Book 3: “Death On Mt. Undenkhark!” Page 36
TRAVELOGUE
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: LUCRETIUS-THE WANDERING PRICE (PART I)
20 June 2015
Welcome again, most honored reader, to the pages of the Tales of the Traveller as I recount the adventures of Bryan, Nikki, and Seth, our “Terrific Trio!”
For the most part, our tales have centered on the western side of a vast continent of the Wyrld, and if you click on the icon at the top of this page, “MY WYRLD,” you’ll see this. I have seldom referred to the other parts of this planet. For now, suffice it to say that on the other side of that monstrous continental divide and barrier, the Great Central Mountain range, is the other side of this vast land mass, basically a continent unto itself.
To the south, just beyond the edge of our map, is still another continent, if you can qualify it as such. Think of the following locations on your planet: the Malay Archipelago; the Brazilian rainforest and waterway system; the innermost jungles of the Congo, and the swamps at the mouth of the Mississippi River in an area called the Louisiana Bayou. Mix them all together, throw in some vicious volcanic and seismic activity, sprinkle with some floating islands, and you’d get something close to what qualifies as the southern (sub?-)continent on the Wyrld-and the land from which comes the hero of this week’s transmission-Prince Lucretius!
The Prince has come a long way to die-at least according to the mercenary known as DeathDart-but he may be right! And not only has he come a long way (hopefully not to die), but he’s come through a great deal of danger as well. You see, the waterways and archipelago islands and islets sep-arating the main island from which Lucretius came are populated by some of the most dangerous mon-sters to ever slither, swim, or crawl on the planet. Exacerbating matters greatly still further is that even if the land and water monsters do not destroy you in trying to find your way to the northern con-tinent, there’s also the danger of getting lost and simply never finding your way out of the labyrinth of islands, islets, and maze of waterways, since the rising tides, floods, and volcanic and seismic activ-ity tends to move the rivers and islands about rather frequently, rendering any mapping almost useless.
So what would bring Prince Lucretius through such danger to the North? Well, how about the com-mands of his father? I hinted at such HERE in my introduction to Lucretius, and the Thinker also spoke of this HERE in his Notes. The land of Lucretius is also a land where seers, prophets, and prophetesses abound. One of these seers (a seer-ess, to be exact), one of the most respected, spoke to Lucretius’ father, the King, of a powerful weapon and of a great danger from the North that could change the course of their people’s history. It was Lucretius’ mission to find out what this danger and weapon were.
The problem with prophecies, however, is that by nature, they are not always crystal-clear. Was the weapon the Vanguard, armor, as Lucretius himself believed? Was the danger to his people the Demagogue, the Nosferatu, or the possibility that the Prince himself would lose his heart to another-depriving his people and father of a future king and son, respectively?
Questions, questions, questions! Tune in next week for answers! Until then, most honored reader, may your week be filled to overflowing with-
With Cognescentii blessings!
—The Traveller