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Definitive list of companies to support / re-consider / avoid (and reminder that a rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle.)
EDIT: Thanks for all the feedback. So heads up this list was originally part of this AR-15 build guide spreadsheet, hence the frequent mentioning of that gun/platform and some arbitrary shout outs to specific AR-15 makers. (Ironically I'm primarily a shotgun guy at the moment.) So PLEASE look elsewhere if you are looking for recs devoid of any political consideration. The original intention was this as a disclaimer / FYI oriented list of companies with good, iffy, or straight-up bad Ppolitical affiliations/etc. as well as US made and/or unionized companies. It's been muddled with quality mostly apolitical budget-oriented recs as well. I am likely not listing many (like dozens if not hundreds) and I don't want to open a can of worms and end up listing general gun suggestions / lists. I might even par it down for that reason. So that said I'll leave additional recs to the comments. Will edit and add any companies to overtly avoid for shitty politics/ownership and likewise will add any that are inclusive and/or liberal or left leaning. Thanks! ////////////////////////// The information below is aimed at informing gun enthusiasts with moral, ethical, and ideological reservations about certain supporting manufacturers. It lists reputable apolitical and professional manufacturers to consider, is then followed by disclaimers about other reputable manufacturers, then concluded with manufacturers to consider avoiding. Full disclaimer: this effort stems from frequent and incessant debates and discussions I've seen among gun owners from center to far-left and from my own concerns personally as a leftist. That said if you are neither left-wing nor liberal but nonetheless want to support honest and sincere gun manufacturers this information is worth reviewing. This is not aimed at calling out any company with remotely right-wing political affiliation or leadership, that would be not just flippant and needless but absurdly futile. In fact the only ones I recommend to avoid have overtly engaged the following: pandered to destructive and vitriolic identity politics, bootlicked and idolized authoritarian entities and leaders, or in a few cases literally touted fascism and right-wing extremism. I would argue these are not mere red flags to myself or others on the left but more broadly sentiments that sincere conservatives and libertarians should also wholeheartedly condemn. It is my sincere belief that gun ownership rights are a not only universal right and a necessity for the working-class but also potentially a unifying ideological issue that will hopefully transcend contemporary politics. Fundamental respect for gun safety and handling and willingness to include all who want to be involved in legal and responsible gun ownership is common ground for anyone who believes in basic equality and freedom. Lastly, if you are still rolling your eyes, ready to list a litany of dismissive rants as one of those "better dead than red" edgelord dolts, than by all means F.O.A.D. Manufacturers To Consider: /// Solid Companies in every regard:Much of this intel gathered from this helpful post on reddit from u/tanksuit who help spurred on this effort and also from this extensive Something Awful Thread. Further info gleaned from a private FB group I will not name. If anyone from there sees this, many thanks. Windham Weaponry - Mostly lateral organizing, employees treated as collective owners (to clarify no indication they are literally collectively owned). Broke off from Bushmaster after Freedom Group buyout. Wide arrange of models. Fair pricing, great customer service and high quality (Kudos to tip-off via FB Group) Rocket Armory - Arguably the only overtly liberal AR part manufacturer. Not quite leftist (I'd skip the LGO logo lower - elements of LGO have been adverse to leftists) but nonetheless an outspokenly progressive maker is a worth supporting IMO. Lowers and fixed mags only. Current stock shipping in mid-December 2020. CMMG - Apolitical, high quality, and unionized. Good selection of various caliber platforms both complete, uppelower reciever packages, or stripped parts. Known for their 22LR conversion kits that provide affordable training option for AR platforms. JP - Expensive but high quality, anecdotal stories of apolitical / non-CHUD atmosphere from employee that appears to be reflected in their PR. Whiskin Tango Foxtrot (WTF Guns) - Gun building/customization business in Fort Worth, TX in process of acquiring machinery. Veteran owned and liberal friendly. Liberal Gun Club Member Business - A list of firearm accessory businesses and not manufactures but nonetheless worth looking at to support liberal gun enthusiasts Smith & Wesson - Mostly apolitical, huge company but American made and makes solid entry-level AR-15s Cz-USA - US distro/importer of the venerable Czech manufacturer. Atlantic Firearms - apolitical and reliable merchant and they are helpful with compliance guns for ban states Ace High Armory - Small CLP maker, affliated/supporter of LGO (see above) Off Color Decals / Dorner Tactical / Red Stone Creative / John Brown Armory / Space Dog Laika / Outcast Society / Flank Left / Sleep of Reason / PraxStudio / Cultivated Laser / JohnBrownFunClub / Left Queer & Sticky / LeftFist / LGO Store / fildiDesign / Slay Shop / Liberal Gun Club - Stickers, patches, etc. Lot to find on Redbubble as well. John Brown Prints - Shirts and stickers, though specifically these proceeds go to BLM and bail funds Others...There are far more smaller American AR-15 manufacturers of varying quality and pricing, consider smaller and local options as politics aside they are employing enthusiasts making firearms for fellow enthusiasts. Regarding quality: research forums and comment sections before you buy! /// Unionized: Colt (UAW) - The original maker of AR-15s after they bought ArmaLite in 1964 and patent holder on design until 1977. Big law enforcement / military supplier. Good but arguably a redundant consideration now with so many AR-15 options. Savage (IAM) - Mostly non-AR-15 style rifles like bolt action, hunting semi autos, competition, etc. Good and often affordable consideration for those platforms. Unionized Non-AR makers>>> Browning - IAM, Douglas - IAM, Winchester - IAM, Remington - UMW (Bankruptcy impending and Navajo purchase fell through, post-Freedom Group quality dip after 2007) /// Solid but with disclaimers/caveats: Aero Precision / Ballistic Advantage Barrels - Huge selection, affordable, well-touted and potentially the benchmark of non-gucci lower receivers. Not innocent, the tone deaf AF blurb for Rhodesia camo comes to mind, but otherwise less CHUD-y. Excellent "default" manufacturer to use for builds that are budget and mid-tier / entry level oriented. Mid State Firearms - Great PSA alternative, far less knee-jerk and pandering. Offers discounted bundles and kits of cancelled orders, blemished but good parts, and "oddball" assortments. Read multiple testimonies of good customer service in response to any issues. Like Aero they aren't perfectly apolitical as they sell 3%er dust covers. Thanks for the tip datcatburd KE Arms - Mostly solid and somewhat under the radar, competition quality oriented - collaborators in the WWSD 2020 rifle with InRangeTV's "What Would Stoner Do?" gun projects and InRangeTV is notably inclusive. Allegedly friendly staff but Russell Phagan, aka longtime SomethingAwful poster SinistralRifleman, was banned after relentlessly defending the Kenosha shooter. More FYI than anything, to be seen if it affects the WWSD collab with InRangeTV as he was a core part of that development. Brownells - Well-regarded and has budget part options, owns a lot of AR-15 related ventures including AR15.com and family has major NRA ties and lobbying industry. Distro for InRangeTV + KE Arms What Would Stoner Do? WWSD 2020 AR-15. Again not perfect, they had a cringe-y fellowkids level nod to boogaloo shirts in a recent vid Midway USA - Comparable to Brownells, lot of options, reliable vendor, etc. Some NRA connections but nothing crazy. More info here thanks to u/rocketboy2319 SGAmmo - not the only ammo supply company by any means but a solid bulk option with no BS apolitical tone. Primary Arms - Another distro to consider, mostly because it's been keeping a lot of AR-15 parts in stock despite panic buying Bravo Company USA [BCM] - Bit pricier but another solid and popular choice for upper tier ARs, had confederate battle flag engraving option. As u/mp8815 pointed out they are a great option for more serious milspec than Aero, PSA, etc. Little Creek Trading - Distro/online store - lot of expensive / high end stuff but also good deals on lower recievers, parts, accessories, and built ARs. Pleasant website layout so worth browsing for ideas if nothing else. Sell affordable slings. Sig Sauer- 75% +/- US made, reactionary "US anthem" anti-kneel BS commemorative models but fairly tame jingoism in context Ruger - Excellent guns including the classic 10/22 and various other models, some have US components and assembly, well-regarded starter AR-15, major NRA donor (interestingly and ironically the late Rugar was outspoken about magazine limitations) Glock - Universally know and solid handgun maker, USA distro / service is well regarded. Gaston Glock allegedly a right-wing donor in Austria but from his coffer. Note: Polymer80 guns are an option for anyone wanting to build their own Glock style handgun. LaRue Tactical - Expensive but well-regarded and established, their triggers (MBT-2S esp.) are well touted and affordable ($80) upgrades over milspec; FYI they send gimmicky overt right-wing bumper stickers with orders and the owner is cozy with right-wing and GOP leaders. Geissele makes well regarded triggers and parts but owner is allegedly tyrannical, work environment is rough and has high turnover. BCG options: Toolcraft and Cryptic Coatings offer affordable options and appear fairly apolitical. Primary Arms - Affordable scope options, some stereotypical law enforcement pandering but that's the case with most peers. Daniel Defense - Update: previously reputable and touted brand but according to this previous indication of good worker environment are unfortunately obsolete. QC is allegedly slipping and ownership attitude has become negative and toxic. On the flipside recent buyers report satisfactory quality and originally I had read the work environment was unusually inclusive. Maybe opt for different high end brand? Jury's out TBH. Still likely a solid choice quality wise but keep an eye out for them. Springfield Armory / Rock River Arms- Decent but FYI some shady legislative lobbying efforts heads via this post disregard, they've since left IFMA Sons of Liberty Gun Works - Tip off here about one of it's owners, Mike Mihalski, being unhinged in the past - assaulting his mother and numerous threats against cops actually doing their job that were then brushed off by law enforcement superiors he was friendly with, DUIs and public intoxication at a hotel while armed (albeit he cooperated) Update: Mike has apparently been sober and straight for awhile, more a disclaimer to be aware of. It's otherwise a solid manufacturer akin to other mil-spec AR makers. Trijicon - continues practice of subtle but cringe-y bible verses inscribed on products that spurred a military contract controversy, actually well-regarded optics though arguably getting too expensive compared to alternative options Del-Ton - PSA alternative and alternative to cheap "iffy brands" with more notorious QC issues - def more entry-level and milspec but generally good reviews - consider if budget is a major factor Radical (see more below) - Allegedly better but QC issues in the past...(see details below) Ammo Supply Warehouse - good selection, pricing and service but FYI their logo on their main page has fucking SS totenkopfs on it. That said the also obliged a customer request to sing the Soviet anthem while packing their order, so perhaps they use the iconography naively and flippantly and not as a dogwhistle. Palmetto State Armory (see more below) - *Only listed because of historically affordable parts, products, and supplies, though this is arguable. Hit or miss customer service, including customer info leaks and inadvertent doxxing customers. Most notably one of the worst offenders in cranking out right-wing and jingoist bullshit ~ MAGA drooling, ID politics crap, etc. More on this under "Reconsider" List Others...Many, many others out there but like anything else you can easily drop a lot of money seeking out "the best," >>> mediocre rifle in the hands of a qualified shooter is a better than a high-end rifle in the hands of a inexperienced shooter. /// American Made not yet mentioned: Mossberg - Factories in Connecticut and Texas. Not sure 100% if MMR is US made. At least one model is Turkish made (SA20), and the Maverick 88 has Mexican made parts that are assembled in Eagle Pass, TX. IMHO the best pump action shotgun catalog to choose from, the Maverick 88 along with the H&R Pardner or Savage 320 are solid budget pump actions. American made brands (non-AR-15)>>> Thompson/Center, Henry (some expensive MAGA nonsense FYI), Marlin, Ithaca, Kimber, Beretta (some models) /// Reconsider / Possibly Avoid: To re-emphasize no shame if you own or bought the below and the "line in the sand" is very arguable, but these, especially if pricing is not as much of an issues, these can be easily opted out of in your AR-15 procurement and builds. Palmetto State Armory - Mentioned again because easily the most debated manufacturer. Numerous examples of racist and fascist etched lowers aside I agree with the sentiment that their motivation is capitalism above all else and not so much right-wing worship although those pair well together. Case in point - they cancelled their planned Kekistan lower due to backlash, i.e. didn't double-down nor apologize but reaffirmed business first. They also sell some self-deprecating, humorous and more apolitical lower engraved options. Beyond this crap they have also had customer service hiccups including personal info leaks. Your call. Last ditch option for me personally but I wouldn't completely rule them out either especially as parts and new guns are increasingly expensive and hard to acquire. To sum up I rather a comrade have half a dozen of these than some sole spiffy new gucci AR-15. Bushmaster - Quality has been criticized by many, Windham broke off to establish better quality gun line and ultimately they closed shop this year. Avoid any you might find out there post-2007. Anderson - Popular but notoriously entry level choice (hence the "poverty pony" nickname) but bootlicking MAGA bullshit so honestly it's pointless to tout over Aero Precision, PSA, or MSF. Tennessee Arms - Mixed feedback about their polymer lowers, gloated over Infowars showout/endorsement, dumb (like okbuddyretard level) memes on FB Enoch Industries - 10/22 Takedown parts and custom builder, some quintessential grey area Odin/Pagan stuff that could be harmless warrior aesthetic stuff or a dog whistle. Esstac - Solid and affordable pouch and other accessory maker including shotgun cards I rec, that said they came out as Kenosha shooter stans Classic Firearms - Used auction site/seller. Not politically iffy, just often overpriced and waste of time to browse, use gunbroker.com or even cautiously use armslist instead [edit: to clarify "waste of time" for anyone looking for pragmatic deals to skim, not niche stuff to collect.] Kel Tec - This one is tricky, the off very affordable non-AR-15 9mm carbines - same working class price niche as High-Point - but just FYI they've had cozy PR with George Zimmerman in the past H&S Precision - Hired Ruby Ridge FBI participant Lon Horiuchi in the past Cheaperthandirt - Tread carefully even if you see a deal - plethora of complaints about service, pricing, turnaround, etc. Check with other options first. Note on foreign manufacturers (IWI, Canik) - This another debate point that leads to a lot gray area and arbitrary claims whether it's regarding companies based in countries with authoritarian governments, human rights abuses, war profiteering, etc. One could argue that applies to all American makes. When it comes to state made guns most state owned firearms companies of the past either have been privatized (like IWI in Israel) or are not legally importable in the U.S. (Norinco in China, various Russian companies). Ironically while the U.S. bans certain Chinese guns many U.S. manufacturers rely heavily on Chinese plants and parts. The general reality is most non-American and non-Western manufacturers are part of multinational conglomerates or distribution networks, as is the case with many Turkish guns like Canik. History ebbs and flows too, a 60s/70s era Galil is different case than a new Tavor in terms culpability, South African guns now are less arguably problematic than apartheid era stuff. Overall, it's up to you. /// Companies with noted QC issues: Radical Arms - Issues in the past but reportedly the QC is improving so could be a potential budget option and arguably the best of the iffy makes. Your call. Bear Creek Arsenal - Formerly Moore's Machine. People have touted BCA as an effective and reliable budget rifles but their QC seems risky, others have had major issues. Apparently they have a good warranty option though so there's that as an option. Anderson - See above. Stripped lowers are probably a-ok. DPMS / Bushmaster - Easy avoid, dead as of Jan 2020 - another post Freedom Group brand that declined after 2007 as mentioned above - mixed reviews but needless consideration considering so many other options in the NOS and used market. Vulcan/Hesse/Blackthorne - Easy avoid, multiple name changes and near universal dismissal or negative reviews. /// Avoid if you can in the future: Blackwater Worldwide / Iron Horse - Invested, touted, and overtly marketed by longtime mercenary, grifter, and war criminal and profiteer Erik Prince, the poster child of the present day world military industrial complex. Collaborated with Spike's Tactical (see below). Formerly Iron Horse Guns and original company unchanged product wise but they're-branded as Blackwater Worldwide in exchange for Prince's investment. At least they are honest and transparent about it I guess. Spikes Tactical - Hysterical anti-antifa (i.e. fascist lol) CHUD to the max, many note iffy / overrated products compared to peers - don't sweat it if you have one but ditch this option in the future and spend your money elsewhere. Fenix Ammunition - anti-Antifa hysteria and with a boog angle too boot DS Arms - Overt Rhodesia glorifying, not just camo fetishism Griffin Armament - "Front Towards Arabs" engraved suppressors, lazy racist shit (notice it isn't ISIS) compared to the more snarky "infidel" dust covers and decals Kahr Arms and Auto-Ordnance (thanks u/Oldskoolguitar) - Literally run by major cult (Moonies) i.e. the Unification movement Apparently Kahr is crappy anyway but Auto-Ordnance makes 1911, M1, and Thompson replicas so seek other options for those models (mispelled earlier, meant Kahr, not Khar) Smith Enterprises - SS iconography sold, i.e. actual Nazi stuff not the Iron Cross aesthetics T-Rex Arms - Quiverfall membersmore on that group here and Lucas has posted cheap homophobic crap. (thanks u/eyetracker) Troy Industries - Apparently tits up but backlash for hiring Dale Monroe - i.e. FBI veteran and Ruby Ridge participant DesertTech - Owner is fringe Mormon sect member with racist views Non-AR makers/businesses to avoid... (Sourced from Something Awful thread above) DE Guns - Neo-Nazi ties Glockstore - White Supremacist organization ties LGBT Gun Rights (facebook and twitter) - faux progressive social media run by Neo-Nazi, do not join either as they are aiming to misinform and glean info on progressive and leftist gun owners ^ these are the tip of the iceberg TBH. There are likely problematic owners of stores and companies who will never be outed. Always look out to avoid local gun stores, distros, and individual sellers with bigoted and fascist sentiments and/or scammers - this kind of trash has always been the nasty underbelly of gun culture. Def be subtle and unassuming IRL while shopping - be cautious and tactful in interactions. Alternatives include more apolitical / hunting and hobby oriented stores like Bass Pro/Cabelas, Academy, Dick's, Big 5, etc. Love it or hate some Walmarts often have good deals. There are plenty of individuals, stores, and companies that are politically more conservative or libertarian but well-meaning and honest and worth patronage, i.e. you can hold to your ideology without limiting yourself to strict arbitrary choices as a customer. Try to embrace the shared sentiment of gun ownership as a right and launching point to reaffirm that owning firearms is an universal and inclusive right for personal and community self-defense. Opportunity to praxis is likely rare, but it might emerge. /// YT personas to stop subscribing from - IV8888, Brandon Herrera, CRSFirearms, etc. (there's a shitload TBH, feel free to tell me others to avoid) - Most are coming as bootlickers in recent times (not a shock), and if a YT channel isn't focused on guns over right-wing edgelord bullshit move on. For leftist/liberal/non-right wing content check out Forgotten Weapons, InRangeTV, Tacticool Girlfriend, Armed Margins, thegunpenguin, Beau of The Fifth Column, Sapper Gentleman, and DeviantOllam has a few. More apolitical and great content but likely right-wing and/or hinted such sentiments: Honest Outlaw (no idea, he plugs a local food shelter and is seemingly apolitical), Hickok45 (arguably the nicest and least pretentious YT gun personality, old timer who is passionate about sharing knowledge with others), Luckygunner, #itsonyou, 32icon, Katharina Vikør, C&R Aresnal, Rob Ski, 9-Hole Reviews, 22plinkster, Paul Harrell, Garand Thumb, gunthots, mixup98, Demolition Ranch. Wild card is Yankee Marshall - bit of a nutter but he's sincerely unabashedly pro-2A / anti-NRA and shit stirrer in away that's amusing. To his credit - although it was likely a weird fluke - he lost a bunch of subscribers for calling Garrett Foster a patriotic veteran. List of POC youtubers here - Colion Noir is probably the best known black gun YT persona, unabashedly pro-2A, like Hickok45 dropped his NRA affiliation fairly recently; the did so both over disagreements in their budget spending and ad agency contracts respectively. /// Editorial / Op-ed from original AR Build Spreadsheet Some advice and food for thought regarding reconciling ideology with present day gun enthusiasm: If you are a liberal, progress, moderate, etc. who has come into gun ownership more recently, or has been reckoning with shifts in gun laws and gun culture in the U.S. over the last few decades, than you've likely managed to cut through the noise surrounding the debate, discussion, and frequently knee-jerk hysteria that surrounds semi-automatic rifles and the AR-15 platform. Now you're probably navigating the persistent injection of right-wing identity politics via stamped receivers, accessories and apparel with cheap shock value and superficial pandering, tacticool veering into authoritarian fetishism, tribal jingoism, etc. You've pushed aside misguided liberal identity politics that mis-characterize and attack gun enthusiasm only to have it's reactionary core shoved in your face. It can easily be reconciled with a concept you've likely seen: “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.” It's been overused and even widely applied in dubious scenarios but I'd argue it's highly relevant when it comes to buying any new firearm or firearm component. All that aside it's still perfectly reasonable to not inadvertently throw your hard-earned cash at bootlicking goons, so when it comes to manufacturers this list should at least help you navigate and plan your purchases armed with information and awareness. If anything, supporting more apolitical and progressive manufacturers who aim to focus first and foremost on making quality firearms for all should be spurred on, not stymied. If you're a leftist of any variety and interested in AR-15s you are likely already past the idea of committing to firearms that seemingly align with your views - AKs, milsurp SKS, Mosins, anything from cold war era socialist or communist states, etc. You've likely realized the last era of true Nazi-eliminator rifles are now 75+ years old. Futile seeking out new firearms and parts from non-capitalist states in 2020 will only reinforce this sincere but arbitrary hill to die on. A more pragmatic approach some make is to focus on buying only used firearms and parts already in circulation but this could still involve the financial patronage to a distributor, store, or individual of bad character. On a personal tangent, I first warmed back up to the idea of owning a semi-automatic that wasn't an AR-15 either by following the same arbitrary classification that deems a used M-14 or old M-1 carbine a better choice, but beyond classic value and aesthetics they are in the same niche. Even though defenders of the AR-15 sometimes veer into obnoxious and flippant ackchyually territory, especially after tragic gun massacres, they are often technically correct. The blunt fact is the AR-15 platform is fundamentally as legal as other semi-automatic rifles. It's popular for that reason and that's why it has so many fans, defenders, and apologists in so many forms. When it comes to broader ideas of firearm ownership in relation to one's ideology, something I reflect on often is the fact that history has always involved the oppressed using the weapons of their oppressors both past and present. It's a moot point what the firearm is, it is a tool that reflects the individual who wields it. A rifle in the hands of a fascist is a fascist rifle andlikewise a rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle. To further make the case for the AR-15 many have made in some variation is that it is the present day rifle of the proletariat, the M1 Garand or PPSh-41 of it's time. When it comes to affirming your support for gun ownership, advocate for more widespread gun education, training, and positive and inclusive gun culture. Put lawmakers to task for pushing gun regulations that discourage law-abiding citizens - especially lower income citizens and people of color - from lawful ownership of guns. Support instead substantive reform and funding of mental health resources, de-militarizing law enforcement, and ending gun lobbying that side steps gun owners to only further corruption and complicity. If those who wish to do you harm are armed and will likely always be armed, there's no point in handicapping yourself or your peers. Buying or building an AR-15 is an exercise of one's 2nd amendment right. For those outside of the U.S., and to all lawful and well-meaning comrades, arm yourself however you can legally and responsibly. Marx put it more bluntly in 1850 than the 2A's far more nuanced wording and arduous historical establishment: “Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary” Lastly, above all else, with tensions rising and outright violence being perpetuated by the far right, it is more imperative than ever simply to arm oneself as quickly, effectively, and safely as possible, regardless of the manufacturers, stores, and distros involved. A well made affordable gun you can acquire ASAP is a lot more imperative than your ideal build/choice. This is a guide not a plea. It's better to be armed with a gun from the "avoid" list today than to wait around for some ideologically preferable firearm weeks or months from now.
Definitive guide to companies to support / re-consider / avoid.
EDIT: Thanks for all the feedback. So heads up this list was originally part of this AR-15 build guide spreadsheet, hence the frequent mentioning of that gun/platform and some arbitrary shout outs to specific AR-15 makers. (Ironically I'm primarily a shotgun guy at the moment.) So PLEASE look elsewhere if you are looking for recs devoid of any political consideration. The original intention was this as a disclaimer / FYI oriented list of companies with good, iffy, or straight-up bad Ppolitical affiliations/etc. as well as US made and/or unionized companies. It's been muddled with quality mostly apolitical budget-oriented recs as well. I am likely not listing many (like dozens if not hundreds) and I don't want to open a can of worms and end up listing general gun suggestions / lists. I might even par it down for that reason. So that said I'll leave additional recs to the comments. Will edit and add any companies to overtly avoid for shitty politics/ownership and likewise will add any that are inclusive and/or liberal or left leaning. Thanks! ////////////////////////// The information below is aimed at informing gun enthusiasts with moral, ethical, and ideological reservations about certain supporting manufacturers. It lists reputable apolitical and professional manufacturers to consider, is then followed by disclaimers about other reputable manufacturers, then concluded with manufacturers to consider avoiding. Full disclaimer: this effort stems from frequent and incessant debates and discussions I've seen among gun owners from center to far-left and from my own concerns personally as a leftist. That said if you are neither left-wing nor liberal but nonetheless want to support honest and sincere gun manufacturers this information is worth reviewing. This is not aimed at calling out any company with remotely right-wing political affiliation or leadership, that would be not just flippant and needless but absurdly futile. In fact the only ones I recommend to avoid have overtly engaged the following: pandered to destructive and vitriolic identity politics, bootlicked and idolized authoritarian entities and leaders, or in a few cases literally touted fascism and right-wing extremism. I would argue these are not mere red flags to myself or others on the left but more broadly sentiments that sincere conservatives and libertarians should also wholeheartedly condemn. It is my sincere belief that gun ownership rights are a not only universal right and a necessity for the working-class but also potentially a unifying ideological issue that will hopefully transcend contemporary politics. Fundamental respect for gun safety and handling and willingness to include all who want to be involved in legal and responsible gun ownership is common ground for anyone who believes in basic equality and freedom. Lastly, if you are still rolling your eyes, ready to list a litany of dismissive rants as one of those "better dead than red" edgelord dolts, than by all means F.O.A.D. Manufacturers To Consider: /// Solid Companies in every regard:Much of this intel gathered from this helpful post on reddit from u/tanksuit who help spurred on this effort and also from this extensive Something Awful Thread. Further info gleaned from a private FB group I will not name. If anyone from there sees this, many thanks. Windham Weaponry - Mostly lateral organizing, employees treated as collective owners (to clarify no indication they are literally collectively owned). Broke off from Bushmaster after Freedom Group buyout. Wide arrange of models. Fair pricing, great customer service and high quality (Kudos to tip-off via FB Group) Rocket Armory - Arguably the only overtly liberal AR part manufacturer. Not quite leftist (I'd skip the LGO logo lower - elements of LGO have been adverse to leftists) but nonetheless an outspokenly progressive maker is a worth supporting IMO. Lowers and fixed mags only. Current stock shipping in mid-December 2020. CMMG - Apolitical, high quality, and unionized. Good selection of various caliber platforms both complete, uppelower reciever packages, or stripped parts. Known for their 22LR conversion kits that provide affordable training option for AR platforms. JP - Expensive but high quality, anecdotal stories of apolitical / non-CHUD atmosphere from employee that appears to be reflected in their PR. Whiskin Tango Foxtrot (WTF Guns) - Gun building/customization business in Fort Worth, TX in process of acquiring machinery. Veteran owned and liberal friendly. Liberal Gun Club Member Business - A list of firearm accessory businesses and not manufactures but nonetheless worth looking at to support liberal gun enthusiasts Smith & Wesson - Mostly apolitical, huge company but American made and makes solid entry-level AR-15s Cz-USA - US distro/importer of the venerable Czech manufacturer. Atlantic Firearms - apolitical and reliable merchant and they are helpful with compliance guns for ban states Ace High Armory - Small CLP maker, affliated/supporter of LGO (see above) Off Color Decals / Dorner Tactical / Red Stone Creative / John Brown Armory / Space Dog Laika / Outcast Society / Flank Left / Sleep of Reason / PraxStudio / Cultivated Laser / JohnBrownFunClub / Left Queer & Sticky / LeftFist / LGO Store / fildiDesign / Slay Shop / Liberal Gun Club - Stickers, patches, etc. Lot to find on Redbubble as well. John Brown Prints - Shirts and stickers, though specifically these proceeds go to BLM and bail funds Others...There are far more smaller American AR-15 manufacturers of varying quality and pricing, consider smaller and local options as politics aside they are employing enthusiasts making firearms for fellow enthusiasts. Regarding quality: research forums and comment sections before you buy! /// Unionized: Colt (UAW) - The original maker of AR-15s after they bought ArmaLite in 1964 and patent holder on design until 1977. Big law enforcement / military supplier. Good but arguably a redundant consideration now with so many AR-15 options. Savage (IAM) - Mostly non-AR-15 style rifles like bolt action, hunting semi autos, competition, etc. Good and often affordable consideration for those platforms. Unionized Non-AR makers>>> Browning - IAM, Douglas - IAM, Winchester - IAM, Remington - UMW (Bankruptcy impending and Navajo purchase fell through, post-Freedom Group quality dip after 2007) /// Solid but with disclaimers/caveats: Aero Precision / Ballistic Advantage Barrels - Huge selection, affordable, well-touted and potentially the benchmark of non-gucci lower receivers. Not innocent, the tone deaf AF blurb for Rhodesia camo comes to mind, but otherwise less CHUD-y. Excellent "default" manufacturer to use for builds that are budget and mid-tier / entry level oriented. Mid State Firearms - Great PSA alternative, far less knee-jerk and pandering. Offers discounted bundles and kits of cancelled orders, blemished but good parts, and "oddball" assortments. Read multiple testimonies of good customer service in response to any issues. Like Aero they aren't perfectly apolitical as they sell 3%er dust covers. Thanks for the tip datcatburd KE Arms - Mostly solid and somewhat under the radar, competition quality oriented - collaborators in the WWSD 2020 rifle with InRangeTV's "What Would Stoner Do?" gun projects and InRangeTV is notably inclusive. Allegedly friendly staff but Russell Phagan, aka longtime SomethingAwful poster SinistralRifleman, was banned after relentlessly defending the Kenosha shooter. More FYI than anything, to be seen if it affects the WWSD collab with InRangeTV as he was a core part of that development. Brownells - Well-regarded and has budget part options, owns a lot of AR-15 related ventures including AR15.com and family has major NRA ties and lobbying industry. Distro for InRangeTV + KE Arms What Would Stoner Do? WWSD 2020 AR-15. Again not perfect, they had a cringe-y fellowkids level nod to boogaloo shirts in a recent vid Midway USA - Comparable to Brownells, lot of options, reliable vendor, etc. Some NRA connections but nothing crazy. More info here thanks to u/rocketboy2319 SGAmmo - not the only ammo supply company by any means but a solid bulk option with no BS apolitical tone. Primary Arms - Another distro to consider, mostly because it's been keeping a lot of AR-15 parts in stock despite panic buying Bravo Company USA [BCM] - Bit pricier but another solid and popular choice for upper tier ARs, had confederate battle flag engraving option. As u/mp8815 pointed out they are a great option for more serious milspec than Aero, PSA, etc. Little Creek Trading - Distro/online store - lot of expensive / high end stuff but also good deals on lower recievers, parts, accessories, and built ARs. Pleasant website layout so worth browsing for ideas if nothing else. Sell affordable slings. Sig Sauer- 75% +/- US made, reactionary "US anthem" anti-kneel BS commemorative models but fairly tame jingoism in context Ruger - Excellent guns including the classic 10/22 and various other models, some have US components and assembly, well-regarded starter AR-15, major NRA donor (interestingly and ironically the late Rugar was outspoken about magazine limitations) Glock - Universally know and solid handgun maker, USA distro / service is well regarded. Gaston Glock allegedly a right-wing donor in Austria but from his coffer. Note: Polymer80 guns are an option for anyone wanting to build their own Glock style handgun. LaRue Tactical - Expensive but well-regarded and established, their triggers (MBT-2S esp.) are well touted and affordable ($80) upgrades over milspec; FYI they send gimmicky overt right-wing bumper stickers with orders and the owner is cozy with right-wing and GOP leaders. Geissele makes well regarded triggers and parts but owner is allegedly tyrannical, work environment is rough and has high turnover. BCG options: Toolcraft and Cryptic Coatings offer affordable options and appear fairly apolitical. Primary Arms - Affordable scope options, some stereotypical law enforcement pandering but that's the case with most peers. Daniel Defense - Update: previously reputable and touted brand but according to this previous indication of good worker environment are unfortunately obsolete. QC is allegedly slipping and ownership attitude has become negative and toxic. On the flipside recent buyers report satisfactory quality and originally I had read the work environment was unusually inclusive. Maybe opt for different high end brand? Jury's out TBH. Still likely a solid choice quality wise but keep an eye out for them. Springfield Armory / Rock River Arms- Decent but FYI some shady legislative lobbying efforts heads via this post disregard, they've since left IFMA Sons of Liberty Gun Works - Tip off here about one of it's owners, Mike Mihalski, being unhinged in the past - assaulting his mother and numerous threats against cops actually doing their job that were then brushed off by law enforcement superiors he was friendly with, DUIs and public intoxication at a hotel while armed (albeit he cooperated) Update: Mike has apparently been sober and straight for awhile, more a disclaimer to be aware of. It's otherwise a solid manufacturer akin to other mil-spec AR makers. Trijicon - continues practice of subtle but cringe-y bible verses inscribed on products that spurred a military contract controversy, actually well-regarded optics though arguably getting too expensive compared to alternative options Del-Ton - PSA alternative and alternative to cheap "iffy brands" with more notorious QC issues - def more entry-level and milspec but generally good reviews - consider if budget is a major factor Radical (see more below) - Allegedly better but QC issues in the past...(see details below) Ammo Supply Warehouse - good selection, pricing and service but FYI their logo on their main page has fucking SS totenkopfs on it. That said the also obliged a customer request to sing the Soviet anthem while packing their order, so perhaps they use the iconography naively and flippantly and not as a dogwhistle. Palmetto State Armory (see more below) - *Only listed because of historically affordable parts, products, and supplies, though this is arguable. Hit or miss customer service, including customer info leaks and inadvertent doxxing customers. Most notably one of the worst offenders in cranking out right-wing and jingoist bullshit ~ MAGA drooling, ID politics crap, etc. More on this under "Reconsider" List Others...Many, many others out there but like anything else you can easily drop a lot of money seeking out "the best," >>> mediocre rifle in the hands of a qualified shooter is a better than a high-end rifle in the hands of a inexperienced shooter. /// American Made not yet mentioned: Mossberg - Factories in Connecticut and Texas. Not sure 100% if MMR is US made. At least one model is Turkish made (SA20), and the Maverick 88 has Mexican made parts that are assembled in Eagle Pass, TX. IMHO the best pump action shotgun catalog to choose from, the Maverick 88 along with the H&R Pardner or Savage 320 are solid budget pump actions. American made brands (non-AR-15)>>> Thompson/Center, Henry (some expensive MAGA nonsense FYI), Marlin, Ithaca, Kimber, Beretta (some models) /// Reconsider / Possibly Avoid: To re-emphasize no shame if you own or bought the below and the "line in the sand" is very arguable, but these, especially if pricing is not as much of an issues, these can be easily opted out of in your AR-15 procurement and builds. Palmetto State Armory - Mentioned again because easily the most debated manufacturer. Numerous examples of racist and fascist etched lowers aside I agree with the sentiment that their motivation is capitalism above all else and not so much right-wing worship although those pair well together. Case in point - they cancelled their planned Kekistan lower due to backlash, i.e. didn't double-down nor apologize but reaffirmed business first. They also sell some self-deprecating, humorous and more apolitical lower engraved options. Beyond this crap they have also had customer service hiccups including personal info leaks. Your call. Last ditch option for me personally but I wouldn't completely rule them out either especially as parts and new guns are increasingly expensive and hard to acquire. To sum up I rather a comrade have half a dozen of these than some sole spiffy new gucci AR-15. Bushmaster - Quality has been criticized by many, Windham broke off to establish better quality gun line and ultimately they closed shop this year. Avoid any you might find out there post-2007. Anderson - Popular but notoriously entry level choice (hence the "poverty pony" nickname) but bootlicking MAGA bullshit so honestly it's pointless to tout over Aero Precision, PSA, or MSF. Tennessee Arms - Mixed feedback about their polymer lowers, gloated over Infowars showout/endorsement, dumb (like okbuddyretard level) memes on FB Enoch Industries - 10/22 Takedown parts and custom builder, some quintessential grey area Odin/Pagan stuff that could be harmless warrior aesthetic stuff or a dog whistle. Esstac - Solid and affordable pouch and other accessory maker including shotgun cards I rec, that said they came out as Kenosha shooter stans Classic Firearms - Used auction site/seller. Not politically iffy, just often overpriced and waste of time to browse, use gunbroker.com or even cautiously use armslist instead [edit: to clarify "waste of time" for anyone looking for pragmatic deals to skim, not niche stuff to collect.] Kel Tec - This one is tricky, the off very affordable non-AR-15 9mm carbines - same working class price niche as High-Point - but just FYI they've had cozy PR with George Zimmerman in the past H&S Precision - Hired Ruby Ridge FBI participant Lon Horiuchi in the past Cheaperthandirt - Tread carefully even if you see a deal - plethora of complaints about service, pricing, turnaround, etc. Check with other options first. Note on foreign manufacturers (IWI, Canik) - This another debate point that leads to a lot gray area and arbitrary claims whether it's regarding companies based in countries with authoritarian governments, human rights abuses, war profiteering, etc. One could argue that applies to all American makes. When it comes to state made guns most state owned firearms companies of the past either have been privatized (like IWI in Israel) or are not legally importable in the U.S. (Norinco in China, various Russian companies). Ironically while the U.S. bans certain Chinese guns many U.S. manufacturers rely heavily on Chinese plants and parts. The general reality is most non-American and non-Western manufacturers are part of multinational conglomerates or distribution networks, as is the case with many Turkish guns like Canik. History ebbs and flows too, a 60s/70s era Galil is different case than a new Tavor in terms culpability, South African guns now are less arguably problematic than apartheid era stuff. Overall, it's up to you. /// Companies with noted QC issues: Radical Arms - Issues in the past but reportedly the QC is improving so could be a potential budget option and arguably the best of the iffy makes. Your call. Bear Creek Arsenal - Formerly Moore's Machine. People have touted BCA as an effective and reliable budget rifles but their QC seems risky, others have had major issues. Apparently they have a good warranty option though so there's that as an option. Anderson - See above. Stripped lowers are probably a-ok. DPMS / Bushmaster - Easy avoid, dead as of Jan 2020 - another post Freedom Group brand that declined after 2007 as mentioned above - mixed reviews but needless consideration considering so many other options in the NOS and used market. Vulcan/Hesse/Blackthorne - Easy avoid, multiple name changes and near universal dismissal or negative reviews. /// Avoid if you can in the future: Blackwater Worldwide / Iron Horse - Invested, touted, and overtly marketed by longtime mercenary, grifter, and war criminal and profiteer Erik Prince, the poster child of the present day world military industrial complex. Collaborated with Spike's Tactical (see below). Formerly Iron Horse Guns and original company unchanged product wise but they're-branded as Blackwater Worldwide in exchange for Prince's investment. At least they are honest and transparent about it I guess. Spikes Tactical - Hysterical anti-antifa (i.e. fascist lol) CHUD to the max, many note iffy / overrated products compared to peers - don't sweat it if you have one but ditch this option in the future and spend your money elsewhere. Fenix Ammunition - anti-Antifa hysteria and with a boog angle too boot DS Arms - Overt Rhodesia glorifying, not just camo fetishism Griffin Armament - "Front Towards Arabs" engraved suppressors, lazy racist shit (notice it isn't ISIS) compared to the more snarky "infidel" dust covers and decals Kahr Arms and Auto-Ordnance (thanks u/Oldskoolguitar) - Literally run by major cult (Moonies) i.e. the Unification movement Apparently Kahr is crappy anyway but Auto-Ordnance makes 1911, M1, and Thompson replicas so seek other options for those models (mispelled earlier, meant Kahr, not Khar) Smith Enterprises - SS iconography sold, i.e. actual Nazi stuff not the Iron Cross aesthetics T-Rex Arms - Quiverfall membersmore on that group here and Lucas has posted cheap homophobic crap. (thanks u/eyetracker) Troy Industries - Apparently tits up but backlash for hiring Dale Monroe - i.e. FBI veteran and Ruby Ridge participant DesertTech - Owner is fringe Mormon sect member with racist views Non-AR makers/businesses to avoid... (Sourced from Something Awful thread above) DE Guns - Neo-Nazi ties Glockstore - White Supremacist organization ties LGBT Gun Rights (facebook and twitter) - faux progressive social media run by Neo-Nazi, do not join either as they are aiming to misinform and glean info on progressive and leftist gun owners ^ these are the tip of the iceberg TBH. There are likely problematic owners of stores and companies who will never be outed. Always look out to avoid local gun stores, distros, and individual sellers with bigoted and fascist sentiments and/or scammers - this kind of trash has always been the nasty underbelly of gun culture. Def be subtle and unassuming IRL while shopping - be cautious and tactful in interactions. Alternatives include more apolitical / hunting and hobby oriented stores like Bass Pro/Cabelas, Academy, Dick's, Big 5, etc. Love it or hate some Walmarts often have good deals. There are plenty of individuals, stores, and companies that are politically more conservative or libertarian but well-meaning and honest and worth patronage, i.e. you can hold to your ideology without limiting yourself to strict arbitrary choices as a customer. Try to embrace the shared sentiment of gun ownership as a right and launching point to reaffirm that owning firearms is an universal and inclusive right for personal and community self-defense. Opportunity to praxis is likely rare, but it might emerge. /// YT personas to stop subscribing from - IV8888, Brandon Herrera, CRSFirearms, etc. (there's a shitload TBH, feel free to tell me others to avoid) - Most are coming as bootlickers in recent times (not a shock), and if a YT channel isn't focused on guns over right-wing edgelord bullshit move on. For leftist/liberal/non-right wing content check out Forgotten Weapons, InRangeTV, Tacticool Girlfriend, Armed Margins, thegunpenguin, Beau of The Fifth Column, Sapper Gentleman, and DeviantOllam has a few. More apolitical and great content but likely right-wing and/or hinted such sentiments: Honest Outlaw (no idea, he plugs a local food shelter and is seemingly apolitical), Hickok45 (arguably the nicest and least pretentious YT gun personality, old timer who is passionate about sharing knowledge with others), Luckygunner, #itsonyou, 32icon, Katharina Vikør, C&R Aresnal, Rob Ski, 9-Hole Reviews, 22plinkster, Paul Harrell, Garand Thumb, gunthots, mixup98, Demolition Ranch. Wild card is Yankee Marshall - bit of a nutter but he's sincerely unabashedly pro-2A / anti-NRA and shit stirrer in away that's amusing. To his credit - although it was likely a weird fluke - he lost a bunch of subscribers for calling Garrett Foster a patriotic veteran. List of POC youtubers here - Colion Noir is probably the best known black gun YT persona, unabashedly pro-2A, like Hickok45 dropped his NRA affiliation fairly recently; the did so both over disagreements in their budget spending and ad agency contracts respectively. /// Editorial / Op-ed from original AR Build Spreadsheet Some advice and food for thought regarding reconciling ideology with present day gun enthusiasm: If you are a liberal, progress, moderate, etc. who has come into gun ownership more recently, or has been reckoning with shifts in gun laws and gun culture in the U.S. over the last few decades, than you've likely managed to cut through the noise surrounding the debate, discussion, and frequently knee-jerk hysteria that surrounds semi-automatic rifles and the AR-15 platform. Now you're probably navigating the persistent injection of right-wing identity politics via stamped receivers, accessories and apparel with cheap shock value and superficial pandering, tacticool veering into authoritarian fetishism, tribal jingoism, etc. You've pushed aside misguided liberal identity politics that mis-characterize and attack gun enthusiasm only to have it's reactionary core shoved in your face. It can easily be reconciled with a concept you've likely seen: “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.” It's been overused and even widely applied in dubious scenarios but I'd argue it's highly relevant when it comes to buying any new firearm or firearm component. All that aside it's still perfectly reasonable to not inadvertently throw your hard-earned cash at bootlicking goons, so when it comes to manufacturers this list should at least help you navigate and plan your purchases armed with information and awareness. If anything, supporting more apolitical and progressive manufacturers who aim to focus first and foremost on making quality firearms for all should be spurred on, not stymied. If you're a leftist of any variety and interested in AR-15s you are likely already past the idea of committing to firearms that seemingly align with your views - AKs, milsurp SKS, Mosins, anything from cold war era socialist or communist states, etc. You've likely realized the last era of true Nazi-eliminator rifles are now 75+ years old. Futile seeking out new firearms and parts from non-capitalist states in 2020 will only reinforce this sincere but arbitrary hill to die on. A more pragmatic approach some make is to focus on buying only used firearms and parts already in circulation but this could still involve the financial patronage to a distributor, store, or individual of bad character. On a personal tangent, I first warmed back up to the idea of owning a semi-automatic that wasn't an AR-15 either by following the same arbitrary classification that deems a used M-14 or old M-1 carbine a better choice, but beyond classic value and aesthetics they are in the same niche. Even though defenders of the AR-15 sometimes veer into obnoxious and flippant ackchyually territory, especially after tragic gun massacres, they are often technically correct. The blunt fact is the AR-15 platform is fundamentally as legal as other semi-automatic rifles. It's popular for that reason and that's why it has so many fans, defenders, and apologists in so many forms. When it comes to broader ideas of firearm ownership in relation to one's ideology, something I reflect on often is the fact that history has always involved the oppressed using the weapons of their oppressors both past and present. It's a moot point what the firearm is, it is a tool that reflects the individual who wields it. A rifle in the hands of a fascist is a fascist rifle andlikewise a rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle. To further make the case for the AR-15 many have made in some variation is that it is the present day rifle of the proletariat, the M1 Garand or PPSh-41 of it's time. When it comes to affirming your support for gun ownership, advocate for more widespread gun education, training, and positive and inclusive gun culture. Put lawmakers to task for pushing gun regulations that discourage law-abiding citizens - especially lower income citizens and people of color - from lawful ownership of guns. Support instead substantive reform and funding of mental health resources, de-militarizing law enforcement, and ending gun lobbying that side steps gun owners to only further corruption and complicity. If those who wish to do you harm are armed and will likely always be armed, there's no point in handicapping yourself or your peers. Buying or building an AR-15 is an exercise of one's 2nd amendment right. For those outside of the U.S., and to all lawful and well-meaning comrades, arm yourself however you can legally and responsibly. Marx put it more bluntly in 1850 than the 2A's far more nuanced wording and arduous historical establishment: “Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary” Lastly, above all else, with tensions rising and outright violence being perpetuated by the far right, it is more imperative than ever simply to arm oneself as quickly, effectively, and safely as possible, regardless of the manufacturers, stores, and distros involved. A well made affordable gun you can acquire ASAP is a lot more imperative than your ideal build/choice. This is a guide not a plea. It's better to be armed with a gun from the "avoid" list today than to wait around for some ideologically preferable firearm weeks or months from now.
Journey narration from R.A. Salvatore's "The Crystal Shard"
Read the excerpt below when the game begins in earnest but remember to edit it further to account for the harsh blizzardsafter the first week. This could also involve finding remains of ransacked or ruined caravans that could've been carrying chardalyn to the South or any standard trade good. You may also be inclined to allude to the horrid magical rime of the Frostmaiden, the scattered chardalyn veins along the mountains and the duergar that seek it, and the twilight/aurora that washes over the sky, or even describe the party laying eyes on the Frostmaiden herself as she soars through the sky and eerily peers down at the party. Feel free to sprinkle in a spooky encounter to raise the tension or set the mood. Along the road after the first week, the party could end up threatened by a furious blizzard and be forced to take refuge in a mountainside cave where you can put any manner of horrible or beneficial things. Perhaps the cave was the home of a wendigo or yeti, with many bones scattered around, or mayhap it is the home of a good-natured dragon or winter fey that impart knowledge and advice about the Dale upon the party.
"When you finally saw the snow-capped peak of Kelvin's Cairn rising from the flat horizon, you felt more than a little relieved. The hard journey fromLuskanto the remote frontier settlement known as Ten-Towns has taken you more than three weeks. The first week hadn't been too difficult. The caravan held close to the Sword Coast, and though it was traveling along the northernmost reaches of the Realms, the summer breezes blowing in off the Trackless Sea gave enough comfort. But when the trail rounded the westernmost spurs of the Spine of the World, the mountain range that many considered the northern boundary of civilization, and turned into Icewind Dale, you quickly understood why you have had been advised against making this journey. Icewind Dale, a thousand square miles of barren, broken tundra, had been described to you as one of the most unwelcoming lands in all the Realms, and within a single day of traveling on the northern side of the Spine of the World, you almost considered the reputation well-earned. Bordered by impassable mountains on the south, an expanding glacier on the east, and an unnavigable sea of countless icebergs on the north and east, Icewind Dale was attainable only through the pass between the Spine of the World and the coast, a trail rarely used by any but the most hardy of merchants. For the rest of your lives, two memories would ring clear in the your minds whenever you'd think bout this trip, two facts of life on Icewind Dale that travelers here never forgot. The first was the endless moaning of the wind, as though the land itself was continuously groaning in torment. And the second was the emptiness of the dale, mile after mile of gray and brown horizon lines. Your journey's destination marked the only varying features in all the dale - ten small towns positioned around the three lakes of the region, under the shadow of the only mountain, Kelvin's Cairn."
After the players reach the vicinity of Ten-Towns, it is logical to send them to Bryn Shander right away, as that is the nearest location to the mountain passes to the south, but you may be inclined to give them a choice to travel to a different town instead. This is however illogical, as it would involve completely avoiding the safe haven of Bryn Shander and trudging through the Arctic without any semblance of a trail or beaten path. They could also, of course, simply go through Bryn Shander and go on their way towards the East or West. A sheriff's deputy named Augrek Brighthelm often stands watch at the southwest gate. She delights in greeting first-time visitors to town. In fact, she has a well-rehearsed speech that makes some of the other guards at the gate roll their eyes:
"Well met, travelers! Keep yer fingers and extremities under wraps, lest Auril bite them off! Mind yer tempers, and you'll be most welcome here! Brought goods to sell? The market lies straight ahead. Craving a warm drink? May I recommend a drop of Firebeard's Firebrandy, sold only at Kelvin's Comfort, located on yer right as you enter the market square!"
Despite the warm nature of her speech, there is a tangible sense of sadness in her eyes and voice. With a DC 13 Insight Check the players will get the feeling that something is amiss. If asked about it, she will respond by saying that she is very concerned about Icewind Dale due to the Rime of the Frostmaiden, the twilight, the sacrifices and the rest of the vile things going on in Ten-Towns. Read more about Bryn Shander below.
OPTIONAL Prelude Quest: Woes of a Luskanite
As the party is about to begin their journey, it is inevitable that they have to go through or around Luskan. IF (big if) you feel compelled to explore the pirate theme, the party could be approached by a rowdy sailor seeking their help. This man is Jorn Weatherstorm (CN male illuskan human bandit), and he is desperate to find his parrots that fled into the local woods, east of Luskan. He will explain that he stole a scroll from a mage of the Arcane Brotherhood, and in return, that mage cast a horrific spell on his loyal parrot companions, named Greenzie and Red-Beak. The parrots grew to massive proportions and began to fly around the city, terrorizing locals. After awhile, the parrots flew east, towards Blackford Crossing. They are now currently flying around the local woods, and Jorn is anxious to kill them.
"Arr, can't do nothin' for em' now. Gots ta' put em' out of their misery. Don't want em' flappin aroun' the place all oversized an' monstrous. I love them stupid bird-brains but it is what it is."
What Jorn doesn't know, is that the scroll that he stole is a Scroll of Dispel Magic. This scroll can be used to undo the spell that was cast on either Greenzie or Red-Beak. It is fairly easy to find one or both of the birds, as they screech extremely loudly, giving away their location. When the players go towards the screeching sound, roll and consult the following table to see where the parrots are. The parrots are extremely perceptive and will attack the party as soon as they arrive. The parrots are frenzied and fight to the death. If only one parrot is encountered, the other isn't far, and the screeching gives it away once again.
1d6Encounter 1-2 Both parrots are present and fighting each other. They each start with only 5 health. 3-4 Greenzie 5-6 Red-Beak
For Red-Beak, use the Giant Owl statblock with 15 health. For Greenzie, use the Giant Owl statblock again, with only 10 health and with the following action added to it.
Acid Spit: +3 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) acid damage. Greenzie will always prefer to stay at a range of 30ft. and spit acid.
If the scroll is used on one of the parrots, it simply transforms back into a harmless tiny bird (use the raven statblock) and flies down to land on Jorn's shoulder. Whatever the outcome, if the players manage to neutralize both parrots, Jorn will reward them with a sack of 20 gold pieces and a dagger that belonged to his previous captain. He will gift the the surviving tiny parrot to the party as a pet. The parrot will, however, fly away towards the south once the players reach Icewind Dale, as the temperature is way too cold for the creature.
RECOMMENDED Prelude Quest: Goods for Bryn Shander
There's a caravan that's stopped in Blackford Crossing, owned by a timid and fearful caravneer named Morgran Silverfist (LG male shield dwarf commoner). His guards have been savaged by a Many-Arrows orc ambush along the Blackford Road and only one guard remains, a wise and reserved dragonborn named Loremark the Silent (LG male dragonborn guard). The caravan is being drafted by two brown draft horses and is carrying is 4 gallons of off-brand Mirrabaran rotgut and various metal goods (it is up to the DM to decide what these items are, if it is pertinent). Morgran Silverfist is extremely anxious about the journey, and will pay the party 20 gold each to help accompany him to the tavern of Kelvin's Comfort in Bryn Shander. The caravan will travel along the Northern Means, turning right at the crossroads into Ten-Trail, stopping once a day for a long rest. This means that there are 20 stops total, not counting stopping for a full day in Hundelstone. There is no need to fully narrate and role-play this journey, it could simply be done using the excerpt above. Feel free to add encounters and omens as described at the start of the post. The caravan will arrive to Hundelstone after 9 days of travel and stop there for one full day to restock on rations and recouperate. Hundelstone is in a bad condition due to Auril's storms, and is way more desolate than usual. One notable resident of Hundelstone is an inventor named Thwip Ironbottom (CG male rock gnome commoner). A spy for the Harpers, Thwip keeps an eye on strangers passing through town and uses a sending stone to stay in touch with Beldora, a Harper spy in Bryn Shander. After 15 more days, the caravan will reach Bryn Shander. Morgran Silverfist and Loremark will be grateful for the help, and make his way to Kelvin's Comfort after paying the party.
Bryn Shander Enhanced
Kelvin's Comfort Kelvin's Comfort is the most popular tavern in Bryn Shander after the Northlook, owing to its extensive stock of dwarven ales and brandies. (If you use this tavern instead of the Northlook, it is suggested that you move Ol' Bitey here). The common room is bedecked with dwarven craft of Battlehammer make, but most of the liquors are imported from Mirabar, on the other side of the Spine of the World. The one Ten-Towns specialty of note is a treacly mead from Good Mead, a neighboring settlement. If the party orders this mead, the server will mention the following:
"In Good Mead, the town speaker was recently killed by a nine-foot-tall giant. Rumor has it the giant stole a shipment of honey mead, without which a handful of taverns in Ten-Towns might go dry!"
Caravan masters and guards with plenty of coin often come here, as do visiting dwarves from Kelvin's Cairn, who carry edible mushrooms for the tavern that are grown in underground plantations. The proprietor of Kelvin's Comfort is Ogden Flamebeard (NG male shield dwarf commoner), who has a temper as fiery as his signature drink-the Mirabarran rotgut he gets for cheap from Morgran Silverfist and rebottles as Flamebeard's Firebrandy (reselling it at a sizable markup). One heavily bundled figure commonly seen loitering outside the tavern is a haggard, homeless young woman named Beldora (CG female human commoner). She wears boots that are much too big for her feet, and thick gloves made from walrus hide. She earns coin by helping to tend other folks' campfires, staying warm and overhearing rumors at the same time. Beldora's secret is that she's a Harper agent. She likes to huddle next to strangers and learn what they know. She conceals a sending stone on her person and uses it once a day to pass along information to Thwip Ironbottom, a Harper agent based in Hundelstone. (If you are using the "Cold-Hearted Killer" quest) One of the patrons of Kelvin's Comfort is Sir Baric Nylef (LG male illuskan human veteran), a knight of Tyr and a member of the Order of the Gauntlet. He's hoping that a few shots of Flamebeard's Firebrandy will keep a nasty cold at bay while he keeps an eye out for the Killer of Icewind Dale. If the party reveals their intention to hunt down the killer, he is willing to help them look. If the party decides to go eastwards, he will go west, and vice versa, to cover more ground. Eventually, he will want to meet up with the party back in Kelvin's Comfort to see if they've found the killer or not. (If you are using the "Nature Spirits" quest) Dannika Graysteel (LN half-elf acolyte) could also be present and sharing concerns with patrons about small elemental creatures, perhaps petitioning a few young human NPCs to go and try to complete the quest without the intervention of the PCs. The patrons are naturally hesitant, dismissing Dannika as a witch or crazy person. (If you are using the "Foaming Mugs" quest) Hruna, Korux and Storn; dwarves of the Battlehammer mining clan are sitting in one part of the tavern and having some ales. They seem slightly desperate, and are willing to approach the party to ask them to retrieve their missing shipment of iron ore. House of the Triad Bryn Shander's largest place of worship, the only one that truly deserves to be called a temple, is an impressive stone edifice built by the dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn. The House of the Triad stands about halfway between the southwest gate and the central market. It honors the three gods known as the Triad: Tyr, the god of justice; Torm, the god of courage and self-sacrifice; and Ilmater, the god of endurance in the face of suffering. The temple is attended and maintained by visiting priests and acolytes from Neverwinter and Waterdeep, who usually stay for no more than two years before returning whence they came. At present, the temple is home to a priest of Torm from Neverwinter named Dellvon Ludwig (LG male Illuskan human priest) and his faithful friend, Sirac of Suzail. Speaker's Palace The Speaker's Palace is the private residence of the town speaker. The "palace" part of its name is an overstatement, compared to such buildings elsewhere in the world. Yet, fashioned by dwarves out of cut stone, with a pitched slate roof and a colonnade in front, the palace is so out of place among the rough wood dwellings in Bryn Shander that it looks as if it had been magically transported here from some other region of Faerûn. Town Hall Bryn Shander's town hall is the largest building that borders the central square. It is reserved for community feasts and gatherings on various holy days and other notable events. The hall can also accommodate refugees from neighboring settlements in times of emergency. In the back of the hall is a short flight of stone steps that lead down to a sunken cellar with walls of frozen, hard-packed earth. The cellar has been converted into a sheriff's office and an adjoining jail cell. The sheriff, Markam Southwell, spends little time here, and the jail cell is usually unoccupied. When troublemakers need to be locked up, two deputies (LN male or female Illuskan human guards) are assigned to watch over them. Sheriff Southwell carries the key to the cell door, which can be picked open with thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. If the guards need to get into the cell for some reason, one of them leaves to fetch the sheriff while the other waits. Rendaril's Emporium This is the largest trade house in Bryn Shander, on the site of the original cabin around which the town sprang up. The entrance facing the market square serves as the storefront, where visitors can view an assortment of the finest goods for sale in all of Ten-Towns: fishing rods fashioned from elven yew, yeti-skin coats with scrimshaw buttons, mithral fishhooks, axe heads and daggers crafted by the dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn, and more. Around the back of the building is an entrance for wholesalers, where caravan traders offload their stock and local adventurers sell pelts and tusks collected on their travels. The owner, Rendaril (CG male half-elf commoner), is a shrewd merchant who learned his trade in the cutthroat markets of Waterdeep. More coin passes through his hands in a week than most other businesses in Bryn Shander see in a season.
Locations along the way
Feel free to use these locations from the Forgotten Realms along the journey and modify them to your liking to suit your needs. These are here only to provide something for the party to do along the way, to set the mood and contrast with the great isolation that the players will have to contend with later. Keep in mind that the Rime of the Frostmaiden does not take place here, but could affect these locations, so feel free to insert the cold influence of Auril wherever the party goes. (But to a FAR lesser extent than in Icewind Dale.) Mirabar Mirabar is the richest city of the North by far. It sits atop a knoll on the north side of the Mirar River like an unassailable fortress, enclosed on all sides by sloped outer walls as wide at the base as many city blocks in Waterdeep. Defenders can fire arrows down from atop the walls, or, in winter, pour water down them to make ice slides. There is no shortage of stone and weaponry. Even the docks have battlements and fortifications. Visitors to Mirabar often wonder why they don't see more dwarves, as humans make up the majority of the city's surface dwellers. Another city lies just below the surface, and that place is dominated by dwarves. Underground, Mirabar is a city of lit residential caverns, superheated forges, foundries that operate day and night, and tunnels leading to the mines. Mirabar's marchion, Selin Ramur (LN male Damaran human noble), meets with the other members of the Lords' Alliance to ensure that Mirabar's interests aren't ignored. While the marchion handles foreign policy, true power within the city rests with the Council of Sparkling Stones, a group of dwarf elders that manages the city's security and decides where the output of Mirabar's mines are sold. Luskan The City of Sails often conjures romantic images of a magnificent port metropolis, majestic merchant galleons with bright sails, and dashing swashbucklers who greet their enemies with a playful wink and a tip of the hat. In reality, Luskan is anything but that. It's a dirty dive with filthy streets, squat buildings, ramshackle docks, creaky old longships, and crass pirates thinly disguised as sea traders. Rising above the fog and the stench is the Hosttower of the Arcane, home of a league of greedy, power-hungry wizards called the Arcane Brotherhood. Their ghastly tower branches into multiple thinner spires at the top. From a distance, the Hosttower might be mistaken for a giant, leafless tree. To those who have the misfortune of seeing it up close, it looks like a clawed hand bursting out of the ground, each of its fingers a tower with many peering windows. Five High Captains rule the city. Each one is a glorified pirate lord who controls a fleet of longships. The five fleets serve many purposes: they defend Luskan against seafaring barbarians and other enemies, they conduct legitimate sea trade up and down the Sword Coast, and they raid and plunder the island kingdoms to the west (and the occasional settlement on the Sword Coast). The High Captains have no influence over the actions of the Arcane Brotherhood, nor is it apparent that the wizards have any allegiance to Luskan. Blackford Crossing Straddling the Mirar River, Blackford Crossing is an excellent trading post for those going south or coming from either Mirabar or Luskan and want to exchange wares instead of going the whole way themselves. It is mostly packed with travelers who are passing through, but want to avoid Luskan entirely due to it's horrid and well-earned reputation. Dwarves and Luskanites alike set up shop here, and the road is often traveled by vagrants and caravans from faraway lands. Several caravans from Mirabar stop here to prepare for the three-week journey to Icewind Dale. Blackford Road This trade trail runs east from Luskan to Mirabar. The road is named for a little-used ford across the River Mirar that allows travelers to avoid Luskan should they wish. Caravan masters have many other names for the road, none of them flattering: Auril's Ride, the Stygian Road, Ol' Frozenfinger, and the Dead Yeti Highway, to name a few. Where the road spans the Black Raven River, south of Raven Rock, stands a stone bridge with broken statues of rearing horses at each end. Northern Means The Northern Means is a snowy, windswept trail that connects the city of Luskan to the frozen lands of the high north. The trail all but disappears during the winter, buried under deep snow. Moreover, the area has few trees or hills to provide shelter. Ten-Trail Ten-Trail is a precarious road leading through a mountain pass through the Spine of the world. Hundelstone is the only settlement along this road, and lies at it's highest peak. Deadly blizzards imposed by the Rime of the Frostmaiden ravage this road, and it is only traveled by the most hardy of caravneers. It is likely that travelers that pass through here will encounter either a blizzard or an avalanche, as well as the remains of those that have tried to pass but came ill-prepared. Hundelstone At the highest elevations along Ten Trail, only a few shrubs cling to life amid patches of moss-covered rock. Travelers on this route eventually come to Hundelstone, perching on the mountain slopes much like the surrounding flora. The town's buildings are low, with most of their rooms cut out of the hard soil and rock below ground level, and their roofs steeply pitched to better shed the snows that blanket the mountains in the winter. The shield dwarves and rock gnomes in Hundelstone get a chuckle out of warning visitors to stoop low as they walk about town, lest they be blown away by the wind. For most people, Hundelstone is either the last outpost of civilization before taking the pass north to Icewind Dale or the first welcome sign of refuge after making the wearying trip back. Many of the dwarves and gnomes here spend their days excavating tunnels, mining ore, or smelting and smithing the local iron and tin. (Adventurers who venture down into these tunnels might be surprised to find that some of them descend for miles, in some cases all the way to the Underdark.) Hundelstone's few score human residents are mostly sellswords or would-be adventurers who earn a living as caravan guards or beast hunters in the crags. One notable resident of Hundelstone is an inventor named Thwip Ironbottom (CG male rock gnome commoner). A spy for the Harpers, Thwip keeps an eye on strangers passing through town and uses a sending stone to stay in touch with Beldora, a Harper spy in Bryn Shander.
Remember to change stuff around! Don't assume any of this is set in stone! Best of luck DM-ing!
This is for The Reaper category, I mean how could I not? You don't need to have read Seven Days of fire to enjoy this, I had several people who hadn't read the story confirm that for me just in case, so enjoy! The Union’s Reaper:Seven Days of Fire Kurt ran through the irradiated hell, his eyes searching for the large enemy force holding down the area. His squad mates all stood nearby, hearts pounding in their chests, sweat building up inside their gasmasks. They’d been ordered to search out the Unionists and kill any they found. The orders of the church were absolute, god was with them and none could stand before their wrath. ‘Or so I once thought.’ Kurt looked around at the bodies that littered the city streets. Soldiers who had been his comrades hours before, now reduced to cooling corpses. Black puddles of tacky blood surrounding their fallen frames. A plane roared overhead and Kurt screamed in fear, they’d all learned what any disturbance meant. “I’m hit!” The scream sent a shiver down Kurt’s spine and he turned to see the squad’s designated marksman bleeding from a hole in his stomach. Next to him the sargent’s head was half blown off, the shot having nailed both of them. “The sniper’s-” A second shot killed their machine gunner and sent everyone without a death wish running for cover. A third shot slammed into the ammo carrier’s kit, detonating his supplies and wounding everyone with a five meter radius. Screams of agony came from all around Kurt but he had to focus, he knew where the sniper was. Taking cover behind a shattered wall that once belonged to a large townhouse he caught his breath, unfortunately for him the sniper knew exactly where she’d cornered her pray and silently glided away from her haunt. It took several tense minutes for the patrol to realize their fate and Kurt broke down into tears when he threw up in his mask and was forced to take it off or drown in his own sick. Within the hour silence had returned to the battlefield, radiation from the church’s own nuclear strikes claiming another score of the faithful. Grim returned to friendly lines having finally run low on rifle rounds. Sure she could scrounge more but hand loaded was always better than what the enemy had to offer. She moved like a ghost through the ranks of her allies, the other humans unconsciously avoiding the presence of death’s embodiment, all except one. “Hey Grim, what’s the haul this time?” Lily Winters wore a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Her pale skin, blond hair and icy blue eyes made her look colder than Grim despite her disposition being far more amicable. “50 kills by rifle, 17 by trap and 81 with environment.” Grim didn’t bother looking at the other sniper, instead continuing on her way to the ammo depot. “And you’ve passed me once again.” Several nervous eyes stole glances at the two women, several curses mumbled under breaths as bets were won or lost. “Seems we’ve made some days and ruined others.” “That’s one way of putting it.” Grim watched several heavily armored tanks rumble by with mild interest. “Since when did we have those?” “Since the Fontaine’s surrendered. The Royal Dragon has had enough of war it seems.” Lily had been fourteen when the bullets started flying. It seemed like an eternity since her family had become trapped behind enemy lines and was forced to take up the trade of sniping. Ten years had passed and now she was the second most accomplished sniper in human history, second only to Grim, death herself. “We’re getting ready for the final battle, the Theocracy’s surrounded.” “I see.” Death nodded and pushed aside the flap of a tent, sitting down at one of the loading benches within. The guard hadn’t noticed the Grim Reaper enter and only stopped Lily to check her credentials, nearly jumping in surprise when he realized someone was already inside. “Before you ask for her credentials, that’s Grim as in the Union’s Grim Reaper. Last person who asked her to identify herself died of a heart attack so I’d be careful.” Lily clapped the guard on the shoulder and watched death work. Both women had learned through trial and error but there was something unnatural about how well Grim adapted to war. Bringing death was as natural to her as breathing and Lily always learned more about their shared trade while looking over her shoulder. For her part, Grim never noticed the eyes of her self declared rival. If someone wanted to be her witness then that was their choice, so long as they wouldn’t give away her position. Lily watched Grim carefully work, each bullet examined, weighed and placed into one of several neat piles. Smokeless powder was carefully measured out, each grain gently planted within the confines of a brass case so it may one day bloom into uniform flame. The bullet was then carefully pressed into the brass, burying the seeds of the next harvest. Over the next few hours the two women stood uninterrupted, the unnatural silence and eerie calm that surrounded them causing their fellow soldiers to avoid snipers entirely. *** Jian Li felt his hands trembling in fear, overhead jets screamed into battle, machine guns roaring. Artillery thundered and the earth danced to the drums of war. Columns of irradiate smoke rose overhead, a mushroom cloud visible in the distance. ‘We’re going into hell.’ Jian gripped his rifle and looked up just in time to see a friendly jet get torn to shreds. ‘I wonder if that’s the archangel?’ Jian could see anti-aircraft fire streaming into the sky, white puffs of smoke filling the air but the enemy jet easily evaded the barrage before retreating back to the relative safety of the Theocracy’s ever shrinking defensive perimeter. ‘I just need to make it through this. This is it, the last battle. The Royals have surrendered, the Theocracy only has this one city left and then the war is over.’ Jian wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Most of the military was already taking part in reconstruction or peacekeeping and Jian had the bad luck to end up on the front line of what was looking to be the bloodiest battle of the war. Already the ground was coated in nerve agent and even a small rip in his protective clothes would spell death. ‘And they’re still detonating nukes, fucking lunatics don’t care about the future at all.’ “All soldiers prepare to charge!” The order went down the line and Jian could hear the rumble of tanks rolling towards his trench line. “Wait for the tanks to pull the enemy’s attention!” Jian watched armored goliaths sprint through prepared gaps in the minefields that separated the two sides, their guns blazing. Piercing whistles signaled the beginning of the assault and Jian ran forward with his rifle, rushing towards a crater several meters in front of his position. Overhead a storm of rockets pounded the city, courtesy of the Union’s truck mounted rocket artillery. Bullets zipped past Jian but he continued his advance, ducking in and out of cover and occasionally returning fire. Less than ten meters from the enemy line he felt his stomach churn but forcibly removed his eyes from what was a mass grave filled with children forced to fight. The sight was common on all sides but he loathed it nonetheless, especially now that the war was decided. Jian fought through the rubble filled streets for hours before realizing he was just outside the walls of the old city. Around him, other members of his squad all gasped for air, the heat inside their masks nearly suffocating but unless they wanted to meet the Grim Reaper herself, they’d have to live with it. Unfortunately, that also meant no solid food either, their gas masks only having ports for liquid. Pulling out a foil bag, Jian clipped it into his gas-mask and began drinking, feeling his dry throat slowly hydrate made him sigh in relief. ‘Seems I’m still alive.’ Jian looked over at the squad’s radio operator who was also carrying their radiation equipment. Mercifully he’d not reported any serious exposure so far but as they pressed further into the city they were getting close to the base of the massive mushroom cloud still towering over the battlefield. ‘Normally they dissipate faster, must have been a really big one.’ Jian wasn’t sure exactly what type of bomb had been set off, other than it was clearly atomic. ‘Not going to worry about that now though.’ He finished his meal and swapped his rifle’s magazine for a fresh one. “Everyone ready?” Blake, the squad’s sergeant shouted and Jian pushed off his knees back to his feet. “Yeah, let’s end this.” Jian nodded, glad for the brief respite. Jian looked around the corner of the shattered wall he’d been resting behind and saw the walls of the inner city were covered with bodies and white phosphorous. Fortunately, his mask kept out the smell and poisonous fumes but it still sent his skin crawling. ‘Whoever hit that position really didn’t hold back.’ Jian thought, wondering what it was like for a bomber pilot who unleashed such horrid weapons. ‘Well, I suppose not seeing what you’ve done makes it easier.’ Jian spotted a silhouette of a soldier staggering through the smoke and put a round through their chest, ending their suffering with one swift, merciful shot. “Jian, Eli you two push up!” Blake ordered, Jian flicked his weapon to full auto, breathed in deep and charged out of cover, sprinting towards a ramp formed from the rubble of the shattered sandstone walls. A machine gun opened fire amid the white smoke, the gunner ignoring the inferno swirling around him. Jian felt a burning pain in his side and fell to the pavement, right as a wave of shells detonated overhead, washing away the buildings in a storm of high explosives. Thunder and flames filled Jian’s vision and his head swam. He could feel his breathing become difficult, mucus filling his noses and his eyes watering as the nerve agent covering everything went to work ending his life. Cursing and holding back sobs, Jian rolled over and faced the gray uncaring sky that dominated his world. ‘Dammit, I was so close.’ Jian’s hand moved towards his pack where he had his antidote kit and clumsily dug through it, pulling out an auto injector. Before he could administer it, Jian found himself convulsing violently, the complex poisons of the theocracy rampaging through his body. A shadow filled Jian’s vision, a humanoid wearing a cloak of shadows stood over him. A strange calm filled his body and he knew that death was at his side but he didn’t fear her. He couldn’t see the Grim Reaper’s face through the mucus and tears coating his eyes but could feel her eyes upon him, weighting whether to carry his soul into oblivion. At her side she held her tool of harvest, a weapon of wood and steel, old and well cared for. Jian wondered if she’d end his suffering the same way he’d ended so many others or if she’d wait for the nerve agent to take him. The reaper leaned over him, reaching down, preparing to cast her judgment. “Not today it seems.” The reaper’s emotionless voice reached his ears and Jian felt a sharp burning pain spread out from his chest. Jian felt the world begin to spin but his breathing was growing easier with each passing second and his convulsions stopped. “The rest is on you.” Death stepped back and shouldered her rifle, a scythe no longer sufficient for the amount of death the war had wrought. Jian felt the world falling away and blacked out, unable to stay awake now that death had moved on. Grim left the wounded soldier to his fate, she couldn’t delay any longer. ‘He’ll live.’ She knew he’d survive and would make sure to check up on him later. ‘Jian Li was on his dog tag, I wont forget it.’ Death moved through the now silent wall, the cracking of phosphorous in flesh the only reminder of the horrors hidden within the white smoke swirling around her. The machine gunner who’d been firing wildly before his sides own barrage killed him was now splattered across dozens of meters, not that Grim could actually see the carnage. ‘Is it odd that I just know these things? Lily’s the same though so maybe it’s just intuition.’ Death threw her rifle over her back and drew her pistol, small eddies in the smoke alerting to the presence of several hostiles. ‘Four adults, peaking out of cover just behind the wall, they’re taking cover behind an old marble wall that was once a cafe.’ Grim let her instincts guide her hand and fired four times in quick session. The gunshots were drowned out by the roar of jets and thunder of artillery but to the four she’d just killed it was the loudest thing they’d never heard. ‘Clean head shots, at least it was painless.’ Grim moved out of the smoke, disappearing into the destroyed alleyways of what was once the most beautiful city in the world. Half an hour of waking later, Grim stood outside a massive cathedral, the lead roof perforated by strafing attacks, rose windows shattered by high explosive blasts but the ancient stone walls held firm. ‘Seems my target is still alive.’ Grim moved through the open wooden doors of the temple, finding it full of bodies. Dozens, hundreds of men, women and children littered the floor, hands clasped together in prayer. ‘They committed suicide, didn’t even have the courage to die fighting so they murdered their children then died.’ Grim moved past the dead, her business with the living responsible for the horror. Behind the altar was a hidden passage leading down into the city’s catacombs, her quarry intent on fleeing their crimes. Heavy breathing and loud footfalls lead Grim with unerring accuracy towards a man partly responsible for many of the horrors that had transformed her from a normal young girl into death incarnate. Grim looked at the highest ranking priest of the theocracy, his robes replaced by an infantryman’s uniform. He hadn’t noticed her presence yet and she quickly matched his pace, coming up behind him without a sound and grabbing his wrist while simultaneously tripping him. The man flew through the air before slamming back first into the stone floor. “I’ll give you the choice, stand trial or die here.” Grim looked down at the surprised monster, not even a bulky gas mask enough to hide the surprise on his face. “What are you?” The priest felt icy cold spreading from where the reaper had touched him and knew the answer to his own question. The cold glow of dead souls lingered around her, visible only to him now that he was so near death herself. “Why god? Why do you send your servant to take me? I’ve followed your teachings, please!” “Chose or I will and it is easier to carry the souls of the dead than escort the living.” Grim looked at the priest, growing tired of his begging. She’d heard it before, countless times from men and women who’d died at his behest. “I’ll do anything! You’re a servant of the lord, you must-” “I serve the Union.” Grim growled, furious at being mistaken for a member of the deranged cult that had ravaged her homeland. “I am the Union’s reaper and your time has come. You have refused to choose and so I will decide.” Grim leveled her rifle at the man’s chest and fired, intentionally missing his heart. The shot echoed off the stone walls and the priest’s hand desperately scrabbled at his chest in panic. The man tried to beg but she’d pierced one of his lungs and he began to hack and cough instead. Grim could feel a small glimmer of satisfaction from the air surrounding her, an echo of those she’d killed taking comfort in the small modicum of vengeance before the priest joined them. *** The pain of thousands of needles stabbing into flesh was the first thing Jian felt when his awareness slowly returned to him. His groan quickly pulled the attention of a nearby nurse who ran over to check his condition. “Easy, you were shot and got quite a bit of nerve toxin in you. You’ll live but you need to stay calm, your body is really weak right now.” The nurse was surprised when Jian just smiled and nodded, after all death had already passed him by. “Can I have some water?” Jian looked over the nurse who nodded before holding a small cup with a straw near his face so he could drink. His throat was sore and he struggled to swallow the tasteless fluid but soldiered on, finishing the glass and letting out a satisfied sigh. “Thank you.” “No problem, let me know if you need anything else.” The nurse moved on, disposing of the cup before continuing his rounds. The pain was numbing and Jian closed his eyes and let himself drift back to sleep. A week passed in the blink of and eye and Jian finally managed to get out of bed, though his whole body felt incredibly weak. The road to recovery wouldn’t be easy but now that he could walk on his feet he knew he’d make it. ‘I wonder what happened after I passed out.’ Jian thought, sitting in one of the lounges of the hospital he’d woken up in. Outside the very air was poisonous but inside he could enjoy the beauty of the ocean waves in safety. The world was ruined but humanity would survive, building habitats for themselves and repairing the damage they’d wrought. In the distance he watched tall masted sailing ships, looking like something out of a history book making a rendezvous at sea with several armored battleships of the Union fleet. “You can walk.” Jian heard a woman’s voice but hadn’t noticed any footsteps. Turning he saw a pale woman with warm green eyes and warm brown hair. Stress lines marred her young face giving her an oddly ancient appearance. Jian’s heart skipped a beat and he felt his cheeks begin to heat up. He knew something was different about her, something special and he couldn’t explain it. “Y-yeah, it wasn’t easy but if I try.” Jian mumbled, unable to calm down. Bullets were fine, artillery, a walk in the park. But a woman that captivating was downright terrifying. “I’ll be fully recovered in no time Sir.” “No need for honorifics, I just came to check up on you since I was the one who found you.” Jian briefly remembered his hallucination and his cheeks burned even hotter. ‘How could I mistake a woman like this for the Grim Reaper?’ Jian wanted to writhe in agony but instead chuckled. “Thanks, I wasn’t sure I’d make it but then death passed me by. If you didn’t find me, she might have just taken me.” Jian babbled, trying to find something to catch the woman’s attention, keep the conversation from ending. Something about her captivated him, called to him and he couldn’t just let her walk out of his life. Grim turned to leave, having completed her duty, the man had survived as expected and now she could return to her harvest. “Your eyes.” Grim froze, she’d heard this before, countless times. Even Lily Winters shuddered under her gaze, terrified by the death swirling within the emerald orbs. “I hope this isn’t odd but they’re beautiful, they remind me of grass and trees and life. It’s been so long since I’ve seen any but well, I’m just embarrassing myself now aren’t I?” “No, it’s quite alright.” Unseen by Jian, Grim brushed a tear from the corner of her eye and turned to face him. “Why don’t we get lunch? I’ve got nowhere to be right now.” “Really? I mean yes, of course.” Jian rushed to his feet, his weakness momentarily forgotten and Grim caught him before he could fall over. “Sorry.” “It’s fine, we look out for each other, that’s what the Union’s all about.” Jian sighed internally at how distant her words were but he couldn’t expect her to be instantly familiar with him. “By the way I’m Jian but I think you already know that, so can I have your name?” Grim paused, it’d been so long since she’d been seen as anything other than death that she froze. “You alright? Should I not have asked?” “Aubrey, my name is Aubrey.” Jian nodded, he knew the look the other soldier wore, someone who’d fought for so long they’d forgotten themselves. But despite that he could see kindness lingering within her emerald eyes, too terrified to show itself. For now, he’d enjoy her company, learn more about her and one day, maybe, he hoped she’d become something more than just a friend. I seriously need to update my Wiki, I've written quite a few things since I last touched it. I swear I'll do it soon... Maybe when I'm not writing my current book and before I start the next one, whenever that will be. I've already finished another story for old traditions but it needs a few touch ups before I post it, keep an eye out for it! Also have an awesome day!
I have a way to thick fog/whiteness between Solitude and Morthar
Hello! I asking for assistance because I can't find out which of my mod (or a conflict) cuz this error. The problem is simple. I can see anything in a specific area, only mere shadows. Like this one: https://ibb.co/7CgTHM9 The problem only occurs in this region, marked with a gray circle: https://ibb.co/kcPNQ8g The whiteness happens when I fast-travel, or, if I just walk into the region from a normal working place. When I move closer, the fog starts to run forward me, and when it caught me, I can't get out. from the fog, unless I fast-travel elsewhere. I paste my SSE NMM loadlist. I followed this guide ( "https://www.sinitargaming.com/skyrim_se.html") to build my massive list (253 mod). I did the SSEEdit part, and have Bashed Patch and I use Low-End ENB (for better performance). I don't know where is the problem, any advice? Thank you!
I'm a Philly Cop and my friend killed a house Part 4 - Tartarus
https://preview.redd.it/9gzc1rodrwu41.jpg?width=1100&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1ad6ffba7b0d445fb0a0f2fed6c0885166540c1 My head rang as I rolled on the ground trying to gather my thoughts. The sound of thunder filled my ears. There was so much thunder, and it was loud, so loud. I could feel the pressure on my skin as the pressure from each boom pressed upon my chest. I moaned as my stomach revolted against today's lunch. I clutched at the dirt, struggling to open my eyes. Then I puked. The empty sensation made me feel better, not by much, but better. But I also felt a wave of intense anger creeping over me. I don't know why but it was so intense and seemed to rise with each passing moment. It was insidious filling me like a tub filling with water. As I opened my eyes I saw the subject of my ire. The intense red of my vision didn't help and my teeth clenched as she looked at me and walked over. She knelt in front of me as I scowled at her. Then she slapped me. "OW! What the hell was that for?" I asked, noticing the anger subside but my vision remained red. "I know that look! It's the same look I had for a while when I was abandoned here. It creeps in and everything pisses you off, everything. But once you know that it's this place that makes you angry its hold lessens somewhat." She told me standing up and turning away from me. "...and where is here...?" I asked then immediately grew quiet as the immensity of the situation hit me. The thunder was still booming. "Dear god! Where are we?" I asked as I realized it wasn't my vision that was red, everything was tinged in reds, blacks, and grays. The environment itself, the sky was red. Then I noticed what inhabited the sky. Imagine if the Moon wasn't millions of miles away, but maybe just one hundred. Then there was another moon, and another, and another, and so on. "What...the...hell?" "A hell...one of many, and my former home, for a year at least!" Abigail stated matter of factly, as she placed her hands on her hips. Then she turned to me and that smile returned. Her eyes had that amber glow again. "Welcome to Tartarus, Carceri, or hell...It's not Hades though, nope, not Hades. Hades is a lot grayer." "Tartarus, mythological Tartarus?" I asked bewildered, the anger resuming again, my eyes felt the pressure as it came again, but much more slowly, now that I'm aware. Cop training was kicking in. "Tartarus doesn't exist, It CAN'T!" I said as the thunder boomed. "If this place exists then..." "Dude," Abigail turned to look at me. Hands-on hips and her head tilted to the side with twisted lips. "My eyes glow, I saved you from a Dogman, and you and your cop buddies, just watched me kill a house. A HOUSE! Then I pulled you into a pool of blood, and we went straight to one of the many Hell Dimensions." I kinda just shrugged and apologized. I walked over to her and stood at her side and looked out over the place. The best way to describe this place was that it was a Bog. What's a bog? It's a wetlands area. The ground is wet and soft with an accumulation of Peat and other dead plant matter. I had a feeling this stuff below me was more than just dead plant matter. I was in Hell, why would the stuff here be made of the stuff from Earth? "Abigail? What's this stuff made of It looks like a bog with trees and stuff..." I began before she interrupted me. "That's because it's a bog with trees and stuff," she said with that Abigail smirk. I noticed her eyes haven't stopped glowing since we've been here. I wanted to ask, but she'd most likely give me a smart ass remark or something. I knew she took this stuff seriously. But there always seemed to be mirth and merriment in the way she went about things. I've never seen her type in a film before, that's for certain. "Watch your feet, Dan; this muck will suck you in quick if you're not paying attention. Also, watch the skies and your back, and the ground and the trees." She told me. Then I thought about what she'd say, it'd be something like, "'Cause you're in Hell Dan!" We walked for a bit as we moved away from anything that remotely looked like liquid. She said during her time here, whenever she drunk the stinking mess, she'd make a cup, run down and grab some then run away. She said she had almost been pulled under once, but she burned the things tentacles off. As we passed a dark pool of liquid I swore I could see something beneath glaring at me. I did there were multiple sets of shiny black eyes beneath the water. I reached forward to grab Abigail and warn... "Keep walking Dan. If they leave the water we run ya hear me?" I nodded as we picked up the pace. A few minutes later as we cleared a large section of trees, I asked her why there were no sounds outside of water slapping the ground now and then. No birds, insects, or even devilish things. She told me that nothing here wanted to be eaten by anything else here. That Hell had ecology just like every other world. I agreed because even though I could breathe, it was like taking in a lungful of rotting eggs with each breath. We reached an outcropping of stones and Abigail peered over into the distance of the hellscape. Jagged outcroppings of hills and deep valleys lay before me. It was kind of like standing at the top of a large hill and looking out into a valley. But in that valley, you could see smoke rising from various places like from a house or a hut. There were the eerie sounds of beasts better left unseen and unmet; the skies came alive as a large winged thing flew above at a distance. "Abigail, look I know this is your thing, but how are we supposed to find her in all of this? Bogs, woods, hills, and no trail in sight," I asked curiously. "Haven't you noticed my eyes since we've been here?" she prodded. "Yeah, I did." "I'm following her the way people who roam places like this follow each other and other things. Her hellish stink is peculiar to her, and I've bound both me and you to that stench. It's not a smell, but her...aura. She had passed by here not more than a day ago." "That was a day ago? We just jumped through that pool thing not more than 5 hours ago," then I answered the question myself, seemingly catching on. "Time moves a bit different here then?" Abigail nodded then added, "The way this works is you only ever use maps in a place like this once you’re inside a building or a structure because those don't change unless the barmy inside said structure can change it on a whim." We walked over to a clearing and she grabbed a stick and then drew a square on the ground and random shapes to represent places. "Ok! This is us," she said pointing to two stick figures. "This is the home of Duchess Seraphina the vile duchess of death or some shit, and for whatever dumb reason you have business with her. You walk in this direction and think of her, you'll get there. If you get turned around and wind up going back the way you came, but she's in your thoughts, you'll get there. Distance doesn't matter in places like this. If you want to get somewhere you'll get there." I think I understood somewhat now. In a place like this you have to throw out what you know and just accept things the way they are, and try to influence it in some way to your benefit. I smiled and nodded at her. I used to be a scout so traveling and learning things about it wasn't very difficult. "See those two twin spires over there in the far distance?" It was hard to make out anything in this red haze, but she used to live here, so it's something she's used to. "Yeah, I see it." "That's where she's headed; we can beat her there as long as you have that money still?" "I do. But it's just ten bucks what's the big deal about it?" "Come on. There's a river not far from here and it'll take us to those spires." It was about an hour of sneaking and moving about slow and quietly to avoid being seen by the creatures here. We did run into another human woman, but she wasn't in the mood to chat. I didn't want to chat anyway, she had no eyes, and I could still tell she was watching us. Abigail forbids me to even think about speaking to anything here. "Speak to NOTHING here. Let me do the talking. Whether it's alive or dead, you can't trust anything from this place. You hear me?" She said with all seriousness. Abigail was equipped to handle a place like this. I wasn't. But it didn't stop me from saying something stupid... "You're from here," I said regretting it immediately. "I'm from Southwest Philly Dan, I just got stuck here for a bit," she said with no sign of hurt or pain from my words. This was her business; people probably said stupid things to her all the time. We arrived at the side of the stinking thing and all about us was the sound of wailing and sorrow. I could sense deep anguish overriding the anger that was still in me from this place. I looked about and noticed that Abigail walked out in plain sight as I almost wet myself from the sight before me. There was a gathering of creatures most foul to human senses. Two beings stood between us and the river and in between those two beings was what appeared to be a humanoid of features I could not make out. The flesh was mottled green and his chin sagged. The bottom of his body was torn and ragged, flowing off into nothingness. He looked at us and then bowed his head down again in shame. Above his head was a mark of some kind, one of the creatures was etching it on his head. Wisps of smoke and steam hissed from its touch. It was some form of living shadow thing, impossibly thin with a skeletal horned head and bat-like wings in smoke-filled tatters behind it. I knew if this creature was in a room with you, you'd never see it before it was too late to do anything. The other creature was a fat thing. It was a fat thing, in fineries remnant from some medieval hell. The colors of its clothing were no so different from that of some Feudal noble. But the grotesque thing that wore them was another thing to behold. It wore no shoes on the greasy-looking elephant-like feet it had. Its head resembled that of a frog and a lizard that had sex with a Pterodactyl, with the wings on it looking as if they arose from the back and shoulders at the same time. I knew this place was off but I had to resist every singular urge to run as fast and far away as I could. I guess Abigail had noticed and slapped the shit out of me. "Stay here; those two things would cause you to have a VERY bad day. We're lucky they are in the midst of a transaction. Because if they wanted one of them would snatch you while I dealt with the other, and you would be that guy they are trading." I said nothing only nodding. The urge to wet myself returned and I turned to pee on the ground while making sure nothing else wanted me. I could hear Abigail talking to the fat one, as the shadow thing had adjusted itself to stare at me. The fear I felt then was too much. It radiated cold and evil, it hated me. But the way it had held the other man. I knew it would not slay me, at least not right away. That other man was dead. I wasn't. If this was a transaction, then a living being would probably net a lot more than that pitiful creature it held. But Abigail stood in between us and them. As angry and fearful as I was right now, I trusted her to know best. Not long after long moments of chatter with the things, they moved on and Abigail returned pulling me by the upper arm. I could only stare at the things as the man was given to the fat thing and the shadow monster bowed and took flight glaring at me as it vanished into nothingness. Its captives wailing mixed with those of the spirits around us. "What were those things? What the hell were those?" I asked shaken to the core. I felt as if my mind would shatter at the revelation of the existence of such things. Even though I watched her kill a house and fight a fairytale night hag in Philly. "The fat thing was a Kebular, and the other thing was a Shadow demon, the guy in the middle was a purchase. We interrupted their business. I asked for passage to the edge of the water in return for something," she told me. "Something like what?" I asked checking the skies and the shadows around me. "I'll give it a vial of the Hags blood. They could use it if I decided to let her live," she said. She said it so casually too. "Look, Dan, this is a Hell dimension. There is not a lot of good here. Good comes and goes on various missions of mercy and such, but this is Hell." I nodded in despair as I realized that I truly was in a world not my own. "The good thing Dan is that the human mind is very resilient. If you spent another month here and learned to survive, these things would still be scary, but become commonplace. You would get used to it. That's the gift our species has. Once we survive a thing and see it enough. We grow numb to it." We sat on the shore of the river, near some sort of man or monster made dock for some time. She cautioned me that this was the River Lethe. Its waters would make you forget everything the longer you were exposed to it. A splash could make you forget the last few minutes. A dunk could make you forget the last few hours. Immersion, well let's not go there. We talked more as we waited, she told me of the many places she's been to, and things she's seen or fought. She always laughed when she told of the various times she got her ass handed to her. She says it's one of the reasons she doesn't kill everything we consider supernatural. She said there are populations of "monsters" that had their methods of survival, just as we ours. To us, a moral thing might not be the same moral thing to them. The goal was to stop those that caused harm for no other reason than to do it. Not slaughter something we don't understand unless it was a threat. "Finally," she said standing looking into the distance. I stood and turned to look at an old wooden boat that at once seemed incredibly slow had also reached us with incredible speed. "Is that who I think it is?" I asked her. "That is only ONE of who you think it is. Charon the ferryman is like a holy figure to them. The ferrymen are a full species with mastery of the River Lethe. This is their home; this is where they conduct business. This is how you traverse all the hells and even a couple of nicer places. The ferryman was a hooded and robed figure whose outfit was a flowing tattered dark grey thing. His skeletal face frightened me, but not to the extent the fat thing and the shadow thing did. I sensed evil, but no malice. From what Abigail told me, these things were professionals first. You stated where you wanted to go and paid them. It was a simple thing. "Greetings Travelers, Where do you wish to go?" It said as if the air just flowed through the teeth forming the words with them moving. "To the Court of the Two Spires," Abigail said. "My fee is two gold pennies," It began when Abigail motioned me forward. "Give him the ten Dan, and watch!" She said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ten-dollar bill. When I looked at it I had expected to see Hamilton’s face as I unfolded the paper money to give to the Ferryman. "What the hell...?" I said looking in shock at a picture of Abe Lincoln on it. The date of production said, March 1861. "That's a Demand note, Dan. The first real widely accepted paper money of the US. The Ferrymen love this money more than gold pennies. Because of the sheer amount of souls they got to ferry about the planes during the Civil War in such a short amount of time. It's a historical event for them." I handed the creature the money and watched it come to life then. "Abraham Lincoln!" It said adding, "This was a fine time to be a ferryman. So much profit was made then. It was four great years, on one landmass." It seemed pleased with the payment, holding it aloft as it vanished into nothingness. "I’ll give expedient service for you. Let us be off to The Court of the Two Spires!" It said as we left the dock at a clip. "Of all the things you can have good dealings in Hell, are the Ferryman. Just pay them and you're good. Give them something special and you'll be remembered. They're still some evil S.O.B.'s, just don't cross 'em and you're protected while you travel with them." she said. "Well then, to the Court of the Two Spires!"
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