#also we know the tomb was explored in july

[taomubiji]

The Structure of the DMBJ Xisha Archeological Team

Members: Zhang Qiling, Chen Wenjin, Wu Sanxing, Xie Lianhuan, Huo Ling, Li Sidi, Qi Yu, and four unnamed others.

I. Introduction

The Xisha Archeological Team was an archeological team that explored Wang Zanghai's underwater tomb in Xisha around 1985. You may recognize them as the young group that explored the underwater tomb in flashbacks in The Lost Tomb 2.

This post is based on the novels only and includes MAJOR SPOILERS from Volume 8. Ultimate Note does not cover fully what happened with this team and Sanshu lied. This post does not cover the team's entire history since it is quite complicated and long.

PLEASE let me know if something is incorrect or confusing. The structure of this team is extremely complex so I could have easily misstated something. I replicated the information from the wiki here in the hopes that more people can catch inaccuracies.

If you check out the wiki, let me know which photo of the team you think is better to use on the page.

Last edit made to fix inaccuracies: none

II. History

A. Beginnings

Even though the Xisha archeology team explored the underwater tomb around 1985, the composition of the group dates back to the 1976 Banai expedition to the Zhang Family Tomb.

In 1976, some members of the Mystic Nine's second generation (Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, etc.) went on an expedition to the Zhang Family Tomb in Banai. Besides Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling, it's not clear who all in the second generation of the Mystic Nine went. The team was organized by an unknown force, related to "It," to place a coffin in the tomb.

In 1978, the team found the place they were looking for and began their mission. While Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, and some unspecified others were exploring underground, Pan Ma killed the members of the team up top. When Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling returned aboveground, they found that Xie Jiuye's people had replaced their former team.

The real Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling secretly managed to escape and flee Banai, but it's not explained how they got away. The people that replaced the team were wearing face masks in order to create the illusion that the original team never died.

B. Formal Creation

(this is about to get very confusing, I'm so sorry)

The archeological team had been formally created in the early 1980s under a research institute in Changsha. It consisted of the members who were replaced in Banai. By this time, they had also created a fake Huo Ling and a fake Chen Wenjin who joined the team. (we are not told who else had duplicates walking around beside Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling.)

i. The Real Chen Wenjin and Huo Ling Join the Team

When the archaeological team was gathering its equipment in Xisha, the real Huo Ling and Chen Wenjin forged secret orders to send their doubles to Changbai Mountain. The real ones then mixed themselves into the Xisha archaeological team.

ii. Wu Sanxing Joins the Team

Chen Wenjin sought ought (actual) Wu Sanxing to gain his help and he joined the team.

iii. Zhang Qiling Joins the Team

Zhang Qiling was trapped in the Golmud Sanatorium but was transferred out by Xie Jiuye's insider. Zhang Qiling then joined the team.

iv. Li Sidi and Qi Yu Join the Team

We don't know when exactly Li Sidi and Qi Yu join the team. There are several theories, but we have very limited information about the two around this time. For example, we don't know if Li Sidi was even at Banai or, if he was, whether he was replaced. We also don't know if Qi Yu was at Banai but even if he was, he likely wasn't replaced. Either way, two people named Li Sidi and Qi Yu joined the Xisha team.

v. Xie Lianhuan Joins the Team

Xie Lianhuan, who succeeded his father (Xie Jiuye), made contact with Qiu Dekao/Hendry Cox. Hendry Cox gave Xie Lianhuan information about the Xisha tomb.

Xie Lianhuan thought something was wrong with the team and was puzzled by Wu Sanxing's appearance. So he started making plans to join the team and wanted to replace Wu Sanxing with a double.

In true DMBJ fashion, it's not clear at what point and to what capacity Xie Lianhuan joined the team. Chen Wenjin and Zhang Qiling have stated that he was originally part of the team. But on the way to the tomb, Xie Lianhuan took a boat in advance and followed the archeological team at a distance with the man who was ready to replace Wu Sanxing.

Despite the lack of clarity, it is confirmed that he was part of the Xisha team.

vi. Final Composition of the Team

The team that explored the underwater Xisha tomb included Wu Sanxing, Huo Ling, Xie Lianhuan, Chen Wenjin, Qi Yu, Zhang Qiling, Li Sidi, and four unnamed others.

It is confirmed that in the group, Wu Sanxing is from the Mystic Nine's Wu Family, Huo Ling is from the Huo Family, and Xie Lianhuan is from the Xie Family. 

Wu Xie suspects that Chen Wenjin is from the Chen family and that Qi Yu is from the Qi Family. Li Sidi (李四地) has the same last name as the Li Family, but Wu Xie never speculates that he's part of that family.

#dmbj #daomu biji #zhang qiling #xiaoge #chen wenjin #huo ling #qi yu #li sidi #wu sanxing #xie lianhuan #dmbj spoilers #also we know the tomb was explored in july #the journal on the ghost ship was gifted to cwj in july 1984 #so some people put the exploration in july 1984 #but volume 8 says around 1985 so i go with that bc it's vague lol #that journal gets contradicted later in the series bc it says wsx is the leader of the team but cwj says she was in graveyard of a queen #the journal gets contradicted in wu xie's private notes bc it said it belongs to wsx and also says totally different stuff #so i am suspicious of the journal #explanations #tmbj

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

John Linton Palmer, Views near Fort Victoria, June–July 1851, pen and ink, From Chile to the Arctic Album, F030/4 © RGS-IBG.

First plate, top: Esquimalt harbour, with Constance Cove, and Mt Angeles in the distance.

First plate, below: ‘Entrance to Victoria Fort’.

Second plate, above: ‘Fort Victoria, Vancouver I.’.

Second plate, below: ‘From landing place at Victoria Fort’ [original caption].

Third plate: Sketches of people and artefacts, Vancouver Island, June–July 1851. Fourth plate: Tomb of King Freezy’s brother at the entrance of Victoria Inlet, B. Columbia, 1851′.

"In considering such archival images as traces of encounter, contemporary historians would of course seek to adduce more evidence about the meanings of such events for the participants, in this case both British and Hawaiian, situating these events in their time and place. From this perspective, the rituals of diplomacy, the expectations of the various parties, the knowing and unknowing ways in which these events were described, would all need to be investigated. The same is true of the many other examples of the art of encounter in Linton Palmer’s albums. From an art historical perspective, such imagery would also need to be carefully contextualized with reference to matters of style, genre and perspective. In many cases, as I have argued, the influence of the naval tradition of maritime view-making is clear. However, there is another way of seeing these visual archives, especially when encountered from a heritage perspective, in which the informational content – the documentary detail – may matter even more than the point of view.

In order to substantiate this final point, we should return to Linton Palmer’s Fort Victoria sketches. Fleeting views they may have been, but in their attention to detail – whether the rendering of the hair and adornments of the people he encountered, or the material evidence of Indigenous presence in the landscape – such pencil sketches by naval visitors sometimes record what other contemporary documents do not, and in ways that can be located precisely in space and time. The matt lodges around the Fort, the cedar plank houses across the harbour, a fishing station in the distance: all these features signal an active Indigenous presence at a particular moment preceding a disastrous era in the history of the Indigenous people of what became British Columbia. Since they were first made available to First Nations historians following their exhibition in a 2009 RGS-IBG exhibition (Hidden Histories of Exploration), Linton Palmer’s images have entered the visual archive of Indigenous history and made more widely available in digital form. In particular, they have been incorporated into understandings of local settlement history by Grant Keddie, a curator at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. As Keddie’s work indicates, there is an ‘archaeological’ way of reading such documents, cross-referencing with other sources of evidence about the precise geography and chronology of landscape change. As is clear from the contemporary significance of the Indigenous sites sketched by Linton Palmer, such work is far from merely of academic interest. In 2001, 150 years after the brief visit of HMS Portland to Fort Victoria, a claim was filed in Canadian courts asserting that the land on which the Parliament of British Columbia was built (near the original Fort) had originally been occupied by or promised to First Nations peoples. After a long and contested legal process, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation eventually reached an out of court settlement with the representatives of the Esquimalt and Songhees nations, which has been valued at $31.5 million dollars. In this context, mapping the precise geography of Indigenous settlement in space and time mattered a great deal: in fact it truly was the multi-million dollar question. And in the process, as researchers and consultants pored over long forgotten maps and drawings not unlike Linton Palmer’s sketches, the visual archive of travel acquired a new value." - Felix Driver, "Material memories of travel: the albums of a Victorian naval surgeon." Journal of Historical Geography 69 (2020): 53-54

#linton palmer #historical geography #art album #royal navy #vancouver island #victoria #settler colonialism in canada #settler colonialism #indigenous land claims #indigenous history #british empire #canadian history #academic quote #first nations #indigenous people #british columbia history

[utilitycaster]

I agree with you that the traitor Baru Cormorant was not quite what I hoped for. what are other political scifi books you would recommend?

I'm going to be repeating myself a bit here because I'm working on building up my reading habits after grad school+pandemic and new job shot them to hell, but:

Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota. I've read the first 3 books but my hold on the 4th came in during my work conference/moving hell period this July and I didn't finish it, but it's incredibly good. Ada Palmer is a historian herself and understands how politics work. It takes place on earth, about 500 years in the future, as war breaks out in what was never truly a utopian society.

The Vorkosigan Saga, again; truly a beloved series of mine, this has everything: interplanetary politics, military sf, a comedy of manners, spy intrigue, romance. The core family of the books is among planetary nobility so there's always a lot of politicking involved, even in the more classically military SF novels (but also military SF that doesn't suck is usually heavy on the politics).

Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee, a new favorite I picked up by chance this year. It's very much a series that throws you in the deep end and expects you to figure it out but it's truly just nonstop intrigue peppered by a cool sf system and a lot of Thoughts About Gender/The Body One Has.

Thessaly by Jo Walton is another series I've only read part of (the first two books of a trilogy) and the first two books are only vaguely SF but it is very political, based on the premise of "what if we made Plato's Republic from people across the entirety of human history". The third book, which I hope to get around to shortly, is from what I understand much more explicitly SF.

Also some honorable mentions to:

Becky Chambers' books are much more about life in space, but there are political elements, and if Baru Cormorant left you a bit cold because of the lack of investment into deep character dives, this is all character and background politics.

Technically, The Locked Tomb series is intensely political and one day I shall kneecap whoever was like 'what if we just yelled Lesbian Necromancers In Space nonstop and alienated readers who were looking for something deeper.' The politics really kick in during the second and third books, and the fourth isn't out, and there's a whole lot of other stuff going on, but the politics are intensely important and in my opinion an under-explored part of the series in fandom.

It's been a LONG time since I read Asimov's Foundation (like...15 years or something, I read it in high school) but I remember really liking it and meaning to revisit it some day. I feel like it's going to hit some of the same themes as Baru Cormorant but just...as I said, I'm interested enough to read more to know what happens, but Dickinson's writing style is a little too spare in a way I'm not sure is entirely deliberate, and Asimov is spare in a way I know is on purpose.

Also, it's technically fantasy, but I have just read the first two books of the Kushiel's Legacy Phedre trilogy and am waiting to get a copy of the third from my library, and they are very political intrigue heavy, while also having a much stronger literary style and voice. (Note: this series is 1. very sexually explicit, by design of the world and concept - basically, what if instead of Christianity a bunch of angels who were like 'you know Take Me to Church by Hozier? what if that was literally how worship worked' landed in Fantasy Medieval France and now it's the Fantasy Renaissance Era, and 2. extremely from the early 2000s, which is to say, very progressive for like 2001 but somewhat dated now.)

#answered #Anonymous #book recs #did i originally write asimov w/two a's like it was aasimar? who's to say. #also. i am a known hater of Dune. do not put dune on this post. I'm glad you like it but i never did and i apologize for nothing

[saladbroth]

this is seriously the weirdest fandom i have been in. bobby is not a good person in canon jatp? like why are you fighting people who don’t like him? people can dislike who they want to without attacking them

hi! first of all, i am not attacking anyone and attacking people is not my intention, and i’m sorry if it came off that way, i simply shared my opinion on bobby.

second of all, we don’t actually know bobby is not a good person? we see him in two scenes as bobby, and not many more as trevor, and in neither scene is he protrayed as a bad person or shows signs of being one.  canonically, bobby was close enough to the boys to play unsaid emily with him, and he didn’t “steal” all the songs either because a) he’s the sole owner of sunset curve’s music after the boys died and b) bright, finally free and the start of edge of great was not on his albums. i know many people think of him as a bad person because as we see it, he didn’t give credit to sunset curve, but we only know of him through julie’s perspective and i highly doubt this man who’s traumatized enough to have an on-call therapist 25 years after the fact, would tell his daughter or her best friend about that stuff. i do believe trevor made some bad choices, and yes, the boys’ anger at him is justified but also they’re traumatized from dying and haven’t had the chance to work through that yet. it’s a shitty situation for everybody, but i personally don’t think jumping to conclusions about trevor/bobby and hating him as much as he is hated is the right thing to do.

for further exploration of that, i can strongly recommend this essay by @a-tomb-with-a-view

now. i’m not fighting people who don’t like him. people are allowed to dislike bobby, and while i don’t personally don’t understand that, they can do whatever they want. my post came from people demonizing him, and painting a 17 year old who loses his best friends and bandmates as a murdered and killer and from the massive amounts of unproportional hate bobby gets as a character. people are allowed to dislike characters, and if you simply dislike bobby because he’s not a vibe or you just do - that’s totally fine by me.  but i’m not gonna sit here and watch people say he’s a killer/ he was jealous/ he planned this/ he wanted this, because it’s obvious trevor still struggles with the boys’ deaths and there is literally no basis for these claims, except for three nearly dead 17 year olds who get caught up in their feelings. 

for the attacking part - i wasn’t attacking anyone. i’m genuinely curious as to who i supposedly attacked with my post. i don’t hate people who dislike bobby, i just very much don’t like people in this fandom demonizing him on no solid basis.

if this is about the race thing, which i’ve seen people take issue with: i’m not saying everybody who dislikes bobby is racist, because that’s bullshit. characters can be disliked regardless of skin colour or ethnicity.  but this fandom has a track record of disliking and dismissing characters of colour (willie, julie, flynn) and thus it seems a bit suspect when a character who, in his younger version, is played by a man of colour, gets demonized and hated on disproportionally to the (white) actual villain of the show. it just seems suspect and i simply pointed that out. if you feel attacked by that, then i suggest not blaming me, but rather examining your own behaviours and biases, because you probably aren’t a horribly racist person, but white people have internalized biases and need to work against that, even if it is uncomfortable, and i’m not saying this to attack anyone, but that kind of thing can influence how we think about people and characters.

my intention was never to attack anyone, and i don’t have issues with people who dislike bobby. my issues lie with demonizing a character we know very little about, and basing that hate on points that can be disproven fairly easily. that is all.

#jatp #bobby wilson #trevor wilson #sunset curve #long post #alex mercer #reggie peters #luke patterson #julie and the phantoms #julie and the himbos #we answering asks #pls y'all i have anxiety just don't demonize him and we're gucci

[zalrb]

Do you ever wonder how tvd may have looked or developed if Kevin hadn’t left at some point in season 3(I believe his only writing credit was for the first episode)? I feel like even in season 3 the show was still building. Just overall s1 had the distinct dark aesthetic with decent world building as it found footing, s2 was a little more established and developed but polished, s3 expanded the world while bringing back some of the dark vampyness.... and then *disaster*. I guess I just wonder if we could have gotten more witch/vampire/werewolf and angst and darkness(especially since Kevin has spoken about SE, and wanting Bonnie to finally master who she is in the finale, as if he had ideas of plot points to hit and end with). I feel like the universe expanded but Kevin would have dug deeper and tvd may have had more to give and build story wise. I often feel like we got half of what the story of the show was meant to be if that makes sense? And I know you talk about ending theories and such which made me think of this, but I just mean even season 4 with Katherine or even Damon, and the love triangle, and the originals, and KC/TC, SE, vampire Elena, and the supernatural lore in general...I feel there was room to grow and I wonder what that may have looked like with Kevin? I hope this makes sense as an ask (pulled a finals season all-nighter) and not just a ramble statement. 😅

Early seasons TVD were definitely the superior seasons of TVD and that’s a direct result of KW’s involvement but to be honest with you, the world building in seasons 1 and 2 are still incredibly superficial. There is a lot that KW and co started in those seasons that don’t get properly established:

when Stefan talks about desiccation as a form of punishment he mentions that it’s an ancient way, there could’ve been a lot more rules and history to vampirism

“I thought vampires were supposed to hate werewolves” “That’s a leftover idea from another time” except, like, Stefan you and Damon didn’t know werewolves existed until 9 episodes ago so this whole idea of a legacy of hatred that they want to escape feels ridiculous because it’s not like they became vampires understanding that they were supposed to hate werewolves, we’ve seen nothing that suggests that werewolves and vampires hate each other in the series except for the fact that the Lockwoods were minding their own business and Damon was Damon and started something. It’s not even like Jules came to town explaining the history of vampires and werewolves and why they hate each other or showing them like a member who was maimed because of a vampire. In Being Human, vampires legit call werewolves lesser beings.

I’m always kind of “ehhh” about TVD and humanity because it’s applied inconsistently and it’s characterized inconsistently because they conflate humanity with emotion

but this isn’t actually true, Damon spent over 100 years pining over Katherine and waiting for a comet to release her from the tomb, that’s feeling something. And in season 5 they retconned that he flipped his switch after leaving Enzo to burn and didn’t get a flicker of “humanity” until he saw Lexi in episode 8, which is why he killed her, which means without his humanity he was still in love with Katherine. That directly contradicts the above statement, then he goes on to say this:

which isn’t the same thing as having an instinct not to feel, it’s having no conscience or no sense of morality so that if you do something terrible you don’t care about the consequences.

And there are just questions like why exactly wouldn’t the council indoctrinate their children into hating vampires the way they did, what’s the point of having journals if they’re not going to be a part of your familial heritage, why would you start getting them ready at 16/17? In Ready Or Not (which is a great and fun horror movie) the children get involved in the hunt

The tomb vampires come back to get revenge on the descendants of the people who had tried to kill them but to be quite honest, with the exception of Stefan, Lexi and Pearl, vampires as threats is something that is frankly reasonable when we see what carnage they pile up so we need to see in a different way how fucked up it was that the council did that, like I’ve always said, have vampires be pillars of the town, have them be accepted and admired and then the town just turns on them and it’s vicious and cruel, like Kevin spoke about this stain on the town and on their history, this bloody, violent past and he doesn’t really do much with that and also that’s just a euphemism for enslavement when enslavement had already happened but anyway, so I suppose my point would be that things would be explored with Kevin deeper than they had been with Julie at the helm but I wouldn’t expect depth on its own.

[vamonumentlandscape]

Mount Vernon and Charlottesville (again)

Josh’s Perspective:

I have fond memories of going to Mount Vernon when I was about five years old. I remember it was a chilly autumn night, so there was seasonal hot apple cider available. It was delicious! I do not remember much else though, not even the house tour. The visit during our research would allow me to get a better understanding of what the site continues to maintain about America’s first president. I joined Tomi and Dr. Sherayko in starting with the gift shop before heading up to the museum and mansion only to find many massive school groups gathered. Such a sight would have been unthinkable a few months ago, but it is great to see that people of all ages are getting to go out again. Tomi purchased a few items, but I decided to browse. It was enlightening to see books about Ona (Oney) Judge and other enslaved persons owned by the Washington family alongside material about the founding fathers.

When we entered the museum, we decided to start with the exhibit titled Lives Bound Together: Slavery at Washington’s Mount Vernon. Seeing this felt especially appropriate since we visited on Juneteenth, which celebrates the effective end to American slavery two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The initial film that we watched set the tone for an honest presentation of George and Martha Washington as slave owners. The inclusion of voices from descendants of the enslaved is an indispensable element of the exhibit as they can tell the story of their ancestors better than any historian can. The material culture presented throughout the dim display cases provides visitors an opportunity to see what life was like for the enslaved community of Mount Vernon. There were a few things that did not seem right to me. At every turn, excuses were floated out for Washington. Yes, he expressed concern for the continuation of chattel slavery in the young nation, but he and his family were still slave owners for his entire life. When one of the panels mentioned that Washington only punished the enslaved when necessary, I got frustrated. Just because punishments were used occasionally does not mean he was good to the enslaved. There is no such thing as a good slave owner. George Washington only freed the enslaved persons that he owned upon his death when he did not need them anymore. For someone that our country holds in such high esteem, Washington was still a slave owner. That is an undeniable fact. I appreciated the narratives presented for famous members of the enslaved community at Mount Vernon, such as Ona Judge, Frank Lee, and Hercules. Their stories matter just as much, if not more, than the people that owned them.

After walking through the next exhibit in the Education Center, which was just a shrine to Washington’s military and political career (including a 4-D film experience), we were all unsettled with what Mount Vernon was doing. Monticello had done a much better job in presenting the full history, flaws and accomplishments, of Thomas Jefferson. We headed down towards the tomb of George Washington and the burial ground for the enslaved. I was glad to see that many people gathered around in the area of the enslaved burial ground. The memorial is located around a marker that was placed in 1929 by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Since the language was a bit outdated, a new memorial was placed in 1983. It was designed by students of Howard University. So many stories are unknown about the many people buried in this place, and I wish we could know more. Some laminated cards seemed to be out only for Juneteenth informing visitors about a few of the enslaved, but there needs to be a more permanent piece of signage to respect the memory of all. I did appreciate the member of Mount Vernon’s staff playing solemn music on a fife as we paid our respects.

To conclude our visit, we headed back up to the mansion and saw some of the livestock that Mount Vernon cares for along the way. The wait to get inside for the tour took a little longer than any of us were expecting, but we rushed through as soon as we got inside. Some interpreters seemed a bit more knowledgeable than others and the experience was less than satisfactory. There was no real critique of the Washington’s when we were inside the mansion, which needs significant revision. I am not saying that George Washington is on the same level as Jefferson Davis and that we need to remove all statues that were put up in his memory, but we do need to be honest with ourselves. Washington was a man with flaws and his seemingly pristine legacy at Mount Vernon should be complicated. The private organization that owns and interprets the property can do a better job to ensure that everyone can see themselves equally. This may come with serious actions to increase diversity in staff and those that visit.

Though we were all fatigued after the day at Mount Vernon, we made a final stop in Charlottesville before returning to Lynchburg. The George Rogers Clark statue near the University of Virginia is slated to come down later this Summer. The reasoning behind this decision is the depiction of Native Americans. When we saw it in person, I was horrified to see the Native Americans being shown to be subservient and cowering in fear to the explorer on horseback. Colonization had disastrous effects on Native Americans throughout the North American continent. A negative presentation of any tribe or nation does nothing to help the survival of their culture. The University is making the right decision in taking the statue down and discussing a replacement to best honor the culture of the original inhabitants of North America. I am confident that UVA will do the right thing to show that Native Americans anywhere are not cowardly and disappearing people. That kind of monument and education is essential, especially for Virginia groups like the Monacan Indian Nation.

Tomi’s Perspective:

As with most of the sites we have visited, I had not been to Mount Vernon before. I was looking forward to seeing the historic home and museum dedicated to our first president. We entered the gift shop first since we were a little early getting to the site. I picked up quite a few things as I was very impressed with the wide selection of items. My excitement grew after shopping. We walked on a short path to the visitors center and even saw a very cute ram on the way. The funniest part about the whole day was that this little ram would end up being our favorite part of Mount Vernon. The visitors center was packed with guests eager to learn. The staff was kind and pointed us to the maps and audio tour devices. The maps were in a wide array of languages, making the park accessible to a diverse group of visitors. Since I am learning German in the fall and Dr. Sherayko speaks the language, we both picked up one of the German maps for fun. As we were looking where to go, the beginning of our misgivings with Mount Vernon began. The map was not very well done and I got extremely frustrated with this as it was not to scale. Josh and Dr. Sherayko both thought my map frustrations were funny, but by the end of the day we were all feeling that way towards Mount Vernon.

After deciphering the ultra confusing map, we ended up at the museum. We were all very excited to see the Lives Bound Together exhibit on Washington and the enslaved. This exhibit was a breakthrough for the organization as it came out in 2016. It was only supposed to last one year, but the foundation got grants for it to spend extra time in the museum. Once the pandemic hit, the exhibit was extended again. It will finally go on as a travelling exhibit after July 11, 2021. As soon as you walk in you are faced with large panels in a circular room with Washington’s bust in the middle. All of the panels detail the “complex and painful” story of slavery at Mount Vernon. Each of them was honest and told truths about Washington’s slaveholding that had not been shared so explicitly before. One of the hardest hitting facts was that there were over 500 enslaved people at Mount Vernon over Washington’s lifetime. In the beginning here, we noted that it also said he freed his 123 slaves in his will and that he was the only founding father to do so. Though this is true, this fact was unpacked a little more as we went through. The exhibit itself was long and had a lot of reading. This one exhibit was in a space the size of the Tredegar Civil War Museum’s exhibition room. For us, having seen so many different sites over the past few weeks, we know that to truly grasp your typical tourist an exhibit cannot be so long winded. Of course Josh, Dr. Sherayko, and I analyzed the panels as best we could, but even to us it began to be saturated. The worst part was that there was a lot of repetition. It seemed every panel restated something else in different words. Remember back to the fact I shared earlier: Washington freed his 123 slaves in his will and was the only founding father to do so. As we entered the third room, there was yet another panel on the wall about this, but this time there was more to this fact in smaller print than before. Yes, Washington did free his slaves in his will, the ones that he owned himself, but not after his death. In his will his slaves were to be freed at the time of Martha Washington’s death. Mind you, not only did Martha own slaves, but she had over 30 enslaved people she had inherited from her family. Martha owned 153 slaves when Washington died. Why was this mentioned in small print? Just as Josh mentioned our concerns over the extended praise the exhibit was giving to Washington, this was another part that did not sit well with the group. The long, repetitive, overly praising, and not so clear Lives Bound Together exhibit was overall very disappointing. It is wonderful they are talking about the lives of the enslaved and including descendants, but we all feel like the exhibit could have been much better.

After experiencing Lives Bound Together, we went to the other part of the museum entirely devoted to Washington. Sadly, it was hard for me to enjoy the very patriotic exhibits to Washington. I do believe that we can look at the legacies of our founding fathers and be proud of their brilliance in creating the United States. But, it was very hard for me to do so when there isn’t complete honesty about their slaveholding pasts. When comparing the honesty of Monticello and Montpelier, Mount Vernon was subpar. I wished that I could have enjoyed our 4-D experience, the walk through Revolutionary times, and all of Washington’s history, but I could not.

On our way to the mansion tour, we made a few stops at the enslaved peoples exhibits. These were well done in preserved Slave Quarters. This was enlightening to see after the experience we had in the museum. It was interesting to note that there had once been a store dedicated to Martha Washinton in one of the Slave Quarters. It was still on the map and there was still a sign on the door, but it seemed to have been closed for a while. I wish I would have asked one of our guides why this was changed. We were all happy to see many visitors by the enslaved peoples quarters and learning about their roles at Mount Vernon. After this, we walked to the enslaved people’s burial grounds and to the Washington’s family tomb. Of course it was moving to see the site of our first president's burial, but when we walked over to the enslaved people’s cemetery, we were all moved to near tears. With a flutist playing Amazing Grace and other beautiful songs as we observed the solemn site, we read through some of the stories of those who were buried there. It was powerful to stand where so many men and women that had once been forgotten about, but now remembered by name, had been laid to rest.

After climbing the hill from the cemetery, we were only 10 minutes away from our house tour. Sadly, they were running very behind and our tour that was supposed to be at 2:10 ended up being at 2:30. During those 30 minutes standing in the heat, Dr. Sherayko filled the time by teaching us new German words like enttäuscht. The house tour only lasted 15 minutes and was quite an odd experience. In the first room, our tour guide slipped up and used the word “servant” to describe the enslaved population. In the end she corrected herself, but that shows where Mount Vernon’s interpretation has been. Going through the home quickly, seeing the horrid green paint on one of the walls that was said to be Washington’s favorite, and then to end with a really odd tour guide sealed the deal for us to head home from Mount Vernon.

On our way out we stopped by the new Ona Judge National Historic Sign. I was beautifully done and we were so happy to end such an up and down day at Mount Vernon on such a high note. Josh and I were happy to end our trip smiling together in front of this wonderful sign.

Despite all of us being deliriously tired, we made a pit stop in Charlottesville to hit Trader Joe's and grab dinner. At dinner Dr. Sherayko reminded us of a statue we forgot to see on The Corner at UVA that is due for removal. Even though we were all spent, we made the trip. The statue of Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark does little to show his heroism. He is best known for defeating the British in quite a few battles and earning the French’s trust, but he also has another legacy that is shown in the monument to him. “CONQUEROR OF THE WEST” is the title given to Clark as he sits on his horse, reaching for a weapon to use against Native Americans. Clark fought and took Native American land in many battles. After the Revolution he was even given the position as Indian Commissioner. Though this statue may accurately represent one of his legacies, it puts it in a celebratory light. Celebrating the destruction of indigenous peoples lands, people, and assets is nothing to be proud of and have a statue for. We are all quite happy UVA is choosing to take this statue down.

After grabbing some delicious ice cream at Kilwins, we randomly saw Dr. d’Entremont, our American History professor, walking across the street. I embarrassingly stuck my head out of the window and called out to him. We pulled over and chatted about what we all were doing in Charlottesville. He mentioned to us another site we should check out that is actually no longer there anymore. There was a Confederate statue on the courthouse lawn that was removed last summer. There isn’t even a base left, so in our initial trip we would have had no idea to look for it. We all mosied up the street together and looked where the old statue used to be. We ran into a resident of apartment buildings right across the street who expressed fond memories of the old statue, the Lee statue that was only a few blocks away, and the Clark statue. She told us about walks along this street with families, how there would be a live nativity scene at Lee Park, and how her fathers law office was right across from the Clark statue. She understood mostly why they were being taken down, she said, but she felt like it robbed her of childhood memories. We all listened to her touching story, but what she may not understand is that there is a significant population of African Americans and other citizens who are unable to have such fond memories. These statues that are entrenched in the Lost Cause and have racist sentiments leaving the monument landscape allow for a more inclusive community where all can create similar memories to hers.

#mount Vernon #Washington #Martha #George #ona judge #history #virginia #monument #important

[isabelleloveyouall-blog]

Examiner ce rapport sur la meuble jardin

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[adamwatchesmovies]

Day Watch (2006)

Night Watch was alright but rough around the edges. The sequel, Day Watch, is a complete mess. 

Set about a year after the events of the first film, night watcher Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabensky) is now partnered up with Svetlana (Mariya Poroshina). Despite his son, Yegor (Dmitriy Martynov), having been revealed to be the prophecized Other who would tip the balance of the war between the light and darkness when he allied himself with Zavulon (Viktor Verzhbitsky), a more pressing matter is at hand: Anton is being framed by Zavulon in order to force Svetlana to interfere, which will lead to her arrest and the destruction of the treaty between the Light and Dark Others. Also threatening everything is a magical artifact, a piece of chalk that can reverse time. Could this ultra-powerful tool be the key to solving the conflict of the film? If you know anything about storytelling, you bet it is.

From the first scene, you’re thrown a ton of new concepts and ideas - none of which are explained. I don’t even mean in the same way that the first movie was confusing. You come in expecting to know what's going on - you paid attention to Night Watch - but it feels like a whole other story took place off-screen, resolved a bunch of plots and introduced a slew of new ones. We’re introduced to Svetlana but aren't told she’s the super special mega powerful magic lady whose choices will affect the entire magical world. Was it supposed to be a surprise that it was her all along? Anyway, she and Anton chase a Dark One who drinks the blood of muggles by... sucking the straw of a juice box. The perp escapes by jumping into "The Gloom", a place/magical concept that was supposedly talked about in the first film but I'd never heard of before. It's some sort of shadowy dimension where the Others can travel uninhibited I guess. Why can’t Anton and Svetlana enter its second level? How many levels are there to the Gloom? Beats me, and it just gets worse from there.

I won't linger too much on the nuttier, confusing aspects, like the deadly yo-yo wielded by Yegor, the body-switching, a strange parrot-man whose identity can easily be stolen, the Russian pop stars that turn out to be Others, and the transparent plot to reignite the war between the two sides. I want to draw attention to the Chalk of Fate. In a prologue, we see that eon's ago, the warlord Tamerlane sought the super powerful drawing tool. After accidentally punching a hole in the map to its location, he conceived of a brilliant way to get through the complex maze that housed it: pull some magical bullshit out of his ass and plow through the barriers like they were paper. While his army decimated the maze city/fortress' defenses, he found the last guard before the chamber housing the artifact, decided to spare him (he was in a good mood) and grabbed the chalk... right before getting stabbed by the guard. He would've died had it not been for a monk in the room who decided to explain to Tamurlane how to use the chalk! Good job old man, I thought you were supposed to protect this diabolical device! Tamurlane saves his own life by traveling backward, killing that guard and BAM! Now he's invincible until old age catches up to him.

With that established, let's continue. With the chalk, Anton can fix all of the movie's conflicts, like preventing his son from going to the Dark Side and stop this sequel from happening. So where is it hidden? In an ancient, trap-filled tomb? In a deep level of the Gloom, one so dangerous only the most skilled Others can reach it? Maybe no one knows and he’ll have to race against time, piecing together clues to a ritual that will reveal its hidden location! Actually, it isn't hidden; It’s being used as a regular piece of chalk, in broad daylight, by an unremarkable Other... and everybody knows it! Unbelievable. Not only is the legendary Chalk of Fate not treated with any kind of impact or respect, but it leads to an ultimate cop-out of an ending that leaves your jaw on the floor.

Throughout the film, you get the sense that everything's just thrown together, an excuse to get from one idea to another without any real thought as to how to connect them, what the impact they would have or how this world works. I mean, is it like Harry Potter rules, where the Others try and hide who they are from the muggles, or is it like X-Men rules where they don’t? You tell me when there’s a scene of a woman driving a car vertically along a skyscraper, smashing hundreds of windows and not even caring the slightest about being seen. They’re just making this up as they’re going along, aren’t they?

Day Watch could've been a great film and improved on its predecessor by filling in some of the blanks and exploring its world further. Instead, it’s a complete mess. There’s no excuse for a big budget (well, big budget in Russia) movie that lasts more than two hours to be this nonsensical and if that's not enough, the ending makes it all feel pointless. (On DVD, July 31, 2014)

#day watch #day watch movie review #day watch film review #day watch review #movies #films #reviews #movie reviews #film reviews #timur bekmambetov #sergei lukyanenko #alexander talal #konstantin khabensky #aleksei chadov #gosha kutsenko #igor lifanov #zhanna friske #2006 movies #2006 films #1 star movies #1 star movie reviews

[dailyaudiobible]

04/29/2019 DAB Transcript

Judges 9:22-10:18, Luke 24:13-53, Psalms 100:1-5, Proverbs 14:11-12

Today is the 29th day of April. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you as we turn a corner and make a final push in this month of April, this fourth month of the year and out push into a brand-new work week which is coming off of a busy wedding weekend for us but thankfully this rhythm goes on no matter what's going on. We continue to follow the rhythm day by day through the Bible in a year. So, we’re reading from the Common English Bible this week and we’ve spent the last several days reading the story of the judge, Gideon, and then after Gideon died, how one of his sons killed all of his brothers to try to take over leadership and has subsequently taken over leadership. And we’ll see how that story goes. Judges chapter 9 verse 22 through 10 verse eight.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we finish…what…tomorrow's the last day of this month, so, the second to the last day of this month of April we also concluded the book of Luke today. And, so, that concludes the synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And as we talked about before they’re called the synoptic Gospels because they share so much of the same material, so much of the same story. So, in today's reading from the Gospel of Luke, we walked the road to Emmaus. And the exact location of biblical Emmaus, that's been a matter of scholarly conjecture for a long time. There are several places that date back into antiquity. So, like long-standing traditions. And there's one that we visit back from the Byzantine era, old chapel there, opportunity to can walk around. And when we come to this story I think of that, those ruins of this this old church and we usually go there and just…it's in the morning and just think about how these men were walking along the road to Emmaus. So, there going from Jerusalem to Emmaus and they're just lamenting, right? It just…it's the day…it's…it's resurrection day. So, like for us, this is Easter that this is happening. And they've heard the rumors that the tombs empty and there's kind of all of this confusion starting to swirl but they were still needing to go from Jerusalem to Emmaus. And, so, they walked those 7 miles on this, as it were Easter Sunday, like resurrection day and they’re dejected and downcast and confused when Jesus comes along and opens the Scriptures to them. And how once they've come to be with Jesus, after he kind of plays with them, right? He’s gonna go on he’s gonna keep going. And they’re like, “come stay with us” and He’s like, “I couldn't do that”. They’re like, “come stay with us.” And, so, He does and then He breaks bread and disappears. And the response was weren’t our hearts on fire when He spoke to us along the road and when explained the Scriptures for us. And we just kind of explore how we can be walking along in our lives, walking with Jesus and unware that He is present and unpacking our lives for us and we can so often miss it. And then, of course, the gospel of Luke ends with the ascension of Jesus. So, they’re back near Jerusalem and he takes them to Bethany, which is ironically where Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived where Jesus often went to stay, where Lazarus was raised from the dead. Jesus takes them back near Bethany and then He ascends to the Father, which is the way the book of Luke ends, the way the synoptic Gospels end and tomorrow we will begin the gospel of John, which is very different than the synoptic Gospels and we'll talk about that when we get there.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for bringing us this far into Your word where we have now completed three of the Gospels. It is so easy for us to look back to New Year's Day and realize how far we've come and how quickly we've gotten here, and we thank You for Your faithfulness every single day. And as we begin to turn the corner and move deeply into the changing of the seasons and move into new territory in the Bible we thank You that this rhythm continues, and he continues to pull us deeper and deeper and forward in our relationship with You and in our awareness of Your kingdom all around us. So, we thank You for bringing us to this moment. Come, Holy Spirit, seal the gospel of Luke in our hearts we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link. It lives on the homepage. If you're using the Daily Audio Bible app, and by the way, all the things that I just talked about like the Prayer Wall etc., those are available in the Daily Audio Bible app as well. You just push the little Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner. But if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner. I thank you humbly and truly deeply for your partnership. If you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi, this Shelley in Oklahoma and I’m calling for Lisa in San Jose who called about her husband who is suffering with his fourth battle with cancer and she’s having undisclosed health problems, one of them is __ and I just wanted to call and say Lisa I heard you and I’m praying for you. Three years ago, my daughter had a very serious car accident in North Carolina and I live in Oklahoma over thousand miles away and I flew there to be with her during various surgeries and rehab and I’ll tell you, I was so fearful at first and so frozen I didn’t even know what to pray for. I couldn’t breath and I was just struggling. And the Daily Audio Bible Daily Prayer helped me so much, it’s under Helpful Links if you want to look that up. I repeated out loud. After Brian says a stanza I would repeat that stanza and I was in that prayer saying, you know, father I don’t know what is in store for me, I’m afraid, and I am asking you to just keep me in your path that you have styles for me for this day and that I just do your will and do my very best to just keep my eyes locked on you. And that is what got me through that and it helped me to be able to be deal with the anxiety and the fear and I hope it will help you too. I’m praying for you. I pray for your husband. And I pray that all works out well for both of you. Thank you.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family, my name is Christina and I am from Florida. I’ve been listening just very, very recently, since the beginning of April and I plugged in when I got back from my honeymoon and I’ve been listening ever since and it has been a huge blessing to me to listen every morning and to hear this community that God has created. I’d like to ask for prayers for my new marriage. We both got married later in life and there’s been a lot of growing pains and I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that. And I definitely believe God is in this marriage and at the center but things can happen that are hard and I know we all know that but I would love to just have some prayers for Christina and Shawn, that we continue putting Him first and at the center and knowing that and trusting that He will get through…get us through everything we’re going through. And I love hearing your prayers and I love praying for everyone and I hope that you all hear from Him and thy will be done in this journey that we’re on together. It’s amazing. So, have a wonderful day and…

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family, it’s Julie. I’m praying this morning for China as she prepares for her wedding day tomorrow. I’m praying for Brian and Jill. I remember when my daughter Joanna got married. I believe that day the flood of emotion, its one of my short list of days that is just filled with joy, emotion, oh, memories. Just enjoy and soak up every moment, I pray you will on that day. I pray for Archie, I pray for his strength to pursue the plans that God has for him. I pray for Mike, for Mike’s best friend’s family with a niece that took her own life. I pray so hard for strength in that family, pull them together, and I pray for their healing, and I pray that they run to God for that healing. I pray for Julie for her brother Ron whose blood clot on his lungs is improving. Amen to that. And I pray also Lord you take away her hopeless feelings and give her strength and wisdom on how to reach out to people who really are not by the sounds of it understanding of that. I pray that you heal that family. And I pray for Carla trying to follow the right path. Oh, how hard it is for all of us, right? And I pray for total healing of that left ear __ , take it away, let it be gone. Let Carla be well I pray. I pray Lord this morning for my mother-in-law, for my husband, for my brother…

Good morning DAB family this is Jaiden Lopez grandma. Today is Friday the 27th of April, 2019 and I was a little behind and I’ve been listening to the community prayer line for the 20th of April and there was a lady who called on the 16th. And sister I thank you so much for asking and keeping him in your prayers. I have not seen Jaiden nor has my son seen Jaden since February 10th of last year. And, like you, I keep him in prayer. I keep him in prayer because his mother does mistreat him. He’s not allowed to call us or talk to us. And raising him from the age of one and my son and his relationship was so tight. It has been devastating. And last week when I heard Johnny request for his friend Nicholas it just broke me. And, so, I keep praying for Jaiden. When I come home from work and I see the little kids coming off the school bus and see how all these friends…they went on a school bus…I just…so much crying. And it just so happened that last week when you were calling in I was having a hard time thinking of Jaiden. So, keep him in your prayers and as soon as I hear from him, if I ever hear from him I will let you know. I thank you so much for calling and remembering him. God bless you. And let’s keep praying for Johnny.

[zalrb]

How do you think tvd could have written Damon to make him ermm... how do I say it idk likeable lol? Like I felt that always victimised him in the show and coddled him as if all his action were because of katherine or Stefan or he was just angry which got boring after a while

You know what, some of it is also just Ian for me. Like I don’t find him charming, I don’t find him charismatic, I don’t find him to have the qualities necessary for me to like a villain against my better judgement. Alexander Skarsgard does this well in True Blood. Eric does some shit

but Alexander makes you root for him.

Like you can tell he’s a dick

but he’s sly and charming and funny

Ian just comes across as a frat boy douche with his weird grin and eyebrows and bulging eyes and he’s BAD at seduction and I’m just like I don’t get it.

From a writing perspective, I mean yes, he’s victimzied constantly despite being the abuser and the predator, he WHINES

his over-confidence is annoying because he’s not self-assured like Eric for instance, he’s over-compensating for insecurity that he creates for himself by being an abuser and refusing to stop being one and then wondering why people call Stefan the good brother. Like cry me a fucking river, Damon.

And then there’s also the writing problems where Julie and co thought something as basic as a woman didn’t love me over a hundred years ago was enough vulnerability for him and for someone like Batiatus, for instance, who I always mention, he’s looked down upon by everyone in Roman society, he just wants to be taken seriously and rise above his station and elevate his household and do more with his life and everyone in higher stations are basically like BAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA YOU ARE A JOKE TO US, STICK TO GLADIATORS YOU’RE LUCKY WE EVEN ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT, YOU’RE SO FUCKING LOW-BORN so Batiatus is like well fuck this then I’m gonna get what I want and you’re like YEAH MAN, GO DO THAT THING and then he ends up murdering an entire family and framing someone else for it and killing his gladiators in the process and you’re just like ... dude, not like that though!!!! But again, John Hannah is a very charismatic and larger-than-life, hilarious actor and the writers were also saying how he manages to always look so wounded and hurt whenever he’s stepped on by people higher than him in class that you forget that he’s a villain because you just feel so bad for him and then he does some shit again and you’re like riiiiiiiiiiight.

So that’s why I always said if Damon’s backstory was more complicated where he’s happily married with kids and Katherine comes and actually seduces him and lures him away from his family and promises him an eternity together and his wife finds out she’s a vampire so he, like, commits her to an asylum to keep her quiet and abandons his kids because he’s just SO wrapped up in Katherine that all he can see is her, like something out of Carmen (if you want Katherine to be Carmen, make her Carmen) and then he actually sacrifices something to make sure Katherine is saved instead of just promising to protect the Bennett line and his kids die during the war in the town and for a hundred and so years he’s just feeling unbelievably guilty for everything he’s done as a human but it’s worth it because of Katherine and it all goes to back to Katherine because Katherine said it was them forever only to find out she isn’t in the tomb, knew where he was and didn’t tell him, found out she loved Stefan and only Stefan really then he has a psychotic break and just loses his fucking shit and the show explored that then that provides opportunity for us to sympathize with him and perhaps him become more likeable.

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights: Critical Role Episode 111

Guests are Liam O’Brien and Matt Mercer. Full video on Project Alpha!

Brian: “Hello, welcome to Talks Machina. I am... dressed for success.” Liam: “You are very cute today.” Matt: “I call this look Saturday Darin De Paul.”

Matt is doing much better than he was on Thursday.

Digital copy of the Critical Role comic is out!

There’s now a Talks Machina shirt in the store.

Episode 111 is tied for the most natural ones in an episode.

The show has now surpassed 10,000 d20 rolls. Brian suggests buying @critrolestats​ a yacht for keeping track of all this.

The comic takes place before the game. At the first session, because it was meant to be a one-shot, Matt just had everyone assume they all knew each other and were used to working together as a party. The comic explores how they actually met and started working together as an adventuring party.

Moments they’d like to see from the pre-stream game if the comic continues: meeting Gilmore, finding Percy in Jorenn Village, going after Grog’s dad, the birth of Burt Reynolds, early interactions with the Clasp, the one time Pike and Vax had a solo adventure together. Brian: “Do you think we would have to get rights from Burt Reynolds’ estate to... oh, wait, he’s still alive.”

The pacing of this arc was always going to be different, since it’s epic-level stuff and many of the character-centric arcs have been closed; it’s a lot harder to draw in character backstory the way the previous arcs could. The time-crunch aspect of this particular plot (the villain is actively moving through his to-do list whether or not Vox Machina intervenes) is a careful balance to make sure the players don’t feel too rushed but can still maintain that sense of urgency. Liam: “I am consistently surprised and shocked by everything that’s happened, so no complaints from me.”

If it were just Liam’s decision, he’d want everyone to take a long rest before facing Vecna. He thinks losing Vasselheim might be the cost of actually having a slim chance of defeating Vecna.

Matt’s been slowly been building this last dungeon over the last six months. It’s right up there with Opash’s necromantic lair as his favorite dungeon he’s made. Liam wants to see the dungeon mapped out and described in PDF format at some point, and Matt mentions that, depending on what state it’s in at the end of this campaign, it might be a location in a future Issylra campaign guide.

Matt and Liam talk about how early adventuring in D&D is generally a selfish endeavor, and then later on there are considerably higher stakes. Matt mentions that even in high-level D&D, you want to include obstacles in a dungeon that characters can bypass easily as a reward for quick thinking or just being awesome at high levels. The dungeon is also fundamentally a power-sink where you have to prioritize where you put your resources before the final battle you know is coming.

GIF of the week. Matt: “It’s funny the effect painkillers have on running a D&D game...”

Once the oven had closed, once a round, everyone in the room would’ve taken 1d6 fire damage, then 2d6, then 3d6, and so on. Solving it was meant to be a little more high-stakes, but the party avoided getting trapped in the room themselves.

Matt had half a page of information, a voice, and a name prepared for the nothic that Vax just annihilated. Could’ve ended up being a small encounter or a temporary alliance with a Gollum-type character or an uneasy alliance that could’ve gone wrong. Matt: “What you did was quintessential D&D, and I loved it.”

Liam recently ran a D&D game for his whole family in which his son rolled a d20 on opening a door he wasn’t supposed to go through, forcing him to improvise.

Matt’s been working with Travis to build his next character, and he keeps having to remind him that most characters only have a movement speed of 25 or 30 feet.

Brian: “Like Matt and I, you too can be not in terrible debt and situationally famous without going to college!” Matt: “I cannot support any of these statements at all.”

Vax would be willing to sacrifice even Emon or Whitestone if it meant stopping Vecna, because the alternative is Vecna reigning supreme over the Material Plane... or the Divine Gate coming down and armageddon ensuing.

Fanart of the week.

In-universe flashbulb memory of the campaign: Chroma Conclave attack. Liam: “The goldfish dive will be remembered for millennia.” Matt: “Young druids will be taught from a very young age...”

Matt gave the party the ring to give them a level of comfort in a near-impossible situation, but the risk of fucking it up is what makes it fun.

Liam: “Matthew Mercer is one of the sweetest men I’ve met in my life, but I know within the boundaries of this game that you have this really devilish streak, like an inclination to fuck with us... fucking rakshasa.”

Vax has made peace with everything, but he thinks about the Tomb all the time, especially since the Raven Queen is the goddess of fate. Liam: “As Liam, I loved every dumbfuck thing that I chose to do in this game, ‘cause I’m sitting with my best friends making each other laugh every week, we love each other, we get a fucking kick out of each other every week, and the mistakes are some of the greatest memories of all time.”

Liam’s top priority even way back in the home game has always been that Vax will do whatever it takes to keep Vex alive; Vax still thinks that the Raven Queen will only keep her side of the deal if he does as well. It’s made things extremely complicated, but that’s the fundamental backbone of his character and he isn’t going to mess with that.

Matt has never had players embrace the sibling aspect of their characters to the extent that Laura and Liam have. Matt: “It’s been a gift from a storyteller’s standpoint to play in that space.”

Matt thinks Sam did a fantastic job on his one-shot, and encourages other new DMs to just commit and jump in and see how well it turns out. Liam: “It’s not a religion and it’s not appellate court, it’s just the world’s best game. Just fuckin’ have fun with it.”

Matt was expecting the undead titan reveal to happen in early or mid-July, but it just worked out to happen at Gen Con. Stressful as it was, Matt was excited that he could have such a big reveal at the live show.

Liam wasn’t worried about Simon because he knew it would take more than fire to destroy a magical item.

If the game had continued as a home game, Matt probably would’ve truncated elements of the narrative because they got to play so seldom. Both he and Liam agree that getting to play weekly was the best part of starting to stream the game.

Vax’s "this could be the last time” moments this week had less to do with his imminent death and more to do with Liam processing that in the next few weeks they’re going to be ending this game that they’ve been playing together for four years.

Brian is very sad about the end of the game as a fan of the show; he remembers Ashley coming home after the home game and giving him multi-hour summaries of everything that had happened. The game started around the same time as he and Ashley started their relationship, and he’s really delighted by how close they’ve all gotten since then. Brian: “I mean, we’re practically... I plan on sleeping with both of you on After Dark.” Liam: “I’m open to it.”

Talks Machina After Dark: Liam hosts for the first time!

Liam: “The only reason I agreed to do this Dungeons and Dragons show is so I could sit here, now, and I have you both right where I want you. Undress.”

If Matt could forget everything he knew and join VM as one of his NPCs for the final fight, from a personality standpoint, he’d want to play as Allura or Gilmore, but from a functionally helpful standpoint, probably Kima.

Matt once LARPed World of Darkness and had a very stressful experience where he was thrown into the midst of an extremely political game with no knowledge of what was going on.

Matt’s never had to ban particular items or spells, but there are aspects of the game that require discussion. In a primarily good/neutral campaign, he won’t ban evil characters per se, but he’ll require a discussion to figure out how not to ruin the experience for the rest of the characters. Liam points out that Jayne (an evil character) could easily have killed Clothesline in Sam’s oneshot, but he decided against it because it’d make Ashly’s game less fun and would mess with Sam’s having established that they all survived. It turned out to be more fun having to come up with a reason for that.

Worst possible person for Vax to face as part of Vecna’s undead army: his mother. Liam: “That would fuck his shit up.” Or Vex, if she were killed and then immediately brought back by Vecna.

On the theoretical possibility of a new campaign starting in a post-apocalyptic Tal’Dorei if Vecna wins, Brian: “It would be hard to Transport via Plants.” Matt thinks it’s an exciting prospect, and he has things in his mind if it goes that direction, but he thinks it would be really sad to culminate a five-year campaign with a loss, although planting seeds for the next story could make it retroactively pretty hopeful. 

Liam: “Story-wise, I know that everything’s gonna hurt and everything’s gonna be amazing, and I also trust you to flip my expectations somehow. We just love discovering the story together.”

#critical role #critical role spoilers #talks machina #talks machina spoilers #long text post

[h4z1qim4n]

Novel Writing (Part 5)

Creativity: Novel Writing (Of Heaven and Hell) Date(s):  1st July 2020 Time:  Hours: 

P.S This is another novel I’m working on and I personally think it’s wayyy more interesting.

This novel of mine is based off a few games I love (one in particular almost gave me an aneurysm from the stress it inflicts), which are “the Diablo Series”, “Darkest Dungeon” (This is the one I was referring to) and “Castlevania” (Quite bloody for my taste actually). 

I tried to take the concepts from said inspirations and place them all into my realm of fantasy such as the concept of the ultimate battle between the Heavenly Host and the Burning Hells (Diablo Series), the afflictions that can plague party members (Darkest Dungeon) and the complexity of a castle (Castlevania).

The cover was also made by the same person from last time (She didn’t quit on me, which is nice :D) and before starting the novel, we discussed ideas and came to this conclusion. 

P.S.S This is a compilation of my notes, this is actually because I can’t open too many tabs on google chrome so I decided to copy & paste it into my notebook.

This novel is also tied to another novel I was working on (The End, if you forgot) and the setting of this is in the medieval times with the added bonus of magic. The main character is also female (I don’t know why, I guess my friend rubbed off on me). She’s is a disgraced noble and is forced to become a mercenary to return in the emperor’s good graces despite the discouragement from her family members.  

P.S.S.S This is my notes on the naming conventions, there’s currently only two because one of them will be heavily featured in the story and the other is a rare occurrence.

The main character’s ethnicity and empire she lived in, is based on the roman empire (Known as the Imperium in the novel). I was also thinking of expanding to other nations as well but that was left for the sequel to the novel as this story is focused on exploring a tomb underneath a city and protecting the city from the corruption of demons (At one point, the demon from the tomb is unleashed and the heroes rise up to defeat it.). 

P.S.S.S.S This is the character overview and it’s pretty bare if you ask me

The unorganized side are the adventurers going to explore the tomb and each of their names are unique to their respective culture while the other side contains the names of the angels (Gods to the regular folk or based on their religion) leading the charge against hell (The names and traits of the Demon Kings couldn’t fit in the picture but it’s beside the names of the angels).

The names of the angels and demons came from a name generator because I’m terrible at naming things, plus a demon called John sounds pretty stupid if you ask me (Not that there’s anything wrong with being a demon called John). 

P.S.S.S.S.S This is the religion overview and it’s kinda empty because I’m terrified of disrespecting other people’s religion.

The Imperial Pantheon is based on the Hellenistic religion that the ancient romans worshipped but their respective titles had to change to fit the story. It is worshipped by three different cultures as I plan to add other religions to the story based on real life religions as well. 

The Fescalan Gods are basically Norse Gods because one companion of the hero’s party worships them. 

[indiaimagine]

Prague- Architectural Beauty Of Europe

Capital of the Czech Republic, located in the heart of Europe-Prague is one of the most popular travel destinations. The City of Hundred Spires is the nickname given to this most charming and photogenic city. When compared to other European cities, Prague dominates every city in terms of sheer beauty, architectural and cultural history. Bohemian art, colorful Baroque buildings, ancient sculptures, historical palaces, Gothic churches, bridges and museums make Prague one of the world's architectural gems. Dream of every architecture lover, Prague is a complete package for travelers. Divided By the Vltava River, this medieval city offers world-class dining options for every traveler, fantastic beer and top-class shopping center. Narrow laneways of Prague, Charles bridge on the Vltava river, Prague Castle The climate of Prague in summer and autumn is best to attract tourists towards it. Prague has many impressive ancient buildings around the city. Our article will guide you through the best which this amazing city has to offer. So, let's discover the best places to visit in this enchanting city with some top attractions in Prague.

Discover Most Popular Prague Castle

Renowned all over the world and the city's most popular tourist attraction is Prague castle. It is the largest ancient castle in the world, as well as one of the most gorgeous. Located at Hradcany, Prague Castle is the official residence of the Czech Republic president. Furthermore, it has been home to all the different Czech heads of state ever since the 9th century.

Via: Pinterest Inside the castle premises, there are several Prague's most popular tourist sites such as St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, Old Royal Palace, the Powder Tower, and the Golden Lane. The main highlights of Prague Castle include the main hall of Old Royal Palace, the Vladislav Hall, Royal Garden, the Ball Game Pavilion, the Royal Summer House with its Singing Fountain, and the Lion's Court. You can also join the classical music concert and workshops held at Prague castle. Also Read: 12 Family Holiday Destinations In Europe

Explore The Old Town Square

Untouched from the 10th century, the Old Town Square is the historical center of Prague. Europe's most beautiful sight is the Old Town Square. One should start exploring the whole city of Prague from here. Tyn Chruch, the Clementium, Jewish Quarter, Josefov and the National Library are the center of attraction for tourists visiting this destination.

Via: blamethemonkey.com Many architectural buildings and ancient churches belong to the 11th century. Established in 1338, Old Town Hall located there, which has 5 buildings. The highlights include the Gothic Tower and the ancient Astronomical Building.

Stroll Across Famous Charles Bridge

Magnificent Charles Bridge is one of the most famous old bridges in Europe. Commissioned in 1357, Charles Bridge is popular for its history, 600 old construction and beautiful ancient statues. The spectacular views over the River Vltava and the structure's superb Gothic gates are the highlights of the bridge.

Via: charlesbridgepalace.com Charles IV, Former Czech king laid the first stone of the bridge at precisely 5.31 am on July 9, 1357. It is believed that Charles IV was so into astrology and numerology that he chose this date because of its written form 135797531 (year, day, month, time). For a memorable experience, we recommend you to visit early morning or late night to witness the beauty of the bridge.

Get Amaze By Astronomical Clock

The most eye-catching point Old town Square and the pride of Prague is the ancient Astronomical clock. Placed in 1410 and now considered as the best-preserved medieval mechanical clock in the world. Located on the southern side of the Old Town Hall Tower.

Via: unsplash.com The astronomical clock consists of various parts such as a calendar and astronomical desk for the mechanism of 12 Apostles, which sets them in motion. Each hour, Apostles start the parade when the other placed figures on the side of the clock set in motion. The skeleton rings rotate an hourglass to show the Turk that his lifetime is at the end. Also Read: Explore Top Rated 15 Travel Attractions in Dubai

Romance With Bae At Kampa Island

Located between Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, Kampa Island is best known for its romantic atmosphere. The most beautiful islands in the world, Kampa is located in the Malá Strana, i.e., the Lesser Town. The enchanting vibe and best view of many monuments will make you crazy. At Kampa Island, you can visit the museum of modern art- Museum Kampa and you can go for a picnic with friends.

Apart from this, You can also go across a small bridge lock your love site popular among lovers. Walk with hand in hand with your bae on romantic lanes of Kampa island. Visit the Lennon Wall, a graffiti wall dedicated to the famous Beatles singer, John Lennon. The canal that flows under the Charles Bridge and through Kampa is known as Devil’s Stream.

Witness Wenceslas Square

People visit Wenceslas Square to get the best nightlife experiences, unlimited alcohol, and to attend fun parties at the club. But there is much more than this, Wenceslas Square has a National Museum and numerous other architectural sites. Created during the reign of Charles IV in the 14th century and also known as Vaclavske Namesti.

Via: flicker.com Named after the saint of Bohemia, you can see their statue at Square. Indeed, one of the top free things to do in Prague. You will find the best dining options as well as a great shopping center at Wenceslas Square.

Admire St. Vitus Cathedral

Most beautiful and largest church of the Czech Republic, St. Vitus Cathedral is a famous Christian Shrine. Located on the grounds of Prague Castle, Saint Vitus is an impressive Gothic architecture built-in 1344. It took almost 525 years in completion.

Saint Vitus Cathedral, Via: hiddensecretstours.eu Thus it is a mixture of modern Neo-Gothic and 14th-century Gothic styles, along with the Baroque and Renaissance influences. In the past, it was one of the tallest buildings in Prague. The main tower of Cathedral is of height 96.5m. It is home to the tombs of numerous saints and three Bohemian kings. Also Read: Tourist Places to Visit in UK (United Kingdom)

Shockingly Look At The Dancing House

Dancing House is the most amazing modern architectural creation of Prague. Nationale Nederlanden is the official name of Dancing House. Designed by Frank Gehry in the new Baroque style and became one of the most photographed buildings of the city. Dancing House consists of two towers that resemble two dancers.

Via: praguego.com The male tower is a cement tower that connects to an oscillating section and headed by a metal structure. On the other hand, the female tower is made of glass and carved pillars. The top floor consists of Ginger & Fred restaurant from there; you can witness the magnificent view of Vltava River.

National Theatre For Art Freaks

Prime theatre stage of the Czech Republic, the National Theater, is a must-visit for art lovers and performers. This theater is the best example of Neo-Renaissance architecture in Prague. Established in 1881 and designed by Czech architect for promoting the Czech culture and language.

Via: dreamstime.com Perched on the bank of Vltava river, National Theatre has magnificent exterior and interior carved with Bohemian crystals and central stage by black marble. Furthermore, this stunning theatre exhibits the country's top opera, ballet, drama and dance performances. Tourists will get to know the cultural significance by visiting this theatre.

Explore Prague Zoo

Ranks among the top zoological park of the world, Prague Zoo is one of the top tourist attractions of the city. Opened in 1931, this Zoo is famous for a family outing, especially with kids. As younger kids can play in large playgrounds, take pony rides and can feed the animal.

Via: Pixabay Prague Zoo has more than 4,200 animals in which 650 species are close to extinction. Also, many endangered animals like Przewalski's horse saved here. Along with the other highlights include a chairlift ride, a huge giraffe exhibition and the steamy tropical forest. If you want, you can join the educational workshop too at Zoo. So if you are seriously planning for Europe visit please come here and must visit all above places. Read the full article

#CzechRepublic #Europe #historicalplaces #Prague