These Stones Remember
Being the journal of Onorait Paix al-Lareiff
Welcome to a secondary blog, wherein I'll be sharing Minecraft-related content. This will mostly serve as the place where I'll post update notifications to my ongoing series of (genfic) literary sketches on AO3, focusing around characters portrayed by Pixlriffs in S1 and S2 of Empires SMP, but I also plan to use this as a general Minecraft-related blog, so expect random MC stuff (mostly Empires and Hermitcraft) as well as related reblogs.
Read the current series (now complete!) at AO3: These Stones Remember
"The past changes a little every time we retell it."
A wandering scholar and his ethereal companion find a long-abandoned treasure. At first glance he thinks has simply stumbled upon a ruined ancient capital, filled with the promise of incredible archaeological treasures and riven through with the history of a long-dead civilisation. But when he wakes up one day and finds the city has come alive around him, its people bowing to him as though they know and respect him, he has unknowingly begun a journey toward redemption for a terrible mistake he made two thousand years ago.
Sample of what you can expect:
It turned out that stealth was tricky to achieve when one had a glowing feline wrapped rigidly around one's shoulders, like a spectral neon feather boa. On the one hand, Malin tended to glow more brightly when they were on high alert, which made them handy for lighting up dark locations. On the other hand, that same brightened glow turned them into a beacon for unwanted eyes.
Dust was still drifting around the entrance, redstone quietly ticking as it cooled from the superheated flash charge that had activated the pistons, its oily, chthonic scent filling his nostrils. Somewhere just beneath the top layer of soil, Pix could hear the breathy sigh of the pistons' hydraulics as they settled into their retracted position.
Hot, dry air ghosted out of the gaping maw between the ornate stones of the archway, as Pix edged forward half a step to peek into the blackness beyond, braced for anything... unpleasant that might lurch toward him. He hadn't needed to wield a sword in years, having found that one good chop with an axe on the downward part of a short jump dealt enough critical damage to anything that dared to target him. But, right now, his palm itched to wrap itself around a sword hilt.
Footnotes
Beautiful artwork by Sabira/@floweroflaurelin (used with permission, as per this ask on their blog). I made one minor edit on their gorgeous depiction of the angel, turning it greyscale, as it fitted what I wanted to do with the banner. Hope you don't mind, Sabira!
Original artwork for Pix and his ghostly companion (Malin, in my sketches) can be found here. Original artwork for the statue can be found here.
My other blog - which focuses mainly on Sims 3 content and storytelling - can be found at @valoisfulcanelli
