Zulf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
leaveyourstarburning) wrote2012-06-26 10:41 pm
leaveyourstarburning) wrote2012-06-26 10:41 pm
003. [Video]
[Zulf finds it easier to post at night, away from the bustle of daily activity; it feels far less like he's shouting over everyone else, and more like he can just speak his mind.
He's kept mostly to himself today, distancing himself from Zia and simply spending long periods of time sitting alone near one of the small streams winding its way through the trees, allowing her to explore as much as she liked without nagging her to be careful; it was unlike him, perhaps, but he hadn't exactly been too open with his thoughts on the Bastion, either. The Calamity had sobered him a good amount; what had happened afterwards...well. It wasn't anything to be talked about, either.
He should be used to losing people by now; he isn't sure what to do with the fact that he probably never will be.
The feed hums alive to depict one of the routes, though it's difficult to tell which; there's a rather large magenta...mass behind him, curled up and appearing to be breathing - those that are familiar with Scolipede's coloring may recognize it. Zulf had simply found its ball among his belongings, taking up that sixth slot after he had finally given in and left one of the creatures he had obtained in the box, given that he didn't have the heart to keep it in the ball when it was within plain sight and that hadn't been an option around his previous company.
He had scanned it with the PokéDex, as he had been instructed to; its name was Hanako.
Original Trainer...]
I don't know how many others here knew this man; for those that did, Kariya Matou is no longer in Johto.
He will be missed greatly; may he feel Mother's love and protection, even now that he's returned to his home world.
[And that is, quite frankly, all.]
He's kept mostly to himself today, distancing himself from Zia and simply spending long periods of time sitting alone near one of the small streams winding its way through the trees, allowing her to explore as much as she liked without nagging her to be careful; it was unlike him, perhaps, but he hadn't exactly been too open with his thoughts on the Bastion, either. The Calamity had sobered him a good amount; what had happened afterwards...well. It wasn't anything to be talked about, either.
He should be used to losing people by now; he isn't sure what to do with the fact that he probably never will be.
The feed hums alive to depict one of the routes, though it's difficult to tell which; there's a rather large magenta...mass behind him, curled up and appearing to be breathing - those that are familiar with Scolipede's coloring may recognize it. Zulf had simply found its ball among his belongings, taking up that sixth slot after he had finally given in and left one of the creatures he had obtained in the box, given that he didn't have the heart to keep it in the ball when it was within plain sight and that hadn't been an option around his previous company.
He had scanned it with the PokéDex, as he had been instructed to; its name was Hanako.
Original Trainer...]
I don't know how many others here knew this man; for those that did, Kariya Matou is no longer in Johto.
He will be missed greatly; may he feel Mother's love and protection, even now that he's returned to his home world.
[And that is, quite frankly, all.]
[Video.]
Let me start by saying that praying to the gods isn't something that one does when they only want blessings - I understand that in other cultures, the gods are seen as existing to protect or intercede for human beings, while that isn't quite how it works, as our beliefs go. The gods' rule is one of opposites - of concepts that are both conflicting and complimentary. It's along the lines of how darkness and light are opposing forces, but one can't exist without the presence of the other. For example, Pyth is the god of both chaos and order; in order to have true order in your life, you have to know chaos. Praying to Pyth will grant you blessings only if you've earned them - and the blessings are great if you're in the gods' favor. But there's no need to despair if you aren't, as praying to the gods is also a way to ask for a trial to purify yourself - to ensure that you're worthy of their blessing and make you a better person overall. Praying to Pyth in order to ultimately gain stability in your life won't result in the removal of any obstacles standing in the way of that stability, but it will result in a trial that will give you the strength to remove the obstacle yourself, if you choose to complete it.
Basically, the gods are our guardians, not our keepers.
[He pauses again, thinking.]
Well, I've already told you a bit about Pyth, so I'll start there. He's the god of commotion and order, as I said, taking the form of a bull. The Caels seem most fond of Pyth, as they adorn their walls with bronze statues and make plush toys in his likeness; the Ura don't agree with that, as a practice.
Yudrig is known as the Morning Stallion, the god of impulse and bravery, drawing his power from the dawn, the rising of the sun; he provides the courage to start anew and forge new paths.
Lemaign is the Mason King, and the god of hope and despair. He's considered the patron of soldiers - they would often pray to Lemaign before war, that they might be granted morale and not succumb to hopelessness in the face of adversity.
Garmuth, the Crippled Duke, is the god of purpose and folly. He lacks traditional senses that might keep one from seeing the truth for what it is; he experiences the world on a metaphysical level, giving council to the humble and the wise.
Roathus is the god of thirst and plenty, known as the Gorging Host. Constantly consuming, yet never satisfied, called upon to help with burdens such as extreme depression or overambition - things that prevent you from being unable to find happiness in your life regardless of being provided for.
Jevel is the Tower Keeper, taking the form of a person with two faces - a youth in his prime and an old man. He's the god of health and atrophy; fairly straightforward, really.
Olak is the Carefree Son, a boy who never ages because he lives outside the reach of time. The god of chance and whim; he's said to control that which is beyond the control of most.
The remaining three are goddesses - Hense is the Veiled Widow, her body covered in scratches and scars beneath her robes, but despite all her injuries she's joyful; she's the goddess of pain and pleasure.
Acobi is the Chastened Maid, the goddess of oath and abandon, taking the form of a woman in chains and shackles that she formed with her own hands; the patron of freedom in moderation, no one binds her but herself.
Micia is the Lorn Mother, the creator of all and the head of the pantheon. She removed her heart to create the world, replacing it with something known as the Star of Caelondia. She's the goddess of loss and longing; perhaps the most important duality that exists for us.
[He stops then, seeming to realize exactly how long he's been going on; his words have become incredibly rapid, almost excited - it's clear that he rather likes the topic, at least.]
...I'm sorry for having gone on so long; does that answer your questions?
[Video.]
In other words, this is beautiful to him. And Zulf's excitement only fuels Gorthan's own as he listens.]
How... how fascinating! It really is as if your gods embodied both opposite extremes in order to bring balance into your lives...
I have one more question, however, if you do not mind. You seem to conceive them as extremely... physical, with very definite appearances, so I wonder... how much of a presence do they have in your every day lives? Have they ever appeared to someone who had prayed to them?
[Video.]
I know they've made their presence known to us, but I can't say for certain how that came about - they don't regularly appear to us, though, no, and as I've said, they're our guardians, not our keepers.
[Video.]
Moreover... only three goddesses out of ten deities... don't you think that is quite the disparity? And there is something tragic about all three figures, a kind of empowerment in submission, as paradoxical as that is... Ah, I am sorry. Is it even acceptable to think in these terms? It is your religion, after all...
[Video.]
Ah...I've heard worse, believe me...but bear in mind that they aren't considered fictional to those who practice the religion, and as such it doesn't matter if it's a disparity or not - it's simply how things are.
[Video.]
Do you have a personal favorite among them? If I may ask.
[Video.]
I find myself seeking Mother's guidance most often nowadays.
[Video.]
Even in a completely unknown world, you believe she can hear your prayers...
... that must be a beautiful certainty you have. The supernatural entity my species turns to in times of need is not even properly supernatural - it is the spirit of our planet and society. In a universe where those two things do not exist, I reckon that praying to it makes absolutely no sense.
[Video.]
And who is to say that your planet doesn't exist in this universe? There may be differences between this world and your own, but it's possible that the differences deal with time, not existence - perhaps something changed to render your planet undiscovered by those of this one, or the other way around, but that isn't to say that it doesn't exist at all.
[Video.]
But tell me more about yourself. What have you accomplished, since the last time we talked? What places have you seen?