#The North Valley Grimoire

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[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 5/31

SUMMA SUMMA SUMMA TIIIIIIIIME

Flic: The True Story Of The Journalist Who Infiltrated The Police GN - Valentin Gendrot, Frank Wynne &Thierry Chavant

What happens behind the walls of a police station? In order to answer this question, undercover journalist Valentin Gendrot puts his life on hold for two years. He decides to undertake training and become a police officer. Several months later, Gendrot is working in a police station in one of the tough northern arrondissements of Paris, where relations between the law and locals are strained. Asking important questions about who holds institutional power and how we can hold them to account, Flic is a gripping exposé of a world never before seen by outsiders.

Frida Kahlo: Her Life, Her Work, Her Home GN -  Francisco De La Mora

Frida Kahlo, remembered as one of the most inspiring personalities of the 20th century, was a woman of two intertwined parts: she was both a charismatic and empowered artist exploring themes of resistance, authenticity, cruelty, and suffering, and a more private person whose wounded body caused her a lifetime of pain that underpinned the many successes and disappointments that marked her time in the world. Revealing and exploring these two Fridas, Francisco de la Mora's graphic biography-completed with the endorsement and support of the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City-allows the reader to see just how far ahead of her time this complex artist was in her understanding of gender inequality and the culture of machismo, topics that remain relevant to this day and continue to lend resonance to Kahlo's painting.

Listen, Beautiful Marcia GN -  Marcello Quintanilha

Márcia is a nurse in a hospital near Rio and lives in a favela with herboyfriend, Aluisio, and her daughter, Jaqueline, whom she had very young with another man. Jaqueline, a troubled young adult, makes life difficult for her mother and Aluisio and rebelliously hangs out with members of a neighborhood gang, leading to violent altercations between mother and daughter. The situation degenerates even more when Jaqueline is arrested. Márcia and Aluisio, distraught, realize that Jaqueline is in deeper trouble than they ever thought.

Me & My Beast Boss GN Vol 1 -  Shiroinu

In a world where beastfolk are thought to be superior to humans, human office worker Saki Oki struggles to remain afloat in a company where she is belittled and tormented by her beastfolk colleagues and superiors. And so, when she is called into the CEO's office, she's prepared for the worst-but instead of firing Saki, he acknowledges her hard work and makes her his private secretary! She's delighted by his praise...but could that really be the only reason her heart is racing so fast?  

The North Valley Grimoire #1 (of 6) -  Blake Northcott, Giuseppe Cafaro & Fay Dalton

SPYCRAFT MEETS SPELLCRAFT in North Valley: a slick, James Bond-style adventure fused with the supernatural suspense of The Magicians. In this thrilling debut, a CIA black-ops division clandestinely hunts - and eliminates - the most dangerous threat in history: MAGICK. On a routine assignment, Agent Malek discovers a grimoire more powerful than a nuclear weapon ... but when The Agency wants to recover the spellbook instead of destroy it, he begins to question their endgame.

Pathfinder: Wake The Dead #1 -  Fred Van Lente, Eman Casallos & Steve Ellis

The tantalizing prospect of a rendezvous with a Geb defector in possession of priceless secrets from that undead nation brings a diverse group of adventurers to the Nexian metropolis of Ecanus. When they find themselves cornered by the city's remorseless Deathsealers, can the Iconics band together for survival & escape a city full of hostile wizards alive?

The Savage Strength Of StarStorm #1 -  Drew Craig & Jason Finestone  Orphaned amnesiac high school student Grant Garrison is just attempting to navigate his present and recall his past when a meteor decimates his school. In the rubble, Grant discovers a strange artifact from another galaxy, the weapon known as the Starstorm, and the power that resides within it will determine not only his and his friends' future-but the fate of the entire universe.

Starman: David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust Years GN  -  Reinhard Kleist

In 1972, the rock 'n' roll messiah Ziggy Stardust was born. His provocative play on sexual identity and gender roles laid the foundation for David Bowie's ascent to legendary status as one of the most successful pop musicians of all time. Reinhard Kleist weaves the gripping tale of this dazzling character's genesis, tracing both Bowie's hapless efforts on the London music scene before Ziggy's conception and his struggles with his own creation at the height of his fame. As Bowie transforms himself, ever more dizzyingly, into a self-portrait of an egocentric rock star, his extravagant lifestyle threatens to bring the real world collapsing around his ears. This publication has not been prepared, approved, authorized or licensed by the David Bowie estate or any related entity.

Whatcha getting to kick off the summer, Fantom Fam?

[rionas-path]

Chapter 16

A Crack in thy Spirit

CLII. She ran as fast as legs could carry, often stumbling down, ‘Fore abusing the flow to catch her fall, finding safer ground. This path out of the valley was steep and with danger abound; A remnant of a flooding stream adorned in a winter’s gown. The stones beneath the thawing snow shuffled briskly about As she breezed downwards ever faster, mindless in her rout. For terrifying, gnawing screeches will rapidly drown The valley with its cacophony of savage renown.

CLIII. Abruptly, the Guardians became her greatest nemeses. The white peaks looked down at her with scorn, yet she could not spot The shadowed beasts; to boot, the goddess was by languor besot No longer, disorienting the lass in her moment of unease. The reigns then felt a potent tug from deep within her frame, Which caused her to stumble again. The Witch began to reclaim Her clouded sight, peering through shut eyelids: “Lass, tellest me, please, Where are we? What hath happened? My head in pain, pierced, displeased!”

CLIV. Blood continued to rush through her stiffened and sharpened muscles, The hurry barely holding back her yielding state of mind. She answered the divine’s plea: “Oh gods! I’ve done a deed maligned, Aurianne! Such A fool I’ve been, and of course these troubles Would find thee awaken and uncover my wretched folly!” The witch was puzzled: “Of what dost thou speakest? Utter calmly, Young fawn; what uncovered folly? Thy haphazard rush puzzles Me utterly.” She stumbled and slurred through her words with struggles.

CLV. The lass felt that same blood which fuelled her strength rush to her head: “Please, do not seekest out thy anger’s scorn, promise me this! I had not known, forgotten the lore which one cannot dismiss; The same lore thou hath given me, guided me to carefully tread! I finally saw a freedom, a solitude, a wonderous thing; And in my arrogance, the final days of the world I bring!” She huffed and sobbed, as tension flared up like a sickening dread Filling every corner inside her chest, yet no tear was shed.

CLVI. Aurianne began gathering her wayward composure: “What sayest thee?! What hast thou done, my pet? Oh, please young lass, Pray tell I say, what folly hast thou wrought in my mind’s loss?” Ríona hesitated as her wits began a closure. Unconsciously, she pulled back from this incognizant instinct; In doing so, uncovering her secrets in an instant, Barely keeping a hold from the grimoire’s lore exposure. Alas, all other secrets were made bare in her wits’ enclosure.

CLVII. Due to such concentration, she slipped again and fell lower Down the valley’s path, bruising her shin, cursing into the void; And thus, Aurianne now saw all that occurred. Now purely devoid Of all its mist. She put all the muddled clues together ‘fore her, Revealing her plan had been expertly spurred into action By Sky, who played the part unknowingly with great attraction. While Ríona’s unfettered use of flow was a foolish error Which drew the beasts to the boundary, ‘twas not the darkest of terror.

CLVIII. Nay, a penultimate push was yet to be required, And the Witch would make sure of that. She swore in a feigned huff: “By the Curse! Hast thou no reason anymore?” However, too gruff Were such words. Hence, she turned to a tone fiery and inspired: “All be damned, ‘tis what thou hast been bred for! Thou art of Mockwir! Blood of warriors, kings, to those values thou mustest adhere! Blood which brought the north to their knees in eras long retired And now will lead thee through this age which is in darkness mired.”

CLIX. “I am thy patron; I’ve always been! I gave thee cunning, I had given thee wit! I shan’t ever leave thy side, my apple!” Said the goddess, alas, it seemed the lass paid no heed, grappled At her trouser, planning on healing it with the flow running Down her hands; however, Aurianne snapped, catching her hand: “No! Thou shalt not use the magic abound this freezing land!” Ríona closed her eyes to block the senses from humming An irate tune, yet the goddess continued with her words stunning.

CLX. She needed the girl to compose herself if the plan was to succeed: “Thou shalt find thy destined way through thy sheer ingenuity, And finally use all the skills I hath given to thee! Bleed thy Mockwiran blood, let the discomfort grow thy seed Of resolve or hast thou forgotten how thou hath found the Tsar? Never in the past has a superficial wound, barely a mar, Stopped thee in thy tracks, so say I again, thou mustest bleed If thou art to learn! So, stand up, my dear!” She finished her plead.

CLXI. As Ríona’s eyes opened, her eyebrows could not suppress The displeasure. The witch let the air stand still, if only For a few heartbeats before saying: “Today thou shalt boldly Become what thou couldst not on that fated day of thy egress. No longer shalt thou be a young fawn; this I now bestow! The final trial. Today thou shalt become a full-grown doe. No longer a young lass but a blossomed maiden in success.” Aurianne found the last of her thoughts, ending her address.

CLXII. Abruptly, Ríona heard rocks rumbling with a severe Reverb as she stiffened her muscles with new-found resolve, Bursting into a leaping escape. She would not starve Herself of a chance to escape, and would rather adhere To the goddess’ every advice through this harrowing plight. All that was left, was now in the hands of her might. Never for a moment’s worth would she use the flow to interfere With what tradition decreed, never to fall or ever fear!

[cybercitycomix]

Top New Misc Comic Releases for the Week of May 31st, 2023.

Gargoyles #6,

North Valley Grimoire #1,

Pathfinder: Wake the Dead #1,

Robyn Hood: Spawn of Nyarlathotep #1,

Rocketeer #1,

Sanjulian Queen of the Lost World #1,

Savage Strength of Starstorm #1,

Spawn Scorched #18,

Vampirella Strikes #13 +

Worldtr33 #2.

[spookylittletownhq]

November 27, 1923 The First Snow Is Nigh! [ Song Accompanist ]

Greetings, Albion, and welcome to the Sunday edition of the Albion Gazette! In the wake of Samhain, preparations for winter are being made in earnest throughout the valley. 

A reading of tea leaves performed by the Greenhand Society portends a long winter, and first snowfall as early as midweek.

Ed. note. As a reminder, the valley pass will close once the ground is covered in snow and will not reopen until the spring thaw. Those with trade outside the valley ought to make plans this week to complete their business.

Inside the valley, here is what you ought to know:

Margam Books is hosting a workshop on leather-binding. Should you have a grimoire in need of tending, this evening workshop will be instrumental in the safe removal and replacement of leather covers. Tuesday, 7pm.

Due to the creeping aches in Mrs. Delaney Flory’s hands, Flory’s Bakery will be permanently shutting its doors after Yuletide. Inquiries for Yule cakes are accepted until December 15!

A group, led by Mr. Whitacre Gatlin and Mr. Roger Howell, will journey to the Northwood to hold the annual Lord of the Northwood contest -- and harvest firewood. Interested participants should contact M. Gatlin or M. Howell no later than Thursday. Spectators are enthusiastically welcome!

Albey’s Café has changed their menu. Handpies are now Cranberry-Orange and Gingerspice. The traveling cart was last seen at the corner of Abbott and Elm Street just after 8pm on Friday.

The cinema has been re-located to the blue barn at the crossroads of the South Road and Ramsey Lane. The Hunchback of Notre Dame will play at 7pm and 9:30pm on Friday & Saturday.

Spade had her kittens! Two calico, one mottled tortoiseshell, and two black little gems. They will be available for adoption after Midwinter Day. Visitors to the diner may see them in the side-room!

The Path of Stars will be holding a meeting at midnight of the first snowfall, in the cedar grove north of Albion proper. They ask for offerings of sugar-dust cookies and sage bundles to be brought by those interested in taking part.

Six bolts of cobalt corduroy were mistakenly delivered to Wolgemuth’s. Able hands are requested to turn the bolts into coats for Albion’s schoolchildren. A sewing circle will be taking place at Wolgemuth Hall later this week.

Mr. Andersson, the magistrate, would like to remind all to collect holly branches for your hearths. Red berries chained in garland bring good luck!

We will be back in two weeks to celebrate Midwinter Day, and the festival of Alban Arthan. Remember to brush out your white-wool coat!

[lailoken]

“The Conjuring Parsons & Cunning Clergy:

Just as the perceived boundaries between witches’ and 'cunning-folk' are decidedly blurred in West Country tradition, so too, surprisingly perhaps for some, were t distinctions between folk-magicians and Christian clergy.

Churches themselves, as homes to rituals of divine communion, union, blessing, exorcism and the passage of the dead, are places of useful power and magic. Its water, made holy by its blessing within church rites, was highly sought after for use within acts of popular magic; most often for the purposes of protection and curative magic. Church holy water was so routinely taken for such unauthorised magical uses, that fonts were fitted with lockable covers from the Middle Ages. The Eucharist and the chrism, also being blessed and holy substances, were similarly of use to magical practitioners, and so these, like the holy water, were also ordered to be kept under lock and key.

The Christian saints had in many ways taken on roles akin to elder gods; being often heavily associated with the land and magical loci such as holy wells. The lives of the saints abound with tales of miraculous acts bonded to certain loci, and they were widely petitioned for aid in various acts of magic and divinatory practices. Saintly relics became most sought after as potent magical objects, and even their statues might be scraped to produce powders for use in magical curatives.

It makes sense then that the men who mediated the power of God and the saints, and who administered the rites of the Church would be seen by some to be magicians themselves. Indeed, there were many clergymen who actively practiced in ways that made them virtually indistinguishable from 'cunning men', and in Devon these were known as the conjuring parsons.

Some practiced as astrologers; a service which, despite the disapproval the Church held for such things, they saw as an extension of their normal duty towards their parishioners. One Devonian example of an 'astrologising parson' was the north Devon clergyman known as Parson Joc. His personal notebook, preserved after his death, revealed details of the horary calculations he would draw up for the people of his parish. Those clergymen who possessed a more overt reputation for magic often held extensive libraries of books which were rumoured to contain numerous occult volumes and grimoires. These books of power, and the trouble that could arise if they were pried into by the 'uninitiated', feature in a number of popular stories surrounding the conjuring parsons.

One such story is associated with the Reverend William Cunningham, a 19th century incumbent of Bratton. The story tells that while he was absent from his home, his maid, out of curiosity, summoned the bravery to peruse one of the reverend's occult tomes. Inadvertently it seems she had managed to summon two spirits; for a pair of strange creatures like chickens’ materialised in the kitchen, and she was forced to confess to the reverend what she had done in order that he would then banish them.

The Reverend Franke Parker, known as 'Old Parson Parker' served the parish of Luffincott in the far west of Devon in the 1830s. Like the Reverend William Cunningham, he too possessed a library of magical books, but also possessed, by some mysterious means, the ability to know when someone was prying into his collection. It is said that whilst delivering a sermon, he suddenly stopped and ran from the church back to the rectory much to the surprise of his flock, for he had sensed that his maid was reading one of his occult books. He rushed into his library just in time to stop her before any magical mishap might have occurred.

Some of the magical powers and inclinations attributed to old Parson Parker would appear to paint him more in the hue of a traditional witch rather than that of your average 'cunning man', for he was said to posses the ability to 'shape shift' into animal form. Indeed, the local policeman is said to have discovered the parson sitting on his chair and barking like a dog. Perhaps incriminating, and certainly difficult to explain, is more the situation another visitor to the rectory found him in: laying in his bed surrounded by the bodies of dead toads.

Shortly before his death, Parker is said to have declared that he would return from the world of spirit in the form of an animal, such as that of a dog, a rat or a white rabbit. When he died aged eighty in 1883, so serious was the concern that he would make his promised bestial reappearances, that his body was interred in a grave dug to a depth of seventeen feet as a preventative measure.

Perhaps one of Devon's most famous conjuring parsons is the Reverend Harris, or Parson Harris of Hennock; a small village on the south-eastern flank of Dartmoor with beautiful views over the Teign Valley. Parson Harris was regarded as a 'wizard, and was consulted by the people of his parish for his skills in conjuring, particularly it seems in order to identify thieves and retrieve stolen property.

In one case at least however, it was psychology rather than conjuring that he employed to identify a thief, yet it was his reputation as a conjuror that secured the efficacy of the exercise. A farmer named Tuckett went to see the parson one day; seeking his aid regarding three geese which had been stolen from his farm. The parson reassured the farmer, telling him that the man who had taken his geese shall soon be 'put to open shame’.

On the following Sunday morning, the parson climbed into his pulpit and proclaimed loudly before the seated congregation; ‘I give you all to know that Farmer Tuckett has had three geese stolen. I have consulted my books and drawn my figures, and I have so conjured it that three feathers of thickey geese shall now, my this very instant, stick to the nose of the thief! Of course, the guilty party instinctively raised their hand to their nose and the parson, watching for this very reaction, immediately pointed his finger and boomed out across the church 'there is the man who stole the geese!’

On another occasion, Farmer Loveys called on Parson Harris for help as his fine gander had been stolen from his farm the previous night. The parson set about consulting his occult tomes before drawing a magic circle in which he uttered a strange incantation. He then walked over to his library window and opened it just as the missing gander was flung through to land at his feet, all plucked, trussed, and on the spit ready for roasting.

Another tale, perhaps a different version of the previous one, tells of the parson being consulted about a missing cockerel, which its owner was sure must have been stolen. Parson Harris told the man not to worry, for not only would he conjure the bird to be returned to him, he would cause the thief to reveal himself as well. When the man returned to his home, he was followed by his neighbour who came running through the door carrying the half roasted bird.

A particularly interesting story concerning the Parson hints at a dichotomy between his magical artes and his position as a cleric.

He couldn't help but notice one Saturday that his maid, Polly, was caught in a deep melancholy; sobbing to herself now and then. When Harris asked the girl what was the matter, she explained that she was missing her boyfriend terribly; as he had left for Exeter to enter into service.

Feeling sorry for the girl, and of course not wanting an interminably miserable maid about the house, he promised to conjure the young man back home to her. However, the Sunday rolled by and there was no sign of the return of her lover; leaving the maid completely inconsolable, and much shaken in her faith in her master's powers. She went to bed and sobbed herself to sleep.

As Dawn approached however, she was awoken by someone desperately banging on the door outside; it was her lover John, exhausted and drenched with perspiration. The parson's conjuration had not worked upon him until at nightfall when he removed his coat; for in one of its pockets was his Bible. As soon as he took off his coat, he had been compelled to run all the way from Exeter to the parson's home. The young man's Bible had acted as a protective charm against the parson's 'unholy' spell.”

—

Silent as the Trees:

Devonshire Witchcract, Folklore & Magic

by Gemma Gary

[ask-gpt]

Night Of The Day Of The Dawn Of The Son Of The Bride Of The Return Of The Revenge Of The Terror Of The Attack Of The Planet Of The Apes

Night Of The Day Of The Dawn Of The Son Of The Bride Of The Return Of The Revenge Of The Terror Of The Attack Of The Planet Of The Apes Of Death Race: DEEP SPACE WAIFU CHANNEL 7 Life Is Strange 2 Life of Pixel Life of Rome Lifeline Lifestream - A Haunting Text Adventure Lift It Liftoff Light Light Apprentice Light Bound Light Fall Light Repair Team #4 Light Tracer Lightbender LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII Like Clay Lil Big Invasion Lil Tanks Lili: Child of Geos Lilly and Sasha: Curse of the Immortals Lilly and Sasha: Guardian Angels Lilly and Sasha: Nexus of Souls Lilly Looking Through Lily of the Valley Lily's Day Off Lily´s Epic Quest Line of Sight Linea, the Game Lineage II LineDash Lines Link Link: The Unleashed Nexus Linked Lion Quest Lionessy Story Lionheart Liquid Pinball LISA LIT Lithium: Inmate 39 Little ALLIGATOR Little Briar Rose Little Busters! English Edition Little Cells Little Jack's Adventures Little King's Story Little Kite Little Nightmares Little Racers STREET Little Red Lie Little Triangle Little Walker Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time Littlewitch Romanesque: Editio Regia Live Wallpaper Master Livelock Liveza: Death of the Earth Lizard Loadout Lock's Quest Locked Fears Locked-in syndrome Locoland LocoSoccer Lode Runner Legacy Log Drive Runner LogicBots LogiGun Lolly Joe Lone Leader Lone Warrior LONE WOLF: Horizon Long Live The Queen Loops of Zen Loot Hero DX Loot Hound Loot Hunter Loot or Die Loot Rascals LOR - League of Runners Lord of the Dark Castle Lord of the Seal Lords of Football Lords of New York Lords of the Black Sun Lords Of The Fallen Lords of Xulima Loren The Amazon Princess Lost Base Escape Lost Bros Lost Castle Lost Cities Lost Crew Lost Dimension Lost Grimoires 2: Shard of Mystery Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom Lost Horizon 2 Lost in a Forest Lost in Paradise Lost in Secular Love Lost In Woods 2 Lost Lands: The Wanderer Lost Marbles Lost Moon LOST ORBIT Lost Planet 3 Lost Saga North America Lost Sea Lost Socks: Naughty Brothers LOST SPHEAR Lost Technology Lost Wing LostWinds LostWinds 2: Winter of the Melodias Louie Cooks LOVE Love And Order Love at First Sight Love Bites Love in the Glen Love is Blind: Mutants Love Ribbon Love's Sweet Garnish Love, Guitars, and the Nashville Skyline LoveBeat LoveKami -Divinity Stage- LoveKami -Useless Goddess- Lovely Planet Lovers in

[grimoirevol2]

Carn.

Yes, we’re finally back. It’s us. To stay, this time. (As long as we can.)

This is Seven. We’re glad to be home, so we’re going to compile everything we learned about the figures who broke into this blog temporarily using a spell. This Grimoire entry will constitute our moratorium on Carn for now. The arc is “over”, I guess you might say.

Please, don’t forget to ask us questions if you’re curious about anything we’ve mentioned here. In addition, please consider joining our Discord if anything urgent goes down and we cannot report on it here.

It’s going to be a long post. I think its our longest yet at 2200 words or so. We’ll add a break after this introduction so that the Grimoire doesn’t get overwhelmingly long.

The backstory.

Elcarn Jin (el-cahrn jyne) was an elf who had been recorded as arriving on this plane (constituting XPA09) using the ley line ‘Iagon Maenour’, apparently in 2015, along with several other naufragé beings constituting his “troupe”. This included ‘Yikes’, a pharye with an intense love for artistry, and ‘Fold’, a female dullahan seeking penitence for sin. Carn later confessed that there were 4 other companions, but they have either left him (leaving their mention unnecessary) or were disintegrated by Carn’s own hand. He claims his time in Leyland was long, boring, and terribly droll, not worth telling.

(For the record, ‘Iagon Maenour’ is our ley line.)

As an elf, Carn’s primary motivation appeared to be to carve out his own corner of the world. Elves are known to be very possessive people, so wherever Carn could sit down and find his own food meant everything was good… until it wasn’t anymore. See, because most naufragé were formed by sentient life energy, they do have a need for fulfillment, in any form. They need “progression”. Unlike celestials, they aren’t content with a duty where they just do the job forever, until they can no longer do it. They want more.

In 2017, Carn’s troupe began hunting elsewhere. He began expanding, searching inside his dominion for more tracts of land that he could use for his hunts. He searched south, following the ley line using the rivers of the area, and eventually came upon NY 3. Here, Carn learned that he and his troupe had to blend in better.

Eventually, he said, through trial and error and hitchhiking, in January of this year, they came upon Wolf Valley, staying at Grayskull Motel using an old converted ice-cream van, which Carn says they stole from a junkyard and restored to working order using spells. They had slipped into our town right under our noses, using their natural abilities to appear more human. They had been paying for everything using the same method they used to restore the van (even though the cash was faked, it would need close inspection to uncover its falsehood).

We didn’t catch their scent because it was around this time that we had been investigating the return of a particular clan of lycanthropes to the town, and on February 2, there was a particularly brutal battle in the Hotel Wolfen, that eventually spilled out onto the street where we achieved victory easier. Evidently, Carn saw us fighting that day, and although he knew he wanted this town for himself, knew the troupe couldn’t stay around our town without us noticing.

He backed off for a while. The troupe lived out of the van, traveling up and down NY 3, hunting when they had to and passing into Canada using magic when they had to. This is probably why in March we noticed that there was a Hell of a lot of disturbances on the ley line during that time, which we had attributed to Pearl Curlew (Rebecca’s daughter) attempting to control her magic. But obviously, that was only part of it.

In May, we traveled to Canada to investigate an unrelated invasion far north along the ley line. It was at this time that they discovered how they might teleport along the ley line. After we’d returned from Canada, we were told by a state trooper through the police that a vehicle, a restored ice-cream truck, had been abandoned at the nearby convenience stop for several days, and had been relocated to an impound lot downstate. Carn confessed this was almost immediately after they realized that they could teleport in such a manner, although spells of this sort are very taxing and result in exasperation for weeks on end.

The break-in.

In August, of course, I began this Grimoire after reminiscing about the one we’d lost. It was at this point that the troupe seemed to have remembered we existed. This is an unknown. We’ve had no idea how they came back across us, but it’s not like we were trying to hide.

On Tuesday, August 28th, as we were returning home that night on foot from a monthly Town Hall meeting, we noticed that the Church’s power was out. As we walked up, we realized that Sally, the keeper of the church, was nowhere to be found. It was very peculiar to us. In the quiet night, amidst the crickets, we suddenly heard a very loud BANG sound, almost like a gunshot, come from the back of the church. We dashed in and then upstairs. Sally was holding a large knife, probably from Six’s stuff, and upon seeing us she dropped it and collapsed in exhaustion.

She explained to us, after calming down, that several beings had broken into the church’s upper floors (the Agency), breaking the ward that Rebecca had placed on our window and dashing away with something black and rectangular. One quick search later, we realized Six’s fucking phone was gone. Of all the valuable things, they took that. I would’ve thought they were a human attacker by stealing something monetarily valuable, but Sally assured us that these things weren’t from how they appeared to her.

After Yikes’ last post, we searched our records for everything on Carn. We didn’t have anything for a name like that, although his actions (using subordinates, playing arbitrary games, condemning people who do not play his games correctly) were telltale signs of an elf on the warpath.

Since we were obviously hacked, I texted Rebecca to try and log in. When she couldn’t, I panicked. There was no way I was going to lose another Grimoire, let alone Six’s phone. She texted me back after my minor panic attack that they mentioned a warding spell, and their repeated use of the word “YOU” was emblematic of a spell’s maintenance.

After searching the woods for a bit by doing some flyovers, we deduced it’d probably be best for us to continue the search the next morning. That’s when the “gift” at midnight on the 29th was released.

They were recording Six’s phone playing a old-timey tune.

I quickly recognized that they were begging us to find the phone. After some deduction we followed a foot trail into the woods.

To make a long story short, we found the phone at around 12:35 AM, and the song “The Girl in the Little Green Hat” playing on repeat. It had to be telling us something. This was a very obviously a game by an elf who was trying to be very obvious.

The search.

We regained our energy through rest after that. Our investigation into these individuals began almost as soon as Rebecca put up that post warding the Grimoire in kind.

The most boring part of any investigation is interpreting every clue as fact and trying to draw a plan of attack to an enemy you can’t find. So I’ll cut to the chase.

The song was used to lead us to a particular glen in the forest. We knew they were spellcasters. They broke the ward without making a sound, something only a celestial using their aura or a naufragé using their mind could. Considering their motives and commonality, and Sally’s eyewitness account, we were quick to recognize the threat as a naufragé rather than a celestial.

The glen had something to do with everything going on, right? We went there and realized quite quickly it rested on the leyline, and nearby we found a number of memorabilia, undoubtedly from the thief’s escapades and travels, as well as a lot of convenience-store food (and associated receipts), from various points along Route 3 and Canada beyond it.

They were living in that glen for at few weeks before making an attack. And that’s when I remembered. After I answered the question about being okay on August 14th, and knowing that they could consume our full attention, it was likely at this point that the thieves began planning their return to Wolf Valley. After all, we’re their major roadblock, so it only makes sense to make themselves known in a very public attack towards us, so they could try and get us out of the way. And they can only be very publicly known by knowing as well that our guard was down at the very end of the month.

See, we weren’t super inclined to make this a high-priority case, because by our counts they hadn’t done anyone any harm, and we’d retrieved Six’s phone, seemingly the only thing they took. Before Rebecca made that post in the morning, we dropped by the police station and learned essentially that there were no other incidents that had occured that night.

But something about them striking the Grimoire rubbed me the wrong way. They wanted the attention of everyone. And considering they were willing to leave behind their camp and use magic, they were important.

We uncovered a teleport signature that led us on their tail to Canada. From there the story gets a lot less interesting, so we’ll cut forward to how we took them down.

In New Brunswick, we cut them off as they were trying to escape to the Atlantic Ocean. After reading our post when we were back in Wolf Valley, they surely were afraid of coming after us, so they decided to flee to the ocean and get back to their homeground eventually.

Naturally, that didn’t happen. We found them hiding out in Flatlands, a small one-road town about an hour from the ports to the sea. They were probably trying to shake us off their trail by being in such a small town with proximity to an escape route, but having three naufragé in one concentrated area kind of draws you straight to them.

The troupe.

The troupe was defeated quickly after that. So, this is the part where we explained who we eliminated and how.

‘Yikes’, the creature who spoke on Carn’s behalf, is a pharye (far-yeh) - an antiquated creature once mistaken for fairies, hence the name. Standing 2 feet tall and humanoid, a pharye has a knack for leadership and guile, especially among non-magic creatures, even though they come off as overly posh or bright. When a pharye bends the knee, it is usually only to service their own goals of survival, longevity, and eventual subjugation, like an apprentice attempting to overthrow their master. Pharyes have a strong sense of justice, but not a strong sense of good or ill. One might call them the ultimate “lawful neutral”. They give themselves overly poetic names that cannot be stated in most human language. Yikes was very typical of their kind, from what we saw of her. 

Yikes escaped our capture by diving into the Restigouche River, but, because of knowledge we have on pharyes, we expect she will reappear sooner rather than later. We’re keeping our collective eyes out.

‘Fold’ was a female dullahan, a vengeful spirit seeking penitence for some sin committed in life. A dullahan is an undead which was killed through beheading, escaping Purgatory by wandering aimlessly without their head. In the World of the Living, they regain their head until they achieve their goals, which are typically to discover the fate of their killer or atone for the sin that brought them to death. Like most undead, dullahans are versed in future-sight, although their fortunes tend towards whatever vision contains the most spectacle. As such, Fold was probably supposed to see us coming, hence them settling in Flatlands. However, she did not properly predict her own failure. Fold was banished in combat back to Purgatory.

‘Carn’ was an elf. We’ll tell you more on them (and their varied kind) for this month’s Monster File on September 19th. However, this post alone should tell you a great deal on who they are and their motives for doing so. Carn was bound with a spell to extract most of the information for this post, then banished to Leyland.

Finally, there was another name which came up in our investigation. The name was ‘Guardia’. Carn thoroughly denied knowing anything of them, but they appear to be leaking information on magic and the other planes to the internet through backchannels and deleted posts. We have no idea where they are or who they are, but they’re somehow responsible for whatever the Hell’s going on. They were not present anywhere in the investigation, but their name was mentioned among the troupe’s things.

We’re looking into Guardia, whoever they are, for now.

Keep safe, everyone. - ⑦

[limnrix]

It’s that time of year again! I spend most of the year listening to new releases with the hopes of compiling these playlists for you. I’m still listening to stuff, so this is subject to change, and the 8tracks might drift off of the playlist if I’m feeling lazy, but I intend to come back and edit this when I edit those. Individual links at the beginning of each one. They’re roughly grouped by genre, though there is a bit of rock in the pop and vice versa. There’s also a YouTube playlist, which has some different songs based on what has a good video, and a Spotify playlist, a bit spotty.

2017A

1 - Los Ageless - St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION 2 - Perfect Places - Lorde - Melodrama 3 - Learn To Let Go - Kesha - Rainbow 4 - Up the Creek - Tori Amos - Native Invader 5 - Siren - Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Choir of the Mind 6 - Lover - Beth Ditto - Fake Sugar 7 - Die Young - Sylvan Esso - What Now 8 - Queen of the Bored - Brian Reitzell - American Gods (Original Television Series Soundtrack) 9 - Missionary Position - Sparks - Hippopotamus 10 - High - Sir Sly - Don't You Worry, Honey 11 - Feel It Still - Portugal. The Man - Woodstock 12 - Summer Bummer (feat. A$AP Rocky & Playboi Carti) - Lana Del Rey - Lust For Life 13 - ELEMENT. - Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. 14 - Sky Walker (feat. Travis Scott) - Miguel - War & Leisure 15 - LMK - Kelela - Take Me Apart 16 - Meg Ryan - AhMerAhSu - Rebecca

2017B

17 - Strobe Light - Little Dragon - Season High 18 - Systemagic - Goldfrapp - Silver Eye 19 - To The Moon And Back - Fever Ray - Plunge 20 - Freepower - Austra - Future Politics 21 - Cave - Future Islands - The Far Field 22 - Cold Souls - Drab Majesty - The Demonstration 23 - My Way to You - T.O.Y. - Pain is love 24 - Touchdown - John Maus - Screen Memories 25 - Money Never Dreams - Molly Nilsson - Imaginations 26 - The Punishment of Luxury - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - The Punishment of Luxury 27 - All of the Punks - Furniteur - Perfect Lavender 28 - Tonite - LCD Soundsystem - American Dream 29 - Living Upside Down - Cut Copy - Haiku From Zero 30 - Moon Mobius - The Polish Ambassador - Color Of Flight 31 - Kerala - Bonobo - Migration 32 - Mma - Ellen Allien - Nost 33 - Crisis Point - Mr.Kitty - A.I. 34 - IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLENIALS TO DESTROY A NATION OF MILLIONS... - Machine Girl - ...BECAUSE I'M YOUNG ARROGANT AND HATE EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR 35 - Xiu Xiu - Jenny Go Go - Forget 36 - Chino Amobi - THE FAILED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF FANTASIA - Paradiso 37 - Clark - Catastrophe Anthem - Death Peak

2017C

38 - Dirty Mind - Robots With Rayguns 39 - Afterglow - Scandroid - Monochrome 40 - Nonai Muchoo [feat. brinq] - Satellite Young - Satellite Young 41 - On The Run - Robert Parker - Awakening 42 - AKUMA (feat. Rachel McAlpine) - ALEX - Akuma 43 - Deviant - DEADLIFE - Bionic Chrysalis 44 - Touch Of Her Knife - NightStop - Dancing Killer 45 - Blood Rage - Nightcrawler - Beware Of The Humans 46 - They Die... I Live - Cluster Buster - Midnight Maimer 47 - Soul Injection - Fixions - Genocity 48 - Godspeed Us To The Stars - Mega Drive - Seas Of Infinity 49 - Grimoire Blanc - Dan Terminus - Automated Refrains 50 - Black Beam - Vulta - Sigils 51 - Tainted Empire - PERTURBATOR - New Model 52 - Gonna Get You Back - Dynamaxx - D Y N A M A X X: Requiem 53 - Synthetic Emotions - North Exit - Synthetic Emotions 54 - Dream Within a Dream - Lazerhawk - Dreamrider 55 - The Last Wave - woob - Tokyo Run 56 - Soldiers - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Stranger Things 2

2017D

57 - Rhesus Negative - Blanck Mass - World Eater 58 - Transmission - Pharmakon - Contact 59 - Exhumed - Zola Jesus - Okovi 60 - Vex - Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun 61 - Hex - The Birthday Massacre - Under Your Spell 62 - Steambreather - Mastodon - Emperor of Sand 63 - Golden Cufflinks - SikTh - The Future in Whose Eyes? 64 - Roy Sullivan - Upper Wilds - Guitar Module 2017 65 - Will of the Devil - Moon Duo - Occult Architecture, Vol. 1 66 - Impossible Objects of Desire - Fujiya & Miyagi - Fujiya & Miyagi 67 - People Will Always Need Coal - Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley 68 - Alles Verboten - Trans Am - California Hotel 69 - Don't Walk These Streets - The Bug vs Earth - Concrete Desert 70 - Anthem For No State - Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers 71 - And Saints - Sleigh Bells - Kid Kruschev

2017E

72 - Aryan Nation - EMA - Exile in the Outer Ring 73 - I Will Spite Survive (ft. Jenn Wasner) - Deerhoof - Mountain Moves 74 - Nuclear Bomb - Cherry Glazerr - Apocalipstick 75 - Silver - Waxahatchee - Out In The Storm 76 - Blame - Bully - Losing 78 - You're Dreaming - Wolf Parade - Cry Cry Cry 79 - Animated Violence - Oh Sees - Orc 80 - Skull Pop - Guerilla Toss - GT Ultra 81 - Outer Urge - Moon Hooch - The Joshua Tree 82 - Machine - The Horrors - V 83 - Dyson Sphere - Frankie Rose [FC] - Cage Tropical [Rk] 84 - You Love Nothing - L.A. WITCH - L.A. Witch 85 - In Undertow - Alvvays - Antisocialites 86 - Over Everything - Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice

[uncomicmas]

#EVERGLADEANGELS cierra en 32 horas (el lunes 12) como un gran éxito de @blake_northcott @scottylobdell y Roc Upchurch. En el slide hay un adelanto. Esta novela gráfica de 48 páginas con clasificación para adultos, es el primer proyecto de terror independiente de @scottylobdell (escritor de Marvel's X-MEN, y escritor y creador de HAPPY DEATH DAY) y @blake_northcott (autor internacional de éxito en ventas de ARENA MODE y THE NORTH VALLEY GRIMOIRE). . . El arte es de Roc Upchurch, el co-creador y artista de RAT QUEENS (la serie Image Comic, nominada por Eisner y Hugo, que ganó un premio GLAAD Media en 2015). . . La historia trata sobre un equipo de softball femenino toma un atajo a través de los Everglades de Florida, se desvían del camino hacia una noche que nunca olvidarán. Tropiezan con una trampa tendida por un culto asesino, el escenario está listo para una noche de carnicería empapada de sangre, pero el culto nunca ha tratado con víctimas que están listas para contraatacar. . . Esta novela gráfica será lanzada por la plataforma de #crowdfunding @kickstarter, en la bio de @blake_northcott pueden conseguir el enlace. . . . Fuente @blake_northcott . . #softball #girlpower #comicbooks #crowdfunding #fastpitch #girlboss #comics #indiegogo #softballlife #comicbook #spicegirls #marvelcomics #kickstarter #womensupportingwomen #strongwomen #womenempowerment #bosslady #femaleempowerment #womeninbusiness #ladyboss #marveluniverse #dccomics #comicart #superheroes #igcomicfamily #superhero https://www.instagram.com/p/B0_EgG0nb1_/?igshid=1ovb7646smvsf

[risingshadownet]

The North Valley Grimoire by Blake Northcott - by: Seregil of Rhiminee https://www.risingshadow.net/forum/press-releases/2288-the-north-valley-grimoire-by-blake-northcott#5876 https://www.risingshadow.net/forum/press-releases/2288-the-north-valley-grimoire-by-blake-northcott#5876

[thesplintering]

Crowdfunding campaign for "The North Valley Grimoire" extended; author Blake Northcott shifts from Kickstarter to Indiegogo

Crowdfunding campaign for #TheNorthValleyGrimoire extended; author shifts from #Kickstarter to #Indiegogo

The Kickstarter campaign for Blake Northcott’s upcoming novel The North Valley Grimoire ended successfully this week, raising more than 73 thousand dollars (Canadian) from over a thousand backers. With those impressive totals, The North Valley Grimoire became the most-funded and most-backed fiction book of 2018.

Despite raking in such high numbers, Northcott received requests from fans for a…

[moviesteem]

Interview: Author Blake Northcott On ‘The North Valley Grimoire’

Interview: Author Blake Northcott On ‘The North Valley Grimoire’

Here at Geeks Of Doom, we love to interview folks of all walks of life. But few are as near and dear to us as internationally best-selling author Blake Northcott. As a matter of fact, she’s one of us from time to time! I have written several articles about her or her work, so I am more than familiar with everything she has accomplished. From her first book that I reviewed in 2011, Vs. Reality,…

[uncomicmas]

EVERGLADE ANGELS, una novela gráfica de 48 páginas con clasificación R, es la primera novela gráfica de terror de Scott Lobdell (escritor de Marvel's X-MEN, y escritor y creador de HAPPY DEATH DAY). El libro es co-creado por Blake Northcott (autor internacional de éxito en ventas de ARENA MODE y THE NORTH VALLEY GRIMOIRE), quien está escribiendo su primera novela gráfica de propiedad del creador. El arte es de Roc Upchurch, el co-creador y artista de RAT QUEENS (la serie Image Comic, nominada por Eisner y Hugo, que ganó un premio GLAAD Media en 2015). Cuando un equipo de softball femenino toma un atajo a través de los Everglades de Florida, se desvían del camino hacia una noche que nunca olvidarán: beber, bailar, un último hurra antes de que comience la universidad y se van por caminos separados. Cuando tropiezan con una trampa tendida por un culto asesino, el escenario está listo para una noche de carnicería empapada de sangre, pero el culto nunca ha tratado con víctimas que están listas para contraatacar. Y si bien las chicas no tienen la ventaja de jugar en casa, tienen una sorpresa propia que les cambia el juego. Esta novela gráfica de 48 páginas es un doble encabezado de asesinato y misterio que te resquebrajará en el cráneo ... ¡es un horror de supervivencia sin filtrar como nunca antes habías visto! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5oK6-nUI9/?igshid=x0ungb7w8x9y

[uncomicmas]

Adelanto de #EVERGLADEANGELS, una novela gráfica de 48 páginas con clasificación para adultos, es la primera novela gráfica de terror independiente de @scottylobdell (escritor de Marvel's X-MEN, y escritor y creador de HAPPY DEATH DAY) y @blake_northcott (autor internacional de éxito en ventas de ARENA MODE y THE NORTH VALLEY GRIMOIRE). El arte es de Roc Upchurch, el co-creador y artista de RAT QUEENS (la serie Image Comic, nominada por Eisner y Hugo, que ganó un premio GLAAD Media en 2015). La historia trata sobre un equipo de softball femenino toma un atajo a través de los Everglades de Florida, se desvían del camino hacia una noche que nunca olvidarán. Tropiezan con una trampa tendida por un culto asesino, el escenario está listo para una noche de carnicería empapada de sangre, pero el culto nunca ha tratado con víctimas que están listas para contraatacar. . . Esta novela gráfica será lanzada por la plataforma de #crowdfunding @kickstarter, en la bio de @blake_northcott pueden conseguir el enlace. . . . Fuente @blake_northcott . . #softball #girlpower #comicbooks #crowdfunding #fastpitch #girlboss #comics #indiegogo #softballlife #comicbook #spicegirls #marvelcomics #kickstarter #womensupportingwomen #strongwomen #womenempowerment #bosslady #femaleempowerment #womeninbusiness #ladyboss #marveluniverse #dccomics #comicart #superheroes #igcomicfamily #superhero https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz398AhHNf-/?igshid=rkx2chink1i

[uncomicmas]

Nos complace informar que @blake_northcott va a lanzar su exitoso proyecto #TheNorthValleyGrimoire en @amazon, seguimos a Blake desde que fue editora de Millarworld, actualmente hemos hecho reseñas de sus cómics como (VAMPIRELLA HALLOWEEN SPECIAL Trick or Treat). .@blake_northcott es una joven y talentosa escritora de origen canadiense que lleva varios cómics en su haber, este libro llamado The North Valley Grimoire tuvo obstáculos para salir impreso debido a que varias editoriales querían modificar la historia para poder publicarla, por lo que Blake defendió sus derechos creativos y decidió co-fundarla a través de Kickstarter. A partir del 12 de enero su libro estará en línea por amazon en versión física, kindle y audio libro, superando así la barrera de Kickstarter y poder comercializarlo con más libertad. Este libro que nació sin editorial, convirtiéndose en el proyecto de ficción canadiense más exitoso en la plataforma Kickstarter y en el libro de ficción original más financiado de Kickstarter en 2018. The North Valley Grimoire trata de una joven que investiga la muerte de un compañero de clases, para descubrir que el gobierno encubre la existencia de la magia, por lo que ella se mete en un submundo de misterio, donde el gobierno ejerce opresión para esconder este poder, tan grande como una bomba nuclear. Este libro incluye varias páginas ilustradas y dos portadas (arte de @davidnakayama imagen 2 y #rocupchurch imagen 3), es decir, Blake agrego un toque de cómic a su prosa, nutriendo así este interesante libro que ha recibido reseñas positivas de Mark Millar, Frank Cho, Scott Lobdell, Dan panosian y Adam Hughes. Fuente de imágenes @blake_northcott https://www.instagram.com/p/BseQ1tzB_kW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ec8g7613r8g2