An infamous traffic is the third of Cole Wehrle’s remastered projects after Pax Pamir 2E and John Company 2E.
“A new edition of the acclaimed game of cutthroat capitalism in the nineteenth century opium trade”.
I’m doing my annual re-read of Lord of the Rings, this time after having re-read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales which I haven’t read in a while and I just go to the two Moria chapters.
The Fellowship of the Ring in general I feel like I appreciate more every time I read it. It might be my favourite of the trilogy now.
But these two chapters in general might be my favourite chapters of the trilogy and some of my favourite chapters of any book ever:
- the descriptions of the dark and of the mines
- Gimli’s chant about how wonderful Khazad-Dûm used to be
- the foreshadowing from Aragorn, Gimli, and Gandalf about Durin’s bane
- Frodo hearing the footsteps that we find out later to be Gollum
- the slow building dread when Gandalf read’s Balin’s book and the start of the drums
- the first real action scene in the trilogy, with Sam
Killing an orc
And then it ends with one of the best scenes in the trilogy, which is made so much better after having just read the Silmarillion: the introduction of the Balrog. The first time reading Lord of the Rings we are like the Hobbits or Boramir. Facing a terrifying foe, but not knowing just how terrible it is. But after reading the Silmarillion, we understand what Legolas and Gandalf are going through when they see it:
>”It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped across the fissure. The Flames roared up to greet it and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming mane kindled and blazed behind it. In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire ; in its left it held a while of many thongs.
>”Ai! Ai!’ Wailed Legolas. ‘a Balrog! A Balrog is come!’
>”Gimli stared with wide eyes. ‘Durin’s Bane!’ He Cried, and letting his axe fall he covered his face.
The end of the chapter is fantastic. After all of the action and high paced we end with this:
>”Doom, Doom. The drum-beats faded”
It’s fantastic.
“Calgary walked away with a premium defenseman in Carson Carels at 6. His elite physical play to go with strong offense could make him a great top-four defenseman. Late in the first, the Flames grabbed Jack Hextall, a smart, competitive center who projects well as a middle-six forward even if he isn’t the flashiest skater. I really like Chase Harrington and Tobias Trejbal for them on Day 2 as well. This draft could become a very important part of their rebuild.”
In your opinion, what are the best games that create moments or stories? Games that you look back on and say “remember when _____ happened?!” Preferably when these moments are created organically through player choices, not through scripted campaigns or flavour text.
This is an update about the upcoming Wheel
Of Time board game. This outlines, hero mode, the easier / shorter version of the game. There is also an Epic mode which is a longer, more complicated version which they haven’t explained much yet.