Welcome to Green Valley

Four Merry Jaunts Through in the Bumpkin Quest Campaign

It’s a big world filled with far off folks who have far off problems. In the quaint farming town of Hills Furrow that has certainly not been the case. Here life is simple, local, and paced by the seasons. There ain’t been a need for “Venturers” and their ilk since your Papaw was just a sprout. However, the winds of change are blowin, and things are about to git just a bit more exciting round these parts.
Welcome to Green Valley, The down-home home of Rural Fantasy Misadventures and Grass-Roots Shenanigans. The Valley is Filled with Colorful Characters, Brimming with Odd Ball Neighbors, and has more than a few Local Yokels. Welcome to Bumpkin Quest. These adventures are intended to be a series of silly adventures that all go awry in some way or another and stir up trouble throughout a peaceful little village that has in many ways been overlooked by the troubles of the world “outside”.
CHAPTER 1: Green Tide CHAPTER 2: A Cartload of Chickens CHAPTER 3: Marvin the Magnificent CHAPTER 4: High Society
ADVENTURE MECHANICS - Target Character Level: Commoners - Level 1 - Target Party Size: Four Players - Average Adventure Playtime: 1-2 Hours - Tone: Rural Misadventures
I’ve also put these adventures into a PDF that includes our Bumpkin Quest: Campaign Guide which fills in the details of Green Valley pretty thoroughly. The quests are simple enough to be run in any setting you choose, but if you're interested in more the Guide as over a dozen Custom Maps, 70+ NPCs, Location Descriptions, 20+ Local Legends, and Scores of Adventure and Event Ideas. You can grab the PDF Free at the link above.

Hills Furrow

At the center of the Valley sits a patch of small grassy hills, through which the Slow Water meanders through. Built into these hills is the Village of Hills Furrow. Celebrated by everyone living in The Valley and boasting a whopping population of almost 150, Hills Furrow is the center of commerce and social importance. Well, at least as far as the locals are concerned. Realistically it would be less than a blip on the grand scale of things, a mere kernel of wheat in the silo of civilization, but to those who live here, there is nothing quite like living in the “city”.
The Village itself, like the Valley, is predominantly Halfling, and their fancy dwellings are burrowed into the hillsides as often as possible. These dwellings have been family owned for generations only becomeing available if there are no heirs to pass them along to. Other folk live in well kept two story shingled buildings, most of which house a business on the lower floor and house the Shopkeepers and their families above their workplaces, though a few live in nearby homes. There aren’t many “rental” spaces in town, as property is usually bought up quickly by the Halfling Families, but there are long term options at either of the Inns in town.
Hills Furrow: Locations 1) The Crocked Crow (Inn and Tavern) 2) The Dancing Lamb (Inn and Tavern) 3) The Moaning Toad (Tavern) 4) Granny's Groceries (General Market) 5) Get Nailed (Hardware and Distilery) 6) Gimdurh's Hammer (Smithy) 7) Brenra's Mechanicals (Tinker) 8) Hjoldren's Home Goods (Carpenter) 9) Standard Industries (Office) 10) Fit to be Dyed (Tailor) 11) The Last Loaf (Baker) 12) The Cloudy Cleaver (Butcher) 13) Nature's Medecine (Apothecary) 14) Sheriff's Office 15) Green Valley School House 16) The Waterwheel 17) The Windmill 18) The Undercloak Estate 19) Truefoot Burrow 20) The Meadows Family Hill
The people themselves are hospitable and friendly enough, but they do not really trust outsiders. Folks from foreign places are good for trade, news, and little else. Those that come through are treated well enough as long as they don’t wear out their welcome. Locals, well, that’s a bit of a different story. The city and area doesn’t operate under a written caste system or social structure, but there is clearly a pecking order, and family heritage matters a great deal to folks in Hills Furrow. Most locals, whether they’ve gotten an education or not, can easily be classified as simple. It isn’t that they are slow of mind or unintelligent, but more that they are unconcerned with matters the outside world considers important. This sentiment has created a general, but friendly, dislike between those that consider themselves Highfalutin and those that clearly are not.
Well now that I've given you the fifty cent tour. Shall we get on to adventure?

CHAPTER 1: Green Tide

We will open our journeys in the Green Valley at Green Tide, the annual celebration of Winter’s End. This adventure is designed to give a tour of Hills Furrow and introduce them to the locals. It will begin with some chores around their house to prepare for the festival and end with a battle involving an enchanted broom. If you did not do Session Zero, this chapter may take a bit longer as we get to know everyone and their characters.

ACT 1: Pre-Festival

The locals spend the week cleaning out their houses and farms. They gather old junk and unused items to be used later in the festival. They also begin preparing what food is left from winter to be used in a celebration and feasts.
Things to do! - Have the Players clean up junk around the house - Have them Find something strange (Perhaps used for a later mystery?) - Have them Decorate their Broom - Have them run a Household Errand (Meet an NPC)

ACT 2: Sweeping Day

A merry festival celebrating Spring cleaning and putting the past behind them. They form a parade, with one member from each house carrying a brightly decorated broom and using it to symbolically “Sweep Away Winter”. The rest of the family marches their winter’s trash and unused goods down to the Fairgrounds. The goods are often traded, while the trash is piled in the fire pit to await burning later. The entire day is filled with fun outdoor activities. Households also symbolically bring their problems to the bonfires to burn them later.
Things to do! - March in the Parade - Carry Junk to the Bonfire - Meet more of the Locals
EVENT: I Love a Parade
The parade will march North from near the Cross Roads in the South up around the hill and back again to the South where it will head for the Fairgrounds. There isn’t anything particularly challenging about this event, but it would be a wonderful place to start leaning into or building local rivalries.
EVENT: Never Seen a Broom Do That… As they come into the home stretch of the Parade one of the local’s Brooms will animate and take off. It will chase folks around the parade. The players can attempt to stop it, but the broom will flee soon after being attacked. It will fly up into the air, attack a flock of geese, and chase them off until it can’t be seen anymore. They can go and collect a fallen goose if they wish. I highly recommend giving it a motorcycle type sound as it flies around hitting folks. Maybe even going as far as giving it a rough gravel angry voice and letting it insult people.

ACT 3: Winter’s End

Winter’s End is a Combination of Groundhog’s Day and Fasnacht, this day gets a little wild. The Festival kicks off at dawn with the Great Gopher Hunt. Gophers are well known spies for The Voice of Winter and thus need to be hunted before they can tell The Voice to delay Spring. Gophers themselves are quite tasty, and are notoriously bad for crops, so this works out economically all around. Throughout the rest of the day families continue to contribute to the Bonfire Pile which often gets quite large. At dusk a large effigy of The Voice of Winter is placed on top of the pile. Once the sun has fully set they light the fire and burn the Effigy. Folk usually dress darkly during the day and brightly at night. After the burning they feast on sweets and treats that were made from goods saved up from winter storage.
Things to do! - The Great Gopher Hunt - Carry Junk to the Bonfire - Meet more of the Locals - The Fairground’s Activities
EVENT: The Great Gopher Hunt The Hunt begins at dawn and takes place all over the Valley. Locals race to collect as many Gophers as possible. It is easiest to kill the Gopher, but there are some that find that distasteful. Instead they live trap the critters. It is a bit tougher to do so, but an option should your players wish. This is most easily played out as a series of appropriate Skill Checks, in which the higher they score the more gophers they obtain.
EVENT: Trash Removal They may find some locals willing to pay them to help cart junk down to the bonfire pile. Not a lot of skill involved in this, but it is a great opportunity to meet locals, and you could throw a runaway cart at them.
Fair Activities They will probably want to take part in Fairground Activities. Players love these types of challenges. Here are a few ideas you can build on. - Axe Throwin: Basic attack rolls on a Round Target. Higher scores equal Higher points. - Bow Shootin: Basic attack rolls on Moving Targets. Higher scores equal Higher points. - Pig Chasin: Catch the greased Pig! Medium DC Challenge requiring three success before three Failures. - Mud Wrastlin: Nothing says bumpkin like a good Mud Wrastlin Pit. Contested Skill Challenges. - Sausage Eating Contest: Increasingly difficult DC Challenge. Eat till you puke! Can also be Pies or Ribs or Little Fish… you know whatever someone wants to stuff dozens of in their gullet. - Tug O’War: Team Strength Challenge. Three to Five Contested Rolls with opposing teams. - Gopher BBQ Cook Off: A Hard Culinary Challenge to see who can BBQ the best Gopher! - Races: Foot and Mount Races based on Three to Five Contested Rolls. I usually include a few odd mounts like a Giant Chicken or some such nonsense.

ACT 4: Day of Ashes

The Day of Ashes is a day of rest, recovery, and reflection. Locals take the ashes from the bonfires and rub their hands in them to symbolize the end of a hard year’s work and hardships of the past. The day ends with a large family feast, typically Pork. Activities this day are light, but many folks head to the Temple for the Calling of Spring Blessings. They put on their fancies and head down to ask forgiveness for over-indulging in the festival and for worship. Well sort of…
Unfortunately, a lot of folks take this as an opportunity to peacock about and practice their one-upmanship over other locals. If you’re looking for inspiration for their outfits look to older photos of the Kentucky Derby. Over the years this troubling practice has caused more than one fight to break out after the service.
*Things to do! * - Go to Temple and Meet More Locals - Pick a Local Patron!
EVENT: Temple Services
The majority of the town comes to Temple on this day. The service is usually longer, and a bit more “Where have most of you been all year?” But otherwise it is a call for the Divine Blessings to touch their crops and protect their lives. It ends with a ceremony in which the locals put their hands into the ashes from yesterday’s bonfire. Once services end they will head outside, where the trouble will begin. Two of the wealthier families will get into it with each other. Starting with a couple of veiled insults, probably before service and continuing afterward. If one of your players is from a local Rich Folk family then they can be right in the middle of it all, otherwise they will have to pick a side. This choice will determine their house Patron moving forward. Tension will increase until folks start drawing up sides, and then someone will throw a rotten tomato at one of the House Matrons. That will blow the lid off the incident and a yokel brawl will break out. For comedy purposes I recommend the instant appearance of several food carts filled with expired products, and maybe a six year old hustler selling big sticks for wacking folks with. As the locals brawl call for perception checks. Who ever rolls highest begins to hear… The Broom returning!
ENCOUNTER: Stick In The Eye
The broom returns ready to whoop some ash. It will be absolutely bent on cleaning anyone and everyone who is even the slightest bit dirty! If it successfully attacks a character they will have to make a Strength Saving throw or be knocked to the ground and swept clean by the broom. As this would be an awful omen for the year folks are terrified and will be running around screaming. Absolute mass hysteria. If the players were lucky enough to hear it coming they can avoid being surprised by the broom. Otherwise the broom will get a full round to attack before they have a chance to do anything. They’ll have to beat the broom into submission any way they can before it sweeps the whole town into chaos!

CLOSING

After defeating the broom things will settle back down again. Bumpkins are quick to return to normal when things go awry. However, they will have gotten the attention of one of the Wealthy Families in the area and be offered jobs. Which family is really, based on what will work best for them and you as the DM. For gags you might be tempted to have the Yokels pick them up, but that is a hard bit to sustain, and you may be better served keeping them on the side as a comic foil rather than up front. Completely up to you. The session should end with them being invited to meet their new patron tomorrow someplace important.

CHAPTER 2: A Cartload of Chickens

After successfully defeating the Enchanted Broom, our Bumpkins have gained the attention of a possible local Patron. This individual has summoned them to a nearby farm to discuss future work. That work includes proving themselves capable and not just lucky.

ACT 1: Meet the Boss

In this Act the players will meet with their new patron, one of the Family Heads, who that is entirely depends on their choices from the last game. This entire side branch is designed to flavor the background of the campaign, but if you’d rather just have them stay freelancing and independent that’s fine as well. There is also the possibility of “competing” offers should they have second thoughts for any reason. Once they arrive at the meeting spot their Patron will ask them some questions about their ambitions (Class Goals), they will then hand them off to their new “boss” who will assign them their task. They will take them to a nearby barn.
NEW NPC: “Boss”
Needs a fitting name for the Family they work for...
Character wise, what we got here is a standard “Ranch Foreman” character. They’re tough, A little mean, and completely loyal to their employer. They almost certainly chew tobacco (by the handful), have a tattoo of the Ranch’s Brand, and know where all the bodies are buried. They also have a huge and obvious scar on the side of their head where a Giant Chicken pecked a hole in their skull, so they’re not as bright as they used to be, not at all truthfully. Nor are they actually the Foreman anymore, but no one has a heart to tell them. They’ve been quietly downgraded to Chicken Handler, which is something they seem to remember quite well, but the brain damage keeps them from realizing all that. They can be found wandering the Farm giving strange orders to other Hands. These Hands nod politely and then go back to what they are doing.
Things To Do! - Meet Their Patron - Discuss Their Future - Meet Their New “Boss”

ACT 2: Chicken Dance

Boss will lead them into the odd looking barn. This building is filled with Giant Chickens. These two-three foot fouls have extremely exaggerated features, spiky looking beaks with sharp tooth like edges, big darting eyes, bumpy cracked skin, long gnarled talons, and dirty mottled feathers. They’re more beast than bird. But, they’re good for eatin! These creatures should have a stat block similar to an Axe Beak. When the players enter into the Barn the Chickens will go nuts, obviously deeply bothered by the intrusion. Boss will throw in some deer haunches and the birds will tear them apart in a feeding frenzy. They will then put on a Chicken Suit and begin a flapping dance. (Google Magnificent Riflebird) It should be absolutely captivating and the chickens will become mesmerized, watching every move. Boss will then load two dozen chickens onto a large wagon and lock it. They will have the players push the wagon out while he keeps the Chickens calm. Once outside they’ll hang heavy tarps on the sides of the wagon, and remove the suit. He will then explain to them that they need to keep the tarps on the wagon, and keep the birds well fed, or the chickens will get restless and become violent. When they do need to interact with them someone will have to wear the suit and dance to keep them calm. The bigger the person in the suit the better. Boss will then give them a Map of Green Valley and instruct them to drop off two chickens at each of the outer settlements. They have two days to get this done.
Things To Do! - Head into the barn - Witness The Dance of The Chicken - Push the Wagon out - Get the Costume and Delivery Instructions

ACT 3: Bumpy Roads

They will be off to deliver the Chickens to various locations. There is no specific order to this delivery, they just need to pick a route and go. If they’re short on time they can take the country roads that lead between the outer settlements, but these aren’t as well kept as the main roads are. Whatever road they take and wherever they decide to stop for the night there are problems they will encounter along the way. You can make them random or pick the ones that best suit your players. Most of these should at some point require someone putting on the suit and dancing for the chickens to keep them calm. I would also increase the difficulty of each event. If they fail a dance the Chickens will become restless and start attacking the cart until they are calmed down. Too many failures and the wagon’s cage will break and the remaining chickens escape. They will then have to be rounded up and the cage repaired.
Things to Do - Decide the delivery route - Deliver the chickens - Keep the Chickens calm
Possible Road Events 1) Rough roads cause problems 2) Yokels attempt to see what’s in the cart 3) Bad Weather swamps the road or scares the chickens 4) Pack of Coyotes causes trouble. 5) Chicken Rustlers! Protect the Flock! 6) Wagon breaks and needs repair 7) Cows in the road, someone’s herd is out. 8) Broken Bridge, not gone, just broken

ACT 4: Final Delivery

They’re now closing in on the final delivery. Something needs to happen here to cause them to put the suit on. Or maybe they never took it off! I love that idea, that one of your players just loves the suit and wants to be a chicken… lol… Anyway I’m a fan of having them need to get out of the suit for some reason, maybe a bathroom break, or they stand on a fire ant hill, or a snake slithers up their leg. You know something silly and fun. BUT the zipper is stuck! So they’ll have to try and unstick it and fast! Whatever happens they’re going to get shot at by some hunters looking for a big score who have mistaken the flailing caused by the stuck zipper to be the chicken attacking. After dealing with the Hunters they can go ahead and make the final drop. And head home.
Things to Do! - Head for the final delivery - Get shot at! - Deliver the last chickens
ENCOUNTER: That’s a BIG Chicken!
Having two hunters in the field is more than enough to cause a problem for the players. The hunters will almost certainly surprise the players, but you can allow them a perception check, if they succeed they’ll see the hunters just before the muskets go off. It would be OK to down the Chicken Player here if the hunters successfully hit it. They’ll have healer’s kits on hand because, well, this seems to happen to them a lot out here. After the initial attack the players can decide to attack back or try and talk the hunters down. A basic Bandit or Scout stat block should do will for the hunters. If you’re looking for a bit more mayhem, if the hunters miss the players you could have them hit the cage, and you know, bust it open. This may be especially tempting if they
POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER: Big Ol' Frog
So there is a giant frog hiding in the mud down in the creek. If a player takes cover behind the banks there is a good chance that the frog will attempt to nab the player as a snack. If it is successful in grabbing a player with its tongue it will immediately head down river, and they'll have to chase it to get their friend back.

CLOSE

When they return, Boss will reward them. How much will depend on how successful they were delivering the birds. If they did a descent job, they will be paid two day’s wages each. If they were completely successful they can have a bonus. However, if the wagon is in bad shape they might have some money deducted. After they’re paid out, they will be dismissed, and told to expect a new assignment next week.

CHAPTER 3: Marvin the Magnificent

After successfully delivering chickens Boss is going to trust them with a more important task. Their employer has requested an item to be created by Marvin the Magnificent. This is a farming community so having enchanted Farming Equipment is extremely desirable. Marvin has done a lot of basic enchantments over the years, but this new one, an The Stone Skipper, a plough whose blade goes ethereal while in contact with stones too large to push away, has really put him to the test. He needs some help with the final enchantments. The players will have to travel to the Ethereal Plane and hit the Blade of the plow with large rocks. But there’s a problem, they’re going to have mischievous Ethereal Sprites attempting to stop them! If they’re successful, which they should be, they get to take the plough for a test drive, and deal with the strange side effects of the enchantment. Angry goats that blink in and out of existence.

ACT 1: To the Tower

They’ll be summoned out to the Ranch where they’ll meet with Boss again. Once there they will notice a large pile of bent and dinged up plows. Boss will explain to them that a recent land acquisition has become problematic. The Fields are filled with large stones just under the topsoil and they’ve damaged a lot of Plow Blades. The Smithing costs are getting out of hand and so their Patron is looking for an alternate solution to the problem. He is sending them to help Marvin the Magnificent, who has taken the job, but run into some complications and needs some help. They may ask about Marvin. Or perhaps the fields that were purchased, so be ready to answer these types of questions. Once they’re done here they can head to Marvin’s Tower, which is just north of town.
Things to Do! - Meet Boss again - Ask some Informational Questions - Head for the Tower
NPC: Marvin the Magnificent

ACT 2: Marvin the Magnificent

As they approach the tower they should see an explosion at the peak of the structure. It should look similar to a fireworks mishap. When it clears there will be no visible damage to the tower, But Marvin will plummet to the earth just off to the side of them, landing in a small pond. He will then come charging out of the pond, laughing hysterically, and riding on a large turtle. Once he gets a few feet away from the pond the turtle will disappear and he will tumble to the ground right in front of the players. He will leap up quickly and turn toward the players. “Behold Travelers, You stand in the presence of Marvin the Magnificent! And everything you have witness was mostly intended!” He will then strike a cool pose with his wand pointed to the sky! “Now why do you approach my tower!?”
Once Marvin finds out they’ve been sent about the plow he will become more nervous looking. “I see, well follow me. We have work to do.” He will then start walking toward the tower… his boots squishing out water. This should give them a little time to ask a few questions. Marvin will be a little subversive about what they need to do. He will attempt to frame it very mysteriously, saying things like “All will be revealed soon.” and “Save your questions! All Answers await us… in the future!” If they ask him about what they witnessed outside, he will tell them he was working on a mount summoning spell designed for lakes and rivers.
Things to Do! - Head toward the Tower - Meet Marvin - Ask Questions

ACT 3: The Cabinet of Mysteries

The inside of the Wizard’s Tower will be far more mundane than they likely expect. At least on the first floor. It will have a sitting room, dining room, and kitchen, as well as a few odds and ends about. Nothing special at all. The second floor, are Marvin’s personal quarters and some room for study, but it is the third floor, where Marvin will lead them, and it will be more of what one would expect in a Wizard’s tower. There will be books shelves, arcane equipment, and storage for components. In the middle of the room will be a tall cabinet.
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Marvin will explain to them that the Cabinet is a transportation device, and that he will need them to enter into it with a plow that he has recently enchanted. They will be taken to the Ethereal Plane, and once there they’ll need to take the plow outside and begin hitting it with large field stones. There is a large pile of stones just on the north edge of the tower. They’ll have to do this quickly, before the “others” show up. Who are the others? Hard to say, but there are things that live in the Ethereal Plane that don’t like intruders. The idea is to imbue the Plow with Ethereal Powers so it can pass through large stones while plowing fields. Once they return with the Enchanted Plow, Marvin will have them load it on a cart, pulled by a very smart Donkey, and send them on their way.
Skill Challenge: Enchant the Plow This skill challenge will require five successes before they’re incapacitated by the others. However they decide to do it, they’ll have to successfully hit the plow with five large stones. Failures will result in strange indiscernible entities attacking them. They do minimal damage but could knock people out if there are enough failures.
Things to Do! - Move Through Marvin’s Tower - Enter the Cabinet - Enchant the Plow

ACT 4: Blinking Goats

Upon returning to Boss with the Plow they will be happily greet and paid. Their Patron will be there and will be very pleased with their success. He will ask them to demonstrate the plow’s abilities. Once they get set up out in the field and begin plowing something weird will happen. Every time they hit a stone and the plow’s power activates an Ethereal Goat will manifest and kick or ram the plow, and then disappear. It will feel very similar to what they encountered in the Ethereal Plane. They’ll have to find a way to deal with the manifestations.
ENCOUNTER: Ethereal Goats These goats should function very similarly to Blink Dogs, but I would trim the HP and AC a little to put them in line with the party’s. They will be intent on breaking the Plow not the party, although they will attack the party if they can’t get to the Plow.
Things to Do! - Deliver the Plow - Drive the Plow - Defeat the Ethereal Goats

CLOSE

Once defeated the Boss will come over to yell at them, but the Patron will find the entire thing amusing and more importantly, another impressive demonstration of the player’s skills. He will invite them to the “House” for an important party next week.

Chapter 4: High Society

They've definitely been noticed now and have impressed with their ability, unconventional as it may be. They are invited to their patron's home, but not as guests. Though, they might think they were actually invited as guests! They have been brought in to help work the event held out at the Party Field. They will have to gather party supplies, help put up the tent, and then serve the actual guests. During the evening’s entertainment a hypnotist “The Great Dr Hypnotika” will mesmerize the crowd and attempt to rob them all. Hopefully the players don’t fall victim to her schemes. And if they do oh well, they’ll be entertained all the same.

ACT 1: Special Delivery

The players arrive at the Patron’s very nice property. They will be greeted by a properly dressed servant with a clipboard, the Party Planner. The Planner will be rigid and direct. They will immediately begin tasking them about. If they mention that they were invited to the party the servant will laugh “You didn’t think you were a guest? Oh dear, how embarrassing. You’re the help! It is still a great honor to be tasked to help at the Party, but you’re not guests. Now as for your current task. Head into town and gather these supplies. Bring them to the field by noon.” After the instructions are given the servant will go back to their tasks and expect the players to do the same. They will have three stops; The Crocked Crow for Food and Beer, Get Nailed for the Tent and Spirits, and Shalana Proud-Breed’s Tailor Shop to pick up the Dry Cleaning. Feel free to make any and all of these go sideways! Its a good place to toss in some shenanigans as well! They should also be introduced to Dr Hypnotika and her associates.
Things To do! - Go to their Patron’s Home - Meet the Party Planner and Dr Hypnotika - Run their Errands
NPC: Dr Hypnotika
Dr Hypnotika and her group will perform for the party. Hypnotica is a Tiefling Mezmerist and illusionist. She has an obnoxiously high charisma and some pretty serious skills to back up her claims. However, she uses those skills to beguile her guests, robbing them blind while they are under her spells. She wears a fine robe with a bedazzled headwrap. She has dark upward spiraling horns, light purple skin, and matching eyes. She wears a monocle and walks with a ceremonially carved staff depicting the "Struggles of the Universe". She is extremely persuasive and even more deceptive. Even if someone were to grow suspicious she can easily talk her way out of trouble.
NPCs: Clapper and Bob Hypnotika brings with her two assistants. Clapper the suit wearing Kenku who will perform wondrous displays of mimicry and slight of hand, and her strongman Bob the Kobold. Bob wears a leopard print strongman's outfit and is amazingly swole, particularly for a kobold, and capable of lifting upwards of 400lbs. Bob doesn't do much else other than get hit with things. in the act.

ACT 2: Put up the Tent

After they finish running their errands they will be tasked with putting up a large party tent. This Act is an ongoing Skill Challenge and should have a constantly distracted feel to it. First they have to unpack the tent. Then they have to realize some pieces are missing, they’ll have to form a solution to that problem. After that wind should cause some problems as the tent is at least being pulled up. This is a great moment for some wondrous tom-foolery.
Things To do! - Unpack the tent - Deal with missing parts - Secure the tent during the wind gusts

ACT 3: Put These On

After they finish putting up the tent they’ll be sent to the Servant’s Quarters to bathe and change. They’ll get a little time to explore and snoop if they wish. Afterward they’ll be tasked with helping in the kitchen, but unfortunately the cooks are going to have been playing a drinking game all afternoon and are no longer fully capable of doing their jobs. This would make a great moment for some sort of mini-game where the players have to determine whether or not the cooks are doing the right things. Once the dinner has been completed they will have to serve the guests. This is a good place to insert gossip and help them meet a few other folks.
Things To do! - Get changed for the party - Deal with the drunk cooks - Serve the guests drinks and food

ACT 4: An Evening to Remember

At some point in the evening things are going to start sliding downhill. Some of the locals will have become extremely inebriated and will need to be encouraged to leave, or just moved off to the side as they’ve already passed out, before the show begins. Once the show begins the locals will become fixated on the goings on. “The Great Dr Hypnotika” will have put an additive in the drinks for the that will make everyone more susceptible to her powers of persuasion. Once the show starts she will have them all doing silly things, those who drank have disadvantage on saves against her powers. She will end the show asking the guests to display their most valuable treasure, a with a hypnotic pattern and then send her assistants out to collect those treasures. The players will have to “do something” about the thieves.
Things To do! - Deal with Drunks - Watch the Show - Stop the Criminals
ENCOUNTER: Hypnotika's Gang This encounter doesn't have to be a fight. If Hypnotika is caught she may claim it was all part of the act and simple return the valuables with a "no harm, no foul" type attitude. This will be he go to in an attempt to avoid a fight, but if the character persist in some kind of retribution or punishment the situation will devolve into a combat. Hypnotica herself is an Illusionist Wizard but is low on spells after the show. Clapper is a low level rogue and Bob a Barbarian, and should play out as such. Even with Skills they are combat adverse and will be looking for an opportunity to flee rather than fight. They do have a getaway wagon out front that they'll be headed for if things go south.

CLOSING

We’re assuming the Bumpkins at least attempted to stop the robbery. This will draw a lot of attention to them. Their Patron will be well pleased with them, and let them know they will be getting much more important jobs in the future. The guests will also take note and will begin treating them all a bit better. They’re all essentially Folk Heroes at this point for secondary backgrounds. Their Patron should reward them with something very nice as the party kicks back in. They will need to finish out the nights work of course.

Quest-line Closing

Congratulations! Your Players have completed their first Quest-line! Hopefully it was a delightful experience. But now that they've finished what comes next? Well, here are some ideas.
*Reward Them! * They've been doing some rather Adventurous things lately, and therefore should now have a Class Level under their belt, so the real D&D world now opens to them! Maybe it is time for some real adventuring gear. No more sticks, stones, and burlap sack armor.
Folk Heroes? There's a good chance that the Valley is Speaking the News about them and their exploits while drinking in the taverns. They may have even earned the actual Folk Hero Feat! Maybe someone would be interested in giving them a task!
Simply Go Exploring! There are a lot of places in Green Valley that we only dipped our toes into. You could have them head down to Stinkmarsh, or maybe climb up the cliffs of Longridge. The world (Well, the Valley) is wholly open to them.
Explore Local Legends There are lots of local legends they can look into! Hopefully they search out something that isn't too far over their heads!
Continue Working for their Patron It would be an easy DM go to simply to have them continue working for their current Patron. They've probably been impressive enough fo a family to be interested in keeping them on.
Establish Themselves as Adventurers! Maybe they want to set up a Adventurers for Hire business? This "Heroes Guild" approach is really appealing to a lot of players and absolutely plays into Bumpkin Quest. Just remember, this is a place of low key problems that locals make really big deals out of. So the idea of slaying dragons shouldn't really be on the table... that is until an actual dragon shows up! Which one day absolutely should.

Hi Jeep people
We are planning a trip to a couple of the US National parks later this year (Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Glacier). I have a made a rental reservation for a "Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-door or similar" -- not because we expect to do any off-roading (though it will be nice to have a capable vehicle in case we run into snow at altitude), but because we wanted to be able to be in the open air for viewing wildlife and scenery.
I've never had a Jeep but have been eyeballing Wranglers on the road and am starting to wonder whether the "convert to open top" process is even going to be possible with a rental -- where do the roof bits get stowed? Is it onerous to do and undo every day? Are all Wranglers even convertible?
Also, any ideas about the "or similar" part -- what other vehicles are considered to be in this category?
The rental for this carries quite a premium so any up-front advice is welcomed.

Everything listed is tested and working.All cart games are loose unless noted All disc based games are CIB unless noted.Game will ship USPS first class. More expensive items will ship priority. Please message me for combined shipping.Note: Will be adding more soon!NintendoNES* Millipede CIB $30* Pinball Quest CIB $35* Wrath of the Black Manta $5
Super Nintendo SNESConsoles / Controllers* OEM Controller CIB $60Games* Super Metroid $70
Nintendo 64* Army Men Sarge's Heroes (game and manual) $20* Blast Corps (game and manual) $25* Namco Museum $7* Ridge Racer 64 $12* Super Mario 64 $35* Tarzan $15* The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask (game and box, missing manual, excellent) $160
GameCube* LEGO Star Wars (disc only) $5* Lego Star Wars II The Original Trilogy (disc only) $5* Shrek 2 (disc only) $5* Shrek Superslam (disc only) $5* Spider-Man 2 (disc only) $5* Tak 2 The Staff of Dreams (disc only) $5
WiiConsoles / Controllers* Wii White Consoles + AV and Power Cords (x7) $50 EachGames* Big Brain Academy Wii Degree $5* Cabela's Survival Shadows of Katmai $5* Def Jam Rapstar $5* Geometry Wars Galaxies $8* Ghost Squad $8* Hasbro Family Game Night 2 $6* Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga $6* Mario Kart Wii $26*Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games $10**My Word Coach $5* New Super Mario Bros Wii (x2) $20 each* Nights Journey of Dreams $10 each* No More Heroes $15* Okami $10* Rayman Raving Rabbids $5* Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 $5* Rock Band $10* Rock Band 2 $10* Samurai Warriors 3 $10* Samurai Warriors Katana $10* Super Mario Galaxy $15* Wii Sports Resort $30
Wii UConsoles / Controllers* OEM GameCube Controller Adapter $40Games* Captain Toad Treasure Tracker Amiibo Bundle NEW $50* Paper Mario Color Splash NEW $90* Yoshi's Wooly World Pink Amiibo Bundle NEW $80
Nintendo SwitchConsoles / Controllers* Blue and Red Joycon Console CIB $220Games* Just Dance 2019 $15* Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate NEW (x2) $20 each* Super Smash Bros Ultimate $36
GameBoy* Bart Simpson Escape from Camp Deadly $10* Bomberman GB (Box and Manual only) $50* Double Dragon $15* Double Dragon II The Revenge $15* Earthworm Jim $15* Gauntlet II $15* Home Alone $5* Metroid 2 Return of Samus $32* Pipe Dream $5* RoboCop $12* Tetris $10GameBoy Color
Console
GameBoy Color Atomic Purple (works, needs new speaker) $65
Games* Aladdin (Game and box, missing manual) $60* Gex Enter the Gecko CIB $45* Powerpuff Girls Bad Mojo Jojo CIB $25* Spider-Man $10* The Simpsons Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror $15GameBoy Advance* Risk / Battleship / Clue 3 pack cart $5* Stuntman $5* Texas Hold Em Poker $5* Top Gun Firestorm $5* Yu-Gi-Oh Ultimate MastersNintendo DS* Battleship NEW $10* Bejeweled 3 $5* Brain Age $5* Club Penguin Elite Penguin Force $5* Flash Focus Vision Training $5* Garfield's Fun Fest (cart only) $5* Ghostbusters The Video Game (cart only) $5* Gremlins Gizmo NEW $20* Lego Batman 2 (cart only) $5* Lego Battles Ninjago (cart only) $5* Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 (cart only) $5* Lego Indiana Jones (cart only) $5* Lego Lord of the Rings (cart only) $5* Lego Marvel Super Heroes (cart only) $5* Lego Star Wars the Complete Sage (cart only) $8* Lego Star Wars III The Clone Wars $5* Mario Cart DS CIB (x2) $15 each* My Amusement Park (cart only) $5* My Word Coach $5* Namco Museum $7* Paws and Claws Dogs and Cats Best Friends (cart only) $5* Petz Hamsterz Life 2 (cart only) $5* SimCity $10* Spectrobes (cart only) $5* SpongeBob SquarePants Yellow Avenger (cart only) $5* SpongeBob SquarePants Plankton's Robotic Revenge (cart only) $5* SpongeBob's Boating Bash (cart only) $5* Trash Packs (cart only) $5* Ultimate Spider-Man (cart only) $13* UNO 52 (cart only) $5* Wall-E $5* Wario Ware DIY NEW (small tear in cellophane) $35* Zuma's Revenge $10
Nintendo 3DS* Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion (cart only) $10* Disney Magical World (cart only) $10* Goosebumps The Game (cart only) $5* Hyrule Warriors Legends NEW $50* Lego Batman 3 Beyond Gotham (cart only) $5* Lego Legends of Chima Lava's Journey (cart only) $5* Lego Ninjago Nindroids (cart only) $5* Lego Ninjago Shadow of Ronin (cart only) $5* Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey NEW $85* Mario Party The Top 100 (cart only) $15* Regular Show in 8-Bit Land $15* Snoopy's Grand Adventure (cart only) $5* Steel Diver $5* The Sums 3 Pets (cart only) $20* Wario Ware Gold NEW $60
Amiibo* Sephiroth NEW $25* Kazyua NEW $15
SEGASega SaturnConsoles* Sega Saturn Model 2 Console ( installed TerraonionMODE + 2TB Sandisk SSD w/ full console library) $600Games* Alien Trilogy (disc only) $35* Christmas Nights Into Dreams $70* Daytona USA (disc only) $10* Mr. Bones $120* Myst $20* Myst (disc only) $10* NHL 97 (disc only) $5* Nights into Dreams (3D Control Pad Bundle, includes controller + all inserts) $150* Panzer Dragoon $75* Panzer Dragoon II Zwei $120* Panzer Dragoon Saga $1,050* Road Rash (disc only) $25* Sonic 3D Blast (disc only) $25* Virtua Cop (disc only) $5**Virtua Fighter 2 (disc only) $7
PlayStationPlayStation 2Consoles* Black Fat Model (x2) $60 eachPlayStation 3* AC/DC Live Rock Band Track Pack $7* Air Conflicts Pacific Carriers $10* Asura's Wrath (missing manual) $40*Atelier Ayesha The Alchemist of Dusk $25* Atelier Escha & Logy Alchemists of the Dusk Sky $25* Atelier Meruru The Apprentice of Arland $22* Atelier Rorona The Alchemist of Arland NEW $30* Band Hero $7* Beowulf The Game $7* BlazBlue Continuum Shift NEW $15* Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway $6* Buzz! Quiz TV $10* Call of Duty Black Ops II NEW $30* Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 game + steelbook $15* Catherine NEW $25* Civilization Revolution $10* Conflict Denied Ops $7* Dark Sector $7* Dead Space 2 $13* Defiance $5* Dragon's Dogma $7* Enchanted Arms $15* Eternal Sonata NEW $35* Eye of Judgement PS EYE Camera Bundle $65* EyePet $5* EyePet & Friends $5* FaceBreaker $10* Final Fantasy XIII-2 NEW $25* Guardians of Middle Earth (case and insert only, game was bought with a code)* Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock $12* Kingdom of Amalur Reckoning $8* Kung Fu Rider $5* Last Rebellion $30* Leisure Suit Larry Box Office Bust $20* Lost DImension NEW $90* Lost Via Domus $8* MAG $5* MLB 07 $5* Madden NFL 10 $5* Madden NFL 11 $5* Madden NFL 13 $5* Medieval Moves Deadmund's Quest $5* Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 $7* Record of Agarest War 2 $20* RockBand $20* Rocksmith $15* Sacred 3 $10* SingStar $10* Sorcery $5* Sports Champions $5* Star Trek NEW $10* Start the Party $5* The Club $6* Trinity Souls of Zill O'll $50* Wonderbook Book of Spells $10PlayStation 4* Agents of Mayhem $5* Batman Arkham VR NEW $15* Battleborn $5* Call of Duty WWII Valor Collection NEW $50* Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled NEW $20* Evolve $5* Extinction $5* Jak II Limited Run $90 + T-shirt $50* Lord of The Rings Middle Earth Shadow of War NEW (x3) $10 Each* Rayman Legends (PlayStation Hits) NEW $15* Shenmue 3 + Steelbook NEW $30
PlayStation 5* Among Us Impostor Edition NEW $35PSPConsoles
* PSP 1000 console (loose disk tray, still working) $50Games* Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII (UMD Only) $10* Darkstalkers Chronicle The Chaos Tower $20* Dynasty Warriors (UMD Only) $5* EyePet $5* Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions (UMD Only) (x2) $10 each* God of War Chains of Olympus $20* Iron Man (UMD Only) $5* MLB 09 THe Show (UMD Only) $5* MVP Baseball (UMD Only) $5* Madden 2006 (UMD Only) $5* Madden 2008 (UMD Only) $5* Marvel Nemesis Rise of the Imperfects (UMD Only) $7* NBA Live 2008 (UMD Only) $5* Neopets Petpet Adventures The Wand of Wishin (UMD Only) $10* Rapala Trophies (UMD Only) $5* Ridge Racer (UMD Only) $7* Sonic Rivals (UMD Only) $10* SpongeBob SquarePants The Yellow Avenger $10* Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron (UMD Only) $7* Syphon Filter Dark Mirror (UMD Only) $5* Syphon Filter Logan's Shadow / Killzone Liberation Dual Pack NEW $20* Untold Legends Brotherhood of the Blade $8* Untold Legends Brotherhood of the Blade (UMD ONLY) $5* Untold Legends The Warriors Code (UMD Only) $5PS Vita* Hot Shots Golf World Invitational (cart only) $10* Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 $10* Lego Marvel Super Heroes Universe in Peril $10* Lego Marvel's Avengers $17* PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale $15* Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed (cart only) $20
XboxOriginalAMF Bowling $5Batman Dark Tomorrow $18Big Mutha Truckers $6Big Mutha Truckers 2 $6Blackstone Magic and Steel $42Castlevania Curse of Darkness $23Codename Kids Next Door Operation VIDEOGAME $10Conflict Desert Storm $5Conflict Vietnam $5Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure $20Dr. Muto $10Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $54Kingdom Under Fire Heroes $8NHL2K6 NEW $10Need For Speed Carbon $7Need for Speed Underground $10Need for Speed Underground 2 $15PGR $5PGR 2 $5Scaler $10Shark Tale $5Star Wars KOTOR $10Tron 2.0 Killer App $12Test Drive off Road Wide Open $7The Hobbit $10Tiger Woods 2004 $4Top Gear RPM Tuning $7Totaled $9WWE Raw 2 $20Whiplash $15Worms 3D $10Zapper $10

--- Table of Contents ---
Interlude 2 - Wind
Winter 4984, Halakon
“I’m afraid that might be more than just rain…” the head steward's face was a mask of calm despite his words of worry as he stared into the horizon.
Allowing the silk to slide from the drying line into his waiting hands, Vinrin looked up, following the steward’s gaze to the east. Black clouds. As if night had decided to wash over the desert without waiting for the sun to set.
The dunes that covered most of Halakon could be seen in the distance, many miles away. A heartbeat later, they were gone. Wind brushed Vinrin’s cheeks, pulling stray red hairs from his braid. The eastern sky had become two-toned, black on top and tan below.
Run. The voice shot through him like lightning, causing his heart to skip a beat, then race to make up for lost time.
Vinrin flinched, gripping his head and chest, the cloth blowing away before it could hit the ground.
The Steward leaned over Vinrin, steadying him and whispering softly in his ear, "Young master, is everything alright?”
No, everything was far from alright. Green flashed in the distance and Vinrin looked up with a gasp mirrored by the steward. Lightning traced across the black clouds. Jagged lines of green, purple, and red set the sand below aglow but did nothing to light the darkness above.
“Run…” Vinrin breathed.
“Hurry girls, the shutters!” the Steward cried to the servant girls, urging them to take what laundry they had and rush back to the manor. To button it up for the oncoming dust storm. It wouldn’t be enough. Not this time.
“NO! Run!” Vinrin cried, suddenly desperate. He wrenched a basket of sheets from a passing servant, tossing it to the ground, “Run!”
“Young master the manor-” the steward started, befuddled, at the fourteen-year-old heir, now shoving servants away from the door and towards the road.
“Get everyone out of the house! Make for the rift!” Vinrin screamed, his voice cracking as the wind tried to blow his words away.
The rolling blackness covered the sun and the first bits of sand blown ahead of the storm wall pelted them like so many bug bites. Alone they would be inconsequential, but together they would eventually flay any exposed skin. And worse was yet to come.
Vinrin struggled through the wind to grab the Steward by the arm, screaming into his ear to be heard, “Please, hurry, run!”
Blessedly, the Steward nodded, rushing for the manor, his pace quicked further by the wind at his back. Vinrin pulled his hair back as best he could, looking around in horror as the nearby houses began shuttering their windows from the inside. Preparing to weather the dust storm as they had so many others. Couldn’t they see the lightning now right overhead? Couldn’t they feel the wrongness in the air?
“The rift…” his whisper was stolen by the wind.
He ran, shouting to the houses, banging on the doors, and forcibly turning people around who were trying to head the wrong way, back to their homes, towards the terrible storm. Not enough followed.
He dashed down side streets and allies, yelling until his voice was hoarse and beyond. He zig-zagged through the streets, trying to gather as many as he could. Not nearly enough.
Vinrin ushered all he could towards the Rift, a canyon that divided the city of Zaha into two halves, connected by multiple stone bridges. Stairs were carved down the Rift's faces in sharp switchbacks. Leading towards the ancient Temples built into its walls.
The air was thick with sand that pelted painfully against his skin, filling his mouth, nose, and eyes. He could hardly see the stairs, already crowded with people too far from home and seeking shelter. Or perhaps they'd felt the wrongness.
He'd just reached the head of the switchbacks when screams could be heard as if from a great distance. Spinning around, he ducked just as a roof torn from a nearby building flew overhead. It nearly spanned the rift before crashing down on a bridge. Stone crumbled, and more people screamed as a structure that had stood for hundreds, if not thousands, of years fell into the canyon, taking at least fifty people down with it.
He could hardly see, hardly think. A woman tried to shove past him, but a burst of wind pushed her too far. She tumbled into the canyon, her screams indistinguishable from the rest.
Pushing against the wind just to stay upright, Vin-rin nearly lost his footing as someone grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down the steps. Gusts whipped about the canyon, sometimes pulling, sometimes pushing. He held tightly to the hand of his rescuer, unable to see them through the sand that had become his entire world. They struggled their way down the switchbacks, crouching to keep themselves as close to the ground as possible. More screams trailed from above to below as people fell from greater heights. Had he been wrong? Would they have been safer in their homes?
No. He knew, knew, the city would be lost in this storm, buried by the dunes that had only ever existed on the horizon.
The hand pulled him one last time, and he nearly fell again, stumbling towards the canyon wall only to be wrenched through a doorway he hadn’t seen. Into the safety of the Temple of Hengist. People shuffled and sobbed in the darkness, but the grand entrance to the chapel wasn’t nearly as full as it should be.
The Steward let go of Vinrin’s hand. He was hardly recognizable, caked in sand and blending in with all the other faces huddled together for comfort.
“My family, Maze, tell me!” Vinrin cried, tears turning to mud on his cheeks.
“Safe, young master, they are here.” His whisper sounded loud, despite the roar of the storm so close it shook the natural stone walls of this cave-turned sanctuary.
Safe… they were safe… but how many had he failed to save above? What would be left of the second-largest city in Halakon once this storm from the hells themselves passed…
Vinrin collapsed in a heap on the floor and sobbed. Relieved, and grieving.
--- Table of Contents ---
Any comments or communication would be welcome.

Hello, everyone! I am a newcomer to planning trips & my budget is not groundbreaking, thus I require some assistance to make the best of my situation.
I am entertaining a 2 week Brazil trip in September by myself & I am having a hard time deciding between Sao Paulo & Florianopolis or Rio & Ilha Grande - 1 week in each destination to minimize time on the road. I am a dual national Romanian-American in possession of both passports if this helps since I have heard that in October, Brazil will re-instate the tourist visa for US nationals, which by itself is another $150+ expense.
My budget is about ~$2,750-$3,250 (depending on flights). I plan on leaving in early September & returning by the end of the same month. The goal is to begin my trip in Florianopolis or Ilha Grande for a week & then finish the trip in Sao Paulo or Rio because a departure flight will leave from there & previous posts have indicated that internal travel can be delayed. My plans so far include pretty touristy activities such as walks on the Paulista Avenue & Museum of Arts in Sao Paulo or Ipanema Beach & Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.
I am looking for advice & tips on the activities & attractions that you have had good experiences with. I would especially appreciate (i) what activities you've had the best time with & would recommend to a friend, as well as (ii) hostel recommendations that are friendly to non-lusophone internationals (though they don'thave to exclusively cater to foreign tourists), especially if they're the kind of hostels that have their own tours or daily activities where you can partake in exchange for a fee.
Please provide whatever advice you have even if you've been to just one of these destinations. I am mostly interested in obscure activities/spots that aren't advertised on websites such as TripAdvisor & hostel recommendations.

Hello, everyone! I am a newcomer to planning trips & my budget is not groundbreaking, thus I require some assistance to make the best of my situation.
I am entertaining a 2 week Brazil trip in September by myself & I am having a hard time deciding between Sao Paulo & Florianopolis or Rio & Ilha Grande - 1 week in each destination to minimize time on the road. I am a dual national Romanian-American in possession of both passports if this helps since I have heard that in October, Brazil will re-instate the tourist visa for US nationals, which by itself is another $150+ expense.
My budget is about ~$2,750-$3,250 (depending on flights). I plan on leaving in early September & returning by the end of the same month. The goal is to begin my trip in Florianopolis or Ilha Grande for a week & then finish the trip in Sao Paulo or Rio because a departure flight will leave from there & previous posts have indicated that internal travel can be delayed. My plans so far include pretty touristy activities such as walks on the Paulista Avenue & Museum of Arts in Sao Paulo or Ipanema Beach & Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.
I am looking for advice & tips on the activities & attractions that you have had good experiences with. I would especially appreciate (i) your take on which of the two options above sounds more enticing, (ii) what activities (beaches, tours, museums, restaurants, etc.) you've had the best time with & would recommend to a friend, as well as (iii) hostel recommendations that are friendly to non-lusophone internationals (though they don'thave to exclusively cater to foreign tourists), especially if they're the kind of hostels that have their own tours or daily activities where you can partake in exchange for a fee.
Please provide whatever advice you have even if you've been to just one of these destinations. I am mostly interested in obscure activities/spots that aren't heavily advertised on websites such as TripAdvisor & hostel recommendations.

IGS Rep
My barter.vg page
Mostly looking for Bug Fables and Oaken, but I will consider other games that I don't know about/aren't on the list. I really like to play Roguelites, RPGs, Strategy, Card games, and certain sims.
Janda's Tradable

• 112 Operator
  
• 911 Operator
  
• A Blind Legend
  
• Agent in Depth
  
• Aground
  
• Alchemist's Castle
  
• Anomaly Warzone Earth
  
• Arcade Spirits
  
• Autonauts
  
• Backbone
  
• Beasts of Maravilla Island
  
• Book of Demons
  
• Builder Simulator
  
• Calico
  
• Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
  
• Cook, Serve, Delicious!
  
• Cosmic Express
  
• Crysis 2 Maximum Edition
  
• Curse: The Eye of Isis
  
• Dead Age
  
• Death Squared
  
• Detached: Non-VR Edition
  
• Dicey Dungeon
  
• Dishonored
  
• Doom 64
  
• Doughlings: Arcade
  
• Doughlings: Invasion
  
• Dustforce
  
• Edge
  
• Eternal Threads
  
• Eternal Threads
  
• Farming Simulator 17
  
• Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue
  
• Five Dates
  
• Frick, Inc.
  
• Ghostrunner
  
• Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
  
• Guns & Fishes
  
• Harmony's Odyssey
  
• Hyper Gunsport
  
• Izmir: An Independence Simulator
  
• Kingdom Two Crowns
  
• Lighthouse Keeper
  
• Luck be a Landlord
  
• Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For-
  
• Lust from Beyond: M Edition
  
• Mail Mole
  
• Medal of Honor
  
• MegaRace 1
  
• MegaRace 2
  
• Meow Express
  
• MirrorMoon EP
  
• Nomad Survival
  
• Non-Stop Raiders
  
• Orbital Racer
  
• OUT OF THE BOX
  
• Perfect
  
• Pill Baby
  
• Pixross
  
• Planet TD
  
• Porcunipine
  
• Project Chemistry
  
• Quadrata
  
• Re:Call
  
• Remnants of Naezith
  
• Rescue Party: Live!
  
• Rogue: Genesia
  
• Rym 9000
  
• Safety First!
  
• Songbringer
  
• Soul Axiom Rebooted
  
• Soul Searching
  
• Soulblight
  
• Soulflow
  
• Space Crew: Legendary Edition
  
• Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
  
• Stacking
  
• StarCrossed
  
• Steel Rats
  
• Stick Fight: The Game
  
• stikir
  
• STONE
  
• Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
  
• Survivalist
  
• SWINE HD Remaster
  
• System Shock 2
  
• System Shock: Enhanced Edition
  
• Teacup
  
• The Amazing American Circus
  
• The Enchanted Cave 2
  
• The Forest Cathedral
  
• The Inner World
  
• The Wild Eight
  
• Ticket to Ride
  
• Turok
  
• Treasures of the Aegean
  
• Voyage: Journey to the Moon
  
• Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War
  
• White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
  
• World of Goo
  
• Worms Rumble
  
• Wounded - The Beginning
  

WANTS
Janda's Wishlist https://barter.vg8cec/w/

• Absinthia
  
• Aethermancer
  
• Age of Wonders 4
  
• Alchemia: Creatio Ex Nihilo
  
• Angkara: The Horde
  
• Arcadian Atlas
  
• Archmage Rises
  
• ARIA CHRONICLE Amazon
  
• ARIA CHRONICLE Invoker
  
• ARIA CHRONICLE NECROKNIGHT
  
• Ash of Gods: The Way
  
• ASTLIBRA ～生きた証～ Revision
  
• Astrea
  
• Backpack Hero
  
• Baldur's Gate 3
  
• Before Your Eyes
  
• Beloved Rapture
  
• Braid
  
• BRAVELY DEFAULT II
  
• Brutal Orchestra
  
• Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
  
• Capes
  
• Card Shark
  
• Castle of the Underdogs : Episode 1
  
• Chernobylite Enhanced Edition
  
• Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game
  
• Crimson Tactics: The Rise of The White Banner
  
• Curious Expedition 2
  
• Cygnus
  
• Dark Quest 3
  
• Dead Cells
  
• Demiurges
  
• Demonschool
  
• Depersonalization
  
• Devil's Deck 恶魔秘境
  
• Dice & Dungeons
  
• Dice Hero: The Unoriginal Story
  
• Die in the Dungeon
  
• Diplomacy is Not an Option
  
• Disgaea 6 Complete
  
• Draft of Darkness
  
• Dreadful River
  
• Dream Tactics
  
• Dungeon Alchemist
  
• Dungeon Drafters
  
• Dungeons of Aether
  
• Dungeons of Voidria
  
• Eden's Last Sunrise
  
• Epic Battle Fantasy 5
  
• Farthest Frontier
  
• FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
  
• For The King II
  
• For The Warp
  
• Full Circle
  
• Grand Arms: March of the Red Dragon
  
• Gunfire Reborn - Visitors of Spirit Realm
  
• Hades II
  
• HELLCARD
  
• Hero’s Hour - Rogue Realms
  
• Hex of the Lich
  
• Hexrogue
  
• Himeko Sutori
  
• Hogwarts Legacy
  
• Horizon's Gate
  
• I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
  
• Ignited Steel
  
• Immortal Tactics: War of the Eternals
  
• IMMORTALITY
  
• Infinite Mana
  
• Inkbound
  
• Intergalactic Pawn Shop
  
• Keylocker Turn Based Cyberpunk Action
  
• Kingdoms of the Dump
  
• Knock on the Coffin Lid
  
• Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk
  
• Lakeburg Legacies
  
• LakeSide
  
• Lost In Fantaland
  
• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  
• Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1
  
• Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 2
  
• Mercenaries Rebirth
  
• Miasma Chronicles
  
• Monster Roadtrip Hitchhiker Pack - Oz & Amira
  
• Moonbreaker
  
• Netherguild
  
• News Tower
  
• Night Book
  
• Night Trap - 25th Anniversary Edition
  
• Oaken
  
• OCTOPATH TRAVELER II
  
• Pacific Drive
  
• Phantom Brigade
  
• Quartet
  
• Ravage Road
  
• Ravenswatch
  
• REMORE: INFESTED KINGDOM
  
• Ring of Fire: Search for a Killer
  
• Rising Lords
  
• Rogue Dungeon
  
• Rogue Legacy 2
  
• Roll Player
  
• RPG Time: The Legend of Wright
  
• SacriFire
  
• SaGa Frontier Remastered
  
• Sea of Stars
  
• Shadows of Forbidden Gods
  
• Shadows Over Loathing
  
• Shattered Heaven
  
• Shores Unknown
  
• Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
  
• Showgunners
  
• Sigil of the Magi
  
• Slaves of Magic
  
• Soulstone Survivors
  
• Spelldrifter
  
• Spire of Glory
  
• Spiritlink Tactics
  
• STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE
  
• SteamWorld Build
  
• Stones Keeper
  
• TaleSpire
  
• Ten Dates
  
• Ten Thousand Coins: The Golden Merchant
  
• Terra Nil
  
• TerraScape
  
• The DioField Chronicle
  
• The Dragoness: Command of the Flame
  
• The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk - Back To The Futon
  
• The Last Starship
  
• The Oregon Trail
  
• The Pale Beyond
  
• The Simulacrum
  
• The Thaumaturge
  
• The Wandering Village
  
• Tiny Bookshop
  
• Together in Battle
  
• Tower Tactics: Liberation
  
• Towers Deck
  
• TRIANGLE STRATEGY
  
• Twilight Wars
  
• Tyrant's Blessing
  
• Unholy Heights
  
• Untamed Tactics
  
• Vagrus - The Riven Realms
  
• VALKYRIE ELYSIUM
  
• Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell
  
• Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari
  
• Vanaris Tactics
  
• Vestaria Saga I: War of the Scions
  
• Vestaria Saga II: The Sacred Sword of Silvanister
  
• Void Marauders
  
• Voor de kroon
  
• Wandering Sword
  
• Whisker Squadron
  
• Whisper Mountain Outbreak
  
• Witchbrook
  
• Writer's Block
  
• Yaengard
  
• Zelter
  

A special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for the fantastical universe.
A grand thanks to u/Liberty-Prime76 for assisting me with proofreading!
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Memory transcription subject: Barlim, Gojid Refugee
Date [standardized human time]: October 11th, 2136
The green, forested hills and plains rolled by as the car drove along the smooth black pavement. The rolling landscape extended as far as the eyes could see, broken up only by more roads, trees, hedges, and the occasional human dwelling, but with a different stylistic architecture to them than I was used to. About an hour had passed since the airplane had landed at the airport. We had gotten about four hours of sleep on the airplane and with this self-driving and legally acquired taxi. We were able to sleep a little bit more.
Well, we really didn’t actually get any sleep at all in the taxi. The drive from the airport to Jaxton’s address was less than thirty minutes. Thank the Protector it was so close! I would have begun plucking quills at this point if I had chosen the other airport, which was more than four hours away, minimum!
Still, I felt icky from the long flight, so I had my eyes closed and my muzzle resting on top of my two paws. My right shoulder was pressed against the side of the door, and I was trying to doze off, but unlike the night prior, I was struggling to fall asleep. My heart was racing with excitement!
What am I going to say? What am I going to do? How is Jaxton going to react? What’s his family like?
I wasn’t able to ask any more pertinent questions, let alone answer them before the car came to an abrupt halt! The car coming to a screeching halt as Telg slammed on the brakes and pointed off to the side with an exclamation. “The SPRAK is that!?”
My attention is easily grabbed by the stopping of the car and my gaze quickly shifts over to Telg. The older man by this point has all of us fully awake, expecting something to happen, but nothing does. All Telg continues to do is point with one of his claws out to the right. Naturally, everyone’s attention shifts to follow his direction.
What? What are those?
It took some thinking to understand what I was seeing; fluffy white clouds, quadrupedal, and bleating! Upon seeing that, my memory was quickly collected “Those are sheep!”
Not all the sheep were white, nor were they all fluffy. Some of their undercoats were showing, hinting at the fact that the humans really did harvest their wool. None of them appeared injured as they meandered their way toward the parked car: Inquisitive about the world around them, but locked behind the fence between the road and their grazing lands.
I felt bad for them, to be trapped behind wooden poles and rolling metal wires, but after a second of thought, and remembering that Earth was a Ki-yu-born hellscape. Another predator, assuming the humans applied their empathy without restraint to their environment, aka, not kill the predators, would gladly come along and try to consume the humans’ clothes producers.
“That’s not what I am pointing at. Look a little bit farther out, pass the sheep!”
It took a second for me to see, for the thing Telg was pointing at wasn’t much taller than the sheep’s height, but upon seeing it. I could feel my paws grow numb.
That’s… That’s a venlil out there!?
There was a rather large venlil sitting out in the field, idly plucking grass, and taking the small strands into her mouth. It wasn’t like she was grazing, but she was just nibbling at it. She didn’t look starved in the slightest. Honestly, she looked pretty well off, muscular enough to probably break a human between her thighs, and she was easily eight-point-five quills tall [5’8”]. Meanwhile, her heavily dark wool coat was heavily shorn. I could actually see the darker flesh underneath with a few small patches of void-black wool. She must’ve been sheared within the last month!
Emotionally though? She looked kinda dead inside. Her other paw had briefly raised up to rub at her eyes, wiping away unseen tears from this distance.
It was a bit of a shock to see! The humans had venlil cattle!? That was the first thought that raced through my mind. It was nice to see that they didn’t eat her, merely stole her wool, which that in of itself still wasn’t great, but the more I looked. The more something just felt… off?
Pragh was the first to gain her bearings. “We can’t just leave the poor girl out there! I-” She sounded like she wanted to say something along the lines of never expecting humanity to do such a thing, but honestly, with left being right and up being down here, anything could be possible!
Regardless, she chose not to speak and opened up her car door, running to the fence line! “Hey there!”
Instead of reacting to Pragh’s words, the venlil reached down and slowly plucked another blade of grass, taking it up to her lips before nibbling down on it. She only did this for a few seconds before a crimson red eye peered up, spotting the waving gojid. Finally, an apathetic and lethargic wave came back from the venlil, paw outstretched.
Pragh tried to jump the fence line but decided against it based on the risk that she may accidentally land on the curious sheep. The baaahing and bleating came in an orchestra as more and more of the quadrupedal imposter venlil came over, by the dozens!
It took nearly a minute of waiting before the venlil got up, and seeing that we weren’t planning on leaving, meandered her way toward us. The sheep parted for her with some resistance, leading to the large venlil having to push a few sheep out of the way. When she finally came closer, I could tell that the poor woman had been crying; eyes puffy and orange, cheeks damp with tears, and a generally sullen attitude and posture. She wasn’t looking great.
Pragh looked left and then right and then gestured for the venlil to come climb over the fence. “Come here. I don’t know what’s going on here, but you shouldn’t be in there with the sheep. We can get you out of there.”
Instead of taking the offered paw, the venlil gently pressed down on it with her own, flicking her ears in sign of disagreement. “I… I must.” Her voice hitched when she tried to speak. She took a few deep breaths before looking right back down. Instead of finishing her statement, she got nuzzled by one of the white-wooled sheep and then proceeded to wrap her paws around it, nuzzling her snout against the imposter venlil. She looked down at it and began rubbing the top of its head.
By this point, Telg, Tack, and I all got out of the car, but only once Telg had it pull off the road. With the sheep semi-distracted by Pragh, the three of us just leaped to the other side of the fence. Immediately, some sheep came over to investigate these newfound intruders, some stayed back, watching with suspicious eyes, and a few fled like actual prey. The brief amount of confusion gives Telg a chance to move closer to the upset venlil.
“Hey, no need to be upset. We can get you out of here. And quit eating grass! You’re not some animal.” It wasn’t that hard for Telg to get closer considering the sheep parted with less resistance compared to the venlil, allowing him to move closer.
“I’m not sure what to think,” Tack finally chimed in quietly, taking a small glance at me. “Venlil cattle?” He rubbed his paw to his muzzle, questioning the situation within his mind. “I mean, a part of me wants to say that the humans had to be good to be true, but there have been so many things that I have gotten wrong that this could be a simple miscommunication.”
“Maybe she lost some sort of bet?” I joke, trying to keep up some level of optimism. “Or maybe, she did something bad, and the humans thought about punishing her by taking her wool?”
“Could there be other venlil being treated like this?”
“Maybe, but this could be just her moping amongst sheep, and the humans just allowed her to be here,” I added with a shrug.
In the brief amount of time that I was distracted, Telg had made his way closer to the stressing venlil. He was close enough to put a paw on the woman, attempting to comfort her. She moved like lightning at the touch. The once-moping venlil grabbed Telg’s wrist, spun her shoulder into his chest, and then proceeded to chuck the gojid male a few quills off to the side! She almost rushed over to deliver a kick to the side of his chest but stopped right before doing so.
Well, that wasn’t expected!
Both Tack and I were tempted to rush over to the flung gojid, but a quick, “I’m ok!” was shouted from Telg. The male gojid easily stepping back up onto his paws rubbing his back and hindquarters from where he hit the ground. “Quite the nasty throw you got there,” he remarked to the void-colored venlil.
“S-sorry,” the venlil’s bleat was barely audible, coming out with a squeak unbefitting for a venlil of such impeccable stature. The woman crouched down low as if trying in vain to hide behind one of the fake venlil, keeping her head above it to keep her eyes watchful, waiting to see if we might retaliate, or if she was simply too shy or embarrassed to speak. “Sorry,” she said again. “I just… I just don’t- I can’t-. My- My mate he…” Again, the venlil was unable to finish her sentence before she started to bawl. She falls to her knees and buries her face into the sheep’s wool, unable to keep herself from crying any longer. “I-it’s all my fault! I- I wa-wasn’t paying attention! I was angry and up-set! And- and- and!” Her paws latched onto the sheep tighter, which just allowed itself to be used as the sad venlil’s sobbing pillow.
The four of us were able to encroach closer onto the venlil, taking cautious steps from all around; Pragh finally climbed over the fence, Tack and I simply moved closer, and Telg took a few ginger steps before delicately placing a paw on the woman’s shoulder. This time, she didn’t have a violent reaction, merely gripping tighter onto the fluffy white quadruped in front of her.
“There there, everything will be alright. Can you tell us what has happened? Maybe we can help?” Telg coos softly into the sad venlil’s ears, gently stroking her back with a single paw. She shook her ears in disagreement and said nothing.
I’m briefly distracted from the venlil by the sound of growling behind me. Swiftly, both Tack and I snap our heads around, spotting a maw of sharp, vicious teeth, and heterochromatic blue-green forward-facing eyes! A dog! It skulks forward, rumbling deeply, and approaching steadily. It must have arrived over the hill following the inquisitive sheep and found us!
“P-Pragh. Telg! We got a dog!” I manage to force out a whine, taking one step back.
I could see that Telg was a little bit too busy to help out with the dog. He was too busy trying to calm down the venlil, who probably knew how to deal with the non-sapient predator. Pragh was just a bit farther past them, and I doubted she knew what to do in the given situation. That just left Tack and I. The younger male took a paw step forward, trying to place himself between the canine and I.
The dog lowered itself, not that it helped blend its black and white fur into the bright green grass, but it still kept up the gazing, adding to the nerves I felt getting fried. Then it barked and charged, leaping and bounding across the grass.
I didn’t have the nerve to fight. I had never fought before, so I turned tail and ran into the ball of sheep. Tack, unsure of how to fight the quadruped, decided against harming the canine and chose to join me within the slowly moving crowd of herbivores. Luckily for us, only the sheep around the edge of the herd moved away from the predator, leaving a healthy chunk of other sheep between us and that… that beast! It continued to sit there, watching, panting, and waiting for one to make a move.
Slowly, it skulked forward once again, taking step after careful step forward on silent paws. It’s menacing gaze swapping between the nearest sheep and us. This action was making more sheep move away from it. Our herd of protection slowly traveling along the fence line. It was just one predator, but if the sheep wisely feared it. Well, who were we to argue?
The one problem was the big, void-colored venlil, that Telg and Tack had to partially pick up. Her entire body had gone slack, choosing not to resist the two males picking her up. They had to be really careful not to cut her with their claws and quills, but they managed to get it to work.
We followed along with the newfound herd until it came to a stop, stopping only because our chasing predator stopped, sitting down content again to let the herbivores graze. We probably sat there for twenty minutes, having been herded a hundred feet away from the parked self-driving taxi, which was just longingly out of reach. Tack tried to sneak out through the northern end of the ball, but as fast as that idea had come. The predator was faster, encircling the length of hundreds of sheep only to sit down on the other side, drilling in its deep blue-green gaze.
Even with Telg working to distract the dog by traveling to the south end. The dog would zip around the sheep with blinding speed, coming to a sharp stop just before either of the two males. Tack even got nipped, letting out a pained yelp as it caught his ankle!
“Lacey! Lacey, come here girl! What did you see?” A lone human had crested the ridge line. Her hair was a bright shade of orange and a bit disheveled. She had two eyes that were cut through us like grass: A deep, piercing green that one would see from an untamed forest! Her skin was a dainty pale hue, and she was remarkably short compared to most of the humans that I have seen. She looked slightly out of breath judging from the fact that her face was flushed with exertion, and she walked with a little bit of a limp. Her walking came to a halt once her binocular vision focused on the four gojid surrounded by sheep!
Her waving hand slowly lowered itself down and her once brimming smile gave way to a look of confusion. I knew it wasn’t anger because her face didn’t scrunch up, nor was it joy because her lips weren’t curled up, so the emotion had to be confusion! There were also other emotions that could have been, but if I were in her situation. I probably would have been very confused to see some aliens I wasn’t expecting
Though, it wasn’t just a human, but right behind her followed a venlil with blonde wool and equally green eyes! Like this black venlil, he was as shaved as a venlil could possibly be, but upon noticing us, his reaction was to immediately bloom! He said something to the human that we couldn’t quite hear, but if I had to guess he looked like he wished to turn back around. His lack of wool meant that his… Telg was right about carrots.
The human slowly made her way to us with a light jog, leaving the venlil behind, and whistling sharply in a way that made the dog spin around and come after her. She knelt down and the dog barreled into her almost at full speed, causing the human to fall over. We then watched in stunned silence as the dog licked the human’s face repeatedly, dragging a long, broad, and slobbery tongue across the woman’s face. “Down Lacey! Bad girl! Haha! Stop! Ah, I got important- stuff to tend to!” The human’s tone was not indicative of anger, and she had to put some effort into stopping the dog in its frantic barrage of licks.
Now with the distraction merely yipping and barking at the human’s ankles. She cleared the rest of the distance back to us with relative ease. “Hello there,” she said with such blatant simplicity that it felt almost comical. “What are you all doing out here?”
Pragh was the first out of our group to respond, pushing forward until she reached the edge of the crowd of sheep. “We are rescuing that poor venlil from your cattle farm! You might-”
Pragh was swiftly cut off from speaking as the human frantically waved a hand. “I did not take her against her will. She’s out here because she’s upset. Something that’s partially my fault-”
Whatever the human was about to say, she was unable to finish her statement before Pragh jumped right back on her with a verbal assault. “Then where’s her wool? What about that other venlil I just saw? Who’s this venlil? What about that one? Was that her mate? Who are you?”
All the while, the human was folding her hands up in a gesture I knew to be surrender amongst humans. Eventually, Pragh paused, taking a breath and giving the human enough time to lay her case out in front of us. “Let me answer your questions in order. Ok? I took her wool as a sign of an apology. That other venlil was Trivi… He’s my mate.”
There was a pause, but no shocked gasps from us, or anything said from the human. It was as if she was expecting at least some degree of pushback, but got none.
“Your mate?” Pragh finally got out with a look of bewilderment. “But then why was he shaved?”
Yeah, why was he shaved if he owed no apology?
“Well, that’s simple. I asked if he wanted to join in on the fun as I was calling it. He shrugged and said to throw him in. His coat needs to grow a bit more if you couldn’t tell.” It was hard to tell if the human was flustered or still out of breath, for both had similar symptoms. “Anyways, that’s Tova over there. There was an issue between her and her mate recently, so she’s been hanging out with the sheep as of late. She wanted some time to herself.” The human then gestured to her canine pack member. “And this here is Lacey, she’s not my dog.” The woman reached down and petted the dog on the head. “She belongs to the Wellingtons.”
Wellington? Jaxton’s last name was Wellington! We must be almost there.
“Wait, so Jaxton lives here?”
The human is briefly caught off by my question. Her green irises light up brightly, opening up widely for a split moment. “Yeah, why do you ask?” There was a brief pause. “Wait, don’t tell me you four came all the way over from Dawsonville!?” She held up a hand before any of us could answer her question. “No, I know you did. I don’t know how you all got here so quickly. He just came back the other day.” She just shook her head in disappointment. “At least no one got hurt, it seems. Still, that was ridiculously stupid, why would you even think to do that?”
Another awkward silence fills the air for the briefest of moments before the black venlil works her way up to her paws. She maneuvers herself over to the short human, and just… drops herself onto the small human. Arms outstretched, landing on the human’s shoulders, and then just, laying atop the human in what felt like dramatic moping. Though, judging from the venlil’s expression, it was anything but moping.
“There there, Tova. Deep breaths. Everything is going to be alright.” The human brushed the venlil between her ears, giving a few small strokes. For a moment, it was as if the human forgot we were there, focusing on the void-colored venlil. It took a while, but her attention soon returned to us. “Oh, and where are my manners? My name is Arwen, Arwen Conway. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and this big venlil is Tova, and… Oh, there you are!” Not far up the hill was that blonde venlil, hiding awkwardly behind a pair of sheep. He waved at us from afar.
“Hello,” he shouted. “Names Trivi!” He moved his way closer using the sheep to hide his embarrassment.
“Oh, so you two are mates? Judging by Arwen’s appearance and your equipme-” Telg was not able to finish his sentence, falling silent as Tack decided to place his paw on Telg’s muzzle once again. Though, judging by the sudden bloom that swept across the two individuals’ faces… It was safe to say Telg threaded right through the bramble bush.
Even my ears went a little bit blue. I could still recall what Pragh and I saw the other day.
“Of course, humans and venlil would be perfect for each other! ” I could hear Telg saying within my mind.
“I uh, that’s mate business.” Trivi stammered, quietly lowering himself down behind one of the sheep. “And don’t pester humans on their mate stuff. It’s not really something they enjoy talking about. Unless it is with family, friends, or their partners, but mostly their partners.”
Arwen, equally red to Trivi’s orange, nodded with agreement. “Yeah, let’s change the subject. I’d rather not faint with a venlil about to crush me. Tova? Tova? Can one of you help me? She’s really heavy*!* Ah!” As soon as Arwen managed to say that, her limbs finally gave way, resulting in her getting crushed under the big venlil! Though, judging by the fact that the venlil was firmly latched onto the human. I had a sneaking suspicion that’d we’d probably spend the latter part of an hour trying to separate the two, then look for Jaxton.
After a small amount of encouragement from Trivi, the four of us moved closer to Arwen, ignoring the dog’s barks and yaps.
I could feel anxiety brewing down within me as I thought over a question I was having. “Can you point me toward Jaxton’s home? I assume it isn’t that far if you’re out here, right?” I was awkwardly rubbing two of my opposing claws together, waiting for Arwen to answer. Tack and Telg were once again trying to pick up the big, moping venlil.
“Can’t wait, huh? You must be the ring leader then?” Arwen’s little guess wasn’t right or wrong, so I merely shrugged in response. “Just over the hill and less than a mile if you keep walking. I assume- Hey! You can still get lost if you’re not careful!”
Maybe it wasn’t the wisest move to begin running up the short hill, but being so close to my goal. I felt my limbs have a second wind and an urge to keep moving, to keep pushing. I just didn’t want to stop, not a mere mile from Jaxton!
Almost there! Not much farther!
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It's Tuesday and King Seiko is back for good. It's just not the King Seiko everybody really wanted.

What's new

1/
Seiko Expands King Seiko Collection With Two Non Limited Watches Inspired By The Legendary KSK
The rivalry between King Seiko and Grand Seiko has been strong for years. And for years they battled it out, but Grand won and the King was kind of forgotten. Until fans started asking for it to come back, and Seiko decided to oblige their wishes in 2020 when they started releasing limited numbers of King Seiko recreations. Theses seemed to have been hits for the company, as Seiko now expands the KSK-inspired collection with two slimmer, high-end and non-limited models, the SJE089 and SJE091.
In the 60s, King Seiko watches were deeply respected and they entered numerous chronometry tests, with good results. The most notable of all watches produced by KS was the reference 44-9990, with its hand-wound calibre 44A. Also known as the KSK (KS meaning King Seiko and the K at the end being the acronym for Kisei-Tsuki, stop-seconds in Japanese), it will serve as an inspiration for the comeback of the name.
After a number of limited models, Seiko is now ready to introduce two non-limited models, even though you’ll need a trained eye and a close encounter to differentiate them from a more accessible version from the SPBxxx range. Visually, they are indeed closer to the SPBxxx models and don’t try too hard to recreate the original KSK models, and at the same time, they share their specifications, movement and refinement with the two limited editions previously released.
For the two new models, Seiko has reworked the case to look more like the original 1965 watch and have increased the size a bit from the limited editions - up to 38.6mm from 38.1mm, while slimming it down from 11.4mm to 10.7mm. The finishing on the case is a combination of mirror polished surfaces and hairlines on top areas. The back, screwed and in solid steel, is decorated with the King Seiko emblem, but gone is the nice golden medallion of the two limited editions. Water-resistance is still rated at 50m. You can get the watches with a seven link steel bracelet.
The watch comes with two dial options, a silver and a black. The hands and markers have strong polished bevels on the sides and the dials have been reworked with a more understated and delicate sunray finishing technique that’s closer to the original watch. A small difference can be seen between the two dials; the silver edition has entirely polished hands and markers, while the black edition features a fine hairline finish on top of the hands and markers to heighten the level of contrast with the dial’s dark surface.
Inside is the calibre 6L35, a slimline in-house movement often reserved for the brand’s Presage limited edition. This calibre 6L35 was presented in 2018 as a thinner alternative (3.7mm in height), but also a movement with finer regulation than the other calibre of the brand. Beating at 4Hz with 45 hours of power reserve, it is given for -10/+15 seconds/day.
Launched as part of the permanent collection, the King Seiko SJE089 will be available in July 2023. They will be priced at EUR 3,400.
And these last two sentences are the main issue with the King Seiko. Historically, King Seiko stood for absolute accuracy. To put a -10/+15 seconds/day movement inside, at a price that almost reaches Tudor or a very slightly used (or maybe an even brand new) Grand Seiko, is not a good look and is, honestly, quite disappointing. Especially with their effort to position it as a more high end offering. The calibre 6L35 is not bad. It could just be a bit fine tuned and they would have a great watch.
2/
Bremont’s New Limited Edition Watch Pays Homage To The Most Insane Race To Ever Exist
Before you continue reading this, go to YouTube and type in the Isle of Man TT. Say that you don’t feel going over to YT, just imagine this - you’re strapped to a motorcycle, practically lying down on the road, speeding through a village on the Isle of Man with your helmet inches from a cottage stone wall. That’s the Isle of Man TT, the fastest and most impressive race in the world. There practically hasn’t been a race in which someone doesn’t die - more than 250 riders have died since 1911, six just last year.
The Official Timing Partner of this insane even is Bremont, who just introduced a new watch dedicated to the race. And it’s not just a new colorway on an already existing watch, Bremont actually created a dedicated watch, which makes sense since they are one of the few large mainstream watchmakers from the UK, making it a logical partner for the Isle of Man. This bond is further enhanced with Bremont’s partnership with Peter Hickman, the fastest man ever to have completed the course at an average speed of 135mph (in 2018). The watch is the Isle of Man TT Limited Edition, a racing-oriented chronograph.
The watch uses Bremont’s layered Trip-Tick construction with its modular architecture. The top of the watch consists of a steel module that integrates the lugs. It frames a central container in stripped steel coated with black PVD. The back is closed by a solid steel element, secured to the case by five screws and decorated with the Isle of Man TT circuit. It’s a powerful and sizeable watch, measuring 43mm in diameter, over 15mm in height and 49mm in length.
Upon deeper consideration of the dial you will see it has all the features of a classic dial. But on first glance, it looks radical as it’s made to look like a speedometer on a bike. The hands rotate at 360°, but the main hour track mimics a gauge, with a sector that runs from 08 to 04, and frames two black-rimmed sub-counters, just like the subsidiary gauges on a sports bike. All elements are gloss-black printed over a matte white base, giving a fresh look to this watch. Red accents on the central hand and chronograph hands bring the desired racing vibe, and the date at 6 o’clock doesn’t even feel out of place in this speedy context.
Powering the watch is an automatic, chronometer-certified movement – calibre BE-50AV, based on the ETA 7750 architecture. It has a comfortable 56h power reserve. The watch is worn on a textured rubber strap, closed by a pin buckle.
Limited to 67 pieces and now available, the Bremont Isle of Man TT is priced at EUR 5,975.
3/
The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph Is A Love Leter To 1960s French Sports Cars With A New Old Stock Movement From The Same Era
Alpine, if you are perhaps unfamiliar, is a cult French carmaker most famous for its tiny sports cars from the 50s, 60s and 70s. More recently, under Renault ownership, they have started making sports cars again and while they are supposedly fantastic cars, the old Alpinas, especially the A110, have a cult following. In order to document this cult following, Jürgen Clauss has formed alpineLAB and has since become one of the foremost experts on this particular French sports car brands. You know who else is into french sports cars? Depancel, who have a range of sports cars themed watches. Depancel teamed up with Clauss to create the Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph. What would otherwise be a boring collaboration for a number of highly specialized collectors actually turned into a very interesting watch.
The Alpine A110 from the 60s is most famous for a very bright blue color and it’s that same blue that dominates on this limited edition watch, with a blazing blue sunburst dial, with black chronograph subdials and baby blue accents on the bezel and seconds hand. The bezel insert is quite intriguing, with the first quarter reserved for a pulsometer and the rest a traditional tachymetre. That makes sense for a racing watch for vintage cars, as when timing speed you won’t be likely to exceed 240 km/h too often.
The 43mm diameter may be a big too big for some, but this is a traditional racing chronograph so you can expect it to wear comfortably with the curved lugs. You have two strap options in either a diamond-stamped leather strap with a small French flag stitch, or the full-steel bracelet which will come with the leather as well.
All of this would be normal in any other tribute racing chronograph. Where, however, the Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph differs substantially is on the inside. Depancel have sourced 150 new-old-stock Valjoux 7753 movements of a similar era to the original Alpine A110s, and refurbished them for use as bicompax chronograph calibres. These cam-actuated automatic chronographs were incredibly popular in their era, and many Swiss chronographs still use the same architecture or bases for their movements today. They have a power reserve of 48 hours and beat at 4Hz, plus you can gaze at it through the sapphire caseback with Depancel’s customised rotor.
That’s very cool. The Depancel Jürgen Clauss Chronograph is limited to 150 pieces and can be had for €1,795 on leather or €1,895 for the steel.
4/
Vulcain Teams Up With CronotempVs Private Club To Celebrate Grandson Of Company Founder Who Played For Real Madrid FC
Vulcain is on a roll. Hardly a week passes without them releasing a new watch, a new limited edition or a new collaboration. This seems to be all three, as Vulcain has teamed up with Spain-based private watch collecting club to create the Cricket André “DIDIXEIN” Ditisheim, a limited edition of 47 pieces of a different Cricket to honor André Didisheim, descendant of the founder of Vulcain and Real Madrid football player.
André Didisheim, grandson of Maurice Ditisheim, was as an excellent sportsman and footballer. In 1907, he went to Madrid to learn Spanish because at the time South America was one of the most important markets for Swiss watch manufacture. Didisheim displayed his talent as an attacking midfielder and signed with Madrid FC (now known as Real Madrid FC). While there, his name Didisheim was changed to “Didixein”.
Paying tribute to André Didisheim, the Vulcain x CronotempVs Collectors limited edition Cricket watch has a 39mm diameter case with engraved steel polished case-back. The crown placed at 3:00 can be used to manually wind the watch movement in one direction to set the alarm and in the opposite direction to set the time. The pusher placed at 2:00 sets the alarm with the arrow-shaped hand. Inside is the hand-wound double-barrel Vulcain V-10, an evolution of the original Cricket caliber from 1947, keeps the watch running and the alarm ringing
The vintage themed dial with the touches of gray colour, the dial features Arabic numerals coated with Superluminova. This timepiece is limited to 47 units.
The price of this latest Cricket is €4,300 excluding VAT.
5/
Stepan Sarpaneva Takes Huge Inspirations From The Moon For His New Beautiful Watch
Independent Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva is obsessed with the Moon. You will see this on all of the watches he has made which have the moon face on it. They are, of course, so much more than just watches with a moon face, but rather small works of watchmaking art. His latest Lunations watch interprets the darker side of the Moon with its black ruthenium-coated plates and bridges.
The Sarpaneva Lunations, recently revisited in the more colourful Harvest Moon edition, now returns with a darker personality. The distinctive shape of Sarpaneva’s case, with its scalloped 6-sided bezel, short lugs and crown at 4 o’clock, is crafted from high-grade Outokumpu supra 316L/4435 steel and has a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 9.8mm. User-friendliness has also been factored into the equation, and the two-part crown, decorated with Sarpaneva’s moon face and 12 short protruding rays, is used to set and wind the time and adjust the moon’s phases.
An openworked matte black ruthenium-coated plate reveals parts of the inverted movement, including the exposed balance wheel, and features Sarpaneva’s signature moon face at 6 o’clock. The large moon face in relief is laser engraved, filled with a cross-section of optical fibre and finished by hand. The two moons on the reverse side of the case are illuminated with RC Tritec Lumicast to appear white in daylight and emit a blue, orange or purple glow in the dark. As they enact the lunar cycles, the luminous moons cast an eerie glow on the dial’s moon’s face to indicate the precise phase of the Moon.
In a departure from other Sarpaneva Lunations models, the applied and skeletonised chapter ring bearing the indices has been removed, allowing an even better view of the movement. The hour and minute hands can be ordered in pitch black, red gold, flame blue or rhodium coated.
A limited edition of 10 pieces, the Sarpaneva Lunations Black Ruthenium retails for EUR 39,500, excluding taxes. Delivery time is estimated between 4 – 12 months.
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
Hands-on with the seriously extreme Bohen StarDiver
2/
A review of the very Italian Venezianico Bucintoro Chronograph
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

Second Hour’s Mandala Burst offers a fresh take on the everyday watch
Heralding from Australia, Second Hour has been making a little space for itself on the independent watch market by offering fresh takes on the traditional genre of watches. From divers to field watches and of course, everyday timepieces. The brand’s latest release comprises two new colours and an updated design of their core collection called the Mandala. The name comes from the Buddhist and Hindu circular shape used in the practice of meditation, among other things. On the watch, the term refers to the guilloché dial and its dégradé finish that have made this collection stand out.
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The giveaway of three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green will be ending tomorrow, so head on over to the newsletter before Wednesday, midnight CET if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.

​
Introduction: In the vibrant city of Perth, Western Australia, discerning individuals seek nothing short of the finest experiences in all aspects of their lives. From exclusive events to business meetings, transportation plays a crucial role in enhancing convenience and reflecting one's personal style. Enter the world of luxury driver services in Perth, where opulence meets unparalleled professionalism, providing an exceptional travel experience like no other. In this article, we delve into the realm of luxury driver services, exploring their benefits, offerings, and why they have become the epitome of comfort and style in Perth.

1. Uncompromised Elegance and Style: The hallmark of luxury driver services in Perth lies in their unwavering commitment to elegance and style. From the moment you step into their meticulously maintained fleet of vehicles, you are enveloped in an atmosphere of refined sophistication. Whether it's a sleek limousine, a prestigious sedan, or a spacious SUV, every vehicle exudes a sense of class and luxury, ensuring you make a grand entrance to any occasion.
2. Professionalism at Its Finest: When engaging a luxury driver service in Perth, you are entrusting your transportation needs to a team of consummate professionals. The chauffeurs are not merely drivers but seasoned experts in their craft, possessing in-depth knowledge of the city's roads, traffic patterns, and the most efficient routes. Their courteous demeanor, punctuality, and attention to detail create an atmosphere of utmost professionalism, allowing you to relax and focus on what truly matters.
3. Tailored Services for Every Occasion: Whether you require transportation for corporate events, airport transfers, weddings, or any special occasion, luxury driver services in Perth offer tailored solutions to meet your unique needs. They understand that each event demands a different approach, and they go the extra mile to ensure your journey is tailored to your preferences. From providing chilled beverages and Wi-Fi connectivity to arranging for a red carpet welcome, these services cater to every detail, surpassing expectations and turning ordinary moments into extraordinary memories.
4. Stress-Free Travel Experience: One of the most significant advantages of luxury driver services is the elimination of travel-related stress. Instead of navigating unfamiliar roads or worrying about parking, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a seamless journey. These services meticulously plan your itinerary, accommodating any last-minute changes and ensuring you reach your destination promptly. By entrusting your transportation to experienced professionals, you can focus on your priorities and make the most of your time in Perth.
5. Safety and Security: Luxury driver services prioritize your safety and security above all else. The vehicles undergo regular maintenance, adhering to stringent safety standards, and are equipped with advanced features to ensure a secure ride. Chauffeurs undergo rigorous training and background checks, offering peace of mind while traveling. Whether you're an esteemed guest visiting Perth or a local resident, these services guarantee a secure and comfortable travel experience.

Conclusion: Luxury driver services in Perth redefine the concept of transportation, providing an unparalleled blend of elegance, professionalism, and convenience. By engaging these services, you not only elevate your travel experience but also add a touch of sophistication to any occasion. Whether it's a business meeting, a special event, or a leisurely exploration of the city, luxury driver services in Perth are the epitome of comfort and style, allowing you to travel in the lap of luxury while creating lasting memories.
View Poll

Something about other dogs and small children just set her off. It's not the end of the world, it's something we can work on (and are doing so), but man, does it suck. She tunnel visions onto them and just barks like an absolute madman.
I'm not sure the best way to socialize her to children knowing that she scares the hell out of all of them (I don't wanna put a kid through that).
And while she's making small strides with other dogs (It's only been a few days, I'm not expecting grand strides or perfection) I still feel like we've got a long road ahead of us on this one.
We go to the vet today and I have no idea how I'm going to manage to keep her from absolutely losing her mind while we're there. Wish me luck T_T

Game Information

Game Title: Street Fighter 6
Platforms:

• PC (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 4 (Jun 2, 2023)
  

Trailers:
Street Fighter 6 - Launch Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Your Story Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Pre-Order Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Announce Trailer
Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Publisher: CAPCOM CO. LTD
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 92 average - 99% recommended - 86 reviews
Critic Reviews
Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 provides the fast and furious action you'd expect from the refined fighting series, offering a dynamic cast of characters, new control modes to make it more accessible, and a variety of features to keep you busy. Its story mode is a campy take on the Street Fighter universe that doesn't always land the winning blow, however; while it's filled with distractions and civilian fighters to take on, it can be a little repetitive and shallow. Still, the technical foundations that Street Fighter stands on are as solid as ever, and with a whole world to battle online, there's a lot of fighting on the menu in what is once again a polished, exciting fighting experience that will keep fans engaged for years.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

Without a doubt, Street Fighter 6 is the best and most accessible entry in the long-running series. Anyone can jump in, and there is a lot of content to keep you busy and practicing on the road to World Champion.

Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 10 / 10

A sublime fighting game masterpiece from a company at the peak of their powers, Street Fighter 6 is utterly incredible.

Destructoid - Chris Moyse - 9.5 / 10

Simply put, Street Fighter 6 is one of the very best entries in series history.

Eurogamer - Wesley Yin-Poole - Recommended

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its predecessor while dragging the famous fighting game franchise kicking and screaming into the modern era.

Fextralife - Castielle - 8.4 / 10

Capcom delivers and checks the majority of the boxes when it comes to the classic and new features of Street Fighter 6. It heads down a different direction making it more casual while maintaining the core values of the game, allowing it to be a mainstream fighting game for all players. However, with its awkward performance on the PlayStation 4. The concern is, will World Tour have more content and will the performance issues be fixed. We hope these will be addressed. In the meantime, it is recommended to play Street Fighter 6 on current-gen consoles and PC to fully appreciate and enjoy this game.

GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is an exceedingly good fighting game. But more than that, it’s an excellent training tool. It’s a fulfilling adventure. It’s a lively community gathering place. It’s an endearingly idealistic and inspiring world of appreciation for martial arts and friendly competition, exceptionally executed in every respect.

GameGrin - Mike Crewe - 9.5 / 10

The most complete Street Fighter title to date, Street Fighter 6 is a must-play for fighting game fans, and one to consider even if you're not familiar with the genre. An engaging, stylish beat 'em up that could well be king of the mountain for years to come.

Game Informer - Elijah Gonzalez - 9.5 / 10

Between its cohesive aesthetic, the bounty of clever features, and crisp central gameplay, it’s one of the most impressive entries the genre has seen in some time.

GamesRadar+ - Andi Hamilton - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 offers the most flexible, versatile, and expressive combat seen in the series to date. With its fantastic suite of game modes and diverse character roster, Street Fighter 6 has something to offer every type of fighting game fan.

GameSpot - Jason Fanelli - 9 / 10

Capcom's flagship fighter is back in form with intricate but approachable fighting mechanics and a feature-rich package.

Gaming Nexus - Joseph Moorer - 10 / 10

Capcom has given us a complete game right out of the box. The single player experiences are enormous. The online experience is perfect. Street Fighter lore is littered in every nook and cranny of this game. There are modes and modes within modes. This is one of the best Street Fighter games in the history of the franchise. If Capcom hurt you in the past, this is their apology. Street Fighter 6 is a new classic that people will be playing for years to come.

GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak and Abdul Saad - 95 / 100

Street Fighter 6 takes the series to the next stage with a wildly fun fighting system that emphasizes personal choice. Each mainline Street Fighter tends to define its era of fighting games in some way, and Street Fighter 6 confidently steps forward to that next era. From its battle system to its bevvy of modes such as World Tour, it dives deep into everything that makes fighting games great.

GGRecon - Jack Roberts - 4.5 / 5

With a slew of fighting games on the horizon like Tekken 8 and the recently announced Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 is leading the charge in the most vibrant way possible. With a series of character guides, story campaigns for classic characters and a fantastic open world for you to take the fight to the streets, it feels like everything I could have asked for from a modern Street Fighter entry.
Despite being the sixth game in the mainline series, Street Fighter 6 is easily one of the most accessible and makes for a fantastic entry point for newer players, while still resonating with series veterans.

Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 9.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 could be the best fighting game I have played in a very long time. I am no master at these games and I don’t run out to buy them at launch. However, the game is very fun to play and its real draw for me was its accessibility. I felt good at it even though I really wasn’t. Of course, this is also completely optional too so if you’re a veteran, you’ll enjoy this just as much as noob.

God is a Geek - Sean Smith - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is without question the best fighting game package I have ever played, and will keep you going far longer than a one-on-one fighter has any right to be able to. A true classic.

IGN - Mitchell Saltzman - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is the most feature-rich a Street Fighter has ever been at launch, but even beyond that, it's roster of 18 characters is excellent, the new mechanics revitalize the one-on-one fighting formula, and it absolutely nails all of the little things that make for a stellar fighting game.

Inverse - De'Angelo Epps - 10 / 10

Capcom’s latest takes everything you’d expect from the father of the fighting genre and turns it up to 10. There’s something for everyone here, with no fat or filler to ruin the experience. Street Fighter 6 is the best fighting game experience in a long time, and in the years to come, its impact and legacy could be every bit as massive as Street Fighter 2.

Kotaku - Kenneth Shepard - Unscored

It’s a sublime fighter that makes smart changes that honor what makes the series great.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 9 / 10

A far better launch experience than its predecessor, with an excellent fighting system and a wide range of options and features that transcend the usual genre traditions.

MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 4.5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is a grand fighting game experience that just keeps building on the series’ strong foundation. Though the World Tour mode and new characters aren’t as stand-out as they could be, the core gameplay is excellent and there’s plenty to enjoy.

Nexus Hub - Keegan Govender - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is not just a comeback for Capcom, but for fighting games entering next-generation consoles as a whole. It feels like a passion project made by a group of people who were tasked by Capcom to make the last Street Fighter we would ever want to play. With its fast-paced gameplay, beautifully implemented new mechanics, and timeless visuals, Street Fighter 6 has solidified itself among the fighting game hall of fame.

Niche Gamer - NECRO XIII - 9 / 10

Ultimately, Street Fighter 6 delivers the fun and proves to be one of the most engaging fighting games of the year and of most recent memory.

PCGamesN - Christian Vaz - 9 / 10

This is the first Street Fighter game in a long time where it feels like players of all skill levels are welcome. While World Tour mode is disappointing, the sheer scope of SF6 means you don't need to wait for the inevitable Ultra Edition before jumping in.

PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 89 / 100

Minor technical issues and questionable monetisation scuff what is otherwise one of the best fighting games we've seen in the last decade.

Polygon - Axel Bosso - Unscored

Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game toolbox

Press Start - James Mitchell - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won't be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.

PowerUp! - Charbel Asmar - 9 / 10

At launch, Street Fighter 6 is set to take the fighting game genre to another level

Prima Games - Matt Vatankhah - 9.5 / 10

In a sense, Street Fighter VI is the full package. It’s a three-course meal and then some, filling you up to the brim and serving you every dish on the dessert menu whether you’re ready for the check or not. It’s bursting with style, swagger, and abundant sophistication, and it’s the perfect entry for newcomers and veterans alike.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is an absolute humdinger of a sequel. Capcom has created a fighting system that has all of the tactical depth professional players expect but managed to make it fairly easy for casuals to wrap their heads around. Not only that, it's introduced smart ways to onboard newcomers, including a simplified control scheme and a great suite of tutorials, which even extend to the impressively enjoyable RPG-inspired single player story mode. A strong roster of starting characters, near-flawless rollback netcode, and a seemingly never-ending selection of content – including interactive online lobbies with playable retro games – round out another unbelievably impressive effort from the seemingly unstoppable Japanese publisher.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

Smooth online matches and an impressively in-depth story already put Street Fighter 6 leagues above the competition.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

All-in-all, this game rekindled my love of the franchise, and I can’t wait to see how Street Fighter 6 grows over time.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is one of the easiest on-ramps to the deep world of fighting games, appealing to casual players and veterans alike. With a diverse roster, meaty gameplay, and flashy animations, this will be a FGC staple for years to come.

The Outerhaven Productions - 4 / 5

Street Fighter 6 takes all the mistakes made with Street Fighter V and tries to not make them again. From the one on one traditional fights that we know, have been improved thanks to the addition of the Drive Gage mechanics, to the online modes where a lot of people are going to play. There is very little that Street Fighter 6 does that people won't be happy with… Unless you live in Australia… However, the looming nickel-and-dime ride of Season Pass after Season Pass could make things worse down the line. Street Fighter 6 is an easy day-one buy for the hardcore eSports player base, but casual players might want to wait for a year or more for a more complete game before buying.

TheSixthAxis - Nick Petrasiti - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 doesn't need recommending to hardcore fighting fans – you all already know how incredible it is – but do I recommend it for more casual players? Street Fighter 6 has a real sense of community, welcoming all players old and new, teaching new tricks and providing something for those that just want a bit of fun. This is truly a fighting game for everyone.

Twinfinite - Keenan McCall - 5 / 5

It’s the epitome of what a fighting game should be, and I can’t wait to see how the series builds off of this return to form

VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 5 / 5

It’s a must-have. And it might just be the most compelling overall fighting game package of all time.

We Got This Covered - David James - 3 / 5

Street Fighter 6 delivers a deep, complex, and satisfying fighting game bristling with fun new characters and an excellent multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, all of that's shackled to a truly terrible single-player RPG that stands as one of the most embarrassing things Capcom has released in years. If you're here for online play, you'll love it. If you want single-player action, stay far away.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 succeeds in its ambition to cram some big things into one fighting game. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has a lot more personality and more to do than most other titles with their own online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a somewhat nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a good basis for a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this is tied together with a presentation that does well in improving what came before it, only with more fidelity and flash. As stated at the beginning of this review, fighting game fans are going to have a good year, and Street Fighter 6 is an excellent component of that.

XboxEra - Nick Baker - 9 / 10

Xbox players have had to wait a long time for Street Fighter to come back to the platform, and luckily got the best iteration yet.

Game Information

Game Title: Street Fighter 6
Platforms:

• PC (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 2, 2023)
  
• PlayStation 4 (Jun 2, 2023)
  

Trailers:
Street Fighter 6 - Launch Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Your Story Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Pre-Order Trailer
Street Fighter 6 - Announce Trailer
Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Publisher: CAPCOM CO. LTD
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 92 average - 99% recommended - 86 reviews
Critic Reviews
Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 provides the fast and furious action you'd expect from the refined fighting series, offering a dynamic cast of characters, new control modes to make it more accessible, and a variety of features to keep you busy. Its story mode is a campy take on the Street Fighter universe that doesn't always land the winning blow, however; while it's filled with distractions and civilian fighters to take on, it can be a little repetitive and shallow. Still, the technical foundations that Street Fighter stands on are as solid as ever, and with a whole world to battle online, there's a lot of fighting on the menu in what is once again a polished, exciting fighting experience that will keep fans engaged for years.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

Without a doubt, Street Fighter 6 is the best and most accessible entry in the long-running series. Anyone can jump in, and there is a lot of content to keep you busy and practicing on the road to World Champion.

Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 10 / 10

A sublime fighting game masterpiece from a company at the peak of their powers, Street Fighter 6 is utterly incredible.

Destructoid - Chris Moyse - 9.5 / 10

Simply put, Street Fighter 6 is one of the very best entries in series history.

Eurogamer - Wesley Yin-Poole - Recommended

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its predecessor while dragging the famous fighting game franchise kicking and screaming into the modern era.

Fextralife - Castielle - 8.4 / 10

Capcom delivers and checks the majority of the boxes when it comes to the classic and new features of Street Fighter 6. It heads down a different direction making it more casual while maintaining the core values of the game, allowing it to be a mainstream fighting game for all players. However, with its awkward performance on the PlayStation 4. The concern is, will World Tour have more content and will the performance issues be fixed. We hope these will be addressed. In the meantime, it is recommended to play Street Fighter 6 on current-gen consoles and PC to fully appreciate and enjoy this game.

GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is an exceedingly good fighting game. But more than that, it’s an excellent training tool. It’s a fulfilling adventure. It’s a lively community gathering place. It’s an endearingly idealistic and inspiring world of appreciation for martial arts and friendly competition, exceptionally executed in every respect.

GameGrin - Mike Crewe - 9.5 / 10

The most complete Street Fighter title to date, Street Fighter 6 is a must-play for fighting game fans, and one to consider even if you're not familiar with the genre. An engaging, stylish beat 'em up that could well be king of the mountain for years to come.

Game Informer - Elijah Gonzalez - 9.5 / 10

Between its cohesive aesthetic, the bounty of clever features, and crisp central gameplay, it’s one of the most impressive entries the genre has seen in some time.

GamesRadar+ - Andi Hamilton - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 offers the most flexible, versatile, and expressive combat seen in the series to date. With its fantastic suite of game modes and diverse character roster, Street Fighter 6 has something to offer every type of fighting game fan.

GameSpot - Jason Fanelli - 9 / 10

Capcom's flagship fighter is back in form with intricate but approachable fighting mechanics and a feature-rich package.

Gaming Nexus - Joseph Moorer - 10 / 10

Capcom has given us a complete game right out of the box. The single player experiences are enormous. The online experience is perfect. Street Fighter lore is littered in every nook and cranny of this game. There are modes and modes within modes. This is one of the best Street Fighter games in the history of the franchise. If Capcom hurt you in the past, this is their apology. Street Fighter 6 is a new classic that people will be playing for years to come.

GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak and Abdul Saad - 95 / 100

Street Fighter 6 takes the series to the next stage with a wildly fun fighting system that emphasizes personal choice. Each mainline Street Fighter tends to define its era of fighting games in some way, and Street Fighter 6 confidently steps forward to that next era. From its battle system to its bevvy of modes such as World Tour, it dives deep into everything that makes fighting games great.

GGRecon - Jack Roberts - 4.5 / 5

With a slew of fighting games on the horizon like Tekken 8 and the recently announced Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 is leading the charge in the most vibrant way possible. With a series of character guides, story campaigns for classic characters and a fantastic open world for you to take the fight to the streets, it feels like everything I could have asked for from a modern Street Fighter entry.
Despite being the sixth game in the mainline series, Street Fighter 6 is easily one of the most accessible and makes for a fantastic entry point for newer players, while still resonating with series veterans.

Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 9.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 could be the best fighting game I have played in a very long time. I am no master at these games and I don’t run out to buy them at launch. However, the game is very fun to play and its real draw for me was its accessibility. I felt good at it even though I really wasn’t. Of course, this is also completely optional too so if you’re a veteran, you’ll enjoy this just as much as noob.

God is a Geek - Sean Smith - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is without question the best fighting game package I have ever played, and will keep you going far longer than a one-on-one fighter has any right to be able to. A true classic.

IGN - Mitchell Saltzman - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is the most feature-rich a Street Fighter has ever been at launch, but even beyond that, it's roster of 18 characters is excellent, the new mechanics revitalize the one-on-one fighting formula, and it absolutely nails all of the little things that make for a stellar fighting game.

Inverse - De'Angelo Epps - 10 / 10

Capcom’s latest takes everything you’d expect from the father of the fighting genre and turns it up to 10. There’s something for everyone here, with no fat or filler to ruin the experience. Street Fighter 6 is the best fighting game experience in a long time, and in the years to come, its impact and legacy could be every bit as massive as Street Fighter 2.

Kotaku - Kenneth Shepard - Unscored

It’s a sublime fighter that makes smart changes that honor what makes the series great.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 9 / 10

A far better launch experience than its predecessor, with an excellent fighting system and a wide range of options and features that transcend the usual genre traditions.

MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 4.5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is a grand fighting game experience that just keeps building on the series’ strong foundation. Though the World Tour mode and new characters aren’t as stand-out as they could be, the core gameplay is excellent and there’s plenty to enjoy.

Nexus Hub - Keegan Govender - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is not just a comeback for Capcom, but for fighting games entering next-generation consoles as a whole. It feels like a passion project made by a group of people who were tasked by Capcom to make the last Street Fighter we would ever want to play. With its fast-paced gameplay, beautifully implemented new mechanics, and timeless visuals, Street Fighter 6 has solidified itself among the fighting game hall of fame.

Niche Gamer - NECRO XIII - 9 / 10

Ultimately, Street Fighter 6 delivers the fun and proves to be one of the most engaging fighting games of the year and of most recent memory.

PCGamesN - Christian Vaz - 9 / 10

This is the first Street Fighter game in a long time where it feels like players of all skill levels are welcome. While World Tour mode is disappointing, the sheer scope of SF6 means you don't need to wait for the inevitable Ultra Edition before jumping in.

PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 89 / 100

Minor technical issues and questionable monetisation scuff what is otherwise one of the best fighting games we've seen in the last decade.

Polygon - Axel Bosso - Unscored

Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game toolbox

Press Start - James Mitchell - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won't be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.

PowerUp! - Charbel Asmar - 9 / 10

At launch, Street Fighter 6 is set to take the fighting game genre to another level

Prima Games - Matt Vatankhah - 9.5 / 10

In a sense, Street Fighter VI is the full package. It’s a three-course meal and then some, filling you up to the brim and serving you every dish on the dessert menu whether you’re ready for the check or not. It’s bursting with style, swagger, and abundant sophistication, and it’s the perfect entry for newcomers and veterans alike.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is an absolute humdinger of a sequel. Capcom has created a fighting system that has all of the tactical depth professional players expect but managed to make it fairly easy for casuals to wrap their heads around. Not only that, it's introduced smart ways to onboard newcomers, including a simplified control scheme and a great suite of tutorials, which even extend to the impressively enjoyable RPG-inspired single player story mode. A strong roster of starting characters, near-flawless rollback netcode, and a seemingly never-ending selection of content – including interactive online lobbies with playable retro games – round out another unbelievably impressive effort from the seemingly unstoppable Japanese publisher.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

Smooth online matches and an impressively in-depth story already put Street Fighter 6 leagues above the competition.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

All-in-all, this game rekindled my love of the franchise, and I can’t wait to see how Street Fighter 6 grows over time.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is one of the easiest on-ramps to the deep world of fighting games, appealing to casual players and veterans alike. With a diverse roster, meaty gameplay, and flashy animations, this will be a FGC staple for years to come.

The Outerhaven Productions - 4 / 5

Street Fighter 6 takes all the mistakes made with Street Fighter V and tries to not make them again. From the one on one traditional fights that we know, have been improved thanks to the addition of the Drive Gage mechanics, to the online modes where a lot of people are going to play. There is very little that Street Fighter 6 does that people won't be happy with… Unless you live in Australia… However, the looming nickel-and-dime ride of Season Pass after Season Pass could make things worse down the line. Street Fighter 6 is an easy day-one buy for the hardcore eSports player base, but casual players might want to wait for a year or more for a more complete game before buying.

TheSixthAxis - Nick Petrasiti - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 doesn't need recommending to hardcore fighting fans – you all already know how incredible it is – but do I recommend it for more casual players? Street Fighter 6 has a real sense of community, welcoming all players old and new, teaching new tricks and providing something for those that just want a bit of fun. This is truly a fighting game for everyone.

Twinfinite - Keenan McCall - 5 / 5

It’s the epitome of what a fighting game should be, and I can’t wait to see how the series builds off of this return to form

VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 5 / 5

It’s a must-have. And it might just be the most compelling overall fighting game package of all time.

We Got This Covered - David James - 3 / 5

Street Fighter 6 delivers a deep, complex, and satisfying fighting game bristling with fun new characters and an excellent multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, all of that's shackled to a truly terrible single-player RPG that stands as one of the most embarrassing things Capcom has released in years. If you're here for online play, you'll love it. If you want single-player action, stay far away.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 succeeds in its ambition to cram some big things into one fighting game. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has a lot more personality and more to do than most other titles with their own online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a somewhat nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a good basis for a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this is tied together with a presentation that does well in improving what came before it, only with more fidelity and flash. As stated at the beginning of this review, fighting game fans are going to have a good year, and Street Fighter 6 is an excellent component of that.

XboxEra - Nick Baker - 9 / 10

Xbox players have had to wait a long time for Street Fighter to come back to the platform, and luckily got the best iteration yet.

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[Thank you for agreeing to teach them.]
Volta nodded, not entirely sure if it was for the best, but recognizing a request—or in this case, a thinly veiled order—for what it was.
Ever since she had taught Scarlet and the others her field, the occasional rotation of Lilhuns would be assigned to work under her for a time. It made her job easier, especially since the settlement was expanding at a ludicrous rate compared to what she had heard from the new members of the pack.
The Atmo that had joined were quickly treated and cared for, those who did not require so much time for recovery quickly accompanying the existing insects in their tasks. The largest, Mama, frequently assisted in construction and decoration of structures, so they worked with her. Once they had oriented how things progressed and their part in it, they were paired off with a construction group to be assigned a project. It was to the point where there were as many as five buildings nearing completion at once, the majority of them being accommodation for the new members of the pack.
The remaining question was regarding the insect kits. The answer? Well, there were four Atmo slightly smaller than the purple ‘Queen’ that had requested Volta instruct them, the pearlescent shimmer of her scaled carapace dancing in the sunbeams afforded by the skylight the den had been constructed with.
Teaching Violet—as well as the two Atmo that Volta had escorted to this pack—in the ways of sanitation had been an interesting endeavour, all things considered. They held a remarkable dexterity in those long edged appendages, but the lack of something to properly grasp with made finding a way to secure a rag onto the ends difficult. Luckily, Heralt was receptive to assisting her with creating something that would attach to the blades.
It was little more than a mop that secured to the joint and braced around the cutting edge gingerly, the ends of the stick using ‘ironwood’ springs to clamp onto fabric pads that would soak in the cleaning solution and allow them to do the floors and walls. Were it not for how shockingly efficient the task was performed, she would have been useless through the laughter at the sight.
Each Atmo kit held two of the devices on their limbs, allowing them to travel in pairs and simply finish large spaces within the time it would take her to prepare the next batch of cleaners to use. They had only started a short while ago and yet two dens had been finished, Scarlet assisting her in doing whatever furniture or ledges the Atmo were unsuited to completing. The odd pack member going through what Head Sahari called ‘versatility training’ listened to her instructions in an oddly compliant manner, giving the blue-furred female pause at the unusual experience.
All in all; the cleaner was guiding the five insects and three Lilhuns in the ways of cleanliness. Scarlet was primarily keeping an eye on those who interacted with the purple-coloured Atmo, her contributions to the other tasks proficient, despite the split attention. Before, she would have assumed the servant quietly acquiescing orders, but the dark red-furred female was particularly vigilant in matters pertaining to the kit now.
Volta wasn’t sure what happened to the other servants that regularly assisted her on a rotation—save for Kaslin, the female seeming to have been unofficially inducted as Grand…. Toril’s assistant alongside his mate, Tersa—but Faye, the mild-mannered deep gold-furred female, and Raine, the polite and excitable brown-furred female, had been absent for many suns now.
It was almost lonely, in a way.
Almost.
“That should be sufficient for this den,” she announced to the gaggle of Atmo kits and Lilhuns, careful to remind them not to bother the few ‘rock-worms’ that Ferra kept separate from the rest outside. There were only four, the largest one adorned in an odd script, but they were apparently a selection of favourites of the female. Regardless, it would not do to irritate a mate of Atrox.
The brown-furred male was responsible for the ghastly armour that the Grand Hunter wore on occasion, and she was not in a hurry to see if the disturbing tendencies of the male extended to how he displayed his displeasure.
“Where is our next destination?” Scarlet asked, her tail brushing up Volta’s spine in an uncomfortable way. It wasn’t that she disliked the touch, but the owner of it worried her. Something about the servant struck her as more than what was presented, and it was obvious that the female thought of it as immensely entertaining. That much was obvious, even without the sly grin.
“We have proceeded much faster than I was expecting,” the blue-furred female admitted, mentally checking over her itinerary while subtly batting away the offending appendage. “I suppose we should attempt the barracks while the pack is engaged, then rest for a time.”
[May I leave to check on the other Atmo?]
Volta paused, unsure why it was being requested rather than merely presented as a fact. Violet was—as far as it mattered—completely beyond the cleaner’s station, if only because she was an adopted kit of the Grand Hunter, as well as a sort of leadership figure for the insects. It was an enigmatic blend of positions where the purple insect could very well order Volta to do things, rather than ask. Though the hierarchy was not nepotistic in nature, it was safer to adhere to the wishes of the den-kit than it was to disobey.
“You may. What of the others?”
[I will leave them with you and Scarlet.]
The mentioned servant frowned. “I am to accompany you.”
Violet chittered her curious laugh. [These young ones are your task. I must attend to my own.]
Volta discreetly jabbed the female with a claw, glaring at her not to question the wishes of her better. The less attention drawn from the Grand Hunter, the better. Just picturing the disturbing mask and piercing gaze was enough to make her blanch.
Either reminded of her position, or merely interested in playful retaliation, Scarlet sighed quietly, bowing slightly to the insect. “As you wish, young mistress. Do call for me if I am required.”
[I will. Thank you, Scarlet, Volta.]
Volta lowered her head, watching the Queen leave before returning her attention to the group.
“We will do the first barracks, then determine if we are of time to do the second. The kits are to await the floors cleared of obstruction by the Lilhuns before cleaning them. We will manage it in sections so as not to disturb any who may be taking a break. In future—assuming you are to operate independently from myself—it would be best if you are used to working in groups.”
The Lilhuns nodded their understanding, the young Atmo hesitantly conferring with each other before approaching Scarlet to have their mops freed of soiled cloth and materials placed upon their carriages.
The Atmo had all been outfitted with a specially made platform that fitted over their wider base, clasping underneath past their six legs. It allowed them to transport much, their carrying capacity much larger than one would suspect from their size. The kits could comfortably haul all of the materials for the sun by themselves, and the adults had been the subject of idle speculation for mounted weapon platforms—assuming the fragmented conversation she had chanced upon was to be believed.
Volta inspected the odd section that the Lilhuns under her tutelage completed while she waited for packing to finish. She was not necessarily pleased with the results, but it was more important for them to understand the procedure to take for various locations at the moment. They had proven that they understood what to do for the dens, so next came teaching them how to approach high-traffic areas.
Once everyone had been prepared and the materials gathered, they left the den and started towards the barracks, glimpsing the Grand Hunter sparring with some of the pack in the open.
Ever since the Atmo were delivered by a trade caravan, the male had taken to training much of the pack personally, Huntress Pan taking over much of his more mundane work. Those who were deemed adequate were then pawed off to Head Tel for some specialized training, though Volta was not privy to what exactly it was meant to accomplish.
Regardless, Head Sahari was in charge of rotating out the pack amongst tasks, only a few specialists being directly assigned to any one occupation. By all rights, Volta herself should be training under the male, but the nature of her work meant that she was typically better off doing her job when such was under way. Given that the Grand Hunter was a rare case of someone fully understanding the importance of her specialty—and how little she wished to interact with the alien—she was thankfully spared.
Disregarding the events going on, she motioned for her group to follow her. There was work to do.
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“Two up!” he called out, wiping the sweat from his brow. The exertion cleared his mind, and the break from endless paperwork was appreciated. With the influx of members and various training being required, he had gotten rather exhausted mentally. Between the Wraiths being gone for two weeks since he told them to do recon around the Atmo traders, regular interaction with various caravans, planning out what they needed to do, and Robert still not calling him since the man had left to handle something, he had been pretty high-strung.
As always, there was more on his mind. Harrow had become more elusive regarding him ever since he had her transcribe the Union documents regarding the Lilhuns, their conversations vapid and brief. Jax didn’t have anything useful to say about it other than that she wanted time to sort her thoughts. Toril, Idee, Mi’low, and Bratik were given copies of the file to go over recently, since they were the closest thing he had to a counsel unfettered by a close relationship.
His own makeshift family took the news in an odd way. There was a lot to unpack.
Jax had become quiet, his muscles tensing. Harrow ended up staying away from her mate for a few days until he had stopped brooding about it. In the end; the guy just told Joseph that he would trust the Grand Hunter’s decisions regarding it, finding himself at a loss otherwise.
Sahari and Nalah were approached about the bonding information, the latter denying any bond to him, as well as Sahari confirming the same towards her blond-furred mate. The only line of reasoning that they could think of to make sense was that Nalah’s circumstances had messed with her in some way. The two seemed rather distressed by the assertion, but calmed somewhat when he mentioned that nothing would change between them regardless. Sahari could tell how conflicted he was about the whole thing, he just wanted to give them something to hang on to.
It was a bigger deal for them than he had initially internalized. In retrospect; something revered as a literal gift from their god being denied really should have been an obvious point of stress. As begrudging as his acceptance was, he was linked to the whole ‘Great Hunt’ business in their minds, so he was aware of how deeply that belief ran. He didn’t personally subscribe to the religion, but they never really bothered him with anything besides overseeing funeral rites—not that he would have refused anyway.
Pan seemed to mirror his feelings on the matter—a dark feeling of helplessness and sorrow. She had fallen quiet when she heard about the trials on the defectives, that particular section hitting her harder than the others. After an entire day of silence, all she had to say about it was that she loved him, and then spent the night burrowed between him and Tel, unable to sleep. He had a hard time as well, but it extended well past the initial night.
Tel had informed him that his restlessness had made it difficult for her to get any shut-eye, his shifting disturbing her, but it was said in a slightly concerned tone. Her general reaction was fairly subdued compared to the rest otherwise, her lifetime of being at either end of a gun numbing her to the reality of things. It was weird for him, but he was deeply thankful for it on some level.
She kept him sane, her cold response being a candid ‘Wish it, and I will end all who displease you.’
For once, her more violent background gave him something to grip onto. It resonated in him—loose, yet present. A door within him, chained and locked, was brought to mind as he really considered what he wanted for those involved. The traders who abused the Atmo, those who seemed so bent on hurting his friends, the Union ‘GUOS’ who called for the experiments... A thrumming settled in his fists, an itch that couldn’t be sated by just scratching.
A paw flew past his brow, his shifted posture allowing him to slip the claws that had been left exposed in the heat of the spar. His heart hammered, his sweat soaked his clothing, and his focus returned to the fight.
No Union, no traders, no worries. Just the two security members who had doubted Jax’s claims that the smaller Human had somehow bested the male in a fight, and were now bringing out their natural weapons on instinct.
Grabbing the wrist with his right hand and gripping the shoulder with his left, he pulled, using the rotational force to pivot on his left foot and haul the overeager Lilhun to the dirt, the appendage bending behind them sharply. A second fist came from the corner of his eye, the other combatant trying to use the momentary distraction to score a hit.
Using the gripped arm as a balance, Joseph leaned into the spin, firing the sole of his shoe into the head of the opportunistic attacker. The loud slap of his foot connecting with the larger male almost outdid the crumpled form crashing to the ground unconscious. It was only a dull sensation of mercy that stopped him from completing the spin while he maintained his iron grip on the arm of the thrown adversary, saving them a torn and dislocated shoulder.
Joseph breathed heavily, the adrenaline wearing out as Jax checked on the defeated. Minus some stiffness expected in one of them and a sore jaw for the other, they would be fine, albeit embarrassed for such a quick disposal in front of their usual teachers.
The sound of his rubber sole slapping on the ground some distance away killed off whatever motivation he had to continue, his shoes finally giving out.
“I would ask you not to disable my security, Grand Hunter,” Jax said with mock frustration, the black-furred male’s eyes following the two leaving with an expression of exasperation.
“Sorry,” Joseph breathed out, his heart hammering in his chest as his system wound down.
The Head of Security glanced down at him, his expression pensive. “As much as I enjoy my boasting of your prowess to be validated, I do worry that you see more than a spar in them.”
He drew his lips thin as he brushed his sweat-soaked hair back, his arm dropping to his side. He took a few moments to sort the thoughts that returned. “I probably should have called that kick, yeah.”
The larger Lilhun snorted. “They will be fine, it is not their health I am worried about.”
“I’m fine, Jax,” he snapped, averting his eyes when his friend seemed to have made his point. “I…. I’ll be fine. Just some things on my mind right now.”
“Joseph,” the black-furred male started, walking up to place a large paw on his shoulder. “We are here if you wish to talk.”
His breath died in his throat, his eyes closing in defeat. He felt the soreness in his hands surface, hours of constant fighting to soothe the burning in his blood that failed to abate. Bruises made themselves known, dehydration made his joints stiff, and lack of sleep clouded his mind. Jax was right, he was a bit of a mess.
“Grand Hunter,” Mi’low called, his tired glance in her direction revealing the female approaching. “We are ready to speak.”
Joseph placed a hand on Jax’s paw, patting it softly. “Talking will have to wait. Tell Harrow I said hi and that I’d like to hang out again. I miss it.”
The male looked at him apologetically, nodding as he was still unable to offer anything to ease the sting of a friend distancing themselves from the Human. “I will.”
The Human cycled a breath and faced the actress. “The rest?”
Mi’low nodded. “Where will we meet?”
Joseph waved an arm towards the base. “My place. More chairs.”
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Toril was wearing his usual smile, his eyes inspecting everything about the hub from the couch while Tersa stood nearby, her body language telling that she was wary about being in a new place without time to scout it. Bratik was in his wheelchair, Sorren holding his paw as he sat on the opposite side of the chemist. Idee—being the only one to spend time in the outpost regularly—simply thanked Kaslin for the water from her place between the two mated males. Mi’low had claimed a free chair, her legs crossed and back straight as she stayed away from the others on the couch. The Wraith handed Joseph his requested tea since Scarlet was babysitting the insects, then occupied a place out of the way, but close enough to act if things got heated.
He stayed standing rather than occupying his usual place on a table, his second choice of seating being filled up. He could have dragged over the Atmo couch, but he didn’t want to stress his body any more than he had already by lugging it. “So, everyone had plenty of time to read the documents.”
“Indeed,” Mi’low commented dryly, a glare shot in his direction. Idee nodded, though her expression fell as it was brought up. Toril maintained his detached look of amusement, but it didn’t escape Joseph’s notice that Tersa stiffened.
The Grand Hunter took a sip of his refreshment, enjoying the fleeting feeling of warmth from something other than exertion. “And what do we think?”
“We?” Sorren asked, the male not quite used to the Human using their tongue. Joseph’s mastery of the language was still spotty at times, but Kaslin could fill any gaps if needed.
“Yeah,” he replied plainly. “It has more to do with you than me. I just got the message.”
“I find it rather fascinating,” Toril opined cheerily, his energy at odds with the atmosphere of the room. “Such thorough study allows us many insights into facets of our own biology that we may never have known!”
“By slaughtering our kin in the thousand,” Mi’low shot back, a slight snarl pulling her lip.
“As regretful as such is, we can not bring them back,” the chemist noted with a small nod. “We must simply use the information gleaned by our foes without repeating their atrocities.”
“You suggest ignoring their sins?”
“I suggest utilizing what they have learned and incorporating it to our advantage.”
“Or,” Joseph interjected, “we talk about it instead of getting into an argument.”
“Your people are not free of fault, Grand Hunter,” the crimson-furred female spat. He remained silent, already having spent far too long thinking about how none of it would have happened if Humans weren’t in the picture for them.
“You can not hold him as a factor, Mi’low,” Idee said softly, shifting in her seat to get comfortable and smiling apologetically at Sorren when she bumped him.
“Were it not for them, then we may not have lost our homes!”
“Were it not for him you would be little more than bones bleached by the sun, or so I hear.”
“We are not here to cast blame,” Bratik disputed quietly, his voice carrying through the room despite the low volume. “The Grand Hunter has saved each of us. Some from demise, others from the shackles of their station, and others from the fate of losing loved ones.”
Toril and Idee shared a glance as the male continued, Tersa paying attention to him for the first time.
“He seeks our counsel. Not our aimless ire to be spewed upon him for that which he himself had no knowledge of, nor involvement in. His kin were as much victims as our own.”
“Quite,” Toril concurred as the two females ceased their bickering reluctantly. “How would you like to address this, Grand Hunter?”
Joseph blinked, expecting the blame, but not Bratik defusing it so quickly. “Well, we have a few things to work off of. Years of experiments coinciding with missing persons after accepting a job, whoever tipped off your military taking info with them about Sol and the ‘blacklist’, whatever bond fuckery they discovered, and the defects.” He shrugged weakly. “Take your pick.”
“There are too many missing across too wide an area to recognize such a comparative few,” Idee stated, the others in the group silently agreeing.
He nodded, nursing his tea with small sips. “Figured that would be a sticking point. Plus, we don’t really know how long it was going on... or when it started... Not even if it was a bulk recruitment or slow trickle. I guess the missing people are something we’ll just have to keep unknown.”
“The bond information was rather enlightening,” Toril mentioned, his eyes rising to the ceiling as he thought about it. “Our peoples are wildly compatible.”
“As servants, perhaps,” came the scathing remark from the High Huntress. “What use is our gift if it is twisted to be mere subservience? To discard ourselves for some alien race?”
Sorren’s ear flicked. “It is hardly ‘twisted’ to protect that which the Hunt Mother has afforded us.”
“Are we to just accept that our bonds are better suited to that,” she emphasized with a pointed claw in Joseph’s direction, “rather than our kin?”
“Drop it,” the Grand Hunter ordered tiredly, his reflection in his beverage shaking as he shifted on his feet. “Arguing isn’t going to help anything.”
Mi’low held her disgusted expression. “You ask us to trust that which led to our downfall? We are yet another strike against your kin, no?”
He shook his head, his eyes buried in remains of the shimmering image he held in his hands. “I blame the sick fucks that did all this. If you can’t agree with that, then there’s not much reason to hold this meeting.”
“What is it you seek to accomplish?” Toril asked, amused by the theatrics. The rest seemed surprised by Mi’low’s pointed aggression, but the chemist was more interested in continuing.
“I have people looking to get me out of here,” Joseph informed them, laying his empty cup on the table with a soft clack. “People who will probably extend the offer to you. If they come, I need to know what we’re doing about it. The last thing I need is people acting like Mi’low and opening fire on whoever comes to drag us out of the mud.”
“Why would we?” Sorren asked, taking his mate’s paw as he gave a worried glance to the offended female.
“Because our people were tortured due to our interactions with them,” the chemist noted in a matter-of-fact tone, his pleasant demeanour remaining despite the morbid topic.
“Did our people not initiate contact with another species on less hostile terms?” Idee asked, her head tilted slightly.
“But no one lived to talk about it,” Joseph countered, gesturing with an upturned palm. “Plus, that’s assuming whoever was in charge of that call being the norm, rather than the exception.”
“You believe our people to act otherwise?” Bratik asked, his tone inquisitive rather than judgmental.
Joseph shrugged. “To be fair, I’ve almost been killed by more of your species than the wildlife. Granted, a few of those were just people being assholes, but still.”
“Many would see the opportunity as retribution for the Union,” Mi’low mentioned dryly.
Sorren’s face fell. “Then we should not propagate this knowledge?”
The Human glanced between each of them. “That’s why you’re here. My group knows because I trust them with it. I think we should keep this to ourselves, but if we do—and someone finds out—it would just cause a lot of issues. Alternatively; we tell everyone.”
“And suffer the consequences of that action as well,” Idee concluded dejectedly. Joseph returned a wry smile as Toril raised a paw, speaking when the Grand Hunter raised a brow at him.
“Perhaps we should withhold the information from the lesser station?”
“Like, just the Grand Hunters?” Joseph inquired cautiously. Toril tilted his head.
“Those who would be more diplomatically minded, perhaps.”
“I don’t exactly see some of them as what you would call ‘diplomatic’ and I’m not going on some voyage to visit everyone with the info in tow.”
“We are able to make copies,” Sorren offered. “Perhaps we could exchange the information using traders and gain something from it as well?”
Mi’low shook her head. “That is assuming they do not claim us manipulative nor seek to remove him. Some may very well move to strike us all down for ‘withholding’ the information, regardless of how readily we supply it.”
“Do your people know?” Bratik interjected, gathering the attention of the others. Joseph winced in uncertainty.
“I’m not sure. I’d guess my brother does, but I don’t know how sensitive things are. It could have been announced and there’s an intergalactic war, or it might be kept under wraps until conflict isn’t as likely. At least until it’s less likely to blow up in our faces, anyway.”
“They are of lesser force?”
“No clue,” he admitted. “Not my area. All I do know is that there are more species allied against us—or at least aren’t inclined to take a bullet—than are.”
“So our options are rather limited,” Idee concluded, receiving a series of agreements.
“We could,” Mi’low said after a few moments of contemplation, “distribute the information anonymously. Humans are not named directly in the document, and we need not divulge its origin.”
“So, what? Just pass people tablets and ask them to forget where they got it?” he probed, not entirely disagreeing with the idea, but skeptical all the same.
“Tersa may make additions to trader inventories without their knowledge,” Toril offered, the mentioned Blade frowning at him, but not protesting. “Or perhaps Trill’s kit, since she is devoted to yourself.”
“Eh. I guess that’s an option,” he conceded, sighing. “So, about the bond; any opinions? Notes?”
“Stay away from me,” Mi’low answered warily, earning a flat scowl.
“I meant something besides that. I’m not too keen on adding to the cluster-fuck I have going on anyway.”
Sorren smiled. “I am excited to meet your people—should I be so blessed. There are many who would never know the joy of the Hunt Mother’s gift otherwise.”
“I would not mind her words, Grand Hunter,” Toril chuckled. “She is a creature of dishonesty—including her own desires.”
The actress glowered at the chemist. “I preferred it when you were nomadic. It was much easier to ignore your presence. Your words were but some distant wind I need not soil my ears with.”
“Perhaps our meeting is best ended here,” Bratik interjected, waving his functional paw. The other arm was coming along, but still too stiff to use for much. “We should propagate the information through unsigned parcels to the Grand Hunters.”
“One last thing,” Joseph said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The information on Sol; anything ever get done with that?”
“We were capturing habitable planets in a particular direction, though the decision to do such was made by our superiors.”
He nodded. “Makes sense. Same issue we have now. Can’t let everyone know because chaos is a lot easier to manage when it’s directed. Between the religious connotations and the context around it; there’s no saying if it would lead to riots or worship. Rather not bring the problem to our door.”
“Wise,” Mi’low remarked sarcastically, her judgmental side-eye aimed between him and Sorren.
“Alright,” he said with a raised voice, ignoring the red-furred female to the best of his ability. “Drop off letters and lock myself in a room or something. Sounds like a plan.”
“That will not be required,” Sorren corrected with a laugh. “Though the documents confirmed a high percentile of successful bonds, there were many incompatible pairings. It is unlikely that your informant included every variation of failure, but the bond seems to be as selective as usual, just more receptive to those who meet the criteria. I would speculate that the majority of those who would bond to you by now, have. Barring the new additions, of course. I doubt you will need to worry about bonding to half a species by yourself.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he muttered. “Okay, you’re free to go back to your work. You know who to talk to if something comes up.”
The gathering dispersed, Toril requiring Tersa to drag him by the ear before he got too distracted. Mi’low stayed behind, waiting for everyone else to leave.
“Thoughts?” he asked, glancing over at her. She shook her head as she dropped the antagonistic persona.
“Two attribute you to their religion, Toril is too interested in your species to act against your best interest, and Idee rather enjoys her time here—as well as sympathizes with your position. Tersa’s allegiance is with Toril, so she will follow him, as well as your tentative arrangement as a superior over her.”
“So, we’re good?”
“We are,” she confirmed. He looked at her for a long moment.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Going to try and kill me again?” he questioned wryly.
The High Huntress snorted. “Unfortunately, my pack has ostensibly become yours, and with it, my fate. They would rather watch me go than follow. It seems your influence extends past our biology.”
Without an opportunity for him to ask what she meant, she headed to the exit, pausing in the doorway when he called out to her.
“Mi’low?” Her ear tipped back towards him. “Thanks. For putting yourself on the block like that. I know how risky that could have been for you.”
She afforded a single nod before letting it close behind her.
“’Past our biology’, huh?” he muttered, eyeing the empty cup on the table.
He considered bothering Tel, since she would likely offer him a distraction for a while.
Sighing at his remaining intact shoe flopping as he stepped, he decided to do exactly that.
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“How are we holding up?”
Tech leaned back in her chair, yawning widely. “Communications have been down for a while, navigation software is pointing everywhere at once, and if it wasn’t for me, everything else would be dark too.”
“All hail Tech Ops,” Comms quipped, struggling to make his system do much more than transmit static on a loop.
Willin rolled his eyes at Tech’s boasting, but she was probably right to do so. They had aligned themselves in the right direction and simply let navigation go, communications discreetly blinking out as they got close without warning. All they had left was the actual piloting and onboard support systems, both of them hanging by a thread until Tech could run diagnostics to see if she could counter them properly. She might be able to eventually, but she didn’t seem confident beyond keeping the crew mobile and alive.
“How’s it look down there?”
Nav had long since given up making sense of their controls, opting to keep watch for whatever they were approaching. Since they had gotten within visual range, they had occupied themselves using whatever scanning equipment Tech managed to keep shielded. They leaned over the readouts, brows raising before furrowing at the information.
“It appears that they have remained fairly close together. I am reading several AEC distress signatures... Why am I able to?”
Tech raised a paw. “Right here. The jamming is consistent with the United Military’s algorithms, though boosted past what we have the equipment to manage. Can’t override it for you or Comms, but it was never meant to counter the low-frequency of a distress pulse, since that would get lost in normal noise anyway. I took the liberty of limiting the scope of collected data to increase the sensitivity.”
“Not much frequency pollution on an untapped planet,” Willin remarked dryly, his screen mirroring what Nav was looking at. Thirty-eight sources, most of them repeating the initial call-signs. Two seemed to have retained some power, though not much, implying a makeshift solution. There would normally be more to glean, but the measures taken to make picking them out at all possible had stifled it.
“Orders?” Nav asked after a moment. Willin considered it, scouring the somewhat distorted visual feed.
“Let’s get closer first.”
“Understood.”
He adjusted his uniform as they drew near, Tech frowning as more of her fail-safe measures ironically failed. Quick action saved them from listing aimlessly, but any chance of copying the survivor’s distress call faded. The Atmospheric Entry Crafts were effectively invisible until Tech had dealt with the issue preemptively, and their beacon wasn’t any stronger.
Detriment of a scout craft, he supposed. Help would have to deal with not knowing where his ship had gone until they were up to their necks in the warp-spike’s field. Hopefully, the EW fleet would manage it better.
“Just outside of atmosphere,” Nav reported, activating the scanning equipment again. Normally, it would be able to tell them everything down to the rough number of wildlife in an area, but all the interference gave them little more than confirmation that life existed.
“Well, there goes any advanced recon,” Willin muttered, ignoring Comms silently debating if he should bother Tech to duplicate the feed again. Noticing, she did anyway, the male gesturing their thanks. “Tech, can you get us population density?”
“I’m good, Leader, but not that good.”
“Leader,” Nav called, highlighting a few points on the feed. Whatever it was that they were trying to show him, he didn’t see it. “These areas are likely settlements.”
“Structures?”
“Affirmative. It is subtle, but there.”
He nodded, trusting their judgment. “Which is the largest?”
The feed zoomed in, losing most of the clarity—not that there was much to begin with. “Location coincides with an AEC still actively reporting.”
“They set up around it.”
“Likely, Leader.”
Willin exhaled slowly. “Take us down nearby. I’d say to hide us, but that’s hard to do with open skies.”
“The planet suffers constant rain,” Tech added, her screen already reverting back to a simplistic game while she waited for someone else to need something. “We could descend under the cover of it.”
“Any idea how long?”
Her monitor flickered. “One local sun.”
“Then we spend the time gearing up,” he ordered, waving to have Nav and Comms’ screens defaulted. “You two will make sure our defence armaments ship-board are active and loaded. Tech, queue up whatever armour and equipment we might need for a diplomatic mission.”
She turned in her chair, her head tilting questioningly. “Just us?”
“Just us. We’ll want someone here to keep things warm in case we need to leave quickly. Can you get Comms’ station capable of short-wave?”
She nodded after a moment, her eyes losing focus as she consulted her implant. “We’ll lose the fabricator during, but we should have enough for life-support and in-atmosphere flight. Weapons will have to be swapped out with it too.”
“That bad?”
The purple-furred female shrugged. “It’s that or I take down the defences and we lose it all.” She frowned at her screens. “Even this is pushing it.”
“Can you take down the purifier once we’re down there? Switch to external flow?”
“As long as you don’t mind alien air, sure. It won’t give us more to work with, but it should make it less taxing to keep what we have.”
Willin scratched at his ear. “Do it. They lived here this long, doubt we’ll join the Void breathing it too.”
“Will do.”
He shifted his attention back to Nav. “Set course to that settlement. Keep us above the clouds until it gets bad enough to obscure us.”
Nav signalled their agreement, the scenery shifting slowly as they picked a cloud to shadow in the meantime. Comms looked at Willin expectantly, forcing him to come up with something for the male to do.
“Comms, I want you to monitor anything this place has coming in or out. Set up surveillance.”
The male raised a brow. “My systems are inoperable, Leader.”
“If you try to do anything big, yes,” Willin corrected. “Just keep us informed if something goes through. We don’t need to know what happened, just that it did.”
“Keeping track of possible communications between settlements?”
Willin bobbed his head to the side. “Whatever we learn, it’s more than we know.”
“Understood. I will try to arrange a passive probe.”
The group set about their tasks as he brought up a still-frame of the settlement Nav spotted. It was blocky, blurry, and the chromatic aberration on the edges hurt to look at, but it was a settlement. A large AEC surrounded by silver constructions, all laid out in a slightly haphazard way. He couldn’t judge it too harshly, however. There was a method to the madness. Narrow pathways hidden between dens, each leading to the AEC like a system of routes for select Lilhuns to reach anywhere they may be needed as quickly as possible.
The AEC itself seemed modified, large solar panels placed where a solid hull would be expected, the semi-transparent material likely acting to illuminate the interior. Many of the buildings around it were larger than those beyond, some appearing to be two or three levels.
From sheer volume of dens, Willin figured this was a contender for the largest settlement. His best estimate placed the number of inhabitants in the range of three hundred or so. If the other settlements were even close, then the initial guess of a thousand survivors was woefully short.
That made things complicated, yet so much simpler.
He awaited the distant storm clouds rolling over the landscape, thankful Tech had prioritized the water-proof gear.
He hated being soaked.
Next
A/N: 500k words. Half a fucking million.

Game Information

Game Title: Street Fighter 6
Platforms:

• PC (Jun 2, 2023)
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 1, 2023)
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 1, 2023)
• PlayStation 4 (Jun 1, 2023)

Trailers:

• Street Fighter 6 - Zangief, Lily, and Cammy Gameplay Trailer
• Street Fighter 6 - Pre-Order Trailer
• Street Fighter 6 - Announce Trailer

Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Publisher: CAPCOM CO. LTD
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 91 average - 98% recommended - 42 reviews

Critic Reviews

Atomix - Alberto Desfassiaux - Spanish - 90 / 100

Street Fighter 6 is the redemption of the series. The way it presents a huge amount of content will make fans smile. The only setback is the poor execution of the World Tour.

Bazimag - Hamidreza Ghaneei - Persian - 9.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is an exceptional addition to this revered series, poised to secure its longevity for years to come. With its revolutionary combat mechanics and distinctive character designs, this title promises to captivate both players and spectators alike. Moreover, the implementation of novel control systems and offline modes, such as the Word Tour, offers new players a compelling incentive to explore the game. Overall, Street Fighter 6 is a masterpiece that has undoubtedly raised the bar for the entire franchise.

Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 provides the fast and furious action you'd expect from the refined fighting series, offering a dynamic cast of characters, new control modes to make it more accessible, and a variety of features to keep you busy. Its story mode is a campy take on the Street Fighter universe that doesn't always land the winning blow, however; while it's filled with distractions and civilian fighters to take on, it can be a little repetitive and shallow. Still, the technical foundations that Street Fighter stands on are as solid as ever, and with a whole world to battle online, there's a lot of fighting on the menu in what is once again a polished, exciting fighting experience that will keep fans engaged for years.

Console Creatures - Patrick Tremblay - Recommended

Without a doubt, Street Fighter 6 is the best and most accessible entry in the long-running series. Anyone can jump in, and there is a lot of content to keep you busy and practicing on the road to World Champion.

Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 10 / 10

A sublime fighting game masterpiece from a company at the peak of their powers, Street Fighter 6 is utterly incredible.

Daily Mirror - Scott McCrae - 5 / 5

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Enternity.gr - Panagiotis Petropoulos - Greek - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is truly outstanding and manages to set new standards for the franchise.

Eurogamer - Wesley Yin-Poole - Recommended

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its predecessor while dragging the famous fighting game franchise kicking and screaming into the modern era.

Fextralife - Castielle - 8.4 / 10

Capcom delivers and checks the majority of the boxes when it comes to the classic and new features of Street Fighter 6. It heads down a different direction making it more casual while maintaining the core values of the game, allowing it to be a mainstream fighting game for all players. However, with its awkward performance on the PlayStation 4. The concern is, will World Tour have more content and will the performance issues be fixed. We hope these will be addressed. In the meantime, it is recommended to play Street Fighter 6 on current-gen consoles and PC to fully appreciate and enjoy this game.

GGRecon - Jack Roberts - 4.5 / 5

With a slew of fighting games on the horizon like Tekken 8 and the recently announced Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 is leading the charge in the most vibrant way possible. With a series of character guides, story campaigns for classic characters and a fantastic open world for you to take the fight to the streets, it feels like everything I could have asked for from a modern Street Fighter entry.
Despite being the sixth game in the mainline series, Street Fighter 6 is easily one of the most accessible and makes for a fantastic entry point for newer players, while still resonating with series veterans.

GameGrin - Mike Crewe - 9.5 / 10

The most complete Street Fighter title to date, Street Fighter 6 is a must-play for fighting game fans, and one to consider even if you're not familiar with the genre. An engaging, stylish beat 'em up that could well be king of the mountain for years to come.

GameSpot - Jason Fanelli - 9 / 10

Capcom's flagship fighter is back in form with intricate but approachable fighting mechanics and a feature-rich package.

GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is an exceedingly good fighting game. But more than that, it’s an excellent training tool. It’s a fulfilling adventure. It’s a lively community gathering place. It’s an endearingly idealistic and inspiring world of appreciation for martial arts and friendly competition, exceptionally executed in every respect.

Gaming Nexus - Joseph Moorer - 10 / 10

Capcom has given us a complete game right out of the box. The single player experiences are enormous. The online experience is perfect. Street Fighter lore is littered in every nook and cranny of this game. There are modes and modes within modes. This is one of the best Street Fighter games in the history of the franchise. If Capcom hurt you in the past, this is their apology. Street Fighter 6 is a new classic that people will be playing for years to come.

GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak and Abdul Saad - 95 / 100

Street Fighter 6 takes the series to the next stage with a wildly fun fighting system that emphasizes personal choice. Each mainline Street Fighter tends to define its era of fighting games in some way, and Street Fighter 6 confidently steps forward to that next era. From its battle system to its bevvy of modes such as World Tour, it dives deep into everything that makes fighting games great.

God is a Geek - Sean Smith - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is without question the best fighting game package I have ever played, and will keep you going far longer than a one-on-one fighter has any right to be able to. A true classic.

IGN Spain - Adrián Suárez - Spanish - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 confirms a solid and formidable start. Whether it's your first fighting game or you're a lover of the genre, go for it.

Inverse - De'Angelo Epps - 10 / 10

Capcom’s latest takes everything you’d expect from the father of the fighting genre and turns it up to 10. There’s something for everyone here, with no fat or filler to ruin the experience. Street Fighter 6 is the best fighting game experience in a long time, and in the years to come, its impact and legacy could be every bit as massive as Street Fighter 2.

LevelUp - Fernando Salinas - Spanish - 9 / 10

In addition to having a competitive focus, Street Fighter 6 offers a variety of modes filled with content for all types of players. The diversity of characters, their improvements in online modes, and the new control system are some of the reasons that make Street Fighter 6 the strongest contender to become the best fighting game of this generation.

MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 4.5 / 5

Street Fighter 6 is a grand fighting game experience that just keeps building on the series’ strong foundation. Though the World Tour mode and new characters aren’t as stand-out as they could be, the core gameplay is excellent and there’s plenty to enjoy.

Nexus Hub - Keegan Govender - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is not just a comeback for Capcom, but for fighting games entering next-generation consoles as a whole. It feels like a passion project made by a group of people who were tasked by Capcom to make the last Street Fighter we would ever want to play. With its fast-paced gameplay, beautifully implemented new mechanics, and timeless visuals, Street Fighter 6 has solidified itself among the fighting game hall of fame.

Niche Gamer - NECRO XIII - 9 / 10

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PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 89 / 100

Minor technical issues and questionable monetisation scuff what is otherwise one of the best fighting games we've seen in the last decade.

PCGamesN - Christian Vaz - 9 / 10

This is the first Street Fighter game in a long time where it feels like players of all skill levels are welcome. While World Tour mode is disappointing, the sheer scope of SF6 means you don't need to wait for the inevitable Ultra Edition before jumping in.

PSX Brasil - Ivan Nikolai Barkow Castilho - Portuguese - 95 / 100

Street Fighter 6 is another Capcom hit. It's a complete package, offering plenty of content and accessibility for every type of player. The fighting mechanics are varied, fun and take a long time to master. The World Tour mode is interesting and offers something varied for the series, even if it has some issues.

PowerUp! - Charbel Asmar - 9 / 10

At launch, Street Fighter 6 is set to take the fighting game genre to another level

Press Start - James Mitchell - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 rights the wrongs of its past with multiple modes for every player and strong battle systems like no other. It invites new players into the fold with well implemented, simpler control schemes, without losing sight of the hardcore player. The World Tour mode won't be for everyone, but Street Fighter 6 stands tall as one of the best fighters Capcom has made.

Prima Games - Matt Vatankhah - 9.5 / 10

In a sense, Street Fighter VI is the full package. It’s a three-course meal and then some, filling you up to the brim and serving you every dish on the dessert menu whether you’re ready for the check or not. It’s bursting with style, swagger, and abundant sophistication, and it’s the perfect entry for newcomers and veterans alike.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is an absolute humdinger of a sequel. Capcom has created a fighting system that has all of the tactical depth professional players expect but managed to make it fairly easy for casuals to wrap their heads around. Not only that, it's introduced smart ways to onboard newcomers, including a simplified control scheme and a great suite of tutorials, which even extend to the impressively enjoyable RPG-inspired single player story mode. A strong roster of starting characters, near-flawless rollback netcode, and a seemingly never-ending selection of content – including interactive online lobbies with playable retro games – round out another unbelievably impressive effort from the seemingly unstoppable Japanese publisher.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

Smooth online matches and an impressively in-depth story already put Street Fighter 6 leagues above the competition.

Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 9 / 10

A great new entry that caters to both the hardcore and casuals, just missing some modes and more characters that keeps it from perfection.

Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 9 / 10

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Spaziogames - Italian - 9.5 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is simply one of the best fighting games ever made, with ton of contents and an incredibly fun gameplay.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 is one of the easiest on-ramps to the deep world of fighting games, appealing to casual players and veterans alike. With a diverse roster, meaty gameplay, and flashy animations, this will be a FGC staple for years to come.

The Outerhaven Productions - 4 / 5

Street Fighter 6 takes all the mistakes made with Street Fighter V and tries to not make them again. From the one on one traditional fights that we know, have been improved thanks to the addition of the Drive Gage mechanics, to the online modes where a lot of people are going to play. There is very little that Street Fighter 6 does that people won't be happy with… Unless you live in Australia… However, the looming nickel-and-dime ride of Season Pass after Season Pass could make things worse down the line. Street Fighter 6 is an easy day-one buy for the hardcore eSports player base, but casual players might want to wait for a year or more for a more complete game before buying.

TheSixthAxis - Nick Petrasiti - 10 / 10

Street Fighter 6 doesn't need recommending to hardcore fighting fans – you all already know how incredible it is – but do I recommend it for more casual players? Street Fighter 6 has a real sense of community, welcoming all players old and new, teaching new tricks and providing something for those that just want a bit of fun. This is truly a fighting game for everyone.

TrueGaming - Arabic - 9 / 10

Street fighter 6 will keep players busy for long hours thanks to its fresh and innovative fighting system, and its feature-rich content the World Tour mode Finally, friendly controls that welcomes new players to the series are the cherry on top of the cake.

Twinfinite - Keenan McCall - 5 / 5

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Unboxholics - Θέμης Μπολτσής - Greek - Worth your time

Street Fighter 6 is an extremely rich package that successfully manages to win over new players thanks to its new and sophisticated control system, while also winking at veterans, with its balanced, strategic and deep gameplay. It includes everything Street Fighter 5 did, while the development team has added an entire Street Fighter open world RPG and an online MMO on top of it. So, just like that, Capcom's positive...combo continues!

We Got This Covered - David James - 3 / 5

Street Fighter 6 delivers a deep, complex, and satisfying fighting game bristling with fun new characters and an excellent multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, all of that's shackled to a truly terrible single-player RPG that stands as one of the most embarrassing things Capcom has released in years. If you're here for online play, you'll love it. If you want single-player action, stay far away.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 9 / 10

Street Fighter 6 succeeds in its ambition to cram some big things into one fighting game. Battle Hub may be silly, but it has a lot more personality and more to do than most other titles with their own online lobbies. Fighting Ground does a great job of showing off the new roster and improvements to the fighting engine, while placing an equal amount of attention on both offline and online players. World Tour makes for a somewhat nonsensical yet addictive adventure that can serve as a good basis for a full-fledged Street Fighter RPG. All of this is tied together with a presentation that does well in improving what came before it, only with more fidelity and flash. As stated at the beginning of this review, fighting game fans are going to have a good year, and Street Fighter 6 is an excellent component of that.

XboxEra - Nick Baker - 9 / 10

Xbox players have had to wait a long time for Street Fighter to come back to the platform, and luckily got the best iteration yet.

Hello, Reddit Ladies!
Meet Larry - the well-traveled, life-savvy adventurer with just the right blend of sophistication and rugged charm.
Navigating four decades, I've climbed mountains, learned wisdom, and collected passport stamps. I appreciate a vibrant symphony as much as a grungy garage tune, a grand cru as well as a dive-bar draft.
I seek a vivacious woman with a youthful spirit, ready for spontaneous road trips, star-gazing, and engaging dialogues. You're no damsel in distress, but a partner-in-crime for life's sweet chaos. Intrigued? Let's light a fire together, painting our world bright with shared adventures and memories.

Hello fiend fans, I’m vlad to see you back!
Welcome to the fourth installment of the Savage Garden that is The Vampire Lestat, the second book of The Vampire Chronicles series by Anne Rice.
At the risk of going out on a limb, some of the summaries are longer, especially Armand's backstory, which feels like its own book squeezed into one chapter. I’ve got to hand it to the other read runners, it’s not easy to boil down the story.
Today's discussion covers Part 5, Ch 2 - Part 7, Ch 1 per the schedule, if you've read ahead please keep your bloody spoilers to yourself or feel free to post in the Marginalia - don't forget to use proper tags to hide what's ahead. 👀
But enough chit-chop, let’s get a-head.
Chapter 2. Lestat brings Armand to their lair to recuperate, but not without showcasing his strength by damaging the property value and bending the iron bars. Lestat marvels at Armand’s beauty once they are comfy in front of a fireplace, all bruises suddenly gone. Despite his ESP and gaslight efforts, Armand cannot convince them to take him with them on their journey and decides to insult them instead. He also proclaims that all of Lestat’s creations will eventually leave him (including Gabrielle). Before he can bolt in bad blood though Lestat catches him and takes pity on Armand’s sad puppy eyes. Not so Gabrielle, who instead destroys Armand’s worldview with ease. This just increases Lestat’s empathy for the poor little vamp and former coven-leader. Armand then broadcasts his past via ESP.
Chapter 3 ("The Story of Armand"). Born in the southern steppes of Russia, Armand is kidnapped as a child by Tartar horsemen. He is shipped to Constantinople to witness the last days of the Byzantine Empire (A/N: it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453). There he is sold as a sex slave and shipped to Venice. After days of refusal, he is sold to a man with a luminous face, and red velvet clothing. The man (surprise, surprise) turns out to be a vampire and promptly sucks Armand (no, not that kind). The vampire’s house is filled with apprentices, because he is an artist! Armand becomes his model, also Armand now calls him The Master. While The Master is traveling, Armand becomes the second in command until The Master decides to turn Armand. Before that, he makes a grand speech comparing Armand to Prometheus (you know what happened to Prometheus, right?). He also learns that The Master’s mysterious journeys are to take care of Those Who Must Be Kept and that he’s been doing this for over A THOUSAND YEARS. He tells Armand that he isn’t yet ready to join him, which is a fortunate decision, because half a year later a coven of vampires attacks them, burns The Master in a pyre and questions Armand about everything he knows about Those Who Must Be Kept which is nil. Through the coven, we learn that The Master’s name is Marius. Instead of killing Armand they make him swear to serve Satan, and he is now part of the Children of Darkness. This also means he has to renounce all earthly pleasures. As an initiation ritual, they perform an intricate musical dance interlude.
He doesn't tell the coven that he can still hear Marius calling for him, but he doesn't quite believe it himself. He meets the leader of the coven, Santino, who was born a vampire during the Black Death. He tells him the history of vampires: They have always existed, and this coven is their final perfection (wow, short history). Armand also gets some more ground rules (yay):

1. Each coven has a leader who is the only one allowed to anoint others to become vampires
2. Only certain people can become vampires. Excluded are disabled people, children, and ugly people.
3. Only young vampires are allowed to make other vampires, so that they are born weak (Santino also tells him that no living vampire is older than 300 years - Marius doesn’t count because he is apparently dead).
4. It’s not allowed to kill vampires, unless the coven leader allows it.
5. The vampire identity must be kept a secret. No written proof is allowed, this means no personal data or vampire history can be written down.

Santino explains that vampires who have survived for thousands of years are called Children of the Millenia. He tells him all the legends of ancient vampires are false, except for Marius, which is totally the only exception.
Despite his good effort as a Child of Darkness (eventually becoming a coven leader himself) Armand becomes depressed. Years pass, Santino eventually vanishes from the coven in Rome, Lestat emerges and reminds Armand of Marius.
Background info on Venetian painting
Prometheus in Greek mythology
Chapter 4. We are back in Paris with Lestat and Gabrielle. Lestat’s thoughts are preoccupied with Marius’s paintings that must still exist in some places the coven didn't dare to go. He also believes Marius could still be alive. Armand denies this idea. Armand reveals there is no communication with the coven in Rome anymore. Lestat reveals that he is more fascinated by Marius than Armand, because Marius, like Lestat, is a rebel at heart, and Armand has always had a slave mentality. He explains that Armand despairs of deceiving people, which is why he despises the vampire theater, while Lestat prefers to be seen, even if it means that everyone runs away in horror. They convince Armand he should join the theater and live amongst people again. Also, please don't hurt Nicki. They make their goodbyes and Armand promises them the next time they'll meet he'll be in his final form.
Chapter 5. Lestat finds Gabrielle in the crypt, poking at the fire, saying she is done with all this vampire lore nonsense. She doesn't believe a word of what Armand has said and chides Lestat for his naivete. If there are Children of the Millennium, they must be where Gabrielle wants to go - far from human life. They end their night with Gabrielle deciding to sleep in the dirt and Lestat carving a message for Marius in a stone of an abandoned village, saying he is looking for him.
Part 6: On the Devil's Road from Paris to Cairo
Chapter 1. Lestat and Gabrielle travel throughout Europe and Asia Minor. Sometimes they find covens, but they are all on the verge of collapse. Lestat leaves his little messages for Marius wherever he goes. They meet all kinds of fascinating vampires, but learn nothing of their history. In Rome, they learn that the coven still exists and are even welcomed into it. Unlike the Parisian coven, the Roman coven has changed over time. Lestat thinks the reason for the different fates is that the people in Rome are much more superstitious, which gives the coven more room to move, while Paris is very secular, which forces Armand's coven into a corner. He hears from Rouget and Eleni that the theater is a success, and people marvel at their inanimate, puppet-like nature. Nicki is the inspiration behind it, but he is also unpredictable at times. During his travels, Lestat reads up on the lore of Osiris. Like Osiris, vampires cannot reproduce. Gabrielle dismisses this, saying that Lestat picks and chooses the lore that he feels fits his vampire destiny. Lestat and Gabrielle continue to drift apart.
Chapter 2. Gabrielle increasingly goes off on her own, leaving behind a bitter Lestat. They argue about their family. Gabrielle no longer cares for them, Lestat does. Lestat is also unhappy with Gabrielle's bluntness and philosophical ideas. Gabrielle calls Satan a man's invention and that the creatures of darkness need a great Satanic leader to bring evil into this world. Lestat declares he would be the first to start a war because he would not follow such a leader. Gabrielle is more adventurous than Lestat, experimenting with her limits as a vampire, such as sleeping in the earth or killing people in their sleep.
Chapter 3. In Paris the political turmoil has reached a climax. The public wants to see the aristocracy burn, and Nicki needs to be detained and forced to continue writing. He is also on the verge of exposing them as vampires. Lestat debates whether to return to Paris, but decides to go to Cairo with Gabrielle instead. In Cairo, Lestat receives a package containing Nicki's violin. He discovers that Armand had imprisoned him and cut off his hands. The hands grow back, but the incident has left his marks on Nicki. He kills himself, by throwing himself into the flames during a Sabbat organized by Armand. Gabrielle acts a little nicer around Lestat after this (they even visit a brothel together?!), but when she gives him an ultimatum to go where she wants, how she wants, Lestat cannot cave and they decide to part ways. He finds out Gabrielle has hidden additional letters from Roget to dissuade Lestat from his human bonds. The letters tell of the storm on the Bastille and that his family is dead except for his father, who has fled to New Orleans and begs Lestat to come to his aid. Gabrielle warns him not to go, but Lestat dismisses her.
Chapter 4. Lestat dreams that he has turned his entire family into vampires, and they live a happy family life, thanking him for his dark gift.
Chapter 5. Lestat decides to go to New Orleans. He and Gabrielle have a teary (bloody!) goodbye, and she makes him promise not to end his life before coming back to her. He promises her to never end his life. Just before dawn, Lestat notices a human entering the house. Lestat hurls the man out of the house, before running away into a burnt down house and burying himself in the garden soil.
Chapter 6. Lestat is stuck in the soil after days of not drinking blood. He has philosophical conversations with himself in his head, sometimes Nicki takes on the other persona.
Chapter 7. Lestat hears a sound in the night that he cannot recognize at first. It is a person coming toward him, a person all other creatures fear. Lestat thinks it is Death. It's a vampire, the most beautiful being Lestat has ever seen, he even has to avert his eyes. The vampire lets Lestat drink from him. It is Marius!
Part 7: Ancient Magic, Ancient Mysteries
Chapter 1. Lestat is aboard a ship with Marius and is very attracted to the man (of course). They hold hands. Through his ESP, Lestat hears people speaking in Greek that The Master is back. On some level, they must know what he is. They climb a narrow staircase and arrive at a massive fortress. Marius uses his mind power to unlock the bolt and gives Lestat a room to sleep in. Lestat finds his belongings already in the room, including the violin he thought was lost. He finds a sarcophagus made of the hardest stone on earth, and a matching golden mask and gloves so he won't be burned if someone opens the lid. He leaves the room to search for the master of the house.
If you’ve read this far, fang-tastic! I’m looking forward to the discussion in the comments!

This past Sunday I was out riding and while getting on the highway, checked over my shoulder to make sure it was safe to merge. As I turned back forward I saw that the seams between lanes were horribly potholed and broken up, I had no time to react and my front tire sunk into a wannabe Grand Canyon. My bike immediately started to “death wobble” I tried to power through it as this pulls weight off the front tire and can enable the rider to regain control. However the shake got to violent too quick and I lost my grip on the throttle which caused the bike to decelerate and worsen the wobble until it dumped over and sent me tumbling.
My bike is in rough shape as you can see and I am pretty banged up as well.
My question here, is there anyway to pursue action against the county/state/road commission? I was obeying all traffic laws, wasn’t speeding or driving dangerously and there were no signs to indicate that the road was in such a horrible state.
Our Governor here ran on a platform that she would “Fix the damn roads!” And yet I have now lost a tire and wheel on my car and a Motorcycle to potholes.
Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!