#Herne Green Deal | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cozcat · 5 years ago

Text

His Dark Materials at the National Theatre

There’s no publicly available video* of the National Theatre production of His Dark Materials, but the script is pretty easy to find, as Nick Hern Books released it.

They condensed the three books into one two-part play - the same style as Cursed Child. Two plays, so four acts, with regular intervals and a prolonged break between the second and third acts.

Under the cut, I’ve got some general information about the show, and a list of notes about changes, as well as anything I’ve found interesting as I’ve been reading. At some point, I may do a full summary of what actually happens in the script, rather than contrasting it with the books.

If you have any questions about the script, I’m happy to answer!

* Unless you go to the NT archive in London, and you can watch it there, but as it’s an archive copy, it’s apparently pretty mediocre quality, so more of a reference for the staging than an actual viewing experience. And you can’t watch it unless you’re in the actual building.

For general staging and information:

The National Theatre has a drum revolve, and most shows use it when staged there. As His Dark Materials was specifically written for that theatre, the revolve is used very liberally throughout, and an example of its use can be seen here

A handful of photos can be found here, and lower quality ones can be found from a bit of a hunt online.

Lists of both casts can be found here.

National Theatre Archive pages for part 1 and part 2

Act One

Opens with Lyra and Will as adults on the bench in Oxford - their conversations don’t line up, but work in tandem, and Mrs Lonsdale appears towards the end to indicate they’re going back in time as a flashback - Will disappears, and Lyra is twelve again

Roger and Lyra only meet for the first time before the Retiring Room, and Roger goes with her, though he’s just a tagalong - Lyra still does everything of importance

Jopari is alive, and brought up by Asriel in the meeting - there’s no head

Billy's dæmon is Ratter and he takes the Tony role of being the severed child

Mrs Coulter openly wants Lyra working for the General Oblation Board, and wants to tell her about it after the cocktail party

"Lyra the liar!” is said by both Pan and Roger at different points

Lyra is picked up by the Gyptians who are already en route north - they go straight to Trollesund, and Ma Costa doesn’t appear at all

Lyra: "Haven't you got any self respect?" Iorek: "None."

Farder Coram and Serafina Pekkala are "long lost friend[s] of my [his] youth-time days", and they communicate sometimes still

Lyra sees Billy post-intercision in a Tartar camp and is kidnapped from there - rather than seeking him out

Lyra is grabbed to be intercised when she frees the severed dæmons, and the intercision begins because they want to shock Lyra into submission before Mrs Coulter arrives - she arrives just before the intercision

They make the human-dæmon bond visible in the intercision machine - presumably so that the audience knows what happens when we see it severed later

Mrs Coulter gets the Parent Reveal, and she claims that it was distress because of everything that happened before and during the trial that meant she couldn't look after Lyra, and that's when Lyra was taken away to Jordan

Serafina's first appearance is at the end of act one, when she rescues Lyra and Roger to take them to Svalbard

Mrs Coulter and the monkey have a wound in the same place from the spy fly

Act one ends with Mrs Coulter reaching and yelling for "Lyra!"

Act Two

also opens on the bench in Oxford, with Will recounting how he wound up in Ci’gazze, but goes back to Lyra and co in the balloon

Jopari gave the amber spyglass to Serafina, and she shows it to Lee - and shows him Dust

there is a bear in the script called “Stupid Bear”, and he keeps calling the Chief Bear “Sarge”

another bear is Disgruntled Bear, and he complains that Mrs Coulter is “making us cook our food”, and they all miss raw walrus

there isn’t a delay on Iorek arriving at Svalbard - he turns up with Roger not long after Lyra

Asriel: “I refuse to be preached at by a sanctimonious ten-year-old.” Lyra: “I’m twelve! I’m twelve!” Asriel: “Well, you would know.”

the witch is interrogated at Bolvangar - where Mrs Coulter is also told that the General Oblation Board has been closed down, its records expunged, and her Geneva bank account has been terminated

Mrs Coulter also tells Lord Asriel that she wants to stay in their world to find and protect Lyra from the Church

we see Asriel holding Salcilia - as though daemons don’t vanish when their humans die (which may just be so that they don’t have to make a daemon vanish onstage)

Lyra and Pan take Asriel’s explanation of “heads in one world, tails in another” to mean that Roger might be alive in another world, and that’s why they leave

Lyra’s secret name (ie Eve) is a Big Deal - with Mrs Coulter, the Church, and the witches

Ruta Skadi is intent on war, but she’s also intent on killing Jopari, taking that particular role from Juta Kamainen - however, there are multiple witches named in the script, none of whom have a name from the books, and none of whom are named onstage

Lyra on her parents: “Wasn’t it awful when they kissed like that?”

Lyra lists off friends they’ve made (”Iorek... Serafina... Mr Scoresby...”) and Pan matches with their daemons (”...Kaisa... Hester...”)

“Boys can’t cook.” “Well, this boy’s had to.” “In my world, servants do the cooking.” “In my world, the Coke is brown.” Lyra and Will get right to snarking at each other, and Ci’gazze Coke is green.

Lyra and Will exchange the alethiometer and the green writing case as a show of trust

Lord Boreal shows up to Will in the library while he is looking for papers on his father, gives him a cutting about the window his father left through, and steals the alethiometer while Will is distracted

Boreal steals the alethiometer because he assumes it’s the case with the letters in it

Part 1 ends with Will getting the knife, then a montage - the witches see the angels, Asriel appears in his fortress, Mrs Coulter is looking for Lyra, Will calls for his father, and Brother Jasper gives the President a piece of paper with “Lyra Belacqua’s secret name”

Act Three

Opens with a montage - Lyra and Pan running; the gap between the worlds, Asriel trying to convince Marisa to go with him, then Lyra holding Roger as he dies; Serafina addressing the witches; Lyra meeting Will; Mrs Coulter talking to the President; Will talking about his father to Lyra; Jopari and Lee Scoresby; the knife fight; Serafina and Ruta; the President summoning the Council after finding out Lyra’s secret name

in the next scene, it’s various clerics talking about Lyra being Eve as well as Asriel’s plans

Boreal: “I’ve asked my manservant to make up the guest room for you.” Mrs Coulter: “The guest room? Well, we mustn’t upset him. I must remember to rumple the sheets in the morning. You really are the most delightfully old-fashioned host.” MARISA

Boreal cultivates orchids

Marzipan becomes blackberries, told with Serafina and Farder Coram - and their son is born nine months later, after the blackberry incident, and dies soon after

Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia are married in this - they’re introduced with her as his spouse

Mrs Coulter brings Giacomo Paradisi to the Spectres and has them eat his soul - Boreal is terrified; the children pickpocket Giacomo and tell Mrs Coulter where Lyra and Will went

Ruta Skadi says “I’ve seen those eyes before” about Will and it carries an awkward weight when she was in love with Jopari and is intent on killing him

Mrs Coulter uses the Spectres to kill Boreal, rather than poisoning him

we actually see the Spectres attack the witches, rather than just hearing about it - and Mrs Coulter tries to be nice to Lyra shortly before the murdering

Ruta Skadi calls for Yambe-Akka to take her before she kills herself - which is odd, as the witch that Serafina kills calls specifically for Serafina to kill her

a mid-act flash of Oxford - Lyra afraid she’d never wake up from the world of the dead, and Will remembering finding out that taking this journey was his mantle

Lord Asriel: “Her mother? Stuck in a cave? I don’t believe it. This is a woman who has her hair done twice a week at six in the morning.” I’m just going to question how Asriel knows this, assuming it isn’t decade-old knowledge.

Stelmaria: “You’d have killed her yourself, at Svalbard.” Lord Asriel: “No, I would not! I thought I’d have to kill her, for the sake of my experiment. When the boy walked in, I was vastly relieved and I let her go.”

Asriel decides to care about Lyra because he realises that’s where his enemy is focusing

Asriel appears in the fight at the cave, and there’s a brief and angry family reunion

Will shatters the knife because Lord Asriel tells him to think of his father - but in the cover of the fighting, pulls Lyra away

Act three ends with Lord Asriel yelling “Lyra! Lyra!”

Act Four

Opens in Asriel’s fortress, with him getting information from Tialys and Salmakia

Marisa and Asriel have a (very angry) conversation about how they’ve both grown to care for Lyra - Marisa, because Lyra somehow changed her; Asriel, because he’s finally clocked that she’s important and in danger (and is trying to manipulate Marisa because he wants the knife)

Rather than talking, the monkey makes stabbing gestures in the air to indicate the knife

it turns out Asriel did actually take Lyra away because “You were raving mad! You’d have throttled her in her cradle!”

Mrs Coulter: “Then you ignored her, you neglected her, year after yearm she had no decent company, no education...” they’re really just sat here going, “no, you’re the shittier parent!” and arguing for five full pages

The actor playing Pantalaimon appears as Lyra’s Death. That’s an actual, heartbreaking stage direction.

Tialys and Salmakia don’t go to the world of the dead - they report back to Asriel that Lyra and Will escaped

Brother Jasper: “Father President, let me speak. I have sinned. I had evil thoughts.” President: “You are not the first young man to have been corrupted by Mrs Coulter. Make up for it on the battlefield.”

Lyra and Will help the Authority to die, and he smiles the whole time

Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel see Brother Jasper about to kill Lyra, and throw themselves onto him to drag him into the Abyss - somehow, it takes two people to do that, rather than just kicking him, but anyway, this is what happens when we cut out Metatron

Pan and Kirjava both appear as cats, but they’ve both settled, and there’s nothing indicating he changes into a pine marten over the course of the conversation

“On Midsummer night at midnight... and talk til dawn, just like now, as though we were together again. Because we will be.”

The final line is Lyra saying “The republic of heaven”, after which two clocks are heard striking. Lyra picks up Pan, and she and Will pass each other, and walk out of sight.

So the changes are pretty inevitable when they’re trying to condense 1000 pages into five hours. As with reading any script, it feels ridiculously fast paced - but when a brawl between bears is reduced to a few lines of sparse stage directions, of course it feels fast.

One change that I actually quite like is the exchange of the letters and the alethiometer. It makes it a bit more believable - there’s no need for Lyra to not recognise Boreal, and the slimy bastard is obviously going to be able to distract Will with information about his father, given that’s what Will is in the library searching for. Parts of The Subtle Knife honestly make Lyra out to be a bit of an idiot - making it a case of Will being forcibly distracted makes it a lot more understandable than “Lyra gets in a car with a stranger”. And it makes his determination to get the alethiometer back while he’s still bleeding all over the place make a bit more sense. But the initial exchange of letters and alethiometer is honestly quite sweet, and it’s something I’d actually really like to see in the series, if I’m honest.

As much as I hate Mary and the Mulefa being cut, I get it. That’d be a fucker to put onstage - and there’s already a ridiculous amount going on, so they do need to streamline somewhere. I know that it’s missing, but it doesn’t feel like it’s missing, as so much is going on anyway.

The removal of Metatron has me livid. I know that they needed to streamline, but they could have pushed Brother Jasper into the abyss, it wasn’t a two person effort. Come on. Come on.

The characterisation of Marisa is interesting, too - they start hammering in her switch to being uncharacteristically maternal fairly early, and the fact that they change it so that Lyra was pretty much stolen from her makes it somewhat believable that she’d make that switch so easily. It’s obviously something that has been changed so that it seems like a natural character progression, but it’s really damn weird.

But to summarise - a few good changes, a few that I don’t like but which I understand, and a few that I neither like nor understand. And that’s always going to happen with adaptations. If I do a full summary, I’ll link it here... providing I remember. And again, if you’re curious about anything from the script, I’m happy to answer, and if it’s something else about the play, I’m happy to try to find out.

#his dark materials #hdm #national theatre #myhdm

21 notes · View notes

thepatchworkcrow · 6 years ago

Text

This is response to the 28 Days of Devotional Journaling post I reblogged earlier. I often lose focus and get scatterbrained and lose track of challenges (I mean, look at how often I’ve posted for the #2019grimoirechallenge in the past couple weeks...). So I wanted to just work on doing a little compilation of information on my personal deities. The first deals with the Horned God that I work with.

Some of the prompts from that post, which I’ll link here, are difficult as the deities I work with aren’t part of a specific pantheon. Therefore, there’s no established mythos or tradition of ancient worship of them, but here goes!

Names/Epithets: Lord of the Hunt, King of the Fae, The Hunter, God of the Forest, King of Vampires, The Masked King. Sometimes conflated with Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos, The Green Man. I am excluding in this post the name that I call him personally.

Symbols: Bow and arrow, Antlers, Black Dragons, Hunting Horn, Black Dog, Deer, Animal Skulls- particularly deer, Wine glasses, Silver; Crows; Birds of Prey such as Falcons, Hawks, etc; White hounds.

Realm of Influence: The wild and untamed forest; The forces of decay, change, and transformation; trickery; disguises; The Hunt; Goblins, vampires, and other dark fae; Rites of change; Liminality; The middle or in-between places and people.

Offerings: Meat, breads, and cheeses; Red wine; Whiskey; Mead; Arrow heads; Music; Poetry; Anything made from the forest; Found animal bones.

Sacred Days: The Hunter's Moon (the October Full Moon), Samhain, and Yule are the days I typically take as days to honor him specifically.

Sacred Sites: Anywhere wild and deep within the woods.

Signs: Crows, Deer, Birds of Prey, Hounds; The sound of a horn, or the baying of hounds on the wind; Strong gusts from the North West or in the direction of the nearest large forest.

The Hunter appears to me in two ways: The first is wild- he wears a dark feathered cloak and a deep green tartan. His hair has braids, but still seems more a mane than anything. He’s scarred and tattooed. His chest is sculpted muscle and ridges of scar tissue. His presence a weight. Simply by entering the grove, the gravity of his being there is felt- like the air becomes dense. His eyes shift- sometimes dark, sometimes a verdant green. He is all seriousness- except for that smirk that plays on the edge of his lips. You’ll swear it is there, but as soon as you’ve spotted it, it seems to have vanished. He is the sound of hoofbeats and hounds and horns crashing through the trees on the chase, or the subtle silence of a skilled hunter. His voice gruff, but his words are eloquent. Who gave the beastmaster a poet’s tongue? Warmth of a cloak against blistering cold winds, the smell of earth and pine, crackling of campfire while a wolf howls in the distance, the taste of whiskey on your tongue... In his other guise, he is all glamour and grandness. A sad king sitting alone in his windswept castle. His touch and his gaze are like ice, a cold blade against the skin. He enters and you swear you might hear a pipe organ playing somewhere. He is slick- velvet wine-dark coats and gilt buttons, eyes a stony grey or black as night. His voice is melodic. The heart races- red is supposed to warn you of danger, after all, is it not- but at the same time, he’s like a sweet red wine, the taste of dark chocolate: you want to sink into it and indulge for just a while. There is no patience or subtly here. He is quick to anger, bitter, calculating. Which is his true nature?

He is the one I tend to visit when doing astral/journeying work. I worship him with poetry and art; he features heavily in my writing. I dedicate my archery practice and drumming to him. I reach out to him as I walk among the forest. I leave offerings to him in oak trees and upon my altar.

I have learned many of the “don’t do x while working with fae” lessons by working with him. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, to get in touch with the wild forces of the forest, to ride with the Hunt in my journey work.

Image Credit: The Wild Hunt by Nhaar on Deviantart.

#horned god #the horned god #devotional practice #vampire #pagan #witchblr #faery #the fae #working with the fae #witchcraft #UPG #personal gnosis #personal deities #druidry #druid #personal practice #forest god

30 notes · View notes

darkspellmaster · 6 years ago

Text

The Dragon Prince Theories regarding the Teaser Trailer

So I’m going to say this much, I am not going in order of trailer or teaser, rather it’s in the order I have the pictures of regarding what I saved, so please forgive if this seems confusing to you because the show is coming up fast and I wanted to talk about this as quickly as possible.

So we open the Teaser trailer with the Castle on the rocks in the sunset. Now normally this wouldn’t be a big deal but with the idea of a war brewing this is a very striking image. Typically in story telling Sunsets either indicate the fall of a life and a change, or in this case, possibly the indication that a war is coming thus the flames of destruction are upon the kingdom. It’s also interesting that the design of the castle hearkens to some Medieval landscapes, but the interior of the castle is very much in the style of King James the ruler of England just after Queen Elizabeth I.

King Harrow and his team of guards. This is clearly probably after the talk with Viren in his room. The color scheme shows that it’s late and we see that he’s dressed for battle. The sun is setting again, which could be either a clue that the sun is setting on his rule, or that he’s not long for this world, or the world is about to change, or more likely that he’s heading into a battle he may not win. His face says that he’s not happy about this, but he’s serious and is keeping that in mind. I should note that guards that are with the king are typically hand picked based on trust by the ruler that they are guarding. It all comes into political play and who has your back and won’t kill you and is tough enough to keep you safe.

Now this is an interesting shot. Soren’s role as a knight holding that blade is rather important. In “ye old’n days” roles that were given to people in the court and to knights were rather important to how they were stationed in society and who was closest to the king or queen. The ones that helped the ruler in the toilet and in his or her room were considered the closest and the one that had his or her ear the most.

Now with Soren here we have a knight that is holding the king’s blade, which is really an honor and something that indicates that Harrow has a lot of trust in Soren. Why is that? Well normally the blade of the king is held by someone that he or she wouldn’t fell would be a danger to them. In this case Harrow doesn’t think that Soren would back stab him, and probably this is the case, as Soren is holding the blade away from him in a resting position, and his hand is not near the hilt, showing that he trusts the king and that he respects his rule. This also means that Soren was at some point possibly squire to the King himself, which puts him in a rank position that other knights probably are jealous of.

Soren is bowing and humbling himself to the kin. Again this ties in with the above about showing a great amount of respect or faking it. One or the other in this case.

Alright a few things here that is important. Firstly Harrow is holding the blade in a resting way, showing that he’s not doing things for ceremony or show. This means that he’s going to put it away on his person and use it. Secondly the look he gives the sword shows that he’s thinking about what Callum asked him about earlier in the main trailer (because I’m sure this comes after that moment) and it’s clear that he’s taking note about the role the blade will play in the fighting. Thirdly and I think this is significant here, the X shaped mark on the hilt, where the guard meets the blade, that’s the mark of the royal family as Ezran has that on his belt and it’s in a lot of places in the castle. It’s also very very much like a Celtic knot, though I’m not sure of the meaning behind this one. I know various locked knots show a connection to wisdom and strength but in this case Not sure. Maybe like a version of the cycle of life with infinity mixed in there?

Edit: It’s Anglo-saxon runes. the X side mark means Day.

So we get a shot of Marcos being held by the throat by Rayla. I can only guess this is going on after he, or someone else, went and shot an arrow at the Moon Elves in the forest and she chased him down.

So she’s got him by the throat and he’s scared. My guess is she either knocked him out, or put him in the bag we see in her and Runaan’s fight later. Either way I suspect he’s the one that starts her off on her quest to go after the king.

We get a quick shot of Hooded Rayla. Showing that she’s trying to be intimidating at this moment and doing so rather well. I should note that unlike Runaan and a few of the others, she’s got no tattoos or paint on her, making me wonder if she can use any magic at all.

Her eyes look dead here, which again, I think has a point. I don’t think Marcos killed anyone that we’ve seen in the Moon Elves group but I don’t know. Thing is that she’s is well and truly angry about something personal at this point. This has to be early in the series even. We barely can see her markings around her eyes.

Okay so remember what I said about King James and decor. Well this is what I’m talking about here. The style is very much a cross between Elizabethan era design on the walls, having tighter windows, but they’re higher with more in line with renovations that show something along the style of King James when more luxury items were being put into the castles. As Callum is walking down the carpet we can see it’s matching the Kings color, meaning that this is the royal family’s banner colors probably. You also have the knot on the floor meaning that it’s probably Harrow’s family’s symbol. I also have to note that the windows have iron or lead lined X’s to give the touch of a later period in English history, since that wasn’t heavily used till after Elizabeth as far as I know. Though someone correct me if I’m wrong on that.

One other thing, the suits and the torches which are on the wall along with the flowers and such. This shows that the King does care about the upkeep of the castle and the flowers show he’s also a man that cares about beauty and nature.

Birds eye view here gives us more of a look of the open space windows showing a deal of light that is used because of the limited light from the lack of electricity. the hints here with the art work on the wall, show this is again past the point of tapestry being used and paintings are taking on a different role than just denoting the family. It’s now being used for beauty, talking pieces and probably used for entertainment, ie. having people discuss and debate about the work and the location it’s showing. Also the art on the tables does this as well.

First shot of Callum, it’s interesting that he shares the same green eyes as his stepfather. Also as most have noted, there’s a bit of Merlin in that outfit.

Rayla sneaking up behind him. There’s something interesting on the bracelets that she wears. Again it has a bit of a Celtic feel to it, which makes me think some of the influence in this story may come from the English, Scottish and Irish wars that happened before and During James rule and still have issues. What’s interesting here is that she’s sneaking around in broad daylight and following Callum, making me think that she was trying to get information out of him, maybe where his father is.

Okay this scene. This one is a biggy. So there’s a lot going on in this moment, and I have to point this out because man, in one shot we have a lot going on and a lot defining these two characters at the start of the series. So on Rayla’s side we have the clouds being calm, soft and round. Typically softer looking images are used visually as clues that the person in question is a novice, or someone that has yet to be in the center of real grim fighting. Also it shows that possibly she’s come to a realization and that she probably has to deal directly with him with her own new conviction. It’s interesting too that she’s angry and looking ready to fight and crouched down.

Runaan on the other side of things is far different. You have storm clouds with spikes and sharp angles. Typically this would mean that he’s a harder character, one that is also holding in a lot of anger and probably frustration at this point. We see him standing straight and tall, rigid almost, like he’s a wall she has to knock down to get past. He’s being stubborn, no mercy will come from him. But the thing is that while her clouds are calm, as if she’s made up her mind, there’s no doubt in her heart, no issue that she has to do this. Runaan’s clouds are all chaotic, which may indicate that he’s doubting his mission, that he’s confused or conflicted and probably hurt, thus the whole issue there.

It’s really a striking scene. And I’m probably wrong about part of it, but I tend to read into things.

Oh one other thing, there’s a bad near the wall, and I’m not sure what or who is in it.

Direct shot of Runaan’s face. Like I said above, calm on the inside but probably a tempest storm inside. Also there’s the fact that we again see more inspired Celtic imagery in the silver shoulder pads and the horns. Hern the hunter, one of the bigger gods in the lore of the Celts was a nature god that had horns, and the fact that we have the Moon elves have horns that are like wood, only adds on to that association, along with the green color. What’s also interesting is that he, unlike Rayla, has markings on his form, showing that he probably can use magic. There’s also the hair thing going on there that’s interesting.

Rayla got bit, probably by Bait, and it’s clear that she’s ready for a fight with him. She’s also showing her anger on her face, but the clouds are calmer and rounder in design. More than likely she’s fighting him to allow her and the others to get past so that they can go on their mission.

King Harrow and Pip, I think his name is Pip. This is after he got the sword from Soren. I live the fact that we see more red and gold banners on the wall, showing the indication that the colors are his and the Royal families. What’s also cool in this is that, Pip has this green color to his black, which is very different. Also Four poster bed with cloth cover means that they are not living in a climate that is constantly warm at night. Since the covers are designed to keep the heat in.

He speaks to his friend, who nuzzles him, “This may be the end.” To me this is not a happy sort of tone, it’s like he’s resigned that there’s a chance he may die in this fight, though he’s going to try not to. Or it could be that he knows they may lose and thus the end of the war in that they fail, or possibly that they win, but it doesn’t seem like he feels that way in the tone of voice.

Okay this part of the teaser is clearly tied into later with the Main trailer where Claudia is following them, and Callum winds up using the orb to do wind magic. My guess is that Ezran is talking to Claudia, or maybe some guards, and offers them a Jelly tart, trying to take attention off them. Or this is with either another elf or Rayla and he’s offering it to her.

Again there is that symbol like on his dad’s sword. I really think this is some sort of royal crest or marking. Though what it means, I don’t know yet. (See above about the X mark meaning Day in Anglo Saxon Runes)

Ezran probably talking to his dad, Viren, or Callum while holding Bait. I think this maybe outside, though this could be in the throne room. There’s a lot of light there and the carpet is clearly worn.

Rayla attacking the guards who are probably trying to defend Callum. What’s interesting in this shot is the speed that she moves and that this bearded guard is everywhere. Wonder if he’s a nod to any of the crew.

Okay so here’s the thing that I find really interesting here. Rayla flips over these guys, and forces them to turn to face her behind, meaning that she’s in front of Callum. So either she’s protecting Callum and these guys are working for Viren, since this is clearly daylight hours, or she’s going to deal with them first and then take Callum on, forcing him to flee into that study room we see in the main trailer.

So about this magic. Upon looking up a few things, the runes that Callum draws are similar, not the same but similar, to runes that are used by norse, and they mean different things. Clearly this is meant to look like the wind that is blowing a ship, or blowing in general. I do think that there’s some ties to various runes but not sure where or maybe calligraphy from japan or china in this case.

Okay so this is apparently an important location or episode because it’s used a lot. The wind magic is clearly blowing someone back. We can see blue purple crystals in the background, and bait is glowing to light things up. I don’t know where Rayla is, but at this point they have the egg, so I’m guessing this is against Claudia or a guard. Also you can see like a bunch of houses in the background that are made of stone, so...

Okay so I find this interesting. So Runaan has a bruise on his cheek. The reason I point this out and the one above it is that we can see a tracker or a warning thing, attached to a red string. We later see the Arrow become a bird of sorts with that tracker on it. But the reason I’m drawing attention here is that Runaan is clearly pissed off. He got beat, probably by Rayla and knocked out, as he has a possible black eye there too.

So the arrow that Runaan let’s fly, as you can see in his other images the arrow has that band with the metal medalion tied to it. It’s certainly a tracker. Once the arrow is loosed it starts to glow in the moonlight, meaning that the magic needs to be in the light of the moon here. As you can see it lets out smoke that takes the form of a bird and explodes into light.

Now about this bird we see flying. I’m still trying to figure if it’s following the trio or if it’s going to warn someone or something? I find it interesting that this is a means of either having communication or just straight up signal like flair.

So apparently this is probably connected to the whole attack on the dragon King. It’s an interesting thing that we see female warriors out front. What is interesting to me is the ruins the land that they’re on. We know that the King Dragon comes out of the volcano. So this is probably a flash back moment that Callum and Ezran may either be listening to or learning about from Harrow. I want to know exactly why the humans attacked the dragon and the details behind this. My guess Lord Viren or someone connected to him probably took the egg and that’s why this all started to happen in the first place.

The battle in the castle. What’s interesting here is that it’s all in the dark, and I have to wonder if the others can see or hear Callum i this moment. It’s clear he’s crawling on the ground. We can see Soren and Viren in the background, which means this is probably during and around the same time that Runaan eventually fights with Rayla. So maybe they’re trying to get something from that room we later see them in? Seems like the Elves broke in.

So Bait can glow and explode. It seems like this is not connected to the later moment with Rayla and Callum being caught in the flash. What’s interesting to me is that this is something Ezran knows about and probably uses often to get out of being in trouble when caught possibly taking Jelly Tarts. What’s also interesting about the color glow and the fact that Bait lights up like that sort of reminds me of a frog that was discovered last year to have illuminating properties in Argentina.

This happens under Uv light and moon light. IN both cases with Bait he lights up in dark places and where there’s some form of connection to the moon. IE Rayla, which is interesting. I wonder if he stores the power. Also if you notice it’s more of a prism effect.

So I’m not sure if this scene and the one above are linked, but it’s an interesting moment. Rayla is not ready for it, and neither is Callum, but Callum seems to have had it happen to him before because of his automatic reaction to closing his eyes. So my guess is that Bait has gone off on Callum before and he’s gotten used to deflecting it, unlike Rayla who seems caught up in the blast. Either she’s arguing with Callum, or this is later when the trio is doing something before they become friends.

So this is an interesting thing here. Claudia creates smoke wolves from a single candle, which very much reminds me of how Izumo Kamiki can summon her two twin foxes. The thing is I think she’s in the room where the Egg was, and that Callum is attacking these two wolves with wind. I have to wonder if she can call on other animals or if the Wolves are her only companions.

Regarding this battle. You see the clouds in the background, they are attacking one another the same way Rayla is attacking Runaan. The movement of the two characters are matched by the action in the sky and the dramatic use of the visuals compliment the color variation that show the differences in their attacks. You can see Runaan clearly has his blades in a connecting way. Because you can see his arm behind him free of a weapon.

So apparently their powers come from the moon and the glow of the moon transforms them into Drow like beings with their marks glowing. I wonder if it adds to their magic or just makes them stronger or harder to hit, or what? I have a feeling that, much like the Drow that exist in D&D the moon light may be used as a means of feeding lost energy or also empowering them in a way that can double their physical strength.

As for our Friend the dragon King. What I find interesting is that he has fur like feathers here. This is very different to the more traditional pure on lizard dragon we see in Western stories and has hints of eastern dragon here. I especially like the use of colors with white and the orange red of the volcano. What’s also interesting is the fact that he’s able to actually stand on the lava. Given he has electric attacks, it makes me wonder if the colors are connected to the various powers of the dragons.

So the next one that is coming out is on the other trailer, since this was getting too long.

45 notes · View notes

whereareroo · 2 years ago

Text

A VERY GOOD WEEK

WF THOUGHTS (8/27/22).

It's the weekend. Happy Saturday. I hope that you a had a good week.

It was a great week in America. Let me explain why.

President Biden announced a very significant student loan forgiveness program. It will give a major boost to 43 million Americans. We should be happy that our government is helping people.

Everyone making under $125,000 a year will be able to forget about $10,000 of their outstanding student loans from the federal government. If you received a Pell Grant, because you had extreme financial needs, you can forget about $20,000 of your federal student loan obligations.

Under the new program, 20 million Americans will have their loan debt totally eliminated. The other 23 million Americans will have their debt significantly reduced. Data shows that folks in minority populations will receive the biggest boost from the new program.

Americans have welcomed this announcement. A new poll shows that 60% of Americans support the debt relief. These days, it's very rare for 60% of Americans to agree about anything. Those in favor of the program included 45% of the Republicans polled, 57% of the Independents polled, and 52% of folks who never used the federal student loan system. The overall approval rating of 60% is achieved because 83% of the Democrats polled support the debt relief program. It's good to see that most of the country supports the idea of helping others.

For despicable reasons that I won't address here today, most Republicans in Congress don't care about what most of America thinks. These GOP politicians automatically dislike any program that will help minority populations. They don't care if the program has widespread support or about the fact that such programs would help folks in their own state. Thus, the Republicans in Congress immediately started looking for ways to attack the student debt relief program. The attacks have focused on the cost. Out of the $1.6 Trillion of federal student debt that is owed, the program will forgive approximately $275 Billion of debt. The Republicans in Congress say that it's way, way too costly. In particular, complaints about the cost have come from the following members of the House: Greene (GA); Buchanan (FL); Mullin (OK); Hern (OK); Kelly (PA), and; Gaetz (FL).

To put the cost of the student loan debt forgiveness into perspective, let's take a brief walk down memory lane:

▪In 2008, there was a Republican in the White House--George W. Bush--and on his watch a major financial crisis occurred because of shady dealings by big banks and big financial institutions. Bush led the push for a $700 Billion bailout for Wall Street, called the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). He got it passed with nearly unanimous support from Republicans in Congress.

▪In 2017, with the full support of Republicans in Congress, Trump cut the income tax rates for the wealthy Americans who inhabit the top tax brackets. The cost was $1.7 Trillion in lost taxes.

▪In 2020, after Covid hit, Trump and Congressional Republicans supported the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). To keep businesses afloat during the pandemic, it gave forgivable loans to businesses. It authorized $953 Billion in loans. Ultimately, $750 Billion of that debt was forgiven.

Do you see the point here? Republicans have no problem giving big financial benefits to Wall Street, rich people, or businesses. What's wrong with some help for people who needed to borrow money for college. Isn't it their turn to receive a boost? What's wrong with forgiving some of their debt?

By the way, remember that list of House members that have been attacking the cost of the student loan forgiveness? All of their businesses got forgivable loans under the PPP system. The hypocrisy is unbelievable. Here is the amount of loan forgiveness that they each received after taking money from the federal government:

$2,300,000--Rep. Buchanan

$1,400,000--Rep. Mullin

$1,000,000--Rep. Hern

$987,237--Rep. Kelly

$482,321--Rep. Gaetz

$183,504--Rep. Greene

It would be funny if it wasn't so sickening.

On the money front, let's take a quick look at the new Corporate Minimum Tax that Biden just got passed. It didn't get a single Republican vote in the Senate. The law closes tax loopholes that have enabled big corporations to pay little or nothing in income taxes. According to the Joint Committee on taxation, a non-partisan group, it will raise $315 Billion in new tax revenue. This is tax money that big businesses should have been paying in the past. One way to look at the scenario is that the new tax revenue will pay for the student debt forgiveness.

Frankly, I don't care if the student loan debt forgiveness is "paid for" in a strict accounting sense. Nobody cared if there was a formal accounting mechanism to pay for TARP, PPP, or the Trump tax cuts. Sooner or later, as my Dad used to say, "it all comes out in the wash." The huge American economy absorbed all of those financial hits, and it has absorbed many others. Giving 43 million Americans a $275 Billion break on their student debt is not a big deal.

Some other day, we need to discuss the outrageous fact that it's 2022 and we still don't provide everyone in America with a free college education. In the long run, isn't that the best way to build a strong economy and reduce the number of people who need governmental assistance? Wouldn't it be money well spent? Here's a list of countries that provide free, or "almost free," college education: Argentina; Belgium; Brazil; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Fiji; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Iceland; India; Italy; Lebanon; Luxembourg; Malta; Mexico; Morocco; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Philippines; Poland; Russia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Taiwan; Turkey, and; Uruguay. Isn't it embarrassing that the USA is not on that list?

Even though there's plenty of room for improvement in America, I'm happy that I live in a country that has taken a step to make life easier for folks burdened by student loans. I look at it as a free gift to those folks. If it ultimately costs me a few dollars on my tax bill, I'm happy to pay my fair share. People always say that America is a "generous" nation. Well, this week we showed some true generosity. It was a great week in America.

0 notes

jd-the-anime-fan · 6 years ago

Text

Children of Tamriel: Warrior of Alinor

Fanfiction.net

Tagging @skyrim-hates-her since she was the one who inspired me to begin writing this series and @twentyonepetals because I can’t access my sideblog for some reason.

M Rated for eventual violence and dealing with mental illness brought about by trauma.

26th Sun's Dusk 4E 159, Firsthold, Isle of Auridon, Alinor The Oblivion Crisis: From the Perspective of the Laraethal Family by Yannar Laraethal 4E 25 The Oblivion Crisis, an event that completely ravaged Tamriel, its conclusion ushering in the Fourth Era. No province came out completely unscathed, some fared better than others obviously, Alinor or the Summerset Isles as it was known as then took heavy losses. This included the destruction of the Crystal Tower, one of the archipelago's most famous landmarks. For some, the tower's destruction invoked a loss of morale others however, saw it differently, with their government in a shamble either out of fear or through death resistance groups were formed. While many were crushed by the might of the daedra hordes, several lasted up until the crisis resolved. Rumaion Laraethal was the leader of one such group, unlike most Altmer he relied solely upon his combat ability with a claymore. Encouraged by Lady Morgiah and Lord Reman Karoodil, and together with the captain of the city guard, Norion Gaeath, and a powerful mage, Reldwen Chaethar who was a close friend of Rumaion's, he rallied the citizens of Firsthold in a rag-tag defence against the forces of Mehrunes Dagon. After driving out the daedra from the city, and with assistance from the Fighter's Guild members remaining in the city the siege defences were consolidated in preparation for the assault that would be sure to come. Come it did, a great army of daedra over the coming weeks began to amass, gradually shutting off the city's purely terrestrial supply lines as Firsthold did not have a port. It would not have made a difference, after the initial counterattack the Dremora generals cut a great swathe through Auridon in conjunction with their forces on Summerset, capturing the main isle's port cities and ravaging hamlets on Auridon along with the city of Skywatch. It seemed they were determined to starve the citizens out, but lesser daedra are rarely so subtle. Close to the break of dawn on the twenty-fifth of Sun's Dusk 3E 433 with a mighty battle cry they struck, Scamps and Herne, Clannfears and Atronachs, Dremora and Daedroth. All launched a mass assault on the city, despite their previous determination to hold the city, the morale of many was tested in the face of enemies who had more experience in combat than even the largely Altmer population. There was no hope of evacuation with the city surrounded in the initial stages even those barely into their adolescence were forced to take up spell, sword or both in defence of their home. Yet, Rumaion was unperturbed, accounts from the day tell that in his final hours he was as fierce as any Orc berserker having taken the lives of at least a hundred daedra before he was finally slain by one of the Dremora generals. Though they faced fierce resistance for about a fortnight, eventually the daedra pushed the citizens back into the very centre of the city. It was here that Norion was to make his last stand, by this point it was the tenth of Evening Star their once formidable fighting force Had dwindled to only two-hundred soldiers and more than a hundred and fifty civilians, many of which were children staring down an army that seemed to infinitely replenish. Yet, Norion was still determined to protect those remaining who could not defend themselves, including Rumaion's then pregnant wife, and my own mother Niria as well as his own family. Norion gave his last orders, 'Men this is the day we die, but we will not be forgotten, these daedra underestimate us because we are mortals. So, my last order is this: Show these bastards just why the citizens of the Summerset Isles are unlike any in Tamriel! Make them remember us even if they look down on you in those memories, blessings of Auri-El upon all of you!' With that, the courage of the remaining fighters was restored, as they met the daedra head-on, Norion even being able to slay the Dremora who had killed Rumaion. Despite the odds, it was not a one-sided massacre with even the common folk among them determined to not die in terror. However, Norion was burned alive by a Daedroth and even with the valiant efforts of those who heard his last command, it was evident they were being slowly overwhelmed and then, a miracle occurred. The daedra simply vanished, gone, as if they had never been there. The only evidence was the corpses both of their brethren and their victims as well as the destruction they had caused in their sack of the city. A strange mix of both grief and euphoria fell over the survivors, with their number being only seventy-three and a good number of them not able to work on repairs due to their young age. The citizens attempted to salvage what they could but with their small number it was difficult, orphans had been created, many able-bodied workers and soldiers had been maimed in the assault, and with the fate of many others on Auridon unknown terrestrial supply lines were almost completely useless. Clearing out the corpses was a slow, arduous and grief-stricken process, the exact death toll is not known due to how the city's population would often fluctuate and the fact that little trace was often left of some who were killed. During this time, I myself was born to my mother, who only survived thanks to Reldwen being an experienced healer. After another two weeks, many among the survivors had completely given up hope, with their meagre numbers and without sufficient means, even feeding themselves was proving difficult. That is until a certain ship was spotted, heading straight for the port, it was of Altmer make, constructed of shimmering crystal it was hard not to spot. The survivors gathered on the cliffs just outside the city, while there was initial difficulty docking, there was just enough of a coastal alcove quite far from the city to allow the ship to pull in. They were wary, some refusing to believe it could be anything more than a trap, that this was just a cruel ploy the monsters that had ravaged their home. Miraculously, it was not. Instead, the gangplank lowered and a lone Altmer, clad in black and gold robes stepped forward, behind him, two guards in what seemed to be specially-made, elven-make armour that unlike the regular variant was coloured in the same palette as their companion's clothes exited the boat behind the robed one. While the presence of their kinsmer alleviated fears, there was still confusion as to exactly who they were. The only one of the three who spoke was the first one to exit the ship, asking to speak to a representative. Naturally, Lady Morgiah and Lord Karoodil were chosen as they were the city's leaders before and during the events. The two were asked to choose someone as a third-party representative who would witness what was about to unfold. The reason for why they were there is that they were envoys from the Third Aldmeri Dominion, otherwise known as the Thalmor. They had always been somewhat of a minority voice in the politics of the Isles yet apparently had been efficient enough to provide aid to themselves and others across the country. After explaining that they had been the ones to banish the daedra back to Oblivion (it was never disclosed exactly how they did this but due to the power of such magic I can only assume that it's kept secretive for the greater good). Their vessel was loaded with food, gold and various building materials, all of which would aid in rebuilding the city as well as the lives of the survivors. The only catch was to swear fealty to the Thalmor government, in the face of such desperation the answer was quite obvious, Lady Morgiah and Lord Karoodil took the deal. With accounts provided to them by the survivors, the envoys learned of the sacrifices of Rumaion and Norion, their role in history soon becoming immortalised. The envoys, along with other Thalmor representatives who arrived shortly after the first ship assisted in establishing a government in Firsthold once again. The monarchy in the isles was done away with shortly after, instead, each city would be required to democratically elect a leader to the newly formed High Parliament as a representative of the city. More officials would also be elected to run the day to day operations in sub-regions outside of the capital city, when this information was first brought to the attention of the surviving citizens, Morgiah and Karoodil were elected together, with Reldwen to serve as their steward and advisor. At this time, Firsthold is still recovering from the destruction that was inflicted upon it and the Thalmor officially took charge of the entire archipelago just three years ago but Reldwen has assured me personally that within the next year or so, it will be back to how it was before the crisis. A master marble mason was contracted to sculpt statues in honour of the two heroes, along with a plaque dedicated to the known victims who lost their lives both citizen or soldier. To this day the Laraethal, Gaeath and Chaethar families are as close with each other as they are with their own blood relatives, may our relationship with the Dominion continue to prosper. The young Altmer boy closed the gold, leather-bound book he had read for the umpteenth time. He was about nine years old, though technically he was ten since the day was currently his birthday, despite it being early morning. As such, a candle lit up his bedside table, using the light to read in the early morning murk. He had green eyes, chin-length black hair and when standing upright would measure five foot in height. Just a perk of being a child of the tallest dominant race on Tamriel, this was Enron Laraethal, grandson of Rumaion. While the book written by his father was nearly a century and a half old, it was still very much a relevant piece in the history of Firsthold. It was always one of the young mer's favourite books, even if it was a somewhat brief account of the history, Enron was always fascinated by stories of his grandfather told by his grandmother. The Laraethals had remained staunchly warriors, with Yannar being the baby born to Niria choosing to forego magic, eventually meeting another like-minded Altmer in Enron's mother, Miruen. Enron had just opened the book again, when a soft knocking occurred on his door, just after a soft, but slightly gravelly voice spoke up, "Master Enron, are you awake?" Recognizing the voice as Ma'vani, one of the Laraethal's servants and the one who would help the young noble get changed. In a panic, he quickly smothered the flame on his candle's wick, shoved the book under his pillow and pulled the sheets over him to give the illusion he had been sleeping. A click that indicated the handle of his door was being pulled down sounded and the framed, opaque glass moved, "Sleep well, master?" The young adult, brown-furred, Suthay-Raht Khajiit asked. Enron made a few grunts and shuffled lightly before sitting up in bed again, giving a stretch and a yawn, "Very well, thank you, I slept the whole night." He responded politely. "Really?" Ma'vani remarked in a playfully sarcastic tone as she opened the statin curtains, though it didn't do much as it was still dark outside, thus Ma'vani cast a Candlelight spell, illuminating the room in a bright glow. "Then why is it," She began taking a small sniff, "I can smell freshly melted candle wax," (1) Another, slightly longer sniff, "A little bit of smoke, and…" Finally taking a sniff of exaggerated length, "A copy of the Oblivion Crisis: From the Perspective of the Laraethal Family." Unusually, Enron who had known Ma'vani as his caretaker for four years, was surprised by her last comment, "Your nose is really that good?" "No," She responded pointing at Enron's pillow with playful smile, "The spine is sticking out." The young mer looked sheepish as he realised that in his haste he hadn't quite hidden the book as effectively as he thought, causing his friend to chuckle and even affectionately ruffle his hair. Especially among Altmer nobility it was rare to see such a close relationship between the servant and the lord they served, Ma'vani was arguably more of an elder sister to Enron than a worker. "Come now master, don't want to be late for your big day." Ma'vani spoke up, more serious this time as she replenished the Candlelight spell and opened up the wardrobe. Enron grinned in excitement, before the two occupants of the room was a very small set of armour, simple iron but a lot lighter than the real thing and not quite as protective for a serious fight. It would however, serve well as training armour and get Enron accustomed to wearing heavier sets of armour at a young age. The light-based spell reflected brilliantly off the components of the armour set, perfectly showcasing the effort that had gone into making the custom set, even though it would have been no trouble for an Altmer smith to forge. The chest piece was not a simple cuirass but rather was adorned with pauldrons that went down to the elbow with the shoulder area shaped to look like the eagle of the Aldmeri Dominion. In similar fashion at the centre of the chest was also the Dominion's insignia. The basic gauntlets and greaves would fully encompass the areas of his arms and legs not covered by the pauldrons. The helm resembled a fusion between both elven and iron make, lacking the horns and visor of a traditional iron helmet but having grooves and extra décor rising from the back of the head to resemble the head feathers of an eagle. After cleaning himself up for the day ahead, he was assisted into the main body of the armour by Ma'vani, the boots were the next to go on, though Enron swiftly grabbed them, to which his servant raised an eyebrow. Enron silently nodded, his friend folding her arms across her chest, watching as he pulled up the boots and secured them. After doing the same with the gauntlets, he lowered the helmet onto his head. Now he really did look like a warrior, a remarkably short one but a warrior nonetheless. Given the clunky nature of the armour and his inexperience at wearing it, Enron found it a little awkward to move around, even needing help down the stairs by Ma'vani. Once the two were out the door, the young Altmer found it still slightly encumbering but he was able to move normally in it at least though more slowly than he would have liked given his eagerness to begin his training as a fully-fledged warrior of the Laraethal's. The family manor sat upon a small plateau, paved over with limestone aside from a garden area that was lined with paths made of the same material. Like the plateau, the house was constructed of limestone, three stories high and two spires connected to the house rose from either side. The slanted roof carved into tiles of opaque, white crystal. In contrast, the garden was a vast array of colours, plumes of vibrant red roses and blues from mountain flowers side by side with the pinkish-purple colour of nightshade to name but a few. It was a sizeable house for the family, as expected of Altmeri construction, if one were to split the mansion down the middle, one would find it perfectly symmetrical. The two walked towards the gates of the spike-tipped fence that surrounded the premises The fog that still clung to the streets would dissipate in due course but for now it persisted, shrouding the vision of anyone out at the time. Ma'vani purposefully slowed herself down to allow Enron to keep up, since they needed to pass the time on their way to the training ground she dug into the fur-lined knapsack she brought with her and pulled out an apple. Thankfully, Yannar had the sense to allow Ma'vani to give Enron something light for breakfast before exerting himself. "Thank you." Enron said as she handed him the fruit, two large silhouettes soon came into view. It was two statues that towered above the two as the one on the left stood at six foot six whilst the one on the right stood at six foot eight. The two statues were similar, having staunch facial expressions as they looked out over Firsthold's market area. However, the taller of the two stood fully upright as it held a claymore constructed of glass pointing downwards. Slightly cliched and possibly plagiarised from a design standpoint? Yes, but within the citizens it instilled a sense of pride, a reminder that even the malevolence of a Daedric Prince had failed to eliminate the Altmer. A gold plaque was situated under it, engraved into it where a few words: In memory of Rumaion Laraethal, a brave warrior who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of the city he loved with all his heart against the Daedric hordes. A beloved husband. 5th of Last Seed 3E 245 - 28th of Sun's Dusk 3E 433 Enron was almost finished chewing on his apple as he stood in front of his grandfather's statue, by the time the day was done, he would stand in front of the structure again having some slight experience in holding a weapon, "I think I know what you're going to pick." She stated with sly look. It was no secret to anyone that the young elf had a great admiration for his grandfather despite having never gotten the chance to meet the man but that hadn't stopped him becoming enthralled by tales given to him by his grandmother and even Reldwen on occasion, "What do you think you will do once you come of age?" Ma'vani asked, normally it would be inquired as to why someone would ask a mer so young that sort of question but the caretaker already knew her master's answer. "I want to help protect people, travelling all of Tamriel, and showing them why Alinor is the best province while bringing honour to the Laraethal family. Learning about other cultures is what I want to do, I love mother and father but politics is boring and I don't want to spend the rest of my life here." "That is a good mindset to have master," Ma'vani replied, "And what would you do if I was in trouble?" "Save you of course!" Enron responded eagerly with no hesitation, holding out his hand which Ma'vani took, "May I?" "You may." Unfortunately, while trained in the art of politeness, at least from a noble's perspective, the young boy still had a way to go before he perfected any such techniques for showing loyalty in the court. Which is why, despite his best efforts, the kiss he placed on Ma'vani's knuckles came out quite sloppy. His head suddenly shot up, as if processing something before his face twisted into one of disgust and with all the grace of a drunk Senche tiger, nearly doubled over as he gagged. Reaching into his mouth, he soon pulled out a single hair. Whilst Enron was thoroughly displeased by what just happened, Ma'vani couldn't contain herself as she burst out into laughter, "It's not that funny." Enron said. "Maybe not to you," She said, "But for me it's hilarious!" Naturally, her response caused an indignant grumble. "I had a feeling I would find you here." A third voice spoke up, the two turned to see another Altmer. A woman who was significantly older than the duo, yet despite the hair that was pulled up into two buns at the back of her head having gone completely grey, there were a scarce few wrinkles to show for her age of nearly three hundred and fifty years. Such was a common effect on practitioners of magic. Her lips were painted black in colour and had been curled into a kind smile, the dark green, silk robes with gold accents on the seams covered her from the neck down. "Lady Reldwen, it's a pleasure, what brings you out this fine morning? And so early in the day no less?" Ma'vani asked as she gave a polite bow. The older woman simply gave a dismissive wave, "No need for titles here Ma'vani and after all I am just a steward, in a sense I'm not too different to you." She explained, "As for why I'm here, I just wanted to see off Enron for his first day of training." She continued, kneeling down to get on Enron's level. "Feeling nervous, little one?" She asked. "A little bit, but I want to do it, I want to be like grandfather." He replied. "Good, but you've got a long way to go before you go slaying a hundred daedra," She informed him, nostalgia soon began to fill her tone as she spoke, "Keep at it and maybe one day you will, you look like him too if you ask me, perhaps when you're older you'll look like him more than the statue." "Have you always been displeased by the mason's handiwork, Reldwen?" Ma'vani asked, slightly confused as she knew for a fact the Chaethar matriarch supported the decision to have the statues implemented. "They're impressive and for about a decade I didn't really notice much, but then I was looking at them in detail and thought, 'No, Rumaion should have a stupid grin plastered on his face and Norion should look like the arrogant bastard he was.'." Reldwen explained. "Lady Reldwen!" Ma'vani cried in alarm at such language being used in front of her young master, foregoing her earlier habit of referring to her solely by her first name. "Oh, don't get your tail in a twist Ma'vani, it's nothing Enron hasn't heard before." She replied dismissively. Now it was Enron's turn to get a laugh out of Ma'vani's displeasure as he grinned at the Khajiit's surprise, "Dear, if you would please…" She prompted to the young mer. "Grandfather was a kind and noble man. He was very proud about his wife and her success as a merchant, him talking about her near constantly or whenever the subject was brought up while endearing at first soon became irritating, an annoyance that increased tenfold after she became pregnant with father." Ma'vani blinked at the fact that he had just recited something as if it had been scripted to him, "Meanwhile, Norion while a mer who greatly valued his comrades, was arrogant to a fault, once forgetting that fire magic would be severely diminished in wet conditions when he faced off against a wanted criminal in the middle of a rain storm. Luckily though he was saved by his steward, and eventual wife Cirtha. These proclamations can be corroborated by Reldwen Chaethar, Niria Laraethal and any one of the currently alive survivors of the Oblivion Crisis that took place in the city of Firsthold." At that Ma'vani gave Reldwen a look of utter disbelief, to which the Altmer just nonchalantly shrugged, not her fault if the lad who saw her as a second grandmother was so fascinated by their shared history… and that he may or may not have been encouraged to repeat a completely accurate description of her friends. "Anyway, I'll see you soon Enron," Reldwen said, placing a hand on his head, "Morgiah and Karoodil are expecting me to give advice on some urgent matters for the Thalmor. Good luck little one." While the two walked along, they soon came upon a large building, reaching four stories in height, like many of the buildings it was made of a kind of white stone. Above a wooden doorway, there were two banners flying, both were gold bearing the eagle of the Dominion. Once, Enron had been told, this was a guild hall for the Fighter's Guild but in the aftermath of the Oblivion Crisis, the guild's communication with other branches across the continent had been halted as the new government resorted to shutting itself off from the rest of Tamriel. The guild itself was eventually dissolved and the members either integrated into the ranks of the Dominion's army or exiled. Now it was used as a place of training for those hopeful in serving the Dominion. As Enron and Ma'vani entered the building, it was clear to see what the function of the ground floor was. On the left side, there was a training area, filled with beaten up dummies packed with straw though few possessed any tears despite their apparent age. That was probably a result of the weapons they would be using, lined up on racks on the right side, all wooden and fashioned to resemble a variety of equipment. Finally, at the back were bookshelves lined with tomes of numerous colours, no doubt containing information on how to use the weaponry. Surprisingly, there were already a few children in the building, though the hall was willing to accept any applicant to see if there was potential as a soldier. The others had ceased their training, reading or browsing to take note of the new Altmer who was visibly richer than they were given that at best they wore practice gear provided by the hall and at worst had simple clothes on. Enron, too proud to show nervousness in meeting those who could very well be his new compatriots, stood out in front of Ma'vani and puffed his chest out. "A good display, but relax yourself, son." A voice chuckled above them, they recognised the deep, smooth tone as that of his father. Enron did so, exhaling but still standing upright. It was then that his father came into view, walking behind him was his mother. Both were helmetless, Yannar clad in reinforced glass armour, now a darker green and silver in colour, an elven-make Warhammer strapped to his back. Miruen was different, preferring to be light on her feet, wearing the traditional Elven armour. Her weapon was a glaive, the pommel shaped like the head of an eagle whilst the bladed part of the polearm was effectively an enlarged version of an elven dagger. The other six children seemed surprised and looked at their seniors with reverence, three Altmer, two Bosmer and a Khajiit. Although the Laraethal's were known largely for Rumaion's part in reducing the effects of the Oblivion Crisis, Miruen and Yannar were famous in their own rights as accomplished soldiers in the Dominion's army by keeping various areas across Alinor safe from highwaymen, daedra worshippers and necromancers. "Mother, father." Enron greeted, giving a polite bow to them. "You may leave us now Ma'vani," Yannar instructed, the servant wordlessly giving a curtsy before making her way out of the building, "And what are you lot gawking at?" He addressed the other children, "Get back to your tasks." The obedient apprentices complied, not wishing to potentially incur their idol's ire. Miruen smirked proudly both at her husband's discipline of the next generation, and at the visible eagerness her son was displaying, "Choose your weapon Enron." She instructed softly. The young heir practically bounced towards the practice weapons, the eyes of his soon-to-be peers watching him with a subtle closeness. He wasted no time in grabbing the wooden claymore as soon as it was in his grasp, something about holding it just felt right, as if he really was born to swing such a weapon. Yannar looked over his son's shoulder, "You're holding it wrong, son," He said, constructively showing Enron his mistake by moving his right hand just below the hilt and the left hand just above the pommel, "That's it, that's as much as I can show you with the time I've got. So, talk to the other students and teachers for advice, study hard and come back to the manor afterwards. We'll have a surprise waiting for you." Enron nodded as he grinned, he already knew it would quite obviously be a birthday celebration but the harder he worked, the sweeter the reward. After waving goodbye to both of his parents, who responded in the same manner, Enron took in a deep breath. He turned to the others, who with Yannar and Miruen's absence now turned their full attention towards him. Ceasing practices with the wooden copies, looking up from books and stopping any conversations they were having. Six sets of eyes bored into him like arrows from a Bosmeri archer, clearly sizing him up in their own ways as they formulated initial opinion of him. Exhaling the young Altmer walked forward, hoping to make a good first impression.

A/N: Roll Credits! Welcome one and all to the first instalment of a long-term project of mine called, Children of Tamriel. Effectively, it's one-part writing project/exercise, one-part story. All of the main OCs of these stories are based on a mix of my own playthroughs and even builds from a particular Youtube Channel. Events that take place in Skyrim will eventually be covered in future stories as the ones in which the main OCs initially appear in serve as prologue stories. Reviews are very much appreciated; any constructive feedback you guys could give would be fantastic as I aim to make this series the best it can be, I hope I've impressed at least some of you and with any luck, I'll see you guys next time!

1) Basically, most Khajiit that appear in the Summerset Isles are taught the 'proper' way to speak, hence why Ma'vani doesn't talk in the third person.

#the elder scrolls #JDs OCs #OC: Enron #fanfiction

1 note · View note

putthison · 7 years ago

Photo

eBay Roundup

There’s a lot of great menswear on eBay, but to find the good stuff, you have to search for hours. Which is why we do these roundups, so that our readers can find good deals easily and quickly. For those looking to get an extra round-up each week, subscribe to our Inside Track newsletter. We not only cover the best of eBay, we also list each week’s store sales.

There are some great shoes in today’s roundup, including a pair of waxed-flesh Truman service boots, suede Church’s chukkas, and some shell cordovan Ralph Lauren loafers (I kind of want the tasseled ones in there).

To find more menswear on eBay, try using our customized search links. We’ve made them so you can quickly hone-in on quality suits, excellent dress shirts, fine footwear, good jeans, workwear, contemporary casualwear, nice ties, great bags, and well-made sweaters.

Suits, sport coats, and blazers

Blue Ring Jacket suit, 36

Blue cotton Jay Kos sport coat, 38

Charcoal Kent Wang suit, 42

Three-piece gray Eidos suit, 42

Gray Luciano Barbera tweed sport coat, 44

Outerwear

Navy Mackintosh bonded cotton raincoat, 36, 38, and 40

Olive Jil Sander double breasted coat, 38

Tan Engineered Garments fireman jacket, S

Navy nylon Moncler jacket, M

Green North Face puffer vest, M

Tartan patterned Mackintosh raincoat, M

Brown Mackintosh quilted wool coat, M

Green Engineered Garments work jacket, L

Gray Donegal Justo Gimeno Teba jacket, 44

Sweaters and knits

Gray Levi's Vintage Clothing sweatshirt, various sizes

Charcoal SNS Herning cardigan, S (fits like XS)

Gray North Sea Clothing shawl collar pullover, 42

Green Shetland wool Alan Paine cardigan, 42

Gray Howlin by Morrison Donegal style sweater, L

Black cashmere Sulka shawl collar cardigan, 44

Shirts and pants

Blue chambray Engineered Garments shirt, S

White Hill Side oxford cloth button-down, M

Camo Hill Side x Journal Standard button-up shirt, M

Navy Sugar Cane shadow plaid flannel shirt, M

Black Unis CPO-style wool over shirt, M

White checked Engineered Garments shirt, XL

Vintage Abercrombie & Fitch chambray shirt, XXL

Sugar Cane 1947 501-styled straight legged jeans, 29

Freemans Sporting Club gray cotton pants, 31

Levi's 1954 fit 501 jeans, 32

Green Unis slim-fit chinos, 35

Golden brown Beams five-pocket cords, XL

Eidos washed gray chinos, 36

Shoes

Ralph Lauren shoes, various sizes

Ralph Lauren black engineer boots, 7.5

Paul Stuart pheasant motif slippers, 8

Truman Boot Co work boots, 8.5 (same as model above, but plain toe)

Truman Boot Co cap toe boots, 9

Quoddy ankles boots, 9.5

McKinlay’s black suede clogs?, 10.5

Sacai x Hender Scheme apron toe boots, 10.5

Church's suede chukkas, 11

Viberg bluchers, 13

Viberg tan suede service boots, 13

Ties

Funky blue Richard James tie

Navy striped Sulka jacquard tie

Blue Shepherd's check Kent Wang tie

Navy mini-paisley Luciano Barbera tie

Bags, briefcases, and wallets

Khaki canvas Filson carryall bag

Leather Richard James card holder

Vintage canvas Ghurka tote

Misc.

J. Press shamrock surcingle belt, 38

Vintage Levi's fold-out advertising card

North Sea Clothing navy surcingle belt, 34

Halcyon Days Savile Row themed container

Brooks Brothers foldable bookends

Vintage Frazier vs. Ali boxing poster

Filson luggage tag

Hermes ashtray

Various Filson Mackinaw caps

Thom Browne money clip

Black Begg cashmere scarf

Original WWII "Forward to Victory" poster

If you want access to an extra roundup every week, exclusive to members, join Put This On's Inside Track for just five bucks a month.

#eBay Round Up

11 notes · View notes

princecharmingtobe · 7 years ago

Text

So far the Shadow Magic series by Joshua Khan has been pretty good!

I finished the second book, Dream Magic, yesterday.

The book follows two protagonists: Thorn of Herne’s Forest, son of a woodcutter/poacher who was on the run for a crime his father took the blame for, captured by slavers, and taken to the dark kingdom of Gehenna where he is made a squire. And Lilith Shadow, the last remaining heir to House Shadow, rulers of Gehenna, after an assassination. They are only 12 and 13, and obviously in way over their heads, but it’s a kid’s series so they are the heroes.

The setting is really interesting, taking inspiration from a lot of sources, none very subtle (such as the place names, Gehenna, Herne’s Forest, etc). It takes a very gray approach to certain things that one wouldn’t necessarily expect in a children’s series, and I like that. The Shadow family does have some VERY dark patches in their past, but they are not automatically bad people. Lilith certainly isn’t, nor was her father before her. Meanwhile the Solar family of the light kingdom are tyrannical conquerors, and the heir is a little shit head, but you do feel for him at times and see to an extent why he is how he is. Lily’s privilege as a royal is pointed out a lot, and the fact that even though she doesn’t realize it she does treat people as though they are beneath her, wondering how Thorn, who’d been there less than a year could remember all the servants names when she couldn’t (because he was one of them). At the same time, her status as a girl and the only heir in a patriarchal system is brought up a lot. Girls are not allowed to learn magic, an important aspect of the ruling families. There’s a part I am especially fond of in the second book where she puts herself into a magical sleep for reasons, and Thorn and another young male character are arguing over who’s going to give her True Love’s Kiss to wake her up. Her servant calls the whole discussion disgusting. “But Mary, it’s written in all the stories!” “Written by men, no doubt.” Lily often has boys bickering over her, but is generally portrayed as not having time for it, rolling her eyes at them and brushing them off, though she does have feelings for some of them. In the second book the idea of girls not using magic, and there being a curse in place to punish them for it is discussed. Someone points out that the reason magic always seems to go wrong for girls could be because they’re all self taught, meaning no one showed them how to control it.

I also love how it handles people from different cultures interacting. Thorn, from a forested area, very green and One With Nature, is horrified by Gehenna, likely origin of the Addams family. Castle Gloom (yes, everything in the books is that unsubtle) has no windows, as a symbol that the darkness is part of them and the source of their power, and they have whole cities of tombs for the dead, who may not stay so dead. Death is one of the big things that is shown as causing discomfort among the different cultures. In Herne’s Forest they simply bury their dead. The fire kingdom burns their dead, the air kingdom puts them atop tall pillars to be eaten by birds, and in the shadow kingdom of Gehenna, they may not stay dead at all. But even they find other means of dealing with the dead abhorrent. That’s family, after all! How could you just burn them up, or let them be eaten?!

Before I rant any longer, I’ll just say that while the books are in no way perfect, I think they are very good and encourage people to pick them up.

#shadow-magic #dream magic #joshua khan

5 notes · View notes

infjtarot · 5 years ago

Text

2 of Cups ~ Wildwood Tarot.

2 of Vessels ~ Attraction ~ Wildwood Tarot

The use of anthropomorphic imagery in mythical and esoteric art is deeply rooted in prehistoric religious traditions and the evolving relationship between the human psyche and the natural world we encounter.

As discussed in both the Greenwood and Wildwood Tarot, the Lion-headed figure of the Hohlenstein Stadel is believed to be 30,000 years old, at least and cave painting in Trois Freres Caves in France and other images, figures and carvings around Europe are believed to be of the Upper Palaeolithic period, or about 40,000 years old.

The Assyrians and Babylonians both included half-human half-animal figures in their depictions of their deities, as did the later Greeks and Romans.

Most notably perfected by the Egyptians whose lion-headed statues of the warrior goddess Sekhmet and Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the rituals associated with embalming, mummification and the rites of the dead are well known.

During the filming of Robin of Sherwood I had the opportunity to discuss in some depth the symbolism of Herne The Hunter in the show and what Richard “Kip” Carpenter’s own reflections on this element of the show actually were. Besides the traditional legends associated with Windsor Game Park and the God of the Wild Hunt in British mythology, Herne also represented the human element in nature that is represented by The Green Man/Green Knight mythos. A human hunter/warden of the forest, who is so in tune and entwined with the cycles and the lore of the forest that the lines between reality and otherworldly wisdom become blurred and the veil between human experience and esoteric insight becomes transparent and amorphous.

It is with concept that we approached the Two of Vessels – Attraction, the laws of which are mysterious and polaric by nature. The unseen energy and body language exchanged between lovers in instinctive and primal.

As I noted in the reading points for the card:

“The first shared spark of attraction between two human beings can appear simple and uncomplicated on the surface but usually the underlying psychological chemistry and the subtle interplay that ignites that magical first exchange is complex and eclectic. Human beings absorb millions of subliminal signals and messages from those around us, and we unconsciously process these stimuli and react to them every second of every day. We subconsciously absorb body language, scent and non-vocal communication and react emotionally to them with impulses and decision-making instincts developed over millennia.”

In other words, our “gut feelings” are a primal reactive sensory system that warns or allows subconscious communication to filter up through our emotional responses and then be assessed by the rational mind. Trusting our instincts in matters of the heart is a vital part of our human “bag of tools” used for establishing trust, empathy and compatibility of priorities required for survival and procreation.

These instincts are fine-tuned and if we act with sincerity and positive motivation are a good guide when dealing with partnerships and romantic relationships.

The reverse is also true. As I stated in the text for Wildwood Tarot, I believe:

“Taking an instantaneous dislike to someone is governed by the same set of prehistoric sensory drives human beings developed when we roamed freely across the African savannah, just as "love at first sight" is as valid today as it was then. Our perceptions and signals are shared, acknowledged and reciprocated, breaking through the protective barriers and forming the initial polaric bond that is the foundation of deep and lasting attraction.”

So it seems fitting to me, when dealing with primal instincts related to trust and attraction, that those elements should be represented by ancient and polaric anthropomorphic figures, symbolizing the male and female energies within the situation or inquiry.

As I have also stated previously, the gender and dynamic roles of the energies are not intended to be states or attributes traditionally associated with stereo-typed male or female gender roles. There are, in my experience, “Luna” males and “Sola” females. We all contain elements and attributes related to empathy and protection, ferocity and ambition and both can ebb and flow within an individual’s personality as events, situations and experiences evolve and mature within us.

Some of lessons within the Two of Vessels image are therefore to acknowledge and trust your primal instincts and allow the ancient subconscious facets encoded within the ebb and flow of any emotional dynamic, emerge naturally and flow freely and enable the healthy emotional cycle to establish wellbeing and trust within any relationship.

http://thewildwoodtarot.blogspot.com/2012/08/mark-ryan-2-vessels-attraction.html

#2 of cups #cups #tarot #vessels #wildwood tarot

1 note · View note

welcometophu · 8 years ago

Text

Harvest 3

Twinned Book 1: Commit to the Kick

Harvest 3

[ Previous | First | Next ]

Chris doesn’t need directions to get to Haverhill this time, nor to find the entrance to the community. When they pull up in front of the house, Alaric is surprised that Theobald isn’t standing on the steps, ready to rage.

“Maybe he expected us to arrive earlier, or later,” Chris says as he climbs out. He reaches into the back and grabs his backpack and the duffle they’d both thrown clothes into earlier. It didn’t make sense to pack separate bags for one night.

“Or he’s avoiding me,” Alaric says quietly. “Which isn’t a bad thing. If we don’t talk, I can get through this. We won’t try to kill each other.”

“I’d really hope you don’t mean that literally, but I would bet I’m wrong,” Chris comments. He shrugs the backpack over his shoulders, heads for the front steps just as the door opens and Alia steps out.

“Alaric,” Alia says softly. “And Chris, yes?”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Herne,” Chris says. “And for having me here for your Harvest.”

“It’s never difficult to set another plate for a Gather, here,” she tells him, coming down the steps to greet him. Both hands on his shoulders, she leans up to kiss his cheek. It’s quick and perfunctory, but it’s more polite than recent visits have seen. “Everyone has such appetites, we’re always sure to cook for more than are here. After all, we never know when we might have unanticipated arrivals.” Her gaze drifts to Alaric, and he feels pinned beneath it.

He shifts stance uncomfortably.

“Come in.” Alia leads the way back inside, closes the door behind them. “Alaric, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with you briefly.”

Chris raises the bag. “Pretty sure I know the way to your room by now,” he says, heading for the stairs up. “I’ve got plenty of work to do to keep me busy. I’ll do my best not to start watching movies instead.”

Alia waves him off, then grips Alaric’s hand, gently tugging him with her down the hall, past the kitchens and into one of the private rooms. It’s bright inside, the entire back wall made of glass from floor to ceiling. Plants hang, vibrant in green and flowering color. Off to one side sits Alia’s spinning wheel and a stool.

It’s one of Alaric’s favorite rooms in the house, except now it feels as if he’s being brought to his execution. Alia gestures, and Alaric sits in one of the two high wingback chairs. A plate of cookies is on the table—peanut butter & jelly thumbprints—and a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses wait, as well.

Alia pours a glass and hands it to him, waits while he drinks.

“I’m glad you came home,” Alia says softly. “And while your father will never say it, I know he feels the same.”

“He doesn’t.” Alaric picks up a cookie, pops it in his mouth to distract himself with the explosion of strawberry rhubarb on his tongue. He doesn’t need her to reassure him; he’s fine with his father’s attitude. “I don’t want to see him, either.”

“You will be polite,” Alia cautions, and Alaric nods.

“Yeah,” Alaric grumbles. “If I’m coming to dinner, Chris is coming, too.” His jaw goes tight as he waits for a reaction.

“I know.” Alia reaches across, her fingers light against his wrist. “Chris is your friend, and I am grateful that he was able to give you a ride here today. We would not turn him away.”

“He’s human.”

There’s a small twitch in Alia’s jaw, a hitch in her heart. “I know. But he is welcome here, as are your other friends. They are a part of your life, yes? I have already lost one son.”

Alaric’s throat goes tight, a growl building. “I know. Don’t tolerate them because you’re afraid of losing me.”

“I am trying to do more than tolerate them,” Alia snaps, a low breath shuddering through as she visibly eases. “I am trying to understand, Alaric. Orson obviously had friends that he made no effort to bring home. You have brought your friends here, you have made an effort; I am trying to ease their way. I want to know about your life, Alaric. We were close, once.”

Alaric’s gaze shifts to where the wheel sits, remembers sitting with his mother while he first learned to spin. “It’s different now,” he mutters.

“It is,” Alia admits. “But we can only create our new future if we try. So tell me, how is school? Do you enjoy your courses?”

“I like Magical Studies,” Alaric admits. “’S’taught by an Emergent Mage. He reeks like magic, and his son’s worse. But he’s an expert, spent a lot of time talking to Lineage families, trying to understand how Talent works, and how different lines work. He’s good. Doesn’t let anyone be an asshole bigot in class.”

“Language.”

Alaric grumbles. “He’s a Mage, but I think you’d like him. You’d like Rory, if you gave him the chance. I went to his grandparents’ place in Vermont.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. They’ve got sheep.” Alaric warms to his topic, describing the ways that they work with hemp for their spinning, and some of the work he did there. He tells his mother about the children, and about his plan to exchange ideas, and perhaps product. He goes silent then, waits for reprisal.

“Building relationships is a good idea,” she says quietly. “Perhaps we have been set apart for too long. It will do us good to exchange ideas with others.”

“Even Mages?”

Her lips purse, and her scent is sour as she quietly admits, “Perhaps even Mages. Now, tell me about your football, Alaric. It is clear that it is important to you.”

It’s not easy to break football down into something that his mother will understand. She’s never seen a game, and to the best of his knowledge has never watched him practice. But she shows interest, and Alaric can’t simply walk away from a chance to talk about it. She asks questions, and it’s easy to pretend that she might love it the same way he does, or at least love it on his behalf.

When he sits up, brings his arm back as he’s talking through a long bomb sent to Dax, she laughs aloud. He lowers his hand, brow furrowing.

“All that time trying to throw across the river,” she says with a soft smile. Her hand rests on his knee, fingers warm and quiet. “All that time where you tried from further and further away, testing yourself to see if you could keep the ball from the water, land it safely on the other side. All those balls floating down the river.”

“You did watch.” He doesn’t know what to think. It’s been years since he practiced like that, since he first joined the Blended league when he was only fourteen years old. It’s been a long time since he tested himself against nature, the only way he knew how to test his skills here at home. Corbin had no interest, and no one else cared.

“Who do you think took the time to fish them out and place them back in storage for you?” Alia asks. “It may not be the Clan way, but you were determined nonetheless. And it was clear that it was your passion. When I could not find them, I sent Orson to buy more.”

Alaric can feel the heat in his face. He should have thought to wonder why there was a steady supply, despite his failed attempts.He should have wondered who was spying on him, and who cared enough to find the things he’d lost. He lowers his gaze, tilts his head in clear submission. “Thank you.”

Her fingers brush against his shoulder and throat. “You are my son,” she says, “and I do love you, no matter how far apart you believe yourself to be. You are still the child of my heart who knows more about fiber and craft than anyone else I have taught. You are still the boy who helped me lay the gardens, while refusing to plough the fields. And you are the boy who found his home in things that were something I didn’t understand. I don’t love you any less for that.”

“Mom.” The words slips free before he knows what comes after, his mouth closing quickly to give himself time to think. There are things he doesn’t know how to say—how to explain, like the dragon that simmers under his skin. And there are things that he doesn’t know if they matter, if he should even bother to try to explain, because they may never come to anything.

Alaric’s head jerks up as he hears a door close in the distance, the distinct sound of Theobald’s steps approaching. “Fuck.”

“Language.” Her tone is mild.

“I am never going to be who he wants me to be,” Alaric says softly. “I’m never going to learn to take any shape—I’m always going to be the kind of Clan I am. I’m never going to perpetuate the line. And I don’t want to be isolated. Chris, Rory, Dax—they’re all my friends. And our Clan community is going to have to deal with that.”

“He knows that, as do I,” Alia’s tone remains quiet, but holds a note of solidity as well. “Give him a chance, Alaric. Give him time.”

“I’m going to give him plenty of time,” Alaric agrees. He glances at the door that opens into the back, shrugs one shoulder. “It’s best if that time’s spent without us having to talk to each other. If we don’t talk, we won’t fight.”

She doesn’t try to keep him there, simply opens the door as he drops into the hound and pads out. He doesn’t know where he’s going yet, but he hears Theobald greet Alia in the distance, and he knows he got away just in time.

[ Previous | First | Next ]

#welcome to phu #welcometophu #commit to the kick #phu twinned #twinned #cttk harvest

6 notes · View notes

imysteriouslydecadentcollec-blog · 5 years ago

Text

phone repair shops near me in london

phoneheroeslondon can provide you iPhone screen replacement London in 10 minutes with warranty!

Smashed your iPhone screen? iPhone Clinic is here to help you!

With 10 repair shops in Italy and now in the UK, with years of experience, thousands of satisfied customers, you can check out our reviews in Google Here, we can repair smashed iPhone screen in 10 minutes!

How so fast?

The big misunderstanding is that you can repair smashed glass or broken screen of your iPhone, the secret is that iPhone Glass, Touch and Screen is one block, it’s glued together. So we don’t change only glass or screen of your iPhone, we change all block. That’s why we can provide iPhone screen repair in 10 minutes. Worth mention that all our repairs come with 1-year Warranty.

We offer a highly professional service for iPhone repair London solutions, covering services for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and the popular iPhone 5S & Coloured 5C. We also cover full repairs of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

Our reliable technicians are able to come to your home, hotel room, or place of business and address your iPhone issues in your own comfortable surroundings. We take appointments at short notice and can have technicians with you within the hour (appointment’s permitting). We cover all areas of London, Essex, and most of Kent.

Think of us like Private Health for your iPhone! No waiting around, hassle free appointments, well trained staff, and of course our 90 days money back guarantee on all our parts and labour. We are on call daily for all your repair needs, and our Technicians are on standby to answer any questions you may have. We believe we offer the best iPhone repair service in the Capital so why not put us to the test today.Whatever the iPhone issue we keep a large stock of parts to hand which means hassle free, no waiting around repairs. phoneheroeslondon.co.uk is committed to providing the fastest and most professional iPhone repair London service.

Ø iPhone Screen Repair

Ø iPhone Replacement Dock Connector

Ø iPhone Replacement Home/Volume Buttons

Ø iPhone Replacement Microphone and Speaker

Ø iPhone Rear Casing Replacement

Ø Water/Liquid Damage Dry Out Service

Ø Customisation (Change iPhone Casing Colour)

If you are looking for a first class service for your iPhone product at a reasonable price then look no further. We do not charge call out fees so all you pay for is the repair itself. We are the number one specialists in London for iPhone cracked screen, broken lcd and digitizers, as well as replacement cracked rear casing. We also specialise is iPhone colour conversions.

iFixExpress – iPhone Repair London Desk side repairs was recently voted No1 on site mobile repair company by the “London Evening Standard”. We are one of the only established nationwide companies that are able to provide a full selection of vintage iPhone services like the 2G, 3G, and 3GS , as well as the most up to date iPhone 5S and colored iPhone 5C repair solutions direct to your door.

On site iPhone screen repairs can take between 15 minutes to 1 hour across the entire range of models. If additional repairs are needed to your handset then this may increase the turnaround time, but usually not much longer. The same goes for our Walk-in repair service at our base. Express turn around, professionally carried out is our motto Why not put us to the test and contacts us today.

Mobile Service Areas For iPhone Repair: Islington N1, East Finchley N2, Finchley N3, Finsbury Park N4, Highbury N5, Highgate N6, Holloway N7, Crouch End N8, Edmonton N9, Muswell Hill N10, New Southgate N11, North Finchley N12, Palmers Green N13, Southgate N14, South Tottenham N15, Stamford Hill N16, Tottenham N17, Edmonton N18, Archway N19, Totteridge N20, Winchmore Hill N21, Wood Green N20, Camden NW1, Cricklewood NW2, Hampstead NW3, Hendon NW4, Kentish Town NW5, West Hampstead NW6, Colindale NW9, Willesden NW10, Golders Green NW11, Whitechapel E1, Shoreditch E2, Bow E3, Chingford E4, Clapton E5, East Ham E6, Stratford E7, Hackney E8, Hackney Wick E7, Leyton E10, Leytonstone E11, Ilford E12, Plaistow E15, Docklands E16, Walthamstow E17, South Woodford E18, Stratford E20, Manor Park E12, Whitechapel/Stepney E1, Forest Gate E7, Homerton E9, Plaistow E13, Bethnal Green E2, Isle Of Dogs E14, North Woolwich E16, Waterloo SE1, Enfield EN1, Barnet EN5, Brent Cross NW4, Blackheath SE3, Camberwell SE15, Charlton SE7, Eltham SE9, Kensington SE11, Leiwsham SE13, Peckham SE15, Walworh SE17, Crystal Palace SE19, Dulwich SE21, Forest Hill SE23, South Norwood SE25, West Norwood SE27, Thamesmead SE2, Brockley SE4, Catford SE6, Deptford SE8, Greenwich SE10, Lee SE12, New Cross SE14, Rotherhithe SE16, Woolwich SE18, Anerley/Penge SE20, East Dulwich SE22, Herne Hill SE24, Syndenham SE26, Pimlico/Belgravia SW1, Chelsea SW3, Earl’s Court SW5, Knightsbridge, South Kensington SW7, Stockwell, Brixton SW9, Battersea SW11, Barnes SW13, Putney SW15, Bluewater DA9, Lakside RM20, Tooting SW17, Wimbledon SW19, Brixton SW2, Clapham SW4, Fulham SW6, South Lambeth SW8, West Chelsea SW10, Balham SW12, Mortlake/East Sheen SW14, Streatham SW16, Wandsworth SW18, Raynes Park SW20, Mayfair, Marylebone, Soho W1, Acton W3, Ealing W5, Hanwell W7, Maida Vale, Warwick Avenue W9, Notting Hill, Holland Park W11, West Ealing W13, Bayswater W2, Chiswick W4, Hammersmith W6, Kensington W8, Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington W10, Shepherd’s Bush W12, West Kensington W14, Hornsey N8 , Kilburn NW6, Mill Hill NW7, St John’s Wood NW8, The Hyde NW9, Croydon CR0, Bexley DA5, Bexleyheath DA6, Ilford IG1, Gants Hill IG2, Seven Kings IG3, Redbridge IG4, Clayhall IG5, Barkingside IG6, Chigwell IG7, Woodford Green IG8, Loughton IG10, Barking IG11, Bromley BR1, Wembley HA0, Harrow HA1, Wealdstone HA3, Ruislip HA4, Pinner HA5, Northwood HA6, Stanmore HA7, Edgware HA8, Romford RM1, Chadwell Heath RM6, Rush Green RM7, Becontree Heath RM8, Dagenham RM10, Hornchurch RM11, Elm Park RM12, Rainham RM13, Upminster RM14, Grays RM17, Tilbury RM18, Purfleet RM19, and West Thurrock RM20.

If your phone gets damaged, then don't panic. You can apply any of these measures, if they don't work, then take your mobile for repair to a mobile phone repair shop London.

#phone repair shops near me in london #mobile repairs in london #iphone screen repair london #mobile repair near me in london #macbook repair london #iphone 6 & 7 screen replacement london #phone repairs in london #macbook battery replacement london #Ipad glass replacement same day #iphone 7 & 8 button repair

0 notes

putthison · 7 years ago

Photo

eBay Roundup

Ralph Lauren reissued a bunch of stuff from their much-coveted Stadium 1992 and P-Wing collections this week, which got me all nostalgic about mid-90s Polo. We ended up digging up a few vintage Polo finds on eBay. The ski jacket is a classic, but my favorite is probably this handknit cowichan. Like a lot of ‘90s Ralph Lauren, it fits huge, so pay attention to measurements.

Suits, sport coats, and blazers

Charcoal windowpane Eidos sport coat, 36

Tan Ben Silver brown herringbone sport coat, 42

Navy wool J. Press sport coat, 42

Brown checked Billy Reid sport coat, 44

Outerwear

Vintage leather A-2, ~36

Green Engineered Garments work jacket, S

Charcoal wool 3sixteen field jacket, S

Green twill Arpenteur work jacket, 38

Black Nigel Cabourn toggle coat, M (from lower-end Utility line)

Our Legacy navy raincoat, 40

Blue twill Arpenteur jacket, M

Olive Norse Projects parka, L

Vintage Polo RL 1992 Ski jacket, L (pictured above)

Red Pendleton blanket pattern jacket, XXL

Sweaters and knits

Blue and green striped SNS Herning cardigan, M

Orlebar Brown long-sleeved polo, M

Gray Buzz Rickson sweatshirt, L

Blue Ralph Lauren cotton crewneck, L

Ralph Lauren ski bear sweater, L (pictured above)

Green Donegal-style Howlin sweater, L

Grey block striped Nigel Cabourn v-neck sweater, XL

Ralph Lauren handknit ski cowichan, XXL (pictured above)

Shirts and pants

Blue Ring Jacket Western shirt, XS

Indigo Hill Side sports shirt, S

White Engineered Garments work shirt, S

Blue cotton Eidos dress shirt, 16.5

Ralph Lauren polo sport chambray popover, XL

Heavyweight Iron Heart selvedge jeans, 30

RRL straight legged jeans, 30

Olive Freemans Sporting Club chinos, 30

Grey Ralph Lauren Purple Label trousers, 30

3sixteen slim-tapered chino, 32

Momotaro raw denim jeans, 32

Shoes

Alden cap toe oxfords, 8.5E

Alden black shell cordovan cap toe boots, 9

Carmina burgundy museum calf chukkas, 9.5

Ties

Blue and yellow striped Sulka tie

Pink J. Press diamond motif tie

Black dotted Ralph Lauren tie

Brown Sid Mashburn floral tie

Blue E. Marinella foulard

Blue striped E. Marinella tie

Bags, briefcases, and wallets

Hill Side camo denim card wallet and key fob

White Nanamica rolltop backpack

Misc.

Vintage movie posters (Dr. No, Blacula)

Abercrombie & Fitch Omersa footstool

Vintage Ralph Lauren sportsman patch (pictured above)

If you want access to an extra roundup every week, exclusive to members, join Put This On's Inside Track for just five bucks a month.

#eBay Round Up

8 notes · View notes

peckhampeculiar · 6 years ago

Text

Signs of the times

Lionel Stanhope’s large scale works have been popping up at railway stations across south-east London in recent years – and Nunhead Station is his latest work. We caught up with the local artist to find out more about the project.

Words Isabella Kaminski; Photo John Yabrifa

South-east Londoners may have noticed brightly painted signs popping up under railway arches in recent years, proudly announcing the name of the local area in vivid greens and blues. The signs are the work of local artist Lionel Stanhope – and Nunhead is the latest addition to his artworks.

Brockley resident Lionel’s main job is as a self-employed scenic artist, painting sets for film and TV. Most recently he built sets in a London hotel to promote Mamma Mia 2, replicating the story’s beautiful Greek villas. And he worked on the scenes for a big-budget Warner Brothers film starring Helen Mirren called the Good Liar, which will be out next year.

“The film industry is really busy,” he says, “Netflix, Amazon Prime – all these new channels have money to spend so they’re making a lot of shows as well as the main companies. It’s a good industry to work in and it’s very healthy at the moment.”

But every so often he takes time out to do something a little different. Lionel says it all started four years ago when a street art festival in Brockley won funding to spruce up the local area. He painted a small piece on a shop shutter and was then asked to do more work which led to a big painted SE24 postcode sign.

That caught the attention of a group of Herne Hill shop owners after a burst water main caused huge flood damage in 2013. “Thames Water gave them compensation to do a few things in the area and one was to have a sign painted,” says Lionel, who painted the sign in 2015. “That was where the design came from, trying to give a nod to railway stuff and a retro thing that appeals to the older community as well. It’s a bit of everything, which I think has worked.”

After that other areas wanted a piece of the action, with Hither Green next followed by Brockley and Catford, all painted on the inside of Network Rail bridges. Two areas have even added jaunty animals to their signs: a walrus in Forest Hill as a nod to the Horniman Museum’s stuffed icon and a heron in Lee after the birds that nearby Manor House Gardens is known for. “Nunhead is number nine,” says Lionel. “The more I’ve done the more exposure I’ve had.”

The cost of the first lot of signs was crowdfunded by local residents, but Network Rail has recently started paying for the project with the Nunhead the second area to benefit. It has now promised money for up to 20 more if people come forward to organise them. Currently in the running are Penge, Selhurst, South Norwood and Shortlands

Lionel points out that there is some work involved in getting a sign. “It’s not just turning up and painting – we have to ask the community if they want it. They have to organise the cleaning of the wall and they have a choice in terms of colours and if they want an additional thing like the Lee heron.”

He says Nunhead is a really good example of this because a local resident has organised the whole thing, from cleaning the wall to canvassing residents on what colours they want on social media and getting the word out in person about the project to local shopkeepers.

“They haven’t had to pay anything because residents cleaned the wall themselves. It’s a really good example because it takes a bit of work to get it organised and make sure everybody’s happy with it.”

Lionel says he has really enjoyed the project. “This isn’t my main job, I do it on the side, but it’s really nice doing stuff locally and getting a nice response from local people. It’s been really positive.” He has even had help with some signs from local painter Owain Nicholls who he discovered after admiring a flower scene he painted in Catford.

And personally Lionel is enjoying painting letters again, having trained as a sign writer when he left school. “I’ve always had a liking for typography and lettering, so that comes naturally to me. I don’t get a lot of signs and lettering any more. Occasionally when there’s something in a film people will say ‘Get Lionel to come and do that’, but generally it’s just running the painting on films and TV shows.”

Lionel says the fact that the signs are all near train stations means they are a good focal hub for the community and can help improve it visually. “Some of Network Rail’s bridges – and I think they would agree – are in quite poor repair. A lot of them in the winter have moss and running water coming down.

“Obviously there’s a big list of bridges that need to be refurbished over the years but in the meantime these things brighten the area up. It’s nice for a big corporate company like that that deals with massive projects to do something small.

He notes that the name signs seem to last quite well. “I think even young people can relate to them – it’s the name of their neighbourhood. There’s been one or two little tags but nothing horrendous. Quite often you see tags to the side of the work and I think that’s a slight respect to it. As you can see with the Nunhead sign there’s other tagging around. We need it to sit together with its surroundings because we don’t have a monopoly on tidying everything up or the space. We did ask if we could paint that wall – that’s the only difference between what’s above it.”

So which area is next? Lionel says he has been inundated with emails from people who want signs in their neighbourhood, including Peckham. “But it needs someone to take on the project. Now is a good time because you might not have to raise any money; you only need to raise some if the wall some serious cleaning or you want to add an additional piece of work to it. It just needs a bit of legwork.”

0 notes

rentacar2018-blog · 6 years ago

Text

London Car Rentals

Enterprise's Brad and Dave show how you get UK car hire with US customer service. View an unrivalled choice of cars and vans on our website with competitive leasing quotations available at the touch of a button and take advantage of exclusive lease deals with some of the UK's largest finance partners ALD, Arval, Lex Autolease, Hitachi Capital and Leaseplan. We have been trading in the car and van rental industry for over 15 years, in that time we have built a solid reputation for quality vehicles and excellent customer service. Speak to us to discover the best option for you, as you could also book a long term or monthly United Kingdom car rental. We offer specialised rental programmes for businesses and organisations. Whether you are travelling around the UK for business purposes or perhaps on a holiday with the family, we will have a vehicle that meets your requirements.

Ben Stenner says he hired a car to travel between Green Motion's Heathrow and Gatwick branches. As one of the first and most important international car rental companies in the world - with over 100 years in the business - we have earned a trusted reputation as a global leading car rental provider. We have more than 250 makes and models of quality used cars, trucks, vans and SUVs to choose from—all najam vozila sa vozacem at great prices and backed by one of the industry's best used vehicle warranties. These can be hired as an optional extra from the rental company, please include in your initial car rental booking. Practical Car Hire and Van Rental UK is the fourth largest vehicle rental company in the United Kingdom with over 165 locations situated throughout the UK and EIRE. Welcome to Thrifty Car and Van Rental.

With 22 branches across Scotland and another 17 located in England, our suppliers Arnold Clark, are the largest independent rental car company in Europe. We proudly serve the car and van hire needs for our customers in Whitstable, Herne Bay, Canterbury and the surrounding areas. These top-up policies are designed to refund excess CDW and theft protection charges levied by the car rental company. renta car Beograd Average costs from London to the tourist hub of Edinburgh are around £70, although CityJet offers an Edinburgh flight from London City Airport at a lower price. There are many benefits in booking a hire car in the United Kingdom, but majority do it because of convenience. Our people carrier hire in Cambridge City Centre offers 7 seater and 9 seater MPVs in both manual and automatic transmission.

What's needed varies from company to company and between locations, so it is essential that you check with your hire company before you travel. Green Motion is currently expanding its unique lower CO2 car rental franchise system via the method of Master Country Franchise throughout European and worldwide destinations. Terms and conditions of the applicable Young Driver Surcharge may vary from one renta car Beograd country to another: it is therefore strongly recommended to consult the relevant terms and conditions either at time of booking online, via your local Europcar Reservation Office or at time of rental. Search cheap rental cars with KAYAK. With the location of Victoria Hire so close with links to the continent, why not utilise the opportunity to visit Europe in one of our luxury hire vehicles.

These vehicles are often high spec and are well maintained and serviced - giving you peace of mind with your vehicle purchase. Whether you need transport for employees, have seasonal rental demands, or need an alternative to pool cars, we can develop a flexible programme that's right for you. We provide a wide range of vehicles for hire - cars, vans, trucks and even minibuses. We pride ourselves on offering a friendly and professional related site service to all our customers and our experienced team of rental operatives are on hand to assist you throughout your booking and hire period. Driving age: 17 years; 21 years for car rental. Alongside the basic rental of a vehicle, car rental agencies typically also offer extra products such as insurance, global positioning system (GPS) navigation systems, entertainment systems, mobile phones, portable WiFi and child safety seats.

0 notes

licencedtoretire · 7 years ago

Text

From time to time Sarah and I have seen Facebook posts about people either wanting to stay in or close to downtown Auckland. Some have managed to find their way to Z Pier in Westhaven just to the west of the Viaduct area but very few people seem to know about it. With this in mind we decided that since it’s close to home we would incorporate a visit here with a couple of our walks and then I could publish another chapter in my blog about the place.

Since we did this walk a couple of times we also approached Westhaven from two different directions the first time we wandered down Curran St. That runs from Herne Bay down the hill towards the road that runs under the Harbour Bridge. It was a beautiful sunny day until we spotted the water with a heavy fog blanketing the bridge and the North Shore.

That is until we walked under the bridge and the fog just disappeared giving us a clear view of the city behind all the boats moored at the Marina. You can admire the boats as you walk past perhaps consider changing the motorhome for one that travels on water. There is an area with the ones for sale on display with prices ranging from a quite modest $20000 through to ones in the millions.

A lot of motorhomers we have met used to own a boat before taking to travelling on land. So for a lot of people walking this area would bring back memories of their time on the water.

For the second walk we started along Ponsonby Road on another clear blue sky day. Both of us have now lived here for more than 30 years and have seen many changes along the road during that time but the basic bones of the place still remain. Although the old Post Office and Fire Station are these days used for other purposes it’s still nice to see the character of the buildings remain.

There is almost nowhere in Auckland that you cannot see the Sky Tower and these days the skyline is also dominated by numerous cranes that seem to be building more and more apartment blocks.

Leaving Ponsonby you walk down the hill to St Mary’s Bay where the Jacobs ladder crosses the motorway to Westhaven. Crossing the “ladder” takes you over one of the busiest pieces of road in New Zealand with over 200,000 cars crossing the bridge on busier days of the week. Although the average is currently only 154,000 per day it’s still a lot of cars.

From the end of the “ladder” above Z Pier it’s a tremendous view of both Westhaven and the bridge behind it as well as the first glimpse of the camping area below. On both occasions we visited there were only 3 or so campers perhaps this is because it’s winter or perhaps because it’s not that well known.

Access to the camping area is from Westhaven Drive and you can click on the map above to get directions.

With a maximum stay of 3 days parking is $20 per day as shown in the above photo. The interesting thing to us was the second time we visited campers had parked between the marked orange lines, which have the largest spaces. However there is a sign stating that all campers must park between the white lines on the outsides of the parking area. That’s great if your motorhome is only 6 metres long but rather problematic if it’s 9 metres long like ours. I often wonder in places like this are we meant to purchase 2 parking tickets to cover the two spaces the motorhome or car and caravan will take up? Or do we just buy one and hope for the best with the parking wardens?

The area is well set up with an onsite dump station, toilets and even showers available if you talk nicely to the local security officers. The facilities are clean, tidy and serviced on a regular basis. The only downside appeared to be the lack of water there was a tap next to the toilet block but it had nothing to say it was potable so you would need to check this first.

It’s not too far from the camping area to get to the New World supermarket located on the otherside of Victoria Park. Don’t forget to take your skateboard to take advantage of one of the largest skate parks in the country. Seriously though it’s a wide open green space if you need somewhere to exercise the dog.

When camped somewhere we always explore the area so there is no reason why we wouldn’t do the same here. It’s a very short stroll through the commercial area of Westhaven to get to the Wynyard Quarter and from there to the Viaduct and the bottom of Auckland’s Queen St.

The vehicle ferries to both Waiheke and Great Barrier Island depart from here so if you are heading “overseas” it might be that Z Pier is a very handy place to spend the night rather than try and deal with Auckland traffic if you had an early sailing.

We visited earlier in the morning so the numerous restaurants in the area were still either closed or had very few customers. However it would be very different story if you visited later in the day with them in full swing. The Fish market also has a terrific selection of fresh seafood with a couple of cafe’s also inside.

The Wynyard Quarter blends into the Viaduct Harbour as you stroll along what used to be old wharf’s used for commercial fishing and the home for the America’s Cup boats in the early 2000’s.

The Viaduct Events centre is just before the bridge that allows boats in and out of the inner harbour on the day we visited it was all quiet but we have been there in the past when it’s been going up and down like a yoyo. It makes for quite an interesting site.

As you continue on towards the bottom of Queen St. you pass by the container with a help yourself library that seemed very well stocked, a good book exchange since there isn’t one at the campsite. Then onwards past the Maritime Museum home to some of New Zealand’s sailing history and well worth a visit. Outside the museum is KZ1 a massive yacht built by Micheal Fay as part of the doomed America’s Cup challenge in 1988.

From here it’s into downtown proper and the Ferry Building where you can catch a ferry to a number of different islands in the Hauraki Gulf. You could quite easily leave the motorhome at Z Pier walk here take the day trip and then return to the motorhome stopping at one of the many cafe’s for a bite to eat on the return.

Or you could simply do what we did and that’s just enjoy the walk along one of the prettiest parts of Auckland. Obviously on a hot summers day the place would be heaving with people but on the day of our visit it was a very relaxed visit.

Next door to the Ferry Building is the Cloud that was put together as a temporary structure for the Rugby World Cup and still stands today 7 years later. It’s a really interesting shape but is beginning to look a little tired inside and would need a major tidy up before being used for the next America’s Cup in 2020/21

The hall looked very barren with just these giant chess pieces on the floor in the middle of the place.

At the end of the wharf is the hideous State House sculpture commissioned by the Auckland Council. Whilst the James Cook statue and neon lights inside are interesting I find it hard to believe that Auckland benefits from this monstrosity (my opinion anyway)

It was also interesting to see a number of people fishing at the end of the wharf and whilst we didn’t talk to any of the them we did see that one person had landed quite a decent Kowhai. I would imagine that lifting it out of the water and preventing it from going under the wharf would be quite a challenge.

Then from the Cloud it’s just across the road to the Britomart Transport Centre where you could catch a train or bus to other parts of Auckland.

Given that you can stay at Z Pier for 3 days that would allow plenty of time to explore all that this area has to offer. We saw a lot more and I took heaps of photos of things that I haven’t covered in this blog because after all it’s also about the reader exploring the area themselves. So if you want to experience downtown Auckland and can put up with a bit of traffic noise from the nearby motorway then Z Pier is the place for you.

Camping – Downtown Auckland – Z Pier From time to time Sarah and I have seen Facebook posts about people either wanting to stay in or close to downtown Auckland.

#campervan holiday New Zealand #Camping in Auckland #Downtown Auckland #Museum visit

0 notes