(no subject)

[justashotaway]

FORM: books
SENDER: laura kint
RECIPIENT: everyone
NOTES: tbd, if any

I wish to speak to anyone who has read Brother Genitivi's books and has been to the places he describes.

I am not allowed to leave my room, so our conversation must happen here.

Comments

[taxonomy]

Many places though rarely for the same reasons as him, anywhere in particular?

[justashotaway]

Everywhere.

[taxonomy]

Everywhere is rather broad but if you have the Grippe then I remember times I've been forced to be abed. I was always ready to climb the walls after day three.

He wrote about Live Death Watch Beetles. I don't know if you've ever come across them, my grandfather always made sure we had some in the house to foretell of death but - and I never pestered much in Rivain, seemed rude to ask - Genitivi wrote that they're an ill omen, that they kill these beetles on sight. Have you ever seen one?

[justashotaway]

I would prefer to climb walls. That is interesting. The grippe is not.

What are beetles?

[taxonomy]

If you've the Grippe then you might do yourself a significant mischief and have whatever healers remain standing come down on you. Best not to risk it.

But beetles! Beetles are insects--

[And it's not his best work but Tavin takes the time, doodles out a beetle, a very beetle-y beetle.]

They have a hard carapace and many of them are either incredibly shiny or patterned; it goes in and out of fashion to have dresses made of beetle wings. They've got the antenna up at the front of the head - the body is in three parts, head, thorax, abdomen - and the wings are usually tucked away under the good sturdy little carapace. I think because so many are found around corpses eating them or laying eggs they get a bad name when they're splendid.

[byblow]

What if we haven't read his books but have been to the places he describes?

[justashotaway]

Then I will tell you what he says and you will tell me if it is true.

[byblow]

Of course it's true. It's Brother Genitivi.

[justashotaway]

Hpw do you know?

[byblow]

I met him once. He was very into the truth and making sure people knew it.

[inkindled]

It hasn't got to, you can have visitiors


(This is Matthias.)

[justashotaway]

You will get the grippe if you visit. It is not pleasant.

[inkindled]

I know it isn't pleasant, I have before, seen people with it. And, I've had it before, so. Noone can tell me a thing I don't all ready know.

If there is a door I can talk throgh it and not get the grippe.

[justashotaway]

You might not be able to hear me through the door.

But I would like to hear your voice.

[inkindled]

Good thing because, I am nearly there.

[Which explains the knock at the door that comes a few moments later. Matthias gets really close to the door and speaks very clearly, and loudly:]

Laura?

[okayimin]

You best wash yourself thoroughly and mind you don't get up to anything while you're visiting.

[ LEAVE ROOM FOR THE MAKER. ]

[justashotaway]

I am not going to get up to anything. I am in bed.

[sorry sawbones that's a level of euphemism she's still working on]

[degenere]

I ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇ Gᴇɴɪᴛɪᴠɪ! Hɪs ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴏ̨ᴜᴀɪɴᴛɴᴇss ᴛᴏ ɪᴛ, ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇ? Iғ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴏʀ ʀᴇғʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ɪɴ ɪᴛs ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇxᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏʀᴏᴜɢʜʟʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴠᴇʀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. Oɴᴇ ғᴇᴇʟs ᴀs ɪғ ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴀs BEEN ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇs ʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙᴇs. Iᴛ ɪs ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛʀᴀɴsᴘᴏʀᴛᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ. Eɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴀs ɪғ I ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ, ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ. Oғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ ʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘʜᴀsᴇ ᴏғ ᴅᴡᴀʀᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴀɴɪᴀ. Nᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ʙᴇɢʀᴜᴅɢᴇ ʜɪᴍ. Iᴛ ɪs ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅᴀʙʟᴇ. Tʜᴇ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ ɪs sᴜʀᴘʀɪsɪɴɢʟʏ ʀɪᴄʜ.

[justashotaway]

I have enjoyed his book on traveling, but I would like to know if it is all true. The places he has traveled are not places I have been. They do not all sound real.

What is 'dwarven mania'?

[degenere]

Tᴏ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴏғ Gᴇɴɪᴛɪᴠɪ's ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢs ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇғᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ sᴀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ sᴜsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴀɴ ᴜɴʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ? Hᴇ ɪs sᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴀᴛ ғʟᴏʀɪᴅ ɪɴ ʜɪs ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʟᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ᴀɪʀ ᴏғ ᴅɪsᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛᴀʙʟʏ. Tʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ ᴍᴀɴʏ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ sᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴀʟ.

'Dᴡᴀʀᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴀɴɪᴀ': ʀᴇғᴇʀʀɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ Gᴇɴᴛɪᴠɪ's ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋs sᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴅᴡᴀʀᴠᴇɴ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏ ᴏɴ. "Sᴛᴏɴᴇ Hᴀʟʟs...", "Tʜᴇ Sᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ Hᴇʀ Cʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ...", ʜɪs ᴄᴏɴᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ "Tᴀʟᴇs ғʀᴏᴍ Bᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ Eᴀʀᴛʜ" -- ᴀʟʟ ᴠᴇʀʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋs, ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ sᴜʀᴇ, ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪs ᴜsᴜᴀʟ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪғᴇ. Iᴛ ɪs ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴀᴍᴜsɪɴɢ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀ sᴄʜᴏʟᴀʀ ᴏғ ᴍɪxᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛs ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇs sᴏ ᴠᴇʀʏ ғɪxᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴀ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴛᴏᴘɪᴄ, ʏᴇs?

[justashotaway]

I refer to any of them. There are places where people will invite others into their homes without knowing who they are. The king in the Anderfels hires murderers to stop people from breaking religious rules. There is a place in Ferelden that smells like smoked fish in the morning. There are people who let themselves be possessed by spirits. His book is full of things that do not sound true.

Perhaps the dwarves were welcoming.

[raas]

( her trade is not great. the letters spell themselves out very slowly. )

Par Vollen

( then: )

?

[justashotaway]

What is Par Vollen?

[raas]

( raas hesitates. after great deliberation: )

Home.

( there's a better word in qunlat. )

[justashotaway]

Where?