A fight for alight.

Dear Journal,

Been a while since I had some time for my 'personal' pursuits.

Among the Cerulean Ranks, they treat me like a doll.

'Do not put yourself into a danger',
'You have great calligraphy',
'It would be a shame if something happened to your beautiful robe',

... and so on.

Reports & papers they give me to fill with corrections are numerous, to put it mildly.

This evening, however, I've set things in motion, or at least attempted to do so.

I've decided to pursue fight against the darkness that inhabits the land, and started with a 'Light' cantrip spell.

My boy-friend, Anheim, told me once:

'With weapons one can defeat terrorists, but with education one can defeat whole terrorism. Those who practice terrorism are often desperate, unable to help their families in their poor plight. So they sacrifice themselves in a fight against those whom they believe to be oppressors, causes of their families poor living'.

I will use my charms and wisdom in this fight, educating and acting as a diplomat.


... my pet-peeve is so called 'cause for greater good', where priests of some so-called 'good deities' educate their followers to not hesistate to sacrifice the meek when the numerous majority needs to prevail, and there's no other way.


I'll try to be like one of more famous of eastern geishas (women companions), who had a smile and kind words even for the meekest and worst.

... I'll not let myself be abused, however.

... We'll see how things will unfold.

-- Yours, Chea Allin, a Witch and a Seeker of Enlightened Energies.


P.S. I'll try to create some enlightening arts. One could question how Art can bring enlightenment... but well, we are Mind and have Bodies... and looking at the Art can change one's Mind State. I've heard that sometimes Mind State changes can completely alter one's perceptions, and in effect - the whole world in which one lives. People should not underestimate meaning of the Arts, I think.

Lights of Kelemvor (Anheim's Tale).

-=- Candle Lake. -=-

There's the difference between faiths of the West and contemplative lore of the Kara-Tur (Far East).

In the West, it's considered that after one's death, after a time in the Fugue Plane, one's soul may depart to it's deity, with help of the deity of death and dead - Kelemvor. Kelemvor promoted that death was a natural part of life and should not be feared as long as it was understood.

I am trying to integrate lessons of East and West, reading and contemplating a lot. I think that after death and a (usually long) time in the one's deity plane, one continues the seemingly endless cycle of deaths and rebirths. Western thought states that one sits at deity's plane for Eternity, but I think that no Heaven or Hell is Eternal. I think and believe that one can escape the cycle of deaths and rebirths by meditating and living accordingly.


My studies led me to compose a Rite to be performed on Kelemvor's holy day... A rite of ascetic meditation, that leads and culminates in putting candles in tiny wooden boats and letting them float in a swampy forest lake.

... long story short, the lights of these candles would guide the minds and souls of the dead to their deities, with the aid of Kelemvor.

But that's not the end - as the lights would ease the suffering of one's mind and soul after the time at their deity's plane ends. The lights would make one suffer less as he or she leaves deity's custody, and - even more importantly - guide one's mind to the lessons about Karma and Samsara, to the lessons about Cause & Effect, to the lessons that include the Cycle of Reincarnations and Rebirths. These lessons include the practices of Mantrayana (way of speaking mantras) and the practice of Meditation.

... I'll start performing the Rite on my own, once I am ready.

-- Anheim, Yogin Warrior of Sun and Moon, and a Student of the Cycle of Deaths & Rebirths.

Evil in the Fort Fish (Kenna's Tale).

Since years, there's a place in Nars Pass, where monstrous humanoids like Kuo Toa resided. It's a small fort, named: 'Fort Fish'. They were friendly and succesfully negotiated with local authorities permission to find shelter there.

But there was some of 'bad blood' between forces of Aura Runedar (nearby dwarven settlement, in a cave in Norwick), Norwick and Fort Fish.

Recently however, things did change.

About a month ago I was approached by Priesthood of Waukeen (Waukeen is a deity of wealth and trade), from a Temple near my Dojo. The Priestess said that denizens of Fort Fish have been doing bullying innuendo on passing merchants, requesting tribute. This did ruin businesses of small enterpreneurs, of small traders.

I, and few others, were asked to deliver the message to the Fort Fish, requesting them to relocate somewhere far, before someone kills them.

We went there as requested.

With the help of Dwarven Paladin named 'Silver Chalice' we did find traces of evil in the Fort Fish, and conveyed the message. We said that even if not everyone in the Fort is evil, their leaders are still responsible for doings of a few of miscreants in their ranks.

We did leave and waited for their decision.

Soon we did learn that they found guilty ones in their ranks and put their heads on spears in front of their Fort. Whether they were only guilty ones, or just were blamed for doings of everyone else is another matter.

Also, their leader, named: 'Fish' sent us a letter of reply.

In response, we went there to handle the remaining ones.

Long story short, we found traces of Kuo Toa leaving in hurry, and one guard. We let the guard flee.

There was also profaned altar and statue of Ishtishia (Ishtishia, the Water Lord, is a deity of elemental water and purification). We did smash and break both the profaned altar and statue on it, and killed some outsider creatures there.

Searching the Fort, we found - in dungeon - two seductive demons! One female and one male. They were immobilie, like paralyzed, and were guarded by tainted goblins, that we killed.

We could not kill the demons, even with our magical weapons, but once blood of goblins reached their bodies they did vanish from sight.

Searching further we found a poorly made mining excavation site leading down, but we could not descent further.

Rest of our party decided that dwarves of Aura Runedar will level the place and collapse the mining. Because 'there might be demons popping from the hole'.

We left the place with some treasures, and allied forces of Aura Runedar, Norwick and Peltarch were put to guard the entrance.

We'll see how things will develop from now on.

.. and ah! I found one suspicious, if powerful, ring coming the goblins that guarded the demons.

-- Kenna, 6th Dan Weaponmistress of the Katana Sword, always in training.

From the Far East: The Legend of the Shaolin Temple ... and about the Wudang Mountains & it's Martial Arts (Kenna's Tale).

For many it is only a Legend.

... but I know that it is more than that, that it is in fact the Reality.

In the far east, in Kara-Tur - on the continent of Wa, in the Henan province - there's the Temple of Martial Arts from which all of Martial Arts took roots.

It's name is Shaolin, which means: 'Young Forest'.

As the history tells, in past, the monks of Shaolin were in so poor physical shape, that they kept falling asleep during their meditations.

Then, the monk named Bodhidharma (also known as Daruma), came and gave them physical exercises lessons so their bodies could be in-shape.

Over the centuries, these physical exercises evolved into fighting methods, into martial arts.

This was only practical, as there banditry was abound.

-=- Bodhidharma. -=-


Now considered one of Enlightened Ones, Bodhidharma is famous all over the east, and a little in the west as well.

When I was practicing the Katana Way in Kozakura - island in the Kara-Tur - teachers there introduced me to Bodhidharma's meditation school, called: 'Zen'.

It's important to have calm mind during combat, to have calm mind in every of life's situations.

Also, I think that it's worth to mention about the Wudang Mountains, that are competition to the Shaolin, Martial-Arts-wise.

The Wudang martial arts tradition is linked to the Wudang Mountains and the figure of Zhang Sanfeng, the Taoist hermit, who is said to have developed his martial arts after studying at Shaolin.

Shaolin is known for its emphasis on external, or 'hard' styles, emphasizing strength, speed, and powerful techniques. Wudang, on the other hand, is known for its internal, or 'soft' styles, focusing on balance, harmony, and the cultivation of internal energy (Qi). But this distinction is false to certain extent, as - for example - Shaolin also has a bit of the energy work practices, called the: 'Qi Gong' lessons.

-- Kenna, 6th Dan Weaponmistress of the Katana Sword, always in training.

6th Dan Kendo (Kenna's Tale).

I've been through some ordeals recently, did some exploration, trained heavily... even died and came back thanks to Peltarch's Clergy's Divine Magick.

Usually when one dies and comes back via Divine Magick, one is weakened. But in my case, it gave me motivation for training and recovery.

Going back from fugue plane (outworlds antechamber) cost me 40 000 gold pieces and put strain on my spirit and soul.

But then I've trained and even fought Fire Giants with Jonty (Dwarven Shieldbearer) and David (Human Assassin and Scout).

Judging by my own observations of my qualities, I've met requirements for 6th Dan in the Way of the Katana Sword, in Kendo.

So here I am, back alive and kicking, stronger than ever before.

-- Kenna, 6th Dan Weaponmistress of the Katana Sword, always in training.

--
(( Out of Character: For Martial Arts & Ranks: click to see. ))

Dwarven Equipment (Kenna's Tale).

I was enjoying a bardic performance in the Dancing Mermaid of Peltarch, and then - at performance's finale - bard offered listeners a hint, a hint of adventure and treasures, to be found somewhere in Narfell.

'On the way to darkened places, where only the strangest do dwell, where Dwarves seek the most hideous of faces to slay, where the profane seeking exile where no-one can not find them finds their end without very much style.'

Curious, I went to Kuo-Toa lands and then to the Ettin Caves.

There I did find some vile foes and treasures of Dwarven making. Dispatched the Ettins to the fugue and took the spoils, then carried these to Norwick, to Dwarven Hold, to return the items to their legitimate owners.

-=- Dwarven equipment found. -=-