#rhys king of dwarves

[sainamoonshine]

Having a lot of fun thinking about Vimes being made officially Blackboard Monitor by the king of dwarves (as mentioned in Snuff) because « the one who erases the words that are there so new words can be taught » is exactly what he did by opening the Cube at the end of Thud! He « erased » the inaccurate version of The Things Tak Wrote and he revealed the real version, and now the dwarves can learn that one instead. The deep-down dwarves were scared of the « erasing » part of the title but the king, in fifth elephant, seemed more intrigued by the part where it makes place for new words. A new lesson. New teaching. And how someone would have to be very trusted to be allowed to decide what words need to go so that something else can replace them.

(Also: monitor = guarding. Who is the blackboard monitor, if not the guarding dark?)

And the king of dwarves, who knows enough about Anhk-Morpok to competently put a spy in the watch, probably a) knows its not an actual human title but also b) knows how much Vimes hates getting titles.

So the king probably looked at the opportunity to make this a real dwarf title and foist it upon Vimes and thought « oh this is gonna be so funny »

Plus there is the whole thing about how you need to reward a hero at the end of the story so people can feel like something important happened but also reassure them that it stopped happening now, it’s over. All the problems have been solved. Vetinari explained it at the end of Guards! Guards! and this is why Vimes keeps getting new titles lol. King Rhys probably thought along similar lines.

#his grace the duke of ank sir samuel vimes #sam vimes #blackboard monitor sam vimes #rhys king of dwarves #thud! #discworld #the watch discworld

[valuesunsky]

The lord of the rings trilogy extended edition on blu-ray

This movie trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King depict an epic journey of men, hobbits, elves, dwarves and the rest of Middle-earth’s creatures and cultures. Tolkien this spectacular body of work is divided into three films that are brought to the big screen by director Peter Jackson. If Sauron reclaims the Ring, Middle-earth is doomed.īased on the best-selling novels by J.R.R. With the help of a courageous fellowship of friends and allies, Frodo embarks on a perilous mission to destroy the legendary One Ring, the source of Sauron’s power. His world, Middle-earth, from the grip of evil. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy tells the story of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit who battles against the Dark Lord Sauron to save "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future" Written by: Stephen Sinclair, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Phillipa Boyens Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Miranda Otto, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Karl Urban, Andy Serkis, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, David Wenham Studio and Year: Warner - 2001, 2002, 2003įeature running time: 681 minutes (films only)Īudio Format(s): English DTS-HD 6.1 Master Audio

#The lord of the rings trilogy extended edition on blu-ray

[danykha]

#legolas #gimli #dwarf #dwarves #elf #elves #thranduilion #minas tirith #gondor #lotr #lord of the rings #the return of the king #rotk #orlando bloom #john rhys-davies #middle earth #tolkien

[introvertguide]

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); AFI #50

The current movie for review from the AFI top 100 is the most recent of the films, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). This was the introduction of director Peter Jackson to much of the mainstream American audience despite him having a 20 year history of film making in New Zealand. The film is beautiful in so many aspects, from the special effects to the cinematography to the sets creating the world of Middle Earth. The film received 12 nominations at the Academy Awards and received 4 of them, a feat unheard of for an epic fantasy film. This is also the only “incomplete” film on the AFI list because there are no other “too be continued” stories. There are some films that are first and second parts (specifically The Godfather 1 and 2), but this is the only one that intentionally stopped with intent for the story to pick in the next film. With that being said, the sheer number of characters and the intended incomplete nature of the film makes it almost impossible to summarize without just going scene by scene. There are 100 movies on this list and I am not going to set any precedence that I will be doing that, so here is a very brief synopsis of what happens in this film without diving into too much of the lore concerning the rest of the trilogy or The Hobbit:

SPOILER WARNING!! I DON’T KNOW WHY IT IS NECESSARY ON THIS ONE, BUT I DO IT EVERY TIME AND I WANT TO BE CONSISTANT!! IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS BY NOW OR ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE STORY, THEN YOU ARE LIKELY VERY YOUNG, LIVE UNDER A ROCK, OR PURPOSEFULLY AVOIDING IT!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO I DON’T WANT TO GET ANY NOTES ON THIS ONE!!!

So here is the general outline, there was an evil guy named Sauron that gave out rings of power to the Elves, Dwarves, and Humans in a realm called Middle Earth. This land is a fantasy realm that has a mix of Dark Age castles mixed with monsters and human like races. It looks strangely like New Zealand through a lot of the country side. Coincidence I am sure. Anyway, Sauron tricked the different races because he kept for himself one ring to rule them all and bind the ones wearing the rings to him. This did not go over well so the humans, elves, and dwarves rose up and fought Sauron and his armies and were able to get the master ring during battle. There was a chance for them to destroy the ring but human corruption prevented this and the ring was eventually lost. It eventually ended up in the hands of a man that kept it close and allowed it to suck away his life until it was stolen by a small human-like creature named Bilbo Baggins. The ring was taken on many adventures (see The Hobbit films for this story) and it gave this little hobbit prolonged life, but it also became an addictive burden. Bilbo decided to go off and leave the ring for his nephew and this is where the story begins. I know, it’s a lot.

A wizard named Gandalf (Ian McKellen) comes to the hobbit village as Bilbo is leaving and makes sure the ring is left in the hands of the nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood). The wizard confirms the ring is the one that rules them all and reveals that Sauron is regaining power and wants the ring. For the safety of the shire, Frodo must take the ring to Rivendell, home of the Elves, to figure out what must be done. Gandalf has to take care of some business so some other hobbits - Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd)  - get wrangled into the journey and the group of four go off to a local human town to meet Gandalf and continue forward. This short trip proves treacherous as the 9 humans that were given rings of power had been corrupted and turned into Nazgul that are attempting to track down the little group of hobbits. Gandalf does not show up, but the group run into a ranger named Strider at the human tavern and he helps fight off the ring wraiths. With the help of his elf girlfriend, Arwen, the group are able to make it to Rivendell where they are presumably safe for the time being.

A meeting is held at Rivendell and representatives of the different races all show up to decide what must be done. The ring must be destroyed so a fellowship to transfer the ring to Mount Doom is formed. It is made up of the four hobbits, Gandalf the wizard, an elf named Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Strider the Ranger who is actually a human king named Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson), a dwarf named Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and another human named Boromir (Sean Bean). I have seen enough movies with Sean Bean as a side character to know that he is for sure going to die. It is only a matter of when.

So the group heads off toward Mount Doom and initially start by taking a path through snowy mountains but have to turn back and instead decide to go under the mountains. The dwarf is excited because he can visit his cousin who is king under the mountain. Alas, all they find is skeletons and an evil race created by Sauron called orcs. This race also seems to have other evil creatures enslaved including a cave troll. The Fellowship is chased through the bowels of the mountain until the orcs suddenly back off and the group finds something even worse, an ancient evil called a Balrog. Gandalf takes on the creature at a stone bridge and screams the now memed words “You shall not pass!” The Balrog falls into a pit but drags Gandalf down as well, reducing the number in the group by one wizard.

The group mourns the loss very briefly (and dramatically) before traveling to an elven forest where Frodo is told by a queen that he will have to take on the quest alone and that one of the fellowship will betray him. They continue on and it turns out that a wizard named Saruman that was corrupted by Sauron (confusingly close in name, I know), has created super buff orcs called Uruk-hai (pronounced “Orick Eye” all blended together) to hunt down the party. Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo but immediately makes up for it by sacrificing himself to protect the hobbits from the super orcs. Sean Bean was kind of a bad guy and was killed. What a surprise. That actor really needs to find different roles or he is going to spend his entire career being type cast. 

Anyway, Frodo and Sam break away from the group to go off on their own, the other two hobbits are captured and taken by the orcs, and then Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli decide to track everybody down. To be continued.

This probably seems like quite a short synopsis for a 3 hour movie...but legitimately the movie is a visual spectacle in which not a lot happens. Most of the movie is traveling, fighting, introducing the lore of the world, and introducing characters. Not a whole lot of plot progression in this particular movie, but it sets the stage for the second film to be nothing but battle and progression (an hour long battle of Helm’s Deep which is amazing), while the last one is nothing but battles and resolution of every story line. It is an incredible trilogy and this is only the beginning and it had audiences drooling for more.

In fact, Peter Jackson films set the standard for special effects for the early 21st century. His team took home the Oscar for best visual effects in 2001 for Fellowship of the Ring, in 2002 for The Two Towers, in 2003 for The Return of the King, and in 2005 for King Kong. No film series with consecutive releases has done this except Lord of the Rings (not even with Star Wars, Marvel, and DC universe films coming out constantly).  The series really is something special. Attempts had been made to tell the trilogy as an animated movie, but no drawings could do the world justice. It took advanced computer graphics, motion capture technology, an expansive New Zealand countryside, a quirky director that had envisioned this world his whole life, and a dedicated cast and crew that was fully committed to the project. It is an amazing piece of filming.

If I have any complaints, it is that there is some really corny drama. The amount of times that Elijah Wood overacts in pain or despair is more digits than I have. Especially when the group is mourning the loss of Gandalf...it is kind of embarrassing. It is that “inconsolable parent who lost a child” acting with scream crying and shouts of “Noooooo!” It is all the hobbits, too, which doesn’t help that they are the size of children and are having a despair tantrum. Luckily they keep going and that is a one minute scene, but still it is embarrassing. Also, Frodo is stabbed and presumed dead twice. I can see why there were no nominations for best actor because it was not the best acting.

It is all made up for by the incredible battles. For me, it is the chase under the mountain with the orcs and the cave troll and the balrog. That is about 30 minutes of constant fight or flight that left me short of breath. I realized I kept forgetting to breath I was so mesmerized by the constant intensity. There is also a good amount of comedy since the hobbits are generally peaceful farmers and they don’t know how to (or want to) have adventures and keep messing things up. Pippin and Merry keep touching things that they shouldn’t and it brings all kinds of trouble. I think it is one of them that knocks some armor into a well that catches the attention of the orcs under the mountain.

Two specific scenes that I found memorable in that they are burned into my brain forever were the Nazgul fight and the appearance of the cave troll. The Nazgul are absolutely terrifying in that they have no face and have only one intent: kill whatever they are hunting. A good comparison would be to Dementors in the Harry Potter universe. The Nazgul are like Dementors with swords and armor. What is worse, Frodo can use the one ring to make him invisible, but it puts a target on him for the Nazgul and they come straight for him. They idea that you can’t hide from this evil and attempting to will make you stand out more is kind of horrific. I found the Nazgul truly disturbing. The cave troll is just awesome and huge. At no point was I worried for the team on this occasion because the wizard, elf, dwarf, and humans seemed undefeatable. It was more of curiosity about how they were going to handle this challenge. The detail of filming all the actors and sets so they were affected by the troll made the huge beast and the threat it posed in an enclosed space seamless. 

There was some question why this movie was on the AFI list and the other movies in the trilogy were not, especially with the third film winning 10 Oscars including best picture. It is because this was the watershed film that made the others possible. I got to see the film in the theatre and it was an experience like no other. I cannot think of a movie that had created such a complete fantasy world like LOTR and it made for a truly cinematic experience. I generally do not like movie theatres because people around me whom I have no control over can affect my experience and I am not normally willing to pay for that. However, the theatre I was in had tiered level seating that was graded enough so that nobody blocked my view and ample leg room that also prevented kicking from behind. It was a thing of beauty and I went and saw the other two films in the theatre as well. It was amazing.

So does this film deserve to be on the AFI 100? My goodness, I would think less of the AFI if it wasn’t. It changed audience expectations of what a movie could be and set the tone for the new millennium as far a big budget cinema. Would I recommend it? Please, I own it. If you come by my place and you haven’t seen it, then I will be happy to put aside 3 hours and watch it again with you. It is the easiest epic film to get through, in my opinion, and I don’t think you will be sorry to give up the time. Just a fantastic movie.

#lord of the rings #the fellowship of the ring #peter jackson #Elijah wood #viggo mortensen #liv tyler #sean astin #ian mckellen #visual effects #Oscar winner #afi film list #film review #nazgul #cave troll #computer graphics #introvert #introverts #theatre experience #fantasy #epic films

[jungleindierock]

Jungle Indie Rock - Indie Christmas Playlist 2019

Here is the Jungle Indie Rock Christmas themed playlist for 2019. Is not your average christmas mix!!! 100 songs as always. A nice mix of old and new, covers and originals.There are 100 songs by 100 artists!!

Ok it seem that posting from Playlists from Spotify seems to be working again!! Only taken six months!! So in the new year, we will get back to posting Time Machine and the early Jungle Indie Rock Playlists.

Ok we are going to take a break over the Christmas period, in the past we have posted over this time, but time to take a break!! so sorry but there will be nothing from us after this playlist post until early in 2020.

So a very Merry Christmas from Reb and Feliz Navidad from Mar and all the best for 2020.

Tracklist

The Dollyrots - Fairytale of New York

Green Day - Xmas Time Of The Year

Best Coast - Little Saint Nick

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - X'mas Time (It Sure Doesn't Feel Like It)

The Reverend Horton Heat - Winter Wonderland

Alice Bag Band - No Gifts For Nazis

Beres Hammond - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Bryan Adams - Christmas Time

Pale Waves - Last Christmas

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Wandering Star

NOFX - Xmas Has Been X'ed

Keith Richards - Run Rudolph Run

AC/DC - Mistress For Christmas

Zuzu - Distant Christmas

Bowling For Soup - Frosty The Snowman

Gregory Porter - The Christmas Song

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Little Drummer Boy

The Wombats - Is This Christmas?

!!! - And Anyway It's Christmas

The Joe Gibbs Family Of Artists - We Three Kings

The Hives and Cyndi Lauper - A Christmas Duel

Mahalia Jackson - Silent Night, Holy Night

Blink 182 - Not Another Christmas Song

Wolf Alice - Santa Baby

Courtney Barnett - Boxing Day Blues (Revisited)

The Magnetic Fields - Everything In One Big Christmas Tree

The Toasters - Rudy Christmas A Jail

Otis Redding - White Christmas

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

U.K. Subs - Hey Santa Claus!

Bright Eyes - Blue Christmas

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Christmas All Over Again

Billy Idol - Yellin' At The Xmas Tree

My Morning Jacket - Xmas Time Is Here Again

Barrington Levi & Trinity - I Saw Mommy Kiss A Dreadlocks

Bad Religion - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

The Frights - Christmas Everyday

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Jingle Bell Rock

Rufus Wainwright - Spotlight On Christmas

Allo Darlin' - Space Christmas

Dwarves - Drinking Up Christmas

4 Skins - Merry Christmas Everybody

Rocket From The Crypt - Cancel Christmas

King Stitt - Christmas Tree

Cheap Trick - I Wish It Was Christmas Today

The Sonics - Santa Claus

The Fall - (We Wish You) A Protein Christmas

Bob Seger & The Last Heard - Sock It To Me Santa

The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight

The Vaudevilles - Shot My Baby For Christmas

Smash Mouth - Snoopy's Christmas

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)

The Decemberists - Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)

Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Screeching Weasel - Christmas Eve

Solomon Burke - Presents For Christmas

John Prine - Christmas In Prison

Eddie & The Hot Rods - It Feels Like Christmas

Louis Armstrong - Cool Yule

CJ Ramone - Christmas Lullaby

Canned Heat - Christmas Blues

Emmy the Great - Zombie Christmas

Gold Blade and Poly Styrene - City Of Christmas Ghosts

Jimmy Jules & Nuclear Soul System - Xmas Done Got Funky

Sia - Santa's Coming for Us

Half Man Half Biscuit - It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas

Lacuna Coil - Naughty Christmas

The Everly Brothers - Christmas Eve Can Kill You

Daniel  Johnston - Rock Around The Christmas Tree

Red Aunts - Little Drummer Bitch

The Fleshtones - Hurray For Santa Claus

The Wedding Present - No Christmas

Alien Sex Fiend - Stuff The Turkey

Helen Love - Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight)

Alan Vega - No More Christmas Blues

The New Pornographers - The Spirit Of Giving

Grandaddy & Band Of Horses - Hang An Ornament

The Brian Setzer  Orchestra - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus

Jeremy Lister - Santa's Lost His Mojo

The Buff Medways - Merry Christmas Fritz

Guided By Voices - Father Sgt. Christmas Card

Gruff Rhys - Slashed Wrists This Christmas

Pointed Sticks - Power Pop Santa

Beck - The Little Drum Machine Boy

Marc Bolan - Christmas Bop

Sixpence None The Richer - The Last Christmas Without You

Dwight Yoakam - Santa Can't Stay

Nick Lowe - Just To Be With You (This Christmas)

Sam Smith - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Donny Hathaway - This Christmas

Descendants - Christmas Vacation

Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas

The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Jingle Hell (Stuck In The Chimney)

Reel Big Fish - Skank For Christmas

Voodoo Glow Skulls - Feliz Navidad

X - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

Everclear - Hating You For Christmas

Crocodiles & Dum Dum Girls - Merry Christmas, Baby (Please Don't Die)

Low - Taking Down The Tree

#Jungle Indie Rock - Indie Christmas Playlist 2019 #playlist #2019 #Rebjukebox #Jungle Indie Rock

[dragonageloree]

Education

Education in Thedas varies depending on race, culture, and class, and from nation to nation.

Human nations

Andrastian Chantry

The education provided to those of the Chantry appears on par with that of nobles. Templar recruits are literate and are taught history[1] in addition to their martial training and religious education. Only initiates, those who have taken vows to devote their lives to the Chantry, receive an academic education.[2]

Members of the Chantry, by virtue of their responsibilities, are naturally literate and well-read, in the Chant of Light if nothing else.

Local Chantries may also provide some instruction to their followers and allow access to their texts.[3]

Chantry members may also pursue scholarship. Clerics are the true academics of the Chantry, those men and women who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge.[2] The most well-known Chantry scholar is Brother Ferdinand Genitivi, lecturer and author of numerous texts and travelogues. Other scholars search for ancient artifacts and scrolls, such as Sister Justine, curator of the Denerim chantry. Justine is also versed in decoding ciphers and encrypted text.

Circle of Magi

The library of Kinloch Hold.

The education of a mage is as extensive as that of a noble, if not more so. Beyond being taught to control their magic, a mage learns of the various schools of magic as well as languages, reading, writing, scrying, healing, etc. A mage's training consists of extensive study of arcane lore.

Much like the Chantry, the Circle of Magi encourages scholarship and publishes the completed research. Examples of this are the botanical writings of Ines and the spirit research of Rhys. Through their education and scholarship, mages are considered some of the most educated members of society and as such may sometimes function as advisers in royal courts.

Circles of Magi have massive libraries and are typically the greatest repositories of knowledge in a given country, though access is naturally limited.

Commoners

Commoners appear to receive little formal education in most countries in Thedas and many may be illiterate. City elves receive even less education than human commoners. As such, dwarven runes may be used in place of writing in some cases.[4] In other instances tally marks may be used to delineate locations or distances.[5]

However, in sharp contrast, those who work as servants in noble estates appear to receive extensive education, at least enough that is sufficient to perform their tasks.[6]

In recent years, Empress Celene Valmont I has been strongly encouraging the University of Orlais to overlook the lack of status and rank for individuals who show prodigious talent or potential which could help further the interests and prestige of the Orlesian Empire, provided a noble sponsors them. Most recently this has even extended to Celene personally interceding in support of an elven math prodigy, Lennan, who was sponsored by Comtesse Helene.[7] Elves are now allowed into the university, although it is common for their work to go unacknowledged and uncredited.[8]

Slaves

Slaves in the Tevinter Imperium are often illiterate[9]; However, some receive formal education and training for specific purposes such as working in libraries, accounting or scribing. Literacy is notable and reflects on a slave's price.[10][11]

To make up for this lack of instruction, Tevinter slaves develop their own pictograms as a way to warn other slaves of things such as a master's temperament and other practical uses related to their society. These symbols go largely unnoticed by their owners and have a local significance, thus the same image might mean different things to different groups.[12]

Fereldan nobility

Among the Fereldan nobility, an education is typically provided by a learned tutor, such as Aldous in the Human Noble Origin. Noble Andrastian families may often have a Chantry Mother as a member of the household to attend to the religious education of the young. Examples of Mothers attached to noble households are Mother Mallol and Mother Ailis of the Cousland and Theirin families respectively.

A major facet of noble education appears to be history, as Aldous drills both the Human Noble and young squires in the household on family history. Reading and writing are naturally part of this education. A noble education does not necessarily make one a strong scholar however, as even King Maric is by his own admission a poor reader.[13] Martial training is also a component of the education of nobility, as nobles are expected by their commoners to defend them and their territories. It is unusual, but not unheard of, for noble daughters to be educated in the ways of war and battle.

Noble education may also include such things as dance and song, as Leliana learned in Lady Cecilie's household.

Noble households may also boast libraries, as Castle Cousland does.

Dwarves

The archives of the Shaperate

Dwarven education in Orzammar appears to be given to those with caste. Little is known of the nuances of dwarven education but it appears that at least part of it, amongst nobles, may be administered by members of the Shaperate.[14] Martial training appears to be a major element of dwarven education in Orzammar, with the best trainers being retained by noble households.

The Shaperate is arguably the largest repository of history and knowledge. Its resources are available to anyone, in order to pursue both personal[15] and professional research. Noble households may also serve as patrons for Shaperate scholars.[16]

However the Shaperate is not the only source of scholarly work in Orzammar. A mining caste dwarf named Grundrak wrote a book named 'On Combustibles and Corrosives' which discusses the use of combustiles and corrosives for best effect and contains the formalae for both the Fire Bomb and Acid Flask. This book was written in the Trade tongue as he was certain that humans needed the advice most of all.[17]

Casteless dwarves

Amongst the casteless there is no formal education; indeed, most casteless dwarves appear to be functionally illiterate.[18] However, noble hunters are literate and highly educated in poetry and other skills in order to make them attractive to noble partners.

Qunari

A Tamassran educating converts

Education amongst the Qunari is administered according to one's role in the rigid society of the Qun. Learning is a core philosophy of the Qunari way of life. In spite of it, many Qunari do not speak the common tongue of Thedas.[19] Amongst Qunari, the tamassrans are arguably the most educated, being fluent in many languages[20] in order to educate, or re-educate, converts to the Qun. Tamassrans raise the young, administer their general education, and evaluate them for placement in society.

Dalish elves

Education among the Dalish appears to be in the main oral,[21] who instruct through the use of lore and storytelling. The Dalish retain their history through oral tradition as well as books in some cases.[22] A clan's First studies lore, magic and history in order to become a successful Keeper.[23] A Keeper is ostensibly a clan's leader and as such is viewed as wise and learned.

Dalish elves hold Arlathvhens in order to reconvene with other clans and to exchange their collected lore.

Known scholars

Chantry-sanctioned

Brother Ferdinand Genitivi[24]

Ines Arancia[24]

Sister Petrine[24]

Sister Lilian Hatch[24]

Sister Oran Petrarchius[25]

Sister Dorcas Guerrin[26]

First Enchanter Josephus[27]

Disapproved by the Chantry

Laudine[28](former Chantry Sister)

Others

Philliam, A Bard![29]

Massache de Jean-Mien[26]

Lady Alcyone[30]

Baron Havard-Pierre D'Amortisan[30]

Ferdinand Pentaghast[31]

Mother Ailis[32]

Frederic of Serault[32]

Stephan d'Eroin

Notable repositories

The Shaperate of Orzammar

The library of Kinloch Hold

Archive of the Crows in Antiva City

The Grand Library of The Winter Palace, Orlais

Vir Dirthara, the Shattered Library, accessible from The Crossroads

The library of Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels[33]

Known universities

University of Orlais[34]

University of Markham[35]

University of Ferelden (If Anora is the sole ruler)[36]

Trivia

Zevran Arainai and other assassins of the Antivan Crows are notably literate,[37] and the Crows maintain their own scholarship in their archive.

Fenris is illiterate as a consequence of his enslavement.[38]

Elan Ve'mal mentions there being a specific college for herbalists.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dragon age origins #dragon age 2 #dragon age lore #da #dai #dao #da2 #DA Lore #da 2

[ultralaser]

i'm just gonna go ahead and spoil the fuck out of hellboy 2019 bc it's awful and i can't think of a good reason not to

thomas haden church shows up as lobster johnson! but he looks ridiculous, like, a cheap halloween costume version compared to, say, the period costumes in captain america or wonder woman. and he has NO SET UP so he just comes off like a joke, it's not, oh this is a wierd noir pulp hero in **gotham city**, it's, lobster johnson, nazi hunter. is hellboy a world with cool superheroes, and if so, why isn't hellboy one of them? is he an x men now? idk it doesnt work tho

baba yaga shows up! she has a house on chicken legs that's rendered beautifully, but then she has one of the worst face prosthetics i've ever seen, it literally looks like a cheap monster mask from party city. so much for the grace and elegant spookiness of a doug jones suit, this baba yaga mask can't even lip sync well

guy davis kaiju demons show up! but they aren't, cool, they're just, they have as much screen time as the ogdru jahad in hellboy 04, but they show up and start just gruesomly killing ppl, like same with thr giants fight earlier on, the movie uses the r rating to push a lot of just dismemberment, disembowelment, graphic bodily harm, it's gross and mean and dumb and out of character for the comics. therr's the helicopter shot of the tall man walking through the tower bridge, then two bat demons fky up in front of him and tear someone in half and all their guts fall out. what? why

king arthur and merlin show up! merlin is, christian for some reason? and king arthur is boring. this sequence is nearly saved by ian mcshane's narratiom, but not really. witches bad, she created a plague but not, the plague? england is the most important place in history, blah blah, no. king arthur legend of the sword does more with excalibur as a magic artifact, and drunk merlin from transformers the last knight is way more compelling than Christian Merlin, warrior for god

they do the quick ww2 origin flashback, ala thomas and martha wayne, joe chill, pearls. kroenen is there and looks bad, ilsa looks fine, rasputin, tbh feels like they got the same actor who did a poor job in 04, he's generic in a boring way, the whole scene is unnecessary

okay, so, then halfway! through, after hellboy has been sent to england to help the rebel general from rogue one, and they name their perennial giant hunt 'the wild hunt', and they all betray hellboy and stab him with a bunch of spears, and are killed brutally by giants, and then hellboy brutally kills the giants, and is rescued by new girl, who talks to ghosts and was rescued by hellboy from being replaced by a fairy changeling (who is back, running around putting milla back together after king arthur dismembered her and locked her still-living pieces in boxes around england?), and hellboy both knows her from all along but also hasnt been back since, and knows shes a psychic but also hasnt seen her since she was a baby, depending on the scene?

THEN finally daniel dae kim's ben daimio shows up, and he's NOT EVEN IN THE BPRD, he's with british intelligence, and he takes hank's anti-mutation polyjuice serum from days of future past to repress his were-jaguar form, and he has a special gun designed to KILL HELLBOY because he doesnt trust him not to be the actual devil, despite, HIMSELF, being cursed with a monstrous destiny

the scene in the trailer with hellboy, new girl, and daimio on a bprd mission, with hellboy punching daimio to activate his hulking out? THAT'S IN THE **SIX MONTHS LATER** EPILOGUE. the movie ENDS with the three of them finding abe sapien

so this whole thing? is a fucking ORIGIN STORY. it is EVERY SUPERHERO MOVIE FROM 78 TO IRON MAN TWO, it is ONE HERO, ALONE, IN A WORLD WITH NO OTHER HEROES. it's not even the x-men because they're not recruiting hellboy to join their team, it's like if the x-men were just xavier and logan and a nunch of fbi guys.

meanwhile, ddk and new girl are both americans doing british accents, david harbour is still playing hellboy as a 75 year old teenager, and ian mcshane, bless him, is just playing ian mcshane

also, just, i think the intent was for harbour to play it as the stone right hand is just really heavy? but it ends up looking like a cosplayer who misjudged the weight of his prop hand an hour into the con. i want to say del toro did a better job of making it look like, this is actually hellboy's hand, and not, this is ron perlman wearing a wierd prosthetic.

and also, amazing advances in prosthetic technology aside, why didnt they just get dave bautista, if they wanted surly hellboy, or dwayne johnson, if they wanted comic accurate charming hellboy, because neither of those dudes would have needed a muscle suit. hellboy ends up (AGAIN) looking like one of the fucking dwarves in the hobbit, who wore fat suits to look like they were built like john rhys davies, but if they turn their head wrong you can see their prosthetics floating like trump's wig

have the balls to give him his wierd jawline from the comic, or don't fucking bother

okay, okay. OKAY. so, you guys remember the BLOOD TORNADO from blade one, the 'original ending' on the dvd where frost turns into a whirling vortex of blood, and they superimpose the dorff's torso just kind of leaning out of it? and it looked awful both because it's super fake anyways but also unfinished? so, there is an EXTENDED scene where professor mcshane comes back as a ghost, and it's ian mcshane's head pasted onto a super fake ectoplasm tail coming out of new girl's mouth (which also, gross), and they forgot to give him a neck, and he's naked? and it's awful and only not laughable bc, frankly, ian mcshane is a treasure and spends the whole moving swearing a lot

and honestly, the most annoying part is that hellboy 19 cribs the ending from hellboy 04 where hellboy is about to give in to his cursed destiny and join team evil, until some white dude says 'no, stop, you have a choice thanks to your father'

hellboy popped into our plane in 1944 and it is 2019, dude is SEVENTY FIVE YEARS OLD. he is smarter than this shit, or at least, old enough to know better. i'm half his age and i can tell when someone is not negotiating in good faith.

and at least in 04 he was doing it to save liz, in the new movie witch milla ALREADY KILLED IAN MCSHANE and it still takes ghost mcshane to cuss hellboy out back to team good, talking him into using EXCALIBUR to rekill her instead of, destroying the world

and do they reconcile that EXCALIBUR was the key to the hellmouth, that hellboy pulling the sword from the stone started the biblical apocalypse? that england is the villain here? no, they joke that now hellboy is king.

OMG and i forgot merlin shows up again to tell hellboy HE IS LITERALLY DESCENDED FROM KING ARTHUR. his human witch mother fucked satan in the 1600s and gave birth to hellboy in hell, and then four hundred years later rasputin and the nazis summon him to earth as he's still a baby. does this make sense? no. is it comics canon. idk, who cares, it's BAD.

this movie is B A D in almost every way, it is amazing how bad it is. it is clearly a 'gritty' remake of the 2004 film, not in any way a new take on the comics. there are FIFTEEN YEARS of new bprd comics put out since that film for these guys to riff on, and they are still fundamentally misrepresenting beloved characters while also just, making up new bullshit.

but when del toro did that, it was del toro's cool bullshit. this is hellboy from the guys who said 'lets have jaime rape cersei on joffrey's tomb'

#hellboy #i dont want your garbage #spoilers

[reader-rabbit]

Mobile Masterlist!

A masterlist of my writing for mobile (finally) because I figured out how to do it!

THE HOBBIT

Fili

An Even Fifteen (Fili x reader) A completed, almost book-length fanfiction posted in chapters.

Sunlight (Fili x reader) The reader makes a startling discovery while traveling with the Company.

Fili and Kili

Picnic for Three (no pairing specifically) request for Fili and Kili comforting reader after breakup.

Kili

A Little Laughter (Kili x reader)Kili finds the reader after a long day in the kitchens.

Gallant Prince (Kili x reader) Reader hasn’t been sleeping well, and Prince Kili notices, wanting to know why.

Storm Game (Kili x reader) Kili finds out that the reader is afraid of storms.

The Best Audience (Kili x dwarf!reader) The reader performs for the Durins, and has a particularly enthusiastic audience in Prince Kili.

Not a Joke (Kili x reader) The reader finds a pond and takes Kili along to guard her bath.

Love and Child’s Play (Kili x reader) After the Battle of the Five Armies, recovering Prince Kili discovers the reader’s blanket fort.

Fleeting Memory (Kili x reader) The reader awakes in the wilderness with no memory in the midst of Thorin Oakenshield’s company.

Thorin Oakenshield

Bedhead (Thorin x reader) drabble/one-shot inspired by “imagine your hair and Thorin’s hair getting tangled”

Problem Solving (Thorin x reader) sequel to “Bedhead”, inspired by “imagine cutting your hair and one of the company being disappointed because he wanted you to wear his courting braid"

A Few Burned Biscuits (Thorin x reader) After a rough week on the road, the reader and Thorin have a little chat under the stars.

Contrary Durins (Thorin x reader) Fili and Kili have been fighting over you since the journey began, and Thorin’s had just about enough of their nonsense.

Home (Thorin x reader) Thorin has requested a portrait of you, mistakenly assuming you mean to leave Erebor.

Nothing Halfway (Thorin x reader) You decide to play a good-natured prank on Thorin.

Broken (Thorin x reader) With Thorin deep in the throes of dragon sickness, the reader decides to try one last time to reach her beloved king.

Mended (Thorin x reader) The sequel to “Broken”, after the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin recovers, but the reader is not ready to face him again.

Songbird (Thorin x reader) The sequel to “Silence”, You adjust to life with Thorin’s Company, and find yourself drawn to its charismatic leader.

Hope (Thorin x reader) You and Thorin found love in Middle Earth, but reality looms.

Ori

Little Thief (Ori x reader) The hobbit!reader’s clothes have been going missing, and she’s determined to find the thief.

Bilbo Baggins

Close the Distance (Bilbo x reader) Bilbo and the hobbit!reader are at a party in the Shire, and he’s been staring longingly at you without a word.

Dwalin

Something Sweet (Dwalin x reader) Dwalin helps his wife, the reader, bake cookies.

The Company

Silence (Company (w/ some Thorin) x reader) After being dropped in Middle Earth, it takes a while for you to find your voice again.

Otherworldly Customs (Company and reader) The company is very confused by the reader’s mention of a certain hygiene custom from her world.

From One King to Another (Company and reader) You wake up in Middle Earth and are captured by goblins, but freed by an unlikely group of dwarves.

Thranduil

Stubborn (Thranduil x reader) The dwarves arrive in Mirkwood, and the elf!reader has to moderate Thranduil’s vehement reactions.

LORD OF THE RINGS

Aragorn

Of Little Matter (Aragorn x reader) Reader isn’t too keen about riding the very tall Hasufel, but Aragorn may have a solution.

Legolas

Tough Day (Legolas x reader) Legolas has had a long day and wants to cuddle

Miscellaneous

Familiar (no pairing) After being plopped in Middle Earth, you join The Fellowship and find that the evil creatures fear your presence.

THE SILMARILLION

The Valar

Seafoam Aesthetic by @fahrradmir with links to the parts of the story (It’s so gorgeous!!!!!)

Seafoam: Part One (Ulmo x reader) Ulmo hears a new song from the shores of the ocean of Arda, and finds an enchanting Reader to be the source.

Seafoam: Part Two (Ulmo x reader) Ulmo has left the reader with some unanswered questions.

Seafoam: Part Three (Ulmo x reader) Ulmo reveals his true nature to the reader.

Seafoam: Part Four (Ulmo x reader) Ulmo begins the process of ensuring he never has to leave the reader again.

Seafoam: Part Five (Ulmo x reader) Ulmo wants to propose to the reader.

The Call of the Sea (Ulmo x reader) Ulmo brings the reader a gift. (Not part of the Seafoam series)

Too Late (Aule x reader) Aulë realizes too late his love for the reader.

Feanorians

A Clumsy Brother (No pairing) Maedhros is back from Thangodrim, and needs some sibling silliness to recover from the ordeal.

MARVEL’S AVENGERS

Thor

Natural Disaster (no pairing) After Avengers: Age of Ultron and the destruction in Sokovia, Thor wants to know what insurance is.

Tony Stark

Sisterly Love (Tony x Sister!reader) Tony Stark’s younger sister decides it’s time for a visit when things go downhill for her big bro.

ACOTAR SERIES

In His Dreams (Rhys x Feyre) Rhysand is having a hard time dealing with Feyre’s absence, so she comforts him with a dream.

BBC SHERLOCK

Sherlock

Out of Patience (Sherlock x reader) The reader expresses their feelings for Sherlock, and he does not react well.

#mobile masterlist #masterlist #fanfiction #my fanfiction #my fics #my writing #fanfic requests

[richardhildingsson]

The Silmarillion - Teaser Trailer from GameOvais on Vimeo.

A trailer that I have been working on for quite some time for The Silmarillion books. Obviously because the rights to the books are still with the Tolkien estate no movies will be made anytime soon. However for a bit of fun I've created this short teaser.

The movie titles you see within the trailer are pure fantasy. If and when the movie series is made, they'll probably have completely different names.

Music is Left Behind by Secession Studios.

I hope you enjoy.

This is a GameOvais Production.

The Rebellion of Noldor The Ruin of Beleriand The Children of Hurin The War of Wrath The Last Alliance Guy Gavriel Kay Christopher Tolkien Ea Valinor Beleriand Numenor The Lord of The Rings The Hobbit Silmarils Akallabeth Valar Malar Beren Luthien Turin Gondolin Earendil War of Wrath Morgoth Ainulindalë Valaquenta The Fellowship of The Ring The Two Towers The Return of The King An Unexpected Journey The Desolation of Smaug The Battle of The Five Armies Arda Maiar Melkor Elves Dwarves Men Orcs Saruman Sauron Elrond Ainur Illuvatar Balrogs Feanor Hurin Huor Idril Turgon Beleg Angband Elwing Dunedain Isildur Anarion Celebrimbor Middle Earth Leithian Noldor Nirnaeth Arnoediad Fingolfin Eldalie Aule and Yavanna Sindar Thranduril Legolas Gandalf Aragorn Gimli Frodo Bilbo Gollum Witch King Angmar Goblins Radagast Tom Bombadil Olwe Mouth of Sauron Mithrandrir Minardil Smeagol Thorin Gloin Nazgul Fellbeast Haldir Arwen Glorfindel Boromir Faramir Eomer Eowyn Theoden Denethor Dwalin Deagol Minas Tirith Pelennor Fields Isengard Helm's Deep Fangorn Edoras Dead Marshes Lothlorien Moria Rivendell Weathertop Bree Hobbiton Shire Osgiliath Ithilien Galadriel Minas Morgul Mount Doom Grey Havens Dagorlad Mordor Gondor Dol Goldur Dol Amroth Rohan Minhiriath Peter Jackson Sir Ian McKellen Orlando Bloom Elijah Wood Viggo Mortensen Andy Serkis Liv Tyler Sean Bean Cate Blanchett John Rhys-Davies Christopher Lee Hugo Weaving Ian Holm Richard Armitage Martin Freeman James Nesbitt Benedict Cumberbach Lee Pace Graham McTavish Luke Evans Stephen Fry Billy Connolly

[geekade]

Revisiting The Two Princesses of Bamarre

I have a problem with romance in YA novels. I’m the first to admit it--almost the moment the “dreamy guy” comes into the picture, I consider a book substantially worse than I had the moment before. While there’s nothing wrong with it, I just personally don’t enjoy the style of romance in most YA novels, wherein only by exchanging glances, or worse, by exchanging only your darkest secret with someone, they become your soulmate. One author, however, excels at writing complex romances where personality and the factors of daily life do affect the relationship between two characters in love in a way that makes them more realistic and less of a turnoff for me personally. Gail Carson Levine, revered author of Ella Enchanted, wrote two books in the Bamarre universe, but Two Princesses of Bamarre is by far my favorite. It tackles loss, love, and realistic romance in a mature way while still sticking to the target age level. The female hero of the story is driven to her epic quest, and driven through it, by those forces, to save her sister and her kingdom.

I first read this book when it came out in 2001, and I’ll admit I chose it for its cover art, as I often did when I was 10. I didn’t realize at the time that the author was the same as that of Ella Enchanted, a book that I loved and a movie that I hated, but looking back, it’s very similar. In both stories, the hero faces a gauntlet of real dangers and practical problems without the ‘plot armor’ that you sometimes see in these stories, where it’s unlikely there will be blood or death because of the character’s purity of heart or immense luck. However this story, more so than that retelling of Cinderella by Levine, follows the conventions of an epic journey, like those of Odysseus and Beowulf. The story is actually strung together with verses from the fictional epic poem “Drualt,” about a mythical hero represented in the story of the kingdom's founding. In a magical world constructed with a history and mythology which directly impact the fate of both princesses, Princess Addie makes herself and her mission a concrete part of that history and mythology in very unexpected ways.

Bamarre is a country torn apart by a plague called the “Grey Death,” which inevitably kills its victims over the course of three distinct stages--weakness, sleep, and fever (which proves fatal). The weakness can last any amount of time, during which the host can fight off the coming sleep as long as they can, but the sleep lasts nine days exactly, and the fever three. The country is also plagued by a number of mythical monsters--gryphons, dragons, specters, ogres, dwarves, and fairies--however it is also partially populated by sorcerers and elves (the fairies have not been seen for a long time, and people have come to believe that they may not have existed). When Princess Meryl, the stronger, braver, and fairer of the two titular princesses, falls ill with the Grey Death, Princess Addie recalls a prophecy that the Grey Death will end when “cowards find courage, and rain falls over all of Bamarre.” Cowardly though she is, Addie sets herself to the task of saving her sister’s life before time runs out.

Every time I read this book, I am frightened. It does not matter that I know how it ends. Addie and Meryl, and their friend the apprentice sorcerer Rhys, each face their individual struggles so bravely with expected futility, and it’s impossible not to empathize. When the story begins, we’re given a picture of Meryl and Addie’s childhood, playing out scenarios where Meryl quests to find the cure for Addie, the maiden stricken with the Grey Death. Addie is adamant that the illness can be beaten just by struggling against the lethargy that precedes the sleep phase, and promises to Meryl that she will never die of the Grey Death, in exchange for a promise from Meryl that she will not begin to hunt the cure until Addie herself is happily married. Addie is overcome with fear that Meryl will die on her future adventures, as Meryl is Addie’s ‘protector’--saving her from everything from shadows to spiders to social situations. But when Addie’s handmaid falls ill with the Grey Death, it stops seeming like a game to them, and Meryl’s desire to leave her sister and go to seek a remedy grows.

This is the moment where the ‘dream guy’ enters the picture, shaping a pillow from the clouds for Addie’s dying maid and complementing the embroidered works Addie has up around the castle. Rhys is a sorcerer, apprenticed to the royal sorcerer in Bamarre, and he, being a different species from her, is both fascinated by and alien to Addie, at first. Sorcerers in Bamarre are born when lightning strikes marble. They’re born fully grown, able to speak and fly, and they never fall ill. They don’t have to eat or drink, but can be killed in battle or by mishap. Otherwise, they live until they are 500, and die when the flame in their chest goes out. They are all tall, with dark wavy hair and white eyelashes, and usually never marry. As annoyingly typical as I find this immortal, youthful, handsome, tall, romantic interest, Rhys manages to divest himself from the trope by having a number of responsibilities and interests which he prioritizes equally, if not more heavily, than his romantic interest in the younger princess. Eventually, when his work brings him to the castle, he gives Meryl the gift of a sword, and Addie the gift of fabric and a needle. In return, Addie gives Rhys a work of embroidery, and Meryl offers to re-enact scenes from the epic “Drualt.” Throughout her performance, Rhys and Addie watch Meryl falter, grow tired, and eventually collapse. Despite her protestations, it’s clear that Meryl has fallen ill, and Rhys tries to tell Addie this, but Addie runs from him.

The King of Bamarre, father to both princesses, sets out to ask the Elf Queen Seema for a cure, despite having no evidence that she has one, and around the same time, Rhys leaves for a conference of sorcerer's apprentices that is, for his species, mandatory. However, after a week, the King meets with Queen Seema and is told there’s no cure. He comes home, and gives up on finding a remedy, opting instead just to say goodbye to his daughter. Rhys warns Addie that Meryl has, at most, 19 days left to live, and Addie comes to the realization that if it were her who’d fallen ill, Meryl would already be questing for a cure. Before she leaves, and before Rhys takes off to the sorcerers’ citadel, he gives her a set of equipment to help on her journey. In the bundle he gives her are a cloak which will hide you completely if in shadow, a tablecloth which when given certain commands produces unlimited food, and a set of maps of the kingdom, and beyond. Meryl gives Addie her sword, named “Blood-biter” after the sword from “Drualt”; their elf-doctor Milton gives Addie “moily herb” which can soothe pain and help with illness; and their maid Bella gives Addie some common clothes, a backpack, a spyglass, and seven-league boots.

Pause. I have been obsessed with seven-league boots since the day I read this book. When Google Earth became a thing, I’d click around and pretend I was Princess Addie, journeying seven leagues with each step, leaving landscapes streaking behind. They come more heavily into play throughout the story, but I have always loved the concept that they present, and the danger. Wearing the boots, you can accidentally slam into a building, or trip and travel seven leagues that you didn’t mean to. Addie’s caution and creativity in their use, combined with the spyglass and maps, for me represent the perfect use of a magical tool in fantasy. It is not a deus ex machina, it cannot solve all problems and in many ways creates new types of problems, but can be incredibly advantageous if used by the right hero, in the right way, for the right reasons.

To return to the story - Addie, predictably, stumbles with her first step in the boots, and travels backwards 14 accidental leagues, slamming immediately into her first opponent: a large ogre in a party of four large ogres. He grips Addie and readies himself to attack her, when she uses the seven-league boots to smash him against a castle wall and escapes. All of this has the effect of introducing a few elements to her journey very quickly--enemies, pain, and quick thinking. She goes from hapless princess to adventurer in these moments, and in my opinion, her agony at dragging the ogre another 14 leagues and ability to only barely save herself distinguish this YA novel from others. Rather than an easy escape or an immediate ogre-concussion, Addie has to actually fight, aim, and plan while travelling faster than she ever imagined.

Rhys takes breaks from the citadel to visit Princess Addie on her journey, finding her through what we can only assume are magical methods. When Addie reaches the forest of the specters (precognizant gaslighting tricksters, who appear as loved ones or innocents to lure travelers to their death) Rhys visits her and tells her there is a cure hidden in the forest. Addie only realizes the trick when the real Rhys appears. Demanding a prophecy from the specter, Addie is told that dragons and fairies know the cure, and that dragons are easier to find. But unfortunately, a dragon finds Addie first. Vollys, a dragon who has been the scourge of Bamarre and whom Princess Meryl had hoped to one day slay. Vollys takes Addie prisoner and demands from her entertainment, which Addie provides in the form of her embroidery. Vollys has a system in which she gives gifts to her prisoners when pleased, and takes them away when displeased. The gifts represent how much longer the prisoner has to live. Addie exchanges weeks of her life for the story of the cure to the Grey Death while she watches Meryl’s condition worsen with the spyglass, and waits for her chance to escape.

Addie’s imprisonment with Vollys represents, to me, the perfect marriage of fairytale tropes and the uniqueness of this story. Princess Addie was the quieter, more reasoned sister, whereas Meryl would have been a warrior, and would have been roasted after quickly boring Vollys with fruitless attacks and little conversation. So while there’s a young princess being kept prisoner by a fire-breathing dragon, the hero who rescues her is not a knight in shining armor but herself, a shy girl who likes to sew and is afraid of spiders. And that’s the hero that is needed. A knight would have become charcoal in this fight, but Princess Addie is the right opponent for this enemy. Addie’s escape with the knowledge of the far-off cure, a magical fountain with water that must be drunk at the source, comes at the end of Meryl’s third day of fever, when she has until dawn to live. The battle to reach the falls is as good as any epic battle I’ve read in my life.

I couldn’t spoil the end of this story if I tried. Too many elements of the story come together to break and heal your heart simultaneously, but I will say that it does not end entirely happily, and that Princess Meryl keeps her promise to Addie to postpone her own adventures until after her sister is happily married. But while the kingdom is saved, nothing is the way you would expect it to be. I will admit to being furious with this ending as a young reader, having up to this point pretty much only read books where everything works out for the heroes at the end. As an adult I can see the genius in this ending, while still being crushed by it. The cowardly and fearful of Bamarre rise up to save their princess, and they save the kingdom instead. I remember being ten or so and crying, freaking out, and running to find my little brother when I finished this book, just to make sure he was ok. In a book that mainly features battles of strength and wit against physical monsters--ogres, gryphons, dragons--the real pain comes from something that exists in the real world; loss. And sometimes, like in the real world, it’s unavoidable, and the love which nourished you is the same love that causes you to hurt when it’s gone. But in a book with incredibly strong mythos to begin with, it’s immensely satisfying to see the characters join the fabric of history and myth surrounding their world.

#Books #articles

[purplepeanutcheesecake-blog]

It has been just over a year since the day we took the leap and moved to London. So far it’s been a great journey and we have done so many things, some planned, other spontaneous and completely unexpected! To see what we have done from our London list just check out our old blog <<Things to do in London: Our Lists>>and whatever has been marked in red is what we have managed to do. This blog is going to be about all the things that happened that weren’t on that list.

The first Steps

When planning to come to England we had originally planned to go to Barnsley, as we had friends living there with jobs waiting for us. That, however, didn’t happen and with our tickets and bags packed we flew to London, where we would stay with other friends, who had just rented a flat and were more than happy to give us a place to stay until we sorted ourselves out. We slept on a very comfortable floor in their living room while looking for jobs and a place to live. It took us a month…So big thanks to Mike and Taylor who put up with us! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Our flat in Acton Town

We eventually found a small flat on the third floor on a quiet street in Acton Town. Three bedroomed with one bathroom, a kitchen and a tiny extra room and a shared garden. A couple from Spain were already living in one of the rooms when we moved in. Today they are more than housemates…they are now our koumbaros ( to be)! We never knew what to expect from house sharing, especially Pantelis who had never done it before. Sometimes I think that if it wasn’t for these guys we wouldn’t have stuck it out for so long. It is so hard to find the time to meet people and friends as everyone’s schedule varies, it can make London a lonely place to be. Having friends to come home to has been a blessing!The third room was eventually occupied by Felicity, a Kiwi who’s character reminds me of Fibi from friends! Although she left us when her contract run out we haven’t let her go and we usually see each other whenever there is a party going down. Her room is now taken by Rhys a young English lad that knows more about Greek Mythology than I do! As usual, most people we meet are invited to visit us in Greece and so the Spanish koumbaros took us up on our word and paid us a visit when we ourselves had popped home for a couple of weeks! Soon it will be our turn to visit Spain!!!

View of the garden from our kitchen Window

Our extra mini living room!

View from our bedroom!

Our bedroom!

The street we live on!

Our kitchen!

  Finding work

My first job was in retail on one of the busiest streets in Europe. I worked for 3 months in oxford circus and it was manic! I threw myself into the deep end by training to be floor manager as someone had seen potential in me. It was the Christmas period and didn’t have time to get into the Christmas spirit as the speed of London life started to kick in. I decided it wasn’t for me. I longed to be a part of a team where I felt equal, where people weren’t just numbers and where I could look forward to going to work. Plus I was in London…here I could go for my dreams! I found a job in a tiny coffee shop on the underground station where I live. It was a few minutes walk from home and the atmosphere seemed really friendly. The Apple Tree is where I am currently working! It has been a great experience as the owner and staff have always been supportive and therefore I have always been able to go for auditions and various classes.Meanwhile, I have been learning the trades of the business as this would be an ideal family business to set up back in Greece.

Work with the Boss!

Christmas time with my girls in The Apple Tree!

With Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu

Taking up classes

I miss being a student. I love learning and continuously challenging myself. In London, there is no excuse for not developing and growing your knowledge as there are classes, seminars and workshops on almost anything you can imagine! Having had some singing experience I decided I wanted to learn properly from the beginning so I completed a six-week course on Singing for Beginners with London City Academy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would have gone straight for the next one, however, I needed to save money for them and by the time I had, I had met an Actor (in the coffee shop funnily enough) who ran his own classes. So my next lessons would be on Advanced Acting for Film and Tv with Totally Lit. I completed this course right before Christmas and although I had hoped for more doors to have opened I still thoroughly enjoyed each lesson as we had a great group of people and sometimes all you need is to be around people with similar dreams and aspirations to be inspired and motivated! Since these classes, I have gone back to singing lessons as I have managed to find work as a singer in the past and therefore this could be more of an investment. However, I have them privately with a very talented young singer whom I met after we both applied to be in a girl band. Nothing came of the band but I gained a new friend and a great teacher, Tamsyn Miller or else known as Chess Countess!

The auditions

Yes, this is the City of opportunity and sometimes it feels great just to be surrounded by it! Other times you realise that so many people have moved here for the same reasons! The competition is high! Nobody really tells you what you should do if you want to <<make it>>. There is no particular system or structure. All the success stories vary so you have to find your own way.While applying for various things I managed to get some time on set as an extra. In fact, I even managed to persuade Pantelis to come along with me one day and Atenea (Spanish housemate) another! I was so happy Pantelis got to see the inside of the world I would love to be in! The world of film! Amongst all the real auditions there are fake ones…Scams, companies that make you believe you are special and great and then ask for money for you to get this <<job>> or for you to be on their books. I have had the pleasure of being a part of a few projects for a film student, Oriane , a promising cinematographer who intends to make powerful work. Other than that I can’t say I have been greatly successful but I can’t say I failed either because I tried and I will keep trying, one way or another!

  Atenea and I with the girls we met on set!

Matching outfits!

Chilling on set!

Enjoy the sun and movie making!

  The shows/ catching up with friends.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most has been seeing familiar faces from back in the uni days! I had a chance to catch up with Melissa who is a bloody hilarious and talented young woman! Seriously, watch out here she comes! Her shows are entertaining and yet thought provoking. I managed to watch her show Something Borrowed before it went to the Edinburgh fringe festival! We had also been to watch a show together called Free Admission by Ursula Martinez. Pantelis joined me on an evening of shows performed by various companies at a venue called Slam. One of the performers was my friend Richard Staplehurst who had written a spoken word piece. In the same year at uni as Richard and I, was Ness who had her birthday last year in a pub that had a stand-up comedy show! A few good laughs, a few good drinks and friends, is the recipe for a great night! Just before Christmas, I had booked a show to take a couple of our friends we had staying from Greece. A modern kind of panto by the Sleeping Trees called Scrooge and the seven dwarves. This is an award-winning theatre company created by a group of guys that went to the same Uni as me, just a couple of years below me! They are geniuses and if you can ever watch a show of theirs do!!! When my sister had paid us a visit with Vasilis we went to watch the Lion King! !WOW ! Brilliant performance!!! The music, the dancing the characters were exactly how they are in the movie, only better as they were standing right in front of you! It was amazing to see what beautiful visual imagery people can create with their dancing the stage settings and music! One of the other things I managed to do was watch one of my favourite Tv shows on stage! Who’s Line is it Anyway? With a few of the well-known actors that would appear on the Tv show and Clive Anderson as host! Felicity and I had a blast as we watched the much-loved improvisation games take place right before our eyes! Talking about Tv shows, I was an audience member recently, thanks to my friend Stephanie, at the Graham Norton show with his guests being Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, Felicity Jones, Dawn French and Sir Michael Parkinson!

Happy faces!

The stage waiting for its perfomers! Who’s line is it anyway?

  Travel

Pantelis and I travelled for the first time together when we came to England in 2014 for Katies’ and Jamies’ wedding. We managed to visit a few friends, spread across the Uk and therefore did the site seeing on the way. We had never actually been on holiday though. So in 2016 we booked our first one together, to Malta. We had a rough start as we turned up to an apartment that hadn’t even been cleaned and was covered in damp and mould. We didn’t let this take up too much of our time and we found another place to stay. I will leave the video to do the rest of the talking.

For Pantelis’s birthday on the 21st of November 2016, I had bought him a small suitcase and inside tickets to Copenhagen /Denmark. (A short video will be uploaded soon). It was only a two day trip in January. So we had something to look forward to at the beginning of the year. If I would make any resolutions for the new year it would be, travel more, learn more and finally meet my brother (but that is another story).

Living in London has been a great experience. I feel I have grown so much within this year! I would recommend a year in London to anyone who wants to experience the City life and everything that goes with it! Do I miss home? Of course,  I do! Just like Dorothy from the wizard of Oz says <<There is no place like home>>. I would stay here only to stock up on experiences I could not get at home. I believe once we have had our fill we will happily move back to Greece. Being around family and friends has become even more valuable to me over the past year. It could take another year, it could take one more month we don’t know. What we do know is that we are both thankful for being able to live this experience, to go for our dreams, to try new things, for having each other and great families who support us!

As always we are late posting this blog as it was meant for before Christmas! His side of the story is going to be even later as usual!

P.S Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

  A year In the City It has been just over a year since the day we took the leap and moved to London.