The following four books deal are presented out of publication order, but in order of the events which are described.
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Emung Acegrips:
The Human in the Time of My Ancestors (58)
Most historians have heard the quip: "History began when Emung married Astri". Medtob Monangmelbil (her pupil) wrote this in the introduction to his unmatched
The Unseen Emung Ilpicitu. Those words are probably based on this book, as the first chapter deals with the wedding between two legendary lovers.
Two humans became married. The book makes no mention of their courtship, which led to many believing Medtob Monangmelbil's remarks. It is almost presented as if the hamlet of Leopardthimble was founded just for their sake. A list of all citizens is included thus:
Emung Acegrips
Ijam Peacewine
Gido Lulledbottles
Gisep Veiltrust
Sporro Clenchbody
Tunem Murderedbolted
Astri Splashgates
Siti Gripthimbles
Pum Largesoap
Aru Destinedreign
Fishing and farming are the main industries then, as now although there are far more crafts and industries in the modern times.
This book is a bit laborious for some younger readers, as the 285 pages talk about many of the early days of the Girlish Confederations. Lists of people and events are common. It is for this reason that this book has become the indisputable source of early age information pertaining to rural life in the Ageless Universe.
Like all Girlins at the time, they prayed to Uzin, the Turquoise Gem. In 2, Astri built a house for them to live in. They had 5 daughters and 3 sons. Duli, the second eldest daughter died upon reaching adulthood. Hehan, her eldest son, died in 32 and Nelti in 33. These are some of the most haunting descriptions of death one will ever encounter, and they are cited (even admitted by Emung) to be the reason she came to Necromancy.
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Hehan began work as a fisher and said to his father: "Let me marry Uja and have a good life with her.' His father consented. Then he began to be enamored with the glorious deeds that the men of the village seemed to portray easily. He became one with the sword. He left to the Hills of Distraction where he uncovered the Crypts of Bone. He hid in the darkness and saw a beast return to its lair.
The Twilight Monster Muthro was known and feared through the lands. It was presumably human at one point, and one could see its ribs sticking from its fat bulging, trunk. They exchanged blows and it came to a draw. To this day, the Twilight Monster haunts. After this fight, Hehan was much impressed with his own talents as a combatant and begin to seek more. He struck down a hulking troll consort and was celebrated. His wife, Uja, thought he would come home. Instead he left.
In the hills of Distraction, Hehan faced a giant tiger, the one they call Soulshove. With one swipe the tiger cleared his head. His body crumpled, his head rolled, his sword fell, unbloody. Where once had been a man of great report and great stature was now a mere plaything for the tiger. After he stopped squirming, the tiger lost interest, and walked on. He did not feel remorse - for he was a tiger.
Uja was at the well getting water past dark. She worried ever so frequently about her husband. A roc came and swooped her, never to be seen again. Hehan was not home to protect his family. Astri wept, and Emung wept.
The tiger could from henceforth smell the family of Astri. The next year he sliced Nelti clean in two. As the villagers watched, her blood gushed and the organs spilled in the streets. The folks they were too afeared to approach this beast. Such it was that Astri and Emung began to fear their time.
From this point on, Emung fades herself from the story and follows the last 9 years until Astri's death. By that point, it isn't clear, but it seems she has not spoken to him since Nelti died. As she describes how she heard of his passing, the tear-marks can be seen on the pages. Even though they were the happiest lovers, they were split apart by her decision to become a necromancer. Many of our beautiful and noble type can relate to this story. We know how fleeting the life of a mortal is. We are called haters of FUN, but this is not because we do not know it. Rather, we know it too well.
At first the book was only quietly read to Asu (Emung's mentor, see Book 2 in this collection for his collected writings) who thought it was a beautiful story, and one he could relate to, since he was originally from the neighboring capital. He decided they should keep the work quiet. They did, and eventually released to other necromancers. Gradually, the story became known even to mortals through paraphrasings and adaptations.
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The Trussed Human (90)
159 page autobiography
While the chronicle of Astri was famous, it only told half the story. As such, she began to write an autobiography from her perspective. The early portions align perfectly with
The Human in the Time of My Ancestors except they provide much more detail about her early years as ranger of the hamlet of Leopardthimble. This book is much less forgiving to Astri than the previous, and he is presented (although not spitefully) as a layabout, while she did the work of the family. In 21, she became the War Leader of the Girlish Confederates.
Her work took her around to all the towns and hamlets, and she saw and met many people. She met Spugac, who introduced himself as Nagnod Glandooze, god of death. He had the title 'law-giver' of the Girlish Confed. He was in charge of Lording (and Ladying, rarely) people of the communities. In 18, he created the first Lord, followed by one in 22, 23, 34, 39, 44, 46, 48 and 52 (there are more Lords, but this is all that is included in this biography).
Spugac saw that she cared only for life and death, and since he was pretending to be Nagnod, she asked him about extending her life. He told her a secret, on punishment of death if she would reveal it. He was actually a demon named Spugac. He told her of the real Nagnod, and of how Asu had went off to follow him for real.
The next section is extremely melancholic, an almost unbearable read. Some scholars dismissed the accuracy of the tales based on two proofs: a)it reads like a diary, the beginning is calm and matter-of-factual, as Emung herself was at that time; the middle is depressed and obsessive as Emung was herself at that time. b) the book was written nearly 40 years after all the events occured. The hypothesis here is that a writer writing 40 years later would not be able to recreate the emotion as perfectly as Emung did, unless it was intentional. The change in style which corresponds to the change in content was deemed to be false until Emung herself admitted that it was intentional, but still true.
She begins to worship Nagnod, and spends more time with her small sect than with her family. She still holds a military position and in 54, goes to war against the elves of The Fancy Boar of the Trampled Blazes of Fogaces. The main battle was the siege of claws, and Emung gives this war the name of the Stormy Conflict. Her first-hand account is the only written story of this war, so our knowledge of it is very incomplete. She was more focused on herself than the battle, so we aren't even sure why it was fought.
The story ends when she meets Acu, and begins her apprenticeship. Many sources claim that this story was written to bridge the gap between her earlier works. While this appears to be the case, it should be noted that this book ends when she meets Acu, and the next essay doesn't begin until she moves into the Tower. Astronomers calculate that this leaves a 3-week gap.
It should be noted that although the word trussed is used in the title metaphorically to refer to herself, she also makes a pun with the Trust Human.
This was yet another work that made Emung a famous, perhaps the most famous, authoress.
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The Wizards Guide to the Tower (64)
16-page essay
This second work is known by most who have lived at SoundedBells. It describes the daily regimen, that in many ways is still practiced today, at the tower. Her descriptions of Asu are touching, as they have the perfect master-servant and mentor-student relationship. Almost romantic, if ever the necromancers would allow.
They would wake up in the mid-afternoon and start the day with outside maintenance (using animates, obviously). At Dusk, they would do the Dusk prayers. They had a bit of time for leisure (or food) before Science studying began. Much of what we know now comes from the early years, with a strict science curriculum. Not ALL the secrets of life and death come from the Obsidian slabs, as some uneducates are thought to believe. After science would follow meditation until time for writing came. The Dawn prayers followed by some more animation work, and then off to sleep. 1 day a month was devoted to laundry, 1 to making candles and 1 to celebration.
The modern rigidity in students-mentor relationships was not yet set. It appears that she learned as much from Asu as he from her. There are also some lovely descriptions of the original Tower, which has grown quite a bit since then.
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The Human Questioned (105)
17 page autobiographical essay
This was the first of Emung's writings to leak out into the world of the mortals, although it has since been lost to them again. The original is bound in a crystal-glass book. When she left her position as war leader, she was asked a series of questions relating as to why she had to leave and where she was going. She gives the questions, her answers, why the answers were false and how they successfully persuaded the humans. The truth is that she was going to apprentice with a necromancer, which they oughtn't know.
She cleverly uses these questions as examples of the practice of logic, and the mind problem of empathy.
It is almost completely accepted by scholars today that none of these questions ever happened. She would have had no reason to explain, as she was at the natural retirement age for the position. Emung has remained infuriatingly silent on this supposition. Either way, this is a fine work of philosophy. Searching forever will not find a more classic instructory on how to speak with mortals.
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Topic: Great Books of the Necro-Canon (Read 1573 times)