The Seekers of Illumination

[T.G. Oskar]

Hmmm...I'm intrigued by the possibility. Oh, the excitement of expectation!!

...that sounded wrong. Very wrong.

Aaaanyways, with the few final touches, Sinis and I will have the first bout, and with Celtic's intention to participate, would anyone else try to sign in, so that he won't feel so alone? If not, then I suggest a triple set of matches (as in, Sinis-Me, Celtic-Me, Celtic-Sinis) as an alternative. I did saw Aerif making a new character with a very general and wide set of moves. Perhaps a match in the making?

[Aerif]

Mr. Oskar you are a mind-reader!

Yes, I did create an RPB character with intention to actually use her. I hoped to be able to use her with an association of SoI, but saw no openings, I'm about to start a privately-formed match however I tend to work better when I have more than one post to make.

So yes, if Celtic approves then I will use my new character. We're both theoretically the same level at RPB, creative, yet not extremely experianced.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by Aerif

So yes, if Celtic approves then I will use my new character. We're both theoretically the same level at RPB, creative, yet not extremely experianced.

I'll accept once I've made myself a char for the SoI, BUT from looking at a few RPs I somehow get the feeling I'm gonna get my ass handed to me. ><
Sounds fun.

Ah, light themed character... ><
Give me another day.

EDIT: I made my character. Can be found.... here.
http://www.thefinalfantasy.com/forum...&postcount=583

Yeaps, he'll be my SoI RPB char.

[T.G. Oskar]

Well...perhaps not a mind reader, Aerif, but somewhat a summoner. I just mentioned the word and *poof*, suddenly a post appears. Lemme try this...

Fishie...

Fishie...

Fishie...

...we'll see if the results are as I expect, or was just a random coincidence.

Do you think coincidences happen? Or merely forces beyond our frail comprehension cause events to happen? Such as, and not limited to: conspiration of the Universe, vestigial psionics (a.k.a. calling someone with your mind), fate, and others. How much of a "coincidence" is unintentional and unexpected, and how much is really something pulling the strings for it to happen?

As for the characters: I've seen before Sinis' character (Jaffar), and I'm glad he kept the finer points of his background the same (which is, essentially, everything). As for Gabrielle (Aerif), that was pretty fast done, as if you had quite the experience to make a character on the fly that was interesting enough to be played. Consider that talent praised.

Then there's Nate's character. I had quite the question of how a club of Law and a club of Chaos would behave. Good and Evil, the moral extremes, can be easily defined and determined. But Order and Chaos, the ethical extremes, were...too hard to be rationalized. I must congratulate Celtic for his character: it is well thought, how an envoy of Chaos could consciously choose to upheld Good over Evil. I'd really like to see how you go on with fights. Interesting concept...

As for my character, I decided to give it a massive overhaul. Something fitting to consider the fact of leadership and the boosts that come with it. Considering the amount of skills and power degree the rest of the characters there have, I decided that a bit of an overhaul was necessary. I hope that it isn't that much of an overhaul. I got the idea that a character that drew most of his powers through stamina from Eragon: I see it as a very interesting way to: A) explain what is given in exchange when using power in a qualitative way, rather than a quantitative way (it's easier to explain "I'm mighty tired after the spell" than "I lost xxx amount of MP because of the spell"); and B) limit the powers and abilities that may cause a bit of trouble (curative magic and protection wards, as they can unnecessarily prolong the battle) by making the big guns be really costly on stamina. Placing a protective ward and keeping it for a long time, considering the potency of various attacks, can be especially draining; accelerating the natural rate of recovery of the body by a thousand-fold drains resources of the body like uncontrolled hunger, and unconsciousness is the last thing you really want when fighting, so it gives a sense of consideration on whether to use a big-shot power to end things fast, or stall your stamina to land key strikes with lesser abilities. And of course, since recovery of stamina is pretty much hard to do, the element of resource management remains intact.

Hopefully that'll explain my thoughts if you or anyone who sees this considers the character a tad overpowered. I'd likely think not, but rather balanced to the overall power degree of the characters presented there.

[Govinda]

I have come out on top of my little mental episode and, as such, would like to apply again. I know that looking back through past posts makes up part of your procedure, Oskar, and I've got a black mark on my record. All I can say is something happened which set off a lot of things that had been sitting in my head anyway. But I'm back to as close to normal as I ever was now.

I consider myself an altruist because I love life, and everything that lives; trees, cats, people, tea bushes. I would do anything to protect that life, all the little bits of life which give us the wonderment we call Earth. I've always tried my best to do so, and to speak out against injustice whenever and wherever I come across it. It's not part of any belief system, since I don't really have a defined system - I have my own little arrogant code of morals, which places life and the intellectual marvel of justice at the top of my list of Big Things.

I don't really know what else to say, really. I'd like to write an essay for you about Japanese Shinto, if that'd be useful. I've been studying it lately, and I really like the way it seems to go, about kani and all of that - that all life is sacred, and connected, and that trees and the sea deserve respect. That when you die nothing horrific happens to you if you've not been a massive Shinto follower; the fact that you don't need to declare your belief to be recognised by your local temple.

I've never RPB'd in my puff and my RP'ing is decidedly dodgy; but it'd be fun to try, as long as there's somewhere/thread/thing/person which could show me the ropes of RPB. I may be pretty dodgy, but it shouldn't (operative word) be too bad. That and the overwhelming temptation to type I SHOOT YOU YOU DIE if bored (I wouldn't really do that).

Well, that's that. Take care loves.

EDIT: Oh, coincidence; I love it. How cool. Perhaps there's more to it than the butterfly effect and those complicated physics things; I tend not to prod into them, since I like coincidence too much to want to know more, for the moment at least. Circumstance. Does rain automatically make a day bad, or can rain make a first kiss all the more special? What if I hadn't been drawn to live with the people I do; would I be listening to the music I am now? Why did that bin fall over just that asshole on a scooter was speeding by? And how the **** does Hazel from college know my auntie Jacqui? I do love life, I do.

[T.G. Oskar]

Well...seems not to have worked as I thought... Not a summoner, sadly...

@Govi/Pablo (who knew you liked that name more?): Well, I was quite explicit with the rules, but I'll be more than happy to let that episode pass away. See, while you were trying to make ends meet, Celtic and Sinis were doing as possible to explain what was the reason you were a bit absent. Consider, albeit ironic, that while you tried to convince people that Internet is not the way to make friends, two complete (so to say) strangers stood up to you.

Which is, why, I let that one slip away. And perhaps a few more, who knows. Rules are rules, but a friendship, or at least a sense of camaraderie, is stronger than rules at times.

Shit happens, and more times than you think. Don't look at me as the stern enforcer of the law (I'm not a mod, whom are bound by duty, I am a sensible poster that happens to be the one that leads the club). And, being altruist does not mean that you have to cross your arms when shit like that happens. If you made the guy crash and realize he did stuff wrong by throwing a stone at it, I wouldn't mind.

Shinto..."the way of the Kami" (shin = one of the many ways to speak of a god or animistic spirit; to/tou = path. Or so I recall) I've heard a bit on Japanese lessons. There's supposed to be over 60 thousand kami all over Japan, and the one that's revered with greater depth is Amaterasu. Please, if you have the time, go ahead and make our day.

Which reminds me...I should do my essay too. But, I'm at a lack for ideas. Mostly everyone knows here about Christianity (be you accepting or not), so that essay would be redundant. So does Judaism, and Islam as well. A bit off would be the ideas of sects outside the main course of the religion, so off with Kabbalah (I know very little, but it's the most interesting sect of Judaism I've ever seen. And I was not drawn to it by Sephiroth, mind you, but by the Elementals)...unless you'd like to hear, in which case I'd have to get some reading. Perhaps a bit of still-practiced Mazdeim (Zoroastrianism)? One of the few dualist religions, as far as I recall. Either that or Zen Buddhism.

For RPBs, not everyone here is adept in the development of RPBs, and everyone is at most doing their first battle, so if you want to give it a try, there's the Roleplay Battle forum just a few steps down from the clubs sub-forum in the main page. First two threads are the character applications (important), and after that, the rules (also important). If you've participated in RPs, it's not that different; you simply participate with another, and attempt to deal blows to overcome the other one. I think I explained to Celtic a few pages ago: you might wanna read that. So far, Celtic and Aerif are still partner-less unless they decide to battle each other: you might want to wait for Fishie to come, unless otherwise. Just don't feel like pressured: if RPBs are not your forte, then you can just remain debating.

[Govinda]

Cheers love .

I've been studying quite a lot of Japanese lately - by coincidence. Twice a week I have to drag my sorry arse to the Language Centre of my own accord and listen to awful tapes of French people talking quickly, and then singing. A few weeks ago I was going into the TV/Tape room with my second tape when some German asshole crashed into me in the doorway, muttered something gutteral, and left; I crashed into the filing cabinet by the door, one I've walked by 100 times. I pulled it open and found drawer upon drawer of Learn Japanese, Learn Korean, Learn Russian etc videotapes. So I've started watching them as a treat for getting through the awful French tapes in one piece. That sparked the interest in Shinto; and I'd love to write an essay on it for you. I don't think I'm meant to be going anywhere near Learn Japanese, but hey, yesterday I learned the kanji for my name.

As for RPB, I'll give the forum for it the once over soon (probably tomorrow). Sounds like fun.

They did stick up for me, huh . They're good like that. I don't think I ever really believed what I was saying in that thread I made; I was in a kind of episode, I guess. And it's such a huge compliment that people did actually stick up for me. Sticks more than mud ever will, in my view at least.

I'm off to bed now. Sleep tight dearhearts.

[Fishie]

Originally posted by T.G. Oskar
So far, Celtic and Aerif are still partner-less unless they decide to battle each other: you might want to wait for Fishie to come, unless otherwise. Just don't feel like pressured: if RPBs are not your forte, then you can just remain debating.

I could use more RPB experience. I seem to lack RPB in general and have only done one since my time at TFF. Mind you, I was a noob at the time so I'm guessing it didn't go well. I'll be creating my character either tonight or tommorow morning. Don't know who I'll be going against though.

I've also decided to participate in the essay activity as well. I go up and down with what I want to do. I would do religion but I'm not like a hardcore believer on religion at this point in my life. I'm not saying that I doubt whether some sort of divine entity is but I'm not sure whether I believe what I'm supposed to believe is true.

That's been going somewhat on mind for a while now, religion. My whole life I've been raised as a Catholic. My father's Christian and my mom's Catholic. However, my dad was willing for my sister and I to be brought up as Catholics instead. I've noticed that there's not much of a difference between the two but my questions are these....

1) How do you know the religion you have faith in is true?
2) Do you think that religions in general are just a way to give people "false hope"?

And its good to see you back at the forums Govinda. After reading your journal and hearing your side of the story, I'm glad you're back. You have a big heart I see now. Even for someone you don't know you do. And we need more people like that in life.

[T.G. Oskar]

Well...at least you got better luck than me, Govi/Pablo.

Also...love? I feel cared for.

As far as any conscious sensei would tell you, you can't turn your name into a kanji, since it must follow the rules for foreign language. In an essence, it means that you must use Katakana (the simple-looking and straight ideograms) to write it. As well, you must equal the sound of your name into the syllabic sounds of the language. That means, for instance, that all "L"s turn into "R"s, that consonants often follow the "consonant + u" syllable, and so on.

Now, if you've equaled the meaning of your name into the Kanji(s) that represent your name, then you've done something really wonderful. That's similar to re-adapting your name in the Chinese format.

How would the name Oscar translate? I've heard somewhere it's German for "lance of the gods", but that's a bit far thrown-off proportions. I know it would be somewhere around "Kami no yari", or "Shin no Yari", since most of the Japanese words have no plurals, instead depending on aids to determine the qualitative amount.

Or so I recall. Anyways, it's often Katakana or Romaji for foreign languages. And Kanji can be real complex, since often times a word has multiple meanings (Shin can refer to either new, god, or even bird. Whaddya know?)

Oddly, as a final on languages, I have the ability to read in almost proper pronunciation French, and pretty much understand it, yet I have not taken a single lesson in French. And, to add up to the mystery, Spanish and French, even if both are Latin-derived languages, rarely are similar. Odd, don'tcha think?

@Fishie: your two questions are pretty much solved easily. They don't need that deep of an answer.

First and foremost, you spoke about the religion you have "faith" upon. That, in a way, is your answer. To believe in the reality of a religion's dogma, you need to have faith in the dogma's main principles themselves.

Explanation: you believe that Christianity (of which, believe it or not, Catholicism belongs to) is the true faith, and you have faith on it. To prove that, you quote from the Bible, which by faith you have given authority. If you speak to, say, Govi or Celtic, they won't recognize the authority of the Bible (that's my assumption anyways), so you cannot use the Bible as a tangible proof of your convictions. If you take your belief into philosophical terms, then you have a greater chance of succeeding by the sole proclaim that you have faith in your beliefs. I can't say that you cannot be "out-logic"ed by someone else, but you cannot be disproven as long as you claim to have faith. Since faith implies tha