A message for Drak

S

sltwolf

Newbie
If you feel we can stand each other's presence for five minutes, we will speak. I will wait for you in the haven of the Bastion at the turn of every new moon.

-Wolf
 
Speaking of which --

If the invitation remains open, Drak, I intend to come visit you and your kin within the Ash Forest when I return to Icenia. Perhaps we shall find some buffalo.


- Sevaria
 
By "speak" I mean lay cold steel on each other. Something I've owed you now for many years. If we see each other again, I intend on settling our grudge. I have kept silent far too long and under the advice of the Chieftain I will not dishonor myself or these dying lands by bringing unneeded hatred into areas of peace.
 
Sevaria,

I will contact you privately about meeting in the forest. I'm sure I can find some time away from my duties with the Amani Rangers to walk the woods with you. I'm sure my tribe would be glad to have you in their midst when duty calls me away.

Drak DarkTalon
Amani Ranger
 
Wolf,

Unlike you I'm a healer and have only marginal skill as a warrior. Very brave of you to challenge me to a clash of steel. I would not agree to such a thing, though I would certainly invite you to attack me so I might death you and watch your bloated corpse rot into decay. Regardless, nature shall claim you soon enough and your boundless stupidity shall be your own undoing. I just hope it does so before you cause more deaths of others.

You had your chance to confront me a few days past. You did not. My home is not in the tainted lands of Syraandor and my duty lies in the Ash Forest. If you are so dead set on avenging some imagined wrong, why not come find me? I think little upon you except when someone requests I life you. Then I decline. I only lament that there is a squidhead that had to go to bed hungry due to the inadequate size of your brain.

Drak
 
My intention wasn't to insult you further or threaten your life. As for the proposed duel, I recalled you being very quick to grab a bow and fire upon me when we met. My mistake for thinking a bit more highly of your potential skills. Deaths of others? What? Who has fallen because of me?

Yes, I had a chance to confront you but if you recall my legs were a bit on the withered side. And when I had planned to end our feud we would be face to face, not face to knee. When I recovered I returned to the tavern to find you all but gone. Again. Instead of putting you out of my mind for another five years I thought I'd try to reach out this time. And yes, you wronged me but clearly I have wronged you in some other horrible manner. It is custom with my people to settle disputes with honor combat. Regardless of the victor, the matter afterwards remains settled and both parties act like adults. Since we are both obviously still children, it looks like we'll have to settle this some other way.
 
Wolf, you talk a lot for someone that is supposed to be from a race of actions not words.

I have no interest in your honor combat. Fighting you in a silly duel will not make you any smarter nor any more respectful of others. While I may act like a child at times, I do not endanger others or make stupid and selfish choices. The difference between the "children" we are is, when I act like a child, people laugh and are amused. When you act like a child, people die.

I was around all weekend. We stood in front of the tavern at the same time when nothing was going on. Where was your request for honor combat then?

I will not waste what little martial prowess I have on a pointless duel that will prove nothing. I'll save it for liches and vampires and dreadlords...strangely I killed one of each while you lay on the ground withered.

Be thankful that I choose to only waste words on you and not steel or spells. I have limited steel and spells. I save those for people in need and do not waste them frivolously as you have proven to. And unlike you, words do not bother me. Not getting lifed would bother me, but having you angry with me doesn't really cause that to happen.

I'm sure it's very possible you will feel I'm a coward for refusing your drivel of a challenge. But I can live with that and don't really care. My honor lies in the laws of nature and the forest, not the laws and customs made up by man, elf, Vansir or any other. If you continue in your stupidity, nature will claim you far sooner than those that see to gain wisdom.

I life people and heal people. You bludgeon people (poorly I might add) with a sword. I am confident in my actions and the path that I have chosen. You obviously are not. Perhaps instead of throwing out mindless challenges for combat, you should take some time in a peaceful place and reflect on the path you tread. Being Vansir does not mean you must be a reckless berserker with no reason. I have met wise and thoughtful men and women of your race. Perhaps you should seek to be one of them instead of living a life full of senselessness.

Drak
 
Drak,

You have no honor and you are a coward. You have disgraced yourself by shooting someone in the back to settle an old score. Hope for your own sake we do not cross paths in the future.


Gaedun Kar'dan
 
Gaedun,

This matter is between Wolf and Drak, and should remain that way no matter what actions either of them take. Drak did not shoot Wolf in the back over "an old score," but did so at the time it happened almost five years ago. It is up to Wolf to deal with that however he chooses.

Honor combat is not the way of the Vansir, no matter how many times people spout that nonsense. Skori is an ogrish tradition that many people who like bloodshed seem to prefer over sitting down and talking matters out. Drak is no coward for refusing to fight, though I would urge him to take the time to sit and hear Wolf's words, if my young friend has any that do not involve threats.

Whatever the case, this is not your place to interfere, Gaedun. And to threaten Drakonios as you have done, even subtly, may be seen by my friend the Justicar as a form of assault. Please do not do anything foolish. Senseless violence solves nothing.

It has been nearly half a decade. I urge both Wolf and Drak to sit when next both are at the same tavern and settle their dispute like grown men and not angry pups. We have enough enemies in the Deadlands -- we do not need to be at each others' throats.

Ator Thunder-Bringer
 
Actually I shot him in his chest, several times. And in front of all of Chiram's Hollow. Strangely, no one moved to stop me.

You also leave out that it was AFTER Heresy and I went into Jotunheim to save him and several others who stupidly followed him on a mission of selfishness. He and his group lay at the feet of Jotuns who would keep them as slaves and it was my actions that saved them from that fate. After wasting many life spells and other spells to rescue their pathetic group, he went immediately back into Jotunheim against my protests. When he returned, I shot him several times until he fell upon the ground. He should feel honored that I deigned to waste arrows shot from the Dire Bow into his worthless carcass. There were plenty of healers about to heal him.

And later that day, good people ressurected and one even permanently died because resources were wasted on his selfishness.

This is the truth of the matter and I will never forgive Wolf for it. People died because of his stupidity. Five years is a long time for a short lived race, but it seems five years was too short for Wolf to find any wisdom.

Ator was once a young reckless Vansir. But he took the time to seek wisdom and listen to others and not to wantonly indulge his base desires, anger and selfishness. I give him great credit for taking on the ponderous task of trying to teach people like Wolf, as I would not have the patience for such a fruitless trial.

And Gaedun, if our paths cross you will surely have the advantage of surprise if you attempt to harm me, as I have no idea who you are. I now shake in my mocassins and will cry myself to sleep in fear each night until that day. Hopefully you will find it in your heart to show mercy to a frail, weak elf such as myself.

Drakonios DarkTalon
 
Enough of this. Obviously Drak is missing some of this story and I no longer wish to talk about this over a public forum. If Drak decides to show, then we'll talk in person. If not, I won't lose any sleep over it.
 
What part am I missing? Where you threw an artifact used to defend all of Chiram's Hollow down a well to selfishly try and bring back your permanently dead friend? The cycle claimed your friend's spirit for a reason, it should be left where it is. You do him and the world a great disservice by trying to bring him back. Look at what happened by bringing back Galloway from permanent death. Something else is ALWAYS brought back and it is never something good. The permanently dead should remain so...always. I have lost friends and relations and I will never seek to bring any back. I will see them again someday when my time in this Forest is at an end and I enter the Elder Wood.

You began this in a public forum Wolf, and it seems when the truth begins to come out, you would hide from it. I do not seek to hide my words or actions from anyone's eyes. I do not threaten you or challenge you to useless "honor" combats. But I will let people know the foolish things you have done and that they should be wary of you, as you are a danger to all around you. You are the biggest danger to yourself, but that may be a self correcting problem.

Call me coward. Say I have no honor. I do not care. I protect people, heal them and bring their spirit back to their body when their spirit has not yet departed this life. Only the Forest shall judge me and I am confident that I am in its good graces. You have lost my protection and healing, which I freely give to everyone of good heart and intention. You have earned my disdain. But despite all this, you have not earned my enmity. If you wish to is up to you.

Drak
 
Fine, you want to get into this here? Let's do it.

First of all, that was not even remotely the reason the TOWN and I went into Jotunheim. The decision to go was not a unilateral one made by me to foolishly and selfishly try to bring back a permanently dead friend. I would not EVER risk the majority of the town for my own needs. You talk to anyone who used to reside in the Hollow and you will find that I have selflessly given up my life many times to save the inhabitants of the town. I even at one time offered to permanently give up my race, one thing I am more proud of than anything else, so that the goblins of the forest would not join the legions of Grimfang's army. The group of VOLUNTEERS and I went to Jotunheim to seek the Well of Wisdom. Yes Drak, every single person who stepped through that portal knew the risks that lay beyond. Before we left, I thanked each and every one of them for coming with me. We were presented with a once in a life time opportunity to learn the secrets to putting down the biggest threat to all vansir kind and in turn, the rest of the Fortannis including your home. Perhaps you can begin to see why I could not just turn around and leave once we were there. I even told your group of rescuers to head back and leave without me. I did not want to put further danger to the group.

You seem to think you know me and to judge me from the actions of one mistake. Yes, I admit it was a mistake to get angry when I found out my friend Tommy may have been trapped in Jotunheim because of me. I lashed out in anger. Not because I am some savage, selfish, heartless monster but because I knew I could not live with myself knowing I had potentially caused his death. You then proceeded to pummel me with arrows while I stood there and took them. You know why nobody moved to stop you, or why nobody went after you to punish you for your blatant crime. BECAUSE I TOLD THEM NOT TO. I understood why you did it and that you needed to unleash the anger you felt. I often times feel the same way. There was no cause to get anyone else involved.

Later that evening you are correct. Someone trailed a massive lizard mummy and some as***le undead into town. No manner of life spells or other battle magic could have stopped what quickly ensued. With the exception of a few who rushed into the woods, the entire town lay dead in the aftermath, including myself. I had to watch Trin'ea be eaten alive as my sword scraped harmlessly over the mummy's body. But if for a moment you think their deaths are on my hands, you are a fool. Considering me the sole party responsible for that is just ridiculous.

The thing you need to understand is that in the Hollow we did not defend or heal others to show the power we had over one another or meaningless gestures like that. We freely gave ourselves to each other because it was the right thing to do, regardless of our feelings. I forgot you are not from our lands. I took you for granted. I had just assumed I would have the full backing of the town in any decision I made, right or wrong. Even if it's too late now, I appreciate what you did for us and for me specifically. I apologize Drakonios.

I don't consider you a coward and likely never would. I had no intentions of brutalizing you or fighting you if you did not consent. I only meant to try to bridge the gap between us. I believe that's all I wanted to say. Take it as you will.
 
Your memory of events are different than mine. Your "esteem" amongst the townsfolk of Chiram's Hollow is a matter of pointless debate. Needless to say, our opinions on that do not match either. As for all the Hollow's inhabitants backing you and looking out for each other selflessly, the counter examples to this are too great to list. It is surely a fine ideal, but it is not the reality of the situation.

Are you telling me that you did not go into Jotunheim to bring back your high orc friend? If you did not, then people have certainly spread misinformation about you, people of YOUR former town. Many people told me they were angry with you for throwing some artifact that belonged to the community down a well to gain selfish knowledge. Regardless of the truth of this matter, that is what was told to me by several.

I wasted life spells to rescue you, or in truth, to rescue Tova. You came back to town, out of Jotunheim and then went back in after you had been soundly thrashed. I guess the fact that I dispatched 3 or 4 of the most powerful jotuns there made it easier the second time you went in.

And you do bear guilt for Trinea's permanent death and for the ressurections. I bear the burden as well, as I left the Hollow in anger and was not there when the mummy and his minions attacked. A mummy that a mere six of us had defeated in his lair earlier in the day. I will live the rest of my centuries bearing that burden. It is shameful that you do not see the part your rash and stupid actions played. The events of that day will surely weigh heavily upon the scales of judgment on the days we face our permanent deaths.

Our views of that day a short five years ago are very different, and that is to be expected. I want nothing to do with you. Neither have I sought out true confrontation with you nor to do you purposeful harm. But neither do I care if you live or die and that is likely to remain unchanged. I will leave you to your own devices so long as you leave me to mine.

Drak
 
I did not enter Jotunheim to bring back Deric Blackheart. I was actively seeking a way to revert his undead dreadlord form in that relative time frame but it in no way held any weight behind the decision to go. Perhaps this is the confusion.

But back to the matter at hand. We do have skewed versions of the events that happened that day. But you are wrong, I feel the burden of every spirit that dies under my watch. I would never debate this. Having taken some time to understand your prospective and listening to the words of Ator, I believe we can both agree that because of our conjoined actions, an unnecessary strain was put on the town.

Regardless of what I believed the "town's" philosophies to be, know that those statements are how I chose to live out my days. I seek no more aid from you unless you give it freely in kindness. The difference between me and you--despite all the hate and ill words, I would still give my life to save yours without hesitation. It was how I was raised. And on the memories of the great vansir tribes I will honor them by keeping with this tradition.

Goodbye Drakonios DarkTalon. Perhaps one day you will realize the futility of our altercation and we will greet each other as friends.

May you find peace,
-Silent Wolf
 
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