The Nightfall Saga: The House Gathers (Part 1)

It was the breaking of the early morning. The sun had yet to rise above the horizon and the grey of the morning was starting to push away the night’s darkness. It was silent this early. Nothing stirring, no one moving around. No one except one lone person, creeping around their own house.

She silently came down the stairs, fully clothed in a long, draping dress, not bothering to light a single lamp or candle. She led herself, using the polished railing of the banister. In the darkness of the wee hours, she slid her feet into a pair of heeled shoes and wrapped her head in a lightweight scarf. Part of her wanted to leave a note for her husband, but she knew it would be best if she didn’t. He would simply assume that she had headed out to the city to see friends if she said nothing. And she would much rather have him believe that than the actual truth.

The click of her heels knocking against the wooden floors was deafening in the silence. She wondered if the noise would wake her husband. She wouldn’t have minded if it had. For a moment, she imagined that barely there smile on his face as he stood atop the staircase to wave and tell her to have a good time. No, she would not have minded at all if these shoes on her feet caused him to come to her. However, as she reached for her luggage that was sitting near the door, there was no one to bid her goodbye. It was just her and the darkness of her home. It was just as well. 

Not even the wind stirred this morning, like it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Much like she was holding hers right now. As the door softly clicked closed behind her, she lifted her scarf covered head and was greeted by a familiar sight. One that she had not seen in quite some time. A pair of brilliantly colored hawkstriders were right outside of the door and on top of one was the silhouette of a hooded person, draped in dark brown robes. Upon, seeing her, the cloaked shadow nimbly slid down from his mount and reached his hand out towards her.

“Lady Alara.” 

The formality in his voice, in that title, it sounded so foreign and yet she remembered the sound of that voice as if she had never parted from it. Falling into old form, she held her hand out and allowed herself to be lead to her hawkstrider. She did not speak to this man, only nodded when he called her name. Once she was securely in the saddle, the pair headed away from the village and along the winding road to Silvermoon City.

“Your brother wished for me to express how grateful he is that you decided to attend,” the elf in robes stated. 

“He says that as if he gave me a choice in the matter.”

Her voice was stiff and cold. Simply mentioning him made her blood hot.

“It is quite forward of me to say, and I hope that you forgive me, however I am grateful as well,” the elf continued, shifting his hooded head in her direction, slightly, ”It has been many years since I have seen you, Lady Alara.”

She only nodded.


Part 2

Reminiscing about the days of make believe

Once upon a time, when times were different, a girl was handed her first set of dice.  Little did I know that night was going to open the door to something that I would enjoy being part of for years to come.

The first time I got invited to a roleplaying session, I remember my reaction quite vividly. I wrinkled my nose, twisted my lip and said no without a second thought. I didn't want anything to do with sitting around and pretending that I was casting a spell or some such nonsense. I could think of better ways to spend my weekends. However, I am guessing that was not the first time a reaction like mine had been given, because I was asked again. This time, it was to just sit and observe. If I didn't like what I saw, then I would never asked again. I went, prepared to be underwhelmed and practicing my rejection speech in my head. These were my friends, after all. No need to be nasty.

They pulled out pencils and character sheets, books and guides. Then the discussion of who they were to become started. I am not sure what it was about the character creation process that tapped into my curiosity. The thought that went into crafting a character, making a person that you were to play, it was like making a character for a performance that was happening in real time. And perform they did. Perform we did.

From that moment on, roleplaying became an almost weekly ritual. In the same way people got dressed up and went out to bars and clubs, I grabbed my bag of dice and headed to a friend's house to immerse myself in a world of make believe. I credit a large amount of my ability create characters and build worlds to those nights where I sat on couches, drinking Mountain Dew and eating Papa Johns, listening to the elaborate setups and situations our characters found themselves in. Imagining city streets and back alleys, weighing words of NPCs, wondering if they were friend or foe, always thinking "What would my character do?".

Unfortunately, time changes things. Too soon I was packing up my life and moving forward with it. All of my roleplaying circle did much the same and our nights together are now nothing more than fond memories I replay in my head from time to time. Like old home movies stored away in a dusty beaten up box somewhere. Fighting enemies, solving puzzles, battling in arenas, arguing amongst ourselves, buying my first set of dice, being taken to my first game shop, looking at figurines, so many good memories from those times I would have missed out on because of a preconceived notion that wasn't even mine to begin with.

I miss those days now. I miss them a lot.

Kitchen Adventures! Sausage and Cheddar muffins

Recently, I got my hands on a small cookbook that was nothing but muffin recipes and spreads to go along with them. Because who doesn't want to make their own honey butter. I can honestly say that I had not made muffins from scratch before this. I always used the mixes that come in the pouches. I found these recipes to be pretty simple to make and don't take that long to bake either. 

The first recipe I attempted, was a breakfast muffin. And let me tell you, they were amazing! So the name of them basically tells you the ingredients. Aside from the sausage and cheddar cheese, the batter consisted of Bisquick biscuit mix and cornmeal. I was not exactly fond of the texture from the cornmeal, but I got over it because the rest of the muffin was absolute divine.

This is definitely a good breakfast item, especially if you are in a rush in the morning. I would warm up two muffins in the microwave, pour myself a glass of milk or orange juice and that would be my breakfast. Next time I make these, I might try turkey sausage instead of pork. And I might add a bit of chive or something too. Another good thing, the recipe made 2 dozen muffins. So if I ever have to make something for a potluck breakfast, this will be my go to.

Daily Write - Balance on Windmill Hills - Part 5

The early morning sun was starting to rise, pushing away the dark blues and greys of the night; making the sky a brilliant shade of pink that spilled onto the ocean. The view from Windmill Hills was quite spectacular during these early hours. The only sounds were the striking of water on the sand and the sea birds gliding through the gentle breeze coming off the water. Coming up the winding path to the hills, Ariya rubbed her eyes and let out a rather large and noisy yawn that she didn't try to stifle. Ariya didn't mind mornings, but this was just too early to be awake and outside. She had not even bothered to do her hair. Instead, she had lazily put it up in a messy bun and covered her head with a dark green colored scarf. Next to her, the tubby Professor Cohen walked alongside, staff in hand, as she puffed her way up the hill. As she always did, Professor Cohen wore her light colored air wizard robes and her blonde bob was neatly combed.

“After walking up this hill for the third week in a row, you would think that this little hike would get easier. You either need to read your books a little faster, Ariya or I need to lay off of the sweet cakes from the pastry shop.”

“Why did we have to come up here so early?”

Professor Cohen could hear the unpleasant demeanor that tinged the words coming from Ariya’s mouth.

“If you had been attending your Earth magic classes like you are supposed to, you would be used to waking up this early. It has come to my attention that you haven’t been going for quite some time now.”

Ariya’s violet orbs slid sideways at the air wizard. “I doubt that Earth class starts this early. Most people are only rolling out of bed this time of morning. Am I to guess that this is punishment for me skipping? It’s not like I don't know what’s happening in class. I get my notes from people who were there that day and I study them. That class is one big history course anyway. I really don't have to be there to hear what the professor has to say. Just remember all the important dates for the exam, pass the class and move on to next.”

“Ariya, did you ever think that perhaps there is a reason that we want you to know all those things about Earth magic before you use it?” Professor Cohen asked. The sound of her staff made a very distant thunking noise against the path they were traveling.

Ariya took a deep, noisy breath. If there was anything more agitating than being asked these aggravating questions, it was being asked these aggravating questions early in the morning. 

“Magic is dangerous. Some elements are dangerous just by nature, fire being the prime example. Other elements are dangerous when not used correctly, earth being the prime example. By looking at where others got it wrong, we can see what went wrong and how not to do it again. I’m not as thick as everyone makes me out to be.”

The large windmills began to come into view as the two continued on the path in silence. They stood like mammoth old giants that had gone dormant along the hillside. Now nothing but fixtures worn by time and the elements, these ‘giants’ still stood as imposing as ever, dominating the landscape. As they came close to the windmills, Professor Cohen began to speak again.

 “Ariya, why do you make it so difficult for professors to get close to you? To try and understand you? To teach you?”

“Because all the professors are the same," Ariya replied, "They think the same thing about me when I walk into their classrooms. I am the one that will not bend to them. I am the one who will not believe their theory unless they have proof what they are saying is right. To question the doctrine of the Collegium is to be branded a troublemaker. So why should I try and prove them wrong? I am going to use my energy in order to become a good elementalist and in the end become an air wizard. In the end, it doesn't matter if the professors are close to me or not. They can think that I'm trouble, thick skulled, or just too stupid to understand the complexity of magic if they wish. It won’t change anything about me or what I'm going to do.”

“You think the professors in the Collegium are judging you?”

By now, the two had reached the top of the hills. The ocean breeze buffeted against Professor Cohen’s blonde bob and caused Ariya’s scarf to flap against her head. Her eyes had gone cold as she stared out at the ocean in front of her. What was Professor Cohen after with these questions?

“Isn't that why we have been doing this, Professor? You brought me out here because the other  professors are talking about me. They believe that I am a problem that needs to be fixed and you are here to do the job. Yes, I believe that they all judge me.”

“Do you believe that I judge you?”

Ariya loosely folded her arms over her chest. How could Ariya possibly answer that?

“It is a fair question,” Professor Cohen replied, “I may not be one of the higher, more prestigious professors but I am a professor. So, do you think that I judge you?”

“You aren’t like the others. It’s different with you.”

“I believe that you are the one that is doing all the judging, Ariya.” Professor Cohen replied in a soft yet stern tone, “You assume that every single professor in the enter institution is out gunning for you when really you are walking in class and putting a large target on your back. You set yourself up for confrontation.”

Ariya pursed her lips slightly. She just wasn’t in the mood to hear any of what Professor Cohen was trying to say to her. “So are we going to finish talk about Tempest wizards or not?”

Professor Cohen decided to go ahead and drop the subject for now.

“Well did you finish the book you were reading before?”

“Yes, I did. It just stopped. No ending, no stating how things went. It was just over. I went to see if maybe Milstein had written something else, but I didn't find anything. So now that I know what a Tempest wizard is. I don't know why you had me research it in the first place.”

Professor Cohen tossed her staff between her two hands as she turned to her lanky, pale skinned student. “Did you find out why there aren't hundreds of Tempest wizards wandering about today?”

“Something went wrong. The country’s military heads were ordering increases in the number of Tempests wizards left and right and then one day they started to be decommissioned. The training ended, the whole fighting style came to a grinding halt in the middle of the night. But no matter what book I looked at there were never any specifics on what happened. I would think with how powerful the Tempest wizards were that they would have been around for years.”

A strong gust of wind blue, making Ariya’s scarf flutter as Professor spoke,“That which is not respected is bound to be abused.”

Ariya looked at Professor Cohen quizzically as the professor uttered that statement into the air. “I am guessing that you know what happened?”

“When a person says ‘magic’ it gives the feeling that a wizard can do anything. That we operate outside the rules of the universe and wield an infinite amount of power that has no consequential strings attached to it. However, nothing can be farther from the truth. As elementalists, we don’t tell the elements to do anything. We only bend them temporarily. Milstein had a profound and deep respect for the elements he wielded. Those he worked for however did not.”

Ariya started play with the strands from her scarf,” I read that those trained in magic were no longer picking the wizard candidates. How did they know who was able to balance the two elements well and who wasn’t?”

“Balance at that time was not a big issue. The issue was, could the person do it. And if you could, could you learn to do it better, bigger, and faster than the person standing next to you. It was Varro’s trump card and the military was going to play it to the fullest. However, things went terribly wrong. Have you studied the Crimson Plague yet?”

Ariya nodded, “The Crimson Plague was first seen in a desert city in the lands of the South. A number of nomadic gypsies brought in their sick with a strange illness that they could not cure. It affected a number of similar nomadic tribes. It was traced back to their cultural uses of fire magic during rituals. The misuse of magic was making their tribesman ill.”

“Very good. Now, imagine the Crimson Plague, increase the symptoms by a hundred fold and multiply that by the number Tempest troops Varro had at the height of their fame.”

Ariya’s eyes widened as she stared at Professor Cohen, “A hundred fold?! How is that even possible? That could kill a person.”

Professor Cohen’s eyes met Ariya’s as she continued, “Soldiers talked about how the tortured screams of the wizards echoed through the hulls of the ships that carried them. Pain of the likes that none had ever been seen before. Those who did not die within hours prayed to the fates that they would die. The more reckless the wizard had been, the worse the sickness was. The Tempest wizard fleets were renamed Blood ships for the number of wizards that died on them. Those who lived were never the same, in constant pain; their contorted bodies lost the ability to use magic.  At first it was a rare case here and there. But as the numbers began to increase, it became quite obvious that Varro had made a huge mistake.”

Ariya just stared in disbelief. Was this what Milstein had been talking about in the last part of his journals? Was this the mistake he had wished to avoid? The smear that was going to stain his legacy?

“But certainly Milstein knew that could happen.”

Professor Cohen nodded, “Of course he knew. And he trained his battalion well so that none of them would succumb to the Crimson Plague. However others did not listen to him. Balance to them was not as important as power and cunning. It was nothing more than an after thought.”

Another gust of sea breeze wound its way around the Professor and Ariya. Silence fell around the two as both stared out at the ocean in front of them.

“So that is why you wanted me to find out what a Tempest was? So that I know how important the Balance is?”

Professor Cohen nodded, “No, you already know how important the Balance is to elemental magic. I want to show you why you must learn Balance first before you learn how to use your own element. Your thought of “learning your own element first and then learning how to the Balance incorporates your element with the others” is not a bad thought. There have been many who have thought just like that. How can you fully understand the Balance if you don't fully understand you own element, right?”

Ariya nodded her head at the professor.

“It is just that elements are not linear and magic isn't simple. So when your professor answer “Because you have to” it is the right answer. It is just not a very well explained right answer. Bending one element will affect the rest, even if we can't see the effects with our own eyes. Logically that doesn't make any sense of course, but you just have to know that it does. For many students, it probably wouldn’t matter which way they learned it. But for students like you, it is going to make a world of difference.”

Ariya shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “What do you mean by that?”

“I can already see it in you, Ariya Vant. You are the type of person who isn’t going to settle for what is simply in front of you. The air magic that you are going to learn within the walls of the Collegium is not going to be enough for you. Columns of air, shields of air, missiles of air, one day it is all going to become too simple. You are going to  want to push the limits even farther. You are going to want to see how far you can bend the elements to your will. You don't see magic as having walls, just hurdles that you have to climb over.”

“I don’t understand why you think that I…”

Professor Cohen chuckled.

“You are only sixteen and already you question the philosophy of the professors. Not because you think they are wrong, but because you want to know why they are right. You are hunting for answers on a higher level than the majority. You are the type of student who is going to leave this place and find there is more to elemental magic that what we are teaching you. You are going to bend rules and find that there are very few absolutes in what we do. For someone like you, learning the Balance first is absolutely essential.”

Again there was silence. The morning sun had finally come all the way up. Its pale yellow rays gently crept over the white capped waves that pounded along the sand of the coast line. The gentle breeze embraced both the professor and Ariya, buffeting the robes that they were clad in. Both stared out into the distance, gazes fixed on the climbing orange orb of the sun. The pinks were giving way to the light morning blue of the sky.

Ariya stood there, pondering what she had just heard. Her pale skin made her look statuesque amid the tall grasses of the hillside. Her tall, thin frame covered in the dark colors of her robe. Staring out at the landscape, Ariya was totally lost in her own thoughts. Would she really push the limits? Would she actually seek things that were beyond what was in front of her? It all sounded daunting and mysterious, as if Professor Cohen believed that there was something special about her. Or perhaps something beyond special.

“What do you mean bend the rules, Professor?”

Professor Cohen wagged her finger at Ariya with a large grin on her round face, “Learn the rules first, Ms. Vant. Make the Circle of Elements your foundation, learn how each coexists. Then we can talk about bending the rules of elemental magic.”

Ariya’s eyes shimmered slightly as a playful smile slowly made its way across her lips. It was the first sincere grin that she had ever seen Ariya make towards her.

“Oh c’mon, Professor. What would be the fun in that?”


                                                                                   - The End-

Kitchen Adventures! - Quiche

More adventures in the kitchen! A few years ago, I attempted to make a quiche. I did not like it at all. It was a low fat crustless quiche recipe. It didn't really have that much going for it. It was pretty flavorless, unappealing and bland. I had made omelettes that were more exciting. So, I believed that quiche was a terrible dish and I had no idea why anyone would want to eat it. Recently however, I decided to that I would try my hand at it again and see if a few adjustments would change my mind. And boy did it ever!

I used the same basic recipe as the one before and blended in some ingredients from a second recipe that I had found one of the many cookbooks that I have accumulated over the years. This dish was absolutely delicious. And it is one of those foods that taste even better the next day. The vegetables I used for this were: zucchini, green onion, and carrots

The difference with this attempt (aside from the presence of a crust) was the type and amount of cheese that I used. The mixture has cottage cheese as well as cheddar cheese. And the bottom of the crust has a layer of mozzarella. When I make this again (because I will be making it again), I think I am going to try putting some fresh herbs in it. I think that would take this dish over the top.

Have you ever made a dish that you thought was an utter disaster? I challenge you to try it again and make a few adjustments. You may have your mind changed.

Daily Write - Balance on Windmill Hills - Part 4

The afternoon air was chilled and the omnious clouds in the grey-blue sky threatened rain. Ariya looked up at the sky before decided to move. Up until now, she had been sitting on one of the stone benches in the college gardens. The gardens were a beautiful place, especially during the spring and summer months. The different types of flowers and greenery, the vibrant and lush colors, the perfumed foliage light and refreshing. Ariya liked coming here to read and study. It was a more relaxing, happier atmosphere. A definite switch from the stuffy walls of the library. Today she only had one book and a small satchel where she kept her flute and music Ariya had decided that she would practice her flute today, seeing how her orchestra class was just as annoying difficult as her magic studies. The gardens seem to be the best place to hone musical talent. It breathed creativity.

Before the rain began, Ariya packed up her things and headed for a small gazebo near one of the many garden fountains. Made of jade colored marble, the fountain sat in the middle of several stone benches, like centerpiece for all to gather around. As the drops began to ping against the gazebo's roof, Ariya pulled her flute out once again and started playing her orchestra music. Her fingers slowly moved along the instrument as she studied the notes on the paper in front of her. It was another one of those difficult pieces that Professor Ickman seemed to love so much. This time, the orchestra planned to play for the Festival of Wine; a large festival held annually in the Noble Quarter of Cynosure, celebrating one of the country’s major exports. Ariya herself was quite familiar with this festival, but it would be the first time she would be there to actually do something aside from smile and watch wine tasting. She wondered what her colleagues would say if they saw her standing with her family as they marketed their vintage. That’s if they even noticed.

The drops fell a bit harder as Ariya tried to concentrate on the notes, but soon she became frustrated with the piece and gave up trying to play it.

“Why does Professor Ickman always choose these outrageous pieces of us to play? I’m sure there has to be something just as nice sounding and not so astoundingly difficult.”

Ariya sat under the gazebo, watching the rain spatter against the sidewalks. In the peaceful silence of the falling rain, Ariya took out her book and opened it to where she had left off.

I woke up this morning pretty worn out. It seems to be the only side effect from the long battle we had against the Vann-Lyse navy. They fought as hard as I had expected them to and they made all the mistakes that I had expected them to as well. It seems that the use of our water magic against theirs was almost as strong and by mixing in the air magic with it, we took them on easier than I had anticipated.

Ariya stopped for a second. Had she read that correctly? Mixing of magic? Could someone really do that?

By using air and water together, we obscured the vision of the enemy with a heavy fog. We concentrated the mist to use in the initial attack. Each team created their own storm cells, using the air around them and water of the ocean. Our projectiles were faster, sharper, and more accurate. Our attacks were better directed, more dangerous and even caused fire to break out on one of the enemy ships. Though they tried to fight against us, their mages were not able to counter me and my team and ending up retreating.

Once the fight was over, I shortly collapsed from exhaustion and found that many had done the same. While being tired is not a bad side effect, it still concerns me. I will be speaking with the rest of my group about this and hear their thoughts about our recent battle. I am also preparing a letter to send to the head of the Navy once we return to Varro.

Ariya couldn’t believe it. So this is what Professor Cohen meant by a Tempest Wizard. A person who was able to use air and water magic at the same time?! Ariya had no idea that something like that was actually possible. She had never heard of anyone attempting such a feat, much less actually succeeding at it. It took years to master just one element, but this group of people had seemed to be able to master two! And wield them simultaneously!

As Ariya continued to flip through the pages of the book, she read about battle after battle that the Varro navy had against the navy of Vann-Lyse. As the victories began to increase in number, the popularity of the Tempest wizards grew. Milstein became a commanding general over the growing number of Tempest wizards that were to be trained to accompany the soldiers on the battleships. His initial group also became commanding officers. As the years of fighting went on, the numbers of those being trained as Tempest wizards exploded exponentially.

It has been almost five years since my first battle. The soldiers they send me to train keep getting younger and younger. And it is no longer trained mages that are choosing these new trainees. They are being sent to me by military heads, heads of state affairs. Even over zealous diplomats who have no magic training or a head for magic strategy are coming to be trained as Tempest wizards. I have gone to those who have the ability to make this training more exclusive. But, my suggestions on how to do things have been rejected time and time again. Tempest wizards seem to be the only thing that sets our navy apart from everyone else’s. But how long will that last? How long before other countries see what I have done and start to do the same?  For all the good I have tried to do for the sake of protecting my home, I fear that bad things will come on the horizon.

Ariya sat in the gazebo, staring at the yellowed pages of the book on her knees. The sound of the rain spattering against the gazebo roof, the cobblestone sidewalks and the stone benches were the only sounds heard. What could Milstein have been thinking when he talked about bad things coming on the horizon? Did he mean more fighting? The fighting becoming more dangerous? The methods of his magic use becoming more dangerous? Ariya found it quite odd that Varro was letting anyone become a Tempest Wizard. Being allowed entrance into the Collegium was quite a feat. There were so many tests to take and interviews to go through. How could anyone just walk up and be allowed to train as a Tempest Wizard?

What if something happened to make it that way? The rules for magic probably weren’t always like this. I’m sure there were things that were allowed back in Milstein’s time that aren’t allowed now. Perhaps that is why I have never heard of a Tempest wizard before.

Ariya resumed reading her book. The wars raged on, and just as Milstein had feared, bad things did happen. Even for all his expertise and excellence with magic, Milstein’s suggestions, advice, and warnings were all pushed aside. If Tempest wizards could strengthen the navy, then certainly other types of hybrid battle mages could make Varro an unstoppable force. Soon Milstein was looked at as being over cautious and unable to see the big picture. He would continue on training Tempest wizards for the Varro navy, but he was never again asked to consult when it came to uses of magic in war.

The military does not believe that I am forward thinker. And I do not believe the military has thought forward enough. The majority of those in charge are those whose only wish is to grab for more and not think of the cost of what they are doing. I have tried my best to show them that they must be careful with magic. To be a Tempest or anything that uses rules similar to being a Tempest, the wielder must understand the balance of magic. I have been a Tempest for almost ten years now and even I do not call myself a master. And yet they continue to bring in the unskilled to act as commanders. I see the legacy that I am to leave behind shrouded in the darkness of things to come. I only hope that my name is remembered for the good I tried to do, the honor for which I fought, and let it always be said that I never wanted things to end the way they are going to.

Ariya’s mouth fell open slightly with shock as she flipped the next page of the book. That was the last thing that John S. Milstein wrote in this journal. While Milstein kept extensive memoirs, nothing else was ever found during his time as a commanding general for the Varro navy. He never mentioned it again in any of his writings. And his writings were quite extensive. Ariya kept flipping through the pages of the book, but all the rest was nothing but descriptions of more battles that Varro fought. There was little else mentioned about Milstein, except that his battalion of Tempests were the most successful in the entire navy. However, a woman by the name of Cameron Mosby led a battalion that was a very close second.

Ariya frowned slightly as she closed the book. Just when things were getting exciting, the entire story ended. The book went back to being a history text. Ariya stared up at the grey skies as the drops of rain fell down in fine mist that obscured objects in the distance. Ariya wondered what it was the Professor Cohen was trying to get her to see.

The Collegium teaches that we must learn each element and balance between them before focusing on our own element. Professor Cohen wants me learn about Tempest wizards, mages who wield two elements at once. I don’t see what Professor Cohen wants me to see.

Ariya sighed and crossed her legs underneath her. Nothing was coming to her. She just wasn't able to make the connection. She would have to ask Professor Cohen when they saw each other next.

Game Review: The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

 Recently, I have been playing The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. The game was released in 2010, developed by Frogwares and published by Focus Home Interactive. What caught my attention for this game was the fact that the main character was Sherlock Holmes. I have loved just about everything Sherlock since I read "A Study in Scarlet" a long time ago. So when I saw there was a video game that had gotten good reviews, I thought this would be something that I would enjoy. And I could not have been more right.

In this game, you are Sherlock Holmes and you are trying to solve a brutal murder of a bishop. You also play John Watson and suspicion starts to rise that perhaps your detective flatmate and friend is not everything you once believed him to be. As the mysteries unfold, the questions continue to mount.

I don't want to talk too much about the story (because SPOILERS!) so I will focus more on the actual game play. I found at the beginning of the game, I was not the greatest at seeing the whole picture of what was going on. I would find all the clues and successfully put about half the story together. The rest of the time, I was in left field somewhere. While the game does a good job explaining what all the clues mean, I really wanted to be able to do it on my own. I got better as the game went on, but I don't think I ever figured out 100% of the story before the game told me.

The puzzles that had to be solved ranged in difficulty and type. Some were not that hard, some took some time, and others were just flat out enraging. (Never looking at another chess game the same way again). I will not lie, there might have been 2 or 3 puzzles where I hit skip and continued on with the game. But for the most part, I solved them myself and felt very accomplished about doing it.

The Deduction Board was very unique. I liked how it made you put the pieces together to create the larger picture. I felt like I was sleuthing too, trying to figure out what all the clues where leading to. And they didn't make it easy either. I felt like I was really working for those answers. And most of the time the answers just lead to more questions.

In conclusion, I really liked this game and recommend it to anyone who likes a mystery game or a good puzzle game. I am very excited about the next installment to this series, Crimes and Punishments. I also plan on playing through the previous Sherlock games by this company, that is just how much I liked this one.