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Whelp, it seems that I'm back. Y'all can thank littlewings for reaching out to me and reminding me that I used to stay on top of these "healthy" things. There's talk of a meetup here in the wilds of Canada and monks gotta represent. Soooo.... Main Quest I have a history of writing a ton of stuff about my challenge in prose and then little factoids of reality. I don't think I'm going to have the time and energy to do that. It's Monday already and I want this up before the end of the day. Basically, in my main quest, I've been trying to build myself into the heroic capability of one of the Solar Exalted. White Wolf scholars already know that these glorious bad-asses are shining demi-gods who shake the foundations of the world with their footsteps. Rebels with a long memory will remember that their ideal of perfection and excellence is my great goal. So, what now? This'll be my third challenge through this quest and, I have to say, things are not going super great. But I'm back and it's time to buckle down. I'm going to revamp my challenge goals to suit the individual Castes of the Solars. In light of the extremely niche appeal of the Exalted, I'm going to be light on media again. That makes me sad, as there's a lot of very impressive gifs flying around in the other challenges. This challenge will be about the Dawn Caste. They are the warrior-generals of the armies of heaven. Master tacticians and brilliant with any weapon they lay a hand to. To earn my Dawn Caste Exaltation, I will need to do this: Train like a warrior of heaven I live about an hour from my hapkido club. Historically, this has been a great challenge to me as my wife and I have only one car and I, having grown up in big cities for most of my life, never learned to drive. But I got my license, you guys! I can drive all by myself! Now I can take care of that transportation myself and get back into the habit of consistently going to class and, even more specifically, get to the black belt classes every Monday so that I can have the practice to earn my second degree black belt. Get to hapkido twice a week: 12 classes in total. +1 STR, +2 DEX, +1 STA We may also have bought a brand new Jetta that I am in love with and love to drive. Build the strength of heaven One of the fun things I discovered during my months of recuperation is that my joints have weakened to the point where I simply cannot physically tolerate the sharp snapping motions of repetitive striking AND lift heavy weights. That gives me a sad, but I want to build back up to that point. Striking is a pretty important part of hapkido, so I am doing a lot of it. I'm also training with a pair of guys who are preparing to grade for their red belt (our equivalent of brown) which involves throwing 1000 good kicks. So them joints are seeing the work. I want to keep up with that. That means punching and kicking the crap out of everything. 500 punches and 500 kicks each week: +1 STR, +2 DEX, +1 STA Guard the foundations of heaven Seems like everybody's paying attention to their calorie intake. I don't like to count calories because it drives me mad. What I do enjoy doing is monitor my food intake and keep the crap out. I found out last year that I have celiac disease, which forces me away from all the grains that are so very delicious but so very bad for me. This put my wife and I in the position where we were cooking every meal from scratch all the time. We haven't been too bad the past few months but one of the bad habits we developed was to keep snacks in the house. You know the kind I'm talking about. Salty, carby, sweet, creamy, delicious snacks. Grocery trips weren't complete without them. That business has got to stop. NO snacks 6 days a week. Easter is this weekend and if you try tell me that I don't get a cheat day to eat my aunt's gluten-free baking that she is making just for me then I will fight you. +2 CON, +1 WIS Life Goal A warrior (no, not these warriors) still needs to live in the world. It's not all roundhouse kicks and straight punches. If only. I'm not about to get into all the feels, but my wife and I have agreed to dedicate more time to each other. And we're even even both tracking it. So I'm putting it out here that I'm going to spend more time just for her and I to be together. 3 separate and for realz 1 hour chunks a week. That's 18 whole hours just with my wife! Madness! +2 CHA, +2 WIS And that's it! It's not even the end of Monday yet! -- x = 0.999... 10x = 9.999... 10x - x = 9.999... - 0.999... 9x = 9 x = 1 0.999... = 1

Solar Exaltation is for heroes. Those who look at the world and determine that it could be better and that they will take action. Men and women of conviction and purpose. These individuals can shake the foundations of Creation. In all of their cases, they are presented with their heroic opportunity and they rise to the occasion, standing for their beliefs with the power of the Sun exploding from their bodies. Many people face this opportunity. But some of them fail. Those who have heroic potential still choose to turn away from their destiny. It is too hard. They are frightened. They feel weak. It is in these moments that the Yozis smile. From these failed heroes they create the Chosen of Hell. The Infernal Exalted. Empowered by mad, mewling things, driven beyond the borders of Creation , the Infernal Exalts are twisted away from their human heritage and pushed to embrace the alien and demonic. They are joined, body and soul, with a demon of the First Circle, warping their minds and changing their bodies. They see the horrors of Malfeas, the chaos and destruction that is life in the Demon City, and they call it home. They stand, radiating the awful light of Ligier, the Green Sun, heroes of Hell and champions of the Yozi's cause. Creation must be poisoned and corrupted so far that there is no distinguishing it from Malfeas. When this occurs, their masters will be able to cross the boundary, free from their prison and wreak a terrible wrath upon all who have wronged them. With this terrible purpose, they return to Creation's shores, full of malice and a twisted power. What the Yozis have forgotten is that their servants, whom they have twisted as far as a human can go, were destined to be heroes. *** I know I said I wasn't going to join this challenge. I am still feeling very overwhelmed. I'm not even sure how I'll be able to do. But motivation comes from strange places sometimes. I felt, and still feel, a failure. But my goal has not yet changed. If you didn't see my last challenge, allow me to restate. To become worthy of a Solar Exaltation. Exalted fans among the crowd may start frothing at the mouth with all this talk of an Infernal Exaltation when my goal is to become worthy of a Solar Exaltation. Nerd scholars will admit that an Infernal Exaltation is merely a corrupted Solar Exaltation. 'Nuff said. Going deeper into the nerdery here, I feel more like the Infernal Exaltation better suits my mood, temperament and current mental state. My depression predisposes me to regard everything in my life as a failure. My job, my marriage, my status as a friend, my whole life. And this is even when I can logically stack up rather a large number of events that were overwhelmingly positive. So it's hard for me to look at the potential for heroic opportunity and not immediately think that I would turn away. That's when the Yozis begin their seductive temptation. So how will we do this? Well, the Yozis sure do have a lot to teach a budding Infernal. Tap into Malfeas' indestructible fury The Slayer Caste are the warrior-generals of Hell. Malfeas gives them rage and potency. They are unstoppable in battle. I must channel my energy into the fight. Go to 2 hapkido classes a week. Marked out of 12. +1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +1 Stamina Follow the laws set down by Cecylene Cecylene's laws are not the laws of Creation. She decides almost on a whim what can and cannot be done within the Demon City. Despite her madness, her priests enforce all of her laws with an iron fist. One of those laws is a capacity for battle. Might makes right in Malfeas. So one must be ready for battle at all times. I will accomplish this by starting a stretching routine. I don't know any yoga, and my only access to yoga routines is though my wife's Wii Fit, but that's a start, right? Twice weekly. Marked out of 12. +2 Dexterity, +1 Stamina Live the unrelenting movement of Adorjan The Silent Wind never stops moving. And where she goes, all living things are silenced. Forever. Last challenge, I tried a push-up challenge. And while I failed at it, I found it valuable to be building the habit of doing something physical every day. Not strenuous or to make myself sweat like mad, but something. Do something physical every day. Marked out of 42. +1 Strength, +1 Stamina I've been here for a little while, so there's a life goal, too. Plumb the secret knowledge of She Who Lives in Her Name The Pyrian Flame knows of things that Creation cannot even fathom. When she shattered three of the spheres of her being against the walls of Malfeas, she destroyed concepts and ideas that even now cannot be known in Creation. Surely she would know a thing or two about an Infernal Exalt. I've started seeing a psychologist and I like how she approaches therapy. My schedule to see her is entirely in my control. And I need to make this consistent or I will never overcome my depression. And it's expensive, despite having coverage through my and my wife's benefits. So I am reluctant, even though it is necessary. See my psychologist 3 times over the challenge. +2 Wisdom, +1 Charisma And a non-workout-y fitness goal. Develop a secret plot worthy of the Ebon Dragon The Ebon Dragon has been plotting his escape since he first set foot in Malfeas. He has never succeeded, but it is in his nature to fail. This has not stopped him from executing cunning plans throughout the millenia, including that which placed fifty Solar Exaltations into the hands of the Yozis. For the Ebon Dragon, success is making a plan. I often plan what to eat an hour before I eat. Or when I'm at the grocery store. I cook breakfast and dinner, but I often don't have a schedule before I actually need it. I started working on this as a habit but life circumstances have knocked me right off the habit again. Make 2 meal plans each week. Planning for a whole week is too much. Marked out of 12. +2 Constitution, +1 WIsdom *** Now for the disclaimer. Everyone's support is great and I love all of you for it. But I am likely to be pretty quiet this time around. Physical activity is one of my soothing behaviours, so I'm definitely going to be trying to do this stuff. If I don't respond to your encouragement or comments, I guarantee that I'm not trying to be anti-social or ignorant. You guys inspire me, so I'm going to keep trying to fight the Infernal nature. Even those who have fallen can stand again. They might even be heroes.

Alright, monks. It's time to separate the real nerds from the people who muck about with video games from time to time. Disclaimer: this is no disrespect to my video game playing brothers and sisters. I am just melodramatic. Rock on, my nerds. Rock on. *** It is a time of tumult. A time for heroes. A man sits at a desk in a library. From the side, he appears average. Thin limbs and pale skin indicate the amount of time he has spent in this place or those much like it. Books are piled high around him. He is hunched over a larger tome, intent upon the words on the page. "Once, Creation was ruled justly by the Chosen of the Sun. Exalted by their potential for greatness, they took the reins of power to craft the mightiest of artifacts, defeat the most terrible of foes and rule through a golden age of prosperity: the First Age. "In the Second Age, the Exalted have all but disappeared. Only the Chosen of the Elemental Dragons remain, to lord over the common man, revelling in excess and debauchery. The glories that were once so commonplace are mere shadows of recollection, if they are even remembered at all. It is an age of bronze, where once gold shone everywhere." A single tear falls from his cheek as he rises. The dim candlelight catches it as it falls, glinting gold before it lands on the open page. As the man stands, it becomes apparent that his hunched posture and folded limbs concealed a massive man, towering above the average. He stands, shoulders hunched and back curled. He takes a deep breath and pushes his chest out and throws his shoulders back. Golden light explodes from his body. Words boom in his head, impossibly loud, but gentle. And so, my son, you have seen that where the light is cast, greatness will follow. Take this lesson out in to the world and let all who see you know that you are my Chosen, Exalted of the Unconquered Sun, greatest of heroes. Do this in my name and restore glory to this fallen world. *** There's a lot of purple prose in there, but it is to a purpose. I'm an RPG nut. I have played tabletop RPGs for over 20 years in almost every form you could imagine. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas and Superspies, Robotech, Rolemaster, MERP, Dungeons and Dragons (1st through 4th edition), Call of Cthulhu, Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Tales from the Floating Vagabond, Hol, the list goes on. But one stands out as my favourite game of all time. Exalted. Exalted holds a special place in my heart. In Exalted, the player characters are nigh-invulnerable demigods when you start. You have almost the entire world against you, but it is your job to rebuild and restore an Age that is millenia past. It is a game of absurdity, heroism and over-the-top theatrics. A task that is deadly dangerous and foolish to consider in any other game is all in a day's work for the Exalted. In Exalted, you are a hero in every classical and assumed sense. My Main Quest To become worthy of a Solar Exaltation. According to the game-canon, a Solar Exalts when he is placed in a place of high stress where he chooses the heroic option. He chooses to fight when faced down by slaves; he resolves to rebuild the infrastructure that once ennobled everyone in his province; he struggles against a corrupt government who seek to abuse his neighbourhood. To reach this state of mind, because I do lack the heroic drive much of the time, I will be seeking to perfect my body, mind and spirit. This is a long, long journey, but one which has numerous tangible benefits. At this stage, it's baby steps, so here's my starting plan. 1. The strength of the sun - Workout 3 times / week : +3 Strength, + 1 Stamina I really need to workout regularly. This is known. I feel like a superhero when I do and I feel like a bag of shit when I don't. I've started well enough the past two challenges, but I have done things that have aggravated my system and not paid attention to the signals my body was giving me, so I have a plan. When I'm not injured, hit the gym and get under the bar. I miss doing these exercises but my knee is still kind of tweaked out, so I haven't gone. What's worse, I haven't done anything to replace it. So, when my body is complaining, do the beginner body weight workout. It's not a heavy workout compared with some of you monks, but my body weight is significant and the principle of the lever forces me to work damn hard on a lot of the exercises. I've tested my body's responses and lunges and BW squats, while an effort, don't cause me any pain. So just do it. 2. The sun rises every day - 750 push-ups by challenge end : +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Stamina I may have shamelessly stolen this from RisenPhoenix. 24 push-ups per day is a lot for me and 12 is too few. So, we meet in the middle with 18 push-ups per day. Push-ups are HARD for me. They are one of the things I struggle with constantly. I hate them and I avoid them. Never mind the fact that they build excellent core and upper body strength. No catch up days and tracking stops at 18 per day. Just like my punching from my first challenge, it's the consistency that I'm striving for, not bursts of volume. Am I going to accept being shy of a B by 2 push-ups? Absolutely not. 3. The sun shines even behind the clouds - Walk with my wife 5 times / week : +1 Stamina, +1, Wisdom, +2 Charisma One of the things that I used to do was go walking with my wife. Walking is still exercise and strolling together through our neighbourhood was a good bonding experience. I need more of that and I'm not ashamed to come out and admit it. This will only count if we are out for at least 15 minutes. No double dipping on days when we have a lot of errands to run. Life Goal The sun's light is warm - Stop being such a sarcastic ass : +1 Charisma I am in the office twice a week. And I'm not super happy with my workplace, for a lot of reasons. But that is not a reason to sow negativity among my coworkers, many of whom I have a great fondness and respect for. I am often bad-tempered and use the razor's edge of my sarcasm to get a laugh. And I do get them, but it's mean-spirited and it's not who I want to be. Go each day in the office without sniping and being a jerk. Diet Goal The sun brings life and growth - Stop eating so much shit : +2 Constitution I don't know what's happened since the last challenge ended, but I have started eating absolute garbage almost every day. Chips, candy, soda, salt and sugar. It's embarrassing, actually. So, 42 days of no bad snacking. That's the trouble. I have good snack foods. Trail mix with no added sugar or salt. Chemical (and gluten!) free pepperoni sticks. Yoghurt. Fruit. Carrot sticks and cucumbers. If I am so desperate to munch on things, I can eat those. And there we are. Goals to keep me working and maybe bring me closer to being worthy of an Exaltation of my very own.