DotA 2

Over the past few weeks, I have regained the enthusiasm for DotA that I once had when I first heard about the game. I remember being an overly eager and curious pest after my brother told me about the new War Craft 3 custom game map. It's been a long time since that day, and I have now forgotten what the original game looked like. As a tradeoff, I now have a great deal of information on its successor, Valve's DotA 2, safely stored in my unreliable memory bank.

The idea of this particular game concept went against most of my personal gaming principles at first. I'm not the kind of person to play competitive multiplayer and I sure as hell didn't like the concept of not being able to hold on to a permanent trophy as a reward for countless hours of gaming. Playing too many MMOs taught me that one ought to be able to show off their roster of high level characters and rare equipment to indicate the amount of dedication that they have put into a particular game.

The reservations that I held on to previously were, to an extent, resolved with the arrival of DotA 2. While technically a free-to-play title, DotA 2 provides its players with the option to personalize their in-game characters through purchasing or earning custom items. Players also gain experience and their levels through the completion of various matches and game modes. The number of victories are also documented in their own DotA 2 profile. These characteristics allow the tracking of performance throughout a player's DotA 2 career. In other words, the game has created mechanisms that allow people like me to show off their accomplishments (or lack thereof).

I don't really know why I became interested in playing this game again. It's a good thing that it has an option to play against computer controlled bots available. This is pretty much the only game mode that I play. I suppose it makes me a wuss, but I don't think I can do very well against other players yet (I suck). And I hate losing.

End of 2013

Alright. It's only a few more hours before the clock strikes midnight. What I'm really looking forward to isn't the fresh start of the yearly cycle, but the food. It's always the food.

Here's to hoping that 2014 will be another year full of music, coffee, and "other drinks".

Refresher

Ho.

A really powerful typhoon passed through the country recently. I haven't read the overall damage and casualty reports, but it's a good thing storm kind of ignored Cagayan de Oro. The people here were pretty restless, thinking that another Sendong/Pablo event would occur. The mid section of the country was supposedly pretty badly hit.

---

I haven't been able to update as much as I wanted to. I need to shift my time expenses from idle internet browsing to writing new posts. Even with all the work I've been doing, I still have quite a lot of time on my hands.

It's been a while since the last time I played Monster Hunter. I've been a bit busy with Rune Factory 4 and Rocksmith 2014. The multi-weapon mastery challenge has been put on hold as of the moment, but I hope to finish it before they (hopefully) localize Monster Hunter 4 for western audiences.

As for the music side of things, I'm glad to say that I haven't been slacking off too much. Thanks to the new Rocksmith game and the inspiration drawn from Sakamichi no Apollon, I managed to give my guitar skills a bit of polishing. I'm planning on getting my own bass ax but it would be wise to think over any plans to buy one more thoroughly.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate: G Rank Armor Sets

UPDATE: Apparetly, the site used to host the images is no longer there. I apologize for not being able to supply the previews anymore, since I don't have a backup of the images.

Hello. I haven't been able to update in a while. I've been busy with work and Monster Hunter. Mostly MH though.

I have come across a nice reference as to how G rank armors look like. I've been playing MH games for a while now, but I was still surprised to know that majority of the armor sets for G rank monsters were different from their Low/High rank counterparts.

Note: on armor names

(Armor Name) - Low Rank Version

(Armor Name) S - High Rank Regular Species Version

(Armor Name) U - High Rank Subspecies Version

(Armor Name) X - G Rank Regular Species Version

(Armor Name) Z - G Rank Subspecies Version

In this post, I'm going to list down the armor sets that I find to be cool or badass looking out of all the offerings. I'll also include the total number of required resources and materials to complete each set.

(Click on the images to enlarge, click on item names for monster/quest sources and carve rates)

Preview arrangement: Male BM | Male Gunner | Female BM | Female Gunner

JAGGI X

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Imperial Frill - 4

G. Jaggi Claw + - 7

Jaggi Scale + - 6

Eltalite Ore - 11

G. Jaggi Piel - 11

G. Jaggi Hide + - 8

Avian Stoutbone - 7

Fucium Ore - 7

Fey Wyvern Gem - 1

G. Jaggi Head - 1

--------------------------------------

BARIOTH X

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Hvy Amber Tusks - 4

Barioth Fur - 14

Barioth Cortex - 14

Cryo Sac - 6

Barioth Lash - 5

Lrg Wyvern Stone - 1

Lagombi Fur - 6

Barioth Talon - 4

Monster Slogbone - 3

Lagombi Auricle - 4

Crushing Fang - 2

--------------------------------------

NIBELSNARF X

 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Nibel Cortex - 15

Nibelsnarf Talon - 7

Nibelsnarf Piel - 9

Giant Fin  - 2

Dazzling Fluid - 8

Avian Stoutbone - 2

G. Wroggi Hide + - 3

Imperial Beak - 2

Lrg Wyvern Stone - 1

Monster Slogbone - 3

G. Wroggi Piel - 4

Brilliant Fluid - 4

--------------------------------------

BARROTH X

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Barroth Chine - 11

Barroth Cortex - 9

Barroth Crown - 4

Avian Stoutbone - 4

Barroth Talon - 6

Prized Pelt - 6

Monster Slogbone - 4

Barroth Lash - 1

Massive Bone - 3

G. Jaggi Piel - 2

--------------------------------------

DURAMBOROS Z 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Duram Hardhorn - 4

R. Duram Shell - 23

Duram Sacrum - 1

Purecrystal - 1

Marbled Hump - 8

Lrg Wyvern Stone - 1

Prized Stomach - 3

R. Duram Hardtail - 2

Hard Mossplate - 5

Crushing Fang - 3

R. Duram Plate - 7

Durambolite - 1

Arzuros Allbrace - 3

Monster Slogbone - 3

--------------------------------------

GIGGINOX X 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Revolting Piel -5

Nightmarish Maw - 3

Gigginox Piel - 19

Toxin Sac - 5

Gigginox Talon - 4

Foul Venom Gland - 9

Purecrystal - 1

Gigginox Claw + - 2

Fey Wyvern Gem - 1

Monster Essence - 6

G. Baggi Piel - 4

--------------------------------------

LAGIACRUS X 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Lagia Hardhorn - 2

Lagiacrus Piel - 13

Lagia Sapphire - 2

R. Ludroth Shard - 6

Lagiacrus Mantle - 1

Lagiacrus Flail - 3

Barioth Fur - 4

Lagiacrus Talon - 6

Deathly Shocker - 8

Lagiacrus Shard - 14

Lightning Sac - 5

Purecrystal - 1

If I find time, I'll do a complete list of all the G rank armor sets. If you spot any mistakes, please comment so I can edit it immediately.

Small Update

I haven't been able to post anything lately. I'm not really bogged down by work or anything, I just can't seem to finish my half-baked writings. I suppose I should use the occasional office down time to write instead of just passive mining.

I started with my new job just this month. As liaison officer, I am tasked with inter-office communications between the Climate Change Commission and local partners for Project Climate Twin Phoenix in R-10. It's something new to me, but the work is contributing to a worthwhile cause.

Practice with the guitar has been slow but steady. There hasn't been much improvement compared to the speed at which I learned when I first started, but that's because I hit the barre chord wall. The good thing is that my barre chords don't sound as dead as when I first tried doing them. I'm trying to keep myself from buying another guitar (since it's really unnecessary, just GAS). Maybe I'll just buy mods for Ceres, but it's a bit difficult with the very limited selection in CDO or even Davao.

I also bought a new harmonica! Playing this harp is way more challenging compared to the past ones I've used. The clean and clear sound more than makes up for it though, and I'm actually starting to get used to it. I even bought a holder for simultaneous use with a guitar. Getting addicted to music and music instruments can be a bit addictive, so I better watch my spending.

What's Up

Progressing quite nicely with the guitar. I can now do a faster chord change from open chords to a barre chord. I managed to improve my chord change speed by using chord pairs and a metronome set to 60 bpm. I'll be posting a complete write-up of the exercise I used within the next few days.

I finally bought the Treasure Adventure Game soundtrack from Bandcamp. It's a really well done collection of music that helped build up my love for the game. Here's where you can buy it. On a related note, I just learned today that the creator of TAG is making an HD remake of the game. It comes with new features and extended gameplay. The title is going to be Treasure Adventure World and it is currently in production through a joint effort between Robit Studios and Chucklefish Games. I am definitely going to buy this game, and hope that it's released on Steam and/or GOG.

Here's the trailer:

The Guitar - A Beginner's Thoughts

Over the past few weeks I've been continuously practicing with my guitar. It’s been a little over a month since I bought my own electric, but I’m glad I can actually see some progress.  I started practicing again so that I could have a more ideal emotional outlet and time sink, but I have to be careful about turning this newly found passion into an obsession.

Ceres

It’s a good thing that this plan pushed through. I've been reconnected with my old playlist, rediscovering music by listening to the lead, rhythm, and bass guitar parts of the songs. Although I’m far from being good enough to play all my favorite songs, it’s still fun to be able to strum along or learn a few notes by ear. The thought of actually playing those songs perfectly is very enticing, which is good since I get extra motivation to practice.

There have been a few difficulties that I encountered since I started. These problems can be quite discouraging, and I've seen, read, and heard of beginners quitting because of them.

Barre Chords

F

Back in high school when I first tried (and failed) to learn how to play the guitar, this was the biggest obstacle. I tried repeatedly to press the strings but it still sounded pretty dead. It also hurt my wrists a lot.

I've only learned recently that applying a lot of pressure isn't necessary, but the proper application of pressure is. My wrist was strained by the somewhat semi-awkward hand position and the fact that I used my fingers to grip and squeeze the neck. When I tried pulling using my arm with my thumb and wrist controlling the application of force, I found it easier to do barre chords. They still sound dead sometimes, but that’s where practice and repetition come in.

On a related note, the B chord can go die in a fire.

Picking/Plucking

So easy to misplace these things

I’m not really one to give advice for this problem since I still pretty much suck at it, I've noticed that a few changes in approach of technique make practicing and playing more enjoyable and pain-free. I now make it a point to keep my right index finger under my thumb when holding the pick to prevent it from snagging strings during upstrokes.

Pinky Anchor

This was recommended to me by a friend who has far more experience playing the guitar than me. It’s supposed to help guide the player as to where the pick or picking fingers are located. It helps develop a sense as to which string the pick or finger is close to and how much distance is needed for it to reach the corresponding string for the next note.

Using the pinky comes naturally for most people, but I find it kind of restrictive. I end up using it as a stand for my right hand, which applies unnecessary stress to the finger. I have to keep reminding myself that I should keep it relaxed and use it only as a pivot and not a hand rest.

Neck Pains

For those times that you need to crane your neck around to see if you’re not messing up the finger placement or planning for the next chord progression. I’ve been having these pains a lot recently and I suspect it’s because I have developed the bad habit of looking at the fret board at an odd angle. Sometimes this habit also causes wrist pain because “lookers” like me tend to hold the guitar at an angle to get a better view of things.

This problem can be prevented either by using a mirror, which would also help develop a great sense of inverted direction, or by being constantly aware of your playing position and making corrections when necessary.

---

There are a whole lot more obstacles one can encounter when trying to master the guitar. Most are a bit more minor and some are only encountered only when a certain amount of skill or knowledge is achieved. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell these problems to go suck it when the time comes.

2012, 2013

Well, 2012 has passed and a new year has started. The last year was somewhat underwhelming on a personal level. I wasn't able to meet my year-end goals for physical fitness. I had a few experiences that threatened to knock me off balance. But I suppose having survived another year is a good thing.

I'm not particularly fond of new years resolutions. If you want to change something about yourself, why not do it the moment you realize it regardless of time and day? I understand how difficult it can be, so I suppose using the new year as a change motivator is a good thing. Too bad that most resolutions don't get fulfilled.

I've started some projects and I hope I can continue carrying them until they are finished or until I establish a lifetime commitment. These project will help keep me occupied, so I could prevent myself from brooding excessively and going all Edgar Allan Poe

• Guitar
• Drums
• Dream Log
• Writing
• Parkour

I also kind of miss being employed. But seeing as to how I don't really have any unreasonable cravings or a family to support, I can't seem to find motivation to find a job. This is a bit unfair for my family since I'm currently freeloading. I hope I can find a job this year since I'd like to help out with house expenses. Budget allocation is going to be a bit more challenging starting in a few months, since there's a baby on the way.

Dream Guitar

I know I just bought my own guitar, but I suppose it's not detrimental for one to fantasize every now and then.

Body:       Solid Narra
Build:      Les Paul
Neck:       Hickory
Neck Joint: Bolt On
FB:         Rosewood
Hardware:   Sterling Silver
Pickups:    H|H|H with 3-way selector
Frets:      22 
B/S:        Tune-O-Matic bridge | Stop tailpiece
Inlays:     Dot
Finish:     Matte/Gloss Mix Black

If I had even a decent amount of talent for drawing or visual art, I'd be more than happy to provide an image. Unfortunately, I don't so we're gonna have to settle for something within the limits of imagination.

Back From Trip

My brother and I went on a trip to Kabacan, Digos, and Davao last week. Kuya thought up the travel plan and it underwent many changes until the day of departure. Preparing the ube took a huge chunk out of kuya's prep time, but we managed to catch a bus a little late at about 3 pm on December 12. Once we arrived in Cagayan de Oro City, we saw that there were a lot of passengers like us who were hoping to catch the next (and apparently last) bus to Tacurong. It would be unusual to find such a crowd on a normal Wednesday, but I heard from some of them how they were stranded in Visayas due to the last storm that hit the country. Good thing I got in line in front of the ticket booth a bit early.

We went first to Kabacan for our aunt's retirement-birthday party where we also visited relatives from my father's side of the family. Having stayed there for about two days, I had just about enough time to absorb the changes that occurred during my absence. Most of the buildings from the school where I used to teach were freshly painted. I wasn't able to meet up with my old co-workers but I managed to see a class of Biology students who were now on their third year. Good thing they managed to pull through and stick together.

The room I used when I was still teaching in Kabacan

The Family

Digos was up next on our itinerary and by Saturday morning, we've managed to pack up and prepare for the ride. We went there with the main intention of taking home some of the wedding gifts we left behind last May. The local Gaisano mall had 20 kg kettlebells in stock, and I almost bought a decent looking guitar they had on display. We didn't buy the KB since it would overburden us on our trip back to Tubod and I managed to convince myself that there would be better guitar choices in Davao. We spent a night in Digos and rode a bus to our last major destination.

Walking around Davao wasn't as refreshing as on previous occasions, mainly because I already had something in mind that I wanted to buy. Right after we arrived, I started weaving my way through the shops and stalls inside the bigger Gaisano while kuya tried to get a room reservation. I found some guitars in the department store, but none of them really tickled my fancy and there weren't any music shops inside the mall (maybe we missed them?).

Having found nothing of note other than a fancy hat and a potential purchase of a tablet PC, we moved on to SM Ecoland. There we found what I was looking for. They had a package offer for a Washburn LP clone that came along with beginner essentials. I was already quite convinced that I would buy the package then and there, but reconsidered since we were still set to visit other malls. One other important discovery was that a Krispy Kreme store had recently opened there. Their donuts are really good but I'm quite thankful that I didn't develop any cravings after my first taste last year. After we had our snack, we went to the NCCC Mall where we found a music store that had contacts regarding saxophone repair. We weren't able to actually buy anything there, so we moved on to Abreeza.

Outside Abreeza

We were quite excited by the fact that they also had a Krispy Kreme store inside the mall, but we never managed to even enter it. I found three of the latest Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei english volumes and felt compelled to buy all of them even if they were a bit pricey. After finding no other offers that would beat the package offered back in SM, we hurried back there before it closed. Kuya was a bit disappointed because we weren't able to try eating at TGIF.

We went straight to the music shop with the Washburn package. After a bit of fiddling with the guitar (I had no idea what I was doing), I made the decision to buy it. We made small talk while testing out the electronic components and putting stuff inside the box. It had a discount supposedly because the tuner included in the package was defective. The box was surprisingly heavy, but I was more bothered by the fact that it was rather unwieldy to lug around.

Dinner aftermath

My brother advised me against opening the box at the inn but I couldn't help myself. Unfortunately, I was immediately let down because the amp's power plug didn't match the sockets inside the room we rented. Still, I was able to get a good feel of the instrument. Good thing kuya bought some tape, so I managed to put everything back together for the trip back home.

The ride back to Tubod would've been barely bearable had it not been for the interesting movies they played on the bus. The manga I bought also helped keep me from getting too bored. I actually had to tear open the guitar's box since I was too worried the the instrument would be damaged if left in the cargo hold. Being a noob at proper guitar handling, I managed to bump and bang the head against stuff which resulted in me getting pissed off by  my own incompetence. We arrived home safely, and by then I was too tired to put things in order but not tired enough to stop myself from trying out my new instrument.

Washburn WIN14B

The Guitar

The realization that I actually have more than enough time to acquire new skills pushed me to take up the guitar once again. I took a few guitar lessons during high school, but by the time I got into it again I had to basically start from scratch. I've been quite busy these past few weeks trying to re-learn the basics. It's a good thing my father left us two classical guitars. Using a classical/nylon guitar for practice can be somewhat challenging, but for the most part I seem to be making progress.

Father's classical Yamaha | First broken string

I remember the reason why I quit in the first place was because I couldn't really get a good enough sense of rhythm for strumming patterns. Having learned basic drum beats in college and watching my buddies play really helped me develop my rhythm. My guitarist friend isn't really that much of an instructor, but I followed his advice and started using an informal self-teaching method. By now I've already memorized a few chord sets and am trying to further improve speed and finger independence.

Right now I'm pretty much dead set on buying my own electric guitar. They have necks that make it much easier to perform barre chords. If I manage to gather enough funds by the end of the week, I may even be able to buy one before the year ends. I'm currently aiming to get a Les Paul or an SG but by looking at my budget range, I could say I won't get top-tier axes. I may have to settle for a knock-off or a more affordable model.

House Renovation

I thought they were just going to work on my room today, but they also tore off the living room's roof. My table was already moved from my room and I can't be bothered do drag it somewhere else near a power outlet.

It's a bit brighter than usual

Another shot

Since I don't intend to let my computer get cooked by the global warming enhanced heat, I made use of a few things to keep it in the shade.

Don't mind the huge arm, I'm just "bulking"

Nighttime Writing

You know how some people say that you tend to be more creative or have very stimulating thoughts right before you fall asleep? It may not be true for all of us, but it happens to me on most nights.

Something soothing comes from the thought of nighttime rest, helping me give more focus on thinking. My mind seemingly scrambles to deliver new messages like a student trying to frantically beat the deadline on a school project. I used to just let those messages fade away as I enter the realm of dreams. I thought it was too wasteful, so I found a nifty way to record them, all thanks to modern technology. Since it would be too bothersome to write stuff down using the more traditional pen and paper method, I just keep my phone within reach.

Most of these recordings make little to no sense, most likely because of the absence of context. Almost all of them are also riddled with errors, so you're gonna have to deal with it.

Some examples:

"Short stories, incoherent and without purpose. Whimsical compositions crammed into memory. They are to be reviewed or forgotten by an aimless creator."

"It made the great sages look like mindless fools, knowingly seeking out their demise."

"As we drew closer to the end, the beauty of it all was revealed to me."

This one is inspired by my frequent mall walking:

"There I was, making good use of precious time by walking around aimlessly. As what was usual with my trips to the mall, I paid little mind to the events that transpired around my person. When I do try to look around, my eyes fail me and my mind is momentarily subjected to a sense of confused elation. I often make the mistake of falsely identifying blurred profiles as faces of old acquaintances."

"He was thankful that time, in its indifference, allowed his anomalous existence to continue."

"The air was coldest where the bodies did not stir."

"My eyes were dry and I have been made drowsy by the glare of the phone, my makeshift journal."

"I found out that happiness has a shitty aftertaste."

"I won't pin my hopes on something as unlikely to happen as me becoming world overlord."

"- Capo

 - Cotton

 - Oil

 - E. Alcohol

 - Tissue

 - Lighter

 - Book

 - WD-40

 - Butterfly Knife"

On a related note, I find it easier to enter a lucid dream when strong thoughts occupy my mind right before sleeping.

Stuff To Do 2

It's been a while since my last post. Being disconnected from the internet was very inconvenient at first, but I still managed to adjust accordingly. Seitokai Yakuindomo keeps me entertained whenever I get tired of writing, playing video games or doing exercises. 

Much has happened during the past few weeks, and my life is starting to go in a direction that seems depressing but more practical. I'll be able to concentrate on doing the things I want to do because of fewer distractions. Looking back, what I was doing wasn't exactly healthy or productive for the both of us.

I'm starting to get a good feel with guitar strumming. Maybe in a year I'll be good enough to sing while playing. It also pays to review the core mechanics of drumming, and I'm working extra hard on making all my limbs react and move independently from each other.

I finally bought a sledgehammer. It only weighs 10 lb but it still tires me out after a couple of swings, which was the whole point of buying one. The bike is also being repaired and will hopefully be operational by next week. I'm currently sanding off the yellow paint to make way for the black coating (which I hope won't look too shitty).

Stuff To Do

So September ends with me writing nothing other than this little update post. We're trying to put more time into farm development and maintenance. With the new hut built, we'll be able to watch over the plants more closely.

I've also been busy with Torchlight 2 since the 21st, and I'm planning on writing a review and a short walkthrough for the game.

Inadequate Skill

I've been fooling around with my father's tools for quite some time now, but I still have much to learn about handling. Today I learned about the difference between the "tool" and "weapon" mentality. You realize this when you're holding something that could effectively injure or end a man's life when it was made to be used for entirely different purposes.

This was one of the last blades that my father ordered from the blacksmith. Made of steel from a truck's shock spring, the tool itself is supposed to be pretty sturdy. It doesn't actually have a pointed end, but its head is also made to be a bladed edge. Instead of a slash, this one inflicts a smash-cut. This is because of the heavy head, intentionally designed to emulate the ability of an ax to add force through its weight.

I wasn't able to do regular maintenance on this one and its fellow tools recently, so the rust is starting to form a new layer over the steel.

Today I managed to damage both myself and the tool. I was trying to cut down some weeds when the blade hit a small shrub's base and bounced off, making its way to my unarmored right foot.

Good thing the head only grazed the skin. It's more of a bruise instead of a cut. 

This incident further proves the need to be able to control the tool while using a great amount of force for application. I was swinging about like an idiot and I didn't expect something to deflect the blade. You'd think I already learned the lesson of the day. Nope.

The poor thing got smashed against  the face of an unseen boulder and a portion of the blade was chipped. I wasn't able to find the separated metal since the place was still weed infested. Serves me right for bringing along an incompatible tool for a specific job. I'll try to have this tool repaired or have another larger one forged (not as replacement). I'm gonna need to gather supplies before I start doing tool maintenance again.

State of Affairs

It's now August, and I'm months into my delayed after-grad rest period. I use that term, but it's basically glorified unemployment. As of this year's second quarter, I'm still semi-freeloading off of my family. My savings have almost been used up by now because of the occasional trips to Cagayan de Oro City. Despite being technically a NEET, I've actually been assigned some work on encoding data input. I'm still trying to gain momentum on this task.

I've been trying to keep myself distracted with books the past few months, but my biggest time sinks would be computer-related. First thing in the morning and last thing in the morning after, I sit in front of my poor, overworked laptop doing the most senseless of things. Sometimes I even run out of things to do on the internet despite having a lot of bookmarked webcomics and web articles.

The most recent distraction came in the form of another MMO, Dragon Nest. The game is quite fun, but maybe that's because everybody in the house plays it. I find it amusing how we willingly jumped into the MMO train once again after vowing to never excessively spend time and money on another endless grindfest. I have miraculously pulled away from the game (even if it's just for now) when I realized how we were starting to regress into the old college-day-gaming-binge period of our lives. I'm not going to really quit the game, but I'll try to spend less time on it while I work on real-life training (which has also been neglected).

Messy Weather

I usually don't mind  gloomy days, and I actually find the occasional rain somewhat relaxing. Despite that, there's something about this week's weather that makes me uneasy. Maybe it's because I'm not used to storms, having lived in a region where the occurrence of one is pretty rare.

It's been like this for almost a week now. The weather can't seem to stay in a single state for one whole day. The clothes we're trying to dry barely get enough exposure to warm weather. Power fluctuations occur regularly throughout the day. These outages are usually accompanied by water line shutdown.

It seems like the rain comes in waves, alternating between calm gloom and severe hosing. So far we caught the worst of it early this morning at about 3:00 am. The downpour was so intense that I could barely hear anything aside from my own voice. We managed to go to bed earlier than planned because the morning rain session caused another power outage.

I hope the northern areas are okay. Compared to what others may be experiencing, our town is actually quite fortunate. Another severe disaster like Sendong would further complicate the state of things in this very troubled country.

Endrin 1

The adventurer's footsteps were heavy and slow. "Dragging my feet along like this seems inappropriate for my image." He was a well-built young man. Tall and somewhat severe-looking, he had a strong air of confidence that was never mistaken as arrogance. He found a quiet place to sit under the shade of the town's largest tree. Thoughts raced around his troubled mind, adding to the confusion caused by what happened just a few hours ago.

The young keeper's voice still resounded in his head. "The gray legion has been sent far to the north. They won't be able to march back to the capital in time. By the time they arrive there, Gi would be long gone, leaving nothing but blood and fire in his wake." She would be more attractive if her voice wasn't so haunting.

Contemplating on what this implied, he started inhaling his lunch. The city has been left completely defenseless with the army sent to intercept the bulk of Gi's forces. He thought of everything that was left vulnerable. Women, children, even his favorite pub. He was surprised at how bitter his sandwich tasted.

Endrin liked to think of himself as a freelancer. He took pride in the thought of not being on some leash. But he was smart enough to know the truth. Somebody as powerful as him would need to be monitored, if not downright controlled. The kingdom lets him run around freely, and he lends them a hand whenever it was needed. "Fair enough.", He thought out loud. "At least they don't keep me in an arcane prison like Gi."

Gi wasn't as agreeable as Endrin was. He wasn't too keen on how they were being marked by the kingdom. He wanted to be completely free, but he was sealed away instead. "The irony of the situation may have provided him grim amusement; it would go along well with his seething hatred." Endrin would tell himself.

He never got to fight Gi seriously before. Maybe because both of them tried not to add too much craters to the countryside. He got up and slowly made his way back to the keeper's hall. "I have to hear that soothing voice of hers before I get this thing rolling."

First Listen: The Antlers - Burst Apart (2011)

It would be unavoidable to compare Burst Apart from Hospice, the latter being widely known as a great tearjerker. Since this was my first listen, I didn't have a background as to what the lyrics and themes were so I judged the album by its atmosphere. My opinion of this album will most likely change once I get to do a bit more research, since Hospice only managed to repeatedly make me cry after I learned its full story.

The musical presentation of Burst Apart came off as somewhat lighthearted and uplifting. It wasn't as haunting as Hospice, but it had the familiar feeling of melancholy tied to the songs. This song had me "bouncing to the beat" as compared to "swinging and swaying" that I usually do when listening to softer music.

Though it may lack certain elements from their most popular album, The Antlers made Burst Apart with a great atmosphere that clings to you and calls out to your curiosity.


Track Listing:

01) I Don't Want Love
02) French Exit
03) Parentheses
04) No Windows
05) Rolled Together
06) Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out
07) Tiptoe
08) Hounds
09) Corsicana
10) Putting The Dog To Sleep