‘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
‘I’m no judge, but we all have weaknesses. We’re made that way.’
– Angel, to Ekodas, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf
‘You think the world was created for your pleasure, but you do not understand the land. You, you sit there and you breathe air and feel the cold earth beneath you, and you notice nothing. And why? Because you live your lives in cities of stone, building walls to keep at bay the spirit of the land. You see nothing. You hear nothing. You feel nothing.’
– Belash, to Morak, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf
‘Those moments when music touches our souls remind us that we are part of the Great Song. All of us. And every tree and plant, and bird and animal. We are all essential to the harmony of the Music.’
– Anu, to Yasha, Echoes of the Great Song