Report on last week:

Well, again I didn’t get the story done until today instead of yesterday, but “Sister Elodie and the Matter of the Time Pirates” is finished, even if the end is more outline than actual narrative. But it was fun to write. I enjoy writing about pirates, and I seem to enjoy writing about time travel, so these two elements combined nicely. This story is a companion to my third story of the week, “The Matter of the Dodo”, and is a prequel story to a novel that I may never write. I think the story has potential, of course (I think that of all my stories), but lordy does it need some revising.

This week’s prompt:

Comes from the Fantasy expansion pack. I drew it late this afternoon, while the sun was hidden behind storm clouds, so there was no natural light in the office. Hence, the poor quality of the photograph that I took with my phone:

The prompt, in case you don’t want to click to embiggen, reads:

A sorcerer wants to be healed by a celestial castle, but they will gain a corrupting power.

I’m not sure what to make of that yet, but I’ll figure it out. I always do, apparently just in the nick of time.

I’m tempted to call the sorcerer Bob, because that’s the default name used by many GMs (myself included) when we can’t think of a name for an NPC. If I do, of course, then the story will be silly, which is so unlike me. I’ll see what I come up with.

Etc:

This week’s recommended book is Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. This is a fascinating book, depicting the first leader of the Mongol empire back in the 1200s, and the way he built that empire. He was brutal, of course, but as a secular leader who was interested primarily in trade and not necessarily cultural conquest, he created a nation from a society of nomadic tribes and endowed it with literacy, religious liberty, and so on. I highly recommend it:

And while you’re reading that book, you might want to listen to The Ghereg, the first album released by The HU.

What’s this? You’ve never heard of The HU? And you’re confusing it with The Who? Well, then, let me be the on to introducce you to this magnificent Mongolian metal band which features traditional instruments and throat singing. This song, “The Great Chinggis Khaan”, is off The Ghereg, the album I previously mentioned

I also learned by reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World that there are no extant portraits or descriptions of Genghis Khan, and that is by his own decree. I found that fascinating, and I joked on Facebook that he may have been an alien, and that’s why he refused to have his portrait painted. Or he may have simply been self-conscious of his big nose, or something.

At any rate, it’s a fascinating book. You should read it.

Have a great week, all, and, as Kurt Vonnegut said, “Goddammit, babies, you’ve got to be kind.”