#'is it societally common for cultivators to run around killing people?'

[tavina-writes]

MDZS Society! aka: there's a lot less killing than you'd expect

This follows from this post and also the recent translations of MXTX’s most recent interview (which I can now no longer bother to find bc this has been sitting in drafts for like, siiiix months? More? Oh god anyway.) which reminded me about my feelings regarding MDZS society and how different it is from the martial societies we see depicted in typical modern wuxia. (Small disclaimer, I am a wuxia genre fiend and I love like, thinking about fictional societies so this is like, “AHA! You’ve unlocked my trap card!”) 

For the purposes of this, I’m going to be looking at MDZS/CQL’s depiction of the jianghu (which I think is fairly similar! I don’t actually think the show writers made CQL’s jianghu/martial society more genre typical than it was in the book) and comparing that with modern classic wuxia (mostly Jin Yong and Gu Long works.) For this comparison, I’ll be looking at a Jin Yong book — Legend of the Condor Heroes (which is widely considered the starting point of modern wuxia as a genre) — and one Gu Long book — Dagger Li/Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword (widely considered his most popular work) — and seeing how their societies differ from MDZS society. 

This will likely come in two parts because this one was already getting long, and I don’t think we can fit “how often does nobility exist in a typical jianghu and what do bloodline sects look like normally versus what they look like in MDZS” in this post along with the main topic of “is MDZS society a particularly physically violent place?” 

This post discusses how often cultivators are socially expected to kill people. Like, actual living human beings instead of, say, monsters or ghosts which have been categorized differently than like, human beings. 

EDIT: I forgot to talk about Dagger Li but this was already much too long sorry. Feel free to hmu for more thoughts though.

Now, it might be easy to think that cultivators killing actual people is a really common thing in MDZS/CQL universe! After all, they do have martial arts training and one of the prominent things about the first life is just how many people die both in the Sunshot Campaign and the fallout afterwards. However, I would argue that a lot of the traumas and related issues and reactions that happen in MDZS happen because cultivators are, by training and education, not actually prepared for killing actual living breathing human beings! (And also that the morality of this world prevents it for the most part) 

Now, we do actually get a pretty good window into what the typical training is like for young cultivators in MDZS, because we get a fairly well defined schoolhouse scene where LQR is asking them questions about "how do you tell the difference between various different problems we have to solve?" and "how do you go about fixing this problem?" and none of those include the moral quandary of "if I, a young cultivator out in the Jianghu, see a guy who is doing something I morally disagree with, under what circumstances do I beat him up and/or kill him." This does not appear to enter the curriculum at any point, leading me to believe that the morally correct number of people not like, ghosts or ghouls or fierce corpses, a regular average MDZS cultivator is supposed to have killed is approximately 0.

Which. Is a thing you get in a normal martial arts wuxia jianghu. There is generally the threat of "oh yeah this that or the other faction will be doing shitty things and thereby try to murder you." Instead, in MDZS/CQL most of the heirs of sects are...attending school together. Doing teenage things like partying and gossiping and attending classes.

And sure yes, there was a case of WWX and JZX trying to beat each other up. But the sects did sure let their kids stay at Lan summer camp for months on end (sometimes repeatedly, see NHS) without fearing for their lives or that anyone would steal another sect's techniques or otherwise causing real havoc or intersect warfare etc.

Which is infeasible in any other sort of Jianghu situation. For example, contrast this scenario with this scene from LOCH where Guo Jing's shifus are giving him advice since he is newly 17 and about to set out by himself into the great big world:

Guo Jing therefore bid farewell to his teachers. They had witnessed his battle against the Four Demons of the Yellow River, and were not too greatly worried. The young man had proved that he knew how to use the skills that they taught him. Therefore they let him leave alone. On one hand, the meeting of outlaws in Yanjing worried them greatly, so that they could not ignore it; and on the other hand, a youngster always had to travel the jianghu alone, in order to learn lessons that no teacher could pass on. At the moment of parting, each made their last recommendations. As usual when the Six spoke after one another, Nan Xiren was the last one to express himself. "If you cannot defeat the enemy," he said. "Flee!" He knew that given Guo Jing's dogged character, he would prefer to die rather than to surrender, if he met a master, he would certainly fight to the bitter end, even at the risk of death. That was the reason Nan Xiren gave him this common sense warning. " Martial arts have no limits," added Zhu Cong. " As the proverb says, 'For every peak there is one yet higher', so for every man there is one stronger. Whatever your power, you will always one day meet a foe stronger than you. A true man knows to retreat when necessary, when facing grave danger, it is necessary to contain one's impatience and anger. This what is meant by the adage, « If one preserves the earth and its forests, one does not fear to lack firewood ». It is not therefore not cowardly to take good advice! When the enemy is too numerous and that you cannot face them there, it is especially necessary to avoid being too reckless. Keep in mind Fourth Shifu's advice!"

Does this seem like the sort of advice that any Young MDZS Cultivator would get? "You're a good kid, but when you go out into the world, there will be people who straight up want you dead even though they met you 15 minutes ago, you cannot persist in fighting with these people because they will want you dead and you are a baby cultivator who needs to learn to run away when shit gets rough or you will be dead."

And again I come back to how MDZS cultivators are more like occupational ghostbusters because this really does inform how their society functions and runs and how everyone reacts so badly to the Sunshot Campaign beginning and its aftermaths and possibly explains how JGS could get his way after Sunshot.

Because what happens when you get a society that does train heavily in martial arts and have Able To Kill Real People Weapons who spends most of their time solving very black and white situations of "okay is this ghost whose eating people's livers good or bad? y/n?" and a clear hierarchy of "how do we get rid of the ghost eating people's livers in town x" instead of say "is it morally correct to kill this group of bandits who's been threatening the town" or "is it morally correct to kill this shitty businessman who's been holding people hostage and threatening to hack off their limbs" you have a reduced level of philosophical musing on like, "what is the purpose of martial arts, which is designed to kill people and what do I use martial arts for?" and "under what circumstances and situations would I personally find it morally correct to kill a man?" Which are all questions that Wuxia coming of age stories typically have, and I think MDZS does have, but expressed differently.

Again, it appears that the number of Real Live Human Beings that it is morally acceptable to have stabbed in your life is approximately 0 in this universe, and the expectation that you, personally, might have to fend off people trying to stab you over brunch is also approximately 0.

This also leads to a situation where like, questions of vengeance have very difficult escape hatches! If your parents are murdered on the job by an evil rampaging ghost, this is very sad and tragic and now you're an orphan and of course that's not good, but this is a occupational job hazard, not like, "Yeah Joe Bob from the sect down the street murdered my dad because #Reasons~, and now it's my legacy to grow up to murder Job Bob from the sect down the street to avenge my dad."

(I have a whole essay about how this pertains to both of the Nie Brothers, and how it pertains to JGY and also Jin Ling, and how this seems to routinely fuck people up in MDZS in a very specific way we don't typically see in other wuxias, but this is getting SO long as it is).

But yeah "the socially acceptable number of real living people (instead of ghosts or demons or fierce corpses or whatever) to have killed in your lifetime as a cultivator is approximately 0" means that the Sunshot Generation gets really really fucked up by all of this "killing real people" they did.

Which! might be why JFM was so slow to move on "yeah the Wen are threatening to kill your heirs." <- socially inconceivable behavior. Why society in general is so shocked by Xue Yang and the murder of the Chang <- which would be bad normally but not quite like this. And why no one did anything specific about JGS even if they felt he wasn't entirely correct. What are they going to threaten him with? Death???? A trial of his peers? Social Shunning??? Public shame???

"But Tav how does this relate to CQL!Su She's morality?" I hear you ask. Well you see, the question of "he should've been ready to die for his sect!" is utterly baffling in a society where nobody is expected to be ready to die for their sect on a regular basis because the idea that you should be ready for someone trying to stab you before brunch is utterly nonsensical in a world where most people expect that the baseline number of murders a cultivator does in their lifetimes is 0. That's the world he lives in.

On this regard CQL!Su She is utterly blameless. Nobody handed him a rulebook or expectations sheet for "the sect down the street will try to kill you" nor SHOULD they expect he'd be ready to die at a drop of a hat when no part of the education or social expectations include "ready to die for your sect because it's routine for people to try to kill you."

If you don't even expect to be stabbed and possibly die at a discussion conference where there are lots of cultivators from many sects why on EARTH would you expect to be facing down death in your own home when there's. cultivators here to kill you, this situation is so out of left field?

[flickeringart]

The Cardinal Squares

In astrology there are signs that are more or less compatible. Signs are in essence representative of archetypes of the unconscious and they live out their expressions through our lives. It’s common knowledge that certain people are more or less compatible, which depends on the personal planetary placements and how they interact with another person’s placements.

People are complex and can’t be reduced to a single sign (their Sun sign for example). However, if a person has a lot of planets in a particular sign, they might find that other people with a lot of planets in the squaring sign (90° apart on the zodiac wheel) presents conflicting and disturbing energy. The signs that naturally square each other have a tense relationship because they have the same mode of expression (cardinal/fixed/mutable) but are placed in different elements (fire/earth/water/air). The difference in element poses a significant dilemma between masculine (fire/air) and feminine (earth/water), mythical and intellectual vs. mortal and emotional.

Let’s start with the cardinal signs. They’re all trying to make something happen – they have a forward movement, a pressing need to accomplish something important. The crux is, that they don’t have the same idea of what is important, which sets them up for conflict. Aries, the cardinal fire sign, is pure energy assertion and is looking to put forward that which is true, genuine, strong, potent and consistent. Aries is concerned with the self, its greatness and potential. People with strong Arien influence are often direct, confronting and honest bordering on the absurd because they are not ashamed of afraid of letting life flow through them in full force. This makes them impulsive, competitive and passionate, sometimes bordering on aggressive. Cancer, one of the signs squaring Aries is defensive rather than assertive, preventative rather than impulsive. Cancer’s agenda is to protect the emotional climate by being highly attuned to the environment, that way it’s possible to move around obstacles and unpleasant confrontation. A lot of work can be put into avoiding discomfort and unsafety, paradoxically, because the work itself can be tedious and straining. But, as long as that preventative work allows for a safe space where there’s room for softness and nurturing it’s all worth it. Needless to say, Aries thinks that being afraid of being afraid makes no sense and that it’s better to live fully in the now and not taint the spirit with something as dense and temporary as emotional needs. There’s nothing honorable in being “weak” and avoidant in one’s actions according to cardinal fire. Cancer is not really “weak” anymore than Aries is, but the sign is more aware of the necessity to sustain life throughout time and in order to do that one has to be concerned about safety, alert to potential threats and damage. Cancers generally doesn’t seek out a fight or confront things unless their safety depends on it – which is in striking contrast to Aries who sometimes, quite childishly, test their will against the first best opponent that they would have a chance with. Even though Aries is usually “blamed” for being the obvious aggressor of the two, Cancer can be very manipulative and undermining in a way that Aries can’t. Generally, the cardinal fire sign takes pride in being open and playing fair, while the cardinal water sign could care less about nobility and character if they feel the need to defend themselves. This point is highlights where the two signs ultimately clash because Aries is anchored in the mythical realm of principal and meaning while Cancer is anchored in the emotional-physical realm of mortality and vulnerability.

The other sign squaring Aries is Capricorn. This sign is concerned with following and reinforcing structure, achieving concrete aims and laying solid foundations for the sake of prosperity in years to come. This sign is set on accomplishment at any cost and the cultivation of character over time. It’s has a philosophy that says “put in the effort now to reap the benefits later”. Temporary pleasure is put off in favor of long-term gain. There’s maturity to this sign, because it’s all too aware of the strategy and planning that is required to actually accomplish something that will serve a purpose in time. Capricorn is the sign of societal structure and order. It relates to the designed path that an individual must take in order to climb the ladder of society. It’s no wonder that this earthy sign conflicts so strongly with the sign of Aries, which is primarily concerned with the now and what arises spontaneously. Aries is easily agitated and feels it to be an insult to put long-term success in terms of achievement and career above individual will. If the will and the societal path happen to coincide that’s great, but usually it doesn’t, because the spirit works in its own mystical ways. Aries prefers to let life spring from inspiration not from concentration. Both signs value excellence - but in different ways and for different reasons. Aries values excellence because that is what it feels itself to be – the pure creative spark. If it’s denied significance by others doesn’t really matter, the rush of energy usually speaks for itself and if nothing else one can at least be recognized for one’s force and noble attempts. Capricorn values excellence because there’s insecurity relative to life and if one can achieve something that is undeniably great, then one has proven to have some kind of worth. In contrast to Aries, Capricorn needs to prove its worth because it’s not a given. The cardinal earth sign is perfectionistic because if one wants to feel perfect one has to perform perfect. There’s heaviness and a sense of burden to Capricorn that doesn’t show up in Aries. There’s fierceness, sharpness and strength of will to cardinal fire, which makes for great speed and fighting spirit, but it has nothing to do with restriction and deliberate effort. Aries has so much energy that it doesn’t need to think in terms of “deliberate effort”, it acts on impulse and gets things done as quickly as possible in bursts of energy rather than through outdrawn labor. The discipline that Capricorn favors clashes with Aries’s need for freshness and independence – time has no purpose for Aries, the divine child who never gets old. Capricorn usually judges Aries to be immature and irresponsible and Aries usually judges Capricorn to be a buzz kill and an insecure authoritarian.

The cardinal air sign is Libra, in many ways the perfect counterpart to Aries as it’s about social identity rather than the force of the self. Libra is all about balance and achieving perfection by weighing opposites. There’s a need to be noticed and appreciated, to be fair and nice. As with Aries, there’s a need to show up at one’s best but it’s done out of concern for social appearance and intellectual satisfaction rather than in honor of the immortal spirit. People with a strong Libra influence are often drawn to a certain kind of beauty that is surface-polished, carefully and thoughtfully designed, moderate but exquisite. In contrast with Aries who values uninhibited living, Libra likes to approach things through assessing and evaluating –  never reaching a conclusive stance and becoming mildly frustrated as a result. “What if this is wrong, what if this is right?” there’s often no way of reaching a reliable conclusion, which is why Libra is in a constant state of uncertainty. Pros and con lists sometimes work and sometimes not, ultimately it’s impossible to figure out if something is fundamentally right or wrong, good or bad through consulting the intellect. Nevertheless this is what Libra attempts to do, ambitiously over-analyzing in order to achieve some harmony. It’s a paradox that effort should lead to harmony, but all cardinal signs fight for something – whether it’s through the mental faculties, the emotional-physical or the spiritual. The Libra-Cancer tension is based on sophistication and refinement vs. safety and nurturing. Cancer finds Libra to be too involved with superficial things that doesn’t matter much in the long run. Libra finds Cancer to be moody and instinctual, only caring about securing that basic needs are met and neglecting the finer things in life. Libras are not necessarily very practical, but they like things to feel and look pleasant. Cancer is more prone to care and cultivate emotional bonds while Libra doesn’t really form attachments – romance however, is another question. The cardinal air sign is first and foremost looking for light-hearted love and appreciation, pleasure and finesse. Cancer on the other hand can’t stand such trivialities, because living is a serious thing and one can’t cope unless more fundamental needs are satisfied such as a reliable support system in the form of a family. Cancer is not much for Venusian love, because that kind of love involves tastes and preferences, which isn’t really any of Cancer’s concern. The cardinal water sign aligns more with the archetypal mother than the lover, which illustrates perfectly why Libra and Cancer don’t get along. Libra can’t stand the emotional realm particularly well because it’s too human and too far from the intellectual ideal. Libra would constantly try to adjust and modify the very organic and cyclical phases of Cancer, deeming them unsophisticated and unattractive. As a result, Cancer would clam up, become defensive and try to put Libra down through subtle degrading comments and looks. Libra would feel hurt, unloved and probably resort to giving a minor lecture about right and wrong in terms of social behavior, which would make Cancer even more defensive and secretly vengeful. Cancer doesn’t really consider right and wrong in terms of intellectual judgment, nor is this sign concerned with justice as a concept. It’s much more instinctual, which in Libra’s eyes would seem irrational and unpredictable, in other words, not something to bring into the sphere of social relations.

Last but not least we have the Libra-Capricorn square. It’s possible to say that this is one of the more compatible square couples of the cardinal signs because Libra associates structure with context and it’s positively linked to some kind of balance. Since Libra is intellectual it is very likely that societal institutions and paths to success will be in line with its agenda. Libra can function very well changing and adjusting to the attitudes of the people within the system – the cardinal air sign is very sociable and smooth in its workings and can achieve great things without ruffling too many feathers in the process. Everything Libra does is done with grace and forethought, never as a compulsion. This might irritate Capricorn, the sign that knows how much effort it takes to build from the ground up, whether it’d be confidence, reputation or anything for that matter. Libra dances on the surface, metaphorically speaking, assuming that the mental faculties will suffice in navigating the world, no strain or discipline needed. Libra doesn’t let worth depend on long-term achievement, like Capricorn, but it is highly dependent on other people’s praise and attention. Libra always has to look good, which might cause a slight issue with social anxiety, cleverly covered over with charm and jokes. As long as the cardinal air sign has a good partner to lean on and center life around, things usually work out for the better. It effectively eases the anxiety of feeling pressured to be pleasant and perfect with “everyone else”. Capricorn doesn’t really agree with Libra’s way of fishing for love and would rather earn it through being responsible and self-sufficient, no burden to anyone – only an asset. Libra would likely admire Capricorn for the marks of status and achievement because Libra is quite vain when it comes down to it and likes pretty and precious things. However, the attitude of sternness and seriousness would be off-putting – this idealistic air sign doesn’t want to be around cynical moods for too long or it will start to feel insecure and  abused. Remember, Libra is extremely dependent on maintaining a positive social identity. Fairness is very important to Libra and the same could be said for Capricorn, however, Capricorns are more inclined to face hard realities, accept the situation at hand and dedicate themselves to struggle. Libras on the other hand would never dedicate themselves to plain struggle; it goes against their idealistic nature. Libra wants fairness because it means that there’s equal appreciation of all people involved - love of all people involved. Capricorn is primarily focused on fairness for the sake of being judged accurately on work and achievement in comparison to others. There’s a clear difference between these two views – Libra would think that Capricorn is cold and cruel while Capricorn would think Libra is lazy and trivial in its pursuits. The signs are probably jealous of each other’s qualities – the ease of the air sign is something the intensely dedicated earth sign would love to have more of and vice versa.

[xsofiya-blog]

&&. ( sofia valeria valentina ), the ( 29 ) year old ( daughter ) of the president of ( ukraine ). she is often confused with ( emmy rossum ). some say that she is ( haughty & argumentative ), but she is actually ( clever & compassionate ).

Hi again, everyone! Bree here with my second baby, this time the outspoken First Daughter of Ukraine. I’m almost done with her bio which will be on her bio page when finished, but until then here’s some important info!

Sofia is the oldest child of President Oleksander Valentina of Ukraine and his late wife Anastasia. For most of her life she was an only child. Her nickname is Sofi, and she lets most people use it.

She is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, English, and Latin (as a result of her education). She’s also competent in French and German, though she finds both a bit exhausting to speak.

Sofia is well-respected and beloved in her home country for her constant use of her status as a voice for political and societal change. She champions civil rights of all kinds across the globe (particularly women’s rights and LGBT rights), and started a foundation whose purpose is to combat poverty and hunger worldwide. Her activism has made her a fairly popular figure around the world, but very little is known about her as she keeps her personal life very private.

The only aspect of her personal life that she openly shares is her art. She’s a skilled painter and sculptor, and has used her art to further her activism and messages many times over the years.

However, Sofia is as divisive a figure as she is a popular one, because of the burning passion she throws into her activism and her abrasively egalitarian views. Among the government of Ukraine, she is seen as a nuisance and formidable enemy to those who stand in the way of progress and change. Many attempts have been made over the years to use laws surrounding the First Family to force her to mellow out or back down, so far with no success. She’s dodged all of these quite artfully.

Romantically, Sofia is quite reserved. She’s allowed herself to have one or two relationships that were primarily for political reasons, but always broke them off when they’d served their purpose. This has given her a little bit of an conniving, “ice queen” reputation, but she doesn’t particularly care. Romance, in her mind, should never be mixed with politics. She knows this first hand.

Her parents were once a political powerhouse. Her mom was her dad’s campaign manager before he became President, and this drove a wedge between them. They kept up the appearance of a happy marriage for the public and for Sofia when she was young, but it was pretty clear to people close to the family that their marriage had some serious problems. When Sofia was 8, her father had an affair with a Russian woman—not unexpected, as both Oleksander and Anastasia had started cheating on each other quite regularly by that point. When the woman vanished, Oleksander suspected that she might have been carrying his child, and whatever resources he wasn’t spending on running a country were spent on finding her. This further destroyed his marriage as Anastasia felt abandoned.

Sofia grew up knowing there was something wrong, that the carefully cultivated image her family presented was a lie. As a budding artist, she took her frustrations out by sneaking out into the streets of Kiev to paint political murals on important landmarks. This guerrilla art earned her the nickname “Buntivnyk”, the Rebel, though to this day no one knows that she was the artist except her. She also began producing slightly less combative art for the public, using it to raise awareness for various causes and charities. Eventually, she went to college for Foreign Affairs and Art degrees.

As she was about to graduate, she finally learned the truth behind her family’s disintegration. Oleksander and Anastasia had not been in love for decades, and furthermore he might have a lovechild somewhere out in the world whose mother he desperately wanted to reconnect with. If/when he found this child and their mother, he intended to divorce Anastasia, regardless of her recent COPD diagnosis. Anastasia was apparently on board with this; she felt she no longer had reason to live with a husband she hated, and was content to sleep around the capital until the disease finally killed her. Disgusted by both her parents, Sofia finished college and moved to Odessa to start her foundation. She only returned to Kiev for her mother’s funeral, but otherwise was determined to stay away for as long as possible.

A few years ago, her father begged her to come home, promising that he’d given up on his one-time mistress and possible secret child. He wanted his family back, what little of it he hadn’t destroyed, and he wanted to be part of her life. Little by little, Sofia reconnected with him, and things were actually going well until six months ago. That’s when special forces brought Tatiana Metanova to the presidential estate, and paternity tests proved that she was Oleksander’s illegitimate child. Knowing her father lied to her again, she has cut ties with him once more and happily moved to Oslo to get away from him. She’s not happy that Tatiana is here, too, but she’s just trying to avoid her newly-discovered half-sister as much as possible.

In some ways Sofia was sheltered the way many royal children and children of politicians are, and in some ways she had a good deal more freedom. While she’s never done some simple things like play cards or learn to drive a car, she did engage in a certain degree of youthful partying, is known for her other hobby of video gaming, and engaged in illegal street art as a teen. It’s a mixed bag.

Despite her tough stance on issues she cares about, Sofia definitely has a very soft side. She can react badly when overwhelmed, lashing out at people until she is given space to calm down, getting very restless and trying to do something about whatever is upsetting her. When scared, she will retreat physically and emotionally until she feels safe again. And she is a very physical person in terms of showing affection. She gives hugs freely, touches people casually, happily cuddles people she is close to, etc.

Sofi is determined to make the most of her time here in Oslo. She still runs her foundation and intends to use it to help common people caught in the middle of this war. She’s uncompromising in her ethics and formidable to deal with as an opponent, but she hopes that this situation will yield some compromise and peace. If she can help make that happen, she’ll do whatever she can.

So there you have it! If you’d like a more specific connection to her, let me know. And if you want to plot anything specific, I’m super duper open to anything. Can’t wait!

[musingofariael]

Wood Elves

Quick Facts: Height: 5'2-5'9" Weight: 90-150 pounds Lifespan: 900-1,000 years + Defining Features: Pointed Ears, greenish skin Population: 1,500 Found: Oestra, forest of Evsara Reputation: Elusive Gods: Various Racial Bonus: +10 Bow Skill, +10 Hunting or +10 Wilderness Survival Overview: The wood elves of Oestra, also known as the Scaria, are a reclusive people that make few enemies and even fewer allies. They do not venture outside of their forest much and those who do are often not highly held members of Oestran society. Though they do trade with a select few they are known to the rest of the world as one of the most elusive people to see out among other races. Within the largest forest on Ariael, Evsara, the wood elves have found their home. They have formed a connection with the forest itself and view it as part of themselves. While elves leaves themselves open to spirituality, the wood elves have allowed it to guide their people and it is from the most spiritual among them that they choose their leaders. History: After the division the wood elves were not a united front. They scattered to the wind and tried to meld into the various societal structures of the world. All possessing a similar view on the natural world and an aversion to most developed society they found themselves gravitating further and further away from the populated cities of Ariael. The most isolated segments of land that were habitable were in Crimea where many of their other elven brethren settled. They first formed small roaming bands across the plains and small patches of wooden areas within Crimea, but over time these small bands began to form larger communities. Elves are bred to find structure in their people and they naturally began to fall into their own caste system, leadership began to emerge. Their like minded religious foundation became the force that held them together. It was not on their own that they finally found a place to settle; it was on the wings of a bird. The largest group of scaria received a missive from the Mirador Stronghold asking for aid in battling the various enemies that continued to besiege their walled city. Though they did not have a true stable home to call their own the scaria were a strong people and formidable warriors. They prided themselves on their skilled hunters and it was through these skills that they would aid the stronghold. An arrangement was struck and the wood elves received many things they would need to create a settlement of their own, as well as a strong trading ally in the future. Their part of the deal was simple, aid in eliminating the threats that faced the city. Although there were many wild animals and monstrous creatures that were a constant threat to the city, the chief threat among them were the gazelle of evsara. The breed of surface dwelling goblin had made their home within the deep dark trees of the evsaran forest. It was a beautiful slice of the planet that the goblins were corrupting little by little. The lush green trees were bleeding black from the foul magics spewing forth from the gazelle shamans. Though the stronghold armies were formidable defending their walls and on the open field it was left to the wood elves to root out the gazelle in their homes and slaughter them by the thousands. They moved silently through the darkness and caught the goblins unaware. The mirador soldiers had never pursued them before so they were not prepared for the slaughter that took place. A rain of arrows poured from the trees all around the goblin stronghold near the center of the forest. In a matter of hours all had been slaughtered in their camps or hunted down and killed. The scaria returned to mirador and it was with the blood of the gazelle warcheif on her hand that the scarian priestess Asmira of the Speaking Tree would seal their alliance and would then be known from then on as Asmira of the Blood. The slaughter of the gazelle did not only lead to this alliance but it lead to a home as well. Once their shamans and priestesses had cleansed the forest of the goblin taint, what had once been the goblin stronghold became the foundation at the center of the great forest city of Oestra. It is from within the same tree that the warcheif had perished all those generations ago that every high priestess has ruled over the wood elves since. Biology: Physical Appearance: For the most part, the wood elves look no different than garden-variety humans; although, their ears are pointed, and their features, slightly more angular. They also move with a fluid grace, which is unknown to many of the other world's races. The vast majority of high elves fall somewhere between five feet and two inches, and five feet, nine inches. Most male elves are a tad taller than the females, and most are more muscular. As a result, they tend to weigh more than female wood elves. The average for a full grown wood elf is somewhere between 90 and 150 pounds. The wood elves have slender, finely sculpted, almond-shaped eyes, which can see fairly well at night; but, rather keenly so during the day; matching the fine-tuned nature of their ears. Their eyes are usually green, gold and on rare occasion purple, flecked with silver or blue. The elves have slender lips, and small noses. The wood elves have skin that is green and gold in hue to match their forest surroundings. Their hair is usually kept long, and is most often pin-straight; although, it may also be lightly wavy. Most often, the hair is worn down, in a half-ponytail, or partially braided. The wood elves have brown hair that is often mixed with a coppery hue. However, they may also have blonde, brown, or red hair. Common Traits: Like all other elves, the wood elves are known for being slender though the wood elves are smaller then other elves. Their forms are lithe, and their grace is largely unmatched by the rest of the world's denizens. They have both a keen sense of hearing, and of eyesight. Psychology: The wood elves are attuned to the world around them and with their home forest of Evsara. This connection is the foundation for their society. It is because of this connection with the forest that the vast majority of wood elves do not leave the forest throughout their entire lives. The wood elves are a noble people but they are fiercely protective of their home and viciously brutal against those that cause damage to their forest. Those who intrude into Evsara do so under grave threat. Reproduction: The wood elves are capable of reproducing with just about any race of their choosing. It is the females who carry the fetus to term, for a period, which lasts around nine months. Aging & Longevity: The wood elves live extremely long lives, as they age rather slowly. They are considered to be in their youth for the first one hundred years of their lives. They reach adolescence after that, and enter puberty around the time they turn 150 years old. The wood elves reach adulthood around the time they turn three hundred. Yet, at this point, they look to be no older than a human of eighteen years. By the time they reach their five hundredth birthday, they are considered to be in their middle age; but, look no older than thirty or forty. After their seven hundredth birthday, they are said to be in their old age. They look no older than seventy at this point, and may live for several more centuries, as long as they don't grow ill or die in combat. Society: Social Structure: The wood elves like all other elves choose their leaders off their own set of criteria. The spiritual leaders of the community are those who rule it. The High Priestess is the ruler of wood elf society and at her side is her consort. This individual is the most spiritually attuned with the gods and goddesses. The casts are as follows- -Politic (Aithlin): The Aithlin are those who desire a life in politics, and their society's government. They are the individuals who are advisors to the high priestess and consort, who act as diplomats, lawmakers, etc. Many that make up this caste within wood elf society are the spiritualists and shamans of the community. Politics and spiritualism meld together within Oestra. Note: When making an Aithlin, please post an HD ticket, in order to ensure that the role you want is available to you. -Scholar (Sontar): The Sontar consist of the city's academics. They are those who review the knowledge of those long gone, and build upon their ideas, in order to improve the state of their society. They are also those who test new ideas and ways of thinking, in the hope that it would benefit society. Members of this cast include historians, professors, medics, magical researchers, and more. They are devoted to the preservation of elvish culture, as well as the development of the race as well, through academic gains. -Artisan (Arnarra): The elves are known for their fine craftsmanship, which stems from their artisan's desire to attain perfection in all that they do. They have an eye for beauty, and tend to make things, which reflect the delicacy, yet the hardiness of their race. Any form of skilled labor, or anyone who creates a good for the benefit of their people, is considered to be a member of this caste. Examples include armorers, seamstresses, painters, and glassblowers. -Agrarian (Vaeri): The Vaeri are a well-respected group within elven society, as the elves have come to recognize that it is they, which produce the pillars of their society; the sustenance, which allows for their continued existence. Their ties to nature are said to make their jobs all the more simplistic; as they are said to have found ways to cultivate more of the earth, than any of the world's other races. Members of this caste include farmers, as well as shepherds, etc. -Warrior (Nlaea): The Nlaea are those who serve as the city's defenders, as well as teachers for future generations. They are those who will hunt, while also helping to keep the city running smoothly, by keeping it from harm. In the simplest sense, they are soldiers; but, they may also be law-enforcers, mercenaries, etc. -The Casteless (Chalia): The Chalia consist of those who stand outside elven society, as they have refused to conform. They are those who never chose a walk in life, and are therefore, shunned by all members of their society, including their family. They tend to wander aimlessly, as they have no true sense of where they should be. Although the political caste is in charge, no caste is seen as being better than another, (with the exception of all the castes being better than the Chalia). This is due to the fact the elves recognize the importance of each caste in helping to maintain a healthy, productive society. Language: The wood elves speak Elvish, as do all other elves. It is a beautiful, softly-flowing language, which uses many words that sound as though they come directly from the winds, and nature itself. Many also speak Common, so that they communicate with the rest of the world's denizens. Names: Wood elves tend to have simplistic names, which are both airy and flowing. Most are known only by their first names; although, they are often given a surname, which in some way, reflects their deeds and important acts. Examples of elven names are as follows- Althaea Shava Siannodel Valanthe Liadon Theren Haenin Aiena Asmira of the Blood Friends and Family: The wood elves tend to have close relations with their family members, who often have a hand in guiding them toward a specific life's path, within one of the city's castes. The younger tend to respect the older, and follow their direction. The wood elves tend to have an easier time making and maintaining friendships with those within their own culture, than with those outside of it. This is due to the fact that many wood elves never leave the forest and are weary of those outside of this connection with the forest. Daily Routines: A wood elf's daily routine depends entirely upon what caste they are a part of. The casteless may wander aimlessly, while those who have yet to choose their life's path may help their elders in many different fields, in order to learn what interests them, and what may suit them later in life. Others may hunt or farm for food, while others may train so that they may protect the city. Others still will spend their days pouring over books, and researching various things, while others will serve the city as its administrators. Religion: Their chosen religion is the biggest difference between the wood elves and the other elven people. They worship Reyna as their supreme matron. They believe she oversees the trinity of Milja, Etna and Kellan. They believe all other gods and goddess as well as all domains stem from these gods and goddesses. Most of their religious artifacts bare the symbol of a wheel with two curved spokes connected at the center by a circular axis. This wheel represents the four members of their pantheon. The outer circle is Reyna, the two spokes of Milja (life) and Etna (death) turning around the axis of Kellan (change) in an endless cycle. Another unique belief held by the wood elves is that not only does Reyna hold domain over the earth but she also holds domain over the hunt. She is often depicted to the wood elves as a huntress. Diet: The wood elves still hold true to being hunter gatherers. They raise some livestock but it is not as necessary to their diet as other races find it to be. They live within the confines of a lush forest that is filled with edible plants, fruits, vegetables and no shortage of animals to hunt for food. Care: The wood elves may be afflicted by many different ailments and diseases. They may be cared for as would any other elf, or even, the human races. This is due to the fact that their anatomy is essentially the same as that of a human; although, they are often more slender, and with pointed ears. In addition, they tend to have keener senses.

[sunshineweb]

In Praise of Mediocrity, Being Happy, And Learning How to Learn

Here’s some stuff I am reading, watching, and thinking about this weekend…

Book I’m Reading – The Art of Learning One of the best books on the art of learning I’ve read is, well, The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin. I picked it up again this week, and it was as refreshing as the original read.

Josh is a champion in two distinct sports – chess and martial arts. He is an eight-time US national chess champion, thirteen-time Tai Chi Chuan push hands national champion, and two-time Tai Chi Chuan push hands world champion. In his book, Josh recounts his experiences and shares his insights and approaches on how you can learn and excel in your own life’s passion, using examples from his personal life. Through stories of martial arts wars and tense chess face-offs, Josh reveals the inner workings of his everyday methods, cultivating the most powerful techniques in any field, and mastering the psychology of peak performance.

One of my favourite chapters is titled – Making Smaller Circles – which stresses on the fact that it’s rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skillset. Josh writes that depth scores over breadth when it comes to learning anything –

The learning principle is to plunge into the detailed mystery of the micro in order to understand what makes the macro tick. Our obstacle is that we live in an attention-deficit culture. We are bombarded with more and more information on television, radio, cell phones, video games, the Internet. The constant supply of stimulus has the potential to turn us into addicts, always hungering for something new and prefabricated to keep us entertained. When nothing exciting is going on, we might get bored, distracted, separated from the moment. So we look for new entertainment, surf channels, flip through magazines.

If caught in these rhythms, we are like tiny current-bound surface fish, floating along a two-dimensional world without any sense for the gorgeous abyss below.

When these societally induced tendencies translate into the learning process, they have devastating effect.

Josh’s idea of making smaller circles is a great way to decide how to live, what to read, and how to invest sensibly.

To reiterate, the concept of making smaller circles, as outlined in Josh’s book, stresses on the fact that it’s rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skillset.

When it comes to investing, this concept applies in the way that you must do just a few small things right to create wealth over the long run. You just need some simple ideas. You just need to draw a few small circles. And then you put all your focus and energies there. That’s all you need to succeed in your pursuit of becoming a good learner, and a good investor.

Articles I’m Reading If there’s one podcast transcript I read almost every month, it is the one from Farnam Street’s session with Naval Ravikant, the CEO and a co-founder of AngelList. Naval is an incredibly deep thinker and challenges the status quo on so many things. This aspect comes out very clear in this podcast.

One of my favourite sections is when Naval talks about the idea of being happy –

When it comes to learn to be happy, train yourself to be happy, completely internal, no external progress, no external validation, 100% you’re competing against yourself, single-player game. We are such social creatures, we’re more like bees or ants, that we’re externally programmed and driven, that we just don’t know how to play and win at these single-player games anymore. We compete purely on multi-player games. The reality is life is a single-player game. You’re born alone. You’re going to die alone. All your interpretations are alone. All your memories are alone. You’re gone in three generations and nobody cares. Before you showed up, nobody cared. It’s all single-player.

On the aspects of learning and what to lead kids to learn, Naval said this –

I think learning should be about learning the basics in all the fields and learning them really well over and over. Life is mostly about applying the basics and only doing the advanced stuff in the things that you truly love and where you understand the basics inside out. That’s not how our system is built.

We teach all these kids calculus and they walk out not understanding calculus at all. Really they would have been better off served doing arithmetic and basic computer programming the entire time. I think there’s a pace of learning issue.

Then there’s finally a what to learn. There’s a whole set of things we don’t even bother trying to teach. We don’t teach nutrition. We don’t teach cooking. We don’t teach how to be in happy, positive relationships. We don’t teach how to keep your body healthy and fit. We just say sports. We don’t teach happiness. We don’t teach meditation. Maybe we shouldn’t teach some of these things because different kids will have different aptitudes, but maybe we should. Maybe we should teach practical construction of technology. Maybe everyone in their science project, instead of building a little chemistry volcano, maybe you should be building a smartphone.

* * * Ben Carlson, author of the blog and a nice book by the same name – A Wealth of Common Sense – recently wrote about few financial advices he thinks are not talked about much but offer big financial payoffs. One such advice, and that I believe makes great sense, is about why time and health matter more than wealth. Ben wrote –

Cornelius Vanderbilt’s son William was far and away the richest person in the world after doubling the inheritance given to him by his late father in just 6 years. But the burden of wealth brought him nothing but anxiety. He spent all of his time managing his substantial wealth through the family’s businesses, which meant he had no time to enjoy his money or take care of his body.

He once said of a neighbor who didn’t have as much money, “He isn’t worth a hundredth part as much as I am, but he has more of the real pleasures of life than I have. His house is as comfortable as mine, even if it didn’t cost so much; his team is about as good as mine; his opera box is next to mine; his health is better than mine, and he will probably outlive me. And he can trust his friends.”

William also told his nephew, “What’s the use, Sam, of having all this money if you cannot enjoy it? My wealth is no comfort to me if I have not good health behind it.”

All the money in the world doesn’t matter if you don’t have the time or the health to enjoy it.

This is one timeless advice, I think.

* * * Before the internet, and before people lived in large cities, the circle of people our ancestors may have come into contact might be only a couple hundred people. Out of two or three hundred people, it may have not been too hard to be in the top tenth percentile at something.

Now, when your circle of acquaintances is the whole internet, being in the top tenth percentile of anything takes years of determined effort. Our brains still have expectations rooted in these smaller communities: That we should be able to create something exceptional and praiseworthy for our efforts.

Amidst this, it was fresh to read a perspective in praise of mediocrity –

If you’re a jogger, it is no longer enough to cruise around the block; you’re training for the next marathon. If you’re a painter, you are no longer passing a pleasant afternoon, just you, your watercolors and your water lilies; you are trying to land a gallery show or at least garner a respectable social media following. When your identity is linked to your hobby — you’re a yogi, a surfer, a rock climber — you’d better be good at it, or else who are you?

You see, there is no disgrace in appreciating mediocrity, in accepting our limits. And, by the way, the reason we call them limits is because rejecting them is what gets us into trouble.

Thought I’m Meditating On

There are two things I would never say when referring to the market: “get out” and “it’s time.” I’m not that smart, and I’m never that sure. The media like to hear people say “get in” or “get out,” but most of the time the correct action is somewhere in between. Investing is not black or white, in or out, risky or safe. The key word is “calibrate.” The amount you have invested, your allocation of capital among the various possibilities, and the riskiness of the things you own all should be calibrated along a continuum that runs from aggressive to defensive. ~ Howard Marks, in Mastering the Market Cycle

Video I’m Watching Do schools kill creativity? You bet they do. In this video, Sir Ken Robinson, noted British author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts, provides ample proof that schools do kill creativity. He also makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. This is another one of my favourite videos!

Enjoy your weekend, — Vishal

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