I’m not ashamed of my online gaming hobby. If it weren’t for my love of simulation and role-play games, I wouldn’t have been led to my career. I’ve spent long days exploring games like Everquest & World of Warcraft. Before that, I played simulation game classics like Majesty and Roller Coaster Tycoon. But the PC platform limited my ability to do anything but stationary gaming. After months of searching for the best gaming fit, in 2014 I discovered KingsRoad, which was supported on handheld device platforms like my iPad and iPhone. I played KingsRoad for 8 years until it’s shocking sunset in 2022. Here’s where I say a dramatic goodbye to this fun and engaging experience and share some screenshots of time well-spent with my character Rogerian and his faithful bear pet.
Imagine spending countless hours in a virtual world, immersing yourself in the adventures and challenges it offers, only to have it abruptly taken away. This was the unfortunate fate of my beloved game, KingsRoad, when Rumble Games announced its cancellation. As an avid player, I would like to reminisce about the joy that KingsRoad brought into my life and express my disappointment at its untimely demise.
At the core of my gaming experience was my beloved character, a hunter named Rogerian. With my loyal pet bear acting as a tank, I would effortlessly shoot down enemies, advancing through the game’s challenging levels. Rogerian was not only a formidable force on the battlefield, but he was also the proud leader of a guild known as Fantasticats. Playing alongside fellow guild members, particularly my close friend the mage GiddyUp59, added a whole new layer of enjoyment to the game. Together, we embarked on epic quests, conquering dungeons and raid bosses.
One of the most exhilarating aspects of KingsRoad was the ability to summon a majestic dragon, Aurelian. This mighty creature offered a significant boost to the gold collected from defeated enemies, a feature that I found particularly enticing. To further enhance this effect, players could utilize gold potions to stack the bonuses, creating a lucrative advantage that added an element of strategy to the gameplay. It was a joy to watch my character amass wealth and become more powerful with the aid of Aurelian.
However, KingsRoad was not just about acquiring wealth and participating in solo adventures – it also had a thriving player versus player (PvP) community. Engaging in PvP tournaments provided an excellent opportunity to test my skills against other players and foster a sense of healthy competition. Additionally, the game offered a variety of daily dungeons and weekly events, keeping the experience fresh and dynamic. The developers of KingsRoad truly crafted a universe that catered to both solo and cooperative play, ensuring that players were constantly engaged and entertained.
The news of KingsRoad’s cancellation was met with a heavy heart. It felt as though a chapter of my life was abruptly cut short, leaving behind only memories of the joy and excitement I had experienced over the course of eight wonderful years. It was more than just a game; it was a community where friendships were forged and challenges were overcome together. It had become a part of my routine, my escape from the mundane, and losing it felt like a significant loss.
As I look back on my time with KingsRoad, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for the countless hours of enjoyment it provided. The game allowed me to tap into my creativity, strategy, and camaraderie, all while immersing myself in a fantastical world. It was a testament to the power of gaming to bring people together, ignite their passions, and create lasting memories.
While the cancellation of KingsRoad may have left a void in my gaming heart, I am thankful for the incredible journey it took me on. Its rich gameplay, vibrant community, and thrilling adventures will forever hold a special place in my heart. Farewell, KingsRoad; you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten.
My first viewing of Game of Thrones left me with a fragmented understanding of Westeros politics. A second viewing has given me a better comprehension of the family histories, alliances, and feuds. One thing a second viewing of this show has also taught me – the Lannister acting cast is sublime. There’s not one weak link in the bunch, making Lannister scenes memorable and worth rewatching. This article series will focus on the plot antagonists who enable and challenge them.
From the pilot episode, the Lannisters show pathological hatred and vengeance for anyone who impedes their political ambitions and preservation of family legacy. Like most GoT characters, the Lannisters, excluding Joffrey, follow an arc that doesn’t define them as good or evil. While Cersei is mostly atrocious, she almost seems like a reasonable person compared to the High Sparrow, after her empowerment of him proves to be a “shame”-ful mistake.
High Sparrow
Oh boy, many of us know a “High Sparrow” type – the person who lived out life as they selfishly saw fit for years until deciding to change. The type who treated people horribly or lived carelessly, and then found a religion or philosophy that changed them. But it’s not good enough for them to change, is it? They have to enforce their new found understanding on the rest of us and mercilessly judge our choices from their enlightened perch.
Before he rose to prominence, the High Sparrow inherited his father’s cobbler business and decided his success was too much to endure after a night of hard partying. Realizing that owning a thriving business isn’t the life he wants, he puts on a muumuu and heads for King’s Landing. In Season 5, we first see him doing what the religious and enlightened are supposed to do- hang out with the poor, feed them, and give them guidance.
“Nice muumuu, High Sparrow. How about a bowl of brown?”
Cersei shows up and ingratiates herself to the High Sparrow by arresting the Sept’s current leader for whoremongering and gives the High Sparrow his own little army, the Faith Militant. Cersei doesn’t like King Tommen’s wife, Queen Margaery Tyrell, so she needs the high sparrow to have his faith militant arrest Margaey’s brother Loras, a homosexual. This solves two problems for Cersei – 1) she was promised to marry Loras Tyrell, which would send her away to the Tyrell home of High Garden and 2) the arrest distracts Queen Margaery away from Tommen. Soon enough, High Sparrow exploits Cersei’s hatred for the Tyrells and eventually Cersai and Margaery find themselves sleeping in dungeon cells along with the rest of King’s Landing influential sinners.
As a result of arming the Septon, King’s Landing becomes an even scarier place. Barrels of ale are destroyed, Littlefinger’s establishment is raided, and the faith militant are patrolling for deviance. Cersei’s little scheme turns the whole town into a violent theocracy, ending season 5 with her humiliating walk of shame from the King’s Landing Sept to the Red Keep.
Even Jaime and Lord Tryrell’s armies cannot stop the High Sparrow. In one Season 6 scene, we see HS smirking at Jaime after King Tommen emerges from the sept to inform his father/uncle he is now ruling from the church. HS now has full control of the king. The High Sparrow’s expression tells us that just like his cobbling trade, modest success isn’t enough for him. No, he needs more control by manipulating King Tommen and the faith militant. Interestingly enough, throughout the entire storyline, the High Sparrow never strikes a blow – yet persuades his followers and faith militant to carry out his wishes.
“I’ll just tell him you’re busy, your Grace.” -Ser Lancel
Cersei wasn’t able to keep the High Sparrow under her control, so she used her power to undo the mistake of arming him. Aided by Maester Qyburn’s ”little birds”, she finds out that wildfire barrels are stored under the Sept’s foundation. In season 6, the wildfire explosion kills the High Sparrow, along with many other of Cersei’s most hated – Margaery, Loras, and Lord Tyrell.
Unlike the amoral sadists Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolten, the character of High Sparrow was multidimensional and mysterious. Before Cersei made him armed and powerful, he was down in Flea Bottom feeding the poor. Would he have stayed on the path of peacefully serving the poor had the Queen Mother not paid him a visit? Probably so. Certainly HS was revered by the powerless, but without funding, any militia he could muster is no challenge for the Lannister and Tyrell forces. Cersei offered him more than what he gave up to become High Sparrow and this empowerment exposed his greedy nature. While I was relieved to see the High Sparrow and his followers exterminated, the dreadful oppressive presence captured by the rich and brilliant acting of Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow is unforgettable.
This is what it looked like every night at our house through most of January 2022.
When the HBO series Game of Thrones began in 2011, I didn’t watch it because I didn’t have HBO, and it didn’t look like anything I’d want to see. Despite that, several people told me how great the show was and that they thought it was something that I’d like. Jump forward in time to 2022, and we now have HBO, and my husband I and decide to watch an episode to see if we like it or not.
One episode quickly became another one, and we were soon obsessed. We binge-watched the entire series, and loved it so very much. Game of Thrones is quite possibly the greatest series ever created, with characters that you feel so passionately either for or against. Along with that, there is suspense and intrigue to keep you needing to know what will happen next.
I am going to assume that whoever reads this has watched the series in its entirety, so I don’t need a lengthy description of the various plot points or character descriptions. What I’d like to do here is outline the reasons why I’m infuriated by the series ending, and why I love Daenerys Targaryen and feel that she should still be alive.
The Remaining Starks Should be Grateful to Daenerys at Winterfell
Bran, Sansa, and Arya should be thanking their lucky stars for being alive because they could not have won the battle of Winterfell without Daenerys’ and her army. Of course, Arya gets major credit for killing the Night King, and Bran gets credit for drawing the Night King to him. I don’t really know what good Arya was doing way up on that tower for most of the battle before she made it over to Bran, but that’s besides the point. Daenerys, Jon, and the dragons were saving so many lives by mowing down the zombie attackers. Also, so many unsullied and Dothraki soldiers risked their lives to save the North. No way could the combined Northern forces have defeated the Night King and his army alone.
Did Daenerys and her combined forces get any credit for that? Yes, but definitely not from the incredibly ungrateful Stark family. The Stark family really proved to be nothing but pure, ungrateful trash in my eyes. Meanwhile, true and brave fighters like Tormund Giantsbane and Yara Greyjoy were smart and always acknowledged Daenerys’ sacrifice to help them. Jon Snow was also grateful to the Mother of Dragons and her armies, but, of course, he is definitely not a Stark.
Daenerys is Betrayed by the People Closest to Her
Varys
In the beginning of the show, Varys was one of the most supportive people of Daenerys, even before they had even met in person. He knew that she would make a far superior ruler of the Seven Kingdoms than anyone from the House of Baratheon. He pretended to be loyal to the Baratheon Kings until he was able to meet up with Daenerys and her army. That is why it is so puzzling and surprising that he would eventually betray her.
Varys did so very much to help Daenerys get support against Cersi. He went to Dorne to get their support, and he also got support from the House of Tyrell. Unfortunately, Cersi and her minions were already several steps ahead, but Varys did very good work to help Daenerys and her cause. His treasonous acts against Daenerys broke my heart because I really liked his character. The change in attitude toward Daenerys was so sudden, and there wasn’t really a good explanation of it in the show. We see Varys’ loyalty changing directly after the defeat of the Night King. He saw that all the people were openly supporting and congratulating Jon Snow. Also, he noticed that it hurt Daenerys’ feelings to be so under-appreciated. For some reason, that made Varys suddenly conspire against Daenerys in support of Jon Snow. Ultimately, Daenerys had to execute Varys not only because she had warned him what would happen if he betrayed her, but also because he truly deserved it.
Tyrion
I so loved Tyrion for most of the show, and eventually hated him because he betrayed Daenerys in the worst way. He essentially decided that he had the moral superiority to be her judge and jury after the Battle at King’s Landing. In my opinion, he is just as guilty of murdering Daenerys as Jon Snow is. You know how Charles Manson didn’t kill anyone, but manipulated others to kill for him? Well, Tyrion is a Manson figure in that sense because he convinced Jon Snow that Daenerys needed to go. Watch the scene where Tyrion convinces Jon to murder Daenerys and tell me that is no a master manipulator in action. He is a horribly despicable character for this action alone. But, I also hated him when he let Jamie Lannister go to Cersi, thus betraying Daenerys. He was also wrong for disagreeing with Daenerys’ decision to kill the rotten head of the Tarly family and Samwell’s stupid and overly proud brother. She had to do what she had to do there.
Jon Snow
Nobody in their right mind can hate Jon Snow. He is the moral compass of the show, and he is one of the truly good characters throughout every season. That said, I was furious at him when he killed Daenerys. It was such a shocking and unbelievable betrayal, and it is outrageous that he would allow himself to be so manipulated by Tyrion. I’ve already talked about the way that Tyrion suggested that Jon kill Daenerys, but there was also an interaction with Arya that helped convince Jon to commit cold-blooded murder. Arya told Jon that she knows Daenerys is a killer, and that Daenerys will see Jon as a threat.
It’s just incredibly foolish of Jon to believe Tyrion and Arya, when he knows that Daenerys loves him more than anyone. Daenerys exhibits nothing but loyalty to those she loves, and has never given any indication that she would be violent to Jon Snow. It’s just a terrible shame that Jon allows himself to be so easily manipulated.
The Attack on Kings Landing
This was a completely justified invasion on the part of Daenerys and her combined forces. I doubt there’s anyone who think Cersi needed to stay on as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. After all, she mass murdered her own people when she blew up the big church where they were having a trial for Loras Tyrell. For Daenerys, however, it’s not only necessary for personal reasons because she is next in line as a descendant of the last Targaryen king. That is, at least until she finds out about Jon Snow’s heritage. Jon has told anyone and everyone that he doesn’t want to be king so he supports Daenerys. Another reason why Daenerys wants to attack King’s Landing is because she really hates Cersi after she has Missandi beheaded. Daenerys is extremely loyal and protective of those who are loyal to her, and Cersi really messed up when she had Missandi executed.
What Exactly Happened After the Bells Chimed?
This is a question that I’ve spent some time trying to figure out, and I have some ideas but no conclusive answers. First of all, there is nothing to suggest Daenerys knows that the ringing of the bells is a signal of surrender. It’s never something that was shown to be discussed in front of Daenerys. The first I recall hearing about it was when Tyrion tells Jamie to ring the bells if Jamie can convince Cersi to surrender. Tyrion says nothing about this plan to Daenerys. How was she to know that was the signal? And, who was authorized to ring the bells? From Cersi’s reaction, it sure doesn’t look like it was her idea to ring the bells. Anyway, I suppose that the reason why Daenerys is murdered is her behavior after the bells rang.
So, yes, Daenerys directs Drogon to burn and destroy almost everything and everyone in King’s Landing. Yes, that was overkill, when she should have just had Drogon fly directly over to the tower that Cersi was in and destroy that. She did let her grief over the execution of Missandi, and her hatred for Cersi guide her actions that day. Personally, I think she was justified in her actions because Cersi was the ultimate evil, and the civilians were incredibly stupid to stay in town when they had to know an attack was imminent.
That being said, we have a saying in our family where something in a movie or TV show absolutely makes no sense, we say, “It wasn’t in the script.” So, yeah, the writer of the show needed a dramatic or shocking ending and just put it in the script. It was a cop-out and a terribly disappointing end to a great heroine.
Being born in Fall of 1977 means the early 80’s are a blurry mist in my mind. While I’d love to remember the faces and voices of long-deceased relatives who were healthy and active during this time, my memory has mostly faded along with the few photos that remain. Fortunately there are sights and sounds that do trigger strong memories of this time, one of them being certain songs.
Growing up in a rural community meant long drives into town for groceries and other necessities. It was almost 40 years ago when I first heard the song “King of Pain.” As a 5 year old staring out of the window of my mom’s Cutlass Supreme, I was haunted by the lyrical imagery of a “butterfly trapped in a spider’s web” and a “dead salmon frozen in a waterfall.” While my young brain couldn’t fully process every metaphor, I understood the song’s distressing intent. From that moment on, I was drawn to the music of The Police and after they disbanded, Sting.
You boys just couldn’t get along.
Now in my 40’s, with a long commute to work, I’m still listening to their music. My mind revels in the darkly lyrical creativity often contradicted by jolly musical notes. In fact, I’ve listened to The Police through every decade and phase of my life to date. Their music has enriched my mind with new concepts, helped me cope with loss and grief, and question love and relationships.
This series of articles will be devoted to our favorite musicians and the songs that have traveled with us through different phases of life. That’s why I’m calling it “The Enduring Life of Songs.” Some songs persist with us at different stages of life and take on different meanings and understandings. Check back soon for my article featuring Sting’s overlooked song, “All This Time.”
