WARNING: SPOILERS
The Thieves' Guild is exactly as the name implies: a guild of thieves. It is called The Ragged Flagon and is based in the Ratways, a series of underground tunnels underneath the shady town of Riften. The leader of the guild is the guild master and is initially a man named Mercer Frey. While the guild technically conducts illegal operations, they are formally recognized throughout Tamriel and are considered a sort of "crime regulation," as they don't allow competition to occur. Also, as with any group of professionals, they have their own code to not rob each other or the poor or kill the ones they steal from. Despite all this, they still have a very powerful influence with the power to bribe guards and numerous contacts and black market dealers scattered across Tamriel.
The quest to join the Guild begins when you meet a man in the central marketplace named Brynjolf. He will ask you to steal a ring from one of the vendors, kept in a strongbox in his stall, and plant it on one of the other merchants while he creates a distraction. After completing his assignment, he will give you your reward of one hundred septims and instruct you to find him in the Ragged Flagon. Here, he will give you your next assignment: collect the debts that people in Riften owe the Guild through intimidation. Completing this task will gain entry into the Thieves Guild.
The next job you receive, given to you by the guild master himself, requires you to infiltrate an estate belonging to a former business partner of theirs and burn down three beehives. Then, sneakily make your way into the building itself and obtain the key to his safe and retrieve the bill of sale for the estate. Return to Brynjolf once this is done. He will tell you to find Maven Black-Briar, owner of the Black-Briar Meadery and long-time dealer with the Thieves Guild. You'll find that she wants her competitor, Honningbrew Meadery in Whiterun, put out of business. Talk to Maven's contact in the meadery who will inform you that the owner plans to hold a tasting for a person of high importance and poisoning the vats of mead will almost assuredly put her out of business. Report back to Maven and Brynjolf, telling you to speak to Mercer.
The guild master has found that the sigil on both the bill of sale and a note found in Honningbrew both belong to an old corroborator, an Argonian named Gulum-Ei. However, in order to get the information from him, you must steal a bottle of Firebrand Wine for him. He tells then you that a girl gave him a large sack of septims for the sale of the estate. Suspecting he knows more, you must follow him through a warren tunnels in Brinewater Grotto until you finally confront him for more information. He gives you the name of the one you seek; Karliah, the thief who murdered the guild master before Mercer, Gallus. Return to Mercer and tell of your findings, which Mercer will use as a basis to infer her location: Snow Veil Sanctum. You and Mercer will make your way through the labyrinthine ruin towards her location. Upon coming across a Nordic puzzle door, Mercer will open it by exploiting a weakness in it. Enter the door, upon which you will be shot with an arrow by Karliah. You will then witness a brief exchange between Mercer and the thief, after which Karliah will disappear. Mercer will then come up to you, vocalize a few parting words, then proceeds to stab you, causing you to black out. You will then awake outside of the ruin with Karliah in front of you. She will explain that the arrow was meant for Mercer, but instead was shot at you, tipped with a paralytic poison that slowed your heart rate and prevented bleed-out from the stab wound. She'll give you Gallus' encoded journal and direct you towards Enthir at the College of Winterhold to decode it.
Enthir identifies the text as the language of the Falmer, but isn't fluent in the language. He says you will have to seek Calcelmo in Markarth and acquire the key to the Dwemer museum and create a rubbing of the knowledge he will refuse to give you. After obtaining the rubbing, return to Enthir who, with Karliah in the room, will confirm that Mercer violated the sacred shrine to the Daedric prince Nocturnal known as the Twilight Sepulcher, something the Nighingales (sentinels of Nocturnal) are supposed to protect. In order to figure out what he's planning you must infiltrate his residence of Riftweald Manor, retrieve his plans, and return them to the Flagon's cistern where Karliah and Brynjolf await. The three of you will meet by the shadow stone in Riften, where Karliah will proceed to show you into the Nightingale Hall. You will obtain the armor of the Nightingales and proceed to the shrine in which Karliah will summon Nocturnal and induct you and Brynjolf into the Nightingales. This will prepare you for the ultimate challenge: killing Mercer Frey.
Before your expedition to Irkngthand, Brynjolf will inform you that Karliah has chosen you as the next guild master. Accept and listen to his instructions on following Mercer, who plans to make off with the Skeleton Key (Nocturnal's artifact) and steal the Eyes of the Falmer from the statue in the Dwarven ruin. You will face him in the sanctuary, where he will turn Brynjolf against Karliah for the entirety of the fight and will periodically turn invisible while fighting you. Kill him and take the Key and the Eyes off his body. The ceiling of the chamber will collapse, flooding the place with water. However, everyone is able to escape through an opening at the top of the chamber. Karliah will give you her bow as a reward and return to Nightingale Hall.
Your final test is to return the Key to the Ebonmere, a sort of portal to Nocturnal's realm of Evergloam. It resides within the Twilight Sepulcher, through which you will be put through a series of five tests. Upon entrance, you will meet with a sentinel, who reveals himself to be the spirit of Gallus. He will tell you to follow the Pilgrim's Path to reach the Ebonmere. The tests are as follows:
"Shadows of their former selves, sentinels of the dark. They wander ever more and deal swift death to defilers."
Sentinels will attack you if disturbed.
"Above all they stand, vigilance everlasting. Beholden to the murk yet contentious of the glow."
In a room with complete light and complete shadow, stay in the shadow at all costs. Light will damage your health while bathed in it.
"Offer what She desires most, but reject the material. For her greatest want is that which cannot be seen, felt or carried."
Extinguish the torches next to the statue of Nocturnal in the room.
"Direct and yet indirect. The path to salvation a route of cunning with fortune betraying the foolish."
You have one of two options: go down a hall with two dart traps, a pendulum trap, a spear trap and a battering ram trap or pick a master lock and face two sentinels beyond the door.
"The journey is complete, the Empress's embrace awaits the fallen. Hesitate not if you wish to gift her your eternal devotion."
Jump down the well and insert the Skeleton Key, which will give you access to the Ebonmere. Nocturnal will appear and "congatulate" you. Choose one of three gifts she grants you by standing on the corresponding platform.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
I Like Coffee (Snow Days)
A few weeks ago, our school had a snow day, ironically enough, a day before our winter break began. Now, I believe most people will agree with me that snow days are great. You don't have any school work to worry about, you don't even have to go to school, so you can sleep in late, and there are so many things that you can do on a snow day that are productive, fun, or relaxed. Here are a few things you can do to make your snow days more enjoyable:
Play out in the cold
While it may not always be advised, this is usually a great way to spend a snow day. Parents these days are always saying how important getting exercise and going outside is these days, why should a bunch of white fluffy stuff on the ground change that? Gather some friends and construct a snow fort, have a snowball fight, birth a snowman, create a snow angel, go crazy! If you get tired or too cold, go inside for a nice steaming cup of coffee to warm you up for another round of playtime.
Catch up on some reading
I'm not sure how many of you are big on reading books, but if you're not big on the cold weather or just don't feel like going outside, it's a pretty good idea to just sit down in your favorite spot, curl up into a warm blanket and read the day away. Maybe have a hot cup of coffee within arm's reach on a nearby coffee table.
Watch a good movie
This is also a good alternative to going outside if you're not too fond of the frigid winter temperatures. Sit back, relax and enjoy a flick, possibly with a friend or two. There are so many possibilities to choose from ranging from action to comedy to romance as well as so many options in each genre to choose from. Make some popcorn and couple it with some candy and soda and settle down for your feature presentation. And, of course, coffee is always an option.
Game the day away
Most guys will probably admit to this one. Hell, even I do this most of the time. Sit down at the computer, pop in your favorite game, be it strategy, first person shooter or role-playing, boot it up and game like the wind. Although, make sure that you have a steady supply of a quality drink at the ready, such as coffee, to stimulate the mind, enabling your ability to make better decisions.
Be creative
Lastly, one of the best ways to spend a day to yourself is to do something that unleashes your creativity to the fullest extent in your own way possible. If you're an artist, draw something that you enjoy drawing. If you're a science person, try a new experiment (just don't burn the house down). If you're into physics or inventing, try designing a rube goldberg machine and, if time allows it, craft it. If you like to write, create a story of epic proportions. Personally, I suggest doing these in a comfortable, creative environment with music in the background and a large mug of coffee at the ready.
WC: 537
Play out in the cold
While it may not always be advised, this is usually a great way to spend a snow day. Parents these days are always saying how important getting exercise and going outside is these days, why should a bunch of white fluffy stuff on the ground change that? Gather some friends and construct a snow fort, have a snowball fight, birth a snowman, create a snow angel, go crazy! If you get tired or too cold, go inside for a nice steaming cup of coffee to warm you up for another round of playtime.
Catch up on some reading
I'm not sure how many of you are big on reading books, but if you're not big on the cold weather or just don't feel like going outside, it's a pretty good idea to just sit down in your favorite spot, curl up into a warm blanket and read the day away. Maybe have a hot cup of coffee within arm's reach on a nearby coffee table.
Watch a good movie
This is also a good alternative to going outside if you're not too fond of the frigid winter temperatures. Sit back, relax and enjoy a flick, possibly with a friend or two. There are so many possibilities to choose from ranging from action to comedy to romance as well as so many options in each genre to choose from. Make some popcorn and couple it with some candy and soda and settle down for your feature presentation. And, of course, coffee is always an option.
Game the day away
Most guys will probably admit to this one. Hell, even I do this most of the time. Sit down at the computer, pop in your favorite game, be it strategy, first person shooter or role-playing, boot it up and game like the wind. Although, make sure that you have a steady supply of a quality drink at the ready, such as coffee, to stimulate the mind, enabling your ability to make better decisions.
Be creative
Lastly, one of the best ways to spend a day to yourself is to do something that unleashes your creativity to the fullest extent in your own way possible. If you're an artist, draw something that you enjoy drawing. If you're a science person, try a new experiment (just don't burn the house down). If you're into physics or inventing, try designing a rube goldberg machine and, if time allows it, craft it. If you like to write, create a story of epic proportions. Personally, I suggest doing these in a comfortable, creative environment with music in the background and a large mug of coffee at the ready.
WC: 537
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Don't Trust Ancano. Just Don't.
WARNING: SPOILERS
The College of Winterhold is the equivalent of the Mage's Guild in previous Elder Scrolls games. It resides in the city of Winterhold, most of which was destroyed in year 122 of the fourth era. The primary headquarters is the College itself, consisting of three parts. The main part is the Hall of the Elements, which also holds their vast library, called the Arcanaeum, and the arch-mage's quarters. The other two parts are known as the Hall of Attainment and the Hall of Countenance, both of which house the experienced and inexperienced alike. The College overlooks a vast expanse of frigid sea and icebergs termed the Sea of Ghosts. The head of the College is the arch-mage, a dark elf named Savos Aren. Although it is renowned for its extensive teaching of magic, it is often looked upon with scorn by the local Nords due to their natural distrust of magic.
To start the line of quests, you must travel to the snowy city of Winterhold and talk with the gatekeeper, a high elf named Faralda. She will ask you to cast a certain spell in order for you to cross the winding bridge to the College (note: if you don't have the spell she will sell it to you for 100 septims). When you arrive at the gate, you will receive a brief tour of the building and given a participatory lecture on how to effectively use magical wards. After your lesson, Tolfdir, a prime professor at the College, will tell you to meet him at the Nordic ruin of Saarthal. Once inside the ruin, Tolfdir will instruct you to help his student Arniel Gane find some artifacts, specifically an amulet that's required to press further into the tomb. An unexpected turn of events occurs when an ethereal figure of a member of ancient mages appears before you with a warning from his organization, the Psijic Order. Continuing down the path, you will come across a large orb, surrounded in a green aura. Tolfdir will tell you to inform the arch-mage of the artifact and to meet him down there. After talking to the arch-mage, he'll tell you to go to the Arcanaeum and talk to Urag gro-Shub.
Urag gro-Shub will tell you that he is currently out of all materials on what you'd like to research because a rogue mage named Orthorn stole them when he left the College. In order to get the three books, Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids and Fragment: On Artaeum, you must fight your way through a group of rogue mages in Fellglow Keep. The ritual chamber is the last room, where resides The Caller, the keeper of the books. At this point, You have three choices: fight her, persuade her, or give her Orthorn for them. Regardless of what you choose, return to Urag after obtaining the books.
You will then talk with Tolfdir in the Hall of the Elements, who will tell you of the Eye of Magnus, the artifact found underneath Saarthal. During his conversation with you, a Thalmor agent known as Ancano will interrupt, telling you that a mysterious has asked to see you in the arch-mage's quarters, another member of the Psijic Order. He will tell you to find the Augur of Dunlain, who is revealed to by in The Midden upon further investigation. The Augur, appearing as a large orb of light, will tell you that the Staff of Magnus is required to "prevent the tragedy that you are not yet aware of." You report back to the arch-mage and tell of your findings. After doing so, you will fight your way through the dwarven ruin Mzulft to the Oculory. The Oculory will show you a map to the staff, revealing its location to be in Labrynthian. You will once again report back to the arch-mage about your findings, only to find a disturbing sight. Ancano has created a ward keeping everone out of the Hall of the Elements and is seen casting spells at the Eye. You disable the ward with Mirabelle and Savos, after which Savos casts a spell at Ancano, you white out, and wake up outside the College with Mirabelle, the body of the arch-mage lying in the courtyard. She will tell you the town is being attacked by certain magical anomalies that must be destroyed. She will send you to Labrynthian to obtain the staff and finish this once and for all.
Upon arrival at Labrynthian, there will be six spectral figures outside, one of them revealed to be none other than a young Savos Aren. They'll begin to talk to one another and appear throughout the lengthy maze of Labrynthian. Also throughout the ruin, you will hear the voice Morokei, a powerful mage called a dragon priest who was trapped by two of the three surviving mages from the original expedition led by Savos. Upon reaching the final room, you must defeat the two mages still holding Morokei captive, as well as the keeper of the staff Morokei himself. After obtaining the Staff of Magnus, you must escape the ruin. However, Ancano has arranged a special surprise for you; a Thalmor agent named Estormo who was hired by Ancano to stop you from foiling his plans. Kill him and return to Tolfdir, who will tell inform you of Mirabelle's death and that Ancano is still causing trouble. He has apparently been drawing power from the Eye and is incapable of being harmed. In order to weaken him, you must seal the Eye by using the staff on it, thereby draining him of his powers and making him killable. Upon his death, you will talk with the same member of the Psijic Order as before, who will institute you as arch-mage and take the Eye into their own hands to safeguard.
WC: 975
The College of Winterhold is the equivalent of the Mage's Guild in previous Elder Scrolls games. It resides in the city of Winterhold, most of which was destroyed in year 122 of the fourth era. The primary headquarters is the College itself, consisting of three parts. The main part is the Hall of the Elements, which also holds their vast library, called the Arcanaeum, and the arch-mage's quarters. The other two parts are known as the Hall of Attainment and the Hall of Countenance, both of which house the experienced and inexperienced alike. The College overlooks a vast expanse of frigid sea and icebergs termed the Sea of Ghosts. The head of the College is the arch-mage, a dark elf named Savos Aren. Although it is renowned for its extensive teaching of magic, it is often looked upon with scorn by the local Nords due to their natural distrust of magic.
To start the line of quests, you must travel to the snowy city of Winterhold and talk with the gatekeeper, a high elf named Faralda. She will ask you to cast a certain spell in order for you to cross the winding bridge to the College (note: if you don't have the spell she will sell it to you for 100 septims). When you arrive at the gate, you will receive a brief tour of the building and given a participatory lecture on how to effectively use magical wards. After your lesson, Tolfdir, a prime professor at the College, will tell you to meet him at the Nordic ruin of Saarthal. Once inside the ruin, Tolfdir will instruct you to help his student Arniel Gane find some artifacts, specifically an amulet that's required to press further into the tomb. An unexpected turn of events occurs when an ethereal figure of a member of ancient mages appears before you with a warning from his organization, the Psijic Order. Continuing down the path, you will come across a large orb, surrounded in a green aura. Tolfdir will tell you to inform the arch-mage of the artifact and to meet him down there. After talking to the arch-mage, he'll tell you to go to the Arcanaeum and talk to Urag gro-Shub.
Urag gro-Shub will tell you that he is currently out of all materials on what you'd like to research because a rogue mage named Orthorn stole them when he left the College. In order to get the three books, Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids and Fragment: On Artaeum, you must fight your way through a group of rogue mages in Fellglow Keep. The ritual chamber is the last room, where resides The Caller, the keeper of the books. At this point, You have three choices: fight her, persuade her, or give her Orthorn for them. Regardless of what you choose, return to Urag after obtaining the books.
You will then talk with Tolfdir in the Hall of the Elements, who will tell you of the Eye of Magnus, the artifact found underneath Saarthal. During his conversation with you, a Thalmor agent known as Ancano will interrupt, telling you that a mysterious has asked to see you in the arch-mage's quarters, another member of the Psijic Order. He will tell you to find the Augur of Dunlain, who is revealed to by in The Midden upon further investigation. The Augur, appearing as a large orb of light, will tell you that the Staff of Magnus is required to "prevent the tragedy that you are not yet aware of." You report back to the arch-mage and tell of your findings. After doing so, you will fight your way through the dwarven ruin Mzulft to the Oculory. The Oculory will show you a map to the staff, revealing its location to be in Labrynthian. You will once again report back to the arch-mage about your findings, only to find a disturbing sight. Ancano has created a ward keeping everone out of the Hall of the Elements and is seen casting spells at the Eye. You disable the ward with Mirabelle and Savos, after which Savos casts a spell at Ancano, you white out, and wake up outside the College with Mirabelle, the body of the arch-mage lying in the courtyard. She will tell you the town is being attacked by certain magical anomalies that must be destroyed. She will send you to Labrynthian to obtain the staff and finish this once and for all.
Upon arrival at Labrynthian, there will be six spectral figures outside, one of them revealed to be none other than a young Savos Aren. They'll begin to talk to one another and appear throughout the lengthy maze of Labrynthian. Also throughout the ruin, you will hear the voice Morokei, a powerful mage called a dragon priest who was trapped by two of the three surviving mages from the original expedition led by Savos. Upon reaching the final room, you must defeat the two mages still holding Morokei captive, as well as the keeper of the staff Morokei himself. After obtaining the Staff of Magnus, you must escape the ruin. However, Ancano has arranged a special surprise for you; a Thalmor agent named Estormo who was hired by Ancano to stop you from foiling his plans. Kill him and return to Tolfdir, who will tell inform you of Mirabelle's death and that Ancano is still causing trouble. He has apparently been drawing power from the Eye and is incapable of being harmed. In order to weaken him, you must seal the Eye by using the staff on it, thereby draining him of his powers and making him killable. Upon his death, you will talk with the same member of the Psijic Order as before, who will institute you as arch-mage and take the Eye into their own hands to safeguard.
WC: 975
Ah, the Good Old Days
Many people may remember playing a game called Pokemon when they were younger. Heck, some of the people reading this post probably still play Pokemon. But there's a lot of things that most people don't know about the game. Of course everyone knows the basic game principles. Catch all the Pokemon, train them to evolution and defeat the gym leaders and evil organization. However, there are so many factors that go into a lot of aspects of the game. For example, one Pokemon named Wurmple will either evolve into one of two other Pokemon, Silcoon or Cascoon. Now most people think that which one it evolves into is based on the gender or nature of the Wurmple. I'm afraid it is a little more complicated than that, my friends. What actually determines the evolution is a set of four ten-digit binary codes that are randomly generated when you encounter them, making it already determined which one it will evolve into as soon as it is encountered.
Another thing that a lot of Pokemon players don't realize is that being able to catch a Pokemon isn't random in any sense at all. In fact, there's actually an equation that can be used to determine the chances of catching a Pokemon. Not only that, but the equation differs from generation to generation. For instance, in the first generation, the formula is Po+P1=probability of capture, where Po=statusAilment(twelve if burned, poisoned or paralyzed, twenty-five if asleep or frozen, zero otherwise) over ballMod+1(255 is Poke Ball, 200 if Great Ball, 150 otherwise) and P1=catchRate+1(depends on Pokemon)divided by ballMod+1 all multiplied by f+1 over 256 where f stands for 255 times max HP over ballFactor all divided by the current HP over 4. Confused yet? I figured as much. Generations 2-5 only get more complicated. So complicated, in fact, I won't even go into how convoluted it actually is.
While everyone who plays it would agree with me that Pokemon is a simple game in principle, the mechanics behind the actual game are quite the contrary.
WC: 340
Another thing that a lot of Pokemon players don't realize is that being able to catch a Pokemon isn't random in any sense at all. In fact, there's actually an equation that can be used to determine the chances of catching a Pokemon. Not only that, but the equation differs from generation to generation. For instance, in the first generation, the formula is Po+P1=probability of capture, where Po=statusAilment(twelve if burned, poisoned or paralyzed, twenty-five if asleep or frozen, zero otherwise) over ballMod+1(255 is Poke Ball, 200 if Great Ball, 150 otherwise) and P1=catchRate+1(depends on Pokemon)divided by ballMod+1 all multiplied by f+1 over 256 where f stands for 255 times max HP over ballFactor all divided by the current HP over 4. Confused yet? I figured as much. Generations 2-5 only get more complicated. So complicated, in fact, I won't even go into how convoluted it actually is.
While everyone who plays it would agree with me that Pokemon is a simple game in principle, the mechanics behind the actual game are quite the contrary.
WC: 340
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Tragedy in KC
Due to certain deer-related events, I regret to inform you that I haven't watched much football this week, aside from a fumble touchdown from the Redskins with a major win for them over the Giants. However, there is one thing that has been sparked that relates to football as well. As many of you have probably heard, especially those that are in AP Lang as well, have heard about the Jovan Belcher incident with the now former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker. There are several sides to this story, but not all the right ones are being told. Things are being left out and it's being turned into something that should be a complete non-issue. Because of this, I'd like to outline what's really happening with this story.
The first part of this that I'd like to address is one of the parts they continue to leave out in this "tragedy." Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a son. Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a daughter. Yes it is a tragedy that a child lost their mother and father. But do you want to know the real tragedy? That child will probably grow up not knowing that it was their own father that killed her mother, not to mention himself. Now, most people only focus on the fact that he committed suicide after telling his coaches he loved them, a real Hallmark moment for sure. But most people don't focus on the fact that he was, indeed, a murderer. That may be a bit of a harsh statement, but it is, in fact, the truth.
The second point is based out of something much more disturbing. Jason Whitlock, a sports writer for FOX News, wrote on the events of the incident, but amongst what seems like an innocent enough article used as an elegy to his death, it is anything but. About halfway through, he starts spouting out what can only be described as nonsensible rantings about how guns kill people and how they'd both be alive today had he not had one in his possession. First of all, the guy was two hundred and thirty pounds versus a girl that was probably a little more than half that weight. Anyone else notice the disparity of force there? If he was that intent on killing her, he could've snapped her in half like a twig. Secondly, the flaw with his stance on guns doesn't match up to any statistics in the U.S. or in any other nation. All states with the highest gun restrictions also have the most gun crime. You may ask, "Why?" Well, it's because the law-abiding citizens can't use their own guns for self defense whereas the criminals who don't care about the law are using their guns for crime. Do you know what happened in England? They banned guns and now gun crime has doubled within a matter of years. As if to add more injury to insult, murder with knives went up almost immediately after the gun ban, so they banned kitchen knives over a certain length.
The third and final point I'd like to make is that the incident has brought up an issue that shouldn't even require a debate. The second amendment ensures our right to own a firearm and use it in the case of an emergency. The fictional "gun culture" that Whitlock references in his article is anything but the true stance on guns of the general public. Fact of the matter is, you are more likely to survive or stop a crime if you are a private citizen with a firearm in your possession, while most of the gun violence that occurs is between gangs who really don't care for the law anyway. But a man like Whitlock would know all about that with convoluted conspiracies about the NRA being the next KKK.
With all the attention that he's been getting, I will say that the whole ordeal is a tragedy. But perhaps the bigger tragedy is the inattention to detail in almost every way in the mainstream media.
WC: 685
The first part of this that I'd like to address is one of the parts they continue to leave out in this "tragedy." Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a son. Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a daughter. Yes it is a tragedy that a child lost their mother and father. But do you want to know the real tragedy? That child will probably grow up not knowing that it was their own father that killed her mother, not to mention himself. Now, most people only focus on the fact that he committed suicide after telling his coaches he loved them, a real Hallmark moment for sure. But most people don't focus on the fact that he was, indeed, a murderer. That may be a bit of a harsh statement, but it is, in fact, the truth.
The second point is based out of something much more disturbing. Jason Whitlock, a sports writer for FOX News, wrote on the events of the incident, but amongst what seems like an innocent enough article used as an elegy to his death, it is anything but. About halfway through, he starts spouting out what can only be described as nonsensible rantings about how guns kill people and how they'd both be alive today had he not had one in his possession. First of all, the guy was two hundred and thirty pounds versus a girl that was probably a little more than half that weight. Anyone else notice the disparity of force there? If he was that intent on killing her, he could've snapped her in half like a twig. Secondly, the flaw with his stance on guns doesn't match up to any statistics in the U.S. or in any other nation. All states with the highest gun restrictions also have the most gun crime. You may ask, "Why?" Well, it's because the law-abiding citizens can't use their own guns for self defense whereas the criminals who don't care about the law are using their guns for crime. Do you know what happened in England? They banned guns and now gun crime has doubled within a matter of years. As if to add more injury to insult, murder with knives went up almost immediately after the gun ban, so they banned kitchen knives over a certain length.
The third and final point I'd like to make is that the incident has brought up an issue that shouldn't even require a debate. The second amendment ensures our right to own a firearm and use it in the case of an emergency. The fictional "gun culture" that Whitlock references in his article is anything but the true stance on guns of the general public. Fact of the matter is, you are more likely to survive or stop a crime if you are a private citizen with a firearm in your possession, while most of the gun violence that occurs is between gangs who really don't care for the law anyway. But a man like Whitlock would know all about that with convoluted conspiracies about the NRA being the next KKK.
With all the attention that he's been getting, I will say that the whole ordeal is a tragedy. But perhaps the bigger tragedy is the inattention to detail in almost every way in the mainstream media.
WC: 685
Saturday, December 8, 2012
The Silver Hand is a Band of Jerks
About a month ago, I started a series on a video game called Skyrim. I'd like to continue that line of work by explaining the different factions and the storyline that is followed in each one, as well as a brief explanation as to who they are and what they do.
WARNING: SPOILERS ARE PRESENT
The first faction you will encounter is a group of warriors and mercenaries known as The Companions. They reside in the city of Whiterun with a base of operations in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr. Outside and nearby are a training area with training dummies and an archery range and a legendary forge known as the Skyforge. Underneath the forge is a hidden cave only accessible to the elite members of the group called the Circle. They are headed by the Harbinger, however they only consider the very first, Ysgramor, to be formally recognized as such.
During the second quest of the main storyline, you may run across some warriors battling a giant and, depending on whether you help or not, they will treat you with some reverence or disdain. Regardless, they will tell you to find Jorrvaskr and talk to their leader if you wish to join. After talking to the leader, Kodlak Whitemane, he says you must prove yourself in battle by fighting one of the elites, Vilkas. Once proven, you must do something for the group to officially become a member, which may or may not consist of entering a Nordic ruin that may or may not contain undead and a somewhat dangerous group called the Silver Hand to claim a fragment of a Companions artifact (hint: you do and it does). After entering with Farkas, Vilkas' twin, you will soon find yourself trapped behind a cage set as a booby trap. While trapped, several members of the aforementioned Silver Hand come in to attack Farkas, when he surprises not only them, but you as well. His skin becomes furry and he becomes more lupine in appearance, literally becoming a wolf, standing upright, tearing the now identified werewolf hunting group to pieces. After releasing you from your prison, he informs you of the Circle's secret and moves forward to get the artifact, a fragment of the axe of Ysgramor named Wuuthrad. Once returning, the Circle will tell you to go to Eorlund Grey-Mane at the Skyforge for a specialized weapon and meet with Skjor at night outside of Jorrvaskr to enter the Underforge. When you walk in, you see Aela, the only female Circle member, in werewolf form and a pool of her blood in a fountain. They tell you to drink it, starting your transformation and sealing your spot in the Circle. The episode secedes as you wake up in a field with Aela, who then informs you to kill all Silver Hand members in the area of Gallows Rock, where Skjor has already entered and against Kodlak's wishes. You get to the final room where the leader, Krev the Skinner awaits with the body of a dead Skjor as well.
Upon your return to Jorrvaskr, Kodlak Whitemane will scold you for your actions the previous night, but has more purpose behind your meeting. He reveals how they originally contracted lycanthropy, a pact with the Glenmoril witches. Along with the gift, they were unaware of the hidden curse laid upon them. In addition, instead of going to the holy place of Sovngarde after death, their soul is doomed to roam the realm of the daedric prince Hircine for all eternity. For this reason, Kodlak requests of you to bring him the head of one of the witches, as only their magic can cure their infernal disease, and eradicate their entire existence altogether. Having collected your quarry and destroyed the coven, you return to the mead hall to find grim news. During your absence, Silver Hand members have ransacked the hall, killing Kodlak and stealing all pieces of Wuuthrad. You and your shield-brothers and shield-sisters decide to seek revenge by tracking down the Silver Hand at Driftshade Refuge, eliminating the werewolf-killing savages, and recovering the pilfered fragments before returning to Jorrvaskr. The group will then hold a funeral for Kodlak and request of you one last thing. You must travel to Ysgramor's resting place with the reforged Wuuthrad, venture through the maze of chambers and release Kodlak's spirit by wrestling with the feral spirit that lies within Kodlak's. Once you return, you will officially be inducted in as Harbinger of the Companions.
WC: 749
WARNING: SPOILERS ARE PRESENT
The first faction you will encounter is a group of warriors and mercenaries known as The Companions. They reside in the city of Whiterun with a base of operations in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr. Outside and nearby are a training area with training dummies and an archery range and a legendary forge known as the Skyforge. Underneath the forge is a hidden cave only accessible to the elite members of the group called the Circle. They are headed by the Harbinger, however they only consider the very first, Ysgramor, to be formally recognized as such.
During the second quest of the main storyline, you may run across some warriors battling a giant and, depending on whether you help or not, they will treat you with some reverence or disdain. Regardless, they will tell you to find Jorrvaskr and talk to their leader if you wish to join. After talking to the leader, Kodlak Whitemane, he says you must prove yourself in battle by fighting one of the elites, Vilkas. Once proven, you must do something for the group to officially become a member, which may or may not consist of entering a Nordic ruin that may or may not contain undead and a somewhat dangerous group called the Silver Hand to claim a fragment of a Companions artifact (hint: you do and it does). After entering with Farkas, Vilkas' twin, you will soon find yourself trapped behind a cage set as a booby trap. While trapped, several members of the aforementioned Silver Hand come in to attack Farkas, when he surprises not only them, but you as well. His skin becomes furry and he becomes more lupine in appearance, literally becoming a wolf, standing upright, tearing the now identified werewolf hunting group to pieces. After releasing you from your prison, he informs you of the Circle's secret and moves forward to get the artifact, a fragment of the axe of Ysgramor named Wuuthrad. Once returning, the Circle will tell you to go to Eorlund Grey-Mane at the Skyforge for a specialized weapon and meet with Skjor at night outside of Jorrvaskr to enter the Underforge. When you walk in, you see Aela, the only female Circle member, in werewolf form and a pool of her blood in a fountain. They tell you to drink it, starting your transformation and sealing your spot in the Circle. The episode secedes as you wake up in a field with Aela, who then informs you to kill all Silver Hand members in the area of Gallows Rock, where Skjor has already entered and against Kodlak's wishes. You get to the final room where the leader, Krev the Skinner awaits with the body of a dead Skjor as well.
Upon your return to Jorrvaskr, Kodlak Whitemane will scold you for your actions the previous night, but has more purpose behind your meeting. He reveals how they originally contracted lycanthropy, a pact with the Glenmoril witches. Along with the gift, they were unaware of the hidden curse laid upon them. In addition, instead of going to the holy place of Sovngarde after death, their soul is doomed to roam the realm of the daedric prince Hircine for all eternity. For this reason, Kodlak requests of you to bring him the head of one of the witches, as only their magic can cure their infernal disease, and eradicate their entire existence altogether. Having collected your quarry and destroyed the coven, you return to the mead hall to find grim news. During your absence, Silver Hand members have ransacked the hall, killing Kodlak and stealing all pieces of Wuuthrad. You and your shield-brothers and shield-sisters decide to seek revenge by tracking down the Silver Hand at Driftshade Refuge, eliminating the werewolf-killing savages, and recovering the pilfered fragments before returning to Jorrvaskr. The group will then hold a funeral for Kodlak and request of you one last thing. You must travel to Ysgramor's resting place with the reforged Wuuthrad, venture through the maze of chambers and release Kodlak's spirit by wrestling with the feral spirit that lies within Kodlak's. Once you return, you will officially be inducted in as Harbinger of the Companions.
WC: 749
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Chanting, Upsets and Surprises
Week twelve in NFL football has come and gone with some intriguing victories, putting some teams in the right positions and others forced into a difficult situation. We'll take a look at the scores of some of the games (specifically the Thursday night games), how they got that way, and what major plays contributed to teams' victories, or in some cases defeats.
Starting off the week were three games on Thanksgiving day, overall a very happy day in football for me. The first game was a match-up between the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions. What I thought wasn't going to be much of a game turned out to be a real stunner when the Lions scored the first touchdown of the game on their first possession, despite a sack from Houston defensive end and lead sacker J.J. Watt. From that point on the Texans, who has been one of my favorites for a few years now, were playing catch-up the entire time. The game took another exciting turn when Forsett of the Texans made an 81-yard touchdown. What makes this so special aside from the yardage? During the run, Forsett was actually down by contact , but the coach of Detroit illegally challenged the play, cancelling the booth review, resulting in a Texans touchdown and 15-yard addition to the distance of the extra point kick. The kick is good, setting the game at 24-21, Detroit in the third quarter. After the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime at 31-31. Three field goal attempts later, Shayne Graham of the Texans finally makes the winning score at 32 yards, bringing the Texans to a 10-1 season and the Lions to 4-7.
The very next game was another hell of a game with a great performance from Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. In the beginning of the second quarter, RGIII fakes a hand-off and makes a long pass to Robinson, resulting in a 68-yard touchdown. On the resulting possession for the Cowboys, Dez Bryant fumbles the ball, which is swiftly recovered by the Redskins and returned to midfield. The turnover ended in a touchdown by Washington for 14-3, Redskins. With less than 3 minutes left in the first half, RGIII throws another pass, this time to Garcon, who runs it into the end zone, out running both the players rushing after him. Redskins 21, Cowboys still 3. The ensuing Cowboys possession, veteran quarterback Tony Romo passes to Bryant, but is intercepted and eventually became a scoring drive for the Redskins, making it a 25 point game at the half. In the second half, the first Cowboys possession ends in a field goal, slightly lessening the gap between the two teams. Their following carry, Romo throws to Bryant, who runs it in for an 85-yard touchdown. In the beginning of the fourth quarter on a third and inches, a pass is made to DeAngelo Hall who rolls and runs backwards into the end zone with no one to cover him. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the young Redskins quarterback throws an interception, something that is few and far between for this player. Romo makes the touchdown pass and gets the two-point conversion, making it a one-score game. Each team kicks a field goal in the remaining time, ending the game at 38-31, Redskins. A critical win for them, they are now 5-6 to the Cowboys' matching season.
Surprisingly enough, the third game was as I expected: a complete massacre of the Jets by the Patriots. While the first quarter was completely uneventful, aside from an interception from Gregory of the Patriots, the second quarter was ablaze with one-sided activity. After a touchdown pass to Wes Welker, the Jets fumble twice (one of which quarterback Sanchez ran into his own guy) and score a touchdown on each one, racking up 21 points within a 53 second period. The first half ends 35-3, Patriots. The rest of the game was fairly uneventful as well, both teams scoring two touchdowns in addition to a Jets safety. Final score: 49-19, Patriots.
WC: 677
Starting off the week were three games on Thanksgiving day, overall a very happy day in football for me. The first game was a match-up between the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions. What I thought wasn't going to be much of a game turned out to be a real stunner when the Lions scored the first touchdown of the game on their first possession, despite a sack from Houston defensive end and lead sacker J.J. Watt. From that point on the Texans, who has been one of my favorites for a few years now, were playing catch-up the entire time. The game took another exciting turn when Forsett of the Texans made an 81-yard touchdown. What makes this so special aside from the yardage? During the run, Forsett was actually down by contact , but the coach of Detroit illegally challenged the play, cancelling the booth review, resulting in a Texans touchdown and 15-yard addition to the distance of the extra point kick. The kick is good, setting the game at 24-21, Detroit in the third quarter. After the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime at 31-31. Three field goal attempts later, Shayne Graham of the Texans finally makes the winning score at 32 yards, bringing the Texans to a 10-1 season and the Lions to 4-7.
The very next game was another hell of a game with a great performance from Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. In the beginning of the second quarter, RGIII fakes a hand-off and makes a long pass to Robinson, resulting in a 68-yard touchdown. On the resulting possession for the Cowboys, Dez Bryant fumbles the ball, which is swiftly recovered by the Redskins and returned to midfield. The turnover ended in a touchdown by Washington for 14-3, Redskins. With less than 3 minutes left in the first half, RGIII throws another pass, this time to Garcon, who runs it into the end zone, out running both the players rushing after him. Redskins 21, Cowboys still 3. The ensuing Cowboys possession, veteran quarterback Tony Romo passes to Bryant, but is intercepted and eventually became a scoring drive for the Redskins, making it a 25 point game at the half. In the second half, the first Cowboys possession ends in a field goal, slightly lessening the gap between the two teams. Their following carry, Romo throws to Bryant, who runs it in for an 85-yard touchdown. In the beginning of the fourth quarter on a third and inches, a pass is made to DeAngelo Hall who rolls and runs backwards into the end zone with no one to cover him. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the young Redskins quarterback throws an interception, something that is few and far between for this player. Romo makes the touchdown pass and gets the two-point conversion, making it a one-score game. Each team kicks a field goal in the remaining time, ending the game at 38-31, Redskins. A critical win for them, they are now 5-6 to the Cowboys' matching season.
Surprisingly enough, the third game was as I expected: a complete massacre of the Jets by the Patriots. While the first quarter was completely uneventful, aside from an interception from Gregory of the Patriots, the second quarter was ablaze with one-sided activity. After a touchdown pass to Wes Welker, the Jets fumble twice (one of which quarterback Sanchez ran into his own guy) and score a touchdown on each one, racking up 21 points within a 53 second period. The first half ends 35-3, Patriots. The rest of the game was fairly uneventful as well, both teams scoring two touchdowns in addition to a Jets safety. Final score: 49-19, Patriots.
WC: 677
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