“I lived through both of them.  I was on Sangrar during the Cataclysm and with Kandol in the Darkhold when he cast his spell of undoing, and I can tell you this.  Both broke the world, but beyond that, they had little in common.  The Balance, the Primals and the Herald appeared at the Reckoning to proclaim the new age, but after the Cataclysm, there was only the Long Night.  The Girdle had collapsed.”  The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon

“In the end, the Prophecies were fulfilled, though not without many strange twists and turns.  Valdarag may have felt thwarted, but he needn’t have worried; destiny isn’t easily cheated.  The Eternal Warrior’s tale is as long as the Tale of Ages and he has served with more than one incarnation of the Heroes.  Long after Valdarag accepted the office from the All Father, Bandigar fought with Onyx and Father Artemus and, after the Long Night, he ushered the tradition of the Blood Dwarves into the new age.  I know you’re optimistic that the clan will prosper, Jerilyn, but it remains to be seen whether it flourishes or fades into myth as so many memories of the ancient world have.”  The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon

“You might think that two, the number of the Necessity is the most potent number, but it’s not.  That honor is reserved for three.  A special number in the annals of Sangrar, three figures prominently – three Heroes, three Suns, three Moons and of course, three Harnae and three Erlikarrin.  It makes sense if you think about it, Jerilyn.  Three is the number of the Balance and the Balance presides over the Necessity.  Therefore, three should be greater than two.  The true power of three is to go beyond the Necessity, to join the Opposition and give birth to something greater.  The Sword, the Hero, the Gift – each is the embodiment of three.  You were there at the end, with the Herald.  You, more than anyone, knows the unimaginable power of thrice-fold three.”  The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon

“Pride may be the greatest of the sins.  I’ve seen it undo so many, both Gods and mortals alike.  None are immune to its song of seduction, neither those of noble heart nor those with ill intent.  Other sins might seem worse, but that is a trap.  It’s a simple matter to punish the truly wicked, but it’s altogether different when pride overtakes a loved one.  At first, pride might seem a virtue, until it becomes all consuming.  When that happens, there is little that one can do.  If not for the pride of Torval, the God-Emperors might yet rule; if not for the Dark Lord’s pride, the Warrior might never have succeeded; if not for the pride of the Traitor, the Darkening might have been averted.”  The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon

“Revenge is a powerful motivator.  Properly focused, it can grant tremendous clarity of purpose, but it has a significant drawback that I call short sightedness.  Some might call it a benefit, but not I.  It’s never safe to focus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.  Once, I sought revenge against Archon, a primitive warlord that had done me some petty injustice that I’ve long since forgotten and the price of my folly was high.  While I pursued him in the eastern islands, one of my enemies attacked my tower in Renk.  After that, I learned to control my desire for revenge.  Patience is a virtue well worth mastering, particularly for someone of my long-lived stature.”  The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon

“Trust is a funny thing, Jerilyn.  It can’t be given away, it can only be earned, and that’s not easily done.  My parents trusted little, due, perhaps, to the Seeress’s interference, though it would be unfair to lay all the blame at her feet.  I’ve tried to learn from their mistakes and be more trusting, but when I have, I’ve questioned whether it’s been worth the cost.  You know, if I hadn’t been betrayed, I’d have been in the Towerof Renk when the Cataclysm came and I might have saved some of the people, but it wasn’t meant to be.  Now it is just you and I in this new world, old friend, alone with our memories of what has been and wishes for what might be.  And soon, when the Herald’s curse takes you, even that will pass,.”   The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon