-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
You know us well, dear QM.It's not the most sensible plan and it could easily go badly wrong. But I knew that people reading this quest would leap at the chance for a Jana-centric storyline.
Also, I'm going to reread those Samaya chapters. I had forgotten about their events, and consequently did not recognize Samaya. If I had, I might have been meta-tempted to talk to her more.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
[X] "I'll do it! I won't let you down!"
[X] Jana went through the portal to Truinon and walked around the city, visiting all the temples, searching for a god who would grant her the strength, speed, and toughness she would need to be an effective bodyguard for Elys. (Note: this is a Jana-centric storyline.)
[X] Jana went through the portal to Truinon and walked around the city, visiting all the temples, searching for a god who would grant her the strength, speed, and toughness she would need to be an effective bodyguard for Elys. (Note: this is a Jana-centric storyline.)
123. To Begin at the Beginning
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Surprising no one, the next storyline will be Jana-centric. Also, following the precedent set by this chapter, it will be told from the first person perspective.
Here goes:
*
To Begin at the Beginning
Around my twelfth birthday, I realised a few things. One, I'm never going to be tall. I'm always going to be a bit of a shortarse. Short and dumpy and plain, that's me. Whereas Elys is growing tall and willowy and… ugh, she's only eleven, but she looks like she's about fifteen! Is that Mishrak's doing? Does being "Chosen" mean having a body that a classical statue would envy? Or is that the "superior breeding" that nobles are supposed to have? She's eleven years old, damn it!To Begin at the Beginning
Another thing I realised is that, despite the blessings of her god, her strength, speed, stamina, and magical powers, Elys is eventually going to get into a situation she can't handle. She'll need me to back her up or possibly to rescue her. And I've got no chance of doing that as a puny little girl with no special powers of my own. I need to be better than I am. I need an edge. And I don't just mean my cold iron dagger.
In the past, I've said that Elys really is a fairytale princess. She doesn't live in the same world as the rest of us ordinary mortals. Or rather, she does: she just sees a different side of it to everyone else. This is a world of gods, spirits, and monsters. All those things exist. Just because most people go their entire lives without seeing them doesn't make them any less real. Just because most people spend their lives grubbing in the dirt doesn't make their experiences any more 'real' than Elys's experience of being a princess with magic powers whose uncle is a dragon. She's a magnet for weirdness. When I'm with her, I never know what I'll see around the next corner, whether I'll bump into some bizarre animal-god, or a tricksy goblin with dream magic powers, or a malevolent spirit who wants to devour my soul, or something even stranger than that. And so, I've come to realise that if I want to be part of Elys's world, I need to accept its logic. I can't change it, so I might as well dive into it headfirst.
That's why I went to Truinon: I was looking for a god whom I could persuade to grant me powers on par with those which Mishrak gave Elys. I didn't ask her or Catharne to go with me because they were having flying lessons together, it seemed like they were having a lot of fun, and I didn't want to disturb them. Besides, I knew they'd try to talk me out of it: they'd say that it was a dumb plan and I was putting myself in danger for no good reason. And… yeah, I'll admit that it was an utterly ridiculous plan. But it was the sort of plan that would have worked out perfectly if Elys had come up with it. The universe seems to bend over backwards to give her special favours. I just had to hope that some of her good luck had rubbed off on me; I hoped that by stepping into her shoes as the heroine of my own little story I could get some of the same treatment.
I'm a small island girl, born and raised in Ismar, and I'd only been to a big city once before. I felt rather anxious, running around Truinon on my own. But I wasn't unarmed: I had my dagger with me, moulded from cold iron and etched with deadly enchantments. For protection, I had the silver bracelet Elys gave me for my twelfth birthday. It's a lovely little thing, shaped like dozens of tiny snakes all twined together and biting each other's tails. Elys enchanted it herself, with Yslena's guidance: it's supposed to give me an invisible shield with enough power to turn aside a blow or absorb a single impact. Apparently, it's a relic of some ancient, forgotten civilisation whose artisans were highly skilled in metalwork. For that reason, I almost feel guilty about wearing it. If Elys had bought it, instead of picking it out out of her doting uncle's treasure hoard, it would have been unbelievably expensive. It's the thought that counts, they say, and my little lady thought nothing of giving me a priceless artefact as a birthday present. I'm not sure how I should feel about that, to be honest. On that day, I was wearing it under my coat, so no one could see it, just in case.
I began my search with a visit to the House of the Cunning Women. I figured that even if they couldn't get me in touch with a god who'd agree to be my patron, they'd at least be able to point me in the right direction. The Cunning Women are a uniquely Queli institution, a relic of the tribal period long ago, when gender roles were a lot more rigid than they are today. Basically, the ancient Queli had an ideal of men as big strapping warriors who should do any job requiring manual labour, while their ideal of women was as wispy intellectuals who spent their days seeking wisdom and communing with the gods. For obvious reasons, this wasn't really sustainable, but it established a long tradition within Queli society of having women as scholars, healers, and priestesses. It's amusing to think that, according to those ancient beliefs, dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing floors is a man's work, especially since all the housemaids I've ever known have been women. They saw cooking as a woman's work, and that often still seems to be the case, but in the old days it was for different reasons: they were so fond of food that, for them, the act of eating was a spiritual experience. Or maybe they got confused and thought you needed a 'sage' to do the cooking and not as one of the ingredients.
Oh, how things have changed since the Second Age! I blame the Sambians.
There's a House of Cunning Women in most Quellonian cities and some large towns. They provide a valuable service by running schools and hospitals, by acting as intermediaries between the gods and followers of the Path of Transcendence, and by offering a useful career path to women whose ambitions in life consist of something other than getting married and having children.
I found them putting on a show in the plaza outside their House. A small crowd had gathered to watch a performance that merged amateur dramatics with solemn religious ceremony. There was a chorus of young girls with high, clear voices, singing hymns of joy and praise.
'Sing of Creation,' said their conductrix, a thin and severe-looking elderly woman. 'Sing!'
They sang, and when they'd finished their song, the first of the performers stepped forth: a robed woman with an iron mask over her face and a pair of spindly iron wings pinned to her back. 'I am Aea, the goddess of time, of past, present, and future. I set everything in motion. Everything that happens, happens because of me.'
She took a step back and the next performer took her place: a stocky woman garbed in knitted woollen 'chainmail' and wearing a blank, featureless mask. 'I am Nymandor, the god of space, of frontiers and boundaries. I defined the area in which Creation exists: its lengths and breadths, depths and heights. Without me, none of this would be here.'
After her, a thin and androgynous woman with an angular face and bright feathers in her hair. 'I am Telthalus, the architect of the sky, god of the sun, the stars, and birds. I created humanity and loved them so much that I set out to slay anyone who would deny them freedom. Cherish your freedom, my children, and remember me.'
Next, a plump woman dressed in green robes, with a garland of leaves and a festive fruit hat. 'I am Narra, the earth goddess. I created the crops that nourish you, the trees that give you shelter, and the flowers whose beauty you so admire. This land is mine, but I let you live in it.'
A robust old woman with white hair and a fake beard, wearing a dress patterned with fish scales, carrying a miniature trident in one hand and a beer bottle in the other. 'I am Ymgar the sea god, lord of all that lives within the sea. Within my watery halls, there was music, dancing, and feasting all night long. You like fish? You like drinking and partying? Hahaha, you're welcome! No need to thank me!'
Three women, standing hand-in-hand: one old, one matronly, and one a young maiden. Speaking in unison, they said, 'We are the Fates. We kept careful records of everything that was made. And so, though it may wither, die, or fade away, nothing that exists can ever be lost. Take comfort in that.'
A large woman wearing an elaborate dragon mask, with gloves like knobbly claws. 'I am Vlakoroth the Beastlord, mother of monsters. I created the prey animals you like to eat and the predators that would eat you if they could. I dreamt of a world where the strong would rule over the weak, where the weak would live in constant fear, and the strongest of all were the dragons, my favourites. But now the strong have slain each other, the weak have inherited the earth, and all my proudest works are gone from Creation.' She made a noise like a frustrated snarl and turned to the next woman in line. 'What do you make of it, Keron?'
I… uh, would never have expected the god of violence and subjugation to be portrayed by a slender, attractive young woman wearing a spiky skintight costume. I mean… wow. She danced into place, with an arrogant sneer on her face, and everything about her was just electrifying. 'I am Keron, the god of striving, most violent of all the gods. I conceived of life as a desperate struggle for survival, full of pain, hardship, and cruelty. Despise me if you will, but think on this: what would your lives be if you had nothing to strive for? If there were nothing to accomplish and no obstacles to overcome? Could you ever know the heights of joy if you hadn't experienced the depths of misery? Life is about contrasts, you know.' She chuckled. A surprisingly deep, smoky voice. Made me feel tingly. 'Telthalus gave you life, but I made your lives worth living! You know it's true!'
Finally, the last woman in the line. She wore black hooded robes and nothing could be seen of her shadowed face. 'I am death, entropy, the dismantler of worlds. Nothing lasts forever. In the fullness of time, everything ends, everything dies, and everything is undone. But, in every death, there is a promise of rebirth, of new life: a chance to become something greater than you were. When at last this world is aged beyond endurance, I will reduce it to its constituent parts, ready to build something new. To begin again…'
'All these things are needed to make a world,' said the elderly woman who was conducting the choir. 'Now sing!'
The chorus girls raised their voices in song: a hymn of praise and thanks to the Elder Gods who made the world we live in. After that, the performance was over. The Cunning Women and their young apprentices went back to the House. The crowd slowly dispersed when they realised there wasn't going to be any more. I stared, mesmerized, at where the show had taken place. I really liked that. But I'd gone there for a purpose, so I knew I'd better get on with it. Lots to do today...
What did Jana do after that?
[] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[] Ask for a map.
-[] Ask them, "Which god should I worship?"
-[] Inform them of her plans.
--[] Ask for advice.
--[] Ask for assistance.
-[] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[] Say that her performance was great.
--[] Ask for her autograph.
[] Do something else (write in).
Last edited:
- Location
- Earth
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
I may change my preferences around, but striving is definitely up Keron's alley, so I think Jana should start there. I don't think she should go with Keron, based on what was said, but Jana needs inspiration, and so far, the performer is the best bet.
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
I may change my preferences around, but striving is definitely up Keron's alley, so I think Jana should start there. I don't think she should go with Keron, based on what was said, but Jana needs inspiration, and so far, the performer is the best bet.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
Heh. I feel like this was a showcase of which gods we might choose between
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
Kinruush
Who?
- Location
- USA
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Funny how things turn out sometimes. I completely forgot about this tidbit by now, dismissing it as a wishful thought, and yet here we are, seeking to do exactly that.
Well, not exactly, since we haven't chosen the deity yet, but I am hopeful for the Best God's patronage!
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
Keron, like most of the Elder Gods, caught a case of dead (or rather, being tricked into killing his own shadow, irrepairably damaged, and turned into a constellation), so she probably couldn't do that if she wanted to.
But he's a decent enough aspiration for our heroine! War, Glory, Bravery, Violence and Slaughter are all perfectly respectable domains! *caws internally*
Last edited:
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
Man, being a god is outright wonky at times
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
I love how brilliantly self-aware Jana is.
That she refers to Elys as her little lady is precious.
Same, Jana, same.
Sometimes, I can almost imagine Jana in black and white with a hat and a toothpick in her mouth, as a Private Eye. She really has the internal narration down.
[x] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[x] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[x] Say that her performance was great.
--[x] Ask for her autograph.
-[x] Inform them of her plans.
--[x] Ask for advice.
In that order, for obvious reasons.
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
I don't really have much to add. I'm just really looking forward to when Jana gets to talking to the actual gods - I want to see their reactions to "Hi, my liege lady slash baby sister has super magical powers and I need the same to keep up with her, can I has some divine boons pls?" It should be hilarious.
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
I don't really have much to add. I'm just really looking forward to when Jana gets to talking to the actual gods - I want to see their reactions to "Hi, my liege lady slash baby sister has super magical powers and I need the same to keep up with her, can I has some divine boons pls?" It should be hilarious.
[X] Enter the House of Cunning Women and…
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
-[X] Ask for a list of all the temples in Truinon.
--[X] Ask for a map.
-[X] Inform them of her plans.
--[X] Ask for advice.
-[X] Ask to speak to the young woman who played Keron.
--[X] Say that her performance was great.
--[X] Ask for her autograph.
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
No, actually. All of the Elder Gods that were mentioned in the last chapter are dead, missing, or changed beyond recognition. (Ymgar became the Wading God whom Elys saw in Chapter 19, "Death" became the Forgotten God, and so on.)Heh. I feel like this was a showcase of which gods we might choose between
Basically, Jana is trying to find out more about the gods before she chooses her patron. The Cunning Women's ceremony very conveniently showed her the story of creation, which gives her a starting point for learning more about the history of the gods. Which is why the chapter is called "To Begin at the Beginning". The Elder Gods aren't around anymore, but the stories of the other gods won't make sense if you don't know about the Elder Gods. For example, in his above post, Nevill mentioned Mawroth. The reason why Mawroth was elevated from a minor bird-god to a major god of war was... as a servant of Telthalus, he fought against Keron's minions, all of whom were lesser gods of war, and won such a resounding victory that he basically proved he was a better god of war than any of them. But if you didn't know who Keron or Telthalus were, you wouldn't know the context of that story, so it wouldn't make as much sense.
From an out-of-character perspective, I know that there are a few prominent readers of this quest who've never read A Hedge Maze Is You (AHMIY); I want the story to be accessible to them, too. Therefore, I wanted to recap the story of creation so that they'd be informed about it, but also to present it in a different way so that people who have read AHMIY can still be entertained by it.
There are a lot of Chekhov's guns I've loaded and got ready but haven't fired yet. That was one of them.
JANA: "I knew this dame was trouble the minute she walked into my office…"
ELYS: "You don't have an office. We met on the beach."
JANA: "I used to call that my office. It's where I get my best thinking done."
ELYS: "So, when you said you had a lot of work to do and you'd be in your office..."
JANA: "I just needed some alone time, okay?"
Well, I hope I won't disappoint.
Here's the vote tally so far:
Everyone has voted pretty much the same way, but I don't have time to update right now. I'm going away for a few days. I'll update when I get back.
I'm going to leave you with a question to think about. The Cunning Women's ritual is based on a scene from a real-life play. It's a little obscure, but I'm pretty sure most people will have heard of the playwright. I'm not sure whether I actually like the play: it consists largely of the writer's speculative ideas about religion, philosophy, and the future; it can get very weird at times. But there are a few speeches in it that I think are striking and memorable. In the above chapter, the speeches from the perspective of the Elder Gods were meant to be somewhat reminiscent of the speeches from that play, even if they don't use the same words. So... does anyone have any idea of which real-life play I'm referring to?
Please write in if you know.
Last edited:
This is absolutely incredible XD
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
You have delivered in spades, thank you so, so much.
I will take a stab in the dark. Is it a Shakespeare production? Troilus and Cressida?I'm going to leave you with a question to think about. The Cunning Women's ritual is based on a scene from a real-life play. It's a little obscure, but I'm pretty sure most people will have heard of the playwright. I'm not sure whether I actually like this play: it consists largely of the writer's speculative ideas about religion, philosophy, and the future; it can get quite weird at times. But there are a few speeches in it that I think are striking and memorable; in the above chapter, the speeches from the perspective of the Elder Gods were meant to be somewhat reminiscent of the speeches from that play, even if they don't use the same words. So... does anyone have any idea of which real-life play I'm referring to?
Please write in if you know.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
Ah, yes. I know that. It still feels like it. Like... An antique car show. You get to see old cars and learn about them, but you can't use them, because they're not available anymore.
Shame on them. Shame. Hedgy best god! Although, Uncle Mishie is a very close second.
Heh. I can totally imagine that
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Hey, everybody! I'm back.
Those are some pretty big clues. I wonder if you'll be able to work out the answer now.
Anyway, it might take me a while to write the next update. Sorry about that, but I'll see you soon!
Heh. If I had any real artistic talent, I'd start a comic strip consisting entirely of 'Jana and Elys' vignettes.Heh. I can totally imagine that
It's not a Shakespeare play. More recent than that. Also, the writer was Irish (though he spent quite a lot of time in London).
Those are some pretty big clues. I wonder if you'll be able to work out the answer now.
According to the poll in A Hedge Maze Is You, Teryn is quite clearly the best god other than Hedgy.
Anyway, it might take me a while to write the next update. Sorry about that, but I'll see you soon!
That would be super neat, but I love the text versions anyway
Good luck with life in general!
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Goodness me. I'm afraid I don't know too many other playwrights. George Bernard Shaw, perhaps?
Omake - Brus Keeps Moving
- Location
- Earth
Omake: Brus Keeps Moving
Bellona walked through the mists.
She was still recovering from her brush with death. Even as she walked through her Lord Teryn's halls, the Necropolis, she was not as close to the Wheel of Souls as when her parents and Geletzilajakika, God of Eels, had been trying to restart her heart in the damp chamber of the sea ghouls.
His books were many and vast. She had learned further details on how much of her healing that remained was the slow replacement of the small but numerous parts of her body that remained dead, even after her soul had regained its connection to her body.
Thanks to her parents she yet lived, and through Teryn the Ghostlord, her God, she would recover in time.
Her parents had strived for her, when even a God had doubted, though Geletzilajakika was small as Gods went.
The man who had kept her father alive, at the cost of his own, deserved what respect she could give him. The necromantic energy of this place should have gently brought him back into awareness and form by this point.
She found Brus in a sunroom, down on one knee and rooting through a cabinet that she suspected to only rarely, if ever, have anything in it.
She tried to remain dignified. "Hello, Brus."
The man jumped, smacking his head against the cabinet as he jerked his head out with a curse and shoved himself upright.
"Oh, Bellona. A good morning to you, girl. You still healing up from them asshole sea ghouls?"
"Yes," she held in a sigh, "Brus, is there something you are looking for? This is a place of closure, but that doesn't preclude food and drink."
He smirked and shrugged, "Ehh, mostly just habit. I always check the liquor cabinets."
"That's a settings cabinet, Brus." She did sigh then.
"Oh, so you so fancy now that you have a cabinets for storing options?"
"No, it's for dishes, and…" She trailed off at his grin. He obviously knew that settings was another term for dishware. "Brus, I came to see you to thank you for saving Gareth."
"Girl, I took an arrow to the face, not the common sense. I knew you'd come by if you could. Don't worry about it. I knew what I was doing."
"Right, how are you feeling? Lord Teryn's realm can be unsettling, but there is always a place to find space to think."
"I'm feeling concerned that you're living with a man, God though he may be, and you're sticking to titles. I knew you like to take it slow, but girl, even an immortal can be excited to move things along faster than this."
Now Bellona knew he was intentionally annoying her. "I am proud of my professional relationship and service to Lord Teryn. Please do not imply-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, girl. You're just fun to pester. Always so serious every time you visited the isle. Your parents are right proud of you, you know?"
Her parents they truly were, Gareth and Yslena. Facing, and experiencing, death had made such feelings clear in what she had believed to be her last breaths. Her desire for them to be there. "Yes. They've told me. I am glad they trusted me to come here. There's so much here, to learn and see."
Brus lightly stomped past her, pausing at the doorway. "How about you and I take a walk then, see the sights?"
Nodding, Bellona walked with him. There would be time for him to come to terms with his death, and while she did not know him well, Gareth did, and that was enough for her.
The pair walked for an hour or so, moving through the quiet halls of the Necropolis. Occasionally they passed one of the Ghostlord's few servants who remained in his city.
Bellona put up with Brus as best she could. His questions about whether or not she had her Lord Teryn wrapped around her finger yet, or asking where the particularly fine ghost ladies were, or if there was a pub nearby with the drinks that had been spilled before their time had taxed her patience. He'd finally, mostly, stopped after she'd turned down his request to go kill the ghost of the were-piggy with the ugly face that had scared him to death.
As Bellona's injuries started to slow her down, Brus drifted ahead of her a few paces, and then they rounded the corner to one of the many archways to the Wheel of Souls.
There was no danger of passing into it accidentally, the rippling false color would simply be a shimmering mirage until a soul was ready.
"So, this will be waiting for me when I'm ready?"
Bellona relaxed, almost imperceptibly at being back onto the spiritual grounds that were far more comfortable to her.
"Yes, but there's no rush, Brus. Days, weeks, months, years, the Wheel isn't dissolution or annihilation, but a gentle river. There's no need to bring regrets or unfinished thoughts into the peace it offers. Waiting is just fine. It's a welcome to those those that are ready, without consuming the story of who you are."
Brus snorted. "I may have left a whelp or two in a few towns, but Gareth did a fine job with you. Him and Yslena both. Don't let me be a worry on your mind, girl. I did for Gareth as he would have done for me, excepting Yslena and his girls still need him."
To Bellona's mildly expressed surprise, as Brus reached his hand into the rippling light, his hand glowed to match, instead of passing through to the other side of the room.
"I'm not worried 'bout how you're going to turn out, Bellona. You keep an eye on your family and they'll do fine too, for as long as they can. It's been good seeing you, Elys, and even Jana grow up some."
Brus stepped through, but not to the other side of the room.
Bellona took a seat, and watched the ripples of the Wheel for a time.
Brus had always sort of been there, hanging around Gareth and Yslena. His life had been complete with a few sentences to her. Not even any messages for Gareth. They weren't a good idea, but that was sometimes hard for spirits to accept.
It could be hard for necromancers to accept, sometimes.
Later, she returned to the library where the books for her current studies were kept.
There were plenty of blankets here, and she wrapped one around herself as she rested from the day's walk. Lord Teryn sought her health most carefully, and she was proud of the peace he brought to those cut loose from life.
She did not think she could rejoin the wheel so quickly. Brus was more complete in his thoughts than his actions gave hint at. She visited her parents, odd though it was to call them that in her head, only rarely, and yet she could not be just as ready to move on if her time came now. Especially without saying goodbye.
It wasn't really goodbye, to rejoin the wheel. Knowing it and feeling it was perhaps two different things though.
Partway through a book on the culture of a long since passed group of nomads, Bellona noted the Ghostlord quietly arrive. She had stopped standing in respect since she had been hurt. The one time embarrassment of standing too quickly and fainting in front of him, and then being ordered by her lord to cease exerting herself in such a fashion had left her with only nodding her head in respect. He solemnly acknowledged the gesture she was permitted, and then went to look through his library.
Finding his desire, he brought a book on the use of various mortars in stonework with him as he sat in the cushioned chair across from her.
As he did not open his book, Bellona marked her page in case her conversation was desired.
She was not surprised when he spoke on Brus. It was rather rare for a soul to spend so little time between death and the Wheel, and Lord Teryn wished to know her thoughts.
Bellona narrated what insights had come to her. Brus had been around Gareth, she wasn't ready to refer to him as her father to Lord Terryn, for as long as she had been acquainted with the man. She hadn't expected such simplicity to carry him so quickly out of the Necropolis, but perhaps such thoughts said more about her and why she had lingered when she had her own brush with the next step of her soul. In the end, she concluded that Brus had lived fully. Perhaps simply, but completely.
The Ghostlord was satisfied with her thoughts, his far vaster experience had allowed him to encounter such people before. They were uncommon, but not so rare as to be wholly surprising.
Both Bellona and her Lord Teryn read in his library for a while. She was grateful that her family was safe, and that her father had chosen their friends well.
Bellona walked through the mists.
She was still recovering from her brush with death. Even as she walked through her Lord Teryn's halls, the Necropolis, she was not as close to the Wheel of Souls as when her parents and Geletzilajakika, God of Eels, had been trying to restart her heart in the damp chamber of the sea ghouls.
His books were many and vast. She had learned further details on how much of her healing that remained was the slow replacement of the small but numerous parts of her body that remained dead, even after her soul had regained its connection to her body.
Thanks to her parents she yet lived, and through Teryn the Ghostlord, her God, she would recover in time.
Her parents had strived for her, when even a God had doubted, though Geletzilajakika was small as Gods went.
The man who had kept her father alive, at the cost of his own, deserved what respect she could give him. The necromantic energy of this place should have gently brought him back into awareness and form by this point.
She found Brus in a sunroom, down on one knee and rooting through a cabinet that she suspected to only rarely, if ever, have anything in it.
She tried to remain dignified. "Hello, Brus."
The man jumped, smacking his head against the cabinet as he jerked his head out with a curse and shoved himself upright.
"Oh, Bellona. A good morning to you, girl. You still healing up from them asshole sea ghouls?"
"Yes," she held in a sigh, "Brus, is there something you are looking for? This is a place of closure, but that doesn't preclude food and drink."
He smirked and shrugged, "Ehh, mostly just habit. I always check the liquor cabinets."
"That's a settings cabinet, Brus." She did sigh then.
"Oh, so you so fancy now that you have a cabinets for storing options?"
"No, it's for dishes, and…" She trailed off at his grin. He obviously knew that settings was another term for dishware. "Brus, I came to see you to thank you for saving Gareth."
"Girl, I took an arrow to the face, not the common sense. I knew you'd come by if you could. Don't worry about it. I knew what I was doing."
"Right, how are you feeling? Lord Teryn's realm can be unsettling, but there is always a place to find space to think."
"I'm feeling concerned that you're living with a man, God though he may be, and you're sticking to titles. I knew you like to take it slow, but girl, even an immortal can be excited to move things along faster than this."
Now Bellona knew he was intentionally annoying her. "I am proud of my professional relationship and service to Lord Teryn. Please do not imply-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, girl. You're just fun to pester. Always so serious every time you visited the isle. Your parents are right proud of you, you know?"
Her parents they truly were, Gareth and Yslena. Facing, and experiencing, death had made such feelings clear in what she had believed to be her last breaths. Her desire for them to be there. "Yes. They've told me. I am glad they trusted me to come here. There's so much here, to learn and see."
Brus lightly stomped past her, pausing at the doorway. "How about you and I take a walk then, see the sights?"
Nodding, Bellona walked with him. There would be time for him to come to terms with his death, and while she did not know him well, Gareth did, and that was enough for her.
The pair walked for an hour or so, moving through the quiet halls of the Necropolis. Occasionally they passed one of the Ghostlord's few servants who remained in his city.
Bellona put up with Brus as best she could. His questions about whether or not she had her Lord Teryn wrapped around her finger yet, or asking where the particularly fine ghost ladies were, or if there was a pub nearby with the drinks that had been spilled before their time had taxed her patience. He'd finally, mostly, stopped after she'd turned down his request to go kill the ghost of the were-piggy with the ugly face that had scared him to death.
As Bellona's injuries started to slow her down, Brus drifted ahead of her a few paces, and then they rounded the corner to one of the many archways to the Wheel of Souls.
There was no danger of passing into it accidentally, the rippling false color would simply be a shimmering mirage until a soul was ready.
"So, this will be waiting for me when I'm ready?"
Bellona relaxed, almost imperceptibly at being back onto the spiritual grounds that were far more comfortable to her.
"Yes, but there's no rush, Brus. Days, weeks, months, years, the Wheel isn't dissolution or annihilation, but a gentle river. There's no need to bring regrets or unfinished thoughts into the peace it offers. Waiting is just fine. It's a welcome to those those that are ready, without consuming the story of who you are."
Brus snorted. "I may have left a whelp or two in a few towns, but Gareth did a fine job with you. Him and Yslena both. Don't let me be a worry on your mind, girl. I did for Gareth as he would have done for me, excepting Yslena and his girls still need him."
To Bellona's mildly expressed surprise, as Brus reached his hand into the rippling light, his hand glowed to match, instead of passing through to the other side of the room.
"I'm not worried 'bout how you're going to turn out, Bellona. You keep an eye on your family and they'll do fine too, for as long as they can. It's been good seeing you, Elys, and even Jana grow up some."
Brus stepped through, but not to the other side of the room.
Bellona took a seat, and watched the ripples of the Wheel for a time.
Brus had always sort of been there, hanging around Gareth and Yslena. His life had been complete with a few sentences to her. Not even any messages for Gareth. They weren't a good idea, but that was sometimes hard for spirits to accept.
It could be hard for necromancers to accept, sometimes.
Later, she returned to the library where the books for her current studies were kept.
There were plenty of blankets here, and she wrapped one around herself as she rested from the day's walk. Lord Teryn sought her health most carefully, and she was proud of the peace he brought to those cut loose from life.
She did not think she could rejoin the wheel so quickly. Brus was more complete in his thoughts than his actions gave hint at. She visited her parents, odd though it was to call them that in her head, only rarely, and yet she could not be just as ready to move on if her time came now. Especially without saying goodbye.
It wasn't really goodbye, to rejoin the wheel. Knowing it and feeling it was perhaps two different things though.
Partway through a book on the culture of a long since passed group of nomads, Bellona noted the Ghostlord quietly arrive. She had stopped standing in respect since she had been hurt. The one time embarrassment of standing too quickly and fainting in front of him, and then being ordered by her lord to cease exerting herself in such a fashion had left her with only nodding her head in respect. He solemnly acknowledged the gesture she was permitted, and then went to look through his library.
Finding his desire, he brought a book on the use of various mortars in stonework with him as he sat in the cushioned chair across from her.
As he did not open his book, Bellona marked her page in case her conversation was desired.
She was not surprised when he spoke on Brus. It was rather rare for a soul to spend so little time between death and the Wheel, and Lord Teryn wished to know her thoughts.
Bellona narrated what insights had come to her. Brus had been around Gareth, she wasn't ready to refer to him as her father to Lord Terryn, for as long as she had been acquainted with the man. She hadn't expected such simplicity to carry him so quickly out of the Necropolis, but perhaps such thoughts said more about her and why she had lingered when she had her own brush with the next step of her soul. In the end, she concluded that Brus had lived fully. Perhaps simply, but completely.
The Ghostlord was satisfied with her thoughts, his far vaster experience had allowed him to encounter such people before. They were uncommon, but not so rare as to be wholly surprising.
Both Bellona and her Lord Teryn read in his library for a while. She was grateful that her family was safe, and that her father had chosen their friends well.
An excellently written piece with evocative descriptions, great use of world and character building, and a strong sense of mood and weight that gave it a real sense of gravitas while keeping everyone relatable and familiar.
Very interesting insights on their respective ease and difficulties!
Very interesting insights on their respective ease and difficulties!
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
I'm taking a bit of a break. Maybe the start of a new arc isn't the best time for that, but I feel like I need one. Also, I picked up Crusader Kings 2 on Steam (for free!) a couple of weeks ago and I've been playing the hell out of it since then.
I'm very slowly plugging away at the next update. I'll be around. Just taking it easy for a little while.
Bingo. Yeah, it's a reference to George Bernard Shaw's Back to Methuselah (which I only just found out is actually a series of five linked plays - I've only ever read it, not seen it performed). Epic in scope, ranging all the way from the dawn of creation (with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) to the far future (when human beings have transcended their physical bodies and become energy beings ranging across the universe), it's very interesting, but I can't decide if it's brilliant, baffling, or horribly pretentious. Or all three.
These are the speeches I was referring to:
So yeah...Back to Methuselah part 5: As Far as Thought Can Reach said:
Thank you very much for the omake, Tascion. I knew it was coming, since I helped edit it and asked you to make a few changes, but I still like it a lot. I'll give you 2xp for it, which you can use to increase Elys's Dragon Breath to 4 if you wish.
It might be some time before she a chance (or need) to use it, though. See you around, guys!
Last edited:
Hey no stress, this is meant to be fun, so please, enjoy your break, get some rest and come back whenever your ready, I hope it goes well!I'm taking a bit of a break. Maybe the start of a new arc isn't the best time for that, but I feel like I need one. Also, I picked up Crusader Kings 2 on Steam (for free!) a couple of weeks ago and I've been playing the hell out of it since then.
I'm very slowly plugging away at the next update. I'll be around. Just taking it easy for a little while.