A rant for the dragon hearted few.

[Spirit]

.. and so they started to say stuff about me being their mate, even after I said I was human because he was a crazy guy, he started saying stuff about dragons, about how he is only the size of a horse or something, and some human found a dagger with dragon script on it, and how gold mixed with oil makes an everlasting flame, and heres the best part(sarcasm), dragon blood cures cancer, which was an instant "ok this guy is fake" for me.

Wow a true fruit-loop. I can't say I've met one of those yet, but there's still time.

I can't stand some furries (the nasty kind) ... and I have encountered a few of those, but not in real life. Second Life is where I encountered a few choice lines in public chat as I went past a 'bar' with the unmistakable look of a furry rp bar. I kept flying. There is harmless rp, such as what any of us here do in Horizons, but when you fly past a bar in SL and catch a few lines between a fox and a badger 'at it' or whatever... *hurls chunks*

Anyway enough of that.

Some very good comments Callak, and I remember a program on the tv about people who had conflicting feelings about present and past lives, such as being paraplegic. It's strange; I have no evidence for proving that you have past lives, but I could not see the Universe working any other way. In this vast Universe, with infinite possibilities, you live a single life? Some creatures on this world live for days/weeks. The miracle of the soul of any living thing, complex beyond understanding, designed in some cases to inhabit a frame that lives for a tiny flash in the expanse of time? I would wager that each soul would move between more than one life, that such 'chains' of lives would be related in nature, and occasionally for one reason or another the chain is broken by an unexpected next-life. Perhaps something happened, or inspired you, in a past life that influenced where your soul drifted afterwards? Or perhaps something happened in a past-life that caused your soul to be ripped away from its current harbour, such that it raced to the first new life that could be found?

I look around here and wonder if we've all been left with this line of thought, perhaps with different reasons and beliefs, but with a similar cause. Shame that, like IE/Firefox, the soul doesn't have a "History" tab ... it would make a great read.

Perhaps I'm completely mad. Perhaps I'll patent the word perhaps, perhaps in my own name.

Cheers;

A Rakku with a headache.

[CallakDW]

It's strange; I have no evidence for proving that you have past lives, but I could not see the Universe working any other way. In this vast Universe, with infinite possibilities, you live a single life? Some creatures on this world live for days/weeks. The miracle of the soul of any living thing, complex beyond understanding, designed in some cases to inhabit a frame that lives for a tiny flash in the expanse of time? I would wager that each soul would move between more than one life, that such 'chains' of lives would be related in nature, and occasionally for one reason or another the chain is broken by an unexpected next-life. Perhaps something happened, or inspired you, in a past life that influenced where your soul drifted afterwards? Or perhaps something happened in a past-life that caused your soul to be ripped away from its current harbour, such that it raced to the first new life that could be found?

Even though I brought this up, it's nothing more than a theory. One I would love to believe in, but that's the problem- no one wants to believe that they get just one life, and then oblivion. It's easy to pick up on a "spiritual" belief because... dang you want it to be so, but one must be careful not to believe whole heartedly in such things without very good physical evidence. For all we know there are chemical imbalances in the brain that could bring about feelings like we suffer, and that's all there is to it.

[Pharcellus]

Some things you just have to go on faith because, even for things we CAN prove as part of this realm, we know vanishingly little.

They will defy any/all efforts to "prove" them because, by their very nature, they transcend any context of proof in this realm.

Consciousness and self-awareness are not a result of chemical imbalances in the brain.

Next time you get a chance on a clear night, go up and look at the night sky. Note how many stars you see. There are TRILLIONS of stars up there close by in this galaxy alone. Then, imagine you can see past the curtains of stars into the deep void beyond, and see the nearly infinite number of galaxies there as far back in time and space as you can see. Then, imagine that you can look beyond the "edges" of this universe and see the truly infinite array of other universes, many only differentiating from ours by a single quantum event.

Then, come back here and tell me that there is no reason to have faith in even the most outlandish possibilities we CAN imagine.

Everything we know would fill a thimble compared to everything we don't know which would fill the ocean basins of a billion Earths and then some.

Faith in the existence of something is an odds game; my faith tells me the odds are on my side.

[Spirit]

Some things you just have to go on faith because, even for things we CAN prove as part of this realm, we know vanishingly little.

Nice posts both of you! ... I have faith for sure.

Rakku

[CallakDW]

I've said this before, but faith isn't a word I believe in. If it's not proven, its only a possibility. However, one can fantasize about those possibilities without having "faith" that they are so. Faith to me means you believe somthing because you think you have to or you want to, that doesn't make it so, this makes faith dangerous. Exactly what I was warning against in my previous post.

[Hoberton]

Faith to me means you believe somthing because you think you have to or you want to, that doesn't make it so, this makes faith dangerous.

Scary to hear that is your definition of "Faith". Faith to me is a belief in someone or something, not because you "have to" or "want to" but because you just do.

Sounds more like an "uncertainty" in your statement.

[Carenath]

So much to reply too, so many interesting viewpoints and comments.. but the gnomes running this forum either botched the upgrade.. or somehow turned of "multiquote" <.-.< so I cant conveniently quote the posts in succession to comment on the different ones.. Anyway.. before I ramble off about how much better IPB is over vB... the topic at hand.

I share the sentiments and views of many here who have posted. What dragons mean to me, how they inspire everything I do, how I would love to dump my human body, for a dragon one. There are many here, it seems, who are drawn to dragons, as I am. Some, probably believe they are dragonkin (those that believe they are dragons in spirit), some probably just love to roleplay as dragons, some probably just dont know or care.

I dislike elitism, I have my own views on what it means to be draconic, and I dont judge others, instead, I keep and open mind.

[CallakDW]

Scary to hear that is your definition of "Faith". Faith to me is a belief in someone or something, not because you "have to" or "want to" but because you just do.

Sounds more like an "uncertainty" in your statement.

Why should desiring the truth be scarry? Not setteling for what I want and believing any old thing I'm told?

I don't think anyone believes in somthing just for the sake of doing so. There is allways a reason, usually in the case of faith, it's because it's what is most comfortable to them. They want to. Which is not a good reason, it gets those who are after the real truths of the world, or those who are different, burned at the stake.

Yes, there are many things I am unsertain about. Why shouldn't I be? I dont' make myself believe things just because someone tells me I should, or because I want to.

[Frith-Rae]

As one of my "favorite quotes" from high school that came from a lost discussion to time...

"I believe in Dragons, therefore they exist..."

and that's all I'm going to say about the topic of faith and belief (cuz really that's a quagmire I"m sure we don't want to go to here in this topic rofl)

[CallakDW]

and that's all I'm going to say about the topic of faith and belief (cuz really that's a quagmire I"m sure we don't want to go to here in this topic rofl)

Agreed. I was really getting worried this was headed for religeon, even though I was helping to derail it. I'd prefer to stick with dragons and the what would you do part and even why we feel the way we do stuff.

[Shur]

I'm a bit drunk whilest writing this, but I'm curious. How many of you have looked to the heavens and had thoughts of flight? How do you feel about flying into a cloud bank? A thundercloud?

every time it clouds up, and when it rains the feeling gets even stronger. in fact, i felt so strongly that i as in the wrong flesh this evening that my father noticed and wouldn't stop asking what was wrong.

If granted the wish of dragon transformation, what would you do? Would you accept it and leave all you currently know behind?

if you asked this question of me a bit over a month ago, i would say yes. since then, there is one i would bring with me.

Would you just hide, since you can fly, and find a peaceful place in the world to reside?

aye

[QUOTE=CallakDW;165125]
What would you do, given the gift of dragon kind, knowing that there are likely no others of your kind in the "real" world and that you are now an outcast among anything else in the world?
[/quote

if it could happen to me, it could also happen to someone else as well.

pity it won't

I'm also one that would probably find an uninhabited island in the pacific and make a lair there...... I hate being human. Mabe I'm just insane, but at least I'm creatively so, and the mask of anonniminity that the internet provides allows me to tell you this. I would never make such a statment openly in real life.

QFT

[velveeta]

like almost everything in my life, the best definition for faith came from a movie -
No denomination's nailed it yet, and they never will because they're all too self-righteous to realize that it doesn't matter what you have faith in, just that you have faith.

faith is not belief in an unreal object, either by choice or by force. faith is certainty of conviction, knowledge that the object not only exists, but is able to be sensed working in a tangible way.
i believe in a supreme being, i have faith in (for lack of a better word) g.o.d., because i have seen the results of that being in action and have felt the benefits of that action.

but that's just me....

[Cobal]

I think we really should not discuss faith here, it is a far to loaded subject for a games message board.

Now, having said that...

[CallakDW]

*sees modified poster* Dragon heart..... my favorite dragon movie to date. Me too, Cobal, me too.

[Spirit]

*sees modified poster* Dragon heart..... my favorite dragon movie to date. Me too, Cobal, me too.

Great movie! When... are they going to hd it, or make a new movie just as great? That film is 11 years old now. 11 years since I rode daily to the cinema in pouring rain after school for 4 days running, spending my cash on seeing it.

Had a really weird moment this morning, when the captain I was with started squawking at crows flying overhead while walking back to the car... just ... randomly, while we had been talking. It was a long morning lol... still I was loke "Whoa, what the hell lol!?". Even more weird is I swore the crows answered back.

Rakku

[Frith-Rae]

11 years?! woa..I feel old...

[Spirit]

11 years?! woa..I feel old...

You're not alone there..

[Shian]

Oddly enough, I came to Istaria on a reccomendation from a friend based on a dream I had:

I rarely ever get fun or cool dreams. It was however, really bizzare and a little screwed up. But fun.

I was a dragon. A four-legged grown dragon with wings!

I was male though. My companion was a mother dragon (Not mine.... someone from another flight) and she tried to get me to fly. After insisting to her I could not fly in dreams, I tried again and ended up flying.... although a bit clumsy at first. Who knew a tail would be so hard to steer with? The wind felt awesome.

We decided to have fun and landed in the courtyard of this castle. Figuring these tiny beings might be worth something, I resisted the urge to eat them. Instead I picked up one of thier knights in one hand and his horse in the other and used them like a hostage or a meat shield so the people wouldn't try to do anything dumb. It was mostly out of worry that they'd try to hurt my companion.

I roared to get thier attention. I wanted thier king. He was the only one that could understand my language. After much sreaming and scrambling of these tiny humans, the king came out and said something to me. I forgot what he said >.< but before I could explain to him what the two of us wanted, I heard the call of a different dragon.

A female. Obviously wanting her to join us in the fun of eventually eating humans, I listened for her again. She was faaarrrr up in the air. Great >.<

Took me a few kicks and a bit of a running start but I eventually got up in the air. Boooyyy did it feel good to have extra appendages and use muscles I don't really have! At first I coldn't find her- she was hiding in some clouds. I was afraid I wouldn't find her in time (I knew I was gonna be waking up soon...) but I did.

I led her back down to find out the humans had killed mother dragon. Oh good. I was looking for an excuse to go into a seething rage and step on every single one of you! It was difficult though.

I had to keep my body sideways so the female wouldn't get hurt. Not like thier toothpick spears did much damage anyways, but they somehow killed the other one with them, so I wasn't too sure.

I also couldn't eat any of them that had armor. Thier king though, had no armor. Take that! I swallowed that jerk in one gulp for not seeing my gesture for peace. Hey, NOT eating the hostage is peaceful! and I DID let him go.... I don't see what they were all angry about!

After there were no more people.... squished, eaten or run away I let the female tear down the castle, walls, stables, any structure that was still standing. It was like watching a kid with a sandcastle. Very soothing.

She wanted to go fly and find another castle, but flying was not really my cup of tea. More so because I didn't want her to see anymore of how mediocre or awkward it was on my part. Plus I still had toothpicks in my side and wasn't really up to it.

Eventually I'll go learn flips and loops and crazy stuff to impress her on my own, I told myself. Before I could do anything else though I woke up. That was the coolest dream I've had in years.

The immediate post after that was "Hey have you ever played Horizons?"

Well, no. What's that? So here I am. Perhaps soon I shall make the "me" that was in the dream.

[Spirit]

Wow Shian that's a cool dream! I can't recall any involving flying that vividly. I don't think my brain handles the sensation side of any dream that well, especially with flying. My brain just barfs on all the stuff to do and gives me the WoW version.

It sounds like this was a lucid dream, since you were aware that you were dreaming, I only recall having two of those, lasting seconds in each case. The first lasted seconds... I thought I was awake already, until really weird things started happening in my room (wall detatched and started floating away wtf), I realised I was dreaming and almost immediately woke up. The second time I was in some town listening to some conversation on a radio placed on the sidewalk. It was total giberish, talking basically lorem ipsum (words structurally correct, but in no sensical order) which was a queue that this wasn't normal. This time I went the other way, I was so determined to stay asleep that I woke myself up. D'oh!

Welcome to the game nonetheless! I struggle to think what race you'll pick first..

Cheers;

Rakku

[CallakDW]

That is very cool!

It's saddening that I have had very few dragon dreams, but that might be due to the fact that I used to not remember any of my dreams for a long time. I've also had some very strange depression issues over my lifetime as well as fatigue issues. About two weeks ago I started taking melatonin before bed. So far it seems to have cleared up all my physical issues and out of two weeks, there have been only two days I haven't remembered a dream, so I must have had some sort of chemical imbalance going on.

That said, my last dragon dream was actually me as a Lung. Which is odd, because I'm not as attracted to Lungs. But the dream was simply about me and another Lung racing each other through a very narrow canion. It was quite energising, though I wish I had the wings of a Western dragon.

Anyway, that's out of my system.

I started things saying what would you do if you were not given a choice of becoming a dragon, and it just happened. Lets instead say an odd looking imp came before you in a dream, an unually vivid dream, and had a conversation with you. In this conversation, it told you that you could be given dragon form, but you will allways remain so. You have a week to decide. What would you do now? You don't know if there is any feasability to this, it was just a dream, but what if there is somthing to it?