Rickpa
06-03-2008, 05:11 PM
Namarupa: In His Own Words
Arren d'Cannith didn't craft the first warforged. It really isn't known who was the first. Some say it was among the quori, others say a giant. What Arren d'Cannith did was much more remarkable. Arren made us fully sentient... alive!
The war was raging on, and many like myself were being thrown into Khorvaire's great war like grain into a mill. When we were mindless golems, it was easy for House d'Cannith to produce warforged to do their bidding. But in realizing that warforged changed into living fully sentient beings, Arren d'Cannith could no longer participate in what he considered to be slavery. Unfortunately his brother Merrix had the upper hand, and finally in good conscience, Arren left his home and drifted into lonely exile.
I will never forget that rainy day when Arren sent us away. He said that though he cared deeply for us, we needed to find our own way in this vast world of Ebberon, and command our own destinies. I have not seen him since, nor could I find my way back if I tried. Even with all of their great magics, House d'Cannith's best mages could only learn that Arren still lives, but where he is will forever elude them
After a time, I passed through a land of death called Mournland, a place of a great calamity where dead fleshlings littered the landscape... undecaying forever frozen in agony. There I met many others of my kind, former slaves of the last war. Most were bitter about the humans that made them to serve. They followed the Lord of Blades who vowed to one day rid Khorvaire of humans... especially House d'Cannith. I tried to tell them of Arren d'Cannith, but I found few ears. They told me that Merrix d'Cannith is in charge, and will never stop creating more slaves. There was no point in staying with these warforged, so I had moved on.
Eventually I left the Mournlands, and made my way to a human port city. That's where I discovered that our kind... the warforged have been emancipated. We are free! At the end of last great war among humans, giant, and quori.. humans have seen the error of their ways. Making warforged is now forbidden, and we are free to live as an equal race. Yet the Lord of Blades and his minions have caused worry, and even among human friends, I see fear in their faces.
As I encountered more fleshlings, I have come to notice a group who were possessed of calm serenity, and at the same time a great power. I approached a master from among them, and asked how I might take up such a life. I was really surprised when I was accepted, for I wasn't human, elven, or dwarf. He told me that all sentient beings are the same. At last I knew I belonged! Thus I began my amazing journey.
So here I seek some solace in this ancient yet new land of Xen'drik. I have taken up the path of contemplation and study. Unfortunately this darkest of ages has called me to fight. I will persist in the way of the monk, yet I know that though I have been sentient for such a short time, the karmic storehouse of one born into such a violent time must be vast, deep, and dreadful. My newfound strength and serenity will see me through. Of this I have no doubt.
The most important thing I have learned since taking up the way of the monk is that all intelligent sentient beings are the same... even those we deem to be evil. We all want happiness, and don't want to suffer. We all are made up of these five aggregates... form, feeling, perception, mental formations such as memories impulses and compulsions, and of course consciousness. These aggregates in a bundle is referred to simply as “name & form” or namarupa. That's what I am. That's who I am.
You can call me Namarupa.
What's your monk's story?
Arren d'Cannith didn't craft the first warforged. It really isn't known who was the first. Some say it was among the quori, others say a giant. What Arren d'Cannith did was much more remarkable. Arren made us fully sentient... alive!
The war was raging on, and many like myself were being thrown into Khorvaire's great war like grain into a mill. When we were mindless golems, it was easy for House d'Cannith to produce warforged to do their bidding. But in realizing that warforged changed into living fully sentient beings, Arren d'Cannith could no longer participate in what he considered to be slavery. Unfortunately his brother Merrix had the upper hand, and finally in good conscience, Arren left his home and drifted into lonely exile.
I will never forget that rainy day when Arren sent us away. He said that though he cared deeply for us, we needed to find our own way in this vast world of Ebberon, and command our own destinies. I have not seen him since, nor could I find my way back if I tried. Even with all of their great magics, House d'Cannith's best mages could only learn that Arren still lives, but where he is will forever elude them
After a time, I passed through a land of death called Mournland, a place of a great calamity where dead fleshlings littered the landscape... undecaying forever frozen in agony. There I met many others of my kind, former slaves of the last war. Most were bitter about the humans that made them to serve. They followed the Lord of Blades who vowed to one day rid Khorvaire of humans... especially House d'Cannith. I tried to tell them of Arren d'Cannith, but I found few ears. They told me that Merrix d'Cannith is in charge, and will never stop creating more slaves. There was no point in staying with these warforged, so I had moved on.
Eventually I left the Mournlands, and made my way to a human port city. That's where I discovered that our kind... the warforged have been emancipated. We are free! At the end of last great war among humans, giant, and quori.. humans have seen the error of their ways. Making warforged is now forbidden, and we are free to live as an equal race. Yet the Lord of Blades and his minions have caused worry, and even among human friends, I see fear in their faces.
As I encountered more fleshlings, I have come to notice a group who were possessed of calm serenity, and at the same time a great power. I approached a master from among them, and asked how I might take up such a life. I was really surprised when I was accepted, for I wasn't human, elven, or dwarf. He told me that all sentient beings are the same. At last I knew I belonged! Thus I began my amazing journey.
So here I seek some solace in this ancient yet new land of Xen'drik. I have taken up the path of contemplation and study. Unfortunately this darkest of ages has called me to fight. I will persist in the way of the monk, yet I know that though I have been sentient for such a short time, the karmic storehouse of one born into such a violent time must be vast, deep, and dreadful. My newfound strength and serenity will see me through. Of this I have no doubt.
The most important thing I have learned since taking up the way of the monk is that all intelligent sentient beings are the same... even those we deem to be evil. We all want happiness, and don't want to suffer. We all are made up of these five aggregates... form, feeling, perception, mental formations such as memories impulses and compulsions, and of course consciousness. These aggregates in a bundle is referred to simply as “name & form” or namarupa. That's what I am. That's who I am.
You can call me Namarupa.
What's your monk's story?