Christopher Paolini Looks Back

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Kvetha Fricäya! Hello Friends, I have a new video to share with you. It takes a look back at how it all began with Eragon and the journey to where we are today--just 6 weeks to go until the release of Inheritance! I hope you enjoy it. Christopher Click here to watch! Check out the all new Alagaesia.com Play Inheritance Quest! Visit the official fan site for the Inheritance cycle: Shurtugal.com To subscribe, please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/eragon/signup.htm. To unsubscribe, please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/preferences/ The Eragon e-mail newsletter is owned and operated by Random House, Inc. 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Members' e-mail addresses and information collected via this newsletter will only be used by Random House, Inc. internally and will not be sold or distributed. For the complete Privacy Policy of Random House, Inc., please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/about/privacy.html.

FireHeart - Legend of the Paladins EX - Sheena in PyroPyres

Source: http://youtu.be/9_ozPyVzyW0

A cutscene and sample battles in Legend of the Paladins EXTENDED new game interface. Using facilities like in-battle party changing and custom moves from ATB System 3.3d, RPG gaming can be EXTRA fun.

In Chapter Seven (Enia's Sanctum), in the Fire Stage (Pyro's Pyres) Sheena, Baxter and Ellephar are going naughty and have a taste of their own medicine.

Recorded in fast forward during three non-stop battles.
For more information about the game and FireHeart Saga, please visit:
http://fireheart.tk
http://fsaga.blogspot.com
http://fireheart-vadis.blogspot.com

3.3.18.5. The Mausoleum of Mysteries

Mausoleum by ~chrisk on deviantART
A Mausoleum
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3.3.18.5. The Mausoleum of Mysteries
Two days after Rael’charon delivered his strategy in Levides Palace, he and Emperor Sage the Fifth ride out Myrcalia along the countryside. Wait, what are they up to here? To take a rest, relaxing and vacationing in this place with fresh air and beautiful natural scenery while all their comrades are working around the clock, rallying the troops and get them in shape in a week’s time for the Crusade?

Well, if we take a closer look at their hard, serious faces, one may say that they’re on a mission of equal or greater importance than the Crusade. Also, they don’t talk during the ride, both being so eager to reach their destination, hardly enjoying the scenery. The cunning and wise elf just rides behind the exalted sovereign quietly, as one word from him can make this young, temperamental ruler change his mind. Before too long, they finally arrive.

Rael’charon follows the Emperor inside as he marvels upon the pyramid-shaped, large building in the front of a hill. It’s seven floors tall, and is about as big as a rural castle. The architecture is somewhat ancient, dated back several centuries before the Fireheart Era. Actually, what impresses the elf more is the complete history of Arcadia carved as bas reliefs on its walls.

The history of Arcadia began with the Declaration of Unification between the Kings, Princes and Dukes, all seven of them in the region to form a stronger Empire under one rule in defense against monsters, orcs and dark creatures from the underworld. And then, the Empire successfully defended against the orcs, thus by the leadership of the hero, Lesnar Geine the Arcadians freed Borgia from the orcs’ rule, pushing them back as far as Gremion and let them reside that cold, harsh region. Geine then became the third Emperor and the Parthenians monumented his name as the name of the a planet in the solar system. *)


(* See Book One, Chapter Seven for Planet Geine


The walls depict more events in history until the time of Sage the Fireheart who married Anne-Marie Geine, the last Heir of the Geine Dynasty and founded Deveraux Dynasty after he helped vanquish Vordac the Dark Overlord.

The last entry is of Antoine Deveraux, son of Sage the Fireheart who liberated Arcadia from the vile Mandrach Urganon’s reign of terror.

Rael’charon is so fascinated with the whole story until Cristophe’s voice snaps him back to reality.

‘Here we are, the inner chambers of Arcadia Mausoleum, tomb of our Emperors. Here is where princes and consorts rest in peace. It’s slightly going undergrond and not very deep in the catacombs where distant royal families lie. But still, we have placed many guards and traps in case someone is foolish enough to steal in this tomb. If you go here without me or a member of a royal family, you will alert the guards and they will activate the traps the moment you set foot in this place’.

‘I understand, Your Majesty’, says Rael’charon submissively.

The first basement floor is, like the upper floors, neat and bright, with marble floor and tables filling the room. On the marble tables lay dead bodies, all well preserved and embalmed with nothing but the best materials and covered with glass covers so the visitors can recognize them and the bodies stay preserved in magically air-vacuumed spaces. The air itself reeks of incense and myrrh, namely the preservatives.

Paying respects to the departed, Rael walks with his head low, following Chris without looking at the bodies. They walk here and there as though searching for something, and when Chris finds the one he’s looking for, he gets down on his knees and bows, the elf follows suit. Chris gets up and does the same thing in front of the tomb next to it. Rael follows again, and when he gets up he recognizes the bodies at once, saying,

‘My respects to Prince Alexis and Queen Mathilde of Arcadia, may you resume your rest in peace.’

Chris says, ‘No wonder you recognized my mother. You have visited Levides when I was a child. I still remember you for that, and for that memory only I gave you the permission to inspect Alexis’ body in this place.’

‘I understand, Your Majesty, and I’m sure that the thing that I’m about to do won’t spoil that memory. I’m just trying to help you answer the questions in your mind.

Did Robert kill your brother?

Was the Dark Forces’ attack during your absence accidental or part of plan ‘divide and conquer’?

How to divide the Alliance? What’s the Alliance’s weak point?

If Robert didn’t kill your brother, then who did?

What did they abduct Empress Eloise for?

There has never been a trace of insanity in Deveraux family, why did it start within your strong-willed father?

You already knew the answers of some, and some others must be answered through this examination. And here is an additional question: Did your brother really die?

So now, I’m asking you again. Do you want all these questions answered?’

Chris answers, ‘Actually, I’m not interested in digging a hole that has been dug. I’d rather concentrate with the Crusade.’

Hearing that, Rael’charon’s expression changes and he turns away from Alexis’ coffin, saying, ‘In that case, there’s no point carrying on with this examination. If only I knew you would say that in Myrcalia, we wouldn’t make this fruitless, time-wasting trip. It’s pity, though. If only you dig deeper, you might find what you’re looking for.’

‘So, you mean I haven’t dug deep enough?’

‘Will all due respect, yes, you haven’t. And if you go to Crusade with your mind full of doubt and guilt, the enemy will surely use them as your weak point and attack there only until you break and succumb to it. And without you, the Heir of Vadis as leader, the Crusade will likely fail and the Dark will once again reign over Arcadia – or worse – the entire Eternia!

The key to your answers is here, in your brother’s body, in front of your eyes. So, for the last time, do you want me to examine your brother’s body at the risk of desecrating it, and get all your questions answered?’

After a bit of thought, Chris sighs and answers, ‘Well, I do. You know I can trust you on this, and only you, because you have helped Robert before. Go ahead, Counselor, dissect his body if you need to. I’ve learned that the future of Eternia is far more important than my brotherly and filial love.’

‘Very well, then. I shall begin the examination now.’

Chris knows just what to do. He draws a bit of blood from his finger with a needle Rael brought, and uses that finger to press the button on top of the tombstone with the name ‘Alexis Deveraux, Prince of Arcadia’ carved on it. The magical device recognizes the blood sample, and the glass cover begins to open from the middle, sinking down into the stone pedestal as it’s highly magical, exposing the body to open air for examination purposes.

Rael’charon examines Alexis’ face and body, from top to bottom with his sharp eyes and immense power of concentration. Just as he is about to take Alexis’ death tunic off, Chris interrupts him, saying, ‘Let me do it’. Slowly but carefully, Chris unbuttons the tunic with his shaking hands. Rael can see Chris’ face drastically saddened as they see Alexis’ torso, all embalmed and is in a good shape except for the battle scars and the patched-up mortal wound on his chest from the sword that penetrated his heart all the way to his back. Chris keeps on staring at it with teary eyes while Rael’charon carries on with examination.

Considering all natural and supernatural possibilities, Rael interviews Chris about Alexis’ features, presses the corpse’s face and body at certain points to verify the information, and takes notes as necessary. He also examines with mandrake extract (to reverse the effects of transfiguration) and several alchemy substances that react with the body, yet the body remains normal as is.

At this, Rael concludes, ‘Only one method remains: We have to dissect this body’.

‘Lo, for what?’ Chris demands, ‘the royal physicians have perfomed an autopsy on him, and so far they concluded that it was just an ordinary murder’.

Reacting to this, the elf takes out his scalpel anyway. Chris suddenly shouts, ‘Stop, Rael!’ that somehow makes Rael jump in shock (which is an unlikely reaction from an elf) and accidentally cuts Alexis’ face with the scalpel.

‘Oh, sorry! I’m very sorry, Your Majesty’, says Rael with a whim.

‘You did that on purpose, eh, elf? I once had an elf as girlfriend, so I know that an elf can’t be easily shocked.’

‘Well, for a 150-year old elf like me who lives so long and so far away from Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, we tend to be more sensitive to less natural environments. Anyway, I can still fix the face, look...’

The cunning elf takes out a salve, and stops when sees Alexis’ face, muttering,

‘Interesting... very interesting.’

Puzzled, Chris asks, ‘What’s so interesting?’

‘Take a good look at your brother’s face.’

Chris looks at the cut on Alexis’ face real carefully. It looks like an ordinary straight cut deep on the cheek, but as he gets closer, he sees the cheek skin slightly peeling.

‘Naturally, a cut won’t peel the skin. If that happens, there is only one explanation to that.’

‘This is not Alexis’ natural skin, as though he’s wearing a mask or something,’ Chris concludes.

‘Exactly. And this mask is of human skin taken from the back or someplace, and processed either with magic or masterful craftmanship. Maybe I’ll try peeling some more just to make sure.’

‘Go ahead, Counselor. I also need to know.’

‘Well, here goes nothing.’

The elf carefully moves the scalpel beneath the peeled skin, cutting and peeling some more until half the face skin is peeled off, leaving the other half intact as evidence.

Apparently, it’s indeed a mask and the face of another man shows beneath the outer skin layer. Rael’charon gasps as he recognizes that face as...

‘Sir Eldric O’ Brennan.’

‘What? One of the three Lorean Knights who fell in the Battle of Myrcalia?’

Rael nods, saying, ‘Actually, Sir Eldric was the missing one, and now we know that he, not Alexis was murdered to frame Robert, to make you attack Lore in revenge, leaving Arcadia and other nations vulnerable for attack. Divide and conquer.

So, with this evidence in hand, there are two possibilites now. One, the Dark Forces have abducted Alexis and turned him into a mosnter or anything, using all means to use Alexis’ power for their own dirty, rotten goals.

And two – pardon me for saying this – Alexis must’ve been in league with the Dark Forces all along, and I’m afraid he’s actually the Heir of Vordac.’

Chris is so crestfallen on hearing this. ‘My brother – a traitor? No way. He was the apple of my father’s eye. He was so strong, so talented, never lost a fight. You’re just being absurd here, Counselor.’

Rael answers, ‘Well, if you put it that way, let’s assume that he – like your wife – was abducted. I’m unclear of their reasons, but one thing for sure, the Dark’s prime target is you.

You, of all your strengths and weaknesses have earned the status as Vadis’ Heir and became the central figure in this Crusade. The Dark Forces hoped to crush the Light by crushing his leader. And how to crush the leader? By attacking his weakness. And how to crush the leader’s weakness? By attacking the ones you care most, one by one: Your brother, your father, your wife...

Hmm, now I may assume that your brother and wife are still alive because the Dark wants to use them as hostages to threaten you, to lure you into their trap, to catch you in a defenseless position and then they’ll kill you all anyway. Or worse, they can and will use you three as weapons against your kind – by the worst way you can think of.’

Chris thinks for a while and then concludes, ‘Well, thank you, Counselor. Now I’m enlightened and ready for anything, for any tactic the enemy might pull, and go to war with a firm heart.’

Rael responds, ‘Good for you, Your Majesty. Now, let us wrap this face back so we can present this evidence to the others...’

‘Pithy... I must disagree with zat.’

Chris and Rael quickly turns and see the speaker standing on the entrance.

‘Monsieur du Bois?! What are you doing here, without my permission?’ says Chris with surprise. He presses the button and Alexis’ coffin closes.

‘Yes, I came not by your permizzion, but by your brothair, Alexis’, rest ‘ees soul. ‘Eere, zee. Fireheart Medallion. ‘Ee gave me zis to clear zee guard posts ‘een deactivate zee traps, just like you did.’ He takes out a golden medallion with a shape of a heart in fire and shows it to all. ‘Well, ‘eets more stylish zen zee ancient Geine Medallion, I’d say, and it worked!’

Enraged, Chris shouts, ‘That medallion is for royal family only! My brother won’t give his key to non-blood relatives! He couldn’t be that reckless!’

Talbot reacts, ‘Ohoho! But maybe ‘ee did! ‘Ee gave it to me, saying zat ‘ee wouldn’t need zis in case ‘ee departed from zis world in zee many battles ‘ee was in. ‘Ee trusted me fully, zat lad, and I sure ‘oped zat ‘ee would become L’Empereur, not some...’

‘ENOUGH! Enough of your slithering tongue! Now I demand you to surrender that medallion at once and go back to your duties! And that’s an order!’

‘An ordair? Why, of course I shall go back. But first, let me explain what I discovered ‘eere and what made me express my disagreement.

I zee you ‘aave let Monsieur Rael’charon perform a sacrilege upon your brothair’s remains – tsk, tsk – ‘een found out about zee body replacement. ‘Een zen, YOU two planned on telling everybody about it – ‘een zat’s wot I disagree upon. You zee, I cannot let you ruin zee schemes I’ve made long ‘een perfect: Deaths in Arcadia, you trial in Valanis, zee infiltration in Myrcalia, Alexis’ death, timing of the Dark Campaign, ‘een – oops – even zee Crusade you’re planning ‘ees being exposed zu zee ‘Eir right now. All were all my avant garde masterpiece!

Your knowledge upon disguised cadavers did reveal a flaw, an undesired scratch on zat perfect masterpiece ‘een I can’t allow ‘eet zu happain. Zo...’

Suddenly, Talbot throws a pouch towards Rael and Chris. The quick-handed elf throws a knife at that green package that pops, spreading a green mist of powder in the air.

‘Look out! It’s the One Hour Agony poison!’ Rael warns Chris. Both of them close their nostrils, but alas! They have inhaled a small dose of that poisonous gas and fell on their knees.

‘Ha ha ha! Zee great strategeest ‘een Vadis’ ‘Eir falling in a simple poison trap! Guess intelligence, might ‘een speed can’t always win against pure, simple bit o’ cunning, eh? Now I just got zu get out of ‘eere safely. You two will die in an ‘our, so, farewell, and zee you two in ‘ell!’

As Talbot turns and starts to run away, Rael shots a throwing knife with the last bit of his strength. It hits Talbot’s right shoulder.

‘OUCH! Damn you, elf!’ He shouts, and the double-crossing tactician darts off with the knife still nested on his shoulder.

Chris also gathers his last strength to look into the glass casket where the evidence is kept. To his shock and dismay, he sees Eldric’s corpse (disguised as Alexis) rotting so fast, only the bones and skull remain.

‘Oh, no... t-the evidence is gone...’ Chris mutters under the poisoning effect.

Rael’charon rummages into his pocket and takes out a vial of mandrake extract, saying, ‘Never leave home without it.’

He immediately drinks half of the all-poison antidote and gives the rest to Cristophe.

‘Too bad I only brought one for emergencies like this. Mandrake extract is not the best antidote for this poison, and with half the dosage, we can only buy time until help come.

That corpse rots the same way, same speed as any victim of the cursed dagger Ultimatum. MacLair might be dead, but the dagger can be in anyone’s hand now since it was stolen in Valanis. Now, let’s move as close to the exit as possible. I’ve called for help through telepathy, and she’ll be here any minute now.’

Now Chris knows why Rael stays calm all the time under that pressure of life and death. He has prepared everything! Five minutes later, Ney the elf sorceress along with Carolyn who also holds a Fireheart Medallion arrive on th spot with several guards.

‘Hurry up! Carry them to the palace infirmary or they’ll die!’ Carolyn shouts out instructions while Ney tends to Rael.

‘How’s your condition, brother?’ says the she-elf.

Rael answers feebly, ‘Weakening by each minute, Ney, the same with the Emperor here. Thanks for your help.’

Chris can barely mutter ‘Thanks’ as four guards heave him on their shoulders.

Rael asks Ney, ‘How about Talbot? Did you capture him?’

Ney just shakes her head, ‘No, I’m afraid. It seems he had chosen another path, probably a hidden exit.’

‘A hidden exit even I don’t know about,’ Carol adds.

‘It’s no wonder, since Talbot was Alexis’ right handman, being trusted more than a brother,’ Chris mutters bitterly.

The group then moves quickly to the infirmary, with no time to waste and the V.I.P. lives at stake.

==oOo==


‘So, you called us here just to tell us the plan’s changed,’ says Adler that night, in the same garden-view meeting hall with only the full moon hanging on the starless sky.

All Paladins and Commanders are present, including Rael’charon and Emperor Sage the Fifth, who are apparently recovered from the One Hour Agony poison.

The elf tactician responds to that, ‘Precisely, Viscount. But first, I need you all to know that there is a traitor among us.’

‘What? Who is it?’

Almost all who are present express their surprise, looking around, left and right for suspicious faces, mostly to Dar’gum the orc and Kyflynn the dark elf.

The latter cooly comments, ‘That’s easy to guess. Only Snakebeard Talbot isn’t among us tonight, so he must be the culprit. Just straight to the point, Rael. What the hell happened?’

Rael nods, ‘I was just going to tell you straightaway. Monsieur Talbot has poisoned me and the Emperor inside the Royal Mausoleum and ran away. We were there to examine Prince Alexis’ body to investigate about his death, and before we found anything, the body rotted quickly to its bones, just like a victim of the Ultimatum dagger. Luckily, the infirmary here have the right antidote to that poison, so here we are.’

Chris quickly gives Rael the look, to which the elf returns with a ‘trust me, I know what I’m doing’ look on his face.

Hernan comments, ‘How dare someone desecrate the dead that way. The one who got the nerve of such perfidy must have a secret so dark it worth destroying the body to conceal it. For a body to rot so quickly to its bones, it’s not natural. It must be the Cursed Blood effect.’

‘To put it short,’ Rael concludes, ‘It’s all part of a plan, the mastermind of which has confessed before he fled. The murders in Arcadia, the attacks, ambushes on heroes with potential, even the Siege of Myrcalia, the ‘divide and conquer’ tactic and the information leak in Freidle and Hail’varan, he took credit of it all.’

Kyflynn bangs the table and comments, ‘I always knew he is a scumbag. I might be the foul-mouthed one but this Talbot is downright rotten. Better a body rotting to its bones than a rotten heart.’

Rael continues, ‘For once, I agree with you, Flynn. And with Talbot escaped, the enemy must have known about the plan of the Crusade and its details. They also must have expected us to change the plan for sure upon this much exposure.

So, it’s like a game with all cards open. We’ll just try to cover one or two with our hands, with hope that the enemy won’t expect this move. And like a game of chess, we predict the opponent’s moves and plan to make the opponent sing to our tune.’

‘So, how will you deliver these unexpected maneuvers?’ Eidos asks, looking around in case there’s an eavesdropping device hidden somewhere.

‘I have prepared them all in here,’ says Rael, taking out several red envelopes from his bag and shows them to the others.

‘Your instructions are written in these scarlet letters, like the ones sent to invite heroes to the mission in Enia’s Sanctum. Only the recipients can read them. The difference is, once you’ve done reading it and putting it back in the envelope, it’ll dissolve.
So, read it now, read it later, read it here or anywhere as long as it’s in secret. Memorize the instructions, and put it back into the envelope. Do exactly as you’re told, or you’ll be punished according to the martial law.’

The elf tactician distributes the letters personally, handing them to the recipients, one by one. Some of them read the scarlet letters righ away, and when they want to say anything, Rael’charon already gets up, saying,

‘Keep these secret. All your questions will be answered in the field of duty. This meeting is adjourned. Good luck, fulfill your destiny.
May the sun shine upon you and the earth give you life.’

The blond, long-haired elf walks briskly out of the meeting hall. All eyes are fixed upon him. Some of them whisper to one another. The Emperor just sits still and looks thoughtful. Robert gets up and follows Rael’charon.

Kyflynn, on the other hand, turns very serious and stares at the unopened scarlet letter on his hand, murmuring, ‘May the moon bring you good fortune and the stars guide you through the night.’

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3.3.18.4. The Heir’s Awakening

Heir of The Dark Lord
sample illustration retrieved from padmagonpoinc.com


3.3.18.4. The Heir’s Awakening

Back in the Dark Throne of Kraal’Thragon, Lair of the Dark Traitors, tension fills the air already reeks of evil. All dark denizens present there just stand with a whiter shade of their already pale face – a mixture of disappointment and dread.

The Succubus Queen walks to-and-fro in the middle of the hall, nervous and deep in thought. Standing near her is the lich, wearing a new mask so none can predict her emotions.

The hour is nigh, says the Succubus Queen in her thoughts. The time of our Dark Lord’s awakening has come, and all we bring to celebrate are news of failure and a woman. An Empress she is, but what does he want with only one woman? He whispered it to me as if that woman is more precious than the world. He made me abandon the war, preventing me from opening the path for global domination, thus ruining the whole operation.

If only I can bring this up against him, but he is the strongest of us all. And being the strongest means that his words are incontestable – an absolute ultimatum that brings severe consequences for failures and denial.

She keeps on pondering, trying to cook up a way to escape the ‘severe consequences’ when suddenly the whole room is shaking, rumbling like an earthquake going on.

Dust, peices of stone even chip out from the walls, pillars and hideous, gigantic statues representing the seven original sins (pride, sloth, gluttony, greed, envy, wrath and lust) in that hall. Those without wings have difficulties standing, and those with wings fly, avoiding the falling stones.

The tremor goes on for a minute or so, before it gradually ceases and people in that hall get back into their original positions.

Any minute now...

The door to the hall slams open with force. In the front of it stands a figure wearing a ragged black robe with a black cloak. His appearance is similar to the lich with hidden face and all except long, white hair hanging out from the hood like a scarf. All in all, this not quite an impressive figure.

A demonic captain even bellows, ‘Intruder! How dare you break an entry! This is an important meeting, you know! Get out before I...’

Before he can continue, his head is severed and falls on the floor, still with inquisitive expression on his face. After that display of power, the hooded man speaks with a hoarse, deathly voice,

‘Anyone else?’

No one moves a muscle. The Succubus Queen who recognizes the hooded man kneels at once with a salute, ‘Hail to the Dark Overlord. We rejoice upon your awakening. Forgive us for not saluting immediately at your presence.’

Seeing the she-devil, all underworld retainers there, including the lich also kneel and bow. The Dark Overlord just walks past them slowly towards the Throne of Bones, the most exalted place in darkdom. Once he sits comfortably on the throne made of the bones of vanquished heroes of the past, the Dark One speaks,

‘Aah... It’s been years since I last sat here. Hmm, now, since I am in a good mood upon my rebirth, I decided to forgive you all now for not knowing. But, if you act without thinking like that garbage there,’ indicating the headless demon on the floor, ‘I won’t be so merciful next time.’

After a slight pause, without waiting for response the Heir of Vordac talks on, ‘Now, I feel like celebrating my rebirth. Before that, I wonder, where is my Lord Regent, Arachus? Why doesn’t he here to celebrate with us?’

Again, the she-devil reports, ‘The Lord Regent was fighting with Archangel Avariel of Yvais last time we saw them, They flew away from the battlefield, still fighting, and we haven’t seen them again ever since.’

‘The Archangel – himself? That’s interesting. I was about to fight my good ol’ archrival myself to test my renewed full strength, but the power-hungry Arachus just won’t spare me the glory of obliterating the toughest hurdle in my path! Well, he is doing me a favor, actually and with Avariel out of the picture, I can save my strength to get rid of lesser hurdles.’

Suddenly, Vordac’s hoarse voice turns soft and gentlemanly as he talks on, ‘Don’t forget there are the Paladins, too, especially the Heir of Vadis with their Guardian Forces. They can be hurdles tougher than Avariel can ever be.’

‘You’re right,’ says Vordac, his voice turns hoarse again, talking as though having a discussion with himself. ‘Two Heirs of Vadis have stopped me before, and this time, even two thousand Heirs of Vadis won’t stand a chance against my might! This time, our victory will be certain, and absolute domination of Eternia will be in our grasp!’

The Dark One’s overconfidence rouses his minions’ fighting spirit and they cheers, ‘Vordac! Vordac! Vordac!’

Lazily, Vordac raises a hand – a deathly pale hand like of a fresh corpse, and the cheers die down.

And then, the manly-voiced Heir talks, ‘So, any news from the front?’

The Succubus Queen, acting Commander in Arachus’ absence reports, ‘As you can see, Milord, almost all of us have returned here, and the Black Prince is guarding our front in Freidle.’

‘Just straight to the point, Archdemoness. Are we triumphant in this campaign?’

‘We... We have conquered Castoria, Merida, Bresconnor and Borgia, but... the Light Side halted our advance in Hail’varan Plains. So, we decided to withdraw and amass a larger army to launch the second wave...’

Before she finishes, the Heir’s hand is already on her throat, lifting her from the ground. In his wrath, the Heir tortures the she-devil by electrocuting her with dark aura.

He shouts with hoarse voice, ‘So, you mean we’ve lost this war, and we must send out our reserves, leaving our domain vulnerable? All your word-twisting is USELESS! You and your useless minions have ruined the whole campaign and you’d rather leaving our domain vulnerable to those pestering angels to save your own face! Well, you won’t even recognize your own face when I’m done rearranging it!’

Choking, writhing in pain, the she-devil pleads, ‘Aah...!! Please, master... Please, not the face... I’d rather die than to lose it... Please... You told me to abandon the battlefield... For a more important mission... Please, master...’

The Heir continues his pressure, yet his voice turns manly as he says, ‘Hmm, I remember now, I did sent her to kidnap the Empress. Answer me, did you bring her here?’

‘Y-yes, m-master... She was stubborn... Resisting all the time... So I kept her in the dungeon...’

‘Good, very well done,’ says the Heir, loosening his grip and putting the she-devil gently on the ground, ‘But, you better be true with your words or I’ll waste you without hesitation.’

‘Yes, master, yes... Oh, thank you, master, so great, so merciful.’ So that’s the only way to make this Dark Mistress swallow her pride in your hands of mercy.

The Dark One then slides back and sits on the Throne of Bone so casually with his one foot up and his knuckle supporting his head. He simply waves his other hand, and all denizens in the room understand the signal and leave the room silently and orderly.

The Succubus Queen, the last one who gets out from the hall walks limply. As she reaches the doorway, she looks back at the Dark Overlord unmoving, with thoughts in her mind.

He cares so much about that young Empress, and regards me as nothing but a minion, a tool. Me, Vordac’s Mistress... If only I can find out his real intention...

The door to the throne hall is shut, leaving the Heir in the darkness, alone with his thoughts.

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Christopher Paolini & More Coming To A Town Near You!

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September 2011 - The days end quicker, the air grows crisp and cool, and wanderlust strikes the wayward traveler! This fall, your favorite authors old and new are hitting the road to bring you sneak glimpses into their magical worlds. See who may be journeying to your town soon!

Christopher Paolini in a Town Near You! In preparation for the final chapter in Christopher Paolini's epic fantasy series, the author will be on a nationwide book tour beginning October 15th. Visit Alagaesia.com for a detailed schedule and pre-order your copy of Inheritance today! Inheritance Not so very long ago, Eragon--Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider--was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders. Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances. It began with Eragon. It ends with Inheritance, available on Nov 8. For more info and discussion about the Inheritance Cycle, check out Shur'tugal.com. Play the Inheritance Quest on Facebook! Now with all the characters revealed! Your Ticket to the Mysterious Modelland Join Tyra Banks in an engaging author appearance that will include heartfelt and fantastic discussions, lively group interactions, and a fun-filled Q&A from the audience. This one hour event will expose all attendees to Tyra's core mission to expand the definition of beauty, while inviting them into the wonderful, mysterious world of Modelland - her debut fantasy novel for young adults. Come prepared to share, to be moved, and entertained! Schedule is available at www.ModellandBook.com! Modelland No one gets in without being asked. And with her untamable hair, large forehead, and gawky body, Tookie De La Crème isn't expecting an invitation. Modelland -- the exclusive, mysterious place on top of the mountain -- never dares to make an appearance in her dreams. But someone has plans for Tookie. Before she can blink her mismatched eyes, Tookie finds herself in the very place every girl in the world obsesses about. Quest in Lands Beyond With These Books Featuring Epic Journeys!

Copyright © 2011 Random House, Inc. All Rights Reserved. To unsubscribe, please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/preferences/. To sign up for the Strange Lands Newsletter visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/strangelands/signup.html. The Strange Lands Newsletter is owned and operated by Random House, Inc. Members’ e-mail addresses and information collected via this club will only be used by Random House, Inc. internally and will not be sold or distributed. For the complete Privacy Policy of Random House, Inc., please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/about/privacy.html .

See Christopher Paolini on Tour!

Click here to see images.

Kvetha Fricäya! Greetings, Friends! I'm thrilled to share the line-up of events on my tour for the release of Inheritance with you. I'll be on the road in November and December and look forward to seeing many of you soon! Take a look below for more information from Random House. Christopher Paolini NEW YORK CITY Tuesday, November 8th 7:00 p.m. B&N Union Square 33 East 17th Street New York, NY 10003 PHILADELPHIA, PA Wednesday, November 9th 7:30 p.m. Free Library of Philadelphia Central Library 1901 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 CHICAGO Thursday, November 10th 7:00 p.m. Tivoli Theater Arranged by Andersons Bookshop 5021 Highland Avenue Downers Grove, IL 60515 BLOOMINGDALE Friday, November 11th 4:00 — 6:00 p.m. Meijer 130 South Gary Avenue Bloomingdale, IL 60108 MILWAUKEE Saturday, November 12th 1:30 p.m. The Pabst Theater Arranged by Next Chapter Bookshop 144 East Wells Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 MIAMI Sunday, November 13th Miami Book Fair International Arranged by Book & Books Miami Dade College For more information, call Books & Books at (305) 864-4241 BIRMINGHAM Tuesday, November 15th 6:00 p.m. Books-A-Million Brookwood Village 757 Brookwood Village Birmingham, AL 35209 DALLAS Wednesday, November 16th 4:00 — 5:00 p.m. Kroger Alliance Town Center 3300 Texas Sage Trail Fort Worth, TX 76177 SOUTHLAKE Wednesday, November 16th 7:00 p.m. Barnes & Noble 1430 Plaza Place Southlake, TX 76092 ROUND ROCK Thursday, November 17th 5:00 p.m. H-E-B 1700 East Palm Valley Boulevard Round Rock, TX 78664 HOUSTON Friday, November 18th 5:00 p.m. Stratford High School Auditorium Arranged by Blue Willow Bookshop 14555 Fern Drive Houston, TX 77079 AUSTIN Saturday, November 19th 2:00 p.m. BookPeople 603 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78703 KANSAS CITY Monday, November 21st 7:00 p.m. Unity Temple on the Plaza Arranged by Rainy Day Books 707 West 47th Street Kansas City, MO 64112 BILLINGS Friday, November 25th 7:00 p.m. Barjon’s Books 223 North 29th Street Billings, MT 59101 SEATTLE Monday, November 28th 7:30 p.m. Bainbridge High School Arranged by Eagle Harbor Book Co. 9330 NE High School Road Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 REDMOND Tuesday, November 29th 7:00 p.m. Redmond Library Arranged by Secret Garden 15990 NE 85th Street Redmond, WA 98052 SAN FRANCISCO Wednesday, November 30th 7:00 p.m. Book Passage 51 Tamal Vista Boulevard Corte Madera, CA 94925 SALT LAKE CITY / PROVO, UT Thursday, December 1st 12:00 p.m. Costco 648 East 800 South Orem, UT 84097 SALT LAKE CITY Thursday, December 1st 7:00 p.m. The King’s English 1511 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, UT 84105 PROVO Friday, December 2nd 7:30 p.m. Provo City Library 550 North University Avenue Provo, UT 84601 PHOENIX Saturday, December 3rd 4:00 p.m. Burton Barr Central Library Arranged by Changing Hands 1221 North Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85004 EDMONTON, CANADA Monday, December 5th 6:00 p.m. Chapters West Edmonton Mall 170th Street Edmonton, Canada VANCOUVER, CANADA Wednesday, December 7th 7:00 p.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help School Gymnasium Arranged by Kidsbooks 2550 Camosun Street Vancouver, Canada INDIANAPOLIS Saturday, December 10th 1:00 p.m. Sam’s Club 7235 East 96th Street Indianapolis, IN 46250 LIVINGSTON / BOZEMAN Thursday, December 15th 5:30 p.m. Livingston County Public Library 228 West Callender Street Livingston, MT 59047 BOZEMAN Saturday, December 17th 1:00 p.m. Costco 2505 Catron Street Bozeman, MT 59718 BOZEMAN Tuesday, December 20th 6:30 p.m. Hastings 1601 West Main Street Bozeman, MT 59715 Check out the all new Alagaesia.com Play Inheritance Quest! Visit the official fan site for the Inheritance cycle: Shurtugal.com To subscribe, please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/news/. To unsubscribe, please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/preferences/ The Eragon e-mail newsletter is owned and operated by Random House, Inc. 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Members' e-mail addresses and information collected via this newsletter will only be used by Random House, Inc. internally and will not be sold or distributed. For the complete Privacy Policy of Random House, Inc., please visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/about/privacy.html.

The Jester

evil jester by *earache-J on deviantART
http://fav.me/d30ry2t

The Jester
Words and music by:
Rathflaed DuNoir
The Black Bard of Meridies
mka Stephen R. Melvin

Source:
http://www.chivalry.com/blackbard/jester.html

A long time ago, in a land most far away,
There stood a peaceful village which might still be there today,
This Town had a bane, The Jester was his name,
He had a band of men and terror was his reign.
No one could ever equal him at throwing words or puns
He terrorized their village, raped their daughters killed their sons,
He stole their crops and burned their homes and none could shed a tear,
For the jester made them smile while his company made them fear.

Chorus:
O the grown men would run and the children would hide,
The women would faint to the ground,
He had bells on his shoes, a baton at his side,
And they feared when the jester came to town.
With his eyes shining dark, the jester made his mark,
He'd a face white as death all around,
He'd a wit sharp as knives and they'd run for their lives,
For they feared when the jester came to town.

One day there came into the town a man with a sash of black.
He had a song in his voice and a harp on his back,
A traveled man from far away his road was long and hard,
But he'd stood it well though he'd been through hell,
And he called himself the bard.

The Bard performed a juggling show, Those balls he made them whirl,
'Til the jester interrupted by insulting a young girl.
The bard he made a snide remark, and thus he sealed his doom.
For the jester said, "You'll face me in a punfight at high noon!"

Chorus

Next morning bright and early, the bard was nowhere found,
The town was quiet as a church, no one dared make a sound.
The jester rode into the town, no one dared even think,
He stopped into the tavern, and he got himself a drink.
At noon the jester stepped outside, the sun was shining bright,
The jester said, "I knew he'd run, this town is mine tonight!"

My noon it seems is higher than yours, rang out in a voice so clear,
So the jester stopped and turned around, and he then began to fear.
The bard jumped lightly to the ground, the subject had been set.
So the jester steeled his voice, and he said, "A bet's a bet.
I have a sage to visit about your comment on the thyme"
The bard replied, "Let's spice things up." In a wicked sounding rhyme.

The jester shot back quickly, "Are those cloven hooves you wear?"
Why no, but if you're interested, there's a sheep right over there.
The bard thus scored the first real blow, and he thought he might have won.
But the jester said, "I wooldn't" and the pun fight had begun.

Chorus

From sheep the subject went to war and continued towards the night.
From knights came swords and armor, in a truly glorious fight.
Fighting went back into war, they wore out subjects, true.
But truth itself it was no match, for the vice they had to screw.
The bard nailed that one on the head, and this the jester saw.
It's hard to ware a subject when your throat is hoarse and raw.
But the mane pun of the evening, from the tale up to the head,
Was a triple pun and when 'twas done, The jester lay there dead.

Chorus

(Slow)
So the punfight had been won, and the town owed their lives,
To a skill with words unmatched, for which every true bard strives,
So the bard finished up his show and he sang well into night,
For the people of that town threw a feast as was his right.
Next morning the bard rode away, and the people said goodbye,
And the lass who'd been insulted asked with a tear in her eye,
"Have you any words to leave with us before you go milord?"

Remember lass, the pun is truly mightier than the sword!"

Chorus twice

Conan The Barbarian (2011 Movie)

Source: NOGOODFLIX YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1iJZIMddpM



MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 trailer: http://youtu.be/J-MXTFBIER8
BATTLESHIP trailer 2012: http://youtu.be/KsieadPPvJE
Amazing SPIDERMAN trailer 2012: http://youtu.be/siqo1X-gKTk

Conan the Barbarian Trailer 2011 - new 2011 official movie trailer HD

The most legendary Barbarian of all time is back this Summer. Having thrived and evolved for eight consecutive decades in the public imagination- in prose and graphics, on the big screen and small, in games and properties of all kinds- Conan's exploits in the Hyborian Age now come alive like never before in a colossal 3D action-adventure film. more... A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil. Deftly adapted from the original works of Robert E. Howard and faithful to the mythology and psychology of his iconic character, CONAN THE BARBARIAN stars Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Said Taghmaoui and Ron Perlman. The film is directed by Marcus Nispel, and written by Thomas Dean Donnelly & Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood.

"I live. I love. I slay...I am content." - Conan The Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian 2011 trailer is presented in full HD 1080p high resolution. Conan the Barbarian trailer 2011 courtesy courtesy Lionsgate. Release: August 19, 2011

Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Starring: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Saïd Taghmaoui and Ron Perlman, Leo Howard, Steve O'Donnell, Raad Rawi, Nonso Anozie, Bob Sapp, Milton Welsh

Directed By: Marcus Nispel

Produced By: Fredrik Malmberg, Boaz Davidson, George Furla, Danny Lerner, Les Weldon, Joe Gatta, John Baldecchi, Henry Winterstern

Writers: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, Sean Hood

MonsterBane 7: The Pageant! 1st Wave

monsterbane! 7: monster pageant! 1st wave by vadis

Link to Image:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/stripgenerator/strip/18/57/55/00/00/full.png

MonsterBane Monster Pageant!
Celebrating Miss Universe 2011

Okay, so this is what happens when you are stuck in the airport waiting for a flight that is (possibly) delayed.

An idle cartoon about monsters and their thoughts, and maybe you'd care to nominate one of 'em to be the prettiest (or the most terrible) monster in StripGeneratorland!