More, same universe
So, where was I last time? I believe I'd settled on drabbles because they were quick to write and yet still had plot. I don't feel like counting words tonight though, so I think it'll be vignettes or character sketches. Still around the same time period, which is a prequel to what I have in mind, but still very necessary.
There were no women.
The men of the mage's council were all just that - men. Nobody knew why, really: women were just as good at magic, and often better in terms of raw power. But they never held political office.
And so the council consisted of old men like Sartanvoldrath, the ancient chairman who could never reach a decision. He saw three sides to everything, and then a dozen, then a hundred, and before long his mind was like a prism, scattering the light instead of focusing it. In his youth, it was said that he was a powerful warrior, responsible for single-handedly killing over a dozen rogue shakans. But years of fighting had aged his mind, and he no longer knew how to make the quick decisions that a leader needed to.
There were his two ambitious proteges, Vellurium and Rastelbrinn, more alike than they cared to admit. Each had been found as a young man by Sartanvoldrath, who realized their potential and personally trained them. Each was utterly sure of himself, almost arrogant in his knowledge. Each had a lot to be arrogant about.
But there, the similarities ended. Vellurium was the son of a wealthy merchant, and his family had long held a seat in the Assembly. His two older brothers both had launched successful careers in business; his sister was married to none other than the
Whee cutoff in mid-sentence. Anyone know of a word that's a fancy synonym for "lawyer"?
There were no women.
The men of the mage's council were all just that - men. Nobody knew why, really: women were just as good at magic, and often better in terms of raw power. But they never held political office.
And so the council consisted of old men like Sartanvoldrath, the ancient chairman who could never reach a decision. He saw three sides to everything, and then a dozen, then a hundred, and before long his mind was like a prism, scattering the light instead of focusing it. In his youth, it was said that he was a powerful warrior, responsible for single-handedly killing over a dozen rogue shakans. But years of fighting had aged his mind, and he no longer knew how to make the quick decisions that a leader needed to.
There were his two ambitious proteges, Vellurium and Rastelbrinn, more alike than they cared to admit. Each had been found as a young man by Sartanvoldrath, who realized their potential and personally trained them. Each was utterly sure of himself, almost arrogant in his knowledge. Each had a lot to be arrogant about.
But there, the similarities ended. Vellurium was the son of a wealthy merchant, and his family had long held a seat in the Assembly. His two older brothers both had launched successful careers in business; his sister was married to none other than the
Whee cutoff in mid-sentence. Anyone know of a word that's a fancy synonym for "lawyer"?