Keith Thompson Walking Through Walls

Keith
Thompson
Featured
Cover Artist
Bestselling Horror Writer
Michaelbrent Collings:
Our Wonderful
Obsession with
Horror
Walking
Through
Walls
Chapter 10:
FREE
The Hammer
of Witches
Original Fiction by
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UtahGeekMagazine.com
David
Page 1J West
World
Horror
Convention
April 28 - May 1, 2016
Provo Marriott Hotel
Artist Guest of Honor:
Keith Thompson
Author Guests of Honor:
Art by: Keith Thompson
Brian Keene Jack Ketchum
Darren Shan Joe McKinney
Kevin J. Anderson
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Publisher & CEO
Dennis Lundstrom
Executive Editor & VP
Adrian Broadhead
Reliving Jr. High
In a good way
By Deborah Moore
Contributing Editors
Alex Sousa
Contributing Writers
Carter Reid, Brian Gates, Daiel Yocom, David J.
West, Deborah Moore, John Blackham, Mercedes
Roberts, Michaelbrent Collings, Zac Johnson
Utah Geek Magazine may or may not agree with the views
and opinions expressed herein by our contributors.
Copyright Utah Geek Media LLC. Reproduction without
our expressed permission is prohibited. Utah Geek
Magazine, UGeek Media, and the UGeek logo are
trademarks (TM) of Utah Geek Media LLC.
To advertise in Utah Geek Magazine, visit
UtahGeekMagazine.com/advertise, or call Dennis at
801.839.4581
Website: www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
Email: [email protected]
I
puzzled over this issue’s “creepy horror” theme until I thought
of something I’m dealing with in my own life right now. My
daughter will be starting Junior High next year! What could be
creepier than that?
In full disclosure, I love the school she’s going to. It’s a great
school. The part that really freaks me out is that I have a daughter
who is going into Junior High already. How did this happen?
Yes, I realize this is how time works, but surely geeky parents
should have some sort of work around. After all, we are the ones
who adore Time Lords and time travel. We should have a loop hole.
I have had no such luck. However, I did come across a few ways
to get my daughter excited about science and math.
One of the things I did was share some of my experiences from
Jr. High, focusing on the uplifting stories. Children like to hear stories about their parents when they were young. I’ve noticed this in
kids who seem to tune out everything else their parents say.
Then I shared a story about one of my math teachers who
taught us a song for the Pythagorean Theorem. It’s cheesy,
but it stuck in my mind. If you turn facts into a catchy song
then I’ll remember it until the day I die.
Do you have any stories about classes you enjoyed taking?
Were there things about it that were fun or interesting? Then
try to find one to share with your own children whether they
are going into preschool, college or something in between.
Raising Geeks
I told her about my seventh grade science class where we
dissected a squid. Afterward the teacher cooked them up
and we had calamari. The squids weren’t soaked in formaldehyde beforehand so they were safe to eat, and I ended up
enjoying them.
When you share your experiences with your children it’s a
way to give new life to old memories. Maybe we have found a way
to travel in time after all.
www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
Page 3
Artist
Spotlight:
Keith Thompson
as Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, The Strain, and
Crimson Peak. Del Toro has not only relied on
Keith for his work in horror, though, as Keith
also did concept art for Pacific Rim.
Artist Spotlight
To work on so many projects for the same
filmmaker, I was curious to know if he had
By Dennis Lundstrom
been a fan of del Toro’s work prior to working
Photo courtesy Keith Thompson
for him. Keith replied, “Yes, I was a big fan of del
Toro’s work before I had met him. Especially
f you were asked to name just a few The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth.” He
individuals who have made major
continued to explain about the first time they
contributions in the works of hormet, “I was invited down to Hollywood and
ror, who might you name? Poe? Shelley? over to meet Guillermo the first time at Bleak
Lovecraft? Perhaps you’d mention King
House. I was lucky enough to get a lot of time
or Rice? Certainly these individuals have to look through his amazing collection.” For
made a major mark on horror literature. those not “in the know”, Bleak House is where
How about individuals in horror art?
del Toro keeps his collection of books, gory
Perhaps the names of artists like Anne
props, and mannequins. It’s a “think tank”
Stokes, Aly Fell, or Michael Whelan will
where he, and those that he invites, can see
prick your imagination. One such artist
and be inspired by his collection of horrors.
you mustn’t overlook, however, is CanaAlong with his work in movies, Thompson
dian artist Keith Thompson.
has also done concept art and illustrations
Keith is a professional freelance artist. for a number of games. His portfolio includes
Although he studied illustration at
artwork for Skyrim, Arcane Codex RPG, the Iron
Sheridan College near Toronto Canada,
Grip game series, and Borderlands.
he says most of the knowledge he uses
When asked for advice on “breaking in” to
is self-taught. Some of his better known works
are his illustrations for the Leviathan trilogy by the illustration industry and marketing yourself
as an illustrator his answer is simple, “Without
Scott Westerfeld. However, he specializes in
a doubt the internet is the route I’d take.” He
concept art for movies and games. Thompson
continued on the topic by adding, “An artist
has completed works of conceptual art on
can have a perpetual, living artistic window
every horror film Guillermo del Toro has work
that anyone in the world can immediately
on since 2010. These titles include such works
I
experience and pass on to others to experience
within seconds.”
In his illustrating, Keith uses a 50/50 mixed
media technique. He freehands his art using
black col-erase pencil on 110lb paper. Halfway
through the process the art is scanned. Then
color and shading is added by layering different glazes in Photoshop.
Keith Thompson will be the Artist Guest of
Honor at World Horror Con 2016 in Provo Utah.
It will be held at the Provo Marriot from April
28th – May 1st. This will be the last World Horror Convention in Utah, so make sure to come
out and welcome Keith. This will be the first
time he has visited the state and he is looking
forward to meeting everyone.
Salt Lake
Zombie Walk
Club Connection
By Brian Gates
Photo courtesy Salt Lake Zombie Walk
S
alt Lake Zombie Walk first started in 2008 with a little over 500
participants. The idea was a
simple flash mob get together event.
There were moans, there was blood,
and it was a great time. Over the years
the zombie walk has grown. What first
started with only zombies now has
zombies, hunters, survivors, victims,
and even zombie dogs.
Cosplay groups like Umbrella
Corp-Utah Hive, and local companies
including Salt Lake Comic Con, Fear
Factory Haunted House, and Castle
of Chaos Haunted House have gotten
involved over the years to help spread
the word, work with the Utah Food
Bank, and run the Salt Lake Zombie
Walk. The main organizers over the years
have come from all kinds of different life
Page 4
backgrounds ranging from roller derby girl
to a local business manager.
Last year’s zombie walk saw over 3,000
attendees and helped bring in over 1,800
pounds of food, or about 1,500 meals, to
the Utah Food Bank. They hope to see even
more people attend and enjoy the Zombie
Walk each year. Check out their Facebook
page for up to date info for the walk at www.
facebook.com/slczombiewalk.
Utah Geek Magazine was at the Salt Lake
Zombie Walk in 2012, and we put together
an awesome little video of all the highlights.
Check it out at ugeek.us/ZombieWalk.
www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
Autokrator
By Daniel Yocom
www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom
Photo credit Diachron Games
gives more benefit to leaders who have lost
in battle. Both sides take adjustments to their
victory point totals. This, and how the money
is utilized, creates a balanced game through
the five rounds.
H
istorical war games usually build
on complexity to create a level of
accuracy that makes it hard for the
average player to pick up the game and play.
Autokrator (Greek, roughly translating into
“one who rules by himself”) uses a simpler,
Euro-based, system of play to introduce strategy gamers to the times of the crusades.
Two to four players control the major
kingdoms of the Franks, Moors, Saracens, or
Byzantines between roughly 600 and 900
A.D. Over the five turns of play each player
works to expand their empire by controlling
or taking territory away from their opponents,
as well as advancing into neutral lands. Using
your king, general, and admiral you are able
to move forward and attack, while you defend the territory you own using garrisons.
Combat is conducted with cards, which
players have to represent their forces. The
forces are secretly allocated to the different
leaders, and then those forces are allocated in
the battle. When the battle begins, the forces
are revealed and compared for strength,
training, and leadership. A battleground is
selected by eliminating possibilities as you
work to maximize your troop’s abilities. Then
the battle is scored. There is a lot of variation
to deal with, but after a couple of turns,
the combat system works smoothly. Once
resolved, there are rewards and bonuses for
winning and losing.
Winning gives you the territory and money. The money is used to allow additional
options to your strategy. The losing players
suffers losses to their leadership (each leader
can only lose a certain number of times).
However, there is a balancing factor which
Overall Autokrator from Diachron Games
is a well-balanced strategy game for both
beginner and experienced players. The luck
of the dice roll is removed and you are using
a game mechanic more in line with chess
and bluffing. The limitations of the number
of leaders, and their limited number of times
they can lose a battle means you need to
work a strategy and not just run suicide missions. It is a slower expansion of the kingdom,
with limited resources reflecting the time of
the crusades.
Mayhem RPG
By Daniel Yocom
www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom
Photo credit Midnight Campaign
Tabletop Games
Each of the five rounds cover a period of
time, which is summarized for the players,
along with a conditional rule for that round of
play. These provide historical context without
bogging the game down. The monetary
system works as a supportive layer to the
military, without dominating the play. You
can only have a limited amount and hoarding
your gold does not provide a strong advantage in the victory points.
dent fantasy RPG which begged that very
question when I opened up Mayhem; Volume
One, Core Content. Before reading the book
I’ve had the opportunity of playing some
introductory sessions at open game days at
local game shops, the sessions focused on
some of the character possibilities and the
combat system. These were good places to start; enough so, that I acquired
a copy of the core book to find out
more.
Character creation allows for a level
of flexibility that a lot of players are
looking for, without going into a full
point buy system. There are a number
of “races, curses, and talents” to choose
from, which allows characters who
are traditional, mythical, and undead.
The limitation is really up to the game
master (storyteller) of the game you
are playing. Building a character is
similar to other level systems most
RPG players are used to, with some
alterations allowing this system to be
easily played and expanded. These
alterations also allow for easy advancement
of character skills.
Advancing character skills works with a
series of requirements as they improve. A
character can gain higher levels of ability
skills, techniques, and spells only after
acquiring the basic skills, techniques, etc.
The prerequisites are not absolute, though
(2 basic techniques from a set group). This
allows players to build characters unique
to the personality they want to create. Two
powerful bowmen, with the same high level
ability, can get there on different paths of
training.
The combat system also allows for characters to express their personality in ways that
many round-based systems lose. Mayhem
uses a combat wheel. Everything is based on
a speed factor, and once you take an action
you count out how long the action takes.
Your next action is allowed when the wheel
catches up to when you can act again. This
plays well for the different actions, especially
in combat situations—a dagger specialist
has an equal footing with the swordsman.
F
antasy has always been mainstay for
role-playing games (RPGs). The first
ones were based in fantasy realms
and every major gaming system, along with
a number of independent games, has a
fantasy setting. When looking at a new RPG
fantasy system, with all of the other options
available, there arises the question “Why?”.
What makes this game different and/or
better than the others?
Mayhem, from Midnight Campaign, written by Rob and Aubrey Hicks, is an indepen-
www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
The book finishes off with a brief description of the world, history, and cosmology
the Hicks use to introduce the Mayhem
campaign, though the world is not a requirement for playing this system. They also
include guidelines for converting material
from other systems so they can be used with
Mayhem.
Thanks to Rob and Aubrey Hicks for providing a review copy. Midnight Campaign is
an independent Salt Lake company who has
a system with qualities that make it competitive with games from the larger companies.
Page 5
Our Wonderful
Obsession with
Horror
“Horror is our
first emotion
on this earth,
and the roots of
that terror never
quite die.”
Page 6
By Michaelbrent Collings
Illustration by Carter Reid
www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
W
hat is it about
horror?
No, they were about Death. And yes, I
meant it with a capital “D.”
They glorified animals (man among them)
killing and being killed. Blood was central,
and copious.
Many of the animals also feature incredibly large genitalia, which is kinda horrific for
different reasons – but I digress.
Point is: we are born with a seed of horror
inside. Born in blood, our first sounds
screams of terror – ironically, as we leave
the darkness and first experience the light.
Horror is our first emotion on this earth, and
the roots of that terror never quite die. We
grow, and fear the night… because, at first,
we don’t even have the required knowledge
to know this terrifying, lonely time will ever
end.
Then we learn the night does end, but
now we wonder what it hides.
We grow, and fear of the dark – of what
lurks within its shadowed depths – transforms to fear of the “rational” world: what if I
lose my job? What if she leaves me? What if I
someday die?
The last is silly, since death is sure to come
to all of us. But still, many of us have that
reality as a central – terrifying – theme in our
lives.
What if?
What if?
What if?
Horror flogs us through life. Terror beats
with every pulse of our doomed hearts. And
what do we do about it?
We watch Insidious. We read Pet Sematary.
We view art and media that can only be
viewed as disturbing, terrifying.
Horrific.
We spend our lives hiding from the
darkness, turning on the light before we take
that first step into the basement (and who
among us hasn’t had that fear, if only for a
And then, after turning on all the lights,
putting the cops on speed dial, and carefully
laying a golf club and some holy water next
to our bed (just in case!), what do we do?
We flock with friends to a darkened theater,
to experience just what we so carefully
avoided.
People of contradictions, people who
yearn for light, for hope… but who also find
themselves sometimes – strangely – at home
in the dark.
And there, I think, lies the answer: we are
people. People of hope, of despair, of light,
of dark, of joy… and horror.
Every one of us has an innate fear of doing
wrong, seeking wrong, being somehow…
wrong. And horror feeds those thoughts,
those concerns. Sometimes for good, sometimes for ill.
But what all horror does – at least, when
it’s doing its job – is it holds up a mirror. Not
to our evil, not to the terrors that hound us
through our nights and lives. No, it holds up
a mirror to our whole selves. To the entirety
of our humanity. To our hopes, to the fears
that can dash them.
And, in the very best cases, to the redemption that we all seek.
I’m not talking about redemption in the
religious sense – or at least, not necessarily.
Though any careful readers of many of the
masters – King and Koontz in particular –
will note how often their plots climax in the
infinite moment where people realize there
is a greater power, or where God Himself all
but steps down from his throne to save the
main characters: to vicariously save all of us.
No, what I mean when I say horror is
about redemption is something more basic.
Less nuanced, but perhaps as critical as any
strictly religious belief or dogma. The word
“redeem” has its roots in Latin – “imere”
which means “to purchase.” And all horror
is about the purchases we make in life – for
good or for ill.
When we make bad choices in a horror
novel or movie, we tend to purchase an
equally – or more – bad ending. The masked
man hacks us in two. The cunning killer eats
our face. The prophetess (that link to God
again!) touches us and makes us dwindle
away to nothing.
And when we make good choices we tend
to purchase survival, a future. We earn a state
of grace – which itself has interesting roots:
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it means grace, kindness, respect.
Respect. Respect for ourselves. Respect for
the world – not taming it, but being carefully
aware that there is more to the universe
than us, that there is more to life than life
itself. We know there is danger, we respect
its power. But therein lies that grace: respect
is something we grant to an equal, not to a
superior. Respect is something that
nods to the value of another thing,
but does not scrape or beg or plead.
We read horror to be reminded
that there are choices. That there
are other choices being made at the
same time, and some of those will
lead to our harm. That our further
choices determine how we are affected. And that, if we make the best
possible choices, we will achieve a
state of harmony, a sense of balance.
Feature
We’ve had it as part of
our lives since… well, forever. I mean that
literally. Look at the first recorded art – cave
paintings. They weren’t about that one time
when Cavedude got a shiny rock from Mrs.
Cavedude, or about the time they had a nice
romantic night away from the Cavekids, or
that one time when he had a really good day
where nothing much happened and there
was no fire from the sky or T-rexes eating his
foot or anything like that.
moment, that THIS will be the time something is down there, that THIS will be the
moment we feel the claws and are dragged
down to devil-only-knows where?).
A way to cope with our own
humanity.;
We are born to blood, but yes, we
are also sent directly into the light at
that same moment. That first breath
is to scream, but that first breath is also to
live. There is an equality, a duality, an opposition present in every moment of life.
There is love… but people grow apart.
There is help… but people also make war
upon one another.
There is hope… but the monsters do lurk.
And have their own dark hopes for us.
And so we read horror. These sensibilities
pervade the best horror, and manage to
teach us neither of false perfection nor of
base damnation. They show us both.
And then let us make a choice.
So why? Why do we love horror so much?
The answer, in sum, is simple: we love horror because the greatest horrors are us. And
we need to be reminded of that fact from
time to time so that we may also become
more.
The best horror drives us into the Pit. It
cuts away all that we think we are and leaves
only what is the essence of our soul behind.
And then shows that that soul, that most
basic identity, is enough to climb back to the
light again.
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist and one of the top indie
horror authors in the U.S. He is also a produced
screenwriter. Find him at michaelbrentcollings.
com or at facebook.com/MichaelbrentCollings
or on Twitter @mbcollings.
Page 7
Page 8
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Epic Photos
Cosplay Tip:
Page 9
For more info on Steve and his work with the
charity group, The Umbrella Corporation – Utah
Hive, see his interview on Cosplay Stitch and Seam.
“Know what you want your photo to look
like; have reference pictures of what you
want the end result to be like. When you’re
in front of the camera, imagine yourself as
the character you are portraying. Feel the
emotion your character would have when
acting out the scene; it will add so much more
life to the photo. Take your surroundings into
account. Nothing ruins a photo more than
seeing someone acting out a battle scene in a
park and in the background you can see kids
swinging on swings.” – Steve Shrank
So, how do you get that epic one-in-a-million
photo that matches your epic cosplay?
Steve Strank is a one-of-a-kind cosplayer, and
his background in special effects and prop making
have fueled his hobby and his charity work. By
day, Steve works in Law Enforcement, but by night
(or the occasional convention weekend or charity
event) he is a cosplay extraordinaire. His props,
armor, and photos are absolutely amazing.
By Mercedes Roberts
www.StitchAndSeam.blogspot.com
www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
Photographer: Chris Carroll
StudioCMC on Facebook
Character: Phantom
Cosplayer: Steve Strank
Walking Through Walls
Chapter 10:
The Hammer of Witches
By David J. West
The story so far:
Kenaz, an information broker, can step outside
his body to gather secrets. He has been blackmailed by multiple sinister parties to retrieve a
powerful artifact known as “The Reliliqy”. Now his
accomplice Lysandra has the priceless artifact,
and she is trying to sell it, but a bidding war has
erupted all about her—and she may not survive
the auction of cold steel and sorcery!
R
ain fell like tears. Lightning crackled
overhead as gale winds tore at Lysandra’s red hair in a fury. Fate, she cursed,
had brought her to this deadly crossroads
between the Witches of Vavath, Count Magnus’s
inhuman beast, his two dozen steel-clad mercenaries and the mysterious sorceress Ytainlyn
who would be taking all of them on by herself!
Fiction
The faces of Count Magnus’s sell-swords were
concealed behind the slim visors of their brazen
sallets. They charged at the lone woman with
naked blades, hungry pikes and bloodthirsty
poleaxes. Ytainlyn wasted no time. In less than
an elephant’s heartbeat, she brought her hands
together, clacking gold and silver bracelets and
bangles against each other. A thunderclap exploded from her hands and lightning shot out at
the surrounding mercenaries. The blast
took the thirteen closest men together
at once. They froze in their tracks, twitching horribly as electricity swarmed over
them like a glowing python. They fell,
broiled and steaming in their own armor
despite the chill rain.
Would it have mattered if Ytainlyn
could see their savage faces, Lysandra
wondered? Probably not. The sorceress
didn’t hesitate using her abilities in
the slightest. She was indeed a harsh
mistress.
The electrifying display captured the
Witches attention. They focused their
own atmospheric spell at Ytainlyn. Red
clouds swirled in a vortex overhead, lit
by arcane fires from some great beyond.
The crimson glow blanketed everything within the temple complex and Lysandra
cradled her head as a roaring madness echoed
in her skull.
A shaft of wind touched down beside the
Witches, shimmying purposefully toward Ytain-
Page 10
david-j-west.blogspot.com
lyn like a randy drunken sailor. Rain pelted the
sorceress in the face, but she was unfazed. Her
lopsided smirk made it exceedingly clear she
was unimpressed.
Several of the mercenaries reconnoitered
and came at the Witches from multiple angles.
A trio of the men were caught by the swiftly
tilting whirlwind and flung across the length of
the open air temple. Their muted cries stolen by
the hurricane. They landed in crumpled heaps
of twisted metal and broken flesh. Another one
was spun about so that he pierced a comrade,
who in turn struck back with wrathful accuracy.
Lysandra watched this happen in the space
of four elephant’s heartbeats from the alcove.
A clang beside her head made her ears ring. A
sword had missed her head by less than an inch!
The attacker’s depth perception impaired by his
thin slit visor.
She offered no quarter for this outrage. She
spun about, kicking him off balance. Her Nybo
Blade found purchase in the joints of his plate
armor beneath the armpit. Lysandra had been
content to sit this out and see who the victor
would be, but now they forced her deadly hand.
Wind and rain whipped about. Lysandra
heard men scream as Ytainlyn’s potent magicks
blasted the last of them. The Count himself was
shouting something unintelligible in the gale.
Lysandra looked to see what other threats might
present themselves. She wasn’t happy with
what she saw.
Count Magnus’s cloaked henchman strode
toward her. Its face was still unseen, wrapped in
deep shadows. Sickly green tentacles protruded
from the long sleeves where hands should be,
ghastly yellow suckers dotted the undersides
like craters of the moon. Lysandra couldn’t
tell if the writhing tentacles were slimy or just
wet. She flashed her bloody knife at the thing.
Undaunted, it moved closer. Guessing that it
would be swift and likely have a longer reach
than she, closing with it was not an option. What
else could she use?
Stepping away, a poleaxe lay on the ground
beside a red smear. Lysandra grabbed the long
weapon and struck at the body of the thing. It
twisted sideways faster than she would have
believed in a wholly unnatural maneuver. Before
she could draw back for another strike, one of
the tentacles wrapped about the poleaxe a half
dozen lengths and jerked the shaft from her. Expecting it to attack, Lysandra backed away but
the creature only threw the instrument away
and stepped closer.
She retreated another few steps, finding
herself trapped against the wall of pilgrim’s
offerings. The thing threw back its hood, revealing a tentacle-faced monstrosity. Wide yellow
goat-eyes glared balefully. Beneath the beard
of tentacles was an awful lamprey-like mouth.
It seemed to exude in her trapped situation.
Out of luck and options she threw her knife at
its head. Its neck speedily twisted out of the
way and her blade disappeared behind in the
murk. Reaching for another blade, the thing was
already upon her, wrapping her up in a crushing
embrace.
Struggling seemed useless. Only her left hand
was partly free. She clawed at the wall straining
for something, anything, to aid herself. Fingers
brushed coins and knocked a candle stub from
its ledge. The henchman’s wretched circular
mouth opened wide. Tiny fangs radiated inward
down the pale throated gullet. Lysandra’s fingers caught a small vial of some kind. Another
candle stub? No, it was a small cup of sand. The
henchman brought Lysandra’s face ever closer
to its mouth, spittle slapped her in the face. It
was over, but she would never quit fighting. She
grasped the cup of sand and flung it upward at
the thing’s face.
White granules flew through the air in slow
motion. They splashed into the henchman’s yellow eyes and open mouth. Its grasp on Lysandra
suddenly loosened, tentacles flailed free of their
prize. Backing away it blinked rapidly, then the
beast fell on the ground and constricted upon
itself in a squeal of noxious pain.
Shocked, Lysandra glanced at the tiny votive
she had thrown. It was salt. The monstrous
henchman lay on the ground convulsing and
retching. Wasting no time, Lysandra picked up
the poleaxe and beheaded the thing, screaming
her rage. Her eyes then met Count Magnus who
stood in the archway. She spit her disdain in
his direction. His prized henchman and all his
men were slain. Biting his knuckles in a fury, he
fled. This left the pentagram of Witches versus
Ytainlyn, that sorcerous confrontation was just
beginning.
Ytainlyn was drenched and the wind whipped
about, tugging at her fur-lined dress. The
Witches, their eyes aglow, waved their bare arms
in unison and pointed facing palms at Ytainlyn.
She smirked even as the shaft of whirlwind
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encompassed her.
Lysandra did note the striking difference that
while the heavy armored men of Count Magnus
had been tossed about by the twister, Ytainlyn
was unmoved. The winds didn’t so much as
shift her stance. A look of worry passed across
all five of the Witches faces. All of this occurred
in the space of five elephant heartbeats or as
it seemed to Lysandra, a thousand drumming
beats of her own.
Suddenly, Ytainlyn was cast upward, spinning
as one within the swirling vortex until her shadow vanished. The Witches of Vavath cried aloud
in triumph, “Praise be to Vavath! Our enemies
are vanquished!” Turning to look upon Lysandra,
none seemed ready to bid upon the Reliliqy,
rather they seemed all the more ready to cast
her into the maelstrom. But a wicked laugh
made them turnabout.
A vague colossal face appeared in the whirlwind, seeming dour and haughty and there
was no doubt to whom it belonged. “You’ve
had your turn and shown me your best. I am
through playing. Now you shall pay the price!”
The twister bounced forward and captured
all five witches before they could flee casting
them up in an unnatural horizontal angle. They
were held outward like spokes in an invisible
wheel, their feet were straight out, kicking at the
nothingness.
Lysandra held her ears to lessen their screams.
She was sure they would be torn apart worse
than the mercenaries but the winds lessened
and died and slowly the witches came closer
together and touched the ground softly. But
they were each missing something, all their
long hair had been pulled from their heads and
wound together into something resembling a
rope, now held in Ytainlyn’s outstretched hand.
“This is for you Lysandra. All the stories you
have heard of enchanted witches’ hair rope are
entirely true and I give it to you in exchange for
The Reliliqy.”
Lysandra waited to take the offering. “I have
heard wondrous tales, but I have a partner and
should like to share in the sale.”
“Very well,” said Ytainlyn. “I’ll grant you those
gold pieces you asked for but take me to The
Reliliqy at once.”
Lysandra nodded but looked to the Witches
just picking themselves up off the ground, she
had been sure they would be slain but they
were not. “I didn’t think you would spare them.”
“I don’t need to kill, I just like too,” Ytainlyn
said, loud enough for the Witches to hear. “Away
you hags, or I’ll hammer you further!” They covered their shorn heads with hoods and quickly
stumbled off into the darkness.
“Let us go this way, so long as we can be certain we are not followed,” said Lysandra.
“I’ll be certain,” said Ytainlyn, as she conjured a
gloom to surround them.
Lysandra led Ytainlyn down toward the docks,
through back alleys lit by stinking braziers
and red lanterns. Their ears and noses were
pummeled by the scent of cheap perfumes and
bawdy laughter. Watching carefully, Lysandra
went inside a warehouse full of crates and sea
chests, stacked as high as three men atop one
another. There were slim passages for the two
women to blaze through like rats in a maze.
Ytainlyn sighed but Lysandra signaled, ‘one moment’ before abruptly stopping in a dim recess.
Pulling her dagger out, she pressed the tip into
one of the thick floorboards and pried it loose.
Rusted nails attempted to hold, but the salted
sea-breeze had taken its toll and they released.
An empty crate had been fitted here beneath
the docks and warehouse to hold such hidden
treasures.
“This is one of many hidden caches I have
along the waterfront. I warn you, it still cannot
be opened, but I swear this is the same chest
that houses The Reliliqy.”
“I believe you,” said Ytainlyn, “for I can feel its
power.” She then waved her hands over it and
muttered in a language that was old before the
world was made.
Lysandra stared in wonder as faint golden
sigils flickered in the air like moths at Ytainlyn’s
flame of words. Then the snaps popped.
“Open it,” commanded Ytainlyn.
Lysandra reluctantly obeyed. Throwing back
the lid what she saw amazed her. It was a tiny
roofless house with ornate furnishings, finely
woven rugs and silken divans. Here and there a
miniature peacock strutted amidst diminutive
palms and even a toy-like water fountain. Also a
tiny dark-haired man reclined upon a couch and
looking up in surprise, gasping, “Oh Shiz!”
“Quino!” shouted Lysandra.
Ytainlyn was surprised at the exchange, “You
know my brother? Tuwylain?”
“Not by that name. He carried me and this
chest upon a flying carpet, then dropped us into
the bay. I barely escaped with my life. I’m not
fond of him.”
“Neither am I,” said Ytainlyn, looking down at
him.
“You shouldn’t have meddled with my life,” he
scolded.
Ytainlyn laughed. “Am I to understand that
this is your home and not the resting place of
The Reliliqy at all?”
Quino scowled but said nothing.
Lysandra worried now over Ytainlyn’s reactions. You don’t make people with as much
power as she angry. “I swear this is the same
chest! I truly believed it housed The Reliliqy,” she
pleaded.
Quino sneered, “I tried to tell that spirit-walker, Kenaz, that there was no Reliliqy but he
wouldn’t believe me.”
“We’ve all heard tales of it for months, that
the Grand Sahir had a magical relic beyond
price. What is the truth?” asked Ytainlyn.
“All lies spread by scheming men in the
Underworld,” said Quino. “Someone wanted the
story to tempt thieves. A great web of deceit.”
Lysandra countered, “You should be grateful
we released the Sahir’s binding upon you.”
“Why? So I could degrade myself pretending
to be human like my sister, the tart!” objected
Quino.
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Ytainlyn slammed the lid down on him. “You
don’t need to hear our family squabbles.”
“You’re not angry?” Lysandra asked.
“No, I never wanted The Reliliqy, whatever it
was. I just wished to keep anything of power out
of my enemies hands. But it seems there was a
plot here, but why?”
Lysandra nodded, “I need to let my friend
know about these developments.”
I heard enough.
“Kenaz? Doing this invisible conversation
again are we?” She felt his warm yet invisible
presence beside her.
I’m here.
Ytainlyn smiled and looked at the blank crate
beside them. “Ah, the mind-walker Kenaz. So
pleased you could join us, even if only in spirt.”
Greetings, Ytainlyn. In spirit is all I can do at the
moment. I find it interesting that everyone thinks
you a mighty sorceress, but you’re really a Djinn.
“I’ll thank you to keep that information an absolute secret and we can remain close friends.”
Understood.
Lysandra was confused at having a conversation with an invisible friend and the realization
on who or rather what Ytainlyn was. “So it seems
that The Reliliqy was a ruse for some purpose I
am not yet aware of. Why?”
I’m beginning to have my suspicions.
“The Salamander?”
It seems so. But I don’t know for certain. After
all, I am late to the celebration where he shall proclaim me his heir. What could he gain by making
me his heir if this was a set-up?
“His deceit knows no bounds,” said Lysandra.
“There was no reason to his betraying me.”
“Men seeking power will step on anyone in
their way,” said Ytainlyn.
Was there ever a Reliliqy?
Ytainlyn answered, “Myth is rooted in truth,
but perhaps it never was so fantastic as the
words cloaked about it.”
Can we learn more from Quino?
“Unlikely, if he was stupid enough to be captured and used as a slave by the Sahir. I doubt
he was ever privy to the secrets which ultimately were at the Sahir’s expense.”
I’m being pulled away, someone is coming
to the room my body is hidden in and I have to
prepare for the celebration. I will speak with you
soon, Lysandra.
“Farewell then, fortunate son!” said Lysandra,
with a fair amount of scorn.
Ytainlyn smiled as if she knew a secret.
“What?” asked Lysandra.
“It’s easy to see he likes you.”
“Likes me?” Lysandra raised her eyes at that in
shock. “Like hell.”
Ytainlyn said, “Deny whatever you want, but if
you don’t get to that celebration and help him, I
suspect tonight could be the end of Kenaz.”
Lysandra bit her lip. “I better find a good
disguise.”
“Leave that to me,” said Ytainlyn, with a mischievous grin.
Next time: Heir to the Nightmare
Page 11
StarWars
vs. Star Trek
By John Blackham
A
t the crux of this long and hotly
contested rivalry is futility. There is
no point trying to compare the two
for superiority. They are two fundamentally
different creations and there is no sense in
arguing for one over the other in terms of
being objectively superior.
But there’s no sense in claiming, lamely,
that both are equal. They fill two very different roles and everyone should definitely
have a preference as to which role they
prefer when it comes to art. One should also
reject the “either/or” dichotomy implicit in
the rivalry—what’s wrong with both? Spoiler
for this article’s conclusion: maybe the devoted fans should want them both, but not
interchangeably.
Feature
To compare, be fair and not compare bests
to worsts. This won’t be about Sith magic
versus tribbles. Nor yet the Prime Directive
versus Jar Jar Binks or The Empire Strikes Back
to Star Trek II nor Star Trek III to The Phantom
Menace. Merits to merits. Flaws should be
internally examined only.
Star Trek is essentially eponymous.
It details humanity’s literal voyage
through the stars, through the future.
It presents actual speculation, scientific and social, about humanity’s future,
settling on an optimistic conclusion:
we eventually overcome our differences as a species (after no small amount
of suffering and war), conquer our
demons, and combine all human effort
to exploring space, the final frontier.
It’s harder science fiction. It represents
a genuine, achievable goal for humanity: world peace; elimination of poverty,
classism, and racism; gender equality;
and discovery and exploration free of
the ethnocentrism and ignorance of
the mutual discovery of our ances-
Page 12
tors. And beyond being philosophical, it is
imaginative and beautiful, well written, and
charming. But it’s the rational, the questioning, the logical side of science fiction.
Star Wars is also, in a way, eponymous.
It fulfils a fundamentally different purpose
than Trek. Star Wars is not really science
fiction at all—it’s pure fantasy set, roughly, in
a science fiction-esque world. This deliberate
disregard for anything so confining as reality,
physics, and science is whimsically reiterated
at the start of each film: A long time ago, in a
galaxy far, far away. It’s a space opera. It’s mythology for the space age. It’s an archetypal
struggle between good and evil. Actually,
archetypes and mythology might best
describe Star Wars. Like The Lord of the Rings,
its purpose is to explore the spiritual, not
the scientific, conflict. It’s the spiritual quest,
which is by nature an unending conflict
between good and evil. It’s a cosmic battle
that mirrors the internal battle of the soul.
The trek that our cast of heroes undergoes is
ultimately spiritual. Maybe that’s what many
fans mean when they say that Star Wars is
more gripping, more fun, and sucks you
in—it speaks to them on a level that they
are not able to adequately describe. Which
just proves that there is a very good reason
these ancient stories have survived for so
long: they move the human
being. They resonate in her.
Feeling is essential to give
meaning to knowledge;
the wisest understand that
reason is a slave to the
passions.
enable him to effect world peace, it will do
him little good personally if he’s at war with
himself. So by all means, he ought to pick
Star Wars first. Then he would gladly take
Star Trek.
Two things can be called “childish:” things
that are immature and things that are
fundamental in the early stages of forming
a human being. The latter is not immature
and should be as valuable to an adult as it
was to a child. Star Wars is sometimes called
“childish” by Trekkers. If by that you mean
the latter (since it would be difficult to justify
calling it immature), then you have identified
why this person prefers Wars to Trek. But
someone with different values may come to
the opposite conclusion; that is just fine.
So there you have it: Star Wars can symbolize mythology and spirituality; Star Trek
can represent science and discovery. Everyone will probably lean more towards one or
the other, and they should; asymmetry is not
always the same thing as inequality when
it comes to art and literature (and, well,
geekdom), and asymmetry in preference
is natural and good. Star Wars and Star Trek
are not symmetrical and they should not be;
but which one you choose is ultimately a
measure of your own personal feelings and
priorities.
Imagine a person very
much like this writer: he
values both the spiritual
and scientific quests for betterment. But if he achieves
an immensely high degree
of knowledge which will
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Directly Utah
Film: Virginia
Pearce
to watch movies, make movies, help friends
make movies, and find other ways to be a
part of the process.
By Deborah Moore
Photo courtesy Virginia Pearce
V
irginia Pearce has always loved helping people finish their art, a fact that
is evident from many of the jobs she
has taken over the years from photographer,
to her current title as the Director for the
Utah Film Commission (UFC).
The purpose of the UFC is to promote
the state of Utah as a great place to make a
film. The commission raises awareness and
interest in producing films, television and
commercials here in the Beehive State.
“We do that by promoting our gorgeous
locations, crew and talent here,” Virginia said.
The UFC also has a tax credit program,
called The Motion Picture Incentive Program,
which gives money back to film makers for
some of the expenses they accrue in Utah.
When asked about her steps to becoming
the Director of the UFC, Virginia joked that
she came about it in a round about way.
Virginia got her degree in journalism and
initially planned on being a writer. Instead
she ended up working with art organizations. After that, she worked as a photographer for 5 years, which sparked her interest
in film and inspired her to volunteer for the
Sundance Film Festival. She started working
for Sundance, which is a major outlet that
the UFC uses to promote Utah. It serves as a
device to bring filmmakers to them, where
they have over 750 film screenings.
“It is a unique circumstance that we have
in Utah,” Victoria said.
The UFC and Sundance both work togeth-
er, so Virginia ended up working with the
UFC while working for Sundance. She continued to work with the UFC when she left
Sundance and started working at Spy Hop, a
digital media education center for youth in
downtown Salt Lake City.
When the former director
of the UFC, Marshall Moore,
stepped down Victoria
decided to take the job. She
already knew most of the
staff and had worked with
them in the past.
“I don’t think that there’s anyone
who doesn’t have something to teach
you,” Victoria said.
GirlsGoneGeek
She believes in listening to people in all
aspects of life. According to her, this advice
shouldn’t be limited to those in the field you
are pursuing. It should include taking
the time to listen to everyone that you
come in contact with. Any job which
lets you write, learn communication
skills, and connect with people would
give you valuable knowledge and
experience.
This message was one which was
highlighted when she worked at Spy
Hop, a company which gives a voice
to incarcerated teenagers. It also
serves those who are at risk and in
the detention system.
“Their main mission
is to inspire the next
generation of media makers,”
Victoria said.
“You never
know where
your next inspiration is going
to come from”
“I thought it was an
interesting aspect of the film
industry that I hadn’t been
involved in” Victoria said. She
explained that most jobs in
creative fields aren’t linear paths. There are
twist and turns along the way, but Victoria
said that it’s important to be open to those
opportunities and keep working.
“Put yourself out there and be open to
new ideas. You never know where your next
inspiration is going to come from,” Virginia
said.
She explained that anyone who wants to
be successful in film needs to be immersed
in film. In addition she said that they need
Victoria is a wonderful role
model. She is brave enough
to take chances and be flexible with her career. She has
a passionate energy about
all of her previous jobs, and
it doesn’t take long to realize
how much Victoria loves what she does.
“My favorite part of my job is helping artists make the connections with other people
that they need in order to make their dream
come to life,” she said.
Victoria has been the Director of the UFC
for over a year now. She is excited to continue to find ways to promote Sundance and
Utah as a place to film.
“I think it’s important to have an opinion
and not be afraid to go after your dreams.”
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Page 13
Reprinted with permission
Geek Cred Pop Quiz
By Zac Johnson
1
In the AMC TV Show “The Walking Dead”
How many times is the word “zombie”
used?
A) 0
C) 236
B) 45
D) 1,596
2
In the Blade movies, what is the Vampire Bible referred to as?
A) The Book of Asmodai
B) The Book of Abaddon
C) The Book of Erebus
D) The Book of Set
3
In the first movie of the Underworld
series, how many razor disks did Selene
throw at the Werewolf Raze?
A) 1
C) 3
4
B) 2
D) 4
In the movie “The Exorcist” what animal
is used to make the scream of the “demon” being cast out of Linda Blair?
A) SheepB) Pigs
C) Geese D) Cows
A) Count Vladimir
B) Count Wampyre
C) Count Van Hellsing
D) Count Bathory
6
Approximately how much screen time
does character “Freddy Krueger” have
in the original “Nightmare on Elm
Street” movie?
A) 45 minutes
C) 7 minutes
B) 21 minutes
D) 3 minutes
7
In “The Shining” what was
the famous line that was
typed out over and over
again in the English print of the
movie?
8
9
What was the color of the evil clown
Pennywise’s pants?
A) Purple
C) Red
Page 14
B) Blue
D) Yellow
In the movie “The Grudge” What did Susan first find in her bed, that shouldn’t
have been there?
A) Rabbit’s Foot B) Cell Phone
C) Flash Light D) Stuffed Animal
10
In the movie “Halloween” from 1978,
who’s face was used
to create the mask?
A) All Work and No Play Makes Jack
a Dull boy B) He who wakes up early
meets a golden day C) Never Put off
till tomorrow what you can do today
D) Although one will rise early, it
won’t dawn sooner
Answers at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
5
In Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” what
was Draculas original name?
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A) Leonard Nimoy
B) William Shatner
C) George Takei
D) James Doohan
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