Everyone - Frozen Wastes

23:00 <@gamemaster> you appear on a featureless plain
23:01 < Loric> "..."
23:01 <@gamemaster> a figure clad in shadowy armor and wielding a dark longsword appears before you
23:01 <@gamemaster> the figure seems to stare at you
23:01 <@gamemaster> what do you do?
23:01 * Loric blinks
23:01 < Loric> "Well met! Who are you?"
23:01 <@gamemaster> "..."
23:02 * Loric scratches his chin
23:02 <@gamemaster> "The real question here... is who are you?"
23:02 <@gamemaster> "Or perhaps... what are you?"
23:02 < Loric> "Well that's complex, I think"
23:02 <@gamemaster> it appears to be a woman's voice
23:03 < Loric> "But as far as I see, I am a human soul currently in the mortal bodily phase"
23:03 < Loric> "Mentally I am in love"
23:03 < Loric> "Socially I'm on duty"
23:03 < Loric> "Spiritually I am being ingrained despite the former aspects posing a distraction."
23:04 <@gamemaster> "... wait, what? What was that about the last one?"
23:04 < Loric> "Oh, and my name is Loric Splendentium."
23:04 <@gamemaster> "I was not asking your literal name."
23:04 <@gamemaster> "I already know all about you..."
23:04 < Loric> "Ah, I wouldn't know my true name myself for planar purposes..."
23:04 <@gamemaster> "..."
23:04 <@gamemaster> "Not that"
23:04 < Loric> "Unless you are an incarnation of my true name! but to answer..."
23:05 <@gamemaster> the voice appears slightly frustrated
23:05 <@gamemaster> "What is your purpose? Why do you think you act?"
23:05 <@gamemaster> "What do you feel you do in this world?"
23:05 <@gamemaster> "What do you feel your position is?"
23:05 < Loric> "I am a shield."
23:06 < Loric> "And a shield is me, unless I choose to be something else."
23:06 <@gamemaster> "Ah, your oaths as a paladin. But is that all?"
23:06 < Loric> "Oh, I guess the oath fits that as well"
23:06 <@gamemaster> "What is your standing?"
23:06 < Loric> "I was thinking more... metaphysically"
23:07 < Loric> "But oh well"
23:07 * Loric appears puzzled
23:07 < Loric> "I stand by those close to me"
23:07 <@gamemaster> "Ah... but why?"
23:08 < Loric> "It has value in itself."
23:08 <@gamemaster> "... I'm contemplating simply jumping to the purpose of this conversation"
23:08 <@gamemaster> "But there will be more value in it for you if I do not."
23:08 < Loric> "If you feel this conversation has more important a purpose than the conversation itself, then do"
23:09 <@gamemaster> "... that would defeat the purpose"
23:09 < Loric> "An interesting paradox"
23:09 < Loric> "But that's what all humans are, after all"
23:09 < Loric> "Or for the matter, any creature with free will"
23:10 <@gamemaster> "What is the value you see in standing to those close to you?"
23:10 < Loric> "All they can control is what purposes they drive and value, even if they end up being forced to do else"
23:11 < Loric> "So that they can be protected from not reaching the better and higher purposes set for them"
23:11 < Loric> "Through setting an example and preventing opposing forces and entities from acting"
23:12 < Loric> "Even though the former is more difficult than the latter."
23:12 < Loric> "I am not one to set what is the best path for those next to me, but I can guide and help them reach a path one step better than what they are walking at the moment."
23:12 <@gamemaster> "So, ... setting an example..."
23:13 < Loric> "Kind of."
23:13 <@gamemaster> "Why is it that you have spoken regarding yourself as lowly before? When you call out to your god for help?"
23:13 <@gamemaster> "An interesting failing, I'd see it as."
23:13 < Loric> "I am lowly because I am not perfect."
23:14 < Loric> "All my attempts to become better are just defining silver; I will not become gold by myself."
23:14 < Loric> "Only by mercy of Iomedae can I become gold."
23:14 <@gamemaster> "Oh? And was your god not mortal once?"
23:15 <@gamemaster> "Mortal like you? Either she was perfect, as her priests and followers regard her... or she isn't, and thus why would you be lowly for a simple failing like that?"
23:15 < Loric> "She did the impossible."
23:15 < Loric> "I follow her and see her as the perfect example. I do not aim to become greater than her. That would be pride."
23:16 <@gamemaster> "Any powerful priest could replicate what she did... aside from her ascension"
23:16 < Loric> "Even if I could become like her, I would choose not to."
23:16 <@gamemaster> "Even if it was her desire for you to become like unto a god?"
23:17 * Loric
23:17 < Loric> "That is a difficult concept to grasp..."
23:17 <@gamemaster> the shadows dissipate
23:17 < Loric> "I see a contradiction there"
23:17 -!- GameMaster is now known as Iomedae
23:17 * Loric kneels
23:17 <@iomedae> "I did not call in a favor from Hope just to make you one of
his Eternal Guardians!"
23:18 < Loric> "My Lady Inheritor..."
23:18 <@iomedae> "Descendant-mine, I see in everyone the potential for greatness. For what is greatness but something relative to others?"
23:19 < Loric> "Why would you want me to become greater than you..."
23:19 * Loric is fighting back tears
23:20 < Loric> "Greatness for me is to serve you to the end and beyond."
23:20 <@iomedae> "I only said like unto a god, not a full god - though such a potential is possible to achieve for you and your companions."
23:20 < Loric> "To whatever end, if you will it. It just is not my desire to lose my free will like Hope!"
23:20 <@iomedae> "I chose to accept you as a paladin for a reason... the potential you would bring, the good you could work in this world. No one - neither emperor nor begger is lowly like you referred to yourself as. Neither are they great. Greatness is of the soul, and anyone can achieve that"
23:21 < Loric> "I see. I was mistaken to think socially of spiritual matters."
23:21 < Loric> "Please forgive me..."
23:22 <@iomedae> "Nothing to forgive."
23:22 * Loric smiles
23:22 <@iomedae> "but from now on, you know a better course"
23:22 < Loric> "...?"
23:22 * Loric appears puzzled
23:22 < Loric> "Greatness is Virtue?"
23:23 <@iomedae> "... Virtue is greatness"
23:23 < Loric> "Well that I sure can do!"
23:23 <@iomedae> "but you are a paladin. You reach an ideal most do not, and have a greater ideal to strive for"
23:23 <@iomedae> "But the path is"
23:23 <@iomedae> "Become your purpose. It can be done without losing free will"
23:24 <@iomedae> "Become the paragon to guide people. Show them only strength, and they will become strong, too."
23:24 * Loric strikes his chest
23:24 <@iomedae> and with that, you wake
23:24 < Loric> "I will beceome a shield to the people..."
23:24 * Loric blinks
23:25 * Loric frantically gets pen and paper and records this Revelation. (Finally from someone else than Hope!)