Hornsounder - March 2008 edition

[Direwolf Jon]

 

Welcome to this month's edition of the Hornsounder!

 

The Hornsounder is back yet again, and we've got many stories to share with you, our readers.  Our EiC has had to bow out this month due to computer problems, but we're still going to bring you your taste of news!

 

We're back to the original one month format of the Hornsounder and we've continued our new features this month.  These newer features include more Poetry, a humorous cartoon and a new Word Search Competition.

 

Welcome to Spring!  The entire Hornsounder Team wishes you all a great spring and we are looking forward to bringing you some more news as we head into the warmup and better months of the year.  Normally this is when our activity picks up, so hold on to your seats, as we'll have plenty of stories for you to feast your eyes upon.

 

So put up your feet, get that mouse under control and enjoy this month's edition of your newspaper.

 

Paladin Jon the Direwolf,

Senior Editor

 

JoTS Winner of the Month 

 

This month's topic was: Band of the Red Hand.

 

And the winner: Lady Stefania of the Cavalry

 

Congratulations, Stef :)

 

The winning JoTS:

 

Off to Dance with Jak o’ the Shadows

 

Each morning from the bed I rise

I stretch and yawn and rub my eyes

Then dress and eat, say my goodbyes

I’m off to dance with Jak o’the Shadows

 

Head toward the office, soon I’m there

Infants and Archies should just beware

Boss thinks I’m playing solitaire

No, I’m dancing with Jak o’the Shadows

 

March'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 topics. 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 recognized by their Blue color and therefore equally easy to recognize. 

 

The Band of the Red Hand Section brings you the Word from our Marshal-General, puts the spotlight on the new occurances of the Band.  Also in this section is a recap of the Empy Awards and also those extra special Banders that earned one of the rare and prestigious Band Awards, an introduction to the Band's current Active Members,  and you get the opportunity to smooch away on our Banders' birthdays .  Stefania is bringing us a summary of Banders' Music, Travel, Gig and Restaurant reviews.  Finally, a piece of Real Life News from our Banders reminds us of the people behind the words. 

 

The Regimental Section will effectively satisfy 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, see whether a new Knight or Lady has been raised or who has gained the title of Paladin in the Cavalry, see if the Infantry gained a new Morat or maybe a new Blademaster even, or see if any Archers obtained the rank of Sora or who earned their Archer medals. 

 

In the Raw Recruits Section, our Executive Officer, Paladin Bridmorgan 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, Paladin Manriva fills you in on all the law breaking and spotfining activities that were found in the Band this past month. He was not around for part of it yet his team performed well.  There has been a lot of chaos happening from the looks of it!

 

The Specials Section brings you a nice little collection of Columns and stories that will make you sit up and beg for more. The Columns Section this month brings you a brand new Recommendation from the M-Gand a new story from Lady StefaniaSedai's Thoughts! Further there are some really interesting Raw Recruits and  Freelance articles submitted by several of the Band's newest members and/or some hardcore reporters.

 

Entertainment is the spice of Life! Or was it variety? Who cares... Stop by and check out the newest cartoon to the Hornsounder.  Read the amazing poetry written by some of our members. Get those braincells to working and claim those prizes! Join in on the Competitions and see if you are a wizard at Sudoku and can beat the Sudoku Master, Jon the Direwolf! Snin is back once again and he has brought with him a new 'Word Search' Competition! See if you can locate the right answers in this puzzle, and claim the prize that goes along with the glory! So don't miss out on snatching up those prizes!

 

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.

Also, be sure to check out the Jokes for a good laugh!

 

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

 

In the Wheel of Time Section read all about the topic of conversation, turmoil, and uproar from DM this month!

 

Last, but most definitely not least, the Editorial Section 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.

 

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!

 

Until next month,

 

Mystica,

Editor in Chief

[Direwolf Jon]

 

Word from the M-G

 

The month of March, along with winter, is drawing to an end and spring is around the corner. It is therefore time for another fantastic and enjoyable Hornsounder to be published with much news of the Band of the Red Hand ORG and Dragonmount as well. As a result, a big thank you to everyone involved with the newspaper, whether submitting articles or competing in the many competitions, as it continues to flourish. So grab a cup of coffee (or any other beverage), sit back and enjoy.

 

Below is a highlight of what has been going on in the ORG the last few weeks:

 

- At the end of February and beginning of March, the prestigious Emperor Awards were announced. A full report on the Awards can be found below, but the Band of the Red Hand and its members had a very prosperous ceremony.

- The “Where am I?” Picture Competition for the bi-monthly (January and February) Regimental Competition was won by the Infantry. The Cavalry were runners up, and the Archers came third.

- The bi-monthly Regimental Competition for March and April was split into two aspects. March’s half of the competition was called “Secret Messages” as the Regiments had to find letters within the posts of the Senior Staff that spelt out something to do with St. Patrick and Ireland. Currently the Cavalry are leading, followed by the Archers and then the Infantry. April will see a fantastic Festival of Games using our dice-based ORG Game as Banders compete for individual and regimental honour and glory.

- A new interview thread was set up at DM. Based on a radio programme of a similar name, Desert Island Disks – BotRH Style was started. An interview between 2 people is conducted, talking about anything and everything, coupled with some of the interviewee’s favourite music. Corki started with North Star, who is currently interviewing BridMorgan. So watch out, you could be asked next!

- Right at the end of the month, a new thread called “Tune or No Tune” was started. This will be a weekly thread, with any song being picked. All you have to do is say whether you like the song (tune) or don’t (no tune). Extremely simple! And of course, you can explain the reasoning behind your choice!

- And in the not too distant future, the Band will be holding a “Music Battle Royale” competition to determine who is the King or Queen of Music. Each Regiment will champion a winner in 16 different categories, and you get to decide the winners. The winners then go through to the knock out stages as we find out who the winner is.

 

As you can see, a great deal happened in March, with a lot more interesting events to come in the future. Exciting times are ahead for the Band of the Red Hand at DM, so why not get involved in these activities!

 

Why Join the BotRH?

 

So, having read some of the activities the Band gets up to, you want to know more about the ORG? 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!

 

The Band Strikes Lucky at the Empy Awards

(by Corki)

 

 

At the end of February and beginning of March, the much-anticipated Emperor Awards occurred, Dragonmount’s way of celebrating everything that has happened at the site over the last year. Having been in charge last year, I passed on responsibility to Emperor, the Seanchan ORG Leader. A similar format to last year’s awards was followed, with a couple of awards dropped, though next year there could be major changes, especially with the RP side. You’ll just have to wait and see.

 

The first stage was gathering the nominations from the site for each of the 20 categories. A total of 90 DMers were put forward for all the awards, from which the Award Committee whittled down the numbers to either 3 or 5. Then it was the final vote to determine the winners of each category. In the ORG side of the Awards, the Band had several nominations, including Best ORG and Best Community Thread, as well as eyes on others like Best Community Member. With so many nominations, spirits were high and the ORG optimistic of claiming several awards, especially in the big awards.

 

Once all the votes had been counted, it was time for the results. Expectations were high, and everyone was eager for the results. And as the winners were posted, the news was good. The Band of the Red Hand ORG picked up the two awards it really wanted – the Most Impressive ORG and Best Community Thread (well done to everyone who has posted Jak O’ the Shadow verses!). Below is the acceptance speech of the Marshal-General and ORG Leader, Corki, on receiving the Award for Most Impressive ORG.

 

We'll see about that! Anyway, acceptance speech time, which I will try to keep short and sweet.

 

Firstly, I told you so! My prediction from last year that the Band would win came true.

 

Secondly, this goes out to all current and past Banders for all the hard work you've put in to the ORG over the last three years. It's been a great, but often difficult, journey during that time, but we've made our way to the top. I didn't expect it so soon, but I am pleased that we have. So thank you to everyone over the years that has put the time and dedication in. Most will be non-household names, like Canis Rufus, Cumadrin, Blade, Sitara, Cameronski, Mushuganna, Razz, Mallett and others who were here at the beginning; others include more recent people like Taymist, Mystica, Auld Manriva, Footman/Deathdealer, Uasal Arach, North Star; I can't forget those who have served as the Captain-Generals of their Regiment or the various Redarm Leaders. If it wasn't for you, and I have probably left out several names for which I apologize, the Band wouldn't be the fun place it is today. So thank you for that and making my time as ORG Leader so much fun.

 

Thirdly, a big thank you to everyone who nominated us in the first place, and finally a big thank you to all those who then voted for us.

 

And finally, I'm going to say thanks to Kath. Thank you for taking that decision back in December 2004 to make the Leader of the Band. It probably wasn't an easy decision, but I've enjoyed the last three plus years, and am looking forward to many more here at DM with the Band as we strive to keep this title that we've just won. I hope to see new faces about our boards, especially as we try to bring more music and travel discussions and games to DM.

 

*raises his M-G Brew*

 

Here's to more success!

 

CARAI AN SHEN AN CALHAR!!!

 

Addition to the speech:

Anyway, as I said, I knew I would forget a few people. So further thank you's go to my former Under-Commander, F Horn of Valere, and my current Executive Officer, BridMorgan. And because I forgot them, I got kicked in the shins by Brid. But Brid is getting swift punishment from the Redarms for such action.

 

As you can see, I was over the moon! But we’ve got a lot of work to do if we are going to keep that award – and progress for that has already been made! Keep a constant look out for what is happening at the Band’s boards.

 

Several Banders picked up individual awards as well. Following in my footsteps as Most Impressive Community Member (shame I couldn’t get enough votes to win again despite being nominated), it was great to lose to Taymist, who thoroughly deserves the award for all her hard work, both for the Band and across DM. Other Banders to pick up awards include Mystica, Twinflower and 12th Regiment. The latter two managed to regain their awards from last year, so extra congratulations to them.

Below is a run down of all the winners from the 2008 Emperor Awards.

 

Most Outstanding Community Member: Taymist

Most Active Community Member: Jaydena

Silliest Community Member: 12th Regiment

Funniest Community Member: Barmacral

Nicest Person in the Community: Twinflower

Evilest Person in the Community: Mystica

Best Community Thread: Jak O' the Shadows (BotRH ORG)

Most Improved Community Organization: Wolfkin ORG

Most Outstanding Community Organization: Band of the Red Hand ORG

Most Impressive, Overall RPer: Winter Mist

Most Impressive RP Male: Owen/WhiteWolf

Most Impressive RP Female: Nynaeve

Most Impressive RP Thread: Wolflover Returns Home

Most Impressive Division: The Congress of the Shadow

Most Improved Division: The Children of the Light

Most Impressive RP Organizer/Ideas Person: Matalina

Funniest RPer:P Nynaeve

Best Debater: Kivam

Best WoT Geek: RobertAlexWillis

Best Signature Maker: Cleopatra

 

Finally, congratulations everyone, and good luck for 2008 as we all look forward to the Emperor Awards returning in 2009.

 

March Band Award Winners

(by BridMorgan - XO)

 

In this section, we want to showcase our Bander’s who have gone above and beyond.  Here you will find those that have won Band of the Red Hand medals.  Join me in congratulating the following on a job well done and being exemplary members of the Band!

 

Manetheran Medal:

 

Jon the Direwolf - For his outstanding and exemplary contributions to the Hornsounder.  Whether as Senior Editor, Cavalry Section Reporter or in leading pre-publication preparations, his efforts, dedication and reliability have been beyond question.  Such commitment to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and he is therefore commended.

 

Luck of the Dark One:

 

Alishandra - For her outstanding graphics contributions to the Band of the Red Hands Org Game, the Archer’s Regiment and the RLO Awards.  She gave freely of her time and effort without expectation of recompense.  Her dedication to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and is therefore commended.

 

Bridmorgan - For her tireless help and support on the Hornsounder both as a Reporter and as a Junior editor.  Her ideas and willingness to jump right in where needed have been a great asset to both the Editor and the members of the Band.  For going above and beyond the call to duty, she is therefore commended.

 

Red Handed Valor:

 

Arrandion - For his participation and contributions to the Hornsounder.  He took charge of the Holiday Traditions Project, seeing it through from start to finish two months running, recruiting both Banders and other DM members to assist, aiding Inter-Org relations in the process.  His dedication to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and he is therefore commended.

 

Stefania - For her participation in and contributions to the Hornsounder.  She has been an invaluable team player taking on many tasks behind the scenes to assist the Editor and Senior Editor as well as acting as a reporter. Her time is freely given with no expectation of recompense.  Her commitment to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and she is therefore commended.

 

Band Achievement Pin:

 

Jon the Direwolf - For his outstanding contribution to the Regimental Competition for January and February 2008.  He gave his time freely on behalf of his regiment.  His dedication to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and he is therefore commended.

 

Manriva - For his outstanding contribution to the Regimental Competition for January and February 2008.  He gave his time freely on behalf of his regiment.  His dedication to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and he is therefore commended.

 

Talya - For her outstanding contribution to the Regimental Competition for January and February 2008.  She gave her time freely on behalf of her regimen.  Her dedication to the Band of the Red Hand is above and beyond the call to duty and she is therefore commended.

[Direwolf Jon]

Holiday Reveiws

(by Lady Stefania)

 

Our only Holiday Review this month came from Samuraiflip05, and I simply refuse to comment on this one. Sam went on a Disney Cruise! I have always wanted to go on a Disney Cruise! So therefore, I am too jealous to describe his review. If you want to read all about the flippin’ fabulous time he had on a boat with Mickey and Minnie, it is in the Holday Thread. Go read it yourself! *pouts* I wanna go!!!!

 

If you have a Holiday that you want to share about (to anywhere OTHER than a Disney Cruise!!!) then we would love to read all about it! Post it in the Holiday Review section for a possible 2 ORG points or comment on a recent review for 1 ORG point. So where have you been?

 

 

Restaurant Reviews

(by Lady Stefania)

 

Anybody hungry? I know I am. I just finished reading through the Restaurant Reviews and boy is my mouth watering! Oddette dined recently at the World Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She enjoyed a meal of (of course) veggies served with traditional injera bread. Lord Horn stopped in at the Spaghetti House in Uijongbu, Korea. I’m still confused by this one. Spaghetti? In Korea? But he sounds like he enjoyed it.

 

Why not tell us about your favorite restaurant? We’d love to read about it! Simply post your review in the Restaurant Review section for a possible 2 ORG points or comment on a recent review for 1 ORG point!

 

 

Album Reviews

(by Lady Stefania)

 

Another musical month for the Band of the Red Hand! March brought us reviews in the Rock genre by Samuraiflip05 (They Might Be Giants), Mayleigh (Kaiser Chiefs) and El Nynaeve (Radiohead). The Pop section added Cairos’s review of Michael Jackson’s Thriller 25th Anniversay Album. Kastchei dropped by to tell us of Prodigal’s latest in the Folk category, and El Nyn was back with reviews or Robert Miles in the Various division and UB40 in the Reggae group.

 

Heard anything interesting lately? Then fill us in! Post a review in the Album Review section for a possible 2 ORG points or respond to a recent review for 1 ORG point. So what are you waiting for? Go get those albums!

 

 

Gig Reveiws

(by Lady Stefania)

 

All reviews are important, but one review in particular really stuck out this month. Our one and only Oddette brought us a review of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from up close. So close, in fact, that she was on stage!!! Congratulations to Oddette for her DSO debut and the first of what I hope is many more paying gigs!

 

Daetirion took a date to see Peeping Tom at the Great Western Ceilidh in Exeter. They had a great time once they got out of the rain! Snin had the awesome opportunity to see Metallica live not once, not twice, but four times! Some guys have all the luck.

 

So what concerts have you been to lately? We’d love to hear about them! Post your review in the Gig Review section for a possible 2 ORG points or comment on a recent review for 1 ORG point!

 

 

Bander's Birthdays

(by Bridmorgan, XO)

 

Once again it's time to celebrate Bander's birthdays.  We've got some youngins and some oldins this month.   ;)  Everyone make sure to wish our oldest Bander a Happy Birthday.  *grins at Manny and then runs*

 

Since she's unable to tell you herself, Happy Smoochday from the EiC and all of us at the Hornsounder!!

 

langaidin - 3/1

Razzles - 3/2

Spacey - 3/2

finn - 3/4

cassetti - 3/5

longunmn49 - 3/6

Therionmig - 3/7

Turelio - 3/9

Isharazang - 3/12

Faec Dreythorn - 3/13

Lazy - 3/14

barracuda - 3/15

queensguard - 3/15

kepens - 3/16

Cersei Mikalis - 3/17

gomer - 3/17

cairos - 3/18

Tabby - 3/19

Aiotanga - 3/21

Fear_Ramhar - 3/21

demonspawn - 3/22

Katiora - 3/26

Light - 3/27

Auld Manriva - 3/28

kadere - 3/28

winston - 3/28

Duinn - 3/29

Lews - 3/30

Mystica - 3/31

 

 

 

 

Ranking list of the Active Banders

(by Bridmorgan, XO)

 

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 March 2008

 

Senior Staff

 

Marshal-General: Corki

 

Under-Commander: Taymist

 

Executive Officer: BridMorgan

 

 

Commissioned Officers

 

Banner-Captains - Auld Manriva, Mystica, Direwolf Jon, F Horn of Valere, Twinflower

 

Captains - Uasal Arach, Apollo277

 

Lieutenant-Captains - Steel Axe, Jeannaisais, Kristine

 

Senior-Lieutenants - North Star, Katiora, Stefania Sedai, Arrandion, Amavia

 

Lieutenants - Kara_J, Mushuganna, woolhead, Dragonlover, Kingkastchei, Odette, demonspawn, Goldeneyes05, 12th Regiment

 

Under-Lieutenants - Dicetosser1, Goldeneys, Lanette, Silver89, Kieran Warwick, Nighteyes, Alishandra, Emperor, Taluka_Sedai, Talya, JimRaynor/JR, Climhazzard, Daetirion, Arogan

 

 

Enlisted

 

Master Sergeants - Kellan Kiri, Evrem Floyd/Professor_5150, Zeth Alley, Feral, Heinrich, DSage, Anigrel Tavadon

 

Sergeants - lewstherin, snin83, Tigara, Samuraiflip05, Belar

 

Corporals - Loranflame, Diamondmask, Eve, Tharengore, Mayleigh, Iron Monk, el Nynaeve

 

Privates First Class - Cu'chulainn/Farcrie, Cairos, Blood Requiem, Wyrm, Irishflyer08

 

Privates - Bladetosser

 

Bander's Real Life Stories

(compiled by Paladin Jon the Direwolf)

 

We're back once again this month with that oh so annoying real life problem.  I know I was certainly affected by real life this month and I know a few of my fellow banders have as well. This month we have two contributions, one from Mayleigh of the Cavalry and the other from the EiC herself, Mystica of the Infantry!  So without further interruption from me, I'll now present you with the stories.

 

College Stress

(by Mayleigh)

 

I’m in my second year of a three year degree in public relations, which I love! Everything was going fine up until after our Christmas break, when all at once, the lectures decided it would be a great time to give out projects, and not only to give them out at the same time, but to have them handed in all in the same week!!!

 

It’s been so hard trying to get them all done, especially our group project, when there’s different information coming from all over the place and then trying to piece it together. Lets just say I'm glad I was working with friends and could tell them to feck off!!

 

So out of seven projects I have one left to do and it’s the hardest one, but at least it’s the last one. College can be so stressful sometimes, but most of the time its just fun!

 

HELP I'm in the Real World now!!

(by Mystica)

 

We hear people speak of it, get a glimpse from time to time on youtube or in pictures we get sent on msn. That really weird place where things are done without the use of a keyboard or a mouse. Where it does matter whether you are groomed or not and where you can not speak with your mouth full or you get those really annoying looks. You know what I'm talking about right? That's right....... The Real World.

 

For that is where I'm currently spending all my free time. And let me tell ya'..... It's freaking weird, scary and OMGz! I have to wear a bra for one thing there, because gravity..... It sucks. Trust me. It sucks, big time.

 

My computer has decided to go bonkers on me. First my internet connection drops off the face of the world then my computer itself decides to go on strike (after my internet connection had been fixed, of course.... ). So now I'm computerless, or bit-less and forced (quite rudely even) to spend time In Real Life (or IRL as we forum geeks like to call it).

 

Doing housework, going to bed at a decent hour, getting informed by the news, cooking!... I've done and doing it all. It's a whole revelation of experiences and new adventures. Well ok, so not new, but renewed. Like guess what I did last night. Guess....

 

I made soup!

 

I did!! I actually made soup. I put the veggies in the pot and the water and the herbs and everything. And now I have soup! Homemade. From moi! Me. Myst, the Kitchen Princess. My next challenge? Apple pie! *nods*

 

Been strutting around a lot too without my computer. Wearing my brand new Red Shawl which Twinflower made me. Got me some really weird stares and some bizarre reactions. Like the tough guy on the bus not wanting to meet my eyes and the rebel girl at the bus stop stepping out of the way so I can stand in a spot the rain wouldn't reach and the crowd opening up on the bus when I had to get off (which is how it should be, I know, but usually you have to elbow your way through an army of bodies to get off). Very strange, those RL folks, I tell ya'.

 

So now I'm awaiting my last few days before I'm off to Paris on Saturday. Can't wait!! Just hope this frigging snow will stop and the weather will clear up a bit. Paris in the snow might sound nice but I don't want it right now. I'll get a report to you of this of course in next month's edition.

 

But now.... I have to go face some more of this Real Life stuff. Think of me behind your nice desks and in your warm fuzzy slippers and send me your happy thoughts.

 

It's a scary place out there!

 

 

That about wraps things up for this edition of Bander's real life stories.  Please join us next time and who knows, maybe one of these stories will be somewhat similar to something you yourself has experienced.

[Direwolf Jon]

 

News From The Range!

(by Snin)

 

Many a happy greetings to all fellow Banders and DMer’s from all of us here at the Range.  As part of my fulfillment of my Journey to become an Assassin, I have taken over the Archers report from Sora Jeannaisais, the current Captain-General. 

 

Once again, this month has seen more improvements at the Range and with the Archers regiment in general.  Activity within the regiment has been nearly ceaseless with newer members continuing their participation and several older members returning after long absences. 

 

New Archers

 

We had one new member join our ranks this month.  The Archers were pleased to welcome El Nynaeve home to the Range.  She was a blast to have around as a Raw Recruit, and has now made herself at home and even more well-known to us. 

 

Archer of the Month

 

In the last issue of the Hornsounder, a new award was introduced that recognized the efforts and achievements of current Archers.  A collection of Arrows, each representing an effort made by an individual to help the regiment or the Band in general, is conducted at the end of each month.  Our own Captain-General, Sora Jeannaisais, was the first recipient of the award in January.  February saw a tight race between Dragonlover and Snin, with Snin just beating her with a few more Arrows. 

 

Congratulations to Snin for his efforts and time and dedication to his work.  *Pats self on back*

 

Promotions

 

Throughout this last month, the Archers have seen several of their own promoted. 

 

March 1st Promotions:

 

From Senior-Lieutenant to Lieutenant-Captain

Lt. Cpt. Jeannaisais of the Archers

 

From Corporal to Sergeant

Sgt. snin83 of the Archers

 

From Private First Class to Corporal

Cpl. Tharengore of the Archers

Cpl. Iron Monk of the Archers

 

March 15th Promotions:

 

From Raw Recruit to Corporal

Cpl. El Nynaeve of the Archers

 

Congratulations to everyone who saw a promotion on their efforts, especially to our Captain-General, Sora Jeannaisais, for attaining the third highest officer rank.  Also, congratulations to El Nynaeve for attaining the rank of Corporal from Raw Recruit, which shows a very good work ethic and promise of a great Archer. 

 

New Term Appointments

 

As most of us within the Band know, March first started a new term, which means that new appointments were made.  However, since the Archers Senior Staff was doing such a great job (and most everyone else in the regiment did not qualify to apply), our Senior Staff did not change.  So here are the new appointments for this term:

 

Captain-General (CG): Sora Jeannaisais

Lieutenant-General (LG): Alishandra

Banner-General (BG): Dragonlover

 

RLO's: Samuraiflip (Senior) and Snin

 

RA's: North Star, Tharengore, and Snin

 

RLO Business from the Range

 

Here is the latest Raw Recruit news from the Range.  We have been kept quite busy here with newbies passing through.  Our first recruit during this month was Kedomat.  He provided the Archers with a fantastic Practice Range to help hone our deadly assassin skills, as well as kept our thirst quenched after the hard days work at the Flaming Shots Pub II.  Next, we had unusual event of two Raw Recruits signing in on the same date.  So we decided to have El Nynaeve and Lord Tallanvor pair up and do joint tasks together.  Between them, they gave us some fun, challenging trivia in Trivia Time, and provided some great additions to the Archers Eats and Drinks Menu.  They then went head-to-head in Archer Basketball from our Carnival Games, and El Nynaeve edged Lord Tallanvor with a score of 17-16.  Cairos was the next Recruit assigned to the Range.  He provided us with some great music and comedy selections at For Your Entertainment, our local entertainment venue, and quizzed the Archers on their Wheel of Time knowledge in the dunk tank (he spent most of his time in the water, so we Archers know our WoT trivia).  Not long after, Barracuda signed into the Range.  At our newly revived game, Ready, Aim, Shoot the Lie, Banders came and gave their best guesses at picking out lies from truths that he posted about his life.  At the long standing Broken Arrow Tavern, he offered his barkeeping services and did a splendid job with it.  Lastly, The Winds of Time enchanted Archers as a Gleeman at the newly established Twin Daggers Inn.  He spun several tales, including the epic tale of Eric the bold and the tantalizing tale of young Malahad.  He finished his time with an inquisitive interview of the Captain-General herself.

 

Redarm Business from the Range

 

All had been quiet and lawful on the range for quite some time.  That was until the Band’s own Marshall-General, Corki, and The Dark One himself got into a little mischief in the Broken Arrow Tavern.  They each earned themselves a spotfine for spilling brew.  They both claimed that it was not a brew on the “Sacred Brew List”, but the courts and the Redarms good, honest judgment will decide that. 

 

The Journey to Assassin

 

The goal of an Archer is to reach the deadly rank of assassin.  This is achieved by accomplishing tasks as first an apprentice and then a Journeyman/Journeywoman.  Here is where currently active Archers are at in their Journey:

 

Apprentices:  Amavia, Samuraiflip, Corki (MG), Iron Monk, Tharengore, Snin, and El Nynaeve

 

Journeyman/woman:  Dragonlover, and Alishandra (our very own BG and LG)

 

Assassin:  Jeannaisais (of course, the CG)

 

Regimental Competition

 

Lastly, is an update on how the Archers have fared thus far this year in the Regimental Competitions.  The Jan./Feb. competition consisted of knowledge of places and events in the world.  Sadly, the Archers did not have a good showing in this event.  However, in the March competition, the Archers started a little slow but closed the gap to come neck-and-neck with the other two regiments.  It is still anyone’s game.  We are looking forward to the Bel Tine festival in April and hope to be bringing home good results from them.

 

That is all this month.  ;D

[Direwolf Jon]

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

(By Paladin Jon the Direwolf)

 

Greetings from the Yard!!

 

The Rider’s of the Storm have been very busy this March! There have been tons of posting, several discussions, many Raw Recruits traipsing through, numerous members taking on the monthly competition of figuring out the hidden words, a few spotfines, and others have been taking part in various other things around the Band’s Camp. 

 

The Cav welcomed home four new members in March, Mayleigh, Cairos, Tallanvor and Hazmite!! Mayleigh finished her recruit time and was a fantastic recruit, who did extremely well at finishing her recruit tasks!!  The Cav are happy to welcome her as one of our four newest members.  Cairos also finished his recruit time fairly recently.  He did an outstanding job finishing his tasks and has brought a lot of fun to the Cav.   The Cav are happy to also welcome him as one of our four newest members.  We’ve been starting to watch them go through their page time and we can’t wait to see them pass into Squirehood!!  Some brand new additions just happened a few days before publishing.  We in the Cav welcome two new members on the same day.  These two were Tallanvor and Hazmite.  Tallanvor had recently been a recruit and he did a fantastic job in finishing all his tasks, and he even managed to catch the very sneaky Sir Steel Axe!  Hazmite just came back from being gone for a while and he joined us the same day.  He is currently following in his father's footsteps and we'll see if he joins Paladin Uasal and the other Arthurians.  The Cav are really looking forward to seeing Mayleigh , Cairos, Tallanvor and Hazmite become Knights as well!! Good luck to all of you, on your Page Program tasks!!!  Somewhere soon you’ll all be Knights in one of the three orders. 

 

 

Congratulations goes out to Paladin Bridmorgan, Paladin Manny, Lady Stef and Paladin DJ for earning various Band of the Red Hand Awards!! All of these knights have worked very hard to help better the Band and they were recognized for their efforts.  The Cav are proud to have these people in their midst and to have people of their stature to look up to!  They all bring a lot to the Cav, and the Band, and they step up when they are needed! Congrats again to four of you on your new Band awards!!

 

 

In other news:

 

The Cav’s Redarms have been pretty busy these past month.  Spotfines have been given out more frequently than in the past few months before this.  Sir Steel and has been involved in a some of those spotfines.  Even the CG of the Cav wasn’t safe from Sir Steel as he was caught breaking Band property.

 

The beginning of the month brought two out of the fourteen promotions to the Cav.  Page Eve and Page Diamond were promoted from Private First Class to Corporal . Congrats to both of you, on your promotions for the beginning of the month!! The mid-month promotion period brought two of the three promotions to the Cav.  Page May was promoted from Raw Recruit to Corporal . Page Cairos was promoted from Raw Recruit to Private First Class . Congratulations to the two of you on your promotions for the middle of March!! Keep up the great work Cav!! Here’s to more promotions coming in April!!   

 

Paladin DJ continued on with the second Interregimental Jousting Competition. We now have the final two competitors and soon Paladin DJ will be getting the final match underway.  This is the second straight time we have a Infantry versus Infantry final match.  Who will come out the victor this time around?  Will it be Kast, the newcomer?  Or will it be Kara, taking on her second opponent in the finals?   Drop on by the Jousting Arena and see for yourself who the winner is!!  Let’s grab them lances and hit the arena!  May the best jouster win!!!!

 

Congratulations go out to Recruits Tallanvor, Kedomat, Winds of Time, May, Laucien, Cairos, and El Nyn on receiving their Cavalry Achievement Pins!!

 

There was five birthdays celebrated in the Cav this past March.  Lady Razzles celebrated her birthday on the 3rd.  Page Lazy celebrated his birthday on the 14th.  Our newest member, Cairos celebrated his birthday on the 18th.  Lady Kat celebrated her birthday on the 26th. Everyone’s favorite Pirate, Auld Manriva celebrated his birthday on the 28th.  The Cav would like to wish you all a very happy birthday and we hope that you all had wonderful days and that you got lots of presents and cake.  Happy Birthday and many happy returns!!

 

One sad piece of information for the readers of this article. I, Paladin Jon the Direwolf will be stepping down as the Cav section senior reporter.  This will be my last article, most likely, for the Cav.  It has been my pleasure to share with you the happenings of the Cav for the last year. I've truly enjoyed being able to be part of the Cav section and to be involved in all of the goings on.  I'd like to thank all of you for reading my articles for the last year and I hope you enjoyed them!  So, I'd like to say for what will probably be my final time...

 

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

 

 

Jousting Arena

(by Paladin Jon the Direwolf)

 

Welcome back to the exciting world that is the Jousting Arena!!! This is your host Paladin Jon the Direwolf, back again for the second straight time!!! There were not as many jousts to cover as there were for the previous two months, but there are some great jousts to tell you all about!!  Hold on to your seats and don’t get trampled…it’s time for the Jousting Report!! 

 

To start off this months report, we’re going to head right into the RR action as there were no other forms of jousts that took place during the month of March.  So without further ado…

 

The Line up:

 

RR Jousts:

 

RR Cairos vs. Paladin Uasal/DJ

Two of our Paladin knights squared off against Cairos.  This was a great joust, now let’s see how Cairos handled the joust against two Paladins.  Paladin Uasal started the joust by asking Cairos about where Rand and the group from Emond’s Field stays the first night after leaving.  Cairos was ready for the question and he was easily able to dodge the attack.  He fired back with his first question, which was fielded by Paladin DJ, who blocked the attack as he was asked about the Ogier Rand meets from Stedding Shangtai.  Paladin DJ responded by asking his question about the darkfriend that met Mat and Rand on their road past Four Kings.  Cairos was ready for the second time and had no problem deflecting the hit.  He then retaliated by asking about who Nynaeve had been the apprentice of.  Paladin DJ was more than ready and broke the lance on his shield.  He then went for his last shot at Cairos and asked about the Perfumed Quarter.  Cairos wasn’t fooled this time either and he blocked yet again.  He then followed by asking his final question and asked where the everyone met Min.  Paladin DJ was more than ready and turned the attack aside for the second time.   The joust ended in a 0-0 tie.

 

RR Winds vs. Paladin Brid XO

We all love to see that XO come back and joust with our recruits!  She’s one heck of an opponent, and I’d surely never want to face her in the Joust!  Let’s see if Winds could find a way to be the first to beat the XO.  Paladin Brid started the joust by asking about the creature Rand killed in the alternate world.  Winds wasn’t fooled at all and he got his shield up in time to have a splintering affect on the XO’s lance.  He fired back and asked the XO about the color of Moiraine’s gem.  Paladin Brid was more than ready and easily slapped the lance aside. She came back with her second attempt and asked about the name of Rand’s first horse.  Winds was baffled by this one and he felt the sting of Paladin Brid’s lance breaking on his chest.  He countered by asking about who killed Aram.  Paladin Brid gave it a good attempt but Winds’ lance was too fast and shattered against her shoulder.  She countered for the final time by asking about who Elyas’ Aes Sedai was.  Winds didn’t know who the Aes Sedai was and took a vicious hit to the noggin and somehow maintained his seat.  He asked his final question asking the XO about the greatest invention of the academy.  Paladin Brid again came close to blocking, but was not fast enough.  This was the closest she came to losing a joust since the day I started as Joust Master.  This joust ended in a 2-2 tie. 

 

RR May vs. Sir Horn

Our third recruit joust brings us to the battle between Mayleigh and Sir Horn.  Both are great competitors and both really wanted the win.  Let’s go to the review and see what happened.  Sir Horn started the joust off by asking about the uniqueness of Nynaeve’s healing weave.  May was ready with her shield and watched the lance break harmlessly on it.  She countered by asking about Lan’s first lover.  Horn already had his shield in place before the lance even moved towards him and he was able to block the attack.  He came back and asked about who the Windfinders ambassador to Logain was.  May remembered the last tilt and did exactly the same thing and was able to block the second attack by Horn.  May countered and asked about the year Lan was born.  Horn seemed to hover for a second before he simply knocked the lance aside.  He asked his final question about Rand heading from Ebou Dar to Illian.  May was ready yet again and turned aside Horn’s final attempt.  She asked her final question about the consolidation, which Horn was able to block as well.  This joust ended in a 0-0 tie. 

 

RR Kedomat vs. Lady Kat

Even before this joust started, these two seemed like old friends, poking at each other. Let’s find out which of the two prevailed in the joust.  Lady Kat started things off by asking about some of the heroes that returned to the call of the Horn of Valere.  Kedomat was more than ready and blocked very effectively.  He countered by asking about the weight of Perrin’s axe and hammer.  Kat was fooled by this one and took a stunning hit to the chest.  On the next tilt Kedomat asked about how Faile accompanies Perrin to the Two Rivers.  Kat was ready for this one and easily blocked before she countered.  She asked about who prophesized Rand’s birth.  Kedomat was able to get his shield up in time to turn the strike aside.  On the final tilt, Kat asked about a face that Rand has seen in his dreams.  Kedomat slapped the lance aside before making his final attempt.  He asked about the length in miles the Blight has retreated. Kat was able to block that last attack, but the damage was done from the first tilt, and this joust ended in a 1 hit to no hit victory for Kedomat.

 

RR Tallanvor vs.Blademaster Tay UC

The newest recruit to the Cav had one heck of a joust before him as he stared back at the UC, Blademaster Tay.  Tay has to be the most difficult person to unseat in a joust. Let’s see how Tallanvor fared against her!  Tay started the joust off by asking about Egwene’s maid.  Tallanvor was able to knock the lance enough to have it scrape his side, but not enough to be considered a full hit.  He countered by asking about the darkfriend that tried to kill Rand in a stable.  Tay was more than ready and had her shield up without even flinching.  She came back with her second attack and asked about what Mat showed Huan.  Tallanvor was a bit on edge from his first encounter and this time he took a full hit to the chest.  Now in a bit of pain he made his second attack and asked about the amount of surviving Kin after the Rahad battle.  Tay knocked the lance away from her before it got close to her. She came back for her final attempt and asked about Kadere’s older sister.  Tallanvor was almost unseated as he took a second heavy hit to the chest.  He made an attempted strike and asked the name of the Wondering Woman serving girl that Mat flirted with.  Tay slapped the lance aside again and won the joust by a final of 2 hits to no hits.  What a great joust to end the month with!!

 

That’s all the jousting that we have for you in this addition…Remember to check again next month as there will be more hits, new questions, and maybe a few unseatings!  So, until next time….may your lances strike home for a victory!

 

 

Notes from the BG

(by Lady Stefania)

 

I was honored to be appointed to the role of BG for this term. This is a position I take very seriously and I will strive to do my very best in filling the shoes of those who have served before me. Now on to the Pages!!!

 

Three new Cavvers have been helping me to get my feet wet in my new job: Oddette, Mayleigh, and Cairos. Oddette was mostly through with her time as a page when I jumped aboard. After finishing up a stay with the Templars, we are presently waiting with bated breath for her declaration JotS.

 

Page Mayleigh has been quite the busy bee!!! Her makeover tent at the Arthurian Ren Faire was a big hit. Steel, Goldy, and Uasal may never be the same! The Sarmatians had her start a highly contested and immensely controversial mud brawl in the Yard. I have a feeling that we haven’t heard the last of that messy situation!!! Now Page Mayleigh is off to expand her mind with the Templars before she, too, creates her declaration JotS.

 

Cairos, I am afraid, has gone missing. He was last seen at the Temple Bar. All Temps have been questioned and, as usual, we dusted Manny down for fingerprints, but as of yet there has been no break in the case. If anyone has information that can lead to Cairos’ whereabouts, please contact me at once. Your name will be kept confidential, unless of course it can be used for blackmail purposes.

 

That will about do it for the Cavalry pages this month. Stay tuned for new developments as these future knights pick an Order and move on to squiredom!!!

 

[Direwolf Jon]

Welcome to Infantry Row!

(by Kara J)

 

Hello and welcome to this months Infantry row!

 

Unfortunately this month we've got a lot of Infants on LoA, some due to RL, and some due to catastrophic pc failure *shakes fist*  so we've had a quiet month.

 

However, despite all that, we've had some new recruits join us and we've had some new games, awards and laughs aplenty.

 

First of all a warm welcome to IrishFlyer and Kedomat who have both decided that the Infantry is the regiment for them, (wise men that they are!). Welcome to both of them and may they both have a great time with us. Both have now completed the first level of their Mahdi program and I'm sure that they will carry on the fine Infantry traditions!

Our other Mahdis are going through the programme at a fine pace so expect to see more Infantry celebrations in the near future.

 

We've also implemented some new Raw Recruit awards, thanks to an idea from our CG, Demonspawn. The Raw Recruit that completes all three tasks in the allotted time will receive the Silver Infantry Pin. The Raw Recruit that manages to do all that and complete a 4th task will receive the coveted Gold Infantry Pin. We've had a remarkable set of recruits through this month and most have received the Gold Infantry Pin.

 

We also have had a good time with our inner-infantry competition, both teams are battling it out to Name That Tune..though some members have, unfortunately, been hampered by their pc problems.

 

The Blade Master Programme is also proving popular. Kara is halfway through her training, Demonspawn (our illustrious CG) and several more Infants are queueing up, eager to start theirs.

 

I think that's about it for this month. Hopefully we will have our errant CG and various other members return to us in the near soon.

 

One final thing to report...Cover your keyboards and monitors and have some tissues on standby! The one and only Footman has returned to us! (Well I suppose "one and only" isn't all that accurate as the man has more aliases and personalities than James Bond...but still ;))  Welcome back Footy! (and to everyone else..you have been warned! :D)

[Direwolf Jon]

 

Raw Recruits of the Band

(by Lady Bridmorgan, XO)

 

For any future Banders out there, the Raw Recruit Program 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 March we had seven Recruits graduate and six receive their RR Stripes!!! They were el Nyn who chose the Archers,  Mayleigh, Cairos, Tallanvor and Hazmite who chose the Cavalry and Kedomat and Blood Requiem who chose the Infantry.  Congratulations to you all and I know you'll do your new Regiments proud!

 

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 Outstanding Recruit for the month of March is:  Mayleigh

 

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

 

Of the Recruits choosing Regiments the statistics for the new year are:

 

4 - Infantry

6 - Cavalry

3 - Archers

 

Missing In Action figures are very reasonable with 6 out of 19 Recruits going MIA this year and we have four new Recruits working their way through their training at the moment. A warm welcome to Windsoftime who is finishing up his last task and will be choosing his regiment very shortly!  I would also like to welcome Barracuda, Jelly and Albion1636 who are currently going through their Recruit time.

 

Our Recruits ran the gambit of tasks from travel agents to who dunnit mysteries, from jousting to bartending, from running bookstores to tack shops!  Check out the Regimental Articles for more information on their tasks!

 

I would like to thank the RLOs of this term who have made my job easy and look forward to working with them next month!!

 

RLOs for the March/April Term:

 

Archers:

Samuraiflip

Snin

 

Cavalry:

Lady Stefania

Lor Horn

 

Infantry:

Arrandion

Kastchei

 

See you next month with more RR antics!

[Direwolf Jon]

 

The Redarm Report

(by Auld Manriva)

 

This year just keeps on flying by like a gaggle of jet powered geese, and The RedArms this past month have been handing out spots just as quickly and with just about the same discretion as  the foul fowl show towards spreading their lawn feed over any patch of ground they pass over.. Quite a good show all in all I would say!!

 

Tharengore, Snin and of course Inspector Steel have done a bang up job of throwing monkey wrenches in the spokes of the lawbreaking lubbers of The Band. It makes my heart swell to see the dedication to duty this current crew of RA's show. I've only had to step in to stop one riot, two drive by cursing outs, and the occasional random act of kindness instigated by their actions.... This all in the first 20 days of March as the last 10 have not seen much of me around....

 

I have been shanghied by family members. NO .. not a kidnapping and intervention, but much worse than that! I have been harnessed to the plow, been given a hammer and told to out work the new fangled steam hammer like fabled John Henry, with nearly the same result. Though I survive (as he did not) to tell my tale of woe, it is not the same man today who pounded out this report the last time we met. What am I referring to?

 

To put it simply; My daughter bought a foreclosed house which had to be fixed up before it could be livable. Not only that but there were only 10 days to get out of their current home as it had been sold and had to be cleared by ... ohhhh, TODAY! Nine rooms had to be painted, drywall repaired, carpets cleaned, tile torn up and relaid, a mini barn built, an air conditioner replaced (some filthy heathens had stolen the one supposed to be there) and major appliances bought and installed. All this labor was not hired out, not in the budget and had to be performed by ........ family members. Of which regrettably I am included whenever manual labor or funding issues are mentioned and not usually at any other time.

 

Therefore as I bang this report out, I have a gash on one leg from a rogue nail in a rafter while hanging tin on a barn roof, one knuckle bruised to unbending, two knees which no longer flex and a back which will not straighten and reminds me constantly that I am no longer thirtysomething (as if that needs to be done).

 

So needless to say, I am appreciative that The Redarms were on the job and needed only the slightest bit of direction from this beat up, hung down, listing, worm ridden and waterlogged hulk of a skipper ... Thank You my fearless crew

 

Till next time...........

 

Let's Be Careful Out There!

[Direwolf Jon]

 

Welcome,

 

How to get your story in the Hornsounder?

 

Do you have interesting, funny, weird, general stories that you'd like to share but that don't quite fit in any of the other sections?

Then don't hesitate to contact me by pm to present your idea/topic and next month your story could very well be published in Hornsounder.

 

In here you could find:

- the full articles of summarized pieces found in the other Sections

- the loose articles from Banders and Non-Banders that are not assigned to any one Section

- independent and Sectionless projects and coverages

- various undetermined pieces of work from both Banders and Non-Banders

 

The articles and coverages that are posted here can cover any topic, be it about WOT, Band, DM related topics or anything else that might be of interest to share with our readers.

 

Now without further hesitation, I wish you a lot of reading pleasure with this month’s collection of articles.

 

Mystica,

EiC

 

Columns

 

M-G Recommendation

(by Corki)

 

I haven’t done one of these in some time due to being quite busy and not really having much to recommend. Sadly, my original idea for this column had to be scrapped, but I plan to find what I want for next month. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to crawl under the attic to find a piece of writing I did some time ago that I wanted to share with you. However, it will be here for next month as I am really proud of what I wrote – I was only 12 or so at the time. This idea only sprung up as I am going through one of those phases about pondering whether to write. It’s something I would love to do (I may even do so if I continue to struggle in my hunt for a job), and I have this fantastic idea on presenting it. Maybe one day…

 

While we are talking about books, I’m currently re-reading the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind so I can catch up on everything in preparation for Confessor to come out in paperback. It is also allowing for some reward in between the boring exercise that is revision. While I seem to see a lot of people say Goodkind copied Jordan, all I am going to say this copying business has been going on for some time. All you need to do is look at the Mesopotamian epic Gilgamesh and compare it to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. So it’s been going on for thousands of years! And now I am going to commit blasphemy here, but I prefer Goodkind to Jordan. I don’t deny the fact I love RJ, but Goodkind writes at a much better speed than Jordan, and that is something I must have in a book. Speed. Speed captivates and draws me in. It makes me want to continue reading it. I also feel this explains why I am not a great fan of Tolkien. I don’t find his books quick enough. But when you look at the authors I enjoy, like Kristen Britain, Juliet E. McKenna, Clive Cussler to name but a few, they all have speed – it just makes me not want to put the book down as I read late into the night.

 

My revision for my forthcoming exams currently involves reading quite a few of the Greek comedies written by Aristophanes. While we may have lost a lot of the meaning behind the humour, they are still good enjoyable reads. Having had the opportunity to read some of them in the original language, you come to love the ingenious ways that humour is created, whether it is play on words or parody of well known events from the time. All the plays have political messages – war is a common theme due to Aristophanes writing during the Peloponnesian War – and these messages can definitely still be viewed and considered today. So if you want something different (but still with a fantasy twist), I seriously recommend having a look at this genre. It will be well worth it.

 

While many of us enjoy this pastime, I feel this is a worthy activity to be recommended. My reading has dramatically increased over the last few weeks as I am now back home and with limited internet access. And it is at times like these that I remember what I did before I had the internet, and why I love reading so much – I can depart from this world and drift into another so happily it takes a lot to pull me out again.

 

Stefania's Random Stories

(by Lady Stefania)

 

Irelynn

Irelynn stooped down behind the cart as she heard the shuffle of boots draw nearer. She held her breath so that her pursuers couldn’t hear her heavy breathing after such a frantic dash, but she was just sure that the pounding of her heart would give her away.

 

“Aye, I don’t see her. Which way did she go?” a harsh male voice intoned. Irelynn thought that her heart was going to beat out of her chest.

 

“I’ve no idea and I’ve no wish to be chasing urchins in the day’s heat. What say we let the shopkeeper tend to his own affairs and have ourselves a pint?” The other man must have agreed for the sound of backslapping and laughter echoed down the alley with their retreating footsteps.

 

When she could no longer hear the men’s chortling, Irelynn stood hesitantly and peered down the way they had gone. She was alone. This was becoming all too familiar of a scene: herself, steeling away from the civil guard, cowering behind carts and overturned barrels, knowing that at just any moment she was going to look up into the face of her captor. And for what? A luke-warm mutton pie and an apple that had definitely seen better days. Perhaps tomorrows pickings would be better.

 

Taking a bite of her pie, Irelynn strolled back toward the street. She hadn’t been in the city of Cairhien very long, just over a week from her calculations. Time tended to fold into itself when your days were spent running and hiding and your nights keeping watch for street toughs who thought to take advantage of a young woman alone. But they found no easy meat in Irelynn Hanlon. Her father and older brothers had taught her how to handle a knife before they were all swept up in the civil war; forced to swear fealty to one house or another until that one was crushed, only to be replaced by another banner and more house colors. One house was all the same as any to those in the hillside, but when the nobles came recruiting, they didn’t take no for an answer. Irelynn figured it had been two years since she had seen her father, another three since she’d seen Dradyn and Brendyn. She hoped that they were alive to be seen again.

 

Of course, she was not the only person living on the streets of prosperous Cairhien. Everywhere she looked she saw people; men, women, and children milling around, no place to go and in no hurry to get there. Scores of wanderers filled the streets as the once peaceful city teetered on the verge of bursting. The only people moving with purpose were shopkeepers shooing the flies from their wares and wealthy merchants off to make deals. In this heat those with homes to stay in didn’t venture out much.

 

Turning back into the main thoroughfare, Irelynn blended into the throng. Shoulder to shoulder with soldiers and peddlers alike, she continued on, allowing herself to be swept along in the crowd’s wake. The pie now finished, she licked the juice from her fingers as she tried to gaze into the shop’s windows.

 

Just ahead, something caught her eye. In all this jumble of people, why one specific face would jump out at her she was unsure, but something tugged at the back of her memory. She pushed past the person in front of her, a dark faced laborer in a leather vest who cursed her half heartedly, and scrambled to make progress. Here and there she caught a glimpse of a man with dark hair hanging to his shoulders. His clothes were as dirty and tattered as she knew her own were and he wore a sword on his hip. But try as she might, she seemed to be getting no nearer to him. If only he would look back once more and let her see his face. If only she could get closer. If only….he glanced her direction, and in that instant she knew. It was Brendyn. 

 

Her breath caught as she was knocked from behind. In her shock she hadn’t realized that she had stopped moving until the crowd jostled into her. She just caught herself short of being knocked to her knees and struggled to rejoin the mass of moving people, her urgency to reach the now familiar man renewed.

 

The crowd continued ahead as Irelynn tried in vain for another glimpse of her brother. Every other step she bounced up on her tip toes, her neck craning in every direction for the sight of long dark hair. Surely fate could not be as cruel as to allow her to come so very close to her long lost family member only to never be able to see him again, never get close enough to touch him, never hear his voice…..

 

Hands seized her and Irelynn found herself being pulled into another alleyway. Panic took here as she fumbled at the knives she knew were hidden up her sleeves but now found herself unable to reach. She wouldn’t let it end like this, she wouldn’t let herself be one of those unnamed women found beaten and naked; she would fight.  Frantically she kicked and scratched, all the while reaching for her knives.

 

“Enough! Enough!” a man’s urgent voice whispered, “I won’t hurt you!”

 

Irelynn froze with her foot drawn back for a kick, one hand still desperately trying to reach into a sleeve. She knew that voice. She looked up into Brendyn’s face.

 

“I knew it was you! At least I thought it was you. And I tried to reach you, but then I couldn’t see you any more, and then…..”Tears choked her words and she finished, sobbing into her brother’s chest. He clutched her against him, stroking her hair. “Where have you been?”

 

“Shh….I’m here now, that’s all that matters.” But Irelynn could feel his body against her, every muscle tensed, poised to run. The arms that held her were hard from fighting, the hands calloused from the sword. This was not the brother she remembered.

 

“Have you seen Dradyn?” Brendyn asked, his voice pitched to a whisper as he tried to peer in all directions at once. “He was supposed to meet me in Cairhien. But I’ve been here a month and I’ve not seen him yet.”

 

Stepping back from him, Irelynn wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. “I haven’t seen him. I haven’t seen anyone, till you. But why are you here? Where is father?”

 

Brendyn paused in his scanning of the alley to look down into his sister’s eyes. “Father is dead. Killed in the fighting between houses. Not that the houses care who lives or dies.” Irelynn could hear the unshed tears in his voice, see the anger behind his eyes. “That’s why we left, Dradyn and I. It was easier to leave separate, to slip off in the night by ourselves. Said we would meet up here. But I was…..diverted.”

 

He stepped nearer to Irelynn till she had to strain her neck up to look into his face. “I have to go now. I can’t stay still too long. But I want you to take this.” Irelynn felt something hard and flat pressed into her hand. “If you need me, come outside the gates and show this to anyone. They can tell you where to find me.” And with a last touch to her face, her brother dashed away into the crowd.

 

Irelynn stood there for a long moment, staring back the way Brendyn had gone.  It all seemed too quick. She had always hoped to find her family, but deep down she had never really believed it was possible. Now, to have held her brother in her arms for such a short time seemed even crueler than being left to wonder. The knowledge that her father was dead paled in comparison to the sudden loss she felt watching Brendyn fade into the crowd. Now she felt truly alone. 

 

It occurred to her that she still held the item he had handed her in her hand. She opened her fingers to reveal a flat stone about the size of her palm. But why would he have given her a rock? How could showing people a rock lead her to her brother? Idly, she turned the stone over in her hand, feeling the smoothness. And there on the back, an image etched and then filled in with ink…….a small, red handprint.

 

 

[Direwolf Jon]

Raw Recruit Articles

 

My Life as an Irish Dancer

(by Mayleigh)

 

Irish dancing has been such a big part of my life, for as long as I can remember I’ve loved to dance. My mam and my aunties before me, my big sister, my cousins and of course me!

We’ve all danced, so you see, it’s in my blood!

My first memory of Irish dancing is when I was very, very young. I think I was about 3 years old, my big sister went to dance class twice a week, and one day I asked my mam if I could go and watch with her. We got there and I just remember being in awe watching the dancers.  All of a sudden the dance teacher came over to me and asked if I wanted to try. I just remember looking up at my mam and her telling me to go ahead. It’s so strange how clear that memory is in my mind, but I suppose it was the start of something amazing for me and I’ve never regretted that day.

 

I’ve been dancing since I was three years old, but not all of it has been smooth sailing!

For nine years me and my sister danced for one teacher and loved it, it was a very traditional class but we loved it and had lots of friends.  My sister was very good, but back then I wasn’t great. We would travel all around to feis (competitions). One year when I was about 11 years old, we went to England for a competition. Everything was going great until a few of us missed our competitions. We where told one time by our teacher, but when we arrived we had missed them, and all our teacher said was, "Well, you should have been here all day, I got the time wrong, sorry!!" This was upsetting as this was a big competition. When the competition had ended and we where all back in the hotel there where some men there who started acting inappropriately with some of the younger girls and then had a stripper and all the teacher did was sit there and laugh. That was the last draw for my mam and some other mothers and when we got home we where pulled out of the class. I was devastated! Dancing was my life and it had been taking away from me!

 

It was just before Christmas that year when I was watching TV and Irish dancers came on. They looked the same age as me, but they where doing something like river dance. I loved it! The next week I was up at the dancing class I had seen on TV and started to dance again.

 

This class was a complete shock to my system, it wasn’t traditional at all, but I loved it! I started going to three classes a week sometimes four. This is when I really started to become a good dancer! My new dance teacher was great! She would do anything for you and was very innovative with choreography. Not only did we have competitions, we also did some river dance like shows. This is what I really loved and our class was known to be the best!

 

As the years went by, I got better and better. That is until I was one of the senior girls in the class. I would go to competitions and win everything in my age group, and then came one of the best days in my life. The day of the all Ireland championships. I was 16 and there was about 30 girls in the competition. I was so nervous because I was up against the best of the best! When it came time for me to dance I said to myself “this is it Megan you can do it” and well it’s the best I’ve ever danced in my life! I've never matched it since! It was then time for the results and the three judges stood up and called out their points MEGAN PARSONS: 20, 20, and 20!

I was in shock, I just stood at the side of the stage staring. Until my friend Kelly pushed me out there!!

 

After that I continued to dance, but I got tired of competitions so I left my dancing class and went and did some Irish dancing shows for a year. Unfortunately, I had to give up dancing when I was 18 for a few different reasons, but I still stay in touch with my dancing teacher and the girls from the class. Oh and I’m a qualified Irish dancing teacher.

 

I still love to dance even if it is only at family parties or around the house. I watch everything involving Irish dancing on T.V. I can’t get enough of it and I’ll always be an Irish dancer at heart.

 

Cavalry Warfare: The Ins and Outs of Fighting From Horseback

(by Cairos)

 

Cavalry warfare? What is the meaning of cavalry warfare? Cavalry warfare is where the fighters of an army are using horses to help gain an edge over the enemy.

 

Many armies and nations had cavalries in the past. If you look at the Romans, the Greeks, and the Asian Nations, they all used calvary to help gain power.  Sometimes cavalries are still used today. There are some advantages and disadvantages of fighting from horseback.

 

There are a couple of advantages of fighting from horse back.  The first advantage when fighting from a horse is that you have the advantage of height.  This allows your army to be able to see armies in the distance. A second advantage is that  you have  greater speed when on a horse. You could easily outdistance a man on foot if you were riding on a horse towards him. 

 

There are some notable disadvantages of fighting from horse back. When fighting from a horse you have the disadvantage of not being able to easily kill your opponent. You might have the height advantage, but you have to reach down further to score a killing blow.  Another problem with fighting from horseback is that once your horse goes down, you go down with it.  Like in movies where you see people on horses falling down when their horses get hit in the legs. Another disadvantage of the cavalry is the cost involved in maintaining them.  Many countries couldn't afford to have large cavalries, so they could be overwhelmed by a country that had a larger cavalry.  Another drawback to fighting on horseback is that horses are sensitive to smelling blood. They have a good sense of smell and they get a bit nervous around the smell of blood.

 

Many armies in the past rode on horses when going to war. These armies used a variety of weapons when fighting from horseback.  For example, some countries used rifles, pistols, bows and arrows, swords, and lances. Each weapon brought different advantages and fighting styles, and each could be used to deadly results. 

 

Looking at the advantages and disadvantages of fighting on horseback, can help show others about cavalry and whether or not it is useful for them. The cavalry is still used in the world today and it played a big role in our history. Fighting on horses to defend your country is awesome and shows your love for the country. Although they are not used as much anymore, they still represent power and service to their countries.  We will continue to ride on and be the cavalry that we are.

 

Progressive Rock Music, a History

(by Kedomat)

 

Progressive Rock stemmed from musicians wanting to take rock music to a new level. It began in the late '60s primarily in Britain. Prog Rock saw the inclusion of different song structures and coupled rock music with classical and jazz song structuring.

 

Many Prog albums are what are referred to as concept albums. Concept albums have a story or theme that runs throughout the album. This was the artist's way of lyrically taking the music to a new level.

 

Prog Rock reached it's peak in popularity during the '70s and early '80s. King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer were all refered to as Progressive during this time.

 

Though it has never reached the height of poularity found in the '70s, Progressive bands still emerge and find a fan base. My favorite band Coheed and Cambria is considered progressive. Dream Theatre and the Mars Volta also enjoy an underground popularity and devotion that few pop artists ever receive.

 

If you would like to learn more, there is a very good Wikipedia article on the subject.

 

Archery

(by Barracuda)

 

Archery has been around for quite a while. The earliest bow recovered dates from 9000-8000 BC. The bow was about 1.5m long (5ft). The bow was one of the earliest forms of artillery. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl (weird old arrow slingshot thingie) as the predominant means for launching arrows/projectiles.

 

Most of the old civilizations, such as Japanese, Chinese, Greek and Persian, armies had a lot of archers because the arrows were very effective against large formations.

 

Archers and archery play a role in several mythologies, including Greek Artemis and Apollo, Germanic Agilaz, and was continued in legends like those of William Tell, Palnetoke, and Robin Hood.

 

You can distinguish bows into a couple of types:

 

A longbow is a type of bow that is tall (roughly equal to or greater than the height of the user), is not significantly recurved, and has relatively narrow limbs that are D-shaped in cross section. The traditional English longbow is usually made so that its thickness is at least 5/8 of its width. If the thickness is less than 5/8 of its width then the bow would be disqualified from most modern longbow competitions. Typically a longbow is widest at the handle. Longbows have been used for hunting and warfare by many cultures around the world. A famous example being the English longbow, used during the Middle Ages.

 

A Flatbow is a bow with non-recurved, flat, relatively wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. Most modern flatbows are otherwise similar to the classic longbow.

 

A shortbow is any shorter version of the longbow or flatbow design. While it is lighter and more maneuverable, it can be drawn back less, therefore stores less energy and hence has a shorter maximum range. Short bows were used for hunting by, among others, many West Coast American tribes (often with a flat or lenticular cross-section) and by South African Bushmen (often with a rounded cross-section similar to the classic longbow).

 

A recurve bow is the only class of bow that is shot at the Olympic Games. Its basic working principles are similar to that of a traditional longbow. Its defining feature is that the ends of the limbs curve forwards, which increases the power gained from the bow and smoothes the draw. Composite bows are recurved in form.

 

A compound bow is designed to reduce the force that an archer must hold, yet increase the overall energy stored by the bow. Most compound designs use cams or elliptical wheels on the ends of the limbs to optimize the leverage exerted by the archer and to reduce the holding force of the bow at full draw in what is known as the "let-off". With less force required to hold a compound bow at full draw, the muscles take longer to fatigue, thus giving a compound archer more time to aim. A compound bow must be adjusted so that the let-off occurs at the correct draw length appropriate to the archer.

 

A crossbow is a variation on the general bow design. Instead of the limbs being held vertically, they are mounted horizontally on a stock much like that of a firearm. The limb design can either be compound or a recurve but the basic concept of shooting is the same. The string is pulled back either manually or with a windlass and locked into place. The string remains in this locked position, held solely through mechanical means until the energy stored in its limbs is released by a trigger mechanism, which launches the loaded arrow. The energy stored in the shortened limbs is comparable to the longbow but packed into a smaller design that is also much easier to aim. Crossbows shoot quarrels or bolts, which are shorter arrows than those usual for bows.

 

A yumi is a Japanese longbow used in the practice of kyūdō. Traditionally made from a laminate of bamboo, wood, and leather, yumi are of asymmetrical design, with the grip positioned at about one-third the distance from the lower tip. It is believed the shape was designed for use on horseback, allowing the bow to be more easily moved from one side of the horse to the other.

 

Archers on the March

(by Winds of Time)

 

Universally, the Archer was an important miltary unit of any medieval army. With their ability to shoot distances and, in groups, thin armies to a man, their importance cannot be measured by the bows they carry. The innovations of the archer have also been stencils of new modern arms such as the armor piercing round (inspired by the germanic "punch point" tipped arrows.) Archers also have an air of mystery about them as there is a constalation of an archer in the skies in many cultures. Archers are universal in their importance, in their thinking, tactics, and their own ways to have fun.

 

Take the Band of the Red Hand for example. the archer regiment in this small band strike not only fear into the enemy, but strike a lot of holes in the barrels of brew they consume by just partying and hanging about. Close to one another to defend one another on the battle feild, but friendly enough to have a brawl every once and a while, the archers enjoy just being men and women. Though on the battle feild, their good nature can turn to cold hard steel as they loose arrow after deadly arrow into the ranks of enemy infantry. A balance is acheived in all this though and apparently everyone enjoys it.

[Direwolf Jon]

Raw Recruit Articles Continued

 

Life in New Zealand

(by Josh Tallanvor)

 

I live in a little country at the bottom of the world. It is a beautiful little country with lots of tall trees and farm land. In the part I live in there are no buildings over two stories.  The nearest town is a fifteen minute drive away, with an awesome view along the way. The view consists of sheep and cows eating grass or hay from the silage rolls in winter, and tall pines where there are no animals that are being farmed there. In the town there are no traffic jams or even traffic lights (there is no need for any). Each shop is its own little building they are not in one big building. The nearest city is Tauranga (thats maori).  It is rather big by my standards because it has a few buildings that are five stories and a lot of pedestrian crossings and bars, cafes and restaurants. It's right by the harbor so there is an awesome view of the harbor. I go to school in Tauranga and for me that is a very busy place with lots of buses and cars. The next city over is Mount Maunganui it's named after the huge mountain which is really good to climb up.  At the top of the mountain the view is superb and it has a great beach to swim at in the summer or just show off your car by doing laps around the block by the beach . There is no real religion in NZ, every one just has the religion they came here with or that their family believes in. New Zealand is nuclear free (even though we made nuclear energy) so there is no fear of an explosion or anything like that. NZ is two main islands and a smaller island down below the south island. It is hot in the summer (30º) and in the winter were I live it never snows but it does get cold (3 to minus 3). I like the winter the most because it is nice and cool so I can play rugby and go running without getting too hot.  It is also a good excuse to go to the mountain hot pools. I live an hour away from Matamata. That is where little Hobiton is, and where they shot parts of Lord of the Rings. That is basically what it is like in New Zealand and here is a picture of were my country house is

 

 

Archery Dummy

(by Albion1636)

 

Here, recently my changepurse has been feeling a bit light so I decided it'd be the best time to take on the idea of a job. Now, it's not like it was in the old days. I'm 15 and my job choices are a bit slim.....McDonald's meat flipper or Arrow retriever for the local Archery range. I'd be a bit tempted by the idea of working in an area sorrounded by cheap...luscious....beautiful.....(drools)....oh, sorry. Anyhow, I decided to take on the Archery range job.

 

My manager pays me suitably in his mind....a copper penny for each arrow retrieved. It was my first day on the job and I decided to give it a try. Now...you have to remember....most of the people on the range are either newcomers or drunks who want to try out their skills......not a good mix, trust me.

 

Imagine venturing out to simply extract someone's arrow from their archery dummy and finding out that they're already nocked and set to make you their NEW archery dummy. An arrow to the buttocks region, not a good feeling. I'm just thankful I wasn't facing forward in their little "I wanna hit the new guy with whatever this thingymajigger is in my hand" experiment.

 

So I walked through the hospital hearing murmurs from every direction saying "Does that guy have an arrow sticking out of his ass?", but I didn't mind it. I was too busy trying to figure out how I was supposed to take off my pants with the arrow still in my butt.

 

I walked into the waiting room, presenting my trophy to the secretary, and decided that leaning against the wall/sitting down would be a bad idea. The nurse finally called my name and after a few moments of trying to figure out how to sit on the table (Is this just looking like a pattern to me?) until the nurse told me I needed to take off my pants.

 

She realized there wasn't a very easy solution to this problem so with a sly smile on her face she asked me to lie face down on the table. Doing as I was told, I gingerly waited for some kind of shot to be inserted to numb the pain or something along those lines when I find that instead of something going in, I've got something being pulled out.

 

I screamed a bit, creating curses I'd never even knew could be created until she asked me to pull my pants off again. I sat up slowly, looked at her and said "You'll owe me for this.", and she laughed a bit. Then I realized something and when she saw the look on my face she took a minute and asked "what's wrong?".

I zipped my pants, backed up, and hesitated, finally building up the courage to announce, "err.....I err....didn't wear any underwear today....."

 

So, my point today kids is this. Never take a job around drunk men with weapons and always remember to wear underwear to the hospital. Hope you liked the story, take time to have your pets spade and neutered.

[Direwolf Jon]

Freelance Articles

 

Fireworks - Origins and Chemical Make-up

(by El Nyn)

 

Fireworks are often thought to have originated in China, supposedly by a chef who found that the mixture of charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter exploded when compressed into a small space. Other sources claim that they were originally invented by a man named Li Tian, the inventor of the firecracker, approxiamately 1,000 years ago. The Chinese believe the latter version and celebrate the invention on April 18 every year. Later on, fireworks as we know them were developed by an alchemist Sun Si Miao.

 

Fireworks are a mixture of sulphur, charcoal and saltpeter. The mixture is compressed into an enclosure, usually a small tube and lit via a fuse. When the fuse runs out the whole mixture explodes. The addition of certain compounds results in the array of colours we are familiar with. Titanium, magnesium and aluminium create silver sparks and white flames, found particularly in sparklers. Barium is used as a stabliser and produces a green colour, while another compound that stabilises fireworks is strontium, which adds a red colour. Lithium also produces a red colour. Blue is created by the addition of copper and orange by the addition of calcium. Zinc is also used for smoke effects and phosphorus sometimes is used for glow in the dark colours. Sodium is also used to produce a gold or yellow colour, but is often so bright that it covers up other colours.

 

And as always, making fireworks yourself is extremely inadviseable. Simply put, don't do it.

 

Why Does Infantry gets the Glory?

(by Irishflyer)

 

Why does the infantry get the glory? Battles cannot be won with just infantry. An army needs archers and calvary just as much as it needs the fighters. Then why is it that the infantry gets the glory. It must be that being in the infantry means you are where the metal meets the meat. The archers, though very important, fire their arrows from a safe distance. The calvary, which battles are sometimes won or lost by calvary units, are always on the move and are good for just quick strikes. The infantry is by far the most dangerous of the the three and therefore more respected. Though nobles are well known for riding into battle with the calvary, there were times when knights had to relinquish their horse to fight on foot. In the First Crusade many of the crusader knights had to march next to the commoners and peasants that made up the bulk of the crusader army.

 

Archers are vital to an army. They help weaken the number of the enemy in order to sway the odds. The problem with archers is that its years of training to get a soldier good enough to be effective with his bow. Crossbows were the answer allowing untrained men yield some sort of distance weapon. The problem with crossbows is that the distance is not as far compared to a bow and it take precious moments to reload. Without archers the infantry would be left to fight the whole of an opposing army. And that is the main point. No matter how much damage archers dish out there is always the need for the infantry to fight and decide a battle.

 

Calvary is important and a luxury. Calvary gives an army the means to flank an opponent and bring a quick victory to a battle. The main problem with a calvary is the expense. The logistics needed to support a calvary is vast. For one thing it adds extra food and provisions needed to support both horse and rider. Plus it takes more than one person to properly take care of warhorse, thus doubling the amount of men in the army. The Calvary is good for quick raids and dealing damage to an enemy but without infantry, the calvary can be destroyed.

 

The infantry is the by far the most important part of an army. Which is why the infantry gets the glory. Even though calvary and archers are important, without the infantry, there is no army. Now infantry is also revered because it allows the common man the ability to take up arms to fight for a cause. To be in the infantry a person just needs a weapon, the sword is most preferred, but a farmers axe can be a deadly weapon too. Where both archers and calvary take years of training to be able to go fight, the infantryman only needs basic knowledge of his weapon to be able to fight. Another piece of useful information to be in the infantry, one has to know that he or she will have to charge into men and that the there is a high chance of death. With the calvary being mounted, the horse gives them an advantage and betters odds at surviving, though there is still a high risk there. Archers will only see hand to hand combat if a battle is going extremely poor. In a matter of respect the infantry gets the most thus enforcing the reason why they get the glory.

 

The Infantry a Concise History

(by Kedomat)

 

Throughout the history of warfare, the infantry has made up the core of the army. Beginning with the glorified mobs of ancient times and moving to the modern soldier of today, the infantry has been there where the fighting is most hot.

 

The infantry was the primary fighting force in the ancient times. This includes the Phalanxes of the Greeks, the Legions of the Romans and mercenaries that were hired by most armies and operated in loose formations as skirmishers.

 

In the Middle Ages. the Knight came to the forefront as the figurehead of mounted combat and chivalry. Despite the knights romantic portrayal, the bulk of the hand to hand fighting was still done by the infantry.

 

With the advent of modern weaponry, computers and other high tech gadgets, some seem to think that war has become neat and clean. This is not true. A staggering amount of work is still done with a man/woman and his/her weapon.

 

Throughout the past and into foreseeable future the infantry has been and will be the core. Men and women fighting and all too often dying.

[Direwolf Jon]

Poetry

 

Over it

(by Mayleigh)

 

I thought I was over it, but little things remind me every day.

I didn’t want to talk, to look, but I can’t help it.

Today someone found a picture, the picture was for me,

It made me remember.

I don’t want to remember anymore!

 

The Darkness Within

(by Climhazzard)

 

I feel it stirring inside

A shadow fighting to get out

Twisting my guts

And my mind

It tries to consume me

Bend me to its will

I struggle against it

Not wanting to give in

But craving the power it has

What is living in me

Residing in my heart

The rage and strength

Boils under my surface

Wanting to break free

Do I give in

Or continue to fight

I don't know anymore

It tempts me

Whispering like a lover

To use it

But I dare not

Fearing what I may become

Less human

More demon

Dark wings spread before my eyes

Is this who I really am

A demon trapped in man's flesh

How do I fight what I fear

Fear of what I am becoming

This is my eternal struggle

Fighting my own

Darkness Within

 

Where I Like To Be

(by Jea)

 

Up in the tree, sitting on a limb,

I feel free, like a bird in the wind.

Ready for take off, I spread my arms.

But this is not for me.

 

Firmly on the ground, I hold tightly to the wheel.

Back and forth the car moves with an occasional squeal.

My hair whips fiercely in the wind, sensing freedom.

But this is not for me.

 

Here on the couch I at times do lay,

Awaiting the next good television play.

The true world melts away for a while,

Only to come hurtling back and make me realize,

This is not for me.

 

Out the door I go, good book in hand.

The sun shining brightly, the day is perfect.

A new world awaits me.

 

Lying on the grass, a book open before me.

Such wondrous adventures I eagerly devour,

As the world once again fades away,

Leaving me to dwell in my favorite place.

 

Missing Something

(by Jea)

 

I turn around swiftly,

finding only air.

 

I had felt a presence,

but there was nothing there.

 

A voice on the wind,

made me look up.

Yet a chill down my spine

kept the wonderment in.

 

So many times I felt something,

but time and time again,

it was simply missing.

 

Was it you,

following silently?

Or was it my mind,

playing those endless tricks?

 

No matter what,

I knew you had been there,

had hoped you would return.

 

Now I can only pray you won't disappoint me,

as others have before.

 

Please show yourself,

show me what is missing,

before you miss me as well.

 

 

[Direwolf Jon]

Cartoons

 

Infantry Sword Forms

(by Arrandion)

 

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen2.jpg[/img]

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen3a.jpg[/img]

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen3b.jpg[/img]

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen4.jpg[/img]

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen5.jpg[/img]

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen5a.jpg[/img]

 

http://angielski.szczecin.pl/Arrandion/komiks/screen6.jpg[/img]

[Direwolf Jon]

 

February Competition Winners

(by Bridmorgan, XO)

 

Happy Spring my lovely DMers!!  I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the warm weather to start showing itself.  Fall is my favorite time of year, but Spring is a very close second.  The birds are back, the breeze is a bit warmer and it just starts to smell like Spring.  I think we should only have 2 seasons, Spring and Fall.  No icky hotness of Summer and freezing cold of Winter.  Know any place I can find that? 

 

As Spring is a time of renewal, I think it's time to renew our interest in the Hornsounder Competitions.  February only had a whopping 6 winners; one in Sudoku, one in our new Word Search puzzle and four in the Scavenger Hunt!!  I know I've been a total slacker on the competition these past few months, but I've sharpened my pencil and hopefully my wits and I'm going to dive right in!

 

Here are the winners for February:

 

Sudoku:

 

Our Sudoku winner this month is the one, the only, current Redarm and RLO, the one, the only....oh I said that already.  Well here he is lords and ladies...the Archer's King of Competitions....SNIN!!  Well done Snin and you've won a trip to Randland!  Ok, I lied  :-/ ...you won 3 Game Points!  Maybe you can get some upgrades for your upcoming Competition. 

 

New Word Search:

 

Our Word Search winner is the current all around champion for our new Word Search puzzle.  No one has beaten him, he's the best out of all the entrants we have ever had.  I do suppose that is because it's the first time we've had this particular competition and he was the only one who entered.  But who's really counting?  He's another RLO, he's the Poet from Poland, the Infantry Illustrator...he's ARRANDION!  Well done Arra and you won this lovely fish.  *sees look on Arrandion's face*  ;) Just kidding dear!  You've won 1 Org point!  That will help you on your way to the top!!

 

Scavenger Hunt

 

Our Scavenger Hunt winners are from all 3 Regiments.  One from the Archers, two from the Cavalry and one from the Infantry.  Two of them have already won competitions in February and two are stand alone winners. 

 

With 20/20 correct, the winners are Snin, the Amazing Archer; Stefania the Sexy Sarmatian of the Cavalry; Uasal the Lovable Loan Shark, also of the Cavalry.

 

With 19/20 correct, we have Arrandion, the Rebel RLO of the Infantry!!

 

They all win 5,000 Org Points!!!  Yeah, if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you.  :P  Their winnings are 5 Lotto Chips!!

 

Congratulations to you all!  You'll have some competition next month I'll bet! 

 

Well my faithful friends, my column has come to it's end for this month.  I know you'll miss me, but don't pine to much, cause like Arnold and in-laws...I'll be back!  ;D Adieu, au revoir, goodbye! 

[Direwolf Jon]

March Competitions

 

Sudoku for March~open to everyone

(by DirewolfJon)

 

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 April 2008.

 

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!

 

 

 

Word Seach - March~open to everyone

(by Snin)

 

Word Search Rules:

 

Listed below are a word search puzzle and several categories.  Each category is related to the Wheel of Time book series and other works related to it.  The boxes next to each category indicate the amount of answers that are hidden in the word search.  Here is the catch, there may be more answers to the question than boxes listed next to the category.

 

 

Example:

 

Ta'veren boys from the Two Rivers:      

 

The answers could be Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon, or Perrin Aybara.

 

 

From the example above, only two of the names are in the puzzle (indicated by the two boxes), and you have to find which ones.  Unless specified otherwise, the full names of people are required. 

 

There are 20 hidden words in this puzzle.  For simplicity, all answers are downward and forward.  There are no diagonal, upword, or backward answers.

 

 

How to Start:

 

The best way to play is to copy the image of the puzzle and paste it into Microsoft Paint.  In the toolbar to the left, select the option ROUNDED RECTANGLE (lower right button).  After selecting this option, change to color to RED at the bottom of the window.  Now, to indicate answers, just click and drag the pointer so that the RED BOX with ROUNDED CORNERS surrounds the answer word. 

 

 

Submitting Solutions: 

 

All solutions must be PM'ed to Snin (snin83) at DM by April 20, 2008.  You may submit it any way you wish.  The easiest way is to save the Microsoft Paint file that has the answers indicated in RED boxes as a picture and PM that picture to Snin (snin83) at DM. 

 

 

Awards:

 

The award for a successful submission is 1 Org. Point to go toward promotion.  In order to have a successful submission, you need to find 16 of the 20 hidden words.

 

 

Bonus:

 

The bonus is for 2 Game Points.  There is one hidden character name in the puzzle (FISRT name only).  The name is a common name that has appeared in most of the books since the beginning of the series.  To get the bonus, find and indicate the name in the puzzle, and in the PM to Snin (snin83) at DM, give one significant event that the person has been involved with (there will be more than one). 

 

 

The Puzzle:

 

 

 

The Categories:

 

Aes Sedai who imprisoned Rand (first name only):                     

 

Ancient Cities:            

 

"Logical" Amyrlin's (Last name only):            

 

Borderland Sigils:            

 

Common Chapter Titles (Appearing in 3 or more bools):      

[Direwolf Jon]

March's games

 

Sudoku

 

Easy

 

Medium

[Direwolf Jon]

Answers to Last Month's Games

 

Scavenger Hunt

1. What are the surnames of the three Tenors? Pavaroti, Carraras, Domingo

2. What are the two musical notes that have no flats? C and F

3. What US three piece bad is made up of Taylor, Issac and Zac? Hanson

4. What have ‘Hell on high heels’, by Motley Crew, ‘Killer Queen’, by Queen, ‘Mama’, by Genesis and The Police’s ‘Roxanne’ all got in common? They were about prostitutes

5. Which legendary blues singer hit Jim Morrison (of The Doors) over the head when he asked her out? Janis Joplin

6. In 2002 which former Spice Girl did Virgin Records drop after her debut album, which cost £3 million to make, had only sold 50,000 copies? Victoria Beckham, Posh Spice

7. What was The Eagles very first US chart hit in 1972 and what number did it reach? Take it Easy #12

8. Backbeat is a 1994 film/movie that chronicles the early days of which pop band, in UK, Hamburg and Germany? The Beatles

9. Which Band won 3 Grammys at the 2007 awards for ‘Best Rock performance by a duo or group with vocal’, Best Rock song’ and ‘Best Rock Album’? The Red Hot Chilli Peppers

10. Which singing star was killed by a speed boat in December 2000? Kirsty MacColl

11. Which is the highest earning rock band in history? The Rolling Stones

12. What song plays over the credits in the Kevin Costner movie ‘Robin Hood: Prince of thieves’ and who sung it? (Everything I do) I do it for you, Bryan Adams

13. “I took her to a supermarket” comes from which song by a UK group in the ‘90s? Common People, Pulp

14. In which film would you find the following song ‘Tubular Bells’ by Mike Oldfield? The Exorcist

15. Which group had a hit with ‘Wires’ from their second album, ‘Tourist? Athlete

16. Which artist had the best selling single in the UK in the 1990s and what was it? Elton John with Candle in the Wind

17. What popular song sung by Shakira hit the number One spot in over 50 countries? Hips don’t lie

18. The song ‘Rehab’ was first released in Ireland. What British pop singer came up with this R&B song? Amy Winehouse

19. In the 1993 hit film ‘Mrs Doubtfire’, what Aerosmith song is playing in the background as Robin Williams dances with a vacuum cleaner? Dude looks like a Lady

20. Which song do the following lyrics come from and from which film (full title required) “where once there was light, now darkness falls. Where once was love, love is no more. Don’t say goodbye, don’t say I didn’t try”? Gollum’s Song from Lord of the Rings The Two Towers.

 

Word Scramble

1. Ramie Nose Soremaine

2. Massif In Moot Nut Mountains of Mist

3. Weenie Forth Jog Tower of Ghenjei

4. Lards Wend Nod Drowned Lands

5. Dream Roan Aren Mador

6. Rainfall Hot Ski Hills of Kintara

7. A Nomad Profiles Plains of Maredo

8. Handler Melee Rent Manetherendrelle

9. Rewove Nests Seven Towers

10. Hard Has Mar Rhamdashar

11. Deacon Arm Coremanda

12. Afar Yam Robe Bay of Remora

13. Lace Moles Cosamelle

14. Seaplane Gin Rill Alianelle Spring

15. Arachnids Tinged Chain Ridge Stand

 

 

Competitions:

 

Sudoku

 

Word Search

 

Misty Mountain Stedding’s:  Chinden, Tsofan, Yandar, Madan, Jinsiun, Shangloon

 

House Names Supporting Elayne as Successor:  Anshar, Baryn, Caeren, Pendar, Baryn

(These are only five of the 10 or 12, but they are the ones in the puzzle)

 

Calendar Creators:  Uren din Jubai Soaring Gull, Tiam of Gazar, Toma dur Ahmid

 

Seanchan Cities:  Seander, Rampore, Kirendad

 

Moiraine’s Uncles Killed During Aiel War:  Laman, Moressin, Aldecain

 

Bonus:

 

Hidden Name:  Bayle Domon 

 

 

Games

 

Easy Sudoku

 

Medium Sudoku

[Direwolf Jon]

Jokes

 

The Only Biscuit

(by Mayleigh)

Whats the only biscuit that can fly???????? A plane biscuit!

 

Having a Look Around

(by Mayleigh)

 

A blind man walks into a supermarket with his guide dog.  He walks into the middle of the shop, picks up the dog by the tail and starts to swing the dog above his head.

 

A shop assistant walks up to the blind man and asks "sir are you ok can I help you?"

The blind man say "no thanks I'm just having a look around"

 

Binary

(by Tharengore)

 

There are only 10 people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.

 

Computer Problems

(by Tharengore)

 

Caller - Hi I need help with my computer.

Me- Sure thing, I will be glad to help you. What seems to be the problem?

Caller - My coffee holder on my computer broke.

Me(I didn't just hear that did I?) - I'm sorry ma'am, what just broke on your computer?

Caller - You know that little tray thing at the top of computer that pops out when you push the button. The coffee holder, it broke on me. This computer is still under warranty, so I need it fixed.

Me - (speechless and trying not to laugh as I call my boss over and put call on speaker phone) - Umm...ma'am..that tray that pops out when you hit the button it isn't made for ahh...setting drinks on. Its made to put CD's on and read them. CD's are small round discs.

Caller (quiet for a moment) - you mean the coaster things...

Me - (face strained not to laugh along with boss who ran away to laugh) - Yes ma'am the...coaster looking things. They are meant to go into the tray.

Caller - (very quiet) - oh...oh my god...ahh...(hangs up)

 

More Computer Problems

(by Tharengore)

 

Man - (storms in with a laptop all upset) - This is crap, I demand a new one that has all the proper keys!

Me - (confused as I take a look at laptop) - I'm sorry to hear this is giving you a problem, what  exactly is going on and I might be able to fix it for you.

Man - (all upset) - I can't finish the setup on the computer because it keeps asking for me to hit the any key!

Me - (trying not to laugh let alone smirk) - ahh...sir...umm..that means to hit ANY key. I tend to use the space-bar.

 

Living in 2008

(by El Nyn)

 

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when...

 

1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. 

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

 

The Bar and Batman

(by Arrandion)

 

There was a guy in a bar one night that got really drunk, I mean really, really, really drunk. When the bar closed he got up to go home.

 

As he stumbled out the door, he saw a nun walking on the sidewalk. So he stumbled over to the nun and punched her in the face. The nun was really surprised but before she could do or say anything he punched her again.

 

This time she fell down and he stumbled over to her and kicked her in the side, then he picked her up and threw her into a wall. By this time the nun was pretty weak and couldn't move very much.

 

So then he stumbled over to her, put his face right next to hers and said........

"Not very freaking strong tonight, are you Batman!"

 

The Cannibals

(by Arrandion)

 

An explorer in the deepest Amazon suddenly finds himself surrounded by a blood thirsty group of cannibals. Upon surveying the situation, he says quietly to himself, "Oh God, I'm doomed!"

 

There is a ray of light from the sky above and a voice booms out: "No my son, you are NOT doomed. Pick up that stone at your feet and bash in the head of the chief standing in front of you."

 

So the explorer picks up the stone and attacks the chief, feverishly bashing at his head with all his strength. He stands above the lifeless body, breathing heavily and surrounded by 100 cannibals with a look of shock on their faces.

 

The voice booms out again: "Okay . . . . NOW you're doomed."

[Direwolf Jon]

 

General Dragonmount

(coordinated by Mystica)

 

Organizations (ORG)

(coordinated by Mystica)

 

*THE KIN*

(by Taymist - UC)

 

Well March has fairly flown past in a veritable flurry of activity in The Kin and we're back there now for all the latest news and insider information courtesy of yours truly.  ;)

 

New members were thin on the ground this month but we were delighted to welcome Bridmorgan to the group as she joined the Blue Sashes.  :) Bellanoire also returned this month after a very long absence and was warmly re-welcomed to the fold.  :D

 

There were Raisings aplenty as Mmeeshal, Sienna and Esperanza became Green Sashes and an amazing 6, yes count them, SIX, members became Purple Sashes in the shape of Kellan, Aleita, Samuraiflip05, Zarine, Sorandha and Calypsa. Tigara was also Raised to the Red Sash. Congratulations to all of you and good work.  ;D

 

The Golden Knitting Needle Club continued to grow this month as Taymist, Jhaenara and Leanne earned their first Gold needles and Ursula received her second!! Well done folks!!  :D

 

The Spammers’ Challenge is racing towards its target and is up to page 616 and post 7289. A huge leap once more. Why not stop in and help it along?

 

Lady Moiraine, Zarine, Paetric and Kiara, have each celebrated birthdays so congrats and many happy returns to them.  :)

 

Activities for March have focused on St Patrick's Day and all things Green or Irish much to the delight of several members who trace their ancestry back to the beautiful country. Taymist is currently running a Trivia Quiz which Bridmorgan appears to be the runaway winner of after 2 Rounds although a sneaky disruption by Lor with cute pics of Peanut may be enough to put her off her stride!!

 

The March Check In thread has seen a discussion on cursing and the various words and phrases we all use when turning the air blue. It seems we all do it though those with children are making attempts to tone it down lol.  ;)

 

March was National Arts and Crafts Month which was ideal for The Kin having so many crafty members and so Twinnie has been busy co-ordinating the Annual Craft Exchange.

 

Nephitess meantime started us all off on a Bakers Anonymous thread, sharing recipes and other delicious food information. Do drop in and join in the discussion.

 

If you'd like to see what other games and activities are on offer, then stop by for a visit... but remember!!... points are not the point  8-)... it's all about having fun and making friends.

 

See you all again next month!!  ;)

 

[Direwolf Jon]

*Wolfkin*

(by Taymist UC)

 

March for the Wolfkin has seen another busy month so here's our usual round up of events at the Stedding.

 

Big news first as the Wolfkin won the Most Improved Org award in the annual Empys. Members were delighted and Pack Leader, Goldeneyes05, took some time to thank his Council and the members for all their hard work. Other awards came home to Wolfkin members as 12th received the Silliest Community Member Empy for the second year in a row and Taymist won the Most Outstanding Community Member. Congratulations all round.  :D

 

New members arriving were Simon, Felinity, Arrandion, Moghedian, El Nyn and Shan an Daishar. A warm welcome goes out to them along with many dunkings in the chili vat!! Lewstherin was also enthusiastically welcomed home after a long absence.

 

The 1st of the month saw more Raisings as Naeann and Lewstherin made Packmate and an incredible 7 people were raised to Youngling namely; Sorandha, Samurai, Delenn, Feral, DSage, Jelly and Kirjava.  :D Congrats all of you, excellent work!!

 

The latest edition of Pawprints was published last week and you can read the varied articles on the Wolfkin's public board. Check out Poledra's look at Chamomile and Bridmorgan's informative piece on the Italian Wolf or try your hand at the Caption Competition. :D

 

Birthdays saw celebrations for Dah'mir and LeeLou. We hope you both had wonderful fun-filled days!!

 

March has also been the month for the Seers' Guild to showcase themselves and their interests and has been lots of fun so far as the Head Seer, Talya, has taken the Pack on a round of visits to all of the other Orgs. So far the Pack has stopped off and caused mayhem at the Aiel, Black Tower, Ogier, Band of the Red Hand and Seanchan. The current visit is underway at the Tinkers DG.

 

Felinity started the Pack off on a new adventure this month with Postcards To Wolfkin. Members and visitors can post a picture or photograph from their holidays along with a message so do feel free to join in and share your favourite spots.  8-)

 

Members are also being encouraged to choose their favourite article from Pawprints as the newsletter celebrates its 1 year anniversary. Links have been provided to each edition and entries will be included in the April Edition. Get voting people.

 

That's all the up to date happenings around The Stedding for March. If you fancy some TQ and chili or have an interest in the world of nature... stop by for a visit. We'll be delighted to see you and I'll be back next month with more news and shenanigans!!  ;)

 

*Wolfkin Div*

(by Taymist - DL)

 

Staff contacts:

 

Division Leader (DL) - Taymist

Asistant DL - Andular

Head of the Rangers - Whitewolf/Owen

Head of the Sages - Andular/Miryana

Head of the Trackers - Nynaeve/Lorelai

 

New members joined the Pack this month in the form of Jehaine/Arienna and Tigara/Seth. Welcome to each of them.  :)

 

The joint activity between the Wolfkin Div and Wolfkin Org has been delayed until May/June time to allow for various RL commitments amongst staff and members.

 

The Division was delighted to see several members as recipients of Empy Awards last month, even though the awards weren't all specifically for the RP, including Jaydena, Nynaeve, Taymist, Wolflover and Owen. Congrats to each of them.  :D

 

In other news, the Head of the Trackers will be changing to an NSW character (still played by Nynaeve) and a biography will be forthcoming shortly. Training classes are also reverting to a group, rather than an individual basis to facilitate promotions and free up Staff time.

 

If you think you'd be interested in becoming a part of the Division, check out the website HERE. All the latest information on members, the history of the Wolfkin, copies of current bios and details on what's needed for a bio submission can be found on the site.

 

If you still have any queries, you can contact Tay at DMwolfkindiv@gmail.com regarding bios or wolvesinmist@hotmail.co.uk for general questions and just to say hi.

 

So if you feel you'd enjoy indulging in a bit of fantasy and trying your hand at role playing within Randland, we hope to hear from you soon and do stop by the out of character (OOC) board HERE.

[Direwolf Jon]

 

Wheel of Time Section

(by Taymist - UC)

 

Dragonmount Meets

 

Planning for D*Con 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia and Euromeet 2008 in Ghent, Belgium are both in full swing. They now have their own boards opened up for more planning. Details for those interested can be found at the following links:

 

Euromeet and D*Con

 

News and Announcements

 

Want to know the latest and most up-to-date happenings around Dragonmount? Then this is the board for you. Current announcements include news on Ask The Chosen and Jennifer Liang's Podcast interview about D*Con. You can find all of these and more, HERE.

 

Community News

 

Emperor Awards

 

All of the Empy Awards for 2007 have now been voted on and the lucky winners announced at Dragonmount. If you wish to leave messages or congratulations for them, you can do so HERE.

 

Wheel of Time Calendar

 

The Wheel of Time Calendar for 2009 is now available to preorder from Amazon.com. Robert Jordan hand picked the winning entries from a competition not long before he passed away and Tor is now publishing the results in the shape of this calendar. Proceeds will go to the Mayo Clinic charity fund to research cures for Amyloidosis.

 

JordanCon

 

The first ever convention to be dedicated to The Wheel of Time series and its fans will be held at the Alpharetta Embassy Suites from April 17-19 2009. Harriet McDougal, the late Robert Jordan's wife, will be the Guest of Honour and his cousin, Wilson Grooms, will be the Fan Guest of Honour.

 

For further details please see the website:

 

http://www.ageoflegends.net

 

[Direwolf Jon]

 

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 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 focus 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 don't 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 the 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 those 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 Junior Editors. 

 

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 reins 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, are the assistants of the EiC and SE and tackle a variety of preperatory tasks on the editorial aspect of the Hornsounder. To become a JE one needs to be extremely active, willing and eager to work behind the scenes and be available for whatever the EiC and SE may need them for.

 

Hornsounder's Teams

 

Editorial Team

- Editor in Chief (EiC): Mystica

- Senior Editor (SE): Direwolf Jon

- Graphic Editor (GE): Son of Battles

- Junior Editors (JE): Bridmorgan, Lady Stefania

 

Senior Section Reporters

- Band of the Red Hand: Mystica

- Band Org Game: TBD

- Music: Stefania

- Columns: Mystica

- Lottery: Bridmorgan

- Travel: Stefania

- Banders Real Life: Demonspawn

- Band Awards: Taymist

- JoTS monthly winner: Mystica

- Archer Regiment: Amavia

- Cavalry Regiment: Direwolf Jon

- Infantry Regiment: Demonspawn

- Raw Recruits: Bridmorgan

- Redarms: Red Arm Leader of the Term

- Specials: Mystica

- Entertainment: Direwolf Jon

- 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 assess 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.

[Mystica]

great job DJ, Brid and Stef! Fantastic articles all of you reporters. Good job!

[Guest Stefania Sedai]

I give all the props to DJ this month!!! He really stepped up and took control of the HS. It is due to him the the Hornsounder has had another great month!!!

 

Three cheers for DJ!!!!