Force of Nature

Seriously, kinda fucks you up when not only your modem goes off during a thunderstorm but you also find out the next day that even your network card goes up in smokes... Got a new modem this morning (heck only ADSL routers are available these days...) and burned two hours of lunch time sitting in Starbucks staring at the bloody ceiling.

First call came in, got a call from The Software Boutique saying that my Red Alert 3 pre-order card was available for the taking. W00t! Best news I've had since winning double on Mother Nature's "Russian Roulette" and also don't forget it's "shocking" as well. Mind you, the picture was taken with my Handycam so picture quality kinda sucks.

With the launch party coming ever so closer, I can't sit still. Can't wait for November as well since Left4Dead is keeping me at the edge of my seat as well. Only problem is that while I can't wait for November to come, I don't want it to come either. Sem's ending soon and deadlines are near. Do I look like I've completed any of my final assignments? *smiles*

As for those who're interested to attend the Red Alert 3 Launch Party, click here for details.
Until next time!

Gaia Character Entry: Shamu Leonson

Name: Shamu Leonson
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Clan: Berserkers
Age: 18
Class: Dragon Knight
Height: 5' 1"
Weight: 122 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Long, blue
Build: Slim and trim
Complexion: Fair

Clothes and Appearance: *Image below is 4 years prior to her current age.*

*note that .gif files are seriously hopeless when it comes to doing tween animation*
*click the picture to view it with a white background*

Personality: (4 years prior)
Her outwardly cheerful and happy nature hid the horror she faced during the massacre of her family and clan. Wide-eyed and charming with a little touch of girlish innocence. Also a little ditzy.

Personality: (current)
A changed girl during the 4 years of wandering the lands with Mugen (both thought to be dead). Her cheerful and happy nature now a thing of the past. Her eyes are as cold as steel and rarely opens up to anyone but her dragon pact-beast, Spes Eradlyn; the first-name meaning "Hope" as translated from the ancient Myrkridian tongue.

History:
Being the only female to ever join the Berserker's Dragonian Sect. was indeed something to be proud off. As a result, she was highly respected even if she was a mere 14 year old girl. The Dragon Knights were bound to their pact-beast; both sharing each other's fate. During the Tarnkappe Crusade, against her father's wishes, she abandoned her stationed post at the shrine in Egil and headed towards Myrkridia in search of her brother, Raviel, and her Myrkridian friend, Flaire. As the war pushed towards the Egil Archipelago, Shamu was nowhere to be seen and was feared to be dead. Four years later, with the company of fellow Berserker-exile, Mugen who was also thought to be killed during the initial onslaught of the Crusade, she ventures to the Eastern Lands in search of her friend and brother and to warn them of the incoming danger that they are to be facing. However, both she and Mugen were separated during the journey.

Other Traits/Notes:
Her pact-beast; a female dragon, is called Eradlyn. A name she chose for her hatchling upon her initiation into the Dragonian Sect. As the fate of a pact-beast is tied to that of its master, the fact that she has survived the four years means that her dragon also survived as she did. Months after her apparent escape from the Crusade in the Westfold, she adopted the first-name Spes for her pact-beast which meant "Hope" in ancient Myrkridian. Over the past four years of her travelling, Eradlyn has grown from a hatchling to a strider and finally, a young drake. Now with her wings fully grown, she can finally fly.

Shamu's fighting stance is based on the Six-Sword Disciplines made famous by the first Avatar of Gaia, Hugel Calientes and his master Grake Randgrid during the War of Ascension. They are now recognized as the six main disciplines of sword-fighting. They are:

• Terminatio Vultus (Determination Form) - Known as a basic balance stance. A root stance that may be followed-up by any of the other five.
  
• Litis Vultus (Contention Form) - An evolution of Terminatio. A favourite for Shamu as it heavily emphasizes blade manipulation, quick thrusts and cuts as in fencing.
• Occuro Vultus (Resilience Form) - A defensive evolution of Terminatio. Utilizes a slow approach when in battle; waiting for a chance to counter and disarm the opponent, gaining the upper hand in combat situations.
• Infestus Vultus (Aggression Form) - An assault evolution of Terminatio. Utilizing acrobatic moves fused with swordplay.
• Perseverantia Vultus (Perseverance Form) - A fusion of Occuro and Infestus. Also known as an advanced balance stance.
• Temperantia Vultus (Moderation Form) - A "jack-of-all-trades" kind of stance and focuses on a more "unorthadox" style of fighting. Has been labeled as a "dirty way of fighting" throughout the years. However most practioners confirmed that this is the easiest stance to adapt to in any given situation.

Shamu's current weapon is a rapier (Espada) given to her by her father and a ranseur (Albion) which is the standard weapon used by all Dragon Knights. She has been known to improvise her battle-stances when fighting with her spear.

Old Memories of Gaia

It's been a good and long 2 years since I stopped forum role-playing and with that abandoned my then fantasy fiction (called Chronicles of Gaia) which was inspired by the roleplay itself. I was roleplaying as a female Myrkridian wizard named Flaire Reverie. And below was a poem I wrote which Flaire recited during the time where she was in the tavern with her friends:

My heart is sealed.
Enveloped in darkness.
Never searching for the light nor try.
I am a Heartless.
A Heartless, yes...

Shadows overwhelm me.
The brighter the light, the greater my shadow.
The shadow of darkness...
I am a sould in the dark.
My life have I left behind.

Cheerful memories, sad events.
They mean nothing to me now.
My freedom taken away by someone of royalty.
One chance to step into the light.
One chance to step out of darkness.

In a blink of an eye, in a split second; everything disappears.
Called to suffer in darkness once again.
My eyes always looking to the sky.
My ancestors, gone.
Never coming back.

I am a Myrkridian last of my kind.
Only someone as stupid knows no fear.
I walk ahead.
Slowly but surely I will.
These people, discriminated and thrown out.
Why is this so?

We are the same are we not?
We share this home do we not?
Why are we pushed aside just because we're different?
Why? Why? Why?

The castle standing high.
It will fall, it will crumble.
What have we done to deserve this?
Someone of royal blood, a dictator, a man of no virtue...

My mind now cloded by the darkness of revenge.
I can only blame one person.
The one who forced us to suffer.
His reign will not last, his life the same.
As his kingdom the same.

We will gain independance.
Enough of discrimination, enough of suffering.
This torture will end.
The people will be free.
No longer third-class citizens.
Then will I be introduced to the light.

I am in darkness and so are my people.
The one they call the King.
He blocks us from the light itself.
And I have blocked my heart from him.
Nothing is stronger than my will itself.

Thou shall fell the wrath.
By one of the last.
The survivor of the Myrkridian race...
I will fight till death becomes me.

- Original post: March 4th, 2006 @ 3:38pm

With that said, I'm more than happy to say that I'll be reviving the abandoned Gaia project that went on a 2 year hiatus. Not much will be revealed as there are still some old stuff to be sorted out and lots of revising to be done. I'll be posting more on Gaia soon.