Erfworld 145 The Battle for Gobwin Knob, Page 132

[Aquillion]

Not so.

Heroism is a matter of myth, not of fact.

Ansom died through treachery. Of such stories legends are made. Remember Captain Kirk? He couldn't be defeated fairly, so whoever-it-was killed him sneakily. Same with all the outlaw ballads I can recall. The protaganist is always betrayed , because he's just too damn awesome to lose in a fair fight.

War is one thing, but legends are another.

I imagine they'll make legends about Ansom, the way we Americans make legends about Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The fact that these romantic, dashing figures were eventually beaten by prosaic, unromantic realists is something that is only remembered in history books.

For there to be legends about Ansom, someone would have to survive to tell what happened (the Archons don't seem to be the type.)

Legends are, generally written by the winners; the point about heroism being a matter of myth and not fact is because it doesn't have to be true. Robert E. Lee was lucky enough to be fighting a civil war, so he could survive and the the victors didn't really have to grind his name into the dirt. You rarely hear stories of British heroism during the revolutionary war, though.

Parson can make the legend of this story about how Ansom's pride got him killed by a lowly twoll. Heck, he can make the legend of this story about how Ansom treacherously tried and failed to stab him in the back during a parley if he wants to -- who is going to say otherwise? Heroism is just a matter of being the only one left alive to write the stories.