It's another late night in which I know I have to get up for work in about four and a half hour, but I don't care. I just can't sleep. I mean, I probably could sleep if I wanted to, but I just don't want to. I feel like there are so many other things I could be doing to feel "productive". Productive is a relative term that I'm using to mean "blog" in this instance.
The past couple weeks have seen some pretty exciting nights for me, and most of the exciting nights involved either drinking or smoking. If I had to sum up the events in one word, I'd stand the risk of looking like a "fag" by using the word "friendship". The nights I've been spending with my friends have really helped me define what it means to be happy. Without them, I wouldn't have the happiness that I'm holding so valuable in life.
I've been spending a lot of time analyzing my past lately, and making comparisons between my present self and myself five years ago. Let's start with the five years ago version. The year was 2007. I had just arrived at Morehead State University for my first year of college. The campus life was great. There were so many new faces, and it sort of represented the opportunity for a fresh start. Sure, I wasted that opportunity by doing absolutely nothing to change myself, but the opportunity was there none the less. I was afraid of alcohol for what it did to my dad. I was afraid of nicotine for what it did to my mom. I wouldn't touch drugs out of fear of what they'd do to my legal status. The most experimentation I found myself participating in was the sort of thing that only comes up after a night of partying.
Let's take a second to analyze me now. I find myself drinking when the opportunity arises, and smoking is a daily habit of mine now so long as I have four dollars in my wallet. It's a huge change from the kid that would break down at the sight of his friends enjoying themselves whilst partaking in the more dangerous relaxation methods.
I compare the two and wonder how these guys would get along if they ever met. What would current-me say if he met straight-edge-me? I'm almost certain that we'd hate each other from both ends, and for reasons that we'd both feel justified in. Young me was uptight and stubborn. He was afraid to try new things, and seemed like a very closed-minded dude. Current-me gave in to peer pressure and relies on crutches to relax in his day to day life. The one thing that we had in common was that we were both pretty happy, and that's the one thing that tears the thought from my mind. I was happy then, and I'm happy now. It's hard to say that I grew through the experiences since I don't think I'm any more or less happy today than I was then. It's just an interesting thing that stays on my mind at times. If I could go back in time and speak to young-me, I'd probably call him a faggot and offer him a smoke.
Back to the friends. A big constant in all of this is that I've always felt a strong connection to those around me. I've never really been short of friends. I love the conversations that we share, and I love the experiences even more.
I don't really know where this post was going, so I'll just end it with this, the moment I realized that Pinkie Pie was my favorite pony:
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
The Heroes of Kelmarane (A Brief History) . . .
Since I first began playing Dungeons and Dragons in 2003 I've been involved in many games (campaigns). I've played dozens of characters, and have ran hundreds of sessions. Some of the games have been one shots (only occurring once) while others have been ongoing. In all of the games I've been involved in, none have been as exciting as the recent run of Paizo's Adventure Path: The Legacy of Fire.
The Legacy of Fire begins with the players each being brought into the group for one reason or another (usually mercenary work or slavery) and having to work together from the beginning to squelch a fire that erupts in camp shortly after they arrive. They must then investigate the origin of the fire, and bring the arsonist to justice. Along the way they meet several of the camps' regulars, and gain a good sense of the personalities and ethical minds that they will be working with closely as they try to accomplish their goal of freeing Kelmarane from a band of gnolls and their new chief.
The group moves to a log abandoned monastery, which gives some foreshadowing towards the threat that looms over the Adventure Path's climax. Upon investigating the monastery they come across a group of small rat-like creatures known as Pugwampis. Pugwampis are terrible little gremlins that bring bad-luck everywhere they go. The group ends up making friends with the creatures, and find a shared sense of entertainment in them.
After cleansing the monastery, the group moves into town. After several strikes against the town they make a full on assault of the Battle Market (a center of entertainment and blood-sport in the town). With some conflict along the way, they send the chief to the afterlife. Their final task in freeing the town is moving to the lower levels of the local church and investigating the potential source of the invasion.
This concluded chapter one, and in that those few chapters I found a sense of enjoyment in the game that I had never felt so easily in a game before then. As I analyzed the reason for this enjoyment I found the answer to be a simple one. The game was fun because everyone around the table wanted to be there. Beyond that, they genuinely enjoyed the characters that they created, and found great enjoyment in playing them physically and mentally. It's something that a GM dreams of feeling. The best part is that this feeling stayed around for the following five chapters, and is still around even into talks of a second story arc.
The first Adventure Path took the players to various locales, including a couple planes of existence. They've made many friends along their journey, and even more enemies. Even in their extensive travels, they barely got to explore their past. Each character has a rich past that presents the opportunity for so much adventure. It's often hard to hold back the excitement.
I'll begin with Rooster. Rooster is one of the most straightforward characters in the campaign. He's rough, tough, and answers to no-one. He can easily be described as an homage to Clint Eastwood and various other protagonists from the classic Spaghetti Westerns. He comes from the isolated nation of Alknestar, a magic devoid land that excels in scientific discovery and industry. Alkenstar's largest attraction is its gunworks, though it rarely exports such goods.
After the murder of his grandfather, Rooster set out to find the man responsible. He now carries with him two revolvers, and a custom made rifle. He is never without ammunition. He is one of the few in the group that wished to find a family and settle down. After the group disappeared for three years, he returned to Kelmarane to find that he had a daughter of three years by the name of Anna. Rooster can currently be found in the town of Kelmarane as its Guard Captain. He also runs a small gunworks of his own.
Each player has chosen an actor to represent a visual image of their hero. Rooster is currently being "played" by Adam Baldwin from t.v.s Chuck, and Firefly.
Next on the list of heroes is Draiden Ker Gerrstein. Draiden is played by Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, Hurt Locker, The Town). He comes into the game in search of a man wanted for multiple murders. He is the most unpredictable of all the heroes, and it seems like his moral compass took some time to develop. He is prone to rushing into rooms, which usually ends badly for him. He is versed in unarmed combat with some experience in healing. The has recovered from a pesh addiction that he fell into out of jealousy for an NPC with a larger moral compass than his own. The end of the first story arc saw the reveal that Draiden was not originally sent after one person, but was also tasked with bringing in Rooster.
Draiden has not succeeded much romantically, although he did enjoy a brief stay at the Pleasure Palace Ruins in Kaikashon, and he also had a brief relationship with a harpy. The relationship did not last long though as Draiden dragged her through a dangerous situation that saw her demise. Draiden is currently traveling back to the headquarters of the organization that sent him after Rooster with the intentions of gaining control of the organization, and ridding it of its corruption.
The third and final hero of the group, and my personal favorite, is Trevvis Maddox. Trevvis is played by the fabulous Ron Pearlman (Hellboy, Season of the Witch, Drive). Trevvis' focus lies heavily in his training with his shield and longsword, though his faith rewards him with various spellcasting prowess including those of restorative and healing arts.
Trevvis has never expressed interest in any relationship aside from that of friendship, and this is likely explained by his age since Trevvis is nearing his early sixties. Trevvis' biggest problem currently is that he cares too much, and this has cursed him with the inability to accept death. The abuse of his ability to revive the dead has recently attracted the attention of the Inevitables from Mechanus (a group of emotionless machines that patrol order in all the planes). To continue to abuse his powers would mean eternal imprisonment by the Inevitables.
Trevvis can currently be found in Kelmarane standing as head adviser to its church of Iomedae. Trevvis constantly thinks about the condition and whereabouts of his two younger brothers, one of which left at an earlier age while Trevvis and the youngest remained at their church.
Well, that pretty much recaps the party. The first adventure saw the heroes caught up in a plot where they had to stop a long imprisoned genie from resurrecting a herald of Rovagug that could potentially destroy reality. The next story arc will likely focus on the history of each character while showing the corruption that comes with too much power.
I hope you enjoyed this post. It's my longest so far, but I had a lot of fun writing it. If you play D&D or Pathfinder I would highly recommend checking out Paizo's Adventure Paths. Each one is usually six books long and has enough story to take your characters from level one to fifteen. They are perfect for a GM that has trouble writing stories, has little free-time, or just wants a break.
I'll do my best to provide updates regarding the future adventures of the Heroes of Kelmarane, and might go into details about some of the threats and friends that the group has encountered along the way.
The Legacy of Fire begins with the players each being brought into the group for one reason or another (usually mercenary work or slavery) and having to work together from the beginning to squelch a fire that erupts in camp shortly after they arrive. They must then investigate the origin of the fire, and bring the arsonist to justice. Along the way they meet several of the camps' regulars, and gain a good sense of the personalities and ethical minds that they will be working with closely as they try to accomplish their goal of freeing Kelmarane from a band of gnolls and their new chief.
The group moves to a log abandoned monastery, which gives some foreshadowing towards the threat that looms over the Adventure Path's climax. Upon investigating the monastery they come across a group of small rat-like creatures known as Pugwampis. Pugwampis are terrible little gremlins that bring bad-luck everywhere they go. The group ends up making friends with the creatures, and find a shared sense of entertainment in them.
After cleansing the monastery, the group moves into town. After several strikes against the town they make a full on assault of the Battle Market (a center of entertainment and blood-sport in the town). With some conflict along the way, they send the chief to the afterlife. Their final task in freeing the town is moving to the lower levels of the local church and investigating the potential source of the invasion.
This concluded chapter one, and in that those few chapters I found a sense of enjoyment in the game that I had never felt so easily in a game before then. As I analyzed the reason for this enjoyment I found the answer to be a simple one. The game was fun because everyone around the table wanted to be there. Beyond that, they genuinely enjoyed the characters that they created, and found great enjoyment in playing them physically and mentally. It's something that a GM dreams of feeling. The best part is that this feeling stayed around for the following five chapters, and is still around even into talks of a second story arc.
The first Adventure Path took the players to various locales, including a couple planes of existence. They've made many friends along their journey, and even more enemies. Even in their extensive travels, they barely got to explore their past. Each character has a rich past that presents the opportunity for so much adventure. It's often hard to hold back the excitement.
I'll begin with Rooster. Rooster is one of the most straightforward characters in the campaign. He's rough, tough, and answers to no-one. He can easily be described as an homage to Clint Eastwood and various other protagonists from the classic Spaghetti Westerns. He comes from the isolated nation of Alknestar, a magic devoid land that excels in scientific discovery and industry. Alkenstar's largest attraction is its gunworks, though it rarely exports such goods.
After the murder of his grandfather, Rooster set out to find the man responsible. He now carries with him two revolvers, and a custom made rifle. He is never without ammunition. He is one of the few in the group that wished to find a family and settle down. After the group disappeared for three years, he returned to Kelmarane to find that he had a daughter of three years by the name of Anna. Rooster can currently be found in the town of Kelmarane as its Guard Captain. He also runs a small gunworks of his own.
Each player has chosen an actor to represent a visual image of their hero. Rooster is currently being "played" by Adam Baldwin from t.v.s Chuck, and Firefly.
Next on the list of heroes is Draiden Ker Gerrstein. Draiden is played by Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, Hurt Locker, The Town). He comes into the game in search of a man wanted for multiple murders. He is the most unpredictable of all the heroes, and it seems like his moral compass took some time to develop. He is prone to rushing into rooms, which usually ends badly for him. He is versed in unarmed combat with some experience in healing. The has recovered from a pesh addiction that he fell into out of jealousy for an NPC with a larger moral compass than his own. The end of the first story arc saw the reveal that Draiden was not originally sent after one person, but was also tasked with bringing in Rooster.
Draiden has not succeeded much romantically, although he did enjoy a brief stay at the Pleasure Palace Ruins in Kaikashon, and he also had a brief relationship with a harpy. The relationship did not last long though as Draiden dragged her through a dangerous situation that saw her demise. Draiden is currently traveling back to the headquarters of the organization that sent him after Rooster with the intentions of gaining control of the organization, and ridding it of its corruption.
The third and final hero of the group, and my personal favorite, is Trevvis Maddox. Trevvis is played by the fabulous Ron Pearlman (Hellboy, Season of the Witch, Drive). Trevvis' focus lies heavily in his training with his shield and longsword, though his faith rewards him with various spellcasting prowess including those of restorative and healing arts.
Trevvis has never expressed interest in any relationship aside from that of friendship, and this is likely explained by his age since Trevvis is nearing his early sixties. Trevvis' biggest problem currently is that he cares too much, and this has cursed him with the inability to accept death. The abuse of his ability to revive the dead has recently attracted the attention of the Inevitables from Mechanus (a group of emotionless machines that patrol order in all the planes). To continue to abuse his powers would mean eternal imprisonment by the Inevitables.
Trevvis can currently be found in Kelmarane standing as head adviser to its church of Iomedae. Trevvis constantly thinks about the condition and whereabouts of his two younger brothers, one of which left at an earlier age while Trevvis and the youngest remained at their church.
Well, that pretty much recaps the party. The first adventure saw the heroes caught up in a plot where they had to stop a long imprisoned genie from resurrecting a herald of Rovagug that could potentially destroy reality. The next story arc will likely focus on the history of each character while showing the corruption that comes with too much power.
I hope you enjoyed this post. It's my longest so far, but I had a lot of fun writing it. If you play D&D or Pathfinder I would highly recommend checking out Paizo's Adventure Paths. Each one is usually six books long and has enough story to take your characters from level one to fifteen. They are perfect for a GM that has trouble writing stories, has little free-time, or just wants a break.
I'll do my best to provide updates regarding the future adventures of the Heroes of Kelmarane, and might go into details about some of the threats and friends that the group has encountered along the way.
I Apologize For The Delay . . .
My most recent post revealed my intentions for this blog in that I would be using it as a review site for various items from the media that I perceive. Unfortunately, I'm already off to a bad start. I intended to have a Kick Ass review up for your viewing pleasure in time for the holiday, but seeing as how I am currently out of booze/smokes/and money, I'm going to have to wait until the next payday to begin filming. Since I work all weekend then I likely won't have the video recorded until June 4th, but don't worry. I'll be watching more movies in the meantime and brainstorming with friends so that I can bring you (the one fan) the most enjoyable experience that I can materialize.
In other news, I got to see my second UFC event last night. All in all it showcased some pretty awesome fights. Miller got fucked by Dolloway, but Dos Santos handed Mir his own ass by the end of it. I'd call the fights a pretty big success.
I didn't intend to drink as much as I did during the fights, but seeing as how the SoCo bottle is empty, I'm left to assume that I went overboard. I remember bits and pieces of the night including: crying, preventing fights, trying to avoid the urge to hit on Paul's girlfriend, giving items from my trunk away to Paul and Amber, and smoking the hell out of the rest of my cigarettes. That being said, it was a very enjoyable night, and I was lucky to wake up hangover free.
I apologize again for the delay with the reviews, but here's something to hold you over in the meantime:
In other news, I got to see my second UFC event last night. All in all it showcased some pretty awesome fights. Miller got fucked by Dolloway, but Dos Santos handed Mir his own ass by the end of it. I'd call the fights a pretty big success.
I didn't intend to drink as much as I did during the fights, but seeing as how the SoCo bottle is empty, I'm left to assume that I went overboard. I remember bits and pieces of the night including: crying, preventing fights, trying to avoid the urge to hit on Paul's girlfriend, giving items from my trunk away to Paul and Amber, and smoking the hell out of the rest of my cigarettes. That being said, it was a very enjoyable night, and I was lucky to wake up hangover free.
I apologize again for the delay with the reviews, but here's something to hold you over in the meantime:
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Good news everyone! Potential for Reviews:
I'm sitting in my room and wondering what the fuck to do with a blog. I mean, I'm an expert in no field at all, and don't really do much aside from read comic books and watch movies. That's most likely where this will go though. I think what I'll try and do for you guys (my one viewer). I'm gonna' try to post a review each week for your viewing pleasure. I will try my best to contain in each video a basic criteria that the public can relate to while adding my own personal feelings by the videos end. I have no experience with editing, and am going to try to use my free-time throughout the week to write, film, and edit each review. The genre of each review may vary as the weeks pass, and they will not always be video reviews. I may review music albums, comics, toys, rpgs, video games, and possibly ideas. We'll see. If you don't like it then feel free to give me some feedback. I'm also open to suggestions. Suppose you have something in mind that you want to see reviewed, feel free to tell me.
First review, Kick Ass. I will do my best to give my thoughts towards the movie and comic. Below is the trailer for the movie. Expect the review by Monday.
First review, Kick Ass. I will do my best to give my thoughts towards the movie and comic. Below is the trailer for the movie. Expect the review by Monday.
Welcome to the Internet . . .
So, a friend of mine has had a blog for sometime now, and I'm pretty jealous. I mean, I spend so much of my internet time reading blogs, why not just make my own? So here you go. I bet you're wondering to yourself "Hey. Why is that guy making a blog and not going and getting his college degree . . . or a girlfriend?", and I'll tell you why. Because college is hard and girls are scary. That's why.
Well, now that I have a blog I don't really know what to write about. Perhaps some suggestions from the audience? If nobody suggests anything then I'll just write about whatever's on my mind until I lose interest and quit just like everything else in life.
Alright, let's start with some sad news. I haven't read into the full details too much, but it looks like Dan Harmon (the creator of Community) will not be returning to Community. Apparently he was supposed to consult for season four at first, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Many are seeing this as the death of Community, and I'm inclined to agree. Maybe it's time to start this new fangled "Game of Thrones" that Paul talks about so highly. We'll see.
Paragraph #2: It looks like the first trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby film is up, and it looks pretty cool. The Great Gatsby is one of the last books I finished, and I have to say that the feel that I'm getting from the first trailer is way more action oriented that I would have expected. This isn't bad though. It looks fun. If you haven't seen the trailer, then here it is for you:
In other movie news, it looks like G.I. Joe 2 has been pushed back to 2013. Damn.
A friend just told me that the director of Chronicle is set to make a Shadow of the Colossus movie. I didn't read the article, and have only seen his short about the Death and Return of Superman, but I'm expecting good things.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/23/chronicle-director-to-make-shadow-of-the-colossus-movie
Well, I'm pretty strapped for ideas right now. I suppose I'll post more tomorrow after work, but we'll see.
I'd like to dedicate this post to @zrzero on twitter.com. Without him . . . I would probably smoke less.
Until tomorrow . . .watch the skies!
Well, now that I have a blog I don't really know what to write about. Perhaps some suggestions from the audience? If nobody suggests anything then I'll just write about whatever's on my mind until I lose interest and quit just like everything else in life.
Alright, let's start with some sad news. I haven't read into the full details too much, but it looks like Dan Harmon (the creator of Community) will not be returning to Community. Apparently he was supposed to consult for season four at first, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Many are seeing this as the death of Community, and I'm inclined to agree. Maybe it's time to start this new fangled "Game of Thrones" that Paul talks about so highly. We'll see.
Paragraph #2: It looks like the first trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby film is up, and it looks pretty cool. The Great Gatsby is one of the last books I finished, and I have to say that the feel that I'm getting from the first trailer is way more action oriented that I would have expected. This isn't bad though. It looks fun. If you haven't seen the trailer, then here it is for you:
In other movie news, it looks like G.I. Joe 2 has been pushed back to 2013. Damn.
A friend just told me that the director of Chronicle is set to make a Shadow of the Colossus movie. I didn't read the article, and have only seen his short about the Death and Return of Superman, but I'm expecting good things.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/23/chronicle-director-to-make-shadow-of-the-colossus-movie
Well, I'm pretty strapped for ideas right now. I suppose I'll post more tomorrow after work, but we'll see.
I'd like to dedicate this post to @zrzero on twitter.com. Without him . . . I would probably smoke less.
Until tomorrow . . .watch the skies!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)