"No, don't say anything right now." She said putting her hand across the mouth. "I know you are really connected with your religion and I know that this mission means a lot to you. But that isn't the point."Beranhond held his mouth open for a moment. "What is the point then?"
"You can't always hide behind your obligations to hide your emotions."
"What? I don't do that."
"Yes you do. You found a place in the Tormish Paladins to try to avoid having to deal with the pains of life. You let some doubts about Torm get in the way of you and Ceilith."
"She wanted to stay with them rather than be with me." He said angrily.
"It sounds like she expressed her love to you on a hillside! Are you really that dense - do you think she just did that because she wanted to have one afternoon with you? I think she was willing to try to work something out."
"But that doesn't mean I fled it."
"No, but you did hide behind it." She turned and looked away from him.
"But I have obligat..."
"Yes, but don't use them to hide behind. I am not trying to pressure you or anything, but I care about you and I worry about you. I fear that rather than embracing life your religious inclination is more about avoiding the actual living of life."
"Perhaps that isn't the best example, but that is because I didn't really want to bring up how you are letting your faith get in the way of life now." She turned back to him. "Don't focus so much on the afterlife that you forget about life Eth. Just think about that."
Before he could respond she stood and walked out of the tent. Beranhond watched her leave, shook his head in confusion, and laid back on his sleeping pad.
Monday, October 4, 2010
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Everyone has caught up to you now in time. If you'd like to seek out Paz, now would be a good time. Of course, there is always time for self-examination, as well.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few moments of not thinking Beranhond decided that such matters could wait until later and left the tent to search out Paz.
ReplyDeletePaz was delighted that Beranhond had come back so quickly, and showed it when the man arrived at his open tent. "Well met again! I'm so glad you've returned. I was looking over my notes for tonight's lecture, and realized you would be the perfect guest at the class I teach! We're covering trace theory, presently, but if you know anything about generative semantics, that would be most beneficial to the students, I'm sure. I do hope you'll be there. It is during your friend's fight, but those battles are always so dull when scholarly pursuits are so close at hand. What do you say, my good man?"
ReplyDeleteBeranhond smiled. "Ah, if only the world knew that classes in linguistics were being offered in the orc realms I suspect that the whole world would smile a little broadly. I suspect that my friends are a little annoyed at me right now so perhaps not being present wouldn't cause so much grief... well, I am getting the feeling that I seem to be annoying or irritating everyone in some way at present. In either case your enthusiasm overwhelms me and I must attend."
ReplyDeletePaz smiled in return. "I'm not sure what orcs you're used to associating with, but here we pride ourselves on our languages, especially focusing on linguistics, writing, and biology as well. Biolinguistics is my personal hobby, and I am especially interested in language on the chaotic planes. It's a fascinating study."
ReplyDelete"What other lessons are taught here? Is there much arcane magic use, or do you as a group focus more on the liberal arts?"
ReplyDelete"Sadly, there is not a lot of arcane magic use here, no. We have a couple classes on some of the basics, but only a couple of hedge wizards and witches for instructors. We have more divine magic than arcane magic, but not much more. Most of our students come from other tribes seeking to learn more in order to enhance trade with other tribes and improve the odds of their survival in this diverse area. Many orcs have found a knowledge of our subjects to be useful in diplomatic endeavors, as well. Do you have an interest in arcane arts, as well? I've always been spellbound, if you'll excuse the pun, by the study of abjuration, but there is no orc here to teach me." Paz admitted.
ReplyDelete"Ah, I have an interest in the arcana magics; however, my own magical flavor is divinely inspired. However, you should certainly question my companion Nym on arcana magic." He paused for a moment. "After the battle of course."
ReplyDelete"I had noticed the unusual emblem on your shield. What god or goddess grants you your magics? And where are they worshiped primarily?" Paz looked like he was holding in a lifetime of questions with only the barest modicum of control.
ReplyDeleteBeranhond found a place to sit amongst the piles of books.
ReplyDelete"Her name is Narath, and her worshipers are few and mainly in the Baldur's Gate area. It isn't that easy to put her in a box quite yet. Perhaps it would best say that she is a Goddess of the joys of life. Not joy in the sense of partying, as much as in protecting and cherishing it. However, again, not in the nature God sense like that of the druids." He paused. "Let's just say the beliefs are still being worked out by her first prophet."
"Her first prophet? Oh, that's a very exciting time in the life of a god or goddess. I have always loved the stories of when Deneir was first coming into his own. It was apparently quite interesting. Before he became the lord of protection, he was having problems explaining what his values were, and for a while, he was just the god of strength, which can be helpful, but definitely attracts a different kind of follower than the god of protection. Has Narath had any similar oscillations of values?" Paz asked.
ReplyDelete"Well." Beranhond said leaning back and resting on his hands. "I think it is much like people. Gods arrive into the world with a whole spectrum of possibilities - they are filled with infinite potential. Yet, as Gods grow and develop a following they naturally conform more to their followers. In essence, they lose the ability to be everything by becoming specialized in something. At this point... her followers and I haven't really defined completely what it is she expresses, but it has to do with searching for meaning and peace."
ReplyDelete"Interesting," Paz replied. "Your position, then, is that who the god stands for relies on their followers. I have always believed that divinity was not in the hands of the common people but some divine spark in the person themselves, and the traits they chose to encourage in their followers were eventually what they were known for. The specialist/generalist argument does not really apply, I feel, because it is impossible for a goddess to be a generalist. Who will follow a goddess who blesses all she sees, or on the reverse does not see anyone as worthy and blesses none?"
ReplyDelete"Ah, but Gods mainly communicate to the world and their believers through the hands of prophets and these prophets do much of the shaping of Gods. Of course, many Gods in Faerun became are mortals who became Gods through heroic deeds. In that case they too are being shaped by the human experience. In the end all Gods are nothing without believers, and believers are then fed in by their God. It is a beautiful cyclical system. Now as for the specialty, Gods start out with possibilities but are quickly narrowed down. The first two followers of Narath were a cat and a former paladin." Beranhond tried to point out Tigrisclawu but suspected he was off with Aelysin. "Thus, it isn't too odd that most of her divine magic is focused on animal and community powers and that these powers arrived afterward..." He paused for a moment. "Regardless, it has been enjoyable to have such high level theorizing, life in an adventuring company fleeing from the paths of danger do not leave much time for such scholarly work. It is one thing about the Tormish Citadel I miss."
ReplyDelete"I agree with your assertion that most greater gods only communicate through the hands of prophets and their like, but many of the lesser gods begin their godhood as their own prophets, journeying to the material plane themselves in order to gain followers. The method of arriving at godhood certainly varies widely, and I agree that it can be very cyclical in the way it ends up working, but in order for the cycle to begin, it needs to be started. Like a boulder will not generally start rolling downhill without a nudge, so the cycle of a god being good to their believers and the believers in turn being good to their god usually starts with the god gaining followers through rewarding faithfulness or punishing unfaithfulness. I do not find the question of where the cycle begins to be a trivial one." Paz was obviously enjoying the conversation, as well. He had begun walking to one side of the tent before talking and then bouncing on the balls of his feet as he talked and spoke.
ReplyDelete"Oh, indeed it isn't. Naturally, there are always problems finding a general rule for the development of godhood. As the often dry, but still interesting, classes at the Tormish citadel taught - the path to divinity is paved with many bumps in the road for both the believers and the God. I suspect that each has their own unique tale to tell. I agree that it usually starts with a God finding a believer to reward. However, in my case Narath found me because of the doubts I had about Torm's goals. There were no rewards for faithfulness, or punishments for unfaithfulness. She simply offered another path for me. Those have come later certainly, but those who have joined Narath do so because they are seeking answers, not because they are seeking rewards. Of course, she is a new God and is probably playing with very different rules than others."
ReplyDeleteWith this Tigrisclawu stepped from behind the tent.
"You certainly annoyed Aelysin Beranhond."
"Oh, I know, I am not entirely sure what happened with that."
Tigrisclawu walked on over and stared at the man bouncing the balls on his feet.
"Who is this?"
"This is Paz, a very learned Orc who I have befriended."
"Ah, good to see that you are making friends. That should bring your count up to two after today's fiasco."
Beranhond turned back to Paz. "I apologize for not introducing you, this is my companion Prince Tigrisclawu. A noble name for far to common a cat. Tigrisclawu, this is Paz."
"Ouch." Tigrisclawu said as he curled up in the corner.