ASOIAF poems and colorbars
So, the amazing sephystabbity marshalled thetyrells into an EPIC COLLABORATION OF EPIC, which is now posted on valyrian_forged, starting here and continuing in two more glorious posts. It is deserving of the name! You have to be a member of westerosorting to see the awesome art and read the fabulous fic and steal the, uh, irresistible icons and wonderful wallpaper (and if you aren't, you know you want to be! although you're going to have to wait until like May, because we just sorted the last batch of the current game). But I did want to stash the stuff I made for it here:
The collaboration theme was origins of the nine Great Houses, and I had a lot of fun writing limericks about the founders (I know, I need to get a new schtick), and even more fun writing acrostics of the house names. I'm really pleased with how these came out, especially Tyrell (duh), Lannister (which I've been totally reciting in stentorian tones, imagining it's Tywin reading it... >.>), and, weirdly, Stark (which is a house I don't even care for).
Ser Artys, the fabled Winged Knight
The Griffin King slew in a fight
It may sound absurd
That he rode on a bird
But they're all mad up there -- 's alright.
Bold Baratheon conquered with swords
The keep of the erstwhile Stormlords,
Wed proud Argilac's daughter,
Took her sigil and motto,
For I guess he's just no good at words.
The Grey King a sea dragon slew
And boiled it down like a stew:
Teeth for crown, its bones
To fashion his throne
And its gullet to serve as a flue.
That clever and charming rogue, Lann
Was always a man with a plan
Robbed the sun in the sky
And when folk asked him why
He answered, "Why not, since I can?"
Queen of the Rhoynar, Nymeria
Chose her mate to exacting criteria:
Strong, brave, wise, rich as well,
First and foremost, Martell
Also had a most fetching posterior.
Brandon the first of House Stark
Built his keep way up North, where it's dark
In the winter, and chill;
Starks are happy there still,
Though their vassals have four legs and bark.
Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys
Had three beasties with tempers quite heinous
One could quibble, of course,
Over whose ire was worse,
Beasts' or riders' -- but what would it gain us?
Trident's new lord, Edmyn Tully
Said good-bye to Black Harren the bully,
Traded one heavy hand
For Targaryen's brand
Now he'll do his new duties -- but dully.
When King Mern on the battlefield fell,
Stewart Harlen, he knew his job well:
To the Dragon he kneeled
On the Fiery Field
And extended the Reach of Tyrell.
Basically just putting them here for the Nymeria rhymes and managing to rhyme Rhaenys. It keeps me off the streets, what.
*
Above the Eyrie's lofty spires
Reign winds and raptors in their gyre.
Rest easy, smallfolk of the Vale:
Years pass, but Arryn will not fail --
No House holds its honor higher!
Blow, you storms, and spend your fury
Anger spurs us to the fight
Righteous rage and courage sure
And our faith in our own might
Trumpets blow like peals of thunder
Hammers strike like lightnings cold
Every warrior gaze in wonder
On Baratheon proud and bold:
None will ever match our mold!
Grim are the Drowned God's halls
Red is the glint of our gold
Each orchard and field pays its toll
Yet we do not sow, as of old.
Jealous the ocean's embrace
Only the Ironborn rise.
Yes, we pay the iron price.
Lions disdain the opinion of sheep
And the shepherds' quaint notions of Right.
No debt left unpaid is an oath we shall keep:
Nothing less for the good of our pride.
In every endeavor lies victory's seed --
Seize it, and fortunes will soar.
Take what you need, help your foes off their knees,
Eat whom you please, but be kind when they plead,
Raise your heads: let them hear us roar.
Summers end. Prepare for winter's snow.
Teach your sons and daughters to be wise.
Arm the Wall. Keep ancient lore, and so
Reckon time. When winds of winter blow,
Know: the lone wolf dies; the pack survives.
Take heed of the words that our fathers bequeathed:
. Family, Duty, Honor.
United we stand, in battle or peace:
. Family, Duty, Honor.
Lessons our children learn at our knees:
. Family Duty Honor.
Let others chase glory, we're satisfied with
. Family, Duty, Honor.
Yesterday, now, forever -- this:
. Family, Duty, Honor.
The flower of knighthood, the belle of the ball,
Yesterday's steward -- now lord of the hall.
Roses have thorns, but men notice the petals;
Excellent, then, if they should try our mettle:
Let them wince and wonder, as we play along,
Laughing and flourishing, growing strong.
And sephystabbity made really cool banners of the acrostics, flattering me greatly! :D
I also, finally, managed to make colorbars I'm fairly pleased with. Not that they are great or anything, but till now my relationship with color bars was akin to Colonel Makepeace's alleged relationship with potted shrimp (...which is not nearly as tawdry as my sentence makes it sound. Moving on! It is Friday and I've had a lot of coffee at breakfast!!)
(Art credit: castles by Ted Nasmith; founders: Arryn, Baratheon, Martell, Stark, Targ, and Tully by sephystabbity, Greyjoy, Lannister, and Tyrell by cabepfir; Iron Throne by thegryph on deviantArt; sigils from HBO, books Citadel)
The collaboration theme was origins of the nine Great Houses, and I had a lot of fun writing limericks about the founders (I know, I need to get a new schtick), and even more fun writing acrostics of the house names. I'm really pleased with how these came out, especially Tyrell (duh), Lannister (which I've been totally reciting in stentorian tones, imagining it's Tywin reading it... >.>), and, weirdly, Stark (which is a house I don't even care for).
Ser Artys, the fabled Winged Knight
The Griffin King slew in a fight
It may sound absurd
That he rode on a bird
But they're all mad up there -- 's alright.
Bold Baratheon conquered with swords
The keep of the erstwhile Stormlords,
Wed proud Argilac's daughter,
Took her sigil and motto,
For I guess he's just no good at words.
The Grey King a sea dragon slew
And boiled it down like a stew:
Teeth for crown, its bones
To fashion his throne
And its gullet to serve as a flue.
That clever and charming rogue, Lann
Was always a man with a plan
Robbed the sun in the sky
And when folk asked him why
He answered, "Why not, since I can?"
Queen of the Rhoynar, Nymeria
Chose her mate to exacting criteria:
Strong, brave, wise, rich as well,
First and foremost, Martell
Also had a most fetching posterior.
Brandon the first of House Stark
Built his keep way up North, where it's dark
In the winter, and chill;
Starks are happy there still,
Though their vassals have four legs and bark.
Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys
Had three beasties with tempers quite heinous
One could quibble, of course,
Over whose ire was worse,
Beasts' or riders' -- but what would it gain us?
Trident's new lord, Edmyn Tully
Said good-bye to Black Harren the bully,
Traded one heavy hand
For Targaryen's brand
Now he'll do his new duties -- but dully.
When King Mern on the battlefield fell,
Stewart Harlen, he knew his job well:
To the Dragon he kneeled
On the Fiery Field
And extended the Reach of Tyrell.
Basically just putting them here for the Nymeria rhymes and managing to rhyme Rhaenys. It keeps me off the streets, what.
*
Above the Eyrie's lofty spires
Reign winds and raptors in their gyre.
Rest easy, smallfolk of the Vale:
Years pass, but Arryn will not fail --
No House holds its honor higher!
Blow, you storms, and spend your fury
Anger spurs us to the fight
Righteous rage and courage sure
And our faith in our own might
Trumpets blow like peals of thunder
Hammers strike like lightnings cold
Every warrior gaze in wonder
On Baratheon proud and bold:
None will ever match our mold!
Grim are the Drowned God's halls
Red is the glint of our gold
Each orchard and field pays its toll
Yet we do not sow, as of old.
Jealous the ocean's embrace
Only the Ironborn rise.
Yes, we pay the iron price.
Lions disdain the opinion of sheep
And the shepherds' quaint notions of Right.
No debt left unpaid is an oath we shall keep:
Nothing less for the good of our pride.
In every endeavor lies victory's seed --
Seize it, and fortunes will soar.
Take what you need, help your foes off their knees,
Eat whom you please, but be kind when they plead,
Raise your heads: let them hear us roar.
Summers end. Prepare for winter's snow.
Teach your sons and daughters to be wise.
Arm the Wall. Keep ancient lore, and so
Reckon time. When winds of winter blow,
Know: the lone wolf dies; the pack survives.
Take heed of the words that our fathers bequeathed:
. Family, Duty, Honor.
United we stand, in battle or peace:
. Family, Duty, Honor.
Lessons our children learn at our knees:
. Family Duty Honor.
Let others chase glory, we're satisfied with
. Family, Duty, Honor.
Yesterday, now, forever -- this:
. Family, Duty, Honor.
The flower of knighthood, the belle of the ball,
Yesterday's steward -- now lord of the hall.
Roses have thorns, but men notice the petals;
Excellent, then, if they should try our mettle:
Let them wince and wonder, as we play along,
Laughing and flourishing, growing strong.
And sephystabbity made really cool banners of the acrostics, flattering me greatly! :D
I also, finally, managed to make colorbars I'm fairly pleased with. Not that they are great or anything, but till now my relationship with color bars was akin to Colonel Makepeace's alleged relationship with potted shrimp (...which is not nearly as tawdry as my sentence makes it sound. Moving on! It is Friday and I've had a lot of coffee at breakfast!!)
(Art credit: castles by Ted Nasmith; founders: Arryn, Baratheon, Martell, Stark, Targ, and Tully by sephystabbity, Greyjoy, Lannister, and Tyrell by cabepfir; Iron Throne by thegryph on deviantArt; sigils from HBO, books Citadel)