YEEHAW

YEEHAW

Why don't we see what this does, shall we?

this is the money dog, repost in the next 24 hours and money will come your way!!

Advice from an (Amateur) Archer on Writing About Archers and Archery

Admittedly, I don’t have the widest range of experience when it’s come to archery. I’ve only been shooting for a year now, and the time that I do take to shoot have long months between them. Still, I think it’s important to outline the basics for anyone who wants to write an archer in their book and wants to save themselves the embarrassment of having the archer do something that an archer would never do in a million years.

- Archers usually unstring their bow after battle. Unstringing a bow is exactly what it sounds like: removing the string from the bow’s limbs. Usually, archers then wrap the string around the now-straightened bow so they don’t lose it as easily. Archers unstring bows because everytime the limbs are bent by the string, there is a large amount of tension in the limbs. If the string is on too long and the bow has not been shot for a while, the limbs will start to wear down and lose their power, resulting in an archer needing to buy new limbs or an entirely new bow.

- Archers always retrieve their arrows after battle. Arrows are expensive and take a long time to make, so archers want to conserve as many arrows as possible. Sometimes they have a repair kit with them at the ready, in case they find an arrow with a loose arrowhead or broken fletching that can easily be repaired. 

- Training arrows are not the same as battle arrows. Training arrows have thinner shafts and usually blunted tips so they can easily be removed from targets. Thinner shafts break more easily, and the blunted tips – whilst they can pierce skin – usually won’t get very far in the flesh. They’re also easier to make. Battle arrows are thicker, and their heads are pointed at the tip and have two pointed ends at its sides. This arrowhead is designed to easily pierce through flesh, and is incredibly difficult to pull out because its two pointed ends snag onto flesh. If you want to pull it out, you’d have to tear the flesh away with it, which can lead to an even larger wound.

- Arrows are fatal, and one can incapacitate a soldier for the rest of his life. Arrows are not easily snapped off like you see in movies. The draw weight is too strong, and they can sometimes be as strong as bullets. They will pierce through bone and tendons, which do not easily heal. Furthermore, if you want to remove an arrow, you either have to go through surgery, parting the flesh away from the arrowhead so it doesn’t snag onto anything, or you have you push – not pull – it all the way through the body.

- Bows are not designed for hitting people with in close combat. The limbs are specifically made to flex. Imagine hitting someone with a flexing piece of wood. If you hit with the middle of the bow, it still does very little because there is no weight behind the bow, and so you might as well be hitting them with a pillow. It might be annoying to the opponent, but it won’t save you. Archers need a secondary blade in close combat. They cannot strike people with their bows and expect to win.

- Draw weight affects speed, range, and impact. Draw weight is measured in pounds, at least in America, and it is measured in how much weight must be pulled when you draw back the string. A high draw weight means stiffer, thicker limbs that can shoot further and hit harder. But, this is at the cost of speed. A low draw weight means thinner, more flexible limbs that can shoot smaller distances and have low impact, but can be shot faster. Before you acrobatic fanatics immediately seize the smaller bow for its speed, understand that a bow’s advantage is in its range. No one can hit an archer from 300 meters away with their spear or sword. The archer has complete dominance over the battlefield in this way, and their arrows can kill anyone who gets too close. Not hurt. Not annoy. Kill. And a higher draw weight means a better chance of piercing through specific armor, then flesh, then bone. A lower draw weight means less range and, even worse, a lower chance that the arrow would even pierce through armor if the arrow even hits its target. 

- Bows will always be outmatched in close combat against any other weapon. Bows take too long to draw and shoot, and at such close range, the opponent has an easier chance to dodge oncoming arrows. I already explained that the bows themselves cannot be used to take down a foe. 

- Bowmen on horseback are utterly terrifying. Archers usually can’t move from their spot because range is more important than mobility, and at such a long range, you usually don’t need to move from your spot anyways. Bowmen on horses, however, are closer to the battle, and worse, they are faster than almost anyone on the battlefield. Not only are they difficult to hit, you have no way of predicting where they will shoot next because they can circle around you in confusing ways. If you want an interesting archer character, I’d advise trying these guys out.

- Never underestimate armor and padding. Arrows will never be able to pierce through plate armor because its curved surface will always deflect oncoming arrows. Arrows can pierce through maille because maille is made out of metal rings that can be bent and can fall away. However, padding usually lies underneath, which is surprisingly durable and can stop an oncoming arrow, as well as absorb some of its impact. Because of this, make certain that the archer is focusing on gabs in the armor. To know this, you MUST study armor. Gabs usually lie where the joints are because soldiers need those gabs open so they can move. Typical gaps lie in the neck, the armpit, the inner-elbow, the knees, and the palm of the hand. Impact is also an archer’s friend. A war arrow shot by a hundred pound bow, hurtling at incredible speeds and gaining momentum the further it travels, can evoke serious damage. To be hit by one of these arrows will feel more like being hit by a horse than being hit by someone’s fist. 

The red flags sound like high school on steroids if I'm being honest. My experience with hazing was a little weird though, as I was ready to throw hands with the student president (who was attempting to haze my group of freshmen) or literally anyone else at all times.

From someone who isn't into witchcraft at all, stay safe y'all! 💜

“Hey. Don’t join cults.” Example red flags.

Don’t think “hey, I’m smart, I won’t get sucked into a cult. :/” Smart people get sucked into cults all the time. Learning how to recognize manipulative speech and behavior isn’t about being smart. Since I am always worrying about novices wandering into cults because they’re interested in witchcraft or the occult, here are some pretty obvious warning signs of a group having uncomfortably cult-like tendencies:

There is a clearly defined leader, who is resistant to criticism from inside or outside their group

There are continuing financial demands from members that are unsustainable or unreasonable, and usually is controlled by a single leader

The “there is a specific leader” that is venerated just for being the leader thing is a big warning on its own.

Love bombing. It often doesn’t come with any explicit understanding that a group’s love for you is only extended to fully committed members of the group; it’s not that you are liked, specifically, but that they like what you represent. A new or potential recruit. Huge hugs and big smiles and immediate acceptance on day one, for a complete stranger, doesn’t make emotional sense.

The group or the leader works to separate you from your external friends and family members outside the group. There might be a “they can never understand what we do” or “they are trying to get you to leave us” manipulation. Big red flag. That’s an attempt to make you cut out your own exit strategies.

Abuse cannot be tolerated in a group. That includes emotional, mental, physical, or sexual abuse. Read up on kinds of abuse. Sometimes you have to call the whistle on abuse happening to yourself in your life.

“We’re the only right thing. There are no other right things in the world. If you leave, bad things will happen. Outside people are bad. You have to stay with us to stay safe. You have to listen to us and the leader.” RED FLAG.

Hazing. If the entrance to a group is based on putting you in a physically or emotionally humiliating or painful position, making you do something you don’t agree with, asking you something unpleasant or awful, hey, consider this: fuck that?

Excessive mystery. Sure, a secret society is not going to tell you everything, but they should at least be able to tell you the name of the leaders, who to contact, what groups they split off of, any training they had as an initiate in other groups, if they are initiated in anything else, the general idea of what they do, etc. You should also be able to ask them if they demand anything sky-clad or if they drink alcohol, for instance, and if there is a minimum age for entry.

There should be a minimum age for entry. It should be the legal age of adulthood. Full stop.

They demand that you forgo or stop your medical treatments, including psychiatric medication. It’s one thing to provide evidence as to their own opinion on the efficacy of modern medicine. It’s another to peer pressure you out of cancer treatments or treatments for chronic illness.

Any leader claiming they are the true herald of your god or the only one who can speak to them the “right way”. Even initiatory traditions will be able to recommend other ordained priests and initiated religious leaders in their tradition who are reputable diviners.

Research existing cults. Listen to cult survivors. They often have a great perspective on the manipulation they underwent in order to get sucked into a foreign mindset to their own.

When in doubt: is this something a Scient*logist would do to recruit me? Is this something a scientol*gist would do to keep me in a cult? Exploit my faith? Take my money? Follow me around? Is this something really cool, or do I just like the idea that I get to join a really cool secret society? Will this put my safety or wellbeing at risk? Will I lose my career, friends, family, or health by continuing in this group? A cult could be anything– a self help group, coven, discord server, groupchat, online class, anything. There is no limit as to the format. My reading recommendation for navigating this kind of situation in witchcraft is Traditional Wicca by Thorn Mooney. Even if you are not Wiccan, it’s still a great primer on how to look for a functioning coven that matches your safety and personal spiritual needs. It’s a thorough read on the subject matter of looking for a spiritual group to join.

Be safe. Be smart. Be cautious. And most of all, remember– when it comes to your spiritual experience, you should be in charge of it. No one else. You are the witch.

Blessings!

She looks excellent!

⭐Drew Alluka cuz it's pride month,I wanted an exuse to draw her and cuz she needs more love💧

These photos have the same energy...