#Single estate Rye

[vaguely-concerned]

lmao if you're a mourn watch (and possibly other urban-ish based backgrounds too I'm not sure?) mage, when you get the scene with strife coming to pick up emmrich for their date (bless) and he says that 'the thing about your friend is that for a city mage, he isn't afraid to play in the mud' thing, rook puts up the faux big wounded eyes and protests 'hey, I'm a city mage! 🥺'. (to which strife says 'well we can't all be perfect' and stone cold walks away. king. have fun out there with the lightning bugs and your lanky fancylad I've seen his fully unleashed rizz in action and you're a lucky guy <3<3<3)

[triflesandparsnips]

Good Omens Book Club

So I have, in other fandoms, talked about the importance of what an audience can actually see on the screen. Specifically: When a constrained format (like, say, between 45 to 56 minutes of a single visual/audio input) is telling a constrained story (like, say, something that must start, climax, and resolve within some kind of structure), it's useful for the audience to pay attention to what gets given the valuable real estate of camera/story time.

So when time is given and effort made to show the actual titles of actual books... well.

Figure 1. Local bookshelf weighted down by an over-abundance of literary allusions.

This is a screenshot from episode 3 of Good Omens's second season, as Jim is reshelving all the books in Aziraphale's book shop by the first letter of their first sentences. He's about to shelve Jane Austens's Pride and Prejudice ("It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.") and the red sideways book, that he is about to pick up, is Good Omens itself ("It was a nice day.").

But, unusually, we can see the title of almost every other book on the shelf. Several of them appeared in the advertising poster, too, as I outlined previously (if you click that link, be advised that I am very proud of several bits of that essay and also let's not talk about how my go-to for musical references is Middle English folk rather than, say, Buddy Holly). Anyway-- with this in mind, and the understanding that time, effort, and celluloid have been spent on getting this shot to the audience, it would behoove us, I think, to actually look at these books.

Figure 2. A pair of showrunners providing not-so-subtle ancillary notation suggesting the same thing, so really, this is a no-brainer in terms of meta fodder.

Okay, Trifles, so what about the book club

Technically, this isn't my idea. It's Neil's and Douglas's, so jot that down.

What I figure is, I can provide a list of the books shown, their first lines, and a VERY brief summary of each. Those are below. And as I rewatch the show, I may reblog this post with additions, but also...

I've read some of these, but not all of them, and not recently -- with at least one of them, though, I remember enough to know that the first line and summary do nothing to showcase the heartrending possibilities the book may be alluding to for the overall Good Omens narrative.

And further-- as I collected these summaries and first lines, I started noticing some compelling commonalities. Which I, for one, would like to confirm and dig into more deeply.

So while I'm going to start reading these, it might be a Nice Idea for other folks to do so as well. The more write-ups we can get, the greater the concordance of Interesting Insights might be available. (And if you tag me in your write up, or otherwise draw my attention, I will gladly link your essay up here for the edification of others omfg.)

ANYWAY

The "Jim Shelving" Book List

From right to left (which feels odd, but it's the actual alphabetical-by-letter arrangement), and summaries from various internet sources:

Herzog, by Saul Bellows

"If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog."

"Herzog is a 1964 novel by Saul Bellow, composed in part of letters from the protagonist [...] The novel follows five days in the life of Moses E. Herzog who, at the age of forty-seven, is having a midlife crisis following his second divorce."

A Series of Unfortunate Events, (series) by Lemony Snicket

"If you are interested in happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book."

The first book in the series, The Bad Beginning, "tells the story of three children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, who become orphans following a fire and are sent to live with Count Olaf, who attempts to steal their inheritance."

The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

"The novel details two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. [...] From what is implied to be a sanatorium, Holden, the narrator and protagonist, tells the story of his adventures before the previous Christmas."

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since."

"Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan."

The Bible, (anthology) by God et al.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

"25 And the Lord spake unto the Angel that guarded the eastern gate, saying 'Where is the flaming sword that was given unto thee?'

26 And the Angel said, 'I had it here only a moment ago, I must have put it down some where, forget my own head next.'

27 And the Lord did not ask him again."

The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler

"It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills."

"Private investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood to stop a blackmailer. Marlowe suspects that the old General is merely testing his caliber before trusting him with a bigger job, one involving Sternwood's two amoral daughters."

Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

"In George Orwell's iconic and prophetic masterpiece, 1984, a haunting vision of a dystopian future unfolds. Set in a world dominated by the all-seeing eye of Big Brother, the story follows Winston Smith, a lowly Party member whose very thoughts are scrutinized. As the Party manipulates history and suppresses truth, Winston's yearning for individuality and connection pushes him into a daring dance on the edge of rebellion."

[A title I cannot, unfortunately, read-- if anyone who HAPPENS to be familiar with the show and HAPPENS to perhaps also be on tumblr just HAPPENS to say what this book might be, that would be Very Much Appreciated]

"????"

[WOW I WISH I WAS A SUMMARY OH WELL]

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

"It was love at first sight."

"Set in the closing months of World War II in an American bomber squadron off the coast of Italy, Catch-22 is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic and furious because thousands of people he has never even met keep trying to kill him. Joseph Heller's bestselling novel is a hilarious and tragic satire on military madness, and the tale of one man's efforts to survive it."

Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez

"It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love."

"The story, which treats the themes of love, aging, and death, takes place between the late 1870s and the early 1930s in a South American community troubled by wars and outbreaks of cholera. It is a tale of two lovers, artistic Florentino Ariza and wealthy Fermina Daza, who reunite after a lifetime apart."

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon

"It was seven minutes after midnight."

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. [...] The novel is narrated in the first-person perspective by Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy who is described as "a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties" living in Swindon, Wiltshire. [...] Christopher sets out to solve the murder [of a neighbor's dog] in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes."

The Crow Road, by Iain Banks

"It was the day my grandmother exploded."

A Scottish family drama about a perfect murder against the backdrop of the 1990s Gulf War. "This Bildungsroman is set in the fictional Argyll town of Gallanach, the real village of Lochgair, and in Glasgow, where the adult Prentice McHoan lives. Prentice's uncle Rory disappeared eight years previously while writing a book called The Crow Road. Prentice becomes obsessed with papers his uncle left behind and sets out to solve the mystery. Along the way he must cope with estrangement from his father, unrequited love, sibling rivalry, and failure at his studies."

No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley, by Rita Marley with Hettie James

"I was an ambitious girl child."

"Fans of reggae legend Bob Marley will welcome this no-nonsense biography from his wife, Rita, who was also his band member, business partner, musical collaborator and the only person to have witnessed firsthand his development from local Jamaican singer to international superstar."

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink."

"I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love."

...and because I happen to know and love this book, I'm aware of the devastating last lines...

"Only the margin left to write on now. I love you, I love you, I love you."

[tellurian-in-aristasia]

The Four Estates

Source

The Four Estates (Li Kadri Virvi) are the four fundamental divisions of human type in the traditional Aristasian world. It is an idea that the individualistic West in Telluria can find hard to grasp — and even the individualistic West in Aristasia has modified it very radically in practice, while never entirely losing the theory.

In the beginning, there was only one Estate (the Hayana); for maid, being closer to her Primordial wholeness, contained all the elemental possibilities in a single being.

The four Estates mirror the structure of the universe in the microcosm of the social order. Even the division of the single Primordial Estate into four parts mirrors the process of manifestation, in which the four elements proceed out of the single Aethyr. Thus it is natural that the four Estates correspond with the elements. They are as follows:

Haiela (approx. pron: "high-ELLa") : the priestly and intellectual Estate. Correspondences: Air, Winter, North

Raihira (approx. pron "rye-HEERa") : the noble and ruling (also Vikhelic?) Estate. Correspondences: Fire, Summer, South

Magdala (approx. pron "MY-dla") : the makers: craftmaids, farmers and merchants. Correspondences: Earth, Autumn, West

Paccia (approx. pron: "PAKsia") : the bonded Estate. Correspondences: Water, Spring, East

Just as there is a fifth element (Aethyr), which is not an element in the usual sense, and a fifth season (Moura) which is not a season in the usual sense and a fifth direction (the Centre) which is not a direction in the usual sense; so there is a fifth Estate which is not an Estate in the usual sense. This is the Stravë (sometimes honorifically termed Hayana) "Estate" into which no maid can be born. It consists of those who have renounced the world in search of the Ultimate Treasure of the Spirit. Being no longer of the world, they are no longer children of the world's Estates.

The four Estates represent the four fundamental types of maid, just as the four elements represent the four fundamental types of Matter. But as the early-Westrenne saying has it, "in mold is no thyng unmelded". In the material world all things are mixed; and just as Primordial Maid contained all the Estates within herself, so in later days, each Estate in its fullness must contain something of the qualities of all the others. The spiritual maid is also, in her spiritual sphere, a maker (magdalin) and a server (paxit). She may also be a leader, but even if she is not, she must be a warrior (raihirin) against the forces of darkness and against her own lower self. Likewise the Raihirin, to be complete, must be cultivated, intelligent and also spiritual (haiela), she must be mistress of the arts or crafts (magdalin) of statesmaidship or of war, and she must be obedient and bonded (paxit) to her commanders. The head of the Raihira Estate, the Queen or Empress must be paxit to the spiritual authorities, and the Antistita or High-Priestess must, more than any other maid, be wholly paxit to Dea.

It will be noted that the two higher Estates are on the Vertical or Solstitial axis, while the two lower estates are on the horizontal, or Equinoctial Axis. This at once indicates the relationship and the distance between them. There is also a special relationship between the Haiela and the Paccia — the two Estates that look upward — and between the Raihira and the Magdala — the two Estates that look outward.

Thus we begin to see that the four Estates, exist in an elaborate and subtle balance, as is in keeping with their original emergence from the Primordial Oneness of maid.

We may also see the parallel between Aristasia and Telluria. The four Aristasian Estates bear many resemblances to the castes of India and to the Clerics, Nobles, Burgers and Serfs of the Western Middle Ages as well as the similar fourfold division of society in ancient China and the Far East generally. There are also many differences, and these are largely owing to the fact that the Tellurian Iron Age is dominated by the unbalanced Vikhelic principle of opposition and discord, while the Aristasian Iron Age, while still tending toward individualism and the expression of lower possibilities, remains governed by the principle of harmony and coöperation.

So, for example, in the Iron Age (Kali Yuga) in India the three higher castes are called dvija, twice-born because they are initiated or born again, while the lower caste or Sudras are excluded from initiation. In Aristasia the Paccia also are not initiated individually, but each paxit participates in the initiated state of her mistress. Rather than the concept of each soul fending for itself, we have the concept of the lowest Estate being under a special protection and benefitting from a special spiritual help.

The modern Western Tellurian will immediately want to ask "Is it possible for a person to transfer from one Estate to another". This is her first question, because her whole individualistic training focuses on the idea of movement, and of being unbound by the past and by one's heredity. The answer is "yes". But it is rare, for in a traditional society the hereditary principle actually works, and souls are generally incarnated into the families most suited to their needs and nature. In the later ages, this principle becomes gradually less effective.

In modern Western Telluria, the natural Estates are in a state of chaos, and it is this chaos that explains much of the modern history of Telluria. We may look back to Henry VIII to see, in many respects, the point at which this chaos began to be made manifest. That king began the full-scale revolt of the "Raihira" against the "Haiela" by declaring himself head of the Church in England and rejecting the "Haiela" authority of the Pope. The following attack on the "Haiela" in the form of the destruction of the Church's monastic organisation is well known. What is less well known is that the Magdala, the third of the twice-born Estates, had their own craft-initiations (the term "the Mysteries" of a craft meant very much more than mere "trade secrets"), which were governed by the guilds. Henry VIII also destroyed the guild system, thus not only eliminating the organisation of the "Haiela" but de-sacralising, and laying the groundwork for the deracination of, the "Magdala". That this caused terrible hardship is also little known. At once the pension funds and "social insurance" of the guilds were confiscated and the "social welfare" structure represented by the monasteries was dismantled. All the money went into the hands of the King's "Raihira" henchmen while both the middle class and the poor were deprived of all security. Thus the revolt of the "Raihira" against the "Haiela" involved an attack by the "Raihira" on all the other Estates.

It is no coincidence that with this disruption of the social thamë, the revolt of the "Raihira" against the "Haiela" was followed, at the beginning of the next century, with a revolt of the "Magdala" against the "Raihira", culminating in the execution of Charles I. The struggle between the "Raihira" and the "Magdala" continued for some time, and by the end of the 18th Century came the first pseudo-revolt of the "Paccia" against both Raihira and Haiela in the French Revolution. We say "pseudo" revolt partly because the proletariat is only a very pale shadow of a true Paccia and secondly because the lowest Estate by its very nature can never govern. So even when the principle of mass- or proletarian-rule becomes dominant, as in "Communist" and "Democratic" states, this is never more than a verbal reality, with the real levers of power being operated by various factions of the degenerate "high-Magdala".

We have spoken at length about this, because is is quite impossible to understand modern Tellurian history without understanding this Confusion of Estates.

In Aristasia Pura, which is governed by the principle of concord rather than discord, no such revolt against the higher Estates ever took place, just as the essentially degenerate-Magdala doctrines of "rationalism" which led to the 17th-century "Enlightenment" are unknown in Aristasia. Nevertheless, "modernism" in Western Aristasia has involved a considerable weakening of the Estate-structure. In many parts of the West most servants are no longer bonded and so do not constitute a real Paccia. The Raihira and the Haiela become largely intermixed as an upper and upper-middle class which also absorbs some of the high-Magdala, while the lower Magdala and upper Paccia tend to form a "lower middle class".

In what way, then, is Westrenne Aristasia different from Western Telluria? The differences are subtle, but nonetheless radical. They spring from the fact that there has never been any "ideological" justification for the Confusion of the Estates. It is a thing that Westrennes acknowledge to have happened, and on the whole regard as regrettable, at least in principle, while also realising that it makes possible their current Westrenne way of life. Ideas like Democracy and Socialism (invoked by the Tellurian "high-Magdala" in order to use the "Paccia" as a smokescreen for its economically-based political and social control, which it cannot otherwise justify) have never had any currency. Government by the Raihira, headed by hereditary Queens and guided by spiritual authority still prevails. Because government is relatively minimal, and questions of control and power are less important to a feminine people, the raw "tests of power" between the Estates that inevitably led to chaos in Telluria have simply never happened, and the West remains a curious mixture of traditional and modern ideas and actualities. Because of this, it has trodden paths in many ways similar to those of the Tellurian West, while never losing its roots in tradition, or making the radical breaks with Fundamental Order (thamë) that a Vikhelic society found itself more or less forced into making.

The idea of the Estates continues to underlie much of Westrenne thinking: and even though the actuality has slipped into something that is superficially rather more like the pre-Eclipse Tellurian class system, one confuses it with that class system at one's peril. Only one who was born in Aristasia can truly appreciate the nuances of its social system, but as Tellurian subjects of the Empire, we grow continually into a system that is very different from anything that exists in Telluria, and, for all its imperfections, is much more beautiful.

[nwbeerguide]

Their 27th edition Firestone Walker Brewing releases Anniversary Ale XXVII.

image courtesy Firestone Walker Brewing Company Press Release Paso Robles, CA: Firestone Walker today unveiled “XXVII”—the latest edition of its storied Anniversary Ale, blended once again with the help of local winemakers.   “This beer was created with experience, passion and collaboration, sparing no expense to celebrate our brewery’s 27thanniversary,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “This may be our most eclectic Anniversary Ale to date—a testament to the blending skills of our winemaker friends.”  The result is XXVII—a masterwork of flavor and complexity, blended from five distinct ales aged in bourbon barrels. XXVII (single boxed 12-oz bottles) is rolling out now in limited quantities to all Firestone Walker markets. It is also available at each brewery location and online at FirestoneBeer.com for a limited time.  Blended to Perfection Firestone Walker resides in the Paso Robles wine country, home to some of California’s most decorated winemakers—many of whom Brynildson has befriended over the years. Ever since making the brewery’s inaugural Anniversary Ale in 2006, Brynildson has leaned on his winemaker friends to help create a complex and harmonious beer from a variety of distinct barrel-aged components. This year’s blending session took place on the afternoon of June 28.  “These winemakers are practicing experts in the art of blending, and it’s always amazing how they help us create a beer that is greater than the sum of its parts,” he said. “It’s a fun, competitive and spirited experience whenever we get together.”   This year’s blending session marked the 18th occasion of this annual summer rite. As always, the winemakers broke into teams to create their own candidate blends from a variety of barrel-aged components. Next, the winemakers and brewers blind tasted all of the candidate blends, then voted as a group to crown the winner that would become XXVII. XXVII: The Final Blend Brewmaster’s Tasting Notes: “The finished blend is deep dark mahogany in color and expresses decadent up-front barrel aromas with notes of toffee and cocoa powder close behind. The mouthfeel is smooth and silky with rich caramel flavors complemented by toasted nut, vanilla and coconut accents. There is a beautiful balance between a rich malt character, a top-shelf bourbon spirit and chocolate truffles. An absolutely stunning barrel-aged beer and a true testament to the winemakers’ skill in blending not only for aroma and flavor, but also for texture.” DDBA Batch 10k - Aged in Wheated Bourbon Barrels (33%) Imperial Special Bitter Dividing Time - Aged in Wheated and Rye Bourbon Barrels (29%) Munich Wine Made in Collaboration with Private Press Bravo - Aged in Bourbon Barrels (13%) Imperial Brown Ale Rip This Joint - Aged in Bourbon Barrels (13%) Imperial Stout Made in Collaboration with Side Project Velvet Merkin - Aged in Bourbon Barrels (12%) Milk Stout The Winemakers Molly Lonborg – Alta Colina Kevin Sass – Halter Ranch Along with Beer Club Member Ezekial Palmer This team created the winning blend that became “XXVII” Sherman Thacher - Thacher Winery Janelle Dusi – J Dusi Wines Billy Grant – McPrice Myers Russell From - Herman Story Wines Jesse Juarez – Desparada Wines Steve Martell – Kaleidos Bastien Leduc - Seven Oxen Estate Wines Pete Turrone and Kyle Jury - Booker Wines Pete and Alex Slosberg – Pete’s Wicked Ale Cassi & Nigel King – Beer Club Members Mark Smolyar – Hopped.com from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3QJhlOv

[top10find]

The Best Tasting Vodka Brands You Need to Try in 2024

Vodka is one of the most popular spirits in the world, loved for its versatility, smoothness, and ability to elevate any cocktail. Whether you're sipping it neat, mixing it into your favorite cocktail, or just enjoying it on the rocks, the quality and taste of vodka can make or break your experience. If you're a vodka connoisseur or just looking to try something new, you're in the right place.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up the best tasting vodka brands that should be on your radar in 2024. From classic favorites to lesser-known gems, these vodkas are known for their smoothness, flavor profile, and overall drinking experience. So, let’s dive into the top vodka brands that will tantalize your taste buds and elevate your cocktail game.

1. Belvedere Vodka – A Luxurious Polish Classic

Belvedere Vodka is often considered one of the finest premium vodkas on the market. Made from the highest quality Polish rye, this vodka is renowned for its pure and smooth flavor. It undergoes a meticulous four-times distillation process to ensure maximum purity and smoothness. The subtle hint of vanilla, along with a clean finish, makes it a perfect choice for sipping neat or using in classic cocktails like a vodka martini.

Why Try It:

Exceptional smoothness

Made with Polish rye

Subtle vanilla notes

2. Grey Goose – Iconic French Elegance

A true contender for the best tasting vodka, Grey Goose has earned its place in the premium vodka category. Produced in France using the finest wheat from the Picardy region and pure spring water, Grey Goose is a sophisticated and smooth vodka with a soft, slightly floral finish. Its crisp flavor and balance make it perfect for mixing into cocktails or savoring on its own.

Why Try It:

French craftsmanship

Made from soft winter wheat

Soft and clean finish

3. Ketel One – Dutch Quality at Its Best

If you're looking for a vodka with a rich history and exceptional taste, Ketel One should be your go-to. Produced in the Netherlands, this vodka is crafted from a blend of European wheat and distilled in copper pot stills. The result is a crisp, clean vodka with a slightly peppery finish. Ketel One is often celebrated for its smooth texture, making it ideal for sipping or crafting cocktails like a Bloody Mary.

Why Try It:

Smooth, crisp finish

Distilled in copper pot stills

Great for cocktails

4. Tito’s Handmade Vodka – The American Craft Favorite

Tito’s Handmade Vodka has taken the vodka world by storm in recent years. Produced in Austin, Texas, this vodka is distilled from corn, making it naturally gluten-free. Tito’s is known for its high-quality production process and smooth, slightly sweet taste. It's perfect for those who want a top-notch vodka that can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails like a Moscow Mule.

Why Try It:

Craft vodka made in the USA

Gluten-free

Smooth and slightly sweet flavor

5. Absolut Elyx – Swedish Craftsmanship at Its Finest

Absolut Elyx is a luxury vodka that stands out for its smoothness and silky texture. Made in Sweden from single-estate winter wheat, it is distilled in a copper still, which imparts a unique smoothness. The vodka offers subtle flavors of fruit and a rich mouthfeel, making it ideal for sipping neat or adding to upscale cocktails. Its elegance and complexity make it a perfect choice for vodka enthusiasts.

Why Try It:

Distilled in a copper still

Silky and smooth texture

Ideal for sipping neat

6. Chopin Vodka – A Polish Masterpiece

Chopin Vodka is a Polish vodka made from either potatoes, rye, or wheat, depending on the variety. It’s known for its full-bodied and rich flavor, with the potato version standing out for its creamy texture. The vodka’s smoothness is perfect for sipping, and it also makes for a fantastic base for any cocktail requiring vodka. Whether you enjoy it neat or in a sophisticated cocktail, Chopin Vodka will impress you with its quality.

Why Try It:

Rich, full-bodied flavor

Available in potato, rye, or wheat versions

Perfect for sipping or mixing

7. Ciroc – A Unique French Vodka

What sets Ciroc apart from other vodka brands is that it’s made from grapes, not the typical grains or potatoes. This results in a fruity and slightly sweet flavor that appeals to those looking for something different. Ciroc is distilled five times, ensuring a high level of purity and smoothness. Its unique flavor profile makes it a great choice for vodka-based cocktails, particularly in fruity mixes.

Why Try It:

Made from grapes

Fruity and smooth flavor

Distilled five times for purity

8. Stolichnaya Elit – Russian Premium Vodka

Stolichnaya Elit is a premium vodka that is a step above the regular Stolichnaya. Known for its ultra-smooth finish, this vodka is made using a unique freeze filtration process that removes impurities, resulting in a crisp, clean taste. Stolichnaya Elit has a subtle, slightly sweet flavor that is perfect for sipping neat or using in high-end cocktails.

Why Try It:

Freeze filtration for purity

Ultra-smooth finish

Slightly sweet, clean taste

9. Van Gogh Vodka – An Artistic Dutch Creation

Van Gogh Vodka is another top-tier brand from the Netherlands, and it stands out for its wide range of flavored vodkas, though its original vodka is just as exceptional. The vodka is distilled from the finest grain and offers a smooth, balanced taste with a touch of sweetness. Whether you’re a fan of fruit-flavored vodkas or prefer to sip the unflavored variety, Van Gogh delivers on quality and taste.

Why Try It:

Exceptional flavored vodkas

Distilled from the finest grain

Smooth, balanced taste

10. Snow Leopard Vodka – A Charitable Choice with a Smooth Touch

Snow Leopard Vodka is a luxury vodka with a cause. Not only is it made from the finest ingredients and distilled multiple times for purity, but the brand is also committed to conservation efforts to protect the endangered snow leopard. The vodka has a silky smooth texture and is perfect for sipping or mixing into elegant cocktails.

Why Try It:

Contributes to conservation efforts

Silky smooth texture

Perfect for sipping or mixing

Conclusion

When it comes to selecting the best tasting vodka brands, the options are endless, but these top contenders offer some of the smoothest, most refined flavors on the market today. Whether you're enjoying it neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite cocktail, these vodkas are sure to elevate your drinking experience.

No matter your preference – be it a classic, craft, or luxury vodka – one of these brands will meet your needs. So, the next time you're on the hunt for a great bottle of vodka, try one of these top-rated options and discover the best-tasting vodka that fits your style.

[menodoramoon]

SwynTask | July 2024 | Postcards From You || In sprawling hand, across heather adorned pages... a letter to Cassandra post-marked from Mjaunie, Denmark. The post-card matches the letter print, but all ended up enclosed in an envelope because the writing was just too copious to fit. Sent sometime in late March 2024.

Cassandra,

I hope the heart of spring is treating you well. Are the trees blossoming beautifully, is the sky just as indecisive as it was this past winter? I can only imagine how crisp the air might feel, in the city rather than in fields of rye. It's only for a week and yet I miss the proximity. I'm sure the walk from one end of the estate to the other is about the walk to reach your door.

Is that rude to say? Is that too unaware? Oh, Cass, I'm sorry. The way I put all my thoughts down before I even think. But I can't think.

The air feels different here, like the North Sea and blooming heather. It's the same, but altogether changed, from when I was a child. The sky meets to Moors and I can't help but think of how unfamiliar my entire life has become. I've never moved so far. Did you feel the same when you moved to Swynlake?

You won't tell anyone, will you? Ah, but no one there knows me. Alright, you may tell anyone who has an interest. Only I'm sure no one does so it is perhaps a useless permission.

Oh, Cass, I should bring you some apples. Maybe some Mjaunie flour. There is a bit of home that I wish to share with you that I worry will spoil by the time I return.

(Flight restrictions, as well, with fruit. But I digress.)

The late March air is lovely, but it would be lovelier with you here. Next year, perhaps? There's a crest beyond the veranda where I so wish to take you. It feels like you're standing on the edge of the world, yet all the world is before you. Is it small-minded to think that way? I suppose my life was very small before the world opened up to me.

That small peak... I think it calls to me just as the sun sets, and I hope it would call to you, too.

I miss you dearly and can't eat a single pastry without the thought of you and a desire to write you the recipe on stationery like this. It’s a depiction of the heather fields beyond my home, and I think of them as an escape, a sea of purple.

Last night our dessert was raspberry and lemon tarts. The night before, fluffy puff pastries with a jam center. My mother has a book of recipes somewhere, hidden away. I regret to say no one knows where it's hidden, we've turned the entire estate over twice looking. I believe it was pudding pie that my old tutor sought so fervently?

I would like to think I'm simpler than that. Though, you've seen my extravagance when it comes to hosting, to claim such a thing would be a lie.

Say you'll visit one day? You can bring Hiro. We have scads of beds, it would be no imposition.

Not that you could ever be an imposition to me.

River is so grateful for you, I should say. He's glad you've been such a friend and I could not agree more. But he wants you to have his personal thanks for making sure I was not alone in such a new place.

He says I'm more of a soul rather than Sole.... Which I would think is a fish but he means a lonely being.

Cassandra, have a lovely Spring Holiday. I’ll see you in a week, about.

All my Love,

Moon

[delhidutyfree]

Discovering the Elegance of Budget-Friendly Vodka Selections

Vodka, a transparent distilled alcoholic beverage enjoyed worldwide, originates from countries like Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Renowned for its versatility in mixed drinks due to its colorless and flavorless nature, the term “vodka” stems from the Old Slavic words “little water” and “voda.” For those seeking high-quality vodka in India, we present a curated selection of top brands to consider, each offering its unique appeal and affordability.

ZOUK Vodka: Exceptional Quality and Craftsmanship

Crafted from organic Dańkowskie rye, revered as one of the finest grains for vodka production, ZOUK Vodka stands as a testament to Polish craftsmanship. Distilled on a single estate in Poland’s snow-covered landscape, ZOUK Vodka exudes a burst of aroma and a refreshing flavor profile. Available at Delhi Duty-Free, indulge in the pinnacle of vodka excellence.

Magic Moments: Affordable Luxury

Magic Moments, a household name in India, epitomizes affordability without compromising on quality. Produced by Radico Khaitan, one of the nation’s leading spirits manufacturers, Magic Moments offers a plethora of flavors, including chocolate, green apple, and lemon, at a modest price point of Rs 350 for 750 ml.

Smoke Vodka: Modernity Meets Distinction

Targeting the discerning tastes of millennials and Gen Z, Smoke Vodka emerges as a contemporary addition to India’s vodka landscape. Distinctive in both flavor and design, Smoke Vodka undergoes a state-of-the-art charcoal filtration process, resulting in a smooth and uniquely flavored spirit. Priced at Rs 1,450 for 750 ml, indulge in the allure of Smoke Vodka.

White Mischief: Market Dominance and Diversity

Boasting an impressive 46% market share, White Mischief reigns as one of India’s bestselling vodka brands. Owned by the UB Group, White Mischief offers an array of delectable flavors, including strawberry and mint, catering to diverse palates. At Rs 620 for 750 ml, experience the epitome of Indian vodka excellence.

Absolut: Iconic Swedish Elegance

Hailing from Sweden, Absolut vodka enjoys global acclaim for its impeccable quality and diverse flavor range. Produced by Pernod Ricard, Absolut offers flavors like raspberry and passionfruit, providing a delightful sensory experience. Indulge in Absolut’s smoothness and sophistication at Rs 1,100 for 750 ml.

Conclusion:

the world of vodka offers a myriad of choices to suit every taste and budget. Whether you prefer the timeless elegance of Belvedere or the modern allure of Smoke Vodka, there’s a brand for every discerning palate. Explore our selection at Delhi Duty-Free and elevate your spirits with the finest vodka India has to offer. Cheers to affordable opulence and unforgettable moments!

visit us — https://dutyfreedelhi.blogspot.com/2024/02/affordable-opulence-exploring-vodka.html

[zooterchet]

How the West African Diamond Trade Works

Diamonds and gems, are priceless, in labor, but worthless, in technical trade.

Through application of the Talmud, the dog catching the ball; the ball in the cup; Hannibal Barca, whose forefather of friend Cicero, has commissioned such a work by the Aryans, has conceived a method of African labor.

Africans, are a hardy people, the key and entryway into any potential pogrom, the impossible and immune to the removal of a police practice held inside a system at debtor's fraud but upon removal of loyalty among common viewed; the patron and the patriot.

An unnecessary function, however made vital, due to the act of farming being held outside of common trade of farmed substances.

The common farm markets, being rice and guava and pineapple, macadamia and bean and squash, corn and tobacco and marijuana, and wheat and soy and rye, these products must be rotated, supporting horse, cow, and pig, with the foul markets of chicken and yak, being the secondary paired supports, the mountain crops.

Therefore, upon marriage, the guarantee of child, advertised through a product of common wealth, must be the pregnancy and wedlock; the freedom from slavery, the chapel, made by the assassin; the hitman, therefore empowered through sexual congress, through the nursing staff, the single mother by own vow of support function of bisexual, the heterosexual zen and empowered uterus devoted to own personal power of broad support, the female politician.

However, one can note, that this market, has to be supported by farm markets, for the African to be capable of supporting labor, during a short season, upon import by rich and vital needs, of any job potentially filling an African's life, however through the spread of family into secondary position; the instructor, of any military task, found through the soldier, the convict, the produce of a management class skilled and emparted through military adventure in recovery or war or administration.

Therefore, to pass this skill, the support of farms, through the African populace, and into the manied colours, of government, one must rely on it to move the farm market, the top soil's preservation for protein beef, out of secondary markets like canning, textiles, steel, petroleum, automotive, pharmaceutical, coal, and coffee, all supports for carpentry, the common household to imbue real estate to extermination of pests; cats and dogs, removed, replaced by mice, rats, birds, insects, spiders, and bats, the common implements of poverty accoutrement to keep the mutual guarantee of the educated alive, in the case of fall through inept mass, to prevent the spread of Lords of Vassal through farms of infantry, army, the cessation of topsoil and the dietary limitation of bigot, the victory parties in a war having betrayed over woman and taken slave, the hijab, the Jewess.

Hence, to purchase gems, one must have a ring, of gem; otherwise, if there is a product, of empatriation of debt of essential class, a rebel force must be inspected, to be given option to join, or otherwise support foreign power producing monetary gain; hence the minstrel, is to promote product, that which is a white man's bigot, seeking spouse of Klansmanship, contract fraud, entering in as African preacher, and then therefore, the census can conduct, to remove product from shelf in favor of proper support and surplus of convict and impoverished labor, seeking the white picket fence, apprenticeship and collegiate, the academic of trades supporting the market of roads and barters, the circus.

Beneath all of it, lays bread, the yeast, the mana; our most beloved tantamount, the homophobe; that of the privacy and freedom from family, to forge own destiny, the common destiny, a manifest of own life to merge and succumb, to a common genetic population, the African restricted, therefore given charity in numbers.

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for March 31

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for March 31 include Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Tetris, Murder Mystery 2, and more.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the new movie from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, is out today.

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Tetris

Tetris, the new movie from Jon S. Baird, is out today.

The game you couldn’t put down, the story you couldn’t make up.

Taron Egerton stars in a new Apple Original Film inspired by the true story of how one man risked his life to outsmart the KGB and turn Tetris into a worldwide sensation.

Murder Mystery 2

Murder Mystery 2, the new movie from Jeremy Garelick, is out today.

Four years after solving their first murder mystery, Nick and Audrey Spitz (Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston) are now full-time detectives struggling to get their private eye agency off the ground when they’re invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island. But trouble follows the Spitzes again when the groom is kidnapped for ransom soon after the festivities begin — making each glamorous guest, family member, and the bride herself a suspect. MURDER MYSTERY 2 sends Nick and Audrey Spitz on a high-stakes case that finally gives them everything they’ve ever dreamed of: a shot at their detective agency finally becoming successful… and their long-awaited trip to Paris.

Rye Lane

Rye Lane, the new movie from Raine Allen-Miller, is out today.

Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London - helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

Kill Boksoon

Kill Boksoon, the new movie from Sung-hyun Byun, is out today.

At work, she’s a renowned assassin. At home, she’s a single mom to a teenage daughter. Killing? That’s easy. It’s parenting that’s the hard part.

Space Oddity

Space Oddity, the new movie from Kyra Sedgwick, is out today.

When Alex gives up on earth and decides to leave it all behind for a one-way mission to Mars, an unexpected romance forces him to choose between an uncertain journey to the stars or an even more uncertain journey of the heart.

A Thousand And One

A Thousand And One, the new movie from A.V. Rockwell, is out today.

A THOUSAND AND ONE follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.

BAIT

BAIT, the new movie from Mark Jenkin, is out today.

Martin Ward is a cove fisherman, without a boat. His brother Steven has repurposed their father’s vessel as a tourist tripper, driving a wedge between the brothers. With their childhood home now a get-away for London money, Martin is displaced to the estate above the picturesque harbor.

Smoking Causes Coughing

Smoking Causes Coughing, the new movie from Quentin Dupieux, is out today.

SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING follows the misadventures of a team of five superheroes known as the Tobacco Force - Benzene (Gilles Lellouche), Nicotine (Anaïs Demoustier), Methanol (Vincent Lacoste), Mercury (Jean-Pascal Zadi), and Ammonia (Oulaya Amamra). After a devastating battle against a diabolical giant turtle, the Tobacco Force is sent on a mandatory week-long retreat to strengthen their decaying group cohesion. Their sojourn goes wonderfully well until Lézardin, Emperor of Evil, decides to annihilate planet Earth.

The Power

The Power, the new TV series from Raelle Tucker, Naomi Alderman, and Sarah Quintrell, is out today.

The world of The Power is our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The Power follows a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.

Troublemaker

Troublemaker, the new game from Gamecom Team and Freedom Games, is out today.

Grab a backpack, boxing tape, and focus on what high school is all about: Beating the ever loving crap out of one another! Troublemaker blends favorite action-adventure-beat-'em-up elements from the strongest traditions in the genre.

Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale

Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, the new album from Tyler, The Creator, is out today.

The Great Escape

The Great Escape, the new album from Larry June and The Alchemist, is out today.

I’M REALLY LIKE THAT

I’M REALLY LIKE THAT, the new album from DJ Drama, is out today.

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Spirited News: March 2nd 2021 Edition

GSN Spirited News: March 2nd 2021 Edition

Grey Goose has unveiled Essences, a new range of vodkas infused with real fruit and cold-distilled botanicals. The lineup will initially include Strawberry & Lemongrass, White Peach & Rosemary, and Watermelon & Basil expressions. The new range is at 30% abv and has no gluten, artificial ingredients, sugar or carbs. It’s aimed at the fast-growing at-home cocktail segment. Grey Goose Essences are…

[thebourbontruth]

Here are my 2021 favorite Whiskey options you can find for every budget. You can’t go wrong with these. They’re reliable, won’t ever let you down mixing or neat. Gifts or not. You should be able to get these in most of the US or acquired from other areas easily if not. They should also be on shelves at normal msrp or lower.

Barrell Bourbon/Whiskey

Many options and variations but I love the Bourbon Batches most. Expect $80-$100 for regular releases, more for extra special things. Keep an eye out for the private selections done by stores with great private barrel reputations. Stock up because it’s inevitable consumers will catch on that the brand keeps getting major awards and big ratings. I love the no BS transparent presentation too.

Makers Mark

A classic. Very nice Wheated Bourbon doing things right for more than 50 years. Put it in an empty Van Winkle 10 bottle, no one will know the difference. Great price with legendary consistency.

Woodford Reserve

So solid, so consistent and good. Super job blending this. It doesn’t get the credit it deserves amoung whiskey geeks. Gift or an everyday drinker, it’s every versatile. One of my top go to’s at bars without many whiskeys or for a nice value. If you’re a fan of fruity, sweet, caramel profile this is it.

Elijah Craig

A long time favorite. My everyday drinker that can easily fool most whiskey snobs at costing twice the typical $30ish price.

Angels Envy Bourbon

Great for gifting, newer Whiskey people that want a more approachable sweater profile. Created by Lincoln Henderson, one of the greatest whiskey minds we’ve had.

Basil Hayden 80 Proof

Best Bourbon for the new Bourbon fan. At 80 proof it’s very friendly and smooth. I personally prefer this regular original version over the new or older versions. Don’t add water, ice or dilute in cocktails. Makes a nice gift for the non snob or pouring an 80 proof blind to one.

Old Forester 1920

Not a Bourbon fan secret any longer. Very solid great high proofer for all uses. Has become a store shelf favorite to so many.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon and Rye

The WT brand rarely gets anything wrong. You’ll never go wrong with these higher proof bargains that should cost 2x.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Nice for gifting and a very nice 101 proof hiding in plain sight.

Wild Turkey Russels Reserve 10 Year Bourbon

An awesome 10 year Bourbon for $30-$40, who can’t love that!

Wild Turkey Russels Reserve Single Barrel Rye

Best Single Barrel Rye you’ll ever find sitting on most store shelves waiting for smart people to buy them.

Four Roses Small Batch

90 proof. 6-7 year great everyday for everything at $30-$35. It will hold up to just about anything blind.

Four Roses Small Batch Select-see above, just add non-chill filtering and 7% more abv. Limited Distribution States are expanding.

Lot 40 Rye

If you find an old 2012 bottling grab it. Even the current release is solid for $35-$40. A rare Canadian Rye that’s 100% rye. This one is often in the store’s Canadian Whisky section rather than with the Rye’s.

Wilderness Trail-all types

The more I learn about them and their plans, I get more giddy over what’s coming. They have a million+++ dollar lab testing to make sure everything is as close to perfect as possible —it shows. Shane, Pat and staff are fanatics to make the best. Tomorrow’s Van Winkle and Willett. Get it until you can’t. In about half the states but expanding.

Hillrock-all types

Small true craft place on a New York farm growing grain and making Bourbon, Rye and Single Malt. Quality and tasty. Makes very nice gifts especially for those seeking something different with a rich look. Around $100.

Willett Noah’s Mill

Defies logic. The world is going crazy for Willett, especially Willett Family Estate (WFE) bottlings. January 2021 Willitt’s 100% own house made Whiskey turns 9 years old. Noah’s is currently pulled from Willett’s own best 7-8 year old barrels- soon to be a year older (written 12/20). When WFE rarely drops at retail or the Visitor Center, they are $200-$300 and sell out in minutes, not hours. At near barrel proof of 114.3 and around $45-$55 a bottle, how is Noah’s Mill on the shelves at all? Like I said, “Defies logic” and should. One of the best, most accessible bottles you can find today. Near barrel proof is a bonus. Half the cost of the similarly age/proof Bookers. Noah’s is allocated and if the label simply said “WILLETT Noah’s Mill” stores would be charging $300 per bottle for it. It won’t take much for this to be the next one you wished you bunkered a few cases of while you could.

Charbay R5 Whiskey

This one is the most interesting and unique whiskey you’ll ever have. US Regs require them to call this “Hop Flavored” but there is no flavoring added. Double distilled from bottle ready Bear Republic’s Racer 5 IPA. There is no way to accurately describe it. People tend to love it or not. Read up on it but having or gifting it will show your depth and appreciation for different styles of Whiskey. If you’re a hop head get it. Well stocked stores are likely to have it in distribution states. Ask a manager if they have it as I’ve tended to see it in many sections other than whiskey. Charbay’s one of the oldest craft distilleries in the US. Doing Brandy since 1983 and hop whiskey since 1999.

Larceny

A nice Wheated Bourbon from the legacy of the Weller brand and Stitzel Weller distillery. Made by Heavanhill in Louisville at the distillery built to replace the aging Stitzel Weller plant. Larceny was rebranded from Old Fitzgerald, this $25-$30 Bourbon is a great bargain. If your searching for Wheated Bourbon, Weller, and your good with 92 Proof, 6-9 years old, this is it. Every bit as good or better than Weller. Note-They have a full proof version that is much less likely to be on the shelf at MSRP.

Buffalo Trace

Good solid everyday Bourbon with the same mashbill and recipe of it’s sister brands at higher proof like the Stagg’s people are nuts for right now. One of the few Buffalo Trace made Bourbons that you can find and is good in taste and price.

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream

Another weird one to be one of my favorite Whiskies. Many people don’t know it exists. It’s got loads of uses for desert, in coffee, baking and just something different to the Bourbon lover. A great nightcap to decompress or to have “one more” especially before driving. Cheaper and much better than Bailey’s, a nice substitute to stick to Bourbon but a variation. Great gateway to the non-bourbon drinker also.

Old Forester 100 proof

Tasty $20-$25 choice with a good proof kick. Very solid and hiding in plain sight. Here’s the thing— truly authentic Whiskey aficionados don’t judge each other on the expensive over the top cult booze that they have/drink. They judge on their depth, choice and guts to drink something great that’s not cool or pretentious like this one. Well known to good bartenders as their secret weapon for an inexpensive Bourbon.

Rittenhouse Rye 100 Proof Bottled in Bond-

Everything I just said about Old Forester 100 is true for this one but in a Rye. If it were ever discontinued, American Bartenders would start crying. You won’t find a better $20-25 rye or whiskey. Super versatile.

[jessethorn]

Some Los Angeles Tips

People are always asking me what they should do when they visit LA. I am by no means the greatest LA expert on earth, but I’ve lived here more than a decade now, and I have some ideas for you. Note that I live in the far Northeast corner of LA, and really rarely travel to the western half of town. So if you are looking for advice on Beverly Hills stuff or Malibu stuff or whatever, I am not that helpful. Also this is very subjective and really non-comprehensive in general. Just some stuff I like!

In General

Rent a car if you drive, but don't be afraid to take the bus or subway. There are some very long distances to traverse, and not everything is convenient to transit, but the transit is reasonably comfortable and efficient for a lot of purposes (going downtown, for example), particularly when combined with some judicious ride-sharing. There's plenty of parking everywhere, despite what Angelenos would have you think. Don't try to do too many things in one day, or cross town on the 10, 101 or 405 at anything even resembling rush hour (ie between like seven and ten thirty or three and seven on weekdays). Stick to one area for the day, maybe two.

The Museum of Jurassic Technology This is the best thing in Los Angeles and one of the best things in the world. It is part museum, part art project. To explain it much further might ruin the experience of visiting it, but please take my word that it is one of the most amazing places in the world.

The Watts Towers As the name suggests, they're in Watts, a bit out of the way for some trips, but absolutely without a doubt worth the travel. They're an incredible artwork/building built in a backyard out of rebar, concrete, glass and tile by an illiterate Italian immigrant in the mid-20th century. Worth signing up for a tour, they are cheap (it's a city park) and not all that long. There's also a little gallery on the site. One of the great works of American outsider art and a deeply beloved city treasure.

Other, More Regular Museums LACMA is a world-class art museum. The collection is a bit scattered (and as of this writing a wing is closed for renovation and replacement), but it's really good. It's in Mid-City on the Miracle Mile, and surrounded by other museums. The Petersen Automotive Museum is pretty cool if you're into cars. La Brea Tar Pits are more park than museum, but the museum is fun in a kitschy way, if you're into prehistoric creatures. It's also a nice place to eat lunch. In Exposition Park are a few major museums - the Natural History Museum is pretty good, though not better than others in other major cities (the Field Museum or whatever). The science museum is OK but significantly outclassed by the competition (it's no Exploratorium), though it does have a real space shuttle, which is pretty sweet. The Annenberg Space for Photography does what it says on the label. A good mid-size museum of photographs, check what show is up. The Broad is a nice contemporary art museum in a beautiful building that's right near Walt Disney Concert Hall, also an incredible building. They have a second campus in Little Tokyo that's very nice but smaller.

Architectural Stuff The LA Conservancy runs affordable walking tours that take you into some of the most fascinating built environments in LA. The subject matter ranges from Art Deco in downtown to the modern skyscrapers of the 50s through 90s. They're mostly Saturdays, but a few also run on weekdays. Can't recommend them enough if you're up for a couple hours of walking. You can go inside the Bradbury Building and up into the upper floors! It's cool. (The Conservancy also runs screenings in the big movie palaces downtown, which are mostly otherwise closed to the public. Definitely recommend those.) A couple of other architectural highlights: the Hollyhock House is in Barnsdall Park in Los Feliz. It's a restored Frank Lloyd Wright estate willed to the city many years ago that as of relatively recently runs regular tours. Also in the park is the city art museum of LA, which sometimes has some cool shows. Cal Poly Pomona students run tours on Saturdays of the Neutra VDL studio and residences in Silver Lake, which can be combined with a nice walk around the lake and some middle-aged-hipster watching. The Gamble House in Pasadena is an absolutely breathtaking craftsman mansion with a lot of

Griffith Park Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It has all kinds of stuff within it - the LA Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, some great hiking. It's a great place to spend some time. If you have little kids, they will love Travel Town, a train graveyard/museum that's inside the park (and free!). The zoo is good if you like zoos, though not incredibly great or anything. The Autry Museum of the American West is worth a visit if you're into that kind of thing.

The Grove I know that we talk about The Grove a lot on Jordan, Jesse, Go. Please do not waste your vacation time at the Grove. It's a mall. It's fine. This also applies to the Americana at Brand, which we sometimes talk about because we have talked about the Grove too much. Also a mall. A little nicer than some? I went there when I needed a new power cable for my Surface.

Dodger Stadium Look, I am a Giants fan and hate the Dodgers, but if you are a baseball fan, Dodger Stadium is a great place to watch a baseball game. Even I can admit that. Angel Stadium is about as generic as it gets, but if you go on a weekday you can take a train from Union Station in LA.

The Getty Center The Getty Center is a beautiful building on a breathtaking piece of real estate. It's pretty cool to visit, but be aware that most of the art is pretty early, so if you don't like busts or paintings of feasts and stuff from the bible, then it might not be your jam art-wise. And getting up there is a whole thing. That said: it really is a beautiful building and an incredible view, so you probably won't feel like it's a waste. And if you like busts, then get your ass over there.

Downtown Stuff I will again recommend the LA Conservancy's walking tours to get a flavor of downtown LA, which is very walkable and full of incredible stuff. The main library is a beautiful edifice, the history of which is detailed in Susan Orlean's The Library Book. Worth wandering around in. Grand Central Market is a great place to get a bite, though pretty bougie at this point. Right next to Grand Central Market is Angel's Flight, a block-long funicular that is a lot of fun and costs next to nothing. Besides this, there are still functional specialized commercial districts in downtown LA. The flower district is particularly fun - the big flower market opens early for wholesale sales but is open to the public and there are tons of stores selling silk and artificial flowers which are very fun to wander through. There are also areas with stores specializing in selling imported toys, store fixtures (a favorite of mine), jewelry and fabric. Most of the fabric is kinda garbage honestly but there is a good tailor supply store called B. Black and Sons and a great hat making store (worth visiting even if you don't make hats) called California Millinery Supply. FIDM also has a thrift store with cheap fabric leftover from LA-based factories.

Movies The Arclight is a fancy movie chain, and the Hollywood location (near Amoeba Records) is also the home of the Cinerama Dome, which is pretty fun. The Vista is a great single-screen theater on the east side. There are some great rep houses on the west side - check your local listings.

Comedy Stuff The UCB has a few great shows every night at both locations. It's hard to go wrong, though you should be aware you will be seeing things that are a little rougher than whatever makes it to your town as a road show. The signature improv show is Asssscat, which is absolutely as good as it gets. Dynasty Typewriter (right by our office) has a lot of great shows these days. A great standup show is Hot Tub at the Virgil. The big comedy clubs have pretty comedy-club-y comedy in them, not necessarily what I'd recommend, though you will certainly see a lot of relatively big names doing sets. The Improv Lab sometimes has MaxFun-adjacent headliners who've put together their own lineups, as does Flappers in Burbank. Largo has bigger-name shows of this variety as well, and if you go see a show there headlined by a Sarah Silverman or Patton Oswalt, the lineup will likely be packed with their pals, even if they aren't advertised.

Some Places To Eat This is NOT a comprehensive list. First: Jonathan Gold died a few years ago, but he is still the king of LA food. Anything he recommended in the Weekly or Times is still the gold standard (no pun intended). He was also a wonderful writer and a champion of foodways that are unfamiliar to many in LA, much less outside LA. If you are a food nerd, KCRW's Good Food is a superb local food show (and podcast) produced by Nick Liao, who used to work at MaxFun.

Philipe's The French Dip A restaurant that's been around for literally a century, with sawdust on the floor, big jars of pickled eggs, ladies in hairnets and really tasty French Dips. They have competing claims to having invented them but the other competitor turned into one of those goofy sleeve-garter-barman subway tile exposed lightbulb places about ten years ago. Philipe's is totally for real and great.

Pie N Burger This is just a burger place in Pasadena that sells classic SoCal-style burgers and is really great. Cash only, though.

Langer's The only one of the Jewish delis in LA that's really worth a special trip. The #19 (pastrami, cole slaw and swiss on rye) is truly one of the world's greatest foods. Pastrami here is better than anywhere else I've ever eaten, including those famous delis in New York.

Park's BBQ 

One of many great Korean BBQ restaurants in LA, but the only one recommended to me personally by Jonathan Gold. (I also like Soot Bull Jeep, which barbeques over charcoal and will leave you smelling like smoke, and Hae Jang Chong for all-you-can-eat.) (There are LOTS of different kinds of Korean food, but I am not an expert on the soups and blood sausages and bibimbaps and etc., but if you're adventurous, you could eat a different Korean food at a different spot every month in LA and make out well.)

Guelagetza Oaxacan food is one of the best kinds of food in the world, and Guelagetza is an LA institution that serves good-quality Oaxacan food. Moles, tlayudas, queso fundido. If you've never eaten any of this stuff, a couple of chicken moles are a great place to start (as is Guelagetza).

Dim Sum You can drive all the way to the San Gabriel Valley and eat at one of the many wonderful dim sum places there. That's where the best stuff is. If it's not worth a special trip to you, I like a place called Lunasia in Pasadena, and they also serve dim sum for dinner. Not a HUGE menu but good food.

Mozza This pizzeria, now a sort of group of restaurants, is an unimpeachably excellent Fancy Meal in LA. So (per my producer Kevin) are the other restaurants run by the same chef, Nancy Silverton.

The Dal Rae This is an old-timey fancy restaurant in Pico Rivera, a semi-industrial part of LA. It's just a great place to wear a suit to and eat Clams Casino. Famous for their table-made Caesar salad (legit great) and pepper steak (too peppery for me). Generally the food is excellent in a 1955 sort of way.

Bludsoe's Best Texas-style barbeque I've had outside of Texas. Used to be a window down by the airport, now a fancier place on La Brea, but I'm told the food is just as good at the fancy place.

Pupusas I love to eat pupusas. Maybe my favorite food. I really like to eat pupusas at Los Molcajetes on Hoover in Westlake (near Koreatown). Note they are weirdly big here (a regional variation of some kind) and they only take cash. (Note also this is one of 10,000 restaurants in LA named Los Molcajetes.)  I also sometimes eat at a nice sit-down Salvadoran place called Las Cazuelas on Figueroa in Highland Park.

In N Out In N Out is good! It will not change your life! But it is very tasty, especially for a $4 food! Some people complain about the fries, which are fresh-cut and fried only once and thus are less crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside than some others! I think they are fine! Try In N Out, why not! But maybe don't make a whole special trip to do so!

Tacos and Other SoCal Mexican Food Stuff Everyone has their own favorite taco places, and none of my favorites are so special they should be destinations. They are mostly my favorites because they are close to my home and work. But I can tell you that I like to get sit-down Mexican-American food at La Abeja on Figueroa in LA, where I eat a lot of carne adovada and enchiladas and sometimes albondigas or breakfast. I also really like to eat carne en su jugo at Carnes Asadas Pancho Lopez on Pasadena in Lincoln Heights. I eat tacos from Tacos La Estrella on York in Highland Park or the truck (with no name) across from the Mexican consulate on Park View at sixth in Westlake. At night I sometimes get cheap tacos (I like buche) from the place that opens up on Pasadena at Avenue 37. I like the shrimp and fish tacos at Via-Mar on Figueroa. I like Huaraches from Huaraches Azteca on York. The burritos at Yuca’s in Los Feliz (or Pasadena) are great, though they are totally different from the SF-style burritos that I grew up eating. I sometimes get nachos at Carnitas Michoacan on Broadway in Lincoln Heights, which feature meat and cheese sauce and are gross but also really, really good.  I have also eaten at the very fancy Mexican restaurant Border Grill and to be honest it is really good even though the interior feels a little like a cross between a fancy restaurant in 1989 and a Chili's.

El Coyote This is a famous Mexican-American restaurant from the early part of the 20th century, but you shouldn't go there because the food sucks.

Stores I Like This is going to be REAL subjective, but a few stores I like which sell the kinda stuff you'd expect me to want. &etc - A great (small) antique store at 1913 Fremont in Pasadena. The Last Bookstore - A downtown bookstore that is the closest thing to a "destination" book store in LA. Good selection and reasonable prices on used books, and a nice art book room. (Records as well, but they're not very good.) Gimme Gimme Records - I like this record store in Highland Park. You'll pay retail here, but reasonable retail, and the selection (while not immense) is really excellent. Good stuff in all genres.

Secret Headquarters - One time at this small comics store in Silver Lake the lady at the counter asked if I was Jesse from Jordan Jesse Go and they won my business forever in that moment. Don Ville - My friend Raul makes and sells shoes (and repairs them!) in the northern part of Koreatown. If you have the dough, get him to make you some shoes! The Bloke - A really great little menswear store in Pasadena. Sells cool (expensive) trad-ish brands like Drake's and Hilditch & Key and Alden. The Good Liver - A beautiful shop in Little Tokyo specializing in perfect home goods. The perfect scissors, the perfect dish towel and so forth. Some things are expensive, some aren't. H Lorenzo Archive - The "outlet" shop of a designer clothing store on the west side. Discounts aren't huge, but the selection is really interesting, and they have a good collection of one of my favorite brands, Kapital. Sid Mashburn - Excellent classic clothing shop on the west side. Suit Supply & Uniqlo - if you haven't got these where you live, they're the places I usually send people for reasonably-priced tailored clothes (Suit Supply) and cheap basics (Uniqlo). Olvera Street - This is an old-timey tourist attraction, a street of folks selling Mexican handcrafts (and their Chinese-made analogs). Right near Union Station and Philipe's, and a great place to buy factory-made huaraches (the shoes, not the food). They even have sizes big enough for me, which is pretty much impossible to find in Mexico or most Mexican-American shoe stores. Thrift Stores - I go to a lot of thrift stores but if I told you which ones you might buy something I would have bought so I'm not going to tell you which thrift stores.

Flea Markets You may know I am at the flea market every weekend. The good fleas are on Sundays, and there's one every week. First Sunday of the month is Pasadena City College, a big (and free) market with pretty reasonable pricing. PCC has a pretty big record section in addition to the regular flea market stuff. Second weekend is the famous Rose Bowl flea, which is HUGE and has a big new goods section (blech) and vintage clothing area (good!). Third weekend is Long Beach Airport, which is a great overall show. Fourth is Santa Monica airport, which is smaller and a little fancier but very nice. The Valley flea is also fourth Sundays, at Pierce College, and that's not huge but sometimes surprises me. With all of these, the earlier you can arrive, the better you'll do (not least for weather reasons). I usually try to get there around 7:30 or 8:00. The Rose Bowl in particularl is a 4-6 hour operation if you do most of it. There are also a lot of swap meets - I don't know enought to recommend any in particular, but these are much more about tube socks and batteries and bootleg movies than antiques and collectibles. Still can be fun, though, and are certainly a proud SoCal tradition. (The Silverlake Flea and the Melrose Trading Post are garbage, don't go there.)

Going to the Beach I'm not a huge beach goer, but by all means go to the beach if that's your thing. The Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica is a great place to base your operation, though you have to arrive in the morning on busy days to get a parking spot.

Kid Stuff I mentioned Travel Town, that's pretty great. Kidspace in Pasadena is a very good children's museum. The Bob Baker Marionette Theater is a great place to see a marionette show straight out of 1966. There's a good aquarium in Long Beach though it's a bit nutty there on weekends, and the zoo in Griffith Park is a good zoo. I really like Descanso Gardens, a big botanical garden northeast of LA. Huntington Gardens is also very nice, though it's much more expensive and hotter.

Geography Los Angeles is BIG. I'd say try to spend each of your days within about a sixth of it, geographically. It's entirely possible to do west side and east side stuff on the same trip, but don't try to do them on the same day. Look at a map and look at driving times when you're planning. Neighborhoods in LA are BIG, geographically speaking, don't assume two things in the same neighborhood are an easy walk. There aren't a ton of urban neighborhoods suitable for wandering in the way there are in some places. A few manageable general areas for stuff you might like: Silverlake/Los Feliz/Echo Park, Koreatown, Highland Park, downtown, Little Tokyo and the Arts District. (I live in the northeast part of town, and don't spend much time on the west side, which is one reason why this list focuses more on east side stuff. Some folks like West Hollywood and Venice on the west side. Long Beach and Pasadena are both neat towns with their own thing going on that might be worth a visit, too.)

Books & Media The Great Los Angeles Book is probably City of Quartz, a socialist-leaning history of LA. I really loved Susan Orlean's The Library Book, which is about the library as an institution, but also specifically the LA central library and the mysterious fire that nearly destroyed it. And a wild guy named Charles Lummis who was one of the founding fathers of LA culture and was really something else. (You can visit his house - it's right off the 110 near Highland Park.) An LA movie I love is The Long Goodbye, which is sort of a predecessor/inspiration for The Big Lebowski. A shaggy mystery directed by Altman where Elliott Gould just sort of wanders around LA. Another really cool one is Los Angeles Plays Itself, a long (long!) film essay about the ways the real Los Angeles has been used to create fictional worlds in film over the decades.

TV Tapings I'm not an expert in TV tapings. I can say that I've been to a few Conan tapings, and while it takes a LOOOOONG time to get in there, the show is fun to watch live. This is generally true of talk shows and most game shows, which tape more or less as-live. Sitcoms take WAY longer than you were expecting them to. Make sure to try to book tickets early if you have something you want to see. No matter what it's a most-of-the-day thing.

Nightlife Is a word that describes evening activities - especially dance clubs. I am old and don't know about these things.

The Magic Castle I can't get you in, please don't ask me to. I went a couple times. It's fine. If you're not into magic you're not missing too much. If you are, then obviously, it's a priority.

The Walk of Fame and Hollywood Not recommended, not worth it, don't bother.

Disneyland Why would you want my opinion about Disneyland? It's Disneyland. You're in or you're out.

San Diego If you happen to plan a side trip to San Diego, you can take the Amtrak there, and it is a breathtakingly beautiful and exceedingly pleasant trip. I have no San Diego expertise to impart beyond that, however.

[thepilgrimofwar]

Warplanning 1 - Edited Roll20 Log

[Backdated to after Whiskey & Rye and before Business as Usual & An Offering unto War]

[Event Start]

The day after the funeral had filled itself with both tension and dread. Messages and letters came and went. They were a mix of requests for help, proclamations to the people of the realm, declarations of war and eagerly awaited responses. But the highlight of the day began in earnest after the arrival of soldiers and sell-swords from across the realm, and the War Meeting was delayed as long as it could be in anticipation for the officers, retainers, friends, and ex-colleagues of those from the Sunguard.

Beathyn called together everyone in the manor who had answered the calls for help from himself, Vissehn, Lirelle. “Please gather round, by the dining hall!” He yelled, through the manor. He’d have used a dinner if Solendis had let him. That always seemed to gather people faster than anything official he could say outloud.

Judereth looks out at everyone gathered in the dining hall. Before the Lord of the Emberglades was the map of the provinces. Banners and tokens lay across its surface, moved to represent the forces at play. "Thank you all for coming. I am Judereth Swiftquiver. Banneret of what remains of the soldiers of the Heartland and all of its militia." She nods at Stenden.

Stenden speaks up, briefing the ones round the table. "So, the news is in and the die is cast. House Illithia, whose assassins had graced us with their presence yesterday- Is backed by House Goodember. Opening two fronts- East and West-" He marks it out on the map infront of him.

Stenden:"House Wintergale has refused to answer our pleas for help. Declaring their independence and swearing fealty directly to the crown. We'll... Need to address this eventually. But at least we don't have a third front to worry about in the South."

"So we are alone." He states.

Thanidiel:"Neutrality isn't a bad thing. It fucks the enemy's movements too."

Ethalarian sits with his arms folded across his chest as the situation is laid bare to the group. He drums his fingers on his biceps and gives a slight shake of his head. "So business as usual for us: outnumbered and outflanked with unreliable help."

Lirelle |“The Cloudrend Glades can be dealt with once this war is over. Once we have destroyed the greater threat we can march what forces we have up there to replace him with someone more loyal.” She glances at Zarannis. A suggestion perhaps.

Esheyn rolls her shoulders. "Business as usual, indeed. Nothing we aren't accustomed to."

Ethalarian nods across the table to Esheyn.

Thanidiel:"Last I remember, Sederis never spoke well of this... Goodember, right? Can he be intimidated back into line?"

Stenden he looks to the ones gathered at the table. All of them had answered the call, some of them knowing full well of the consequences. He hears that this seems to be business as usual to those gathered at the table and doesn't know if he should smile or frown. "That's... Good, I suppose. Given current circumstances. If it is in-fact business as usual. But as it stands, it looks like a desperate situation to the militia and citizens of the Heartlands."

Lirelle:“Goodember is fat, weak, and stupid. Use him to set an example, we have already delayed a counterattack for far too long. You need to strike now to send a message, show them what happens to traitors.”

Isilos nodded to Lirelle, he was proud death didn't change her too much.

Oosaarn:"Unless you got friends hiding somewhere, pick the weaker opponents off first. Leave just enough to hold off the other until you can send your full might against them."

Judereth:"I've already have men digging in on both fronts- Repelling what advances have already been made in the past  hours. Are you suggesting that we... Attack?"

Oosaarn:"Would you rather sit here and wait to be torn in two?"

Lirelle nods. "As we should have, days ago."

Judereth:"Days ago? With who might I ask? I'm still mobilizing the majority of the militia- And the garrisons are barely enough to hold the line as it is."

Lirelle:"Inaction comes off as weakness. I'm sure you have more than a handful of men who are eager to taste their first battle? The best of those should have been sent out to skirmish once war was declared."

Thanidiel:"Dawnstalker is here, we have Crows and two dozen of my personal followers."

Ethalarian Dawnstalker grunts.

Thanidiel:"Furthermore - we don't even have to field enough to annihilate them. We just need to find the weak aristocracy you're so fond of around here and dangle him and his offspring off the walls until he pledges his swords."

[Dealing with Shalemarch & House Goodember]

Lirelle:"With the Crows I can have Goodember's head for you in two days."

Lirelle points at Aravel. "They know the way into his manor, likely as not."

Thanidiel:"Who are you?"

Aravel smiles. "I'm nobody, at least on paper. Dawnveil will not get involved in this, but well, we're free citizens, and a chance to take that pompous bastard down a peg is always welcomed." She turns to Judereth. "There's twenty more outside, we'll need uniforms. Can't have people seeing us in our armour, even if it is better."

Stenden smiles as Aravel speaks up. "We're glad to have your assistance, as unofficial as it is."

Ethalarian:"Barring that, your people have a thing for honorable oaths and strength of arm don't they?"

Stenden turns towards Ethalarian, "And they do. Oaths are what hold the land together. At least they did before these... Unruly lords broke theirs."

Judereth shook her head. "I'm not sure if you've ever worked with militia before Ms. Dawnbrook. Organizing and gathering strength is not inaction. Perhaps you might have the luxury of professional troops but I do not. But no matter. If you think you can mount a counter offensive, I can provide you with the best and most eager troops available. They'll be glad to be of aid."

Thanidiel:"Oaths are interpretable. Do not rely on them."

Ethalarian shrugs again. "Then call them out. Publically. If you think it worth the effort, single combat is something of a specialty of mine." The knight scratches his chin and blows out a sigh. "I don't know much about these lands, but I could always embarrass these Houses and their Champions for you."

Ethalarian:"If that doesn't work, you can always go with Highdawn dangling their children from battlements. That's something of a specialty of hers."

Oosaarn:I'm neither sooldier nor Sunguard anymore. I fight for whatever cause I choose whenever I damn well please."

Judereth:"That is good to know."

Lirelle nods at Judereth. "Save your men. The less we go in with, the better. The mountains are hard enough to pass with just a handful of people."

Thanidiel:"I do the dirty work," is her plain agreement. She can't deny that even if he is not saying it out of camaraderie.

Ethalarian is definitely not.

Judereth turns towards Lirelle. "You say, you can give me Lord Goodember's head in days." She states skeptically.

Lirelle:"By weeks end."

Judereth:"Behind enemy lines. Which could be thousands- If Goodember has mobilized at the rate we have."

Vissehn yawns and rubs the back of his neck, only just now tuning in. "I mean why can't we assassinate the dude back?"

Vissehn:"Like. Just off him. He doesn't have fuckin' friends like us waiting in the wings."

Vissehn motions down the table to the gathered killers and soliders.

Lirelle simply motions at Aravel.

Ethalarian wonders which of those categories he falls into.

Solendis clears his throat. "As much as I'd like to say that we shouldn't- Due to diplomatic repercussions. Assassination will serve us best in these... Times."

Thanidiel:"What are numbers? He cannot fit his thousands in his castle, 'lest he is tucking them under his gut."

Muroco stretches his limbs with indifference, his plates creaking with the motion.

Vissehn looks to Solendis. "I'm just saying he's a shit grandfather, not like you're gonna be missing Wintersveil gifts or summar."

Thanidiel:"Two men fit in a corridor. And I doubt he will ever be expecting or or have men swift enough to catch up to us when we're in."

Judereth:nods at Thanidiel. "His troops are too busy mounting assaults on the Eastern lines worry about protecting their manor. At most he'll have his houseguard with him. Good men, but few in number. Majority of them paid mercenaries."

Vissehn hooks a thumb at Thanidiel! She's Smart! Smartest tin can!

Aravel points a finger at the map, directly at the mountain range that stretched across the flank of Shalemarch. "We know the ways in and out of here. His estate sits right up against the mountain, in what used to be a quarry before his ancestors plundered it. A quarry which is... fairly well mapped. Like she says, I can guide a portion of her men right up to his door, but the rest is on her."

Ethalarian:"Is he going to be worth a shit if we do?"

Lirelle:"If you strike his forces on the front itself to take attention away, the Crows and I will only need one night."

Stenden frowns. "If we're going to kill Nelio Goodember, we must be prepared for all of Shalemarch to fall into chaos shortly after. They'll be out of the war, but I am not sure if I want to consign the entire province to the whims of mercenaries and sell-swords that no doubt make up the core of their forces."

Esheyn:"He could be used as a bargaining chip."

Esheyn shrugs.

Stenden:"I'd prefer to have him captured." He nods at Esheyn. "And used to bargain if possible."

Thanidiel:"You hold him in a cell with his stupid little noble stamp and you now have full control of Shalemarch."

Lirelle:"Kill him."

Thanidiel:"No disorder, no unexpected variables."

Lirelle:"Kill him and offer his men a pardon if they fight for their true lord."

Vissehn:"Hostages are good leverage."

Thanidiel:"Pardons are only good when you overwhelm them."

Judereth smiles at the turn of events. "Either works for me. My job is to win."

Thanidiel:"Otherwise it's easier to go bandit like the boy said."

Ethalarian shrugs and goes back to leaning in his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose. He looks very, very tired.

Thanidiel:"Proxy control is simply the most strategic way to keep a people in order."

Lirelle:"Goodember's only worth as a bargaining chip is his men. If they can be acquired in some other fashion, he is much more worth it as a cautionary example. Garris himself would know better, but lesser mercenary companies can always be absorbed under a stronger banner."

Vissehn:"Barring, uh. Present company, its usually harder to un-dead a person than to just keep 'em alive just in case and you can also kill them in the end if it becomes necessary."

Stenden claps his hands. "If what you say is true, and you are absolutely confident in success given your... History. I approve." He looks to Lirelle. "Capture Goodember. Bring him back here and we'll see if we can bring an entire front to a close by the end of the week." He looks to Judereth. "Banneret- Hold the line.Don't cause death if you don't have to. Remember that our enemies will be our citizens once this war is done with."

Esheyn 's stony expression melts just a bit at that, her lips twisting into a smirk.

Vissehn grins at Esheyn! See! He's helping!

Lirelle:"Heads are lighter. Do you know how fat he is?"

Iiloridan coughs from his end of the table, torn between horror and dark amusement.

Stenden frowns even more at Lirelle's comment.

Thanidiel:"I can go with you."

Thanidiel:"What is your noble to a goblin king?"

Lirelle:"Much taller, for one."

Thanidiel:"Like rotted lumber."

Thanidiel does not at all seem serious.

Ethalarian:"You two haven't lost your touch I see."

Vissehn:"It's like old times, could wipe away a tear."

Esheyn:"Some things never change."

Thanidiel just kinda, grunts back to the peanut gallery just like Ethalarian did earlier. "I would recommend the ex-Pathfinders amongst us if anyone were to support Lirelle."

Lirelle looks at Stenden for a few seconds, weighing up whether she should press the point now or in private. At last she ends with "If you insist on him being alive, I will do my best."

Lirelle:"I'll make sure to tell Garris you volunteered him for the heavy lifting Highdawn."

Vissehn lifts his hand.

Lirelle nods at Vissehn. "Come to my rooms later, we can speak about the details."

Judereth smiles. "That's one front I don't have to worry about then. If that is so, I can send the majority of the militia west-wards to the front with Illithia." He looks at Lirelle, then nods at her. "I'll be able to mount a massive counter-offensive." She looks at the others at the table. "The Emberglades rely on militia, Illithia included. They are vast in numbers but are ultimately no more than peasants who drill every couple of years. None are blooded. None have seen combat- All of those that did, perished with Sederis, light rest his soul. That said, I'd like to make use you and yours as shock troops- The tip of the spear that I intend to drive deep into the heart of Illithia."

Thanidiel:"Sometimes the hatchling has to be kicked out of the nest," is her retort to the woman alongside her.

"--I do not think anyone here will turn down a jaunt into frontlines."

Ethalarian had opened his mouth to ask a question, only to have it answered for him. Tired eyes give Judereth a once-over and he purses his lips, rolling the idea around a little.

Judereth:"If there are no objections, I'll have the rest of out who aren't involved in this... Subterfuge, marching with the troops westwards. I'll provide you with the best men I can. Provided that you're up to the challenge of commanding them.”

[Dealing with matters of the frontlines]

Orbaniwix "AHEM." A goblin clears his throat in the corner of the room. "Or- if militia ain't your thing! Me and present company prefer to be paid in coin- rather than debt!"

Thanidiel:"--what is that?"

'Where is that sound coming from?"

Ethalarian:"A buzzing fly."

Thanidiel:"That must be why it came from near Fish."

Beathyn waggles his finger at the goblin and men in the corner. "That is Orbaniwix- Gun maker- Cannon Maker- and over all mercenary agent. I invited him because I thought we might need some extra... fire-power."

Ethalarian:"Ah, yes. Goblin firearms. Well renowned for their reliability, especially if you prefer them blowing up in your face."

Orbaniwix folds his arms in disatisfaction at Thanidiel's mannerisms. Tapping his foot on the crate he stands on. "Well. In either case, if you need men, I've got men, if you need guns, I've got guns. Take it or leave it."

Muroco sighs, the bass of his voice rumbling as he wipes one of his hands down his face.

Vissehn looked at the goblin and nodded. One litle Creachur to another.

Zwiess Mercenary eyes the Goblin, then looks at the others in the room. "We're men of quality. Even if our... Agent doesn't make it seem so."

Thanidiel:"I do not believe much of us have expertise in firearms aside from... Beathyn."

Thanidiel squints at Iilordian. Maybe if his cousin were here...

Beathyn spreads his arms as wide as he can. "Big Guns- Not just Firearms-" he has a grin on his face as he says this.

Winged Hussar:"In either case, our horses are ready. If shock troops are what you need, Baneret. You can make use of us if the others will not."

Vissehn:"Wait like canons."

Beathyn nods excitedly at Vissehn.

Thanidiel:"That is what is implied that a 'Cannon-maker' produces."

Iiloridan casts an faux-innocent look Thanidiel's way. 'Fire the cannons' who?

Vissehn leans forward. He is definitely sipping that starbucks and not paying attention. "I want canons."

Orbaniwix claps his oversized hands together. "Excellent! You'll be able to pick one up for the low-low price of Nine-ninety-nine!"

Thanidiel:"Nine-ninety-nine what?"

"Bushels of wheat?"

Ethalarian quietly wonders how he continually finds himself in the company of such...-colorful- people, for lack of a better term. He should've said no.

Thanidiel:"What does 'one' imply here?"

Orbaniwix throws his hands in the air. "Big ones! Gold! Coin!" Thanidel had successfully exasperated the little green man.

Thanidiel:"Hmm."

[Dealing with House Wintergale & The Cloudrend Glades]

Zarannis waits until the attention returns to the map at hand. "What of Wintergale?" she states, leaving her question hanging in the air.

Thanidiel:"What is your tie to Wintergale?"

Vissehn looks at the familiar tattoo on Zarannis face and his expression immediately sours.

Zarannis:"None, officially. I was disowned two-centuries back."

Vissehn:"Yeah and went slummin."

Muroco:"I'll just wait outside until this is all done."

Zarannis ignores the youth. It wasn't worth fighting over at this time of the afternoon.

Lirelle:"As I said, Wintergale can be dealt with after we get rid of Ilithia."

Thanidiel lofts a single platinum brow across the way to Vissehn. An ear flicks. Confusion is plainly there as her attention dies.

Stenden:"Like Dawnbrook said. We will deal with them at a later date. Their loyalty, officially as recognized under the Crown, lies with Emberheart. So we'll have just cause."

Thanidiel:"If they're independent, they're an obstacle to -everyone-, not just Emberheart. It's a... good thing, and can be afforded to handle on a different day."

Ethalarian casts a quick sidelong glance at Oosaarn. The big Orc was being oddly quiet. Wasn't this one always going on about death and honor and other...Orc things? Odd.

Vissehn cants his head. "I can confirm if they're really as neutral as they're claimin."

Beathyn raises a hand. "Might I interject- Couldn't we... Talk to them? You said it yourself young Lord. Enemies today are our citizens tomorrow. Why not just hasten the process? We might be able to open a second front on Illithia and flip the entire war on its head."

Vissehn:"I got friends in the Hawks still, don't take much to bypass a seal an' read a letter."

Vissehn snorts at Beathyn. "Like they'd tell the honest truth."

Zarannis frowns. "Disowned or not. I'd prefer if we didn't have to kill my countrymen."

Zarannis:"The Wintergales are an honest bunch."

Thanidiel:"No one said anything about killing."

Ethalarian:"Technically anyone we kill are your countrymen."

Thanidiel:"Though I understand the jump."

Zarannis squints at Thanidiel. "When it comes to how the Emberhearts deal with people later. It usually ends in killing."

Vissehn looks to Stenden. "I'm gonna read their mail and see what we got on 'em." It's not phrased as a request.

Lirelle:"Your father made that decision for them already. Unless you care to reverse it?"

Thanidiel:"Then maybe it's up to you to figure out a way to handle it earlier."

Stenden shoots a look at Zarannis. "Enough." They can smell the scent of whiskey off her and took that into account. "Is there anyone else here willing to speak with them at all?"

Zarannis folds her arms. Not liking the implications they were making of what she should do.

Thanidiel:"I do not wish to accompany Lirelle on matters of subterfuge as much as I value our companionship. But I would pledge to the frontlines or... strongarming as desired by the Lordling here."

Ethalarian:"Define 'speak' with them."

Thanidiel:"--I want Dawnstalker with me too in the latter case."

Ethalarian 's ear flicks.

Thanidiel:"Bad Blood Knight... and Bad Blood Knight." She says this so deadpan.

Lirelle:"I agree that your real value lies on the field Highdawn, but I appreciate the sentiment."

Ethalarian SQUINTS.

Thanidiel:"Esheyn can be the Good Blood Knight."

Beathyn waves his arms at Ethalarian. "Actually speak with them."

Esheyn tilts her head, that smirk still on her face. "But of course."

Beathyn:"I'll be willing to go. On your behalf of course." He gestures to the family.

Vissehn shoots Beathyn a LOOK. He won't be one upped! "I can do that too. And read their mail. But also talk."

Thanidiel:"You're already with Lirelle."

Vissehn:"I can go lots of places--"

Thanidiel:'You have to choose your parent."

Esheyn:"Two Winter Veils."

Thanidiel smiles ever-so minutely with Esheyn's backup there.

Vissehn squints.

[Summary]

Judereth continues. "After we break their front-lines and have them on the run. You'll be free to... Do what you've planned."

Judereth leans forward over the warmap. "So. Lirelle and company will take care of Goodember. Freeing up my men for a counter-attack against Illithia." She moves the tokens to illustrate. "We'll hold then in the east."

Ethalarian:"About the only thing I'm good for is swinging a sword." He shrugs again for the fiftieth time tonight because that's apparently his default mode of communication. He's very expressive. Clearly.

Stenden nods. "To speak Wintergale and see what can be done about his loyalty. Preferably without bloodshed."

Ethalarian barks a very, very short laugh. That's optimistic.

Thanidiel:"Maybe the disowned one will be sober by then." Ouch.

Lirelle:"She's smelled like that for days now."

Zarannis tsked. But made no other response. Knowing that she was absolutely right.

Thanidiel:"I'm surprised you smell."

Lirelle:"When she smells that strongly, I can pick up the scent."

Thanidiel:"Consider a spar or 'thistle to burn off your feelings."

Ethalarian:"I could use a warmup. And a drink."

Stenden gives all of them smile. A growing hope began to rise in his chest. If this worked- If all of it played out as he had hoped- Then the war could be won after all.

[Event End]