A plea from Zanaan.

[ShadowHunter]

My friends, too often now have I ventured through the land to find some fight between two adventurers, often over very different points of view, or other trivial things. It saddens me to see these things happening, it as if we pay lip service when we call ourselves one, for no one can bear to be wrong, and no one is willing to accept that the other may be right.

My friends I am begining to fear that the biggest enemy that we must face is not Balthazar, or the portal dwellers, or strange invisible demons, but rather ourselves, because until we are willing to put aside our own beliefs, our own motives, and our own ambitions aside even if we should vanquish all the evil lords that plague us there will never be true peace, for there will be no peace amoungst ourselves.

So this I say, there are words much stronger and unifying than 'you are wrong', and that is that 'you may be right'. It asserts that you respect there opinion, and you have your own opinion, and I can guaruntee it will stop the fights, or hopefully will, because no one wants to say you are wrong when someone else gives them credit.

*Zanaan sighs a moment then continues*

So too I fear that many have lost sight of what it is they fight for, granted some just fight to defend or just to fight, others of us actually do have dreams, or had may I say, because we have lost them in the decadense of time and ambitions, now many only fight for fame and noteriety, caring nothing about how or why they may have picked up arms to begins with.

As for me, I am Zanaan, and I fight for my friends, my wife, and the rebuilding of my hometown in N'rolav.

Gods be with you.

[Corwin Skyborn]

Didn't you get the Memo Zanaan?

The person who preaches the loudest and longest is obviously righteous in the eyes of the gods and will be rewarded in the afterlife especially if they go around making noobs feel stupid by preaching about the RIGHT way to do things.

Seriously, how do you expect people to prove their prowess and mastery if they can't boast and spout their knowledge to anyone willing to listen or duel one another with their knowledge being swung like a weighted sword. Well I suppose everyone could just sing and dance hand-in-hand in the flowers like happy munchkins as we follow the yellow brick road to Branishor..."holds out his hand" anyone, anyone?

[ansalan]

Corwin , you are like a brother to me , but why won't you just leave it alone.
Zanaan spoke from his heart a sincere plea something that I feel that I am diminishing by even posting this reply.Zanaan words were not meant I think to incite misery or to chastise anyone , but to enlighten the people of things we all do.Sometimes it is good to just listen and not look outward but inward at ourselves and that is what I mean to do.
I mean to take Zanaan's words and put it in my heart and change me. The world can never change unless people take what was said and learn to solve the riddle within themselves not seek to absolve all the problems by blaming others....

[Fleur]

In my opinion (based on time in a profession that requires a lot of empathy and understanding of people) those that this message is necessary for are those who are most unlikely to care enough to read past the first sentence.

Admirable sentiments are admirable, but should be shared wisely.

[Corwin Skyborn]

Zanaan is completetly right. I wasn't poking fun at him. I was just trying in a small way to specify a stereotype of the ones who are part of the problem which Zanaan is commenting upon.

[ShadowHunter]

well at least there have been plenty who attempted to listen in, the overviewer has counted at least 100 heads. How they took it is of course up to them. Oh and dont worry Corwin, your sarcasm was actually very fitting as it only made those with that attitude immediatly realize just how foolish there mentality is...or they just thought you fit in in there group, not sure which.

[Skils Gannon]

Correct me if I am wrong,
But isnt fighting for friends, a wife and your hometown a little selfish if you are preaching selflisness and putting aside differences.
Surely you should fight for all?
Even these notorious fame grabbers.

[ShadowHunter]

the difference skills is fighting for a cause versus fighting for your own self gratification and self ambitions

when it becomes about yourself is when it becomes selfish, but when you fight for something else, objective, another person, or a way of life, then you are fighting for a cause.

[Hojo Musachi]

when it becomes about yourself is when it becomes selfish, but when you fight for something else, objective, another person, or a way of life, then you are fighting for a cause.

what would be the difference?

[Skils Gannon]

Is not friends, a wife and your home town about yourself?
Surely rebuilding your hometown is about your interests not a cause.
What about those who fight but gain fame at the same time, like the Iron Knights, in unison with a cause but gaining fame because of it.
Does that mean their contribution is more than an initiate who for now doesnt have a clear path or cause?

[Doyle]

Fighting to rebuild a town is not selfish because you are doing something to benefit the whole. Fighting to only rebuild your house is selfish as none but you gain anything from it.

Fighting for a way of life is not selfish, just because you happen to follow that way of life you do not try to preserve just for yourself but for all that follow it aswell.

The Iron Knights do not fight to become famous, they have simply become so due to their great exploits and selfless deeds in the defense of the realm.

Becoming famous is not selfish if you did not choose to become so and do not take advantage of it.

Does that mean their contribution is more than an initiate who for now doesnt have a clear path or cause?

We are all equal, no contribution is more or less worthy then another. Just because someone is not famous does not mean they have not aquitted themselves when needed. Fame is purely the perception of others, yes people might feel the Iron Knights and other like them have done more then a new initiate but that does not mean the initiate will not rise to do great deeds in the future.

Zanaan is merely asking that we fight, not for ourselves and our own desires but for the land and people as a whole. To put others before ourselves, to remember we took up arms to protect those that cannot fight not for the passing status that is fame and fortune. All are equal and we are all heroes of Trinald regardless of profession, guild and level of training.

[Corwin Skyborn]

I fight for the glory of Scooter.

[Dirk Dt]

Nice words and they are spoken well and true. If they are not backed up by your actions, they mean nothing.

[Hojo Musachi]

Zanaan is merely asking that we fight, not for ourselves and our own desires but for the land and people as a whole. To put others before ourselves, to remember we took up arms to protect those that cannot fight not for the passing status that is fame and fortune. All are equal and we are all heroes of Trinald regardless of profession, guild and level of training.

I thought he was saying not to fight amongst our selves because it is distracting all of us from what we should be fighting.

**edited to add**

Also...
If people want to, have all the riches in the land, want to make there home safe, offer there services for a small fee, have a high stature or seek revenge then let them. Everyone has there own reasons for what they do and do not do, that is something everyone learns, not always straight away.
If people want to debate a topic, let them. People aren't going to always get along, we are always going to disagree over the point/pointlessness of something or how to do something, about respect towards others and who's important(This is aimed at mortals not gods) because it doesn't matter as long as we put aside our differences and own agenda to stand together as one...

That is what I Zanaan ment, thats how I interpreted it...

Questions do not always have one answer(unless its an answer from a God), debate don't argue or agree to disagree

[Skils Gannon]

I was only making the point that Valorn is not so simple as black and white as portrayed earlier in the posts.
Adventurers will always have their differences it is human nature but I also believe and have seen it many times that these differences are put aside in times of need.
I know the Iron Knights do not fight for fame, I used them as an example to provoke thought.
I agree whole heartedly with Doyle that every adventurers actions contribute and should not be judged as grand or small.