Comments on "You are fair, Branwen. So fair..."

[EiriktheScald]

Please post any thoughts and comments you want to leave regarding the poems here. Thanks.

[Domi]

Yes, I think that in BG1, Branwen is definetly a character that inspires a romance; the whole undercurrent of Stone to Flesh spellname always fascinated me in relation to her. Oh, and there is definetly a troubadour feel to a collection of poems dedicated to an imaginary beauty.

[EiriktheScald]

<snip> the whole undercurrent of Stone to Flesh spellname always fascinated me in relation to her. <snip>

 

Yes, but what really got to me was her statement:

 

"Flesh to stone. Stone to flesh. Every trickster and magician is capable of the former, but it takes the master to achieve the latter, and a man to succeed in earnest. A man who stands in front of me."

[Domi]

Yep, absolutely lovely

[EiriktheScald]

The man standing in front of her had tears swelling up. And I don't think he was fully aware of her feelings up to this point; thus "Why have you told me this?"

[Bri]

Interesting start. Of course, it will take more than one poem for a bard to win over a priestes of Tempus

[Kulyok]

Ah, I just see a small add-on to the mod: a tall bard standing alone on the side of the road, in the shade. As the party approaches (if Branwen is in the party, naturally), he starts showering her with ballads and poetry.

 

Hmm, should it happen in a tavern, for example, CHARNAME might get a strong contender.

 

Lovely.

[EiriktheScald]

Hmm, should it happen in a tavern, for example, CHARNAME might get a strong contender.

 

Looking at Domi's poll in the BG1 NPC Project Forum I'd say that 90% of the time there'd be no distractions. All the better!

[EiriktheScald]

I added another strophe to the first poem. I felt it was needed to connect the third and last. What do you think?

[Kulyok]

Ah, it's almost Tolkien:

 

And in the glade a light was seen

Of stars in shadow shimmering.

Tin?viel was dancing there

To music of a pipe unseen,

And light of stars was in her hair,

And in her raiment glimmering.

[EiriktheScald]

"Farewell sweet earth and northern sky,

for ever blest, since here did lie

and here with lissom limbs did run

beneath the Moon, beneath the Sun,

Luthien Tinuviel

more fair than mortal tongue can tell."

-JRR Tolkein; from The Silmarillion

 

 

Thank you.

[EiriktheScald]

A question for you: In the last strophe (stanza) of the fourth poem, who is speaking and what is the "sea" they behold? I want to know if it's clear to the reader.

[BigRob]

Even though the third stanza speaks of Branwen's actions, it seems to me that the person speaking in the fourth is the poet, and the sea they behold would be the eys of Branwen.

[EiriktheScald]

I was concerned there might be some ambiguity in the telling; but you read it the way I was trying to present it. Thank you for taking the time to reply, it means alot to me.

[BigRob]

No worries. But by asking the question, you did make me read it over a couple of times, just in case.