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Tyrond Whisperwind
"pfft magic. Magic is for the tree worshipers."
0 · 643 views · located in Utareos
a character in "Blades and Flames: The Nethersteel Cog", as played by chris33
Name: Tyrond Whisperwind
Title: Ceriarki (Roughly translated as Laughing Knight)
Race: Wood Elf
Age: 65 (Around 25 in human years.)
Class: Rogue - Monk
Physical Appearance: Tyrond is not what many would consider physically imposing. He is of average height at 5'11 and has a rather skinny physique. His skin is rather pale, and he has dark brown eyes and long dark brown hair. His face is covered in tattoos, in Elf culture they are the symbols of Ceria, the trickster god.
Clothing: Tyrond wears mostly traditional Wood Elf clothing. He keeps a leather tunic for battle, which although makes poor armour, allows him to remain agile enough to evade enemy attacks. When not in battle he wears a hood and cloak, as he knows Elves can provoke suspicion from humans. Although he wears typical Wood Elf clothes, they do not really symbolise anything specific about Elf culture of beliefs.
Basic personality: As a disciple of Ceria, Tyrond is naturally against all things demonic and tainted. He has been taught from an early age that if you see a demon, you kill it. He is rather stubborn in his devotion to the Trickster God, but is not easily offended by different or even contradictory beliefs. But regardless, the dogma of the Trickster is his first and only loyalty. Apart from that he is cunning and very devious. He is not interested in a fair fight, and thinks anyone who puts too much stake in honour is simply naive. His own kind included. He is not shy to stealing or pick pocketing, but the Ceria code prevents him from taking from those who are already in need. He tends to keep quiet in human settlements, as not to draw attention to himself, but is very friendly and very humorous when he does interact.
In battle Tyrond is a typical Ceriarki, they portray their fearlessness in battle by laughing manically or making jokes, even when seriously injured. It is this characteristic that has earned the disciples of Ceria the reputation of being insane, violent and unstable, which as with most preconceptions is far from the actual truth.
Emerald Reaper Bow – the name of the standard bow given to Ceriarki, although of fine craftsmanship it has no real magical or divine attributes to it.
Emerald Reaper Short sword – Again this is the standard weapon of Ceriarki and has no real magical or divine attributes.
Ceriarki Stone – A communication device unique amongst the disciples of Ceriarki, not even the Elven kin have figured out how to reproduced such a device. It allows for near instantaneous communication between Ceriarki and Ceri'thuum (Scholars) allowing for near perfect organisation of this certain sect of Elves. How they do it, or even use it remains a mystery to all others, Elves, humans and Dwarves alike. Most claim that it is Ceria gift to her followers.
Skills/Abilities:
Tyrond has been trained for decades in martial prowess and is quite adept with his short sword and in hand to hand combat.
He is an expert archer, as is the case with most woodland warriors.
Tyrond knows a numbers of subterfuge and stealth techniques, as is the way of his order. Picking locks and becoming hidden is second nature to him.
Tyrond is also naturally resistant to magic, as it is with most followers of Ceria. Not to say he is immune, fire still burns and sleeping spells may not send him to sleep, but he won't be very coherent for some time.
He has no magical abilities.
Background: Tyrond is part of a minority of Elves born with dark brown eyes, usually signifying a complete lack or at least an ineptitude of magic. In a society where druids and mages are the ruling class, and amongst a race to which magic comes naturally, Tyrond was always going to have a tough start in life.
His parents made the decision to leave him with the Disciples of Ceria, a secretive sect of Elves who live deep in the heart of the Emerald grove, where the oldest and most mysterious of ancient orders live. Unique amongst the many orders of Elves, the Disciples of Ceria know almost no magic, and has become an unofficial haven for those Elves unlucky enough to be born with dark eyes.
His parent's decision meant that they would have to cut contact with Tyrone, leaving him completely to Ceria and her teachings. Tyrone spent the next decades learning martial prowess and combat techniques. The Ceriarki are the Disciples warrior class, and are dedicated to not only defending the forest from demonic threats, but seeking out and killing demons in their places of powers. They learn several techniques to fight magic users, such distractions and stealth. This has earned them a fierce reputation amongst the Elves and most Ceriarki are wearily looked down upon as unstable and violent.
Tyrond became a Ceriarki at thirty and has been defending the Emerald Grove for thirty-four years. At sixty-four Tyrone is starting to mature, as is tradition amongst the disciples of Ceria, it is around this time that the Ceriarki are sent on a pilgrimage. They are tasked with travelling out of the emerald grove and into the world, only returning when they have found or done something of worth. Upon their return they will be Ceriathalox, roughly translated as hunter and commander.
Other: Tyrond, although follows a similar culture to most Elves, is fundamentally different because of his upbringing amongst the disciples of Ceria. Most Elves would recognize him as a Ceriarki because of the tattoos on his face, and would probably look down on him or regard him as a lesser Elf.
So begins...
Tyrond Whisperwind's Story
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# 2013-09-24 01:57:34 , as written by chris33
The small crowd of four human children gasped. Tryond held a red card in his right hand, displaying it to their wide eyes, whilst aimlessly waving his left hand around the card.
"Do you want to see some Elf magic?" he asked with a smile
All the children nodded enthusiastically and Tyrond laughed, before flicking the back of the card, instantly transforming it from red to black. The children gasped, before smiling and laughing excitedly. Tyrond laughed with them, but it wasn't long before concerned mothers came along and began to herd their children away from the flamboyant Elf and his strange tattoos. Tyrond shrugged, he had been in human lands for a while now. It was different to the grove; it seemed to him that people here would rather fight against the land than live in harmony with it. There were a few Elves around as well, but most were very different to the Elves he knew from back home.
He had come here from the south-east, ever since leaving his ancestral homeland he had taken meagre jobs from place to place, in order to survive. He had pictured his life beyond the grove as some great adventure, travelling from city to city, saving damsels and slaying demons. Turns out there was more action back home, his funds had run out in mere weeks, and he had to take jobs on farms and in mills just to earn enough to eat. It was harvest time here in Marhorn Glen, and the farmers had been hiring hands left, right and centre in order to pull the crops. Tyrond had simply been following the work load north. Oh how he wished he could be out doing something worthwhile, he was on his pilgrimage! He could not return home without finding or doing something of great worth, so far his greatest accomplishment was pulling a large wagon from Jessop's farm to the market. Doesn't sound like much, but that thing was heavy.
"Ceria did always say great things start in humble places." Tyrond stared at the dirty old inn "Can't get more humble than this."
Waving at the last of the children he turned back to the bar and ordered mead. The dirty looking bartender nodded before scurrying away to fetch the drink. The Lucky Horseshoe Inn was busy tonight, the harvest was all but complete most of the labourers had come to spend their earnings and celebrate their pay. A bard even played among the crowd. Most looked at Tyrond with suspicion, although being so close to the grove meant that they were no strangers to Elves, Tyrond's face was marked with tattoos, religious symbols in his culture, but in these lands it marked him as strange and foreign.
His sleight of hand tricks had earned him a reputation among the labourers as an entertainer or clown, he was quite popular with the local children. But with that reputation came suspicion, and more than once some angry parents had yelled at him for performing magic on their children. Tyrond told them he couldn't even do magic, but of course they never believed him.
A man shouted at the bard as he finished his piece, Tyrond had gone to clap but quickly stopped when everyone cheered the insult. These humans and halflings were quite strange. Tyrond shrugged before receiving his mead and paying the bartender his dues. He led back in the stool and noticed some weary eyes following him. He hadn't brought his hood with him, and his tattooed face was attracting the wrong kind of attention. They didn't seem like a violent sort, more the type that would yell and make a scene, but he didn't want that either. He would have probably preferred the violence, at least that would be concluded quickly. Quietly, he sat by the bar and drank his earnings away, hoping the eyes stopped following him.
# 2013-09-24 05:27:39 , as written by unseenshadow2
The door to the Lucky Hourseshoe opened so slowly that it didn't make a noise. When it did, Adion always got pain from the sound. Not like the noisiness of the dwarves was much better for his ears, but he had learned to deal with the dwarves unique drunken sounds when he was over in their lands. Adion still could never figure out why the dwarven forge master gave him the custom sword for free.
After experiencing a strange mental feeling, Adion finally caught a glance at the bard who played what Adion thought to be beautiful music.
Upon reaching the center of the tavern, the only place with which Adion could see almost everything in the tavern, the beast looked around, as always. That is when he spotted a man that he hated. This man didn't get along with any of the men who Adion had worked with or for, and as loyalty states, this man was also his enemy.
The man then unleashed some 'smart' remarks about Adion's lack of clothing, and something about him being a mindless beast.
Before the person that the man was speaking to could respond, a table was sent in their direction effortlessly. "Watch your tongue, or I will take it and watch it for you." Spoke Adion, his voice both deep and gravelly. It was obvious that he was meant to speak in a way other than the common language, but it was common.
After his little out burst, Adion came to the seat in the corner of the room that seemed to deafen the noise to a volume that Adion wasn't bothered by. The owner of the tavern rushed Adion a pint of ale, what the veer had been having for the past two weeks. Always just two pints to last him the whole night.
"Bard! Do you know any songs of the Veeran Charge?" Adion asked, again with his gravelly voice. He always loved hearing what other species seemed to thing of the veer.
The setting changes from Utareos to Lesser Southern Plains
Lesser Southern Plains
# 2013-09-25 00:41:48 , as written by Soul_Alchemist
"The old man is harmless, it's whatever he's got under that cloak of his that has me curious. You couldn't see it from over here, but he's got a worn leather satchel with him and he clutches it feverishly to his chest, as if it were made of solid gold and blessed by the gods themselves." Vyndran says with a snort as he takes the coin purse and looks into it, taking out a few coins and setting them on the table as payment for the bartender. There was more to it than just what he could see though. The elven blood that flows through his veins allows him a small part of their emotional apathy, the elves natural ability to pick up and read the emotional state of people around them. This only happened when he was playing music. "His soul didn't sound right. Whatever that thing he carries is, it is very important, to him at least. He's probably risked his life for it..."
Lifting his goblet of mead he lets out a sigh before draining it in one long swallow, and as he does so he eyes the crowd again. The tavern was beginning to fill up, either from the dark or the cold outside he suspected, and the night was just getting started. Now that there was a decent crowd he would be able to make another performance, this one paid.
Once every year around this time Vyndran comes to Marhorn Glen and plays at this tavern. The first few times were for free, then he started to get paid if the crowd was large enough. Because he was somewhat famous the patrons would turn out in drove if it was known he would be in town, so the tavern owner had decided to share his wealth. He had been playing for an hour before this break, and as he played he had watched people enter the tavern, and a very few leave. Such as now, when a group of dwarves entered The Lucky Horseshoe.
"Dwarves never have been good at being able to see anything past their beards." Vyndran remarks with a smirk, quickly ordering another goblet of mead before the dwarves had the chance to drink it all. He had never seen this bunch before, but they seemed familiar to the villagers and so he had no reason to question why exactly a group of dwarves would venture so far out from under their rocky home. "No wonder they are always digging, it's much easier for them to look down than the rest of us which is why they are so good at their trade." The half-elf was joking around. He had no problem with any of the races that inhabited Elemnaira, only a few individuals. "I think I'll play a few more songs and then we can get something to eat and call it a night. In the morning we'll make our way to Giant's Pass, to that little village I was telling you about earlier." He says, talking to Fran once more while the rest of his words had been to the air itself, or anyone who could be bothered to listen.
The bard got his second goblet just before what looked like a wolf on his hind legs threw a table across the room. He was about to comment on this when what appeared to be a small...girl? He wasn't able to tell if it was a boy or a girl, but it didn't matter much. The child was sweet, giving him a few berries and one large one to Fran. Vyndran smiles at this and looks at the berries. Most of them were common, but one, the pink one with spikes he knew came from farther south and were rather odd as to the side effects. They tasted amazing, but they would also turn the whites of your eyes a bright pink for three days if you ate a handful of them. Before he could thank the child the wolf man, a Veer he thought they were called, made a song request.
"Thank you little one, these are most appreciated." Vyndran says, standing and grabbing his mandolin before making his way to the stage, leaving the berries for Fran to look after. Once at the hearth again he positions the mandolin and closes his eyes, moving his mouth so that it looked as if he were whispering to the instrument, and in a way he was. The magic of the bard, no matter the race, had to do with sound, and what he did now was cast a spell on the instrument so that it would sound not only like a mandolin but several other instruments as well. "As it so happens, my furry friend, I do indeed know one of your Veeran songs. Perhaps it is not the one you would like me to play, but let your ears decide if it does your people justice."
Strumming his mandolin, Vyndran begins to play The Wolf and the Winds. This is a tale rewritten again and again, with nearly every race having their own version, which tells of how they came to the shores of Elemnaira. This particular one was about the Veer, though it lacked more of the details that some other versions had. (found the song on youtube)
Vyndran was not half way through the song when there was a scream heard from somewhere outside the tavern. He stops playing and ends the spell, looking from the crowd to the door, then over to Fran. Slipping the mandolin onto his back he gives her a nod and takes off for the door, hoping from table to table with just enough elven grace that only two mug of ale were knocked over. As soon as he opens the door the smell of burning wood and flesh and the screams of the innocent begin to fill the room. The patrons go silent, a few of the braver ones standing up as if to fight, though no one makes a move.
"We've got demons..." Vyndran says in a hiss, however his magic causes everyone in the room to hear him as if he were standing beside them. "Fran, it looks like we'll be leaving Marhorn Glen early, but not without a little exercise first."
Demons were pouring out of the mountains to the north and surging towards the village like a flood of hell fire. They were terrible things, varying in size and shape. Some were tall and thin, with long black talons and wings, while others were tiny, the size of a gnome, with claws and tails like lizards. But standing in the center of the chaos, watching over it, was one who looked more human. He was tall, wearing blood red armor, with skin black as coal and glowing yellow eyes. His horns were like those of a goat, and on his back he carried a huge sword. It would only be a few moments now before the mass of demons were upon the tavern...
"Sir, we have reports that a horde of demons have been spotting moving through the mountains to the south." A man wearing chainmail armor and a steel breastplate with the royal symbol of a shield with a griffon on it on his chest says to his superior officer. "Scouts have been sent out, this doesn't look good. Should we do anything?"
"Do we have any idea where they might be headed?" Asks the superior officer, a man by the name of Samuel Ashworth, grandson of the famous general. "And how many scouts have you sent out?"
"They seem to be heading for Marhorn Glen, sir, and five scouts have been dispatched. We should hear back from them within the hour...but, sir, if I may point out..." The soldier hesitates for a moment, looking away, then back to Samuel, looking him in the eyes, "Sir, they may not last that long down there Perhaps if you were to go there in person you could save lives..."
The setting changes from Lesser Southern Plains to Utareos
# 2013-09-25 01:22:32 , as written by xfaithyx123
♪♫♩♬♭♪
Fran would only look at the Veer for a moment and the dwarves, she didn't show her emotions, her kind were formal in behavior and movement after all. She'd then look to a small boy, with a berry at hand directed to her. She'd slowly take it and place it into her pouch around her waist in silence then look to the boy once more. ''Thank you for the Gwappion Berry, I understand it is important to you. You are not what you seem, but no matter, I do not mind, youngling.'' She'd then dart her head to the sounds of screams from the locals, her ears twitching to the sounds.
She'd look to Vyndran, getting out her bow that was holstered on her back and standing. She'd look back to the boy, no smile, just her way, she meant nothing by it really. ''Best stay inside youngling, me and my companion have something to take care of.'' She'd look to the door as Vyndran's voice was projected into the tavern and she'd point her clawed hand up into the air, a green/gold glow on the tip of her finger as she projected her voice to Vyndran directly. ''I am with you. I will just cast protection on this building. Please mind your back, I am not there for the moment to defend it.''
She'd then walk to the center of the bar, her black armored heels clicked like light metal and she'd bend to the ground and started to write on the floor with her Vierian words a protection ward with golden words on the ground at a constant glow now, a flash of green burst from her creating a dome around the building. She'd then stand to her feet and look to the others in the bar. ''You are safe now, unless nature takes me.''
She'd then run to the door of the bar with bow in hand, opening the door then running to Vyndran's shooting a arrow into one of the demon's forehead, the demon would turn to ice on the spot and another demon just crashed into it, shattering it. Fran's bow arrows would be glowing a spectrum of colour. ''I have used my life force to protect the building from elemental attacks. For now, it is strong.'' She'd explain putting her hand out in front of her, a wave of ice travelling up, freezing and slowing some of the demons but a frown of concern would come to her face, a sign the people should be worried. ''I sense the mist in them... they are unusually strong... It seems they are here for something...''
Tyrond sipped his mead, it was rather good for such a small place. He shrugged and got comfy at the bar. As he sat he noticed a woman sat with the bard a little further down the bar. It was a Viera Elf, he was so shocked he almost slipped and fell. Their kind were rare enough within the Emerald Grove, but seeing one this far from it was simply mind boggling. He wanted to go and talk to her, he knew some of their old tongue from his limited interactions with them, and wondered if she could help him learn some more. Languages had always been a hobby of his. Before he could act on the impulse a huge wolf like creature or...person had entered the bar and made a spectacle of himself. He had heard of the Veer in passing but never seen one, and again his curiosity was peaked.
Tyrond looked around the tavern, it was getting rather busy now and he had never been a fan of crowds. As the bard stepped towards the stage once more Tyrond sighed and put his curiosity on hold. He returned to his spot at the bar and began to get settled once again, before the smell of smoke began to drift into the bar, slowly followed by sudden screams and shouting. Tyrond raised an eyebrow as the bard and the Viera ran towards the front door. Through the window he could glimpse a steady stream of torchlight pouring from the mountains, outside he could hear a sound he was all too familiar with. Demons.
Tyrond raised an eyebrow "Here?" he could understand a raid or an opportunistic group of demons, but in such numbers. And from the steady column of torch light these guys looked organised. Something didn't add up, this place just wasn't worth that level of attack. This looked like a full scale demon army, and they rarely showed their faces on the surface. Tyrond watched as the Viera Elf performed some old magic inside the tavern, before exiting with her bard. He watched closely as she left the tavern and wondered what his best course of action would be. He was always taught to fight on his terms, this looked like it was going to turn into a mess, fast. Simply running out waving a sword was going to do very little to tip the scales.
"They normally keep any army like that underground, to fight the Dwarves or raid the Grove." Tyrond said aloud. "They're after something, or someone."
Tyrond noticed the fight getting ever closer to the tavern and put a hand on his sheath. He looked around, there was a Veer and a group of Dwarves. If there was an exotic item with in Marhorn Glen, it was probably them. But there were a lot of travelers around as well, it could be anything. Then he had a thought, every outsider in Marhorn was in that tavern, if they were after someone then they were probably in that very room!
Tyrond had to make a decision, fast. He watched the people in the tavern, looking for any sign, but everyone was panicking by this point. It was a hopeless task. He unsheathed his short sword and began to make his way outside. But before he could make leave the tavern a concerned villagers barged through the front door with an injured girl in his hands.
"Is there a healer in here?!" The man shouted
Tyrond heard no response and sighed heavily to himself, before sheathing his sword. Taking command of the situation he told the man to lay her on a nearby table, the one Dwarves had been sitting at before they had charged off to battle. She had an arrow wound in her back, which had obviously been removed carelessly as it bled furiously. The man turned to Tyrond
"You're an Elf! You know Elf magic?!" He asked with concern.
Tyrond reached into his pouch and began to chew on some herbs he kept. "No, I don't do magic" he said spitting out the herbs and covering the little girls wounds "But I do know medicine."
Tyrond tested the depth of the wound with the mashed up plants but it was far too deep for his basic knowledge of traditional medicine. The girl became pale and had begun to shiver. The herbs would stop the bleeding and dull the pain, but that wound was deep. She needed a real healer. That's when he heard banging on the windows, the demons were trying to get in. This was getting bad, fast. He looked around the tavern in desperation when he noticed something, the demons outside were shouting through the window, something in their native tongue. Tyrond partly understood the language and quickly translated it in his head.
"There's the old guy!" The demons were shouting as they thumped on the magically enhanced glass
Tyrond turned to see an old man, at the back of the tavern, clutching a satchel to his chest. Tyronds eyes widened. "You!" he shouted, thrusting a finger towards the old man "What did you do?!"
# 2013-09-25 03:01:43 , as written by TCDinNYC
Violet smiled largely when the bunny lady took his berry into her hands. They were warm, her hands, most likely from the fur, but that seemed beside the point. When the bunny spoke in a rather cryptic way, Violet was able to decode that she knew that he wasn't actually a human. This made Violet nervous for a second, as being exposed in front of a tavern of drunken humans was not high on its list. Violet instead tilted his head, and smiled before skipping off to find someone else.
Violet was about to see the wolf guy, many animals races tonight, he thought, when suddenly it heard the sounds of the demons. The elf bard seemed to pick up on this and ran out to see what was happening, and it was demons. Violet's face didn't drop at all, even though it was secretly worried about Miss Frana, as she was home alone with only her grandbabies tonight. It was to run home, but the bunny lady told it to stay while they fought. "Fat chance of that" Violet thought but smiled and nodded outwardly.
The patrons, well at least the armed ones, seemed to take this as a challenge and began to rush outside to protect the village. The bunny lady, whose name was apparently Fran, did something weird with magic and said they should all be safe for now. She left as well, and seeing the chance to get outside, it went behind the bar and shifted into a mouse. A black mouse that scurried across the floor and walls, until finding a hole in the roof. It went through this hole, and managed to get outside to see the horde coming. This was not good, there were a lot of them, and they were coming fast. Violet then saw men carrying a girl who looked to be dying. Violet recognized the girl as Adeline, one of Miss Frana's grandchildren, and who of its best friends.
This made Violet mad, and suddenly, it shifted back into its normal form, a nine tailed fox, or Kitsune. Feeling rage building up, Violet let out a large howl, deepened by shifting and yelled, "YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ADELINE!" catching the attention of several of the flying demons. They started towards the fox, and Violet began to lengthen its tails and wrapped around five of the demons. Using most of its strength, Violet managed to crush them inside their armor, and then threw them to the ground.
Getting to the top of the tavern, Violet could see the elf, bunny, and dwarves. Violet then used some of the magic embedded in the gems on its forehead, which began to glow a shining purple, and began to create fire. The nine tails got into groups of three, each focused onto a single point, and fire began to form. The balls were only around the size of basketballs, as charging them any longer would be dangerous, and then Violet whipped its tails to fling them at several of the demons in the skies. All three hit, and they came screaming down, and onto the groundlings.
Violet then jumped to the ground, and ran to the bunny lady. It was beside the magic woman, and then smirked at her, and said, "Sorry, Bunny-lady. They hurt Adeline, so I'm fighting no matter what you say!" And then turned its attention to the crowd coming up and began to charge more fire, all the while wondering why they came here. "Most likely for something one of these humans have in the bar." Violet thought, its distrust of humans starting to resurface.
Slowly walked the now angered veer out of the bar. The mass of muscle and fur was not something that was easy to anger, but one thing made this task among the easiest, the noise. Being so acute to small and gentle noises, like that of a forest, the veer were not ones for loud times. When it got to a certain level, it could cause a blinding rage, similar to that of someone who is going through the fight adrenaline instinct, but worse.
Upon reaching the outside of the tavern, stepping over the demons in his way, Adion found himself only able to use his eyes. This did not bother him, however, as the groups of demons flowing around him were within his visible range.
Then one of the demons tried to attack the veer, it being lifted by Adion with little struggle, as the demon was no greater than 50 pounds. Soon a blood curdling howl ripped through the air, originating from the veer as it ripped its little hostage in two with no signs of effort. His sword then tapped the ground.
The eyes who had turned to the veer would have seen his fur change from its natural color and texture to a clay brown with the texture of rock. Adion then charged at an archer who he could barely see, after the first 5 feet due to the arrow giving away the demon's position to the blind beast. Said arrow proved to be little more than a small stick to the rock-like fur.
Only seconds after the charge had begun, the archer demon lay dead of the blade. The dwarves may have noticed that it was obviously made by their people. From that point on, the blade swung as if it was a natural extension of the veer.
By the time Fran reached him Vyndran had unsheathed his short sword and was making quick work of a few lesser demons, the ones who were weak but numerous, often used as cannon fodder for the more powerful ones. They would lead the way, and most often die, but whoever the demons were fighting would grow tired from fighting them and so fall more easily when the others arrived. Vyndran knew this well enough, but he also knew that if he didn't kill as many of them as possible there would be a greater chance that innocent lives would be lost.
When he sees an arrow turn one demon to ice he smiles and turns, spinning around a charging demon while slicing his throat with his sword, and comes to a stop facing his companion, giving her a nod. "You are right. Perhaps they are after whatever the cloaked man has in his possession. Is he still inside the tavern and within your protection?" Before he could get an answer the bard was forced to lay another demon low, stabbing him in the heart then kicking the corpse off with one booted foot. He hated the smell of demons. It was like what he imagined the Underdark to smell of, death and decay, brimstone and blood. Before he could get and answer to his question the dwarves were there, recommending they retreat into the mountains. "True enough my short friend. I've no doubt that this village will be razed by these demons, regardless of our actions, so saving as many lives as we can would be our best option. Can you lead the others from the tavern?"
While Vyndran had no doubt that the dwarf could handle the task he felt it needed to be asked anyway. They needed a bit or organization at times like this. And besides, whoever this dwarf was he had the respect of his kin, meaning he had to be either powerful, brave, smart, or some combination there of.
The fighting was on in full force now, and though the nearest burning building was several hundred yards away he could feel heat all around him, as if he himself were on fire. It wasn't until this point that he realized why. Someone from their side of the battlefield was casting fireballs, and demons were falling to the ground around him. "Fighting is all well and good, my young friend....fox...but know your enemies. These are demons, and as such are immune to even magical fire. All you've done is make a few of them mad I am afraid." Vyndran says, glancing down at Violet as he watches the demons who had been knocked to the ground stand and shrug off the flames.
Before he could begin to dispatch these demons, their leader made himself known. The darker figure who had been slowly making his way to the tower now raises a hand, and darkness forms below the fallen demons, who begin to cry and whimper. Their cries are cut short, however, then the darkness forms a sphere around each of them and crushes them into nothing as the sphere suddenly shrinks.
"By the stars in the skies...that's one of the Demon Lords...Zanarok, keeper of the shadows..." Vyndran says under his breath, fear finally showing itself in his halfbreed eyes.
-=-=-=-=-
"I knew there would be danger for the villagers to come to this place," The old man in the cloak says as he approached Tyrond and the injured girl. "I hated to much to do so, but Brigar told me to come to this place and so I have. And what hell I have brought upon it and it's people." Standing beside the little girl the man reaches up and lowers his hood, revealing that he is actually rather young, maybe thirty years of age at the most, but with a shock of snow white hair and pale eyes. The eyes of a much older man. Letting his satchel fall to his side he reaches out and places a hand on the girl's wound and closes his eyes. he begins to mumble a chant of favor, asking the god of light to bestow his blessing upon this child and heal her wounds. As he chants a pale yellow light begins to shine beneath his hand, between his hand and the wound, and a short time later the light dims and blinks out.
Color returns to the girls face and the herbs fall away, revealing only a nasty scar, the wound now fully healed. Without a word the man then reaches down and touches his satchel as he looks outside. Seeing the demons he takes a few steps back, so that the satchel is blocked from their view, and he opens it, revealing dull black object with streaks of crimson in it. Neathersteel. A kind of metal made from ore which can only be mined in the Underdark. It is said to be indestructible and unalterable once it has been crafted.
"The demons seek this, but no matter the cost they must not get it!" The man says, letting Tyrond see the artifact for a moment before slipping it out and placing it under the bar counter. "You have to take it from this place, keep it from their grasp. My time is done, Brigar tells me so. I was never meant to leave this place alive, but so long as this artifact does not fall into demonic hands I shall earn my place in the Higher Plains..."
With this done the man turns quickly and makes a break for the back door. The demons, seeing his quick movement and thinking he is trying to escape, leave the window and take off after him. He makes it a mere twenty feet from the tavern before he is struck down, torn apart by the demons.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Samuel was in the skies now, on the back of Ergos, his loyal mount and best friend. The two of them had been together for a long time now, and as ever they were helping one another out. While Ergos carried his rider south, over the Dragon Claw mountains, Samuel was looking around, taking count of the demons and where they were headed. They were already at Marhorn Glen, and soon the commander would be there as well. Reaching into his armor he removes an amulet in the shape of an eagle head and speaks into it. "This is Commander Ashworth. The demons have reached Marhorn Glen. Send three squads of soldiers down there at once." The amulet allows his voice to be carried to a similar stone amulet in Shadewatch, where his orders are heard and give to the soldiers there.
Fran would holster her bow into her back and she'd stomp her foot, her arms stretched up and wide, her hands would glow coldly in a pale blue, her claws changed to blue coloured and the glow would then wrap around her arms like braided metal circles. ''Shattering Rain.'' She'd say calmly and the dark sky above thundered and flashed then clouds shrouded the stars and moon from sight and it would start to rain ice spikes into the onto the horde then would explode as it hit something. She'd then twist her body and dance her hands up into the air, making demons fly up into the sky then she'd stomp and they'd plummet to the ground then she'd turn towards a house, her red eyes flashed as something took her attention. ''Mist... it is strong there.'' She'd then look to Violet. ''Fire will not help Kitsune...'' She'd then look to Vyndran, grabbing him from the shoulder to drop kick a demon in the face, her armored and sharpened toe slicing into the demon's throat then through his face, she'd use the other foot to push it aside. ''I fear the old man left my ward with the strong misted object you speak of. I sense it in the house... but... not him.''
She'd then unsheathe her dagger and ran at a couple, plunging her dagger into their hearts and heads in quick strokes and once she got overwhelmed she'd touch her chest and wipe out her arms, a pulse of air pushing enemies away.
She'd then yelp in pain, falling to the ground. She'd look at what Vyndran was looking at and she'd leap into the air, grabbing onto Vyndran's shoulder to keep herself up. Her sensitivity to Mist or as most know magic was so powerful she would be able to lead you to a source of power, like all Vierian Elves hence why such mystical ores could be harvested in the Emerald Grove. She'd gasp for air as she next spoke. ''No wonder the mist is so strong in these demons... he commands them... We must save as many as we can... He is too powerful for a few of us... Even with my life force ward, it will not last, not with my state declining on me...'' She'd then get her bow out and continue to fight, using Vyndran as support.
Then as the demon lord closed in on them more and more she'd start panting, getting angry, her eyes would glow red and she'd holster her bow and took out her dagger, holding it with two hands it would suddenly become a greatsword and she'd be in 'berserk' mode. This happened to Viera elves when they are exposed to high levels of mist/magic that only peak higher and if they don't get from the dangerous source they become enraged and she did. However with this a Viera elf would become stronger and faster. Though their defense would be lowered their resistances to elemental magics would be heightened.
Vyndran would of seen this happen about two times before and even though she was stronger the recklessness of charging into battle made her vulnerable and he would naturally up his game to support her as she would support him. He would continue to do so once the berserk mode dissipated and depending on the level of mist/magic it would last from minutes to hours but either way once she is done she'd be completely weakened and most likely pass out, her ward around the tavern would also suffer so this was just as good as it was bad. It was a delicate moment.
Tyrond watched as the white haired man dashed from the tavern, and then watched as the demons who had been gathered outside chased after him. Shaking his head he reached behind the bar and took up the strange artifact. He held it for a moment before he felt something surge though him, it was a strange feeling that almost overwhelmed Tyrond.
"Ceria's breath!" He gasped as he clutched the artifact. His tattoos burned and his skin flooded with warmth. He felt as if he was connected to something, as if...he could feel magic. Tyrond had never been able to use magic, had never been able to feel it. But with this artifact in his hand...he couldn't explain it.
Is this magic? He thought to himself Is this how all my kin feel?
Confused by the strange affects, he was drawn from his daze when a dwarf entered the tavern and immediately announced an improvised evacuation. Tyrond quickly pulled a nearby cloth from a table and covered the item, before placing it in his own satchel. He followed the dwarf as he made a hole in the back wall. The tavern patrons began to stream out, the man who had brought the little girl in stopped to thank Tyrond before fleeing with the rest of his kin. Tyrond simply nodded at the man. He remembered the cloaked travelers words
"They must not get it."
Shaking his head he withdrew his own short sword and stood next to the hole, helping a few of the children who seemed to be without parents over the rubble. He felt their fear and their anxiety when he touched them, was this the emotional empathy usually present within all his kin? Never had he experienced it before, so he found it a little overwhelming, what had this artifact done to him? He noticed the tavern glow slightly before returning to normal.
"The Viera's magic has dissipated." He said allowed to the Dwarf standing guard near hole "This place is going to be on fire, soon."
Another Dwarf darted into the tavern ushering the warriors from outside in. Tyrond watched as the last of the civilians fled through the hole in the wall and began to follow them outside. As he did felt another strange sensation, a darkness, a creature standing outside. He was sensing a demon now, a powerful one. He had never sensed anything before, he began to worry and gripped at the satchel. Tyrond was now sure he wanted to be rid of this thing, but whatever it was, it was important enough for an army of demons to expose itself on the surface. He had to hide it, get it to someone who could explain it to him.
Tyrond clutched at his chest as he moved
"Ceria help me." He said allowed to himself
# 2013-09-26 02:43:32 , as written by XShishioX
Tym walked happily down a forest trail, humming a strange tune under his breath. His pack bounced on his shoulders and back as he walked, practically skipping down the deer trail that ran through the forest. He was sure by now that his father would be here any moment, hot on his trail, and ready to drag him back to that boring old house right next to Castle Lighthawk. Tym imagined himself clawing at the ground as his father pulled him by the feet all the way back to their house in the capitol. Tym giggled at the thought of it. "I'll be in so much trouble..." He mused to himself, giggling childishly. As he continued to walk, Tym bummed, whistled and sang a childish song. The melody was haunting slow and sad. It was a lullaby, though Tym didn't know it, a lullaby his mother sang for him every night before he went to sleep. She would always walk up to his door, lean against the frame, and sing to Tym until he fell asleep. Tym loved that song, it was his favorite memory of his mother. Tym sighed. "She'll be so worried about me..." Tym thought, stopping for a moment. He imagined his mother, with tears in her eyes, running up to him and holding him tightly. She would tell him that she was so worried and that she had feared the worst when Tym's father had not found him right away. Tym was pulled from his daydream because he felt something wet on his cheek. He was crying. Tym wiped his eyes and his running nose on his sleeve and pressed on. "I'll go home tomorrow..." Tym said to himself. He resolved to find the cart driver at the next town and go straight home the next morning, after all, it was getting late. Tym pressed on into the evening and arrived at a little town that a passing stranger had told him was called Marhorn Glen.
Tym went to the Inn, paid the nice lady at the desk the fee for the night, and went straight up to his room. He put his bag on his bed and went down to dinner at the local tavern, locking the door the door to his room behind him with the key that the Inn's owner had given him. Tym ate, talked a while with the bar matron, who appeared to be with a child of her own, and then went back to his room at the Inn to sleep, once more locking the door begin him. Tym din't sleep well that night. Without his mother's song to guide him to the realm of dreams, Tym had a hard time getting there on his own. What little sleep he did have was fitfull and disturbed by horrific nightmare. He dreamed of his house in flames, the screams of his mother and father echoing from within. Tym woke with a start the next morning and headed down to breakfast at the Tavern, taking all his things and his key with him. He returned the key to the Inn's owner and then walked to the tavern, smiling at the matron as he walked in, who smiled when she saw him. "Good morning." She said sweetly, looking at Tym with a mother's eyes. A pang of guilt surged trough Tym. "Would you like some breakfast?" She asked. Tym put two shiny good coins on the counter. "Yes please." He responded sweetly, earning a smile from the matron. She slid a plate full of sausage and eggs in front of him, as well as a glass of milk. "Eat up!" She said, smiling at Tym, who smiled back, licking his lips with anticipation. "Thank you ma'am." Tym said, saying a small prayer before placing his napkin in his lap and diggng into his breakfast. He smiled with contented joy at the first bite. "It's delicious." He managed to say through a mouthful of food. On anyone else, the gesture would have been disgusting and rude, but coming from a little boy, it was adorable, and only made the matron smile wider. Tym finished eating in relative silence, all around him people slowly filled the Tavern. The air was full of conversation, but the effect was pleasant. Tym stayed a while, chatting with the matron until it reached the afternoon. It was time for him to go. He bowed politely to the matron and her husband, "Thank you you everything." He said politely. "I shall not forget this kindness, rest assured, my father at the Castle Lighthawk will hear of your goodness." Tym said, smiling. However, right as he turned to leave, all hell literally broke loose. Demons stormed the small town, coming out of nowhere but the horizon itself. They appeared to be looking for something. Tym was scared. He didn't know what to do. People were dying, soldiers were fighting, and demons were everywhere. After a long time hiding, Tym brushed off his fear and stood tall. A dark glint shone in his eyes. Tym knew, instinctively, that he was needed.
Tym cracked his knuckles and steeled himself for what he was about to do. It was time to get started. Someone had already placed a strong barrier around the Tavern, but it was fading fast, and Tym knew it wouldn't be able to hold much longer. Tym began to chant, his eyes shone blue, and the white streaks on his robe and face began to shine. He reached out with his right hand, as if grasping for something. Wordlessly, and soundlessly, a book floated out from Tym's pack. It was his father's old spell book. Anyone who knew anything of Venser the Soujourner would recognize his seal and Emblem emblazoned on the book's leather cover. Tym began to chant once more. Soundlessly, as if water were being poured from a faucet, blue energy began to form around Tym's feet. The air around him began to thrum as more energy poured, seemingly endlessly around Tym, swirling around him, ever upward. The energy collected over the Tavern, creating a dome of blue energy over the Inn, shielding it from further assault. However, Tym wasn't finished. He spoke to the group of people within the Tavern, his body now floating several inches of the ground. His eyes and robe still a gleam. "Worry not." He said simply, his voice sounding as if his own childish voice, his mother's voice, and his father's voice were all speaking at once. "The sheild I have erected is one of alignment. As long as you wish to do harm to those inside, you will not be permitted entry. However, it won't last forever. We will need reinforcements or a better plan." He gestured with the book in his hands, showing all those inside the seal on the front. "Within my father's book is a spell to create multiple seeking projectiles, with which I could target a great number of the demons, but it will take some time. I shall begin casting it now, but I cannot defeat them all by myself." At that, Tym stopped and began to chant once more. He close his eyes, and began to chant. As he spoke, small blue balls of the same energy began to form around him. Just as he was really getting started, Tym's whole body shuddered. He felt a horrific presence, a huge sense of darkness loomed over him. He stopped chanting and instead sent the nineteen balls of energy upwards to reinforce his shield. Tym fell to the ground and looked around for someone, anyone. He directed his thoughts at the room in general and spoke. "I don't know if the rest of you can feel that, but there is a huge darkness above this place. Fighting isn't an option. We need to leave, but we must do so stealthily, we can't risk whatever that thing out there is finding us." At that, Tym sat on the ground with two legs crossed and raced through his book. His eyes were searching for anything that might be a spell to turn invisible, or to move somewhere else.
Violet was getting ready to unleash another round of fireballs, but then the bunny woman spoke, as well as the bard, saying that fire was useless against demons. This seemed semi natural, as demons came from hell, so the fires should do little impact, but this was lost of the Kitsune. "What?! That is cheating!" It yelled, and launched the ready fire into the night sky, mad that one of its only magic attacks was now useless.
"Fine, guess my tails will have to pull double work," Violet said and further lengthened its tails, so that they were around thirty feet long a piece. Each of the white tails swung around, until Violet made them each aim for an enemy. They moved quickly and grabbed them into a binding grip. Eight of these went down without a problem, but the one on the fifth tail managed to slash the tail, bringing blood. Violet yelped and threw the demons onto the ground hard, crashing them into their fellow hellspawns.
Suddenly, Violet felt something evil. She couldn't place it until the bard spoke of Zanarok. Violet's eyes widen as its tails moved into a defensive position, stained with red. After considering how the day turned out, Violet saw the bunny woman pull a great sword out of thin air. She had an air that screamed power, but something else caught Violet's attention. A small pulse from behind its gems, indicating something of very old magic. Violet turned its head, and the pulse got stronger as it realized it was coming from the tavern.
Knowing that this life was probably over, Violet knew it had to get people away from here, and quickly. It turned to the bard, "Song man, we can't possibly try to fight one of the demon lords, we need to escape now. I can shift into a Great Eagle and get maybe 8 of us to safety, but only if you say so. Think quickly of the plan, because we only have a couple of minutes before it gets here." Violet said earnestly, not knowing what to do. For all of its life, Violet had parents to say what was best, or Miss Frana to say what is best. Now this elfish bard got to say what is best.
Violets tails stretched as a new magic seemed to engulf the tavern, thankfully for them. This was only temporary, and they needed a route of escape. The villagers escaping out of the tavern only had so far to run, and who ever had that source of old magic would be hunted to the ends of the planet, so indeed, options were limited.
As a demon fell off of the blade that was held by Adion, something great overcame him. Then came the words 'demon lord,' which was something foreign, but frightening to the veer. He could also hear the running of the civilians, being guided by the dwarves. He would be more useful with them, ready to strike if they came under attack again.
"Svic ron xty!" Adion whispered to himself. It was rare for a veer to leave a fight, but they went where they needed when world destroying powers entered the battle field.
Moving in behind the dwarves, Adion turned around, using his ears to navigate him backwards with the group. The once dwarven marvel that was in the wolf-like beast's hand no long shined. Instead, it had a film of blood and a thousand nicks in it, which could be fixed by sharpening, a thing that veer are not the best at.
As they exited the demons playground, Adion approached the leader of the dwarves, as far as he could tell. "Could you have my blade sharpened? It is of dwarven craft, but I doubt I could get it sharp again. By the way, I am Adion." Adion said to Erbein.
The signs of tiring showed plainly on the veer, a tilt forward as he walked, even more cloudy eyes, and a slower movement of his ears and tail. He was ready for them to reach the place where they would camp, if they would ever. His fur had also returned to its natural red color. Adion wondered what could have caused this cataclysm. The town was nothing that would aid the demons.
Near Castle Hawklight
Near the center of Elemnaira lies Castle Hawklight which, despite the name, is actually a huge city, the capital of the human empire in fact, with the castle itself situated in the very center of the city. The city is surrounded by high walls made of white stone forming a perfect circle around the city with four entrances, one for each cardinal direction. Beyond the walls of the castle city lie several small villages and farms which, despite the best efforts of the royal military, are often plagued by bandits and thieves out to steal whatever they can. Some of them do so because they enjoy it, others do it to spite the king.
Today such an event is occurring.
Seeing the strangers, dressed in their fine armor and riding noble looking steeds this group of bandits believed them to be knights, perhaps messengers from another land here to speak with the king. While some of the highwaymen in this are were quite clever it was obvious the leader of this particular group had more muscle than mind. His name was Thud, son of a giant and orc pairing. Standing nine feet tall and weighting somewhere in the neighborhood of six hundred pounds, all muscle, he wore bits of steel armor that were obviously too small for him, held together with strips of leather and chains. On his shoulder rested a club, which was really just a tree he had knocked over and whittled one end down to make a handle out of.
"You there, in your finemail!" Thud calls out as his men spread out behind him like a fan, numbering about twenty all together. "This is a toll road, and if you know what's good for you, you'll be handing over anything of value you have." The half-giant says, his voice a rumble of thunder, but slurred slightly, showing he might not be all there mentally.
Before Thud or any of his men could actually begin forcing Dragonmiir and his companions to hand anything over, there was a series of twangs and several of the bandits fell, almost as one. The rest turned around, looking for whoever had done this. "Archers!" One man calls out, pulling a bolt out of another man only to take on to the chest. Another round of bolts cuts down yet more men, leaving only a handful who abandon their leader and take off into the woods. A bolt hits Thud in the leg and he bellows in pain, but then a flash of understanding hits him and he too takes off, shaking his club at the lot of them.
"Our apologies for this interruption of your journey," A man says, wearing steel armor baring the Hawklight crest on his chest, as he steps out of a thicket with six other men following. "We've been after that brute and his men for weeks now, and while we have cut his numbers down I am sorry you had to be involved as a distraction." The man pauses for a moment, both to put away his crossbow and to look the group over. "I'm not sure who you are but...I have seen enough royalty in my day. Please, follow us into the city. I think the king should like to see you...if this will not detour you too far from your goal, of course."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Vyndran was barely aware of what was going on around him now. It seemed the dwarves had taken care of his request to begin escorting the villagers away, that was what mattered second most to him. Foremost on his mind at the moment was Fran, who had succumbed to what he called the Mist Blindness. If he couldn't calm her down and get her away she would likely parish this night.
"Do not worry about us. People like Fran and I walk this earth knowing that each step may be our last. If you must help, help the villagers because none of them are ready to take their last step just yet!" Vyndran calls out to Violet as she asks him what to do. Sheathing his sword he quickly swings his mandolin around with practiced ease and begins to strum a few cords, casting a simple spellsong of sleep, targeting Fran. As the melody catches up to the elven woman she would see a soft blue mist rising up all around her as the songspell soothed her soul, putting her at ease. Slinging the instrument onto his back once more once the spell had taken hold, Vyndran dashes over and grabs Fran in one arm and her sword in his free hand. Slipping it into her sheath he lifts her into his arms and begins to retreat.
While the spellsong of sleep was targeting Fran, many of the lesser demons within earshot of the melody fall asleep as well right where they are. While it was just a simple spell itself, the bond between Vyndran and Fran made his magic stronger, and vice versa. This would be enough to bring her out of her berserker mode so they could get away.
Zanarok only blinks a few times as the spellsong hits him, looking from one elf to the other before smirking and watching as they run from him. He had no reason to fight cowards. Anyone who ran, so long as they had no connection to the artifact he was looking for, would be allowed to live a little longer. However, there was a whiff of neathersteel on these two, and so as he watches the bard carry off the rare female elf, he raises one clawed hand and shadows begin to swirl around his fingers like snakes. Curling his fingers into a fist he creates a black ball about two inches across and, opening his hand once more, it shoots out, aimed right for Vyndran's spine.
Before the black magic can hit a bright light shines down on the village from high above them, and the sounds of beating wings as well as the cry of a creature can be heard. Anyone who looked up would see Samuel riding towards Zanarok, sword drawn and glowing brightly, dispelling his dark magic.


In two precedent setting cases argued and decided the same day, the Honorable David N. Hurd, a federal district court judge sitting in the Northern District of New York, held that oil and gas leases terminated at the expiration of their primary term and had not been extended upon grounds of force majeure in the face of New York's more than four-year moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
In Aukema v. Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (NDNY, No. 11-cv-489), a number of landowners residing in Broome and Tioga Counties alleged that their oil and gas leases terminated at the conclusion of their primary term since no operations had occurred during the leases' five or ten year terms. Similar claims were asserted by the plaintiffs in Beardslee v. Inflection Energy, LLC (NDNY, No. 12-cv-242), a group of landowners in Tioga County. In total, five different lease forms were at issue between the two cases, with varying force majeure clauses. In similar fashion, the plaintiffs in both cases maintained that New York's moratorium did not prohibit all drilling (e.g., the defendants could have drilled wells targeting non-shale formations or drilled shale wells without high-volume hydraulic fracturing), just high-volume hydraulic fracturing, and that the defendants could have, but elected not to, pursue site-specific environmental review during the Department of Environmental Conservation's process to supplement its 1992 generic environmental impact statement for oil and gas drilling ("SGEIS").
The defendants in both cases countered that each of the oil and gas leases had been extended due to force majeure, commencing on July 23, 2008 when New York's moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing began, as well as on grounds of impossibility and frustration of purpose. In doing so, the defendants in both cases offered expert testimony that the only viable formations underlying the plaintiffs' land were the shale formations and that viable development required the use of high-volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. This expert testimony included evidence concerning failed attempts to drill vertical shale wells in New York, even using significantly greater than 80,000 gallons of water, as well as the unproductive nature of the wells targeting non-shale formations in the vicinity of the plaintiffs' leaseholds. The defendants also filed expert affidavits explaining why site-specific environmental review was not an option.
The take away from Aukema and Beardslee is that lease extension premised on force majeure in New York is tenuous and must be carefully considered and, if necessary, reevaluated. Although these decisions reflect the analysis of one federal judge concerning a limited number of leases, lessees of New York oil and gas leases cannot take comfort in this technical point or in the likelihood that these decisions will be appealed. Lessors across New York State who have had their leases extended on grounds of force majeure will look to these two decisions as a basis to invalidate their own leases.
Hiscock & Barclay has first-hand experience dealing with force majeure issues in New York and has carefully analyzed the Aukema and Beardslee decisions to assist operators who hold leases that may be impacted by the Court's rulings.
If you require further information regarding the information presented in this Legal Alert and its impact on your organization, please contact Richard Capozza, Chair of the Energy Practice Area at 315-425-2710 or rcapozza@hblaw.com or Yvonne E. Hennessey at 518-429-4293 or yhennessey@hblaw.com.


Colon cancer is one of the most preventive cancers of today, yet it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Many people avoid preventive screenings due to perceived discomfort and embarrassment. Advanced symptoms, however, make treatment options more difficult or nearly impossible. Regular screenings save lives.
The most commonly performed GI procedure, a colonoscopy is used to help detect colon cancer and other diseases. RMG offers a minimally invasive, nearly pain-free approach in performing colonoscopies. During the procedure, a flexible video endoscope is advanced through the colon to find and remove precancerous polyps (this procedure is also known as Flexible Sigmoidoscopy). Systematic removal of polyps can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer by 90%.
Patients are administered a sedative during the procedure and monitored closely throughout by one of our highly trained, certified nurse anesthetists. The sedative we use in our procedures, Propofol, results in our patients experiencing a much faster recovery time without the grogginess common to other sedatives and provides our Gastroenterologists with better polyp detection rates.
An endoscopy (EGD) is performed to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and the first portion of the small intestine, called the duodenum. The procedure involves using a long, flexible, fiber-optic tube called an upper endoscope.
The American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) recommends endoscopies be performed by physicians who have completed formal training in endoscopy and who have completed a residency or fellowship in gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, general surgery or pediatric surgery. All of our physicians are board-certified or board-eligible Gastroenterologists.


text:
Q: Why does action mailer not find any methods? According to this: creating mailers in rails 2.3.14 is pretty easy: http://railsapi.com/doc/v2.3.2/
but.. it didn't work for me
I did
bundle exec script/generate development_mailer

and added a method:
  def send_data(data)
    Time.zone = 'Eastern Time (US & Canada)'

    subject     "An error has occurred"
    recipients  "bugs@myapp.com"
    from        AppConfig['from_email']
    sent_on     sent_at

    body["email"] = data
  end

but when it tries to run, I get this error:
NoMethodError (undefined method `send_data' for DevelopmentMailer):

what's up with that?

A: In Rails 2.3, the action mailer methods are all prefixed by deliver_, so in order to send that mail, you would call DevelopmentMailer.deliver_send_data(data)
It's in the 2.3 documentation you linked, under "Sending Mail".
You're also calling an instance method on the whole class, which is where the NoMethodError is coming from. If you really wanted to call send_data, you would run DevelopmentMailer.new.send_data(data) but that won't actually send anything.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Russells begins work on NOMA Redfern redevelopment
27th February, 2019 | Category: Office Heritage Refurbishment
Work has started on-site at Redfern, a Grade II listed former warehouse and office block in Manchester City centre, only a month after planning permission for redevelopment was secured.
Once completed, Redfern will offer over 50,000 sq. ft. of Grade A modern office space as well as 7,600 sq. ft. of mixed retail and leisure space spread across three ground-floor units.
Redfern is the latest listed building in NOMA to be redeveloped into modern office space. Hanover, where global e-commerce giant Amazon announced it would be opening its first UK headquarters outside of London, completed late last year, while nearby Dantzic is on track for completion in Spring this year. Federation completed in 2017.
Manchester-based contractor Russells Construction, which also worked on Federation, Dantzic and Hanover, will lead the construction work. Director Gareth Russell said: "Redfern is now our third project at NOMA and underlines Russells' experience in dealing with highly complex schemes such as redeveloping listed buildings into Grade A office space. We look forward to bringing the building back to life, with work starting just before we achieve practical completion at Dantzic."
Under the design by architect Sheppard Robson, Redfern's recognisable redbrick façade will be maintained. Internally, industrial-chic fittings such as exposed air ducts and suspended lighting will help appeal to tech workers and creatives who increasingly power Manchester's economy, while a new rooftop terrace at Redfern will create a space where they can relax and socialise.
The ground-floor retail and leisure units will open up onto Sadler's Yard, Manchester's newest public square and home to the Pilcrow, a craft beer pub hand-built by the local community.
Redfern was previously host of PLANT NOMA, a community workshop and 'village hall', which has now relocated to Old Bank on the other side of Sadler's Yard.
In total, NOMA will provide 2.5 million sq. ft. of both new-build and renovated office space at various price points, situated alongside housing, public realm as well as retail and leisure opportunities.
The neighbourhood has been tipped as one of the UK's first 'innovation districts' by the Brookings Institute, a leading US think-tank, thanks to the scheme's mix of high-quality office space and housing, both seen as crucial to helping drive Manchester's future growth.
Stephen Bradley, senior asset manager at Hermes Investment Management, said: "Starting on-site at Redfern just a month after getting planning permission signals our seriousness in pushing ahead with progress at NOMA, building on the momentum behind the neighbourhood. Danztic, another listed building, will be completing this spring, bringing forward yet more quality office space for Manchester and we will shortly be outlining our plans for new build offices as well."
Paul Pavia, head of development at MEPC, said:"With our plans for new office buildings at NOMA gathering pace it is great news that the commitment to invest further in the listed estate is ensuring that when the first new buildings are delivered they will be complementing a listed estate already home to a thriving business community."
James Devany, director at JLL, said: "The major creative and tech occupiers reshaping the world economy see the benefits in not only new build office space but also carefully restored heritage building that keep their character while meeting the needs of modern work. Redfern will be a great addition to NOMA and Manchester more widely."
Peter Gallagher, director at Colliers, said: "Manchester city centre witnessed record office take up last year thanks largely to the ongoing growth of the tech and creative sectors and as a global trend we are seeing huge appetite for re-purposed historic buildings such as Redfern that offer a seductive blend of authenticity with the very best of modern facilities."
Hermes Investment Management, the £33.5 billion manager, is the investment manager of NOMA, with MEPC acting as development manager.
Workman undertake property and project management across NOMA. Colliers and JLL are retained office agents. Lambert Smith Hampton and Colliers are retained retail and leisure agents.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I try to deep clean our home as much as I am able during the weeks when we fast. I find that it is really wonderful to enjoy having everything clean and organized for the Great Feasts of the year. I plan on breaking my cleaning up by cleaning one room or area each week of the Fast (there are seven weeks). I'll also try to keep up with my regular daily cleaning and laundry routines as much as possible so that the kitchen isn't spotless, while the rest of the house looks like a war zone with naked children running around!
The nave of the church has been pretty much completed. Next week we're hoping to have the choir loft and altar completed and also a decision made on the ceiling. Stay tuned!
Starting on Tuesday morning, Father John and two women from the church began painting the walls of the church. The Renovation Committee chose to use green, tan, and parchment for the walls. The second phase of this project is to (over the course of a year) apply Venetian Plaster (in the same colors) over top of the paint and then finish them off with stenciling in gold leaf. We chose to paint first (though it was an extra step) to give the church a more finished look for this year as the plaster goes on little by little. Hopefully all of the painting with be finished by tomorrow evening.
February has been all about the walls for our little church. Father John and a couple of people from church prepped the walls by repairing, sanding, and priming them. All that work took about a week to do and the quality of the walls was really improved.
I am still knitting my Grasshopper. It is very slow going, but that is mainly my fault. My evenings (after the little ones are in bed) are usually spent knitting, and I have been deviating from that plan by reading. Daily Rituals is one of the books on my stack and I am really enjoying it. It is a collection of the routines of famous authors, artists, and composers and I find it utterly fascinating. I have been reading one or two per day and a little peek into the lives of the highly creative is so inspiring. I can see referring to this book for years to come as I come across new-to-me works.
The children and I were very fortunate to spend the day celebrating two of my godchildren for their birthdays. We were able to go to an aquarium and out to lunch, but the best part was visiting together!
I spend a little time each week looking for interesting things for my children to write in their copybooks, usually based upon a theme. I will post them here each Sunday as a record for myself and as a help to any other family that wishes to use them.
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven... a time to keep.
Be kinder than is necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like.
Water is finer than earth; fire is finer than water; air is finer than fire; electricity is finer than air. Nevertheless, even air and electricity are dense elements in comparison to the spiritual world.
The air is fine and it carries the voice over a great distance. Electricity is fine and it carries light over a great distance. Nevertheless, how much more is every deed, every word and every thought of ours carried to all ends of the spiritual world. O how terrible it is to commit wicked deeds and to speak sinful words and to think evil thoughts! To what immeasurable distances do these things pass on the waves of the spiritual sea! But do not go into the details of the unknown world. The main thing is that you know and that you measure how all of your deeds, words and thoughts unavoidably create an impression on all four sides: On God and the spiritual world, on nature, on men and on your soul. If you train yourself in this knowledge, you will attain a higher level of saving vigilance.
Though it is always nice to see spring start to poke up her little green head, I do love the muted winter landscape. My husband suggested a walk as a family today and it was such a good idea. I am not an outdoorsy sort of person by any stretch of the imagination, but owning a pair of wellies, a warm coat, and wooly scarf makes a tramp through the woods very pleasant after a day spent mostly indoors. And then, of course, it makes blowing home to a warm fire and a mug of hot chocolate to wrap chilly fingers around that much more appreciated.
Every time I make this chili, my little ones ask for seconds and I get requests for the recipe. My mother used to make it for us as children and we cheered when she did! Enjoy!
Chop onions and peppers and saute with ground beef until the meat is no longer pink. Add the black beans, corn, baked beans, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and chili powder to the pot. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or more. Serve in a bowl topped with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a handful of tortilla chips!
**To make vegan, simply omit the ground beef and saute the onions and peppers with a bit of oil. Top with guacamole instead of cheese and sour cream.
"I don't like evil words like dumb, stupid, and hate."
Tidying up, cleaning the kitchen, and keeping up with laundry is all well and good, but I am the one who is doing all the work in this house. If I try to get my children to help, they end up fighting and whining and I start screaming. How do I make this more pleasant for all of us?
If your kids don't find tidying up enjoyable, you aren't making it fun enough! Make housekeeping a game. Does Daddy take a shower every morning? See if all the bedrooms can be cleaned, the laundry whirring away in the machine, with everyone sitting down for breakfast before he gets out of the bathroom. Blast a favorite song and see if the room can be tidied before it is over. Set the timer for ten minutes and race to clean the kitchen. Talk about your day or plans for tomorrow while you fold and put away clothes together. Make like Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and pretend that an evil queen is coming to inspect your house to see if it is clean enough... if it isn't, everyone will be locked in the dungeon. Read an extra story, sing songs, or play a game as a reward children who are pleasant and helpful.
Make things fun and you will be shocked by the great results you get... the best being a home that everyone helps keep nice!
Button: "Mama, I hungry. Let's go to Olive Garden."
Button: "Ok. Let's go to Humpback."
Sugar Plum: "He means Outback!!"
Question: I am wondering about the subject of "tithing" spoken about in the Old Testament. What is the Orthodox view on this? How much should we be giving to the Church?
Answer: A lot can be said on this important subject of Christian stewardship, but I will try to be as concise as possible. The following is adapted from a stewardship presentation recently given at our mission.
Explanation: Of course, this does not mean that 100% of what we possess or obtain must be given to the Church and the poor (although some have done this), but it does mean that 100% of our financial re-sources should be acquired, stored, and used in a godly manner. As Christians we should be working hard and honorably, saving prudently to provide for those entrusted to our care, supporting the work of the Church, helping the poor, rendering taxes to Caesar, living within our means, curbing unnecessary wants, and in all things using our treasure to redirect our hearts to God and our fellow man. If truly practiced, this means that the stronger will help the weaker, yet no one will excuse himself or herself from stewardship as each person has been entrusted with time, talent and treasurer by God.
This model of 100% stewardship: 1) applies to each and every person equally, 2) burdens no one unfairly, 3) offers everyone, whether rich or poor, married, single, or monastic an equal opportunity to offer his or her own self completely to God's service, 4) educates us to see the connection between our treasure and our heart, as well as the difference between our needs and wants, and most importantly, 5) is the teaching and example given by the Lord, who not only gave His whole life for us but also asks us to give our whole life back to Him. Understood in this manner, stewardship is an integral part of our common struggle and shared path, leading to a loving, self-sacrificial and full union with God and our fellow man.
Keeping a house tidy is not an easy task. Nothing stays neat for long and it requires constant attention to maintain some semblance of order. Does that mean that the mama must run around all day long picking up dirty socks, smoothing covers on beds, washing dishes, sweeping floors, and changing laundry? No. But it does mean that there has to be a bit of discipline throughout the day to help things along. For the past few years I have tried to form the habit of tidying things up three times a day around meals. It truly sounds terrible and time consuming, but I can assure you that it is not.
If a family works together to tidy a room or two, take care of some laundry, and tidy the kitchen and table three times a day (twice if the little people head off to school and/or the parents work outside of the home), I can guarantee you that your home will be presentable. The nice thing about working with a routine like this is that if the morning or afternoon tasks don't get completed, it is no big deal to catch up at dinner and go to bed at night with a perfectly tidy home!
Morning: Everyone tidies their bedrooms while Mama tidies hers, puts a load of laundry in the washing machine and prepares breakfast. Once breakfast is over, the table is cleared and cleaned, crumbs are swept, dishes are washed, and the counters are wiped.
Evening: Dinner is prepared while the the rooms that were played in are quickly tidied. Once dinner is over, the table is cleared and cleaned, crumbs are swept, dishes are washed, and the counters are wiped. The clean and dry laundry is folded and put away by Mama and all of the children (even the littlest toddlers can help!).
A very important thing to note is that everyone in the family should help with whatever they can do. When a people become parents, they do not automatically become slaves for their children. As your little ones grow, enlist them to help you with these tasks. Three-year-olds can pick up toys, clear a plate from the table, and help put away clothing. Older children can (and should!) do more to help their parents. Children truly do enjoy an orderly living space and catch on very quickly to a routine of tidying up.
*If there is more than one load of laundry to do, then the laundry should be switched more often. Do your best to get it all put away after dinner though!
I am eighteen inches in on my Grasshopper shawl. It is such a nice knit and looks so much more complicated that it actually is. The best part is that it is pretty mindless at this point and I have a feeling that by the time I get to the 80-some inches that are required for the length, I will be doing it in my sleep!
I was happy to find a copy of Country Living UK for February at our Barnes and Noble very early on in the month. I am really looking forward to an enjoyable few hours with this beautiful magazine in the next day or two. It is such a treat!
I came across this video a few months ago and loved it!
I've been thinking a lot lately about the things that help to keep things running smoothly around here. On Sunday I spent a few minutes jotting down a meal plan and shopping list for the week ahead and then slipped out just after dinner to grocery shop on my own. When I take the time to do this, I have noticed a huge difference in the flow of our week. I don't have to scramble to figure out what we're eating and there are no quick trips to the store with my trio in tow to buy things to make dinner when we are all hungry and tired. We spend less and eat more healthfully when I use a meal plan and keep a shopping list to jot things down as we run out.
With homeschooling two children comes a lot less time to fritter away. I am someone who really likes my downtime to be free from nagging thoughts of things left undone and so I try to find efficient methods of keeping house so that my evenings are open for knitting, reading, and spending time with my husband. I'd like to start a series of posts on this topic and hear all about how you run your households. Cleaning, cooking, and laundry are things that we all have to deal with on a daily basis... it would be nice to feel some enjoyment from these tasks rather than feeling like they are something that must be simply endured.
*All last year, I was a basket case trying to get this child to read. I tried a thousand different books and websites and was not patient with her or myself. This school year, I just made it a priority to practice every single day and reminded myself frequently to take a chill pill!
"This is the Elder Joseph. This is the Christ Child. This is the Marytokos."
I've been spending some time each week looking for interesting things for my children to write in their copywork notebooks. I love good quotes and thought that I would post the ones that I have selected this week in honor of Valentine's Day. Is this something that would be helpful on a weekly basis?
"A life not lived for others is not a real life."
Question: If God is one, how can Christians have so many varying and even conflicting positions on theological, social, and moral issues?
Answer: Although the answer to this question is simple, it is not often easily accepted because it requires a little humility. God is truly one, but we are not yet fully one with Him. As St. Dorotheus of Gaza once said, we are as points along the perimeter of a circle and God is at the very center. As we draw closer to Him, we draw closer to one another, until finally we arrive at perfect union with Him and one another. The fact that we have conflicting positions on theological, social, and moral issues, should indicate to us that we need to draw closer to God, who alone can bring us closer together and make us one. This is the mission and activity of the Church, which has the Lord Jesus Christ as its center, focal point, and means of unity.
Question: I feel very strongly about my own beliefs, why should I believe as the Church believes?
In the sciences and in the spiritual life, we should be very careful not to verify our thoughts and beliefs by our own feelings and emotions. This is called "emotional reasoning", an identified psychological pathol-ogy, and this can lead to spiritual delusion as well.
Question: So are you saying that the consensus of the Church cannot be wrong? I have a real problem with that.
Answer: In our fallenness, in our separation from God and one another, we all have become accustomed to going our own way, doing our own thing, and not being held in check by anyone, even at times God Himself. Although this is an unhealthy form of individuality and freedom, we justify this stance by claiming that all is relative; after all, we say, even if absolute truth exists, there is no way to verify it.
Question: Doesn't the Church need to critically examine its core teachings in light of the changing world? Is the Church afraid of self-examination?
Answer: Historically speaking, remember what happened when the Roman pope reevaluated and changed core teachings, forgetting his accountability to the consensus of the Church and Christ its head. This led to the Great Schism in the 11th century – the separation of Rome from the rest of Christendom, which remained united in Orthodoxy. Centuries later, when people realized the errors of Rome, they broke away from the pope and formed their own churches in what became known as the Protestant Reformation. Now, Western Christianity has some 30,000 divisions – all because of 1) not being afraid to change core teachings and 2) not being afraid to separate from the consensus.
It is a chilly, gray February day. I woke up late and had a morning bath (bliss!) after a breakfast of pancakes, the little ones and I ran a few errands that included procuring a few essentials like cream for coffee, apples, and a new candle for the table (the wicks in my homemade ones didn't work well, so I need to get something different) and now we're all settling in for a quiet afternoon with books, warm drinks, and a roaring fire. We were supposed to get a tiny bit of snow, but the forecast seems to be calling for rain now. No matter... we're cozy! Have a lovely day, friends!
I've taken a little break from The Choose Your Own Arrow Shawl. I'm stuck and was loosing patience with the project, so it seemed like a good idea to move on to something else for now. I saw Katherine's latest project on instagram and fell in love with it, quickly ordering both the pattern and a few gorgeous skiens of Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Charcoal. It took several tries to get the pattern just right, but I am flying through now... It really is simple and the result is beautiful. I am sweating the i-cord that goes around the perimeter of the shawl though!
I'm nearly finished with Knitting Yarns. It has been such an enjoyable read!
Sugar Plum: "What kind of house do you want to live in when you grow up? A big house? A little house? A cabin? What?"
Little Man: "On the top of my head, I'm gonna say a treehouse. It's gonna have a little chair, a little kitchen and a little stove with all the stuff I need to cook, and a little tv where I can watch tv and play video games of course."
Be kinder than is necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."


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For the fourth year in a row, Tucson's Hilton El Conquistador will be the host venue of the USTA Southwest 40 & Over Adult League Championships, May 19-21, 2017.
This three-day league event will bring together the top teams in the USTA League 40 & Over division in a variety of skill levels, teams from across the Southwest cities like Phoenix, Prescott, Flagstaff, Las Cruces, Albuquerque, El Paso and our host city of Tucson.
Local league winners advance up to this Section Championship event and winners in Tucson then earn a spot in the USTA 2017 League National Championships in their divisions.
Teams in four separate flighted NTRP skill levels - 3.0, 3,5, 4.0 and 4.5+ - are participating in Tucson and each team will play a five-court format of two singles and three doubles lines per team match. Some 300-plus players are expected to attend this year's championship event.
Matches will begin at 7:30 a.m. each of the three days, with the last rounds finishing early afternoon Sunday. Below is tournament information about this year's championships. A playing schedule will be added in late April/early May. More information will be added to this page, so check back periodically for updated info.
The main host site for the 2017 USTA Southwest 40 & Over Adult League Section Championships is the Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort.
We will also be using the nearby Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center's 16 courts (formerly the Hilton El Conquistador Country Club).
The resort has blocked off rooms for the 40 & Over Adult League Section Championships players at a rate of $149/night plus taxes and fees. Players should reserve directly with the hotel and identify themselves as part of the USTA Southwest 40 & Over League Section Championships 2017 block.
Use the booking code "USWS" when making your reservation. The deadline for online reservations is April 26, so make reservations as quickly as you can.
The final process to team registration is held Thursday, May 18 at 6:30 at the Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort (Agave meeting room) and the captain's meeting will follow immediately from 7-7:30 pm.
Players and teams are encouraged to interact with us on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat platforms all year long at your local levels, district championship and Section League Championship tournaments. The Twitter and Instagram hashtags will be "SWLEAGUE17".
Search us on this page to take you to our presence on these platforms. Or, just search those social platforms under "USTA Southwest" and you'll find us.
Another special thanks goes out to All About Tennis for being the official USTA Southwest tennis retailer. They have long supported USTA Southwest and our league program with player gifts, discounts, and prizes.
All About Tennis is Arizona's largest tennis retail shop and are located at 10245 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85253, online at allabouttennis.com, on social media HERE and over the phone at 480-946-7707.


This season I was lucky enough to go backstage at Brewer Street for the Emilio De La Morena show, having never been backstage at Brewer Street (I had previously only done backstage at Fashion Scout) I was so excited about it and I'd go as far as saying it was one of my highlights of this season! Makeup was done by Maybelline and inspired by desert festivals hence the burnt orange-red eye which was created using two lip pencils. The thing that stood out the most to me was really seeing how makeup artists at fashion week break all the rules, this look featured mostly lip products being used all over the face for the eyelids, cheeks and of course, on the lips too. As I was backstage I also got to have a look at the hair which was a very low messy knot.
As new sponsors of Fashion Scout, Crabtree & Evelyn were all about pampering with their hand massages. I got a relaxing hand massage which was so nice, I didn't think it would really make too much of a difference but I instantly noticed a change in my hands - they looked much healthier than they usually do (which probably sounds weird but I have quite vein-y hands).
I really don't have a lot of photos to share from shows (I was too busy trying to get features on Instagram, Instagram stories and Snapchat) but, I was so so happy seeing leopard print on the catwalk as it's just one of those guilty pleasures of mine so I had to rave about it!


Terrapin's senior implementation team has been together for nearly 20 years. Drawing on experience from past successes, the Implementation Project Team works to clearly define project goals and milestones based on the unique needs of each client. The project team, which includes a director, relationship manager and system architect, coordinate development efforts to manage a successful implementation.
One of the largest challenges faced during an implementation is transferring the initial load of data into Pandia. Before the conversation, data is cleansed and processed by our team. Typically, there are several dual entry periods, where the initial load script is tested and data is validated. The order of data loading is very important and is often driven by analysis of the quality of data from each source. Terrapin's lead conversion architect oversees this process, which will be discussed at length during kick off and throughout the entire implementation period.
During an implementation, all modifications are made in an implementation customer acceptance environment. After go-live, all new work moves through a test environment for a period of two weeks, then, following client sign-off, this work is deployed into the production environment.
As part of our testing process, all new work is validated internally by a QA team. During this testing process, a dedicated tester will be assigned to validate the work with the client. We recommend several periods of dual entry, where the existing system continues to operate business as usual. This gives Terrapin and the client time to evaluate any configurations or customizations that need to be made before going live.
We will be hands-on throughout the entire implementation process. Our broad knowledge of the industry, data management expertise and thorough testing processes ensure a smooth implementation. To learn more about how Terrapin can help your firm, email us at talk2us@terrapintech.com or give us a call at 612-244-2300.


text:
Runner hits headlines after saving driver in Cornwall cliff fall
All runners have seen some strange things at some point while out and about, but not many of us can claim to have hit the national headlines after saving someone's life during a daily jaunt.
It was all in a day's running though for Run England member Ben Stafford who was on national news last night after saving a driver whose out of control car ended up stranded on the side of a 300ft cliff in Cornwall.
Truro-born Ben was jogging along coastal trails near St Agnes with his wife and friend while on holiday in Cornwall yesterday morning when he spotted the Vauxhall Vectra perched precariously on the rock face.
"I was about 20m to 30m ahead of the girls, half an hour into an hour-long run, and I had turned round to see if they were ok, when I noticed the car on the cliff top," he said.
Urged by his wife and friend to go and see if there was anyone in the car, he climbed down to it and was shocked to see the driver still inside the vehicle and conscious.
"I was totally shocked. I thought it might be a corpse at first but she turned out to be conscious. I ran back up the cliff to tell my wife and friend, who then ran off to raise the alarm with the Coast Guards.
"I climbed back to the woman and tried to keep talking to her and keep her calm until emergency services arrived."
The woman, 56 year old Lyn Venton, was thrown into the passenger seat when her car fell over the cliff after losing control in the sea mist on Monday, and is likely to have been stranded in the car for around 20 hours.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro said today that Lyn is "recovering well" after suffering leg injuries.
Ben used to be a semi-professional rugby player and has been running on and off for several years, but is now a member of Run England and trying to get fit again. He currently runs three to four times a week as he prepares to take on the Perranporth Triathlon in September.
What's the craziest thing that has happened to you on a run? Join the discussion on our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/runengland and find out more about joining Run England for free at http://www.runengland.org/join.
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