I have another poem, but I want to revise it before posting it. I don’t expect it to be perfect, and far be it that my work will be worth salt at this point, but I think I can do better on this one.

A gnarled and twisted hand
sprouted firm and rigid
no warmth no light
can be found, no leaves
has it born, it forgot.

A child’s toy, crafted by
careful hands.
Tiny tables and chairs
are splintered and cracked.
Her dolls once had names here,
now they are frozen and lifeless.

A wretched form strides
atop the pinnacle
of the home of imitations.
A thousand hairs are
its eyes and ears, a beast
of many legs. Fangs drip with
danger. They cannot scream
they are only dolls.

I smell it in the air as I awake.

The pitter-patter against the windows and roof.

The sounds of the gutters sloshing their contents and spouting vocally to the ground.

I walk to Thomas’ room where I expected him to be sleeping in late as usual.

His bed is empty and his room is cold and quiet.

“Thomas? Thomas where are you?”

He is not in the kitchen or bathroom and the hallway is no place to hide.

I expect to find him on the couch, but he is not, the television is still.

I feel a shiver travel across my skin and I notice the front door is open.

I rush to the door. I shout his name, Thomas calls back to me across the street.

I felt frozen in time, he rushes towards me not noticing the oncoming car.

Tires squeal, a sudden thud, my cat has died.

Here is a sample of the summarized history for a role playing game I’m running -

General History – The World

The Great War:
Much of this legendary war is steeped in confusion and rumors. The only known information has been passed down through generations by mouth, or collected in vague writings. No one remembers why the war started but the common belief is that war broke out between the mortals of the world and the gods. The races of the world and the gods have been said to have fought on both sides, but there are only weak accounts from the survivors so it is typically discounted. As time progressed the younger generations started to believe that gods are myths and that the gods referred to in the war are only a representation of great magics and people who were elevated to god-hood by their deeds. The war nearly destroyed everyone and the divide between the Barbaric Lands and the Allied Kingdoms is marked by scorched earth that most agree was caused by a weapon so powerful that it not only ended the war, but also killed numbers so great that none have been able to determine the casualties that occurred. Some rumors also state that some parts of the Great Divide still have the remains of entire armies half covered by debris.

The Aftermath:
After the war the people of the world were scattered and struggling to survive. They fought each other for food and supplies. Because of the war, farmlands had become barren and wild. The races had lost most of their great artisans, leaders, and scholars. Most accounts from the time have only been collected orally, and while there are scholars who are trying to collect the remaining stories into comprehensive accounts nothing has been accomplished yet. Very little is known about this period. People were starving, fighting, sick, and much knowledge was lost. The exact amount of time it took for the period of ignorance is not known. Most believe it was only about half a century but scholars have a difficult time pinpointing this as the lifespans of many who lived through this age appear to have been significantly shortened. The drop in lifespan is also considered likely to be due to the diseases that ran rampant, like Babbler’s Fever and the Olvidar Curse.

The Alliance:
The end of the Age of Suffering is defined by the appearance of mysterious individuals who are said to bear the mark of greatness. The names of these individuals have been lost to time, so they are commonly referred to as The Heroes. There are scholars who are still trying to find evidence of their true identities and lives. What is known is that they organized a council of leaders within all the groups of the races to come together and form an alliance to end the fighting and restore prosperity among the lands. Those who refused the treaty and did not want to give up their pride or their warring with the other races left for the Barbaric Lands across the great divide to continue as they pleased.

Present Day -

The Kingdoms:
Each country, sometimes referred to as a kingdom, has instituted its own unique policies and government. The people of the world are spreading out and it appears that there is no shortage of space in the world for new settlements and countries to arise. There were five countries that the races spread to initially. These countries are Kalinandor, Värde, Balta Karalystė, Terra d’Arbres, and Vrijheid. Kalinandor is comprised of the races of the Feywild within the alliance. Värde is a country ruled by a human king but it’s citizens are all races. Balta Karalystė is the country of the North where those who were interested in lost arts of hammer, stone, and fire reside. This country is ruled by the Three Kings Council, whose members are one Dwarf, one Goblin, and one Halfling. Terra d’Arbres is the southern country that is an expanse of forests, mountains, and jungles. The only contact that the Alliance receives from this region is from the Elven Council and an Academy. There are rumors from entertainers and merchants that pass through fringe parts of this country of strange races that none can identify. Finally, Vrijheid is the frontier region where there are no rulers, as it is comprised of independent cities, towns, and farming communities. The people of Vrijheid are varied, though they are mostly those who wish to be alone or to profit from the potential riches of this country.

The Academies:
The Academies were founded by the Heroes to be places of education and research. Initially they were trying to find a cure for the Olvidar Curse but were unable to do so. The Curse stopped spreading through the lands in the early years of the Alliance and is no longer a concern except for those few who are afflicted but not contagious. The Academies continue to pursue research, education, and storage of knowledge.

Vrijheid:
The country of Vrijheid is for people within the Alliance who do not wish to live under the structures of government and wanted to find new opportunities for themselves. Vrijheid shares it’s borders with each of the countries and a gulf into the ocean. This makes Vrijheid vital for trade routes along its rivers and roads. Vrijheid is an exceptionally large country with a variety of climates, including plains, mountains, forests, jungles, and deserts. Due to the lack of centralized government, the country has many hazards such as wild beasts, monsters, and bandits. In recent years there have been discoveries of ancient cities and castles hidden throughout Vrijheid and this has attracted many researchers and treasure hunters. There are many rulers and rich folk who are willing to put up rewards in gold for those who can provide any magical relics from the Great War or before.

I am making progress with my websites and my twitter feed will no longer be appearing in the blog portion of my site!