Posts Tagged with Other Worlds

Greetings friends. I hope the day finds you far removed from the troubles of the grand designs of the powerful in your world. Here, I'm camped with various creatures on an exploratory excursion through the realm. It's not really an excursion though. For me, home is never far away.

Neither is Terra, which brings me to the point. I recently ran across some advice on your twitter to go fight dragons. Personally, I prefer to avoid fighting things that could kill me, but admittedly, this is after having slayed hundreds that I am pretty sure needed slaying. All that to say I can't really dismiss the enterprise outrightly. Here was the advice:

Fight dragons even if they're scary and frightening. Fight dragons because they are scary. Know that you do not fight alone. Know that you fight to protect others.

Fight.

One the one hand, I like to avoid mortal danger. On the other hand, I appreciate the spirit, and sometimes you can't really avoid it. So, I made some tips to go along with that advice. If you're going to go fighting dragons, then you better fight to win, and so you better go smart.

1. Train. Bleed now, among friends not foes.

I get the urgency. Why waste time while the beast wreaks havoc in neighboring villages and towns?! Maybe there is no time to train, in which case you will likely die, and if not you will not relieve much suffering. Train. If only when on the way, train. The goal should be to get all you can, not to go without all you can. It will save you and others much grief.

2. Enchanted arms or it might as well be a slingshot.

Sometimes equipment just gets in the way. Fighting a dragon is about such things as cunning and strategy. Without those, you'll end up a roasted gas station burrito in an armor wrapper, one that he eats whole. That said, if you don't know much about enchanted arms, learn or stay home. If you can't do those, God help you.

3. A roc might help.

A full grown roc is a mighty beast, and can be a great help. BUT that's only if you two are well accustomed to each other and have battle experience. Otherwise, it's easy to be just a bigger target and why lead a majestic creature into harm's way only to be used as a one-shot (at best) that dies soon thereafter? (Again unless you have to.) Personally, I've tried many majestic steeds, and I've settled with a gryphon, but that's me. I've not had much luck with magical companions in this area. (See rule 5.)

4. Go heartily and compelled mightily.

Duty is not enough. Nor is glory. Both may get you into the fight, but the vigor they inspire does not burn as bright and strong as- they aren't enough. Find better. That said, I have seen a few mighty and experienced slayers prevail on vain glory alone. They were good, but even they got lucky, and their luck ran out.

5. Don't go alone or with the new guy.

This should not have to be said. But lone-wolfing this is mad crazy dumb. Again, if you have to, fine. If no one else is qualified for the risk, maybe you have to go alone. Sometimes that's better than bringing along deadweight or a foible king. Anyway, it's also just endangering the newb. Dragon-hunts are kind of a suicide mission for most men- for most dwarves and elves too. (Though don't tempt the dwarves).

At this point, I wondered why a terran wouldn't just sit comfortable in their office and push a button to dispense with a dragon. So. Much. EASIER! Then, I realized he was probably speaking metaphorically in the first place. Still good advice though.

P

Greetings terrans. I hope you are as festive and excited for your holidays as I am. (My deep sympathies for those whose Christmas comes mixed with something less cheery this year.) I was just browsing your newly renewed twitter, and I saw some mentions of Santa. The Bee had a Calvinist Santa video up. Another put up a Santa political chart. Both were horribly off. Now, I know it's all in good fun, but I hate to see a good man misrepresented, and that is not what the man is like. I know. I first met him, two terran years ago. So, I rummaged through some things and found my old journal entry on the meeting. Enjoy.

I visited old friends on Christmas, and- well, even being against the ideologuery of the ruling elite, I am still welcome in town. The trouble is that due to the nature of that realm, I must resort to projecting a kind avatar, and that is exhausting. (The things we do for friends, amirite?)

Naturally, I decided to visit the inn, and per a long-running gag, I intended on entering it through the fireplace. This time I was smart and donned me some flame-retardant overalls that I'd left hidden on the roof. But, just as I got ready to climb down, someone else approached with the same idea! Then, I recognized him.

“Sir, no, I must insist. After you!”

I stepped out of the fireplace, and he was already busy at work. I tried to play it cool and not fan-boy. I even went to the bar for a round, but then I had to offer him one out of courtesy.

“Care for a drink? Umm, milk and cookies? No? Maybe a White Russian? Not while you're flying? Got it.”

I downed his cocktail, threw my Christmas cards under the tree, and crossing back to the fireplace, I braved me a request:

“Since we're both going up, mind if I ride shot gun? I have a question about elves,” (which was true, actually). So, yielding again to my senior, I scurried second.

Up on the rooftop, the sleigh made me wonder how I'd missed it before. When I got in, I looked for a seat belt but instead I found Santa to be very libertarian.

Then, I asked him: “So, the North Pole. We talking more Keebler or Tolkien?” and he didn't kick me out. He laughed, and it echoed off the town as we took off.

So, I missed out on meeting me old friends, but I figure, when we do catch up, it'll be more fun now.

Merry Christmas.

-Pen
Ti 17, 7382

Terrans, just writing right quick to let you know a couple things that’ve been going on. Here on the website, there have been a few changes. For one, I improved upon my bit on good arguments:

True claims and good logic. Done. If an argument has that, then it's gravy. But it’s not always clear when an argument does, in fact, have the truth-and-logic goods. How do you know if it's got the goods? (more: here)

Also, of course I added a link to Amazon. Shopping from that link helps out around here which is huge because regardless of how wealthy I am in other realms, let's face it, most grocery stores don’t accept our realm's currency (elvin tea), so when I’m here on earth, things can get awkward. (Oh, I have stories.)

More importantly I am about 13 pages away from finishing Libertarian Anarchy by the gentleman scholar Gerard Casey. This is particularly fun because I was asked by a new twitter follower, Joshua Rasmussen (follow him!), if I intended to write a review of the book. Now, I may not be as adept at such things as the Bradley Birzer (who recently reviewed him some Tolkien here), but I’ve given this book a great deal of attention over the year, so yes, I think something is in the works.

Finally, about that flying island… You may recall that I took a Twitter poll asking you guys what I should do about it. The consensus was to investigate carefully, but as I recall, a close second was to blow it up. So, I came prepared for both. But when our small crew arrived, it was totally gone! I have no explanation for this! I did get a few crazy looks my friends when it wasn’t there. But I promise it was real, and I wasn’t the only one to see it before it disappeared or whatever. (I mean there is no trace!) So I suspect or rather I wouldn’t be too surprised if this wasn’t the end of the story. (I mean, maybe it moved? If so, how fast did the thing go?!? and how far? It’s not like we didn’t look around! Anyway.)

There is more to share, but I’ll have to leave it there. For example, Elderbard Night was great. Wise and charming. The guy could’ve been Santa Claus’s cousin or something. I truly feel better (and improved?) for attending. But it’s getting late here. Later terrans.

-Pen
Ti 2, 7382

Happy Bard day. Well. That’s kinda what it is round here. Officially, according to the reckoning of my youth, the weekday is Ti, but I like Bard Day. Maybe that’s what I’ll call it. Let me explain.

Over here, after sundown, the elder bard occasionally performs. He’s elder in both years and prominence, and once in awhile (but always on the same day) he works his craft. When he does, he brings the goods. Stories, instruments, and beautiful languages, spanning from across the many worlds we have traveled together. A few of the languages in his repertoire still elude me, but then, I get to hear the beauty of the music by itself, and when the lyrics are explained, I love it all over again. Simple idioms taken for granted by their peoples can be so mind-blowing beautiful. Especially the elves. Snobs for sure, some of them, but with music like that, the slip into snobbery could be easy.

Sometimes the elder bard's songs are spiritually revitalizing. Sometimes they are particularly profound, not just in their truth but in the places they take you to explore. Still other times they’re simply playful and whimsical and the best part is the children laughing and singing along. I like the Fuppy one. (Fuppies are what I call the simple play pets of local fairies.) (Non-terrans don’t really get the joke, but it stuck anyway.)

One walks away from the elder bard experience encouraged, cheered, enriched, edified, humored, dazzled… entertained. And the music comes from the heart of a truly wise man. Somehow, it’s like his wisdom adds flavor to the words as he sings. (Bards take note.)

Now I say he is wise, and I say that heartily despite the fact that he is not open to free-will. (I know right!) Someone talked him out of it long before we met. Now, that domino stuff is nonsense, but he more than makes up for it… You know, it’s actually fun that his favorites among the songs he’s collected assume free-will! He appreciates them regardless, and good for him. That's how it should be. In art we try to enjoy the good regardless of the rest. Same goes with people, I suppose. Otherwise, we rob ourselves.

Eh, this is getting mushy or something. Look, I was excited for tonight. I even considered live-tweeting it for you all, but that would probably involve some seriously extended portalry, and you know how I feel about that (or have I mentioned it?). Anyway, it’s just as well. I just finished a huge addition to a longstanding project West of Naptown, so figuring out that portal stuff would be way too much work today. Instead, I’m chipping away at the ol’ Libertarian Anarchy book. Casey’s talking about “conditions for the emergence of law” or something, and I’m not sure I’ll completely agree, but there’s plenty to appreciate.

To the good,

Pen
Ti Bardday 77, 7381