Tuesday Mumbles: Hero Worship and the Cult of Personality

written by TheChoujinVirus

Note: The following article I have written is based on my opinion, so do not take it too personally if this hits close to home.

Heya, it’s ya boy Choujin here.

It’s a pretty big, but not so big surprising shocker that news of individual Smash Players and famous people having skeletons in their closets. Though our talk isn’t about those people, mostly a big problem: The people themselves. Now, I’m sure people ask ya boy this: ” ‘ey, what do you mean the people?”. Let’s explain a bit of something involving what I call Hero worship and the cult of personality. Mainly, some folks will worship certain people as though they’re infallible or that whenever something wrong happens to them, it’s somehow some big conspiracy to smear the person or something (Not saying that whatever is said is true), but instead, they treat any accusation or anything negative about something. Now before we get reading, just a reminder that this may feel like I’m nailing some people or presuming guilt, but it’s less on the focus and more on people’s reaction to this. Hence the cult of Popularity or Hero worship.

Commonly, some of it is born out of nostalgia or growing up. For example, some people grew up with George Lucas and remembered how he made the Star Wars Trilogy. Some people treat him like he’s infallible, ignoring the newer Sequel Trilogy as some people feel the original was better. Another example is none other than Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series. A lot of gamers revere him as a great storyteller and game creator. Though when he released Death Standing, a game that turned out to be lackluster, people got hostile over critics for “not understanding the masterpiece” as though they assume people can’t understand his work. Those two examples I throw out are just one of many issues that can surface when people feel like they’re heroes are slighted or agitated by some kind of “shadow cabal.” It’s really frustrating and annoying to people outside of these as they see this level of hero worship to a near borderline cult. Nobody wants a fan cult!
Though the next group is something notorious within the anime fandom, a group devoted a voice actor calling themselves the Risembool Rangers. Now, having your favorite voice actor or actor, in general, is no crime, but this isn’t about fan groups. The Risembool Rangers have had a notorious issue of being a bit..zealous of Vic. Some stories involve how they view people criticizing Vic’s acting to one incident where some members threatened his ex-wife years ago. Then when news of sexual harassment allegations came out (keyword: allegations), the fan group went out of their way to attack and damage people solely on the grounds that they feel somehow that they must defend their god-like image of their hero. It’s pretty creepy. When things get so crazy that some will make death threats at random people on the internet because they didn’t like Metal Gear, thought their role in an anime was terrible or outright hate newer movies over the classics, it’s nuts.

Let’s move onto the 400lb Elephant (no pun intended) in the room: Politics and this whole political Cult of Personality. A lot of people have viewed this thing as something silly, though we got several examples of how it works: Ronald Regan, Barak Obama, and Donald Trump. Now, I’m sure it’s painfully apparent with the Trumpian cult, so you don’t need ya boy to explain that stuff (just watch the news or look the internet to better understand this cult), but on the other hand, there are the overwhelming issues that were brought up with Obama and the late Regan. Some Republicans (young and old) seem to look up and revere Regan as some kind of Christ-like figure that was revered for defeating the Communists. Though when you bring up the not so good parts of the history, such as Operation Condor, the Iran-Contra affair or things that Regan fucked up and you’ll see how they’ll blame certain people on focusing on that such as the “liberal media” or some other stuff for why it turned out that way. Hence cards like “Deep state” is continuously being played when their “god” is revealed to be a joke. But back on the subject of this, with Obama, people rode the card that he was some kind of angelic messiah meant to end the issue of Bush. When Obama’s became overambitious, and things went south? The people who backed him then began going into denial over the idea that what he was going was a pipe dream currently.
Hoo boy were people pissed when they realized that these things Obama promised didn’t happen, but you know..that’s the problem with the Cult of Personality and Hero worship. Some will elevate people to godhood and will become upset over it. These guys can get worse as unlike the last group, some of them will carry out threats, and some folks have gotten hurt or in physical fights over these. Some have even had private information made public (or attempted to be made public) just to put the fear into their critics.

Now, the next question is this: What should people do to prevent this situation where people elevate those into gods? Well, to be honest, ya boy feels that this is pretty tough in convincing people in not creating this. I do have some advice that could ensure you don’t get swept up into the movement and end up part of the legion. The first thing you need to know is that everyone is not a god or infallible—even the best and brightest who makes promises can screw up. People can be excellent speakers (or dumb people can be swayed easily). Just remember that vital part when you listen to people or look them up.
The next part is if you know people who are like this, kindly remind them about the first step. Don’t call them stupid or dumb or berate them. All that’ll do is just galvanize their support. Kindly bring up the flaws in this and leave it there.
This may feel like something stupid, but sometimes it’s the best one can do when dealing with the cult of personality.Other than that, ya boy’s real answer is to quote the computer from War Games when dealing with the cult of personality.

Anyway, have you run into any cult of personalities or hero worshipers that come off like any creepy vibe or annoyance? Comment below

Late Thursday Media Review: Wicked Willow

Review written by TheChoujinVirus

Note: This review contains spoilers to the game, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, do not read the review.I have some chat connections with the creator of the game, T.F. Wright. However, the review is done out of my own honest opinion. In no way am I being influenced by the creator.

Happy Thursday everyone, It’s ya boy Choujin.
 When one thinks of the genre of Urban Fantasy, they automatically assume the typical groups: Twilight, Harry Potter, and the such. Some may think of things like Life is Strange if needed when it comes to the genre.  Now your boy isn’t fond of the whole aspect of the genre (mostly thanks to Twilight), but I’m not afraid of trying it if it’s okay. Hence today’s review of a game that came out a week ago on the Steam store. The game’s called Wicked Willow, written and made by T.F. Wright (the same creator who made The Pirate’s Fate. I’ve also did a review of the game here if you’re curious of my review. Though unlike the last game, there are no furries in this story. So how is this visual novel? Well, let’s get started on my review of Wicked Willow.

Story Summary

In Wicked Willow, you play Willow, a 20-year-old college student and aspiring writer in a 1993 American city. One day, after chasing a strange black cat, she is attacked by a mass murder named The Axeman. She kills the guy by accident through her newly discovered powers. The cat she was chasing reveals he can talk and is named Shadow. He explains to Willow that she has a magical gift and that his job is to bring her to Tanya, the woman seeking out Willow. The old witch serves as Willow’s mentor throughout this whole crazy journey. And boy is it one crazy journey, from a bank robbery to loggers, to outright dealing with being Jumanji’d into a tabletop game and outright coping with the end of the world. Willow doesn’t go through this odd and bizarre adventure on her own as she runs into some colorful characters. Besides her mentor Tanya, the Serbian witch who knows a lot about our protagonist, you have the talking cat Willow, Willow’s closest friend Avery. You also have antagonists like Lydia, the very religious southern girl who looks like the poster child for the 700 Club and Xarsi, the succubus who seems to have a one-tracked mind. Now the game, for any visual novel, usually has paths and choices that affect what happens next in the story. Though beware, as Tanya explained that the use of magic has consequences, you could stop robbers by turning their bullets to flowers, saving someone but causing somebody else to suffer. Do you want to help the suffering person recover? Sure, you can save their life, but how much is to spare the life of a person? Maybe you shouldn’t use magic at all and try and solve it without magic? Whatever choice you make has a consequence for Willow, her friends, or even everyone around them. However, if they call you wicked due to the choices you make? Then so be it…

Wicked Wonders: What the game shines in

There’s plenty of positive choices in Wicked Willow, but I’ll try and name some preferences. One is the characters. Though the protagonist isn’t a tabula rasa like Mila from The Pirate’s Fate, Willow has her personality that makes her organic. In most games where you choose the outcome, it usually shapes the protagonist’s personality and world. Willow’s perspective and base personality don’t change to where she wants to punch someone, but she tries to fix mistakes. It’s not only limited to her; the supporting cast of the entire group is pretty great as well as each does have their quirks and strengths that make them stand out. It’s also done well by a great voice acting cast that brings the characters to life. Usually, it’s pretty rare to see voice acting in visual novels, but it’s pretty stellar. My personal favorite voice is the VA for Shadow the cat. I find it awesome how an older voice coming from a small cat can make a character interesting. I also like how every character you meet has a backstory that you can empathize with. (Some of them are pretty tragic.) For example, the villainous Xarsi is revealed to be once a nun who was devout but became a succubus out of desperation out of a frail old age. Another that was shocking was Lydia, who is a survivor of conversion therapy and that she was a closet lesbian. (It’s also revealed her Anti-Magic powers surfaced during these horrendous conditions.) In short, the villains in this story feels morally challenging (as it should be.) What I like also is the style and research. T.F. Wright did some homework on some of the stuff, as the story takes place not just during 1993 but also during a landmark moment known as Baehr vs. Miike, in which Hawaii legalized same-sex marriage. You see hints about Hawaii throughout the story (Blue Hawaiian, the flowers used to thwart the robbers.) It’s an exciting and subtle nod to this moment and something that fits the motif and several factors.
Finally, what I like about this is how they portray the romances, regardless of whom you choose to romance. They feel organic and not hasty corny, especially for same-sex romance options. Usually, my experience with stories involving same-sex romances kind of feels cringy (like bad anime level of cringe.) However, I do like how T.F. Wright’s writes these romances. The Final praise I like is the checkpoint system. In most V.N.s, you have to save at major choices then come back to it. Wicked Willow fixes this by creating a checkpoint system that lets you go back and check a new path; thus, you don’t need to create multiple save states during choices. Pretty good if I do say so myself.

Magical Flops: What the game lacks.

Though Wicked Willow had plenty of perks that made the series great, there were some issues that kinda made me feel a bit like they were lacking. First, I’d have to say is that though the backstories for each character are great, they are locked behind the romance paths. I wouldn’t mind learning of Avery’s secret during the Lydia path (it would explain how he figured out about Lydia’s secret.) Also, some characters on some paths are outright ignored, leaving some moments wondering what happened to said character while on this path. Another that makes me feel a bit griped is the endings. One is that there are a bit fewer endings than the usual, but that can be viewed as a compromised with the voice acting, but what kinda makes me feel a bit odd is how that there isn’t any negative ending (save for the world ending and having to reset the timeline) and that the conclusions you seem to go through, somehow doesn’t feel grim. (not total grim dark like how The Pirate’s Fate and their endings are.) Though some might view the Groundhog’s Day time-loop, Willow goes through as a repetitive bad ending (though some of them do give hints on what to do next or clues for a golden ending.) That kind of hurts replayability once you figure out the endings and secrets that are in the game. This gets to my last moment that though the basis of the game is excellent, it feels a bit short and not many secrets or mysteries to answer.

Hawaiian Conclusion

Despite the shortcomings of Wicked Willow, I find the series very nice and detailed. As I stated before, I wasn’t a fan of the Urban Fantasy genre, but I found Wicked Willow to be an excellent take at the genre.
The cast of characters, the voice acting and the quality of life make the game entertaining. It’s also great to see T.F. making more of these V.N.s and that his game got some excellent praises on Steam. Hopefully, he makes more games or V.N.s in the future.

References

Friday Fan-Work: The Primordius

Happy Friday, y’all. It’s ya boy Choujin here.

I’m working on the review for my Thursday Media Review, so it may be late. However, it should be done as soon as possible. For now, I got a treat for you.

Every worldbuilding story has one thing in common: Deities. They can serve as the creators or destroyers of the world. Warcraft has its Titan Pantheon, 40k has the Chaos Gods. For my world (high fantasy, sci-fi and some fan stories), we have the Primal Gods (influenced by the Greek Primal Dieties).

In this short excerpt, The Primordius, Tells a brief reference of each of the current Primal Gods and what they can do. I took more inspiration from Warhammer 40k’s Chaos Gods as they behave more as a reflection of the material world but less on power

and with that, sit back, relax, get something to drink and enjoy The Primordius

The Primordius

Written by TheChoujinVirus

Standing in front of you, an obsidian black book that looks biomechanical in origin and pages that look like they’re etched on solid gold pages. The book has gone through several names: The Lesser Keys, the Grand Grimoire and even the Visnati. However, its true name is called the Primordius, a book that describes the origins of powerful beings that exist outside of reality called the Primal Gods.

What are the Primal Gods?
Before creation, there wonly one being: Chaos. In its labored birth, several beings were born. These beings were gifted with a portion of Chaos’s primal aspect (Emotion, natural order, talent) and tasked with maintaining said order. Each have their own name and some worshipped by denizens of the world (and other realities). So far, there are only several named Primal Gods, some that are benevolent and others malevolent. However one should not mistake their altruism as an alliance nor their destructive nature as evil, for the benevolent ones have ulterior motives and the malicious ones may have a purpose for their causes.


Abaddon, The Firstborn
Primal God of Chaos
Harbringer: N/A
The first born out of the world, and the one who rebelled against his siblings, The Primal God of Chaos was the first born and the one viewed as “Chaos personified”. Not a deceiver as his siblings like Surt or Sal’Gatha nor a protector like Hel or Chronos. He is more of an opportunist who watches on the side and joins whoever is stronger or aids in undermining the strongest one. The Primal Gods mostly view Abaddon as an unknown due to his unknown nature but many don’t understand. But some believe that he may be what is left of their lifegiver, Chaos.


Amon, The Bright One
Primal God of Order
Harbringer: Meteyah, Valkyric Dragon of Light
Though a firstborn alongside Abaddon, Amon is born of Order, the opposite of Chaos. Amon too is more or less a rebel like his brother, and shows up too whenever his brother Abaddon arrives. Though some say he only intervenes when all hope fails and when the Primal Gods can’t control the issue. Some view him as a hero who shows up when needed, but not as reliable as the others while others view him as a meddler who interferes with the natural law of Chaos. However, both he and Abaddon serve the purpose of balance: as neither side can truly win nor lose.

Benthic, The Black Ward
Primal God of War and Survival
Harbringer: “The Four Horsemen” (4 harbingers chosen by Benthic to test said world)
Life is brutal and sometimes short, but all life must be tempered to be strong through survival. Benthic represents the world’s need of survival and to fight. He is known to temper those through harsh methods. Wars, pestilence, famines and even mass death. Those who know what he brings mistake it as the End of the World, but to Benthic, it’s a test that all denizens must go through. Should they succeed, Benthic rewards that world the right to survive. However, should he find them wanting, he leaves them to their fate (and in the hands of his brothers and sisters).

Caphocia of the Many Faces
Primal Goddess of Deception and Lies
Harbringer: N/A
Many will try and live thorough any means, even by deception and lies. Caphocia’s nature of deception is everchanging as her face itself. Thriving through lies and deception come as close as Caphocia, who can make any truth-teller question their means as she undermines many. Sometimes she gives lies that are helpful for those to survive, while otherwise she can create false things to deceive others and push favor for her siblings to succeed. One cannot be to sure about Caphocia’s true motives as her own deception can confuse others. Truly showing the chaotic and unpredictability nature of deception.

Chronos, the Archivist
Primal God of Time
Harbringer: Luther of the Bronze
Chronos is an observer to many worlds and tasks himself with monitoring time and space itself. Each reality has a “Prime path”, an event that all worlds are destined to follow. However, some worlds seem to defy this through shattered paths and defied items. Sometimes, to avoid deviancy from his siblings (or at the request of another Primal like Morai). Chronos can also be a bit of a trickster, sometimes having people relive the same day again and again. Other times, he will intervene should that world’s “Prime path” be lead astray.


Dagoa, the Guardian
Primal Goddess of Nature and Earth
Harbringer: Gaia
Nature has existed for decades and serve as the basis of the natural order. She works closely with her Sister Hexxuba and begrudgingly with her brothers Benthic and Surt. She’s more indifferent to the mechaniations of her siblings and only cares about life in general, from the flora, fauna and the apex species of each world. However, she can become vengeful should the natural order be damaged or perverted (whether by mortal or her own kin).

Hexxuba, the Great Mother
Primal Goddess of Life
Harbringer:N/A
The bringer of Life, the sister of Dagoa and Hel as part of the “Natural Order”, Hexxuba’s job is to ensure all life is born and is guardian of the Wheel of Life (which ensures all life is able to return to the next world in a new body after their body is over.) She even is tasked with ensuring that the Primal Gods themselves cannot die (with the exception of the knowledge Sa’Goroth learned). She butts heads with Hel and despises Surt and Benthic. However, she is caring with Morai and Chronos.

Hel, Queen of the Underworld
Primal Goddess of Death
Harbringer: Warhound
The sister of Dagoa and Hexxuba, and part of the “Natural Order”. Her job is to shepherd the dead toward the land of the dead, the Underworld, where they are judged and moved on to Hexxuba’s department. Though not as cheery as her sisters, she’s not tolerant of those who upset the balance. Not uncommon of her to clash with Surt or Sa’Goroth (especially Sa’Goroth due to her knowledge of necromancy). Hel, however, does feel a bit forgotten by nearly all denizens save for the Midian world.

Morai, Weaver of Eight Arms
Primal Goddess of Fate
Harbringer: Unknown
The weaver of every being’s fate through her loom and the one who decides when said mortal or mortals die. She is fascinated by the fates of people and how they function with the choices. She’s able to even see the fates of her siblings and to see whether they win or fail. Sometimes, she’s known to speak in riddles to mortal ears (and to the annoyance of her siblings). However, she has her ulterior motives that some (save for Sal’Goroth’s persistence) don’t know of.

Rahab, the Abyssal One
Primal God of Darkness and Fear
Harbringer: Dagon the Devourer
Longing the eternal bliss of oblivion and Chaos, Rahab is known as the Abyssal One due to his birth from the inky blackness. A master of fear and darkness, he brings an eternal night where sunlight cannot penetrate and fear into even the most lionhearted. Like his brother Abaddon and Atem, he’s more of an opportunist than a mastermind. However, he does have his own reason of why he brings darkness: To show the futility of mortals at the inevitable darkness and to enjoy the return of the eternal nothing.

Sal’Goroth, The Mad Intellect
Primal Goddess of Knowledge
Harbringer: Unknown
The maddened mind of the dark thoughted one, Sal’Goroth, is known for blessing (and cursing) those with intelligence. Though some bring the best intentions, a lot end up down a dark path that opens the doors to the ire (or arrival) of some of the Primal Gods. Though she knows all and predicts all, she’s also the lorekeeper of the Forbidden Knowledge, knowledge that she would never let loose. One of which is the permanent way of defeating (True Death) of a Primal God. She seeks out potential in people (through power or intellect) that in the end, is used by her for her own goals. She ushers “The Great Game”, a mental test to see how the world reacts to new knowledge and whether it will bring a golden age or a destructive end.

Surt, The Destroyer
Primal God of Destruction and Fire
Harbringer: Farina, the Black Knight
Known and feared by even the Primal Gods with the exception of those like Morai or Sal’Goroth, Surt is a being that longs to destroy the worlds themselves. Sometimes he works close to his brother, Rahab and his sister Sal’Goroth. However, he usually will check with Morai to see if his fated victory happens (though Morai has been known to defy the fates of his victory). Surt’s goal of destruction is viewed as wonton, but in short, he views himself as a purifier who flays destruction and death to cleanse the world. For to create a new world, one must flay and destroy the old world.

Tiamat of the Turquoise Scales
Primal Goddess of Water and Defiance
Harbringer: None
Tiamat, unlike her other siblings, is viewed as the youngest of the Primal Gods and represents the flowing nature of water. Fickle and stubborn, the young goddess has been known to agitate some of her siblings into conflicts or to just annoy them. Some speculate if Rahab is the son of Tiamat, but in short, they’re twins. Her nature is reflective like water: Calm and rippling, defiant and crashing or icy and harsh. Tiamat’s behavior has been known to bring the ire to all the Primal Gods.

Xaric, the Coveted One
Primal God of Wealth and Covet
Harbringer: The Ebon Raven
Xaric is the last of the primal gods, the one who covets anything (love, possession, survial,) anything that he can get his claws on. Keeper of forbidden treasures and items, sometimes he’ll be willing to share (if you’re willing to part with something you care that he covets.) Otherwise, he’s not friendly with thieves. He guards the Grand Treasury, his realm known to hold riches, wealth, knowledge. Anything the gods and mortals covet.

the-primordiusDownload

Tuesday Mumbles: George Floyd Protests

Written By TheChoujinVirus

Note: The following is based on my own opinion on the matter, so do not take it too personal for this situation. On my opinion on this, I hope that this ends peacefully for both parties.

It’s ya boy, Choujin here! This week’s one hell of doozey. If it’s not Covid-19, it’s now riots between protesters and police.

For those who may not have paid attention to the news, an African-American man named George Floyd was killed when under detainment of the police. Hence why I had to use the “Coconut Chrunch-Os” commercial from the T.V. show Atlanta. Now, ya boy feels like this was a really, REALLY bad handling on our boys in blue. Supposedly this was over a counterfeit 20 dollar bill. Now, when I was a kid, I remembered when law enforcement never did this crud before. Then again, stuff changed during the North Hollywood shootout.

This puts ya boy in a very difficult position in this argument. On one half, I’ve looked up to law enforcement my whole life as people who help uphold the law and protect the innocent, but on the other hand, you have law enforcement that lead to some issues like excessive force or targeting certain ethnicity due to some prejudiced. I agree with the situation that law enforcement need better non-lethal measures that won’t kill people (shoot to maim, not to kill for subjects), but when it comes to “defunding the police” I don’t want them to be defunded and in another North Hollywood. I guess you can say I support both the protesters and the law enforcement.

I’m also aware that law enforcement isn’t free of corruption or problems like unions or infiltration from some groups. Something that I’ve heard brought up several times such as right wing infiltration of law enforcement. it can get someone to question the narrative and deny that the stuff one grew up with would be viewed as crooked as the crooks that they fight.

In short, ya boy’s really conflicted on this. Not conflicted on the idea of a black man killed by white cops, but conflicted on how one can view cops and law enforcement, the same law enforcement I was raised to view as the good guys and protectors. How can one view them as heroes when stories make them villains? How can one look up to them, when you see them using excessive force on minimal issues.

How can one view cops as uncorruptable, when they themselves are not immune to the same corruption crime creates?
But to remind people, I am NOT some anti-cop person who screams “Fuck the police!” or reveres “Cop Killers” as heroes. However, I do feel that how bad apples can create this mess and distrust that leads to cop killers and anti-cop sentimentality. But I need to know that though the cops are the good guys and there to keep the peace on the street, they are not immune to problems.

I’m sure someone would ask me “So what would you do in this situation? What would your answer be?”
My answer? Well that’s a bit of a bugaboo, but if you want my opinion I’d go for holding those accountable?
Who accountable? Well I’d have to say things like this: If excessive force exists? Call them out for it!
Ensure that law enforcement unions don’t cover up shit like what’s going on now or claiming a man who got knocked over by a cop “tripped”.

It’s not simple, but to me, it’ll be a start…

Thursday Media Review: Top 5 things to do in World of Warcraft before Shadowlands goes live

World of Warcraft, the MMORPG that still going over twenty years since its release in 2004. It has it’s good strong moments and survived some cataclysmic issues. During BlizzCon 2019, they announced the latest expansion known as Shadowlands. So far, talks about this expansion has gotten people interested (and has gotten your boy back into WoW thanks to a friend.) So as I’m playing catch-up and getting myself geared, I’ve noticed there’s some content and things one can enjoy when not doing their weekly embassy missions or taking the fight to N’Zoth every week. So, here’s my Top 5 things to do in WoW before Shadowlands goes live.

#5. Try new class/race

World of Warcraft can let you create various races and class combos. From Orc Warriors to Pandaren Monks, you got a choice of what to make. However, some people, like myself, have one race or class preference. With the introduction of Allied races, perhaps its a time to try a new race or class? Sure it’s fun running around as the Orc Warrior or Pandaren Monk, but maybe try something different like perhaps a different race as a monk or just a whole new class? Like a Draenei Mage or even a Gnome Priest. You might find those classes just as enjoyable as the classes you prefer and you might and even sometimes find the new class you’ve rolled to be better than your last one. Heck, I’ve tried a few classes (though haven’t completed some of them yet) but I can attest that Hunter and Monk are pretty fun.

#4. Do older content

now i’m sure you’re puzzled at why I’m suggesting people to go to older content rather than the current content of Battle for Azeroth. Especially when the gear that drops in stuff like Burning Crusade is vastly inferior to the Visions of N’Zoth? What if I told you that some of that old loot can be useful cosmetically? What if I told you that some of the bosses have a chance of dropping a cute pet or better: a rare mount to show off? Best of all, most of the content doesn’t require needing a huge group and some can be done by yourself. So if you’re bored of smashing Queen Ashara in the face with your Epic axe or smashing arena greenhorns. Maybe go back to places like Outlands and grind reputation for that sweet Netherdrake you never got, going back to Icecrown and hope to claim that elusive undead horse, Invincible (or Ashes of Al’ar if you’re really devoted for it). Heck, get your Demon Hunter to Outlands and get those sweet Warglaives of Azzinoth. Go and make your character look badass. There’s plenty of unseen content for one to sate the itch until Shadowlands goes live.

#3. Sink your teeth into content you haven’t tried

Some people have either stuck to their favorite things. Some are Dungeon runners or raiders while others may be pet battlers or Arena kings. One thing that could be good is trying something that you might not have done. You can try to play some Battlegrounds or Arenas if you want some fun. Perhaps try some chances at pet battling, a Pokemon-like battle system where you use pets to fight (remember those little pets I told you one could get from older raids?) If you’re a pvp fighter, check what dungeon running and raiding can be. There’s untouched content to explore. Oh and if you’re doing PvP, do be careful about getting your teeth kicked in by tougher PvPers (that’ll be another time). But anyway, it’s good to see something new.

#2. Stock Up for Shadowlands

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering “stock up what?”

In World of Warcraft, you got things called professions (these are useful for crafting items like food, potions or engineering trinkets.) You may be busy power leveling items for Shadowlands that you may not have access to any of the better things until you get access to it. However, older things can work. For example, I’m an engineer. What I did before the expansion of Cataclysm was craft myself some Saronite Repair Bots (robots that served as mobile repair merchants) as well as preparing a mobile mailbox and cooked some stat increasing food as I would continue my trip through Cataclysm’s new zones. This can be helpful as you’ll need the probable resources to get through challenges. Oh and don’t just hoard up on just items, do make some gold too. Try and make some money before Shadowlands goes live, after all some items will cost gold and it would be expensive to maintain your equipment and probably training for some professions. Try to set a reasonable goal like 50k to 100k or even more if you want. But do remember to keep some sizable items in your inventory so when you’re questing in the Shadowlands, you won’t need to worry about not being prepared.

1. Try a Roleplaying Server

Playing World of Warcraft is a fun ordeal as you enjoy it, but what if I told you that you could take it to the next level? Enter the Roleplaying servers. What are they? Imagine the same thing as the usual servers in the game, but rather you can create a backstory for your created character. Not only that but you have some roleplaying events that can be fun (World PvP Fights for “territories”. Parties, even other stuff). It can be fun creating some characters (So long as you don’t go overboard with your character). But if you want your boy’s opinion, Roleplay servers can be fun though. However, a bit of some advice, if you are on a server called Moon Guard, stay the hell out of Goldshire..

For God's Sake Do not go to Goldshire!

With that, those are my top 5 things you can do while waiting for Shadowlands to come out. Though these are my ways to bide my time for this suspenseful wait. Otherwise, you’re free to do what you want to do if you play WoW. Oh and if you’re curious, I do hang out on WoW, if you want to know what servers I play on, don’t hesitate to ask.

With that, hope you guys enjoy the rest of your day and stay safe.

References

Tuesday Mumbles: Hot weather

Written by TheChoujinVirus

Note: The following is written in my own opinion. So do not take any offense to my statement or opinions.

Happy Post Memorial day everyone. It’s ya boy Choujin here.


Today is what I declare the first day of Summer? Before you ask, some will be asking “Why are you declaring May 26th Summer? Summer isn’t until June. Well today, our temperature has reached 98f and is creeping supposedly up to 101. So it already feels like summer (and my orchard plants say that too.)

Why does your boy hate the heat? Well I’ve never been a person who enjoys very hot weather. I’m the kind who would either need to be near a body of water with a cold drink or hunkered down next to a fan. If I have to go out, I’d do it while keeping myself cool while keeping myself out of the heat.
Though that sounds nice, we get to one problem I hate about heatwaves….

The first thing that I hate is the power bill. When you need to keep cool, that means the air conditioning needs to be on and if it’s not, you’re going to be feeling hot and miserable in your own house. Now ya boy does something like turning on some fans, which minimizes the need for the A.C. to turn on. Power conservation during these hot days can be a balancing game of do you want to keep cool or save some cash from not having a huge bill. It’s not only just the electric bill, but water as well. If you have a lawn or some fruit trees, you need to ensure your plants are able to survive (Unless you want a dead lawn or trees). So that can be an expense as some plants aren’t really good in the heat (particularly the dry seasons of California, where ya boy lives).

So hot weathers and heatwaves for me, can be a pain in the pocketbook than just the heat itself.

The second and last thing I’m not fond about this is how the heat can be a pain when it comes to cooking. Now, i’m sure someone will ask me, “how the hell does hot weather affect cooking?”
It’s a pretty simple: trying to cook something like meatloaf or something heavy is going to make it miserable. Oh and trying to enjoy a beer in 100 degree weather is literally asking to make yourself miserable. When it gets that hot, I’ll either be microwaving leftovers or something simple.

In short, hot weather can be a pain in the butt and I’d rather stay inside to keep myself cool.

Friday Fan-Work: Federation Letter

Good evening and happy Friday, As Finals draw near (and puts a bit of a wrench in Chapter 5 of Slayers.) I got some good news for you! I managed to find something of one of my older works I’ve done. What is it? In my creative writing class, we had to write a letter. So what i’ve done was create a letter depicting an email discussing the creation of the Terran Federation’s newest power armor.
It’s tied to the same universe as shown in Slayer of Foultongues, Bola’Vettir, and Black Knight’s First Flight. So sit back, and enjoy this little thing I’ve done.

To: Dr. Helgora Magyar, Zigima
From: Terran Federation Headquarters, Earth
Subject: Gargoyle Project Update

Dear Dr. Maygar,

We have received your research data regarding the field test of the Mark III Gargoyle Power Armor, and we are ecstatic about the results you have shown. The Mark IIIs show a tremendous performance improvement over the Mark IIs, as they don’t seem to require any external equipment such as Type D Environmental Equipment, nor do they need heavy or rushed production as the Mark II Variants. However, when it comes to the designs of the Mark IIIs, there are some concerns:

First off is your request to allow Capt. Darius to have the Gargoyle M.k. III (Codename: Tyrael) fully customized and have its designation name changed to “Acheron.” We are not surprised at this due to Captn. Darius’s close relations with the Acheronites, but we do find the requests to be odd. However, as long as the customization is aesthetic and not anything expensive, we are okay with that.

Another concern comes from Lt. Ishizu’s power armor, Codename: Zeiram, and the tremendous amount of money required just to refurbish the detachable armor forming its Ronin Mode. I understand that without it, the alternate mode would be too frail for a direct head-on attack. We can simply add that into the taxes for the time being.

The last one is the power suit, Codename: Ungnyeo, as I believed it was named. We wouldn’t have the problem with the heavy plating or fitting two Double Barrel Beam Gatling guns. However, what gets me concerned is fitting a payload of Micro Missiles onto that power armor. We wouldn’t mind that if the armor wasn’t so heavy, to begin with, some of our generals worry that it could be an easy target for the enemy to pick off.

Other than that, the last armor you’ve been working on has caused no problem, and we actually find it interesting. Codename: Belial has proven effective for a heavily modified Mark III using components from the now decommissioned Gargoyle Mark II custom (Codename: Archangel). You’ve managed to create what we expected in specialist power armor.

I expect future reports from you once the armors are now active for combat, and if the results make yield improvement, we can see the Gargoyle Power Armor being mass-produced. Respond back to me as soon as possible

With Regards
Kobayashi Tokata
Secretary to the Federation Magistrate

federation-letterDownload

Thursday Media Review: Top 7 Monsters from Media

Written by TheChoujinVirus

Note: this was made to be released on Thursday but due to delays it’s posted today

Happy Thursday, everyone, it’s ya boy, Choujin.
Quarantine’s still happening, but ya boy’s doing well. One thing I’ve been doing is rewatching movies and tv shows, and some things I’ve seen that got me rekindling of remembering monsters from old movies. Also, May was supposed to be the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, but due to the epidemic, we can’t see it until later on. So instead of reviewing media, I’ve decided to top 7 monsters from monsters. Before we go with the rules, we got some rules for this list.1. Any species are allowed, but they can’t be human (so no Jason, Meyers, or Borg. However, if the monster was a transformed human, that’s an exception)
2. No genre is taboo (so anything fantasy or sci-fi can count)
3. Robots can count and applied to the same rules applied too (but, also the robot can’t be piloted)
4. One monster per franchise.
5. To make things fair, No monsters from Godzilla films or Kong films (it would be way too easily)
5. This is my list, so if you feel a monster I put in isn’t on the list, don’t get miffed.
With that, let’s make our little list.

#7: Eborsisk (Willow)

Starting off this list is the monstrous twin-headed monstrosity known as the Eborsisk from 1988’s Willow. A creature transformed from a troll due to Willow’s lack of magical knowledge, this creature was born from its body and thus was something impressive. Done by Tippet’s Go Motion, the creature looked pretty organic for early special effects. Sadly the creature’s short debut in one moment in the movie sadly doesn’t make it memorable. However, it had one of THE most awesome deaths in which one of its head explodes. However, there are more monsters on the list…

#6: William Burkin (Resident Evil 2)

I’m sure a lot of you are wondering why I’m recommending Burkin? Well, it’s due to what happens throughout the game of Resident Evil 2. For those curious, Burkin infected himself with the G-Virus, a bioweapon created for Umbrella, in an attempt to prevent himself from dying. His creation now turning him into an infected monstrosity that slowly loses its humanity. Looking like a hulking monstrosity until eventually, he transforms into something resembling a fanged maw with various teeth and claws. Burkin’s form puts the horror in Resident Evil 2 and makes him a nightmarish creature that I admire the design for.

#5: Ramiel (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Not all monsters are beasts, some monsters can have some abstract bodies. In Neon Genesis Evangelion, we have Ramiel, one of the aforementioned kaiju known as “Angels.” Some angels take on the form of alien monstrosities or humanoids, but Ramiel’s one exception. When we are greeted by this Angel, it’s a literal floating blue diamond. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a giant diamond that shoots lasers. Sure it’s not impressive, but if you count the Rebuild series, Ramiel’s body can change shapes depending on its situation. It also makes the not so living thing actually feel like it’s a living thing regardless.

#4: Rahab (The Ocean Hunters)

Sea Monsters are a thing I like, and Sega’s 1998 arcade rail-shooter The Ocean Hunter is no exception to that. The final boss of the game, Rahab, is the source of all giant sea monsters that plague the world. He starts out as a strange giant frog-like creature called Dagon, then becoming bipedal as he becomes Poseidon. After dealing enough damage, he becomes the daemonic destructive creature Dagon. The design of this ferocious creature’s face gives a monstrous visage resembling a cyclopean skull and a body resembling a weedy sea dragon. His backstory makes him unique as he’s a monster born from the blackness of chaos and wanting vengeance of humans for destroying his home. It goes to show you that some monsters do have a reason to destroy than wanton annihilation. Heck, it can make them pretty human sometimes.

#3: Deathwing (Warcraft)

Now we’re getting to some personal favorites of mine. Out of most of the monsters in Warcraft, none are as impressive as Deathwing. Sure he was a hero unit in Warcraft 2, it was World of Warcraft: Cataclysm that led to him being the main focus. Once a noble Black Dragon named Neltharion the Earth-Warder, he became twisted by ancient eldritch horrors known as the Old Gods and driven mad to where he poses a grand threat to the world as he plans to unleash the Hour of Twilight. He starts out as a giant dragon only being held together with metal plates, and over time, he becomes a twisted pile of molten tentacles and flesh. Just as twisted as his monstrosities. Like Rahab, Deathwing does have a backstory that makes this monster a great villain. However, this is a list, not backstory lore.

#2: Cloverfield (Cloverfield)

When it comes to American Kaijus, besides King Kong, you have J.J. Abram’s Cloverfield monster. When the movie was in trailers, people never got a chance to see what this beast could be. Suddenly, when 2008 rolled out, we then got our view of the monster, and I gotta say, it’s an interesting beast. One, the creature’s sheer size makes it capable of knocking off the Statue of Liberty’s head. And if you think you can hide from the creature, this things got dog-sized mites that fall off the monster and can attack you. Oh, and did I mention that this beast is a baby monster? That’s right, this thing’s only a baby. Who knows how big this thing’s mom would be. Clover’s got potential for being a great American Kaiju.

#1:The Thing (The Thing)

All the monster listed had something unique that I liked, and some of them either had cunning, monstrosities, or just great designs or concepts. Now, what makes The Thing from the John Carpenter (and prequel) movie the top on the list is its nature: It’s basically a biological mimic. When the movie starts, it mimics a dog the group rescues from two Swedish researchers and reveals its monstrous form. Throughout the movie, the creature slowly picks off each person and later replaces them. Revealing itself when exposed and becoming twisted parts. What a terrifying monster: it can be anyone or anything, then ambush you. It’s an impressive feat that makes this creature my favorite monster of all time.

Thanks for reading my list and comment on what your favorite monsters from media are if you want.

References