- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Does any one else here write for fun? I write a lot, and most of the time it's for not reason. I just do it because I have an idea that I want to put on paper. This thread is for all of the people here that like to do the same thing. Post a bit of your writing, review another's, etc...
Here's one of mine. I haven't started on the second draft yet, but I'll have tons of time over the summer, so it'll probably be re-written sometime in the next month. Keep in mind that this background writing for a large project that I'm working on (a book). It's a holy book (or rather part of one), so keep that in mind too. By 'it's a holy book' i mean the story below, not the book that I am working on (which is your basic high fantasy/adventure novel).
Anyway, enough with my rambling:
Books of Xeven:
Excerpt from the first Book of Xeven, ‘Creation’, on how the universe, the
earth itself, and the Four came to be:
“…In the beginning there was nothing, all was void of light and black, and none, save the gods, existed. All was in harmony, and the gods lived happily. But they grew bored, so they all joined hands and spoke ‘exist!’, and all that was and shall be until the gods speak the words ‘do not exist’ suddenly filled the black void. The very universe itself was woven from the fabric of nothingness into a beautiful tapestry of stars, planets, and moons.
All was well, for a time.
The gods played with their fabulous creation as a child would play with a new toy: First, they were curious of the new thing’s functions and features, then, being knowledgeable of these features they used them in their play, and finally, as nothing new presented itself and no new ideas came they discarded it.
It seemed that the gods would again join hands and speak the fateful words ‘do not exist’, but one of the gods, Azoroth, the Life Bringer, shaped from clay found at the universe’s central world the first mortal beings. They were fragile, very twisted, and ugly, but they, in some ways, were similar to the gods.
The hands of the gods were stayed, and they grew to love these mortal beings. As time grew on they shaped these beings into figures more resembling themselves. They created beasts that could be hunted and plants that could be eaten. They created all manners of life and gave it to the mortal beings to lord over and control.
All was well, for a time.
Man, at first, was not an intelligent being. Nor was he a strong being. The first men were unintelligent and weak, and as the gods began to create more intelligent and strong creatures, greater numbers of men began to die, for they did not know how to hunt these more intelligent animals, nor did they have the strength to defend themselves against these beasts.
Lyth, one of the Goddesses of Nature, took pity upon the men, and created a second race, the race of Elves. The elven people far surpassed men in their abilities. They were beautiful; the ugliest elven woman was considered a fine maiden to a human man. They were intelligent; they could construct houses, craft weapons, and track beasts the humans didn’t even know existed. And they were strong. The weakest Elf could easily overpower even the strongest human.
And Lyth said onto the elves, ‘Go forth and protect all that lives and dwells in nature. Live in harmony of it and teach men the same. Teach them how to build houses to protect themselves against weather. Teach them how to craft weapons to protect themselves against ravenous beasts. Teach them how to track, that they may taste delicious sweet meat. Gift them with your skills and knowledge that they may first better protect themselves and then prosper under the harmonious balance that they may share with you and nature.’
Thus the elves went forth and follow their goddess’s commands. They taught men how to shelter themselves against the weather. They taught men how to craft weapons to protect themselves against ravenous beasts. And they taught men how to track, so that they could taste delicious sweet meat.
Men and elves prospered, and all was well, for a time.
Men and elves grew too prosperous and the gods grew bored. There was no longer any challenge for either race to face or overcome, their lives were easy. The gods encouraged them to fight each other, but neither race had a wish or reason to fight one another. The gods plotted to anger the races into fighting amongst themselves, but neither race would blame the other for any transgression against them. Both races were tied completely to each other.
The gods were astounded by how much love each race showed for another. It was decided that no god would interfere with the bond between man and elf. They would be free to live in peaceful harmony so long as they continued to offer prayers and sacrifices to the gods.
Shivath, the Destroyer, grew angered. He despised the bonds of brotherhood the elves and men shared. He loathed their love for on another. Thus, ignored the decision made by the other gods decided to meddle with the peaceful harmony the elves and man lived in.
He took all of his hate and loathing and crafted a third race, a vile and evil race; the race of the trolls. The trolls were no match for the elves or men in intelligence or beauty, but their strength, and their love for destruction and death far surpassed that of the two other races.
Shivath said onto the mighty hordes of trolls, ‘Your hour has come, my sons, man and elf have grown too prosperous and their bonds with one another have grown too strong! It is time to tear them down and build anew a world of strength! A world of might! A world where only those with the strength to fight will reign! God now, and destroy them! Build your new world!’
And Shivath turned loose upon the world the evil he had created. The trolls pillaged, destroyed, and ravaged. They were like a plague in their spreading and thoroughness. None were spared, no mercy was given. Neither the elves nor the humans could resist for long and both were very nearly driven to extinction. The trolls reigned over what was once the domain of man and elf.
All was not well, and the Gods, save Shivath, wept for their lost children.
Then the great God, Kyloth, the Soul Forger, came forth. The plight that Shivath had wrought upon the two races angered him, and he was determined to help the elves and men defeat the depraved and evil trolls. So, from the hardest iron he created the dwarves. The dwarves exemplified all the traits the trolls did not have: They were fond of creation, and excelled in the arts of forging and shaping metal and stone. They loved one another; their ties of brotherhood could not be broken. And they were honorable; their word was their bond and no promise would be forgotten.
Kyloth said onto the dwarves ‘Go, my sons and daughters, and destroy the evil that has been brought upon your brothers, the elves and men. Teach them the secret of the forge, make them your allies, and bring them and yourselves to victory! For combined, the strengths of your three races can overcome this great evil!’
Thus, the dwarves went forth, and the elves and men were taught the secret of the forge. This skill was useful in the battles against the trolls, and was a key to victory against them. However it could not provide a significant advantage to stem the tide of blood nor decrease in number the corpses of fallen comrades. The battle to reclaim what was lost were long, bloody, and agonizing, but in the end the three triumphed over the one and the great evil that was unleashed upon the world was conquered.
All was well, for a time…”
[Edited on 6/5/2004 9:41:20 AM]