#the witch of taal

[artmindmachine]

[kiivg]

The next premium cosmetics for the new free update next month include one (1) guy fawkes mustache/goatee combo for saltz.

I don’t know how to handle this information

.Honestly, it looks terrible but it's one of those things where the more I think about it, the more I like it and that's just embarrassing haha. Mostly because I can't get the idea of Kruber fixing up his facial hair and being like 90% of the reason that Vicky grew it out in the first place.

.And then we get to delve into why Vicky is clean shaven in the first place, is it a Witch Hunter thing? I know that shaving his face is just an easier thing to do instead of keeping a beard all neat and tidy like literally every other man in Taal's Horn Keep, but he could just have a straggly thing that Bardin is enraged by whenever he looks at him. I mean, the man has lice in his clothes, a dead skaven in his bedroom, and bad breath according to Kerillian (how does she know? Big elf nose powers?) So he's not exactly that into his cleanliness when there's rat bastards to kill, so like.... we can just dump that clean-shaven preference into his Daddy Issues! Folder, and pretend that Papa 'Pyre had a big ole beard and little baby Vicky doesn't want to look like him, yknow, because he was a bastard.

.Also you CANNOT tell me that Markus doesn't fucking LOVE the new look, he's fucking Ubersreik Two in his goddamn mind whenever he gets a moment alone. 🥵💞

.Mad excited for Karak Azgaraz because I loved it in the first game 🥰.

[stories-from-the-warp]

(( Closed starter for @viciouslyfilthy ))

The journey back to Taal's Horn Keep was uneventful, as usual. Injured and exhausted after culling a few thousand Skaven, the Ubersreik Five---or whichever four of them had gone out---would limp back to the old fortress, tend to their wounds and collapse into their beds. What made this return trip different was their "guest": a Skaven female who somehow left her clan's breeding pit.

Markus Kruber, having broken a leg during an earlier mission, was left behind at the keep. As the sun began to set, he moved himself to sit out in front of the gate and waited for the others to return. Bardin appeared first, eager to swap stories with Kruber over drinks later. Kerillian and Sienna walked together, struggling to muffle their laughter and conceal their wide grins. Kruber inquired, but the ladies just scurried away.

Saltzpyre's stove-pipe hat appeared over the crest of the hill before he did. Even from this distance, Kruber could feel the old witch-hunter's cold gaze upon him. Judging by the women's behavior, he assumed something happened---to the embarrassment or frustration of Saltzpyre, but to their delight.

"Sir," Kruber sat himself upright before giving a salute. "Welcome back. What news from--"

Catching glimpse of the giant Skaven trailing Old One-Eye, Kruber ignored his current condition and sprang into action. "Sir! Rat Ogre behind you!" he cried out.

Kerillian and Sienna had utterly lost it, bursting with laughter from inside the keep.

"At ease, Sergeant," Saltzpyre grunted with a wave of his hand. "This one is for questioning."

"...Sir??" Kruber questioned. He saw no wounds on the giant rat's bulky frame or any sort of bindings on its limbs. How could his companions---or perhaps Saltzpyre alone---have taken such a monstrous Skaven captive?

"As I said, this one is for questioning," Saltzpyre reaffirmed. "Do not make me repeat myself again, Sergeant."

Despite severe confusion, Kruber took the witch-hunter at his word and sat back down with a grunt.

[seventeen02]

favorite movies !

say you love me

a moment of romance

in blow

scarface

life is beautiful

death in venice

purple noon

mr and mrs smith

hackers

leon

girl interrupted

in the mood for love

days being wild

fallen angel

the beautiful person

the apartment

fuyajo

the black swan

the godfather 2

my own private idaho

two lovers under one roof

the scent of green papaya

vertical ray of the sun

stealing beauty

teorema

call me by your name

bonnie and clyde

fight club

kill bill

city of the rising sun

wheels of ashes

fruit of paradise

floating clouds

ghosts

inception

x movie

ley lines

the brown bunny

american psycho

platonic sex

last night in soho

emma

pride and prejudice

red lights

the dreamers

the wind rises

closer

six in paris

mermaids

garden state

on the occasion of remembering the turning gate

the doom generation

the girl on the motorcycle

open house

the place without limits

ratatouille

twin peaks

before sunrise

malèna

possession

all about lily chou chou

bride for rip van winkle

the lover

amelie

rebels of the neon god

as tears go by

a moment to remember

the hot spot

less than zero

edward scissorhands

eyes wide shut

un homme et une femme

the story of adele h

the last mistress

billboard dad

metropolitan

the pillow book

singles

la la land

mirrored mind

fatal frame

and then we danced

dear ex

tune in for love

one fine spring day

reality bites

running on empty

millennium mambo

lost and found

who's the woman, who's the man

mulholland drive

Jess + Moss

swallowtail butterfly

dorian gray

durian durian

hana & alice

40 days and 40 nights

l'amour braque

picnic

to each is own

guilty of romance

vagabond

city of madness

three times

mary is happy mary is happy

comet

sleepless town

like someone in love

hausu

house

46 okunen no koi

2046

l'enfer

cloud atlas

old boy

mystery train

the odd one dies

kedi

l'amour l'apres-midi

fire on the black hand side

le bonheur

fantastic planet

mirror

belladonna of sadness

daisies

lost highway

sweet movie

pearl

heathers

moulin rouge

suspiria

the rich man's wife

requiem for a dream

the others

return of the living dead

dracula

interview with the vampire

wir kinder vom bahnof zoo

le mepris

chi-n-pi-ra

chungking express

ashes and snow

shuttering island

the grand budapest hotel

the young girls of rochefort

the florida project

the edge of love

irreversible

crash

gone girl

bullet ballet

of love and shadows

minari

galaxy express 999

audition

lan yu

silsila

belle de jour

taal

dead or alive

videodrama

lost in translation

washington square

soulmate

summer lovers

barbarella

snake of june

a woman under the influence

mysterious skin

red eye

happy together

the walk

brick

l.a. confidental

love & pop

linda linda linda

swing girls

nana

the lover

hirugao

helter sketler

suzhou river

kaili blues

kamikaze girls

valerie and her week of wonders

comrades, almost a love story

naked lunch

endless love

whiplash

taxi driver

vivre sa vie

la collectionneuse

dog day afternoon

night in paradise

my mister

my name

better days

himizu

first love, letter on the breeze

split of the spirit

one million yen girl

juncchi mori

la belle

ITSAY

mermaid legend

blue spring

badlands

marie antoinette

aftersun

brokeback mountain

portrait of lady on fire

nostos: the return

shiki-jitsu

farewell my concubine

constantine

never let me go

bones and all

paris is burning

trouble everyday

memories of matsuko

pierrot le feu

taipei story

blue velvet

a woman is a woman

buffalo 66

the love witch

valley of dolls

the rocky horror picture show

[feargha]

The Old Witch Sleep and the Good Man Grace | Lyric Translation II

More of The Amazing Devil translation into my conlang!

“We’ll dance together

So close we’re sharing breath

But now I’m leading

Doesn’t that just

Scare you to death?”

——

Translation:

“Kesȳtiya milȳ fiiy

Veveyȳ milȳ nȳya taal

Mȳ gogha ve iš

Tɬiɔq la daagh ko

ɬȳku faīti?”

——

Translation w/ Syllable Modification:

“Kesȳtiya mil’ fiiy

Vevey’ mil’ nȳya taal

Mȳ gogha ve iš

Tɬiɔq la daagh ko

ɬȳku faīti?”

——

Literal word order:

“Together we dance

Closest [so] we share breath

But leading now I [am]

Does you that not

Scare dead?”

[oldstorynewart]

Of Nether Folk and Trusting Ghosts

“I always thought The Netherlands sounded like a magical realm made up by Tolkien.”

Being a huge folklore dork from the ever-so-grounded Nether realms, I took it as a big compliment to my native land when an English stranger said this to me a few moon cycles ago. The Low Lands are not typically thought of as being particularly magical – the only thing of mythic proportions being the rural realism that still haunts these crowded plains – but the idea that there is no Dutch folk tale tradition couldn’t be further from the truth: the magical creatures of the Netherlands are just particularly good at hiding themselves. I find it important that their stories are heard, and Groninger native Marlene Bakker seems to agree. By reimagining a long history of Othering women, pagans, and minority language speakers through her 2023 song ‘Witte Wieven’, Bakker does a fantastic job of showing us why the Dutch need to learn to listen to their foggy folklore.

As its title suggests, the song is a meditation on one of the better known creatures from the Low Saxon mythos. Witte wieven (‘white women’, although the original meaning was probably ‘wise women’) were believed to be ghostly female entities living in burial mounds in the northeastern Netherlands. Although stories vary from region to region, the general consensus is that wieven are the spirits of deceased pagan priestesses who wander around their graves in white burial shrouds. The wieven were worshipped in pre-Christian times, and in return they helped women in labour and farmers with their crops. With the word of God, however, these kindly spirits were outcast as heathen, and with that their ghostly garden found its grave. The townsfolk turned to telling tales of evil ones who dwelt the hills around their homes, leaving the once-so-valued wieven viewed as nothing but vicious ‘Others’; voiceless, seductive, and never to be trusted.

Bakker’s song returns soul to specter by giving these creatures a voice once more. A review by the CGTC (Centrum Groninger Taal en Cultuur) describes the song as being about the fear of women, and relates it to the real-life witch hunts that took place in Westerwolde, East-Groningen. Bakker masterfully reimagines the wieven by reflecting on them from contrasting perspectives; that of the fearful townsfolk in the verses, and that of the women themselves in the choruses. Where the pre-chorus cautions us to “never go into the woods past the deposit house” because “witte wieven haunt there,” the choruses ask us to consider the feelings those we fear. “Who of you is not afraid?” one of them asks. “My burial shroud is much too long. I wander through the night, trapped in time, until the sun shines on me.”

The bit about the burial shroud is telling of Bakker’s desire to understand the wieven, as it refers to the tale of the only wief ever heard to speak. As the story goes, a farmer once noticed that a wief kept stumbling over of her gown. She proclaimed “Mien henneklaid is mie te laank!” (“My burial shroud is too long for me!”) so the man decided to help her by cutting it short. After this, she gratefully rewarded him with a life of good fortune. By including this quote, Bakker manages to humanize the creatures once more: she gives them back their voice, their kind-hearted nature, and the human ability to struggle. But she also accomplishes something more subtle.

Bakker wails her words the Low Saxon dialect spoken in Groningen, just like the wife who couldn’t walk without the farmer’s kindness. There’s a parallel to be drawn between the histories of the wieven and Low Saxon tongues. Where the wieven were ruled out with the organization of religion, these dialects faced a massive, forceful decline with the advent of the Dutch language’s unification When performing her songs live, Bakker always introduces her songs in common Dutch, allowing all of her audience members to be familiarized with the oppressed. By shedding light on forgotten women from a forgotten folklore in a forgotten language, Bakker raises a significant, unresolved history of repression from the earth’s mounds and lays it bare for questioning.

‘Witte Wieven’ remains a cautionary tale, but not the one we’ve grown accustomed to. Rather than teaching us fear, it warns us to be wary of fear itself. It highlights a history the Dutch may rather have forgotten, and in doing so, it frees a dangerous discourse of Othering women and their wisdom from its prison of time – which, from a realist point of view, was only ever immortal in fiction anyway. This shows us that if there’s anything we shouldn’t trust, it’s a country that chooses to bury its magic for the sake of being ‘down to earth’. If we are to learn anything from Bakker, it is that thinking about folklore matters. It’s good to sing these songs, it’s good to celebrate and explore the history the Dutch do have. Thankfully, Bakker’s song manages to make the land I call my home a little more like the Tolkienesque realm my British stranger already believed it to be.

[viciouslyfilthy]

stories-from-the-warp:

Those four of the five in attendance just glanced between each other and this strange Skaven. Everything about the rat-woman had them questioning their knowledge on Skaven in general. None of it made sense.

How and why was a breeding female able to roam freely on the surface? Why would a rat approach the Ubersreik Five alone and not attack? Why would a rat ever be nice? If any of this was part of some convoluted plot, then why would something so valuable be used as bait or a sacrifice?

But then, the vermin-slayers started to wonder: could this Skaven be questioned for information? Could she be captured or lured back to Taal's Horn Keep? Could she be used as a bargaining chip? Or would even attempting this send the Under-Empire into a frenzy and get them all killed?

For now, Victor just wanted his hat back. He cooled his tempers enough to be sociable with this Skaven---much to his chagrin. He still didn't like it and knew the others would mock him for it later.

"...Yes, that belongs to me," the witch-hunter grumbled. "I would like to have it back... Please..."

Both ladies needed to cover their mouths with both hands. They didn't want to interrupt this precious moment by dying of laughter.

Their suspicions were more than understandable. If this creature truly was one of the Breeders, a type of Skaven considered pure mystery by a lot of people given the little amount of information on them, and the rarity of them ever being spotted outside of their breeding ground at the core of Skavenblight- why would one just casually be waltzing out here? And choose to approach them, of all things? Regardless of the lost hat- did she not know of the Ubersreik Five? That she was speaking to the ratmen exterminators?

...

It really seemed like a fat no. She looked and spoke to them as if they were nothing but common people. There wasn't a hint of fear nor anxiety from her; just blunt curiosity and friendliness. Did she not realize these were the exact same people who'd just slain half of her kin in the open? Of which she had to shove aside their corpses to make her way through? It really seemed like she hadn't even made that connection in the first place. To her, they just happened to be four weirdly-dressed, man-things walking amongst piles of 'sleeping' ratmen. This strange world outside of Skavenblight truly was full of wonders!

How her stupidity hadn't gotten her killed yet must've been some type of miracle by the Great Horned Rat himself. Then again, Skaven weren't exactly known for their intelligence.

The rat just awkwardly stood there, sniffing the air from time to time as the group exchanged looks of confusion amongst themselves, until Victor confirmed the item did belong to him.

"But... why-why man-thing angry?" She then asked, slightly tilting her head to one side as she slowly extended her arm and handed the hat back to its owner.

@stories-from-the-warp continued from HERE. 🐀

The she-vermin slowly made her way around the rodent corpses before her, she seemed unphased or neutral of their existence, as if they were just rocks obstructing her path; she just gently poked and shoved some aside, out of her way, with her cane.

'Why all Skaven sleeping? Bright-bright, bright! Light bother Quotittak too much to nap.' She thought. Her mind far too naïve and witless to comprehend on her own that her fellow ratmen were dead, not asleep. She couldn't seem to differentiate between the smell of filth and the smell of death; but then again, can you blame her? She practically lived all her life among filth, immbolized.

She sniffed the hat through and through to better process it's scent, before sniffling the air around her and continuing her walk forwards with the help of her trusty staff. Whatever this strange contraption was... aside from the musty, old person scent- from looks alone, it just had to belong to a man-thing, or elf-thing. They always seemed to carry all sorts of odd items!

Even from a distance... her silhouette was clear as day: a Skaven. But her size and... well, overall behaviour were nothing like the average ratman the Ubersreik Five were used to slaying. She innocently carried Victor's hat as she kept her eyes on the ground- mostly just so she was careful not to trip over anything.

[samingtonwilson]

SHDJDNDNSJDN GOD

[la-vie-arroes]

The Tower of Taal Enon

Vines cover the stone door of a single tower castle, planted like a stake atop a jagged meadow covered cliff. Old jasmine wilts softly against the walls, but if you catch the wind at the right time you get the subtle sweetness of something lost in time. The tower that haunts the mountain was a monument of the ancient arcane. It held roots in the summer region of the forest, underneath the constellation of Canterius; standing like an arrow to the sky of the Mother's land. It was originally built by the elves of the ancient world as a shrine of the Deer God, a great white blind stag with 7 antlers beholding a radiant halo. It was known by few of the modern world as the Tower of Taal Enon: something once favored by children for wild adventurous escapes, a brooding nest for forest nymphs enraptured in unrequited love, and sometimes, an alchemists room even visited by gentle crones who used their magick to heal broken people. But now, as it stood there for me, it stood as just a door.

Perhaps I remembered my hands placed on the cool stone walls, tracing the small roads laden throughout the structure. And I maybe even remembered when I peered from the top of the tower's peak, sunlight warm on my face, flowers singing to the skies beneath me in the valley, and the wind chiming through bells somewhere deep and mystical in the greenwood. When the walls were a shelter from the heavy pelting rains, and the thunder that was so loud even the pebbles on the ground shuddered outside. Or when the demons of some dark, forgotten wilderness came looking to break my bones and shatter my skull. The tower had this old magic seeded into it, some spell of a language that only a few of the elves from the ancient world knew. That magic served to cover the tower from bone crunching demons; from the blood lusting evil that crept under the roots of the forest floor. The elves believed the tower would serve as a resting place for the Deer God when the evil of the world tainted his white coat; a place where he would heal, a place of hope to wash away the sickness and evils of the forest. Though cautious and rarely seen, the Deer God glinted as a ray of light to those lost in the darker regions of the forest. A few lost accounts spoke of the beast leading them to the tower itself. The magick veil glinted in the sun to those who had the hopes of finding it, those who sought for a home but had none, for a place of peace, a requiem. You could catch a glimmer of the veil on the brightest days, a few sudden white stars blinking in the shifting wind, gone in seconds. Those days, when I needed the tower most, it felt like home more than the one I was born into.

But those days were over. I can still see the tower, but it sings siren songs of old memories that once cradled me in my childhood. The door no longer opens to me, perhaps because I have found an inner peace. The tower is only an oasis for exterior harmony, for the immediate physical need for, a flowing cup to the hungry empty hearts of the broken, the longing, the fantasies and dreams of those thirsting for a glimmer of hope to spill peace into their restless soul. When the nymphs find love, or leave their pains for the unrequited long to rest, the tower door seals shut. When the old witch heals shattered bones, open wounds and sores, illness and disease, and she packs her things and leaves in the wake of the night --- the veil enshrouds the tower.

But to the children who never find that solace of halcyon within, the tower remains a shrine, a place of comfort, a gift from the Mother herself to her wild, aching, troubled children.

To me, the tower no longer opens, though I have not tried to open it of my own power in many years. I even, curiously so, refuse to. She has shut her doors to me, and she will no longer bring me the vitality and brimming enthusiasm I once held for her. There is a new peace in myself I found many years ago, and the sealed door speaks of a quiet, almost bitter whisper. Even the tower holds her own memories, and to those she heals she lets them go with her own pride. She does not hold a quiet resentment to all, but for some like me, who swaddled myself in her joy and comfort, she harbors a grudge. For whence the few of us find that path to a new hope, a purpose and calling beyond her walls, she sutures the door shut against us, as if to protect the wounds of many others from those who no longer have a need for her. Don't bring your new love into my home. She speaks. And I won't burden your future with our old love. Perhaps she holds quietly onto what I found in her. And I know at least, that as I watch the old tower from the valley beneath, the tall and proud arrow to the skies of the old magick, to the stars, planted in the Mother's hands, I share the same nostalgic memories for her with which we do not speak, but only feel.

-For AML

[omegamanrp]

What? No treats for us?//

“Typical.” Shinzora pouted, fully dressed in a Bayonetta outfit (which she made herself).

“No one comes to the witches house for halloween.” Ben sighed, himself in full Jojo cosplay.

Tenebre had her head laid on the table, eyeing the candy bowl forlornly.

“Hey, at least no one pranks my place.” Taal sat back in his chair. All he had on was a pair of Yveltal horns (the man was in costume 24/7 already). “Too much of a pain to vandalize your place when you live in the mountains.”

[2whatcom-blog]

Israel election PM Netanyahu seeks report fifth time period

Israel is holding its most closely-fought normal election in years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chief of the right-wing Likud Get together, is looking for a fifth time period in workplace. However he's dealing with corruption allegations and a robust problem from former navy chief Benny Gantz, head of the centrist Blue and White alliance. Pre-election polls recommended the 2 most important contenders have been neck-and-neck and that they would want to depend on smaller events to type a governing coalition. Negotiations are anticipated to start out quickly after polls shut at 22:00 native time (19:00 GMT).

What's forecast to occur?

No occasion has ever received a majority in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, and the nation has all the time had coalition governments. Greater than 40 events are contesting Tuesday's election, however solely a couple of dozen are anticipated to beat a 3.25% threshold, permitting them to enter parliament with 4 seats or extra. Ultimate polls recommended Likud and Blue and White would each win about 30 seats. The left-wing Labour occasion was predicted to return third with about 10 seats, adopted by the Arab alliance Hadash-Taal and United Torah Judaism, which represents ultra-Orthodox Jews. In Israel's fragmented occasion system the benefit stays with Mr Netanyahu, who nonetheless seems to be most definitely to have the ability to type a brand new coalition authorities, says the BBC's Tom Bateman in Jerusalem. In a broadly criticised transfer to lock down further right-wing seats, Mr Netanyahu brokered a deal in February making it simpler for candidates from an extreme-right wing occasion that many view as racist to enter parliament. 6.3mregistered voters 3months of campaigning 47events participating 120seats in parliament up for grabs On Tuesday, Israeli Arab politicians condemned Likud for sending 1,200 observers geared up with hidden physique cameras to polling stations in Arab communities. Hadash-Taal stated it was an "illegal" motion by the "extremist right" that sought to intimidate Arabs and cut back turnout, however Likud stated it wished to make sure solely "valid votes" have been forged. A number one pollster stated on Tuesday afternoon that he had by no means seen such a low turnout amongst Israeli Arabs, who make up virtually a fifth of the inhabitants.

What was Benjamin Netanyahu's pitch to voters?

The 69-year-old, who might overtake David Ben-Gurion as Israel's longest-serving prime minister if he's re-elected, known as voting a "sacred act" when he forged his poll in Jerusalem on Tuesday. "You need to choose well, but I can't tell you for whom," he stated. "Or I can, but I'm not going to. God willing, Israel will win." At a rally in Jerusalem on Monday, Mr Netanyahu informed Likud supporters to not be "complacent" and urged them to prove at polling stations. He warned that his "leftist" rivals might nonetheless win. Our correspondent says Mr Netanyahu has appealed to Israel's more and more right-wing voter base with powerful messages on safety and a big announcement within the closing days suggesting a brand new authorities would annex Jewish settlements within the occupied West Financial institution. The settlements are thought-about unlawful beneath worldwide legislation, though Israel disputes this. Our correspondent says Mr Netanyahu has confronted an uncomfortable election race, dogged by looming corruption prices, and a flare-up within the battle with Palestinian militants within the Gaza Strip. The prime minister denies the corruption allegations, and says he's a sufferer of a political "witch hunt" geared toward influencing the election.

What about Benny Gantz?

The 59-year-old retired lieutenant-general is a newcomer to politics who shaped the Blue and White in February, promising to unite a rustic that had "lost its way". Casting his vote within the city of Rosh Haayin, close to Tel Aviv, he known as on Israelis to respect democracy and "take responsibility". "Go to vote. Choose whoever you believe in. Respect each other and let us all wake up for a new dawn, a new history that we need to begin," he stated. The previous chief of employees of the Israeli navy can rival Mr Netanyahu on safety - one of many election's key points - and is promising cleaner politics. He informed Blue and White supporters in Tel Aviv on Monday that the prime minister wished to "create a legal fortress to guarantee his legal immunity in front of the serious charges he is facing". Mr Gantz's marketing campaign platform refers to "separation" from the Palestinians however doesn't particularly point out them having an impartial state. It additionally requires continued management over the Jordan Valley and retaining West Financial institution settlement blocs. Requested concerning the Israeli election on Tuesday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas informed reporters within the West Financial institution: "We hope they choose the just path, in the right direction, to reach out for peace." Read the full article

[filmflits]

Nieuwe Film Merchandise op https://filmflits.nl/the-witch-in-the-window/

The Witch in the window

EAN: 8711983970175

INFO: DVD | Engels

PRIJS: €9,99

The Witch in the window Gegevens

Label: Just Entertainment BV

The Witch in the window Specificaties

Drager: DVD

Aantal stuks in verpakking: 1 disc

Speelduur: 77 minuten minuten

Regiocode: 2

Taal: Engels

Overige talen: Engels

The Witch in the window Kijkwijzer

Adviesleeftijd: Vanaf 16 jaar

The Witch in the window Cijfers en feiten

Productiejaar: 2018

The Witch in the window Overige kenmerken

Film of serie: Film

Filmgenre: Horror

Porno: Nee

Soort verpakking: Amaray

[stories-from-the-warp]

A WHOOSH of a blood dagger skims right past Victor’s head, just missing his face by a hair as it embeds itself into Drachenfels’ wall and promptly dissolves into a puddle of her own blood — shit. Better luck next round.

“ Son of a FUCK, you move agile for such a decrepit, ancient mortal. Do me a favor and stay still this time so I can feed your freshly decapitated head to my Fester men. “

Humans. The revolting lot of them desired to perish a slow and agonizing death. Especially this asshole who keeps killing off her dwindling battalion.

“ Can you not just. I do not know. Cease breathing? Go into cardiac arrest so I can toss your insufferable meat sack into a river? Drop dead. “

Despite Old One-Eye's uncanny reflexes and zeal, he was contending with this vampire by himself---having been separated from his comrades. He needed to either escape or hold out long enough for the others to find him.

But when she mentioned "her Fester men", a realization came upon the witch hunter: the legions of pact-sworn included Skaven, Norscans and recently, Beastmen. Though bray-herds were known to gather alongside the forces of Chaos, the fact that Clan Fester sought an alliance with the Rotblood tribe came as a surprise. Any of these three evils in control of Castle Drachenfels would be bad, yet vampires were also involved here?

Saltzpyre didn't like the implications, but his new priority was to send word back to Taal's Horn Keep.

"Keep dreaming, spawn of Von Carstein," Victor taunted. "You shan't be rid of me THAT easily..."

He quickly drew a pistol and fired at Betty.

[dutch-druid-project]

wat is de etymologie van het woord Heks? Anders gesteld: waar komt het woord Heks vandaan? De oorsprong van de Heks is in de Latijnse taal te vinden. Hoewel in het huidige Engels heks Witch wordt genoemd, afgeleid van Wicca, werd het in het Oud-Engels Hexe genoemd. Net als het Duitse Hexe is Heks afgeleid van het Latijnse Hexa zoals in Hexagram (zeshoek). Maar hier wordt het zesde zintuig bedoeld, of wel paranormale begaafdheid. Al maakt het begrip de indruk dat het boven of buiten wat normaal is te zijn, ook wel bovennatuurlijk genoemd, is het heel normaal voor deze mensen. In de Keltische cultuur worden dergelijke mensen Barden genoemd. Druïden daarentegen zijn een stap verder, en hebben kennis van drie gebieden: het aardse of fysieke, het geestelijke of spirituele, en het goddelijke of mystieke. Het zit hem in de naam: Dru is Keltisch voor het getal 3, zoals Tri in het Latijns. Nogmaals, een Heks is een spiritueel persoon die gebruik maakt van het zesde zintuig. Terwijl een Druïde of Magiër gebruik maakt van het zevende zintuig, de zetel van mystieke of goddelijke vermogens. Magiër, is letterlijk vertaald een Grootmeester in deze mystieke begaafdheid. Een gave die alleen in alle stilte en rust werkzaam kan zijn. Het enige verschil tussen de Heks en Magiër, is dat de Heks ten alle tijden haar of zijn begaafdheid kan misbruiken. In dat geval riskeert hij of zij het verlies van zijn of haar paranormale begaafdheid. De Hogere Begaafdheid is zuiverder en sterker, wat voor een Heks bedreigend over kan komen, terwijl de Heks denkt zeker te weten dat de ander Zwarte Magie bedrijft. In dat geval geldt voor deze Heks de waarschuwing: pas op met wat je voor waar aanneemt en op basis daarvan actie onderneemt. Je riskeert het verlies van je begaafdheid. Je krijgt te maken met een goddelijke macht die vanuit de ziel komt, dat aan jouw begaafdheid een einde maakt. Rotzooi niet met de Magiër, Druïde of welke mystieke Grootmeester dan ook. Je verbrand je vingers en je begaafdheid gaat in rook op. Figuurlijk gesproken verbrand. De Heks veroordeelt zich zelf. Dat is een van de universele en spirituele wetten. Je straft je zelf. Je ontneemt je eigen gaven. Oordeel niet te snel of je wordt geveld door je Laatste Oordeel. Dat is een van de Goddelijke of Universele Wetten. Mens, ken u Zelve.

[thecaptainsdesk]

The Philippines is often overlooked by foreign travellers in favour of other Asian destinations, but there’s no better time to get to know this tropical archipelago.

With 7461* islands (at low tide!) and a feast of screensaver-perfect backdrops – from dreamy tropical beaches and smouldering volcanoes to mesmerising rice terraces and crumbling Spanish relics – the Philippines is one of south-east Asia’s most exotic getaways.

(*Yes, according to the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), following a report from the Philippine Islands Measurement Project, the number of islands recognized as Philippine property is actually larger than the 7,107 islands people were taught in school for decades. Some had just been missed due to a lack of technology, and others are relatively new islands that are the result of changing landforms.)

Yet to many travellers, this lush archipelago – anchored between the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean – remains an under-appreciated mystery; usually ignored in favour of its near-neighbours Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia (Bali), despite the efforts of Filipino tourism chiefs, whose slogan, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, and the new ad with world-famous travel blogger, Jack Ellis, “When you’re with Filipinos, you’re with family” graces billboards everywhere.

Palawan

So why take a punt on the Philippines? Aside from the fact that low-cost Filipino carrier Cebu Airlines has launched flights between the Philippines and other international destinations, taking on the national carrier Philippine Airlines, and the fact that you’re dealing with bargain, Bali-esque prices, what is there that appeals here?

How about gorgeous landscapes, a spellbinding cast of wildlife (both on land and under water), exuberant festivals, romantic hideaways and thrilling adventures, sumptuous seafood and rum-fuelled parties and the chance to mingle with some of the cheeriest people on earth.

And you’ll have no worries communicating with them. Alongside Tagalog (Filipino), English is the Philippines’ unofficial language (a legacy of the country’s strong American influence).

Compiling a maiden Filipino travel itinerary can be tricky (did I mention there were 7461 islands?).

So here are some ideas to get you started.

MANIC MANILA

Most travellers fly into Metro Manila, which, with its Bangkok-style traffic jams and its glaring chasms between the ostentatiously rich and the heart-wrenchingly poor, provides an in-your-face introduction to the Philippines. However, the Filipino capital is an absorbing and enthralling place to explore.

To familiarise yourself, join a walking tour with Carlos Celdran, an acclaimed guide who uses street theatre to trace Manila’s topsy-turvy history. His signature tour covers Intramuros – the photogenic, and fairly placid, old walled quarter founded by the Spanish colonialists in the early 16th century. (celdrantours.blogspot.com)

It was partially rebuilt after being flattened during World War II when the US and Japan fought for control of the city, then known as the pearl of the Orient. Another Celdran tour (Livin’ La Vida Imelda) explores the controversial life of Imelda Marcos, the shoe-loving wife of former President, Ferdinand Marcos. She was said to have owned 3000 pairs of shoes when she was the first lady.

Manila skyline at dusk

You can shop for nifty footwear, and other goodies, in the sleek airconditioned malls beloved by Manileños across the social spectrum (the fanciest are in Makati, a modern American-tinged enclave strewn with cosmopolitan hotels and restaurants). Don’t miss the sunset over Manila Bay; it’s the city’s traffic pollution that contributes to the startling orangey-red spectacle.

After dark, kick back with drinks on a trendy rooftop bar such as Skye (skye.ph) or try your luck at Manila’s new $1.3 billion Solaire casino (solaireresort.com). You could also partake in the national obsession: singing. Karaoke bars are everywhere; some are family-friendly, others not so, dripping in neon and sleaze, rife with sex tourists and ladies, and lady-boys, of the night.

THE BIG ISLAND – LUZON

Classic Filipino Jeepney

Manila sprawls at the centre of the Philippines’ largest island.

A touch smaller than Cuba, Luzon could easily eat up the visa-free allowance that many passport holders are given upon entering the country.

After the smog, heat and bustle of Manila, it’s bliss to ascend into the cooler Cordillera, a pine-forested chain of mountains sheltering laid-back towns like Sagada, a faintly mystical, hippy hideaway, and Baguio, a hill station established by the American military, who forced Spain out of the Philippines in 1898.

Baguio Botanical Gardens

The Cordillera hides waterfalls, sacred caves with entombed mummies and museums that depict the customs of ancient headhunters.

But the main pull is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed rice terraces skirting the small towns of Banaue and Batad.

Banaue Rice Terraces

Dating back to the days before Christ, these magnificent amphitheatres — hewn with hand, mud and stone by the Ifugao people (one of several tribes still living in the region) — are edged by invigorating hiking trails. Travellers can do bamboo and nipa hut home-stays in Batad, where the worst of the noise pollution comes from crowing roosters and playful children.

A little sister gets a lift

Further north, the Philippines’ best-preserved Spanish town, Vigan, has cobblestone streets, Mediterranean mansions, sturdy Catholic churches that were built to withstand earthquakes; one form of disastrous natural phenomena that the Philippines is vulnerable to and vibrant festivals like January’s Vigan Town Fiesta – it’s a blaze of colour, music and processions.

Horse-drawn carriage in Vigan

You can tour Vigan in a calesa, a two-wheeled horse carriage that is just one of the country’s eye-catching (and often hair-raising) modes of transport. Most prevalent is the jeepney. A Philippines classic, the ex-US Army jeeps-cum-minibuses daubed in technicolour graffiti spawning messages of love, politics and religion. Similar designs cover tricycles, the Filipino rickshaws that are basically motorbikes with bolted-on sidecars.

Swimming with the Butanding

In South Luzon, you can swim with giant butanding (whale sharks) off the coast of Donsol, and see smoking Mount Mayon (a perfect cone volcano blooming from rice fields). Volcanoes loom either side of Manila. Day-trippers scale Mount Pinatubo, which last erupted in 1991, and Taal, which emerges, rather magically, out of a lake.

Left: Taal, Right: Mt. Pinatubo(top) Mt. Mayon(bottom)

BORACAY BLISS

Choosing the Philippines’ most beautiful beach is nigh-on impossible; there are so many. The most hyped is Boracay Island’s White Beach, a luscious, four-kilometre lick of powdery sand, edged by giant, lurching coconut palms and stroked by gentle azure waters crawling with paraws (traditional sailing boats).

Boracay's white sand beaches

Though Boracay is paradise to many Filipinos (and Americans, South Koreans, Taiwanese and Chinese, who comprise the bulk of the international tourists), some complain that it’s become too developed.

Compared to Thailand’s Patong and Bali’s Kuta, however, Boracay is still pretty laidback. And as you enjoy a seafood platter — grilled squid, octopus, shrimps and snapper – with a chilled San Miguel beer, while watching the sun melt into the sea, sending the sky into a frenzy of pinks and oranges, White Beach doesn’t seem such a bad place to linger.

SEE CEBU

Less frenetic than Manila, Cebu is the Philippines’ second major gateway. Its international airport is on Mactan Island, where Iberian explorer Ferdinand Magellan met his end at the hands of tribal leader Lapu-Lapu in 1521.

Magellan Shrine (back), Lapu-Lapu Shrine (front)

A 20-minute taxi ride away, Cebu City boasts the country’s oldest street and church, a ruined Spanish fort, and renowned eateries, like Zubuchon, where globetrotting celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain feasted on lechon (spit-roasted suckling pig). His verdict? “Best pig ever!”

Pinoy lechon, roasting over hot coals

While not as famous as Thai or Vietnamese food, Filipino cuisine is extremely varied and flavoursome.

Touted as the national dish, adobo is a vinegary, garlicky dish that comes in beef, pork and chicken variations, with rice. It’s served everywhere, from upscale bistros to boisterous street markets where families and friends munch and socialise around plastic tables and chairs.

Adobong Manok chaka kanin

Balut (half-developed duck embryo) is among the more offbeat culinary options. A favourite Filipino dessert is halo-halo, a revitalising concoction of milky crushed ice, fresh fruit (like mango, banana and papaya) and ice-cream.

Balut (left),  Halo-Halo (right)

I could go on and on about the delights of Filipino cuisine, but I think I’ll leave that for another time…

The hub of the Visayan archipelago, Cebu is the launchpad for ferries and catamarans to myriad tempting islands, best explored on a motorbike or bicycle. Gems include Siquijor which is famed for its witches and shamans and the bucolic Bohol, which is on the road to recovery after suffering back-to-back jolts in late 2013. A devastating 7.2 earthquake was followed three weeks later by Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda, as it was known in the Philippines).

Although some of Bohol’s centuries-old churches were reduced to rubble, its iconic, tubby Chocolate Hills are still largely intact.

Chocolate Hills, Bohol

These 100-metre high mounds turn brown in the dry season between March and May (but are a luxuriant green for most of the year).

Another Bohol highlight is the tarsier. You can glimpse these cute, wide-eyed creatures — some of the planet’s tiniest primates — in the trees of Bohol’s Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary.

Bohol Tarsiers

BEST OF THE REST

Like Borneo, Palawan conjures up a sense of the far-flung and unexplored. Its languid provincial capital, Puerto Princesa, is just an hour’s flight from Manila, but oozes Eden-esque qualities.

One of the few pockets of civilisation, El Nido is a traveller-friendly town surrounded by hulking limestone cliffs, pristine beaches and sparkling emerald lagoons. Hop in a bangka (an outrigger vessel) or kayak and imbibe scenery that resembles Phi Phi in Thailand, only with a fraction of the tourists. North of Palawan, the Calamian Islands are believed to have inspired Alex Garland to write The Beach.

Strolling along the beach in El Nido, Palawan

Calamian includes the hallowed wreck-dive spot of Coron, where more than a dozen Japanese ships were sunk during World War II. Coral-rich reefs teeming with tropical fish, turtles, sharks and dugongs, pepper Filipino waters, with world-class dive sites off Panglao Island, south of Bohol, Apo Island, off Negros, and Puerto Galera, Mindoro.

In the Philippines’ deep south, hardcore surfers tackle the “Cloud Nine” break off Siargao Island, while adventure-seekers are drawn to Camiguin, a pear-shaped island with seven volcanoes. Both are near Mindanao, the country’s second largest island.

Currently, Mindanao is out-of-bounds to tourists due to a proclamation of Martial Law by Philippine President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, initiated to counter the pro-ISIS Maute terrorist group, who recently took a hold in Marawi City. Troops are currently active in the region, although the rest of the country is as safe as ever.

MORE INFORMATION

It’s More Fun In The Philippines

Department of Tourism, Philippines

TEN ESSENTIAL PHILIPPINES EXPERIENCES

Sip Tanduay rum and coke, a San Miguel or a fresh fruit juice while soaking up a Boracay sunset.

Filipinos are rarely more gleeful than during karaoke sessions. Go on, join in.

3. Hike through and marvel at the ancient rice terraces lording over Banaue and Batad.

Rub shoulders with a cocktail of humanity in a jeepney.

Ogle awe-inspiring wildlife, whether it be tarsiers on land or butanding under water.

Indulge your inner mall rat and relax the purse strings in Manila’s glut of shopping centres.

Navigate turquoise Filipino seas in a ferry, kayak or bangka (outrigger boat).

Enjoy a taste of the local street foods, including barbecued isaw, kwek-kwek, and fish balls.

You’ll be offered hundreds of massages on your Filipino holiday. Accept one (at least).

Stumble across your own empty, postcard-perfect tropical beach.

Fish balls, squid balls, kwek-kwek, and kikiam, favoured street foods of Filipinos

Secret’s out: Asia’s most overlooked paradise The Philippines is often overlooked by foreign travellers in favour of other Asian destinations, but there's no better time to get to know this tropical archipelago.

[angelikas2017]

May 14, 2017

Mother’s Day & I greeted my step mom a happy mother’s day and her reply was lame af but that’s okay lol so my dad called me up and asked me if I wanted to go out and I was yeah sure and so before he came to the house me, mika, & miko who are my cousins got ready haha yes kasama sila so ayun we went out we were suppose to go to the gingerbread house which was a place so hard to find but yay we got there finally after so many attempts of traffic and all. NAKAKALOKA HONESTLY BECAUSE I REALLY THOUGHT THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE WAS MADE OUT OF REAL GINGERBREAD LIKE THE ONE IN HANSEL & GRETEL AND I WOULD EAT THE HOUSE OR EVEN SEE A WITCH BUT IT WAS REAL HOUSE DESIGNED LIKE THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE AND THERE WAS NO WITCH!! I was disappointed huhuhu my childhood dreams were crushed!! My cousin & my brother enjoyed tho & ayun we went to Tagaytay to eat in a place called Ridge Park and they have a nice view of Taal and it was a cold place and I felt like I was in the province because we ate in a kubo and I look like Tourist in my photos so ayun had fun today & nakakapagod rin so I stayed in Cavite for today woooo