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| What series would you like to see continue? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 20 2008, 07:25 PM (1,617 Views) | |
| SladeJack | Jul 12 2008, 11:05 AM Post #61 |
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The Grand SladeJack
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Sort of. But they're neither animals nor mystical beings, they're fully sentient and civilized beings who interact with one another the same way the cultures that imagined them did. Instead of Greeks, centaurs; instead of Egyptians, sphinxes; instead of Sicilians, sirens; instead of Slavs, vampires; and instead of Britons, some sort of digging creatures which I don't recall at the moment. Then these beings start running into humans. They've long noticed that each species is a cross between animal parts and some hitherto unidentified species's parts, and they concluded the latter were the most beloved species of the gods. Not to give a spoiler but in essence they wind up with inferiority complexes. He manages an inconsistency within the short story, I think: the POV centaur says he's met several gods and then that he doesn't know what gods look like. I suppose though it's hardly impossible that a god would choose to manifest himself in a shape not his own. |
| When you wipe your ass, make sure you wipe it really well. | |
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| Makkabee | Jul 12 2008, 01:40 PM Post #62 |
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Count
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That does sound interesting. I have to read it now, if for no other reason than to see where the humans come from. |
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| SladeJack | Jul 12 2008, 01:59 PM Post #63 |
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The Grand SladeJack
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Umm . . . that might lead to disappointment. They just kinda show up one day. |
| When you wipe your ass, make sure you wipe it really well. | |
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| Makkabee | Jul 12 2008, 02:26 PM Post #64 |
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Count
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Oh.
Well, the story still sounds like fun. |
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| SladeJack | Jul 12 2008, 02:53 PM Post #65 |
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The Grand SladeJack
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It is. I'll spoil it if you want. ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** The centaurs used to mine tin from some territory they controlled in Turkey but then the sphinxes from Egypt (actually they seem to be something of a cross between Egyptian and Hellenistic sphinxes, but oh well) chase them out of Turkey. They had been importing tin from Britain but that trade abruptly stopped, so they've had to go back to forging weapons from pure copper. One day they're decisively defeated by the sphinxes for want of bronze. The POV leads a shipful of centaurs on a mission to reestablish contact with the little mole-people from Britain. (I don't remember what they're called and outside the Arthurian legends I don't know enough ancient British mythology to make a guess.) Their trip across the Mediterranean is fun, they see sirens and satyrs and Scylla and Charbydis. They get to Britain and go to a mole-man village and find it deserted. They think it's a plague, but then they meet one last mole survivor who tells them about the "mans." They meet the mans near Stonehenge, ask what it's for, and are shocked to hear the chief man describe his species's inate scientific curiosity, something which everyone else leaves to the gods. The centaurs then say they're interested in trading for tin. On learning where they come from the mans say they'd be happy to trade for wine but the centaurs deny any knowledge of said beverage because of course centaurs and wine don't mix. The centaurs show the mans some trade goods they've brought with them and the mans say those will do, and load the ship up with tin. The centaurs then say that as part of their agreement the mans need to stop killing the mole-people, who've never done them any harm. The mans say they've done no such thing, but that the moles started dying of shame when they met the mans. Though far more formidable, the centaurs reflect that they too feel ashamed of themselves in the mans' presence. The mans throw a feast to celebrate the new trade partnership. They serve beer, something the centaurs have never encountered. They enjoy drinking it. They realize too late that, like wine, it is alcoholic, and affects them in the same way. One of them feels up a woman, her husband kills him, and a battle begins. The centaurs somehow manage to win, run to their ship and sail away, realizing that after this they won't be able to trade with the British mans anymore. On getting home and reporting these unwelcome developments the POV learns that a second expedition was sent into the hitherto uncharted northeast in the hopes that tin can be found there. In the Balkans they lost a few of their number to vampires until they managed to capture one and stake it to the ground. The horrible death this vampire suffered come sunrise convinced its fellows to let the centaurs pass in peace. Beyond the Balkans they too met mans, going by the name "lapiths," and were so intimidated that when they get home they suggested an alliance with the vampires in the hopes that the lapiths could be held in the Balkans, but they recognize that the lapiths will likely be too strong for centaur-supported vampires and will push south to Greece if they really have a mind to. Then in the last paragraph the POV mentions that all this happened a long time ago and that in the interim the lapiths have indeed driven them from their homeland and now they're wandering around in a diaspora waiting for they and their fellow non-human creatures to be finished off once and for all. |
| When you wipe your ass, make sure you wipe it really well. | |
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9:14 AM Jul 11