(06-30-2022, 03:01 PM)Jinx999 Wrote: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/pound-the-table-an-x-men-self-insert.951637/page-162#post-85303658

And Pound the Table, Marvel SI has updated. And the spidey arc thickens.

Quote:In another area of marked divergence among the major Abrahamic faiths, consider the differences in respective conceptions of ‘venerable holy person’ between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, termed, respectively, as Tzadik, Saint, and Wali, each of them in turn embodying the orthoprax (correct practice) or orthodox (correct belief) nature of their respective faiths. First, we come to terminological differences that differentiate how these concepts are even conceived of. In Judaism, Tzadik is derived from the root word צדק, tsedek, which means ‘righteousness,’ ‘fairness,’ or ‘justice,’ whereas Saint is derived from the Latin Sanctus, meaning ‘holy,’ and Wali literally translates as ‘Friend of God’ and is often given the connotations of ‘master’, ‘authority’, ‘custodian,’ or ‘protector’.

For Judaism, a tzadik is, in essence, someone who exemplifies the orthopraxic nature of the religion—following Jewish laws in a righteous manner, acting with humility, and when they do lead, leading by example and education. Other related concepts that cast light on the position that tzadikim hold within Judaism include Tzedakah, which is the giving of contributions of money or resources to the needy and to good causes. Compared with the Christian concept of ‘charity’, where the giving of such contributions is framed as an act of philanthropic goodwill and generosity on the part of the giver, in Judaism, tzedakah is an ethical requirement to live a righteous life, as exemplified by the tzadik. In short, a Jewish tzadik is venerated and held up as exemplary not because they are innately holy or blessed or pious, but because their actions exemplify that which is held as the correct path of the Jewish ideal and draw them closer to the divine as a result.

In contrast, a Christian saint is an individual of exemplary faith, as suiting the orthodox nature of the religion…

—Divine Light Through The Gem Of Man: Studying The Many Facets Of The Holy, Waterford University Press, 1692

(06-26-2022, 07:35 PM)SilverFang01 Wrote: The odds were never in my favor: Third task of the Triwizard Tournament

(07-05-2022, 08:08 PM)Bob Schroeck Wrote:

(06-26-2022, 07:35 PM)SilverFang01 Wrote: The odds were never in my favor: Third task of the Triwizard Tournament

So I've started reading this on my vacation, and I can only guess the author is not a native speaker of English because the sheer number of boneheaded malapropisms is beyond anything I might expect from a poorly educated native speaker.  Characters "drawled" their wands?  A chessboard is called an "exchequer"?  And the grammar/usage is awful, and there are missing words in nearly every sentence.  It's a pity, because it's such an intriguing alternate Harry Potter verse and I dearly want to find out the point of divergence. But the writing is so bad I frequently want to stop reading and delete it from my kindle, and I have absolutely no faith the author will even bother to even suggest why its 'verse so different from canon.

(07-06-2022, 11:01 AM)batzulger Wrote: I've been reading it since it started. It really is its own thing and I really dig it, weird word choices and all. They're in the middle of the Tri-Wizard Tournament right now and it is nothing like the one in the book.

(07-06-2022, 11:48 AM)chibipoe Wrote:

(07-06-2022, 11:01 AM)batzulger Wrote: I've been reading it since it started. It really is its own thing and I really dig it, weird word choices and all. They're in the middle of the Tri-Wizard Tournament right now and it is nothing like the one in the book.

Yeah, word choices/language issues aside, the more it has deviated away from canon HP into becoming its own thing, the more I've liked it and the Tri-wizard being completely different has been neat. (It does feel like year 4 may be the big finale, at least(that or just the beginning), and I'm entertained enough to keep following.

Quote: Death Song: Mystery-class dragon

Overview: Diurnal close support and economic dragon; primarily useful in civilian life, with tactical applications in non-lethal crowd control. Their acoustic skills can assist in calming even agitated combatants, and while the dragon is notably visually striking, most individuals have significant skill in stealth and ambush, and will hide if necessary, rendering them difficult to counterattack. On the modern battlefield they have little tactical use, but historically saw application in disrupting mass infantry formations. Furthermore, their ‘amber’ breath can be useful in immobilizing small numbers of closely packed targets.

Breath Type: Rapid-setting binary polymer plastic. Historically this material was confused with fossilized tree resin (amber), as it closely resembles that material in coloration and gross mechanical characteristics. Death Songs are capable of ingesting and recycling this material, along with other plastic polymers, limited primarily by individual tolerance for taste.

Identification: Large adult size. Gold to red coloration along the wings and main body. Single wing pair, two legs with grasping claws incapable of fine manual dexterity, long whiplike tail with barbs and small fins at terminus. Wings are scalloped inwards between the supporting ribs, and feature large eyespots and other patterns on the inner and outer surfaces. Large spines along the spine, and fins and long horns on the head. Distinctive songs (See Death Song Appendix C for audio recording).

Strategic Role: Crowd control, non-lethal immobilization of high-value targets, tactical distractions, and morale support.

Known Weaknesses: Extremely eye-catching; while skilled at stealth, these dragons find it hard to hide again once spotted. Counter-acoustics can distract or enrage them, making them break stealth with ease.

Phenotype Cluster: B2FØS5+S4-S3!M4+TØTØ

Populations: Small and scattered. Primarily located around the Aegean and Black Seas, Death Songs, also known as the Siren Dragon, have been reported in numerous nests scattered as far away as the northwestern Vestrilands, as well as individual isolates connected to no known nest. Note that isolated individuals tend to be undersocialized and hostile as a result, with recorded instances of cannibalism of other dragons by these individuals.

—North Sea Empire, Office of Draconic Intelligence, Dragon Breed Profiles (Declassified), 1822 Edition