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[Cryxis, Prince of Doom]

Ya, partner is having his bookworm mom look through it and is going to revise it. I just felt like putting it here cause I typed all of that version and felt like I haven't posted anything here for awhile.

I'll get the edited copy on Monday.

[bahihs]

I'll be posting some "literature" as a supplement to my world-building project (Tsust) here.

This first one is an excerpt from the Teachings of Sa-Ko, a "Walking-God" who preached in Kubo about 5000 years before the present day. He is currently one of the gods of Kubo.

Spoiler: The Sermons of Sa-ko (click to show/hide)

Thus it is written:

Wanderers from the way, I gather you. Seekers of the truth I gather you. Bearers of candles, I gather you. Come unto me. Cleave not and be whole. I am the One.

Men wander this world seeking their names.
What is a name?
A raindrop in the rain; a snowflake in the snow
Unseen and unborn, till the eye sees and the mouth gives birth

Before the name, what was there?
Beyond the name, what is there?

There is the One

What is the One?
Who can describe it?
It is beyond fathom, depth, breadth
It exists beyond the eye and the ear, the tongue and the nose
Exceeds the fingertips

See this blade of grass
I close my eyes and it ceases
I close my ears and it ceases
I close my tongue and it ceases
I close my nose and it ceases
I close my fingers and it ceases

Thus, I am One

See this seed
I bury it in the earth
As men bury men

Are we then separated?
Beyond touch, beyond influence?
No! See this seed! it grows before your eyes! 

Thus, I am One

Ignorant men say:
"This is a miracle!"
"This is a trick!"
"This is a god!"

These are names, only
The raindrop is not the rain
The snowflake is not the snow

Thus, I am One

If you see without names
A burden is lifted
A mirage is dissolved
An illusion is destroyed

If you call without names
You see everything as extension
Nothing is beyond reach
Nothing is too much
Nothing is too little

Everything comes from the mind
Everything comes from belief

Men seek their names, only
Wealth, power, fame, even understanding
These are facets of the name

Wanderer's from the way, I beseech you
Abandon your names
If you wish to be rich
Abandon wealth
If you wish to be strong
Abandon power
If you wish to be famous
Abandon fame
If you wish to understand
Abandon understanding

When you abandon the way
You do not wander

Nameless, wayless
Every action, every path
Is perfection
Thus I am One

When you look into the still pond
And see nothing but the water
Nothing can harm you

Other's will come and show you wonders
Grander then those I have shown
They do not know the subtle way

Other's will come and tell you truths
Sweeter than those I have told
They do not know the subtle way

The subtle way is knowing
each raindrop never misses
each snowflake goes where it must

The subtle way is
Turning
But not breaking
Molding
But not firing
Tricking
But not fooling
Taking
But not stealing

Those who practice the subtle way
Don't prove themselves
Don't show themselves
Don't pride themselves

As a fish weaves through the current
Neither opposing the flow
Nor changing it
But only, bending himself
So the nameless weaves through the world
Neither opposing it, nor changing it
But only bending himself

The small is greater
Than the great
The subtle is grander
Than the grand
The soft touch overcomes
The hard blow

To those who cherish names
I speak nonsense
To those who desire power
My words are weak

But to those,
who see nothing but the mirror
who want nothing but the One
To them, my words
are nothing more
Then a reminder

Thus, we are One

[bahihs]

This is an excerpt from a "textbook" written by a prominent scholar of magic from the University of Theasta (the largest university in Tsust).

Spoiler: Structure and Interpretation of Magical Phenomenon (click to show/hide)

Chapter 13: On the relation of Magic to Reality

Definitions of Reality

The fledgling acolyte is no doubt aware (and perhaps even a participant) of the various religious practices held throughout Tsust. Religion is a valid starting point in defining the various interpretations of reality, because, for one, religion is often a medium for magical power, and for another, acquaintance with the various religious ideologies will help the student develop an unbiased attitude, an essential quality for discovery.

We will not look at the intricacies of the various definitions which religions have imposed, nor their consequences for they are beyond the scope of this book. Instead we will generalize the basic conception and use these ideas to extrapolate magical exploitation.

We begin with the most widely held ideology, which is that of divine origination. There are three salient point within this construct:
1. The world is created, sustained and manipulated by a divine creature(s)
2. The worshippers are connected to the existence of the divine (the divine are therefore dependent on their creation)
3. Reality is influenced only by (or through) the divine

Immediately, we can make several conclusions regarding this system and its consequence on magic. The most important point with regards to our subject, is #3, for if reality can only be influenced by divine intervention, then all magic (which as discussed in Chapters 4-6, is the art of manipulating reality) must be the result of divine influence. There are problems with this system however, for example according to #2, only the worshipers of gods would be able to perform magic (or "miracles" in their context), yet as even some of the readers can attest, atheist wizards are no less common or powerful than the most pious believer. I have, of course, simplified the idea (perhaps almost to absurdity) and each religious doctrine has its own explanation for this apparent discrepancy (the Ko!x-an's for instance, believe that everyone is a worshiper of Ko!x, whether they are conscious of it or not, whereas the worshipers of the Natural Pantheon, believe their gods are simply indifferent to worship, aiding whoever they like.)

The other, divine-grounded conception is that of monism. The idea that all reality is a manifestation of a single entity, whether a god or simply reality itself.   

[technicallyAdventurer]

_{I'm torn between actually posting something and simply lurking around this thread}

[WillowLuman]

Post away!

[Parsely]

Post away!

[Arx]

Preferably after spellchequing, but we can do that too!

Fresh meat!

[technicallyAdventurer]

Oh jeez. Do I just...write a lil story?

[Arx]

When Object has some time, he'll finish off this round of the standing competition and the winner will post two prompts. Alternatively,

Prompts for the Bored!

A tale about peace and a dungeon delver.
Listen closely to the whispering.

Shamelessly ripped from a number of prompt generator sites. Hopefully I'll write something on them. Or finish that thundered story I was supposed to finish sometime... last year?

[TD1]

Oh jeez. Do I just...write a lil story?

Or a poem!

Let's not forget the poems

[Cryxis, Prince of Doom]

well no edits were made to the story by my partner sooooo
Any comments on the story outside of grammar errors, maybe suggestions for how to continue the story, comments on the plot as a whole, maybe something in the plot that makes it a bad story or something that I do that might hurt the story telling as a whole besides the grammar.

[Silthuri]

I've been lurking around here for quite a while as well. I've considered submitting something for quite some time now, I've just never done it.

Just like I've been staring at the poetry thread for six months trying to will myself to post some of my writings. 

[TD1]

Seems there's never a big demand for poetry :/

Still, you're more than welcome to post whenever you feel like it!

[WillowLuman]

More prompts for the bored:

Space-age journalist/investigative reporter

"No still lightning"

[TD1]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

We are the ones who steal your bread,
Deny you hearth and bed.
We take your young and kill your beasts
To take and eat at our own feasts.
Below the ground is where we dwell,
And oh, the awful smell!
Our hair is lank, our home is dank;
Our hovels highest heaven stank.

I tell you, traveller I meet
Upon this empty street
That me and mine now rule this place
Which once was full of light and grace;
The walls hold naught but grime and tears,
Where folk once had no fears;
We ate their bread, profaned their dead
And ever since, here we have stayed.

I tell you this so you shall know
Who owns this place of woe;
Grumpkins, goblins and fairy folk
Within its bowels hoke and poke,
And lay their victims on the ground
Trussed twice around, around,
To wile away the sunless day
Where they forever captive stay.

Ah! Steel, my friend, you bare for me
Who tried to help you see
The error of your chosen path
That will evoke the fairies’ wrath.
Alright, alright, a truer tale I’ll tell;
To you our secrets I will sell,
And where to start but in the wood
Where all things precious once had stood?

There oaken branch and holly tree
Stretched far as you could see,
And little folk of fairest race
Stood in the rivers weaving lace.
My father knew them well I say,
As sure as day is day,
For he was one of them wee men
Who dwelled in river and in glen.
   
But then came axes to our home
And to our place alone;
They cut the bramble, bush and tree
And killed the folk, and made us flee.
We few who stayed made no more song.
We once had been so strong,
But once away from wood and dell
Our spirits waned, our powers fell.

They fed their fires with our home
And in its place raised stone
In which to keep their lives and hide
From us who longed there to abide.
So when came plague and famine down
We then reclaimed this town
And now we nurture up the trees,
Encourage animals and bees
With flowers fair and waters clear
To make their homes and live on here.

So now my service I have lent
And onwards you are sent,
For while I fear your gleaming sword
By root and bough and angry word
I will not bow before its swing,
Nor shall I once again take wing
To let the man of grasping hand
Once more take Fairy Land.

Oh, could y'all not quote anything I write? Just in the vain hope that I may ever want to submit it to anything, so I don't have to ask people to wipe their quote before I can submit.

Thanks!