Warcraft Haikus (week 2)

Power of time space
Freezing you solid quickly
Burning things to ash.

Drinking blood of foes
Bringing winter to thr world
Spreading illness now

Balance light and dark
Call on great Holy Power
Dominate the mind

Inflict slow curses
Summon cool sexy demons
Burn your flesh away

Calling on beast friends
Sniping foes from afar.
Traps to catch the unwary.

Daggers with venom
Swashbucklers duking it out
Striking from shadow

Holding steadfastly
Slaying with righteous power
Healing with the light.

The Darkest Side

In most fantasy with Magic, you find a Light side, better known as "The good Magic" (except when its not) and the Dark Side, better known as the evil Magic (except when its not) and these concepts appear heavily in my first Novel, The End of Utopia.

You have the established 6 Magic types, and alongside that, you see a special technique above the rest that is considered more powerful.  While I would not call any variation of this Magic "evil" These extra 6 abilities allow greater control and have far more sinister applications.  Examples of such uses are Blood Magic, which needs little introduction, Necromancy better known as summoning hordes of Undead, or turning every atom around you into a lethal weapon,

And these skills are addictive.  Control over forces that no one should be able to use does have an allure to it.  The Magic can feel like a drug at times.  One feels more powerful when casting spells.  The urge to use more Magic is a constant call.

But if the abilities outlined above are the dark side,  then what I outline next, takes it to the next level.  Arcane Magic in my universe is something entirely different, and much worse. This is like taking the Sith from Star Wars and introducing a part of the Force that they are too afraid to use.

And that's how characters feel about Arcane Magic in my verse.  Arcane Magic warps reality and breaks basically every rule of both science and the rules of Magic within my own universe. Its also so corrupting that it is comparable to the most addictive drug, and initial exposure drives almost all users to instant insanity.

Arcane Magic takes the idea of "Great Power comes Great Insanity" to its logical conclusion.  Fireballs summoned through its power will slice through reality as they fly through the air.  Portals opened using such a technique will cause reality to scream as it is ripped apart.

And the users that survive initial usage of such deadly power?  Their bodies might degrade. They might burst into flame.  Maybe their skin changes colors?  New limbs appear?  Odd scarring?  Arcane Magic is chaotic, just like universe the magic is derived from.

Arcane Magic is the Darkest Side of Magic.  Results may vary.  Insanity and Death are almost assured.  But if you are still foolish enough to use this power, these things probably won't matter to you.

Villains of Star Wars

You underestimate the power of the Dark Side.
But you overestimate the goodness, of the Light Side.

Peace is a Lie there is only Passion
The Jedi want to rule the Galaxy under a veiled concept of order.
They teach to gut passion.  Everything that makes us alive.

Through Passion I gain Strength.
The Jedi don't want passion.
They want strength, over you. They want servants.

Through Strength I gain Power
The Jedi don't want others to have strength.
They lose their power over the Galaxy.

Through Power I gain Victory
The Jedi will not allow any other to have power
They will not allow any victory but their own.

Through Victory, my Chains are broken.
The Jedi will not allow their slaves victory
Otherwise they will cast of our chains.


The force shall free me.
And why would the Jedi want any to run free?

Some say that our code was written in direct defiance to the Jedi.
And they are right.  We desired a galaxy where people can be free.

Free to pursue their passions.  Free to not grow complacent.
Understanding the force makes us stronger and wiser
Gutting emotions is gutting the force.

The dark side is name such because it is misunderstood.
But those who fear darkness have not seen what the light can do.

For it is the Light that destroys. Light is what deceives.
Darkness is natural.  Light is an illusion.

Haikus Week 1

Starting this week, I decided to write a Haiku every single day.  I also picked a theme for each week. For this first week, I picked the thought on my mind when I write:

This is my new plan
To write one Haiku a day
Yes I am crazy

These allergies stink
they make nose feel all icky
go away pollen

What is irony
but a set of strange phrases
That hold new meaning

A bike ride nowhere
But a journey everywhere
Leading to brand new

Memes are very dank
They are useful and on point
Sorry not sorry

Stop being hungry
Stupid annoying stomach
You will eat later

No one cares at all
Israel always attacked
Europe then they do

Origin Stories

What had started as a little challenge to myself has turned into a very fun an incredible project.  I wanted to see if it were possible to write a short story.  As I tend to write very large epics, I felt this was to be quite a difficult task.  Instead, I surprised myself.

I tried to write a short story set within the same universe as my End of Utopia Novel.  The world I had created has so much going on inside that it was quite easy to add some content to the place.

The first short story featured three established characters meeting a fourth. This short story was created to showcase initial interactions between them.  It also helped me figure out the pace and format I wanted to use for future short stories.  I decided on two points of view with one being focused on for a majority of the story. This first story felt like it was right out of the original book.

The second short story I tried something different. Although I had written the prologue of The End of Utopia completely from a villain's point of view, I wanted to write a story from a major antagonist's point of view.  This work proved challenging due to pronoun usage. Until the end, the "protagonist" does not have a name, and most of the supporting characters don't have a label either.  Another challenge I discovered with this story was to write it as a self contained tale without spoiling anything for the main book.

The third short story once again had me try something very radical. (for me) I wrote a short story that was far more lighthearted.  Also it is probably one of the most optimistic pieces of fiction I have ever written.  I was feeling depressed when I finished up this one and needed the boost.  Two scientists together and ready to take on the world.  Its a shame that good things don't last into the main novel...

The forth short story was my attempt at dark humor.  It features a hunt for a Magical Artifact by a gentleman hunter. Like quite a few of the short stories, This one had some pronoun issues.  Lots of unnamed characters for the sake of avoiding spoilers. I ended this one with a reminder of the dangers of Magical Items.

The fifth short story was easily the darkest of the bunch.  Taking place in the same area as the second short story, this one featured a psychopathic child.  And like the similar short story, it featured villains only.  This one allowed me to push the (lack of) morals that some of the characters in this universe posses. And also show how to characters raised in a similar setting can have different conflicts before them.

I am working on my sixth one.  I'm going to keep it under wraps for now.  But I will be posting another blog post once the rest of the ten stories are complete.  I hope as you read this that you look forward to reading all these stories in the near future.

How to Stop Rising Terrorism

I am seeing lots of different people not limited to: experts, politicians, libertarians, and other self proclaimed know it alls point out and go into detail about how to deal with Terrorism in the world. Many of those plans include either blowing them up or leaving them alone.

I'm gonna propose a radical idea here.  NEITHER of these will work!

Lets look at the problem with these groups.  They are recruiting people.  And their numbers are increasing despite the fight being upped in regions where they cause trouble.  And people like Donald Drumph trying to make it seem like the world has declared war on certain religions is certainly making this problem worse.

Another problem that I have outlined in an earlier blog post is that these people are not afraid of death at all.  In fact, these people benefit from being killed.  They become martyrs for their beliefs which fuels their ideologies and makes recruiting just that much easier.

However, that is not to say that leaving the groups alone will fix the problems either. Ignoring them will send the message that they can get away with he atrocities they commit and entice them into causing more chaos in the world. So yes, we do have to fight terrorism.  It just happens that there is more than one way to do so.

Now, what if I told you we could solve hunger, fix the world economy, and defeat terrorism at the same time?

Your probably thin king that I am some magical gene or at least a pathological liar.  Truth is, while I certainly am guilty of lying when it benefits me at times, I'm being truthful here.

Now remember how I said above that terrorist groups are recruiting at incredible rates? What if we changed the world in such a way that they would not be able to recruit?  How do we do that?  Give people hope.  Help them live the lives they want.

Terrorism thrives on people who want to change the world or themselves even, but feel that they have no chance at a better life. And lets be honest.  They don't really have any other options.  And that lack of mobility is infecting the entire world.

As people on earth become more and more disgruntled and feel hopeless about their futures, they continue to turn to violence, hatred, and ultimately terrorism. Many have figured out that the game is rigged against them.  And rather than just accept that, a lot of people are starting to decide that its better to destroy the game and create a new one.

And ultimately, they are right, the game does need to be changed.  But what I am calling on now, is that we do this change through peace, rather than through terrorism.  For we cannot leave things the way they are now.  Terror will continue to rise.  The establishments of the world are going to crumble no matter what outcome we choose.

But the choice between peace and destruction will determine what the new establishment looks like. Whether our future will be better or worse than our present.

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
A phrase my mother had me repeat every night before I went to bed.
The warm embrace of sleep, tucking me away from the nightmare.
For awake was when I suffered.
I was taught growing up that girls are bullied, but boys are tough.
That men settle their differences with fists, not words.

I was teased and harassed because I was weak.
I was bombarded by hateful words daily.
And my bones held the physical attacks at bay.
But the mental plots seeped through my armor.
Boys do get bullied with more than fists.
Words wreck havoc on our mental states.

I screamed for the embrace of peace.
But instead I got the vice of war.
I pleaded for an exit.
Door after door slammed in my face.
Denying me any form of release.

I could no longer see friend from foe.
My feet jumped at every breath.
Terror resounded through my body with every stare.
The dark being known as suicide approached me.
Motioning  seductively my direction
Whispering how it would all be over soon.

They say that time heals all wounds
Suicide turns to depression
Just as paranoia transforms into cynicism.
Physically I was healthy as could be
But mental poison stewed just below the surface.
A shroud of black mist distorted my vision.
And the way forward was gone.

I was trapped in a perpetual fetal position.
Peace was not to be found anywhere.
Especially within the recesses of my mind.
My family thought I was a danger to myself.
And my friends, to everyone else.
And suicide waved at me like an old lover.

At long last I threw myself a rope.
I ran, as far from everything as I could.
Following in the footsteps of so many before me
I waved the white flag.
And ordered a full retreat.

I find myself in a new world.
Filled with far more light.
And although doom lurks behind me
Hope swells before me.

Who I was before, is gone.
His bones finally gave out.
But the new me has a different belief system.
Sticks and stones are mildly annoying, but words are a deadly poison.