Hail, all ye fine folk of Chorrol!
I've been reading around a good deal of epic poems lately, and I've decided to try penning one of my own. With Skyrim fitting the bill for a classic Icelandic saga quite perfectly, I thought I'd give transcribing the events of one of my favourite games to the parchment digital.
For clarification, I'm basically treating this as a bit of Stormcloak propaganda; it makes the similes and epithets and so forth easier to write for some reason, and gives me leeway to have things a bit more hyperbolic and generally epic. On such a note, before anyone complains that the Dragonborn is overpowered then I must counter that by saying that this the point; he's an epic hero and those guys are hardcore (plus, y'know, propaganda. Bigging him up and all that). I mean seriously, go read Beowulf; that guy's a badas$. So I've got standards to maintain.
Anyway, that's all. Sit back, relax, and enjoy what is, as far as I know (which isn't much), the only piece of epic fan-poetry in existence.
Verily!
The Saga of the Dragonborn
(or; "What happens when Colonel Mustard reads more Beowulf than is good for him")
PART I
Woo Hoo! Nice one!
I love it! The story of Skyrim summarized by poem!
As mALX said:
And Lo did McBadgere the poetic fool
Add his twopeneth to opinions two
With all of his wit, and for laughter (with luck)
He added his words, both Holy and F**K!...
Nice one matey!!...Loved it...
Looking forward to partse the more...
Malx/Axadian: Thank ye kindly both of ye!
*Doth boweth*
McBadgere: Mine eyes! They do bleed!
I kid; thank you.
And now for some epic similes; awww, yayeh!
PART II
Once more I find myself amazed
By Mustard's unending talents displayed
To charm and delight
With tales he dids't write
'Tis a joy here to read what he's made...
Yes...
It's impossible to say how seriously impressed I am...Yes, I know I impress easily...*Nods*...But my Gods man, this really is amazing stuff...
*Applauds and passes mead 'round...But not at the same time...*...
I'm loving the poem, but reading it is hard. Divided into stanza's and orienting it to the left would make it a LOT easier for my blind-bat eyes, ROFL !! Great Write !!
McBadgere: Thank you very much, good sir! I'm quite flattered!
*Chugs a mug of mead and bleches uproariously*
mALX: Glad you're enjoying it, and consider the left-aligning already done, but the second is...difficult to do. It's a tradition of epics to be structured in stanzas divided only by speech or a change in parts and while I'm taking my own approach to epic poems in some senses, I'm not how much of the style I want to change seeing as that risks not really making it an epic poem and more just making it a regular poem. Plus breaking it into stanzas in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow would be bloody difficult to work out.
This is awesome! Well written and in-depth. The second 'paragraph' is hard to read, only because it's a text wall, could you break it up, perhaps?
I'll see what I can do to try and make it work.
Well, I thought about it and it's true that sometimes poetry can be written in text-wall fashion. So don't worry about it.
Looking forward to the return of the "World eater".
The left alignment does help a lot !!!
Dude, you have skill. You really do. Poetry was never a skill of mine, so I am impressed with how well you handle it. And it stays true to the main quest too!
Lady Saga: To be honest, I couldn't really make it work with gaps anyway. It just didn't feel right.
Though Alduin just has returned. How can one look forward to something that's already happened? That doesn't make logical sense! ![]()
mALX: In retrospect, I think I prefer it too, actually. Cheers for that!
Darkness Eternal: Thank you very much! I'll admit that this is probably my first serious attempt at anything poetic outside of schoolwork, so I'm pleased I'm pulling it off.
More to come soon!
And I finally get my act together and write a little more.
On an unrelated note, writing dialogue for these things is insanely fun...
PART III
'neath keep of Helgen did they go to bring word
of the return of drakes to the lands of the north
to Balgruff, Jarl of Whiterun. Through cavern
and cave their path was made, and with soldiers
Imperial and spiders ravenous and foul did
they battle, unswayed from their task, going in
knowledge that 'twas their word that might
bring warning of the danger most terrible that
did threaten the land of Skyrim. For many hours
did they travel under the earth, before to sunlight
they did emerge, to breath deep the clear air of
Skyrim itself. Over their heads, unnoticing of them,
the drake Alduin swept with beat of wings and
a roar most deafening, aloft in the realm of the
eagle, too high to see them 'neath their cover
of sturdy pines and bushes and green leaves.
Swollen was the drake from his foul and most
cowardly attack on the innocent folk of Helgen,
engorged 'pon innocents that he had slaughtered,
sparing not the youngest of babes nor the frailest
of the elders, his vast appetite giving him desire
to feast 'pon them all and put the rest to flame,
and his monstrous hunger now sated he did
return to his eyrie far away, to rest so that
he could inflict much mischief, misery and woe
'pon the lands of the Nords again in future.
A road did the drake-bane and Hod's bairn find,
a path to guide them to the hold of Whiterun
where they would bring word of the threat most
terrible that did face all folk, man, beast or elf.
Along it did they travel, resolve driving them to
go without rest until they reached the town of
Riverwood, home of doughty Ralof. There they
did part, Ralof to find Jarl Ulfric, bound by duty
to ensure he did survive the events most terrible
that befell that beleaguered town, while the doom
of Alduin would make his way to Whiterun and
with the blessings of the Nine, give due warning
unto the land before such a beast might strike 'pon
innocents once more. Thither he went, 'cross plains
and farmland, where horses and mammoth do wander
and graze, to the walled city of Balgruff, whither
he might gain entrance to Dragonsreach and entreat
the Jarl for aid. But as he did approach, following
roads that lead to the gates of the city, he was accosted;
soldiers two, armed with spear, armoured in mail,
standing sentry 'gainst outside incursion did challenge
his way, and spake unto him thus:
"Who be ye, traveller armed with blade most sharp,
protected with mail and guarded by sturdy shield,
that thou might come from yonder grassy plane
without banner or flag to proclaim his allegiance
unto a lord, jarl or general, nor uniform with
which we might see who thou holds loyalty unto;
thy aspect is belike that of a warrior or soldier
and thou dost bear arms of good steel, yet no
indication of fealty unto any lord or army of kind have ye.
I would say thou art a brigand or mercenary, come
to seek coin or do mischief within these walls,
yet thy bearing doth seem too noble for such base
professions, unless thou be of the brave Companions.
So speak, traveller, and tell us thy business, why thou
should be granted entry into yonder Whiterun."
The dragonborn did find their challenge a fair one
made by guardians of their home and hearth to hold
'gainst times most troubled, and gave reply of:
"I am no soldier, neither of Stormcloaks nor Legion,
though the warriors of Jarl Ulfric that I have met have
acquitted themselves in a manner most honourable,
and hold loyalty to no Jarl, lord, thane or general.
A brigand or soldier of fortune I am not, however,
merely one who has not yet found cause to champion.
I come unto ye from Helgen, to bear news most dire;
with Balgruff I must hold counsel, to ask aid for the
village of Riverwood, that the tragedy struck Helgen
may not once again bring woe unto the people of this land,
for as I was there I did see a sight most terrible,
a dragon descending upon the township and laying
it all to waste, bringing slaughter unto its innocent
peoples and leaving none alive; my intent is that
such a doom doth not visit Riverwood,
and see its people undone, and with soldiers
at guard 'pon its gates it may be that this beast will not
strike such a township, and secure it 'gainst such mischief."
At his speech did the guards both step aside, seeing truth
within his words, knowing then his most dire need,
and with rumbling and groaning did the gates open,
and thus did the Dovahkiin gain entrance unto Whiterun.
Egads!!...
...
Fair dues matey...This is most excellent!!...Loving it...
The speech was excellent!!...
...Muchly well done there...*Applauds*...
Nice one!!..
*Applauds heartily*...
And so that concludes the first quest in the Main Quest. And you wrote down what happened to the letter, even adding more terror to it as you depict Alduin destroying the elderly and the children too. You narrow down what the game itself could not show. And that's good! You even added a spear to it:P
I liked the Whiterun part and the message for the yarl. Keep it up, dood.
McBadgere: Thanks very much! Speech was tricky to do right, but I'm pretty pleased with the end result and I'm glad you like it! ![]()
Darkness Eternal: I want to make Alduin as big and scary as possible for this, so kiddy eating was on the agenda from the start.
And spears for the win! Nirn needs more of those things.
Thank you for reading, you two.
Powered by Invision Power Board (http://www.invisionboard.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)