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Game On, ShadowLion! What to Expect Techno Ranger Sorcery - technology, coding, biohacking, mobility work, walking --> hiking/rucking, macro tracking, productivity and learning hacks, metaphysical speculation, octalysis Renaissance Rebelry - writing, a little artwork here and there, some music, knitting, spinning, sewing ShadowLiony Silliness - cats, otters, gifs and vids, puns, alliteration and other wordplay CONSTRUCTION ZONE Story Challenge Process Reference

The Chronicles of Rurik: Beyond Human v1.0 (Rise of the Viking Techno-Ranger) My name is Rurik Harrgath, and this is neither the beginning nor the ending of my story… In 2020, humanity learned we were not alone in the universe. The Aesir and Vanir, a race of cybernetically and genetically advanced superhumans, first made contact on a warm day in May of that year. Far from the first time they had revealed themselves to humanity, it was that day in the Twenty-First Century that they had chosen to enlighten humanity and usher in a golden age of progress and tolerance. Among their revelations the Aesir and Vanir introduced to us an entire cosmos full of advanced technology, space travel, and mysticism the likes of which we could scarcely comprehend. In exchange we came to regard them as gods. In time we discovered not only that we weren’t alone in the universe, but that our closest neighbors weren’t that far away, and not all of them were half so friendly as our would-be benefactors from Asgard and Vanaheim... Where the Aesir and Vanir represented the cybernetically and biologically-engineered best of us, there were other denizens elsewhere who reflected other versions of us such as humanity’s cousins the Alfar of Alfheim and Dwarves of Nidavellir. In time our three species would establish trade and commerce, contributing freely among the Three Sisters, as our worlds came to be called. Still there were other beings more akin to an experiment gone awry, sequestered on prison worlds of their own; the Jotuns of Jotunheim were a twisted, gargantuan series of mutations that grew to resent not only our new gods but also all of their creations. Further to the Jotuns were such primordial beings, savage elementals born of the most primal building blocks of their planet, the terrible ice and fire beings of Niflheim and Muspellheim respectively. Their simmering, growing discontent was part of the reason the Aesir and Vanir chose to reveal themselves to humanity on Midgard. Alongside those grotesqueries who would set into work maniacal schemes and machinations to serve as catalyst to the downfall of all civilization within the Nine Worlds, the giants and elementals were aided by one of Asgard’s own, the trickster-god Loki. Both half a god of Asgard and half a child of Niflheim, Loki found himself torn between two worlds and his loyalty to both. Ultimately he chose the latter, his homeworld rather than his adopted family among the golden gods of Asgard. Now many hundreds of years have passed and the Golden Age of Men waxes and wanes. Terrorist attacks, racial conflict between full-bloods and hybrid races, and government corruption have stymied the technological and biological advancements humankind once excelled at. Furthermore there are rumors that the forces of Ice and Fire are preparing vast armies to strike a conflagration that will sweep across the cosmos and consume all within their path across the Nine Worlds… Featuring a Viking from a Future Age, outfitted with the best in high-tech gadgetry and arcane prowess... Welcome to my inaugural Dynamic Digital RPG (DDRPG) Challenge™! Above and below you may notice some creative writing; an expository piece remarking on a remarkable dystopian Sci-Fi setting loosely based on Norse mythology. My character, through whom I've aimed to share a more realistic likeness of my own personality than past incarnations, will be embarking on a quest of sorts, a dungeon-crawler if you will. Along the way he will be tested and not every situation will go in his favor. Perhaps critical equipment will fail dramatically, perhaps a trusted companion won't be able to arrive in the nick of time, or the forces who oppose me will just prove too dire. Like D&D, dice rolls will determine the outcomes of these encounters, forcing a success or failure through chance. But chance can be stacked in my favor. My weekly goal successes and accomplishments will lend weight to the roll. Completing an achievement as noted below will allow a re-roll of the die. Some of the events I face will result in injury or failure, requiring a health potion or elixir in the form of a Bulletproof Beverage. Other creative Bio-Hacking will increase my health pool. Every little bit helps along the way! While my Ultimate Quest is [Rurik's Journey to Chaotic Good Abs], my Challenge Quest is to become a Cyber-Steampunk, Magic-Wielding Viking Techno-Ranger and ignite my life with a passionate, nerdy conflagration full of fitness and healthy living. That means injecting a unhealthy healthy dose of excitement and adventure to bring the fight to the drudgery of my conventional day to day. The gear has been gathered, the training and nutrition more or less established, and now it's time to weave some magic and tackle reality... Starting weight baseline: 191 lbs. Maximum pullups: 8 strict. Goal: 10. Requires reevaluation. Quest 1.0: "It's 2354, and the world has changed. Gone to Hell, more like." RuckFit Ultra™ with Wolfenstein. (+1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 STA, +2 CON) Following the Pathfinder training program, complete fifty (50) miles / eighty (80) kilometers rucked in 6 weeks.Complete six (6) RuckFit™ WODs by end of challenge.Finish three (3) RuckFit™ challenges.Quest 2.0: "Becoming the Techno-Viking takes more than just skill and street smarts..." (+2 STR, +2 DEX) Attempt double-unders once per week. Follow The 20 Pull-up Challenge program.Practice a Parkour free-run (the floor is lava) and/or OCR technique once per week.Quest 3.0: "Exploring isn't just about climbing mountains. Sometimes you gotta gear up, buckle down, and get the job done. Skills definitely pay the bills." (+2 STA) Complete three (3) Urban Exploration challenges.Bonus Quest: Destroy something. An old mechanical item, some pencils, anything.Attempt three (3) climbing sessions in 6 weeks.Practice one (1) Yoga balancing pose each week.BONUS: Complete [Heroic Mode] bonus quests as time permits.Life Quest 1.0: “Better Living Through Bulletproof Alchemy & Biological Transmutation.” (+2 WIS, +2 CHA) Macro Accountability. Daily goal: 2160 calories or less.Drink a Bulletproof coffee/tea three (3) times per week.Bonus Quest: Continue experimentation to concoct the ultimate Alchemist’s Elixir of Bulletproof beverages.Intermittently Fast twice (2) per week.Bonus Quest: Brewfest 2015. Sample and review five (5) new beer.Life Quest 2.0: "Man, Magic, and Machine... It takes it all to survive the Nine Realms." Maintain debt repayment/savings budget. Bonus $ to savings if budget succeeds and cash remains in my account by next payday.Tinkering. Play around with or start three (3) new tinkering projects (goggles, lamp, or otherwise)Practice photography techniques every two weeks.[The Music Dances to Techno-Viking] Achievement: Right-Click to requisition that Supply Cache... It's time to upgrade my tech. Successful completion of this 6-Week Challenge and adherence to Savings/Budget protocols will allow the purchase of one (1) item off my Wish List to be determined later. Challenge Inspiration: Vikings, Cyberpunk, and Magic, Oh My! This is a pure, uncut, 100% Shadowrun meets Norse mythology RPG of my own devising in the works here. I blame this particular theme largely on DarK_RaideR for introducing me to Shadowrun, ShadowLion for inspiring me through her Techno-Rangery sorcery and gamification vibe (thank you for letting me borrow from your world!), and that same pesky Cyber/Techno/Steampunk kick I've been on lately. This theme hearkened back to a particular Internet video that has been a relentless source of inspiration for me over the years and probably kick-started my interest in fitness to begin with almost a decade ago. That's right, Hail to the Techno-Viking!

iTunes U was one of those programs that Apple "recommends" when you're first downloading apps on your iOS device, so imagine my surprise when I found out that iTunes U is friggin' AWESOME. Now, I'm an autodidact (I like to teach myself stuff), but I often run into problems with creating "lesson plans" for lack of a better word. iTunes U has that covered. It's pretty rad. All (that I've been interested in, anyway) of the programs are free, and you get an interactive text book with a detailed lesson plan to complete on your own time and pace. Right now I'm working through Creative Writing: A Master Class, and it's pretty awesome, especially for something that cost zero dollars. They have little videos that play inside the text book, as well as supplementary video and audio clips to augment whatever lesson you're on. Anyone else checked it out? Any recommendations on cool courses?