Garrett's Ranting

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I didn't do as good a job of Evil Ranting during the fight with Garrett as I hoped, so Monica helped me do so afterwards by seeding some comments by e-mail. The quoted text is Larissa's; the responses are Garrett's.

"Why did you attack the people and land of Agondre? What did we ever do to you? What did our farmers do to deserve spoiled crops? What did our travellers do to deserve bands of heinous monsters on the roads? What did our townsfolk do to deserve upheaval from the earth below? Nothing! Nothing at all, and yet you have struck us down! Why?!"

"And why do you think I should care? I have spoiled no crops, nor ripped the earth asunder. But even so, what of it? Those I've killed over the centuries have been lost to the dust of history. Clearly, therefore, they did not really matter--and, in fact, neither do you."

"What *were* you thinking, all those years ago? You were supposed to be *helping* Agondre and Renard, and yet you struck Agondre down and set the Cataclysm in motion. You lived in this land too; why did you seek to destroy it? What did the dragon Agondre ever do to you?"

"Bah. Only the naive and credulous believe that there is really an immense dragon at the heart of the land. You remind me of Renard's incessant prattling.

"And if I was supposed to be helping Renard, someone should have told Renard about it. He lured me to Cardior with him, then he blindsided me, brought me low with terrible power, and Agonadrel took my sweet dagger from me and slipped away while I was reeling from the shock. It was a delight to take my revenge upon the Emperor at last.

"But if you wish to know why I struck the dragon down, I'll tell you the reason: because it had never been done before. Even ancient Agon never managed to kill a real dragon. If I managed it, I would be the first to meet that grandest challenge.

"I can hear your breath catch in envy at the thought of such a glorious deed. My name would resound in legend forever. But even if history does not record my deeds, I know what I have done, and I am content. I remember stabbing the dragon, and the searing fire--hotter even than the Gorge of Fire--that erupted from the wound, and the thrill of inevitable victory over a nigh-overwhelming challenge.

"It is true that my victory has taken longer than expected--but I am patient. I can feel the dragon's doom in my veins, and I grow ever more powerful at the very thought. Soon, soon my victory will be complete at last!"

"That dagger's previous owner is dead now, you know. It's obviously not good for its owners. Is it controlling your every move, or are you capable of setting it aside? Prove it; renounce your evil ways and work with us to restore the land."

"The previous owner may have been weak, but I am not. Why should I want to set it aside? Even after centuries apart, we move together like lovers dancing, and it brings me power beyond words. Agonadrel was right in his envy of it, but I doubt he ever knew all the delights the blade has offered me. And with it, I will bring you your doom!"

Comments

[mrpeck.livejournal.com]

Ooh, good evil ranting!

[cellio]

Nice rants! You've got his pompous sneer nailed.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I don't think of him as 'pompous' per se--perhaps it's just that 'pompous' has a connotation to me of 'ineffectual'.

It's certainly the case that he's terribly arrogant in his psychopathy.

[cellio]

Mmm, you're right -- "arrogant" is a much better word. He's certainly not ineffectual. :-)