Quoth the Raven

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.