkness is a force that restricts and punishes. This kinda goes with the theory posed by the Winnower in Unveiling, but Darkness is seen differently. Rather than being seen as a force that desires the final shape, it becomes a force that is used to simply allow its user to survive when the Light would fail to protect them. The only issue I see with this theory is that we don't have our opposite for Arc just yet, so I can't completely flesh it out yet.
One last note
I just want to add that in terms of understanding Strand, Osiris was at least somewhat correct. He helped us understand the philosophy needed to master it and studied it himself, so I doubt he didn't understand Strand at all. That said, he doesn't have any known experience with Stasis or other Darkness powers, which is part of why I still think Osiris doesn't understand the Darkness as much as he thinks he does.

Howdy cybersecurity_help, to preface, I'm a stupid layman, and do not have any meaningful experience with coding/cybersecurity.
Recently I capitalized on a deal during Steam's spring sale, and after several days of playing the title, I encountered a hacker. Although their behavior seemed pretty harmless (the standard "god mode" type stuff) I began to worry when they crashed my client, and presumably the clients of the other two players present.
After checking online to see if it was any cause for concern, I discovered that hackers have frequently been using the game to inject RCE/arbitrary code in order to take remote control of other players PC's and obtain sensitive information. I've begun to worry that their behavior in game was a subterfuge to allot them time to embed malicious code in my sysrem.
I primarily use my computer for music production, writing and schoolwork, and haven't backed up my files for many weeks. My first instinct after finding out about these RCE attacks is to wipe my computer, but this would result in countless hours of work being lost, so if possible, I'd like to find a way to detect any arbitrary code on my system before taking the nuclear option. I'm assuming that standard antivirus software would be useless for something like this.
Apparently the developers recently applied a patch that ostensibly accounts for these RCE attacks, but the dev team in question is Activision, so I am skeptical this patch was comprehensive. It's Call of duty, black ops 3: zombie chronicles by the way, don't judge me, I was feeling nostalgic.

Contact me on (+44) 7593880762 on Telegram/WhatsApp if you have interest in Charilie Houpert - Charisma University course.
Charisma University by Charlie Houpert is the ultimate tool for mastering the art of charm and making lasting impressions. With Charisma University, you will:

Make killer first impressions that leave a lasting impression, whether you talk to someone for 30 seconds or 30 minutes.
Command attention every time you walk into a room, drawing eyes to you before you even speak.
Tell captivating stories that leave people hanging on your every word and eager to hear more.
Effortlessly flow in conversations, eliminating awkward silences and making connections that last.
Instantly connect with others on a deeper level, increasing the likelihood of seeing them again.
Use proven tools to turn on your natural charm in those moments where you normally might feel at a loss for words.
Build relationships with older, more successful business mentors, who will be eager to help you achieve your goals.
Overcome the feeling of freezing up in social situations, and feel confident and in control.
Be the life of the party, without relying on alcohol for social lubrication.
Lead conversations and bring energy to any room, never again feeling like the person standing alone, checking their phone.

With Charisma University, you will be guided step-by-step on your journey to mastering the art of charm. As long as you follow the program, you are guaranteed to see massive gains in your social and professional life.
Contact us today if you are interested in Charisma University in one of the following ways:
Reddit DM to u/RequestCourseAccess
WhatApp/Telegram: (+44) 7593880762
**Email: silverlakestore//@//yandex.com (remove the brackets).

Get Andrew Tate - The Real World by chatting me on +44 759 388 0762 on Telegram/Whatsapp.
I have Andrew Tate - The Real World.
Andrew Tate - The Real World is your ticket out of the Matrix.
The Real World is a global community of like-minded individuals striving to acquire an abundance of wealth.
After being banned Andrew Tate created The Real World as a means to teach everyone how to get rich, outside of the reach of the Matrix.
For the first time in history you will read and learn things outside of the Matrix control.
The Real World by Andrew Tate comes with its own complete infrastructure - servers, university and even own bank.
Copywriting, Freelancing, Amazon FBA and more is covered inside Andrew Tate's The Real World.
To get Andrew Tate - The Real World contact me on:
Whatsapp/Telegram: +44 759 388 0762
Reddit DM
Email: silverlakestore[@]yandex.com (remove the brackets)

Get Andrew Tate - The Real World by chatting me on +44 759 388 0762 on Telegram/Whatsapp.
I have Andrew Tate - The Real World.
Andrew Tate - The Real World is your ticket out of the Matrix.
The Real World is a global community of like-minded individuals striving to acquire an abundance of wealth.
After being banned Andrew Tate created The Real World as a means to teach everyone how to get rich, outside of the reach of the Matrix.
For the first time in history you will read and learn things outside of the Matrix control.
The Real World by Andrew Tate comes with its own complete infrastructure - servers, university and even own bank.
Copywriting, Freelancing, Amazon FBA and more is covered inside Andrew Tate's The Real World.
To get Andrew Tate - The Real World contact me on:
Whatsapp/Telegram: +44 759 388 0762
Reddit DM - u/smashbike
Email: silverlakestore[@]yandex.com (remove the brackets)

So i have 2 wii remotes,one works perfectly but the other one doesnt,everything i try to Race with It I get controller error,followed by very weird errores like looking backwards,drifting the opposite direction and just going in a straight line.It doesnt Matter how many times i disconnect and reconnect the Nunchuk,It keeps making those errors,i also tried to Sync It but It still fails,What do i do

I have been struggling to downgrade gta iv, i have no mods in any way it says i dont so thats not the problem can anyone help, thanks

[12.51.27] [Info] - - - Application Information - - -
[12.51.27] [Info] Downgrader Version: 1.9
[12.51.27] [Info] - - - MD5 Check - - -
[12.51.27] [Info] MD5 Hash Created: 4f1909362ae4aaa908e58b6d3ca32562
[12.51.27] [Info] MD5 Hash Found: 4f1909362ae4aaa908e58b6d3ca32562
[12.51.27] [Info] If both MD5 Hashes don't match: The selected GTA IV Installation might be modified (Contains mods).
[12.51.27] [Info] - - - Downgrading Informations - - -
[12.51.27] [Info] Selected downgrading version: v1070
[12.51.27] [Info] Configure for GFWL: False
[12.51.27] [Info] Selected radio downgrader: SneedsDowngrader
[12.51.27] [Info] Selected vladivostok type: Old
[12.51.27] [Info] Install No EFLC Music in IV Fix: False
[12.51.27] [Info] Install Prerequisites: True
[12.51.27] [Info] Create Backup: False
[12.51.27] [Info] Create Backup in zip file: False
[12.51.27] [Info] - - - Starting Downgrading Process - - -
[12.51.27] [Info] 1070.zip is already downloaded but the file is corrupted. Adding to download queue to redownload.
[12.51.27] [Info] SneedsRadioDowngrader.zip is already downloaded but the file is corrupted. Adding to download queue to redownload.
[12.51.27] [Info] WithoutNewVladivostok.zip is already downloaded. Skipping.
[12.51.27] [Info] directx_Jun2010_redist.exe is already downloaded. Skipping.
[12.51.27] [Info] vcredist_x86.exe is already downloaded. Skipping.
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: 1070.zip, URL: ftp://195.201.179.80/IVDowngraderFiles/1070.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: SneedsRadioDowngrader.zip, URL: ftp://195.201.179.80/IVDowngraderFiles/SneedsRadioDowngrader.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: ScriptHook_1070.zip, URL: https://github.com/ClonkAndre/GTAIVDowngraderOnline_Files/raw/main/mods/ScriptHook_1070.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: SteamAchievements.zip, URL: https://github.com/ClonkAndre/GTAIVDowngraderOnline_Files/raw/main/mods/SteamAchievements.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: xlive.zip, URL: https://github.com/ClonkAndre/GTAIVDowngraderOnline_Files/raw/main/mods/xlive.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: ZMenuIV.zip, URL: https://github.com/ClonkAndre/GTAIVDowngraderOnline_Files/raw/main/mods/ZMenuIV.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Populated download queue list with: ZolikaPatch.zip, URL: https://github.com/ClonkAndre/GTAIVDowngraderOnline_Files/raw/main/mods/ZolikaPatch.zip
[12.51.27] [Info] Finished populating download queue list.
[12.51.27] [Info] Starting downloads...
[12.51.27] [Info] Downloading 1070.zip...
[12.51.27] [Error] An error occured while downloading item 1070.zip. Details: The remote server returned an error: (421) The service is not available, the control connection is closed.
[12.51.27] [Error] An error occured while downloading item SneedsRadioDowngrader.zip. The remote server returned an error: (421) The service is not available, the control connection is closed..
[12.51.27] [Info] Downloading ScriptHook_1070.zip...
[12.51.27] [Info] Downloading SteamAchievements.zip...
[12.51.27] [Info] Downloading xlive.zip...
[12.51.27] [Info] Downloading ZMenuIV.zip...
[12.51.27] [Info] Downloading ZolikaPatch.zip...
[12.51.27] [Info] Download of files completed!
[12.51.27] [Info] Installing Visual C++...
[12.52.18] [Info] Visual C++ installed!
[12.52.18] [Info] Extracting DirectX setup files...
[12.52.22] [Info] DirectX setup files extracted
[12.52.22] [Info] Installing DirectX...
[12.52.32] [Info] DirectX installed!
[12.52.32] [Info] Extracting files for Sneeds Radio Downgrader...
[12.52.32] [Error] An error occurred. Details: Central folder is damaged.

Okay so, I (18afab) have been in a rather weird dilemma of sorts. Ever since my childhood, I never felt like I was not a girl (I even had a dream were I was seen as a boy that I described as a nightmare where my hair was completely cut off and I was assigned at the boys' table). But I wouldn't say I am the most feminine girl either, I had always wanted to be more tomboyish, I was into being active and playing sports, I dont particularly enjoy wearing skirts or dresses but I often see dress where I am like "oh I'd kinda want to wear that". Starting from last 2 years or so, I had also picked up make up, doing it as a creative outlet every now and then or when I am going out with certain people. I should also add I am bisexual (more so heteromantic bisexual because I can't really see myself dating a girl in the long term). Despite all of this, I sometimes feel like I don't belong with other women, sometimes I feel too masculine to be one. I find myself acquiring the mannerisms and thinking patterns of men in my life, (example my facial expressions are basically the same as my dad's). I dont particularly feel uncomfortable with having the body parts of a woman, especially in the bottom area, I prefer what I have. But sometimes I feel uncomfortable with my breasts. But lately I found myself not relating to the person I see in the mirror. I dont know how else to explain it. It feels as if I am a video game player controlling a character that I dont have a connection to. I feel as tho I am losing the sense of self I had for the last 2 years, the idea of the person I wanted to be. It feels unreachable. And so I ended up questioning my gender again. This had happened once before where it completely wrecked me with anxiousness. It was during covid isolation. I feel like I was too masculine, I felt like I was a guy trying to pretend to be a girl and the aspect of feeling like a man made me feel so uncomfortable. I went to see a psychologist because of it, and I told her about the various things and she helped me come to the conclusion that I didn't need to decide anything right that second, and I should just allow myself to exist and if there is anything about my appearance that is making me uncomfortable, I should look into changing that. I told her that my masculine hands and me being hairy was making me the most uncomfortable. I waxed my arms for a brief time and I was feeling better actually. Then when schools reopened, I started feeling better, I had a boyfriend at the time and I didnt think back to that questioning again for 2-3 years. But everytime the time interval (around new years and winter) where I had that crisis came close, I would feel grim, not necessary question anything or feel uncomfortable with how I was presenting, just that feeling of anxiousness and feeling gray would return in a dimmed way because those few weeks really were agony for me, I had lost like 3-4 kgs due to being anxious and not being able to eat anything, crying so much that I would just throw up what I had eaten. But for those 2-3 years outside of those time intervals, I was happy with who I was, besides little insecurities I had that didnt have much to do with my gender identity. I was hopeful towards the future, I was feeling like myself again, I had found a career I really wanted to do, I had made new friends in university. I had started a new relationship with a guy and him calling me his girlfriend, would give me butterflies and make me feel on cloud 9, and doing intimate talks regarding sexuality with him didnt feel odd, I didnt feel uncomfortable at all or that I was being someone I wasnt, the only things that made me feel reluctant was my inexperience in that topic and feeling embarrassed. Imagining scenarios with him where I was percieved as a girl didnt disturb me, it was actually nice and enjoyable and natural. We have broken up since, even tho I still have feelings for him and he has for me, it was the wrong time for us. Ever since that break up, I have been continually feelings worse and worse, and now my university is online due to a local occurance. I have been isolated from my friends, we barely get the chance to meet up between classes and assignments. Due to these factors, my gender identity crisis has returned. I found myself not relating to the person I see in the mirror, I felt like I wanted to cut off my hands, rip my face off because both kept reminding me of this situation. I have imagined interacting with the world in a way a guy or a nonbinary person would and I dont find it particularly enjoyable, I can barely imagine it at all. But I also dont feel like I am who I was, I feel dissociated from the sense of self I had where I was happy. I dont feel like I am the woman I was, I feel like a ghost, and I dont know what to make of it. My brain is constantly like "what if you are actually a trans man and you have been surpressing it so much, what if your attraction to men is just you wanting to be like them, and you dont actually feel like a woman and you have been putting up a front your entire life" It isnt pleasant, it is rather anxiety inducing and imagining myself as presenting as another gender doesn't help at all, if anything it makes the churning feeling in my stomach worse. And when I imagine interacting with the world as a woman, that's what feels natural but I find myself relating to awkward guy characters like Newt Scamander more and more, but when I imagine myself in scenarios I never imagine myself as a guy, my personas are always women, or always feminine presenting. I dont know what my point is exactly, it feels like my brain is constantly working to induce anxiety on me and feeling like I am not myself is not helping either. Can any of you bring some light into what I am experiencing? I dont know where else to talk about this and I need some relief until I can talk with my psychologist again. Sorry for the long post.

Howdy techsupport, to preface, I'm a stupid layman, and do not have any meaningful experience with coding/cybersecurity.
Recently I capitalized on a deal during Steam's spring sale, and after several days of playing the title, I encountered a hacker. Although their behavior seemed pretty harmless (the standard "god mode" type stuff) I began to worry when they crashed my client, and presumably the clients of the other two players present.
After checking online to see if it was any cause for concern, I discovered that hackers have frequently been using the game to inject RCE/arbitrary code in order to take remote control of other players PC's and obtain sensitive information. I've begun to worry that their behavior in game was a subterfuge to allot them time to embed malicious code in my sysrem.
I primarily use my computer for music production, writing and schoolwork, and haven't backed up my files for many weeks. My first instinct after finding out about these RCE attacks is to wipe my computer, but this would result in countless hours of work being lost, so if possible, I'd like to find a way to detect any arbitrary code on my system before taking the nuclear option. I'm assuming that standard antivirus software would be useless for something like this.
Apparently the developers recently applied a patch that ostensibly accounts for these RCE attacks, but the dev team in question is Activision, so I am skeptical this patch was comprehensive. It's Call of duty, black ops 3: zombie chronicles by the way, don't judge me, I was feeling nostalgic

This is a short summary of how various Bleach characters could be fused into the Avatar universe, with regards to their powers and abilities, and how they would fit in the world of Avatar. Additionally, snippets about how the lore of the Bleach universe might fit in with the lore of the Avatar universe. Note that this is a fanwork and there are elements that I have changed slightly. Also this does allude to certain elements in the Thousand Year Blood War arc that have not been released in anime format.

Yamamoto

The most powerful firebender in recorded history whose strength surpassed the Avatar's. His unmatched prowess with flame allows him to not just produce vast quantities of fire, but also directly manipulate the volatile element (similar to how a waterbender bends water); additionally, he can control his inner flame to allow him to maintaining his mental and physical state (in a similar manner to how Kyoshi lived hundreds of years). He left the Fire Nation and founded the Soul Society during the reign of Fire Lord Yosor, during this time of great upheaval many people, from all nations flocked to the Soul Society, under the protection of the most powerful and dangerous warriors at the time. Since that day, the Soul Society has remained as a neutral fifth nation, despite many external attempts to "unite" it with both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

Soi Fon

The Fon Clan were originally a group of Air Nomads who were captured and subjugated by the Shihoin Clan before the era of Avatar Szeto, when the Soul Society was founded the Shihoin Clan brought along the Fon Clan as their retainers. As the centuries pass nothing remains of the Fon's nomadic heritage other than their bending, with Soi Fon being one of the last remaining air benders and the 9th clan head. She utilises her bending to manipulate the air currents and pressure around her body, allowing her to move at speeds faster than the human eye can see. She carries a short blade on her back, and wears a black and gold gauntlet with a middle finger stinger; the stinger contains a poison which can kill with two stabs. Her most powerful technique involves encircling her body with a hyper-sonic vortex of air, once created she can maintain this vortex indefinitely.

Gin Ichimaru

An incredibly cunning earthbender; without warning he can rapidly move the ground under his opponents feet, which he uses to create openings to strike with his blade. However, his blade is where his true power lies, he claims that he has mastered metalbending a particular alloy which forms his blade. It appears as though he thins and stretches his blade allowing him to lunge and strike at opponents from great distances. However this is a lie, he has actually mastered bending a the dust of a rare substance, which is both extremely poisonous and capable of being compressed into a dense blade. During battle, he earthbends his blade expanding the dust at incredible speed to slice through his opponents before returning all of the substance to it's original blade form (to keep the poisonous nature of the blade a secret). The top-speed of his dust expansion technique is faster than the human eye can follow, however he only unleashes the true speed in the last moments of a strike, to keep his opponent's off-guard and guarantee a hit.

Unohana Retsu

The first and most brutal bloodbender in history, in every nation she was regarded as the most heinous villain alive, bringing slaughter and death wherever she went. In battle, her used a large curved blade to slice open her opponents, before draining the blood from their body through the newly formed wound; she would then use this new blood to create razor thin sweeping arcs of blood to carve through yet more opponents, thus repeating the cycle. Additionally, she used her bloodbending on herself, forcibly moving her body at incredible speeds to make her one of the deadliest swordsman in the world. However, as the decades passed (after the Soul Society was formed) the stories about this monster faded over time, eventually becoming myth and legend. This is because Unohana forsook her murderous ways and instead utilised her bloodbending with her natural waterbending healing to become one of the most powerful healers in the world. As a consequence over this mastery of healing and self-bloodbending Unohana has successfully extended her lifespan by hundreds of years and granted herself eternal youth.

Sosuke Aizen

A charismatic and intelligent waterbender who has completely mastered spirit bending and seeks to use this ability to transform himself beyond his present human body. As a water bender his control over the element is so fine that he can create illusions to manipulate his opponents. He controls the water vapour in the air to diffuse and reflect light to create a visual component to his illusions; he vibrates the water molecules in the air to produce pressure waves to either create false sounds or mask real sounds. However, it is his studies into the spirit realm and spirit bending are what make him exceptionally dangerous; Aizen came to the conclusion that there is no single spirit (other than Vaatu) which is stronger than Raava. Therefore, to surpass the Avatar he would need to forge a new spirit by amalgamating the souls of humans and lesser spirits. Through the process of creation, this forged spirits will would be subjugated by Aizen's own will, thus when he merges with the amalgam Aizen will retain his sense of self.

Byakuya Kuchiki

A calm and collected metalbender, who is renowned for his absolute control over the substance Cobalt. Cobalt is a light pink metal with a silvery white surface; the blade of the Kuchiki clan hereditary weapon is made from this substance. In battle, Byakuya separates his single blade into hundreds of razor thin slices that float around him, these blades have the appearance of cherry blossom petals dancing in an invisible breeze. He swarms his opponents with the petals, killing them through thousands of cuts, all the while using metalbending to maintain the edges of the blades. His skill with manipulating the metal is so great that is he capable of controlling and generating lightning using the magnetic properties of the metal. The Kuchiki clan are one of the founding bodies of the Soul Society, they were once a noble clan from the city of Tienhaishi, but fled as the city was razed to the ground by the vengeful spirit, General Old Iron. Several years ago, Byakuya defied his clan elders and married a refugee waterbender who was originally from beyond the Soul Society.

Sajin Komamura

A loyal and kind-hearted member of the Wolfman Clan, Koamura is regarded as one of the most powerful earthbenders in the world. His signature technique is to earthbend a colossal earthen golem, over three-hundred feet tall, which copies his movements. Among all mortal creatures, there is no other capable of moving that amount of earth for hours on end. The Wolfman Clan originated during the Era of Raava, and were humans who were cursed by spirits with a beastly appearance because of their sins in life. The clan has remained hidden for many years; however, a young Komamura left his clan to explore the wider world. However, he was deeply scarred by the times when he was spurned by humans for his appearance; forcing him to wear armour which covered his entire body. His travels eventually lead him to the Soul Society, where he was greeted and accepted by Yamamoto. Finally, with a place to call home, he became close friends with the blind-man Tōsen.

Shunsui Kyōraku

A laid-back and flamboyant swordsman, who merged with Kemurikage, a dark spirit of a grieving mother who lost their child to the violent warlord, Toz. Shunsui’s abilities are not elemental based, but instead derived from the spirits yearning for the lost days when her child would sit with her and play games. Shunsui can make children’s games a reality, through this he can conjure illusions, travel through shadows, and turn non-lethal blows deadly. He is originally from the Fire Nation, and traveled to the soul society when he was young, at the behest of his brother’s widow, the then current head of the Ise Clan. Through his deep connection with the dark spirits, Shunsui sealed away the Ise Clan’s legendary artifact to prevent anymore deaths. Shunsui remained in the Soul Society as steward of the Ise Clan artifact, training his spirit bending abilities under Yamamoto and mastering the skills of swordsmanship.

Kaname Tōsen

A blind earthbender who is a master of neutral jing, he can controls the vibrations of all earth and dust within his vicinity. His signature technique is to use his earthbending to grind the ground in the area to dust, then lift the dust into the air and hold it perfectly still. The dust forms a dome which blocks all light and the stillness of the particles means that sounds are dampened to nothing; thus rendinger all inside the dome blind and deaf. He even dampens his footsteps thus becoming invisible to those who sense using tremors in the ground. The airbourne dust becomes an extension of Tōsen’s senses, allowing him to feel the minute movements of his opponents in all directions. This ability can be used offensively, moving the dust particles rapidly to create high pitched resonating sounds and small shockwaves. He has dedicated his life to battling injustice and corruption, after his dearest friend, Kakyō, was murdered by her husband.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

One of the most powerful waterbenders in the world, Hitsugaya was blessed by the great heavenly ice dragon Hyōrinmaru. Hitsugaya can control the water in the surrounding atmosphere, cooling the vapour to form fearsome dragons of ice and water. Hitsugaya’s immense power is eclipsed by both his intellect and potential, he utilised the principles of thermodynamics in conjunction with his bending, to form fire resistant barriers made from thin layers of ice separated by a vacuum. His greatest achievement is using his waterbending to lift and control a large set of ice wings which are connected to his back, allowing him to fly. Thus he is the Soul Societies most powerful aerial combatant. He was born in the Soul Society, and alongside his close friend Hinamori he was raised by his grandmother. But once she left to train her firebending, he found that his power was growing wild, and that it was hurting the ones closest to him. He began training as a way to gain control, help those around him, and protect the Soul Society from attacks.

Kenpachi Zaraki

The most dangerous non-bender in the world, similar to how the Avatar merged with Raava and became the embodiment of balance and harmony, Zaraki Kenpachi is a human who has merged with a nameless malevolent oni spirit, who is the embodiment of battle and slaughter. Through this union, Zaraki became stronger, faster and more durable than any other mortal alive, although the spirit could not reincarnate, he could slow the rate at which Zaraki aged. As Zaraki fights, he enters into a euphoric frenzy, merging closer with his spirit; the stronger the opponent the closer Zaraki merges with his spirit. The origins of this individual are unknown, even to himself, however he has wandered the world seeking a battle that will finally bring him joy. In the beginning of the Hundred Year War, Zaraki had made his way to the Soul Society, and finally found his fated opponent; Unohana Yachiru’s bloodbending enhancement allowed her to survive against Zaraki’s onslaught. However, as the battle progressed, he realised that if he were to win, then he would never again be able to experience the extasy of battle like this again. He subconsciously weakened the connection with his spirit and eventually lost that battle.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

One of the most intelligent men in the world, Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an earthbender who has mastered the art of bending pure rare metals, such as gold. He travels with a golden sword and a large golden golem in the shape of an insect-like monster. Mayuri utilises the non-reactive nature of gold to contain plethora of chemicals and poison within his sword and golem, with each substance being confined within it’s own sealed golden compartment. Should he require a given amount of a pure chemical, he changes the porosity of the gold, so that it may emit the substance. If he requires a mixture of substances, he bends an empty vial within his golem and then siphons off chemicals from the other containers into this new vial to react together (using substances like platinum as a catalyst). He is widely regarded to be a sadistic monster, who holds no regard for human life. In his youth he trained under the legendary Shutara Senjumaru before being imprisoned for his horrific experiments. He was eventually released by Kisuke Urahara, for his technical mind.

Jūshirō Ukitake

A spiritual Firebender who was blessed by the Moon Spirit Tui and has mastered the rare ability to energy-bend. When Ukitake was young he developed a fatal lung disease, his parents prayed to every spirit they knew till eventually the spirit of the Moon answered their prayers. This blessing healed his lungs, turned his hair white, and allowed him to feel the ebb and flow of the energy around him, bending it as if it were water. Ukitake is able to bend the flames as if they were water, regardless if he produced them or not. Additionally, Ukitake is the progenitor of lightning redirection, a technique that would be passed down to the Dragon of the West, Iroh, when the general travelled to the Soul Society in the aftermath of the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Ukitake’s kind nature and unwavering belief in good, has allowed him to develop a connection to the spirit world, where he mastered the ability to manipulate spiritual energy. Through this he bonded with his long-time close friend Kyōraku.

Chōjirō Sasakibe

An exceptionally loyal Firebender who has served Yamamoto since the foundation of the Soul Society. Despite his rank and appearance, he is a deadly warrior who has mastered and the art of lightning bending, and pushed beyond the limits of what was originally thought possible. Utilising heat-bending in conjunction with his lightning, he is capable of summoning vast thunderbolts from the sky, eclipsing any lightning generated by a mortal. Additionally, through careful chi control and artful lightning manipulation, he has slowed his aging so that he may serve alongside his commander.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda

A large but crafty non-bender, Marechiyo Ōmaeda is descended from a long line of professional hitmen. Prior to the formation of the Soul Society, the Ōmaeda family were a small time bandit clan in, what is known today as, the Fire Nation. However, upon the defection of Yamamoto and the formation of the Soul Society, the Ōmaeda family prospered and profited in the ensuring war. Eventually, they would come to serve as another vassal house for the Shihoin clan, alongside the Fon clan. Marechiyo Ōmaeda is the heir to the family fortune, and currently serves under Soi Fon, much to her chagrin. Despite his appearance, he is an exceptionally fast combatant and a cunning fighter, utilising his opponents assumptions about his size to bludgeon them in the head with a massive spiked iron ball, which is his signature weapon. However, he is exceptionally cowardly, and will utilising smoke and tear gas bombs to facilitate his escape.

Izuru Kira

An introspective and tactical earthbender who utilises a family technique to energybend. The Kira family were descended from a lesser prince of the Earth Kingdom royal family; during the Wars of Secrets and Daggers, the patriarch was killed and the remaining family fled out of fear. Pleading their case before the sages and judges of the Soul Society, the family was allowed to settle within the protective walls and hold some amount of political power, befitting their former status. Izuru Kira has mastered the family technique of the “earthen crush” whereby the user imparts their earthen chi into an object that they touch, allowing them to bend the object or person directly downwards, crushing them. This powerful technique requires the bender touch the target, so that they may impart their chi.

Isane Kotetsu

The protégé of Unohana, this waterbender is second only to her master in terms of healing capabilities. Her grandfather was originally from the Southern Water Tribe and fled to the Soul Society during the raids, bringing with him the tribes scrolls of healing, which were passed down through the family. She and her sister were originally split during their brief time in the slums; however, fortune smiled upon Isane as she was reunited with her sister within the Soul Society. Unbenownest to the pair, Unohana sponsered both of their entries, and holds a genuine affection for Isane, something which the ancient bloodbender had never felt before.

Momo Hinamori

An exceptionally clever firebender who has mastered the art of altering the trajectory of her fire mid-flight. Similar to how energybenders utilise the connections between all living creatures to search, Hinamori can utilise those connections as pathways to channel her fire, giving her a dangerous degree of accuracy. She was born in the Soul Society, and alongside her close friend Tōshirō she was raised by her grandmother. However, inspired by the powerful benders who defended the Soul Society and fuelled by her desire to protect her friends, she left to begin her firebending training. Her focus on academics and on connections within energy bending is how she was introduced to Aizen, a well established defender of the Soul Society; she grew enamoured with him, which only encouraged her to pursue her firebending techniques further, so that she may protect her family alongside such a powerful figure.

Renji Abarai

Renji Abarai was born in the slums outside of the Soul Society, the areas that consist of the refugees and families who are awaiting judgement on if they may be granted citizenship. The soldiers who patrol these areas are purely to deter foreign invaders, resulting in a lawless sprawl of shanty towns. After Renji’s childhood companion, Rukia was adopted by one of the noble houses within the Soul Society, he began training in one of the nearby valleys, where he encountered a wild spirit. The jungle this spirit ruled over was burned to ash by the Fire Nation, and it was left aimless and wandering. Renji began to bond with the spirit and promised a better life for them, if the spirit bonded with him. After this union, Renji was able to gain citizenship within the Soul Society because he demonstrated his immense physical abilities, that had been enhanced through the union. After training with Zaraki, who possessed a similar spiritual nature, he came to serve Byakuya Kuchiki, the adopted older brother of his childhood companion Rukia.

Tetsuzaemon Iba

A dangerous non-bender who specialises in swordsmanship and hand to hand combat. Originally he was the leader of one of the many gangs who ruled over the slums, having inherited the position from his mother. However, after an Earth Kingdom raid devastated his hometown, he vowed to protect those under his care, and enlisted in the army of the Soul Society. Iba’s loyalty to the Soul Society and his Captain are well renowned; his skill as a fighter is exceptional as he is always training to master all forms of combat. Nanao Ise
Nanao Ise is the last of a long line of matrilineal priestesses, who oversaw and carried out rituals and rites related to spirits. To accomplish this task, the Ise clan passed down a sacred blade which can reflect energy in all forms. It is regarded as the pinnacle of energy bending, and it is through this scared blade that Nanao is training to become a master of energy bending. Her superior, Kyoraku, was a close friend of the family, and was entrusted with the blade until Nanao was of age to begin training. Her tutors are the aforementioned Kyōraku and the affable Ukitake; her personality is diametrically opposed to these two, she is a serious and pragmatic person, yet she remains respectful to her teachers in the spiritual arts.

Shūhei Hisagi

Shūhei Hisagi is one of the few air-benders within the bounds of the Soul Society, he is descended from monks who fled during Sozin’s attack on the temples. However, as a result of the air-bender purges, Hisagi learned nothing about air-bending philosophy nor the cultural roots. Despite this, he is a master air-bender who has developed his own philosophy on the balance between life and death. It is this understanding of balance, that drives his unique, and aggressive, air-bending techniques, which are focused on manipulating air currents around a pair of chained scythes. He is highly respected within the Soul Society, and is the managing editor of the largest newspaper within the Soul Society … despite his inability to write a popular article.

Rangiku Matsumoto

Rangiku Matsumoto is a gregarious and lively Earth-bender, who grew-up alongside Gin Ichimaru within the slums outside the Soul Society. To gain entry into the Soul Society she trained to become adept at the art of dust and ash bending, she moves these particles at high speed to cut through an opponent as easily as a sword. The elders of the Shiba clan, one of the founding clans of the Soul Society, sponsored her entry and assigned her to assist the, then, head of the clan. Her outgoing personality has made her popular within multiple circles, and she is close friends with many other of the defenders of the Soul Society including Hisagi and Kira.

Yachiru Kusajishi

Yachiru Kusajishi is a dark spirit, bound to the mortal realm, that took the form of a human child. Initially, this spirit was formless without thought or body; however, the area that this spirit inhabited became the site for a series of violent and bloody conflicts. Out of the bloodlust and suffering this spirit began to grow and bond with the creature that exhibited the greatest lust for battle: that being the future Kenpachi Zaraki. Eventually, this bond became strong enough to allow the spirit to manifest within the physical realm. This juvenile spirit was adopted by Zaraki, becoming a surrogate daughter. Through interaction with humans beyond violence, the spirit grew into a person in her own right; becoming a bubbly and excitable child. Despite this, she is a dangerous combatant; her physical nature as a spirit makes her both faster and stronger than any mortal. Through her upbringing she associated violence with playing, her favourite game is “dodge”, wherein she attacks an opponent to force them to dodge. However, the trick of this game is that she has the ability to hit an opponent both “before” and “after” the hit, making dodging nigh impossible.

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Similar to Yachiru, Nemu Kurotsuchi is a dark spirit bound to the mortal realm who took the form of a young woman. However, she was artificially created by the mad scientist Mayuri, who captured and tortured spirits, forcing them into subservience and then manifesting those in a homunculus body. Through many repeated attempts Mayuri succeeded in the creation of Nemu; however, his experiments could not be kept secret for long. Under direct orders from both the governing body of the Soul Society, and Yamamoto himself. Mayuri’s ability to energy-bend was sealed completely and Nemu was removed from his custody. She has taken residence with Kyoraku, Ukitake and Nanao, and is regaining the free will that was so cruelly taken from her. Similar to Yachiru, whom she shares a kindred bond with, Nemu is faster and stronger than any mortal and has an incredible durability as a result of her Homunculi body. Additionally, there are several chemicals and aspects of her mortal form, which are only known to Mayuri himself.

Rukia Kuchiki

Rukia Kuchiki is a powerful water-bender with an affinity for manipulating ice and snow. She was a refugee from a Northern Water Tribe outpost, and was carried to the slums outside the Soul Society by her sister, Hisana. In a desperate attempt for survival, Rukia’s sister abandoned her within the slums when she was less than a year old. Rukia grew up alongside Renji within these dangerous areas; however, Hisana had not forgotten about her and upon her deathbed Hisana made her husband, Byakuya, promise to bring Rukia to safety. After Byakuya fulfilled that promise, Rukia began training her waterbending and developed her own style, distinct from the traditional Northern Water Tribe form. This new form is to waterbending what the dancing dragons is to firebending, an elegant form which alters the fundamental principles. Rather than the fluidity and change, Rukia focused on the rigidity and stillness of water. This philosophy was inspired by her earthbending step-brother, and allows Rukia to form structures of super-cold ice at temperatures that are unnatural even by spirits.

Howdy, thought I'd write a fanfic in its purest form. Taking characters which are not mine and bending them to my will.
Ever since Slanek's little dog problem, always wanted him to have a meet up with the honeybadger. So here we are.
Special thanks to u/Banancake for permission to use Vikri.
Thanks to SP15 for Slanek and the universe.
Warning potential spoilers for Hunting with Predators.
As for Slanek, assuming shore leave post successful evac from Sillis.
Thanks for reading.

Memory transcript: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps
Date [standardized human time]: December 22, 2136
The sky was grey, with white powder raining relentlessly. Thick snow was piled up on the sides of the road which itself had a fine coat; the layered black lines carved by other traffic the only effort keeping it clear. In this weather they would be quickly erased, leaving the long power cable strung between frequent poles the only indicator of the road’s existence. The UN driver accompanying me had been quiet for a while now, focusing hard ahead, gripping the steering wheel despite the autonomous nature of our ride. All I could do was look out and survey the scenery, trying to calm my beating heart as our destination grew closer.
The landscape was muted in shape by its icy covering, only broken by the dark shapes of imposing trees; sometimes sparse, sometimes grouped to form a forest. Despite their stillness, they put me on edge. There were wolves out there, hiding in their shadows. Dogs were terrifying, despite Marcel’s frequent reminders that they were loyal and would not harm me, I could not shake that fear. But wolves, they were big, they were wild, and they were skilled at the hunt. Their existence would not have been tolerated on any other federation planet. Speh! They shouldn’t be tolerated here.
My concern when voiced was brushed off. Just stay in the car they said. Don’t stray from the town. But I had made the mistake of looking them up on the internet and had seen their hideous form. Compared to the terror of their fangs, this car felt awfully flimsy.
Regret once again began to seep in, but I shook it from my head. I refuse to disappoint Marcel again. Time and again my stupid fear of predators gets in the way. I loved Marcel, I accepted his nature. But that wasn’t enough. Tillis proved I had a long way to go before we could be on equal terms. Once again, he forgave me. Understood me. But surely there is a limit. I can’t rely on his kindness forever. I must be better.
As we drove a green sign caught my eye, standing out against the monotonous background. “HAMILTON 17”
A small town, deep in the wilderness. Since the bombing, it had lost a lot of its population due to the collapse of the supply network. Even those far from the bombing were still turned into refugees. However, it had recently served as a rendezvous point for some survivors from the battle of Earth. One, in particular, I had arranged to see.
Driving through town, it was clear some life had returned to it, though you could hardly call it bustling. A lit window here, a pedestrian there. Cars were few and far between. The house that was our destination was on the outskirts, part of the last remnants before the wilderness began. Why would a venlil choose to live in such a dangerous place like this? Is this not the definition of straying from town? A month ago I would have diagnosed this guy with predator disease but now I knew that to be somewhat ignorant. Stars, according to Marcel, I would have predator disease. That label stung, though I couldn’t dismiss it. But I wasn’t broken, was I? Defective? Surely not. Not to him at least. No, I was the best venlil, his words. ‘bout time I actually lived up to that high praise.
Upon pulling up at the house, a venlil came out to greet us. I was thankful to see that his…companion was elsewhere, hopefully secure. His tail curled around him slightly with unease though his ears were relaxed, dipping slightly to acknowledge my approach.
“Greetings Vikri, I’m Slanek. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” I gave a respectful ear flick in greeting.
“The pleasure is mine,” he replied, returning the greeting, his lips parting slightly revealing teeth though they were quickly hidden. “I am honoured to meet someone of your acclaim.” Acclaim? Me? “Sorry you had to come all this way but I’m reluctant to travel with her at the moment.”
His companion was why I was here, but to hear such casual reference to it was discomforting. I felt my ears press against my head in response, consciously moving them back to a neutral position.
“Would you like to come in?” He moved to open the door.
“Is…she…” I stammered. He gave a reassuring tail wag.
“She’s in the barn over there,” he said gesturing to a large wooden building some distance away. “Thought we might want to take this slowly. I know how terrifying dogs can be.” He gave a shudder.
Wait, he was scared of dogs too? This doesn’t make any sense. Didn’t he have predator’s disease?
“You’re scared of her?” I asked, incredulous.
“Not now, no. But I was. Terrified.” He looked out to the woods. “We were hunted by them you know. Wolves. Lucky was one of them.” His arms and tail wrapped around his body. “They are terrifying. Their persistence, their violence. They attacked my friends. Nearly ripped their arm off…I can still hear his screaming. See the blood.”
I was at a loss for words
“Then how…why…”
“Why did I befriend her?” He laughed softly. “It’s a long story. Come in. Are you familiar with human tea?”
“I have heard of it,” I replied, moving past him into the building and out of the cold.
--------
The room I entered was sparsely decorated, the furnishings that did fill the meagre space were mismatched and well-worn, with most being of wooden construction. On one wall was what appeared to be a strayu forge constructed of brick, though its opening was at ground level and covered with a metal plate adorned with simple imprints of Terran animals. I sat on a chair made of wood and cloth, perched upon two wooden arches that were unstable by design. Without care it would rock violently, risking the contents of the hot cup handed to me. Vikri occupied the only other chair in the room, notable for having a more respectable 4 legs.
“Have you seen humans hunt?” Vikri asked too casually, causing me to fumble the cup of steaming red liquid I was bringing to my lips. A scorching drop hit my leg.
“Uh, p-persistance hunting correct? Sounds terrifying,” I stammered, rubbing the sore, damp spot on my thigh.
“Not always,” he spoke steadily. “They are…adaptive. Tell me, how do you picture them, as they prepare to kill?”
The image of sharp teeth penetrated my head, moist lips drawn up in a snarl. Their binocular eyes locked on the living creature with hunger as it desperately tried to avoid its gruesome fate. I shook my head to clear it. These visions had finally disappeared after spending so long with Marcel. Why would Vikri reconjure them?
“Fearsome,” I replied. “Delighting in the hunt…like the Arxur.” Even though they still chose to eat meat, I’m glad they had done away with this savage past. Growing it was not dissimilar to plant farming in execution, though the mere thought of it still turned my stomach.
He nodded slowly, staring at me in the eye. A very human gesture.
“Yes, that’s what I expected too. Surely a people built around death would delight in it no?” His gaze softened. “But when the moment came, they were afraid. No blood lust, no savagery. Only quiet resolve” Vikri’s eyes broke contact as he reminisced. “I was scared too. But for them. They needed to do this to survive, and I feel that was the only reason they persevered.”
“You saw them hunt?” I interjected. His ears flicked the affirmative.
“And cook. And eat. It was necessary.” He appeared to study his drink. “But the meat, they enjoyed it. That was confronting. A part of me hoped they wouldn’t. But who was I to speak out against their simple pleasures in the snow and ice. After all they’d done for me.”
“I came to understand the hunters, but that means nothing when you are the prey. Wolfs set upon us, hunting us for hours. Their attacks viscous. Humans were one thing, but these were monsters. It was everything we were taught about predators and more.” He shuddered again.
“In the attack, many were injured. Quarek lost use of his arm. Tenga received life-threatening injuries too.”
I recognised Querek’s name but “Tenga?”
“Uh, he’s a…he was my human. If you understand.” I did.
“We killed a lot of them too, and good riddance I thought. But even after we escaped one kept following. If we had the rounds to spare I would have asked it be shot. But Tenga, he wasn’t like me. He pitied it. She was only trying to survive, like us, he said. Imagine that.” He scoffed. “Compassion for the predators that almost killed you… But he wasn’t wrong.”
“The dog just kept on following us. Devouring any snacks we threw her way but never attacking. It was stressful but if Tenga said she was safe, then I could only believe him. She apparently wanted a pack and the humans welcomed her. Named her Lucky.”
“I was still nervous but then we got attacked by an even bigger predator. A bear. It had me trapped and Lucky ran in to protect me. That dog chose me as someone she needed to protect. How could I dismiss her after that?” He stood up and walked to the window, staring at the barn in the distance. “She’s my partner now. As silly as that sounds. Part of my herd.” He turned back to me, his tail flicking in excitement, his ears showing apprehension. “So, do you still want to meet her?”
_____
Walking through the snow was an odd sensation. It stuck to my legs and penetrated my fur. My feet were quickly sapped of their heat but at least the air temperature was quite tolerable. My posture was hunched with my tail curled around me, but not from the cold.
Vikri ambled ahead, an ever so slight limp to his gait but otherwise confident, a small pouch was attached to a strap around his waist. It wasn’t long before we stood before imposing wooden doors. I heard a faint scratching and panting from the other side.
“I’ll go in first and keep her calm. I’ll call you when we’re ready.” With familiarity, he unlatched the door and cracked it open. A moist snout quickly appeared through the gap which he gently redirected inside before squeezing himself in.
“Good girl, good girl. We’re going to meet a friend so best behaviour alright.”
The sound of panting intensified as I heard movement from within.
“Ok, when you are ready,” he called out.
“Oh, Stars!”
With tentative movements I approached the gap, squeezing my head in to survey.
Next to Vikri sat a fearsome creature reaching up to his chest in height, covered in gray and white fur. Its maw hung open showing its moist pink tongue and many sharp teeth. The only thing restraining it was a thin strap held firmly in Vikri’s paws.
“Arf!” it barked.
I stumbled backwards, falling into the snow. The impact sent sharp pains through my injured shoulder, a seeping cold reaching my rear.
“You okay?” A concerned voice called out.
“Ah, yes, I’m fine. Ju-just stay in there okay,” I whimpered. Get a hold of yourself Slanek! You’ve faced down arxur for stars sake.
Gingerly righting myself, I approached again. With a few deep breaths, I shut my eyes and hastily stepped into the barn, closing the door behind me. No retreat!
Upon opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of the pair in the same position I left them.
“Just walk up to me Slanek. You’re completely safe,” Vikri encouraged, gently stroking the dogs head. The dog’s eyes remained locked on me.
Alright, confidence soldier. Forward march.
Keeping them both in focus I approached, the dog pivoting its head as it tracked me.
Reaching Vikri I froze. I could touch the dog if I wanted.
“Okay, reach out and place your paw on the back of her neck,” Vikri prompted.
I slowly complied, gently making contact with the dogs fur. It was coarser than I expected. As I dug in deeper I could feel the body heat. The dog craned its head back to look at me, making a quiet whine in their throat.
“Very good, she likes it. You can touch her head too.”
I moved my hand up, the softness of the scruff giving way to the more solid bone. Their ears depressed slightly as I pushed them down, but I was very gentle, ears could be sensitive. I was resting my hand on the top of a predator’s head, just above their golden binocular eyes that were staring into mine. I was ok.
“Good girl,” I said tentatively. I caught Vikri’s approving tail flick.
“Want to hold the leash?” he offered. “Take her for a walk.”
This was progressing fast. Could I control a predator?
“I’ll try.” Vikri pressed the strap in my hand and took half a step away.
Despite the slackness in the strap, the dog remained seated, her head snapping to follow her master.
“Up!” he said, and she rose to all fours. “Good girl,” he praised, pulling a small item from his pouch and offering it to her with open paw. The dog moved towards him, jolting my arm slightly as I moved to follow. Their pink tongue shot out and secured the morsel, their jaws closing and chewing with an audible crunch.
“Is that bone?” I asked, disgusted.
“Just a biscuit,” he replied, offering one to me. I grabbed it and on inspection, it was a small dry square that was a dark red colour. It appeared to have been baked hard, but not so much that it couldn’t be broken by teeth.
“It does contain meat though, so don’t eat it.” I felt my stomach shift, as I held it as far away from me as possible, barely resisting the urge to throw it away. The dog saw this as an opportunity and deftly snatched it from my paw before I could even register what was happening.
Crunch, crunch
All that remained was a slightly damp patch on my pad as a shiver went up my arm and resonated throughout my body.
“All right! Let’s go!” Vikri headed towards the door, his tail wagging in amusement. Lucky followed him, dragging me stumbling behind. The answer was no. I could not control a predator.
-----
Vikri walked with purpose, casually waving greetings to anyone we passed, be they in car or on foot. Lucky paced along beside him with me on her other flank, the leash slack between us. He was in a different league from me in embracing human customs, even after I had come so far with Marcel. A feeling of defeat crept in, but I kept it at bay. I was expecting this. It was why I had pursued this meeting.
The fallen snow thickened and the thinning signs of civilisation fell behind us, trees becoming more common. This was definitely straying out of town.
“Aren’t there wolves out here?” I asked nervously, ears high and alert.
“Not this close to town. To many humans,” he replied matter of fact. “Just wild enough to have fun.” He stopped, surveying the surroundings. “Want to set her loose?”
“Huh?” He gestured to lucky with his tail.
“Unclip her leash and let her frolic,” he clarified. What a terrifying notion, but if I didn’t trust him what was the point of me coming? My paws fumbled with the mechanism attaching the leash to her collar, eventually disconnecting it. For a few seconds she sat there, indifferent to the lack of restraint until Vikri gave her an energetic pat.
“Go!” he barked, and a grey-white blur shot off into the snow, remarkably quiet considering the speed. Suddenly she faltered, tumbling into a bank, sending white powder flying. Rolling around to right herself, she sped off again until she found another suitable snow bank to throw herself into. Vikri watched on with a relaxed expression.
“Care to join her?” He asked. I marked my incredulity to him, but he dismissed it. With a loud yelp he ran after her, throwing himself into a previously disturbed snow pile. Instantly the dog was upon him, digging and barking, Vikri’s limbs flailing as he contended with his attacker. My heart leapt into my throat as the nightmare unfolded. Reaching instinctively for my sidearm, my fear began to turn to panic on realisation it wasn’t there. What do I do? Run? No! I’ve got to help. But how? I was frozen.
After a short tussle, Vikri easily pushed her off, sending her running in another direction. The now patchy white venlil returned to my side, breathing heavily.
“She’s so full of energy,” he wheezed, ignoring my frozen expression of terror.
“You’re incredible,” I responded, trying to regain my composure. To shrug off an attack like that. Even if Marcel did something similar to me I fear how I’d react, and I knew him to be sapient and kind.
“Hardly,” he dismissed, “I’ve just had to learn.” He took a moment to catch his breath.
“Thank you for coming Slanek.” His sudden gratitude caught me off-guard. “It means a lot.”
“You’re the one helping me,” I reminded.
“Yes, but you reached out. To a broken venlil like me.” He looked at me and bared his teeth in an attempt at a human smile.
“You’re held in high regard, it’s how I heard about you.”
“By humans maybe,” he clarified. “Doubt most venlil will be understanding. Only the bravest.” He nudged me with his tail.
“Marcel seems to think I have predator disease, so I don’t think anything I do should give you much comfort,” I confessed.
“Do you think you have predator disease?” he asked, staring at me.
“No…I… uh…it’s complicated. I thought it. I was normal, I think.” He didn’t break his gaze. There was a pit in my stomach, Marcel’s recent criticisms stinging anew.
“I don’t know anymore. I want to believe I’m the same, normal venlil that left Venlil Prime, but I know that can’t be true. It hurts.”
Vikri stopped staring, focusing more on the dog as it played.
“I always thought it was something you were born with, a defect,” he paused. “Now I fear it’s more a contagion.”
“Exterminators were always concerned about predator corruption spreading,” I added, images from Tillfish flamethrowers worming their way into my head. “Hang with predators and you’re bound to catch something.”
“Do you think I have predator disease?” He asked. Despite the seriousness of tone, it almost made me smile. That was my diagnosis from the start. But maybe not the worst thing.
“It colours your fur. Too much human’s rubbed off on you.” This time I gave him a playful nudge. Despite my indication of joking, Vikri remained pensive, still just watching for the dog. Trying to catch his eye, I flicked an apology, “Sorry, I don’t think you’re sick…really.”
“No, no,” he responded, moving an eye back to me. “To be honest I want that. To acknowledge them changing me and all. Otherwise, what was the point?” His gaze drifted back to Lucky. “No, I am different now. He changed me and I can never go back. It’s all I have left of him now anyway.” The last part almost disappeared into a whisper. I sidled up to him in support, wrapping my tail around his. I felt sick at the sorrow he must be experiencing, for it was what I feared most.
“I’m sure he’s proud of what you’ve become.” I encouraged.
“Un” Vikri gave an affirmative flick.
“Raising a dog for star’s sake. He’d definitely think you are the best venlil.”
“Un”
“And for the little it’s worth, I do too.” He didn’t respond directly to that one, but he did press in closer.
“I do miss my old life though,” he continued after some time, his voice recovering. “Though I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Prime. Not with her.”
I shrugged. “There are currently thousands of humans on Prime. We can only pray to the stars that predator disease is as contagious as we’ve experienced,” I chuckled softly.
“Wouldn’t that be something,” he mused.
I was hopeful. Humans had lived up to our greatest fears. They were manipulative, changing whatever they touched to their own ideal. And stars if they weren’t persistent. Once you were their prey, they would not stop until they had you. The evidence was here. Two venlil, standing on an alien world, happily watching an apex predator play before us. Changed forever by the nature of predators.

This is a short summary of how various Bleach characters could be fused into the Avatar universe, with regards to their powers and abilities, and how they would fit in the world of Avatar. Additionally, snippets about how the lore of the Bleach universe might fit in with the lore of the Avatar universe. Note that this is a fanwork and there are elements that I have changed slightly. Also this does allude to certain elements in the Thousand Year Blood War arc that have not been released in anime format.

Yamamoto

The most powerful firebender in recorded history whose strength surpassed the Avatar's. His unmatched prowess with flame allows him to not just produce vast quantities of fire, but also directly manipulate the volatile element (similar to how a waterbender bends water); additionally, he can control his inner flame to allow him to maintaining his mental and physical state (in a similar manner to how Kyoshi lived hundreds of years). He left the Fire Nation and founded the Soul Society during the reign of Fire Lord Yosor, during this time of great upheaval many people, from all nations flocked to the Soul Society, under the protection of the most powerful and dangerous warriors at the time. Since that day, the Soul Society has remained as a neutral fifth nation, despite many external attempts to "unite" it with both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

Soi Fon

The Fon Clan were originally a group of Air Nomads who were captured and subjugated by the Shihoin Clan before the era of Avatar Szeto, when the Soul Society was founded the Shihoin Clan brought along the Fon Clan as their retainers. As the centuries pass nothing remains of the Fon's nomadic heritage other than their bending, with Soi Fon being one of the last remaining air benders and the 9th clan head. She utilises her bending to manipulate the air currents and pressure around her body, allowing her to move at speeds faster than the human eye can see. She carries a short blade on her back, and wears a black and gold gauntlet with a middle finger stinger; the stinger contains a poison which can kill with two stabs. Her most powerful technique involves encircling her body with a hyper-sonic vortex of air, once created she can maintain this vortex indefinitely.

Gin Ichimaru

An incredibly cunning earthbender; without warning he can rapidly move the ground under his opponents feet, which he uses to create openings to strike with his blade. However, his blade is where his true power lies, he claims that he has mastered metalbending a particular alloy which forms his blade. It appears as though he thins and stretches his blade allowing him to lunge and strike at opponents from great distances. However this is a lie, he has actually mastered bending a the dust of a rare substance, which is both extremely poisonous and capable of being compressed into a dense blade. During battle, he earthbends his blade expanding the dust at incredible speed to slice through his opponents before returning all of the substance to it's original blade form (to keep the poisonous nature of the blade a secret). The top-speed of his dust expansion technique is faster than the human eye can follow, however he only unleashes the true speed in the last moments of a strike, to keep his opponent's off-guard and guarantee a hit.

Unohana Retsu

The first and most brutal bloodbender in history, in every nation she was regarded as the most heinous villain alive, bringing slaughter and death wherever she went. In battle, her used a large curved blade to slice open her opponents, before draining the blood from their body through the newly formed wound; she would then use this new blood to create razor thin sweeping arcs of blood to carve through yet more opponents, thus repeating the cycle. Additionally, she used her bloodbending on herself, forcibly moving her body at incredible speeds to make her one of the deadliest swordsman in the world. However, as the decades passed (after the Soul Society was formed) the stories about this monster faded over time, eventually becoming myth and legend. This is because Unohana forsook her murderous ways and instead utilised her bloodbending with her natural waterbending healing to become one of the most powerful healers in the world. As a consequence over this mastery of healing and self-bloodbending Unohana has successfully extended her lifespan by hundreds of years and granted herself eternal youth.

Sosuke Aizen

A charismatic and intelligent waterbender who has completely mastered spirit bending and seeks to use this ability to transform himself beyond his present human body. As a water bender his control over the element is so fine that he can create illusions to manipulate his opponents. He controls the water vapour in the air to diffuse and reflect light to create a visual component to his illusions; he vibrates the water molecules in the air to produce pressure waves to either create false sounds or mask real sounds. However, it is his studies into the spirit realm and spirit bending are what make him exceptionally dangerous; Aizen came to the conclusion that there is no single spirit (other than Vaatu) which is stronger than Raava. Therefore, to surpass the Avatar he would need to forge a new spirit by amalgamating the souls of humans and lesser spirits. Through the process of creation, this forged spirits will would be subjugated by Aizen's own will, thus when he merges with the amalgam Aizen will retain his sense of self.

Byakuya Kuchiki

A calm and collected metalbender, who is renowned for his absolute control over the substance Cobalt. Cobalt is a light pink metal with a silvery white surface; the blade of the Kuchiki clan hereditary weapon is made from this substance. In battle, Byakuya separates his single blade into hundreds of razor thin slices that float around him, these blades have the appearance of cherry blossom petals dancing in an invisible breeze. He swarms his opponents with the petals, killing them through thousands of cuts, all the while using metalbending to maintain the edges of the blades. His skill with manipulating the metal is so great that is he capable of controlling and generating lightning using the magnetic properties of the metal. The Kuchiki clan are one of the founding bodies of the Soul Society, they were once a noble clan from the city of Tienhaishi, but fled as the city was razed to the ground by the vengeful spirit, General Old Iron. Several years ago, Byakuya defied his clan elders and married a refugee waterbender who was originally from beyond the Soul Society.

Sajin Komamura

A loyal and kind-hearted member of the Wolfman Clan, Koamura is regarded as one of the most powerful earthbenders in the world. His signature technique is to earthbend a colossal earthen golem, over three-hundred feet tall, which copies his movements. Among all mortal creatures, there is no other capable of moving that amount of earth for hours on end. The Wolfman Clan originated during the Era of Raava, and were humans who were cursed by spirits with a beastly appearance because of their sins in life. The clan has remained hidden for many years; however, a young Komamura left his clan to explore the wider world. However, he was deeply scarred by the times when he was spurned by humans for his appearance; forcing him to wear armour which covered his entire body. His travels eventually lead him to the Soul Society, where he was greeted and accepted by Yamamoto. Finally, with a place to call home, he became close friends with the blind-man Tōsen.

Shunsui Kyōraku

A laid-back and flamboyant swordsman, who merged with Kemurikage, a dark spirit of a grieving mother who lost their child to the violent warlord, Toz. Shunsui’s abilities are not elemental based, but instead derived from the spirits yearning for the lost days when her child would sit with her and play games. Shunsui can make children’s games a reality, through this he can conjure illusions, travel through shadows, and turn non-lethal blows deadly. He is originally from the Fire Nation, and traveled to the soul society when he was young, at the behest of his brother’s widow, the then current head of the Ise Clan. Through his deep connection with the dark spirits, Shunsui sealed away the Ise Clan’s legendary artifact to prevent anymore deaths. Shunsui remained in the Soul Society as steward of the Ise Clan artifact, training his spirit bending abilities under Yamamoto and mastering the skills of swordsmanship.

Kaname Tōsen

A blind earthbender who is a master of neutral jing, he can controls the vibrations of all earth and dust within his vicinity. His signature technique is to use his earthbending to grind the ground in the area to dust, then lift the dust into the air and hold it perfectly still. The dust forms a dome which blocks all light and the stillness of the particles means that sounds are dampened to nothing; thus rendinger all inside the dome blind and deaf. He even dampens his footsteps thus becoming invisible to those who sense using tremors in the ground. The airbourne dust becomes an extension of Tōsen’s senses, allowing him to feel the minute movements of his opponents in all directions. This ability can be used offensively, moving the dust particles rapidly to create high pitched resonating sounds and small shockwaves. He has dedicated his life to battling injustice and corruption, after his dearest friend, Kakyō, was murdered by her husband.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

One of the most powerful waterbenders in the world, Hitsugaya was blessed by the great heavenly ice dragon Hyōrinmaru. Hitsugaya can control the water in the surrounding atmosphere, cooling the vapour to form fearsome dragons of ice and water. Hitsugaya’s immense power is eclipsed by both his intellect and potential, he utilised the principles of thermodynamics in conjunction with his bending, to form fire resistant barriers made from thin layers of ice separated by a vacuum. His greatest achievement is using his waterbending to lift and control a large set of ice wings which are connected to his back, allowing him to fly. Thus he is the Soul Societies most powerful aerial combatant. He was born in the Soul Society, and alongside his close friend Hinamori he was raised by his grandmother. But once she left to train her firebending, he found that his power was growing wild, and that it was hurting the ones closest to him. He began training as a way to gain control, help those around him, and protect the Soul Society from attacks.

Kenpachi Zaraki

The most dangerous non-bender in the world, similar to how the Avatar merged with Raava and became the embodiment of balance and harmony, Zaraki Kenpachi is a human who has merged with a nameless malevolent oni spirit, who is the embodiment of battle and slaughter. Through this union, Zaraki became stronger, faster and more durable than any other mortal alive, although the spirit could not reincarnate, he could slow the rate at which Zaraki aged. As Zaraki fights, he enters into a euphoric frenzy, merging closer with his spirit; the stronger the opponent the closer Zaraki merges with his spirit. The origins of this individual are unknown, even to himself, however he has wandered the world seeking a battle that will finally bring him joy. In the beginning of the Hundred Year War, Zaraki had made his way to the Soul Society, and finally found his fated opponent; Unohana Yachiru’s bloodbending enhancement allowed her to survive against Zaraki’s onslaught. However, as the battle progressed, he realised that if he were to win, then he would never again be able to experience the extasy of battle like this again. He subconsciously weakened the connection with his spirit and eventually lost that battle.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

One of the most intelligent men in the world, Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an earthbender who has mastered the art of bending pure rare metals, such as gold. He travels with a golden sword and a large golden golem in the shape of an insect-like monster. Mayuri utilises the non-reactive nature of gold to contain plethora of chemicals and poison within his sword and golem, with each substance being confined within it’s own sealed golden compartment. Should he require a given amount of a pure chemical, he changes the porosity of the gold, so that it may emit the substance. If he requires a mixture of substances, he bends an empty vial within his golem and then siphons off chemicals from the other containers into this new vial to react together (using substances like platinum as a catalyst). He is widely regarded to be a sadistic monster, who holds no regard for human life. In his youth he trained under the legendary Shutara Senjumaru before being imprisoned for his horrific experiments. He was eventually released by Kisuke Urahara, for his technical mind.

Jūshirō Ukitake

A spiritual Firebender who was blessed by the Moon Spirit Tui and has mastered the rare ability to energy-bend. When Ukitake was young he developed a fatal lung disease, his parents prayed to every spirit they knew till eventually the spirit of the Moon answered their prayers. This blessing healed his lungs, turned his hair white, and allowed him to feel the ebb and flow of the energy around him, bending it as if it were water. Ukitake is able to bend the flames as if they were water, regardless if he produced them or not. Additionally, Ukitake is the progenitor of lightning redirection, a technique that would be passed down to the Dragon of the West, Iroh, when the general travelled to the Soul Society in the aftermath of the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Ukitake’s kind nature and unwavering belief in good, has allowed him to develop a connection to the spirit world, where he mastered the ability to manipulate spiritual energy. Through this he bonded with his long-time close friend Kyōraku.

Chōjirō Sasakibe

An exceptionally loyal Firebender who has served Yamamoto since the foundation of the Soul Society. Despite his rank and appearance, he is a deadly warrior who has mastered and the art of lightning bending, and pushed beyond the limits of what was originally thought possible. Utilising heat-bending in conjunction with his lightning, he is capable of summoning vast thunderbolts from the sky, eclipsing any lightning generated by a mortal. Additionally, through careful chi control and artful lightning manipulation, he has slowed his aging so that he may serve alongside his commander.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda

A large but crafty non-bender, Marechiyo Ōmaeda is descended from a long line of professional hitmen. Prior to the formation of the Soul Society, the Ōmaeda family were a small time bandit clan in, what is known today as, the Fire Nation. However, upon the defection of Yamamoto and the formation of the Soul Society, the Ōmaeda family prospered and profited in the ensuring war. Eventually, they would come to serve as another vassal house for the Shihoin clan, alongside the Fon clan. Marechiyo Ōmaeda is the heir to the family fortune, and currently serves under Soi Fon, much to her chagrin. Despite his appearance, he is an exceptionally fast combatant and a cunning fighter, utilising his opponents assumptions about his size to bludgeon them in the head with a massive spiked iron ball, which is his signature weapon. However, he is exceptionally cowardly, and will utilising smoke and tear gas bombs to facilitate his escape.

Izuru Kira

An introspective and tactical earthbender who utilises a family technique to energybend. The Kira family were descended from a lesser prince of the Earth Kingdom royal family; during the Wars of Secrets and Daggers, the patriarch was killed and the remaining family fled out of fear. Pleading their case before the sages and judges of the Soul Society, the family was allowed to settle within the protective walls and hold some amount of political power, befitting their former status. Izuru Kira has mastered the family technique of the “earthen crush” whereby the user imparts their earthen chi into an object that they touch, allowing them to bend the object or person directly downwards, crushing them. This powerful technique requires the bender touch the target, so that they may impart their chi.

Isane Kotetsu

The protégé of Unohana, this waterbender is second only to her master in terms of healing capabilities. Her grandfather was originally from the Southern Water Tribe and fled to the Soul Society during the raids, bringing with him the tribes scrolls of healing, which were passed down through the family. She and her sister were originally split during their brief time in the slums; however, fortune smiled upon Isane as she was reunited with her sister within the Soul Society. Unbenownest to the pair, Unohana sponsered both of their entries, and holds a genuine affection for Isane, something which the ancient bloodbender had never felt before.

Momo Hinamori

An exceptionally clever firebender who has mastered the art of altering the trajectory of her fire mid-flight. Similar to how energybenders utilise the connections between all living creatures to search, Hinamori can utilise those connections as pathways to channel her fire, giving her a dangerous degree of accuracy. She was born in the Soul Society, and alongside her close friend Tōshirō she was raised by her grandmother. However, inspired by the powerful benders who defended the Soul Society and fuelled by her desire to protect her friends, she left to begin her firebending training. Her focus on academics and on connections within energy bending is how she was introduced to Aizen, a well established defender of the Soul Society; she grew enamoured with him, which only encouraged her to pursue her firebending techniques further, so that she may protect her family alongside such a powerful figure.

Renji Abarai

Renji Abarai was born in the slums outside of the Soul Society, the areas that consist of the refugees and families who are awaiting judgement on if they may be granted citizenship. The soldiers who patrol these areas are purely to deter foreign invaders, resulting in a lawless sprawl of shanty towns. After Renji’s childhood companion, Rukia was adopted by one of the noble houses within the Soul Society, he began training in one of the nearby valleys, where he encountered a wild spirit. The jungle this spirit ruled over was burned to ash by the Fire Nation, and it was left aimless and wandering. Renji began to bond with the spirit and promised a better life for them, if the spirit bonded with him. After this union, Renji was able to gain citizenship within the Soul Society because he demonstrated his immense physical abilities, that had been enhanced through the union. After training with Zaraki, who possessed a similar spiritual nature, he came to serve Byakuya Kuchiki, the adopted older brother of his childhood companion Rukia.

Tetsuzaemon Iba

A dangerous non-bender who specialises in swordsmanship and hand to hand combat. Originally he was the leader of one of the many gangs who ruled over the slums, having inherited the position from his mother. However, after an Earth Kingdom raid devastated his hometown, he vowed to protect those under his care, and enlisted in the army of the Soul Society. Iba’s loyalty to the Soul Society and his Captain are well renowned; his skill as a fighter is exceptional as he is always training to master all forms of combat. Nanao Ise
Nanao Ise is the last of a long line of matrilineal priestesses, who oversaw and carried out rituals and rites related to spirits. To accomplish this task, the Ise clan passed down a sacred blade which can reflect energy in all forms. It is regarded as the pinnacle of energy bending, and it is through this scared blade that Nanao is training to become a master of energy bending. Her superior, Kyoraku, was a close friend of the family, and was entrusted with the blade until Nanao was of age to begin training. Her tutors are the aforementioned Kyōraku and the affable Ukitake; her personality is diametrically opposed to these two, she is a serious and pragmatic person, yet she remains respectful to her teachers in the spiritual arts.

Shūhei Hisagi

Shūhei Hisagi is one of the few air-benders within the bounds of the Soul Society, he is descended from monks who fled during Sozin’s attack on the temples. However, as a result of the air-bender purges, Hisagi learned nothing about air-bending philosophy nor the cultural roots. Despite this, he is a master air-bender who has developed his own philosophy on the balance between life and death. It is this understanding of balance, that drives his unique, and aggressive, air-bending techniques, which are focused on manipulating air currents around a pair of chained scythes. He is highly respected within the Soul Society, and is the managing editor of the largest newspaper within the Soul Society … despite his inability to write a popular article.

Rangiku Matsumoto

Rangiku Matsumoto is a gregarious and lively Earth-bender, who grew-up alongside Gin Ichimaru within the slums outside the Soul Society. To gain entry into the Soul Society she trained to become adept at the art of dust and ash bending, she moves these particles at high speed to cut through an opponent as easily as a sword. The elders of the Shiba clan, one of the founding clans of the Soul Society, sponsored her entry and assigned her to assist the, then, head of the clan. Her outgoing personality has made her popular within multiple circles, and she is close friends with many other of the defenders of the Soul Society including Hisagi and Kira.

Yachiru Kusajishi

Yachiru Kusajishi is a dark spirit, bound to the mortal realm, that took the form of a human child. Initially, this spirit was formless without thought or body; however, the area that this spirit inhabited became the site for a series of violent and bloody conflicts. Out of the bloodlust and suffering this spirit began to grow and bond with the creature that exhibited the greatest lust for battle: that being the future Kenpachi Zaraki. Eventually, this bond became strong enough to allow the spirit to manifest within the physical realm. This juvenile spirit was adopted by Zaraki, becoming a surrogate daughter. Through interaction with humans beyond violence, the spirit grew into a person in her own right; becoming a bubbly and excitable child. Despite this, she is a dangerous combatant; her physical nature as a spirit makes her both faster and stronger than any mortal. Through her upbringing she associated violence with playing, her favourite game is “dodge”, wherein she attacks an opponent to force them to dodge. However, the trick of this game is that she has the ability to hit an opponent both “before” and “after” the hit, making dodging nigh impossible.

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Similar to Yachiru, Nemu Kurotsuchi is a dark spirit bound to the mortal realm who took the form of a young woman. However, she was artificially created by the mad scientist Mayuri, who captured and tortured spirits, forcing them into subservience and then manifesting those in a homunculus body. Through many repeated attempts Mayuri succeeded in the creation of Nemu; however, his experiments could not be kept secret for long. Under direct orders from both the governing body of the Soul Society, and Yamamoto himself. Mayuri’s ability to energy-bend was sealed completely and Nemu was removed from his custody. She has taken residence with Kyoraku, Ukitake and Nanao, and is regaining the free will that was so cruelly taken from her. Similar to Yachiru, whom she shares a kindred bond with, Nemu is faster and stronger than any mortal and has an incredible durability as a result of her Homunculi body. Additionally, there are several chemicals and aspects of her mortal form, which are only known to Mayuri himself.

Rukia Kuchiki

Rukia Kuchiki is a powerful water-bender with an affinity for manipulating ice and snow. She was a refugee from a Northern Water Tribe outpost, and was carried to the slums outside the Soul Society by her sister, Hisana. In a desperate attempt for survival, Rukia’s sister abandoned her within the slums when she was less than a year old. Rukia grew up alongside Renji within these dangerous areas; however, Hisana had not forgotten about her and upon her deathbed Hisana made her husband, Byakuya, promise to bring Rukia to safety. After Byakuya fulfilled that promise, Rukia began training her waterbending and developed her own style, distinct from the traditional Northern Water Tribe form. This new form is to waterbending what the dancing dragons is to firebending, an elegant form which alters the fundamental principles. Rather than the fluidity and change, Rukia focused on the rigidity and stillness of water. This philosophy was inspired by her earthbending step-brother, and allows Rukia to form structures of super-cold ice at temperatures that are unnatural even by spirits.

Alright so I love WWE video games. I played a plethora of the games licensed by this Titan of wrestling entertainment all the way back from No Mercy on the 64 (still goated with the sauce). And I've loved My Career mode for 2K games since like NBA 2K10 (the agent was always on my case because I was very young and very bad).
To fast forward to last year, I bought and played 2K22 because I heard and saw good content coming from it after one of the 2k's was suspended after the move from Yukes to 2K created some.. less than optimal. I was enjoying it for the most part after making my guy and leveling up was pretty sweet.
The game soured for me when I found lacking continuity in the MyRise storylines. For example, say I win King of the Ring and the aftermath of the storyline has my character run around as King Hudson. I then go into an intercontinental championship storyline and it's like King of the Ring never happened. No choice to come out as King Hudson or my original moniker. I know the only thing that was confirmed to be dependent on your input for MyRise was the face/heel storyline mechanic so it may just be a nitpicky thing on my end.
To formally ask the question, are there continuity options like that in 2K23? If I earn the US title and go for the WWE title, would I have the belt in my entrance or are the belts only referenced and exist in their respective storylines?
Bonus question if you also have this answer: are there more random elements for the superstar mode in universe mode? Picking my rivalries and rivals in universe mode felt very.. sandbox mode over superstar mode where I thought I only controlled one superstar.

Are there any good guides/infodocs/books/resources/etc on learning the finer points of balancing? Especially when it comes to multiplayer (both competitive and cooperative) where the player can choose from different characters that all behave different, how do you properly balance that? Is there even universally agreed upon "right and wrong" ways to tackle balancing a game? It seems like world-class games and franchises can have trouble properly balancing and sometimes treat balance more like a seasonal event (destiny is a good example of this) rather than a definitive balanced vs imbalanced.
To make it simpler(?) take competitive out of the equation, imagine a 4 player coop game with class-based characters. I imagine not having any pvp reduces some strain when it comes to balancing, but even still, there are some aspects that I have trouble wrapping my head around. Some things seem basic and fairly iterative, like health/damage (both from your attacks and enemy attacks). One character might attack quickly and another slowly, so you balance their damage so the quicker one does less damage per hit, but they both have the same relative DPS, simple (I know theres more to it than that, just a basic example). But then how do you balance things like keeping DPS relatively balanced across different classes whilst also have different movement across different classes? It seems like systems like movement or traversal are more complicated than pure "math" like damage/health values. Or even other aspects like class "roles" (healer, tank, dps, support etc). When roles are in play and different characters have different goals (keeping everyone healed vs tanking vs doing damage) how do you decide the healer doesn't heal too much vs the tank doesn't have too much health vs the dps doesn't do too much damage vs the enemies don't have too much health/do too much damage etc, along with each character having different controls/movement/traversal options. For something complex like this, are there even accepted rules or guides on how to design and balance? Or is it too nuanced? Or would these be considered "trade secrets" that developers don't want to discuss?
Even "simpler" things like balancing enemy health, which on paper seems like simple math like I just pointed out, how do you do it WELL so that the game doesn't suffer? If the game has multiple difficulty levels, how does a designer decide if it's better to just increase enemy health (risking damage sponge complaints) vs increasing the amount of enemies. "Damage sponge" is a common balancing complaint people have with many different games, so it's clear that games aren't always properly balanced even when the game is from a AAA dev who might spend millions of dollars on development and they still couldn't avoid that criticism, which also brings up power fantasy and psychological aspects. Is it inherently bad if a game is easieharder to fail at if it's always fun regardless? How does "fun" come into play when it comes to balancing?
I've seen sometimes designers treat game mechanics as like a board game, or will start out with a games design as first being possible in a table-top setting (or something like that) but that always confused me, surely there are things that don't translate well from a tabletop setting to a 3D environment along with real-time action gameplay?

Salutare!
Urmeaza sa imi iau un combo masina de spalat + uscator. Ideal ar fi sa le pot suprapune. Ca buget ar fi cam 3500-4000, desi daca ies mai ieftin nu ma supar, am si alte electrocasnice de schimbat asa ca am ce face cu banii.
Cel mai bun uscator de pe emag este un electrolux la 3000, ala mi se pare ca va consuma cam mult din buget. Al doilea cel mai reveiw-uit uscator ar fi acesta:https://www.emag.ro/uscator-de-rufe-cu-pompa-de-caldura-heinner-8-kg-15-programe-display-led-baby-care-clasa-a-alb-hhpd-v804a/pd/D0TP4VBBM/?ref=hdr-favorite_products
Ceea ce mai lasa un buget de ~2100 pentru masina de spalat.
Insa nu am idee la ce masina de spalat sa ma uit. As vrea obligatoriu clasa A, si din ce am vazut, ca optiuni ok sunt cam doar beko din ce vad eu care acum au si garantie 5 ani. Insa la aproape orice masina exista review-uri care se plang ca vibreaza si pleaca la plimbare masina de spalat prin baie, iar daca are si uscatorul calare peste ea...
Acel beko pare cea mai ok optiune si e in buget si are garantie 5 ani, dar totusi imi e teama sa nu ajung sa am abonament lunar la baietii de la garantie.
De un miele CLAR nu am $$$, stiu ca ar fi bun dar nu e in buget. Poate urmatoarea.
Ma mai intreb daca se merita se plusex bugetul sa iau un bosch sau electrolux la 3000 ron, dar cu asa buget clar nu as vrea sa am treaba prin garantie, as lua in considerare daca urmeaza sa am poveste de aia pentru nepoti cu "m-a tinut masina de spalat 15 ani", iar reviews nu prea au pe internet.
E cineva mai cunoscator? Sa iau acel beko de 1800 si sa ma risc sa incep sa ma stiu dupa numele mic cu baietii de la garantie 5 ani de zile? Sau sa incerc un bosch/electrolux? S-ar merita? Tine 10+ ani?

So I may have duped myself into buying Smart Power PDU-pro and Smart power strip, thinking it does energy monitoring. At the moment I got my whole network, servers, NAS, and desktops plugged into a Kasa smart power strip and smart plugs that do energy monitoring and remote power control. I like to keep track of how much money I am ~~burning, wasting,~~ spending on non-essentials. My family and I are not living at our house at the moment but we do visit frequently for a few hours at a time for a few days of the week. I want to have remote management over the power of my equipment and also monitor individual usage. My question is, should I continue with my current setup or will the Smart PDU and Smart Power strip be more beneficial to me for remote control over the power requirements of my equipment and scrap the energy monitoring? Should I just buy some more Kasa smart plugs and use them on the PDU pro which will of course incur more costs? I seem to be leaning in the direction of a sunk cost fallacy (it brought me this far why stop?) and thinking of just ordering some Kasa plugs to monitor energy with the added control of the Smart PDU. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance...

Roku universal remote control

Roku

Intent

Role & Relationships

Cursed Rulers of the World

Yamamoto

Soi Fon

Gin Ichimaru

Unohana Retsu

Sosuke Aizen

Byakuya Kuchiki

Sajin Komamura

Shunsui Kyōraku

Kaname Tōsen

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Kenpachi Zaraki

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

Jūshirō Ukitake

Chōjirō Sasakibe

Marechiyo Ōmaeda

Izuru Kira

Isane Kotetsu

Momo Hinamori

Renji Abarai

Tetsuzaemon Iba

Shūhei Hisagi

Rangiku Matsumoto

Yachiru Kusajishi

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Rukia Kuchiki

Yamamoto

Soi Fon

Gin Ichimaru

Unohana Retsu

Sosuke Aizen

Byakuya Kuchiki

Sajin Komamura

Shunsui Kyōraku

Kaname Tōsen

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Kenpachi Zaraki

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

Jūshirō Ukitake

Chōjirō Sasakibe

Marechiyo Ōmaeda

Izuru Kira

Isane Kotetsu

Momo Hinamori

Renji Abarai

Tetsuzaemon Iba

Shūhei Hisagi

Rangiku Matsumoto

Yachiru Kusajishi

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Rukia Kuchiki