Andrew Moore's Blog, page 122
May 23, 2022
The Most Stinging Loss
While the adults talked of adult things, the children met up with their cast-off flutes and their patched drums. They played songs together, or that was how they thought of it, and those unskilled sounds brought a man who heard them to reminisce.
"Long ago, in Palthea, they banned music and dancing. Did you ever hear about that?"
The other adults admitted they had never known that about Palthea, and therefore he elaborated for them. "They banned it back when, oh, must have been when Turer IV was alive. He succeeded his uncle who was known as a bit of a, well, there was a public appetite for finer morals after that. There was a whole downpour of new restrictions and such. Anything sounded good to people as long as it sounded likely to make someone less happy.
"Most of them were pulled back in the years and decades following, when people got to thinking they had overdone it, but the prohibitions on music and dance stayed. You'd never have recognized it as a human country if you'd seen it. Not a single instrument, not a voice raised a pure expression of joy.
"Well, the consequences couldn't be avoided for long. Palthea became the best governed country there was. It surged ahead in philosophy, in science, in history, and economics. They had long conversations and spoke in paragraphs with subordinate clauses. They didn't try to speak in lyrics, like they hoped to write the next big hit. Didn't have much time for putting things all emotional, either. Just communication and reason. Pretty soon, Palthea was the greatest country in the world. If you ever wondered why we're nothing but a dependent on Palthea's good will, well, you can stop wondering about it now."
"Maybe we should ban music too."
"Maybe we should. Maybe we should have done that a long time ago." The adults looked at the children, who were just getting into an argument about what song they should mangle, and they thought a lot of new things.
Finis
"Long ago, in Palthea, they banned music and dancing. Did you ever hear about that?"
The other adults admitted they had never known that about Palthea, and therefore he elaborated for them. "They banned it back when, oh, must have been when Turer IV was alive. He succeeded his uncle who was known as a bit of a, well, there was a public appetite for finer morals after that. There was a whole downpour of new restrictions and such. Anything sounded good to people as long as it sounded likely to make someone less happy.
"Most of them were pulled back in the years and decades following, when people got to thinking they had overdone it, but the prohibitions on music and dance stayed. You'd never have recognized it as a human country if you'd seen it. Not a single instrument, not a voice raised a pure expression of joy.
"Well, the consequences couldn't be avoided for long. Palthea became the best governed country there was. It surged ahead in philosophy, in science, in history, and economics. They had long conversations and spoke in paragraphs with subordinate clauses. They didn't try to speak in lyrics, like they hoped to write the next big hit. Didn't have much time for putting things all emotional, either. Just communication and reason. Pretty soon, Palthea was the greatest country in the world. If you ever wondered why we're nothing but a dependent on Palthea's good will, well, you can stop wondering about it now."
"Maybe we should ban music too."
"Maybe we should. Maybe we should have done that a long time ago." The adults looked at the children, who were just getting into an argument about what song they should mangle, and they thought a lot of new things.
Finis
May 21, 2022
What Makes a Strong Character
At least 16 at character creation, though 18/51+ is preferred.
Addendum
Some might prefer a Romance of the Three Kingdoms match three game, but I fear that would undermine the theme.
May 20, 2022
Game Adaptation Corner
Q. What sort of game should A Song of Ice and Fire be?
A. Dynasty Warriors.
Q. How about Magician?
A. Dynasty Warriors.
Q. Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
A. 3D puzzle game. And Dynasty Warriors.
A. Dynasty Warriors.
Q. How about Magician?
A. Dynasty Warriors.
Q. Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
A. 3D puzzle game. And Dynasty Warriors.
May 19, 2022
Addendum
You've got your working class sand mages who make glass all day, corporate sand mages who develop new glass-making techniques and run off with their secretaries, and starving sand mages who are confident their lack of productivity is truer to the spirit of sand.
May 17, 2022
Unusual Uses for Sand Magic
Making glass. Wait, no. That's probably the most common use for it.
May 16, 2022
Q&A Corner
Q. Why is the content on this blog so bad?
A. Covid.
Q. Fine, but what about before that?
A. Pre-Covid.
A. Covid.
Q. Fine, but what about before that?
A. Pre-Covid.
On the Replacement of Mythical Figures
"Gee, Jenny, I just got these two tickets to the next Real Time Dracula show. Would you, um, maybe, would you, well, I was thinking we could go together . . ."
"With you? Not a chance. Wait. Did you say Real Time Dracula? I'd love to go!"
Scenes similar to that were incited across the country and southern Canada when the Real Time Dracula bus rode the highways from venue to venue. Nothing could stop those musical masters from rocking every city on their route.
Except a portal through space and time! "Whoaaaaaa," the band members said, as well they might. They understood nothing they saw when they looked out the windows. How could they? Even science has nothing to say about it.
At last the bus settled. The windows showed nothing but fog outside, but at least the band members and roadies knew what that was from Chicago shows.
The door at the front opened and a man stepped inside, bearded, pointy of hat and long of staff. "I am Merlin, the sorcerer. Real Time Dracula! The world needs your help! Dracula has been kidnapped! You must take his place, find him, and free him!"
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"Why would it help anyone for us to do that?" the bassist asked.
"Hm. Good point. I suppose it wouldn't. Never mind. Sorry for the trouble." Merlin raised his gnarled staff. The bus fell through another portal and landed in Phoenix just in time for the concert. Rock and roll!
Finis
"With you? Not a chance. Wait. Did you say Real Time Dracula? I'd love to go!"
Scenes similar to that were incited across the country and southern Canada when the Real Time Dracula bus rode the highways from venue to venue. Nothing could stop those musical masters from rocking every city on their route.
Except a portal through space and time! "Whoaaaaaa," the band members said, as well they might. They understood nothing they saw when they looked out the windows. How could they? Even science has nothing to say about it.
At last the bus settled. The windows showed nothing but fog outside, but at least the band members and roadies knew what that was from Chicago shows.
The door at the front opened and a man stepped inside, bearded, pointy of hat and long of staff. "I am Merlin, the sorcerer. Real Time Dracula! The world needs your help! Dracula has been kidnapped! You must take his place, find him, and free him!"
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"Why would it help anyone for us to do that?" the bassist asked.
"Hm. Good point. I suppose it wouldn't. Never mind. Sorry for the trouble." Merlin raised his gnarled staff. The bus fell through another portal and landed in Phoenix just in time for the concert. Rock and roll!
Finis
May 14, 2022
The Problem with Non-Apocalyptic Settings
We know there's going to be an apocalypse sooner or later. You might as well put one in yourself. Those bunkers under Denver International Airport weren't built for fun.
The Problem with Post-Apocalyptic Settings
They skip all the fun parts.
