doc the grey |
5 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is something I do a lot with my home group when I'm writing stuff to give them an idea of the world they are about to step into, like quotes from books in the lands they tread or quotes from famous people, history books, or holy tomes and what not. I think of it like those little quotes you get sometimes to lead book chapters like The Call of Cthulhu where we get the "Strange aeons" quote from and I wanted to see if anyone else does this and would like to share. I've got one I just did recently below and am interested to see what others throw up.
"The lands of Jaddah are unlike any other in the Frontier, a land of mists and veils. Here men smoke pipes that spew mist that acts like smoke while women dance in scarves that cut like knives. The smokemist is thick and dances like women, and the dancers slip past your fingers like smoke. In this land what is real and what is illusion is anyone’s guess, the mists hide what is and is not real."
Ambrose Ballrene,
Scholar of the Academy of Knowledge and foremost academic on the lands of the Frontier
Anyone else do these, what do you think, what are some of the ones you've written? I'd love to hear more below or share more of mine if people are interested.
Bwang |
Mine were based on Robert Asprin's Myth series. Each file and section had a seemingly relevant blurb in italics. That said, Volo also influenced some headers. They also allow/serve to focus the mind on what is being written.
The first incarnation of my MU guild back in the 70s had a bit on my then-theory of magic, as espoused by the players' benefactor. It ran several hundred words and was way too long. Danged if the role players didn't take it to heart and force me to develop it more. One took it and 'codified' it for his world and still uses a much modified great grandchild.
My world uses a number of 'literary maps', telling the reader the way. The most notorious was in a blurb heading for the local Elf 'kingdom' and detailed how to get there, supposedly. When one of the players realized it was a map, they immediately checked it out and found it didn't lead to the Elves, but into the mountains beyond. And the next area of play.
A friend took a few rejected blurbs and put modified versions in a book he tried to publish. The publisher liked the blurbs but it was obvious the chapters didn't fit.
Aralicia |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I like to use quotes when giving out written lore (in game and out of game). I also like to use it as an help to flesh out characters I create. Writing a small quote about one of the primary theme of a new PC helps me define his personality, and gives the DM a good idea of the kind of character he his.
Quickly translated from french, here two of thoses quotes, the first to introduce a new faction, the second to define a PC.
"Angels, Demons. Neither have a place on this world. They govern their realm as they see fit; it is our right and our duty to do the same.
By ker-oti, the heaven-slayer, I swear to end any celestial I see.
By cek-egbu, the hell-destroyer, I swear to destroy any fiend I meet.
By rol-keta, the heathen-killer, I swear to kill any summoner I face.
Ker-oti, Cek-egbu, Rol-keta; By the three axes, I swear to protect our realm."
-- Induction oath of the Serene Axes Order.
"The world is a grand museum, and each one of us, from the smallest lizard to the greatest king, are the pieces. Each of us different, each of us unique, each of us alike.
Dwarfs are busts of grey stone, bright and shining with their ornaments of gold, steel and gems.
Dragons are massive statues of silver and ruby, of dazzling majesty and might.
Elves are sketches of forest green, radiant, sparkling with magic and wisdom.
And humans... humans are a white canvas, blank, empty.
Since the dawn of life, the human soul has felt this inadequacy, this insufficiency, this inferiority; and since the dawn of life, humans have labored to add to their canvas bright colors, garish colors, meaningless colors. Many are the men that lost themselves using tricks and artifices to approach the innate abilities of the other creations.
But the truth, the truth is that they'll never succeed. Because, the be a dragon, you can't simply dress like a dragon; you must become a dragon. To ascend, you must not coat the canvas; you must change it."
-- Pholemna, seeker of shapes.