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Diablo: Storm of Light by Nate Kenyon – Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Novel Tie-in
Blizzard Entertainment has revealed more details of Diablo: Storm of Light by Nate Kenyon. The novel tie-in bridges the events of Diablo III and the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion.
To make it even more exciting, it ties with what fans will find in the Diablo III: Book of Tyrael. That's not enough? Gee, how about mixing Jacob and Shanar from the DC Comics Diablo: Sword of Justice graphic novel into the novel? That's an awesome lore cocktail of geekiness.
Nate Kenyon debuted writing for Blizzard Entertainment with Diablo III: The Order and StarCraft: Ghost–Spectres
Check out more about Diablo: Storm of Light at the following Blizzard Entertainment web page.
Jacob of Staalbreak, Shanar the Wizard and Gynvir the Barbarian hail from the pages of the DC Comics Diablo: Sword of Justice graphic novel by writer Aaron Williams & artist Joseph Lacroix.
Zayl the Necromancer can be found in the pages of Diablo: Kingdom of Shadow (reprinted in the Diablo Archive) and Diablo: Moon of the Spider — both by New York Times best selling author Richard A. Knaak.
Mikulov the monk hails from the pages of Diablo III: The Order by Nate Kenyon
Diablo: Storm of Light
The High Heavens are healing after the fall of the Prime Evil. The Angiris Council has recovered the Black Soulstone and now stands vigil over the cursed artifact deep within the glimmering Silver City.
Amid these momentous events, Tyrael struggles with his position as the new Aspect of Wisdom, feeling out of place as a mortal among his angelic brethren and doubting his ability to fully embody his role. As he searches within himself and the Heavens for reassurance, he senses the Black Soulstone's grim influence on his home. Where harmony of light and sound once reigned, a mounting discord is threatening to shroud the realm in darkness. Imperius and the other archangels vehemently oppose moving or destroying the crystal, leading Tyrael to put Heaven's fate in the hands of humankind…
Drawing powerful humans to his side from the far ends of Sanctuary, Tyrael reforges the ancient Horadrim and charges the order with an impossible task: to steal the soulstone from the heart of Heaven. Among the champions entrusted with this burden are Jacob of Staalbreak, former avatar of Justice and guardian of the angelic blade El'druin; Shanar, a wizard with phenomenal powers; Mikulov, a lithe and reverent monk; Gynvir, a fearless and battle-hardened barbarian; and Zayl, a mysterious necromancer. With time and the forces of both good and evil against them, can these heroes unite as one and complete their perilous mission before the Heavens fall to ruin?
Sideshow Collectibles Diablo Polystone Statue Gets New Light System Update
The shipping date for the Sideshow Collectibles Diablo Polystone Statue is drawing near — Expected to ship November 2013. Sideshow has updated the statue with brand new lights which make the statue stand out even more than before when plugged to a power source. This Limited Edition consists of 2000 statues.
There are two pre-order options. The flat price is $349.99, with the Flex Payment Plan for as little as $105.00 and a non-refundable $35.00 to secure your copy.
Product Description
Sideshow Collectibles is proud to bring you the Diablo statue, from Blizzard Entertainment's hugely popular action RPG Diablo III. In a brilliant collaboration between the award-winning Sideshow Design and Development and Blizzard Cinematics teams, led by Sideshow Collectibles Creative Director Tom Gilliland and Blizzard Cinematics Creative Director Nick Carpenter, the Prime Evil's chosen form comes to life, crafted in high quality polystone. The Diablo statue measures over 20 inches tall, hand painted and finished with painstaking attention to detail. Possess it now, before it possesses you.
Product Details
License: Diablo
Scale: Polystone Statue
Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles
Product Size: 21″ H (533.4mm) x 9″ W (228.6mm) x 12″ D (304.8mm)*
Product Weight: 11.00 lbs (4.99 kg)*
Dimensional Weight: TBD
Int'l Dim. Weight: TBD
Product Sku: 200219
Brian Fay (Sculpt), Dave Cortes (Sculpt), Blizzard Cinematics Team (Sculpt), Nick Carpenter (Creative Direction), Tom Gilliland (Creative Direction), Anthony Mestas (Paint), Rick Cantu (Paint).
Josh Mosqueira Teases Diablo III PC Players – Surprises Inbound Soon
Josh Mosqueira dropped a tease for Diablo III (PC) players via Twitter. Is Blizzard announcing new features that will make it to the game in an upcoming patch and that hasn't been announced yet? Are we going to learn about those before BlizzCon or at BlizzCon? Or did he mean Reapers of Soul beta is close?
From the point of view of Reapers of Souls, if Blizzard had plans to ship that game by June/July, taking in mind a beta testing lasts an approximate time-frame of six months, beta would start between December 2013 and January 2014.
If they targeted September 2014 (a year from now), beta would start around March 2014.
This is entirely a speculation. No dates have been announced for Reaper of Souls beta.
Just leaving that bowl of food for thought.
Diablo III is now available on PS3 and Xbox 360 at a local store near you and in online stores worldwide. No auction House, offline play available, no Battle.net account required.
The Lord of Terror unleashes hell in living rooms worldwide
IRVINE, Calif.—September 3, 2013—Today, the war over Sanctuary claims a legion of new souls. Blizzard Entertainment is pleased to announce that Diablo® III, the latest chapter in the legendary action–RPG series, is now available for the Sony PlayStation® 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360® throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Would-be heroes who seek to confront the Lord of Terror and take the fate of mankind into their own hands can purchase the PS3™ and Xbox 360 versions of Diablo III at retailers worldwide for a suggested retail price of $59.99. The PS3™ version of Diablo III is also available for purchase digitally via the PlayStation Network™. The Xbox 360 version of the game will be available via Xbox LIVE® starting October 4. Both console versions of Diablo III have been fully localized in English, German, French, Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, Russian, Italian, Polish, and Brazilian Portuguese for multilingual demonic warfare.
The PS3™ and Xbox 360 versions of Diablo III have been custom-tailored for gamepad-driven action, with a dynamic camera perspective that puts your hero front and center, as well as an all-new user interface and an intuitive control system that make vanquishing evil feel like second nature on consoles. Players can take on the vile denizens of the Burning Hells alone or in a party of up to four via same-screen local cooperative play or online over PlayStation Network™ or Xbox LIVE®. In addition, the game supports parties composed of both local and online players. Once gamers experience the rush of Diablo III's unique brand of hack-and-slash gameplay from the comfort of their couch, Sanctuary will never be the same.
"In bringing Diablo III to consoles, our main focus has been on making sure we deliver a really fun experience for up to four friends online or on the same couch," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "The game looks and plays great on PS3™ and Xbox 360, especially with the new direct-control elements and new interface. We know players will have a blast battling Diablo on their big-screen TVs."
In Diablo III, players take on the role of one of five heroic characters—barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter—and embark on a perilous quest to save the world of Sanctuary from the corrupting forces of the Burning Hells. As players make their way from the demon-besieged town of New Tristram to the Diamond Gates of the High Heavens, they'll engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and ability, acquire artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters who'll join them in battle or aid them along the way.
Diablo III was originally released for Windows® and Macintosh® PC on May 15, 2012 and within 24 hours became the fastest-selling PC game of all time. As of December 31, 2012, Diablo III had sold through more than 12 million copies worldwide.* To learn more about Diablo III, visit the official website at http://www.diablo3.com.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.
PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.
*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.
Diablo: The Sin War Archive Coming February 1, 2014 – Pre-Orders Open
The Simon & Schuster, Inc. Diablo the Sin War Archive pre-orders have begun. The archive by Richard A. Knaak is slated to ship on February 1, 2014. This archive of 784 pages contains the three books of the trilogy:
- Birthright
- Scales of the Serpent
- The Veiled Prophet
It was a truly epic story revealing the very origins of Sanctuary through the eyes of Uldyssian, the first human to manifest the birthright powers of the Nephalem after milennia during the Sin War — about three thousand years before the first Diablo video game.
Since the beginning of time, the angelic forces of the High Heavens and the demonic hordes of the Burning Hells have been locked in an eternal conflict for the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now spilled over into Sanctuary — the world of men. Determined to win mankind over to their respective causes, the forces of good and evil wage a secret war for mortal souls. This is the tale of the Sin War — the conflict that would forever change the destiny of man.
Three thousand years before the darkening of Tristram, Uldyssian, son of Diomedes, was a simple farmer from the village of Seram. Content with his quiet, idyllic life, Uldyssian is shocked as dark events rapidly unfold around him. Mistakenly blamed for the grisly murders of two traveling missionaries, Uldyssian is forced to flee his homeland and set out on a perilous quest to redeem his good name. To his horror, he has begun to manifest strange new powers — powers no mortal man has ever dreamed of. Now, Uldyssian must grapple with the energies building within him — lest they consume the last vestiges of his humanity.
Bent on destroying the evil cult of the Triune, Uldyssian does not yet suspect that Inarius — secret Prophet of the Cathedral of Light — has been subtly aiding his quest. Obsessed with restoring Sanctuary to its former glory, Inarius has been playing Uldyssian against the two great religions in a reckless attempt to topple them both. But another player has slipped back into the equation. The demon Lilith, once Inarius's lover, seeks to use Uldyssian as her own pawn in a scheme to turn humans into an army of naphalem — godlike beings, more powerful than any angel or demon, who could overturn all Creation and elevate Lilith to supreme being.
The demon-backed Triune has fallen. All that now stands in Uldyssian's path to freeing humanity is the Cathedral of Light and its charismatic leader the Prophet. But the Prophet is actually the renegade angel Inarius, who sees the world he created as his uncontested domain. Facing a cunning foe that would just as readily see Sanctuary destroyed than let it slip from his grasp, Uldyssian is blind to the others who would possess his world. Both the Burning Hells and the High Heavens now know of Sanctuary…and their warring hosts of demons and angels will stop at nothing to claim it.
An original tale of swords, sorcery, and timeless struggle based on the bestselling, award-winning M-rated computer game from Blizzard Entertainment. Intended for mature readers.
It's really good for Diablo III players who haven't yet read The Sin War to read it in this Diablo the Sin War Archive. Back in January 2008, Blizzplanet interviewed Richard A. Knaak concerning Diablo: The Sin War, Birthright. That interview was the first sign that Diablo III was in development at least at a creative design stage:
Medievaldragon: How much of the book is creation of yours, and how involved is Chris Metzen behind the canon storyline of Diablo: The Sin War Trilogy? Do you think the ramifications of this book impact in the storyline of Diablo 3 the game?
Knaak: This is a pure collaboration between myself and Chris Metzen/Blizzard. All that is written is passed by him and the others there. This will be canon and has adjusted earlier info. The ramifications here will be used for any future project … and I ain't writing for a dead game. I am not writing for a dead world … but a world with dead. 'nuff said!
This novel was the first time Malthael was ever mentioned, along with the Angiris Council angels. That tells you some of what we will see in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls may have been designed long ago with The Sin War novel as the fountain from where most plots in Diablo III and its expansions spin around.
During our recent GamesCom 2013 interview with Josh Mosqueira and Kevin Martens, they mentioned Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will take us to Westmarch, Bloodmarch and the Pandemonium Fortress.
None of the plot of what players will be doing at Pandemoinum Fortress was revealed, but if you remember, in Diablo II players go into the Pandemonium Fortress where Tyrael provides three quests that lead you into the Burning Hells. The first quest deals with "The Fallen Angel" Izual in the outskirts of the Burning Hell.
There might be other motives for Malthael to wish to bring the Black Soulstone with all Prime Evils and Lesser evils contained within to the Pandemonium Fortress.
Either Malthael is going there to transfer the spirits of the Evils into the Worldstone — considering Diablo had some weird secret plan by tainting the Crystal Arch (part of Anu). The Worldstone is also known as Anu's eye. Hint-hint. The evils were parts that spawned from Tathamet the dragon. This story is from Diablo III: Book of Cain. What if the goal is to unite all the elements of Tathamet into the Worldstone to take over creation?
Or what if the visit to the Pandemonium Fortress is to enter the Burning Hells? What if Malthael's goal is to rescue Angel Inarius to reset creation? That could fit well with the next expansion featuring Angel Inarius as the next villain.
Coincidence? Around the time this Diablo: The Sin War Archive ships, is also coming out a brand-new Diablo III novel titled Diablo III: Storm of Light by Nate Kenyon.
Diablo III: Reapers of Souls – Necromancer NPC Confirmed
Vaeflare and Grimiku confirmed in the official Diablo III forums there will be a known Necromancer NPC in the expansion. There are few Necromancers that can actually be a reference here for someone we are familiar with.
Vaeflare: If you're keen to see what the Necromancer has been up to since the events of Diablo III, you'll be pleased to know that you'll have the opportunity to meet up with him once more in Reaper of Souls!
Also as Josh Mosqueira stated the interview with King Konger and elsewhere, we do not currently have any plans to add another class to the expansion. We feel the Crusader class is a truly epic, and fitting addition to Reaper of Souls, and we're excited to share more about it with you in the months ahead. — source
Grimiku: Vaeflare confirmed it earlier, but there is no harm in saying again. You'll get a chance to meet a familiar necromancer npc, but the only additional playable class in Reaper of Souls is the Crusader. We'll have more information to share about the Crusader in the coming months, but this armored, battle-worn, veteran will be a mighty addition to hero roster of Diablo III. — source
Nameless Necromancer: This is the playable Diablo II Necromancer. To my knowledge none of the Diablo II playable classes had a name. However, the nameless Barbarian in Diablo III is the same we met as a playable character in Diablo II. We got to meet the original heroes of Diablo I in Diablo II actually. The Rogue in Diablo I (member of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye) was actually Blood Raven in Diablo II (Act I). The Warrior in Diablo I turned out to be The Dark Wanderer (aka Leoric's son: Aidan) in Diablo II. Lastly, the Sorcerer in Diablo I turned out to be The Summoner in Diablo II (Act II, The Arcane Sanctuary). Thus, it might be possible for the Diablo II Necromancer to make a cameo in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.
Zayl the Necromancer is a well-known necromancer who has never been in-game. He has appeared in Diablo: The Kingdom of Shadow (reprinted in the Diablo Archive) and Diablo: Moon of the Spider — both by Richard A. Knaak.
Kara Nightshadow is another well-known necromancer from the pages of Diablo: Legacy of Blood (also reprinted in the Diablo Archive). She helped Norrec Vizharan (the mercenary treasure-hunter who found the armor of Bartuc the Warlord of Blood).
Nate Kenyon needs a little push to decide what novel to write next
Nate Kenyon wrote on twitter he is having a hard time to decide which novel to write next. Apparently he got his hands full with project offers. It is unknown if one of these are coming from Blizzard Entertainment, but in case that was so — "c-o-m-e–c-l-o-s-e-r …" — "How about we give him a little encouragement to go our way?"
Let the armies of Blizzard lore scholars, fans, merchandise collectors, and novel-munching-zombies decide for him. Send him a tweet to encourage him to pick any Blizzard projects available.
Nate Kenyon was the novel writer of Diablo III: The Order (the new Horadrim) and StarCraft: Ghost–Spectres.
Diablo III (PS3) Pre-Order Bonus Offer Expires September 3
The Diablo III (PlayStation 3) pre-order bonus offer ends September 3, 2013. The Pre-order bonus includes the "Infernal Helm" in-game item with +Experience Bonus, and an Amazon-exclusive digital wallpaper.
The Diablo III (PlayStation 3) goes on sale this upcoming September 2, thus make arrangements really quick to benefit from this special bonus offer.
GamesCom 2013 interview – Josh Mosqueira talks about Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, Return of Pandemonium Fortress & Necromancers
Blizzard Entertainment scheduled Blizzplanet, Millenium.org, InDiablo and GamersOrigin to sit together with Josh Mosqueira to interview him about Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Blizzplanet correspondent Arthur Lorenz (known as Handclaw) was there to participate in this private round of questions with the press.
- The Crusader was originally going to be a Darker Paladin, but later the class took a life of its own into something different.
- Bloodmarch is an area outside Westmarch where the Black Soulstone was meant to be buried.
- The Pandemonium Fortress — where the Worldstone had rested for milennia — will be revisited in this expansion.
- The Necromancers are not too happy with Malthael the Archangel of
WisdomDeath upsetting the balance by raising the dead. - No new Follower/Companion, but they have extra lore background, new features, and side-quests.
- The developers see how well the Hellfire Ring (obtained through the Infernal machine event) has been received by the players, and they are currently experimenting with account-bound items to extend that experience.
BlizzCon New Class Speculation
The developers didn't want to spoil too much about the Necromancers topic (asked by Handclaw); but it is obvious there is more than meet the eye. One of the developers mentioned the Necromancers are all about balance, and what Malthael is doing at Westmarch definitely affects the balance.
In an MTV interview with Jay Wilson a few years ago (August 5, 2008), he mentioned the Necromancer:
Wilson: I wouldn't be opposed to looking at old classes. We are trying to design [the Witch Doctor] class so that if we did bring back the Necromancer, there's room for him. We're looking out ahead of time at what our expansions are going to be, so we've got to keep room open for some of those other classes down the road."
It might be possible to see Necromancer NPC or a Necromancer class. The Crusader might or not be the only class for this expansion. They just want to keep some big surprises for BlizzCon. Another possibility is that the ripples of damage upon the balance wrought by Malthael might be like a kick on the wasp's nest for the Necromancer. Maybe the second expansion will place the Necromancers in a bigger role than before considering the Diablo: The Sin War and Diablo: Kingdom of Shadow Lore.
I wouldn't be surprised if we could see Zayl the Necromancer and Kara Nightshadow (Diablo: Legacy of Blood) — both from Richard A. Knaak's novels. Note: Legacy of Blood and Kingdom of Shadow are reprinted in the Diablo Archive (752 pages).
UPDATE: A fan linked to this article, and got a blue response:
Vaeflare: If you're keen to see what the Necromancer has been up to since the events of Diablo III, you'll be pleased to know that you'll have the opportunity to meet up with him once more in Reaper of Souls!
Also as Josh Mosqueira stated the interview with King Konger and elsewhere, we do not currently have any plans to add another class to the expansion. We feel the Crusader class is a truly epic, and fitting addition to Reaper of Souls, and we're excited to share more about it with you in the months ahead. — source
Grimiku: Vaeflare confirmed it earlier, but there is no harm in saying again. You'll get a chance to meet a familiar necromancer npc, but the only additional playable class in Reaper of Souls is the Crusader. We'll have more information to share about the Crusader in the coming months, but this armored, battle-worn, veteran will be a mighty addition to hero roster of Diablo III. — source
GamesCom 2013 Interview
In this GamesCom 2013 interview, the developers also talk about Nephalem Runs and Loot 2.0. Bare with us — GamesCom is the biggest gaming convention in the world. The recording is noisy. You might need to adjust the sound volume.
Why the Crusader, and where did the inspiration for the Crusader come from?
For a few reasons. We had an idea of having a sort of very heavy armored character, so we explored that for a while and we thought of the angle of make it a sort of a dark paladin sort of class and that idea took a life of its own and we went very far with it, and it became something really different at this point. So, way we describe it is a warmachine-made man, what if a modern armored division tank was an evil warrior? So we came up with this idea of a mid-ranged melee character, he wears heavy armor, he crushes his enemies, he has a big heavy flail and he has a shield which is as much a weapon as it is a defense mechanism. In addition he has a lot of holy wrath based damage, that he does, so he has some ranged abilities, too. So it's a neat mix of ranged and melee and he has become very different from the paladin at this point. He has become the Crusader.
We already know that you are going to patch Loot 2.0 before the expansion gets released. Are you considering to add any other features like the Paragon 2.0, and such before the expansion is ready?
Yea, we are considering all of the features, and tinker out which is more appropriate. Anything that is broadly systemic like that tends to be added in the game anyway. There is no reason for us not to give it up free. Probably a lot of more stuff will be free before the expansion goes live.
Will there be any new companions or any new content for the Templar or the Scoundrel?
There is a lot of new content for the old companions. We didn't add a new companion. We have this idea that more is not better. Better is better. It's how we say it. We figured we did not do enough to make the existing companions deep — we had a lot of grand plans for them in the first game; We are giving them a lot of more stories, they are actually getting side-quests — in Act V as well. So they are getting richer back stories. You get to meet, for example, the Scoundrel's brother.
That's new. No one knows about that yet. That's our official leak for today's interview.
Can you explain Nephalem Trials?
The idea for the Nephalem Trials takes a lot of inspiration from the Jar of Souls event from Act I. We wondered how to create this kind of micro-challenges to help us survey the pace of gameplay, the idea is that when you explore the world you come across a Nephalem portal, you jump into one of these Nephalem Trials. There are many different variations — one of the classic ones — you end up fighting waves and waves of enemies and you have a time limit. Depending how well, how many monsters you kill within the time limit you will be rewarded with a number of resplendant chests. So it's a cool way to add a challenge to the game and add some variety.
Storywise, players met some of the Nephalem spirits that have been left behind in the world of Sanctuary, in the first game. At certain point, all humans were Nephalem. All humans had powers. The first generations of humans ever born had that. Eventually, they lost their powers, and as they were losing it, the leaders left behind guardian spirits for if in the future the Nephalem arose again, they could get guidance. These are the spirits that help you run these trials.
The new expansion adds a new Act with a new story, How much gameplay time takes to play through the whole story?
We haven't finished the Act yet. We are not done making it yet. So it's hard to say exactly how long it is, but I think more than ever, the game doesn't end when you kill Malthael and defeat him. The replayability has been quitely expanded. Loot Runs is the first time we are talking about here at GamesCom.
Loot Runs is just one of the systems by the way, and the way that it works is extensively random dungeons. We take every single tile that is in the game, including all the new exterior ones are now randomized in Act V. We combined those in about 15-minute long dungeons at multiple levels with a variety of monsters.
With this monsters you need to work together, you need to change your tactics, very dense populated. Random boss fights and random loot. We take the promise of Diablo's randomness, make that within a 15-minute chunks to add more end-game gameplay.
Almost all items we saw in this expansions are account-bound. Is this because of enchanting or is there another reason for that?
That's something that we are experimenting with. The Hellfire Ring is something we believe responded really well. So we are seeing how to extend that system. We hope to hear some feedback from players here at GamesCom.
You get better items, but it's your better items.
What variation of environments are we going to see in the expansion — we have seen some like Westmarch, Bloodmarch — what can we expect?
We were just sorta teasing some of the zones, but we can't mention them. So I'll cover the Bloodmarch.
The Bloodmarsh is an area outside of the city of Westmarch. It's a very cool area, it's one of our more fun and dangerous looking zones we have in the game.
Actually you see some of it in the opening cinematic, where the Black Soulstone is buried. Where Archangel Malthael comes and steal it from Tyrael. It's underneath the Bloodmarch, and it does exist in the game right now.
The other area you will be exploring is the Pandemonion Fortress. It's sort of the heart of creation, and that's going to be a really great counterpoint to the more gothic feeling of Westmarch. The players will really love the journey from Westmarch to the Bloodmarch to the Pandemonium.
It's a place where the angels and demons have fought over forever.
A lot of people are missing the darker side of Diablo II in Diablo III. Is the expansion going to be darker?
Dark side. I mean, Diablo III opens with a zombie apocalypse. It's the end of the world, and meteors falling, and the armies of Hell are coming. Explain dark side.
For many years now we have really wanted to do a city tileset. A random city. So it all works with the same Diablo randomness, but still feels like a real city.
We actually tried to do that for a while, in Diablo III's development, but we put it aside. As soon as we began work on the expansion, that was the first thing we tackled. So apart from the fact that it was a city, we didn't know whether we wanted to do Westmarch years ago; and Death as the villain, has sort of made it definitely very grim and dark. That was heavy and gothic anyway before Death arrived and invaded it.
It's a marshal city. It's founded by the Paladin order when they were on their first grand crusade bringing their Zakarum faith to the west with fire and a sword.
It was founded by Rakkis. The soldiers of Bastion's Keep are actually from the city of Westmarch. So we knew that we wanted to do Westmarch for a while, and not in response to anything in particular from Diablo III.
It's not a reaction, but more than anything else an opportunity for us. When we started thinking about the expansion, they wanted Westmarch, another wanted the Crusader. When the team came across the idea of really focusing on Malthael the Angel of Death kinda rocked everything together and really allowed us to deliver — not just a gothic setting — but sub-apocalyptic and anti-apocalyptic that's happening. It helps put everything together. The complete package.
The whole expansion is not the same color scheme. It's not the same heavy gothic feel either. We just mentioned two of the other zones, and variety is a very important part of the game. It's about replayability.
For us gothic doesn't necessarily mean just round, black and gray. Gothic is more about the feel.
Are you going to make improvements to the Battle.net?
We are working on a lot of improvements. We didn't announced any one yet. We are still working on them, and want to know a little more about — be sure — before we can talk about them, but there is a number of improvements to Battle.net and social services coming.
Given the theme of the new expansion, with Malthael being the Angel of Death, will we meet any Necromancer? … because it sounds like it would fit quite a little.
I don't want to give any spoilers away, but … (at unison) MAYBE! **MAYBE!!!***
Obviously, bad things are happening. There's a lot of death, and I think the necromancers are drawn to death.
Necromancers are about balance. If the army of death are taking over the world, that's not balance anymore; and they need to do something about it.
Regarding the cinematic, Tyrael is hiding the Black Soulstone with the Horadrim. Are we going to know more about the Horadrim?
Yea, before the expansion ships, you are going to know more about the Horadrim. Tyrael has refound the Horadrim order. So they are a new Horadrim. The character that you meet at the beginning of the demo, he is a new Horadrim character that we spent a lot of time getting to know as well. So the Horadrim has been reborn. Cain passed that mantle down to Leah, and then we all know what happened with her. So, that didn't work. Right? — the Kevin Marten yells: "SPOILERS!!!"
Josh Mosqueira says: "I didn't specifically say what happened to Leah."
Kevin Martens responds: "Oh shit!"
Josh Mosqueira finishes: "She's not taking over the Horadrim. Let's just say that."
Note: That was a bit confusing. Are they considering Leah's fate at the end of Diablo III a spoiler, or are they fooling around because Leah is coming back from the … death. Coughs … Malthael is rising the dead. Or because the Necromancers bring her back? Hard to decipher their code-talk.
Special thanks to Arthur Lorenz aka Handclaw (Blizzplanet contributor) who interviewed the Diablo III team at GamesCom, and thanks to the Blizzard US/EU PR teams.
GamesCom 2013 – Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Fact Sheet
The defeat of Diablo, Lord of Terror, should have given rise to an age of hope. Instead, it has drawn out a shadowy being of immense power, whose malevolent purpose is yet to be revealed. Reaper of Souls™, the upcoming expansion to Blizzard Entertainment's epic action-RPG Diablo® III, opens a dark and terrifying new chapter in the ongoing conflict over the mortal realm of Sanctuary.
Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, vanished long ago. In Reaper of Souls, he returns as the Angel of Death and seizes the Black Soulstone, which contains the essence of the Prime Evil. Should this dark power be unleashed upon the world, the results would be catastrophic. Fortunately, a new hero is ready to join the cause and bring Malthael to justice — the Crusader. Clad in massive armor and bearing an impenetrable shield, this new playable class charges into battle wielding a range of cruel and punishing weapons and employing powerful battle magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes. As a nigh unstoppable force of armored destruction, the Crusader adds strength and versatility to any party of adventurers.
For further details about Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, visit http://www.diablo3.com/reaperofsouls.
The Crusader enters the fray, joining ranks with the Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk, and Demon Hunter
Level cap increased to 70, enabling players to reach new heights of power
Act V continues the story where it left off in Diablo III, taking players from the legendary city of Westmarch to the unhallowed halls of the Pandemonium Fortress
Two new game modes: Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials provide fun and rewarding objective-based challenges
Upgrades to Diablo III's Paragon progression system add even more end-game character advancement and replayability
Newly designed loot system drops "fewer, but better" items, rewarding players with useful upgrades
Collect rare items of unprecedented power, including game-changing Legendaries
New spells and abilities for each of the game's five original heroes
A new menagerie of fiendish monsters slavering for the chance to feast upon Sanctuary's heroes
PUBLISHER: Blizzard Entertainment
DEVELOPER: Blizzard Entertainment
GENRE: Action RPG
RELEASE DATE: To Be Announced
GamesCom 2013 – Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Concept Art
The concept art of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls show new monsters serving Malthael including the Seraph, the Wraith, and the Brute. Among the images you will find a few iterative concept artworks of Malthael, a Horadrim, and a scene titled "Tomb of Rakkis".
Now this Tomb of Rakkis is definitely interesting in a few ways. Rakkis was the king that brought civilization to Westmarch, and brought the Zakarum religion to the region.
The Diablo III: Book of Cain says the following about Rakkis.
Founded by Rakkis, Westmarch was named in honor of the Zakarum warlord's great crusade and marks the farthest western point of his conquest.
Rakkis was loved by the peoples of the west and did much to bring civilization to the surrounding lands, including the building of roads and churches and necessary infrastructure for the burgeoning territories there. In time, Rakkis' heir Korsikk, continued his father's rule and built Westmarch into a bastion of the Zakarum faith.
Ever wary of attack from the northern barbarians, Korsikk founded the impregnable Bastion's Keep to safeguard all that his father had thought to build.
In the present day, Westmarch is a kingdom that thrives on commerce and maritime trade. Influence from the Zakarum faith has waned of late, and Westmarch is now a forward-looking civilization. Indeed, one might say that it remains one of the healthiest, most vibrant kingdoms left in our troubled world.
Now the thing is — Malthael, is now known as the Archangel of Death. He has arrived to Westmarch to begin there his purge of Sanctuary — as he sees humanity as the biggest faction of demonspawn. Malthael is bringing the dead back to life to serve as his minions in the purge of Sanctuary.
The concept art of the Tomb of Rakkis evokes an intriguing question. Will players fight a resurrected Rakkis as an enemy dungeon boss?
GamesCom 2013 – Crusader Class Skills and Runes
We have sneak peek screenshots of the Crusader class' skills and runes.
Primary Skills
- Punish
Scourge: Generates 5 Wrath per attack. Scourge your enemies, surrounding them in threads of hallowed power. The threads cut and bleed enemies they attack to, and will seek out new enemies to latch onto and punish.
- Justice
- Slash
Secondary Skills
Blessed Shield: Cost 25 Wrath. Hurl a celestial shield through the air, smashing it into enemies and ricocheting it between them. Requires Shield.
The Fist of the Heavens doesn't have a description but one of the screenshots below shows one of its runes, Well of Retribution: Create a well of holy lightning at the target location that will electrocute nearby enemies.
Other secondary skills include: Blessed Hammer, Shield Bash, and Sweep Attack.
Passive Skills
- Indestructible
- Wrathful
- Wrecking Ball
- Against All Odds
- Finery
- Heavenly Strength
- Holy Cause
- Vigilant
- Long Arm of the Law
- Stand Your Ground
GamesCom 2013 – Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Gameplay Screenshots
The Diablo III: Reaper of Souls press kit given to Blizzplanet contained several gameplay screenshots of the Crusader class in action against the new monsters created by Malthael, the Archangel of Death.
GamesCom 2013 – Paragon 2.0 Loot 2.0 Loot Runs Nephalem Trials patch before Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ships
Grimiku posted on the official forum some core features announced at the GamesCom Blizzard Press Event during the unveiling of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls are meant to be launched in a patch before Reaper of Souls goes on sale.
It hasn't been determined exactly how long before the expansion hit stores, but definitely great news for those who prefer to wait before buying the expansion.
We want to implement a lot of the new systems and features in a pre-expansion patch for free. That should include Paragon 2.0, Loot 2.0, Loot Runs, and Nephalem Trials. For now, you'll need to purchase the expansion to play as the Crusader, explore Act V, unlock the Mystic, and level up to 70. These details may change as development moves along, but we want some of the core gameplay improvements to be available for everyone. — source
GamesCom 2013 – Blizzard Press Event Video
Blizzplanet staff member Arthur "Handclaw" Lorenz attended GamesCom 2013 to witness the Blizzard Entertainment press panel held on Wednesday, August 21 at 11:30am CEST.
Arthur saw history unfold as Blizzard Entertainment unveiled the new expansion titled Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. The videos below contain the whole press panel. Check out the new Crusader class, Westmarch vistas and great features to be introduced in the expansion: level cap increased to 70, Unlimited Paragon Levels, Nephalem Trials, the Mystic, end-game Loot Runs, Improved Loot 2.0, a new Act, and much more.
Visit the official Diablo III: Reaper of Souls website.
Video # 1
Video # 2
Video # 3
Nephalem Trials
Press Release – Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Unveiled
Blizzard Entertainment deployed a press release to go in detail about the new expansion titled Diablo III: Reaper of Souls which introduces a new class: The Crusader, and a whole new Act featuring the new villain: Malthael, the Archangel of Wisdom Death.
Upcoming expansion to the fastest-selling PC game of all time playable at gamescom
"Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all . . ."
COLOGNE, Germany—August 21, 2013 – The defeat of Diablo, Lord of Terror, should have given rise to an age of hope. Instead, it has drawn out a shadowy being of immense power, whose malevolent purpose is yet to be revealed. Announced today at gamescom, Diablo® III: Reaper of Souls™, the upcoming expansion to Diablo III, opens a dark and terrifying new chapter in the ongoing conflict over the mortal realm of Sanctuary.
Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, vanished after the events depicted at the end of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction®. In Reaper of Souls, he returns as the Angel of Death and seizes the Black Soulstone, which contains the essence of the Prime Evil. It now falls to the players to track down Malthael and stop him before he unleashes irreversible havoc on the world.
Fortunately, a new hero is ready to join the cause and bring Malthael to justice—the Crusader. Driven by a centuries-long quest to cleanse the corruption blighting their beloved Zakarum faith, Crusaders are warriors of righteousness who have been hardened through relentless, brutal combat with the foul evils plaguing eastern Sanctuary. In addition to wearing immensely heavy armor and wielding a wide range of cruel and punishing weapons, this new playable class in Reaper of Souls uses battle magic to strengthen allies and weaken foes. A natural walking tank, the Crusader adds power and versatility to any party of adventurers.
"From the beginning, Diablo has always been about the struggle between good and evil, and Reaper of Souls explores the darker notes of that conflict," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This expansion also represents a big milestone in the ongoing evolution of Diablo III, with key enhancements to the core gameplay, along with a new act to experience, a powerful new character class, tons of new loot, and even more end-game options. We think players will love playing Reaper of Souls, and we can't wait to get it into their hands."
In addition to taking the story of Diablo III from the legendary city of Westmarch to the unhallowed halls of the Pandemonium Fortress in Act V and introducing the incorruptible Crusader class, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls increases the game's level cap to 70. Players continuing on with their existing Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Demon Hunter, Wizard, and Monk characters will benefit from an array of fearsome new spells and abilities as they advance in level.
The expansion also accentuates the key features of the Diablo franchise, with a greater emphasis on randomized environments to explore; epic new quests; horrific new monsters to defeat; and substantial updates to the loot experience, enabling players to further customize their characters with new and improved multilevel Legendary items, new Blacksmith and Jeweler item-crafting options, and more.
Diablo III's Paragon progression system is also being majorly upgraded for the expansion, adding even *more end-game character advancement and replayability. Two new game modes—Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials—are being added as well, providing fun and rewarding challenges for players to tackle when they're not busy saving the world.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is playable on the show floor at gamescom, and Blizzard will be revealing further details about the expansion at BlizzCon and beyond as development progresses. For further information related to today's announcement and all the latest news about Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, visit http://www.diablo3.com/reaperofsouls.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.
GamesCom 2013: Blizzard Press Event – Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Revealed
Blizzard Entertainment revealed the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion trailer at GamesCom during a press event held at 11:30am CEST.
The Crusader is a new mid-range melee class wielding a longsword and a shield. The class is based on the Diablo II Paladin. The demonstration shows a Death Maiden in the Cathedral of the Zakarum.
The Angel of Wisdom Malthael plays a big role in the story as a villain. He will command dead angels as the Archangel of Death to punish Sanctuary and the remaining demons of the Burning Hells.
Archangel Malthael sees humanity as the largest group of demons, and wants to eradicate them. Tyrael and the new Horadrim wanted to hide the Black Soulstone deep beneath Sanctuary; but Archangel Malthael stole the Black Soulstone. (as seen in the cinematic below)
The level cap has increased to level 70 and the expansion will introduce a new ACT.
The expansion will also focus on upgrades to the Paragon levels. New monsters include the Summoner of the Death, The Seraph and the Death Maiden. — fallen angels.
A new artisan will offer transmo services to change the appearance of your armor for that of another armor like in World of Warcraft.
Paragon levels will now be account-wide rather than individual characters. There is no cap to Paragon levels (Unlimited Paragon Levels). A return of an attribute system which uses Paragon points.
The Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is now playable at GamesCom where attendees can play as the Crusader class.
The new environment setting is gothic-medieval in nature in the lands of Westmarch.
Handclaw is at the press event taking video of the press event for Blizzplanet. The video will be available at a later time. Stay tuned. Additionally, Blizzard Entertainment scheduled an interview slot for Blizzplanet on Friday, August 23 with the Diablo III (PS3) team.
Further details of the Diablo III expansion will be revealed at BlizzCon this upcoming November 8-9th.
Malthael, the Angel of Death, has seized the Black Soulstone. It falls to the heroes of Sanctuary to stop him before he unleashes its dark power on the world. Today at gamescom, Blizzard Entertainment announced Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, the upcoming expansion to the fastest-selling PC game of all time. See the press release to learn more about this dark new chapter in the ongoing struggle between angels and demons over the fate of mankind.
The news is spreading so quick the hashtag Reaper of Souls have started trending on Twitter along with the hashtag Diablo 3.
GamesCom 2013 – Diablo III Expansion Trailer Confirmed
European websites are ablaze with rumors and excitement after the USK website (the equivalent of ESRB Rankings) for Europe has approved the Diablo III Expansion trailer tagged as "GamesCom Trailer".
Blizzplanet correspondent Handclaw is currently at Cologne, Germany to take video of the press panel for our visitors and the Blizzard community in general.
Thanks to Cesar (Blizzplanet Español staff member) for the heads up.
Jinx Diablo III Class T-shirts Pre-orders – Ship August 23
Jinx has launched a pre-order page for a new series of T-shirts based on Diablo III. These have each class's crest on the T-shirt's front and two Diablo cartoons.
The new T-shirts will be on sale this upcoming Friday, August 23.
- Diablo III Demon Hunter Class Premium Tee
- Diablo III Barbarian Class Premium Tee
- Diablo III Witch Doctor Class Premium Tee
- Diablo III Wizard Class Premium Tee
- Diablo III Monk Class Premium Tee
- Diablo III Cartoon Lord of Terror Premium Tee
- Diablo III DiaBLO Premium Tee
GamesCom 2013 – Submit questions for the Diablo III Team
I'll be gathering some questions for the Diablo III Team for an upcoming interview held at GamesCom next week. Please, submit any questions you have [exclusively] about the PlayStation 3 version of Diablo III.
I am also gathering questions for Joseph Lacroix who we are interviewing at GamesCom. The questions can range about Diablo III: Sword of Justice but mostly focused on his artwork for the Diablo III: Book of Tyrael.
Sort of time sensitive. The comments below allow you to login with twitter, facebook, google plus, open ID, Disqus. Otherwise, email your questions at medievaldragon at blizzplanet
Diablo III Website Teases Reaper of Souls — Diablo III Expansion Title?
According to "MMO-Champion" Blizzard Entertainment opened a new page on the official Diablo III Battle.net website. The teaser page has the following words:
The last part of that message is a reference to the Insight Editions Diablo III: Book of Tyrael is a sequel to the Diablo III: Book of Cain.
The quote in uppercaps have been ringing my ears for hours, and now I know why. I have indeed read that sentence before. It is part of a longer paragraph.
That sentence on the official Diablo III is part of the "Prophecy of the End Days".
… And, at the End of Days, Wisdom shall be lost
as Justice falls upon the world of men.
Valor shall turn to Wrath-
and all Hope will be swallowed by Despair.
Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all-
as Fate lies shattered forever.
Two of the references are now ironed out. Now the URL where the new Diablo III page is is named "Reaper of Souls".
This one truly baffles me. None of the Prime or Lesser evils had this name or title. All of their souls are currently stuck inside the Black Soulstone. If this "Reaper of Souls" was to be the title of the Diablo III expansion, then it is referring to an entity — one that hasn't been known by that name in Diablo I, Diablo II nor Diablo III by that name. Just take a look at any wiki sites out there, and nothing comes up remotely close to that name.
The name "Reaper of Souls" means "one who collects, harvest or gathers souls". Definitely catches one's attention, but no one we know from lore. However, I do have one suspect.
Up until now, the Prime Evils had been imprisoned in Sanctuary for ages. Belial and Azmodan were reigning the Burning Hells in the Prime Evils' absence. Those who haven't read the novel yet, I recommend you do immediately.
- Birthright (Diablo: The Sin War, Book 1)
- Scales of the Serpent (Diablo: The Sin War, Book 2)
- The Veiled Prophet (Diablo: The Sin War, Book 3)
Digital eBook
The eBook contains all three books listed above. Can be read on Kindle and PC/Mac via internet browser.
So my point is, if the spirit of three Prime Evils and the four lesser evils are all imprisoned within the Black Soulstone … then … who is keeping tabs on their prisoners down there in the Burning Hells?
There is one prisoner in the Burning Hells who have been unaccounted for since the Sin War. Those who haven't read Richard A. Knaak's novel (2007), the origin of Sanctuary was revealed in that novel.
Basically, Archangel Inarius tired of the Eternal Conflict decided to steal the Worldstone. The Worldstone was actually right there at the Pandemonium Fortress, but somehow Inarius calibrated the Worldstone to sort of warp into a pocket dimension making the Worldstone invisible to everyone's eye even when it was sitting at the same spot.
In this warp of reality so to speak, Sanctuary was created — cloaked from view by either the High Heavens and the Burning Hells.
Archangel Inarius and other archangels approached other rogue demons who were also tired of the Eternal Conflict. Basically, angel and demon alike united to live in peace in Sanctuary. Inarius and the daughter of Mephisto: Lilith fell in love. Everyone got a party, bees and flowers … all that — and the first children were born. The humans are descendants of the Nephalem.
Without going through the whole storyline, at the end of the Sin War, Uldyssian defeated Archangel Inarius. The Angiris Council was about to judge Inarius, but Mephisto played a good one. He offered a deal to the Angiris Council, but in exchange they wanted a prize.
The prize was … Archangel Inarius. The founder of Sanctuary. He's been tortured ever since somewhere in the depths of the Burning Hells.
Archangel Inarius is imprisoned in the Chamber of Mirrors, bound by chains and hooks, and his eyelids ripped to torture him with the perpetual sight of his own appearance in the mirrors.
As someone who was given as a prize to Mephisto, Inarius should be pretty pissed off at the Angiris Council. The children of the nephalem — his own blood — turned on him and defeated him. Reason enough to hate Sanctuary. For milennia he's been mocked, and tortured by the Prime Evils and later by Azmodan — last who reign over the Burning Hells. But now … Who is now Inarius' jailor? Is he free?
I'd have to speculate — if I was a novelist or a Creative team's story writer — that either the leaderless demons free him to seek Inarius' leadership, if Lilith is still around, she could safely go after her former lover's rescue to together reap the vacuum of power left behind by the now absent evils. But if I wanted to go really big and stun everyone … I would make a "omg-I-didn't-see-that-one-coming" and make Malthael (Archangel of Wisdom) be the one rescuing Archangel Inarius and siding with him in whatever agenda they come up with.
Another interesting thing to mention is that Inarius and Lilith's son is … Rathma … the ancient nephalem who the Necromancers venerate. Reaper of Souls sounds very necromancer-ish too.
I could go on and on all day spinning speculations on the web of "Reaper of Souls". Maybe none of this is related. What I do know is that Blizzard is announcing something at GamesCom.
Blizzplanet was invited to the press conference to be held on August 21, 2013. An old-buddie of mine, Handclaw, is going to this event to take video and photos. So please, make sure to check out Blizzplanet to find out more about the video.
Book of Tyrael
"then ultimately it is Tyrael who put this all together and comes as an inheritor of the story and we get his perspective on even more ancient events that might have seeded all these game events — and it really allowed us to round up the story in other parts of the history that umm (Chris Metzen makes sounds with his tongue and mouth**) weren't directly relevant to the last game, umm , but umm maybe relevant some day …"
**Decoding Chris Metzen — Chris Metzen makes special effects sounds with his tongue and mouth, or moves his eyes into the roof for imaginary snipers — something he usually does when he wants to signal NDA is holding back his thoughts and looks for a way to subtly tease, hint or early leak a possible upcoming announcement in this case he meant Diablo III: Book of Tyrael will reveal new info relevant to the Diablo III expansion.
Chris Metzen and Micky Neilson talked about Book of Tyrael at the Blizzard Licensing Panel. A Blizzplanet correspondent was there to take video for the community. Watch the video segment where they talk about Book of Tyrael: http://youtu.be/32HPuRQbgnM?t=9m28s
On to that matter, it is extremely interesting that Joseph Lacroix will be signing at GamesCom — because he is one of the artists of Book of Tyrael which as per Metzen's quote above is tied to info "relevant some day" — cough, Diablo III expansion.
Blizzplanet Busca Escritores en Español
Aunque he escrito en inglés estos pasados diez años, hablo español en mi casa todos los días. Por muchos años he deseado poder lanzar un sitio en español sobre los juegos de StarCraft, Diablo, y Warcraft. Se acerca una nueva etapa de Blizzplanet pronto, y espero poder recibir fanáticos que han visitado Blizzplanet por varios años como escritores para que puedan informar a fans como ustedes, y que puedan formar parte de una gran comunidad hispana de video juegos de Blizzard.
Esta es una posición voluntaria para aquellos que deseen la experiencia de escribir para un fansite líder de diez años, y tener acceso a juegos beta y otras oportunidades relacionadas a los juegos de Blizzard.
Si estas interesado en unirte a nuestra comunidad come escritor en el idioma español, envíame un mensaje electrónico a medievaldragon@blizzplanet(punto)com
Latinos viviendo en Europa, America Latina, Canada, Asia, Oceania o Estados Unidos son bienvenidos.
Déjame saber que juegos de Blizzard juegas y por el cual te gustaría dedicarte a escribir noticias.
Win the Ultimate BlizzCon 2013 Giveaway & New Blizzard Game Hint? Speculation
UPDATE: Sunday, August 11 is the last day to submit your entry.
SteelSeries, J!NX and The League of S.T.E.A.M. have partnered to brew together a cool promotion that will send a lucky winner and a friend to BlizzCon 2013 (November 8-9th) free along with flight and hotel expenses covered. This contest only applies to North American residents: which includes United States, Canada and Quebec. The follow up winners will get SteelSeries and J!NX prizes.
Make sure to read my personal speculation about this strange and unholy partnership — there is something odd about this partnership that [might] or [not] be a hint of a new Blizzard game announcement. Don't you love Blizzplanet's speculations?
CHICAGO – July 29th, 2013 – With the return of BlizzCon this year to Anaheim, California, SteelSeries and our partners JINX and The League of S.T.E.A.M want to send YOU to the festivities in style. This once in a lifetime chance to be a part of gaming history is completely FREE to enter by visiting the contest landing page – http://steelseri.es/blizzcon. Sweepstake entries will be open from July 29th through August 11th to all North American residents.
The grand prize features two BlizzCon Show Passes, airfare and accommodations for you and a friend PLUS one custom costume by award winning costume designers The League of S.T.E.A.M! An additional $2500 in sponsored prizes will also be given away including World of Warcraft Wireless MMO mice and JINX gift cards!
To keep up to date with the latest happenings of all the companies that made this giveaway possible, please visit the following websites.
- SteelSeries – www.steelseries.com
- J!NX – www.jinx.com
- The League of S.T.E.A.M – www.leagueofsteam.com
The Contest runs from July 29th, 2013 to August 11th, 2013.
Current SteelSeries promotional offers here.
Speculation-Mode On
I'm sorry to Blizzard Entertainment, but I will shield up with the first amendment of the United States Constitution: Freedom of Speech. Of course, I'll eat back my words silently if I misfire … oops!
I have seen several promotions and giveaways from licensed partners for several years, but I find the League of S.T.E.A.M to be a very strange partner which is not directly a Blizzard Licensed Partner.
I do know the BlizzCon 2013 Costume Contest sign ups begin on August 5 (approximately) as published recently at the official BlizzCon website. The League of S.T.E.A.M will create a costume for the Ultimate BlizzCon 2013 Giveaway announced in this press release.
I was curious about this League of S.T.E.A.M, and searched online for their website. After reading through their About page, this is what they say:
The League of S.T.E.A.M. is not your average performance group
Our talented group of inventors and actors take the audience back to a time of scientific adventure; a common ground between the paranormal and the Pythagorean. We are monster hunters from the Victorian era. From up on the stage to mingling the crowd, our members engage the audience with proton packs capable of firing blasts of "steam," zombie manservants on chain-leads, net guns and titillating electro-shock packs and ethereal glowing ghosts. Every piece of machinery is meticulously designed, detailed, and fully functional, from the steam cannon to the extendable "Punchy Fist". The League travels with an archive of past adventures, preserved and documented for the ambient pleasure of the viewer, featuring exotic specimens and chilling relics from the ancient Orient. Audiences for this extravagant experience continue to grow. The League of S.T.E.A.M. is one of the fastest-growing entertainment groups of its kind, and our series of filmed exploits has ensured us a popularity that fills our events to capacity.
Wait … this is a Steampunk-effing-League?!! I'm sorry, my geeky blood-pressure is going high at the moment. Don't blame me for speculating, but what if this giveaway is subtly throwing hints about a new Blizzard Entertainment Steampunk-themed video game to be announced at BlizzCon 2013? Is that even feasible to imagine or a loooong-stretch?
Blizzard Entertainment is currently developing two MMOs: the Next-Gen MMO codenamed Titan and a unannounced MMO.
If this speculation doesn't excite you, I don't know what will. A Steampunk Blizzard game — would you play something that wicked sweet?
I might be totally wrong on this one, I admit. However, tell me straight to the face you won't get excited after reading what the League of S.T.E.A.M is and after viewing their photos. I present to you … the League of S.T.E.A.M
Online gamers to pay tax for ingame earnings in Sweden
The Swedish Tax Agency wants every Swedish gamer that earns money from online-gaming to pay tax for the money earned. There are a few games where you can earn money in-game for example Second Life and Diablo 3. The gamer needs to register all earned money from gaming to the tax agency; but this isn't that easy since the gamer needs to know who the buyer is.
The criteria for the tax is that the seller is from Sweden and that he is a person that can pay taxes. This means that if the gamer is selling items on an online auction house, or something similar; he/she needs to find out who the seller is, and if the seller can pay tax, then report this.
There won't be that many sellers reporting this income to The Swedish Tax Agency. This law seems pointless to me, would be nice to see a follow up on this from the tax office next year to see if there was actually anyone paying taxes for their earnings.
Source: Read the full standpoint in this matter. (Article in Swedish, use google translate to read it)
BlizzCon Mobile Countdown Web App
Blizzplanet is proud to announce its very own BlizzCon countdown web application for your mobile device. This is designed to be used on your iOS or Android mobile phone. Follow these steps on your phone and get excited for BlizzCon!
1. Browse to http://www.blizzplanet.com/blizzconcountdown/ or http://is.gd/blizzcon if you want a shorter URL to type in.
2.If you are on iOS a button should popup with instructions. If it doesn't, tap the Arrow button on the bottom bar of Safari. If you are on Android it varies from device to device but look for an Add Bookmark to Home screen option.
3. Tap Add to Home Screen
4. Choose a Name and hit Add.
You will now have a nice BlizzCon icon on your phone's home screen.
GamesCom 2013 – Blizzplanet Wants Your Questions for Diablo III (PS3) Team
Blizzard Entertainment has extended a press invite to Blizzplanet to attend the press event to be held at GamesCom on Wednesday, August 21. Arthur Lorenz (Handclaw) will record video of the panel to share with fans what happened there. Our most appreciative thanks to Blizzard's US and Europe teams.
Diablo III (PS3) Interview
Blizzplanet has scheduled an interview with the Diablo III Team at GamesCom. Please, submit your questions about the Diablo III PlayStation 3. I recommend to watch the Penny Arcade | PvP Online video. The guys played Diablo III (PS3) from their couch for two hours — allowing fans to see a lot of the UI and game systems.
After watching that video you can submit any questions you may have to forward it through our scheduled GamesCom interview. Any news coming out on Wednesday, August 21 and 22 — feel free to submit questions those two days too based on the new GamesCom info.
The comments section at the bottom of this page is Livefyre. You can login using your Livefyre, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Linkedin or Open ID username and password to post a comment. Try a different internet browser if you encounter any problems submitting a comment. Alternatively, you may also email me at medievaldragon@blizzplanet
Special thanks to old-buddie Handclaw who is conducting the interview for Blizzplanet. I'm currently ironing out with Handclaw and third-party contacts to take video of the Blizzard press event panel. So please, stay tuned for any updates.
New Diablo 3 Chrome theme released
A new Chrome theme was recently released by Thunderclaww. This time it's a theme based on the Diablo 3 Act 1 graphics. You can also choose to use his older themes; Heaven and Hell.
Penny Arcade Presents: Diablo III Console (PS3)
Penny Arcade posted a 2 hour video showing off Diablo III on PlayStation 3 gameplay with a camera view on the players while they watch the TV screen, and discuss during gameplay everything they see and experience.
Those who have missed videos of the PlayStation 3 version of Diablo III have now a lengthy video to fill in what's new with the UI and gameplay mechanics.
ATVI – Activision Blizzard 2013 Q2 Financial Results Conference Call
Activision Blizzard celebrated today their 2013 Second Quarter financial results conference call where Bob Kotick addressed their independence from Vivendi after purchasing their shares.
Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard, said, "We are pleased with our second-quarter results, which confirm the preliminary results we released last week when we announced our transaction with Vivendi. The agreement we reached with Vivendi will make us an independent company and should deliver meaningful earnings per share accretion to our shareholders. Our solid performance across our franchises and strong digital sales, including continued significant growth this quarter in our Call of Duty® downloadable content business over the previous year, validate our belief that we will enter this new period of independence in a position to leverage the flexibility and focus that it provides."
On July 25, 2013, Activision Blizzard announced that it reached an agreement under which the company will acquire approximately 429 million company shares and certain tax attributes from Vivendi, in exchange for approximately $5.83 billion in cash, or $13.60 per share acquired before taking into account any future benefit from these tax attributes. In a related transaction, ASAC II LP, an investment vehicle led by CEO Bobby Kotick and Activision Blizzard Co-Chairman Brian Kelly, will purchase approximately 172 million company shares from Vivendi for approximately $2.34 billion in cash, or $13.60 per share. Following the completion of the transactions, which are expected to close by the end of September 2013, Vivendi will no longer be the majority shareholder, but will retain a stake of approximately 83 million shares, or approximately 12%.
Main Highlights
- World of Warcraft subscribers: 7.7 Million
- Next-Gen MMO Titan is likely to be a non-subscription based MMO
- Titan staff was moved to World of Warcraft, Diablo III and Blizzard All-Stars
The second quarter was a relatively quiet quarter when compared against last quarter, which included the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm launch; and Q2 2012 when we launched Diablo III. We've been making great progress on Diablo III console and Hearthstone along with other ongoing projects, which I'll discuss shortly.
Starting off with World of Warcraft, we ended the quarter with about 7.7 million subscribers worldwide, with the declines split about evenly between East and West. The most recent content update in late May has had a positive impact on stabilizing the churn rate in both regions.
Our next major content update, "Siege of Orgrimmar" is currently in the public testing phase. This update includes a massive new raid dungeon and a new questing area, as well as some new features. Proving grounds is a way for players to learn the skills they need for in-game contents and flexible raids allows groups of varying sizes to enjoy in-game rating. This will make it easier for players to experience compelling in-game contents with their friends. In addition to sustaining engagement for existing players, we believe these features can help make the transition back to the game more compelling for returning players as well. We look forward to releasing this update in the coming weeks.
Before I get into the other game updates, I want to say a few words about our unannounced project codenamed Titan. We're in the process of selecting a new direction for the project and re-envisioning what we want the game to be. And while we can't talk about the details yet, it is unlikely to be a subscription-based MMORPG. I also want to reiterate that there has not been an official announced or projected release date. What I can say is that the commitment to quality has always been at the core of Blizzard values. And we've gone through this type of iterative development process several times in the past on the way to creating genre-defining games. As we continue our assessment, we have shifted some of the resources from the team to our other franchises, including World of Warcraft and Blizzard All-Stars, which we believe will add immense value to those projects.
On the Diablo III side, we announced a September 3rd date for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions to the game. Our showing at E3 was a great opportunity to reinsure ourselves to the console gaming audience. The development team has done a lot of work to tailor Diablo III for a living room experience and these subtle changes have been very well-received by the press. We'll be sharing more Diablo-related news at GamesCom later this month.
Moving on to StarCraft II. We just launched Heart of the Swarm in China a couple of weeks ago and in these early stages have seen a jump in concurrency in the region. In addition, our year-long StarCraft II World Championship Series is currently in its second season with the season finals taking place later this month at GamesCom in Germany.
We've also been putting a lot of focus on Blizzard All-Stars, our upcoming free-to-play online game. Action RTS games have become increasingly popular over the years. As we have in the past with games like World of Warcraft and the original Diablo, we're looking to put our own spin on this genre and challenge some of the existing design paradigms. We've reached a significant internal milestone with Blizzard All-Stars going into wider internal testing and we'll have more to say about the game later this year.
Rounding out our announced game projects is Hearthstone, our new free-to-play digital collectible card game. Hearthstone will launch initially on Windows and Mac PC followed by iPad soon after. We've made great progress polishing the game through internal testing and will be reaching the external test phase very soon. Our promotions in the last quarter, which included several live streamed game-play demos have generated great budge for the game since we revealed it at PAX East in March. Not only will this be our first game on iPad, it will also be the first time in a very long time that we have announced a game and launched it within the same year. This reflects the philosophy behind a small team of Blizzard veterans developing Hearthstone to create Blizzard-quality games on a smaller scale.
Looking ahead, we have BlizzCon coming up on November 8 and 9 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The show will be a good one with the latest Blizzard news, hands-on with games and development and of course, the global finals for our StarCraft II World Championship Series. We hope to see you there or following along via the online stream or on DirecTV.
As we enter the back half of 2013, what we're showing at Blizzard is a broadening of our gaming portfolio. Just 3 years ago, we had one active game. Moving into the rest of 2013 and beyond, we will have several active and vibrant games across 3 major franchises on multiple platforms and with different business models. We'll continue to work hard on creating epic game experiences for our players and look forward to delivering those experiences in a variety of ways.
Brian J. Pitz: With respect to the wild sub declines, I think last quarter was more Asia based, now it seems to be ramping up more on the West. Can you just give us a little more color there on the split?
Morhaime: Concerning subscription decline, in aggregate in Q2, we did see a smaller decline than we saw in Q1, and I think it's very important to note the impact that our content updates have had since the most recent update, mid-May. We have seen a very positive impact on the churn rate, and that's across both regions.
Brian J. Pitz: Got it. And just one more follow-up on WoW. There's kind of been rumors in and out of the press on a potential movie set with the WoW theme. Any updates there?
Morhaime: I don't have any updates other than to say that we are continuing to work with Legendary Pictures. Duncan Jones has been selected as the director, who has been actively working on a movie, and we continue to be very excited about it.
Colin A. Sebastian : In the scenario that WoW were to continue declining, I'm wondering whether your priority, ultimately, would be to protect profitability of the franchise or to continue spending on potential growth initiatives?
Morhaime: Our priority is to continue delivering great contents to our players. We feel the WoW continues to be the top most compelling, possibly multiplayer online role-playing game available, and we think it still has a very long life ahead of itself. We think that over time, we have seen players come and go and return to World of Warcraft, and we recognize that there's a lot that we can do to make the experience of coming back to World of Warcraft and the transition back into the game and meeting up with your friends much easier than it currently. And so I think that's a big opportunity for us.
Brian J. Pitz (Jefferies LLC, Research Division)
Colin A. Sebastian (Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Research Division)
GamesCom 2013 – Blizzard Entertainment Press Invitation For Special Diablo III Announcement
Polygon reported that Blizzard Entertainment has issued an invitation to several gaming news networks to attend a press event at GamesCom on August 21 at 11:30 a.m. CEST (5:30 a.m. ET).
This press event is to make a special announcement concerning Diablo III.
"You are invited to join Blizzard Entertainment at a press conference on the first day of gamescom 2013. We're making a special announcement that's sure to capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells and all the shadowed places that lie between." — source
Speculation-Mode On
It is Blizzplanet — what can I say? Speculation is inevitable with such an invitation tease. Polygon thinks the special announcement refers to the console port. It is a possibility. Yes, it is. Likely a new PS3 feature or PS3+PC/Mac feature that was not announced yet, but the tease might be something more. The way it entices "all the shadowed places that lie between" rings a bell to me and to everyone who read the Diablo: The Sin War trilogy (2006) novel by New York Times best selling author Richard A. Knaak.
Why is that? Because between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells there are other shadowy places … other unexplored worlds other than Sanctuary. Worlds that have been taken by the Prime Evils for milennia, and by the Angiris Council. Places that have been sieged by both factions. Captured and lost and regained for aeons.
I am not making this up. No. It is in the lore canon. If you haven't taken the time to read Richard A. Knaak's canon novel, you should now. Because if this GamesCom 2013 Press Invite is what I think it is — you may want to begin buffing up your lore of what's coming … in the Diablo III expansion.
"The gateway was nearly complete, and then the voices struck him from all directions. You cannot! You cannot! You cannot! At the same time, the gateway disintegrated despite his best efforts to keep it from doing so. Filled with an unaccustomed anger, he confronted the voices. This is my burden! This is my duty! You have no say in this, none of you! There was a moment of silence, and then, together, they responded, But we do … this goes beyond Sanctuary now. Beyond all of us who stand sentinel.
- The dragon grew wary. "How so? How can that be?".
Their words struck him as nothing else could. "Because the war is coming to Sanctuary, and if you interfere with what the Balance demands, it and all existence may be forfeit."
They left him, then, all the others who stood guard as he did over their separate worlds, left him with the knowledge that it was his Sanctuary whose imminent fate might decide theirs. — source: Diablo: The Sin War Trilogy — if you have The Veiled Prophet pocketbook look for page 168.
There is a eBook version that contains all three novels for Kindle, PC internet browsers (Cloud Reader) and other mobile apps.
Now — why do I come to the conclusion that Blizzard Entertainment might or not announce the Diablo III expansion at GamesCom when "you" the fans are 100% certain such a Diablo III expansion announcement will be done at BlizzCon 2013 or a future BlizzCon?
I will give you a very subtle and straight to the liver hint … was Diablo III unveiled and announced at BlizzCon? Hell, no! (No pun intended)
Diablo III was announced at the 2008 Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals in Paris, France.
Thus, hopefully now I have weakened your 100% resolve that a Diablo III expansion CAN'T be announced outside BlizzCon, and instead lured you into my web of blatant and impossibly sweet speculation.
GamesCom is the biggesst gaming convention in the world. If Blizzard had plans to showcase a Diablo III demo at BlizzCon, then GamesCom is the best place to announce the Diablo III expansion — to drive all the world's press to talk about the expansion. Everyone and their cat would be, thus, keeping an eye to the BlizzCon 2013 DirecTV livestream.
Now this Polygon news that Blizzard Entertainment is inviting gaming news outlets to this GamesCom press event was posted on July 31, 2013 (yesterday). Nick Carpenter tweeted on July 30 the following:
Wait … cinematic tweet, and press invite emailed out to gaming news outlets within a few hours. Not everything that looks golden is gold, but gee ain't that a tease? Sounds like the Diablo III expansion [might] be announced along with a cinematic teaser to leave fans itching until more info comes out at BlizzCon. Exactly what happened at the 2008 Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals (WWI) and four months later BlizzCon 2008 hit us with waves of info.
But don't trust this minion's word for it. It's mean of me to weave you tight into my speculation web, and then let you down, but that's how speculations work. It's a binary capricious thing. One and Zero. It becomes true and happinness, and euphoria reigns you; or it slaps you in the face (false).
Whether the speculation is true or not, simply enjoy what Blizzard Entertainment has in store for all fans across the world. They don't hold a press event invite for giggles. Something really awesome is coming, folks.
Update: After thorough thinking, there is also another possible "shadowy places" reference. Blizzard All-Stars contains characters from Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo games.


text:
Buckwheat Crepes
Photo: Marillyn Beard
Combine kefir (or other), oil and grain in the blender. Blend for about 3 minutes on high or just 30 seconds if using flour. Cover blender and let batter stand overnight at room temp to break down the phytates. After soaking, add egg, salt, honey & cinnamon (if making sweet style). Blend till well mixed.
Rub your cast iron pan with oil and get it nicely hot, but not smokey. Have a napkin ready for rubbing more in between crepes. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan and quickly tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly to the edges. Mix your batter each time before making each new crepe. Cook till edges are browned and loosen along the edges with a thin table knife or spatula. Turn over crepe and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn over onto a plate and keep it warm with a light towel covering it. Rub more oil on pan and continue till batter is used up.
Top with Creamy Honey Cheese, your choice of fruit and syrup. For the blackberry syrup... I cooked the berries with a little water till they were mush, added arrowroot powder and boiled it gently till it thicken. Then I added honey and pour the mixture in my blender. Gave it a whirl till smooth and poured into a jar to serve. Simple, tart and sweet!
1.0 servings
Friday, December 4, 2009 - 12:32am

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hold On
Moonlight streets on your soft skin as you sleep tonight
These fallen dreams as I count every breath you breathe
I can't believe that we are standing on different sides
The cold reality cos we live in the same room living separate lives - oh
We gotta hold on (hold on)
We can make it through the storm
Baby it's been so long (so long)
Since the feeling was so right
I know we can make it strong
For I have seen the signs
In my heart you still belong
Gotta keep holding on
Oh we gotta hold on
We've been so blind to let the passing time just slip by
All we're sacrificed just washed away like a turning tide
I sit alone and look up into the open skies
I finally realise oh we've got to fight to keep this love alive - oh
We gotta hold on (hold on)
We can make it through the stor
Writer(s): John Ignatius Mclaughlin, Finn Martin, Shawn Casselle, Lee Anthony Brennan, Philipp Steinke
Copyright: Windswept Music (London) Ltd., Edition Exzess, Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Germany) Gmbh, Edition Brandnewmusic
Lyrics powered by www.musiXmatch.com
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Get Truthdig's headlines in your inbox!
Tariq Ali: The Time Is Right for a Palace Revolution
That's All, Folks
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Robert Scheer: On Civil Liberties, Obama's 'Probably the Worst President We've Had'
Leonard Nimoy's Last Wishes for Israel and Palestine (Video)
By David Rothkopf $17.16
Not only would a proposed Nigerian law mean prison for gay people who live together, but also anyone who "aids and abets" them. A giant step beyond outlawing gay sex, the law would give police the power to arrest suspected cohabiting gays as well as human rights workers who deal with gay rights.
Flickr / commorancy
Anyone who's ever worn a headset while on Xbox Live, Microsoft's multiplayer gaming-chatting-shopping nexus, knows that it's dominated by adolescent bigots. It's bad enough that Redmond hasn't cleaned things up, but a gamer named Teresa says she was actually banned from the service for being openly gay and allegedly offending the bigots who were harassing her.
By Mr. Fish —
Hats off to the Scandinavians, who continue to make the world's progressives green with envy. Even as Iceland faces economic catastrophe, the volcanic island nation has made history by naming the world's first (for the most part) openly gay national leader. Johanna Sigurdardottir will become prime minister. (The New York Daily News says Norway briefly had an openly gay man as prime minister.)
Here's the footage of openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson's invocation, which he delivered Sunday before the inaugural concert festivities began—and which was not included in HBO's special broadcast of the show. But was it the network's choice or Team Obama's?
U.S. Army / Sgt. Whitney Houston
Here's what Robert Gibbs, Barack Obama's top talker, had to say about whether the next president would work to end the military's policy of discrimination against gay service members: "You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's 'Yes.' "
AP photo / Mary Altaffer
It is unsurprising that a group like Human Rights Watch has condemned the Bush government for jettisoning the U.S. role as a defender of global human rights: Numerous examples—Guantanamo, gay marriage, Iraq, etc.—accentuate this failure.
Flickr / laverrue
New England is becoming a gay marriage zone. Five of the six states already have protections for gay couples, and state lawmakers and groups like Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders are pushing for full marriage rights in all six by 2012. Beyond human rights, that could mean big bucks for the region.
Clearly Barack Obama and his legion of inauguration planners have registered the gay community's dismay over the selection of the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation on Jan. 20, as Obama has tapped the openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson to lead the prayer session at an event two days prior.
A revelatory account of a hidden chapter of the treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II deepens our understanding of American prejudice and the abuse of power.
By inviting Pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation, President-elect Barack Obama has alienated some of his friends on the left, but the choice also enrages conservatives who fear the breakup of right-wing dominance in the white evangelical community.
Rep. Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, isn't happy about the "high honor" Barack Obama has bestowed on the Rev. Rick Warren, who recently likened gay marriage to incest and pedophilia. This isn't a speech at a forum, the congressman points out, but a role that is "traditionally given as a mark of great respect."
So we're aware by now of Obama's "team of rivals" strategy for his upcoming tenure in the White House, but it's still startling to hear that Pastor Rick Warren of Southern California's Saddleback Church, home of the notorious "cone of silence" interviews with Obama and John McCain last August, is going to give the invocation at Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20.
The town of Eureka Springs, Ark., is held up as a cautionary example of how "well-organized" squads of homosexuals are taking over God-fearing hamlets across America in this instructional video promo.
Gus Van Sant's "Milk" is a movie to be thankful for. Go see it, tonight if you can, and in a crowded theater. Then open up some merlot and watch the documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk," by Robert Epstein—because these two films belong together.
AP photo / Phil Bray
Gus Van Sant's "Milk" is the first major Hollywood "gay themed" film since "Brokeback Mountain," and moreover (unlike "Brokeback"), this one is about openly gay activists, not tortured closet cases. Yet, once again, the lead gay roles couldn't be filled by openly gay actors. What's going on here?
By Christian Neumeister —
The California Supreme Court has agreed to examine the state's recently adopted marriage ban, scheduling a hearing for March. The court will decide whether Prop. 8 was a sweeping revision or a simple amendment to the state's constitution, and whether legally married same-sex couples should suffer a blanket divorce.
One-hundred-and-four retired admirals and generals have signed a statement calling on the military to allow gay soldiers to serve openly. "Don't ask, don't tell" has lost support since the Clinton administration originally negotiated the compromise, but Barack Obama will likely avoid resurrecting one of his predecessor's biggest headaches.
Flickr / scott92007
Is Jerry Brown just doing his job, or is he trying to be all things to all Californians? The attorney general said in a statement that the state's high court should review the recently passed gay marriage ban, but until then, "... The public interest would be better served by allowing Proposition 8 to remain in effect ... ."
If you're looking for an opportunity to support the well-dressed and maritally oppressed, you're about to get your chance. On Saturday, protesters will take to the streets all across this great, if slightly homophobic, nation to take a stand for equality. Find out where to go here. And for inspiration, we turn to Andrew Sullivan.
The New York Times / Shana Sureck
In the face of California's unsettling passage of Proposition 8 barring gay marriage, gay couples in Connecticut are beginning to exercise their equal rights after a final court hearing cleared the way for same-sex unions, ending a long legal battle in the Constitution State.
Flickr / ingridtaylar
Andrew Sullivan has words of encouragement for the protesters who've taken to the streets of California: "A word to those discouraged by last Tuesday: don't be. We will win because we're right. It's as simple as that. We are equal."
"This isn't about yelling, and this isn't about politics," says the "Countdown" anchor, who points out that the president-elect would not exist if Americans had never "redefined" marriage.
Flickr / zoonabar
Californians voted 52 percent to 48 percent to approve a despicable ballot measure banning gay marriage. The two sides spent more than $74 million, and in the end proponents of Prop. 8 won out by convincing voters that the measure would somehow protect children.
With Obama's victory, it's time to hope that the era of racial backlash and wedge politics is over. Time to imagine that the patriotism of dissenters will no longer be questioned and that the world will no longer be divided between "values voters" and those without a moral compass.
AP photo / Kevork Djansezian
The thousands of same-gender couples who have married in the few months since the California Supreme Court cleared the way are in fact married. The notion that a majority vote by people who are not party to these marriages of love, commitment, care and family will have the power to impose a divorce on these couples is flatly repugnant.
Two weeks after the death of Joerg Haider, former leader of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party, media attention has moved from Haider's fascistic political life to his personal life, with the politician's sexual identity undergoing a bit of a queering, much to the surprise of his ultranationalistic supporters. Haider was a 58-year-old married father of two.
While gay marriage is losing its stigma, abortion is once again retreating to the closet.
Co-founder Sergey Brin explains on Google's blog why the tech giant officially opposes California's Prop. 8, a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state: "While there are many objections to this proposition ... it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8."
AP photo / Al Grillo
Sarah Palin may be a governor and a vice presidential candidate, but in the hyper-masculine world of the Christian right, she is subservient to a male hierarchy that claims to speak for God.
AP photo / Gerald Herbert
Jokes about religion often play with the boundaries of tolerance and taste, but they don't always carry the consequences that Sabina Guzzanti now faces. The Italian actress could go to jail for upsetting the powers that be with a satirical zinger about the pope and two gay devils.
The United States is in far worse shape when it comes to HIV infection rates than researchers previously thought, according to a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that attributes the whopping 40 percent adjustment to more precise research methods.
Flickr / PLAN.9
Back when Mitt Romney was the (allegedly gay-friendly) governor of Massachusetts, he used an obscure 1913 law with racist origins to keep the state from becoming "the Las Vegas of gay marriage." Bay State lawmakers have just repealed that law, but the new situation in Massachusetts won't be a first because California already permits same-sex weddings for out-of-state residents.
Politicians usually try to explain away their records once they bid for higher office. Take the case of just about any big-time Democrat and the issue of gay marriage. But San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who formally launched an exploratory bid Tuesday for the California governorship, says he's not worried about his gay rights legacy: "We're about civil rights and equal rights, you better believe it. ... I'm proud of that, I'm not going to hide from that."
Army.mil / Mike A. Glas
Although women make up a small percentage of Army and Air Force personnel, nearly half of all discharges last year related to "don't ask, don't tell" were of women. The Pentagon could not explain to The New York Times why the numbers were so much higher for women, but it continues to stand by the policy.
Bill O'Reilly is just beside himself about a new, ultra-confusing British advertisement for Heinz mayonnaise. He's so troubled, in fact, by the sight of two men kissing (!) for no apparent reason (?!), that he enlists the aid of two other talking heads, Jane Hall and Bernard Goldberg, who are also willing to pretend this matter deserves airtime and extended commentary.
With a soundtrack as shifty as its logic, here is another captivating self-parody from the Sam Graves campaign. The shameless Missouri congressman, who has tried to paint his Democratic opponent as an unholy champion of gayness because she held a fundraiser in San Francisco, has launched another attack ad allegedly based on that city's values.
By Mark Fiore —
John Amaechi is not your typical basketball star. The former center for Utah, Orlando and Cleveland is the first NBA alumnus to openly declare that he's gay, and now he's combining sports and cultural politics in another sense by serving as Amnesty International's sports ambassador to this summer's Beijing Olympics.
AP photo / Markus Schreiber
Berlin's mayor, Klaus Wowereit, was on hand for the inauguration of a new memorial in the German capital dedicated to the 55,000 gay men who were branded criminals by the Nazi regime before and during World War II—and of whom about 15,000 were killed in Nazi camps. Above, the artists who created the monument.
Imagine what it would be like not to be able to marry the person with whom you want to spend the rest of your life. Then imagine how tens of thousands of gays and lesbians in California must have felt last week when the California Supreme Court declared that homosexuals have a right to marriage under the state's constitution.
Flickr / bobster1985
The California Supreme Court has ruled that gays and lesbians have a right to marry. Chief Justice Ronald M. George aptly explained the landmark 4-3 decision: "Even the most familiar ... traditions often mask an unfairness and inequality that frequently is not recognized or appreciated by those not directly harmed."
AP photo / Jorge Rey
Be it through changes in cell phone restrictions or proposed legislation recognizing same-sex unions and transgender rights, Cuba's political future is looking up for many of its citizens.
Outkast's Andre 3000, the original Miss Jackson (if you're nasty), Ashanti, Portia di Rossi, T.R. Knight and other celebrities put their fame to work in this public service announcement geared toward raising awareness about discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The pseudo pundit proves once again that he is a master of satire with this interview with the Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese, who does his best to respond to questions that, for once, sound as dumb as they are.
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Ullswater Moorings
Considered by many to be the loveliest lake in England, Ullswater offers excellent sailing, quiet anchorages, and fell & low-level walks amongst spectacular scenery. Good hotels restaurants and pubs are all available nearby. Ullswater Yacht Club offers a warm welcome and excellent facilities, including launching.
Dalemain Estates grant licences for swinging moorings in three locations on Ullswater:
- Eusemere (near Pooley Bridge and the Park Foot campsite)
- Gale Bay (just north of Waterside House campsite)
- Sharrow Bay (near to the Sharrow Bay Hotel)
2014 Mooring Licence Fees
- Eusemere - £382.50 plus 20% VAT = £459.00 (Spaces Available)
- Gale Bay - £507.50 plus 20% VAT = £609.00 (Spaces Available)
- Sharrow Bay - £632.50 plus 20% VAT = £759.00 (Spaces Available)
Download our Mooring information
The mooring tackle (the weights, chains and buoys) is the sole property and responsibility of the mooring licensees. It may be possible by private negotiation to purchase any existing tackle from the outgoing licensee. Existing tackle can be lifted and surveyed, and serviced by Mr J. Smith, an independent contractor who also lays new mooring tackle when required. The positions and numbering of the moorings are monitored by the National Park Authority.
Should you wish to proceed, please complete and return the mooring application form to Jen Little at the Dalemain Estate Office, who will then contact you to advise of the positions and numbers of the vacant moorings and whether any existing tackle is available.
Further information about the Ullswater area is available from Tourist Information Centres at Glenridding and Pooley Bridge.
WELCOME to Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens - Spring & Summer Opening times
The Historic House & Gardens will officially open for the Summer Season on Sunday 29th March 2015. However we are open for the weekend Saturday 28th February to Sunday 1st March 2015 for our amazing World's Original Marmalade Awards Festival Weekend. A fantastic fun filled weekend with something for everyone! full details: www.dalemain marmaladeawards.com
Vacancy - Administrative Assistant required at Dalemain
An opportunity to work in the office at Dalemain as part of a small team helping to provide members of the public with memorable experiences based on the beauty and history of Dalemain and to thus ensure its future. It is a hands on job, where no two days are the same. Four days p.w. Closing date: Monday 9th March 2015
Moorings available on Lake Ullswater
Contact Dalemain now to secure a licence to moor your boat on the most beautiful lake in the Lake District
Dalemain Marmalades have excelled at this year's Great Taste Awards.
Penrith Remembers Launches The Centenary Programme of the Commemoration of the World War 1 at Dalemain
Dalemain Wins HHA/Christie's Prestigious Garden of the Year Award 2013
The charming English gardens of Dalemain, nestled in the Lake District, have won the 2013 Garden of the Year Award sponsored by the Historic Houses Association and Christie's. This prestigious national award, now in its 29th year, is designed to recognise the importance of gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal, either in their own right or as the setting for an historic house.
Dalemain wins prestigious Heritage Award for best event 2012
Dalemain has been presented with a prestigious Hudson's Heritage Award for Best Event 2012 - The World's Original Marmalade Awards & Festival.


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10 Photos that Prove Vladimir Putin Deserves James Bond Role
If Vladimir Putin was an Englishman and graduating from the National Youth Theatre, after Pierce Brosnan retired from the MI6 agency perhaps it was him that would replace Brosnan's position instead of Daniel Craig.
The former Russian president who currently seeks for another term at the presidential office meets all the requirements to play Ian Fleming's James Bond character.
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