Home Blog Page 347

Make Love Not WarCraft the true Story

Matt Geary
-
0
Make Love Not WarCraft the true Story

News from the BBC today. It seems some Inventive hackers have managed to roll a LvL1 Character that was able to wipe out the entire population of players and NPCs in the games main cities! (It is uncertain what server)

Being a former WoW player I can understand how frustrating and annoying this would have been BUT not being a WoW player any-more, I find it rather amusing… Reminds me of the ‘Make Love not Warcraft’ episode of SouthPark… Staaaaaaaaaannnnnnnn!

 

Full story below

 

Hackers have massacred all the virtual characters in some of online adventure game World of Warcraft’s major cities.

They appear to have created a character able to destroy those of other players and those controlled by the game.

Game creator Blizzard Activision has appealed for information, but added: “This exploit has already been hot-fixed, so it should not be repeatable.”

More than 10 million subscribers play World of Warcraft (WoW), almost half are believed to be in China.

Numbers had dipped from a peak of 12 million in 2010 to 9.1 million at the beginning of 2012, but have swelled since the release at the end of September of an expansion called the Mists of Pandaria.

Writing in an online forum, Blizzard said it was taking the action “very seriously”.

“Earlier today, certain realms were affected by an in-game exploit, resulting in the deaths of player characters and non-player characters in some of the major cities,” wrote a representative going by the name of Nethaera, on Sunday.

Olivia Grace, contributing editor of website WoW Insider, said: “It was a significant hack.

“They discovered a method to roll a level-one [beginner] character, which ran to the major cities.

“We don’t know exactly what they did, but somehow they were able to kill every single player’s character in that city and every single computer controlled character – and they were doing this repeatedly.”

Ms Grace said she believed the same hackers had attacked WoW before but not to this extent, with characters being destroyed again after “reincarnation” as is normal within the confines of the game.

HALF TIME! The Ohio State University Marching Band – TBDBITL Halftime 10-6-12

Matt Geary
-
0
HALF TIME! The Ohio State University Marching Band – TBDBITL Halftime 10-6-12

Saw this on my facebook and had to share! Really amazing stuff, put a big geek smile on my face!

This is the halftime performance of The Ohio State University Marching Band on 10/6/12 against Nebraska. The theme was Video games and it included parts from Zelda, Halo, Pokemon, Tetris, and others

Comic Book Weekly Roundup (03/10/12)

Laura Maier
-
0
Comic Book Weekly Roundup (03/10/12)

THE BEST OF MARVEL

AvX Versus #6 (writers:  Kieron Gillen, Brian Michael Bendis, Kathryn & Stuart Immonen, Mike Deodato Jr., Ed McGuinness, Christopher Hastings, Jeph Loeb, Jason Aaron, and Dan Slott; artists: Jim Cheung, Jim Mahfood, Marte Gracia, Rain Beredo, Brian Reber, 

Jacob Chabot, Arthur Adams, Ramon K. Perez, and Katie Cook)

The AvX Versus series runs as a B-side to AvX itself; whilst AvX has all the plot and life-changing implications, AvX Versus contains what we really want to see- the fights! Each issue ran two stories, but the last in the series has a whopping nine fights. Nine! It opens with Scarlet Witch vs. Hope, a fairly standard action sequence, and just gets better from there on in. Highlights include Captain America and Cyclops in a no-holds-barred verbal beatdown (like Yo Momma but with a dead sidekick and a dead wife), Spider-Woman taking on Emma Frost, Storm and Psylocke (all in the perverted mind of Hawkeye), and Pixie and Squirrel Girl playing a tabletop RPG! This comic is a fantastic end to a brilliant series, and you can see how much fun the writers and artists were having working on it.

Daredevil: End of Days #1 (writers: Brian Michael Bendis & David Mack; artists: Klaus Janson & Bill Sienkiewicz)

In a neck-breaking mood whiplash, Daredevil: End of Days is an eight-issue miniseries dealing with the aftermath of Matt Murdock’s death. Told in a gritty noir style by reporter and good friend of Matt’s, Ben Ulrich, this first issue outlines Daredevil’s rise to glory, his fall from grace, and his gory demise at the hands of longtime foe Bullseye, as well as neatly paving the way for Ulrich to spend the miniseries getting the full story behind Matt’s last days. It’s grim, it’s gritty, and it’s absolutely bloody brilliant.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #695 (writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage; artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli)

I know you’re probably getting sick of me writing about Spider-Man every week, but dammit, he’s just so… amazing. This issue sees the Hobgoblin back in action, and Peter’s Spider-Sense going into overdrive- everyday hazards like hot coffee and traffic send the tingles rushing through Spidey’s brain, and the results are hilarious. The art takes a turn for the Scott-Pilgrim-esque, with big block arrows pointing out all the dangers of everyday life (dear lord, the GERMS!) but it works as a brief comic interlude before the 700th issue all hell breaking loose.

Uncanny X-Force #32 (writer: Rick Remender; artist: Phil Noto)

Last issue wasn’t that great, and the Final Solution arc is still (still!) not over, but this issue is a bit more satisfying in terms of plot development. X-Force finally get their butts in gear and start actively trying to solve the problem, but it’s too little too late as the Brotherhood have managed to turn one of the team against them… This has dragged on for a while, but it seems to be back on form for the grand finale. At least, I hope it’s the grand finale. If it goes on for another six months, I’m done.

 

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON

Defenders #11 (writer: Matt Fraction; artist: Mirco Pierfederici)

On the surface it seems like a good team: Dr Strange, Iron Fist, Silver Surfer, Red She-Hulk and Black Cat, with special guest star Ant-Man. Unfortunately, the Defnders series doesn’t seem to have any connection to current continuity (case in point: Namor shows no signs of being recently possessed by the Phoenix, and it seems to have slipped Ant-Man’s mind that he has a school to run) which makes it a bit jarring. It makes a valiant effort to explain why there are so many “randomly”-occurring superheroes on Earth, but overlooks the pretty major point that we just don’t care. We’ve accepted all the weird origins since the 1930s, we don’t need any explanation now!

ALSO

The school rivalry to end them all! The Jean Grey School for Higher Learning vs. Avengers Academy #38!

Scott Summers… a supervillain? Uncanny X-Men #19!

Can the Phoenix be defeated? Find out in AvX #12!

 

 

THE BEST OF DC

 

Action Comics #13 (writers: Grant Morrison, and Sholly Fisch; artists: Travel Foreman, and Brad Walker)

Dogs are awesome. Superheroes are awesome. So what do you get when you combine the two? Krypto! Hurrah for Krypto! They’ve rebooted his origin- out with the ‘orange kryptonite gives animals powers’, and in with the ‘Krypto was spliced with Kal-El’s DNA at birth to make him the perfect friend and defender’. OK, it sounds far-fetched when I word it like that… but it’s at least a little bit more believable. The two stories in this issue centre around Superman bringing Krypto safely to Earth, and just what Krypto was doing for the last few decades. Be warned, though- if you’re of a sensitive disposition, you will weep like a small child. I did. But if you tell anyone, I’ll punch you into the sun.

Before Watchmen: Rorschach #2 (writer: Brian Azzarello; artist: Lee Bermejo)

Rorschach hasn’t even recovered from the beating he took in issue #1 before he’s out on the streets again, kicking ass and taking names. Well, in Rorschach’s case it’s more like setting ass on fire and not bothering with the name because charred corpses don’t need names. He’s a lot more sympathetic to prostitutes than in the original series- by which I mean he ignores them, rather than calling them filthy sluts who deserve everything they get. It’s a little early to tell if this is going to change in the series, or if this really is a lighter and softer version of Rorschach, but the issue as a whole is fantastic. The brutal, unflinching art shows every cut and bruise beneath the mask, driving home the sacrifice he makes to become a hero. Watch and learn, Ozymandias. Watch and learn.
  

G.I. Combat #13 (writers: Peter J. Tomasi, and Jimmy Palmotti & Justin Gray; artists: Howard Chaykin, and Staz Johnson) 

I know, I’m as stunned as you are. But between a shell-shocked and crazy old man with a magical pet tank, and the Unknown Soldier in an undercover arms deal that wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of 24, it’s actually a pretty decent comic. The chest-thumping patriotism of previous issues has been dialled back, leaving just a very well-written, action-packed pair of stories with dialogue that would fit right in on the big screen. I’m not adding G.I. Combat to my pull list right now, but a few more issues at this level and who knows?

Stormwatch #13 (writer: Peter Milligan; artists: Will Conrad & Cliff Richards)

Midnighter and Apollo go on a date (fangirl squee!) which is tragically interrupted by the return of one of the founding members of Stormwatch, way back when they were called the Demon Knights. With cameos from Madame Xanadu, The Spectre and John Constantine, this gives me hope for a Justice League Dark / Stormwatch / Demon Knights crossover, and a spine-chilling tour of the block of flats (and the terrible people who live there) that could have been lifted straight from The Sandman sets just the right tone to turn Stormwatch from B-movie sci-fi to psychological horror. Also, did I mention Apollo and Midnighter are on a date? Eee!

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON

Nothing!

Congratulations, DC, no epic failsauce this week! High five! Don’t leave me hanging, bros!

Seriously though, let’s talk about Zero Month. What was that, you guys? There was only one comic that was a necessary prologue, and that was the Justice League one with Pandora and the Phantom Stranger. All the others (except for the one in Batman: The Dark Knight where Bruce goes after Joe Chill) would either be better off as the next issue in the series, or just not done at all. I get that you wanted to do something special to mark the first anniversary of the reboot, but are you going to do this every year? Every September, break out another gimmick? Next year you could do Rule 34 Month, for adults only, obviously. Or a crossover with My Little Pony. Actually, that would be awesome. Do that.

 ALSO

A day in the life of a henchman- Detective Comics #13!

As I demanded, Simon Baz returns in Green Lantern #13!

Can anyone stop the Rot taking over the world? Animal Man #13 & Swamp Thing #13!

 

Becca’s Top 5 Kick Ass Female TV Characters

Becca Harper
-
0
Becca’s Top 5 Kick Ass Female TV Characters

When I sit down to watch a TV show with my hubbie there are certain requirements that must be fulfilled in order for me to invest my time in it. My number one requirement, which is the focus of this article, is my gender represented well?

For those who don’t already know, I  tabletop roleplay. My characters tend to be females who could break the average man without breaking a sweat or a nail, who are intelligent and not afraid to have their say. So when I watch females in TV and other media I don’t want to be fed a nauseating stereotype. I want them kicking ass and taking names. I like them with edge, a temper and occasionally a little bit bad. Why? Because that is what I wish I could be.  A female character is done right is when I am happy for my daughter to turn round and say “I want to be her when I grow up” because only over my dead body is she going to be Lady Gaga.

So here are my picks of Female TV characters that represent female ass kickery, intelligence and independence.

Jo Lupo – Eureka

To start with, she is a former US Army Ranger with a love of guns, so she already kicks ass. Also, as the Deputy Sheriff, she is in a position of authority. Even when the exceedingly yummy Zane comes along she doesn’t fall head over heels and becoming a whiney ‘girl’ about him, in fact she continues to keep him at arm lengths and the relationship is on her terms.  But it isn’t just that, credit must go to the creative team, they did not feel they needed to ‘trash’ her up with heavy makeup and the obligatory cleavage. She is naturally sexy and even when she goes from Deputy to Head of Security at Global, she still dresses appropriately for someone in that role. She is also confident but has those little insecurities that make her a more realistic character. She doesn’t consider herself to be on a par with the intellectuals of the town, yet she repeatedly proves herself worthy to stand at their side, as an equal.

Lana Kane – Archer

If you have not had the extraordinary pleasure of seeing this spy parody animated show then stop reading this and watch it for crying out loud.  Done?  Now let me to why Lana appears on this list.  For a start, in terms of skills, professionalism and talent, Lana is the superior agent. I love Archer he just rocks awesome and probably syphilis, but most people have to agree that if you had to choose either Archer or Lana to save the world, they would pick Lana. Number one, she is not a drunk and, in despite of her manly sized hands, she still rocks the 60’s jumper dress. She got out of a bad relationship and dominated the next.  Though… that also went terribly wrong, but she can’t be to blame for men who are douche bags. She can shoot a gun and has the attitude to go with it and is also enough of a whore that I would totally play her in a RPG.  

 

Nancy Botwin – Weeds

weeds

This choice may be a little controversial and also, I have to retract my earlier statement about wanting my daughter to look up to these women as role models. I would be very disappointed and consider myself a bad bad parent if my daughter was to turn out like Nancy.

 In case you aren’t aware Nancy Botwin is the lead character in the awesome Weeds. The widowed housewife who starts of selling a little pot to help with the family finances. It dramatically escalates from there, but you should watch it for yourself, it really is a treat and a refreshing change.

But why would I pick this woman? One simple reason, she has no fear. Whatever the dire moment, when I have wondered how the monkey’s nuts is she going to get out of this one? BAM! She’s got a plan! This woman fears nothing, and in all the series she has very few emotional breakdowns considering the circumstances. The ones that do happen are only really moments of weakness before she formulates an outstanding plan and drags her family out of the chaos and quickly into more.  This woman does all this for one reason, her family. Whether her actions are right or wrong, and let’s face it they are mainly wrong, she does it for the right reasons.  This woman has balls; whatever the situation, she knows exactly how to play the game and I love her for it.

Sam Carter – Stargate:SG1

No one can compile a list like this and not include the awesome Colonel Samantha Carter. Yes she is an obvious choice but that’s because she is one of the most awesome soldier/scientists  there is. She was portrayed as a character and not the obligatory female element.  To be honest there are many reasons for this pick, but one of the defining things that I respect about this female character is that she didn’t let her feelings for the legend that is O’Neill, stop her from pursuing her dream. The romantic thing to do would be step down so she could be with the love of her life. All credit to the writers for not letting the obvious happen. Whilst my quite large romantic side wanted nothing more than to see them live happily ever after, I’m glad that it didn’t happen in the series. That’s not to say is doesn’t happen after O’Neill retires, it does, because it has to. Why else would, like, all of her other boyfriends die? Anyway, this woman will beat you and then explain the mechanics of quantum physics. What more do you want? 

Willow Rosenberg – Buffy, The Vampire Slayer

Getting her witch on!

C’mon, the lesbian witch who saved the world!! The awkwardly shy and intelligent Willow who starts as the best friend of the slayer, researching her ass off and learning along witchcraft along the way. Really that is all I should need to say, but I shall continue a little.

The slow progression of her power and character is what I love. She was supposed to be a sidekick but she became much more important and at times was the only one who could save the day. She had a werewolf for a boyfriend and then turned out to be a lesbian, which is freaking awesome, even from my heterosexual female point of view.  At this point I should maybe mention the little incident of her turning evil and killing flaying Warren. Well…he did shoot her girlfriend, and you gotta admit the way she got her revenge was totally badass

All in all, Willow speaks to me as a fellow geek; she lived my dream of becoming an awe inspiring mega witch. It isn’t going to happen for me, no matter how many ancient texts I read. But I can live it all through her.

Before finishing I would like to include some honorary mentions for Buffy, Zoe Washburne and Aeryn Sun. They would have been included but I had to stop typing at some point. Real world require some attention now and again.

FTL: Faster Than Light – 8 GPPs

Andrew Corban
-
0
FTL: Faster Than Light – 8 GPPs

Straight to the Point – This kickstarter success story is a superb yet simple roguelike game with its intense tactical combat and random adventures making it well worth its remarkably cheap price of seven pounds.

Crewman Christoff is dead, cornered in a corridor by the gunnery room and torn to pieces by two Mantis warriors who are now one flimsy bulkhead away from my precious O2 generators. Their rampage has started a fire which is now spreading out of control through the engine room while the Mantis cruiser which beamed these two monstrosities aboard readies its beam cannons to fire upon my vessel.

Things do not look good, either the Mantis will kill my remaining crew; the ship will be blown to bits, the ship will burn up from the inside or everyone will die from asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen.

It’s the Mantis cruiser which gets me in the end, its beam cannons breaking down my shields and removing the last few hull points of my ship which slowly breaks apart as the last members of my crew die from decompression.

This is not an unusual description of one of my many play throughs of FTL: Faster than light, a fiendishly difficult yet addictive game which I best describe as a Crisis Management sim in space.

Your mission is straightforward; as the captain of a Federation starship you must travel, or more accurately flee as fast as possible from a Rebel fleet, across the galaxy to deliver crucial intelligence to your commanders. The game itself is fairly light on narrative story, instead relying on the random encounters you have along the way to make its own storyline for you.

The game is short and focused, each journey will not probably last more than an hour at a time. However with ‘Permadeath’ at the core of the game, if you die its game over and because you can’t save the game at any point, each battle takes on a sense of urgency and desperation that extends its appeal. This is quite a refreshing change compared to the usual hand holding of many games as one mistake could mean the loss of a vital crew member or even your entire ship but when you successfully bring it back from the brink of defeat the feeling is euphoric.

2D View

 

 Your ship is viewed from a top-down 2D perspective, you begin only with the most basic of vessels but multiple new ship types can be unlocked by completing missions in game, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. You start with three crew members but more can be recruited from the various galactic races but expect to lose some to random events or enemy action. These crew members can be selected and ordered to work in the specific rooms where your four primary systems (weapons, shields, engines and thrusters) are housed or repair damage/repel borders as a battle develops so the crew quickly take shape with each fulfilling the roles of a classic science fiction star ship such as pilot, gunnery officer, chief engineer or security officer.

To traverse the galaxy you must journey along a branching path of nine different systems, when you enter a system you must travel from one side to another via a series of randomly generated jump beacons which normally have some kind of encounter awaiting you. These encounters vary from saving space stations under attack, exploring deserted colonies and battles with any number of rebels, pirates or slavers.

After each encounter you may receive rewards, this takes the form of fuel which is used for each FTL jump and running out of fuel is always an ongoing concern, missiles which are useful for some of the more powerful weaponry in the game or ‘scrap’ which is the games currency that can be used either to upgrade your ship or to purchase items, crew or weapons from vendors you meet along your travels.

Obviously travelling to as many encounters as possible nets you more rewards, however the rebel fleet are always in pursuit, represented by an expanding red line within each sector which if it catches up with you means a difficult and often fatal fight against a vastly superior rebel ship. It presents an intriguing risk versus reward element as there is not enough time to explore every system and find every encounter so it pays to plan ahead. Taking a risk and finding that hidden supply cache in a far flung corner of the system is incredibly rewarding although it can go the other way and leave you stranded to be blown to oblivion by the pursuing rebels.

GEEKS MEAN PRIZES # 2 (Closing Date 14/10/2012) ***CLOSED**

Matt Geary
-
0
GEEKS MEAN PRIZES # 2 (Closing Date 14/10/2012) ***CLOSED**

MORE FREE STUFF!

WINNERS

David Malpass
Rebbecca Matarazzo
Kim Keighly

 GRATZ!, Prizes have been sent out to you!

 

PR Genie (on behalf of the History Channel) have kindly donated 3 copies of the newly released DVD: The Pearl Harbor Collection (3 dvds in each box)  and Minimoko have donate 3 decks of the NEW, CPU Wars Card Game.

All great prizes and winning is as simple as sharing!

Check out the reviews from the links above

 

Details, Details, Details

There will be 3 winners, each receiving a deck of the CPU Wars Card Game and a Pearl Harbor DVD collection ; as well as what ever I have lying around.

This comp will be open until 11:59 on the 14th Oct. and can be entered by anyone…. BUT bare in mind these are UK region DVDs

 

What do I need to do.. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO!?

Want to win these awesome prizes? Then your task is simple:

SHARE THIS PIC ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE

The more shares, the more chances you have of winning!! (make sure you share it publicly so we know who has entered!)

It is as simple as that

 

 

[box_dark]

Disclaimer

Competition ends 12/10/2012 at midnight, any entries after that time will be discounted.

The winners will be chosen at random (so as I said the more times you share the better the chance of success)

Winners will be announced and contacted  week commencing the 15/10/2012 and posted on this article as well as the forum.

Any issues or questions then please get in contact

[/box_dark]

 

SpecialEffect: the gamers charity

Matt Geary
-
0
SpecialEffect: the gamers charity

Many of us are blessed with the ability to play games without thought to how lucky we are to be able to pick up a controller, move analog sticks or press that beatdown button to win you that all important game. Think what you would feel like if you couldn’t press that button, you couldn’t move those sticks and you couldn’t pick up that controller… All you could do is sit there and watch others enjoy what you could never experience; unthinkable and pretty depressing right? 

Well there those out there who sadly, through birth, bad luck, and disease can only sit by and watch… that is, until now!

 

Special Effect is an inspirational charity, one that Geek Pride can completely get behind and one you should get behind too.

Please check out their website, Like their FB and share this article on your pages. 

Special Effect Website

Special Effect Facebook

[quote]

SpecialEffect is a UK charity dedicated to helping all young people with disabilities to enjoy computer games and other creative interests through cutting edge technology – for rehabilitation, inclusion and pure fun!We also specialise in eye control technology. Imagine: You wake up after an accident. You can’t move anything except your eyes. And you can’t speak. That’s when we can help. Through …

eye movement alone, we help people operate a computer for communication, independence, work and leisure. SpecialEffect’s achievements include the world’s first fully-accessible games suite at the Helen and Douglas House Hospice, award-winning games roadshows, and our Stargaze eye control project inspired by our Patron Matt Hampson

We recently launched our Loan Library, inspired by our work helping soldiers injured in Afghanistan through to young people with degenerative conditions who can no longer play in any other way. This project alone costs £100K a year, and is based from our specialist centre (including a games room and game lab) in West Oxfordshire that was this year opened by Matt Hampson and David Cameron MP.

We do whatever it takes, giving the time, patience and expertise, because we’ve seen first-hand the kick-start it has on motivation, self-esteem, confidence and quality of life.

[/quote]

Dust and Sand – Chapter 14 – By Sean P. Wallace

SeanPWallace
-
0
Dust and Sand – Chapter 14 – By Sean P. Wallace

Chapter 14

Dust had hoped to find something… straightforward at the telegraph line; something unequivocal and simple, one big fight and then they find Penelope safe and sound. So he was a mite disappointed when they crested a sandstone peak beside the line and found only that one of the poles had been downed. The line was unbroken and unmolested for miles either way; no creatures, no magic and no hint of corruption. Dust could sense no eldritch activity around them either; presumably the Paints had picked the area clean whilst they marshalled the line. All they found was that one pole knocked a dozen feet from its brethren, the wires it had once held scattered like matted, uncombed hair.

Dust held back a sigh. “Let’s check it out,” he said before heading down a rough track carved into the peak long before the eruption of the Badlands.

The sun was in full force as they descended and, with no wind and no hint of cloud in the fierce sky, the land was baking like a rotten apple pie. It was turning out to be a fine day.

After half an hour, they got to the wounded pole. A roughly-cut trunk, some cheap wood from the north. Its various fittings were attached well enough though, suggesting good labour made up for poor materials in the TTC. With no residue, no markings and no tracks, the limit of the story the pole had to tell was that sheer brute force had knocked it down.

“Doesn’t look like anything special,” Dust said.

Naismith nodded, turned her ride round and went to examine where the telegraph pole had come from, a splintered and wretched stump hiding forlornly amongst its unmolested brethren. Shadows Fade, who showed no signs of fatigue despite having walked for hours under the unremitting sun, knelt and ran her hand across the rest of the pole. Claw of the Gods sniffed the area like a trained hound.

Dust took a slow draught from his water skin and watched them search.

He hated fighting cults. The Triangle’s creatures were complex in form and power but simple of motive; they just wanted to spread the power of their God. Once you understood that, fighting them became a test of wills which was relatively easy. Even criminals had been simple back when he was a Ranger. But cultists? Cultists brought complexity both devious and unnecessary; their motives could be selfish or selfless, debased or divine, and they usually added their own spin to whatever their God asked of them. Working through their plans, translating the evidence they leave behind, like this pole, was awkward as picking a rope from a knot of rattlesnakes.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he jumped when Shadows Fade stood and said something. Claw of the Gods was the only one beside Horse to notice; its eyes flashed what might have been amusement.

Naismith took a moment longer examining the stump before looking up and replying, probably clarifying what’d been said.

Shadows Fade nodded, pointed to the pole and repeated herself.

Dust slipped his water skin back into his pack and dismounted. This seemed important. “What is it?”

Naismith walked across and leant over the pole. “Well, I’ll be. I certainly hadn’t expected her to be right. Look, do you see?”

He followed Naismith’s – and therefore Shadows Fade’s – direction and nearly slapped his forehead when he saw what she’d found; he’d looked at it a few times but not registered its importance. Frustration must’ve clouded his thinking, which was unacceptable. His tingling tattoo, now on his shoulder, was none too happy either.

For embedded into the wood, just above where the pole had splintered from its roots, was a man’s footprint. The cheap wood had accepted the impression like dough, letting the toes, arch and ball set deeply into its skin. The footprint was quite tall, too tall to be a woman’s. And whoever’d done it had had seven toes, two of them big.

“Someone kicked this down? What do you suppose that means?” Naismith asked.

“Nothing good,” Dust said.

Shadows Fade said something. Naismith nodded.

After a moment, Dust asked “Anything I should know about?”

“Nothing good,” Naismith replied.

So they were back to that. Great. Dust turned and searched the horizon for Claw of the Gods, to see if it had picked up a scent but mostly to avoid snapping at Naismith. He spotted the wolf half a mile down the line, trotting toward them with something in its maw; something that crackled and twisted with each step it took.

Dust shielded his eyes from the sun and could see a dark mass of necrotic flesh with a dozen rolls of wiggling fat in the wolf’s teeth. It looked like a grub or a maggot. The form’s stillness meant it was dead but its dark magic continued to earth itself against the wolf’s blue mane, crackling like fireworks. The wolf ignored each shock, grimly carried on toward them, which Dust found interesting but ignored for now.

No, the grub was more important. That energy mean it was probably a Bloat, a parasitic by-product of the Badlands; Bloats formed when insects ate honey from the wrong flower or flesh from the wrong corpse and were filled with corruption, became addicted to it. These insects would then seek out other flowers or corpses like the first and absorb more dark magic, fending off rivals and growing large and fat on the energy until they gained a God’s notice. It was good that Claw of the Gods had killed it; the Solution would not have liked facing what it might eventually have become.

Shadows Fade watched her Spirit Wolf approach with interest. He wanted to ask if she’d felt it kill the Bloat but decided that might not be polite.

He would take charge of the corpse though; when the wolf was closer, he stepped forward and held out his hand, made it clear it was to give him the Bloat.

Claw of the Gods stopped and looked from him to Shadows Fade as if for guidance. None was visibly forthcoming. After some deliberation, the wolf trotted over and dropped the corpse into his palm with a liquid squelch.

Dust didn’t relish holding it; its humours were dark, sticky, and they stank like sewage. It didn’t look much better, a pussy mass of grey-green flesh with a circle of thin, razor-like teeth protruding from a triangular mouth. There was still some blood on the teeth; likely the blood of a TTC engineer who hadn’t been quick or lucky enough. But the bulbous, pocked flesh behind the teeth confirmed he was definitely holding a Bloat.

Again, this would not help them find Penelope, but it was good to know Claw of the Gods would hunt these things when bored; he would sleep a little better now. So he thanked the wolf with a quick stroke, which brought a gasp from Shadows Fade.

New Iron Man 3 Armour Revealed

Sloth
-
0
New Iron Man 3 Armour Revealed

Released today is a picture from the set of Iron Man 3, shows Robert Downey Jr.’s Mark XLVII Armour, and a Iron Patriot suit that presumably has Don Cheadle hidden in there somewhere?

Iron Man 3 is due to be released 24/04/13 in the US.

What’s your opinion on the new gear?

 

***UPDATE*** 

Some confusion on FB so SKB has cleared it up for us

[quote]James Badge Dale/Eric Savin will not be in a suit. Savin will feature as part of the military arm that is specialising in nanotechnology (After all he was blown up and turned in to a cyborg). The featured armour, although looking like the Iron Patriot is Cheadle’s Rhodes/War Machine. Sadly Iron Patriot and Norman Osborne are owned by Sony as part of the Spiderman franchise, Iron Man is owned by Marvel-Disney. /SKB[/quote]

BBC America series, looking for un-manly Geeks for US MAN CAMP!

Matt Geary
-
0
BBC America series, looking for un-manly Geeks for US MAN CAMP!

Had an email from a casting company today and thought some of you might be interested:

We’re casting UK men a light-hearted series for BBC America – it’s for a trip to America in the new year to compete against American men at a US Man Camp. We’re looking for men that have one thing in common – that they want to be more manly and macho; so it could be extreme metrosexuals, or people who consider themselves computer geeks or individuals who think they are maybe lacking confidence with women.

The chosen contributors will be flown to the US for 4-6 weeks filming taking part in macho American activities such as hunting, fishing and DIY to see if they can become real macho men, with the winner getting a huge prize.

We’re looking for people who are interested in being part of a fun show, but genuinely have reasons that they would like to more traditionally manly or macho.

I being a fine specimen of manliness will be unable to apply but for those who need a tune up…

Apply here

1...346347348...362Page 347 of 362