recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Journey to 10,000 BC

JOURNEY TO 10,000 BC visits early human and archaeological sites and uses computer animation to explore the daily life of the first humans in North America. Experience the suspense and heart-pounding action of a woolly mammoth hunt. A single kill could feed the tribe for weeks. As the winters grow curiously colder and longer, this vital source of nourishment becomes even more critical. Cold and hungry the fragile communities undertook even more dangerous hunting expeditions.
Tenontosaurus

Perhaps the most striking feature of *Tenontosaurus* is the tail which actually takes up more than half the total body length.‭ ‬This tail was supported by a network of strong tendons which ensured it was always carried erect off the ground.‭ ‬It is in reference to these tendons that *Tenontosaurus* was given its name in‭ ‬1970.‭ ‬However the first *Tenontosaurus* remains were discovered in‭ ‬1903,‭ ‬and later it was given the informal name of 'Tenantosaurus' by Barnum Brown.‭ ‬Because this name was informal it is not regarded as a synonym,‭ ‬and the re-spelled version of *Tenontosaurus* by John Ostrom is now its scientifically recognised name.

      Over the years there have been over sixty specimens of *Tenontosaurus* recovered,‭ ‬strongly suggesting that it would have been a common sight during the Aptian and Albian periods of the Cretaceous.‭ ‬Many of these remains also have preserved fossils of the carnivorous dinosaur *Deinonychus*,‭ ‬especially the teeth of these predators.‭ ‬One fossil site also has five *Deinonychus* individuals fossilised in close proximity to the remains of a *Tenontosaurus*.‭ ‬This has been interpreted as evidence of pack hunting in these dinosaurs although it is by no means conclusive proof.

      Study of the fossil sites and the periods they come from has brought the suggestion that *Tenontosaurus* could adapt to life in different kinds of environments.‭ ‬The start of the Albian period was known for its arid conditions,‭ ‬but as time progressed it steadily grew wetter into a tropical climate featuring river deltas and swamps during the wet seasons to a savannah climate during the dry.‭ ‬Despite these changing climates,‭ *‬Tenontosaurus* continued to thrive as evidenced from its numerous remains in the fossil record.

      As a dinosaur *Tenontosaurus* was once classed as a hypsilophdontid until that group was restructured,‭ ‬the result of which has seen *Tenontosaurus* now classified as a primitive iguanodont.‭ Because of its long forelimbs and strong finger bones,‭ ‬it seems that *Tenontosaurus* was primarily quadrupedal.‭ ‬It is however likely that the long tail would have worked as an effective counterbalance,‭ ‬allowing *Tenontosaurus* to rear up on its hind legs to reach a greater range of plant material that would have been out of reach of other low browsers. *Tenontosaurus* is one of many dinosaurs to have medullary bone tissue found on their femurs.‭ ‬Study of other specimens suggests that these dinosaurs were able to reproduce before they were fully grown.
Werewolf

The werewolf is a mythological animal and the subject of many stories throughout the world—and more than a few nightmares. Werewolves are, according to some legends, people who morph into vicious, powerful wolves. Others are a mutant combination of human and wolf. But all are bloodthirsty beasts who cannot control their lust for killing people and animals.

It’s unclear exactly when and where the werewolf legend originated. Some scholars believe the werewolf made its debut in *The Epic of Gilgamesh*, the oldest known Western prose, when Gilgamesh jilted a potential lover because she had turned her previous mate into a wolf.

Werewolves made another early appearance in Greek mythology with the Legend of Lycaon. According to the legend, Lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, angered the god Zeus when he served him a meal made from the remains of a sacrificed boy. As punishment, the enraged Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves.

Werewolves also emerged in early Nordic folklore. The *Saga of the Volsungs* tells the story of a father and son who discovered wolf pelts that had the power to turn people into wolves for ten days. The father-son duo donned the pelts, transformed into wolves and went on a killing rampage in the forest. Their rampage ended when the father attacked his son, causing a lethal wound. The son only survived because a kind raven gave the father a leaf with healing powers.
Billy the Kid

Bonney, Jr., original name Henry McCarty?, (born November 23, 1859?, New York, New York, U.S.—died July 14, 1881, Fort Sumner, New Mexico), American outlaw who was one of the most notorious gunfighters of the American West. Although he claimed to have killed 21 men, the actual number is likely less than 10. At about age 21, Billy the Kid was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

Born on New York City’s East Side, Billy as a child migrated with his parents to Kansas; his father died there, and the mother and her two boys moved to Colorado, where she remarried. The family moved to New Mexico, and, in his early teens, Billy fell into a career of thievery and lawlessness, wandering throughout the Southwest and northern Mexico, often with gangs. In December 1880 he was captured by Garrett and stood trial for murder in Mesilla, New Mexico, in April 1881; he was found guilty and was sentenced to hang. He escaped jail on April 28, however, killing two deputies, and remained at large until tracked down and ambushed by Garrett, who shot him dead on the evening of July 14 at the ranch home of Pete Maxwell. Billy the Kid’s grave is in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Man of the Woods (Lore Book)

by Carl Dorc

The First Men were the favored people of what today we call the Wood Man, for he was one of their chief deities. This divine, touched by the devotion shown to him by his chosen people, granted them his blessings, to ease the burdens with which they fought so often.

These blessings came through their Druids, who would mold the shapes of the animals of the land to fulfill their purposes. Large wildcats who could deftly lead their owners through the forests, scaled oxen who could swim through the swamps while pulling the wooden boats our wildling ancestors so favored, and small, feathered beasts to chase off hungry foxes from the grazing chicks, were just a few of the many creatures they commanded.

It was through their devotion to the Wood Man that the animals of the land were docile and tame, harming not a soul among the people. And it was his blessing that kept the evil beasts, beasts who came not from the woods protected by the divine, at bay and away from the First Men.

But as the Vengard people came and spread their ways, and the First Men faded into obscurity, so too did worship of the Wood Man, and so did his blessings. Many fantastical beasts were lost to time for they could not breed. Large beasts of burden became wild and ferocious. And the Wood Man's blessing, which had kept so many monsters at bay for time uncounted, had faded. With these changes the old realm of the divine, which is what we would come to know as Vengard, became a realm like any other; violent and at the mercy of a cruel world.
This is not to say that the practices with which his Druids conducted their rituals were not cruel in manner and in execution. Dreadful rituals of which we now condemn were common, and, in the opinion of this most humble author, were best forgotten. Such things are best removed from memory.
101 Gadgets that Changed the World

The history of the gadget is both the history of invention and the history of men's lives. What man doesn't remember when he mastered the iPhone, the Swiss Army Knife, or the Walkman? While they are personal milestones, gadgets can change the course of history. How did the transistor radio create Rock and Roll, or the audio-cassette overthrow the Shah of Iran? Popular Mechanics Magazine partners with History(tm) on this two-hour special, assembling a panel of the world's most renowned tech gurus to generate the definitive list. 101 Gadgets That Changed the World is hosted by Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver) and features Popular Mechanics' James Meigs, Jim Cameron, James Dyson and others discussing the gadgets that inspired, amused or confused them. Is the combination lock the most influential gadget ever invented? The Zippo lighter? The bra? It's a fast paced countdown to Number 1. To make our list of 101, a gadget had to be something you could hold in your hands, mechanical or electronic, and a mass-produced personal item. The rest was up to the judges. Check out our selections, and let us know in the Post’s what you think!
The Egyptian Book of the Dead

It's a story that spans 4,000 years, older than the Bible...and it's all true. It was lost for thousands of years, discovered a century ago, and its true meaning recently resurrected by the miracle of computer graphics! The reason the Egyptians built the pyramids, it's the first written description of any religion--and is the likely source of the 10 Commandments! In this feature-length special we follow the ancient scroll from creation around 1800 BC near the site of the Egyptian city of Thebes, to rediscovery (and theft!) in 1887 AD. Join us in a tale that spans from the age of papyrus to the age of silicon...and beyond. Biblical scholars agree that portions of the Old Testament are direct descendants of the Egyptian text, and some archaeologists argue that Moses must have read and carried a copy of it with him when he fled Egypt! And now, a new generation is reexamining the ancient text for wisdom that can still affect our inner lives!
Strength Domain

***Strength can’t be taught. It must be built through practice and training. Gods of Strength value hard work and dedication before they can instill their powers to their clerics. Clerics of Strength are generally very athletic and spend as much time working out as in prayer, sometimes at the same time.***

 1st
 3rd
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 7th
 9th

### Bonus Proficiency

At 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

### Acolyte of Strength

At 1st level, you learn one druid cantrip of your choice. You also gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Athletics, Nature, or Survival.

### Channel Divinity: Feat of Strength

At 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to enhance your physical might. When you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw using Strength, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

### Channel Divinity: Blessing of Power

At 6th level, when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw using Strength, you can use your reaction to grant that creature a +10 bonus to the roll, using your Channel Divinity. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fail.

### Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage of the same type dealt by the weapon to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

### Avatar of Battle

At 17th level, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
George Washington

George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83) and served two terms as the first U.S. president, from 1789 to 1797. The son of a prosperous planter, Washington was raised in colonial Virginia. As a young man, he worked as a surveyor then fought in the French and Indian War (1754-63). During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became a national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution. Two years later, Washington became America’s first president. Realizing that the way he handled the job would impact how future presidents approached the position, he handed down a legacy of strength, integrity and national purpose. Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, at age 67. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, at his family’s plantation on Pope’s Creek in Westmoreland County, in the British colony of Virginia, to Augustine Washington (1694-1743) and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington (1708-89). George, the eldest of Augustine and Mary Washington’s six children, spent much of his childhood at Ferry Farm, a plantation near Fredericksburg, Virginia. After Washington’s father died when he was 11, it’s likely he helped his mother manage the plantation.
Jesus Christ

**Jesus** (c. 6 to 4 BC – AD 30 or 33), also referred to as **Jesus Christ**, **Jesus of Nazareth**, and several other names and titles, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion. Most Christians believe Jesus to be the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited Messiah, the Christ that is prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.

Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically. Accounts of Jesus' life are contained in the Gospels, especially the four canonical Gospels in the New Testament. Academic research has yielded uncertainty on the historical reliability of the Gospels and how closely they reflect the historical Jesus. Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was circumcised, was baptized by John the Baptist, began his own ministry, and was often referred to as "rabbi". Jesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God, engaged in healings, taught in parables, and gathered followers. He was arrested in Jerusalem and tried by the Jewish authorities, turned over to the Roman government, and crucified on the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea. After his death, his followers believed he rose from the dead, and the community they formed eventually became the early Christian Church. Accounts of his teachings and life were initially conserved by oral transmission, which was the source of the written Gospels.

Christian theology includes the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin named Mary, performed miracles, founded the Christian Church, died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement for sin, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, from where he will return. Commonly, Christians believe Jesus enables people to be reconciled to God. The Nicene Creed asserts that Jesus will judge the living and the dead, either before or after their bodily resurrection, an event tied to the Second Coming of Jesus in Christian eschatology. The great majority of Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son, the second of three persons of the Trinity. The birth of Jesus is celebrated annually on 25 December as Christmas. His crucifixion is honored on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The world's most widely used calendar era—in which the current year is AD 2023 (or 2023 CE)—is based on the approximate birthdate of Jesus.

Jesus is also revered in the Baha'i faith, the Druze faith, Islam and Manichaeism. In Islam, Jesus (often referred to by his Quranic name *ʿĪsā*) is considered the penultimate prophet of God and the messiah, who will return before the Day of Judgement. Muslims believe Jesus was born of the virgin Mary but was neither God nor a son of God. Most Muslims do not believe that he was killed or crucified but that God raised him into Heaven while he was still alive. In contrast, Judaism rejects the belief that Jesus was the awaited messiah, arguing that he did not fulfill messianic prophecies, was not lawfully anointed and was neither divine nor resurrected.
Genghis Khan

**Genghis Khan** (born **Temüjin**; c. 1162–25 August 1227), also known as **Chinggis Khan**, was the founder and first khagan of the Mongol Empire, which later became the largest contiguous land empire in history. Having spent the majority of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns that conquered large parts of China and Central Asia.

Born between 1155 and 1167 and given the name Temüjin, he was the oldest child of Yesugei, a Mongol chieftain of the Borjigin clan, and his wife Hoelun of the Olkhonud clan. Yesugei died when Temüjin was eight, and his family was abandoned by their tribe in the Mongol steppe. Temüjin gradually built up a small following and allied with Jamukha and Toghrul, two other Mongol chieftains, in campaigns against other Mongol tribes. Due to the erratic nature of the sources, this period of Temüjin's life is uncertain; he may have spent this time as a servant of the Jin dynasty. The alliances with Jamukha and Toghrul failed completely in the early 13th century, but Temüjin was able to defeat both individuals and claim sole rulership over the Mongol tribes. He formally adopted the title "Genghis Khan" at a *kurultai* in 1206.

With the tribes fully united, Genghis set out on a campaign of conquest. Having vassalised the Western Xia state by 1211, he then invaded the Jin dynasty in northern China, forcing the Jin emperor Xuanzong to abandon the northern half of his kingdom in 1214. In 1218, Qara Khitai, a Central Asian khanate, was annexed by Mongol forces, allowing Genghis to lead an invasion of the neighbouring Khwarazmian Empire in the following year. The invading Mongols toppled the Khwarazmian state and devastated the regions of Transoxiana and Khorasan, while another expedition penetrated as far as Georgia and Kievan Rus'. In 1227, Genghis died while besieging the rebellious Western Xia; his third son and heir Ögedei succeeded him to the throne two years later.

The Mongol military campaigns begun by Genghis saw widespread destruction and millions of deaths across Asia and Eastern Europe. The Mongol army that he built was renowned for flexibility, discipline, and organisation, while his empire established itself upon meritocratic principles. Genghis also codified the Mongol legal system, promoted religious tolerance, and encouraged pan-Eurasian trade through the *Pax Mongolica*. He is revered and honoured in present-day Mongolia as a symbol of national identity and a central figure of Mongolian culture.
Jesse James

Jesse James was a bank and train robber in the American Old West, best known as the leading member of the James-Younger gang of outlaws.

## Who Was Jesse James?

Jesse James and his brother Frank served for the Confederate Army before embarking on criminal careers in the Old West. The James brothers made a name for themselves as bank and train robbers, leading the James-Younger gang. Gang member Robert Ford killed Jesse James in 1882, after which James became a legend of the Old West.

## Early Life

American outlaw, robber and legendary figure Jesse Woodson James was born on September 5, 1847, in Kearney, Missouri.

Jesse and his brother Frank James were educated and hailed from a prestigious family of farmers. Their father, the Reverend Robert James, was a Baptist minister who married Zerelda Cole James and moved from Kentucky to Missouri in 1842. In the summer of 1863, the James farm was brutally attacked by Union soldiers.

Jesse was 16 when he and Frank became Confederate guerrilla soldiers, riding alongside William Quantrill and “Bloody Bill” Anderson.
Mankind the story of all of us

In 2010, History's 12-hour series `America the Story of Us' illustrated how technology advanced human progress throughout American history. This follow-up series takes it a step further by expanding beyond America and taking a look at how technology has evolved throughout the world. The series covers key events that were turning points in the human journey in transitioning from being hunter-gatherers to global citizens, including how people's lives in one part of the world are affected by events elsewhere. Among the topics covered are surviving the Ice Age, discovering farming techniques, the invention of movable type, creating the Industrial Revolution and exploring space. Actor Josh Brolin narrates.
Prayers before the Sept Camp

A long, long time ago, the Fire Lord and the Water Lady walked the earth, living among humans as equals. Without their light, the Earth turned peacefully beneath the light of the stars.For generations, the people of the world were happy this way, watched over by their two guardians.

The first guardian was mysterious and beautiful, with flowing hair that glistened silvery white, glowing eyes of deepest blue and skin paler than milk.Every step she took caused new stars to burst from the ground and leap into the sky, and her people worshipped her as a symbol of feminine beauty. They called her The Water Lady .

The second guardian was strong and handsome, with warm golden eyes, copper-brown skin and a mane of soft black curls.Even his very laugh could make spring roses bloom from their buds, and his followers adored him for his easy ways and the bright glorious smile with which he could light up the whole world.

As the sun rises in the morning, let us arise from this battle. As it dispels the shadows from the night, let us dispel the enemies that stand on your path. As it lights up the dark corners of this world, let be illuminated by your holy power. If any of us fall, allows us into your holy heavens.

You ALL mighty for this will be the moment i will pave in history in your greatness relinquishing the evil of this realm which my brothers have given their life for not knowing what they were doing, save their souls cuz they have been let astray by the lyre This moment will pave their entrance in your havens if they wish to joinGLORY AWAITS US BY YOUR SIDE NO MATTER THE OUTCOME

Water lady, please keep a watchful eye on me and my companions in this dire hour.Part a piece of divine knowledge upon me and my companionsWe put forth our faith and offer our prayers to you.Help us banish the evil into the shadows and restore the balance once more.
302nd Hunger Games

The 302nd Hunger Games took place in an archipelago and were won by District 2's Kaius Juno.

## The Games

This year's cornucopia was situated over the deepest part of the ocean. The cornucopia was surrounded by neon green rafts carrying extra supplies. During the bloodbath, 8 tributes died including career Dendro from District 7.

## Trivia

* Kaius Juno was a descendant of the 75th Victor, Vulcan Juno
Assassination of Martin Luther King

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. An hour later, he was declared dead. For nearly 50 years, the federal government has maintained that James Earl Ray was the gunman who assassinated King that day. But within Martin Luther King’s family, there remains a persistent belief that Ray is innocent, and was set up to take the fall.

FBI investigators at the time traced the shot to a rooming house across the street, and witnesses directed them to a large bundle dropped on the sidewalk after the shooting. It contained a pair of binoculars, a newspaper with a story about King staying at the Lorraine Motel, and a .30-06 Remington Gamemaster that had fired one shot. All three bore the fingerprints of an escaped convict named James Earl Ray.

Ray, a white supporter of segregationist George Wallace, was a career criminal who’d been convicted at least four separate times for robbing a cafe, a taxi, a post office, and a grocery store. A year before, he’d escaped from Missouri State Penitentiary while serving a 20-year sentence, and was on the lam at the time King was shot. An international manhunt led to his capture in June 1968 at Heathrow Airport in London, where he was caught carrying two fake Canadian passports. Ray confessed to the crime on March 10, 1969 and received a 99-year prison sentence, which increased to a 100-year sentence after he briefly escaped in 1977.

But within a few days of confessing, Ray began to claim his innocence, arguing that that he had been set up by a man he knew only as “Raoul.” It was Raoul, Ray said, who had directed him to buy the gun and the binoculars, and rent the room across the street from the motel. Ray said he wasn’t in the room when King was shot, but he was unable to consistently explain where he had been, or keep other important details in his story straight. Over several decades, federal investigators have routinely concluded that Raoul doesn’t exist.
Facets of Darkness

by Taqar at Awil

Our land of Shedom is eternally scorched by a cruel Sun.

This we have come to accept, having been born under the cruel whims of our tormentor above, and having lived so far under his burning gaze.

Yet our benevolent father forever returns, at night, to cast his blanket of succor over our parched skins, throats, and minds. After a day of toil spent in torture, the Black One comes to reward us. The day becomes still, and covered in darkness. A reminder of the beckoning silence of the Far Beyond.

Why does he do this? Because we are his chosen people, perhaps, even though some of my brethren would jump at my throat were I to exclaim that in their presence. We do horrible things, it is true - but what is the application of will unto the world after having let it make us suffer so? We do what we do because we can. It is the law of our people.

This one thinks that the Black One has chosen to bless us due to one of his cyclical whims, for during his never-ending existence, he has surely chosen to comfort far more people than only our accursed race. You might detect a strange tone in my writing, for it almost seems as if my thoughts are against my people.

In truth, they are. I love my kin as much as I hate them. I feel revulsion at our lives, yet have come to see disdain as pleasure, for it feeds the baser senses which our father below gifted to us when we first emerged from the Far Beyond. Engorging on emotion is a most primal experience.

This is another one of the Black One's blessings, for it allows us to power the art which allows us to shape the materia that surrounds us. It is with willpower and emotions such as jealousy or anger that a sorcerer can summon demons from the Far Beyond or fling balls of blackened crackling energy at their enemies. We have been infused with the essence of the Black One, and it has been so ever since our settling.

Our father is worshipped in many ways by all of the myriad of cultures our homeland encompasses. The Shedomites are hardly a united people, for we are all descended from the lost nomads of ages past, yet have come to grow farther and farther away from each other as a circumstance of our surroundings and our histories.

To some of the nomads who still roam the deserts surrounding our city-states, he is called the Nightbringer, and is the master of beasts, for they are rightly scared of the nightly manifestations of the tenebrous hounds that are scouring the land for unbelievers to devour.

In other corners, the dark wisps that cover certain areas seemingly at random are worshipped as the very presence of the Black One, while the taught ones of the cities on the shores of the ocean see them nothing more as natural manifestations of the black energy that emanates from the ground.

The wise Qabalist understands that the dark father is everywhere, and all is passed down from him. Once you understand this secret, you will come to see the world as different, and everything will make sense. It is only a matter of revelation.
An Axe to Grind (Axe Spec.)

By Thelen Ornjrarg

You Vengards are all always so obsessed with your swords this, swords that. Your fancy champions got to have swords. Your whelps always got to dream of finding your ‘Aernaltarn’s and ‘Dauntless’s. And it doesn’t make a lick of sense to me. What’s wrong with using an axe?! I don’t have any issue with swords, but I have to wonder what it is that stops you from seeing an axe does just as good. So I have taken it upon meself to enlighten you all.

It's design is as functional as it has been for time out of mind. A haft of good, sturdy wood topped with a head of metal with a generous beard. Already, the axe proves cheaper to produce than a fancy sword. But the wonders do not stop here, for the axe does the sword's job of cutting *better* than a sword. Try cutting down a tree with a straight blade. Didn't work, did it? Now use a good old fashioned lumber axe. See how the axe chewed through that bark when a sword just gets stuck? Now imagine it's some foe-man trying to gut you. Yeah. And don't think their only come in the admittedly most desireable form of a Northling Axe nearly as tall as a man. No they come in smaller sizes, so your youngin's can start practicing right quick, or if a warrior loses his hand so he can just strap a shield to the stump and get back into the thick of things....

(The rest of the book quickly devolves into a display of blatant favouritism towards axes above all other weapons, citing any advantages other weapons have to be 'crutches and cheap tricks useful only against shite warriors'. Despite this, any reader who looks closer would notice there is in fact sound advice regarding the usage of axes hidden away in the pages.)
How the Earth was Made

**How the Earth Was Made** There's a lot of information in How the Earth Was Made, but perhaps the most interesting relates to time. Quite often, the numbers are so staggering that scientists refer to it as "deep time," an appropriate term when one grapples with the notion that our planet is 4.5 billion

years old, or that the oceans were formed by rainfall that lasted literally millions of years, or that 700 million years ago, Earth was completely covered by ice that was a mile thick, with surface temperatures reaching minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other end of the scale are numbers that seem surprisingly small: for instance, it wasn't until 220 years ago that the accepted church doctrine regarding the planet's age (no more than 6000 years, according to the Bible) was seriously challenged and that the key to its past was found in rocks, not scripture, while the discovery that dinosaurs once ruled the Earth came considerably later than that. Using a combination of computer graphics and animation, various drawings and diagrams, photos, location footage, and expert commentary, this fascinating, 94-minute History Channel production takes us from the very beginning, when the planet was formed by meteors colliding in space, through numerous major events (including the appearance of water, granite, and oxygen) and mind-boggling catastrophes (such as mass extinctions caused by volcanic eruptions or the enormous meteor that wiped out 75% of all living things, including the dinosaurs, some 65 million years ago), right up to the present; there's even a glimpse into the future, when Earth will likely end up as barren and lifeless as Mars (no need to hit the panic button yet, though--a few billion more years will pass before that happens). Bonus features include additional scenes and a documentary entitled "Inside the Volcano."
Order of Fire

The **Order of Fire** is the priesthood of the **Fire Lord**. Their role in the realm is to illuminate the darkened corners of the world by fighting the influence of the **Dark God**, and by educating the common man in literacy and the finer arts. The **Paladins**, a retinue of knights within the order that are loyal only to **King Rhobar**, use powers given directly by their god for the purpose of defending their sovereign.

**Tyro**

Rank One

A member of the Fire Order gains a **5%** discount when buying a Skill Level in **Alteration** or **Restoration** per Rank by training through **Downtime**, and also gains access to unique **Quests** and **Spells.**
Oak Island

**Oak Island** is a 57-hectare (140-acre) privately owned island in Lunenburg County on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. The tree-covered island is one of about 360 small islands in Mahone Bay and rises to a maximum of 11 metres (36 feet) above sea level. The island is located 200 metres (660 feet) from shore and connected to the mainland by a causeway and gate. The nearest community is the rural community of Western Shore which faces the island, while the nearest village is Chester. The island is best known for various theories about possible buried treasure or historical artifacts, and the associated exploration
Ceratosaurus

***Majungasaurus*** (/məˌdʒʌŋɡəˈsɔːrəs/; lit. 'Mahajanga lizard') is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Madagascar from 70 to 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period, making it one of the last known non-avian dinosaurs that went extinct during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. The genus contains a single species, ***Majungasaurus crenatissimus***. This dinosaur is also called *Majungatholus*, a name which is considered a junior synonym of *Majungasaurus.*

Like other abelisaurids, *Majungasaurus* was a bipedal predator with a short snout. Although the forelimbs are not completely known, they were very short, while the hind limbs were longer and very stocky. It can be distinguished from other abelisaurids by its wider skull, the very rough texture and thickened bone on the top of its snout, and the single rounded horn on the roof of its skull, which was originally mistaken for the dome of a pachycephalosaur. It also had more teeth in both upper and lower jaws than most abelisaurids.

The genus is one of the first abelisaurs to be discovered, first being found in 1896 (although it was thought to be a species of *Megalosaurus*) and being named in 1955. Known from several well-preserved skulls and abundant skeletal material, *Majungasaurus* has recently become one of the best-studied theropod dinosaurs from the Southern Hemisphere. It appears to be most closely related to abelisaurids from India rather than South America or continental Africa, a fact that has important biogeographical implications. *Majungasaurus* was the apex predator in its ecosystem, mainly preying on sauropods like *Rapetosaurus*, and is also one of the few dinosaurs for which there is direct evidence of cannibalism.
Wooden Traditions

by Aonghas of the Grove

It has been many, many years since the Wood Man's influence last touched the realm. Now, his hand grows small, barely able to grant his generous boons to his followers as he once did. The forests are no longer watered as often by his rains, and are cut down by our hand more often than should be.

There are still some, however, that still follow his traditions. I am one of such people. Let it be known that we practice not witchcraft, nor any such dark art, but simply follow the rules laid before us by those who were our ancestors. Would you not do the same?

In ages past, the followers of the Wood Man lived by these rules:

1.) Protect your pack. The Enemy is always there.

2.) Always finish the hunt, whether through success or failure.

3.) Hunt not that which does not know the hunt.

4.) Listen to the song of the wilds, for it cries the truth.

5.) You must never halt the Wild Hunt.
A Gift from the Gods

by Richord of Holden

Man has been trying to fathom the nature and origins of magic for centuries. But where should the search begin? How does one even describe magic? It is the most conflicting power that has ever been known. It can kill and it can heal, it can create and it can destroy. We tend to associate creation with the Fire Lord, and destruction with the Dark God: as such, taking from the example of how the sun rises up at dawn and shelters us from the woes of the Land, with full knowledge that it might be the eye of the Lord itself, then the conclusion comes naturally - magic is nothing if not a gift from the gods, or perhaps their very essence itself.

What does such power look like? We cannot see it, and while some magicians can detect it, it is not something we can grasp as easily as we would the dirt underneath our feet. Where can a man find this invisible yet incredibly powerful force? Magic is what it is, one thing yet all over. Magic runs through the blood of Vengards, and affects our life in all sorts of manners, whether good or bad. With the magic of the Lord we can bless our crops and our children. The Water Lady has granted us the gift of love and understanding, as well, which is the reason for our continued cohesion. It is the most marvelous and the most powerful gift the gods have ever given us. It is the divine gift presented to users and wavers of magic. A healing power that only a few chosen ones are able to control.

We should cherish this gift, this magic, this art, for the gods have entrusted us with the power to change reality.
A Tragedy in Black (Enchanting 1)

by Adalbert Graye

The Daemon looked on the young boy with disdain. He looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, on the cusp of manhood. His upper lip had barely flowered with hair, and his face was ridden with pockmarks.

"You? You have summoned me?"

"Mother says I'm good with spells. She says I'm going to be a wizard. Maybe even a Water Mage!"

"And what would your mother know of magic, boy?"

"She's a wizard! That's what everyone says!"

"Ah. Another dabbler in the mystic arts. I'm certain she is barely mediocre."

"You shut up! I read the scroll. I get to tell you what to do."

The Daemon was silent. Compulsion bound his voice.

"I want to know how to make a magic dress. I need it for her birthday."

The Daemon's answer was more silence.

"You have to tell me. It's in the rules."

Freed from the previous compulsion, the Daemon answered, "First, you need a soul gem. I happen to have one, and would gladly give it you for so noble a cause."

"Really? Why do I need it?"

With a hidden smile, the Daemon handed over the dull black gem.

"It is not enough to cast a spell upon an inert object. Magic requires thought, intent, will and emotion. The soul powers the enchantment. The bigger the soul, the more powerful the enchantment."

"So how big is the one in this soul gem?"

"Oh, that one is empty. You'll have to fill it. But it can hold the largest of souls easily. Do you know how to do that?"

"No," the young man said sullenly.

"Let me show you. You cast a spell like this."

The tendrils of the soul trap spell spilled from his fingers and surrounded the boy. The young man's eyes went wide.

"I didn't feel anything," he complained.

"How about now?" the Daemon asked, plunging his talons into the youth's rib cage. His heart beat only once before it was pulled from his chest, blood pumped onto the floorboards of the boy's house.

Quickly the Daemon snatched back the black soul gem, just as the youth died. His soul tried to flee, but was trapped by the spell and drawn into the gem. Only black soul gems can hold the souls of men.

"Your mother obviously never told you never to accept a freely given gift from a summoned servant of the Dark God," he said to the corpse. "It breaks the conjuration, you see, freeing the summoned from the summoner. Now, let's go and find your mother. After all, I have another black soul gem," he said, pocketing the boy's heart.
Vikings

Viking Ragnar Lothbrok is a young farmer and family man who is frustrated by the policies of Earl Haraldson, his local chieftain who sends his Viking raiders east to the Baltic states and Russia, whose residents are as poor as the Norsemen. Ragnar wants to head west, across the ocean, to discover new civilizations. With assistance from his friend Floki, Ragnar builds a faster, sleeker fleet of boats to help him make it to the Western world. Through the years Ragnar, who claims to be a direct descendant of the god Odin, continues to struggle with Earl until the two face each other in a final battle for supremacy. Following that, Ragnar goes on a search for new lands to conquer.
Ring of Water

The **Ring of Water** is the name for the clergy of the **Water Lady.** While they are mostly known across the kingdom for their role in educating the common man about the dangers of the world and nurturing lost children, they are also highly adept in the magical arts, and act as the eyes and hands of their deity in mysterious ways.

**Initiate**

Rank One

A member of the Water Ring gains a **5%** discount when buying a Skill Level in **Illusion** or **Mysticism** per Rank by training through **Downtime,** and also gains access to unique **Quests** and **Spells.**
Proper Lock Design (Subterfuge 2)

by Master Ortimer

I have encountered many thieves whose sole interest in locks is how to open them and thereby pilfer the protected contents of the room or chest. I have taken it upon myself to devise a system of locks that can defeat such villainous intent.

The materials used to create a lock are of utmost importance. Shoddy brass or copper will give way to a well placed kick, thereby rendering the lock itself useless. I recommend steel over iron when choosing a material. More robust materials tend to be prohibitively expensive and necessitate the door being made of similar metals. I have been chagrined to stumble across the shattered shell of a wooden chest, its Red Steel lock intact and still locked.

Once these basics are settled, pay particular attention to the offset of the tumblers. A seven degree offset to the keyhole will allow a torque style key to work smoothly, while at the same time causing numerous headaches for the thief attempting to insert non-torque lockpicks.

In similar fashion, the springs of the tumblers should be made by different smiths. Each smith will unknowingly create a spring with different tension than his fellow smiths. This variance will also create difficulties for anyone attempting to pick the lock.
House of Water

by the Ninth Sybil of Vengard

The skies over Vengard are stormy and changeable, more often gray than blue, but some mornings in May Tide the sun rises into heavens blue and clear, and a mild, warm breeze blows in from Lake Tarly. It was on just such a morning, under trees fragrant with blossoms, that I was welcoming several new novices to their vocation in the House of Water.

They were full of questions, as the young always are. "Holy Sibyl," asked a young oyster-catcher from Gray Keep, "is love truly the answer to every question?"

"It is—if the question addresses the heart," said I. "Rarely if it addresses the mind."

"Holy Sibyl?" asked the shy engraver from Moor. "Is it true we must dance for the worshipers while … unclad?"

I smiled. "That is as your spirit shall will—and as the weather shall allow!"

"I have one, Holy Sibyl," said the clever child of a Faring banker. "If the Land already belongs to the Adversary, then what is the Water Lady's purpose?"

In reply, I scooped a double handful of Gillyweeds from the shore and rained them over his astonished brow.

"I am troubled, Holy Sibyl," said the hostler from Holden, "for I know not who is my father."

"That is naught to the Water Lady," I gently replied, "for she says, 'No matter the seed, if the shoot is nurtured with love, will not the flower be beautiful?'"

"What if a congregant seeks me as ardor-partner," said the knight's scion of Onford, "but I find her without favor?"

"Love whomever you may," I sang, "but love coerced is not love at all."

"Holy Sibyl, is it true what they s-say," stammered the son , "that you lost your s-sight from the Swamp Plague?"

"It is," I smiled, "but what of that? For can I not dance?"

"Holy Sibyl!" "Holy Sibyl!"

"Peace, young novices!" I cried. "For it is Friday, the bell tolls sundown, and the congregants await us in the House. Come, now! Come! Bring wine and water, bring tambours, bring light feet and warm hearts! Our Lady calls us to worship."
Michael Faraday

**Michael Faraday**, (born September 22, 1791, Newington, Surrey, England—died August 25, 1867, Hampton Court, Surrey), English physicist and chemist whose many experiments contributed greatly to the understanding of electromagnetism.

Faraday, who became one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century, began his career as a chemist. He wrote a manual of practical chemistry that reveals his mastery of the technical aspects of his art, discovered a number of new organic compounds, among them benzene, and was the first to liquefy a “permanent” gas (i.e., one that was believed to be incapable of liquefaction). His major contribution, however, was in the field of electricity and magnetism. He was the first to produce an electric current from a magnetic field, invented the first electric motor and dynamo, demonstrated the relation between electricity and chemical bonding, discovered the effect of magnetism on light, and discovered and named diamagnetism, the peculiar behaviour of certain substances in strong magnetic fields. He provided the experimental, and a good deal of the theoretical, foundation upon which James Clerk Maxwell erected classical electromagnetic field theory. Michael Faraday was born in the country village of Newington, Surrey, now a part of South London. His father was a blacksmith who had migrated from the north of England earlier in 1791 to look for work. His mother was a country woman of great calm and wisdom who supported her son emotionally through a difficult childhood. Faraday was one of four children, all of whom were hard put to get enough to eat, since their father was often ill and incapable of working steadily. Faraday later recalled being given one loaf of bread that had to last him for a week. The family belonged to a small Christian sect, called Sandemanians, that provided spiritual sustenance to Faraday throughout his life. It was the single most important influence upon him and strongly affected the way in which he approached and interpreted nature.
Dame Marcelle

by Dreux Amgard

House Chloden produced many notable personages throughout the centuries — mages and warriors, scholars and merchant lords — all dedicated to making the noble house strong and powerful. None shone as brightly as Dame Marcelle, the Knight of the Gray Keep.

Dame Marcelle was a mighty warrior, brave and pure. She was a model of knightly perfection, a niece and loyal supporter of Lord Odo Chloden. Her exploits were legendary, even in her own day, as she defended Chloden holdings, such as those of Holden and Moor, as she battled brigands and monsters, and even negotiated treaties with neighboring domains.

When a terrible black troll shambled out of the hills to threaten Moor, Marcelle was there to challenge the foul creature. For a day and an hour, the two engaged in a violent dance that knocked down trees and leveled farm houses. As the battle wore on, both combatants were bloody and weary. It seemed like the fight would end when one of them fell over from sheer exhaustion. But then Marcelle called on an inner reserve. She severed the troll's head with one powerful swing of her sword, Dauntless. And all of Moor cheered.

Another tale tells of the time of the Great Feud, when Gudule of Arden and Halicar of Onford (who was Lord Chloden's younger brother) engaged in an exchange of insults, each more terrible than the last. Insults turned to violence, and the two houses came close to the brink of war. At the height of the feud, Lord Hamilcar's son Leufrid was taken captive by brigands loyal to House Arden. These brigands were members of the mighty Hammers of Umbrage, notorious for terrorizing travelers on the roads of Arden until they were given letters of reprisal for pledging loyalty to the land's overlords.

Dame Marcelle, when she heard the fate that had befallen young Leufrid, never hesitated. She tracked the brigands to an isolated tower in the wilderness outside the town and quickly took stock of the situation. A dozen brigands guarded young Leufrid, who was imprisoned at the top of the tower. Confident that the Chloden scion was safe and out of harm's way, Marcelle boldly strode into the brigands' camp and announced her presence. Just hearing her name was enough to rattle many of the brigands. Five of them dropped their weapons and fled as soon as they realized who she was. But that still left seven of the Hammers to deal with, including their leader, Wymund Black.

Brave Marcelle carried Dauntless with her, and she was confident that she was blessed by the Fire Lord. Brigands fell with every swing of her mighty sword, until only she and Wymund remained standing. Seeking a way to get the upper hand, the brigand leader grabbed young Leufrid and held him between his own body and Marcelle's sword. Chloden's most shiny knight smiled. It was hard and humorless.