SJ 21-8-2005

Been a busy last few months, with the final and most hated month of all, August (bleck, hates it).

Summer quarter is winding down for me within the next two or three weeks, with three tests, three finals and two final projects remaining to complete before my TWO week layover begins for Autumn quarter.

Time to get off my feathered arse on the mud again during break. So what am I going to do, you ask?

Complete Church of Shadows for raiding and use of clanstones. I believe I still have Kaiko's list of suggestions available, as well as access to Exodus' original story concerning the church. I want to try to stay close to his idea, it's his baby after all. That is part of the reason I was avoiding it in the first place, afraid I would not be able to hit it close enough... but you never know until you try. Need to find some ascii graphics eventually, got any suggestion, leave a comment with a link.

SJ 17-7-2005 Where did you get the name "Navarre"?

Many people ask me how I came up with the name for my immortal character, Navarre Altiers. The name is derivative from one of my all-time favourite characters from the movie Ladyhawke (1985).

Ladyhawke is the story of a captain of the guard, Etienne Navarre (played by Rutger Hauer), in love with an enchanting young woman, Isabeau (played by Michelle Pfeifer). Unfortunately for the lovers, an evil Bishop is also smitten with Isabeau and makes a deal with the devil to keep the Captain and she forever apart.

A curse befalls both the Captain and Isabeau, causing him to turn into a wolf at night (while she is a human) and her to become a hawk during the day (while he is human), binding them forever together, but eternally apart. Their love for one another is undaunted however, as they travel the land in their perspective human-animal pairing, seeking out a way to end their misery. It is solely in the seconds between the waxing and waning of the day that they may even glimpse one another as they once were.

The Captain learns of a way to defeat the Bishop, a prophesied day without a night, and night without a day. With the help of a young thief (played by Matthew Broderick), the heroes succeed in breaking the horrid curse and killing the Bishop.

The story is quite simple, and the movie is exceptionally good as a poignant love story with tickling fantasy effects (not too heavy, but just enough to get the curse across and the pain it causes). I always watch it when it is on.

ANYWAY, back to the immortal character. I always loved Rutger Hauer's character from the movie because he was a solid hero, deep emotionally and had a great love for Isabeau. What better qualities could there be to take a piece of for an immortal character. Dark, forboding presence that promises to meet out pain and quick death to any that cross him. A certain self sacrificing nature. Plus he just looks damn cool.

Rising Storm of the Righteous

From atop the Vault of Heavens his unseeing vision swept the width and bredth of the land, taking in the changes, both those which had occurred and those about to. The wind at this height casts his dark hair before him like a banner, nebulous seraphic wings encircle his body like a cloak, his arms crossed pensively across his chest. A furrowing frown mars his scarred face.

For days he has listened to the warnings echoing through the halls of the Towers. For weeks he has listened to the taunts flung by the undead minions of the Tainted Shade, Shadows and Infernal as they deciphered the maze of his making to desecrate the Crusader base. A small smile breaks the thought as he reflects on the amount of time it took the marauders to find their way through his trickery and misleading creations.

The loss of the location of the hall is of little import. The discovery of the Paragon artifacts by dark forces is an inconvenience. Such things change with time and eventuality across the course of things.

Hollow victories all in the absence of the presence of the Crusader ranks. Away in the far lands on a quest to convert, new recruits are rumored to be on the way. Things are changing. Order is gaining a foothold. Goodness spreads. Conversion is taking the masses.

It is even rumored that the forces of evil were driven to attempt to do the forbidden, to ally together to face the rising storm of the Redemption. Such a ploy could only have come from one source. A sneer grows on his face. One could almost wish that the plan had succeeded, just to watch it all blow up in Darkstar's face as the Ninth and Shadows betrayed him. Indeed, that could be most amusing.

SJ 10-7-2005

I have been lax in posting to my staff journal, to which I apologize to my fellow immortals and those mortals that bother to read this. In explaination of my tardiness of late, I have been dealing with aiding my mother recover from skin cancer removal and reconstructive surgeries (see the Mooted Point for more details) as well as multiple other issues. Anyway, enough of the realplay mixover.

In my intermittent mud logins, we have been able to update and create many new helpfiles. Additionally, there have been quite a few discussions concerning coding for oprogs and rprogs, corrosion, seasons, etc. Refer to Purrs of a Kitten Goddess for more indepth details.

I am wrestling with a possible idea for a telepath class solo run, involving an asylum theme to play off the "mental powers" of the psionists against the 'mentally fragmented' patients. Will have to think about it some more.

SJ 23-5-05

Two clans currently have responded and had their mazes connected and clan stones placed. Both have felt the benefit of their clan spells exhilerating their adventures. Welcome to clan raids Crusaders and Ninth Circle. I am somewhat suprised that the other clans have not responded in kind, it is to their benefit, after all, to have their clan spell operational. However, if they aren't concerned enough to even give feedback, I'm not real concerned about it.

I spent a good three hours today as I moved the last of Church of Shadows over from the Chuck Port. All the rooms, the mobs and some of the objects. They can once again access Kjeldoran (only through portal, not exit) and I tweeked two of their potions to force compliance with the level 75 magic level. Exodus obviously had some keen ideas on where to go with his hall, I can frankly say that I have not a clue what they are though. It shows good promise.

SJ 11-5-05

To-Do List
- Set resets for stones.
- Link maze openings.
- Review some of the object stats in Stalker and Isle of Misfits
- Complete Battleball Stadium scoring system, uniforms, game sequence
- Complete Pyramid aquest (ankhs)
- Devise and complete Solo-Class Specific Runs
- Complete University aquest (zoology)

SJ 7-5-05

Crusader clan arsenal was finally completed with input from clan members. Gearing up to place the clan stones for the clans with completed halls as soon as the Seal returns from the land of flying monkeys and yellow brick roads. Clan stones mean Clan Spells. Clan Spells mean Clan Raids. woot!

Midterms completed this week. Have heaps of study to complete out the quarter, complete my projects for Domestic Relations, Real Estate, and Automated Research, and schedule for Summer Quarter and Fall Quarter (since I have to apply for graduation two quarters early). It appears I shall have to pay over my scholarship for tuition and books for the last two quarters again. How depressing.

Opportune Moments

Withdrawing its fangs from the once supple flesh of the young maid, the vampire dropped the exsanguinated corpse unceremoniously to the cobblestones. Withdrawing a kerchief from the folds of a sleeve, the denizen pompously cleaned the last remaining drops of blood from its angular face, daintily dabbing the cloth so as to not bruise its pallid skin.

Continue reading "Opportune Moments"

Rise the Redeemers

Chaos ensues as the Crusaders are beginning to make an appearance. The loathing that exists between the Infernal and the Redeemers is palpable, and so very delicious to me. I cannot wait to see what happens when the battles begin, especially now that Dark Liege is aware of the Undead Lord's plans for his throne.

The Undead Tower, chipped away in brittle fragment betwixt a mass of forces, enemies drawn to them from their past actions. Even more amusing is the fact that these forces do not much get along amongst each other either, opening the possibilities to a melee of anarchic death and destruction.

Rest assured, I shall be certain to attend, entice, promote, and connive further circumstances to my own ends. What those are... are none of your concern, yet.

SJ 8-4-05

Did some relatively minor things on the mud, removing Easter references. Changed food item to a pixie-kabob (fry you dust flinging locust!). All the goblins in town became April Fools (hehe). The trainer is now Ruprecht from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (I just think Steve Martin is too damn hilarious jabbing a corked fork into an eye patch), somehow it seemed funny at the time. Gotten some interested parties asking about joining Crusaders so I set them to quest and role... we shall see who fulfills the requirements and who doesn't. I am waiting on members to fill the clan shop with equipment (everything else is done anyway) just to give them some ownership in what they would like in there. Clan has been empty pretty much before now anyway.

School started at the beginning of this week, and I am completely dragging in motivation on every front. I spent two weeks fighting with administration to get my iteration records declared (tracking the classes I have had, what got transferred, what was tested out of, what was given credit for from my previous degrees in the same school, etc.) without much luck and much frustration. I ended up losing my patience with the advisors. Excuse me for wanting to know where I stand, and what credits I need when I schedule. I don't trust someone else to do it for me in this circumstance, been burned by that business entirely too much already.

My birthday was on Sunday. It felt kinda eerie in its relation to the Pope's death. I was all caught up in watching that and being engrossed by the emotion and loss of that that I pretty much was ambivalent abou the whole birthday anyways. My uncle called from Florida, and my cousin (who shares my birthday) got to banter at each other for a good hour plus, like we always do. My brother didn't remember til today that I had had a birthday, which is fairly funny to me. (pats his brother on the head) I swear he's gonna be the one that loses his memory before me, and I have a four year head start. Mom got me a pair of snow boots to replace my old pair which suffered a terrible accident this last winter and had to be put down. (weeps for his ill fitting 9-year-old snow boots) Comfort me damnit!

To all the ToD mudders, it's the alien's birthday on April 10th! Make sure you give Ahri plenty of spanks, just round up the whacks by twenty to be safe about the age thing.

We Spring children rule (Kali, Ahri, me, etc), you other seasonal children just suck badly. Just admit it!

I was up to the wee hours of the AM doing my taxes to get it out of the way. Spent three hours doing law research to get ahead in one class by four weeks. Contemplating doing the same for a computer class to get ahead, but like I said earlier, i'm not terribly motivated.

Work work work. Had to deal with the people at work too, because its contract renewal time (school board grants yearly contracts only), so I had to deal with that funness. There is also a creditation of programs inspection going on, so all the records are out being cleaned up and calculated for the State. shudder

I am poor poor poor. My checking account is swooning with vapours. College books cost as much as freaking veal and just don't brown as well when you throw them on the barby. I feel so gyped.

I am fighting the urge to procure a drawing pad for my computer. I really want one BAD. I love to draw, and I'd really like to draw directly in the graphics programs. Bleh. Too expensive, and I'd rather save the money for an emergency (which are always inevitable) or buy something for someone else anyway.

Mother had her biopsy today for skin patch to check for cancer return. Will have to wait a few weeks for results (twitch). On top of scraping layers of skin off her chin, they also used liquid nitrogen on a part of her ear to remove another "questionable" issue. LIQUID NITROGEN!