Wrapped in Plastic Performance @ Skull Bar - Part 1

Yes, yes, I know what you dirty-minded kiddies think: plastic = latex, wrapped = bondage etc. Well, you are wrong. Wrapped in Plastic is a group of creative people, who draw their inspiration from theater and classic cabaret and marry it to the sound of underground music. They are performers, they are mimes, they are a dark and flashy circus of music and color. This time, their performance in Skull Bar (Ippokratous & Lambrou Katsoni, off Alexandras, for our local readers) told the story of a Victorian gentleman, his beloved marionette and the young woman who so resembles her ... or is it the other way around? The night was an event encased within an event. Under the premise of the "Mask Factory", people were supposed to show up either in elegant / Victorian style clothing or with some sort of mask and or simple disguise, just like in balls of the 18th and 19th century (my friends and I opted for a black and white theme, whereby I was all dressed in black and wearing a black mask, my one friend a white shirt and white mask and the third one an equal deal of both colors - not TOO imaginative but all the same).

As it turned out, quite a few people showed up and I was presented with ample opportunity for indulging my addiction to photography. Now, I could go on about how cool the show was, how well coordinated was the music, the dancing and how expressive the performers (those being, Evil Lolita, Black Rose and Pretty Hate Machine). However, I prefer to let them (or at least, their pictures) speak for themselves, as I proudly present you with the show called "The Living Dead Dolls Showcase"! This set includes some of the preparations and photos from the actual show, while the rest of the (way too numerous) pictures will be posted over this week. Stay with us now, for there is much to see of the Plastic Circus!

Evil Lolita.

Black Rose.

Pretty Hate Machine.

Before the Show...






The performers were even helping the revelers!

Don't give me that look! I meant
it in a good way!

Get ready...

(The) Set (ting)...


(Let's) Go!


As a haunting melody starts to play, light shines dimly upon the scene...

A Marionette...


...and he who loves her.



Look at them dance... A man and his
doll, in a world all their own...


But lo, over there! Who is she...?


...that calls him away from his doll...

...and soon takes her place?

But one, a lover's scorned heart
must fear...

...even if she be a doll...



...for she may wreak vengeance upon the one she holds dear.

Let us then, all be silent marionettes, our
strings cut...


...for a doll can always dance to the tune of its heart.

At that point, the performers threw off their masks and ran into the crowd watching, giving masks to anyone who didn't have or wasn't wearing one, making their audience part of the show and ultimately, symbolically, marionettes ready to dance. All the things written under the pictures are my own interpretation of what I saw and by no means the only way to look at this performance. Art is subjective: it means something different to every person. However, if you were there, I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did and if not, well, I hope my photos could give you a taste.

Of course, my photographic addiction did not end there but it seems I overdid it a bit today, so check back during the week for more, including posed photos of the performers, the rest of the Wrapped in Plastic members, Ergo Proxy and myself, as well as people I singled out for my own, peculiar reasons.

Cheerio and see you soon

Speedgrapher

Literary Section VIII - Part 2 - Eberron Review

Here we are then, with the second part of today's update, a review that has been long in coming. Our subject matter is the world of Eberron, created by Keith Baker for the 3.5 edition of D&D (now how silly does THAT read? It's a bloody pen and paper RPG, not a Microsoft software!) and more specifically, said author's novel trilogy, The Dreaming Dark, consisting of Vol. 1: The City of Towers, Vol. 2: The Shattered Land and Vol. 3: The Gates of Night.

Vol.1: The City of Towers.

A little background first: both Ergo Proxy and I have been ardent pen & paper RPG players, for over 10 years and, as can be expected, we started with what was known at the time as Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D) or, in recent terminology, D&D 2.1 and moved to 2.2, which really only expanded on some matters, corrected some glitches and generally offered more options for the innovative gaming group. At some point, in 2000, with the parent company of TSR having been sold to Wizards of the Coast (the guys who created Magic: The Gathering) and then Wizards, in turn, becoming property of Hasbro, some "bright" product manager decided it was time for closure on the old edition and a complete makeover. As much as people who started gaming with the 3rd Edition can probably not see it, it was a disaster, both in rules complexity and sterilization of content. It is a very long discussion but let us say that, suddenly, even die-hard Barbarian Class fans found themselves trying out Wizards, because "the spellcasters did more damage". Never mind the old settings they took out of circulation: gems like Planescape, Ravenloft and Dark Sun were "too complicated" until, by popular demand, their publishing was effectively leased to other companies, via the notorious Open Gaming License (OGL). Essentially, people wanted the old settings, so the companies re-published them with worse rules.

Now, the OGL was not bad in and of itself but it gave a leeway for people to publish any and every junk imaginable, cluttering the market with useless compendiums, upon supplements, upon accessories, some of which were not only an RPG disgrace but also a linguistic one. At some point, the people high-up took the hint and published Edition 3.5, which put some of the things in their proper order but still, no edition later than the 2nd can possibly reach the same quality, by continuing along the 3rd edition lines. Yes, we ARE being called old geezers in the RPG world but that doesn't mean we are wrong. Now, among the stuff that was published under the 3.5 flag, there is this amazing setting by "who-the-hell-is-this-cool-thinking-dude" Keith Baker, called Eberron.

Reasonably, one would wonder: "what makes Eberron so cool if it's being published under the rules you so despise?" Fair enough and the answer, forthcoming: to begin with, Eberron has its own systems for nearly everything, from magic to combat, to even races and a totally different outlook at the setting, than any other Campaign World. It was something I had tired (and failed miserably) to adapt to my own campaign: Steampunk. In effect, magic is regarded more as a science and as something to be combined with technology, rather than "an arcane mystery for the few initiates". Magic, other than its usual fantastic effects (Fireballs, Lightning Bolts, Necromancy, you know the drill), is very much utilitarian and mostly based on the knowledge and control one has over the 4 cornerstones of creation: Earth, Water, Air and Fire. In that respect, magic has an almost Platonic or Alchemical (in terms of philosophy) character in Eberron.

In a world where mechanical science and magic mingle so freely, it is evident that you end up with what is probably Eberron's most defining characteristic: Artifice. Artifice being the art of binding energy patterns into objects, in order to serve a particular function or produce a specific effect, it was only a matter of time until the creation of animated mechanical constructs became a reality. However, sentience itself and free will are nothing more than concepts, therefore can also be expressed with another sort of pattern or combination of patterns, albeit more complex. Someone either managed to specify, uncover or discover these patterns, leading to the creation of the living constructs, the Warforged. This in fact, is probably the most interesting axis along which the Eberron stories evolve, as well as a central theme of Keith Baker's trilogy.

The writer introduces us to his characters at the end of the bloody conflict that shortly thereafter becomes known as the Last War. Like both actual World Wars, it rages across an entire continent, called Khorvaire and again, is very similar in cause, scope, length and form, to our historical 100 Year War, with the difference of including Wizards, Warforged, Undead, Air Ships and what-have-you of the Epic Fantasy Steampunk genre. The central characters are introduced to us as members of the Cyran army, in one form or the other (Cyre is one of the nations of Khorvaire). We have the human Captain Daine, formerly of House Deneith, Jode, the Halfling healer of House Jorasco, Lei, artificer and young noble of House Cannith and last but not least, Pierce, the Warforged scout and archer of Daine's unit. In fact, the characters survive the event that causes the end of the Last War, simply known as the Mourning. The nation of Cyre, in its entirety, is destroyed by a cataclysm which leaves very few survivors and then again horribly deformed into mad and hideous monsters. Not only that but anyone entering Cyre post-Mourning (whereby it becomes known as the Mournland), is also horribly transformed.

This disaster, of unknown origin and purpose, stays the armed hands of all the rulers of Khorvaire and makes them pause and think, in a most superstitious manner, that this is a sign heralding the war's end. Thereby, they decide to end it by signing the treaty of Thronehold, among whose conditions is that no more Warforged will be created and those already created will be set free from their military masters, that they may choose their own fates. Hence, our heroes, devoid of country, army and pretty much anything to defend, make their way to Sharn, the City of Towers, in order to start anew. There start their troubles and their adventures.

Keith Baker has an interesting mix of themes and characters: generally, a prominent theme are the Dragonmarked Houses (noble houses of ancient bloodlines, supposedly blessed by the Elder Race of Dragons, especially Siberys, Khyber and Eberron himself and whose members may possibly exhibit an innate power of specific orientation)) and the specialties of each: House Deneith or House of Sentinels, is militaristic and does mercenary work. Its Dragonmarked are brilliant strategists and tacticians, whether it comes to hand-to-hand combat or regiment command. Daine is a self-exiled outcast of his house, not Dragonmarked, who decided to honorably serve his country, rather than monetary interests. After the destruction of Cyre, he is a bitter and very self-conscious person with huge guilt issues, but also a very capable and reliable commander and warrior. Jode, of House Jorasco or House of Healers, is Dragonmarked but has no further dealings with his House, though the reasons are unknown. He is the lighthearted element of the group, much like Tasselhof was for the Companions of the Lance, in the Dragonlance novels. Lei is a Dragonmarked member of House Cannith, the House of Artificers, though she is "excoriated" (the equivalent of excommunicated or declared outcast) upon return to Sharn, for reasons unknown. Pierce was created by House Cannith some 30 years ago and by none other than Lei's parents. Built and bred to be a perfect soldier, in a world where a sort of "universal peace" has been declared (never mind that conflict is constant, outside of the paperwork), he is the most interesting character to consider, as he tries to come to terms with being his own master, having to decide for himself or be idle and have some sort of "pass-time".

The plot is quite intricate and manages to blend elements of the characters' personal histories and dramas, with the greater goal of averting the destructive plans of an other-planar race for their world. Really, this is as much as can be said about the plot itself, without giving away key points. In the first book, we are presented with an urban adventure, in the City of Towers, where our heroes must find their new niche in the world and keep bumping into obstacle after obstacle, especially when it comes to the ordinary-day stuff. During the war, they were a highly trained combat unit and have lived much of their respective lives as one, so when push come to shove, they shove pretty hard. However, when it comes to reassessing their place in a non-military world, where their homeland has been destroyed overnight, they make blunder upon blunder and let themselves be manipulated by shadowy forces. However, by the end of the first book, they manage to establish sort of a new life.


The trail of clues they followed in the first book, leads them to travel to the mysterious, exotic and deadly continent of Xen'Drik, in the second. Rumors, legends, secret histories and obscure writings abound as to the secrets of this peculiar land, including the first race to master magic, the Giants, their destruction by the Dragons and perhaps, the origin of the Warforged. This is more a tale of exploration than intrigue, of coming in contact with peculiar cultures and digging through the archaeological remnants of Eberron. High marks for the originality concerning Dark Elves (or Drow), who are divided mainly into two factions: the Fire-Worshipers and the animistic Scorpion-Followers. It is a fresh deviation from the standard theme of uber-feminist spider-licking and Lolth-worshiping bitches and the tales of distraught males (though Drizzt Do'Urden still remains one of my few favorite Forgotten Realms characters, at least until the Sea of Swords novel; the Orc Trilogy was utter crap and it follows that anything thereafter will be too). During the second book, we learn much about the rich planar geography of Baker's world, which brings to mind past glories of Planescape, though in a perhaps more limited scope. Caution is advised, as this book ends in a cliffhanger.


The third book contains the actual planar travel (or plane-hopping, you ignorant youngster) of the heroes, which not only leads to the big face-off but also to the revelation of the truth behind the heroes' nagging, mysterious pasts. This is where Baker, perhaps in an effort to keep some things under wraps in the interests of the game setting's sales or perhaps from lack of proper editing, makes a few blunders. This whole story began with the Mourning, which is not explained in any way. Jode, though in many ways developed over the course of the books, remains a character whose past is left in the dark, under circumstances when he would have actually shared it with his companions. The rather amazing changes that affect Daine during the course of the trilogy, receive only token explanations, in a way that does not seem mysterious, but inadequately plotted. Finally, Lei's and Pierce's pasts, a main focus of the story, though explored in depth and quite some detail, by the end of the book one would expect an aftermath, perhaps a three-page epilogue to show how these revelations affected the characters, whom we have seen bleed, experience terrible loss and doubt themselves along the twisted path of revelation.


At the end of the day, the Dreaming Dark Trilogy is a good read. It experiences some of the inadequacies of an emerging writer, with an excellent sense of background but still working on his pacing and structure. There are no contested points, no real mess-ups where at one point a thing is "A" and later on mentioned as "B". No, in fact the books are pretty consistent and not easily so, if one takes into account the sheer number of story elements that need to be accounted for. I believe that those seeking to read a good story in a fresh RPG setting, completely free of things pointing to recognizable game rules, with the added Steampunk element, will be very satisfied. Those who measure books in comparison to, say, Robbin Hobb's impeccable epics, should probably leave it be.

As a final note, a multitude of writers has contributed novels to the world of Eberron, with a theme for every taste, since the setting has provided space for detective, horror, action or plain old epic stories.

Enjoy reading,

Speedgrapher

P.S. The artwork here, except for the first book's cover, is by the amazing Wayne Reynolds and you can see more here.

Literary Section VIII - Part 1 - Artwork

Hey there people! Yes, the Literary Section is back with a vengeance, since today's update is a double feature. Do any of you remember when, waaaaay back, I had mentioned there would be a special piece of artwork by my friend, Lockie? Well, she IS a busy girl and it did take some time but it is finally here for your enjoyment; and to me, the wait was worth every minute. There is also a bit of story to it. I wanted a drawing that would resemble a photograph of Prometheus and Sorakirin, taken while they were in Japan. After giving it to me, I would mess around with it in Photoshop to make it resemble an old, rather abused photo. Now, some time ago, Lockie showed me the finished pencil-work, with part of the inking done. I was staring at it for over half an hour (then she took it away, so we could begin our RPG session).

There are certain mental processes going on when you write a story, particularly of a well-loved character. When I first created Prometheus, his psychology and his features, he was already a bitter Vampire who had spent 10 years under the harsh and sterile tutelage of the Tectus, who had already transformed into a frail version of himself and had lost his eye to the friend he loved like a brother. I never really had a clear image of how he looked when he first met Sorakirin, after first leaving the island of Skellig Michael. I just gave Lockie the impression I had of what he would reasonably look like. The only definite things were that, as a young man he used to smile a lot and broadly and - as described in the story you have (hopefully) read - he was powerfully built for his height. Now, Lockie took these things and what she knew of the character from the story and presented me with the drawing of someone who, not just fit the description, but whom I recognized as the young Prometheus.

It is a very odd feeling to look in the face of something you imagined, had no real picture of its particular form but you still recognize beyond the shadow of a doubt. Lockie often complains about the flaws in her drawings (not that anyone else can see them, mind you); I seriously doubt there is anyone who could have me staring at their black-and-white sketch, genuinely moved as if having seen an old friend. With that, I give you the finished picture, after my rather inadequate tinkering.

...and all that remains of our early innocence is this old, yellowed piece of paper. The last testament of a time that now seems mere fantasy. That... and the promise of my death. -Prometheus

Artwork by Lockie.
(Inadequate) Tinkering by Speedgrapher.

Not only did Lockie draw this, she even framed it for me to hang on my wall and I have, right next to my Durer's "Riders of the Apocalypse". Domo Arigatou Lockie -chama! Stay tuned for the second part of today's update.

In the interest of truth...

Speedgrapher

Fair Warning WITH Music Video

Ah, I see I struck SOMEONE's nerve with my last post, mentioning pathetic individuals who mess with people's internet spaces. Right, then: admittedly, my PC has been acting up during the last month or so but that was entirely due to some Trojan Viruses, which got taken care of. Indeed, I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to computer programming but I scarcely think I would delete all the pictures from the previous post, not only without becoming aware of it but also leaving the picture-borders behind. Ergo: either Blogger in some way malfunctioned (unless they suddenly decided that snowy pictures are offensive in some way and took action) OR, some idiot with a surplus of time bothered to hack the blog and mess around with the pictures.



Now pay close attention, for this is important: if the deletion of the pictures was something that happened, in any plausible way, accidentally, well, crap does happen and nothing to it. If, however, some cock-brained idiot thought it was a way to have a fun afternoon, there are two scenarios. Either you are someone we have never met in actual life or on the net or whatever, in which case, well, we (probably) cannot track you down, so stay in your hole and wank off (which seems your predilection) OR you are someone we DO know and you decided to strike at us in this manner. No bitching or yelling or anything else: Ergo Proxy is too busy with the Army right now, so I will take it upon myself to find you and "educate" you. I am not an unduly aggressive individual but seriously, do not fuck with me - I tend to fuck in retaliation.

An apology to our readers, who will inevitably read this warning and is, of course, NOT directed at them. Hope you enjoy the video,

Speedgrapher

Fuyuu Athens

Heh, the title is a nod to Somnium-chan's "residence" on MySpace. It means "Winter Athens". Seriously though, people went in and hacked Japan & Anime Party's Profile and deleted it? Leaving aside the fact that a MySpace profile is very easy to create and reestablish (in terms of Friends, Contacts etc.), seriously, don't these people have anything better to do? I mean, people who create viruses for fun and spread them on the net are pretty pathetic but hacking MySpace??? Get a life, go and get laid or have a beer for crying out loud! Anyhow, that is not our subject today but I really had to make this rather obvious and yet to some, incomprehensible point.

No, our subject is the aforementioned "Winter Athens". It's been 3 or more years since we had a snowfall of this magnitude, always judging by the state of my neighborhood. We are not that much up north (somewhere in the middle between downtown and the northern suburbs), though we usually get pretty low temperatures either way, because of a "pooling" effect as it is called in Environmental Physics vernacular. In effect, my neighborhood is flanked on either side by higher-altitude areas, along whose slope the heavier, colder air rolls down and pools, creating a much colder area than its neighbors.

The view from my balcony last night,
without flash.

The actual vista, with flash.

Snow-covered tree, picture taken
last night, without flash.

Same view, this morning.

Snow, at least in Greece, is one of the most controversial phenomena: it is soothing to watch, brings on a sweet melancholy and is very... beneficial for the sexual life of couples who simply MUST cuddle against the cold (ahem). On the other hand, many villages and islands become cut off, we have all-around power failures and many old folks die in their homes. Even in Athens - you would think the capital city of Greece would be better organized - streets become clogged with snow, you can commute only by metro and then only if there hasn't been some malfunction due to the cold. As to the cars, it seems people have this idiotic notion that their car and theirs alone can brave the glassy streets without wheel-chains, resulting in multiple calls to the police and fire departments. Even worse, some lowlife S.O.B.s believe that slippery streets are a chance for speeding up and cutting corners, usually resulting in fatal accidents; oh, they SHOULD die for being such inconsiderate imbeciles but the random pedestrian, squashed under their wheels, is at no fault, don't you think?

Snow-covered Roses...

...at night...

...and during the day.

Bottomline: I love Winter, I love the snow but really, Hell is other people and not the weather. Not to mention that this crazy climate with no real Winter for three years and then suddenly, German temperatures, is just the planet kicking us in the face for being idiots.

Have a nice, snowy evening,

Speedgrapher


P.S. Ergo Proxy is on guard duty up on the mountains and last we talked, the power (and heating) had gone out. Now I cannot reach his cell and I am worried. Hope you're OK man...

Florist's Labor Lost

Hum, Valentine's Day came and went and nothing is really changed in our little blue world or indeed, the lives of those who live on it. Flowers, chocolate, a bit of sex while listening to Eric Clapton, instead of the generally preferred (and more honest) Barry White? So what? You really had to wait for an 1840s relic celebration, its origin all but forgotten but aptly taken advantage of by every person with a grain of sense for marketing? Seriously, why do so many people make such a fuss over this thing? Are they devout Catholics who happened to know of the three martyred Valentines (who in time, were struck out of the catholic calendars, bar specific ones, due to lack of information)? Are they 15th century French noblemen? Why do people feel the need to reassess their perfectly fine relationships, because of a holiday not even the Church (the people who make holidays in the western world, remember?) aknowledges?

Furthermore, not having been forced to bother with such thinking earlier and people just loving to be paranoid or dissatisfied with well, nothing, most end up breaking up! Though such statistics are not very precise on a worldwide scale, as far as I have been able to tell from my surroundings, people rather tend to break-up, get broken-hearted or at the very least dumped on such days, because they are mistakenly led to believe that anything is special about the 14th of February. Men use it as an excuse to ask for sex and women as an excuse to test you "on the Holiday of True Love". Both are full of shit if they waited for that specific date, whilst they could have done any of these things at any other opportune moment.

Yes, there may have been a point when you were in puberty and too shy to otherwise ask for a kiss or a date and you were bolstered by the shared naivete of your peers, making sure you would have support in either outcome. However, of what I have seen, children merely a decade younger than us are much more cynical and informed on "love", yet people our age, who have been together no longer than a year, find it necessary to follow the rituals of popular marketing, in order to "please or take the measure of their mate", ultimately understanding how little they know of each other and putting their relationship under unnecessary strain.

People, grow up! Assess your feelings and challenge each other when it really makes sense, instead of waiting for a landmark date that ended up being established in its popularized form by the daughter of a bookstore owner in Massachusetts. If you are truly single and get miserable on this day, go out more often, have fun, meet people and get your gear going instead of waiting for a florist's or chocolatier's miracle. Finally, if, dammit, you have a relationship, a flawed one even - usually the case, say hello to human nature - but which makes you feel good by the general presence of your partner, stop reading this and go cuddle, laugh, start doing it like rabbits even. Living is much more important than calendar-based considerations.

And since Ergo Proxy has been silent for a while, when I am typing this, I present you, on his behalf, with the Valentine's Day card for next year, when you will be wiser.

Harsh, cynical but at least it's more honest than 95% of the "I will love thee forevermore" of that day.

Signing off,

Speedgrapher and Ergo Proxy

J-Music (K)Nights

What can I say to you people? I believe a huge apology is not nearly enough for the perpetuating irregularity of the updates but we've had our share of misfortunes, among which contracting a rather serious virus which made my internet connection go awry (it was a mixed shake of Trojan.Obfuscate, Trojan.Downloader and Trojan.Mini, which were not detected or stopped by my Norton Corporate software but thankfully, a Kaspersky trial version did the trick and everything seems back in working order... for now). However, we are still out here, trying to make things work and entertain you, Ergo Proxy got a new laptop so he can blog from the Army and we are SO not giving up. Well, unless you have already been bored of us, that is...

Anyhow, this is not the central subject of this post but I felt a little intro was in order. Yes, there IS a point in checking back this Friday for the delayed-unto-death reviews but tonight we are, once again, going to talk about the great people of the Ordre de Ciel DJ collective, who are holding J-Music DJ nights EVERY Sunday night in KABATZA Bar, from 21:00 till everyone drops dead. First, I would like to thank room302 and Raven Sweetwater again for making time for this, what with their regular jobs and having to deal with their little ones (have you tried raising kids? I have only had a minuscule taste from helping my parents when my sister was born, years ago and until she reached adolescence - that is, NOW - whereby we have a constant war going on, but i digress). You guys are heroes!

Secondly, to my great pleasure, I saw that last Sunday there came considerably more people, some of whom you might recognize from the BIOS Cosplay Party and others whom you might have seen during other Underworld-related events. To boot, it was not a night dedicated to any specific Japanese group or artist, so I shiver with excitement (and hope) for next Sunday, which ODC will dedicate to none other than X-Japan! Dare not to be there! I will hunt you down!

Thirdly, as you may have realized, I am a photo junkie. I simply MUST have, ever, new and interesting subjects and opportunities for photos and of course, I am partial to people. Well, my repeated visits to KABATZA on Sundays have provided me with both opportunities and subjects, as you will see in the following pictures. Now, some people have wondered why I never show up in any of the pictures and they have asked me both over the net and in person, when we have met. While I thank them for any flattering comments they have made, the answer is simple: I come out terrible in pictures! It is evident that God or the Powers That Be intended for me to be BEHIND the lens and not in front of it.

Ergo Proxy's Rant: As for me, I am just, plain and simple, "fugly" (read: "fucking ugly"). Well, maybe not that bad, since Speedgrapher is the one usually taking the pictures and he has a way of making nearly anything appear good in them.

Well, that's it from us, enjoy the pictures and we are eager to see you on the 17th in KABATZA!

Raven Sweetwater and room302.

My, do I spot Lady Oscar and company
out of costume?!

Grand Marnier alight. Finger drink, yum!
I told you we had fun!

And now that night's focus...

Evil Lolita...!

...and Elina!

Now, there was actually another beautiful lady who suffered me to take her pictures but they are being withheld by request. Hope you will change your mind though. Thank you all for an amazing night out and special thanks to room302 for playing "The World" by Nightmare (though I really hate Death Note because of Light yagami, but I love the song), as well as the opening from the Black Jack movie (can't remember the name of the song though - a little help please)!

Cheers all,

Speedgrapher