‘If you tell the same lie often enough for long enough, then eventually it can become the truth.’
– Hektor, to Odysseus, Fall of Kings
All posts by Robbie Swale
‘These three mysteries the warrior must understand: Life, Harmony and Spirit. The first is life, sometimes called the Greek gift, for it is taken back, day after day. What is it? It is breath, it is laughter, it is joy. The brighter the light, the shorter its existence. But one thing is certain – and the warrior knows this. All lives end. A man can hide in a cave all his days, avoiding war, avoiding pestilence, and still he will one day die. Better the bright flame, the great joy. A man who has never known sorrow can never appreciate joy. So the man who has not faced death can not understand life.
Harmony is the second mystery. The tree knows harmony, and the breeze and the quiet stars. Man rarely finds it. Find it now, here on this lonely hill. Listen to the beating of your heart, feel the air in your lungs, see the glory of the moon. Be at one with the night. Be at one with these stones. Be at one with your sword and yourself. For in harmony is strength, and in strength there is life.
Lastly there is Spirit. Tonight you will want to run… to hide… to escape. But spirit will tell you to stand firm. It is a small voice and easy to shut out. But you will listen. For spirit is all a man has against the Darkness. And only by following the voice of spirit can a man grow strong. Courage, loyalty, friendship and love are all gifts of the spirit.’
– Revelation, to Cormac, Last Sword of Power
‘People say we no longer live in an age of miracles. It is not so. What has been lost is our ability to see them.’
– The Deacon, The Wisdom of the Deacon, Bloodstone
‘I have always believed that a man should think for himself. If he relies on others for his thoughts and motives, then his brain becomes an empty, useless thing.’
– Chareos, to Kiall, Quest For Lost Heroes
‘And what is a man? He is someone who rises when life has knocked him down. He is someone who raises his fist to heaven when a storm has ruined his crop – and plants again. And again. A man remains unbroken by the savage twists of fate.’
– Druss, to the crowd at an inn near Skultik, Legend
‘The more carefully I plan the luckier I get.’
– Jarasay, to Valanus, Sword in the Storm
‘I can guard your life to the best of my ability. But no-one but you can guard your honour. It is something no man – or woman – can take. Honour can only be surrendered.’
– Talisman, to Zhusai, The Legend of Deathwalker
‘You are a man, so stop running from the past and fearing the future. All we have is the Now. All we will ever have is the Now.’
– Arian, to Llaw Gyffes, Knights of Dark Renown
‘There is a darkness in you. In all of us, probably. Beasts we keep chained. Ordinary men have to keep the chains strong, for if we let the beast loose then society will turn upon us with fiery vengeance. Kings, though… well, who is there to turn upon them? So the chains are made of straw. It is the curse of kings that they can become monsters. And they invariably do.’
– Gershom, to Helikaon, Shield of Thunder
‘Evil will always have the worst weapons. Evil will gather the greatest armies. They will burn, and plunder and kill. But that’s not the worst of it. They will try to make us believe that the only way of destroying them is by becoming them. That is the true vileness of evil. It is contagious.’
– Druss, to Stavut, The Swords of Night and Day