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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 11:39 am
by SoulBiter
I always thought that Prothall was such a great leader.. its no wonder that he was the High Lord of the council in the first of the series.
The trial and the doom of this time are on my head. I am High Lord Prothall, and by consent of the council my will prevails. Let none fear to follow me, or blame another if my choices fail.
There are very few leaders that have ever took this kind of responsibility on their own heads. In those few words.. I make the decisions and I am to blame if they fail.. do not blame yourselves or others. Would that we could have leaders like that in this world.[/quote]
Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:47 am
by Variol Farseer
The trial and the doom of this time are on my head. I am High Lord Prothall, and by consent of the council my will prevails. Let none fear to follow me, or blame another if my choices fail.
SoulBiter wrote:There are very few leaders that have ever took this kind of responsibility on their own heads. In those few words.. I make the decisions and I am to blame if they fail.. do not blame yourselves or others. Would that we could have leaders like that in this world.
Where I come from, that's what leaders do: take responsibility for their decisions AND the actions of their subordinates. It happens a lot more often than you think.
Please note, however, that I'm talking about
leaders, not politicians. With some honourable exceptions, politicians are not leaders; instead, far too many of them are worms. You cannot be a leader and curry favour with pollsters and media; you cannot be a leader and dodge criticism. In fact, there are some grounds to doubt whether anyone who wishes to
appear to be a leader can actually
be one. The effect of this is that you have to look for leaders in unlikely places. The people who jump up and down yelling, 'Ooh! Ooh! I'm a leader! Pick me! Pick me!' are the most hopeless non-leaders you'll ever find.
Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 11:59 am
by SoulBiter
Variol Farseer wrote: In fact, there are some grounds to doubt whether anyone who wishes to appear to be a leader can actually be one.
This statement I totally agree with. Prothall though had the doom of the land on his head... knowing that his decisions would mean not just life or death for the Lords but for the Land. That must have been an incredibly burden to carry.
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 2:22 am
by Lament
The trial and the doom of this time are on my head. I am High Lord Prothall, and by consent of the council my will prevails. Let none fear to follow me, or blame another if my choices fail.
What I enjoy most is the apparent paradox. Before that line Prothall attempted to invoke an old custom to pass on the title of High Lord to another. When none would accept, (even ur-lord Covenant declined) he dismissed the notion entirely and spoke your famous quote.
The ability to indulge whatever natural self-doubt he may have had and still go on with determination says alot for his character.
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 3:47 pm
by Lord Callindrill
The people who jump up and down yelling, 'Ooh! Ooh! I'm a leader! Pick me! Pick me!' are the most hopeless non-leaders you'll ever find.
I completely agree. Who was it that said, "Anyone who ernestly desires to be President should in no wise be allowed to do the job."
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 2:37 am
by variol son
It may be that hope deceives, but hate - hate corrupts.
Gossamer Glowlimn, I love you.
Sum sui generis
Vs
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 6:05 am
by Variol Farseer
Lord Callindrill wrote:I completely agree. Who was it that said, "Anyone who ernestly desires to be President should in no wise be allowed to do the job."
They used to say in the Catholic Church that if a priest said
Nolo episcopari — 'I do not want to be a bishop' — that was the best reason for making him one. I'm sure that's one reason why that organization has survived for nearly 2000 years.
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 8:12 am
by UrLord
I always thought that Kevin was the second most interesting character in the series (second to Covenant, of course, with Mhoram following right after), so I always loved anything dealing with his story. At some point I want to search for and gather all the quotes from the Chronicles dealing with Kevin's story, just because he's just
that great. The only thing stopping me is my pervasive laziness
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 2:57 pm
by Fire Daughter
"This is hurtloam," she said reverently, as if she were speaking of something rare and powerful. "You must put it on all your wounds."
"Mud?" His leper's caution quivered. "I need soap, not more dirt."
"This is hurtloam," repeated Lena. "It is for healing." She stepped closer and thrust the mud toward him. He thought he could see tiny gleams of gold in it.
He stared at it blankly, shocked by the idea of putting mud in his cuts.
"You must use it," she insisted. "I know what it is. Do you not understand? This is hurtloam. Listen. My father is Trell, Gravelingas of the rhadhamaerl.
His work is with the fire-stones, and he leaves healing to the Healers. But he is a rhadhamaerl. He comprehends the rocks and soils. And he taught me to care for myself when there is need. He taught me the signs and places of hurtloam. This is healing earth. You must use it."
Mud? He glared. In my cuts? Do you want to cripple me?
Before he could stop her, Lena knelt in front of him and dropped a handful of the mud onto his bare knee. With that hand free, she spread the brown loam down his shin. Then she scooped up the remainder and put it on his other knee and shin. As it lay on his legs, its golden gleaming seemed to grow stronger, brighter.
The wet earth was cool and soothing, and it seemed to stroke his legs tenderly, absorbing the pain from his bruises. He watched it closely. The relief that it sent flowing through his bones gave him a pleasure that he had never felt before. Bemused, he opened his hands to Lena, let her spread hurtloam over all his cuts and scrapes.
At once, the relief began to run up into him through his elbows and wrists. And an odd tingling started in his palms, as if the hurtloam were venturing past his cuts into his nerves, trying to reawaken them. A similar tingling danced across the arches of his feet. He stared at the glittering mud with a kind of awe in his eyes.
It dried quickly; its light vanished into the brown. In a few moments Lena rubbed it off his legs. Then he saw that his bruises were almost gone -- they were in the last, faded yellow stages of healing. He slapped his hands into the stream, washed away the mud, looked at his fingers. They had become whole again. The heels of his hands were healed as well, and the abrasions on his forearms had disappeared completely. He was so stunned that for a moment he could only gape at his hands and think, Hellfire. Hellfire and bloody damnation. What's happening to me?
After a long silence, he whispered, "That's not possible."
In response, Lena grinned broadly.
"What's so funny?"
Trying to imitate his tone, she said, "'I need soap, not more dirt."' Then she laughed, a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
That made me laugh out loud.
Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:42 am
by Fist and Faith
Fire Daughter wrote:That made me laugh out loud.
Yup! Gets me every time too!
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:37 pm
by I'm Murrin
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