In ages past, the Archangel Yaerius visited a young man ascetic man named Akarat and revealed to him the tenets of what was to become the religion of Zakarum. These teachings stressed the necessity of resisting all things evil and embracing, with total devotion, the Light. The angel appointed Akarat to be the prophet of these new teachings, and bade him to take the Word to the people of all lands. This new religion spoke directly to the common man, and the people of Kurast soon embraced it. They sent disciples throughout Kehjistan to spread the Word. Popular religious leaders soon sprung up, endorsed by the new Church, and within half a century Zakarum was the dominant order of faith and binding political force in the East.
During the mid-twelfth century, after the Church of Zakarum had gained prominence in the East, the Church decreed that the visions of Akarat would be spread throughout the known world in order to redeem the masses. Thus, the Church selected a group of its most charismatic and devoted priests and sent them on a mission to proselytize the people of the West.
Unfortunately, the Church had not prepared these men for the rigors of travel nor the hazards of the world. The priests that survived their missions recounted tales of harsh weather, inadequate supplies, attacks from bandits and even encounters with horrible monsters. To ensure the success of future missions, the Church set about training holy warriors, Paladins, to accompany and safeguard their missionaries. In practice, these “Protectors of the Word” proved to be more successful at converting the native peoples than the Priests they were assigned to defend. Impressing the locals with daring deeds, powerful weapons, and martial prowess was far more convincing than the condemnations of a soft-spoken monk. However, once the Word had been spread to every major city of the West, the “Protectors of the Word” faded from public view.
Some decades later, Paladins were again called into service. During the height of the Time of Troubles, the Church commenced a second campaign of conversion. This time, however, the inconvincible were deemed evil. The Zakarum Inquisition spread through the land like a tempest, laying waste to all suspected of demonic possession or corruption. Leading this crusade was a new generation of Paladins, known as the “Hand of Zakarum.” These Cavaliers of Righteousness swept through the lands, expunging the taint of demonic contamination wherever they found it.
In the midst of this bloody crusade, a rebellion arose within the ranks of the Paladins of Zakarum. The rebels condemned the methods of the Inquisition, proclaiming that the new Order of Paladins should protect the innocent, and that the evil corruption was rooted in their forebears’ failure. They resolved to fight the true source if corruption, the Three Prime Evils: Diablo, Baal and Mephisto. And so, these rebellious Paladins left their Zakarum brethren and ventured West.
It was in the West that these rebellious knights traveled and spread the Zakarum religion as it was meant to be done by Akarat. Several libraries and abbeys were built in Khanduras and Westmarch, the two predominant kingdoms in the West.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Defenders of Truth; Warriors of Light
I am a Paladin; a Paladin in training, nevertheless a Paladin. For those among you who are still ignorant about who or what a Paladin is, allow me to shed some light on your knowledge and understanding of what such a title truly merits, while extending an invitation to you, who now read my words, to live up to what a Paladin truly entails.
Paladin: a battle-ready Knight who takes faith as his shield and protection, he fights for all that is good and stands for all which is right. A Holy Warrior of Virtue, his steadfastness gives him powers to do good upon his friends and to wreak cruel justice upon his enemies. Verily, as it is written, he is a Knight-errant who defends all that is just in the name of God.
Paladins are pure at the heart and follow closely the teachings of Zakarum, otherwise known as the religion of the Light. This Holy Warrior of Virtue is bent on driving the blinding darkness of temptation and the crippling power of corruption from before his face, by making Light and Truth his strongest allies. In a by-gone age, they hailed form the Church of Zakarum, deep within the walls of Westmarch, and were known throughout the land as the “Knights of Westmarch,” the heavenly-aided hosts that felled the corrupt armies of mighty Leoric, King of Khanduras.
Maintaining strictly ordered lives and constantly upholding the cause of Virtue and Light, they must never succumb to worldly temptation lest they risk being deceived into following “False Lights” – demons masquerading as heavenly beings.
Paladins are endowed with power from on high and grow in the might and stature of this power according to their level of righteousness. To reflect the powers of the High Heavens given to him, a Paladin must refine his acquired combat skills, which range from tactical attacks to spirtually-enhanced measures of protection. A Paladin uses these skills to increase his prowess with sword and shield, as well as lending blessing “Auras” to enhance his equipped items and armor, thus increasing the effectiveness of his attacks and offering increased protection to himself and the righteous Followers of Light who cross his path. Auras are intangible “Halos” of spiritual protection which emanate from the Paladin and which affect any and all whom they come into contact with (either positively or negatively) depending on the aura and the intentions of those who enter his sphere of influence, whether they be bearers of good or agents of evil.
There are those who call the Paladin an overwrought zealot, but others recognize in him the strength and goodness of the Light. “Faith is a shield in battle. The holiness of the Light, above all else, is sacred and must be upheld. Spiritual cleanliness of mind and body is the cornerstone of our lives. Strength of body is there only when there is no peaceful resolve. We fight to preserve and spread the Word of the Light and let nothing stand in our way or oppress our people or beliefs, or it shall face a wrath the likes it has never seen nor will survive to tell about!”
Paladin: a battle-ready Knight who takes faith as his shield and protection, he fights for all that is good and stands for all which is right. A Holy Warrior of Virtue, his steadfastness gives him powers to do good upon his friends and to wreak cruel justice upon his enemies. Verily, as it is written, he is a Knight-errant who defends all that is just in the name of God.
Paladins are pure at the heart and follow closely the teachings of Zakarum, otherwise known as the religion of the Light. This Holy Warrior of Virtue is bent on driving the blinding darkness of temptation and the crippling power of corruption from before his face, by making Light and Truth his strongest allies. In a by-gone age, they hailed form the Church of Zakarum, deep within the walls of Westmarch, and were known throughout the land as the “Knights of Westmarch,” the heavenly-aided hosts that felled the corrupt armies of mighty Leoric, King of Khanduras.
Maintaining strictly ordered lives and constantly upholding the cause of Virtue and Light, they must never succumb to worldly temptation lest they risk being deceived into following “False Lights” – demons masquerading as heavenly beings.
Paladins are endowed with power from on high and grow in the might and stature of this power according to their level of righteousness. To reflect the powers of the High Heavens given to him, a Paladin must refine his acquired combat skills, which range from tactical attacks to spirtually-enhanced measures of protection. A Paladin uses these skills to increase his prowess with sword and shield, as well as lending blessing “Auras” to enhance his equipped items and armor, thus increasing the effectiveness of his attacks and offering increased protection to himself and the righteous Followers of Light who cross his path. Auras are intangible “Halos” of spiritual protection which emanate from the Paladin and which affect any and all whom they come into contact with (either positively or negatively) depending on the aura and the intentions of those who enter his sphere of influence, whether they be bearers of good or agents of evil.
There are those who call the Paladin an overwrought zealot, but others recognize in him the strength and goodness of the Light. “Faith is a shield in battle. The holiness of the Light, above all else, is sacred and must be upheld. Spiritual cleanliness of mind and body is the cornerstone of our lives. Strength of body is there only when there is no peaceful resolve. We fight to preserve and spread the Word of the Light and let nothing stand in our way or oppress our people or beliefs, or it shall face a wrath the likes it has never seen nor will survive to tell about!”
Final Destination: Al-Maghreb Al-Aqsa
So I’ve been flying for the past two days. . . Yeah, sounds great, huh? I flew from Los Angeles to New York, and from New York to Germany. Note to self: Fly British Airways next time. Don’t get me wrong, Lufthansa was okay, but I prefer the luxury of having my own t.v. and choosing what I want to watch. The food tastes better on BA anyways and the girls are a little prettier (maybe) and there’s more Arabs to talk to. By the way, Barakat (my friend) is telling me that it’s probably more enjoyable flying BA, because you’re bound to see some Arab guy walking around with his black, attractive bag, causing you to get all freaked out because at that moment, the only thing that crosses your mind is that your next bite will be your last (Boom! Boom! Get me?)
Anyways. . . so we got to Frankfurt and man, was I hungry! It was barely 11 a.m. and my flight didn’t leave until 10 p.m. and I was so bored and so tired and you know how expensive airports are! So I got me out of that place and took a train into downtown Frankfurt where I walked around in the cold, bitter rain. I stuck out like a sore thumb with my PASHiON shirt and my small carry-on bag! I found a delicious little sandwich shop which I thoroughly enjoyed after 2 big sandwiches and then headed back to airport again. I was hoping to see Hitler’s ghost on the train back to the airport, but sadly enough, our meeting will have to wait till the next time I’m in Germany. I got back to the airport and slept a little bit, just in time to start boarding the plane bound for Casablanca, or as we say in Moroccan Arabic, Caza.
I got into Caza at 11:30 p.m. and to my wonderful surprise, there were no more trains, which meant that I had to wait till 5:50 the next morning for the first train to come. So I had to sleep in the airport, which of course didn’t happen; I tried fervishly to get some rest, but only managed to get one hour of sleep. So, I duked it out til 5:45 when I walked down to the ticket counter, bought my ticket and got on the train headed to Casa Voyageurs, where I got off and transferred over to the next platform and got on the train headed for Fez. It was good to hear Arabic again, as I began to talk to those around me. Gosh, I’ve forgotten so much, but Al-Hamdu Lillah (Praise be to God) I’m back and I’ll soon pick it up again In Shaa Allah (If God Wills). The train was brand spanking new (it was one of those two-storey trains), the windows were clean and without any scratches on them, and the seats were soft, clean and comfortable! Holy HFAC, it was totally worth the extra eight dirhams (roughly equivalent to $1). Goodbye old Alcatraz Train! Plus it was super fast; it got me to Fez in roughly three hours, whereas the old train usually took 5 to 6 hours! I got in at about 10:30 and got home at about 11. It’s great to be home and to be with those I love and who love me! “Nobody loves you!” is what Barakat “gently” told me, as he sits next to me while I’m writing this entry. The important thing is that I arrived safely in one piece, Mr. Barakat! Anyways, here’s to this summer in Morocco: “In yanSurkom Allahu, falaa ghaaliba lakum!”
Anyways. . . so we got to Frankfurt and man, was I hungry! It was barely 11 a.m. and my flight didn’t leave until 10 p.m. and I was so bored and so tired and you know how expensive airports are! So I got me out of that place and took a train into downtown Frankfurt where I walked around in the cold, bitter rain. I stuck out like a sore thumb with my PASHiON shirt and my small carry-on bag! I found a delicious little sandwich shop which I thoroughly enjoyed after 2 big sandwiches and then headed back to airport again. I was hoping to see Hitler’s ghost on the train back to the airport, but sadly enough, our meeting will have to wait till the next time I’m in Germany. I got back to the airport and slept a little bit, just in time to start boarding the plane bound for Casablanca, or as we say in Moroccan Arabic, Caza.
I got into Caza at 11:30 p.m. and to my wonderful surprise, there were no more trains, which meant that I had to wait till 5:50 the next morning for the first train to come. So I had to sleep in the airport, which of course didn’t happen; I tried fervishly to get some rest, but only managed to get one hour of sleep. So, I duked it out til 5:45 when I walked down to the ticket counter, bought my ticket and got on the train headed to Casa Voyageurs, where I got off and transferred over to the next platform and got on the train headed for Fez. It was good to hear Arabic again, as I began to talk to those around me. Gosh, I’ve forgotten so much, but Al-Hamdu Lillah (Praise be to God) I’m back and I’ll soon pick it up again In Shaa Allah (If God Wills). The train was brand spanking new (it was one of those two-storey trains), the windows were clean and without any scratches on them, and the seats were soft, clean and comfortable! Holy HFAC, it was totally worth the extra eight dirhams (roughly equivalent to $1). Goodbye old Alcatraz Train! Plus it was super fast; it got me to Fez in roughly three hours, whereas the old train usually took 5 to 6 hours! I got in at about 10:30 and got home at about 11. It’s great to be home and to be with those I love and who love me! “Nobody loves you!” is what Barakat “gently” told me, as he sits next to me while I’m writing this entry. The important thing is that I arrived safely in one piece, Mr. Barakat! Anyways, here’s to this summer in Morocco: “In yanSurkom Allahu, falaa ghaaliba lakum!”
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