[This story is open for replies. The following story refers to all books in game titled "The Fabulous Life of Magnolia". It's written here for easy access because it's quite long. If your character stumbles upon this book, feel free to write about his or her thoughts. /Sorry for OOC]
*A very strange book finds its way into a few bookshops in Britain. It seems to be some kind of a mixture of a necromantic tract and a love novel for bored housewives, mixed together with erratic political pathos. The author is someone called "Mrs. Magnolia Velure". It's hard to make heads or tails out of it. The vendor merely shrugs and says she bought it for a few pennies from some nervous, weird-looking guy.*
~The Fabulous Life of Magnolia Velure (and the Complete Overhaul of the System)~
Magnolia Velure - her maiden name Evans - is a scribe who lives in a beautiful house by the sunny shores of Nujel'm. Being a stunning, lovely woman with long, auburn hair and the clearest of light blue eyes, she is also an avid thinker; Magnolia has by Logic and Reason come to realize that indeed, the fish rots from the head, and the ruling class has for far too long, by the support of various bickering religions, kept a blindfold upon the eyes of the unsuspecting masses. Terror, tyranny and superstition are the methods of oppression that keep the populace at their knees.
This sad state of affairs has kept Magnolia's heart heavy. Her voluptuous bosom would often heave as she would sigh deep, trying to think of a way to free the people of Britannia from the perils of monarchy, the many inequalities of the class system and lies of all those false prophets. This she wants to accomplish, for she has three little children of her own; Wanda, Bart and Bellamy! Surely they, too, deserve to live a happy life and reach their highest potential?
Wanda, Bart and Bellamy are wonderful kids, although still a little too young to understand the complexity of adult life. For instance, they regard the roguish Alexander DeJehlom as their "uncle" although Alexander and Magnolia, no actual relation to each other, have in fact been lovers for a long time. Alexander "The Amazing", a fire-breathing stage artist from the city of Jhelom, comes to visit Magnolia and her husband, Roderick Velure every now and then. Since they are all consenting adults, there is no harm in Magnolia Velure enjoying a little variation in her love life.
Besides, Alexander is "Amazing" at back rubs, which is great news for Roderick Velure who hurt his back years ago as he fell off his horse in Yew, and is in constant need of herbal baths and tender massages.
It is worth mentioning that Magnolia's husband Roderick used to be a druid, until he saw the error of his ways and abandoned his druid-hood. On this we will give account later.
During their delightful nights together the scribe Magnolia Velure, stage-performer Alexander deJhelom and ex-druid Roderick Velure would have long philosophical talks on how to make the world a better place. After countless hours of discussion they have come to the conclusion that the key to change is a revolution resulting in a fresh allocation of work force based on the virtues of Utility and Recycling. In other words, the non-producing populace, unable to work due to being deceased, should be raised and trained to do the menial work previously done by the living. This would leave time for all people, despite of their previous class, to educate themselves. Great necromantic schools would be built all over Britannia and the world would rely no longer on kings and priests but on scholars. The judicial system would be reviewed and updated, commerce would be regulated by committees in order to prevent monopolies from taking place, and the weight of religions would soon fade, their falsehoods reduced into fairy tales for children.
These ideas, Magnolia decided, would have to be printed into a book so that the word would spread like burning letters all around the world. Alexander and Roderick thought this was a wonderful idea, and they drank a toast on Magnolia's honor as they relaxed in their well-furnished bedroom. Magnolia Velure loved soft fabrics and fine decorations as much as she loved being pampered by Alexander, who understood women, and had a very soft voice. Oh, and Roderick too. There was hardly a finer man than Roderick, although he had, in his turbulent past sought solace in the arts of druidism.
But now, drear reader, you probably want to know: how could the world be saved by necromancy? Wouldn't the very nature of these "dark arts" turn the casters against their fellow men?
Of course not, what an absurd thought, and Roderick would heartily agree! There is no darkness in magic no more that there is darkness in steel. Even a seemingly vicious, obsidian kryss can be used for good and evil alike, for defending a person's rights or robbing him clean. Magic in all its forms is merely a force to be wielded according to one's chosen mindset. For instance, Roderick used to think that it is profoundly evil to enslave the dead. In order to fight against this evil he sought knowledge concerning necromancy. Most of it terrified him at first, but it also gave him some food for thought. Finally, during one cool autumn night, as he watched dead leaves fall to the ground, he realized that much like the dead leaves nurture the soil, other sort of dead remains can sometimes be put to good use. For surely, when the spirit has departed, the bones of the dead are just that; bones and strips of tendons (and sometimes unidentifiable rotten mass and bits of sick). These remains do not weep, they do not feel, and what is best of all, they can still serve the living!
It was during this time in his life that Roderick realized that he had been too hasty to judge the things he feared. With the help of his wife Magnolia he sought more old texts containing excerpts of necromantic chants and rituals. He did come across some old verses regarding human sacrifice, but that was hardly important, and there were some issues translating the ancient runic alphabet, anyway. And besides, Magnolia's sweet smile was such an encouraging sight that Roderick pressed on far beyond his old comfort-zones. Among many other revelations that came to him this way, it dawned to Roderick that even though it was clear that his beloved wife and his old drinking-pal Alexander had become robustly affectionate towards each other, Roderick was by no means a jealous man. Unlike so many religious leaders who guard their amassed powers and wealth with jealousy, Roderick saw that happiness was meant to be shared. Soon they would all benefit from their intricate, three-fold companionship.
Just like Roderick had realized the error of his old ways, Magnolia hoped that the people of Britannia would wake up, rise up and demand for their rights for education and enlightenment. For indeed, the fair people have been tricked into thinking that all Necromancy has to offer is a series of cackling murderers each of them racing through the woods with a stream of blood-crazed druids and officers in hot pursuit. The truth, as it often is, that through reason and critical thinking one is able to see the pearl in the eye of a toad. Even if the world must be turned upside down before the webs of deceit are torn, the result would be an age of prosperity, an age when skeletons plow the fields in peace and no one has to be afraid of Death, as it encompasses all aspects of life, and no deceased grandma would be buried and left there, rotting useless. There would be no fear of Gods either, as enlightenment would reveal the true face of these deities; showing them as merely the smoke and mirrors they are.
Even Alexander would agree. The three of them would eat sweet rolls and Magnolia would gently brush the crumbs of pastry off her generous bosom, masking the very inviting and obvious gesture as an absent-minded effort to clean her daringly skimpy silk blouse. She would then sign her book with love and hope for all mankind. Then Alexander would give her a very special back rub while Roderick would drink the remains of their bubbling wine.
***~End~***
A very peculiar book...
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