The Poet of Qufu

[Belial]

Once, rumors had spread from Qufu of a mad man. Rumors had spread that within the Temple of Confucius, a single mad had taken refuge within its grand auditorium. The rumors claimed that overnight the great assembly of the Temple of Knowledge had been filled with his riches. Pieces of the finest of gold and silver. Statues of ivory and gems of priceless rubies and sapphires. Of grand tapestries that covered entire walls. Yet, no one was quite sure where those riches had come from. No one was even quite sure where even the man had came from. The rumors said he was a mere traveler while others claimed him to be a descendant of Qin Shi Huang, himself. Some said the riches came from the vaults of the Qin treasury while others claimed it was a blessing from the Heavens. Rumors had claimed the man to be twelve foot tall while others had claimed he had skin of otherworldly hue, claiming him to range from blue to red.

Yet, in the end, the truth of it had hardly been as grand. The man had been a scholar of sorts, even if the utmost mad of sorts, who had taken refuge within those grand halls. Yet, there was some truth to those rumors. Endless wealth had been gathered within those halls and every coin, gem, and piece of fabric had been given away to those who sought honest knowledge. It was said in the end, the man had laid the foundation to fund countless works. That the temple itself had nearly doubled in size and the library nearly tripled from the grand donations of that man. Yet, the rumors claimed that those who came out of greed was turned aside. That once a man who had tried to seize his fortune had been turned aside at sword's point.

Yet, once more the whispers spread throughout the land. Once more, tales and whispers spread about this man who had once more mysteriously appeared in Qufu. That once more he had supposedly brought untold fortunes to the temple and that he now proposed a new challenge to the scholars of the land. It was said the man possessed a bulging chest which he sat upon night and day, idly listening to the lessons of scholars and advising those who dared seek out his wisdom. Yet, it was said that the man intended to give away that chest's entire contents to a single man. To give away his fortune and wealth to a single man or woman of the grandest wit and knowledge. It was said the scholar had quite the simple challenge, whomever brought him the best poem or tale would get the chest.

Quest Summary:

Application:
A unlimited amount of players will be allowed to enter The Poet of Qufu. There is no limit on how many players may reply or how few may reply. If only a single person applies, that person will receive the reward. All applications are due by December 11th, 2010 at 10 PM Central Time Zone (-6 GMT).

Format of Application:
Character Name: Blah Blah Blah
Poem or Short Story: Poems and Short Stories should be limited to 300 Words. Any subject may be used, but, it must be applicable to this time period and setting. Anyone who uses a copyrighted work will be automatically removed from the quest. You may not use a prexisting poem and use it as your own.

Quest Progression: All applicants will have until December 11th, 2010 at 10 PM Central Time Zone (-6 GMT) to submit both their application and poem/short story for judging. On December 12th, the poems will be judged. Depending on the amount of applicants, there will be multiple rounds of poems and short stories. If multiple rounds occur, a player will be welcome to use a previous piece or use a current piece.

Quest Reward: To be revealed

Quest Danger: None

[Li Dao Wen]

Character Name: Xian Long Rui zi Xun Jiang
Application Poem:

Four banners

To the walls of Xuyi the four banners flew
Their proud colors racing in their run
Forty five thousand then paid the due
Now they rot under the setting sun

Four banners from beyond the south
Came like a storm and howled disdain
Yet the tip of their spear was but their mouth
And how it shattered like porcelain

Four banners roared with power
A voice clear with glory
Yet they met the roar of a monster
And his bloody halberd spurned the story

Four banners that screamed like ghosts
Fluttered proudly in the blue sky
Then they met their valiant hosts
And they saw it fit to die

Thus vanquished ghosts filled the field
Looking to their graves for rest
For their proud four banners had to yield
When finally put to the test

[GreenFabre]

Character Name: Kijo Akki
Words: 273
(Original Post: [ link ] )
[quote]"Liang
The forces of the Shadow Guild raid the towns of Dailiang, Dang, Guide and Shangqui and village 120 and 121! "[/quote]

	II in this town, something called Guide run, run, run! from this evil bride~! my, my, my! well isn't this strange? everybody's dead? that's a change~!! little kids, yes, hear them cry as shadows squeeze, this town dry~! hear my laugh: ha ha ha! yes! they're dead, nya nya nya~! in this town, called Shangqui the only one smiling? me me me~! yes, you died! oh didn't i tell? now you know, we'll i dont care~!! burning house? yes, they are in there scream, scream, scream! as i pull your hair~! two more villages? let me think.. no no no! no more ink~! we'll i guess.. that's all of it you're my dinner! and i have to eat i like your smell, roasted beef~! oh what a night! a nightmare! guess what i like?! medium rare~!! _____________________________________________________________	I boys and girls, this one's for free we'll be raiding, come with me~! we're the shadows of this night out in the woods, moon so bright~! we're not ghosts, no, we're not dead we'll just paint this town with red~! in this town, named Dailiang kill those men! yes, hang, hang, hang~! spill their blood.. blood! more scream break their necks! chop them clean~! take their gold, yes, take it all~! throw the bodies, watch them fall~! its our time, for one good scare! let them scatter everywhere~! in this town, the name is Dang shoot with arrows! bang, bang, bang~! your time is up, just say goodbye hear me shout: "die die die~!" no more money, no more home burn that house! burn it all~! cry and die, as you hear this song yes my dear, everything's wrong~! _____________________________________________________________

[Phailak]

Fei Lai

Battlefield


Oh battlefield, oh battlefield,
my name you speak with tears of blood.
With broken shield I dare not yield
my head held high, knees in the mud.

Heaven is sought with a blind gaze,
glory denied beyond the grave,
deaf to the marshall's song of praise,
taste of ashes left for the brave.

Oh battlefield, oh battlefield,
my name you seek with fear and lust.
With shattered spear I hope to wield
my life sold high, to earn your trust.

Victory bought with guts and lives,
honor deprived until I'm old,
death to the monarch's charming lies,
smell of defeat to taint my soul.

[Xe]

Guan Xiuying

Pain

A pretty, pretty butterfly
God, How I wish I could lie
I am the diamond in the sky
No one can see how much I cry
A petty glance and a weary sigh
I don't even know why I try.

[Lionheart]

I Am a Man of Zhao

New Zhao, Changshan, Dai—you may say
these names to mean my homeland. I say
Zhao, my land of birth, of blood, of blood
spilled against oncoming tyranny.

Our homes, our daughters
have been raped and ravaged
and Zhao put to slaughter.
My home, my home,
I witnessed subjugated
In flowing blood to the Qin savages
and I fled…. But I am a man of Zhao.

So in my exile of shame
I questioned my unworthy self
Whether I should live or die.
Did I save my own self
or would I take revenge?
For I am a man of Zhao.

And so I sought to turn the tables,
joined the Chu resistance with the man
named Xiang Yu, and gave what I was able
slaughtering the Qin, wielding
my sword with joy to see them fall.

Then once again a leader
fell to the drunkenness of power
and I despaired of staying with Xiang Yu.
Then I heard that Zhao was rising again
and I hastened home to lend
my sword, my hand, my life to my land.

Ah but even there,
resistance came to incompetence
And when the leader fell to illness
Many of us fled. I went then
to Sai province,
where Zu Yanghei, rebuilder of Xianyang
and rogue within the Qin,
gathered up his forces.

My children of Zhao, will you ever again
rule the land that is yours?
I dare not return there, even when
My heart is breaking for the old land.

I pray the day may come
when peace is over this world. For then,
I will receive the gift of going home,
And I will work in my land of Zhao
placing brick upon brick to build my house.
This I will do for my people, not for myself.
For I am a man of Zhao.

[Zhou Yu]

Plea for war's end

The banners will flow,
To battle we know.
Their courage awaits,
Do they know their fates?

Blood, death, and sorrow,
All for tomorrow.
Today we will stay,
So that we can pray.

Beg for forgiveness,
For such evilness.
The cause of this war,
Is greed at its core.

Men will fall this day,
Cities will be won.
Families will lose,
Without time to choose.

Is this all for real?
Is this my last meal?
A message I send,
Will war ever end?

[Belial]

It was truly a familiar sight. Once again, such acclaim had arisen about that mysterious man and once again he sat within the depths of the Hall of Knowledge. Settled away within those grand halls, the man once again sat atop that treasure filled chest. With sword laid bared across his waist, he sat and silently listened to each who came. Listening to their story and their poem before dismissing them, asking them to stay the week within the Temple's quarters. Yet, upon the seventh day of his mysterious appearance, the man summoned all to that grand hall once more. With a smile and a grin he sat upon his chest and he gazed out upon a crowd of countless scholars. Nearly a hundred had come to visit him across that week, each bringing story and poem to share while countless more had come to listen.

Yet, with a smile, the mysterious scholar sat upon his 'throne'. With a motion to each of the contestants, he allowed each to recite their story and poem once more. Leaving all to listen and admire their work. While some... was blatantly bad and others lacking an edge of finesse, soon enough all was heard and the poet left to motion for silence. Rising from his throne and sheathing that sword upon his hip, he moved to the end of that crowd and began to move before that assembled crowd. Yet, before each participant, that man paused and softly thanked them for their contribution no matter the quality. However, after passing nearly twenty contestants, that habit took quite an odd change. He requested one of the participants to step away and to stand beside the poet's chest.

Almost immediately, the pattern began again and each was left to stand in line. Yet, by the time he finished marching before each of those assembled, a few more had been selected and told to step away. While by the time he came to sit upon that chest once more, a small crowd had gathered. Four men and two women had come to stand before him and with a soft smile upon his lips, he gazed upon each in turn before asking them, one by one, to recite their poems, once more.

Yet, once the six poems was repeated, the man gave a soft smile and thanked each for their time and contributions. "Thank you all for your contributions," the scholar began, "you have all done a wonderful job and I am truly glad to see so many attend. Each of you have written a special poem and it will forever be remembered." the scholar continued before pausing. "Yet, only one of you may win the prize of this chest. While I have decided upon who will take my prize, each of you will take another. All of you have won the chance to attend this day and hear the poems of your competitors. Some have been bad and some have been glorious. Yet, all will be remembered because you was here upon this day and whether you remember it with scorn or with love, it will continue on and flourish. Never allow your imagination to die and do not allow your defeat today to stifle it. Allow it to blossom for one day, I may call upon each of you again to recite your poems." the old man softly cooed before shifting his gaze.

With a smile, he came to gaze upon Zhou Mingli. "And you, young lord, have won the day with your imagination. Perhaps it is foolish of me to reward you in such a way, but, I feel as if it is only proper." he explained as he shifted away from that treasure chest and reached into the depths of his robe. Pulling forth a single key, he opened that chest's lock, yet, kept the lid down. "After all, we must see what your imagination will have you do with this." he commented before prying open that lid, revealing a chest full of glittering coins and precious gems. "Perhaps it may end that war you spoke of or perhaps it will merely fuel it. We will have to see what your imagination tells you to do, young lord."

Zhou Mingli has won the quest! Zhou Mingli has been rewarded 500 gold!