Hey, my updated Eudo site is (currently) at https://eudothewanderer.wordpress.com
Blog: 3-month gap
May 22nd, 2010 by sonicsuns
Hey everybody.
I’ve just published Fever Dream. It’s admittedly short, but it does break the 3-month total-lack-of-posting since One-Third There.
Thanks for waiting, and I’m sorry for the wait. More Eudo is on the way.
Fever Dream
May 22nd, 2010 by sonicsuns
Fever Dream
A Tale of the Third Lichaf
Of the Life of Eudo the Wanderer
The great red rolling sun, dizzy from travels and drunken with power, splintered and crashed amidst the world I, as yet ungrounded, was thrown upward in the torrent, flying to the starry sky, filled with gleeful falling blades of glass As though the ocean wept, the water followed, the taste of salt preceding the wave and I, though frightened, fought to see more clearly, for my eyes closed in mischievous ways and they would not allow me sight.
It was dark then, and I was with friends, fellow creatures burrowing in the earth and I was one with them and all was good until there was a shouting “GO!” and I confused asked “to where?” but already I was gone and dead and gone and dead again and I thought “this is not right, I see this here, this is not so-
the dream was very strange said the man as his limbs drifted gently Away and “Yes” said I and I ran through halls of the walls of the palace, and I could not stop even though I tried but soon I ran so fast that there was nothing left but darkness still.
And then there was Nothing, and I was very afraid that I would remain inside the Nothing forever.
The great red rolling sun returned, holding the moon and the world was like lightning, and voices were shouting shouting, so much shouting though I begged them to stop…
I awoke. I felt the world’s full realness. The dream disappeared, lingering only in memory. The fever had subsided. I saw then that the dream had been little more than nonsense; a furious cascade of feelings and thoughts, bearing precious little meaning that I could perceive.
I looked to the horizon, and thought darkly: the world is not so different.
Blog: Woah, we're one-third there…
Feb 22nd, 2010 by sonicsuns
(woah-oh, livin’ on a prayer…)
(it’s a song)
With the addition of my latest story, Meleki, the word count has advanced to (drumroll please) 35,107
This means that, if we use the abitrary value of 100,000 words as my desired length, I have finally passed the one-third mark on this book! Yay!
(Quick-thinking readers may note that I actually passed the 33,333 mark with an earlier story, but I didn’t run a wordcount until just now. Even quicker-thinking readers may note that my count is a little high. That’s because it includes a couple pages of acknowledgments and copyright notices)
So, yeah, I’m feeling good about that. There was like 8 days of gap before this latest story, and the lack of progress was starting to mess with me. But I feel better now, sortof exhausted and happy at the same time.
Of course, I’m still thinking about my other goal, which was to reach 100,000 words by April 1st. (No, that’s not an April Fool’s Day joke. That’s just the day I arrive in Japan.) By current statistics…I’m not even close. If I write a thousand words a day from here on…I’ll reach 75,000 words. And thus far I haven’t managed a consistent thousand words per day. So if I write two thousand per day…
*sigh*
I don’t know, whatever. I’m just gonna keep making progress, and try not to worry about it.
I’ll be alright.
Meleki
A Tale of the Fourth Lichaf
Of the Life of Eudo the Wanderer
Those who have never seen the Siwali Desert often assume that it is empty. A desert, they think, is nothing but large, hot region of sand. Admittedly, such places do exist. But there are also plants in the desert, and a few forms of animal life. There are people in the desert, as well. But one popular notion rings true: water is precious here.
With patient focus, the Naja man sharpened his sword against the rock. The rock was three feet tall, with the symbol of Naja painted on its side, marking the space behind it as the Naja homeland. By sharpening here, instead of elsewhere, the man reaffirmed his tribal loyalty. To his back lay a Naja encampment. To the west lay a Rodi encampment, with a similar stone marker on its eastern border where, no doubt, similar men sharpened similar swords. To the north-northwest lay a oasis, which held rocks without symbols, and space without people. The oasis was lush, at least by desert standards. It held many kinds of plants, and insects. And among these there was water, bubbling up from an underground spring. The Naja man stopped for a moment, and stared in that direction. Then he returned to the sword.
The tribes of Siwali are not nearly so primitive as is popularly believed. Their laws, though typically unwritten, are well-known and well-followed. The oasis in question was considered a meleki, an unclaimed region, formally belonging to no one. Tradition held that melekis were the property of the impoverished. If a tribe, for whatever reason, was forced from its homeland, it held the right to travel to the nearest meleki and live there. If it became possible to return home, the tribe was no longer considered impoverished, and therefore it would need to either abandon the meliek, or defend it by force.
The previous inhabitants had been people of the Veln tribe. But, after 2 years of exile, they had finally returned to their homeland. This was a happy occasion for the Veln, but it meant only bloodshed for the neighboring Naja and Rodi. They both desired the oasis, and they were far too proud to share. Soon, both tribes would march on the meleki, and both of them would surely leave corpses, but only one would mark its symbol on the rocks.
I stood in the distance, eying them both. How strange, I thought, that a practice steeped in charity could lead to violence. I turned South, intending to leave them be. Strange indeed. If there were no oasis, then all would be satisfied; neither is desperate for water, they only insist on having more of it than their neighbors. Or, if there were another needy tribe, then it could claim the oasis, and all would be satisfied. But there is none. A strange thought occurred, and I stopped. I looked back towards the oasis.
As the sun approached the horizon, both tribes began marching. With time, they grew close to each other, but they did not turn to fight. Neither would fight, until they had crossed the meleki’s borders. They were like two forces of the same army, marching on the same point. But the only point they agreed on was mutual distrust. That, and the laws of Siwali.
I had no love of public speaking, but there was no way to avoid it.
“Halt!” I cried. For I had gone ahead of them, and hidden among the trees.
I stepped forward and held up my hands. “I claim this land under the laws of Siwali! I forbid violence of any kind.”
They stopped. A claim to the laws was a serious matter. If my claim were found valid, they would listen. If not, they would surely kill me. And then they would kill each other.
The Rodi leader responded first. “Who are you to lay claim under the laws?”
“I am Eudo the Wanderer”
There was a murmur among both groups. I produced shinons to demonstrate my power, not as a threat (for they could have killed me anyway), but as proof of my identity. They could see my skin, too. They knew I was telling the truth.
“I have heard of you, Eudo. But you are not Siwali, you belong to no tribe.”
“My tribe is the Geo Mandre.” I did not show it, but it hurt to mention the name.
The Naja leader spoke. “Geomar is not part of the desert. The Geo Mandre have never lived by our laws.”
There was a murmur of agreement. I had feared he might bring that up.
“But we have never harmed you,” I replied, “nor your brothers, nor any other people in all the world.”
“I understand, and you have my sympathy, but-“
I barked fiercely. “We have suffered enough! We have no home! Would you deny us even the meleki? This is the law of Siwali: that any tribe, if it be driven from its home, shall have the right to choose a meleki and settle there until the danger has passed. Tribesmen, show me your honor!”
There was some feeling of shock. I was insulting them, but it was the only way to persuade them.
The Rodi leader spoke again. “You are only one man,” he said, “you are not a tribe.”
“Such is the magnitude of our suffering!” I snapped, “such is the greatness of our need!”
There was a long silence. I was near tears.
“My people, if they yet live at all, are few and scattered and homeless. I beg you, grant us refuge! I ask for no charity from either tribe; I ask only for the meleki!”
I fell to my knees and cried; I had not expected to be so passionate. I was embarrassed, in a way. Somehow I felt it was unfitting to weep.
Apart from myself, all was silent. All of them watched me; no one moved. Finally, the Naja leader stepped forward.
“I grant it to you.”
And it was done. The Rodi quickly agreed. The tribesmen sheathed their weapons, and marched back to their encampments, in the South.
I sat upon the ground, with a strange feeling of exhaustion and bewilderment. Perhaps the act of telling others had made my sorrow fresh again.
I watched the tribesmen go. Among these, as it is among most, each person had many others to call his own. Everyone had a tribe.
This is the order of the world
That the flowers be with flowers
And the birds be with the birds
And the scorpions with kin
And men, too, shall have their place among men
I looked at the oasis, at my “tribe”. There was no one, of course. No one but me.
I wondered if the tribesmen would ever realize the truth. I had only acted to prevent bloodshed. I personally did not need the meleki, and I doubted that my people would need it either.
The dead do not need much.
But still, I thought, we have a meleki. I suppose that means something.
And in that thought, I found a little speck of happiness. We had a haven now. We had a home.
I painted our symbol on the side of a rock, as the sun disappeared in the west.
Vanessa: A Ceremony
Feb 21st, 2010 by sonicsuns
Hey everybody, I’m Sonicsuns, the creator of Eudo the Wanderer. My girlfriend, Vanessa, has been helping me construct Eudo’s world. She has a lot of ideas for various nations, religions, wars, etc.. The following tale was written by her, not me. It’s not “canon” per se, but it may influence future stories.
***
A Ceremony
Cressida was told sternly by Queen Hecuda not to cross the river. However, she lost her bracelet in the pure waters of the Cerridwen River. The bracelet was given to her mother, as she lay dying of battle wounds. The bracelet was gold and inlaid with jade. Cressida followed the gleaming bracelet past the boulders that formed a natural barrier between Danu and Balor Territory. Once a year, the Danu and Balor tribes would mate with each other. Girls born of this encounter were Danu, and boys were given to the Balor. However, the Balor were now vanquished and an enemy took their place. These men called themselves the Tsoi. They brought strange beasts with them, including beautiful grey horses. Hecuba had captured three Tsoi women and assigned Cressida the task of learning their language ways, in order to subdue or destroy them.
The woman glanced back in the direction of her village. The sky was turning gray and she knew it would rain soon. She thought of turning back, but her bracelet followed the river to a small swamp. Cressida dived into the river and grabbed her bracelet. When she popped out of the river, she saw a man with a mask. He paused for a brief moment, turned around, and ran back inwards. After Cressida got out of the water, she noticed a trail of red beads. She followed them to an impressive sight. There was a circle of flame, and surrounding it were men in masks. There was a table with a number of instruments including a sword. The path to the Tsoi camp was blocked by soldiers carrying silver daggers. Cressida saw a number of Balorian prisoners
“Bring forth my brother, Anu who saves!” A voice bellowed. Cressida saw that it was the man with the red mask. He was tall and tan, and whore white robes with black trim. He was well-built and his chest displayed a mark that looked like this: K. Cressida hid behind a raspberry bush and watched the ritual began. Two soldiers brought forth a Balorian prisoner. The prisoner looked drugged and oblivious to what was going on. The man in the red mask said, “Brother of my soul, brother of my flesh, why must you trouble me so?” The prisoner mumbled something. The man in the red mask replied, “Then I shall trouble you no more, for you shall no longer be able to see my actions. Nor will you see any other actions. The last breath you draw…” He lifts a curved blade from a table and raises it over the prisoner’s head, “…shall be your last action.”The deed was carried out to the humming of the devoted. The sky was growing dark, and Cressida began to feel tiny raindrops on top of her head. Several worshippers began to collect the blood. The man in the red mask recited, “I am Kurambis, son of Alalu and Gul-Sees. My birth cry created a hole of darkness. I am Kurambis, Destroyer of Worlds! I exiled my father, I conquered my brother! I am Kurambis and you will all bleed at my feet!” A man in a blue mask approached him. He said, “This death shall create life. This victory will lead to your defeat. For in time you shall give birth to the water, the sky, and he that join earth and sky. Your love will grow to hate, and your hate will be your downfall.” The man in red mask laughed, “Illyunka, dear messenger, you know nothing! I am the end. Forget life, forget justice, and forget hope!” The worshippers dump buckets of blood over the man. The man in the blue mask said, “So it begins.” He removes his mask and says, “This marks the end of the festival of Kurambis. The next festival is that of Tigris, Teshub, and Tasmisu. May the gods grant you power.” The worshippers took off their masks. The soldiers cleared the path and the men went back to their lives. The two exceptions was the man in the blue mask. He went to put out the fire, and the man drenched in blood walked towards the river. Cressida took this as her cue to leave.
She ran back towards the river. She saw the man in the red mask bathing in the river. The blood left his form and went to the river, to the water goddess Cerridwen. Cressida smirked at the idea that this Kurambis worshipper was sacrificing to her goddesses. The man spied her and removed his mask. He said, “I am Troilus! I am a priest of the Tsoi, and you must be a goddess.” Cressida was frighten and began to run. She got as far as the boulders before being subdued. Troilus overpowered her when the sound of hooves entered her ears. He let Cressida go and bowed to the leader. This man said, “Lead us to the Queen.” Troilus said, “I have not gotten…” “I was talking to the woman,” He said. Cressida replied, “I would rather die than betray my people!” The man laughed, “You are the image of Hebat, the goddess of love! Why would you waste your beauty? Why would you desert Teshub, your spouse?” Cressida said, “You are mad! You are all mad! Putting on a mask does not make you a god!” Troilus said, “Neither does carrying a weapon make you a man!” The soldiers laughed at this, but the leader gave a signal to become silent.
Just then a volley of arrows was shot from behind the boulder. Cressida had been gone for a long time and Hecuba sent scouts in case there had been an attack. A skirmish was set to begin when the sound of thunder was heard. The leader said, “Tasmisu is telling us it is time for peace. Just remember my name woman: Diomedes. Since your Queen is hard-hearted, I shall take you as my treasure.” All the troops left, except for Troilus and his friend Panderus, who were wounded in the fray. Cressida praised Danu for her mercy, and began to look upon Troilus. By Danu law, as the first of the tribe to come upon him, Troilus was her slave.
Vanessa: A Discussion on Religion
Feb 21st, 2010 by sonicsuns
Hey everybody, I’m Sonicsuns, the creator of Eudo the Wanderer. My girlfriend, Vanessa, has been helping me construct Eudo’s world. She has a lot of ideas for various nations, religions, wars, etc.. The following tale was written by her, not me. It’s not “official” per se, but it may influence future stories.
***
A Discussion on Religion
Amphion: This is not fair.
Eudo: What?
Amphion: It is the Festival of Qudo. We should not have school on the holiest day of the year.
Eudo: But you will celebrate after classes.
Amphion: That does not matter.
Priscian: Can you please stop complaining?
Amphion: Can you please stop being a bore?
Eudo: Break it up.
: Awkward Silence:
Eudo: The Erebian Republic is tolerant of all religions. However, just so I know about holidays, what is each of your religions? How about you Cadmus?
Cadmus: I follower Tiasu, and my patron deity is Nergal. He is the god of war.
Eudo: And you Philippi?
Philippi: I follower the Siwaini religion. I am an initiate in the cult of Sauska, the goddess of war.
Eudo: And you Dante?
Dante: I am also a follower of Tiasu. My patron deity is Nabu, the god of wisdom.
Eudo: And you Guido?
Guido: My parents were atheists but I follow Tiasu. I worship Nanna, king of the gods, lord of the moon and the sea.
Amphion: I am an Avarist. There is only…
Eudo: That is enough. What about you Clement?
Clement: I am an Avarist as well.
Eudo: Well and well. Who do you worship, Tydeus?
Tydeus: I worship the Siwaini gods. My patron deity is Kurambis, destroyer of worlds.
Eudo: Who do you worship, Priscian?
Priscian: I do not worship any gods.
:Amphion gasps:
Eudo: That is your choice. What is your belief, Rubicon?
Rubicon: My ancestors were Filcanese, so I worship a god called Tyr and a goddess called Jord. But each of these gods has many avatars.
Eudo: Such as?
Rubicon: The avatar I currently worship is Freyr. He is the god of young men and animals. Freyr is known to the Fernians as Attis.
Dante: Filcanese rubbish…
Eudo: What was that?
Dante: What I mean to say, is that Attis is the son of Cybele and Tammuz. Cybele is the sister of Cosima, the all-mother. Asshur is the son of Ninkashi, sister of Nanna, king of the gods.
Rubicon: And your point is?
Dante: Attis cannot be his uncle, in the same way that you are not your uncle.
:Tydeus raises hand:
Eudo: Tydeus has a comment.
Tydeus: We of the Siwaini Desert have a similar belief system. Arma is the son of Teshub and Hebat, but his soul is a part of Kurambis, the god of destruction. Kurambis in turn is a part of Alalu. The two deities Alalu and Gul-Sees together consist of all the energy of the universe.
Priscian: Then how does the universe survive if these beings keep splitting?
Tydeus: The energy is infinitely splitting while it is infinitely expanding…
Philippi: You have said too much to these Oisiwaini (outsiders).
Eudo: What of the fact that Sauska is the goddess of war of the Siwaini, while the Taisu worship Nergal?
Amphion: I see it as proof that pagan religions are illogical and false.
Priscian: Avarism can be just as illogical.
Clement: Not as illogical as paganism. Not every god can be all-powerful.
Cadmus: Why not? All kings are powerful.
Clement: But some kings are more powerful than others. This is not the case with gods of different countries. Nanna is considered to be all-powerful to the PFE, Alalu to the Siwaini, and Anuket to the Hotusians.
Rubicon: What if the Avarist God is Nanna? What if we are all worshipping the same gods?
Avarists: Blasphemy!
Tiasu: Atheism!
Siwaini: Yes, that is correct!
Eudo: Alright. Let’s move on to the next lesson…
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Feb 15th, 2010 by admin
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I Lay Awake in Morentoff
Feb 10th, 2010 by sonicsuns
I Lay Awake in Morentoff
A Tale of the Second Lichaf
Of the Life of Eudo the Wanderer
I was still
in the dark
perhaps in the night
there was no way to know
My heart beat too fast
discerning its own presence
Be still, I begged
begone
my heart refused
me
I could not sleep
and so I stared
into an endless waking
chasm
In dreams, at least, something is
I dearly wished for dreaming
but as before
would be again
the chasm was my only ken
My only sky
was made of stone
the stars themselves
were dim or bright
according to
the Masters’ whim
and I lay there, alone
-
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Commentary on Silence in the Snow
Feb 9th, 2010 by sonicsuns
Commentary on Silence in the Snow
To hear me recite the poem out loud, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Z9E55zr-U
With this poem, I spoke from my own feelings.
I know what it’s like to face emotional emptiness, while still knowing that things will eventually change.
Many tales of Eudo involve a mixture of hope and despair this way.
I wrote the poem to be drifting, sorta-rhyming and then sorta-not-rhyming, to mimic the feeling. In this feeling, you see, there are moments when things make a bit more sense, and then they make less sense. Uncertainty pervades.
WordPress doesn’t like it when you add blank lines. Thus, the spacing was off until I fixed it in Feb 2010
Posted in Commentary | 1 Comment »