5 replies to this topic

[Threat Doc]

A book that came out in 2000, that I had not seen for various reasons, name "Path of Glory" begins with the fallout of the Clan Nova Cat Abjurement, when the Nova Cats escaped Clan space, barely, and came to the Inner Sphere. This book takes place between May 3060 and December 3062.

Mr. Bills (yes, THAT Randall Bills), apart from some mis-spellings, poor sentence structure, and missing words in various places throughout the text, has written an absolutely magnificent, spellbinding piece of literature.

MechWarrior Zane is one of the last MechWarrior's to come out of Clan space, on an entirely busted JumpShip and, over the course of a year-and-a-half manages to change his mind from hating the *****-joining of Clan Nova Cat to the Draconis Combine, to one looking to save both; the rites and traditions of his Clan help him come to the path his Clan is taking, and eventually he comes to see eye-to-eye with what they're doing.

The climax of the book details the attack of the Alshain Regulars regiments, except for the 11th, which is held up by Zane's Nova Cat Galaxy, attack Alshain, which is Ghost Bear territory, and mayhem ensues. During the climax Zane, whose vision of the war with the Ghost Bears turns the Galaxy he is a MechWarrior within, dies from autocannon rounds fired by a hate-filled Kurita MechWarrior.

At the end of the novel, the Clan Nova Cat Oathmaster, seeking words to rouse warriors to a fervor to make them ready for combat vs. the Ghost Bears, thinks about all the things happening to the Combine, to the Nova Cats, the war that was unnecessarily stirred and, finally, comes to an understanding that MechWarrior Zane's memory, his vision, needs to live on, to spur on the Nova Cats. He spends all of this time thinking, building up to a desire to mount a platform and begin the proper festivities, and the last words of the book are...

"...he began to speak."

I WANTED TO HEAR, DESPERATELY, WHAT HE HAD TO SAY!!! I HATE the Clans, but I came to understand the struggle of this Clan MechWarrior, and I loved what was written, and wanted to hear that speech!!! (shakes fist at the BattleTech gods) DAMN YOU, RANDALL BILLS.

This book is nearly fourteen years old, and I can't get the speech, now!?!?! Aaaarrrgggghhh

Okay, other than the things I've mentioned, I highly recommend this novel to EVERYONE!!! It's excellent, a real page-turner, and you should share my madness, LOL.

[Nathan Foxbane]

For the reader what Minoru Nova Cat ha to say is immaterial. That is was obviously meant to inspire the listeners for future conflict. What part of the speech they found inspirational and what they were inspired to do is immaterial to the story. Path of Glory revolved solely around Mechwarrior Zane and thus should end with him. The inspiration for the speech and not the speech itself is Zane's final legacy.

[Threat Doc]

Okay, so what is said, and what it inspires, is immaterial to the story. I'm a GameMaster, I know what needs to be included in the story, and what doesn't need to be. The idea is not what should or shouldn't have been included, it was that Randall left off an amazing story just as a new chapter was getting ready to begin. Apparently, you missed that in my OP.

[Nathan Foxbane]

Kay Wolf, on 17 February 2014 - 06:41 AM, said:

Okay, so what is said, and what it inspires, is immaterial to the story. I'm a GameMaster, I know what needs to be included in the story, and what doesn't need to be. The idea is not what should or shouldn't have been included, it was that Randall left off an amazing story just as a new chapter was getting ready to begin. Apparently, you missed that in my OP.

Ah I see. I suppose it is an opportunity missed. Personally I felt it a fitting end to the story. So much is only hinted at so many points, I found a fitting end to a story revolving around the enigmatic Nova Cats.

[Surtr]

Why don't you ask him: https://www.facebook...randall.n.bills

Ain't the internet grand. Also I own this book but read it when i was like 13 or 14 and I don't remember hardly anything from it. Once I finish Twilight of the Clans again I'll re-read it.

[Escef]

Kay Wolf, on 17 February 2014 - 06:41 AM, said:

I'm a GameMaster, I know what needs to be included in the story, and what doesn't need to be.

Replace the word "gamemaster" with the word "plumber" and the weight of this statement is unchanged.