Justice Bear-Claw

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[SIZE=16]I am Fire.    I am heat, I am light.    I am dangerous.    I will burn those in my way.    I am unpredictable.    I am strong.    I cannot be hidden or extinguished.    I am Fire.[/SIZE]
  [SIZE=10]-Faldred[/SIZE]

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Dear Cousin Tora,

I do not understand the honour of the south.  

The journey south took me many months and much coin, even working for my passage on merchants ships.  I saw many strange sights in my Journey and many ugly things; there are slaves for sale in the city of Karthy.  Finally I arrived at the Ledros Mountains on the Great Island of Rilara.  I arrived at Brother Kinsman’s tribal home.

The tribe of The Path of Elemental Balance live in a large village house, they call a temple.  Their gods are the elements of fire, water, wind and earth; though they have other gods.  It seems many people come to the Temple to join the tribe.  It is strange how they choose those who may join the tribe.

Father Corena welcomed me into their Temple.  I joined the other who wished to join the tribe.  They called me Novice Bear-Claw.  The duties I were given were strange.  

They instructed me to read and write.  I read the knowledge of their elders and wrote great passages of text.  The lines of ink make my eyes water in the candle light.  However, I think it made my writing better.  

They made me sit and watch a wall.  We had to do this morning and night.  It was dull.  Time is so slow.  Father Corena suggested I watch the candle flame while I sat.  Fire is not dull; I can watch a flame till the candle burns down.  I do not understand why we do this; there is no purpose to sitting.

They made me do women chores, gathering cooking and tending the vegetable gardens and herd animals.  This I knew how to do.  However, both the men and women did this.  I do not understand why the men take up women’s chores.

Then there was the exercises, brawling and wrestling.  I am a good wrestler, and I bested most of those who also seek to join the tribe.  Master Laurance conducts the exercise classes.  At first he liked me, but then he became mad at me.  He told me that I should avoid getting hit to move my legs.  It matters not to me if I am hit, as long as I hit my opponent, I hit harder!  Master Laurance kept touching me on the leg as I sparred with another novice.  It made me angry.  I told him to stop.  He ordered me not to speak.  I did not speak.  The next time he touched my leg, I got very angry, I grabbed his hand and crushed it.  The strength of the Bear-Claw ran within me, his hand made a crunching sound like twigs snapping.

After that Father Corena sent me away.  He told me that I must learn disciple before I can join the tribe.  I cannot go home as my honour is broken until I join Brother Kinsmans tribe.  I have no where to go so I will try to find you Ragar, Sorus and Strogar.  Aunty Sanna said you were in Hlint.

I need you help in finding my honour.

Give my love to your Brothers,

Justice Bear-Claw

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Dear Aunty Sanna,

I am in the adventurer town of Hlint.  My supplies and coin has run out.  I have been working for coin.  Working is called job and this is part of civilisation.  I looked for cousin Tora’s campfire, I could not find it.  I met Roy and he helps me get job.  I hunt rats for rat pelt.  Each rat pelt gets one true from pawnshop man.  Rats live in sewer.  Sewer is waste tunnel for houses.  Civilisation stinks.

Will find Tora soon I hope.

With Love and Honour,

Justice Bear-Claw

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Honorable Father Corena,

I am have reached Hlint, and met my sister Tora.  She is teaching me ways of the warrior, and the new honour of the south lands.  She is great warrior and moves her feet, not get hit when she strikes.  I will learn from her.  I have found a job and I am learning civilisation.  Will find honour and return.  I promise.

In Faith and Honour,

Initiate Justice Bear-Claw

PS:   Have not lost temper, apart from on walking dead.
PPS: How is Master Laurance, his hand is okeys?

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[yellow]Honour, despite what is written in the history of time, is not always about battle

Honour can be in the way you treat people you meet.

The meaning behind the action is where the honour lies.

-Sindor Muhattim

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Observations on Honour,

I have been researching the honour of the South.  

Just East of Hlint I met an elf by the name of Sindor Muhattim.  A first I though that he might be a missionary of Toran, like those who travel to the North Lands; those who spread the word of Toran in Krashin and Bastil seeking to change the ways of the tribe.  These I despise as they understand not the ways of the tribe, yet the think they know what is best for the tribe.  They do not have honour.

Sindor Muhattim, is a monk, not a priest.  He says he would not try to change the ways of the tribe.  I spend time speaking and fighting with him.  It seems he does understand something of honour.  He is a warrior like Brother Kinsman, he fights with his feet and fists, as do I.  However he knows how to move his feet, so that when he strikes, his opponent cannot strike back.  He is showing me how to do this, my foot work is improving.  As well as this he has spoken to me of honour.  I do not agree with what he says but I will think about it.

To me honour is simple.  If the tribe is strong, then there is much honour.  Making the tribe stronger brings more honour.  There is no honour to those who not tribes.  These are enemies and can be crushed without remorse.  This is what I know.

Strength is Honour.

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Brother Sindor Muhattim,

It was an honour to fight beside you on Gatherday.  Have you collected enough sand to create the enchantment for your new gloves?   I would also like to make a pair of gloves.  I fight with 'Bear' fist, this is okey, but 'Gloved' fist would be better.

I have though much about the questions of honour.  About your philosophy that creatures of the wild provide a model of honour; that the laws of the wild are the basis for the laws of man.  This is true for the honour of the Bear-Claw tribe.  I do not think that this is the same for the ways of the South.  The honour of the South is much confused.

Remember our conversation with that Priest in the white robes?  He believed it was wrong to kill goblins, that we should not hunt them.  When I asked him if he had ever killed a goblin he admitted that he had.  His words were false when compared with his actions.   He said one thing and did another.  He said he killed in the name of good.  This is no excuse for breaking his word.  He had no honour.

I told the wagon master I would kill the goblin leader.  Then I did so.  This is honourable.  I will keep my word.  This is how I understand honour.

Words and actions must be the same.

Justice Bear-Claw

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Sindor’s Final Lesson in Honour

[yellow]“Sindor, remember this of all things you learn in your studies.  No person was ever honour for what he received.  Honour has been the reward for what he gave.”
- Muhattim Snr

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I will write here in my notebook Brother Sindor’s final lesson on Honour.  I do not agree with all that he said, but I will think on it.

Brother Sindor follows the words of his father; his father was must be very wise.   Sindor said,

“I shall never forget it and I live by it everyday. You see Honour is like and island rugged and without shores; once we have left it, we can never return.  You were told that you had lost your honour yet you have helped me more then once to no benefit of yourself.  That Justice is true honour.  You cannot lose what you freely give away.  And therefore you never did lose your honour only your pride.”

It seems to him that his Honour is much like mine.  I left the Island Krashin to join the tribe who walk the Path of Elemental Balance.  I cannot return to Krashin until I accomplish what I left to do.  This is my loss of honour, to be turn out of the Temple of Elemental Balance.  It is not rocks that keep me from returning to Krashin.  It is my honour.

I helped Sindor because I owe him much for teaching me the ways of the south.  My debt must be repaid.  All debts of honour must be settled.

“The True Test of Honour Justice is in showing your enemies the same respect you show me.”

I explained to him the honour of the tribe, “Tribe not steal from each other; there is no crime, as everything is belongs to tribe.  But Raid and steal from enemies, for they are weak.”

I asked him if that meant that I must “Treats all as tribe members?”

“Aye, and eventually, we will all be tribe members no war, no hunger.  Only Truth and the Tribe”

I do not agree that there will be no war, no hunger.  There will always be war in the hearts of Men, Elves and Dwarves, and hunger is growing as the Dark and Cold grows.  These things I cannot change.    

But I can hold on to my honour.   From now on I will treat others Southerners as if they are tribe members, and not raid and steal from them.  

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A Letter To Brother Kinsman,
[small]{This letter sits unsent in Justice’s journal}[/small]

Dear Brother Kinsman,

I miss you much.  I have been studying the ways of the South from Brother Sindor Muhattim.  He is much like you and much not like you.  He knows the Honour of the South.  He has asked me to treat all I meet as if they were part of my Tribe.   Not to raid or steal from them.  I will do this, unless they attack me.  For then they are no longer tribe.  So far is working good; have not got in trouble again.  I did not even break hand the hand of the Shaman Rhizome when he touched me.

I was walking outside the Town of Hlint, when I saw cousin Strogar and a group of Southmen sitting on a hill.  On top of hill is old man, standing still, not says much.  I went to say ‘Hellos’, still not says much.  Cousin Strogar, says he is great Druid Rizhome.   So me goes close to haves look, him is old and wrinkles like tree-bark.  He not says anything, then his hand reach out and touched my skin on arm.  

I knew the flame of my anger would come at that moment.  I would break his hand like Master Laurance.  But strangely all the heat of my anger left me.  His hand was cool like touching water in a mountain stream.  I was calm, and didn’t think about breaking hand.  I sat down and touched the grass and listen to the wind.  I became relaxed.  People comes and ask Rizhome questions, he answered them.  I ignored them.  

I could see the flame of my anger burning within me, but it was peaceful.  It reminded me of the exercise of watching the candle while I was at the Temple of Elemental Balance.  I must have fallen asleep.  For when I looked up from my meditation Cousin Strogar was gone, Rizhome was gone, all Southmen were gone.  Only I was sitting on the hill.  I left the hill and moved to the camp site outside of Hlint.  I spent the night watching the fire flicker.

I know you won’t receive this letter, for I never sent it.

Honourably Yours,

Justice Bear-Claw

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Dear Father,
{another unsent letter}

Today I faced the Great Brown Bear in combat.  At the request of Johan the fur trader I had been hunting animals and collecting pelts for him, while he tended to his sick wife.   I was accompanied by a Dwarf with the name of Forgehammer.  I faced the bear unarmed fighting with foot and fist.  For every strike I gave it stuck me back.  The powerful claws tore flesh and life from my body.  In the end I smote it a killing blow.  As the flame of my anger subsided I fell to the ground dying.  

For a while I continued to bleed.  Forgehammer, not know how to heal me, or having any magical potions.

Strangely my body Stablised, and I stopped bleeding, eventually returning to consciousness.  I thanked the Bear for its meat and skin, and the fight it gave.  

I have met the Great Bear with my fists, and I live.

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Dear Cousin Tora,

I have purchased some gloves that increase my strength from a Tailor by the name of Pendar.  To pay for the gloves Pendar has me hunting lions and mining copper for him.  Brother Sindor helped me to collect three lion pelts and 20 copper nuggets.  I stored the pelts and copper in my Ox.

I went to Rilaria with a small person by the name of Almond.  She helped me deliver a letter to farmer Johan in Fort Himlad.  Then we were attacked by a great bird, a griffon.  It nearly killed us.  However it was fat and slow so we could escape it.  We trapped and killed it.  It had eaten the farmers cow.  

When I got back to Mistone my ox was gone.  Stolen by thieves.  I am very angry I will hunt and skin them to replace the skins I lost.  I know you know many people in Leilon, can you see if you know who stole my Ox?  I have asked Captain Garent to help me, he was too busy to talk to 'a young adventurer'.  The laws of the South are not enforced it seems.  Paladin Praylor of Toran thinks that I must just learn to live with the loss.

Honorabley Yours,

Justice Bear-Claw.

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Dear Cousin Tora,

Thankyou for your help in recovering my Ox, I assume it was you who lead it back to my side, for when I awoke it the stables it was nuzzling my face.

{Strangely the Ox that disappeared reappeared next to Justice… not sure what happened there, may be some bug}

I met with a knight and mage by the name of Eson.  He is a protector of the weave.  I remember him from the Docks of Leilon.  He was hard pressed by Goblins in the Red Light mine when I found him.  The goblins fell quickly to my fists and feet.  After he recovered from his injuries we pressed deeper into the mine.  I was there mining copper.  We worked well together and I managed to acquire a fair load of copper to pay my debts.

He is both fair of speech and manner.  I asked him what he knew about honour.  Not much it seems.  However we were are good team and decided to work together.  Together we journeyed across Mistone and Rilara in search of lion skins.  He was interested in the tracking and hunting methods of the Bear-Claws.  We managed a few lions skins from a forest just outside of Krandor.  We fought some griffons on the road to Port Hampshire, and then sailed on to Point Harbour.

In Wolfwoods we met a forester by the name of Enzo.  He is a guardian of the woods.  We went on to the Plains of Catlin to hunt lions with his blessing.  In the end it was a successful trip with five skins cut, and a good amount of fresh meats.  I hope to share a camp with you when we return.

Honorabley Yours,

Justice Bear-Claw.

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Justice has been trying to learn enough about the laws of Mistone, Rilaria and Dregar and the cultures and customs of ‘civilized’ people.  She believes that this is the key to regaining admittance to study at the Temple of Elemental Balance.   She may indeed be wrong in this.  It is likely that the first step would be to apologize to Master Laurance, the instructor who she injured.  However, her stubbornness and pride prevent her from seeing this first step towards humility, and ultimately reaching her goal of becoming a Monk, of the Order of Flame.

However her quest to reach this goal has been put to the side, for the simple task of staying alive.  There were five young Bear-Claws, who left Krashin in search of a new-life in civilized lands.  However as the years passed (it has been about 4 years game time since they first arrived) they have drifted apart, and lost contact.  Justice desperately misses her cousins.  In the civilized lands she is lonely and broke.

To remedy the second situation she has taken up working.  She mines and smelts copper and tin from the local mines, to supply the booming weapons trade in the town of Hlint.  This is a dirty hard practical work; however her sturdy frame is well suited for this task.  Justice doesn’t consider herself much above the domesticated pack-ox that works by her side.  

Unwittingly she may have started the first step in the process to becoming civilized.
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