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|Adam Donald RPG Superstar 2012 Top 8 aka shiverscar
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EDIT FROM THE JUDGES: Please read this information about playtesting these encounters. We've also added hyperlinks from the encounter's short stat blocks to the full stat blocks in the PRD so you have the information you need to run the encounter.
Fort Walmor, The Slavers' End
Fort Walmor was a small depot for traders and treasure hunters travelling Sargava and the Mwangi Expanse. Situated at the eastern edge of the Laughing Jungle on the Lower Korir River, the fort was founded by the Rivermen's Guild to provide a much needed outpost for supplying ships and explorers headed further into the wilderness and moving goods back downriver to Port Freedom. The fort's manager, Bryon Hawthe, took a share of every bit of wealth that travelled through his warehouses and still sent enough trade to his masters to keep them happy with his methods. Treasures plundered from deep in the Expanse provided ample income, but the fort's most lucrative source of wealth for Fort Walmor was the slave trade.
The slaver barge Merrow's Scowl docked at Fort Walmor with a hold full of human cargo and strange plunder from the tribal homes of its captives. The captain of the ship, Pollus Loire, was particularly entranced by a strange and eerie idol in the shape of a demonic ape. The night the Merrow's Scowl arrived marked a violent and brutal slave revolt. The slave pits emptied, liberated slaves boiled out the docked ships. Guards retaliated with savage force. Every living soul in Fort Walmor fell upon one another, slaves turning on slaves when the last of their oppressors was slain, fuelled by ancient tribal enmities. When the sun rose the next day, Fort Walmor housed only the dead. Worse, the stones and timber of the fortress -- already permeated with the pain, anger, and sorrow of a slave camp -- came to house the concentrated rage and vengeful fury of the last fateful night of its inhabitants. The first unwary travelers that attempted to dock all met with terrible, violent ends. Fort Walmor is known locally as The Slavers' End and is widely regarded as a cursed place, haunted by the souls of angry dead.
The strange idol brought into the fort by Captain Pollus was a minor artifact, called the ire of Angazhan. Though only marginally intelligent, the cursed artifact attempts to influence the emotions of living creatures around it, driving them to acts of brutal savagery. The idol rests in the former garrison, where the intelligent undead that stalk the ground pay strange homage to the artifact that engineered their fall and rebirth.
Several groups are currently contracting adventurers and explorers to investigate the fate of Fort Walmor. Chief among them is the Rivermen's Guild, hoping to reclaim treasures languishing in Bryon Hawthe's warehouses first and foremost and perhaps re-establish Fort Walmor as another crucial outpost in their river operations.
Traveling upriver to The Slavers' End is difficult, but not impossible, and offers the best protection from heat dangers. Characters that risk the overland route will have to contend with the dense terrain of the Laughing Jungle and the risks the greater than 90°F daytime temperatures cause. For additional information, refer to the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook Overland Movement (pg. 171), Forest Terrain (pg. 425), and Heat Dangers (pg. 444).
The Merrow's Scowl (CR 4 or 7)
The interior of the Merrow's Scowl is dim and rank with the sickly-sweet smell of rot. Foodstuffs piled high against the walls of the ship have long since spoiled and become fertilizer for strange and unpleasant looking molds and fungi. The bottom of the ship has dissolved into the damp, silty mud of the Lower Korir River. Your first steps into the hold cause you to sink into muck; this provides the mixed blessing of allowing you to walk upright, but impedes your movements at the same time. Four support struts hang tenuously from the crossbeams above, connected by a corroded metal shaft that runs through them, anchored to the stern and aft. Rusted manacles hang from the rod, dangling into the muddy riverbank. Wedged awkwardly into the stern is a crumbling makeshift altar.
The eerie sound of drumming emitted by the haunt is easily audible outside the wreck of the slaver barge and characters that enter hold easily identify the altar as the source of the sound. Characters that approach the altar see a ghostly after image of the demonic ape idol that once adorned it, the ire of Angazahn. The image winks out as soon as the haunt triggers and does not reappear. The altar was constructed by Captain Pollus shortly after the idol began to have an influence on him. He hid it carefully among the tightly packed goods and visited it under the guise of surveying their supplies and the condition of the slaves.
Treat the mud that holds the remains of the Merrow's Scowl as shallow bog (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 427). The mud has sifted inside the ship and holds it fast against the surprisingly mild currents of the river. The support struts provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 to Reflex saves to creatures fighting across them on a diagonal. The hull of the ship is deteriorating quickly in the humid climate of the Laughing Jungle; halve the structural hit points and DR of the wood for any attempts to break it.
Creatures: Two of the three undead in the wreck of lie in wait beneath the mud near the entrance, while the third hides closer to the haunt's proximity. The creatures bury themselves completely, granting themselves total concealment. When the shrieks and screams that accompany the haunt's activation fill the hold, the creatures rise and attack. The bloody skeletons attack the nearest PC, regardless of which PC the Savage Madness haunt targets with its murderous command. The juju zombies flank and kill those that appear unaffected by the haunt's confusion effect. Both the bloody skeletons and juju zombies defend themselves if unearthed or assaulted before the haunt has been triggered.
Both versions of the Savage Madness haunt manifest by filling the hold of the ship with the howls and shrieks of a bloody melee. Creatures affected by the haunt see their allies as Mwangi tribesmen with exaggerated demonic features or slavers garbed in infernal armor and wielding flaming whips. If no creature is in the haunt's proximity and the haunt has not yet been neutralized, the sounds of battle cease and the drums resume.
Low Tier (CR 4):
Savage Madness (CR 2) LINK
CE persistent haunt (5ft. by 10ft. area in front of the makeshift altar)
Caster Level 2nd
Notice: Perception DC 15 (The sound of rhythmic tribal drumming, emanating from the altar)
hp 9; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 week
Effect When this haunt is triggered, the sound of brutal, bloody battle erupts from the altar, punctuated by shrieks and maddened ululations. Creatures affected by the haunt suddenly perceive allies as howling demonic savages or infernal oppressors. A single creature in the haunt's area is targeted by a murderous command spell (save DC 11).
Destruction The altar must be exposed to the noonday sun and anointed with holy water.
Bloody Skeletons (3) CR 2 LINK
XP 200 each
AC 18 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 6 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 250, 251)
Melee scimitar +2 (1d6+2), claw -3 (1d4+1) or 2 claws +2 (1d4+2)
Gear chain shirt, scimitar
High Tier (CR 7):
Savage Madness (CR 5) LINK
CE persistent haunt (10ft. by 10ft. area in front of the makeshift altar)
Caster Level 5th
Notice: Perception DC 15 (The sound of rhythmic tribal drumming, emanating from the altar)
hp 22; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 week
Effect When this haunt is triggered, the sound of brutal, bloody battle erupts from the altar, punctuated by shrieks and maddened ululations. Creatures affected by the haunt suddenly perceive allies as howling demonic savages or infernal oppressors. All creatures in the haunt's proximity are targeted by a confusion spell (save DC 16).
Destruction The altar must be exposed to the noonday sun and anointed with holy water.
Juju Zombies (3) CR 5 LINK
AC 22 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural)
hp 15 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 271)
Gear mwk chain shirt, mwk short sword
Development: The loud clamor the haunt produces when triggered acts as an alarm for the more intelligent undead dwelling within the fort. Alerted creatures prepare for the arrival of interlopers. If the sounds of the haunt persist for a minute or more, even intermittently, undead shamble from the fort to investigate, starting with the creatures currently inhabiting the slave pit (3).
|Robert Lazzaretti Contributing Cartographer
Good Looking map reference, I like the fact that everything is on the map sketch that is needed to get right to work drawing this one up. The map is very clearly rendered and clearly labeled. I appreciate the nice looking Map Legend/Key using the standard mapping symbols. I especially like the zoomed in detail inset of the slaver barge.
One thing that seems unusual to me is the missing grid inside the buildings, no big deal I assume that a grid is supposed to be there, but still something to make note of. Also I would zoom back a bit to show the surrounding jungle.
This is a good basic encounter map, with no real surprises or challenges for the cartographer, fairly easy to complete in a short amount of time. Good work!
|Neil Spicer Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
Welcome to the Top 8, Adam. You've been coming on strong this year and now you've found your way into a unique position. From here, you've got a major opportunity to really impress a lot of folks and secure yourself some bonafide freelancing opportunities, not just with Paizo but other third-party publishers, as well. The trick lies in putting forth your best work. Show us you belong.
So, with that in mind, I've made a point of really combing through everyone's designs this go-around. You should have learned a lot of lessons up to this point. Now, we need to see how well you've incorporated them and how well you've learned to apply them. In fact, encounter design is the primary precursor to adventure design. It incorporates your storytelling ability, your map-making ability, your stat-block ability, and rolls up enough other elements of game design skills that it really starts to bring it altogether. So, let's go through it and see what you've given us...
- First Fort Walmor sounds like an interesting location, especially since it's sub-titled as the Slaver's End. I'm interested to see where it goes from there.
- You've got a reasonably good map. Very visually appealing. I was confused at first, however, as to which location on the map this encounter referred to...then, just based on the name, it became evident it must be location #2. Still, the number on the map should be included in the location's title line in your write-up just to make it clearer.
- Decent inclusion of Golarion content.
- You're using a lot of passive voice, though. Try and avoid as many conventions of the verb "to be" as you can. So, go back and highlight just the places where you used "is"..."are"..."was"...and "were" etc. If the majority of your write-up is relying on those types of verbs, you need to work on replacing them with more active verbs to make your prose read better and come across as more evocative.
- The premise for this encounter...i.e., a demonic idol of Anghazan enraging and confusing creatures reads a lot like the PFS scenario for Mists of Mwangi, only here we have slaves being impacted by it in the backstory and PCs being targeted by it when they come across the altar, whereas in Mists of Mwangi it was monkeys and an ape from the city's zoo/menagerie made violent by it. Either way, there were enough parallels here that it didn't feel exceptionally innovative or new to me. Even the rhythmic drumming noises were duplicated.
- Introducing a "minor artifact" like the ire of Anghazan (cursed or not) might be a bit much for a CR 4-7 encounter scenario. I guess it all depends on what else it can do...and how valuable it might be...and whether you bring it out again elsewhere in your overarching storyline. Here, you've gone with some kind of afterimage of it and I'm not entirely sure what that means. Also, the term "artifact" gets tossed around a lot when writers only mean something really old. But the word has an in-game meaning that can have people expecting something that's more powerful than the typical magic item. I took it to mean the ire of Anghazan is an artifact-level magic item.
- Repetitive, awkward writing: "Characters that risk the overland route will have to contend with the dense terrain of the Laughing Jungle and the risks the greater than 90°F daytime temperatures cause." A developer would revise this down to something more like: "Characters who risk the overland route have to contend with dense terrain and heat exposure (see Core Rulebook, pgs. xx, xx-xx)."
- Read-aloud text shouldn't make assumptions about what the PCs do...i.e., "Your first steps into the hold cause you to sink into muck; this provides the mixed blessing of allowing you to walk upright, but impedes your movements at the same time." There's no guarantee anyone will walk into the hold at all. They could fly across it, levitate, send a flying familiar to scout it for them, etc. Or, they could bypass it altogether or just use clairaudience/clairvoyance to view what lies inside the ship's hold. You never know. So, you shouldn't assume. Instead, read-aloud text should just focus on describing the room. If someone chooses to go inside, you need to include enough information after the read-aloud text so the GM knows what might impede them or, in the case of creatures who lair inside the room, what might attack them.
- Proofreading problem: "...characters that enter hold easily identify the altar..."
- "after image" vs. "afterimage"
- "The support struts provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 to Reflex saves to creatures fighting across them on a diagonal." Why? I've never heard of terrain or dungeon-dressing granting bonuses to anyone's AC or saving throws before. They can apply penalties in certain situations. And high-ground can give you bonuses on attacks. But this seems ill-advised.
- "The hull of the ship is deteriorating quickly in the humid climate of the Laughing Jungle; halve the structural hit points and DR of the wood for any attempts to break it." Okay. So what's the normal structural hit points and DR of the ship's hull? Even if it's just general wood, a call out reference to the CRB would have been useful here for the GM. Or, at least some kind of upfront discussion about the ship's environment when first introducing the encounter location.
- More proofing problems: "Two of the three undead in the wreck of lie in wait beneath the mud near the entrance..."
- "...the Savage Madness haunt..." No need to capitalize this as it's not a game term.
- "The bloody skeletons attack the nearest PC..." and "The juju zombies flank and kill..." really ought to be information in a Tactics line within a stat-block (even if it's just an abbreviated stat-block), rather than the descriptive text of the encounter.
- Still referencing game terminology wrong by referring to 5ft. and 10ft. when it should be 5 ft. and 10 ft.
- Nice design touch to bump up the bloody skeletons by giving them chain mail and unbroken scimitars, unlike the skeleton entry in the Bestiary. Same deal with the elevated juju zombies.
- Bad design habit: Missing commas in the XP values. Should be XP 1,600.
- Not a tremendous amount of innovation here. It's a good, basic encounter. The haunt overlay to inhibit the PCs as they fight the skeletons or zombies, and the shallow bog as difficult terrain, are the most unusual aspects here. Not sure it's Superstar. But it's serviceable.
- CR-2 adversaries don't pose much of a challenge within the intended tier of this encounter. As such, it doesn't come off as the best encounter location to highlight from the overall map. You were batting for a single rather than a homerun. And, at this stage of the game, I'm not sure that's going to be enough to get you through.
So, given all that, I have to say I'm disappointed. I thought you had some really strong stuff in the competition and a real chance to move forward again in the contest. But, with all the missteps in the presentation and encounter setup, coupled with the somewhat lackluster elements of the actual encounter, I have to say I DO NOT RECOMMEND this encounter to advance you to the next round. It's possible the voters may view things otherwise. And, for your sake, I hope that's the case.
To further things, I'll go ahead and call attention to your earlier work for everyone's consideration. Your flask of liquid sunlight was one of my favorite Top 32 items. I really liked the concept and was excited to see what else you'd do in the contest. Then, your Red Bastards took an area of Golarion and gave us something new and interesting. It wasn't my favorite design of the round, but it was enough to advance. Finally, your pyrebloom was absolutely inspired and an indication that you could be very good at monster design. So, there's no doubt you've got talent. If anything, I'm only judging your design for this round with my recommendation here. Not you or your future potential. Regardless of how the voting turns out, I think you should certainly recognize just how much you've accomplished here and you should be very proud of it. Best of luck in the voting (and playtesting).
|Clark Peterson Legendary Games, Necromancer Games
I think this is a relatively dull location and encounter and submission, I'm sorry to say. This is just not superstar stuff in my view.
Adam, I'm not sure what happened here for you. Maybe you felt too limited by the content you had to work with. Or maybe you weren't familiar with the format. Problem is, the weaknesses you are showing hear relate to how well you would likely do as a winner. And that is a problem.
You've done some great stuff this year and have a lot to be proud of. I just can't give you the nod on this, though.
|Sean K Reynolds Contributor
Adam, welcome to the Top 8!
Neil's detailed comments cover what I was going to say. This is a serviceable but not particularly innovative encounter. You need to tighten up your writing a bit more to catch little errors. Your map is fine, though I would have liked to see more details of the other buildings (I'm sure they're not empty).
Given that the idol was brought into the fort and presumably is still there, I would have thought that you'd focus your R4 submission around the really cool encounter where the PCs actually discover the idol and deal with the cursed undead that guard it, rather than an "establishing shot" encounter where you fight a haunt-echo of the actual MacGuffin.
This encounter gives the PCs a strong hint of what they're facing in this location: an evil idol, mind control, and undead. As an encounter, that's a good thing. As *the* encounter showing off the best part of your location, I think it wasn't the best choice.
|Mark Moreland Developer
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Hi Adam, welcome to the top 8! I'm approaching all 8 entries this round as a sample of work for four authors who will have a chance to write a scenario or module that I'll be developing if they progress to the next round. That means I'm looking at how well this location could fit into the world and a larger adventure, how well you've tiered your encounter, how much work would go into getting the map prepped for a cartographer, and how much time I'd need to spend on this developing it for publication. Let's see what we've got!
I really like your adventure's title. It's got a proper name, which is risky, but you add to it enough that I'm not left wondering what Fort Walmor is. Obviously, it's the Slavers' End! But now I'm really curious what the story is behind this place. And that's the sign of a good location name: if it makes me want to know more, it'll make PCs who hear it name-dropped want to know as well, and that's how adventure hooks are made.
Looking at the map, I don't get very many answers to my questions that popped up from the location name. I see a fort and a boat, but in all this is a pretty boring map. I think it would be easy enough for a cartographer to map, but it doesn't scream AWESOME at me like I want it to. The lack of detail in buildings and their universally square shape leaves me wanting. Don't be afraid to make interestingly shaped buildings. I also would have just mapped the boat detail as part of the regular map. As it is here, the grid doesn't line up, and it makes it harder to put the detail in the larger picture in terms of how the boat is jutting up out of the mud.
I really like the location background. I could see a whole adventure based around investigating this place and clearing out all the bad mojo lingering there. The Angazhan connection seems overdone, however. I think it's entirely possible to have had the same net result at the location but without the demon monkey element again. There are plenty of evil jungle spirits that would work just fine here without treading on territory we've already covered in extensive detail in a number of existing products that include Angazhan and his cult in some fashion.
You made the classic blunder in your read aloud text of using second person. There are other ways a party of 4th- and especially 7th-level PCs could move around that wouldn't involve them trudging in the mud.
I think the encounter would benefit from some things not being a given to the PCs. For example, the sound of drumming is easily audible and the characters can easily identify the altar as the sound's source. That's nice if you want to make sure they don't miss it, but it removes some of the horror when they explore the ship (which they're going to do because they're PCs and PCs want loot and thus they explore) and then the haunt triggers and they hear drums. And it removes the sense of satisfaction for those PCs who make the proper skill checks and determine where the haunt originates from.
I'm completely baffled by the mechanical benefits of the support struts, and think that can simply be removed, as it's needless complexity and rules already exist for cover and fighting around corners and such. This is a fairly straightforward encounter; don't go overcomplicating it for no reason. Nine times out of ten, the simpler option is easier to develop, takes up less words, and provides the same (if not a better) experience for the player and the GM who has to run it. Similarly, I'd rather you just state what the hardness and hip points are of the moldering wood instead of just telling the GM to halve it. That's a simple enough thing to look up for the GM and include in the text so he doesn't have to search for what is essentially a static value.
Props for including a full haunt stat block (correctly styled, no less) and not shying away from it to save word count. You also did a good job of using abbreviated stat blocks for both the skeletons and juju zombies while still adding the necessary extra information a GM needs. It shows some guts to put larger stat blocks in an encounter like this when you could so easily just provide the bare minimum page reference and hit points to give yourself more words for background and flavor. Striking the balance between words and stats is a tough one, but a vital one for any successful freelancer, and of all the entries this round, I think yours stands out to me most as reaching that balance.
I don't think this is the most innovative entry this round, and I don't think it's the best example of mapping, but I do think it shows incredible promise. And it would, without a doubt, be the easiest to develop were it a part of a turnover I had to get ready for publication. As I said above, I'd rather have simple over complex any day of the week, and you manage to tell a compelling story with some fun adventure elements without the need for new rules elements or extensive descriptions. You used your words efficiently to leave room for the stats you needed to make that story come to life. Ultimately, developing this encounter as part of a larger scenario or module would take me the budgeted amount of time, if not less, leaving me more time for more complex or cinematic climax encounters elsewhere. For these reasons I RECOMMEND this submission for advancement to the next round. While the submission may not scream "I'm a superstar!" it does tell me that you have the trappings to be a freelancer for Paizo. If you make it to the Top 4, I expect you to bring your best while sticking to the elements you've already got down. Best of luck, Adam.
|Ryan Dancey
You're introducing an artifact. That gives me the shivers.
Typos. Inexcusable at this level.
I like the overall setting concept. You'd have been better off just giving a hint of the settlement buildings - your encounter is really the shipwreck. In development I'd make more of the settlement to expand it into something meatier. But the concept is awesome.
Unfortunately there is no challenge here. At the CRs you've picked the party will be able to dispatch of these opponents with ease. It seems like the shipwreck was designed to be foreshadowing of what is to come within the main body of the settlement and that's fine as a plan for a whole adventure but you're being asked to submit a SuperStar idea. And this isn't it. This is the encounter before the SuperStar encounter.
You've introduced an artifact, higher level undead, a cursed and haunted location, all tied in to a crumbling ruin in a jungle. That's enough meat on the bone to drive a great submission. But you've actually given us a short, easy fight in a confined space. The only interesting twist is the potential (low) that a PC is affected by a haunt. Not a winning submission.
I recommend that you do not vote for this designer.
|Ice Titan
- "The support struts provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 to Reflex saves to creatures fighting across them on a diagonal." Why? I've never heard of terrain or dungeon-dressing granting bonuses to anyone's AC or saving throws before. They can apply penalties in certain situations. And high-ground can give you bonuses on attacks. But this seems ill-advised.
I remember that in the environment chapter, trees give a cover? bonus to AC and reflex something when a PC is adjacent to one. That's the precedent I think he's trying to engage there.
Is it okay that I said that? If not delete me or something. I'm always afraid to comment on these.
|Sean K Reynolds Contributor
|Aaron Miller 335 Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9
Congrats Adam! I didnot find this overly original but what you did is playable and works for me. I wonk get on you for your writing as I can't do better my self. If you had done the boat in detail with multiple levels and used that as the main location it would have been more useable, or stuck to the fort. Great job I still have seven more to read now.
|Scott Fernandez RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka primemover003
Quote:- "The support struts provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 to Reflex saves to creatures fighting across them on a diagonal." Why? I've never heard of terrain or dungeon-dressing granting bonuses to anyone's AC or saving throws before. They can apply penalties in certain situations. And high-ground can give you bonuses on attacks. But this seems ill-advised.
I remember that in the environment chapter, trees give a cover? bonus to AC and reflex something when a PC is adjacent to one. That's the precedent I think he's trying to engage there.
Is it okay that I said that? If not delete me or something. I'm always afraid to comment on these.
Yeah small trees provide partial cover but they are usually drawn in a square, not at a grid intersection. But a precedent is in the books.
For a 4th/7th level encounter a "shiny" at the end of deep hole isn't much of a challenge. Something as simple as an unseen servant could retrieve the "idol" from the altar even at 1st level. As PCs grow in power there is a paradigm shift that you have to account for in your Craft (encounter) checks. This would be great at 1st and then 4th levels.
--Vrock to Mud
|Ed Zoller 52
I always like to see combat teach a lesson in tactics to players. This one is a walk in the park. Nothing more generic than flanking cannon fodder on the players. Maybe up the HP of the Ju Ju and skeletons so 1 barbarian doesn't just cleave straight through them in 1 shot if they surround him/her. Overall seems fairly weak aa an encounter. Not much for the imagination, nor serves any purpose.
|Anthony Adam Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9
Congratulations on Top 8!
Allow me to introduce Map Fu.
He looks at maps as part of GM preparation for an evenings fun and games. Now for the competition, he is going to be ruthless and treat each map as a "finished" product and not a notelet to cartographer.
Therefore this review will be from the stance of preparing for the encounter, general map items and first impressions. I am hoping to collate feedback from my games club at the weekend for playability feedback, but thought some early GM preparation feedback may be useful.
Now, as these are single encounters fleshed out, rather like a main encounter in a module might be, I will be expecting a number of things to be provided - I look to my large shiny Rise of the Runelords hardback. These will be mentioned in first impressions after the map items and are advisory in nature only as they are a personal expectation.
I'm probably only going to get 2 a day done, so please be patient, I will get to you all.
So let's begin...
Map Fu, I unleash you...
Mmmm, points I smell, eat well I will... (anyone else notice the absolute grand master of passive voice is Yoda? :P)
Check Point 1: Visibility
How clear is everything to see?
Map Fu eats a point - the grey 3 on a grey background may hurt vision impaired gamers. Try using fonts with a contrasting "glow", i.e. a white 2 pixel border around the grey number would have lifted it out of the background.
Map Fu eats a point - the trap door was difficult to spot as it almost disappears into the stronger cross hatch of area 3.
Map Fu thumbs up - Key symbols table - well done.
Map Fu eats a point - key symbol doesnt show the brown shading - is it sand or mud - I should be able to tell from the map, but have to deduce from the encounter text that it's likely mud due to being a river side encounter area.
Map Fu thumbs up - scale indicated - nice.
Score: 2/5
Check Point 2: Compass Rose/North Bearing
Obvious, and should be on all maps.
Map Fu thumbs up - The compass rose is on both main and pull out and orient correctly - nicely done.
Score: 5/5
Check Point 3: Directional Integrity
Do you know your left from right, up from down, west from east? If the encounter refers to the east door, is it on the east wall on the map?
Map Fu thumbs up - the slight rotation of the compass rose in the pull out is the right amount for the rotation of the pull out - nice detail.
Score: 5/5
Check Point 4: Scale Integrity
Do the map dimensions and shapes match the encounter text dimensions and shapes? Is there sufficient space in the room/area for the content, both encounter and dressings? If there are "pulled out" areas, is the orientation of the pulled out detail correct with respect the base map orientation and dimensions (e.g. a 10' v 10' area pulled out for detailed view doesn't become 15' x 15')
Map Fu thumbs up while holding a ruler - yes the increased size of the boat matches the smaller version with no extra squares creep - well done.
Score: 5/5
Check Point 5: Empty Area Syndrome
Are there any areas on the map that aren't identified in a map key or in the descriptions, having a labelled empty areas is fine if part of the encounter design.
Map Fu eats a point: Everything was clearly labelled, but I would have appreciated some content description for the fort area - the pc's might investigate that first, or investigate it after dealing with the main boat encounter.
Score: 4/5
Check Point 6: Anything Missing?
Map Fu eats a point: The upper deck of the scowl would be useful to pinpoint the entry point to the hold, this is pretty important when you consider some combatants are in hiding near that entry point.
Map Fu eats a point: Some indication of the mud depth from stern to prow would be useful as an aide to determining visibility of buried creatures nearer the altar to those at the stern. A side cut away would probably have served this purpose.
Score: 4/5
GM Preparation : First Impressions.
Having scanned the map, and feeling reasonably good with the information thus far presented, I turned my attention to the encounter description. The first thing I noticed was that the Merrow's Scowl is described as "docked" at the fort - yet the map seems to imply it is part full of river mud and thus "scuttled/sunk". This was later born out in the Merrow's Scowl entry, be careful of consistency.
The entry for the Merrow's Scowl made me refer back to the map when it referred to entering the hold - I realised then when preparing for the night that I had only the hold area of the boat detailed - I really need the deck above to indicate where the hold entry point would be. I would also have liked to see indications of barrels and crates on the pull out of the dock area to assist in running the encounter for terrain conditions and on the fly decisions - PC says "I get up on the crate and run across the barrel tops avoiding the sucking mud..."
OK, this is an encounter map and not an area map, so I expect higher levels of detail pertaining to the set up of the encounter itself - e.g. to see the starting positions of each npc / creature. Especially when the text of the boat indicates two creatures hidden in the mud at the entry point and it doesn't say whether the buried creatures are the juju zombies or the bloody skeletons, or one of each.
The next items I found were all the stats and breakdowns I need to run each creature, there seemed to be all I needed here.
The Development section refers to additional undead, but doesn't indicate if they are more of the same (bloody/juju) or other types. I am assuming you are leaving this bit open to the GM to populate, but some recommendations would make the GMs preparation much easier.
My playtest set up
So for my play test I have assumed/prepared as follows, I have placed the hold opening 10 foot from the stern of the ship, and have used two bloody skeletons near the entry point and the remainder throughout the hold, with the ju ju zombies being either side of the altar. I also will have the PC's docking at the end of the jetty as I wasn't sure what the intended approach direction was.
GM Preparation : Other considerations / thoughts
I did wonder if you could have played with the environment more - if near the estuary of the river, you could have a rip tide change that causes the scowl to toss from side to side making combat inside even more fun - avoid the barrels, stay on your feet, etc, or maybe have some fog affecting hearing ranges and visibility for that eerie spooky effects.
GM Prep Score: 12/20 Overall Score: 37 / 50
|Jacob W. Michaels RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor
Anthony, do remember that these maps are for the cartographer to make something. While I certainly agree with some of the issues you're looking at, things like color won't matter as much, since players/DMs aren't likely to ever actually see this image.
I did wonder if you could have played with the environment more - if near the estuary of the river, you could have a rip tide change that causes the scowl to toss from side to side making combat inside even more fun ...
One of the encounters from the first year of Superstar used a similar mechanic -- a tipping boat -- so Adam may have wanted to avoid doing something too similar.
|Anthony Adam Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9
I know - that's why I stated from the outset...
"Now for the competition, he is going to be ruthless and treat each map as a "finished" product and not a notelet to cartographer."
I'm going to be equally ruthless with everyone, so it should all balance out in the end, and as I am playtesting and needing to prepare from the map, I thought I might as well "catch all" because that's the sort of feedback that might help the cartographers when maps are handed to them.
Yeah, I thought that might be the case on the rocking boat, but I thought it was worth mentioning as a general point of considering environment as an active part of the encounter design as well, for completeness of notes and thoughts.
|Adam Donald RPG Superstar 2012 Top 8 aka shiverscar
|RonarsCorruption Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 9
I really like the setup here. Good backstory on the area, the minor artifact is kinda cool (though perhaps a little too high power potential for a group this level), and this really feels like something a PFS scenario would do. Go look at this ruined base, find out what's there and bring anything interesting back to the lodge.
But then the encounter itself is kinda boring. The haunt being restricted to those few squares is really disappointing considering the effects of the idol itself, and the undead themselves are uninspiring. Just some zombies and skeletons, basically.
I don't know if I like this or not, I keep flip-flopping on it.
|Pirate Rob Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7
Is the CR here calculated correctly?
Shouldn't 4 CR 2 be a CR 6 encounter?
and shouldn't 4 CR 5 be a CR 9 encounter?
But you've listed the encounter as 4/7.
I like the name, the map with cutaway is nice, but the encounter area is actually both boring and confined. Also I upon further review it doesn't actually give me a good idea of how exactly it's laid out. How does one get from the top of the ship into the hull? What about coming up through the muck from the bottom?
The read aloud text with "Your first steps into the hold cause you to sink into muck" really bothered me.
The haunt's range is too limited. I would have really liked to see some flotsam or something that gave players an option other than going through the muck.
"The support struts provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 to Reflex saves to creatures fighting across them on a diagonal."
There's a term for this: Partial Cover. There's also no game terminology for "fighting across them on a diagonal." While I think I know what you mean, it gets complicated for creatures who are large and/or have reach.
"The bloody skeletons attack the nearest PC, regardless of which PC the Savage Madness haunt targets with its murderous command. The juju zombies flank and kill those that appear unaffected by the haunt's confusion effect. Both the bloody skeletons and juju zombies defend themselves if unearthed or assaulted before the haunt has been triggered."
This should really be split up for the two separate creatures and listed in their tactics block.
What happens if the PCs go sifting through all the muck before triggering the haunt? Do the undead just sit there and take it?
At least the ship didn't have 3 ghouls buried in the muck.
Too many questions left unanswered. I will not be voting for this entry.
|Will Cooper RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
These comments are from a first pass of your encounter, prior to playtesting or reading the judges' feedback or other voters' posts.
Slaver's End
The location - what did you bring to Golarion?
A haunted fort in the jungle with a background of bloodshed. That's pretty promising, and you make sure to give some immediate adventure hooks and some help for the GM on perils of even getting to the location. That's good. I don't get a strong visual sense of the fort; in fact you spend almost all your words on the story of the location. It's actually the story about the idol that makes Fort Walmar cool, not the location itself. That's a bit disappointing, and I wish you had used more words telling me what the location is like now, rather than the gruesome story that many players may never discover or care about.
The encounter - do I want to run this fight on your map?
The map is basic and effective, though it doesn't scream 'come play here' to me. The encounter itself could be fun with one or more characters running mad and an ambush by hidden undead. I have a sneaking suspicion that optimised players will probably make their saves and proceed to demolish the undead quite quickly - but playtesting will show that.
The writing - how effectively have you crafted those words?
A few mis-steps here: ...the fort's most lucrative source of wealth for Fort Walmor was... is particularly clunky. The read aloud text starts very well, with good visuals and use of smell as well as sight to anchor the description. Shouldn't use Your first steps into the hold... in read aloud text - it implies an action that the players may not be taking.
Some interesting stuff here, but too much history and not enough immediacy in the description. That story telling urge may pay off for you next round. Good luck!
|Saint Trickery
I really like the flavor of this. The drumming and swampy factor put me in immediate mind of Louisiana voodoo. I'm not sold yet, because I am not immediately sure how this plays out. I'm wanting to playtest or at least read some reports.
|Tels Star Voter Season 6
|1 person marked this as a favorite.
I actually really like this encounter as I've used bloody skeletons to really annoy 7th level PCs and almost killed them off. People often forget that bloody skeletons can only be truly killed by positive energy, in the presence of a bless or hallow spell, or by using a vial of holy water on the corpse. In my experience, the PCs will often cast Bless, and then move up to engage an enemy. I don't allow metagame knowledge, so a PC that does something like applying holy water to the corpse of a bloody skeleton, without that PC ever encountering a bloody skeleton, or hearing about one, before, will not be allowed, especially if he had never before applied holy water to undead encountered in the past. If someone were to try this, I would go out of my way to punish him for using player knowledge.
Maybe it's because I'm in a silly mood right now, but I just can't get past the encounter name: "Fort Wal-Mart"? Can you play bingo with the various monsters encountered within? ;)
Sorry about that. Your map is perhaps the most professional-looking of the lot. The missing grid lines in the interior rooms would be frustrating for GMs trying to run combat in them, but the only map I like better than yours is the one for "The Hungry Dragon Mountain."
Maybe it's because I'm in a silly mood right now, but I just can't get past the encounter name: "Fort Wal-Mart"? Can you play bingo with the various monsters encountered within? ;)
Sorry about that. Your map is perhaps the most professional-looking of the lot. The missing grid lines in the interior rooms would be frustrating for GMs trying to run combat in them, but the only map I like better than yours is the one for "The Hungry Dragon Mountain."
Oops! I mean "Hungry Mountain Dragon." Hungry mountains instead of hungry dragons... how could I make such an error! ;)
Hi Adam! Congrats on making it to this round. You are on the verge of making it on my top four list to advance to round five.
I will only have time to playtest one scenario from this round, and I did not select Fort Walmor, The Slavers' End.
I'll offer some feedback in the hope that you can sharpen your game. Especially if you make it to round five, I think this will help you make a better proposal. Also I think the judges shot wide of the mark in critiquing your work, so I want to tell you how I see it.
Your map is well drawn but uninspiring. It doesn't set my imagination on fire. The story itself is not enough to draw me in. However, when I looked at your combat encounter, I lit up. Here is something I can use. Bloody skeletons. Juju zombies. Yes. Yes. You hear the evil GM chuckle.
I think you'd make a competitive adventure proposal. I can tell we would game well together.
|MicMan Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7
|Ask A RPGSupersuccubus
In case you've only just woken up to the contest or otherwise (somehow) missed these Round-by-Round reviews before, Ask A RPGSupersuccubus is posting from the point of view of a (very advanced) CE aligned succubus:
Does the location and situation seem suitable for a succubus in distress (broken fingernails are such a nuisance) to find a Noble Knight?
Sadly, no. Noble knights in armour do not mix well with jungle climates.
Is there any possible convenient financial gain obvious in this situation for a succubus?
Undead (and ones tasteless enough to associate with Angazhan at that) aren't terribly easy to negotiate with, so it's going to involve a lot of likely highly inconvenient work to get anything done here. And on a side-note, most hairstyles simply do not last in this kind of humid climate.
Basically, this is a dreadfully inconvenient situation.
Purely from a point of view of testing-this-situation-to-destruction what impact is a fire-breathing phase doppleganger giant space hamster likely to have if introduced to it?
Crash, crash, Crunch!!!!
(And good riddance, I must say.)
Other comments?
The chaotic inconsistency to spelling 'Angazhan' is mildly amusing.
But basically, this site isn't really worth the bother for most succubi except from from the perspective of making an impolite gesture at Angazhan. I suppose the odd (both figuratively and literally speaking) succubus who works for Angazhan might regard a trip as something akin to a religious pilgrimage.
Estimated time for four adventuresome succubi to deal with this situation:
Thirty seconds if that. Honestly, it's not going to take Cynthia that long to burn one old rotten barge out with a couple of fire spells.
Further Disclaimer:
Ask A RPGSupersuccubus (with half an eye on Lord Orcus) would like to clarify that mortal voters should probably rely on more than just her own (impeccable) assessments in making up their minds on how to vote. Thank You.
Sorry I didn't get to this while voting was still on, but you know. Life. I figure that some might still find this interesting/useful.
I was a player in Will Cooper's PbP playtest. Here's my perspective.
NUMBER OF PCs
There were four of us, all at level 4, playing the CR 4 version of this encounter.
RACE/CLASS/LEVEL OF PCs
We had an aasimar oracle of life (me), an undine paladin, a human magus, and a human wizard. Again, all level 4. Don't expect to see exactly the same characters in the aliases' profiles as what played the encounter; I know that I've already altered mine, and I doubt I'm the only one.
As it happens, it went quickly and expended few party resources. However, it really could've gone either way (cakewalk or PC deaths).
It was pretty fun! But too short. The magus reached the idol first and failed his save, then tried to kill the wizard. I used a scroll of protection from evil to salvage the near-disaster, and took heavy damage from a bloody skeleton's crit. However, even with that, we won in three rounds flat -- and they would've been down for good, since I'd coincidentally used a scroll of bless at the beginning.
|Will Cooper RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
|Ask A RPGSupersuccubus
Ask A RPGSupsersuccubus is posting from the point of view of a CE aligned (very advanced) succubus. She's right out of sympathies at present, and in any case ginormous siege towers tend to leave rather unpleasant wheel marks on the lawn which it takes ages for the grass to grow back in despite of the best efforts of several tanar'ri researchers over the past dozen months into new improved breeds of grass. (Please see the thread of someone who went out in Round 2 or 3 last year if you don't get the siege tower comment; and despite the lack of grass progress, several interesting new forms of triffids were discovered in the past year so all that horticultural research funding money wasn't completely wasted. The triffids certainly proved useful for disposing of the failed researchers...)
Plus please take as read all the usual disclaimer stuff about gossiping salaciously over a cup of tea and plate of yummy buttered crumpets away from the boards and generally other Chaotic and Evil stuff, kept (barely) in check for now because of Good Manners.
Congratulations on making the top 8. Given the review I gave about this location and encounters, I'm inclined to be tactful about the whole not-making-the-top-four side of things. You did perform commendably well in getting this far, out of hundreds of entrants, but ended up on the sitting-the-last-round-out-as-far-as-entries-go side of the cut.


text:
Expert Q & A Answers About STD Symptoms
Are red bumps and vaginal dryness symptoms of herpes?
I have occasional vaginal dryness, red painful bumps and a white watery discharge after sex, but I don't have any burning with urination. Are these symptoms of herpes?
I think I have genital herpes...can I treat it with my oral herpes medication?
I'm a 21-year-old female and I've only had one sexual partner my whole life. We have been having sex monogamously for about a year now and we use a condom about 90% of the time. I get herpes outbreaks on my mouth and sometimes my nose when I'm sick or under a lot of stress. I haven't had an outbreak for about six months. Today I noticed a very small pinkish bump on the inside of my vaginal lip. It only hurts when I press on it really hard, but I'm scared it could be herpes. I have a prescription for acyclovir for my oral herpes. Would this work to get rid of the bump on my vaginal lip?
What types of infections cause bumps in the pubic area?
I'm a 21-year-old female and I have bumps in my pubic area. I always thought they were hair follicles, but now I'm uncertain...maybe they're herpes? They vary in size from big to small, they're itchy and hard. A few days after a bump has formed, I see a light crust form over it. A different time, the inside of my vagina was red and painful. I also had pain when urinating. Do you know what these bumps might be?
Could this bump on my penis be an STD...even if I tested negative?
I'm really worried that I have genital warts. I have a fleshy, raised portion of skin next to my urethra. I haven't been sexually active for almost three years since I had a one-night stand when I didn't use a condom. The symptom showed up about a week after sex. It doesn't itch. I got tested for all STDs recently and all the tests were negative...including the test for HIV. My doctor also said that the bump looks normal and the STD clinic said it looks like scar tissue. What's your opinion?
Is a burning sensation with urination a symptom of chlamydia infection? What about unusual discharge?
What are the symptoms of chlamydia? My partner says he has a burning feeling while urinating. He got tested and is waiting for results to find out what it was. I haven't experienced any problems...but I did have some discharge for a while. Can you help?
Could these white, raised bumps near my vagina be genital warts?
I recently noticed white, raised and pointy growths in my lower labia and anus area that hurt to touch. (I think my mom and sister had these when they were my age...are they hereditary?) They look like whiteheads. I checked online to see if my symptoms looked like an STD and genital warts are my best guess...but they're not gray or pinkish, and they're not cauliflower-shaped. My boyfriend doesn't have any symptoms at all, but we're a little worried. Do you know what these could be?
I've had vaginal bleeding and pain with sexual activity lately...what could be the cause?
My boyfriend and I have been doing some heavy petting…but when he puts his fingers in my vagina, I feel pain and immediate bleeding occurs. I don't have any pain normally. I think there might be a lump near the vaginal opening. What could this be?
Could I get genital warts from someone fingering me?
I'm a teenage girl and about a month ago, a guy I know fingered me. Now I have something that looks like a pimple growing on the left lip of my vagina. It feels like a wart and the center is white. It doesn't hurt, but it is itchy. I don't know what it is...could it be genital warts? How should I treat it?
Could this rash on my penis be a yeast infection? Can men get yeast infections?
I have cracked skin on the tip of my foreskin. It's not painful, itchy or sore and it feels just like the other skin around it. The only difference is that its "blemished" color makes it stand out. I have had unprotected sex once (due to a condom break), but I have had this blemish ever since I can remember - even before I became sexually active. Occasionally, when I masturbate too much it will get red and irritated, and the dead skin may scab. I got checked for STDs at a clinic twice, and it wasn't diagnosed as anything...and from what I gather online, what I have is similar to a yeast rash. I thought it was more common for girls to get yeast infections. What's your advice?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Amsterdam Hostel
Amsterdam Hotel is only 3 blocks from Union Square, with bike rental, free waffles and en-suite bathrooms!
Amsterdam Hostel is located just three blocks away from Union Square in the heart of San Francisco, close to the citys best shops, restaurants and bars. We are also just seconds away from the famous cable cars, the theatre district and Chinatown.
We have a range of private rooms and shared rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms.
We also have a large number of common areas including a kitchen, a dining room, a lounge and a terrace. Free waffles are on offer for breakfast and we organise activities such as movie nights and pub crawls.
Other facilities at the hostel include an internet caf, bicycle rental and luggage storage. Linen is provided.
Weekly and monthly discounted rooms available. All inquires must be directed to the Manager.
Please note:
- Shared rooms are available for young people and students only; an international passport is required, along with a travel itinerary.
- Rates shown do not include taxes.
- Please inform us of any change to your expected arrival time.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- Age Restriction
- Bicycle hire
- Bicycle parking
- Board Games
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- Cable TV
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Dryer
- Telephone/Fax Facilities
- Free City Maps
- Free WiFi
- Fridge/Freezer
- Hair Dryers
- Hair Dryers For Hire
- Hot Showers
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- Self-Catering Facilities
- Laundry Facilities
- Linen Included
- Security Lockers
- Luggage Storage
- Microwave
- No Curfew
- Non Smoking
- Outdoor Terrace
- Taxes not included
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels Included
- Vending Machines
- Washing Machine
- Wi-Fi
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 2 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Hostel InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
**Free Breakfast, Free Linen, Free Luggage Storage, Free Coffee & Tea Free all day.**
You must have an international passport for bed/private room occupancy with a travel itinerary. Only current international travelers will be allowed to occupy rooms. Parking is available off-site for a nominal fee.
Cancellations must be made by an email 48 hours in advance by email. Failure to do so will mean you will be charged for one night.
**Please note , taxes are not included in the total here, and will be due at check in. SF tax is 16.75%.
***We can't guarantee room/bed types nor your entire group being in the same room.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
From Greyhound:
Exit from Greyhound terminal onto Mission Street, turn left and walk towards First Street. Turn right onto First Street and walk one block to Market Street. Cross to other side of Market St. and turn left. Sutter Street will be on your right less than one block down, turn right onto Sutter (there's a See's Candy store on the corner). Walk about 10 blocks on Sutter Street. If you are going to 749 Taylor Street, turn right onto Taylor and property will be on left hand side.
From Amtrak:
From Amtrak's Shopping Center Station (SFS), cross to the other side of Market Street and walk up Powell St, following the Cable Cars. Turn left onto Sutter. If you are going to 749 Taylor Street, turn right onto Taylor and property will be on left hand side. If you are going to Mithila at 972 Sutter Street, continue past Taylor Street intersection, property will be on right hand side
From Airports:
From either Oakland Airport or San Francisco International Airport, take the BART train to the Powell Street station. The BART station is located in the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport. From Oakland Airport you will need to take the AirBART bus ($2) to the Colosseum BART station. Take BART train to Powell Street Station ($3.35 from Oakland Colosseum station, $5.15 from San Francisco Airport). Exit Powell station at Cable Car turnaround, follow directions above from Amtrak.
From highway 5 North: Take highway 580 W to highway 80 W. Take 80 W over Bay Bridge ($3) to 5th St. exit. Stay left on exit ramp, stay in lanes for Harrison St. (Slight left from exit ramp.) Go one block on Harrison, turn right onto 6th St. Follow 6th across Market Street. Street will curve to left and will become Taylor St. If you are going to 749 Taylor Street, property will be on your left, after Sutter St. If you are going to Mithila at 972 Sutter St., turn left onto Sutter and Mithila will be 3 blocks on the right hand side.
Located Near
Union Square
Cable Cars
Theatre District
Flagship clothing stores


text:
As you well know by now, I am expecting baby #3 very soon. One thing that I have learned along the way is that batteries are evil!
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|Age Guideline:
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|Nest Weighs:
|H: 17.3″ W: 20.9″ D: 29.1″ approx
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text:
Product Description
In this set you will receive not 1 but 2 great Christ On A Crutch LPs!
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text:
"Catholic Answers have given me more than what money can repay. Truth is very powerful stuff and I have found you unique in presenting it with love. You're a model to be followed. Great job, all of you."
"O grant that in life's eventide,
Thy light may e'er with us abide..."


text:
Cardinal George participated in a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France at the invitation of the Knights of Malta. During the week long pilgrimage, Cardinal George joined other pilgrims in prayer during special Masses, processions and services that included Anointing of the Sick.
Photos Courtesy of Peter Scudner, Order of Malta.
Cardinal George was the principal celebrant and Archbishop Lori of Baltimore delivered the homily for the Mass for Anointing of the Sick on May 3.
Photo: Order of Malta / Peter Scudner


text:
Martinez In, Moyer Out
Pedro Martinez will be given his first shot at redemption tomorrow night against the Cubs as he enters the Phillies starting rotation. Jamie Moyer, on the other hand, has been relegated to the bullpen while the Phillies take a look at Martinez. Moyer is a professional and took the news in stride. While it is sad to see Jamie bumped from the rotation for sentimental reasons, for baseball reasons, it was necessary. Holding the highest ERA in the National League among starters, Moyer has not had the year the Phillies hoped for. However, if Pedro fails to perform, there is no reason Jamie cannot be moved back in as a starter again.
The injury bug has left the bullpen thin over the last month so Moyer may be able to help out in a game where a starter is pulled early. Another member of the pen, Chad Durbin, is just back from his back injury and Rodrigo Lopez was, as expected after several bad outings, sent back to the minors to make room for Durbin. Also recovering still is JC Romero who had an MRI on his forearm which showed no ligament damage. Romero has a slight tear in the muscle which should heal with rest and hopefully, we will see him before the month is out.
The Phillies will have their hands full tonight facing the Cubs and Rich Harden who has a 1.80 ERA in his last 5 games. JA Happ is coming off another complete game shut-out, which is great, except that he threw 127 pitches. Hopefully, the extra work will have no effect on him tonight. The game kicks off at 8:05pm in Chicago.
Photo by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
10 Comments
That is just too strange seeing Pedro in a Phillies uniform. No matter how many teams he plays for, I will always think of him as a Red Sox! I wish him well.
I read an article on ESPN by Orel Hershieser that said that the Phillies should go with a 6 man rotation for a while to rest their arms. What do you think about that?
My nephew is a Phillies fan and I actually made my first trip to Philly in May for a Mets-Phillies game(I also went to a Cardinals-Nationals game in DC that weekend) and I loved it. I took Aaron to see the Phillies in May when they were in St. Louis and he got to see his favorite players(Utley, Raul, and Ryan Howard) up close and personal.
I asked him if he wanted to leave early and he said "I don't know, do you want to leave Mikey?" I realized he has never seen his team celebrate a win live so I told him we're going to watch the entire game so he can see the Phillies celebrate after a win. OK, I'm done rambling…great blog!
15thtee – Nice story :O) As for the 6-man rotation, I do not like the idea. We have a lot of great pitchers and that would take away innings from them and push their starts back, thus giving them fewer. With as great as Lee, Happ and Blanton have pitched, you do not want to take away games from them if we are going to make a run at the playoffs again. And some pitchers do not do well on extra rest. Hamels, for example, is STRICT about his schedule and putting him off that schedule could really mess him up, worse than he is already ;o) Thanks for the comments and have a great day!!
Jenn: Jeter is amazing. I'm glad you like him, too.🙂 I read your "about you" and you sound like an amazing person. I too enjoy photography.
I don't like Pedro Martinez too much, sorry. He was always a pain when he was on the Red Sox and faced my Yanks. I feel kind of bad for Moyer, but at least he is still on the team, unlike Smoltz who the Red Sox just released.
Maybe, if we are lucky, our teams will meet in the World Series. That would be something! I'd like to keep in touch with you. I'll be sure to visit your blog regularly!🙂 -Virginia
Virginia – Thanks!! Loved your blog as well. And yes, the Phils-Yanks is my DREAM World Series!!! I will totally pass out if that ever happens!
Agreed on Pedro – not sure what will happen, but have not heard great things about him personally, so I guess we shall see.
It's difficult for an SP to go to the bullpen, but think of the alternative, getting sent down to minors to improve your technique. One of our relievers, James McDonald has gone from reliever, to SP, to minors, and now back to relieving. He actually came back vastly improved. The reason, he disliked being sent down so much, he worked extra hard to improve!! Now I believe he is one of the best Dodger relievers.
By the way, I love the design of your blog. It's eye catching!
You are right Jamie Moyer is such a professional – probably because of his age and experience he is the one who could go into the bullpen and do what is needed to help the team. My guess is the Phillies need to see what Pedro can do as they already know that Jamie will give you 6-7 solid innings and give up a few runs. In the long run, hopefully the Phillies can put the Marlins series behind them a start winning again – Todd in Hawaii (and yes what is up with the ump throwing out the Shane the other day).
Pedro playing for the Phillies…wow that'll take some getting used to. Hope for you guys that he can do well. The Phillies and Cubs are still tied right now 2-2…
If I remember right, didn't Moyer get a sign from the front office this would not happen before he signed that 2-year deal?
It will be exciting to see which Pedro, either the Boston or Mets version shows up for that game.
Karma would dictate 5 innings by Martinez, 3 by Moyer and someone else close it out for a win………just saying.
Rays Renegade


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The team did superbly to get back to a draw IMO - it was a completely different Bulls side who came out in the second half but the last try for Hull really was the gamebreaker - which was strange as there was plenty of time left to get the win, but it took all the wind out of the Bradford sails. Gutting - yesterday sums up the past two years for me.
Also - what a lot of bizzare decisions by the ref and his assitants yesterday (for both sides before anyone starts). From Hull getting the tap on the 20, despite Tansey apparrently touching the ball before it went out in the opening sets - to the Touch Judge apparently overrulling a decision the in goal ref had made despite the touchy being about 40 meters away and the in goal fella 2 meters. Then the decision out of the blue to give the Bulls a penalty for Hull not playing the ball properly in the first half! You can't tell me every other PTB was correct in that game, so why blow for that? I'm not saying these decisions affected the outcome of the game at all - but it needs to be pointed out - the decisions weren't wrong because they were going against us or anything - they were just downright mad a lot of the time!
That had me close to boiling point I must say.


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buy Retin A online
We all love ourselves whether we are black or white. Our beauty comes from our skin. Skin is one of the most import ant features of our body. We all know it is a part of our five senses. Skin has the sense of touch. But every one of us wants a smooth and silky skin. A glowing skin is the epitome of beauty. We all grow old and our skin becomes wrinkled which is for sure an ugly sight. So we all try to stop aging to the best we can. Our skin shows the first signs of aging. As we grow old spots and wrinkles appear. So in order to remain spot free and young we have come up with various cosmetic products which claim to renew the skin. But most of these fail to keep their claim. But now the scientists have come up with a new product and it is said to be working wonders. They have come up with retin A.
Our skin has collagen. Collagen is the wxrql reason behind that smooth and glossy feel of our skin. As we grow old our body produces less collagen. The cells of our skin stop their healthy metabolism and their activity reduces. This forces our skin to break down. Less and less collagen is the reason for those ugly wrinkles. Moreover, exposure to Sun rays gives a tanned effect and once the skin loses healthy cell activity our skin is more likely to be a victim of ugly spots.
Retin A is actually a form of vitamin A. Tretinoin is the key behind this drug. It was actually used to treat acne but when it was combined with a moisturizing cream it was found to give superb results in keeping a smooth and silky skin. It has been found out that it increases skin cell activity. It also produces more collagen and that gives the skin a healthier look. It also fights back wrinkles. Your skin can get a whole new makeover by using retin A.
It is always best to consult your doctor before using retin A cream. Everybody has got different skin types so let your doctor be the best judge of your skin. He will prescribe the eipuuucysqfbsps medication and you should follow his dosages. But you can also buy retin A online. Just find a retailer online and order it. It will be delivered to you.


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The most romantic hotels in NYC
If you want to make it a night to remember, get a room in one of the most romantic hotels in New York City.
Whether you want to end a great date on a high note or rekindle the passion in your relationship, these romantic hotels provide the perfect setting for amour. Though there are many glamorous boutique and spa hotels in the city, these offbeat urban sanctuaries will stoke your fantasies and transport you to another time or place. Order room service, crack open a bottle of champagne and hang up the Do Not Disturb sign—rose petals on the bed are entirely optional.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hotels in NYC
Romantic hotels in NYC
Gramercy Park Hotel
This 1924 hotel, which reopened in 2006 after a dramatic design overhaul, occupies one of the most romantic spots in New York; it overlooks charming Gramercy Park, which was modeled in the 1830s after a London square. Like other parkside residents, guests have access to one of the coveted keys to the tranquil patch of green. In cold weather, however, you might prefer to canoodle beside one of the hotel's three fireplaces, or tour the blue-chip art collection—wall space in the top-floor parlor and living room is devoted to Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, respectively. The place has the air of a contemporary baronial mansion: Live out your Wuthering Heights fantasies in quarters outfitted with oak floors, sweeping red velvet drapes, tapestry-covered chairs, English-style drinks cabinets and handmade velvet headboards.Book now Read more
Hotel Elysée
The former home of Tennessee Williams and Tallulah Bankhead, among other colorful figures, this small 1926 property is like a scaled-down grand hotel: Rooms are furnished with antiques, gilt-framed paintings and old prints, and most of the marble-tiled bathrooms have tubs—though a duo soak would probably require contortionist skills. Suites are decked out with (nonfunctional) fireplaces and crystal chandeliers. For a glamorous meal, ask the concierge to book you a table at the reinvented Monkey Bar, or have select dishes, like half a dozen oysters ($20) and dry-aged sirloin with bordelaise sauce ($55), delivered to your room—about half of the nonsuite accommodations are furnished with love seats for cozy in-room dining.Book now Read more
The Jane
Imagine sharing a sleeper compartment on an express train speeding through the night.… A stay at Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson's budget-to-moderate property is a lot more affordable than a ride on the Orient Express. Taking inspiration from movies by the Coen brothers and Wes Anderson, the hoteliers have created a time-capsule fantasy world where staff wear traditional bellhop uniforms and rooms are modeled on train and ship cabins. Choose a (very) cozy bunk-bed setup with a bathroom down the hall, or a more spacious, wainscoted Captain's Cabin with private facilities—many have terraces or Hudson views.Book now Read more
The London NYC
The British may be famously reserved, but they're also notoriously kinky beneath their buttoned-up exteriors. Designed by David Collins, the wizard behind the interiors of some of the British capital's most glamorous restaurants and bars, the London NYC combines cool sophistication with sexy amenities. All of the spacious guest quarters are suites, either open-plan or divided by French doors into sleeping and lounging areas, and the showers are built for two, with double rain showerheads. If you can't afford the menu at Gordon Ramsay at the London, the fiery British chef has a less expensive on-site eatery, Maze. And if you don't want to leave your room, you can order in—conveniently, the ingenious coffee tables adjust to full height for a private dinner à deux.Book now Read more
Mondrian Soho
For a fairy-tale escape, stroll hand in hand through the ivy-covered passageway that leads to this fanciful contemporary hotel. Designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz took inspiration from Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bête, adding surreal touches in the lobby such as coffee tables perched on talons and parasol-shaded lamps; the fresh, white-and-blue rooms are more restrained, with subtly romantic touches like arabesque-print upholstery. Even if you're not staying the night, you can dine in a magical, chandelier-lit garden setting in the glass-enclosed Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar.Book now Read more
The NoMad Hotel
If you can't arrange a Parisian rendezvous with your bien-aimé(e), check in to the NoMad for a convincing facsimile of the experience. Not only did the hotel's designer, Jacques Garcia—known for designing rue Saint-Honoré A-list crash pad Hôtel Costes—create the opulent public spaces, he modeled the room decor on his old Paris apartment. The slightly bohemian domestic vibe, fostered by distressed leather chairs, antique travel-themed art and vintage Heriz rugs, reinforces the illusion of a left-bank assignation. A claw-foot bathtub takes pride of place in the middle of some rooms, so you can scrub each other's backs (using aromatic Côté Bastide products) in comfortable surroundings. If you can snag reservations at the hotel's wildly popular restaurant, try for a table in the intimate nook off the atrium, where you can get cozy by an ornate marble fireplace imported from a French chateau.Book now Read more
See the most romantic hotels in America
The 15 most romantic hotels in America
For a night (or several) to remember, get a room at one of the most romantic hotels across the country, from NYC to MauiRead more


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Sixfingerz get props over here for winning Round Three of the DOOM Remix Project. Like last week, he has graced us with two samples to sink our teeth into. He's also cool with y'all flipping either one sample or both if your heart desires. As always, please feel free to share the thread with whomever you like so we can get a few more felonious perpetrating participants taking their stab at the Villain's work.
Acapella: http://www43.zippysh...72680/file.html
Flip the sample(s) to make a beat and use the acapella to make DOOM accompany it.
Upload your beat to the DOOM Remix BB group on soundcloud and in this thread*
by 12:00 am Monday PST and vote in this thread by 10:00 pm PST Wednesday.
You MUST vote to win.
Production Rules:
- Choose which sample you want to flip or flip both
- Outside drums and bass are allowed
- Outside keys/synths and other instruments are allowed
- Other acapellas may only be used for a chorus/cut
- Vocal samples/skits are allowed
- Cuts/scratches are allowed
- Winner posts new sample, acapella, and any rule changes by 12:00 pm PST Wednesday^
*If you have any questions about how to post soundcloud links to the thread please use this as a reference.
^Once the winner has been chosen I'll reach out to her/him with a list of DOOM acapellas I currently have available, you pick one, then I'll send you the link to post.


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Re: Birthdays
Just got in & having my favorite pizza for our meal tonight...........UMMMMM GOOD. It's from Marion's. Beats Pizza King pizza any day.
Hubby gave me my card this morn & it says:
Happy 50th Birthday!
They say that 50 yr olds are more in tune with their bodies than any other age group.
(Open Card)
Or was it they MAKE more tunes with their bodies? Yeah, that makes more sense. Happy birthday anyway."
Over on the left side is a little cartoon bear getting out of bed & "Crack!" comes from the back.
Another one steps on something soft on the floor, can't really make out what it's suppose to be but it says "toot!"
Another the bear holds a bottle & holds tummy....."Rumble Rumble"
Last picture "Belch!"
Yep, that card is down to science I tell ya.
Though I have been snap crackling & popping a few years in advance.
"We know that Mother Nature is a woman. If she were a man, there would be no rain on race day."


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Funk, a student at Seashore Middle School at Padre Island was one of 329 students and numerous school districts at the eighth annual Fennessey Ranch Monarch Madness day event on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Brien O'Connor Dunn is owner of the Fennessey Ranch and resides in Bayside.
The event primarily is for fifth- and sixth-graders, but other middle school grades are involved, as well.
Funk didn't catch a monarch, but she managed to net a small dragonfly, and that was just fine with her.
Meanwhile, volunteer Hillary Green was helping Shawn Gonlugur, another Seashore Middle School student, get a grasshopper out if his net.
"He keeps squirming down," Gonlugur said.
"We'll squeeze him up," Green said.
With a little work, the grasshopper ended up in the insect container Gonlugur was equipped with.
Seashore student Derik Boles managed to net a butterfly – not a monarch – but one that looked like a queen butterfly.
Dunn and the Fennessey Ranch, located between Bayside and Refugio, offers the event to area South Texas schools every year. Students learn about migratory habits of animals, habitat, identification of different types of butterflies and much more during the four-and-a-half hour visit to the ranch.
Ranch General Manager Sally Crofutt said Monarch Madness is designed to be a hands-on educational experience in which students learn about conservation, migration, and much more while having fun.
This year, students wore color-coded T-shirts so they could go through the 13 educational stations in an organized manner. The more than 320 T-shirts were provided by Nikon.
Other sponsors include the University of Houston, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and the Fennessey Ranch among others.
Crofutt said a partner is the National Aransas Wildlife Refuge, and staff from the Refuge volunteered at the event.
"We're getting that expertise in the sciences and level of passion. AWR showed up the day after they reopened," Crofutt said.
Finally, Crofutt said the Refugio County Commissioners Court helped out immensely by agreeing to manage a Coastal Impact Assistance Program to help fund the educational event.
The CIAP grant paid for the entire event. CIAP grants come from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Funding for next year's event is up in the air.
"I don't know where we will get it next year, but we'll figure it out," Crofutt said.
Here are the various stations set up for schools to visit during the event:
Station No. 1 was about the monarch butterfly and its life cycle. The instructor was Amanda Rocha from the Victoria Zoo.
Station No. 2 was "Come Fly With the Texas State Aquarium" and provided information on bird migration. Debbie Edwards was the instructor.
Station No. 3 was about macro photography; how to take photos of bugs. Professional wildlife photographers Todd and Nancy Steele were the instructors.
Station No. 4 was on how to do "Field Sketching." Teaching and helping at the station were Sue Ellen Brown, Diane Stevens and Ana Claire Brown .
Station No. 5 involved a habitat hike and was instructed by Carolyn Rose of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.
Station No. 6 was about migration and life cycles of frogs. The instructor was Jessica Gould from the Victoria Zoo.
Station No. 7 was about butterfly identification and was instructed by Linda May and Mary Habeeb, with the help of the Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest.
Station No. 8 was a wetlands information trailer and was instructed by Jay Tarkington of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Station No. 9 was a board walk.
Station No. 10 had touch tanks with instructor Sara Pellateri of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.
Station No. 11 was the bug hunt with instructors Hillary Green and Tommy Thompson.
Station No. 12 was about migratory birds, particularly the whooping crane. The instructors were Dr. Liz Smith of the International Crane Foundation, Luz Lum and Joe and Margaret Babb.
Finally, Station No. 13 was the Fennessey Ranch Hay Ride.
Crofutt took some of the rides with students.
"They were excited. They were having a ball," Crofutt said.
During the hay ride, Crofutt guided the students by a spectacular sight.
"There was this gigantic bee hive that we all saw in the wild," she said.


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Top 10 pairings we want but probably won't happen/toplist-item-4f2c16f158eb9
< Top 10 list:Top 10 pairings we want but probably won't happen
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1 Product Reviews
Our sons love it!I have 7 year old twin boys. As you can imagine, they can be quite the handful! They are always competing, and they love it. We bought them this basketball set to hang on their door. It's really cool because it has two balls and it can somehow recognize which one goes through, and it gives points to that person! The only problem it has caused is them playing late at night when we are trying to sleep ;)


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It was only yesterday, as I was putting up a few fliers around campus, that I realized the unfortunate irony of calling the accessibility tour a "walking tour," when the point of the tour, of course, is that anyone with any level of mobility should be able to participate. I had not intended to use exclusive language, but even after all the research I had done to organize the tour, I ultimately continued to think just of my own body when I made the flier… but that's exactly what the tour asks us to do. It asks us to consider our own relationships to accessible spaces and how our bodies do or don't use those spaces; at the same time, though, it seeks to broaden our understanding of what accessibility means and how it impacts our lives on campus.
In other news, the downloadable materials are available! (Thank you, Sebastianna!) The mp3 and print versions of the tour are both available on the "Projects" page of this website, and there are a number of ways you can take advantage of these materials:
- Select only one to guide your tour experience, but talk to people using a different tour taking method. Try to find out how experiences vary.
- Use both, but rely mainly on the mp3, using the print guide for its map and time code indications.
- Use both, but rely mainly on the print tour, occasionally using the mp3 to listen to some of the clips from student recordings.
- Use both equally, listening to the narration on the mp3 and following along in the print guide.
- There are definitely other creative ways to interact with the materials provided. Come up with something that works for you!


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Vt judge denies new lawyers bid in teacher killing
Patricia Prue appears in court in St. Johnsbury, Vt. on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. A Vermont judge says a couple charged with killing a popular St. Johnsbury teacher must keep their lawyers. The judge made the ruling Tuesday after Patricia and Allen Prue appeared separately in court in St. Johnsbury and asked for new lawyers. Patricia Prue told the judge that her lawyer, Marc Eagle, doesn't seem to have a defense for her. (AP Photo/Caledonian Record, Michael Beniash)
ST. JOHNSBURY A judge denied separate requests Tuesday for new lawyers for a couple accused of luring a St. Johnsbury teacher from her home last year and sexually assaulting and killing her before dumping her body in the Connecticut River.
Patricia and Allen Prue both said they wanted new lawyers during separate hearings in Vermont Superior Court.
My lawyer doesnt seem to have a defense for me, Patricia Prue told Judge Mary Miles Teachout.
Her lawyer, Marc Eagle, also requested to be removed from the case, saying he and Prue have been at odds over where the case is headed, but he did not provide details.
In the second hearing, Allen Prue told the judge that he thought his attorney, Dan Maguire, was trying to use his wife against him and failed to keep him informed about the case.
Maguire did not ask to be removed from the case. I think I can represent him ethically under my responsibilities ... and competently, said Maguire, who asked that his clients trial be moved out of St. Johnsbury.
Teachout did not rule on the request for a change of venue.
She said there wasnt an irretrievable breakdown between Patricia Prue and Eagle. She told Prue that lawyers are still gathering evidence and the fact that there is no defense is not unusual at this time. She also told both Prues they are not entitled to a harmonious relationship with their lawyers, only to effective attorneys who can present an appropriate defense.
The Prues are accused of luring Melissa Jenkins from her Danville home in March 2012 with a ruse about a broken down car and then strangling her and dumping her body in the Connecticut River. Jenkins vehicle was found idling on a dirt road with her 2-year-old son inside.
Patricia Prue has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder; Allen Prue has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
Eagle told a judge he was finished with his depositions and would be prepared for an August trial. The state is still waiting for results of testing on a computer hard drive and hair samples. Caledonia County States Attorney Lisa Warren told the court that Maguire or his investigator could be a potential witness regarding one of the pieces of evidence.
Teachout said it was too soon for the court to act on something that might happen later.
Eric Berry, who is married to Jenkins cousin and attended the hearing, said the Prues are trying to delay the case.
It sounds like the evidence is pretty cut and dry, he said. I just dont see anything changing in this case. Theyre trying to do everything they can, both of them, to delay the case. Frankly Im pretty happy here with the ruling this morning.
Patricia Prue could go on trial late this summer. Her husband is expected to go on trial early next year.
Berry noted that seeing the Prues go to trial would not bring Jenkins back.
I dont know if there ever is going to be true closure in this because theres a little boy that we all care about, he said. And those people obviously dont. Theyre just heathens.MORE IN Vermont NewsMONTPELIER Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Full StoryVermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell plans to join the U.S. Full StoryAs Rutland prepares to welcome Syrian refugees to its community, some are continuing to voice... Full Story
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What makes joining the Society as a corporate member a valuable experience? Industry recognition? Awards for excellence? The opportunity to network and market to fellow professionals? Probably all of those, but for the most part tangible membership benefits prompt our corporate members to join and participate in AHS. These include:
- A number of complimentary members (based on membership class, see below) with the full benefits of membership.
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- Discounts for exhibiting at the Annual Forum and advertising in Vertiflite magazine.
- Complimentary subscriptions to Vertiflite and the Journal of the American Helicopter Society.
- A complimentary CD-ROM of the AHS Annual Forum Proceedings that includes 250 cutting-edge technical papers. (A $255 value!)
- Access to the AHS Online Membership Directory that provides contact information for all of our individual members.
- Priority coverage in our publications of your company's products, services and personnel.
- Your company's description online and in the annual Nov/Dec issue of Vertiflite.
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We invite you to join the prestigious ranks of AHS corporate membership in the only Society dedicated to the advancement of vertical flight. Our corporate membership application is available as a PDF; if you have any questions or would like more information on becoming an AHS corporate member, please contact AHS Membership.
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See our listing of our more than 75 corporate members who have decided that supporting AHS is a win-win situation!


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VXLAN – Supported Business Use Case Scenarios
The release and support of VXLAN has raised a great level of interest in the community. As one of the first to deliver content with regards to VXLAN implementation examples I've been approach by customer and colleagues with questions around VXLAN architecture designs and use cases. For the most part, I see there is a large audience not really up to speed with the logistics of VXLAN as it relates to vSphere and vCloud infrastructures supported implementation scenarios. The knowledge gap is not entirely around the value of VXLAN technology but more around the architectures and uses cases where it can successfully be used today.
Based on my experiences lately, the use of VXLAN becomes the topic of conversation whenever connecting multiple data centers where each site has separate vSphere/vCloud Infrastructure becomes to topic of conversation. I can see how some folks have been mislead into thinking VXLAN is the answer for that as they can now leverage VXLAN to connect multiple vCenter Server and vCloud Director infrastructure together today. Well the truth is that plain and simple VXLAN CANNOT be use as the technology to connect multiple vCenter Server and vCloud Director environments today.
The reality is that with the current release of VXLAN there is no supported way of connecting multiple vSphere or vCloud Infrastructures together. Considering the platforms architectures and components both vSphere and vCloud based infrastructures have a lot of dependencies and moving parts which makes it very challenging to integrate in a way that would make that possible today. From what I understand this is something that all of the partners involved with the development of the VXLAN technology are looking to address soon.
One of the publications which I have found a lot of people reading and using as guidance for vCloud Director is the vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT). As part of the vCAT implementation examples we have included a couple of VXLAN scenarios one of them being around disaster recovery and based on conversation this very topic I've noticed that some people have overlooked or missed one critical piece of the information discussed and illustrated as part of that example.
As one of the contributors to the vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT) I have to come out and defend some of the misconceptions folks are gathering around the VXLAN implementation example in vCAT topic. The VXLAN disaster recovery example scenario is based around a stretched cluster scenario, and not two separate infrastructures. Two physical data centers in two different locations with one logical datacenter (vSphere/vCloud) spanning both physical data centers.
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