Know a man's desire and you hold his world.
Deep in my homeland the drowsy heat draws languid resins from the trees, fills herbs with potency. A land where the drone of the bees in the heat as they fly from flower to flower fills the air with a sonorous temptation to rest, lulling a man to sleep.
There, a wise man knows how the sun infuses the plants, how the warmth is captured, how, if correctly prepared, these plants and gums will open a lesser man. Relaxed, lucid, at ease, a man will dream, and talk in dreaming. Listen and the pictures will rise within you, and you will see... feel... what he desires. And so - you may hold his world while he ranges in his visions.
Desire ... for wealth, fame, women, power, freedom from fear, the success of a cause. Let us be clear, there is nothing en-nobling in a cause. Ultimately, it is just desire. Dressed in fine and acceptable clothes... but... strip any clothing away... and all things - whether thought to be good or ill - will dance naked as simple, powerful, compelling, desire.
I grind and sieve, crush and mould, each carefully prepared ingredient. Muse to myself over what may work upon her, upon the mind and will of an elf. Such a sweet and rare experiment. I do not know if ought will work, how their mind may be, the taste of their dreams. Of her dreams ... of her desire. For this precious little bird I prepare each thing meticulously, as though preparing myself for a lover. Even to place tiny drops of rare perfume into the mixture, so as to present her the scent of intoxication as my creation burns.
Tonight I will take this to her, set it in the room I keep her in and burn this slowly in star-cut braiziers. The smoke will curl throught the air.. she cannot avoid it. It is strong, more potent than any i have prepared before for lesser men. A risk, again, for I too may begin to dream given this mixture. But I know this world, and here I lead ... let us dream together ... I am confident that I will be the master. I will take her desires, see what lies in her heart and mind, see what tales this will tell, what will be illuminated about her and her purpose that can be used by my lord of the east. The thoughts curl in me as seductive as the smoke that will unravel her. I will see her desire ... hold the dearest thing of her heart ... hold what can be taken and controlled ... crushed, used, corrupted, bled ... know a man's desire is to be master of his world.
