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Author's Note: For the sake of the story, which had decided quite independently to become even more complicated then it already was in my head, it now demands, at the very least, three separate storylines. So, this is one of them. Hmmm, it's probably going to end up with five. In the end they will all converge into one spectacular (well, that's for you to decide, but I guess it'll be something to see either way) story. Er, I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it isn't mine. If you don't recognize it, there are only tentative claims on them at best (but most likely, it isn't mine...).
Began: who knows when exactly. Finished: 10/31/2006
Chapter the First: Of Pseudo-Deaths and Mind Bending
Atop a grassy knoll, in a dimension not all that strange, two figures stood, placidly observing the setting sun presented to them. They stood there with the wind gently teasing their clothing, completely ignoring the fact that they cut figures that inspired fear in their eagerness to cajole an article with which to play with. The first figure was shorter than the one behind him; however, he had an air of intensity about him. Even the simple cut of his robes could not hide this from those who gazed upon him. It leant to people having the hair upon their necks stand at attention. The second figure looked far more intimidating at first glance. There was no two ways about the obsidian armor that he bore or the scythe that he carried. The fact that under the helm was a bleached white skull tended to scare the wits out of many of mortal ken. To those who watch closely though, it was the first figure, the one in the plain black, slightly faded robes, with its hood obscuring his face that shouldn't be angered.
The first turned to the second, seeing him, past the armor and past the whole skeleton deal. Tagmec, his knight, the one he trusted to handle matters in the most level headed manner allowed in any situation had surprised him. He had known him far beyond the memory of many a fallen civilization, but yet, he had floored him. He had taken in an anomaly, had trained said anomaly, at which point he apparently decided 'why the heck not, I've gone this far' and employed the anomaly as well. Those aligned with death, and he being the god of death himself with Tagmec being his first lieutenant, were also very strongly attuned to order. Order, being, well, orderly, Tagmec should have found a way to remove the anomaly, not make sure that the aberration would thrive.
"You've taken a rather unorthodox… approach to the situation," commented the deity, voice giving nothing away.
"It appears so, milord," replied the knight, his response just as cryptic.
The deity frowned at the 'milord'. He never felt comfortable with being addressed as if he were a higher class of being (which he was). After all, he often grumbled, an elevated being shouldn't have to mind the influx of souls that came in everyday. Not to mention the fact that he needed to tend to the spirit world with his sister too. But he was getting off topic; Tagmec's deviation from protocol was the subject of scrutiny.
Sighing, he couldn't help but try to make another appeal towards the skeletal knight's form in addressing him.
"Please, I told you to just call me Grim," sighed the immortal, bringing a hand up to massage the lids of his eyes. He was getting tired. Perhaps time was catching up with him. After all, he was only the deputy deity of death. Soon, he would need to find an heir to take his place.
"My apologies, Grimmuercant," was the stoic reply.
Resigning himself to his fate, Grimmuercant, god of the dead extraordinaire, returned his attention to the matter at hand. "The girl, why did you not address her in accord with protocol?"
The skeleton frowned, though having no muscles to frown with, it was quite a feat. "The girl," a pause, "is special. I do not know why, Grimmuercant, but she is. The circumstances of her death, the fact that she did not actually die was, no, is compelling. She took to our arts like the dead to their graves, and it seemed unwise to let her dabble and not initiate her."
"So," hazarded the divinity, "she intrigues you."
"I suppose she does," answered Tagmec carefully. "But there is something else that I can not describe…"
Raising a brow, the keeper of death began to wonder. The girl was abnormally attuned to death and that which was related to the subject. Perhaps he did not need to find his heir; after all, she did come to him. Making a decision on the spot, the god gently traced the folds of space and sought out his prize. Finding it, he tugged the sword into existence before him, hanging in the air.
Tagmec stiffened in surprise. Smirking at the idea of 'a stiff' stiffening, Grim took the sword by the grip. It did not expand into its true form, but he wasn't surprised. Time was running out, and his fate was sealed it seems. He was a celestial being now and the sword was not made for those who could no longer affect the mortal plane as they pleased.
Tagmec gaped in disbelief. The sword in his master's hand was, to a mortal's eyes, a decidedly vicious looking thing. With the guard wrought in a vague impression of a skull and spines on one side for a cross guard and another cranium's profile for its counter-part, it was no wonder that it inspired a rather negative reaction. After all, it was a motif for one of the three taboos in most mortal societies (death, sex, and politics). The blade was broad but short, barely reaching the foot and a half mark. The blade itself was dark and looked more like a giant, mal-formed arrowhead that was surprisingly long. It was flat and smooth, and glinted in a rather ominous way. The pommel looked like it belonged at the head of a femur.
"Muertoguerra," whispered the champion. "Why…?"
"I'm getting old my friend," the answer was flippant at the surface. "It is time the sword was passed onto someone else, a new avatar to bridge life and death. The girl will do as well as any other. When she returns, you shall present Muertoguerra to her."
Tagmec did not answer. There wasn't a need for one.
Looking around, Kestrel frowned darkly at the undead that have been raised to kill her. She supposed it was a sort of compliment to be considered such a threat that the necromancer raised not one, not two, but three cemeteries full of dead bodies to vanquish her. However, Kess was considering the amount of clean-up she would undoubtedly be saddled with. The frown morphed into an angry scowl when she recalled the crimes that the necromancer had committed. Holding a soul unwillingly, forceful extraction of ether, illegal tampering with the soul. Those crimes, however, were not as bad, in her humble opinion, as the fact that he had been raising the dead to terrify and lord over his domain.
Kestrel was sick and tired of finding necromancers that just didn't do anything productive with the power they were granted. Huffing in annoyance, she was highly offended by the fact that these necromancers needed to be taken care of by people and other such enforcers like her. She knows that the living sometimes handle the situation themselves, but those cases were rare. Eyeing those around her, she drew her machete and dropped into a ready stance. She frowned at her weapon, she didn't hate it, per se, but she had wanted a scythe or at least a claymore but was forced to settle with a machete and javelin, which was strapped to her back. A longbow came standard too, summon-able, but that was beside the point, she wanted a scythe damn it!
The necromancer himself wasn't much to look at. Pasty face with hollow cheeks, manic slightly blood-shot eyes, and a ridiculously large mouth tended to undermine his image. Not to mention that the crooked nose, rotting teeth and overall unsavory feel that came with him did not endear him to many.
Grinning madly, the dead raising bastard gave one short command: "Kill her."
She had hoped that would be all. Rolling her midnight black eyes at herself, she should have known better.
"I shall add your corpse to my undead army! Perhaps I will take your soul for entertainment, see how much pain you could endure. And maybe I'll do a little of this… and a little of that and… hee-hee."
Turning a little green at the thought of another necrophiliac, Kestrel started hacking through the undead. Most dropped dead (again) at one blow from her and stayed that way. Ah, the perks of wielding a weapon forged by the dead for the dead. Killing the undead became a snap with one of these (order one online now for a phenomenal price) and she took vindictive pleasure at seeing the look of absolute horror on Nostro's (that's the name given to her by the file) face as she danced her way to him. Without preamble, Kestrel shoved her blade into the locket that contained the contract built by a necromancer and the god of the dead. The zombies behind her crumbled the moment the contract was demolished.
Wild mass of black hair shading her eyes, Kestrel's visage became rather intimidating as she held the machete over Nostro's broken contract and, more importantly, throat.
Voice oddly calm, Kestrel began explaining why she was here to break his contract.
"You've violated section eight of article D on the forceful summoning of an unwilling soul. You've violated said soul and attempted to tamper with the soul's ether as well."
At this point, her voice turned a bit menacing.
"Not only that, but you've also terrorized the surrounding villages and impoverished this fief. So, pray tell, why should I not kill you?"
Here she looked the trembling man in the eye. Wrinkling her nose, she noticed that Nostro had wet himself. She also noticed that Nostro's quaking had increased with her wrinkling. Good, thought the furious girl, he should know fear after he inflicted it upon so many hapless others.
"B-because you can not kill th-those of the l-living without contract…"
Grinning at him in a rather mad way, with her eyes shining, she whispered one thing to him: "I'm not dead."
Then she was gone.
Kestrel lingered around the impoverished village of Touseka, making certain that Nostro would not forget her. Looking about her, she was having second thoughts about not killing the man. The people that walked the streets were emaciated and slumped in gloom. The buildings were run down, windows were shuttered when there were shutters, and the atmosphere was just downright depressing.
Scowling, she could only hope that with the necromancer gone that Touseka and the other villages that had been under Nostro's thumb would recover.
As she trekked down the paths, idly wondering when the villagers would discover Nostro's empty fortress, Kestrel felt a call from the dead. A harbinger had arrived. Frowning, she turned toward where the messenger's presence was and made her way there, wondering why she would receive a message.
Finding the emissary of the dead, a construct in the shape of a crow, she quickly retrieved a letter, leaving the crow to dissolve into the air. She eyed the message at a quick clip and, upon finishing, did so again at a slower pace. Apparently she had been ordered by Sir Tagmec to return upon the mission's completion. Quirking an eyebrow in contemplation, she folded away the missive. Odd, Tagmec knew she liked to be around the living for as long as she could be spared. It wasn't like the dead bothered her but sometimes the desire to be around those that could breath was titillating. The fact that she could exert changes in the living world, something that the dead couldn't do directly without contract, was an added bonus.
Huffing in annoyance, she accessed the inter-d tesser sequence that had allowed her to reach this plane of existence. The usual tessering, commonly known as teleporting, did not need a pre-made gating sequences that inter-d tessering did. To travel between dimensions was much more difficult then traveling between points within a dimension. Shifting space and time was relatively easy as long as one doesn't tamper with the flow of time itself. That is to say, time traveling is difficult and messy at best and could kill at worst. Tessering between dimensions was a whole new kettle of fish. Not only was there the displacement of time and space to be considered, there were additional dimensions to take into concern. With teleporting within a dimension, most of the nuances of a universe can be handled without difficulty, as in there is no need to do anything to them, just maintain the status quo. With inter-d there were additional nuances to be aware of and the 'gap' between one reality and another to take into consideration. These differences made inter-d tesssering a hassle. After all, there's synching spaces and times to worry about and then the forceful bridging of two realities between the 'gap' and then replacing the person (or object, but objects are easier, less worrying about the whole alive part of the mess) in the desired reality. In addition to that, it's still necessary to take into consideration where the caster wants to be in the second reality. All of this was really troublesome and exhausting. So, gate sequences were set up to ease the transaction, relieving the caster of much of the stress that came with IDT.
Accessing the coordinate input brought about the familiar sensation of having the universe's attention upon her with hers focused right back (an odd sensation that could be best described as a connection being made in conversation where both parties understood each other perfectly, at times finishing sentences for the other and correctly at that). Kess wondered what the hurry was about. Was it something she did? Absently reviewing her past-but-relatively-recent activities, she couldn't find anything to fault herself with. Shrugging it off as she could be a bit biased when it came to herself, she decided that the quickest way to finding out what was going on was to speak to Tagmec. This set her off on a new train of thought as to why Tagmec didn't directly contact her. Waving it off as unimportant, she checked the settings to see that the coordinates would place her in Tagmec's office. Blinking at the direct access she had apparently been granted, she activated the gate.
Her vision shimmered and warped as the gate manifested around her. Script traced the air, describing the gate and its purpose, visible for but a moment. The writing was supposed to be universal; any caster may divine its meaning (if they could read fast enough). Anyone else that looked on would have just seen a slight shimmering at best and not even waver at worst. Sensation flooded her as she felt two realities merged into one and then she was feeling only one again as she reappeared in her superior's (psh!) office.
It was quite sparse; bare would have been a better word if not for the sizeable desk. The room was dark, with the desk practically blending into the shadows. The few windows there were was covered with ratty blinds. It was rather small as offices go with the emptiness lending to its deceptive size. Tagmec claimed that it allowed him to be intimidating but Kestrel chalked it up to him being cheap. Looking towards the desk (because Tagmec loved sitting behind his desk in his office feeling all smug like the fleshless arse he is) she found it empty of its usual occupant. She turned toward a window and found him facing it, but she could tell he wasn't seeing what was outside. She never really figured out how it was possible to read expression off a skeleton, but c'est la vie.
"Yo, brainless wonder," grouched the irate fifteen year old, "What's the deal? I wanted to keep an eye on Noseo. What if he figured that since I'm gone, those provinces will be his for the retaking?"
Tagmec turned wordlessly toward her. She was as irritating and impatient as ever, rushing into everything, even her pseudo-death. He kept staring at her without saying a word, as if he needed to firmly carve the image into his nonexistent brain.
After a while of being stared at wordlessly by Tagmec, Kestrel shifted uncomfortably. Her knight master and she had established a repertoire of sorts, taking pot-shots at each other at every turn. He was never the sort to take things lying down, giving as well as he got (and better at times, she grudgingly admitted). The only time he ever didn't return an eye for an eye was when there was something dead (she couldn't believe she was still thinking in those terms!) serious going on and he sometimes took shots even then. He was never this quiet and solemn at the same time. Shifting her weight again, she tried, a little desperately, to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere.
"Hey, I thought you weren't into flesh-clad girls," she quipped with a black brow arched tauntingly.
"Gods above, I'll miss you, brat-ling," grumbled the knight.
"Huh?" she articulated intelligently.
Having finally screwed his courage to the sticking place, apparently, he took a pseudo-breath (because the dead don't breathe), Tagmec rushed to explain what was to happen.
"This comes from my superior, as in the big brass himself. He has this nonsensical notion of sending you away as his emissary, muttered something about bridges and whatnot. It isn't my idea, but what can I do, you know? I'm his subordinate, and I- I can't do anything and it just isn't right, and I don't want this to be happening, I really wish it weren't. Gods above! Why did he suddenly feel old? When did he start feeling old? I don't under-"
Kestrel frowned at the pacing skeleton before her. He'd started after explaining, talking too fast for anyone to understand though so it didn't help her at all. Sighing in frustration, she marched up to the pacing fool and pushed against his armor, bringing him to an abrupt halt. Looking into his sockets, idly wondering at how exactly he could see without eyes, she glared him silent. He sighed, and somehow became more compact, shrinking into himself.
"Now, we both know you're a buffoon, but let's try to pretend for a second that you're not and can actually deliver a concise, enlightening piece of dialogue," commanded the petite lass. She marveled at the fact that while Tagmec was, supposedly, her superior it was so easy, so natural for her to take charge at times.
The knight took a moment to find his compose. The moment stretched and again the girl huffed in annoyance. Rapping smartly upon his armor, she bit out another order, sharp and demanding.
"Report, soldier! The relevant details, if you will. What is going on, where am I going, why am I going, how am I going, when am I going. We'll dispense with the 'who' part. Now speak lively!"
"Yes ma'am!" snapped the skeleton as his posture became rigid with his straightening. "Grimmuercant has given you the title of Avatar of the Dead. You are to go to a designated realm of the living, perhaps permanently. I will be setting up an inter-dimensional gating sequence here to transport you. As soon as all of this is settled, I will be constructing the port."
Kess stared at him, speechless. Well that answered those questions but not much else. He was doing that thing again, that 'thing' being precise to the point of driving all to madness. Ignoring the idly wandering part of her self, Kess reoriented herself to try to focus on the relevant bit of data that she had just received. Grumbling about the insensitive ways of men, she noted, was not helping her. This explained why he was so agitated. Ah well, she'll do what she does best, bite down and bear her way through this new mess that is her life (pseudo-death?). Forcefully relaxing her muscles, she began to pry more information out of the knight.
The bone knight eyed her warily, she may look as cool as a cucumber but her eyes gave it away. He idly wondered if she would find what she was missing on this path she was set on.
After receiving the Muertoguerra (which turned into a claymore at her touch and that in turn made Kestrel that much more bearable since she had lost her machete, javelin and longbow), Tagmec started constructing a gate sequence. As the port weaved itself into existence, he finally made up his mind. As the girl, young woman (he corrected himself), was about to activate the gate, he grabbed her shoulder. Turning to him curiously, she watched as he reached under his armor and brought out a knife. The blade was about 20 centimeters in length with a grip that was about 15 centimeters. It was rather plain, the grip worn from much handling. The blade was tapered and reminded her instantly of a fang with its slightly curving length.
"This is Fang (a proper name for it, thought Kestrel as she eyed the blade), and I have had it for countless years. It has gotten me out of many a scrape, and I hope that it would serve you just as well." With that, the knight handed the weapon to her gruffly. Handling it, she found the weight comfortable in her hand. Smiling slyly she eyed the skeleton.
"Well, if it's all the same to you," here Tagmec tightened his grip on his scythe at the tone of her voice, "can I have the scythe instead?"
A short crisp "No" was the deadpanned answer. Grinning, the mischievous child looked at the knight for perhaps the last time.
"I'll miss you, you potential lump of bread," and with that she activated the gate and disappeared.
With a snort of annoyance that was quickly followed by a sigh, the skeleton replied in a whisper to the empty office.
"I'll miss you too."
Zenhir liked having good days. They were rare and hard to come by. It was little surprise then that he would take a good day by the horns and be carried away with it. Nothing, he swore, nothing could ruin his good mood. This was going to be a good day, and by the gods, nothing is going to ruin it.
So he whistled a jolly tune as he trekked through the desert, wind and sand scrubbing his face raw through the scarf that was wrapped inadequately about his face. He had hoped to come upon the oasis he was told had been in this direction, but after three days of fruitless walking, he began to question the existence of this oasis. Cursing, he pushed on as he forcefully stretched his mouth into a determined grin. He promised himself a good day, and, with the gods as his witnesses, he was going to have one.
The sand and wind finally abated, leaving his face to bake in the merciless sun, not that the winds had been any good in the cooling department. Cursing at his empty canteen, he suddenly stopped- something was tampering with space-time.
Space contorted; apparently the gate wasn't all that efficient. A truly skilled practitioner would have been able to pass without disturbing space. Zenhir sniffed in a superior manner; he had no troubles with teleportation. This was obviously a novice, he thought until he noticed that the sequence was made for inter-dimensional transport, not local-dimensional transport. He raised a brow appreciatively, this was not the work of a deity. Whoever this is was quite skilled. He waited, rather impatiently, to see who (what) would turn up.
A woman, girl, teenager (that's the word) showed up, a mop of black hair elegantly covering her noggin a la bird's nest style. Lips that concealed a wicked bite rode under a sharp nose. Eyes of obsidian blinked owlishly at him. Zenhir did the polite thing, he blinked back, equally befuddled. A teenager wasn't supposed to be that skilled. He wondered if she had a canteen with her and whether she was willing to share. On a side note, she was mortal, mostly, and she wasn't exhausted, a peculiar state if she had made an IDS.
Kestrel wasn't sure she liked the fact that Tagmec had landed her in the desert. After a moment's contemplation as she observed the tanned man before her with graying hair under a beige turban, prominent nose, and funky beard that went every which way (it was rather thin and wispy, ditto the hair from what she could see), she decided that no, she did not appreciate being sent to a desert. As a matter of fact, she was probably going to grind his bones to meal and make her bread with it. It (probably) won't be just a (idle) threat this time around. She turned toward her impromptu companion and wondered at the speculative look upon his face. He wasn't planning to sell her apparent adeptness in 'magic' was he? As she eyed him warily, she wondered if he had any water on him. The sun was beating down on her something fierce.
Zenhir wondered at how best to ask a completely strange (and she was strange. Who in their right mind would be in a black get-up in the desert? Hello, at least have sleeves and leggings that actually covered, not those cut off things that weren't even proper! She'd be fried something awful in the sun) stranger for a canteen of water. After all, they just met and didn't even know each other's name. He wondered if it would be too forward to just- well- ask. Scratching his beard idly, his gaze speculative, he did not notice the slight frown that marred the teen's face. He finally decided, what the heck, and opened his mouth to inquire about water or, at the least, something liquid. It couldn't hurt.
Gobbledygook. That was what she heard: gobbledygook. The man shifted nervously as Kestrel stared at him blankly. He, awkwardly, spoke again. Again, no response (the same response, but it was little better than nothing). A third time he spoke, this time with gestures that looked ridiculous. Was he pantomiming water? She blinked at him as if he was stupid; did she look like she was desert ready? Trying to communicate this and the fact that they were really boned (because, why else would a native ask her for water if he had some to begin with?) to the idiot before her, she reached for his mind.
Zenhir tensed at the sudden contact. She did not just- he felt it again, that nudge at his psychic defenses. He stared, shocked by the audacity. Suddenly, his walking staff was twirling in his hand, a blur as he swung it at the uncouth cretin. Trespassing upon another's mind was repugnant, an offense of the highest order. No one encroached upon his mind and got away with it (not even an upstart teenager, damn it!).
She didn't notice the staff before, but she did notice it as it cracked against the cross-guard of Muertoguerra (the skull side, which, incidentally, protected her fingers). Nudging the blade, she extended it, and swung the claymore two-handed. The old-looking man was surprisingly nimble, dodging and counter-attacking in the time she needed to reposition herself, forcing her to dodge.
What followed was a quick exchange of blows that never really landed. Skipping back and forth, Kestrel danced her rather unwieldy weapon rather effectively, prodding at this strange man's defense. She was still mostly confused at the sudden onslaught, but she wasn't going to question the incoming wood that, decidedly, was not good for her health. The blade sang in awkward looking maneuvers, twirling and jabbing against a flimsy looking staff that was surprisingly sturdy. From the looks of things, they could have gone on for quite some time, but the sun decided to step in and left them both in an exhausted heap in two minutes flat.
Glaring accusingly at the idiot that brought them into such a state, she shaped her psionic energy into a drill and roughly pierced his defense. It was easier said than done, she practically had to bring all of her powers to bear and then some.
You stubborn old goat, what did you attack me for, you blinking idiot!?
Zenhir, suffice it to say, was not at all happy with an interloper in his mind. Feelings of indignation coursed through his mind grinding his thought processes to a stall when he felt accusation and fury in the thoughts that echoed in his mind. She was pinning the blame on him? That was absurd! One just does not barge into another's mind! It was rude and uncouth!
Hearing the splutters of his thoughts and gaining the general thrust of them, she could, grudgingly, understand the attack. Bah, culture, she was never really all that on the whole negotiation scene. Ah well, explaining her reasoning might help.
Our priority was to establish a form of communication, you dimwit. Here she felt a squawk of indignation, but she ignored it. Bypassing the whole language problem, thus, became priority. Simplest way to do that would be to use direct mind to mind contact. She knew she sounded like a brat, but she was stilled cheesed at the fact that he had attacked her for something so trivial. She hadn't knocked at his doorstep but trying to crack her skull open for that seemed a bit excessive.
He grudgingly conceded that there was reason to her argument, though it did nothing to endear her to him. After a bit of further contemplation, a tentative Zenhir asked his all consuming question.
You wouldn't happen to have a canteen of water, would you?
His response was a soul withering glare. Grimacing, he answered himself.
I guess that's a 'no' then.
There seemed to be no other way around it, so, sighing, he stretched his awareness out, extending his very self. Wonder of wonders, he actually found the 'oasis'. It was small, nothing really fancy. It was no island-of-vegetation-in-a-sea-of-sand deal, more or a watering-hole-with-a-very-extensive-well. It would do for a thirsty man, beast, whatever. Glancing at his companion, he debated upon whether he should inform the girl (too immature to be a teenager, he groused). Sighing at his gods-forsaken kindness, he turned to her to see her watching him with a brow cocked. Sighing again, he began.
I found a source of water. It's quite a bit that-a-way. Here he gestured vaguely behind her. Thirsty?
Without a word, she turned about, facing west if he were to check the sun, and started off. He blinked at the rudeness of the gesture. After going a few paces with the sands sucking at her boots (and the flattering pair of legs in them), she turned toward him, cocked an eyebrow and waited impatiently. Grumbling, he made to follow her. Frowning, he finally noticed that she was no longer having any problem walking on sand and discovered that she wasn't even walking, she was floating.
They finally made it to the oasis, via floating. Zenhir had given up walking as a lost cause, mainly because the strange girl kept smirking at him. That was insufferable, to say the least, and so he floated. The whole thing sort of degenerated after that and a race was on. When they finally reached the watering hole, there was a full blown argument on who got there first which engendered another, small scale fight (this had involved much sand being displaced and the two of them needing to bathe which provoked a need to draw water from the hole to provide the substantial amount needed to bathe in). Finally, the two settled down to talk.
After learning that he had attacked the Avatar of Death (twice), Zenhir was feeling mighty uncomfortable. It wasn't everyday that an Avatar appeared. Candidates for deity-ship were rare, and the Avatars were la crème de crème, the prime candidates themselves. He also found that Kestrel had no clue as to what the title of Avatar meant for her. Ah well, better not leave her with an inflated ego.
With that out of the way, another concern raised its ugly head; what course of action was he supposed to take now? He couldn't let just an Avatar wander around the world without a guide. Though she didn't appear to have access to all of the Power she was granted with the title, that was to come in due time. She could (easily) rip the world apart at a perceived offense. Besides, he was basically trained to handle such an occurrence, being indoctrinated and all by the Lost Avatar himself. On the other hand, he and this Kestrel girl were as likely to kill each other as chat civilly, almost (but not quite) pleasantly.
Sighing, he rued the day he met the Lost Avatar as he offered to guide Kestrel as she raised an amused brow at him. He wasn't that easy to read, was he?
-end chappy-
Author's End Note: So, tell me what you think, and we'll see where we'll go from there. Ciao!


text:
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk together honey and eggs until thoroughly integrated. Stir in orange zest. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add slowly to egg mixture. Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter. Add the mixture to the pan and bake. After 30 minutes check for doneness with a wooden skewer. (If it comes out clean, you are done. If not, give it another 5 minutes and check it again).
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown
Count down through our top 50 most-saved recipes, like Tyler's Chicken Parmesan.

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I've had a lot of issues in my life, but I've always wanted to live in England. Now happens to be the perfect time to get away, but I need help. I really have no idea how to get a work visa without having a job lined up for me, but I NEED to go. There is nothing here for me anymore, sadly. So I will now take the liberty to list my job experience and hobbies/interests.
Work: Cashier at Shaw's: I have two years of experience working closely with customers and knowing the layout of the grocer's shop, and spending long hours on my feet. Packing at W.A. Bean and Sons: Four years experience packaging food products, sanitizing work surfaces, doing heavy lifting (over 22.6kg), working longer hours on my feet, and working in the cold (0*C).
I have learnt many of the British versions of American words so people may better understand me, and I do know most of the metric system because of my extensive experience with studying chemistry. I do have some university education, though none of my credit will count when I switch countries.
Hobbies: Singing, hiking, camping, wilderness survival training, whitewater rafting and canoeing, acryllic painting, curtain-making, fixing cars, working on other engines, wood crafting (building benches and such), welding, gardening, organic gardening, organic lifestyles, making tinctures for medicines, studying chemistry, graphic design, 3D animation work, home improvement projects, taking care of animals, playing a wide variety of video games, and listening to music (not pirated). I think that just about covers it.
Any wooded area, ocean, river, or mountain setting; the downtown area of any city; home with a cup of tea; Boston, MA, USA


text: Voices Letter: What chance a people's police Sunday 7 March 1999 00:02 GMT Click to followThe Independent Online THE CONSERVATIVES' criticism of Jack Straw over the published names of informants in the Lawrence report is asinine. It implies that the Home Office should have been allowed to scrutinise, well in advance of its publication, an independent inquiry report, and been given powers to query parts of it, and to request changes, in time for correction prior to publication. That would have rendered the label "independent" redundant. The whole idea is ludicrous.PAUL WALTERS Newbury, Berkshire More about: Jack Straw Northumbria Police Police Unemployment Reuse content Comments


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Tag: Zynga
The Poker Central Shootout Gives $85K to Charities
Tyler Posey bested Phil Hellmuth to win the Poker Central Shootout, which gave $85,000 to charities.
The Best 5 Poker Themed Apps For Your Phone or Tablet
Poker players are spoiled for choice when it comes to mobile poker apps, so PokerNews has found five of the best for you to try.
Zynga Seeking to Sell San Francisco Headquarters Building
Zynga, the social gaming giant that abandoned its real-money poker offering last year, is continuing to downsize with the sale of a major office.
Inside Gaming: Zynga Faces Shareholders Lawsuit, NGC Scolds Caesars, and Harry Reid Stepping Down
Shareholders are allowed to go forward with lawsuit against Zynga, Caesars gets scolded by the NGC, and Sen. Harry Reid announces he won't seek reelection.
Korea Shuts Down All Facebook Games In Attempt To Regulate Social Gambling
No more Facebook games for citizens of South Korea, as the country has blocked all social casino games as well as titles like Candy Crush and Farmville.
Zynga Launches Real-Money Poker on Facebook as Stock Plunges
Zynga launched a real-money poker app on Facebook for players in the United Kingdom.
Zynga Cancels Plans for Real-Money Gaming in U.S.
Zynga announced that it no longer intends to operate real-money gaming in the U.S.
Inside Gaming: Zygna Replaces Pincus as CEO, Betfair Partners With Trump in New Jersey
Zynga replaced CEO MArk Pincus, and Betfair partnered with an Atlantic City casino to offer online gambling in New Jersey.
Inside Gaming: World Poker Tour CEO Departs, Zynga Cuts Hundreds of Jobs, and More
In this week's edition of Inside Gaming, World Poker Tour CEO Steve Heller is let go, Zynga slashes hundreds of jobs, and more.
Zynga Launches Real-Money Online Poker in United Kingdom
On April 3, Zynga launched its real-money online gambling offering in the UK.
The Weekly Turbo: New Jersey Legalizes Online Poker, Negreanu Challenges Gus Hansen
A look at the week's top poker news stories including New Jersey legalizing online gambling, a Team PokerStars-versus-Team Full Tilt Poker heads-up battle, and more.
The Nightly Turbo: Alex Rodriguez's Charity Poker Controversy, Zynga CEO Talks Gambling
A look at the day's top poker stories including a charity poker controversy involving baseball star Alex Rodriguez, the latest on Zynga's real-money online gaming plans, and more.
The Nightly Turbo: PokerStars Launches on Facebook, New York Mets Casino Plans Rejected
A look at the day's top poker news stories including the launch of PokerStars on Facebook, the failed casino plans of the New York Mets, and more.
888 to Offer Real-Money Gambling on Facebook in 2013
Online gaming company 888 Holdings PLC has teamed up with social media giant Facebook to offer real-money games in the U.K.
Zynga Moves Toward Real-Money Gambling in Nevada
Social gaming giant Zynga has applied for a preliminary finding of suitability to offer real-money gambling in Nevada.
The Weekly Turbo: Michael Phelps at WPT Montreal, PokerStars Smashes Records, and More
A look at the week's top poker news stories including a surprise appearance at WPT Montreal from Michael Phelps, another online poker record for PokerStars, and more.
The Nightly Turbo: Zynga's New Gaming Deal with Facebook, Rafa Nadal's PokerStars Debut
Facebook and Zynga entered into a new real-money gaming arrangement, and Rafael Nadal will make his online poker debut in December. In Case You Missed It
The Nightly Turbo: Lisa Simpson Plays Poker, Betable Hires a Former Zynga VP, and More
Lisa Simpson plays online poker, Betable hires a former vice president of Zynga, and more.
The Nightly Turbo: FTP Repayment Update, Brandon Cantu and Jon Aguiar Rematch, and More
PokerStars issued an update regarding the Full Tilt Poker repayment process, and Brandon Cantu and Jon Aguiar are set to face off in a $130,000 grudge match.


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Our holdings include hundreds of glass and film negatives/transparencies that we've scanned ourselves; in addition, many other photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs) in the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) They are adjusted, restored and reworked by your webmaster in accordance with his aesthetic sensibilities before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here. All of these images (including "derivative works") are protected by copyright laws of the United States and other jurisdictions and may not be sold, reproduced or otherwise used for commercial purposes without permission.
Vintage photos of:
August 1939. Yakima Valley, Washington. "Champion hop picker in squatter camp before the season opens. Earned five dollars a day in the 1938 season. Age 23, been on the road seven years. Married. 'I think I did pretty well, only have one baby. Want to get out of this living like a dog'." Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
San Francisco circa 1921. "Dorris 6-80 touring sedan at Spreckels Mansion." Latest entry in the Shorpy Compendium of Cretaceous Conveyances; by 1924 the Dorris would be extinct. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size.
My mother and my father's mother on a chilly January day in 1966. Kodachrome slide I took in Calpella, California, where my grandfather raised grapes from 1915 to 1953. View full size.
Columbus, Georgia, circa 1954. "Louise Mullin" is all it says here. Regardless, we seem to have a quorum. Let the meeting come to order! 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size.
Columbus, Georgia, circa 1950. "Library -- Jean Hollis." Cited by one source as "head of Reference Division, Bradley Memorial Library." 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size.
December 1941. Washington, D.C. "Christmas shopping. Salesgirls at Woolworth's." Photo by John Collier, Office of War Information. View full size.
Philadelphia circa 1904. "Market Street and City Hall from Eighth." From an 8x10 glass plate exposed about a minute after this one was taken. View full size.


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This is a discussion on Mr Obama to sign the International Gun Control Treaty on June 3rd... within the The Second Amendment & Gun Legislation Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; aw....the awkward silence as some folks eagerly google away for info on the ATT...
aw....the awkward silence as some folks eagerly google away for info on the ATT
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?
And I said, Here am I. Send me!
Isaiah 6:8
Barack Obama tells Mexico: 'Most of the guns used here come from the US' - Telegraph
I can't find it yet, but I also beleive that there is wording to the affect that no nations constitutions will be affected byt this treaty.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?
And I said, Here am I. Send me!
Isaiah 6:8
Suntzu and Hopyard:
I would like to hear your reasons why you support the treaty, or at the least why you think it's "no big deal".
about it. To articulate in a meaningful way why you oppose it. This you have not even attempted to do.
Link to and cite a specific portion of the text that shows it will negatively affect civilian gun owners in the US. If that is what the treaty does I will be on your side.
P.S. I'm no big fan of the UN in general, nor of treaties that actually would alter our sovereignty.
I'm asking that you make your case on some basis other then partisan hatreds and domestic
politics, such as the actual text of the document.
If the Union is once severed, the line of separation will grow wider and wider, and the controversies which are now debated and settled in the halls of legislation will then be tried in fields of battle and determined by the sword.
Andrew Jackson
From what I read it needs a national gun registry. This is what alarms me the most.
"Mindful of the legitimate trade and lawful ownership, and use of certain conventional arms for recreational, cultural, historical, and sporting activities, where such trade, ownership and use are permitted or protected by law,"
First, it's in the Preamble and therefore non-binding. Then, it states "conventional arms" (ambiguous, possibly intentionally so given the past and recent events to categorize firearms with certain features as "weapons of war"), and then does not specifically mention "protection" or "security" - only troubling because of the other specific uses mentioned.
Regarding the "slippery slope" comment, I would beg to differ. If I were making the implication without any historical context then yes, I would agree. But that is not the case. Our President, VP, AG, and at least one senior Senator (Feinstein) have been on record for a very long time (more than a decade for most) for stating that they would like to eliminate firearm ownership by civilians. Legislation from the past 20 years, and most recently the last six months, shows that a certain percentage of our elected officials have similar feelings. So while not inevitable, it is very far from unlikely.
It's sort of like discussing the probability versus the possibility of an event with an attorney. Many things are possible, but generally few are probable. WRT to this Treaty I feel that this tends to land more towards the "possible" end of the scale.
I'm not an attorney, but have worked closely with them for the better part of the past 20 years in business and sales management roles. What you tend to see is that when there are very specific concerns the language in an agreement is very specific. But, where there are general concerns (even opportunities) and there is a desire to have room for interpretation in the future that the language will be intentionally vague. If there is a problem you look for past transactions and activity, as well as "generally accepted" or "industry specific" use or interpretation of a point to try to prove your case. Not to mention that there are many systems of law, not to mention the application of International Law.
It just feels a bit sinister to me. Make it appear "safe" but leave wiggle room to accomplish many related goals.
Obama is basically saying, "Damn the torpedoes!" for the next 2.5 years--he's obviously enjoying building on his legacy as the US President who's actions offered the easiest arguments for impeachment and yet got to enjoy 2 full terms in the people's White House.


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NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
The NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms features 8,107 terms related to cancer and medicine.
- extracranial germ cell tumor
- listen (EK-struh-KRAY-nee-ul jerm sel TOO-mer)
A rare cancer that forms in germ cells in the testicle or ovary, or in germ cells that have traveled to areas of the body other than the brain (such as the chest, abdomen, or tailbone). Germ cells are reproductive cells that develop into sperm in males and eggs in females.


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The European Union sometimes suffers from the same mindset. To a long list of benefits - which includes visa-free travel, a single market and airline deregulation - may soon be joined cheaper mobile phone calls throughout Europe.
After a decision at a meeting earlier this week, the European commission wants to set a cap on the maximum rates that operators can charge for users making and receiving mobile calls travelling within the EU. Luxembourg's Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for telecommunications, has championed the move to cut roaming call charges by up to 70%.
Consumers and businesses around the EU will applaud the proposal, which promises to improve the bottom line for workers and tourists, and bring the European single market closer to reality. Be prepared, though, for the backlash: the move has still to be approved by the EU's member states and the European parliament. The mobile operators stand to lose a big chunk of their profits from the change and will fight tooth and nail to guard their privilege. In doing so they will accuse the commission of old-fashioned statism and claim the move will increase prices elsewhere. Whether that is or is not the case, let's hope the commission sticks to its guns and shoots down roaming charges.


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What are the big issues facing the Australian economy in 2015? At first glance, the narratives that defined 2014 have yet to run their course. Expect the property market, the federal budget, commodity prices and the exchange rate to drive economic discussion this year.
Sydney homeowners and investors did well during 2014 but this year they face a much sterner test. At this stage, three factors appear likely to weigh on the housing market over the second half of 2015.


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Old Academy (Munich)
|This article does not cite any sources. (December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The Old Academy (German: Alte Akademie), also called Wilhelminum, is a building in the center of Munich, Germany. Dating from the 16th century, it has a Renaissance facade and four inner courtyards.
William V, Duke of Bavaria ordered the construction of a building for the college and the school of the Jesuits next to his St. Michael's Church. The college was established 1583-1590. It is unclear who designed the building, but it was probably as Friedrich Sustris.
After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1773 the building became a cantonment for cadets of the army. From 1783 to 1826, it housed the Court Library and Archives, and then a school of painting and sculpture (hence the designation "Academy"). From 1826 to 1840, the Ludwig Maximilian University had its temporary domicile in the building. After severe destruction during the Second World War (1944) it was rebuilt by Josef Wiedemann to house the Bavarian Statistical Office.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alte Akademie.
Coordinates: 48°08′20″N 11°34′11″E / 48.13889°N 11.56972°E
|This article about a Bavarian building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Town Square
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SCHOOLS & KIDSDanville Girl Scouts take part in celebration at State Capitol
Two Danville teens were among six Bay Area Girl Scouts chosen to represent the Girl Scouts of Northern California at the...Original post made on Aug. 9, 2016
Last comment by B. Lynn Goodwin, on Aug 9, 2016 at 3:49 pm | 1 comment | 1725 Views
CRIMES & INCIDENTSShooting suspect turns himself in after fight at DVC
A man was arrested for allegedly shooting another man at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill on Saturday night after he...Original post made on Mar. 25, 2010
Last comment by Armstrong, on Aug 8, 2016 at 12:51 pm | 2 comments | 2910 Views
SCHOOLS & KIDSAdmin items to lead new SRVUSD superintendent's first board meeting
Rick Schmitt is set for his first school board meeting as San Ramon Valley schools superintendent, with summertime administrative...Original post made on Aug. 1, 2016
Last comment by SHale99, on Aug 6, 2016 at 8:28 am | 7 comments | 1789 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESDeveloper, residents discuss Faria Preserve concerns
Air quality, dust control and the need for better communication were among the themes during a three-hour-plus public workshop...Original post made on Aug. 1, 2016
Last comment by Steve, on Aug 5, 2016 at 8:54 am | 3 comments | 2607 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESSan Ramon Aqua Bears forced to find new home pool
With their swimming season set to get underway in just a couple days, the San Ramon Aqua Bears were left scrambling for a...Original post made on May. 4, 2016
Last comment by San Ramon Resident and Golfer, on Aug 5, 2016 at 8:37 am | 12 comments | 3512 Views
AROUND TOWNThefts, dependent adult abuse top Danville police log
The Danville Police Department provides DanvilleSanRamon.com with a record of its calls each week. This is a sampling from...Original post made on Aug. 4, 2016
Last comment by Jim Price, on Aug 4, 2016 at 10:08 am | 1 comment | 1640 Views
CRIMES & INCIDENTSDA indicts 22 in insurance fraud ring
The Contra Costa County district attorney's office charged 22 people in an indictment for staged collisions and insurance...Original post made on Sep. 17, 2013
Last comment by Gina Channell-Allen, Publisher, on Aug 2, 2016 at 1:43 pm | 2 comments | 3401 Views
AROUND TOWNSan Ramon council supports Faria Preserve initiative ordinance
The San Ramon City Council indicated its intent Tuesday to approve an initiative ordinance related to the 740-home Faria...Original post made on Jul. 28, 2016
Last comment by jrm, on Aug 1, 2016 at 2:56 pm | 2 comments | 2798 Views
STATE, NATIONAL, INTERNATIONALObama & Democrats Anti-Police Rhethoric Ignites Race War
The Police are human, and as humans, make mistakes. They have an incredibly difficult job to do, and everyday when they leave...Original post made by American on Jul. 8, 2016
Last comment by Danville, on Jul 31, 2016 at 6:16 am | 31 comments | 582 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESAgency to vote on San Ramon Valley express lanes toll ordinance
A Bay Area agency is set to consider adopting an ordinance Wednesday that would establish toll rates for the Interstate 680...Original post made on Jul. 27, 2016
Last comment by Agen Poker, on Jul 31, 2016 at 4:48 am | 5 comments | 2705 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESSwalwell, congressional colleagues call for vote on gun control bills
Building on a sit-in staged by House Democrats in the nation's capitol last week, San Ramon's Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin)...Original post made on Jun. 30, 2016
Last comment by Dave, on Jul 30, 2016 at 11:37 pm | 16 comments | 1211 Views
AROUND TOWNLongtime Danville postal clerk sorting his last piece of mail Friday
One of the most familiar faces among Danville's post offices, distribution clerk Keith Carlson is ready to process the last...Original post made on Jul. 29, 2016
Last comment by Marjorie C Nothern, on Jul 29, 2016 at 1:01 pm | 2 comments | 2056 Views
AROUND TOWNDanville commission to debate house addition in ridgeline area
The Danville Planning Commission is set to decide Tuesday whether to allow a second-story addition on a house in northern...Original post made on Jul. 26, 2016
Last comment by No clue, on Jul 28, 2016 at 1:34 pm | 7 comments | 2288 Views
SCHOOLS & KIDSCounty reviewing possible replacement of aging admin building
Initial planning is underway for possible replacement of the Martinez building where the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors...Original post made on Jul. 26, 2016
Last comment by Crystle, on Jul 26, 2016 at 7:47 pm | 1 comment | 779 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESDanville Navy pilot named to Blue Angels air show team
Lt. Nate Scott, of Danville, has been selected to serve as an officer for the 2017 Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration...Original post made on Jul. 26, 2016
Last comment by Resident, on Jul 26, 2016 at 6:25 pm | 1 comment | 3226 Views
RESTAURANTSReport: Economic factors boost Bay Area home prices to another record
A strong job market, optimism and a short supply of homes underlie a record stretch of high home prices in the Bay Area,...Original post made on Jul. 25, 2016
Last comment by Dave, on Jul 25, 2016 at 8:32 am | 1 comment | 934 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESDanville author's novel spotlights social struggles of women in Pakistan
Danville resident Lubna Jahangiri describes her recent novel, "The Little Stepmother: A Novel," as a story about triumph...Original post made on Jul. 23, 2016
Last comment by Jamison, on Jul 23, 2016 at 11:49 pm | 1 comment | 1699 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESSRPD officers praised for quick response during medical emergency
Three San Ramon police officers were lauded for their actions to help treat a man who went into sudden cardiac arrest while...Original post made on Jul. 13, 2016
Last comment by Costasol, on Jul 23, 2016 at 9:01 am | 5 comments | 3076 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESDanville Library closed for renovations
The Danville Library is closed to the public through June 26 as construction crews complete renovations aimed at upgrading...Original post made on Jun. 21, 2016
Last comment by Farfetched, on Jul 23, 2016 at 8:53 am | 10 comments | 2078 Views
COMMENTS ON STORIESSRPD officers credited for another life-saving medical response
The San Ramon Police Department sang the praises of two officers who provided key medical assistance to a man suffering a...Original post made on Jul. 20, 2016
Last comment by Renae Darlene, on Jul 22, 2016 at 2:25 pm | 7 comments | 1998 Views
Livermore trustees demonstrating wisdom
By Tim Hunt | 10 comments | 1,218 views
The Great Divide, and What's Next?
By Tom Cushing | 38 comments | 913 views
Material Matters
By John A. Barry | 0 comments | 143 views
2017 guide to summer camps
Looking for something for the kids to do this summer, learn something new and have fun? The 2017 Summer Camp Guide features local camps for all ages and interests.


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Shanghai South Railway Station Hotel is located on No.987 Shilong Road, Xuhui district, close to south railway station. The hotel offers cosy and comfortable guest rooms to cater to all your accommodation needs. With comprehensive and positive service concept, the hotel provides travelers for busin...
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*deep breath*
So I've been having a difficult time trying to pin down my overall response to this game. And it becomes somewhat stranger for me given its recently dubbed status as GotY from IGN (among others). In part I'm having a hard time finding even just one emotion/adjective to describe my reactions. Also I'm not great at brevity in general - and that goes double when it comes to talking about games from BioWare.
In a lot of ways, Dragon Age: Inquisition really is the best kind of expected BioWare experience. A solid cast of characters, interesting moral decisions embedded within the narrative, an in-depth customizable protagonist. If it all sounds a bit trite to say so...well, it is; it's both everything I expect from my favorite developer, and nothing really new brought to the table. Perhaps, then, it could be argued that such a statement is both a compliment and a critique.
There are a lot of arenas in which I will agree with some of this game's praise. The graphics and visuals have never been better; the allowances for customization have never been more in-depth - both with appearance and behavior for the PC, as well as the enormous amounts that can be done with gathering metals and herbs and crafting tonics, potions, armor, and weapons, etc. I'm sure there are gamers out there who just love this kind of thing. And the war table adds an interesting new element that gives you a much stronger sense of the world at large, its complex history, and the increasing impact of the Inquisition.
Unfortunately, there are just too many downsides to the overall experience - too many major and minor things that irk me - for me to say that I love it; even though it is a BioWare experience.
Early on in my first playthrough, as I was wandering the Hinterlands, running up hills and through ruins and jumping over plants and walls, I remember thinking what a distinctly different experience this is from what's come before. That's not, in it of itself, necessarily a bad thing; change is good - and I've often appreciated how BioWare seeks to improve on what's already been accomplished.
At the same time, I'm largely not a fan of open-world gaming. And playing through this game has allowed me to articulate a lot of the reasons why.
There are a lot of new environments to be found here - and I'm sure this comes in no small part as a response to the enormous lack of such diversity in the second game. But here's where it falls flat for me: there's a relative sameness that exists in all of them. Not in visuals, but in content. Side quests are all pretty much the same, and you do a general amount of exploration and discovery that includes things like collecting shards and finding landmarks and texts that gives you the option to read about the history.
Here's why I still prefer Origins (and why, imo, it's still a far superior game): Origins was largely structured around five story campaigns that slotted you into some of the most interesting and important areas through Ferelden. Over the course of the quests, through the story immersion, we were given the opportunity to learn about the importance of individuals like Andraste, and the lost history of the Elves that the Dalish sect still clings to. I knew and felt and understood it on an incredibly intimate level because the story was built specifically to embed me into the fabric of each. Origins spent hours and hours showing this incredible world to me (and I don't mean visually).
At a certain point, I found myself comparing the tasking and side questing of Inquisition to busy work - though in another sense, I'd say it's rather like eating lots and lots of candy. It often tastes really good, with immediate (but brief) gratification, and in the right mood, it can be incredibly addictive. Why, I can sit here and eat this enormous bag of chocolate, continually going back for another piece.
But at the end of it, once I'm done, I feel unsatisfied. Now with a candy rush and lapsing in a candy coma, I start to crave something with more substance: something satisfying and filling, like meat and potatoes.
The heart of Origins was spent devouring five large and satisfying meals, each of which were unique, complex, and absolutely unlike anything I had ever had before. The heart of Inquisition is like eating lots and lots of candy. Lots and lots of little pieces that all look and feel and taste the same. And the meat and potatoes? They're there, and they're richer than what came in Dragon Age II, but they tend not to stand out amidst all the candy.
This is my beef with open-world gaming: I've played games that have it, and I've often enjoyed it in its way. But none of my favorite titles utilize the style. And what's worse, not only does the enormity of it take away from time spent with the narrative (making the narrative itself less resonant), but there's also the huge downside in that it's basically mandatory. To no small degree, you have to spend a significant amount of the game in world exploration because it's the only way to level up in order to be able to complete the next story section.
And since they adopted the open-world conceit, I really wish BioWare had decided to borrow more elements. Much of the diversity in environments is based on visuals, and little else. They're lacking the story context of Origins and so not very exciting on their own. Elder Scrolls games tend to have continuous music (with a wealth of incredible themes) that do a remarkable amount to establish tone and atmosphere. Souls titles have such a high cost for failure, combined with fantastic sound design, that gives the environments immersion due to the pitch perfect balance of risk and reward.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is somewhat painfully lacking when it comes to immersion and atmosphere.
My other primary beef with the game is the tactical camera. And oh how I have, at times, absolutely loathed the tactical camera - something I never thought I would say after its removal from the second game.
The problem I have with it here is that there were numerous design decisions made in regards to player usage that significantly hinder the experience. Foremost among them being:
1) It can't pass through ceilings. This means that if I'm in a small cave or a building with a low ceiling, I have to angle the camera down and manually navigate around to see what's going on. Which undermines one of the primary appeals of the isometric camera in Origins, that offered a somewhat RTS-like ability to see, at a glance, where all my friends and foes were relative to one another. Note: this particular aspect becomes even more infuriating if you're in the forest, since the camera doesn't even bother to diffuse trees while in tactical mode; which in turn means quite literally not being able to see any of your characters visually on the screen because of all the foliage.
2) On the PC, you don't navigate around using the mouse, but rather the WASD keys. On top of that, it's not so much movement of the camera as it is drawing out hypothetical movement of your selected character - so as you follow the cursor on the ground to view different areas of the battle, you become hindered by breaks in the environment and end up wasting precious seconds trying to get around walls and up and down stairs.
3) The camera has a tendency to zoom in very, very close to the ground if your cursor gets too close to an object. This means constantly having to reorient yourself, especially when switching between characters. Combined with the above, this makes it next to impossible to find and target ranged foes that are at a different elevation from your party.
4) The camera will frequently center itself on a character once selected. This isn't a terrible idea, and is likely helpful for some; but I desperately wish that I could turn it off. In addition, the lighting effects have blossomed to such a degree that it's often difficult to tell which character is which, as the highlighting of your selected character does almost nothing to differentiate them from others.
5) Auto attack for your selected character is only available in tactical mode; and manual attack is, at times, painfully unwieldy.
Now, combine all of these elements together, and I've frequently found that in the combat experience, the camera is working almost counter-productively to my preferred playstyle of micromanagement. Indeed, I would even say it goes so far as to make micromanaging an enormous chore. And given that each class only has a small handful of active combat abilities, there's considerably less to work with when strategizing your playing field
But here's what I find most discouraging about these two aspects: it's not just that I feel BioWare has done so much better in the past, it's also that I feel like that in the midst of all the fray, gamers like me are being left out of the party. What I found most disheartening (and infuriating) about the second game was that it felt like they listened only to focus groups of gamers that hated the first game and tried to make a sequel that appealed to them - with no care to incorporate elements that would still appeal to those of us who loved Origins.
In some ways, I kind of still feel that with Inquisition - even though, objectively, I can say it is a massive improvement over II. It's that they're accommodating different playstyles and preferences for the RPG experience...but mine is really no longer one of them. Even though my preferred method of play is something I picked up from earlier BioWare games like Origins and Baldur's Gate. It's that instead of offering a wide variety of tools and options for how to play and allowing the gamer to decide how to approach, they've narrowed down the possibilities to only a few, and mandated certain styles (like the open-world gaming).
Don't get me wrong: there's a lot I've sincerely enjoyed about this game. At times, I've liked it a great deal. Especially on my second playthrough, where I've been happier changing up my class, party, and severely cutting down on the open-world participation. Also, while I wish they had done more to explore it, I think the ideas regarding the Herald of Andraste and the implications of antagonist Corypheus are excellent, especially in the grand scheme of the entire (and remarkably well-formed) story world. And the reveals that happened in just the last few hours? Man, I wish the whole game had been about that.
But at the same time...I can say I like this game; but I don't really love it. And for me, that's kind of the kicker. Were I ever to sit down and rank the entirety of my all-time favorites, Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 would all appear on that list. But this game? In my favorite genre? From my favorite developer? As a successor to one of my favorite games ever? And the best I can say is that I like it?
Yeah...that's kind of disappointing.


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Generator maker Generac Holdings' (GNRC) first-quarter revenue fell more than expected, compared to the Superstorm Sandy-boosted Q1 2013.
Shares slid hard early Thursday after sales and profit both missed analyst targets.
Earnings for the maker of portable home and industrial generators fell 40% to 72 cents per share from $1.21 a year ago, two cents lighter than expected. The drop marked the first quarter in at least three years that Generac's profit declined year to year.
Revenue slid 14% to $342 million, badly missing Wall Street's $355.6 million target.
CEO Aaron Jagdfeld said the results were about in line with company expectations.
"Shipments of residential products during the first quarter were more typical of the seasonality we historically see in winter months, which was magnified in the current season with heavy snow and colder temperatures delaying installs of residential standby units," Jagdfeld said after earnings were posted.
Residential product sales for the quarter slipped to $164 million, compared to $255.2 million for the same period in 2013.
The first quarter '13 was boosted by about $100 million when sales surged in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which crippled much of the East Coast in late October 2012.
Commercial and industrial sales rose 24% to $157.4 million, mainly on recent acquisitions and solid growth of stationary generators and light towers.
As a result of the sales and earnings hits, gross profit margin for the quarter dipped to 34.9% from 38.4%.
The company affirmed earlier guidance for sales to increase in the midsingle-digit range this year compared to 2013.
Generac, whose stock is on the IBD 50 list of top-rated stocks, had held up well this year despite a rocky stock market in early 2014, as its share price climbed 31% from a Jan. 24 low to 58.88 on Wednesday.
Shares fell as much as 9% early Thursday in 12 times the usual trading volume but had recovered to a 4.3% loss in early afternoon trading in the stock market today.
Shares of rival Briggs & Stratton (BGG), which also makes gas engines, power washers and other equipment, rose 1%.
Regal Beloit (RBC), which makes a variety of commercial and home generators, motors and heating and ventilation systems, was up 1%.
Cummins (CMI), another diesel-engine maker, was up 0.98%.
Follow James DeTar on Twitter: @IBD_JDeTar.


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Another month of declines in both completed foreclosures and the foreclosure inventory.
Property information provider CoreLogic reports completed foreclosures declined by 7.0% in September from the same time a year ago, while the foreclosure inventory plunged 31.1%.
The number of completed foreclosures nationwide was down year-over-year by 3,000 -- to 36,000 in September 2016, representing a drop of 69.7% from the peak of 118,222 in September 2010.
The foreclosure inventory represents the number of homes at some stage of the foreclosure process and completed foreclosures reflect the total number of homes lost to foreclosure.
Since the financial meltdown began in September 2008, there have been approximately 6.4 million completed foreclosures nationally. Since homeownership rates peaked in the second quarter of 2004, there have been approximately 8.5 million homes lost to foreclosure.
As of September, the national foreclosure inventory included approximately 340,000, or 0.9%, of all homes with a mortgage, versus 493,000 homes, or 1.3%, the year before.
Mortgage delinquencies
The number of mortgages in serious delinquency -- 90 days or more past due including loans in foreclosure or REO -- plummeted 24.8% from September 2015 to September 2016, with 1 million mortgages, or 2.6%, in serious delinquency. That's the lowest level since August 2007. Decreases were seen in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
"This improvement is continued evidence of the recovery in the housing market," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic, "especially given that the decreases were fairly uniform in most cities across the country."
Report highlights
- On a month-over-month basis, completed foreclosures increased by 5.2% to 36,000 in September from the 34,000 reported for August. As a basis of comparison, before the decline in the housing market in 2007, completed foreclosures averaged 21,000 per month nationwide between 2000 and 2006.
- The September foreclosure inventory was down 3.1% compared with August 2016.
- The five states with the highest number of completed foreclosures in the 12 months ending in September were Florida (53,000), Texas (27,000), Michigan (24,000), Ohio (23,000), and Georgia (21,000).These five states accounted for 36% of completed foreclosures nationally.
- Four states and the District of Columbia had the lowest number of completed foreclosures in the 12 months ending in September: the District of Columbia (186), North Dakota (338), West Virginia (447), Alaska (643), and Montana (701).
- Four states and the District of Columbia had the highest foreclosure inventory rate in September: New Jersey (3.0%), New York (2.7%), Maine (1.8%), Hawaii (1.8%), and the District of Columbia (1.6%).
- The five states with the lowest foreclosure inventory rate in September 2016 were Colorado (0.3%), Minnesota (0.3%), Arizona , Michigan, and Utah (all at 0.3%).
Jobless claims
The decline last week in first-time applications for state unemployment benefits more than wiped out the increase posted the previous week.
The Department of Labor (DOL) reports initial jobless claims were down by 11,000 in the week ending November 5 to a seasonally adjusted 254,000.
It's now been 88 straight weeks that claims have been below 300,000 the longest streak since 1970.
The four-week moving average inched up 1,750 from a week earlier to 259,750. This measure is seen as a better gauge of the labor market as it lacks the volatility seen in the weekly headcount.
The complete report may be found on the DOL website.


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Juris precisava de um novo design de logo e criou um concurso na 99designs.
Um vencedor foi selecionado entre 129 designs enviados por 44 designers freelancers.
Laptopia is new e-commerce company. In this time, company is creating new online shop. Company will sell laptops, netbooks, tablet computers and accessories for home users and small business customers. Company also will provide value added services for its clients, like software installation and laptop repair.
Company's moto - "Easy way to buy a laptop".
Home and small business customers in EU region.
Nothing too fancy but clean and easily readable.
P.S. I don't like 'hand symbol" on logo.
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)


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Words up?
Words curds and cud and mud and probably wobbly stud muffin fluffin pillows till those roses kill foes with sniff's of noses suppose I froze tomorrow under a cinder of fire drowned river rotten liqour soured the liver of the eternal life giver so I shiver with death's clacking bones by my throne of decay swaying like children on swings one swoop and you're free the next swing ties you tightly frighten me excite me with excitement light me on fire bite my well starched suited attire I might just hire a clown with a pithy little gun making your death a pun in front of a school of nuns pow pow the crowd goes wow when blood of a real person shatters like it was frozen from open gushing wounds as red as the cheeks of an awkward blushing bafoon I'd just as soon stop giving you all this golden free for all because I'm in the knowing and that means that I'm in the dark glowing I'm so furiously showing tiny flickers like premiere pictures scriptural stick figured compared to my fully realized colorful bounty of artistry funny how easy it is to scoff until trying out the free flowing it gets easy to get lost perhaps that's why I like it there little tike hug bear so snug and bare of care unsnapped by the snare just motor mouthing the crust of trust just might tear there where rotten smoten apples get gotten often smoking unravels the barrels. And that's all without word check or mentally checked dialect. WHAT?