Part 1. Realities of the Surface World, Personal Ramblings
The wandering Svirfneblin has since ceased in his wandering and taken residence on the surface in a small home below ground, with earth all around the woodwork in which he lives so he might be closer to the flawless diamond. No longer a visitor, foreigner, wandering lost in translation, Caern now finds himself at home, far away from the desperation of his people below, perhaps too far. And while simple comforts abound for one that has found much power in seeking perfection in what he does, the answers he thought he sought have returned with riddles he wants not to hear.
For one so wise the answers usually come with ease, for simplicity remains the sole perfection of the questioning mind. As his history had been written, he came a wanderer, a healer and a sound warrior from a people oppressed and in constant hiding. And as a greenstone, he would aid those Svirfneblin in need, those who had escaped wretched captors, or those badly wounded by the depraved and manic evils of their neighbors. Though he himself, or anyone ever dear to him, had never faced the atrocities, but merely bore witness to the aftermath. And in the realization of what horrors truly exist, despite however many foes he faces, Caern has not a clue for he knows nothing of it firsthand.
A goodness has remained in his heart in all of this and he has taken to most sentient creatures with some degree of respect as even those things drow perhaps should be given some degree of a chance to prove their intent through action. He always wondered sadly at the long stares of absolute hatred and indifference of his people that he mended - always understanding their anger, but never the absolute indifference they would then hold for the drow or duergar, or any race other then their own thereafter. To him, it seemed goodness had somehow been beaten from them.
But now some years later, after this wanderings on the surface, he finds himself questioning his own actions. Does he not kill with ambivalence all things threatening around him? Does his genocidal tendencies towards all things not deemed of a "friendly" race truly make his intentions good in nature? Much thought he has spent on this point as he sits in front of the stone fireplace of this home. Is he really a good being? And if giving creatures such as what he kills a chance, is it something he truly wishes to be. For he lives in the goal of perfection of his own life, the discovery of oneself, and the realization of the world around him. Not to play empathist to those that have brought harm onto him. The orcs wandering where he lives for example *anger grows inside* almost killed him without reason one hundred times now they have! And without reason, thought or sense they do this. But in later reflection, he wonders if he himself is much different.
Caern has come to some realizations of himself, introspective as one wise should be. In what he does he does not see much goodness. Instead he finds only a black and white indifference to what is in favor of her perfection and what is not. He sees somewhat what those other Svirfneblin he'd mended might have felt, the origins of their neutrality - but still has no solid reasoning nor basis for what would cause him to feel the same way.
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Part 1 CDQ Quest Goals:
- Shift towards neutrality as actions have met it more closely as of late and it's generally the way he is feeling towards things. The overall goal is to give Caern background and reason to have the perspective he holds.
Part 1 CDQ Quest Ideas:
- Put him out of the realm of sympathetic healer and more in the footing of someone empathetic and dictating fairly harsh reaction. That is, make him go through the horrors and give him legitimacy of experiencing great evils.
- Also, put it on his doorstep - have his neighborhood ransacked by duergar or drow (or whatever traditionally hated group of the smurfs) and then bring it to his old doorstep and bring in that cross-realization of the way things are everywhere
- Someone he knows or cares about is captured and tortured (easy idea would be Nob as he's a dm and could play both sides while not having to sit in a captive camp for a couple hours)
Obviously I'd like to see the ideas altered so that the image of the quest I have in my mind is ruined and we get surprises instead. As to the gm(s) involved I would like Nyralotep involved as either a player or dm - doesn't matter - otherwise, whoever's interested. I find Leanthar's challenges to be the most on the edge and that's fun, but he's usually busy. I like stormspirit and Rhiz's quests. Actually, I like every quest I've been on - so in the end it's whoever is interested. I can give a LOT more ideas if you'd like me to guide it more. I've a pretty big image of a quest but I don't know how much I'm supposed to give in these.
Kinda don't want to stomp on the creative rights of the gm involved.
