Phoenix

FNM on tour in Frankfurt

If I could only host music on this site, it would be full of songs from my two all-time favorite artist, Pink Floyd and Faith No More. Both bands broke up many years ago and through the years neither has shown any interest in reforming, until recently. It is not new news but very encouraging and exciting news that FNM has risen from it's ashes and is touring again! The talk on their official site fnm.com, states that they are

"still young and strong enough to deliver a kickass set, with enthusiasm to not only revisit our past but possibly add something to the present."

While no tour dates have come to North America the European dates played thus far have been reported as great successes drawing very large crowds. I won't hold my breath over how long this arrangement will last but I'm surely happy to know that it is possible that we may see FNM in the states and, if all the stars align, we might even be blessed with some new music some day.

Characters

I've been doing a bit of gaming and a lot of reading lately and got to thinking. When authors write about the characters in their books do they consciously make an attempt to create compelling characters or is it generally something that just happens. Did R.A. Salvatore have a great story to tell or did he start with a cast of great characters, building the story around them? Not that it really matters, I suppose, a good book is a good book but, characters and their development are what generally drive the story. So, how does an author create compelling characters? I know that not many people read this other than me but what are your opinions? What are the characters that make a great story? Some of my favorites are as follows in no particular order:

Jarlaxle Baenre -
The charismatic leader of a band of rogues who has always got a trick or ten up his sleeve just demands attention. When Salvatore brought to light an entire trilogy co-starred by Jarlaxle I was a happy reader indeed.

Roland -
Knight and later, Lord serving the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne Roland's combination of unbreakable loyalty to his lord, fierce adherence to the knightly code, and often reckless battlefield antics make Charlemagne's Champion one compelling character.

Jander Sunstar -
The main character in Vampire of the Mists is a truly tragic figure A character who enjoys life and the pleasures of it locked in the "life" of undeath and forced to feed on the living.

Vrock -
The simple, brutish half-orc had so many great one-liners that it was impossible to not love this character. There was no secret agendas with Vrock, he was easy to gauge - eat, drink, bash heads!

Gandalf The Grey -
My first real encounter with wizards in fantasy literature was with Tolkien's character. The wizened and mysterious magic user, for all his power, never had all the answers. He showed that he was human on many levels, mixing in just enough mischief to keep things interesting for those around him.