Of War and Ruin Quotes

“This world chews us up and spits us out. It doesn’t care if we live or die. It doesn’t care who we love or who we hate. It is filled with misery, death, and loss. It cares little for us. But that is precisely why we must care with all our hearts, fight for the ones we love, and stand for what we believe in. Because in a world where nothing matters, what matters to us means everything. If we forget about the ones we love, everything loses meaning.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Mastery is not something you achieve based on the speed at which you improve, but due to your ability to persevere in the face of failure. It is repetition, dedication, and consistency.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“So many books to read, so little time to read them; that always seemed to be the case.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“The power of words is in the choosing of them, my son. Not just in the choosing of which words to speak, but in choosing when not to speak at all. The man who speaks rarely but wisely is heeded far more often than the man who can’t hold his tongue.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“we hold our failures close, so as to learn from them. We take pride in them because failing means you tried. You can only ever succeed if you allow yourself to fail.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“There was a man, of humble lands Who rode to war, at honours call And in that war, the blood did feed The lands, the trees, and growing seeds There were people, as old as the seas As old as the mountains as rooted as trees And though the war, was not their own Chains drew them in and chains made them bleed Tired and weary, the man did become Through fire and blood, the man he did roam Till a killer made their home in his bones A dealer of death who longed to go home And on one faithful winter’s eve, The man met the people as old as the seas As old as the mountains as rooted as trees And on one faithful winter’s eve The man’s faith was shaken, his hands they were stained And so this man set on his path The path to become the breaker of chains”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Both honour and religion are things mortals use to justify atrocious deeds. To absolve themselves of the guilt they have so deservedly gained. They are more dangerous than any blade or any dragon. If a god tells a man to murder a child, they will oblige. It wasn’t their choice – it was the word of a god. That man is not a murderer – he is a conduit of divine will.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“The past is the tapestry from which we learn the steps we should not take,’ Verathin had said. ‘Study it, learn from it, know it. Then and only then can we hope to avoid repeating the mistakes of those who came before us. Ignore it and doom yourself to being the story the next generation learns from.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“The path you are on will bring death beyond your wildest nightmares. I say this not to steer you from it, but to steel you for it.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“The only person Calen could think of who was more stubborn than the elf was himself, though he would never admit it.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Pain is the path to strength!”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“What is my problem, Brother?” “Well, there are two. The first is your unwillingness to deviate from your established plan. No plan survives contact with the enemy, apprentice. Real battles change in an instant, turn on their heads with the flash of a blade.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Marlin knelt on the ground, his hands clasped around the shaft of a javelin that protruded from his chest.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Tell me you’ve never fought elves without telling me you’ve never fought elves.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Elves were obsessive in their adherence to honour. So much so that it often bordered stupidity.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Nothing worth having is ever easy, son. And nothing that’s easy is ever worth having.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“If I’m quick eating this stew, I can get some reading in before I meet Garramon.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“What is a ‘good man’? What defines ‘good’? What I’ve noticed is those who describe themselves as good men are often far from it. And those whom others describe as good men tend to have a nasty habit of dying young.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“The weights on our shoulders rarely get lighter”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“wounds of the mind were as much a death sentence as wounds of the body.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“In Aeson's experience, there were two things that caused people to follow: fear or devotion. Fealty could be won through fear in a heartbeat. Fear was powerful, and it led people towards truly atrocious acts in the name of self-preservation. But it was fleeting - as soon as something came along that inspired greater fear, everything changed. Devotion, on the other hand, was hard earned, through actions and deeds. Whereas adversity often eroded fear, it only strengthened devotion. Fear could win battles and wars, it could sweep armies aside. but devotion was what held nations together.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“What in the known world could kill a dragon? Well, it turned out the answer was another dragon.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“What is a "good man"? What defines "good"? What I've noticed is those who describe themselves as good men are often far from it. And those whom others describe as good men tend to have a nasty habit of dying young.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“You need to learn when to say what you want to say, when to say what you need to say, and when to shut your mouth.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“It had been centuries since he had seen dragon fight dragon, and watching it now filled him with a sense of dread.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“He held no love for court politics, fancy clothes, and half-truths. He understood it well enough, but if it were oil, he was water – they simply did not mix.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Often, with humankind, it is the fear of failure that prevents advancement, more so than failure itself.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“But no fear touched Dayne’s heart. He had fought warriors like Thorken a hundred times. Each one of them lay cold in the ground.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Some things are so hard to say you have to say them there and then lest you lose the courage.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin

“Questions were the enemy of ignorance, and they needed to be asked.”
― Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin