diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4606ef1..e991cf0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,70 @@
-# oizys
+<div align="center">
+<h1>oizys</h1>
+<p>nix begat oizys</p>
+</div>
+
+This is a custom multi-host [nixos](https://nixos.org) flake.
+See below for the currently maintained hosts.
+
+## hosts
+
+<table>
+  <tr>
+    <th>rune</th>
+    <th>name</th>
+    <th>system</th>
+  </tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Runic_letter_othalan.svg"></td>
+  <td>othalan</td>
+  <td>Thinkpad Carbon X1 Gen 9</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Runic_letter_algiz.svg"></td>
+  <td>algiz</td>
+  <td>Vultr VPS hosting forgejo,soft-serve & gts</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Runic_letter_mannaz.svg"></td>
+  <td>mannaz</td>
+  <td>Custom AMD Tower with Nvidia 1050ti</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+## oizys cli
+
+A small helper utility that mostly just wraps `nix` commands for convenience.
+
+```sh
+nix run "github:daylinmorgan/oizys"
+```
+
+```
+oizys <cmd> [opts]
+  commands:
+    dry     poor man's nix flake check
+    boot    nixos-rebuild boot
+    switch  nixos-rebuild switch
+    cache   build and push to cachix
+    build   build system flake
+
+  options:
+    -h|--help    show this help
+       --host    hostname (current host)
+    -f|--flake   path to flake ($FLAKE_PATH or $HOME/styx)
+    -c|--cache   name of cachix binary cache (daylin)
+       --no-nom  don't use nix-output-monitor
+```
+
+
+## oizys?
+
+Oizys was birthed by the goddess Nyx/Nix and embodies suffering and misery. Which is all that awaits you if you embrace nix.
+
+---
+
+> **NOTE**
+> I don't use home-manager to manager my shell/user configs. You can find those in my separate `chezmoi`-managed [`dotfiles`](https://git.dayl.in/daylin/dotfiles) repository.
 
-[![](https://github.com/daylinmorgan/oizys/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/daylinmorgan/oizys/actions/workflows/build.yml)
diff --git a/hosts/algiz/README.md b/hosts/algiz/README.md
index 6ad7d1c..e6817a8 100644
--- a/hosts/algiz/README.md
+++ b/hosts/algiz/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <div align="center">
 <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Runic_letter_algiz.svg">
-<h1>Algiz</h1>
+<h1>algiz</h1>
 </div>
 
 ## Setting up git user for use with gitea originally
diff --git a/hosts/mannaz/README.md b/hosts/mannaz/README.md
index ce37840..3e59679 100644
--- a/hosts/mannaz/README.md
+++ b/hosts/mannaz/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div align="center">
 <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Runic_letter_mannaz.svg">
-<h1>Mannaz</h1>
+<h1>mannaz</h1>
 </div>
 
diff --git a/hosts/othalan/README.md b/hosts/othalan/README.md
index 92ed8b9..15a10bc 100644
--- a/hosts/othalan/README.md
+++ b/hosts/othalan/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div align="center">
 <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Runic_letter_othalan.svg">
-<h1>Othalan</h1>
+<h1>othalan</h1>
 </div>
 
diff --git a/oizys/oizys.nim b/oizys/oizys.nim
index 24628d6..5e1617e 100644
--- a/oizys/oizys.nim
+++ b/oizys/oizys.nim
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ proc info(args: varargs[string, `$`]) =
 proc error(args: varargs[string, `$`]) =
   stdout.styledWriteLine(
     fgCyan, "oizys", resetStyle, "|",
-    styleDim, "ERROR", resetStyle, "| ",
+    fgRed, "ERROR", resetStyle, "| ",
     args.join("")
   )
 
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ proc newCtx(): OizysContext =
   result.flake = getEnv("FLAKE_PATH", getEnv("HOME") / "oizys")
   result.host = getHostname()
 
+proc check(c: OizysContext) =
+  if not dirExists c.flake:
+    error c.flake, " does not exist"
+    error "please use -f/--flake or $FLAKE_PATH"
+    quit 1
+
+  info "flake: ", c.flake
+  info "host: ", c.host
+
+
+
 proc systemFlakePath(c: OizysContext): string =
   c.flake & "#nixosConfigurations." & c.host & ".config.system.build.toplevel"
 
@@ -87,12 +98,14 @@ oizys <cmd> [opts]
     build   build system flake
 
   options:
-    -h|--help  > show this help
-       --host  > hostname (current host)
-    -f|--flake > path to flake ($FLAKE_PATH or $HOME/styx)
-    -c|--cache > name of cachix binary cache (daylin)
+    -h|--help    show this help
+       --host    hostname (current host)
+    -f|--flake   path to flake ($FLAKE_PATH or $HOME/styx)
+    -c|--cache   name of cachix binary cache (daylin)
+       --no-nom  don't use nix-output-monitor
 """
 
+
 proc runCmd(c: OizysContext, cmd: string) =
   case cmd:
     of "dry": dry c
@@ -134,5 +147,5 @@ when isMainModule:
     echo "please specify a command"
     echo usage; quit 1
 
-  info $c
+  check c
   runCmd c, cmd