Kiri Callaghan's Blog, page 8

Out of the Broom Closet - Ink & Stardust

In my most recent letter to Stephanie (video below), I was challenged to do one thing that scared me.

In taking time to consider what I could do that 1. Genuinely scared me and 2. Would not break my bank (ala bungee jumping etc), I realized there was something I’d been… not avoiding per se, but that I had in certain times been very careful to tip toe around.

And I realize that’s silly. Because while I do feel this is something very personal and unique to me–it’s still part of me, so it would be strange for me to AVOID talking about it if it’s relevant to the moment.

And to be honest, I’m not sure when it ever really would be relevant beyond being open about myself and letting people know where I’m coming from. It’s a part of me and avoiding talking about it should it come up would be disingenuous. I’d much rather prefer to just be open.

And in doing this I realize there are other things that I’d like to be a bit more open about as well. But those are for other videos.

Out of the Broom Closet

In my most recent letter to Stephanie (video below), I was challenged to do one thing that scared me.

In taking time to consider what I could do that 1. Genuinely scared me and 2. Would not break my bank (ala bungee jumping etc), I realized there was something I’d been… not avoiding per se, but that I had in certain times been very careful to tip toe around.

And I realize that’s silly. Because while I do feel this is something very personal and unique to me–it’s still part of me, so it would be strange for me to AVOID talking about it if it’s relevant to the moment.

And to be honest, I’m not sure when it ever really would be relevant beyond being open about myself and letting people know where I’m coming from. It’s a part of me and avoiding talking about it should it come up would be disingenuous. I’d much rather prefer to just be open.

And in doing this I realize there are other things that I’d like to be a bit more open about as well. But those are for other videos.

“Rise” – Dragon Age: Inquisition Cover Song - Ink & Stardust

Patrons get song downloads! Visit http://patreon.com/kiri to see which support tier might be right for you!

Filming Location: The Palace of Fine Arts

Camera Work: M Rawlings

 

“Rise” – Dragon Age: Inquisition Cover Song

Patrons get song downloads! Visit http://patreon.com/kiri to see which support tier might be right for you!

Filming Location: The Palace of Fine Arts

Camera Work: M Rawlings

 

I See Fire - Ink & Stardust

 

Patrons get song downloads!: www.patreon.com/kiri

This, above all, was an experiment. I filmed audio during a livestream, I wanted to see how hard it would be to do vallaslin by hand (answer: hard) despite that this is totally a LOTR dwarf song, not a Dragon Age Dalish song, and I wanted to see if I had the proper equipment still to do a proper keying/greens screen effect (spoilers, I do not, but I’m still fairly happy with this regardless).

Also I uploaded this prior to putting on the front and end cards because they seemed kinda inappropriate for the mood and because Adobe decided to crash on me no less than four times in the relatively short editing time this took.

The things I have learned.

I hope you enjoy!

I See Fire

 

Patrons get song downloads!: www.patreon.com/kiri

This, above all, was an experiment. I filmed audio during a livestream, I wanted to see how hard it would be to do vallaslin by hand (answer: hard) despite that this is totally a LOTR dwarf song, not a Dragon Age Dalish song, and I wanted to see if I had the proper equipment still to do a proper keying/greens screen effect (spoilers, I do not, but I’m still fairly happy with this regardless).

Also I uploaded this prior to putting on the front and end cards because they seemed kinda inappropriate for the mood and because Adobe decided to crash on me no less than four times in the relatively short editing time this took.

The things I have learned.

I hope you enjoy!

Dreamfall Chapters – The Final LiveStream & More! - Ink & Stardust

What: LiveStream of Dreamfall Chapters Book 5: Redux (The final book)

When: January 13th (Friday–Yes, Friday the 13th!), 7:30pm PST (When is that for you?)

Where: http://www.twitch.tv/kiriosity

We’ve come to it. The final book. I’m biting my nails because I’m not ready for this game to end! I’m already preparing for a stream the next day because I’m going to require some serious comfort gaming after this, loves. I will be a bit of a wreck, I’m sure.

Haven’t made it to a stream before? You can catch up here!

As I said, after this I will need some comfort gaming, which means…

Next Stream: January 14th (Saturday), 1pm PST – 5pm PST, Possible Extension: 8pm PST – 12am PST

Game: Dragon Age: Origins

My love of Dragon Age is not a secret. I’ve written two tribute songs (Halamshiral, Lost) and one original (Bring You Home) about my game experiences. Don’t watch those if you haven’t seen/played the game and care about spoilers.

I haven’t streamed or really shared game play of these games because I figured my fangirl level was a bit too high and would not actually be interesting to watch. And then several Curiosities laughed and said I should do it anyway.

Note: I WILL be using mods from Dragon Age Nexus (appearance, some extra scenes etc) but I will be sure to link them in the description of the VODs.

I may also employ the dev console code to get through fights faster. Reason being that while I LOVE the Dragon Age series, I must confess Dragon Age: Origins was not super exhilarating with fights, and skipping past random battles so we can get to the story seems preferable considering the LENGTH of the game itself.

So here we go. Saturday. It’s happening.

Dreamfall Chapters – The Final LiveStream & More!

What: LiveStream of Dreamfall Chapters Book 5: Redux (The final book)

When: January 13th (Friday–Yes, Friday the 13th!), 7:30pm PST (When is that for you?)

Where: http://www.twitch.tv/kiriosity

We’ve come to it. The final book. I’m biting my nails because I’m not ready for this game to end! I’m already preparing for a stream the next day because I’m going to require some serious comfort gaming after this, loves. I will be a bit of a wreck, I’m sure.

Haven’t made it to a stream before? You can catch up here!

As I said, after this I will need some comfort gaming, which means…

Next Stream: January 14th (Saturday), 1pm PST – 5pm PST, 7pm PST – 12am PST

Game: Dragon Age: Origins

My love of Dragon Age is not a secret. I’ve written two tribute songs (Halamshiral, Lost) and one original (Bring You Home) about my game experiences. Don’t watch those if you haven’t seen/played the game and care about spoilers.

I haven’t streamed or really shared game play of these games because I figured my fangirl level was a bit too high and would not actually be interesting to watch. And then several Curiosities laughed and said I should do it anyway.

So here we go. Saturday. It’s happening.

We Have Forums!

Hello Curiosities!

Now for a while now, I’ve had a few people individually reach out and ask if I’d consider making a Curiosity Forum, thus creating a central location for Curiosities to gather and chat about whatever they please other than the Twitch chat when I’m streaming.

You have asked and I have answered! Now it’s not the PRETTIEST forum because it’s a relatively simple WordPress integration, but I think it will serve the purposes we need. You can find them in the top bar. Right now we have a community forum and if anyone wants to discuss The Terra Mirum series, I have made one of those as well.

Partially because I’m fairly certain my publisher would have shamed me if I didn’t make a forum for it, and partially because I want to create a space for discussing the books where someone who hasn’t read them won’t accidentally stumble on a spoiler.

My only rules are fairly simple. Be kind. Don’t harass anyone, don’t spew hate, etc etc. This is a place for support and anyone being a jerkface will be dealt with by a swift boot to the pantalones.

How to Register:

Beneath the “Party Members” section on the right panel, you’ll see a “Login” section. Below there are options to register or recover your password. Click Register.

Editing your Profile:

This is a little stranger than it should be because there’s a slight disconnect between the forum plugin and wordpress itself.

To edit your avatar, you’ll need to click your name in the top black bar that appears when you have logged in. It will take you to link a gravatar account.

To edit visible info to the forum, you need to click your name on the right side panel (where the login info was). For some reason, this info doesn’t seem to populate itself when you fill it in with wordpress.

Post any further questions you may have about the forum in the comments and I will be sure to update this blog post with the relevant information.

Thank you!

Rogue Training – Week 3

Welcome to the Training Board!

What is this?

Everyone has their favorite character class. Being a bard, of course I have a special place for rogues in my heart. So with the help of one of my best friends, we’ve devised a training regime that will be taking inspiration from the multiple iterations of rogues as depicted in the Dragon Age series, including specializations. These workouts will be focusing on core strength, dexterity and cardio and are intended to be done in a circuit.

Things to Note:

These workouts are created with a gym in mind. Gyms are awesome because people are there to answer questions, the equipment is maintained, and if somehow you hurt yourself, you have immediate assistance. I would like to eventually add at home alternatives but right now that’s not something I have time for. I’m sharing my exact routine.

I’m basically a 5ft tall Dalish, so you may need to adjust weights or reps to your comfort level. However, do keep in mind these exercises are with a rogue class in mind, not a warrior. It’s really not about uber heavy lifting. =)

Rogue Training

Rogues are crafty combatants who succeed in battle by combining speed, subterfuge, and a wide range of abilities to bring their opponents down in unexpected ways, sometimes before the enemy even perceives danger.

Day 1

WARM-UP:

AMT Machine (level 3): 10 minutes

WORKOUT:

Kettlebell Swings: 40 reps (10-20 lbs kettlebell)

Hollow Holds: 20-30 seconds

TRX Push-Ups : 15 reps (hands holding on to grip in straps)

TRX Pistol Squats into Balancing Stick Pose: 10 reps (per leg)

Statue of Liberty: 10 reps each side (10-20 lbs kettlebell)

REST 1 minute

REPEAT WORKOUT 3-4 times

Day 2

WARM-UP:

Rowing Machine: 800 meters (at your pace)

WORKOUT:

Kettlebell Swings: 40 reps (with 10-20 lbs kettlebell)

Leg lifts: 15 reps (fists under buttocks for support of lower back)

One-legged Romanian Dead Lift: 10 per leg (use 10-20 lbs kettlebell)

Push-ups: 7 reps

REST 1 minute

REPEAT WORKOUT 3-4 times TOTAL

Specializations:

Specializations are sub-class choices that further define and customize characters in the Dragon Age series. They open access to new talents based upon the character’s base class (Warrior, Mage or Rogue).

Keep an eye out for extra info for specializations. These will be related to other aspects of health (diet, mental health etc) to help you continue your rogue training. These ARE optional, and you are encouraged to design your own specializations. These are meant for a platform to jump off from.

Tempest:

These unpredictable experts specialize in using alchemical mixtures that wreathe them in frost or flame. Fast, chaotic, and possibly mad, they wade into the fight and dare enemies to face the storm.

Since Tempests specialize in alchemy, these sections will be focusing on dietary needs and recipes. Remember if you’re upping your exercise routine, food is SUPER important. Your body is increasing activity and you’re sweating which means you’re depleting nutrients much faster. It’s imperative you eat enough calories and as equally important that you’re eating calories that HELP you keep going. Protein, sodium, iron etc–you don’t want to get dizzy because you’re consuming only one food group.

Bard:

Having taken the minstrel’s art to new levels, bards are skilled performers and master manipulators; bards can inspire their allies or dishearten their foes through song and tale.

Bards are all about art and charisma, so for these sections, you can expect artistic and even social challenges. We’ll use this specialization to focus on some good mental health practices. Maybe we’ll collaborate on something together, or you’ll be challenged to watch a movie or read a book–or interacting with the Curiosity Community.