Tigers

Fantasy is extremely fascinating and all, but even the real world has many awesome things to show. One of them, is Tigers – my favourite animal ever. Tigers are the largest of them cats, reaching a total body length of up to 3.3 metres (11ft.) and weighting up to 306kg (670lb). The feature that differentiates them of all the other big cats, is those incredibly majestic dark vertical stripes on their red-orange fur.  They are muscular, have powerful forequarters, and especially in males, a large head.Their form seems to inspire grace along with might as they have been used many times in the past as figures of incredible power, like Gods and so on. One of the four animal Chinese constellations, it is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (西方白虎, Xī Fāng Bái Hǔ), and is known as Baihu in Chinese, Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese. It represents the west and the autumn season. Of great importance in Chinese myth and culture, the tiger is one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Also in various Chinese art and martial art, the tiger is depicted as an earth symbol and equal rival of the Chinese dragon- the two representing matter and spirit respectively. In fact, the Southern Chinese martial art Hung Ga is based on the movements of the Tiger and the Crane. In Imperial China, a tiger was the personification of war and often represented the highest army general (or present day defence secretary), while the emperor and empress were represented by a dragon and phoenix, respectively. The weretiger replaces the werewolf in shapeshifting folklore in Asia; in India they were evil sorcerers while in Indonesia and Malaysia they were somewhat more benign. Tigers have multiple categories but I’ll be simple and discuss only two of them:

White Tiger: 

Probably the most popular of the variations Tigers have, obviously because of the colour. The white tiger is apparently some sort of mutant of the Bengal Tiger. A white tiger's pale coloration is caused by the presence of a recessive gene. There was an assumption that the white tiger was an albino version of the usual tiger, but that proved to be false, as they retain their black stripes. Rather, the fur between the stripes lacks pheomelanin entirely. An additional genetic condition can remove most of the stripping of a white tiger, making the animal almost pure white, white tigers of this type are called snow-white or "pure white". Even the "stripeless" white tigers have very pale stripes, so those are also not considered albinos. Compared to normal coloured tigers without the white gene, white tigers tend to be larger, both at birth and as fully grown adults. White tigers, have enzymes in their fur which react to temperature, causing them to grow darker in the cold.  When stressed or confused, all white tigers cross their eyes, and a large part of them is prone to crossed eyes, a condition known as strabismus. The unusual coloration of white tigers has made them (unfortunately T^T) popular in zoos and entertainment showcasing exotic animals.

Black Tiger: 

Many of the tiger lovers have probably heard of the Blue Tigers which are said to have bluish fur with dark grey stripes.  But, if you think this is rare, then wait to read this. The most popular colour variation in the big cat family, is probably the black panther. But what if there was also a Black Tiger? It was considered a myth but several pelts have proven that pseudo-melanistic or hypermelanic tigers do exist. They are not wholly black, but have dense, wide stripes that partially obscure the orange background colour. There are also reports of White Tigers turning to black. One of the three white tigers born in Vandalur zoo in June 2010 seems to have changed its colours — most of its body and legs are now black.

In the wild, tigers mostly feed on larger and medium sized animals. Tigers are thought to be nocturnal predators, hunting at night. However, in areas where humans are absent, they have been observed via remote controlled, hidden cameras hunting during the daylight hours. They generally hunt alone and ambush their prey as most other cats do, overpowering them from any angle, using their body size and strength to knock large prey off balance. Even with their great masses, tigers can reach speeds of about 49–65 kilometres per hour (35–40 miles per hour), although they can only do so in short bursts, since they have relatively little stamina; consequently, tigers must be relatively close to their prey before they break their cover. Tigers have great leaping ability; horizontal leaps of up to 10 metres have been reported, although leaps of around half this amount are more typical. However, only one in twenty hunts ends in a successful kill. Tigers may kill formidable predators such as leopards, pythons and even crocodiles on occasion, although predators typically avoid one another. Mating can occur all year round, but is generally more common between November and April. A female is only receptive for a few days and mating is frequent during that time period. Tigers are strong swimmers, and are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers. During the extreme heat of the day, they often cool off in pools. They are able to carry prey through the water. The lion is traditionally thought of as the 'King of the Beasts' in English-speaking countries. But, in many Asian countries, such as China, India (where both big cats are present), Korea, and Japan, it is the tiger which holds this title. In a poll conducted by Animal Planet, the tiger was voted the world's favourite animal, narrowly beating the dog. Let me just say in the end, Tigers ftw! XD


                              

The World of Devil May Cry

A world of demons in a fictional copy of our reality with gothic architecture and bits and pieces of steam-punk atmosphere scattered here and there. A tough world to be living in even for those not associated with demons resulting into mercenary-like jobs being popular and highly paid for. The hero of the story is the freelance mercenary Dante, a specialized devil hunter in whose veins runs the blood of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, a devil who forsook his demonic heritage to save mankind during the war between humanity and demon-kind, about 2000 years ago.

Dante:         
Dante appears as a carefree, lazy guy with no interest in making money, who only goes after bizarre cases like ghost-hunting, demon slaying even when there’s no reward, turning down any other offer that might not appeal to him. He has even devised a password system which helps him pick his customers better. His fighting skills however are incredible and his prowess unquestioned, as he never raises an eyebrow even when a bullet grazes his nose. And only the toughest fights seem to make him break his lazy attitude. Using his twin customized handguns and a sword given to him by his deceased father, Dante never breaks a sweat no matter who he’s up against. The demonic blood has provided him with incredible powers from a young age, fast healing, fast reflexes, incredible power and more, being even able to transform himself to a full demon for a short time.

“Though a fight every now and then, does make life more interesting.” Dante ~ Devil May Cry 4

Devils:
The denizens of the underworld, also known as demons, are currently sealed thanks to sacrifice Sparda made 2000 years ago. Many monuments of Sparda appear throughout the games, the anime, etc. and even a religion, known as the Order of the Sword who treats Sparda as a God. Many sealed portals to the underworld exist as well, depicting Sparda’s hard work, and the places from which the demons try to break in. Demons of any kind, any size, any shape and any whatever, roam the Underworld seeking a chance to break in here, after Sparda sealed them off. Demons representing the 7 deadly sins, fallen angels, demons of fire, of shadow and more. Each more deadly than the last one.

“Let’s welcome chaos” Arkham ~ Devil May Cry 3.

Companions:
At each of his adventures, Dante usually is accompanied with a side-kick, someone sharing the same goals or just some friends who lent their helping hand in his quest. These companions vary from humans to demons and each possesses his/her own unique style of devil-slaying techniques and powers. Trish, a creation of the Demon Emperor, Mundus with the form of Dante’s dead mother which was used to trap him but changed sides to help Dante instead carries Sparda’s old handguns Luce & Umbra and specializes in lighting techniques. Lady, the girl who might have brought the idea of the name “Devil May Cry” to Dante is a professional gunslinger with a love for money. Lucia, a failed demonic creation who developed feelings and became a seasoned demon hunter uses a two-sword style fighting, with ninja like movements enhanced by her demonic heritage. And finally, there’s Nero, a descendant of Sparda’s blood, whose demonic right hand and incredible sword/gun skills make him the most powerful of the four. All except Lucia regarded Dante with suspicion at the beginning since Dante is more a man of action than a man of words, but grew fond him as soon as they realized what kind of person he is and help him in numerous missions.

“What happened next? Nothing really. We took care of the remaining demons and that was it. I still have a job to do that’s far from done which is to eliminate every last demon.”  Lady ~ Devil May Cry 3

Adversaries:          
There are only two of Dante’s opponents who were actually a fair match for him. Mundus, the Emperor of the Devils and Vergil, Dante’s older-twin brother. Mundus is the son of the original Demon Emperor and the reason for the underworld’s attack against the human world. His powers are close to God, being able to change reality around you, summon mighty comets, command lighting, create life, fly and who knows what else, being defeated only by Sparda and afterwards by Dante who was helped by Trish. Vergil is Dante’s spitting image, but he couldn’t be more different in character, style and ideals. While Dante’s only purpose was to find the demon who killed their family and take revenge, Vergil’s purpose was simply power. Dante preferred his human side to the demonic one because it gave him feelings and a strong heart, while Vergil embraced his demonic side to achieve power and might. Vergil went as far as to go live in the Underworld, which corrupted his mind and ended up being Mundus’ faithful servant, losing even the ability to speak. Dante shed a tear after killing him, not having realized beforehand who he was fighting against due to Vergil having transformed into the entity known as Nelo Angelo and losing himself.  

“Might controls everything. And without strength, you cannot protect anything. Let alone yourself.” Vergil ~ Devil May Cry 3.

The world of Devil May Cry is as dangerous as it is fascinating and as romantic as it is corrupted. Fast paced attacks both from melee weapons and firearms are the only way to survive for long, along with a good sense of style. Accompanied with the white-haired, red-coated devil hunter and a bunch of hot skilled girls that are up to the task of devil hunting, who could say no?

Doctor Who

Taking a break from the Fantasy Creatures – I hope whoever read them liked them – I want to actually write for something else for a change. And what did I choose? One of the oldest TV series of old time. The all-time favourite Doctor Who.
                                        
A few stuff about how I came to love the series. I was very reluctant to watch it at first because it involves the Space. I generally find the Space pretty boring (it’s a huge black thing with nothing in it..) which made not want to watch series like Star Trek or Star Wars. I have watched clips and I liked them, but can’t really take the whole spaceship/space/crew, it just doesn’t work for me. So when my friends kept bugging me to watch it, I was all-like no way.
                          
However Doctor Who DOES have something I love. Time-Travel. I actually decided to watch it after watching an anime that had time-travel as its main theme, and remembered how much I love it. After finishing the anime, I wanted something similar, and that’s where my friend’s spam worked. The first thing that came to mind was Doctor Who. So I started watching it, and I liked it<3                                           
                         
The Doctor is quite the awesome character.  One time he’s serious to a fault the other he’s acting like a 5-year old. One time he’s acting all cool and invincible, the other he runs for his life. One time he says he’s only a watcher who shouldn’t try and affect himself, the other he’s risking his life to help whoever he can. He’s the epitome of contradiction – much like humans, maybe that’s why he likes them so much.
                                    
I particularly like the episodes that have to do with the past. After all the future is pretty much easy to fantasize. All you have to do to ‘create’ the future is have some incredible technology running the whole world, aliens on Earth, flying cars, cures for all diseases, NEW diseases etc etc. But the past? Ah the past. The past is already there. In all those books and all the statues and paintings and memorials that we have now. The past has to look convincing. Has to be able to show us how people lived then, how they dressed, the series has to actually live up to what we know about the old times, whereas the ‘future’ only has to look fancy and weird. The only super-technology thing I'd like to see, it would be the Doctor's past. So again, I like it because it's the past not because it has fancy machinery and clothingXD

                                    
The Doctor’s Enemies and I have a love/hate relationship. They are like the Doctor. Sometimes cool, sometimes childish, sometimes annoying, sometimes brilliant, sometimes intelligent and sometimes just crazy. I laugh SO HARD, when an alien just looks like a fusion between an animal and a human. It makes me think of monsters from Power Rangers or Hercules/Xena. Funny how this works since my favourite enemies, the Daleks look like a fusion between a washing machine, with kitchen and plumbing tools and a camera, with a voice like someone who has been smoking since the 70s and is about 700 years old. But I can’t stop loving them. Support the Daleks. Support! Suppooooort! :P
                           
And of course I could not talk about Doctor Who and not mention the most lovable thing in the series. It’s not the Doctor, it’s not the Sonic Screwdriver, it’s not someone of the Doctor’s companions, it’s the Doctor’s ETERNAL companion. The TARDIS<3 – a.k.a. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. The Blue Box is so awesome that you want to hug it. You want to go inside and let it throw you wherever and whenever and have an adventure there. You want to go there and exclaim ‘It’s bigger on the inside’ and then explore it as much as you can before getting tired. You want to go play with all those awesome and funny-stupid like gadgets it has and SO MUCH more. Ah gotta love the TARDIS.

And there isn’t much else to say. I could be talking like forever, without actually saying anything new, so I’ll stop here. I’ll just say how thankful I am for the hours I spend watching this series (excluding maybe the Slitheen episodes…why do they exist..) and the hours I spend discussing this with my friends. Long live the last of the TimeLords!
                                      

Fantasy Creatures Part 4 - The Devils

Devils

After the benevolent – yes I overuse this word thank you – spiritual guardians of good, let’s switch to the malevolent possessive spirits of evil, the devils. For starters, devils do like certain variations to their ‘name’ being called devils, demons, daemons, fiends, oni, genma and so forth without each name meaning always something different like the category system that the Angels use (Seraphim etc.) not that they lack categories mind you. In sort they are supposedly spirits/residents of the underworld with a malevolent nature seeking to come here and make life difficult for us, or simply destroy us :D As with all bad things, devils have the reputation of bringing bad luck even by being mentioned – I really hope my dreams won’t be nightmares since I’ll be going to sleep after this. Their powers are easy to describe. Just think of something bad that has/did/usually does/etc happen to you. Every little (or big) sort of thing like that could have been brought about by the hand of a devil. Bad luck, accidents, deaths, lost stuff, feeling bad etc. are all examples of their skills. As varied their powers are so is their forms. When you talk of ‘The Devil’ the usual image that pops to the head is a red guy with a trident, two horns, sharp teeth, a funny tail and possible a goat’s legs – bat wings being fair play as well. But that’s not all. Let’s see two of these guys who aren’t like that at all or actually ARE but don’t look half as scary as the above description implies.

Succubus
The female version of an Incubus who in contrast with his female version, remains us ugly and scary as the popular description of the word ‘Devil’. However the Succubus is actually quite attractive. It is the female materialization of one of the 7 sins, lust. It takes control of her victim’s dreams in order to keep him dormant and transforms into an attractive woman who by doing the –you-know-what action (hint: it usually comes after the kiss, but not on your very first date:P) which allow it to consume the victim’s life energy and power up, leaving the victim weak – sometimes close to death. A succubus in its natural state is in the shape and form of a beautiful human woman with demonic features, such as bat-like wings, tiny horns, and/ or a tail. However, the succubus may shape-shift into many forms. In many other versions their real forms could actually be ugly, closer to a monster, but usually they appear graceful and alluring, better equipped to ensnare their victims. Other females devils are often depicted in beautiful forms but the Succubus is definitely the most popular for it.

Fallen Angels

The main reason I picked Devils as part 4, right after the Angels were these guys. In most cases known as the ‘original devils’ having fell from grace into hell/underworld/etc. and the creators of all other lesser evils like imps and goblins and succubi. The fallen angels are former angels who for some reason lost their place on Heaven and so became tainted and corrupted, transforming into the first devils, and becoming later known as Archdevils among their weaker brethren. Like the well known ‘Devil’ the one with the trident and stuff, who originally was Lucifer, the most beautiful angel of them all, many other angels followed a similar path and shared his fate. Having transformed into mere shadows of their former selves, the Fallen Angels are sometimes the typical personification of the word devil, some other times simply winged monstrosities but other times they are simply angels, albeit with a new alluring beauty and charm they did not posses before – as to lure their victims. In many cases, they can adopt – or possibly mainly have – an incredibly beautiful form, resembling their past glory with the little changes I mentioned above. Their nature remains the same as with all the devils though. Cruel, possessive and chaotic. Cunning and intelligence seem to be the extra features the Fallen Angels seem to posses but not for one moment should one underestimate the plotting abilities of any devil. Fallen Angels are just better, that’s all ;)

Horns, tails, bat wings, red, fires, contracts, manipulation, deceive and sometimes all of these and more come with the simple mention of the word ‘devil’. Popular beyond anything – especially since almost any church bans them by blaming any thing bad to them – the devils have in some way already conquered the world. They are everywhere and in everything, just look around you. Games, stories and books are only the obvious places to look. Look at brand names, at symbols at trademarked logos, look at shapes and clothes and Halloween, look at everything, and more importantly, look at the title of that blog and its meaning. Have a good day:)