[pnpgm] Update #83

[J Hooten]

<oops I missed changing to the list before sending! For some reason it 
thinks reply is just to the person.>

Raban "We are safe enough for the moment, save your magic for 
emergencies, I can wait a while longer. So there is magic to craft armor 
from Shadows? That is not one I have heard of before, but then my magic 
knowledge is quite limited. If it is an easy one to do, could it also 
make a bow strong enough to use my strength? I have worked on such 
myself but so far my skill has not been up to making one strong enough. 
I suspect wood alone is not enough and I am unskilled with working 
metals. Of course bows have not been very useful here, so likely it is 
of no import. I thank you for sharing your wisdom, there is much I need 
to learn."

john haight wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>    Arawn can cast Shadow Sculpt to create armor for Raban (and anyone 
> else who feels they need it. I think eveyone else is armored but I'm 
> not sure about Fremea. Does Fremea need any armor?). I can create any 
> armor for you as I'm almost an EL 80 armorer. The armor will last 2 
> days minimum and I can craft up to 2 shadow items still (might be more 
> now but I'd have to check). Arawn is low on mana but if you don't want 
> to wait until morning he'll cast it now.
>    Let me know what you decide (or if anyone else needs some).
> <Not in RP so cant respond? But Raban can wait, likely he has more HP 
> than many even now.>
>  
>    "I am somewhat drained from our recent activities but I can craft 
> the shadow armor now if you wish. Otherwise I can conjure it after we 
> have rested and are refreshed. Let me know what you wish."</red>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: J Hooten <jhooten at binary.net>
> To: john haight <lithalis at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:42:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [pnpgm] Update #83
>
>
>
> john haight wrote:
>>    "It is good to know that you strive for peaceful resolutions to 
>> situations, Raban. As to when to cross a line, to fight or talk, it 
>> is not always an easily definable line. Life is a precious thing but 
>> we cannot deny death its due. Both are part of the great cycle, for 
>> all life subsists on the lives of other things. The hunter eats his 
>> prey just as the prey feeds on the lives of plants. It is not an 
>> issue of whether an action is right or wrong, it is an issue of 
>> motivation, why we choose the action.
>>    If I were to tell you that a man violently slaughtered a group of 
>> women in his home, how do you judge that? Did he do wrong? If he 
>> lured them there and forced himself upon them before killing them he 
>> would be condemned. But what if they had broken into his home and 
>> attempted to kill him and his family out of jealousy? Now is he in 
>> the wrong?
>>    In either situation the women died, the difference wasn't in the 
>> man's choice of action but why he did it, his motivation. One was 
>> selfish, fueled by lust and violence, while the other was done out of 
>> a need to protect himself and his loved ones.
>>    You, like all of us, have motivations. Do you know your 
>> priorities? Do you know why you do what you do, on deep level? You 
>> seek to protect women above all others, so it seems. Why? Do you 
>> cherish them above all, if so, why?
>>     Or do you seek penance for something in your past that haunts 
>> you? Are you protecting them because you've yet to resolve this? 
>> Aren't all things, or at least men versus women, deserving the same 
>> level of respect, protection, and love? Is a man or child truly less 
>> deserving of your protection than a woman?
>>    Or is it that you feel that women are weak? Strength comes in many 
>> packages, not just in our arms and legs.
>>    It could be one of the above, a mix, or none at all but ask 
>> yourself why you make the decisions that you do and then after 
>> finding the answer, dig deeper to find the root emotion behind it, 
>> the motivation and prioritize them. Raban, the saying goes, we all 
>> have two wolves within us, one good- love, hope, compassion, truth, 
>> and wisdom- and one bad - anger, hate, jealousy, resentment, and 
>> deceit. These wolves fight daily, who wins depends on which wolf you 
>> choose to feed.
>>    If you still seek penance I suggest you ponder my words and decide 
>> if you truly need it. In my mind I do not think so but only you can 
>> remove the stain on your heart and free the voices of your past. All 
>> anyone else can do is offer you the tools to aid you in this, they 
>> cannot free you from yourself.
>>    As to whether or not to armor yourself, there is no wrong in it. 
>> All things fight for their lives, do so knowing that you are striving 
>> to do good things and to protect those who cannot protect themselves 
>> and you must be armed and armored- physically, spiritually, and 
>> morally- when you must face a challenge and have no recourse but to 
>> fight. Choose your actions knowing your motivations, focus on love 
>> and respect for life, remain principled and you should have little 
>> reason to doubt your choice of actions."
> Raban listens carefully to all Arawn says before replying "The 
> motivations of people I understand far too much. I would be upset for 
> either reason as there should have been means to prevent their deaths. 
> And even if the ladies were doing wrong, did they not have their own 
> reasons? Jealousy of a group of women versus one man and his family 
> would seem to imply the man was not so innocent of wrong doing. But I 
> understand I cannot assume all women are innocent, so even though I 
> will want to protect them it may not always be the right thing. I was 
> raised in a troop of traveling entertainers and as such I have 
> experienced much of the dark side of man. Guards and Town leaders are 
> often corrupt and demand bribes or more, it is not every town but a 
> majority of them. There are good people out there as well but most do 
> not help others in need. So I have dealt with criminals of many sorts 
> and many proved more trustworthy than guards or nobles. I have seen 
> the fate of young girls who are pretty but poor or even young boys. We 
> had to watch all our people, our 'family', so they would not be taken 
> away for some rich persons personal entertainment as foreigners are 
> always considered fair game as less likely to be 'trouble'. Sometimes 
> it is not the obviously corrupted people who are the danger just 
> someone who saw an opportunity, or as you said that wolf was fed. But 
> I have broken our own laws, I killed a murderer who was important 
> enough to draw vengeance. So even though my action was justified, I 
> had to be punished so that others would not be... Most who commit 
> crimes are not bad people, but some are truly evil. It would not have 
> taken much for me to have become such a person, as most expect it just 
> looking at me, just because I am different. I enjoy proving them 
> wrong. But I have to watch my own actions as I could be tricked into 
> doing wrong. So I must be a good judge of people to know who I should 
> believe or trust or at least know when force is not required. The 
> ladies here are complex and hard to read, not always 'good' but not 
> 'bad' either. Some have been hurt badly in the past and not just 
> physically, yet are still trying to do what is right. I am sure they 
> would not be seen as good people by many cultures and such judgment 
> would be for the wrong reasons. My goddess is not one that requires me 
> to be one of the morally good people by most standards, but neither 
> does she wish for me to be a bad one. I help those who need it, teach 
> were I can, entertain all that I can and enjoy the company of women. 
> It is not a bad life even though there are many risks to it. I think 
> you are right, even though I am hurting people as long as I don't 
> start liking it I should not become a monster. Becoming even harder to 
> stop may just allow me to reduce the hurt I do instead of increasing 
> it. Thank you... Now I am left with how to apply what magic I have for 
> others benefit? I have plenty that I rarely use and I am being shown 
> that such may be improper. But my training did not include very many 
> spells that see common use. If I cannot find the right spells I need 
> to find a way to give the ones who need it some of my unused power. I 
> have cast a few blessings and could do more of those, defensive ones I 
> am sure Miryan would allow even for the men."
>>  
>>    Arawn paused and smiled quietly,
>>  
>>    "I do not know if my words are eloquent enough for you, if my 
>> message has been properly worded, but when this is done, if you are 
>> not in a hurry, there are some you might wish to study with. In the 
>> forests to the west lies a Sacred Forest guarded by a Forestal, a 
>> Green Lady, and an Archdruid and his disciples, including a Bard that 
>> is friend to us.. They are dedicated to the Court of Life, the 
>> Neutral Path, and in that place all life is sacred. They can teach 
>> more than I think I will be able to. Let me know if you wish to 
>> travel there and I will happily sponsor you before them."
> Raban smiles, "I am already a follower of that path, actually its a 
> related one. The Gods of those paths are the same even though they 
> have different names. It gets confusing, as a Bard my memory was well 
> trained but that does not mean I understand all I know. But it would 
> not be inappropriate to visit these people and maybe they can continue 
> my training, though I will still need to visit my own Druids at times. 
> I was given permission to travel widely, more so than most Bards of my 
> rank do. I go where my goddess directs me in my heart or as events 
> dictate at other times. Its a winding road but I have helped many that 
> would otherwise have gone without."
>>  
>>    Arawn can cast Shadow Sculpt to create armor for Raban (and anyone 
>> else who feels they need it. I think eveyone else is armored but I'm 
>> not sure about Fremea. Does Fremea need any armor?). I can create any 
>> armor for you as I'm almost an EL 80 armorer. The armor will last 2 
>> days minimum and I can craft up to 2 shadow items still (might be 
>> more now but I'd have to check). Arawn is low on mana but if you 
>> don't want to wait until morning he'll cast it now.
>>    Let me know what you decide (or if anyone else needs some).
> <Not in RP so cant respond? But Raban can wait, likely he has more HP 
> than many even now.>