SPOONS

An elderly elf desert druid with a big collection of spoons. Nobody really knows why, but he accepts them as payment for the potions and remedies he makes for the nearby Halfling village of Harperglen. <>\br Spoons is kind with his words and generous with laughs, eccentric as he may be and at times coming off as addled, he is a gentle soul. Even when his desert and his magic became corrupted, he kept using it to help people.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 4

I've just finished watching season 4 of Fear The Walking Dead.
It is a soft reboot of the franchise with old characters leaving and new ones taking the centre stage with the TWD character Morgan coming over and being the new lead.
The season is 100% better now with the actor Lennie James as Morgan taking over the show with better storylines, and interesting new characters.
I will rate this series a score of 8/10.

REST IN PEACE TO GARRY LEACH

I've only just read about the sad passing of the British Comic Book legend Garry Leach.
He will be missed.

THE URISK

The Urisk, or Ourisk, is a form of Peallaidh - strange creatures that roam sylvan river-banks and other similar places in Scotland. Unlike some other Peallaidh though, the Urisk is not a danger nor a prankster. In fact the Urisks would like nothing more than to hold a pleasant conservation with a human. However as soon as they enthusiastically approach someone to talk, their unusual appearance generally causes humans to run away in terror. This is unfortunate, for although the Urisk resembles the Greco-Roman Fauns and Satyrs he does not share their sense of hedonism and lechery and is probably most often to be found sat in quiet contemplation and solitude by a lonely stream, or taking a gentle woodland stroll. Sometimes the Urisk is referred to as Uruisg, but this term may also refer to a similar but more unpleasant creature that frequents Scottish waterfalls.

BEASTMASTER

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

Last night, we watched Spider-Man: No Way Home on Amazon.
The movie was full of nostalgic and emotional scenes, and connected all the generations together and made a perfect ending to all the three Spider-Man franchises.
I loved The Spider-Men relationships and I have to say that all the three legendary actors (Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield) did a perfect job portraying their Spider-Men.
Doctor Strange was brilliant as was all the villains, and they did a good job with the CGI on Doctor Octopus's face.
There was a few sad scenes which was spoiled for me by people who actually watched this film last year and posted about it online. This movie is up there with the likes of Infinity War and Endgame.
I will rate this movie a score of 10/10.

BRYONY DE LA CAVA

Bryony de la Cava was a loner- she didn't like being around people, so travelling the Realms and working with some of the most unsavoury characters West of the Glenarm Canyon was not a prospect she particularly looked forward to. However, gold was gold and times were tight. When ex-adventurer Abell Dene seeks a company of adventurers to hunt down and kill Ulfang the Black- Bryony lurched at the chance to bring to ruin the monster drove all love from her long ago.

IF MORE BOARD GAMES WERE TURNED INTO MOVIES

WHO IS HEL?

Hel, the goddess of death, was in fact a giantess, a child of Loki, the giant trickster that lived among the Aesir gods, and Angrboda, a fearsome giantess.
This made Hel the sister of the monsters Fenrir, the mighty Norse wolf, and Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent. The Aesir gods feared these three children due to their monstrous parentage, and prophecies of the chaos that they would wreak on the Norse cosmos.
In order to contain the problem, Odin sent each of the children to the place where they could do the least harm. In the case of Hel, he sent her to Niflheim, one of the Norse lands of the dead, and gave her jurisdiction over the realm.
As the goddess of the underworld, she had responsibility for hosting the souls that found themselves there.
The small serpent Jormungandr was thrown into the waters surrounding Midgard, where he grew to such a great size that he could encircle the entire world and hold his own tail in his mouth. Fenrir was tricked into be chained up on a deserted island by magical ribbon made by the dwarves.
The goddess of death is described in the sources as half black and half flesh-coloured, which some scholars has interpreted as her being half living being and half corpse. Hel is also said to have had a downcast and fearsome look.
Her name, which means “hidden” in Old Norse, is probably a reference to the fact that the underworld was hidden from the realm of the living.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 2

Last night I finished watching season 2 of Fear The Walking Dead.
It was alright and slightly better than the first season but there are a lot of stupid and useless characters in this show. Only 34 characters stand out as leads and it's not the main two characters.
Most of the season takes place in Mexico which was nice to see but damn! are they crazy over there!
I will only rate this season a score of 5/10.
I think the series will get better in later seasons.

SPANDEX

Hi are you lonely?
Would you like to meet other like-minded people who dress up as superheroes and show off their superpowers?
If so, Call 1-800-SPANDEX.
Be with that hero that you dream about!

ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE DOORBELL RINGS!

I have been experiencing this a lot where I live, in a bungalow in a small Yorkshire village. only in the middle of the night and it's spooky but very cool.

At first it’s funny, then it’s annoying, and then it’s worrying, and then you look it up on the internet and relax because you find out that hearing an imaginary doorbell going off in the night is a thing, and you are not having some kind of medical episode.

When you think back on it, now you know, you realise it could never have been the real doorbell because the sound that woke you abruptly from sleep was too close, too loud, sounded almost as if it were in your head. Your actual doorbell gives a polite ding-dong, and the box is through your closed bedroom door and down the stairs and round the corner, and there is no way it would sound so loud.

Your googling shows that it’s not uncommon. For some people it’s the doorbell, for others it's a knock on the door, and both are related to the crackling electrical zap that some people get as they are just falling asleep.

Even so, when it happens and you jerk into wakefulness, it’s hard not to wonder. What if this time it was, what if it were the police, there are elderly relatives and children now living away and bad news, terrible news, the worst news, arrives with a polite ding-dong, a banshee replaced by a gentle chime.

So, quite often when you hear the sound in your dreams and you wake, you get out of bed, lift the blind, peer down at the front door, just in case.

It might be that one time you’re startled to see a family standing there, in the early hours of the morning. Mother, father, two children who look older than six but younger than ten. They’re dressed smartly, and don’t look distressed, just stand there, waiting in front of your front door. They don’t speak to each other, just wait. They don’t look up at your window, just wait.

Do not open your door. They are not in trouble. But you will be. Oh, you will be.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAPTAIN

THE ONLY BATMAN THAT REALLY MATTERS

CELEBRITY

Honor Blackman. She asked me the way to the local toilets at the shopping centre, where she was attending the sci-fi fair and I held her arm and guided her to the Ladies and waited for her to take her back.
She was a lovely lady.

COW PIE!

When I was a kid in the eighties I was a member of the Desperate Dan fanclub. I was a geek and it was cool.

I AM VERY TIRED

I MISS STAN LEE TOO

KIM POSSIBLE

This afternoon, we watched this live action movie of the acclaimed cartoon series on Disney+
It was very good and they did there best at adapting the animated characters into a neat action comedy.
Rufus, the naked mole rat sidekick was the best!
If they had a bigger budget, I think it would be a better film but they did a good job anyway.
I shall rate this movie a score of 7/10 and now i want to rewatch the series again.

KILLERS ANONYMOUS

I watched this very boring crime thriller on Amazon.
Don't waste your time in watching this as I did.
Gary Oldman does not even interact with any other cast member and I think he did a day's worth of filming by talking and drinking wine.
Jessica Alba was a complete waste and is only in the first 14 mins of the film before she get's killed off. and as for everyone else, just sitting in a circle and talking about their crimes was boring.
It was a good cast list but they were wasted, and as for the storyline it was shite.
I shall rate this film a score of 3/10.

KATE

We watched this action movie this afternoon on Netflix.
It was a very good action flick with good fighting scenes and gunplay but the actual story was lacking a lot.
The cast list was semi decent but the other problem I had was the subtitles and the night time filming where you could not see bugger all.
Anyway, I shall rate this film a score of 7/10.
And that really is down to the action scenes, other than that, Nah.

THE WALKING DECEASED

We watched this spoof movie earlier while we had lunch.
It's a piss take on The Walking Dead, Zombieland, Warm Bodies, and Dawn of the Dead.
It's funny, and very silly. If you want a laugh, go and watch it.
I shall rate this film a score of 6/10.

FEAR EATERS

MADNESS

WE ARE DANGEROUS

HE IS NOT PERFECT BUT HE IS BRAVE

BRAVE LITTLE LAD

A Victorian era elevator, c.1890.

TOY PROTECTORS

SCHOOLGIRL WARRIOR

A young brave schoolgirl in Kyiv, Ukraine, sucking on a lollipop and defending her city from the invaders.

THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 10

The last 4 nights I have been binge watching the 10th season of The Walking Dead and I finished it last night.
The Whispering War storyline was alright and a tad bit scary but it dragged on in parts and they finished the story quite quickly and filled the rest of the series with filler episodes. The best being the final episode featuring the origin of Negan.
The problem I have with this series is that the Zombies take a back seat as the bad guys and it shows that Humans are the real danger, which they are.
I will only rate this season a score of 6/10.

RUSSIA

Russia is not the enemy, Putin is.
These are very brave citizens standing up to their dictator leader.

ALAURIUS DEATHBLOOM THE NECROMANCER

Alaurius had always been fascinated with death, and never understood the taboo that surrounded the topic. As he grew into a young man, he took on an apprenticeship with the local gravedigger, soaking up as much knowledge as he could. Alaurius began pouring any tome or scroll that he could get his hands on, curious to a fault about the process of death. It wasn’t until his mentor had passed beyond the veil that Alaurius discovered his innate power of necromancy.

During a routine passing of the grounds, Alaurius came face-to-face with a group of brigands in the midst of breaking into the mausoleum of a local noble master-at-arms. The fiends drew weapons on Alaurius, intent on leaving no witness to their crimes. In a moment of panic, Alaurius raised his hands to protect himself from the steel of the graverobbers blades, and was astonished to feel a wave of power wash over him. In a flash of wicked green light, pure arcane energy arced from Alaurius into the stone room, where the body of the nobleman rose from his tomb. Too stunned to react, the brigands were swiftly cut down with swordplay that seemed more akin to a graceful waltz than combat.

After the events of that night, Alaurius became known as the Deathbloom Mage, and his obsession over knowledge about death only grew. He does not see necromancy as an evil act, as he treats the deceased with the same respect as any living soul. In his work as a gravetender, he often works with locals before they pass, seeking their consent in order to further his research.

Knowing the taboo that the world at large feels for his work, Alaurius is wary of newcomers in town and will hide the fact that he can raise the dead. Adventurers may mistrust him if they feel that Alaurius is withholding secrets, but not a soul in town will speak anything but praises for the man who loves their deceased just as much as they did in life.

How you can use Alaurius in your games:
The party hears rumors of necromantic activity in the region and is hired to investigate by high ranking members of the church. Upon finding the hamlet that Alaurius resides in, they will have to discover proof of his necromancy and decide for themselves if his breaking of taboo and laws warrants their intervention. Alaurius may discreetly reach out to a wizard’s college, seeking information about the process of continuing his undead research, or help with funding. The party may be sent to escort Alaurius so that he may prove his skill to the college before they agree to pursue his research.

The party may see the care that Alaurius takes in caring for the deceased and advocate local authorities to rethink the blanket policies against necromancy. This could lead to social plot hooks of the party having to campaign for undead rights and an ally in Alaurius. Having the Deathbloom Mage as an ally could mean access to unusual or foreign magic items and taboo knowledge that may otherwise be unobtainable.

KEEP ON ROLLIN

BRIT TREK

HAPPY PADDY'S DAY!

JOLT

We watched this action comedy movie on Amazon earlier.
A very good cast list with a decent well written story.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10

DIAMOND JACK

Diamond Jack (last name never revealed) was given a ring with an inset magic diamond (the lost eye-jewel of the god Khor from a temple in the Far East) by an old magician which he used to fight crime...
The ring gave him the ability to create whatever he imagined and transmute objects. The ring also gave him super strength, invulnerability, super senses, the ability to heal others, limited flight, and a few other plot-convenient abilities.

LEPRECHAUNS

What To Know About Leprechauns

• A Leprechaun is a creature in Irish folklore. They were first mentioned in the medieval tale known as the ‘Eachtra Fergus mac Léti’.

• Much like other Irish fairies, Leprechauns were derived from the Tuatha de Danann. The Tuatha de Danann was a magical race of god-like creatures that possess supernatural powers. In Celtic mythology, the Tuatha de Danann was a magical race that inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians. The fate of the Tuatha de Danann, after their defeat at the hands of the Milesians, was divided into 2 contrasting opinions: Some claim that the Goddess Danu sent them to live in the Land of the Young. Another theory claims that the Tuatha de Danann came to terms with the Milesians and settled with living underground in Ireland.

• Legend says that if you’re lucky enough to catch a Leprechaun, the Leprechaun must grant you 3 wishes in exchange for his freedom. You have to be very careful with what you wish though, since Leprechauns are known to be tricksters and might take your wish literally.

• All Leprechauns are male. In the book “ A History of Irish Fairies”, there’s no single record of a female Leprechaun and how they even reproduce. It was said that Leprechauns are the offspring of fairies who were deemed “defective”.

• Leprechauns have a knack for shoemaking. Some researchers speculate that the word Leprechaun was derived from the Irish “leath bhrogan” which meant “shoemaker”.

• The most common of all Leprechaun myths is that Leprechauns tend to hide their pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. Some experts suggest that the pot of gold is used as a means of tricking humans and using their greed against them.

• Leprechauns were originally said to sport red clothes. An excerpt from the “Book of Legends and Stories of Ireland” published in 1831 said that the wee creatures originally dressed in red and wore a cocked hat, shoes, and buckles. Leprechauns were originally called “Lobaircin” which meant “Small-bodied fellow”. Leprechauns are said to be related to the ‘clurichaun’ and the ‘far darrig’ which are both solitary creatures. The Cluricauns are as mean and disgruntled as much as the leprechauns were affable.

• Legend says that Leprechauns do so much dancing, they constantly wear out their shoes. The ‘Irish jig’ is a Celtic dance, coincidentally the name of the music you dance the ‘jig’ to, is also called “Jig”.

• Several stories portray Leprechauns as mischievous creatures, however other tales say they are shy creatures that keep to themselves. The leprechaun is said to be a solitary creature who has a knack for making and mending shoes and enjoys practical jokes.

• It’s believed that a Leprechaun carries a single gold coin for every year that he’s been alive for. Although nobody really has any idea how old the oldest leprechaun is. There are those who say they live forever.

• Some people claim to have had ‘an actual’ encounter with a Leprechaun and say that these wee creatures are real. It is incredibly hard to prove or disprove these claims.

• Lucky Charms cereal has a Leprechaun named “ Lucky the Leprechaun” as its mascot. The cereal brand’s mascot was created in 1963 and was formerly known as L.C Leprechaun.

• Leprechauns are members of the fairy folk. According to Irish mythology, a Leprechaun is a type of male fairy who inhabits the island of Ireland.

• There’s an official leprechaun colony in Portland, Oregon. The colony is located at Mill Ends Park and was recognized in the Guinness World Records as the world’s smallest park, measuring just two square feet. Mill Ends Park was created by the journalist, Dick Fagan in 1946. The leader of the said Leprechaun community is Patrick O’Toole.

• Leprechauns are often considered as the ‘bankers’ and ‘cobblers’ of the fairy world. Leprechauns are known for their money, and apparently, they make a fair amount of it in the shoemaking business. So, the little green men pour all their energy into crafting shoes.

• Those little green men can be quite sneaky. If you’re after a leprechaun’s pot of gold, the rule is, if you’re lucky enough to catch a leprechaun, you must never take your eyes off the little fellow or he’ll disappear. A local businessman once claimed to have found actual remains of a real leprechaun, on Carlingford Mountain in Ireland. After hearing a scream near the wishing well, the man found bones, a tiny suit, and gold coins near scorched earth.

• The Leprechauns of Carlington Mountain are protected under European law. It is said that 236 leprechauns live in the caverns of Carlington Mountain and were granted heritage status by the EU, and now they have their own protected sanctuary nestled in the mountain.

• Some stories suggested that Leprechauns were tiny sea-dwellers. In the earliest known folktale to feature a leprechaun, Fergus mac Léti, the King of Ulster was almost dragged to sea by 3 tiny leprechauns before the King managed to catch the leprechauns and was granted 3 wishes.

• Leprechauns might have a divine heritage. Some sources say leprechauns are derivatives of the Irish deity Lugh, who was the god of the sun and of arts and crafts.

• The term Leprechaun literally means “small body.” In John and Caitlin Matthews’ book “The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures,” the leprechaun legend can be traced back to 18th-century tales of water spirits called “Luchorpain” whose name translates to “small body”.

• In March, there are marathons all over Ireland that encourage the participants to dress like leprechauns to help raise money for charity, while getting into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit!

• You can catch yourself a Leprechaun using a DIY Leprechaun trap. To lure the little green men, all you really need is a shoebox and something shiny to put inside.

• According to Irish folklore, Leprechauns can only grow up to 3 feet in height. J.R.R. Tolkien’s hobbits are even taller.

• Much like their winged fairy cousins, Leprechauns have a distinctive sound associated with them. They say you’ll know that a Leprechaun is near when you hear the tapping of a tiny cobbler hammer, as if they’re driving nails into shoes.

• W.B Yeats’ collection of Irish fairy and folk tales features William Allingham’s poem, “The Leprechaun; Or Fairy Shoemaker”. The poem describes the tapping sound of the sprite: “Lay your ear close to the hill. Do you not catch the tiny clamour, Busy click of an elfin hammer, Voice of the Leprechaun singing shrill, As he merrily plies his trade?”

• Leprechauns give us a lesson on morality. Their numerous tales warn us against the dangers of greed and the folly of trying to get rich fast.

• Leprechauns have long been regarded as a symbol for St. Patrick’s day, but its origins go way back in Irish history. The tradition is tied to folklore that says to avoid getting pinched by Leprechauns, a person should wear green to make himself invisible to the wee creatures.

• According to David Russell McAnally, the leprechaun is the son of a malevolent spirit. He also claimed that a leprechaun’s mother is a degenerate fairy but is not wholly good nor wholly evil.

• The Leprechaun’s Dutch counterpart is the Kabouter. A Kabouter is a small gnome-like creature. Interestingly, another version of the Leprechaun is the Fenodyree which are found in the Isle of Man.

• The University of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish athletics department has a Leprechaun for a mascot.

• Fact 36: The horror/comedy film “Leprechaun” features a homicidal version of the little green men called Lubdan. Lubdan is played by the actor Warwick Davis.

• Inhabitants of the Emerald Isle gave high regard to Leprechauns and other fairies. Emerald Isle is a town nestled on the Bogue Banks Island, which is part of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast.

• Leprechaunism, also known as Donohue syndrome, is an extremely rare genetic disorder characterized by abnormal resistance to insulin. Affected people are somewhat likened to Leprechauns due to the disease causing them to have elfin features and a small stature. The Donohue syndrome is so rare that only 50 cases have ever been reported in medical literature. It was first identified in 1948 by Dr. W.L. Donohue, a Canadian pathologist who wrote about it in the Journal of Pediatrics in 1954.

• Numerous tales say Leprechauns make their homes in forests or woodlands. In fact, there have been accounts of people spotting the tiny creatures near fairy mounds.

• Leprechauns may be small creatures, but they’re actually very agile and can move very fast. So if you want to catch one, you really need to move quietly and look hard to spot one.

• Leprechauns tend to be grumpy. These tiny green men can be quite unfriendly. It’s probably because humans are always on their tails trying to catch them and claim their gold.

• Each Leprechaun has his very own pot of ancient gold that he guards. They guard their pot of gold dearly and will always find cunning ways to outsmart greedy humans who are after their gold.

• It is said that wherever Irish people exist, Leprechauns can be found in that place as well. Since a lot of Irish people are scattered all over the globe, Leprechauns can be found almost anywhere in the world, at any given time as well.

• Since Leprechauns tend to wear green clothes, it’s easy for them to camouflage and blend into their surroundings. A Leprechaun is often described as ‘a bearded old man dressed in green, who wore buckled shoes, often with a leather apron’.

• In 1989, a pub owner in the township of Carlingford claimed to have found clothes that belonged to a Leprechaun. The clothes were later put on display inside the pub.

• Legend says that a Viking once fooled a kind and trusting Leprechaun into revealing the location of his secret treasure, which is exactly why Leprechauns tend to avoid humans. According to the tale, the shipwrecked Viking pretended to be ill and was taken in by a kind leprechaun to allow the human to recover. However, the Viking repaid the leprechaun’s kindness by tricking it into revealing the location of its hidden treasure which was at a beautiful garden that was protected by a magic spell.

• A leprechaun’s pot of gold has to be as big as a Tardis to fit all of his gold inside. To make sure that no one will ever steal their treasure from them again, Leprechauns hid their pot of gold right at the end of the rainbow.

• According to Irish myth, the females are always fairies and the males appear as either a leprechaun or a wood sprite. Like the typical fairies, leprechauns can also cast all sorts of small enchantments, but they choose to use most of their magic in an endless game of hide-and-go-seek which they play with humans.

• You can find an entire museum in Dublin, Ireland, that’s solely dedicated to Leprechauns. The museum opened on March 10th, 2010, and is located on Jervis Street in Dublin, Ireland. It also claims to be the first leprechaun museum in the world.