Description
A tall wirey man is before you glancing about in a graceful and thoughtful
manner. His hair is tied back with a simple bit of twine to which his hair
color matches exactly. His skin is a dark grey in coloring which strikes
you as odd. He is obviously an elf, from his body structure and pointed
ears, but his skin is too light for a dark-elf and too dark for a wood-elf.
You notice that he seems to have a perpetual frown and there are lines near
his eyes most likely from worrying. His face is too smooth to have ever had
hair on it and while his muscles are well-defined, he is not bulky by any
means. You notice that he is dressed in very simple leathers an furs that
appear to be well-worn. Underneath a pair of bushy eyebrows are two bright
blue eyes that appear alive and cheerful contrasting his other features.
Role
A beginning...
Added Sat Jul 17 08:04:53 2004 at level 3:
What makes a human, human? How do you explain our desire to
reproduce, provide basic needs for ourselves and our offspring and
other everyday happenings? Is it a matter of education or what
Mother Nature has planned for us? You might say that Mother
Nature played a key role in my beginning...
I was conceived in a night of passion but also one of fear and pain.
It all occurred on a clear night when an expedition of Dark-elves
spilled forth from the Underdark to raid my mother's former
village. I say former because the events on the night of my
conception destroyed it. My mother, a once young and very
beautiful Wood-elven maiden was out gazing at the stars when the
raiding party struck. She was cut a few times and left tied up while
she was made to watch her village burn. I will not delve deeply into
the events of that night as the only thing that is important is after
she was raped repeatedly and left for dead, my foster father and
mentor happened upon her.
At this point I would like to discuss for anyone that so happens to
find this journal my opinion of the night. Now, while a part of me
holds that what those Dark-elves did was horrible and wrong, I can
see why they would do such. The Dark-elves are born the way they
are and just as any aggressive wild creature will do, they struck out
against nearby "threats" in the manner they were used to. Just as my
conception was based on the lust and need to procreate instilled
upon each creature that blesses this world. In my opinion (and I
state this, for I am sure MANY will disagree with me), the raid on
my village was a natural event. I will leave this subject alone for
now as I plan on writing a longer journal entry on my thoughts and
ponderings.
As I was stating before my divesture from the story, my foster
father found my mother and took care of her injuries, thus saving
her life and mine. He was a local hermit who went by the name of
Ferdalgasp, a man well versed in the lore of the nearby land. My
mother stayed in his cottage recovering until she gave birth to me.
At such time, she passed me into his care fearing how I would be
treated in the great Wood-elf city where she planned to live. I feel
some sadness even to this date that I never had the chance to meet
her to give her thanks for allowing me to live...
Things were not always easy living with Ferdalgasp as he was not
used to raising children. It was a great way for me to learn to think
for myself as I was not pressured by him to accept his beliefs and
those of the Wood-elves. He taught me herb lore, of the animals and
plants but most importantly about the different races of Men. Now
Ferdalgasp was of the opinion that civilization was a horrible thing;
too many people destroying the great wilderness and disrespecting
Mother Nature. I disagree with him, but I will explain my beliefs
soon enough. Suffice to say there were many heated arguments
between the two of us, but never did I let my Dark-elven heritage
take over and strike out at him in anger as I sometimes felt like
doing.
I will end this entry, as my hand begins to tire from writing it, with
one last statement. I am a creation of Mother Nature's will and I
would not change my history in any way.
The Endless struggle of Nature vs. Civilization: A misconception
Added Thu Jul 29 16:34:34 2004 at level 19:
Let me begin by describing the age old struggle as best I know it. By most
definitions, civilization cannot exist with out destroying a part of nature.
Trees are cut down, stones removed from their original location and so on.
Thus, those that promote nature have a natural opposition to those that
create and defend cities and civilizations. The question I wish to ask all
that are reading this is: What did nature truly intend for us as men?
Men are as any other of nature's creatures in that we have certain needs that
must be fulfilled in order for us to survive and prosper. The need that is
relevant to this discussion is the need of all creatures for safety and a place
to live. Many of nature's creatures use her gifts for their homes: a beaver
uses trees and sticks; a wolf makes a den in caves or the ground; birds
create nests in trees; etc. Why should men not make use of her gifts too?
For centuries the different races have used whatever was closest to make
their homes. The dark-elves made use of the stalagmites of the Underdark
while the wood-elves made use of the trees to design their homes. As the
races have evolved and explored, they have come together to different
cities to make their homes as one, to join. It is my belief that this was
nature's design for us; otherwise we would not be able to meld blood into a
half-breed such as myself.
As the races have come together, the different aspects of the separate
cultures have merged together. You have stone working dwarves living
with wood-working elves in one large city. How is using the gifts that
nature provided us with going against nature? We use her gifts as any other
creature, just in a more advanced way in proportion to the greater
intelligence she blessed us with. It is only natural that cities would form
and in no way is nature harmed by their existence.
Yes, trees are cut down to be used and stone excavated from quarries, but
trees will grow again and the stone can be used again. Nature has provided
us with the materials with which to create a safe place for our existence and
we would be doing a disservice to her were we to ignore such gifts.
In conclusion, it is my belief that civilization and nature are not mutually
exclusive, but that civilization is an offspring of nature. We were meant to
live together in cities just as nature's other creatures live in packs. It is my
belief that the war between nature and civilization only exists because it
was started long ago by warmongers and the reason for its existence has
since been forgotten. I will continue in my next journal entry on my
perception of Order and Chaos in nature. Thank you for your time.
-Verdelyeb Ferdalgasp -
Further Explanation on the Relationship between Nature and Civilization
Added Fri Aug 6 16:51:02 2004 at level 22:
In my previous document on the war between nature and civilization I
spoke about how civilization stems from nature. Today, I would like to
further expand on that theory and offer proof as to why it is so. In order to
do so, let us take a look at what civilization is composed of.
The definition of civilization is "a relatively high level of cultural and
technical development." Now, we will assume that all men, in the dawn of
ages, were formed as children of nature (at least in the sense that we act as
other creatures of nature). Being her greatest creation, we were bestowed
with a greater intelligence than any of her other children. This has allowed
us to evolve both physically and mentally thus leading to greater cultural
and technical possibilities, which is the first link between nature and
civilization.
As to our cultures, take a look at the different races. Each race has evolved
and made use of what nature provides to bring into their culture. The stout
bodies of dwarven kind are well suited to work the stone and metals of their
mountainous homes. The Dwarves have taken what nature has provided
them (the resources, strength, etc.) and adapted their society to focus on
forging and stone working.
Another example of nature affecting culture would be that of the Dark-
Elves. Originally a part of the High Elves, the Dark-Elves rebelled and
moved into the bowels of the earth. As such, their culture adapted to their
new environment. In order to provide food, they raise herds of Rothe
which prosper in the Underdark rather than hunting for it. They have a
strict school system in order to ready themselves against the harsh
environment. These are just two examples of the races that take what
nature has provided them with and incorporate it in their culture, which is
the second link between nature and civilization.
For my third and final link between nature and civilization, I shall explain
how nature has affected the technical development of the different races.
All that is needed for this is to take a look at the different cities that have
been built by the races.
Take for example a comparison between the homes of the Svirfnebli those
of the High Elves. While the Svirfnebli were granted a tie to the earth and
as they make their homes underground, they have structured their city
accordingly. They carve out their homes from the stone they excavate in
search of gems and minerals. The Svirfnebli have created tools that help
them mine rather than focusing on wood working, thus nature has dictated
the direction for their technological progress. With their small stature and
strong bodies given by nature, the Svirfnebli are quite at home under the
earth.
In contrast, the High Elves have made their homes under trees and within
them. Their long limbs and dexterous bodies easily allow them to pass
from tree to tree across rope bridges and they feel quite at home there.
Their designs have made use of the gifts of nature by incorporating their
environment into their homes. Each species has made use of its racial traits
given by nature to find an environment suitable to them and then design
technology that allows them to best live there.
A meeting with the Goddess Amaranthe
Added Wed Aug 18 17:23:41 2004 at level 29:
Today I was blessed by the Goddess Amaranthe. She has
opened my eyes to the problem of excess in the cities. She
did not cite specific examples, but merely made me aware
of the possibilities. I shall keep her words in mind during
my duties in the cities to see if there is a major problem
that is harming nature. If nothing else, perhaps I can help
design programs that would minimize the waste and excess
we currently have or to even begin recycling it back into
the earth for nature to make use of. I shall have to see
if any of the city leaders would be willing to discuss such
plans, once I have them formed.