Andrew Moore's Blog, page 160
May 3, 2021
A Chilling Reminder
We're closer to the sack of Space Rome than we are to the sack of Rome.
An Incident in the Year 572
When the storms started, the Oddani prayed. When the storms continued, they asked their priests to use stronger rituals. When the storms worsened, they pleaded with Hobbell, one of the prominent men, to make use of his foreign connections and learn of some worthy ceremony or helpful god before they were ruined.
He said, "I know you are quick to act and quick to change your mind. First you must promise two things, that you will accord me noble honors and that you will do whatever I say in this crisis without punishing me later regardless of what you think of it, since you have admitted your helplessness." The other Oddani made the promises he demanded and begged him to do as he had undertaken.
Hobbell traveled somewhere, and when he returned, he had with him men from another land and an altar of the same sort. He commanded everyone to gather where his guests placed the altar. Heedful of their promises, the Oddani came.
They stood in silence for some time until one among them, a householder, Maffan by name, asked what was the purpose of the altar. Hobbell signaled and his men grabbed Maffan, dragged him to the altar, and slit his throat while the Oddani watched, still keeping their word. Hobbell dismissed them then to their homes.
The storms left their lands after that. Hobbell took the honors given him and sent cattle to Maffan's family, more than the dead man was worth. When asked why he had someone killed against whom he had no grudge or reason for rancor that the Oddani knew, he shrugged and said that was part of the ritual as he was told it, to give to the god the first who dared speak, for the storms raged at their weakness, who ought to be strong. Because of that, everyone honored Maffan as a brave man, and his son became prominent later.
Finis
He said, "I know you are quick to act and quick to change your mind. First you must promise two things, that you will accord me noble honors and that you will do whatever I say in this crisis without punishing me later regardless of what you think of it, since you have admitted your helplessness." The other Oddani made the promises he demanded and begged him to do as he had undertaken.
Hobbell traveled somewhere, and when he returned, he had with him men from another land and an altar of the same sort. He commanded everyone to gather where his guests placed the altar. Heedful of their promises, the Oddani came.
They stood in silence for some time until one among them, a householder, Maffan by name, asked what was the purpose of the altar. Hobbell signaled and his men grabbed Maffan, dragged him to the altar, and slit his throat while the Oddani watched, still keeping their word. Hobbell dismissed them then to their homes.
The storms left their lands after that. Hobbell took the honors given him and sent cattle to Maffan's family, more than the dead man was worth. When asked why he had someone killed against whom he had no grudge or reason for rancor that the Oddani knew, he shrugged and said that was part of the ritual as he was told it, to give to the god the first who dared speak, for the storms raged at their weakness, who ought to be strong. Because of that, everyone honored Maffan as a brave man, and his son became prominent later.
Finis
May 1, 2021
Charity
Before we say too much about naming a scifi musical style "jizz," let us remember what scat is.
Underused Scifi Settings
Are you tired of blah blah blah? Then blah blah blah.
1. Crisis of the thirtieth century
2. Caveman time travel
3. Truck stop bathroom
4. The secret world of pottery
5. Reverse Ecuador
6. Scatlantis Prime
7. Resort town (no volcano)
1. Crisis of the thirtieth century
2. Caveman time travel
3. Truck stop bathroom
4. The secret world of pottery
5. Reverse Ecuador
6. Scatlantis Prime
7. Resort town (no volcano)
April 30, 2021
Underused Fantasy Settings
Are you tired of standard medieval settings? What do you mean, there aren't really that many of those? Shut up and say yes. Now that we all agree, here are some settings that can set your story apart from the vulgar crowd.
1. Crisis of the third century
2. Caveman times
3. Truck stop bathroom
4. The secret world of pottery
5. Reverse Ecuador
6. Scatlantis
7. Resort town (no volcano)
1. Crisis of the third century
2. Caveman times
3. Truck stop bathroom
4. The secret world of pottery
5. Reverse Ecuador
6. Scatlantis
7. Resort town (no volcano)
April 28, 2021
The Power of Imagination
For instance, my imagination will fill it with knights and mechs so long as you don't write "absolutely no knights or mechs." I'm kidding, of course. I'll imagine them anyway. Using this method, you can create personalized works for maximum reader enjoyment.
April 27, 2021
Innovative Formats
From now on, instead of writing a book, just post an outline. Our imaginations will fill it out.
April 26, 2021
Exclusive Information!
The lord's name is Anthony.
The Bad Hill
No one liked living near a hill where sheep refused to graze, and if the villagers were unsure the birds curved through the air so as not to fly above it, they all agreed they would do just that if they had wings instead of legs. Still, the best houses have the worst neighbors, and nothing ever came from it.
The villagers kept up that attitude until they heard the sound, which some likened to a collapsing mine and others to a ship torn apart by rocks, depending on where their feet had taken them during their lives. The noise startled everyone of course, and every animal too for miles around, but there was nothing to be done about it besides argue about what it sounded like, and in any case it only happened once.
Till it happened again, twice in the same week, then four times, then twice in a day. That was too much for the most patient. The villagers got together and picked Guy to go ask the lord to do something, since he knew how to ride a horse and had even been a scout in some army once. He rode off and rode back, and said the lord told him to let everyone know he would look into it.
By that time they were sure the sound was coming from the bad old hill because they got to hear it a few times per day. The ground started shaking after that, and the whole village was talking about sending Guy back to beg the lord not to put them off when a man came.
A man and some followers, that is. He said he was one of the lord's knights, and they all believed it because he was holding a spear that looked so different from any spear any villager had ever seen that it seemed rude to call it one. The shaft might not even have been wood, and the head might not have been metal if the people who saw it change color were honest.
The knight said his name was Terence and the lord gave him that spear after extensive research showed it was just the right thing for the matter. He asked where the sound came from and was pointed to the Shundil, as they called that bad old hill, so he climbed up there, but not so easily as that. By that time the shaking was throwing people around unless they were careful or even dropped to their knees. The knight's pride was in his service, so he crawled up the hill on his hands and knees all the way to the top, where he stood tall, held the spear tip down, and thrust it as hard as he could.
The spear went in almost to the end of the shaft, and the sounds and the shaking stopped just like that, with no last finale or trailing off. The hill showed a sign though when some stuff started coming out of the spear hole, and nobody could decide if it had to be blood or had not to be. The stuff ended up covering the entire hill for a while, and the villagers told Terence everyone should call him the Knight of the Red Boots from then on. He laughed about it. He and the people were polite to each other afterwards, and he left richer by a good weight of good wishes.
As for the hill, the sheep will graze there these days even though the grass is all red, and birds fly over all the time to look at the red flowers, and the villagers called it Redhill from that day on.
Finis
The villagers kept up that attitude until they heard the sound, which some likened to a collapsing mine and others to a ship torn apart by rocks, depending on where their feet had taken them during their lives. The noise startled everyone of course, and every animal too for miles around, but there was nothing to be done about it besides argue about what it sounded like, and in any case it only happened once.
Till it happened again, twice in the same week, then four times, then twice in a day. That was too much for the most patient. The villagers got together and picked Guy to go ask the lord to do something, since he knew how to ride a horse and had even been a scout in some army once. He rode off and rode back, and said the lord told him to let everyone know he would look into it.
By that time they were sure the sound was coming from the bad old hill because they got to hear it a few times per day. The ground started shaking after that, and the whole village was talking about sending Guy back to beg the lord not to put them off when a man came.
A man and some followers, that is. He said he was one of the lord's knights, and they all believed it because he was holding a spear that looked so different from any spear any villager had ever seen that it seemed rude to call it one. The shaft might not even have been wood, and the head might not have been metal if the people who saw it change color were honest.
The knight said his name was Terence and the lord gave him that spear after extensive research showed it was just the right thing for the matter. He asked where the sound came from and was pointed to the Shundil, as they called that bad old hill, so he climbed up there, but not so easily as that. By that time the shaking was throwing people around unless they were careful or even dropped to their knees. The knight's pride was in his service, so he crawled up the hill on his hands and knees all the way to the top, where he stood tall, held the spear tip down, and thrust it as hard as he could.
The spear went in almost to the end of the shaft, and the sounds and the shaking stopped just like that, with no last finale or trailing off. The hill showed a sign though when some stuff started coming out of the spear hole, and nobody could decide if it had to be blood or had not to be. The stuff ended up covering the entire hill for a while, and the villagers told Terence everyone should call him the Knight of the Red Boots from then on. He laughed about it. He and the people were polite to each other afterwards, and he left richer by a good weight of good wishes.
As for the hill, the sheep will graze there these days even though the grass is all red, and birds fly over all the time to look at the red flowers, and the villagers called it Redhill from that day on.
Finis
