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Magi: The World of Magic » The East » The Jade Dragon Mountains » Shu-Fang River » Revisiting the Military Academy
Revisiting the Military Academy
1 Revisiting the Military Academy on 26/08/16, 12:23 am
Vardreth
A man sat at a desk within a brightly lit room. A fresh breeze flowed throughout, though it was not so heavy as to cause the papers on the table to fly off. One side of the room was a number of glass windows and a glass door that went out to a small balcony. The sight from within the room itself was stunning enough, with a beautiful sea of trees stretching out and opening up to a river in the distance. Wondrous mountains, an entire range, spanned out into the distance. The room was obviously an office, but it could cause one to wonder; how could anyone get any work done with such a breathtakingly beautiful view just a gaze away? "Have them enter." The man looked towards his office doors pensively. He was just advised by one of his attendants that the Fang family had come to pay their respects. The Fang family... Their son gave us quite a few surprises during his stay...
The doors opened just moments later. "Haha! I've heard you've been promoted to General, Qing Bao Yu! It's been quite a while since we first met each other in mandatory service!" A group of four individuals entered the room. These individuals resembled each other, showing that they were likely a family. The voice belonged to the eldest looking man, a figure who looked to be in his upper thirties. This individual was quite imposing; he had the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, with his every movement showing a rippling of his muscles. The woman, although not as muscular, cut a sharp and mature figure as well. The two others were obviously the sons of this pair; a young man and a boy. The young man had an air of respect and reserved strength, while the boy seemed confident and unrestrained; some may even view it as arrogance.
The man addressed as Qing Bao Yu, who was still sitting down at his desk, smiled widely as he began to stand. "Li Fang..! It's been quite some time since we've seen each other!" The two seemed like old friends. A brief look around the room revealed, to the experienced eye, that the office belonged to a military commander. There sat a simple display of a set of blades that could be used, and were likely to exist for practical functions. The man made his way from behind the desk, chuckling as he took in a full view of the family.
Immediately each member of the family bowed in respect.
"We greet General Qing Bao Yu."
"Junior greets Headmaster."
Surprisingly enough even the arrogant boy paid his respects, though the words he used were slightly different than that of the older brother and parents. After that, the atmosphere turned a bit less stuffy. "General, we're very pleased to have seen our son learn so much during his schooling. We couldn't help but stop by and give our respect, as we have business going this way." Li Fang continued, smiling warmly. He still remembered how Vardreth had defeated the strongest combatants in the army, one by one, carving a name for himself. The military tactics that were tested over maps turned to be sufficient as well, although the knowledge that Vardreth employed was not tempered through actual combat and had some flaws.
"No, no, your son is the one who has quite a bit of talent. We hope he will some day consider joining the army, haha! But you say you have business going this way..? What brings the Fang Mercenaries out here? As you know, Emperor Yoshiro's rule hasn't really had a whole lot of war efforts." This was the truth; Yoshiro was very much the opposite of his father, and while there were still fights that cropped up here and there it was much more sparse than it had been in the past. Truly, this was no place for a band of mercenaries to find work.
Li Fang's smiled froze on his face, and he winced imperceptibly. Clearing his throat he began to speak in a very serious manner. "Actually, Vardreth is in need of a decent weapon... And so we are heading over to my father's..." Everyone other than Vardreth was visibly shaken, though they all hid it well. Qing Bao Yu's eye twitched, Li Fang's arm shuddered, the woman clenched her teeth and the older son's gaze dropped to the floor and away from everyone else. There was something to be said about a man who could ruin the mood just like that.
Clearing his throat, General Qing Bao Yu began speaking once more. "So... He's still alive, then, and he's letting you all visit him? Is he hearing the call of the underworld?" A hint of fear flickered behind Qing Bao Yu's eyes. Li Fang's old man, back when he had dropped Li Fang into military school, had quite a bit of vinegar and venom in how he handled things. The general knew that Li Fang definitely had a poor relationship with that old creature, though he was never too sure of the specifics behind that.
"... No. This is actually as far as we will end up going. He'll have to travel the rest of the way himself, with three body guards." Li Fang sighed; he knew full well that none of his other family members that had met his father ended up receiving the old man's approval. Hopefully it would be different for Vardreth...
OOC:
WC For magic weapon ability training: 940/????
Vardreth Fang's Vault
Garret's Legacy Vault
2 Re: Revisiting the Military Academy on 03/09/16, 04:01 pm
Vardreth set his sake cup on the table, the recollections of his parents, older brother and himself visiting his academy before he was sent off. Vardreth shook his head, still not understanding their fear towards the old man he had yet to meet. Kicking his feet up on the tabletop, Vardreth looked towards the three mercenaries that were with him on the journey. They were his company in this tavern, helping 'protect' him while he traveled for the visit. The tavern was a fairly simple one, located in a village far from the capital. In fact, it was extremely close to the Shu-Fang river. Vardreth involuntarily snorted, a flash of arrogant amusement crossing his face. Hm. The name of this river is coincidentally containing my family name. Vardreth took another drink of his sake, pouring from a larger bottle and filling his cup up once again.
The soldiers stayed sober, though they too ate and drank in order to recover their energies. "Young Master, what is the plan for embarking on the next leg of the journey?" They had already been at the tavern for the past three hours, and a large number of empty sake bottles sat upon the table, all drunken by Vardreth Fang. The mercenary soldiers had never seen anyone drink so much before... Nor had any of the others in the tavern, as could be determined by the open shock and incredulity spread across their faces. Vardreth ignored the question from his subordinates, who looked between each other before sighing and focusing on the food in front of them.
It had to be said that Vardreth's constitution was beyond that which would be reasonable for one his age. Vardreth paid the rest of the tavern little mind as his men and himself continued to enjoy themselves at the corner table. Vardreth soon finished off his bottle of sake, and ordered another from the establishment. Just as it was delivered, the doors to the place were abruptly opened. The server woman looked up and her face became a sheet of white as she quickly backpedaled, removing herself from Vardreth's vicinity.
Vardreth took these two situations into mind and narrowed his eyes, glancing towards the door in order to see who had recently entered. Four men were within his eyesight, each of which gave off an aura of strength and confidence beyond that of the average citizen. The youngest of the group was in the center, and seemed to simultaneously be the leader of the group. Just as Vardreth made this deduction, the leader in question set his gaze upon Vardreth's location. A flash of arrogance and disdain crossed the leader's face, causing Vardreth to be piqued.
The group made their way towards Vardreth's table; those in the direct path between the two had quickly scurried away to opposite ends of the tavern. These actions did not escape the gaze of Vardreth's mercenaries, who stood up even as Vardreth remained seated with his feet upon the table. The leader spoke first. "It seems like you're new to this town. For that, I'll forgive you this once... But this table is mine, so I suggest you scram."
A dark look flashed across Vardreth's face. "And if I don't?" He had seen many geniuses in his life during the time he stayed at the Kou Military Academy, but none of them had similar attainments in personal power that Vardreth had, and none of them had put on airs as thick as the one before him. To think that this bastard thinks he has enough face to command me to move... Vardreth sneered in his heart, ultimately disdaining the thought of entertaining this man for a minute.
Snorting, the newcomer nodded imperceptibly. "I see you need to be taught a lesson in whose influence is the greatest." Before the words were even out of his mouth his allies made their moves, striking in a clean and professional manner against Vardreth's mercenaries.
Though his men were trained for warfare, they did not have their blades drawn. The strength of a person who normally uses their fists, when engaged in combat against a person who doesn't normally use their fists, can show the disparity of power to the utmost. Each of these opposing fighters took on one of Vardreth's; masterful techniques appeared one after another, striking acupuncture points and paralyzing his mercenaries in the blink of an eye. Vardreth saw this all and knew that even if his mercenaries had their blades drawn they would only be able to hold off their opponents for a short time.
The disparity in strength was great.
Vardreth's feet quickly pressed down upon the table. The sudden pressure flipped the table up into the air as his mercenaries were falling to the ground. Bottles, plates, food and drink were sent flying as well. Vardreth's body spun as his inhuman footwork put his back to the table. His right arm shot out like a whip and his leg shot backwards like a hammer as he performed a spinning back kick upon the table. In his right hand appeared the bottle of sake that he had recently purchased, and as this occurred the table went flying towards those who had disturbed his peace and quiet.
The strength behind the table was also inhuman, slamming into the men and continuing its momentum all the way towards the door before splintering once it struck the entryway. In its wake were demolished chairs, tipped over tables and broken tableware. His mercenaries had already hit the ground and were thus spared from the strike. All of this takes some time to describe, but happened within the span of three breaths.
The opponents, however, were not so lucky. The attack came as a surprise, and as such the men who were with the leader only had time to take the brunt of the attack. Their unconscious bodies had fallen a few meters from the entryway. The expression on the leader's face was ugly as his fists clenched until they turned white. Breathing heavily, he stared at his men and then looked back up to Vardreth. "You've made a big mistake. I'll have your life... Come out of this place and face me in the open, if you dare!"
Word count for training ability: 1975/???
Last edited by Vardreth on 10/09/16, 09:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
Vardreth narrowed his eyes, looking from the man before him and then back down to his three paralyzed subordinates. Kneeling down, his hands moved quickly and pressed down upon several locations on their bodies, releasing the acupuncture points. The method wasn't an immediate one, but at least they would be able to move in some short amount of time. He looked back up to the young man from before, snorting. "Dare? Of course I dare!"
The opposing forces both left the tavern; a sigh of relief came from those within. The owner of the tavern slightly hung his head in resignation; he had not said a thing during the whole commotion. Remuneration? He was happy that his employees and himself had survived a tribulation, escaping it with their lives intact! Glancing towards the six subordinates of the two men that were laying on the floor, three of which recovering gradually, the man made no moves. He knew a low profile was best kept in situations like these.
Meanwhile, in the street outside the tavern, Vardreth and his opponent squared off to each other. Initially one may think that they had left the tavern to avoid further damages, however the truth of the matter was that the decision was one of convenience. To fight in a confined space was not conforming with either of their styles, both of whom preferred a bit of elbow room when fighting. Vardreth had previously shown some skill with a bar-room brawl, but it was far from his line of expertise. The young man from before entered a stance, and Vardreth immediately shot forward.
His speed was incredible; within the eyes of the commoners, it was something never before seen from a human. A look of shock appeared on the young man's face as Vardreth had already closed the distance between the two. The veins in Vardreth's arm pulsated as a vicious draw of his sword aimed towards his opponent; Vardreth was performing the General's Combination with the horizontal sword strike aiming at the opponent's chest. When it landed, Vardreth intended to follow up with his foot towards his opponent's gut and then 'cleaning up'. There was nothing the man could do to react in time, a cold sweat immediately appearing upon his forehead. Yet the expected pain had never arrived.
Stumbling backwards, the young man let out a sigh of relief, a trace of fear flickering across his face before being forced to hide away within the depths of his heart. A light sigh was heard, and both parties looked towards its direction... Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the young man looked towards its direction. Vardreth was already looking, as it was the origin of that sigh that had caused his fist to stop.
Standing on a pair of long single-tooth geta, an old man's hand was outstretched. Two fingers were pinching the blade of the sword, keeping it well in place. "Oh, young man, why don't you give this old man some face and spare that child? If you'd agree, we could even say that I would owe you a favor. What do you say?" Retracting his hand, he clasped it behind his back. The old man seemed frail, with only a single wisp of a lock of white hair upon his head.
Vardreth's pupils had contracted as he saw this unfold. When the old man spoke, he snorted and was about to open his mouth when he saw his three subordinate's sorry figures walking out of the door. Throwing a vicious look over to the young man, Vardreth and his subordinates grabbed their horses and left.
"... Martial Uncle! I've been humiliated! Why didn't you teach him a lesson!?" The arrogant child from before complained as the old man watched the four from before leave. His indignation had completely revealed itself.
"You idiot child! Had I not interfered, after that blow he could have potentially killed you!" The Martial Uncle sucked in cold air, narrowing his eyes and snorting. "Wait 'till I tell your father about this! You still need a lot more training before you can challenge someone like that!"
The young man's face became a sheet of white, terrified at the training mentioned from the Martial Uncle. He immediately closed his mouth.
The old man looked back in the direction the four had left, pausing as a pondering look came over his face. Muttering, he shook his head and looked back at the child. "You're lucky I was passing through. I still have some matters to take care of at my estate, so I suppose that gives you some time to prepare for your father's reaction." The old man left the young man shivering alone in the street as the rest of the onlookers dispersed, aware that nothing further would occur. Slowly the man made his way out of the town.
WC: 2767/3000 training spell on Desceld.
Magoi: 390/390
Stamina: 400/440
General's Combination
Class: Warrior
Type: Offensive/Supplementary
Requirements/Drawbacks: The user must use a foot and a sword in this combination attack. The foot must land upon the opponent's stomach; if the foot strikes the rib cage and higher it will not impart the supplementary effect.
Scaling: The tier of effectiveness of the technique will increase by one for every 10 stamina that is invested.
Sustain: -
Cool Down: 4
The user performs two strikes. The first of which is a horizontal sword strike, with the second being a penetrating kick.
The kick causes the opponent to lose their breath and Double Over for 3 posts.
The sword slash deals B-Tier damage to the opponent.
Vardreth's hand was white with effort as the grip upon a katana increased in strength. His magoi, flowing through his body and into his hand, was greedily sucked up by the blade. It had an appetite like a dragon, which was an appropriate comparison considering the power it held within. To Vardreth's right was four strange plants. A sight that was mimicked on his left. These two patches of plants were, in truth, created with the help of his blade. The Gold Dragon Gardens, described as mystical in nature, had the shape of a traditional dragon's image from Kou. With leaves that were akin to a dragon's claws, and a blossomed flower that looked like the jaws of a dragon, the plant seemed oppressive and domineering. A sweet scent, however, drifted about through the air. A pleasant feeling would snake its way into those who perceived it, bringing to mind a great deal of comfort while stimulating their taste buds.
This scent came from within the jaws of the dragon; a fruit grew within, and the fruit had healing properties. Panting, Vardreth slowly walked forward and stuck his hand within the jaws of one of the eight dragon flowers. Pulling a fruit from within, he gazed upon it for a brief moment before biting into it. The fruit itself looked like a peach, golden in color. When bit into the fragrance burst alongside a rush of flavorful juices, gushing down Vardreth's throat and spreading a warmth and comfort throughout his entire body.
The fatigue of the last two days of training without sleep began to decrease, but there was no way that this could be completely negated by the healing measures of the fruit alone. Shaking his weary head to clear it of distracting thoughts, Vardreth focused on feeling out the rest of the power within the blade he held. It was still, after all, feeding upon his energy. Soon enough he felt something from within the blade; a magical function that answered to his call. Directing the energy there a fierce rumble came from within the sword and flowed out of the tip of the sword. A golden mist formed, and Vardreth immediately recalled the golden juice that came from the peach. Yet this mist's potency is at least twice as strong as that fruit... It suffused his body, again reducing the physical fatigue he felt, though his mental strain seemed to come closer to the most he could endure. Vardreth had used the Gold Dragon's Blessing, activating it from the sword.
It was at this point that Vardreth's gaze lifted, scanning the ground far below and then the six robed figures to his right. Gritting his teeth, Vardreth continued his efforts in understanding the powers of the blade. I must learn at least half of the capabilities of the sword to inherit it from Grandfather... But nobody would inform me of how many things it is capable of... He redoubled his efforts, sending his power through the sword before a flicker of joy crossed his face. Looking at the mouth of the Dragon Flower he had taken the fruit from, Vardreth set his blade into the ground and channeled magoi into it. The magoi traveled, entering the plant from its roots and charged to the flower of the plant. Vardreth had a feeling the ability was linked to the plant, and therefore looked to test its capabilities.
As soon as the magoi reached the flower, the mouth of the 'dragon' snapped close. Vardreth's eyes widened. He was unsure of how powerful the force was, but he was capable of determining that it was much stronger than the level of wound the fruit could heal. Viscous... Vardreth shook his head in his heart, while also keeping this in mind for the future. This blade drew upon magical engravings - as such, the Gold Dragon Bite was a simple demonstration of what magicians could do themselves.
Vardreth's body trembled, though this was not due to the implications of the inner workings of magic. His fatigue had reached an all time high, and he knew that he would fall asleep any second. Knowing he was close to passing out, Vardreth knew there was still more mysteries contained within the blade. He could almost feel them calling out to him. With one last surge of strength, Vardreth poured magoi into the blade. He felt it reach out to the magical function, activating it. Immediately, Vardreth became aware of the crude basics of the spell. The energy stabbed into the ground. Shortly thereafter a large root burst out of the ground. Vardreth had used the Gold Dragon's Tail and Fin. Pouring additional energy into the activation, Vardreth found that the spell grew in power even further; a 15 meter long root with a razor-sharp edge to it swung through the air and sliced 4 of the dragon flowers in twain.
As Vardreth fell to the ground, passing out, he heard a muddled voice from one of the robed figures. "Ah. Junior Apprentice Brother Fang managed to learn more than half. Master Fang's requirements have been met..." It seemed like more was said, but Vardreth's consciousness had already become a sea of black.
Ability training WC: ~3628/3000 WC.
Abilities/items used:
2x (Sustained) Gold Dragon Garden: 20 magoi.
1x Gold Dragon Blessing: 15 magoi.
1x Dragon's Flower Bite: 20 Magoi
1x Gold Dragon Garden's Tail and Fin: 20 magoi. +5 magoi due to Scaling.
Name: Desceld
Type: Sword
Magic Type: Life
Appearance: This katana appears to be a straightforward weapon, though it has magic imbued within the hilt. The blade itself is fairly standard. The handle is 13 cm in length, with the blade being 57 cm in length, making the total size of weapon 70 cm.
Gold Dragon Garden - Feeding magoi into the hilt while the sword's blade is touching the earth causes four vines to sprout from the ground. Each vine coils in the style of a Chinese dragon with claw-shaped leaves and a blooming bud that resembles the jaws of a dragon. Inside each bud is a golden peach. Eating the peach causes C-tier healing throughout the body. The plants may grow anywhere within 3m of the user and grow to be 1.5m tall. 10 Magoi to activate | 5 Magoi to sustain.
Gold Dragon's Blessing:
Gold Dragon's Blessing
Type: Supplementary
Range: Short
Requirements/Drawbacks: The user must have the hilt in their hand in order to feed magoi into the weapon and activate the ability.
Scaling: Damage
Cool Down: 3 posts
Cost: 15 Magoi
The spell creates a 1 meter long, .2 meter diameter dragon from golden mist made of life magic.
This 'dragon' moves and flies about at the will of and within 3 meters of the caster.
Upon coming into contact with a living being, the caster may choose to activate its effect. T
The mist enters and dwells within the body of a being it came into contact with after activation, creating an imprint of that living creature's body's peak condition. It advances the healing process of the body, healing up to B-Ter damage that was dealt to the body.
Dragon Flower's Bite:
Dragon Flower's Bite
Type: Offensive
Requirements/Drawbacks: At least one instance of Desceld's function must already be in use.
Scaling: The number of plants that may bite double with every 10 magoi that is invested. A portion of the blade must be touching the earth, and the user must channel their magoi through the hilt of Desceld.
One of the Gold Dragon Garden's bloomed buds, shaped as the head of a Dragon, bites down with its flower, dealing A-Tier damage to whatever was caught within its mouth.
Ability Trained:
This ability is the 3rd ability attached to Desceld.
Gold Dragon Garden's Tail and Fin
Range: Long
Requirements/Drawbacks: At least one instance of the function for Desceld, Gold Dragon Garden, must be in use.
Scaling: For every additional 10 magoi, the length of the tail and fin increases by 5 meters.
The root of the Gold Dragon Garden grow, expanding after being fed magoi. This creates a root that shoots up from the ground to 10 meters in height.
The root grows a razor-sharp leaf in the shape of a dragon's fin that is 10 meters long, 10 cm thick (tapering off to be razor-thin at its edge). upon this root and leaf are 'scales' made from thorns, equally sharp.
The tail proceeds to spin around like a blender, dealing A-Tier damage to those that come in contact with it, whether it is contact with the blade or with the root/blade's body from the sharpness of the thorns.
Vardreth passed out, leading to the abyss of dark unconsciousness becoming the absolute. It had been a few days since he slept. Coupled with all that happened during that time, and the exhaustion that Vardreth had gone through, his mind began to sift through the memories. Vardreth's subconscious thoughts soaked in them, leaking them into a vivid dream. Almost as if a spectator, the past few days passed in front of the eye of Vardreth's mind.
Vardreth and his three subordinates made their way through forests, valleys and across the Shu-Fang river. The mountainous terrain was difficult for the normal horses of his subordinates, but Vardreth's horse seemed quite sure-footed. If one didn't know any better from the looks of the horse, it was as if one were looking at a mountain goat. Suddenly a hand appeared in the air, the arm belonging to it making a right angle as the leader of the group motioned the others to stop. "Ah. It seems like we've made it to Grandpa Fang Mu's." Ahead, past the clearing of the treeline they were traveling within, a pair of buildings sat. These buildings were approximately thirty meters in length, with a number of robed individuals walking about to and fro. Directly behind the building were the rocky portions of a mountain. Between the two buildings was a rectangular courtyard with several of the robed figures and what looked to be trained warriors moving about. Some of those warriors were on patrol.
"Alright. That gate is the Six Dragons gate of Fang Mountain, just like the old man described... And the Fang Acolytes and Warriors... Let's go." Vardreth waved his men forward, breaking out of the tree line and heading directly towards the courtyard. Their appearance caused a slight change in activity as several robed figures as well as several warriors lined up to keep Vardreth and his group from passing the gate and ascending the stairs that lead up the mountain. Vardreth and his group stopped five meters away. He looked down at those before him, and a thought passed through. Since I'm here for a free magic weapon, I should show Grandpa a bit of face and treat his subordinates a bit respectfully. He leisurely dismounted from his horse with his subordinates following suit. Looking towards those before him, Vardreth arrogantly awaited them to say something first.
One of the Acolytes who seemed to be the leader frowned and spoke up. "What business brings you here? This place does not welcome strangers." The strength of voice and confidence gave off a faintly heroic aura. The man was strong. At least, when compared to Vardreth's soldiers.
Snorting and rolling his eyes in his heart, Vardreth reached into his clothing and pulled out a scroll with the Fang Clan seal before walking forward two and a quarter meters and holding it out to the other party. The seal was readily visible, and the Acolyte's eyes contracted upon seeing it. "I'm here to see my grandfather, Fang Mu. This scroll is my proof and letter of request for visitation." That he needed the scroll at all did not set quite right within him, but he didn't have the boredom to pick a fight over such a thing.
Frowning again, the Acolyte moved forward and accepted the scroll, looking even closer at the seal. Grunting, he looked back over to Vardreth and his subordinates. "So long as you can make it to the top before the sun sets, you are free to go up. Those who cannot will be sent back down. It doesn't matter who you are, those are the rules." His gaze passed over each member of Vardreth's group, and the three subordinates looked up towards the top portion of the mountain before frowning.
"Young master... I do not think we can make it up that high. We'll set up camp down here and await your return." The three subordinates spoke briefly with each other before setting up their own camp. Before Vardreth moved further, the Acolyte continued by advising he would have to ascend without the horse which was approaching the gateway as well.
Vardreth shrugged, turning his back on the group. "Men, I'll be back shortly. Shouldn't take too long, I think." With that said, Vardreth set the first foot upon long stairway.
737/4000 wordcount for ability training.
6 Re: Revisiting the Military Academy on 19/09/16, 03:28 am
Vardreth's speed, at the beginning, wasn't particularly impressive. It was, in fact, quite average. At the corner of his eye, Vardreth noted one of the Acolytes shake his head and move towards one of the buildings. This Acolyte was the same one that had taken the scroll from Vardreth. Moments later, as Vardreth turned a bend while following the stairs, a falcon's cry was heard. Looking up, Vardreth's gaze focused on the creature flying up from below. His kinetic vision being strong, Vardreth's eyes captured a pair of scrolls on the creature's leg; one of which being the scroll of recommendation he had brought!
Snorting, Vardreth leaned his head side to side and created a satisfying cracking sound. The muscles in his legs suddenly tensed and an explosive power was released. Skipping multiple steps at a time, Vardreth began speeding up the side of the mountain. The path was not visible from below, and so this sight was lost upon those Acolytes and Warriors of the Fang Mountain. Though his movements were many times faster and more explosive than before there was no sign of fatigue or strain upon Vardreth's face. During his growth spurts and training, Vardreth had long since broken through the realm of common sense for human martial artists, encroaching upon a path of power that only the tougher races normally enjoyed.
As Vardreth approached the end of the stairway, three quarters the way up the mountain, he began to slow back down. The sun's position in the sky had only moved a small distance since he began his trek. Just as the bottom held two buildings before the gate, so too did the top have a structure of its own. As Vardreth passed through the gates he found himself staring at a courtyard. To his left and right were walls four meters high. Straight ahead was another wall, however this one was attached to a building. A few warriors stood nearby, shocked at the appearance of Vardreth. It seemed he wasn't expected. Of the individuals there, two seemed to recover in the shortest period of time and approached Vardreth. Neither seemed to be over the age of thirty.
One was a dark haired young man who shrouded himself in dark garments, making it impossible to view his actual features. All that one could see was the face from the bottom of the eyes and up. The flowing robes occasionally flickered and gave an insight as to what was behind them; vertical slits showed a lithe figure who was clothed with another layer of dark garments. He had an air of reservedness with an undercurrent of confidence and a pair of eyes that seemed to perceive all. The sleeves of the robes were set together, hiding the man's hands.
The second man was a red haired man, whose hair was spiked backwards. A longsword was visible at his side, and he wore a light set of white pauldrons, gloves and boots accompanied by a green clothing that covered his body. This man was not lacking in confidence either as his golden eyes sized Vardreth up. A strange aura could be felt from the man, and although Vardreth's practiced eyes were unable to notice anything out of the ordinary there was a hint of wrongness that his intuition pushed at. "Vardreth, right? I am Zeriken, an Acolyte of the Fang Mountain. We've been sent to collect you. Master Fang is awaiting you inside."
Without waiting for his response, both of the men turned and began to lead the way. Vardreth shrugged and followed behind, memorizing the path as he followed the two through a number of corridors. It was something of a habit from his time at the academy; always know where you are at, and have a line of retreat in the event you must avert a threat and regroup. Before too much longer the trio found their way into a receiving room. The two who were leading Vardreth in the front paused.
"Master Fang, your grandson Vardreth Fang has arrived." Both saluted to the individual in the room, though even as they clasped their hands and slightly bowed their bodies Vardreth was still unable to get a look at the man that would be his grandfather.
"Eh? So that useless son of mine managed to beget a half-decent heir? I don't believe it!" A scowling voice echoed throughout the room, scathing in nature. Contempt seemed to drip from his voice as he spoke. "Step aside and let me take a look at this kid." There seemed to be an unrestrained tone of distaste as he spoke.
A sneer crossed Vardreth's face as he heard the words of his grandfather. Father and mother warned me, but this old man sure has a venomous tongue. Whatever, my strength can only be greater and cannot be less than this senile man. I'll just act nice, pass his tests and get my weapon and then leave. As the two began moving, Vardreth quickly smoothed out the look on his face until there was only a frown; completely covering his displeasure was not something that he could do, given the circumstances. The frown turned into a look of shock, however, as his eyebrows rose.
"Ah!"
A sound of recognition came from both of their mouths.
"You're that old monster!"
"You're that youth!"
The two had met, not too long ago. It was the very same old man that had caught Vardreth's blade when there was the scuffle with a martial artist at the tavern on his way here. Vardreth narrowed his eyes. This may be more difficult than I thought it would be. Before he could say anything else, however, the old man spoke up.
"Hmm. Okay, you barely pass as acceptable... That is, for me to even bother looking at what your capabilities are. I read the note your father wrote; you're here to leech a magic sword from me. Don't think it will be so easy! I'll only give my weapons to a worthy successor! Before that? Humph. Humph." Fang Mu still ladled on an air of arrogance, as if he completely looked down upon Vardreth. Though it was perhaps more accurate to say it was Fang Li he was looking down upon. "Zeriken, have some of the third grade Warriors challenge him and test out his strength. I'll decide after that."
Vardreth's eyelid twitched. He had never before in his life been treated in this manner. The corner of his mouth trembled as he pushed back on any type of outburst. Zeriken and the dark clothed man did not seem surprised at how Fang Mu had dressed down Vardreth. Their faces were rather impassive under the barrage of insults with no sign of gloating or ridicule yet neither was there sign of sympathy or kindness.
Vardreth was lead to the courtyard where he awaited an opponent at Zeriken's instructions. A short while later a Warrior appeared. Vardreth looked the man over carefully; he was well aware of the strength of the old man, and was curious if the opponents would be comparable. In his heart he let out a sigh of relief. He is only on the same level as my older brother. I'll pretend to struggle a bit and then clench the victory afterwards. Vardreth bowed to his opponent, cupping his hand as a sign of respect, and then got into a fighting stance.
The opponent did the same. The beginning of the match was called out shortly after by Zeriken. Immediately the two charged towards each other. Vardreth ducked beneath his opponent's first blow, sliding his feet across the ground and sending a sharp hook to the Warrior's gut as he moved towards the warrior's side.
With a twist of the body, the Warrior's hand came down upon Vardreth's and a flip was performed in which the Warrior performed a reverse round-house kick to the back of Vardreth's head as he landed.
Sensing the movement of air, Vardreth's footwork went into immediate effect as he performed a half turn towards his opponent and brought his hand up to block. When the kick and the hand met, the hand negated half of the force before being 'blown away' and the remaining half struck Vardreth's head. A slight ringing went through his mind but was quickly cleared away as Vardreth refocused on the battle in front of him. Another twenty rounds of blows were exchanged before Vardreth neatly overwhelmed the Warrior with a knife-hand strike to the back of his opponent's neck.
In all, it seemed like the strike itself was a mix of Vardreth's luck and the Warrior's misfortune, as a stumbling Vardreth had accidentally dodged the blow from the Warrior before he was able to stabilize himself and perform a returning blow. With the opponent down, Vardreth nodded to himself in his heart, satisfied by his performance.
"Trash! Is that all you can do!? You have the face to come to me when this is the extent of your abilities?! The old man Fang Mu came rushing out into the courtyard, his face red with fury. "I, your Grandaddy, will show you what a true member of the Fang clan is capable of!"
Vardreth's face was immediately ashen as his mind stumbled. Wasn't the test just to see if I could win..? The ashen colored face turned grim as the old man rolled up his sleeves. This is going to be much more difficult than I expected...
Using the Extended Thread rule to fully recover over 40 magoi/stamina:
http://magiworld.forumotion.com/t6463-rest-and-eating-systems#35317
WC Training: 2319/4000
Fang Mu performed a mad dash towards Vardreth, whose pupils shrunk. Fast! Gritting his teeth, Vardreth dashed forward to meet the old man in combat... but it was the old man who struck first! Fang Mu's hand formed as a claw, moving in an arcing motion as it aimed to strike Vardreth's shoulder. Vardreth quickly formed a fist, aiming it towards the forearm of his grandfather in an attempt to both strike and defend himself at the same time.
Seeing through the motion, Fang mu retracted his hand while striking with a single knuckle; a dragon fist attack that had the strength to pierce an inch deep into the body. The strike was aimed for Vardreth's gut, causing a cold sweat to appear upon the younger man's forehead. One hand was already preoccupied with defending against the first strike, and so Vardreth was forced to use his other. With an open palm, Vardreth slapped down upon Fang Mu's forearm, grabbing it and using it as a fulcrum. Vardreth's body launched into the air while he hung onto the forearm, twisting his body and bringing his knee down with the intention of striking Fang Mu's head with a knee strike.
Fang Mu's free hand moved, catching Vardreth's knee before it struck him. Immediately after, however, Vardreth let go of Fang Mu's arm and used the point of contact from hand to knee in order to do a spinning roundhouse kick in the opposite direction. This, too, was aimed towards Fang Mu's head.
When Vardreth's face rotated away from Fang Mu and rotated back, the old man had already retreated ten steps. Vardreth's kick only struck air. I'll have to reveal a bit more strength, it looks like... The old man's strength and skill in combat had already surpassed that of his prior opponent. Vardreth had seriously intended to hit Fang Mu, unlike in his prior battle in which he pretended to try to hit his opponent to make things look close.
The old man rolled his shoulders and rolled his ankles, one by one. "Ah, the warmup is done for me. Now it's time to get a little serious. That was about half my strength... And a fraction of my battle power." These words gave Vardreth a startle; the might behind the strength being only half was the same as Vardreth, insofar as the potential power behind their attacks. Fang Mu implied his battle strength, which amounted to wisdom and experience in combat, was far greater than what he had so far revealed. "Grit your teeth, boy, because I, your Granddaddy, am taking off the kid's gloves!"
The atmosphere of the battle suddenly took a turn as Fang Mu's presence turned into that of a keen unsheathed sword. Vardreth found himself feeling as if he were in a quagmire as he stared at his grandfather's eyes. Vardreth's gaze flickered as he noticed the reason for Fang Mu's change; magoi manipulation! The pressure he sensed from the depth and control of Magoi, as well as the sharpness of killing intent from Fang Mu had caused his reactions to slow to a standstill for an instant.
But an instant was all that was needed!
Fang Mu closed the distance and brought back his fist which contained the essence of magoi. The power behind the blow was clearly enough to destroy his body, and moved much faster than anything a normal human could respond to!
But who was Vardreth!? This was the child who was capable of defeating a general in direct combat at the age of fourteen! This was the child who was intelligent enough to conceal his monstrous power and avoid the eyes of potential enemies! Yes, he was arrogant. But even so, that was to be expected of the talent he had revealed, and he had yet to this day provoked anyone into gathering a large group of people with the intent to kill him before he could obtain his foundations!
At the very last moment Vardreth had managed to circulate the magoi in his body, creating a shield of force that would protect him from the dangerous attack of Fang Mu. Furthermore, in order to keep the attack from striking his body, Vardreth was still fast enough to bring his right knee and right elbow down upon the fist in an attempt to stop it short of its destination!
The two strikes hit each other, and the magoi fluctuated between the two before canceling each other out. Vardreth had successfully blocked Fang Mu's attack, although he had for the first time in his life revealed that he could use Magoi Manipulation! This was not something small for the young man; he had taken great pains in the past to avoid using it, even during the many fights he had gotten into at the Shu-Fang Military Academy. That was how dire the situation he had been forced into was!
Just as Vardreth let out a sigh of relief in his heart and aimed to return a powerful blow to the old man, his heart stopped beating for a moment as an indescribable fear overtook him. There was no shock on the face of the old man. No. Instead there was a deep dark grin that bespoke a certain quality of darkness, cruelty and amusement. A falsified sound of surprise, mocking in nature, came from the old man's lips. "Eeeeeh?"
A rumbling was felt between Vardreth's knee and elbow. His pupils contracted, and before they could even move to see what was happening the rumbling turned into a destructive force of fire. The power of the flames were incredible, beyond anything that Vardreth had encountered in the past, and his body was struck with an explosive aftershock that forced it to fly backwards for several meters...
Training WC 3283/4000
Vardreth's body shook as it lay upon the ground. Blood flowed from the stump of where his right arm and right leg used to be. The explosion was beyond Vardreth's expectations, and he screamed out in pain. His eyes had barely registered his grandfather approaching, missing an arm of his own. A hint of fear flowed through Vardreth's gut as the unbearable pain wracked upon his body.
He had never been hurt so miserably before in his life. In fact, even in tough scuffles his opponents had never managed to cause anything other than superficial wounds to him. Vardreth's body was incredibly tough, however his mental fortitude was lacking due to his peerlesness during his upbringing. Vardreth desperately grasped at his arm, trying to delay the bleeding, though the effort was one of futility. Slowly he began to blank out, but not before he heard one last thing from his grandfather.
"Truly a frog at the bottom of a well. If you cannot even treat yourself ruthlessly, how do you intend to fight those who are truly powerful?" The old man was an example of such - he had sacrificed his arm in exchange for Vardreth's arm and leg, yet was still able to withstand the pain as if it were normal.
Grandfather... Truly is a freak.
Vardreth finally awoke from his dream startled, jumping from his bed to the side. His body crushed a strange gem as he landed upon a dresser. A cold sweat covered him from head to toe. Vardreth gradually woke up and recalled that he was no longer in that battle of life and death. Looking upon the broken gem, Vardreth furrowed his brow and wondered if he had accidentally broke something important. His worry disappeared as the crushed gem seemed to float away and dissipate into the air. He recalled his desire for a strong weapon to save him from the fight just moments before his mind regained clairity.
It will take more than just a strong weapon in order for me to overcome Grandfather's strength. A frog at the bottom of a well, huh? Vardreth mockingly laughed at himself, deeply dissatisfied with his performance. How could he not know what his Grandpa Fang meant to relay to him? He had not faced enough danger nor had he faced enough pain for him to have a solid mental strength. His martial foundation was incredible, but his mental and spiritual foundations were both lacking.
Never before had he so acutely felt this to be an issue.
Shaking his head, Vardreth stretched. As he did so the door to his room opened, and a female acolyte gasped in surprise. From Vardreth's torso and up, there were no clothes. In fact, only the minimum clothing was upon his lower half as well. If this were just a week or two ago, Vardreth may have taken advantage of the situation. His mood now, however, left him without any such desire. He stared blankly at the acolyte, who bowed her head and subsequently left in a hurry.
Sighing, Vardreth went to the window in his room and opened the shades. A vast mountain range was sprawled before him. Its beauty and granduer incredibly imposing. The warrior had never before taken any meaning in such sights aside from practicals, however his melancholic mood from the dream the night before had left him brooding. How insignificant we are, when compared to the vastness of the land and seas. Grandfather has something in mind for me, however I no longer think I can stand staying here. I must strengthen myself if I ever want to become truly strong, and to do that I must travel these vast lands in search of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It is out there that I will be able to truly temper myself...
A man cleared his throat, breaking Vardreth from his pensiveness. When Vardreth turned, he saw the red-headed man from before. "Glad to see you are awake. Master Fang advised myself and Benai to follow you on your journey. You've earned this sword." Zeriken, the red-haired swordsmagician, tossed Desceld to Vardreth. At his side was another two blades, which Vardreth took to be the man's own swords.
Vardreth caught the sheathed katana, moving over towards the side of his bed. Vardreth set the weapon on the bed as he dressed in his clothing, slowly thinking about what had happened so far. "How does Grandpa Fang know I intend to leave on a journey?" Vardreth was puzzled. He had just come to the decision moments ago, and yet it seemed like his plans were transparent. His head had felt foggy since he woke up, and his stomach rumbled as he felt a hunger pain.
"There is nothing he can teach you here, aside for some tricks. If you hadn't decided to leave on a journey, he would have forced you to leave." Zeriken smiled, amused at the question. It wasn't that Fang Mu already knew Vardreth's decision, it was simply that it was the best move to make for the grandchild at this time. Zeriken idly pressed his hand down upon one of the hilts of the two blades strapped to his waist. It was one that did not belong to him. He still recalled the shock he felt when Fang Mu, just moments before, advised him to hand the second blade over to Vardreth when he felt 'the time was right'. It was quite the powerful sword, one that could even be considered as a legend. When Vardreth's stomach rumbled, Zeriken smiled "Before we head out, we should first get something to eat."
Vardreth absentmindedly nodded his head, once more picking up the sword and fixing it to his side. He had practiced with it so much recently that it felt at home in his hand. A sudden hint of inspiration came through his mind as he felt his hunger. Frowning, Vardreth looked towards Zeriken. "One moment, I wish to try something." He left the room in a fast walk, Zeriken following behind him in curiosity.
When they arrived in the courtyard, Zeriken was taken aback. What could he be doing here? Shock flashed across his face as he saw Vardreth pull out the blade and gather power. Five seconds passed - an immense strength had been gathered. Immediately after, a large amount of plantlife surged out of the blade, gathering at Vardreth's back in the shape of a dragon. A creature of great stature appeared, coiled and waiting behind Vardreth. It seemed that it looked where Vardreth looked. That's... That's the Gold Dragon Aspect of Desceld! Zeriken's shock didn't end there.
Vardreth expertly controlled the creature, which moved about with its base sticking by Vardreth's back. There was no burden of weight for the swordsman, as the magic was capable of sustaining its own weight and even the weight of others.
The spell slowly dissipated, and a look of happiness flashed across Vardreth's face. He had learned the greatest spell behind the life sword, skipping one of the spells altogether. Once he had gained enlightenment on that strongest bit of strength, the sword's capabilities were understood by him. There was still one spell left to learn, but he had no doubts about getting to it with time.
Using a Shard of Solomon to get a sweet weapon.
Also, WC for the 4th spell = 4400+/4000
Spell trained:
Desceld, Gold Dragon Aspect
Requirements/Drawbacks: Must be capable of using Magoi Manipulation. Must be wielding Desceld while this ability is being channeled. It takes 5 seconds for Desceld, Gold Dragon Aspect to form.
Scaling: For every 10 magoi spent, the size of the Gold Dragon Aspect increases by a tier (6 meters in length, 3 meter in diameter for the exterior Dragon Aspect and 9 meters in length with 1.5 meters in diameter for its 'tongue', or interior Dragon Aspect).
[/i][/i]
As the user feeds Magoi into the weapon a number of vines rapidly expel from the pommel of the sword. These vines are all interconnected, and form a 'miniature' plant dragon which coils in the style of a Chinese dragon with claw-shaped leaves and a bloomed golden bud that imitates the jaws of a dragon. The plant dragon is 6 meters in length and 3 meters in diameter. Inside the dragon's maw is a hollowed out area; the interior 'walls' of the dragon are filled with razor sharp edges to the vines. Within this area is a 'tongue'; a single root that splits into many ends which is 9 meters in length and 1.5 meter in diameter.
The tongue of the dragon, with B-Tier durability, lays coiled within the mouth until it fires out and entangles all those it comes into contact with, 'holding' them while it returns into the mouth.
The tongue is then 'combed' by the interior of the Gold Dragon's Maw, dragging those who were captured through the sharp interior and dealing B-Tier damage.
The Dragon Aspect's exterior is always in contact with the body of the user, and is directed with magoi manipulation in order to function.
Laughing, Vardreth re-sheathed his new sword. Looking over to Zeriken, he nodded. "I had an itch to try it out. I'm ready for some food and drink." Vardreth approached the swordsage, patting his shoulder as he passed by, and headed toward the food hall. He felt famished, with a need to restore his lost strength.
For half a minute Zeriken stood there in a daze. To learn the spells locked within the blade so quickly... He certainly is of the Fang lineage. He could only shake his head and sigh. From this day forward he was expected to follow Vardreth upon his journey and provide support from the side. Never too much, so as not to be relied upon, but enough to keep him alive from the dangers he would experience. Turning around he, too, was about to headed off to the food hall. Zeriken's eyes flickered over to a nearby tree before leaving the area.
Benai was hidden within. He had watched the entirety of the situation, however his face was impassive. There was no shock on his face, nor anything else that could be called an emotion. It was as if the man had a clarity of mind that took in all sights without prejudice. No jealousy or admiration took root within his heart. The man had cultivated a powerful strength of heart; the ability to accept reality for what it was before analyizing it was not to be put down. An hour after the two left, Benai departed as well.
Wine, meats, breads and fruits. A variety of foods were prepared as something of a going-away feast for Vardreth. It was nothing that was officially announced, and it was simply Vardreth and Zeriken who were eating at the table, however the food available was much greater than what one would normally expect. Vardreth relished the crisp taste of the pear as he tore a chunk of its flesh with his teeth, chewing and tasting the delicious juices. Vardreth grabbed a leg of lamb, voraciously consuming it as he did so.
With great relish a gulp of wine was consumed directly from the bottle, of which he appropriated for his sole use.
A deep breath was taken through his nose, replenishing his air while simultaneously providing his nostrals with the pleasant scent of well seasoned food. Vardreth did not normally eat like this, however it had been some time since he had anything other than a bland or basic meal. Hm. Perhaps Grandpa Fang isn't so bad... The thought flickered through his mind as layers of flavor burst in his mouth. Vardreth followed through with a lightly seasoned fried rice, the transition between the meats and the starches felt natural on his palette. From there, Vardreth moved on to fresh water fish after another drag from his wine.
It wasn't long until his limit had been reached. Vardreth leaned back in his seat, looked at the ceiling, and sighed. There was a great deal of contentment from Vardreth's end as he gently pat his stomach. "Not bad. I could do with something like this more often..." Though he had just woken up, Vardreth felt he could fall back asleep at any time.
During the meal there were several glances sent Vardreth's way, by none other than Zeriken whose eyebrow was raised at the onset of Vardreth's path of devouring the food on the table. While slightly disturbing, Zeriken made no comment and continued eating at a normal person's pace.
Vardreth stood at the top of the stairway which lead to the bottom of the mountain. He had come without gear, and he would leave with a new blade at his side. All in all, it was quite a success for him. He had done something neither his father, nor his brother, were capable of. This by itself was not actually a source of pride for Vardreth, as his strength vastly outstripped theirs in the first place, but it was certainly a moment of happiness. It was not easy getting magical weapons, and the fact he had the opportunity to do as such was a great boon to his overall strength.
The Shu-Fang Academy advised many times that Magicians are quite powerful beings. The war with Magnostadt years back had proven their power. Their capabilities of controlling the elements made for devastating influences on the field of battle. The Mercenary Captain was no Magician, and was still unaware of the many strengths that Magicians had available to them, but knew their contributions to a war could not be taken lightly. Zeriken approached Vardreth from behind.
"It is time." He nodded towards the steps, still waiting for Vardreth to make the first move. Zeriken would, after all, be following the young mercenary captain from this day forward.
Vardreth looked back at Zeriken and inclined his head slightly. "Sure... But first, will Benai be joining us, or will he simply be seeing us off from on top of the archway?" Out of sight from the two, at the very spot Vardreth had announced, lay another man who slowly sat up from his spot.
It was unknown how Vardreth had determined Benai had been there.
Either way, it didn't seem Benai was phased. He jumped down in front of Vardreth and bowed approximately 45 degrees. Respectful, differential, yet it showed reservation and restrain. Actions spoke volumes of words. From this, Vardreth felt that while Benai would listen and differ to Vardreth in many things, the man was not his vassal. "I will be providing assistance in gathering intelligence along the way." With that being said, Benai jumped backwards, off the side of the steps.
Vardreth's eyebrows rose, looking over to Zeriken who shook his head in defeat. "Benai is capable of traversing up and down the mountain with ease. With or without the staires. His record is half the time it took you to get up here when you first arrived." It must be known that Vardreth's speed was by no means slow. Even though he had held back in order to hide his strength, Vardreth still made sure that he moved quickly when he could in order to avoid being barred entry.
To take half that time while traveling through difficult terrain, Benai no doubt had his own secret skills and techniques that allowed him to do so. There was a great deal of likelihood that he was faster than Vardreth even at his fastest... Though Vardreth felt that he could sustain such speeds for a longer time than Benai.
WC: 1089/3000 for the 3rd ability on Desceld. - canceling this thread's training.
[Exit]
10 Re: Revisiting the Military Academy


The Men's road time trial at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 13 August at the Urban Road Cycling Course. It was won by Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland.
Included among the favorites for victory were Cancellara, the reigning world time trial champion, and Germany's Stefan Schumacher, who won both time trials in the 2008 Tour de France, defeating Cancellara in each. Other cyclists considered to be possible medalists included American Dave Zabriskie, and Australians Michael Rogers  and Cadel Evans. Evans had originally announced that he was withdrawing from the time trial with a knee injury, giving his place in the event to Rogers, but he recovered faster than expected. The UCI thus gave him a wildcard entry to let him compete. American Levi Leipheimer, Spaniard Alberto Contador, Italy's Marzio Bruseghin and Denis Menchov of Russia were also thought to be contenders for the podium.
The men's road time trial took place on a mountainous 47.6 km course consisting of two 23.8 km laps each containing an approximately 305 m climb followed by an equal descent. The 39 riders in the time trial were broken into three groups, who would race the clock one hour separate from one another. Most of the medal favorites were in the last group. Each rider started the course a minute and thirty seconds after the rider who went before them.
The leader at the end of the first group of 13 was Svein Tuft (Canada), completing the course in 1h 04' 39". This was 23 seconds clear of the next closest competitor Robert Gesink (Netherlands). They were still the top two riders after the second group, with American David Zabriskie and Russian Denis Menchov, thought to be podium contenders, both turning in disappointing rides.
The medalists all came in the third group. Gustav Larsson of Sweden, starting seventh from the end, beat Tuft by nearly two minutes. The man after Larsson, American Levi Leipheimer, was 36 seconds slower than Larsson, but held on to win bronze. The event's prohibitive favorite, world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara, started last, and though he was six seconds behind Larson's pace at the final time check, he wound up winning the gold medal by a margin of 33 seconds. The other major gold medal favorite, Stefan Schumacher of Germany, finished over three minutes behind Cancellara.
↑ "Beijing Olympic Games 2008 » Men's Individual Time Trial". 2008gamesbeijing.com. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
↑ Bisbee, Gene (2008-07-31). "Cadel Evans withdraws from Olympic time trial; knee injury". Biking Bis. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
↑ "Cycling - Road - Background - The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
↑ "Cycling - Road Men's Individual Time Trial Start List - The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
↑ "Cycling - Road Men's Individual Time Trial Intermediate Results - The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2008-08-16. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
1 2 "Cycling - Road Men's Individual Time Trial Results - The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2008-08-16. Retrieved 2016-07-16.


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Apply evenly to skin with brush or by hand. Avoid eye area. Let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel. Use twice or thrice a week.
Okay, I bought it from the physical store in SM North. And I bought it by accident, I was supposed to buy Super Rich Facial Gel Mask (sumthing like dat) which is what I really use. ANW, I have no choice but to use it, at first it has a slight burning sensation on my face but after a minute or two it just dries up. It tightens my skin after washing the mask and drying it up. I think it's okay but not for my skin type or maybe I'll just use it on the oily parts of my skin.
I've had problems with acne for the longest time and I've stumbled across this product. It's relatively cheap so I decided to try it out. It dried out my acne after using it so it really did its job~ I just didn't like how it would dry up on its own in its container because I would have to put some water in it so I can use it and then the next time I open it, it's dry again. But nonetheless, it's a decent product.
One of my fave facial masks!!!
A new round of 5-star finds, right this way!


Lexco® Hydraulic Lift Tables & Die Handlers On Wesco Industrial Products, Inc.
Top and base 3/16" steel.
4 swivel 2" diameter rubber casters.
AC and DC power options available.
1/4" reinforced steel top and base.
2 rigid and 2 swivel 5" diameter steel wheels and floor lock on 20" x 30" and 30" x 30" models.
4 swivel 5" diameter steel wheels and 2 floor locks on 30" x 48" models.
1/4" steel top and base.
2 rigid and 2 swivel steel wheel casters.
Standard lift height 30" - 48".
Optional lift ranges available, call factory.
4 swivel 5" diameter steel wheels or optional polyurethane wheels.
Call for information about powered models.
Easier method for pushing and pulling loads to and from the unit.
5-lb. effort required to crank the handle.
Fits 3 sizes of table tops.
Sold as stand alone unit or assembled onto table.
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Rotation of 360º - increments of 45º.
The DH series hydraulic die handler is a cost effective mobile die cart that allows you to transport, separate, and present your dies for service and maintenance.


On Wednesday the 23rd of November 2016 a team of girls from The Oaks in years 4, 5 and 6 went to a 7 a-side football tournament at Whitton Sports Centre.
In their first match they tried very hard and Kayleigh the goalkeeper made some extremely good saves. The match finished 0-0.
The girls played very well in their second game against Murrayfield. They worked together to score their first goal but sadly in the last minute the opposition scored. That made the final score 1-1.
In the third match the girls played very well again. The defenders pushed themselves to the top and the midfielders and attackers chased ferociously after the ball.
In the fourth match the weather got colder but the girls shone! Layla shot the ball and hit the post. It was so close! The match ended and the score was 0-0.
The final match was really hard for the girls but they kept trying. The match again finished 0-0.
The Oaks team included: Codie, Madison, Kayleigh, Layla, Brooke, Katie, Nuala and Vienna. Layla scored our goal and hit the post. Well done to all the girls for drawing all the games and being unbeaten.


The principal Act dealing with fringe benefits tax (FBT) is the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 (FBTAA).
FBT applies to benefits provided to an employee (or associate of the employee) in respect of employment of the employee.
past, present or future employees.
The FBT year is the 12 months beginning 1 April and ending 31 March. The annual FBT return of the University must be lodged with the Australian Taxation Office by 21 May each year.
For the rates of tax applicable refer to Tax Rates.
The taxable value of fringe benefits provided by the University are grossed-up using the following formulas. The distinction between the two benefit types depends upon whether an input tax credit is available. This has arisen due to the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) on 1 July 2000.
Type 1 benefits are GST creditable benefits; in other words, we are entitled to an input tax credit.
Type 2 benefits are all other fringe benefits that do not fall within the classification of type 1 benefits. This includes whether the supply is GST-free, input-taxed supplies and non-deductible expenses.
The FBT liability payable by the University is the grossed-up value of fringe benefits multiplied by the rate of tax. The University is paying an effective tax rate of 96 per cent on type 1 benefits and 86.92 per cent on type 2 benefits provided to employees as the University is a tax-exempt employer and is not entitled to a tax deduction for the FBT paid.
An input tax credit is available of $272.73.
Where an employee contributes money directly to the University for a fringe benefit provided by the University, the University is required to remit 1/11th of the contribution to the Australian Taxation Office for GST. The total of the employee's contribution (GST-inclusive) will reduce the taxable value of the fringe benefit.
21 April 25, per cent of the prior year's tax payable.
Employers are required to declare in their payroll tax returns, the actual taxable value of fringe benefits provided in each return period. There is an option for employers to use an estimated amount based on the prior year return and then pay the difference between the estimate and actual at the end of the year.


text:
Lineker Claims There Are Only Three Clubs That Harry Kane Would Join This SummerManCityNews.com
Former Tottenham and England striker Gary Lineker believes Harry Kane may only be open to signing for Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Chelsea have also been mentioned as a potential option but Lineker says that Spurs's rivalry with the London club would make it difficult for Kane to join them, suggesting a move to Manchester is likelier:
"I think it is between Manchester City, Manchester United and maybe PSG. They have [Mauricio] Pochettino and he would win things, guaranteed. I think it is more likely that one of the Manchester clubs can afford him outside of Chelsea. I don't think he would go to Chelsea and do that to the Tottenham fans but who knows?"
It does appear as though City would have to free up funds if they want to go after Kane. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is believed to be demanding between £120m and £150m for the 27-year-old.
That could be why there have been reports in recent days that the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and even Bernardo Silva may well be available for transfer.
In addition to Kane, reports indicate Aston Villa's Jack Grealish is another player that manager Pep Guardiola wants to sign so there could be a significant overhaul of the first-team squad in the coming weeks and months.
The post Lineker Claims There Are Only Three Clubs That Harry Kane Would Join This Summer first appeared on ManCityNews.com.Former Tottenham and England striker Gary Lineker believes Harry Kane may only be open to signing for Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Chelsea have also been mentioned as a potential option but Lineker says that Spurs's rivalry with the London club would make it difficult for Kane to join them, suggesting
The post Lineker Claims There Are Only Three Clubs That Harry Kane Would Join This Summer first appeared on ManCityNews.com.Read MoreManchester City News, Transfer News, Chelsea, Gary Lineker, harry kane, Manchester City, Manchester United, spursManCityNews.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tynset is a lyrical work of prose published in 1965 by the German writer Wolfgang Hildesheimer. Often described as a novel, although not by Hildesheimer himself, it is a monologue of the thoughts of an insomniac over the course of a sleepless night. The central theme of Tynset, one of Hildesheimer's major works, is resignation in face of an absurd world. The first-person narrator from Tynset is also found in other works by Hildesheimer, and displays similarities with Hildesheimer himself. The work is named after the Norwegian township Tynset, which the narrator imagines travelling to.

The book was a bestseller upon publication, attracted strong attention in the contemporary press, and was translated into several languages, but did not match the popularity of Hildesheimer's  ("Loveless legends"). Hildesheimer was awarded the 1966 Bremen Literature Prize for Tynset.

Content

These words begin the anonymous first-person narrator monologue of an insomniac which constitutes Tynset. The narrator, whose circumstances strongly resemble those of Wolfgang Hildesheimer himself, allows his thoughts to wander, he relates his memories, wishes and fears, the people around him, and dives into the history of both of his antique beds. But Tynset is a stream of associations rather than actual events. After the narrator considers the sounds and smells he senses, he gropes "blindly onto my bedside table in search of something to read". He puts a telephone directory back down, then picks up and reads a 1963 timetable of the Norwegian State Railways.  He finds "a branch line that runs from Hamar to Stören, passing through Elverum, Tynset and Røros". He contemplates the sound of the station names and the images they evoke in him. He is particularly fascinated by Tynset, where he has never been. He later determines to go to Tynset, but he becomes distracted as he gets up to go through the house, up to the top floor past where Hamlet's father often stands.The meaning that this initially perplexing figure has for the narrator later becomes clearer, in that he compares himself to Hamlet, and mentions that his father had been murdered. Like the ghost in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet's father is admonishment of the inaction of the narrator.

After reflecting on his alcohol-addicted and very pious housekeeper Celestina, the narrator returns to the telephone directory and describes how, when he still used to live in Germany, he would ring up people at random in the middle of the night and tell them that "they know everything, everything. Do you understand? I would advise you to leave now, while you still have time". Sometimes he could even observe how people living nearby subsequently flee their home. His last call, under the name Bloch, was to Kabasta – a man, whose existence, "a terrible one", he already knew. We later learn that Kabasta had killed a man called Bloch in the war. But unlike the others, Kabasta is not so easily scared, and uses his connections to the authorities. The narrator becomes convinced that his telephone is being tapped. He soon not only leaves the house, but also Germany. Following descriptions of the late-autumn weather, and a representative of the evangelical revivalist movement frozen to death in his car in a snow storm on a nearby mountain pass, the narrator returns to the telephone directory. He relates an attempt to create his own telephone directory with fictitious names, and via a chain of association arrives at "Doris Wiener, who had an operation to even her nose and make it smaller" and who fell victim to the Nazi terror along with her husband, Bloch, who was forced to dig his own grave under Kabasta's supervision.

There follows a digression with the Cocks of Attica: "to hear them crowing, I climbed up to the Acropolis one evening. Hildesheimer recreates the scene described in The Colossus of Maroussi where a pre-dawn concert of cocks is initiated by one loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" call from the Acropolis. After further digressions, he finally determines to travel to Tynset. However, the narrator becomes concerned about the obstacles that could be in his way: "I will do my best to avoid all other cities on the way: Prada, Chur and Stuttgart, Hannover and – was it Hannover?" – the list locates the narrator in Poschiavo (to which the locality Prada belongs) in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden, where Hildesheimer lived from 1957. This results in a nightmarish description of a car journey through a labyrinthine German state capital, a lot like Hannover but named Wilhelmstadt by the narrator, which is almost impossible to escape from due to bewildering signposting.

The narrator wants to hear the automated street status report, but rings the wrong number and gets a cooking recipe, he recalls the visit of a cardinal to Rosenheim to inaugurate something there, he lies down again in his bed and it turns midnight.  Now he describes his winter bed, "in which, before me, nobody had lain for one hundred twenty thousand nights. I bought it from some rich boy who had inherited it from his parents", as the bed in which the Italian composer Carlo Gesualdo murdered his first wife and her lover, and pictures the moment of death of the lovers in long, lyrical sentences, until his thoughts suddenly turn back to Tynset. Tynset increasingly becomes a special place for the narrator:

Still sleepless, the narrator rises to get another bottle of red wine, and once more goes around the house in contemplation. In a longer episode, he remembers the last party held in the house, and how Wesley B. Prosniczer, an uninvited American revivalist preacher, hijacked it with proselytist intentions, and alienates the narrator from his guests because they believe the narrator has orchestrated his appearance. Prosniczer is the only party guest that the narrator sees again, frozen to death in his car attempting to cross the mountain pass, as mentioned at the beginning of Tynset.

After a while, the narrator decides to visit his summer bed. This is a large Renaissance bed from an English inn, which he compares to the Great Bed of Ware, somewhat older, and with room for seven people. The narrator describes the last time that seven people slept in the bed in 1522, how they arrive as guests at the inn, their backgrounds and characters, and how they all die of the Black Death in the bed that night. There again follows the motif of his housekeeper Celestina, her drunkenness and religiousness when the narrator finds her drinking in the kitchen. In her stupor she takes him for God and asks for his blessing, which he attempts with clumsy gestures and words, but this only ends in disappointment when she realises her delusion.

The narrator once again considers his "underdeveloped aim: Tynset. Tynset, the only place for which I would leave my house, and my bed, my winter bed, the white realm - and even then it would be with a heavy heart." Back in his winter bed, he again thinks about Gesualdo, also about Celestina. He listens to the street status report on the telephone and finally falls asleep. As he awakes it is light and snow has fallen, turned early winter. Tynset is for him now "Gone, finished. It's too late. No more about that. In snow like this I never would have gotten to Tynset, never." He considers attending the funeral of a child which the town bells herald. The narrator decides not to travel to Tynset, and not to go to the child's funeral, but to continue to lie in his winter bed:

Context
Tynset is part of a monologic body of work that Hildesheimer began in 1962 with Vergebliche Aufzeichnungen ("Useless notes"), and concluded with Zeiten in Cornwall ("Times in Cornwall") (1971) and Masante (1973). Tynset continually references Hamlet, which contains the most famous monologues in world literature. Although Tynset is often described as a (lyrical) novel, including by Patricia Haas Stanley, the American specialist in German studies, Hildesheimer himself regarded this classification as inappropriate, and described the book as an antinovel and wrote "what it became, I know not". He preferred to call Tynset and Masante "monologues", yet firmly insisted that monologue is not a literary genre. Although Masante appeared after Zeiten in Cornwall, the latter constitutes the "newer state of development" according to the history of Hildesheimer's work by  because Masante should originally have appeared earlier. These works have in common a first-person narrator, the "reflecter", who first appears in Schläferung ("Somnolence"), the last of Hildesheimer's Lieblose Legenden. Whereas Hildesheimer leaves the narrator in Tynset lying at home, unable to break out, in Masante he is sent out into the desert where he presumably dies, Zeiten in Cornwall is a directly autobiographical recollection of Hildesheimer's stays in Cornwall in 1939 and 1946. The literature scholar Morton Münster places Tynset in Hildesheimer's middle "absurd" phase, before his "satirical" phase, and after renouncing the  poetics of the absurd.

Themes, motifs and biographical background

Resignation in face of the absurd
Hildesheimer's novels, in addition to his plays, stand in the tradition of the Theatre of the Absurd. In Tynset as well as Masante, and in Hildesheimer's final literary work Mitteilungen an Max über den Stand der Dinge und anderes ("Notes to Max about the state of affairs and other things") there is "doubt about the language and purpose of life", although in Tynset this doubt is still in its early stages. The narrator, "a passive spectator in a world without answers", as he comes across a prie-dieu in his furniture, compares himself with Hamlet: "I am Hamlet, I see my uncle Claudius, cowering before the kneeler […] but I do not kill him; I restrain myself, I do not act - others act, but I do not". Faced with an incoherent and senseless life in an absurd world, Hildesheimer's narrator reacts with melancholy and resignation. He also anticipates resignation in his readers. So according to Hildesheimer, as  describes, it is the didactic purpose of absurdist fiction "that people learn to live in the absurd, come to terms with the irrationality of life, that they can bear with dignity the despondency over the silence of the world, and embrace it as a lasting attitude to life". According to Blamberger, Hildesheimer demonstrates in Tynset and Masante  "that the path of absurd literature, which does not commit to the practical philosophy of Camus, but rather continues the search for truth, ends in silence from stalemate in the crisis."

In a 1973 interview with Dieter E. Zimmer to accompany the publication of Masante, Wolfgang Hildesheimer said he can only write about himself. The main themes of Tynset are resignation and isolation. When asked what the narrator in Tynset does during the day, Hildesheimer replied "he won't do much", spoke of "retreat from life", and a certain identification with Hildesheimer himself.

Truth and fiction
Jeffrey Castle claims that "much of Hildesheimer's work can be said to question and challenge the boundary between truth and fiction, constantly prompting the reader to wonder which is which, and to ponder over the relationship between the two." The many digressions in Tynset combine meticulous historical research with fictional storytelling, such as the stories associated with the winter and summer beds. This interweaving of fact and fiction likely influenced the work of W. G. Sebald.

Fear
Fear is another key motif in Tynset, as it is in Hildesheimer's later novel Masante. In 1964 Hildesheimer, who left Germany for the second time and for good in 1957, answered the question why he doesn't live in Germany with "I'm a jew. Two-thirds of all Germans are antisemites. They always were and always will be." Fear of persecution recurs throughout Tynset, as well as brutality. In his vision of a car journey through "Wilhelmstadt", the narrator avoids eye contact with other drivers when stopped at traffic lights – "True, sometimes they are gazing off into the distance too, dreaming of being somewhere else, but oftentimes you find yourself alongside a thug, or a murderer – I have glimpsed many a horrid past while waiting at traffic lights." Henry A. Lea observes that the most striking aspect of the Wilhelmstadt episode is the fear and alienation of the narrator, his description of the city as "a labyrinth and fortress of unrestrained nationalism", whose fortifications have been maintained over five centuries "to trap the likes of me". For Lea, the description evokes an image of an archetypal German city in which outsiders are not welcome, and where he doesn't want to be.

On the final page, as the narrator once more thinks about his winter bed and the murderer Gesualdo who lay in it, he adds: "a murderer, but not a defender of the Order or a spreader of reddish yellow hands, no skinner, no retiree from Schleswig-Holstein, and no bone-breaking patriarch from Vienna, no hangman, no shooter". Even his own German name gives him the creeps – he's not named, but there is a presumption that he's called Wolfgang –, a name "with an embarassing undertone, originating in some faraway, pre-historic depth, a foggy darkness I have always been afraid to look into". Morton Münster claims that since Tynset, Hildesheimer's first-person narrator "is running from the indescribable, namely Auschwitz".

Death

Death is ever-present, from the ghost of Hamlet's father to the 15 deaths described over the course of the book. The winter and summer beds dominate the book, but they are not slept in, they are death beds. Jehle describes the scenes as "picture artist musical composition exercises", with the summer bed story a seven-part "death fugue" and "danse macabre". Gesualdo's dying throes are in the same bed that he murdered his wife and her lover, but Gesualdo at least lived out his life. Practically all of the other deaths in the book are premature, from murder, plague, or accident, and the book ends with the funeral of a child. None of the deaths are mourned. The narrator wants to go to the church for there to be at least someone to accompany the child's final journey, but he cannot bring himself to leave his bed. The child is past knowing, "but death, death would take note, the scoundrel. He would think that I had come to pay him my respects, which would certainly not have been the case - no, most certainly not". The only mourners in the book are make believe ones, actors at Ophelia's funeral in Hamlet.

Guilt
Jehle sees everyone in Tynset apart from the narrator as guilty. The narrator proclaims his innocence despite being haunted by the ghost of Hamlet's father, and Celestina turns to alcohol to cope with her guilty secret. Everyone the narrator rings in Germany is riddled with guilt, and flees at the anonymous telephone warning. Hildesheimer has intimate knowledge of German guilt from his work as an interpreter at the Nuremberg trials from 1947 to 1949. On 5 February 1947, even before his first assignment, he wrote to his parents: "The material that you're given, and also the witness statements you hear from the doctors' trials, sometimes exceeds anything imaginable".

Tynset ends with the resignation of the narrator pressed into his bed, according to Jehle, an innocent "in a world of the guilty" for whom only "retreat, isolation, and flight remains".

Style and structure
The style of Tynset is characterised by precise descriptions. According to Henry A. Lea, Hildesheimer's German is polished and free of regional colouring. Patricia Haas Stanley classifies Hildesheimer's literary language in Tynset as verbal music, impersonal stories, and reflexive style. Constant throughout is "highly articulate, associational free prose" as well as "verbal and not nominal structure". Stanley compares the structure of the whole work with the rondo in Mozart's 9th Piano Concerto (KV 271):

Possible rondo patterns in the Classical music period include: ABA, ABACA, or ABACABA. The structure of Tynset is ABACBDABADABAEABABDABEDEDCBABA, where:
A is lying in winter bed,
B is Tynset,
C is Celestina,
D is a major digression (i.e. telephone, cocks of Attica, Wilhelmstadt, farewell party, summer bed), and
E is walking around the house.

Stanley identifies "The Cocks of Attica" digression as a further musical element, namely a four-part literary toccata with coda. Hildesheimer himself described this section "as part of the musical structure of my book — with the crescendo and decrescendo of a toccata, with onomatopoeia". Due to Hildesheimer's strict form, Stanley as well as other writers like Maren Jäger distinguish the associational-monologic style of Tynset from a stream of consciousness.

Another feature of Tynset is, as Wolfgang Rath notes, Hildesheimer's "specific peculiar connection of monomanic dejection and satirical wit". Rath comments that a "process of gaining ironic distance" began with Hildesheimer after Tynset; Hildesheimer the satirist, who dominates the narration in later works (Marbot, Mitteilungen an Max) and earlier in the Lieblose Legenden, remains implicit in Tynset.

Reception

Contemporary
Tynset was Hildesheimer's first work to achieve "overwhelming critical success",. It was reviewed by numerous critics in the year following publication in 1965; while Stanley cites "roughly thirty-five", Jehle claims there were "over 130 major reviews immediately following publication and countless more at the prize ceremonies".

Among other things, style and content comparisons were made with Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, Max Frisch and Djuna Barnes. On this, the reviewers' opinions varied. For example, while Walter Jens in Die Zeit wrote that Hildesheimer had achieved a "triumph" with Tynset, "a classical prose, the most richly nuanced (except for Wolfgang Koeppen) from a German writer since Thomas Mann", 's review in Spiegel was largely negative. Baumgart claimed to have "read a manuscript, a first, ambitious draft" and wrote of a "perplexing juxtaposition of sections which succeed effortlessly, with others which initially reveal nothing but dry exertion, in their language, their thinking, their design".  pointed out in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung that in 1959 Hildesheimer had translated the novel Nightwood by Djuna Barnes, which is reflected in Tynset. He felt the book was not pleasant to read, and some passages tested his patience, but "even the stretches of labouriously persistent unravelling of a matter or a relationship" are "still touched by the truth of the language and by the truth of their message." With Tynset, Hildesheimer ranks "as one of the best contemporary writers".

Several critics were exercised by the form of Tynset and by the identity of the narrator, such as Baumgart: "a middle way is sought lurching between the truth of the report or diary and the other truth of invention and narration." In his otherwise largely positive review ("But how wonderfully Wolfgang Hildesheimer can tell a story!"),  saw the Hamlet motif as a weakness of the book, which all too transparently shows "what the author intended with this motif", and "the not entirely credible utopia of a departure into the unknown".

Commercially, Tynset was a success. The book featured on the bestseller list in the Spiegel for a long time in 1965. In 1966 the Swiss magazine  claimed that Tynset had made Hildesheimer "famous overnight". In 1966 Hildesheimer was awarded the Literaturpreis der Stadt Bremen and Georg-Büchner-Preis for Tynset.

Subsequent
Later work on Wolfgang Hildesheimer rank Tynset amongst his major works, such as Henry A. Lea in his 1979 essay, or the Killy Literaturlexikon in 2009, where Tynset is named as a major work of prose together with Masante. However, W. G. Sebald stated in 1983 that Tynset is a novel "which has by far not received the attention and recognition that its inherent qualities deserve". Volker Jehle also wrote in his 1990 history of Hildesheimer works about Tynset as a book "some readers regard as his greatest", that was "never popular" in contrast to Lieblose Legenden.

Editions
 Tynset. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt a. M. 1965.
 Licensed editions: Ex Libris, Zürich [1971]; Volk und Welt, Berlin 1978 (collection with other works); Dt. Bücherbund, Stuttgart [1993].
 Tynset. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt a. M. 1973. (Bibliothek Suhrkamp; Bd. 365).
 Tynset. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt a. M. 1992. (Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch; Bd. 1968). ISBN 978-3-518-38468-8
 Tynset. Translated by Jeffrey Castle, Dalkey Archive Press, Victoria TX 2016. ISBN 978-1628971422

The page numbering in the licensed edition of 1971 and in the paperback edition of 1992 correspond to the original edition of 1965. In addition to the individual editions, Tynset is also part of volume 2 Monologische Prosa ("Monologue prose") of the Gesammelte Werke ("Collected works") of Hildesheimer published by Suhrkamp in 1991, ISBN 3-518-40403-2.

The first translation of Tynset – into Norwegian – already appeared in 1966. Åse-Marie Nesse was awarded the Bastian Prize for this translation. There are further translations in at least the following languages: Bulgarian, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Czech, and Hungarian. An English translation did not appear until 2016.

Literature

References

1965 German novels
Absurdist fiction
German-language novels

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/James, William (philosopher)
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James, William (philosopher)
James of Hereford, Henry James, 1st Baron→
See also William James on Wikipedia; and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer.
6229421911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 15 — James, William (philosopher)
JAMES, WILLIAM (1842–1910), American philosopher, son of the Swedenborgian theologian Henry James, and brother of the novelist Henry James, was born on the 11th of January 1842 at New York City. He graduated M.D. at Harvard in 1870. Two years after he was appointed a lecturer at Harvard in anatomy and physiology, and later in psychology and philosophy. Subsequently he became assistant professor of philosophy (1880–1885), professor (1885–1889), professor of psychology (1880–1897) and professor of philosophy (1897–1907). In 1890–1901 he delivered the Gifford lectures on natural religion at the university of Edinburgh, and in 1908 the Hibbert lectures at Manchester College, Oxford. With the appearance of his Principles of Psychology (2 vols., 1890), James at once stepped into the front rank of psychologists as a leader of the physical school, a position which he maintained not only by the brilliance of his analogies but also by the freshness and unconventionality of his style. In metaphysics he upheld the idealist position from the empirical standpoint. Beside the Principles of Psychology, which appeared in a shorter form in 1892 (Psychology), his chief works are: The Will to Believe (1897); Human Immortality (Boston, 1898); Talks to Teachers (1899); The Varieties of Religious Experience (New York, 1902); Pragmatism—a New Name for some Old Ways of Thinking (1907); A Pluralistic Universe (1909; Hibbert lectures), in which, though he still attacked the hypothesis of absolutism, he admitted it as a legitimate alternative. He received honorary degrees from Padua (1893), Princeton (1896), Edinburgh (1902), Harvard (1905). He died on the 27th of August 1910.
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