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4, 5 2010: A year in Review Pictorial 6, 7 Reviews: Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, Song of Scarabaeus, Soul Identity, Cades Cove 10 The Difference Between a Ghost and a Spirit 11 The Cost of Going Green 12, 13 The Society of the Trees 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Costume Designer Cheryl Trent 3-D Artwork By Duvall GilchristMontgomery If you would like to submit your work or just contact us: Darkfaery Subculture Magazine 517 NW 95th street Oklahoma city, OK 73114 USA E-mail: duvy.dfsm@gmail.com
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Next Month: Featured Model Amber D
Deville, Valentines, Vampires and Vixens!
Staff for this issue: Editor: Duvall Gilchrist-Montgomery TristaLou and James Wilmot...Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Review, Paranormal Research Sara Young...Book Reviews Vira Dee Undead...The Cost of Going Green Maynard BlackOak...The Society of Trees Cheryl Trent...Featured Model and Costume Designer Photos of Cheryl Trent and the trees in this issue are provided by Randy Blackwell Photography http://randyblackwellphotography.webs.com Email is randy74804@yahoo.com photo credits for the year in review, in the photos are: TristaLou, Maven, Shadowleaf, Pandy, Eve, Rayne, Felix, Dennis, Evan, Z, Duvy, Sandra Martin, Maczs, Alice the Cat, Art Sunday, Mandy and Marty Cole, James Wilmot, Christophe, Sharon Blackstone, Rooster Bedlam and the darkfaery girls.
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opyright Š 1997-2010 Contents contained within Darkfaery Subculture Magazine are subject to US Copyright Laws and are the property of their respective authors, artists and labels. Commercial use prohibited. 3
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In Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare you play as former outlaw John Marston when he wakes up to a nightmare of zombies, that have taken over the American Frontier including Beecher's Hope, the town he calls home. When you first see John everything is normal and he is happily talking to his son, Jack and his wife, Abigail. Soon they realize that Uncle has not returned and of course with every zombie story Uncle arrives soon after he is mentioned and is undead. John and Uncle fight and John darts off to retrieve his gun. When he returns with his gun he finds Uncle has bitten his beloved wife and she is passed out. He shoots and kills the Uncle and John and his son get Abigail outside. Abigail then wakes up and bites her son. Leaving John with no other choice but to hog tie the both of them and leave them inside the home. Now he must travel through out the frontier lands in hopes to find a cure for his infected family and save them from being one of the undead forever. In his travels he goes through towns, settlements, and outposts to help survivors cleanse them and get him closer to the cure. Game play is fairly the same as the other Red Dead games except one major thing. There are no Gunsmiths or General Stores so this makes ammo very scarce and hard to find. So you must use your ammo wisely. Head shots are the best bet. Body shots 6
don't really do anything so it's best not to shoot until you are fairly certain you can get that head shot. Ammo can be found however. If you save a town you could be rewarded with ammo. Even in the frontier you can complete some random encounters and be rewarded with some ammo. If you only have a few zombies after you or preferably just one, you might be able to get away with using your torch. It sets them on fire and will eventually kill them, but it's best to do this if you have a lot of space to out maneuver around them afterward. The torch, if learned how to use properly can turn out to be a very useful weapon in your arsenal. So it's best to try and use it the most you can and get practice. One good hint is to stay on top of buildings or the other side of fences when avoiding zombies, they can not climb so they can not get to you. Also during your game play you can find the Four Horses of the ApocalypseDeath,War,Famine and Pestilence. Each horse posses abilities that can be very useful and help you defeat the undead. Along the way through the story line you may run into other mythical creatures, maybe Sasquatch, a Chupacabra or even a Unicorn. So keep an eye out for these legendary creatures. Along with normal game play there is also many other game modes. In multiplayer mode there are Co-Op missions and Competitive Modes so you can play friends. In online play you can play as characters from Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption.
Man has gone far, in the universe and in scientific advances. Highly skilled cyphertecks use biocyph technology to make any ecosystem peoplefriendly. The tools cyphertecks use to read bioseeds are always at hand, literally. Implanted wiring lets infojacks read hardware, and can put a self-destruct switch in convicts. While man has gone far, humanity hasn’t changed much. Governments still oppress people. Bigotry and separatism still exist. Rebellion and war still rage. Cypherteck Edie was taken by the Crib government and trained early. Now she’s been kidnapped by mercenaries and wired to a very unhappy ex-con named Finn. First, Edie needs to find the neurotransmitters the Crib gives her. Finn’s life depends on hers so she needs to break the neural splinter that binds them. Then she has to keep the Crib and Fringe away from a precious biocyph seed. Good thing she’s got an ex-freedom fighter bodyguard hardwired to her nervous system. They’re going to need all the help they can get! My hat goes off to Sara Creasy for this debut. Song of Scarabaeus is well-written, character-driven, and action packed. Edie grows as her conflicts and dilemmas change, and Finn is a broody enigma. The technology is sometimes inferred but nothing goes outside the context of the book. The ending is daring and brilliant. Song of
Scarabaeus is not your average sci-fi formula story. Sci-fi/tech fans will probably get a kick out of it. Sara Creasy shows promise, and genre buffs ought to keep their eyes on her.
David Hobbs thought it would be nice to take Miriam to his native Tennessee for their anniversary. His boss told him about an ancient lovers’ lane, and how better to set the mood than wine and dine while perusing hearts carved in trees almost one hundred years ago? Everything goes great, until “Allie Mae’s Treasures” turns up. David takes the little cloth bag with cross-stitching on it, and the broken . tooth next to it, out of the ravine. He plans to turn it in at the ranger station. Somehow it ends up at home with them. And so does Allie Mae. David, Miriam, their three children and closest friends embark on an exhausting roller-coaster of torment. The girl - who once stitched her name on a carry-all for her keepsakes has become a vengeful spirit, with something special in mind for David. , Aiden James, real-life paranormal researcher, has a good story in mind with Cades Cove. David wants to be a fullfigured man, but falls flat; as do all the characters except, perhaps, Allie Mae. Miriam, a pediatrician, and David, an accountant, are always able to drop things
and run home. The children and interactions are too contrived. The daughter has SCFE, which Mr. James explains causes pain and limping, but never names slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Technically, the sentence structure is awkward and takes away opportunities to make the characters more believable. Attempts at foreshadowing make some of the plot predictable. While Cades Cove is a good story poorly pulled off, the only thing truly terrifying was the time and expense I put into it.
twenty-six hundred years. The distinct patterns in the eyes help them track souls through time. They’ve established an elite bank which proves you can, indeed, take it with you when you die. The company is growing, the leadership is aging, and they’ve waited until problems arose to call in the professionals. Now Scott has to unravel the tangle of new online services, figure out who or what caused the security breach, how to fix it, decode the intentions of gorgeous computer whiz Valentina Nikolskaya, and decide what he believes. Oh, and stay alive. Soul Identity is a fun, original and well-written book. Mr. Batchelder tackles the question of what happens to the soul with an open mind and presents a variety of ideations. His characters are colorful Security advisor Scott Waverly is good at and believable. Definitely consider this what he does, which means he picks his Kindle freebie when in the market for a assignments fast-paced “who-dunit” with a fantastical carefully. twist. The latest ### prospective client sends a small yelGot something you want to review or that low device, you’d like to have one of our awesome which will staff review for you? E-mail requests or take picinfo to duvy.dfsm@gmail.com tures of his eyes and tell the If you've written 300-500 words about a company if show, band, book, movie or CD you've he is the heard or seen, you can submit it to us. We right guy have over 30,000 readers worldwide. Anyfor them. one can submit a review. We would be Something happy to point you in the direction of conseems a tent we'd like to see reviewed. All we ask little off to Scott, so he returns some nice is that you be open and honest. No haters images of fish eyes and starts doing his please, it’s okay to dislike something but research. Soul Identity is very far off the try to keep in mind this is someone's hard grid and that is not the type of employer work you are ripping on. Scott wants. We accept media to be reviewed in the But Scott’s neighbor needs help, form of downloads or a disk in the mail. and his problems involve Soul Identity. We enjoy learning about new and old proScott finds himself in a posh jects so show us what you got! world of old money, surrounded by people with convictions he can’t wrap his head around. Soul Identity has been around for 7
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If you are anything like me I have always wondered what the difference was between a ghost and a spirit. I finally found out the difference between the two and I thought I’d write up this article about their differences. You’ll also learn most of the different reasons that ghosts will haunt. I hope that even the seasoned investigator will learn something from this article, or at least be a good read.But of course this along with anything written up by me and others is only theory. No one knows for sure what a ghost is and why it haunts. Some believe a ghost is a personality or a piece of a personality of someone who has passed that is left behind because there is something that is keeping them here. There are many possible reasons of why they would stay behind here are the most likely reasons. - They don’t know they have passed. This can happen if they were killed or died suddenly and usually tragically. They could have been a murder victim or even possibly died in an accident that happened suddenly. One haunting that I can think of to be a good example is the Villisca House haunting. In the Moore home at Villisca, Iowa 8 people were brutally murdered in the middle of the night. The whole family including two children that were staying the night with the Moore children were killed in their sleep with an axe. The man who killed them was never found, leaving this gruesome murder a mystery. The house now is said to be haunted by some of the victims of that tragic night. - Another reason a ghost might have stayed behind is because they feel an attachment to a place, object or even a person. If they are attached to a place it could be because it was what they considered to be their home, or even just a place that they had their happiest moments in their life. If their attached to an object it is usually an object that they held very dear to them. If it is a person they have an attachment to it is usually because they have such a great love for that person. They may feel like that person still needs them. Or they just might not want to leave that person behind. An example of a attached haunting would possibly be the White House ghosts. Former presidents are said to still roam the halls of this great house. If you think about it being the 10
the main residual hauntings from the battlefields, but there are reports of fleeting apparitions of men who still President of the United States would most seem to be fighting the war as if it were still likely have been the happiest time of their going on around them. lives and you most certainly would love for that to be your home I’m sure. I know I would have certainly loved to live there just from all Now this brings me to Spirits. Spirits are difthe history that has taken place there. ferent from ghosts because they are not bound to this earth. Spirits are actually the passed on - Unfinished business could be another reason personalities of a living person. Spirits will that a haunting could occur. The Ghost might come back for a time. They can come back for feel the need to continue so that something many reasons, but the most common is to tell a could be finished or taken care of before they loved one a message or to help a loved one will pass on. cross over. There have been many accounts from people of a loved one coming back to Winchester Mystery House comes to mind warn of impending danger, or simply to just let immediately for this one. Sarah L. Winchester the loved one know that they are okay and wanted her home to be built with many odd happy. There is also a belief that they will things built into it. She hired carpenters to come back to comfort a loved one who is dyework on her home day and night. Construction ing and make the transition of death a little would never cease on the home until her death. easier on them. Most spirits will return to Sarah was the widow of the inventor of the where they came from after they have done Winchester Rifle, William Wert Winchester. what they came to do. After the deaths of her husband and daughter she contacted a medium for guidance. This These are many personal experiences and I can medium told her that the spirits of the victims not think of a famous instance of this although of the Winchester Rifle were wanting venge- I’m sure there most likely is. One story I know ance and the only way she could escape the of is a personal experience of my mothers. curse that had befallen her husband and child After the birth of her first child she was sitting was to build a home for herself and those spir- in her room brushing her hair as she looked its. She must continue to build or she would into a mirror and as she looked at herself her die as soon as the building stopped. In her face transformed into the face of her mothers home she had, doors to nowhere, windows that who had died when she was a young girl. As were built to open up to a wall. There would she stared into her mothers face she got the be many entrances to a room, but only one overwhelming sense that her mother was exit. Stairs that led to a ceiling and many other proud of her. Her mother said nothing just oddities. This house was definitely a mystery. merely gave her that feeling. My mother really Some of the carpenters worked on the home truly believed that that was a visit from her till their deaths. Their ghosts are said to still be mother. working on the home. The noise of hammers sometimes will be heard and one phantom carpenter has been seen, he is supposedly there There are so many cases of hauntings of guarding the home and overlooking the con- ghosts and sprits and I can only name these struction still being done even in the afterlife. few. But if you would like to learn more there Sarah Winchester is even said to still be there. are an infinite amount of resources online. If you believe though that you might have a haunting and would like some advice or would -Then there are the residual hauntings. These like to have your home checked out you are are the hauntings that have no intelligence. more than welcome to contact us at http:// These hauntings are like a recording that has www.wix.com/tristalou/oklahoma-studies-ofbeen imprinted on the land or home in which it the-unexplained or our Facebook takes place at. They will happen at a certain http://www.facebook.com/ time or date or just random. It will be almost oklahomastudiesoftheunexplained like a scene that is the same all the time. It could also take place as noises or smells. The perfect example of this is the Civil War battlefields. Most of the hauntings that take place at these battlefields are sounds and smells of the ghastly war that took place on it’s grounds. Cannon and gun fire have been
You see it all over the television. "Go Green!" "Eco-Friendly!" But unfortunately for most of us, as we reach for the brown packaging made from recycled paper, we stop at the price tag. I cannot think of how many times I went into a supermarket aimed at selling organic food and produce that I left feeling cheated and a dismayed. No matter how much I would rather buy my store goods at a fully organic "green" store, my wallet never seems to share my enthusiasm. Yet, it seems all over the media, celebrities, politians, and even people we know, judge and even lecture about the importance of "going green." I, for one, am sick of it. Going "green" is much more than going and buying the 100% organic cotton tee shirt that is twice the price of the ones you normally buy. I believe that if the government was really so concerned about the environment they would make organic, pesticide free, hormone free foods available to all peoples of all walks of life. The chemical ridden toys would be replaced with an environmentally friendlier sub state with no upcharge. Some will argue that it costs more to maintain, thus the up charge. I agree! Yet is still my opinion. With the state of our national debt would it really kill us to make our citizens healthier and safer? Perhaps it would lower health care costs for people suffering from diabetes from weight gain, heart attacks, etc. Once again, I am not a political analyst, just a mom in Oklahoma. That being true, it is completely arrogant to think that, just because the person next to you doesn't drive a hybrid, doesn't care about the environment. Most of the time, their old, beat up '98 Oldsmobile is the one car they can afford and it gets them from A to B (and sometimes C!). And that in itself is a luxury in this economy. And "green" has been going on for much longer that this fad has been on. I remember when I was being raised, we shopped at thrift shops, had a vegetable garden and canned our food. We recycled our trash,
walked when we could, and kept the land around us clean and healthy. I will admit, I buy what I can with the cute little "go green" logos and such because I do believe the movement is important and DOES raise awareness on the earth's current condi-
only help your environment, but get crafty and save some cash! So stop the commercial snobbery and stick to the things you can do! Just because one can't afford to shop at that organic food store, or drive a battery operated car doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything! Shop second hand, learn to sew (its fun!), recycle your trash, grow a vegetable garden! You don't have to be a millionaire to save the planet. Recycled Candle Holders Ok, so most of us have had this situation. Old bottles, maybe champagne from a new years eve party, or empty beer bottles your husband carelessly leaves on your new end tables *cough cough*. You don't have to throw them away! 1. Take your bottle and wash it out carefully, use hot water to peel off any labels you don't want on 2. Get a candle that fits into the opening of your bottle. If it doesn't fit, you can carefully carve away at the end until it fits. Be careful! 3.Fit the candle into the bottle, and take your lighter or matches and run the flame all around the candle to make the wax drip. Make sure to do this on a non flammable surface, sometimes the wax can fall and it IS hot.
4. Allowing the wax to drip down the bottle creates the illusion of use and is tion. However, I also believe it has also bred a great way to what I like to call, "eco snobs." People that decorate your house and get rid of those botbelieve that just because they can afford a hy- tles. brid car, shop at exclusive shops and buy their clothing off line from homemade shops that And remember to be careful, I am not responthey are better and helping the earth more than sible for those the rest. who don't know how to work with fire! So, I have taken it upon myself to, every Have fun! month put a small suggestion on how to remain "eco friendly" with small, inexpensive (and sometimes free!) things you can do to not 11
Trees, we see them everywhere. Though, do we really know that much about our old friends? Do we know which possess the wisdom of the ancients or which are the artists of the forest? Trees live, eat, breathe, love, feel and die just like their human brethren. Every tree has its own persona, spirit, soul and heart. They have their likes and dislikes just like their human neighbors. They are capable of expressing joy, sadness and anger just like us. Their communities are just as complex as our cities. Each tree has its own place in that community and provides its own valuable service to its neighbors. Sadly, few realize that trees are sentient beings. They are seen for shade, privacy and for lumber. Sometimes they are seen only as a nuisance. Their leaves fall all over the lawn in the fall. Their pollen aggravates allergies. Sap drips on the paint of cars and homes. To this end many wonderful trees suffer the indignation of being trimmed in a manner that suggests a bad LSD trip or even worse cut down with their remnants left to decompose in a landfill. Sometimes it’s difficult to hear and feel a tree because of the Elementals that may call that tree their home. But if you concentrate on the tree itself you just might find yourself very pleasantly surprised by what you see, feel and hear coming from that tree. For the most part they have very tender loving spirits. They give unselfishly to souls in need. Many times I have walked among them in need of a wand, staff or just comfort. Many times I have been overwhelmed by theirs calls to me of “I have a branch; take mine, I have a limb; take mine, or rest yourself at my feet and you will find solace.”.
was able to ascertain that the tree community had been disrupted by what the culprit assumed would be an innocent act. The removal of a tree or trees to make way for something the owner deemed more important had created a void in the tree’s community and had provoked them to retaliate.
cleansing and purifying, their personalities are very much like that of an artist. They can be flighty and sometimes difficult to deal with. They tend to let their emotions get the best of them. They are usually the trees that carry much resentment when they are cut down in the prime of life to be used for lumber, firewood, paper, etc. They can be reasoned with While the consequences of the act led to some but only by one who shows great sympathy seriously malevolent retaliation by the trees over their plight. and their counterparts, the peaceful resolution to the problem always came down to the plant- Cedars are the sturdy guards of the community. ing of another tree of the same species that had They are well grounded and not easily debeen removed. Trees can be provoked to an- stroyed. They are headstrong and stubborn but ger. Unlike humans, they are quick to forgive also very loyal. Cedars can harbor ill will after when the misdeeds have been atoned. being cut down but are not nearly as difficult to deal with as an angry pine. Looking at a few of the trees we see on a daily basis. The mighty oak long known for its Elm trees are the stabilizers and protectors of strength and majesty is also a tree of wisdom. the community. They are hard and somewhat Their wisdom is passed down from the ages. unyielding. Their wood does not spilt easily so Oaks possess a keen wit and an ability to see they usually make a sturdy perimeter around things from every possible angle. Many times the more fragile trees. An angry elm is next to impossible to deal with. That would explain why you hardly see any wood products made from elm even though it is a very solid wood. Many, including myself, believe that a curse falls on the one or ones who slay an elm tree.
I have sought out the sage advice of a mighty oak. To date I have never been mislead or disappointed. When I am searching for lumber to do some woodworking, I have never felt a negative vibe from a piece of oak. Their wisdom allows them to accept what was to be free As previously stated, each tree has its own to contemplate what will be. function in the tree community. What that function is usually depends upon the type of The willow tree is another important entity of tree. Each genus almost always has traits that the tree community. Their soft compliant naare specific to it genes. In every gathering of ture only seeks to please and see to it that its trees you’ll find the wise, the strong, the pro- neighbors find their hearts desire. When I am tectors, the artistic, the empathic, the comfort- in need of relief, inspiration or a better way to ers and those who provide inspiration. All express myself, I ask a willow to grant me work together to form their society in the keep- what I need. Often times I seek out a willow ing of peace and harmony. Disrupt that com- for a special wand. I have never been turned munity and the consequences can be quite dire. away and many times I am given more than what I seek. Willows are also empathic. They Many times I have been called upon to cleanse sense pain in other beings and draw it into a house or plot of land besieged by one calami- themselves. This often times is reflected in ty after another. The owners were convinced their appearance. the problem was malevolent spirits or demons. However, after a few pointed questions to the Pine trees are the minstrels or poets of the forland owner and listening to the surroundings, I est. While their needles are very useful in 12
Birch and maple trees provide love to the community. Their very essence is pure love. They respond when given love just the same as a human. Though when denied the same, they tend to wither and die. Many love spells has been divined using wands, bark, wood shavings and/or leaves from these trees. Their power in that area being unmatched by any other element presently known. Rarely do you ever sense resentment from lumber made from these trees. It is more likely to feel great sadness and pain. However, those feelings are easily turned when you show love and appreciation for their beauty. These are just a few of the trees that populate the community of trees. It is my hope that by introducing you to a few of our tree brethren you will deepen your appreciation for what they bring to our lives. I’ve spent a great many years enjoying their words of wisdom, music, love, songs, poetry and beauty. Spreading the word of these ancient remarkable entities is my joy. Basking in their being is my solace and an honor. I’ve learned much from the trees. The next time you are out in the woods or just near a tree, reach out to it like you would a long lost family member. You will receive so much more in return.
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“I am a full time mother, student and admissions officer. When I have free time I sew. I recently found a niche making Civil War clothing, Kimonos, and Wa-Loli fashions. I have a Bachelor's in History and I am working on my Master's in Clothing History of the Indian Territories. Just recently I have already begun creations in the world of Steampunk which I love since my main focus of costuming is Victorian Era and I'm a huge Sci-Fi fan so I LOVE Steampunk. I hope to bring a historical flare to the genre with my knowledge and present new items that blend both the vintage and modern. I've also started making headband and other accessories. I work from research and draft my own patterns. I have presented several presentations on costuming including both Oriental and Victorian Clothing.My work and commissions can be ordered online and my booth will be at Stillcon in Stillwater March 25-27 2011 and at Oklahoma Steampunk Expo in April.� - Cheryl Trent Butterfly Creations by CLGButterfly on Etsy www.clgbutterfly.etsy.com
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