From: caz@owlnet.rice.edu (HWRNMNBSOL) Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 06:38:23 GMT Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [KQ] [TGMOAB 10.0] PERSPECTIVE OF THE AGES IN THE COURT OF LORD MACHRION LIONHEART Know then, great Lords and Ladies, that I am no Skald, no bard, but a simple country man. I have no great gifts of speech or song. All I have to offer such fine folk as you are the ballads of my youth. They were taught to me by my grandfather, and in turn those lays were taught to him by his, and so on down the line further than memory and history extends. These songs do not tell stories of the world of today -- they are far too old for that. In the times of these verses, armored dreadnaughts did not creep across the countryside on treads of adamantite, spraying liquid fire on honest country folk. In those days, lords did not poison their chattel with mind-bending distillates and whip them with neurostunners! In those days, a man could live like a man without some aggrandized bandit snatching.... Unhand me! Let go, you big lout! Ow.......alright! Enough -- I'll amuse you with my tales, if you wish, though there is no amusement left in my heart! My lord, this ballad is nameless. Make of it what you will: Great flinty walls reached skyward Ships bore gold and fruit and slaves The greatest city; in the days before the sinking of mythic Rameshand. Child and Child, brother and sister Rats in the walls of plenty Scraping love from barrel-bottoms; Living life like king and queen. From city center; shadows reach Coveting; carressing; possessing. A net of blackness snares girl-child; Hollow-eyed, boy-child's hands are empty. Looms of war spin a coarse cloth; Child in battle becomes Man of peace. Man makes streets his newest battleground; Man lights torch in shadow's midst. Each Thing that takes another Becomes the other, in a sense; Shadows and girl-child intermingle; Blackness sets a loving trap. In the depths of dark despair, Warriors flock to Warrior's aid. Setting on a desperate quest to find the lost, and save the damned. A web of lies, and sneakish snares take tolls on souls of heroes. A cunning path spirals in and under, into the city's foetid heart. In many cities in one, each dead, The questors find their final answer: At the core of every ill Rests One-In-Many, Truthful Liar. Darkness births horrors from every age; Warriors join in frightful battle. Girl-Child toys with Boy-Child's spirit Like idle potter kneading clay. In the very heart of paradox Boy-child finds the Warrior way A gambit, a half-truth, and misplaced trust tip the scales; send darkness into chaos. Warriors flee from ancient malice, Taking life when victory failed; Wrong was righted; life redeemed But darkness was, is, and shall be. That's the ballad, my lord. What does it mean? I can't honestly say for certain. I can guess, though. I think it's not supposed to be truth, but a metaphor for resisting oppression. I think the 'Boy-child' and his companions stood up against the tyrrany of government and struck a blow against.....ow! Unhand me, you blackguard! You Philistine! You hairy armpit of a......... ****************************************************************************** This post marks the end of the Kron Quest. Credits: T. E. Kron Andrew J. Solberg Lady Azzar Tanya Olsen Captain Brett Fishburne Colin Jim Miller Fenris David Macky HighFlyer Paul Davis Father Lucas Clinton Richard Wolf Maleiu Aaron Humphrey Marcel Rick Jones 'Raelf Stephen Hutchison Rhoan Randy Leep ...sage Pete Calvert Silken Mithrandir Thk Michael Rigler ........and a cast of thousands....... Special thanks go out to the various writers, who put together a terrific story despite scheduling conflicts and organizational difficulties; to a handful of lurkers and other readers for gratifying fan mail and input; to Nightstalker for setting up this group in the first place; and to the many other people who I am no doubt overlooking in the doling out of praise. Fine job, all, and I'll see you in the Inn! -- HWRNMNBSOL, who will never have to use that damned [KQ] prefix ever again