Hornsounder: September 2007 Edition

[Mystica]

 

 

Welcome to this month's edition of the Hornsounder!

 

Dear Hornsounder Reader,

 

September 2007 will go down in history as one of the saddest months in the lives of any WoT fan as our beloved Author and the Creator of our literary world has moved on to the next stage of his existence.

 

This event overclouds anything else for all of us this month and has been the center of any activity since. Modest is therefore the key word of this month's edition as fans tried to cope with the loss and endulged in the memory of the life of Robert Jordan and the impact this great man had on all our lives.

 

Nevertheless the Hornsounder has chosen to continue as we are certain RJ himself would have wanted it. Taking our cue from his neverending fight for life and not giving in one inch to the struggles that the Wheel puts on our path, we bring you this month's Hornsounder as we have done every month.

 

I would like to call your attention already on next month's edition, which will be completely dedicated to RJ. We will be celebrating him Hornsounder Style and we hope that you all will join us in that and thus keeping the hope and strength this man has shown us alive.

 

For now, I wish you a pleasant read of this month's edition. 

 

Enjoy your Hornsounder,

Mystica

EiC

 

 

JoTS Winner of the Month

 

This month's topic was: The Senior Staff of the Band.

 

And the winner: Mystica of the Infantry!

 

Congratulations, Mystica!!  :)

 

The winning JoTS:

 

The Iron Hand of Corruption

 

The Staff they are of all the Band

And march along with iron hand

Before us all they glare and stand

While we dance with Jack o' The Shadows

 

Corrupt they are but we don't mind

We like to pay them back in kind

Our Staff who won't be left behind

As we dance with Jack o' The Shadows

 

September's Headlines!

 

As our regular readers have come to know, the Hornsounder is divided into Sections, each handling a part of the newspaper and housing specific topis. I give you now a summary of what you can find in each Section.

You may find your interested parts quickly by scrolling to the Sections, which are clearly marked by their own Header as the one you see here on top. Subsections within can be recognised by their Blue color and therefore equally easy to recognise. To help you find your field of interest even faster, in the Headlines below you find the page on which each Section is located.

 

In the Editorial Section (way at the end of the Hornsounder) you can find out everything about the Hornsounder itself. What it is, how it works, who the slaving mad people are that make sure you get your newspaper full of interesting stuff each month and how YOU can be a part of it all too.

 

The Band of the Red Hand Section brings you the Word from our Marshall-General, introduces the Band's current Active Members, provides the results of the Band's Lottery . Stefania is bringing us a summary of Banders' Travel and Music reviews and you get the opportunity to smooch away on our Banders' birthdays . 

 

The Regimental Section will effectively still your hunger for knowing what's been up with the Archers, Cavalry and Infantry this month. Check up on the antics of the Recruits while they visited every Regiment, whether a new Knight or Lady has been raised, if the Infantry gained a new Morat or maybe a new Blademaster even. Who might become the Archers' first Assassin??

 

In the Raw Recruits Section, our Executive Officer, La Brain Rummager Extraordinair herself, Blademaster Taymist will fill you in on the latest updates on our Recruits and present you with the Recruit of the Month.

 

In the Redarms Section our Redarm Leader fills you in on all the law breaking and spotfining activities that were found in the Band this month.

 

The Specials Sections bring you a nice little collection of Columns and stories that will make you sit up and scream for more. The Columns Section this month has sprung back to life as our MG's recommendations and the Infantry Nights of Kristine are back in full swing. But wait! They have been joined by a Creative Crafting Mind in the form of Infantry Diva Talya and Cavalry Story teller Lady Stefania!  A collection of Raw Recruit Articles will have you nailed to your seat from start to finish.

 

Entertainment is the spice of Life! Or was it variety? Who cares... Get those braincells to working and claim those prizes! Join in on the Competitions and see if you too can claim winner status in Corki's Great Hunt or are a wizard at Sudoku! This month's Caption Contest is presented by Anigrel for those extra creative minds that feel up to the challenge of putting thought and words to a picture! 

 

The free standing Games on the other hand, offer a nice warm up for those that need it or a fun way of passing the time in those dead hours between earning points for your promotions.

If you played the ones from last month and want to find out how well (or bad) you did, you'll find the correct answers here too.

Check out the Jokes !

 

Dragonmount, our home. Find out the latest news that was reported to Hornsounder about your ORG and those ORGs you don't know yet. We have news from almost every ORG.

 

Last but most definately not least: Wheel of Time Section! Find out the latest news on our beloved author, Robert Jordan. Get up to date on the status of his health as well as on the books. Read all about thé topic of conversation, turmoil, uproar from DM this month!

 

So there you have it folks. I hope you will enjoy this month's Edition of your Hornsounder thoroughly and if you have any ideas or suggestions that might make your Hornsounder Experience even more fun, don't hesitate to let us know.

 

Or maybe you too want to try your hand at being a reporter?

There's room in the Hornsounder for everyone, so don't let those doubting demons get the best of you. Jump right in and contact me through pm with any ideas for articles and/or projects you may have!

 

Untill next month,

 

Mystica,

Editor in Chief

[Mystica]

 

Word from the M-G

 

Another month passes, and it is again time to welcome our readers to the latest edition of The Hornsounder, the Band of the Red Hand's newspaper. As I always do, I want to extend my hand to give my thanks to the hard working members of the Band and of the rest of DM for giving up their time to write articles for the successful Hornsounder, especially during this month with the terrible news of Robert Jordan's death. Again, special mention goes to Mystica, who gives up a lot of her time to make sure The Hornsounder functions properly, and everything gets done in time, so that you, the readers, can sit back and enjoy yet another brilliant edition. Thank you to everyone.

 

Now, a quick summary of activities in the Band during the month of September:

 

- There have only been 3 recruits join the Band in September, but they are all very active, and offer much to the ORG through their activeness

 

- September has seen some serious competition between the Cavalry and the Infantry as they try to battle it out in the Regimental Competition, with the Archers lagging behind in third place. Each day, a series of clues to places across the world have been posted by the Band's Senior Staff, and the scores are really close as we head into the final few days to see who wins, and thus earn some valuable points towards winning the The Matrim for Best Regiment.

 

- An internal competition has been held to determine the new name for the ORG Game Leader, as well as a series of icons for the ORG Game Staff. As The Hornsounder goes to press, voting is on to determine the new name, and top quality artwork is being created. Results next month!

 

- On the music discussion side of things, the pace has just begun to pick up again, with a series of discussions on the vital components of a band (i.e. singer, drummer, guitarist) to see who we think are the best. More discussions, like a look at each decade so far, will be coming up in the coming weeks...so make sure you stay tuned into the Band's boards and join the debate!

 

- There has been a revivial of the Band's Geek thread at DM to see who of us is the geekiest by answering a series of questions in this test

 

- It was also my 21st birthday on the 24th September, so all Banders have been giving me various gifts as part of the roll call!

 

September has been a strange month. There has been good activity, but sadly the month was overshadowed by the sad news of Robert Jordan, the reason why we are all part of DM, passing away. But we will make sure his name and works live on for future readers to enjoy.

 

Why Join the BotRH?

 

So, having read some of the activities the Band gets up to, you want to know more about the ORG? As already mentioned, one of the ORG's focus is music, and the Band's other focus is travel. Banders are regularly writing reviews about any music album they own, whether it be old or new, as well as any gigs and concerts they have been to and various locations around the world they've visited. Responses to these reviews are encouraged, which gives Banders points, and these points allow for promotion through the many ranks in the Band. This is the basis of the ORG.

 

When you first join up with the Band of the Red Hand, you become a Raw Recruit. During this time, you experience life with each of the three Regiment (Archers, Cavalry, Infantry) and the Band itself as well so you get to know how the ORG works, and you don't get lost in your early days in the Band. After your three weeks of completing various tasks as a Recruit, you then pick the Regiment you wish to join and thus become a fully fledged member of the Band of the Red Hand. Also, once you picked your Regiment, you will be guided to become an Infantry Blademaster or a Knight of the Cavalry or an Assassin within the Archers.

 

However, the Band is not all about work. We have many fun activities going on within the ORG, ranging from simple word games to our ORG Game, created by Canis Rufus with the help of Mallett. Everything is based on the luck of rolling dice, so build up your stats to give yourself the chance of getting better rolls! Once you've taken the seven easy lessons, you can then challenge any Bander to a duel in the Arena and bring great glories to your name! Look out for Festivals of Games as another way to bring glory to your name! We are the only ORG to gamble as well, so create a Bank Account and join in the Lottery to earn some big winnings just like Mat!

 

As you can see, the Band is a place with a variety of activities, hopefully catering for everyone's needs. There are various activities for those who want points to go up the ranks, or fun and games for those who want to socialise. The Band is open to everyone, so come and join the fun at the best ORG at DM!

 

Corki,

Marshall-General BoTRH

 

 

The Band's Lotto Winners - August

(by Bridmorgan)

 

The month of August was a bit slow for the Lottery, but we had some new winners and of course some die hard lottery players. The ol' Pirate finally made it to the top with 18 followed closely by the Bands leader with 10. I thought this month, I would remind all you Banders what you can get with your winnings.

 

#1: Org Points! You can trade your Lotto Chips in for Org points! How easy is that people? For 10 Lotto Chips, you can get 1 Org point. Need a few points to get that promotion? Play the lottery and trade in your Chips!

 

#2. Game Points. For every 5 Lotto Chips you can get 2 Game Points! This is perfect for all you Gamers, an easy way to get points to boost your stats!

 

#3. Get out of a Spotfine Free Card! I can think of some people who could use this *cough* 12th *cough* Now the next time you want to break a Band Law, you can have your get out of a Spotfine free card for just 20 Lotto Chips! I could have used one of those! There are four cards available. They are: a) for Spilling Brew; b) Channeling; c) Assaulting a Redarm; d) Assaulting a Staff Member

 

Now if those aren't incentive to play, I don't know what is! There is a new Lottery Draw coming up on October 7th, so there is still plenty of time for you to add your numbers!

 

August Lottery Winners

 

Manny - 18

Corki - 10

DJ - 8

Brid - 7

Arrandion - 4

Belar - 4

Empy - 4

Horn - 4

Kara - 4

Talya - 4

 

Next month we'll have the results of the Mega Lottery!!

 

 

Banders' Birthdays

(by Mystica)

 

Here are our latest birthday pigeons, folks! Don't forget to tacklesmooch them right into next week when next you see them, in case you didn't already.

 

There's quite a list, so get your lip balm ready and a bottle of water to moisturise them smackers.

 

Congratulations and Manny happy returns to:

 

Corki

Dragonlover

Darmon

Kellan

Silver

Twinflower

Myles

Morholt

Amalasan

Conningofficer

Harmony

Danya

Inkcubate

Asmojahn

Amavia

JR

Entity

Jester

Midian

 

Ranking list of the Active Banders

(by Mystica, EiC)

 

The ranks you see are based on the earning of ORG points and are arranged top to bottom. The top 3 positions are what we call our 'Senior Staff' and they are permanent and not linked to any points. The points based positions are divided between 'Commissioned' (= Officers) and 'Enlisted' (= Non-Officers) and can be achieved by any Bander willing to put in the necessary work.

 

Our newest members, the Raw Recruits, are not in this list as they get a special mention in the Raw Recruits Section further in this paper.

 

 

This ranking is based on the last promotion round: 15 September 2007

 

Marshal-General: Corki

 

Under-Commander: F Horn of Valere

 

Executive Officer: Taymist

 

Commissioned Officers

 

Banner-Captains: Auld Manriva, Footman, Taymist, Mystica, Twinflower, direwolfjon

 

Captains: -

 

Lieutenant-Captains: Apollo, Bridmorgan, Steel Axe

 

Senior-Lieutenants: North Star, Kristine

 

Lieutenants : Froix, Katiora, Helike, Chaelca, Vorkia, Amavia, woolhead, Jeannaisais

 

Under-Lieutenants: Odette, Karaj, Dragonlover, 12th Regiment, Arrandion, Angyl, Kieran Warwick, Dicetosser1, Son of Battles, Stefania Sedai

 

Enlisted

 

Master Sergeants: JimRaynor, Kellan Kiri, Ashandarei, Safia al-Maaz, Shadowhelm

 

Sergeants: Alishandra, Toy and Minion, Mr. Soy Boyo, Anigrel Tavadon

 

Corporals: Talya, Jackdaw, Moose, Zeth Alley, Tigara, Belar, demonspawn, hazlyyn, Heltor Helton, lewstherin

 

 

Privates First Class: False Dragon, Jadynalraimon, Faelene,

Dragon_Rider, beltine, Safir, ApostleofJordan, Feral

 

 

Privates: Malin

 

Holiday Reviews

(by Lady Stefania)

 

A couple Banders have been out and about this month and were eager to tell us all about it! Lord Horn first reported on his trip to Multnomah Falls, just outside Portland, Oregon. Be sure to check out this review for some calendar-worthy waterfall pics! JimRaynor was eager to share about his holidays as well. His first expedition was an enjoyable, however unlucky, fishing trip to Santee Cooper, South Carolina. He followed this up with a jaunt off to the Carowinds located in North and South Carolinas for some amazing time on the roller coasters! Lord Horn then dropped back in to tell us about his camping excursion to Oregon’s Upper Rouge, where he got up close and personal with a friendly little chipmunk. The animals were a bit bigger on his visit to Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Horn included some great pictures of giraffes and (my favorite) turtles, among many other fabulous animal pics!

 

If you have an exciting excursion or outstanding outing to tell us about, the Band would love to read it! Post your Holiday Reviews in the Holiday and Album Review section for a possible 2 ORG points, or stop by and comment on a recent review for 1 ORG point. We can’t wait to see what you have been up to!

 

 

 

Album Reviews

(by Lady Stefania)

 

It was a musical month for members of the Band. Direwolf Jon filled in the Metal category with reviews of Drowning Pool’s Desensitized as well as Mudvayne’s The End of All Things to Come and The Beginning of All Things to End. In the Rock category, Demonspawn shared with us about Youth and Young Manhood by Kings of Leon and DJ reviewed The Warrior’s Code by Dropkick Murphys. Taymist made an appearance in the Folkarena to discuss Clannad’s Past Present. We ran into DJ yet again in the Alternative/Indie category as he told us about Plan White T’s Every Second Counts. Rounding out our musical journey with the Religious group, we had Goldy (aka TOS) filling us in on Comatose by Skillet and Lady Stefaniagiving us the lowdown on Undone by MercyMe. All together, a musically diverse group of reviews with a little something for everybody!

 

Heard anything good lately? Yeah? Then tell us all about it! Post your Album Review in the Holiday and Album Review section for a possible 2 ORG points, or stop by and put your two cents in on a recent review for 1 ORG point. So what have you been listening to?

 

[Mystica]

 

Archers News - Straight from the Range

(by Amavia)

 

Recruits

We have had some new fresh meat at the archery range, lets see what they have been up to

 

First of is Feral although we didn’t see much of him, we still hope he has a wonderful time with the band and perhaps he will stop by our range one day! We will keep the Flaming shots ready!

 

Next up is Zorina, She has made us a lovely thread to post our vacations. Although not many Archers showed up due to LOA’s we still hope she had a wonderful time! And of course we wish her the best of luck with her future in the band!

 

As the last one we also had a visit from Taluka, due to absent RLO’s she got the same task as Zorina. This time the archers posted their vacations and it looks like the archers have been almost everywhere! Italy is especially a favourite!

 

New members

 

This Month we have had one new member! Everyone welcome Malin to our ranks!

 

Returns

 

We have also seen the return Mr Goldy (aka sei’cair, aka the other steel) after popping in his head every now and then for the last few months it seems that Goldy is now really back!

 

Shooting a lie

 

At the beginning of this Month Odd created a new game for the archers! It’s called Ready, aim, shoot the lie!

Every bander is welcome to join in on the fun of this lovely game! The purpose is to get to know other banders. You do this by trying to find the lie and shoot it. But be warned for 4 out of 5 statements are true! Hopefully we will be able to continue playing this game for a long time

If you’re interested in playing then come and visit the Archery range!

 

Cloning shop

 

The other steel has opened up his very own Cloning shop at the archery range! Here you can get your very own clone. But you are warned! There is no guaranteed success and the funds are (apparently) non refundable!!

So why don’t you come and take a gamble and get your very own clone at the clone Shop!

 

As last the archers would like to send their condolences to RJ’s family. He will be missed very much, yet we are sure that his work will continue to captivate people all over the world!!

 

Greetings from the Archery range and until next time!!!

 

[Mystica]

From the Horse’s Mouth~News of the Calvary!

(by Sir Jon the Direwolf)

 

Greetings from the Yard!!

 

The Rider’s of the Storm have been very busy this September! There’s been a large amount of posting, a few raw recruits about, a few taking on the monthly competition, and others have been taking part in various other things around the Band’s Camp. 

 

The Cav welcomed home one new member this month, Feral!!  Feral recently finished her recruit time and she did a fantastic job finishing her tasks!!  The Cav are happy to welcome her as our newest member and can’t wait to see her fly through her Page time and into squirehood!!  We’re looking forward to having her becoming a knight really soon and seeing all the havoc he can cause the band!!!  Good luck to you Feral, on your page program tasks!!!  Somewhere soon she will be a knight in one of the three orders.  Keep an eye out, as you never know when she might be in a thread near you!!!

 

 

Congratulations go out to Sir DJ!!!  DJ became the Cav’s third member to reach the highest rank in the band, Banner-Captain!!  DJ has worked hard to earn the top rank in just under a year’s time!  He’s been very active in the Hornsounder and he has done several JotS verses and Reviews of Albums.  He’s active in many things throughout the band and is always willing to lend a helping hand!  Sir DJ truly deserved this promotion for everything that he has put into the band in his time here.  Congrats again Sir DJ on becoming a Banner-Captain!!!

 

On a sad note, the Cav would like to express their deepest condolences to the Rigney family for their recent loss!  RJ meant a lot to all of us and we’re saddened to hear of his passing.  We’d like to thank RJ for everything he’s done for us and for bringing us all together in a common interest!  Tai’shar RJ may the Dragon ride on the winds of time once more!

 

In other news:

 

The Cav’s Redarms have been pretty quiet this month.  Sir Steel has given out a two spotfines, one to his own CG.  Guess he doesn’t play favorites but it doesn’t speak well to his corruptive side.  The RAL, Sir Manny got involved and set up a spotfine for the well known troublemaker, 12th Regiment.  In the past few months there has been a slow down in the amount of law breakings in the band.  The RAL, Sir Manny has not had many trials or challenges of spotfines recently.  It just feels like it might be time to start finding ways to break the band rules more often and get them spotfines flying again!

 

The beginning of the month brought three out of the eight promotions to the Cav.  Sir Steel and Lady Brid were both promoted from Senior-Lieutenant to Lieutenant-Captain.  Squire Anigrel was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.    Congrats to the three of you on your promotions for the beginning of the month!! The mid-month promotion period brought about two out of the three promotions to the Cav.  Sir DJ was promoted from Captain to Banner-Captain, the highest rank in the Band.  Lady Stef was promoted Master Sergeant to Under-Lieutenant.  Congrats to the both of you on your promotions!!   

 

The jousting challenge of the Band has been finished.  The finals went by with a great matchup between Tay and KaraJ.  Both had excellent questions and fought hard until the vary end.  The Joust ended in a tie and Sir DJ had to step in and ask a tiebreaker question.  Taymist was the first to answer that question correctly in the allotted time and therefore she was announced as the winner of the first ever, bandwide Jousting Competition.  Congratulations Tay!!! You and Kara did a fantastic job and we’re all looking forward to seeing you both enter the next one that DJ sets up!!  . 

 

Congratulations go out to recruit Taluka on receiving her Cavalry Achievement pin!!

 

There was one birthday celebrated in the Cav this past month.  Lady Twin had a birthday very early in the month on the 4th.  Also, this month our esteemed M-G Corki had his birthday on the 24th.  The Cav would like to wish the two of you a happy birthday and hope that you both had an incredible day filled with lots presents and cake and brew.  We in the Cav would like to say again, Happy Birthday and many happy returns!!

 

The Sarms would like to congratulate Lady Stef!!! Stef just became the newest knight to the Sarmations!! She quickly made it through her squire time and has recently been added to the knighting ranks.  She’s currently looking for a middle name for her horse, Queen.  This newest knight will be wreaking havoc in a thread near you, so be careful!!!!  Congrats on your knighting Lady Stef!!!!

 

The Arthurians would like to congratulate Anigrel welcome him as their newest squire.  His knight is the well known, wonderful Arthurian, Lady Brid!!!  He has finished his squire tasks and he just needs to earn points in order for him to be knighted.  We’re all looking forward to seeing him become a knight and to see what all he will do once he’s become a knight.  Congrats on becoming a squire Anigrel, and good luck earning your points so that you can join the ranks of the knights!!!! 

 

So there you have it….from the Horse’s Mouth for September!

 

 

Jousting Arena

(by Lady Brid)

 

*Pushes DJ out of the way*..Lemme do this! My turn!! Oh, is this thing on? Whoops! Ahem!

 

Welcome back to the Wide World of Jousting, with your new host, until DJ regains consciousness, Brid! That's me by the way. Anyways...this month saw some great jousting by RR, Cav members and 2 Infants. Yes, I did say Infants. I bet you're wondering why I said Infants, since you rarely see them on the back of a horse. I think it's the smell...the horses can't abide the smell of an Infant. Oops, there goes my out loud voice again!

 

To start off this months report, we'll start with the Inter-Regimental Jousting Cup Finals! We have a winner ladies and gentlemen!! The final two contestants were KaraJ and Taymist, as I stated before, both from the Infantry. Before we get to the winner, lets recap the joust shall we? *hears a small groan and bonks DJ on the head*

 

So, where were we? Ah yes! To start off the competition, we had Kara on her old friend from her recruit days Quiet Storm ask the first question. Asking Tay, What is the Reisendelle, we watched with bated breath as the mighty XO answered correctly and narrowly missed the blunted end of Kara's lance. Tay shouted out her next question as the gorgeous Aragorn carried her full speed at the Infantry RLO. Her question about male Forsaken didn't stump Kara as she answered correctly and asked a question about the house Mantear. Tay, no stranger to questions about Mantear thanks to a certain pirate, answered correctly. The excitement continued as Tay retaliated with a question about the High Inquisitor, missing Kara again as she gave a correct answer. In return, Kara threw a question about a city from the Age of Legends. Tay, knowing the answer, threw out her last question, regarding the eating implements of Arad Doman which Kara knew of course. The joust resulted in a tie and the Joust Master, who is still unconscious at the moment, gave them one last question. Where did Lan's parents die? After a bit of confusion Tay answered correctly and the Joust went to her!

 

Congratulations to our first ever Jousting Cup winner!! Tay won herself this gorgeous trophy designed by our very own Manny!

 

Must say, bit jealous myself! Great job Tay!! The Cavalry will be hosting another Joust Competition in the future and you can win one of these gorgeous trophies and the bragging rights yourself!

 

Now we'll move on to the Raw Recruit Jousts for the month of September.

 

The Line up:

 

RR Feral vs. Lady Brid

This joust was extremely exciting...not just because I was in it of course. The Joust started off with me asking Feral a question about Rand's mom, which she totally deflected. Her first question to me was regarding Suroth's lopar, which almost got me; I could feel the wind of her lance as we passed each other. Next I threw out a question about Elyas Machera's Aes Sedai, and once again, my lance missed. She then threw a question about Masuri Sedai at me, again, almost lost it there, but made it through. My final question to her was about Lan and a vegetable and this one stumped her. Oh the joy when my lance made contact! She was unable to unseat me though with a question about the first Queen of Andor. Final score 1-0 in favor of ME! It was a great joust and a very worthy opponent!

 

RR Taluka vs. Lady Kat

This joust has got to be one of the fastest in Cav history! Our infamous CG came pounding down the lists with a question about Thom's nephew which our wily Recruit had the answer for. Tal retaliated asking about ta'maral'ailen (say that three times fast!) Kat deflected the blow and went on to ask about Mazrim Taim. Once again, Tal dodged the blow and returned with a question about Emond's Field. I think this one almost got our dear CG, but she got the answer and asked her final question regarding Rand's visions at Rhuidean. Tal showed that she's made of the right stuff and answered correctly and shouted out a question about the Aes Sedai and the Bore. The final score was a tie!! Congrats to both of you! It was a great joust!

 

Next up, we have two Squire Jousts. As a Squire, one of the requirements is that the Squire jousts their Knight. Here's how it went for our two Squires:

 

Stefania vs. Sir Steel

Sir Steel came riding into the arena in style as only Steel can. His first question, regarding the Aiel which didn't stop Stef! Her retaliating question was the identity of two characters which Steel got without batting an eye. (I had no clue I'll tell ya!) Steel then asked Stef a question about the Sea Folk prophecies which she answered correctly. Stef's next question for Steel was about the s'redit in Valan Luca's show. Of course, Steel had no problem coming up with the correct answer. Steel's last question for Stef was about Dumai's Well which Stef, who I am in awe of, answered correctly! Stef's final question for Steel was about Mesama, and guess what...he got it right! The joust ended in a tie!! A great joust with some hard questions!

 

Anigrel vs. Lady Brid

This Squire joust started off with me asking Ani about Amyrlins that did not stump him at all! His question in return was about the Salidar Aes Sedai, which I handled with ease. Deciding to give him a bit harder question, I asked him about a Tinker woman in the mountains, which he again answered correctly. Apparently having the same idea I did, his next question was a bit harder asking about a family name of Lady Segan do Avharin a'Roos. My final question for my intelligent Squire was about the King of Arafel. Of course, he answered this one easily too. His final question for me was about an Aes Sedai who stayed at the White Tower after the split. I got that one by the skin of my teeth, and the joust ended in a tie! Great job Squire of mine!

 

*hears groans coming from the floor* Uh...well...that's it for this months Jousting news!! I better get going before DJ wakes up! Till next time, keep your lances sharp and your minds sharper if you want to win a Cavalry Joust!!!

 

 

Raw Recruit Roundup or RRR

(by Lady Bridmorgan)

 

This month was a bit slow in the RR department, but enthusiasm certainly made up for the numbers! We had three recruits visit the Yard this month and had a great time!

 

Our first Recruit was Feral!! For her Org point, she was asked to write an article for the Hornsounder on Why Horses are Better than Boyfriends. Her great article can be found in this month’s issue of the Hornsounder! Another task given to her was to start a Horse Makeover! It was hilarious with many Cav members bringing horses in for her special touch!! At the end of her RR time, Feral chose the Cav and we are incredibly happy she did!!! Yay Feral, and welcome to the Cav!!!

 

Our second Recruit was ApostleofJordan, who did a hilarious RP picking out his mount for the week. Because of his imaginative post, he was asked to write a Hornsounder article based on it for his Org point. You can read it in this months HS!! Another task assigned to Apos was to interview a Cav member, and he chose Sir DJ, our very own Sr. Editor!!

 

Our third recruit, and our most enthusiastic was Taluka! For her Point task, she wrote 2 JotS, one about yours truly and one about our beloved Pirate, Sir Manny. You would think she was born to write JotS! One of her non-point tasks was to go on a people hunt to find 5 Cavalry members. She found them in record time and I couldn't stump her on any of them! She also completed her joust in record time!

 

As always, all the Recruits were given the task of jousting a Knight. You can read all about them in this months Joust article.

 

Thanks once again to our Raw Recruits for their enthusiasm and creating fun havoc around the Yard!!!

[Mystica]

Welcome to Infantry Row! ~ August 2007

(by Kara)

 

Welcome one and all to the September edition of Infantry Row.

 

It has been a very quiet month recruit-wise here after the glorious bounty of recruits we had last month. But we started the month with Belar choosing to join us and are ending the month with Hazlyyn joining us!

May I wish a very warm welcome to both of them :) and wish them and their Morats the very best of luck.

 

The Morat/Mahdi programme is still going a pace with the new infantry members being assigned their Mahdis and most reaching the second level already. Go Infants!!

 

 

We've had a few bandings in the air with Zeth Alley banding with Archers Dragonlover in the General boards. Myself banding my partner in crime, Demonspawn, although we did beat each up thoroughly getting there, it was much fun. ;) And our XO, Taymist banding to Asharandei.

 

We had a fair few promotions this month, Lews and Zeth Alley both jumped from Raw Recruit to Corporal, and Belar and Demonspawn were promoted from Privates First Class to Corporals as well. Congratulations to all four!

 

For a while it seemed that no drinking establishment was safe to go in, there were brawls started in every tavern, in and watering hole....Yes, good job we Infants love our Brawls! ;)

 

 

History of the Infantry

(by Zeth Alley)

 

Well it all started a long time ago in the land of DM, and then a lot of boring stuff happened, until I got here and then history really begins to get bizzarre!!! With the introduction of men wearing stockings and suspenders, while bears and dogs stood watching wondering what on earth possessed them to vow loyalty to those weird two-legs.

 

After the vows of loyalty were exchanged things began to get weird because a dancing ogre in a pink tutu singing Hero on top of a table while drinking Jim Beam, crashed the whole ceremony, thereby creating the Alliance of Reasonably Sober Entities, aka A.R.S.E. Who did battle with small little gnomes, who are the most evil beings in posession of outsized Lederhosen, with monkeys for servants, until the monkeys revolted and erected a statue made of cheese in honor of The Great Babbon. Who faught the rampaging hordes of leotard wearing kangaroos toting crossbows and throwing otters at our beloved M-G Corki.

 

Who at the time was quietly sipping a mug of M-G brew,whilst sitting on JR, who was serving a spotfine at Corki's chair for misdemeanours, whilst in charge of the Regimental Secret Service, which specialized in disciplining insubordinate Mahdi's. By smearing honey on them while standing on an anthill holding a magnifying glass and being forced to read Shakespeare.

 

Ok, now for the real story.

 

According to my sources the Infanty was started back around early 2005. The first members of the Infantry were Mallet and Footy. As we all know with the starting of a new Organization there were some good times and bad times. As the Infantry grew from that point, there was Spacey who was the C-G, Jur was the the Banner Captain, with Massema and Kris as RLO's while either Kellan or Cam as the only Red Arm. While Kris was a RLO she did end up with conduting the C-G duties and had mentioned in an interview with Lews about a C-G curse. What is the C-G curse you ask? Well all that was mentioned was that all the previous C-G's left after a while. But it was Apollo that had managed to break that curse and we all know that Kris has been our C-G for four terms now, so I would think that that curse has been broken.

 

They had started the Raw Recruit program and Kris was one of the first Raw Recruits. After about a month Wooly, Apollo, and Kris were the only one's around. Then came Ashandarei, Taymist, and Footy had returned, then there were Nighteys, Daetrion, Duinn, Mystica and a few others.

 

During this time they started the Blademaster testings, they worked and worked, formulized and reformulized untill they came up with the current regime. Then Mystica came up with the Mahdi/Mo'rat mentoring system.

 

Kara and JR were the first recruits to go thru the whole process. Which at this time is still in affect.

 

Since the begining the Infantry did have the Hornsounder, but for some reason it was not maintained very well and ended up on the back burner for a while. Then in Feburary of 2007 Mystica dusted of the press's and started working on getting the Hornsounder up and running. With alot of determination someone took up the challanges of getting it running again.

 

After a lot of hard work it happened. On March 1st of 2007 the Hornsounder was reborn. Which is currently run by Mystica, who is the Editor-in-Chief.

 

So for the past two or so years of the Infantry there have been a lot of people coming and going. The current Staff's objective right now is to make sure that everyone is having fun and to continue to have fun. While the Red Arms continue to look around for those naughty people and issue Spotfines, they all look foward to the history that is in the process of being made.

 

In conclusion I would have to say that the Infantry is quite interesting. I guess that is why pretty much why most of the new Raw Recruits are choosing the Infantry.

 

 

 

 

Walking back into the News With Lews tent, Lews found himself with a list of Infantry members who were all potential interviewees. He ran his finger down the list and tapped on a certain members name. He showed the list and tapped the name again to one of the staff so they could go and get them.

 

Walking to the front of the chairs he shouted:

 

"Ladies and Gents Welcome to News With Lews, Today we have a very special guest. Please welcome the scot with a lot, the one and only Blade Master Tay."

 

 

Tay wandered into the tent and flopped into an available chair, hanging one leg over the arm and looking around with interest.

 

"Pleasure to be here. I hear you have some questions for me Corporal Lews?"

 

She wiped an imaginary speck of dust off her thigh high black boots and looked at the interviewer curiously before starting to file her nails.

 

"Any brew handy?"

 

 

"Yes I have a series of questions for you to answer."

 

He looked around and stared at the serving girl so she knew to get Tay her brew.

 

"So firstly I would like to ask you how long you have been a member of the Infantry?"

 

 

"Ahhhh, well, I joined the Band back in August of 2006 and by the end of that month I'd chosen to join the Infantry. So a little over a year I've been here now. Time fair flies in when you're having fun!!"

 

Tay took the brew off the girl with a nod of thanks and downed it in one.

 

"Better just bring me a tapped barrel."

 

 

"Well you've been here for just over a year now and you're already the Executive Officer. My my, you have done well."

 

Lews looked over at the serving girl again to bring 3 barrels of brew connected to the same tube.

 

"So secondly, how do you keep up with all the work you do? From what I have seen you are in over 5 orgs and you are very high ranked in each Org and I also noticed that you are very busy with work things you have to do within the Orgs."

 

"Yes lol. I'm a member of the Aiel, the Ogier, the Band, the Wolfkin, the Kin, the White Tower, the Illuminators and also the Wolfkin Division on the RP side. I have top rank in all of the Orgs except the Kin where I have one Sash left to earn and I hold staff positions at the WT and Wolfkin as well as the Band."

 

Tay paused for a slug of brew and went back to filing her nails.

 

"Keeping up with it all... hmm, I'm not really sure. I'm lucky in that I don't work in RL nor do I sleep much (insomnia) so I have more time than most and I'm also a highly organised person by nature. I tend to work through the Orgs one by one each day, catching up with stuff and doing what I need to. I find that the busier you are, the more you tend to take on. Which is why the same names come up over and over again throughout the various Orgs."

 

 

"Wow that is a lot of Orgs and lots more work for you. That's a very good way to organise yourself. I myself have joined four Orgs and I find it hard running my own RP site along with my Org life."

 

Lews looked around and looked back at Tay.

 

"So two down, lots more to go. Thirdly, do you find Dragonmount and the Band fun or just something to fill the day with?"

 

Tay arched an eyebrow at Lews in surprise.

 

"Oh, I wouldn't do all the work if I didn't enjoy it. Dragonmount, hmm, its a time filler mostly. The Band? I absolutely adore it, its home, its where my friends are. I feel much the same way about the Wolfkin. Other than that I'm not much fussed about Dragonmount itself."

 

"With that answer I'm sure Kathana would slaughter you alive. I notice that is the main reason Dragonmount is 'trying' to move the Orgs private boards over there but I'm sure that will be very hard to achieve for some of the Orgs."

 

Looking at Tay with a very big grin over what he just said, he continued,

 

"So what made you choose the Infantry and what made you join the band?"

 

 

"I chose the Infantry because it felt like home. I had my first Recruit week there and from the first day my mind was made up. They welcomed me and it just felt like I belonged there. The people themselves, notably Kris, Ash, Kie, Spacey, Footy and Wooly, had a lot to do with it. They were funny, they went out of their way to keep me busy and entertained. Oh yeah, and Kris didn't bat an eyelid when I ran away during my second week and stowed away in the Kafe lol!"

 

Tay took a long swallow of brew, caught up in happy memories.

 

"As to the Band itself, you can blame Manriva and Twinnie for that. Manny found me at DM and we started chatting. He'd already joined the Band so he got Twinnie into a conversation and between them they convinced me to give it a shot. I knew nothing about the Band at the time. I'd only joined the Wolfkin. But it was the best decision I made, its been great."

 

 

"Well well well, you have been busy over the last year and a great thank you to Sir Riva, Lady Twinnie and others for helping your choice to the Infantry."

 

Lews looked around at the serving maid for a drink as time was getting on and his throat was becoming dry.

 

"So what do you like most about the Infantry? I'm sure there's something you like about us?"

 

 

"Indeed, many things or I wouldn't be so proud of my regiment. The people are the main thing. The Blade master programme and the right to own and name a sword is another. I collect swords anyway and I've always been fascinated by them. I just love the atmosphere in the Barracks and the spirit of the members. We're a team, a family and the Barracks is home."

 

 

"Well I personally cannot wait until I can gain a Blade master title and name my own sword(s). So from your time at the Band what have you learned and what have you overcome?"

 

"I've learned to be careful of how I phrase things as much as possible. An individual post can be taken in many different ways depending on who is reading it. Its very hard to convey tone and expression through just text even with the aid of smilies. I've also learned that if something makes me angry, walking away for a time and thinking it over is best before replying. Most of all, I've learned that friends can be found in the strangest places and when you least expect them."

 

Tay paused to think for a moment.

 

"I can't say I've overcome anything in particular other than an initial aversion to writing JotS lol. Now I love writing them and its almost second nature."

 

"I find that problem lots as well, I'm always typing too fast and missing words or not thinking as I type. Well at least you learned that and I'm sure that I'll learn it soon enough."

 

Lews looked outside the tent through the entrance flap and saw the sun slowly setting.

 

"From all your time in every other Org and part of the Band what would you say is the one thing you'd like to see implemented at the Band/Infantry?"

 

 

"Nothing, the Band is the best Org at DM and I haven't seen any ideas elsewhere that I'd want here. As to the Infantry, our Regiments thrive because they're so individual and whilst there are similarities, such as our own mentoring programmes, they work because of the differences and I wouldn't change that."

 

"Well I'm sure many other people feel the same way and I'm sure things won't change much. Well, thank you for allowing me to interview you and thank you to the reader's."

 

"Be sure to catch next months interview with, well who knows, it could be you!"

[Mystica]

 

Raw Recruits

(by Taymist - XO)

 

For any future Banders out there, the Raw Recruit Programme is how we initiate all new members to our Org. Each Recruit spends a week with our three regiments in turn, doing fun tasks and getting to know members. At the end of the three weeks they may choose a Regiment to join.

 

During the month of September we had four Recruits graduate! They were Malin07, Beltine, Feral, and ApostleofJordan. Beltine has joined the Infantry, Feral joined the Cavalry and Malin07 picked the Archers much to the delight of all three Regiments. Apostle has still to make his choice as has Faelene. We look forward to seeing where they will go.

 

In addition, September saw the return of Hazlyyn who left us back in January for an extended leave of absence after exceptional Recruit weeks. She was just on the verge of making her choice of Regiment and after taking some time to settle back in has chosen the Infantry as her new home.

 

The Outstanding Recruit of the Month is the Recruit that has stood out to me as being the most motivated and dedicated. The Outstanding Recruit must excel amongst his/her peers and a reward for this prestigious title is the prize of one org point. The choice this month was an easy one as this Recruit jumped into all of her tasks with a great deal of enthusiasm and made her mark wherever she went.

 

The Outstanding Recruit for the month of September is: Feral

 

Don’t forget to offer your congratulations the next time you see her!

 

Of the Recruits choosing Regiments the statistics for the year so far are:

 

16 - Infantry

12 - Cavalry

7 - Archers

 

Missing In Action figures are up slightly again with 23 out of 72 Recruits going MIA and we have 3 new Recruits working their way through their training at the moment. A warm welcome to Zorina, Taluka and silver.

 

The Archers this month have been caught up with drinking and discussing holiday destinations with RR Zorina as well as putting all Recruits through their paces at Helike’s School of Daggers.

 

Cavalry Recruit Taluka soundly beat the Captain General, Lady Katiora, in the joust after a thrilling tie breaker last week and much enjoyment was had in reading both Apostle and Taluka’s horse choosing posts.

 

The Infantry Recruits on the other hand, have been far more relaxed as Apostle introduced his Chillout Room to the Barracks. Several members haven’t been seen for some time and rumours abound that they’re just too comfy to leave!!

 

See you all next month with the latest Round Up and even more fun and games from our wacky Recruits and RLOs.

 

Current RLO contacts:

 

Archers

Chaelca

Odette

 

Infantry

Karaj

Demonspawn

 

Cavalry

Lady Katiora

Anigrel Tavadon

 

 

[Mystica]

 

The Redarm Chronicles

(by Manriva, RAL)

 

Well here it is "an Damhar" .... the rutting time in Scotland .... National Sexuality Education Month (US) ... National Infertility Awareness Month (US). October; the highest birthrate month along with July.. Which makes sense with all the births in October, folks are gettin back to "bidness" in November so they start poppin out all over again in July... "Wijnmaand" (wine month) in Dutch... That would go along with the whole fertility thing too unless I miss my guess...... And here you all thought it was only All Hallows Eve that made"Lokakuu" (month of dirt) special.... Just another excuse for juvenile delinquents to run around and be pains in the arse legitimately it's always seemed to me... Even when I WAS a JD.... 

 

Speakin of Juvenile Delinquent's , I just shelled out 65$ for a stinkin' YEARBOOK!! Holy Hell! That outta pay for 4 dang years of the glorified graffitti folders.... How many more times do I have to pay for a book no one will ever look at with ME scrawled over the face of a cab door eared boy, wouldn't want anyone to be able to tell what you looked like in 20 years would we.... If I never see another cutsey daisy substituted for the dot of an "i" it will be waaaaaay too soon, Oh Wait! now it's "bffBritney". Let no word be spelled completely (or correctly) now... Never thought I would actually live to see "Clockwork Orange Speak" actually come to prominence.... Thank you "Oh Gods of The Internet" (and texting) for that little bit of culture...

 

Well as you may be able to tell it's been another quiet month in RA Land... Sei'Car "The Other Steel" has been going about his merry way totaling SIX spottys.. The lads been slackin.. Our man 12th gathered TWO even as an RA hizzownself! Brid got her first, heaven help us, she's on the road to ruin now. There's no tellin what could happen now the spigot's been opened. Let's hope October brings out all our little pranksters and n'er do well's back to their lawbreaking senses .... 

 

HAPPY "uktûbîr" to you all

[Mystica]

 

Columns

 

*M-G Recommendation*

(by Corki, Marshal-General)

 

September has been a strange month. There have been two sad passings for me - my grandmother and Robert Jordan. Then I had the joys of celebrating my 21st birthday. And as a keen rugby player and cricketer, there has been a feast of these two sports, which I have followed very closely. I had considered changing my subject matter for this article to look at Robert Jordan's life and its impact on me, but I have delayed that for a month so I can give it some considerable thought. As a result, I am sticking with my original idea - and that is my views on the current Rugby World Cup being played in France.

 

The 6th Rugby World Cup kicked off on Friday 7th September in Paris, with hosts France playing Argentina, a team rapidly improving and deserve their place as one of the top 5 teams in World Rugby. It was a great opener, with both teams on edge, but Argentina ultimately running out as deserved winners. It was a game that has set the tone for the whole tournament.

 

The group stage of the tournament is currently drawing to a close, but every game has been full of passion, whether it be the minnows playing each other, or giving the bigger nations a run for their money. Namibia and Georgia have run Ireland close, who were considered possible winners by some people, but are on the verge of going out due to some inept performances. There are plans to drop the number of smaller teams for the 2011 World Cup, and this will be a great shame, as they have definitely stood up and said they deserve to be there. I find it sad that the bigger nations of world rugby want to reduce the size of a successful tournament, yet still want to spread the game across the globe. This will never happen, if countries like Georgia, Namibia, Portugal and the like are never given the chance to show what they can do on the world stage. It will help them develop, and rugby will be a greater sport as a result.

 

The last round of group matches has thrown together some great games, with the winner taking all and progressing through to the quarter-finals. The Tri-Nation teams, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, had strolled through their groups, but that was no surprise. But the northern hemisphere sides of the Six Nations have struggled. England, the 2003 winners, stuttered through their group by finally overcoming the gogged resistance of Tonga and Samoa. Wales were expected to qualify, but lost to Fiji, who took their place instead, in a very competitive and lively game, scoring the winning points in a 38-34 victory in the dying minutes. Scotland and Italy played each other tonight, with a quarter-final place at stake. Scotland just scrapped though, winning 18-16, but if Italy had kicked all their penalties, it would have been very different. As mentioned before, Ireland are on the verge of going out, unless they meet all the mathematical equations that will send them through. And France, after the early blip against Aregentina, are in a good position to reach the quarter-finals. However, with the dominance of the southern hemisphere teams, and I will include Argentina here, I cannot see a northern hemisphere team reaching the semi-final stage, let alone winning it.

 

The Rugby World Cup always brings passion and colour, no matter where it goes. But this world cup feels better than previous ones, with so many close games, so many games that could have gone either way, the vaste improvement of the smaller nations. France can be proud of what they have done, but so can every player who has taken part. It truly has been a great spectacle, and it will be sad to see if reduced in size. I just hope the IRB sees sense, and doesn't ruin a format that has proved to be successful and enjoyable.

 

And my final world is on who will win. My money is on New Zealand, the tournament favourites way before the the competition got underway! They've been the best side in world rugby for several years now. And if they don't win, I'll find a hat and eat it!

[Mystica]

*Infantry Nights*

(by Kristine)

 

(editorial note: the story continues where it ended in July's edition)

 

Kieran leaned forward with his elbows on the desk and bent, his hands in steepled fashion and his chin on his thumbs obviously thinking.  She could tell that thoughts were running through his mind as he took in the whole story up to this point.  Kellan looked relaxed leaning against the bar rolling ice in a tumbler while he decided on which drink to pour over top of the cubes.  On closer inspection Kris could see the furrows around his eyes that meant he was working out details and trying to place all the new information into the package that he knew as Kris.  Noting all this and knowing that they were wondering what all had transpired in her short, but full, life she decided to take an easier story and let them see what life with the Gaidin was like.

 

“There was a place we’d train… it was called simply ‘The Rough’ and it was.  The obstacle course was one that was meant to challenge each aspect of a trainee’s training, and forcing them to combine the lessons into one major testing.  You had to complete the course in a certain amount of time in order to proceed to the next part of the training, to become a Cadre in the Gaidin Training program.”  Kris paused and chuckled.  “I think I had been training with the Gaidin for about a month at most, and Eamon put me to The Rough to challenge me.  I ended up with the fastest time on the course, and getting promoted to Cadre earlier than anyone expected.  After that, I practically lived at The Rough.”

 

***

Kris looked at the imposing course that loomed over her.  She tried to keep her face impassive, but her eyes kept darting everywhere.  The White Tower captivated her attention when she entered the city, but the Ogier made obstacle course that loomed before her now stole first her breath, and as time went on her heart and imagination.  Along the wood, there were countless areas where dried blood could be found - the sweat and blood of countless trainees who had stood in this very spot.  The Rough was a series of trees and stone structures that melded together to make several different levels and different challenges.  Kris stood on a large road that was suspended between two large branches.  She was unsure how it was kept aloft, but she decided it’d be better not to try and figure it out.  Her attention was jerked back to the Gaidin that stood before her.

 

Eamon Trevin watched as Kris took in the course that was laid out.  The warrior saw the faint signs of wonder and awe that the girl displayed and wondered how, at such a young age, she had already mastered hiding her emotions.  To someone not trained in noticing the smallest detail it would appear that she was scanning in alertness, but Eamon saw the widening of her eyes at each new sight.  He shook off a memory that tried to encroach on the task at hand.  Turning his eyes to the other trainees he barked out, “Trainees!  Today we run The Rough.  In this place a mistake can cost you.  Be on your guard, and be smart.  The Aes Sedai have filled the chasm so that if you fall… you better know how to swim.  Kris, Daeron, Wassaba you are up first.  There have been bells placed at each of the levels and a Gaidin at each bell.  Your task is to run the course and hit the bells.  Each bell hit earns a point as well as the speed at which the course is completed.  On my mark.”

 

Kris stepped up beside the other two trainees and cleared her mind of all else except for the task at hand.  She had learned in just the short time that she had been in training that the method she used with the bow and arrow was called ko’di emptying all thought and emotions and feeding all fear, nervousness, doubt and anger into the flame that flickered in her mind.  She settled into an almost trance-like state in tune with all around her as she waited for Eamon Gaidin to issue the command.  When he barked the word go, she rushed forward to the first level of the course and grabbed a rope that dangled before her.  Climbing hand over hand she pulled herself up to the next platform and raced to where a rack of lathes stood.  Grabbing one she turned to roll beneath the strike of a Gaidin and hit the bell stationed there.  She kept the lathe with her as she moved to the next portion.  Boards were laid across a gulch but were not secured.  She watched as Wassaba struck out across the boards only to have one side flip and send him stumbling to the side.  Kris launched forward balancing across the planks, judging each step in split seconds to keep the boards upright.

 

She reached the last one and felt the timber give under her slight weight. Splintering wood, the sound of snapping and cracking that heralded his demise should she fall from this distance.  Using the remaining strength of the wood, Kris lunged forward and grabbed the rope that dangled before her sweeping her arm to the side barely striking another bell with her lathe.  From behind her, she heard the wood fall to the ground below and the tell tale creak of the tree limbs as Daeron began shinnying up the rope behind her.

 

Her eyes scanned the new plane of trials swiftly as she moved forward to where two logs crossed a pond.  A Gaidin had stationed himself on one log leaving the other log unoccupied.  On the other side of the log was another bell.  Tucking her head and charging forward she set foot to log and felt the bridge shift below her.  The log rocked back and forth as she moved.  She struggled to maintain her balance and looked up just in time to see the Gaidin’s lathe swing for her head.  Kris’ dodge to the side proved to be her undoing as she lost her balance and splashed into the pond below.  She lost the lathe as she twisted under the water and jerked at the cloak and coat that seemed to try and drag her further below the cold water.  Kicking forward she managed to reach the surface in time to watch Daeron join her in the drink.  With long strokes of someone that was used to swimming she reached the shore ahead of her competition and smacked the bell.

 

Turning to the remaining area of the course she surveyed it quickly before moving ahead.  The Log course was set up so that they were all at different levels, some were just high enough that a simple leap wouldn't clear it, but there wasn’t space enough below to go under it.  Kris knew that this was a place where protection was vital, since there were several elements to fight. She looked behind her to see Daeron slog his way onto the bank. Kris scrambled forward jumping and barely catching the top of the log with her fingers.  Holding as tight as she could she pulled with all the strength in her arms and scrambled with her feet to make it over the top.  Tossing a braid from her face she rushed forward to the next log and crawled under it with little problem. Mud clung to her white shirt and gray pants. It caked her face and hair. She knew that if she was taller she could have climbed it, but 5'6" was not quiet tall enough. She vaulted easily over the next log and straight into a Gaidin protecting the final bell.  The Gaidan was waiting, sweeping her legs out from under her and landing her on her back. His sword came down, but Kris decided to return the favor with a scissor move to send him to the ground as well. The Gaidin’s eyes registered shock as Kris’ small booted feet connected one behind his knees and the other to his gut.  She watched as the man smacked the ground hard enough to drive the air out of his lungs with a whoosh.  He was still struggling to breathe and stand as she sprang to her feet and dove for the bell, smacking it with her hand and rushed forward back to the Highway where Eamon was waiting.

 

Eamon watched as Kris took Benderic’s footing from him and sent the new Gaidin to the ground.  He would have laughed at the shock that was on Bend’s face if he wasn’t so engrossed in watching this young lioness struggle forward to finish the course.  She crossed in front of him and slowed.  Her breath came in gasps as she struggled to bring her body back to normal.  “Put your hands over your head, trainee.  Take deep breaths, not shallow ones, and keep walking.  Don’t stop cold, your muscles will tighten up on you and you won’t be glad of the rest after that.”

 

Kris looked at the Head Gaidin and nodded placing her hands above her head and taking deep breaths while still moving.  Daeron crossed the line a few seconds behind her and a muddy and soaked Wassaba shortly after him.  They each took the same posture as her as the moved around and brought their hearts back to normal.

 

“Light Kris, when did you take the time to learn The Rough like that?  I’ve been in every lesson with you, and none of them have been here.”  Wassaba gasped out as they paced beside each other.

 

“I’ve never been on it before, but when you learn to track in an unfamiliar wood, you don’t always get a chance to learn the land beforehand.  I learned that in Kandor from Master Geric very early in my training with him.  If you studied an area for longer than five minutes, you’d better be an expert in it.”

 

“A good lesson to learn, Kris GiT.  You obviously excelled in that.  I don’t believe I have ever seen a trainee run the course their first time in that speed.  You set a standard today that others will be striving to match for many years.  You did well.  When we get back to the  Barracks you and Daeron will be promoted to Cadre.  Wassaba… you’d do well to learn from your fellow trainees.”  With those words, Eamon dismissed the three of them and moved on to the next group.

 

“Was that a word of praise from The Stone Giant?”  Daeron quipped as the moved off to the next lesson they had that day.  “You were like lightening out there Kris.  I didn’t know anyone could be that fast.  This was my second running of The Rough, and even knowing what to expect I couldn’t keep up to you.  A Cadre within a month of beginning training… your parents are sure to –“  Wassaba quickly punched Daeron in the stomach.  “Oh Light, Kris, I’m sorry.  I’m such and idiot…”

 

Kris pushed the pain of being alone in life away and smiled at Daeron.  “No reason to apologize about that.  Trust me, I’m much better off alone anyway.  I think some people are just meant to follow a solitary path in life.  I just happened to start mine earlier than others.  Besides, I just look forward to finding this Sakan Gaidin that Mother Thelma sent me to.  I wonder what he can teach me that the rest of the Gaidin can’t.”

[Mystica]

*Stef’s Random Thoughts*

(by Lady Stefania)

 

In my house there is always music. I guess it started in the hospital when the nurse handed my son to me for the first time. I looked down into his pink, wrinkled face, and I began to hum. I don’t know where that humming came from. It was a song that had no words, an inexplicable rhythm that I had stored up in my bones and saved for just such a moment. And as I hummed I began to rock, back and forth, back and forth, and my hums took on syllables. Bye oh baby bye oh, bye oh baby bye…A melody embraced by mothers for countless generations, sometimes given different lyrics or sung in different keys, but always with an identical message of soothing and comfort. And sitting there on the hospital bed I proudly joined their ranks.

 

Time passes, babies grow, but the music remains. Hours spent rocking have yielded a seemingly endless supply of lullabies. My humming gave way to Jesus Loves Me which gave way to You are My Sunshine and then on to A Bicycle Built for Two, plus a hundred others besides. Still, every time big blue eyes look up at me imploring, “Mommy, sing me a song,” I dredge another one up from the recesses of my memory. And it doesn’t matter where. Oh, I’ve sung in restaurants and shopping malls, restrooms and doctor’s offices. Once I even sang in a funeral parlor. There is no modesty when it comes to soothing a child.

 

Why all the humming and singing?  I don’t really know. But ask any mother; it works. For some blessed reason, a mother’s voice, be it dulcet tones or off-pitch screeches, is to a child’s ears the sweet harmonies of birds in spring. My feeble attempts at carrying a tune will never see my name in lights; lucky for me then that the only lights I care about are the ones in my children’s eyes.

 

So while I have the time, I plan to fill my children’s every waking moment with melody in the hopes that they will absorb my songs and one day remember. Oh, not so much the tunes and the lyrics, really, but the knowledge that where Mommy was, there was music. It is my hope that when they are away from me a familiar song will bring a feeling of peace and a sense of being held in their mother’s arms. And then one day when my children hold their own little ones, they will inexplicably begin to rock and feel an overwhelming urge to hum.   

 

 

*Crafty Corner*

(by Talya)

 

Welcome to the crafty corner of the Hornsounder. For those who have seen the quintessential helmet will know the quality of these 'items'. For those who have not, well you've missed a big treat there. But fortunately I'm here again to help with those little things that you maybe missing or want extra of.

 

So today I give you the Discreet Dagger. Something that can be carried and used when your bigger weapons are either lost, or inconvenient to use. And if you have kids a good way to keep them busy and long rainy days.

 

What you'll need

 

Bendable Card

Scissors

Sellotape

Glue

Tin Foil (kitchen foil)

Sweeties

 

1. Take some card and role a part of it into a thin long cone shape. use glue to help stick this when you have the desired size.

 

Cone Shape

 

2. Cut out and the wrap in some sellotape just to secure it better

 

End of Dagger

 

3. Roll up too long tubes. The width needs to be about the same size as the thick end of the dagger point. As before, stick with glue when you have the desired size and then cut out, securing again with sellotape.

 

Handle of Dagger

 

4. Now push one of the tubes into the fat end of the dagger and secure with sellotape. Then cut a notch in the tube where you want the cross bar to go. Pit this across and secure with sellotape. This is a little fiddly, but persevere and you'll get there. It should look something like this.

 

Dagger

 

5. Trim the ends to the desired length.

 

Trimmed Dagger

 

6. Now cover the dagger in kitchen foil. Now I used a dry glue and put in on the back of the tin foil and stuck it on. This should be sufficient for securing it.

 

Foiled Dagger

 

7. Now roll some paper into small balls and secure with sellotape. These are to go on the ends of the handle so the size is your choice. if too large though they may have trouble staying on. Wrap the Balls in Tin foil and stick to the dagger using a stronger glue.

 

Dagger

 

8. Now it's time to decorate and where the sweeties come in. You can use the sweet papers to wrap round bits of scrunched time foil to make jewels. With mine I used permanent pens and coloured bits of time foil and used that instead. The result at the end will be your own personal preference. Here is my finished example.

 

Finished Dagger

 

Now get crafting or even better get your youngsters crafting for you, but most of all enjoy and have fun.

 

If you would like to see an item here in the future then please pm me and I'll see what I can do.

[Mystica]

Raw Recruit Articles

 

*Wanted: The Perfect Man*

(by RR Feral)

 

Description: Good temperament, but with spirit; pretty, delicate face; good, strong legs; nice sloping shoulders; a short, strong back; silky hair; must like jumping, and, er, well-proportioned cannon bones.

 

OK, so maybe “man” wasn’t the best way to put it, but horses, guys...is there much difference? They both need to be fed, watered, exercised and cleaned up after. In fact, most horses can keep their stalls tidier than boys keep their rooms. Admittedly boys generally don’t have manure all over their floors, but boxers, cheesy socks and week-old pizza slices aren’t much better. Not to mention that most horses actually eat less than a lot of blokes I know.

 

The world is full of girls who spend every spare moment at a stables, knee deep in horse muck when they could be at a cinema with their boyfriends. I think one of the reasons is because horses are a heck of a lot easier to control. Admit it, girls, we’d all love a man who’d obey at the mere twitch of the reins. Most of the time, anyway. It helps that horses can’t talk back, too. You can pour out all your troubles to them and they wont respond with sarcastic comments or change the subject to football. They can’t break your heart either.

 

All in all, horses are a lot easier than boys and much less bother. So for now the only male I’ll let into my heart will be the horse kind.

 

 

*On Holiday at Dragon*Con 2007*

(by RR Zorina)

 

Dragon*Con, held Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, is officially described as "America's largest multi-media popular arts convention", but con veterans prefer to think of it as "fanboy Mardi Gras" or "a chance to party with 60,000 of the closest friends you haven't met yet." With programming covering everything from comics to Asian cinema, costuming, robotics, ghost-hunting, and sci-fi and fantasy literature (among other topics), several 24-hour film rooms, an almost unending stream of parties, an art show, a parade, and the best people-watching opportunities imaginable, Dragon*Con offers something to entertain almost anyone.

 

The convention is held in three large hotels in downtown Atlanta, and runs for four days. Debate rages among con attendees as to the best hotel to check into for the experience: fans of the Hyatt cite its party atmosphere and easy access to programming, while Marriott Marquis supporters boast that their hotel has the most comfortable rooms, and Hilton partisans tout the relative quiet and ease of elevator use in their chosen hotel.

 

Whichever hotel you choose to stay in, there are some things to know before you go.

- Registering early is a must. Hotel rooms book fast, and convention access badges are cheaper the earlier you register.

- Be prepared for the experience to be a little overwhelming. There's so much going on that you may not want to miss anything, and forget to do the little things like eating and sleeping. At the Con, you'll hear a mantra chanted: 3-2-1, 3-2-1. This means "Sleep 3 hours a night, eat 2 meals, take 1 shower", and it can be a handy reminder of your minimum needs.

- Elaborate costuming is welcomed, and held as something of an art form at the convention, but is not generally required. The exception to this is that some parties require appropriate costuming to attend. If you're at the convention for the first time, don't worry about these. You will have plenty to do.

- Plan to dress as comfortably as possible. You will have the opportunity to do a lot of walking, and even though it is often possible to get from one hotel to the other without encountering the big scary outdoors, at times you will be walking outside in the summer Atlanta heat.

- Pack shelf-stable snack food. Remember the eat two meals part? It's not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, you will want a quick pick-me-up in between panels.

- About a week before the convention, Dragon*Con posts a schedule for the entire convention on its website (www.dragoncon.org). You may want to take a look and pick out things you definitely want to attend. Of course, many programming tracks (including the Wheel of Time track) have their schedules available considerably in advance of the 'big grid', so it's worth tracking them down ahead of time, too.

 

When you get to the convention, be prepared for a wait to check in and get to your hotel room. Host hotels are notorious for crowded elevators, and it may take you a while to find one that can accommodate you and all your stuff.

 

Once you're there, have fun! There is so much to do that trying to compile the list of "Things Every Con-Goer Must Do" seems sort of ridiculous, but here's my attempt:

- The Dragon*Con Parade, Saturday morning. They block off the streets of downtown Atlanta, and let the costumed freaks march through it like we own the place. I like to be in the parade, but if a huge audience watching and photographing you isn't your thing, you should at least head down and grab a square of pavement to watch the insanity go by.

- Visit the Art Show. Some of the best in the business of sci-fi, fantasy, and futuristic art show off here. If you want to take a piece home with you, you need to register a bid number with the Art Show cashiers, but it's free to look!

- Visit the Wheel of Time track (duh). If you've ever wondered what the Blademaster sword forms look like, or wanted to argue about whether the Aes Sedai or Asha'man are better characters, you'll find a whole group of people who are willing to play that game with you in the real world instead of just on the forums.

- See a show, or go to a dance. Every night, you can choose from a variety of concerts and dance parties to attend. The music tends to be goth, industrial, folk, filk, or funny. The dances range from techno to drum circle experiences.

 

While you're there, you'll also want to eat, which can be one of the more challenging aspects of the convention. Although I understand that there are any number of people who successfully manage to eat only at hotel restaurants, I've always found this to be overpriced and unappealing. Outside the hotels, you have a few more options available. I recommend the following places for food:

- Max Lager - solid, reasonably priced burgers and pub food.

- Mama Ninfa's - Mexican food. Excellent enchiladas, so-so fajitas.

- Azzo's - Italian and pizza. They serve a whole-wheat thin crust pizza, which is to die for.

- Metro Diner - diner food. This one is a little odd and uneven, but reasonably priced and open 24 hours, which are definite advantages. They also have some truly wicked-looking desserts which I sadly never had room for after eating the meal.

 

I hope you have enjoyed my holiday review, and I hope to see you next year at Dragon*Con!

 

 

*Apostle Travels: The Ride of the Super-Special-Awesome, Chocolate-coated, Extra-Magnificent, Amazingly Spectacular, ZOMG, Stolen Persian WarHorse!

(long, ain't it?)*

(by RR ApostleofJordan)

 

In my many travels to far-off mysterious places, my best companion has always been my noble steed, Darius. I can easily reminisce on plenty of occasions when I have been glad to have met him, but none more-so than the day he saved me from the evil, play-dough wielding, monkeymen from the 1/4 dimension. But before I can tell you that story, I have to tell you this story...

 

The night was dark and gloomy, the kind that make nervous mothers shorten their children's curfew, and I was getting a tan on the beach. When I got up to go kick sand into a 5 year-old's eyes, I noticed something odd about the clouds. They weren’t glowing purple! Of course, my mind was immediately drawn to an obscure text detailing the bone structure of the Rainbow Trout, and how it allowed them to travel through time, so I went home, packed my bags and bought a plane ticket to France. After I had ripped the ticket to shreds and thrown it down the sewer, I hopped on a boat. When we were about half way there, I figured that now was a good time to leap off the side of the boat.

 

So I jumped into the water and, taking a deep, deliberate breath, proceeded to drown.

Luckily, at just that moment, a pineapple under the sea exploded in fiery pain. The air previously trapped in the bubble rose up and gave me some air, and I swam down to the bottom. Then I saw my old friend, Patrick Star (see the Pasture, Page 7).

 

"Hey buddy, is this your house?" I said as a pointed to the rock he was lying on.

"No, this is Patrick" he replied.

"Hey Patrick," I asked, "where is my horse?"

"Darth Vador has him."

"Oh, ok. I thought that... WHAT!!!???"

"Yeah, I lent it to him so he could help Mario and Master Chief rescue Cinderella from Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Well, can't argue with that logic! Let's go get my horse back."

 

So I grabbed a Brown Trout (who can teleport because of their unique scale pattern) and popped into the Keebler Treehouse, where the gang was planning their rescue.

 

"... and that's how I saved Christmas. Hey, where did you guys come from?" questioned Master Chief.

"We took a trout." said Patrick.

"Oh. Alright. We were just figuring out how to lure Jack Sparrow away from Narnia so we can rescue Cinderella."

"Itsa me, Mario!"

"Yeah, hi Mario." I said, "Look, there is only one way to get Jack Sparrow away. And that is to get him to fight Captain America while Rosie O'Donald sings the Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme Song."

"Patrick can handle Rosie. Right Patrick?"

"Yep. We amorphous blobs have to stick together, right?"

"Letsa go!"

"Mario's right, lets do this!"

 

So we took another trout to where Captain America was last seen, in the 1/4 dimension of the Evil Play-Doughmancer Monkeymen.

"Who goes there?" said a nearby monkey.

"It is us, the Random League. Now tell us where Captain America is!

"Down the hall and to the left, human. And you best watch out, or you will suffer the price of trespassing!"

 

As I started to walk down the hall, I heard a horrific chimpy screech, and saw the monkeyman beginning to waggle his fingers in a particularly magicy way. Abruptly, a wad of pink play-dough appeared in front of the clay sorcerer, and then it began to stretch and thin, becoming sharp, and then hard, as the monkeyman caused it to dry. As the dough projectile hurtled towards me at a snails pace, Darius kicked Brittany Spears (who happened to be walking by) in front of me, and she took the shard right in her pinky finger.

"Wow, that was a twofer! You saved me, and caused Britanny discomfort! Yay Darius!"

 

After that, it was a simple matter of turning left, playing a game of texas hole 'em, killing a man with a carrot (clive owen style), shooting laser beams from my eyes, finding the Prophet of Regret (which was especially difficult with him wearing the Raccoon Cap and all), and finding out who shot JFK (it was Miss Scarlet, with the 30 to 6, on the grassy knoll), and we were on our way to Narnia, Captain America in tow.

 

Well, we saved Cinderella (who turned out to be a trap) and imprisoned Jack Sparrow in 4chan, to eternally forget his hat.

That is how my horse and I saved the day.

 

[Mystica]

 

August 2007 Competition Winners!

(by Bridmorgan)

 

Well, September is finally over. Time for leaves to take on their firey colors, the air to turn cool and crisp *looks out the window and sees the temp at 80+ degrees* I can't take it anymore!!! Summer is over! Where's the 60 to 70 degree weather that I've been looking forward to? That's it, I'm moving to Alaska. Ahem, sorry about that, enough of my rambling. We had very few entries this month, but that was to be expected with school starting and September being a bittersweet month for us all. There were 3 winners in the Scavenger Hunt, 2 in the Sudoku and 3 in the Caption Contest. Without further gilding the lilly and with no more ado, you're winners!!

 

Great Hunt:

 

The first round of our MG's fresh new game saw 4 (count them..... FOUR) glorious players, 1 of which has sadly jùst missed the boat on snatching up that award.

 

Congratulations on Taymist, Bridmorgan and DJ for whacking away that prize and a very special smooch to Dragonlover who was right on their tail!!

 

Scavenger Hunt:

 

It was a family affair in the winners department with Brid, Tay and DJ as the winners, all with scores of 20/20. Great job to us!!

 

But wait..... there's one more. The Silent One. The Sneaky One. The Snooper of Awards......... TALYA!! also with a perfect score! YAY GO T!!

 

Sudoku:

 

We have two Sudoku Mistresses this time! The fearsome duo of Brid and Tay. The Celtic sisters both had a score of 100%! We'll give DJ a run for that title!!

 

 

Word Scramble:

 

Sadly we had no entries this month. I think I better find a Redarm and fill out a missing persons report on Arrandion. He didn't enter either the Scavenger Hunt or the Word Scramble! It's unheard of!

 

Caption Contest:

 

We had three winners for the Caption Contest. Two Archers and a Cavalrywoman!

 

Congratulations to Amavia and Dragonlover of the Archers and Stefania of the Cavalry!! You can find their winning captions below. They each win 1 Org point for their hilarious captions!

 

 

 

*Amavia*

 

Woman in front: (angry) Okay who is making al that noise, I need my beauty sleep you know!!!

 

Man behind her: zzzzzzzzz

 

Man in the back: Oh gosh I hope nobody got hit by that crashing plane....

 

 

*Dragonlover*

 

"can anyone explain why the sea is frozen and its still so hot on the beach?"

 

*Stefania Sedai*

 

"OK, Brid, you made your point. Now would you please put your top back on?"

 

 

 

Don't forget to enter this months contests! Now that the weather is supposed to be getting cooler, what better way to spend a nite than with a cup of something hot and trying to find the answers to the Hornsounder Competitions!! Now I gotta go catch a plane! 

[Mystica]

September Competitions

 

The Great Hunt

(by Corki)

 

The Great Hunt, the latest competition that is included in The Hornsounder has reached a second month. The newest addition is two simple games - 'Who Am I?' and 'What Am I?'. Below are the instructions for each game, but first, the rules for entering the competition.

 

 

Rules & Winners

- You can ONLY submit one entry for the competition. Therefore, if you want to enter both parts, you must PM both your answers together AND NOT SEPERATELY

- You can enter either part of the competition

- Those who answered each individual section correctly will be announced every month

- Only those who enter both sections of the competition, answering them both correctly, will be considered for prizes when winners are announced every month

- send your submissions to Corki before 20th October 2007

 

 

Who Am I

Below are 5 interesting facts about a DMer, and they range from the easy to the difficult. Have a close look and have a good think with using the following facts. So, which DMer is this?

 

- I wear glasses

- The family tale is that we came over in 1066 with the Normans

- I have been a British National Champion at showing goldfish

- My favourite tipple has to be a pint of real ale

- I am the youngest centurian for my cricket club

 

 

What Am I?

Below are a series of various facts, ranging from really easy to the ridicously difficult about an item associated with The Wheel of Time books. Have a good look and ponder hard over what this item is.

 

- It is believed to be the oldest stronghold of mankind

- Having been attacked over 100 times, it has only fallen once

- It held a sa'angreal

- It was made with the One Power

- High Lords are raised here

 

 

Good luck!

 

 

Sudoku for August~open to everyone

(by DirewolfJohn)

 

Instructions:

 

Below you find a Sudoku puzzle level 3. Your job is to fill in the missing numbers using numbers from 1 to 9 only.

If you'd like to practice a bit, you can find an easy and a medium level sudoku puzzle in the Games section, a little further in the Hornsounder.

 

--> type the numbers per row in the proper order and send your answer to Direwolfjon in a PM before 20 October 2007.

 

Rules:

 

- each number can only appear once in every row, every column ànd every square

- only answers sent in a PM will be valid, any posting of possible answers on the boards will result in immediate disqualification.

- you are only allowed to send in ONE pm, so make sure you double check your answers before sending them in.

 

Winners:

 

- the first 6 correct submissions will determine the winners

--> these will be split between: 3 Banders and 3 Non-banders if enough participants play. If not, it will simply go to the top 6 players.

- in case of a tie, the date and hour of submission will determine the winner.

- the winners will be announced in a ceremony together with the other competitions on the public board of the Band on DM ànd will be mentioned in the next edition of Hornsounder.

 

Winnings:

 

- For Band members: 3 Game Points + Sudoku pin!

- For Non-Band members: Sudoku pin!

- For all winners: announcement in the next Hornsounder Edition + Public Ceremony & Party at the public Band boards on DM.

 

 

Now get those grey cells cracking!

 

 

 

September Games

 

 

Arrow Words

(by Karaj)

 

 

 

Sudoku

(by Direwolfjohn)

 

 

Easy Game

 

 

Medium Game

 

 

 

Decipher the Text

(by Lady Stefania)

 

Think you're a pro at texting? See if you can figure out these texts!

 

Send your answers to StefaniaSedai in a PM before October 26th.

 

1. @TEOTD

2. 14AAA41

3. DWBH

4. MTFBWY

5. NIMY

6. E123

7. RUT

8. TTUL

9. UG3BK

10. WDALYIC

 

Answers to last month's Competitions and Games

 

Games:

 

Crossword Puzzle

 

[Mystica]

Jokes

 

*Low Maintenance Lawn*

(by demonspawn)

 

Has anybody heard about the new kind of low maintenance lawn being developed by Scientists?

It's called EMO-Grass, you plant the seeds, and when the grass gets too long, play some depressing music and it cuts itself.

 

*THE FIVE STAGES OF DRUNKENESS*

(by demonspawn)

 

Stage 1 - CLEVER

 

This is when you suddenly become an expert on every subject in the known universe. You know you know everything and you want to pass on your knowledge to anyone who will listen. At this stage you are always right. And, of course, the person you are talking to is very wrong.

 

This makes for an interesting argument when both parties are CLEVER.

 

Stage 2 - ATTRACTIVE

 

This is when you realise that you are the most ATTRACTIVE person in the entire bar and that everyone fancies you. You can go up to a perfect stranger knowing that they fancy you and really want to talk to you.

 

Bear in mind that you are still CLEVER, so you can talk to this person about any subject under the sun.

 

Stage 3 - RICH

 

This is when you suddenly become the RICHEST person in the room. You can buy drinks for the entire bar because you have a bottomless wallet. You can also make bets at this stage because of course you are still CLEVER so, naturally, you will always win.

 

Anyway, it doesn't matter how much you bet because you are RICH. You will also buy drinks for everyone that you fancy, in the knowledge that you are clearly the most ATTRACTIVE person present.

 

Stage 4 - INVINCIBLE

 

You are now ready to pick fights with anyone and everyone, especially those with whom you have been betting or arguing. This is because you are now INVINCIBLE. At this point you can also go up to the partners of the people who you fancy and challenge them to a battle of wits or strength.

 

You have no fear of losing this battle, because as well as being INVINCIBLE you are CLEVER, you're RICH and you're more ATTRACTIVE than them anyway.

 

Stage 5 - INVISIBLE

 

This is the final stage of drunkenness. At this point you can do anything, because you are now INVISIBLE. You can dance on a table to impress the people who you fancy because the rest of the people in the room cannot see you. You can also snog the face off them for the same reason.

 

You are also INVISIBLE to the people who want to fight you. You can walk through the street singing at the top of your lungs because no one can see or hear you and because you're still CLEVER you know all the words.

 

*THE FIVE STAGES OF SOBERING UP*

 

Stage 1 - STUPID

 

As you regain consciousness and begin to enjoy the headache, the churning stomach and the cold sweats, you realise that you have lost not only several hours of your life but also the ability to concentrate on anything whatsoever.

 

You are now STUPID and will remain so for a minimum of 12 hours.

 

Stage 2 - UGLY

 

Never entirely happy with the effects of the bathroom mirror first thing you are horrified to discover that you have now become even UGLIER than you previously thought possible. Not only have you got bloodshot eyes and a glorious collection of spots but you are shaking so much that your grandfather probably looks healthier.

 

Unfortunately you are still too STUPID to know better than to try and shave whilst shaking.

 

Stage 3 - POOR

 

Having crawled out of bed and got dressed you are about to shamble out the door when you discover that the money that was to last you the week is now missing from your wallet. Being STUPID, you have no idea what happened to it but the traces of curry on your clothes allow the possibility that you might have treated everyone to a takeaway at somepoint. Alternatively your pocket could have been picked or you might have given the taxi driver a fifty pound note by mistake.

 

Rationalising that you couldn't possibly have been that STUPID and that you would remember being robbed, you come to believe that you were the only one who bought any food or drinks all night and start to loathe all your friends.

 

Stage 4 - FRAGILE

 

As you are now STUPID, UGLY and POOR, your consequently FRAGILE self-esteem plummets. Your already FRAGILE physical condition ensures that you feel liable to shatter if anyone even speaks to you.

 

Stage 5 - CONSPICUOUS

 

This is the final stage of sobering up. Unfortunately, everyone can spot this CONSPICUOUS condition and its cause from a great distance. Even worse, they know that they can complete your misery by making fun of you, and that you are too STUPID to retaliate, too FRAGILE to hit them, too POOR to bribe them and too UGLY to hide.

 

*What Men/Women Really Mean*

(by demonspawn)

 

Womens English

 

1. Yes = No

2. No = Yes

3. Maybe = No

4. We need... = I want...

5. I'm sorry = You'll be sorry

6. We need to talk = You're in deep trouble!

7. Sure, go ahead = You dare!

8. Do what you want = You'll pay for this later

9. I'm not upset darling = OF COURSE I'M UPSET YOU BLOODY MORON!!!!

10.You're certainly enthusiastic tonight = Is sex all you think about?

 

Mens English

 

1. I'm hungry = I'm hungry

2. I need a drink = I need a drink

3. I'm tired = I'm tired

4. Nice dress = Nice cleavage!

5. May I have this dance? = I'd like to have sex with you

6. Can I call you sometime? = I'd like to have sex with you

7. Can I take you out to dinner? = I'd like to have sex with you

8. I love you = Let's have sex now

9. I'm bored = Do you want to have sex?

10. I don't think those shoes go with that out fit = I'm gay

 

*The Angry Maid*

(by Corporal Lews)

 

A rich Beverly Hills lady got very angry at her French maid. After a long list of stinging remarks about her shortcomings as a cook and housekeeper, she dismissed the maid.

 

The maid, with her Gaelic ancestry, couldn't allow such abuse to go unanswered. "Your husband considers me a better housekeeper and cook than you, Madam. He has told me himself."

 

The rich woman just swallowed and said nothing.

 

"And furthermore," the angry girl continued, "I am better in bed than you!"

 

"And I suppose my husband told you that, too?"

 

"No, Madam," said the maid. "Not your husband ... the mail man!"

 

*Computer Chip*

(by demonspawn)

 

Apple Computer announced today that it has developed a computer chip that can store and play music in women's breast implants.

 

The iBreast will cost £499 to £599.

 

This is considered to be a major breakthrough because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

 

*Whisper*

(by demonspawn)

 

Once there was a liitle boy in church. He had to go to the bathroom so he told his mother, ''Mommy, I have to pee.''

 

The mother said, ''Son don't say pee in church. Next time you have to pee, say, 'whisper' because it is more polite.

 

The next Sunday, the little boy was sitting by his father this time, and once again, he had to go to the bathroom.

 

He told his father, ''Daddy I have to whisper.''

 

The father said, ''OK. Here, whisper in my ear.''

 

*The Miniskirt*

(by demonspawn)

 

One day, at a bus stop there was a girl who was wearing a skintight miniskirt. When the bus arrived and it was her turn to get on, she realized that her skirt was so tight she couldn't get her foot high enough to reach to step.

 

Thinking it would give her enough slack to raise her leg, she reached back and unzipped her skirt a little. She still could not reach the step. Embarrassed, she reached back once again to unzip it a little more. Still, she couldn't reach the step.

 

So, with her skirt zipper halfway down, she reached back and unzipped her skirt all the way. Thinking that she could get on the step now, she lifted up her leg only to realize that she still couldn't reach the step.

 

So, seeing how embarrassed the girl was, the man standing behind her put his hands around her waist and lifted her up on to the first step of the bus. The girl turned around furiously and said, "How dare you touch my body that way, I don't even know you!"

 

Shocked, the man says, "Well, ma'am, after you reached around and unzipped my fly three times, I kinda figured that we were friends."

[Mystica]

 

Organisations (ORG)

(coordinated by Mystica)

 

*BLACK TOWER*

(by Hero Andros)

 

Welcome, welcome, one and all.  I fear that I will have yet again another short article for you this month, the base of the base in highlights.  Due to some unexpected IRL issues I didn’t spend much time at my home here in the BT, but I was dedicated enough to give you all a run down. 

 

First and foremost I’d like to say what each and everyone of us WoT fans are thinking.  The death of Robert Jordan is a terrible blow to the world as a whole.  Through his writings he showed us all a completely new world, and taught us all many things about ourselves and the world around us.  The fact that one man was capable of bringing so many people from so many different places together with one goal is astonishing.  Rest in Peace, RJ, we will all miss you.

 

Next month I’ll be back in full swing with a new Staff Interview.  It has come to my attention that I passed over the interview with our resident Aes Sedai, Lady Moraine, and I will rectify that mistake.

 

Now for an update of promotions:  Desiree has been promoted to Attack Leader, Twitch and Deronius to Asha’man. 

Congratulations to all!

 

Once again the time has come to say farewell for now.  I’ll return again with a full scale article about the madness that is the Black Tower.

 

Hero Andros

Storm Leader.

 

[Mystica]

*ILLUMINATORS*

(by Wes aka DreadPirateRoberts)

 

As with all of Dragonmount, this September has been a little different than normal at the Illuminators Org. Many of our on-going projects and activities have taken a backseat to creating memorials for RJ, gifts for Harriet, and other like activities.

 

The Artists Chapter House is the home of this memorial created by SinisterDeath:

 

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v311/SinisterDeath/?action=view&current=ATributeToRJ.flv

 

The Crafters Chapter House is working on a new quilt for Harriet, and anyone interested in getting involved should contact Nephitess.

 

All of the Chapter Houses are getting ready for October and deciding on new projects to begin.  As always, anyone interested in expressing themselves creatively is welcome! And certainly contact us on any of the Chapter House boards if you would like to get involved with a memorial project.

 

DreadPirateRoberts

[Mystica]

*THE KIN*

(by Taymist - XO)

 

 

This month at The Kin has been fairly quiet with so many Leaves of Absence and the closure of the DM boards. It has also, of course, been a sad time with the passing of our beloved author Robert Jordan. The whole Org sends its thoughts, prayers and condolences to Harriet, Wilson and the rest of the family.

 

In the midst of this, Kinsters gathered together at the DM Back Up boards and awaited slightly happier news... that's right, the birth of little Miss Peanut!! And come the news finally did, to many celebrations. Eldest Lor gave birth to her baby girl by c-section on Wednesday 19th September at 3.54pm. Alexandria Maxine was 6lbs 11 oz and 19 inches. Her Grandma told Twinflower that baby Alexandria has a full head of hair, and looks just like her mommy...BEAUTIFUL!!! Congratulations Lor.  ;D

 

And here she is: Alexandria

 

 

Phedra arrived as our newest member and was warmly welcomed by the Kinsters. She'll have to wait for Lor's return to be presented with her Blue Sash and knitting needles but will no doubt have lots of fun meantime.

 

Twinflower and Kellan celebrated their birthdays this month so congratulations and many happy returns to them. We hope they both had wonderful days.

 

The Spammers’ Challenge thread continues and is up to page 418 and post 5015. Will those crazy Kinsters make their target? Have they confused everyone by starting a second set of numbers counting backwards? :o

 

In other news Nephitess stopped by for a visit and has fallen victim to the charms of the Kinsters, now being a frequent fixture herself.  :D Rune meantime shared a cool vacation pic of himself at Two Rivers... yep, you heard right!! Sadly, he couldn't locate Emonds Field.

 

Do all feel free to visit and join in with the flirty, fun Kinsters. Visitors are always welcomed and thoroughly poked with a variety of knitting needles… what more could you ask for?

[Mystica]

*OGIER*

(by Jaydena - Org Leader)

 

 

It’s been a crazy month here at the Ogier Org, as you know last month Kelly had to take a major LOA and because of this lost her position as Org Leader. So we were lost and drifting, without an Org leader. Oh the horror of it! However, we now have a new Ogier leader, I am happy to announce that I am the new Org Leader, I swear that I didn’t do anything bad to get it. *shoves the tied up person back in the closet and grins* You saw nothing!! No seriously, I have some ideas for the Ogier, and we will be having some up and coming weapons discussions and also a Watch the Movie event.

 

So this month as you all know, we lost Robert Jordan, and sadly because of this our boards crashed. We spent some time at our temp boards, where we had our own thread and we talked about a variety of stuff. Poledancing and Ogiers Gone Wild videos were of course mentioned.

 

This month there was what I believe is the first ever Ogier RL events. Jaydena, Jaim, and Cleopatra hooked up during Jade’s California trip. I must admit that I did indeed engage in a butterscotch pudding matching, this also made it’s way into the Ogier’s Gone Wild Video. *blushes*

 

Other than those events, not a lot happen in the Org, we had a discussion on what books kept us all night, books we just couldn’t put down, you all know the kind I am talking about here.

 

Several missing Ogier stopped in for a visit, Chang, Crossword, and Sham. It’s been a pretty lively party since we got back to the DM boards and I am sure we will have even more people check back in.

 

Several new Ogier joined, we had Rasheta, Caci Angel, Despair, and Kass. We welcome them to the Stedding and hope they enjoy their time with us.

 

For promotions this month, we had Besolyn to Tai'Wansho, which means she is now a full rank Peaceful Path and then we had Moose and Taymist to Deathwatch Guard Commander, so they are both now Full Ranked Warrior Path. Jafael was also promoted to Wansho of the Peaceful Path.

 

Since I was raised to Org Leaderess, we needed a new First Gardener, so as our new leader of the Warrior Path we have Moose. Also this month, Loreina was promoted to Nameday Keeper and has been doing a smashing job of announcing birthdays. Lot’s going on in Ogier and even more planned next month, stop on by and check us out.

[Mystica]

*WHITE TOWER*

(by Bridmorgan)

 

Wow! Where did September go? I don't know about you, but it flew by for me. Seems like I was writing this article just yesterday for last month. We have some great discussions going on in the White and the Greens, a new baby MoNster, quite a few new members and two new Aes Sedai! I would also like to announce that Talya Sedai will be writing a monthly update on the Red Ajah!!

 

Initiates and Raisings

 

Novices

Taluka Sedai

Trinity

Andular

Master Lu

 

Aes Sedai

Calyn - Blue

Naeann - Yellow

Congratulations you two!!!

 

A New Mommy!!

U4ea, better known as Lor, Mistress of Novices gave birth to her first child on September 19th. Welcome to the world Alexandria Maxine!! Congrats to Lor and Dana!! Mother and child are doing great!

 

September Discussions

 

In the Green Ajah, there is currently a discussion on Religion. Now before you all gasp in horror that someone could broach that subject , you should go give it a read and join in if you feel inclined. It is a thread where each person can post what their religion is and how they came to find that religion, be it by birth or choice. Anyone is welcome, but remember to respect other's beliefs. This is not a debate on which religion is right or wrong, but a place to share beliefs.

 

The White Ajah is having a discussion on the Nature of Truth. It is a thread where you can discuss "What do you think about the nature of truth? Is truth only objective, only subjective, or both? Can objective Truth be known? What about subjective truth? Are we doomed to never know anything for certain?" Once again, the Whites have started a thought provoking discussion that make you look inside yourself for an answer.

 

Not so much a discussion, but great way to exercise your brain is the Whites Logic Puzzle for September...give it a try...hopefully a bulb will go off when you figure it out!! 

 

The Red Ajah – September

(by Talya Sedai)

 

It’s been quite a quiet month in the Red Ajah this month, which isn’t surprising due to the tragic loss of out Creator.

 

The Blind Date game is still going, the poor warder is still stuck trying to decide who to choose for his blind date, and who could blame him as they are too such lovely ladies.

The Phoenix Lounge is still as popular as ever, which I’m sure has nothing to do with the topless waiters. Poor Loran was hung up again on the walls there. He also had to go round the White Tower thinking and acting like a girl, which he seemed to do very well, all because he tried to paint Myst's room pink again. Will he ever learn!

 

We’ve had some lovely visits especially from our lovely Blue Sisters this month, long may it continue. We have also had some lovely novices popping in, Mayleigh and Nephitess have been found around the Red Ajah numerous times. Lews, Elgee’s own mentee has been popping in to see us too.

 

Special thanks go to Nephitess for her hard work of archiving for us and being the Red Ajah welcome on the newbie boards.

 

Well that seems to be all the news for this month except to say that I have been given a new Novice to play…errr I mean mentor

[Mystica]

*Wolfkin*

(by Taymist -XO)

 

 

Another month flies past and we're almost at the end of September already. Autumn is on the way, the clocks go back soon, and the nights are fair drawin' in.

 

Amidst all that, a warm welcome is issued to LeeLou, Footpad, spec_op_soldier, lupin, Sorandha and Amaya our latest pups and a welcome back to Dah'mir and safireskygal who returned from the clutches of Real Life. Further welcomes back go out to MoonFire and Maat Ronin, two long standing Wolfkin who have come home to the Stedding. Great to see you guys.

 

We also had a visit the other week from our RP cousin Andular who brought TQ and chili gifts, always a good move, to a very warm reception. We hope he'll be hanging out with us more now.

 

Sadder news comes to us in the form of Tigara's departure but we wish him well in his future ventures and you can read his last two Wolfkin articles in this month's edition.

 

Much happiness abounded this week though, as another Adoption was shared with the Pack. Congratulations to Talya and Doselan for formalising their friendship, we're all thrilled for you.

 

Congratulations go out to Doselan and Talya (again) on joining the ranks of Packmates at the start of September. Lewstherin and Mr Soy Boyo are also our newest Younglings. Well done to all of you for your hard work.

 

The Wolfkin have increased their activity on the New Member’s board recently by holding a Wolfkin Party. Thanks to Barmacral for allowing this, its getting off to a swinging start though its doubtful whether there will be any TQ and chili left for the newbies at the rate our Council Members are working through it!!

 

Do check out Doselan’s summer hiking pics that he’s shared with us. There are some superb photos there and he obviously had a great time.

 

Many happy returns were proferred to SBoydW yesterday as he celebrated his birthday and even the Band’s MG, Corki, stopped by to celebrate, since it was also his birthday!! They appear to be happily sharing birthday presents lol. Happy Birthdays also went out earlier in the month to Danya, Vemynal and Gwendalyn. Hope you all had super days.

 

Huge congratulations go to our ex Council Member, Gwendalyn on the safe arrival of her new baby. She stopped by to let us know that she and the little one are doing just fine. We were all delighted to hear of a new pup and wish them all the best!!

 

The whole Pack were treated to a spar fest lately as Delenn and Moose set about each other with short swords and scimitars respectively. It proved to be highly entertaining even after they’d fallen off a cliff!! The end result as you’d expect was a big party to celebrate. Like Wolfies need an excuse!!

 

Visitors are also welcome to stop in and help themselves to some Tequila and roasted marshmallows or a variety of other goodies on offer or take some time out to post some of their own photos on the Wolfkin Nature Pics thread.

 

Have a super month and we'll be back again in October!!

 

[Mystica]

 

(by Taymist - XO)

 

Community News

 

International Wake

 

In honor of the significant impact Robert Jordan had on his fans, Age of Legends is sponsoring an International Wake on or around Oct. 17th, 2007, which would have been his fifty ninth birthday.

 

This is an opportunity to meet Wheel of Time fans in your area and share your experiences of reading the books and seeing Jordan at his many book signings and convention appearances.

 

If you're interested, see HERE for further details of events that are being organised.

 

Tribute Project

 

DMers continue showing their love and support for the Rigney family with a new project. The plan is to send Harriet a quilt and a card, both hand made with contributions from members in time for Christmas.

 

You can find the details on how you can help and what you can do HERE.

 

 

Robert Jordan's Blog

 

This month saw two crucial and very moving posts on the Blog. The first, from RJ's brother/cousin, Wilson, notified us of the author's passing on September 16th 2007.

 

The reaction and outpouring of grief from fans was so great that the DM forums had to be closed to cope with the demand for access to the Blog. Members meantime moved to the DM back up boards, consoling each other on this great loss.

 

When they returned a week later, it was to a beautiful post from RJ's wife, Harriet, who thanked everyone for their messages and reassured fans of how much their emails had meant to RJ. Harriet also posted a copy of the final interview RJ had given.

 

You can read her post HERE.

 

 

4th Age Podcast

 

The podcast team has recorded a special episode to honour and remember Robert Jordan.

 

Everyone is also invited to call 1-888-333-7690 and participate in our fan feedback project. Call this number and leaving a message about Robert Jordan, his impact on your life, or simple well-wishes for the Rigney family.

 

You can listen to it here:

 

Memorial Episode

 

 

[Mystica]

 

What exactly IS the Hornsounder?

 

Hornsounder is the Band of the Red Hand's monthly Newspaper. It evolved from a newsletter into a newspaper in March 2007 when Mystica took over as Editor in Chief and started a full restructuring and re-organisation of what once was not much more else than a points earning tool.

 

Today, Hornsounder is a full sized newspaper that is run by a whole team of people and covers not only news from the Band but also offers a space to all other groups on Dragonmount to share their news and events with the rest of the community. Although the main focuss remains on the Band, of course, it is a nice extra forum for other groups to get in touch with those that have not yet been in touch with them as well as offers their members a certain amount of pride to see their beloved group represented in this newspaper. (we hope... )

 

Hornsounder is open to everyone on DM, regardless of which group they belong to or 'not' belong to. And this in both ways. Whether you just want to read, play the games or participate in the Competitions, everyone is welcome to join in. The same goes for being actively involved in the Hornsounder as a reporter. Everyone is welcome to participate, write articles, offer a project they would like to run or simply get involved by offering ideas and suggestions to increase the quality of your newspaper.

 

There are some restrictions where positions are concerned, given that Hornsounder IS a Band's newspaper and therefore Banders do get priority on certain aspects. But this does not exclude the possibility of involvement for Non-Banders who wish to be an active part of it.

 

Interested in getting involved? contact Mystica through pm and she'll get back to you asap after assessing your suggestion/idea.

 

How does the Hornsounder work?

 

Hornsounder, like every real newspaper, is divided into Sections and some of those have Subsections.

 

Sections are shown by their individual Graphic Headers.

Subsections are shown in BLUE

 

The Reporter Teams.

Each Section is run by a Section Senior Reporter who is the coordinator of the entire Section, including the subsections. It is their job to make sure all the elements are submitted at the deadline given and meets the required quality standards. Some Subsections are in themselves so big that they too have been assigned a Section Senior Reporter.

 

The different Sections and Subsections are made up of a series of articles that can be made/written by either the SSR's or by other writers: Junior Reporters. They write parts of the Section contents and work closely together with the SSR's. They get to be mentioned as the author of the articles they write/make, and in case of a Bander get the points that go along with it.

 

Next to the Section Reporters we also have Project Reporters.

Senior Project Reporters are those in charge of a large project that almost certainly requires the help of Junior Reporters.

Junior Project Reporters are thos in charge of small or medium sized projects and may (or may not) need assistance from Junior Reporters.

Which projects are Senior or Junior level is decided by the Editor in Chief on a case-to-case basis.

 

The Editorial Team is made up by an Editor in Chief, a Senior Editor, a Graphic Editor and a Junior Editor, though the last one is a temporary honorary position and may not always be filled in.

 

The Editor in Chief runs the whole newspaper. Creates and motivates the team, monitors progress and overlooks all Sections and everyone involved, gathers all the submissions and glues it all together into one coherent and appealing newspaper. The EiC also guards the quality of the newspaper, assesses new ideas/suggestions, implements new features and follows up on just about everything. The EiC has the final say on everything though should always strive to find the right balance between her team's ideas, the newspaper's needs and the readers' wishes.

 

The Senior Editor is the right hand of the EiC and picks up the reigns in case the EiC is unable to perform the function. The SE is there to insure that the newspaper is published on time and with the set quality even if the EiC is indisposed.

 

The Graphic Editor is the left hand of the EiC and is in charge of all the graphical elements of the newspaper. From the Headers to the graphics in the articles, this is all the GE's domain. He/she is the one writers can turn to if they want to liven up their sections or articles with a graphical item.

 

The Junior Editor, as said before, is an honorary temporary position given to those special people that have proven to be involved in the Hornsounder above and beyond their duties.

 

Hornsounder's Teams

 

Editorial Team

- Editor in Chief (EiC): Mystica

- Senior Editor (SE): Direwolf Jon

- Graphic Editor (GE): Son of Battles

- Junior Editor (JE): Stefania Sedai

 

Senior Section Reporters

- Band of the Red Hand: Mystica

- Band Org Game: (open position)

- Music: Stefania

- Columns: Mystica

- Lottery: Bridmorgan

- Travel: Stefania

- Banders Real Life: Mystica

- Band Awards: Taymist

- JoTS monthly winner: Mystica

- Archer Regiment: Amavia

- Cavalry Regiment: Direwolf Jon

- Infantry Regiment: KaraJ

- Raw Recruits: Taymist

- Redarms: Red Arm Leader of the Term

- Specials: Mystica

- Entertainment: Mystica

- Dragonmount: Mystica

- Wheel of Time: Taymist

 

How to be a part of the Hornsounder team.

 

If you would like to try your hand at being a reporter or you have an idea for a project, a game, a competition or you would like to participate in one of the Sections, then here's your chance!

 

Send a PM to Mystica with an outline of your idea or request.

She will asses it and give you an answer as soon as possible.

Note: Hornsounder claims the right to make any adjustments to your ideas that might be necessary to insure the quality and coherency of the newspaper.