On Pride

“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

On the Curse

“Yes, Tarik, it is clear now, though it wasn’t then.  It’s much easier with hindsight, isn’t it?  The seed took root long before, when Ataryl took up his birthright, and then it lay dormant, germinating for centuries before flowering into a blossom of shadow.  ”  Jerilyn of Colcester