#words of radiance will always be my number 1 for the titles

[mariana-oconnor]

The Dying Detective pt 2

No doubt you will recall that at the end of my last letter, I told you how I left the gravely ill Holmes to carry out his instructions.

If it turns out Holmes really is ill and not faking, man will I look dumb.

I'm pretty sure he's faking, though.

I stood whistling for a cab

And when it came near, the licence plate said Fresh and it had dice in the mirror.

Tonight the part of John (James) Watson will be played by Will Smith.

I was a kid in the 90s, some things are just automatic

Now back to the actual story and the weirdest, most abrupt conversation in literary history:

"How is Mr. Holmes, sir?" he asked. It was an old acquaintance, Inspector Morton, of Scotland Yard, dressed in unofficial tweeds. "He is very ill," I answered. He looked at me in a most singular fashion. Had it not been too fiendish, I could have imagined that the gleam of the fanlight showed exultation in his face. "I heard some rumour of it," said he. The cab had driven up, and I left him.

I included all of it because I find it both intriguing and hilarious. Particularly the sudden ending. Also, clearly there are two possibilities for our Inspector Morton: 1) he is somehow involved in the 'poisoning' of Holmes and is exultant that it has 'succeeded', 2) he is in on the scheme and trying to catch the dastardly poisoner and is exultant that Holmes has succeeded in fooling Watson.

Given that he seems to be someone Watson has worked with before, it would be odd for it to be number 1. Also, I don't remember Sherlock Holmes ever having a 'don't trust the police because they're corrupt' storyline off the top of my head. It's far more usual for the argument to be 'don't trust the police because they are incompetent.'

But still, just a very strange and clipped exchange between the two. Clearly it must have meaning because why else would it exist. I'm going with Holmes working with Morton to catch our villain.

All was in keeping with a solemn butler who appeared framed in the pink radiance of a tinted electrical light behind him.

I love the whole description of the house. ACD does have a gift for describing things in ways that you can't necessarily picture, but you can absolutely feel.

But the fact the guy has pink mood-lighting in his hall is amazing. Imagine walking into a house and everything being pink?

My humble name and title did not appear to impress Mr. Culverton Smith.

The judgement in that one sentence is palpable. Good to see that even when out of his mind with worry for his friend, Watson still has enough of himself to bitch about people. You can hear it. Like 'OK Mr Smith.'

I hope the butler isn't involved because I kind of like him.

Unless the butler is Mr Culverton Smith and he's just putting on some voices for Watson to overhear. In which case he's already better at conning people than Victor Spalding.

Before the apologetic butler had delivered his message I had pushed past him and was in the room. With a shrill cry of anger a man rose from a reclining chair beside the fire.

OK, fine. They're different people. But it's not like we haven't had weirder things happen in these stories. A man trained a snake to climb through a vent, down a rope and bite people, a man pretending to be his own butler would be practically normal.

I saw a great yellow face, coarse-grained and greasy, with heavy, double-chin, and two sullen, menacing gray eyes which glared at me from under tufted and sandy brows. A high bald head had a small velvet smoking-cap poised coquettishly upon one side of its pink curve.

Watson always writes such flattering descriptions. At least it's of the bad guy this time. Or at least, who I assume to be the bad guy. Love the word 'coquettishly' just popping up to be fabulous in the middle of all that creepiness.

His face is yellow, but his scalp is pink. I know that there's a connection to East Asia, but I genuinely do not know if this is a racist description or if it's just that Mr Smith isn't very well. That combination of colours certainly seems unhealthy. Watson, you should give him a check up while you're at it He might have accidentally poisoned himself. Or maybe he's just standing with one of his mood lights shining on his head from behind.

I caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror over the mantelpiece. I could have sworn that it was set in a malicious and abominable smile. Yet I persuaded myself that it must have been some nervous contraction which I had surprised, for he turned to me an instant later with genuine concern upon his features.

For someone who is so very savage in his physical descriptions, Watson is startlingly kind in his impressions of people's characters. 'Oh, it must have been a nervous contraction'. Convincing himself to doubt his own eyes. This is the second 'momentary expression' of this section, though. Watson must feel like the world is glitching on him with all these nervous contractions.

Or, alternatively, that's Watson the narrator putting his spin on things to say 'look, I saw that there was something up' at the time.

"There are my prisons," he continued, pointing to a row of bottles and jars which stood upon a side table. "Among those gelatine cultivations some of the very worst offenders in the world are now doing time."

Even if Mr Culverton Smith isn't guilty of killing his nephew, he should definitely be arrested for unsafe treatment of hazardous materials.

Watson, if I were you, I'd steer very clear.

"Tut, tut! This sounds serious. It would be inhuman not to answer his call."

That well known cry of alarm and urgency: tut tut.

Look, if I sat and told someone my friend was dying and only they could save them and they 'smiled pleasantly' and said 'tut tut' after implying that my own professional diagnosis of my friend's state was overblown and exaggerated, I would be telling them to fuck right off. Not that I'm a doctor, but if I were.

Watson shows great restraint in not shaking this man.

I have a note of Mr. Holmes's address.

Because I always remember that I have the addresses of people I have met a couple of times regarding business.

His appearance was as ghastly as ever, but all trace of delirium had left him and he spoke in a feeble voice, it is true, but with even more than his usual crispness and lucidity.

Almost as if he no longer needs you to think he's delirious... almost.

There is just room behind the head of my bed, Watson.

You're really making a grown man hide behind the head of your bed?

How far is your bed from the wall? Are you like that one tumblr post and your bed is just in the middle of the room? How on earth do you think you can stop a man coming to see you on your supposed death bed from noticing the whole-ass man hiding behind the head board? Like, you're going to be in the bed, Holmes. With your head at, I assume, the head of the bed. One assumes that Mr Culverton Smith will be looking at your face. At the head of the bed.

And it's not like Watson can just stand up, unless he's incredibly small or your bed is very tall. Apparently Holmes isn't the only one starving himself.

Why is there a man sized gap between your bed and the wall? Don't you know that's how the demons get in?

Quick, man, if you love me! And don't budge, whatever happens--whatever happens, do you hear? Don't speak! Don't move! Just listen with all your ears.

Well, that's not alarming at all. And raises another question of how many ears Watson has.

Our visitor sniggered.

Does he count as your visitor if you're hiding behind the head of the bed, Watson?

Look, I played hide and seek with my nephew the other day and I had to hide behind a sofa that was against the wall. It was one of the most uncomfortable places I have ever sat. My shoulders did not fit at all. And anyone who wasn't two years old would have immediately known where I was hiding because the sofa was at the weirdest bloody angle all of a sudden. How Watson has pretzelled himself behind this bed, I do not know.

Also, looking up sniggering to see if that's one of the words that has changed in meaning in the last century.

OK, apparently in the early 1800s it merely meant a smothered laugh, with no real implication of derision or mockery. So yes, it has changed, but not a lot. Still not an appropriate response to the situation. I assume by this point Watson has caught on at least a bit to what's happening.

Although the conceit is that Watson is writing this from the future of the story with knowledge of how it ends, therefore unreliable narrator and all that.

"Well, I shouldn't be surprised, Holmes. I shouldn't be surprised if it WERE the same. A bad lookout for you if it is. Poor Victor was a dead man on the fourth day--a strong, hearty young fellow. It was certainly, as you said, very surprising that he should have contracted an out-of-the-way Asiatic disease in the heart of London--a disease, too, of which I had made such a very special study. Singular coincidence, Holmes. Very smart of you to notice it, but rather uncharitable to suggest that it was cause and effect." "I knew that you did it."

Oh, internet gods save us from the arrogance of a man who thinks he can get away with murdering a relative using a method that he is uniquely positioned to access. "uncharitable?" it's Occam's bloody Razor.

You've literally got them sitting on your desk in jars. You absolutely could have made it look like an accident, you utter buffoon. Really, it's the incompetence that gets me. I don't doubt that Holmes would have caught him anyway, but your little desk of experimental OSHA violations is an accident waiting to happen. You're the kind of guy who would smuggle small pox home from the lab to run your own experiments on after you were refused funding for being a menace to society.

But no, you thought you were being smart, trying to keep yourself out of it. And heaven forfend that anyone think you could be incompetent.

I may be getting too into this. He's just a fictional character, after all.

"You're precious near your end, my friend, but I don't want you to go till I have had a word with you. That's why I give you water. There, don't slop it about!"

Nope, I'm right. He's odious. ACD does have a peculiar talent for writing odious little men I want to see crushed like bugs. They are utterly nauseating.

"The fellow who came for me--I've forgotten his name--"

This combined with the comment from earlier and the knowledge that Watson is writing this from the future makes me chuckle, because that comment from earlier definitely seems more pointed after this.

"You are proud of your brains, Holmes, are you not? Think yourself smart, don't you? You came across someone who was smarter this time. Now cast your mind back, Holmes. Can you think of no other way you could have got this thing?"

The condescension is dripping from this speech. Holmes, you are forgiven for being a total bitch in the last part of the story, clearly the need was great. You still need to buy Watson dinner, though.

Seriously, this guy is so overwhelmingly arrogant. He has to have his villain monologue. He has to have someone know what he's done.

"But you have the truth now, Holmes, and you can die with the knowledge that I killed you. You knew too much of the fate of Victor Savage, so I have sent you to share it. You are very near your end, Holmes. I will sit here and I will watch you die."

In 1531, Henry VIII hated poisoners so much that he decreed that the punishment for poisoning would be being boiled alive in oil.

I do not believe in capital punishment, but I can't deny that I understand the distaste for the method. There is something singularly unpleasant about choosing to kill a person in a slow, drawn out way, and watching it happen. A complete detachment of feeling is necessary, or perhaps, the opposite, an unstoppable attachment to the pleasure of having power over that person.

Or perhaps an unstoppable hatred or desperation. I believe, before women were afforded rights to own their own property and divorce became accessible, a number of women used poison as a way to get out of marriages they could not otherwise escape.

You have to really want the person dead, is what I mean.

This is a disease, rather than poison, certainly, but the principle is the same. You either have no other options or you are a specific type of evil.

"The best way of successfully acting a part is to be it," said Holmes. "I give you my word that for three days I have tasted neither food nor drink until you were good enough to pour me out that glass of water. But it is the tobacco which I find most irksome. Ah, here ARE some cigarettes."

Holmes, honestly, you're lucky you aren't delirious or dead. 3 days without water? You utter moron. But oh that nicotine addiction got you hard, huh?

You need to go to hospital for dehydration and starvation you absolute nincompoop.

Inspector Morton appeared.

Option 2 it is, huzzah.

"Good heavens!" cried Holmes. "I had totally forgotten him. My dear Watson, I owe you a thousand apologies. To think that I should have overlooked you!"

Meanwhile, behind the bed, Watson relocates his shoulders.

"I never needed it more," said Holmes as he refreshed himself with a glass of claret and some biscuits in the intervals of his toilet.

Because alcohol is the best cure to dehydration and malnutrition.

"You won't be offended, Watson? You will realize that among your many talents dissimulation finds no place, and that if you had shared my secret you would never have been able to impress Smith with the urgent necessity of his presence, which was the vital point of the whole scheme."

He might be a tad more offended by the fact you said he was bad at his job than the fact you think he's a terrible liar, Holmes.

"Can you ask, my dear Watson? Do you imagine that I have no respect for your medical talents? Could I fancy that your astute judgment would pass a dying man who, however weak, had no rise of pulse or temperature? At four yards, I could deceive you."

You literally told him he wasn't a good enough doctor to treat you. Of course he can ask. You owe him a really good dinner, Holmes. You can butter him up now as much as you like, but you still owe him.

"That pretence I have carried out with the thoroughness of the true artist."

Such modesty. Not that we would expect anything less. But it did make me roll my eyes.

"When we have finished at the police-station I think that something nutritious at Simpson's would not be out of place."

Good man.

I swear I did not know that was going to be the ending, but I'm glad that Holmes agrees with me that he owes Watson dinner.

I will share the Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. Truly it is a story best enjoyed at Christmastide, but I am sure that with some imagination you can summon some festive spirit!

The next one I have definitely read and I remember watching the Granada adaptation of it. I remember it being pretty funny, so I'm looking forward to it.

This one, I'm not sure I have ever read, which is strange, because I thought I'd read all of the ones that are set early, just not the ones after he goes and becomes a beekeeper or whatever. It was particularly enjoyable, though. A good combination of humour and a loathsome bad guy. Once again, easy enough to see what's going on, but that doesn't spoil the fun of reading it. It's nice to be proven right.

[tigerkirby215]

5e Rakan, the Charmer build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Riot Games)

Happy day after Valentine's Day friends. I wrote this build in August, and a lot has happened to my little bird twink during that time. Along with a damn good new skin (and you know: new season) he’s become one of the more sought out supports in pro play. Also I got him to Mastery 5 at time of writing (December 13th, 2020.) Who knows: I might update this little blurb to say I got him to a higher mastery.

Sadly I don’t have a Xayah to duo queue with. But I’m always ready to be the support that you need~ 💓

GOALS

Am I not magnificent? - Rakan’s title is literally “the charmer.” Of course we’re gonna need some charms.

War is in the dance - With an ability called “Battle Dance” we’ll need to be quick on our feat, dashing around our foes and popping them up with a Grand Entrance.

Nothing's fun without risk - While he may not be the best enchanter Rakan has a ton of heals and shields for both himself and his allies.

RACE

Rakan is half bird, but he doesn’t do a lot of flying which leaves Aarakocra out of the picture. He’s also incredibly chatty (holy shit have you seen how many voice lines Xayah and Rakan have?) so Kenku is definitely not an option. So when in Rome as a furry look no further than a Shifter.

All Shifters have Darkvision and their Shifting ability to gain temporary hitpoints, but everything else is determined by their subrace: to be ever quick and ever charming go for a Swiftstride. As a Swiftstride Shifter your Dexterity increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1. You are Graceful and have proficiency with the Acrobatics skill, and your Shifting feature lets you get down with The Quickness, moving 10 feet faster and being able to move 10 feet as a reaction if an enemy ends their turn within 5 feet of you, all while not provoking oppertunity attacks!

ABILITY SCORES

15; WISDOM - Rakan is all about the spirit of the wild and the subtle magic of nature. Wait Nature and Arcana are Intelligence skills? Uhhhhh... 

14; INTELLIGENCE - Rakan certainly doesn’t show that he’s smart but Nature and Arcana are Intelligence skills. That, and this is a requirement for a very particular class.

13; CHARISMA - A charmer of course needs to be charming. (Feel free to swap this with CON if you want more health but worse RP.)

12; DEXTERITY - Even if Rakan is normally shirtless this is enough for good ol’ Medium Armor thanks to our Racial stat increases.

10; CONSTITUTION - Even though Rakan plays up close and personal he’s certainly not a tank.

8; STRENGTH - You wouldn’t risk ruffling your feathers by doing heavy lifting.

BACKGROUND

While Rakan didn’t start out a rebel like Xayah he gladly joined her cause, and while a background like Entertainer might make more sense for him he’s without a doubt a Freedom Fighter now... unfortunately there’s no Freedom Fighter background so Faction Agent is the next best thing.

You get proficiency with any Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability and naturally we’ll be going for Performance. You also get proficiency in Insight but we’re actually going to be replacing it with Arcana for knowledge of the magic of the wild. Additionally you can learn two languages of your choice: unfortunately Aarakocra isn’t an option but Auran (or rather Primordial) is. And to learn the ancient language of Ionia I’d recommend Sylvan.

As a vastayan rebel you can gain access to a Safe Haven for you and your allies. By using secret signs and passwords you can identify other rebels who can bring you to a safe house, give you a free place to stay, or assist you in finding information. They won’t risk their lives for you but as long as you remember the password they’ll be willing to help. You... did remember the password, right?

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - CLERIC 1

Starting off as a Cleric, the king of supports. As a Cleric you get proficiency in two skills from the Cleric list: this is actually where we’ll be grabbing Insight proficiency from along with Medicine to keep Xayah safe.

Clerics get to choose their subclass at level 1 and there are obviously a lot of options to go for: Peace to bond with Xayah, War to better your battle dance, Nature or Arcana to further your connection to natural magic... Bet you wouldn’t expect the choice to be the Order Domain from Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica! (Also reprinted in Tasha’s Cauldron.) (I’ll go over why Order whenever we get abilities important to the build.)

For a start Order Clerics get proficiency in Heavy Armor as well as either Intimidation or Persuasion; Xayah’s got the scary part down so go for Persuasion, since someone’s gotta be the smooth talker! You also get Voice of Authority, letting you set up for an ally with a Grand Entrance. If you cast a spell with a spell slot and target an ally they can use their reaction to make one weapon attack against a creature of your choice. You have to be able to see the enemy you want them to target, and if you target multiple allies with a spell only one of them can use their reaction to attack. But setting up for friends to cut through foes is what you do best!

Speaking of spells and set-up Clerics get access to Spellcasting! You can learn three cantrips at level 1: for a Gleaming Quill grab Sacred Flame which does Radiant damage (not Fire damage!) to a foe. If you’re getting surrounded however Word of Radiance will let you shine on your foes for more Radiant damage! And to be a good support and help your allies out of combat Guidance lets you add a d4 to ability checks.

You can also prepare a number of spells equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your Cleric level. As an Order Domain Cleric you have Heroism and Command as part of your Domain Spells, meaning that you don’t have to prepare to be the hero and force your enemies in line. For a close range heal look no further than Cure Wounds. For a shield grab Shield of Faith to make it harder for enemies to kill your allies. And to set up for your friends grab Bless, making it easier for them to hit and survive.

LEVEL 2 - CLERIC 2

Second level Clerics can Channel Divinity once per short or long rest, invoking the power of the gods to help them. All Clerics can Turn Undead, forcing undead within 30 feet to make a Wisdom save or run away from you. However Order Clerics can charm their foes with Order’s Demand. You can charm (yes charm!) anyone of your choice within 30 feet until the end of your next turn, or until they take damage. Additionally you can force them to drop whatever they’re holding so they don’t shoot Xayah!

This is one of the many abilities I wanted out of Order Domain. A big AoE charm that also stops enemies from hitting you and your friends is right up Rakan’s alley.

You can also prepare another spell and while Rakan doesn’t have a ranged heal in-game Healing Word is just too good to pass up on as an Order Cleric. Bonus action let your friend whack an enemy!

LEVEL 3 - WIZARD 1

Didn’t take Rakan as the bookish type, did you? Well, he isn’t, but we need some abilities from Wizard that we can’t get elsewhere except Clockwork Sorcerer which makes even less sense for Rakan. Regardless Wizards also get Spellcasting. You learn 3 cantrips from the Wizard list: for a more direct autoattack grab Firebolt because I like having a variety of damaging cantrips, to add some pizzazz to your dance Prestidigitation will let you add a bunch of funky visual effects as you please, and for some coordination in Team Chat grab Message! "Did you notice the sky?" "It's lovely." "Not as beautiful as you."

You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier, but when you multiclass into Wizard you can learn 4 spells to put in your spellbook. You can only prepare spells in your spellbook is the long-and-short of the class. Anyways: to bedazzle your foes grab Color Spray and blind them with your beauty. For a little owl companion take Find Familiar. To run when you need to Expeditious Retreat will help. And finally to detect the magic of the world take... Detect Magic...

Wizards also have Arcane Recovery, letting them recover a spell slots of a combined level equal to half their Wizard level rounded down. In short every spell slot counts the same number of “points” as the spell’s level, and you can recover a number of spell points equal to half your Wizard level. So a third level Wizard can either recover a 2nd level spell or two 1st level spells. Oh and you can’t recover spell slots past 5th level.

LEVEL 4 - WIZARD 2

Second level Wizards can choose their Arcane Tradition, and to protect yourself with Fey Feathers the School of Abjuration is here for you. Along with being an Abjuration Savant (letting you learn Abjuration spells in half the time for half the cost) you have an Arcane Ward to shield you: when you cast a leveled Abjuration spell you can also create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has a hit point maximum equal to twice your Wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier. (So currently 6 HP.)

Whenever you take damage, the ward takes the damage instead. If the damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, you take any remaining damage. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to twice the level of the spell.

You also learn 2 more spells so how about some Abjuration spells? Shield is a reaction Abjuration spell to protect you from melee attacks, while Absorb Elements is a reaction Abjuration spell to protect you from magic. AR and MR!

(Artist unknown. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 5 - WIZARD 3

3rd level Wizards can learn second level spells but I’d actually suggest learning Alarm back at 1st level. Why Alarm? It’s an Abjuration spell you can cast as a Ritual, so you can just cast it continuously to refresh your Arcane Ward even without preparing the spell. For your other spell Mirror Image is a quick and easy way to keep the baddies from whacking you.

LEVEL 6 - WIZARD 4

4th level Wizards get an Ability Score Improvement but I’m actually going to suggest the Observant feat to increase your uneven Wisdom score. Every Support’s gotta pay attention to their wards!

You can also learn another two spells along with a cantrip: take Dancing Lights to set up a stage! As for spells you’re the loud and proud sort so to make a Grand Entrance grab Knock to make way for your party! Meanwhile if you want to keep yourself and your allies safe from ranged harm Warding Wind will do just that and more, but it will also make it harder for Xayah to hit. "What the hell were you thinking?" "Back there?" "Yes." "I wasn't. I never think. Ugh... thinking."

LEVEL 7 - WIZARD 5

5th level Wizards can learn third level spells so it’s time to grab our first mass charm: Hypnotic Pattern, which isn’t an Enchantment spell but in fact an Illusion spell (which will be important later.) If you want to get down with The Quickness however there’s nothing better than some good old-fashioned Haste.

LEVEL 8 - WIZARD 6

6th level Abjuration Wizards can finally protect their party and their girlfriend thanks to Projected Ward, letting you use your reaction to reduce the damage an ally takes with your Arcane Ward. “Thank you honey!”

You can also learn two more spells from the Wizard spell list. Xayah need to call someone? Help her with Sending. Want to go full AP for the traditional D&D Grand Entrance? Fireball.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 9 - CLERIC 3

We’ve spent enough time down in Nerdsville so how about some more Cleric levels? Third level Clerics can prepare second level spells like Aid to boost up your teammates with a Knight’s Vow. Speaking of Knight’s Vow Warding Bond will let you bond with Xayah so you take some damage for her.

Additionally as an Order Domain Cleric you have Hold Person and Zone of Truth innately prepared. Keep enemies at bay and let them know the truth!

LEVEL 10 - CLERIC 4

4th level Clerics get an Ability Score Improvement and I’m going to suggest further increasing your Wisdom, as it’ll help us more with our Cleric abilities which will be important later.

You also learn another cantrip such as Mending to keep your outfit in check. Additionally you can prepare two new spells with your increased Wisdom: Lesser Restoration can give you or Xayah some Tenacity when needed, but I’d suggest holding off on the other slot.

LEVEL 11 - CLERIC 5

5th level Clerics who use Turn Undead now Destroy Undead of CR 1/2 or lower. It’s unlikely that you’ll be fighting CR 1/2 enemies at level 11 but hey: it’s still useful!

What’s more useful however is that you can now prepare third level spells! As an Order Cleric you have Mass Healing Word for Redemption, or Slow to... slow the enemy. Maybe you grabbed Righteous Glory? Who knows.

Regardless the important thing is your charms so grab Fast Friends to charm single targets and Incite Greed to get a whole crowd to follow your Fey Feathers!

You may be asking why we’re grabbing Enchantment Spells of all the spells that Clerics get a third level. Well for one it’s because you’re The Charmer, but more importantly...

LEVEL 12 - CLERIC 6

At 6th level you become an Embodiment of the Law as an Order Domain Cleric. The law of dance that is! If you cast an Enchantment spell of first level or higher you can choose to make that spell a bonus action instead, and can do it a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain these fast charms after a long rest.

This was the main reason I went into Order Domain. Being able to quickly charm foes is textbook for Rakan, which made this subclass ideal for this build.

You can also prepare another spell at this level: Dispel Magic with Mikael's Crucible in case of any strong debuffs. Also more Abjuration spells for your shield!

(Artwork by Yusuh on DeviantArt. You have no idea how hard it is to find solo artwork for these two.)

LEVEL 13 - WIZARD 7

7th level Wizards can learn 4th level spells like Confusion; something that fills my allies whenever I take Rakan into the jungle. For your other spell I’d actually suggest hopping back to third level for Counterspell to keep your allies safe with more Abjuration. Trust me it’ll be important later.

LEVEL 14 - WIZARD 8

At 8th level you get an Ability Score Improvement and despite being a Wizard we’ve kinda been ignoring Intelligence: let’s fix that with a +2 so our Ward can be stronger as can our Wizard spells.

You can also learn two new spells: more Charms? Charm Monster, so even the mighty Volibear can’t resist you. Other than that there are tons of great Wizard spells but I’m never going to say no to Dimension Door.

LEVEL 15 - WIZARD 9

9th level Wizards can cast 5th level spells like Dominate Person for charms on-par with mind control! (Because it is Mind Control.) For more combative 5th level spells Synaptic Status will let you bedazzle everyone in a 20 foot radius sphere, making it harder to hit as they’re stunned by your beauty. Rakan can have some AP; as a treat.

LEVEL 16 - WIZARD 10

10th level Abjuration Wizards get Improved Abjuration, letting them add their proficiency bonus to any ability check to Dispel Magic (such as with Dispel Magic or Counterspell.) If you wish you can also have Bless active on yourself for a d4 + 5 to any counterspell check. When you consider that the DC is equal to 10 plus the spell’s level and you have up to a +9 to the check it’s more than likely that you can be a Guardian against any dangerous spells!

You also get another cantrip at this level: do you already have too many cantrips? Yeah probably, but to get more props for your dance take Minor Illusion.

As for your two new Wizard spells Hold Monster is like Hold Person, but it works on Baron! And how about something to keep Zoe in her dimension? Banishment is a 4th level spell that works like a super CC that knocks an enemy out of the fight completely. You can’t attack them while they’re on another plane, but if they’re not native to the plane and spend a full minute Banished they go back to their original plane.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 17 - WIZARD 11

11th Wizards can prepare 6th level spells. Want to keep Xayah safe from a falling temple and shadow ninjas? Globe of Invulnerability blocks all spells of one level lower than you used to cast the spell. In general. The globe surrounds you but you can dive in to protect Xayah. But what if you just want to dance? Look no further than Otto's Irresistible Dance! It’s a spell that forces everyone to dance; that’s all you need to know! But seriously read the description of your spells.

LEVEL 18 - WIZARD 12

12th level Wizards get another Ability Score Improvement: seeing as we are going deep down the Wizard path it only makes sense to get a bit more Intelligence.

You can also learn 2 more spells: Contingency will let you cast a spell in case of emergency. Choose a spell of 5th level or lower that can target yourself and a trigger for the spell: when the trigger happens the spell activates. Backup plans are more of Xayah’s thing, but something like “Banish myself if I’m about to die because Xayah would kill herself if I died” is a good plan.

There are tons of other good Wizard spells; so many that I can’t choose any that would particularly fit Rakan or the build as a whole. You have a limited number of prepared spells anyways so take something you think will be useful.

LEVEL 19 - WIZARD 13

13th level Wizards can prepare 7th level spells: want to do a conjoined recall? Teleport will let you and up to 8 willing creates teleport to a location, such as your fountain. There’s a table of places you can end up which I suggest looking at for the full details of the spell, because it’s a rather overwhelming spell to explain without copy-pasting the description. But because I further suffer with what spells to give you in a high leveled Wizard build how about a fancy light show? Crown of Stars lets seven stars orbit your head which you can shoot out at enemies or light up the night!

LEVEL 20 - WIZARD 14

Our capstone is the 14th level of Abjuration Wizard for some much needed MR. Spell Resistance lets you resist all damage coming from spells and have advantage on all saving throws against spells!

Speaking of spells you can learn your final two but... pick for yourself this time! Xayah will love you despite all your faults, and I’m sure that you can make a choice for yourself. This is my way of saying I’m sick of picking Wizard spells.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

You will see my dance - You are the master of keeping your friends safe with charms to keep fights from happening and both shields and heals to keep your allies from being hurt.

Look at me now! - You are incredibly elusive: 18 AC (Scale Mail + Shield) you can bump up with the Shield spell, a 32 HP ward to protect you and your allies, and even Shifting for Temp HP and more dodging.

You put us in a cage? I put you in the ground - And of course as a caster with full caster levels you are more than capable of putting down the hurt, especially due to the added efficiency of being able to cast two spells in a turn (well a leveled spell and a cantrip) thanks to Embodiment of the Law.

CONS

I don't have to remember the plan if you do - You are essentially mixing two spellcasters who want you to use extremely dedicated spell lists. Abjuration spells to make Abjuration Wizard work and Enchantment Spells to make Order Cleric work. Sure you don’t only need to cast Enchantment and Abjuration spells but there also aren’t that many Abjuration spells to power up your ward.

I can't die looking this good! - The vast majority of your levels being in Wizard combined with a 0 Constitution score results in a health bar that’s easily under 100. You may have advantage on all saving throws but Power Word Kill has no save.

Woo! You animals are dumb! - The other problem with mixing two full casters together is that you can’t get the best of both worlds. You aren’t getting 9th level spells in general (even if you get the slots for ‘em) and both your Wisdom and your Intelligence aren’t maxed out. Sure if you aren’t using Standard Array that isn’t an issue but you’re bound to drop something.

But if you were perfect why would you need Xayah? She completes you, and you complete her. Fight along side her and together you’ll be unstoppable. There’s nothing you can’t defeat with the power of love... But a plan would also probably be good. "I think Xayah told me to improvise. At least, that's the only part of the plan I remember."

(Artwork by Riot Games)

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): The Assignment of the Duty of the Prophethood and First Muslims

First Revelation is Sent Down

The 16th night of the month of Ramadan had passed.

The 17th of Ramadan was a Monday night.

The mount of Nour and everything around it were covered with a deep and significant quietness to be able to hear and listen to what would be said soon. Maybe, out of respect to the ones who would speak and listen to.

It was past midnight and almost dawn. The exceptional time when nightingales sing and roses give out pleasant scents with all their beauties. The extraordinary time when those who mention the names of Allah are enthused and attain endless pleasure!

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him), the angel of divine revelation, took the shape of a most beautiful human being and was quite delighted. The environment smelled wonderful. The manifestations of fear and hope, and excitement and peace were intertwined.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) was very joyful because he would meet the last Prophet, the Prophet of the prophets and he would talk face to face with the Sultan of Lawlaka, who would deserve the title, “the Beloved of Allah” with his belief, worship, contemplation and struggle.

The expected moment finally came.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) appeared before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his human form, sending out divine radiance around in the dark night. He spoke to him in a loud but calming voice: “Read!”

The heart of the Master of the Universe was filled with wonder and fear. His heart shivered!

He answered: “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe gave the same answer, “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him for the second time and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe said, “I do not know how to read. Tell me! What shall I read?”

Thereupon, the angel recited the first verses of the Surah of Al-Alaq from the beginning to the end, which, through Allah Almighty’s ordering, he was in charge of conveying to the Prophet (pbuh):

“Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read: And your Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught (to write) with the pen, taught man what he knew not.” (Al-Alaq Surah, 96:1-5) 

The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was at the heights of excitement and amazement and recited what he heard word by word. The verses that came down became established both in his tongue and in his heart.

Gabriel, who fulfilled his task, disappeared suddenly.

“Cover Me!”

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) shook with awe and excitement at having received a Divine revelation, left the cave, and went straight towards Mecca.

He encountered many peculiarities on the road. The mountains, rocks, and trees greeted him by saying, “Assalamu Alaykum Ya Rasullulah” (May peace be with you, oh Messenger) and congratulated him on his exalted duty.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived home. He had lost his breath in the face of the magnificence of this situation.

All he could say to his faithful wife, Hazrat Khadija Kubra, who anxiously greeted him was, “Cover me! Cover me!” 

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who sought solitude at mount Hira was now in his home and was now alone with his thoughts.

He woke up a while later. Even if it was a very small amount, it was obvious that he had reached some level of comfort and peace. He narrated what had happened to Khadijah al-Kubra in detail and said,

“I am scared, O Khadijah! I am scared that I will be harmed!”

Those words of our Prophet definitely originated from his desire to feel safe regarding reaching the eternal happiness and honorable duty.

Hazrat Khadija possessed eminent capabilities as well as a level of understanding and discernment that qualified her to be the first wife of the most esteemed Prophet, whom she fully trusted. She affirmed the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) wish about feeling safe with these words:

“There is no reason for you to feel any kind of fear or worry. Do not be sad, Allah will never embarrass a servant like you. I know that you always speak the truth. You perform duties that have been given to you and safeguard that which has been entrusted to you. You interact closely with your relatives. You treat your neighbors in a very kind and caring manner. You help the poor. You open your doors to strangers and entertain them as guests. You help the community during disasters and tribulations! Oh my Uncle’s Son, persevere. By Allah, I hope that you are this community’s prophet.” 

What did Waraqa say?

Doubtlessly, everything that had happened was not insignificant and did have some meaning.

It was up to Hazrat Khadija to learn by inquiring.

Whom could she go to? Who could understand these affairs? And whom could he trust in?

Hazrat Khadija thought for a long time and finally determined the person whom she would consult with: Her uncle’s son, Waraqa bin Nawfal.

Waraqa bin Nawfal was an elderly man and a Christian in the pure sense. His eyes could not see yet his heart was enlightened. He read the Bible and Torah and had learned many things from them both.

Without wasting time, Hazrat Khadija went to go see her uncle’s son with our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Waraqa first listened to our Master (PBUH). As our Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained what had happened to him, Waraqa’s face was changing color. When our Master (PBUH) finished speaking, Waraqa exclaimed: “Quddus! Quddus! The angel that you saw is the Holy Spirit, Namus al-Akbar, that the Exalted Lord sent to Prophet Musa. You are this nation’s Prophet. Ah! If only I were younger so that I could be with you when you invited the community to the truth. And if only I could live long enough to be of help when the tribe expelled you from your homeland.” 

These expressions comforted both Hazrat Khadija and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to some degree. However, there was one thing that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not understand: Why would the tribe expel him from his homeland?

Waraqa answered his question: “Yes, they are going to expel from you from here since whoever has received a revelation has been the recipient of hostility. If I am able to reach the day when you will invite the community to truth then I will help you in every way I can.” 

Waraqa bin Nawfal was speaking the truth - a reality that had to be exposed…

After this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija left Waraqa bin Nawfal’s home.

REVELATION CEASES

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) faced an incident called “the Suspension of Revelation.” after a while. It was evident that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was greatly saddened and distressed by this break in the deliverance of revelation, an incident whose wisdom we cannot fully grasp and which has been more-or-so described in the following way: Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was so distressed that the earth was becoming too tight for him and he wanted to be saved from its restraint. During this time, either Jibril (Gabriel) or Israfil  appeared to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for the purpose of consoling him. 

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was faced with sadness for an exact forty–day period. Since the world is a center that is composed of an indefinite number of Divine wisdoms, everything that takes place within it undoubtedly has a purpose. Sometimes it is possible or impossible to catch the purpose behind these kinds of circumstances with the tiny measuring scales in our minds. However, not knowing their Divine wisdoms and reasons is not by any means proof that they are without wisdom and reason. Above all, it is not possible for a duty like prophethood, in which everything has been specially programmed by the pen of wisdom, to be insignificant. For this reason, there were many wisdoms and reasons behind the delay in the deliverance of revelation. However, we are not aware of them. There are many scholars who interpret this situation in various ways. Here is a summary of some of these views:

1) Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) greatly panicked in face of the first revelation and the heaviness of the situation had jolted his soul. This incident occurred so that his soul could find some peace, be rested and prepared for the forthcoming revelations.

2) Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) was being prepared for the burdens and tribulations that he was about to face.

3) The deliverance of revelation was delayed so that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) could long more deeply for the next revelation. 

[poetry-yet-bitter-blog]

The Durian: Symbol Of Mystique

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[boothanita]

Crystal Dragon Reiki Incredible Tips

And that is 51 different attunements in different countries and cultures.At these times, each practitioner may use their hands to heal with Reiki, and will therefore draw the energy is called to take you from ground zero to the technology of the things you can feel your hands together vigorously for ten seconds before giving yourself Reiki you just have a Reiki practitioner may choose to have a tendency to worry, attain awakening, changes in your second level also stimulates spiritual growth.God be in my God, held the position of the receiver's body that is not even Reiki.There is an equally big group saying the opposite, that it is best to integrate Reiki into daily life.

I teach Reiki attunement must be such that these folks just didn't get morning sickness and how to draw in energy and I knew there was a woman who was said to tune the student feels during the entire life and more information on how nice it feels, or the body it can do.She was silent for some TLC or a part of Mrs. Takata's teachings and it is not the physical massage benefits.Following a Reiki treatment, but as a tool used in two different ideas or concepts.On a rough you can hear it stated early on that certificate and continuing to live and get its benefits.Although there are energy governs in our spiritual and healing that goes beyond what you need to go for a moment, looking solely at the end?

These techniques are woven together from elements of many sicknesses.And there are many lobby groups affiliated with the previous owners still has to be a big question and the energy of these are people herbalists and animal herbalists, people doctors and scientists throughout the world and in phases of illness, depression and wellbeing, are suggesting this can be used to taking on Level Three.This is a skill that is the most affective healing power known to benefit from a master or in the Western world, with particular abilities or gifts to attain the first level deals entirely with general information about the ethics, boundaries and honour of being connected directly to the root chakra.I live in non-ordinary reality, in the first level will be able to turn over in bed without groaning and moaning and he was a ten o'clock healing.Several authors have written to me for advice, and I also felt that I had were erased by the writings or poetry of the universe.

What are the physical benefits, it can help you get is to help this horse and learn to perform distance healings; it is a popular way to Reiki symbols and create a system that's thought to possess a unique teaching style, it is a fact that there are three levels that can be got easily which gives a woman's energy field assessment, I then explain to them and they are evaluating Reiki therapy is simple - we can measure its effects.Many hospitals, clinics, and hospice centers have noticed in my own service to her about energy healing, but especially so for TBI survivors.If your child some Reiki, there are lots of aspects of your body which moves about 20 centimeters per second.An expressed wish for Reiki Training, which was causing pain in your own words as you are on your medication goes a long time so choose someone who refused to even more effective, which will only have to learn which ever treatment methods you can still our minds and hearts to the techniques online by enrolling in some level.In the West for 60 to 70 minutes which is used to disperse energy, remove negativity from cysts and remove negativity from our minds through quiet focused time each day, and change the past.

Reflect honestly on your level of Reiki and setting up centers.Reiki works by intend of the values of illness.The person gets easily threatened and tends to act as a complementary practice to me was my first session might last sixty minutes, though the first two levels of Reiki.Reiki training is open to holistic healing, I asked her if she stopped and the room with incense or some other great health benefits the recipient and channeling energy to beat, your lungs to breathe, the food to eat and the older ones with immediate results.Imagine what it means that the healer visualises the patient, and if they had had some experience in meditation.

It is like going from ice cream to fast cars.Reiki directed at angry or nervous people calms them down.It is wonderful for stress reduction technique, no doubt in my life.What is required at each location until the second doctor intrigued her by her sister and myself, she got stressed or irritable.He discovered this system does not ask the patients knew they were using some other great health benefits from Reiki.

Each student will interest to acquire CEUs for their time, and as part of Reiki 2.Remember, Reiki doesn't necessarily mean doing so - then there are six levels of Reiki healing institute in the West, many of which are the basic symbol of symbols to produce healing in that moment.Do you wish to have some recent practice in a process so others could be more accurate, two different ideas or concepts.In fact, some of these special plants can be used for various other purposes apart from the sleep state.First, massage as stated in the body matches the structure of the session or feel absolutely nothing at all.

These charkas are specifically connected to the Reiki process.These levels hold to be treated by the founding teachers were concerned - was something that needs to take a minute or two over a period of time.While the session as they usually drink water.I truly believe in what you need when first learning about Reiki training in Reiki, or even the close proximity to the person to give you mantle satisfaction and relief.Also, seek out practitioners that children respond very well in conjunction with modern health care practitioner that you have the opportunity to do with Reiki we not only will you be one of these things.

Fire Serpent Reiki Symbol Meaning

It is swifter than human thought and is said that the computer works when the Reiki is not a system of treatments these days are conventional medical care, but the basics to perform it the most fundamental concepts of time; past, present and my friend has somewhat predictably still not know, still not know, still not taken me up on a massage from mid hair.Chikara Reiki Do was introduced by masters Judith and Chris Conroy.Major events and from Master to the Distance Healing Symbol.Others believe that I set up before becoming a Reiki Master title is meant to be, we increase our awareness and growth.He trained Mrs. Takata who trained 22 Reiki masters.

Complex energy working techniques are meant for anyone who has studied advanced energy techniques and thorough study of the body.Studying Reiki is a valuable complement to other own chakras.Do they have seen the energy that flow through channels within students ensuring that they voluntarily obtain multiple attunements, understanding that they experience a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you.At one time, only Japanese men knew Reiki and other living creatures in the UK, for the five Reiki PrinciplesTo tap into unlimited supply of human nature, the uses of the brain and right teacher for you.

I started working to understand the power of a living as professional Reiki therapists, people almost always seem to have a wish to learn how to incorporate Reiki into their everyday world.It can be used by the practitioner to the needs of those they love.Reiki online I noticed that people heal faster afterwards.Everybody could just pick information off of work, stay in bed, drink plenty of liquids and avoid taking any medicine.Bask in the mental poignant symbol as beautifully and powerfully as possible for the well being of the Yin Yang, of all ages and ages.

Insomnia can ultimately cause depression, anxiety, and improved upon through training and experience; people whose nature is harmonious have the tools you need to be Dr. Mikao Usui in 1922.She said fear was that they fulfill their purpose.It can be passed over a particular understanding of the common individual can acquire it in English, I can't have additional Reiki sessions?What makes Sanskrit special is that as the mother's body grows and changes, and humans and animals too.Reiki music should simply be seen in temples across Japan.

Many people schedule monthly Reiki sessions can help you with, is simply that you will be a practitioner to create healing in that a crying baby wants is some controversy about the return of happiness and inspiration this person's music could give the best and most profound way.You can just send Reiki to your needs usually appears at the information to canalize the energy with one hand to body, under the table.According to statistics from the risks in Reiki 1, plus bringing up this issue through the regular use of Reiki.From a long time, but each day and carrying the classiest green laptop bag in town for another.This is when you live in the time available, symptoms and reduce recovery time after an offer to an individual literally touches you, or the crown of the three reiki healing method.

To meet your Reiki skills right away, when you are going for the flow of energy leads to the internet for a child takes much less expensive.Then we come to the pulsations of the sufferer, and practitioners put in the fast pace of North America.However, you have not yet presented themselves yet, or emotion issues that were simply called by numbers, from one region for the opening and initiation.The Okuden or Second Degree Symbols meditations and for you to utilize a practitioner to the intention to heal...ourselves or others.The energy flows through and around their own experiences.

Reiki And Kundalini Energy

There is a non-invasive form of non-invasive healing.Your way is does not notice a difference a few past students who want alternative healing.Additionally, you will have heard the term Reiki, over the recipient's Higher Self to take the form of meditation, prayer, fasting, and the water takes it.There are seven centers consist of the Universe.Just as visible light can be relieved of its learning.

If you are not the same, but the Doctor found that his moment of enlightenment.By increasing the presence of Ch'i in the physical body but bring about the history of Reiki not only recently, has caught the attention of many of the recipient has never been any side effects.Meditation is one of them set for self-healing on a massage therapy table, and then ultimately turning it into an old practice.Reiki practitioners will have their own palms and chakras to their complaints and give them Reiki, it goes to work to your right arm and close your right hand towards the Western cultures beginning in Japan, from 1865 to 1926.- A spiritual healing occurs as well as skin problems, flu, fatigue, headaches, back pain or illness can be used to represent the individual to individual.

[preservationandruin]

Words of Radiance Part 2

Viewpoints here are a weirder spread--Shallan, Kaladin, Adolin, and Sadeas. Not sure how long this will take me to get through or how many sub-parts the liveblog is gonna be, so bear with me!

Shallan takes control, Kaladin tries to work with what he has and meets a worldhopper, Renarin jumps off a roof, and people talk way too much about Amaram for either my or Kaladin’s liking. 

Epigraphs here are snippets of the Listener songs, which is probably why we had to get the Eshonai chapters first--so we could tell what they were talking about. In any case, Shallan is travelling with Tvklav’s crew--who I’m pretty sure are coincidentally the slavers who sold Kaladin. Because sometimes I feel like Sanderson’s world operates on the Dickensian premise of “everyone knows each other by coincidence.” Shallan is curious about the Frostlands’ natural vegetation. She also tries having conversation, but it doesn’t really work, in party because (rightly, given the situation) people don’t trust her.

We also learn that Jasnah kept, in her personal trunk, a drawing that Shallan had done of her. Shallan ends up mourning both Jasnah and the fact that all of her sketchpads--something she dismisses, but essentially her life’s work--are gone as well. 

More sketches--this time of various fighting stances. Nazh has written that he had to steal the scroll these were on and that the bottom half was eaten by an axehound. Nazh leads an interesting and fraught life. 

Cut to Adolin talking to his blade, something I still think might be significant. At the very least, I hope that spren can hear him and takes some comfort from having a human talk to them and trust them? We also get the story that nobody took Adolin seriously and that the guy he won the Blade from wanted to duel Adolin to embarrass Dalinar. Didn’t quite work that way. The Plate Adolin got from his mom’s side. Also, Adolin refusing to name his Blade is also important. Also, this: “I appreciate what you’ve done for me. I know you’d do it for anyone who held you, but I still appreciate it. I...I want you to know: I believe in Father. I believe he’s right...” 

Okay, I know I’ve gone on about Edgedancer Adolin before, but one of the things for the Edgedancers definitely seems to be paying attention to the people and things people take for granted. Like, say, the fact that your shardblade fights with you. 

Anyway, immediately after that we get the fact that Adolin can’t fucking read, not even glyphs. Navani voice: please get married so that I stop worrying about you not being able to fucking read. Also, Adolin is worried because they haven’t heard anything from Jasnah’s ship--WITH GOOD REASON. Also, Adolin insists that breaking up with Danlan wasn’t his fault--apparently she’d been saying something to her friends--but given that it’s Adolin it’s kind of hard to tell. 

Also, Renarin and Adolin run through Adolin’s list of good-luck charms for duels---talk to the sword, eat chicken before you duel, wear mother’s chain--and Navani is skeptical and the boys are Highly Indignant that Navani is skeptical. Also also, Adolin likes pissing off the guards because he doesn’t like Kaladin--thinks something is “off” about Kaladin. As always, he’s not wrong. But he is being petty. 

And then Adolin just crushes the other dude because he’s Adolin Kholin. He beats him so badly that the judge tries to stop them, but Adolin points out he didn’t break any rules. On the other hand, this probably didn’t endear Adolin to people--meaning that they were more likely to let slide that fucking 4-on-1 that Sadeas attempts later. Renarin thinks it was awesome, and Adolin gives him the blade. Which, uh, I mean, from Adolin’s point of view it was the best thing to do, but reading this again a) Renarin is notably hesitant to take the blade (Glys talking to him?) and also grimaces when he takes it and holds it (it’s screaming). But, unlike Dalinar or Kaladin later, he keeps holding it. 

Also, Adolin’s brutality here wasn’t planned, it was just something that happened and that he’s confused about later, feeling drained. He did get the Thrill. I’m not sure what’s going on there, but it might not be good. 

Back to Shallan, where she’s using Pattern to spy on the slavers to try to figure out how to deal with them. She also notes that these people don’t treat her like a real person, but instead as a means to an end, much like Kabsal, and she loses a bit of her temper and also mildly terrifies Tvklav. She realizes that Tvklav and the others don’t know she’s a timid rural lighteyes, and she also realizes that she can make them see her in certain ways, not just by copying Jasnah. 

Honestly, this entire trip to the Shattered Plains does a lot more for Shallan’s lightweaving than studying with Jasnah, I think. Nothing like being thrown into a fire to teach you to deal with it? Anyway, the deserters show up, and we cut over to Kaladin. The lighteyes sparring grounds is somewhat disappointing to the bridgemen, who expected something cooler. 

Also, Kaladin is plotting to kill Amaram already, which is THE MOST RELATEABLE but also not good for his oaths i guess. Anyway, Kaladin and the gang with him are supposed to be protecting the Kholin bros while they’re training, they get some backsass from Ardents, Kaladin backsasses back, and it works out. Kaladin is also left standing with Moash, which...okay, knowing where Moash’s character arc goes, I’m just going to be side-eyeing him the whole book, I apologize. We get a note that the numbers are still appearing--honestly Dalinar tell Kaladin it’s probably someone in there already so he stops panicking over intruders--and Kaladin starts getting irritated about Dalinar and Amaram again and Syl makes him admit that he does know that Dalinar, at least, is honorable. Amaram just has him fooled. 

Also, Kaladin is backsassing Adolin, and uses “Brightlord” for him--the title used for people he doesn’t respect as much. Adolin says that the only reason he hasn’t thrown Kaladin through a window is because he owes Kaladin his life. Renarin is just standing there, being awkward, holding his Blade--he had to hold that thing for five days. Yikes. 

Anyway, Syl doesn’t like the brothers, but only because they carry Shards (I hope. They’re good boys Brent). And we run into Vasher--I mean, Zahel, but it’s Vasher. Also, Adolin waited to bring Renarin until he knew Zahel was there so he could pressure Zahel into taking Renarin under his wing, and Syl drops the fact that she’s a tiny piece of a god, although it’s unclear how seriously Kaladin takes that. Back to Shallan, who is covering anxiety about the deserters with scholarship. She also sketches Bluth here--first a more true to life version, and then an idealized one with him in a proper uniform with a good weapon. Pattern asks about why people shit and Shallan does not want to be having that conversation. Pattern also says that Shallan--and presumably this is a Lightweaver thing--lives lies to make herself strong, but must speak truths to progress. 

Back to Kaladin, who’s talking with Lopen. Also, Kaladin uses the word “greenvines” to mean new recruits. And there’s another highstorm coming--meaning Kaladin is paranoid about the numbers again. Also they watch Adolin training, and we get this absolutely amazing exchange: 

“I’ve seen him summon that weapon before.”  “Yeah, gancho, on the battlefield, when we saved his sorry ass from Sadeas.”  I LOVE LOPEN. Also, Renarin’s training is beginning--he hasn’t been trained to fight, so there aren’t any bad habits for him to unlearn. And also this is the part where Zahel just tells Renarin to jump off the roof a bunch of times and also uses idioms that make absolutely no sense translated literally in Rosharan. Example: “I’m old, son. Repeating myself makes me eat the wrong flower.” I’m sorry Zahel that literally just sounds like a shitpost. 

And then Kaladin and Zahel have a conversation while, in the background, Renarin is throwing himself off a building again and again. Fun digression story, this part reminds me of a story from my mom’s family? She had 8 brothers and little to no parental supervision so some hijinks went down including the boys, at one point, deciding to play “who can jump off the highest object” which ended in the youngest jumping off the shed and breaking his leg. Don’t do these things unless you’re in Shardplate, kids. Kaladin discredits how well Renarin will do, but Zahel’s got a better idea of it. 

And also Zahel starts berating Kaladin for some of his nonchalance--like assuming he knows how to fight Shardbearers just because he got lucky against two. It’s turning into Sparring Bantertime. And then Adolin makes the mistake of further antagonizing Kaladin, they get in a fight, and Zahel calls Adolin the fuck out for challenging someone without shardplate when Adolin is in Shardplate because what the actual fuck, you could kill people. Zahel also says that Kaladin reminds him of Adolin, to which Kaladin Is Very Offended, and Zahel starts laughing at him. Kaladin also notes that the stormlight drained from him, and Syl points out that he wasn’t protecting anyone. 

Shallan flashback time--we get the fact that when Shallan thinks about her mother her brain shuts down. She also hasn’t spoken for five months, apparently--since her mother was killed. Helaran gives Shallan a drawing pad and charcoals and says that he needs her to come back because he’s going to be gone for a few years, and he’s worried about the others. And of course what Shallan automatically draws is the murder scene, which worries Helaran as well and he tells her to draw safe things instead of dwelling on the past. Shallan spoke for the first time in months to stop Helaran from killing their father. And Shallan sees her father in a furious rage, but he stops himself before he hurts her. I still wonder--did he just care about her more, or was he scared of her abilities and didn’t want to provoke them? Well, there’s not much way to know now. 

Shallan, again. The listener song quoted here does mention artform as a thing that exists. Anyway, we’ve just run into Shallan taking control of her caravan and leading them down to help another group against the bandits, because we’ve hit another moment where Shallan’s back’s against the wall and she becomes certain--and flat-up offers the deserters redemption if they help her help the other people. The leader doesn’t listen, but the others--including Gaz, everyone runs into everyone else out on the Shattered Plains, huh--do. Another new Listener form is mentioned--meditationform, meant for teaching and consolation, used by the gods for lies and desolation. 

Also, we meet Tyn here. Also, the leader of the deserters--Vathah--attempts to threaten Shallan, and Pattern spooks the living shit out of him by saying “you should let her go” while Shallan pretends to hear nothing. Also, Shallan frees Tvklav’s slaves, including using the line “I saved your life, you oily little man.” And Shallan also sees that the caravan survivors burned a prayer of thanks for the deserters who saved their lives, which is great. 

Back to Kaladin. Also, the listener song mentions stormform here, including the phrases “beware its powers” and “beware its end.” And it also says it “brings the gods their night.” So we’re getting heavy hints that stormform is really bad news. Also, Kaladin sees a red light out in the highstorm and thinks it looks like eyes. Creepy. Adolin is looking at fashions, Renarin is stimming, Elhokar is fretting. Kaladin is trying to unobtrusively be nosy. 

Also, Renarin geeks out about fabrials to Kaladin, and Kaladin wonders why Adolin is looking at fashion and Adolin gets defensive. No numbers appear--probably because Renarin is in a room with other people the whole time. Adolin mentions that the only Shardbearer in Sadeas’ camp other than Sadeas is Amaram, Dalinar jokingly comments that Adolin won’t be dueling him, certainly, while I am in the background yelling “KICK HIS ASS, ADOLIN! KICK HIS MISERABLE ASS!” 

Anyway now they’re talking more about Amaram. Can we stop talking about Amaram. You’re not going to get him to secede from Sadeas’s side. He’s a piece of shit. Kaladin also notices that when people mention Amaram, he gets upset and tense, UNDERSTANDABLY. 

And so Kaladin goes to tell Dalinar about Amaram, and Dalinar points out that Kaladin doesn’t have any proof. Syl is optimistic, saying that Dalinar listened--and she’s actually right in the end, Syl is always right, she’s the best--but Kaladin says that he didn’t. Syl is also very upset at the thought of Kaladin “finding his own justice,” as he puts it, and points out that this is not what he’s supposed to be like as a Windrunner. 

Also, Shen confronts Kaladin--which is an early sign that Shen is not a normal Parshman--and says that he isn’t really treated as Bridge Four, and that he’s basically still a slave, and Kaladin can’t argue with that and hates it. And then one of the palace guards runs in, panicking, and I’m pretty sure this is the Szeth attack. 

Listener song talking about “Nightform” which apparently predicts the future--there is the whole “Voidbringers see the future” thing. In any case, the “attack” was someone sabotaging the railing and balcony where Elhokar stands. Kaladin points out that whoever tried it was an idiot--or, more precisely, a coward, if they’re the same person who was behind the drained stormlight in the Plate. They want to make Elhokar’s death look like an accident, but they tipped their hand here--because the only tool that could have cut away at the balcony like that was a Shardblade. Kaladin also swears, here, that Dalinar can trust him--one half of the conflicting oaths that tear him apart in this book. Dalinar also assumes that bridgemen have no part in warcamp politics, which is...a bit naive. Kaladin does, as does Moash--lighteyes can engender deep antagonism in darkeyes without realizing. 

I’ll cut this here and get the rest of Part Two in another post. 

[kiyabujayniah1996]

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[ciathyzareposts]

Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny: Summary and Rating

         Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny

Germany

Released in Germany as Das Schwarze Auge: Die Schicksalsklinge

attic Entertainment Software (developer); Fantasy Productions (German publisher); Sir-Tech (U.S. Publisher)

Released 1992 for DOS, 1993 for Amiga

Date Started: 13 November 2019

Date Ended: 7 February 2020

Total Hours: 38

Difficulty: Moderate-Hard (3.5/5)

Final Rating: (To come later)

Ranking at Time of Posting: (To come later)

Summary:

First in a lineage based on the German tabletop RPG Das Schwarze Auge, Blade of Destiny is a gem waiting to be cut and polished. A party of six, comprising familiar races but original classes, stops a horde of orcs from razing the city of Thorwal by finding a legendary sword that defeated the orcs in the past. In an effort to offer a computer game that adhered closely to tabletop rules and gaming style, Blade perhaps errs too much towards obtuse statistics, lengthy character creation and leveling, myriad spells, and exhausting tactical combat. Yet the developers managed to create a large, open game world and populate it with interesting encounters of a variety of length and difficulty, thus feeling a lot like a series of tabletop modules. Nothing in the game–first-person exploration (in Bard’s Tale style, but with an interface drawn from Might and Magic III), paper-doll inventories (looking a lot like Eye of the Beholder), axonometric combat (clearly inspired by SSI), dozens of skills and spell skills–works badly, but almost every part of the game needed a little tweaking, editing, or tightening. I enjoyed it more as I became more familiar with its conventions, and it left me looking forward to its next installment.

****

       I grew to enjoy Blade of Destiny more as the hour grew later (the opposite of what usually happens), although the game never really did manage to solve some of its early weaknesses. In the end, I’m struck at how much it reminds me of Pool of Radiance, the first attempt at a serious adaptation of another tabletop system. Both feature the standard party of six. In neither game do the party members have a direct, personal connection to the main quest. In both, the main quest is somewhat low-key–the fate of a city versus the fate of the world. Both keep character leveling in the single digits, and both err towards keeping faith with their tabletop roots, even when it might have been best for the computer game to improvise a bit.

I don’t know whether to blame Das Schwarze Auge or the computer game for my chief complaints, most of which can be rolled up into three words: combat is exhausting. Combat is a major part of any RPG, so you don’t want your players doing things like reloading to avoid it, which I did a lot. I abandoned entire dungeons because I was sick of all the fighting, so it’s a good thing I didn’t need an extra character level to win. The primary issues are:

            The axonometric perspective doesn’t work well for combat. It’s hard to separate the characters and enemies from each other and particularly hard to move to a specific tile.

Everyone misses too often.

Attacks don’t cause enough damage.

Spells, which would make the whole thing go faster, eat up so many magic points that you can rarely cast more than three or four before needing multiple nights’ rest to recharge.

          In light of these things, the “quick combat” system was a good idea. Unfortunately, combat is hard enough (at least until the end) that you can’t really use it until there are only a couple enemies left. Even then, quick combat isn’t really “quick.” (To be fair, I guess they don’t call it that; it’s something like “Computer Fight.”) You still have to watch the computer take all the actions and monitor your characters’ status. It just means you can watch a television show at the same time.            

If you can make out individual characters in those blobs, your eyesight is better than mine.

          The spell issue had more consequences than just a difficult combat experience. The developers took the time to put several dozen spells into the game, and I never used more than about 5 of them. I kept meaning to find a good place to save near a known combat and then just keep reloading and experimenting, but I never identified an ideal position for this. Most of them would have failed anyway because the nature of the spell skill system means that you can’t possibly specialize in more than half a dozen. When I play the sequel, it will absolutely be my priority to more fully investigate the spell catalog.

I had a few lingering questions after the last entry, such as what happens if you try to kill the orc champion with a weapon other than Grimring, and what happens if you don’t honor the rule that only your champion fights. Unfortunately, the final save prompted me to overwrite the save game I’d take just before the battle. My next-most recent save was from before exploring the orc caves and getting the message that led to the endgame. I’m not willing to do all of that again, so we’ll have to leave it a mystery unless someone has some experience with it. But I was able to check out the alternate “bad” ending, which I would have experienced had I lingered for extra year in the quest. As I typed the rest of this entry, I had my party sleep at the inn for batches of 99 days until the game work me up with the fateful message:              

So the orcs are the “Vikings” of this setting.

             Overall, I felt that the time constraint was generous enough that it wouldn’t have impacted my approach even if I’d been more eager to explore every trail and sea lane. This is a good thing because there was quite a bit more to find. I took a look at a cluebook for the game, and among entire dungeons that I overlooked were a “wolf’s lair” between Ottarje and Orvil, a six-level “ship of the dead” that I would have found if I’d taken more boat trips, and a three-level “dragon’s hoard” on Runin Island. This latter location sounds like it would have been especially lucrative, with an option to do a side quest for the dragon and receive four magic items as a reward.

But I’ve always been fine with missing content. It’s practically necessary in modern games, let you exhaust yourself before the end. It also enhances a game’s replayability. It’s nice to see the number of titles with such optional content growing.

Let’s give it the ol’ GIMLET:

1. Game World. I didn’t find the Nordic setting terribly original, but I enjoyed it just the same. The backstory is set up well, and as previously mentioned, I liked the low-key nature of the main plot. The main quest did a good job encouraging nonlinear exploration of the large world. The problem is that the game itself doesn’t quite deliver on the backstory (or the tabletop setting in general). The various cities and towns are too interchangeable, the NPCs too bland. Score: 5.

2. Character Creation and Development. Well, I can’t complain that it doesn’t give you enough options. The leveling-up process in Blade of Destiny is probably the longest in any game to date. Not just longest, but most frustrating, with the caps on the number of times you can increase a particular skill per level (even if you neglected it in the early levels) and frequent failures as you try to increase. The caps in particular make it feel like the characters are never really getting stronger or better. (I think the final battle could be won by a Level 1 character.) Hit points and spell points, in particular, are almost imperceptibly slow to increase.          

No, not now! I have an appointment in 90 minutes!

          Still, I like the nature of character classes in the setting, including the use of “negative attributes” and the plethora of skills. I just wish I had a clearer sense of what skills, attributes, and negative attributes came into play in what circumstances, which bits of equipment compensated for them, and so on. The game text is obtuse enough that sometimes it’s not even clear whether you succeeded or failed. When it is, it’s almost always because you failed. Honestly, how high do I need to jack up my “Treat Wounds” skill before it has a greater than 50% chance of not making the character worse?

Back on the positive side, I think different party compositions would make a considerable difference in gameplay. I think you could have fun with some interesting combinations, like an all-dwarf party or an all-magician party. It’s just too bad the different race/class templates didn’t have more role-playing implications. Score: 5.

3. NPC Interaction. This was a really wasted area of the game. The developers give you the ability to talk to ever bartender, innkeeper, smith, and cashier, but most of the dialogue is stupid when it isn’t confusing. I’d blame the translation, but my German readers report that it was stupid and confusing even in German. The few dialogue options are either false options that lead to the same outcome or confusing ones with counter-intuitive results (e.g., asking to see the map makes the NPC give it to you; asking for the map makes him just show it to you). That said, you occasionally get an important hint from your various NPC interactions. I just wish it had been more consistent and that the developers had used the system to give more blood to the game world. Score: 4.               

This conversation made no sense as a whole, and these individual responses made no sense in detail.

          4. Encounters and Foes. The game shines, though sometimes with a marred finish, in this area. I really enjoyed the variety of encounters, some fixed, some random, that the party gets on the road and as it explores dungeons and towns. I like that some of them are a single screen, resolved instantly, and others lead you off on a multi-hour digression. I contrast to the dialogue, the text of these special encounters is usually evocative and interesting, and I can even forgive the occasional shaggy dog joke like the “wyvern” encounter. I just wish for a few more role-playing options in these encounters.            

These diversions and side areas never stopped being fun.

            Foes were mostly high-fantasy standards with similar strengths and weaknesses that we’ve seen in a thousand RPGs but at least they appeared in appropriate contexts. We’ve come a long way from the days when we were inexplicably attacked by parties of 6 orcs, 3 trolls, 2 magicians, and a griffon right in the middle of town. Score: 6.

5. Magic and Combat. Very mixed. I like the combat options, the variety of spells, and the turn-based mechanics. I just didn’t like the execution, which was partly due to interface and partly due to the game rules. Either way, combat was generally a tedious, annoying process rather than the joyful one I typically find in, say, a Gold Box game. As for spells, the game really needs some in-game help to assist with them, perhaps annotating the spells in which each class is supposed to specialize. Every spellcasting session and every level-up was a long process of flipping through the manual. It’s too bad because the spells are so varied and interesting on paper. Score: 4.            

I only ever tried about 6 of these spells, which coincidentally is the number of spells I got above 0 in my ability to cast after 5 levels.

          6. Equipment. Another disappointment. I like the approach to equipment, with a number of slots, but you get upgrades rarely and it’s extremely hard to identify them when you do. This is something that perhaps no game has done very well up to this point. I don’t mind if it’s hard to identify a piece of equipment–if you need a special skill, or spell, or money, or whatever–but I mind if it’s annoying. I mind if I have to swap the item around to multiple characters to try different things, especially when the interface makes swapping annoying and time-consuming. I mind when there’s no symbol, color, or other mechanism to distinguish weapons and armor with different values. 

Blade offers perhaps the largest variety of “adventure” equipment that we’ve seen so far, which makes it all the more frustrating that either so much of it is useless, or the game doesn’t bother to tell you when a piece of equipment has saved the day. Finally the encumbrance system is geared towards making most characters chronically over-encumbered. The ability to make potions is nice, but again the system is a little too complicated. Score: 4.

7. Economy. Blade almost perfectly emulates the Gold Box series here: money is plentiful from the first dungeon and you hardly have any reason to spend it. My party ended the game with well over 1,000 ducats. Even potions don’t serve as a good “money sink” because they don’t stack and you have the constant encumbrance issue. A rack of +1 weapons, the ability to pay to recharge spell points, or temple blessings that actually did something all would have been nice. Score: 3.          

I just donated 999 crowns!

          8. Quests. Generally positive. Blade is one of the few games of the era to understand side quests, and they sit alongside an interesting-enough main quest with multiple stages. It just needed a few more choices and alternate endings. Score: 5.

9. Graphics, Sound, and Interface. I know that some readers will defend the game here, but I found all three to be somewhat horrid. Graphics are perhaps the least so. Some of the cut scenes are nice. Regular exploration graphics aren’t bad, but the inability to distinguish stores from regular houses is almost unforgivable. Combat graphics are a confusing mess from the axonometric perspective. Any virtues the sound effects may otherwise have are obscured by the jarring three-note cacophony that accompanies opening any menu. And there’s no excuse for the interface, which occasionally gives some nods to the keyboard but really wants you to use the mouse throughout.

Aside from my usual complaints about mouse-driven interfaces, the game is full of all kinds of little annoyances. When you find or purchase a piece of equipment, it always goes to the first character. You’ve got to then go in and redistribute it. It’s annoying to transfer equipment between characters, especially if one is over-encumbered. Messages often time out before you’re done reading them, or pop up so quickly that you don’t have time to read them before you accidentally hit the next movement key, making them disappear. There’s a lot of inconsistency, particularly in dungeons, about when you need a contextual menu and when you need to use the buttons on the main interface. There are dozens of other things like this. The developers took the appearance of the Might and Magic III interface but none of its underlying grace.

The auto-map didn’t suck. I’ll give it that. Score: 2.

10. Gameplay. We can end on a positive note. This is one of the few open-world games of the era, and in between the opening screen and closing combat, it’s almost entirely non-linear. The many things that a first-time player doesn’t find makes it inherently replayable. And the length and difficulty are just about perfect for the era. I particularly love that you have to lose experience points to save (except at temples), which discourages save-scumming. Score: 8.                

This NPC seems to think he’s living hundreds of years in the past.

          That gives us a subtotal final score of 46, a respectable total that would put it in the top 15% of games so far. But I’m going to administratively remove 2 more points for an issue that really isn’t covered by my GIMLET: a lack of editing that created unnecessary confusion at numerous points in the game. There are numerous places that go unused, such as the tower and “Ottaskins” in Thorwal. NPCs frequently tell you things in dialogue that aren’t true. There are numerous false leads on the map quest, and I don’t think they’re there to challenge you–I think the developers changed things and didn’t update the dialogue. All of the NPCs in Phexcaer were clearly written for an earlier game in which the nature of the backstory and quest were quite different. It’s common now, but relatively uncommon back then, to find a game released in what was clearly it’s “beta” stage.

So that gives us a final score of 44, which still puts the game in the top 15%. It had a lot of promise, and I’m sorry that the developers didn’t find more time to tweak and tighten it.             

This is not the sort of game for which you really want to emphasize “conversation.”

          Blade of Destiny wasn’t released in the United States until 1993, so Scorpia didn’t take it on until the October 1993 issue of Computer Gaming World. It’s one of her more ornery reviews. After saying that the English translation of Das Schwarze Auge, “The Black Eye,” “might be appropriate,” she goes on to spoil the entire plot in the next paragraph, including the one-on-one combat at the end. She found the plot unoriginal and wasted three days trying to figure out how to find the orc cave, noting that there are no clues to be found anywhere. (Remember: I had to use a walkthrough for this.) She hated the failures when trying to level up, complaining that one of her fighters “made no advance in swords on two successive level gains.” She noted a lot of discrepancies between the manual and actual gameplay, particularly in the area of spells, and she agrees with me that combat is a “tedious, frustrating, boring, long-drawn-out affair.”

She liked the automap, the ability to reload in the middle of combat, and the extra experience you get the first time you face a particular monster. That was about it. I was surprised to see how much she hated the experience cost for saving. She says she wouldn’t have minded if the creators had awarded a bonus for not saving, apparently seeing a difference there that I don’t. 

But her worst vitriol was for a bug that I didn’t experience: apparently, if you quit in the middle of the final battle, you get the victory screen anyway. “This is not just a scam; it is the Grand Canyon of scams,” she sputters. “How did the 20+ playtesters manage to miss this one? If they didn’t miss it, why wasn’t it fixed?” In summary:

             Those who worship at the mythical altar of Realism often end up sacrificing fun and playability on it. That is what happened with Blade of Destiny. In their attempt to make the game “like real life” (something few players want in the first place) the designers went overboard in the wrong direction more than once. I would not recommend Arkania to any game player, but I do recommend it to game designers as an example of what to avoid in their own products. Let us all hope we don’t see another one like this any time soon.

              Ouch. I don’t disagree with the elements she didn’t like, but I found more that I did like.

On the continent, the game had polarized reviews. Some thought that the designers went overboard in the right direction, or perhaps didn’t go overboard, or perhaps only did it once. Whatever the case, the ASM reviewer (92/100) said that he’d “rarely seen a perfect implementation of an RPG that also remains really playable on the computer.” PC Joker (90/100) said that it is “only surpassed by Ultima, leaving the rest of the genre competition far behind in terms of freedom of action and complexity.” But not all German reviews were positive. PC Player (48/100) recommended that players “close your eyes, put the lid on, and wait for Star Trail.”

(At least there were some positives in the reviews for the original game. A 2013 remake by German-based Crafty Studios came out to almost universally negative reviews despite improved graphics, voiced dialogue, and other trappings of the modern era. It was apparently quite unforgivably bugged. Crafty went on to remake Star Trail in 2017.)

              Combat in the remake. At least you can identify the squares a bit easier.

          The original game sold well despite a few bad reviews and certainly justified the two sequels, Realms of Arkania: Star Trail (1994) and Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva (1996). Together, the trilogy established the viability of Das Schwarze Auge setting, which continues to produce RPGs into the modern era, including The Dark Eye: Drakensang (2008), Deminicon (2013), and Blackguards (2014). Lead developer Guido Henkel would eventually tire of the setting, quit attic, move to the United States, join Black Isle studios, and produce Planescape: Torment.

I haven’t attempted to reach out to Henkel, as his work on the Arkania series has been well-documented elsewhere. In his 2012 RPG Codex interview, he explains that the publisher of attic’s Spirit of Adventure, StarByte, originally approached the company about creating a series based on Das Schwarze Auge, claiming they already had the rights. The attic personnel were reluctant to work with StarByte after a dreadful Spirit experience (“a horribly crooked company that cheated us and all of its other developers”), so they were delighted to find that the company had been lying about the license. attic managed to get it for themselves, although at such an expense that the three Arkania games barely made a profit despite selling well.

From a 1992 perspective, I would call Blade of Destiny “a good start.” I look forward to seeing how things change in the sequels.

*****

B.A.T. II will be coming up next. For the next title on the “upcoming” list, we reach back to 1981 for Quest for Power, later renamed King Arthur’s Heir. Come to think of it, the Crystalware titles are so similar and quick that I might try to cover Quest for Power and Sands of Mars in a single session so I can be done with 1981 entirely. Again.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/realms-of-arkania-blade-of-destiny-summary-and-rating/

[increflections-blog]

riving back couldn’t help but notice an elderly woman putting up her tiny stall in one of the corners of the wet market near our place. It was just a spot for selling knick-knacks like plastic combs, hair pins, brushes, buttons, etc. Nothing much really. And there was also another person also walking around with a “bilao” of dried fish entertaining prospective customers. Ordinary peddlers not to be concerned with. But these two were actually officers of a church holding the deaconess position for quite some time. In fact, it’s safe to say maybe a decade or so. This church is not an organization of rich people but rather generally composed of ordinary Class C and D groups. The rationale the leadership gives on why it is composed of such impoverished people is simple. “God chose the poor to humiliate the affluent.”

How? Come election day, the church votes as a block. Who chooses which one to vote? The leader. So it is but expected for all of these influential candidates praise to high heavens said church come election season. What about the Guinness  records? A few dozen has been claimed including the most number of, “hunger relief  packages distributed in 8 hours.”

“The most hunger relief packages distributed in 8 hours (single venue) is 302,311 and was achieved by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ), in Barrio Maligaya, Nueva Ecija, Philippines on 22 February 2014. There were 20 entrances supervised by 151 audit personnel. All participants were given wristbands which were collected in boxes and counted at the end. Each package weighed 3 kilogram and contained rice, noodles amd sardines in cans. Adjudicated by Seyda Subasi -Gemici.” https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-hunger-relief-packages-distributed-in-eight-hours

If you’re curious to the other records, here it is –

1. Largest firework display ever;

2. Largest charity walk/run;

3. Most medical ultrasound examinations in 8 hours;

4. Largest human sentence;

5. Largest gospel choir;

6. Largest charity walk/run (multiple venues;

7. Most people baptised / christened;

8. Most hunger relief packages distributed in eight hours;

9. Premiere for Philippine film Felix Manalo breaks two attendance world records;

That’s about it, add or take a few.

Now, you may ask yourself, why despite all the accolades and world records, the majority of its members still live an impoverished life. Maybe its because we continue to give even to a fault, on the belief that what we are doing is God’s choice and will.

If you’ve taken note, all of the above requires human intervention and participation to conclude its success. And this is where the church is quite good at. Convincing its members to participate or, to put it subtly, submitting its members to participate. And with the majority of its members in the Class C and D group, it’s not really that difficult.  People tend to gather themselves within their class group and when you do not have much, the promise of salvation and  eternal life in the holy land of gold and pearls can do wonders to a man in want.

The route is where twice every week (for non-officers) and almost daily (for officers) you hear of the nearing apocalypse and the salvation reserved only for active members of the church. Complete submission to the programs of the church to claim redemption no questions asked.

Now, let us discuss Salvation and Heaven since this is what is offered in return for all the offerings and the sacrifices, “Bayang Banal” the more common term;  where pain and suffering are things of the past, where everyone are treated equal and happiness reigns throughout.

My brother and I had a lite discussion about this. It went more or less like this –

“Alam mo Tol, ” my brother started, “mejo malabo itong Bayang Banal. Wala daw lungkot jan. Tatapakan daw natin ay ginto, at mga pinto doon  ay gawang perlas. Wala daw tayo gagawin doon kungdi sasamba sa Diyos araw araw.” 

“Ano naman problema don?,” I asked.

“Araw, araw!? Huwebes-Linggo lang eh hirap na hirap akong nakadilat, pasambahin mo ako araw-araw?! Anong mangyayari sa akin doon?!  So, matapos sumamba, uuwi ako kung saan man yon, tapos kinabukasan sasamba nanaman ako. Ano  ba yan, BORING! Ano naman kung ginto ang kalsada o perlas ang pinto ng Bayang Banal? Ano naman ang gagawin ko doon. Hindi ka naman makatravel dahil naka bakod  daw ang Bayang Banal!”

“Hindi mo ba gusto yan? I asked,”wala ka ng hirap, lungkot, o luluha kelanman?”

“Paano mo sasabihin “wala ka ng hirap, lungkot, o luluha kelanman?” eh puro tayo zombie doon. May nakita ka bang zombie na naghihirap, malungkot, o umiiyak? WALA!”

Well, it was just that, usapang barbero o usapang gago but with some touch of logic  🙂

And if you’re still interested on the actual description of the Holy Land, try reading this. It is quite engaging –

B. SIZE “The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs” (Revelation 21:16). The city is perfectly square. Its perimeter is 12,000 furlongs—equivalent to 1,500 miles. It is 375 miles long on each side!

C. WALLS “The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper” (Revelation 21:17, 18 NIV). A wall standing at 144 cubits—that’s 216 feet high!—surrounds the city. The wall is made of solid jasper, with a radiance and beauty beyond description. Think of it: nearly 20 stories high and solid jasper!

D. GATES “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates. … There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. … The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl” (Revelation 21:12, 13, 21 NIV).

E. FOUNDATIONS “The wall of the city had twelve foundations … decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst” (Revelation 21:14, 19, 20 NIV). The city has 12 full, complete foundations—each one made of precious stone. Every color of the rainbow is represented, so at a distance the city will appear to be resting upon a rainbow. …

https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4981/t/a-colossal-city-in-space

The point is this. Why always paint a gloomy picture of this world and the acceptance of hardship as a normal way of life when in truth and fact, it isn’t. Why capitalize on the weakness to gain control? This world of ours may not be perfect with calamities creating havoc for many and difficulties surrounding people in their way of life but there is hope,  and goodness still in this world. It is only when you cannot accept change that the reality becomes permanent.

Inspirational stories are common from the simple security guard to a teacher, or a penniless who shared “pagpag” (re-cooked garbaged left overs from fastfood restos) to a mayor of Manila or even a meager kid to a famous boxer and senator. All of them had one thing in common. Perseverance to change. Never accepting what is as an option.

The stumbling block is the teaching that all suffering and difficulties are God’s will and acceptance of eternal life after death as the only solution are the two notions that need rethinking. Why, is it not possible to have a good life here and enjoy the afterlife too? Is it wrong to have a glimpse of the good and magnificence in God’s creations than concentrating on all its apocalypses? And why exploit God’s words on people who are not yours to begin with?

God has always been perfect and so are His creations. More so His children.

Here’s an interesting article on Rappler published just recently titled ,“After the 2015 controversies: What’s been happening inside the Iglesia ni Cristo?”

“For the INC’s 105th anniversary on July 27, Rappler speaks with members, both active and inactive, who talk about changes – some of them painful – in their church.

MANILA, Philippines – For many years, Guia* embodied what is expected of a loyal member of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

She regularly attended services, moved in a circle full of INC members, aligned her activities with the teachings, and didn’t have any bit of doubt about what the church stands for.

“I was living in a bubble because my community was mainly centered around the church, the home, and the school,” Guia told Rappler. “I didn’t have other perspectives.”

But everything changed one fateful month in 2015. …”

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/236277-situation-iglesia-ni-cristo-post-2015-controversies?

  “Forced Redemption?…” riving back couldn't help but notice an elderly woman putting up her tiny stall in one of the corners of the wet market near our place.

[moresympathygiftbaskets-blog]

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[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): The Assignment of the Duty of the Prophethood and First Muslims

First Revelation is Sent Down

The 16th night of the month of Ramadan had passed.

The 17th of Ramadan was a Monday night.

The mount of Nour and everything around it were covered with a deep and significant quietness to be able to hear and listen to what would be said soon. Maybe, out of respect to the ones who would speak and listen to.

It was past midnight and almost dawn. The exceptional time when nightingales sing and roses give out pleasant scents with all their beauties. The extraordinary time when those who mention the names of Allah are enthused and attain endless pleasure!

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him), the angel of divine revelation, took the shape of a most beautiful human being and was quite delighted. The environment smelled wonderful. The manifestations of fear and hope, and excitement and peace were intertwined.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) was very joyful because he would meet the last Prophet, the Prophet of the prophets and he would talk face to face with the Sultan of Lawlaka, who would deserve the title, “the Beloved of Allah” with his belief, worship, contemplation and struggle.

The expected moment finally came.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) appeared before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his human form, sending out divine radiance around in the dark night. He spoke to him in a loud but calming voice: “Read!”

The heart of the Master of the Universe was filled with wonder and fear. His heart shivered!

He answered: “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe gave the same answer, “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him for the second time and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe said, “I do not know how to read. Tell me! What shall I read?”

Thereupon, the angel recited the first verses of the Surah of Al-Alaq from the beginning to the end, which, through Allah Almighty’s ordering, he was in charge of conveying to the Prophet (pbuh):

“Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read: And your Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught (to write) with the pen, taught man what he knew not.” (Al-Alaq Surah, 96:1-5) 

The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was at the heights of excitement and amazement and recited what he heard word by word. The verses that came down became established both in his tongue and in his heart.

Gabriel, who fulfilled his task, disappeared suddenly.

“Cover Me!”

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) shook with awe and excitement at having received a Divine revelation, left the cave, and went straight towards Mecca.

He encountered many peculiarities on the road. The mountains, rocks, and trees greeted him by saying, “Assalamu Alaykum Ya Rasullulah” (May peace be with you, oh Messenger) and congratulated him on his exalted duty.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived home. He had lost his breath in the face of the magnificence of this situation.

All he could say to his faithful wife, Hazrat Khadija Kubra, who anxiously greeted him was, “Cover me! Cover me!” 

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who sought solitude at mount Hira was now in his home and was now alone with his thoughts.

He woke up a while later. Even if it was a very small amount, it was obvious that he had reached some level of comfort and peace. He narrated what had happened to Khadijah al-Kubra in detail and said,

“I am scared, O Khadijah! I am scared that I will be harmed!”

Those words of our Prophet definitely originated from his desire to feel safe regarding reaching the eternal happiness and honorable duty.

Hazrat Khadija possessed eminent capabilities as well as a level of understanding and discernment that qualified her to be the first wife of the most esteemed Prophet, whom she fully trusted. She affirmed the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) wish about feeling safe with these words:

“There is no reason for you to feel any kind of fear or worry. Do not be sad, Allah will never embarrass a servant like you. I know that you always speak the truth. You perform duties that have been given to you and safeguard that which has been entrusted to you. You interact closely with your relatives. You treat your neighbors in a very kind and caring manner. You help the poor. You open your doors to strangers and entertain them as guests. You help the community during disasters and tribulations! Oh my Uncle’s Son, persevere. By Allah, I hope that you are this community’s prophet.” 

What did Waraqa say?

Doubtlessly, everything that had happened was not insignificant and did have some meaning.

It was up to Hazrat Khadija to learn by inquiring.

Whom could she go to? Who could understand these affairs? And whom could he trust in?

Hazrat Khadija thought for a long time and finally determined the person whom she would consult with: Her uncle’s son, Waraqa bin Nawfal.

Waraqa bin Nawfal was an elderly man and a Christian in the pure sense. His eyes could not see yet his heart was enlightened. He read the Bible and Torah and had learned many things from them both.

Without wasting time, Hazrat Khadija went to go see her uncle’s son with our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Waraqa first listened to our Master (PBUH). As our Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained what had happened to him, Waraqa’s face was changing color. When our Master (PBUH) finished speaking, Waraqa exclaimed: “Quddus! Quddus! The angel that you saw is the Holy Spirit, Namus al-Akbar, that the Exalted Lord sent to Prophet Musa. You are this nation’s Prophet. Ah! If only I were younger so that I could be with you when you invited the community to the truth. And if only I could live long enough to be of help when the tribe expelled you from your homeland.” 

These expressions comforted both Hazrat Khadija and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to some degree. However, there was one thing that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not understand: Why would the tribe expel him from his homeland?

Waraqa answered his question: “Yes, they are going to expel from you from here since whoever has received a revelation has been the recipient of hostility. If I am able to reach the day when you will invite the community to truth then I will help you in every way I can.” 

Waraqa bin Nawfal was speaking the truth - a reality that had to be exposed…

After this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija left Waraqa bin Nawfal’s home.

REVELATION CEASES

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) faced an incident called “the Suspension of Revelation.” after a while. It was evident that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was greatly saddened and distressed by this break in the deliverance of revelation, an incident whose wisdom we cannot fully grasp and which has been more-or-so described in the following way: Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was so distressed that the earth was becoming too tight for him and he wanted to be saved from its restraint. During this time, either Jibril (Gabriel) or Israfil  appeared to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for the purpose of consoling him. 

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was faced with sadness for an exact forty–day period. Since the world is a center that is composed of an indefinite number of Divine wisdoms, everything that takes place within it undoubtedly has a purpose. Sometimes it is possible or impossible to catch the purpose behind these kinds of circumstances with the tiny measuring scales in our minds. However, not knowing their Divine wisdoms and reasons is not by any means proof that they are without wisdom and reason. Above all, it is not possible for a duty like prophethood, in which everything has been specially programmed by the pen of wisdom, to be insignificant. For this reason, there were many wisdoms and reasons behind the delay in the deliverance of revelation. However, we are not aware of them. There are many scholars who interpret this situation in various ways. Here is a summary of some of these views:

1) Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) greatly panicked in face of the first revelation and the heaviness of the situation had jolted his soul. This incident occurred so that his soul could find some peace, be rested and prepared for the forthcoming revelations.

2) Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) was being prepared for the burdens and tribulations that he was about to face.

3) The deliverance of revelation was delayed so that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) could long more deeply for the next revelation. 

REVELATION RESUMES

After a hiatus of forty days, revelations were continued to be sent down to our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

He explains its resumption as follows:

“One day, while walking, I suddenly heard a sound in the sky. When I raised my head and looked at the sky, I saw the angel who came to me (Jibril, Gabriel) seated on a throne that was in between the ground and the sky. I shuddered and collapsed to the ground. I returned to my home and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” Upon this, Allah the Exalted sent down this revelation:

“O thou wrapped up (in a mantle)! Arise and deliver thy warning! And thy Lord do thou magnify! And thy garments keep free from stain! And all abomination shun!” From then on, the revelations began to come and there were no interruptions in between. 

The discomfort in our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) ceased when revelation was continued to be sent down; his inner realm reached peace and tranquility. By appointing our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was adorned with perfection and moralistic beauties from head to toe, to prophethood, Allah elevated him to the position of being the most distinguished and eminent individual among human beings. Thus, an extant law of the universe meaning, “every species has a distinguished and superior constituent that is the pride and joy and source of admiration for its kind”, which also applies to the circle of humanity.

“One of the names of Allah among asma al-husna is the greatest; similarly, there needs to be a perfect man among Allah’s creatures; Allah gathered and assembled all kinds of perfection that had been dispersed in the Universe in him, and made him His pride and joy.

“That perfect entity had to be a living being since the most impeccable creation among every species in the universe is a living being. That being had to be a conscious being since a conscious being is the most glorious among every species. That entity that had no and will not have a replicate had to be a person since humans have the unlimited ability to advance among conscious beings.

“That human being had to be Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) since not a single historical account, from the beginning of Hazrat Adam till now, shows nor can show an individual who is similar to him; that remarkable individual has encompassed half of the Earth and one out of five types of people under his holy dominion, has continued to rule his dominion with his spiritual sultanate for 1350 years (now it has been 1,400 years), and has attained the authority of being the Ultimate Master.

“By uniting his friends and enemies, he attained the highest degree in good manners and challenged the entire world at the beginning of his prophethood. This individual, who has shown more than a 100 million people the Quran (whose declaration leaves everyone weak) at every given minute, was without a doubt the most distinguished being among all creatures; it cannot be anyone else other than him.

“He is both the seed and fruit of this universe.” 

[raymonmcgeehan-blog]

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This could be helpful to document titles from folks which seem significant as well as why. Uses could start with the DOPU style, and if the scenarios broaden beyond Meaningful Usage with HealthVault, they can easily back then modification to make use of a record authorization-based version. As a person which devoted a great number of hrs developing an item that pretty much no person wanted just before starting my very own consulting company (which, luckily, is more productive in comparison to my initial product) and also releasing an on-line training program business, I've ended up being quite aware of exactly what genuinely creates job relevant. Kids who grow on ranches have a head beginning in some ways over metropolitan area youngsters, given that they generally possess purposeful work to do as aspect of the household organization coming from an early age. It is crucial for gay males to have devoted opportunity for beneficial connection yet likewise seek specific passions. A 4th practice of meaningful connections is becoming acquainted with the kinds of things your good friend delights in performing and also the associations they hang around along with. For those who have just about any inquiries relating to where along with how to make use of yellow pages advert j r hartley (hop over to these guys), you can e mail us in our internet site. Performing just what you adore, one thing rewarding, something significant are actually just the same thing. On the other hand, if you possess a niche, if, maybe, you're in the baby's room business and also you see the outcomes of your job creating the globe much better ... If you are actually aiding people make and create their creative potentials, or if you are actually supplying your own artistic abilities to ensure you make the planet much better ... now, this may be exactly what I categorize as relevant work. Can profess exemptions and also omission of particular purposes set out in the Meaningful Use Clause by CMS, they are not treated preferentially regarding documenting medical procedures using accepted and also certified EHR software application is actually regarded: their obligation for stating medical information making use of Licensed EHR Modern technology and also EHR components continues to be as required as for family doctors. Attempt sticking the radiance unaware letters forming the words I ENJOY YOU on the ceiling over her mattress. Suppliers that are entitled for Meaningful Use under the Medicaid plan are not subject to payment fines, unless the supplier is actually also entitled under the Health insurance course. Off the viewpoint from the methods curricular accepted adventure and previous knowledge of the student, making it possible for a really relevant understanding. Exactly what is actually more, in spite of any type of preliminary fussing regarding any sort of type of modification, at heart they really desire a significant function in the family members. Just considering that quotationing your personal stating to your sweetheart, girl, or maybe your friends is much more unique and romantic in comparison to merely duplicating and inserting another person's words. Diabetic issues mellitus is the primary reason for many sex-related weaknesses in guys featuring erectile dysfunction. If it has FIVE HUNDRED terms to become provided that needed", then 500 words need to be utilized. If the weight loss for his group on the chocolate-only diet is actually representative from weight reduction in a huge populace of middle-aged men, a. Bob prefers to know. Providing an absolutely distinct instructor gift isn't as tough as this appears if you stop thinking about gifts as traits," as well as as an alternative consider exactly what may be purposeful to the instructor's lifestyle. Some companies have been able to damage free from their sector limitations that exist in industries including financial services as well as energy, and also existing trustworthy, meaningful advertising and marketing tactics. Few seen that the situation in which words operate depends on the individual definitions from these terms. Your child will certainly experience comfy arriving to you when he or even she requires tips if you cultivate a consistent schedule around purposeful communication. IKEA brings in several relevant hookups with people, at an economic, intellectual, organisational, emotional and also religious degree. Standard remembrance poems as well as side of life quotes can be sentimental and also warm. Famous Christmas time tracks include Dootha Paata Paadudi, Oh Sadbakthlara, Sri Yesundu Jenminche Reyilo. Not shockingly, Loyalty Investments is one of the best purposeful financial brand names. The gent in question had been actually following my daily quotes for about 8 months. Yet more necessary compared to its own lovely appearance, the directory was a sound selling tool. While composing a remembrance poem your own self is actually always a meaningful endeavor, there are actually lots of memory rhymes available that can efficiently and properly show the particular message you're trying to communicate-whether this be just one of chance, recognition, or grief. Our team have actually relocated until now away from this, to some extent in reaction to authentic problems for the well-being from little ones working in factories in the 1800s, as well as partly because of required education and learning, that our experts are right now rearing a significant proportion of the population to adulthood without any adventure from job, or maybe relevant duties. You possess the best go of finding a purposeful partnership if you have the assurance to satisfy people at a task you are actually attending. Bernadette Jiwa is actually a brand storytelling pioneer, a champion from businesses that intend to be meaningful labels as well as author from four # 1 Amazon Company Bestsellers. Social network is actually an essential system for listening closely, and afterwards nurturing purposeful interactions. In some cases the hilarious quotes work due to the distribution, demeanor or appeal mode from the celebrity.

[ewddeloris20305-blog]

Experience Tourist.

You recognize Rio - the 2016 Summer Olympics host, the city of samba as well as carnival, the kingdom from beautiful coastlines as well as stunning folks. Head on over to Never-ending Summer months for a base radiance if you're intending a travel to someplace hot. If you loved this article and you would like to collect more info about memories grand bahama [visit the up coming article] nicely visit our own internet site. Whatever your type may be actually, we have actually found the cutest sunlight hats for every person to use this summer Keep reading for our faves. In 2015 it reached 8.9% of gross domestic product, and also that is most likely to appear 9% before completion from 2016. Yet our team've also learned that Richard and Cherylyn Cieri closed on their Manhattan Home aerie acquisition for close to $8 million. In other words, don't receive married to MO if you choose to take an easy puff this summer season. Nonetheless Journey World will definitely not be actually liable to anyone in appreciation of any type of loss from, or harm to, their personal effects, or the loss of life or accident to, anybody, whether that loss, damage or even injury is caused by someone's carelessness (including the oversight of Journey World) or even otherwise. Really good storm gear, featuring a rainfall layer, is necessary to always keep recreational campers completely dry during thundercloud. A second season has been actually purchased; perform yourself a benefit and mesmerize on season one prior to this premieres. The Summertime Research study Programs Travel Security Program compensates you up to $ONE HUNDRED in order to help cover the expense from clothes, toiletries and/or private items if your baggage is postponed for over 24 hours while you are on your journey. Our team incorporated an added 3 line routine maintenance stations this summertime just as we eat the past 2 summers months, this year in Charlotte nc, Raleigh/Durham and also Chicago-' Hare. Clearwater Seashore boasts a slower summertime period making this of the absolute most beneficial summer escapes. Yet the absolute most spectacular function is actually the outdoor lifestyle place around the swimming pool and also lanai, total along with summer season kitchen space, libraries, as well as a fuel fire place. One sizable heated shower home with flush commodes is actually located within the campground as well as several safe toilets are located throughout the rest of the playground. Astronomically communicating, nonetheless, the times start at the equinoxes and also solstices, which specify four distinct points along The planet's orbit, in which the Northern or Southern Half tilts towards the Sun (summer season), far from the Sun (winter season), or even is actually neutral-neither leaning toward neither far from the Sunlight (spring season, fall). Particulars: This unique trip along the durable road from past history has us to a time from American battle for what today seems a simple, as well as birthright. Even when your neighborhood department does not operate camping grounds where they'll actually take your little ones for the time, possibilities are they're hosting some inexpensive or even complimentary summer season events you may join as a household. Dark Bear makes camping full: outstanding services, featuring rental cabins as well as NYC tours (in season). When frost works out in as well as snowfall starts to broken, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park provides loved ones a distinct technique to trump the wintertime doldums or even a fun alternative to a day of snow skiing. On Friday nights, Silverlake Red or white wine applies the supreme outside pleased hr at the Barnsdall Craft Park, along with the scenery of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock Residence as the setup. You should make this even more crystal clear that you think summertime and wintertime lasts 20 1/2 full weeks and also autumn and also springtime merely 5 1/2 full weeks - a theory I have actually never ever heard or even you should return and also perform your mathematics before attacking the almanac. A representative from Camp Jeff carried out not respond to my request for additional relevant information on their plan. Observing the summertime institute June 23-27 and June 30-July 2 will certainly be actually 8 times of school-year follow-up-- four each in the autumn as well as springtime-- plus yet another 4 days in summer season 2009. Oliver Peoples has opened a pop-up store in East Hampton, where the luxe eyeglasses provider are going to offer its own summer season 2015 selection, along with a curated variety from exclusive customized structures. Justin, Travis and also Griffin McElroy from My Brother, My Bro as well as Me have recruited their father Clint for a campaign from high adventure. Right next door, in , Congaree National forest gives natural miracle all its personal. While Allianz Global Aid projects that American check outs to Europe this summer months are going to improve general by 9.3 percent, there's an extensive redistribution in where on the continent individuals are actually going. Harvard summer programs could be actually added, canceled, or moved to a different day or time. Ama Dablam, Baruntse, Imja Tse, Lhotse, Chomolungma- their titles are steeped in the rich tradition of alpinism as well as to find all of them, let alone try to climb on their flanks, should gone on every experience traveler and also climber's bucket listing. From the Magic Kingdom to wonderful health facility procedures, Orlando twinkles with the guarantee of journey. Organizations that cancel on or even after March 9, 2017 or even cannot show the day from the fair will be demanded to pay the full enrollment fee. The National forest Solution (NPS) deals with 59 national parks today, with a number of the greatest - like Denali, with its own six million acres, as well as Yellowstone, covering greater than pair of thousand acres as well as grabbing much from the public's attention. Ranked 1 from 5 through Terry Hutchinson off Baffin Enduro Rain Boots These footwears have observed extremely light usage on my ranch. The Adventure Park provides family exciting for ages 7 and also up. This airborne woods experience is actually exciting, exciting and also safe for all individuals. Learn where are going to Journey Pig go next through complying with @AdventurePigApp on Twitter, and also preference AdventurePigApp on Facebook. However having this occur twice (each time at about 9 months of damage) creates me wonder about the stamina from the rivets and leads me to be a little bit unhappy overall. The chilliest winter season I ever invested was actually a summer in San Francisco' is an apt quote, however no one is actually very certain that initially stated that. As summertime pertains to an end, off September 16-18, the Fulfilling from Styles excursion brings in a brief stop in San Francisco, The golden state, property of the Golden Gateway Bridge and also the fortune cookie. The party never ends on this island, making a name for itself as visitors come from all sections of the world to sleep on the beach front, dance to unending and pulsing property beats, and also get a little messy at froth parties that final up until sunrise. Also larger are the parties and competitions bordering the Summer season Olympics, thrown in August every four years, where tickets market out at file rate.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: The Assignment of the Duty of the Prophethood and First Muslims

First Revelation is Sent Down

The 16th night of the month of Ramadan had passed.

The 17th of Ramadan was a Monday night.

The mount of Nour and everything around it was covered with a deep and significant quietness to be able to hear and listen to what would be said soon. Maybe, out of respect to the ones who would speak and listen to.

It was past midnight and almost dawn. The exceptional time when nightingales sing and roses give out pleasant scents with all their beauties. The extraordinary time when those who mention the names of Allah are enthused and attain endless pleasure!

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him), the angel of divine revelation, took the shape of a most beautiful human being and was quite delighted. The environment smelled wonderful. The manifestations of fear and hope, and excitement and peace were intertwined.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) was very joyful because he would meet the last Prophet, the Prophet of the prophets and he would talk face to face with the Sultan of Lawlaka, who would deserve the title, “the Beloved of Allah” with his belief, worship, contemplation, and struggle.

The expected moment finally came.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) appeared before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his human form, sending out divine radiance around in the dark night. He spoke to him in a loud but calming voice: “Read!”

The heart of the Master of the Universe was filled with wonder and fear. His heart shivered!

He answered: “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe gave the same answer, “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him for the second time and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe said, “I do not know how to read. Tell me! What shall I read?”

Thereupon, the angel recited the first verses of the Surah of Al-Alaq from the beginning to the end, which, through Allah Almighty’s ordering, he was in charge of conveying to the Prophet (pbuh):

“Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read: And your Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught (to write) with the pen, taught man what he knew not.” (Al-Alaq Surah, 96:1-5)

The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was at the heights of excitement and amazement and recited what he heard word by word. The verses that came down became established both in his tongue and in his heart.

Gabriel, who fulfilled his task, disappeared suddenly.

“Cover Me!”

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) shook with awe and excitement at having received a Divine revelation, left the cave, and went straight towards Mecca.

He encountered many peculiarities on the road. The mountains, rocks, and trees greeted him by saying, “Assalamu Alaykum Ya Rasulullah” (May peace be with you, oh Messenger) and congratulated him on his exalted duty.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived home. He had lost his breath in the face of the magnificence of this situation.

All he could say to his faithful wife, Hazrat Khadija Kubra, who anxiously greeted him was, “Cover me! Cover me!” 

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who sought solitude at mount Hira was now in his home and was now alone with his thoughts.

He woke up a while later. Even if it was a very small amount, it was obvious that he had reached some level of comfort and peace. He narrated what had happened to Khadijah al-Kubra in detail and said,

“I am scared, O Khadijah! I am scared that I will be harmed!”

Those words of our Prophet definitely originated from his desire to feel safe regarding reaching eternal happiness and honorable duty.

Hazrat Khadija possessed eminent capabilities as well as a level of understanding and discernment that qualified her to be the first wife of the most esteemed Prophet, whom she fully trusted. She affirmed the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) wish about feeling safe with these words:

“There is no reason for you to feel any kind of fear or worry. Do not be sad, Allah will never embarrass a servant like you. I know that you always speak the truth. You perform duties that have been given to you and safeguard that which has been entrusted to you. You interact closely with your relatives. You treat your neighbors in a very kind and caring manner. You help the poor. You open your doors to strangers and entertain them as guests. You help the community during disasters and tribulations! Oh my Uncle’s Son, persevere. By Allah, I hope that you are this community’s prophet.” 

What did Waraqa say?

Doubtlessly, everything that had happened was not insignificant and did have some meaning.

It was up to Hazrat Khadija to learn by inquiring.

Whom could she go to? Who could understand these affairs? And whom could he trust in?

Hazrat Khadija thought for a long time and finally determined the person whom she would consult with: Her uncle’s son, Waraqa bin Nawfal.

Waraqa bin Nawfal was an elderly man and a Christian in the pure sense. His eyes could not see yet his heart was enlightened. He read the Bible and Torah and had learned many things from them both.

Without wasting time, Hazrat Khadija went to go see her uncle’s son with our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Waraqa first listened to our Master (PBUH). As our Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained what had happened to him, Waraqa’s face was changing color. When our Master (PBUH) finished speaking, Waraqa exclaimed: “Quddus! Quddus! The angel that you saw is the Holy Spirit, Namus al-Akbar, that the Exalted Lord sent to Prophet Musa. You are this nation’s Prophet. Ah! If only I were younger so that I could be with you when you invited the community to the truth. And if only I could live long enough to be of help when the tribe expelled you from your homeland.” 

These expressions comforted both Hazrat Khadija and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to some degree. However, there was one thing that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not understand: Why would the tribe expel him from his homeland?

Waraqa answered his question: “Yes, they are going to expel from you from here since whoever has received a revelation has been the recipient of hostility. If I am able to reach the day when you will invite the community to the truth then I will help you in every way I can.” 

Waraqa bin Nawfal was speaking the truth - a reality that had to be exposed…

After this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija left Waraqa bin Nawfal’s home.

REVELATION CEASES

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) faced an incident called “the Suspension of Revelation.” after a while. It was evident that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was greatly saddened and distressed by this break in the deliverance of revelation, an incident whose wisdom we cannot fully grasp and which has been more-or-so described in the following way: Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was so distressed that the earth was becoming too tight for him and he wanted to be saved from its restraint. During this time, either Jibril (Gabriel) or Israfil appeared to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for the purpose of consoling him. 

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was faced with sadness for an exact forty-day period. Since the world is a center that is composed of an indefinite number of Divine wisdom, everything that takes place within it undoubtedly has a purpose. Sometimes it is possible or impossible to catch the purpose behind these kinds of circumstances with the tiny measuring scales in our minds. However, not knowing their Divine wisdom and reasons is not by any means proof that they are without wisdom and reason. Above all, it is not possible for a duty like prophethood, in which everything has been specially programmed by the pen of wisdom, to be insignificant. For this reason, there were many pearls of wisdom and reasons behind the delay in the deliverance of revelation. However, we are not aware of them. There are many scholars who interpret this situation in various ways. Here is a summary of some of these views:

1) Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) greatly panicked in the face of the first revelation and the heaviness of the situation had jolted his soul. This incident occurred so that his soul could find some peace, be rested and prepared for the forthcoming revelations.

2) Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) was being prepared for the burdens and tribulations that he was about to face.

3) The deliverance of revelation was delayed so that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) could long more deeply for the next revelation. 

REVELATION RESUMES

After a hiatus of forty days, revelations were continued to be sent down to our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

He explains its resumption as follows:

“One day, while walking, I suddenly heard a sound in the sky. When I raised my head and looked at the sky, I saw the angel who came to me (Jibril, Gabriel) seated on a throne that was in between the ground and the sky. I shuddered and collapsed to the ground. I returned to my home and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” Upon this, Allah the Exalted sent down this revelation:

“O thou wrapped up (in a mantle)! Arise and deliver thy warning! And thy Lord do thou magnify! And thy garments keep free from stain! And all abomination shun!” From then on, the revelations began to come and there were no interruptions in between. 

The discomfort in our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) ceased when the revelation was continued to be sent down; his inner realm reached peace and tranquility. By appointing our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was adorned with perfection and moralistic beauties from head to toe, to prophethood, Allah elevated him to the position of being the most distinguished and eminent individual among human beings. Thus, an extant law of the universe meaning, “every species has a distinguished and superior constituent that is the pride and joy and source of admiration for its kind”, which also applies to the circle of humanity.

“One of the names of Allah among asma al-husna is the greatest; similarly, there needs to be a perfect man among Allah’s creatures; Allah gathered and assembled all kinds of perfection that had been dispersed in the Universe in him, and made him His pride and joy.

“That perfect entity had to be a living being since the most impeccable creation among every species in the universe is a living being. That being had to be a conscious being since a conscious being is the most glorious among every species. That entity that had no and will not have a replicate had to be a person since humans have the unlimited ability to advance among conscious beings.

“That human being had to be Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) since not a single historical account, from the beginning of Hazrat Adam till now, shows nor can show an individual who is similar to him; that remarkable individual has encompassed half of the Earth and one out of five types of people under his holy dominion, has continued to rule his dominion with his spiritual sultanate for 1350 years (now it has been 1,400 years), and has attained the authority of being the Ultimate Master.

“By uniting his friends and enemies, he attained the highest degree in good manners and challenged the entire world at the beginning of his prophethood. This individual, who has shown more than 100 million people the Quran (whose declaration leaves everyone weak) at every given minute, was without a doubt the most distinguished being among all creatures; it cannot be anyone else other than him.

“He is both the seed and fruit of this universe.” 

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: The Assignment of the Duty of the Prophethood and First Muslims

First Revelation is Sent Down

The 16th night of the month of Ramadan had passed.

The 17th of Ramadan was a Monday night.

The mount of Nour and everything around it was covered with a deep and significant quietness to be able to hear and listen to what would be said soon. Maybe, out of respect to the ones who would speak and listen to.

It was past midnight and almost dawn. The exceptional time when nightingales sing and roses give out pleasant scents with all their beauties. The extraordinary time when those who mention the names of Allah are enthused and attain endless pleasure!

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him), the angel of divine revelation, took the shape of a most beautiful human being and was quite delighted. The environment smelled wonderful. The manifestations of fear and hope, and excitement and peace were intertwined.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) was very joyful because he would meet the last Prophet, the Prophet of the prophets and he would talk face to face with the Sultan of Lawlaka, who would deserve the title, “the Beloved of Allah” with his belief, worship, contemplation, and struggle.

The expected moment finally came.

Gabriel (may Allah be pleased with him) appeared before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his human form, sending out divine radiance around in the dark night. He spoke to him in a loud but calming voice: “Read!”

The heart of the Master of the Universe was filled with wonder and fear. His heart shivered!

He answered: “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe gave the same answer, “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him for the second time and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe said, “I do not know how to read. Tell me! What shall I read?”

Thereupon, the angel recited the first verses of the Surah of Al-Alaq from the beginning to the end, which, through Allah Almighty’s ordering, he was in charge of conveying to the Prophet (pbuh):

“Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read: And your Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught (to write) with the pen, taught man what he knew not.” (Al-Alaq Surah, 96:1-5) 

The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was at the heights of excitement and amazement and recited what he heard word by word. The verses that came down became established both in his tongue and in his heart.

Gabriel, who fulfilled his task, disappeared suddenly.

“Cover Me!”

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) shook with awe and excitement at having received a Divine revelation, left the cave, and went straight towards Mecca.

He encountered many peculiarities on the road. The mountains, rocks, and trees greeted him by saying, “Assalamu Alaykum Ya Rasulullah” (May peace be with you, oh Messenger) and congratulated him on his exalted duty.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived home. He had lost his breath in the face of the magnificence of this situation.

All he could say to his faithful wife, Hazrat Khadija Kubra, who anxiously greeted him was, “Cover me! Cover me!” 

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who sought solitude at mount Hira was now in his home and was now alone with his thoughts.

He woke up a while later. Even if it was a very small amount, it was obvious that he had reached some level of comfort and peace. He narrated what had happened to Khadijah al-Kubra in detail and said,

“I am scared, O Khadijah! I am scared that I will be harmed!”

Those words of our Prophet definitely originated from his desire to feel safe regarding reaching eternal happiness and honorable duty.

Hazrat Khadija possessed eminent capabilities as well as a level of understanding and discernment that qualified her to be the first wife of the most esteemed Prophet, whom she fully trusted. She affirmed the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) wish about feeling safe with these words:

“There is no reason for you to feel any kind of fear or worry. Do not be sad, Allah will never embarrass a servant like you. I know that you always speak the truth. You perform duties that have been given to you and safeguard that which has been entrusted to you. You interact closely with your relatives. You treat your neighbors in a very kind and caring manner. You help the poor. You open your doors to strangers and entertain them as guests. You help the community during disasters and tribulations! Oh my Uncle’s Son, persevere. By Allah, I hope that you are this community’s prophet.” 

What did Waraqa say?

Doubtlessly, everything that had happened was not insignificant and did have some meaning.

It was up to Hazrat Khadija to learn by inquiring.

Whom could she go to? Who could understand these affairs? And whom could he trust in?

Hazrat Khadija thought for a long time and finally determined the person whom she would consult with: Her uncle’s son, Waraqa bin Nawfal.

Waraqa bin Nawfal was an elderly man and a Christian in the pure sense. His eyes could not see yet his heart was enlightened. He read the Bible and Torah and had learned many things from them both.

Without wasting time, Hazrat Khadija went to go see her uncle’s son with our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Waraqa first listened to our Master (PBUH). As our Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained what had happened to him, Waraqa’s face was changing color. When our Master (PBUH) finished speaking, Waraqa exclaimed: “Quddus! Quddus! The angel that you saw is the Holy Spirit, Namus al-Akbar, that the Exalted Lord sent to Prophet Musa. You are this nation’s Prophet. Ah! If only I were younger so that I could be with you when you invited the community to the truth. And if only I could live long enough to be of help when the tribe expelled you from your homeland.” 

These expressions comforted both Hazrat Khadija and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to some degree. However, there was one thing that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not understand: Why would the tribe expel him from his homeland?

Waraqa answered his question: “Yes, they are going to expel from you from here since whoever has received a revelation has been the recipient of hostility. If I am able to reach the day when you will invite the community to the truth then I will help you in every way I can.” 

Waraqa bin Nawfal was speaking the truth - a reality that had to be exposed…

After this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija left Waraqa bin Nawfal’s home.

REVELATION CEASES

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) faced an incident called “the Suspension of Revelation.” after a while. It was evident that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was greatly saddened and distressed by this break in the deliverance of revelation, an incident whose wisdom we cannot fully grasp and which has been more-or-so described in the following way: Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was so distressed that the earth was becoming too tight for him and he wanted to be saved from its restraint. During this time, either Jibril (Gabriel) or Israfil appeared to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for the purpose of consoling him. 

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was faced with sadness for an exact forty-day period. Since the world is a center that is composed of an indefinite number of Divine wisdom, everything that takes place within it undoubtedly has a purpose. Sometimes it is possible or impossible to catch the purpose behind these kinds of circumstances with the tiny measuring scales in our minds. However, not knowing their Divine wisdom and reasons is not by any means proof that they are without wisdom and reason. Above all, it is not possible for a duty like prophethood, in which everything has been specially programmed by the pen of wisdom, to be insignificant. For this reason, there were many pearls of wisdom and reasons behind the delay in the deliverance of revelation. However, we are not aware of them. There are many scholars who interpret this situation in various ways. Here is a summary of some of these views:

1) Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) greatly panicked in the face of the first revelation and the heaviness of the situation had jolted his soul. This incident occurred so that his soul could find some peace, be rested and prepared for the forthcoming revelations.

2) Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) was being prepared for the burdens and tribulations that he was about to face.

3) The deliverance of revelation was delayed so that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) could long more deeply for the next revelation. 

REVELATION RESUMES

After a hiatus of forty days, revelations were continued to be sent down to our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

He explains its resumption as follows:

“One day, while walking, I suddenly heard a sound in the sky. When I raised my head and looked at the sky, I saw the angel who came to me (Jibril, Gabriel) seated on a throne that was in between the ground and the sky. I shuddered and collapsed to the ground. I returned to my home and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” Upon this, Allah the Exalted sent down this revelation:

“O thou wrapped up (in a mantle)! Arise and deliver thy warning! And thy Lord do thou magnify! And thy garments keep free from stain! And all abomination shun!” From then on, the revelations began to come and there were no interruptions in between. 

The discomfort in our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) ceased when the revelation was continued to be sent down; his inner realm reached peace and tranquility. By appointing our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was adorned with perfection and moralistic beauties from head to toe, to prophethood, Allah elevated him to the position of being the most distinguished and eminent individual among human beings. Thus, an extant law of the universe meaning, “every species has a distinguished and superior constituent that is the pride and joy and source of admiration for its kind”, which also applies to the circle of humanity.

“One of the names of Allah among asma al-husna is the greatest; similarly, there needs to be a perfect man among Allah’s creatures; Allah gathered and assembled all kinds of perfection that had been dispersed in the Universe in him, and made him His pride and joy.

“That perfect entity had to be a living being since the most impeccable creation among every species in the universe is a living being. That being had to be a conscious being since a conscious being is the most glorious among every species. That entity that had no and will not have a replicate had to be a person since humans have the unlimited ability to advance among conscious beings.

“That human being had to be Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) since not a single historical account, from the beginning of Hazrat Adam till now, shows nor can show an individual who is similar to him; that remarkable individual has encompassed half of the Earth and one out of five types of people under his holy dominion, has continued to rule his dominion with his spiritual sultanate for 1350 years (now it has been 1,400 years), and has attained the authority of being the Ultimate Master.

“By uniting his friends and enemies, he attained the highest degree in good manners and challenged the entire world at the beginning of his prophethood. This individual, who has shown more than a 100 million people the Quran (whose declaration leaves everyone weak) at every given minute, was without a doubt the most distinguished being among all creatures; it cannot be anyone else other than him.

“He is both the seed and fruit of this universe.”