March Forecast

[xiaoxiuya]

Good morning, everyone. I hope your February was relatively pleasant and uneventful!

The purpose of this post is to share information about the climate and odd events that happened last March, in order to help newcomers better prepare for the coming month. If you believe the information contained herein is inaccurate or incomplete in any way, please let us know in the comments below. Thank you!

March is the first month in the Season of Tears, or the Trenchian Spring. Because of this we can expect a sudden and calamitous thaw in the first week of the month, where all or nearly all of the snow will disappear and be replaced by explosive plant growth. I was unable to find any references to a flood in network posts published during this period last year, but it seems prudent to be on our guard nonetheless. Outreach still has a few sandbags left over from managing the snow, so if you are concerned with keeping your home or place of business safe please contact us! Additionally the Pthumerian called Moon Presence is known to be active during this month, and it may be possible to hear her weeping or singing over the sound of water. As she is not known to be hostile to Sleepers, it's probably safe to ignore her, so long as you do so respectfully.

The same unfortunately cannot be said of the Moss King! This Patron Pthumerian is associated with the month of March, and his portfolio includes unconquered nature, prophecy, precognition, and games of chance. Because of this the people local to Trench honor him by holding carnival games on the boardwalk during March, but with a sadistic twist: last year new Sleepers were required to play these games in order to obtain their welcoming bags and other objects from home. It's also mentioned in A Survivor's Guide to the Unknowns of Trench (multiple authors, can be checked out from the Archive for further perusal) that these games are haunted by a female-presenting Pthumerian, dubbed "the Lady of Luck" by the authors, who is able to pull Sleepers into more difficult and frequently bloody challenges through the issuance of tarot cards. These challenges vary from to year to year, but as the Lady is most frequently encountered on the board week it seems possible that she might be avoided by likewise refusing to take part in these games. If anyone has more information on this topic I once again entreat them to leave a comment below.

The Moss King himself also took part in the "fun" last year: it seems that he either built or obtained a "summer home," and took it upon himself to invite Sleepers to visit him therein. These invitations took the form of enchanted letter bombs with caused instantaneous and complete immolation upon opening; networks posts written at the time are clear that this process was very painful, although it did end in teleportation to the grounds of the house instead of death. Sleepers who braved the house were able to obtain powerful items from their homeworlds; I leave it up to the individual to determine whether this process was worth the pain involved or not.

Finally, a number of Sleepers have reported violent and disturbing encounters with a boardgame called Jumanji; this game possesses reality-warping powers, and pulled Sleepers into a sort of "pocket dimension" where they were forced to pass various challenges in order to escape. The game is clearly labeled as such, and I must suggest in the strongest possible terms that any Sleepers who encounter it both avoid it carefully and report its location to the network. To those who are familiar with the movies: I know it sounds fake, but just because it's a piece of fiction in other worlds doesn't mean it's not dangerous here. If you have trouble believing that, then I suggest you take it up with the Pthumerians, or possibly the Jedi and Sith. I'd be very interested to learn how that goes for you.

Comments

[martyrofduty]

No. That's the same right to privacy you want. You can't enforce it without breaching his privacy and other people's.

You don't care about his, but you don't get to breach theirs.

text; un: Lothrat [Private]

[ezra_of_lothal]

Right so, to follow up on our heart to heart-

Anakin Skywalker is not the source of all my family problems. [Although at the moment he is hard pressed to think of much that doesn't trace back to some version of Anakin Skywalker.]

But I nominally share a house with him. This is typical.

private

[martyrofduty]

Tips on handling him?

It may be typical. It's also unacceptable and pointless. Anakin could kill Shen Yuan a hundred times. Shen Yuan will still be here.

Re: private

[ezra_of_lothal]

Oh, I'm not defending him in the slightest. It's absolutely pointless and unacceptable. This is just - example on hand.

I wish I knew what to tell you. Logic when he's this angry definitely won't work. I'm pretty sure what he *wants* is people to pat his head and tell him he's never done anything wrong ever, or if he did, the other guy deserved it.

I'm also near certain being told his life is some sort of (possibly fated) tragedy the fate of the galaxy turns on strikes at the root of his very worst fears.

So, good job there, SY.

private

[martyrofduty]

I don't expect logic to work. I'm setting boundaries anyway, so if he breaks them and I enforce them, he can later reflect and realize why. He might not agree, but at least he'll know.

I also might want some kind of energy weapon built. What can hold up against a lightsaber? I know a couple excellent weapons smiths.

private

[ezra_of_lothal]

In all sincerity, good luck with that. He certainly needs to learn healthy boundaries. Although I think it's less that he doesn't know how it *should* go and more he's simply decided his feelings matter more than anything. And refuses to think himself out of that dead end and meet anyone in the middle.

If it comes down to a physical fight, as far as I know, the only person to truly fight him to a stand still at this age and past it, is Obi-wan Kenobi. (Please don't ask him to do that again except as a last resort.)

I take that back. I believe Maul got the jump on him when Anakin turned up in the Dream. (Also a terrible idea, to try to recreate that, imo, for both of them.)

About weapons - I honestly don't know. Magic. Energy that can withstand plasma channeled though the slightly alive crystal. Metal with an astronomically melt point, like beskar, back home.

private

[martyrofduty]

Thanks. He can run into the wall that is me. As many times as it takes. I've handled worse.

I'd like to test a few things with you, mostly on the lightsaber front, first on a defensive measure I already have. Later on weapons.

I'm ten thousand years old, and I've spent a fuckton of it fighting. Don't rule me out so quickly.

I'll see what I can come up with, weapon-wise. Once I have that, I can practice with it specifically.

Re: private

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ok, we can do testing and practice, sure.

I'm not trying to discount your abilities and experience, truly. But my master and I dropped a multi-ton tank on him once - or a version of him from 15 years past this one - and he literally got right back up. Dropping an entire Sith temple on him hurt him, I think, but I know it didn't kill him.

Granted he's also not that ice cold black hole in the Force.

private

[martyrofduty]

Thank you.

I'm not trying to kill him, only delay him. Once Shen Yuan reaches safe harbor, there's nothing Anakin can do.

That's a fun one with you Jedi and Sith.

Re: private

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Well, that phrasing is a little off-putting.]

Fun one?

private

[martyrofduty]

I get a lot of weird looks from Jedi and Sith when they meet me for the first time, even more than others who can usually sense stuff. To the point, sometimes I can reasonably guess someone's from your galaxy because of how weird and funny they get. It amuses me.

Unrelated to the current troubles.

Re: private

[ezra_of_lothal]

Oh.

Your black hole is a confusing absence. I assume what you're actually doing, on some level, is redirecting our senses?

Vader's black hole was a like a weight that bore down on you. Could extinguish every warm emotion, if you let it.

private

[martyrofduty]

That's just it, Ezra, I'm not actively doing anything. I've been a black hole for ten thousand years because it was a side effect of what I am.

I could simply stand right behind Anakin, and he couldn't tell I was there through the Force.

Re: private

[ezra_of_lothal]

ok, so you don't register in the Living Force in a way we easily process.

You're still energy on some level, no?

private

[martyrofduty]

I don't register at all unless you touch me. Physical touch, then it's normal.

In a fight with one of you, I have a way around that courtesy of a past Pthumerian event. Highly convenient for me.

Re: private

[ezra_of_lothal]

Physical touch makes a connection that is otherwise severed, yeah?

I'm generally live and let live, but may I ask what you are?

private

[martyrofduty]

Correct.

My body is that of a Saint, a lyctor. There've only been nine in ten thousand years. I'd be happy to talk about it more offline.

[facultative]

You're putting words in my mouth and butting in on other people's business.

You want to defend your friend after he's treating others like a joke? Go ahead, but don't act like you're any better.

[martyrofduty]

Anyone threatening to hunt people down is my business.

He fucked up. Doesn't make it productive to make it a fuck up train.

[facultative]

Like you're doing right now?

[martyrofduty]

Just setting boundaries. You don't get to police people's private conversations. You don't get to murder people. Pretty simple.

[facultative]

Show me where I said I was going to murder him or watch what he does in his private conversations.

You're demanding boundaries when you're inserting yourself into this. Back off now.

[martyrofduty]

Re: Murder `...I am going to hunt you down.

In Trench, hunting is a profession, with hunts ending in death. Among other jobs, I am a hunter, who makes sure hunters do not turn against Trenchies or Sleepers.

Re: Privacy
Shen Yuan: Ah. Well, I'm very sorry Master Skywalker, but I can't just unknow the things that I know. I will avoid talking about them in public in the future, however, now that I know it bothers you. [Emphasis Added]
Anakin Skywalker: How about ever? If I ever hear even one thing I am going to hunt you down. [Emphasis Added]

The promise that Shen Yuan never speak of what he knows in public wasn't enough. If you ever hear even one thing has two interpretations: you breach Shen Yuan (and other people's) privacy or you hold him responsible for anyone discussing your life in public.

Since Shen Yuan is not the only person who knows about your fictionalized life, hearing someone else speak about it cannot be blamed on him. Even someone who has never known that version could speak about your life because they know someone else from your world. Was I wrong to assume you would not blame Shen Yuan for other people knowing about you?

The other option is that you will spy upon Shen Yuan life to monitor if he ever says anything about you. My original comment addresses that.



I have now shown you what you requested.

[facultative]

Have you even read what you wrote? I'm going to kill him because the word I wrote can be connected to your job?

And tell me exactly what the difference is for him to tell someone any of this privately or publicly? Am I supposed to be grateful he'll only say it privately? You think someone who actually feels bad about any of this would say this is all my fault? I don't trust any of his promises and I'm not wrong to demand more than that.

You can argue over my word choices all you want. Your friend messed up, tell him to own up to it instead of hiding behind you. But of course you think it's fine because other people can also do the same.

[martyrofduty]

Please tell me what you mean by hunt him down. I am open to other understandings.

Private discussion of others is the human—or sentient—condition. Even gods cannot stop it, whether you mean the Pthumerians, whatever being(s) you consider gods, gods here, etc.

What do you think will guarantee he keeps it private—beyond monitoring his public network activity?

He messed up. Rather than having him apologize now, before he's changed and better understood those mistakes, I'm teaching him the errors of his ways. Until then, I told him not to interact with you.