The Pen of John Gray
From Valwiki
"Are your convictions so fragile they cannot stand in opposition to mine? Is your god so flimsy, so weak? For shame!"
~John Gray to Sir Caine
| Author: | John Walte. |
| Subtitle: | (None). |
| Language: | Common(A version in Elvish). |
| Document Type: | Novel. |
| Genre: | Philosophical Drama/Erotica. |
The Pen of John Gray is a novel written by Valikorlian playwright and philosopher John Walte. The novel was written as an emotional response to his pledge to attempt to stop his womanizing and almost hedonistic attiutde. In addition to relieving his erotic impulses and hatred of societal norms and tradition, Walte explores issues such as censorship, inquisition, the arcane, pornography, sex, politics, government, art, music, philosophy, mental illness, and religion.
The Pen of John Gray was rejected by most publishers and thus Walte had to publish it himself by his own coin. It was originally meant to be a play but it was too large to be written as a play so he rewrote it as a novel. The main character, John Gray, and his main love interest, Lady Haethe Armonde, could be interpreted as him and his non-fictitious (IC) lover, a drow lady due to their forbidden romance. Gray and Armonde could also be interpreted as a commentary on the citizens of Dalmar and Valikorlia's needs and wants.
Contents |
Plot
The novel begins during the beginning of the New Valikorlian/Dalmarite War, with the exalted writer, professor, and libertine (John Gray), penning a story about the libidinous murderer and sadomasochist named Lady Ravena, an aristocrat who meets the preeminent sadist she searched for all her life in her executioner.
The next chapter resumes several years later with John Gray socializing and writing at Greendale, overseen by the enlightened (fictional) Father Kalaph. Professor Gray has been publishing his work, secretly, through an aristocrat friend of his named Lady Haethe Armonde, who smuggles manuscripts through to an anonymous horseman who rides them to a black market publisher. Gray's latest work, Lady Ravena, is published on the black market to great success. The King of Valikorlia orders all copies of the latest book which he published, burned and the author shot, but his advisor, Delbana, tempers this contentious idea with one of his own: send traditionalist Soldier Captain, Sir Caine, to look in and silence John Gray.
Sir Michael Caine arrives, informing the Father that the professor's "unholy writings" have been distributed for public consumption. Horrified, the Father rejects Caine's offers of several archaic "therapies for vice" and asks to speak with Gray himself, who promptly swears obedience (winking at Haethe through a peephole). Sir Caine takes his leave for the time being and travels to an convent orphanage in Bridgeton to retrieve his promised bride, the underage Simona. They are gifted a run-down estate by the King, with a handsome young architect, Stephane Borgoxa on hand for its renovation.
The hasty marriage incites much gossip at Greendale, prompting John Gray to write a farce to be performed at a public exhibition. The audacious play, titled "The Crimes of Love", is interrupted when a mentally-ill peasant, Marcus molests Lady Haethe off-stage, prompting her to hit him in the face with an iron. Sir Caine shuts down the public theater and demands that the Father do more to control the Professor. Infuriated, the Father confiscates Gray's quills and ink, prompting more subversive behavior, including a story written in wine on sheets, and even in blood on clothing. This results in further deprivation, eventually leaving Gray naked in an empty cell in the prisons.
While this is occurring at the asylum, Simona has been violently introduced to the adult world by her husband, Sir Caine. She unrepentantly purchases a copy of John Gray's Lady Ravena, seduces Borgoxa, and the young lovers run off together. She leaves behind a letter explaining her actions and her copy of Lady Ravena. Upon finding this, Sir Michael Caine seizes on the Professor as the source of his troubles and embarks upon a quest for revenge.
About to be sent to prison for her role in assisting John Gray, Lady Armonde begs a last story from him, which is to be relayed to her through the different prisoners. Marcus, the prisoner at the end of the relay, is excited by the story, breaks out of his cell, and kills Lady Armonde. The castle is set afire by the pyromaniac George Dauphine and the prisoners break out of their cells.
Armonde's body is found by her blind mother in the laundry vat and Marcus is captured and imprisoned inside an iron dummy. The Father blames John Gray for Armonde's death and prods him into a fury. John Gray claims he had been with Armonde in every way imaginable, only to be told she had died a virgin. The Father cuts out Gray's tongue as punishment for his involvement. John Gray's health declines severely, though perverse as ever, he decorates his oubliette with a story, using feces as ink. As the Father finishes reading the last rites, he offers Gray a religious idol to kiss, which he bites, swallows, and chokes on, thus committing suicide.
A year later, the new Father Samerone arrives at Greendale, in Valikorlia's new prison and church and is given the grand tour. The new prison has been converted into a printing press, with the prisoner as its staff. The books being printed are the works of John Gray. At the end of the tour, the new Father meets his predecessor, who resides in Gray's old cell. Yearning to write, he begs paper and a quill from the Father, who is herded off by Sir Caine, now overseer of the prison. However, the peephole opens, and Lady Armonde's mother thrusts paper, quill, and ink through. The ex-Father Kalaph begins to scribble furiously, with Gray providing the narration, continuing his perverse and erotic stories and life style.
Characters
List of characters
- Professor John Gray: The flamboyantly outrageous and young professor refuses to conform to the moral standards of the day, making an enemy of the King with his scandalous pornography and political and philosophical commentary.
- Lady Haethe Armonde: Feisty aristocrat Lady Armonde is the romantic interest for both the Father and John Gray. In love with the Father, who refuses to reciprocate, she is fascinated by the young John Gray and his intelligence and experience.
- Father Arouet Kalaph: The Father Kalaph is the well-loved administrator of Valikorlia's prison and the Greendale city Head Priest. A profoundly religious man, he treats his prisoners with kindness and allows them to express themselves artistically.
- Sir Michael Caine: Sent by the King to silence John Gray, Caine is the traditionalist foil for the Father, though he proves as sadistic as Gray himself.
- Lady Heidi Armonde: Heidi Armonde is Haethe's blind mother, a long-time aristocrat and ex-maid of the prisons, whose blindness resulted from long-time exposure to the lye of the laundry vats.
- Marcus: Marcus is the rapist and prisoner who molests Haethe Armonde backstage during “The Crimes of Love” and ultimately kills her during the climax of the novel.
- Simona: Simona is Sir Michael Caine's child bride who elopes with architect Borgoxa.
- Stephane Borgoxa: A promising architect sent by the King to renovate the Caine Estate, Borgoxa falls in love with Simona and runs away with her.
- Maria Gray: Maria Gray the John Gray's long-suffering wife.
- Delbena: The King's most trusted advisor, Delbena is responsible for sending Sir Caine to Greendale.
- Charlotta: A meddlesome chambermaid, Charlotta betrays Haethe Armonde to Caine and eventually becomes his lover and assistant at the Prison Printing Press.
- Pritchard: The prison's strong laborer, Pritchard performs much of the physical work necessary at the prison.
- Clerne: Clerne is a madman who thinks he is the King of Valikorlia. He stars in “The Crimes of Love” in the Sir Caine-inspired role of the Sexual Deviant and helps pass the Professor's story to Lady Haethe Armonde later in the film.
OOC Info
The story is based upon Quills and Dorian Gray and is inspired by the Rake archetype typically portrayed by Walte himself. Due to the strong erotic and pornographic content of the novel it'd be considered to be illegal I'd imagine in moral areas.
Availability
Only Black Market peddlers supply it, it can generally be found in seedy areas but it can also be found and discussed among academics and intellectuals due to it's commentaries and intellectual nature.
