Week 7 Story Planning: Gambling in the Himalayas

This week I have focused on many different elements of the reading that I am going to focus on for my story next week. In reading A, the thing that stuck with me the most is the scene where Bhima kills the Rakshasa. I am not going to revolve around this same plot, but in reading B, I got really into the dice game that was played. And my thought for my story this week is to deviate from battle and war scenes, and write about something different. So, after thought and reading, I decided that Bihma and some made up characters will be hiking through the Himalayas to buy land on the other side of the mountain range. They will be carrying lots of gold in order to purchase this desired land. While traveling through the mountain range, they will stumble across a casino, and curiously enter in and gamble some of the gold they have on them. The Rakshasa's will be the dealers at every table and own the casino. I am planning on having Bhima lose all of his gold, and gamble away everything, including a sacred horse he is riding on. The sacred horse idea came from reading D, when Bhima cut the head off a horse and it ascended into heaven. Maybe throughout the week I become nicer and make Bhima win a lot, but I think I will stick to my plan of devastation!


Research: I looked into more depth about the Rakshasa, because they are going to be in control of the casino in my story. I did not know that they were also called "Maneaters" but this makes writing about them even more exciting. Rakshasa's were created from the breath of Brahma when he was asleep, which is a really obscure point of creation. They are ugly and enourmous creatures who have two fangs on the top of their mouth. These will be very intimidating casino dealers in my story! (Link to Rakshasa)


Bibliography: Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan (Link)

Dice Game: (Pixabay) 

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part D

I thought the sacrifice of the horse was a very intense part of the reading. When Bhima cut the head, it immediately ascended to heaven, and disappeared in front of everybody. I am going to go a different direction from this. I still haven't thought of my characters to use, but I think I am going to have a sacred horse be a source of a debt payment when the characters come across the casino in the Himalayas. This will provide a new theme and feeling to the reading, and will deviate from my past stories which have revolved around battles.

Bibliography: Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan (Link)

Sacred Horse: (Pexels)

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part C

I really enjoyed when Draupadi and the four Pandava brother's begain their journey in the Himalayas. I think it would be really interesting to set a story in the mountains, which I have yet to do. Most of mine have revolved around battles of different kingdoms. But after reading the dice game last week, and the Himalayas this week, maybe I will select some characters to come across a hidden casino in the middle of the mountain range. This may be a little far fetched, but with more brainstorming throughout the week, I am sure I will get a basis for my plot.

Bibliography: Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan (Link)

The Himalayas above the clouds: (Wikipedia)