A New Start: Welcome to The Aldenard Gazette!
Welcome to the first edition of The Aldenard Gazette!
My name is Jainus Darkblade and I am the proprietor. Forgive my lack of eloquence as I am by no means a professional writer; however, I have full intentions of improving as time goes on. Together with my wife, Lycelle Darkblade, I have decided to remove myself from hiding and start a newsletter with the hopes of eventually living up to the name Gazette!
Our goal is simple: Bring to light the stories our world has to offer and the places in which they occur! Do you or a friend have a bar that you feel deserves some attention? Let us know! We’ll come interview you, get some pictures, and make an article about it! Getting married? Let us know! Time permitting, we will come get pictures and information, or at the very least make an announcement! Want to embarrass your friend with a birthday shout out? Big or small we’ll do what we can to the best of our abilities with two people!
We hope to release a new edition every two weeks. A set release schedule is not in motion yet, so keep an eye out for our criers! We will increase the amount of releases as we grow!
That being said, We are looking for new people to join the ranks! All positions! Do you have a passion for writing? A passion for drawing perhaps? Skilled at editing? Perhaps a security position? We want YOU to join us in our endeavor to grow into a full fledged source of news!
Our headquarters is located in The Goblet on Plot 35 in the 7th Ward! Sadly, we are not fully operational there yet as we are undergoing heavy reconstruction but you may catch us in the midst of said construction! If you can’t reach us there, or don’t want to take the chance, you may send us a message via mogmail with any hot tips, leads, questions or inquiries about joining us!
Article by: Jainus Darkblade
Culinarian Adventurer
Salutations readers,
My name is A’joda and I have never put forth the effort to learn how to properly cook things! I intend to fix that by following various recipes and I’m bringing you along on my adventure! Given that I am an absolute novice Culinarian I thought the best place to start was simple. This edition we are going to make Deviled Eggs!
I’ve never actually employed a recipe in my cooking. I learned by watching my mother whilst growing up and have essentially mimicked her throughout. Deviled Eggs are a favored dish of mine and mine have never turned out quite as I would have liked. I learned rather late in the cook that when preparing to make a dish, One should ensure they have all of the ingredients required. This is already going to be an adventure. After a quick run to the market, now readily armed with various spices, I am ready to make my mark!
I am told there is a science to cooking, a notion to which I can align easily, as I pride myself on my scientific mind above all else. My girlfriend was nice enough to leave out a bucket of water that I might extinguish the result of my cooking.
The Recipe calls for:
6 Eggs
¼ a cup of Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon of White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon of Yellow Mustard
⅛ teaspoon of salt
⅛ teaspoon of pepper
Paprika for Garnish.
Tools :
Saucepan
Fork
Spoon
Tongs (If you value not being burned)
Strainer
Medium Bowl
Serving Plate
Various measuring cups and spoons.
The first thing I am to do is to put the eggs in a single layer in the saucepan and add water. I wasn’t sure how precisely I was meant to follow, so I took it literally. The water should be standing above the eggs by 1 and ½ inches (3.81cm) and I did just that by using a ruler to measure the amount of water precisely. Once done with that we kick the heat up to high and wait for the water to boil. This was by far the least pleasurable experience as I am not one to enjoy waiting, but I needed to stay there lest I find myself distracted and catch the house on fire.
I ended up having to delay the cooking as there were bits of stuff on the bottom of my pan that melted into the cook plate and caught on fire. Lesson 1: Check the bottom of your pans before you start cooking lest you start a grease fire as I have! Once our water finds itself to a healthy boil we will cover our saucepan and draw the flame down low and allow it to cook for 1 minute more. Lesson 2: The lid you seek is never where it was last when you need it to be, Ensure you have the tools required before you start cooking lest it mess up the recipe!
After one minute I was instructed to remove it from the heat and leave it sit for fourteen minutes. I was not standing around doing nothing at this point, So I flipped an hourglass and sought to practice the flute while waiting. After the fourteen minutes, (More like sixteen because I ended up distracted), grab up your tongs and gently transfer your eggs from the water to a strainer. Run your eggs under cold water for a minute or so then begin the painful and horrendous task that is cracking and peeling the eggs.
Under the cold water peel your eggs. Lesson 3: BEWARE, Egg shells are stronger than one would think. One wrong peel can end with you jamming a shard of shell beneath your fingernail. I speak from new found experience, whoever discovered and invented dishes that involve boiled eggs was very clearly a masochist.
Gently dry your freshly peeled eggs with a cloth then cut each egg in half lengthwise. At this point I only had five to work with. Out of frustration from being stabbed by the shell I threw one and broke it( thus lesson 3). Remove the yolks and toss them into the medium sized bowl, mash them with the fork into a fine crumble then add your mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper and mix it into a cream!
Disperse heaps of the concoction into the halved eggs evenly. Sprinkle paprika atop the crests of yellow you’ve just made in the egg and serve!
In spite of the simple recipe, I have learned that watching mother while growing, and guesswork, was the wrong way of doing it. You will find these deviled eggs to be quite sufficient, especially if you’ve never had the gall to make them yourself!
I excitedly woke my girlfriend to show her the fruits of my labors, She gave me a curt “It’s good.” and went about her business. After devouring my portion of deviled eggs through sobs, I vowed to cook something that would make her cry out with joy!
Join me next time for more simple cooking adventures!
Article and photo by: A’joda Tia
Ask Aunty Darkblade
I would like to open the floor to our readers. Do you have questions and require a different perspective to get you closer to a solution? Perhaps I can help! Ask Aunty Darkblade is a column in which I will do that! Contact me, I’ll answer one or two of you each release, Maybe more after we’ve grown a bit!
Fight in the Sparrow Cage at The Ivory Sparrow!
Have you found the bar scene lacks a certain amount of violence? Look no further than The Ivory Sparrow! A passionate and attentive staff will ensure you want for nothing whilst you are at their establishment! A non-lethal cage match in the midst of the tavern itself is a perfect way to cut the monotony of the standard bar scene, but we will get to that!
Upon entering this establishment one is greeted with a rather traditional entryway befitting Shirogane. The yard and foyer provide a serene and peaceful cover to the party that goes on below.
Let us begin with the establishment itself as I was given the guided behind the scene tour! Upstairs awaits a rather comfortable waiting area across from a reception desk filled to the ceiling with books! Various plants litter the area with a sweet and welcoming scent. Behind the door lies the office of the owner, Mrs. Osyra Vasch. It is in this room where her many meetings occur, as to the nature of those meetings I did not pry as I was distracted by the large wall of leaves and flowers and the rather large Aquarium nestled behind her desk. The essence of the room was one of relaxed professionalism.
We moved on to the main event as I did not want to intrude for too long. Downstairs was a small tight packed restaurant and bar area. Four tables affixed outside of a large cage with benches down the sides. A well stocked bar tucked neatly beneath a VIP loft that granted a fantastic overview of everything in the bar. It is here that we would conduct our interview.
Jainus: “Tell me a little about what you do here?”
Mrs. Vasch: “Well our primary source of business is our fighting ring and bar. We have a full kitchen and a menu with several different items in terms of entrees, snacks, and drinks. People come for a fight while enjoying a meal and something to drink. I personally start our events off with announcing, and I referee from time to time and also fight when we need people in the cage.”
Adequately stated, we all can admire a business owner that will do what must needs be done in order to ensure the success of said business. I followed up on the fights, as we all know how bars and taverns work typically, with a question on whether or not bets are made on the fights that occur in the cage. Mrs. Vasch expressed that many inquired about such practices but admitted those practices as illegal; however, she has contacted the proper systems of authority in order to get the paperwork through that would allow for legal betting to take place.
Jainus: “What do you call your business? Is it tied to the estate or do you refer to it as something else? A little more personal?”
Mrs. Vasch: “This is the Ivory Sparrow. It’s tied to the estate. We have themed name for our bar, the cage, all the like for it. When I was coming up with the name of the business, I wanted something that would catch attention without being dramatic, so you say, and ivory is one of my favorite colors along with a bird of choice, the Sparrow. They are a collective unit that carry their songs along the nations and oceans, giving their words to all whom will hear.”
At first it didn’t sound like much went into the naming of her business, but she quickly turned the tables on me! It is quite clear that she tied things she loves to her growing business and I can tell she loves what she does based on that alone. The Ivory Sparrow is young, having only been opened for a few months. Mrs. Vasch operates it alongside her husband.
The good news is they are looking for people to come work for them! Interested parties may contact Mrs. Osyra Vasch for more information. Her manager declined to have his name put in the paper. He gave the distinct impression that he may have been attacked by a hoard of newspapers in his youth as my presence there made him quite uncomfortable!
The Sparrow Cage itself
Those coming to The Ivory Sparrow not for drink but to partake in the fighting itself will be happy (or disappointed) to know that combat is non-lethal. There is an expected air of professionalism amongst fighters to not try and kill one another. Victors are granted what is called a Gold Honor seen to the right.
Victors earn these Gold Honors and later exchange them for various prizes kept on site “Be the Armor, gil, things for ones chocobo.. you name it” (Mrs. Vasch clarifies)
They also act as proof that the respect of those at the Ivory Sparrow has been earned.
Jainus: “What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned since opening the Ivory Sparrow?”
Mrs. Vasch: “I would say the most surprising thing I’ve found since we have opened, is the amount of patrons we tend to get. It can vary of course, some nights are packed , while others are scarce, but that is business. Along with the amount of people that actually want to participate in the Cage Fight. T’would seem they like to beat one another.”
She shared a laugh with me on this. Any who know the wayward Adventure know full well the extent some of us will go in order to test our skill. At this point I had thought to have asked far too much of my graceful host.
Jainus: “What would you say to someone seeking employment at your business?”
Mrs. Vasch: “As of the moment we have many medical staff and people equipped with bartending and wait staff, so currently I am looking for those that would be capable of security work, participating in the fighting ring. Things of that nature.”
I was then introduced to the most adorable little mascot they named Wesley. He had been tucked beneath her hair the entire time making this observational journalist feel inadequate about her observational skills. I forgave him rather quickly though as he blended in quite well with her hair to begin with.
The Ivory Sparrow holds their fights every Saturday. Doors open at 8PM(EST) where an extremely exceptional evening will begin for all who visit. They can be found in Shirogane on Ward 14, plot 38. Do be sure to say hello to the Elezen man they have upstairs to guide people to the bar!
My artist and I then stayed to enjoy the tavern for all it had to offer. The wait staff was very attentive and made sure we never wanted for anything. My artist, Ryoshi Praelia, invited his crew to come and have a good time.The food was excellent and the desserts to die for. The peppy Miqo woman behind the bar is absolutely adorable! General opinion amongst the group was that the experience was ‘Fantastic!’ and ‘Highly recommended’! I would just avoid angering the referee. He could likely bounce Titan from the bar if he wanted to.
Article by: Jainus Darkblade
Photo’s provided by: Ryoshi Praelia
Gold Honor provided by: Osyra Vasch
A Sweet New Sound: The Aetherolectric Guitar!
A sweet new sound can be heard all across Eorzea, and it’s no secret what’s stirred up the airwaves. The Aetherolectric Guitar, the newest piece of Magitek around, has taken the realm by storm!
Bards and music lovers alike have swarmed the merchant halls and Free Companies for a chance to get their hands on this highly sought after device, myself included. Unlike the other instruments on the market, dingy, old tools that have been out for ages and worn thin with constant use, the new, sleek Aetherolectric Guitar has redefined music as we know it!
Fit with clean, crisp notes, dirty distortion, and a few tricks up its sleeve, this instrument has it all and is sure to be a centerpiece in every Bard band from Ala Mhigo to La Noscea for some time. As you stroll down the cobbled streets of Ul’dah or the shaded glades of Gridania, follow your ears to the sweet tone of the Land’s finest musicians as they bring back the songs of lost times. Tunes fitting of the natural sounds the guitar is quickly becoming known for.
If you’re interested in checking out the brand new Magitek, you’ll need to travel to The Gold Saucer to get your hands on one. The high demand has left merchants sold out ever since they were released. But make sure to give your Bardic brothers a hand when you can, they’re working hard to master this new instrument for your own enjoyment!
Article by: Navu’wo Noltye
Photo by: Jainus Darkblade
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