Flashback A Time For Quiet

[Samuel Longwell]

A Time For Quiet Date: Day 31 of Winter, Year 515 Location: The Temple of All Gods Samuel Thoughts Others Samuel entered the temple quietly, careful not to disturb those in prayer. Samuel looked around at the beautiful place of worship he had become so accustomed to in the last few seasons. He had a habit of stopping by early in the morning whenever he had no knightly duties to attend to. Samuel had always found the atmosphere peaceful. The beautiful stained glass, the expertly crafted stonework and the soft murmurs of those in prayer calmed him even when his emotions were in utter turmoil. He nodded to Morian as he sat down in a pew near the back of the temple. Closing his eyes, Samuel sought to clear his mind of distractions so that he could pray in earnest. The quiet of the temple helped him focus, but the usual painful thoughts quickly entered his head. He pushed them away with great effort and focused his attention on Yahal. Prayers spilled out of him in a great heartfelt stream of words. “I thank you for your continued faith in me Yahal, even though I stumble you do not abandon me. Please help me to remain on your true path because I need your guidance. Sometimes the bitterness fills me up and I cannot see anything but the memory of their faces as they killed him. The things I imagine doing to them are not justice, at those times my mind is filled only with inflicting painful revenge on them. I thank you for your continued patience as I work towards the person I can be.” Samuel continued to sit in the quiet for a few moments, trying to keep his mind focused. As his mind again began to wander to unpleasant things, he pulled out a copy of the Penita Scrolls from his backpack and set it on his lap. It had been an expensive purchase, but Samuel felt it had been an important part of his recovery so far. Samuel had not read much of it yet but the parts he had read resonated with him deeply. It was his intention to eventually read it all, but he liked to think about what he read and see if he could apply it to his own life. Opening the book he turned to the last place he had been reading from. His lips moving slightly as he mouthed the words to himself as he read. The book talked of ways of attaining and maintaining purity, and were words sanctioned by Yahal himself. “To give up that which is selfish is pleasing to Yahal” Samuel concluded from the passage, “Improving circumstances for those around you is a noble aim and should be strived for in all actions” . Samuel smiled, momentarily distracted from his own suffering, helping others was a life purpose he could support.

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel Thoughts Others Samuel turned back to the book, continuing to read. “Faith in Yahal is a beautiful thing, but he also calls for his followers to have faith in themselves.” Samuel paraphrased. “I guess that makes sense, he is the god of faith.” Samuel thought to himself with a wry smile, “Unfortunately that is something that I've been struggling with recently.” Samuel next pulled out a blank book, a quill and a small vial of ink. He had bought the book in order to begin copying out the Penita Scrolls, he hoped one day he would be able to pass it on to somebody and make a difference in their life. He also thought that writing out the words inspired by Yahal would bring him close to his god. Before beginning to write, Samuel decided to pray. He first sat for a few chimes, listening to the quiet sounds that filled the room. He next attempted to clear his mind of distractions, focusing on Yahal. This went better than the last time he attempted it, and so he prayed. He sat there murmuring to Yahal, for several more chimes before opening his eyes and picking up a quill. Dipping the quill in the ink, he hesitantly began to write but the ink came out in a splodge and made his first word illegible. Samuel's forehead creased slightly and he tried again. This time he wrote with a little more confidence, his quill stumbling across the page to leave an untidy scrawl. The words read: I, Ser Samuel Longwell, have decided to make a copy of the Penita Scrolls. The passages within are written guidance given by Yahal to his followers and they have given me hope in the darkest time of my life. I hope if you are reading this that you too will benefit from them. Samuel eased back in the pew, pleased with the start he had made. It wasn't as pretty as the copy he had bought, but Samuel believed strongly that truth was far more important than appearance. Putting a little more ink on his quill, he slowly copied out a passage from the Penita Scrolls. He made some small transcription errors, but he calmly crossed them out and finished the passage. Samuel smiled, he had found the copying relaxing and his heart felt lighter than it had for most of the year.

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel Thoughts Others As Samuel continued to write he felt him self unwind. The pain had been plaguing him seemed far away, his breathing came evenly, and his mind was focused. The simple repetition of the task was soothing where others might find it monotonous. As Samuel read and wrote Yahal's words, he felt closer to the god than he ever had before. Although Samuel thought that Yahal had never made his presence known to him, he trusted that Yahal was looking out for him. After several pages of copying, Samuel looked back over what he had written. Although they were untidy, the words were legible and overall Samuel was pleased with the result. Setting the book and writing equipment aside, Samuel exhaled gently with a smile on his face. He felt content, significantly more at peace than when he entered the temple. Hoping to capitalise on this, Samuel again closed his eyes and began to meditate. Samuel considered the words he had been reading, focusing on his faith in Yahal rather than trying to strive for peace of mind through his own strength. This made his attempt to meditate much more successful, he relaxed and stress seemed to leave his body. Samuel smiled, an idea danced to the front of his mind. “Focusing on Yahal's teachings helps me to focus,” he thought “reading the scrolls before I try and meditate might help in the future.” He remained quiet and pensive for a little while afterwards. After a while, addressing Yahal, he prayed. “Thank you for the wisdom that you have given to us, your followers. I have put my trust in you, I will follow your commands and guidance to the best of my ability. I ask that you would use me to be a guardian to the innocent, and protect those weaker than myself”. Opening his eyes, Samuel gathered his belongings and stood up. He had lost track of time and his stomach complained at the lack of breakfast. “I'd better go get something to eat.” he decided as he stepped out of the temple into the cold morning breeze.

[Aladari Coolwater]

Your grades have been spotted!
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Samuel Longwell

■ Meditation: +3
■ Writing: + 2
■ Copying: + 2

Lores

Revenge is Not Justice
Lore of Yahal: He Does Not Abandon Me
Lore of Yahal: Followers Must Have Faith in Themselves
Lore of Writing: Too Much Ink Makes Spots
Lore of Copying: Cross Out Errors
Lore of Copying: A Relaxing Activity
Lore of Meditation: Focus on Outside Forces
Lore of Meditation: Read Yahal's Words First
Lore of the Pentia Scrolls: Calming Words

Additional Information

This writing will not have used the entire vial of ink, but be sure that you replenish the ink later, after a reasonable amount of writing.

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Comments:

A very cute, very well thought out thread. I wish I could give you more, but it was rather short. Nonetheless, its always nice to ses people integrate religion without using it solely for a Gnosis. Good job.

Don't forget to delete your post in the grading queue, and if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me about your grade!

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