Board Game Concept Art

Some concept art for a project.  

We're required to take an issue or movie and adapt a board game to suit.  Originally we chose the David Bain case and The Game of Life but after much discussion have since changed to the movie Scarfies and an adaption of Temple Run.

Artus Reportus Longus Windus - Brian Froud

| INTRODUCTION TO THE INTRODUCTION

This is the first report that we were required to do for the Critical Studies section of the course. I've broken it up three sections because the whole thing was far too image heavy.

CAVAET! - I got pulled up on my referencing for this report even after I used the handout sheets AND the APA referencing tool in Word. Make certain of your references before submitting and cite everything! Even if you consider it to be redundant information.

Artus Reportus Longus Windus - Frank Frazetta

| INTRODUCTION TO THE INTRODUCTION

This is the first report that we were required to do for the Critical Studies section of the course. I've broken it up three sections because the whole thing was far too image heavy.

CAVAET! - I got pulled up on my referencing for this report even after I used the handout sheets AND the APA referencing tool in Word. Make certain of your references before submitting and cite everything! Even if you consider it to be redundant information.

Artus Reportus Longus Windus - Stan Sakai

 | INTRODUCTION TO THE INTRODUCTION

 

This is the first report that we were required to do for the Critical Studies section of the course. I've broken it up three sections because the whole thing was far too image heavy.

 

CAVAET! - I got pulled up on my referencing for this report even after I used the handout sheets AND the APA referencing tool in Word.  Make certain of your references before submitting and cite everything! Even if you consider it to be redundant information.

The analysis of The elves and the shoemaker or Cobblers to you!

THE ANALYSIS OF

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

OR

COBBLERS TO YOU!

| INTRODUCTION:

Right then. To most people it would seem that our subject for tonight is nothing more than a positive story about helping another person in their time of need.

Aren't you lucky that I'm not most people because what we find when we peel back the layers and really peer into the heart of this narrative is that is is really little more than pro elf propaganda designed to further their whole “we're the elves and we're better than humans [1]” schtick that they cling to with such tenacity.

Critical Studies Lecture - Uncanny urges: The familiar made strange

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: ADI BROWN

UNCANNY URGES: THE FAMILIAR MADE STRANGE

Critical Studies Lecture - Animation: The History of

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: TANG

DATE: 05.06.13

ANIMATION: THE HISTORY OF

Critical studies lecture - Dessau Bauhaus - the academy of art and design.

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: TANG

DATE 29.05.13

• INTRODUCTION:It turns out that Bauhaus is not just a pretty font. To the surprise of many [1] there is a long and interesting history to it.
  The Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar [2].The style became one of the most influential currents in Modernist architecture and modern design. The Bauhaus had a profound influence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography. [3]
  

Critical Studies Lecture - The History of Film

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE: MARK SWEENY

DATE: 22/05/13

Harts Change - Scribbly Bit

| INTRODUCTION:
I liked this bit well enough the first few times but now I'm not happy with it.  That is to say there are a few wrinkles here and there which need to be smoothed out.  The priest stammering is wrong [1] and I really want Lady Lutin to have a larger part.

Of course the last time I said that I ended up tearing apart the church but this time It's early enough in the story that I can change things around without it affecting anything of consequence. 
Anyway, this piece is set near the end of Chapter 2 with all the narrativly important people journeying towards the Barons Mischance in the Royal City of Hermitage.  Due to the great change there are priests who have joined the caravan with their own wagons full of the dead which they are taking "down to the waters" which is just another series of rituals in a long series of rituals which ends up the bodies being taken to the Silver Mountain where the priests eat them[2].
So exactly why am I telling you all this?  It's all because the body of Evelyns son is in one of the priests wagons [3] and she isn't about to allow the holy crocodile to claim her son.

| NOTES: 

1. At least researching stutters and stammers isn't going to be as gruesome as researching amputation. :)
2. But, you know, in a sort of holy way.
3. Like so many others he didn't survive the great change which saw humanity become centaurs (but on the plus side everyone seems to have really long hair.  No baldies in my books!)

A - Z Challenge L - Z

| INTRODUCTION:

So here it is.  The final posting for the challenge.  I couldn't get all the letters done so we're just going to pretend that those bands all got visited by some form of Yoko Ono.

POST 1: A - D
POST 2: E - H
POST 3: L - Z

Collected Lecture Notes

Links to the series of lectures that I've been posting lately. - You know the ones that have kept me from doing actual funny posts on this thing :D.

Thoughts on The Dark Crystal

THOUGHTS ON

 THE DARK CRYSTAL

| INTRODUCTION:
At the course they told us to pick a movie and analyse it.  Since I was already researching Brian Froud, who designed almost everything and continues to make beautiful art.

BUT after about a week of watching movies they forced us to choose from a list.  This, in a word, was rather infuriating.

So here I am, sitting on an actual essay that is now actually redundant which means that I shall free it to live in the ether with the hopes that it helps someone sometime somewhere.

Analysis of The Frog Prince OR Carry On Croaking

Analysis of The Frog Prince

OR

Carry On Croaking

| INTRODUCTION:

Before we begin I ask you to bear in mind that the Grimm brothers were master storytellers [1] but one thing that I've noticed about their stories is that whenever a character is engaged in something seemingly harmless it's only a matter of time before tragedy descends and the entire situation spirals wildly out of control.
For example. Snow White was killed by a poison apple, Sleeping Beauty was enchanted for a 100 years through the clever use of a spinning wheel and Red Riding Hood was eaten by a wolf [2], Sometimes it's as if they were trying to do better and be just that little more gruesome with each story.

But not this gruesome

Keeping this in mind it occurs to me that I've not always being fair on the assorted Prince Charmings who ride through these stories and rescue princess's from perils most dire [3].

While your average Prince has a pretty tough old time fighting against the latest evil whilst remaining rather dashing it must be said that the prince in this story has it pretty bad.  How bad you ask?  Well read on and find out.

A - Z Challenge E - H

| INTRODUCTION
Righty dokey then then. for me this challenge has turned into more of a weekly thing so I'll have to make up for it by posting more stuff.  That being said here's some more stuff.

POST 1: A - D
POST 2: E - H
POST 3: L - Z

Critical Studies Lecture Notes

CRITICAL STUDIES 

LECTURE BY: GRANT CORBIN 

DATE 10.04.2013 

A - Z Challenge [A - D]

| INTRODUCTION

You might have noticed that I'm late starting this monster challenge but that's because I've been wrestling with school in a futile attempt to get on top of assignments, lectures, reports and everything else [1]

POST 1: A - D
POST 2: E - H
POST 3: L - Z

Critical Studies Lecture Notes

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: WI KUKI KINGI

DATE 03.04.2013

Critical Studies Lecture Notes

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: DIEDRA SULLIVAN

DATE: 03.04.2013

Critical Studies Lecture Notes

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: TITAHI

DATE: 03.04.2013

THE TREATY OF WAITANGI

Critical Studies Lecture Notes -

CRITICAL STUDIES LEACTURE TWO

LECTURE BY: TANG AND JAMES

DATE: 27/03/2013

NEW MEDIA DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Critical Studies Lecture Notes

CRITICAL STUDIES

LECTURE BY: TONI GOLDI

DATE: 20/03/13

Art Course - Project 1: Turangawaewae

| INTRODUCTION

Turangawaewae means a place to stand - unfortunetly it doesn't just mean where you are physically because that would mean that this project would be full of photos of me standing around (1)

What is it then?

The word itself is made up of two pieces.  Turanga (standing place) and Waewae (feet).

I've watched Sesame Street and know all about compound words.  Care to explain further?

As I say it doesn't just apply to your physical location.  Turangawaewae covers who a person is, where they came from and where they're going.  It gives someone more complete picture of an individuals identity rather than just knowing them by name.

That's pretty deep.

You're telling me.

THE HORI PROJECT - A DUCK HUNTING TRIP COST ME A 25 QUID FINE

THE HORI PROJECT - A DUCK HUNTING TRIP COST ME A 25 QUID FINE

I was sitting on the end of the jetty a few weeks ago minding my own business and thinking of this and that, and these and those, with the fish line in the water.
A pakeha comes up to me and says “Any luck, Hori?”
“No,” I tell him, “not yet, anyway, but I hope to catch something before I go home.  Anyhow I don't care much because it is such a corker day and I am enjoying the sunshine.”

The Analysis of Snow White OR Dwarfs do it with funny red hats

THE ANALYSIS OF SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

OR

SNOW WHITE II – DWARFS DO IT WITH FUNNY RED HATS.

| INTRODUCTION:

Relax, the sense of deja vu is perfectly normal since I have already done an analysis of Snow White.  In fact it was the first one of these that I did and my plan back then was to connect them all by having the running gag of people going off to fight in the Unicorn Wars.  Thankfully I was able to cast such ideas to the wind but this particular story seems to beg for an update.

An update which, if you  hit the jump you can read.

A-Z Challenge 2013

| INTRODUCTION:

So here's the thing. Leaving aside the issue of terrible grammar in that opening sentence I've done a few blog challenges in the past, they're both fun and challenging (1), but the A-Z was my first and remains my favourite. Of course the first time I did it my subjects were just a random selection of alphabetical miscellanea and last time I did it I actually tried to give out useful/less information.

The biggest change in then and now is that then I was stuck in a job that let me have a lot of hours to think about all the various topics and didn't mind if I scribbled them down on the back of official type forms. Whereas now I've left and am currently designated officialus artus studentus (2)

The thing of it is that my previous entries have been large walls of text (3). Admittedly it's often funny text, occasionally has a point and I'm happy to share anything that gets scribbled down in a fit of inspiration/madness/carefully thought out and reasonable discussion (4).

But this time around it's going to be different. This time I've decided that, due to aforementioned studentage, I'll most likely be bogged down in assignments and essays where I must talk about a painting of a daisy and what the play of shadow upon the petals was saying about the working conditions during the industrial revolution. This isn't going to leave me a lot of time to do other traditional student activities – namely going to parties and getting drunk (5).

Anyway the point is that with all the free time I now haven't got I've still decided to do the challenge because of the aforementioned fun and tradition but the big difference this time around is that it's going to be comprised solely of Bands and their Albums.

POST 1: A - D
POST 2: E - H
POST 3: L - Z
 

| BAND LIST:

ASTRAL IMPROV	BARELY APHRODISIA	CHORD OF THE GODHEAD	DRAMA LLAMA
EXTREME RHUBARB	FORCED PROMISE	GYRO INSTITUTE	HEAD POCKET
INTERNET VOLTAGE	JUKEBOX PORNO	KILLER EXORCISM	LET TYRANTS FEAR
MONTHLY VAMPIRE	NAKED INTERN	OPSHOP ZOMBIES	POINTLESS WAR AND THE MINISTERS
Q	RESET ANYTIME	SATANS ARROW	THROUGH TELEVISION
UNFORGIVEN INSPECTOR	VAMPIRE SHAMPOO	WITH WORDS AND MUSIC	XENOMORPHIC PARADOX
YOGURT HORSEFLY	ZINZENZO

There you go, that's the list of bands and to the best of my knowledge they don't exist except on my blog (6).
I don't know exactly what genre's they'll all be although I'd be surprised if Satans Arrow is anything less than very heavy metal.

| NOTES:

1. A phrasing, incidentally, that accurately sums up my first girlfriend.
2. We can all be thankful that I'm not taking Latin.
3. You can skip this next bit it's just me polishing my ego.
4. But that last one almost never happens
5. I kid. Art students don't have time for any of that. Not when we're all sitting around drinking tiny espressos and worrying about the price of berets.
6. But if they do then they can have a free album cover. Woo!

Grandiose World Changing Theory #4 - Cellphone Alternatives

GRANDIOSE WORLD CHANGING THEORY #4:

CELLPHONE ALTERNATIVES

/INTRODUCTION:

The following sentences are true:

I have a cellphone.

It is crap.

It won't tell me when I have messages or missed calls except when it cuts me off in the middle of a call to tell me that there are messages waiting.

It has an alarm which works, erratically (1).

But I mean you've got to have a cellphone these days because, well just because. Or do you? It might be that there are alternatives to cellphones which have not being looked at in enough depth. Alternatives, I might add, that are not only good for the environment but also good for humanity in general (2).

/OPTION ONE – BIRDS:

Now when I say birds I'm really talking about pigeons and you might think I mean of the homing variety but I'm not. The pigeons I'm talking about are the ones that gather in the city squares and are also known as flying rats.
PRO:
Good at surviving

Know their way around the cities of the world.

CON:

Not exactly the smartest of birds. (3) Or are they? The fact that this bird has managed to survive and thrive in the brutal worlds of nature and also in the concrete jungle strikes me as suspicious. What are they hiding? What's their agenda? Clearly the pigeon can not be trusted.

“But what about other kinds of birds?” I hear you ask through the specialized and expensive software that lurks in the depths of this blog. “There are more kinds than Pigeons you know”
Well I do know and have considered different types of avian but even there we seem to run into problems.

Obviously we can't use anything from the Corvus branch – crows, ravens magpies etc. Not because they've already been proven to be rather high up on the intelligence scale but more because it would mean that everyone would look like Highschool Goths (4) and any messages sent would look like

“When the black inky night spills into the depths of my soul. I look into the face of the monster and say 'what's the point of it all and can you pick up some milk on the way home tonight?' Luv Mum”

Perhaps then, each country should use their national birds as their own message carriers? (5) This too has it's drawbacks as the American Bald Eagle clearly wouldn't deliver messages that it felt weren't patriotic enough which means that any message sent would look like

“America Woo! Man I tell you, I love living in this, the greatest and best country in the world. Any who doesn't like us is gonna have to deal with me! There's a real raging fire in my heart for this great state of ours and there's a real raging fire in this state of ours. Could you come and put it out? Yours in truth, justice and the American way forever”

Our own national bird is the Kiwi. A type of bird that doesn't fly, only comes out at night and might deliver some sort of garbled message in a couple of days if it doesn't find something more interesting to do (6).

As stated above: Our Avian brothers are clearly not the answer.

/OPTION 2 – ROCK:

Rocks are everywhere in this world, they're everywhere in outer space as well which explains why Boybands and that Justin Bieber chick are having such a hard time breaking into the cosmic market. (7).

But how exactly can we use mere rock to pass on messages? Why it's simplicity itself

STEP 1: Locate rock of sufficient size

STEP 2: Write message on rock of sufficient size.

STEP 3: Whilst carrying rock of sufficient size, now loaded with message. Find person with whom you wish to communicate
STEP 4: Throw rock of sufficient size at person with whom you wish to communicate
STEP 5: Await reply.
STEP 6: Ouch
STEP 7: Return to Step 1 until conversation is concluded.

Now if the movies have taught me anything it's that once people stop playing a sport they generally live their lives in an alcoholic haze until they are called upon to coach a ragtag team of underdogs (8) .
But what we have here is an opportunity. Since throwing rocks is the new form of communication the retired baseball pitcher or cricket bowler could easily get a job that allows them to transmit messages across the country for long distance communications.
This ensures that, when they eventually return to the sport that they love so much, this is going to be translated into bowling of bat shattering speeds (9)

For obvious reasons this excludes Australians.

Feburary 1 1981:: Never Forget!

/OPTION 3 - NAMES:All right. From now on everyone gets a different name. There is only one Tom, Tim, Istvaan, Oswold, Micky, Micheal, Mike, etc in the entire world and on the basis that sooner or later everyone knows everyone else (10) all anyone has to do is pass on a message which will eventually get to the right person.
How do they know it's the right person? Because there's only one “Tim” on the planet and someone knows him.(11)

Of course we'll run into problems with this scheme as well since legally changing your name is already a bureaucratic nightmare of paperwork and red tape and if you don't move quickly enough then you could be stuck with a name that you don't want or worse, a name that you did want, back when you were thirteen (12)
Another issue is that this effectively makes the messaging system an elaborate and global version of Chinese Whispers which guarantees that when your message reaches “Tim” it's either so very garbled as not to make sense or has been changed entirely,

/NOTES:

1. and occasionally vomits pea soup while spinning round and shouting “Your mother sews socks in heck!” but to be fair I did download that particular app.
2. Also for humanity in Specific. A country that, I'll remind you, is nowhere near New Zealand, but shout out to my Specifican brothers! You guys don't get no respect!
3. I know what you're thinking and no we can't monkey around with their genetic structure. Didn't Charlton Hestons time among those damned dirty apes teach you anything?
4. The worst kind!
5. I mean why else would we have them?
6. Like laundry.
7. Heartfelt thanks to Pink Floyd and David Bowie. They've guaranteed that at least one aspect of the final frontier will be awesome.
8. Who may or may not also be depressed/disabled/girls or a gestalt combination of all three
9. Because that's what India needs. More fast bowlers.
10. In the same way that Wikipedia insists that everyone knows everything although if that is true then explain Student Loans.
11. “Oh yeah, he's the one that suggested throwing rocks at eagles. I hate that guy!”
12. Remember the type of stuff you were into when you were thirteen? Do you really want your taxes done by Conan Thundercat Prime, the invincible hero of the universe?

Grandiose world Changing Theory - The problem with babies

Before I begin I'd just like to state that, while I don't have children I did stand in a supermarket queue behind a mother who did and, according to the internet, this now qualifies me as an expert on parenting in general and children in specific (1)

That being said I feel that I must point out that Babies cry. Babies cry, alot. It appears to be one of the joys of parenting that they've conveniently left out of the brochures. The thing of it is that we've been around for a long time now and babies have been around almost as long. You'd think that at some point in our history someone would have come up with an idea or two to address the problems of crying babies.

Anyone?  

Looks like it's up to me then.

PROBLEM 1: LOST IN TRANSLATION

The problem as I see it is that their crying only serves the purpose of getting them noticed and "Wah wah" covers such a wide range of topics that its difficult to know whether they're saying "I'm tired" or “Actually I'm rather concerned with the political situation in the Middle East (2)"

Namby Pamby Politically correct Solution:

Endeavor to understand the body language of your child. Spend time with them and show them the joy of the spoken word.

Jabberwockery Solution:

Take a stand from day one! They say you've got to speak your babies language, well I ask you who brought them into this world? Who's the one paying the bills until their eighteen? "If there's any languages spoken in this household it'll be mine boyo!"

As a last resort you could teach them charades but only if you need to teach them the difference between "Get mummy a coffee" and "Maybe you should start mopping the floor instead of just sitting there"

Basic semaphore is also acceptable but only if you live in the tropics and cant afford a punkahwallah

PROBLEM 2: IT'S ALL IN THE TONE

The big problem is that when Baby A is crying and encounters Baby B this will invariably start Baby B off as well and as the pair attempt to outdo each other the number of babies grows exponentially until there are no more babies in the world that aren't crying and you're getting nasty phone calls from Russian parents who had only just managed to put their little goulash factory to sleep.

Of course the interesting thing about all of this is that no two babies actually manage to hit the same note at the same time, or indeed at any time (3).

Namby Pamby Politically Correct Solution:

Children crying is just a fact of life and one that everyone will go through. Eventually they grow out of it but you might want to look up from the chardonnay from time to time and perhaps get a secretary to deal with the deluge of angry Russians (4)

Jabberwockery Solution:

Right, if we can't stop the noise then the least we can do is adjust the problem and here at Jabberwockery we're all about adjusting the problem (5)

Since babies are going to cry anyway the thing to do is to teach them to do it in harmony with each other. It'll be a difficult thing to accomplish and will most likely involve a squad of music tutors breaking down doors, confronting expectant mothers and demanding impromptu duets

At the very least we'll need to have lecture halls and studios added to each hospital nursery. Sheet music will be provided on request (6).

PROBLEM 3: PROBLEM 2 REVISITED 

Of course no solution is free of further problems and I predict that the mixing of musical styles may just lead us back to the problems of babies crying at cross purposes but rather than being a global clash of discordant voices this time it'll come off more like an 80's hair metal (7) battle of the bands which nobody wants to listen to at three in the morning.

Namby Pamby Politically Correct Solution:

Babies making music are babies that are learning, This is a proven scientific fact. You might invest in a set of earplugs and disconnect your phone for a while but perhaps a better solution is to engage your child and challenge them musically. Eventually you'll be able to relax to the vocal style of your favorite artist and your infant will receive all the attention that they want.

Jabberwockery Solution:

Since we've got musical babies the only possible solution is to produce a global baby orchestra where, through the use of carefully tuned pointed sticks the babies are made to cry at specific times in order to create something that might be called music.

| NOTES:

1. in New Zealand actually. Look at a map and you'll see that we're nowhere near Specifica.
2. ”...perhaps we might sit down and discuss it like two rational human beings? What? Oh you're putting me to bed. Don't think I won't remember this mother! You'll rue this day! Rue it I say!"
3. Just as interestingly when wolves howl at the moon they do the same thing. It is a lupine faux pas to howl at the moon in the same key as your neighbor. I don't know why this is because this week I'm an expert on the Genus Babius Crawlus Messyus and not Lupus Socialus Musicalus or indeed Mortisium Languigius: Latinium Grammaticus
4. You can rabbit on about the political ins and outs all day but this is how the cold war really got started. Learn from history or be prepared to repeat it.
5. You'll note that I didn't say providing solutions because that's just crazy talk. 
6. But will be looked down on by children of the terminally hip.
7. Sans tight leather pants and meter long fringes

Harts Change - Some Scribbly Bits

|CONVERSATION AND MEETING BETWEEN THE PRIESTS:

[Scene: Chapter 3 Part ? - A few days after the entrance to Hermitage. Word of Evelyn's arrival has reached the ears of interested parties and many metaphors about waves, boats and motion are about to be applicable]

Characters:

Most Holy Mouth of the Great Crocodile – Da boss, the head honcho, The big C., The Crocfather. Have you ever had to work with someone who seemed to dedicated to bringing you down? That's this guy. He's got the power and the authority to bring the hammer down on people across the country, He'd like to be regarded as a caring father but his position in the church, coupled with his rather obnoxious nature has won him few real friends.
I'm still working on him though I don't think he'll ever have a very big part and yes he is based very much on someone that I used to work with.

Priest Rig – A priest who has begun to question the role of the church and is therefore a danger to the status quo. This meeting is just the beginning of his career as a character since I've already penciled him in as a leader of a sect who have turned away from the crocodile and begun to worship and study at the feet of Leonia, a champion of ancient legend..

Far away and removed from the hurly burly of the city there sits a room. It used to be a ballroom but needs must as the devil drives as they say and the long engraved table that now dominates the room shows that it has being usurped by something more important than dancing.

Of course a table suggest that people would use it and the council of the most holy shuffles in quietly and respectfully to take their places as is permitted by tradition. Some of them look will a slight longing at their comfortable chairs which are collected up in the corner of the room.but when the most holy mouth of the great crocodile coughs and bangs on the table to bring the meeting to order they quickly get down to it.

[nw: Right then, this intro is crap but it's actually supposed to be since I'm not exactly certain whereabouts this bit is going to go. I need to expand the meeting subjects and show the beginnings of the fracturing of the church. - this will be backed up later with the whole adoption angle in chapter 4 - To quote the bard: It's the dialogue of the thing thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king. I'll admit that it's strictly speaking accurate but then I'm not strictly speaking Shakespeare (barring some hitherto unknown reincarnation)]

“I thank you all for coming on such short notice” the most holy mouth begins I've called this meeting as there is a report that Evelyn Esteele has left her self imposed exile and returned to Hermitage”
At the end of the table one of the newer members cleared his throat “this isn't new. Far better to let this matter rest”

“Let it rest Rig? Until the girl returns to the rightous way of the great and holy crocodile we may not, can not, forget the insult that she has offered us”

“What insult is this most holy mouth? As I've heard the story she went through a great deal in order to save the man she loved and he for her. All very romantic but of no real insult to us”

“Priest Rig you are not recognised at this time” the old priest was terse but there you have it “Evelyn Esteele abandoned the church and offered great insult ot me, er, the priest who married them”

“As I heard it the priest who was involved in this took a rather substantial payment in return for his services. I would think that, whoever he is, he would want the issue forgotten” Rig smiled arrogantly “perhaps the insult is to him alone and the rest of us can forget about the whole affiar”

“To insult one of us is to insult all of us!” the holy mouth insisted vehimently

“Leaving all this insult business aside” an older priest broke into the argument “My brothers and sisters would it not simple be better to just ignore her? Evelyn Esteele has been disowned, Lady Trailin never lasted the night and Evelyn Oneeye is the personal guard of the Baron Lutin. As she is in the city to perform her duties I see no reason not to allow her to attend the Baronial Mischance and then leave Hermitage with her master”
“But”
“Well said. There are clearly more pressing issues to contend with at the moment”
“But”

“But what?” Priest Rig hit the wall loudly “But we need to gnaw at this bone just a little longer? But we need to destroy her so that everyone knows the terrible price of crossing the church? But what most holy?”

“I was about to point out that she's a wanted criminal with a substantial price on her head. In her wake she leaves chaos and death. She's only been in the city a few days and already several people have attempted to collect the reward. None of them have survived. I ask you all is this the sort of person that we want in the Royal City? The sort of person who should have access to the Beggar King himself?”
“Most holy mouth I can only agree with my revered teacher. She's not going out of her way to antagonize us and anyone who tries to claim a reward such as hers surely knows the price of failure already. In this matter we must follow her example”

“My student is right” the old priest said firmly “as emotional as ever, but right. We just leave her alone. No attacks, no sermons, just stay away and let it blow over”

The most holy mouth of the great crocodile looked around the room carefully before he answered “I'd like to do that very thing my brother. Just wave my hand and pretend that none of it ever happened but the fact remains that the insult to the church is something that can not be overlooked. An insul that Evelyn Esteele takes great pride in recounting and causing others to laugh at us and question our teachings. She influences everyone that hears her and if left unchecked she could easily be the catalyst that brings down the entire church”
“The entire church most holy? Clearly you overestimate her”
“Again priest Rig I remind you that your comments are out of order”
“And again I remind you that your own make no sense” Rig shook his head “It's obvious to everyone in this room that you've already made the decision concerning the woman. All you desire from this meeting is the justifiaction to act. I refuse to vote on this matter most holy” the large doors were already open by the time Rig and his supporters reached them “make of that what you will” he offered as a parting shot.

| ELSEWHERE:

[Scene: another meeting but not in the same place as before. This one is more urgent and goes at the end of Chapter 3 or at the start of Chapter 4.]

“Our next order of business, once again I might add, is the Esteele question”

“What is the Esteele question exactly?”

“Haven't you been listening to the pipers songs? She's managed to con her way into a place with the Kings own tinkers”
“Really. I hadn't heard of any Esteeles being appointed. The pipers I listen to told me her name was Oneeye”

“You know who I mean! And now shes a tinker to the king” the holy mouth stabbed his finger forward “We should do nothing you said! She'll be here and gone in a week you said! Care to explain yourself?”

Priest Rig didn't bother to look shamefaced “I don't see anything to worry about”
“You don't?”
“No I don't” Rig snapped “I really don't. She doesn't want to follow our teachings thats fine. Half the damned country is dead. The survivors are reaching out to us and we're just sitting on our hands while you pursue your vendetta against one woman? Holy mouth I demand to know where your priorities are” around the wide room there were the grumblings that may or may not have been support “I don't pretend to know the reasons why we were cursed with this but the fact of the matter is that our roads overflow with the bodies of the dead. The simple facts of the matter is that the holy crocodiles are stuffed full, the millers, pounders and inkers all report that they have no more room to handle the surplus. Perhaps we should take all this as a sign. Perhaps it is time to let our people in. Break open the Silver Mountain and feed the people as we feed upon them”
“Without the proper rituals?” the head priest sneered

“We can teach the people” Rig insisted “Show them that to take a person into yourself is to join them with the Holy Crocodile his own self”

| PRIEST RIG DEPARTS THE SILVER MOUNTAIN

[This takes place after Evelyn finds Tygens workbook.  Leonia reaches out to find someone and Priest Rig answers.  What does she want with him?  I suppose that he's just a means to an end but that isn't saying much because in Leonias opinion everyone is a means to an end.  This piece is now officially out of date but I'm keeping it around to show exactly how casual the cannibalism aspect has become.]

“Rig. Sit down” his master greeted him with cheer and poured the dark hearts blood personally rather than waiting for a servant “You're just in time for dinner”

The plates were passed around and he nibbled sparingly on ladies fingers coated in a particularly hot sauce while his old tutor piled his plate high with baby back ribs and choice cuts of meat.

“What news of your desmense?”

“Winter is hitting everyone hard” he admitted “between it and the war I wonder what will be left come the spring”

“You always did take everything to heart” the old priest said, delicately selected a larger one from the bowl “yet in the middle of all these happenings you are suddenly recalled back to the Silver Mountain”

Rig nodded cautiously “with no reason given either”he speared some passing sweet breads

“They need to spell out a reason? I thought I thought you better than that” the old priest swallowed down the pickled eyes, coughing a little at the bite of the brine

“What then have you heard?”

Their conversation was interrupted by the fiery ritual of the stomach. Rig noted that it was usually met with more respect than a gaggle of drunken priests

“What have I heard? Ah so many whispers surround this place and so many surround you. I may have heard something that indicated that the Grand Council, not being particularly pleased with your latest words, recalling you to Silver Mountain in order to rake you over the coals”

“My latest words? I've only been saying what people are thinking!”

“But you have been saying it. Where they have the sense to keep their mouths shut. From what I understand the council plan for you to be offered a small post where you may no longer be able to influence anyone”

“Look around! This ceremony was once a dignified and solemn event. We knew the lives and history of those we ate but for every priest now each meal is a banquet while everyone else in the country starves!”

“You overstate yourself. Nobody is starving”

“Its only a matter of time! What happened to us that we debauch ourselves like this?”

“You really need to ask? For whatever reason we were cursed with the turning and now our roads overflow with the bodies of the dead. The holy crocodiles are stuffed full, the millers,pounders and inkers are all reporting that they have no more room to handle the surplus. I've got three shifts of men stripping the bones for the birds but you know thats always a slow job and if we feed them too much we run the risk of one of the flock, or herd as it were, finding out about Silver Mountain and what goes on here”

“Perhaps this is a sign, perhaps it is time to let our people in. Break open the stores and feed the people as we feed upon them”

“Without the proper rituals?”

“We could teach them. Show them that to take someone into yourself is to join them with the Great Crocodile his own self”

The old priest shook his head “It wouldn't work” he proclaimed loudly “Embrace me and then leave my presence my student. I have nothing more to teach you”

The pair rose and clasped each other roughly

“I'm sorry to have disappointed you teacher”

“You've done nothing of the sort my boy” the teacher whispered into his ear “get out of the Silver Mountain. The council will hear of this outburst of yours and they will send men after you”

“But the summons”

“Others have talked like you. They've all been disapeered”

“Yes” Rig said in a daze 

“yes, I need to go east. All the way east”

“As good a direction as any my boy. I'll get a message to you when I can”

Rig moved off slowly shaking his head to remove the ringing from his ears [which is Leonias magic at work]

he thought it odd since he had only had a few sips of the Hearts Blood

He stopped as one of the prettier serving girls took a hesitant step forward “Do you really mean all that you said?” she asked

“I did. It is time that we opened our arms to our country and the world”

“Then I will follow you” she deposited her serving bowl on the large table and fell into step behind him

“The road will be difficult” he admitted “I'm heading east of here but beyond that I don't know which way to go”

“Does anyone?” her arm wrapped tightly around his own “it's the journey that matters and my name is Rachel”

Also note somewhere that a few priests have been run off at spear point when they were trying to collect fresh a fresh sacrifice. Rig takes this as a sign that the time for sacrifice has finished.

[nw: fix Rachels part at the end. She is basicly there to show that Rig is not the only person who feels the same way. Perhaps they shall be lovers? Uncertain as yet although it would seperate Rig and the Leonists from the Traditionals who, generally do not get married, or if they do then it is very much kept inside the church so as not to reveal the whole cannibilism thing]