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I'm trying something different this time and having some fun with a themed challenge. I'm really excited about finally rolling this one out. Before we begin, though, a few things to get out of the way. You can skip straight to the challenge if you'd like: Without further ado, let's begin: While conducting research in the university library, Wolfen uncovered a letter, yellowed with age but pressed and preserved in the pages of Man Makes Himself by Gordon Childe. Wolfen's eyes widened as he read the header at the top: Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. Barnette College Hamilton Hall Grove Avenue Fairfield, NY The letter was dated May 13, 1960 Surely this was a joke, or some fake letter forged by a creative university student. Regardless, Wolfen read on. To Whom it May Concern: If you're discovering this letter in the pages of the book in which I left it, your curiosities might be exactly what I need. With the help of some colleagues who will remain anonymous for reasons you may come to learn later, I have uncovered a secret war going on in our world of which only a few are aware. A group of scientists has discovered the existence of exotic matter (henceforth abbreviated XM). XM is a very powerful energy whose origin and potential are still in question, but it is believed it has existed for centuries. There are stories of Roman soothsayers who encouraged the construction of important buildings upon sites they claimed were "charmed" with mysterious energy. Indeed, mysterious and "magical" portals that channel XM from an unknown location have been discovered near iconic and influential locations whose history and origins are also shrouded in mystery, the types of places my colleagues and I frequent as researchers (temples, monuments, places of worship, etc.). Scientists are allegedly researching ways to capture and harness the energy of these portals. Unfortunately, because of an accident in which members of the research team were exposed to XM, the secret of XM has not remained a secret. I'm not certain how, but word of this mysterious and potentially dangerous powerful energy has reached people with greater influence than you or me, people whose names you would probably recognize but which I will not reprint here for security reasons. You may be wondering what this has to do with you. Because you are even aware of the existence of this book, it is clear you are an intelligent and open-minded person. Wolfen tightened his lips. He had just pulled the book of the shelf because the title caught his attention. He read on: In the time since word has spread of XM, two groups have formed with the goal of capturing and harnessing this energy. The first faction, known as The Enlightened, is an elite group of very powerful people who believe XM is the secret to the evolution and progress of mankind. The Enlightened wish to take control of XM and harness its powers to take humankind to the next level (whatever that means). The details of how and what that would entail are still shady, which is why it is so concerning. In addition, several known members of The Enlightened have a reputation for taking and abusing power and their intent may be the same for XM. The second faction is The Resistance. Their intent is to capture XM in order to keep it out of the hands of The Enlightened because they fear the power of XM would be used to manipulate and control all of humanity. Like many "resistance" movements, however, this faction doesn't seem to have as much influence as The Enlightened (both financially and culturally) but this may change over time. In addition, Resistance members tend to be wreckless in their endeavor to keep XM out of the hands of The Enlightened. As an archaeologist, I can attest to the presence of "energies" at many of the sites I have visited. This is why I have fought to obtain and protect treasures that are located at these sites. Unfortunately, at my age I may not be able to protect these sites much longer, unless I can recruit some new explorers willing to research portal locations in their area and travel to these "portals". I won't tell you which faction you should join (but anyone who knows my reputation could probably guess which I prefer) because you have a will of your own, and I don't have the resources to force you to choose. In fact, you might not have even finished this letter. If you're still reading, though, I am grateful. I encourage you to do a few things before you begin: Do some research: read up on everything you can about "Ingress," including the two factions I mentioned; there may be information about possible portals in your area. If you uncover the location of nearby portals, research these sites, as well and visit them. My hope is that by the time you find this letter, researchers have come up with a way to extract and store the XM quickly and efficiently. Research this, as well. You guessed it: I need you to explore these sites and extract as much XM as you can. But be cautious and aware of your surroundings. This could be dangerous since there are others who also want XM for their own purposes. See if you can ascertain why or how the places you visit are capable of drawing XM; is there some history behind the place or object that makes it "worthy" of such energy? I don't know what kind of shape you are in at the moment, but true explorers need to be fit for a lot of physically demanding activities: hiking, climbing, crawling, fighting, running, and lots of walking. So much walking. And you need to have a keen eye to both find what you're looking for and to make sure you aren't being followed. I will let you "work out" the details based on your own physical needs. If you're still with me, I know you are exactly what I need. Don't write back because I would rather not know who you are. Good Luck, Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. Wolfen immediately left the campus library and straight to a private place on campus to start his research. A search for "Ingress" uncovered an app designed by Niantic Labs, a "game" in which "players" join a faction, seek and capture portals and extract XM. It couldn't be a coincidence that this app seemed to match nearly everything the letter described. More research uncovered information about XM, the Niantic project, each faction, and much more. Wolfen also discovered that there were several portals nearby, some glowing white, some blue, and some green and fields of bright "energy" of either blue or green passing between portals. He couldn't resist. Wolfen downloaded the app to his phone. Based on what his heart and head were saying, he joined The Resistance. His adventure was just beginning. Goals: Explore: walk at least 12,000 steps/day M-F. Get Fit: continue the #100for100 challenge: at least 100 bodyweight movements per day 3 sets 3 days/week that includes the following: Avoid traps: 15 hi-steps Sword-fight: 15 side-to-side arm swings Duck-and-dive: 5 burpees Fist-fight: vary jabs, punches, hooks, and uppercuts (Boxtastic app?) Explore caves: low crawl for 10 "steps". Climb cliffs: 5 pullups Run: continue running schedule, but include 3x100 yard sprints at least 2 days/week Research: continue research for school (first priority) look up information on various portal locations before exploring them. The purpose of this challenge is to become more connected to "place" using an app that both encourages you to walk and explore more and calls your attention to places you might otherwise have just passed by or glanced at without thinking. Therefore, when you visit these "portals" really look at them, study them, all while being mindful of what you learned from your research. Document these findings. Read at least one article/week from National Geographic or similar publication Read at least one book-length work of history/archeology/anthropology (i.e. something Indiana Jones might read). Historical fiction is acceptable, as long as it is rooted in truth.

I suppose you could say I'm here as a mentor? (If that doesn't sound too pretentious or anything...) I've done a good number of challenges, not always successful, not always at my best, and rarely in one guild for too long. A bit of an introduction would probably be good... (It's spoilered because it's long and a bit of a brain dump, and some people already know a lot of it.) So I've narrowed it down to four goals to focus on this time around. I'm also grading this challenge, which I haven't done in awhile. Hydrate Drink at least two liters of fluid five times a week. Engage Post at least once on this thread and on someone else's thread five times a week. Hunt Work on job hunting stuff at least four times a week. Explore Go outside and explore at least once a week. Grading Each success will count as 1 point. So, if I 100% this, that makes 15 points a week, for a total of 60 points. Bonus points are also possible. Rewards are to be determined. I have to be creative since I can't really buy much. A+ = 65 or higher A = 60 - 64 B = 50 - 59 C = 40 - 49 D = 30 - 39 F = 29 or lower

Carpinus woke in the deep dark forest of the fixed mindset for the final time. "Stuff this," she thought, "I can change, dammit. There are other forests, other trees, other places, fields and rivers. I'm not stuck here, however hard it might be to get out: however comfortable the darkness I'm used to is, compared to the unknown light. I'm scared, but scared is better than deadened." And she got up. Goal 1: Mindset Self-compassion has to come first, or nothing else will stick. Short, self-compassion meditations, 3 times a week. Goal 2: Fitness The journey to fitness starts with a single squat. NF Academy Bodyweight level 1 workouts twice a week. Goal 3: Work Finishing's as important as starting. Distractions abound. Finish draft 0 of current writing project.

NERDFRIENDS!!!! Welcome to APRIL! Welcome welcome again to yet another very FFXIV-themed challenge! Now with GIFS!!!!! MUAHAHAHA YES, gifs, all of these gifs are of my own character and my own content and YES. EXCELLENT. I'm having way too much fun making gifs. *thinks about gifs*.................. OH UH RIGHT, ahahaha, sorry. It's NEW CHALLENGE TIME!!! If you're new to this madness (or if you've had a memory lapse, it's ok, I won't hold it against you~) hi, I'm Shaarawy, and I've crafted a massive Final Fantasy job-style challenge with running goals that will be tackled over many months. Each of my challenges is also named and themed after the full moon of the corresponding month for ~*~extra flair~*~. This month's full moon is PINK MOON, which is on April 22nd!!! April: The Pink Moon Flowers begin to appear, including the widespread grass pink or wild ground phlox. Other variations indicate more signs of full spring, such as Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, and Fish Moon (common among coastal tribes). Mmmm fish moon. I am coastal. I also like eggs. But PINK MOON, come on, PINK, I mean, even my gnarly armored up Dragoon has a CHERRY BLOSSOM ATTACK. Because Japan, and Because Final Fantasy. Anyways. Guys, we made it through the winter even when it threatened to beat us down or freeze our bums and make us sad!!! Spring is coming (and is fully HERE in North Carolina) so we're going to jump all over those flowers and new grass and tree buds and SUNSHINE. YASSSSSSSSSS. Now the fun part: my challenge goals! I'm carrying over my uncompleted goals from my last challenge - I specifically crafted my challenge to span over many months and be more "ongoing" than just 4 weeks. I've basically pulled every base level job class from the game to craft my long-term quests. I don't need to complete them in any order, or at any given time - I have the ability to mix and match them as I please, and do as much or as little as I want during any given challenge time frame. Ah, goals on my terms, yes, excellent. Here's my progress and what I've got left to work on: DISCIPLE OF WAR + DISCIPLE OF MAGIC These are the basic DoW and DoM classes. As I complete them, certain pairs are combinable to unlock JOB classes! Example: [ARC] + [LNC] = [BRD]!!!! (Bard) So once I complete some compatible base class quests, they will unlock jobs, so I can quest further and continue to create evolving goals for myself! JOB COMBINATIONS I've also included some crafting and gathering classes from the game too, to deal more with exploration with visiting places, cooking, and creating!!!!! DISCIPLE OF THE HAND + DISCIPLE OF THE LAND PHEW! All that formatting. My eyes. Nnnngh. Anyways these are my constant overarching goals! I'll take zero week to recoup and decide exactly which of these I'm going to tackle - I have some ideas but I also need this week breather to not think about it much. XD XD GUYS IT IS SPRING THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!! Let's bust out of our eggshells and bloom like LOVELY FIT FLOWERS, hmm, that got kind of weird and bordered on Utena-esque there for a moment... who has PINK HAIR.... ahaha yes this is all meant to be. ~<3

S'up Nerds!!!!! So this challenge starts on my birthday this year, and instead of doing this sucker from the 1st to the 26th, I'm going to go from the 1st to the 28th because I'm going to be 28 until I hit 40 I'm totally going to be 31 but who's really counting? Also I totally don't care for time off, I'd rather just keep slogging through snow and get to my goal. First things first... Oh man do I ever need one at least twice a week. Damn... This past challenge I attempted to do the following: eat regular meals, limit pop, walk home from the bus station, hit the gym three times a week and clean my place. For meals I did pretty damn well, I had less than uhh... 3?? ish days of not following my meal times and I had maybe 4 extra glasses of pop the entire time, which is about one a week which is stellar since I used to have like 3-4 a day at work. Walking home was pretty solid except a few days where it was just totally shit outside, the bus that takes me right home was the first one to show up and today because I walking home against the wind when it's snowing sideways is a fast way to have really sore eyes all night. :/ Cleaning was not even half of what I wanted to do. Although my bedroom is a hell of a lot cleaner, and my bathroom is also a hell of a lot cleaner! The kitchen, halls, living room and front door area are still terrible and I'm scared of them. >_> I will tackle this fear and dominate those rooms as well. I mostly need the kick in the ass for the things that I don't like doing, that I need to do regardless of my like or hate of the task at hand. I plan to keep at what I was already doing, with tracking my habits to make sure I keep at them for as long as possible until it becomes as easy as breathing. So this time around I'm hoping that my fellow Nerds will give me that swift kick in the ass if I don't put up an update of what I have accomplished for the day. Pretty please! It would really do me the world of good to know someone's wanting to know what I'm up to. >_< Second things second... I will NOT be scared/shocked/startled by strange creatures that I do not usually share space with. I will try really, really, really hard not to wimp out so that I can ask people I don't know at the gym for their help on how to use something if I see that they are using something I want to play with. I'm generally pretty familiar with any/all of the cardio equipment and most of the useful isolation machines at the gym but I have no idea how to use the ones where you load up actual free weights and use them. I know these are pretty much the same thing, but there are also some strange things that I just don't know what they are and am curious about. I will also ask at the front desk of the gym as to what days/times are dead so that I will have less of a risk of standing around waiting ages for someone to finish using the one thing I want to use, and on those inevitable days I will make a point to just go do something else and check back in 5-10 minutes. Third things third... I'm going to attempt to be a "real" adventurer fuck that I am a real adventurer, old school adventurers FTW so I'm going to go and explore something or other once each week, most likely on the weekends, or on days I know for sure I'm no going to the gym. Might go wander into that neat looking store Carta Magica that's near the mall that I've been meaning to go into since 2007, or I might check out the Nature Museum, since it's one of the last ones I've no checked out yet, that and the Aviation Museum. Ooh... all kinds of places I can go check out! Last things last... I'm going to start putting aside $25/week towards getting myself something colourful, permanent, sentimental and delightfully me inked into my skin. I have a firm idea in mind and I plan on doing this in stages because I don't want to deal with the horrible evil itching of the full thing all at once. I would go stark raving mad and I would also likely not be able to wear my work clothes with any level of comfort if I got it all at once. Although I'm going to be spending a great deal of time asking people at work who also have colourful things inked into their skin where they went and who did their work. I want to find the right artist and preferably one that is going to charge a reasonable amount for their time/skill. The design is very simple, but it will likely be kind of big... like the whole length of one of my legs kind of big... Basic Goals: 1. Write down what I did that day, so I can see how my habits form, and hopefully so I can see what kinds of things cause me to give in and fail for a day or three. 2. Ask for help when I need it, and try new things at the gym when just following my standard routine isn't going to work. 3. Go exploring. 4. Save up for a thing I've wanted for like ten years but kept putting off. I like Calvin and Hobbes, in case that wasn't now wildly obvious. >_>

So I was going to do another acronym challenge and call it I.V.Y. just so I could use this picture Because holy crap does it describe me! LOL But then the 'powers that be' decided to go revamp the site and piss me off With our Fearless Leader posting his views on what our 'description' should be, I decided to change the topic of my challenge, even though what I'm working on stays the same For those who do not know me...I just (Jan. 2nd) had my two year "nerd-versary", I have always been an adventurer...I do not particularly give a rats ass what some book decided to change the description to! I have tried several things in those two years...some have worked, some, not so much! What has worked: Eating Paleo, not so much because of weight loss, but because I have RA and not eating the SAD foods has reduced my inflammation to more manageable levels. Walking, because I have realized I really enjoy it, and doing 5K's because they're fun! Yoga, because stress and my neck injury are a real thing Kettlebells, because they're versatile enough to keep me motivated and continuing to use them. What has not worked: Derby, not because it doesn't work, but because I have RA and my recovery time is crazy...I have to be able to move the next day. HIIT, see derby. Anything that requires me to go to a gym, or devote crazy amounts of time to, because my schedule is constantly changing from one day to another... So once again, I'm trying something new for this challenge...a friend talked me into DietBet, I figured why not (if you want more info just ask) nothing like money to motivate you to lose weight! Our "Wellness@Work" program is doing a walking challenge, kinda like the walking to Mordor one here but we're walking from our facility to the beach (virtually of course) While I'm not doing derby anymore, I do have access to a program (that I paid for so I gotta use it! LOL) called CoreBuilder that looks intriguing, it's a month long so that works perfectly with the new format... I'm also looking at scheduling when I'm doing my workouts, because I work better with structure, as well as why I'm doing what I'm doing...'to lose weight' isn't cutting it apparently...I spelled all this out in my spreadsheet tl/dr; Immediate Goal To lose 40 lbs and finish Dietary Manager Course Goal 1 After Work Because I’m tired of making excuses and feeling bad - CoreBuilder 3-4 days a week - Kettlebell 2-3 days a week STR – 2 CON – 2 Goal 2 Before Work Yoga At Work Because I love how I feel and endorphins are awesome! - Moving 3 miles a day - Yoga 2 days a week STA – 2 DEX – 2 Goal 3 After Workout Because I will run out of time! - Homework! WIS – 2 CHA - 2

Challenge Nine! NINE! Blimey. Wanderlust is upon me as usual and it's getting warm(ish) enough(ish) that I can go do something about it! It's adventure tiiiime! Last time: - I worked out the number of calories I need to eat in order to start losing weight in practice as opposed to in theory (1400, which surprised me too). - I managed to maintain almost a challenge long workout streak (then my knee did funny things and I missed two sessions right at the end). - I poured a litre or more of water into my facehole every day - I converted my crafting pit into a tiny laboratory This time: - I miss the hobbity adventures I went on in about my third or fourth challenge. I also miss writing about them, so I'mma do that again this time; I need some endurance exercise anyway. So, GOALS: Main Goal: Hobbit about, do things that make me feel healthy, be happy. Not that specific, I know, but it's less of an overarching goal and more of a target trajectory for life. Goal 1: Stick to 1400kcal/day. - By consulting the list of my own calorie-counted recipes - By replacing dull filler foods like bread and rice and pasta (which I spend lots of unnecessary calories on) with nutritious alternatives like not-having-bread, and vegetable mash, and courgette fake-pasta. - By making sure I do proper shopping every week instead of rummaging round the corner shop for pot noodles whenever I run out of healthy food. - By drinking at least a litre of water a day (this was pretty easy last time, so I'm incorporating it into my food goal) - Bonus protein shake on training days. The ones I have are about 150kcal. +5 CON Goal 2: Keep going with strength training, 3 x a week - I realised that I should have swapped every other deadlift set for a power clean set a while ago, so current routine looks like this: - Warm up - Front Squat, 3 x 5 - OH Press or Bench Press, 3 x 5 (alternate days) - Deadlift or Power Clean, 3 x 5 (alternate days) - Cool down. - My main motivation for this is the terror I am filled with if I get to go to the April Fort William meetup and the Crossfit instructor we visited last time sees I'm not even 10kg above my start weight on the deadlift. Meep. Also, strength training is very satisfying. But mostly fear. - Need to watch form so I don't hurt my knees. I know this. - Bonus yoga once a week if I can find the time. +4 STR (or +3 STR and +1 DEX if I can do all six sessions of yoga) Goal 3: Go out, into the outside, into the place that is not inside, and remain in the place that is outside the place that is inside for a continuous period of a couple of hours every week. Hoof about in that place, and then write a short adventure story for that place that is completely different to the ones you wrote last time. EVEN IF IT IS RAINING. You have waterproofs! And scarves! And a snorkel from Poundland if it's really that bad! Places to visit: - Cramond Island - The Hermitage of Braid - Portobello beach - Figgate Park (I had no idea this even existed until recently and I can't believe it's in the city) - Somewhere in the Pentlands (which will be an adventure because I have absolutely no idea where to go) - The Water of Leith walkway (I put the Botanic Gardens here first but honestly, if I go there, I will just walk about for five minutes and then eat scones.) +2 STA, +1 CHA Life Goal: Do science to those outside places. - I want to look at what aquatic microorganisms are where. So I'll be collecting a few vials of water from each place and examining the tiny, flagellating and pootling things within. - I want to see how community compositions differ between comparable sites (I bloody love community ecology). That'll be a study for another challenge, but I can lay the groundwork for it in this one by learning about what species there are, learning how to identify them, and wistfully wishing I had a boat and some Niskin bottles instead of leaky boots and some old camera film tubs. +3 WIS Monitoring: Using HabitRPG because I want presents, and it's easier to keep track that way. Must get over a 60% completion rate to pass each goal, must pass all 3 challenge goals to win challenge. - Did you avoid bread/rice/pasta? (Habit) - Did you stick to calorie limit? (Daily) - Did you drink 1 litre of water? (Daily) - Did you lift? (Mon, Wed, Fri) - Did you go outside and stay there? (Saturday) - Did you do yoga? (Sunday) - Have you done food shopping? (Sunday) - Did you collect water samples? (Saturday) - Did you write an adventure? (Sunday) - Did you look at the water samples? (Sunday) - Weigh-ins on Sunday mornings. Maybe tape measurements, but I screw those up a lot. - Also, going to make the page for the weight-loss Accountabiddlydoodlies in a bit. Seriously, look at Figgate Park. Preeetty... Time to get cracking, then!

EPIC QUEST Turn into At end of previous challenge MOTIVATION To be happy, healthy, sexy, and inspire awe. QUESTS for this CHALLENGE Objective #1: Hunter/Gatherer Weighing out food & counting calories works. I've proven that time and again. But it's not something I want to do forever. This challenge I'll be continuing my quest to further trim down my gut by following Mark Rippetoe's diet advice. It essentially boils down to this: Meat & Freggies. This time data will be simple. My starting pic above compared to my progress pic at the end. And my starting weight as of this morning was 175.6 lbs (79.7 kg) compared to whatever my final weight will be. I'll post a list of what I've eaten daily (or at least, most days), and we'll see how it goes. Objective #2: Explore/Reveal the Map I'm moving during the first week of this challenge. To a city I do not know. A land I'm unfamiliar with. People who will be strangers to me. I'll need to explore. To remove the map fog, and learn what this new place has to offer. I'll share pictures. Objective #3: Train Anytime/Anywhere. I am an Assassin. My weights are packed for the move. There will be no better time for this than now. For this challenge, I'm going to prove my worth as an Assassin to any remaining doubters. Throughout this challenge I'll be doing regular Assassin-inspired workouts. Will there be videos? Look who you're asking. Of course there will be videos! (Spirit Fingers)