Love Poems posted:

The Wind

She lifts from the mist in the morne,
She breathes the first air in the day.
She flies towards the 'rise as she's borne,
But dies before she's away.

When time comes for wine she doth linger,
And trails her hand in the stream.
She knows as it flows through her fingers,
It is far deeper than it seems.

Beware of the rare time she toils,
She wears down mountains in her path.
The friends she depends on are loyal,
But all else should fear of her wrath.

She sings of all things in her chorus,
The rustle of leaves is her song.
Betrayed by the shade of the forest,
The time when dark falls sees her gone.

Diary, First Entry posted:

I'm not used to keeping a journal, but my thoughts are in turmoil, and I have no one to talk with about them. I figure that by writing down my feelings, I might be able to sort through them.

Put simply, I have met a woman. She is incredible. She is beautiful, rich, and well-bred. The perfect match for me! I saw her in the gardens. She was sitting at the fountain, looking over the flowers, and she said in a melodious voice, "Everything here is so beautiful. I love it so much." She breathed heavily and pouted.

She was so cute that I had to approach. I snuck up behind her and whispered, "How much?" She looked rather startled, but recovered nicely, obviously recognizing me as the most successful merchant in the city. "The garden takes me way from my horrible life," she replied. "I love it more than anything, truth be told."

"That was before you met me," I stated. She giggled, and at that moment, I knew that she was for me.

I've never met anyone that I've reacted to so strongly. I must have her. Normally, women pursue me. I AM the most successful merchant in the city, and the notoriety of my magic amulet is wide-spread. But I've never invested so much of myself in one woman. If she won't have me, I don't know what I'll do.

More later.

Diary, Seventh Entry posted:

Every time I see her, I yearn to spend more and more time with her. We've started meeting at the old stream where I played when I was a child. It makes me so happy to show her my old haunts.

Taking her across the stepping stones was an absolute joy. She would only walk across while holding my hand. She was terrified of getting her dress wet. Each step took her further away from the shore, and by the fifth (the last) she collapsed in my arms.

I'll have to take her back here more often.

Diary, Eleventh Entry posted:

Deidre is beginning to open up to me. Her life, although not quite the horror story she believes it to be, has been hard. Her father died when she was young and her mother remarried a cruel man who tries to control Deidre's life. He doesn't care about her; he only thinks about her dowry, what she is worth. He wants only to preserve her value as a marriage object.

She doesn't remember much about her real father. She does recall that he used to read her bedtime stories when she was very young. One especially caught her fancy, "The Bouncing Beans." When I told her that I was read the same story long ago, she smiled so sweetly that it warmed my whole day.

I must have her as my wife, regardless of her penny-pinching step-father. He may ask for the world, but I will pay it.

More later.

Diary, Twentieth Entry posted:

Her step-father has cloistered her away. It was obviously his plan to allow her to be with me just long enough to whet my interest. And now that the relationship has progressed, he has snatched her off and is demanding a wedding. I certainly don't mind the idea of a wedding - I made that decision long ago - but I do object to his keeping me away from her while HE decides what the dowry is to be. Undoubtedly he is pouring over financial records trying to calculate how much he can safely gouge out of me. All I can do is wait.

Diary, Twenty-First Entry posted:

The waiting is driving me mad. I can't concentrate on my business. I'm useless for ANY task. I've repeatedly asked her step-father if he has come to a decision, and each time, he sends me away without an answer. The last time, he bellowed that he would send a messenger when his decision was made, and that I should stop bothering him in the meantime. So what can I do? I wait, and I wait.

Diary, Twenty-Second Entry posted:

Since I cannot do my job, I've decided to commission a portrait, if only to use up some time while I await the messenger. Naturally, I have hired Leonard Bogash. His reputation for excellence is widespread throughout the realms. He is due to arrive in the next few days.

Diary, Twenty-Third Entry posted:

The portrait goes well. Leonard has lived up to his reputation. However, the endless hours of sitting do not take my mind off my prospective bride. Instead, the modelling just gives me more time to dwell on missing her.

I expect the messenger any day now. According to her step-father, I am to give the dowry directly to the messenger. Only after he delivers it will I see my darling Deidre again. I argued about handing over what I expected to be a fortune to a stranger, so we agreed that the messenger would identify himself with a few facts that only my fiancee and I know.

Then again, I would have agreed to anything to hurry the old coot up!

Diary, Twenty-Fourth Entry posted:

The painting is done and still the messenger hasn't arrived. I wonder if that man realizes the pain he is putting me through, or if he even cares!

Diary, Twenty-Fifth Entry posted:

The messenger has finally arrived! After confirming his identity, I gratefully handed over the obscene sum that Deidre's step-father demanded. It will take quite a few years to regain that amount, but any amount would be worth it to end my torment. Deidre is due here at any time, so I must end this.

Diary, Seventy-Second Entry posted:

I have finally confronted the Brotherhood about the unfair taxes which they levy against the town. They act as if they OWN Skurvash! They've been a thorn in my side ever since I arrived here. Thus far, I've given them no reason for taking action against me, but now I'm a little worried that I have provoked them with my talk about unfair taxes. I can only hope that my amulet will keep them at bay.

Diary, Seventy-Third Entry posted:

I'm certain of it now! They are after me! I replaced the lock on my door with the best I could find, but it didn't stop last night's intruder. If not for my amulet, I'd be DEAD! I'm getting out of here. Sooner or later, they're going to figureo ut how to neutralize my magic, and when they do, I'm done for. I'm packing up everything I can carry and I'll be out of here tomorrow.

Mors Rattus posted:

Episode 4: Welcome to Skurvash!
Uncut Commentary
Cut Commentary

quote:

He took a close look at the child. The prince was small for his age, with large pale blue eyes; a
sweetly curved mouth; and the porcelain-white complexion of one who is kept protectively within
doors. The light glistened off a hawk feather hanging from a silver chain around the child's neck.

"Since we are to be traveling companions, you may call me by my name," said the boy shyly.

"And what might that be, Your Highness?" Hugh asked, lifting the pack.

The child stared at him. The Hand added hastily, "I've been out of the country many years, Your
Highness."

"Bane," said the child. "I am Prince Bane."

"I'm glad you're my guardian," he said, clinging to him, his soft cheek pressed against Hugh's.

Pryan posted:

It is our hope that the reader has some acquaintance of the designs and motives of the Plan. But should that not be so, we here offer a summary of events transpired, events in the making, and events still to come.
Disorder reigns in the wake of the ongoing struggle between the Sartan and the Patryns. The mensch no longer know to whom to pray. A misguided few have actually begun to align themselves with the malevolent machinations of the Patryns. If not for the Patryns' inherent distrust of alliance and the haphazard nature of their efforts, they might have already claimed victory.
And yet the balance of power is shifting, and something must be done before the added support of millions of mensch proves sufficient to grant the Patryns the mastery they so desperately crave.
The Plan was formulated by Council Leader samah. Though controversial, it shows great potential for success. History will judge its efficacy: but, given Samah's influence with the Council, implementation of the Plan seems a foregone conclusion.
Samah's Plan calls for the world to be sundered into five realms: four to bear the imprint of elements - one of Air, one of Fire, one of Stone, one of Water - and a fifth, to constitute an supervisory station for the Sartan and a reformatory for the Patryns. The prison shall be named the Labyrinth: and woe to any consigned there.
That much said, we must allow tha the Plan is not without flaw. The successful administering of these new realms will be contingent on our ability to manage the affairs of the mensch. Millenia of wars, savagery and racial intolerance have left them headstrong and unpredictable. But all previous attempts at direct intervention have only exacerbated the situation.
It grows apparent that peace cannot be forced upon them; that they must arrive at peaceful solutions to their problems without outside interference. Consequently, we must temporarily remove ourselves from their affairs - though we remain steadfast in our belief that the challenges posed by new environments will enlighten the mensch to the failings of their old ways.
Each of the four realms will determine for itself when the three races of mensch - elves, dwarves, and humans - have achieved harmony. When that occurs, the Sartan will reveal themselves, for the purpose of leading the mensch into an even grander future. For it is then that the final phase of the Plan will be initiated: the linking of the four realms via the Death Gate.
This coupling is essential to the full working of the Plan; for the realms are not designed to be either self-sufficient or self-determining. When a fourfold unification of the mensch relams has been realized, the High Council of the Sartan will reenter the Vortex and the spell of the Sundering will reach completion.
We turn, now, to an analysis of one of the four elemental realms, the realm defined by Fire, known henceforth as Pryan.
Much like our native world, Pryan will be oblately spherical. It will, however, be hollow, its exterior composed of inert rock, while its interior provideds for a breathable atmosphere, arable soil, dense forests and navigable oceans. Instead of populating the outer surface, Pryan's mensch will inhabit the inner curvature.
Furthermore, four massive sunms will be conjured in the center of the hollow to warm and light the interior. These suns will neither rise nor set: the ordinary cycles of life will change. But we are confident that the mensch will, over time, adapt to these new conditions.
After Pryan has been forged, we will fashion a structure called the Citadel, whose purpose will be to funnel power through the Death Gate to te other realms. Pryan's four suns are to be the source of that power. The Citadel will have ample space to accomodate the three mensch races. What's more, the Citadel will serve as Pryan's Unification test site.
Each of the three races will be given a talisman that symbolizes its role in the new society. When representatives of the elves, the dwarves, and the humans unite at the Citadel and lay these talismans at the door, the Citadel will open. The mensch will be rewarded with a glorious place in which to live - under the tutelage and enlightened guidance of the Sartan, who will arise to greet them.
Too, the opening of the Citadel will summon a race of beings known as the Tytans, who are designed to operate and service the Citadel. Not only will their size and strength permit them to endure the rigors of their tasks, but their specific magical gifts will enable them to protect themselves and the Citadel from harm. However, to ensure against the Tytans using their endowments for any other purpose, we have devised a method to counteract the potential threat they pose to mensch and Sartan alike.
First, we have kept them sightless; second, we have rendered their otherwise normal hearing response to a sequence of sounds - a string of fractioned tones - that is unlikely to occur naturally. Whenever the sequence is enabled - and for however long it continues - the Tytans will be immobilized. The tune follows...

Pryan posted:

Pryan posted:

Sound-entranced, the Tytans will be vulnerable to a variety of behavior modification and/or enhancement spells. The spells will permit the Sartan to subjugate those included in their birth imprinting. Birth imprinting spells cater principally to basic self-defense and task-oriented Citadel operation, along with a specific summon command that directs the Tytans to the Citadel when Unification (of the mensch talismans) occurs.
Regrettably, the Tytans, too - until their summoning - will inhabit the inner curvature of Pryan. But they will be so well removed from Pryan's population centers that the possibility of encounter or interaction with the mensch is remote.
This concealment is more for the sake of the mensch than the Tyans. Faced with such an intimdiating foe, the mensch might be quick to attack. And an attack - against the Tytans or the things under their care - would only enable their very capable self-defenses, resulting in the maiming or killing of some mensch.

The Kicsey Winsey Handbook posted:

The Kicksey-Winsey, as it is affectionately known by the dwarves who both named and maintain it, is a grand machine. At any instant in time, its size is unknown, because it grows and shrinks depending on its circumstances and needs. As an enhancement to its burrowing ability, it has been designed to occupy as much space as it requires. Therefore, it is conceivable that the machine could eventually claim the interior of the entire floating continent of Drevlin.
The Kicksey-Winsey is virtually self-sustaining. It builds the necessary equipment, digs the appropriate tunnels, and mines whatever ores are needed to keep itself repaired and expanding. However, because it is possible that the machine will be functioning for thousands of years and that unforeseen accidents could occur, dwarf workers have been posted to supervise its operations.
While the Kicksey-Winsey is expanding, it follows certain rules. It creates specific types of rooms and work stations and, every few miles, a control center. Normally, dwarves occupy the work stations throughout the machine to monitor it and perform small tasks. Foremen among the dwarves are assigned to the control rooms. In those rooms, an area's performance is continually updated and displayed on the control panel. Thus informed, the foremen can correctly direct the work of the other dwarves.
The control center has a second function as well. Generally, the Kicksey-Winsey mines the ores that it requires. There may be times when a foreman decides that specific ores needed to repair the Kicksey-Winsey are not currently being mined. In that case, a foreman can direct the Kicksey-Winsey to modify, or more accurately, append to its behavior.
Each control panel has a compartment specifically designed for such a situation. If a sample of the needed ore is placed inside the compartment, the Kicksey-Winsey will analyze it and dispatch a digger to mine the closest match. It will then deliver the ore to a processing point, so that the foreman can make use of it.
Aside from tis other functions, the Kicksey-Winsey is to be the site for the Unification. Three elements combine to play a part in the process: this manual, a crystal globe, and the Kicksey-Winsey itself. Each will be given unto a separate mensch race. Naturally, the dwarves will retain control of the Kicksey-Winsey. This book will lie in the hands of the humans. And the crystal globe, the final key, will be given to the elves.
The mensch races must work together to actualize the Unification. When all of the pieces are gathered, representatives will stand in the resting place of the Sartan. A statue of the beloved Samah will be there to greet them, his hands outstretched, as if waiting to receive something. The mensch must surrender the crystal to him. This action will awaken the Sartan and summon the Seal Piece of Arianus, which will symbolize the start of Arianus' place in the Plan.

Rulebook Heavily posted:

At least half of the problem with Hugh is that this was a five-book series stretched into seven. A whole lot of the entire last three novels feels like filler.