Astra (weapon)

In Hinduism, an astra (Sanskrit: अस्त्र) was a supernatural weapon, presided over by a specific deity. Later it came to denote any weapon which was used by releasing it from one hands (e.g. an arrow, compared to keeping it ones hand e.g. a sword [shastra]).

Astradhari

The bearer of the weapon is called Astradhari (Sanskrit: अस्त्रधारी).

Summoning of Astra

To summon or use an astra required knowledge of a specific incantation/invocation, when armed. The deity invoked would then endow the weapon making it impossible to counter through regular means. Specific conditions existed involving the usage of astras, the violation of which could be fatal. Because of the power involved, the knowledge involving an astra was passed in the Guru-shishya tradition from a Guru (teacher) to a Shishya (pupil) by word of mouth alone, and only following the establishment of the student's character. Certain astras had to be handed down from the deity involved directly, knowledge of the incantation being insufficient.

Character design of Final Fantasy

Although each installment of the Final Fantasy series is generally set in a different fictional world with separate storylines, there are several commonalities when it comes to character design, as certain design themes repeat themselves, as well as specific character names and classes. Within the main series, Yoshitaka Amano was the character designer for Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI, Tetsuya Nomura was the character designer for Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIII, Yoshitaka Amano created and did the concept art for the characters while Toshiyuki Itahana was the final character designer for Final Fantasy IX, and Akihiko Yoshida was the character designer for Final Fantasy XII.

Visual character design

The series has often featured male characters with slightly effeminate characteristics, as well as female characters with slightly tomboyish, but still feminine, characteristics. This trend has generally increased as the series evolved. These characters are usually teenagers, which some critics have interpreted as an effort on the part of the designers to ensure the players identify with them. At the same time, some female characters have been increasingly designed to wear very revealing outfits. Square Enix has stated that a more rugged looking hero had been considered for Final Fantasy XII but had ultimately been scrapped in favor of Vaan, another effeminate protagonist. The developers cited scenaristic reasons and target demographic considerations to explain their choice. For Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix settled on a female main character, described as a "female version of Cloud from FFVII." This aspect of Final Fantasy can also be seen in Sora, the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts, a crossover series featuring Final Fantasy and Disney characters.

Weapon (novel)

Weapon is a 1989 science fiction novel by Robert Mason. The book was Mason's first novel; he had previously written a memoir about his experiences in Vietnam titled Chickenhawk. The book is about an android, designed to kill, which experiences a crisis of conscience and runs away from its government masters to live in a Nicaraguan village.

Plot

The novel describes a new weapon system being developed for the US military, named Solo. A robot, Solo is designed to replace human soldiers in battle. It is humanoid in shape, in order to allow it to use all the military vehicles and equipment human soldiers do. Solo is capable of feats of great speed, strength and endurance.

Most importantly, Solo is governed by a neural network computer which is able to learn and think much as a human brain does. The robot's designer recognises that this could potentially make Solo as unpredictable and difficult to control as any human is; the military therefore insist that Solo be told a carefully edited version of world history and politics in which the United States are in all cases the unambiguously "good guys" and winners of all conflicts - for example Solo is told that the US won a clear victory in the Vietnam War.

Assassination Games

Assassination Games is a 2011 American action film directed by Ernie Barbarash, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins. The film was released in the United States on July 29, 2011.

Plot

After a drug dealer puts his wife in a coma, assassin Flint retires. When a contract is put out on the drug dealer, Flint comes out of retirement, only to find that another assassin, Brazil, is also on the job due to the money. The two assassins reluctantly partner in order to combat corrupt Interpol agents and gangsters.

Cast

Production

Assassination Games began development under the working title The Weapon with Russel Mulcahy attached to direct. Initially Steven Seagal had signed on to star alongside Van Damme. After Seagal dropped out of the role, Vinnie Jones was considered to replace Steven Seagal, though the role eventually went to Scott Adkins. Shooting took place in Bucharest, Romania, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Astra (1930 automobile)

The Astra was made by Automobiles Astra, Liege, Belgium in 1930. It is considered a textbook example of car design piracy, as the 1,100cc S.C.A.P.-engined car that made its debut at the 1930 Brussels Motor Show was an almost exact copy of the Tracta. It never went into production, and the projected 6- and 8- cylinder versions were, most likely, never built.

Astra (1920 automobile)

The Astra was an American automobile manufactured in 1920. The car was built by a subsidiary concern of Dorris Motors Corporation, and was shown that year in its native St. Louis, Missouri. It featured a 108-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase, a Le Roi four-cylinder engine, and a slightly pointed radiator. Some five or ten units were built before the company failed in June 1920.

See also

References

Astra (film)

Astra is a 2012 Bengali film produced by Amit Agarwal and directed by Tathagata Bhattacherjee. This is an action film which revolves around the love story of a gangster. In this film, DaVinci Resolve — the latest colour grading software was used for the first time in an eastern India film.

Plot

Astra is a tale of a gangster who becomes a victim of love. Baban is a dreaded sharp shooter working for an underworld don. For him… killing is as easy as breathing. But in an unprecedented twist of fate a woman enters his life. Koena…a journalist by profession is the one who gives Baban the jolt of his life as he falls head over heels for her. Love blossoms….and dreams are nurtured. Destiny however wills otherwise. Koena unaware of Baban’s identity all this while becomes an eye witness to one of his brutal contract killings. Blood spills in their path of love. Baban convinces Koena that he was not a gangster by birth but due to unavoidable circumstances…. Koena agrees and asks him to surrender to law. Baban is trapped…..if he were to leave his gang….he would be eliminated…..if he carried on he would lose the one he loved. It is up to Baban now to survive…..whether with the weapon of blood and gore or with the weapon of love and peace.