test

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first post

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This should be bold:

this should not be bold

This should be blue:

this should not be blue

This should be both bold and blue

what is this

[@what is this]

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My Hider

what about this

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there should be a picture of a cat

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guess who

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@offxthexclockwhat is this test test

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what happens if i do this

[h1]but what happens if i do this

test test test

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[h]does this do anything[/h]

• test
  
  
  
  • let's practice
  • making
  • a list

* another list but different

* let's practice
* making
* a list

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After dinner, Adam returned to the cabin and unpacked the rest of his luggage. The sun had started to set outside by the time he was finished. Later that night, he sat at a desk in the bedroom, watching a movie on his laptop.

It was the first movie in a popular series, which had initially been released as a series of novels. He had read the first book in the series out of curiosity more than anything else. Despite his efforts, he had barely been able to finish it. He had expected the movie to be just as awful as the book and was actually surprised to discover that it was even worse. Halfway through the movie, he realized it was finally late enough to sleep. He abruptly stopped the video and closed his laptop.

In the middle of the night, Adam woke to a strange sensation. It felt like the bed was shaking. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the ceiling above him, wiggling. He sat up and realized that his bed was convulsing violently. The whole room was shaking.

He sat there for a few seconds, considering the possibility that it was a dream. Something in another room of the cabin fell, causing a distant shattering sound. His laptop was trembling on the desk across the room, inching closer and closer to the edge. He shoved the comforter aside, scrambling up from the bed. A strange thumping noise could be heard from outside. He quickly hobbled across the rumbling floor and lunged to save his laptop from falling off the desk. A digital clock was shaking on the shelf near the window, the glowing red numbers looking fuzzy from the erratic movement. He could just barely make out the time before the clock fell off the shelf and hit the floor. It was 3:21 am.

Gradually, everything stopped shaking. He stayed still, feet planted against the floor between the bed and the desk. When he felt certain the shaking had stopped for good, he made his way to the window, carefully stepping around the random objects that had fallen. He pulled the drapes aside and peered outside.

The world outside was quiet and still, bathed in moonlight. Adam rubbed his eyes and withdrew from the window, kicking something as he moved backwards. He crouched down and picked up the small digital clock that had fallen to the floor. He turned it over to see the time in bright red digits. 3:22 am.

Suddenly he heard a thud and looked up from the clock face.

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Atam stirred in his sleep. Someone was shaking his shoulder.

It was dark, and when Atam opened his eyes he could barely make out a face looming over him. Before he could make any noise, he felt hands clamping over his mouth. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he realized it was Juhn. Juhn removed one hand and raised an index finger to his mouth, his eyes warning Atam to keep quiet. Atam brushed Juhn's hands away and sat upright, sighing sharply.

"What's going on?" he whispered. Juhn gestured around the room. Atam noticed the other beds were empty.

"They dared Silomon," Juhn said. "They dared him to climb the clock tower."

Atam blinked. "And so what? What's going on?"

Juhn huffed, frustrated. "So he's doing it! Now!"

For a second, Atam was absolutely motionless. Then he shot up from the bed and grabbed Juhn by the collar, his fist flying into the air. Juhn squirmed, his arms flailing in front of his face.

"You need to stop him!"

"Shit," Atam hissed, shoving Juhn away. He grabbed his jacket and threw it on over his pajamas.

Atam and Juhn ran down the staircase. They ran through the halls until they burst through the heavy double doors, the cold night air hitting their faces and seeping through the thin material of their clothes. They circled around the side of the building, weaving through a line of rosebushes. Thorns snagged at their pajamas and Atam kicked his legs through a stubborn patch, tearing the fabric. His heart was pounding faster and faster as they moved. They trampled through the bushes before rounding a corner, stopping when they finally saw the others.

The other boys were crowded outside in front of the fountain, huddled under the shadow of the old clock tower. They were staring up, their faces highlighted by the moon. Their expressions varied. Some were gaping in amazement, while most of them looked nervous. Atam recognized Devid, who looked struck by terror. He felt Juhn jabbing him in the side, pointing up to where they were all staring.

Atam felt a chill run down his spine when he looked up at the clock tower. Silomon was up there on the roof of the turret, clinging to the cross that extended from its peak. Atam shoved past the other boys until he was standing directly below.

"Get down from there!"

Silomon shifted, taking one hand off the cross, waving. Suddenly, a large cloud moved across the sky, blocking the moonlight for a moment. There was a terrible scream as Silomon lost his grip and fell. The scream was followed by another sound, one that Atam would never forget, as Silomon reached the ground.

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Small droplets of water splashed over the edge of the boat and clung to his skin. They were sailing by a small floating town. Market stalls of prepared food items as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, and spices lined the banks of the river, filling the breeze with delicious smells. The boat continued down the river until it reached the dock where the other small boat was docked.

Frinn got off the boat and walked across the wooden boards to where Valens was standing, looking at a map. Valens pointed to a spot marked in red ink.

"Is that where the Lord lives?" Frinn asked.

Valens nodded, tucking the map away and already starting to move. "He should be expecting us. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

Frinn quickened his pace, trying to keep up with Valens. They were making good time when a street stall suddenly collapsed, causing fruits of various sizes and shapes to roll into their path. Valens sighed impatiently before turning to where a young woman was yelling at a couple large, shady-looking men.

"That's 200 coin for those fruit, you bastards! How do you expect me to pay the Lord back when you keep ruining my merchandise!?"

"We don't give a shit about your fruit. If you don't have the money by dusk tonight, we're dragging you to the House."

"That's impossible! I keep telling you! How do you expect me to have the money when you keep sabotaging my business?! Are you too stupid to understand?"

One of the thugs suddenly grabbed the woman's arm, jerking her mercilessly. She yelled. Valens took a step towards them, when a small, shiny apple suddenly flew across the path and hit the man's bald head. It bounced off the back of his tattooed skull and he turned around, releasing the woman. Frinn flinched and dropped the pear he had also been getting ready to throw.

Valens sighed. "Well that's one way to get things started."

As soon as he said that, the thugs were charging towards them. Valens dodged the tattoo-headed man's swing and easily restrained him from behind, bringing him to his knees and twisting his arms behind him. Frinn was less successful, taking a blow to the cheek from the other man, who was tall and lanky, not as stocky as his partner. Frinn groaned as he stumbled backwards from the impact of the punch, slipping on a piece of fruit and landing on the ground. As the man drew closer, Frinn grabbed a wooden plank from the disheveled fruit stand. When his opponent was close enough, he lurched forward and shoved the end of the plank into the man's knee. The man yelped out in pain, stumbling forward. He let out a growl and lunged. Frinn ducked and used the plank to hit the man again, this time in the groin. The man shouted as he grabbed his crotch, rolling onto the ground.

Valens released the tattoo-headed guy, who spat on the ground between them before turning towards his thug partner. The short, stocky man slung the thin man over his shoulder before leaving, disappearing down an alley.

Valens began collecting the fruit and putting the stand back together. Frinn approached the young woman cautiously. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled. She noticed Frinn's cheek starting to puff up and placed her fingertips on his chin, turning his face to get a better look. She winced. "Looks like you're the one who's hurt. Wait here."

She jogged across the path to a fish vendor, who had laid out his fish on a bed of ice. She came back with a small ice pack. Before Frinn could protest, the woman grabbed his face again, pressing the ice to his cheek.

"Ugh," he groaned. "Thanks for the help. But could you be a bit gentler?"

The woman rolled her eyes as she let go of his face. "There. You're fine. Now go and be on your way."

Valens came over, rolling the cart of fruit. "You don't sound very scared for someone who was attacked by some dangerous men just now."

"I could have handled it," the woman muttered. "Thanks for the help. Now good day."

Valens reached into his pocket for the map, but it wasn't there. He turned around and saw that it had fallen out during the commotion. He went to retrieve it right as a mule carrying goods passed by, kicking it into a puddle and trampling over it. Frinn walked over to the puddle and fished it out, grimacing.

"The ink is all blurry," he complained.

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Dennis Kramersen

Name: Dennis Kramersen

Face Claim: Mads Mikkelsen

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Position/Occupation:

Dr. Kramersen is a maritime archaeologist known for his contributions to the discovery of several shipwrecks including cargo steamers and treasure ships in the Caribbean. However, he is best known for his work on the commercial expedition that led to the 2008 discovery of Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, an 18th century Spanish Manila galleon. The ship was discovered south of Japan using Kramersen’s reconstruction of its final voyage.

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Description:

Dennis is 51 years old, born in 1971. He is 6’ tall and weighs 170 pounds. He has high cheekbones and traces of a scar across his nose, making him look considerably villainous when he was young. However, his heavy-lidded eyes have softened over time and his overall appearance has become gentler. His hair is light, with barely noticeable eyebrows and a mix of light brown and gray streaks on his head. He dresses rather casually, usually giving lectures in jeans, a simple shirt or sweater, and slippers. He is infamous for wearing a bathrobe in class and has also been seen wearing mismatched socks.

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Personality:

Dennis is passionate about maritime archaeology and the university has been willing to overlook certain eccentricities because he is well-respected for his work. His opponents at the university criticize his relaxed attitude and disregard for school policies and conventions, but he is popular among many students for his sincerity.

He often loses track of time and runs late to meetings, sometimes forgetting to go entirely. He also has a tendency to forget ordinary details about people and places. For example, he is prone to forgetting someone’s name but he may remember some random, minor detail about them instead. He jokes that it must be a sign of aging, but his colleagues remind him that he has always been this way. He is easily distracted and can become fascinated with something that captures his interest, sometimes forgetting to do basic tasks and chores in the process.

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Biography:

Dennis was born in Chicago, Illinois to Lennart and Anna Kramersen. His father was an architect originally from Copenhagen, Denmark and his mother was a Chicago native working for a small dental office. Both parents passed away due to natural causes with old age. He has an older brother named Marten who works as an accountant and lives in Florida.

Dennis received his bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Johns Hopkins University in 1994, a master’s degree in Nautical Archaeology from East Carolina University in 1999, and received his PhD in Anthropology with a specialization in Nautical Archaeology from Texas A&M in 2014.

Starting in the mid-90s, Dennis became a certified diver and participated in underwater exploration on his early expeditions in the Caribbean. After receiving his master’s degree, Dennis was able to take on more responsibility in bigger expeditions. He joined the search for Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia and headed the successful voyage reconstruction project that led to its discovery. He has written academic articles about the expeditions, as well as published a book about the discovery of Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia, which is considered his greatest achievement.

In 2016, Kramersen was appointed professor of nautical archaeology at East Carolina University. Despite the resentment from some of his peers and the monotonous day-to-day tasks of grading exams and papers, he has enjoyed his time as a professor. But when he was recently granted his first sabbatical, he knew he wanted another encounter with adventure, the kind of excitement that had characterized his work before his transition into an academic career. And so he was eager to accept the offer when he was invited to provide insight and guidance on the Charles Henshaw. He knew it would be his last opportunity to truly seek adventure, and possibly discover something extraordinary once more before his career finally runs out.

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DRMs:

Archaeology: +3
Field Experience: +3
Observation: +2
Analysis: +2
Documentation: +2
History: +2
Creativity: +2
Oceanography: +1
Diving: +1
Tact: -1
Clumsiness: -1
Situational Awareness: -1