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Mechs, Mercs, & Murderers (OoC)
Extended Reply
Dreamer, Schemer, Eldritch Memer
Feb 26, 2021 21:01:38 GMT
"This commission, drafted, authorized, and consigned by Deleon Alliance Alien Committee and member state legislative bodies, hereby grants Precision Martial Applications, LLC operating rights in the Stellar League Designated Unaffiliated System UaSy1023, hereto referred as the Havoughn System, and all stellar bodies within the gravity well of the Havoughn star, against all enemies currently at war with the Deleon Alliance, and under strategic command of the Deleon Alliance High Command."
"Should be easy money... probably won't be." - Commander Mendez
Welcome to Mendez's Marauders, a premier mercenary company that hires out to the highest bidder. Or at least that's the selling point. The Marauders are small fish compared to some companies, but they've got that fighting spirit and teeth to match that allow them to punch above their weight class. Traveling across the cosmos in the ICV Starfield, they provide security and firepower to places most couldn't be bothered to give a shit about- as long as they've got the credit to pay for it.
Currently they're en route to the planet HS-RCB-2 (colloquially called Vokiod), a planet in the Havoughn system inhabited by a pre-stellar race of anthropoids known as the Vokoidian or Veekee. Hired by one of the planetary factions, they've been contracted to provide service as a defensive asset in an ongoing planet wide war. Armed with technology centuries ahead of the local populace, their mission should be an easy paycheck for the Marauders. Should be.
Mechs, Mercs, & Murderers: The Game
M³ is a play-by-post forum role play with tabletop lite rules added in to bring a layer of depth and assist in arbitrating the rp process.
Results will be determined by dice roll before a post and then described by the rp'er in post. The pre-post phase will be on the VTT lite website Owlbear Rodeo and will include a battle map with tokens to help players plan their posts.
M³ Ruleset
SPOILER: Click to show
Posts (or Actions & Maneuvers during In-Mission portions of the rp) are resolved by rolling a number of d6s against a Result Threshold (RT) determined by the Combat Ratings (CoRat) of enemy forces or the at hand situation. The number of dice rolled against any challenge is determined by your mechs stats, any assistance other players or NPCs render, and support assets as part of in-character missions.
Success, Partial Successes, & Failures - How successful an action is is determined by a Result Threshold set by the combat rating of the targeted enemy (listed in the RT table). There are three states an action can result in; success, partial success, or failure.
A success is a complete accomplishment of the player's stated goals and described by the player how they see fit. A partial success results in the achievement of the player's stated goals at a cost and described by the GM, or as a partial achievement and described by the players.
For example; a player may state their objective is to destroy an enemy mech by targeting it's cockpit. On a partial success they may land the killing blow but because of their focus on aiming the shot the GM rules they failed to move in time and another enemy lands a hit on them. Alternatively they may choose to describe how their shot missed the cockpit, but instead hitting it's arm and blowing it off in the process, potentially leading to a reduced Offensive CoRat.
On a failure the player's stated goal is not achieved and often results in immediate retaliation by the targeted enemy or narrative complication. However they gain a "fail forward" die. This die can be added to any action or maneuver roll they wish, including the defensive roll against the counter-attack. Additionally you can always elect to fail a roll (you still gain a Fail Forward Die)
Actions, Maneuvers, & Damage Penalties
During your post you can take any number of actions divided by the number of Stat dice available to you. For example if you have 3 points in Offense, you can spend all three dice on one offensive action (such as taking on an enemy mech with your primary weapons) or split them up into smaller but easier to achieve actions (like destroying light armored fighting vehicles with secondary weapon systems).
Additionally some actions or maneuvers can be bolstered with Stat die from other stats. For example a Pilot Suite die can be added to any action or maneuver, as this can represent your character's skill as a pilot and mastery over their mech. In other cases it is contextual, such as adding a mobility die to your defense roll because you're dodging the attack or trying to sprint to cover. When you choose what dice to spend and what actions to take remember; Context Matters.
Offensive Actions - Anything your character does in order to incapacitate, destroy, or neutralize an enemy target, neutral structure, or even terrain feature. This roll is compared to the defense or mobility CoRat of the NPC enemy, whichever is highest.
Defensive Actions - Defensive actions include both passive and active attempts at avoiding, mitigating, or fully negating attacks and damage. They can also be both proactive or reactive, and can be used again outside of your post. Unlike other Stat Dice, on a failure you lose a dice until after the mission and your mech is repaired. If you lose all your Defense Die your mech is destroyed.
Maneuvers - Maneuvers are more than just moving your mech from point A to point B. They include actions such as navigating difficult or unstable terrain, concealing your mech behind terrain, attempting to avoid detection while flanking or losing a pursuer, or avoiding damage outright.
On open to slightly unstable terrain your mech doesn't need to roll to move, and it can move a number of spaces equal to twice your mobility stat dice.
Pilot Suite - Your Pilot Suite represents the combined prowess of your character and the electronic tools available to them. Usually complimenting a different action, your Pilot Suite does have uses of its own. Attempting to detect enemies, get a read on and understand their capabilities, and assisting your allies targeting through transmitting telemetry are all things your Suite can do, among other things.
You can attempt to learn what a target's CoRats are by scanning a spotted target. You learn what the target's CoRats are equal to the total of your PS roll, starting with the highest and working to lowest. If two CoRats are tied then the GM determines which one you learn.
For example: You spend two PS dice and get a 8. The GM informs you that the target has a Offensive rating of 4 and a mobility of 3,
If your character must abandon their mech they will use a single PS Die to determine if they are safely rescued (success), must flee and be rescued later (partial success), or are captured (failure).
Assist - Along with the other actions, you can also assist your allies in battle. You can forgo rolling a dice during your post to give it to another player. This could be as simple as giving an Offense Die to someone as you provide suppressing fire or as complex as giving everyone a Pilot Suite die as you watch enemy movements and radio in positions.
Damage Penalties - When your mech fails a Defense roll you can forgo losing a Defense Die in place of losing an Offensive or Mobility stat dice. If you run out of Offense die you can no longer take offensive actions, even while being assisted by another player. Unlike Offense die, an ally can always assist with their mobility die, allowing you to limp along.
In Between Missions - In between missions the rp will progress like a normal play-by-post forum rp. If players wish to resolve character actions via dice rolls they can roll 2d6 against RT 2 or if the action is against another player character rolling contested result.
Combat Rating - Unless provided with intel before a mission, you will not know the CoRat of the enemy vehicles. Linked here is the table showing what results you need based on the enemy's rating.
You serve as one of the mech pilots aboard the ICV Starfield. Either subcontracted out or recently hired on, you provide the power necessary for the Marauders to make a proper name for themselves.
M³ takes place in a galaxy filled with sprawling empires, powerful nations, and other menacing political entities; where war ravages countless worlds but built on the bones of the past is a hope for the future. This the Scatterverse.
You're free to play any species from any world of your choosing. There are dozens of already established species, of which a few examples are listed in the Codex section, but you are free to come up with your own.
Name + Callsign:
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[b]Name + Callsign:[/b]
[b]Species:[/b]
[b]Physical Description:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b]
[/td][/tr][/tbody][/table]
Mech Creation
Your mech is yours; bought before joining the Marauders or through a lease-to-own plan from the Marauder's themselves. It's yours to customize and outfit.
At the start of the rp your mech will be in line with others in terms of capabilities. Everyone starts with a point in the Offensive, Defensive, and Mobility stat. You have an additional two points to spend how you see fit.
There are no hard preset weapons or technologies connected to your stats. Instead your stats are a comparison between your mech and others, as well as the CoRat level they can reasonably succeed against.
For example, two mechs with only one point in Offense are the same in offensive capabilities, even though one might be armed with a chain-gun while the other uses multiple arm mounted machine-guns. Both are able to deal with light AFVs (CoRat 1), but both are incapable of taking on medium AFVs (CoRat 2) without either being skilled pilots or having assistance.
At the end of every mission players will receive an upgrade die. They can put this die into any stat of their choice, which represents either buying new equipment for their mechs or growing as a skilled pilot in the case of increasing their Pilot Suite score.
Designation: This is whatever you call your mech. It can be as simple as a model designation or as meaningful as an earned nickname.
Physical Description: Describe any details of your mech that you couldn't capture in the image reference for your mech, or if you have no image describe your mech.
Capability Rating & Description: These are the game statistics for your mech. Assign your stats and then describe their capabilities.
• Pilot Suite: The PS stat represents the instruments available to your pilot and their skill level.
• Offense: Offensive stat represents the combined offensive capabilities of your mech, such as weapon systems, slaved combat drones, or mounted offensive electronic warfare suites.
• Defense: Defense represents the defensive capabilities of your mech. Partially a reflection of how much damage your mech can take; it is a combination of armor, total structural integrity, and active and passive defensive systems
• Mobility: Mobility represents how fast your mech is or how easy it is for your mech to navigate terrain.
[b]Designation:[/b]
[b]Capability Rating & Description:[/b]
[b]• Pilot Suite:[/b]
[b]• Offense:[/b]
[b]• Defense:[/b]
[b]• Mobility:[/b]
Example Character
Name + Callsign: Janya Cutter - "Queen Bee"
Species: Terran
Physical Description Janya is on the smaller side and hardly what one would call "fighting fit", though she is agile and makes up for her lack of strength in cunning. Her bright red hair, which she usually keeps in a bun, also tends to stick out. She wears a pair of glasses, opting for the flexiblity of carrying augmentation displays in them versus having corrective procedures and cybernetic implants.
Personality:A perky individual, Janya always seems to look on the bright side of things and can't help but flash a bright beaming smile during conversations. She makes friends easily, even if initial impressions leave them with the opinion she can be annoying, and sticks by those she care about. Despite this outwardly cheerful disposition she does struggle with buried anxiety and nervousness, along with recent trauma she has been dealing with.
Bio: Janya Cutter is not a soldier. She's hardly a pilot either. If you ask her, she'll tell you she's an Auto-Drone Tech. Her service in the Consortium's post-war security forces was tending to and controlling autonomous drone fleets far away during policing actions against insurgent Federation hold outs. While this kept her away from the worst of the post-war action, it didn't shield completely. A surprise attack against the base she was stationed at saw several of her friends dead, and herself fleeing with the rest of the non-combat staff. Eventually she returned to service, but opted to join one of the sanctioned paramilitary groups employed by the Consortium- which is when she joined Mendez's Marauders. While no longer commanding the large drone fleets, she does oversee the Starfield's drone network as well as remotely control/pilot 3 light mechs.
Designation: "Huey" "Dewey" and "Louie"
Physical Description: The LCM-44d is a small, unmanned support mech slaved to a central AI, which in turn is controlled by a human technicain. They work in "packs" of three to four in support of a larger mech or supporting an infantry force. They can individually be piloted by their technician directly, if need be.
Capability Rating & Description:
• Pilot Suite: [1] - 44d's are equipped with high gain sensors and communication gear, aiding in supporting attached unit fire missions.
• Offense: [1] - Armed with light fire support weapons, 44g's can take on infantry and lightly armored vehicles.
• Defense: [1] - Defense capabilities are minimal due to their autonomous nature. They're armored against small arms and low energy kinetic drivers.
• Mobility: [2] - Small and nimble with surprisingly strong manipulators, 44d's are excellent at maneuvering through rough terrain and can be shut down nearly completely to aid in concealing their position. They can keep up with most wheeled combat vehicles.
conq edited Apr 23, 2021 18:48:42 GMT
M³ Codex: A Guide to the Scatter Verse
BIG ol WIP
Queen Nobody
Mar 3, 2021 3:32:09 GMT
*follows*
ninmast
Name + Callsign: Tonare - "Tamar"
Species: Vieteri
Physical Description: Vieteri are both smaller of frame and much slower to show age than humans, and mistaking Tonare for the child of some actual member of the mercenary team would be a fatally easy mistake for anyone to make who were not familiar with the species. At 28, she has actually completed her formal education, initial mandated military service and two tours before ever coming into mercenary work, despite looking by human standards as if she were only between fourteen and sixteen years of age. Though her seemingly vestigial wings sprouting from just above her waist are often easily concealed by clothing, those who are familiar with the Vieteri will recognize the telltale stone seemingly embedded in (but actually growing from) her forehead and her matching hair and eyes. Predominantly a tiger's eye's blend of smoldering browns, rusty reds and streaks of blonde accents, the tumultuous colors also hold watery blues, cloudy whites and deep blacks. The exact combination of patterns and colors in her pietersite color scheme are prone to illusory shifts across all three features, depending upon the light for the stone, the breeze for her hair and her mood for her eyes, lending her mien a stormy and chaotic aura.
For casual wear, Tonare prefers blouses, skirts and dresses predonimantly of green with black trim with black boots and stockings, and though many other alien species may comment on how this seems incredibly similar to her Vieteri dress uniform, consisting of a one-piece short dress adorned with military finery according to one's rank and accomplishments, black stockings and heeled ankle boots, but she maintains with insistence that these are completely different in fundamental ways and one would have to be devoid of all fashion sense not to recognize it. She is also fond of wearing a matching beret with the mercenary company's emblem pinned to it, as she believes it makes her look more mature and respectable. For space expeditions or active deployments on inhospitable planets, she wears a Vieteri environmental suit with the company emblems and her rank and nametag. These suits are physically flattering to the female body, forming to them for ease of movement, and the few non-Vieteri who have had the opportunity to try them praise their light weight, feeling like little more than light clothing in terms of weight and impediment. They are easily sealed against hostile environments with a gesture and provide protection against radiation, high atmospheric pressure, vacuums and so on with an internal air supply of twelve hours. They are poorly armored against attack for military EVA suits, however, as any defenses would be redundant once the Vieteri transforms. This makes these suits impractical for non-Vieteri military despite their other strengths, and their prohibitive costs prevent non-Vieteri civilians and corporations from investing in them.
When she transforms, her wings are visible like ephemeral stormclouds trailing behind her, and her clothing is replaced with dark emerald heels, a dark emerald thigh-length skirt trimmed in copper lace, a matching top with an angular midriff cut, a copper ribbon choker and dark emerald nail polish. The stone in her forehead now appears to be mounted on a copper circlet that wraps about her head. Her combat power is at its full strength when transformed, and she will always transform before activating her mobile weapon.
Personality: Tonare's impulsive and temperamental personality doesn't do much to convince those she meets that she's older than she looks, causing her race's tendency toward feelings of racial superiority to come across more like a child desperate to prove they're really an adult. She blasted the last person to call her a Tsundere in the bread basket (may have been a teammate if someone desires), mistakenly thinking this would discourage such things. She actually has a good heart to her when she isn't striving to overperform, a habit which seems deeply ingrained in her. In such times when her guard comes down, she worries about her company compatriots as if they were family, hypocritically scolding them when they get too reckless and fretting over them when they fall ill. Despite this sounding like typical deredere behavior and reinforcing the tropish accusation, this is quite normal for Vieteri, for whom the squad is the immediate family, the commanding officer the stern but wise mother, the higher-ranked and senior members big sisters to learn from, and the lower-ranked and junior members little sisters to care for. Since they lack a "family life" as most species understand it, with biological relatives raising them from infancy instead of society-wide education and training until they reach adulthood, a Vieteri must serve alongside and interact with other races for a good long time before they understand this perspective is unusual, and that other races don't see progressing through society and into adulthood as moving from one military-structured family group to the next. This may make Vieteri team members extremely tight, but it sends very mixed signals in interracial teams. Tonare's favorite hobby is exploring local fashions on new worlds, and will always seek to learn the how's and why's and integrate them into her own, at least for an outfit or two as an expression of her command of the style.
Bio: As unusual as it is for a Vieteri to ever leave their military squadrons and platoons, it would further surprise many to know that Tonare had served with one of the most prestigious platoons of special forces in the Vieteri military. In no small part because the normally boisterous girl very specifically avoids bringing it up or talking about it. She hadn't been in it long, only making the cut for her second tour and eager to learn from the best of the best. Before she could ever make a name for herself in their ranks, however, scandal rocked the platoon when upper command was caught selling deployment information, leading to a number of squads decimated before the leak was discovered. To the eyes of Vieteri culture, this wasn't just a treasonous high crime. This was the head of a family betraying those in their charge, akin to bundling child abuse, familial dishonor and filicide. As was tradition, the privilege of her execution was offered to each of those still alive under her command, including Tonare, right down to the lowest ranks of the platoon. As was tradition, each refused the privilege, instead turning their backs to her in wordless denial of her existence, eventually leaving the execution to an unrelated firing squad, and with no one in her platoon accepting her existence, her remains would be placed without ceremony in an unmarked grave.
Unfortunately, such a betrayal shakes all bonds, and the platoon didn't survive restructuring as all members drifted away. No matter where they landed, however, their platoon's legacy followed them. If that was their commander, how could a new team trust any of them? Or the opposite, and they were too coddling, rushing to try to make overly sure the inherited teammates were comfortable and were reminded aloud at every opportunity that the actions of their former commander wouldn't be held against them. This was especially egregious on the younger members who had little to no established reputation to fall back on. Tonare was far from the only one who finished that tour out and opted to take a private leave rather than sign for another one.
Tonare was always an overachiever, always pushing herself to be as great as possible, which was how she made it into special forces in the first place, which would have granted her access to elite training and active experience under seasoned aces. Instead she finds herself working with aliens in a mech squad. A very green mech pilot despite her other skills, her overzealous overperformance has only gotten worse with her being unable to rely on her commendations by being in a foreign paramilitary force, in a field she is inexperienced with, and trying to prove herself independently worthwhile even if none of her allies would have any idea of what had happened to her platoon.
Designation: HCW "Morning Star"
Physical Description: Harmonizing Crystalline Weapons are structures composed of crystals that assemble themselves according to the unique arcane signature of their user and are not mechanical constructs. This means that no matter what HCW Tonare uses, it will always be Morning Star. In its passive state, a HCW is a prismatic octahedron that fits in the palm of the hand when manifested. Upon activation, it synchronizes with the user's arcane signature and assumes a form on scale with a conventional mech that is conducive to channeling the user's powers. This is usually a humanoid form resembling a crystal colossus of a transformed Vieteri in the user's stone color. Morning Star is a swirling pietersite feminine colossus with energy wings spreading behind it. It is said that looking upon it is like looking at an alien world from orbit. There are no mechanical processes involved in the operation of a HCW and it cannot be repaired, maintained or disassembled by traditional engineering. If disabled, the user must return it to its passive state, and it will draw over time from the user's arcane energy to restore itself. Depending on severity, this usually takes about twelve hours short of total destruction of the unit. Piloting a HCW is intuitive, as it encompasses the user, relaying sensory information and the user's physical responses in real time.
• Pilot Suite: 0 (Tonare may have soldiering under her belt, but is new to being a pilot.)
• Offense: 2 (Morning Star amplifies and discharges its pilot's arcane energy, primarily through hand blasts.)
• Defense: 1 (HCWs have a baseline durability somewhat inferior to comparable mechanical mobile weapons of steel and oil.)
• Mobility: 2 (HCWs are extremely agile and are faster than comparable mechanical mobile weapons.)
Apr 2, 2021 20:24:15 GMT
I put together a few more sheets of other mecha characters I have because I got bored. These aren't entries, just figured I'd share.
Name + Callsign: Brooks "Crash" Marci
Species: Augmented Human
Physical Description: Crash is an Amazonian woman with flaming red hair and a wild expression in her eyes. She still wears the patches of her old service despite her dishonorable discharge, but her uniform is usually disheveled and only half on, the top half pulled down to show her black tank top and muscled arms bearing an assortment of military tattoos and one of a busty woman posing WW2 bomber style. When in combat on foot, she favors a large industrial sledge and a high-yield explosive launcher. It's not just appearances, she IS stronger than reason indicates she should be, due to her pre-conception genetic augmentation, widely considered an illegal process that still happens in backwater dictatorships and pirate empires.
Personality: Crash is hot-headed, aggressive and of explosive temperament. Despite this, she is extremely loyal to those she considers comrades, and in fact feels every emotion strongly. Not just fury, but joy, joviality … and even vengeance. She loves brawls, the more brutal the better, and suffers an addiction to stims.
Bio: Crash is an ex-soldier with a … tumultuous service record ending in a dishonorable discharge. Feedback from her other members of her squad described her as volatile, but spirited and faithful. Her service was full of times she overdid it on missions, or broke formation to charge an entrenched defense, or unnecessarily escalated a mission. Nevertheless, she never failed such missions, either, overcoming any obstacle that arose before her with tenacity and gratuitous violence until her squad emerged victorious. A force the military wanted on their side instead of against them as a pirate or something, they overlooked most of her troubles with slap-on-the-wrist reprimands, aided by her commanding officer routinely pleading in her defense.
That was until the squad realized one of their younger members was being harassed and manipulated into certain favors by a high-ranking officer. None of the squad responded well, but when Crash beat him nearly to death and left his face a bloody pulp in the middle of headquarters, injuring three of the five M.P.s that came to pull her off of him, it was an act the military could not overlook, especially when the officer used his clout to retaliate. The squad's commander used evidence of the officer's conduct to get him to reduce things to a dishonorable discharge.
After leaving the military, Crash drifted a while, entering mecha tournaments, both above-board and underground, mostly just fuming and funding her stim addiction. Then she heard through an old contact that officer had displaced her old commander, still holding a grudge against the rest of the squad, and was now in charge of her team. What she heard of what he was doing with it didn't sound good. She signed up with the first pirate band she could find that she could confirm would be targeted by a force that included her own squad. Records indicate a mech that bore a striking resemblance to the Wrecker engaged the squad in the initial landing sorties, but was quickly lost track of in the ensuing battlefield. The pirates were dismantled by the end of it all and their base destroyed, though no one knows who set the explosives that devastated the facility. The squad only suffered a single casualty, their commanding officer, whose mech was brutally ripped apart at the torso, the cockpit bashed into a bulkhead until it ruptured, and then the exposed pilot impacted with exceedingly violent blunt force, as if from a massive hydraulic fist.
Designation: Wrecker
Physical Description: The Wrecker is a hulking, almost ape-like mobile suit, large in size and heavily armored, with one disproportionately massive arm accommodating a huge hydraulic piledriver. A modified IPS-N Zheng, it is huge even next to other mecha, built for grappling, pummeling and throwing around multi-ton hulks of steel like a metal gorilla that thinks it's King Kong. It is an extremely brutal machine, but its lack of ranged weaponry and its below average computer systems make it suitable only for an equally imbalanced pilot.
• Pilot Suite: 0 – Crash isn't a bad pilot, exactly, but her rash, impulsive nature means she rarely makes use of more than the basest, simplest tactical advantages, strategies or approaches.
• Offense: 3 – The Wrecker is a beast, with only one job that it does devastatingly well: Hulk Smash. Unfortunately, it is such a dedicated design that it completely lacks ranged equipment.
• Defense: 2 – A Zheng is a wall of angry steel straight off of the assembly line, but the Wrecker has been further fortified with bulkhead-level alloys. Its whole purpose in life is to charge through enemy fire to smash their lines to chunky salsa, and its pitted surface with chipped paint shows just how capable it is of doing exactly that.
• Mobility: 1 – Though technically capable of a high linear speed, the Wrecker isn't meant for agility, and its massive weight means even its powerful thrusters can only do so much. It's a pain train, not a ballet dancer.
Name + Callsign:Leo Wu + Izanagi
Physical Description: A young man of Asian heritage, he possesses a lean athleticism to his frame, but his bright blue eyes often glow with arrogance and pride. There is something noble about his aura when he isn't being boastful, but he's just as often buried in a video game. The only person he seems to really enjoy spending time with is also the only person seemingly able to effectively reprimand him – his NHP (Non-Humanoid Person, AI, Artificial Intelligence, is considered racist in his culture), Ama (pronounced Aymay, and short for Amaterasu).
Personality:Never hesitant to refer to himself as The King, Leo is confident in the extreme and extremely sure of himself. He firmly does not believe that there is anyone who can overcome him when he is inside a mech, virtual or otherwise. This is not without merit, however, and he has nearly inhuman reaction times high enough to imply minor genetic modification and a natural sense of battlefield awareness. Seemingly rash and hasty behaviors in battle quickly resolve into surprisingly strategic maneuvers that his mind conceived faster than he could be bothered to relay them to his allies, even if they are prone to being high-risk high-reward gambits. He possesses a ruthless combat style that implies he doesn't quite perceive battles as any more real than the virtual games where he made his name.
Ama, on the other hand, is extremely strict with him, serving as a balance against his rash and reckless winner-take-all attitude. She firmly believes he has an excess of talent, and cares deeply about his well-being, but won't hesitate to crank his ear when he gets a big head.
Bio: Leo didn't make his name in the military, but in esports. He was the top-ranked pilot in the hyperrealistic mechsims for three straight years. Once one becomes a crowned champion, however, the system begins using a different rating system for those elite players. Given that travel through space at faster than light speeds produces time dilation, it is entirely possible for a champion from a decade ago to only be a year older despite being unable to compete during that time, especially if they enter military or mercenary service as many of them do, since their skills directly translate to real-world piloting skill. This rating system involves the assignment of multiple crowns, and a whole star system's worth of viewers will often tune in when a battle over them, called a Crown Match, is publicized, though challenges for one's crowns needn't be in any way public and even real-world matches between crowned elites are considered valid by the system. Leo currently possesses six crowns, three from his consecutive years as champion and three from crowned elites that challenged him since and lost.
When he was drafted upon reaching legal adulthood, he eschewed the sign-on bonus for a favor, that the military would make sure he got his partner he fought beside for all that time.
Designation: Izanagi (yes, same as Leo's callsign)
Physical Description: The Izanagi that Leo ruled the leaderboards for three years from was a finely tuned high performance, high agility machine exactly customized to his combat style. This one is just in the same color scheme with minor cosmetics in common with it. This doesn't dissuade Leo in the slightest, however, and he proudly flies the white with golden trim that he made his own, even on a completely base entry level infantry mech. He compares it to starting a new game file. He claims that even this base model will fly like an ace mobile suit in his hands, and he looks forward to bringing it closer and closer to the "real" thing one mission at a time.
• Pilot Suite: 3 – Leo Wu is without a doubt an incredibly skilled pilot with few peers, and Ama is part of the systems when the mech is active.
• Offense: 1 – The mech is equipped with a basic equivalent to Leo's preferred loadout, sporting two charged blades, two plasma holdout pistols and a wrist-mounted shotgun, giving him strong CQC capabilities with some light medium-ranged coverage, but it's a long cry from his blazing plasma sabers, explosive heat cannon and fuel rod cannon.
• Defense: 1 – The mech only has its base armor, but this doesn't worry Leo, as he's always been one to avoid a hit rather than take it.
• Mobility: 1 – The mech currently only sports the grunt-level thrusters, verniers and general system agility, far less than the supersonic movement Leo is accustomed to in his Izanagi.
Special Ability: Redline Break Leo is able to push any mobile suit he pilots to its absolute limit, squeezing out every last bit of performance possible. Keeping the mech in this danger zone generates so much heat that the frame begins to glow from the heat, even with the vents opened and exposed to maximize cooling. Though the visual effect is impressive, these increase the vulnerability of the mech, both to attack and risking damage to the reactor and the mech, itself. Despite the extremely dangerous nature of this behavior, Leo is so fond of it that it has become his combat style, and he barely feels alive or challenged if he isn't redlining the mech's danger zone, listening to the discordant chime of the heat warning.
While redlining, Leo's mech gains +1 to Offense and Mobility, but gains -1 to Defense (minimum 1) and suffers disadvantage on all Defense rolls. If Defense is already at 1, bonuses, such as from supplementing with Pilot Suite, must still overcome the -1 penalty. For example, two points would be required from Pilot Suite rather than 1 to raise a Defense bonus to 2 while redlining.
This is a Pilot ability and is not tied to any specific mech. Any mech being actively piloted by Leo gains this ability.
Name + Callsign: Mark Mathison + Colorado
Physical Description: Mathison has been a career man in the infantry since he got out of high school, and has the build to show for it. He's old enough to look like he could be giving orders, but not so old that it would look like all he was good for, and has a prime of life level of fitness. As a career soldier, people are unlikely to ever see him out of uniform, and when he's suited up, a bandana keeps hair out of his eyes, and he packs a sidearm, fragmentation grenades, a store of thermite for demo and breaching, and the only woman he's ever married, his trusty infantry rifle equipped with a smart scope.
Personality: Mathison is an eminent pragmatist, always thinking in terms of military tactics and objectives. Off duty, he values a good, strong drink and privacy in a crowd. On a mission, he is a persistent and untiring soldier that will keep pushing until the objective is accomplished and his people are safe or he's dead.
Bio: A soldier all his life, he got his callsign clear back in boot camp. He's actually from an agrarian colony called New Texas, but his sergeant decided he didn't look Texan at all, and took to calling him Colorado. It's stuck to him like glue ever since. He's a highly decorated career, but has steadfastly resisted any attempt to promote him off of the front line, and he refuses any command position that doesn't allow him to fight alongside his men. His high performance sees him frequently sent as head of a squad or on his own to either protect a high value target or to eliminate one.
Designation: A Kind Word
Physical Description: "You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word." - Al Capone
Colorado isn't a man known for deep philosophical thought, but his mobile suit could be said to encompass his theories on diplomacy. Its massive black and red frame duplicates his arsenal, with the addition of a large shoulder-mounted cannon hardwired into the system.
• Pilot Suite: 0 – While a highly experienced soldier, Colorado is not an experienced mech pilot.
• Offense: 2 – A Kind Word boasts a laser rifle, thermal grenades, smoke grenades, breaching mines, an array of situational specialized ammunition, and the large ZF4 SOLIDCORE impulse cannon. This last weapon is directly integrated into A Kind Word and cannot be removed or dropped. Its base power is no greater than its laser rifle, but it can build a charge by redirecting a portion of excess heat energy when the mech dumps heat. Each time this is done, the weapon effectively increases its power by its base strength. It can hold a charge up to four times its base strength (3 charges), at which point it devastates terrain and foe alike for hundreds of meters. When discharging the ZF4 SOLIDCORE, treat A Kind Word's Offense score as one point higher per charge on the ZF4, but only for that attack with the ZF4.
• Defense: 2 – A Kind Word is equipped with good quality general purpose armor, offering better defense over generic armor plating, but not so much that it is a tank.
• Mobility: 1 – A Kind Word isn't built for speed and favors slow, steady, tactical advancement as it moves from cover to cover rather than sudden blitzes.
ninmast edited Apr 2, 2021 20:30:08 GMT
gunslingerpipedream
Apr 23, 2021 21:54:36 GMT
Name + Callsign: Cole
Species:Terran
Physical Description: Cole is a thin, lanky thing. He grew up in orbit of a gas giant, Threshold, in extreme low orbit, forcing his body's natural processes to work in tandem with drugs and therapy to keep him alive. The result is a small, almost feminine frame, standing a stout 5'7" and possessing incredible strength as well as speed by virtue of efficiently bundled muscle fibers. His skin is pale, his eyes blue, and his hair is dark brown, having faded from blonde.
His face is thin, and somewhere between androgynous and male, leading to confusion over his age and sex. Appearing to be between the ages of 18-20 if assumed to be female and the ages of 14-16 if viewed as male, he has been alive for 26 Earth years. He possesses no facial or body hair, unable to grow it anywhere except on top of his head as a result of the augmentation he underwent. He generally prefers to wear black, grey, or dark hues of cool colors, and there are few who have ever seen anything but his hands and face exposed. His wardrobe out of combat consists of oversized hoodies and long sleeved shirts, usually with jeans.
In combat, he's clad in an airtight suit optimized for stealth. It is olive green by default, but has color-shifting abilities in case his environment requires different camouflage. A kevlar-graphene weave covers the joints while graphene-and-titanium plates cover vital areas and the limbs. All this armor is barely a hindrance to Cole's natural speed. Over these plates, molle netting carries spare ammunition for his rifle and handgun, as well as demolition charges and other miscellaneous equipment. Just below the lower back and above the buttocks, Cole wears a Jump Kit, a piece of equipment that uses an array of electromagnets to propel Cole upward, forward, backward, and side to side, depending on how he angles himself. It also allows him to stick to walls and perform seemingly impossible manuevers. As well, he is equipped with a grappling hook system with the same graphene-kevlar weave as his armor used as the line. He can electrify the line at any time, essentially using it as a taser, but it can also be lethal. His helmet has multiple optics modes but in the event of a catastrophic failure, he can still see through his visor.
His visor can overlay things like the exact or predicted positions of hostile combatants and possible combatants through walls, provided the information is available, be it through direct video from the Dokkabei or hacked cameras. Lastly, the whole rig has the ability to bend light and heat around itself rendering it invisible to cameras and sensor packages, but still produces a slight "ripple" effect to the naked eye. This weakness is exacerbated if Cole attempts to move quickly while cloaked.
Personality: Cole has been described as "Unique", "Interesting", and "That's a dude?". He is notably quiet, but not at all reserved or resentful of people, be they alien or otherwise. He simply doesn't understand how to interact with others and has trouble engaging them. He doesn't approach others without a good reason, and can become burned out and uncomfortable if forced to interact with unfamiliar people for a long period of time. His treatments have not left him unable to feel emotion, however, far from it.
He feels intensely, usually admiration or attraction for other people, male, female, and in between. He does not feel empathy for his enemies, as he was indoctrinated into assuming a pragmatic, cold mindset the moment the gunfire starts. He has a dry, sarcastic, nihilist sense of humor, often joking to his teammates and enemies about what will happen when one of them is dead. Cole can work well in a team in a subservient position, and just as well alone. However, he intensely dislikes taking responsibility for others, being too compassionate a leader. Cole, for all his abnormalities, has the mind of a teenage boy.
He enjoys normal things, such as playing video games and watching films. He especially enjoys films because he's noticed that people can be in the same room, quietly coexisting while a film is playing without feeling the need to speak. He listens to music from Earth during the early 2000s, mostly punk rock. More recent, he enjoys "Flip" music, a descendant of centuries-old noise called "Metal."
Bio:Cole was raised to be a killer. He was built in a lab and gestated in a tube. He never had a father, or a mother. He was pumped full of drugs, and torture-tested for years. He was put through hell many times over and can now take just about anything with a straight face. Aside from the already-mentioned physical augmentation and mental indoctrination, Cole had a childhood. He and the other walking experiments on the station grew close and knew eachother as siblings. They were fed films each night to help model human interaction and to give the children miscellaneous knowledge which may be useful.
All of them shared an intense bond meant to be exploited for their field operations, causing them to work seamlessly in tandem. However, the night the project was due to be cancelled and the experiments were to be executed, Cole and one other, Cynthia, escaped on a shuttle after using a security drone to fight their way out, but quickly noticed there were failsafe explosives inside of them.
Cole had his removed first, but there was a tamper trigger. Cynthia's spinal column was severed by the small explosive, and she died on the spot as her brain could no longer command her heart to pump blood or her lungs to breathe. The last evidence of an experiment that never happened, Cole surrounds himself with people to make his inevitable disappearance as suspicious as can be. In this quest, he found himself among the Marauders, with a leased combat mech designed to work as well on its own as with a pilot. Cole is a moderately skilled pilot, showing promise, but not at all as skilled as his fellow pilots, leading him to simply allow his machine's AI to work with him and for him.
Designation:LR-SASP-992, "Dokkabei"
Physical Description:The Dokkabei stands 18 feet tall in its upright position, but can contort its limbs around it in order to take on any configuration necessary. It also possesses an internal AI that interprets and carries out its operator's orders without said operator being required onboard. It possesses a WT120 "Orion" Railgun firing 120mm steel rounds weighing 20 kilograms accurate up to 750 meters. It is external, meaning the weapon can be swapped on the fly, stowed, and maintained like most handheld weapons.Designation: LR-SASP-992, "Dokkabei"
Capability Rating & Description:
• Pilot Suite: [2] Cole is an unskilled pilot and spends most of his time outside of the cockpit. However, he understands how his mech's systems can be used to aid him in combat and is very apt at command when his charges are completely expendable. As a result, his mech understands his commands and carries them out without question. He carries a Peacekeeper Arms Enforcer .300, an integrally suppressed carbine firing caseless subsonic ammunition, a Warden Tactical SASR 338 "Calypso", an anti-materiel sniper rifle, and a Peacekeeper Arms Conciliator 9 SD, an integrally suppressed 9-millimeter handgun.
• Offense: [1] The Dokkabei possesses a WT120 "Orion" Railgun, capable of propelling a 20kg round at over 3000 feet per second, and accurate up to 500 meters.
• Defense: [1] The Dokkabei possesses little space for armor. It is not intended to take the brunt of a strike.
• Mobility: [1] The Dokkabei can climb, and has limited flight capability, but both of these functions are incredibly rudimentary compared to its weapons system.
gunslingerpipedream edited May 26, 2021 22:59:48 GMT
May 20, 2021 3:55:33 GMT
Name + Callsign: Vis(Vee) Telum + Knife
Physical Description: Lithe but muscular woman with black hair and gold eyes. Roughly in her thirties
Personality: A typically frank sort, Vis rarely takes time to dance around subjects or battles, preferring to get right to the proverbial point. She's rarely shy and has little to no awareness of "personal space", possibly due to her long military career. They enjoy a good joke and have been noted to have a healthy sense of humor. one last thing to note, shes quick to anger and prone to... breaking faces.
Bio: Vis's history appears to be largely redacted, so most of what we know is incomplete. She served in a colonial military out of Deneb ever since she was old enough to enlist and fought in the fedcon war as well as multiple small scale conflicts between the colonies and an unspecified alien empire. She has a list of accolades stretching nearly her entire career for excellence in battle. She was abruptly dishonorably discharged after a conflict on planet Devant. Its unclear as to the reasoning.
Afterwards, she freelanced as a mercenary and, apparently, a graphic artist for a short time. She was in and out several of larger private cooperate armies, hiring on when she needed money and then quitting as soon as she saved enough to live. She says this was because dealing with the red tape and paperwork was "worse than any war."
More recently, she's decided to work with a smaller, lesser known group. Some of us speculate she intends to stay on long term. For that though, we'll just have to wait and see.
Designation: Bellua/Monster
• Pilot Suite: 2 - Vis and Bellua are long time friends of war, having killed a little bit of everyone together.
• Offense: 1 - Bellua is equipped with a custom sword-like weapon that houses a special plasma cutter capable of carving through all but the toughest of alloys. Even if it looses power, the weapon itself is durable enough to be used to bludgeon enemies. It is also equipped with a standard impact rifle
• Defense: 1 - Standard armor plating, durable, reliable, -Mostly- Fireproof.
• Mobility: 1 - The monster is made faster with a combination of special servos and advanced jets located around its frame that allow for faster than average movement.
Queen Nobody edited Jul 2, 2021 1:21:42 GMT


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BLUE STATE BLUES: New Jersey Weighs TAXING TAP WATER to Bolster Budget
New Jersey is poised to follow California's lead in the coming weeks, with state officials weighing whether they should implement a new tax on tap water to help bolster the state's bloated budget.
According to Fox News, the proposal is being introduced by State Sen. Bob Smith, who referred to the new tax as a "user fee." The measure would implement a $0.10 levy on every 1,000 gallons of water used per household.
Smith claims the new tax would impose an average fee of $32 per year.
"The state already charges a public utility franchise tax on water system operators of $0.01 per 1,000 gallons of water delivered to a consumer. That tax, which went into effect in 1984, is supposed to 'ensure clean drinking water in New Jersey,'" write Fox.
"Let's call it for what it is… it's another tax," Councilman Peter Brown D-Linden said.
CALIFORNIA CHAOS: Governor Unveils New Plan to 'TAX DRINKING WATER'
Liberal California Governor Jerry Brown offered a unique solution to solve his state's crumbling infrastructure this week, unveiling his plan to "tax drinking water" on residents and businesses to help finance new infrastructure projects.
According to the Daily Caller, the revenue would help fund new pipelines and filtering facilities to help remove arsenic and other chemicals found in the state's water supply -predominately in rural areas.
"Residents and businesses would pay a tax on their monthly water bills, while the average Californian would pay an additional $11.40 per year for drinking water. The agricultural industry would be forced to contribute through taxes on fertilizer purchases and fees paid by dairy farmers. Regulators have long argued California's water is unsafe to drink," writes the Caller.
The governor's plan comes just one year after he signed a new bill raising taxes on gasoline throughout the state, sparking outrage from residents and local businesses who rely on automobiles and trucks to conduct their daily business.
The burdensome tax plan is raising Republicans' hopes of a surprising "red wave" throughout the state during the 2018 midterm elections.
Read the full story at the Daily Caller.
CALIFORNIA CHAOS: State Imposes LIMIT on Daily Water Use Starting in 2022
The State of California introduced new legislation in recent weeks that aims to limit a household's daily use of water; capping the daily level at 55 gallons per person and penalizing local water districts who don't enforce the new regulations.
"Take a shower or do a load of laundry? That will be the decision that heavy water users may soon have to make if they do not cut back on their water consumption after Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two water conservation bills taking effect in 2022," writes local NBC News.
According to recent studies, the average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons per day, including drinking water, laundry, bathing, cleaning, etc.
"So it is not true that if you take a shower and do laundry on the same day we will show up on your door and fine you that is definitely false," said the Communications Director for a large water district. "What is true is that we are going to ask more people to be more conscious of their water use over the year."
NANCY'S NIGHTMARE: More 2018 Hopefuls DITCH PELOSI as Future Speaker

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The baby has come into the world, visitors have dried up, and you are slowly getting back to life; with all your daily chores, office work and other things get piled up, you manage time to find time to get worried over the postpartum weight loss diet. Well, I guess, that is a healthy sign and you should be.
But be careful, you should not take any mindless steps as far as dieting is concerned, this article aims to give you sure-fire diet regimes and workout plans to lose weight nicely and beautifully. Yeah, right! All these tips are safe and do not cause any complications; so, put your worries aside.
It becomes important when you want more kids, a small weight gain can bring you into the overweight range that increases the risk for next pregnancy.
Never start the dieting right after the delivery; you should give yourself some time to fully recover from the labor. You should at least give six weeks time before you could start any dieting. Do not get too worried over calorie intake, keep it simple.
If you are breastfeeding, then make sure that you start any kind of regime after 2 months of delivery. Hang on, have patience, you will be a beautiful mama once again, stay calm and relaxed, your body has its own wisdom and it will work on its own. Adapting to diet regime too soon after the delivery can make you feel more tired.
After the pregnancy, some women's body shapes change permanently that means you are likely to have a softer belly, wider hips, and bigger waistline. So make sure that your goals are aligned with the reality. You cannot change the body shape drastically, however you try the permanent changes will remain intact.
While breastfeeding, you need at least more than 1800 calories; otherwise, the milk will dry up and your baby will starve; so, make sure that you do not cut down the meals or restrict the intake. Get the proper amount of food to stay healthy.
You should ideally lose a pound and half each week, and that needs you to cut down 500 calories; in addition, a quick weight loss can add toxins to your bloodstream eventually contaminating your organism.
I understand, you want to have the size zero and a curvaceous figure; yeah, after all being flirtatious make sense, but hang on, at least do not take the risk of skipping meals in an attempt to lose weight quickly. It is not the right way of losing weight; in fact, it makes things worse.
Remember that the breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it not only keeps you healthy but also improves the chances of the weight loss, so make sure that you have your favorite sandwich in the morning before you do anything.
Research suggests that eating low-fat dairy products and whole wheat bread or grain expedite the weight loss process, the high fiber content food such as fruits and vegetables should be the ideal food that you must choose if you want to get back to the shape.
You can also make fruit smoothies; eat some grilled vegetable and vegetable soups. The boiled and baked food should be chosen over the sweets because the sugar adds extra calories.
Never eliminate the fat from the diet, it is still important because it is essential for the body, you should look to cut down the excess fat and protein. In fact, you should each nutrition elements moderately.
After giving birth, the work out regime makes perfect sense because it can help you to get rid of the post-pregnancy depression; however, you should consult the doctor before you take up any workout regime to verify your eligibility because workout after pregnancy can have an adverse effect too.
Walking is the best exercise that you should regularly do; make sure that you start with strolling for few weeks, the slow increase the speed; you can also try walking in a zigzag pattern, this is will make your body guessing which can be beneficial.
You can pack you baby in front to add some extra weight but remember that while walking in a zigzag motion, you have to keep your baby away from it until you master the move.
The stanching are also the best ways of getting back to shape, but remember that you have started with the basic stretching before you do some power stretching. However, it is important that you speak with your trainer.
Never go for exercises without the help of trained professional. The exercises like walking and stretching do not need any expert supervision; anything more rigor needs assistance.
Apparently, by choosing the right diet regime and workout plan, you will lose weight slowly and nicely. It is advisable that you should keep things slow and simple. First, you have to take care of your baby and look the milk supply needs; therefore, remain calm and maintain a healthy weight.
Finally, being a mama has its own charm and beauty; in fact, you feel satisfied and joyous, but as every other thing in the world, the most beautiful things come with its share of troubles and odds. So, learn to cope with it and live a healthy and beautiful life. You will get back to shape eventually.
Katy Hill has worked with great doctors who have experience in dealing with the problems of pregnant ladies. To overcome such issues, she came up with the idea of creating pregnancy body pillows. This Katy Hill`s product, gives comfort to mothers so that they can be comfortable all day and feel all the love and affection in their pregnancy.


The world has been experiencing an increase in the severity of global issues, including rising trends of natural disasters, terrorist activities, war and political upheavals over the recent past. There is no respite to this trend or any signs of slowing down. Quite a number of us may feel a sense of helplessness as we see our world lurch forward uncontrollably towards even tougher times. A number of seers such as Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce etc. have predicted turbulent and distressing times of cataclysmic proportions. There has also been much talk about a battle between the forces of good and evil that will play out around the times we live in. This section of the website will explore the various global issues, analysing phenomena or events taking place around the world. It will also guide about what we can do at an individual and collective level to help solve the global issues at hand.
A global issue of utmost importance for all humanity, World war 3 is approaching at a fast pace. Unknown to most people, the cause is spiritual in nature, as the Universe is in the midst of a subtle-battle of epic proportions. Most of this subtle-battle is and will be fought in the subtle-realms.
Climate change, global warming and natural disasters are the most widely talked about global issues. According to spiritual research, the primary cause of the increase in natural disasters is a cyclic process that occurs in the Universe over time.
Though less popularly known, the sinkholes are becoming a global issue as well, as they occur more and more often in various places around the world. A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The ground, caves in all of a sudden, creating large holes in the ground and sometimes devouring up whole buildings.
In the last couple of years there were numerous cases of rivers or lakes turning red. This global issue brought fear to many people around the world who experienced it and dumbfounded even the top scientists as they were not able to find the cause, which is in reality spiritual in nature.
The subtle-battle of good versus evil has been waged periodically since earliest times.
When purchasing or evaluating land, one rarely considers its subtle aspects. However, the subtle aspects of land have a significant impact on residents.
Our detailed study on the subtle aspects of soil has yielded surprising results. We found that how land looks physically is not necessarily an accurate indicator of its subtle vibrations.
The subtle-battle of good versus evil.
Unknown to most people, the Universe is in the midst of a subtle-battle of epic proportions.
In the last couple of years there were numerous cases of rivers or lakes turning red.
People who perform this ritual say that it reduces stress, leads to greater clarity of thought, improves overall health, gives one increased energy, and makes the mind more loving in nature.
The ritual of Agnihotra has been promoted as a simple ritual that helps to minimise the adverse impact of nuclear radiation.
Agnihotra is a simple fire ritual mentioned in ancient Vedic scriptures which is performed to reduce pollution and spiritually purify the atmosphere.
As a citizen of this world what can I do?
We have provided some practical information on what each of you can do to help the situation.
Agnihotra is a simple fire ritual mentioned in ancient Vedic scriptures.
Do you know that he world is in the midst of gigantic battle between forces of good and evil?
How do negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils, etc.) manipulate different events on the Earth plane like natural disasters, pandemics, social upheavals?
What level of spiritual strength is required for this? Learn how the subtle world influences the Earth plane.
Most of us are unaware that the difficulties in our lives are actually spiritual problems 80% of the time.
Spiritual healing is defined as overcoming the spiritual root causes of problems through spiritual means.
In this section we explore the various aspects of applying principles of sāttvik living (Spirituality) in our daily life.
World War 3 is coming - are you prepared?
Recently, SSRF published a blog post about recent natural disasters that are on the rise. We have noticed that national conflicts are on the rise as well.
Why is there such a high occurrence of natural disasters lately?
Spiritual research reveals that human factors contribute 70% among the causes of destruction of our Earth.
A seeker of SSRF had a premonition about the coming dreadful times on Earth in 1999.
This book helps one understand the true meaning of Spirituality and the misconceptions about it. Thus one gets the impetus to wholeheartedly focus one's mind on spiritual growth.


Stop Patriarchy presents "People's Hearing on Abortion Rights"
Areas largest Country Music Festival.
Island Style Music, Menu and Games.
Are you Impact Windows and Doors Distributor in Florida?
Celebrating 4 years of love!


Situated directly across from beautiful Washington Park, the First Presbyterian Church of Albany is in the perfect location for reaching the City of Albany with the love of Christ. The warmth in this church also attracts individuals living in outlying suburbs. Founded in 1763, First Pres has played a prominent role in our Christian history. The pews, the Tiffany stained glass windows, the hymnals, the choirs, the organ … can take one's soul to a place of humility and reverential piety. While holding steadfast to meaningful traditions, they are a versatile church firmly ensconced in UNITY with the 21st century community of churches in the greater Capital District. First Pres is a vital piece of the yet unfinished puzzle.
As our team arrived, we saw many people gathered in the assembly hall enjoying coffee and preparing for the service. They had Fairtrade coffee available for purchase, information and signup sheets for the annual CROP walk to help fight hunger, as well as some beautiful original paintings on display. The choir was lining up as we made our way into the sanctuary. There are two Sunday services, the first one being at 8:30 am with communion. We chose the second service at 10:45 to witness the hand bell choir.
Music is a vital component at First Pres. They have both adult and youth choirs singing a diverse repertoire of classical, contemporary, jazz and spiritual selections. If you have a gift for singing, the choir always welcomes newcomers. The hand bell choir opened the service and played with captivating precision. Their practiced UNITY brought forth a brilliant melody. Following, there was a plethora of announcements, the sign of an active and engaged church. From the rear of the sanctuary the adult choir sang a musical selection. Afterwards, we took a moment to greet one another and offer signs of peace according to Matt. 5:9 and Heb.12:14. Then everyone stopped where they were, joined hands, and the congregation sang a short hymn together. This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise, though noted in their worship guide. As I looked around the sanctuary I saw everyone joyously singing with genuine enthusiasm. There was an obvious variety of cultures represented; another strong sign of UNITY among the brethren.
Glenn and Miriam Lawrence Leupold are a husband and wife team who also represent a beautiful UNITY by serving as Co-Pastors. They alternate their roles each week, one giving the message and one doing announcements, as well as other parts of the service.
This week Miriam gave the sermon, and a powerful one it was. It was Palm Sunday, and she spoke on the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (the city of peace) compared to the one of Pontius Pilate. Jesus' procession was humble and non-violent, riding the gentle colt of a donkey (Zech. 9:9). Pilate's procession embodied the violent power that ruled the world. With such a vast contrast between these two processions, the people had a choice of which one to follow. Today, we too have that same choice. Which power will you align with … earthly authorities or the Kingdom of God?
Following the service, I had an opportunity to speak with several members over coffee in the assembly hall. Everyone was warm and welcoming, and you could sense the strong love they had for their church. Pastors Glenn and Miriam also took time to speak with us as well. We received nice welcoming gifts including a coffee mug to remind us of our wonderful experience each time we drink coffee.
First Presbyterian Church of Albany offers so much to people locally, nationally and globally. They have wonderful programs and activities for the youth including summer retreats, regular service projects, an annual music production, an annual ski trip, work camps in and outside of New York State, and more. They offer Christian education for all ages. First Pres works in lower income areas of Albany tutoring students, and they are highly involved in various school programs. They are also one of 12 communities that partner with FOCUS Ministry, working together in UNITY to serve the needy with a food pantry, a breakfast program and food advocacy.
This church is rich in history, strong in the Word and actively engaged in the spiritual and creative growth of its members. It is quite clear which Triumphal Procession they chose. As we departed with our hands full of traditional palm leaves, I was reminded that the entire Body of Christ has made the correct choice. IT'S UNANIMOUS … WE FOLLOW JESUS!
Wow such an elegant place of worship…and filled with the faithful. Beautiful description of God's beloved.
At 84 I am grateful that during the many years I have belonged to First Pres.
Albany it has been an open and affirming congregation.
art , poetry, and paintings to stimulate responses and reflection.from those in residence.


Great opportunity to make it your own! Seller is offering home, shop, and approximately 5 acres of rolling farm land in Stamping Ground! This older home has a gas furnace and central air, some newer windows, partially replaced roof, and has original hardwood flooring throughout. Some personal touches and TLC will have this gem gleaming again! Bring your horses, enjoy the views, and listen to the quiet of country life from your swing in the front yard. Seller will survey land as needed- can sell with or without barn. Property will be fenced with seller covering 1/2 of this expense after you determine the parcel that you prefer. Set up a time to see this one soon!


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Egypt in the spotlight as DPI hits final close on Africa's largest-ever PE fund
Africa-focused private equity firm Development Partners International (DPI) is on track for a USD 900 mn final close to its third fund. Its African Development Partners III (ADP III) has an additional USD 250 mn worth of dedicated co-investment capital, the firm said in a statement, giving it a total of USD 1.15 bn for investment on the continent. That would, by our math, make it the largest PE fund ever raised for deployment in Africa. DPI's third fund has already invested in MNT-Halan's record-breaking USD 120 mn funding round.
DPI's existing Egypt investments and track record were among the keys to the successful fundraising, which saw DPI exceed its original target by USD 100 mn and add more than 25 new limited partners to its investor base, a senior DPI exec told us. The firm's LPs include pension and sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, ins. companies, asset managers and impact investors, DPI said.
Egypt is critical for DPI. "Egypt was a key investment destination" for the firm's second fund, Principal Ziad Abaza told us. Egypt had the largest country allocation in the firm's ADP II as DPI deployed more than USD 180 mn here in three investments that Abaza said "have performed very well for us." They include consumer electronics retailer B.tech, pipes and fittings manufacturer EGIC (a prominent exporter) and fintech platform MNT-Halan. "Egypt has performed well over the last five years and we expect to see this trend continue," he said.
"Egypt will remain a key country as we deploy capital from our third fund," Abaza added, saying two out of the four investments ADP III has already made have been here. The firm's pharma platform, established in partnership with CDC and EBRD, has acquired Adwia and DPI invested a second time in MNT-Halan. "That takes our total investments in Egypt now to more than USD 350 mn along with our co-investors," Abaza said.
What does DPI like in Egypt going forward? "We like to see companies that address gaps in the market and benefit from the compelling demographics and emerging Egyptian middle class. To give a few examples, we continue to be very interested in healthcare, education, manufacturing, agriculture, retail and FMCG. We're also interested in companies that are keeping up with the rapid digitalisation in the post pandemic world and find new ways to connect with consumers," Abaza explained.
DPI's fundraising is good news for an African private equity industry that has faced headwinds in recent years. Africa-focused PE firms had a flat first half this year and raised just USD 1.2 bn in 2020, more than 70% less than the USD 3.9 bn raised in 2019, the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association told the Financial Times. Helios, for example, agreed to a merger with a Fairfax vehicle (pdf) in a transaction that closed last year after Helios fell short of a USD 1.25 bn fundraising target.
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ABC News/Youtube
Wisconsin Appeals Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction, Prolonging His Prison Release
by Casey Suglia
Just weeks after good news came for Making A Murderer subject Brendan Dassey, bad news has followed. On Aug. 12, a federal judge in the state of Wisconsin overturned Dassey's conviction and ordered for his release from jail. This was great news for Making A Murderer fans who believed in Dassey's innocence with his involvement in the alleged murder of Theresa Halbach. Now, however, the state of Wisconsin has appealed Brendan Dassey's overturned conviction — meaning this process will drag out even more.
In August, Judge William E. Duffin ordered for Dassey's release from prison detailing why he overturned the conviction in official court documents. Judge Duffin cites "false promises" along with "Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult" for reasoning behind why he believed that Dassey's conviction was "involuntary" and should be overturned. Dassey was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 and is now 26-years-old.
In the same documents filed by Duffin, it states that Dassey "must be released from custody unless, within 90 days of the date of this decision, the State initiates proceedings to retry him." It is this important line that has allowed the state to appeal Dassey's overturned conviction.
Today, however, Wisconsin Attorney General filed the appeal for Dassey's overturned conviction and then released a statement on the Wisconsin Department of Justice's website:
We believe the magistrate judge's decision that Brendan Dassey's confession was coerced by investigators, and that no reasonable court could have concluded otherwise, is wrong on the facts and wrong on the law. Two state courts carefully examined the evidence and properly concluded that Brendan Dassey's confession to sexually assaulting and murdering Theresa Halbach with his uncle, Steven Avery, was voluntary, and that investigators did not use constitutionally impermissible tactics.
The Halbach family has been notified of the appeal and fully supports the State's decision to seek justice on behalf of their daughter.
Dassey's attorneys posted a statement on the Bluhm Legal Clinic's Wrongful Convictions of Youth website in response to the appeal:
We are disappointed in the State's decision to prolong Brendan's case by seeking an appeal. We look forward to continuing to defend his rights in court. Like Brendan, we remain grateful to his many supporters for their continued loyalty and strength.
According to New York Daily News, Dassey will remain jailed during the conviction appeal. According to Business Insider, if the appeal is unsuccessful, Wisconsin state prosecutors could still decide to retry Dassey for the crimes he had been originally convicted of. However, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, if prosecutors do decide to retry Dassey, they will have to do so without Dassey's confession, Dassey's attorney Steven Drizin told the newspaper. This is a pretty huge deal considering the fact that there is reportedly no physical evidence that links Dassey to the crime.
The initial overturning of the conviction was huge news for fans of Making A Murderer, who watched Dassey what looked like was being coerced into confessing. While this appeal is less than positive news for Making A Murderer fans, it is one step closer to bringing justice for Brendan Dassey — even if it is delayed.


PM me USD offers on the full collection.
If you are looking for individual cards I'll accept offers in USD or platinum.
The post was edited 1 time, last by Svenn ( Jan 9th 2018, 4:33pm ).
Still have over a million platinum worth of cards for sale.
Some more cards added. Would like to unload the full thing all at once if possible.
New cards from the more recent sets added.


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Prokick Articles
Van Damme brought massive popularity to the sport of Kickboxing
History of Kickboxing
The origins of Full Contact Kickboxing can be found in Thailand in the 2,000 year old discipline of Muay Thai fighting. Thai boxing was devised, initially, for self-defence. It only developed into a sport when unarmed combat in warfare became less and less effective. It remains the national sport of Thailand. Thai boxers are awarded the same superstar status in their home nation as premier league footballers in Europe or basketball players in the USA. Full Contact Kickboxing developed through a combination of Muay Thai and other martial art influences.
It was aided in its rise, when Bruce Lee exploded onto the big screen. The first time anything resembling what we now know as Full Contact Kickboxing began in the United States in the early 1970's as Full Contact Karate. In September 1974, in Los Angeles, the first ever World Championships of Full Contact Karate were hosted. At that time Karate's own sanctioning body, the PKA, provided the official nod that was required.
The bouts took place on a standard karate surface (no ring). Some of the best traditional Karate fighters of North America tried their hand at this fresh take on their ancient art. It wasn't until the late 1970's that the sport moved into a boxing ring. Initially, there were only weight 4 divisions. The first Full Contact World Champions were the legendary Jeff Smith, Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace & Isuena Duenas. From 1974 until 1985, the PKA was the most widely-recognised world-wide sanctioning group, even though it operated mainly in the USA.
Don & Judy Quine, along with Joe Corley, helped it on its way and were instrumental in establishing the first links with television. Their contract with the American TV network ESPN helped take the burgeoning sport to a wider audience. The PKA developed the first fighter ratings systems and presented their champions with a very real and very high profile. Jean-Yves Theriault, Brad Hefton, Jerry Trimble, Steve Shepard and others became the first stars of this new regulated sport.
The roots of the sport in Europe were planted in Germany. In 1975, an amateur organisation to rival the PKA appeared. The WAKO (WORLD ALL STYLE KARATE ORGANIZATION) was created by Georges Bruckner and was the only international amateur federation in Europe. Over the next decade a myriad of sanctioning bodies came and went - all claiming to represent the best interests of the fighters and the sport. WAKO has developed into the leading amateur federation in kickboxing. WAKO was taken over by Italian Ennio Falson in the late 1970's.
Under the guidance of Mike Anderson a professional branch - the PKO (PROFESSIONAL KICKBOXING ORGANIZATION) - soon emerged. It was short-lived however and when Anderson retired, in 1991, it was replaced by the IKL (INTERNATIONAL KICKBOXING LEAGUE), which itself lasted only a few years. The WORLD KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION (WKA) was created in 1976 by Howard Hanson, a Shorin Ryu Karate black belt and student of Mike Stone. It developed the field of low kicks thanks to some strong Asian connections and good promotions in Japan. The WKA also prospered in Europe. Champions like Rob Kaman, Fred Royers, Ivan Sprang and Ronnie Green emerged over a decade ago and remain planted in the memory. When Howard HANSON sold the WKA to Canadian Dale Floyd in 1991 its North American activity started to fade. Newly appointed European directors Fred Royers from Holland and Jean-Paul Maillet from France left in January 1994 when Paul Ingram took over the prestigious federation and established its World headquarters in the UK. At the time, WKA was the second largest professional sanctioning organisation in the World.
When legal problems sent the PKA to the wall in 1985, five major USA-based promoters and PKA executives decided to create a new body. On July 16th 1986, the International Sport Kickboxing Association was born. Mike Sawyer, Karyn Turner, Tony Thompson, John Worley and Scott Coker where the first ISKA Directors in the USA. Most of the major PKA promoters began sanctioning their events with the ISKA and several joined its administration. Major title bouts featuring the sport's finest fighters were broadcast during 1986 on ESPN television network, and helped bring credibility and recognition to this new association. At the time, the intercontinental links were the weak part of those sanctioning bodies as WAKO was virtually non existent anywhere other than Europe and WKA was almost only active in Asia.
A European arm of ISKA was going to prove vital. In October 1986 Olivier Muller, Jérome Canabate and Mohamed Hosseini were appointed ISKA European directors. American Richard Mayor oversaw the establishment of this European wing as European President between 1986 and 1988. By 1991, the worldwide control of the ISKA was shared by co-chairmen - SAWYER and MULLER. It was their work that secured international TV coverage, that began to unite separate organisations springing up world-wide and took responsibility for sanctioning and grading.
During all these years, Thai-boxing remained the main fighting sport in Asia and is still controlled by the Thailand government. All sanctioning bodies sanction Muay-Thai titles but the WMTC remains the most credible organisation in Thai boxing. From 1996 until 1998 the ISKA was headed by Olivier Muller. In two years he revitalised and added fresh impetus to a management-heavy organisation - an organisation that in the early nineties had began to flag - and turned it into one that operated 60% of world-wide kickboxing business.
ISKA to WKN. But as before, minor squabbles led to a split. The younger blood that led the European charge has become disillusioned with the incumbent American leaders and a fresh body (the WKN) evolved in late 1994 as a subsidiary of ISKA to capture another part of the market. Unfortunately the Americans saw the WKN as a threat and in late 1998 the organisations split. The departure of Muller from the scene was imminent. A tight, young team runs the WKN, chaired by Frenchman Stephane Cabrerra, Billy Murray and Olivier Muller. Other big names in the world of Kickboxing have followed. Already the organisation has seen their fighters on several Don King under-cards with more to follow soon.
WKN - A 21st Century Kickboxing Federation!
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1977, Richmond,Va…. Found me squaring off with Jim "Bongo" Baily(6'6" 235#) Va. State Heavyweight Full Contact Champion. My stats: 6'...185# Outcome? TKO 2nd round..WINNER Dean Miller…1986, I was Director of Advertising for WKA and Howard Hanson…..Now, one may find me ay http://www.fatbusters.net
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The Lower East Side (often abbreviated to LES) is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by the Bowery to the west, East Houston Street to the north, the East River to the east, Canal Street to the south. The western boundary below Grand Street veers west off of the Bowery to approximately Essex Street.
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