|
|
I was a fan of the original GuildWars online MMORPG from the first moment I discovered it included the Mesmer profession for player characters. I played it for several years and still do on occasion, but I long since did everything I could and even creating a new character with a different profession wasn’t all that interesting any longer. Now I’ve found a similar interest in the sequel game, GuildWars 2.
Three years ago, ArenaNet released GuildWars 2. One of the great mysteries surrounding the release was the final character profession, which was (as many players were hoping) again the Mesmer profession, much changed from the first game, alas. GuildWars 2 was, like its predecessor, a non-subscription game, with only the initial payment for the client software the only main outlay to play the game. At the time, and since, I couldn’t really afford the (admittedly minimal) cost, plus, at the time, I didn’t have a fast enough Internet connection that could handle the massive size of the client download. Therefore, I parked my interest in the game and carried on with other things.
Just recently, however, ArenaNet “unlocked” the game, so people could play it for free. Granted, access is limited to only two characters, and other aspects are limited or locked, but the core elements are still available. I decided to give it a try and I’ve been hooked ever since.
⇒ Continue reading “GuildWars 2: “The Floating Grizwhirl””
Leona Hewitt has secretly made her way into Lord Delbridge’s private museum to retrieve a relic stolen from her family. But someone else is in the dimly lit gallery on the same errand: a tall, black cloaked man whose very voice is enough to cause her to fall into a trance.
Thaddeus Ware, a mesmerist with psychic gifts, is accustomed to fearful reactions from others—women, in particular. After all, a man who can control the minds of others could rob a lady of her virtue—completely unbeknownst to her. But Leona shows no trace of hysteria in his presence. A gifted crystal worker, she exerts a rather hypnotic power over the hypnotist himself. And she is determined to keep the coveted crystal they manage to recover by giving him the slip at a run-down London inn.
Thaddeus, on assignment for the Arcane Society, knows the menace Leona is courting by absconding with the crystal. A source of remarkable energy, it holds the potential for great destruction. Lord Delbridge has already killed to acquire the crystal, his key to membership in the elite, shadowy group known as the Third Circle. And, with the help of a ruthless hunter of preternatural skill — dubbed the Midnight Monster by the press — Delbridge intends to find Leona. With the stolen crystal in their possession, the danger is only beginning.
Two very driven individuals, both with agendas that set them against each other, both with passions that draw them together.
⇒ Continue reading ““The Third Circle” by Amanda Quick”
As if a head for business and a nose for trouble aren’t enough to distinguish fiercely independent Lavinia Lake from the other women of London’s fashionable Claremont Lane, there is one more feature to set her apart. Lavinia is also well versed in the practice of mesmerism, an extraordinary gift that far surpasses mere charm and physical appeal. Nobody knows this better than the usually coolheaded Tobias March, who seems to have fallen hopelessly under her spell. Fortunately for all, however, Lavinia uses her powers for good. And ever since a tragedy involving one of her subjects, she has even retired them in favor of her work with Lake and March, a joint venture providing “discreet private inquiries for individuals of quality.â€
Mrs. Lake and Mr. March have a rocky first encounter: he is systematically rampaging through the tiny shop Mrs. Lake and her niece operate, all in an attempt to force them to leave and thus remove them from impending danger. Nevertheless, they find reasons to continue their relationship, despite the friction of their equally strong personalities. As these are romance novels, their relationship also continues to be fraught with unresolved passion.
Part of that passion and that friction is due to the fact that Mrs. Lake is a talented mesmerist, although Mr. March is quite hesitant to allow himself to be placed under her magnetic influence for medicinal purposes, even though he is quickly falling under her captivating spell as much as she is falling under his. However, in her new occupation performing private inquiries, Mrs. Lake finds his company and her mesmeric powers advantageous, and not always in the expected manner.
⇒ Continue reading ““Slightly Shady”, “Don’t Look Back” and “Late for the Wedding” by Amanda Quick”
Such a promising title.
Such a profound disappointment.
To put this bluntly, this is a Biblical tract, not a story. Each chapter is wholly or in part a morality play in miniature, complete with such nameless stock characters such as the man who drinks too much, the gambler, the unfaithful husband, the false witness, the beset-upon Chinaman (yes, this work is reflective of the period and therefore there are definite strains of racism and misogyny within) and the “fallen woman”. There is little dialog and very few attempts at character description or characterization. Each story involves the Witch Hypnotizer as she wanders through the town, encountering individuals with problems or moral flaws. Then comes several Bible verses, single verses carefully selected and disjointly assembled, then comes the demonstration of the reformation of the particular individual and the resolution of the existing problem or situation. End of lesson.
The unnamed protagonist, the Witch Hypnotizer, is equally obscure and occluded: no physical description of her is ever given, but there is a description of her power:
It was nothing tangible, but an indescribable something which gave her influence over other minds, to bend them to her will.
She is also completely certain of her mission of the spiritual and social reformation of others according to the mores of the day, including the proper place of women (in the home and without the vote). By her certainty, does not feel the need to seek informed consent. Furthermore, there is never any kind of demonstration that the Witch Hypnotizer actually performs any kind of act to induce the reformation. (That, apparently, is left up to the imagination of the reader.)
This work was found at Project Gutenberg, in a variety of electronic forms, here. There is very little to recommend it.
Just rant about hypnosis. Go crazy!
But not too crazy… 65% crazy, 35% sane.
I wish that hypnosis was more accepted, and that will only happen when it is more widely seen or experienced, and not just as entertainment but as a helpful medical and social practice. I have a crazy idea that students be taught sometime in their early teens such elementary self-hypnosis techniques as pain control, concentration, meditation, fear control, etc. Of course that would drive certain sectors of society crazy, with claims of “mind control” and worse. [The latter being the “crazy” part.] That, and some form of martial art, preferably one of the “softer” arts like Aikido or Tai Chi, with an emphasis on self-defense and conflict avoidance.
|
|
