Computer keeps crashing when playing games

Hi all, I used to play TWW3 in 1080p and recently got a 2k screen. The thing is, my PC is not powerful enough to run the game smoothly with high graphics in 2k, so I rather lower the resolution back to 1080p. The problem is that when I lower the resolution, the game becomes extremely blurry. The whole game, also the menus, fonts, etc. Like the downscaling do not work properly. It does not happen with all resolution choices, but some other just cut the image so the sides of the screen are not being used. Does somebody know what can I do? I would be perfectly fine playing the game in 1980x1080/1200 without the blurriness

I was playing a game the other day and was winning by a large gap in a match. This is nothing new for me, there are some matches where you just destroy you opponent. About half time in the game it was clear I was winning and to provoke him I wrote in the chat "yo bro can you surr, I have other things to do" (asking him to surrender), and I thought I really did something there...but oooh boy how was I wrong! LOL that dude replyed "nah bro, I think I am getting the hang of it" and after that "yeah also...I am starting to have fun". From that point on it went downhill a and I lost the match...he completely dominated and destroyed me which left me speechless. I then looked at the profile of the player out of curiosity and also to calm myself only to found one of the most average account I have ever seen. It was so strange, because we were at a really high level but that account while it had enough stats to explain the level it didn't explain how would he do such a comeback. I also saw that he had less than 10 games with the character that he used to beat me which also made it more strange. So I actually didn't really think much of it at the start and made a bunch on excuses like "maybe he was cheating" or "he just got lucky" things like this. But after I talked about this with my friend (as a funny story) he asked me if I remember the name of the player (most of the time gamer just pick random ass names or thing that you don't generally remember) and I actually remembered his name because it was so simple and plain. So I said to him "yeah I actually do, his tag was Player1" and thus followed a minute of silence after which he replied "dude are you serious? You really don't know?" I looked confused and asked to elaborate and he started to explain to me and telling about this legend that is said to exist between gamers (but apparently not all of them know of this for some reason, and that's why I am having a hard time believing this and I am here to clarify) and this legend says that basically it exists this player that completely dominated every game he playes but after some times he grows bored of winning and starts to act average so that he can actually enjoy the game...but there are some times where it seems he regains his original self and just decide to destroy you and you can't do anything about it! It also says that his name is really easy to remember unlike others so that you will never forget your loss with him and the name of the player that humiliated you . He also said to me that the switch to make him play seriously is when he is having fun (which would explain what he wrote in the chat). I am having a hard time believing this even tho it is a really cool legend but at the same time I am inclined to believe it because I saw it my two own eyes. So I wanted to ask the people of reddit: "Have you guys ever hear about something similar?" . Also I really trust my friend who looked really serious when he was explaining it to me which is really unlikely him. I am sorry for my English and I am hoping I will get an answer ⛷️.

Hello, hope you are having a great day, I am Sal 41 Male who work in 3D art and game dev, despite my age and work, I am just another lonely guy who is looking for companionship, I have been spending a lot of time on my computer working and having fun, so I started getting worried that I am in a relationship with this computer haha. I am kinda silly and quirky most of the time trying to make jokes that don't always land haha, so I hope you don't mind that, but I can talk about serious topics as well and be supportive and kind. I have always been found of having someone online that to share my day with and talk about our problems daily lives and share our happy moments, so I had a lot of online friendships some lasts days .. months.. Or 20 years haha, yeah I am talking about you Allison. About my hobbies and interests, usually nerdy stuff like coding, 3D art, making animation, watching anime, used to play a lot of games but not much anymore. Plus some walking outside, I live in a beautiful small city called Istanbul that has nice places to walk near the sea and make friendship with lots of cats on the street. I know that I may not click with many people, it is a matter of chemistry and energy, I don't often click with the people who just keep using short answers in their chat and never ask anything and keep making me carry the conversation alone, I have pet peeve with very short replies and just emojis without words hahaha. So dm me anyway you have nothing to lose, I could be your new best friend. And please say “Hiiiiii” so I would know that you had read my post to the end the more “i”s the better haha, and please tell me about yourself a bit, let's hope you have a discord, so please respect that and have a great day.

Hello, hope you are having a great day, I am Sal 41 Male who work in 3D art and game dev, despite my age and work, I am just another lonely guy who is looking for companionship, I have been spending a lot of time on my computer working and having fun, so I started getting worried that I am in a relationship with this computer haha. I am kinda silly and quirky most of the time trying to make jokes that don't always land haha, so I hope you don't mind that, but I can talk about serious topics as well and be supportive and kind. I have always been found of having someone online that to share my day with and talk about our problems daily lives and share our happy moments, so I had a lot of online friendships some lasts days .. months.. Or 20 years haha, yeah I am talking about you Allison. About my hobbies and interests, usually nerdy stuff like coding, 3D art, making animation, watching anime, used to play a lot of games but not much anymore. Plus some walking outside, I live in a beautiful small city called Istanbul that has nice places to walk near the sea and make friendship with lots of cats on the street. I know that I may not click with many people, it is a matter of chemistry and energy, I don't often click with the people who just keep using short answers in their chat and never ask anything and keep making me carry the conversation alone, I have pet peeve with very short replies and just emojis without words hahaha. So dm me anyway you have nothing to lose, I could be your new best friend. And please say “Hiiiiii” so I would know that you had read my post to the end the more “i”s the better haha, and please tell me about yourself a bit, let's hope you have a discord, so please respect that and have a great day.

Ok, venting out... in 10 games i've faced like 7 out of 10 galactus decks...
It's ok, i recognise em early and i know how and when to retreat, but this thing is getting out of control.. unless you have debrii or storm (and storm is not always enough) your chances to win are like 10%. This is destroying my will to play....

Hello, hope you are having a great day, I am Sal 41 Male who work in 3D art and game dev, despite my age and work, I am just another lonely guy who is looking for companionship, I have been spending a lot of time on my computer working and having fun, so I started getting worried that I am in a relationship with this computer haha. I am kinda silly and quirky most of the time trying to make jokes that don't always land haha, so I hope you don't mind that, but I can talk about serious topics as well and be supportive and kind. I have always been found of having someone online that to share my day with and talk about our problems daily lives and share our happy moments, so I had a lot of online friendships some lasts days .. months.. Or 20 years haha, yeah I am talking about you Allison. About my hobbies and interests, usually nerdy stuff like coding, 3D art, making animation, watching anime, used to play a lot of games but not much anymore. Plus some walking outside, I live in a beautiful small city called Istanbul that has nice places to walk near the sea and make friendship with lots of cats on the street. I know that I may not click with many people, it is a matter of chemistry and energy, I don't often click with the people who just keep using short answers in their chat and never ask anything and keep making me carry the conversation alone, I have pet peeve with very short replies and just emojis without words hahaha. So dm me anyway you have nothing to lose, I could be your new best friend. And please say “Hiiiiii” so I would know that you had read my post to the end the more “i”s the better haha, and please tell me about yourself a bit, let's hope you have a discord, so please respect that and have a great day.

Ok, I wasn't sure which flair to add but let me explain the situation.
Years ago I went through gaming addiction, although I fixed the problem and now my mind is free. I moved abroad for college and I can only play over breaks when I am back in my hometown. Nonetheless, I really do enjoy videogames as they were always an important part of my life; living alone abroad means I have plenty of free time and sometimes I miss the feeling of joining a voice call with the boys and game for a while.
How bad would it affect my social life if I started doing this? Does this have the potential to ruin my grades and especially social life?
I wanted to ask you, fellow college students, if you have any experience to share or simple advice. Thanks for reading.
TL;DR Should I start gaming in my freshman year?

Me 28(m) started going out with this girl 25(f) last January.
At first everything was going smoothly. We would both initiate dates/texts/calls etc. so the effort was 50/50
At around the 1 - 1.5 month mark she stopped asking me out or texting me first but would still reply to my texts and go out with me and sleep together.
I started noticing that but because we had such great chemistry in many things (sex included) i didnt pull back. Instead i chased her more. My mistake, i know. (Effort now like 80/20)
This would go on for another 2 months. But I wasn’t happy. I felt I was the one putting all the effort.
At around the 4 months mark she told me that she wants to end what we ‘had’ as we didn’t want the same things. With that she meant i was pushing for a relationship while she didn’t want one.
I never told her that i am in love with her and that i want a relationship with her, but most likely my aura and behavior when with her showed that.
When she decided to end it, I didn’t try to change her mind at all. Instead i told her thank you for your honesty , I will respect your decision and never contact you again.
And so I did. I tried to forget her, I went out and slept with a new girl couple of times, but i still knew i was still in love with her.
After 1 month after she ended it, she contacted me again. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to see her but I couldn’t help myself. We spent one night together and then I left.
The first few days after that she would send me daily messages ask how i am and ask to meet. And I agreed. But after 2 weeks she started doing the same thing again. Pulling back and then me being emotionally bad for trying again with her.
My question is, the following. Should i confess my feelings to her and tell her i am in love with her and ask her for a clear answer for what she wants from me?
Or try to also play the hot cold manipulation game that she is playing for all this time?
Or just block her number / socials and try to move on?
Thanks a lot

I’m finding it hard to enjoy games atm because I keep restarting over the dumbest things. I’m currently playing ARK and just placing an object/structure “wrong” is enough for me to want to start over. If the object is not perfectly lined up I just can’t seem to ignore it and get very anxious and that playthrough is essentially ruined for me.
Any advice on how to overcome this?

Hello Fellow Counter-Strikers!
I would like to discuss a pressing issue that has been severely impacting my experience in CS:GO lately. The prevalence of smurfing, where highly skilled players create new accounts to dominate lower-ranked opponents, is significantly deteriorating the quality of our gaming sessions. As a group of long-term high school friends who have been connected for 20 years, but started playing together only 2 years ago during COVID lockdowns, we are deeply frustrated with the frequency of encountering smurf accounts and the subsequent imbalances it creates.
Let's delve into the frustration caused by smurfing in CS:GO. It is incredibly aggravating to witness a single player, who clearly possesses superior skills compared to the average player at our rank, singlehandedly dominate the scoreboard for their team. This vast skill discrepancy not only disrupts fair competition but also substantially reduces our chances of enjoying a balanced and engaging match. CS:GO is a team-based game that thrives on collaboration and collective effort. However, smurfing undermines these core principles, as one individual can sway the outcome of a match, leaving us feeling disheartened and demotivated.
As a group of friends who can only manage to find time for a weekly gaming session, we face unique challenges when confronted with smurf accounts. Unlike some players who can dedicate extensive hours to the game, our limited playtime prevents us from consistently honing our skills and ranking up. Smurfs exploit this situation by intentionally remaining at lower ranks while possessing significantly superior abilities. This unfair advantage not only perpetuates the skill gap but also amplifies our frustration as we struggle to compete against these highly skilled players.
The constant defeat we experience due to smurfing is incredibly demotivating. Our weekly gaming sessions are cherished moments where we come together to reconnect and have fun. However, the continuous losses inflicted by smurfs strip away the joy and satisfaction we seek from the game. This unrelenting cycle of defeat drains our motivation and raises questions about the worthiness of investing our limited time in CS:GO. Ultimately, it threatens the longevity of our gaming group and dampens the overall enthusiasm we have for the game.
Therefore, I implore the CS:GO community, game developers, and administrators to actively address the issue of smurfing. It is crucial to implement stricter measures and systems to identify and penalize smurf accounts effectively. By promoting fair matchmaking algorithms that prioritize balanced skill levels, we can alleviate the frustration caused by smurfing and maintain a healthier player base.
In conclusion, smurfing in CS:GO is significantly diminishing the game experience for dedicated players like my long-term friends and me. The presence of highly skilled smurf accounts disrupts match balance, undermines teamwork, and demoralizes us due to the overwhelming number of defeats. It is crucial that we take collective action against smurfing to restore fairness, enhance the enjoyment of the game, and foster a more positive and inclusive community and not just for those that have oceans of time to play and skip the smurfs.
Thank you for your attention and understanding. I encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences on this matter, as collective awareness and support can lead to positive change.

Hello, hope you are having a great day, I am Sal 41 Male who work in 3D art and game dev, despite my age and work, I am just another lonely guy who is looking for companionship, I have been spending a lot of time on my computer working and having fun, so I started getting worried that I am in a relationship with this computer haha. I am kinda silly and quirky most of the time trying to make jokes that don't always land haha, so I hope you don't mind that, but I can talk about serious topics as well and be supportive and kind. I have always been found of having someone online that to share my day with and talk about our problems daily lives and share our happy moments, so I had a lot of online friendships some lasts days .. months.. Or 20 years haha, yeah I am talking about you Allison. About my hobbies and interests, usually nerdy stuff like coding, 3D art, making animation, watching anime, used to play a lot of games but not much anymore. Plus some walking outside, I live in a beautiful small city called Istanbul that has nice places to walk near the sea and make friendship with lots of cats on the street. I know that I may not click with many people, it is a matter of chemistry and energy, I don't often click with the people who just keep using short answers in their chat and never ask anything and keep making me carry the conversation alone, I have pet peeve with very short replies and just emojis without words hahaha. So dm me anyway you have nothing to lose, I could be your new best friend. And please say “Hiiiiii” so I would know that you had read my post to the end the more “i”s the better haha, and please tell me about yourself a bit, let's hope you have a discord, so please respect that and have a great day.

So I have been trying to troubleshoot what fans are making my pc loud when gaming, so I have basically troubleshooted by settings the GPU, CPU and CASE Fans to a fixed quiet rate. But when I started playing games, I noticed the noise started to elevate like a fan in pc was getting louder and it was loud again. So what exactly in my computer is getting louder if all my fans are at a fixed rate?

So, I posted a build similar to the build in the graph but I made some changes. This time it's different because I'm buying the parts next week and I need your help choosing the right parts and if I'm making the right decision. I'm prepared to cut cost on some parts like the cooler, almost all of the people that have seen this is telling me that the aio is overkill to my cpu, but when I tried to compute buying a cpu fan plus additional 3 fans to compensate for the 3 fans the aio have, it's only like 1000php less. Can you guys suggest what is a good alternative to the aio I chose. Is this a good build? I'd really appreciate your help. Thank you.
This build is for light editing of photos and video's, uploading, work, streaming, and 1440p gaming, all type of games from triple A to Gameboy emulated pokemon.

Part	Name	Price
CPU	Ryzen 7 5800X	11,699
Mobo	MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI	6590
Memory	G.Skill Trident Royal 32gb 16gbx2	6300
Storage	WD_BlackSN770 2TB	6695
GPU	ASUS TUF Rx 6800XT
Cooler	DeepCool LT720	5145
Case	HYTE Y60	10,350
PSU	Cooler Master mwe Gold 750w v2	5919
Case fans	Lian Li SL120 3Pack	4797

Hi everyone! I hope someone can help me solve a problem I'm experiencing with the multiplayer feature of Satisfactory. My friend and I have linked our Steam and Epic Games accounts, but we're unable to play together.
We followed all the instructions to link our accounts and made sure that we added each other as friends. However, when we try to join the same game, we either receive an error message or simply can't see each other in the lobby.
We have also tried disconnecting and reconnecting multiple times, restarting our computers, and checking our network settings, but the issue persists.
We're both passionate about Satisfactory and would really love to be able to play together. Has anyone else encountered similar experiences or have any suggestions on how to resolve this problem? We would greatly appreciate any advice or assistance you can provide. Thank you in advance!

I started a thread about 10 minutes ago asking if you support trans women competing in women's sports and if you are proud of your peers for their success.
So basically, all the replies so far are either attacks on me or claiming these athletes do not exist.
I ask the same question again and now I ask you if you are proud of these 23 athletes who found success in either national or international competition. There are a lot more in local schools and the list would be very long. So I am citing just the more prominent ones.

Tiffany Abreu

The volleyball player was a big part of the team that won the 2022 Brazilian Cup. Abreu came out several years earlier, stating she wanted to play in the Olympics. She was not selected by Brazil to compete in Tokyo.

Molly Cameron

Cameron won the female category of the three-day Cascade Gravel Grinder in 2023.

JayCee Cooper

Cooper won the women’s 2019 national championship for bench press in the super heavyweight division.

Michelle Dumaresq

Michelle Dumaresq had fits and starts competing in the women’s category about two decades ago. Ultimately she won the right to compete and won the 2003 Canadian National Championships in downhill mountain biking. @michelledumaresq1

Laurel Hubbard

The Olympic weightlifter won two Oceania Championships and two Commonwealth Championships, amongst many gold medals she won during her competition years, adding a World Masters Games title in 2017, when she won a silver in the World Championships.

Jamie Hunter

The billiards player won her first major ranking event when she took the 2022 US Women’s Snooker Open title.

Veronica Ivy

Ivy is a two-time masters world champion, notably winning the 2018 UCI World Masters Track Cycling Championships in her age category. Ivy was quickly denounced with hateful social-media messages. She continues to weather that storm, and she has been a vocal proponent of trans inclusion in sports. @drveronicaivy

Austin Killips

Killips won the female New Mexico’s Tour of the Gila in May 2023. UCI shortly after announced they were re-examining their trans-athlete policy.

Lana Lawless

In 2008, Lawless won the Long Drivers of America competition, hitting a 254-yard drive against a strong headwind wind in the final round, winning a $12,500 prize.

Jenna Lingwood

Jenna Lingwood won the 40-44 Masters championship at the 2022 USA Cyclocross Nationals in Connecticut.

Victoria Monaghan

Monaghan won the New Zealand Open darts championship in 2022 and is the first out trans woman to compete in the World Championships. She was previously a ranked national player in the male category.

Tiffany Newell

Newell won the women’s 45-49 Canadian indoor 5,000-meter race, setting a national record along the way, in 2022.

Valentina Petrillo

Petrillo has won multiple Italian national championships both before and after transitioning. She had hoped to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics but was barred due to a change in classification. @valentina_petrillo

Wren Pyle

Pyle won the 2022 USA Skimo 2022 National Championship in the women’s U23 Sprint.

Natalie Ryan

Ryan won two major competitions in Professional Disc Golf Association’s elite tier in 2022, including the MVP Open. @natalieryan114560

Juniper Simonis

The roller derby athlete has won multiple World Championships with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. She was featured on The Trans Sporter Room podcast in 2019.

CeCé Telfer

Telfer won the Division II NCAA championship in the 400-meter hurdles as a senior at Franklin Pierce University in 2019. She was named Outsports’ Female Athlete of the Year that year. @cecetelfer

Lia Thomas

The University of Pennsylvania swimmer won a national NCAA Division I title in the 500 freestyle and made it to the final heat of the 100-free and 200-free.

Natalie van Gogh

Natalie van Gogh won the Trofee Maarten Wynants in 2015. The race is an international competition in Belgium. She finished top-10 in various other national and international competitions. @nvgogh

Kate Weatherly

Mountain biker Kate Weatherly has won two national titles, including the downhill race in the New Zealand national championships in February 2018 and another race title in 2022. @kateweatherlymtb

Chelsea Wolfe

The BMX rider won a UCI USA BMX Freestyle event in Texas in 2022, shortly after the state advanced anti-trans policy. @chelseawolfebmx

Other athletes in the conversation

Also of note is Australian trans handball player Hannah Mouncey. While she didn’t win a national or international competition that we’re aware of, the trans woman was named to Australia’s national handball team and competed internationally.
Renee Richards made it to the final of the U.S. Open in the women’s doubles category in 1977. Pro golfer Mianne Bagger won regional titles in Australia but never won a tournament championship after joining the women’s pro tour.
At the state level, Terry Miller won state titles in Connecticut — with fellow trans girl Andraya Yearwood finishing second — and also won regional New England championships.
Caroline Layt was part of a 4x200-meter team that set an Australian national record.
There are various other successful trans women who may not have won a “championship” or, including MMA fighter Fallon Fox, who won a couple bouts but lost in the final of one tournament. Alana McLaughlin has also won a professional MMA bout.

So I have been trying to troubleshoot what fans are making my pc loud when gaming, so I have basically troubleshooted by settings the GPU, CPU and CASE Fans to a fixed quiet rate. But when I started playing games, I noticed the noise started to elevate like a fan in pc was getting louder and it was loud again. So what exactly in my computer is getting louder if all my fans are at a fixed rate?

Title: The Last of Us: Shadows of Redemption
Synopsis: "The Last of Us: Shadows of Redemption" is a reimagined version of "The Last of Us Part II." While respecting the core themes and characters of the original game, this alternate version offers a fresh perspective on the narrative, character development, and pacing.
Story Overview:
The story begins several months after the events of the first game. Ellie and Joel have settled in Jackson, Wyoming, alongside a thriving community. They find solace and a semblance of peace in their daily lives. However, the tranquility is shattered when a group of raiders, led by a former Firefly member named Nora, infiltrates Jackson, seeking revenge against Joel.
Joel's death triggers Ellie's desire for revenge. She embarks on a solitary journey, leaving Jackson behind to hunt down Nora and her group. Along the way, Ellie encounters a charismatic survivor named Riley, who provides her with support and guidance. As their bond grows, Riley challenges Ellie's perspective on vengeance and helps her rediscover the value of humanity in a world consumed by violence.
Gameplay and Mechanics:
"The Last of Us: Shadows of Redemption" maintains the core gameplay mechanics of the original game, blending intense survival action with stealth and exploration. Players control Ellie as she navigates through a series of dynamic environments, including overgrown urban areas, desolate landscapes, and dangerous enemy territories.
The combat system offers improved agility and a wider range of stealth tactics, empowering players to adapt to different situations. Environmental interaction plays a significant role, with Ellie utilizing the environment creatively to gain advantages over enemies. Resource management and crafting remain vital, enhancing the sense of tension and vulnerability.
Character Development:
In this reimagined version, Ellie's character arc explores the consequences of revenge and the toll it takes on her emotional well-being. Through her interactions with Riley and other survivors, Ellie learns to balance her desire for vengeance with the need for compassion and forgiveness.
Riley serves as a moral compass for Ellie, offering insights and challenging her worldview. Their relationship deepens throughout the game, ultimately leading to a profound understanding of the importance of preserving humanity in a world dominated by darkness.
Themes:
"The Last of Us: Shadows of Redemption" delves into themes of revenge, forgiveness, and the human capacity for redemption. It explores the cyclical nature of violence and the transformative power of empathy. The story highlights the choices we make in the face of hardship and how they shape our identities.
Conclusion:
"The Last of Us: Shadows of Redemption" presents a reimagined narrative that respects the foundation of the original game while introducing new character dynamics and themes. Through Ellie's journey, players experience the weight of vengeance and the possibility of finding redemption in an unforgiving world.

There were enough barrels, tubs, buckets, bottles, cups, gallon jugs, pots, pans, cauldrons, and empty cans to collect a shit ton of water.
We needed roughly 70,000 gallons of water just for one day.
Each person got at least three.
It was more water than we had to start with, but it was enough for the time being.
What was weird for me was that it only started raining after everything was in place. Thinking in terms of it being a miracle, it certainly seemed that way. I couldn't bring myself to just think in terms of it actually being a real miracle.
It was serendipitous.
But not a miracle.
That didn't stop Galax from preaching like it was.
"My brothers and sisters of the Warren, Bahamut provides!" It was such a raw, emotional statement, I had no doubt he firmly believed it happened.
I'm not the kind of asshole atheist who thinks all religion is evil and that it should be banned from the earth entirely. Nor do I think of people who believe in them as deluded fools who should get a grip and face reality.
Hope can be a powerful thing, it can keep a person going even when everything has completely collapsed. It was why the Book of Job was an entire thing in the Christian bible.
So when we gathered for a Council meeting, we were all delighted to learn that Locate Object did find an aquifer, and that the Artificers and Druids were getting right on digging a well.
"We'll go with the classic design, straight down until we hit water, then surround the hole with large stones. We've got plenty to work with from the catacombs, so once we get it set up and the pump finished, we can look for other aquifers." Rekka finished her report.
"I should also note that the more specific I was with my request, the narrower the result was. There are a few aquifers in the area that replenish themselves fairly quickly. We should have enough water to sustain us if we ration it." Merti stated. "If our Rangers have anything to report, we'd love to hear it."
"Nothing yet." Tatla replied. "The rain made it difficult to tell what was constant and what was a result of it."
"We have enough water for roughly six days." I said. "How long until the wells are done?"
"We're estimating around three days.' Rekka said. "And that's just for the first well. We're having to scrap electronics we considered too vital to just break down, one of them being an actual water pump that requires gasoline. I'm fairly certain I can get it to run off of just straight electricity. I have my Artificers working on windmills as we speak."
"Galax, is something wrong?" Tudru asked.
We all looked at the Cleric, who was sat hunched over in his seat, eyes closed, arms crossed, and claws softly tapping at his arm in a wave motion.
"I had a vision." He said.
"Sorry, what?" Dave interjected from across the room.
"When the rain fell, I was struck with a vision." Galax stated. "In my vision, seven songbirds sang to me an old lullaby my mother used to sing to me as a child. As they flew away, I gave chase, following their song until I was parched. And as they perched upon a branch, I saw the merest glimmer of dew upon the leaves, and drank it until I was quenched."
He looked up at us. "This repeated two more times. They would lead me away until I was thirsty, and they would bring me to a branch covered in dew, which was just enough to keep me going." He thumbed the pendant he wore and said, "In three days, we will run out of water, and it will rain once more. And three days after that, we will run out of water, and it will rain." He looked at us with this strange intensity in his eyes.
"I firmly believe Bahamut has granted me these visions to give proof of his miracle. I humbly ask the Council, on the third day, have the people put out their barrels, and catch the rain that will surely come."
"Galax, we don't have time to waste on religion." Tatla said. "We are entrusted with peoples' lives, having them put their barrels out in the hope of rain is not going to make it rain."
"I agree with Galax." I said. Everyone shot me an incredulous look. "Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in any Gods, but I know he does. If he's certain there's a miracle, we can afford to put some barrels out." I looked at the others. "Worst case scenario, we have the barrels out for the next time it rains."
Tatla nodded. "Very well." She said grudgingly.
"Until then." Galax stated. "Now, onto the next part of our agenda. Electricity. I have a proposal."
"Speak your proposal." Merti said.
"Ruuk, it has come to my attention you have access to the spell Witch Bolt. We have rechargeable battery cells that can handle both direct and alternating currents. We want to see how much power one casting of Witch Bolt can give."
I nodded. "I'll be happy to." I said.
For the time being, things were stable. Our crops were well-watered from the rain, and we had a fairly basic irrigation system set up so all we needed to do was load up a barrel and let it do its job. Trying Witch Bolt on a lightning rod definitely charged up half of the ten batteries, with a little metamagic, I could charge them all up no problem.
"What's the plan with these power cells?" I asked.
"Charging power tools." Galax said. "We've just had our first egg laying this morning, we're going to need a nursery."
I gasped. "Wait, someone's having kids?" I asked.
Galax nodded. "Our more nurturing kin are already tending to the eggs, but we need a place to keep them safe. It's the duty of the Warren to nurture them."
It didn't even occur to me until later that what he said was at odds with what we had believed to be the proper way to raise kids. But the idea of them being kept together and raised by everyone made sense in my brain. Maybe it was some kind of instinct? I wasn't certain.
I saw Tallyn helping people out the best way he could. Seeing him doing everything in his limited power to help others always brought a smile to my face, it made the fact that there were still so many unawakened all the more sad.
"Out hatchlings might not even have the benefit of someone who knows what they're doing." I muttered.
The days continued, until the prophesied third day. Everyone put out their barrels, as asked, and for a while, nothing.
Galax fell to his knees. "I was so certain..." He said softly.
"We'll just have to get into the reserve supply." I said.
As I walked away, I heart him speak. I looked back to see him, head to the ground and hands clasped together above praying. I felt sorry for him. I couldn't imagine having that much faith, only to be proven wrong.
There was a loud crash, followed by a deluge of rain. I watched as Galax unclasped his hands and held his arms out, singing, like he had the last time. I looked up, it had been bright and clear literally moments ago, yet now the sky was full of dark clouds.
For a moment, I wondered if Galax was actually right, but that couldn't be. He must have known in advance or done some kind of magic.
I cast Detect Magic, and it certainly was magical rain, but the aura was too powerful for any of us to have pulled off. I walked over to Galax, who stood up and hugged me.
"Thank you, my brother, my friend. Thank you for granting me this even in doubt. May Bahamut bless you."
He began preaching again, arms raised up to the sky, screaming with intense fervor. I watched as people began to gather around him, eyes wide, listening to every word. Here he was, stood in a rainstorm, speaking of his vision, speaking of how Bahamut had granted me the wisdom to test his miracle, and then he shared the rest of his omen.
"In three days time, Bahamut shall grant us rain once again. We shall be as parched seekers, and this shall be our dew!"
The cheer that rose up in the crowd, their excitement, it was infectious. For a moment, I forgot I was supposed to be the skeptical one, simply because for one moment, I convinced myself this really was a miracle.
The next few days progressed much the same, except now Galax was proselytizing in the street, inviting people to come to the temple, to give thanks to the Dragon God.
He approached me, one time that I was watching. He took my hand, and he said, "The time to be apart from the Warren has long passed, Ruuk. Come, even if faith does not grip your heart, you are worthy to be among us."
The day of the supposed third miracle, we placed our barrels out once more, and Galax spoke. "I shall begin praying, and my God will bless us with rain, for he sees our strife, and knows our pain. You are not required to pray."
He dropped to his knees and began imploring Bahamut to grace us with rain once more. One by one, the people in the crowd fell to their knees, echoing his words, staring at the clear, blue sky.
There wasn't a single cloud, yet I found myself getting on my knees and putting my hands together. "Alright, Bahamut." I said. "Give me absolutely zero reason to doubt now."
The clouds appeared from nowhere, blossoming out like someone had turned on a fog machine in the sky. I watched in astonishment as the sky grew darker, and lightning crashed through the heavens. Rain fell upon us, lightning struck the ground not far from us, not just once, but several times, all in the same spot.
"Alright." I said. "I believe."
It was such an alien feeling, faith. I'd had it once before, long ago, had realized that it was pointless and stupid. Yet as the lighting continued to strike the same spot over and over again, I found myself lowering myself to the ground, head to the dirt, utterly shaken by how much I revered the Dragon God in such a short amount of time.
​
[Navigation for 'Dragon Rising'- [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]]