Written By Shard
July 20, 2018, 6:49 p.m.(3/23/1009 AR)
Fashion trends are one of the stupidest things I learned about when I first came to the Compact.
Written By Shard
July 19, 2018, 6:01 p.m.(3/21/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Reigna
It wouldn't make much sense for him to fight against it, considering that's how we manage to eat (although, these days, Audric himself isn't going to have to worry about having enough silver to eat ever, ever again). And understand when I wrote 'you', it was a general you. The nobility are our biggest customers, even if you don't personally hire sellswords. We're the convenient muscle, particularly when someone wants to be able to look cleaner than they are. Most commoners can't afford us.
As for Audric? He doesn't need my defense. I will, however, say this. He enjoys life more than anyone else I've ever met. He's determined to enjoy all of it, because it's damn short and fucking violent. He laughs at death and grins in war. I don't pretend to always understand him, but he's made his decision about how he wants to be when his entire life until recently has been killing for coin.
Make no mistake though. I wouldn't want to be the person who thinks because he laughs and jokes at violence that means they can mess with /anyone/ under his protection. You're disturbed by Audric when he's enjoying himself? I've seen Audric when he's actually angry.
As for Audric? He doesn't need my defense. I will, however, say this. He enjoys life more than anyone else I've ever met. He's determined to enjoy all of it, because it's damn short and fucking violent. He laughs at death and grins in war. I don't pretend to always understand him, but he's made his decision about how he wants to be when his entire life until recently has been killing for coin.
Make no mistake though. I wouldn't want to be the person who thinks because he laughs and jokes at violence that means they can mess with /anyone/ under his protection. You're disturbed by Audric when he's enjoying himself? I've seen Audric when he's actually angry.
Written By Shard
July 19, 2018, 4:50 p.m.(3/21/1009 AR)
Killing is killing. What difference does it make to the dead person what you feel when you do it? Whether you're gleeful or sorry or grim and filled with duty? They're still dead. Their families still mourn. It only makes a difference to you. It only matters to you. It's an entirely selfish concern.
If you're going to bother about the dead, be sure the person you're killing deserves to die first. The people who hire sellswords rarely give a shit about that kind of thing. You put a literal price on life every single day, and it's usually a fucking bargain, both in the people you're putting gold down to kill, and the people you're paying to do it. Mercenaries are expendable, that's why we get put on the front lines in battle. You know that. That's why you pay us to stand there. At the very least, the man you're all wagging your fingers at manages to get you to pay a lot more for the lives you've decided money can replace. You made him rich with it.
If you're going to bother about the dead, be sure the person you're killing deserves to die first. The people who hire sellswords rarely give a shit about that kind of thing. You put a literal price on life every single day, and it's usually a fucking bargain, both in the people you're putting gold down to kill, and the people you're paying to do it. Mercenaries are expendable, that's why we get put on the front lines in battle. You know that. That's why you pay us to stand there. At the very least, the man you're all wagging your fingers at manages to get you to pay a lot more for the lives you've decided money can replace. You made him rich with it.
Written By Shard
July 15, 2018, 11:34 p.m.(3/13/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Arik
The Iron Guard can't be everywhere no matter how many members they have, and they can't protect people from every danger either. Although it's hardly just northern associated nobles that die in alleyways. To echo someone else, those are just the ones that get noticed.
Written By Shard
July 8, 2018, 11:55 p.m.(2/27/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Thesarin
Highly unlikely.
Written By Shard
July 8, 2018, 11:15 p.m.(2/27/1009 AR)
So far, spending winter in a giant house is even stranger than spending it in a tiny inn room. Arguably it's not that different; I'm even around a number of the same people. Mostly my room is just much, much, much larger. And the paintings on the wall are much weirder. And you don't have loud drunks stumbling home in the middle of the night (because they already live here).
Written By Shard
July 2, 2018, 6:43 a.m.(2/13/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Preston
Okay, I don't know what the 'Paths' say, but from what I've seen, what I've got to say isn't entirely contradictory. One of them can butt in and yell at me if they feel like. The Faith will do what it likes, but this 'it's like fealty to a lord' argument is getting downright annoying.
You have a fealty to one lord, true, but you owe your respect and deference to many different types of nobility depending on your status, don't you? And owing fealty to a lord doesn't stop you worshiping the Pantheon, and worshiping the Pantheon doesn't stop you respecting the Faith's various archlectors and disciples and legates, and owing fealty to a lord doesn't mean you don't bow before your king. And none of this stops you working your various jobs or providing for your families. These are all worships and honors and responsibilities and they take up a whole bunch of your time and not one of them seems strange or unusual or in the way of any of the others. Godsworn give up some of that to dedicate more time to the gods, it's true, but even they acknowledge a hierarchy because the Faith has more ranks and divisions and orders than I care to recite.
The fundamental misunderstanding is this: we don't think spirits and gods are the same damn thing, they are not approached the same way, they are not worshiped like you worship the Pantheon, there is no 'Faith' for spirits, there are no churches for spirits, and all Paths are, are some very vague agreements on how to deal with broad aspects of shamanism from hundreds of different traditions that sprung up over thousands of years. This is not a comparison of two 'lords', this is more like someone claiming I'm being disloyal to the King because I work for Audric's sellsword company.
Now, worrying about someone's shamanistic leanings bleeding into what they teach about the Faith, and saying 'no discipleship' because of that, fine, whatever, that was the original reason given (that and a bunch of shit about new prodigals potentially undermining the fabric of society, of course). I think it's a shit way to treat your people, but you're going to do what you're going to do and I don't have any personal stake in this. But if this argument is going to keep flaring up can we please stop with this dumb nonsense comparison to fealties? Especially since the Faith would never, ever stand for the Spirit Walkers making that argument to do the same in reverse for leaders among their number.
You have a fealty to one lord, true, but you owe your respect and deference to many different types of nobility depending on your status, don't you? And owing fealty to a lord doesn't stop you worshiping the Pantheon, and worshiping the Pantheon doesn't stop you respecting the Faith's various archlectors and disciples and legates, and owing fealty to a lord doesn't mean you don't bow before your king. And none of this stops you working your various jobs or providing for your families. These are all worships and honors and responsibilities and they take up a whole bunch of your time and not one of them seems strange or unusual or in the way of any of the others. Godsworn give up some of that to dedicate more time to the gods, it's true, but even they acknowledge a hierarchy because the Faith has more ranks and divisions and orders than I care to recite.
The fundamental misunderstanding is this: we don't think spirits and gods are the same damn thing, they are not approached the same way, they are not worshiped like you worship the Pantheon, there is no 'Faith' for spirits, there are no churches for spirits, and all Paths are, are some very vague agreements on how to deal with broad aspects of shamanism from hundreds of different traditions that sprung up over thousands of years. This is not a comparison of two 'lords', this is more like someone claiming I'm being disloyal to the King because I work for Audric's sellsword company.
Now, worrying about someone's shamanistic leanings bleeding into what they teach about the Faith, and saying 'no discipleship' because of that, fine, whatever, that was the original reason given (that and a bunch of shit about new prodigals potentially undermining the fabric of society, of course). I think it's a shit way to treat your people, but you're going to do what you're going to do and I don't have any personal stake in this. But if this argument is going to keep flaring up can we please stop with this dumb nonsense comparison to fealties? Especially since the Faith would never, ever stand for the Spirit Walkers making that argument to do the same in reverse for leaders among their number.
Written By Shard
June 28, 2018, 3:30 a.m.(2/5/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Audric
We really aren't.
Written By Shard
June 28, 2018, 3:22 a.m.(2/5/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Alayne
If I stuck heads on pikes over people being loud idiots, I'd never get any actual work done. I did consider punching you in the nose. Don't worry, I asked the leaves and the stones first, they said it was okay.
Written By Shard
June 26, 2018, 8:55 p.m.(2/2/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Victus
Get a dog.
Written By Shard
June 24, 2018, 11:34 p.m.(1/27/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Audric
I'm never encouraged when you say things like that.
Written By Shard
June 17, 2018, 3:15 p.m.(1/12/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Sina
Believing something really hard is great, but if he's going to be a disrespectful ass, then I'll be a disrespectful ass right back, and I think he knows me well enough by this point not to be surprised by that. My entire point was that this announcement wasn't just a kick in the teeth to people who cared about what it was doing, it was also worded in such a way that it managed to be insulting even to people who don't particularly care, like me. Not intentionally, I'm sure, but that's part of the problem.
I understand the devotion argument, for instance, even if I'm not sure I agree with it. But that's not the reason given. The reason given was because we're letting in a lot of new Abandoned and we need to make sure all these misguided heathen beliefs don't destroy civilization because prodigals keep clinging to their old traditions instead of being full productive citizens by giving up shamanism. In short, 'you can thank all these strange newcomers for losing your discipleship, but we'll let you come back if you renounce your ways and stop being so shav-ish'. That wasn't implied, it was stated outright. And might as well have been aimed squarely at Redrain, though it's not going to do any wonders at integrating any newcomers. Nice to see the welcome never changes.
I understand the devotion argument, for instance, even if I'm not sure I agree with it. But that's not the reason given. The reason given was because we're letting in a lot of new Abandoned and we need to make sure all these misguided heathen beliefs don't destroy civilization because prodigals keep clinging to their old traditions instead of being full productive citizens by giving up shamanism. In short, 'you can thank all these strange newcomers for losing your discipleship, but we'll let you come back if you renounce your ways and stop being so shav-ish'. That wasn't implied, it was stated outright. And might as well have been aimed squarely at Redrain, though it's not going to do any wonders at integrating any newcomers. Nice to see the welcome never changes.
Written By Shard
June 17, 2018, 6:41 a.m.(1/11/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Preston
I don't know about the high lord, but being a sanctimonious jackass always convinces me to give up my misguided worships.
Written By Shard
June 17, 2018, 2:22 a.m.(1/11/1009 AR)
Here's the thing. If you didn't mean to pick a fight with shamans or shamanism or those that have ties to it, maybe, in the process of kicking a number of people who, as far as I know, have been serving perfectly well out of the discipleship, which sure, fine, I don't care how the Faith runs itself, don't outright state that people who honor the spirits aren't being true or full members of the Compact, that they're clinging unnecessarily to old traditions, and are somehow being less loyal citizens (but of course they are welcome to come into your churches still, you are very generous), and then lay all of this at the feet of Prodigals, particularly newly joined Prodigals (that you insist must join the Compact under the penalty of death, I might add), with the suggestion that it might be undermining the very foundation of society.
I mean that's a very common sentiment, but it might piss people off.
I mean that's a very common sentiment, but it might piss people off.
Written By Shard
June 16, 2018, 10:08 p.m.(1/11/1009 AR)
You claim to be so strong, and yet you are so damned afraid of us.
Written By Shard
June 16, 2018, 6:40 p.m.(1/10/1009 AR)
Relationship Note on Orathy
I'm not saying it's black and white, but you're still making stupid assumptions about a man we both freely admit we know nothing about. The world's messy, and so are people. You seem to be arguing he can't be responsible for anything because his life was hard.
Written By Shard
June 16, 2018, 2:43 p.m.(1/10/1009 AR)
I don't have any cards in the game when it comes to Aurelian, but I'll say this anyway. Orathy does have a point when it comes to when the imposter first came to you as a child, even if he's making all the assumptions in the whole damned world about who he actually was.
That said? That was then, this is now, and people have died /recently/ because of him, apparently. We all have our choices. We all make our decisions. We all choose our sides. I don't know why he did what he did, or why he thought he should, or who put him up to it, but in the end, if that's the road he walked, that's the one he walked, and no amount of stupid bluster or assumed background changes that. Saying otherwise does everyone a disservice, him included.
That said? That was then, this is now, and people have died /recently/ because of him, apparently. We all have our choices. We all make our decisions. We all choose our sides. I don't know why he did what he did, or why he thought he should, or who put him up to it, but in the end, if that's the road he walked, that's the one he walked, and no amount of stupid bluster or assumed background changes that. Saying otherwise does everyone a disservice, him included.
Written By Shard
May 29, 2018, 2:32 a.m.(11/13/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Audric
If I run through the place stark naked it just makes it easier for the fucking mosquitoes to devour me.
Written By Shard
May 29, 2018, 2:28 a.m.(11/13/1008 AR)
Where I grew up, winter was a an enemy you couldn't defeat, only outlast. It was a constant shadow in other seasons, always looming either in front or behind you. You were always either recovering from winter, or preparing for it, and often enough your preparations, no matter how careful, would still fall short. And the worst decision the elders had to make was always winter camp. A northern camp meant winter was harsher, food scarcer, predators more desperate. A southern camp might make for an easier season, but it brought you into possible competition with other wintering tribes, and very possibly Redrain scouts or soldiers. At best you might have to move camp mid-winter if their patrols threatened to stumble onto you. That's how we ended up having to eat most of our horses one year.
I'll say this about winter though, it actually makes Fen de Lire bearable.
I'll say this about winter though, it actually makes Fen de Lire bearable.
Written By Shard
May 24, 2018, 4:03 p.m.(11/2/1008 AR)
What the fuck? Goats? Why the fuck am I reading about thralls being compared to literal herd animals? Animals, I'll point out, that exist in the wild just fine when they haven't spent generations being raised by humans. Is that supposed to make thralldom sound /better/?
And the reforms in Thrax are too fast now? What? Victus just wrote about how it might take generations to get rid of Thralldom, if it happens at all. That's generations of Thralls, you realize. Generations of people, a huge number of them, if not the majority taken captive in raids because the 'debt' they owe is 'being Abandoned near Thrax holdings', that are going to live and probably die as thralls because we don't want to turn Thrax's economy upside-down. Those reforms? Those reforms are that 'probably', because before those reforms, it was almost always 'certainly', with a healthy dose of 'and also their children'. And the whole reason we're talking about this is because they're freeing literal children now.
So people are talking about murderers, and goats, and moving too fast when it comes to /paying people/ to /free literal children/ from /thralldom/, and one of you even thought to bring in Skald to argue he'd be against the idea of taking Thralldom away. Priceless. Why don't you all go dunk your heads in the fucking harbor. You sure as hell won't be volunteering to take those kids' places.
And the reforms in Thrax are too fast now? What? Victus just wrote about how it might take generations to get rid of Thralldom, if it happens at all. That's generations of Thralls, you realize. Generations of people, a huge number of them, if not the majority taken captive in raids because the 'debt' they owe is 'being Abandoned near Thrax holdings', that are going to live and probably die as thralls because we don't want to turn Thrax's economy upside-down. Those reforms? Those reforms are that 'probably', because before those reforms, it was almost always 'certainly', with a healthy dose of 'and also their children'. And the whole reason we're talking about this is because they're freeing literal children now.
So people are talking about murderers, and goats, and moving too fast when it comes to /paying people/ to /free literal children/ from /thralldom/, and one of you even thought to bring in Skald to argue he'd be against the idea of taking Thralldom away. Priceless. Why don't you all go dunk your heads in the fucking harbor. You sure as hell won't be volunteering to take those kids' places.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.