Brown chunky semen

hi so 2-3 days ago i was experiencing my normal period symptoms (cramps and breaking out) and the next day i had brown discharge, which always occurs starting my period. today it has randomly stopped and i haven’t bled since that little spot of discharge. i had sex thursday two weeks ago (the 18th) and he wore a condom, but there was lots of discharge/semen (we aren’t sure which it was) at the base of his area and i was going to take a plan b, but all the stores near me were sold out. i didn’t end up taking a plan b so i winged it, thinking it was probably just my own discharge left over from us having sex because he wore a condom and it wasn’t broken. and i took a pregnancy test the next thursday (the 25) and it came back negative. then i thought i started my period but i guess i didn’t? i just need some insight and want to know if anyone has any idea what’s going on, if i should take another pregnancy test or take a plan b although it’s definitely too late. i’d appreciate the help :( ❤️

Applesauce Barbecue Chicken
serves 4
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup chunky applesauce
2/3 cup spicy barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions
Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken.
Cover and cook until a thermometer reads 165°, 7-10 minutes.

The results are in for Match 14. The winner is…

Titan Patel and “Calabasas” with a score of 79!

Category	Winner	Point Totals	Comments
Popularity	Titan Patel and “Calabasas”	15 (0+6+2) - N/A	We thank everyone who gave their thoughts on this match! For the sake of record keeping, this conceded match is considered to have no (comparative) votes cast, so MBR gets 15 Pop Points (following the Low Turnout + Buffer rules).
Quality	Titan Patel and “Calabasas”	25 (8 8 9) - N/A	Reasoning
JoJolity	Titan Patel and “Calabasas”	29 (10 9 10) - N/A	Reasoning
Conduct	Tie	10-10	Due to unforeseen circumstances, Dead City Haunts made the decision to officially concede from M14. Despite the unfortunate situation, we wish them all the best!

After a long day’s work, Soma’s Cup found itself patronized by more than the riders that had called it home. Tea, alcohol, pasta flowed like water as the construction workers—both professional and deputized—rested and recuperated from the hours of manual labor. Yes, there was still work to be done on the morrow, but the tools and the friendships forged would be enough to carry it on.
Titan, lapping happily from a saucer of diluted green tea, perked up to the sound of a door opening. Not the ethereal chimes of ｢The Doors｣, but the humble bell of the front doors. While they might have once been their boss, here they were just another humble patron, lured by the smell of tea and good company: “Ajay?”
The welder looked up, “Mahimit!” He waved the architect over, shuffling himself and his plate of pasta aside to make room. “Man, it’s been a while since we’ve hung out hasn’t it?”
“Indeed,” Mahi nodded, sliding in next to the welder. “Sorry I couldn’t meet up with you when you first got the the city, I—”
“Don’t worry about it! You’re a busy person nowadays, but we can catch up now!”
The two conversed, separately from the rest of the group who were discussing with each other about a job well done and their plans for the rest of the day. Cal was still among them, but what they had seen in Mahimit came to mind whenever they glanced over to the other two, their discussion lost underneath the cheer of the table.
His hearing better than most, Titan was able to discern Mahimit and Ajay’s friendship, arising from their time studying in Vellore before Ajay’s apprenticeship where they had formed a tight-knit trio with another student in the area, before Mahimit’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Someone…confronted me the other day. They knew stuff that I thought I had kept private, and they’re threatening to release it to the public unless I push forward to the city planning board something—t-they weren’t clear on what they wanted, but I just…I just don’t know what to do about this.”
Ajay’s response was similarly hushed. “Have you gone to the police about this?”
“And have it go to my father? Half of the higher ups are his military buddies.” Wincing, Mahimit shook his head. “I…I don’t want to risk him finding out. I love him, but I don’t know how much longer I can deal with the whole…”favorite son” thing. I don’t want to disappoint him, but…” He put his head in his hands. “God, I’m not making any sense am I.”
“You don’t have to.” Ajay gingerly patted them on the back. “You’ll figure it out, Mon-Ami. You always do.”
Scenario: Red Velvet Country Club, Vasitanagarh — 10:07 AM
The grandparents of Vastianagarh can remember when the region wasn’t this nice. Until the 70s—within their lifetimes—the locals had to scrounge for the dirty, demeaning work that the rest of Rākinnagarh could not stand. They could remain separated from the smell of waste and water treatment by the mountain that split the city in twain, like chambers of the heart that beat within.
Yet, the same beat of life thumped in the chest of the citizens of Vastianagarh, thumped beneath its earth, and life soon flourished in the region. It was by helping each other up, by turning fortune into fortune, the people of the region were able to rise above their station. Cracked hands that worked rough leather wove the finest fabrics and sold them to those carried forth from across the mountain—across the lands.
Grandparents who could remember walking cracked roads to school now lead their grandchildren by those same hands through streets that connected them to the rest of the city.
These were the stories that the members of the Red Velvet Country Club would tell each other, nouveau riche who were ever thankful for the good fortune that had granted their families such wealth. Bashfully, they would take the opportunity to enjoy it.
Yes, this was a fundraiser—and large checks were made out to Vilduveta compound—but the country club was the local haunt for many of the families that had established themselves within a few generations; indeed many of them would meet here before taking a train or a boat up river to the compound proper. To the guru, this was a fundraiser—but to the donors, this was akin to another round of golf. “Did you hear about that little fundraiser at the edge of Bedtown?”
One donor tutted sadly as she shook her head. “I did, I did—I can’t believe it happened so close to us. I’m glad you don’t seem hurt, Mr. Liang.”
The first, a gentleman in a pastel button-up with its sleeves rolled up, nearly spat out his drink, stumbling slightly at the thought. His conversation partner went to help, but Liang waved her off, insisting that he was fine. “No, no, heaven’s no. With ｢Cage the Elephant｣ roaming around, I would never set foot over there—Maryam, you remember Kali, my daughter, yes?”
“The one taking violin lessons-”
“Yes, them—I had heard about the fundraiser, but I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving them behind.”
“There’s only so much we can do—at least the thing seems to have disappeared.” Maryam nodded with something between melancholy and relief. Things weren’t perfect in Rakin City, but at least they were getting better, just like they had for Vastianagarh. Suddenly her face lit up as she made eye contact across the patio. “Ah! I think I see Sara over there; please excuse me, I haven’t seen her in so long-”
“No offense taken!” With a brief hug, Maryam let go of her fellow club member, almost bumping into a frazzled Villu Vilduveta. He assured her it was an accident, none of her mimosa got on his robe, and sent her on her way. She would gossip with almost childish excitement that the famed thought-leader was just as kind as the rumors had said, but his mind was spinning.
As proven by the sun beating down upon him, it was solidly summer, and reams of grass spanned the golf course before him, just as neat and manicured as the Bengali architecture of the Red Velvet country club itself. While the members’ pride in their club and their area’s unique cultural legacy could be overbearing, the result made him feel somewhat at home.
If it was such pride that encouraged them to donate to charitable causes such as his, then he could play their game…as much as he preferred cricket. Villu tensed then exhaled. The anticipation for this event had been dwelling on him for weeks, but this was not the place for doubt—this was the place where he could do good. He set aside thoughts of handshakes, small talk, and mocktails (he didn’t drink) and let the stress pass through him. It was just a charity event, one of countless that he had run.
“Pardon us, Mr. Vilduveta?” His eyes opened, and he turned to see a small crowd had gathered around him, bearing hardback books. “We didn’t mean to bother you, but we read your biography, and-”
“Oh, of course!” Villu had already pulled forth a pen and had begun signing. “If anything, I’m glad you didn’t ask me to write one!”
The crowd laughed good-naturedly along with him; for his introversive tendencies, Villu still could converse deftly, his tone gentle but more than able to keep up in wit and ease. Even if he did not care for his fame, he had to begrudgingly admit that garnering such attention made solicitation easier—being a conversation piece could open checkbooks.
One of them, an upstart holding a glass of wine, reached out and tugged on his sleeve. “The sections of your work in Myanmar were really inspiring!”
“O-oh?” Villu asked warily.
“It’s like Star Wars! You and your revolutionaries against the empire, the start of your political career—I can’t believe you and your author kept that to one chapter! And your wife, my deepest condolences, she sounded wonderfu-”
“Please.” There was a sharpness in Villu’s gaze that pressed against the donor’s neck, revealing the steel thorns beneath his pastel silk. The crowd had become tense at the mere word, but Villu’s expression soon softened, blunted into a pensive smile. “My…my work is in honor of her life; I would rather not relive her death.”
There was an uneasy silence over the group, until Villu dramatically shut the last book with a loud FHUMP! “But enough of that,” he beamed at them as they nearly jumped at the sudden noise. “No use staying out here, hmm?”
For a larger event, a certain David Jackson had decided to bust out his older wardrobe.
Part of the choice was to blend in. The well-to-do of Vasitanagarh were dressed in well tailored suits, slacks, and shawls for the Indian summer weather, and while his clothing wasn’t tailored for the situation, he seemed like he belonged well enough.
Luiviton had attended the spa that was hosting this charity—raising money for providing meals and shelters to the homeless, or something—and mentioned something about the fundraiser in the few times David had seen him before they had split. David managed to scrounge together enough money to pay for an entry ticket.
“You said that the Red Velvet club displays the work of Earthgang students?” David asked. “I’m something of an artist myself, you know.”
“Indeed, but we try to select artwork somewhat in line with the extant decor. The art college is occasionally more…eccentric for our tastes.” Maryam laughed sheepishly, standing beside Sara.
“I’ll say,” David pointed to a large vase, holding more of the assorted flowers that decorated the parlor, and indeed the region as a whole. A small circle of artisans and parents had formed to discuss the wares they sold to tourists and galleries alike. Generations of jewelers, watchmakers, and metal workers wore silver and gold that fit their station and profession. “Is that 19th century porcelain?”
“Indeed it is, Mr Jackson! You have quite an eye…”
Part of the choice in outfit was to feel normal. If he truly wanted comfort, he might have donned the white t-shirt, but the club patrons seemed to accept him and his talk of Rakin’s art and culture. Yet, as he laughed and kibitzed with the club members, he found himself zoning out, sipping from his glass until all that touched his tongue was melting ice. “Did you hear about that magistrate? The one involved with the Overcome Foundation?”
Despite the air conditioning and cool beverage, David felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple.
“Yeah, I heard about that scandal not too long ago.” With the recent exposee on the Foundation’s relationship with the Dead City Haunts’ racketeering, lines in the sand had been drawn as its members sought to escape public, social, and legal scrutiny. Small talk churned into gossip as anxiety churned in David’s stomach:
“He was at Sonasuyast when I visited!” “He seemed polite enough.” “To think I donated to them…” “He claimed that he was under duress, but I don’t know…”
“Mhmm,” Maryam tutted, shaking her head with disdain. “Someone always tries to abuse the system. At least they got rid of him.”
“…You think you know someone,” David added with an unsteady expression. With Maryam putting the final nail in the coffin, the topic passed and the group’s ire with it. Yet David retreated further into himself. Part of the choice in outfit was to provide cover, but the sharp tang of spite to Maryam’s voice that reminded him of the sword that hung over his head.
But he shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. All he had to do was play off his connections to Goldfinger and now Vasitanagarh. With its geometrically-tiled roads and urbane cafes and markets, this part of the city was clean, it was safe, and the more he ingratiated himself with this part of society, the less he would have to worry about a roof over his head and the more he could finally—
“Mr. Jackson!?”
He had jumped back, accidentally dropping his glass with a loud CRASH! Everyone looked at him with concern as he waved them off.
“Sorry, everyone; glass just slipped.” He raised his palms showing that he was uninjured. “Guess I’ve had one too many!” More good natured laughter as a janitor brought a broom to sweep aside the shards. As the commotion died down, David saw what had scared him in his paranoia:
A vase of purple flowers on a cocktail table as a conversation piece.
Attending this stuffy event wasn’t Ashok’s idea, but nowadays, what was? Those unseen chains were bound as tight as ever, tugging him this way and that. Suggestions traveled through them like impulses through nerves, sparking up his spine, rattling in his skull. But at least these whispers silenced the rumours swirling outside. Sulka’s strange behavior was starting to become the subject of the city’s constant gossip, and every mention of them was fraying Ashok’s nerves. If you couldn’t trust your own teammates, who could you trust?
Me, whispered the Puppet, as the message sparked across its chains. It had asserted that the situation with Sulka was unfolding as it should be, and that he should concern himself with other matters. Dutifully, Ashok followed this generous advice, and found himself a matter most concerning. Unlike many other Stand users, this Puppet was not the creation of his own spirit, but an external force that chose him after its last user had passed away.
The question clattering in Ashok’s mind was not the why, but the how. How had that last user perished? Was it natural? Was it foul play? Was it the Puppet’s meddling? Surely, with the how, the why would follow. That answer, that knowledge, it would be the key that would unlock these shackles. The key to controlling his own destiny–no, to control destiny itself.
That very key lay here, somewhere in this crowd of sentimental socialites. It was those sentiments that Ashok found appealing–an easy in, a means of taking the reins and steering them as he saw fit.
As was the case right now, as he hummed and hawed at some poor charity worker. All of it with a caring smile. It’s not as if that smile was fake, Ashok knew that this group was doing good work, it’s just that…
“...I’ve been rather concerned about some rumours I’ve been hearing lately,” he sighed, swirling the liquid in his glass, forming a miniature whirlpool. “You know how certain charities have been, such a large portion of their donations go to the administration, and their patrons are none the wiser. It leaves such a sour taste in my mouth–I like to think this group is different, after all, it’s such a good cause, but…” another sigh, leaving the thought unfinished. His eyes strayed from his whirlpool, watching the worker. They would be the one to complete the sentence, and with it, they would offer themselves up to him. As they should. After all, he was simply doing his due diligence.
The look on their face struck him with a pang of excitement. That was it. Ashok had wrapped his chain around their wrist, and now he would be the one to make them dance. These were the moments that he lived for, the moments where he knew he was alive. He was not some marionette–he pulled the strings. Let these people have their idle chatter, none of it mattered to him. None of it could compare to this. Finally, his bindings loosened. Finally, Ashok could breathe, and the air tasted so sweet.
But then a passing figure caught his eye, and for a moment, it felt like his lungs had filled with something viscous. Quickly he shook the sensation away, breaking away from the worker, no longer interested. This new figure was far more pressing: David Jackson, a member of the Overcome Foundation, an associate of that infested woman that Pluto had fought against. Their Foundation was corrupt, it was criminal—as much as Ashok could dislike the rumour mill, sometimes it gave him valuable intel.
Yet, the other attendees either didn’t know, or didn’t care, if they simply let this man walk amongst them. Surely, he should let someone know—otherwise this man’s crimes would go unpunished. But who would he tell? These people milling around didn’t seem to care, but- that’s it. Smiling to himself, Ashok decided on his play, and walked right up to David himself.
All the while, David was looking at a painting, though he wasn’t taking in the artwork. It was a good way to stare into the distance and get your bearings without seeming weird. However, it seemed this tactic wasn’t as effective as he’d hoped–someone was sidling up next to him. The other man was slight, though his eyes were bright and his smile was soft and pleasant. That being said, he was staring at David for several unbroken seconds, without saying anything.
“Ah?” David began, trying to recenter himself on the spot. “Hello there,” he smiled back, “here to admire the painting?”
“It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?” the other man commented, still standing rather close to David. The man took a few seconds to stare into the artwork, before turning to David and extending a hand. “It’s nice to meet someone with similar taste, Mr…?”
David blinked. There was no reason to hesitate–it wasn’t as though he hadn’t introduced himself before, why should this be any different?
“Jackson,” he replied, “Mr. Jackson.”
Once again, the young man just stared at him, for long enough that David began to wonder if-
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jackson,” the stranger interjected, still offering his hand. David reached out to complete the gesture, trying to put himself at ease. The flowers made him jumpy, that was all.
“My name is Ashok.” A pause, as he withdrew his hand. “I hope I’m not being too forward, I was actually wondering if you were the artist of this piece.”
“This one? No, I was just admiring it.”
“I see!” Ashok responded, taking a sip from his glass. “I’m rather curious about its creator–I’ve heard you can tell a lot about an artist just through their work. If that’s true, then this collection certainly represents the character of our city!”
“Oh..?” David raised a brow, “how so?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ashok asked in return.
“Yeah, totally,” David trailed off, glancing around, looking for a theme. Before he could come up with one, Ashok simply chuckled and shook his head.
“Such a varied and eclectic collection represents a city so full of characters. Surely you’ve heard the gossip. We have so many interesting figures… there was that one older man, he runs a machine shop, what was his name…”
“How would I know-”
“Goldfinger, that’s it. Now there’s an interesting man–it seems like everyone fashions themselves king nowadays. But I heard he had the racket to support it.”
David swallowed, trying to keep a jovial air. The rumour mill kept spinning after all, that wasn’t so strange. Ashok himself was still smiling at him, his voice cheerful and light. As David remained silent, Ashok continued, “Maybe you haven’t heard of him. Oh, but you must know about that woman—she’s got a flower for an eye, can you believe that?”
David frowned a moment, sucking in a breath. “Wow. How strange.”
Ashok’s smile only seemed to glow brighter. He tapped on his chin, continuing on. “I know, right? Oh, get this- I heard that those two might even work together. It’s that foundation- everyone here keeps talking about it. It’s only natural, right? When you’re doing good work, you don’t want it dragged down by other people’s corruption.”
“For sure.” David quickly agreed, now finally glancing for an exit.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to take up your time,” Ashok laughed, though he didn’t move away. “You must be quite busy, considering.”
“Considering what?” David asked, a little harsher than he intended.
Ashok grinned. For a moment, the air rattled with the clattering of chains. “Considering you’re on display tonight, David Jackson.”
David tried to unclench his jaw, uncurl his fingers. It wasn’t that difficult of an inference to make. But there was something about the way he said it.
“You know, you’re quite deep in the rumour mill,” David responded, trying to give the man a smirk of his own. “Maybe you should start minding your own business.”
The rattling grew more intense, a cold feeling curling around David’s limbs.
“Oh, but I have to be,” Ashok smiled, though the light in his eyes was as frigid as iron. “When there are criminals about, ruining my city.”
Surely, David thought, he could just surprise this willowy little man with his Stand and be done with it. But he would rather avoid such a needless scuffle, especially in front of this crowd. If anything, that was probably what this guy wanted. But David had a much better idea.
“Yeah, that’s rough,” he smiled, patting Ashok on the shoulder. “Hope they catch those guys. Anyways, I think the golf tournament’s starting–I’ve gotta go. See you around, enjoy the art!”
Then, just like that, he was gone. Ashok stared after him, perfectly still…before his body began to rattle. Damn it. He was so close- if David had just been caught off guard enough, if he had tried to make a move against Ashok, it would have raised suspicions against him. But the truth was, right now these people liked him too much–and so they remained ignorant, some of them willfully so. David knew he had the opportunity to simple disengage, and blend in with the crowd.
[There goes your single opportunity to gain your answers.]
The whisper grasped his shaking form, and made him still. No, no, that couldn’t be right. Ashok still had a chance–he could still corner this criminal, and this time there would be no chance of escape.
As Ashok strode out to the green, the sun shone down upon him, illuminating the manicured course that wound across the island.
David caught his eye, golf club slung over his shoulder, and this time he was the one to shoot Ashok a grin.
“Hey, there you are. Tell you what,” he offered. “We’re at a charity event, we’re both donors…we should do as the Romans do. Half these people’s deals are decided on the green. Come play a round with me. If you win, we’ll talk. If you lose…you finally start minding your own business.”
Ashok picked up a club, admiring it for a moment. This man thought he was in a position to set the terms? Fine then. Once Ashok one, once they had their talk, he would make sure the chains of fate found their way round David’s neck.
“Sounds wonderful.
“Open the Game!”
Location: This particular round of golf will span across three different holes, Hole 4, Hole 13, and Hole 15. Each hole will have two maps provided - one for the entire overview of the hole and one for a topographical view of the putting green. Each map consists of 5x5 meter tiles.
General Map Key:

• Lightest Green: The putting green area, which has a Yellow Circle denoting that the hole is in the center of that tile. A 2.5 meter tall flag will be sticking out of the hole. The grass here is 4mm tall. For the topographical views, there is an inch difference between each colored ring, with RED (or the ring with intersecting lines in it) being the highest elevation and BLUE/PURPLE (or the ring with circles intersecting it) being the lowest.
  
• Light Green: The fairway, which has differing levels of elevation across them (no map for this as precision here isn’t as important here as it is on the green). The grass here is 15mm tall. The section of fairway with the red triangle is the tee-off position, and players will drive their first shots from here.
  
• Green: The rough, which are areas of tall grass that the golf ball will not bounce off of very well. The grass here ranges from 1-2 inches tall. For the sake of simplicity, there is no “semi-rough” area depicted on the maps.
  
• Darkest Green: Forested areas with rough dirt/root terrain that make it very difficult to hit the ball out of. The trees are also tall enough that “driving the ball” over them will also pose a significant challenge.
  
• Light Tan/White: Sand bunkers, these are concave pits of sand that are very difficult to hit golf balls out of.
  
• Light Gray: Golf cart paths that are made of chunky gravel, individual gravel pieces are about golf-ball-sized.
  
• Translucent Red Circle: A “safety” area for where your first shot can land, see Match Info below for more details.
  

Hole 4:

• Topographical Map
  
• PAR 3
  

Hole 13:

• Topographical Map
  
• PAR 4
  
• Blue: Water hazards, should the golf ball sink into them, that is considered a penalty and will add 1 to your score for this hole. The terrain around the water gently slopes into it.
  
• Brown: Bridges, golf balls are not allowed to be hit from these, they’re just there for players to walk across.
  

Hole 15:

• Topographical Map
  
• PAR 5
  
• Dark Gray: Large rocks jutting out from the earth, ranging from 4-5 meters tall. The tops of these are not flat surfaces, so the ball will not rest on top of them.
  

Goal: Out golf your opponent!
There are two major parts to each of the three holes: Driving to get the ball as near to the hole as possible and Putting to get the ball in.
Driving in a team golf game means that several people hit the ball, with the closest hit being chosen for the Putting section. As both players will be monopolizing the Putting, their teammates only matter insofar as they’ll have a minimum floor on each map: each map has a red zone where players may choose to take their second shot from in the event their first is greatly sabotaged. Note that players can get much closer to the hole than this “fallback” option; it exists so that players won’t fall too far behind for the Putting phase.
Putting is more complex, since both characters will be able to better utilize their Stands on the comparatively smaller scale.
Physical combat between players is not allowed, but other subtle interference is. Terrain manipulation, affecting the opponent, and other Stand use is all on the table, as there are no Stand users currently watching the game. However, keep in mind that all Stand use must be deniable. More egregious sabotage will be increasingly held as foul play, reducing its efficacy, and outright breaking the laws of causality in a way that can’t be explained by skill will cause a loss as everyone around is too busy trying to figure out why and how you’re cheating to be impressed at your skills. Keep in mind that directly affecting players is somewhat risky, so terrain or NPCs may be more reliable.
The winner for this match will be determined by whoever obtains the lowest golf score. Each hole has a “Par”, which is the target amount of strokes it should take to get the ball in the hole. Matching this Par equals 0 Points, with each stroke below this being “-1” point and each stroke above being “+1” point. Holes-in-one are not possible in this match, this ain’t mini golf.
Additional Information:
All right, so we got two different “meta-ability/meta-skill” lads in this match so get ready for a big info dump.
Ashok:

｢Puppet Loosely Strung｣ Mandates

• The target may not move closer toward the portal.
  
• The target must move closer to the portal. (mutually exclusive with the above Mandate)
  
• The target may not move faster than D Speed.
  
• The target must reverse their current direction. (Does nothing if target is not moving, Mandate chain will disappear)
  
• The target must avert their eyes from their golf ball.
  
• The target cannot be submerged in water.
  
• The target must spin around.
  

Ashok’s “Stand Memory” Skills

• Governess 4: This former user had to play a lot of croquet in their time, which for this match roughly equates to a “Golfing 2” skill. This also aids Ashok in staying composed in the face of childish absurdity.
  
• Textiles 4: Grants Ashok knowledge of cloth-related things, as well as a deep understanding of “texture” and an eye for detail. This will help them identify what the current texture of objects or terrain is and will better aid them in determining minor elevation differences on the putting green.
  

David:

David’s “One Step Ahead” Advantages

• Golfing 3 Skill
  
• About 1 kilogram of modeling clay in his backpack
  
• A 1.5 liter thermos full of Goo taken from Jyotsna’s ｢DICTATOR｣
  

｢The Fine Print｣ x	Special Goo Description
｢Puppet Loosely Strung｣	A “Stand material” chain can form between two applied instances of this Goo, this cannot be seen by non Stand-Users. David can extract up to 5 liters of this at once.
｢DICTATOR｣	Objects infused with this Goo turn white. David is limited to the 1.5 liters he brought with him. Borrowed from Jyotsna Mathur.

Team	Combatant	JoJolity
Heart of the Rose	R.K. Viswanathan Ashok	“You can’t say I didn’t warn you. Calamity will come.” You need to exert control over the situation—your kind of control, not that of some puppet. Be stylish in your golfing and your sabotage!
Dead City Haunts	David Jackson	“Yeah? Well I got these sneakers at an outlet for 7980 yen.” You’ve been the life of the party since you got here, and you’re gonna prove it out on the green. Be stylish in your golfing and your sabotage!

Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
Link to Match Schedule
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Jerry Williams, Godslayer
Somewhere in the Seventh World
I watched as Thralsir begged Aaina for mercy. She ignored him, of course.
I turned away and allowed her to finish. The ixlets had all merged with their masters, the girls we had rescued from captivity by the Taliban and Astoram's cult so many years ago, and ascended to godhood. Dozens of new gods now managed their domain, knowing what it meant to be human, to be mortal. To be at the mercy of another's power.
This was the first time we would let the divinities loose into Nibiru, to be seized by whatever undivine emanation found it first. If that god proved intractable to our demands, then we would simply cut them down and move to the next.
Thralsir's pleas turned into screams as my daughter ripped the magic from him, leaving him just another mortal. A demigod, perhaps, but mortal nonetheless. Inanna repeated her trick of leaving him with the supplies that might keep him alive, if he was smart.
We'd found Vintress' body a few days ago. She was dead, her throat slit, her face bruised, her hands tied together. Dried semen and blood crusted her thighs. Her arms had defensive wounds on them, and her knuckles were split, and bloodier than the rents in her skin would suggest. Her spear was gone, stolen, no doubt, by whatever tribe of the Eleventh World she'd run afoul of.
She hadn't been smart. She had been arrogant, and it was no doubt that very arrogance that had led to her death. The tribes of that world were not known for any particular savagery, and unaccompanied women were highly prized as new members of the tribe. For this to have been her fate, she had to have antagonized her way into it. Refusing to accept that she might not have the weight to simply command mortals, any more.
Thralsir had it worse, in that regards. Here in the Seventh World, many of the local tribes saw the torture of their enemies as a pleasant diversion. And the cultures of honor here ran deep. It would be a trivial matter to make an enemy, if he were not careful. But that wasn't my concern. If he survived, he would survive. If not, I could always make a new cross.
But even in death, the gods proved useful. Being mortal, my resurrection spell worked on Vintress. And being a former god, I knew exactly what use to put her to. Astoram had a companion now, an emaciated, brown-skinned woman, as soaked in blood as he, screaming the same silent cries of agony as we tapped the divine energies left in her body to fuel our campaign. Two inverted crosses now followed us around, making each act of retribution easier than they had been with one.
I consulted the list Yarm had given me. He had, at first, wanted only to list the gods we would leave alone. But that would not do. I could not complete this task if there were gods unknown to me who slipped through my grasp. So, reluctantly, Yarm had assembled all those who would be spared, and had them name every god they knew, excepting themselves, and those rare few who still slumbered.
Most of the names were still there, waiting. Only thirty seven had been crossed out. Over a hundred remained. But we were tireless. Relentless. We were done with this nonsense. If the gods must exist, then humanity would be the ones who chose them.
We had only just begun, and already word had spread far and wide. I could feel their fear, tinging the magic they sent back out into the worlds in the process of managing their domains. The few who had fought had all fallen early on. Now, they ran and they hid. They huddled in dark caves, hidden away in remote locales, like the one we had found Thralsir in. They whispered prayers to themselves and their fellows, and when sleep came, it carried with it nightmares. Which was exactly what I wanted. I wanted them to know that I was coming.
I wanted them to know that the Godslayer will come for them all.
----
Kathy Evenson, Badass Bitch
Divine Crisis Management Group Headquarters, Baltimore, MD
Kathy hung up the phone and nodded to Gary. "That was it. I'm officially on detachment to the Group, full time, once I finish my next assignment."
She inclined her head slightly towards the hall. Gary understood, nodding just as subtly. He put down the clipboard he was working on, then touched his XO on the shoulder.
"Forward emergency call t'my cell," he told the man. Getting a nod in response, he followed Kathy out into the hall, and then into the conference room, where she engaged the anti-eavesdropping tech and magic with the wall panel. She closed and locked the door behind him.
"I'm guessin' yer about t'tell me what yer next assignment is, and it's ain't gonna be pleasant," Gary said. Kathy nodded.
"Did you know the gods had an ambassador?" she asked.
Gary shrugged. "Not in particular, but it makes sense."
Kathy nodded, pursing her lips, thinking ahead as she spoke.
"Gulugan, god of diplomacy. The best choice, really. He's one of Yarm's clique, and he's been meeting with the president and some foreign representatives for a couple of years."
"Okay. Why ya tellin' me about this?"
"So you know that the Company has a line on info from the gods," Kathy said. "And so you understand where what I'm about to tell you is coming from."
"Jerry's killin' 'em," Gary said, his eyes darkening. Kathy nodded.
"Hunting them down, one by one and replacing them with hand-picked mortals. From the descriptions I got, I think it's the girls from Afghanistan. The ones we pulled out of that town."
"Aaina's bunch," Gary said with a wince.
"Yeah. But that's not all. Ixy's helping him."
"Sheeit," Gary swore.
"Yeah," Kathy agreed. Gary rubbed his beard, every single one of his seventy-three years showing on his face for a moment.
"You think he's gone over th'edge?" he asked after a moment. His voice was quiet, soft, unwilling to put confidence or even volume behind the thought.
"I honestly don't know," Kathy admitted. "I mean, Inanna and Aaina are helping him. And Ixy's not evil. He's got a good heart, I know that."
"I'll have Nick look into it," Gary said. "They finished his paperwork this morning. He's supposed to start next week, but I'm sure he'll come in early."
"He will. And he'll do anything to help make up for what he did under Astoram's influence. What about Dylan?"
"Duke can go fuck hisself," Gary said. "I got 'im in a cell, ready to be transported to Clark County, jes as soon as we can spare the effort."
Kathy cocked her head to the side. "You're still calling him Duke?" she asked as much as pointed out.
"That man has a shit ton more'n Nick to make up for. And then a long road to prove he's a better man'n he was. He pulls that shit off, and mind, he don't seem too enthusiastic about doin' it, then an' only then will I grant him the courtesy of usin' his new name."
Kathy smirked, trying to diffuse some of the tension that came with Gary's venomous proclamation.
"Gary Johnson, I never thought you'd be the one to deadname someone."
"I won't. Duke ain't a fuckin' human. He's an animal what's too smart fer his own good," He spat, right there on the floor, so Kathy let it drop. They stood for a moment in silence before Gary spoke again.
"Let me guess, yer boss wants you to stop Jerry?"
Kathy shook her head and chuckled. "No, thank god. They want me to confirm what Gulugan told them. Gather intel on his methods, goals, etcetera."
"Not a bad idea, honestly. It's just... This is shit-poor timing for you t'be runnin' off. We need ya."
"I know, Gary. But I have to do this. Besides, we've dealt with worse," she said, though she didn't really believe it.
"Yeah, maybe we have. But back then, we had Jerry on our side. Fer all o'his whinin' and humility an' being a goofy-ass dork, that man is a force of fuckin' nature."
Kathy nodded, understanding. When Gary's eyes met hers, though, she saw real fear there.
"For all we know, he's the next threat," he said. Kathy nodded again, trying to ignore the chill that ran down her spine at the thought.
----
Liam MacReady, Worried
The Jessica Hartmann Memorial Medical Center, Intensive Care Unit, Baltimore MD
"Yeah boss," he said, then hung up the phone. Beside him, Julie stirred, so he rested a hand gently on her arm, stroking her inner elbow with the softest touch of his fingers possible. She calmed, rolled a little towards him and dropped her other hand on top of his. He stopped moving and merely held on for a bit, until the nurse came in. He was a thin man in dark blue scrubs with dark, smooth skin and neat dreadlocks tied back with a red handkerchief.
"There was a call for you, Sergeant MacReady," the nurse said as he busied himself checking Julie's monitoring equipment.
"Yeah, my cell caught it."
"Are you going to have to leave?" the nurse asked. Liam shook his head, his beard tickling his chest above the simple t-shirt he wore.
"I can do what he needs from my phone," he said.
"Good. You being here is good for her."
"When do you think she's going to wake up?" Liam asked.
"Well, she's off the thiopental as of this morning. It's really up to her. Has she been stirring or mumbling?"
Liam sat up. "Stirring, yeah. Look at her hands. She did that." The nurse glanced at her hand, resting on his, which in turn, rested on her other elbow.
"That's a good sign," he said. Liam grinned.
"I thought so," he said excitedly.
"Well, if you need anything, just ask at the station," the nurse said, matching Liam's grin unconsciously. He nodded and left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Liam turned back to the woman beside him. She still held on to one hand, and he wasn't willing to break that contact, so he raised his butt out of the chair and stroked her beautiful face with his other hand. He carefully avoided the bandages that still hid parts of her.
To his surprise, her eyes fluttered.
"Julie," he whispered.
She shook her head gently, then opened her eyes and met his gaze. She stared, uncomprehending, for just a moment, and then a smile touched the edges of her lips.
"Liam," she mouthed, though the sound that came out was a barely-audible, hoarse croak. It didn't matter. Liam knew those lips better than he knew the back of his hand. He could read them in a pitch black room.
"Hey, gorgeous," he said, his own voice cracking.
----
It took two more days for her to fully come around. Even then, her voice had been changed by the attack. No longer did she have the same melodic, high tenor he had always known. It was lower pitched now, rough and scratchy from the damage to her throat.
It made her self-conscious, and she spoke as little as she had to. The med-Wizard assured her that they could repair the damage, but it would be a process. And they couldn't start until she finished her physical therapy. For now, she was stuck with it.
"Merde," she swore as her hand slipped on the bars. Liam, holding her arm with both hands, tightened his grip to help keep her upright. She leaned against him, catching her breath. Or so he thought, until he felt her shoulders shake.
"What's wrong?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Something's wrong," Liam insisted.
"Later," she croaked. She sniffed and wiped at her face, her hands coming away wet. Straightening and taking her weight off him, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned back to the horizontal bars and began to move.
"Your legs are getting better," the therapist said. She flipped a page on her clipboard and noted something down.
"I think it's safe to predict that you'll be walking normally in less than a month," she added a moment later, flashing the two of them a big smile. Liam grinned back, happy to hear the news, but when he glanced at Julie's face, he could see that her own smile was brittle and fake.
----
"Stay with me?" Julie asked when Liam stopped the company car in front of Julie's apartment building.
"Suzanne's sitter can't stay late tonight," he said. Julie nodded slowly, her head down. Liam scowled, but he didn't know what else to do, so he got out, got her wheelchair from the trunk and wheeled it over to her side.
He didn't like driving around in the little electric vehicle, vastly preferring his Harley, but Julie couldn't ride yet. So he drove the tiny little compact with the Group logo on the doors as his bike sat under a tarp in his garage.
When he opened the door, Julie immediately met his eyes. "Bring her," she said.
"Suzanne?" Liam asked. "Are you sure? You know how excited she got the last time..."
Julie nodded and smiled.
"Okay, uh, I guess I should put this back, then. We'll go get her and come back."
Julie smiled again.
He got the wheelchair put away, and then squeezed his bulk back into the driver's seat. He pulled out, driving far slower than he was used to, but unwilling to speed with her in the passenger seat.
They had driven for about five minutes when Julie finally spoke.
"I hate my fucking voice," she said.
"What?" Liam asked. "You have the most beautiful voice-"
"Not anymore," she snapped.
"You think I give a shit?" he asked. She smiled sadly at him. He knew what that smile meant. It meant that he was being cute, but...
"I know," he said. "You said you hate it, not that you were worried that I hate it."
She nodded.
"Why do you hate it?" he asked.
She laughed. It was a quick, rueful laugh.
"I sound like my brother," she said, and finally, it clicked.
"Oh, uh... Dis... Dysphoria, right?"
Julie nodded.
"You don't sound like a dude, though," Liam went on. He knew what to do. He knew how to make her laugh, to forget for a moment what troubled her.
"Not even a little," he went on. "But..."
Julie narrowed her eyes at him.
"You do kinda sound like a jaded, middle-aged lady," he admitted with a heavy sigh. "Like Linda the lot lizard, who smokes two packs a day and serves greasy hamburgers at the diner. She's got a kid whose into the drugs, meth an that, but she still loves him cuz family." He roughened his voice and let a hint of a fake southern accent creep in as he spoke, to illustrate the point.
Julie laughed. "I do not," she said, and Liam could hear the laughter still echoing in her voice. He grinned at the road ahead.
"No, you don't," he admitted. "You heard what the med-Wizard said, though. It's just a matter of time. Your voice will be back."
"I know," she said with a sigh. "My voice was the thing that bothered me the most when I was younger. All the men in my family had deep voices. Mine was not as deep as theirs before I transitioned, but still. I spent... I do not even know how much of my father's money I spent on vocal coaches. Or my own, for that matter."
"When did you stop with the coaching?" Liam asked. He hadn't ever heard a peep about her going to a coaching session, the whole time he'd known her.
"Last year," she said. Liam's eyebrows climbed his forehead and he glanced at her.
"Don't start with me," she protested. "That's the reason my voice sounded the way it did."
"Weird," Liam said. "I always figured you sounded like a beautiful lady because, well..." He glanced at her.
"Go on," she prompted.
"Because you're a beautiful lady," he finished. She smiled at him.
"You're sweet," she said.
"And fatty," Liam agreed. "Like a huge pani popo."
Julie laughed.
----
Kathy Evenson, On The Hunt
A remote part of the Eleventh World
Kathy knelt by the corpse and examined it.
"Vintress," she said. She poked around gently for a moment. The wound that killed her was obvious. The signs of a fight, just as obvious. The signs of her capture and rape, even more so.
"Hell of a fall from grace," she said.
She went over what she'd heard from the tribals. She was no Jerry, able to learn a new language in twenty minutes without trying, but she had ways and means. The CIA had wizards of its own, and thanks largely to the efforts of her friends, they had a full-fledged research division. And said division could sometimes crank out something that even Jerry hadn't thought of. Because Jerry wouldn't think of this.
The earring in her ear reminded her of the earrings the aliens with the wrinkly noses wore on old reruns of Deep Space Nine. A ring for the hole in her lobe, a cuff with two spikes to secure it for the upper rim of her ear, and a tiny chain connecting the two. It was kinda cute, she had always thought. And incredibly useful.
Carved into the cuff, almost too small to see, was a tiny, detailed drawing of a goldfish with huge, comical eyes. The Babelfish could translate almost any language, almost instantly. It took a few moments to figure out new ones, but the shouted conversation she'd had with the hunting band she had encountered yesterday had proven detailed enough for it to figure it out.
The tiny stud below the bottom of her lower lip worked in concert with the earring, translating her voice (and creating the illusion of her lips moving to match it) when she spoke.
They had told her of another tribe's encounter with the woman. Arrogant and demanding, she had tried to threaten them into helping her. The men she'd encountered offered her a place in their tribe, but she had no interest in it. She had demanded food and clothing and gear from them, and even gone so far as to try to command them to follow her.
When they had enough and told her what they thought of her attitude, she had attacked.
Kathy had listened to the tale silently. The way the men told it, Vintress had brought her fate upon herself. Kathy wasn't so sure. Captivity and sexual slavery were hardly equitable punishments for anything. But she knew these people lived harder lives than her, and that harder lives bred less sympathy. So she kept her thoughts to herself.
After that tale, the band told her of what they'd seen with their own eyes. Now that really caught her attention.
Three figures. A large man with broad shoulders who carried a wide-bladed sword and a round shield. A woman, thick and powerful, with a great sword that was taller than her, strapped to her back. A smaller woman, carrying a burning sword and whip.
And following them, a pair of inverted crucifixes that floated along. A man and a woman nailed to each, bleeding and screaming, yet making no sound and not dying.
Kathy eyed the body.
"I thought you needed the body to bring someone back," she said, remembering Jerry and Inanna taking Aaina's body out of the morgue.
She stood, shaking her head, then moved off. As she got some distance from the corpse, the scent of death faded. The cool breeze this late in the afternoon carried the cloying, sweet smell of the flowers that grew between the trees and among the ruins of the long-dead civilization that had once lived here.
The setting sun cast a golden glow over everything. The distant mountains burned with a magical fire, while a nearby brook babbled and whispered happily to itself. A marked contrast from the horror she had just left behind.
As the scene finally wormed its way into her heart, she felt hopeful. This was Jerry, after all. She would find him, and ask him some questions. He would explain everything, make her understand why he was doing this. And then she could write her report, and get to work helping the Group rebuild after the near-apocalypse the world had suffered at the hands of Astoram and his vampires.
The voice of doubt in the back of her mind reminded her of all she knew about Jerry's deepest fears. But it could not compete with the beauty all around her. She kept her fears under control, and prayed that the rest of her journey would be as productive and easy as the first few days had been.
As night fell and the magical light gave way to the shadows, her doubts returned. She considered setting camp, but she didn't need to. She knew from testing herself that she could stay on her feet for a week straight, without so much as a sip of water to sustain her, and still perform at or near her peak. A single all-nighter wouldn't hurt anything.
So she kept moving as the doubts grew louder and louder. She let them come, ruminated upon them and compared her feelings to her thoughts. She reminded herself that Inanna would never support Jerry turning into the ruthless monster he was capable of becoming. She knew that Aaina was a sensitive young lady, full of concern for everyone around her. Not someone who would blindly follow even her own father into bloodlust.
But, by the same token, she knew that those two loved him. Inanna would never leave him. She would work to save him, or die trying. And Aaina would do the same. She didn't know what dynamic they had, but try as she liked, she could not conclude that their presence with him removed all doubts about his sanity.
She kept her head up and her feet moving. But when dawn broke, the new light couldn't completely dispel the sinking feeling that, perhaps this time, Jerry had truly gone over the edge. She tried to imagine how she and the Group could take him down, if that was necessary.
She came up with nothing, however.
A whimper escaped her lips as she let the doubts run wild on her emotions for a moment. Upon hearing herself, rationality reasserted itself.
"Inanna and Aaina will keep him grounded," she whispered to the dawn. She almost believed it.
Part 2

I (M27) Got this on my shaft a few weeks ago. Got a full panel std test 3 ish weeks ago and I haven't gotten a call since. Haven't had sex in over a year and a half. But I did get balanitis a month or so after that which I treated (rather lazily) with jock itch cream. Any ideas what this could be?
It's smooth, and painless. Sometimes it feels SLIGHTLY difficult to pee but not by much, i could be psyching myself out. Also i will say it does feel slightly strange when I climax as well, like I still have some left in the chamber, but it's not chunky or smelly, it's completely normal semen/discharge.
I did get on new psych meds recently if it's any help. Straterra, Prozac, and I had just got off of Wellbutrin. I am 5'7 200 Lbs.

Pic
Got this on my shaft a few weeks ago. Got a full panel std test 3 ish weeks ago and I haven't gotten a call since. Haven't had sex in over a year and a half. But I did get balanitis a month or so after that which I treated (rather lazily) with jock itch cream. Any ideas what this could be?
It's smooth, and painless. Sometimes it feels SLIGHTLY difficult to pee but not by much, i could be psyching myself out. Also i will say it does feel slightly strange when I climax as well, like I still have some left in the chamber, but it's not chunky or smelly, it's completely normal semen/discharge.
I did get on new psych meds recently if it's any help. Straterra, Prozac, and I had just got off of Wellbutrin.

I have a consultation soon with a new client and this is the inspiration photo they sent. They have solid dark brown hair currently. It's been a long time since I've done an emo color like this, I do vivids but mostly lived-in or solid with simple color-blocking. Besides the racoon tail chunks, I'm having a hard time visualizing the placement. It looks like a combination of a zig zag color-block and chunky hilights? If your client asked for this, how would you go about tackling this?

My cat has been throwing up twice in a row now. Both times it looked like this; brown, chunky, almost like diarreah but it's not diarreah? It smells like normal kitten kibble. In my opinion it looks like a lot of it for a little cat to release. I've tried to look it up but every site says it's either a cause of eating too fast or internal bleeding?? I just want something leading me away from negative feelings. I've had my cat since last June, he's almost 1 year old and in the span I've had him, he's only thrown up once (due to me switching him from wet to dry food back in August, havent had complications since then). Any help?

Drag and Drop Towns: Frost Bay
Coming up with all the locations and inhabitants of settlements can be very time consuming as a dm. That is why I came up with ‘Drag and Drop Towns’. These places can be inserted wholesale into any campaign or you can pick and choose what you want to include, for example you might just need a couple of taverns to help complete your town, or a general goods store for adventurers low on supplies. Feel free to adapt this location to your campaign as needed, for example changing NPC details or the system of governance. I have endeavoured to make it as user-friendly as possible and have included a map to show the layout of the town. If there is a shop, I include both its owner and inventory, if there is a temple, I provide a list of services with costs. It is compatible with Fifth Edition and suggestions for stat blocks are included for all NPCs. Finally, there are a couple of quest hooks for the area if your adventurers want to hang around or make some money.
Frost Bay
Frost Bay is a prosperous town located on a frigid coastline. It has a bustling harbour serving both local fisher people and merchants from further afield. The settlement is known for the barges it builds in its dockyard, which are perfect for both coastal travel and using the river to head to inland cities. In addition to the boatbuilding, the town has a strong fishing community and there is also a thriving timber and logging trade located about a day’s journey away. The town is divided into two areas, ‘The Warren’ located closer to the harbour, full of narrow, jumbled lanes, and ‘The Broads’, named due to the wider, more organised streets. This is the administrative and commercial heart of the town.
Notable Locations
~THE WARREN~
The Warren is the area of town including the large warehouse along the harbour front and the smaller streets behind them. It gets its name from the fact that there was no town planning when Frost Bay was originally founded, and thus the oldest streets are often narrow, numerous, and tending to run into dead ends. Houses tend to be built of logs and irregular in shape.
1. Dock Master’s Office: Positioned prominently along the docks, this wooden cabin is the nerve centre for all shipping to and from Frost Bay. All boats mooring in the harbour must report to the dock master, Ravea Avern (female, half elf, weather beaten skin and with steaks of silver running through her dark hair, use the Bandit Captain stat block) to pay the fees (1-15GP per day, depending on the size of the vessel and whether it is commercial or not).
2. Townsguard Quarters: The town’s barracks are protected by a spiked wooden wall and provide sleeping and resting quarters for those members who require it. It also contains a small training yard and the clashing of metal and wood can be heard from several streets away. In total, there are around 100 guards employed by the town, split into night and day shifts. The Guard Captain, Gus Yeowell (male, human, tall and solidly built with a serious expression on his face at all times, veteran) has his office in the Town Hall (see below). Guards your players might encounter include: Leigh, Neale, Anselm, Ronnie, Juli, Eva, Selma.
3. Colwills (fishmongers): Located on the ground floor of a large warehouse in a prime dockside position, the town’s Fisher’s Guild sell their catch from here. It is run by the head of the guild, Anna Colwill (female, human, a large lady with a dominating presence, commoner). The catch of the day is sold by weight, 2-5cp for a small fish or a fillet or 8cps for a larger whole fish. Salmon and dabs are the most common fish for the area.
4. Truscottes (general goods store): Tucked away a few roads back from the seafront, this store sells basic equipment from the ‘Players Handbook’ worth less than 2gp and hunting traps. There are 1d4+1 of each item available in stock. It is run by Ula Kass (female, gnome, wears small, round glasses on the end of her nose and sits perched on a high stool behind the counter, commoner).
5. The Jaunty Seagull (tavern): A fairly low-end tavern frequented by sailors and dockworkers. The walls are decorated with a variety of flotsam and jetsam, including interesting shaped wood, crates used as shelving and netting at the windows. Speciality dish is a chunky meat rillettes served with pickled cabbage (4cp). Otherwise bread and cheese is also served (3cp). A mug of dark, bitter ale costs 3cp and small, sparsely furnished rooms can be booked for 1sp per person per night. The tavern is run by Daniel and Ellissa Wroe (human, harried looking but very friendly. Daniel walks with a slight limp and is often in the kitchen whilst Elissa wears a spotless, embroidered apron and is front of house. Both use the commoner stat block). Diggory (human, male, elderly, retired dock worker, commoner) is a regular at the bar.
6. Muscles (blacksmiths): The sound of metallic clanking and banging can be heard from several streets away and a plume of smoke rises from the store. Looking in from the outside, you can see bellows pumping and hammers rising and falling, all without any helping hands. Burgell “Muscles” Dunben (male, gnome, scrawny with wild ginger hair, use the mage stat block), the owner of the establishment, has used his inventive, artificer knowledge to mechanise the process of creating armour and weapons. He sells medium armour and metal melee weapons (1d6+2 daggers, 1d4+1 handaxes, 1d4+1 light hammers, one mace, 1d4 sickles, 1d4+1 spears, 1d4 short swords, one long sword) and has one heavy crossbow (all at Players Handbook prices). Burgell is willing to make custom mundane weapons, but that would cost extra and involve time (3 days for a simple item, up to a month for something more complex).
7. Hodgson’s (blacksmiths): Located at the edge of the Warren, Hodgson’s is the local blacksmith serving the townsfolk. It sells simple metal items like nails, horseshoes and other household goods. It is run by Kurt Hodgson (male, human, big black beard that he ties behind his neck when he is working, commoner but with a strength of 15) and his husband Milo Leaftread (male, halfling, chubby with permanently red cheeks, commoner).
8. Busby’s (butchers): Located by the river, this butchers sells meat to the Warren (3-7cp for basic cuts of beef and pork, 4cp for a whole rabbit). Run by Ronat Busby (female, dwarf, white blond hair cropped short, commoner).
9. Shrine to the Sea Domain God (e.g. Poseidon or Njord): Small wooden shrine depicting a huge wave. There are multiple offerings left at its base including coins (2d20+5 cp, 1d6 sp), dried seaweed, seaglass and shells.
10. Kraken Boatworks: An artificial dock area where boats are built. The area smells of fresh wood shavings and barges with logs are constantly arriving. The builders produce both sailing boats for the open sea (3000gp for a small fishing vessel up to 10,000gp for a larger cargo boat) and barges for river and coastal travel (7500-10,000gp).
~THE BROADS~
This area of the town is set back from the harbour, but the poshest buildings tend to be riverside. The administrative centre of the town is here, as are the larger shops. The majority of the residential roads are also included in this section, though the houses get smaller the further from the river you go. Streets are wide and paved with stone, whilst the houses tend to be timber framed.
11. The Famous Little Store (antiques): This shop is located in the main shopping district, its glass window displays an artfully arranged selection of “antiques” from upholstered chairs, bronze statues and boxes full of old fashioned brooches and necklaces. It sells random non-magic trinkets and junk from 5cp (a small ceramic statue) to 75gp (questionable artwork). A DC18 charisma (persuasion) check will reveal that the shop also has one pair of Eyes of Minute Seeing in stock for 350gp. The store is run by Tomas Dunn (male, human, middle aged, balding and always looks bored, commoner).
12. The Mermaid’s Modesty (tavern): A hanging wooden sign of a mermaid clutching some shells in rather convenient locations proclaims this tavern. It is lively with seating areas both inside and outside and a long bar running the length of the room. Their speciality dish is meatballs cooked in a creamy, mushroom sauce for 2sp, but they also sell a basic meat stew with dumplings and carrots for 1sp. You can be served a pitcher of a dry, white wine or a heavy red wine for 2sp or a mug of pale ale for 5cp. Rooms are available at 7sp per person per night and includes breakfast of porridge served with jam. The tavern is run by a pair of tieflings, Honour (female with gazelle horns and dark green hair, commoner) and Hektor (male with rams horns, red skin and hair, commoner). On busy nights they are assisted by a couple of waiters: Leah and Toby. The Mermaid’s Modesty is actually a front for smugglers (or any other criminal organisation), a passive perception score of 14 or higher will allow the player to notice that occasionally people go to the bar and then get led through the door behind it. A DC18 wisdom (perception) check will reveal that they seem to be saying “The seagulls are looking healthy today” to one of the tieflings behind the bar.
13. Spencer Thorn Book Shop (book shop and stationers): A small store with shelves upon shelves of books, scrolls and other tomes. It sells parchment (1sp a sheet) and ink (10gp for a bottle), books on local history (15-30gp), maps of the nearby area (10gp), and a small selection of fiction (5gp – mainly mystery stories following the adventures of a dwarf detective named Inspector Dew). The shop is run by Spencer Thorn (male, half-orc, elderly and walks with a cane, commoner) who can be found in the store sitting on a comfy chair with his nose in a book. He is willing to purchase any interesting books adventurers have found on their travels, with a particular interest in historical and geographical tomes.
14. The Town Hall: The largest building in the town. The ground floor contains the office of the Guard Captain, Gus Yeowell and a notice board for local jobs and opportunities, while the upper floors contain the council workers and chambers. The town council is composed by a representative from the Crown (or any other ruling body), and the heads of the Fishers’, Boat Builders’, and Merchants’ guilds. Currently on the council are Oghda Greenbarrow (Crown representative, female, dwarf, slim and uses a wheelchair to get around longer distances, noble), Anna Colwill (Fishers’, see above), Drake Copper (Merchants’, male, human, ambitious, noble) and Heledrial Vostnaer (Boat Builders’’, non binary, elf, long brown hair tied in elaborate braids and a soft, whispering voice, commoner).
15. The Crab Shack (tavern): The most expensive and high class tavern in the town. The tavern specialises in seafood and their dish of the day is locally caught, fresh fish served with sautéed potatoes and samphire (9sp). They are also famous for their crab cakes (5sp). Fine wine costs 10gp a bottle, cold light ales are available for 1sp and they also offer after dinner glasses of cognac for 5sp a glass. Rooms are light and airy, with many offering delightful views of the river and town hall. They can be booked for 2gp per person per night. The tavern is run by Cristin and Gotleib Wohne (male, humans; one is skinny and tall, the other shorter and more rotund. Both have pale skin and blonde hair. Commoner). They are helped by a number of waiters: Felix, Fenella, Reuben and Karla.
16. The Trading Post (general goods store): This store sells good from the Player’s Handbook up to 10gp in value. It is run by Gertrude Mann (female, human, curly red hair, commoner).
17. Polmorla Bakery (bakery): Considered the best bakery in the town, you can buy fresh bread and cakes during the morning and early afternoon from here. Their speciality is a green braided loaf made with dried seaweed (5cp). The bakery is run by Arriel Dunbar (female, half elf, dark skin and close cropped hair, commoner).
18. Nanny Wendy’s Fudge Shop (confectionary shop): Here you can buy a small bag of fudge for 2cp and a large bag for 5cp. It is small, smells strongly of sugar, and is run by Nanny Wendy herself (female, human, elderly with curly white hair, she wears several hand-knitted shawls around her shoulders even though the shop is warm, commoner).
19. Bleujen’s Jewellers (jewellery and components): A store located very close to the town hall. Its large windows are full of beautiful jewellery arranged on dark blue velvet cloths. Inside you can buy all sorts of jewellery and some of the specialist components for magic (for example, gem stones or gold figures etc.). It is run by Elloquin Bleujen (male, elf, serious and snobby with a very posh accent, noble).
20. Furs and Finery (clothing store): This store sells good quality clothing, including items suitable for adventuring. Warm cloaks can be purchased for 7gp (with a fur lining increases the price to 15gp) and other fancy clothing can be bought for 4-6gp. Two sets of padded armour are also available to purchase (5gp each). The store is run by Paeris Ralothana (non binary, gnome, long silver hair, commoner).
21. Lansdowne Stables (stables and livery): Located on the main road leading inland from the town, the stables provide both horses for sale and stalls for horses to be kept in overnight. They have 1d4+2 riding horses (80gp) and 1d6+3 draft horses (60gp) available at any time. They can also provide the riding equipment for a mount (saddle, bit, bridle, etc. for 12gp), a wagon (35gp) and saddlebags (4gp). Horses can be stabled with them for 3sp per night per horse (including food and exercise). The stables are run by Sascha Waldmann (female, human, has a chipped front tooth, commoner).
22. Temple of the Life/ Light Domain God: This light and airy temple is located on a bustling town square and is made from a carved, pale wood. There are lots of windows to let in light and it seems as though the whole place glows with an inner radience. Several acolytes are always in attendance and during the daylight hours the head priest, Pengenna (female, elf, looks to be in her late middle age though her strawberry blonde hair contains no silver or white, priest). Non-magical medical care can be provided for 2sp a day, or 1gp per day if major care is needed. Cure wounds can be cast up to third level by Pengenna at 25gp per level and a cast of lesser restoration will cost 50gp. In addition, adventurers can purchase flasks of holy water for 25gp (1d4+1 available), incense up to the total cost of 10gp and amulets of the god’s symbol for 3gp.
23. Temple to the Orde Justice Domain God: In a prime position close to the Town Hall and the River, is a temple dedicated to the law, order and justice deity. Its angular stone front almost seems to be looking at the Town Hall, as though the god is keeping a close eye on what the councillors are doing. The head priest is Ranmir Gralleln (male, dwarf, deep red hair and beard with silver hair rings throughout, priest). Cure wounds can be cast up to third level by Ranmir at 25gp per level and a cast of lesser restoration will cost 50gp.
24. Shrine to the Nature Domain God: This small shrine is located alongside the river. It is comprised of a tall carved piece of wood depicting nature in all its various guises. There are often offerings to be found at the site, usually small trinkets, candles, incense and coins (1d20+4 copper and 1d4-1 silver). The site is looked after by Phoenicia Damasco (female, halfling, very skinny and nervous, druid).
25. Cemetery and Shrine to the Death Domain God: On the edge of the town, next to the forest, is the cemetery that serves Frost Bay. The majority of the graves are marked by small wooden tokens, though a couple have larger stone monuments above them. At the entrance to the site is the house of the undertaker and acolyte to the death domain god, Alex Norton (male, human, tall and gangly with a shock of dark hair, acolyte). One of the rooms of his house, accessible from the outside, serves as a shrine to the god and is always lit up by hundreds of candles.
Quest Hooks
SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON
Fisher folk have started to refuse to go to one of the prime crab fishing locations along the coast. As a result, the Crab Shack is no longer able to produce and sell its famous crab cakes. Desperate not to lose such a client (and other profits), Anna Colwill (see above) is looking to hire a band of adventurers to investigate what is going on. The fisher folk have reported sightings of ‘sea monsters’ and no longer go anywhere near the location. She is willing to pay 25gp per adventurer if they can provide proof that the problem is now over.
DISAPPEARANCES IN THE WARREN
Diggory (see above), a regular at the Jaunty Seagull, will tell anyone who enters the tavern that his friend, Konrad Gerhart, has gone missing. He insists that there have been other disappearances in the Warren too, but that that town’s guards are not doing anything about it. (Diggory has also placed hastily scrawled posters on the Town Hall notice board saying much the same). He does not have much money for a reward himself, only 10gp, but is sure that if evidence of wrongdoing is bought to the guards then they would also provide monetary recompense. On the second day after the characters receive this quest (or two days after they enter town) another citizen is reported missing, this time Kristina Ettlinger, the eldest daughter of a wealthy family. Can any adventurers solve this mystery and find what has happened to these people? (Coming soon as a Rogue Crow Adventure).

To download a pdf version of this document complete with the map of locations, please click this link to my substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/roguecrowadventures/p/drag-and-drop-towns-frost-bay?r=261vd2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document . The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

I'm still holding out hope that there are some flamboyant headphones out there that aren't cash-grab garbage. Will settle for something chunky and black if I must though.
Budget: <$130 ideally, but willing to consider up to $250
Must be/have:

• Lasts 15+ years! but would like to BuyItForLife. (I'm seeing good things about Sennheiser HD280 but they seem large and I want to do more research before committing.)
• Over-the-ear
• Good for daily use; gaming, movies, podcasts, and music, in and out of the house
• Audio that doesn't hurt my ears. Currently stuck with cheap earbuds again and I fear just about any improvement will impress me.
• Comfortable no matter how long you wear them
  • Very soft pads, in terms of squish. (memory foam?)
  • I don't mind if the faux leather wears off! I am willing to refinish it by sewing on my own fabric.
  • Swivel cups, or it will jab into the tender spot where the jaw meets the neck underneath the ear
• Wired or Bluetooth-hybrid*
  • Preferably a detachable Y-aux to avoid having a headband wire.
  • *Willing to consider a wireless pair if:
    • it has a long battery life. I don't want to have to charge it every day.
    • the battery is replaceable. I don't want the pair to die via battery expiration.

Nice to have:

• Wide range of adjustability — Like I said, my head is small. Measurements below. Headphones for the big-headed smush the tops of my ear lobes and get uncomfortable after a while.
• Fashionable — I wear my headphones out of the house (traveling, commuting, shopping, etc. Not so much trying to exercise in these.) and I dress pretty eccentrically, so I'd like my headphones to have a little charm too or stay minimal. I'd be down for one of these styles:
  • Something like my previous pair (below.) I liked the flat metal band and the wood sides added a touch of the 'natural' to it. I heard it's a myth that it helps with sound, but eh I can't tell.
  • A chunky vintage look, as long as it fits
  • Cyberpunk or steampunk, but not just a gaming headset
  • Light color, minimal, monochrome
  • Brown ear pads, earth tones
• Wouldn't say no to a detachable mic, but don't really need one
• A seller that's committed to sustainability and transparency in its manufacturing

My Measurements: 14" — Over the top of my head, to the points where my ears connect 21¾" — Head circumference
My last headphones: Symphonized Wraith 2.0, no longer sold.

• Lasted 6-7 years
  • Headband-wire frayed in one spot, killing audio to the right ear. Sent them to ubreakifix for repairs, but they came back a little garbled and playing one side of stereo in both ears. It's been months of trying to revive them and I'm throwing in the towel.🏳️ —— However, they would have lasted much longer if the manufacturer hadn't tied knots in that wire to keep it from slipping too far out of the cup when adjusting the headband's size. (Would have preferred an adhesive.) Over time, the knot put just enough stress on the coiled filaments inside to cause them to fray.
• Sleek and lightweight looking, natural wood sides, it'd get a few compliments.
• Had Bluetooth and a detachable aux, which I liked in case the cord needed replacing. I rarely used the Bluetooth.

Thanks for reading!