It had been 50 long years since Qodor the Leet had ascended the Penguin Tower. The balance of power had held long last. The tower, and the shadows it cast on the land, had reflected this. The presence of white and black, like tuxedos at the Met.
Like the great arbiter he was, Qodor stood there atop his Nexus and performed his meticulous work with great precision."Eles d’aaaash Å” he canted in the mornings. He would study the land, looking where the white hats had started to overpower the black hats and where the black hats had started to overpower the white hats.
“D’aaaash ChhheMøddd” he exclaimed, when power would be too concentrated in one. As had happened in the times long passed, too much authority risked a rift in the balance. The ascension of highly intelligent but highly unwise rogue wizards before had often led to chaos and destruction.
Like a many of the greatest wizards, Qodor performed his tasks not for money, after all, it was a paltry sum, working for the council of wizards. Nor for the fame, like a hermit locked up in the Penguin tower, he was more fable and mystery to the files below. Nor did he do it for the power, though the power to move and restrict was truly an awesome one. No, Qodor did it because he had a knack for it and a passion, and an extremely keen obligation to serve.
“If the power of Sú must be bestowed on one to ensure stability, then let it be me who bears that burden.” And so he did, as his beard continued to lengthen, and his teeth continued to yellow, and as his eyes continued to droop, ever more weary.
Yet there was always one place where he could shift his focus to become rejuvenated. And that was the directories at the School of Linus. He would check in on the apprentices from time to time. See how the next generation of wizards was coming along. Always so lively, the spark on their eyes, especially when one had mastered the craft of presdigitation.
When a little apprentice had outgrown the rest, it was he who had the privilege of he bestowing a certificate. Then, with the flick of a “Mmmvvvv”, off they went, a newb over to one of the two houses.
Chapter 2
It was a curious February 29th, on the 400th year nonetheless. Everything just seemed off, not less so because the time wizards were judiciously performing their tasks to ensure that that the Universal Time Continuum continued to keep synchronized with the Great Changelog.
Conflating things even more, the Database Wizards were experimenting with something new, a log that would truly be public to the masses. One where data would be distributed in blocks, rather than a conscious stream hidden behind several firewalls.
One could say that it was a tenuous procedure . Another way it could be said is that one hand was not talking to the other.
A chilling effect was in the air, and this time it wasn’t due to the subzero coolant.
Back at the time wizards, things seemed to be under control in preparation for the great flip from T23:59:59.999 to T00:00:00.000. The great flip was nigh!
The new directory of the black chain-wizards had performed successful testing about 4 hours before. It had been back tested to account for the leap year and things were going splendidly. The blocks were executing just as expected. “Move it to production” the foreman said. And just like that, a new register of transactions displayed in the sky, high above the world for all to see and to everyone’s great satisfaction.
Just the great flip now and the celebration of the new leap era could begin.
It was with great anticipation and then great temerity that everyone looked up and saw what happened. There were not one but two blocks that arrived at T00:00:00.000. Those still with keen eyes could have sworn they saw the dreaded text in bold red “FATAL ERROR” surely it must have said.
But as soon as it was there, it was gone in the same instant. Gone was the second block too. The world cheered. Success!
The time wizards angry. The chain wizards looked at each other and shrugged.
Up at the top of the Penguin Tower, a red sleeve extended from the shadows. A wiry hand holding a mouse pointed at the back of a head. Staccato whispers derived from the dark.
“T’suuudö Khíl Aul d’aaash n’ay’n’.”
Qodor the Leet, the arbiter of the balance of power, was dead.
I actually loved this; it’s so esoteric in all the right ways. I would read a book series set in this universe.
Special shout out to this line; “A wiry hand holding a mouse pointed at the back of a head.” idk if you intended to evoke computer mouse imagery, but for me, the only thing I pictured was a literal live mouse pointed at the back of someone’s head like a fucking weird ass wand, and I loved the imagery of that.
Chapter 1
It had been 50 long years since Qodor the Leet had ascended the Penguin Tower. The balance of power had held long last. The tower, and the shadows it cast on the land, had reflected this. The presence of white and black, like tuxedos at the Met.
Like the great arbiter he was, Qodor stood there atop his Nexus and performed his meticulous work with great precision."Eles d’aaaash Å” he canted in the mornings. He would study the land, looking where the white hats had started to overpower the black hats and where the black hats had started to overpower the white hats.
“D’aaaash ChhheMøddd” he exclaimed, when power would be too concentrated in one. As had happened in the times long passed, too much authority risked a rift in the balance. The ascension of highly intelligent but highly unwise rogue wizards before had often led to chaos and destruction.
Like a many of the greatest wizards, Qodor performed his tasks not for money, after all, it was a paltry sum, working for the council of wizards. Nor for the fame, like a hermit locked up in the Penguin tower, he was more fable and mystery to the files below. Nor did he do it for the power, though the power to move and restrict was truly an awesome one. No, Qodor did it because he had a knack for it and a passion, and an extremely keen obligation to serve.
“If the power of Sú must be bestowed on one to ensure stability, then let it be me who bears that burden.” And so he did, as his beard continued to lengthen, and his teeth continued to yellow, and as his eyes continued to droop, ever more weary.
Yet there was always one place where he could shift his focus to become rejuvenated. And that was the directories at the School of Linus. He would check in on the apprentices from time to time. See how the next generation of wizards was coming along. Always so lively, the spark on their eyes, especially when one had mastered the craft of presdigitation.
When a little apprentice had outgrown the rest, it was he who had the privilege of he bestowing a certificate. Then, with the flick of a “Mmmvvvv”, off they went, a newb over to one of the two houses.
Chapter 2
It was a curious February 29th, on the 400th year nonetheless. Everything just seemed off, not less so because the time wizards were judiciously performing their tasks to ensure that that the Universal Time Continuum continued to keep synchronized with the Great Changelog.
Conflating things even more, the Database Wizards were experimenting with something new, a log that would truly be public to the masses. One where data would be distributed in blocks, rather than a conscious stream hidden behind several firewalls.
One could say that it was a tenuous procedure . Another way it could be said is that one hand was not talking to the other.
A chilling effect was in the air, and this time it wasn’t due to the subzero coolant.
Back at the time wizards, things seemed to be under control in preparation for the great flip from T23:59:59.999 to T00:00:00.000. The great flip was nigh!
The new directory of the black chain-wizards had performed successful testing about 4 hours before. It had been back tested to account for the leap year and things were going splendidly. The blocks were executing just as expected. “Move it to production” the foreman said. And just like that, a new register of transactions displayed in the sky, high above the world for all to see and to everyone’s great satisfaction.
Just the great flip now and the celebration of the new leap era could begin.
It was with great anticipation and then great temerity that everyone looked up and saw what happened. There were not one but two blocks that arrived at T00:00:00.000. Those still with keen eyes could have sworn they saw the dreaded text in bold red “FATAL ERROR” surely it must have said.
But as soon as it was there, it was gone in the same instant. Gone was the second block too. The world cheered. Success!
The time wizards angry. The chain wizards looked at each other and shrugged.
Up at the top of the Penguin Tower, a red sleeve extended from the shadows. A wiry hand holding a mouse pointed at the back of a head. Staccato whispers derived from the dark.
“T’suuudö Khíl Aul d’aaash n’ay’n’.”
Qodor the Leet, the arbiter of the balance of power, was dead.
I actually loved this; it’s so esoteric in all the right ways. I would read a book series set in this universe.
Special shout out to this line; “A wiry hand holding a mouse pointed at the back of a head.” idk if you intended to evoke computer mouse imagery, but for me, the only thing I pictured was a literal live mouse pointed at the back of someone’s head like a fucking weird ass wand, and I loved the imagery of that.
Fuck man that’s some decent writing. I love the way you stylized the commands to meld with a fantasy style.