John Wick

by on May 20, 2019 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I saw a movie this weekend. I enjoyed it.

Nothing will top the first John Wick in many ways. It was a simple story about a man and his dog, and the rotten piece of trash who killed the dog. And a man named John Wick coming out of retirement to do something about it, all while showing that nobody wanted him to come out of retirement. Not ever. The discovery and mystery of John Wick, stepping just a bit outside the world we know but mostly living within it was amazing.

John Wick 2 took that and amped it up a bit with a bit more information on some of the Continentals and the High Table, but still kept the mystery intact. John Wick was fully pulled back into everything by another rotten piece of trash, who would learn that John Wick was not to be underestimated. Again. This time John Wick was fighting for his own life, and in the end he succeeded. And he lost.

John Wick 3 sees him on the run after that, and it opens up the world of the High Table and the Continentals far more than the previous movie. Imagine a world like Assassin’s Creed, sitting aside and apart from the world we know, with rules and history and formalities above the laws of nations. It’s an interesting idea, and one they show us well. Though I have to admit that I come to John Wick because I like the action. And the dogs. Trust me. The dogs are awesome. And so is the action. The sometimes meandering plot and exposition I could actually do without. Sometimes less is more.

But the action? And the dogs? And the horses? Those have me from opening title to the final roll of the credits.

I enjoyed the movie. If you’ve liked any of the John Wick movies, I challenge you to watch it and disagree with me. Heck. I double dog dare you on that point.

PS. If you should ever be put in the position to make the decision, do not, I repeat, DO NOT shoot the dog.

Period.

End of Line.

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Spaceborn Peloran

by on May 19, 2019 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Art, The Races of Humanity

The specialized Peloran we call Spaceborn were built to fight in extreme environments that would kill other humans. Even other Peloran. They can survive deadly cold and even walk in vacuum without pressure suits. Though they do still need to breathe, so their standard uniforms include spare oxygen storage and breathing masks. This allows them to remove the internal air from their starships before combat as a tactic to reduce the effects of explosive decompression. Their eyes can see far beyond the standard visual spectrum as well, and they can look directly at a sun without being blinded. Even when in vacuum. The most interesting bit is that these defining traits of the Spaceborn are dominant. After two thousand years of manning the Peloran border patrol with a constant slow trickle of new recruits from the homeworlds, most children of mixed ancestry favor the Spaceborn traits over those of their groundbound brethren. Some may have the disabilities of normal eyes or skin, but they are a distinct minority in the Peloran border patrol that makes up their primary naval forces.

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Spaceborn Peloran

by on May 18, 2019 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Art, The Races of Humanity

The Blizzard of Eighty Seven was the worst storm I remember as a child. 2287. It was so cold our cars wouldn’t start and we couldn’t have flown in that wind even if they did. Half of our cold weather rescue gear froze up as we were trying to find people lost out in that mess. Yeah, it was bad, even for us. It was just a walk in the park for those purple-skinned Peloran though. They wore t-shirts and shorts, and those eyes could see through the driving snow better than any gear we had that still worked. It is a surreal experience to be wearing my best snowmobile suit because I’m freezing cold, while following a girl showing as much skin as I usually see on a beach in summer. And she’s purple. I think I fell a little bit in love that day. We saved a lot of people before the blizzard ended. A lot of them would have died without those purple skins on our side. They’re real handy to have around a place that specializes in cold at least half the year.

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Spaceborn Peloran

by on May 17, 2019 at 12:01 am
Posted In: The Races of Humanity

The Spaceborn Peloran are the greatest population of Peloran outside the Peloran homeworlds. They can’t actually live in space, since they still need to breath air, but they were designed to hold onto their internal air far better than normal humans. They can go as long as ten minutes without breathing without side effects, but need oxygen masks for longer periods of time in vacuum. Science fiction stories would give them telepathy to communicate, since talking in vacuum is impossible, but in real life they were designed with a far more mundane communication system. Fingers. They are born knowing a form of sign language specifically optimized for combat, allowing them to communicate in nearly any environment. So remember that. A silent Peloran is not necessarily a non-communicative Peloran.

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Spaceborn Peloran

by on May 16, 2019 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Art, The Races of Humanity

The Albion were not a physically imposing branch of humanity. They were small of stature, and would rank low on most tests of aggression we know how to run. What they had was supremely capable minds and a curiosity to match. And they knew that there were those who wished to stop them from pursuing their quest for knowledge. That is why they created the Peloran to protect them. Intimidating warriors strong enough to rip arms out of sockets and beat people to do death with them. But calm and controlled enough to kill swiftly, cleanly, and as painlessly as possible. Smart enough to fly starships, and canny enough to engage in non-standard tactics in any environment. One specialized version of the Peloran is what we call the Spaceborn Peloran. Their purple skin is an adaptation of their ability to operate in extreme cold and vacuum without protective gear. Their eyes are another example of their design features. Though appearing to entirely lack pupils or irises, they can detect frequencies far beyond the visual spectrum of other humans, making them superior at detecting and dealing with threats that could otherwise escape notice.

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