- "...there will be an interregnum of swords...
And the Blessed One named Metteyya will arise in the world..."- -Dīgha Nikāya 26
Age: 45 (as of 1355 DR)
Height 6'2"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: None
Facial Hair Style: None
Personality Profile:
General Health: Tall and well-built; sturdy and hardy from hours spent destroying the undead
Deity: None
Initial Alignment: Lawful Good
Profession: Monk
Base Class & Proposed Development: Monk
Habits/Hobbies: Meditating, writing
Languages: Shou, Common
Weapon of Choice: Unarmed
Background:
Birth in Arakin
- "ARAKIN
The Land: Rough and rugged mountains, descending
gradually into rolling foothills as you approach
Chu' Yuan and the bamboo jungles.
History: Arakin is considered to be a backwater
province of little importance, other than its boundaries
with the East."- -Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms, page 14
By any of the normal standards by which development is measured – coins, political power, technological innovation, art – Arakin is an insignificant backwater, its people unremarkable. But from a monk's viewpoint, the austere conditions of Arakin might be considered fertile ground for spiritual development. Perhaps this is why some monks of the Old Order built a monastery in the Arakin mountains long ago.
The Old Order and the Way
- "Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are
devoted to the philosophy espoused by a deity who is either
now dead or has never existed on the Material Plane of Toril.
The monks contradict themselves on this point, but the deity’s
identity isn’t important to them, it’s the message they care about.
The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely
throughout Faerûn. . . .
"[T]he Old Order[] is the most likely to have monasteries hidden in
far flung wilderness areas."- -Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, page 25
no one doubts that they are keenly, defensively minded. Rumor has it
that the masters of the order attain ranks by being able to survive a beating
by an Ogre, without ever raising a hand in defense...."- -Robes of the Old Order, item description
than a religion, because its adherents believe
that the true nature of the Way is unknowable. [Its]
shrines are more like hermitages, and its very few
temples organized as monasteries or schools, teaching
a wide variety of subjects. The Way states that all
things in the Celestial Universe affect and are affected
by all others. There is no Good, Evil, Law or Chaos -
only the forces of the Universe..."- -Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms, page 28
Because the Way is not dogmatic and does not believe in Good, Evil, Law, or Chaos, Mi-Le was taught to accept others and their beliefs. Mi-Le was taught martial arts only as a form of meditation. His martial arts teacher instilled in him a respect for all life. Indeed, one of the most important vows at the monastery was the vow to abstain from killing. As such, Mi-Le's combat is keenly defensively-minded.
The Spirits of Eldath
- "The philosophy of Eldath is highly advanced. It teaches that peace can only come from within and cannot be taught or imposed; it must be reached through thought and meditation. The faithful of Eldath should seek stillness and thereby find peace... Eldathyn are instructed to nurture and aid and not to restrict or punish. They may defend but not punish. Eldathyn may work violence only to defend... They must swear to take no thinking life save in direst need and to share with all beings the beneficial things that grow in or come from running water..."
- -Faiths & Avatars, page 58
Mi-Le's particular sect of the Old Order teaches that even the gods are impermanent and can die. This is why Mi-Le's sect of the Old Order does not worship any deity. However, Mi-Le realized that Eldath was still a goddess to be respected. Her teachings of peace are perfectly in line with his own beliefs. Mi-Le has thus developed a certain reverence for Eldath, even though he still believes the gods are impermanent.
In 1326 DR, when Mi-Le turned sixteen, the spirit asked him to travel to a grove that had been important to the spirit when it was alive. The monks of the monastery gave Mi-Le their blessing to go. In fact, it was not uncommon for monks to leave the monastery and travel the world to gain wisdom and insight. Mi-Le paid his respects to his teachers and left the monastery, with the dwarven spirit leading the way.
What Mi-Le did not know was that the grove was not in Kara-Tur. It was in the continent of Faerun, on the Sword Coast. Mi-Le traveled by foot for years, guided only by the feelings and intuitions of the dwarven spirit. Along the way, he helped countless people in countless ways.
In 1350 DR, twenty-four years after his journey began, Mi-Le finally set foot on the Sword Coast.
In 1352 DR, about two years after arriving on the Sword Coast, Mi-Le received a request from his monastery to return to Shou Lung. He decided to heed that call, and used the power of the spirits to return to the mountains of Arakin. Months later, Mi-Le's teacher passed away. Before dying, he asked Mi-Le to return to the Sword Coast to see about establishing a monastery of the Old Order. He also helped Mi-Le see that the spirits' powers came from Eldath, and that Mi-Le had developed an attachment to the spirits and a worship of Eldath. Mi-Le used the power of the spirits one last time to return to the Sword Coast, and then bid farewell to his spirit guide.
Goals:
- Realize the Way
- Help those in need
- Maintain peace and balance
- Spread the teachings of the Way. ((July 2016)): Mi-Le has opened a small meditation hall in Baldur's Gate.
- Befriend followers of Eldath
- Learn about the religions of Faerun
Find the dwarven spirit's grove((Edited in April 2015)): After twenty-four years, Mi-Le finally found the grove with the help of Ivan the druid. After finding the grove, the dwarven spirit moved on peacefully.
- Mi-Le was blinded by naga shortly after he arrived in Faerun.
He has been relying on his spirit guide for navigation, but this is imperfect.((Edited in April 2015)): After many long months, Mi-Le's blindness was cured by Brother Ameris at the temple of Ilmater. The spirits aid Mi-Le in channeling the elements of nature. His spirit guide takes the form of a hawk.((April 2016)): Mi-Le has bid farewell to his spirit guide.- Mi-Le will fight if necessary, but he will not kill. ((I RP his "kills" as KOs. If you do not wish to go along with this RP, let me know, and I will refrain from landing any killing blows around your character. Thanks!))
- However, Mi-Le has no qualms about destroying the undead or constructs. To him, an undead is a perversion of the natural cycle of life and death, something that must be allowed to pass on.
- As a monk of the Old Order, Mi-Le does not worship any deity. However, this does not mean he denies the existence of the gods. In fact, Mi-Le respects Eldath in the same way that he respects his teachers.
Mi-Le is unaware that his spirit shaman powers ultimately come from Eldath. He is operating under the mistaken understanding that his powers originate from spirits of nature. Considering that the Old Order does not worship any deity, it is unclear how Mi-Le would respond if he were ever to learn the true source of his powers.((April 2016)): After seeing the true source of his spirit shaman powers, Mi-Le bid farewell to his spirit guide, thereby letting go of his shaman powers. He still retains knowledge of the spirits, but not much else.