Obligatory Modern Warfare Post

I play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on XBox Live. I’ve only prestiged once, and I really don’t think I will do so again. I only did it because Infinity Ward was holding a double XP weekend, and I figured it would give me an initial boost to get all my weapons/perks back again.

Truth be told, I totally suck at the game. It took me forever to get to the level I’m at now; sometimes I have my good days, but most of the time my kill/death ratio is < 1.

That being said, I just wanted to make this post to put my nerdiness on display once more. In the game, you can have certain ‘classes’ that are a particular setup of perks, weapons, and equipment, and (unless you have the One Man Army perk) you can only change them after you die before you spawn. You have the option of naming these classes whatever you want.

Being the Final Fantasy nerd that I am, I named them all according to Final Fantasy job classes. However, the names are meaningful, so this way I can switch to them quickly when the situation warrants it. For those of you reading my blog posts and wish to give me advice on my class choices, please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments. For those of you who have never played the game before, you can stop reading now and go look at previous posts.

Since I’ve only prestiged once, I have 6 classes, as follows:

Commando
Primary: M16A4 with Grenade Launcher
Secondary: One Man Army
Equipment: Semtex, Flash Grenades
Perk 1: One Man Army
Perk 2: Stopping Power
Perk 3: Commando Pro
Deathstreak: Copycat

This started out as my primary class, but now it’s my “perpetual supply of noobtubes” class. One Man Army allows me to change out my class whenever I need to, so I can actually change back to Commando once my noobtubes are gone. Also, if I see any aircraft, I’ll take cover switch immediately to my Dragoon class (below). Makes for a great support role. (I’m all about those, aren’t I?)

Ravager
Primary: Mini-Uzi, Holographic Sight
Secondary: .44 Magnum
Equipment: Semtex, Stun Grenades
Perk 1: Scavenger Pro
Perk 2: Hardline Pro
Perk 3: Ninja Pro
Deathstreak: Martyrdom (pronounced mar-ter-dum, not marty-dumb)

A class that seems to work purely at close range, which is why the Ninja Pro perk is needed. Scavenger Pro makes sure that I never run out of grenades/equipment, while the Martyrdom deathstreak makes sure any close-range deaths become Afterlife kills or assists.

Lanista
Primary: AUG HBAR Foregrip
Secondary: M9 (Red Dot Sight, will change gun soon)
Equipment: Frag, Flash Grenades
Perk 1: Sleight of Hand
Perk 2: Stopping Power
Perk 3: Steady Aim
Deathstreak: Copycat

A class that is simply about bullet power. It’s great for long-range, but not so great when it comes to ammunition, as the HBAR isn’t at the top of the spectrum when it comes to magazines. I’d love suggestions for improvement, but this is my LMG class, so consider that.

Assassin
Primary: Barrett .50Cal with ACOG Scope / Silencer (working to Thermal)
Secondary: M93 Raffica, Red Dot Sight
Equipment: Claymore, Smoke Grenade
Perk 1: Bling
Perk 2: Cold-Blooded Pro
Perk 3: Last Stand
Deathstreak: Final Stand

My only sniper class. Cold-Blooded Pro makes sure that if I remain perfectly still, most of the time I won’t be seen by competing snipers. Claymores protect my sniping stands and popping smoke will usually allow me to escape snipers that have missed the first shot. I’ve made many a kill with Last Stand if I’m encountered at close range, and if I’ve had bad luck, the combo of a Last Stand Pro with Final Stand will allow me to escape easily if I made the kill.

Dragoon
Primary: FAL, Grenade Launcher
Secondary: Javelin
Equipment: Frag Grenades, Flashbangs
Perk 1: Scavenger Pro
Perk 2: Cold-Blooded Pro
Perk 3: SitRep
Deathstreak: Painkiller

This is what I turn to when I need to shoot crap out of the sky. The FAL is an excellent rifle despite its firing rate, and the Javelin gets the job done blowing anything up. Cold-Blooded makes sure that I don’t get shot down by the killstreaks I’m trying to take out. Using SitRep, I can tell my teammates where all the enemy claymores/C4 are placed. If I’m found trying to shoot something down, I may have Painkiller on at that point to get the missile out.

Red Mage
Primary: TAR-21, Silencer
Secondary: Ranger Akimbo
Equipment: Semtex, Flashbangs
Perk 1: Marathon Pro
Perk 2: Lightweight Pro
Perk 3: Ninja Pro
Deathstreak: Martyrdom

My namesake class is the one I use most effectively. With the Silencer and Ninja Pro, I can softly dash around the map and take out targets from any range. Reload time with the akimbo Rangers is a pain in the butt, but the damage output makes it worthwhile until I unlock the Model 1887. The TAR-21 has a great magazine size and can usually get the job done in 3 or 4 bullets. I’ve also got the Urban camo on it, which will be replaced with the Red Tiger once it’s unlocked. Gotta keep the weapon consistent with the class name!

Atheist On the Airwaves

I should have mentioned this a long time ago.

I'm a co-host (more often than not these days) on Freethought Rhode Island (FTRI), a weekly radio show that is put on the air by members of the Rhode Island Atheist Society (Site link). It airs every Wednesday night at 9 PM EST on 88.1 WELH in Providence, broadcasting from Brown University. We're also simulcasting on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Public Reality Radio. If you're nowhere near RI anymore, it streams live at welh.net.

The point of the show is to discuss the opinions of atheists, secularists, freethinkers, and humanists as well as any other topics we can come up with that night. FTRI is an open forum, so you can call in at 401-863-9277 or send an IM using any client to bsrrequest.

We usually have very interesting shows, especially when the callers ring us up to attempt to debate us; the problem is, they have an erroneous conclusion about what they think we are and what they think we believe and/or say. If you would like to call us, don't be afraid. The phone may not work right, but give us a sec and we'll do the best we can.

If you're still reading at this point, don't forget about the poetry bash post before this one. I'd love your inspiration.

Invocations of the Muse

So I'm taking my Studies in Poetry class online for this session, and it will be a welcome 8 week period after the hell that is Accounting 101. So I thought I'd make this blog post an official poetry slam; leave one of your own works or one of your favorite poems in the comments. If it's not your own creation, please cite the author.

This one is my own; it has no name, but I wrote it with my story's character in mind.

The singular part of my being that is capable of destruction…
It seeks not love, nor hate, but blood.
It cares not for the sights my eyes have taken,
Nor for the songs my heart has sung.
The singular part of my being that is capable of reason…
It seeks not love, nor hate, but answers.
It cares not for what my heart shouts at it.
They must have deliverance.
Merging as one, the blade and the mind;
It dares transform its medium into something
Which is perhaps both hideous and beautiful at once.
I am ready for battle.
A parley will be a dance of death.

The Legend of Sylph Stridemoon - Chapter 4 - Tears of Flame

Our story continues.

---

There was but one sensation Sylph could comprehend when he came to: burning. Everywhere. His body was wracked with pain. The village around him was still slowly being reduced to ash.

He couldn't even stand to tap into the Ether... not just because his mind was torn from the pain, but because of the signals he was receiving.

Death.
Anguish.
Fire.

These were realities that he knew he had to face.

The most devastating reality was that he had actually failed the one mission he was given; to be Glenprice's Guardian. The town had fallen to the hands of a madman (if he could be called that... was he even a man?). Sylph had failed in his duties. His winning streak of battles had finally come to an abrupt halt. However, now was not the time to be worried about pride and battle scars.

The pangs of his body and will pleaded with him to give in, but Sylph's determination overrode both. Mustering up all the strength he had left, he finally came to his feet so that his eyes could witness the carnage that Gustach and his mob had left. It was far worse than he had expected.

Bodies, severely beaten or torn limb-from-limb, were strewn along the edges of the main street. What frightened Sylph the most from this gruesome scene was that there were no children. Many of the adults and elders weren't spared by any means; but Sylph couldn't see the children, alive or dead, anywhere. They were either kidnapped or exiled... he hoped they were safe, wherever they were.

Sylph again struggled to stay on his feet. He had to abandon this place and seek healing. Only then could he begin seeking justice.

He started trudging south. The local fiends weren't anywhere to be seen, perhaps either because Gustach's crew dispached them all or they were frightened by the fires. During the few moments of his trek where he could find a little bit of focus, he concentrated some healing power from the Ether into his wounds. It was merely enough to sustain him for a few hundred more yards. It wasn't enough. His will was completely drained... he had never experienced defeat like this before.

Is it like this every time? he thought. Where do I go from here? There are few who know about Glenprice... but there must be a reason I was sent to be that town's Guardian. There has to be a reason Gustach wanted that stone. There also has to be a reason he left me alive...

Exhaustion pulled him out of his reverie. He fell to his knees, clutching his side. The wounds in his back and sides weren't fully healed yet. The Ether gave two faint signals...

...purity...

There were two peculiar-looking creatures heading his way... large, yellow, and by the look of it, very fast.

Chocobos... I haven't seen those in ages...

Beckoning to the riders, who seemed to both be cloaked in white, he fell once again, exhausted.

Heeding his silent plea, the chocobo-riding priests immediately rushed to him and, with team effort, laid his body across the back of the saddle on the larger of the two mounts.

"A red mage," one of the priests noted after being the first to mount his empty bird.

"Indeed, Markus. He's injured... this is clearly not a good sign," the other replied, turning his bird back in the direction from whence they came. Markus followed suit.

"Do you think he's coming from that burning village?"

"I'm inclined to believe so, brother. Let us quickly get him back to the Basilica so he can be nursed."

Markus gave his chocobo's reins a shake; a "Wark!" and a few chirps emanated from the birds in joyful devotion, and they were off.

How to Make a Right Turn

It seems that nobody in this state can do even the simplest of driving tasks. So once again, read, so that you are without excuse.

How Not to Make a Right Turn

1. Start to turn left, and give any drivers behind you the impression that you will be continuing in that direction.
2. Assume that other drivers have telepathic abilities. After making your left-hand swerve, turn sharply to the right, regardless of any vehicles that may have mistakenly made the assumption that you are continuing to the left and will pass you on the right.
3. Your turn signal should never be a part of this operation. Remember, it is not needed; other drivers are assumed telepathic.

How To Actually Make a Right Turn

1. If a sharp right turn will not be sufficient, position your car beforehand at a far enough distance from the turn so that it is not necessary to swerve left before making it.
2. Flick your turning signal lever up, informing other drivers that you intend on turning right.
3. Slow down approaching the turn,  keeping your turning signal on. Again, do not first turn left, as other cars may pass you from this side.
4. Complete the turn, and repeat from step 1 as needed.

A need to read this applies to about 45% of you, I'm sure.

Mage Chronicles Game Reviews: Final Fantasy XIII

How do you save a world... that doesn't want you in it?

That's right. You read that title correctly. "Game Reviews." Plural.
I've done them before, and I'm going to continue doing them. The last review I did was on Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, and before that Final Fantasy X. This time, I'm doing a review of Square Enix's latest magnum opus, now available for the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3. I have not completed the game yet, but I have made progress on Disc 3 and I feel I can make a fair enough evaluation given all the hours I have put into the game so far.

I will not abandon my standard format, but I'm going to go a little out-of-order for the sake of priority.

Story: 9/10
It's almost like FFX, but on a broader scale. Your 6 protagonists are not very dynamic characters, but like the other games, you come to want to identify with each of them.

This marks one of the first times in Final Fantasy history that the main protagonist is female. Her name is Lightning, and it's a fitting moniker; her sharpness of character and gameplay abilities will attest to that. After learning that her younger sister, Serah, was turned into a l'Cie, Lightning vowed to rescue her from her fate.

A l'Cie in this game is a cursed fate; you are branded with a mark somewhere on your body and are given a Focus to complete by your bestower, a Fal'Cie. You gain the ability to use magic and summon Eidolons. However, fail to complete your Focus and you become a monster. Complete your Focus and gain eternal life in a crystallized state. Because of their magical abilities and an applied stigma by Cocoon's government, the Sanctum, l'Cie are feared beings and regarded as demons.

The very nature of this idea is what drives the story forward and intertwines the fate of your motley crew.

Serah's fiancé, Snow, is also aware of her captivity, but there is some bad blood between him and Lightning. This dynamic makes for some interesting conversations.

Tagging along with Lightning on a one-way ticket to Pulse (the perceived realm of 'hell', but I won't spoil anything) is Sazh, a former pilot who carries a chocobo chick in his afro. He seems to be the comic relief, but you can definitely identify with him as the pessimist.

The three of them eventually run into Hope, a young boy. He becomes intertwined in the whole mess when he witnesses Snow unwillingly letting his mother fall to her death. He blames Snow for this, and embarks on a quest for vengeance with the support of his new gal pal Vanille.

Vanille is the uppity, all-too-cheerful type. You cannot help but absolutely adore her, though. Her role in the situation is also a huge spoiler, so I will not divulge it here.

Finally, there is Fang. Fang accompanied Vanille to the floating world of Cocoon, and now that they are separated, she is seeking Vanille out.

Early in the game, Lightning and her companions are all branded as l'Cie after challenging the Fal'Cie Anima, the one responsible for cursing Serah (who only moments before fulfilled her Focus). From there on out, the plot thickens, thins, twists, turns, and all the while will keep you on your next objective.

Gameplay: 9/10
If you like going in straight lines, you'll love this game. The unfortunate thing about the plot is even after you've reached Disc 3, you only get a glimpse of free-roaming bliss; until then, you remain on a very linear exploration path. This means that you only get one shot to find all the treasures in your current area. However, there are ample opportunities to powerlevel, and thankfully battling is enjoyable.

Final Fantasy XIII retains an active battle system similar to previous titles, but this time is a whole new innovation in party management. Your party leader (the only one you control in battle) has something called an ATB gauge. (the long, left-hand bar in the picture above) Each slot holds an ability, which is queued up. As soon as a target is selected, you automatically perform the commands you have entered. The great thing about this is the Auto-Battle command that is the default first selection; you don't have to manually select abilities to queue up each time. This leads to the next great innovation (and yes, there's quite a few of them in battling alone); the AI. When you have determined enemy weaknesses, your AI-controlled party members will automatically adjust their abilities to exploit them and grant you helpful status changes. Healing is also done in the best priority.

Attacking isn't just about doing damage, either. An important factor in battling is the Chain Gauge, a yellow meter above your target's HP bar. The more hits you land, the higher the gauge rises, with magic-users increasing and standard attacks maintaining the chain. (The gauge decreases after each hit.) Once this gauge reaches maximum, your enemy will enter a Stagger, and may not counterattack at all until this state is over. It's the best time to start pummeling on the damage, and this can usually be done with Paradigm Shift.

Each character in your party has assigned Roles, which are granted a limited number of abilities at a time. For instance, Commandos deal high attack damage, while Ravagers do the spellcasting. Sentinels draw enemy attacks and defend, and Medics are pretty much exactly what you think they would be. Putting a particular set of roles together is called a Paradigm, and has a particular use in battle. Paradigms can be changed on the fly in the middle of battle, called a Paradigm Shift, simply by pressing LB/L1 and choosing one from the deck you created beforehand. Learning to Paradigm Shift effectively will help you exploit enemy weaknesses and end battles quicker.

What is also unusual about this game is that you can go all-out on a near-suicidal finishing strike; your party automatically returns to full health after each battle. One less thing to worry about.

Almost like the Sphere Grid of FFX, you develop your characters by expending gained CP in each character's individual Crystarium. These unlock new abilities for each role and increase each character's attributes. This is easier for the three primary roles each character has, and more expensive for the secondary ones. It is an intuitive party management system and adds greatly to the game's overall ingenuity and challenge.

Sound: 10/10
You will hear neither hide nor hair (I know, that doesn't make any sense. Shut up.) of your favorite composer, Nobuo Uematsu, in this game. In his stead is Masashi Hamauzu, who did an excellent job with the music. Some of it is actually relaxing; at other times, it's almost as epic as "One-Winged Angel". The battle theme isn't at all grating, and is actually very enjoyable to listen to.

Graphics: 9/10
What can I say? The game obviously makes full use of each system's capabilities, and all environments and characters are rendered with alarming precision. All of it is incredibly beautiful, and I've come to expect no less from the Final Fantasy series.

Overall: 8/10
After having played VII and X, everything just seems to pale in comparison, even on the next-generation systems. Most unfortunately, this one I can't make an exception for. However, because of my first sentence, I claim an unfair bias. If you're looking for a solid RPG and you've got a lot of time on your hands, I have to recommend that you do not pass this up. Final Fantasy XIII is loaded with gorgeous visuals, epic battling gameplay, and a story that will draw you in faster (and makes a hell of a lot more sense) than any Stephenie Meyer novel. I'm on Disc 3, and I know that I still have a long way to go before I milk this title for all it's worth.

If you're already a Final Fantasy fan like me, though, I can safely say it's a great next step in the series.

No, I take that back. It's a giant leap forward in the right direction.

The Texas Textbook Massacre

The Texas State Board of Education, if you haven't heard it in the news already, is the largest buyer of textbooks in the country. Textbooks that are bought by the Texas SBOE are usually used throughout the country in other state curricula.

That's the skinny. But here is why you should be afraid. Be very afraid. (emphasis added)

In recent years, board members have been locked in an ideological battle between a bloc of conservatives who question Darwin’s theory of evolution and believe the Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles, and a handful of Democrats and moderate Republicans who have fought to preserve the teaching of Darwinism and the separation of church and state.

Since January, Republicans on the board have passed more than 100 amendments to the 120-page curriculum standards affecting history, sociology and economics courses from elementary to high school. The standards were proposed by a panel of teachers.

“We are adding balance,” said Dr. Don McLeroy, the leader of the conservative faction on the board, after the vote. “History has already been skewed. Academia is skewed too far to the left.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html

If you click on that link there going to Don McLeroy's profile, you'll see that the man is a dentist and a fourth-grade Sunday School teacher. Oh yeah. This is the kind of guy that is heading up this school board.

Don McLeroy is a self-described fundamentalist Christian. This, alone, makes him completely unqualified to hold the position he is in. Fundamentalist Christianity is the very antithesis of everything involving education, science, and quite frankly any sort of reason. He is not alone, either.

There are seven members of the conservative bloc on the board, but they are often joined by one of the other three Republicans on crucial votes. There were no historians, sociologists or economists consulted at the meetings, though some members of the conservative bloc held themselves out as experts on certain topics.

The conservative members maintain that they are trying to correct what they see as a liberal bias among the teachers who proposed the curriculum. To that end, they made dozens of minor changes aimed at calling into question, among other things, concepts like the separation of church and state and the secular nature of the American Revolution.

Ay, there's the rub. These board members want to create a "balance" in history textbooks. Where have I heard this before?

Oh yeah. The whole "teach the controversy" nonsense that the Discovery Institute attempted to pull in 2005 before Dover v. Kitzmiller.

Listen, you buffoons on the board. Attempting to rewrite history to obtain some sort of "balance" is not only completely insane, it's dishonest and downright foolish. I go into more detail in episode 57 of Freethought Rhode Island, so have a listen to the show if any of you are interested. (We had a Baptist pastor call in... it makes for some very interesting conversation between me and this man, involving a purple fire-breathing dragon in my garage!)

What frightens me is that this attempted rewrite of history will likely be distributed to schools across the nation. Something needs to be done about the Texas Board of Education and fast. I do not want my son going to school without learning about Thomas Jefferson, the man who penned the Declaration of Independence and who practically invented the separation of church and state.

...a concept, apparently, that conservatives don't even realize protects them.

The Legend of Sylph Stridemoon - Chapter 3 - Stand and Fall

For those of you following along, here is chapter 3. Enjoy.

---

Sparing no time in their assault, they immediately rushed Sylph much like the first thief.

"Ah, they seek an encore," Sylph taunted aloud, and began parrying the incoming onslaught of haphazard slashes and spins. The men were faltering... not only because of their lack of combat prowess, but their astonishment at Sylph's seemingly non-human agility.

Taking advantage of holes in their attack patterns, Sylph managed to disable each man with one swooping, elliptical slash.

"You're making this far too easy, Gustach," he taunted once more. Gustach, however, stood there grinning. He didn't say a word; he simply snapped his fingers a second time. The number of minions that attacked him the first time was now increased by a factor of three. Two of them again had the same pair of ring blades; the others wielded swords and short spears. Sylph slowly backed away, feigning trepidation.

"Again, Gustach. You are making this far too easy."
Sylph eyed the group before him, all the while tapping into the destructive energy of the Ether. Stretching out his offhand and raising it to the sky, he manifested the energy in lightning bolts that easily found their targets in the group before him. They all fell at once. Their bodies, sprawled on the ground, emitted faint traces of smoke.

Gustach clapped twice. "I'm impressed, mage. You are quite the showman. I'm afraid, however, that I am going to have to ask you to take your bow. If you do not, then I must again warn that there will be dire consequences."

"I'm assuming that you're ordering me to surrender, which can mean one of two things. Either you think you can overpower a Red Mage of the Royal Order, or you're actually intimidated. Take your pick."

Gustach scowled at this retort. "This ends now." He snapped his fingers twice in succession, and this time a single slender figure emerged from the crowd brandishing a peculiar weapon. It was actually a little taller than the entity that wielded it; a curved pole with a long, deadly curved blade at one end. The other end was sharpened to a point. Its wielder was fully wrapped in shadow, or black garments, or something... Sylph couldn't tell. He attempted to keep his concentration on the figure's eyes, the only revealed portion of the body. They were red, like the others, but they were strangely alluring. Given the body structure of the figure, Sylph deduced that they were indeed feminine.

The dark group surrounded the pair, but left plenty of room for battle. This was no longer just a demonstration; it was a concert.
The shadow fighter was the first in an attempt to strike... the weapon had a longer reach than Sylph had expected. Had he not dodged in time, his bowels would have gushed out.

His dodges, counterattacks, and spells seemed to be useless... even after succeeding with a freezing blast to the shadow fighter's leg, she broke free and continued her assault. It was as if she had all the energy in the world to spare.

Sylph, however, did not. Tapping into the Ether too many times ate away at his will to continue fighting. His rapier was far too short to get inside the range of the weapon that the shadow fighter brandished.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his back. Everything went dark. The Ether no longer pulsed.

...had he lost?
Did he give up?

He did not see her strike...
...Gustach...
...the village...

________________________________________

Sylph awakened later on... he did not know how much time had passed. He was lying on the ground, yet he could not open his eyes. He still felt the pain in his back. He knew that coming to his feet would be difficult, but necessary.

The Ether was quiet.
It was warm.
The temperature was steadily rising.
Sylph finally opened his eyes.
The sky was no longer black, but red, and laden with flying embers.

The Legend of Sylph Stridemoon - Chapter 2 - Incipient Demise

No response so far to the first chapter, but I'll keep up hope that someone's reading this. Here's chapter 2.

---

"Everyone… hide."

The villagers didn't need to be told twice. They scattered, grabbing the children and quickly retreating to shelter. Sylph remained in the road.

The clouds billowed and the skies grew ever darker until it felt like nightfall, even though it was midday. The Ether pulsed once more, yet again darker. It was a lingering feeling of death, and it began to permeate everything within his immediate vicinity.

Then he saw them... many of them. They approached the town and brought with them a foul, Ethereal stench of death. There were at least twenty; however, this was all he could count from where he was standing in relation to the edge of town. They were all dressed differently, but that is where the uniqueness ended. They were swaddled in robes, rags, and tunics of black and dark brown. Their heads, when not covered by turbans (at least, Sylph thought they were turbans), were covered by short, spiky grey hair. It was their eyes that caught Sylph's attention... they were red. It was both beautiful and haunting at the same time.

The tallest one seemed to lead the pack. He was an elder gentleman, but even with a few signs of aging on his visage, it was apparent by his build that his age was not going to be too much of a factor. He was the first to speak; his voice had a grainy timbre but deep intonation.

"Ah. Just one guardian, is it?"

"This town only needs one guardian," Sylph boasted in reply. "Why are you here? What do you seek with this place?"

The tall one marched the group into the center of town, and not too far away from where Sylph stood. They all eyed him maliciously; Sylph was careful not to return the stares. He kept his luxuriantly plumed hat dipped.

"You have something that we want," the dark one said. "But before that, I think it would be slightly rude not to introduce myself."

"I couldn't agree more," Sylph interrupted with a hint of indignation in his voice.

"I am Gustach, of the Necrati tribe. These are my, uh, comrades," he said, gesturing to the snickering folk to his rear. "And what name does this town's solitary guardian go by, so I may brag of it to my next of kin?" he asked sardonically.

"Sylph Stridemoon, of the Royal Order of Red Mages," Sylph replied, masking rising anger.

"Royalty, is it? Well. I had best watch my step, lest your royal boots be stepped on. Would not want that happening."

Sylph ignored this taunt. "Again I ask you, Gustach. What do you seek with this place?"

"Ah, yes. That. You see, I believe you have something I... we... want."

"I can guarantee you that there is nothing here that could generate the interest of a man of your caliber."

"If that were the case, I would not be standing here before you, no? This may seem very superficial of me, but I'm seeking a gem. A ruby, specifically." Gustach paused and grinned. "Much like the one you have in your possession right now."

Sylph was astonished, and it took all he had to hide this shock. He tested Gustach's claim. "I have no such item. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't lie to me, Stridemoon. We've only just met. That's bad etiquette, you know. It's right there, in that pouch." Gustach raised a finger, pointing to the very pouch that contained Sylph's new artifact.

"All right, then. Why do you want it?" Sylph replied.

"That, I'm afraid, shall have to wait until another day to be answered. All I can say is that you shall see soon enough. Just hand it over and there will be no trouble."

Sylph didn't trust these people. The Ether pulsed again, and Sylph could sense obvious malicious intent. "You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands," he said.

"That can be arranged." Gustach snapped his fingers, and a younger man emerged from the mob sporting a shining dagger.

"I'm a professional thief," the young man said, "so your valuable will be relieved from you painlessly. That is, unless, you would like to do this differently."

"Come near me with that thing and you'll not only lose it, but your hand along with it," Sylph threatened back.

This was no empty threat, as the man quickly found out. He lunged at Sylph's waist; Sylph easily sidestepped this clumsy attack. In one quick movement, Sylph brushed aside the cloak that concealed his rapier, unsheathed it, and in one swift, downward stroke, sliced his attacker's hand clean off. The thief screamed in agony.

"That's a shame. Such a beautiful knife you have there, and now you can't even use it," Sylph said nonchalantly.

Gustach was outraged. "Kill him," he commanded, and two other minions appeared from behind him, each wielding a ring blade slightly larger than a tambourine.

Sylph flourished his blade. "Let us dance."

Our Story Begins

For quite a while now, I've been working on a story that is a part of the Final Fantasy universe. It's called Mage Chronicles, but now that's the name of my blog, so I guess it's now called The Legend of Sylph Stridemoon. It's a fantasy tale about the titular red mage, a powerful and agile spellcaster who harbors a secret so powerful that he must discover it to save his world. I already have 5 chapters in the works, but I think I have an idea of how I want to keep continuing the story. Please have a read, and if you're interested, have any questions, or suggestions/critiques, leave them in the comments below. I've enjoyed writing it so far, and will post subsequent chapters once I know how many readers I have.

So, without further ado, here is chapter 1 of The Legend of Sylph Stridemoon, "Ill Omen".

---

It was a busy day for the village. The weather was relatively pleasant; it was warm, slightly breezy, and sunny. The ground was damp from a fresh rain the day before. It was not unlike any other day in Glenprice, as every family living there was self-sufficient. They only ate what they could cultivate. Trading between neighbors never ceased. It seemed to pulse with youth; children played in the roads, chasing chickens, rodents, and anything else that always managed to stay one step ahead of them.

A group of kids had gathered in the road, following a man clothed almost entirely in red. His long, white locks of hair caressed a youthful face... despite the color of his hair, his age had not gone past his twenties. He was tall and slender, and walked with a slow but purposeful gait, unhindered by the children almost trampling his heels.

"Please, Sir Stridemoon, tell us again about the Ether!" one cried.

"Yes, yes! That stuff is fascinating. Especially how you set stuff on fire."

"Nuh-uh, it's not as cool as when he turned that bug into a block of ice."

A smirk crossed the man's lips. Whether this was amusement or viciousness could not easily be determined; the brim of his hat was dipped so low, his eyes were nearly invisible. He chuckled and eased the tension.

"The Ether isn't just about casting spells, you know," he said to all of them. The children immediately stopped arguing; it was rare that their mage friend actually started a dialogue. "It is the magical force that binds all. To know it, you must be one with it. Interweave it with every fiber of your being. You must feel it. Taste it."

He was immediately interrupted. "What's it taste like?"

"Shut up, Kento!" came from one of the others. He chuckled again, and the children followed suit in laughter.

"Hey, Sylph!" the old town jeweler called from his shop across the road. The mage quickly bade farewell to the children, who lamented his leave with a collective groan and commenced arguing about his few insights about the Ether.

The jeweler held up a bright red gem, roughly the size of his own fist. "You got yourself a genuine Cornerian ruby here, Sir Stridemoon," the jeweler said, taking another look at it through his magnifying monocle. "It's a large specimen, too. Don't know where you found it, but I've never seen one this big and nearly flawless. There's a few scratches, but they're hardly noticeable." He handed it to Sylph, who immediately pocketed it.

"Thanks, Zoah. How much do I owe you?" he asked, reaching for the money pouch at his waist.

"Your gil is no good here, mage. You're the town guardian... I should be paying you for bringing me such a treasure to look at! Why, that fine gem will fetch you quite a money sack at the Capital Market."

"Heh... I would think so, but this isn't for sale," Sylph replied, patting the other pouch that held the gem. "I've other intents for it."

"Well, do what you like. Personally, I could use the money."

"I am in gratitude for your services, Zoah. Have a pleasant afternoon."
Zoah waved him off and trudged back into his shop.

As Sylph walked down the road back to his abode, he studied the ruby. It had a faint, ethereal glow to it. The Ether showed him that this particular gem radiated a small aura. It was peculiar, to say the very least. In all his travels, he had never seen anything like it. "My friend at the Capital Market may be able to help me utilize this," Sylph said to himself.

As he touched the doorknob to his abode, the Ether suddenly pulsed. Deep, billowing clouds suddenly began to form overhead. He released his hand, and his other gripped the hilt of his rapier. He moved out to the middle of the road. Other villagers noticed his trepidation, and out of curiousity stopped what they were doing to watch him as he bowed his head in concentration. Eventually the other villagers in the vicinity looked skyward, noticing the clouds forming. It was an unusual phenomenon... the skies were clear a few moments ago.

Sylph felt the Ether pulse again.
Stronger.
Darker.
Something's coming...