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Author Topic: The Epic of Sodel Udir  (Read 28444 times)

DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2008, 11:12:46 pm »

Good god it's awesome.  It's a genuine poetic epic, just what Dwarf Fortress has always needed.  Somebody should tell Three Toe, or Toady - this thing would be great for helping promote the game.

And yeah, as someone who's tried a hand at ordinary writing, you quickly realize that telling even a quick anecdote can quickly turn into novels worth of words.  Good luck keeping it all together in your head.

Oh, and welcome to technical adulthood.  It ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Haha, thanks! I'd love to see what Three Toe and Toady One think of this little ditty- but I think they're probably too busy making the incredible game that spawned it.

One of the great things about this story is how easy it is to keep it all together- This is more poem than most anything other than straight epics, but whenever I sit down to write more, I reread the entire thing first. Not possible with novels, as I've discovered. =X
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DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #16 on: July 10, 2008, 09:37:24 pm »

I just want everyone to know that I haven't abandoned this story- right now I'm taking Japanese 111- essentially, a full year of Japanese in four weeks. I have enough free time to check my email and eat. Chapter IV is started and will be done when I can finish it.
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Specialist290

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2008, 02:09:06 am »

Armok's blood, Japanese in 4 weeks? Isn't that one of the more difficult foreign languages out there already? Yeesh... Oh well, hope it ends up well :)
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Paulus Fahlstrom

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2008, 11:51:45 am »

Hey Darkmagnus

I love reading through the stories here in the site but let me say that the Epic of Sodel Udir is probably my favorite. You've done a really great job with it so keep it up. When you have time of course. I'm a graduate student so I understand what it's like to be up to your ears in classes. It really feels to me like a modernized version of Beowulf in epic poem, and it's awesome.
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DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #19 on: July 13, 2008, 09:02:25 pm »

Hey Darkmagnus

I love reading through the stories here in the site but let me say that the Epic of Sodel Udir is probably my favorite. You've done a really great job with it so keep it up. When you have time of course. I'm a graduate student so I understand what it's like to be up to your ears in classes. It really feels to me like a modernized version of Beowulf in epic poem, and it's awesome.

Honestly, the Odyssey, Beowulf and the Rime of the Ancient Mariner are the three major influences, so I guess I'm doing something right.

I've decided I'm going to update tonight even if I have to not do some homework to make time. I'm going to go insane if I don't write something.
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DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2008, 10:24:38 pm »

This one needs a lot of work. But it's something!

Chapter IV
The Hermit and The Human


Dawn broke the peaks as the ship made its port
At the pier of the Halls of the Fire King’s Court
The Dwarves leapt from ship to ground, eager to stand
Upon the unflinching and solid-white land

The speeches had ended and drinks had been downed
Now but nature’s minuet remained audible sound
The journey was over, the ship at its berth
And from Sodel came cry to his men- ‘STRIKE THE EARTH!’

They built in a day what most cobbled in weeks
Carving a home in the ice-covered peaks
The human among them could hardly believe
The speed of the tasks they would daily receive

And by eve their great Leader had wandered away
To scout out the wilds by light of the day
And far to the north he came to some caves
Outside laid stone markers- as mournful as graves

The wind in the tundra here howled at the sky
In this place where the day comes to lay down to die
And as the noise settled there came a red glow
That lit up the cave and then painted the snow

Sodel’s pick was ready and words deadly slow
He said, “Who in the deeps here does dare his face show?
Come hither creature- from place where you dwell
And prepare thee- for with me is furious hell!”

But no monster slunk from his home to face Death
The being which came seemed to fade with his breath
A hermit, alone, with gray cloak and gnarled face
A shrine-keeper enshrined in this unholy place.

He spoke:

“Little man of rock and stone,
From whom the beasts have cowed
Here you stand on cursed land,
And yet stay ye as proud?

A foolish boy are you,” said he,
“And foolish you’ll remain
‘Till whispered few have left thy crew
Where greater men have lain.

There’s naught to catch in Northern Swamps
Save p’raps for gloried death
And honored fell cannot retell
Thy deeds with sleeping breath.

Return, you boy, to home of man
And bide thee well thy pride
There is no fear in flight from here
Nor gifts for those yet died.”

Sodel’s grin had split his teeth into his cheeks
And he laughed the first laugh that had come in these weeks
And said “Hermit, old fool, you could not understand-
And the Hermit then silenced him, waving his hand

“I’ll tell ye of my story, boy
And heed you mark me well;
For wealth of earth cannot be worth
The revelries of hell.

An age ago- though seems too few
A man o’ war was I
With singing blade, these hands had laid
A myr’iad out to die.

A soldier, yes; of Fortune great
A worshipper of War
With heavied soul, and levied toll
Which rotted me to core.

I heard one day the legend of
The metal of the North
Worth coin, worth love, worth wrath above
And so I wandered forth.

A band of men I brought with me
Fools- useful though they were
And deep inside, I burst to stride
Where darker things would stir

We crossed the land of Men- as you;
And split Allas Zavaz,
And ice the same and then we came
Into the Mountain’s jaws

And deep within the northern spines
We found your bluest-gold
And with each vein, another chain
Was locked on us untold

For if a hallowed steel is it;
It belongeth in the deeps
No human hand could hope to stand
The secrets that it keeps

We braved the land of ice, oh yes
And thought ourselves as kings
Yet below earth, in darkest berth
Lie many darker things.”

A shriller cry had not been heard
From shrillest beast or shrillest bird
So much as that which came from in
The guts of he from land of Men

Who cowed behind a tree as near
With shaking lips and eyes of fear
And ancient ghost did slip from there
From wisp to whisper in the air.
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DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #21 on: July 14, 2008, 11:58:44 pm »

This will likely be the last chapter until the weekend, so comment away!

...or I'll cry.

Nakimasu.
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Paulus Fahlstrom

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #22 on: August 19, 2008, 12:36:06 pm »

Hey, I was just hoping you haven't given up on this thing. I think it'd be a shame since honestly I think the writing style you've put into it is truly remarkable.
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Maggarg - Eater of chicke

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #23 on: August 20, 2008, 11:46:55 am »

When this is finished we'll need to find a friendly heavy metal band to make a song out of it.
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DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #24 on: September 27, 2008, 07:20:52 pm »

Hehe, I wonder if anybody remembers this thing.
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Paulus Fahlstrom

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #25 on: September 27, 2008, 09:45:03 pm »

DarkMagnus!

I was wondering where you had gotten off to. I for one would love to see you continue work on it!
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Strife26

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #26 on: September 27, 2008, 11:45:25 pm »

Confirmed! Continue please! I like having alternate DF stories.
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Maggarg - Eater of chicke

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #27 on: September 28, 2008, 02:45:26 pm »

Hehe, I wonder if anybody remembers this thing.
How could anyone forget?
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sonerohi

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #28 on: September 28, 2008, 03:02:29 pm »

"Magnus... Do you concede your command because you think I am weak? Because I'm from Southern Division?"

You're poem is almost as epic as Ogre Battle 64, and that says something.

Reading this was as fun as wiping the floor with Dio's ass after he turned on me.
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DarkMagnus

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Re: The Epic of Sodel Udir
« Reply #29 on: September 29, 2008, 01:44:34 am »

"Magnus... Do you concede your command because you think I am weak? Because I'm from Southern Division?"

You're poem is almost as epic as Ogre Battle 64, and that says something.

Reading this was as fun as wiping the floor with Dio's ass after he turned on me.

<33333
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