#Also for the record I adore Ed with a beard and without

[shy-magpie]

RQG 146

[Author’s note: Sorry about the long break! I caught a bug and haven’t been able to edit for love or money. I have been writing the live blogs as the episodes come out but I suspect I will have to edit the stuffing out of them to get something that is both coherent and not twice as long as the show. Also I’m going to try to remember to toss a cut at the top of these things so it doesn’t take up so much of the dash etc.]

I love when they go auctioneer because they want to get to the content faster. Ooh reminder that the party have slightly conflicting goals. I almost spaced that Zolf's priority is the info to save the world while Cel is more narrowly focused on taking out the threat to their village. 

Final bets on whether: 1) the timelines are simultaneous 2) its the same room 3) who(or what) is in the chair ~Hamid time~ Another stealth check and I think Alex rolled something secret. I love these nerds, I don't think they even noticed they slipped into the more precise language of math to describe the place, always makes me feel trusted when people don't hide that kind of thing. Bulk head doors are a good sign. Alex might be trying to build up to it but Bryn wants to get a description of the figure in the chair as badly as we do if not more. Full blank-masked male, cables from the chair to the organ. Ben, sweetie, we aren't going to shoot-first-ask-questions-later, or even take that as your serious suggestion moments after you reminded us Zolf is aiming for capture. "Could be another one of the dead bodies" Pardon me while I glitch on the idea that it being another member of the doomed party is the only thing that I can't recall being proposed over the last week. Am I forgetting or did Figgis actually come up as a suggestion but not that? Alex adds a ladder, to save Hamid one of his last spells "Tension, tension, tension" I can't parse how many of them are chanting but who ever that is, know I adore you. I should be vibrating from stress and instead I'm grinning like a fool. Thats my boy! Hamid's spell slots might be running scary low but his mind is sharp as ever, he remembers his potions! Oh dangerous game, but the extra time invisible as he gets closer sounds worth it. Picked up a few things from Sasha. "Think" Alex is actively trolling. The lights are bad? You choose to do that, Alex, put away the "victim of circumstances" tone. Oh the organ! I needed a better description of that. Lydia might be the only one who loves this description more than me. A pipe organ that makes potions instead of music? Bryn has heard of one where each key is an alchemical symbol. I might need to hunt down art for that if its a known pathfinder thing. Hamid recognizes it but is the wrong school to understand this, both by training as a wizard and as sorcerer. The pipes are actually full of various fluids and powders. Yes Cel needs to see this. Thank you Helen! How much money has he spent on this? Where is he getting the money? I need that clipped! (tension chant evolved) Oh hell of a bet Hamid Sasha would be proud. The table is so proud of him. FTR I think that was Ben not Bryn saying "I stroke his cheek", because Bryn wouldn't risk Alex making that joke canon and using it to hurt Hamid. (naturally there was such no risk if Ben made that joke) Cable to the back of the neck, in clerical robes (crap I remember a “Shoin the healer painting”(?) but I thought he was an alchemist? Is this an assistant? Mini boss? Or is he multi classing), a party mask? Back to that theme. Its a prop corpse and its not the same room, I'm going to scream. Hamid don't you dare! Dollars to donuts its going to stand up and be some kind of creepy corpse robot Hamid waves Skraak in Speaker time, Shoin sounds worse maybe off script. ~~party time~~ Oh Cel has to lose most of the beast voice. Never mind! Smaller pencils acquired! I love this description even better the second time around. Oh bless Lydia for giving the fuller description. 55 HP! 14 Con! Comfort beard. Ooh Azu has a potion to make her even further stronger than Zolf. (iirc she had 1 point over him already) Yes he is in fact lawful evil and no he doesn't ever let them rest. Wise Cel/Lydia! I love Azu's auras! Aura of courage sounds especially useful. Yes yes Azu is good, brave, and resolute. Oh poor Zolf can't prep without either sleep or knowing for sure the fight is coming. Cel actually has 59 HP thank goodness! Another hall? Its circling the dome Hamid is in. It better be the same dome! I feel a bit like I'm betraying the party to enjoy the set design when the set is designed to kill them. They go as fast as they can while checking for traps. I refuse to parse that any other way. Oh poor Alex, we appreciate the set design even if the characters don't. Next door has a porthole to look through. Bless Helen/Azu for reminding them to check for traps. Cel can still disable it! It was a hand buzzer? Oh, to waste spells. Missed an in laid wood image of Shoin as a saint. This guy has too much ego and money. Anyone else thinking of that old joke where a guy has to become a monk to be allowed to find out what is behind a ridiculous number of doors and the punchline is you have to become a monk to find out what he saw? Ok it is a good thing its not the right door ~Hamid time~

Alex you troll! I refuse to concede we needed something to bleed to the stress levels. Shoin’s voice officially probably not a pre recording. I love Hamid! Hangs a handkerchief over the corpse's eyes. Poseidon? Couldn't be any god other than Zolf's ex? Ok doesn't seem in good enough shape to be a necrobot, but the organ might change that. Metal chairs sized for the party bolted to floor. I think Hamid is officially having fun not following Shoin's suggestion to sit at the table. Look at the leader in him collecting the paperwork Official connection between blue veins and the simulacrum! Also a spot for the power source Liliana was working on? Red string joke! ~break~ He Acid Blasts a speaker and it pisses Shoin off. Yeah "young man" was exact wrong thing to try. Were you trying to hit his daddy issues? I love one troll and 1 Kobold! Minion this! If Hamid speaks up? Shoin’s sense are fallible, might come up later Hamid is the best! Might die of being the best, but if he has to go its fingers up. Halfling, Dragon and troll, not a damn inch of leverage except what he gets Shoin to give him by refusing to follow orders. Pretending to attempt to comply is so much more frustrating (and better listening) than if he simply went "shan't". The party comes in! A swear! Not really another way to put it. The corpse explodes! Is Shoin the organ itself? A hug! A Cel & Hamid hug! Zolf backs Hamid's play, and  joins in Shoin baiting. Hamid hugs Azu and Zolf! Finally a proper Zolf hug! Cel finally gets to check out the organ. It prioritizes looks over efficiency and isn't just a potion maker. Some of it goes over Cel's head. Cel blocks the outlet. Lydia still thinks slightly sideways like me, and I love it. The cylinders are near boiling. Hamid orders Skraak to safety! Cel tries to hug Skraak, but Skraak doesn't recognize them. Poor brave little guy tried to attack before they can explain. Cel takes chatty!Skraak well and they have another little bonding growl exchange. They get ready to skip Shoin's game and go to the next room. Bad sounds. Fist sized drops of luminous green liquid from the top of the room that don't act right. Zolf attempts open the door to the next room, Hamid sprints towards it. Thank goodness someone wants to live. Natural 1? But its initiative, so that shouldn't hurt too badly right? Right? No effect thank goodness Homing blobs? I am torn exactly between that being cool and not something I want the party to deal with. How many fire balls does Hamid have left? I think Cel is out of bombs, and if we remember nothing else from Kew its that swarms require explosions. Zolf! Its the big brother of the buzzer door and is locked to boot. Azu attacks the goo nearest Zolf. Helen is too wound up to remember how to roll. Bryn and Ben couch her through it in that RQ way. Cleave! More blobs and the existing ones move towards people. Magic missile! 4 pews! 2 at the nearest to him, 2 at the one nearest Cel. I'd say squishy solidarity but Cel is pretty tough for once. Cel shoots the nearest 3? Then flies up 10 feet up and towards Skraak. Zolf blesses the party! Fair Alex! Not everything has to have a mechanical effect. Azu attacks again. It explodes, if Azu hits it it will die.  At least one person should be safe. Skraak! He froze! Worth a shot Ben You'll see? It tries to blob Skraak and isn't big enough to hurt them. Is Skraak safe from collateral damage? Hamid and Cel both protect Skraak. Hamid tells Skraak to use his spear, Skraak runs instead. Thank god he might not die trying to be a hero. Something drains into the pipe organ and the pipe organ attacks! OMG it is a 50ft tall brain soup drinking electric monster! Yes Ben! Perfect! Shoin Mr Ceiling-ed himself theory has player buy in! Bye! Also I will eat my hat if the drop blobs aren't able to merge into something more dangerous.

#Rusty Quill Gaming #RQG spoilers #live blog thingy #RQG season 4 #RQG 146

[the-record-newspaper]

My 20 years at The Record have seen many life changes

(Note: this column is the conclusion of the story of my 20 years at The Record and Thursday Printing.)

 By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

Much has happened in my life since I began working for The Record 20 years ago.

In my previous columns related to my two decades of work for the paper, I have mainly focused on the professional aspects of the passing of these years.

Personally, I have experienced some harsh losses, but, more than anything, I have received some of my life’s greatest blessings.

In 1999, when I came home from working at a daily newspaper in Sanford (just south of Raleigh), I was finally able to spend more time with my aging mother, Willa Mae Lankford, and my daughters, Jennifer (born in 1982) and Anna (born in 1988). Jennifer, Anna and me would go everywhere together – mostly concerts and other musical events and also theatrical productions – some of which we became part of as members of the cast and crew.

We had great fun at MerleFest, spending every available moment there we could. It was kind of like a family vacation for us. My friends there, mostly musicians, became their friends. I particularly remember Kurt and Maria Stadlin of Switzerland bringing them chocolate bars from their home country.

Anna was into music, like me, and we performed at many venues together. It was then I realized that playing music with one of your children creates a line of communication like no other that exists.

Jennifer’s talents have always been in the visual arts, which she apparently inherited from her grandfather, Sigurd Schmidt, a career artist. Jennifer has created some incredible works over the years, stuff I can’t even began to understand how she was able to accomplish. She even had a one-person show of her works sponsored by the Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes, which was held at Wilkesboro Town Hall.

My daughter Gabriella (Gabby), was born on Aug. 19, 2002. She has been a wonderful, sweet and smart child since she, as a baby, started showing the first faint signs of her angelic personality. This talented young lady held the record for many years as being the youngest singer to perform on The Sammy Lankford Stage at The Record Park. She was 4 years old.

Since that first appearance, Gabby has stood on that stage next to me countless times during various ChickenFest and Americana Day events. She has also appeared in many local stage productions in which she both sang and acted.

Gabby is beautiful, compassionate, thoughtful and brilliant. She has attended Wilkes Early College High School and graduates this May at age 16. She plans to follow in my sister, Ellen’s, footsteps and work as a laboratory scientist.

I know she will do well.

It was in February of 2009, when I experienced my greatest loss – the death of my mother, Willa Mae Lankford. She was 82.

I was so very lucky to be able to spend an enormous amount of time with her in the months prior to her passing. During that time I got to know my mother in much more than a maternal way – we became best friends. What I wouldn’t give to have five more minutes to talk with her, hear her voice and see her smile.

During my Momma’s time of sickness I learned much. Perhaps the most important thing she taught me is to pray. When I was struggling through this period, Ed McKinney, who was then pastor at my home church, Arbor Grove Methodist in Purlear, spent many hours with Momma and me. He and I also spent a lot of time talking, just the two of us.

A fledgling at prayer, I asked Ed one afternoon in the hospital canteen, “How exactly is the right way to pray?”

Ed smiled and simply said, “Paul said, ‘Pray without ceasing.’”

I’ve never forgotten that.

Then, in 2013, my life changed forever — I became grandfather to two adorable boys.

Sammie, Jennifer’s son (named after my father), was born on Jan. 24.

Charlie, Anna’s son, was born on June 19.

Don’t get me wrong. My daughters have made me extremely happy over the years – despite the fact that I spent half my life standing in the Barbie doll aisle at Walmart. But, those two little boys have taught me more about love than I could have received from any doctorate degree program.

And, now I get to buy toy trucks and cars, balls, army men, Nerf guns and the like.

I can just look at either one of those boys and cry tears of joys – like I often say, I’ve become an old woman in my later years. To quote a Goose Creek Symphony song, “I love them much more than minds could say.”

Now I must tell of one more huge loss – that is the death of my brother, Michael Grayden Lankford. I was just getting ready to leave work on Aug. 17, 2015, when my sister, Ellen, called me inconsolably upset. At the time Ellen and Mike lived together in Greensboro. She told me she found Mike dead in his chair. He was 63.

Mike was a good man. He worked hard his entire life, his last working years having been spent at Tyson Food’s Fabrication center where he was a welder among other things.

Mike was the kind of man who, like my daddy, Sammie Lankford, who died in 1977, could do anything — build an engine or a bridge, work endless hours and never complain. We had become very close since I had come back home from Sanford and went to work for The Record. He’d moved to Greensboro to watch over our sister. Really, they looked out for each other.

I was able to convince Ellen to move back to Wilkes after Mike’s passing. And Ellen, my dear sister, has been my guardian angel. She has literally saved this old boy’s life due to some health problems in recent months. And, as it turns out, we now live together. It’s a wonderful arrangement, at least from my standpoint.

Two other notable things have happened since Mike’s death. I have been able become closer to his daughter, Renee – Mike’s youngest, who is as sweet as can be but tough as nails. And Eva, his oldest daughter, has moved back to Wilkes.

Eva is yet another blessing and true angel on this Earth – never hesitating to help her old uncle in times of need or just call and check on me or come visit. I now consider Eva as being my fourth daughter. Sometimes I see her grin when she looks at me since I grew my beard.

“You just remind me of Daddy,” she says.

I’d be remiss not to mention the blessings of the many friendships I’ve acquired over the years, particularly that of my boss, Ken Welborn. At times, it seems, he’s the only person I have been able to turn to. And there have been many times over the years he could have turned his back, but he never has.

I’m mighty glad that I came to work for The Record. It’s good be here in Wilkes – where I was born and raised — where I belong.

I kind of started this series of columns about my time here with a quote from one of my favorite movies, the 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson. I’m going back to that source to close with, using the lyrics from one of the original songs in the movie:

 The way that you wander

Is the way that you choose,

The day that you tarry

Is the day that you lose.

Sunshine or thunder

A man will always wonder

Where the fair wind blows.

 I no longer feel the need to wander. And, as for where the fair wind blows, I don’t wonder, I know the answer – right here at home.