‘If the past must haunt you, then use it wisely.’
– Eriatha, to Connavar, Sword in the Storm
‘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
‘It has always been my belief that this stage of our existence is merely the beginning of a great journey. I am saddened – and a little frightened – to be facing the second stage so early. But I am also excited by the prospect.’
– Nian, to Druss, White Wolf
‘Every man has his talent. There is no shame in being beaten by a man who has mastered his craft. It doesn’t make him a better man.’
– Jaim Grymauch, to Kaelin Ring, Ravenheart
‘It is hard to explain. You start by asking yourself what makes a true man. Is it his ability to hunt, or to farm, or to breed stock? In part the answer is yes. Is it his capacity to love his family? In part the answer is also yes. But there is something else. Something grand.’
– Kebra, to Conalin, Winter Warriors
‘Part of the joy of life is to sit with a loved one and say, ‘Do you remember that day on the mountain?’ Or perhaps a walk by a stream, or a dance at Midsummer, when the rains came. Joys continually given the breath of life by speaking of them.’
– Owen Odell, narration, Morningstar
‘You do not understand the world. Men like to think they control it but this is nonsense. Women rule, they always have. They tell a man he is god-like. The man believes them and is in their thrall. For without them to tell him, he becomes merely a man.’
– Prasamaccus, to Laitha, Ghost King
‘It is the nature of men to build walls around themselves. They think it will protect them from hurt. It does the opposite. The hurt still gets in, but now it rattles around the walls, unable to get out. So you build more walls. You are now seeing the world without walls. You are free. Free to hurt and free to heal.’
– Sofarita, to Questor Ro, Echoes of the Great Song
‘What I am telling you is about life. It is so easy to compromise, to tell yourself it does not matter. Or someone else will do it if you don’t. It always matters.’
– Stepney, to Bimbo Jardine, White Knight Black Swan
‘Spirit and Flesh. The spirit is immortal. It loves the Light, it worships beauty, of thought and deed. And it has Eternity to enjoy, Time to contemplate. But the Flesh is Dark. For the Flesh knows it has not long to live. Against the time of the Spirit the life of the Flesh is like a lightning flash. So it has little time to know pleasure, to taste the richness of life; lust, greed, gain. It wants to experience everything, and it cares for nothing save existence. What you felt was the surging joy of the Flesh. Nothing more. And certainly nothing to cause you self-loathing.’
– Shia, to Ekodas, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf