Gdot Darkofe the Weaver of the Elements, Meter of Mind

Role

Chapter 9

**OOC note: The Nexus library is kinda sad, I mean, it's a 'library' but only has one book in each wing.
So I wrote this little short story on Balance hoping that maybe it can make it into the southwest section with the bond journal.
If it seems good enough, or the idea at least, to be put into the library - Feel free to edit it however you want.
But the purpose of this, again, is really just to try and make the nexus library a LITTLE more full. (OOC-note-end)*&


Three adventurers came across a djinn in their desert travels. The Djinn,
magical and mischievous as it was, offered them one wish each.

The first man wished for a world without evil, a world rid of selfishness and
filled only with the good of heart. As the Djinn nodded its head, the man
disappeared and was transported into another world. He saw that there was
hardly anyone in this world, and out of the few who remained, they chastised
one another for who was the "most good", going so far as to attack each other
to rid any small flaw from the world. As he looked upon this, the good beings
in question felt the man's sudden doubt and turned, vicious looking, in his
direction.

The second man wished for a world without restrictions, without those who
would inhibit his behavior or call him evil, where people could succeed on
their merits alone. The Djinn, again, nodded his head and the second man
disappeared, reappearing in a world filled with toppled buildings and fire.
At first he was glad, seeing that here he could reign supreme! But as he met
the denizens of this world, he realized that he was not the strongest among
them - and being as might makes right, he was enslaved and beaten mercilessly
since there was nobody to protect him.

The third man frowned, looking at the spaces where his companions had been
standing. He looked at the Djinn and said "I know what I want to wish for".
The Djinn grinned and nodded, waiting for the man to continue. "I wish for a
world as is. A world with evils and goods, freedoms and restrictions. A world
made vibrant by its differences and disagreements. This world." The Djinn
frowned for a moment, but then nodded his head. As the Djinn disappeared, the
man's two companions reappeared before him, both dirty and scared witless.

It is easier for one to wish for their ideal world than it is for them to accept the reality of it.

Role

Chapter 8

My continuous service to the Island seems to have been noticed! I was lucky
enough to receive a blessing from Lord Twist in the form of his dragon-marked
tattoo. While I was less than theatrical for him in our discussion, I felt
like I didn't have to really 'show off' or try and appease him with some sort
of butt-kissing montage of "HOW I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS!". No, I think it was
much more sincere, honestly. I have been working with him (via magic) since I
joined the Island. Our relationship was there, but subtle, it was something
that existed but didn't require the shouting of "Look at me, I know Lord
Twist, look at me, I am his follower!" - all mages follow him. Whether or not
they make that the object of their singular affection is something different
altogether.

Anyway, stopping with the criticism, I really did enjoy our brief meeting.
His 'physical' form, if it can be called such, really is rather magnificent,
and his aura of mana is so vibrant that, when near him, I imagine I look like
a Battlerager.

With his mark, though, I feel I've accomplished a few things, and I don't
mean accomplish is the self-praising meaning of the term. It establishes me
as someone attune to magic, increasing the weight of my words to those
younger mages who might ask me questions at times, and this means I need to
make sure my answers meet these heavier expectations, meaning more magical
studies. It means that I'm now even more of a target for the Battleragers -
as if the title of Meter wasn't a beckoning call itself! I can only hope that
it leads me, through inspiration, towards greater things.

Role

Chapter 7

Battleragers aren't something to hate, as a Nexun, I don't think. They're the
same as anyone else - they all have their purposes, goals, hatreds, likes,
and focuses. Just because they tend to be on the opposite side of the
spectrum to my goals doesn't make them evil, hated, or anything like that. If
anything, that would just be me demonizing my 'enemy', which doesn't seem to
be the most mentally sound position to take when serving Balance, as rampant
extreme emotion, in terms of hatred, could cause one to take violence too far
against the Village, and thereby push the Veil into extreme danger.

Often I've heard how the Villagers deserve little thought, pity, or even
affection from other members of the Island. Despite being Meter, it would be
entirely unjust to force a philosophy upon the others, so instead I simply
disagree, typically vocally. I can't see why, just due to our seemingly
endless conflict with them, that I should hate them, or hate any other group
or individual in Thera. All serve a purpose, all serve balance - whether they
know it or not.

Many forget that, without the Village, the Veil would bend towards the
dangerous extreme of thinness. Many forget the dawn of the fifth age. The
villagers are not some rodents to be stomped out of existence, no, they are
just as important as we are in making sure that the Balance is served
correctly. Does their existence bring risk to the veil - risk that it may be
thickened, or completely blocked? Yes. But Balance necessitates this risk. We
must, as we always have, allow the same forces we fight to exist.

The Village should not be viewed with hatred. The Village, as all other
existence in Thera, should be looked at with admiration, respect, and
adoration. Admire their histories, their struggle, and their forceful
ignorance against magic. Respect their traditions, their tendencies, their
characteristics and stubbornness. Adore them, for they exist - just as you or
I do, and are simply another color on the vast painting that is Thera.
Disagree with them, just as you disagree with the Emperor, Marshal,
Harbinger, Provost, or Chancellor - But do not hate them.

I'll never understand all of this animosity.

Role

Chapter 6

Balance can be a tricky thing to understand. One can easily make a basic
mistake in assuming that Balance represents being in the middle - standing in
the center, and I think that's actually quite different from what balance, in
a practical outlook, is. One who stands in the center, especially by the
basic definition, is one unmoving, is one who is apathetic in a sense. Apathy
is adverse to Balance, in all of its forms. To understand how I think of it,
in terms of the prior example involving a road, the balanced individual walks
to the side with the lesser amount of peoples, he is one in motion, one
shifting to fit the times, not one who is stoically in the center of
everything occurring.

One could make the mistake, as well, in assuming that's a sort of chaos. It
would be true if his movements were unpredictable, if they lacked a certain
pattern, but they don't - there is an 'order' in balance. Is that order
explicit enough to make serving the Balance similar to serving the Spire? No,
the Spire has laws, set in stone, in terms of how things are to be acted upon
and interpreted. If someone is murdered in a city, that murder was a crime,
period. Balance, on the other hand, has a ridiculously copious amount of
methods in which it can be enacted. The fact that the end is reached is what
matters, the methods in which that end is reached vary as much as the
individuals in Thera itself do.

Is it evil, though, to say that 'as long as the end is reached, the means are
fine'. I don't think so. This isn't something where domination, huge
massacre, or rampant idealism are practical - these courses are means that
would take you away from the end, rather than to it, and as such any claims
of "bad methods" by the opposition are null. Assuming a Nexus is truly
working towards the desired end, though it be infinitely far away and will
forever be so, all methods are acceptable, though some may, on an individual
basis, be preferred more than others. In conclusion, Balance is something
that must be looked at with a deeper eye than simple "the middle ground",
instead being examined as a powerful and vibrant philosophy of its own. Or,
in symbolism, rather than Balance being the middle ground, Balance is a road
outside of the standard road, a path that leads nearby enough to the road for
observation and interaction, as one can leap from this path to the road as
need be, but the path itself is still individual, separated from the standard
road all Therans trod.

Role

Chapter 5

"I...I won?" Gdot said in confusion to herself.

Life had happened quickly for Gdot after her escape from Hillcrest to
Galadon. She continued her scholarly pursuits, quickly adapting herself to
the Invoker's guild, which seemed to be the most in depth of the explorations
of magic. Conjurers controlled beings, Necromancers and Transmuter could
effect/infect others with spells, but Invokers could call upon the very
essences of the elemental planes - Which is one of the reasons Gdot finds
herself often in the Planar Sanctum, sipping from a cup of tea in whichever
of the planes she settles herself in.

Having refined her philosophy of Balance due to her exposure to the various
radicals of the land, she joined the Nexus in hopes of prolonging the
'philosophy' to a practical extent. She enjoyed it: the mixture of glass,
platinum, magic, fighters, and so forth in the Island. She found herself
enjoying that the Island, similar to Thera itself, had individuals
representative of characteristics as various as anywhere in the world.

Now, this day, she found herself a tad confused. The famous Vote of the Nexus
had come and gone, and she hadn't voted, lacking conviction and not knowing
the members well enough to decide who would prove a better leader. She
definitely hadn't voted for herself. She also asked for no votes, and didn't
know anyone who might vote for her, she had just introduced herself around as
anyone would, and served Balance as best as she could.

Yet, suddenly, post-vote, she was elected as the Meter of the Island. It was
quite surprising, and almost frightening, and she didn't wish to be known as
the "Meter who does nothing but practice spells" - as she was elected prior
to finishing her studies down the elemental paths. Even so, she decided to do
her damnedest, even if a few of the older members appeared to be cold towards
her.

Skill List

Role

Chapter 4

The Weald was refreshing, having spent the last year or so in the confines of
Galadon. But, it was also a bit dangerous. Gdot, having entered the Weald,
greeted the first person she came upon, which happened to be a warg. She
learned a valuable lesson that day: Wargs don't say "Hi", and wargs are not
cute puppies. Having scurried up a tree to escape its reach, she let out a
sigh when something startled her.

"Mreowr, young Gnome. Fa veth?"

A felar, brilliantly camouflaged with the branches of the tree she was
sitting in, looked at Gdot with deep green eyes, questioningly. Gdot smiled
at her, having gotten over the sudden fright of learning that she was so
close to someone who was previously practically invisible.

"I'm quite fine, yourself?"
"Meh, vetha veth. Yre is surprised to meet someone from the city who knows
our language. Vyre learn from Varsh Thrahna, mrurthnen?"
"No, no, while Black Claw would have provided me with excellent first-hand
knowledge, I simply studied the copies Hillcrest holds of the languages of
Thera. Though we may not physically leave the place often, us Gnomes have a
mind that reaches information all across the lands."

And thus Gdot relaxed, no longer noticing the rabid warg still snapping at
the trunk below her. This felar was exactly what she was looking for - she
had never met someone of the wilds before, someone who spoke before assault,
who seemed up for conversation. Gdot indulged herself, and was lucky that the
Felar didn't seem to mind. She asked the felar about the Weald, the creatures
in it, why she lived outside of the city rather than within, the goods of the
wilds, the bads of civilization, and how Thar Eris was the true path that any
individual could take.

much talk, the Felar frightened the warg away so Gdot could leave the
tree. And after their parting goodbyes, Gdot sat under a large tree near the
Kobold Warrens and meditated on what she had experienced and learned. This
place was much like Galadon in that it had its own rules, as chaotic as they
may seem, the chaos itself had a certain 'order' to it. The main similarity
was that, while individuals in the city praised civilization and insulted
barbarism, and while individuals who lived in the wilds praised nature and
insulted civilization - they both shared fervency in the exclusive right of a
certain ideological existence in the world. "This is the only good thing and
all other things need to go away so this one good thing can rule supreme!"

"It has been a good day for learning" Gdot said to herself as she wandered
from the Weald. She headed a bit north of Galadon and then struck east to
find something that the Felar mentioned. The Felar had said "While your books
in Hillcrest were no doubt good, the Lyceum of the Eternal Star holds
knowledge from ages past". Gdot had a smile on her face as she entered the
Inn.

Role

Chapter 3

When Gdot reached Galadon, she found herself plagued by stagnancy. She
started work almost immediately after arrival as a 'paper pusher'. The
factotum of a merchant, her job was to scribble down all of the day's trading
records as the merchant sold his snake-oil like "Cure for insanity". While
Gdot knew the makeshift potion was no more than his urine mixed with 'oils'
found in the Galadon sewers, she kept quiet as her job was to record, not to
speak. She brought him clean robes when he asked, went to collect more oil
for surplus customers, and practically any other small job he asked for - and
for this she received a small wage of about ten coppers per day. It was hard
work, and a bit boring at times, but she felt happy to experience something
outside of Hillcrest, which is something none of her ancestors could brag.

This city was pleasant, in its own crowded way. There were rules, though,
rules everywhere, similar to Hillcrest but with punishments much more extreme
than you'd think. Gdot once saw a starving boy steal a loaf of bread from the
Bakery, his flight halted by the presence of two cityguards at the gate. Gdot
imagined they would scold him, force him to return the bread, and try to
improve his path in life or something like that, but they instead cut him
down where he stood and confiscated the bread he had stolen. It wasn't that
Gdot thought this was a terrible and immoral thing, nor did she think it
meant the guards were evil - it was just different to her. A facet of
existence she was unfamiliar with, a location where death was something
waiting around the corner (at times, literally) if you weren't careful or
failed to act according to the tailored laws of the city.

The crowds could be discomforting at times too. Even if someone attempted to
escape to the park, hoping for alone time, there are tons of beggars and
children wandering around in it at all times of the day. The city, order, the
Tribunal - they could make a great city, but they couldn't really let it
flourish. It's like a painter being allowed to only use a few colors, making
the overall finished product less vibrant, less encompassing. Having decided
she learned all she could from city-life, Gdot quit her job and dashed out
into the Feanwyn Weald hoping to learn whatever the forest could offer.

Role

Chapter 2

Gdot looked back, frowning to herself as she imagined her family's reaction
to her 'fleeing the scene'. She knew she would do nothing but embarrass and
frustrate them if she attempted to continue her potential career as a guard.
She would either fail or die trying, neither bringing her family any
recompense. This, she determined, was the best course. They could have
another child; they could shoulder all of the blame on to her and thereby
save themselves from any extreme public humiliation.

She wasn't exactly sure what she would do, at that point. She was only about
fifty years old, a child in Gnome years. She liked tinkering, of that she was
sure, and her mind was sharp and filled with a wisdom not typically inherent
in those her age. Travelling south, she stumbled through the mountains with
the elegance of a Copeham Inn drunkard and found herself in the plains east
of Udgaard. She waddled up to an enormous wild looking man who was covered in
tattoos and had a huge nose-ring, only a loincloth covering his body. She
hesitantly got closer, asking him as politely as possible "Hello there mister
enormous tough man. I'm a bit lost and I was trying to reach civilization."

The large man turned his head towards her slowly, his eyes bulging as veins
became visible on his forehead. "Civ. Vih. Luh. Zay. Shun?" he grunted to
her.

Using her razor sharp deduction skills, she observed his appearance: lacking
clothing, tattoos similar to those she studied in hillcrest that represented
natural symbols, a nose-ring, rough and grungy skin that obviously hasn't
been bathed, scars from battles, and an aggressive response from the mention
of civilization.

Gdot grinned to herself, leaning forward with a bit of confidence and said
"You must be a lost Magistrate!"

A crow who was just about to swoop down on an unsuspecting word froze briefly
in the air, surprised by the commotion coming from the ground below. Looking
towards the source, the crow saw a very short gnome in a brown robe running
desperately away from a frothing Oneheart. The Gnome was quickly chased into
Udgaard, the Oneheart stopping his charge at the sight of the city gates.

The crow cocked its head.

Role

Chapter 1

"Gdot! Gdot? Gdot, come out this instant, where are you?" The shouting Gnome
stepped slowly around the living room of his house in Hillcrest. He was
obviously annoyed: a furrowed brow and sharp frown present on his face. Beads
of sweat began to trickle down his forehead as he yelled again "Damnit, Gdot,
GET OUT HERE!".

A shuffling sound came in response to his screaming. A small gnome, feebler
than others her age, fumbled out of the hallway into the living room. Her
clothes looked a little too big for her and she was wielding a wooden sword
(if wielding is an appropriate term for how she held it). She looked down as
she entered, her lips pouting outwards as she moved towards her father.

"Gdot, damnit, I told you to be ready half an hour ago. You're going to the
fighting lessons or you're going to get a whooping. I don't care if you don't
want to go, it's decided."

"But father" the Gnome whined, "I really have no interest in fighting. I'm
not any good at it. I'll just embarrass myself and bring more shame to you".
She clumsily brandished the wooden weapon, wincing and yelping as it hit her
hard on her forehead.

"Listen to me Gdot, the Darkofe name has been a famed part of the Hillcrest
guards since our first generation moved here, ages ago. I'll not have our
name suddenly disappear due to the preferences of a single daughter. You'll
get good, it's in your blood."

Immortal Comments

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