Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth.  

Friday, October 9, 2009

Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is also referred to as Riddermark or The Mark. (The Mark is believed to have been the Mercian name for the Anglian Kingdom of Mercia, but could also mean just land as used in Germanic languages. Ridder just means Knight in Germanic languages such as Dutch and Norwegian. Therefore Riddermark may be translated as "Riders Land" or "Horsemans Land" which corresponds to the Rohirrims love of horses) The realm is of significant importance in the author's most famous book, The Lord of the Rings.
Rohan is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy (see maps of Middle-earth). It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry.
Conceptualized as the "Horse Kings of Rohan" allied with Gondor in early drafts of 1939, the Rohirrim took their final form in 1942 when about one third of The Lord of the Rings was completed.














































































In the thirteenth century of the Third Age (T.A.), the Kings of Gondor made close alliances with the Northmen of Rhovanion, a people said in The Lord of the Rings to be akin to the Three Houses of Men (later the Dúnedain) from the First Age.
In the twenty-first century, a remnant tribe of such Northmen calling itself the Éothéod moved from the valleys of Anduin to the north west of Mirkwood, clearing out what remained of the recently defeated witch kingdom of Angmar, east of the Misty Mountains. While there, some dispute arose between them and the Dwarves over the treasure-hoard of Scatha the dragon.
Later, in 2509, Cirion the Steward of Gondor sent summons to the Éothéod for aid in throwing off a combined invasion of Men from the north east of Middle-earth, and Orcs from Mordor.
Eorl the Young, king of the Éothéod, answered the summons, and arrived unexpected at a decisive battle at the Field of Celebrant, routing the orc army, and then destroying it as it fled.
As a reward, Eorl was given the plains of Calenardhon, and he moved his kingdom there. This land had earlier been part of Gondor proper, but had been devastated by the plague of 1636, and the survivors to a large extent slain in the invasion mentioned above.
The first line of kings lasted for 249 years, until the ninth king Helm Hammerhand died. His sons had been killed earlier, and his nephew Fréaláf Hildeson began the second line of kings, which lasted until the end of the Third Age.
In 2758, Rohan was invaded by Dunlendings under Wulf, son of Freca, of mixed Dunland and Rohan blood. The King, Helm Hammerhand, took refuge in the Hornburg until aid from Gondor and Dunharrow (a refuge of the Rohirrim) arrived a year later and defeated the invaders.
It was soon after this that Saruman arrived and took over Isengard, and was welcomed as a strong ally, since it would take Rohan close to 200 years to recover its strength after the invasion.
In 3014, Saruman began using his influence to weaken the King, Théoden, as part of a campaign to invade or take over the kingdom. In 3019, he launched a great invasion of Rohan, with victory in the two first battles (at the Fords of Isen; Théoden's son, Théodred was killed during these attacks) and defeat at the Battle of the Hornburg, where the Huorns came to the aid of the Rohirrim.
On the heels of this victory, Théoden rode with an army to Minas Tirith and helped break its siege in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he was slain. Éomer, the nephew of King Théoden, then took up the reign, beginning the third line. Éomer rode with the armies of Gondor to the Black Gate of Mordor and took part in the Battle of the Morannon against the forces of Sauron, who were defeated when the Ruling Ring was destroyed.
The rule of the Stewards of Gondor was then over. King Éomer and the new king of Gondor, Elessar, renewed their oath of alliance, and reaffirmed Cirion's grant of Calenardhon to the Rohirrim.
In the Fourth Age, Rohan remained in peaceful coexistence with the Reunited Kingdom. It became the site of routes where Elves migrated from their eastern kingdoms to Lindon to leave Middle-earth. A few remained behind to help in the reconstruction of Rohan. A Dwarven community developed in the caves of Helm's Deep, which became prosperous from its mining of precious materials.











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River's End is a historical fantasy shōjo manga series by Chie Shinohara  

Thursday, October 8, 2009
















































































Red River (天は赤い河のほとり, Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori, lit. Heaven Is on the Banks of the Red River), also known as Anatolia Story, is a historical fantasy shōjo manga series by Chie Shinohara. It is published in Japan by Shogakukan in Sho-Comi and collected in 28 volumes. It is published English in North America by VIZ Media, with 25 volumes released as of April 2009. In 2001, the series won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo.
Red River is about a fifteen-year old Japanese girl named Yuri Suzuki, who is magically transported to Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia. She was summoned by Queen Nakia who means to use Yuri as a human sacrifice. Yuri's blood is the key element needed in placing a curse upon the princes of the land so that they will perish, leaving Nakia's son as the sole heir to the throne. As the story progress, however, Yuri not only repeatedly manages to escape Nakia's scheming, she also becomes revered as an incarnation of the goddess Ishtar and falls in love with crown prince Kail.
The story takes place during the reign of King Suppiluliuma I, at a time when the Hittite Empire was near its peak of power, rivaled only by Egypt, which was then ruled by the young Pharaoh Tutankhamen. Many of the people and events in the story are drawn from actual history, from Princes Kail Mursili, Sari Arnuwanda, and Zannanza, to battles with the neighboring Mitanni kingdom around the town of Kizzuwatna.



Yuri Suzuki (鈴木夕梨, Suzuki Yūri)
The main character of the story. Only fifteen at the start of the series, Yuri is confident and willing to take up any charitable cause. As she possesses knowledge far greater than any woman of the time (such as recognition of iron and knowledge of 20th century medical practices and hygiene), and often seems to find herself in situations that "prove" she is Ishtar, she is often considered to have divine powers and is thought by most to be the living incarnation of the goddess of love and war, Ishtar; as such, she is often referred to as Yuri Ishtar (ユーリ·イシュタル, Yūri Ishutaru). Despite this, Yuri is modest and a tomboy; she generally prefers to dress in men's clothing for the sake of practicality, much to the consternation and dismay of her handmaids. Much is made of the general opinion that she is "not strikingly beautiful" and "possesses little womanly charm"; however, her natural charm and selflessness win her the undying affection and loyalty of many people, both Hittites and their enemies. She is an accomplished gymnast, and during her stay in Hattusa, she learns the art of sword fighting and archery, so that she can better help Kail and survive on her own.
Torn between her return to her time and her love for Kail, Yuri finally decides to stay in Anatolia forever. In a desperate attempt to overthrow Queen Nakia, she raises a private army and unites other factions loyal to her and Kail, and eventually succeeds in deposing Queen Nakia once and for all and ascending to the title Tawananna, the Hittite Queen.
Kail Mursili
The third prince of the Hittite empire, son of King Suppililiuma and the second Tawananna, Queen Hinti. At the beginning of the series, he finds Yuri running frantically from Nakia's guards, and gives her the gift of understanding and speaking their language by way of a kiss. He rescues Yuri from sacrifice by claiming to have taken her virginity, and takes her as a concubine to keep up appearances. He finds Yuri to be quite unlike any woman he has ever met, and promises to help her find a way home to Japan, while struggling with his own growing love and desire for her. He initially calls Yuri his concubine and the incarnate form of Ishtar in order to protect her from Queen Nakia, but even he begins to believe his own tale after a while, and the legend of Yuri as Ishtar and his growing love for her eventually evolve beyond his control.
Kail is loyal to those he cares for, but constantly at odds with his stepmother, the third Tawananna, Queen Nakia; her lust for taking the throne for her son, Prince Juda, is his prime motivation for finding a woman who he can love unconditionally and whose personality would be that of a true queen. A powerful priest and sorcerer in his own right, he has the ability to control wind and air, and is one of the few who can counter Nakia's spells in any way. Part way through the series, in volume 12, he ascends to the throne as King Mursili II.








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Rental Magica (Rentaru Magika) is a Japanese light novel series by Makoto Sanda  

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
















































































Rental Magica (レンタルマギカ, Rentaru Magika) is a Japanese light novel series by Makoto Sanda, with illustrations by pako. It is currently in the midst of serialization in The Sneaker magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. An anime television series adaptation animated by Zexcs was broadcast in Japan between October 7, 2007 and March 23, 2008, airing a total of twenty-four episodes.

The plot centers around the magician dispatch service and Mage's Society: Astral. The main protagonist of the story is Astral's second President: Itsuki Iba, who, while being young and inexperienced ironically isn't even a Mage. Central to the story are Astral's many adventures with magical spirits and creatures, competing with rival company Goetia, rogue members, taboos and the Dark Magician's Society: Ophion, all while trying to complete enough jobs to pay the bills and fill The Association's quota and evade abolition. Each story arc is written as an incident in which the Astral members and their associates are involved.









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The Princess Bride is an American 1987 film, based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, combining comedy, adventure, romance  

Tuesday, October 6, 2009





































































The Princess Bride is an American 1987 film, based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, combining comedy, adventure, romance and fantasy.
The movie was directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Goldman. The story is presented in the movie as a book being read by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage), thus echoing the book's narrative style.
This film is number 50 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies" and number 88 on The American Film Institute's (AFI) "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions" listing the 100 greatest film love stories of all time.
The narrative of the movie is framed by a scene featuring a boy sick in bed (Fred Savage) and his grandfather (Peter Falk). The plot of the movie is the enactment of the story as it is being read, which is occasionally interrupted by comments from the grandson and grandfather.
A beautiful young woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright) lives on a farm in the fictional country of Florin. She delights in ordering the farm hand Westley (Cary Elwes) to perform chores for her. Westley's only answer is "As you wish." Eventually Buttercup realizes he really means "I love you", and she admits her love for him. Westley soon leaves to seek his fortune so that they can marry. She receives word that Westley's ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who is notorious for leaving no victim alive. Five years later, believing Westley to be dead, Buttercup reluctantly gets engaged to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), heir to the throne of Florin.
Before the wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by a trio of outlaws: a Sicilian criminal genius named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), a Spanish fencing master named Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), and a gigantic Turkish wrestler named Fezzik (André the Giant). They are pursued by two parties: one consists of Prince Humperdinck and a number of soldiers; the other, a single masked man in black. The man in black outpaces the royal rescue party and almost catches the outlaws at the Cliffs of Insanity.
Inigo, who is seeking revenge on a man with six fingers on his right hand who killed his father, is left at the top of the cliff to duel the man in black. The two men engage in light banter as they spar with one another, each praising the other as a "decent fellow". In a masterful bout that ranges over a large area, Inigo fights well (and fairly), but is finally defeated. The man in black professes his respect for Inigo as he knocks him unconscious. Vizzini then leaves Fezzik to kill the man in black with his strength, but the man in black is able to choke the giant until he blacks out. The man in black then catches up with Vizzini, who is holding Buttercup hostage, and proposes a battle of wits. Vizzini is tricked into drinking poison, and dies because the Man in Black had actually poisoned both goblets, but he had lived because of an immunity he built up against the poison.
Having captured Buttercup, the man in black says that he is the Dread Pirate Roberts, Westley's murderer. Enraged, Buttercup shoves him into a gorge, yelling "You can die too, for all I care!" only to hear him reply "As you wish!" Realizing that he is actually Westley, she dives into the gorge after him. When they reach the bottom, bruised but alive, Westley tells her that the Dread Pirate Roberts attacked his ship, but made Westley his apprentice after hearing of the depths of his love for Buttercup. Eventually, Roberts secretly retired, passing Westley his name and captaincy. The couple travel through the dreaded Fire Swamp to evade Humperdinck's rescue party, but end up being attacked by several Rodents of Unusual Size (ROUSes), which Westley manages to defeat.
Upon exiting, they are captured by Humperdinck and his menacing six-fingered vizier Count Tyrone Rugen (Christopher Guest). Westley, who had learned of Inigo's quest for revenge against his father's six-fingered assassin during their duel, notices Rugen's six-fingered right hand and tells him, "Someone was looking for you." In response, Rugen knocks him unconscious. Buttercup agrees to return with Humperdinck in exchange for Westley's release, but instead he is brought to Rugen's torture chambers, where he is 'prepared' by an albino (Mel Smith).
When Buttercup expresses unhappiness regarding her pending marriage to Humperdinck, he proposes sending his four fastest ships to locate Westley with the understanding that if they fail, Buttercup ought to marry him. Humperdinck reveals that he himself arranged Buttercup's kidnapping in order to blame the country of Guilder and start a war with them, and that it will even be better propaganda if she is strangled to death on her wedding night.
On the day of the wedding, Inigo learns about Rugen from Fezzik and decides to kill him. Having been impressed with Westley's skill in outmaneuvering them during their previous encounter, Inigo and Fezzik decide that their only chance at penetrating the castle's defenses is by enlisting Westley's assistance. Buttercup learns that Humperdinck never sent the ships, and taunts him with her enduring love for Westley. Enraged, he tortures Westley to death. While searching for Westley (or "the man in black", as they call him), Inigo and Fezzik later find Westley's body and bring it to the local magician Miracle Max (Billy Crystal) and his wife Valerie (Carol Kane), who explain that Westley is only "mostly dead." (If "all dead," revival is impossible). They revive Westley, initially to a state of heavy paralysis, in order to satisfy a grudge against Humperdinck.
Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik invade the castle, and Humperdinck orders the wedding ceremony shortened. Inigo pursues Rugen through the castle. Rugen admits that he killed Inigo's father, and they duel. Although Inigo is injured almost to defeat, his sense of revenge rekindles his energy and he kills Rugen. Westley reaches Buttercup, who has decided to commit suicide, and assures her that her marriage is a sham because in the shortened ceremony she never said "I do." Still partly paralyzed, Westley bluffs his way out of a sword fight with Humperdinck, whom Buttercup then ties to a chair. As the party rides off on four white horses conveniently discovered by Fezzik, Westley offers the role of Dread Pirate Roberts to Inigo who, finding himself suddenly out of the revenge business, needs a new purpose in life.
Upon finishing the story, the grandfather gets up to leave. The grandson—having grown more interested throughout—asks his grandfather to read it to him again the following day. The grandfather replies, "As you wish."









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