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Sunday, November 30, 2014
Castle 58
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Saturday, November 29, 2014
The Daemon Tells His Tale
The Daemon Tells His Tale
By Jason Zavoda
Your world is cold and plain as the skin of a virgin stretched on a drying rack. What I can tell you of the places beyond thought and behind reality would make you cry tears of blood, make you scream till your throat was stripped raw, pleasure you beyond pain and understanding.
Can you see the colors of death? Can you taste the sublime flavors of damnation or hear the unending chorus of those trapped between the veil of life and the curtain of eternity? You would have me rip a handful of threads from the weave of fate and place them in your grasp though each strand would flay your soul. Truly I would laugh at such a sight and bask in the radiance of your torment.
Would you sail with me on the boat of dreams past the boundary of the sane? Take bleeding wings sewn with the severed silver thread that binds your spirit safe to Earth?
The mystic heavens have no place for mortal travelers. To hear of what far fabled lands reside beyond the birth of the moon and the far reaches of the outer dark will set you on a path that will forever take you from the world of man.
There is no safety in words. They will not shield you from the horror of the empty dark. The words are a doorway, a gate to fear and wonder, that once opened can never be closed.
I will tell you of places unreachable filled with the nameless and the unimaginable from which there is no return.
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Clark Ashton Smith - Art & Sculptures 27
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The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 65
"Can you walk?" Gytha asked Jalal.
The old man still lay on the floor with his back propped up against a wall. He breathed deeply and seemed asleep till Gytha spoke, but then his eyes opened, lively and bright.
"I don't know," he said. "I will try."
With a groan he shifted onto his side and got to his knees, Gytha reached out to help, but Ghibelline put his hand on her shoulder and drew her back. Jalal's bones creaked as he stood, and he used his hands braced against the stones so that he could straighten up, but when he faced them it was with his shoulders back and his pride in place.
"We must go," said Telenstil.
"I have a friend here..." Jalal began.
"I am sorry, we have also lost companions, the one who was left here and another, but we cannot stay." Telenstil explained.
"There are places we could hide, and the orcs, they are in rebellion, we could enlist their aid," said Jalal.
"I am afraid that we have had a confrontation with the orcs. They will not help us," Telenstil told him and shook his head sadly.
Jalal sagged a bit at the news, but caught himself and addressed Telenstil once more. "I cannot abandon my friend."
"We may be able to return. I had not planned to leave entirely, but this foray, we have stayed much longer than I had thought to." said Telenstil. "Come with us now and we will try to help your friend and rescue our companion."
"I will come. You promise to return?" Jalal asked.
"I can only promise that we will try," said Telenstil. "I cannot even promise that we can escape."
"Come Jalal, we cannot leave you here. We will do all that we can," said Ghibelline. "That I promise."
"Then we had best leave," said Jalal.
"Is there another way out of here?" asked Gytha.
"No, there are tunnels that have been started and a warren of caves where the orcs hide, but the stairs are the only way that I know of to leave the dungeons," Jalal told them.
"Harald," Telenstil called to the ranger as they left the cell. "We are taking Derue, please help him up, but be careful. I think he is awake, but pretends to still be senseless."
"If he is dangerous, why not leave him here?" asked the thief.
"He is not himself," Gytha said. "There is a spirit within him."
"How do we know?" Harold asked, still questioning the sense of dragging the scout along. "He has always been a suspicious sort. I have never trusted any of them, him, his brother or that priest who employed them."
"And now they are all gone or mad," added Talberth.
"I would suspect them more if they were still here or if they had showed us a pleasant and friendly face at the start," said Telenstil. "They have been honest with us, I feel. I did not like them, but they did not break their faith with us, at least not till they found those weapons that the giants hid."
Harald went to retrieve Derue and he found the scout still out cold and breathing stentoriously through his open mouth. The ranger reached down and grabbed him by the belt, hauling Derue up into the air. As his feet left the ground the scout spun and placed a kick against the ranger's leg, just missing the knee.
* * *
Harald dropped to the ground as Derue's kick sent his leg out to the side but failed to break the thick bone. The ranger let himself fall forward. He slammed Derue face first into the stones and brought his other knee down hard against the scout's back. Dazed, the scout moaned and tried to wriggle free. Harald grabbed a handful of his hair and bounced Derue's forehead on the hard rock, knocking the man cold.
"You were right," Harald called to Telenstil. "This time I'm tying his feet. I'll have to carry him."
"Are we ready?" Telenstil asked.
There was a murmur of assent, the little thief started off first through the vast and almost empty hall. The orcs had gone, but they had left the bodies of their dead behind, several dark lumps of flesh and cloth left lying by the walls and a carpet of dead, the bodies thick, one against the other, where Talberth's magic bolt had slain them by the score. The group stayed together, Harald carried the scout like a sack of grain across his wide shoulder, Ghibelline and Gytha helped Jalal keep the pace, the old man had his arms around the elf and cleric's necks. They half carried him, but Jalal barely weighed a thing, he was only skin stretched over bone. Before they reached the stairs Harold came running back, he waved to them to stop and rushed up to Telenstil.
"There are orcs ahead, a small group waiting on the stairs," Harold reported. "They didn't look threatening. They look more like a group of beggars in a marketplace."
"Let us proceed with care," said Telenstil.
"Let's get out of this hall," said Talberth, "and up from this dungeon."
The ranger unslung Derue when they reached the arch before the stairs, leaving him leaning against the wall.
"Ho there!" he called in the orc tongue, but he received a reply in the common traders' language used across the Flanaess.
"You there," the voice called out. "We wait for you. We had deal. You lead us out."
"I had no deal with you!" Harald called back.
"Not so loud!" the voice hissed back. "I come down, you no kill." The orc dropped down the stairs and walked into the light. He was the one called Boss, but his followers had almost all deserted him, a bare half-dozen remained waiting up the stairs.
"I deal with that one," Boss said pointing to Derue. "He make deal. We help, you help."
"The orc is correct," spoke up Jalal. "Your companion promised to help them, as he promised Ghibelline and myself."
"Then we will accept their help, and help them as well," said Telenstil.
"Help these monsters?" Harold spoke up surprised.
"There are worse than orcs about, and they are no friends of the giants," the ranger said.
"Come, we delay ourselves for nothing," said Telenstil. "We will honor our companion's word. Let us be out of here."
The ranger nodded to the orc. "We will help you. Carry this one," Harald said pointing to Derue. "He made the offer. He is your burden."
The orc beckoned to his companions and the other orcs came down the stairs. They waited for the Telenstil and the others to climb, following last carrying the still unconscious body of the scout.
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Witch 45
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Friday, November 28, 2014
Castle 57
Posted by Jason Zavoda at 11:11 PM 1 comment:
Characters #2) Harald - Old Warrior - Northman
#2) Harald - Old Warrior - Northman
- Ftr 9th Lvl - HP 91 - AC (8) {3 with Chainmail} [2 with chainmail and shield] +1 To Hit and To Damage due to strength. Cannot be knocked unconscious in combat nor can he be held, slowed or trapped by spells. If detect magic is used Harald personally radiates magic from his body.
Harald has lived a long life and feels the approaching years with trepidation in his heart. Always he has put himself in the forefront of battle. He has gone on long and dangerous raids, adventures, quests and while his fame has become great a glorious death in battle has eluded him. The Raven King, he who chooses the slain to fight for him in the next world, calls to him and Harald is eager to answer that call.
Armor and items of renown and power Harald once possessed, but he has set those aside, gifted them to friends and kin, so that the death-wound may find him. He wears finely crafted mail and helm, a sturdy shield and a thick cloak of red, but the only item of power he carries is his bastard sword, Steel-Cleaver.
Steel-Cleaver - Bastard Sword +3(To-Hit)/+5(To-Hit & Damage) versus Giants and Giant-Kin - Any successful hit by Steel-Cleaver has a 20% chance of destroying any nonmagical shield, helm or piece of metal armor that is struck. The bonuses apply (To-Hit only and not To-Damage except against Giants and Giant-kin - Steal-cleaver is then a +5 to hit and damage weapon but does not destroy armor).
While Harald is eager for a glorious death he will use all his considerable skill and combat knowledge to defeat his opponents. He will never surrender and the Raven King has blessed him so that he cannot be knocked unconscious in combat or even magically held, slowed or trapped.
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Franz von Stuck -_Die_Sünde
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Clark Ashton Smith - Art & Sculptures 26
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Thursday, November 27, 2014
Castle 56
Posted by Jason Zavoda at 7:57 PM No comments:
The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 64
He heard their laughter before he saw them. Deep, booming and touched with cruel mockery. A flush of anger colored Edouard's sweating brow, but he stood, powerless before the giants, a dark pair with red hair and beards and teeth like dinner plates, yellowed and stained. Both were huge, much bigger than Nosnra's kind, but one held Edouard's unsheathed blade across his hand and laughed as the human rushed forward to retrieve it. The call from Kalfashow was all that Edouard could hear, when he saw it he was aware of nothing else, the room faded from his sight, even the giant which held his sword. The hand that smacked him aside came as if from nowhere, it knocked him from his feet and sent him sprawling on the floor.
"Little one," the giant spoke, "you hear fire spirit. It sing pretty song yes?" the giant laughed. "It talk to me. Say you powerful, have strong spirit too, you make good slave. Be good and let you see fire sword, be bad and take fire away."
Edouard didn't reply but gathered himself and launched a leaping kick toward the giant's mocking face. The monster held out his hand and waved the sword back and forth, small as a toy in his huge palm. A scream, a screeching voice, threw Edouard into a spasm of pain, he dropped halfway through his attack, landing hard on the stones and curling into a tight ball, his knees hugged against his chest.
"Naughty little one," the giant chuckled. "You make fire spirit mad. It serve me, you obey, or fire spirit get mad again."
* * *
"Look at all those orcs," said Talberth.
"Where are the others?" Harald looked left than right, trying to pick out Telenstil or Gytha from the crowd. He would have been happy even to see the scout.
"I have my wand," Talberth held the carved magic stick nervously in his hand. "These orcs wouldn't survive the lightning I could unleash."
"Our friends could be among them," Harald reminded him. "The scout said these orc's rebelled against the giants didn't he?"
"Yes, but I'll never put trust in such beasts," Talberth said. "What should we do? Where are the others?"
"Here comes Harold and Ivo, let's wait for them, then just march out there. If the orcs attack we will fight them off," the ranger said. He held his sword, a claymore almost as long as he was tall, and peered back up the stairs, waiting for the gnome and halfling to appear.
* * *
"What do you see?" asked Gytha.
"Orcs. I do not see Edouard," said Telenstil. "They are milling about, some are dragging things, ahh... bodies, several bodies, some are still thrashing. There seem to be many less than when we went through before. No... I see them now. A large group is coming from a opening on my left..."
"That would be south," said Ghibelline.
"Yes. Your direction sense is good," Telenstil said, surprised.
"Jalal knows these tunnels well and he has told me what he knows," Ghibelline explained. "We hoped to escape, somehow. I should see to him. Do you need me here?"
"Please go see to your friend, but come if we call..." Telenstil began. "Wait! There is a new commotion. Gytha, I see Harald, he stands at least a head taller than any of the orcs. Quick let us move the table and unbar the door, they may need our help."
* * *
"Just keep walking," Talberth said to the others.
All around them stood orcs, most in small groups near the walls, but they could not be avoided. Harald took them to the center of the huge room, glancing left then right, searching for some sign of their companions. Across from the stairs there were two doors, a passage opened between them, on the right-hand, up by the far wall, there was another door, but lower down there was a wide opening. As they watched, it began to disgorge more orcs, a rough and angry band. Shouts rang out and hands pointed toward the four companions. The orcs which milled about the room did not join in, but instead backed away, moving closer to the walls and the dark corners. The orcs who charged and shouted, most with crude weapons in their hands, came on at a run, Talberth stepped forward to meet them.
The mage held an arcane wand, small symbols had been carved into the dark wood and the grooves filled with a liquid silver. The writing spiraled along the wand and ended in a silver cap that held a diamond cut to a long sharp point. Talberth whispered a word and the power was unleashed, a symbol became dull and empty wood, the silver metal flowed away and disappeared. The diamond glowed and from its tip there came a bluish light, and as it left the wand it grew. A lightning bolt, it left the wand with a thunderclap of noise, and swept across the running orcs. In between the blink of an eye it struck, three orcs in the lead were touched first but it was past them and amongst the others before a step could be taken or a shout escape their lips. Three dozen or more of their band were touched by the single bolt, the flash blinded many for a few moments leaving a purple blur staining their eyes. The noise of the bolts passage drowned out the screams, but the spectacle was grim. Those touched spasmed in pain, jaws and teeth broke, clamping shut as the energy coursed through, spines snapped as the orcs' bodies were contorted, hair burst into flame and their flesh smoked and stank as greasy rags and skin were flash-cooked by the stroke. Talberth was surprised at the result, he stood open mouthed. These orcs were weak and frail, packed together, crowded in the passage the magic bolt could not have wrought greater havoc.
"I don't think you will need to cast another spell," said Ivo, impressed by the carnage. The orcs which survived the charge turned and ran back down the hall, more than half their number lay dead, they ran for the security of their caves, most would rather surrender to the giants than face more of these human foes.
* * *
"What was that?!" Ghibelline asked excitedly.
"Talberth I should think," said Telenstil while he put his shoulder against the table leg and pushed.
"We'd better hurry," said Gytha. They dragged the table away and attacked the wooden beam but could only free it from one bracket at a time and as it cleared the first it came crashing down nearly crushing Telenstil's foot, he leapt away just in time.
"Thank goodness for the grace of elves," said Gytha.
"I was never strong," said Telenstil, "But I have always been quick."
"We elves have always been adept at avoiding falling wood," laughed Ghibelline.
* * *
The door swung open and Gytha came running out. Harold saw her first; the others were still mesmerized by the carnage that Talberth's lightning bolt had wrought. The little thief ran over to her and the orcs who had not fled cowered against the wall or in the corners, afraid of even the halfling, not knowing what terrible powers he might possess.
"Harold," Gytha called, "am I glad to see you."
"Gytha, what happened? We heard a commotion."
"Those scouts, the swords that Henri handed out, they were cursed," she told him.
"That figures," Harold agreed. "That's how our luck has been going."
Telenstil left the cells as well but did not run. He looked slowly from side to side but walked straight toward his companions, stopping beside Gytha and putting his hand down to pat the halfling's shoulder.
"A timely arrival my friend," he said to Harold.
"We could have simply come with you. That Henri never showed," Harold said.
"I had hoped he would. I hate to leave any of our group among these monsters," Telenstil shook his head and glanced again at their surroundings.
The room was a dank cave, though torches were set all along the walls throwing off a smokey light. The ceiling was high and dim, and where Telenstil stood, part way to the center of the room, the torchlight barely reached. The orcs had begun to slink away, some crept off up the stairs, others disappeared down the small passage by the cells. The large passageway was clogged with the bodies of the dead. None of the orcs would go that way. Telenstil lead them back to the cells, they were a quiet group, unhappy to find themselves back underground again.
"Telenstil, these orcs will alert the giants," said Harald as they crossed the threshold of the door. "We had best leave, and quick."
"I agree," Telenstil replied, "but we have lost Edouard, again, and now Henri has abandoned us, and Derue, our scout has been cursed by that magic sword he found."
"More reason for us to go now," spoke up Harold. "Who is this?" he asked as he spotted Ghibelline.
"I am Ghibelline," the elf answered. "You are the friends of Master Telenstil and the good lady cleric, I take it."
"How is Jalal?" Gytha asked him.
"He is awake, but weak. Telenstil, he wishes to speak with you," said Ghibelline.
"Who is this Jalal?" asked Harold. "Telenstil have you enlisted an army to join us?"
"No," said Telenstil, "we have just found some of the captives the giants had kept. Gytha, come with me, we will have to move Jalal. You too, Ghibelline."
"Is that Derue back there?" Harold asked as Telenstil and the others went into the cell where Jalal lay.
"Yes, do not untie him," Telenstil warned.
"Don't worry about that," said Harold to himself. "Well this is fine don't you think," he said to the ranger.
"Eh," Harald shrugged. "It could be worse." He leaned against the open door and kept watch, eyeing the last of the orcs as they crept away. A small group had not left. They stood near the arch of the stairwell and cast long glances toward the cells.
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Witch 44
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Wormy's World - Characters - Dudly - #33
Wormy's World - Characters - Dudly - #33
On their way to the Ogres with snookerball in hand Dudly and Frank are set upon by some of the more rowdy diners (and survivors) of Irving's dwarf-burger stand. The three monsters, Goblin, Wereboar and Wererat all have torches in hand to deal some permanent damage and Frank urges Dudly to break open the snookerball and let the little blue demon loose. Dudly doesn't agree and tries to fend off the Goblin and Wererat. A stream in the woods gives him some protection from the burning torches and gives the Wererat a good smash in the head as it jabs its torch at him, but also makes Dudly drop the snookerball in the water. After leaving the Wererat face down and blowing bubbles Dudly manages to catch the Goblin with a good smash in the face from his mallet but takes a burn from the jabbing torch.
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Castle 55
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Wednesday, November 26, 2014
The Hill Giant Chief -Nosnra's Saga - Part 63
Meatstealer turned to Boss prepared to go to the human's aid, but Boss held him back. "Let them kill him. Maybe they can cut down the other one as well," Boss said in the gruff orcish tongue.
"They'll cut him to..." Meatstealer began but stopped as he saw the human down one then another of the rebel orcs with bare feet and hands. "Maybe this one doesn't need help."
Boss shook his head. "He has Gruumsh's own strength. Ah they have him now."
They could not see what happened. The rebel orcs closed in and blocked off their view.
"I don't know," Meatstealer said. He could hear the shouts and cries of pain coming from orcish throats but not cheers or laughter to say that they had slain the madman or captured him for slow death by torture.
The crowd swayed, the rebel orcs seemed to draw in like sand falling down an hourglass, funneling to one point. There was a final shout and the rebel orcs set off the way they had come leaving their dead and wounded behind.
* * *
There was a smell, sharp but choking, then the feel of heat, a great simmering wave that became a smothering blanket, stifling, a physical presence in the air. Edouard nearly gasped, but the call from Kalfashow was too great. It washed over him and put all his other thoughts and senses aside. He had turned off from the passage he'd been following down a slanting tunnel. Somewhere ahead was the source of the great heat and the burning smell, but he could see nothing but the stone walls and the haze of torchlight far away.
The tunnel made a turn. The way went to his left, but only for a dozen feet. A sharp wedge of stone split the passage right from left, broadening out in both directions till the way was wide enough for a wagon to pass. To the left the wide stone tunnel was lined with weapons, heaped with shields and armor, piled with bits and pieces of metal waiting to be fixed or melted down. Bags of coal and cuts of wood were mixed within, a rough storage nook, though large enough to fit a peasant's house between the walls and roof.
Edouard paused, he glanced at a row of swords hung high upon a wall, but his head turned to the other way. The call came from the right, not from the storage nook. His blade was not hidden among the weapons there or buried beneath a sack of coal. The right-hand way was broad and slanting down. It was from here that his sword called to him, and from here that the heat pulsed out. It had become so great that he was cooler inside than without, the thickness of the air made his eyes tear, a cloud of smoke, black as a rain-filled cloud, hung against the ceiling. As he crept forward he could see the source of the heat and smoke, a massive forge, its edges taller than a man, a huge bellows set above it, unmoving, waiting to breathe life into the coals and make the red sparks dance. The walls were hung with weapons, helms and bits of armor, all formed for giants. Edouard felt like a child stepping into his father's armory. The room seemed empty, but there were wings which went off to either side, Edouard could not see what they contained from where he stood crouching in the outer hall. The call came to him again. It sang with great allure, he could not resist.
* * *
"I would like to just sit here, but we need to move the table over," said Telenstil. "There is a viewport set up there in the door and I want to watch for our companions' arrival."
"As long as it isn't just something to keep us busy," laughed Gytha.
"I know that when I get a chance I will lay down for several days," said Ghibelline.
"I thought you elves never slept," said Gytha.
"Hah!" it was Ghibelline's turn to laugh. "That is a fable. We need our rest, though there is truth in the tale. We sleep, though you could say that we elves sleep with our eyes open, even when they are closed."
The table was made for the bugbear guards. It was large but not giant-sized, sturdy but crude. It screeched across the stones as they dragged it and pushed it up against the door. Telenstil climbed up, there was a small cover set between metal runners that blocked the viewport. He slid it aside and peered out into the room beyond.
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Castle 54
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Wormy's World - Characters - Wormy - #32
Wormy has an idea about the origin of the Snookerball Demons and while Irving is busy poking at the roasting fowl in the fireplace Wormy tells him his theory and works at proving it. With a chisel and a hammer Wormy is able to split the broken snookerball in two and one looks inside the shell at the demonic writing inside his theory goes to Hell.
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Labels: wormy
Sebastian Evans - The Ancients of the World
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Labels: Art, sebastian evans
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Witch 43
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Clark Ashton Smith - Art & Sculptures 25
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Castle 53
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Characters - #1 Rolfr
#1) Rolfr - HouseKarl - Northman
- Ftr 7th Lvl HP72 AC(9) {0 in +3 Chain Shirt} [-1 with +1 Shield]
RuneHelm - The runes for clear vision are inscribed on Rolfr's helm. The helm itself is dwarf-forged steel but the enchantment is good skaldish work. Wearing the helm allows Rolfr to see through fog and minor spells that would alter perception (up to 3rd level and thereafter giving him a +3 save against higher level spells where allowed). He also gains a +3 save against attacks that would cause blindness and increases his general eyesight by 20ft as well as allowing him to see that much greater in dim light or moon light. These runes were crafted only for Rolfr and the helm is only well crafted steel to anyone else.
Arrowcatcher - This shield gives a +1 bonus to armor class but it also draws any normal arrows, slingstones or darts to be attracted to it and bounce off harmlessly. Enchanted projectiles are unaffected.
Silk-Metal - This chain shirt was crafted by an elvish people beholding to Rolfr's kin. It is a family heirloom and will be ransomed if seized in battle. If not ransomed then it will be the object if quests and bounty to have it returned. It provides a +3 bonus to armor class and has the texture of silk against the skin of the wearer as well as weighing only as much as a shirt of the same material.
Drawn Blood - is a bastard sword of elven origin but altered by a Northern songsmith of the Eastern lands. It bears an enchantment that allows it a +2 bonus to hit but the songsmith made sure that any wounds would bleed for an addition 1d6 damage with a 20% chance that the wounded would swoon from blood loss and suffer a -2 AC and -2 to Hit penalty for the next round of combat.
The Green Cloak - Allows Roflr to ignore enchantments that might slow or trap him.
The Red Pants - these pants absorb 1 HP of damage for every damage dealing attack against Rolfr. If an attack only causes 1 HP damage then Rolfr is unharmed.
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Labels: characters, rolfr
Monday, November 24, 2014
The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 62
"Harold," Ivo called quietly to the halfling. "Harold."
"Shhh!" Harold hissed back. He ran from the stairwell to the pantry door where Ivo, Harald and Talberth padded slowly in. "I'm glad you've come, there is something going on below. I can hear the shouting."
"They are in trouble," the ranger shook his head. "Come on, we better go help."
"We don't know what is happening down there!" Talberth exclaimed with in an unexpected squeak.
"Then we had better find out," Harald shrugged the chain from his shoulders and let its length come crashing down.
"Watch that!" shouted Talberth.
"It'll be alright, come on!" Harald cried to them.
"Talberth, prepare a spell," Ivo told him.
"I can do better," answered Talberth taking a wand from a sheath he wore on his arm. "I have magic enough left in this to give anyone or thing we might meet below quite a shock."
They ran to the steps, both Ivo and Harold looked askance at the deep treads the giants used for stairs.
"Follow us as quick as you can," said Talberth.
The ranger was already dropping down the steps with reckless speed.
* * *
Gytha stepped from the cell. She left Jalal sleeping, healed of his wounds, but weak and tired. She felt weary herself, being a vehicle for the Saint's grace and power enriched her spirit but took its toll on her strength.
"Gytha," called Telenstil, "please give us a hand."
The two elves struggled with the heavy beam. Gytha set aside her metal staff and ran to them. With her help they set the bar in place.
"Phew!" said Gytha letting out a small huff of breath.
"I concur," said Telenstil.
"And I," added Ghibelline. "How is my friend?" he asked Gytha.
"Asleep, but I believe he will be fine," said Gytha. "That was a nasty blow he took, and he is frail."
"The giants use up their slaves, at least Nosnra does," Ghibelline told them. "The dwarves last the longest."
"We saw no dwarves," said Gytha.
"No, they are kept at the forge. It lies somewhere among these passages," explained Ghibelline. "It is near their chamber of pain. I have been there many times. There are a pair of huge giants at the forge, the kind that are kin to fire. They look like creatures of that plane, burnt skin and hair like the embers in their forge."
"That," said Telenstil, breaking into the elf's rambling speech, "that is very strange. Fire Giants you say, hmmm..."
"Yes, I have heard them talk, but I do not understand their words, it is not like the speech of Nosnra or his kind," said Ghibelline, "but Jalal might be able to tell you more. He has become close friends with one of the dwarves who they hold at the forge. They use them for the finer work that the orcs cannot do, the giants of stone find them useful as well and make sure that Nosnra does not kill them out of hand, but still they work them close to death."
"Giants have little feeling for those smaller than themselves," said Telenstil.
"Those are kind words to describe such evil monsters," said Gytha.
"No, there are giants of all kinds, some are cruel and some are not," said Telenstil. "I have met worse than Nosnra, both giants and those of our size."
"You are right," said Gytha. "The Saint teaches that the body is but a shell, it is the spirit inside that matters."
"Wise words," said Ghibelline.
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Castle 52
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Witch 42
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Wormy's World - Characters - Irving - #32
Wormy's World - Characters - Irving - #32
Always a dab hand with a pitchfork, Irving is busy standing in the fireplace and poking at a trio of roasting fowl while Wormy examines the broken snookerball from which one of the blue demons appeared. Wormy has a theory that the sharp-clawed puffs of blue smoke might be Hellish inhabitants but Irving doesn't remember them from his own time in the Abyss. With a little effort Irving scales the table to see what Wormy is up to but remains mystified even as the broken snookerball revels its secrets.
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Castle 51
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Sunday, November 23, 2014
The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 61
"You will get out of my way!" Derue yelled at the others.
"Derue, you are possessed," Gytha yelled back at him. "Throw away that sword. Fight it!"
"I will fight you if you do not move.," Derue told her. He began to advance with his sword at the ready, the fire bright along its length. "Elf!" he commanded Ghibelline. "You have sworn an oath to me, strike her down."
"My debt to you is paid," Ghibelline said in a calm voice. "Your brother is healed. I will not raise a hand against this good cleric."
"Trust an elf and elf's word," Derue spat out. "I am leaving here. I should cut you down in any case, but stay out of my way and you will live!"
Telenstil did not reply to Derue but spoke quietly to the elf. "Take your friend into the cell, out of the way. We will deal with our companion."
Ghibelline carried Jalal into the cell; the old man was thin as a figure made of sticks held together with string. The elf could not say if he still breathed or if the madman had slain Jalal in his escape.
* * *
"Don't forget the chain," Talberth said to the ranger.
Harald grumbled, but wrapped it about his shoulders with care, more to balance it evenly than any worry he had about damaging the weighty links. As they left Ivo kept glancing back at the chute. He could not decide whether he was happy to be rid of the priest or sorry to abandon even so regrettable a companion in such a place as the giants' hall.
* * *
The hallway was huge, more like a road or some covered bridge of stone. Edouard ran fast, faster than the orcs who pursued him. After a hundred paces they let him go, he had maimed and injured many of them and the others had no great desire to fight the madman again. Ahead, the passage ended in a door and two ways, smaller than the hallway he'd just run down, they ran to his left and to his right. The door was heavy and old, wood bound with iron and set with metal arms to hold a timber, that kept it closed. The timber lay against the wall, and the door was open wide. Inside, it was a reeking pit of black. Edouard stood, he looked back the way he'd come then ahead peering into the lightless room. He turned to his left to look up the smaller passage then around again, facing the right-hand way. Something tickled his mind, a lazy finger of heat, a tongue of flame he could not see. It pulled him to the right. He stumbled forward and felt the flame increase then he began to run. His sword, it called to him from somewhere ahead, down the right-hand way.
* * *
"Pod-At, Taz-Pan, Zamp-La," Telenstil intoned and threw a dry pellet toward Derue. The scout brought up his sword, but the pellet became a white viscous blob. It hissed as it passed through the burning sword and thinned to a mist as it struck Derue. A wave of nausea nearly made him wretch. Derue felt as if he stood upon a ship that was caught rolling in a storm upon the deep. He swayed and the world went upside down. His sword fell from his grasp and he rolled after it. His fingers touched the hilt and sent the blade skittering further away. He could not stand, he tried and fell. Before he could rise again Gytha's metal staff struck him aside the head. Stars sparked behind his eyes and a dark wave came up and swallowed him.
"Bind his hands," Telenstil said to Gytha.
"What will we do with the sword?" she asked.
"I do not know. I hate to just leave it, but it is dangerous to touch or even possess." Telenstil eyed the blade lying cold and naked on the ground.
"Can you destroy it?" she asked.
"No, not even if I had my rest and the most powerful spells at my command. This was crafted with both evil and power," he nodded toward the sword. "It will take much power to destroy."
"Good cleric," a voice spoke. Ghibelline the elf came from the cell. "Can you see to my friend? He is injured."
"Certainly," Gytha said as she tied Derue's hands behind his back and tied his feet as well. "Does he wake?"
"No, he is senseless," Ghibelline replied.
"Here," Telenstil asked the elf, "help me bar the door."
Ghibelline left Gytha to attend Jalal and went with Telenstil to the huge door. A wooden beam could be dropped between metal brackets to keep the door from being pulled open, but now it lay propped up against the wall. Both elves wrestled with the beam. Ghibelline would have been the stronger of the pair, but starvation and torture had weakened him, he was only a thin shadow of his former self.
"You are of the high brethren," Ghibelline said to Telenstil.
"And you are of the woods, and for the woods, are you not?" Telenstil replied.
"Yes." he answered. The two swayed back and forth with the beam, they managed to place one end against a bracket and struggled to raise the other side, but could not.
"We will need Gytha's help," said Telenstil. "
She is of the lands below, you are far from home," said Ghibelline.
"You seem to have strayed far as well," Telenstil replied.
"Yes, these hills are not my home, but I came to find someone. They may have been taken by these giants," Ghibelline answered. "They were not here. I was taken instead. I did not think I would be struggling to lock myself inside these cells."
"We have companions coming," said Telenstil, "and those orcs outside may object to us leading away our scout as a prisoner. They seem to have taken a liking to him."
"He seems just their sort," said Ghibelline.
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Castle 50
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Saturday, November 22, 2014
Clark Ashton Smith - Art & Sculptures 24
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The Hill Giant chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 60
"Ivo, he is not coming," said Harald. "I've given him the five minutes, and more."
"Then it is time for us to go," Ivo replied.
"Telenstil won't like it but I say we leave," chimed in Talberth.
"I could climb down..." the ranger began.
"No," said Ivo. "If the giants catch us here Talberth and I could not hold them back."
"Leave the rope," said Talberth. "As Telenstil instructed we've given him every chance."
"Let's collect our packs then and find the others," Harald gave a deep sigh and a final pull at the rope, then let it drop back against the wall of the chute.
* * *
Edouard gave a growl and grabbed Derue by the throat with both his hands. For a moment Gytha saw the red streak coursing through the scout's body, wrapping around him like a vine around a tree, then Edouard pulled the sword from over his brother's shoulder. Smoke rose from his hand and the smell and crackle of burning flesh pervaded the silence and stench of the room. With a scream Edouard threw the sword from his hand, it clanged from the stone wall. Derue jumped for it and turned to face his brother, the flames racing across the steel as soon as he put his hand to the hilt.
"Ineptire!" Derue yelled. "Where is your blade? Hah! You have lost it, you cannot claim mine!"
"No!!!" Edouard howled. He kept his injured hand clutched to his chest and backed away from the burning sword. Suddenly he whipped around and ran from the room, pushing past the others with a maniacal strength. "Kalfashow!" he screamed into the cleric's face. He knocked her back and she swung out her metal staff to trip him up, but he took the fall with a roll and was on his feet with only Jalal, the old Bakluni, standing in his way.
The old man backed up and tried to press himself against the wall out of the madman's way, but Edouard clubbed him to the ground with his bare hands, striking a sharp blow to Jalal's head with his open palm, then grabbing a thin arm and twirling him about. Ghibelline jumped forward to aid his friend but Edouard flung Jalal into the elf then slammed into the door. He hit with force enough to open it a crack and slid through, scraping shoulder-blades and ribs between the stone frame and the iron straps across the wood.
Derue screamed out his brother's name and dropped his sword, the flames disappeared the moment it left his hands then he cried out again. "Ardare!" he screamed, then fell to his knees and scrabbled across the stones to grab the hilt again.
"I see it!" Gytha shouted. "There is a red serpent inside of him, it is that cursed sword!"
Outside the cells, the orcs watched Edouard as he ran about. He kept going back and forth, looking for his sword, making further and further sweeps of the room. One of the newcomers who had not seen Derue or his magic sword and obeyed the scout's commands struck out at the crazed man as he shoved by. Edouard slid past the blow, and into the orc's reach. One hand grabbed the orc's wrist, a strong thumb digging into the palm, his other hand, the calloused edge of it, struck across its throat. The sword dropped from the orc's numbed grasp, it grabbed its throat and let out a barking, strangled cough. Its companions yelled in fury and surrounded Edouard with their weapons drawn and ready.
* * *
He was more than just a whirling madman, Edouard's fists and feet lashed out at the orcs, hard as steel, deadly as any weapon they used against him. A sword jabbed toward him, he stepped aside and grabbed the outstretched arm then pivoted, adding his force to that of the orc's. The blade stabbed into an orc rushing Edouard from behind and with a twist the scout sent the orc he'd grabbed flying atop the one just stabbed. For a time Edouard's training took hold and proved stronger than the overwhelming need he felt to possess his sword once again. The voice which called to him, Kalfashow, was just a dim whisper at the back of his mind. There were a score of weapons set against him and three score fists ready to fight him barehanded, he had no chance, but he had been born and raised to fight, even when that fight would surely be his last.
They came at him, so many at once that they blocked each other out. Each wanted to use a weapon to fight the man, but if they had simply rushed in they could have borne him to the ground by their sheer weight and number. A morningstar whizzed by his head, but Edouard leaned back, supple as a willow bending beneath the wind. It passed just inches from his face and pulled the orc half around as it went by. Edouard used his foot, his torso still bent back, to strike beneath the armpit of the orc. The spiked ball flew free, smacking into the crowd, the orc's arm popped up and out of joint and the pig-faced monster flew back and yowled in pain. Edouard bent back even more, his torso horizontal to the ground and kicked up even higher. A second orc rushed forward to take its companions place and as it did Edouard drew back his leg, both at the hip and at the knee then lashed out again, hard as a mule, directly into the orc's throat. The sound was like a melon in a canvas bag being dropped against the ground, the orc collapsed, falling backwards, knocking down several who sought to close with the man but were bowled over into a writhing heap. Two clubs and a rusty blade sought Edouard's blood and life, the sword skimmed close, a club drummed against his side, but its force was spent when the wielder collided with another orc, and the last was stopped by Edouard's upthrust hand. He caught the orc forearm to forearm then hooked his other arm up behind the elbow. A quick merciless pull of his hooked arm driving the elbow forward and a push out of his forearm against that of the orc's and its bone snapped, the elbow came out of joint and the club hit only the ground as it fell from the useless fingers of the orc's broken arm. Edouard dropped into a crouch and spun with one leg extended, it caught the swordwielder behind the knees and sent the orc heels over head smacking hard against the floor. Then with a dancer's grace Edouard spun up rising from his crouch and with his gathered strength kicked with his right leg straight into the chest of another orc. Its breastbone cracked like lead shot against a stone wall, the crossbow it carried went off and left a gash which scored the outside of Edouard's leg leaving a bleeding trail. He shifted tactics then and brought the fight into the midst of the orcs crowded in the room. Edouard flung himself bodily into the mass, jumping high and crashing lengthwise against three orcs, knocking them down and creating a rolling, biting, clawing havoc as he fought through. He gouged eyes, broke fingers, smashed throats and noses flat with his forearm and edge of hand, cracked temples with vicious jabs of elbow, fell hard upon chest or spine or stomach with his knees. Close in the orcs weapons were more of a hindrance than a help, they could claw and bite, punch or grab desperately at the spinning fury which slashed at them, but Edouard was lightning fast, as dangerous with quick thrusts of fingers, or gripping hand as he was with the kicks and throws he used against them in the open. They would have overborn him in the end but he fought his way through the thinnest portion of the crowd.
An orc reeled back, its thumb pulled from its joint as it tried to grab the man and an elbow driven deep into its back where its kidneys lay, a blow struck as he passed by. Edouard spun as he cleared the room and kicked the reeling orc from behind, propelling it into the others, giving him a moment's lead, he ran down the dark corridor, he knew not where.
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1. c: Some frameworks are good for some things and some for others. Surely this "Thin Server Architecture" is just one choice among others.
a: No actually, it is not a choice among others. It is the total removal of any web framework on the server whatsoever. That's what it is. It is "No View on the Server", and it is "Put the client on the client". If you consider "lowering your development and maintenance costs dramatically" a choice among others, be my guest. But I would generally consider that a question of whether to have a third ear at all compared to the question of where to put it.
2. c: Oh, you can't use this method for web based applications for users who can't use JavaScript, like some mobile users, or people with disabilities. Therefore, we can't use it.
a: That is absolutely true. If you have to create an application that has that kind of restrictions, you can't use Thin Server Architecture. Luckily the user base of Gmail and other applications of its kind shows that with some luck there might be a sufficient user base out there for consumer facing applications (at the very least) of that kind after all...
3. c: The page will load in weird ways which users are not used to. Nobody will want to use a web application like that.
a: What have you been smoking? The users will react badly to getting things quick? To not have to reload the page at every single click? It's like the notion that humans were unable to survive speeds quicker than a galloping horse when the steam train was invented. Also, you can simulate classic loading using JavaScript if you like.
4. c: There is no need to go to such extremes. We already have AJAX support in JSF and it works well, for minor things where that kind of 'effects' are needed.
a: Since the idea of using Ajax on a separate client (on the client) is opposite to generating the client on the server for every action, this Frankensteinian technique works well for nobody. It is a little bit like tying a jet fighter to a sinking Titanic. You will get a little lift, for a while, and then all will be engulfed by the next wave.
5. c: If you have to shuffle all data to the client using Ajax, it'll be too much data and the page will be slower that if it is created by the server-side web framework at once.
a: Eh, hello? There is still the same amount of data, no matter how you get it over. Using Thin Server Architecture you get the page in place super-fast, then load and pre-load resources under the hood so that the application acts snappy when the user starts to interact with it. Oh, and you only ship the data after that.
Måns Jonasson's research in this area shows a 33% decrease of server resources when starting to move View logic onto the client, from the server.
6. c: We have already invested so much money and training in our server-side web framework of choice,
a: Well, good luck then :)
7 . c: JavaScript is a Girlie Language. it is only used by teenagers with acne from Finland . Real men use languages that was ridiculed in precisely the same way ten years ago, so there!
a: Well, since JavaScript has no true OO, it can oddly enough not be used for anything at all, whatsoever, except for small scripts that blink a button when you hover over it.
Also, there is supposedly companies who provide really great IDE support, of various flavours.
What's more, there already truly amazing solutions for bringing this on big time .
So my take on this is that this is the near future. If you don't think so, and have experience to disprove me, please comment here or mail me, because I'd be more than happy to hear what you have to say.

subset: commoncrawl


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Office Chairs & Seating
- Office Task/ Operator Chairs
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- Office Desking & Furniture +-
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Traditional Desks
Our range of Traditional Office Desks and Antique Style Desks are all beautifully made and suitable for use in either the office or home office. Our Traditional Desks come in a variety of finishes. Our white painted traditional style furniture is very popular along with other finishes including solid oak, solid walnut, mahogany, antique pine or ash. Some of our wooden desks are also made using wood veneers as a more affordable option.
Our traditional wooden desks feature single and twin pedestal desks, solid wood desks and corner desks - and all come with free and quick UK mainland delivery.
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February 17th, 2018
Especially in light of the recent violence, I would like to start out by mentioning that this is a difficult time of the year for many. The combination of overspending at Christmas, the cold weather, and even the lack of daylight make for a significant amount of pain in the lives of many people. Many will turn to violence, alcohol, or other things to lessen that pain.
Lent is here also to remind us of the pain in our lives. Lent is here also to remind us of the pain in the life of Jesus. And it will last for forty days, a significant amount of time here on earth (with its 'four corners').
And although we take a step back chronologically in the life of Christ, the gospel text for the First Sunday in Lent is an appropriate one—Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. And although the account of that temptation in the Gospel according to Mark is incredibly small, it is also incredibly interesting.
Mark 1:12 contains the first occurrence of what is often called the 'historical present'. Usually something that happened in the past is described in the past tense. But sometimes an author will change the tense and describe certain events as if they were happening in the present. This certainly creates an emphasis, but what kind?
A comparison between the gospel accounts in a somewhat literal translation will certainly help to clarify. (And the Christian's early use of the codex [or book] for the bible helped to promote these kinds of comparisons.)
Matthew 4:1: 'Then that Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit….'
Luke 4:1: 'And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness….'
Mark 1:12: 'And, straightway, the Spirt throws him out into the wilderness….
Using the same word when Jesus cast out the demons, he himself gets cast out into the wilderness. This work of the Spirit, in a sense, is a significantly brutal action. There is a big difference between leading and throwing out someone—you are on opposite sides of the person! The use of this verb prepares us for some of the violence to follow.
Please pardon me for going back to this theme, but one of the ways in which a king showed his authority is by power, action, and even violence. A king without a power is not a true king.
One of the living creatures of God's throne is the lion, and you do not want to mess with a lion. The Gospel according to Mark is most often connected to the lion, and this is an appropriate connection. In this account, God will often show his power—still in a unique way of course.
In the Gospel according to Matthew, at the end of the temptation, the text says that the devil leaves him. In the Gospel according to Luke, it says that he leaves 'until an opportune time (4:13).' There is no talk of the devil leaving in the Gospel according to Mark. The battle rages on.
The threat of violence is clear. God says that things on earth will get worse, not better. We are not talking about evolution, but devolution.
But Jesus already walked this path. He made it safe for us. And he bids us to follow him.
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November 2019


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AHHHHH! Have you guys EVER wanted the PERFECT neon yellow nail polish?! Well... I have been looking for one for AGES and I think I finally found one! Say hello to Yellow Polka Dot Bikini by China Glaze. :) Take a look at this beauty! Keep on reading for some more picture spam. (Oh.. and also picture spam of my tennis balls. ;))
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Yellow Polka Dot Bikini by China Glaze
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Labels: china glaze , swatch
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Flower Power!
Ahem... before we even begin... I HAVE HAD THESE NAILS ON FOR FIVE DAYS!!! Yeah, 5 whole days. I swear... this is a record for me. I haven't kept any nail polish or art on for more than 3 days generally. But anyho, I just got so busy this week that I couldn't take these nails off. Wait. You ask what do they look like? Bahahahaha. Look below. ;)
Dawwwwwww! Aren't these flower nails so pretty?!?! Okay. Maybe since I did them, that's the only reason why I think they are. :/ I don't know, I really, REALLY loved them though!
Keep on reading for just a couple more pictures. :)
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Labels: china glaze , floral nails , spring nails
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Did I really create a separate manicure and tutorial for today? Yes, yes I did because I love you guys. :) Hurray for St. Patty's Day and my manicure to celebrate! I tried my hand at making shamrock nail art but couldn't get it just right on all my nails... but I was able to capture the best shamrock in a tutorial! Haha, so please keep reading for a 4-Leaf Clover Nail Art Tutorial AND my attempt at making a cute mani. ;)
First let's do our 4-Leaf Clover Tutorial though! ;) <3 All you need are 2 different nail polish colors (one should be green though since it IS a shamrock! ;)) and a dotting tool of some sort. I just used a mechanical pencil (the lead) and dipped it into polish. So let's get started! :D
1. Start off with your base coat and let it dry. I used I'm With The Lifeguard by China Glaze. Now, to make this shamrock, we are just going to draw 4 hearts basically. :) But just in case you don't know the "easy" way how to make a heart, I'll show you how.
2. So let's start off with 2 dots. I used Gaga For Green by China Glaze.
3. Draw one line coming out of one of the dots.
4. Repeat step 3 but keep in mind that this time you have to make the 2 lines connect. Do you see the heart now?!! (Or well, they're not hearts. They're clover petals. ;))
5. Now repeat steps 2-4 three more times to make a 4-Leaf Clover but I'll show you one more time. So draw 2 green dots.
6. Connect those 2 dots to make a heart (clover petal).
7. Repeat steps 2-4 once more like so.
8. And finally once more!
Taaaa-daaaah! There is your adorable shamrock! :D You can add a dot in the center or even a little green stem coming out of it to finish off your shamrock but I just left mine like this. :) (Until I messed it up and took of the entire mani lol...) So this concludes my nail art tutorial for St. Patrick's Day but go ahead and read more if you want to see how my nails look now. ;)
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Labels: holiday nails , mini tutorial
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Swatch Fest!
Woah... Hey guys! I'm still alive! :D I have been so busy the last month so I'm proud to say that my hardest finals are done and life has begun to settle down again. ;) So, let's have a awesome swatch fest to celebrate! I'd love to highlight 3 Sinful Color polishes today and this was my first time trying to be a "swatcher", so please bear with me. xD Thanks guys!
Quick story on how I obtained these 3 polishes first. ;) They originally were my sister's because she got them as birthday present from an aunt. Well, she isn't into nail polish as much as me... (I know.. it's shocking that we're even related. :O Just kiddin', I absolutely adore my sister!) Well, because I only had 2 Sinful Color polishes at the time and I REALLY wanted the ones she had because she wasn't going to use them anyway. ;) So? I bought them. For how much? A half used pack of tic-tacs. The tic-tacs were the orange flavored.. yum.. but nail polish just meant more to me. ;) Thank goodness she took the bait! Thanks Zoe! <3 Anyway! Let's continue on to the swatches! :D (I'm so proud of these poses hehehe. ;))
Here is Cream Pink by Sinful Colors. I adore this pink! I used 3 coats and topped it with my favorite clear coat, Seche Vite, because it dried matte. (Read more for more pictures of 3 other polishes!)
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Labels: opi , sinful colors , stripes , swatch , swatch fest , U-Neek Polish
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How digital media put our politics in reverse
As long as Silicon Valley and its futuristic technologies dominate our politics, we're doomed to be stuck in the past.
The big story of the poisonous 2016 elections was how new digital-media tools ended up crowding out two big topics from our conversation: the present and the future.
This phenomenon went way beyond the controversy about "fake news" on Facebook; the problem wasn't just media quality, but excessive quantity. We were deluged by digital tidal waves of data and information from years and decades ago.
Many of these were dredged-up clips or records of the candidates and their associates. There were endless emails from old hacks and investigations, followed by all the historical echoes, which kept us refighting the Cold War, J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, the Clinton impeachment and 17 waves of feminism. Donald Trump and his acolytes polluted the media with old, bogus ideas – that President Barack Obama wasn't born here, vaccines cause autism, immigrants add to crime.
Because these waves never stop, those who have some interest in the truth are left to correct the record over and over again. That leaves no time for conversations about the present (How to take advantage of rising employment and wages to invest more intelligently in infrastructure?), much less the future (How is this aging country going to make itself more economically competitive?).
With the past crowding out conversation about today or tomorrow, the stakes of the election were never made clear.
All of this is bad, but the really bad news is that, in four years, we're likely to look back at 2016 as the good old days.
The digital media world is growing so fast that ill-conceived regurgitations from the past could be even more destructive to our democracy. New virtual reality technologies will allow us to invent out of whole cloth whatever past serves our purposes, and make it impossible for our brains to separate fact from fiction.
The more political noise, the less political understanding. The digital age is not just the "post-fact" era; more dangerously, as Politico recently warned, it's the "post-narrative" age of democracy.
We're clinging too much to the false hope that digital pollution is somehow self-correcting. The free-speech folks say you can fix inaccurate speech with more speech, but that actually makes the problem worse.
Instead, we should think about giving people more tools to stop the flow. Should we allow people to sue and recover damages more easily for sins visited upon them on the internet? Do we want to regulate social media platforms more extensively?
I find economic approaches the most intriguing. Is it possible to create financial consequences for constant past-sharing and social tweets and Facebook posts that pollute our civic culture?
Sam Lessin, a former Facebook vice president writing at The Information, suggested a tax on political coverage. If CNN, for example, wants to spend 50 percent of its time on elections, it should give 50 percent of its revenue to the government.
"That would basically say that you can't profit off the public discourse at all," wrote Lessin. "We the people own it."
Or we could create incentives for companies to change their designs to reduce the information pollution around elections. Could our smartphones be designed to keep us from constantly picking them up? Could social media sites be reshaped to require people to slow down before hitting send?
Somehow, and soon, we need to raise the costs of deluging us with the past – if the present and the future are ever to have a fighting chance.
Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zócalo Public Square. He can be contacted at email@example.com.


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William Clark's slave played a significant role in the Corps of Discovery. He tells of the expedition's preparations to cross the Rocky Mountains and their meeting with the Shoshone Indians.
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Earlier Event: July 11In Rehearsal: Tales from the Trail: Native American Stories - 1st Floor Theatre
Later Event: July 11The Amazing Adventures of Lewis & Clark - 1st Floor Theatre


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Dr. Mary Brummett, D.D.S.
Dr. Mary Brummett is a native of Hutchinson. She attended Wichita State University, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. She graduated in 1988 and moved to Hutchinson to establish her general dentistry practice. Dr. Brummett and her husband Glenn, also a Hutchinson native, have three children, Adam and his wife Becca, Katie and her husband Jake, and Sarah. She is also a member of the American Dental Association, the Kansas Dental Association, and the Hutchinson Rotary Club. As a general dentist, she is skilled in all phases of dentistry and would enjoy visiting with you about your dental needs.


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Top 10 Things About Jada
- She worked with Walt Disney Entertainment for 6 years. Her favorite part was driving a golf cart around the property during the marathon.
- Met her favorite comic book author at a signing and he stopped everything to thank her for making a Buzzfeed quiz about one of his books. (He even mentioned her by name in an issue).
- Once styled a private yacht in Cannes with zero direction and limited knowledge of the French language to direct the crew (it looked great, btw)
- Has strong feelings about every Doctor Who companion since the 2000 reboot.
- She still buys DVD's if only for the Director's commentary.
- She has two dogs she got on a whim while waiting for her prescription to be filled at the nearby pharmacy.
- Didn't think she'd be able to score tickets to Hamilton and wound up sitting 3rd row center in her pajamas when she did.
- Has gotten lost on the side of a mountain in Scotland and lived to tell the tale.
- Once drove a 30ft RV across the country for a publishing company.
- Is from Chicago and will defend its pizza style to the death.
- BONUS FACT: She will always sign up for a walking tour when in a new city.


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Wooden's Legacy – a tribute to coach John Wooden
On March 9, 2012, Jeffery Rouse's bronze monument to basketball legend Coach John Wooden was unveiled at the intersection of Georgia and Meridian Streets in downtown Indianapolis.
As part of the George Street Development, this larger than life tribute was commissioned by the Super Bowl Host Committee and supported by donors Calumet Specialty Products, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Sarah and John Lechleiter, and 2012 Community Legacy.
Speaking atht epress event were Mark Miles, the Chairman of the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee, Mayor Greg Ballard, NCAA Chief Operating Officer Jim Isch, and sculptor Jeffrey Rouse.


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An important component of any financial transaction is consideration of tax impact. Divorce settlements are no exception to this axiom. Any time a divorce settlement for spousal support, child support, or family support is being considered by divorcing spouses, they need to carefully review the tax implications of their settlement agreement.
Spousal support is typically deductible on both state and federal taxes by the payor and considered taxable income that must be claimed by the receiving spouse. There are certain requirements that must be met for this to be true, such as being paid in cash, check, or money order, not living together at the time the payment was made, and the divorce decree cannot state that the payment is not alimony. Child support, on the other hand, is not deductible for tax purposes, for state or federal taxes.
An alternative to having two separate payments (i.e. one for designated for alimony and one designated for child support) is to have one single "unallocated" payment labelled solely as "family support." If spouses can agree, it is possible for the paying spouse to make one payment that comprises both spousal support and child support. If this is done and the agreement and divorce decree label the payment as family support, then the whole payment is deductible to the payor and taxable to the payee. At first one may wonder why a receiving spouse would ever agree to such an arrangement. However, there can be benefits in cases where the receiving spouse has very little or no income apart from the support payments. If the receiving spouse has a low enough income, then he or she may not be taxed on that income anyway, while the paying spouse would still receive the much larger benefit of being able to deduct the combined sum of both spousal and child support.
This arrangement is not without some ambiguity. Although deduction of family support is explicitly permitted on your California state income taxes, there is not a completely clear answer as to whether this is permitted on federal income taxes. For family support to qualify as a federal tax deduction, the federal tax code states that it cannot be related or tied to any "child event." (Such as a clear connection to the family support ending when the child reaches the age of being an adult.) When considering whether your family support payments can be tax deductible for federal purposes, it is very important that you seek the advice of a well skilled tax accountant and family law professional.
Crafting an adequate settlement agreement that benefits both parties in terms of taxes can be complicated, and you need the help of an experienced attorney. Call us today at 619-800-0384 and let us talk with you about your settlement options.


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Our Saluda Office
Skilled Attorneys in Saluda
At Moore Taylor Law Firm, we have been providing proficient legal services to clients throughout South Carolina since 1971. Our office in Saluda is staffed by some of our most experienced and skilled lawyers, all working to fulfill our clients' legal needs. Backed by several decades of experience, our lawyers are highly accomplished and several have even achieved an AV® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating an attorney can attain. If you have any legal issues in the Saluda, Aiken, Edgefield, Batesburg, Leesville, Newberry, and surrounding areas, you can count on us to provide you with the effective legal services you need.
Call the Moore Taylor Law Firm today at (866) 829-1242 or contact us online to schedule your consultation with our lawyers in Saluda.
Providing Comprehensive & Customized Representation
Our attorneys in Saluda are well-versed in a wide variety of practice areas, ranging from personal injury law to estate planning to family law and more. Regardless of how complex your problems may be, we have the experience necessary to help you resolve them today. Our lawyers will sit down with you, hear out all aspects of your case, and help you make a well-informed decision about your optimum courses of action. In doing so, we will work hard to answer all your questions, address any concerns, and effectively guide you through the legal process.
Our highly skilled lawyers can help you in the following areas of focus:
- Criminal Defense
- Family Law
- Civil Litigation
- Local Government
- Real Estate Law
- Probate Law
- Wills and Estate Planning
Call (866) 829-1242 Today
Our attorneys will be right alongside you throughout every stage of the legal process. We are intimately familiar with it and can assist you with paperwork, strongly represent you at hearings, and ensure your rights are fully protected. Over the past several decades, we have assisted countless clients in successfully resolving their legal conundrums. We can help you, too.
Contact us today at (866) 829-1242 and schedule your consultation with our lawyers in Saluda. The office is located at 110 S. Main Street, Saluda, SC 29138.


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Pizzerias pay less to use Slice. Which means you pay less for pizza.
Every order supports small shops, their families, and the community.
Slice doesnt hurt shops with high fees. So they can afford the best ingredients.
I've used the Slice app to order from our local pizzeria several times, and each time is better than the last. The app is easy, and the service and product from our pizzeria do not disappoint. I'm thankful to live in an area where I can still depend on local, quality food!
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Grow your business alongside 10,000+ pizzerias in our network.


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Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland
Contact Information
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests & Pawnee National Grassland
Forest Supervisor's Office
2150 Centre Avenue, Building E
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Driving Directions
Boulder Ranger District
2140 Yarmouth Avenue
Boulder, CO 80301
Driving Directions
Canyon Lakes Ranger District
2150 Centre Avenue, Building E
Fort Collins, CO 80526
970-295-6700 (Visitor Info)
Driving Directions
Clear Creek Ranger District
@ Idaho Springs Visitors Center
2060 Miner Street
Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Driving Directions
Pawnee National Grassland
115 North 2nd Ave.
P.O. Box 386
Ault, CO 80610
Driving Directions
Sulphur Ranger District
9 Ten Mile Drive
P.O. Box 10
Granby, CO 80446
Driving Directions
Contact Us
The Caribou Townsite is five miles northwest of Nederland. There are 11 numbered, designated campsites located along the National Forest System Road 505, which emerges to the north and west from Five Points. See the "At A Glance" section below for important information.
A four wheel drive high clearance vehicle is recommended. There are no facilities in this area. Camping is permitted in designated campsites only (click here for a map).
The Boulder Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map displays National Forest System routes open to motorized travel and is available online and at the Boulder Ranger District offfice.
This road is open seasonally. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table.
Sites 1 – 2 are easily accessible and clearly marked off the FS 505 headed towards Eldora.
Sites 3 – 5 are located off of the same route but across the creek in thick vegetation, narrow, rocky terrain and are clearly marked.
Sites 6 & 7: located off of that route across the creek up high in the thick timber. Access to those two sites is narrow, steep, and rocky.
Sites 8 – 11: located along the route between Rainbow Lakes and the Caribou townsite.
From Nederland, follow Colorado Highway 72 west for 0.5 miles from the traffic circle. Turn west on County Road 128 and follow it five miles to Five Points (identified by the five-way intersection; loosely-organized parking area and gated roads). Numbered campsites are scattered along both segments of NFSR 505 and its off-shoots within 1.5 miles of Five Points.
Map showing recreational areas.
Map Information
Related Information
Alerts & Warnings
View All Forest Alerts
Know Before You Go
Related Links
Campgrounds At-A-Glance
Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | Recreation Customer Service Standards | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov
Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality


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UCSD Stuart Collection: sculptures and buildings that may be tricky to find
This walk is a treasure hunt for unusual works of art by leading artists.
The Canyoneers 8 a.m., Nov. 13
The Grantville Stakeholders Committee, a group that last met in July 2011, voted on September 5 to recommend that an environmental impact report should analyze the "Alternative D" land-use plan that extends Mission Gorge Place through the property occupied by the Toyota dealership on Mission Gorge Road.
City project manager Brian Schoenfisch spoke about Alternative D, the plan for the portion of Grantville north of I-8 and on both sides of Fairmount Avenue and Mission Gorge Road up to Zion Avenue. Land-uses include residential mixed-use, with the potential for approximately 8275 residential units.
North of the 8, Fairmount branches off to the left; the rest of the street becomes Mission Gorge Road. Intersections include Mission Gorge Place. A left turn onto Mission Gorge Place leads into a center with businesses that include a Roberto's Taco Shop.
"The [extended] road is going through my building," said Conant Auto Retail Group CEO David Conant, whose dealerships include Toyota San Diego. His statement prompted a discussion of whether the extension had been on the map. Chair Matt Adams checked online and said it was on the map that the committee saw in January 2011.
Talk about deleting the extension led Schoenfisch to caution that traffic studies were "based on the road going through." Eliminating it "was essentially undoing Alternative D." He said additional studies would be done during the process.
Committee member Dan Smith, a property owner, spoke earlier about issues related to Alvarado Creek flooding. "If you don't fix the roads or creek, we're not doing squat," he said. He joined in the vote recommending Alternative D.
Marilyn Reed cast the only "no" vote, saying she was concerned about analyzing "studies with the road going through Toyota and Dan's property."
Conant and Smith discussed the issue in separate interviews on September 6.
In 2001, Conant bought the dealership formerly known as Rose Toyota. It opened in 1957 and was one of the first Toyota dealerships in the United States, he said. Conant said a Toyota representative attended every meeting, and he thought Twain Avenue would be extended instead of Mission Gorge Place. "We support what's in the best interest of the community," he said. "There's no immediate threat. It could be 10, 20, or 30 years. When they're ready to put the street through, maybe we'll remodel."
Smith said property owners were prevented from developing until road and flooding issues were resolved. "We could turn Grantville into a nice little village," he said.
The next planning group meeting is scheduled for September 16.
The dealer's site is not optimally located? NOW you tell him. Another gift from our former district 7 councilmember, Jim Madaffer. The gift that keeps on giving...


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WHAT'S HAPPENING @ FPC? (1200x1000)
Want to get the most up-to-date info on everything happening at FPC?
Click here to sign-up for the FPC eNews.
Proclaimer (Newsletter)
Click below to see the latest
(April '19) Proclaimer, the monthly FPC newsletter.
For past Proclaimers, click desired date:
August '18
Text Alerts
Our church is using RainedOut, a text alert service, to inform you about cancelled events, changed plans, weather delays, and more. RainedOut delivers our urgent alerts to you as a text message or email. This is an opt-in service, which allows you to control if you subscribe or not.
- Text FPCMORRISTOWN to 84483 to receive general church alerts.
- Text FPCUNDERGROUND to 84483 to receive general Youth alerts.
- Text FPCKIDS to 84483 to receive general Children alerts.
You can join multiple lists, if you desire, by texting the different words to 84483. You can also opt-in for email by visiting this link.
Contact Janie with any questions or comments about this tool.


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"The snow is coming down
In our New England town
And it's been falling all day long
What else is new?
What can I do?
But sing this valley winter song
I wrote for you"
(Fountains of Wayne, 2003)
Snow! Snow! Look at the snow! Come out! Come out! Come out in the snow!
(copyright 1990, Mary L. Eastman and Roy McKie)
Nope. No, No, No.
I'm having a lot of trouble being motivated to do anything, let alone go out in the 3+ feet of snow that has piled up in the yard over the last two weeks. Life has been reduced to waiting for the snow to start, waiting for the snow to stop, waiting for the snow to be cleaned up, and getting the most essential errands run in the short breaks in between. The snowbanks are too high to see around, so entering intersecting streets is done by creeping slowly forward, hoping you don't lose the front end of your car to someone else's carelessness or inattentiveness. Parking spots, even in lots, are becoming hard to find, as the snow has to be piled up somewhere. Hibernation has become extremely attractive. Staying indoors, warm and dry, until spring sounds like a really good plan right now.
I have been cooking; it's my therapy of choice. But even that has its limitations; the kitchen fills with dishes that need washing and putting away, and my family can only eat so much at one time. Once the refrigerator is full of leftovers, I have to stop and let them catch up to my ambition/neurosis. When it's possible, I will squirrel away leftovers in the freezer, to make room for more, but some things just don't freeze well, so I must wait for The Husband and The Boy to work through it all.
Thankfully, there were no baked sweet treats in the house, because there were finally Meyer lemons in the grocery store. Time to make the lemon bars.
Now. That's. What. I'm. Talking. About. These are the lemon bars I was looking for. I changed a few things: 1) I cut the recipe in half; it works perfectly in an 8″x 8″ baking dish, and it's the right size for my family's eating habits. 2) I combined Meyer lemon juice with regular lemon juice to boost the acidity to help the filling set. 3) I doubled the amount of flour in the filling, for texture and stability.
Meyer Lemon Bars (adapted from Joy of Cooking)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, in 1/2″ cubes
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of one Meyer lemon
6 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (from two Meyer lemons)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from half a regular lemon)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
First, make the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 deg.F. Whisk together in a bowl the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt.
2. Add the butter, and using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work in the butter until the pieces are the size of small peas. Press the dough into the bottom and 3/4 inch up the sides of an ungreased 8×8-inch baking pan.
3. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and reduce the oven to 300 deg.F.
Next, the filling:
4. Whisk together in a large bowl the eggs and sugar, until well combined. Whisk in the zest and juice. Sift the 1/2 C flour over the top of the mixture, and whisk in until well blended and smooth.
5. Pour the batter over the baked crust. Bake about 30 minutes, until the topping is set. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
Oooh, these kick Old Man Winter right in his snowballs. The crust is tender and buttery, and the filling is loaded with flavor, starting off sweet and innocent, and then BLAMMO! powerful lemon tartness comes through. As a bonus, the filling is stable enough to pick up in your fingers, but smooth and creamy in your mouth. Of course, their bright sunny color is a tonic, for eyes wearied by the constant onslaught of white.
It is snowing again as I write this. In the words of Fountains of Wayne, "What else is new? What can I do?" I'll just keep cooking; it has to stop snowing eventually. If you don't hear from me until spring, you know where I'll be.


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Written by @Joehairie Photos by curiostraveller.com team members
Thought of the day: "Good Food Is The Foundation of Happiness."-Auguste Escoffier
All Rasa Utara Restaurants are Halal Certified
We had this golden opportunity to visit another branch of Rasa Utara Restaurant which is located at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. There are many ways to get to IOI City Mall, click HERE for more information. Rasa Utara @ IOI City Mall is located on the Lower Ground Floor IOI City Mall, not far from the right side of East Wing Entrance (Click HERE for precise location of Rasa Utara Restaurant). Rasa Utara itself is well known for its authentic Northern Malay Cuisine and we were eager to have another round of some great and high quality food.
The Exterior & Interior
Using the map of the mall (Lower Ground Floor), it is easy to get to this restaurant as it is located on the right corridor going to the East Wing entrance/exit. It looks the same as in the other Rasa Utara restaurants on the outside but inside it's actually way different as there are some decorations of Malay influence/characteristics. We felt that Malay Community characters in the olden days here at this restaurant, an early reminder on how the cuisine will look like later.
The most interesting part to be seated at this restaurant is at the right corner from the entrance area. Not only that one will be able to see the mall's walkway with shoppers and wanderers passing by but at the same time, enjoying that beautiful decorations of countless Tudung Saji (Malay Food Cover) and lightings being set up in that Bamboo Craft.
At another seating/dining area, there is long display of Malay Batik with concentration on its many motives, set up on long frame. Batik is one important feature and character in Malay Community, be it in the past or present.
At the other side of the restaurant, there is a display of some Bubu Ikan or Fish Traps being transformed into modern lighting. In the olden days, the Malays used this type of Fish Trap to catch some fish in shallow river. The same concept was used in many communities around the world. We both love the clever idea to incorporate Malay features/characteristics in the restaurant's interior as it depicts the concept of the cuisine being served here.
We were greeted by Alwani, the Manager for Rasa Utara at IOI City Mall. Alwani is one great employee we must say, super friendly and super attentive. Alwani invited us to pick our own favorite spot; we chose to be seated near to the entrance. We asked for about 10 minutes to decide on which food we want to have that day, selecting from the menu is one super heavy task for both of us as we know that all items in the menu are extremely great in both taste and presentation, we know as we have been frequenting this brand for quite some time now.
Apart from the main menu, there are 2 side menu(s) featuring some Rasa Utara on-going promotion. Some options are only for limited time while some comes with free drink. Again, it was so difficult for us to choose our favorites as all of them looks so delicious! Luckily, Alwani was there to guide us.
Being curios and curious travellers, we chose to have items that we have yet to try with the exception of that awesome Ubi Kayu Rasa utara (We had this before but we can't resist the temptation to have it again as it's amazingly one simple but delish dessert!). We opted for;
Laksa Kedah
Mi Kari Udang
Set Daging Rendang Utara
Set Nasi Rasa Utara
Mango Pudding
Ubi Kayu Rasa Utara
Calamansi Asam Boi
Sirap Limau Selasih
Laksa Kedah
@Lan was not really a fan of anything that is associated with the name of 'Laksa'. However, since the previous visit to Rasa Utara @ Berjaya Times Square (HERE is the link), he finally 'surrendered' to his own curiosity and begin to love any dishes with 'laksa' word attached. At Rasa Utara IOI City Mall, he insisted to order this Laksa Kedah. For the record, @Lan officially tasted 2 types of Laksa already, namely Laksa Penang and now, Laksa Kedah.
Laksa Kedah is a very popular noodle dish from northern part of Malaysia, obviously from the state of Kedah Darul Aman. Inside this particular dish is dried laksa noodles enriched with Rasa Utara's special flavored stock and gravy made of Shrimp Paste, shallots and Tamarind. It is finished with mackerel fish, eggs and garnishing. Laksa Kedah at Rasa Utara is priced at RM13.80.
I have to admit that by far this is the best Laksa Kedah that I have ever consumed, I had several at other places but this once had all the prefect texture, taste and presentation. @Lan love it too that he decided to run his video recorder, capturing the moment he checked on the Laksa. It had no weird taste when we sampled it, the broth was amazing in its taste, having all that tastes of spicy, sweet and salty. The fish meat was indeed fresh, not that something that came out from long period of storage in the freezer.
There was not even a tiny bone of that fish, it's totally clean of that in comparison to some Laksa that I had before, somewhere else. The sliced cucumber and cabbage gave another distinct texture to the dish, crunchy to be exact and went pretty well with that overall taste of the broth. We truly recommend this dish to those intending to visit any of 3 Rasa Utara restaurants. A dish that deserves a perfect score : 10 out of 10.
Mi Kari Udang
This is another dish that we enjoyed eating, a dish named as Mi Kari Udang or in English, Prawn Curry Noodles. Priced at RM15.80 it is presented in quite a large bowl that is good enough for sharing between 2 people! Simply put, generous portion. We both thinks that this is among the best Curry Noodles that we have ever consumed. The noodles are in that delicious curry soup, complemented with large Tiger Prawn, shredded Chicken, bean sprouts and bean curd topped with boiled egg and Calamansi.
Though the main ingredient is curry, this dish is not that spicy and can be consumed even by kids. It has that combination of sweet, mild spicy, sour, salty, spices and the texture, amazingly in many forms. There's crunchiness coming in from that green beans, sliced carrot, bean sprouts and many more. The curry broth/soup is not that watery nor too thick, it has just the right texture. Tiger Prawn and noodles were fresh when we tasted em'. That boiled egg really complement the dish! Another dish that we gave perfect score; 10 out of 10.
Set Nasi Rasa Utara
Offered in Northern Specialties Promotion, and valid at Rasa Utara IOI City Mall during weekdays only (excluding public hoildays)
Set Nasi Rasa Utara is offered in Rasa Utara newly release promotion menu named as Northern Specialties Promotion (menu shown in the earlier part of this article). Priced at RM13.80, it comes with Free Drink, Sirap Limau Selasih. We both have never taste this kind of dish before, that's why we ordered this dish. This dish is a platter of Ayam Masak Merah; Chicken marinated with spicy herbs and spices cooked to perfection, slow cooked rice infused with special ingredients, fish crackers and vegetables. This dish is served separately with soup and potato fritter.
That Ayam Masak Merah was amazingly delicious when we tasted it. It's so tender and though it's red in color, it's not that really spicy. The thick gravy coating the Chicken went pretty well with the rice. The rice is red and white in color, perhaps as to contrast the other colors in the dish. The taste? A little bit weird in the beginning, but later it became something uniquely different and great especially when combined with Ayam Masak Merah. We love that soup and its potato fritter. The other sides, crackers and greens, delicious! We rated this dish : 9.5 out of 10.
Set Daging Rendang Utara
Priced at RM17.80, Set Nasi Rendang Utara is about traditional Northern Rendang recipe. It is beef rendang to be exact, with the beef marinated with aromatic herbs and spices, slowly braised till tender perfection. For International readers that are keen to know more about rendang in general, click HERE. This dish is complemented with splash of sambal in the side and a bowl of soup, similar to Lodeh prepared from vegetable(s) in coconut milk. There are also Crackers (Papadom) and omelet as sides.
The beef meat (rendang) was amazingly tender when we tasted it. It's tender as it's been slowly braised with many herbs and spices being incorporated during the marinating/cooking process. It went well with the white rice. We love the thick Lodeh soup. It's sweet, creamy, with some turmeric taste and that green beans were crunchy.
We both have consumed rendang at many places. This particular rendang is indeed one of the best that we had. It's not that spicy, but it's full of many tastes, most importantly aromatic, served hot on that oblong plate. Overall, this dish is one great dish and we recommend it to all of you. We rated this dish, a perfect 10, truly one amazing Malay dish!
Ubi Kayu Rasa Utara
We had this dessert before during our visit to Rasa Utara @ MidValley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur (LINK). This dessert is a simple dessert of boiled cassava served with Gula Melaka Syrup (palm sugar) and coconut milk. We're indeed happy to know that Rasa Utara is ably to maintain the high quality of both its sides, the palm sugar and coconut milk as well as that boiled cassava. It tasted the same as we had in Rasa Utara MidValley Megamall.
For its simplicity but complexity in taste, sweet, salty and creamy, we still regard this dessert as the best one that we have ever had. It deserves a perfect score; 10 out of 10, something that should be ordered during your future visit to any Rasa Utara restaurants (List/exact locations are mentioned at the end of this article).
Mango Pudding
According to Rasa Utara Instagram (@rasautara) recent update, there will be a new improved version of this Mango Pudding. It's said to be in the menu pretty soon, do follow @rasautara Instagram account for the update.
This is another simple dessert, pudding served with salted custard sauce and fresh mango meat. This particular dessert at Rasa Utara was originally created by 2 Rasa Utara employees, Fazlina and Alwani during Rasa Utara Cooking Competition in 2015. They won the competition and their creation is being chosen as one of the dessert menu. Do note that it is served for limited time only, therefore grab yours before it's too late!
We love everything inside this Mango Pudding. We love the simplicity and its rich taste of Mango and Salted Custard Sauce. It's sweet, salty but we think it will be a prefect dessert if soury taste being included in it. We have yet to taste the newly improved version of this dessert and we hope that it will have all that sweet, soury and salty tastes! For now, we rated this dessert; 9.6 out of 10.
I opted for the Calamansi Asam Boi and @Lan had Sirap Limau Selasih. There's absolutely nothing to complain about these 2 beverages. Both tasted so great. Both had sweet and (most importantly) the sour taste, thanks to the presence of Limau (Lime) and Asam Boi (Sour Plum). Such 2 refreshing beverages that went well with all that dishes we had. We rated both beverages, perfect score, 10 for each beverage.
Our Rating
Laksa Kedah : 10/10
Mi Kari Udang : 10/10
Set Daging Rendang Utara : 10/10
Set Nasi Rasa Utara :9.5/10
Mango Pudding : 9.6/10
Ubi Kayu Rasa Utara : 10/10
Calamansi Asam Boi : 10/10
Sirap Limau Selasih : 10/10
Total Score (Food/Beverages): 79.1/80
Average Score (Food/Beverages): 9.88/10
Specifically for the quality of food and beverages that we had, we rated our dining experience at Rasa Utara, IOI City Mall Putrajaya, 9.88 out of 10 (Average). We're equally satisfied with the restaurant's interior and the service by the staffs especially by Alwani.
Our Thoughts
About Rasa Utara @ IOI City Mall Putrajaya
We're extremely happy with our decision to visit Rasa Utara at IOI City Mall Putrajaya. It might be far for some as one need to travel outside Kuala Lumpur to get to this particular mall, IOI is indeed one interesting mall anyway! It's worth visiting especially if you have other plan(s) in its surrounding area. We're definitely happy to meet another great employee of Rasa Utara, Alwani, who patiently serving the most fussy customers, @Lan and @Joehairie. We're truly amazed by her professionalism in handling all that non-stop queries.
We're happy to ably tasted some new menu(s) and definitely delighted to sampled that Ubi Kayu Rasa Utara (again!). We rated each dish honestly, according to our own judgement, no one influenced us. We love the decorations that portrays some Malay Community characteristics or elements. It's indeed one clever step to make customers having the feel of being in a place that depicts Northern Malay Cuisine.
During our previous visit to Rasa Utara @ MidValley Megamall (LINK), we applied Roberta Schira '7 rules to understand good cuisine' or Le 7 regole per riconoscere la buona cucina. If we must use the same evaluation as we did for Rasa Utara @ MidValley Megamall, then here is our verdict;
Ingredients : 9.88/10
Technique: 9.5/10
Genius: 9.5/10
Equilibrium/Harmony: 10/10
Atmosphere: 10/10
Project: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Total Score : 68.88/70
To know more about Roberta Schira '7 rules to understand good cuisine', read it HERE.
Do note that the 9.84 score is our own evaluation, specifically for Rasa Utara @ IOI City Mall and not to be used to compare with the scores at the other 2 Rasa Utara Restaurants that we have visited previously. The main reason to not do that is because we had different types of food and beverages in each visit. It is a pure indication from our own thoughts on how much certain outlet is ably to perform according to what we saw and experienced.
About Rasa Utara Brand
We have completed doing one round at all Rasa Utara Restaurants, be it in IOI City Mall Putrajaya (Highlighted in this entry/article), Berjaya Times Square (LINK) and even at MidValley Megamall (LINK). One thing that we noticed is that Rasa Utara able to maintain its high quality in both food and beverages. We gave score above 9.00 in average for all three outlets in terms of food and beverages.
In all three visits, we had many types of food and beverages, mostly different in each outlet that we went. Our scores are not to be used as comparison between the said three outlets, it should be used to indicate, individually, how much each outlet ably to abide to Rasa Utara brand policy, maintaining super high quality in presenting food and beverages.
Each of the said 3 outlets comes with its own uniqueness in terms of service and interior or exterior. It's hard to decide which outlet is best to go, all three are worth visiting. We recommend you to visit an outlet that is near to your location (whenever you are in Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya). As writers, we take full responsibility of our own reporting, we do welcome any feedback from you when you visit any of the Rasa Utara restaurants. While we both are satisfied with all three outlets, especially when it comes to the food and beverages that were presented to us, some might think otherwise.
Though we have completed the visit to all three outlets, we we still do crave for more Northern Malay Cuisine presented by Rasa Utara. We are loyal fans of Rasa Utara, we believe in their ability to deliver the best when it comes to Northern Malay Cuisine. For that, we will sure to be visiting again in the near future, perhaps by bringing some friends/family members and see for ourselves if they are in the same page as both of us.
In need to have the same experience? Visit any 3 Rasa Utara Restaurants as listed below:
Restoran Rasa Utara
IOI City Mall
Lot LG-46 IOI City Mall,
Lebuh IRC, IOI Resort City, 62502
Telephone number : +60 3 8328 0733
Operation hours : 10.00am – 10.00pm
Restoran Rasa Utara
Berjaya Times Square
03-90, Jalan Imbi, Imbi
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone : + 60 3 2011 0884
Operation hours: 7.30 am – 11.00 pm
Restoran Rasa Utara
Mid Valley Megamall
LG049-050, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200
Kuala Lumpur
Telephone number : + 60 3 2201 3258 / 03 – 2282 0749
Operation hours : 10.00am – 10.00pm
Rasa Utara online Platforms:
Website: Click HERE
Instagram: Click HERE
Facebook: Click HERE
We are not employees of Rasa Utara Restaurant nor that we have any connection to this brand. We are genuine writers, visiting, dining and reporting our views. Our write-up(s) about this particular brand are based on our own experience while visiting all three outlets (that belongs to Rasa Utara). None of Rasa Utara employees influenced us in the way we produced any of the write-up(s). Should you need more up to date and detailed information about Rasa Utara products, we do encourage you to directly contact Rasa Utara using the links given above. All information (menu & prices) are correct at the time of publishing and might be changed in the future by Rasa Utara Management. Our rating came from our own thoughts, experience, evaluation and observation. Others might have their have own thoughts.


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