Written By Thesarin
Feb. 20, 2018, 12:07 p.m.(3/23/1008 AR)
Speaking for me.
Days coming, I'll take swords and blessings from any House and god who'll send them, and call it welcome.
Days coming, I'll take swords and blessings from any House and god who'll send them, and call it welcome.
Written By Thesarin
Feb. 18, 2018, 9:35 p.m.(3/20/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Samantha
Setting in the Whites my thanks to Samantha Deepwood for the party on the Deepwood grounds.
Folk were happy. Children and men and women grown. Dancing, racing, and laughing.
Don't much dance, and laugh less. But it was a fine thing to stand in.
Folk were happy. Children and men and women grown. Dancing, racing, and laughing.
Don't much dance, and laugh less. But it was a fine thing to stand in.
Written By Thesarin
Feb. 13, 2018, 11:10 a.m.(3/3/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Magpie
I weren't there, so I can't speak to what happened. Or to using a House blade in a street fight. Know my own Sword has a selection.
Won't talk of whether it could've gone different, neither.
Sticking to what I know of, you can laugh at a Sword of House being afeard of a scholar with a blade. My mind, no matter who's holding it, a few inches sharp metal in the wrong spot can ruin your whole fucking day.
It's a damn fool thinks there's such thing as a fight too small to be the end of them.
Won't talk of whether it could've gone different, neither.
Sticking to what I know of, you can laugh at a Sword of House being afeard of a scholar with a blade. My mind, no matter who's holding it, a few inches sharp metal in the wrong spot can ruin your whole fucking day.
It's a damn fool thinks there's such thing as a fight too small to be the end of them.
Written By Thesarin
Feb. 11, 2018, 11:39 p.m.(2/28/1008 AR)
Riven stands ready.
My wife has raised the banners, and my Sword has done fine work with the many peoples who've gathered beneath the twin herons.
From the woods or the isles or the riverlands, many peoples joined in one army. To one purpose. Sworn to one Countess, and answering to one War Chief.
Sixteen years back, at the head of a band of exiles from the Forests without friends and without homes, I rode into a land of burned fields and shallow graves. Two peoples with nothing to them and no future seemed likely. And through the work of the Countess, and both our peoples, there's a future for us both, as something new. One that's taken others in, with just as little to them, to go ahead together.
This enemy on the sea, threatens all I've seen us do. All I've seen us make. All I've seen us become. And all I have to leave my children.
Riven stands ready.
My wife has raised the banners, and my Sword has done fine work with the many peoples who've gathered beneath the twin herons.
From the woods or the isles or the riverlands, many peoples joined in one army. To one purpose. Sworn to one Countess, and answering to one War Chief.
Sixteen years back, at the head of a band of exiles from the Forests without friends and without homes, I rode into a land of burned fields and shallow graves. Two peoples with nothing to them and no future seemed likely. And through the work of the Countess, and both our peoples, there's a future for us both, as something new. One that's taken others in, with just as little to them, to go ahead together.
This enemy on the sea, threatens all I've seen us do. All I've seen us make. All I've seen us become. And all I have to leave my children.
Riven stands ready.
Written By Thesarin
Feb. 3, 2018, 4:39 p.m.(2/11/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Percephon
It's a peculiar thing, that not doing harm to them who've done you no harm, even knowing that they or someone like them might do you harm some day to come, is called the pragmatic course.
Written By Thesarin
Jan. 30, 2018, 3:07 p.m.(1/24/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Joscelin
It's a fine thing to hope for, that in times of war, folk will set aside petty feuds and come together as one, as their best selves.
The way things are, though, is that most folk ain't their best selves they spend all their time worried and anxious. Often takes folk the other way instead.
The way of things.
The way things are, though, is that most folk ain't their best selves they spend all their time worried and anxious. Often takes folk the other way instead.
The way of things.
Written By Thesarin
Jan. 28, 2018, 7:15 p.m.(1/20/1008 AR)
Been talk in the Whites about right, wrong, redemption, and the will of the gods. I've got thoughts, but I don't know that they're worth setting to paper. Confess I'm ignorant on the will of the gods, and on redemption. And to right or wrong, might be I've got little ground to stand. Say one way of killing folk is right and proper, but another's past thinking of.
So I'll put that to one side, and wonder at the claim that it was necessary. That, setting aside rights and wrongs and gods, the Compact stands better than it would if things were otherwise, because of what Abbas Thrax did.
I don't doubt that some of them died, among the young and the old and the unlucky, would have been on the boats sailing at us now if they lived. I do doubt if, in a hundred years of thinking, anyone who reads these pages could think of a better way of driving the Abandoned into the arms of the enemy moving at us than what happened.
I wonder how many of them manning those fleets, who'll be killing men and women and children of the Compact before the end of spring, are kin to them killed by sickness, or allies, or just scared that they'll be the next who'll see their children made plague-crows. Folk who saw an awful wrong done, and decided they'd stand with one monster for the sake of justice on another. I wonder if it's a number bigger or smaller than was denied the the armies by setting out the plagues.
Don't reckon I'll ever know, but I wonder.
So I'll put that to one side, and wonder at the claim that it was necessary. That, setting aside rights and wrongs and gods, the Compact stands better than it would if things were otherwise, because of what Abbas Thrax did.
I don't doubt that some of them died, among the young and the old and the unlucky, would have been on the boats sailing at us now if they lived. I do doubt if, in a hundred years of thinking, anyone who reads these pages could think of a better way of driving the Abandoned into the arms of the enemy moving at us than what happened.
I wonder how many of them manning those fleets, who'll be killing men and women and children of the Compact before the end of spring, are kin to them killed by sickness, or allies, or just scared that they'll be the next who'll see their children made plague-crows. Folk who saw an awful wrong done, and decided they'd stand with one monster for the sake of justice on another. I wonder if it's a number bigger or smaller than was denied the the armies by setting out the plagues.
Don't reckon I'll ever know, but I wonder.
Written By Thesarin
Jan. 19, 2018, 4:52 p.m.(1/2/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Mae
War is a constant, it's so. Houses of the Compact and peoples outide it make war on each other, and them who make peace with each other, just make bigger and grander war on someone else together.
Might be a better world would have it otherwise, but what would fighters and sword-smiths do with a world like that?
Might be a better world would have it otherwise, but what would fighters and sword-smiths do with a world like that?
Written By Thesarin
Jan. 16, 2018, 9:30 p.m.(12/24/1007 AR)
I want to set down, in the Whites, my thanks for all them came to the Riven family dinner.
I'm not one much given to cheer. Mind's never far from dark days past, or dark days coming. Might make me a good leader, if shit company, at times.
But it's a fine thing to have a light moment in between.
I'm not one much given to cheer. Mind's never far from dark days past, or dark days coming. Might make me a good leader, if shit company, at times.
But it's a fine thing to have a light moment in between.
Written By Thesarin
Dec. 29, 2017, 12:24 a.m.(11/10/1007 AR)
Once there was a man named Lightfoot. He was called Lightfoot because he ran without a sound, so fast and light he ran across treetops without dropping a leaf, and across rivers without making a ripple. He lived with his people, but he left to search and to hunt and to sleep under the stars, and then he would go back to his people.
Lightfoot had a brother, and his brother was called Wildfire, because he left ash and death behind him. Wildfire was in a rage, because Three-Times-Blessed had killed Wildfire's friend. Wildfire said to Lightfoot, I will kill Three-Times-Blessed. I will burn her village to ash, throw her people's bodies into the river, and drown her in the muck beside her sacred spring.
Lightfoot was afraid for his brother, because he knew Three-Times-Blessed was guarded by a man called Unbroken, and Unbroken had skin that could not be cut. Lightfoot said to his brother, do not go to do this thing, because even you cannot kill a man whose skin cannot be cut. Do not do this thing, or you will die. And Wildfire said, I will kill Three-Times-Blessed. I will burn her village to ash, throw her people's bodies into the river, and drown her in the muck beside her sacred spring. And Wildfire went off through the woods to Three-Times-Blessed's sacred spring.
Lightfoot was afraid for his brother, so he ran to reach Three-Times-Blessed at her sacred spring first. He ran without a sound, so fast and light he ran across treetops without dropping a leaf, and across rivers without making a ripple, which is why they called him Lightfoot. He ran so light that Wildfire did not see him in the woods, and so fast he reached Three-Times-Blessed and her sacred spring three days faster than Wildfire.
When Lightfoot reached Three-Times-Blessed at her sacred spring, Unbroken was there guarding her. Unbroken said, this is Lightfoot, brother of Wildfire, whose friend you have killed. Unbroken said, I will kill him, and when Wildfire comes, I will kill Wildfire too. And Lightfoot was afraid, and not only afraid for his brother.
But Lightfoot was cunning, so he thought of a lie. Lightfoot said, do not kill me, I am not here because you killed Wildfire's friend. I am here because there is a monster in the woods that will kill us all. Its teeth and claws are sharper than swords, and it will kill anyone who fights it but Unbroken, whose skin cannot be cut. And Lightfoot said, but if Unbroken fights it here, it will kill him anyway, because it will kill anyone who looks at it without covering their eyes in a salve that can only be found two days away from here. This was all a lie, because Lightfoot was cunning.
Unbroken said, Lightfoot is lying, and I will kill him, and when Wildfire comes I will kill him too. And Lightfoot was afraid, but he was cunning, so Lightfoot said, Three-Times Blessed, look into your sacred spring and see what is going to happen. So Three-Times-Blessed looked into her sacred spring to see what was going to happen. And Three-Times-Blessed saw her village burned to ash, and her people's bodies thrown into the river, and herself drowned in the muck beside her sacred spring. And Three-Times-Blessed was afraid, and she said to Unbroken, go with Lightfoot to the river two days away, and put the salve on your eyes, and kill this monster before it burns down our village, and throws our people's bodies into the river, and drowns me in the muck beside my sacred spring. And so Lightfoot and Unbroken went out into the woods together.
Lightfoot took Unbroken into the woods and across the river and up the hills and down the hills. When they had been walking in the woods for two days, Lightfoot took Unbroken to a river, and Lightfoot said, this is the river whose mud will make the salve, so you can see the monster and live. And then you can fight it, because your skin cannot be cut, and you will save us all. And Lightfoot took plants to make the salve that Unbroken thought would let him see the monster and live, but this was a lie that Lightfoot had told him. Lightfoot mixed up a salve of mud, and pitch, and stinging-nettle, and gave it to Unbroken, and said, this is the special salve. And Unbroken put it on his eyes, and Unbroken screamed, and he said, Lightfoot! This is not a salve to let me see the monster and live! I have put stinging-nettle in my eyes and now I am blind! But Lightfoot did not hear him, because he had run away, so fast and so light he ran across the treetops without dropping a leaf. He ran and left Unbroken blind with stinging-nettle in his eyes two days away from Three-Times-Blessed and her sacred spring.
So when Wildfire came to the sacred spring of Three-Times-Blessed, Unbroken was a day away in the woods with stinging-nettle in his eyes. Without Unbroken, there was no one who could stop him, and so Wildfire left ash and death behind him. He burned the village, threw the people's bodies in the river, and drowned Three-Times-Blessed in the muck beside her sacred spring. The river ran so red that it stained the chests of the birds who were bathing, and they are still red on their chest today. And when Unbroken came back to his village, and saw it burned to ash, and the people's bodies thrown into the river, and Three-Times-Blessed drowned in the muck beside her sacred spring, and Unbroken died at the sight of it, even though his skin could not be cut.
And when Lightfoot went back to Wildfire and told him what had happened, Wildfire embraced him, and gave him the seat of honor beside the fire, and named Lightfoot a hero of his people.
--From the Collected Lore of the Grey Forest Prodigals, organized by Countess Mia Riven, AR 1007 (Variations of the story found among Greenwood, Fire-Touched, Redcrow, and Stone River tribes)
Lightfoot had a brother, and his brother was called Wildfire, because he left ash and death behind him. Wildfire was in a rage, because Three-Times-Blessed had killed Wildfire's friend. Wildfire said to Lightfoot, I will kill Three-Times-Blessed. I will burn her village to ash, throw her people's bodies into the river, and drown her in the muck beside her sacred spring.
Lightfoot was afraid for his brother, because he knew Three-Times-Blessed was guarded by a man called Unbroken, and Unbroken had skin that could not be cut. Lightfoot said to his brother, do not go to do this thing, because even you cannot kill a man whose skin cannot be cut. Do not do this thing, or you will die. And Wildfire said, I will kill Three-Times-Blessed. I will burn her village to ash, throw her people's bodies into the river, and drown her in the muck beside her sacred spring. And Wildfire went off through the woods to Three-Times-Blessed's sacred spring.
Lightfoot was afraid for his brother, so he ran to reach Three-Times-Blessed at her sacred spring first. He ran without a sound, so fast and light he ran across treetops without dropping a leaf, and across rivers without making a ripple, which is why they called him Lightfoot. He ran so light that Wildfire did not see him in the woods, and so fast he reached Three-Times-Blessed and her sacred spring three days faster than Wildfire.
When Lightfoot reached Three-Times-Blessed at her sacred spring, Unbroken was there guarding her. Unbroken said, this is Lightfoot, brother of Wildfire, whose friend you have killed. Unbroken said, I will kill him, and when Wildfire comes, I will kill Wildfire too. And Lightfoot was afraid, and not only afraid for his brother.
But Lightfoot was cunning, so he thought of a lie. Lightfoot said, do not kill me, I am not here because you killed Wildfire's friend. I am here because there is a monster in the woods that will kill us all. Its teeth and claws are sharper than swords, and it will kill anyone who fights it but Unbroken, whose skin cannot be cut. And Lightfoot said, but if Unbroken fights it here, it will kill him anyway, because it will kill anyone who looks at it without covering their eyes in a salve that can only be found two days away from here. This was all a lie, because Lightfoot was cunning.
Unbroken said, Lightfoot is lying, and I will kill him, and when Wildfire comes I will kill him too. And Lightfoot was afraid, but he was cunning, so Lightfoot said, Three-Times Blessed, look into your sacred spring and see what is going to happen. So Three-Times-Blessed looked into her sacred spring to see what was going to happen. And Three-Times-Blessed saw her village burned to ash, and her people's bodies thrown into the river, and herself drowned in the muck beside her sacred spring. And Three-Times-Blessed was afraid, and she said to Unbroken, go with Lightfoot to the river two days away, and put the salve on your eyes, and kill this monster before it burns down our village, and throws our people's bodies into the river, and drowns me in the muck beside my sacred spring. And so Lightfoot and Unbroken went out into the woods together.
Lightfoot took Unbroken into the woods and across the river and up the hills and down the hills. When they had been walking in the woods for two days, Lightfoot took Unbroken to a river, and Lightfoot said, this is the river whose mud will make the salve, so you can see the monster and live. And then you can fight it, because your skin cannot be cut, and you will save us all. And Lightfoot took plants to make the salve that Unbroken thought would let him see the monster and live, but this was a lie that Lightfoot had told him. Lightfoot mixed up a salve of mud, and pitch, and stinging-nettle, and gave it to Unbroken, and said, this is the special salve. And Unbroken put it on his eyes, and Unbroken screamed, and he said, Lightfoot! This is not a salve to let me see the monster and live! I have put stinging-nettle in my eyes and now I am blind! But Lightfoot did not hear him, because he had run away, so fast and so light he ran across the treetops without dropping a leaf. He ran and left Unbroken blind with stinging-nettle in his eyes two days away from Three-Times-Blessed and her sacred spring.
So when Wildfire came to the sacred spring of Three-Times-Blessed, Unbroken was a day away in the woods with stinging-nettle in his eyes. Without Unbroken, there was no one who could stop him, and so Wildfire left ash and death behind him. He burned the village, threw the people's bodies in the river, and drowned Three-Times-Blessed in the muck beside her sacred spring. The river ran so red that it stained the chests of the birds who were bathing, and they are still red on their chest today. And when Unbroken came back to his village, and saw it burned to ash, and the people's bodies thrown into the river, and Three-Times-Blessed drowned in the muck beside her sacred spring, and Unbroken died at the sight of it, even though his skin could not be cut.
And when Lightfoot went back to Wildfire and told him what had happened, Wildfire embraced him, and gave him the seat of honor beside the fire, and named Lightfoot a hero of his people.
--From the Collected Lore of the Grey Forest Prodigals, organized by Countess Mia Riven, AR 1007 (Variations of the story found among Greenwood, Fire-Touched, Redcrow, and Stone River tribes)
Written By Thesarin
Dec. 23, 2017, 8:10 p.m.(10/28/1007 AR)
I knew Dame Zhayla and Lord Killian, neither as well as I should have.
Talked to Zhayla a time or two. Bled in the forests beside Killian, under his command.
Meant to know them both better. Should have.
But if I talk should have, should have had more time to do it. Should have been both of them lived long and died old and peaceful. There's a world we should have and a world we got, with some distance between them.
Might be the two of them made it a bit less. All you can ask from anyone.
Talked to Zhayla a time or two. Bled in the forests beside Killian, under his command.
Meant to know them both better. Should have.
But if I talk should have, should have had more time to do it. Should have been both of them lived long and died old and peaceful. There's a world we should have and a world we got, with some distance between them.
Might be the two of them made it a bit less. All you can ask from anyone.
Written By Thesarin
Dec. 21, 2017, 7:28 p.m.(10/24/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Samantha
A long while back, at a friend's grave, Eshkorin Greenblood told me a good chief can't spend time dwelling on things happened and can't be changed, and a good chief can't help dwelling.
When I asked him how that worked, he laughed and asked me to share the trick if I worked it out.
Some twenty winters since, I'd ask the same of you.
When I asked him how that worked, he laughed and asked me to share the trick if I worked it out.
Some twenty winters since, I'd ask the same of you.
Written By Thesarin
Dec. 21, 2017, 12:09 p.m.(10/23/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Halsim
Cup a hand in front of your lips, and start talking of all the things should have been otherwise but weren't.
Take the other hand, pull down your trousers, cup it beneath your arse, and start filling that one as well.
Tell me which one has something to show for it when you're finished.
Take the other hand, pull down your trousers, cup it beneath your arse, and start filling that one as well.
Tell me which one has something to show for it when you're finished.
Written By Thesarin
Dec. 17, 2017, 9:43 p.m.(10/16/1007 AR)
Summer's well and ended. Seasons turn, and the world moves.
Since the spring, some ten thousand Prodigals in from the Grey Forests are sworn to Riven, and more from the Mourning Isles, through the worthy work of my wife and Countess. My oldest is close to her twelfth winter; a few years until she's a woman grown. Things aren't how they were. Which is always the way.
For myself, this summer just ended saw me speared, cut, battered, mauled by a bear and set on fire. And sad fact is that's not so much a change.
Since the spring, some ten thousand Prodigals in from the Grey Forests are sworn to Riven, and more from the Mourning Isles, through the worthy work of my wife and Countess. My oldest is close to her twelfth winter; a few years until she's a woman grown. Things aren't how they were. Which is always the way.
For myself, this summer just ended saw me speared, cut, battered, mauled by a bear and set on fire. And sad fact is that's not so much a change.
Written By Thesarin
Dec. 4, 2017, 11:49 p.m.(9/17/1007 AR)
It always strikes me odd when I look for the Arvani word for them born to the tongue.
There's a word that means everyone else. A thousand peoples that speak a thousand tongues, pray to a million gods a thousand ways. There's a word means the oaths and the Faith and the laws and the King (long may he reign). But there's not a word means the people.
Always strikes me odd.
There's a word that means everyone else. A thousand peoples that speak a thousand tongues, pray to a million gods a thousand ways. There's a word means the oaths and the Faith and the laws and the King (long may he reign). But there's not a word means the people.
Always strikes me odd.
Written By Thesarin
Nov. 26, 2017, 10:37 a.m.(8/28/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Esoka
The world moves.
We made Riven a new thing, half-Greenwood and half-Crownlander. Neither peoples is what we were before. Few people in them neither, I think.
We'll be another new thing now, with Burned Men and Redhawks and Thenns from the woods, and Bloodsnakes and Tyrfalls and Brokeblades from the isles, and plenty more.
Can't stop the future more than you can dam up the Mother. We'll all be something new together, sharing stories and lives and homes. But I don't look to see the Greenwoods stop being ourselves neither, or blend to nothing among the strange peoples. I look to keep our stories told, the marks written, out songs sung.
Even if you don't want to hear me singing them.
We made Riven a new thing, half-Greenwood and half-Crownlander. Neither peoples is what we were before. Few people in them neither, I think.
We'll be another new thing now, with Burned Men and Redhawks and Thenns from the woods, and Bloodsnakes and Tyrfalls and Brokeblades from the isles, and plenty more.
Can't stop the future more than you can dam up the Mother. We'll all be something new together, sharing stories and lives and homes. But I don't look to see the Greenwoods stop being ourselves neither, or blend to nothing among the strange peoples. I look to keep our stories told, the marks written, out songs sung.
Even if you don't want to hear me singing them.
Written By Thesarin
Nov. 23, 2017, 1:47 a.m.(8/19/1007 AR)
The Grey Forests are crawling with beasts made monsters, men made beasts, shadows walking like men, and demons walking the world.
If you would walk them, go in strength.
If you would walk them, go in strength.
Written By Thesarin
Nov. 22, 2017, 2:31 p.m.(8/18/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Ainsley
There's worse men could be raising my nephew.
Written By Thesarin
Nov. 19, 2017, 10:06 p.m.(8/13/1007 AR)
Riven once again extends its recognition of those who stood beside me against the darkness moving in the Grey Forest.
Prince Aiden of Grayson, Lord Armand Farshaw, Master Sparte, and Shard each did their part and more.
Once again, special recognition is extended to the one who saw to my injuries once the fight was over. Prince Aiden has my own deep thanks.
Prince Aiden of Grayson, Lord Armand Farshaw, Master Sparte, and Shard each did their part and more.
Once again, special recognition is extended to the one who saw to my injuries once the fight was over. Prince Aiden has my own deep thanks.
Written By Thesarin
Nov. 16, 2017, 1:37 p.m.(8/6/1007 AR)
After a second skirmish in the Forest, Riven recognizes Lord Killian Ashford, Lady Joslyn Stonewood, Master Rickard Corsetina, and Shard Wolfs-bane who fought well and bravely beside me against a horror from beyond the world.
Master Sergei Mujeriego, whose noble work saw three people to safety.
Riven extends special recognition to Lady Eirene Malvici, who fought in the battle and stitched me back together once it was over.
Master Sergei Mujeriego, whose noble work saw three people to safety.
Riven extends special recognition to Lady Eirene Malvici, who fought in the battle and stitched me back together once it was over.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.