#blackmount

[horizon-verizon]

This had been bothering me for awhile but I only now stumbled into this by accident. Certain people love to whine that Rhaenyra is a "hypocrite" for not forcibly instituting realm-wide genderless succession. They favour the line "this isn't Dorne" and then claim that she's a bad person for not making it into Dorne, while pretending that they wouldn't call her reckless or tyrannical if she'd tried to do so.

Of course (at least, people should see it as "of course"), that simply wouldn't work. Not just because it would be unprecedented for the Crown to enforce their own rules of succession, but also because you just cannot implement an involuntary system like that in a patriarchal society. If you left it uncertain, enforcing it on a case-by-case basis upon Houses that did not agree to it, you create uncertainty from which countless succession crises will occur after the head of house dies without naming the daughter over the younger son. If you implement it on a universal basis, you pretty much guarantee mass rebellions in a realm like Westeros. Those were the concerns of the Black council. But there's yet another. Even if the Crown had the power to enforce genderless succession, to squash or dissuade rebellion, you're left with yet another inevitability that we have seen in real life when you tell families in a patriarchal society that their legacy might be reduced to only a daughter.

In my opinion, there is no "realistic" way to write a change like that going through, being forced through in Westeros that doesn't result in mass infanticide and abandonment of first-born girls. And that's on top of the rebellions.

And this whole time I've been assuming that "Dornish" genderless succession was either a world-building error on GRRM's part, or something he meant to clarify or flesh out later on (misunderstanding or not, Arianne's worries must have had a deeper, environmental foundation after all). Because it's been so long since I read the books cover-to-cover (between GoT seasons 6&7 do NOT make me think about the year and time passing) I suppose I might have just let "fanon" shape my view of it. Because there IS a very widespread assertation, one that's gotten very loud as of late (very interesting how one "other" is so often used to tear down the worse "other." For another time though.) that all of Dorne somehow has embraced genderless succession and this is of course for some reason mostly brought up to argue about how Rhaenyra is a bad person for wanting to be the special exception, or how House Targaryen is bad for wanting to be the special exception in this regard.

But these are GRRM's words.

A ruling princess of Dorne would =not= take the name of her consort. And some of the major Dornish lordlings also follow this custom, in imitation of the ruling house.

And this is why before diving in further to a Targ-Martell comparison I ask you, resident expert in remembering and cataloging all those kinds of details, if there's some line in the main series outright contradicting this. Because if not, I'm pretty sure House Martell made itself a special exception. That the genderless succession they follow is the exception and not the rule even in Dorne. And by making themselves a special exception, they ended up setting an example that some houses follow on a voluntary basis.

And for some reason... no one is whining about it. 🤔

No, it is true other houses in Dorne have female heads and heirs before/during the main series timewise and thus practice absolute primogenture:

Delonne Allyrion, the Lady of Godsgrace (heir = Ryon, male) [current]

Larra Blackmont, Lady of Blackmount (heir = Jynessa, female) [current]

Clarisse Dayne, the Lady of Starfall [Maegor I's reign]

Myria Jordayne, heir of the current lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor

So yes, some Dornish houses do practice absolute primogeniture and the Martells are not an "exception". It's not ubiquitous nor is it rare or uncommon. Nymeria had her warrior women marry many pre-Nymeria Conquest Andal-Dornish lords as well as shared Rhoynar metal and customs that over time simply reshaped a lot of Dorne forever; the northmost Dornish tend to be "less" Rhoynar in custom or practices, but apparently the non-Dornish marcher lords still see them as Other and gripe about their accents a lot. The northenmost Dornish are called "stony" by Daeron I, and tend to have members who can be lighter in ski and hair than other Dornishmen. Same trend for absolute primogeniture, though yes, much less specific bc George doesn't really get into Dorne aside for the Martells, Arianne, Dorna, and the Sand Snakes/Areo Hotah.

[spogwam]

Final Year Project 1 - Pre-Production

This post will be the most substantive as I feel the majority of my best work was conducted in this period as producer.

In late January of this year, I met with Sam and Beth for lunch following class to discuss a possible role for me on Under the Gorse (UTG). By this point, I had reached out to 5 or 6 groups asking whether they had a place for another assessable producer on their shoots, but had no luck. Sam and Beth were kind enough to consider me for a role on their film, and I was as honest as possible about what I could bring to the table as a producer.

It was clear to me that UTG was ambitious, with the use of 16mm film and child actors immediately presenting their own challenges. As a producer, I would have to monitor the mode-specific costs and risks associated with shooting on film, as well as the legal working requirements that would have to be constantly upheld with child actors as outlined in Annex 2 of the Child Performance Working Hour Limits. I was interested in this challenge, and found the vibe of the script intriguing in its fantastical, dreamlike presentation. Shooting in Glencoe in the Highlands also drew me to this film; having grown up there, it was an exciting prospect to return there for a near-professional level film project.

Sam and Beth welcomed me aboard, I was delegated a number of responsibilities from the outset, so it was clear there was a place for me on this project. The shoot scheduling window was nearing completion by the time I joined, and so my first task was scheduling the shoot. Sam and myself decided that because of our organisational needs, we should be one of the last shoots. We decided on our five day shooting schedule to run from the 16th to the 20th of March.

I began emailing potential locations in Glencoe, getting in touch with Elaine and Ros who own the Green Pool in Glencoe. They normally charge £200 per day of filming at their location, but I was able negotiate this cost down to £150 with the added bonus of Crowdfunder promotion on their Facebook page with over 28,000 followers. I am proud of this success, as I feel I managed so save money in our budget that could be vitally used elsewhere while earning us money on our growing Crowdfunder. Other locations proved problematic however, such as Blackmount lodge (a large estate owner), who were steadfast on their daily charge of £2500 for any production, and so we had to withdraw our application.

I worked with Film Edinburgh to get permission to film on Craiglockhart and Blackford Hill, with caveats that the Blackford hill crew would have to be less than five people, and that we had to shoot on the same day. This would be a bit of a struggle due to the distance between the locations, but we still had toilets and green rooms nearby both locations that made it more viable. There is a fixed fee of £69 for each days filming with a crew of over 10 people, so we factored that into the budget and paid it promptly.

A learning experience I’d take forward from my work with locations would be to consider location releases and formal permission forms during my conversations with them. I learnt after the shoot that I had forgotten to bring physical location releases to locations to be physically signed by those I had been in contact with. This means I now have to rely on digitally signable documents which may or may not get back to me by the time of my submission of deliverables. This is disappointing, as it’s something I should’ve been more on top of, regardless if we have an extensive digital paper trail with written permission, it was not professional to overlook this vital documentation.

Another location we needed was a train station, but getting access to this proved to be impossible. I got in touch with Scotrail, and sent them a comprehensive location request form for the train station at North Queensferry, even attaching a risk assessment. I also requested permission to film a short sequence aboard the train from North Queensferry to Edinburgh, which would be a short travelling sequence with the children looking out the window. They got back to me, saying they would be in touch soon with confirmation of our permission or lack thereof, but I didn’t hear from them for two weeks. As it was approaching our shoot window, I got in touch again and was told that they’d follow my request up promptly. They didn’t, so a few days later I phoned Scotrail customer service with the name of the person I have been emailing and details of our request, only to be put on hold and subsequently hung up on. This happened several times, each time I was transferred to a different customer service person, and so the trail died there. I sent my contact one last email but never received a response. I think it’s safe to say we weren’t going to get permission; they were likely frightened by the prospect of students filming aboard a train, and perhaps thought we’d end up filming some Train to Busan-type sequence aboard one of their trains. I’d approach this differently next time, perhaps starting with the train station before moving to the train itself, as this was quite a big ask for any production. I’m glad to have learned from this experience, however.

I had to book all the kit for this shoot, and Sam provided me with a list of the minimum amount of kit that we’d need to make it work. I made the skeleton kit booking, which in itself was 54 pieces of equipment and waited for Sam’s call on the remainder of the kit. I made mistakes with the second booking, as I was stressed with workload of compiling final risk assessments at the time, but was also only given 5 days’ notice before the first day of the shoot. There is shared blame on this issue, and I admit my own lack of complete understanding of SISO, as I had only booked kit as a producer one other time. Regardless, myself and Sam were able to push through, apologise to the stock room and technical staff, and get nearly all of the kit Sam wanted for the shoot in the end, around 72 separate pieces of kit all in all. I’ve learned from my mistake here, and will guarantee better planning and communication when it comes to kit for the next shoot I’m involved in.

We conducted a recce up Wester Craiglockhart hill, for which I put together a small risk assessment. I was sadly unable to attend this recce due to seeing family, but it was creatively beneficial for Sam to view the location in person. Sam was able to visualise crucial elements such as the meteorite in place on a bunker up the hill, as well as reporting back to me any Health and Safety concerns presented by the rough path up the hill. We would have to move heavy kit and props up this path, so it helped me complete my risk assessments for this location with confidence.

We were uncertain of whether we’d need a Child Entertainment License for this film, as it was a 6 day shoot which would mean the children would inevitably miss school. It was my job to conduct research into this issue, applying for a child entertainment license if necessary. There were problems with Child Entertainment Licenses, such as the need to apply for them at least 21 days in advance, and the need for a distinct license in each region. This would mean we would likely need a license for Fife, Edinburgh, and Highland regions to make our film viable. This would be costly and very time consuming, as we would need sections with contracts, risk assessments, birth certificates – documents that did not yet exist. Sections needed to be filled out by a headteacher, chaperone, mother, and there were nearly one hundred written details for us to fill out with details of our production to even be considered for a license.

I started researching alternatives right away, and found some details that could save us a lot of hassle. I read the entirety of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963, in which I found section 27 and 37 (3), which read that a license was not required if: • The child is not being paid for their performance and • The child has not performed in a paid production for three days in a row in the last 6 months. Getting in touch with the children’s parents, we found that neither of the children had worked for more than three days in a row in the last six months, and so we did not qualify as a professional production and did not therefore require a child entertainment license legally. We still had to abide by the working hours laws as set out in the law, however. Since our youngest actor was 9 and her sister 13, they both required the same working hours limitations. They could attend set for 9.5 hours per day, and perform for a maximum of 4 hours. These hours had to be in the window of 0700 and 2300. They would need a break of at least 15 minutes after every hour of performing or rehearsing. They would require a food break of not less than 1 hour if they were present for more than 3.5 consecutive hours, with a second hour long break due after 8 hours on set. It was my job to monitor this throughout production, and so I kept on track of time with these details in my notebook for the duration of the shoot.

Casting was also part of my responsibilities, and I was responsible for casting the role of Father and Farmer. With less than a week before the shoot and no prospects in sight after my post on social media, despite 300 likes and 200 shares, I took initiative by reaching out to individual actors to fill these roles. I had previously auditioned David for a role on my prior film Connection, and managed to recall his contact details before reaching out to request a self-tape for the Farmer role. He was chuffed that I reached out and his self-tapes were endearing, dressed in Farmer gear from head to toe, and so I cast him in the role. I helped organise his travel to and from Glencoe, where his scenes would be shot, and also his transport to and from our booked accommodation.

I also cast Michael Reddington, a current MA Acting student at Napier, who I had been impressed by when viewing the 3rd year’s films last year. I reached out to 3rd years that had worked with him, got his contact details and sent him an email inquiry. Sam, myself, and Michael chatted for nearly two hours in a Zoom call about the role, and Michael voiced his disappointment in not knowing about the shoot more than 5 days in advance as he really liked the script. As part of his craft, he wanted to spend more time as the character working with the script. He was regardless happy to work on the film, and we cast him without much deliberation. Going forward and taking Michael’s position as a learning experience, I will make it more of a priority to be cast well ahead of time so that actors can work to the best of their abilities, and also so we can focus on other pressing issues prior to production other than casting.

Risk assessments were also my responsibility, and I was under a lot of pressure to get these completed prior to kit pickup on Friday. Annie was a great help in getting these finalised, and I found I had a lot to learn about composing risk assessments. I now have a fool proof system for completing them, with delegated risks that will always be there for internal locations and external locations respectively. Sam secured permissions for four new Glencoe locations soon before our shoot, to my excitement at the successful confirmation of all needed Glencoe locations, but also my chagrin at the realisation that this meant four new risk assessments. I got to work, and with only two days left, completed all the required risk assessments, which were then confirmed by Paul, prior to the shoot. All in all, with ten potential locations, I had to make ten wholly unique risk assessments for the shoot. Each day we would have different responsible members of the crew, different ground underfoot, weather potentialities, nearby bodies of water, and countless other risks to consider when completing these assessments, making it a significant challenge for me. It was also a valuable learning experience for me, however, and I now know risk assessments inside out. I am confident for my next role as a producer when hopefully my honed documentation skills will help streamline this part of pre-production.

I am proud of what I have achieved as a producer during pre-production on Under the Gorse, and can confidently say that the film would not exist without my help. I have learned a lot in what I feel was a very challenging role, but have overcome many hurdles initially presented, and feel like a stronger filmmaker for it. The team around me was very supportive and encouraging, and I felt comfortable expressing my own ideas and communicating with them throughout, which was a big help. In my next post I will discuss the shoot, which presented its own set of challenges.

[scotianostra]

W. H. Murray was born on March 18th 1913 in Liverpool.

Murray may not be Scottish by birth but he is credited with being one of the great popularisers of mountain climbing in Scotland in the 20th century, especially because of his inspirational books on the subject. He was also brought up here.

Always known as Bill to his friends and WH in his professional career, Murray was born to a Scot of the same name and his wife Helen nee Robertson. WH Murray senior was an inspector of mines who joined the Royal Marines as a sapper and was killed at Gallipoli when his son was just two.

His mother relocated Murray and his elder sister to Glasgow and he was educated at Glasgow Academy, where he excelled at English.

Instead, he joined the Union Bank of Scotland in Glasgow and studied for four years to become a qualified banker. He had always been a voracious reader and his real ambition was to be a full-time writer.

At the age of 19 he overheard a conversation in which a climber described his traverse of An Teallach in Wester Ross, and after researching the subject, in April, 1934, he set off by train for the nearest mountain whose name he knew – The Cobbler, or Ben Arthur, near Arrochar.

This he climbed by himself in a wintry April, and without maps, proper clothing or equipment, spending many minutes at he summit. As he recalled in his book Undiscovered Scotland: “I never dreamed that my own country held wild land so vast. From that day I became a mountaineer.”

At the outbreak of World War II he enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and saw action in  the Middle East and North Africa, but was captured by a German Panzer division in Egypt in 1942.  A passage in Mountain magazine from 1979 describes the moments after his capture:

  To my astonishment, he [the German tank commander] forced a wry smile and asked in English, ‘Aren’t you feeling the cold?’ … I replied 'cold as a mountain top’. He looked at me, and his eyes brightened. 'Do you mean – you climb mountains?’ He was a mountaineer. We both relaxed. He stuffed his gun away. After a few quick words – the Alps,  Scotland, rock and ice – he could not do enough for me.

He saw out the war in camps in Italy, Germany and Czechoslovakia and it was in these camps he started writing, paper was in short supply and he used  the only paper available to him – rough toilet paper supplied by The Red Cross. The manuscript was found and destroyed by the Gestapo. To the incredulity of his fellow prisoners, Murray’s response to the loss was to start again, despite the risk of its loss and that his physical condition was so poor from the near starvation diet that he believed he would never climb again. The rewritten work was finally published in 1947, Mountaineering in Scotland and it’s follow up Undiscovered Scotland were best sellers and have an honoured place on the bookshelves of many enthusiasts.

Incarceration left its mark on many PoWs, but Bill Murray continued the activity he loved and in 1950 led expeditions to Garhwal and Almora in the Himalayas. He was deputy leader on the reconnaissance of Everest in 1951, but difficulties in acclimatising to the altitude excluded him from the successful assault by Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing on the world’s highest peak in 1953.

In later life he wrote extensively - guidebooks, works of topography, magazine articles and fiction. He was awarded the Mungo Park Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 1953, his work includes The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, Glencoe, Blackmount and Lochaber : a regional guide, Companion Guide to the Western Highlands of Scotland and Rob Roy MacGregor – His Life and Times, as well as several works of fiction

W.H. Murray played an increasingly important role in issues to do with the environment of Scotland from the 1960s onwards. In 1960 he surveyed Scotland’s mountain areas for the National Trust for Scotland, and he served on the Countryside Commission for Scotland from 1968 to 1980. He was also Chairman of the Scottish Countryside Activities Council from 1968 to 1982; President of the Mountaineering Council for Scotland from 1972 to 1975; President of the Scottish Mountaineering Club from 1962, and Honorary President of it from 1989; and a founding Trustee of the John Muir Trust until 1986.

  His autobiography, The Evidence of Things Not Seen: A Mountaineer’s Tale, was completed on his death by his wife Anne, he passed away on March 19th 1996 a day after his 83rd birthday.

[zorablogs]

Top 10 Digital Marketing Agency in Chennai

In the bustling city of Chennai, where innovation meets tradition, the digital landscape is flourishing with creativity and strategic prowess. As businesses strive to establish a robust online presence, the expertise of digital marketing agencies becomes paramount. Here, we present the top 10 digital marketing agencies in Chennai that have been making waves with their exceptional services and innovative approaches:

Orange Digital Marketing :

Orange Digital Marketing believes in the power of strategic juiciness. Each campaign is meticulously crafted to extract the essence of the brand, creating a digital concoction that leaves a lasting impression. From SEO strategies that squeeze out higher rankings to social media campaigns that ripple through online communities, Orange Digital Marketing Agency in Chennai ensures that every drop of creativity contributes to the overall flavor of success. Renowned for its data-driven strategies and creative campaigns, Orange Digital marketing has consistently delivered outstanding results. Their comprehensive digital marketing services cover everything from SEO and social media to content marketing and paid advertising.

 Pixel Studios

With a focus on ROI-driven solutions, Pixel Studios has earned its place among the top digital marketing agencies in Chennai. Their team of experts excels in crafting personalized strategies tailored to each client's unique goals.

Rage Communications:

Specializing in cutting-edge technology and digital trends, Rage Communications is a go-to agency for businesses seeking innovation. Their forward-thinking approach has earned them accolades for their impactful digital campaigns.

iStudio Technologies:

Known for its dynamic and result-oriented services, iStudio Technologies has carved a niche in the digital marketing landscape. From small businesses to enterprises, they cater to diverse clients with a focus on scalability and sustainability.

Ting:

A customer-centric approach sets Ting apart, ensuring that client satisfaction remains a top priority. Their holistic digital marketing solutions encompass everything from web design to social media management, providing clients with a one-stop-shop for their digital needs.

Blackmount:

Leveraging the power of storytelling, Blackmount excels in creating compelling narratives that resonate with the target audience. Their content-focused approach has proven to be a game-changer for brands looking to establish a strong online presence.

Rankraze:

Rankraze is synonymous with innovation, constantly adapting to the ever-evolving digital landscape. Their agility and commitment to staying ahead of industry trends make them a reliable partner for businesses seeking a competitive edge.

Social Beat:

Specializing in niche industries, Social Beat brings a depth of expertise that few can match. Their industry-specific knowledge combined with digital marketing prowess has earned them a reputation for delivering exceptional results.

Social Beat:

As a full-service digital marketing agency, Social Beat offers a comprehensive suite of services ranging from SEO and PPC to social media management. Their holistic approach ensures that clients receive a well-rounded and integrated digital strategy.

Digiketers:

Digiketers is synonymous with transparency and accountability. Their data-driven methodologies and regular performance reporting make them a trusted partner for businesses looking for measurable results and a clear return on investment.

In the dynamic landscape of Chennai's digital market, these top 10 digital marketing agencies in Chennai stand out for their innovation, expertise, and dedication to driving success for their clients. Whether you are a startup or an established enterprise, these agencies offer the strategic vision and technical know-how to elevate your brand in the digital realm.

[cheeselist]

Corra Linn

The second of my Scottish cheeses is a robust, unpasteurised Lacune sheep’s milk cheese made with traditional rennet. Errington Cheese in Carnwath, South Lanarkshire, is named after the founder Humphrey, who (as with Dunlop, and so many others) moved to the farm with a plan to reinvigorate traditional cheesemaking in the 1980s. Their many cheeses (including Lanark Blue, Tinto and Blackmount) are now made by his daughter Selina and daughter-in-law Angela.

The young cheese is rubbed with oil and wrapped in muslin before being matured for anything up to two years. It has a wonderfully pitted, dense crust, with a hard golden yellow paste underneath. The smell is farmyardy, like fusty old books mixed with sweet hay, and it has a firm, dry bite. You can pretty much taste this complex cheese from the photo - a salty, umami, vegetal savouriness like broth, fading into a subtle sweetness.

£46.95/kg, George Mewes, Glasgow

[somethingoutthere-rpg-blog]

¡Feliz año nuevo!

Hoy en el último día de fiestas y tan cerca de nuestro primer aniversario queremos agradecerles a todos ustedes que han estado a nuestro lado durante todo este tiempo y desearles los mejores de los augurios. Esperamos de corazón que este año sea de experiencias increíbles y de grandes aventuras on-rol. 

De más está decirles que las celebraciones no librarán a nadie de sufrir las penurias que se esconden en el bosque.

De parte de todo el equipo de Something Out There  les deseamos que tengan un hermoso 2019. 

[areamdpl]

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[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

Need Help Deciding on a D&D Character

Edit: I made a Twitter poll to help decide: https://twitter.com/noblecrumpet/status/1144389611763961856

As my Tomb of Annihilation campaign is nearing its end (they are exploring level 4 of the Tomb now), I have been offered the opportunity of a lifetime for a DM: to actually play in a game instead of DM-ing it!

The problem is, I have three banger character concepts and no clue which to play. Since I have a lot of followers that can weigh in, I figured I would present them to you guys to help me decide. Each has at least one friendly NPC and one rival/villain NPC in their backstory and a character arc for maximum involvement in the story. Let me know which one sounds the most interesting or exciting to play because I like all of these dudes equally.

The setting is Forgotten Realms, but not the Sword Coast, and I think our team comp has two different barbarians and two other unknown characters. All three of my ideas are spellcasters so I’m not as concerned that I will be going against party comp.

Character 1: Dain, the Undermage

Character: Duergar Slime Sorcerer (homebrewed) focused on dealing a lot of Acid damage.

Appearance: Dain has ash-colored skin with a dirty red beard turned yellow in places from contact with acid. His forehead is magically branded with a column of three dark violet eye symbols rising from his brow. He wears a conglomeration of found and scavenged clothing scraps that form into robes, using bones for ornamentation and clasps. He wears a dark cowl to hide the sorcerous mark on his forehead. His spells all have a visual effect involving green ooze or slime.

Character Arc: Once he understands what heroic comradery is like, or if someone risks their life to save his, he will go from a selfish and greedy miser to someone willing to share his ambitions and to risk his own life for his new friends.

Backstory: Dain was once a proud brewer in a duergar kingdom called Blackmount, a subterranean mountain citadel ruled by Gabrid Grayrune. Brewing is an especially rare and almost taboo art since strong alcohols will cause duergar’s psionic powers to go awry. He lived with his wife, Azntryd.

One day, an aboleth named Thuuldukod took control of a good number of the duergar in the kingdom and spirited them away to its lair. Somehow the aboleth’s transformative slime and Dain’s innate psionic powers awakened a latent form of sorcery within him. He gained power over slimes, acid, and ooze and was also able to break free from Thuuldukod’s control. After freeing some others, they were able to overcome the aboleth and bury it beneath a pile of rock.

   Upon returning to Blackmount, the duergar took in the other freed duergar that survived, but banished Dain. His awakened power marked him with three purple eye symbols on his forehead, and the duergar believed this proved he was somehow still under the aboleth’s control. He left his life and his wife Azntryd behind. Angered by this treatment, he left to wallow in the filthier regions of the Underdark with his newfound powers, going slightly mad as he wondered if he was truly the one in control of his magic.

   Adventurers came by and tried to slay him, thinking the raving duergar was a common monster, but he overcame them. This battle caused him to rethink his priorities and once he noticed the wealth these heroes had accumulated, decided to act on his duergar greed and become a “hero” himself. His ultimate goal is to create his own kingdom to replace the one he lost.

Character 2: Klak, the Dungeon Delver

Character: Kobold Artificer (Artillerist) with a focus on exploration and utility.

Appearance: Klak sports red-grey scaled skin with orange eyes. As an artificer, he is always weighed down with lots of equipment, but thankfully has been able to design a haversack that can hold many of his things despite their weight. His artifacts are primarily made of stonework with glowing crimson runes, including his artillerist turret which grows from nearby stone to attack. The energy of his magic is red with lots of Kirby dots.

Character Arc: Klak is distrustful of warm-bloods but is his curiosity for history and ancient relics easily overcomes this. When he finally reunites with his crush who stayed behind when he was exiled, the only kobold or even person he ever trusted, Klak will have to choose between living in the ancient past or finding his feelings in the present.

Backstory: Klak (“Pebble” in draconic) and his kobold brethren served a green dragon named Andorax the Venom-Fang. Klak was one of the tyrant’s trap-makers. One day when mining out space for a pit trap, Klak came upon the entrance to an ancient lost tomb with magical technology and defenses. Not wanting to tell Andorax, he created a secret door in front of the tomb’s entrance and would steal away to the place when no one was looking. Slowly he began to uncover new secrets and learn how to abuse the magical items there. He even overcame some undead creatures by himself thanks to learning how to recreate a magical turret that once halted his own progress.

   After learning so many new tricks, Klak’s traps began to improve and Andorax started to take notice. He also started to notice when he went missing. Eventually, he discovered the secret entrance and filled it with poison gas while Klak was inside. Thinking quickly, Klak was able to create a gasmask and hide within a secret compartment. He couldn’t risk leaving, and knew that his kobold brethren would soon be combing the tomb for his body, so he dug and mined his way to the surface. Exhausted and running drastically low on air, he breached the ground in the wilderness nearby.

   Now Klak looks for new dungeons to delve, only stopping into town to sell treasures and buy tools and supplies. He knows a dwarven antiques merchant named Helga Goldbraid that shares new leads with him. He has joined adventuring parties before, but is wary of doing so ever since a human fighter, Amyster Bayn, betrayed him to get away with wealth and leave him to die.

   He misses one of his kobold friends whom he had a crush on, Jakryl, a crackshot crossbow sniper who presumably still works for Andorax. Klak was never able to confess his feelings for him before his escape.

Character 3: Gazmin Selunath, the Tide Princess

Character: Triton Bladesinger (elf restriction waived) with a focus on hitting people with her morningstar and blasting things with ice but with valuable utility spells in her back pocket. I imagine her as Thor’s personality, Starfire’s appearance (inverted color scheme) and the feeling of a Frank Frazetta painting.

Appearance: Big wavy green hair down to her calves, blue scaled skin, and yellow-green fins and webbing. She is tall for a triton, and has a powerful muscular build. She wears algae-stained whaleskin leather armor studded with barnacles, and a crown of spiked coral. She wields a magic morningstar whose head is a giant pearl with conical shells for spikes.

Character Arc: Gazmin is a prideful and haughty noble on a self-imposed quest to prove her worthiness to rule by slaying a great evil. However, she will never be satisfied. She has no actual desire to rule, but instead wanted to explore the surface world and its wonders. Her arc will complete once she stops lying to herself.

Backstory: Gazmin Selunath, daughter of Queen Myrthyn and King Genallus, is next in line to the throne of the triton kingdom of Seluna (which lies in a deep part of what the landlubbers call the Shining Sea). Gazmin was taught triton magic at the most prestigious magic schools and also the art of combat from the greatest triton warriors, and combines these skills into a bladesinging style she calls the Orca style. She wanted for nothing, but still realized something was missing. She didn’t feel worthy of attaining the crown and proclaimed that she had been given a task in a prophetic dream from the gods: she cannot rule Seluna until she destroys a great and terrible evil. Seeing no great evils in the kingdom, she opted to leave it and find this evil on land. Her parents gave her powerful triton relics to aid her in her quest. Then they said their goodbyes and she left in search of glory.

   Gazmin is unfamiliar with the ways and workings of the surface world. The first thing she did upon arriving was save a mountain man named Riff Bin from a group of marauding orcs. When asked where he lived that she may return him safely, he said his home was the mountain. She mistook this to mean that he was a great king who owned an entire mountain, and now offers him fealty and occasionally visits to send him tribute. Riff takes this in stride, not wanting to offend the terrifying woman who froze ten orcs solid and shattered them with her morningstar.

   Little to Gazmin’s knowledge, her jealous and treacherous younger brother Elganus has followed her to the surface world in hopes of ensuring Gazmin never returns to claim the throne he believes he deserves.

[geekmonkey]

I liked this picture, Rannoch Moor by andrewmckie https://flic.kr/p/2gz64aT

[nunoxaviermoreira]

Black Mount - Scotland by Bill Higham pre-dawn long exposure http://ift.tt/2jasVRZ

[scotianostra]

Good Morning from Scotland.

Daybreak At The Buchaille by john&mairi Via Flickr: Dawn arrives with a hush and a covey of clouds racing on the wind and the moon still riding high.

[alastairrossfineartphotography]

For the love X

For the love X

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[worryaboutyou]

[khelps]

Hace 17 años, X tuvo un escarceo con una mujer casada mientras estaba de paso en Blackmount. Él decidió quedarse algo más con la esperanza de que aquello llegara a buen puerto pero terminó por darse cuenta de que Abigail nunca dejaría a su familia, por lo que se marchó para seguir con su vida. 

17 años después regresa a Blackmount para asentarse con su novia, buscando un sitio tranquilo donde sentar definitivamente cabeza tras una vida turbulenta, pero cuál es su sorpresa al descubrir que Abigail ahora es viuda y que tiene una hija de, casualmente, 17 años... 

-> La idea es rolear ese triángulo amoroso pero además me parece interesante la trama familiar Heather - X - Abigail y cómo todo se puede liar entre ellos. Ella trataría de ocultarle la existencia de Heather al principio pero estamos en un pueblo y atrapados, él lo descubriría... y eso sería un problema. 

Para saber más click aquí :)

Anímense, regalo galletas, mucho drama y mucho rol <3

[somethingoutthere-rpg-blog]

¡Sin agua y sin seguridad! ¿Qué más le espera a Blackmount?

Leer nota completa +

[rolhispano]

El pasado presente - SOT

Entrando en la treintena fuiste a parar a un pequeño pueblo de Vermont: Blackmount. No había la cantidad de fiesta deseable, pero sí buenos paisajes de carretera para pasar con la moto. La estancia que iba a ser de un par de días se convirtió en un par de semanas… porque la conociste a ella. Todo lo contrario a ti: una niña con pasta y buena familia, una niña bien con una familia perfecta. La chica buena, el chico malo, todo un cliché. Un cliché que funciona. Tras varios encuentros, supiste que eso no iría a ninguna parte y saliste huyendo de allí.

Han pasado 17 años y regresas a Blackmount. Ahora eres tú quien tiene una mujer que quiere tener también un hijo (o quizá ya tenéis alguno) y necesitas sentar cabeza. Ella sugiere aprovecharse del TBP y aceptas, pensando de nuevo en ella, en Abigail, ¿cómo será ahora? Resulta que su marido murió y que tiene una hija de 17 años… la sospecha es inmediata. Y la chispa también.

¿Quieres saber más? Click aquí.