[ QUOTE ]
Tonight, "The Parable of the Pointed Sticks". Wherein we learn the origins of villains, the value of working together, and another poignant analogy with fruit...
[Palin]Oh, you promised you wouldn't do fruit this week.[/Palin]
Well fine then, no fruit analogy this week, but there are some pointed sticks.
- Jock Tamson, A maniac without a bunch of loganberries.
[/ QUOTE ]
what if they have a raspberry?
Oh, and I was certainly wrong about you reaching your peak, Jock.
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
This post was almost as funny as PowerThirst!
But it had ALOT more meaning to it...
Vigilance is a real mark of honor for Defenders...
- Jock Tamson, Who likes how this story captures the personalities of the different Archetypes.
The Children of Statesman prospered and multiplied in his City until the streets teemed with the descendants of Blaster, Controller, Defender, Scrapper and Tank, and Atlas Park rang with their calls. And so the time came, as it need must, for the Great Progenitors to leave the City so that their children would not forever seem small in their great shadows. Each, before parting, wished to leave their children with a gift by which they would be remembered. So it was that they called their families togther...
Blaster spoke to his children saying, "My children, I must leave you now and cross over the ocean. I leave you with this: So that you know that my spirit is always with you, when your strength wanes and you stand on your last footing I will lend you my strength so that you may strike down your foes with your last breath." A grandchild of Blaster stood forth and spoke, "But Great Father, you will only lend us your aid when we are near death?" Blaster laughed long and deep and answered, "My child, if you are truly a child of mine, you will find yourself there often!"
Controller spoke to her children saying, "My children, I must leave you now and cross over the ocean. I leave you with this gift: So that you know that my spirit is always with you, when your foe is helpless in your grip, I will lend my own strength to your blows that you may strike down those you have subdued." A grandchild of Controller stood forth and spoke, "But Great Mother, is not our role to aid our siblings by subduing their foes. Not to surplant the Children of Blaster?" Controller laughed and replied, "My child, the children of Blaster and Scrapper will soon grow bored if you never allow them a fight!"
Scrapper spoke to his children saying, "Kids, I must leave you now and cross over the water, but before I go: So that you know that my spirit is always with you, I will from time to time lend you my strength, doubling your own!" A son of Scrapper stood forth and spoke saying, "Thanks Dad". Scrapper smiled and replied,"Good on ya Reg! I don't care what Statespop says, I love ya!"
Tank spoke to his children saying, "My children, I must travel now over the ocean and leave the City to your keeping. Before I go, I leave you with this: So that you may know that my spirit is always with you, while you engage a foe I shall see that he does not flee from you." A grandchild of Tanks stood forth and said, "Great Father, does this mean I need no longer waste all my breath taunting my foes" Tank laughed and answered, "It may at that my daughter, but I don't know if the others will ever believe it!"
Defender spoke to her children saying, "My children, I leave you now to travel over the ocean so that you may grow without me overshadowing you. Before I go, I leave you with this: So that you know that my spirit is with you in your darkest hour, when you are exhausted and your allies near defeat, I will lend you a small part of my vigor." A grandchild of Defender stood forth and complained thus, "Great Mother, If I do my work well my allies are never anywhere near defeat! Scrapper and Controller have given their children far greater gifts, why do you give us so little?!" Defender looked sternly and answered, "You are arrogant, impudent, and ungrateful!" Then smiled and added, "Truly you are my daughter. Never change that, it shows you care about what you do. Why do I give so little? What little I give, is what little you need. I need not give much for you are MY children and you are strong!"
Defender no longer walks these streets, my brothers and sisters, but her spirit is with us. She may not need to lend us her aid often, but why should she need to. We are the Children of Defender and we are strong.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
I'm making a shirt that says I heart Jock
[ QUOTE ]
I'm making a shirt that says I heart Jock
[/ QUOTE ]
I think it would have to say Jock_Tamson, since Jock could mean some random athlete 
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
Fine.
I <3 Jock_Tamson
[ QUOTE ]
Blaster spoke to his children saying, "My children, I must leave you now and cross over the ocean. I leave you with this: So that you know that my spirit is always with you, when your strength wanes and you stand on your last footing I will lend you my strength so that you may strike down your foes with your last breath." A grandchild of Blaster stood forth and spoke, "But Great Father, you will only lend us your aid when we are near death?" Blaster laughed long and deep and answered, "My child, if you are truly a child of mine, you will find yourself there often!"
[/ QUOTE ]
But, but... now what does Blaster say about his gift? 
[ QUOTE ]
Why do I give so little? What little I give, is what little you need. I need not give much for you are MY children and you are strong!"
Defender no longer walks these streets, my brothers and sisters, but her spirit is with us. She may not need to lend us her aid often, but why should she need to. We are the Children of Defender and we are strong.
[/ QUOTE ]
I am man enough to admit that part always chokes me up.
The Story of Trick Amongst the Pugs.
This is a tale about not judging books by their covers, and about how even the wise can be surprised if they keep their eyes open.
- Jock Tamson, Who lied when he said there would be no more symbolic fruit this week.
Over time the First Children of Defender grew older and wiser, but as is it will, the City of their childhood changed and filled with younger generations. In this way much of the City became strange and foreign to them. As you grow old, my beloved child, you will see for yourself how this is so. Perhaps the strangest place to them, in this world both new and old, was the lands around the deep pit that lies near Atlas Park. This land was home to a tribe known as the Pugs, who had ways and language all their own.
It came to pass that one day the youngest of Defender's First Children, Trick, journeyed past this land, where he was accosted by a Pug. "Are you Healer?", asked the Pug. "I am Trick?", Trick answered. "Lawl" said the Pug in his own strange language, then, "Do you heal? We need help to defeat a great monster of fire and ice." Trick replied, "I do not heal, but if you need help..." The Pug answered is his own language saying, "EhnEhm. KayKay. Tanks" then ran off to accost another passing hero. Trick supposed the Pug had behave politely in its own way, but he felt irritated and prideful at it's behavior. So Trick resolved to journey into the Land of the Pit to see this great monster for himself.
Near the mouth of the pit Trick came upon a large throng of Pugs surrounding a young Child of Empathy. She sat reclining like a Queen and nibbled on a bowl of grapes. Trick fought his way through the crowd to ask the Child of Empathy what manner of strangeness was at work here. Reaching near the spot where she reclined he called out, "Child! Why do the Pugs crowd around you so and feed you grapes?" Aitchelar, for that was her name, answered, "They love me because I am their healer and they could not face the great demon of this land without me." Trick's pride swelled within him and he spoke, perhaps unjustly, with anger in his voice. "Do you think this is what a Child of Defender is meant to be? Sitting here eating only grapes and following Pugs around to heal them? You do not need 'heals' to defeat this monster of fire and ice!" Aitchelar laughed, for Trick seemed a foolish tempermental old man to her, and the Pugs mocked him saying "lawl" and calling him "nube". "So be it!", thundered Trick, "I go to slay this monster. Who will come with me?!" The throng laughed all the harder, but one young girl child of the Pugs stepped forward and said, "I will come". So it was that Trick and a Pug Girl ventured out together to slay the Monster of Fire and Ice.
The girl led Trick to a cave of ice in which could be heard the laughter of Trolls. Trick strung his bow and crept cautiously forward, the Pug, wide eyed, following behind. As they came upon the first Troll, Trick used his crafty arrows to blind it then freeze it in a block of ice. He noticed the girl cowering in fear nearby and saw that she had a bow, almost new and unused, strapped to her back. "What are you waiting for?", laughed Trick, "You finish this one while I prepare the next!" The girl hesitantly drew her bow. While her aim was poor and her shot weak, blinded and frozen by Trick, the Troll could do little in response. Soon enough she defeated it. They traveled on in this way, the girl growing ever bolder in her use of her bow, and it seemed to Trick that while this young Pug was with him some of the strength of his own youth returned to him. As Defender taught us, the Children of Statesman are strongest when they stand together. By the time they reached the Monster of Fire and Ice, Trick and the Pug Girl were acting as one, and it was soon felled with little harm to either.
They walked together back to the gathering place of the Pugs, and Trick threw the slain monster before them saying, "See, no "Healer" is needed!". "Lawl" said the Pugs and "Ellemayoh", "You had a healer with you!". Trick turned to the girl and saw that, indeed, she did have look of his sister Empathy, and realized why he felt his old strength return when with her. No healing had been needed, but Trick knew now that he would never convince the Pugs of this. Sighing in exasperation he turned to leave. Before he had taken a step, the Pug Girl ran up to him and said, "Great Father, take me with you and teach me!" Trick's face brightened and he tossed the girl some fruit from his pack saying, "Come! You will need food, for we have far to go. I shall show you things you have never seen before!"
So some young Children of Defender go to play with the Pugs, where they are loved for certain things, and some young Pugs join the Children of Defender and see and do more. In this way there is Balance. But always wise old men and women shall grumble and be prideful. In this way there is Tradition.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
These are so very brilliant!!!! Wow!!! Love them love them love them!
I do love getting home to read these.
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
I'm so glad the thread is back and properly preserved. Reading them should be a requirement for rolling up a defender. I always loved the one about Trick and his journey into the land of the Pugs, funny and true!
Never had a Trick myself, yet this is one of my favourites...
Keep 'em coming, Jock.
Satan trembles when he sees...
the weakest saint on his knees.
<----- Click there to learn how you can help!
Since I have been re-posting these, I have perhaps been remiss in something I did the first time around...
THANK YOU! All very much for the kind words. I waiver between having my head swell and feeling completely unworthy of your praise, but either way my heart swells.
The last story closed on Tradition. Tonight's story is about an important tradition in our City, and about what it is Statesman always says about Reg that Scrapper didn't care about.
- Jock Tamson, Who finds feeling guilty whenever he feels prideful results in constant ups and downs.
Scrapper had three sons, Dark, Essar, and Reg. Of these, his favorite was Reg, and he gave him great gifts. The Children of Scrapper and the Children of Tank will often stand rigid, braced against the might of their foes. It was Reg's gift to bend to their might, but quickly recover and not break. As the thin Reed can survive the storm that fells the mighty Oak, so Reg could survive much that his siblings could not. But remember my child, it is not wise to laugh at the storm.
In his youth, Reg was given much to laughing. He would laugh to himself while meeting challenges alone that would daunt his cousins en masse. He would laugh to himself while felling the greatest foes, then come to the meeting places to brag of his deeds. While his allies in a task struggled to withstand an onslaught, Reg would laugh and run on alone to the next challange that awaited. In this was his undoing.
There was a day when Reg found himself standing with Storm and Tank's daughter Ice against a great force of Thorns. Sighting another mass of their foes standing nearby, Reg laughed and ran off to face them. He noted not the ones that, roused from their slumber, turned not on him, but his friends. Their own numbers reduced and their enemies doubled, Storm and Ice found themselves overwhelmed. Now Storm had been holding back his strength out of respect for his cousin, but now he unleased his full force. The Thorns were thus beaten back and destroyed, but not before Ice fell beneath their weight. As they waited for Ice to recover her strength, she chastised Storm saying, "I have told you before it makes my task harder when you do that!" Reg added his support to Ice saying, "Yeah! Whenever you unleash that Tornado it just brings us trouble!" Reg would have been wise to note the dark cloud that crossed his cousin's face.
From time to time, Statesman would gather his children together to have them show what deeds they could accomplish, and what challanges they could meet. As one such time approached, Storm went in secret to where the shattered Mirror of the Spider lay and gathered from it some of the Spider's webbing. He then took a lowly Skul and using the webbing fashioned a false appearance around it such that it appeared a great and fearsome monster.
As each of the Children of Statesman demonstrated for their creator their deeds great and small, Storm spoke out saying, "Oh Mighty Statesman, Scrapper's son Reg has often told us in the meeting places of the great deeds he accomplishes alone. There is a great and fearsome monster just over there. Why if half of what Reg tells us is true he should be able to fell it without aid!" Now Statesman knows that his children require challenge to thrive and grow, so Storm's claim caused him great concern. "Show us", commanded Statesman. Reg, though sure he would fail, did as he was told.
When the monster was felled in short order with little effort, Reg was too puzzled to laugh. Statesman spoke saying, "My child you have become over mighty. I must take some of your strength so that you will be challenged. I know this will pain you now, but you will thank me in the end." Reg pleaded saying, "No! There is some mistake! I cannot have done this! You are lying when you say this is why you take my strength!" Statesman face clouded and he turned to Scrapper saying, "Your son does not seem to wish to be challenged. You must teach him better."
In time Statesman learned of his mistake, and returned some of Reg's strength to him, but not all of it. Reg does not laugh as often these days. He must pay attention now to the fates of his allies. He needs their support, and this is well. Someday he may yet learn how Storm's gifts work, but that day has not yet come to pass.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
[ QUOTE ]
- Jock Tamson, Ridiculous Egomaniac, and chief cause of 'why are defenders primadonnas' threads.
[/ QUOTE ]
Fixed
I'm so happy these are back.
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
[ QUOTE ]
Scrapper had three sons, Dark, Essar, and Reg. Of these, his favorite was Reg, and he gave him great gifts. The Children of Scrapper and the Children of Tank will often stand rigid, braced against the might of their foes. It was Reg's gift to bend to their might, but quickly recover and not break. As the thin Reed can survive the storm that fells the mighty Oak, so Reg could survive much that his siblings could not. But remember my child, it is not wise to laugh at the storm.
In his youth, Reg was given much to laughing. He would laugh to himself while meeting challenges alone that would daunt his cousins en masse. He would laugh to himself while felling the greatest foes, then come to the meeting places to brag of his deeds. While his allies in a task struggled to withstand an onslaught, Reg would laugh and run on alone to the next challange that awaited. In this was his undoing.
There was a day when Reg found himself standing with Storm and Tank's daughter Ice against a great force of Thorns. Sighting another mass of their foes standing nearby, Reg laughed and ran off to face them. He noted not the ones that, roused from their slumber, turned not on him, but his friends. Their own numbers reduced and their enemies doubled, Storm and Ice found themselves overwhelmed. Now Storm had been holding back his strength out of respect for his cousin, but now he unleased his full force. The Thorns were thus beaten back and destroyed, but not before Ice fell beneath their weight. As they waited for Ice to recover her strength, she chastised Storm saying, "I have told you before it makes my task harder when you do that!" Reg added his support to Ice saying, "Yeah! Whenever you unleash that Tornado it just brings us trouble!" Reg would have been wise to note the dark cloud that crossed his cousin's face.
From time to time, Statesman would gather his children together to have them show what deeds they could accomplish, and what challanges they could meet. As one such time approached, Storm went in secret to where the shattered Mirror of the Spider lay and gathered from it some of the Spider's webbing. He then took a lowly Skul and using the webbing fashioned a false appearance around it such that it appeared a great and fearsome monster.
As each of the Children of Statesman demonstrated for their creator their deeds great and small, Storm spoke out saying, "Oh Mighty Statesman, Scrapper's son Reg has often told us in the meeting places of the great deeds he accomplishes alone. There is a great and fearsome monster just over there. Why if half of what Reg tells us is true he should be able to fell it without aid!" Now Statesman knows that his children require challenge to thrive and grow, so Storm's claim caused him great concern. "Show us", commanded Statesman. Reg, though sure he would fail, did as he was told.
When the monster was felled in short order with little effort, Reg was too puzzled to laugh. Statesman spoke saying, "My child you have become over mighty. I must take some of your strength so that you will be challenged. I know this will pain you now, but you will thank me in the end." Reg pleaded saying, "No! There is some mistake! I cannot have done this! You are lying when you say this is why you take my strength!" Statesman face clouded and he turned to Scrapper saying, "Your son does not seem to wish to be challenged. You must teach him better."
In time Statesman learned of his mistake, and returned some of Reg's strength to him, but not all of it. Reg does not laugh as often these days. He must pay attention now to the fates of his allies. He needs their support, and this is well. Someday he may yet learn how Storm's gifts work, but that day has not yet come to pass.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
[/ QUOTE ]Sigh, while I found that amusing and funny, it only makes me believe even more that nerfherders are the only people aside from devs to get things changed in such drastic ways.
Now I've got even less reason to play my precious Zuvaii (claws/regen)... oh well, /wrist.
Global - @Proton Sentinel
Jack Devon Crab Spider VEAT; Virtue
Mordigen Earth/Storm on Liberty and Virtue
Technological Terror Bots/FF; Liberty.
50s: Zul Vakirol Thugs/Poison; Virtue. Kiyujin Katana/SR
[ QUOTE ]
Now I've got even less reason to play my precious Zuvaii (claws/regen)... oh well, /wrist.
[/ QUOTE ]
Dood, are you crazy?
Claws+Regen=Profit
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Now I've got even less reason to play my precious Zuvaii (claws/regen)... oh well, /wrist.
[/ QUOTE ]
Dood, are you crazy?
Claws+Regen=Profit
[/ QUOTE ]Considering my first practical application of IH+DP was against three spawns of +3 arachnos LTs and minions on invincible while solo, bet yer [censored] I'm crazy.
Global - @Proton Sentinel
Jack Devon Crab Spider VEAT; Virtue
Mordigen Earth/Storm on Liberty and Virtue
Technological Terror Bots/FF; Liberty.
50s: Zul Vakirol Thugs/Poison; Virtue. Kiyujin Katana/SR
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Now I've got even less reason to play my precious Zuvaii (claws/regen)... oh well, /wrist.
[/ QUOTE ]
Dood, are you crazy?
Claws+Regen=Profit
[/ QUOTE ]Considering my first practical application of IH+DP was against three spawns of +3 arachnos LTs and minions on invincible while solo, bet yer [censored] I'm crazy.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, I soloed 3 AVs at once, sans IOs without IH or temp powers.
Top that.
The City you see about you is beautiful, but it is only a fraction of the whole grandeur of Statesman's creation for it is but one aspect of the 11 fold nature of the City as it crosses the Servers. The Servers in turn hang like a row of dew drops on the vast stretch of the Web that is the Universe. For the universe in which the Servers exist is a web, and on a web there are spiders...
One day a Spider came to the City, and seeing what Statesman had created for himself and his children it grew jealous and wished to own the City for itself. So the Spider took a mirror and put in a place where beautiful mermaids sang, and behind this mirror he wove a web.
The first of Statesman's children to find the mirror was Scrapper. Startled by his own reflection, Scrapper did what Scrapper does in these situations, and struck it with a swift blow, cracking the mirror. When he saw what he had done, Scrapper laughed at his own folly and went to tell his siblings of the mirror. Together they came and stood to look into this curious thing. The cracked mirror twisted and blended their reflections. Tanker's reflection mingled with his brother Scrapper's while the crack appeared to twist his face as if in range. Defender and Controller's reflections mingled with that of their brother Blaster. Blaster's reflection split, mingling with his brother Scrapper's in a way that made them both seem thin a gaunt, while fracturing into a multitude of images near where it mingled with his sisters. Disturbed by this strangeness, the Children of Statesman shied away from it, and went to seek more familiar things.
Now images and webs both have power to trap, and as the Children of Statesman looked into the mirror some of their essence was caught in the Spider's web. The Spider took this essence and from it spun his own children. Brute from the rage twisted reflection of Scrapper and Tank. The twin sisters Corrupter and Dominator from the mingled image of Defender, Controller and Blaster. Stalker from the twisted and gaunt reflections of Blaster and Scrapper. Mastermind for the multitudinous reflections of Blaster and his sisters. The Spider then gathered together his children, these twisted and cracked reflections of what Statesman had wrought, and commanded them to win the City for their creator.
They moved swiftly and attacked without warning, finding each of the siblings alone. Stalker, moving in shadows, struck down Defender first before she had chance to react. Dominator held Blaster with her power so he could not resist her, and soon brought him low. Corrupter weakened Tank's defenses with her reflections of Defenders gifts and felled him with bolts such as her brother Blaster might use. Mastermind overwhelmed Scrapper with the creatures he could command, for Scrapper could face but one at a time. Brute sought Controller, but could not find her.
Hiding in fear Controller listened to the laments of her sibling's spirits. Defender, always loudest in complaint, felt she had been particularly ill treated, but it is Defender's gift also to find solutions. "Sister", said Defender, "take of my spirit as I once took of our brother Blaster's and you can rouse us all!" Defender moved part of her spirit into Controller, who then called her siblings to her and breathed life back into them.
"Listen my siblings", spoke Defender, and so saying handed her sister an arrow. "Break that arrow sister", said Defender, and Controller easily did so. Defender then took a bundle of arrows, handed it to Controller and said, "Now break these". Truly while the arrows were tied together, Controller could not break them. Defender than spoke earnestly to her siblings, "Alone we fell easily. Stand together and share our power, and we are greater than this evil!"
The siblings who had not yet shared their spirits now did so. Tank gave some of his spirit to Scrapper who in turn gave some of his to Blaster. Controller gave some of her spirit to Blaster and Blaster, looked at his sister meaningfully. And Defender smiled.
The battle that followed was long and great. It shattered the earth and rended the very walls of the City. But as Defender had said, while the Children of Statesman stood together, they were greater than the Children of the Spider, and were in time victorious. The Spider and his children fled though a gap in the walls of the City far out into the ocean, and were never seen again in the City. While their children and their children's children may from time to time assault its walls, the City belongs now, and forever, to the Children of Statesman.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist