Week 6 Storytelling

The Pandavas used the escape pod to get out of the burning flagship just in time. The battle had hastened in the last hour and the numerous heavy attack wings were very effective in taking down the shields and reducing the defensive gun turrets to molten metal and plasteel. The force sensitive family had attempted to travel to Coruscant in order to gain entry to the Jedi temple and further their studies in the force. This trip took a terrible turn however and now the family was hurdling through space. Having landed on the nearest class habitable planet, they began looking for the nearest signs of civilization in order to secure safe travel back to friendly space. The escape pod did have sensors but they were limited in their capabilities. At best, they were able to determine that there were man-made structures about forty kilometers from their landing zone.

While this planet was habitable, it was not hospitable. They had landed in dense forests that were filled with a large variety of dangerous planets and animals. Unbeknownst to the Pandavas, they were being followed by two sith named Hidimba and Hidimbi. They were observing the battle in space but had felt the Pandavas’ disturbance of the force and followed them to the planet.

Dense Forest

 

After trekking through the dense forest for some time, they grew weary. Bhima began to worry for his family and decided to focus into the force to aid him. Bhima focused inward, producing an aura that gave him incredible strength and speed. At the same time, it produced a field around him that allowed him to move through the forest like an unstoppable force. He sped through the forest for some time with this family in tow.

After traveling about 30 kilometers they all decided to bed down for the night. They were tired, thirsty, and cold. They stopped, to produce a fire and gather some water. Once the family was down for the night, Bhima kept watch to keep them all safe. Meanwhile, the two sith had followed them. Hidimba had not faced any Jedi for some time and thirsted to go into battle soon.

“It’s been too long, sister. I feel my skills waning a bit. I need to fight someone. I don’t care anymore if they are a match or not.” Hidimba complained.

“I know the feeling, I’m getting anxious at the thought. They seem defenseless but I can feel them in the force… this could be interesting!” Hidimba replied.

The sith ruled by deception and domination. Hidimba sent his siter, Hidimbi, to seduce Bhima and lead him away from the family in order to surprise them all and make it an unfair fight. Hidimbi approached their camp and spoke out to Bhima. When he faced her, she was overwhelmed with his beauty and strength. She lost all will to deceive and destroy Bhima. She was overtaken with a feeling of love and anxiety at the same time. She could no longer go along with her brothers’ plans. She had to do something to save them. She tried to convince Bhima to go away with her and escape. Bhima stood strong and would not leave his family. Hidimbi told Bhima about her brother’s plan.

“I fear no sith and I do not fear death. The force guides my hands and I will defeat him. Bring him here and I will defeat him.” Bhima said.

Hidimbi did not need to retrieve her brother for he overheard the conversation. His sith rage was at maximum and he could barely restrain himself. He leaped towards his sister in order to kill her for her treachery, red lightsaber in hand. Bhima raised his arms and force pushed him away from the camp at an incredible speed. Hidimba travelled through the air for what seemed like an eternity. As he landed he saw Bhima approaching him at a great speed, bounding through the forest without effort.

“Never attack a woman…” said Bhima “more importantly, never wake up my mother while she’s sleeping. She will destroy you faster than I.”

Title: Indian Myth and Legend
Author: Donald A. Mackenzie
Year: 1913

Author’s Note
This story is based on the story of Bhima and Hidimba. It was incredibly fun and easy to write. As fun as it was to rewrite the stories in a western style, it was even more fun to rewrite in the style of Star Wars.

Week 6 - Reading Diary B

43. Arjuna and Shiva

This is a story about Arjuna having a chance meeting with the "Great God". Arjuna set out into the Himalayas and began to offer worship to the Great God. Arjuna was interrupted by a boar while he was worshiping and decided to kill the boar. Both he and another huntsman who was actually the Great God shot the boar at the same time and fought over the boar. Through their meeting, Arjuna discovers that the huntsman was in fact the Great God himself. I think this story is interesting because it was almost as if the Great God was visiting Arjuna while he was offering worship. He then seems to test him by going after the boar at the same time.

52. Bhima and Kichaka

This story is about how Sairandhri (Draupadi) was sent to deliver food to the fierce warrior prince named Kichaka. Kichaka set out to be with Draupadi and harassed her. When she took this issue to the King Virata he overlooked the problem altogether out of his own fear of Prince Kichaka. Draupadi then went to Bhima who killed Kichaka without hesitation and with ease. I like this story because it shows how important family is to the Pandavas. Bhima set out to protect his wife without hesitation. I also enjoyed how Bhima pretty much taunted Kichaka for his poor treatment of Draupadi before he slayed him.

57. Krishna and Karna

This story is about the revelations that come to Karna about his origin. Krishna pleaded with Karna to join him and the Pandavas in the coming war. Krishna did not convince Karna to abandon his original friends so Kunti then set out to plead with Karna next. Even she did not succeed in getting Karna to change his mind. This story is interesting because I find that while Karna is probably making a poor decision, he is at least sticking to his principle and being honorable by staying allied with the Kauravas.

Karna

Week 6 - Reading Diary A

22. Bhima and Hidimba
I like this story about the Pandavas fleeing into the jungle. I really liked the description of Bhima traveling through the forest at high speed. It was also interesting to read about the sister of the Rakshasa and how she tried to seduce Bhima. Bhima, like a boss, completely stood tall and turned her down and then defeated Hidimba. He even dragged Hidimba away so that their fighting wouldn’t awaken the others.

Bhima fights with Hidimba

 

23. Bhima and Hidimbi
This story picks up where the previous story left off. HidimbI is speaking with the Pandavas and overhear Bhima and Hidimba fighting. Bhima finally defeats Hidimba by breaking his back. Bhima had such an effect on Hidimbi the sister of the Rakshasa Hidimba, that she convinced Kunti to speak on her behalf. Kunti spoke to Bhima and it was agreed that Bhima and Hidimbi would get married. They end up having a son.

34. The Burning of the Forest
This one is an interesting story that occurs while Krishna was visiting the Pandavas. They had a picnic and enjoyed much food and drink. A Brahmin approached the party. This Brahmin was actually a fire god and needed to feed on the Khandava forest in order to regain his strength. The Brahmin whose name was Agni finally made a deal in exchange for celestial weapons. This is an odd story because Krishna and Arjuna help Angi and pretty much enable him to consume and destroy a whole forest with fire.

Week 5 Storytelling - Ben and his new rifle

One day all of the brothers and cousins had gone out to go camping in a federal fort near the Rio Grande River. They had spent some time there and went out looking for game, spending time hunting and finding trails for future outings. One evening they all had set up camp and got a fire going. Daryl had decided to cook for everyone and made a large pot of sofkey and biscuits while all of the others tied up the horses, laid out their pallets and prepared for the night. Daryl, having finished cooking, ladled out a wholesome portion of the hot concoction into a wooden bowl.

“Cousin! First bowl is for you, been a long day.” 

Nodding his head, Ben took the bowl of sofkey from Daryl and said, “Thanks, Daryl, tracking game can make a man mighty hungry!”

Daryl, however, had ulterior motives and wanted to kill Ben. Before Daryl fed Ben, he placed some poisonous mushrooms in his bowl, mashed them into a paste, and then filled the bowl with sofkey. The poison was quite effective and Ben fell ill in a matter of hours. In the middle of the night, Ben got up from his bedding and, in a hazy stupor, stumbled towards and into the river.

After floating down the river for a few hours he was pulled out by some local Navajo Indians. Their wise men looked over Ben and immediately knew the cause of his sickness. They fed him some fish, fresh picked herbs, and a drink made from berries and wood ashes. Ben was instantly better. These Indians had heard of the many great feats and stories of Ben and his brothers. Vaskala, the Chief of this village, was delighted to help Ben. He felt honored to have saved him and even went further by providing him with a new Winchester lever-action rifle that had been gifted to him by a legendary hunter. This rifle had been modified to shoot more powerful bullets compared to most other rifles.

Ben with his new rifle.

Ben stayed with the Navajo for over a week, recuperating and going on hunts. When he returned to the fort, his brothers and family saw him could not believe their eyes. They thought they were seeing a ghost! In the end, Ben had overcome the plans of Daryl and survived the assassination attempt on his life. After the whole course of events, he was cured of his ailments and given a new and powerful weapon which made him a mightier warrior.

Title: Indian Myth and Legend
Author: Donald A. Mackenzie
Year: 1913

Author's note

Once again I decided to go with a Western theme though it is less obvious with the content and plot of this story. It does follow the same idea as the original story of Bhima and the Nagas though the plot devices are a little different. In the original story, Bhima had been poisoned by Duryodhana. Bhima ends up going down into the world of the Nagas who give him extraordinary strengths. The changes in the story are primarily the setting, being 1800s in the Western United States. The names have also been changed. The image primarily shows a frontiersman with a quality rifle which is meant to show Ben and his “new rifle.” Overall, my goal was to attempt to retell another story with the Western setting that I had used before. I think the overall execution is good but I do feel that there is not as much detail to this story. The plot here is kind of hefty so I think I spent most of my writing time getting through the plot. I will probably attempt to add more detail and perhaps more background when I revise. This story should go into my portfolio quite nicely and will look good alongside the other stories there once I add a little more meat to it.

Week 5 Reading Diary

8. Kunti and Her Son
This story is about the origin of the character named Karna, who is the son of Kunti and the god of the sun, Surya. Kunti gave birth to Karna before she was with Kind Pandu. I like this story because it is an interesting origin story and I liked how Karna was empowered with special earrings and armor that protected him. Another thing about this story that stood out to me was a similarity to the story of Moses from the Bible with both being placed in a basket as a baby and sent down a river to be found.

Surya, the sun god

12. Pandavas and Kauravas
This story is about the brothers Pandavas and the borhters Kauravas and their upbringing. In it is described how they grew up together and learned skills and trained. I like this story because it shows the change of the sons of Pandu from boys to young men. I like how, as they arrived back at Hastinapura, they are described as godly beings with the bearings of lions.

13. Bhima and the Nagas
This story is about how Bhima had an attempt on his life but the turn of events ended up producing completely different results. Bhima came in contact with the Nagas who ended up offering him the chance to gain a special strength. He obliged and drank a special draught which imbued him with strength of giants. I like this story because like in the Ramayana, justice always seems to find a way. When Duryodhana tried to kill Bhima, Bhima actually grew more powerful!

Week 4 Storytelling - Billy Raven's Death

Billy Raven's Death

Rambo McClintock had spent weeks preparing for this moment. Billy Raven had taken his wife long ago and Rambo had willed himself to overcome many obstacles to get to this point. Billy Raven's home town was old but had grown to a good size and was protected by the gang called "Raven's Chosen." The Chosen were those who had sworn themselves to serve Billy Raven in the hopes of gaining favor and riches.

Rambo was not alone though. Equal in his gunfighting skills was his own brother Laksho. Along with the two brothers there are a large group of lawmen and rangers who had been sent out to help in the search for Rambo's wife Sinthia.

“Brother! Now’s the time!” Laksho said. “Raven is isolated and backed into a corner.”

“That’s when a gunfighter fights best, Laksho. He doesn’t have to watch his back,” Rambo replied.

Rambo drew his lever action .44 Magnum and drew down on the gang leader. Rambo emptied the gun as fast as the mechanism would allow him to operate it. In the midst of the largest gun battle ever seen in the West, Rambo, Laksho, and Billy fell into their own little world. The dozen or so other smaller firefights going on around them slowly disappeared in their minds. The endless ringing of gunfire faded into simple whispers. Rambo was sure that most of his shots were dead on but Billy Raven looked untouched.

“Hah! Shoot faster!” laughed Billy, who was in fact seemingly untouched.

Rambo wasn't sure how but Billy was somehow able to dodge very shot.

“Ask and ye shall receive! You've called down the thunder, and now you got it!” was Rambo’s response.

Billy drew his twin six-shooters and began to fire back. Rambo followed suit but only drew one revolver, knowing that he could better aim his single gun compared to handling two different guns at the same time.

Laksho had seen Rambo’s first shots miss from the rifle so he joined in drawing his single Colt Peacemaker revolver, bearing down on Billy Raven from another angle.

The Great Gunfight
source

Billy Raven was able to get twelve shots away in rapid succession but all of his shots were missing. The two brothers, ready to end this fight, focused so greatly that it was as if time slowed down. The world around them, already dimmed and quieted moments before, now appeared to stop. Dust nearly seemed motionless around them. Flies and fleeing birds flapped their wings so slow that it seemed as if they were simply floating in the air and frozen in time.

The two brothers, both firing their guns, could see all of their bullets meet their target. Billy Raven, who was firing his own gun, seemed to receive a bullet for every bullet he sent the other way. Down he went. As they saw their enemy fall, time slowly returned to normal speed, the world reappeared around them, and the sound of gunshots returned to a full ear-piercing strength.

“It’s finally over, Rambo,” Laksho said.

“Yeah, Bro” is all Rambo said in return.

In seeing Billy Raven fall, the Raven's Chosen quickly began to flee the town. While the brothers and lawmen regrouped, Sinthia walked out of the train station. The brothers ran to embrace her while the lawmen cheered. The battle was over and the day was won.

Author's Note

I wanted to rewrite the story of Ravana's Death into a Western style story. If I recall I read someone else's story from a week or two ago. It was in a Western style and I just had to try it for myself. I made the battle into a western style gun battle but the focus is really on Rambo, Laksho, and Billy.

Most of the changes simply happened by changing plot devices and details into this Western style. The changes aren’t subtle but they were simple and easy to make. There’s not much background to this story apart from the original story in the Ramayana.

I really tried to find an image from any number of Western films which I really enjoy but I couldn’t find one that was suitable for reuse. The image I did use however does work for this story.

I chose to rewrite this story of Ravana’s Death because I really like reading about the battles and combat. Changing any kind of combat into a westernized version is fun. In my mind the gunfight happened like it could be a modern film with time slowing down and things happening in “bullet time.” Overall,  I really like and enjoy Western styles films and stories so this was quick, easy, and fun for me.

Title: Indian Myth and Legend
Author: Donald A. Mackenzie
Illustrator: Warwick Goble
Year: 1913

Week 4 - Reading Diary A: PDE

Ramayana PDE 61-80

63. Indrajit
This story may be my favorite yet. It again seems to be one of those times where "justice finds a way". The brothers and the monkeys attack Lanka and are succeeding until dark. In darkness is when Rakshasas are in their strongest forms. Indrajit also ends up using his deceit and trickery to bind the two brothers. Ravana then shows them to Sita and she falls into despair, believing that they are defeated.
Then the moment occurs where justice finds a way. Garuda whose origin or purpose is not yet known, appears and heals the brothers. This boosts the morale of the monkeys and they prepare to freshen their attack on Lanka.

71. Ravana's Death
I like this story because Rama and Lakshmana are finally able to overcome Ravana and defeat him. Rama struggled at first to attack Ravana effectively. He kept striking and cutting off the heads of Ravana but new heads kept appearing. Rama finally used a special flaming weapon to pierce and cut the heart of Ravana. This proved to be a quick death for Ravana.

Rama and Lakshmana attack Ravana

78. Valmiki's Hermitage

This is a sad story. The many people of the kingdom of Ayodhya no longer believed that Sita was pure and fit for Rama. Rama addresses this by banishing Sita to the jungle to stay at the hermitage of Valmiki for some time. It was so long in fact that the sons of Rama and Sita grew to be of age, beyond the knowledge of Rama.