1 cup of white vinegar
1 cup of olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons of Tones spicy spaghetti seasoning
Mix the ingredients in a suitable container and stir
vigorously. Let stand for at least 24 hours before using
to allow the seasoning to reconstitute and blend with
the oil and vinegar. For a little extra spiciness add a 1/4
(or less depending on your taste) teaspoon of red cayenne
pepper.
Alternately you can used Mrs Dash (your favorite) if you
don't have the spaghetti seasoning available.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Trade Secrets are nonsense
I imagine we have all heard the term "trade secret" at one
time or another but when you think about it, what is a
"trade secret" anyway? I am of the opinion that it is just an
excuse used by those who know how to do something to keep
others ignorant of some supposedly secret or special knowledge
that they think will make or break their business.
Personally, I consider it to be a load of crap. Knowledge is
worthless if only a few hold it. Just because someone knows
the how of something does not mean that they have the skills
or interest in learning the skills to take advantage of that
knowledge. So, I see no reason for "trade secrets". When I first
created this site I had the goal of eventually sharing as much of
my knowledge as possible publicly.
So far I've been making some head way in sharing some of
my own "trade secrets". Will sharing this knowledge hurt
my business? I honestly doubt it. Not everyone wants to
learn the tricks of turning raw materials into finished goods.
In fact I think knowing how one of my knives or pieces of
jewelry was created might actually give a person a greater
appreciation for the work that went into it's creation.
As an aside...
In fact I think I can safely say this about the newer project I
started with BSP. Some webmasters tend to think that if surfers
or even other webmasters know too much about how their
website works it will devalue it in their eyes somehow or that
someone will "steal" their ideas. I think I should say this now,
There are few if any new ideas on the internet anymore.
So the next time someone tells you something is a "trade secret",
ask yourself, Why?
time or another but when you think about it, what is a
"trade secret" anyway? I am of the opinion that it is just an
excuse used by those who know how to do something to keep
others ignorant of some supposedly secret or special knowledge
that they think will make or break their business.
Personally, I consider it to be a load of crap. Knowledge is
worthless if only a few hold it. Just because someone knows
the how of something does not mean that they have the skills
or interest in learning the skills to take advantage of that
knowledge. So, I see no reason for "trade secrets". When I first
created this site I had the goal of eventually sharing as much of
my knowledge as possible publicly.
So far I've been making some head way in sharing some of
my own "trade secrets". Will sharing this knowledge hurt
my business? I honestly doubt it. Not everyone wants to
learn the tricks of turning raw materials into finished goods.
In fact I think knowing how one of my knives or pieces of
jewelry was created might actually give a person a greater
appreciation for the work that went into it's creation.
As an aside...
In fact I think I can safely say this about the newer project I
started with BSP. Some webmasters tend to think that if surfers
or even other webmasters know too much about how their
website works it will devalue it in their eyes somehow or that
someone will "steal" their ideas. I think I should say this now,
There are few if any new ideas on the internet anymore.
So the next time someone tells you something is a "trade secret",
ask yourself, Why?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Random rant: unemployment, the media and just general bitching
Normally I try to make a blog entry that is something worth
reading but Nah, not today.
This is just a random and slightly pissed off rant today.
Someone's probably already said this and probably far more
eloquently than I ever could but here's my two cents worth
on a few subjects...
The media drives me nuts with their blow dried hair and
$10,000 + smiles when they start yapping about how
unemployment is up or down on any given day. All they are
quoting is how many people are drawing their
unemployment benefits!
Not how many people are stuck sitting around the house
or at some job center looking at some highly bored and employed
person telling them that either they are under qualified, over
qualified, or that no one is hiring. Period.
How about all the people that aren't drawing the benefits anymore?
Take a look at this from CNN (the irony is not lost on me here)...
Unemployment state by state
*sarcasm by the gallon*
Gee, that doesn't look too very bad does it? And that's just
the ones drawing their benefits right now. Like I said, what
about the poor (literally) bastards not drawing anything now?!?
And then they (the media talking heads) go on to quote the
latest figures on "new jobs" that have been created... They
don't bother to mention that most of these new jobs are flippin'
burgers at some fast food joint, bagging groceries, or playing greeter
at the newest Wal-Mart for just over minimum wage if they're lucky.
*sarcasm by the gallon*
Oh yeah, real career potential there!
You might be saying, But Shadow, they've got jobs at least.
HAH!
A job is something that you mostly hate but at least make
enough money at not to need to go to a food bank and ask
for a handout! Or worse ask for the whole $10 worth of food
stamps they'll allow you since that $8,999 a year you make is
$10 too much meaning you can supposedly afford food.
Meanwhile you get to stand next to a yuppie soccer mom sucking
down a cup of Starbucks latte yakking on her cell phone while
you try to decide if a can of SPAM is in your budget for the month!
And that's another thing I'm kinda pissed about...
I've seen at least two idjits floppin' their gums grinning like
loons on the tube remarking that SPAM sales are on the rise.
No, really? Ya think it might have something to do with the
general price of food that might make someone start buying it
now?!? or maybe it might be the next generation of head-for-the-hills
survivalists that used to be one of those soccer moms.
SPAM, everything-but-the-oink in a can. Well, I guess it's a step
above rationalizing chowing down on a can of Alpo...
Speaking of these new survivalists, Kids, you're taking it a
step too far. I can understand wanting to make a break from
your old spend, spend, spend lifestyle but going to the opposite
extreme is no better. Going from cell phones, TV, and the
internet to a wood burning stove, and reading by candle light,
and hiding in the woods is silly in the extreme. Survival doesn't
mean living like Grizzly Adams.
And now for the political aspect of my ranting...
To all 2008 presidential candidates and their supporters,
Shut up for a change, please. Most of us are sick and tired
of hearing and reading about your newest scandals and half
baked shit stirring comments. We don't particularly care what
church you go to and we don't really care if you go out and
pretend to be like the "common" people and drink beer and
munch pizza. The only decent candidates are about 200 years
in the grave and none of you currently running can change that.
Ok, I'm done for now.
what, you think there's more?!?
Sheesh.. Give 'em a paragraph and they expect a book...
reading but Nah, not today.
This is just a random and slightly pissed off rant today.
Someone's probably already said this and probably far more
eloquently than I ever could but here's my two cents worth
on a few subjects...
The media drives me nuts with their blow dried hair and
$10,000 + smiles when they start yapping about how
unemployment is up or down on any given day. All they are
quoting is how many people are drawing their
unemployment benefits!
Not how many people are stuck sitting around the house
or at some job center looking at some highly bored and employed
person telling them that either they are under qualified, over
qualified, or that no one is hiring. Period.
How about all the people that aren't drawing the benefits anymore?
Take a look at this from CNN (the irony is not lost on me here)...
Unemployment state by state
*sarcasm by the gallon*
Gee, that doesn't look too very bad does it? And that's just
the ones drawing their benefits right now. Like I said, what
about the poor (literally) bastards not drawing anything now?!?
And then they (the media talking heads) go on to quote the
latest figures on "new jobs" that have been created... They
don't bother to mention that most of these new jobs are flippin'
burgers at some fast food joint, bagging groceries, or playing greeter
at the newest Wal-Mart for just over minimum wage if they're lucky.
*sarcasm by the gallon*
Oh yeah, real career potential there!
You might be saying, But Shadow, they've got jobs at least.
HAH!
A job is something that you mostly hate but at least make
enough money at not to need to go to a food bank and ask
for a handout! Or worse ask for the whole $10 worth of food
stamps they'll allow you since that $8,999 a year you make is
$10 too much meaning you can supposedly afford food.
Meanwhile you get to stand next to a yuppie soccer mom sucking
down a cup of Starbucks latte yakking on her cell phone while
you try to decide if a can of SPAM is in your budget for the month!
And that's another thing I'm kinda pissed about...
I've seen at least two idjits floppin' their gums grinning like
loons on the tube remarking that SPAM sales are on the rise.
No, really? Ya think it might have something to do with the
general price of food that might make someone start buying it
now?!? or maybe it might be the next generation of head-for-the-hills
survivalists that used to be one of those soccer moms.
SPAM, everything-but-the-oink in a can. Well, I guess it's a step
above rationalizing chowing down on a can of Alpo...
Speaking of these new survivalists, Kids, you're taking it a
step too far. I can understand wanting to make a break from
your old spend, spend, spend lifestyle but going to the opposite
extreme is no better. Going from cell phones, TV, and the
internet to a wood burning stove, and reading by candle light,
and hiding in the woods is silly in the extreme. Survival doesn't
mean living like Grizzly Adams.
And now for the political aspect of my ranting...
To all 2008 presidential candidates and their supporters,
Shut up for a change, please. Most of us are sick and tired
of hearing and reading about your newest scandals and half
baked shit stirring comments. We don't particularly care what
church you go to and we don't really care if you go out and
pretend to be like the "common" people and drink beer and
munch pizza. The only decent candidates are about 200 years
in the grave and none of you currently running can change that.
Ok, I'm done for now.
what, you think there's more?!?
Sheesh.. Give 'em a paragraph and they expect a book...
The Darkness
I sit in the semi-dark
I gaze at the pre-dawn light
not seeing it's glow
My vision is filled with
a darkness I can not ignore
A darkness that spreads
across the world engulfing
all in it's path
I see an evil more evil
than evil it is old
as time itself
I am filled with dread
so deep so dark so cold
This is Evil incarnate
blacker than the darkest
night ever known
It makes me cold
cold to my heart
I feel a deep dread
I feel in my hands
my blades heavy and cold
My gaze falls upon them
Their blades gleam
in the pre-dawn light
This Evil I will fight!
I will drive back the night!
Even if I must fight it alone.
I gaze at the pre-dawn light
not seeing it's glow
My vision is filled with
a darkness I can not ignore
A darkness that spreads
across the world engulfing
all in it's path
I see an evil more evil
than evil it is old
as time itself
I am filled with dread
so deep so dark so cold
This is Evil incarnate
blacker than the darkest
night ever known
It makes me cold
cold to my heart
I feel a deep dread
I feel in my hands
my blades heavy and cold
My gaze falls upon them
Their blades gleam
in the pre-dawn light
This Evil I will fight!
I will drive back the night!
Even if I must fight it alone.
Larceny
They stole into the night
larceny on their minds
murder in their hearts
From shadow to shadow
deep within the night
to take their plunder
then their flight
The sentries stood tall
they stood proud on
this moonless night
From the darkness it came
no warning no hue no cry
cold steel found warm flesh
so swift so silent so final
Red handed they plundered
the wealth of a king
the fortune of a life
Into the darkness they fled
their spoils to divide
unheard unseen one did survive
a sentry ashen and ashamed
His dead comrades did he bury
rage in his heart
an oath on his lips
Revenge shall be mine!
larceny on their minds
murder in their hearts
From shadow to shadow
deep within the night
to take their plunder
then their flight
The sentries stood tall
they stood proud on
this moonless night
From the darkness it came
no warning no hue no cry
cold steel found warm flesh
so swift so silent so final
Red handed they plundered
the wealth of a king
the fortune of a life
Into the darkness they fled
their spoils to divide
unheard unseen one did survive
a sentry ashen and ashamed
His dead comrades did he bury
rage in his heart
an oath on his lips
Revenge shall be mine!
Feed not the troll
Feed not the troll
for nourished is he
that feeds upon your
spleen when you give
vent to your frustration.
So said to me by the great sage and madman on
one cold winter eve.....
Of course he also said:
UHHHBooogieBooogieWoooogieBoooogieBoooogieBoooo!
That one I have yet to decipher the meaning of..
for nourished is he
that feeds upon your
spleen when you give
vent to your frustration.
So said to me by the great sage and madman on
one cold winter eve.....
Of course he also said:
UHHHBooogieBooogieWoooogieBoooogieBoooogieBoooo!
That one I have yet to decipher the meaning of..
BETRAYAL!
BETRAYAL!
by a coward!
by a knave!
BETRAYAL!
a breast of alabaster
astain with crimson
BETRAYAL!
a beguiled pawns dagger
stealing in the night
BETRAYAL!
a house asunder
a clan slain
BETRAYAL!
a battle lost
a war begun
by a coward!
by a knave!
BETRAYAL!
a breast of alabaster
astain with crimson
BETRAYAL!
a beguiled pawns dagger
stealing in the night
BETRAYAL!
a house asunder
a clan slain
BETRAYAL!
a battle lost
a war begun
A Knight Disgraced
a knight disgraced
my armor tarnished
my sword broken
my friends failed
my honor stained
my heart burdened
when pettiness came
a scoundrel's deceit
stolen in the night
all that was dear
return dawn's light
show to me the
thief of my light
but to reclaim that
which was mine from
this rogue in night
faith must be reclaimed!
my armor tarnished
my sword broken
my friends failed
my honor stained
my heart burdened
when pettiness came
a scoundrel's deceit
stolen in the night
all that was dear
return dawn's light
show to me the
thief of my light
but to reclaim that
which was mine from
this rogue in night
faith must be reclaimed!
Monday, June 2, 2008
A fine display of hypocrisy
Early this morning I caught a spot on the local TV news out of
Memphis regarding an ongoing problem with their “adult oriented
businesses” (Read: topless bars).
Here are two links to stories on the subject, I’ll add more later
as they become available.
County Calls For Stricter Laws On Strip Clubs
Norm Brewer Commentary: December 5, 2007
Now my complaint here is the hypocrisy involved in it. They
claim they don’t want the strip clubs and related crime problems.
However, they do want the revenue generated from the sales of
beer in the clubs.
Excuse me?! You want money from people, mostly men, sitting
around slurping beer watching women wearing goofy outfits strip
naked but you aren’t prepared to deal with the problems their
drunken behavior causes?!
WTF?
Memphis has always struck me as a city that is highly confused
as to what it wants to be when it grows up. They claim they want
to keep the small town friendliness attitude and retain their
Christian morals and values. Yet at the same time they want to be
a big city on par with L.A. or New York. I’m sorry but it doesn’t work
that way. Whenever you have a big city’s benefits you are going to
have it’s related problems.
With strip clubs those problems will be, by default, prostitution,
drugs, and horny drunks. Which would rather leave you a choice to
make. Refuse to allow such clubs and look for revenue elsewhere or
get your hands dirty and deal with the problems your greed caused.
Manufactured vs handmade (What two little boys taught me)
I don’t know how many people are aware of the little fact
that on weekends I set up a little table in town to make a
few sales and socialize a bit. Most of the time it is more an
excuse to get out of the house for a few hours than an attempt
at selling anything. 
Sometimes it can be just a quiet boring
day and sometimes it can be a busy profitable one. I’ll admit
that there are times when dealing the public can drive me batty,
there’s always someone that thinks haggling is the fine art of giving
an insult in the attempt to get a better deal. And it also gives
me a chance to see how a lot of people see the world around them.
One Saturday morning a few weeks ago I had my table set
up and was relaxing in my beat up old camper’s chair when
a pair of little boys rolled up on their bikes. We chatted and they
asked questions about the knives and other little oddities I keep
on the table. One of them asked how much for this one little knife…
The look on their faces when I told them fifteen dollars was
both funny and a little irksome. I made it so I know how much
work was involved. They didn’t. That was when it occurred to
me why so many people never do understand why a hand crafted
item cost so much more than the stuff they pick up at Wal-Mart
or some other modern store.
People have gotten used to paying a much smaller price for
their goods without realizing why those goods cost so relatively
little. In a manufacturing plant the items are produced by mass
production, and all of them look and feel pretty much the same.
Hand made items can only be created one at a time and while
you may be able to make two similar items they will still both
be utterly unique.
The other thing is quality, there are high quality mass produced
items but there is also a lot of mass produced junk floating around
the market place as well. I won’t say that there aren’t poorly made
hand made items, there are. When I first started learning to make
knives I made a few stinkers but they are things I keep to remind
myself how to not make a knife. On occasion I’ll still screw one up
but those don’t leave my shop unless it is going to end up being used
to weed the garden.
But I digress…
Most hand crafted items are usually higher quality than a lot of
factory made items. Which is usually better, an apple pie fresh
out of the store freezer or one that was fresh made by a good cook?
(betcha never thought of an apple pie as hand crafted before! lol)
At any rate, my point is that with mass produced items, the
people making them don’t really care that much about an
individual item on the production line, One of humpteen thousand
usually. With a hand made item, the person making it takes
greater care with each item made and more actual time in making it.
New and improved, My butt! (literally)
And now a break from the normally serious tone into the
realms of an Al Bundy-esque rant…
There is one thing that most people in the Western world
are familiar with and use daily, or nearly so. Toilet paper.
Yes, I said toilet paper.
A far cry from the Sears and Roebuck catalog of old and
far less rough than a corn cob of even older times.
(Unless you buy that cheap generic stuff.)
At any rate we had a pack sitting on the top shelf for a while
that kind of got pushed back every month as new TP was
bought to replace used TP. One month I noticed that they
came out with new packaging proclaiming “New and Improved!”
but I noticed a distinct difference once the new was set near the old.
Their improvements appeared to be a change of color on the
packaging and making the text bi-lingual, English and Spanish.
What, no French?!? The Canadians engaged in a TP boycott or
something?!? Did they decide that snow was a better substitute?!?
But(t) I digress…
The other improvements were to make the rolls smaller as
well as shorter. Ok, since when is less merchandise for the
same price an improvement? Oh, that’s right, the improvement
is their cash flow! I guess customer satisfaction got flushed
on this particular business decision.
To the left the “New and Improved and the the right the Old and Unimproved version
And yes, I have the dimensions (as opposed to dementia)
of both the old and new.
Old and Unimproved packs Dimensions:
12 Rolls, 198 2-ply sheets per roll, 297 Sq Ft,
4.5 x 4.0 inches per sheet
New and Improved packs Dimensions:
12 Rolls, 176 2-ply sheets per roll, 250.5 Sq Ft,
4.27 x 4.0 inches per sheet
I could go on but… Aww, just flush it!
Intent
His hand moved with an ancient grace as the old man penned
an entry into the tome that served as his journal. He no longer
had to think about what he was doing it was, to him, just another
entry of his days activities and a few personal complaints regarding
matters the annoyed him to no end. He glanced out the window to see
the sun setting. Most would consider the view breathtaking. To him,
it was the same view he had seen since the tower had been completed
seventy years past. He still enjoyed the view but after all of this time
it was of little comfort to him.
He knew what was on the horizon.
He shook his head and looked back at the tome. Reading his
most recent entry back to himself, he nodded satisfied. With
a long practiced move he slipped the quill pen back into it's
stand and took up his pipe. Sitting back he looked again out the
window and snapped his fingers and bright blue flame appeared
from his thumb. Lighting his pipe and dismissing the flame he rose
from his seat and moved to the window.
"Drats and bebothered", he grumbled. "An old man can't even
smoke in peace any longer!" He moved from the window with
his pipe clamped firmly in his mouth and moved to the chambers
doorway stopping only long enough to take up his ancient staff.
It wasn't for support , it was a weapon of no small power in his
hands. He exited the chamber muttering under his breath as he
moved down the hallway to the stairs. One hand gesturing with
practiced ease finishing with a sharp move that created a dim nimbus
around him. He moved down the stairs with the speed and ease that
belied his aged and was soon standing on the first floor moving steadily
toward the sole doorway to the outside.
He practically ripped the door from it's hinges as he tore it
open stomping outside to meet the rider he had seen far above
in his study. A much younger man had been riding fast and hard
for several hours to get here he started at the old man's sudden
appearance from the tower. Pulling his horse up short he dismounted
quickly and approached the old man. "Sir, It is time!", he exclaimed
breathing almost as hard as his mount. "Calm yourself boy!" The older
man admonished, "If they haven't arrived yet we have time for you to
catch your breath." "When I left the city we could see the dust from their
march!" "They couldn't have been more than a fifty miles away and it
took me at least three hours to get here, we must hurry!"
The old man sighed gently and puffed pointedly on his pipe.
"Lad, if they are on foot and that far away, we have plenty of
time to get back and tend to them." He snapped his fingers and
another larger doorway appeared on the tower's wall."Stable your
horse, we won't be needing it for the return trip." The younger man's
eyes widened at the sight of a doorway 'just' appearing from thin air.
He didn't understand the old man's art and was somewhat fearful.
And the notion of what the old man was suggesting disturbed him
more than a little. "Don't you have any other horses we could use?",
he queried. Rolling his eyes slightly the old man pulled the pipe from
his mouth, "No, I haven't ridden a horse in ages. Now quit acting like
a child afraid of the dark." "This will not have been the first time you
have seen magic in play.", He knew the city was home to other magi
and surely the boy had seen magic before. The younger man stiffened
somewhat, "Sir, I neve.." The old man cut him off with a gesture.
"Weren't you the one in a hurry a moment ago?", he asked. The young
man stammered and the old man again cut him short. "I have practiced
my art longer than your father has lived, boy, have some faith!" The
younger man couldn't really argue since he knew the need for haste
was greater than his own discomfort. (It didn't mean he had to like the
idea though!)
The aging wizard reached into a pocket and pulled out a disk
of polished quartz and tossed it into the air. "Let's see what
our 'friends' are up to.", he said. The disk stopped midway in
it's fall and began to glow gently. An image formed above it.
The horde had made quite a bit of progress since the young man
had set out. No more the twenty miles from the city walls. "Oh my
gods, How could they have gotten that far in only three hours?!",
the boy cried out. "Look at them, they seem to just shamble!". The
old man grimaced at what he saw. He knew this foe all too well.
Fifty years before they had first appeared ravaging the world.
No one knew where they had originated and it was doubtful any
would ever know for sure but a few like the old man had seen
them as more than a passing problem early on. Kingdom after
kingdon had been attacked by them. No matter what forces were
arrayed against them their numbers only grew. These were not
men, they were not alive. They had once been alive but now some
unknown force motivated them. These horrors were undead. Several
prominent sages had been consulted and none could explain them.
The more "common" undead were fairly straightforward in their
nature. Priests of the darker deities would reanimate bodies as well as
a few mad magi seeking power beyond mortal understanding. These
though were something different. No magic animated them. By
magical standards there was no logical reason for them to exist.
Their existence was like a disease. A highly contagious disease at that.
Soldiers sent against them had reported seeing their fellows merely
scratched by one of the things and within minutes turn against his
former friends and allies, a rotting, shambling horror. Worse still, they
bore an intelligence akin to the living. They didn't speak or communicate
their intent but they generally made their desires know. They seemed
to exist only to kill, destroy, and pass on their "disease".
The aging wizard had his suspicions about their origins but
in the time he had studied them he had still drawn no decisive
conclusion. Thirty years earlier he and other magi from the city
had created a magical wall to forestall what they all knew to be
inevitable. Finally the wall had failed and the hour was at hand.
The great city was not the last bastion of humanity though. Other
cities and towns had managed to survive The Horde. Every day
was a struggle for many but life went on as well as could be expected
under the endless threat of attack by a foe that needed no food and
had no need for sleep.
He spoke a word and the image vanished and the disk fell to
his waiting hand. "Come along, lad.", motioning the younger
man to follow him. He slipped the disk thoughtfully into his
pocket and slipped his pipe into another. Holding the gnarled
old staff he spoke a command and a circle of light appeared before
him. The circle swirled and twisted until it formed a ten foot tall
disk of silvery light. The younger man looked doubtfully at the portal.
He disliked the idea of stepping through that thing. He had travel
magically only once before and it had left him quite ill afterward.
Sighing and gritting his teeth he said, "After you sir, I insist.". The
older man smirked at his obvious discomfort. " No no, after you, I
have to stay here to maintain the gateway." Looking more than a
little green at the gills the younger man stepped into the silvery
portal. "I'm glad I missed dinner now.", he mumbled.
The portal appeared in a flash of light to the sound of a small
thunder clap. People scattered at it's appearance not knowing
what was about to happen. Their surprise gave way to curiosity
as a young man stepped through the surface into their midst soon
followed by the old man carrying his staff. The portal faded then
and people breathed a sigh of relief when they realized who had
come. At that moment the old man recalled something, "You did
stable your horse, no?", he teased. Looking slightly sick and taken
aback the younger man stammered for a moment, "No matter, my
stable hands will tend to the beast.", he assured him. Looking confused
it took a moment for the young man to realize what kind of stable
hands the wizard likely had as he lived alone in his tower.
Around the corner there came the rattling of arms and armor
as the watch ran to investigate the sudden unexpected disturbance.
At the head of the patrol ran a man most would have called too old
for such duties but he outpaced his younger charges with ease. He
pulled up short when he saw the source of the disturbance. "Must
you always make such a grand entrance when you come to town you
old fool?!", he bellowed in mock outrage. "Put your weapons away boys,
no need to dull them on his hard head... today!", he taunted his old
friend. "I hadn't expected you back so soon, Jerrad but none the less
we can use all the help we can get. This is going to be a long night I fear."
The younger man looked up from queasiness at the sound of his name,
"Yes, sir, I pushed the horse as hard as I dared.", he said. During this
exchange the older man reached into his pocket and extracted his pipe
again and puffed on it slowly and thoughtfully until he was sure he had
their attention. (The fact a rainbow of colors appeared in the smoke
rather helped to draw most peoples attention.) "How far away is The Horde
from the city, Wallace?", he asked the watch commander. Wallace
looked at the west wall looking for one particular man holding a banner
with the range on it. "Unless my eyes have finally gone, they are still
a good fifteen miles out." He gazed at the sky and saw it was finally
twilight soon it would be night, their time.
"Have they already called everyone inside the walls yet?"
The old man asked. "Yes, as soon as the rangers spotted the
unholy bastards after they broke through the barrier they sent
word." "All but a handful have made it to safety, now we had best
get you to tower of wizardry before Allister has a fit." He lead the
way to the tall slender needle of a tower that served as a central
meeting place for the magi of the city and surrounding area. "Jerrad,
I want you to stay with him in case he needs any help.", Wallace
directed the younger man. "But sir, don't you need as many men
as you can get to man the walls?" Jerrad asked, hoping to avoid
any more magic today. Fighting an undead horde seemed far
preferable to going into the tower to him. Wallace looked at the
young man oddly for a moment before replying, "Not right now
and besides we have plans to stop them before they get to the walls."
"Now get moving before I smack you myself!", He rested a hand
lightly on the handle of his silver warhammer. "Thor be with you
old friend.", He said to the old man in parting as he lead his men to
the wall in preparation for the battle to come.
The old man called after the watch commander, "Wallace, try
not to catch an arrow in the backside this time!", Upon hearing
this the warrior priest stopped dead in his tracks unable to walk
for the laughing fit that had overcome him. The old man sniggered
not at his old friend but the looks on his charges faces. "Come on,
lad, we have a meeting to attend." Jerrad looked at the tower and
sighed. "Yes, Sir." He followed the old man into the tower reluctantly
but steadily, his commander had ordered it and he would follow his
orders to the letter even if he'd rather be elsewhere just now.
In the tower's uppermost floor a group of magi and apprentices
carried out preparations for the long night to come. One in
particular, an older wizard in a brilliant golden robe look out the
western window studying the fast approaching horde with great
interest through a brass telescope normally used for studying the
stars late at night. Allister didn't like what he saw. Not all did he like it.
Rotting shambling corpses moved across the distance with a speed
that was as unnatural as their state was. He pulled back from the
telescope to rub his tired eyes when he heard his name called from
behind. "Allister, how does it look so far?", the older man asked.
With a sigh Allister gestured toward the telescope, "Have a look for
yourself Merridus.", Merridus walked to the telescope and peered
out at the oncoming horde.
He stood there for several minutes taking advantage of what
little light was left, of which there was precious little, He stood
straight for a moment, "What the Hells?!", he exclaimed.
Something at the very back of the horde had caught his eye but
he could make out no real detail. Allister looked at him and asked,
"What? What did you see?" The old man looked at Allister and ponder
his answer for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure but I saw one at the
very back moving differently from the rest.". "It moved with the
smoothness and grace of the living!", Allister looked taken aback at
this. He didn't think to question what Merridus had seen, even with
the fading light he knew the old man's eyesight was probably better
than his own. "A new kind mayhap?", he asked. Merridus pondered
this notion for a moment, "I am not sure but I think what I saw may
be what we have suspected for some time now.". "A living master of
The Horde.", he stated.
Jerrad was paying only scant attention to the old wizards,
this place always awed him. What he could never understand
is how this room at the very top of the needle thin spire could
be so huge, probably bigger than the first floor was! He still thought
to himself, could facing walking rotting corpses be any worse than
this place? He sighed. "You look worried warrior.", he heard a female
voice from behind him. He started a bit as he turned around to face
the young woman addressing him. He began to speak but his words
caught in his throat. She was beautiful! She stood several inches shorter
than Jerrad and had to look up to see him. Extending her hand in
greeting, "I'm Jennyth, apprentice to mistress Elwenn the Grey."
She smiled at the young mans obvious discomfort. He took her
proffered hand in greeting and managed to stammer out, "I-I-I'm
Watch of jer... Errr.. Jerrad of the watch." He flushed a wonderful
shade of red in embarrassment at his own awkwardness.
"Jennyth, I need your assistance here.", called an older woman
presumably her teacher. "A pleasure meeting you, Jerrad.", Jennyth
said as she made her way to aid her teacher. He smiled and waved
farewell. Well, maybe the tower wasn't so bad after all as he watched
her walk away. "Boy, you'd best watch yourself in here, she might
decide to keep you as pet toad if you misbehave and I don't mean the
girl." he heard from behind him. What was with the wizards sneaking
behind me, he thought to himself a bit dryly. When he turned to look
at the old man addressing he saw that he had produced the crystal disk
again. "Time to see if we can get some useful answers now that I know
what to look for!", he exclaimed.
Flipping the disk into the air as he had outside his tower the
old man waited for the disk to reach the right point before
speaking the command word. It stopped perfectly at five feet
off the stone floor and began to glow softly. A new image formed
as Merridus focused on what he had seen earlier through the telescope.
A figure walking with a steady purposeful stride followed the wake
of the oncoming horde. Allister approached the old man's scrying device.
"Do you recognize him?", he asked. Merridus studied the figure, dressed
head to foot in polished black armor and a flowing cloak, he couldn't see
the figures face since it was wearing a heavy helmet. He shook his head
in answer to Allister's question, "No but there is something... odd here."
Something about the figure seemed strangely familiar to him but he
couldn't say what just yet.
Suddenly the figured stopped in it's tracks and turned until
it was facing them. A look of shock crossed the old man's face.
No one was supposed to be able to sense his crystal disk's scrying!
The dark figure raised a gloved hand and clenched it into a fist.
Merridus noticed his disk was wavering in the air. His eyebrows
shot up and he cried out, "Everyone, down now!". Jerrad still
pondering the sway of Jennyth's hips as she moved didn't hear him
nor did he see the old man's mad dash as he ran to knock him the
floor. The disk flared with a brilliance that lit the room as bright
as day before exploding sending razor sharp shards around the room.
More than a little shaken the magi collected in the room looked
about to ensure that no one was seriously injured from the
explosion and resultant shards. One younger apprentice at the far
side of the room had been struck in the shoulder by one of the
deadly missiles. He lay there screaming in pain as one wizard
reached him to give aid to the wounded youth. "Easy, son, try to
be still and let me examine the wound,", he said in an effort to calm
the apprentice. "Someone fetch my bag!", he yelled. His bag was brought
to him quickly enough and he proceeded to treat the boy's injury.
Allister rose from the floor looking more angry than rattled,
"Merridus, are you alright?", he said a bit more sharply than
he intended. The old man rose giving Jerrad a pat on the shoulder
after he saw the younger man was uninjured save for be shaken.
"Yes, Allister, I'll be fine but I can show you one person that is
going to regret doing that.", he said in a deathly calm.
In the fields outside the city the dark figure stood laughing
mockingly. The night had finally come in full. His minions
shambled onward toward the last city untouched by them. The
figure held up a small crystal sphere and gazed into it's depths for
a moment. The city's defenders had already taken the field planning
to met The Horde and stop them before they reached the walls. The
defenders were at least half a mile from the safety of the city walls
and their numbers were much smaller than that of The Horde. One
to his ten, the dark figure laughed yet again, even if their feeble magi
were fielded his minions would overwhelm them and take the city
long before the sun rose. He lifted the sphere to his face and spoke,
"Merrrrridusssss, hear me old fool,", he taunted "Come out and play
old one, it is time for you to die. You will serve me as my personal
minion!", he lowered the sphere and walked with purposeful strides
toward the city.
"..for you to die. You will serve me as my personal minion!", the
apparition exclaimed in the tower's uppermost room. With a gust
of wind the image vanished. If the old man had looked enraged
before he now looked like he could rip the dark figure limb from
limb with nothing but his bare hands. Jerrad looked as pale as a
sheet, "S-S-Sir, who or what was that?", he asked in a terrified tone.
The old man took a deep calming breath and reached into his pocket
for his pipe. Drawing smoke from the pipe his demeanor seemed the
change from enraged to calm again ina matter of moments. He stood
there thinking, so you know my name do you? That voice, something
about it was familiar. He furrowed his eyebrows deep in thought.
Allister was busy getting the other magi ready to enter the battle.
He entered a circle in the center of the room and called the others to
him. He looked over at the old man, "Merridus? Will you be coming
with us through the circle?", he asked the old man. Merridus looked
up from his contemplations, "No, Allister, I have been sent a personal
invitation. I'll be meeting him directly.", he said calmly. Allister looked
concerned now, he knew what the old man had in mind now. And he
didn't like the idea of Merridus meeting that thing on it's own terms.
He also knew that the old man's mind was made up.
All but the injured apprentice and a handful of novices had
used the circle to teleport to the battle field. The old man
looked at Jerrad and asked, "Will you be going to the wall, lad?".
Jerrad thought for a moment, the watch commander had ordered
him to stay with the old man but gave no orders beyond that.
He was young, only twenty-two, and inexperienced in what to
do in an unexpected situation. "The commander told me to stay
with you in case you needed help, Sir. I don't want to met that thing
face to face but if you need me and I am not there...", he said with
uncertainty. The old man smiled kindly and sighed. "Come along
young Jerrad, we have an army of horrors and it's master to defeat
this night!".
A flash of light appeared in the fields behind the advancing
army of undead, the old man and his young charge looked
around carefully to ensure they hadn't popped in on a rear guard
of undead. Jerrad looked up into the night sky. Overcast, he thought
sourly, just great, now we will have to be on top of them before we
will even see them! He didn't stop to consider that the monsters
ahead of them while intelligent weren't the greatest minds in the
world. Only their master would know to be on the look out for his
"guests" arrival. Far ahead they could see flashes of light from the
city forces fighting The Horde's relentless advance.
The catapults on the walls were loaded with blobs of tar and
casks of oil waiting for what they hoped didn't happen. Men
watched the battle on the field with great anticipation and more
than a little anxiety. The walls didn't have all of the catapults
though, ten of them had been rolled out with the defenders to help,
"give their visitors a warm reception", as Wallace had told one of
his subordinates. As soon as The Horde had gotten within range
of the catapults they began sending out their "gifts" of flaming tar
and burning oil casks. The first few shots fell a few yards short but
that didn't matter the shambling corpses just marched through the
burning areas with little concern. Even flaming and "dying" they
marched on. The defenders stared in stark amazement at the sight
of the advancing army marching on aflame. After a short while they
would finally drop and not rise again thankfully. The catapult's loads
began to take a real toll the closer they got, entire swaths of the things
were covered in flames and fell within moments but The Horde marched
on.
Wallace paced back and forth waiting for the things to get
close enough for his archers to do their work. He would stop
and look every so often until he finally stopped and grinned
wolfishly. "Archers, ready you weapons and take aim!", he bellowed.
A few more steps, he thought. Raising his arm, "Loose!", he yelled. The
first volley of arrows tore into the first rank of foes. "Shoot at will!",
he ordered. Arrows launched into the oncoming army in well
ordered volleys, Wallace's men were well trained and some of the finest
archers anyone could ask for. The arrows weren't as effective as the
flaming tar and oil but they took their toll on the undead horrors.
Creature after creature dropped more often than not with multiple
arrows protruding from it's body. The watch commander noticed that
the ones that had caught arrows to the head dropped faster than others.
"Hmmm...", he looked to the nearest of his archers and said, "Harold,
try for a head shot on that one.", pointing at one wearing a red cloak.
Harold was almost as old as his CO and smiled, "Yes, Sir." He drew a
bead on the creature and loosed an arrow perfectly into it's left eye. It
fell dead with no other wound. Wallace grinned grimly, "Take aim for
their heads! They'll fall with one shot!", he commanded. The archers
quickly complied with the order and shifted their aims. More than a
few arrows missed their intended targets and struck creatures behind
them but the arrows that struck true killed their targets instantly.
The city's magi were fared almost as well as the watch did.
Bolts of lightening, balls of fire, bolts of pure magical energy hit
the oncoming army and tore into their ranks to great effect.
Allister pointed a slender wand at a section of the army and unleashed
a beam of green energy that vaporized at least a dozen with one hit.
He paused for a moment to consider the odds. There had to have
been at least ten thousand and between the catapults, the archers,
and the magic being thrown at the things , they might have destroyed
a thousand so far. How long could they keep it up? Could they stop
The Horde before it got to the walls? He glanced up into the night
sky trying to spot one of the other magi who had an idea about a shower
of magical acid on the oncoming horde. He couldn't spot them where
ever they were but he could see the effect of their spell, a section of
"zombies", for that is what he started calling them for want of a better
name, began to melt and bubble from the acidic "rain" that fell on
them. He took aim again and vaporized another dozen.
This was going to be a long night...
The old man and Jerrad stalked quietly after the advancing
horde seeking it's master. Then it happened. A ball of light
appeared suspended in the air twenty feet up, directly over the
dark figure. It bowed deeply, "Weeellcome to my parlor, Merrrridussss.",
it greeted. It stood at seven feet tall, Jerrad's mouth went dry
as he reached for his short sword and dagger. The figure raised it's
hand and shook it's finger at the boy. "Naughty naughty.", it taunted and
a group of his minions came into view. "Kill the boy, the old man is mine!",
it commanded. They shambled toward Jerrad and he felt a hand tap him
on the shoulder followed by what could only be described as something
akin to an electrical surge through his body. "A protection to aid you, lad."
, he heard the old man say.
The dark figure drew forth a sword of dark energy and raised
it in salute. "Make peace with your gods, old one, today you met
them.", The figure walked toward the old man with a menacing
determination intended to unnerve his opponent. The old man
tapped his staff against the ground gently and it stood there freely,
he removed his cloak and casually hung it over the staff as if he
fought battles like this in his spare time. He reached to his own
belt and drew a sword himself. Where the dark figure drew a
weapon of dark energy, this was an archaic blade of damascus steel.
He spoke a word and the blade began to glow with a strange colorless
radiance.
The dark one stopped dead in it's tracks at this sight. "You
still wield the Sword of the Damned, I see. It will not help you
here, fool!" The swords name was something of a misnomer, it
had once been carried by a holy knight a thousand years past. It
was related to the damned but not in the way the name might
imply, it's sole purpose was to free to souls of the damned from
their torment. "We shall see.", the old man said flatly. "Now remove
your helmet so I might see your eyes, if you aren't the coward you
seem.", he taunted the dark figure. "As you wish, old man.", Reaching
up one hand the figure slipped the helm from it's head and dropped it
to the ground at his feet. A mane of curly golden red hair hung limply
from a deaths head of rotting flesh. "You don't look overly surprised,
Merridus.", the figure commented. The old man looked at the figure
with sadness rather than disgust or shock. All he could get out
was one word, "Arnus."
Some sixty years ago Merridus had had a young apprentice
named Arnus. A promising youth with a great understanding
of magic and a keen interest in a alchemy. He had been more
than just an apprentice to Merridus, he had been like a son to
him but as Arnus' power grew something changed in him. The
old man had seen it happen before, some people couldn't control
the influences the art had on their minds and even their souls.
Arnus began acting secretively about some line of research he had
undertaken in his own time. For some reason he had become
obsessed with immortality and went to great lengths to attain it.
Lengths that Merridus could not condone. One night he had intended
to confront Arnus about his secret research demanding to know what
he was doing. He had barged into the small laboratory his student had
used and was overcome with the horrors that the chamber held. Parts
of freshly killed people, plants that were highly toxic and a tome that
he recognized as being a treatise on lichdom. Then he saw his student
across the room. A cold dead stare gazed out from under the hood of
his robe. They fought bitterly until Arnus, almost defeated, fled using
magic. Merridus had sought the aid of Wallace to lay the murdered to
rest and destroyed the research materials.
Now here he stood before him. Holding a blade of evil seeking
to destroy a city full of innocents with an army of the undead.
The old man raised his sword in salute.
Jerrad found himself hard pressed by a dozen rotting horrors.
Slash, stab, retreat. Slash, stab, retreat. He fell into a rhythm as
he had been trained to do. His sword struck one across the throat
half severing it's head and the creature fell. He spared a glance at
the old man and dark one. The old man wielded his blade with surprising
skill and ease. But Jerrad had his own problems at the moment.
Eleven of them to be precise. One of them tried to claw him with a
rotten hand but just before it's hand could make contact an arc of
electrical energy shot forth from Jerrad and struck the creature dead
with enough power to throw it's body twenty feet, the smoking husk
crumbled to dust on impact. Maybe I'll walk away from this alive yet,
Jerrad thought to himself with renewed hope. A voice sounded in his
mind, Don't get cocky, lad, that spell won't last all night. He shot a
quick glance at the old man who had locked hilts with the dark one.
Sweat covered the old man's face from his exertions and his opponent
wasn't showing any sign of relenting.
Then disaster struck.
In his moment of distraction sending the mental message to
Jerrad, Merridus lost a seconds concentration in his fight. Arnus
sensed his distraction and took advantage of it. Send his knee
into the old man's belly he knocked the air from his lungs and sent
him sprawling and his weapon flying from his grasp. A cry of victory
filled the night air as Arnus brought his dark blade down into the
stomach of the old man pinning him to the ground. Jerrad saw this
and screamed, "Noooo!", he redoubled his fights intensity knocking
two of foes to the ground. He tried to disengage himself to go to the
old man's aid but found himself cut off by his other foes. "Damn it!", he
cursed as he crossed blades with another one and was forced back.
The Horde had finally gotten close enough to engage the
defenders with weapons. Swords rose and fell, maces and
hammer swung with great fury. One hammer in particular
shone with a nearly blinding light. Wallace, a priest of Thor,
wielded his holy weapon with a fury this night. He struck
monster after monster sending them sprawling, often with
their heads turned to paste. An opening presented itself and
he raised his hammer above calling out to his god. He brought
the hammer down and released it. It flew into the horde and
struck several down before returning to his waiting hands. While
the hammer was in flight he took a moment to survey the battle.
Holding his returned hammer, he called out to his men, "Fall back,
orderly fighting retreat! Let's give some ground so we can regroup
some!", his men fell back fighting the entire way. The defenders could
still move faster retreating than there enemies could advance so
tightly packed as they were. When enough room opened Wallace
gave the order for the archers to loose another volley. Light was no
problem now, the catapults had been loosing a steady stream of flaming
tar and oil casks since the battle had begun. The Hordes numbers had
been greatly thinned since the battle had started, from ten thousand
to less than five thousand now. That was the bright spot of the battle.
Of a less happy note, the archers quivers were almost completed depleted
and the city couldn't risk send fresh supplies. The catapults were also
running out of things to throw into the mass. The magi were running low
spells and their wands and similar items were running low as well. Wallace
said nothing aloud but spoke a silent prayer to his god, Please, let Merridus
appear soon.
Arnus savagely twisted the blade making the old man writhe
in agony. Something was amiss though. The old man remained
alive still! "What is this?", he screamed in rage. Merridus looked
up and smiled grimly, "The end.", he spoke calmly. With a gesture
his sword returned to his hand. The archaic blade glowed with a fierce
light as he brought it up. Up into Arnus' unprotected neck. The blade
completed it's arc and Arnus' head dropped to the ground. The blade
glowed even more brightly calling on it's ancient power. The still
standing body quivered as something broke through the polished black
chest plate. The spirit of Arnus drifted above the toppling body. It was
the Arnus the old man remembered. It looked sadly at the blade
protruding from his old master and friend's stomach and gripped
the hilt with ethereal hands. Drawing the dark blade from Merridus
he tossed the blade aside and faded from sight mouthing a silent 'Thank You'
to the old man.
Merridus lay there in a pool of his own blood weakly summoning
his pipe from his cloak's pocket. He brought it to his lips and drew
on it, inhaling the vapors from it. He held them for a long time and
looked down to see the grievous wound closing. Another draw and
the wound healed more. He looked over at Jerrad to see the boy was
holding his own against the monsters. The wound was no longer critical
but it was still sore as hell and would be until he had a chance to rest.
"Off your arse , on your feet.", he muttered tiredly to himself. He stood
slowly and with great effort, looking over the fight Jerrad was engaged
he chose the simplest method he knew to end it. Twenty bolts of raw
power pounded into Jerrad's foes and all of them fell with their skulls
pulverized. Jerrad looked in shock at the old man. Not only was he still
alive but very much still in the fight! "How...", he started to ask but the
old man raised a hand to forestall the questions he knew were in the
young man's mind to ask. "Not now, lad. Maybe later if I feel up to it.
Right now we still have more work to do.", he said tiredly. He started
toward the rear flank of the undead horde puffing on his pipe gaining
energy with every step. A snap of his fingers and his staff and cloak
appeared beside him, he slipped his cloak on on the move as the staff
floated beside him keeping pace with his strides. Jerrad followed in their
wake.
Allister looked grimly at crumbled remains of the wand he had
used. It's power consumed it turned into little more than dust.
Them he saw it. Not his demise but a bright flash of flames at the
very rear of the horde. Merridus had joined the fray finally. Wallace
saw it too and smiled, We might make it to see dawn yet, he thought
to himself. His men were tired, nay, exhausted from the battle. He
now gave the order he knew they had all half hoped to hear. "Fall back,
full retreat, To the city walls!" The retreat was orderly but done with
as much speed as the tired defenders could manage. Wallace drew
from under his cloak a special torch, one that would burn a bright green
light that could have been seen ten miles easily. This was a signal to the
defenders on the wall to be ready to launch their attack as soon as they
made the wall.
His second in command saw the flaring torch almost immediately,
"Get the catapults ready!", he yelled. He knew what his commander
had in mind here. "Archers, flaming arrows as soon as our people reach
the wall! If it is shambling, I want to see it burning like a yule log!",
the order went all along the west wall and they waited. They made
the wall only a brief time later, panting a sweating but alive and safe
for the time.
The old man walked with a deliberation that would have made
even a dragon take a step back. Ever gesture and word unleashed
magical energy into the shambling corpses. The five thousand that
had remained at the time of the retreat had their number reduced
even further with every spell he loosed. Jerrad could do nothing to help
except walk behind him and act as an unneeded bodyguard. He knew
the old man had to be exhausted but he kept on moving and throwing
his spells into the enemy. He looked into the sky and saw the moon
finally, it was in the wesrten sky beginning it's decent. It would be dawn
soon. Then he saw the city's catapult launching their own deadly payload
into the horde. Casks of oil shattered and splashed those nearby spreading
the flames farther and farther among the undead army. Huge globs of tar
hit as well splattering and carrying searing flames into the walking corpses.
Flaming arrows picked off the front lines and fresh fighters charged out of
the city gates to meet the remaining horde.
The old man sat in his study finishing the latest entry in his
journal. "..and thus we survived the long night." He slipped the
quill pen back into it's holder and reached for his pipe. A snap
of his fingers and it was lit. He started to gesture for a glass of brandy
but changed his mind and got up to pour it himself. It was three days
after the battle and he was still tired from it. He sat back down at his
writing desk and read over the entry. Nodding satisfied he left it open
to allow the ink to dry. Amazing, he thought, out of the thousand men
who marched into battle only forty three had been killed. He mourned
for their families losses but he knew it could have been far worse had
the horde made it inside the walls. He finished his brandy and sat the
glass back beside the decanter and left the study. One finally piece of
business to tend to, he thought. He moved down the stairs at a much
more reasonable pace than he had three days ago.
He stepped outside and moved solemnly to a funeral pyre
he had constructed earlier that morning. He gazed at the bundle
that lay atop it."It was never your intent when your were my
student to become something evil in this world, Arnus.", his voice
cracked slightly on his last word. "The sword already released and
redeemed your soul, all I can do now is lay your body to rest.", he
said sadly. He reached down to the base of the pyre and took up a
simple torch and lit it with flint and steel. Using the torch he lit the
wood piled under the pyre and stood back watching as the flames
consumed the earthly remains of his former student and friend.
~Fin~
an entry into the tome that served as his journal. He no longer
had to think about what he was doing it was, to him, just another
entry of his days activities and a few personal complaints regarding
matters the annoyed him to no end. He glanced out the window to see
the sun setting. Most would consider the view breathtaking. To him,
it was the same view he had seen since the tower had been completed
seventy years past. He still enjoyed the view but after all of this time
it was of little comfort to him.
He knew what was on the horizon.
He shook his head and looked back at the tome. Reading his
most recent entry back to himself, he nodded satisfied. With
a long practiced move he slipped the quill pen back into it's
stand and took up his pipe. Sitting back he looked again out the
window and snapped his fingers and bright blue flame appeared
from his thumb. Lighting his pipe and dismissing the flame he rose
from his seat and moved to the window.
"Drats and bebothered", he grumbled. "An old man can't even
smoke in peace any longer!" He moved from the window with
his pipe clamped firmly in his mouth and moved to the chambers
doorway stopping only long enough to take up his ancient staff.
It wasn't for support , it was a weapon of no small power in his
hands. He exited the chamber muttering under his breath as he
moved down the hallway to the stairs. One hand gesturing with
practiced ease finishing with a sharp move that created a dim nimbus
around him. He moved down the stairs with the speed and ease that
belied his aged and was soon standing on the first floor moving steadily
toward the sole doorway to the outside.
He practically ripped the door from it's hinges as he tore it
open stomping outside to meet the rider he had seen far above
in his study. A much younger man had been riding fast and hard
for several hours to get here he started at the old man's sudden
appearance from the tower. Pulling his horse up short he dismounted
quickly and approached the old man. "Sir, It is time!", he exclaimed
breathing almost as hard as his mount. "Calm yourself boy!" The older
man admonished, "If they haven't arrived yet we have time for you to
catch your breath." "When I left the city we could see the dust from their
march!" "They couldn't have been more than a fifty miles away and it
took me at least three hours to get here, we must hurry!"
The old man sighed gently and puffed pointedly on his pipe.
"Lad, if they are on foot and that far away, we have plenty of
time to get back and tend to them." He snapped his fingers and
another larger doorway appeared on the tower's wall."Stable your
horse, we won't be needing it for the return trip." The younger man's
eyes widened at the sight of a doorway 'just' appearing from thin air.
He didn't understand the old man's art and was somewhat fearful.
And the notion of what the old man was suggesting disturbed him
more than a little. "Don't you have any other horses we could use?",
he queried. Rolling his eyes slightly the old man pulled the pipe from
his mouth, "No, I haven't ridden a horse in ages. Now quit acting like
a child afraid of the dark." "This will not have been the first time you
have seen magic in play.", He knew the city was home to other magi
and surely the boy had seen magic before. The younger man stiffened
somewhat, "Sir, I neve.." The old man cut him off with a gesture.
"Weren't you the one in a hurry a moment ago?", he asked. The young
man stammered and the old man again cut him short. "I have practiced
my art longer than your father has lived, boy, have some faith!" The
younger man couldn't really argue since he knew the need for haste
was greater than his own discomfort. (It didn't mean he had to like the
idea though!)
The aging wizard reached into a pocket and pulled out a disk
of polished quartz and tossed it into the air. "Let's see what
our 'friends' are up to.", he said. The disk stopped midway in
it's fall and began to glow gently. An image formed above it.
The horde had made quite a bit of progress since the young man
had set out. No more the twenty miles from the city walls. "Oh my
gods, How could they have gotten that far in only three hours?!",
the boy cried out. "Look at them, they seem to just shamble!". The
old man grimaced at what he saw. He knew this foe all too well.
Fifty years before they had first appeared ravaging the world.
No one knew where they had originated and it was doubtful any
would ever know for sure but a few like the old man had seen
them as more than a passing problem early on. Kingdom after
kingdon had been attacked by them. No matter what forces were
arrayed against them their numbers only grew. These were not
men, they were not alive. They had once been alive but now some
unknown force motivated them. These horrors were undead. Several
prominent sages had been consulted and none could explain them.
The more "common" undead were fairly straightforward in their
nature. Priests of the darker deities would reanimate bodies as well as
a few mad magi seeking power beyond mortal understanding. These
though were something different. No magic animated them. By
magical standards there was no logical reason for them to exist.
Their existence was like a disease. A highly contagious disease at that.
Soldiers sent against them had reported seeing their fellows merely
scratched by one of the things and within minutes turn against his
former friends and allies, a rotting, shambling horror. Worse still, they
bore an intelligence akin to the living. They didn't speak or communicate
their intent but they generally made their desires know. They seemed
to exist only to kill, destroy, and pass on their "disease".
The aging wizard had his suspicions about their origins but
in the time he had studied them he had still drawn no decisive
conclusion. Thirty years earlier he and other magi from the city
had created a magical wall to forestall what they all knew to be
inevitable. Finally the wall had failed and the hour was at hand.
The great city was not the last bastion of humanity though. Other
cities and towns had managed to survive The Horde. Every day
was a struggle for many but life went on as well as could be expected
under the endless threat of attack by a foe that needed no food and
had no need for sleep.
He spoke a word and the image vanished and the disk fell to
his waiting hand. "Come along, lad.", motioning the younger
man to follow him. He slipped the disk thoughtfully into his
pocket and slipped his pipe into another. Holding the gnarled
old staff he spoke a command and a circle of light appeared before
him. The circle swirled and twisted until it formed a ten foot tall
disk of silvery light. The younger man looked doubtfully at the portal.
He disliked the idea of stepping through that thing. He had travel
magically only once before and it had left him quite ill afterward.
Sighing and gritting his teeth he said, "After you sir, I insist.". The
older man smirked at his obvious discomfort. " No no, after you, I
have to stay here to maintain the gateway." Looking more than a
little green at the gills the younger man stepped into the silvery
portal. "I'm glad I missed dinner now.", he mumbled.
The portal appeared in a flash of light to the sound of a small
thunder clap. People scattered at it's appearance not knowing
what was about to happen. Their surprise gave way to curiosity
as a young man stepped through the surface into their midst soon
followed by the old man carrying his staff. The portal faded then
and people breathed a sigh of relief when they realized who had
come. At that moment the old man recalled something, "You did
stable your horse, no?", he teased. Looking slightly sick and taken
aback the younger man stammered for a moment, "No matter, my
stable hands will tend to the beast.", he assured him. Looking confused
it took a moment for the young man to realize what kind of stable
hands the wizard likely had as he lived alone in his tower.
Around the corner there came the rattling of arms and armor
as the watch ran to investigate the sudden unexpected disturbance.
At the head of the patrol ran a man most would have called too old
for such duties but he outpaced his younger charges with ease. He
pulled up short when he saw the source of the disturbance. "Must
you always make such a grand entrance when you come to town you
old fool?!", he bellowed in mock outrage. "Put your weapons away boys,
no need to dull them on his hard head... today!", he taunted his old
friend. "I hadn't expected you back so soon, Jerrad but none the less
we can use all the help we can get. This is going to be a long night I fear."
The younger man looked up from queasiness at the sound of his name,
"Yes, sir, I pushed the horse as hard as I dared.", he said. During this
exchange the older man reached into his pocket and extracted his pipe
again and puffed on it slowly and thoughtfully until he was sure he had
their attention. (The fact a rainbow of colors appeared in the smoke
rather helped to draw most peoples attention.) "How far away is The Horde
from the city, Wallace?", he asked the watch commander. Wallace
looked at the west wall looking for one particular man holding a banner
with the range on it. "Unless my eyes have finally gone, they are still
a good fifteen miles out." He gazed at the sky and saw it was finally
twilight soon it would be night, their time.
"Have they already called everyone inside the walls yet?"
The old man asked. "Yes, as soon as the rangers spotted the
unholy bastards after they broke through the barrier they sent
word." "All but a handful have made it to safety, now we had best
get you to tower of wizardry before Allister has a fit." He lead the
way to the tall slender needle of a tower that served as a central
meeting place for the magi of the city and surrounding area. "Jerrad,
I want you to stay with him in case he needs any help.", Wallace
directed the younger man. "But sir, don't you need as many men
as you can get to man the walls?" Jerrad asked, hoping to avoid
any more magic today. Fighting an undead horde seemed far
preferable to going into the tower to him. Wallace looked at the
young man oddly for a moment before replying, "Not right now
and besides we have plans to stop them before they get to the walls."
"Now get moving before I smack you myself!", He rested a hand
lightly on the handle of his silver warhammer. "Thor be with you
old friend.", He said to the old man in parting as he lead his men to
the wall in preparation for the battle to come.
The old man called after the watch commander, "Wallace, try
not to catch an arrow in the backside this time!", Upon hearing
this the warrior priest stopped dead in his tracks unable to walk
for the laughing fit that had overcome him. The old man sniggered
not at his old friend but the looks on his charges faces. "Come on,
lad, we have a meeting to attend." Jerrad looked at the tower and
sighed. "Yes, Sir." He followed the old man into the tower reluctantly
but steadily, his commander had ordered it and he would follow his
orders to the letter even if he'd rather be elsewhere just now.
In the tower's uppermost floor a group of magi and apprentices
carried out preparations for the long night to come. One in
particular, an older wizard in a brilliant golden robe look out the
western window studying the fast approaching horde with great
interest through a brass telescope normally used for studying the
stars late at night. Allister didn't like what he saw. Not all did he like it.
Rotting shambling corpses moved across the distance with a speed
that was as unnatural as their state was. He pulled back from the
telescope to rub his tired eyes when he heard his name called from
behind. "Allister, how does it look so far?", the older man asked.
With a sigh Allister gestured toward the telescope, "Have a look for
yourself Merridus.", Merridus walked to the telescope and peered
out at the oncoming horde.
He stood there for several minutes taking advantage of what
little light was left, of which there was precious little, He stood
straight for a moment, "What the Hells?!", he exclaimed.
Something at the very back of the horde had caught his eye but
he could make out no real detail. Allister looked at him and asked,
"What? What did you see?" The old man looked at Allister and ponder
his answer for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure but I saw one at the
very back moving differently from the rest.". "It moved with the
smoothness and grace of the living!", Allister looked taken aback at
this. He didn't think to question what Merridus had seen, even with
the fading light he knew the old man's eyesight was probably better
than his own. "A new kind mayhap?", he asked. Merridus pondered
this notion for a moment, "I am not sure but I think what I saw may
be what we have suspected for some time now.". "A living master of
The Horde.", he stated.
Jerrad was paying only scant attention to the old wizards,
this place always awed him. What he could never understand
is how this room at the very top of the needle thin spire could
be so huge, probably bigger than the first floor was! He still thought
to himself, could facing walking rotting corpses be any worse than
this place? He sighed. "You look worried warrior.", he heard a female
voice from behind him. He started a bit as he turned around to face
the young woman addressing him. He began to speak but his words
caught in his throat. She was beautiful! She stood several inches shorter
than Jerrad and had to look up to see him. Extending her hand in
greeting, "I'm Jennyth, apprentice to mistress Elwenn the Grey."
She smiled at the young mans obvious discomfort. He took her
proffered hand in greeting and managed to stammer out, "I-I-I'm
Watch of jer... Errr.. Jerrad of the watch." He flushed a wonderful
shade of red in embarrassment at his own awkwardness.
"Jennyth, I need your assistance here.", called an older woman
presumably her teacher. "A pleasure meeting you, Jerrad.", Jennyth
said as she made her way to aid her teacher. He smiled and waved
farewell. Well, maybe the tower wasn't so bad after all as he watched
her walk away. "Boy, you'd best watch yourself in here, she might
decide to keep you as pet toad if you misbehave and I don't mean the
girl." he heard from behind him. What was with the wizards sneaking
behind me, he thought to himself a bit dryly. When he turned to look
at the old man addressing he saw that he had produced the crystal disk
again. "Time to see if we can get some useful answers now that I know
what to look for!", he exclaimed.
Flipping the disk into the air as he had outside his tower the
old man waited for the disk to reach the right point before
speaking the command word. It stopped perfectly at five feet
off the stone floor and began to glow softly. A new image formed
as Merridus focused on what he had seen earlier through the telescope.
A figure walking with a steady purposeful stride followed the wake
of the oncoming horde. Allister approached the old man's scrying device.
"Do you recognize him?", he asked. Merridus studied the figure, dressed
head to foot in polished black armor and a flowing cloak, he couldn't see
the figures face since it was wearing a heavy helmet. He shook his head
in answer to Allister's question, "No but there is something... odd here."
Something about the figure seemed strangely familiar to him but he
couldn't say what just yet.
Suddenly the figured stopped in it's tracks and turned until
it was facing them. A look of shock crossed the old man's face.
No one was supposed to be able to sense his crystal disk's scrying!
The dark figure raised a gloved hand and clenched it into a fist.
Merridus noticed his disk was wavering in the air. His eyebrows
shot up and he cried out, "Everyone, down now!". Jerrad still
pondering the sway of Jennyth's hips as she moved didn't hear him
nor did he see the old man's mad dash as he ran to knock him the
floor. The disk flared with a brilliance that lit the room as bright
as day before exploding sending razor sharp shards around the room.
More than a little shaken the magi collected in the room looked
about to ensure that no one was seriously injured from the
explosion and resultant shards. One younger apprentice at the far
side of the room had been struck in the shoulder by one of the
deadly missiles. He lay there screaming in pain as one wizard
reached him to give aid to the wounded youth. "Easy, son, try to
be still and let me examine the wound,", he said in an effort to calm
the apprentice. "Someone fetch my bag!", he yelled. His bag was brought
to him quickly enough and he proceeded to treat the boy's injury.
Allister rose from the floor looking more angry than rattled,
"Merridus, are you alright?", he said a bit more sharply than
he intended. The old man rose giving Jerrad a pat on the shoulder
after he saw the younger man was uninjured save for be shaken.
"Yes, Allister, I'll be fine but I can show you one person that is
going to regret doing that.", he said in a deathly calm.
In the fields outside the city the dark figure stood laughing
mockingly. The night had finally come in full. His minions
shambled onward toward the last city untouched by them. The
figure held up a small crystal sphere and gazed into it's depths for
a moment. The city's defenders had already taken the field planning
to met The Horde and stop them before they reached the walls. The
defenders were at least half a mile from the safety of the city walls
and their numbers were much smaller than that of The Horde. One
to his ten, the dark figure laughed yet again, even if their feeble magi
were fielded his minions would overwhelm them and take the city
long before the sun rose. He lifted the sphere to his face and spoke,
"Merrrrridusssss, hear me old fool,", he taunted "Come out and play
old one, it is time for you to die. You will serve me as my personal
minion!", he lowered the sphere and walked with purposeful strides
toward the city.
"..for you to die. You will serve me as my personal minion!", the
apparition exclaimed in the tower's uppermost room. With a gust
of wind the image vanished. If the old man had looked enraged
before he now looked like he could rip the dark figure limb from
limb with nothing but his bare hands. Jerrad looked as pale as a
sheet, "S-S-Sir, who or what was that?", he asked in a terrified tone.
The old man took a deep calming breath and reached into his pocket
for his pipe. Drawing smoke from the pipe his demeanor seemed the
change from enraged to calm again ina matter of moments. He stood
there thinking, so you know my name do you? That voice, something
about it was familiar. He furrowed his eyebrows deep in thought.
Allister was busy getting the other magi ready to enter the battle.
He entered a circle in the center of the room and called the others to
him. He looked over at the old man, "Merridus? Will you be coming
with us through the circle?", he asked the old man. Merridus looked
up from his contemplations, "No, Allister, I have been sent a personal
invitation. I'll be meeting him directly.", he said calmly. Allister looked
concerned now, he knew what the old man had in mind now. And he
didn't like the idea of Merridus meeting that thing on it's own terms.
He also knew that the old man's mind was made up.
All but the injured apprentice and a handful of novices had
used the circle to teleport to the battle field. The old man
looked at Jerrad and asked, "Will you be going to the wall, lad?".
Jerrad thought for a moment, the watch commander had ordered
him to stay with the old man but gave no orders beyond that.
He was young, only twenty-two, and inexperienced in what to
do in an unexpected situation. "The commander told me to stay
with you in case you needed help, Sir. I don't want to met that thing
face to face but if you need me and I am not there...", he said with
uncertainty. The old man smiled kindly and sighed. "Come along
young Jerrad, we have an army of horrors and it's master to defeat
this night!".
A flash of light appeared in the fields behind the advancing
army of undead, the old man and his young charge looked
around carefully to ensure they hadn't popped in on a rear guard
of undead. Jerrad looked up into the night sky. Overcast, he thought
sourly, just great, now we will have to be on top of them before we
will even see them! He didn't stop to consider that the monsters
ahead of them while intelligent weren't the greatest minds in the
world. Only their master would know to be on the look out for his
"guests" arrival. Far ahead they could see flashes of light from the
city forces fighting The Horde's relentless advance.
The catapults on the walls were loaded with blobs of tar and
casks of oil waiting for what they hoped didn't happen. Men
watched the battle on the field with great anticipation and more
than a little anxiety. The walls didn't have all of the catapults
though, ten of them had been rolled out with the defenders to help,
"give their visitors a warm reception", as Wallace had told one of
his subordinates. As soon as The Horde had gotten within range
of the catapults they began sending out their "gifts" of flaming tar
and burning oil casks. The first few shots fell a few yards short but
that didn't matter the shambling corpses just marched through the
burning areas with little concern. Even flaming and "dying" they
marched on. The defenders stared in stark amazement at the sight
of the advancing army marching on aflame. After a short while they
would finally drop and not rise again thankfully. The catapult's loads
began to take a real toll the closer they got, entire swaths of the things
were covered in flames and fell within moments but The Horde marched
on.
Wallace paced back and forth waiting for the things to get
close enough for his archers to do their work. He would stop
and look every so often until he finally stopped and grinned
wolfishly. "Archers, ready you weapons and take aim!", he bellowed.
A few more steps, he thought. Raising his arm, "Loose!", he yelled. The
first volley of arrows tore into the first rank of foes. "Shoot at will!",
he ordered. Arrows launched into the oncoming army in well
ordered volleys, Wallace's men were well trained and some of the finest
archers anyone could ask for. The arrows weren't as effective as the
flaming tar and oil but they took their toll on the undead horrors.
Creature after creature dropped more often than not with multiple
arrows protruding from it's body. The watch commander noticed that
the ones that had caught arrows to the head dropped faster than others.
"Hmmm...", he looked to the nearest of his archers and said, "Harold,
try for a head shot on that one.", pointing at one wearing a red cloak.
Harold was almost as old as his CO and smiled, "Yes, Sir." He drew a
bead on the creature and loosed an arrow perfectly into it's left eye. It
fell dead with no other wound. Wallace grinned grimly, "Take aim for
their heads! They'll fall with one shot!", he commanded. The archers
quickly complied with the order and shifted their aims. More than a
few arrows missed their intended targets and struck creatures behind
them but the arrows that struck true killed their targets instantly.
The city's magi were fared almost as well as the watch did.
Bolts of lightening, balls of fire, bolts of pure magical energy hit
the oncoming army and tore into their ranks to great effect.
Allister pointed a slender wand at a section of the army and unleashed
a beam of green energy that vaporized at least a dozen with one hit.
He paused for a moment to consider the odds. There had to have
been at least ten thousand and between the catapults, the archers,
and the magic being thrown at the things , they might have destroyed
a thousand so far. How long could they keep it up? Could they stop
The Horde before it got to the walls? He glanced up into the night
sky trying to spot one of the other magi who had an idea about a shower
of magical acid on the oncoming horde. He couldn't spot them where
ever they were but he could see the effect of their spell, a section of
"zombies", for that is what he started calling them for want of a better
name, began to melt and bubble from the acidic "rain" that fell on
them. He took aim again and vaporized another dozen.
This was going to be a long night...
The old man and Jerrad stalked quietly after the advancing
horde seeking it's master. Then it happened. A ball of light
appeared suspended in the air twenty feet up, directly over the
dark figure. It bowed deeply, "Weeellcome to my parlor, Merrrridussss.",
it greeted. It stood at seven feet tall, Jerrad's mouth went dry
as he reached for his short sword and dagger. The figure raised it's
hand and shook it's finger at the boy. "Naughty naughty.", it taunted and
a group of his minions came into view. "Kill the boy, the old man is mine!",
it commanded. They shambled toward Jerrad and he felt a hand tap him
on the shoulder followed by what could only be described as something
akin to an electrical surge through his body. "A protection to aid you, lad."
, he heard the old man say.
The dark figure drew forth a sword of dark energy and raised
it in salute. "Make peace with your gods, old one, today you met
them.", The figure walked toward the old man with a menacing
determination intended to unnerve his opponent. The old man
tapped his staff against the ground gently and it stood there freely,
he removed his cloak and casually hung it over the staff as if he
fought battles like this in his spare time. He reached to his own
belt and drew a sword himself. Where the dark figure drew a
weapon of dark energy, this was an archaic blade of damascus steel.
He spoke a word and the blade began to glow with a strange colorless
radiance.
The dark one stopped dead in it's tracks at this sight. "You
still wield the Sword of the Damned, I see. It will not help you
here, fool!" The swords name was something of a misnomer, it
had once been carried by a holy knight a thousand years past. It
was related to the damned but not in the way the name might
imply, it's sole purpose was to free to souls of the damned from
their torment. "We shall see.", the old man said flatly. "Now remove
your helmet so I might see your eyes, if you aren't the coward you
seem.", he taunted the dark figure. "As you wish, old man.", Reaching
up one hand the figure slipped the helm from it's head and dropped it
to the ground at his feet. A mane of curly golden red hair hung limply
from a deaths head of rotting flesh. "You don't look overly surprised,
Merridus.", the figure commented. The old man looked at the figure
with sadness rather than disgust or shock. All he could get out
was one word, "Arnus."
Some sixty years ago Merridus had had a young apprentice
named Arnus. A promising youth with a great understanding
of magic and a keen interest in a alchemy. He had been more
than just an apprentice to Merridus, he had been like a son to
him but as Arnus' power grew something changed in him. The
old man had seen it happen before, some people couldn't control
the influences the art had on their minds and even their souls.
Arnus began acting secretively about some line of research he had
undertaken in his own time. For some reason he had become
obsessed with immortality and went to great lengths to attain it.
Lengths that Merridus could not condone. One night he had intended
to confront Arnus about his secret research demanding to know what
he was doing. He had barged into the small laboratory his student had
used and was overcome with the horrors that the chamber held. Parts
of freshly killed people, plants that were highly toxic and a tome that
he recognized as being a treatise on lichdom. Then he saw his student
across the room. A cold dead stare gazed out from under the hood of
his robe. They fought bitterly until Arnus, almost defeated, fled using
magic. Merridus had sought the aid of Wallace to lay the murdered to
rest and destroyed the research materials.
Now here he stood before him. Holding a blade of evil seeking
to destroy a city full of innocents with an army of the undead.
The old man raised his sword in salute.
Jerrad found himself hard pressed by a dozen rotting horrors.
Slash, stab, retreat. Slash, stab, retreat. He fell into a rhythm as
he had been trained to do. His sword struck one across the throat
half severing it's head and the creature fell. He spared a glance at
the old man and dark one. The old man wielded his blade with surprising
skill and ease. But Jerrad had his own problems at the moment.
Eleven of them to be precise. One of them tried to claw him with a
rotten hand but just before it's hand could make contact an arc of
electrical energy shot forth from Jerrad and struck the creature dead
with enough power to throw it's body twenty feet, the smoking husk
crumbled to dust on impact. Maybe I'll walk away from this alive yet,
Jerrad thought to himself with renewed hope. A voice sounded in his
mind, Don't get cocky, lad, that spell won't last all night. He shot a
quick glance at the old man who had locked hilts with the dark one.
Sweat covered the old man's face from his exertions and his opponent
wasn't showing any sign of relenting.
Then disaster struck.
In his moment of distraction sending the mental message to
Jerrad, Merridus lost a seconds concentration in his fight. Arnus
sensed his distraction and took advantage of it. Send his knee
into the old man's belly he knocked the air from his lungs and sent
him sprawling and his weapon flying from his grasp. A cry of victory
filled the night air as Arnus brought his dark blade down into the
stomach of the old man pinning him to the ground. Jerrad saw this
and screamed, "Noooo!", he redoubled his fights intensity knocking
two of foes to the ground. He tried to disengage himself to go to the
old man's aid but found himself cut off by his other foes. "Damn it!", he
cursed as he crossed blades with another one and was forced back.
The Horde had finally gotten close enough to engage the
defenders with weapons. Swords rose and fell, maces and
hammer swung with great fury. One hammer in particular
shone with a nearly blinding light. Wallace, a priest of Thor,
wielded his holy weapon with a fury this night. He struck
monster after monster sending them sprawling, often with
their heads turned to paste. An opening presented itself and
he raised his hammer above calling out to his god. He brought
the hammer down and released it. It flew into the horde and
struck several down before returning to his waiting hands. While
the hammer was in flight he took a moment to survey the battle.
Holding his returned hammer, he called out to his men, "Fall back,
orderly fighting retreat! Let's give some ground so we can regroup
some!", his men fell back fighting the entire way. The defenders could
still move faster retreating than there enemies could advance so
tightly packed as they were. When enough room opened Wallace
gave the order for the archers to loose another volley. Light was no
problem now, the catapults had been loosing a steady stream of flaming
tar and oil casks since the battle had begun. The Hordes numbers had
been greatly thinned since the battle had started, from ten thousand
to less than five thousand now. That was the bright spot of the battle.
Of a less happy note, the archers quivers were almost completed depleted
and the city couldn't risk send fresh supplies. The catapults were also
running out of things to throw into the mass. The magi were running low
spells and their wands and similar items were running low as well. Wallace
said nothing aloud but spoke a silent prayer to his god, Please, let Merridus
appear soon.
Arnus savagely twisted the blade making the old man writhe
in agony. Something was amiss though. The old man remained
alive still! "What is this?", he screamed in rage. Merridus looked
up and smiled grimly, "The end.", he spoke calmly. With a gesture
his sword returned to his hand. The archaic blade glowed with a fierce
light as he brought it up. Up into Arnus' unprotected neck. The blade
completed it's arc and Arnus' head dropped to the ground. The blade
glowed even more brightly calling on it's ancient power. The still
standing body quivered as something broke through the polished black
chest plate. The spirit of Arnus drifted above the toppling body. It was
the Arnus the old man remembered. It looked sadly at the blade
protruding from his old master and friend's stomach and gripped
the hilt with ethereal hands. Drawing the dark blade from Merridus
he tossed the blade aside and faded from sight mouthing a silent 'Thank You'
to the old man.
Merridus lay there in a pool of his own blood weakly summoning
his pipe from his cloak's pocket. He brought it to his lips and drew
on it, inhaling the vapors from it. He held them for a long time and
looked down to see the grievous wound closing. Another draw and
the wound healed more. He looked over at Jerrad to see the boy was
holding his own against the monsters. The wound was no longer critical
but it was still sore as hell and would be until he had a chance to rest.
"Off your arse , on your feet.", he muttered tiredly to himself. He stood
slowly and with great effort, looking over the fight Jerrad was engaged
he chose the simplest method he knew to end it. Twenty bolts of raw
power pounded into Jerrad's foes and all of them fell with their skulls
pulverized. Jerrad looked in shock at the old man. Not only was he still
alive but very much still in the fight! "How...", he started to ask but the
old man raised a hand to forestall the questions he knew were in the
young man's mind to ask. "Not now, lad. Maybe later if I feel up to it.
Right now we still have more work to do.", he said tiredly. He started
toward the rear flank of the undead horde puffing on his pipe gaining
energy with every step. A snap of his fingers and his staff and cloak
appeared beside him, he slipped his cloak on on the move as the staff
floated beside him keeping pace with his strides. Jerrad followed in their
wake.
Allister looked grimly at crumbled remains of the wand he had
used. It's power consumed it turned into little more than dust.
Them he saw it. Not his demise but a bright flash of flames at the
very rear of the horde. Merridus had joined the fray finally. Wallace
saw it too and smiled, We might make it to see dawn yet, he thought
to himself. His men were tired, nay, exhausted from the battle. He
now gave the order he knew they had all half hoped to hear. "Fall back,
full retreat, To the city walls!" The retreat was orderly but done with
as much speed as the tired defenders could manage. Wallace drew
from under his cloak a special torch, one that would burn a bright green
light that could have been seen ten miles easily. This was a signal to the
defenders on the wall to be ready to launch their attack as soon as they
made the wall.
His second in command saw the flaring torch almost immediately,
"Get the catapults ready!", he yelled. He knew what his commander
had in mind here. "Archers, flaming arrows as soon as our people reach
the wall! If it is shambling, I want to see it burning like a yule log!",
the order went all along the west wall and they waited. They made
the wall only a brief time later, panting a sweating but alive and safe
for the time.
The old man walked with a deliberation that would have made
even a dragon take a step back. Ever gesture and word unleashed
magical energy into the shambling corpses. The five thousand that
had remained at the time of the retreat had their number reduced
even further with every spell he loosed. Jerrad could do nothing to help
except walk behind him and act as an unneeded bodyguard. He knew
the old man had to be exhausted but he kept on moving and throwing
his spells into the enemy. He looked into the sky and saw the moon
finally, it was in the wesrten sky beginning it's decent. It would be dawn
soon. Then he saw the city's catapult launching their own deadly payload
into the horde. Casks of oil shattered and splashed those nearby spreading
the flames farther and farther among the undead army. Huge globs of tar
hit as well splattering and carrying searing flames into the walking corpses.
Flaming arrows picked off the front lines and fresh fighters charged out of
the city gates to meet the remaining horde.
The old man sat in his study finishing the latest entry in his
journal. "..and thus we survived the long night." He slipped the
quill pen back into it's holder and reached for his pipe. A snap
of his fingers and it was lit. He started to gesture for a glass of brandy
but changed his mind and got up to pour it himself. It was three days
after the battle and he was still tired from it. He sat back down at his
writing desk and read over the entry. Nodding satisfied he left it open
to allow the ink to dry. Amazing, he thought, out of the thousand men
who marched into battle only forty three had been killed. He mourned
for their families losses but he knew it could have been far worse had
the horde made it inside the walls. He finished his brandy and sat the
glass back beside the decanter and left the study. One finally piece of
business to tend to, he thought. He moved down the stairs at a much
more reasonable pace than he had three days ago.
He stepped outside and moved solemnly to a funeral pyre
he had constructed earlier that morning. He gazed at the bundle
that lay atop it."It was never your intent when your were my
student to become something evil in this world, Arnus.", his voice
cracked slightly on his last word. "The sword already released and
redeemed your soul, all I can do now is lay your body to rest.", he
said sadly. He reached down to the base of the pyre and took up a
simple torch and lit it with flint and steel. Using the torch he lit the
wood piled under the pyre and stood back watching as the flames
consumed the earthly remains of his former student and friend.
Just a silly poem
O listen to me young men
fear your woman's skillet
above all other weapons
for it is the one that can
bring pleasure to you belly
and pain to you head...
fear your woman's skillet
above all other weapons
for it is the one that can
bring pleasure to you belly
and pain to you head...
Masks
Masks
I see before me a child of Egypt
Her face hidden behind a mask of gold
Her eyes though her eyes
Haunted by visions so very cold
In the night they came
Reavers!
Faces covered by masks of Ebony
To take from this child all
She held so very dear
Slaughter, Massacre, Chaos
A house asunder
Years to build
Destroyed in but a day
Faces uncovered by the slip of a
Mask
Behind the masks of ebony
they hid their shame
Friends they had claimed
Uncovered now the truth of their
False claims no friends were these
A cold blade found this innocents heart
Forever she swore to wear this mask
A mask of gold to hide her pain
To hide the stain of her tears
One final oath she swore
To return upon these decievers
All they had done tenfold
I see before me a child of Egypt
Her face hidden behind a mask of gold
Her eyes though her eyes
Haunted by visions so very cold
In the night they came
Reavers!
Faces covered by masks of Ebony
To take from this child all
She held so very dear
Slaughter, Massacre, Chaos
A house asunder
Years to build
Destroyed in but a day
Faces uncovered by the slip of a
Mask
Behind the masks of ebony
they hid their shame
Friends they had claimed
Uncovered now the truth of their
False claims no friends were these
A cold blade found this innocents heart
Forever she swore to wear this mask
A mask of gold to hide her pain
To hide the stain of her tears
One final oath she swore
To return upon these decievers
All they had done tenfold
Smoke and Fire, A pictorial
I have always wondered how hard it would be to take pictures
of smoke and fire...
These fifteen images are what came out of forty-two shots.
The first were the easiest ones to capture. A stick of incense
makes for a very willing photographic subject...
Well, those were easy enough even with my limited experience.
So I decided to move on to something common and everyday
in the way of smoke. A cigar and cigarette. But they decided
to make monkey's uncle out of me...
Ok, fine. Since the smokes didn't want to smoke without
me puffing on them I decided to move on to fire...
~Fin~
of smoke and fire...
These fifteen images are what came out of forty-two shots.
The first were the easiest ones to capture. A stick of incense
makes for a very willing photographic subject...
Well, those were easy enough even with my limited experience.
So I decided to move on to something common and everyday
in the way of smoke. A cigar and cigarette. But they decided
to make monkey's uncle out of me...
Ok, fine. Since the smokes didn't want to smoke without
me puffing on them I decided to move on to fire...
The general basic costs of owning your own site
As a general rule you can expect to pay around $50 to $100 a year
for the average website. This is counting only basic hosting and
domain name registration and a brief look at software.
This will give you a general idea of your costs…
Hosting: Prices tend to vary from host to host depending on
what kind of hosting package you get. on average the lowest
price is around $3 to $4 USD for a month but many hosts offer
lower prices for paying by the year and some even give deeper
discounts if you buy several years worth of hosting in advance.
Domain name registration: On average you will pay around $10
to $15 per year for a .com. One service most registrars offer is
a private domain name. This means that you own the name
but you pay a modest fee (usually around $9 a year) for a
company like Domains by Proxy to protect your private
information by listing their address and contact information
instead of your’s. Some people argue that using a service like
this is not a good idea but I disagree with them. Anyone that
knows where to look can perform a WHOIS on your domain name
and get your private information without you being any the
wiser. However if they have to come to your site you do at
least have a log showing that someone was looking for how
to contact you.
Software: With the wide variety of open source software
available it is doubtful that most people would need to buy
their software unless they are looking for specific features
that are only available in some paid softwares. This blog
and the other software used on this site are all open source
and free for anyone to use. Now if you want to buy your
software the prices can vary greatly. A Flashchat by tufat.com
costs $5 whereas some more sophisticated “scripts” can run
well into the hundreds.
Adding free games to your site
Free games are one good way to keep people on your site for a
while longer than they might have normally stayed. They can
range in size from only a few Kb up to several Mb. They cover a
wide range of gaming interests from simple card and board games
all the way to deeply involved immersive role playing games.
Most games a webmaster would be interested in would be
flash, java, or shockwave based games. There are other kinds
but I will focus on those in this article. The number and type
of games for a web site are more a matter of personal taste
depending on the webmaster. Some sites might only want a
small number of games, around three or four for most or a large
library of several hundred if you are creating a gaming site or
general “mega site”.
There are a good number of sites that offer free games for
websites. Some offer you just the games so you may upload
them to your own site and there are others that host the games
and provide you with an HTML embedding code so you don’t have
to use your own site’s bandwidth to offer your visitors free games.
A short list of sites offering free games:
www.crazymonkeygames.com
www.freegamesforyourwebsite.com
www.dailyfreegames.com
For more free games just do a search for “free games for websites”
and you will get a long list of sites.
Usually adding the games is just a matter uploading the game
files to you site into a “games” folder, like this…
http://shadowsbastion.com/gameroom/3dreversi/3dreversi.html
Sometimes though you may find games that have only the
game file itself, usually ending in the extension .swf if it is a
flash game. Then you will need to make an HTML page with an
embed code so the game can be played.
The easiest way to do this would be to take the HTML page from
another game that does have one and substitute the file name
and upload it to the one that didn’t come with it’s own HTML file.
A small collection of tools for Webmasters
These are links to various sites I have either found or been
introduced over the last few years that have been of help
with my various web sites.
DNS Stuff
A good collection of both free and paid DNS tools for webmasters.
Interpulse
A handy tool to determine if a connection problem is with just your
ISP or if several of the major internet backbone servers* are
having trouble.
*backbone servers are the servers on the internet that tell
other computers where on the internet your web site is.
Conduit toolbars
A great way to offer your visitors a neat toolbar that is completely
free and a wide range of features available.
Changing LINKS
A great website that shows users random web pages. Just add
their short bit of HTML code to your pages and submit them to
Changing LINKS.
HTML Tags
Something that can help you to no small degree when manually
editing HTML code.
You Want A Basic Color Code, Huh?
This site offers a good selection of color codes that will work with
HTML and CSS and they even show you what the color should look
like.
Simple favicon maker
With this site you take almost any image and turn it into a simple
custom favicon for your web site.
StatCounter
StatCounter offers both a free and paid traffic tracking service.
Just open an account with them and add their code to your sites
pages.
Installing SMF
There are two ways it can generally be installed. The easiest
way being to use a “one click” installer such as Fanastico. You
may however need to manually install it if your host doesn’t
offer an installer or if it is down for maintenance.
The SMF forum on this site was installed manually.
Located here:SMF Forum
And one with TinyPortal here:SMF Forum with TinyPortal
The installation process is relatively easy and mostly straight
forward.
1) Make a folder on you computer named SMF so it will be
easier to find.
2) Go to the SMF site and download either the current version
of SMF or their Webinstall. An important note: The SMF Webinstall may not work on all shared servers.
3) if you downloaded the current version of SMF unzip the
files in you SMF folder, it will open all of the needed files and
folders inside that folder.
3a) If you decided to try their Webinstall, simply follow their
instructions here: Webinstall instructions
4) On you site create a folder for your SMF forum.
Typically this will be named either www.yoursite.com/sfm/
or www.yoursite.com/forum/.
5) Create a MySQL database. You can use whatever name
for it you want but the easiest would simply be smf.
5a) Depending on your host you may have to create a password
for the MySQL database. Many host use a default password
though, usually the same one you were given when you bought
your hosting package.
6) Upload the files you unzipped in the SMF folder on your
computer to the folder you made on your site. It will take
a while because SMF has a lot of image files in it’s themes
folders.
7) After you have uploaded the files use you browser to
go to: www.yoursite.com/sfm/install.php this will start the
installation process.
8.) Enter the needed information in the required fields and just
follow the on screen instruction. Some of the information won’t
need to be changed but most of it is fill in the blanks…
Basic Settings
Forum name: Just enter the desired name of your forum
Forum URL: This will probably be filled in by the installer
Gzip Output: This will be checked already so there is no need
to change it.
Database Sessions: This will also be checked so there so there is
no need to change it.
UTF-8 Character Set: This is unchecked. If you are planning to use
international language packs it might be a good idea to check it.
Allow Stat Collection: This is unchecked also, If you want to help
SMF to visit your site to get ideas on how to improve the software
you can check it but you are not required to.
MySQL Server Settings
MySQL server name
MySQL username
MySQL password
MySQL database name
MySQL table prefix
This is all pretty much straightforward fill in the blanks stuff.
If you are in doubt about some it always remember to ask
someone before you get in over your head.
Create Your Account
Your username: Your preferred screen name
Password; Your password
Password: Verify your password
Email Address: Your email addy (must be a valid one)
This creates the forum’s root Admin account (your’s). It will require
your MySQL Database Password so the software can be sure you are
authorized to create the Root Admin.
And now you have reached the final page of the installer.
Congratulations, the installation process is complete!
Check the one box to remove the install.php and click the provided link
to get into you new forum.
And that’s it.
The WP e-Commerce plugin by Instinct Entertainment
This is a good little plugin for someone that wants to sell
online but doesn’t have an absolutely huge stock of goods
for sale.
The plugin and installation instructions are here:
WP e-Commerce plugin
However according to Instinct Entertainment’s
page on it:
WP e-Commerce powers over 50,000 websites!
The WP e-Commerce shopping cart plugin for WordPress is an industrial strength elegant easy to use fully featured shopping cart application suitable for selling your products, services, and or fees online.
WP e-Commerce is a Web 2.0 application designed with usability, aesthetics, and presentation in mind. Perfect for:
» Digital Downloads!
» Bands & Record Labels
» Clothing Companies
» Crafters & Artists
» Books, DVDs & MP3 files
» Members Only / Subscription sites
» Stores with over 10,000 + products
I don’t plan on trying 10,000 + items though. lol
It was a fairly easy little thing to get installed using their
instructions which are fairly straightforward in nature.
Setting it up is about as easy too; though there were a few
little stumbling blocks here and there…
Two come to mind…
1) The plugin is particularly picky about your image file
extensions. When helping a friend install his we discovered
that none of our JPG’s were working and after a bit of digging
on their support forums we found the key to the problem.
The extensions have to be lower case.
Example: Image.JPG won’t work however Image.jpg will.
Why? I honestly don’t know.
2) Setting up the Paypal payment gateway doesn’t seem
to require the exact instructions they offer.
From Instinct Entertainment:
WP e-Commerce lite install instruction link
PayPal Setup
These are the instructions for setting up PayPal for your WP e-Commerce storeAt PayPal site
1. Browse to PayPal and sign up using your email address
2. Under Profile > Shipping Settings check the allow transaction-based shipping values to override the profile shipping settings listed above
3. Done
At your WP e-Commerce store’s Admin
Now that you have a PayPal account setup enter the email address you used into the payment gateway settings page in the WP e-commerce admin panel
1. Under e-Commerce > Gateway Options choose PayPal as your payment gateway.
2. In “PayPay Username” enter your email address that you use to login to your PayPal account.
3. In “PayPal URL” enter https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr
4. Click the button that says “Submit”
Conclusion
Now that you have setup your shop and have a working PayPal account you are ready to start selling! Upload your products and have fun.
Their directions for Paypal don’t seem to apply really. I checked
my Paypal account and could find no way to set up the shipping
per their instructions. However, when I did a test, it did take
me to Paypal and it did show that I owed $ 0.01 to myself. lol
All in all, I’d say it is am excellent solution for someone that
want sell online but doesn’t want to fool with one of the full
blown shopping carts like Zen Cart or Candy Press.
Installing Wordpress
Installing Wordpress
There are two ways it can generally be installed. The easiest
way being to use a “one click” installer such as Fanastico. You
may however need to manually install it if your host doesn’t
offer an installer or if it is down for maintenance.
This Wordpress blog was manually installed and the longest
part of it was uploading the files to the host. Their included
instructions are in a file named readme.html and they are very
straightforward in nature.
I will give you the simplest version of installing it manually.
1) Make folder on your computer named wordpress so you may
more easily find it.
2) Download the current version of Wordpress from their
site into that folder.
3) Unzip the the zip file into you wordpress folder, it will
make it’s own sub folders for it’s files.
4) Create a MySQL database. You can use whatever name
for it you want but the easiest would simply be wordpress.
4a) Depending on your host you may have to create a password
for the MySQL database. Many host use a default password
though, usually the same one you were given when you bought
your hosting package.
5) Look for a file in your wordpress folder named:
wp-config-sample.php open this file using a text editor such
as Notepad. (Don’t use Wordpad, it will mess the file up.)
After you open it you see that it has places clearly marked
for the information, all you have to do is paste your information
over their’s.
// ** MySQL settings ** //
define('DB_NAME', 'putyourdbnamehere'); // The name of the database
define('DB_USER', 'usernamehere'); // Your MySQL username
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'yourpasswordhere'); // ...and password
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // 99% chance you won't need to change this value
define('DB_CHARSET', 'utf8');
define('DB_COLLATE', '');
// You can have multiple installations in one database if you give each a unique prefix
$table_prefix = 'wp_'; // Only numbers, letters, and underscores please!
// Change this to localize WordPress. A corresponding MO file for the
// chosen language must be installed to wp-content/languages.
// For example, install de.mo to wp-content/languages and set WPLANG to 'de'
// to enable German language support.
define ('WPLANG', '');
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__).'/');
require_once(ABSPATH.'wp-settings.php');
?>
6) Save the file as wp-config.php and upload it with the rest
of the files to what ever folder you want to put the blog into.
7) Open www.yoursite.com/yourblogfolder/wp-admin/install.php
in your browser. After this is all pretty much downhill. Wordpress
will give you the username admin and generate a password
that you can change later.
And that’s it.
Forum hosting: Free vs Paid
So you want to open a forum but have only limited
experience with such things.
Well you have two basic choices, an ad supported free
forum such as ProBoards, Invisionfree, or SMFforFree.
Or you can use you own hosting account and install the
forum script of you choice such as vBulliten, SMF, or PHPBB.
Some pros and cons of both...
Ad supported free forums:
Pros:
1) It's free! (duh!)
2)They're pretty much fire and forget. By this I mean, once you
set up the account all you have to do is decide how many categories
and forums you want and decide on a theme for it. No need to
worry about backing up the database or any other major maintenance.
Cons:
1) If the company hosting it goes out of business you're sunk.
2) You get to look at ugly ads that are placed as in-your-face
as you can get.
(Firefox with Adblock Plus usually fixes this but not everyone uses FF)
3) You have to work within the host's TOS and a lot of times they
can be awfully picky about the content you can post.
4) Some people tend to (wrongly) look down their noses
at free hosted forums
Hosting it yourself:
Pros:
1) You have full control over the forum and you're the boss.
1a) If your host offers Fantastico or other similar one click script
installers, installing the forum can take only a matter of minutes.
2) It is under your domain name, so if you have a store on
the same site it can give your customers a place to ask questions
or leave you feed back to tell you what works and what doesn't
3) You have greater control over the look and feel of the forum.
Cons:
1) You gotta pay the bills for the upkeep.
2) You're stuck with making sure you have back ups and doing
the needed maintenance. (ICK!)
3) You get to look at ugly ads you put there yourself.
(j/k Well, sorta...)
experience with such things.
Well you have two basic choices, an ad supported free
forum such as ProBoards, Invisionfree, or SMFforFree.
Or you can use you own hosting account and install the
forum script of you choice such as vBulliten, SMF, or PHPBB.
Some pros and cons of both...
Ad supported free forums:
Pros:
1) It's free! (duh!)
2)They're pretty much fire and forget. By this I mean, once you
set up the account all you have to do is decide how many categories
and forums you want and decide on a theme for it. No need to
worry about backing up the database or any other major maintenance.
Cons:
1) If the company hosting it goes out of business you're sunk.
2) You get to look at ugly ads that are placed as in-your-face
as you can get.
(Firefox with Adblock Plus usually fixes this but not everyone uses FF)
3) You have to work within the host's TOS and a lot of times they
can be awfully picky about the content you can post.
4) Some people tend to (wrongly) look down their noses
at free hosted forums
Hosting it yourself:
Pros:
1) You have full control over the forum and you're the boss.
1a) If your host offers Fantastico or other similar one click script
installers, installing the forum can take only a matter of minutes.
2) It is under your domain name, so if you have a store on
the same site it can give your customers a place to ask questions
or leave you feed back to tell you what works and what doesn't
3) You have greater control over the look and feel of the forum.
Cons:
1) You gotta pay the bills for the upkeep.
2) You're stuck with making sure you have back ups and doing
the needed maintenance. (ICK!)
3) You get to look at ugly ads you put there yourself.
(j/k Well, sorta...)
Advice for the aspiring Webmaster
So you've been on the internet for a while now.
You've surfed, searched, maybe even posted on
forums and just maybe even made a couple of
bucks selling stuff on eBay or even Amazon.
Now you have come to the point where you
have a twinkle in your eye and the desire to
make your own site and claim your own little
chunk of bandwidth and disk space on the 'net
but you realize one tiny little problem, you don't
have a clue where to start!
I've been on the net since the late 90's and I've
done and seen quite a bit in that time. I'm not
going to claim I have all the answers, I don't.
But I can offer you a few pieces of hard earned
advice...
1) There ain't no such thing as a stupid question.
All of us start out the exact same way, utterly
ignorant of what a WYSIWYG editor is, or what
an FTP client is, let alone what they're for.
Ask questions no matter how silly you think they are.
Anyone that laughs or mocks you doesn't merit your
attention.
2) Expect to spend long hours pouring over pages and
pages of Geek Speek.
A lot programmers and coders write manuals for other
geeks not us poor dumb bunnies that just want to build
a site and maybe even a small online home business. And
for this, I refer you to point 1.
When in doubt, ask.
3) Don't stress over not getting a lot of traffic for the
first year or so.
Most of your traffic will likely be friends and family or
If you've sold stuff online and had repeat customers
they might take a look at your new store to see if you have
anything they might want. Other than that the search
engine's bots will take their dear sweet time crawling
your site and the engines will take their dear sweet time
in getting off their butt's and putting you into their search
results.
4) Being a Webmaster is an art, not an exact science.
In four years, I've gone from a thumb fingered forum
poster, and small time eBay seller, that had only a nodding
acquaintance with punctuation to an "accomplished"
Webmaster. Have I mastered it yet? (ROFLMACO) Nope.
Every time I log in I learn something new...
and I still ask "stupid" questions.
You've surfed, searched, maybe even posted on
forums and just maybe even made a couple of
bucks selling stuff on eBay or even Amazon.
Now you have come to the point where you
have a twinkle in your eye and the desire to
make your own site and claim your own little
chunk of bandwidth and disk space on the 'net
but you realize one tiny little problem, you don't
have a clue where to start!
I've been on the net since the late 90's and I've
done and seen quite a bit in that time. I'm not
going to claim I have all the answers, I don't.
But I can offer you a few pieces of hard earned
advice...
1) There ain't no such thing as a stupid question.
All of us start out the exact same way, utterly
ignorant of what a WYSIWYG editor is, or what
an FTP client is, let alone what they're for.
Ask questions no matter how silly you think they are.
Anyone that laughs or mocks you doesn't merit your
attention.
2) Expect to spend long hours pouring over pages and
pages of Geek Speek.
A lot programmers and coders write manuals for other
geeks not us poor dumb bunnies that just want to build
a site and maybe even a small online home business. And
for this, I refer you to point 1.
When in doubt, ask.
3) Don't stress over not getting a lot of traffic for the
first year or so.
Most of your traffic will likely be friends and family or
If you've sold stuff online and had repeat customers
they might take a look at your new store to see if you have
anything they might want. Other than that the search
engine's bots will take their dear sweet time crawling
your site and the engines will take their dear sweet time
in getting off their butt's and putting you into their search
results.
4) Being a Webmaster is an art, not an exact science.
In four years, I've gone from a thumb fingered forum
poster, and small time eBay seller, that had only a nodding
acquaintance with punctuation to an "accomplished"
Webmaster. Have I mastered it yet? (ROFLMACO) Nope.
Every time I log in I learn something new...
and I still ask "stupid" questions.
Quick cheese sauce
This is a quickie cheese sauce I make for adding to different
dishes.
Equal parts of the following ingredients:
Velveeta or equivalant
Shredded cheddar
Parmesan
Buttermilk
For the microwave:
Add all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl.
Heat for one minute on high and then stir, repeat this
until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
For the stove top:
Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and cook on a medium
heat. Do not let the sauce come to a full boil. Cook
until all ingredients are completely blended.
Alternate ingredients:
If you are out of buttermilk you can substitute regular milk
or for a different flavor try olive oil and vinegar with a spoon-
ful of Mrs. Dash (your favorite variety) or spaghetti seasoning.
dishes.
Equal parts of the following ingredients:
Velveeta or equivalant
Shredded cheddar
Parmesan
Buttermilk
For the microwave:
Add all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl.
Heat for one minute on high and then stir, repeat this
until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
For the stove top:
Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and cook on a medium
heat. Do not let the sauce come to a full boil. Cook
until all ingredients are completely blended.
Alternate ingredients:
If you are out of buttermilk you can substitute regular milk
or for a different flavor try olive oil and vinegar with a spoon-
ful of Mrs. Dash (your favorite variety) or spaghetti seasoning.
Quick and simple Banana Pudding
3 or 4 large bananas
2 packages of vanilla instant pudding mix
one bag of vanilla wafers
In a large bowl, add the vanilla wafers and bananas (sliced)
in layers starting with the vanilla wafers. add layers until
you have 6 to 8 layers, the top layer should be vanilla wafers.
Mix up your vanilla pudding as per the instructions on the
packages and pour over vanilla wafers and bananas. Put it
in the refrigerator over night to allow the vanilla wafers
to soften and serve as desired.
2 packages of vanilla instant pudding mix
one bag of vanilla wafers
In a large bowl, add the vanilla wafers and bananas (sliced)
in layers starting with the vanilla wafers. add layers until
you have 6 to 8 layers, the top layer should be vanilla wafers.
Mix up your vanilla pudding as per the instructions on the
packages and pour over vanilla wafers and bananas. Put it
in the refrigerator over night to allow the vanilla wafers
to soften and serve as desired.
A simple peach cobbler
1 cup of self rising flour
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of buttermilk
1 29 ounce (800g) can of sliced peaches
1 stick (125g) of butter or margarine
Combine flour, sugar, buttermilk, and peaches in a bowl and
mix well. Melt the butter in an iron skillet and pour the mix into
it. Bake it in the oven at 350f for about 30 minutes.
Let it cool until it is no longer bubbling before serving.
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of buttermilk
1 29 ounce (800g) can of sliced peaches
1 stick (125g) of butter or margarine
Combine flour, sugar, buttermilk, and peaches in a bowl and
mix well. Melt the butter in an iron skillet and pour the mix into
it. Bake it in the oven at 350f for about 30 minutes.
Let it cool until it is no longer bubbling before serving.
Rice Pottage
After having read the article about medieval foods I realized
that something I make quite often would be classed as a
pottage, a thick kind of combo porridge/stew.
Here's the recipe I normally use for it...
2 cups of instant rice
2 cups of water
1 can of cream of mushroom or chicken or celery soup, depending on your tastes and what is in the cabinet. lol
1 can of mixed veggies
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of boneless chicken breast
Cook the rice and cream of whatever soup together until
the rice is done. Then add the other ingredients (all drained).
It can be cooked in the microwave in about
12 minutes give or take.
that something I make quite often would be classed as a
pottage, a thick kind of combo porridge/stew.
Here's the recipe I normally use for it...
2 cups of instant rice
2 cups of water
1 can of cream of mushroom or chicken or celery soup, depending on your tastes and what is in the cabinet. lol
1 can of mixed veggies
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of boneless chicken breast
Cook the rice and cream of whatever soup together until
the rice is done. Then add the other ingredients (all drained).
It can be cooked in the microwave in about
12 minutes give or take.
My version of ANZAC biscuits
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup instant oatmeal
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 stick Margarine
3 Tbs Peanut Butter
1 large egg
2 Tbs Butter Milk
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Melt the Margarine and Peanut Butter together.
Add the liquid ingredients and stir throughly.
lightly oil two cookie sheets and use a table spoon to drop the dough onto them.
you should have about 12 cookies per cookie sheet, they will spread out.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Quick and Dirty Pizza Sauce
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1oz Tones Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning
1/4 tsp minced garlic or one clove of fresh garlic
1/4 tsp salt
Put the Spaghetti Seasoning, galric and salt in a measuring
cup and add enough water to cover it. Pour tomato sauce in
a pan and heat it until it starts to bubble then reduce heat to
low. Now mix the reconstituted seasonings into the tomato
sauce, you may need to add a litle more water, no more than
a tablespoon. Let simmer for about 10 minutes keeping it
stirred on occassion.
Makes enough Pizza sauce for one loaf of french bread.
1oz Tones Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning
1/4 tsp minced garlic or one clove of fresh garlic
1/4 tsp salt
Put the Spaghetti Seasoning, galric and salt in a measuring
cup and add enough water to cover it. Pour tomato sauce in
a pan and heat it until it starts to bubble then reduce heat to
low. Now mix the reconstituted seasonings into the tomato
sauce, you may need to add a litle more water, no more than
a tablespoon. Let simmer for about 10 minutes keeping it
stirred on occassion.
Makes enough Pizza sauce for one loaf of french bread.
Iron Rations on the cheap
What exactly are Iron Rations? They are typically an emergency
food supply kept for situation when normal food will be unavailable
for a limited time. Generally they a food stuffs that have a long
shelf life and do not require refrigeration and require little if
any preparation.
Some examples of Iron Rations are:
Beef jerky
Most persevered sausages such as summer sausages or the
more common "snack"sausages like Slim Jims.
Canned meats like Spam, corned beef, tuna and deviled ham.
Dried vegetables and fruits
Most nuts (No, not your rarely seen family members and friends.)
Various hard cheeses and even some modern processed cheeses.
Rice
Noodles and pastas in general
Chocolate
Hard candies
Granola and cereal bars. This could include Power Bars.
Hard baked breads such as crackers, bread sticks, and old
fashioned hard tack*.
* Hard Tack is basically just plain flour and water and maybe
a little salt that has been formed into large cracker sized squares
and baked long enough to remove the water leaving it very hard
and dry. Normally it was soaked in water to soften it before eating.
Soldiers have at times referred to hard tack as "toothbreakers"
for good reason.
A lot of people tend to make the mistake of thinking that they
need to worry about suffering the effects of malnutrition when
considering emergency foodsupplies. You have to take into account
that Iron Rations are not meant to be used for long periods of time.
As a general rule, Iron Rations should provide enough food for roughly
72 hours. This can be stretched an extra 24 or 48 hours if the situation
dictates it.
Here we have an example of a days worth of emergency food.
The food you see above is a not final list of what you need,
just my personal preference. All together what you see above
will provide roughly 2000 calories for one person for one day.
While it may not be the ideal food it will keep you moving and
can be eaten a little at time to ensure that you have energy all
day. My own "Iron Rations" are based loosely on the old military
K Rations.
Now lets look at it group by group...
Meat, beans, and nuts
Meat, beans, and nuts provide both basic protein and needed
fat to your diet or so they told me in school. Canned meats
and beans will generally be good for at least a year after they
are purchased but I would recommend rotating older cans out
about every six months to ensure that your supplies are as
fresh as possible. Nuts can be a little trickier though, always check
the packaging to ensure they will edible at least three to six months
from the day you buy them. Some will store better than others, so
take your time when selecting them.
Breakfast is served.
Granola and cereal grain bars can make for a quick breakfast
or light snacks though the day so make sure you keep a few
close to hand. I prefer the crunchy granola bars because they
can be broken up into a cup of hot water with a small pack of
raisins to make a quick oatmeal for a hot breakfast.
One of mankind's oldest dried fruits
A few snack sized boxes of raisins can provide more nutrients
than you might think. Additionally you may want to consider
other dried fruits like dehydrated apples or prunes for a little
variety. Though it has been my experience that dehydrated
apples will have a less than desirable flavor unless you dry
them at home.
They aren't hard tack but they'll last a surprising length of time in storage
Plain saltines and snack crackers will last a long time and
generally can be eaten as is or added to soups and stews to
thicken them. The snack crackers pictured above are cheddar
cheese with peanut butter I was looking over their nutritional
info and was surprised to find that the peanut butter variety
had a few more calories than the cheese variety. The idea here
is to pack as many calories into as small an area as is possible,
so avoid low cal anything.
A quick and simple way to produce a hot meal.
While they are not essential, ramen noodles can offer you
the option of a hot meal that takes only a minimum of fuss
to prepare. After you have eaten cold food for a couple of
days even a bowl or large cup of hot noodles be a morale
boost.
Tea has a long shelf life and can make boiled water taste a lot better.
Boiled water as a rule is tasteless. Tea, bullion cubes, or instant
coffee can make it a lot more palatable. The bullion cubes can
also be used to make a quick broth that can have beef jerky, rice,
or ramen noodles added to it. The peppermint disks are a good
source of condensed sugar for adding to tea and they can be used
for a quick boost of energy by themselves.
They're not essential but they will make bland food more palatable
Condiments aren't an essential but you might want to consider
a few packs of ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, or hot sauce to
add some extra flavor to your emergency food.
Reference Material:
First World War.com - Encyclopedia
Trench Food
Vivres de Réserve -- France's Iron Ration in World War 1
K-ration - Wikipedia
~Fin~
food supply kept for situation when normal food will be unavailable
for a limited time. Generally they a food stuffs that have a long
shelf life and do not require refrigeration and require little if
any preparation.
Some examples of Iron Rations are:
Beef jerky
Most persevered sausages such as summer sausages or the
more common "snack"sausages like Slim Jims.
Canned meats like Spam, corned beef, tuna and deviled ham.
Dried vegetables and fruits
Most nuts (No, not your rarely seen family members and friends.)
Various hard cheeses and even some modern processed cheeses.
Rice
Noodles and pastas in general
Chocolate
Hard candies
Granola and cereal bars. This could include Power Bars.
Hard baked breads such as crackers, bread sticks, and old
fashioned hard tack*.
* Hard Tack is basically just plain flour and water and maybe
a little salt that has been formed into large cracker sized squares
and baked long enough to remove the water leaving it very hard
and dry. Normally it was soaked in water to soften it before eating.
Soldiers have at times referred to hard tack as "toothbreakers"
for good reason.
A lot of people tend to make the mistake of thinking that they
need to worry about suffering the effects of malnutrition when
considering emergency foodsupplies. You have to take into account
that Iron Rations are not meant to be used for long periods of time.
As a general rule, Iron Rations should provide enough food for roughly
72 hours. This can be stretched an extra 24 or 48 hours if the situation
dictates it.
Here we have an example of a days worth of emergency food.
The food you see above is a not final list of what you need,
just my personal preference. All together what you see above
will provide roughly 2000 calories for one person for one day.
While it may not be the ideal food it will keep you moving and
can be eaten a little at time to ensure that you have energy all
day. My own "Iron Rations" are based loosely on the old military
K Rations.
Now lets look at it group by group...
Meat, beans, and nuts
Meat, beans, and nuts provide both basic protein and needed
fat to your diet or so they told me in school.
Canned meatsand beans will generally be good for at least a year after they
are purchased but I would recommend rotating older cans out
about every six months to ensure that your supplies are as
fresh as possible. Nuts can be a little trickier though, always check
the packaging to ensure they will edible at least three to six months
from the day you buy them. Some will store better than others, so
take your time when selecting them.
Breakfast is served.
Granola and cereal grain bars can make for a quick breakfast
or light snacks though the day so make sure you keep a few
close to hand. I prefer the crunchy granola bars because they
can be broken up into a cup of hot water with a small pack of
raisins to make a quick oatmeal for a hot breakfast.
One of mankind's oldest dried fruits
A few snack sized boxes of raisins can provide more nutrients
than you might think. Additionally you may want to consider
other dried fruits like dehydrated apples or prunes for a little
variety. Though it has been my experience that dehydrated
apples will have a less than desirable flavor unless you dry
them at home.
They aren't hard tack but they'll last a surprising length of time in storage
Plain saltines and snack crackers will last a long time and
generally can be eaten as is or added to soups and stews to
thicken them. The snack crackers pictured above are cheddar
cheese with peanut butter I was looking over their nutritional
info and was surprised to find that the peanut butter variety
had a few more calories than the cheese variety. The idea here
is to pack as many calories into as small an area as is possible,
so avoid low cal anything.
A quick and simple way to produce a hot meal.
While they are not essential, ramen noodles can offer you
the option of a hot meal that takes only a minimum of fuss
to prepare. After you have eaten cold food for a couple of
days even a bowl or large cup of hot noodles be a morale
boost.
Tea has a long shelf life and can make boiled water taste a lot better.
Boiled water as a rule is tasteless. Tea, bullion cubes, or instant
coffee can make it a lot more palatable. The bullion cubes can
also be used to make a quick broth that can have beef jerky, rice,
or ramen noodles added to it. The peppermint disks are a good
source of condensed sugar for adding to tea and they can be used
for a quick boost of energy by themselves.
They're not essential but they will make bland food more palatable
Condiments aren't an essential but you might want to consider
a few packs of ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, or hot sauce to
add some extra flavor to your emergency food.
Reference Material:
First World War.com - Encyclopedia
Trench Food
Vivres de Réserve -- France's Iron Ration in World War 1
K-ration - Wikipedia
The four F's: Food, Firearms, Faith and Friends
Among survivalist there are two primary variations on basics
The four B's or The four G's.
Beans, Bullets, Bullion and Bible.
Or
Grub, Guns, Gold and God.
Either way it is pretty much the same basic idea in being prepared.
Beans/Grub: Food by any other name.
Bullets/Guns: A means of self defense and a way to hunt.
Bullion/Gold: One of humankind's oldest forms of money.
Bible/God: Faith that things will return some semblance of normalcy.
Well I have been thinking about that idea for quite a long
time now. The more I think about it the more I realize that
Gold in any form probably isn't the ideal thing to have around.
It is expensive to acquire even in the best of times and it's value
isn't set in stone except when everyone agrees on it having a set
"value". Other than that all it does is takes up space that could
be used for extra food or ammunition for a firearm. There will
always be someone that wants it but given the choice, I'd prefer
something a bit more valuable.
So I came up with my own version; The four F's.
The four F's: Food, Firearms, Faith and Friends
Food: One of the most basic of human needs. Preferably
non-perishable foods that can be stored for an indefinite time.
Dried beans, peas, whole grains that can be ground for flour or
meal. There are lots of foods like this you can squirrel away for
long term storage.
Firearms: I won't make a list of firearms as everyone has
their own preferences in weapons but I will suggest this, at
least one handgun, rifle, and shotgun for every member of
your family that is capable of safely handling them. I would
also recommend some non-firearm weapons that are relatively
easy to use and require no special or hard to find ammunitions.
Such as bows and arrow, hunting spears, and other "primitive"
weapons.
Faith: Always have faith in yourself and what you know.
Also have faith that whatever the current circumstances are
things will get better. I won't go into particulars because
everyone has their own idea of who or what God is.
Friends: Friends are the one thing that are more valuable
than any precious metal humans have ever dug out of the
ground and will be with you a lot longer. A few good friends
will be able to help you when everything has pretty much
gone to Hell.
~Fin~
The four B's or The four G's.
Beans, Bullets, Bullion and Bible.
Or
Grub, Guns, Gold and God.
Either way it is pretty much the same basic idea in being prepared.
Beans/Grub: Food by any other name.
Bullets/Guns: A means of self defense and a way to hunt.
Bullion/Gold: One of humankind's oldest forms of money.
Bible/God: Faith that things will return some semblance of normalcy.
Well I have been thinking about that idea for quite a long
time now. The more I think about it the more I realize that
Gold in any form probably isn't the ideal thing to have around.
It is expensive to acquire even in the best of times and it's value
isn't set in stone except when everyone agrees on it having a set
"value". Other than that all it does is takes up space that could
be used for extra food or ammunition for a firearm. There will
always be someone that wants it but given the choice, I'd prefer
something a bit more valuable.
So I came up with my own version; The four F's.
The four F's: Food, Firearms, Faith and Friends
Food: One of the most basic of human needs. Preferably
non-perishable foods that can be stored for an indefinite time.
Dried beans, peas, whole grains that can be ground for flour or
meal. There are lots of foods like this you can squirrel away for
long term storage.
Firearms: I won't make a list of firearms as everyone has
their own preferences in weapons but I will suggest this, at
least one handgun, rifle, and shotgun for every member of
your family that is capable of safely handling them. I would
also recommend some non-firearm weapons that are relatively
easy to use and require no special or hard to find ammunitions.
Such as bows and arrow, hunting spears, and other "primitive"
weapons.
Faith: Always have faith in yourself and what you know.
Also have faith that whatever the current circumstances are
things will get better. I won't go into particulars because
everyone has their own idea of who or what God is.
Friends: Friends are the one thing that are more valuable
than any precious metal humans have ever dug out of the
ground and will be with you a lot longer. A few good friends
will be able to help you when everything has pretty much
gone to Hell.
Some basic survival tools and equipment for everyday carry
Here are a few basic tools and equipment everyone should have on their person
for emergencies. A lot of stuff on this list might seem common sense but there are
a few items you might not normally think you would need to carry everyday.
Looks like a lot of stuff at first glance...
1. A pocket knife.
A Swiss Army Knife
Ok, this, to me anyway, is about as basic a tool as you can have. From opening
mail to cutting an apple and everything in between. Whether it is a simple Barlow,
a three blade Stockman, a Swiss Army Knife, or one of the high end custom jobs
a pocket knife will do quite a bit.
2. A flashlight (or torch depending on your preference in terminology).
An LED flashlight, very small and easy to carry
At one time this might not have been something that could be convenient to
have on your person but in the age of LED flashlights and high quality Mini Mag
lights, one can easily be carried in a pocket and forgotten about until needed.
At first the idea of carrying a flashlight during the day time might sound absurd
until you stop to think about all of those little dark niches we encounter daily.
Note: Remember to check the batteries regularly.
3. A way to create fire.
A common disposable butane cigarette lighter
You might be thinking, I work in an office in the city or I don't smoke! Fire was one
of humanity's first tools and hasn't gone out of fashion yet. Whether it's a Bic, a
small box of matches, a magnifying glass, or flint and steel it never hurts to have
some way to make fire on hand. Personally, I prefer to have at least two ways
to make fire, something like disposable lighter as my primary and good old fashioned
strike anywhere matches as a back up. Ever try lighting a candle by force will?
Note: If you carry a butane lighter, remember to keep it close to your body during
the winter otherwise the gas will get too cold to expand. Or if you are at higher
altitudes, strongly consider focusing on matches or non gas lighters as higher
altitudes will cause gas lighters to lose their fuel.
4. A few basic first aid supplies.
A small first aid kit plus a very basic sewing kit tucked in it
Note: I am not a doctor and unless you are trained don't try things you are
uncertain about.
You can pick up a simple personal first aid kit at most dollar stores for a buck.
Personally I prefer more than the few band aids and antiseptic wipes that are
the common fare in these little kits. So I would recommend adding a few other
items. My own list is relatively short, A few band aids for minor cuts and scrapes,
a few alcohol prep pads for cleaning wounds, a couple of smaller size (2" x 2")
gauze pads for bigger cuts, enough Tylenol and antihistamines for a full 24 hours,
and finally a small packet of antibiotic ointment.
If you have any medical conditions that require regular medicine, you'll probably
want to have a 24 hour supply of them around in case you can't get home for
a day or so.
Another Note: This list is my personal choice. You should always tailor your own
kit to meet your own needs and level of knowledge and training.
5. A small bottle or flask of water.
A stainless steel hip flask filled with water
Most of us never give a drink of water a second thought in the age of being able to
get water from a faucet at will. Until we find ourselves away from home and realize
where we are has no water readily available. Personally, I prefer an eight (8) ounce
stainless hip flask since it can be heated directly to boil suspect water.
6. A small amount of non-perishable food.
A roll of hard candy
A few pieces of hard candy or a small package of nuts or sunflower seeds might not seem like an ideal source of food and they aren't. However, the boost they can give
you and your morale is surprising when there is no real food handy. Like everything
else in this article though, you should tailor you food to reflect your own preferences
and personal needs.
7. Pen and paper.
A small notebook and ink pen
A simple pen and note pad can come in handy more often than you might believe.
Jotting down a sudden idea, writing a message to leave for people that may
searching for you, or drawing a map to help you orient yourself. And it does
provide a handy source of tinder for fire starting.
8. A length of sturdy string or cord.
This is about seven yards of nylon twine
I've always found a bit of cordage to a handy thing at the weirdest times. Tying up
unexpectedly large bundles of loose items like more mail than you were counting on
at the Post Office (I had this happen once.). Or temporarily replacing a broken shoe
string. How much? i would suggest at least fifteen (15) feet (about five (5) meters).
9. A handkerchief or bandanna.
Just a plain good old fashioned bandanna
Aside from their normal uses they can come in handy as a way to make a simple
water filter or as an impromptu dust mask. And they can come in handy for as
a way to control bleeding when you don't have the luxury of having an ER within
immediate reach.
Odds and ends to consider
A "disposable" plastic poncho (left) and an emergency blanket (right)
There are quite a few other small items you can add here and there depending on
the circumstances. You might consider an abridged sewing kit. a couple of pre-threaded
needles with black and white thread and a few safety pins to patch a small tear or
reattach a button. This can easily be stashed in your first aid kit.
During the warmer months you might want to consider adding a few salt tablets
or a couple of packs of salt from a restaurant to help replace what you lose through
sweating. Heat cramps and heatstroke ain't no fun at all.
During the colder months an mylar emergency blanket or a "disposable" plastic poncho
can keep you relatively warm and dry and are both fairly cheap and take up little room.
In the end these are only my suggestions for things you might want to have with you
whenever you leave home. It's up to the individual to decide what they think will help
them in a tight spot. I know at first glance this article might not seem like a great
revelation to some but I wrote this for people who have just started thinking about
what really are the basics to being prepared for minor and even major emergencies.
for emergencies. A lot of stuff on this list might seem common sense but there are
a few items you might not normally think you would need to carry everyday.
Looks like a lot of stuff at first glance...
1. A pocket knife.
A Swiss Army Knife
Ok, this, to me anyway, is about as basic a tool as you can have. From opening
mail to cutting an apple and everything in between. Whether it is a simple Barlow,
a three blade Stockman, a Swiss Army Knife, or one of the high end custom jobs
a pocket knife will do quite a bit.
2. A flashlight (or torch depending on your preference in terminology).
An LED flashlight, very small and easy to carry
At one time this might not have been something that could be convenient to
have on your person but in the age of LED flashlights and high quality Mini Mag
lights, one can easily be carried in a pocket and forgotten about until needed.
At first the idea of carrying a flashlight during the day time might sound absurd
until you stop to think about all of those little dark niches we encounter daily.
Note: Remember to check the batteries regularly.
3. A way to create fire.
A common disposable butane cigarette lighter
You might be thinking, I work in an office in the city or I don't smoke! Fire was one
of humanity's first tools and hasn't gone out of fashion yet. Whether it's a Bic, a
small box of matches, a magnifying glass, or flint and steel it never hurts to have
some way to make fire on hand. Personally, I prefer to have at least two ways
to make fire, something like disposable lighter as my primary and good old fashioned
strike anywhere matches as a back up. Ever try lighting a candle by force will?
Note: If you carry a butane lighter, remember to keep it close to your body during
the winter otherwise the gas will get too cold to expand. Or if you are at higher
altitudes, strongly consider focusing on matches or non gas lighters as higher
altitudes will cause gas lighters to lose their fuel.
4. A few basic first aid supplies.
A small first aid kit plus a very basic sewing kit tucked in it
Note: I am not a doctor and unless you are trained don't try things you are
uncertain about.
You can pick up a simple personal first aid kit at most dollar stores for a buck.
Personally I prefer more than the few band aids and antiseptic wipes that are
the common fare in these little kits. So I would recommend adding a few other
items. My own list is relatively short, A few band aids for minor cuts and scrapes,
a few alcohol prep pads for cleaning wounds, a couple of smaller size (2" x 2")
gauze pads for bigger cuts, enough Tylenol and antihistamines for a full 24 hours,
and finally a small packet of antibiotic ointment.
If you have any medical conditions that require regular medicine, you'll probably
want to have a 24 hour supply of them around in case you can't get home for
a day or so.
Another Note: This list is my personal choice. You should always tailor your own
kit to meet your own needs and level of knowledge and training.
5. A small bottle or flask of water.
A stainless steel hip flask filled with water
Most of us never give a drink of water a second thought in the age of being able to
get water from a faucet at will. Until we find ourselves away from home and realize
where we are has no water readily available. Personally, I prefer an eight (8) ounce
stainless hip flask since it can be heated directly to boil suspect water.
6. A small amount of non-perishable food.
A roll of hard candy
A few pieces of hard candy or a small package of nuts or sunflower seeds might not seem like an ideal source of food and they aren't. However, the boost they can give
you and your morale is surprising when there is no real food handy. Like everything
else in this article though, you should tailor you food to reflect your own preferences
and personal needs.
7. Pen and paper.
A small notebook and ink pen
A simple pen and note pad can come in handy more often than you might believe.
Jotting down a sudden idea, writing a message to leave for people that may
searching for you, or drawing a map to help you orient yourself. And it does
provide a handy source of tinder for fire starting.
8. A length of sturdy string or cord.
This is about seven yards of nylon twine
I've always found a bit of cordage to a handy thing at the weirdest times. Tying up
unexpectedly large bundles of loose items like more mail than you were counting on
at the Post Office (I had this happen once.). Or temporarily replacing a broken shoe
string. How much? i would suggest at least fifteen (15) feet (about five (5) meters).
9. A handkerchief or bandanna.
Just a plain good old fashioned bandanna
Aside from their normal uses they can come in handy as a way to make a simple
water filter or as an impromptu dust mask. And they can come in handy for as
a way to control bleeding when you don't have the luxury of having an ER within
immediate reach.
Odds and ends to consider
A "disposable" plastic poncho (left) and an emergency blanket (right)
There are quite a few other small items you can add here and there depending on
the circumstances. You might consider an abridged sewing kit. a couple of pre-threaded
needles with black and white thread and a few safety pins to patch a small tear or
reattach a button. This can easily be stashed in your first aid kit.
During the warmer months you might want to consider adding a few salt tablets
or a couple of packs of salt from a restaurant to help replace what you lose through
sweating. Heat cramps and heatstroke ain't no fun at all.
During the colder months an mylar emergency blanket or a "disposable" plastic poncho
can keep you relatively warm and dry and are both fairly cheap and take up little room.
In the end these are only my suggestions for things you might want to have with you
whenever you leave home. It's up to the individual to decide what they think will help
them in a tight spot. I know at first glance this article might not seem like a great
revelation to some but I wrote this for people who have just started thinking about
what really are the basics to being prepared for minor and even major emergencies.
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