Legends & Lattes

“Well-nigh to thaumic line, / the Scalvert’s Stone a-fire / draws the ring of fortune, / aspect of heart’s desire.”

This quote is the rhyme that Viv references regarding the Scalvert’s Stone. She references these lines several times throughout Legends & Lattes, as does former party member Fennus, whose knowledge introduces him as an antagonist pursuing the Stone. As per the rhyme, the Stone is later revealed to attract kindred spirits rather than literal “fortune.” Friendship is a figurative fortune.

“Viv didn’t answer for a moment, but then she stared hard at him. ‘Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.’ She folded the deed and tucked it into her satchel.”

When Ansom, the owner of a local livery, asks why Viv would purchase it to serve coffee, she quips back with this quote, showing that the idea of transformation is personal to her. This quote relates to the theme of Choosing to Change One’s Path and establishes the titular coffee shop as symbolic of Viv herself.

“You didn’t see hobs often in cities. Humans disparagingly called them ‘pucks’ and shunned them, so they liked to keep to themselves. Viv could relate, but she was more difficult to intimidate.”

Viv observes how hobs like Cal are treated differently by society because of their race. As an orc, she knows how it feels to be treated differently, but because of her stature, she is rarely confronted. This quote relates to the theme of Appearances and Misconceptions by illustrating specific prejudices in the novel’s fantasy world.