DAES DAE'MAR - The White Tower & Warders Yard Newsletter - Jan 2010

[Elgee]

 

January 2010 Edition

 

 

Happy January 2010, you happy WTers and stray non-Wters who have wandered onto our boards seeking succour and found Jhaenara instead. It’s been a great start of the year so far, and with every great start comes a great publication! I’m sure Julius Caesar or Macbeth said that. Or I’m not sure. Who knows? But that’s not important. Move along.

 

Because we’re back! For the new year and we’ve brought you LOTS and LOTS of fun and joy for the whole WT family. There will be much prancing and rejoicing, because this newsletter is filled with quotes, conversations and Boopsylicious words. How much more exciting could January be? This month’s Newsletter is themed ALL THINGS NEW. Which talks about beginnings and new starts and stuff like that. You’ll see. Or as the late RJ says, “RAFO.” As a special guest, we have JASON DENZEL, the Creator, founder and all around great guy of Dragonmount making a special appearance. So get your autograph pens ready and lift up those skirts shirts, people, you WILL want him to sign it for you.

 

We have a pretty, shiny site just for Daes Dae'Mar, and clicking on the links below each short section will lead you to the full article on there. However, for your easy reading, each full article is posted below as well.

 

That being said, sit back, relax and enjoy the wonder that is Daes Dae’mar. We know you will, because we already Compelled you to.

 

Boopsy

Editor-in-residence

Elgee’s “Right Hand Man”

 

 

 

by MashinShin, Charis "Jr.", and Chiyuki

 

Who doesn't love gossip?  Who done what, with whom, and when did they do it?  We've got all the dirt at the Gossip Corner; we're even better than Perez Hilton! This month, we bring you the latest in bondings, and staff torture!

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by MashinShin, Charis Jr, and Chiyuki

 

Ahhh, youth.  You surely remember what it was like being a new member at the WT.  The giddiness, the spam, the new friends, the rampant flirting.  Check out the Whispering Hole for the latest from the world of the Dormitories. 

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Torrie Sedai

 

I have been called upon to examine and observe the mighty Disciplines in the area. There has been talk that these rough and tumble Warders and Warders-to-be have a soft side that shows through. At this point I am sceptical. Observation and interaction are required to determine if these creatures are tame or wild. I will put myself at risk and enter the Warders Guild to determine if the stories are true.

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Cairos

 

Living in the Ajah House

 

In this month's edition, I will be interviewing one member from each Ajah. You will be fascinated by the unique perspectives these members have on their homes in the White Tower!  Read on to find out who spoke to this intrepid reporter.

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Boopsy, Charis "Jr.", and Little Miss

 

[glow=red,2,300]TRAGEDY HAS OCCURRED!![/glow] Asmodean, the cute lil harp player, who just HAPPENS to be a Forsaken was found dead. DEAD! Follow our two investigators, Charis Jr and Little Miss, as they go around torturing interrogating interviewing the key suspects at DM. Every few months we will feature a brand new mystery. Every week, we will let you know of the next witness and you will get to submit a question, and the top 1 to 2 questions will be featured in the issue. And at the end of it, YOU will get to vote as to who committed the crime.

 

This is issue we highlight the possibilities that JASON DENZEL: Creator, Founder and ALL ROUND NICE GUY of Dragonmount, could be a suspect. Insanity? The Taint? Too much deviant se- computer games? That's what our investigator for the week, Charis Jr, is trying to find out.

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Little Miss

 

Welcome to the section where you can get your monthly fill of:

 

“I can’t believe they just said that!” to the “LMAO!  Now that was funny!”  And let’s not forget the lovely ones that make you want to add, “That’s what she said…”

 

Now Ladies and Gentleman, please enjoy the random, nonsensical, and utterly delightful quotes of the month!

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Nynaeve

 

Nurit: Good evening, everybody. I am here once again, to open your eyes to the real and exciting world of the WoT characters. Who did what? Who said what? Who farted and let Lan take the blame? Let me open the skeleton closet and smack you with some pelvic bones. Now, please, welcome our one and only, our very own, Perrin Golden Eyes!

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Simon

 

Sometimes in life, we seem to exhaust our supply of books, music and movies. This is a great shame, as these are things which most people find important. So, in an attempt to help you out of that rut you may find yourself in, this column is dedicated to Recommended Reading/Watching/Listening.

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Claireducky

 

Claire slaved over her computer for hours to bring you this list of upcoming things around the WT.  Ok....more like 10 minutes, but you should still read it anyway.  :D

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Claireducky

 

In this regular column, the Mother Ducker sits down and talks with the leaders of various groups around DM to provide you with a bit of insight into that group and it's purposes at DM.  In this month's column, she caught up with Arath of the Black Tower Division.

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

by Kara_J

 

Come play games with us! *g* Work your brain and have fun while you do it with this monthly feature.

 

Featured this month:

 

Wheel of Time Word Search! Test your skills on this Word Search here:

http://www.zen107147.zen.co.uk/wordsearch.cgi.htm

 

Have a suggestion for a game? Let us know! Email us at daesdaemar@whitetower.org and be sure to put “Puzzles and Games” in the subject line!

 

Read all about it

HERE

 

 

 

Editor in Chief: Elgee

Editors: Wayward_Fool (aka Boopsy) and Claireducky

Writers: MashinShin, Charis "Jr.", Chiyuki, Torrie Sedai, Cairos, Boopsy, Little Miss, Nynaeve, Claireducky, Vanion, Simon & Kara_J

 

[Elgee]

by MashinShin, Charis "Jr.", and Chiyuki

 

Intro:Who doesn't love gossip?  Who done what, with whom, and when did they do it?  We've got all the dirt at the Gossip Corner; we're even better than Perez Hilton! This month, we bring you the latest in bondings, and staff torture!

 

The Blue and Yellow auction results came in this month, and they were staggering.

(See the original thread HERE )

 

Elgee, our very own Keeper, was won by Nynaeve, and became Santa Claus for the week, and went around granting everyone's "wishes". See the display of holiday spirit  HERE

 

Mystica won our very own Mother Ducker. The winning bid: she had to make a sensible duck reference everytime she posted. Unfortunately,  our precious MotherDucker and her family were out most of the week due to flu. We’re just glad she didn’t turn into a pig on us! Glad you’re back, Mother, dearest!

 

Barmacral was won by Nynaeve as well, and had to post in movie quotes only. He hasn't been around much lately. We're keeping our eyes open!

 

Lor, our favorite MoN, was won by Naeann, and became a novice for the week. See some of the mayhem she wraught HERE

 

Verbal was also won by Naeann, and had to PUBLICLY renounce his love for Angelina Jolie, as well as explaining why he has switched his affections.  He also renewed his affections for Bob, your favorite Moat Monster and mine.  See the sad story of love and loss HERE[/url. Also, click HERE to see Verb's reunion with Bob. At least the public part!

 

Mystica also won our own Blue Ajah head, Daruya. She had to tell us all about her imaginary friend, Henry. It was very frustrating for her when no one else could see him! See her grand introduction thread HERE

 

Mystica was on a roll, as she also won Twinflower, the lovely head of the Whites. Twinny had to post a different pair of socks and explain how they fit in with her post. Unfortunately, Twinny has also been absent this week. Wherever you are, Twinny, we hope you can come back to us soon!

 

Nynaeve also won the lovely Cairos, but his bid was all for himself: really!

He got to cook a huge feast, and all of it was for himself. Believe me, dear reader, there was biting, and snatching. And a few vampires were created. See the bloodbath HERE

 

Nynaeve, that feisty Yellow Head, was won by the equally fiery Mystica. She had to tell "random people how much that she likes them"

But Nyn has been curiously absent for a few days- maybe she's been silently stalking?

 

On the other hand, Mystica, our delightful Red Ajah Head, was won by Taymist,  and here it is folks: SHE HAD TO WEAR PINK. FOR A WEEK. As well as assorted other pink to-do items. See the new PINK lounge.

 

Nynaeve also won Kara, the Battle-General of the Green Ajah. Kara developed Multiple Personality Disorder: Half the time, she was a lovely, lovely queen, regal and polished. The other half of the time, well, lets just say that a snobby little princess doesn't even begin to cover it.

 

Finally, Vanion was won by Nynaeve. And Vanion, our Ren'Shai Disc Leader, became a thirteen year old girl complete with all the fussy trappings. See his advice column HERE

 

That about covers it for the latest! Thanks for dropping by. We'll see you next month!

[Elgee]

by MashinShin, Charis Jr, and Chiyuki

 

INTRO: Ahhh, youth.  You surely remember what it was like being a new member at the WT.  The giddiness, the spam, the new friends, the rampant flirting.  Check out the Whispering Hole for the latest from the world of the Dormitories.

 

 

Hello, Warders, Aes Sedai and friends, and welcome to another captivating look into the life of our very own White Tower Aspirants!

 

The month of January started rather slowly as things got back to normal after the holidays were over. As of printing, there have been no new raisings or bondings this month, although a whole new passle of aspies took and passed the WT & the DM world class. Congratulations to Seafolk Sedai, Wolfie, Charis "Jr", Locke, Lavinya, Onis OLeia, meercatman, Red 2111 and Ticondrius!

 

After the novices and Algai had left the Ajahs and Disciplines to their (relative) peace, life continued at its normal pace. The Kilane Cup competition for December ended, and the participants are anxiously awaiting the results. The word is that House Mosvani is winning by a considerable margin. However, at time of printing,all the numbers were NOT in, so keep your eyes peeled HERE

 

 

We have had several new aspirants including: dapianoplay3r, Horus, ed2funny, hegemonicretribution, ShadowKiller, reyoru, Faiyaa, Million and Marta Sedai. Make sure you give them all a nice, warm WT welcome!

 

dapianoplay3r is joining us from Australia. He plays Double Bass, and wants to have a film career. He is in his final year of school. He's also joined the Illuminators Org.

 

ed2funy is from California. He is a college student, who likes to read,and does a lot of Community Service. He joined us from Shayol Ghul, and has now also joined the Black Tower.

 

Hegmonicretribution is joining us from the Isle of Man. (Guesses on where that might be will be accepted at our email address below)  He has just recently graduated with a degree in phiophosy and has just started as an outdoor activities instructor. He loves fitness, guitar, philosophy and literature. Hisother favorite authors include Terry Pratchett, Fydor Dostoyevsky and Albert Camus. He wishes he was friends with Talmanes. (Don't we all?)

 

Millon hails from Buffalo, New York. He likes to read, play X-Box and Wii, and bake. He's a long time lurker, and first time poster, and is really enjoing the White Tower and DM so far.

 

Marta Sedia joins us from Serbia, where she studies Public Relations and works in her parent's car dealership. She is working her way through WoT in English, as not all of the books are in Serbian yet. Pretty impressive, no?

 

Check back next month to see if we have more information on our newest victims members!

 

Sneaking in at the last minute, we've had two raisings this month. Tynaal Consen was raised to a Sister of the Red Ajah, and Red2111 was raised to Accepted. See their threads Red2111 and Tynaal. Congratulations, Ladies!

 

Thanks for tuning in to read the latest issue of the Whispering Hole! Come back next month to read up on the latest Aspirant Antics!

[Elgee]

by Torrie Sedai

 

 

Intro:I have been called upon to examine and observe the mighty Disciplines in the area. There has been talk that these rough and tumble Warders and Warders-to-be have a soft side that shows through. At this point I am sceptical. Observation and interaction are required to determine if these creatures are tame or wild. I will put myself at risk and enter the Warders Guild to determine if the stories are true.

 

JAN 22, 2010,

 

My next assignment, in my quest to find a soft spot in the Warders rock hard exterior, leads me to the Ren’Shai. Inside are the Warders and their Aes Sedai. I can hear noises coming from their common room but I would first like to take a look at their fighting grounds. The sword commander Vanion is bringing those who want to aspire, to heel. He has a group of young trainees standing in a line while he is demonstrating the basics of the Ren’Shai battle forms.

 

Vanion drills into them advance and attack. Advance and attack. Never stop moving. Never let down your guard. Embrace pain and use it to push yourself farther. Becoming a living weapon, is the goal for these young trainees. Rounding all their skills and becoming a warrior that uses all the weapons available to them, is the only way that they will be able to complete the training required for the Ren’Shai.  Their weapons include their swords and knives but also their minds and bodies. All of these items blend together to make the Ren’Shai warrior, in a never-ceasing effort to balance the mind and body.

 

As I pass Vanion, still trying to work on his trainees, I spy a tavern called Blade’s End. Loud ruckuses and giggling can be heard inside.  The sign on the door has two crossed blades with the name of the establishment on it. I push open the door and walk into the dimly lit tavern.

 

**Giggle** If you want to know what happens at the Blade’s End Tavern, go see for yourself. This Reporter will not spread rumours.

 

After a fast detour at the Blade’s End, I get back to my original goal of exploring this Disc. I see a sign that has Man Laws posted on it. While it seems a little strange to me I guess this is a code that most of the Warders and Warders-to-be need to follow. Did you know there are only five times a man is allowed to cry? There is a room where you can see what sword fits you best. I am able to sneak into this room and find out that my best sword is not really a sword at all but a Shuriken. Maybe I need Vanion to teach me some good moves before I cut myself or someone else…

 

It seems as if there are lots of debates going on in the Ren’Shai areas. Most involve what-if situations and weapons. I am sure, if someone needed to find more information about battle tactics and defence, the Ren’Shai is the place to go, but I am still on the desperate search for the soft side of the Warders. Keep reading to see if we can find it.

[Elgee]

by Cairos

 

Living in the Ajah House

 

Narrator: In this month's edition, I will be interviewing one member from each Ajah. You will be fascinated by the unique perspectives these members have on their homes in the White Tower!  Read on to find out who spoke to this intrepid reporter.

 

 

Brown Ajah : Miya Sedai

 

1. What would you say is the most exciting thing about living in your ajah?

Well, as the super sexy sailor chocolate, the most exciting thing is protecting knowledge by standing up for free speech in the literary sense.  However, DeAnna (my real name) enjoys travel when my money allows for it (and it’s been a few years now so I REALLY need to plan a vacation soon!)  Being a brown isn’t just about enjoying the work of others, after all, it’s also about collecting knowledge first hand and travel is an excellent way to do that.  In the words of the children’s television show “Toot & Puddle” (you can tell I’m a mom, can’t you?) “The more you go, the more you know!”

 

2. What is the atmosphere like in your ajah?

Having only recently returned, during a holiday season at that (when many of us are traveling… go figure) it’s a little quiet in the Brown Ajah hallways… of course, as librarians, that doesn’t bother us any.  However, on a more real world perspective, quiet on a discussion board can = no fun!  So, let me tell you a bit about the Brown Ajah I remember from my previous years:

 

Outwardly, the browns are really uptight at times… we can be picky about spelling and grammar and some of us are more strict than others about silliness having it’s place and time than others (we’re not fans of someone coming into a serious discussion thread and killing it by throwing Saidar around, for example) BUT… on the flip side we all fancy ourselves to have a wild and crazy side under our calm librarian exterior just begging to get out and so we act on that in our private board as well as in threads all over DM that are specifically built for that purpose.

 

Never let it be said Browns can’t let their hair down and throw out the mousey glasses!

 

3. What kind of fun things do you partake in your ajah?

I can remember many silly threads where we did crazy rp style interaction, parodies of famous tv shows and literary works.  We also enjoy sharing our experiences in life and travels and we also have a pension for speaking our minds.  If a Brown likes or dislikes something we’ll let you know and that leads to debates and discussions and we always enjoy those.  The exchange and analysis of existing knowledge is part of our bread and butter in the Brown Ajah.

 

We also have a very tight bond in the browns.  The first year I was a brown we did a holiday card exchange (a tradition we still keep) and all your fellow browns send out cards to you and your family… it’s a way to cement our friendship in the real world as well as virtual.  And that’s to say nothing of those of use who have come to each other’s homes to visit!  I know Karana (Mary) and Arette (an old member named Reetta) met for a vacation in Rome once and I’ve hosted Arette at my home several times now, just to name a few.

 

4. If you can say one word about your ajah what would it be.

Unexpected.  Just as in Jordan’s books, we Browns are rarely everything we appear to be and to know us (really know us) takes time and analysis… fitting considering that just how we treat the rest of the world.  Please, stop by some time and get to know us, we’ve got fresh brownies waiting just for you!

 

 

Red Ajah : Tynaal Consen

 

1. What would you say is the most exciting thing about living in your ajah?

Exciting?? Hmmm.. Probably that there is always something happening where everyone can join in and everyone generally just likes everyone else so things work smoothly without needing to worry about someone being all sensitive about stupid stuff..

 

2. What is the atmosphere like in your ajah?

Its very relaxed and open, everyone can be themselves without needing to worry about being overly careful. And there's always something interesting happening

 

3. What kind of fun things do you partake in your ajah?

My Ajah always has its events, like the Autumn festival which was org wide, but we also had a Christmas Card and e-card exchange for the Red members which was awesome cause everyone could send cards, even if your funds are low Smiley And the Projects are always fun cause most members join in and its like a community building thing Cheesy

 

4. If you can say one word about your ajah what would it be.

Freedom

 

 

Green Ajah : LilyElizabeth

 

1. What would you say is the most exciting thing about living in your ajah?

Finally getting to play with the... oh, I can't say. But they are in the closets.  Wink

 

2. What is the atmosphere like in your ajah?

Very loving and fun. Warm, friendly, a great place, really.

 

3. What kind of fun things do you partake in your ajah?

We are always celebrating something, it seems, so there's always a party going on lately. We always have a monthly discussion and friends come and join in. It's a great way for Novices to get raising credit, too.

 

4. If you can say one word about your ajah what would it be.

Awesomesauce. And warm, friendly, home. So that's four words. I never was good at following directions.

 

 

Blue Ajah : Daruya

 

1. What would you say is the most exciting thing about living in your ajah?

Hmmm . . .  that's hard to pin down!  I love the variety of people, the quirky sense of humor we all seem to have (some more than others! LOL!), the way all of us "parts" blend into a bluetiful whole!

 

2. What is the atmosphere like in your ajah?

Mostly relaxed, sometimes giddy, sometimes a bit off color.  And, of course, Boopsy is always good for randomness which, while I sometimes either giggle or blush, I love him for!

 

3. What kind of fun things do you partake in your ajah?

Discussions, games, you name it!  We aren't the most active of Ajahs but we are close-knit, up-beat, and totally supportive of one another.  We  like to decorate deck out aspies in beautiful Blue ribbons and nail polish and such!  We also have our very own mascot, an Ewok.  We spank him a lot . . .  Grin

 

4. If you can say one word about your ajah what would it be.

BE-AWESOME!

 

 

Gray Ajah - Emperor

 

1. What would you say is the most exciting thing about living in your ajah?

Are you asking if I Pleasantvilled myself right into the Ajah?  The question makes me think of some reality TV show where all the Ajah members are locked inside a house and have to vote each other out.  Just so their is no confusion, I win the game in this fantasy.  Therefore I am the most exciting thing about living in the Ajah.

 

2. What is the atmosphere like in your ajah?

Laid back and chill.  Except Cairos... he expects us to do stuff and be active.  Pfft...  what is up with that yo.

 

3. What kind of fun things do you partake in your ajah?

I don't actually participate in many activities which I find fun.  I like to show up and stir up trouble then wisk away before I get bopped on the nose.  I know others like to talk about recipes.

 

4. If you can say one word about your ajah what would it be.

Gray!

 

 

Yellow Ajah : Nynaeve

 

1. What would you say is the most exciting thing about living in your ajah?

 

It's a toss up between seeing Dunbar first thing in the morning and seeing Dunbar last thing in the evening >.>

 

2. What is the atmosphere like in your ajah?

 

Magical. Pleasant. Loving. Inspiring. Entertaining. Humerus. Trusting. Warm. And of course, quite odd and completely and utterly insane and quirky :D

 

 

3. What kind of fun things do you partake in your ajah?

 

We ARE the fun. Each and every Yellow Ajah member. We do sometimes have some activities, but hanging out and having a light hearted chat has always been our favorite sort of fun.

 

4. If you can say one word about your ajah what would it be.

 

Enchanting!

 

 

Narrator: Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen. You have the inside scoop of what it's like living in an Ajah. Stay tuned next month as we change things up a bit. Of course I won't ruin the surprise, so you will have to RAFO  ;)

[Elgee]

By Boopsy, Little Miss and Charis Jr

 

[glow=red,2,300]TRAGEDY HAS OCCURRED!![/glow] Asmodean, the cute lil harp player, who just HAPPENS to be a Forsaken was found dead. DEAD! Follow our two investigators, Charis Jr and Little Miss, as they go around torturing interrogating interviewing the key suspects at DM. Every few months we will feature a brand new mystery. Every week, we will let you know of the next witness and you will get to submit a question, and the top 1 to 2 questions will be featured in the issue. And at the end of it, YOU will get to vote as to who committed the crime.

 

This is issue we highlight the possibilities that JASON DENZEL: Creator, Founder and ALL ROUND NICE GUY of Dragonmount, could be a suspect. Insanity? The Taint? Too much deviant se- computer games? That's what our investigator for the week, Charis Jr, is trying to find out.

 

It was a dark and stormy night in the White Tower.  And I was hungry. No, the two facts had nothing to do with each other. But dark and stormy nights do make me think of jelly. Novice thing, don’t ask. Anyway, as a novice, I was not supposed to leave my quarters at night, but I was never going to sleep amidst the thunder and my grumbling belly (Hungering for jelly). So, I slipped out of bed, slipped on my white novice dress, and slipped out into the night...

 

The tower was busier at night than I’d imagined. Servant tending to their more intrusive duties,  Aes Sedai gliding along gracefully, their smooth, ageless faces, Warders creeping around “attending to duties”. I kept them a safe distance away as I crept toward the kitchen, all the while my belly (Hungering for jelly) drowning out the thunder and strange noises coming from the Aes Sedai Quarters. Was that “Fur covered handcuffs” I heard someone screaming?

 

Anyway, the pantry!

 

Also, and more famously now: Asmodean’s place of demise. By this time, the door to the pantry had been covered in Saidar seals, alarms that would bring everyone in Tar Valon running if the crime scene was violated. Also, very tasteful against the grainy brown texture of the door and the golden shine of the doorknob.

Spooning massive amounts of jelly into my mouth with my fingers, I set off. Unfortunately the spoons had all been kept, which left me trailing stick jelly as I walked. But I figured, it’d be raining, so who cared? Sure it’s raining outdoors and not indoors, but somehow… nevermind. Suddenly I realized I had something stuck to my sticky, jelly covered shoes. There was a moment of confusion as my sticky hands got caught on my sticky shoelace which in turn knotted up on my sticky blouse buttons and I had no choice but to drop to the floor, in a jumble. It was a piece of paper.

 

“If you want to find the Forsaken’s murderer, look to the top.” The piece of paper said, as I pulled apart my sticky fingers. 'The top'? What could that mean? Surely it didn’t mean The Amyrlin Seat? And then it hit me: the top! The top of Dragonmount! And that could only mean one person: Jason. Creator and Founder of Dragonmount. Light almighty, could this be true? My mind boggled as I slipped in a jelly induced sugar coma.

 

After a morning of confusion and much cleaning of stickiness,  I managed to stop into his quarter’s on one of my many errand runs for the solemn sisters of the Brown Ajah in the libraries. I found him at his computer screaming, “DIE! DIE, YOU TROLLOC SCUM! DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!”

 

It took me a minute to realize that he was enjoying one of his hobbies:  Computer Role Playing Games.

 

Suddenly timid, I took a deep breath. Why had this all seemed so clear in the middle of the night? Why, in the harsh light of day, did I hesitate? Why was there this bit of jelly still not washed off? Nevermind that, I figured as I licked it up and knocked on the door of the Creator.

 

“Um, Jason?” I asked. “Could I ask you something… well, a few somethings?”

 

He gave me a long level look, and then he grinned. “ Sure!” He said. “A pretty young thing like you can ask me anything you want!”

 

Right.

 

I started with a question I had heard The Amyrlin Seat herself ask:

 

Q:  Why did you never finish “Episode VI: Return of the Dragon”?

 

Whatever THAT was. These higher types had their own little secrets. Better for an ickle Novice like me not to know too much details.

 

A: You know, I actually had an outline for that once. I might even be able to dig it up. But mostly, I just made that stuff up as I went. ... Which is probably why it was so bad.  Apologize to Claire for me, will ya?

 

He laughed and winked at me. I looked around worriedly and decided he was just suffering from the Taint. Sure wasn’t the “I didn’t have time, too busy murdering Asmodean” answer I was hoping for. Moving along…

 

Q: What’s your favorite non-WoT, non-literary pastime?

 

A: Sex.

 

And then burst out laughing,

 

Q: Ummm…

 

A:  I’m sorry, you should have seen your face! In my day, Novices knew better. Let’s see. Beyond the Computer Role Playing Games, I like to watch movies and go geocaching.

 

Mystified by that idea, (why would roaming about the woods looking for hidden objects based on their GPS location, be fun?) I considered. He still seemed relatively harmless. Except for the constant winking and shifting in his seats. But I figured it was just his impatience to get back to his trolloc killing game.

 

Q: What are some of your other favorite authors and books?

 

A: Welllll… Although it's pretty trendy to say this these days, I loved THE NAME OF THE WIND by Pat Rothfuss. One of my favorite trilogies is a series that Robert Jordan also very much enjoyed. We talked about it a few times actually. It was the TALES OF THE OTORI by Lian Hearn. Think of a fantasy version of Japan, with ninjas and samauri (but not called that) and magic. If you're interested, start with the book titled ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR. The author also wrote a prequel and a sequel to the story. I did not enjoy those as much, although they were very well written. The reason I did not enjoy them as much is because the subject matter was just so much more difficult and heart-wrenching than the initial trilogy. I was definitely moved, but I had been expecting a light-hearted action-adventure with romance like the originals.

 

I'm a huge fan of the original DUNE novels.

 

I'm a long-time fan of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The deathgate novels were my favorite series of theirs. Darksword and Dragonlance close behind.

 

Recently I read John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" trilogy and those were outstanding. I've got ZOE's TALE queued up next.

 

In terms of non-fiction, I enjoy books concerning eastern religions and philosophies. I'm also a huge fan of classical Greek mythology, which is something I've been into since I was a pre-teen. But…

 

My fingers started going numb as I struggled to write the answers. I decided to go for something less… lengthy.

 

Q: If you could create a new pizza, what would it be?

 

I could practically feel the glee rolling off him as he answered. Not to mention the drool. Ick.

 

A: I'm pretty sure that every pizza that could possibly be made has already been made. But if I had to alter the fabric of the universe and make a combo actually work, I'd love to have a peanut-butter and jelly pizza actually be feasible. Currently the concept is disgusting. But as I said, if I could somehow MAKE it work, I'd like to see that.

 

I blanched. Did he know about the jelly? From my sticky jelly trail? OH THE SHAME! I wept inside as I considered the concept of a Peanut Butter and Jelly pizza. Promising.

 

Q: What was one new thing that you tried for the first time last year (2009)?

 

A: I joined a gym (well for the first time in a decade; not ever) and put on several pounds of muscle. I'm still tall and lanky, but hopefully not as much as I was last year at this time.

 

I considered the Peanut Butter and Jelly pizza a little more as he winked at me again. This would need thought. A lot of thought. Moving on…

 

Q: What's one new thing  you want to try this year?

 

A: I want to try finishing one of my side projects. Something I have an unfortunate habit of not doing due to family / work / personal commitments / DM duties /etc.

 

Side projects? The word flashed in my mind like a… a giant… flashing thing. Could this have to do with Asmodean’s death? I wondered. But something shiny caught my eye. A tiny drop of sweat had coursed down his sideburns and dripped on to his pants.

 

Q:  Boxers or Briefs?

 

I blushed. I did not mean to wonder out loud.

 

A: Boxers. Duh.

 

He answered with a curious look in his eyes. I mentally shook myself.

 

Q: If you could add a holiday to the year, what would it be? Why? What would it mean?

 

He shrugged.

 

A: I'd create some sort of holiday where people got outside, and experienced nature. At the end of the day, there would be a tradition where as many lights as possible were turned off in the cities as was safe and feasible so that as many stars as possible could be seen.

 

Aww. What a guy. A nature lover and a romantic, all rolled into one. Boxers and no less. (Or much less) NO! Focus!

 

Q:  How does it feel to be the Creator of such a phenomenon that is DM?

 

He winked at me. Clearly not taking this interrogation seriously. Probably needing some discipline. Furry handcuffs? Now where did THAT come from?

 

A: It's a phenomenon? It's a real honor to be associated with the series in this way. Although there's often a lot of crap to put up with, and challenges related to keeping the site up and running and healthy from a technical POV, it has overall been extremely rewarding.

 

I wondered if he knew about the fanfic and slash stories about him circulating in the novice quarters. Probably. After all, he WAS the Creator. And also very hot. I blushed at the last thought. Panicking I read a random question.

 

Q: If you could create a new Ajah what color would it be and what would study/believe?

 

Light, why did I ask THAT? But he seemed quite happy.

 

A: I'd make two of them. The first is the Silver Ajah. Concerned with creating art. The second would be the Gold Ajah. Which is concerned with economics and generating wealth. (I could see the former having warders who made excellent live subjects, and the latter would have warders trained as lawyers)

 

I picked my jaw up off the floor. A lifelong hope of mine was a dream of his? I had long wished that artist Aes Sedai were part of the tower. On that thought I decided I might as well go for he kill...

 

Q: If you could add a new suspect to the mystery of Asmodean's killer, who would it be?

 

I had no doubt in my mind that he was innocent, the winking, I mean sincerity seemed to say so. But if he knew anything, he might be able to shed some light on the subject. His face turned deadly serious. After a long moment, he answered.

 

A: Narg the trolloc. I have a special place in my heart for him. And if a trolloc can figure out how to speak, it can figure out how to murder one of the Forsaken and frame everyone else in the series.

 

A special place in his heart for a trolloc? Wow, he was such a caring person! I struggled to come to grips with reality as I tried to understand how the Creator could love an ickle Trolloc. Did an ickle Novice have a chance too? Maybe I had time to… NO. I thanked him sweetly, gave him my best curtsy and wink, then whirled and tore off for Luncheon. Just in time as the Tower Bells began ringing noon.

 

NEXT ISSUE: We investigate Kathana Justinia Trevalaer, Community Administrator & Co-Webmaster and all round previous Amyrlin! Was it a pudding induced comawalk that made her do it? Should she be confined and banned from the pudding mines? Will she never stop picking her nose? Ask your question, FIND THE MURDERER, for poor Asmodean’s sake, people, for poor Asmodean’s sake.

 

[Elgee]

by Little Miss

 

Intro:

Welcome to the section where you can get your monthly fill of:

 

“I can’t believe they just said that!” to the “LMAO!  Now that was funny!”  And let’s not forget the lovely ones that make you want to add, “That’s what she said…”

 

Now Ladies and Gentleman, please enjoy the random, nonsensical, and utterly delightful quotes of the month!

 

 

Contrary to popular opinion, it's been some time since Lor actually ate a novice. You can ask her anything, really, hon. She's very nice.

 

 

 

-----

 

Oh yeah remember to keep a look out for my Dick - Kara sent it to me, and she'll have your hide if you lose it  :P

 

 

-----

 

"How many Red Ajah does it take to screw in a light bulb?"

 

 

Answer from Miya:

 

 

 

Ps:  In answer to your signature…. 15.  13 to shield the male channeler who burnt out the last one.  One to distract the busy body blue who thinks the bulb should be left well enough alone and another to order a novice to change the bulb now or report to the mistress of novices immediately for penance.

 

 

-----

 

Niiiiceee... tell me more... Like why did he pull off Set's testicle? I always thought that was rather strange.

 

-----

 

 

but... but..... you think these curves just happen by themselves? They take a lot of work! And padding...

 

-----

 

 

Yeah...toying with Elgee is like seasoning yourself, then baiting a tiger with your own body :-\

 

-----

 

Lol, and I thought everyone wanted to be inside Kara's undies  ;D

 

 

-----

 

As my Auntie used to say  "Well, Butter my bum and call me a biscuit."

 

-----

 

*eyes Cairos standing over a tied down Horus*

 

Umm... I'm interrupting something ain't I?

 

Ookiee... *goes hang out with other people*

 

-----

 

 

BRONTOSAURUSISES!!

 

-----

 

Hehehehe....novice Lor.  Remember that pony you wanted when you were a novice?  Well I've been waitin' for a time like this!

 

*opens closet door and a skeleton of a pony falls out*

 

Oh, oh god, that's right.....ponies.........ponies like food.  :-\

 

-----

 

 

God: Can I allow Light?

 

Chuck Norris: Can He allow Light?

 

Bela: Tell Him to say please

 

 

 

-----

 

 

*pulls out a walki talki*

 

Come in Alpha base, do you read Alpha base....

Requesting back up

No im not faking aga... yes this time.... no i didnt mean to blow up the...

Yes sir, your right sir....

 

*throws down walki-talki* this would be much more fun if it had batteries in it

 

[Elgee]

by Nynaeve

 

 

Nurit: Good evening, everybody. I am here once again, to open your eyes to the real and exciting world of the WoT characters. Who did what? Who said what? Who farted and let Lan take the blame? Let me open the skeleton closet and smack you with some pelvic bones. Now, please, welcome our one and only, our very own, Perrin Golden Eyes!

 

*Perrin comes onto the stage and sits down*

 

Perrin: That was quite a speech, Nurit. Oh, and Lord.

 

Nurit: Lord what?

 

Perrin: Lord Perrin Golden Eyes. God would be nice too, but I guess compromise is the way of life.

 

Nurit: Well, aren't we the confident ones. What brought up this personality change, Perrin?

 

Perrin: I finally grew a pair, that's what.

 

Nurit: Yes. I'm trying to think about something cruder, but yeah...nothing comes to mind. So, I'll just let it slide and move on. So, how did it feel the first time you realized you were...different?

 

Perrin: It was hard. I suddenly realized that I was going through some changes. I had different urges, different cravings. But there was no turning back. I couldn't resist it. I had to admit to myself that I'm....attracted to men.

 

Nurit: You're what?!?!

 

Perrin: Why do you look so surprised? You asked about it, so I assumed you knew.

 

Nurit: I was talking about you being able to talk to wolves O_O

 

Perrin: Oh, that! Just woke up one day and, surprise! yellow uber cool eyes. Plus I get to eavesdrop on wolfie love conversations. They are a horny bunch.

 

Nurit: How did Faile take up the news about you being...gay?

 

Perrin: Faile?

 

Nurit: Yes, Faile. Your wife. She was kidnapped and you gathered an army to rescue her, remember?

 

Perrin: Oh, that. I was going through a phase. Done now *smiles*

 

Nurit: So, you're going to leave her to her fate?

 

Perrin: *looks at his notebook* Yes.

 

Nurit: What is that notebook?

 

Perrin: Oh, this is my answer notebook. Sometimes I get blackouts and slow thinking so I have some general responses written down to help me in times of crisis.

 

Nurit: What kind of responses?

 

Perrin: Oh, the usual. Yes, no, perhaps, moo.

 

Nurit: *raises an eyebrow* Moo?

 

Perrin: *LMAO* people always fall for that.

 

Nurit: *Readjusts her glasses* What's with WoT characters and lame jokes? *shakes head* So, how did you first realize you were attracted to men?

 

Perrin: Pfft... have you seen any sane woman in the whole WoT series?

 

Nurit: Good point.

 

Perrin: Yes, and unless your true and most deep desire is to become a butt monkey, by all means, date one of those creepy women.

 

Nurit: Is that written in your note book?

 

Perrin: *half grin* Yes.

 

Nurit: Do you miss your old days as a blacksmith?

 

Perrin: At times.

 

Nurit: Do you wish you never met Rand? That way you wouldn't be involved in all of this?

 

Perrin: Are you kidding me? Did you see that red sexy hot momma.... He can be my dragon reborn any day, if you know what I mean.

 

Nurit: Well, I'm working on repressing that right now, so I'll get back to you on that.

 

Perrin: Perfect!

 

Nurit: Do you have any comments about Berelain perhaps?

 

Perrin: That little saucy wench. Now that's a woman who doesn't know the meaning of no. Dig her outfits, though. I bet that white fluffy number would look great on me.

 

Nurit: I'm sure it would. *shudders*

 

Perrin: A shiver of excitement, Nurit? I'm sorry, I'm spoken for. Javier gets extremely jealous. He loves it when I put on my speedos and smack his...

 

Nurit: Would you look at that, we're out of time! Thank you for coming, Perrin. It's okay, we won't make that mistake again.

 

Perrin: Oh, it's quite all right. And next time you interview Randy poo please let me know. *purrs*

 

Nurit: O_O Not seeing that happening any time soon, but sure thing.

 

Perrin: Goodnight everyone! *sends a kiss to Javier and smacks his ass*

 

Nurit: Until next time, everyone *wink*

 

 

Nyn

[Elgee]

by Simon

 

Sometimes in life, we seem to exhaust our supply of books, music and movies. This is a great shame, as these are things which most people find important. So, in an attempt to help you out of that rut you may find yourself in, this column is dedicated to Recommended Reading/Watching/Listening.

 

Recommended Reading

 

Books by Terry Pratchett

The entirety of the Discworld series.

 

Seriously. If you haven't read them, go get them. All of them. Today.

 

Books by Dan Abnett

The Eisenhorn trilogy.

 

I got this packaged as one book. It was a great buy, and an even better read. It's from the Black Library, i.e. a collection of books by many different authors that uses the Warhammer universe. There are a lot of good books published by this section of the games workshop, and this is, I believe, one of, if not the best, out of the twenty or so I've read from there.

 

Books by Tom Lloyd

The Twilight Reign series.

 

I'm currently in love with this series, and have read both the first and second book twice, even though the first one is only a few years old. I cannot wait for the release of the fourth, and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of fantasy novels. However, as it's still being written, be prepared to developing a thirst and longing for the future releases!

 

 

Recommended Watching

 

Television

 

Gavin and Stacey

 

Absolutely hilarious look at the misadventures of a couple from England, with some bizarre and truly hysterical characters. After all, who does not have an elderly relative like the infamous uncle Brynn?

 

Doc Martin

 

A show I like, but cannot really explain why. I was originally roped into watching it by a good friend of mine, and it grew on me during the first few episodes. Portrays the life of a surgeon who quit, essentially due to personal reasons stemming from the pressure of the job, and now managed a general practise in a small village, with residents ranging from the curiously odd and rustic, to the utterly insane (in some cases literally). Humerous, with an oft, well put cynical poke at the ignorance of the masses.

 

Green Wing

 

Absolutely hysterical, brilliant show, with brilliant writers, with a flair for the extremely bizarre. Might not be for everyone, but those that like it, love it.

 

The IT Crowd

 

Another hysterical show, similar awesome factor to Green Wing, but with a slightly less serious outlook. Lots of fun, especially for those among you who can laugh at over emphasized problems faced by the computer department this series focuses on.

 

Most, if not all of these are British, I believe, but they are well worth the effort to acquire. Find an importer, get a friend in England to send you them, whatever, the rewards will be worth it.

 

Anime

 

Black Lagoon

Full Metal Alchemist

Ghost in the Shell

Gunslinger Girl

 

Movies

 

A Beautiful Mind

Black Sheep (hilarious, must watch it)

Wanted

Everything Resident Evil. (Watch it, love it, become one with it.)

Lord of War

 

 

Recommended Listening

 

I hope I know enough of the ins and outs of these bands - unless stated otherwise all of these will have at one time or another fallen into my usual listening habit, which is to single out one band, or two bands, and listen to them over and over again, for days. Seriously, my rig is running all the time, and it is ALWAYS playing music, unless I'm talking on skype or playing video games. One time I spent a month or more in constant exposure to Samael, for which I am very grateful to fate. As a result, I might comment on these in an unusual way, listening to one similarly sounding thing all the time builds up a lot of unusual effects. Like most of the bands I've listened to for over a week at a time have an unconscious association to a book series, or whatever I was doing at the time (I seriously have an association with a particular song by Flyleaf that is as broad as 'using linux'. It's very weird to have images of transparence konsole windows with red text pop up uninvited in your head because you put a song on), that I get every time I listen to them after having taken a break from them. So, if anything comes across as an unusual or abstract concept, feel free to pass it along and I'll try to get back to you.

 

Metal

 

Last month you were promised a metal month! so here it is! Note that there will be at least an electronic section as well, so if you don't like metal, don't worry, just skip a bit. There may also be classical! Depends on how I feel when I finish going through my metal collection, though.

 

The Agonist

 

Metal band with a female screaming lead. Makes for very pleasant listening, but unfortunately I have not known about the band for long enough to be able to give you an intimate description, though I will still recommend it, even if I cant put why to paper.

 

The Berzerker

 

Annoying introductions, but I've been listening to their album "Animosity" recently, and the actual music? Pure, unadulterated industrial thrash metal. Or pretty much where I'd place it anyways. With a hint of death, perhaps.

 

Becoming the Archetype

 

Specifically referring to: Terminate Damnation. Pretty sweet album, from the songs I've heard from it, nice rhythms and the right amount of metal.

 

Behemoth

 

A very popular band, and the actual music is very good, but I'm not so hot on the vocals, to be perfectly blunt. Worth listening to though, even without many people swearing by it, if nothing else, just for the sense of weight the instrumentals have. Pne of many bands that could be improved by a different vocalist, perhaps.

 

Bloodbath

 

One of the single most incredible bands in the world. Period. Listen to EVERYTHING by them, memorise it, love it. If you don't have time to do that though (and if so, shame on you, bloodbath deserves your time!) then make sure you get in the album "Resurrection through carnage", and specifically the song "Eaten" from the album "Nightmares made Flesh". It might seem a bit weird, but Bloodbath (ESPECIALLY Eaten) is a phenomenally good candidate for a sing-a-long provided your companions aren't too weirded out. GREAT sense of rhythm, great sense of pace, one of the few things I've listened too where you actually want to move with the music. Another of the great things about them? If it gets stale, then leave off for a few weeks, and when you come back, it'll be just like the first time you listened. If you read this and listen to NOTHING else from it, listen to Bloodbath

 

Cannibal Corpse

 

A classic. Old school death core. Not, I feel, my favourite by anything other than a medium to large margin, but dependable. Just like most music, needs a certain mood to appreciate it most (the exception being things like Bloodbath and Aamael, which force the right mood into you as you listen). Has quite a slow feel, but slow like a glacier, not a lame horse. Think Morbid Angel and Nile, in terms of speed. It is also the best selling death metal/core band of all time, from what I've read. Its probably worth mentioning that there are two distinct vocal styles, since they changed vocalist at one stage. Personally I prefer the new guy (George Fisher), though many prefer the old one (Chris Barnes - he went on to be the vocalist in six feet under) interesting note: several countries have banned their album art cover from appearing on shelves, or the bands live concert performance. Which I personally feel is quite an immature gesture. I mean, if the album art cover would actually be offensive to people, I can sort of see that, but banning them from performing in concert? A concert where, presumably, only fans of themselves would go? Where is the logic?

 

Dååth

 

A pretty new addition to my collection, Dååth is none the less a pleasant listen. Feels a lot lighter than things like Cannibal Corpse, but a little faster, too. With the occasional introduction of a gripping rhythm, or sections of a song you want to listen to over and over again, but with the rest being fairly average, Dååth is not the best of this collection, but certainly not to be forgotten about.

 

Disturbed

 

By no means death metal, or even death core, it is still metal and worth a mention. Disturbed is not as satisfying as its heavier counterparts, and has no unique item to rise it above the rest. Instead of being great, or brillant but flawed, Disturbed is just consistently above average, providing a pleasant listening experience through and through. While I wont listen to Disturbed and come away thinking "dead jesus, I need more" I will enjoy listening to it, and the rhythms it has can be enhanced quite a bit more than usual by having -just- the right mood when listening. Makes a good candidate for doing something to, it's not so jaw droppingly awesome that you'll do nothing but listen till you are just able to wrestle your mind away, but it will fade nicely into the backdrop, aiding the fight against monotony, without shooting yourself in the foot.

 

Hate Eternal

 

I'm not sure how old this band actually is, but it -feels- old in its musical style, in the same way that Morbid Angel is. Old school is perhaps a more flattering word, which it does most definitely deserve. I don't have many songs by them, but from what I've seen it's thrashy death metal, and well worth the listen, nice and rhythmic, though something I tend to want to listen to in short bursts, as opposed to the usual. Don't believe I've ever listened to this band for more than an hour, tops. Tthough that could be because I only have four songs - I'll have to look into that.

 

Mendeed

 

Thrash metal, and very good in places. Unfortunately, I have lost my album of it, and only have a few songs, so I feel I cant properly review them, but I remember distinctly that some of their songs were not so good, but a few were very good. If thrash metal is your thing, then you probably already know of them. If thrash metal isn't your thing, go ahead and give it a try!

 

Meshuggah

 

Phenomenal. I believe I read somewhere about the band trying to create harmony through discord, or something. Either way, they rule. Specifics to check out include the album Obzen, and the song Spasm, from the album Nothing (the remastered edition). Brilliant band, and I shall be forever grateful to the friend who got me into them. Has a sense of power similar to that of Cannibal Corpse, but without a speed that ever remains quite the same. Try finding "Pravus" on youtube, and you'll get to see what I mean. That or Dancers to a Discordant System (both from the album Obzen).

 

Morbid Angel

 

Way way old school death metal, Morbid Angel have been cited as inspiration for a number of modern (and not so modern!) death metal/core bands. A slow feeling, similar in that capacity to Cannibal Corpse, without quite having the power of its younger siblings, Morbid Angel still makes for compelling listening.  Being one of the earliest bands, Morbid Angel was one of the few to literally define the genre. Well worth a listen.

 

Satana Kozel

 

Russian death/folk metal band. Insanely difficult to track down, so I'm including a youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD2y7dZfB58

This is an absolutely epic band, and it includes an accordion in metal! (win). A lot less heavy than a lot of the bands mentioned, but it wins sheer metal use by the pure fact that they are the only band I have ever seen that can make an accordion sound menacing. As i said before, very difficult to get hold of, and I've only been able to acquire one album - but it was well worth the effort!

 

Nightrage

 

Greek band, suffers from the occasional song with less than stellar vocals, but check out Silent Solitude and At the ends of the Earth, as they are pretty good.

 

Nile

 

Nile is a more recent band, with a similar pacing to Morbid Angel. With musical themes often inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Nile present an interesting auditory experience. Listening to it feels something like a more modern version of Morbid Angel - there really is a lot of inspiration plain if you listen to both. I honestly don't know which I prefer, and encourage you to try both.

 

Samael

 

My view of Samael is similar to that of Bloodbath - it needs to be listened to. Electronic black metal from Switzerland, it varies dramatically from album to album as the band members try new things. Recommended albums if you like electronic music: Passage and Reign of Light. If you like more standard metal, try Blood Ritual. A superb and rich sound, Samael caters to just about any mood you can imagine, and there are too many songs to recommend a single one. Baphomets Throne is very very catchy - though don't listen to it unless you don't mind having it stuck in your head for the whole day. Though, that isn't an unpleasant experience, trust me.

 

Six Feet Under

 

Depth and power, can't really say it any other way. Songs to check out are This Suicide and Murdered in the Basement. Headed by Chris Barnes, so if you like this, you'll probably like the first incarnation of Cannibal Corpse too, and vice versa. Basically apply everything I said on that band, barring the controversy and George Fisher, though it is a different sound.

 

Suicide Silence

 

Very different sound, very nice sound. You'd really have to hear it to see what I mean. It sounds almost.. fluid. Like it wavers and runs, or like a form of distortion that works. Ripply, or whatever. Though that could be another thing that I get because I listen to this sort of stuff all the time. But yeah, find it.

 

Heaven Shall Burn

 

Recent acquisition, though I absolutely love it. Check out "Endzeit" by them on youtube, it's well worth it.

 

Through the Eyes of the Dead

 

The first death metal/core band I ever listened to, with rich, powerful sounds, and a terrific pace. Best album is probably Bloodlust - specifically check out When Everything becomes Nothing, Two Inches from a Main Artery, and Force Fed Trauma. Absolutely terrific death core through and through, right to the very center. All the power of the slower bands, but more speed. However, they did change the vocalist, and I haven't listened to anything after that change yet, so I cant say whether or not they retain their sheer awesomeness. It would be a shame if they didn't - it really permeated your skull with its epicness.

 

Whitechapel

 

Excellent quality, but very little remarkable to distinguish it, so I cant really say much. It made the list though, so worth digging out!

 

That about does it for metal month!

 

On to electronic! Where I will say a lot less, and cover many less bands!

 

Holy Men, and Cherouvim - both in the same category, Nitzhonot, which is basically a variant of psy trance. Great stuff, and sadly lacking from the average collection.

 

Paul Oakenfold - makes some excellent stuff, specifically check out Dread Rock and Hypnotise.

 

Bonkers 17 - not a band, but a collection of electronic artists in one album. Three cd's worth of music, and while not everything will be to everyone's taste, it's a very good way to sample a lot of new artists quickly. Specifically listen to Krater by Infinate Dimensions ft. ephe.

 

Unfortunately a lot of the electronic I listen to (and I do listen to so very, very much >.>) is from artists too obscure for you to find them easily, or what nor. Or even individual songs, which make it harder still. But I recommend checking the music section at new grounds. There are a number of excellent electronic artists there that make good stuff. Specifically worth checking out are Dimrain47, Realfaction and Helix6. Definitely check out Drowning by Realfaction. Definitely.

 

I'm probably missing some, but there is no way I'm going to remember more than a handful without reading through a list, and my electronic collection isn't exactly... oganised. Metal is nice and simple, but yeah. So you'll have to make do, I'm afraid, since it would take a long time to index all of it. Not to mention I listen to a lot of electronic on youtube while scouting out potential new music, and then forget the names before I'm able to get hold of them.

 

 

Indie corner! (note, not actual indie, as the genre, since I gather there is one, I just mean stuff from artists you can track down, but don't have a built up commercial presence, or records in shelves.

 

Helix6 - available on the newgrounds audio portal, absolutely amazing. Industrial electronic, and free (legally, creative commons, and all that) to download! Specifically recommend checking out the song Archetype.

 

Turmion Katilot - Finnish industrial metal, which I have been told translates to 'midwives of destruction'. Last I heard, they have ONE album, which you can only buy from their site. Not to everyone's taste, but a very very good band, and worth listening to everything of theirs just in case you're one of those that will love it. Note: give the vocals chance to grow on you - they did on me.

 

Not Recommended

 

Music

 

Arch enemy - Eh. Yeah, that's probably the best way to sum it up. When you first hear it the women with gutterals is new, and a nice gimmick, and some songs are really nice, but its a lucky dip, really. The song My Apocalypse, for example, is really good. But as far as I can tell pretty much everything else in the album is weedy. Like Skeleton Dance, and worst of all, Nemesis. It starts off fine, and most of it isn't terrible, but the lyrics, oh god. It's like a toddler wrote them. The sort of things that make a nice concept but are so damn substance lacking that you just want to cringe, and worst of all? There is a pause in the middle where most of the instruments slow down and back off, presumably to try to add emotional weight to something that sounds like it came out of the child's version of The Three Musketeers. Maybe it's a bad album, and if anyone knows that their other albums are different, I would be glad to hear it. You can ask Elgee to get in touch with me, but unfortunately I'm going to have to give this a thumbs down from my perspective.

 

[Elgee]

 

Claire slaved over her computer for hours to bring you this list of upcoming things around the WT.  Ok....more like 10 minutes, but you should still read it anyway.  :D

 

Classes: The Gray Ajah has decided to sponsor a monthly regular cooking class on the Lecture Hall.  Although January's class has already begun, you can always get in on a future month.  Here are the planned upcoming topics:

 

February - Using a Frying Pan

March - Using a Casserole Dish

April - Using a Pot

May - Using a Wok

 

As always, the WT and the DM World will be held on a bi-monthly basis.  This is a requirement for all aspies to complete, so be sure to sign up.  The next class will be held in February. 

 

Events: I'm sure there are many unofficial things going on I'm unaware of, but here's the official upcoming events for January and February.

 

Jan. 24-30 (tentatively):  White Ajah Winter Carnival

Feb. 22-28: Blue/Green Ajahs present: Disney Week!

 

Etc:  The WT Org is full of awesome and win.  That is all.  -Claire

[Elgee]

by Claireducky

 

In this regular column, the Mother Ducker sits down and talks with the leaders of various groups around DM to provide you with a bit of insight into that group and it's purposes at DM.  In this month's column, she caught up with Arath of the Black Tower Division.

 

 

MD: First, can you tell me a little bit about yourself and the group you lead at DM?

 

Arath: Well, I'm David, aka Arath Faringal, Co-DL of the Black Tower Div. I've been a DM addict since 2001, and I've been with the BT since day one.

 

MD: Excellent. Who is your co-DL, and is he as awesome as you?

 

Arath: Covai Seriba.  And hard as it is to believe, I would say yes. He's been around even longer than I have.

 

MD: Wow, that's a lot of awesome in one place.

 

Arath: Isn't it?

 

MD: What does the Black Tower Div do?

 

Arath: We mostly blow stuff up-- When we're not putting the moves on the BT civilians, that is ...

 

MD: Aha! So some lovin going down behind scenes at the Farm, eh?

 

Arath: Well ... we try, to various degrees of success and some rather spectacular failures ...

 

MD: I can imagine that depends on the skill of the BTer with Compulsion. So are you guys a social group or a roleplaying group?

 

Arath: We are the roleplaying group, in charge of all Asha'man characters. If you want to play a male channeler who isn't affiliated with Shayol Ghul, we're the guys to talk to.

 

MD: So if one wanted to roleplay with the crazies, what would they need to do to get going?

 

Arath: First and foremost is to write a character biography-- Just a small thing, giving us the basic information on your desired character Size, shape, hair/eye color ... all that fun stuff, as well as country of origin, then a brief background on the character himself ... what he did before coming to the Farm.  We're pretty open to different ideas on recruitment.  If you want a wilder who accidentally burns down half his village, we're totally fine with that.  Or if you want to be picked up on a random recruiting mission, that's great, too.

 

MD: Neat; sounds like you leave a lot of freedom to the writer to come up with a unique story for themselves.

Arath: Absolutely.

 

MD: So what exciting things are going on in the BT roleplay currently that a member could get involved with?

 

Arath: We're currently in the middle of a fairly large RP arc, which began with a massive battle with the Shadow in Shienar. After a rather sound whipping there, we began to search for channeling allies to help us stand up to the Dreadlords ... which led to our currently ongoing RP in Tar Valon--Bondage with the Red Ajah  ;)

 

MD: Bondage? O.o

 

Arath: Bonding, bondage ... I'm pretty sure the Reds don't see a difference.

 

MD: Aha! So you guys are sort of following the book story line where Reds and BT bond, then?

 

Arath: In a way. We've flipped parts of the story around to better suit the RP. For example, we've not yet reached the cleansing of Saidin, which happened before open bonding in the books.

 

MD: Well it sounds like there's a lot of exciting opportunities for the players in your division then, with the Bonding and Cleansing both coming up. Can you explain in one sentence why somebody should come join the Black Tower Division?

 

Arath: We know where you sleep at night, and we have balefire.  Failing that...writing an Asha'man character is a challenging, and rewarding experience, which will push your limits and help develop you as a writer.

 

MD: Sounds great!  I'd sign up right now...but I can't, cause I already signed up months ago and have a BT character. ;)

 

Arath: That's okay ... you can have up to 3!

 

MD: Don't tempt me!  ;) Thanks for spending some time answering my questions, Arath!

 

Claire also took the time to talk to a few members of the BT Division about what they think of the Div, and here's what they had to say:

 

Tai'Dashan: I like the Black Tower because when reading the books I was always drawn to the channelers. Being male, I prefer the male channelers.  In addition to this, I like having the character depth that comes from roleplaying the effects of the taint on Saidin. My first character was in the Black Tower Div and he has been my favorite since then.

 

Liitha: I have an interesting character there who is a Cloud Dancer [a weather Talent], who I keep active cause he is interesting to play.

 

Jehaine: Well, to be quite honest the reason I RP is because of the characters... Sure, their history sections gear them up to be in the Div in question, but ultimately i leave it up to them on where things go from there. Though Martyn/Tavon doesn't particularly enjoy the BT, he sees it as necessary because he can channel (as much as he hates to admit it). After the Cleansing, who knows?

 

Claire: I like the BT Division because it offers me a challenge.  RPing as a male is out of my comfort zone, and so I am loving RPing in the BT because I am trying hard to create a 3-dimensional character with foibles and weaknesses who is male (and therefore doesn't tug braids or sniff or adjust shawls...which is what I'm used to).  I'm very much looking forward to the BT/WT bondings that are coming up, and the Cleansing RP should be epic.

 

 

Thanks for reading Claire's interview with the BT Division.  If you're interested in possibly joining the Black Tower Division, here are some handy links for you:

 

Info about the Black Tower Division and how to join

RP Discussion Board with info on RP at DM, Bio Writing, and more.

 

If you still need help, you can always PM Arath or Covai or email them at BTStaff@hotmail.com.

[Elgee]

by Kara_J

 

Come play games with us! *g* Work your brain and have fun while you do it with this monthly feature.

 

Featured this month:

 

Wheel of Time Word Search! Test your skills on this Word Search here:

http://www.zen107147.zen.co.uk/wordsearch.cgi.htm

 

Have a suggestion for a game? Let us know! Email us at daesdaemar@whitetower.org and be sure to put “Puzzles and Games” in the subject line!

 

 

NB: Have posted it on Wordpress here: http://whitetower.org/2010/uncategorized/daes-daemar-puzzles-and-games-january-2010-2/- Let me know if it's in the wrong place

[Elgee]

That's it for this month's edition, folks!

 

We hope you have enjoyed reading it  ;D

 

Please feel free to comment, jeer, cat call, throw chocolates ... no shoes, though - throwing shoes will get you greasing duty at the cookies mines. *nods*.

 

 

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Looks great everyone! Well done guys! :)

[Pookie]

I've had peanut butter and jelly dessert pizza at a pizza buffet my grandma took us to.  I had to try it because it sounded disgusting.  It was actually really good.

 

Love the newsletter!  *looks around and then whispers*  I only rarely read it before my hiatus.  Wonderful improvements!

[Jaydena]

Great work everyone!!

[Elgee]

bump