Rurik Harrgath

[Seek the Ancestor Stones Quest Log] Challenge Journal: This 7th day of January, 2024CE by the scholars' reckoning. Weight: ? Woo golly, it's been a week! First off, I'm pleased to say I had a considerably successful deadlift workout (5x5 of mid-300s without having pulled in 1.5yrs) on Tuesday as planned, and I've been mostly successful with my protein/veggies goal. That being said... things went a bit off the rails right after that when my wife called me up to discuss some "major bad news." And it was: wide-scale layoffs at her company, including her. For anyone in the know, and now anyone who wasn't, she had just had two weeks more or less off work for a surgery, and I'm unable to legally work while my immigration paperwork processes, so we basically had the financial rug yanked out from beneath us. She's taking it well, we're focusing internally on the family and farm for now, then we'll figure things out and make a plan for further steps forward soon. But I've been feeling a little bit like a simmering volcano all week. So I'm checking in to say I'm still here and didn't fall off the wagon again, still keeping my eye on the plan (even if that might change a bit as we figure things out). Talk soon, friends! Here decree the Tenets of my Ancient Vigil: [Suffer not their profaning our ancient lands]: ☑☑☐☐☑☐☐ Walks only so-so. [Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone thy shield, and molten flame thy fury]: ☑☐ Got one! Excited to bench press soon tho [Wrest from thy languor like a meteor]: ☑☑☐ Quick update! [Thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists]: ☑☑☑☑☑☐☐ More or less keeping up!

I'm dabbling in Cleric this year too, though primarily Barbarian. So double-pump the strength stat! Stronk is stronk! I'm just about to go do mine! Not 100% sure what yet, but I'm thinking Deadlift to stretch those sleepy muscles out, bench later this week, and spend some time finding the rocks around our property that I'd like to use for stone lifting.

[Seek the Ancestor Stones Quest Log] Challenge Journal: This 2nd day of January, 2024CE by the scholars' reckoning. Weight: ? I'm fed, I'm caffeinated, and I'm heading out to the garage shortly to pick up something heavy. Let's kick this bad boy off, shall we? I spent some of the last few days working on my big New Years intention post, so if you're curious at all (or bored out of your skull), feel free to check that out below. Long story short, we're going Thor-ly, barbarian-ly, and lots of primordial elemental plane-y for big thunderous power. It feels good to have a strong, motivated fresh start and clean slate. With that in mind, here's your long overdue #MomoaEveryday: Here decree the Tenets of my Ancient Vigil: [Suffer not their profaning our ancient lands]: ☑☑☐☐☐☐☐ Two mornings walked already this year! [Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone thy shield, and molten flame thy fury]: ☐☐ [Wrest from thy languor like a meteor]: ☑☐☐ I'm present and accounted for! [Thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists]: ☑☐☐☐☐☐☐ Three pieces of broccoli from the General Tso's beef leftovers counts for veg, right?

I'll be learning my own smite ability, though with a certain elemental twist...

[2024] Guard the Sacred Fire, Seek the Ancestor Stones. "The Spirits of the earth guide me. Feel their power beneath your feet!" Stay a while, and listen. Herein is contained my framework and intention for the new year. 2024 shall be a slight deviation from last year. Since 2023 was little better than a taxi car that never arrived at its destination, the gladiator is retired and the Druid shall rise. With that in mind, the Farseers have communed with the elements and our great ancestors; their auguries have determined this year to be the Year of the Bear. Bear's mightiest attributes lay within the realm of Strength and Constitution, therefore 2024's Power Word is decreed Fortitude. Fortitude perfectly encapsulates my intentions for the Path before us, though we but enter the threshold of the solar journey only just through winter's door. The solstice is behind us and we find the days slowly eking more light at the horizon, there is no better time to seek our destinies. The year before was one of trial and tribulation; injury and stress and struggle forged a twisted staff to wield, but with thanks have revealed prodigious understanding and appreciation for what may yet be. My Ancient Vigil is renewed once more and we shall answer the ancestor's call to be greater than we might otherwise guess. Projects on the house are coming along; few enough sit atop my To Do list weighted with the stress of dire urgency. The animals are mostly settled in, our flock is producing both eggs and meat, our goats are comfortable in their home, and the homestead beasts have expanded into the basement as well. The garden experiment was largely successful as well so we shall look to that again in the spring. Altogether, though, I've found my own personal reserves of fortitude left wanting. I've had silly injuries from indolence, difficulty with tasks or projects simply from a lack of worthy effort. So we shall expel from the earth like magma erupting from a volcano... with the strength and fury to match. The Druid (read: elemental/spiritual barbarian as in Diablo 4, rather than by Nerd Fitness' usage) is my calling and I shall rise to the summons. In 2024, we get yoked like an oak... wth thickness and strength and endurance to match! In keeping with past tradition, mine shall deviate slightly and draw influence from D&D. My version of the Diablo Druid borrows from the Warcraft Enhancement Shaman specialization with a bit of barbarian flavor, so I'm going Path of Giants Barbarian (which grants elemental powers and massive growth abilities), Oath of Conquest Paladin (for heavier armor and Thunderous Smite ability), and finally Elemental Domain Cleric for heaps more fire, storm, and other elemental skills to supplement my already formidable raging smiter. Specific goals are yet forthcoming but suffice to say they lay within the realm of magnificent strength and an enduring constitution. I want to become a modern day Heracles and I'll be building toward and then focusing on strongman-style training. I'd rather be an indomitable diesel tank than a Ferrari at this point in my life. We have all of the tools in our garage, with stones to heft a plenty in the woods surrounding the homestead, so it's simply a matter of getting my arse out and in there to pick those heavy things up and put them down. In addition to eating to match. I'm starting to slowly/lazily track food intake on MFP again, increasing my calories to 'heavy maintenance' while I dial things in across the board. All told, I shall wield the fury of fire as inspiration for my colossus strength workouts, the might of earth for the power of my enduring constitution, and the grace of water to guide my mental health on this Path. Forsake not these Tenets of my Ancient Vigil: Suffer not their profaning our ancient lands (and body). Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone thy shield, and molten flame thy fury. Wrest from thy languor like a meteor. Thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists. Once more, I want my real life capability and skills to reflect my idealized character. In this brave new world I find myself in, I have plenty of space with nature and in utter privacy. I have the raw materials to make strength tools and weaponry alike. I have animal companions aplenty to keep me company; it was actually their inspiration which set me upon this shamanistic Path now before me. As I was talking with my better half, I recalled that my Warcraft Shaman (already a Kul Tiran, aka thiccboi human) has a pair of wolf spirits attached to his shoulder pauldrons... Move over, Geri and Freki... I have Felixus and Hucklebronn for my wolf spirit companions! So basically our dogs keep me company whenever I play the game! And Diablo's Druid can summon Wolf companions as well. That's as good as any place to base my IRL character on for the new year. Also, no strongman goal could be set apart from God of War: Ragnarok's version of Thor - though maybe not quite so much belly, thank you very much. I'm aiming to eat a lot of meat and potatoes, not devour a 3 million oz primordial ribeye and wash it down with the Well of Eternity dry! Oh, and I'll be picking up so so many big rocks. Time to channel some thundering power and get thicc like Thor! 💪 Already well on my way in the beard and hair departments anyway 😂 Real Life Roleplaying Game (RLRPG) Character: Class: Path of Giants Barbarian/Conquest Paladin/Elemental Domain Cleric Hero archetype: Stormborn War-Shaman Armor & Armament TBD

Hello, strong friends! Just popping by to mention Rebel Stronk: the art of lifting heavy things and putting them down again over in the Clubs/Adventuring Parties forum for anyone interested in discussing and/or maximizing their strength gains in the New Year! Hope to see you aspiring lifters and strongpeople there

Thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out ETA: @Ranger Hal those should be updated to reflect the current challenge now. Thank you!

Welcome, strong friends, to the House of Stronk! Here, atop an epic and magnificent mountain peak, this skyhall of legendary lifters, this pinnacle of peak performance, is the anvil upon which we forge our awe-inspiring might! With my goals shifting to purely strength and wellness going into 2024, I wanted to start a club for any and all likeminded (strongminded) Rebels with an interest in maximizing their Strength attribute. Feel free to discuss any aspect of the modality, whether training and programming, nutritional support, any strength sports, share a video of your PRs or ask for a form check, even discuss your goals and successes! No sign-up necessary, all are welcome, and no commitments made, join us to grow, thrive, and put your might to the test!

This is the ideal body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. 😂

I’m super here for any possibility of Sagat v Ryu battle royale shenaniganery. Also, Muay Thai 🤩

Weekly Tracker

Challenge Inspiration: Just like my other half has embraced her inner Druid side (in the D&D sense rather than NF guild), I've come around to a similar understanding of my current IRL character class. Rural homestead living forces one to embrace nature and the natural world in ways urban life doesn't; you are far more dependent on weather (we recently had a huge yard/basement flood after a downpour overflowed the river out back), rely on your animal husbandry and gardening skills to meet your needs, and learning to use the natural materials around you to help sustain the lifestyle. Similarly numerous injuries, ailments, and hardships creep up, so one quickly understands learns the benefits of embracing the beneficial restoration of healing. My Druid is a bit more 'Storm & Gloom' as inspired by the Diablo Druid class' hurricanes and tempest squalls and Warcraft Shaman's primordial wave, lightning bolts, and magma blasts (both of which are quite the hulking specimen). so I'm embracing the fury of fire and strength of earth to help assist with strength goals that'll help around the farm. Natural affinity and the grace of water (seriously it rains so much here) keep me aligned with overall health and body composition. Animal primalism reminds me to see to sinuous movement for physical well-being and longevity. I've been having a reoccurring issue with my left knee that has necessitated some serious aid lately, so one other thing I'll be aiming to complete this challenge is my Druidic walking staff, a hulking length of yew harvested from Baahalla (the goat pasture) earlier in the year, for when that's a particularly adamant inconvenience.

Rise from thy slumber, ancient thunderer... awake now and remember ye Ancient Vigil. Ancient Thunderer, suffer not their profaning of our world; Though ye but one, ye the might of many. Thy Ancestors bid ye rise from thy slumber; answer true their call. Suffer not ye indolence, but bolster thy might and means, thy grim purpose known, That ancient hands remember well the strength of earth-stone and thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists. Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone your shield, And thine, too, shall be the fury of molten flame once more. Rage against the night and dark villains therein, Wrest from thy languor like a meteor expelled into the deep abyss of long night, And smite their remains upon the mountainside. Let none who oppose thy Ancient Vigil survive. Here lay the Tenets of my Ancient Vigil: [Suffer not their profaning our ancient lands]: Daily walk. [Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone thy shield, and molten flame thy fury]: Complete 2 strength workouts weekly. [Wrest from thy languor like a meteor]: Check-in on the Forums 3 times per week. [Thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists]: Eat 3 sources each of protein and veggies per day.

The forums were only went live like an hour ago 😂 We're still working on all sorts of things across the site at the moment. Sit tight and everything should be running properly in a bit

Welcome to our most-excellent, totally triumphant, and magnificently epic inaugural Challenge for 2024! As usual, first things first: if you notice anything not working properly around the forums (or even outright borked) please let us know over at the Bug/Issue Report Thread! Challenge How-to (Updated 12/28/2023) 2024 Challenge Dates General forum rules and guidelines And check out the new Guilds, Clubs, Adventure Parties, and PVPs forum! (okay, so not new, but definitely refurbished! :D) I hope you all enjoyed a productive and prosperous Holidays challenge, but now we find ourselves in uncharted territory. The New Year fast approaches and we find ourselves unprepared (or at least only partially prepared perhaps?). Now grab your bow, sword, shield, axe, lightsaber, staff, magic wand, spellbook, laser gun, enormous puny-smashing log, trusty companion shadowcat, favorite comfy sitting cushion, trusty blanky, favorite dog-eared book-of-choice, whole-kitchens-worth-of-cooking-pans, epic sunglasses (and don't forget your sunscreen!); get ready to set phasers to AWESOME - it's time for a new challenge! So gather 'round, ye friends and Rebels; order a generous mug of your favorite beverage, and enjoy some magical climate control (somehow warm enough for those suffering winter's frigid bite but cool and tropic to those enduring the sun's relentless heat). Feel free to a story or two! Surely you have a tale of great success or a boast of epic intention, even a promise to respawn and commit to those goals will rally friends and guildmates alike. Should you need encouragement or accountability, all you need do is ask of it - for many brave adventurers will heed your call. Enjoy the atmosphere and space. Start up a conversation, or just stay a while and listen!

First things first, if you notice anything not working properly around the forums (or even outright borked) please let us know over at the Bug/Issue Report Thread! I hope you all enjoyed a productive and prosperous November challenge, but stand fast! There is frivolity afoot You'll notice the weather's-a-changin', strangely festive-clad folk are about, and your arms and armor have magically been transmogrified to candy canes and all sorts of greens, reds, silvers, and golds! Even the bartender is dressed like Santy Claws! Challenge How-to (Updated 2/6) Guild Chat and Discussion Threads Adventure Parties and PVP Challenges 2023 Challenge Dates

First things first, if you notice anything not working properly around the forums (or even outright borked) please let us know over at the Bug/Issue Report Thread! I hope you all enjoyed a productive and prosperous September/October challenge, but - Hurry now, there be no time to waste! We have yet an adventure afoot! Leave no side quest left uncomplete, no rock left unsearched, and no wise old NPC left ignored. You'll see tavern security issuing everyone their cloaks, armaments, and adventuring gear, and the travelling alchemist is around here... somewhere... for all your health and combat potion needs. If you need it, that scroll with the challenge dates for 2023 scrawled upon is nailed to the Messaging Post, make sure to check them out, and don't forget to invite your adventure parties along! Challenge How-to (Updated 2/6) Guild Chat and Discussion Threads Adventure Parties and PVP Challenges 2023 Challenge Dates

If there's one thing I've come to learn/accept with mine, it's that even every superhero has a weakness and an archnemesis... But you don't have to make it easy for your nemesis to turn that weakness against you.

Doesn't just attain her certification, but jumps right into putting herself out there too?!

*Conspicuously absent in mentions* Harumph. I'll just be out in the hot tub then. 😛

I hadn't congratulated you yet, but I'm so happy you've moved onto a better environment!

Allow me to introduce Wingrave straight out of Wayfinder... And a Niss for you!

[Gloom Break Quest Log] Challenge Journal: This 13th day of September, in the year 2023. Somehow it's like mid September already, and I don't even remember giving my consent for 2023 to f*ck me that hard. Annnnnnnywho, it's no secret I haven't been able to make a challenge stick of late; life is pure Chaos and it hasn't been easy nor pretty, but I'm back again and giving it another go! This time with much simpler goals, as suggested by my Darling Old Lady. We actually came up with these goals a couple weeks ago and they've been going half-decently. Scheduling is massively important, which is a struggle to stay on track with, but it's slowly coming. @spezzy revamped the Sanctum Parabellum with a much better garage layout and a sweet MDF lifting playform for deadlifting or Olympic lifts. 💪 I've been making sure veg/protein are a staple in each meal I make for us, so that's relatively straight-forward. And yoga evenings have been helping everyone to unwind without animals stampeding across our faces before bed. So let's see how this one goes, shall we? #MomoaMonday back in action, y'all. Gonna need that Dante energy this time around! Prepare to enter the Gloom: [ARCANE FOCUS]: ☑☑☐☐☐☐☐ The schedule has been a bit wonky this week, but I am proud to report that I've done a much better job of Controlling the Chaos and making sure we get to the gym/yoga every day so far. [DOUBLE DAGGERS or RIFLE?]: ☐☑☐☐☐☐☐ . ☑☑☐☐☐☐☐ One gym workout successful, two evening yoga sessions completed. [WAYFINDER PROTOCOL]: ☑☑☐☐☐☐☐ No problem with 3 protein/veggie servings so far, yesterday had 4 servings of protein easily.

Reserved for tracking.

Welcome to Starlight, wayfinder. [ARCANE FOCUS]: A self-improvement junkie with a stylish twist. Follow the schedule. Plan the day the night prior. Execute. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ [DOUBLE DAGGERS or RIFLE?]: The agile arcanist or tickets to the gun show? 10mins workout daily, attend the gym at minimum (or Gyminum™) on a bad health day. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ Yoga daily. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ [WAYFINDER PROTOCOL]: Prepared for any Expedition into the Gloom. 3-4 servings of veggies per day. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ 3-4 servings of protein per day. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ [CHALLENGE INSPIRATION]: The World of Evenor is shattered. You must harness the power of a Wayfinder to Control the Chaos that has overrun your world! So let's try this again, shall we? Grab your Gloom Dagger (and handy-dandy-dangly weapon charm) for this foray into the Gloom! We're reordering Chaos, we're on the hunt, we're searching for powerful Precursor artifacts, we're pulling other Wayfinders from the depths of Lost Zones, and we're doing it in that iconic Wayfinder style. I've been dabbling in this Early Access title on Steam that's proving to be an enjoyable hero-based MMO lite in a plucky, lively neon-modern take on a fantasy RPG with an art style vaguely reminiscent of an old favorite of mine, Wildstar. It even has a swell playing housing mode in the Starlight Apartments that overlook the same-named town. Also, the soundtrack is absolutely sublime! Wayfinders are born of the Gloom, but sworn to push it back to reconnect humanity. Wielding arcane magic, mystical tech, or cunning weapons, only Wayfinders can slay the invading forces and push back the Gloom. Customize the way you fight (or workout) by choosing your weapons and gear and augmenting your powers with the echoes of your fallen foes. Become a Wayfinder, and unlock their powers as you choose your path and playstyle while pushing back a hostile force that has overtaken this world. Just like in the game, we can Control the Chaos as we directly shape and customize the endless adventures (or workouts?) we go on with friends, because Wayfinders (just like Nerds) are stronger together. I will be your Wayfinder, and I'll be keeping things as simple as possible this time around. So let's get right into it.