Hello clayton expert clayton fan ceo of clayton nation.
Speaking about "on barovia, the lost land of blood and mist" aka claytons nr 1 literary hit, how much do you think he skipped? Are there some parts, like i dont know, the cursed crystal, that he skipped in his writing? I could have my own headcanons but id rather hear it from you since you have an excellent grasp on his character !
[crawls out from my hole in the ground]
This actually plays into how my personal headcanons go, but I believe Clayton would’ve in fact wanted to keep absolutely everything. The curse parts he may be more vague about, due to the fact that he still wouldn’t want such a thing to be known by outer sources, yet he’d still definitely mention the cave! Possibly “in a cave upon the cold mountains we discovered an elder evil” keeping it vague yet still keeping it there. He doesn’t know how an outsider would exploit such information.
Yet this isn’t just his most important book, no, this is the legacy of his friends, the legacy of the one who died in the land. It wouldn’t feel right to cut anything. That book most likely has some of the most raw writing he’s ever done.
Or, at least his original draft did.
But then we must think about the outer world, the land of Barghest and the city of Breeg. And would they want something like this published? No. They’d want it sanitised, safe to show to anyone as a way to study the lands. Hide away the hubris and ignorance that one of their own showed. Hell, maybe even some would wish for the non-humans to be changed! Yet Clayton wouldn’t allow that.
Case in point. Clayton is the best at hidden messages and meanings, and in the end he gets most of his original draft into the book, yet not all of it. And what he doesn’t? He hides in words and phrases, something only a man like him would find and see, and hopefully one less foolish would heed his warning and stay away, don’t fall for the very hubris that doomed his entire line.
And, if I may speak on Lich au (cuz of course I shall)
Now that he’s missing and gone, the line attempts to hide it. Names forgotten, books burned or defaced all to run from a past thrumming inside their veins. Only a few copies of the book remain today, none carrying the name of the author, a man lost to time and history.
But that’s just my two cents!! :] I’ve thought a whole bunch about the book since it’ll play a part in the main Lich au fic lol