The World of Layonara
Character Development => Development Journals and Discussion => Topic started by: PsychicToaster on September 13, 2005, 01:09:00 PM
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Most Esteemed,
It is with great regret that I report a criminal has eluded justice. A healer in Ranger's Grove in Sielwood requested the aid of myself and my companions in investigating the disappearance of a courier bound from Fort Hope for Hlint. He had elected to take a shortcut through the Sielwood Forest but had not arrived after several days. Journeying south from the Grove we found no sign of this courier for several miles.
Near a downed structure in the Sielwood Forest we found a body with puncture wounds similar to those made by a spear or the enlarged forelegs of a dire spider. Shortly after finding this body, which had been stripped bare, we were assaulted by several such spiders lending credence to this theory on his death. We found several large webs not normally present in that area and more spiders. We continued south and were almost immediately set upon by a shadowy figure who fired upon me first and fled into the shadows. A woman, either human, elvish, or of some mixed blood claiming to be a protector of the forest. We approached and she led us into a trap of ogres. Dispatching them with ease we continued our pursuit.
Cornerned in one of the fallen structures we surrounded her to put her to the question. She attempted to make an escape, murdering one man, Trysk, in the process. Now guilty of the crime of murder, witnessed by several, and assault upon a knight while in pursuit of justice we set about to apprehend her. She called upon several spiders, one of which poisoned me greatly, to the point where I found it difficult to raise my blade to strike her down. I disarmed her and she fled, but I could do little more than amble along. I do not make excuses for my failure, however we did gain new insight into our foe. According to the healer this woman is part of a much larger network of forest-dwellers who unjustly claim sovreignty over lands under the auspices of King Waylend and overseen by Queen Alurial. I submit for your review that this is equivalent of rebellion, and in addition to murdering travelers they are guilty of treason. In addition, while I have the utmost respect for those who preserve nature it must be stated that while animals are permitted the leniency to act upon instinct, sentient beings are aware of alternatives to killing to resolve a threatening situation.
I will continue to update you on my progress in tracking this villain. She will not escape the Claws of the Dragon.
Shae
Knight of the Wyrm
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*Written in a flowing script in simple black ink on parchment, posted to be read at the Temple of Rofirein in Fort Valensk*
Paladin as Claw
A Treatise on the Role of Rofirein's Holy Warriors in the War Against Sinthar Bloodstone
We begin simply. What is the dragon's claw? It is a hard bit of tissue protruding from the tips of the digits of a dragon that is both curved and sharp. These bony daggers are capable of rending metal and stone as easily as flesh. They are primarily used as weapons in hunting, battle, or self-defense. Many have learned to utilize them with such skill that magical manipulation is also possible.
The Paladins who have been called and thus sworn their lives and blades to Rofirein's cause seek to emulate their patron in an attempt to grow closer to his divinity. We are limitted by our form in that despite our best efforts we are, simply put, not dragons ourselves. Instead we must find ways to take on those aspects and represent them in our dealings with others and the world around us.
One method is through emulation of the Claw. It is not uncommon to see the Lord Protector's holy warriors and clergy wielding a bastard sword aloft as they strike down those on whom Justice has decreed the harshest sentence. Likewise its keen edge and powerful strike make it a tool nonpareil when defending the innocent from the lost and forsaken souls who wander against Nature's first law.
If I might seek the indulgence of the reader, herein I seek to detail my thoughts on how our relationship with our blade brings us closer to understanding what it means to be a Claw of Rofirein.
The Claw strikes to injure, disable, or destroy what seeks to harm the Body. In this way the Body is protected by the Claw, by rendering that which seeks to harm it incapable of doing so. This is different from how the Scale protects the Body, but that is beyond the scope of this explanation. Swift and judicious use of the Claw in this manner instills fear in others who seek to harm the Body, and engenders trust with the Body which is thankful for its protection. Fear of the Claw deters others from acting not in accordance with the Body's wishes. The Body acts in all ways in accordance with its own wishes, and thus has no fear of needing to use the Claw upon itself. In this way, the Body has no fear of the Claw.
The Claw exists as sacrifice. It has given up being a part of the Body, and has been expelled from it. What it has gained in return is hardness, sharpness, and freedom from pain. The better to protect the Body which it serves. The Claw has also gained greater reach than that of the Body. It may go further, deeper, and without fear of harm into places the Body cannot safely go. However, the sin of the Claw becomes the sin of the Body, for reasonable person would consider a dragon's claw to have acted independantly of its body's wishes?
Our sword is our claw, the better to emulate his Claw. The Paladins of Rofirein must form the vanguard in this battle against Blood and his armies. We must strike at him, his generals, his armies and his allies in order to protect our body: the innocent people of Layonara. We sacrifice ourselves to gain the strength, discipline, and resilience to undertake this task. Bloodstone acts without fear of our reprisal. He does not fear the Claw. We must teach him this fear.
To do this we must pursue three things. First, we must perfect our prowess and bond with our blade. Doing so brings us closer to the bond the Lord Protector shares with his own Claws. As this bond is heightened, we too begin to understand the blade not as a weapon, but as an extension of self. Second, we must continue our work in protecting and training others. We may stand between the forces of tyranny and the innocent, but there are many capable and willing to take up arms that may foolishly do harm to themselves or their family if we do not help them. To this end I propose we assist in training those willing to raise sword against Blood's army.
Lastly, we must never forsake our vows as Paladins. We must never lapse into injustice and tyranny ourselves in these pursuits. The body we protect must never fear our swift justice, only those who seek to harm it. One failure in this regard would shatter faith in our Order and shake the very basis of Law upon which our society stands. Our sins become the sins of the many. We must refrain from such misdeeds at all costs. We must lead through faith, integrity, and courage during this dark time. This message comes not out of any failure or perceived failure to do so. Instead it is a calling for all of us brothers and sisters-in-arms to redouble our efforts and embody the principles of the Claw of Rofirein.
Shae
((Reposted here. It also exists on the Rofirein message board))