Not that it helps much, but it was a follower of Zelia that struck the final (one of the final?) blows that ended the Second Griffin Sword War.

Zelia is an odd bird to build something substantial on due to her insanity. One would expect that for as much as she feels about one thing or another, her reactions and thoughts would be fleeting and insubstantial to the point of making it difficult truly base anything of length on them. I could see her as that random factor, someone who might intervene or act out of nowhere, but it would be only a momentary act. It could be an act that changes everything, though.

I don't know if I would consider her one of the most powerful Arkati, so much as one of the least fearful or alternative, most brave.

GM Scribes

Is she really insane? Or just operating on a different plane of perspectives difficult for us mortals and powers to comprehend fully?

I think Zelia should start striking down those who don't understand such an inflection to the degree that she's labeled 'insane'.

I'd buy that ticket for a million silver. . .

Doug

<<Her clarity (insanity) is exactly what prevents her from doing this. She already recognizes what little impact her action, or has already seen the consequence of that action, and knows it's a waste of time, or conversely, sees the ramifications of such action.

So what you're saying here is that Zelia is the best procrastinator ever? I can get on board with that!


~Aulis
Forums Manager
QC'er

Zelias foresight gift, is the gift of seeing death, but not the actual act. She can foresee say the death of the king in Vaalor as she did.. but through the protections given her mind, she cannot see the actual death itself. It in lore was to protect her from the grief that jastev endures. She does not have the ability to contemplate her actions based on the foresight in a rational manner. That is why she appears to be crazy. She does not have a complete picture of what she is able to see.

However, as far as her powers go, well... they have really never been tested. But if you read the lore with the Arkati, and the Drakes, not even the most powerful of the drakes would look her in the eye more then one time. She was born of the drake of pure chaos, and she was free to travel the moons of her own free will, something the other arkati were not able to do, and were actually put on the moons. They actually displaced her by migrating to the moons forcing her to share a domain that was hers exclusively. But I would still argue any arkati the drakes feared, or refused to deal with, that had the ability to travel at will to the moons and back, born of pure chaos, and seen as Insane, and with the foresight to see death.. would be one of the most dangerous and powerful of them all. Especially one that hated Sheru.

My main point tho is, Sheru is so deeply involved in so many stories, but his arch enemy seems to never even trickle in, even if its known she despises him. Also, so many follow Sheru but don't seem to get the concept Sheru's followers are also crazy, because he drove them insane. Zelia does not drive people insane she actually requires that they willingly give themselves to her to degree. I just get a bit bothered that most of the Sheru followers seem to act as if there just everyday normal people, but evil. And you have many that follow zelia that are all oddballs in some way, have strange natures to them and actually try at least to portray some level of Madness.

I don't mean to try and insult anyone's R/P as there is a lot of room to work with, but Sheru seems to dominate things so much with some minimal effort by his followers and Zelia just keeps getting left behind. If Zelia's Lore is she Despises Sheru then crazy or not, she would be paying attention to what he does, and as she has the power to shift the balance between light an dark she would not be contemplating things from a distance.

:D I guess I see it like Zelia is in a sauna, and its too hot or too cold. She doesn't care which,as shes in her own world, but shes uncomfortable. So she adjusts the temperature to make it comfortable, and that adjustment effects everyone else in the sauna. Plus, if she sniffs Sheru creepin about messing with the thermostat, shes gonna jack-slap em out of the sauna, using her followers or directly by her hand. By powerful I mean yea any of the Arkati can fiddle with the thermostat, but Zelia has the last say so on where it gets set.

The distance between genius and insanity is measured in degrees of success.

Starchitin

A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.

<Both Ronan and Zelia have beefs with Sheru for poaching on territory they presume theirs, but the difference is that Zelia doesn't have so much a problem with Sheru driving people crazy, as the way he does it. Ronan simply wants the dude out of the night, period. Thus, I think there's a much more passionate animosity between the two, than say a heated and disgruntled competition between Zelia and Sheru.>

I can agree with that, except for maybe 2 minor things. As my beginnings with paying attention to the Arkati started in Vaalor, Zelia is like the unseen arkati for that town, signs of her are almost everywhere, including an entire critter population that does have a presence in every towns hunting areas. Of course she has her other temple there also. So part of my zeal for her comes from that town, and the nations where she is much more predominant in the land and features itself.
I think of Sheru being around Vaalor as maybe pushing her too far, other places I can see your point. The second thing is Zelia has some real rage issues, She is angry at a few, or should be, she is scorned somewhat. Ronan should not be very high on her list either as he fooled with her dreams at Koars instruction. I just have a hard time with a volatile insane woman who in lore;
enjoys hearing the minds of her followers calling to her asking her for attention.. as if it sooths her. And periodically misses the company of them and walks the lands with or observing them.

Her being a total recluse all the time, especially when those minds stop calling because there dying at the hands of dark or light, seems too distant for the lore. Id expect some insane rage now and then where she just went ripping through other arkati followers or invaders so she could have her sorta sleepy time dreams back when too many of her own are silent. Plus I have no idea how many have her listed as a patron, but I bet shes in the top half or higher. If you look at the arkati by number of followers, then look at how active that arkati is in stories I would bet a few are out of skew.

All of that being said, Id like to see a bit more involvement with her, even if it comes from player based initiative which I am going to try and do.

Scribes, Don't know if I am correct but I saw that little tree thing you did with the kobolds and the owl in River Rest as a Zelia sorta comparison to the gnome constellation Zelia created. If not it still was cool, but resembled the story in a strange parallel. Also your right she did aid in the GSS conclusion, but that was what 10 years ago? I actually had not realized its been that long myself, that is her only time in a storyline greater then say a weekend event that I know of.

>For some weird reason, I'm having flashbacks to Urutei, the giantwoman prophetess, who came prior to the WoN breakout of fun. There should be an owl statue on top of the stable in the Citadel, if I or someone else remembered to put it back.

>Generally, when I associate a town with her, I think Solhaven, as it has the hands down weirdest/creepiest temple in the town.

1) Are you calling Havenites crazy?!
2) We of Haven also claim owls.

Signed,
Raelee and her Strings

>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, "See? Raelee knows all."

< There should be an owl statue on top of the stable in the Citadel, if I or someone else remembered to put it back.>

I haven't checked in quite a while, but I don't believe anyone has.... which is a shame.

Starchitin

A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.

<Generally, though, Ronan is seen as the archenemy of Sheru and vice versa. It's probably why Ronan was selected as one of the Light Gods involved in the GSS.>

Also I agree, but.. only to the extent that the storylines of the past have made it this way :). If wayyy back when, some one said, hey lets have Zelia and Sheru have a face off, then it might be Ronan sitting on the sidelines as the alternative enemy. There nothing wrong with the stories and events that have happened, but realistically years ago the tone was set by those who created the first big story themed events. I can agree though, trying to handle Zelia would be a challenge for anyone on the behind the scenes side. Sooo maybe Ronan just was the less difficult one to develop.

<<I haven't checked in quite a while, but I don't believe anyone has.... which is a shame.

Weirdo. I'll need to tell Xayle to find the owl in my office somewhere. I'm sure it's in there, somewhere...I haven't a clue why it never made it back in. Who wouldn't want a stone owl associated to a crazy giantwoman ranting and raving about the end of the world?

<<1) Are you calling Havenites crazy?!
<<2) We of Haven also claim owls.

1) See statement 2.
2) See statement 1.


GM Scribes