On Majestrix

“How did Erlik escape after the destruction of the Darkhold?  That’s a very good question, Jerilyn, and the answer is complex.  On one level, you could say that the Necessity saved him.  With the Prophecies unfulfilled, the Eternal Conflict remained and Erlik was necessary.  But, on another level, Majestrix saved him.  Bound by her ancient vow, she had no choice.  She was the servant of the Balance as much as Kandol was, despite her great power.  I think she dreamt of the Reckoning while she wandered the Void, long before she and Zuras brought forth the Craeylu.  How else can you explain the existence of the Darkstar? ”  The Wizard of the Blue Lagoon 

On the Long Night

“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

On the Eternal Warrior

“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

On Three

“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

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 Revenge

“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

 

On Religion

“The hardest part of life after the Darkening was the loss of the Maiden.  Without Her, our religion ceased to exist.  You have to understand, Jerilyn, prayer was our most sacred responsibility; it kept the Dark Lord imprisoned.  When She departed, She left a huge void in our lives.  It wasn’t until the next age, when the Primals brought forth new Gods to serve Mankind that religion returned to Sangrar, though the religions of humanity bear no resemblance to the Maiden’s worship.”  Kandol Elf Lord

On Treachery

“History abounds with examples of treachery, reminders that sorrow has indeed entered the world.  The breaking of the Stones, the murder of King Emerre and the God-Emperor’s spy are among the more perfidious betrayals in the annals of Sangrar, but there have been others.  Only in the Years of Glory, when the Full Radiance still shone and life was pure and idyllic, did people live without fear.”  Jerilyn of Colcester

On Dark Ones

“Each species of Dark One had its own place in the Darkhold.  The Maldoks were on top, fell sorcerers of dark repute that the Dark Lord chose to captain his legions and guard against treachery from the Erlikarrin, especially Cthar, whose designs on the Throne of Terror were well known to the Dark Lord.  After the Maldoks came the Jixari, the cruelest of the Dark Ones and Cthar’s favorites.  I touched their thoughts, Jerilyn, and you can’t imagine the depths of their depravity.  After these two came the lesser Dark Ones – Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, Giants and the rest –  great in numbers but naught else.  The Ulgarja were bred with strength to rule but lacked cunning and never amounted to being more than Zara’s pets.  The most feared denizen of the Darkhold, save the Dark Lord and his godlings, was none other than the Traitor; his malevolence dwarfed all others.  He may once have been as you or I, but his resurrection in the Pits transformed him into a primal force for evil.  Neither Dark One nor Elder Race, he was both more and less than either.”   Kandol Elf Lord

On Trust

“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