Monday 8 August 2011

The Barbarian and the Bard

La Papillion is so kind to give me his drawing of the Barbarian from his Bully the Bear blog. 


“You puny little thing!” growled the Barbarian as he put his giant foot on the chest of the fallen Bard he has just ambushed. “You can’t escape now. This shall make up for all the times you have escaped from my clutches.”

The Barbarian fisted at the Bard who is lying on his back, while wielding the dragon-slaying double axe in his other hand. The Bard desperately clutched at the Barbarian’s foot that is pressing on his chest. Pushing up with all his might to let some air into his lungs…

This feud between the Bard (who hails from the Guodolongdong clan of the eastern land of dragon-riders) and the Barbarian (who is from the Golden Axe clan of the northern mountains where the mammoth ice bears reign) has gone on for decades. Legend has it that the Golden Axe clan blamed the melting of their glacier lands on the fire spewing dragons from the eastern land. And so began the invasion of the eastern land of the dragon-riders and the resulting diaspora of the dragon-riders onto the separate realms of Middle Country.

“I am going to tear out your limbs one by one,” with a devilish grin. “And then I shall pluck out your eyes and tear out your tongue. Ha ha ha!” the Barbarian laughed with wicked delight.

Sensing that he had to do something quick, the Bard whimpered breathlessly, “Eh, you fly is open.”

Caught by surprise, the Barbarian looked down at his crotch while easing off the pressure of his foot on the Bard’s chest. This was what the Bard had hoped for!

With a quick flick of his left hand, the Bard let loose a fire arrow spell up towards the crotch of the Barbarian. Hit!

The Barbarian stumbled back and knelt to the ground with both knees and putting out the fire by cupping his loins. Now, a level 28 Bard’s fire arrow spell can’t injure a level 69 Barbarian with his bark skin amour defence; but it can afflict pain, and boy it does hurt!

With a back summersault, the Bard got up into his feet and in one swift continuous movement; he threw a poison dart straight into the screaming mouth of the Barbarian. Hit again!

Now you can’t have armour class defence at the back of your throat. The Barbarian gasped and choked in silence as he can yell no more… His eyes bulges in horror as he looks on with abject fear of what’s to come!

Rushing towards the Barbarian, the Bard leaps into the air, drawing his dagger in his right hand and raising it high above his head, the Bard hangs in the air arching his body back like a crescent.

Like a released spring, the Bard jams the dagger down into the left eye of the Barbarian. There, the deed is done. In a quick combo of 3 moves, a level 28 Bard has done the near impossible – dispatching a level 69 Barbarian!


This “fantasy” story is inspired from the events of last Friday.

Where you the Barbarian or the Bard?


For the analogy of this story, you may want to look at my comments AFTER you have made your choice.

25 comments:

  1. There was one blogger who after getting a conference call from his private banker last Friday not to panic, he liquidated all his positions. Oh bravo for independent thinking!

    Another blogger had a plan and he stuck with it and bought more shares when the selling reached his buy price targets. Now that’s trading discipline! Thumbs up!

    One bought and one sold. Who is right? That’s not what I am after. Both of their personal situations are different and only they will know on hindsight.

    The important thing is they both ACTED.

    This is in contrast to those were either stunned – like a deer freezing before the headlights of a car; or were busy yak yak, talk talk, say, say – using it as a screen to hide their inactions.

    Moral of the fantasy story: Pull the trigger!

    该出手时就出手!

    ReplyDelete
  2. contrary to what you say, i watch on the side line.

    friday i close some of the long (cut loss), today i close some of the short (take profit). i'll wait.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi SMOL

    I'd rather be the Dungeon Master who runs the game :-)

    We are certainly living in interesting times as far as markets go.

    Be well and prosper.

    ReplyDelete
  4. yes eastern wind is blowing hard!

    do not be a hero in this market, if you want to trade, trade small. not the time to be greedy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Coconut,

    You "rebalanced" your positions both on Friday and this Monday.

    My story is not about rushing into new positions. It's exactly what you have done - ACT to protect ourselves.

    And to some people, not selling or buying is also an ACT - provided it's a conscious self-decision.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1) Hello PG,

    Yup! The Dungeon Master has a cool and calm head and can see from perspective of the whole board game. I only wished! I am only a player who hopes to slay at least 1 dragon (10 bagger) in my lifetime :)


    2) Hello CW,

    LOL! Your waiting is high level "action"! You have many rounds of buying low at support and selling high at resistence.

    But to some, "waiting" is never buying or selling or following their own "rules".

    It's: Oh I should have sold, or I should have bought....

    ReplyDelete
  7. well done SMOL, understand.

    this market is really going mad, its not an atomic bomb, its carpet booming.

    ReplyDelete
  8. just sit tight and watch these "machines" killing each other.

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  9. another 1,000 point drop in dow? may be.

    ReplyDelete
  10. before signing off, while watching the market tank, we have to be all time ready to jump in cos the recovery is going to be very strong.

    don't freeze when it happen.

    good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi SMOL,

    Nice story...you sure you aren't a novelist? :)

    I don't know which one I am, haha :) But I did have a plan of what to do. Now I just need to find some means quick to raise my cash level, while setting aside a gigantic amount to settle my renovation...

    ReplyDelete
  12. wow, watching whole night and doing nothing. market close at the low.

    LP, this is what i learn long time ago, "don't wait til you are urgent to go toilet that you start looking for toilet paper".

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi coconut,

    Yea, I know what you mean. The renovation costs more than what I had budgeted, hence it will have to eat into my investible cash - no choice about that, unfortunately.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Walau.. Do I looked like someone who will act on impulse?

    Look at my pic again.. I think usually it's the other party who want to act impulsively.. :p

    You see me no up :(

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wah, WJ has commented and so must I! Hahaha.. ;p

    Never, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself inspiring a Fantasy novellette!

    I have a soft spot for the Fantasy genre, having played a cleric in AD&D decades ago. Yes, two decades and coming to three. Sigh.

    There are times for action and times for inaction. A decision not to act is an act in itself. You are right, of course. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. WJ,

    I not sure you playing word games with me again. Must be careful here. I thought I was praising you! Your were not impulsive! I apologise if I gave that impression.

    I will be in your situation (much much lower level of course! You level 99 Giant, I level 28 Bard) in 5 months time. With no earned income, I would have done exactly what you have done! Although I would call it a "covered short" to remind me to get back to the same positions I've sold at much lower prices when the selling stops ;)

    But since I now have 5 more months of cash coming in, I bought instead. Different strategies for different situations.

    By the way, your girl girl know any high networth jie jie that likes to listen to dragon and phonenix stories? Recommend OK?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello AK,

    Are we revealing we are geeks? LOL!

    My introduction to D&D was through Baldur's Gate. Now that's the grand daddy that helped revived the PC RPG genre. Pity that the Bard class is forgotten in later Fantasy games....

    ReplyDelete
  18. Cheers LP!

    I got feedback that readers want gore and violence. Happy to obliged!

    But I learnt one lesson. Not everyone meant it when they say they want more "sexy" stories. I wrote the "My Scooter" metaphor story and silence of the lambs again... Lucky 2 ladies from the literary forum commented.

    Where are you Singaporean female readers?

    ReplyDelete
  19. AK.. hehe.. Just kidding hor.. Just like to write sentence with double meaning to mind-f**k with SMOL..hehe..

    Different strokes for different folks. SMOL bo tai bo chi bring us into his story.

    No bad blood ok ? :) *Hugs*.

    ReplyDelete
  20. SMOL, your sexy story bombed?.. oh.. pai say.. My english not good..
    I meant girls like sensual and Romantic story..

    You go read their love novels.. walan... ROD here .. sausage in hot oven there.... Read already can mari-kita..hmm..was it meant for guys?

    ReplyDelete
  21. WJ,

    Now you tell me! OK, will buy a copy of Mills and Boon for inspiration!

    Don't mind f..k with me leh! Wait my head big your must be responsible OK!?

    ReplyDelete
  22. baldurs gate was the classic. no one can forget baldurs gate 2. replayed over and over again.

    SMOL try out Dragon Age. Its suppose to be the successor to Baldurs gate.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks Drizzt for the tip!

    I need to upgrade my PC first, and that may be 3 years away... I am still nursing my trusty 7 years old Dell PC 4700 bought Sept 2004.

    That means I can only play games introduced 2004 and backwards.

    I know I know. Time to upgrade! If I can't get a 10 bagger, at least I can still boast my PC lasted me 10 years! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  24. LOL! Good one , SMOL.

    Don't worry.. To prevent your head from getting big, I buy you a cap.

    ReplyDelete

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