#torval

[bringbackwendellvaughn]

[elsweyr-4e101]

Preliminary Character Concepts

I don't yet have a detailed story outline, or even a primary protagonist yet. Of the character concepts I do have, some have distinct roles within the existing narrative I have planned, while others are simply character concepts that I think would fit into the story nicely, with their roles being as of yet undefined. You can read more below the scroll, if you're interested :)

Ghojo-ma

The POV character of the prologue, Ghojo is an Alfiq street orphan living in Torval. Days after her mother dies from a depression-induced starvation following her second void-birth, Ghojo-ma hears of the Dominion's dramatic arrival to the city, and then witnesses as the ambassador proclaims that they have discerned the cause of the void-nights, and corrected it.

The moons are then seen rising into the sky, and Ghojo-ma watches, unfeeling, as the Altmeri procession is showered with flower petals and praise.

Ja'catha

An Ohmes-Raht minstrel, and a scout for the Renrijra Krin, Ja'catha is affable, charming, and lighthearted. He's also quite beautiful, and if you don't believe me then look at my profile picture. Expect him to be a primary POV character, though whether he will be a protagonist of the first half of the story (circa 4E101-125) or the second half (4E200-215) is currently a matter of internal debate. (Assuming the story winds up being split in two time periods to begin with)

Remel J'had

A Tojay or Tojay-Raht vampire, and former T'har (Lord) of Tenmar, who heads an underground operation of moon-sugar distribution. For over a century he has overseen the largest production enterprise of moon-sugar in Tamriel, eventually supplying nearly half of the world's skooma production. A known reveler, hedonist, and follower of the god Baan Dar, as well as a famously vocal advocate for an independent Elsweyr, he was ousted from his noble seat during the coup of 115 when the Thalmor sought to seize control of the moon-sugar and skooma trade, Elsweyr's single most valuable export.

Despite being exiled from his former official seat, Remel has the hearts of his people and rules from the shadowy jungles of Tenmar, where his bandits regularly seize the Aldmeri moon-sugar supply. Remel also has a long history with the Renrijra Krin, and is a known benefactor of the group. Ja'catha, along with a party of other Renrijra, visit Remel's under-court, seeking to offer their services to him personally in return for increased funding. He is sure to play a sizable narrative role, though will likely have only a small handful of POV chapters, if any.

Lilinar Aulawe

Handmaiden and servant to the Dominion's ambassador to Elsweyr in Torval, Lilinar risks her life and upends everything she's ever known in order to share a secret overheard within the Embassy's chambers, for th sake of a people she hardly knows.

Ashnaar Gro'Rathna

One of the lesser-known wood-orcs of Valenwood, Ashnaar was exiled from his stronghold by his father when it came to light that he had taken up worship of Hircine over Malacath. He lives only to hunt, and devotes himself wholly to embodying the sphere of his chosen Prince. He has since left Valenwood, and has found himself a tenuous place in Elsweyr among a band of roving hunters; Hircine's faithful, like him, though Ashnaar son of Rathna bears a deeper level of devotion to their Daedric Lord than any of them realize.

Project K H A J I I T I

Concept Summary

~

It is the one-hundredth year of the Fourth Era, and the Void Nights have finally ended. For two years the moons Masser and Secunda have been missing from Nirn’s sky. For most of Tamriel, this has been a curious and frightening occurrence, and Mage’s circles across the continent are in uproar, but that’s about where the implications of the vanished moons end. For the Khajiit of Elsweyr, however, this unnatural phenomenon runs much deeper. For the Cat-folk, the entire development of each cub’s physiology is determined by the twin-moons and the shape they took at the hour of the cub’s birth. With the moons gone, Elsweyr has suffered a mass loss of life, with every Khajiit pregnancy ending in a stillbirth. With no lunar lattice to determine what form a child would take, no Khajiit child born between 4E 98 and 4E 100 has survived.

Further, moon-sugar, a sacred narcotic and staple of many Khajiiti food and drinks, as well as a religious ceremonial substance, has ceased to grow, delivering a devastating blow to not only the Khajiit’s ability to sustain their population, but their ability to engage with an integral part of their culture as well.  Without the flow of moon-sugar, which the majority of Elsweyri natives are habituated to, many have underwent a withdrawal, depression, or worse, which has extended to kneecap their economy.

In other words, Elsweyr has been crippled.

Almost immediately after the moons’ return, amidst the joyous celebrations of the Khajiit, an Aldmeri ambassador from the Summurset Isles has landed in Torval, the capital of the Elsweyr Confederacy and seat of the Mane. The ambassador claims that Altmer mages have been hard at work to discern the cause of the moons’ disappearance, and with the development of a new kind of “dawn magick”, they have been able to unveil them and return the moons to Nirn. The Mane, their political and religious leader, endorses this claim, and the Aldmeri Dominion gains massive influence within the province, almost overnight. Before long, every notable Khajiiti aristocrat or merchantlord has Aldmeri courtiers and court-mages at their ear. Within fifteen years, the reach of the Imperial Empire, which Elsweyr had been independent of for just barely a century, has dwindled enough that the Dominion stage a coup, dissolving the unified Elsweyri Confederacy, re-establishing the ancient kingdoms of Anequina and Pellitine, and absorbing both as client states of the Dominion.

Within the new Aldmeri Elsweyr, the worship of Rajhin, a folk-hero, and apotheosized God of Thieves, is banned, much like the outlaw of the mangod Talos within the Dominion, due to the Elven assertion that no mortal could never become a god. Though not as heavily enforced as worship of ‘the Ninth Divine’, it is still used as a tool of oppression, and in some cases punished by death. Despite this, worship of Rajhin still persists in the shadows, and word begins to spread that the Trickster God’s legendary Ring of Khajiiti has been found. While the richest Khajiit in Elsweyr rub shoulders and drink with Aldmeri benefactors, the common-cats suffer enforced moon-sugar rationing, ever-increasing taxes, and a racist bureaucratic regime. All the while the Aldmeri preach of unity between Elves and Cat-folk, and their mages and scholars assert that the Khajiit themselves are descended from Elves, an idea which sways even some Khajiiti nobility.  But in practice, the High-Elves’ sense of ethnic superiority pervades every aspect of the alleged “alliance”. And on top of everything else, spies within the Renrijra Krin, a band of anarchist Khajiiti freedom fighters and Elsweyri separatists, learn a deadly secret: the Void Nights was staged by the Dominion. An act of genocide too cruel to forgive, and a truth that, if revealed, would shatter the Dominion’s grip on their land faster than they made it.

~

KHAJIITI takes place some time before the Dominion invades Hammerfell and the beginning of the Great War. It is told from the points of view of multiple characters within and without Elsweyr, and covers events over a number of years. It centres a story of rebellion, and of a people who have been the rope in a game of tug-of-war between two indifferent occupying forces for too long.

However, we know that by the 201st year of the 4th Era that any secrets concerning the Thalmor’s role behind the void-nights has not yet been revealed, and that Anequina and Pellitine are still under Thalmor control. KHAJIITI could be split into two parts, with the second half taking place over a century later, sometime between Skyrim and Elder Scrolls VI. It would see a seed planted in the first book come to fruition, and the truth grow towards the light.

[iviarellereads]

Lord of Chaos, Chapter 42 - The Black Tower

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Dragon icon) In which yeah I wouldn't want to go either, it's DIFFERENT!

PERSPECTIVE: Rand invites Min to "the farm", but she gets visibly fearful and declines. He doesn't understand why she's fearful of meeting men who can channel without even meeting one of the students, when she's ready to tousle his hair and poke his ribs. He offers her an escort back to her inn, but she says she was taking care of herself while he was tending sheep. She tells him to take care of himself, and kisses him very lightly before leaving.

A cloth bag of moderate size, clinking when he lifted it from under his stockings in a drawered chest inlaid with lapis, went into one coat pocket, and a much smaller, velvet bag went in atop his angreal. The silversmith who had made the contents of the larger had been more than happy to work for the Dragon Reborn and had tried to refuse payment for the honor of it. The goldsmith who had made the single piece in the other bag had required four times what Bashere said the work was worth, and a pair of Maidens to stand over him until it was done.

He can feel that Alanna is in good spirits. He assumes she and Verin have made contact with the embassy, making eleven Aes Sedai in town. He wonders how many more he doesn’t know about, with rumours reaching him about things like an Aes Sedai Healing stray cats. With the answers beyond him at the moment, he Travels to the farm.

The clearing is browner than it was, more dead leaves and dead trees, but the farmhouse itself is in better repair, and the barn totally rebuilt. The students are mostly in high-collared black coats, and there are over a hundred of all ages. As Taim approaches, Lews Therin says he "should have killed him long ago".(1) Rand and Taim discuss the curriculum for the men, and Taim says they've taken to calling this place the Black Tower, to balance the White Tower. He offers to suppress the name, but it makes Rand smile a bit if only to contradict Taim, so he says to let it stand.(2)

Rand has Taim assemble all the students so he can speak to them. He gives them the truth of the story why there are Aes Sedai in Caemlyn (so they don't fear gentling), and he decides on their equivalent name. Aes Sedai means "Servants of All", so Rand chooses Asha'man,(3) which means Guardian, but you could never call a defender of an unjust cause asha'man, or one who was evil. Rand says that since they're here to become defenders of truth, justice, and right, Asha'man will be what they become when they finish their training. Instead of novices, their trainees will be soldiers. Instead of Accepted, Dedicated, and they will wear silver sword pins on their collars to mark them. Asha'man will get golden Dragon pins. He demonstrates by placing them on Taim's collar, and the man's face is so hard and cold it makes stone look like butter.(4)

They dismiss the students, and Taim invites Rand for a cup of wine before he goes back to business elsewhere. Rand asks why the burr in Taim's breeches about the pins being placed, but Taim shakes visibly, with what Rand would quantify as rage, but when it stops, Taim is his usual self. He completely ignores what he just did, and explains to Rand that he's afraid of all the Aes Sedai in Caemlyn. There are more Aes Sedai in the countryside, Reds all, trying to intercept any man who wants to join the Black Tower.

Rand dismisses the Reds as a threat, as long as the men coming here don't speak too freely. Taim offers to kill off some of the Aes Sedai in Caemlyn, but Rand says if he feels a man channeling in the city, or if any of the Aes Sedai drop dead, he will come for Taim first.

=====

(1) LTT has a lot of weird outbursts like this around Taim, in particular. How long ago could Rand have killed him? It's only been a matter of weeks. It's almost like LTT is seeing Taim as someone evil from his past. (2) At long last, the confirmation comes, as if anyone couldn't have guessed. Yes, The Black Tower for men, like the Dragon's Fang portion of the Aes Sedai symbol. And it's only a little on the nose. (3) When he wanted to be, RJ could be so subtle that no two readers could agree on what was said, and only a handful of readers could solve his mysteries alone. Then he calls his male magic users “a shaman”. (4) Taim has outlasted the madness longer than anyone known, and wants to be in charge, wants to be the supreme authority, he’s made little secret of it. In putting the pin on him, Rand is undermining his authority, even though Rand is in fact the one in charge and just isn’t committing his time to the Black Tower’s every day affairs. There’s also something I heard on the Wheel Takes podcast about the relationship between soldiers and commanders in Vietnam in particular. Apparently, a lot of commanders were like this, just sweeping in to hand out the commendations and promotions and then leaving again, and we know that Vietnam is the war RJ served in. Rand is creating a really big mess for himself here, whichever of these might be the case.

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Torval Crook

Art for The Elder Scrolls: Legends

*Artist Unknown* If anyone knows the artist comment below

[elbiotipo]

Para añadir a lo que preguntó anon (que me re sirve para acomodar ideas!) la historia del movimiento biopunk en el... Mundo Biopunk, tiene muchos paralelos con la historia de las primeras computadoras personales y el principio del internet, de la dicotomía entre los tipo hackers que querían software libre que de alguna manera transformara la sociedad (Richard Stallman, Linus Torvals) y los que se asociaron a la industria y al capitalismo tecnológico (Bill Gates y todo el rejunte de oligarcas que al final ganaron).

Mismo en el Mundo Biopunk; la dicotomía entre los hippies, rockeros y zurdos que soñaban con genes libres y las grandes industrias biotecnológicas que iban a dominar la Tierra.

Cual fue la diferencia? Que aunque las computadoras y el internet han cambiado el mundo y generado problemas y soluciones, la biotecnología es diferente porque cambia la vida misma. Y eso se ve en todas las controversias pero sobre todo en el Ecocidio, donde casi se extingue la vida en la Tierra.

Entonces ahí pasa algo que nunca pasó en toda la revolución del internet y las computadoras: El Estado interviene. El Estado, como representante del Pueblo (uno quiere creer) dice "no podemos dejar el Libro de la Vida en manos de unos loquitos" y le pisa la cabeza tanto a los hippies biopunk Y a los ejecutivos de las megaindustrias, los encierra en una jaula y les dice que más vale que colaboren o te caemos con Fito el Perro Yuta. Y lo que pasó fue que casi todos aceptaron eso, porque la alternativa sería otro Ecocidio. Pero también demuestra algo: por primera vez, de una manera muy literal, la humanidad está a cargo del destino de la evolución de la bioesfera, y todavía no sabe que hacer con ese poder.

Ese es el mundo en donde nacen Marcos y compañía.

[mikkalia]

guyyyysss, meet Torval!!! Isn't he PRETTY

the aether breed is a new one to me, but I think it might also be my new favorite (sorry pearlcatchers). I love their lore so much I can look past the slightly-too-busy-for-me design.

[mostmagical]

For the wip game, Progress

HI TORVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh look what a surprise. another hospital.

“Sir, I’m sorry,” the nurse repeats. Her tone is sharp, requesting attention, but it’s all Garrus can do to keep his eyes keyed on Shepard’s pale white face. “She’s headed to intensive care for surgery. We’ll keep you posted if there’s any progress.”

send me a word and I'll search for it in my wips :)

[the-tharns-speak]

Greetings Chancellor,

I have recently learned that the Khajiit have Inquistors for their religion and that, according to one of my associates they are quote 'A bunch of stuck up hardasses who wouldn't know a lich from a skeleton.' I elected not to ask because honestly what even. Have you had any experience with such organizations?

You don't release dragons/demons from legends that more or less directly cause a complete lunar eclipse without the Torval Curiata knocking on your door and asking a lot of questions. And also without getting a lot of letters from very upset masters of harbours who rely their trade on, you know, predictable, regular tides.

[scalecallerpeak]

This is also good because I get to put Hand of Alkosh and the mount on my DK tank Abkir-ri, who is part of the Torval Curiata and father of my DK healer Rihani-do

[lostwithspace]

@galranrepard

@lostwithspace "I see...still impressive though." Danika watched Rio's expressions. She wondered of how so many blade members were not as active as she was. The blue, white, and red galra had spent most of her life raised to fight for the cause. She couldn't imagine living a life that was different from her own. "True, and I'd like that." She actually smiled when Rio invited her to come hang out when the fellow blade wasn't busy. Danika wasn't used to letting her guard down so to speak nor socializing with many blade members that weren't busy doing training or on missions outside of her own path. Danika did pause almost spitting out her drink when Rio talked about Kolivan. She composed herself with a polite cough before setting down her now empty glass of golden apple. "I...well...Kolivan is actually my uncle so I've been raised under him pretty much all my life. My parents died on one of their missions when I was a child so Kolivan became more of less a second father to me. Most of the veteran blades like Ulaz, Thace, and Antok raised me as well. They were like family, and still are even though they've all passed on by now..." She looked down feeling vulnerable telling someone that she just met about her upbringing. Rio was kind and Danika wanted to not push him away. "So..." She looked back up after a minute over to the droid on the counter. "...I see you like tinkering with droids? What are you planning to do with this one?" Danika asked curiously. The fellow blade keeping a time still on how long she can talk before heading back to the bridge.

Chuckling into his own glass at the reaction, Rio pushed forward some napkins and moved to pour some more of the juice into Danika's cup. His natural experience dealing as a bartender already having the container back in the fridge before his visitor recovered to speak. It was then his turn to be caught off guard as he went to sit down across the table and almost missed sitting in the chair.

"I- I see." Rio stammered, fixing himself proper into the seat. He was caught between the revelation about his fellow Blades' lineage, and her confession of the loss of her family. He should do something, right? She looked sad, but she was also a close relative of the head of the entire organization. You're supposed to offer comfort, at least in these closer social situations, but to someone of her status? She was a Blade...

He raised his hand towards Danika's shoulder, to offer comfort, but hovered there unsure. When her head suddenly came up and looked towards the workstation area before he could reach out, Rio flinched back.

"Huh? Oh, that's Torval." He got up and went over to the workbench, getting away from the social awkwardness swarming his head. Kolivan's neice?

"They're a bit of a project. I've been upgrading his mechanics to be able to resist a lot more, and be able to operate in the vacuum of space. Help to do repairs on the outside when we're in flight, and could have more power under it versus my smaller spider droids."

At the mention, he tapped on the desk behind him, and a small sphere the size of a small grapefruit unfolded itself. Turning itself over, it crawled up and over to the outstretched hand and climbed up to his shoulder. Petting it on it's sensor head, he turned back at the multi-hued galra with a grin.

"More than a hobby, but doesn't quite pay the bills. You have any skill with a toolkit?"

[bea-westend]

I love when people make minor oc side characters for a fic and it's just like I know nothing about Japanese names the waiters name is Torval leave me alone.

[nemocrostion]

ESPECIAL Linux en la UE: Europa, desligándose de tecnología estadounidense

Linux fue creado por Linux torval, que es norteamericano???

[techgeeksite]

How did you help this classic video game in posting Linux

summary The simple Linus Torvals decision played a big role in Linux’s success. Linux focus on the permitted inter -operating procedure for its growth and adoption. Play well with others, like exclusive MS-DOS classic games, helps Linux accept. A university student may not seem to play a computer game like a computer industry, but Linus Torvals seems to have benefited from this…

[mikkalia]

Man I found the perfect eye type for Torval but it's currently out of stock :/ I don't have enough treasure anyway even if it was in stock. But still a bummer

[laimabynight]

Najara al Kira ibn Sajida Family Tree(Part 1)

Mharsulila lived alone in Baburin for a long time. She had made a name for herself as a recognized legal scholar in the big city. Over time, however, her desire for a descendant grew - someone who could open up new perspectives on life for her. Someone to whom she could pass on all her knowledge. Accordingly, she wasn't really interested in having a small child - there was far too much hustle and bustle. In an Aranian orphanage, she finally chose the young Najara. He was the only one who could win her over with his shrewd manner and charisma. She also quickly discovered his talent for dancing and encouraged this accordingly. However, when he was still not really interested in her interests at a young adolescent age, she kindly kicked him out - by organizing a place for him in a dance company.

After his adventures in Grangor, Najara stayed there for the time being. He began to campaign for civil rights in the city. During this time, he began a relationship with the fishmonger Ermentrud Brauer, whose family is said to have once produced the best beer in all of Aventuria. Unfortunately, Ermentrud and he were quite different in character: While Najara always sought pleasure and adventure, his beloved preferred something more stable. At some point, the urge in Najara became too great and he decided to travel the world. Ermentrud, now expecting their child, took this news rather coldly. But Najara's departure had something good in store for her in the long run: a short time later, Ermentrud finally met the man who wanted to build a life with her.

Elfwidde Brauer became a respected devotee of Travia. She had neither a particularly good nor a particularly bad relationship with her father.

Celebrata was, as her name suggests, always out for a celebration. The Almadan house servant met the equally party-loving Najara at one of the lavish street parties. A fiery love affair quickly broke out between the two, which was soon crowned with a child. In contrast to Elfwidde, Celebrata did not take Najara's imminent departure quite so calmly and is still not on good terms with him to this day.

Gonzalo had inherited his parents' charisma and good looks. He became a fisherman. Although he only met his father once in the course of his life, his bad feelings towards him faded over time.

Bodgrimsaxa met Najara on his travels to the cold realm of the Torvaller. The proud woman ran a tavern there hile her husband was at sea again. One thing led to another, who could blame Bodgrimsaxa, after all she had been alone for quite a while now. Neither of them could have known that this brief affair would result in a child. Fortunately, her husband soon returned. It was clear that Najara was no longer welcome there, so he moved on.

Havgrimur was unaware all his life that the father who had more or less raised him was not his real father. When he found out in adulthood, he was initially disappointed and hurt. But he soon forgave his mother and even met some of his half-siblings and Najara. He works as a seal trapper, but with his own agenda: to save the seals.

In the Bodgrimsaxa tavern, Najara met Derja, who was also traveling. After being thrown out, the two decided to travel together for a while. At first, Najara was enchanted by Derja, but she thought he was a heartbreaker (which, admittedly, was not far from the truth). Then he lost romantic interest, but Derja fell in love with him. In the end, the two tried it out together, but quickly agreed that there was no chance of a fulfilling relationship. When Najara found out about the pregnancy, he offered Derja the chance to stay with her for a while. However, Derja refused - she preferred to have some distance.

Ismenka grew up with her mother, who soon found herself a clan. She became a gifted wound healer, although some strange marks adorned Ismenka's body throughout her life. She met her father several times while traveling and was always happy to see him.

After separating from Derja, Najara signed on to a sloop. The proud captain Tandawi didn't think much of the often rather jovial man. Over time, the two developed a kind of love-hate relationship, which consisted primarily of teasing and bickering. However, a certain attraction was clearly noticeable to everyone on board. In the midst of a night of drinking, the two of them became closer. A little too close for Tandawi's taste, who wanted to maintain her independence - and unceremoniously abandoned Najara on an island.

The product of that one fateful night was to be Kalimba, who was to follow in her mother's footsteps. From time to time she transports her father by ship, but like her mother, she is always shocked by his lack of work ethic and glad to be rid of him at the end of the day.

Najara built a raft and was able to leave the island. A large fishing boat took him to Vinsalt, a town he had known well before. He knew his way around the city's nightlife and earned a few bucks as a dancer to make ends meet. In the brothel where he worked, he met the concubine Grenadine Caranda. They quickly developed a friendship, also because they often worked together and entertained lords and ladies. Najara was no stranger to being in love, but his feelings for Grenadine grew much deeper over time. She was the first woman he could really imagine settling down with. And after an exuberant proposal of marriage, the two tried it out for a while, but Lovisa was never able to fully reciprocate Najara's feelings. She had been in love with another man, a lord, since her youth, and the lovers' big dream was to run away together at some point. Najara fought for Grenadine, but realized that he would not stand in the way of true love and left Vinsalt.

Lovisa has never fully forgiven her mother for chasing her father away. The alchemist always dreamed of what it would have been like if Najara had raised her. Irrespective of the fact that her father could have simply stayed in Vinsalt - regardless of whether Grenadine loved him or not. There isn't a milestone in her life that Lovisa doesn't invite her father to. And he tries to come to every one, which can prove difficult depending on where he is.

On one of his journeys, Najara met a clan of wood elves who were extremely hospitable. Unusual, but he was soon to find out why: They were the clan of his old traveling companion Lysanthir, who had returned at some point and told them about the friendliness of the humans. Among them was Haleone, a curious and open-minded elf who wanted to know everything about mankind. Day and night, she questioned Najara and watched him. She wanted him to behave naturally. At some point, the subject of human romance came up - but this time Haleone didn't just want to be told about it, she wanted to see it demonstrated. Najara, initially unenthusiastic after all his romantic failures, began to like Haleone and finally gave in. However, it didn't go beyond an experiment for either of them and Najara moved on.

Merdarion, the fruit of the experiment, is very ashamed of his human parts and is therefore usually rather gloomy. His clan is very open-minded and everyone is interested in him - especially his mother - but somehow he would rather just belong. However, as he can't express this, he does everything he can to stand out as unpleasantly as possible. He hates his father with a passion, as he hates everything human.

[marjaystuff]

Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd

Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd is a thriller. There are no other words that describe the terror that Rowan Winterbourne has endured for years.  Moving frequently,  using surveillance equipment, always being suspicious and living a singular life with no connections to family members was draining for her.  Then an unusual opportunity shows up at her doorstep.  

Joe Grantham blackmails her to help him.  He needs her help in confronting Gregory Torval.  Torval is the same person she has been waiting to punish for her family’s deaths and the loss of her safety and identity.   Joe and Rowan go to a private party on Gregory Toval’s island.  It is clear both have different plans and different strategies, but need each other to survive the “party”.  Various characters who are at the party seem to have various goals that either could help or interfere with their plans.  And then the secrets start to appear and then an explosion, but that is just the beginning of the problems.  There are some interesting twists that are not expected and help from various sources.  Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd is a thriller that holds the reader right there until the last breath of the novel.