Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part D

(Yudhishthira and his dog arrive in heaven)

It seems that Bhishma's death was what it finally took to make Karna hate his brothers. Though, in truth, the Pandavas treated Karna awfully and ought to be ashamed. It is reasonable for him to hate them.

Now Satyajit has been added to the list of the dead. I'm not getting much from the scenes from the battle other than that a lot of people are dying.

Now Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu is dead and Arjuna has slain Jayadratha - his son's killer.

Now Ghatotchaka is dead, and Karna no longer possesses the celestial dart of Indra.

Drona literally just sat down and died when he believed his son to be dead. I don't understand why the Pandavas - who are supposed to be such amazing warriors - didn't just actually kill Ashwatthaman instead of lying about it.

I am exceedingly perturbed by the fact that Bhima actually drank Duhsana's blood. Karna and Arjuna are finally in battle. One of them must die, and I am not eager to see either die.

Krishna seems to be something of an instigator here. I don't know that I support his character's actions. I should like to further explore the reasons why he chooses to so incite Arjuna. Perhaps there is some divine purpose to this war as there was in the Ramayana. Also Karna's dead now.

Bhima is far to prideful in his behavior to be a good ruler. He is a powerful warrior, but he could never rule effectively. I also struggle to see the weighing differences between breaking a vow and breaking the laws of combat. It appears that Krishna (also Vishnu) has some vested interest in the outcome of this conflict.

Duryodhana has no honor whatsoever, but sometimes in war that is what it takes to win. On the other hand, what kind of victory have they won by slaughtering people in their sleep?

Draupadi really is vengeful and quick to demand her enemies' deaths. I won't call her wrath unjust here, but I feel that she's a particularly angry character, and there's a lot that could be explored there.

The story of Bhishma's death is interesting to me, and I may include it in some capacity in my storybook since my book is centered around Ganga. I'll have to refresh my memory as to the details of Bhishma's birth.

It seems to me that Uttara, given her new son would not have wanted entirely to kill herself and join her husband in heaven. Given the gift of his son on this Earth, I think she would have wanted to enjoy what time she could with her boy.

Now Arjuna has died and come back to life all as a result of his lustful adventures. I still have no idea how I feel about this.

There is a pattern in the epics I have seen thus far that they tend to end with the death of the protagonists. I think I may take this into account while writing my storybook and have Ganga describe to the traveler her role in the deaths of many Indian heroes throughout the ages.

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Week 6 Storytelling: Duryodhana and the Gandharvas

(Epic battle from the Mahabharata)

True destitution did suffer the brothers,

At hand of forest beasts.

They wandered now no more with mother,

Nor palace, gold nor feast.

And in this place they suffered shame

For sinful past endeavors.

And so their wife did suffer same

And all the six did weather

The pains of lowly living here

In forest now to dwell.

The six bore agony without peer.

Some horrors drawn from hell.

Now here the shame of noble pride

Duryodhana did display

And sought to attend to his cousins’ side,

View their poverty and dismay.

Each third year, as tradition bore,

A prince need the cattle brand.

So Duryodhana, with envy sore,

Assembled a royal band.

They left the city, proud, jubilant.

To find upon the road.

Deities there who passage would not grant.

And seeds of battle sowed.

The Kauravas then, their battle lost,

Bearing shame in their defeat.

The women, pride, and gold the cost.

Of the capture they did meet.

And through the woods swift word did pass.

To fall on Panadavan ear.

The brothers and their lovely lass

Cought word then of their peer.

And spite of wrongs in times then past,

Let noble blood then spring.

As noble blood did noble acts cast,

On which good men might sing.

To their cousin’s aid then rushed the six.

And rescued him post haste.

They fell into the fray, the mix,

And for battle had quite the taste.

The Gandharvas then were driven back

And released their royal burden.

All glories on Yudhisthira stack

Forbear all sufferings uncertain.

Gladly the brothers offered up

The freedom of their kin

And with their noble cousin supped

When the battle they did win.

But rajah met with pleasure pain,

And every gift resented.

For the Pandavas were their cousins bane.

And his loathing represented.

So the prince’s rescue brought only rage

And sorrow to his heart.

And against the will of his every sage

Wished from this world to part.

So the hateful raj then set aside

The gift of food and drink

Resolved to die for his swollen pride

He chose only to sit and think

And in his thoughts the daityas came

To their lord then to persuade.

Along with danavas who wished the same.

His death to dissuade.

At length enticing him with tales

Of battle and of glory.

He then gave up his austere death

For something bold and gory.

The prince returned then to his castle rich

And prepared his sacrifice

Power from the gods his wish

And his cousins to entice

With taunts of his glorious gifts

To bear this insult fresh

They hear his message and the mood then shifts

Hot anger burned through Bhima’s flesh.

Though Yidhishthira just words replied

To insult far too dear.

Bhima, strong and fearsome cried

To bring his cousin fear.

Then when his sacrifice was made

And vows ‘gainst kin he spoke

Good Karna swore Arjuna would be slayed

Beside the fire’s pungent smoke

Finally spies unto Pandavas rode

And recalled the awful scene

Yidhisthira knew that the omens bode

For his brother a fate quite mean

And sorrowed in the night so bleak

For those two men must fight.

And hardly then did dare to speak.

For he knew the good men’s might.

 Author's Note: I was inspired to rewrite the piece in verse by a portfolio project I saw. I chose specifically this story because I felt it offered a wide variety of aspects of the story as well as some interesting imagery in the sacrifice and the battle.

Bibliography: Duryodhana and the Gandharvas, PDE Mahabharata

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part C

(Lineage Chart to help keep the families and names straight)

I would like to think that the brothers will benefit from this series of misfortunes. While they are currently more morally sound than their cousins seem to be, they could benefit from a measure of humility.

It seems that Bhima and Draupadi, at least, have not learned from their sufferings yet that which they could learn. I hope by the end of the tale that they will come to recognize that the reason they are in this mess is their pride and lack of careful thought.

The motif of prayers and penances resulting in the blessing of powerful weapons is prominent in both of the epics we have read so far as with the motif of contests to win brides. I think that this could be easily included in a story about someone trying to complete a great quest.

I like that this portion of the story was included. It's important that we know Arjuna was actually trained to use these weapons, and this even shows how he became a more seasoned warrior.

The theme of learning lessons seems to be settling well with Yudhishthira and Arjuna, but I still haven't seen Draupadi or Bhima learning. Character development is essential to creating effective characters, and I would like to see how this journey is changing the others.

I wonder what the purpose of the inclusion of this scene outlining the caste system was. Historically it would allude to a method of keeping people within the mindset that their caste was something of a birthright intended to allow them their specific means of attaining paradise. I suppose that's because this is something of a religious text. 

Clearly neither Bhima nor Duryodhana are learning anything at all from these misadventures. Duryodhana has been forgiven and blessed with life by the Pandavas and he just hates them more every time they have shown him kindness.

That is a very strategic play by Karna. He seems to be a great warrior, but I know nothing of his character as a person. Based on his practice of giving whatever is asked of him after worship, I believe that if I write about him I will write him as a pious, misguided man. He doesn't seem evil, just misplaced.

There seems to be a common practice of carrying off women in this setting. This could be easily rewritten to include the same events with different motivations. Perhaps Draupadi is not loyal to these men she's married. Maybe Jayadratha kidnapped her as a political ploy. Maybe Jayadratha invited her to the palace to await her husbands so they could all eat and drink together, and the situation was a misunderstanding.

The riddle minigame in the middle of the quest was rather surprising. It goes to show that even Arjuna has not learned much from exile. I'm going to write that part a bit differently if I include this portion of the story. I prefer to include reasonable character development.

This is perhaps the most strategically sound move the Pandavas have made in some time. Also, I want to know where Arjuna's second wife has gone.

Bhima's most redeeming quality is his determination that none should shame his wife. Draupadi is actually relatively terrifying in how coldly she enjoys this man's death.

If I write about the actual battle that ensues from all this political chaos it will be briefly. The political intrigue surrounding this situation is much more intellectually engaging than the battle itself.

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part B

(Draupadi is humiliated by the trash humans who claim to be noble)

I really like the first story for its inclusion of a moral "inside man" to save the protagonists. Vidura's actions in sending Varanavata give a good explanation for how the family could survive the devious plot. I also think I was right in assuming that this would be a story littered with intrigue.

It seems to me that Hidimba's sister could be an asset for the group. I wonder if she will ask to stay and travel with them since she has fallen in love with Bhima. Would it be unnatural for someone to take a rakshasa wife in this culture? I've read a story where a king's bride is a rakshasa, but I don't believe that he knew.

I am glad that they didn't kill Hidimbi, but I don't understand why she and her son left. I will probably concoct a good reason that they would part ways amicably if I write about them.

Bhima has a signature move, and it's breaking people's backs.

At this point I am, admittedly, having some trouble keeping the pantheon of characters straight. I may look up or create a set of lineage charts for the Mahabharata. I wonder whether one of the brothers will win Draupadi or if they will be recognized at this big gathering.

Okay. She will marry all of them.

I'm very interested to see how this will evolve from her marrying Arjuna to her marrying Arjuna and all of his brothers.

It seems to me that this is a very strange decision-making process. How do they even know that Draupadi is the incarnation of this woman? I think if I include this portion in my story I'm just going to write it in a modern setting with Draupadi as a polyamorous woman in consenting relationships with the five men.


I find it interesting that now that Duryodhana has utterly failed to murder his cousins they make peace. This is about a power struggle and picking your battles so that your subjects remain obedient and loyal.

Did Arjuna marry Ulupi or cheat on Draupadi with her? What are the moral implications of his snake person baby? Is this all Ulupi has to do with this story or will he bring her back with him? I'm trying to figure out if all of Arjuna's adventures center around his infidelity to the wife he shares with his brothers. Now he has another wife, and she (Chitra) has given him another son. I really don't know how to feel about these adventures. Arjuna is seriously just roaming the country having sex and taking wives. He has now stolen a woman. On this journey he has taken two new wives, one of whom has not accompanied him back to Indraprashtha, and sired two different sons who have also not accompanied him.

I feel that there should be a better reason than the one they were given to allow an entire forest to burn to the ground.

I honestly feel terrible about Duryodhana struggling so abundantly to navigate doors and water in his cousins' fancy palace, but I feel like it might be some measure of karma given the fact that he literally tried to have them all burned to death in a palace he claimed was some kind of gift for them. I don't understand why they seem to trust him now. Do they not know that the palace burning was his plot?

So many conflicts are solved by some form or other of violence and death.

I think the reason that Duryodhana and his family are meant to be the villains is because their actions lack honor or justice. It is obvious that the Pandavas have done some things which are immoral and wrong, but their cousins are downright cruel in many instances.

I can not believe that the princes actually gambled with that man twice. For him to win that many times without cheating would be nearly impossible. They should know better than to trust him after his first treachery.

I think that this cast seems to be filled with every manner of fool, and I fully intend to exploit that fact in my storytelling.

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Week 5 Storytelling: Bhima and the Nagas

(Basilisk Rattlesnake)

There was a time and place when disputes were settled by a smoking gun. The law was what men shot it out to be, and lessons came from either your parents or the black and blue and red that colored your skin and advertised your poor judgement.

Mothers would fight every evening to save their sons from reality by teaching them how to survive. They tempered their tempers. They taught of justice, peace, and the dangers of an overripe pride. For those sons and daughters who could not hear their mothers’ pleas, fathers bore the burden of their children’s longevity. They taught their combative offspring how to choose their battles, how to save their bullets, how to fight, how to win.

But then, there are always those who cannot heed the warnings their parents impart for their own good. Those wild fools who lack insight, patience and moderation in spite of all their parents do. Past that, there are those who had the even greater misfortune of parents who did not teach them virtue enough to protect their lives.

Today, I tell you the story of one such boy. A child whose parents did not do enough to teach him his place, his manners and who, as a result, became the destruction of those he ought to have held dear.

David was the first son of Gertrude and Daniel Kingsman. Daniel was blind and had once thought himself destined to die alone in the Western wastes his parents abandoned him in. When Gertrude, the daughter of the local banker, found him and saved his life, he owed her everything and loved her more than life itself. When she bore him a healthy son, he loved that son as if he were the sun, the stars, and the rains all at once.

The people living in the town of Bigston noted his behavior and warned Daniel, telling him he should teach his son to be a good man before he showered him with gifts and spoiled him rotten. Daniel wouldn’t hear a single word of it, though. He was a blind man gifted with a strong, healthy son. He would give him every blessing without regard.

As the years went by, David grew strong, stubborn, and selfish, paying little regard to the needs of others when he sought to please himself. Once, he beat a weary traveler for being impudent enough to beg him for spare change, calling him a godless vagabond.

One day, a Westbound train carried in a letter telling of the death of Gertrude’s brother Peter. Peter’s wife Katherine and their sons begged Gertrude and Daniel for a place to live. The couple quickly consented to share their wealth with their destitute relatives, promising them a share of whatever they had to offer. The next month, Katherine and her five sons arrived on the train and were welcomed by Daniel and his wife to their new home. The only problem was David’s reaction to his cousins. Amon and Brandon were brave boys, easily as big as their cousin and twice as good shots as a result of the lessons their father had given them with a gun. No one could hit their target with as much precision or accuracy as those two boys, and Daniel grew incredibly jealous of them

At his sons complaints and rage, Daniel grew weary, bought him a new gun and hired a sharpshooter to tutor him. David grew better and quicker, but Katherine’s boys began tutoring with the sharpshooter as well and continued to improved, exacerbating their cousin’s intense jealousy.

Eventually, David’s jealousy festered into a cruel plot to eliminate his cousins who seemed to outshine him at every turn. According to his black plot, David stole his father’s horse and rode out one day before dawn with nothing but a net, a knife, a box, and a bloodhound. He came back that morning with a rattlesnake, the rattle carefully removed. David hid the serpent in Brandon’s room beneath the pillow on his bed so that the venom would be injected directly into his neck, removing any chance of survival.

That evening, Brandon returned to his bed after a hard day working for his uncle to earn his keep. He was exhausted and lay directly down onto his pillow. With a startling hiss, the snake bit the young man and he yelled loudly enough to draw his aunt from the dining room where she was cleaning supper off the table.

Gertrude cried out and wasted no time, running to the cabinet of medicines her father kept on hand and sending Amon for the local doctor. When he arrived, the doctor administered an experimental salve to Brandon’s wound that miraculously cured him and left him stronger than ever. Though David was displeased, he could express his frustration to no one for fear of being hanged as a murderer.

Amon camed to Brandon after his recovery, telling him of the snake’s missing rattle and David’s poorly concealed disappointment at his survival. The brothers were quietly enraged, and hatched a plot for their revenge that would not be traced back to them. Thus, the two houses’ feud began, and from that day on, none of Katherine’s sons would waste love on their hateful cousin.

Author's Note: I've decided to center my stories for these two weeks around Duryodhana's story and the result that his lack of restraint has on the other characters. You could almost say that it's a set of stories centered arround intrigue resulting from poor parenting choices. I chose the old west theme for two main reasons: 

1. There are not many settings where so much wanton killing and so many vile murder plots would go largely unpunished by the law. 

2. Who doesn't love a good high-noon shoot out? 

I hope you will enjoy the Wild West antics of these feuding cousins. 

(A couple o' gunslingers)

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part A

(Santanu seeing Ganga for the first time)

Vysa is a sage who is supposed to be telling the story to Ganesha. I read earlier in some of my research that Ganesha is the god of wisdom. I am, admittedly, very confused by the beginnings of this tale. I can tell little of the characters other than that a large portion of their life is colored by odd circumstance.

In researching for my project, I read an alternative story as to why the eight Vasus were to be born on earth. They had stolen something of Indra's. He cursed seven to exist on Earth only briefly, but the last to live a full life without marriage or children.

I wonder why the fisherman will not allow his adopted daughter to become the king's wife. It seems strange that he should demand more.

I like the theme of love and loyalty. It's very interesting that Devavrata should make such an outrageous vow.

I very much oppose the treatment of women as tourney prizes but acknowledge that this is sometimes how things were done in the ancient world. One thing that is somewhat noteworthy to me is that Bhishma won three brides for his young brother.

I think the theme of vengeance misplaced is one that makes for excellent stories. You really get to delve into the pain that Amba must have felt and the love that she still carried for King Shalwa when you consider who she chose to blame for her misfortune. Love leads to strange choices sometimes.

I find the process of Satyavati attempting to find some way to bring forth an heir interesting. She is only ruler by marriage. The King's line will die off regardless of what else may occur at this point. Why do they then care so much about bloodline? They should attempt to find some relative to take the throne.

This part of the story reminds me vaguely of the story of Moses. His mother placed him in a basket because she could not keep him and floated him down the river where he was received by a caring woman who took him in and raised him. He was later destined to do great things.

This story involves a lot more explicitly mentioned and discussed sexual activity. I wonder how Pandu will die.

The image of her burning to death on her husband's corpse is horrifying to me. However, I acknowledge that, in a certain way, to die in such a manner is a show of great devotion.

The motif of poor parenting choices is one that I don't generally play with, but I believe that if I retell this part of the story I may well take it up. It's something that bothers me greatly, and I would have no trouble chastising allowing children to become monstrous and cruel. 

I very much like the idea of bad parenting being the source and cause of an actual sinister plot.

Drupada is extremely stuck up for someone raised by a holy man. Drona's awesome [training montage]. 

It seems that a great many enemies are lining up early in the story, Duryodhana and Drupada among the chief of them.

Men are so prideful in these stories. It's actually quite exhausting.

I feel like the Mahabharata so far is like a dark, edgy Ramayana. Where the Ramayana was about love and devotion and, to an extent, revenge. The Mahabharata is about hate and jealousy and vengeance and vows that are effectively hateful blood oaths.

I think this will be a more difficult set of stories because I'm not so used to writing about intrigue and dark plots and vengeance. It should be a fun exercise, though.

Bibliography: Public Domain Edition Mahabharata

Feedback Focus

(Focus highlighted)

I like the technique of reading aloud for the fact that it forces me to slow down the pace at which I read the story, but I don’t think it is a technique I could use often because I would feel uncomfortable reading stories aloud in public. I don’t think I read anything that I would have missed otherwise either, but I did slow down enough to thoroughly enjoy the story rather than hurrying through it. I may use this one if I am reading from home.

The interesting thing about the copy and delete method is that it forces me to note details throughout the story. Unfortunately, this method takes me a much longer time to complete because I get bogged down trying to write down just one note after each paragraph. If I write more I end up with too many notes, and If I try to limit myself I spend too long trying to determine which note would serve me best. If I only wrote notes after some paragraphs this one might be feasible. Otherwise, this method is too time-consuming to be very effective for me.

As to the final method, one thing I like is that the time limit encourages me to go back and explore new aspects of the story on different readings of the story. Another aspect of this method that I really appreciate is that it is inherent to the nature of the method that I will know how long it will take me to get a good set of notes on the section I am reading which allows me to break up the work if necessary.

For me, I think the third focus technique with the timer is going to be the most useful one. It allows me to schedule the amount of time this portion of my work will take me but still pay ample attention to the piece and take good notes as well.

Week 4 Storytelling: Narayan's Ramayana

Author’s Note: I chose to write this retelling of the Ramayana as a session of the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). For those of you who don’t know how to play, the game mechanics can be found here. In essence, the Dungeon Master (DM) writes a story for the players' characters to play through. They set the scene verbally and then allow the players to have their characters interact with their environment. It's something like a collaborative storytelling effort. 

I felt that this would be a good fit for retelling the Ramayana because it makes sense to have the gods play as mortals when the original story is written about the incarnation of a god as a man. I decided to write the details of the story as more true to the game because it is, in my opinion, a better exercise for my writing skills to have to build more original material. I have, however, opted to keep equivalent characters' names the same in order to make sure it's obvious whose story I'm writing about. All explanations aside, let's get into the game.

(Dungeons and Dragons figurines)

PRELOGUE : Character Building

Brahma hadn’t planned on spending his entire Saturday playing D&D, but his friends, Vishnu and Ganesha had absolutely begged him to help them out since their regular DM was on vacation for the next 2 months. After the 2 hours of incessant texts, calls, and offers to cook for him, Brahma caved and agreed to write them a one-off session. He promised that if that went well he’d consider writing them a more expansive campaign.

Watching them sitting here, a film of sleep still covering his reality, at 9 in the morning building their characters, Brahma began to wonder what he’d gotten himself into. Vishnu and Ganesha sat close exclaiming every new detail of their characters with glee. At the end of three hours, the pair had built a pair of brothers. Ganesha’s created a noble monk named Lakshmana who placed a high value on family on loyalty. Vishnu crafted Lakshmana’s brother – a paladin named Rama who placed justice above all else. They were ready to begin their adventure.

SESSION 1 : Vishvamitra's Quest

Brahma: Rama and Lakshmana’s father is not just any noble. You’re both princes. You’re sons by different queens of the King Dashartha. For years you have been trained under the tutelage of the finest teachers in the land – this is why I’ve allowed you to build at level five. One day, an sage cleric from the south of your kingdom arrives at the castle seeking the help of your father. A terrible dark force has been tormenting his hermitage. He’s requesting that your father send you, Rama, to battle the force and free him and his fellow clerics from this life of fear. You and Lakshmana are both in the throne room as this occurs. What do you do?

Vishnu: Rama turns to his father and tells him that it’s only just for him to defend his subjects.

Brahma: King Dashartha is reluctant to allow you to go. You know, he needs his heir and all. I’m going to need you to roll persuasion.

Rama: [rolls d20] Yeah.. That’s a two.

Brahma: Your father is absolutely not convinced. In fact, he kind of thinks you sound foolish. He has no intention of letting you go.

Ganesha: Lakshmana offers to attend to Rama and guard him. He reminds his father of the training they have and the healing powers of clerics.

Brahma: Roll persuasion with advantage.

Ganesha: 6 and… 19!

Brahma: Dashartha is really keen on having you there to protect your brother. With two of you there, he’s almost certain you’ll be fine. He explains to Vishvamitra that the two of you will gladly go to rescue the village from whatever evil torments it. Vishvamitra then thanks you and explains that the evil is a Marilith known as Thataka. He advises you to be cautious in your quest and offers to guide you to the village.

Vishnu: Rama is thrilled to go with him. He tries to leave immediately before realizing he needs to pack.

Ganesha: Lakshmana rolls his eyes at Rama and gets ready to leave.

Brahma: Okay, the two of you prepare your things and follow Vishvamitra to the forest Thataka has been hiding in.When you arrive, there is no monster in sight, but Vishvamitra draws Rama aside and tells him that he’ll need your help channeling a particularly powerful spell if you want to have any hope of defeating Thataka and making it out alive. Vishnu, what is your response?

Vishnu: Rama quickly agrees to help channel the spell but asks why Lakshmana has not also been asked since, as a cleric, he is also proficient in divine spellcasting.

Brahma: Vishvamitra calls Lakshmana over and teaches you the components of a ritual-based spell that rains bolts of radiant energy down on the demon it’s focused on. 

Vishvamitra acknowledges it’s well above your current skill level, but he believes that if you channel the power together you’ll be able to manage it. Do you believe him?

Vishnu: Rama definitely believes in him. He has faith that the gods will use him as a tool of divine justice to vanquish Thataka. Level’s just a number.

Ganesha: Lakshmana is more cautious, but he definitely believes that he and Rama will be able to defeat Thataka one way or another.

Brahma: Good, so the three of you are working with this spell learning to perform it properly and you’re standing around the fire, actually starting to get the process when, suddenly, you hear this horrible crashing from the woods off behind Vishvamitra. Suddenly, a demoness who you’re sure is 

Thataka shoots out of the woods and throws Vishvamitra through the air, knocking him unconscious. Roll initiative.

Vishnu: 9.

Ganesha: 18.

Brahma: Alright, so that was Thataka’s surprise round that she got on you. She’ll be going last in the order. Lakshmana, you’re up first.

Ganesha: Lakshmana isn’t sure that this spell is going to work. He attacks her with Flame Strike and does 22 damage.

Brahma: Thataka easily outstrips this column of flame and only takes half that.

Vishnu: I turn to Lakshmana and urge him to help me cast the spell Vishvamitra taught us.

Ganesha: He’s not sure.

Vishnu: The worst that happens is we fail and have to keep fighting!

Ganesha: Fine!!!

Vishnu: With Lakshmana’s help, according to Vishvamitra’s instructions I cast:

Brahma: Reign of God!! As you cast the spell you see hundreds upon hundreds of divine spears of light skewering Thataka from the heavens. So many fall that you actually lose sight of her in this brilliant golden cloud. When the storm clears you look and see her, covered in blood, crawling towards you, snarling. Lakshmana?

Ganesha: I defer to Rama.

Vishnu: Rama draws his longbow and fires a single shot into her eye.

Brahma: Roll.

Vishnu: NAT 20!!!

Brahma: The two of you watch as Rama’s arrow hits the foul demon and she stops moving. Vishvamitra awakes and thanks you for your aid.

Author's Note: I know that Ganesha was only really involved in the original Ramayana as a periphery character, but I don't think it would have made sense for Vishnu to play four incarnations of himself. Though I did consider that option, as it would have been amusing, I felt that simply adding another god would be a better solution. I chose Ganesha because he is known for wisdom and intelligence which are two key features of Lakshmana so I felt that this would be most in line with the story I'm writing. I chose to write it in script form because I felt it better reflected gameplay and provided an interesting quality to the adventuring.

(Image of a demon)

Bibliography:

Naryan's Ramayana, Reading Guide

Reading Notes: Narayan Ramayana Part A

I'm going to begin by highlighting the fact that, given I've already read one version of the Ramayana, the main purpose of these notes is going to be to give structure to a new set of stories. Of course, I'll highlight where the stories differ, but, apart from that, I intend to simply focus on a different set of characters and give a basis for a story centered around them. As such, these notes are going to be structured in more of a free thought, paragraph style.

I like the reading notes mention of the parallel between the god's quest and Dashartha's need for children. It gives me an idea that I think will be fun to write about. I'm going to write the gods as a bunch of people playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and the main characters as the characters built by the gods. Obviously, there's going to be some slight alterations to the humans and a little adjusting to make the plot fit. I'm not sure if I want the goal of the heroes' quest to be the same or if it should simply mirror the structure of the true quest of the Ramayana. Either way this should be a lot of fun.

The part about the birth of the four sons can be some light character creation, and the bit about the gods asking for Brahma's help can just be a quick bit (if I decide to write about that part) about them planning the game.

One of the fun things about writing this is going to be the absolutely ridiculous number of NPCs that Brahma, the Dungeon Master (the person who runs the story of the game) will have to juggle. Vishvamitra would be an interesting one to write as he's almost like access to a side quest or a training quest the DM has written to give the characters a chance to level up before the main quest. That storyline could be a fun session to write. It would be almost like a little one-off session set apart from the arc of the typical quest.

The story told by Vishvamitra about Mahabali and the incarnation of Vishnu was not in the other form of the Ramayana I read. I think it's a neat little story that I could potentially work into the one-off session as a local legend explained by the Vishvamitra NPC.

I really like that this version is full of shorter stories about the gods that the other version lacked especially since they would be easy fun little inclusions for the story I want to write. I'll be interested to see how I play out the villains' roles in the story though I'm not sure whether I want these stories to focus on the main quest or mainly on side quest at the moment.

I think I might have a player for Ravana if I decide to write on the main quest just because I think it would be fun to see his interactions with other characters from the perspective of one player operating against another player. He might roll an intimidation check to try and persuade Maricha to help him capture Sita, for example. I really think it would add an interesting element to the story.

(A set of polyhedral dice used in RPGs such as D&D)

Bibliography:
Narayan's Ramayana, Reading Guide

Week 3 Storytelling: Sugriva and Hanuman and Sugriva's Story

 

(Rama and Lakshmana meeting Hanuman)

  As Rama and Luka trudged onward through the wastelands, Rama began to despair of ever finding Sita again. It had been so many months, and she could not think of anyone who had survived for so long in a Ravager den. Luka, however, remained optimistic and encouraged her sister to keep fighting.

  As the days began to feel longer and longer, Rama and Luka traveled further from the forest where they had been sent to train and prove themselves for 14 years. One day, they were traveling by a lake, one of the cleanest bodies of water they had seen in some time, and they stopped to fill their water skins. While they were stopped, a well-built, tall woman emerged from a well-concealed den in a nearby hill and addressed them from a distance.

  The woman introduced herself as Hanna and demanded answers as to why they were wandering this infested area in the garbs of the Order. “They don’t usually come out this far,” Hanna elaborated, searching for a reason why these two girls would be so far from the Order’s base. Rama and Luka were shocked at these queries – they were well outside of Danaia district by this time, and these questions made no sense.

  The two explained as much to Hanna and inquired as to the status of the Order’s base and outposts in this district. The air seemed to grow heavy as Hanna became quiet and forlorn, casting her eyes downward and informing them of the district’s state.

  Hanna explained that the district had been undergoing a violent power struggle for the position of director. A woman named Val, the original director, had gone off on a mission to aid some agents in clearing a Ravager den out of a series of caves that had grown too close to some local villages, leaving Sugriva in charge in the interim.

  When Val failed to return from her mission for almost a year, Sugriva assumed total control and ordered the entrance to the den demolished for fear that the Ravagers were still hiding down there, waiting for an opportunity to attack. When Val returned to the entrance three months later, she took Sugriva’s actions as insubordination and a grave insult to her ability.

  After months more of digging, Val made her way out of the cave system with her party and refused to hear Sugriva’s explanation. She drove Sugriva from the director’s seat and from the base, chasing her until she, Hanna, and a small set of forces still loyal to her managed to hide in these hills.

  Hanna continued on, saying that the help of operatives from another district to take down Val may be exactly what Sugriva needed in order to wrest power back and keep the loyalty of the agents in her base. Their help would lend extra validity to the cause, especially in the light of how important Luka and Rama were back home. She enticed them further by hinting at the fact that, given their help, Sugriva would most likely be willing to deploy a set of forces to aid Rama and Luka in hunting down Sita and rescuing her from the Ravagers.

  At this, Rama leapt forward, grabbing Hanna’s arms in a sort of eager desperation and immediately told Hanna to lead them to Sugriva so that they could work out the details of this deal. Luka, meanwhile, seemed skeptical of this woman who looked like some sort of bandit and the offer she suggested.

  That evening, after setting camp, Luka went to Rama with her concerns and attempted to persuade her that the position of director here did not even seem to belong to this Sugriva character and that perhaps they could persuade Val to help them in their efforts to find Sita. Rama rebuffed her and sharply shut her sister down. In the dark night air, her words came out as a threatening hiss. “This is the most help we’ve been offered so far, and I’m not about to jeopardize Sita’s life further just because YOU’RE vaguely uncertain. That’s not fair to her.”

  Luka saw the terror and fear bordering on madness in her sister’s eyes and let her be. This was not the right way to save Sita, but she would quiet her conscious on this matter to save Rama’s sanity, and the next day they went to meet Sugriva.

Author's Note

I chose to take on these stories because I wanted to highlight how desperate Rama gets in regard to Sita. He really doesn't think straight even when Lakshmana does. I also felt that I wanted to make it clear that I don't think Sugriva ever really had a claim to the throne and Rama's business with him seemed more shady than it was originally written. I think that Lakshmana should have noticed that, and so, in my story he did.

Bibliography:

Sugriva and Hanuman

Sugriva's Story