söndag 27 september 2020

Byleifs fiskefänge del 9/10


 Vad var detta för en ö som rökte?
Vad var detta för en gyllene ö fylld av armod?
Vad var detta ekande vrål över nejden?
Vad är detta mod som bultar i hjärtat?
Den sista kungasonen sade till Bylief
En drake kommer att ärva min tron
Han har kämpat för den i tio led
Jag kan ta och handskas med honom!

Byleif klättrade upp på berget
Där draken bodde för att förgöra den
Men han lyckades inte utan vänners hjälp
Tillsammans byggde de ett skepp som sköt och
Drog den i svansen ner i havet men gruvan dök
Men se! All aska blåste bort från ön
Och det blå regnade ned från ovan
Kan nu saker här växa när våren kommer?

 På nästa ö kunde man flyga och fara
Men på om det förelåg livsfara ville de inte svara
Fåglarna i luften vill bara vara
Endast jordbundna människor längtar till Imerts
Bista hjärnbark
Ändå, att testa var en lyxvara
Och inget som Byleif ville undvara
Han ville räknas engång till de odödligas skara

HOPP
Byleif klättrade upp för stegen
Hela ön var gjord utav trä
Rep ledde till trä som var fastgjord av järn
Uppe på platformen tog han så språng
Snabbare och snabbare mot förnärmelsens kant
Det gäller att flyga nu eller aldrig!
KRASCH

Denna sten restes av vanernas söner och döttrar
Urberg urgröpta
Urhus urhuggna
Efter kriget var inget som förr
Den onda ugglan slog all
Och reste sitt torn
Till himmelens spets
Detta läste Byleif på nästa ön

Aj
Sjung en sorgesång på deras egna språk
För vanerna som drevs till skogs
Till deras villa
Ve, ve, ve
Nu är saker som de är
Ingenting finns kvar att rädda här
Gott

Över skuggornas och farornas ö
Fällor och magi för att göra en sinneslö
Bak denna plats finns främmande vatten
Här lyser inte solvagnen av den stora katten
Byleif satt och fiskade och grunnade
Att komma hit till Elivågor vara blott få förunnade
Mot prickar på horisonten styrde nu färden
Medan avgrundens gastar fylkades vid härden

 Sju nålsticksöar fanns och Byleif genomsökte den första
På den andra fanns bara bläckfisk
På den tredje byggde människor och dvärgar
En undervattensbåt för att söka ljuset som sken
På den fjärde och den femte var byggd en landningsplats för flygön
På den sjätte fanns triumfens gafflar gömda
Den sjunde var bärsärkar och varulvars ö
På den första fanns återigen det han sökte

På denna ö fanns en trollkarls butik
Och han visade en mätare inuti
Denna kunde visa vad man sökte främst
Byleif stal då den och lämnade
Mot karlavagnen hade ödet valt
För att finna den stora val
Som skulle bli en boplats för Byleif
Den plats han aldrig skulle lämna

Knyt en knut med glödens sång
Kom med båten och låt mig passera
Sjung en sång till mjödens kol
Han dricker för land
Från Lärads grenar
Drick från en silverskål mens elden flammar
För den manliga månen blockerar all ondska
Som Durin söver


Låtom oss (Supersnabb)läsa Sonic (IDW) nummer 7

Återigen gör jag en supersnabb genomläsning av den senaste Sonic-serien medan jag funderar på något mer intressant att ersätta den med. Jag kommer inte att säga så jättemycket om själva serien utan istället visa några av mina favoritscener. 


Det borde vara förbjudet för någon som ser så löjlig ut som Robotnik gör att samtidigt lyckas se så skrämmande ut.


Så Robotnik var egentligen Metal Sonic. Betyder det att serien gör en adaption av Sonic heroes av alla spel? Jag minns att Archie-versionen av Sonic fick mycket kritik för att ägna sina sista nummer åt en jättelång adaption av Sonic unleash. Oh well. Jag måste säga att jag gillart.


Slutet av numret är i alla fall rätt fint och refererar slutet av Sonic Forces. Även om det spelet var både dåligt rätt spelmässigt och stundtals hade en väldigt töntig handling så var slutscenen när den mörka och dystra rebelbasen byts ut mot en vit hall och en blomma väldigt fin.

Permeter ruins Deep Rock Galactic part 4

 WHAT!? Praise the prowess of people-gods

of long axed dwarves in days sped by

We have heard, and what honour they won

Burgeously bohemians blusterly beer drank


Permeter, goddess of spring, is once again at it getting back at the dwarves of Deep Rock Galactic for killing her beloved insects. She does so by inviting her friends and drink all of the Deep Rock Galactic company beer, leaving the dwarves parched. 


This issue introduces three new drinkers:


Mim

A dwarven inventor and one part of the Niebelungar and Co companionship that controls the mines of icy Mt Nib of eastern Denugeira. He was driven out when his brother Alberich crafted a magic ring and took over the mines.


Mission control

The team manager of the four best dwarven miners of Deep Rock galactic. You may wonder why he helps out sabotaging the company he works for but as middle management he hates upper management with the burning passion of a thousand suns.


Steeve

A pet.

Today's drink is Red Rock Blaster:





 






: Oh, he is so cute!










: Muueeeeergh....

 : Like him? The boys brought him up from Hoxxes. Of course it is against regulations but who can say no to those beautiful...er...mandibles?











: Coochie-coochie-choo!










: I guess it is up to us to discuss the beer. How do you like it?






: It is like drinking a soda with extra froth but I haven't felt this healthy in ages!







: The red rock blaster have that affect on dwarves due to all the red sugar it contains. It is also highly addictive.





: Wait, what?


 : Steeve really likes it, too! Look, he can do tricks...









: Huraggggh!











: Oh, so smart!










: Well, this beer does nothing for me. Anyone else?






: I HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY!!!! I AM GOING TO DO LAPS!!!!!












: We are on a space station...









: Wheeeeeeeee!






: Okay, the next shift is coming up. I will have to ask you to leave now. And we will have to do without red rock blasters. Damn elite dives...

Everyone except mission control was thrown out the air-lock when Mim opened it to do laps.

lördag 26 september 2020

Sigtrygg burdotters profetior part 4



While Sigtrygg slept her son was making quite a name for himself. He was on strict order from his mom to be loving but firm with the populace of Vincinor. He was to win the battle against everyone that opposed him and all enemies, and hold great festivals of fire whenever the seasons changed. Eventually, he was to to toplle the temple of the gods and declare war on the wizards. Then, when the world was his, Sigtrygg would wake up and start Grangard anew. So it is sung:

Fivehundred floors, and forty above
Is the halls of the gods that is his
Of the mudded roofs and concrete
Is the one I know the most

While sleeping Sigtrygg laid down her cards:

The island of regret



This black island was blasted to smithereens long ago, and the ghosts of this cursed place still torture the men who are shipwrecked here. Now it seems like someone is coming to the island that knows what do do with it. He is not my friend, nor loyal to the giants. I will have to keep my eyes on him...he used to be the knight of wands.

Annabella



This woman is a very interesting specimen from the unexplored lands just south of Xuangzang. She has a mind of steel, but it does not lie in the direction of war. She is interested in architecture and art. She will die during the war, yet rise as a draugr. Her mind has changed. She will travel to the western country of Denugeira in order to find herself and new uses for her steel. The whole process will take four years, so it will already be done when I awaken.

The emerald island



The dwarves have always been a race unfortunate most. After the great war between the clans of Arkenfork and Durin in the mountains of Nib they travelled through the sandy countries and founded Ivaldesburg. They built things out of metal and rocks. They said no tyrants, no monopolies. Then the giants attacked. They buit ship and went northwest to the emerald island. Soon they will have to leave again, leaving all their riches behind. One of their kind will go to the north, enter Danjernavia and come out a hero on the floating continent of Beluga.

Shebaz



Ah, a kindred soul. This queen of a small country in the east seeks magic. Not to protects her country, not because she wants power but simply because of the art. I do not know if she will get what she seeks and how it will affect the was but I know that she is already an accomplished woman. Strange...the number that the high priestess usually seeks out is 3, or 9...or 3+1. But what she seeks out is six. A incomplete number. Perhaps she is more dangerous than I thought?

Huldraful



After the giants were driven from Jotunheim the only thing remaining the mountains north of Bjarmaland were the elementals. They called the land Huldraful and settled in, making friends with both the remaining dwarves of Mt Muspel and the men of the southern forests. They will grow in might and their tribe will flourish. Mostly by staying out of the war. 

söndag 20 september 2020

Overwatch Comic Review: London Calling


Blizzard has published a new comic in their Overwatch series, promising an installment a month for the foreseeable future. Sadly, the Overwatch comic series never were particularly good, reaching their nadir with some truly embarrasing short stories.

That said, if Blizzard actually manages to squeak out an issue a month and actually keep up that schedule I will read them out of pure schadenfreude.


This was supposed to be BI-MONTHLY



To speak of what works in the comic, I gotta say that the actual story of the comic is really interesting. The writers of the comic at least realized that one of the few missions in Overwatch that has some actual pathos is the one taking place in King's Row in London, where a robot ghetto has been created after the Omnic crisis.

Tracer meets up with another robot and is invited to the robot's home, where they bond over music. However, Tracer learns that fixing such a deep-rooted problem as a ghetto in the middle of a prospering city is not something that is easily solved by being all jumpy, happy and saying a catchphrase like she usually does.


 Dare I say the writing in Overwatch actually cares to be subtle for once? This scene is really good, where Tracer has just entered the ghetto and everybody gives her the stink-eye. Up to now Tracer has solved every problem with a smile, but for once it doesn´t work. And why would it? She used to be part of the very organization that defeated the robots and created this whole situation to start with. The aftermath with some of the robots outright telling Tracer that they don't want her help and should stay out of the ghetto is pretty good too. Unfortunately it turns into a shoot-out so that Tracer can have a moment of awesomeness and beat up some bad guys.



While I really liked the comic overall it does highlight one of the biggest problems with the Overwatch universe. So Overwatch is supposed to take place a hundred years from now, right? So when Overwatch released in 2016 it was year 2116 in the Overwatch world and now in 2020 it is supposed to be year 2120 in the Overwatch world. Pretty cool idea, but it leads to this weird cultural vacuum where nothing really happened for a hundred years, except for a robot war. People still reference things like The Ramones, Hasselhoff and cowboy movies that should be well before their time. This is expecially weird when it comes to the robots appropriating human culture. The scene where Tracer hangs out in the robot gang's house and listens to music is pretty sweet but the way the robots deny their own culture and only listen to old human music is very weird.


WARNING, EXTREMELY DUMB COMPARISON BELOW

It would be as if the jews in the old Vienna ghettos were simping for British culture.

"Oh, the works of Shakespear is my favorite"

"Yeah, the merchant of Venice is soooo good"


How I feel this scene should have played out is this:

Tracer is invited to the robot ghetto, where she listens to some robot music. She recognices The Ramones influences and marvels at how a robotic band can be influenced by other artists and create their own thing, just like human artists always have. This gives her and the reader a deeper understanding of the omnics and that they are now sentient beings instead of murderous weapons of destructions. But I still have high hopes for this new comic series and look forward to the next installment.


In conclusion: