Fog and smoke shrouded the fire-routed village of Livonia, home of several encampments of the once-mighty wizards who produced carriages for the good citizens of the kingdom. Fisher Body, Ford Transmission, Delco Electronics, GM Engines, and thousands of artisans and guilds who supported them were all left homeless, and without the copper pieces to pay their monthly cable tv bills or for the strange leavened-bread pies with sliced pork, cheese and the sauce of the once-feared tomato.
The kingdom had suffered for years from leaders and citizens who viewed the work of the wizards as inferior to goods produced by non-guild laborers and artisans. Stories abounded of the employees who slept in the rafters of the encampments or were strong with mead or other potions. Some of the worst stories involved illegal apothecary and even one evil worker who ran an assasins guild from the encampment whose sole purpose was to keep the other workers in line.
Many citizens of the kingdom did not enjoy the experiences they had when they went to purchase a carriage. Carriage salesmen were infamous for their vile deceits.
Other citizens viewed the carriages as wasteful. They felt that carriages should be smaller and take fewer horses to pull them. This was particularly concerning as many horses came from the evil lands of Balmor, whose kings spoke with two faces about their alliances with a band of orcs, kobold, ogres and vile brigands in the Krag Mountains. Citizens felt that if they used fewer horses, Balmor would not be able to support the denizens of the Krag Mountains.
The good people of Livonia looked upon the wreckage of their village and recalled the multi-fold times that their carriage works had saved the kingdom and the pride they had when their carriages had once led the crusades that drove the forces of various evils from the World.
Other citizens of Livonia recalled that many in the south of the Kingdom enjoyed racing these carriages and wondered what carriages they would use if there were no more artisans.
The workers and artisans of Livonia would need to summon mighty magics to turn back the destruction of their fair village. They would need to fight the blind clerics who supported the previous king, who while fighting an expensive war in the Krag Mountains, caused an increase in prices that made the Balmor horses so expensive. They would need to fight the blind merchants of the villages of New York and the Eastern shore who cared not a wit for the Livonia-ites (as it was a rather unfashionable village). They would need to fight the wit-less citzens of the Rock-candy Mountains who under the spell of various illusionists, viewed all carriages as anathema and felt that the citizens of the kingdom should move about in magic tubes.
The poor citizens of the village of Livonia had few friends and the future looked very bleak indeed. Unless some help arrived for the nearly powerless wizards the village's destruction would be complete.
"...looked upon the wreckage of their village and recalled the multi-fold times that their carriage works had saved the kingdom"
ReplyDeleteWWII is long past, Turnips. Those manufacturing jobs aren't going to come back. Non-unionized Mexicans with no healthcare can do the job for less these days. Stop living in the past.
Numbers of cars and tons of pig iron produced are no longer indicators of a country's wealth.
"wealth" is actually the best measure of wealth.
ReplyDeleteWithout it...or if it is concentrated in the hands comic book illustrators, horse company men or Val-mark executives...the country shall be poor.
New Orleans glory may have been in the past as well. It didn't stop anyone from rebuilding it after the storm.
ReplyDeleteI knew I'd get your dander up. Tee hee. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteahh, a well timed 'tee hee' and all is well.
ReplyDeletethe admiral, always the jokester.
why i remember one time on an adventure when he told me there were couldn't stand ...
1) Intolerance
and
2) Woodpecker-Smythe's in his swimming pool.
Ah, no wait a tic ...
A load of righteous indignation unspooled there. The Admiral is no longer invited to Livonia...which is because:
ReplyDelete1. There is no longer a Turnips manse in Livonia
2. There is no longer a Livonia - although Lady Marzipan appears to be still living in its smoking ruin until such time as her wits and skills can be brought to bear in service of other masters.