‘It is so strange, my boy. Many people say they wish to serve the Lord of All Peace. But in an advisory capacity: “Ah, my God, you are most wondrous, having created all the planets and the stars. However, you are quite wrong to choose me. I know this, for I am Vintar, and I am weak.”‘
– The Abbot, to Vintar, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
‘We none of us know where our actions will lead. That is why the followers of the Source must not use the weapons of evil. Everything we do must be governed by love.‘
– Tamis, to Derea, Dark Prince
‘I believe there is a being beyond comprehension who guides our path and judges us. That is all I know.‘
– Odysseus, to Helikaon, Fall of Kings
‘My father told me a story once, about a man who lived in a valley. A great storm rose up and the river overflowed. The valley began to flood. A horseman rode by the man’s small house and said to him, “Come, ride with me, for your house will soon be under water.” The man told him that he needed no help, for the Source would save him. As the waters rose the man took refuge on his roof. Two swimmers came by and called out to him, “Jump into the water. We will help you reach dry land.” Again he waved them away, saying that the Source would protect him. As he sat perched on his chimney, thunder filling the sky, a boat came by. “Jump in,” called the boatman. Again the man refused. Moments later the water swept him away and he drowned.
The man’s spirit appeared before the Source. The man was angry. “I believed in you,” he said, “and you failed me.” The Source looked at him and said, “But, my son, I sent a rider, two swimmers and a boat. What more did you want?”‘
– Waylander, to Chardyn, Hero in the Shadows
‘I think it is a grand jest. We all worship the unknown, the unknowable. That is the essence of our lives. All we can ever know is what was, not what will be. Yet we yearn to know, to understand the mystery.‘
– Gershom, to Helikaon and Oniacus, Shield of Thunder
‘Sometimes, it is hard to define the will of the Source. I have known men who wished to travel to far lands. They prayed for guidance. Amazingly they found that the Source was guiding them to do just what they wished for. I say amazingly because, in my experience, the Source rarely sends a man where he wants to go. That is part of the sacrifice we make when we serve Him. I do not say it never happens, you understand, for that would be arrogance. No, but when one prays for guidance it should be with an open mind, all thoughts of one’s own desires put aside.
Now the Source very rarely speaks to us directly, and the question is: How do we know what is required? These matters are very complex.’
– The Abbot, to Vintar, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
‘You think the Source only usues good men for his purposes? I have seen differently.’
– Waylander, to Chardyn, Hero in the Shadows
‘I have discovered that miracles are merely events that happen just when they are needed. A man dying of thirst in the desert sees a bee flying through the air. He decides that Jehovah has sent him the bee and follows it – to a glistening pool of cold, clear water. Is it a miracle?’
– The Prophet, to Gershom, Shield of Thunder
‘I like your sermons, priest. They are lively and thought-provoking, and they encourage people to love one another and to be kind and compassionate. Whether the Source exists or not, these are values to be cherished.‘
– Waylander, to Chardyn, Hero in the Shadows
‘When I look at the sky, or the sea, or a beautiful horse, I like to believe in gods. I like to feel there is some order, some meaning to existence.‘
– Parmenion, to Mothac, Lion of Macedon
