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		<title>Maggie's Marbles - This is where I put some of my thoughts...</title>
		<description>Maggie's Marbles is a website for people who want to know what's on Maggie's mind. Durr!</description>
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		<link>http://margaretkrohn.com</link>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:56:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>PlanetSide 2 Ultimate Empire Showdown</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I was hanging out in the back doing the observer camera for the production, so this is the only footage I got of the PlanetSide 2&nbsp;Ultimate Empire Showdown. I hope you still enjoy it! =] [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2013/01/28/planetside-2-ultimate-empire-showdown</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2013/01/28/planetside-2-ultimate-empire-showdown</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I was hanging out in the back doing the observer camera for the production, so this is the only footage I got of the PlanetSide 2&nbsp;Ultimate Empire Showdown. I hope you still enjoy it! =]<br><br><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>PlanetSide 2 Holiday Party Stream</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey you!<br><br>It's been awhile since I've actually written to you. :) I know. Life has been crazy, mad, dare I say...insane? I have been so busy with career related jazz that I haven't had time to entertain you with even monthly textual stimulation. I've tried to post videos every once in awhile and with my new addition of Vlogs, which I hope [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/12/14/planetside-2-holiday-party-stream</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:31:08 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/12/14/planetside-2-holiday-party-stream</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>Hey you!<br><br>It's been awhile since I've actually written to you. :) I know. Life has been crazy, mad, dare I say...insane? I have been so busy with career related jazz that I haven't had time to entertain you with even monthly textual stimulation. I've tried to post videos every once in awhile and with my new addition of Vlogs, which I hope you're liking, things will be much easier on me. That is...As long as I don't mess up and have to edit video footage.&nbsp;<br><br>If you didn't already know, <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.planetside2.com/" href="http://www.planetside2.com/" target="_blank">PlanetSide 2</a> is launched!! WOOHOO! It's been doing really well and I can't tell you how good that feels, but it's not the end, there's still a ton of work to be done.&nbsp;<br><br>In celebration of the holidays, I would like to host a personal stream on <a data-cke-saved-href="www.twitch.tv/luperza" href="www.twitch.tv/luperza" target="_blank">my Twitch.TV</a>. Create a character on Connery and meet up at the AuraxiCom Substation on Amerish from 20:00PM - 22:00PM PST on December 19th, 2012! I'll try to keep steady AMS Sunderers available for all empires. Let's get together for one night and party!&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001!<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>VLOG: Life, PlanetSide 2 &amp; Skyfall</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[ [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/11/29/vlog-life-planetside-2-skyfall</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:17:17 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/11/29/vlog-life-planetside-2-skyfall</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>PAX Prime and FNO Updates!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Dear you! *GRIN*<br>
<br>
Wow...Time has been flying! I can't believe it's already October. I've barely had time to think about much other than work. Planetside 2 is keeping me extremely busy which is both a good thing and a bad thing. There have been a few games that have come out that I haven't finished or even started (Oh...XCOM!! *Whine* QQ). [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/10/12/pax-prime-and-fno-updates</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Oct 2012 03:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/10/12/pax-prime-and-fno-updates</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Dear you! *GRIN*<br>
<br>
Wow...Time has been flying! I can't believe it's already October. I've barely had time to think about much other than work. Planetside 2 is keeping me extremely busy which is both a good thing and a bad thing. There have been a few games that have come out that I haven't finished or even started (Oh...XCOM!! *Whine* QQ). I did delve a bit into Borderlands 2, but I'm sad to say that I'm very low level right now. Too low to admit. &gt;____&gt; On the other hand, Torchlight 2 consumed a few late nights and I'm level thirty.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
I finally found a moment to sit down and compile all my PAX footage, so I hope you enjoy the video. I still have a long way to go to becoming a master camera woman and video editor. Haha! At least I have a new camera.<br><br><br><br><br><br>Oh! I have been forgetting to post Friday Night Ops recaps, so here's a bunch! It's really been this long since I last posted. Geewizz!&nbsp;<br>
<br>
<b>Friday Night Ops Recaps</b><br>
Episode 3, Part 1 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333000532" target="_blank">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333000532</a><br>
Episode 3, Part 2 -<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333003699" target="_blank">&nbsp;http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333003699</a><br>
Episode 3, Part 3 -&nbsp;<a aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-10" href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333014434" target="_blank">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333014434</a><br>
Episode 4 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333797082" target="_blank">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/333797082</a><br>
Episode 5 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/334561448" target="_blank">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/334561448</a><br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Command Center - Episode 5</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[ [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/22/command-center-episode-5</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:01:41 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/22/command-center-episode-5</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Friday Night Ops: Episode 1 &amp; 2</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[If you don't know, I've recently started hosting a webcast for PlanetSide 2 called, "Friday Night Ops". I wanted to start adding these to my site here for anyone who wants to follow along. This is more of a work webcast for Sony Online Entertainment so there are some rules I have to follow, but generally it's pretty fun. I get to have community [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/19/friday-night-ops-episode-1-2</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:29:56 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/19/friday-night-ops-episode-1-2</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[If you don't know, I've recently started hosting a webcast for PlanetSide 2 called, "Friday Night Ops". I wanted to start adding these to my site here for anyone who wants to follow along. This is more of a work webcast for Sony Online Entertainment so there are some rules I have to follow, but generally it's pretty fun. I get to have community members join me and reap the benefits of having developers on the stream because of my obvious employment. :)&nbsp;<br><br>Note, I can't embed the videos since they are on TwitchTV. You'll have to follow the link. &lt;3<br><br>Episode 1, Part 1 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/331414609" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/331414609">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/331414609</a><br>Episode 1, Part 2 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/331425981" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/331425981">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/331425981</a><br>Episode 2 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/332199510" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/332199510">http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/b/332199510</a><br><br>I hope everyone enjoys!<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>PlanetSide 2 Shoutcasting</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Compiling all the videos from E3 2012 and PAX Prime 2012. These are the shoutcasts I did with TotalBiscuit. :)&nbsp;<br>
<br>
Starting things off with a highlight from the PAX Prime 2012 footage. [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/06/planetside-2-shoutcasting</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:45:42 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/06/planetside-2-shoutcasting</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Compiling all the videos from E3 2012 and PAX Prime 2012. These are the shoutcasts I did with TotalBiscuit. :)&nbsp;<br>
<br>
Starting things off with a highlight from the PAX Prime 2012 footage.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>You can find more PAX Prime footage on TotalBiscuit's Twitch.TV:<div>Day 1 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330632050" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330632050">http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330632050</a></div><div>Day 2 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330755015" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330755015">http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330755015</a></div><div>Day 3 -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330632050" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330632050">http://www.twitch.tv/totalbiscuit/b/330632050</a></div><div><br></div><div>Below you'll find footage from E3. Not all days are represented here, but you can get an idea of how our first event went! :)&nbsp;</div><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Unboxing Guild Wars 2</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I made this video really quick so I could unbox Guild Wars 2. No editing. Didn't have time.&nbsp;Hope you enjoy it! :) [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/unboxing-guild-wars-2</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:36:20 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/unboxing-guild-wars-2</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>I made this video really quick so I could unbox Guild Wars 2. No editing. Didn't have time.&nbsp;Hope you enjoy it! :)<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
					<comments>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/unboxing-guild-wars-2#comments</comments>
			<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Conditions: Podcast #14</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[ [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/boons-conditions-podcast-14</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:34:10 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/boons-conditions-podcast-14</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Conditions: Podcast #13</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[ [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/boons-conditions-podcast-13</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:31:55 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/09/05/boons-conditions-podcast-13</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Conditions: Podcast #12</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Right before launch, we decided to discuss all of the professions and their current roles, general abilities and trait specs, what their weaknesses and strengths are and much more. For the final round we have Ehro, Frozire, Fearless and Rinzler discussing the Guardian, Mesmer, Necromancer and Theif.&nbsp; [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/22/boons-conditions-podcast-12</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/22/boons-conditions-podcast-12</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Right before launch, we decided to discuss all of the professions and their current roles, general abilities and trait specs, what their weaknesses and strengths are and much more. For the final round we have Ehro, Frozire, Fearless and Rinzler discussing the Guardian, Mesmer, Necromancer and Theif.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>We hope you enjoy it!&nbsp;<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>China Joy 2012</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I compiled some of my China Joy footage in order to make this video. I definitely need to get better with the camera and editing, but I hope it's still enjoyable. :)<br>
<br>
More footage to come! [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/20/china-joy-2012</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/20/china-joy-2012</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I compiled some of my China Joy footage in order to make this video. I definitely need to get better with the camera and editing, but I hope it's still enjoyable. :)<br>
<br>
More footage to come!<br><br><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Conditions: Podcast #10</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello B&amp;C listeners!<br>
<br>
Recorded on August 6th, this is a live podcast recording with aspiring Guild Wars 2 sPvP teams Alpha Collective and Super Squad. Their goal is the same as BnC's; ensure a strong and competitive PvP community that will ensure the game's success as an e-sport.<br>
 [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/15/boons-conditions-podcast-10</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:48:58 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/15/boons-conditions-podcast-10</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello B&amp;C listeners!<br>
<br>
Recorded on August 6th, this is a live podcast recording with aspiring Guild Wars 2 sPvP teams Alpha Collective and Super Squad. Their goal is the same as BnC's; ensure a strong and competitive PvP community that will ensure the game's success as an e-sport.<br>
<br><br><br><br>Let us know what you think about the live version! As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast and we appreciate all of the support.<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Airsoft + Toxin Raider's Podcast #6</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hi there!<br>
<br>
You miss me? It's been awhile and I missed you! :)<br>
<br>
I haven't found any time to compile all my China Joy footage, but I promise! I will get to it and when I do, you will sing joyous songs and cry tears of delight!&nbsp;<br>
<br>
Besides working this weekend, I will be joining some fans and fellow colleagues for some [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/10/airsoft-toxin-raiders-podcast-6</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:59:10 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/08/10/airsoft-toxin-raiders-podcast-6</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hi there!<br>
<br>
You miss me? It's been awhile and I missed you! :)<br>
<br>
I haven't found any time to compile all my China Joy footage, but I promise! I will get to it and when I do, you will sing joyous songs and cry tears of delight!&nbsp;<br>
<br>
Besides working this weekend, I will be joining some fans and fellow colleagues for some airsoft action! You can find&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/253706294732792/" target="_blank">details here</a>&nbsp;if you're interested in joining us.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
Well, I best get back to work. I have a game to make you know. Oh yeah, I also did a fun little interview with the Toxin Raider's crew! I loved their creative questions and I hope you enjoy it too!<br><br><br><br>As always, &lt;3 x 9001!<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>To China Land I Go!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey there!<br>
<br>
As the title states, I am off to China! Im headed to Shanghai, China for China Joy. This is a work related trip, but I hope to find some time to explore as well.<br>
<br>
I borrowed a video camera from a friend of mine and I attempted to use it for the first time. Haha. Enjoy the janky camera action. I will get this down. I [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/25/to-china-land-i-go</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:20:29 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/25/to-china-land-i-go</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey there!<br>
<br>
As the title states, I am off to China! Im headed to Shanghai, China for China Joy. This is a work related trip, but I hope to find some time to explore as well.<br>
<br>
I borrowed a video camera from a friend of mine and I attempted to use it for the first time. Haha. Enjoy the janky camera action. I will get this down. I swear! I'll upload all my China adventures when I return.<br>
<br><br><br><br><br><br>I wanted to leave you with a bit of footage from various games I've been playing. A lot of this is old footage, but I hope it's still enjoyable even if it isn't the greatest quality.<br>
<br>
Below, you'll find a portion of the Old Oshur event from PlanetSide. I got my hands on a GM account, so I got to fly around and see the battlefield from another point of view.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>I've been playing during all the BETA Weekend Events for Guild Wars 2, but I figure posting up new footage is probably better than old stuff, so here you go! I hope you enjoy.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>If you want more GW2 footage, you can also check out my&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/alphacollective/b/325812900" target="_blank">10 hour stream&nbsp;</a>over at the Alpha Collective Twitch.TV page! :)&nbsp;<br>
<br>
If you're up for something new, SMITE is a great game that I highly recommend. It's a MOBA game, but it's set in third person and has an FPS game play element to it since all your abilities are skill shots. I find it addicting!<br><br><br><br>The below video will show up when it's done processing. I just wanted to show some footage when I know more or less what's going on than the previous footage where I was learning the game and the various gods.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>I will be gone an entire week! I'll try to get as much video footage and pictures as I possibly can. If you leave me a comment or message me on a social network, I will get back to you when I return from my trip. :)&nbsp;<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>The Searing: Episode 12</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[This week has been madner! So much work to do. I'll be streaming a bit during the Guild Wars 2 BWE when I'm not working, sleeping or eating, but I wanted to stop in and share a podcastic link. :)&nbsp;<br><br>I joined The Searing for their 12th episode. We talked about end game, economy, structured PvP, eSports and other things that are Guild Wars [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/22/the-searing-episode-12</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jul 2012 00:31:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/22/the-searing-episode-12</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[This week has been madner! So much work to do. I'll be streaming a bit during the Guild Wars 2 BWE when I'm not working, sleeping or eating, but I wanted to stop in and share a podcastic link. :)&nbsp;<br><br>I joined The Searing for their 12th episode. We talked about end game, economy, structured PvP, eSports and other things that are Guild Wars 2 related.&nbsp;<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thesearing.com/2012/07/19/12-ya-we-know-famous-people/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.thesearing.com/2012/07/19/12-ya-we-know-famous-people/">Click Here to Listen</a>&nbsp;&lt;&lt;&lt;</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br>Oh and here's a great picture I'm sure you'll enjoy or...Not. Whatever. TAKE IT!</div><br><br><br><br>*Left to right:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Totalbiscuit" target="_blank">John "TotalBiscuit" Bain</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Arclegger" target="_blank">Adam "Clegger" Clegg</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JesseCox" target="_blank">Jesse Cox</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/PurrfectStorm" target="_blank">me</a>. ;)&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Shaved My Head for Technology</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey there!<br>
<br>
I'm back with another vlog! Lots of things have changed including my appearance! Haha. Hope you enjoy it!&nbsp;<br>
 [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/19/shaved-my-head-for-technology</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:40:14 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/19/shaved-my-head-for-technology</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey there!<br>
<br>
I'm back with another vlog! Lots of things have changed including my appearance! Haha. Hope you enjoy it!&nbsp;<br>
<br><br><br><br><br><br>I have to say that Hairpocalypse 2012 with the PlanetSide 2 team and fans was the craziest gathering of nerds that I've ever encountered. It's definitely the most unique event that I've been to. Has anyone else been to something that tops that? Haha. It was great to meet all the fans. Losing all my hair...Well, that's another story, but at least it will grow back. :) What do you think of it?<br>
	<br>
	I still can't believe I'm going to be in China next week! I get to go to the China Joy convention in Shanghai for PlanetSide 2. I'm pretty pumped and nervous, but I think it will be generally pretty rad. I won't have access to much internet wise, so don't expect me to be posting much on my social networks. I will have a ton of photos, videos and other things to post and talk about when I get back, I'm sure! I hope that I get to do a bit of exploring outside of work. We'll see how much time I have. Either way, I'm sure I'll get to eat lots of delicious Chinese food. *Nom nom*<br>
	<br>
	Also, I went to Disneyland for a day! I was supposed to go for a full weekend of relaxation and fun, but I have far too much work so two of our friends came out and did a fast twelve hour tour of Disneyland with us. They were great guides! We didn't even need a map. They were definitely Disneyland pros, unlike us. I had so much fun and took lots of photos!<br><br>I thought that the World of Colour was beautiful. We didn't get front row seats, but I'm pretty happy about that since, from where we were standing, we were getting wet, so I can't imagine what people in the front row were enduring. I hope they brought their ponchos!<br>
	<br>
	I didn't get to ride all of the rides because my boyfriend is a giant wuss whenever it comes to roller coasters (I have to give him credit for still taking me though), but out of all the ones I did ride, I thought that Space Mountain was the best. There were a few that were literally PAINFUL to ride! O___o I thought my back was going to fall off. Also, the lines were ridiculous! You'd wait for an hour or more for one ride and the ride was only about five minutes MAX of enjoyment. Queueland is my new nickname for Disneyland. I still had fun though! My recommendation, go with people you really like and want to talk to...Otherwise, the line waiting will be awkward and boring.&nbsp;<br>
	<br>
	I'm still trying to cram in as much gaming as I can, but I haven't gotten to play much other than PlanetSide 2 at work and SMITE which I haven't played in a few weeks. D: I just upgraded my PC, got a new mouse from one of my designer buddies, Jimmy, and I haven't had any time to stream and game. I'm hoping I can try to even out my work load and game time so I have more time for streaming. We'll see. With the trip to China Joy, I'm not sure that is in my future.<br><br><br><br>Anyway, I wanted to stop in and give everyone an update! Hope all is well. Let me know what exciting things you've been up to, if you've been to any strange nerd gatherings, or if you just have some neat technology tidbits to share! I can't wait to read your comments.&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Torbulation Episode 21</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I was invited onto the Torbulation podcast for an adventure filled with general gaming banter, inappropriate recipes, and how you can lose your job by saving someone's life if they aren't in your "zone". A big forewarning, this is probably not safe for children or work speakers. Dogs, cats and llama ears are fine. ;)&nbsp;<br><br><div [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/09/torbulation-episode-21</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:59:33 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/09/torbulation-episode-21</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I was invited onto the Torbulation podcast for an adventure filled with general gaming banter, inappropriate recipes, and how you can lose your job by saving someone's life if they aren't in your "zone". A big forewarning, this is probably not safe for children or work speakers. Dogs, cats and llama ears are fine. ;)&nbsp;<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://torbulation.com/?p=188" href="http://torbulation.com/?p=188" target="_blank">Click Here To Listen</a>&nbsp;&gt;&gt;&gt;</div><br>Were you already listening to Torbulation? What was your favorite part of this episode? Let me know in the comments below!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,&nbsp;<br><br>/Maggie<br><br><br><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Gamer Hangout: Kid's Games Vs. Adult Games</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I got the opportunity to do a web stream on Gamer Hangout with&nbsp;<a aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-1" data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/Beau_Hindman" href="https://twitter.com/Beau_Hindman" target="_blank">Beau&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/cendres" href="https://twitter.com/cendres" [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/05/gamer-hangout-kids-games-vs-adult-games</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:29:50 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/05/gamer-hangout-kids-games-vs-adult-games</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I got the opportunity to do a web stream on Gamer Hangout with&nbsp;<a aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-1" data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/Beau_Hindman" href="https://twitter.com/Beau_Hindman" target="_blank">Beau&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/cendres" href="https://twitter.com/cendres" target="_blank">Cindy</a>. We talked about what defines kid's games versus adult games and we discuss other various games and gaming cases related to the general topic.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Pokemon Theme Song for Charity</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[So I agreed to sing the Pokemon Theme Song for my Extra Life charity event when I was streaming one night. Totally thought that was a good idea at 4AM, but now....It's a bit EMBARRASSING! Haha.&nbsp;<br><br>Anyway, enjoy the song! Donate&nbsp;<a [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/04/pokemon-theme-song-for-charity</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:11:43 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/04/pokemon-theme-song-for-charity</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[So I agreed to sing the Pokemon Theme Song for my Extra Life charity event when I was streaming one night. Totally thought that was a good idea at 4AM, but now....It's a bit EMBARRASSING! Haha.&nbsp;<br><br>Anyway, enjoy the song! Donate&nbsp;<a href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&amp;participantID=28575&amp;referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fmargaretkrohn%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F2012%2F03%2F29%2Fhelp-be-a-hero-for-kids%3Fbadge%3D200x420thermo" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&amp;participantID=28575&amp;referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fmargaretkrohn%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F2012%2F03%2F29%2Fhelp-be-a-hero-for-kids%3Fbadge%3D200x420thermo">here&nbsp;</a>if you want to help the cause. If you like the song, you can find it&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/474009" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/474009">here</a>.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br><br>As always &lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>RE: Why Girls Suck At Gaming</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[This is going out to the "guy gamer",&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitter.com/adamcolon" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.twitter.com/adamcolon">Mr. Adam Colon</a>, who decided to write an article about "<a href="http://www.airbornegamer.com/2012/07/02/this-is-why-girls-suck-at-gaming/" target="_blank" [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/03/re-why-girls-suck-at-gaming</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:27:32 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/07/03/re-why-girls-suck-at-gaming</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[This is going out to the "guy gamer",&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitter.com/adamcolon" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.twitter.com/adamcolon">Mr. Adam Colon</a>, who decided to write an article about "<a href="http://www.airbornegamer.com/2012/07/02/this-is-why-girls-suck-at-gaming/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.airbornegamer.com/2012/07/02/this-is-why-girls-suck-at-gaming/">Why Girls Suck At Gaming</a>", but continued on to not really explain why girls suck at gaming. Did he give us statistics on competive female gamers? Did he have two equally matched gamers - one female and one male - go toe to toe in an epic best of five match? Did he discuss anything relevant to being good at gaming? No. Instead, he gives us his indepth opinion about gamers of the female gender and developers and their hiring tendencies in what he tries to pass as a humorous gaming industry post.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br><br>I detest the term "girl gamer". It's really annoying, but I suppose people will generalize because that's what they do. Anyway, I wouldn't have written my own blog about this topic, but he sent me a Twitter message that said, "5%" and that's it. This made me LAUGH out loud because seriously...Your article title for that section was titled, "Reasonable Game Designers Ignore Girls". Then you proceed to say that, "5% of game programmer’s are women" (by the way, no apostrophe is needed there). Designers are most often NOT programmers. In most game development companies, these two job titles are completely separate. Now, add that 5% of programers to the designers, artists, marketing, PR, QA, and CS staff that are female and in the game development process. DEVELOPERS are not just programmers or just artists. Developer is a term for anyone who helps create games. Designers are a specific field in the industry and so are programmers. I'd like to note that a lot of companies go OUT of their way to find more female developers. Double Fine is a great example! SOE even has a G.I.R.L scholarship program!<br><br>You proceed to say, "Real games are not designed and brought to market with girls as their target demographic. Which means, that girls don’t play games as much as men because the selection is so thin." What do you consider a "real" game? A game that takes money, time and effort from various developers of all sexes? I sure hope so. If so, a lot of games whether casual or hardcore can fit into this category. If games, as you say, are not advertised to women, then don't you think that is the reason that some women don't find those games? Not that they aren't interested in those types of games, the commercials and ads are just not placed in areas they frequent. This seems to be more of a marketing problem and less of a "girls don't play games and that's why they don't advertise games to women".<br><br>If you say that 42% of gamers are women, do some research on that 42% of women. If they are gaming, are their "interests" in gaming really "low"? Do they really think gaming is "beneath them"? No! They are gaming because they love gaming and they want to game! Whatever game that may be.<br><br>Women are social so they all of a sudden don't like gaming? Games are filled with social interaction, especially "VIOLENT AND COMPETITIVE" games. I know a lot of pro gamers that are female and ask any one of them, communication with your teammates is an important aspect of team gameplay in eSports. "When was the last time a girl kicked your ass in Counter Strike? Never, because this shit doesn’t happen." Oh, it happens. ;)<br><br><br><br>*Note: I don't approve of that song choice. Lol.&nbsp;<br><br>I have no idea why "attention deficit" has anything to do with female gamers. No where do you put out any math that indicates that "x" percentage of women have "attention deficit" disorder and also are gamers. Nor do you express the amount of guy gamers who have ADD and play games. I still have no idea what this has to do with gaming and females or males. "A girl can only handle casual games… games where you can start and stop at will without investing any predetermined amount of time." *Sigh* This just makes me want to /keyboardface over and over and over again. This is why some girls and guys have a max level character of every class and race in a game? Yeah, they are totally not gamers because of that.<br><br>Oh and of course, your final "reason girls suck at gaming" is "complaining about difficulty". Really? Even if they did complain, since when does complaining mean you suck at gaming? I hear all types of gamers - men and women- complain about games in one form another. Most of the time, when a game is too easy, unbalanced or has a terrible game mechanic, I complain. There's nothing wrong with voicing your opinion, but I generally think that gamers love a challenge. Most games provide a challenge and that's why we play them. We want to feel like heroes! We want to slay that powerful dragon that kicks everyone's butt for months so that we can say we did it!<br><br>Oh and by the way, your caveat does not make your article less offensive. Find that 42% of gamer girls, do some research, maybe interview a few of them from various gaming backgrounds. You'll find a lot of them have similiar stories to those of your male companions. ;) A lot of those "42% of women gamers" were gamers when they were younger, it just wasn't as acceptable. We were teased for being gamers, not applauded like men and their peers. Finally!!! We are in the age and generation where female gamers are accepted and promoted. We don't have to hide and you're finding more and more of us are coming out of the woodworks. Articles like this are the reason women stay out of the lime light, but I plead with them, please...Be proud of who you are! Don't ever let anyone take that away from you. Kick butt in games and ignore the trolls.<br><br>Next time someone wants to write an article about why female gamers suck at games, how about you actually write reasons why they suck at gaming, not reasons why you think that they don't play games that you expect them to play.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Conditions: Podcast #6</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello B&amp;C lovers!<br><br>Our sixth episode of the Boons &amp; Conditions podcast has been uploaded. We talk about the current state of the game after the second Guild Wars 2 BETA Weekend Event (BWE). A variety of changes have been made and we have our own reactions to it all. We even talk about some PvE aspects of GW2. ;)&nbsp;<br><div [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/06/18/boons-conditions-podcast-6</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:16:04 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/06/18/boons-conditions-podcast-6</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello B&amp;C lovers!<br><br>Our sixth episode of the Boons &amp; Conditions podcast has been uploaded. We talk about the current state of the game after the second Guild Wars 2 BETA Weekend Event (BWE). A variety of changes have been made and we have our own reactions to it all. We even talk about some PvE aspects of GW2. ;)&nbsp;<br><div style="text-align: center; "><br>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/06/podcast-6-post-bwe2-state/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/06/podcast-6-post-bwe2-state/">Click Here</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;</div><br>Let us know what you thought about the GW2 BWE! As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast and we appreciate all of the support.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>E3 Shenanigans</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello lovelies!<br>
<br>
Things have been crazy in my little section of the world. I have been so busy with work that I have gotten very little game time. I do have some&nbsp;<a href="http://us.battle.net/d3/en/?-" target="_blank">Diablo&nbsp;III&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.guildwars2.com/en/" target="_blank">Guild Wars [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/06/16/e3-shenanigans</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 16 Jun 2012 18:19:12 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/06/16/e3-shenanigans</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello lovelies!<br>
<br>
Things have been crazy in my little section of the world. I have been so busy with work that I have gotten very little game time. I do have some&nbsp;<a href="http://us.battle.net/d3/en/?-" target="_blank">Diablo&nbsp;III&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.guildwars2.com/en/" target="_blank">Guild Wars 2</a>&nbsp;footage highlights from my livestream that i'd like to share with everyone on my YouTube. I'm thinking about doing some reviews or at least stating my opinions of them as well. Super excited about that and hopefully everyone enjoys it.<br>
<br>
E3 was interesting this year. I got to be a part of the event and represent the&nbsp;<a aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-2" href="http://www.planetside2.com" target="_blank">PlanetSide 2</a>&nbsp;development team. I've worked previous E3s, but I had never done something like this before. I got to cast with&nbsp;<a aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-3" href="http://www.cynicalbrit.com" target="_blank">TotalBiscuit</a>&nbsp;which was rad! I've been following him for a long time, so it was really cool to be able to not only meet him, but also get to cast with him. I've been getting asked how it was to work with him and honestly, he's a great guy and it was very natural. He's very much a go with the flow kind of person and he truly loves PlanetSide so that made it easy to talk to him and compare things to the original game.<br><br><br><br>The event went really well for PlanetSide 2. We were nominated for 43 awards and we've won 20 so far, runner up with one...That ratio is fantastic in my opinion and we well exceeded my expectations. I was not expecting people to have this kind of reaction to the game. I hope this gets our game's name out there more.<br><br>You can listen to me rant more about this and my general life in the vod below. :)<br><br><br><br>As far as the rest of E3 goes, I am unimpressed with the direction E3 has been going. More and more companies are doing "exclusive" sections which isn't the problem at all! I don't mind the exclusive feel of having people line up and wait in anticipation to check out your game. It also gives people that "hey, there's a lot of people over there, I wonder what's up with that game" mentality, BUT the problem for me is when I wait in line and all I get to do is watch someone show me a video with a very small demo instead of letting me get some hands on action. The best way for me to assess a game is to actually play it.<br><br><br><br>I said this in the following vlog above, but I want to know how games that don't show any actual hands on game footage get nominated for awards. How are reviewers calculating a games worth if they don't even get to play the game? I hope someone can answer that. I mean, for me, I would rather give awards to games that I got to play rather than just watch a video of that is obviously scripted.<br>
<br>
Anyway, I hope everyone got to check out some of the games they liked. I know a lot of review sites are sharing footage, photos and other what nots, so be sure to check those out and let me know what games you're most excited about and why! I can't wait to read them.<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Vlog #1: 2.0? </title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey you lovely people!<br>
<br>
If you've been following my YouTube channel, you'll probably have noticed that some how my previous first vlog disappeared. It was a magical moment of not so awesome. I was going to make vlog number two, but I guess that wouldn't make that much sense. So...Here's a redo on vlog one! Enjoy!<br>
 [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/05/13/vlog-1-2-0</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 13 May 2012 10:39:46 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/05/13/vlog-1-2-0</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey you lovely people!<br>
<br>
If you've been following my YouTube channel, you'll probably have noticed that some how my previous first vlog disappeared. It was a magical moment of not so awesome. I was going to make vlog number two, but I guess that wouldn't make that much sense. So...Here's a redo on vlog one! Enjoy!<br>
<br><br><br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Condition: Podcast #5</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey BnC lovers!<br><br>We have our fifth episode of the Boons &amp; Condition's podcast uploaded for your listening pleasure. &nbsp;It was so awesome to play during the Guild Wars 2 BETA Weekend Event! We talk about our first impressions.&nbsp;<br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/05/10/boons-condition-podcast-5</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 02:05:15 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/05/10/boons-condition-podcast-5</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey BnC lovers!<br><br>We have our fifth episode of the Boons &amp; Condition's podcast uploaded for your listening pleasure. &nbsp;It was so awesome to play during the Guild Wars 2 BETA Weekend Event! We talk about our first impressions.&nbsp;<br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/05/podcast-5-beta-withdrawal-symptoms/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/05/podcast-5-beta-withdrawal-symptoms/">Click Here</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;</div><br>Let us know what you thought about the GW2 BWE! Hope you enjoy it and as always, we appreciate your support.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>I Love Writing, Do You Like Reading?</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[“N” is for “narrative”. I love writing! Narratives have always been really fun for me both as a writer and as a reader. I think they give the reader a very personal perspective on things. Sometimes, when I read a narrative story, I feel more attached to the character. It all depends on the writer and their style. Do you like [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/21/i-love-writing-do-you-like-reading</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:05:46 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/21/i-love-writing-do-you-like-reading</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[“N” is for “narrative”. I love writing! Narratives have always been really fun for me both as a writer and as a reader. I think they give the reader a very personal perspective on things. Sometimes, when I read a narrative story, I feel more attached to the character. It all depends on the writer and their style. Do you like narratives or is there another style of writing that you prefer?<br><br><br><br>For those of you who don't know, I have a narrative series of casual action going on called,&nbsp;<a href="http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/category/yurias-log" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/category/yurias-log">Yuria's Log</a>. It's about one of my Dungeons and Dragons (D&amp;D) adventures. I know it's been awhile since I've written a Yuria's Log, but I've been busy with work, so I actually haven't been playing D&amp;D on Mondays like I normally do. I just want to let people know that there WILL be more, but right now I'm far too busy with work and just trying to keep sane. We're thinking about starting up again in a month or two. I'll let you know.<br><br>In the mean time, if you're one of those narrative reader types, you should catch up! Let me know what you think. I did transfer these over from my old Blogspot page, so all the old comments are gone. D: Sorry folks! I could just copy and paste them if you'd like. Let me know.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>P.S: I'll be releasing the other four blogs I have left for the A to Z Challenge throughout the day tomorrow.&nbsp;<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>C'est la Vie</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey...<br><br>You know those vlogs I told you I was going to start making a few months ago. Yeah, it took me awhile, but I made my first one.<br><br>It's nothing special. It was more so a test run. I definitely need to fix the sound. I have the microphone boost and volume maxed, so I'm not sure what's going on. I'll get it fixed though.&nbsp;<br> [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/cest-la-vie</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 05:18:42 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/cest-la-vie</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey...<br><br>You know those vlogs I told you I was going to start making a few months ago. Yeah, it took me awhile, but I made my first one.<br><br>It's nothing special. It was more so a test run. I definitely need to fix the sound. I have the microphone boost and volume maxed, so I'm not sure what's going on. I'll get it fixed though.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br><br>Hope you enjoy. Just turn the volume up all the way. Also, don't forget to turn it back down afterward!&nbsp;<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Rockman</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[“M” is for “Mega Man” (otherwise known as Rockman in Japan). Someone brought up the Mega Man series when I was discussing what games to play for my<a href="http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/help-be-a-hero-for-kids" target="_blank"> 24 hour game session for charity</a>&nbsp;and now I am craving some Mega Man action. [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/rockman</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 05:03:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/rockman</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[“M” is for “Mega Man” (otherwise known as Rockman in Japan). Someone brought up the Mega Man series when I was discussing what games to play for my<a href="http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/help-be-a-hero-for-kids" target="_blank"> 24 hour game session for charity</a>&nbsp;and now I am craving some Mega Man action. Also...Battletoads and Felix the Cat, but we won't get into that.<br>
<br><br><br><br>So, I was thinking about doing this and frapsing it. Is anyone else getting back into some of their old school NES games? It's been awhile for me. I think about six months ago, my boyfriend and I played some Super Mario's World, but that seems so long ago. It was fun to go back through all of the levels again.<br><br>Anyone else get that old school craving every once in awhile? What's your go to game? Put them in the comments below!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Mending</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["L" is for "love", so here's a love poem. I hope you enjoy!&nbsp; [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/mending</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 04:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/mending</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["L" is for "love", so here's a love poem. I hope you enjoy!&nbsp;<br><br><br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">Tender fingers working magic<br>Repairing jagged, bleeding slits<br>Sewing, gently mending<br>A soul so nearly vanquished<br>See how she tended it…<br><br>No needle, thread or thimble<br>She had no use for these<br>With whispered words<br>Of love and peace<br>She calmed his pain with ease<br><br>She softly soothed his raging heart<br>Sang lightly in his ear<br>Forever, never far apart<br>They are together now..Forever<br>Right Now…Forever, right…<br>Here.</div><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Keep Out!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[“K” is for “keep out”! Why on earth do we ALWAYS have to open something labled, “KEEP OUT!” It's like we want trouble. What is it about us that makes us so curious as to what's in the box, on the otherside of the door, or hidden within the pages of books? [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/keep-out</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 04:09:21 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/keep-out</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[“K” is for “keep out”! Why on earth do we ALWAYS have to open something labled, “KEEP OUT!” It's like we want trouble. What is it about us that makes us so curious as to what's in the box, on the otherside of the door, or hidden within the pages of books?<br><br><br><br>The human mind is so intriguing. We love solving problems and riddles. We always want to know how something works or how to get something to work. Anyone else wonder why or possibly have their own theories?<br>
<br>
Let me know in the comments below!<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons &amp; Condition: Podcast #4</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey BnC followers!<br><br>Fourth episode is out! We've figured out some of the sound issues. Still have a bit to solve, but yep, much better. We discuss tons of WvW stuff and we do a little Guild Wars 2 beta key give away contest, so check it out, you lovely followers you! =]&nbsp;<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/boons-condition-podcast-4</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 04:01:36 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/boons-condition-podcast-4</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey BnC followers!<br><br>Fourth episode is out! We've figured out some of the sound issues. Still have a bit to solve, but yep, much better. We discuss tons of WvW stuff and we do a little Guild Wars 2 beta key give away contest, so check it out, you lovely followers you! =]&nbsp;<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/podcast-4-world-vs-world/#comments" href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/podcast-4-world-vs-world/#comments" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;</div><br>Hope you enjoy it and as always, we appreciate your support.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Just Jump Already!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[“J” is for “jump”! This is a short one! =]<br><br>Too often, people tell me how they wish they would have done x or y. If you really want something, you won't get it by wishing. Figure out what you want, how to get it and go full force. Take the jump!<br><br>Is there something that you've always wanted to do? If so, what goals [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/just-jump-already</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:47:06 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/15/just-jump-already</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[“J” is for “jump”! This is a short one! =]<br><br>Too often, people tell me how they wish they would have done x or y. If you really want something, you won't get it by wishing. Figure out what you want, how to get it and go full force. Take the jump!<br><br>Is there something that you've always wanted to do? If so, what goals are you making in order to make that happen?&nbsp;<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Two Words ;) </title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["I" is for... Bet you know what I'm about to type, but if not, read the story below to find out. =P Muahaha. [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/10/two-words</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:20:43 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/10/two-words</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["I" is for... Bet you know what I'm about to type, but if not, read the story below to find out. =P Muahaha.<br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">
	--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<br><br>She looked into the mirror. Her hair down, a rarity these days. Gold ringlets framed her face, her veil lightly grazing her nose upon movement.<br>
	<br>
	All morning, she had not had a moment to herself and right now, all she had was that, a moment. Her life filtered through her brain like old polaroids blowing through the wind. All the memories bringing her to this very instant.<br>
	<br>
	She stood up and took a final glance in the mirror. Her heart raced as her father took her arm. They exchanged grins and with a giggle she was on her way.<br>
	<br>
	The melody and harmony of their song played throughout the chapel, resonating and dancing upon the stained glass windows. The pews garnished in white roses. Family and friends beaming with delight as the groom stared in awe at his bride.<br>
	<br>
	This was the place where they would announce their commitment to one another, uniting their families into one. In just two simple words..."I do."&nbsp;<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">
	--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<br><br>I hope you enjoyed my little snippet. I was just in the mood for a bit of creative writing and tried to make it relevant to the letter for today. Anyway, what does the letter "I" make you think of other than just simply yourself. Ha!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Five, Seven, Five!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["H" is for haiku. Haikus are a short form of Japanese poetry that use units known as <i>on </i>or morae. The patern is then three phrases of five, seven and five <i>on</i>.&nbsp; In English, we like to calculate words in units of syllables which is not exactly like<i> on</i>, but it's our metric for verse count. Here's an example. The word [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/09/five-seven-five</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:33:12 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/09/five-seven-five</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["H" is for haiku. Haikus are a short form of Japanese poetry that use units known as <i>on </i>or morae. The patern is then three phrases of five, seven and five <i>on</i>.&nbsp; In English, we like to calculate words in units of syllables which is not exactly like<i> on</i>, but it's our metric for verse count. Here's an example. The word "haibun" in English has two syllables (hai - bun), but it has four <i>on </i>(ha-i-bu-n).<br>
<br>
I love haikus, so I wrote a couple for this.<br><br><br><br><br>
	<br>
	<br>
	<br>
	The girl sat alone<br>
	Eyes and head in sullen slant<br>
	Crying tears long gone<br><br><br>
	<br>
	<br>
	Colours flowing wild<br>
	Radiating from its leaves<br>
	Strong bark of a tree<br><br>I hope you enjoyed them and if you find time, write one for me in the comments below!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons and Conditions: Podcast #3</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey BnC followers!<br>
<br>
The third episode of our Guild Wars 2 podcast has been out for awhile now. I must warn you this is probably the worst audio we've had. Note, we've fixed that issue for episode four. In fact, I just got done recording that episode. It was a lot of fun.<br>
<br>
In episode three, we bring on a new co-host Esloan and talk [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/08/boons-and-conditions-podcast-3</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:13:52 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/08/boons-and-conditions-podcast-3</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey BnC followers!<br>
<br>
The third episode of our Guild Wars 2 podcast has been out for awhile now. I must warn you this is probably the worst audio we've had. Note, we've fixed that issue for episode four. In fact, I just got done recording that episode. It was a lot of fun.<br>
<br>
In episode three, we bring on a new co-host Esloan and talk about dynamic events, combat, dungeons and other jazz. &nbsp;<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; ">
	&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/boons-conditions-podcast-3-outside-beta/" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;</div>
<br>
Hope you enjoy it and as always, we appreciate your support.<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Poetry for a Grieving Soul</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["G" is for "grievance". Losing someone that you love and respect is always a hard moment in one's life. It can make you go into the darkest places of your mind. I have gone through much loss and grief in my life and poetry has always been a great outlit for me. Whenever I'm sad, I write poetry. I hope you enjoy them. What helps you through your [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/poetry-for-a-grieving-soul</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:14:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/poetry-for-a-grieving-soul</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["G" is for "grievance". Losing someone that you love and respect is always a hard moment in one's life. It can make you go into the darkest places of your mind. I have gone through much loss and grief in my life and poetry has always been a great outlit for me. Whenever I'm sad, I write poetry. I hope you enjoy them. What helps you through your hardships and losses?&nbsp;<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">
	Rose petals fell from her garden as she silently wept.<br>
	Crying the tears of a soldier long met.&nbsp;<br>
	His cunning, sweet charm was far deep in harm,<br>
	And her heart was half torn.&nbsp;<br>
	"I will never touch another man's hand,"<br>
	She had sworn.<br>
	<br>
	She sulked through that garden<br>
	Fragrance so divine<br>
	And all she could think was,<br>
	"That man was all mine."&nbsp;<br>
	His luscious lips&nbsp;<br>
	Upon her rose mary cheeks;&nbsp;<br>
	Nothing could be more sweet.&nbsp;<br>
	<br>
	He was the one<br>
	She had dreamed of all her life,<br>
	And now, she could never be<br>
	Pince charming's faithful wife.<br>
	Instead of dancing about<br>
	Like a fairy in June,&nbsp;<br>
	She'd quietly sit<br>
	Mourning under the moon.&nbsp;<br>
	<br>
	Oh, how she wished<br>
	That he would come back,&nbsp;<br>
	And his life was never&nbsp;<br>
	Under attack.&nbsp;<br>
	If only, maybe,&nbsp;<br>
	He would love her<br>
	And never forget.<br>
	<br>
	Forget their first kiss<br>
	Under the star sparkling moon;<br>
	Forget the dances they moved to&nbsp;<br>
	Silently listening<br>
	To an unimaginable tune.&nbsp;<br>
	<br>
	No, he would never<br>
	Want those lively memories<br>
	To pass his mind<br>
	As he sat praying, "God please!"<br>
	<br>
	And as she closed her sweet eyelids,&nbsp;<br>
	She sang a tender song<br>
	To her one and only pilot.<br>
	Her soldier in the sky,<br>
	Soaring higher and higher,<br>
	Until he disappeared.<br>
	<br>
	Forever an angel of love.&nbsp;<br>
	To prove<br>
	That something must be done.</div>
<br><br><br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">
	She’d scream in the stone-cold winter</div>
<div style="text-align: center; ">
	When the sun was low in the sky<br>
	And snow would rake her flesh,<br>
	Sting her eyes.<br>
	<br>
	She’d scream in the warming spring<br>
	When the melting snow unearthed rotted leaves<br>
	And thorns would stab her fingers<br>
	Making her bleed.<br>
	<br>
	She’d scream in the burning summer<br>
	When the plants wilted in heat<br>
	And the smothering sun dried her skin<br>
	Peeling it away.<br>
	<br>
	She’d scream in the cooling autumn<br>
	When red, gold and orange fell from the sky<br>
	And the wind blew dried death in her face<br>
	Making her cry.</div>
<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>The Heebiejeebies</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["F" is for "fear". It's always hard for us to state our weaknesses. What worries you? What your worst nightmare is? What things literally scare the living heebiejeebies out of you! I, personally, have quite a few fears. [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/the-heebiejeebies</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:40:42 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/the-heebiejeebies</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["F" is for "fear". It's always hard for us to state our weaknesses. What worries you? What your worst nightmare is? What things literally scare the living heebiejeebies out of you! I, personally, have quite a few fears.<br><br><br><br>My biggest fear is failure. I just hate failing. I hate losing. I hate not completing something. I get mad anxiety when I know that I am failing at something. I think this is something that has both been good for me because it pushes me to do better and be really competitive, but at the same time, I think it can be really bad for me because I need to be able to deal with failure. There are some times where there isn't a way to "win the game" so to speak. Sometimes, failure is inevitable and dealing with that is much more stressful for me than it should be.<br><br>I have a fear of heights! It's weird. I'm not afraid of going up. The climb up doesn't bother me...It's the going down part that frightens me. I just don't like the drop. I've been overcoming this by going on rollercoasters and rock climbing, but I still get that moment of fear before the drops.<br><br>So the last one isn't really a fear, but I was wondering if anyone else ever gets this feeling. Whenever it's dark and I'm going into my house or into a room in my house, I get this feeling like someone is behind me and sometimes I full on sprint into the room and turn the light on. Haha! Does that happen to anyone else or am I just a weirdo?<br><br>Also, what are your fears? Are you working to fix any of them or do you kind of just leave them be and try to avoid them at all costs? Let me know in the comments below!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
					<comments>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/the-heebiejeebies#comments</comments>
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			<title>The Perception of Entitlement </title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["E" is for "entitlement". Ones right to do or have something, to be qualified or allowed. I'm certain almost everyone who has clicked on this entry has experienced this whether directly or via prospect. It's the mentality of "I deserve this". [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/the-perception-of-entitlement</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:43:10 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/the-perception-of-entitlement</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["E" is for "entitlement". Ones right to do or have something, to be qualified or allowed. I'm certain almost everyone who has clicked on this entry has experienced this whether directly or via prospect. It's the mentality of "I deserve this".<br><br><br><br><br><br>Entitlement itself isn't a bad thing. I believe that everyone should know what they want and what they are worth and work hard to accomplish their goals. The problem occurs when people make little effort to achieve their objectives, becoming depressed and complaining that they "deserved x" and that the problem is "y". Of course, "y" is definitely not them; it must be some external variable that is affecting their life and their worth. So instead of fixing "y", they would rather complain and whine.<br><br><br><br>News flash! You may be worth FAR more than anyone would and could ever know, but if you don't work hard to show it, no one will actually know your value. You're the only one who will truly care about you.<br>
	<br>
	Don't expect anything from others. I find that expectations are our worst enemies. They affect us in relationships, work and even day to day transactions. When you expect something to be a certain way, it will most likely always fall short and rarely exceed your suppositions.<br>
	<br>
	Be optimistic! Although it may be hard at times, it's always best when you try to have a good outlook on things. You'll even find that things just happen to fall into place much better when you set aside the bad feelings and really push yourself to look on the bright side of things. You can't change the past, but you can make the future brighter by learning from your past experiences. Push yourself to make the right decisions and better help you reach your goals.<br><br><br><br>Take yourself out of your shoes. Look at life as a much bigger thing than just your small little circle of friends, family and acquaintances. The world is so much larger than just you and me. It's hard to imgine when you haven't traveled much, but open a map, do some research, you'll find that you are just a small ant in a mound of mounds and mounds of ant hills all across the world. It's a priveledge for you to live and breath.<br>
<br>
No matter what life brings you – the good, the bad – your experiences help build you! They have helped create the person that makes you who you are, use that to your advantage and be amazed at how much your life is truly a blessing. Take time to thank the people around you even if they aren't someone you are close to - the taxi driver, the waitress, the random person holding the door open for you. Appreciate others and they will appreciate you.<br><br><br><br>Sometimes, things just don't work out. Assess the situation. Figure out why it didn't work and what you can do in the future to fix those problems. This will allow you to encounter the same predicament and come out of it on top.<br><br>Also, allow yourself some relaxation! Life can be stressful. Making decisions can be hard. Things just don't work out all the time and that's life! So...Find healthy ways that help you relieve stress. Note, you might want to make a list of long term and short term options. For example, a short term option could be counting down from 10 to 1 in your head; a long term option might be sitting in your favorite spot and reading a chapter of your current book. This will allow you to overcome stress in various situations.<br><br><br><br>In the end, you are only entitled to what you truly work for. So if you think you are worth something, bust your butt to make it happen! It is ultimately up to you to make your dreams come true. And remember...If at first you don't succeed, look at the problem from another angle, find a new solution and try again.<br><br><br>I am learning to change my perception on entitlement in order to help me become a better person and make decisions and choices that allow me to accomplish my goals. It can be rough to stay optimistic and sometimes, I just want to smash my face into my keyboard, but that won't make things work the way I want them to.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
What about you? What do you think about entitlement? Do you agree with my explanation, tips and suggestions? Or do you have any for me?&nbsp;<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
					<comments>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/07/the-perception-of-entitlement#comments</comments>
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			<title>Should I...</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["D" is for decisions. I've had to make a lot of these throughout my life so far. For me, I've always wondered what would have happened if I had made the wrong choice or a different choice? What path would my life be on now?<br>
 [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/04/should-i</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:53:41 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/04/should-i</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["D" is for decisions. I've had to make a lot of these throughout my life so far. For me, I've always wondered what would have happened if I had made the wrong choice or a different choice? What path would my life be on now?<br>
<br><br><br><br><br><br>Does anyone else ever think about the different decisions they've made and where things could have taken them? Where would you be if you took a different path? I could be working as an administrator in a hospital now, possibly a singer and musician in a band or maybe an author of poetry and books! There are so many places I could be if I had just made a different turn.<br><br>So I'm curious. Where could you be? What choices and decisions have you had to make?<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>*Bleep Bleep*</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["C" is for "censorship". Censorship has become a huge topic over the years, especially as technology has grown. Censorship in the most general terms is the suppression of communication to a general body of people by a controlling party. [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/04/bleep-bleep</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/04/bleep-bleep</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["C" is for "censorship". Censorship has become a huge topic over the years, especially as technology has grown. Censorship in the most general terms is the suppression of communication to a general body of people by a controlling party.<br><br><br><br>The controllers of the information flow have various rationale as to why they censor information depending on the information itself and whether it intervenes with what they want other people to know. Censorship can affect information morally, militarily, politically, religiously, educationally and corporately (and probably far more ways than I can list).<br><br>In some ways, people feel that censorship is beneficial, but at the same time, so many people fight against censorship. Personally, I feel that censorship on a micro scale can be a good thing, but when it comes to general and large scale censorship...I worry. What is so important or detrimental to be kept so tightly hidden? I've always wondered what secrets have been hidden from me by my government. What do you guys think about censorship? Have you ever censored anything from others? I guess it's like a secret. A secret that could hurt someone? Hmm...<br><br>Sorry if this has been a bit jumbled. I have had a long day.&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,&nbsp;<br><br>/Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Bionic Technologies</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA["B" is for Bionic Technologies! It always amazes me how much health care has progressed over the years and it makes me extremely happy that technology has become such a big part of that. Not only when it comes down to the machines, but also the pure technological advances placed within the human body.&nbsp;<br>
 [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/02/bionic-technologies</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:58:57 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/02/bionic-technologies</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA["B" is for Bionic Technologies! It always amazes me how much health care has progressed over the years and it makes me extremely happy that technology has become such a big part of that. Not only when it comes down to the machines, but also the pure technological advances placed within the human body.&nbsp;<br>
<br><br><br><br><br><br>When you're blind, being able to see even the basics of light, movement and shape can make a big difference! Currently in FDA trials, the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis records basic visual information via camera. It then processes it into electronic signals and sends it wirelessly to elctrodes implanted into the brain. This is still in the early stages of development, but it could literally bypass the eyes entirely, sending visual data straight into ones brain! Isn't that amazing?<br>
	<br>
	According to Dr. John Pezaris, Harvard Research Fellow,&nbsp;"The visual brain depends on visual experience to develop normally," so this implies that it works best on people who could once see because their brains will already know how to process the information.<br><br><br><br><br><br>Of the 25.8 million children and adults in the United State, 8.3% have diabetes.&nbsp;Insulin-dependent diabetics have to live with some very strict lifestyle guidelines, but this artifical pancreas could help them live more normal lives, making it easier for them to avoid the affects of having too little or too much blood sugar. This contraption is capabable of monitoring a person's blood sugar and adjusting the level of insulin to meet their body's needs. What's great about this? We'll likely be seeing it on the market in a few short years, says Aaron Kowalski, director of strategic research projects at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.<br><br><br><br>This one is always one of my favorites! Prosthetics have helped improve the lives of many amputees. Now, prosthetic arms can be used the same way you would use a real one - by the power of thought!<br><br>Dr. Todd Kuiken of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago developed the "bionic arm". It's connected to the brain by healthy motor nerves that used to run into the patient's missing limb. These are then re-routed to other areas of the body, like the chest, where the nerve impulses they carry can be picked up by electrodes in the bionic arm. A patient can think about moving their hand, this sends the nerves that would have been sent to the real hand to the prosthetic one!&nbsp;<br><br>It doesn't end there. Dr. Kuiken's team is working on ways to improve the arm, using surviving sensory nerves to communicate the feeling of temperature, vibration and pressure.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>There are so many other stories and ways that bionic technology are improving the lives of people and animals all over the world! Too many for me to list out, but I was wondering what everyone else thinks about this new age of technology. Do you know someone who has been affected by bionic technology? Do you know of any other awesome stories or ways that technology has helped save the lives of others? Share your opinons and stories in the comment section below! I can't wait to read them.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>My Constructive Rage?</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hi webbertons,<br>
<br>
A friend of mine showed me this video (seen below) and I about pewped my pants from crying, laughing and raging so hard that I decided to write a blog about it.<br>
<br>
A lot of people would die to be in the press beta. I know, I for one, would&nbsp; have loved to be able to be in it, making videos to help promote the [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/02/my-constructive-rage</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:58:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/02/my-constructive-rage</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hi webbertons,<br>
<br>
A friend of mine showed me this video (seen below) and I about pewped my pants from crying, laughing and raging so hard that I decided to write a blog about it.<br>
<br>
A lot of people would die to be in the press beta. I know, I for one, would&nbsp; have loved to be able to be in it, making videos to help promote the game. I hope Arenanet picks some more PvP scentric press in the future. By this, I mean skilled PvP press. Players who have played PvP games and have something to show for it to some extent. I am not a huge fan of seeing PvE players, or subpar PvP players, trying to show off and explain PvP.<br>
<br>
I know..."Elitest" moment, but seriously, it's frustrating to watch and really gives people a negative vibe. I wouldn't want to watch myself doing that either, nor would I want to subject anyone to watching that. I've realized in all the rage that I'm having from watching this video there's content I can express that could help future PvP game reviewers.<br><br><br><br><br><br>Even if you aren't a total PvP pro, you'll notice quite a few issues with this video. I don't want to hate on the person who made this video, so I will keep this as general as possible while still giving you some examples from the video.<br><br><br><br>Read your abilities. Have some idea of what they do, and try to use them wisely.<br>
<br>
In the above video, the player is missing his elite ability - the far right ability in the "0" slot. Never go into combat without a key ability. These ulti-type abilities are a huge aspect of gameplay. If you've watched any of the PvP matches that some of the A-net developers have done, you'll note that this ability is really important when you get in huge battles or tricky situations.<br>
<br>
Use your heal and use it wisely. I'm not sure what spec this fellow was, but even if he only had one heal, there were key moments where he had his main heal up (slot 6) and he was low health for a long period of time.<br><br><br><br>Try to learn to not click your abilities; this leaves your mouse free for movement and situational awareness.&nbsp;Use your mouse to constantly look around and face your enemies and or the direction you need to travel.&nbsp;Using the above tip, use your mouse to help you guide your direction and turn instead of using WASD.&nbsp;WASD should be used to move and strafe, not for turning.<br><br>All of the above issues are visible by watching the video. I also never saw him dodge. Dodging seems to be a major aspect of PvP in Guildwars 2, allowing you to move quickly out of bad situations and allowing you to evade some major spells. I don't believe I saw him do this once.<br><br><br><br>Take time to look over your HUD. Make sure you know where all the important bits and pieces are. If you don't know what something is, test things out until you figure out what it is used for and what it represents. If you still don't know, mention that. Make it known to your viewers that you're not certain what it is and also note that you hope the developer fixes that or makes it more apparent.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
At the beginning, he opens the map to see who has what objectives. This is a bit unnecessary because the objectives are in the upper middle area of the HUD. Perhaps, he just wanted to show us the map, so I'll let that one slide.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
He calls someone a guardian at about 7:17 when he clearly had him targetted and the guy was obviously an engineer. A lot of times, he seemed unsure of who his enemy was when he had them targetted. Other times, he was right, but there should never be a moment where you are guessing who your enemy is. In Guildwars 2, from what we can see so far, they have icons above the players head that tell you what class they are. Notice the engineer icon above the player at 7:17.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
He states several times that you need to finish downed enemies, but never once does he actually finish the enemy. You can see that it says, "FINISH THEM! [F]" He just continues to swing at the enemy or shoot his arrows. I don't think he realized how to finish off the downed enemy.&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>Situational awareness will help you make the right decisions.&nbsp;This bit is a combination of all of the above. PvP players need to be able to assess a situation and react to it. If you have all of the above down, this is what you should be working on next and continuing to improve upon it.<br><br><br><br>After watching the video, do you agree with my tips? Have something to add or have any comments and opinons you'd like to share? Toss them down in the comments seciton. I'd love to know what you think.&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
					<comments>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/02/my-constructive-rage#comments</comments>
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			<title>I'm Chaotic Good!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello world,<br><br>Today is the first day of the A to Z Challenge and I thought it'd be fun to make these a bit more interactive when it comes to blogs, so I hope y'all don't mind. I'll also try to keep these short, unless I'm feeling extra wordy. Let's get started!<br><br>For "a", I want to discuss alignments in games. As you can see in the [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/01/im-chaotic-good</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:48:48 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/04/01/im-chaotic-good</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello world,<br><br>Today is the first day of the A to Z Challenge and I thought it'd be fun to make these a bit more interactive when it comes to blogs, so I hope y'all don't mind. I'll also try to keep these short, unless I'm feeling extra wordy. Let's get started!<br><br>For "a", I want to discuss alignments in games. As you can see in the photo to the right, alignments have progressed throughout the years, having started in old school games like pen and paper Dungeons and Dragons and now being referenced when discussing players in first person shooter (FPS) games. Alignments are definitely something that helps build a foundation for character's attributes. I often find myself playing characters that are much more on the good side of the spectrum than evil. I just love being the hero and making the right choices. I don't really find doing evil things to be fun and so I general sway towards that side of things. Although, I did play one D&amp;D session where my group all became evil and I ended up slowly going that route. It was a little rough for me, but I got a hang of it. It was still fun, but I felt like it all ended up in us being really greedy and trying to plot our way into taking over the world *queue Pinky and the Brain theme song*.<br><br><br><br>As far as my alignment in real life (IRL), I am much more of a chaotic good person. I can be a bit ragey at times and I'll admit that. Although, I hate yelling, so I avoid that at all costs, but sometimes, I just want revenge or I want to ruin that persons day who is ruining everyone else's day which probably isn't the best way to go about things. I know...Negative times positive equals negative, but seriously...Seriously, sometimes, you just have to stab someone (in game) about a million times (or maybe just once) in order to show them how much of a butthead (keeping it PG) they are.<br><br>So...I was wondering! What alignment do you normally play when you play games and in what way do you think game developers can help make it easier for you to play that role? If you aren't really a gamer, what alignment do you think you are in real life and how do you think that affects the decisions and actions you take in daily life? Leave me a comment a below!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Help, Be a Hero for Kids!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Interwebs, I need YOUR help!<br>
<br>
After my first run with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.extra-life.org/participant/margaretkrohn" target="_blank">Extra Life</a>&nbsp;where I did a 50 hour marathon of gaming LIVE! I thought it'd be a great idea to subject my body to it all over again. This time around, I think I'm going to stick with just 24 hours, [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/help-be-a-hero-for-kids</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:57:08 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/help-be-a-hero-for-kids</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Interwebs, I need YOUR help!<br>
<br>
After my first run with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.extra-life.org/participant/margaretkrohn" target="_blank">Extra Life</a>&nbsp;where I did a 50 hour marathon of gaming LIVE! I thought it'd be a great idea to subject my body to it all over again. This time around, I think I'm going to stick with just 24 hours, but&nbsp;<a href="http://margaretkrohn.com/livestream.htm" target="_blank">I'll still be streaming live on October 20th, 2012</a>.<br><br><br><br><br><br>"What's Extra Life," you ask? Oh, yeah! It's a charity event where people can sign up and game for donations that go towards helping local children's hospitals. You get people to basically sponsor your gaming session and then you game. Hopefully, everyone can donate a dollar and if you're really feeling giving, you can donate a dollar for every hour of gaming, so $24 dollars! You can even make a monthly donation because the donations don't stop till after October 20th, 2012, so donate to your heart's content.&nbsp;<br><br>Remember, <b>ALL PROCEEDS</b> go towards helping kids and <b>your donations are 100% tax-deductable</b>! Last year, I was able to raise over $1,500. I'm hoping I can exceed that goal and make it to $2,000.&nbsp;<br><br>I can't do this without your help though. Please, follow this link &gt;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.extra-life.org/participant/margaretkrohn" href="http://www.extra-life.org/participant/margaretkrohn" target="_blank">here</a>&lt; and click the "Support This Participant". I would truly appreciate it and so will all the wonderful kids who are facing scary stuff like cancer, cystic fibrosios and injuries from accidents to name just a few.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
					<comments>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/help-be-a-hero-for-kids#comments</comments>
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			<title>Take Down Breakdown </title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hi lovelies,<br><br>I wanted to take a quick minute to let you know what happened with the contest and why I took it down.<br><br>The truth is, even though I wanted to do the contest as just another gamer in the community, people will still associate it and me with my employer. The&nbsp;<i><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.planetside2.com/" [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/take-down-breakdown</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:50:22 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/take-down-breakdown</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hi lovelies,<br><br>I wanted to take a quick minute to let you know what happened with the contest and why I took it down.<br><br>The truth is, even though I wanted to do the contest as just another gamer in the community, people will still associate it and me with my employer. The&nbsp;<i><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.planetside2.com/" href="http://www.planetside2.com/" target="_blank" aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-0">PlanetSide 2</a></i>&nbsp;team has some amazing plans to bring you fun contests and giveaways with prizes that are much better than anything that I can provide on my own. And since I am part of the development team, I will actually be able to help with promoting the game and I will definitely let you all know when fun things are kicking off!<br><br>So keep your eyes on the <i>PlanetSide 2</i> social networking sites like&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/planetside2" href="https://twitter.com/#!/planetside2" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.facebook.com/PlanetSide2" href="https://www.facebook.com/PlanetSide2" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. You don't want to miss out on all of the opportunities!<br><br>As always, &lt;3 x 9001!<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
					<comments>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/take-down-breakdown#comments</comments>
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			<title>Woohoo! I'm doing the A-Z Challenge!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello bloggers and blog readers!<br>
<br>
As you can tell from the title of this entry, I'm taking part in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2012-to-z-challenge-sign-up-list.html" target="_blank">A-Z Challenge</a>. What does that mean?&nbsp;Basically, every day, starting on April 1st, (this is no April fools joke) I'll be writing [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/woohoo-im-doing-the-a-z-challenge</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:06:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/29/woohoo-im-doing-the-a-z-challenge</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello bloggers and blog readers!<br>
<br>
As you can tell from the title of this entry, I'm taking part in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2012-to-z-challenge-sign-up-list.html" target="_blank">A-Z Challenge</a>. What does that mean?&nbsp;Basically, every day, starting on April 1st, (this is no April fools joke) I'll be writing a blog! Woohoo! These blogs will be incorporating a letter from the alphabet, beginning with the letter "A" until I get to "Z".<br>
<br><br><br><br>I've been finding it really hard to blog lately with work and all the madness going on elsewhere in my life! So...I'm hoping that the A-Z Challenge will be a great way for me to keep on track, stress free and help me get into a semi-good blogging and vlogging schedule? I write this with a question mark because it probably won't, but I can dream, right? =]<br><br>They suggest you read up to five other challengers' blogs, so if you're joining, post a link in the comments section below with your blog URL so that I can check out your posts and support you in this twenty-six day challenge to the "Z"!<br><br>Oh and if you have any great subject ideas for one of the letters, post that in a comment below! I'd love to know what everyone is interested in reading about!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons and Conditions: Podcast #2</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey peeps!<br><br>Second episode of our Guild Wars 2 podcast is out! This week, the gang talked about e-sports and other things related to competitive PvP. Check it out and don't forget to to stop by the site and drop us a comment. As always, we appreciate the support!<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/21/boons-and-conditions-podcast-2</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/21/boons-and-conditions-podcast-2</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hey peeps!<br><br>Second episode of our Guild Wars 2 podcast is out! This week, the gang talked about e-sports and other things related to competitive PvP. Check it out and don't forget to to stop by the site and drop us a comment. As always, we appreciate the support!<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/03/boons-conditions-podcast-2-e-sport/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/03/boons-conditions-podcast-2-e-sport/">Click Here</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;</div><br>Also, I'll have a video coming out in the near future about a PlanetSide 2 PCGamer magazine giveaway. I have twelve to hand out, so get your game face on!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Play TF2 For Charity? Sign Me Up!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I've been asked to help out with a charity event called&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://tf2mixup.com/page/Donate" href="http://tf2mixup.com/page/Donate" target="_blank">TF2 Mixup&nbsp;</a>where I get to play TF2 with some awesome people like&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.valvesoftware.com/" href="http://www.valvesoftware.com/" [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/15/play-tf2-for-charity-sign-me-up</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:24:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/15/play-tf2-for-charity-sign-me-up</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>I've been asked to help out with a charity event called&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://tf2mixup.com/page/Donate" href="http://tf2mixup.com/page/Donate" target="_blank">TF2 Mixup&nbsp;</a>where I get to play TF2 with some awesome people like&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.valvesoftware.com/" href="http://www.valvesoftware.com/" target="_blank">Robin Walker</a>,&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/notch" href="https://twitter.com/#!/notch" target="_blank">Notch</a>,&nbsp;<a aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-4" data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/fwong" href="https://twitter.com/#!/fwong" target="_blank">Freddie Wong</a>,&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/Veronica" href="https://twitter.com/#!/Veronica" target="_blank">Veronica Belmont</a>, The&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/yogscast" href="https://twitter.com/#!/yogscast" target="_blank">Yogscast&nbsp;</a>crew and quite a few other internet celebrities and game developers who are far more famous than me! I'm truly excited and very thankful that they chose me to be one of them!&nbsp;<br><br><br><br><br>The greatest part about this event other than watching a 9-on-9 death match against celebrities and game developers is that all the money donated goes to&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://childsplaycharity.org/" href="http://childsplaycharity.org/" target="_blank">Child's Play</a>! Child's Play is a charity that improves the lives of children in hospitals all around the world with games and toys!<br><br>It doesn't end there! YOU have a chance to play with us! If you chip in and donate, you'll have a chance to be one of three randomly chosen players who get to join us and receive some awesome signed merchandise. They'll pick the players at random on April 1st, so get your&nbsp;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://tf2mixup.com/page/Donate" href="http://tf2mixup.com/page/Donate" target="_blank">donations in</a>!<br><br>I'll be sure to post the match video once it's out. In the meantime, here's their previous video.<br><br><br><br>I can't wait. Hopefully, I kick some butt and don't lose. Haha!<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
/Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Interview for Han</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I've gotten a few interview requests from various people in different gaming communites! Believe me, I will get to you all. I just have to find time to do them. =]&nbsp;<br><br>This one has been sitting in my email queue for about one to two months, so I decided to answer them in a video. In fact, this is my first ever personal YouTube video, so I [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/15/interview-for-han</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:32:21 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/15/interview-for-han</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I've gotten a few interview requests from various people in different gaming communites! Believe me, I will get to you all. I just have to find time to do them. =]&nbsp;<br><br>This one has been sitting in my email queue for about one to two months, so I decided to answer them in a video. In fact, this is my first ever personal YouTube video, so I hope you all enjoy, especially Han.&nbsp;I'd like to thank Han Chillier for coming up with these questions. A lot of them were quite unique.<br><br><br><br><br>You can follow her on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HanCilliers" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/HanCilliers">Twitter</a>, check&nbsp;<a href="http://otherwiseandoffbeat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://otherwiseandoffbeat.blogspot.com/">her blog</a>&nbsp;out and post a comment on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mixedchicks.co.za/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.mixedchicks.co.za/" aria-describedby="ui-tooltip-2">site where she wrote the article about me</a>. I appreciate the dragon comment. That was super sweet. I've never been compared to a dragon before.&nbsp;<br><br>Anyway, let me know if you enjoyed the video. I'm thinking about making vlogs in the future, so leave me a comment and let me know if you'd watch and or listen to them.&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,&nbsp;<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Boons and Conditions: Podcast #1</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[I've been working with a crew of future Guild Wars 2 players in order to make a podcast and now it's out and ready for you to listen to it!<br><br>So...You should totally stop by the site, listen and drop us a comment. We would really appreciate it!<br><div align="CENTER"><br>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/12/boons-and-conditions-podcast-1</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:35:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/03/12/boons-and-conditions-podcast-1</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I've been working with a crew of future Guild Wars 2 players in order to make a podcast and now it's out and ready for you to listen to it!<br><br>So...You should totally stop by the site, listen and drop us a comment. We would really appreciate it!<br><div align="CENTER"><br>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/03/boons-conditions-podcast-1-mono-intro/#more-111" href="http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/03/boons-conditions-podcast-1-mono-intro/#more-111" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;<br><br></div>Oh and by the way, I have a lot of awesome GDC information, seminar discussions and take away blogs in the making. I can't wait to share it all with you.<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>I Heart FemShep</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello lovelies!<br><br>I wanted to share some things that I've been up to! I know a few of you who actually read Yuria's Log are wondering...WHEN WILL THERE BE ANOTHER?! Well, I have two in the making, so do not fret. I've been having a bit of trouble trying to write the combat parts. We're currently in a dungeon crawl and there has been a lot of [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/15/i-heart-femshep</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/15/i-heart-femshep</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello lovelies!<br><br>I wanted to share some things that I've been up to! I know a few of you who actually read Yuria's Log are wondering...WHEN WILL THERE BE ANOTHER?! Well, I have two in the making, so do not fret. I've been having a bit of trouble trying to write the combat parts. We're currently in a dungeon crawl and there has been a lot of small battles. I want them to sound fun and epic. I'll release those when I am satisfied with my makings.<br><br>On to other things! For any of you who enjoy podcasts, I was a guest on The 8-bit Cubist with Mr. Benja this weekend. I appreciate that he thought of me for his <a data-cke-saved-href="http://8bitcubist.com/blog/2012/02/14/podcast-24-gamers-with-virtual-feelings/" href="http://8bitcubist.com/blog/2012/02/14/podcast-24-gamers-with-virtual-feelings/" target="_blank">Valentine's Day - Gaming with Virtual Feelings</a> podcast. If you haven't checked it out, you should totally drop by and leave them a comment! Also...Enjoy laughing at me. I have not done a podcast in so long. Very strange hearing yourself talk. Lots of things to improve on that front. Haha.<br><br><br><br><br><br>If you haven't already guessed what my next topic is going to be by the above picture, I'll just spell it out! M-A-S-S E-F-F-E-C-T 3!!! So pumped for this game. I stayed up late tonight to play through the demo and I wanted to go over some of my thoughts really quick while they are fresh in my mind. I was a little disappointed, but it's a demo, so I can't expect too much to happen. I'm hoping that the hardmode version of the game is a bit more satisfying. I found the demo to be really easy and straight forward.<br><br>The combat reminds me a lot of Saints Row: The Third, at least when it came to the shooter aspect of it. I found cover to be a bit too sticky at times and then not so sticky at other times which was frustrating. It was definitely not as polished as the Deus Ex cover system, but it did what it needed to do for the most part. I found myself hitting shift a lot to run fast instead of spacebar which, in return, kept pausing the game. This is a shooter habit. I end up doing this in any game that has some form of sprint. I blame Battlefield and other such FPS games.<br><br>I don't like that the UI is so far out of my vision. I feel like most games these days try to keep everything on the bottom bar and or close to the middle of the screen and less on the outter upper edges. They are using the upper left corner for some of the powers which was a bit strange to me. I have also not played a console game in awhile, so I might be missing out on something. Often games change up their UI based on whether the player is playing on console or PC. Anyway, the UI bothered me a bit, but that wasn't a big deal, I'll get over it.<br><br>Other than those small bits, I enjoyed the demo of the game. I can't wait to play through the rest of it. AND! I am super stoked about the multiplayer aspect. I'm wondering how fun that will be. I normally play games with a few friends and I'm getting a bit sick of all the single player games, so this will be a great change.<br><br>I better head off to bed! I have a ton of work to do tomorrow. Did you play through the demo? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below and let's discuss!&nbsp;<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>/Magz<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Me Week</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello World!<br><br>Another week without a Yuria's Log! I'm sorry internets. We do have a rather reasonable reason for not playing. Our dungeon master's dog got a hold of some medicine and overdosed. Fortunately, she is recovering which is awesome news! Please, keep her in your hearts and thoughts. <br><br>I didn't want to leave you high and dry [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/07/me-week</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:08:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/07/me-week</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello World!<br><br>Another week without a Yuria's Log! I'm sorry internets. We do have a rather reasonable reason for not playing. Our dungeon master's dog got a hold of some medicine and overdosed. Fortunately, she is recovering which is awesome news! Please, keep her in your hearts and thoughts. <br><br>I didn't want to leave you high and dry though, so I decided to write about what I've been up to this week. First off, lots and lots of work. This week went by WAY too fast. I feel like I got a lot done though and that's always a great feeling.<br><br>I got to compete in this weeks Tourney Tuesday at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/northparkfoundry" target="_blank">The Foundry</a> in North Park. We have competitions every other week and we've been mostly focusing on MTG (Magic: The Gathering). We all vote on what booster draft we'd like to do and then we play best of three brackets. It's been a lot of fun! I am learning everything all over again. I've never done drafts before, so it's been something new for me. I won my first round. I was so proud of myself. Haha. Then I lost to this guy who had a Liliana, Invisible Stalker and Trepanation Blade. I totally got owned. D: <br><br><br><br><br><br>But! I learned a bit and got smarter about my card plays. I didn't have any burst cards, so I inevitably lost. It was still fun and that's all that matters! Next Tuesday Tourney, I will be doing a live stream again. It seemed to work out the last time we did it. Hopefully, it'll work once again. I usually set up three cameras - one on each of the player's cards and one on the center where all of their cards are being played. There's also a mic so you can hear what they are saying. A fourth camera and a second mic is used for the commentator. If you're an MTG fan or player in the San Diego area, you should totally come out, drink a beer, eat great food and hang out with some awesome people!<br><br>On Thursday, I got to hang out with The Gamer Girls for their Nerdcore Night at The Ruby Room. They originally wanted me to live stream it which would have been awesome! But...We had some technical difficulties, so I just ended up hanging out and enjoying the music and company. If your in the San Diego area, I definitely recommend coming out. It's great fun and great people. <br><br>I didn't really get to game much this week other than MTG, but I started my three day weekend off with some more Dragon Age! If you read my previous blog or follow my live stream, you probably know that I've been loving the game and trying to finish it. Not rushing it though. I'm enjoying speaking to every NPC I can possibly find. It's been a blast. I've got a healer in my party now, so things are going MUCH MUCH more smoothly. I have an all female party again! Woot. Some of the fights I've had to encounter previous to having a healer were a PITA (pain in the as-booty). I'm sure anyone watching my stream was also frustrated by them. Haha. I had to keep swapping around to each party member spamming potions on top of making sure that they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. It was a bit chaotic to say the least. Having a healer is definitely less stressful on me and my coin pouch. Maybe, I'll be able to save money on potions and actually buy better gear! Lol. <br><br>I took a few screen shots of the Mage's tower. I had to! It was really pretty, so I wanted to share those with you. The screenies really don't do the scene justice, but oh well!<br><br><br><br><div align="CENTER">
	<b>This is when I first entered the area.</b></div>
<br><br><br><br><div align="CENTER">
	<b>During the cut scene after you walk forward.</b></div>
<br><br>I am in the process of making some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/ladyluper" target="_blank">video reviews </a>of the new gadgets I got. I believe I noted them in my previous blog. Those will be coming your way as soon as I can get them finished and looking some what professional. I am in no way a video producer, so I'm learning things as I go with plenty of help from friends. If you know anyone who'd like to help with an intro for me, that'd be rad! Otherwise, I'll just keep doing things to the best of my ability.<br><br>Also, you'll be seeing me join a few podcasts as a guest! I'm looking for a casting home at the moment. I used to podcast back in the day and I really miss it, so I'm looking into all the options that are available to me. Of course, I won't be representing SOE in any way. It'll be just general gaming oriented podcasting. I really can't wait!<br><br>Anyways, I better get cleaning. My boyfriend's father is coming to visit and I want to make sure the house isn't too chaotic even with still unpacking boxes! Haha. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and good hunting!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>~Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Teh Games!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello World!<br><br>It's me again! I'm back with another one of my fancy smancy blogs since there have been no Yuria's Logs. =D How was everyone's holiday? Did you get any fabulous gifts? My vacation started a little earlier than usual due to getting a cold (icky, I know), but as the sickness wore off, only great things have been presenting [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/07/teh-games</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/07/teh-games</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello World!<br><br>It's me again! I'm back with another one of my fancy smancy blogs since there have been no Yuria's Logs. =D How was everyone's holiday? Did you get any fabulous gifts? My vacation started a little earlier than usual due to getting a cold (icky, I know), but as the sickness wore off, only great things have been presenting themselves! All this time off means that I get more time to catch up and play all those games I haven't gotten a chance to play. Or...In my case, catch up on gaming in general.<br><br>And oh boy have I been gaming! I spent most of my vacation glued to my bed or computer. My house isn't very orderly at the moment. That's for sure! Haha. It's been a lot of fun though! My friend purchased <a href="http://dragonage.bioware.com/" target="_blank">Dragon Age</a> Origins for me, so I thought I might check it out. I've only heard great things about it, but I never had a chance to play it or the time to warrant buying it. It has been on my Steam wishlist for quite some time though. Anyways, I hopped in and I had so much! The characters are great. My favorite one so far is the rhyming tree! <br><br><br><br><br><br>Combat at times was a bit frustrating, especially without potions, but generally the tactics are well done. I will be training more tactics slots for my characters, that's for sure. So far, I am to the point where I have saved the werewolf people from their curse and Zathrian (sp?) is no longer with us. Bless his soul. I even got a phat breastplate!<br><br><br><br>It's been a ton of fun and I'm going to keep playing the game until I finish it. Some of the decisions I have to make are rough and I'm not sure what I want to do, but I normally like doing the good options over the evil ones. =P <br><br>On to other games...And by other games, I mean <a href="http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/" target="_blank">StarCraft II</a>! I have been completely addicted to StarCraft II. I've always loved watching the pro games, but never hopped in and played competitively by myself. The last few days of my holiday have been spent playing lots and lots and lots of StarCraft II! It's been so much fun and I want to thank everyone who has been hanging out in <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/luperza#" target="_blank">my live stream</a> and giving me great tips and coaching. I appreciate it and I'm working really hard to get better. Maybe, I will make my way up the ladder and get to compete with the big boys some day. <br><br>Unfortunately, my gaming extravaganza has to come to an end. Tomorrow, I'll be back to the sixteen hour work day grind, but it's all worth. Since I didn't have to work today, I played some <a href="http://planetside.station.sony.com/" target="_blank">PlanetSide</a> and had a lot of fun! I'll probably do a few more PlanetSide nights if enough people are interested. Just toss me a comment below if you are!<br><br>Going to do a little SOE shout out here. Hope you don't mind! The game I'm currently working on, <a href="http://www.planetside2.com/" target="_blank">PlanetSide 2</a>, has a new website layout with a nifty BETA sign-up button! If you haven't checked it out and you're an MMO or FPS fiend, I highly suggest it. The most recent <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PlanetSide2" target="_blank">PlanetSide 2 YouTube</a> video is up too. Matt Higby, our Creative Director, tells you about all the neat empire specific design. Enjoy! <br><br><br><br>I got so many awesome things for Christmas and my birthday. =] Pretty excited about it all and I'll probably do some professional reviews on the lot of them, but I thought I'd share the gamer related stuff I got. <br><ul><li><a href="http://www.bluemic.com/snowball/" target="_blank">Blue Snowball Microphone</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/webcam-communications/webcams/devices/6816" target="_blank">Logitech C910 HD Webcam</a></li><li><a href="http://www.corsair.com/vengeance-m90-performance-mmo-rts-laser-gaming-mouse.html" target="_blank">Corsair M90</a></li><li><a href="http://www.corsair.com/vengeance-k90-performance-mmo-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html" target="_blank">Corsair K90</a> </li><li><a href="http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/DisplayHomePage" target="_blank">Razor Goliathus Control</a> </li></ul><br>What is the nerdiest gift you have ever received? Share it in the comments below! I can't wait to read them. Happy New Year! *Cheers to another awesome year of living*<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001, <br><br>~Maggie<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 8</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[12/19/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 8</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ah, Neverwinter. It's been like a second home to most of us these days. Trouble seems to surround the poor city. Hopefully, we can do something about it. We dropped off our mule at our normal meet up "The Staggering Lion's Alehouse". Master Sampson was glad to see us back so safe and [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-8</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:58:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-8</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[12/19/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 8</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ah, Neverwinter. It's been like a second home to most of us these days. Trouble seems to surround the poor city. Hopefully, we can do something about it. We dropped off our mule at our normal meet up "The Staggering Lion's Alehouse". Master Sampson was glad to see us back so safe and sound, but we had little time to rest and gossip. There were things that needed to be done and people who needed talking to.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I was intent on going to the Church of Pelor. I had quite a round of business to attend to while the rest of our party did some snooping and mingling of their own. They needed to figure out if anyone heard word of our missing dwarf friend from the journal.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I reached the entrance of the church with plenty of time to spare. It was quite the sight. It's exterior made of marble; a landmark to any traveler within the city, especially at night. The temple would glow so brightly, it would illuminate the whole street. Built with only one spire and four smaller spires at its base, it was quite simple in design. What topped it off was what was above the main spire, the familiar statue of Pelor himself.<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"She's a beaut ain't she?" asked a beggar sitting along the wall across the brick street.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Indeed. We worked very hard to make sure the temple was perfect when we rebuilt it," I said as I tossed a gold coin to the beggar. He grinned and waved at me as I ran up the stairs. The inside of the church was even more beautiful. Its stained glass windows brought colors that danced across the altar and pews.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Alzariah, one of the priests, greeted me. "Good to see you again, Yuria. Is there anything we can help you with or have you come to do some praying?"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; "Both. I have some questions to ask if you have the time to answer," I said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; "We had a feeling that would be the case. Follow me if you will," she said while making her way to a side room and motioning me in.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Priest Juddah and the Head of the Order were already awaiting me. "I knew you'd be here within the hour," he said with a grin on his face. "You look healthy. I'm glad to find you well, Yuria."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"And so are you, good friend. I have some things for you," I said as I pulled out the vial of residuum I had taken from the tree. "I thought this might be of use to you. Is there anything you can tell me about it?" I asked.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He took the vial from me, shaking it slightly as he looked into it. The silver liquid moving from the top to bottom slowly. "It's used to maintain undead outside of the Shadowfell. You see. Usually, undead won't stay outside of the Shadowfell unless they are mindless, controlled by something much more powerful than themselves, or of course, the normal consumption of human brains," he said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Would this be used by someone like...," I leaned close to him and whispered, "Alspeth," into his ear.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Her? Never. She is their queen. Her power is beyond something like this. Plus, she needs not of vials or potions, she brings a bit of the Shadowfell with her like a stormy cloud above a sad soul," he said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Can you tell me who she was when she was alive?" I asked.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Sure. She was one of the Princesses of the Noble House of Neverwinter. It fell about a hundred and twenty years or so ago, during one of the original Spellplagues. She was raised in Neverwinter her whole life. She was extremely power hungry and planned on running Neverwinter. Well, that was until her death. Every once in awhile, we see her in the undead area of town. They often keep to themselves other than the fights that break out between them and the Abyssals. Although we do fear that the war may spread further, we are trying to keep optimistic. It's hard to predict something like that though. We just keep to ourselves, you know? Tending to our daily tasks and what nots. Oh, sorry...Now I'm just rambling. There's just been a lot happening over the years. Hard to keep at peace with it all," he said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I understand," I said calmly. "I appreciate the information. It's quite helpful.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I do what I can. I do what I can," he said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I had a final thing to ask of you before I head out," I began to say, while taking out the amulet from my pouch, but as soon as it was in full view Juddah, Alzariah and the Head of the Order began speaking loudly and trying to rush me away. "Wait! Wait! What's going on?" I tried to stop them before we got completely out of the room. I don't want to cause any unneeded attention.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Do you not know what this is?" Alzariah asked sternly.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Get this out of here, you are desecrating the very essence of our church," said the Head of the Order.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "It's an evil artifact of death and unlife," said Juddah. "There's no telling what can look through it or in it." It hits me. This must be how the dark elf was able to find us so quickly, sending his undead friends to attack us throughout the night when Drogo had it latched to his belt. Not until I placed it in my pouch had the attacks ceased.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I'm very sorry," I said slightly bowing my head. "I will leave immediately. You know I meant no harm." I began placing the amulet back into my pouch, heading towards the door and leaving as quickly as possible. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;While I was at the church, the rest of the gang was on a mission to mingle. Lament convinced the rest of them to let him find someone on the street who might know of a missing dwarf. First try, he was directed to some Simon fellow who hangs out in an unusually shady part of town.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Now, what?" Asked Loogan. "We found the area, but it could take hours to find this Simon guy!"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Lament took one look around the main street. "Have faith, friend. I know just the place," he said as he walked towards the only well lit bar on the street. Loogan, Sir Thoran and Drogo followed closely behind. Lament sat down at the bar and motioned the rest of them to follow. They all ordered a mug and hung out for a bit before Lament was certain that some of the bar maidens called the bartender 'Joey' a few times over.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Hey Joey!" Beckoned Lament.&nbsp;<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Joey walked over to Lament, "Do I know you?" He's a bit surprised. He probably doesn't know many tieflings or doesn't want to that is.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Probably not, but you may know where I can find a fellow named Simon," said Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Who wants to know?" Asked Joey. "Simon's been really sick. I can't just tell anyone where he is, unless you're a friend of his. Otherwise, I'd...I'd be in some big trouble," said Joey.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Oh, well, I'm in luck! Aren't I? Simon and I are old pals! I'm just concerned. He hasn't spoken with me or any of us in months, so we came to his part of town," said Lament so convincingly that Joey believed him.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Well, in that case," he lowered his voice. "Simon is staying at the corner of Hunter's Way and Treble Road. Take luck."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;After they finished off their drinks, they headed to the corner of Treble Road and Hunter's Way. The house was old and had a tinge of creepy to it. It looked as though the yard hadn't been tended to in months.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Simon? You there?" Asked Lament as he pushed the unlocked door open a tid bit. The room looked pitch black even with the mid evening's light shining through.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"There's a lamp about ten feet in front of you. Why don't you come in and turn it on. Yes, turn it on. Turn it on," said a voice from within the house. They assumed it was Simon.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Thank you, but I have my own light," said Lament. Making a tiny bit of flame in his palm. The figure jumped away and rushed into the dark part of the rafters so quickly that he seemed almost catlike.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I see him up in the rafters. He doesn't look so good," said Drogo. The figure kept moving from one side to the next. "How long did you hang out with the dwarf?" Asked Drogo.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Too long, too long. Any time was too long," said Simon.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Can you tell us anything else about the dwarf?" Asked Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"He was all too insane. Yes, insane," said Simon.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drogo notices there's a huge hole right through Simon's midsection. "What's wrong with your stomach?"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Oh, that? It's healed. Yes, yes...It was healed!" Exclaimed Simon.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Sure...Sure it did," said Drogo sarcastically.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I'll be better once I finish my chore. Yes, yes, my chore," said Simon.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Anything we can help you with?" Asked Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Oh, oh! I'm sure you can," said Simon grinning.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The room goes pitch black. Loogan hears something behind him, manages to see a slim wire at his feet and jumps over it.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Watch out, there's a trip wire!" Yells Loogan.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;They all run out of the house and the door slams shut behind them.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"After that, I need a beer!" Said Sir Thoran.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I think we all do," Loogan said agreeably. "But...Let's not go to our usual hang out. You kind of knocked another guys tooth out last time. Plus, trying out a new place could be fun!" <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;On their way to the bar, I run into them.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Hey, I was just off to do some more research. Any of you want to join me?" I asked.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I'll pass. Need drink," said Sir Thoran.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I'll go with you, Yuria," said Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Well, the two of you should follow Sir Thoran then. Keep him out of trouble if you can," I said with a bit of a giggle. Sir Thoran was already a few paces away and Loogan and Drogo were hot on his trail.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Well, I guess it's just you and me. Think you could see if anyone on the street knows where the dark elves' guild is?" I asked Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"You know me too well. I'll be back in a flash," said Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Lament returns with not only the location, but the guild name, Brigand Darth. I've heard of them, so it might not be as hard of a task as I had imagined. They are known for their assassination skills, training with them can be fatal, but those who make it through are showered with rewards and known for their righteousness. Well, at least, among the other dark elves, the Brigand Darth are the most commendable. On our way to their guild hall, Lament tells me all about their Simon meet up. I'm thinking Simon is either a ghoul or a gahast, but I say nothing. I tell him of my church mishaps with the amulet.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When we arrive at the Brigand Darth guild hall, Lament urges me to stand aside while he speaks to one of the guards. Silly Lament, he thinks that because they are dark elves that they would rather speak to him than me, but I know he does not know as much about the Brigand Darth as me, so I let him do his honorable duty or so he thinks.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"No one is allowed to pass this gate," said the guard.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"We are here to speak to your captain. Can you get him?" Asked Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"What is your business?" Asked the guard forcefully.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"We need to speak to him. Just get him," Said Lament.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"If you cannot tell me of your business. I will not be wasting my captain's time. Are you with this...," the guard began to say, but changed his question, "Is there something I can help you with?" He questioned, looking in my direction.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Have no fear. We are not here to waste anyone's time. Time is a valuable thing. We have some information that could be useful to your captain. Will you show us the way to him?" I asked.<br>
Lament is a bit confused, but quickly regains his poise. The guard directs us to the training yard and we head in immediately. As we enter the training grounds, the veterans are relaxed, but their hands are not far from their weapons. The area is about a fifty by fifty feet room with training dummies and three to four seasoned mercenaries. The captain is barking orders at them and recruits are training various weapons and magics.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The captain begins walking towards us. "How can I help you?" Asked the captain, directing the question to me.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"My comrade here is interested in training with your mercenaries," I said. "Also, you may have some information that is useful for me. In return, I will provide you with some as well."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Oh, really?" Said the captain, motioning Lament in the right direction. "Go on. I'm sure you'll have some fun," He smiled.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Lament goes off to train, exactly what I needed him to do - be a distraction.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Now, what information can I provide you with?" He asked.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I was wondering if you happened to know a specific dark elf, one with a scar across his face," I said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Ah, yes. He used to be one of ours. Long story short, he betrayed our code. Any information you may have about him and his whereabouts will be greatly rewarded," said the captain. "No!" Said the captain to one of the veterans. He was going to intercede Lament chasing one of the recruits around with fire balls.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Well, I can tell you where I last saw him in the Neverwinter Woods," I responded.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "If I provide you with a map, could you point out the location?"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Of course," I said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He pulls out a map from his pouch. Scrolling it open, he waves his hand over a specific region of the map, it becomes visible, unlike the other portions of the map. He grins, "We know these areas quite well. Point it out for me, will you?"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I'm curious. How did he break your code?" I asked. "I wouldn't want to be sending an innocent to his death."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Perfectly understandable. He was with our company for three years. Until one day he broke into warehouse 2 and stole all the magic items, disappearing. We haven't seen him since. He was one of our finest," said the captain.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "If I provide you with the location, is there a chance you can get me a map such as this? Also, we would be willing to help you find him if you wanted our allegiance," I offered.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Fair enough. This map took much research and many days to make, but I can point you in the right direction. As far as allegiance, anyone who brings this dark elf to us, will be handsomely rewarded. Subdue him though, he's worth more alive, but...I suppose we would take him dead or alive," he said with a wink.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I point out the location we last saw him on the map. The captain's face looked weary. "Is there something wrong?" I asked.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"That area is...Well, we try to avoid it. The undead have been behaving strangely, not obeying the mistress of Shadowfell. There's an active entrance to the Under Dark there. We try not to patrol in that area if we can avoid it," he said a bit frightened and off put. "Here's the cartographer's information," he hands me a card. "He's in the North Quarter, near the undead area. He's a bit of a strange fellow. Just a forewarning."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "It seems that our allegiance might be something of use even more so now than ever before," &nbsp;I said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"You make a point. We'll have to ramp up our patrols in order to cover that area which we normally try to avoid," he said. "What did you have in mind?"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I was thinking of a contract. Perhaps, we help you and in return you provide us with some gear."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"You are quite the bargainer. We can write up the contract right now if you have time to spare," said the captain. Motioning me to another room in the guild hall.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I wonder. Would you rather loan us gear, equal to our current talents of course, and when we return with the mission complete, we give you back the gear and you pay us in gold. This way we still get a reward, and you still have gear for your men," I stated.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Just when I think your bargaining has been complete. This sounds even better. Let's write up that contract and get you on your way."<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When the contract is complete and signed, we make our final hand shake. Oddly, I have no vision at all. Usually, something as simple as a handshake can provide me with some insight as to who a person is. Strangely, this doesn't worry me. Having no vision is better than a bad vision.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;While Lament and I are gathering information about the young dark elf we have encountered throughout Neverwinter Woods, Drogo, Sir Thoran and Loogan are getting sloshy. Sir Thoran begins arm wrestling with a Minotaur for beer. Sir Thoran loses twice. People begin betting, cheering and getting rowdy. In the background, a few are yelling, "DRINK! DRINK!" The barmaid is stressed out and trying to keep everyone calm.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"You're going down horns!" Yells Sir Thoran as they begin their third round of arm wrestling.<br>
One of the observers in the crowd exclaims, "The dwarf is in cahoots with him!" Sir Thoran defeats the Minotaur and breaks the table.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I think you used magic!" yells the Minotaur, staggering as he tries to take a sip of his ale.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Two each. We need a tie breaker," said Sir Thoran to the barmaid.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;People in the crowd are yelling, "Tie breaker! Tie breaker!" The bar is getting even more disorderly. The barmaid has been trying to get people to leave after the table was broken. Sir Thoran and the Minotaur go off to find a new table.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"One more round, c'mon slllady...Here," Sir Thoran hands the bar maiden some gold.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"And for the table?" She asked, giving him a harsh look.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"No worrieeths," he said, handing her some more gold.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;They do their final round. It's almost as though the Minotaur is going to take him down, but then Sir Thoran makes a come back and slams the Minotaur's arm down. "Victory!" Yells Sir Thoran. People are getting angry and begin fighting over who owes them money and who bet on who.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "It was fixed!" Yells someone.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Test the dwarf!" Yells another.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "It's time for halfling tossing," said the Minotaur.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I know a halfling," said Sir Thoran. Loogan hides under a table after stealing a beer. Drogo is trying to grab Sir Thoran and Loogan in order to exit the bar while a full on brawl is breaking out.<br>
As they leave the bar, Drogo sees a shady street urchin kid. As soon as the kid notices that he's been spotted, he books it down the street. Drogo goes chasing after him. Loogan and Sir Thoran are completely confused and begin laughing at the sight of Drogo flailing his arms, breathing heavily, and drunkenly running and tripping over himself after some strange little kid. Drogo casts Entangling Roots and catches up with the kid, grabs him by the scuff and yells, "Oh, stealing from me!?"<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;By now Sir Thoran and Loogan have made their way over to him. Sir Thoran is glowering at &nbsp;the kid.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Where ya headed, kiddo?" Asked Drogo.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Out," said the kid beginning to quiver.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"If you say anything to anyone, I will take you out!" Yells Drogo. Sir Thoran makes an intimidating face at the poor kid.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"He...He paid me! He paid me five copper to tell...To tell him when you get out of the bar! I swear!" Said the kid, shaking in his boots.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Who?" Asked Drogo.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"The...The scary dark elf," said the kid.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Where? I'll give you one silver" Asked Drogo.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Really!? One WHOLE silver? Just...Just for me?" Drogo nodded. "He said he'd meet me at the entrance of the sewer," said the kid.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drogo handed him the silver. "I'll giff you thwee more ssilfver if you hide in the alley behind the bar. Iff he shows up, tell him we went to the Brigand Darfth. Got that? I will giff you the ssilffver when I return," said Drogo. Some of his words slurring.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Got it!" Said the kid, running off to the alley. They are all certain he'll do what they want. Although, they are pretty drunk at this point.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Just as Lament and I are leaving the guild hall, we run into the rest of our party...The rest of our very DRUNK party. They are running towards us. All at the same time they are telling us about the dark elf and the kid. Half their words slurring into one another. Lament and I finally get all the information to some what make sense. I go back into the guild hall and the veterans approach me.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Get your captain! I have some information for him," I said.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Back so soon?" Asked the captain.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I have some information you'll be wanting to hear," I said, telling him about the sewer and the kid.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I'm impressed. I'll send two of my men with you, since some of your party seem rather...Well, not so 'here'," he said winking. That's the second time he's winked at me. I think to myself. "You should move quickly. He probably won't stay there for too long," said the captain.<br>
<br>
---<br>
<i>Next week, we will proceed with the possible battle. Hopefully, get everyone's gear up to date. Note that we haven't met with the mage cartographer (He might be good to ask some questions about the red wizards and amulet). Also, we still need to do some merchant trading and what nots while in town.</i><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 5 - 7</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[12/12/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 5</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"We need to check out that glint from last night. Give me a moment," said Drogo as he disappeared into the surrounding trees.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I don't think anyone, except Loogan, rested. We could barely lay our heads down without worry from our slumber after the attack. I began [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-5-7</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:57:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-5-7</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[12/12/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 5</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"We need to check out that glint from last night. Give me a moment," said Drogo as he disappeared into the surrounding trees.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I don't think anyone, except Loogan, rested. We could barely lay our heads down without worry from our slumber after the attack. I began cleaning up the campfire and anything else that would give indication of our stay.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;After a short bit of time had passed, Drogo returned with a large staff-like branch. I assume he searched the grounds for a fallen tree by the looks of the branch.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Why don't some of you stay here while a couple of us scout the area first? It's probably best. We wouldn't want to take the mule up the mountain side without cause," said Drogo. His eyes landing for a few moments on the mule, Sir Thoran and Loogan. I knew what he had meant by the subtle glances. They definitely weren't the quietest of our bunch.<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Why don't some of you stay here while a couple of us scout the area first? It's probably best. We wouldn't want to take the mule up the mountain side without cause," said Drogo. His eyes landing for a few moments on the mule, Sir Thoran and Loogan. I knew what he had meant by the subtle glances. They definitely weren't the quietest of our bunch.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Fair enough," I said. "I'll stay back with the mule. Sir Thoran. Loogan. Will you join me? We'll gather some meals for the evening ahead of us. It'll save us some time."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "In!" Exclaimed Loogan, already scurrying off to find some game, even if it may just be a helpless bunny.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "My pleasure, Yuria," said Sir Thoran, taking a swig from his mug.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Be safe. We'll be listening if anything happens," I said.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Indeed. We'll do our best. Try not to worry Yuria," said Drogo reassuring me. Within seconds, Drogo and Lament vanished out of sight and headed up stream.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Using his staff to prod the ground for any sunken spots, Drogo slowly lead Lament up to the area that they suspected was the glint in the night. A freshly used fire pit, having been doused not hours ago, was all that was left other than a few footprints. The footprints looked humanoid, but Drogo was certain they matched those that we've encountered throughout our days in the Neverwinter Woods. They lead downhill as though going towards our camp. Lament and Drogo begin following them, hoping to get to us first.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"You hear that?" Loogan asks.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Hear what?" Questions Sir Thoran still drinking from his mug that he had to have refilled three times by now.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "I heard it. It sounded like someone was coming our way. We should check it out," I said. <br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Loogan and Sir Thoran nodded and we began heading uphill, leaving the mule tied up at camp.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The river is flowing west, meeting the lava field and mountainside. The sounds of rushing water fill the atmosphere. As they get louder, we run into Lament and Drogo.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Did you see anything...Or anyone?" Questioned Lament sternly. I shake my head in response.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Good," said Drogo. "I think we may have company. We found an extinguished fire that had to have been used just hours ago if not sooner. There were also footprints from our dark elf 'friend' leading this way. We followed them here."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We all look around, hopping to see some sign of the dark elf, yet relieved to find none. Along the sloping grassland, near the waterfall we see a huge gape in the mountainside where lava and water unite falling through it. We all lean forward to look over the edge for a better look. Maybe, see if there's an entrance we can use.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drogo pushes Loogan back and yells, "DUCKK!!!" Backing up, we all dive under the nearest bush, peaking through the branches quietly. A large creature emerges from the chasm. It's wings about twelve to fifteen feet in wing span. It circled the sky and dipped down to a ground level altitude, its eyes scanning and searching. The blue scales upon its skin shimmering as the sun reflects off of it. We keep as quiet as possible. It's a drake. A few of us a bit in awe. A loud squawk from within the cavern could be heard and with a flash of blue, the drake dove back down.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Did you see that?!" Loogan was ecstatic. "It was beautiful! I've never seen a drake before. I mean...I've heard about them, but never seen one up live and in person."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I wouldn't expect you to have," said Drogo.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Definitely, not something we are prepared to take on right now," I said.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I think we should go back to town. We need more information about this area. And unfortunately, I have extended most of the knowledge I have," said Drogo.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I was thinking the same thing. I'll need to do some research on how to get down that chasm safely," I said in response.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Maybe, some kind of levitation ritual would do the job," suggested Lament.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Yes, I think that might work. Good idea, Lament," I said.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sir Thoran was still standing behind a bush, but nodded agreeably.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; And so, we all agree that we were in no shape to take on blue drakes, nor would we have any way to make it safely into the cave. There has to be an entrance, but right now, we'll have to make our way back to Neverwinter with the information that we've found thus far. We have plenty to investigate and inquiry.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As we begin traveling back to Neverwinter, stopping to pick up the mule, Drogo spots some tracks from the young wild elves. Sentimentally, he says, "I hope we see the wild elves once again." The day goes by and the night passes with tranquility.<br><br><b><i>Day 6</i></b><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Our journey begins early in hopes we may make it to Neverwinter within two days time.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Did you see that?" Loogan asks.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Oi," I nod. "I think I saw something move ahead of us. A red blur of some sort. It looked like cloth."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Yep, that's what I saw!" Loogan agreed.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Let Lament and I go ahead to scout. Stay quiet and hidden," said Drogo. We all hid behind a tree or nearby bush while Drogo and Lament scouted ahead.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As Lament tried to silently follow Drogo's lead, he snapped a branch. Drogo motioned him to not move. They stood still for a moment. They could hear someone talking.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "What's that? You. Go over there! I saw something move," commanded a voice from within the forest.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Yes, master," replied a nonhuman-like voice.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drogo takes a peak, he only sees one figure. Lament looks around the other side and sees three figures dressed in long red robes and five acolytes, or at least, they appeared to be. They look as though they are performing a ritual on the only silver tree in miles. Drogo motions Lament and the two of them begin running.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I hear something from a distance, but I'm not sure what it is. Branches...Leaves...I sit quietly with my back against a tree, trying to discern the sounds. Then, I hear someone thrashing and flailing through the forest. I see Drogo and Lament appear.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Out of breath, Lament says, "Three red wizards, five acolytes, draining trees." He takes a moment to breath.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "A party ran off looking for us. If we circle back, there might be a small group of them left behind. Maybe, we could take them out before the others get back," said Drogo.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We all nod and follow Drogo's lead. Most of us have heard of the red wizards or Wizards of the Fae, as they are most well known. Their chief offense, fire. Red wizards are rare; usually only one can be found in a town as big as Neverwinter. Finding three...This must be bad luck. That or something is amiss.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We get back to where Drogo and Lament had first spotted them only to find a demonic creature on guard in their place. We all know that battling with such a creature would probably mean death. We decide to cover our tracks, heading back to town.<br><br><b><i>Day 7</i></b><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Our travel continues filled with much chitter and chatter, but we find nothing that leads us to the dark elf that seemed to be trailing us and encounter no attacks from the undead. This leaves us plenty of time for discussion and planning. One thing is without any answers and that is...How will we find the duergar and where is the entrance to their current residence, Gauntlgrym?<br><br>----<br><i>Drogo gets the bracers from last week. DM wants us to think about who we want to meet with in the city and what we want to discuss with them. Also, he wants us to figure out which one of our aspects we want to affect the next part of our adventure. </i><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 4, Part II</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[12/05/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 4, Part II</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As we were about to leave the cave, an undead dark skinned female with elfin features appeared. She floated, her dress ragged and swaying, as she made her way towards Lament. Staring directly into his eyes, she spoke with a deep raspy voice, "Hello Lament." Lament began making odd [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-4-part-ii</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:47:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-4-part-ii</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[12/05/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 4, Part II</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As we were about to leave the cave, an undead dark skinned female with elfin features appeared. She floated, her dress ragged and swaying, as she made her way towards Lament. Staring directly into his eyes, she spoke with a deep raspy voice, "Hello Lament." Lament began making odd sounds as if someone was trying to make him say something. His mouth moved, but he was able to contain and control most of the sounds that were trying to escape.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;She continued to speak to him, "I see that you are trying to find the home of the dwarves." The room dims. In between Lament and the wall of the cave, I notice a shimmer. An illusion of some sort materializes on the cave wall. It appears to be the other side of the cave about five stone walls deep.<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"What do I owe you?" Says Lament to the undead dark elf.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"All you need do is say my name once more."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I...I don't recall your name. Odd, I feel as though I know it," a confused look stumbles across his face. I know who this must be or at least, I'm fairly certain. 'Alspeth'...Yes, It must be! Was she whom he had summoned just a few days ago? I had erased their memory of the event, but would I be able to protect them from her? She appeared to be a bit too powerful for us to take on, but I would try if it came to that. Only a wizard beyond six seasons could perform such a spell as she had just done - allowing travel between one wall to another for so many creatures.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Interesting. Perhaps, another time then," she says. The wild elves begin backing up out of the cave, wearily.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"And the wild elves, you'll let them pass through as well?" He asks.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I don't see why not," she says in response without lifting her gaze from Lament. The wild elves rush away from the cave, until I cannot see them through the entrance. I want to stop them, but I can't leave my party alone with her.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "No. I refuse. We mustn't go," I say to them. Looking at them all and lowering my voice, "I don't trust her. This doesn't feel right." I raise my voice to normal levels again, "I can't stop you from doing what you will, but I will not follow you to your deaths." I pause a moment and face her, "Why would you help us? What's in this for you?"<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"We have mutual enemies."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"How so?"<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"You seek to destroy the duergar. I too seek this for they have killed many of my people."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Your people?"<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Yes. Undead, like me. There are many of us here in the forest." I believe her, no doubt, but who doesn't find the duergar their enemy these days? There's something about this all that doesn't sit well with me.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Who isn't enemies with the duergar as of late?" I question, looking at Lament as I stubbornly press on, "I will not be joining you. You have to realize this. If you must go Lament, at least take this. It will return you, so long as you stay as close as you can to the wall on the other side." I hand him a piece of my armor.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As Lament turns around to enter the opening, it disappears and the undead dark elf is no more. After a moment passes, Lament doubles over, dry heaving. He feels terribly sick and begins vomiting. I kneel beside him, comforting him. This is nothing new to me.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I've seen a sickness such as this before. When people spend too much time in the Shadowfell. Certain things and light sources react differently, but many get sick to their stomachs," I explain. The Shadowfell, a dark reflection of the world, is the gateway the dead must pass through to meet their final destination; a purgatory of some sorts. Although it is not necessarily an evil place, it is certainly a place where evil's presence is strong; most of it's population dead and undead.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"If you can, please tell me what you're feeling," I say concernedly to Lament. He tries to explain his symptoms to us, but nothing he's saying makes sense. It's just a bunch of gibberish, similar to that of the dwarf in the journal I had secretly burned. I knew the journal would bring nothing good, nor would it really aid me in a cure for Lament, but for a moment, I did regret destroying it.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Loogan jumps! "What is he saying? Is that demonic?" Loogan tries to calm down, but he's a bit freaked out. Lament is looking at Loogan confusedly. Probably wondering why Loogan is edgy. Rightfully so. You don't hear someone speak like that just any day. "You can cure him right, Yuria?" Loogan looks at me, hoping for my answer to be optimistic.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I'm not certain I can. Lament, can I take your hand for a moment?" Without thought, he places his hand on mine. I am known by many as Yuria 'The Seer' Thorak. I have foreseen so many stories in my life time thanks to the power Pelor has instilled in me. I just hope that it will not fail me. I must have faith.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Taking his hand, I close my eyes and slowly drift. I see a coin flipping. As it spins towards me, it begins to enlarge. On one side, I see Lament. He's vanquishing something, a grin of triumph plastered across his face. His Blade of Annihilation poised for a killing blow. The other side shows Lament holding his head with a wall of flames behind him. He's shrieking loudly. As his screams grow louder, the vision fades. When I am fully aware of my surroundings, I explain to them what I envisioned. I do a small prayer for Lament and thank Pelor for the vision.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Thank you, Yuria. I'm feeling better," said Lament, slowly standing up.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"We should continue traveling," said Drogo. "If Lament still feels sick at nightfall, we'll change our plans-"<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "Yes, and head back to town if necessary. I'm sure I can find a cure if it comes to that," I say, cutting him off.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We all agree and follow Drogo's lead. We walk for hours, keeping our ears and eyes nimble and dusk begins to set in as we continue on.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Hark, I hear the rushing fall of water," says Drogo. His elfin ears moving like radar dishes. He jumps about quickly, yet so gently and agilely that you can't hear even the crunch of a leaf beneath his feet. Listening for more sounds, he tries to decipher where the water is coming from.<br>"Hey, look!" Loogan points up. Where the lava flow, mountain side and river meet, there's a small glint. Leave it to Loogan to find something shiny.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Nice find, Loogan," said Drogo, patting the halfling on the head. "That looks as though it could be an entrance. Very likely too. Erosion and lava can cause many openings. Hopefully, we'll find an entrance there. It's getting dark. We should setup camp." Drogo begins grabbing rocks, lining them up to face where the glint is. We often used fixed features in the area to allow us to find locations after a rest. This will be most helpful with the location Loogan pointed since the glint probably won't be visible when the sun starts coming up.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Before we rest, I examine Lament. He looks better, but I ask anyway, "Are you feeling okay?"<br>"Yes, I am," he says while resting his head and slowly zoning out.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;At the end of my watch, I hear something. I'm not sure where it's coming from. It sounds as though something is moving. When I wake Drogo and Sir Thoran for their watch, I tell them what I've heard and Drogo goes off to investigate. I attempt to sleep, knowing he'll wake me if it's urgent.<br>After a few hours, Drogo returns and awakens everyone. "The sounds are coming from the north," he says certainly. Sir Thoran decides to move ahead of everyone. Looking around after every few meters, swaying his hammer anxiously, until he stops. I have this feeling he's found something and make my way towards him. I'm confronted by a maw who tries to bite me, stopping me in my tracks. I Command him to move away from me, pointing my finger at him. He moves quickly towards Sir Thoran, dazed and uncertain how he got there.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I can now see another maw in front of Sir Thoran. It moves quickly, flanking him and screams. It's so loud that all of us try to cover our ears, blood draining from our ear drums. The pain slowly fading. Drogo casts Entangling Roots and vines begin consuming the area around the maws, but just as he ends his spell, another maw appears beside him.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Loogan swiftly makes his way up to the maw that's flanking Sir Thoran, using his Steel Wind Attack Technique. Thoran turns around facing the same maw, swinging his hammer and bashing the maw. The other maw, now behind Sir Thoran, whispers something and four zombies appear around him. One of which runs straight towards me and doesn't stop till he collides with me.<br>Lament, using Hellfire Blast, finishes off the maw Loogan and Sir Thoran were attacking, but catches Sir Thoran in his spell, lighting him on fire. I whisper my Healing Word, soothing Sir Thoran and mending his body and spirit. Meanwhile, Drogo runs towards the rest of us, getting hit by the maw next to him and shooting his arrow. It splits into two and hits both a zombie and a maw, knocking them prone.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Four more zombies come out of the forest, surrounding Loogan. Loogan swings his Anathema Spear and yells, "Steel Avalanche!" They all fall to the ground with one swoop of his spear. After wiping his brow, he runs towards me.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sir Thoran charges towards the maw to the far west, swinging his hammer wildly, but hitting nothing. The zombie in front of me tries to bite me again, but it is unable to penetrate my armor. Lament shoots an Eldrich Bolt of Arcane Forest at the maw who is now in front of Sir Thoran, and then uses his Spectral Fade to disappear almost as though he is invisible. My Lance of Faith sears through the zombie in front of me and he falls to the ground, transferring some of its health to Loogan and aiding Sir Thoran in his next attack.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My ears hurt! All of our heads pound as the final maw screams. It stands up and attacks Sir Thoran with its tongue, jaw hinging and cracking. Loogan throws a shuriken at it and Sir Thoran swings his hammer violently, again missing. His head aching from the screams. Lament's blade infuses with flames. His eyes burning a fiery red. With one slash, his Blazing Doom of Void defeats the maw.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We all look around to make sure everyone is okay. I bandage and mend whoever is in need. After a thorough search, it seems we're alone for now. Among the bodies we discover some gems, a bracer and miscellaneous loot that we estimate to be worth around two hundred and fifty gold.<br><br>-------<br><i>I'm still waiting on the description for the bracers (all I know is that they are 4th level). I will add that in when I get more details. We also leveled up tonight. Ding! So you'll be seeing some new feats and abilities being used in the future, depending on people's classes. I'll try to tie them in with neat stories of some sort.</i><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Pumpkin Cupcakes</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello world,<br><br>As promised, here's the recipe for the <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/317069/pumpkin-cupcakes" target="_blank">Pumpkin Cupcakes</a> (see link for original recipe or follow through my directions) I made for the holidays! Please, try them out and tell me what you think. I thought they were pretty heavenly. [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/pumpkin-cupcakes</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:44:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/pumpkin-cupcakes</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello world,<br><br>As promised, here's the recipe for the <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/317069/pumpkin-cupcakes" target="_blank">Pumpkin Cupcakes</a> (see link for original recipe or follow through my directions) I made for the holidays! Please, try them out and tell me what you think. I thought they were pretty heavenly.<br><br><br><br><br><br><b><u>The things you need: </u></b><br>Cupcake liners<br>Cupcake tray<br>Medium bowl<br>Large bowl<br>Whisk<br><br><b><u>All the tasty ingredients you'll need:</u></b><br>2 cups all-purpose flour<br>1 teaspoon baking soda<br>1 teaspoon baking powder<br>1 teaspoon coarse salt<br>1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br>1 teaspoon ground ginger<br>1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br>1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br>1 cup packed light-brown sugar<br>1 cup granulated sugar<br>1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br>4 large eggs, lightly beaten<br>1 cup (15 ounces) pumpkin puree<br>Container of Cool  Whip<br><br><br><b><u>And...For the directions:</u></b><br><i>First</i><br>Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br>Line your cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.<br>In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.<br><br><i>Second</i><br>In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs.<br>Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and then whisk in pumpkin puree.<br><br><i>Third</i><br>Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway.<br>Bake until tops spring back when touched and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.<br>This should be approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate pans once if needed.<br>Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.<br><br><i>Fourth</i><br>If you like Cool Whip, toss some on those bad boys and get to the nomming! They are quite delicious.<br><br><i>Fifth</i><br>Enjoy!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>~Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Skyrim, Witcher 2 and Giving of Thanks!</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello world,<br><br>I suppose a few of you were awaiting a new Yuria's Log entry. Unfortunately, our dungeon master is a bit sick, so we were unable to play. Instead, I thought it might be fitting to express what I am most thankful for and of course, talk about what games I've been playing most recently.<br><br>I too, just as many other gamers, [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/skyrim-witcher-2-and-giving-of-thanks</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:36:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/skyrim-witcher-2-and-giving-of-thanks</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello world,<br><br>I suppose a few of you were awaiting a new Yuria's Log entry. Unfortunately, our dungeon master is a bit sick, so we were unable to play. Instead, I thought it might be fitting to express what I am most thankful for and of course, talk about what games I've been playing most recently.<br><br>I too, just as many other gamers, have been glued to my computer playing <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/72850/" target="_blank">The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim</a>. Even with crunch time, working chaotic hours, I've managed to find time to play Skyrim. It's been a lot of fun. I played through <br><br><br><br><br><br>...Beautiful, I often feel lost. It's this giant world for me to play in, but it feels rather empty. I suppose this is because I am an MMO addict. I haven't really been big on single player games. I play them, but I miss the interaction of real people. I did find one character in Skyrim that caught my eye. I was emptying my belongings because I had become encumbered and this little boy came up to me and said something along the lines of, "Ma'am, you dropped this," giving me one of the items I had placed on the ground previously. It was the one moment I actually felt like the world interacted with me, other than the obvious mobs attacking me. It was unexpected and that's what was great about it. The only request I have for the next game they make is...Please, oh, pretty please...Make it a co-op! =] If this game was co-op, I could have probably played it for triple the amount of time! I just got to a point where I felt lonely. Not really bored, since there's a ton of things to do and places to explore. Just...Lonely, even with the companions. I guess I had that same feeling when I played it's predecessor.<br><br>Lonely, indeed. Maybe, I've also been feeling a bit lonely IRL (in real life). My family is so far away. It's always the worst part about holidays for me. I rarely get to see them all since they live so far away and I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful family. Even with all the things we've been through, we are all strong and ambitious. It's nice to be around people who have goals and accomplish them. They always motivate me to be a better person. This goes for my friends as well. I may not have a lot of close friends, but the ones I do have are friends that will always be there for me. We are friends for life and that seems rare to find these days. I'm so lucky to have amazing people around me all the time. Not only as friends and family, but also as co-workers. I'm glad that I have my dream career and I am so thankful for all the opportunities I've had in life. I wouldn't change a thing - the good or the bad - because combined these are the things that make me, me.<br><br><br>
	I haven't been home in quite a long time. It can be a bit depressing, but I'm so fortunate to have such great friends. This year, for Thanksgiving, my friend and I decided to combine what little family we had here in Cali in order to have a Thanksgiving of our own. It actually turned out quite well. We both split up the food tasks and it turned out great! I think the best thing I made was the Pumpkin Cupcakes! They weren't on the list, but I found the recipe and thought it sounded great. I'll make a separate blog about that and link it. Everyone should taste these. My boyfriend, who hates pumpkin, LOVED them. So even if you aren't a pumpkin eater, this might be the thing that changes your mind. =D<br><br>After Thanksgiving, I was a little bummed. I had a long weekend to relax and game and no MMO to aid me. I've really been craving an MMO. I've almost debated trying out SWTOR (Star Wars: The Old Republic), but I'm completely disinterested in the Star Wars universe. I'm tired of the theme. Not that I don't like Star Wars! I do! It's just been over played. Instead, I found myself playing The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. I've wanted to play it ever since I knew it was being made. I had played The Witcher and loved it. I do have to say that the sequel is even better. The characters are much more unique than Skyrim. I still get that side questy open world feel that Skyrim provided, except the terrain is a bit seasoned. The combat is challenging! Some of the boss fights are absolutely awesome. It's one of the first RPGs where I actually felt fairly challenged. I'll definitely have to get back to you on how I feel about The Witcher 2 once I finish it, but I'll leave you with this...<br><br><br><br>I kind of have a girl crush on Triss. There. It's been said. =P<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>~Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 3, Part II and Day 4</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[11/14/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 3, Part II</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As we continue farther northwest, the sounds of nature begin to lessen. It's a bit concerning since we're still fairly deep within the forest. The volcano is about a two day journey from where we are. A bit longer than we had originally expected. Everyone except, Sir Thoran, [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-3-part-ii-and-day-4</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-3-part-ii-and-day-4</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[11/14/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 3, Part II</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As we continue farther northwest, the sounds of nature begin to lessen. It's a bit concerning since we're still fairly deep within the forest. The volcano is about a two day journey from where we are. A bit longer than we had originally expected. Everyone except, Sir Thoran, notices that the forest is getting more and more sparse. Drogo detects some tracks and we begin following them. We find bits and pieces of undead skin along the trail of webbed feet. We assume these are some sort of amphibian undead creatures, dwellers perhaps. We had encountered them in the past, so it was easy to assume.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As the forest becomes less dense, we find a single silver tree with something wrapped around it. It's a dweller. The decaying amphibian, maggots leaking from its body, is wrapped around the bottom of the tree. Crawl trails are leading to the tree from a distance. It's almost as though the dying creature was trying to get to the tree. One of the mechanical taps is around the tree as well.<br>
All of a sudden, something rockets out of the tree onto my face. It looks like a squirrel, but it's happening so fast and I'm just trying to get it off of my face. Sir Thoran takes out his hammer and with one swoop bashes it off my face whilst still keeping his mug full of ale. The squirrel goes flying off my face and then immediately gets up and starts crawling on its front legs, pulling the rest of its body forward. Sir Thoran puts the poor creature out of its misery with a final blow.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Oi, thank you, good knight." I say a bit out of breath and quickly follow with, "Never do that again! Well...Not so close to my face at least. You could have critically wounded my face and then what would we have done?" He shrugged a bit distraught. He was just trying to be helpful. Calmly and quite genuinely, I say, "Again, thank you."<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Sorry," Sir Thoran says in a low, beard muffled, voice. He takes a big gulp of ale and stills his hammer.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I examine the odd squirrel like creature. From what I can tell, it's not transmittable, so something had to have turned it undead. I'm guessing that they are using this silver residuum to create these undead creatures because eating residuum is part of a ritual to create a Lich. The crawl trails must have been the dwellers attempt to get to the tree in order to keep its self alive. With the amount of trees that have been drained, I make the assumption that someone must be using residuum to create an undead army. The bucket at the still has quite a bit of residuum left. Since Lament and I haven't encountered this type of residuum before, we both take a vial full for future testing purposes.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Loogan begins tinkering with the mechanical tap.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"What are you doing now, Loogan?" I say.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Oh...Nothing," he says nonchalantly. "Just checking this baby out. This thing has more knobs and gears than anything I've ever seen before." His little halfling voice raises a bit in excitement.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I really wouldn't bother with it if I were you. I mean...You could get hurt, you know?"<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He continues to try to take the contraptions off of the tree, despite my warnings. Loogan really does love mechanical things. Always trying to take things apart and put them together. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Sometimes, useful...Other times, not so useful. After much tinkering, he manages to get the trap off of the tree. It begins wrapping its self around his arm. He shakes it off of him screaming, "Get it off me! Get it off me!" Sir Thoran, gladly, takes out his hammer once again and begins smashing the mechanical item, spilling a small bit of ale from his mug this time. It begins squealing and screeching loudly, until it shrivels up.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The wild elves book it towards what forest life they can find in the area, anywhere away from the silver tree and the screeching screams of the mechanical creature. After the loud shrilling screams from the still, it begins to gets really quiet, abnormally quiet. We decide it's probably best not to hang around the area. We follow the elves and head towards the cave.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"It's best if we set camp," whispers one of the wild elves. "We won't make it to the old entrance till mid day tomorrow." He begins the making of a fire. His companions already making their beds and readying their meals.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As I wake up for my watch, I notice Lament is already up. He's rubbing the book on his leg. He's muttering. He doesn't appear to actually be awake. I walk over and sit next to him, looking at him to see if I notice anything else that's odd. I take the book gently and hide it in my bag quickly. He begins talking to me. I don't understand what he's saying. He's talking in an odd language. I assume some kind of demonic language.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"What's that?" I say gently.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He wakes up, looking at me anxiously and responds, "What's wrong?"<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I continue to speak gently saying, "Nothing. Thought I heard something."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When our watch is over and I assume Lament is in dreamland, I try to burn the book. Ripping a page from the journal, I place it in the fire. With much success, it burns. I then place the edge of the book into the fire and gently toss the rest of it. It submerges in flames and I watch it to make sure it turns to ashes. We encounter nothing else throughout the night.<br><i><b><br>Day 4</b></i><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In the morning, we travel through the forest for a few hours before we reach the entrance to old Gauntlgrym. It looks as though someone has exited the entrance. It's blown out from the inside.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"It's been like this ever since we found it," said one of the wild elves, noticing the concern on my face.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"How long has it been since you found it?" I ask.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"About ten years," says another wild elf from behind a tree.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drogo scouts the cave. Upon return, he reveals that there appear to be undead within the cave. We begin preparing for combat. I ready my Turn Undead spell. Playing with the magic between my fingers, from my pointer to pinky finger and back. We slowly enter the cave. I move forward and peer into the darkness. I see something moving. All I can see is a large mouth, drooling; it's fangs ten times larger than your average fox. From what little I can see of the critter in the darkness, it appears to be undead.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I throw my Lance of Faith at the large creature, a brilliant ray of light propels towards the undead beast searing through it. A golden radiance lingers, lighting up his figure and aiding my allies. I see a shard of shimmering force from Lament's Eldrich Bow. It finishes off the creature. Sir Thoran charges forward and we hear strange breathing sounds. Four creatures that look like dwellers, but a bit larger, appear from the unlit area of the cave just to the left of the knight.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A maw, an undead skeleton, jaw hinging, moving quickly from shadow to shadow, made its way towards us. I use Turn Undead on all the large dwellers and our wild elf friends manage to finish them off. I say to one of them, "Nice shot," as I curse the large skeleton creature, banning him and lowering his defenses. Lament moves forward towards another undead creature with a large mouth. Sir Thoran follows Lament, swinging his hammer at the maw. The large dweller near Lament took a bite at him, upon biting him, a burning flame came from Lament's skin damaging the dweller in return.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As the mouths and dwellers are cleared, we all focus and finish off the maw. It looks as if the whole back entrance of the cave was being excavated. Sir Thoran and I agree that this is not the way to get in due to the thick wall. It would take months to get through it. As we search the area, we find about three hundred gold, a dagger and a necklace.<br><br>----<br><i>The DM hasn't given us details on what the new items look like or what they are yet. I'll edit and add them in once I get that information - For now, note, Yuria has the dagger [level 3] and Sir Thoran has the necklace [level 4]. We use a roll system for loot drops like this.</i><br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 2, Part II and Day 3</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[11/7/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 2, Part II</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;After dinner, we continued our search for the silver barked trees. A strong wind was blowing towards the river from the forest and a thick smoke moved downhill. We decided to go East to try to avoid the smoke while still making our way to the trees. We reached a clearing where we [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-2-part-ii-and-day-3</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-2-part-ii-and-day-3</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[11/7/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 2, Part II</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;After dinner, we continued our search for the silver barked trees. A strong wind was blowing towards the river from the forest and a thick smoke moved downhill. We decided to go East to try to avoid the smoke while still making our way to the trees. We reached a clearing where we could see the remains of a stone hut. A cage was in the center of the hut. The cage unharmed. As we got closer to the cage, it was apparent that a charred body was within it, grabbing the bars. I pray for the soul of this poor individual. Burning to death is such a cruel way to end life. I examined the bones closely to see if I could make out anything of importance. From what I can tell, it is an older female, either human or half-elf. It's hard to tell. Not much of the body is left, most of it in ashes or charred to bits.<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Melted metal could be spotted in various parts of the stone hut. I wondered how fire could melt the metal within the hut, but not this wooden cage. The cage seems magical in nature since it did not burn as did the metal. Drogo touches the cage, with a pondering look on his face.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"I've seen such a cage once before. It's made of ironwood."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Ah, that's why it's been unharmed," I say.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He nods and continues on, "An execution such as this is well known among wild elves. A punishment for unforgivable traitors." He pauses. "What's this?" Drogo looks more closely and as he peers into the cage, he sees a glint in the ashes beneath her charred body. He puts his hand into the ashes, pushing them gently out of the way, and pulls out a broach. It has an obsidian stone in its center. We all look at one another, uncertain what this object is used for other than some kind of necklace.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We do one final pass on the area and find nothing else that stands out. In order to not use up what daylight we have left, we continue on. We try to imagine what the item is other than the obvious neck adornment. Although, none of us is willing to wear it. Drogo ends up putting it in his belt loop. After awhile, we reach our destination. The silver barked trees. A whole forest of them. Although the trees are white blanched and dying, the forest looks...rather beautiful. I gasp. It was as though a gloomy snow had fallen upon them. For a moment, I peered out into the forest. How could I think such a terrible site was so...Beautiful? I suppose one can find beauty in the oddest of places.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As we scanned the trees, one tree appeared to not be quite as dead as the others. It looked like something was wrapped around it. We moved closer. There was a mechanical item hugging the tree, a large spike thrusted into it's bark, and a small bit of silver residuum drained into a bucket from the hole left by the spike.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;From within the forest, wild elves appeared. Not just one or two or even a handful, a whole forest full of them appeared! Far too many for us to take on.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Halt defilers!", said what appeared to be the leader of these tiny wild creatures.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "We mean you no harm," said Lament. The wild elves took notice of his horns and looked right passed him.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"Lament, perhaps I should explain," Drogo says while bowing his head a small bit in Lament's direction as a sign of respect. "It is true. We are just passing through. We are on our way to Gauntlgrym and only stopped because the tree here," he paused to point at the silver tree and then continued, "looked as though it was being harmed by this contraption."<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Drogo continues to explain what we are doing here. Not in full truth, but the truth none the less. The tiny creatures appear to be quite young. Very curious too! Poking and prodding at our armor and what nots. I foresee these young creatures to be quite the thieves, so I watch my belongings closely. I've never understood why people try to take things that do not belong to them. If you just ask for something that you want, often you'll find people are generous enough to share. From what we can gather, some of their elders have recently disappeared. I wonder what has happened to them.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Supposedly, Gerian, whom these elves call The Wise One or Two Wolves, knows what the contraptions are for. He had told the wild elves to wait for someone to show up before he would tell them. The elves lead us to their elders. Once we arrive, the three elders are standing together. Each one looking up at us. As with most people, the wild elves have little trust for Lament. Tieflings are very rarely accepted in any society, especially not one who is a warlock. A middle aged wild elf named Irisia Spring-maiden tells Lament that “her children will fill him with arrows" if he’s found doing something evil. I guess being straightforward about the issue is good. Of course, we tell her she has nothing to worry about. We have no intentions of doing such things, especially not Lament.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The elves have been guarding the trees for two months. They say that more and more contraptions are being placed, and more trees dying. Two Wolves tells us that his pups have had no luck in finding the culprit. The last time they were able to find any clues, the foot prints brought them to one of their allies or at least, someone who they thought was their ally. She was spotted wearing an obsidian medallion. We all looked at each other.They immediately assumed she was working with the enemy. They considered it proof, especially since she was hiding it.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The final elder of the wild elves, Huvis, comes forward. His face scarred. He said that he had seen these medallions before on some of their enemies at the entrance of Gauntlgrym and he was the one who confirmed its nature. Drogo explains that we have come to take back, Gauntlgrym, our dwarven land. Huvis seems to be impressed with our motives and offers to be our allies in this venture. We learn more about the missing elders. How they never returned from a gathering journey going towards Skirt (the area near the volcano, further into the forest, but near Gauntlegrym). The tally total, seventeen people. We offer to help find them and he provides us with a list of names.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Huvis says to “take extra care as we go further into the forest”. Pulling down his garb a bit, he shows us a bit of his neck. Silver liquid is flowing through it. The skin around it looks as though it is slowly dying. They provide us with four young wild elves to aid us in our journey towards Gauntlgrym. The journey will take us about one full day of travel and we agree to take rest before heading out. We party and drink with the wild elves throughout the night. There’s watch at the camp and wolves follow the parameter. The largest wolf continues to eye Lament’s horn. I think he wants to gnaw on it, silly pups. Gerian sits and talks with Thoran and me. Thoran tells the young ones a story of the dwarven past.<br><br><b><i>Day 3</i></b><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Just before dawn, some of the warning sensors go off at the camp. Loogan is on watch. The kids yell, “We’ve got him! We’ve got him trapped!” In the bush, is one of the aquatic dwellers we had seen earlier. He’s falling apart and pinned down by six arrows. The little creature bows to Drogo. All the wild elves turn their arrows onto Drogo immediately. We all realize Drogo has the amulet. Quickly, we try to calm the elves down, explaining how we came across such an amulet. Gerian believes us and argues intensely with his fellow comrades in some elfin language I can't quite understand.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The creature speaks unintelligibly in dwarven, “master, book...give". His arms stretched out towards Drogo. It’s come to look for the book. Everyone looks at Thoran and me since they recognize the language is of some dwarven dialect. I lie and tell them that the creature has said it's dying. I rarely lie and prefer never to do so, but in this case, it was necessary. The wild elves finish off the dweller. Gerian is able to get through to the other wild elves and they allow us to leave.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We head north with the four wild elves guiding us. Every once in awhile, the little wild ones appear from the trees and direct us to the right path saying, "No, this way. Go this way."<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 2</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[10/17/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 2</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The dwarf’s journal spoke of silver barked trees with flaming orange leaves. I assumed Drogo would have a good sense of where these trees might be found and he certainly did. Our morning began with quite a bit of tracking, following Drogo’s intuition. At one point, we found [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-2</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-2</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[10/17/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 2</i></b><br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The dwarf’s journal spoke of silver barked trees with flaming orange leaves. I assumed Drogo would have a good sense of where these trees might be found and he certainly did. Our morning began with quite a bit of tracking, following Drogo’s intuition. At one point, we found ourselves along a river bed where a bridge had once been, but was now broken into pieces. The logs had floated down stream, bunched up into what appeared to be a dam.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Not eager to walk on the wooden planks, we collectively decided to cross them none the less. Sir Thoran went first, but he did not seem pleased by this. He was followed closely by Loogan. Lament and I went center. I was not too fond of crossing the water, especially on soaked pieces of wood. I kept thinking there had to be another way! Drogo, pulling our mule, went last. The mule didn’t seem very keen on crossing either. Smart creature, I’d say. Never did like the water and definitely didn’t like it when it was moving at high speeds. This river, which I can’t recall the name of, wasn’t as fast as some that I had encountered in the past, but it was fast enough to take a dwarf like me full speed down into the depths of its wavy currents.<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I was a bit distracted by trying not to fall into the water, when out of no where, dwellers appeared. Dwellers were undead, amphibious creatures. I had seen them in some of the books during my clerical studies. We were quick to react and initiate combat. Easily, we managed to take them down. I had no doubt that we would. A drow, who we had a hard time spotting, continued to lurk about. Could this be what I had seen in the sky the day before? The one time I managed to uncloak him with my Beacon of Hope, he did not attack us, but dove into the water beneath the pile of logs. The Light seemed to torture him. I believe Pelor was punishing him. For what, I am not certain. Cracks began to form from beneath the wooden pile. Loogan and Drogo were still on them and began to get pulled into the water. Drogo dodged back onto land and Lament teleported himself with his Rod of Malign Conveyance.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At some point, all the logs had completely broken up and began floating down the river. Lament noticed that the drow was holding onto a log by his finger tips about sixty feet down stream. Drogo, who was still on the other side of the river with the mule, decided to chase the log down the river, shooting his arrows like a madmen. What a crazy elf? At least, he’s determined. I have to give him that much. With no luck, he was unable to get to the drow. I notice him dive back into the water and couldn’t see much of him from there after.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I was still standing on the river bank across from the mule. I tried to coax the mule to come across or at least go further down the river bank on its side, but he wouldn’t budge. I have a greater understanding of the “stubborn like a mule” phrase now. I decided to wait for Drogo and Lament to return. Loogan and Sir Thoran joined me in the wait. Sir Thoran began pacing, yearning for the mule, but mostly just the kegs. “Too bad the mule is on the other side of the river. A large mug of beer could be useful right about now,” he had said longingly.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Drogo and Lament returned, they told us that they were unable to find the drow (which was obviously apparent), but they knew he’d be coming back with a vengeance. I still wonder if the drow was even in association with the dwellers or had he come on his own accord with his own intents. Drogo had said, “I have an idea. We’ll use the rope to send the gear across. Yes, with the keg,” directing the comment to Sir Thoran. “Then, the mule. I’ll do my best to calm him.” Drogo is pretty good with the critters. I think this will be helpful in future endeavours. Thankfully, we got everyone and everything across the river just in time for dinner. The night will not pass by so quickly, I fear.<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Yuria's Log: Day 1</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[<i>As requested, I will begin writing short story snippets of my adventures during my current Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I will label them, so you can find them easily on the sidebar if it's the only thing you're interested in reading. Enjoy!</i><br>
<br>
10/10/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 1</i></b><br>
We convened at our usual meet up in the City Core [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-1</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:28:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/yurias-log-day-1</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<i>As requested, I will begin writing short story snippets of my adventures during my current Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I will label them, so you can find them easily on the sidebar if it's the only thing you're interested in reading. Enjoy!</i><br>
<br>
10/10/2011<br>
<b><i>Day 1</i></b><br>
We convened at our usual meet up in the City Core of Neverwinter “The Staggering Lion’s Alehouse”. It wasn't the fanciest of places, but it suited us just fine. When I arrived, it was clear that Sir Thoran, my fellow dwarf comrade, had already had quite a few drinks. His long beard swayed as he sang and danced along with the local bard. His shiny armor looked as though it had been recently cleaned and waxed. What light was within the alehouse reflected off of it. He had always held onto what Earthly treasures best suited him at the time. An odd thing for such a noble knight. Perhaps, one day, he'll find something better lived for. He was accompanied by Lament, the newest member of our party. Lament seemed so misplaced within the alehouse. His large horns spiraling from his head, wearing robes of the black arts - a clear sign to those around that he was a warlock. Very few wore such robes and walked among the Light. Most warlocks were not allowed within any town untouched by the Darkness that lurked throughout the world these days. Those who were, were watched closely and looked down upon.<br>
<br><br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I made libation my first priority and found my way to our table once the liquid was in hand. We always sat at the same table. It was in the corner of the alehouse near the fireplace. Dark and secluded, yet not too suspiciously ill lit. Master Sampson always made accommodation for us and did so with no complaints. My short break from the adventuring life was coming to an end. I had recently establish and fully organize a Church of Pelor within Neverwinter. It was an honor to do such a great deed, but there was still much to do else where and my mission was to spread the Light of Pelor.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Through the bardic songs and clinging of mugs, I could hear the alehouse door creak as Drogo and Loogan, the final members of our party, entered the room. We had fought for three seasons together and we made quite a team. I assumed Loogan found some interesting “scenic” route on their way here. Drogo has much more patience with the little halfling than I can spare and I’m pretty tolerant. Drogo's bow rested on his back next to his finely crafted quiver and arrows. He looked much taller, but no skinnier, than normal as he stood next to Loogan. Loogan's green eyes lit up as he entered the room. He put out his hand and beckoned one of the barmaids. His calloused hands were the mark of a monk. The two of them made there way to the table in their own time.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After a few rounds of drinks and much discussion, we decided to venture forth to Gauntlgrym where the duergar currently reside and there are many in need of our aid. This is a particularly personal mission for me because I grew up in Gauntlgrym. Although, I don’t know the blood of my kin, I feel that it is home. It's where the Church of Pelor took me in as a young orphan. I’d like to help rebuild the city and churches, making it a place where young dwarves can once again age in prosperity and peace.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's been nearly a hundred and seventy years since the Spellplague, yet evil forces continue to conspire in the dark places of the world. A magical disaster that's what the Spellplague was. It all started when the goddess of magic, Mystra, was assissinated by the gods Cyric and Shar. No bards tale was necessary, everyone knew of what had happened for the world had changed. For the ten years that followed, magic was unreliable. Sometimes, it had the opposite effect, unintended effects or affected undesired targets. Many magic users would be immolated in blue flames. Often, killed by the fire. In many cases, magic outright failed. Fizzled, if I may say. Some magic items lost their power. Although, others endured. It was a chaotic time for those who relied on the crafting of spells. Political upheaval increased since many Royals and Nobles relied so heavily on War Wizards to keep their men in line and as time passed, more and more wizards fell to the whims of the Spellplague.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Fortunately, Neverwinter has slowly been restored to much of its former glory. It was the first time that we all worked together - humans, dwarves, and elves. We all managed to put aside our differences to rebuild the city, but now...Now, it is time to continue and reclaim our heritage.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A loud clanking brought me back to reality. Elsa, the barmaid, was cleaning up the dirty mugs and glasses from the tables. Realizing we should be on our way, we went outside to check on our mule and other goods that old Master Sampson helped us purchase the previous night. A toothless fellow came around the corner looking for the knight, Sir Thoran. My only assumption is that Sir Thoran has something to do with this fellow being toothless. As the others scampered off, I watched as Lament took his time to make a bargain with the toothless one. Lament is quite the bluffer. I fear the demon’s corruption is much further than suspected. Once the tiefling finished his business with the toothless chap, he seemed genuinely concerned about me. It was reassuring. Toothless did not seem to notice me at all. I do believe Pelor is watching over us. Although I think that I could have easily coaxed the toothless one to let go of the argument, whatever it was, I was glad I got to see the darker side of Lament and the cowardliness of the others. Knowing your army’s weaknesses is always beneficial.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As we began our journey, we realized we didn't have a map to Gauntlgrym. Drogo, an expert when it came to the surrounding woodlands, would only be able to get us so far. Very few knew where the entrance of the grand city was. Long ago, the entrance to Gauntlgrym was a site to behold. It's large bridge and stone archway expressed the strength and pristine character of the people who lived within its walls. Now, the grand entrance is destroyed and one only hears of it's dingy, dismal appearance in passing story, for no one has been there in quite some time. When the duergar overran the lands, they destroyed all the luminosity the city once proudly displayed.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Lament approached a fellow on the street who he thought would know where we could find a good cartographer. I felt a bit uneasy about the man and I did not catch his name, but I wanted to trust Lament. The fellow lead us to a shady shop in the Begger's District owned by a Master Ilbrecht. Master Ilbrecht seems like a good guy who is stuck in a rutty situation. I wonder what story he has woven. Ilbrecht had no map of use, but he had a journal that he was much too eager to rid of.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The journal is written in dwarven. I picked up the book to read a few passages to see if it'd be a useful purchase. The beginning of the journal is written from a lively character, but as it goes on, he seems disturbed. As I hold the journal, I begin to see a vision. I fore-see Lament reading something in a language I do not understand. As we reach the entrance of Guantlgrym, fire erupts from the sky and I hear shrieking and sounds that are of no good origin. The vision ends. It worries me. I must stop this from happening. Lament is intent on buying the book and I fear that he will purchase it, so I eagerly buy it and asked for no one’s help. In fact, I demand that I pay for it solely even though the others offer what little gold they have. I can go a day without ale, but I would feel much guilt if anything were to happen to any of these fine fellows, especially if I can prevent it.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We continue on our way, using the journal’s guidance and Drogo's expertise to aid us. During the journey, we get to a point where I'm uncertain what is written. Lament offers to read it. Regretfully, I allow Lament to read one word, “Alispeth.” This word makes me weary. I fear that it has summoned something, something dangerous. I swear I saw it in the sky; evil lurks.<br>We take camp here in the woods tonight. During our rest, I begin a ritual to erase their memory of the terrible name that I shall never speak nor write of again. Our elfin comrade, Drogo, finds webbed footprints. We know not of where they come from. The party seems worried; I am not. I have faith in our abilities.<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>PlanetSide Poster Give Away</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[This is just a quick post. I'm going to be giving away an original PlanetSide poster signed by some of the original <a data-cke-saved-href="http://planetside.station.sony.com/" href="http://planetside.station.sony.com/" target="_blank">PlanetSide </a>developers. If you're interested in winning it, all you have to do is <a [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/planetside-poster-give-away</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:27:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2012/02/06/planetside-poster-give-away</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br><br>This is just a quick post. I'm going to be giving away an original PlanetSide poster signed by some of the original <a data-cke-saved-href="http://planetside.station.sony.com/" href="http://planetside.station.sony.com/" target="_blank">PlanetSide </a>developers. If you're interested in winning it, all you have to do is <a data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/#!/PurrfectStorm" href="https://twitter.com/#!/PurrfectStorm" target="_blank">follow my Twitter page</a> and wait for me to hit 1337 followers. After I hit 1337 folowers, a random follower will win the poster! I'll gather your mailing info and send it off.<br><br>Let the games begin! =]<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>~Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>Answers and Halloweenie 2011</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello world!<br>
<br>
Y'all are so warm and welcoming! I received quite a few blog topics and questions via emails, twitter DMs, and even some FaceBook requests from family and friends! I'm going to start with the questions and then move on to the topics, but there are so many, I may have to spread them out amongst various blogs. I'm also excited [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2011/11/03/answers-and-halloweenie-2011</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:52:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2011/11/03/answers-and-halloweenie-2011</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello world!<br>
<br>
Y'all are so warm and welcoming! I received quite a few blog topics and questions via emails, twitter DMs, and even some FaceBook requests from family and friends! I'm going to start with the questions and then move on to the topics, but there are so many, I may have to spread them out amongst various blogs. I'm also excited to tell everyone that I will do my FIRST ever vlog this weekend because people seem really excited about the vlogging deal. Everyone thinks it's a bit more personal and a lot less reading. I do agree to some extent, but at the same time, it requires me to be on camera. =/ I'm a bit camera shy, but I"m sure I'll get over that. Anyways, keep a look out for the vlog! I'll probably post a blog with the vlog in it! How exciting? Now, onto questions!<br>
<br><br><br><br><b>How long have you been gaming?</b><br>I've been gaming since I was a little kid. My cousins and I would play Atari and Nintendo! It was tons of fun. I also played quite a few DOS games back in the day too. My father worked at a computer shop, so I got my fair share of computer game access. Ah, how I miss those floppy disk drive days. I'm talking about the floppy ones! Not the hard disks. (Floppy...Hard...That's what she said? Had to! Sorry!)<br><br><b>What games have you made?</b><br>I'm still quite new to the development side of the gaming industry. It's going on my fourth year which may seem like a lot to most people, but games take a lot of time to make. Luckily, I had the pleasure of working on my first game,&nbsp;<a href="http://freerealms.com/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://freerealms.com/">Free Realms</a>, from start to end. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.<br><br><b>What game are you currently working on now?</b><br>Now, I'm on to title numero two,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.planetside2.com/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.planetside2.com/">PlanetSide 2</a>! I was a huge fan of the original and played for a good three years with the top guild on my server,&nbsp;<a href="http://gotr.net/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://gotr.net/">Ghost of the Revolution</a>. I have to give a shout out to them! We had some great times. 555th for life! ^___^V<br><br><b>What's your favorite type of game?</b><br>My primary game is usually an MMO RPG. I just love them! I'm a huge fan of them, both the PvE and PvP sides. Although I normally play an MMO RPG as my primary game, I always play an FPS game on the side during non-raid or PvP times.<br><br><b>How often do you game?</b><br>When I'm on my normal gaming schedule, I game from about 8PM - 11PM Monday through Friday and then around 16ish hours on the weekends, making my total at about 31 hours. It all depends on how long I'm at work. Crunch times tend to cut into my gaming big time, but it's well worth the effort.<br><br><b>Can I watch you game?</b><br>Oddly, this is probably one of the creepiest questions I received, but yes... Occasionally, you can! Sometimes, I stream on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twitch.tv/luperza" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.twitch.tv/luperza">Twitch.TV</a>.<br><br>You're always talking about E-Sports. What is it?<br>E-sports stands for electronic sports. It's a gaming league for major league (professional) gamers. Yes, gamers who get paid to game! I've been trying to break into the industry. I have a team of really great gamers,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alphacollective.org/" target="_blank" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.alphacollective.org/">Alpha Collective</a>, and I'd love to see them kicking some booty at a higher level, doing the thing they love most, all the time!<br><br><b>What's your favorite color?</b><br>Orange!<br><br>Well, that's all I have time for today, so I'll save the rest of the questions for later! I still have quite a few left. O_O<br><br><br><br>Oh and...Since it was Halloween most recently, I figured I could do a little photo action. I'm not a very religious person, but I love costumes, so Halloween is an excuse for me to dress up. This year, I went as Lady Luck and a Lion! Yes, I had two costumes. One was for a house party and another was for my work. I don't have that many pictures of my costumes, so you'll have to deal with what you get! =] I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween.<br><br><br><br>I hope you all enjoyed the answers and pictures!<br><br>&lt;3 x 9001,<br><br>~Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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			<title>First</title>
			<author>Margaret Krohn</author>
			<dc:creator>Margaret Krohn</dc:creator>
			<description><![CDATA[Hello world,<br>
<br>
It's been quite a long time since I "actually" blogged. I say this because Tumblr isn't blogging, is it? Anyways, this is my new home and I want to share it with you! I will probably blog about various things that are relevant to me (Possibly about gaming...Or maybe not...Or maybe so) and I welcome your comments! I may also [...]]]></description>
			<link>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2011/10/31/first</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:52:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://margaretkrohn.com/blog/2011/10/31/first</guid>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Hello world,<br>
<br>
It's been quite a long time since I "actually" blogged. I say this because Tumblr isn't blogging, is it? Anyways, this is my new home and I want to share it with you! I will probably blog about various things that are relevant to me (Possibly about gaming...Or maybe not...Or maybe so) and I welcome your comments! I may also start doing some Vlogs that I'll link as well. We'll see how it goes.<br>
<br>
Some of you may know me from my <a href="http://voyagesofvanguard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Voyages of Vanguard</a> blog and podcast days or you may know me from my more recent endeavors as a Game Designer for <a href="http://www.soe.com/sonyonline/" target="_blank">Sony Online Entertainment</a>. Either way, I just want to say thank you for being there for me! I've been blessed in many ways and I will never forget the community I came from. Not only do I love designing games, I am truly a gamer at heart and have been gaming for quite some time, so I want to give back to the community everything that I possibly can.<br>
<br>
This will not only be for the gamers, but also for my family. I've been living away from them for almost four years! It's been craziness not having my little brother and mom around. I truly want them to understand what I've been doing over here on the other side of the world. I hope that they can enjoy this as much as the fans do. So please, enjoy and I'll keep updating you on all the crazy things that are in my life!<br>
<br>
&lt;3 x 9001,<br>
<br>
~Mags<br><br>]]></content:encoded>
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