Westworld Vs. Flesh & The Fiends

* = Blogger was hatin' yesterday so I've had to go back in and add pictures today, sorry.  As for the pic, it just goes to show that our Careers In Evil Podcast is SO interesting even Business Cat wants 'In'....











I wrote this entire blog yesterday, it was morose, long, and rambling regarding how frustrating I find people. It went into my normal meandering dissertation on friendship/Friendship and why I struggle with it, as well as going after myself for all the crap that I don’t like about myself. It is par for the course by now. For some reason I like to re-hash this subject ad nausea. So I was moody, frustrated, and felt crappy yesterday.

In fact I was short with folks who I do like and care about because I felt miserable. I didn’t realize how bad I felt till we got in the car and Cassandra uttered the ‘you look terrible’ line. By the time we got home I realized how right she was. I felt horrible, and then had the seizure that had been waiting on deck for the entire day. It sucked.

However after it was over I felt a lot better. In fact today, mood wise, I feel pretty damn good. Physically I feel awful, but ‘them’s the brakes’. I felt so good last night I spent like an hour on the phone with David mocking his pain and suffering over ladies, and just generally being annoying. He laughed in-between his utterances of hate so it was ok. So I’m beginning to think these mood swings that I sometimes have that leave me feeling emotionally and mentally crappy might just be pre-cursors to a physical issue. Maybe this is my body dealing with the intense headaches that feel like someone is scooping out my brain through my right eye socket with a soup spoon. I get tired, irritable, sad, and apathetic because physically I’m on the verge of breaking down.

The seizures used to scare me, a lot in fact. What I’ve realized over time is that after getting through the physical exhaustion, soreness, and elastic limb feeling the 48 hours after I generally feel a lot better. It is sort of like the Phoenix, not Jean Grey, rising from the ashes. So today I’m tired, sore, and a little wobbly, but I’m also feeling much more my gregarious self. Go figure.

ANYWHO!

I finished reading Bruce Cordell’s first book in the Abolethic Sovereignty, Plague Of Spells (*** ½ out of 5).

I know what you’re going to say, “Ben you usually hate on books that start a series.” I know, and I usually do, but this one, this one was a damn fine adventure yarn told at a break neck pace. It grabbed my attention and I devoured it in a day. The book concentrates on the Forgotten Realms setting just after the horrors of the Spellplague. It follows a group of adventurers and one lost soul as they streak towards an artifact of untold power threatening to end the world. The Spellplague has decimated the Forgotten Realms and destroyed the ‘Weave’ that allows most magic users to cast effectively. In its wake we find a world that was once very metropolitan for a fantasy setting back more to a ‘Points Of Light’ world. The book follows the Fey Pact Warlock Japheth who is bound to the elder Fey Power known as The Lord Of Bats. He’s managed to trick The Lord Of Bats though and rather than serve he has trapped him and stolen a sliver of his power. At the same time Japheth is an addict. He’s become addicted to a substance called ‘Traveler’s Dust’ which opens the perceptions of the user, but slowly kills them leading them to have their soul ripped apart in the Abyss. Through his Pact he has been able to stave this off. The problem is that Japheth’s Pact is bound within a stone that has been stolen from him by the unscrupulous and power hungry merchant Behroun Marhana who has been using the very powerful Warlock as an emissary since the theft. Behroun’s sister Anusha has eyes for Japheth, but is a flighty, spoiled young woman who is naïve of the world. All this changes when she realizes she can walk like a ghost of thought when sleeping. She realizes just what a bastard her half-brother Behroun is and follows Japheth on a mission to make a deal with unknown powers. She stows away on the Green Siren, captained by Aulruick Thoster who is NOT what he seems. There along with the wizard Serene they come into contact with an outcast Kuo Toa Whip, which is a priestess, Nogah. Nogah had found an artifact from the Far Realm, a place of madness, which had called to her. This item was serving as conduit to the Eldest Aboleth in the Forgotten Realms rousing from its slumber, we’re talking ‘End Times’ type scenario here. On the other side of the world the monk Raidon Kane has just awoken from his imprisonment at the onset of the Spellplague to find the world far different, and everything he knew and loved is dead and gone, leaving his one remaining mission to destroy all Aberrants. This is the set-up, where it goes from there is really fun. All the characters are distinctly flawed, but not so mired down in it that they are unlikable. They also seem to be invested in the journey and no one seems too important to be killed. It lends the adventure some weight, as I’m just invested in each character enough to want to see what happens next. I’m intrigued by what the Abolethic Sovereignty actually is and what there end game is, that’s why I’m already half way through the next book! Cordell has crafted something accessible, fun, and pulpy here and I like it.

It was another week so we were greeted with another round of Shattered Star miniatures preview!

First up is the Medium Earth Elemental. What to say? Well I like the translucent green spikey things on the arms, and really an Elemental of any type is a nice ‘Go To’ monster for any campaign. The thing is this looks so, well plain. There is no discernible face, and I’m ok with that; however we do get eyes, so overall it’s just not to my personal taste in Elementals. In addition I’m not a fan of the ‘bursting from the ground' pose, so to me this is just a ‘PASS’.

Up next is the Large Earth Elemental. This is just more of the same in a lot of ways. It take the things that I don’t like and keeps them, but it also takes the things I did like and amps them up. In addition this time we get a face, a nice Ben Grimm like face that looks like it is super happy to smash you in the mush. Again though the ‘bursting through the ground’ pose just bugs me, but that is a very personal thing. Overall this mini is also a ‘PASS’.

Third up is the Large Glass Golem. I don’t think that I’d have ever thought to use this particular monster in an adventure prior to seeing this mini, now however it is on my ‘To Do’ list. The frosted glass look is outstanding! It gives the mini an unearthly glaze that could allow it to double as a Ghost or Ice Elemental. The pose helps as well; it has an anguished and ‘unfinished’ look. The arms bent into blades along with that haunted face is just outstanding. I really hope we eventually get some Medium sized versions of this beast so we can build an Encounter around it in an abandoned temple; this one is a ‘MUST BUY’.

Bringing up the rear this week is the Fire Giant. My heart is swooning. This is the perfect ‘Warrior’ to all the other Fire Giants I already own; in fact I hope it is a Common so I can get two to three of them. I like the bronzed armor, the cracked black skin, and that raging face calling out the PC’s DOOM! The mini is just full of character and I dig that. If I had to complain about anything it is the spikes on the shoulder pads. The only people who should EVER be allowed to do that are the Road Warriors, and Hawk is dead. Modern fantasy folks, less can be more, don’t fall victim to the ‘Grim Dark’ of Games Workshop, we do NOT need skulls and spikes everywhere to tell me something is E-V-I-L-! Otherwise this mini is fantastic and a ‘MUST BUY’!

I’m sure I had more to talk about, but I can’t for the life of me remember what that is, SO….

RANDOM CRAP!

- Since the CHIKARA & Painting Night I’ve got another ten to fifteen minis done. I’ve got another six or seven on the verge of being finished. I’m finding that retreating to the basement, throwing on some CHIKARA and just painting is sort of relaxing, its better when I have someone or someone’s to do this with, but even alone it isn’t bad. I’m almost through King Of Trios 2009, and it is fantastic! I need to make some steady progress before March and the MUTHA LOAD of minis arrives. Anyone know how to ‘Pin’ miniatures, I have some who need it and don’t know how to do it.
- It sounds as if there is going to be a once a month Doctor Who group that is starting from the beginning of the series. I am excited to be a part of it.
- On a side note it appears El Generico signed with WWE.

Good for him, I hope dude makes fat cash and is able to capitalize on how most of the other ‘King Of The Indies’ guys have hit it big, BUT WWE is known for ruining things more often than not. Either way I’ll always have his stints in CHIKARA to enjoy, OLE!
- Fuck you THQ! My WWE ’13 won’t work and that pisses me off. Release a patch you stupid bastards.

- I’ve got to find a way to distance myself from folks who just are able to pull at me in ways that I don’t like. I set myself up for these frustrations and stresses, I over invest and care WAY too much about stuff. To the point that it effects my health. It is so messed up, half the time I want to have ALL my friends/Friends over and hang out to the wee hours of the night, the rest of the time I want to hide out in a cave and never come out.
- Cassandra made Meatloaf last night that made my heart smile.
- Cusack-A-Thon on Friday night! I’m pumped to watch Better Off Dead.

I had more to say, but it escapes me today, I think I’m just too worn out post seizure. Maybe a night of board games and pizza with my wife will get the pep back in my step.

“Curse with me
Profane and discreet
Make her move
Cross veins and chamomile

Soft and sweet
Seasalt silver-meat
Buried deep
In crowskin overcoat

Save your breath
This may be the last
There is no novelty here on the earth

O'saviour!
Forever threadbare and faded
Drunken and arcane...
Curse the day

O'saviour!
There's rotgutted whiskey in ladies
For to ease the pain...
Or drown away

Save her!
You've crushed all the bones and the cradles
All along the way...
Along the way”

* = Dewey, whos is a Scientist & the #1 fan of the Careers In Evil Podcast (SHAMELESS PLUGS!), made this diagram to illustrate an e-mail conversation between himself, David, and myself.  It made me weep tears of joy.