Gaul

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Gaul Stone (I-V)
Created 1995, 2001, 2003, 2006
Status Inactive
Retired Various
Race Human
Classes Paladin
Warrior
Cleric
Ordained
Followed Nalya
Rhina
Cordir

Mud Contributions:

Current Description:

August 21, 2000:

Before you stands a big and powerful man, with shoulders strong enough to throw
down a bull. His face is rough-cast on his skull, as if carelessly chiseled out
of stone, and his eyes are light grey and cold. His hair is liberally sprinkled
with grey.  He catches your eye, and to your momentary surprise, smiles warmly.
Gaul has a special twinkle in his eye.
Gaul is in perfect health.

Gaul is using:
<used as light>     (Magical) (Glowing) a red dragon's eye
<worn around neck>  an engraved stone amulet
<worn on body>      (Red Aura) a dragonscale jerkin
<worn on head>      (Red Aura) a helm of dragonkind
<worn on legs>      (Red Aura) a pair of dragonscale leggings
<worn on feet>      (Red Aura) a pair of dragonhide boots
<worn on hands>     (Red Aura) a pair of dragon skin gloves
<worn on arms>      (Red Aura) a set of dragonscale bracers
<worn about body>   (Red Aura) a black silk robe
<worn about waist>  (Red Aura) a black dragonskin belt
<wielded>           (Magical) a giant warhammer


WHO Lists:

Hum [ Wa:12             ] Gaul Translator/Newbie helper. <<>>                            May 16, 1996
Hum [      Paladin      ] Gaul is happy. My purpose is to help. Ask.                     June 30, 1996
Hum [ Wa:30             ] Gaul Stone, Nature's Pearl<Etris>{Newbie Patrol}               March 27, 1997
Hum [ Wa:30             ] Gaul Stone, Nature's Pearl.<Newbie>*Etris*                     May 27, 1997
Hum [ Wa:30             ] Gaul Stone, Nature's Pearl.[Rhina|Etris](Newbie>               August 8, 1997
Hum [ Wa:30             ] Gaul Stone, Nature's Pearl.*Etris*(Newbie Patrol)              December 14, 1997
Hum [ Wa:30             ] Gaul Stone, a Natural Growth.(Newbie Patrol>                   February 15, 1998
Hum [       Wa:29       ] Gaul Stone rolls away...                                       August 21, 2000
Hum [       Wa:13       ] Gaul Stone seeks his place within the Pattern.                 March 16, 2003

Character History:

(written for entry into the Chosen of Fate):BR> Gaul was born during the latter half of the Second Age. He never knew his parents. His mother gave birth in Midgaard Park under an oak tree near a stream. He was abandoned where he lay. He should have perished there but he did not. He stared with newborn eyes at the wondrous height of the oak and listened to the soothing gurgling of the stream and did not weep. He somehow survived long enough to be discovered by the Mayor of Midgaard while on one of his daily walks through the park and was given a home. His foster father was extremely busy, however, and Gaul was given full freedom to come and go.

His charismatic nature led him to learn tidbits of knowledge, both practical and esoteric from the many strange folk that passed through Midgaard during that Age. He learned of Evil and Good and the pitfalls and vice found with both extremes. He learned to defend himself among the vandals and vagabonds that thrived on the streets. He spent hours every day in the park. He learned to identify all the birds and trees. He had a name for every squirrel that scurried among the branches and they came at his call. The other children perceived this affinity for weakness. They soon learned, however, that Gaul was growing strong. His easygoing demeanor could shatter to reveal a formidable foe.

Gaul survived to manhood and was prepared to accept his apparent calling as a swordsman and warrior. He did not take pleasure in killing, but was willing to defend himself and others in need. A Cleric of Nalya noticed his prowess. Gaul was quickly entranced by this deity and quickly shifted his career to worship her. Nalya, in turn, recognized the depth of Gaul's honor and compassion and secretly groomed him for greatness. After many years of devoted service and learning Gaul, still a warrior, was granted the rare honor of becoming Nalya's second Paladin. Most paladins during that Age focused their energy and god-channeled power toward conquest and evangelism. Gaul, as Nalya had predicted, chose to use his only to aid those in need. Gaul grew in influence and popularity among the lost and hungry of the world. Gaul took all this in stride, as he felt he was merely returning the many favors granted him as a youth. It was his duty, he felt, to ensure that no one ever felt as lost or forgotten as he felt his first day in existence.

Time passed. Nalya ascended to a level of existence beyond her followers' reach. Gaul felt the loss deeply, losing his god-granted abilities. For the first time in his life, he had to say "no" to those in need of his former skills. He was just Gaul the Warrior. He seemed to die inside. Those who knew him well noted his pale and empty stares. His wide smiles were a memory. They called him Gaul the Statue and Gaul the Stone. The later name stuck.

The Third Age came and Gaul found work where he could as a warrior for hire. He still aided those in need as much as he could. He heard rumors of a new deity surfaced and the tales of her ties to Nature piqued Gaul's interest. Long suppressed desires and memories resurfaced and Gaul sought out this Rhina that he heard about. He found a home. Rhina reawakened Gaul's passion for the Natural Order of the world. Through Rhina he sought out to help maintain a balance to the universe...no small task. Rhina saw the spark within Gaul's warrior heart and sought to nourish it. In Rhina's Order of Nature Gaul Stone entered the prime of his life. He became Ordained under Rhina and took the title Draoi Sucellus, Druid of Sucellus. Rhina bestowed some of her powers on Gaul and with these gifts he again helped and protected the weak in the world. He embraced all mortals as his brothers and sisters...all but those who would prey on the weak. These were not wolves that preyed on the weakest sheep in a flock, for that would be a Natural phenomenon that he could accept. These seemingly demonic killers did not kill out of need, but killed out of hate, and took pleasure only in the demise of the helpless. For such killers Gaul showed no patience, pity, or forgiveness. During this time Gaul made many powerful friends and traveled to the ends of the world in search of knowledge he could use to further his struggle to achieve and maintain balance wherever possible.

Both the most "righteous" and "evil" mortals noted his efforts. He developed a reputation for being fair and open-minded. He saw through the veil of auras, commonly used to segregate the souls of the world and tried to treat each individual in a just way. He was not perfect, and he was betrayed on a few occasions, but he created a balance, if only around himself.

Gaul aged to an extent but Rhina's power kept him young at heart. For hundreds of years he served his Goddess and carried out her will. It was a time of joy and laughter. Rhina's tree house temple was Gaul's home. The day arrived, however, when Rhina passed from our plane of existence. She tried to prepare Gaul for the blow of being, once again, alone. Gaul focused on his charity work and tried to find a calling. The empty void in his soul that Rhina once filled to overflowing proved too burdensome, however, and Gaul strayed into depression. He still carried the magic of prolonged life and was as powerful a warrior as he was likely ever to become, but he lacked focus. He wandered through the natural world, searching for signs of Rhina's passing. He slowly fell into madness and when he wandered off into the wilderness one stormy winter's night, his friends feared he would never return and silently said their farewells.

Gaul wandered the wilds for 3 years, taking sustenance from nature and conversing with animals in his madness. He asked every creature that crawled if they'd seen Rhina. If they turned their head to look east, he turned east, if they looked up he'd climb a tree, if down, he dug a hole. One day as he slept among the boughs of an oak, he was bitten on the neck by a rare and deadly snake. The snake instantly paralyzed Gaul and prepared to eat him whole. A gryphon, spotting a meal for its young, swept from the sky and captured the serpent and carried it off. Gaul slipped into a coma. A year passed but Gaul did not die. He lived off his stored muscle and his heart and lungs were spared but his mind suffered losses. By some miracle a small squirrel found Gaul while digging down through the pile of leaves under the oak tree. The squirrel's screech of surprise awakened him.

At first his amnesia was complete. All he could do is stare in wonder at the oak tree looming above him. He smiled at the squirrel peering down at him cautiously. He closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of the distant stream. He felt at peace. Gradually memories returned and he found his way back to Midgaard, the only place he could recall clearly. He found friends who remembered him from his youth. They helped him remember more of his life, both good times and bad. They helped nurse him back to reasonable health. He was a shadow of his former might but that did not concern him. He knew that his strength could be restored. What concerned him was the still empty place within his soul. He needed to find a calling that he could devote himself to. Many of his friends had found such a calling among the Chosen of Fate. Lady Cordir, their deity, was an old friend of Gaul's and remembered him in his former life. She offered Gaul a home, and he accepted.

Lady Cordir opened up yet another world of mystery to Gaul. Her philosophy and perspective were compatible with what Gaul had learned from Rhina. Cordir's wisdom about the universe both built upon and supported the wisdom gleaned from Rhina. Cordir opened Gaul's old eyes to the "fabric" of the universe. She revealed the weave that we all create in our passing through the world. Gaul saw elements of the balance he once sought. He saw that to fortify the weave of the universe you must start with the weakest threads and strengthen them.

Gaul is now reawakened, both in body and spirit. He grows stronger every day and seeks to aid those in need. He thirsts for the wisdom and guidance of Cordir and her Chosen. He has found old friends and made new. He has found a new Path to walk upon, one that he hopes to follow wherever Fate leads.

Trivia:

[ 18] Gaul: This little Stone rolled away...
Thu Jan 6 22:47:12 2000
To: all
As many of you by now know, I am no longer Ordained, no longer in Nature, no longer Rhina's "champion"
While I was expecting this change in fortune, it was no less painful when it finally happened. But I want
to make it clear I'm not retiring because of these events specifically, they just provided me with the
perfect time to retire, no loose ends. :)

Wow, it's been a helluva ride. 4 years, alot of friends come and gone. I will, of course, miss all of you.

Take care of the Newbies! They have always been, and will always be, the lifeblood of this mud. You know when
a mud is in decline when the true newbies stop playing

Anyway, didn't want to write a long note...thank you all for the best game I've ever played.

Gaul Stone, former Pearl of Nature, former Druid of Sucellus, former paladin of Nalya's PBS

P.S. Oh and just for kicks, I'll retire the others here I guess...
Rothgar formerly of PBS and Nature
Sith Solo, (my only pker...but was fun as hell)
Lightfoot (also dabbled in Pking but as a mage thief he served the Conclave mainly in IDS)

Player Provided Information:

Cordir
11/23/11
In all my years on TFC, there are few characters that SOMEONE didn't have something bad to say about. The three notable exceptions are Clue, Rhina, and Gaul. They were universally respected and/or loved. Gaul was just an all around really cool guy. If you needed help, he was happy to help. If you just wanted company, well, he would do that, too. It was a pleasure to meet him at one of the Arizona GTs.


Personal Timeline:

12/95: Nalya becomes a Demi Goddess, leading the PBS (Pink Bunny Slippers). Her first worshipper is Znarx. A number of individuals seek to be her Paladin - among them, Ankara, Lorna, and Thomas. A competition of sorts is held, and Anakara becomes her first Paladin. Gaul is ordained as her second Paladin when she reaches Lesser Goddess..

Mid 1996: Gaul becomes Nalya's second Paladin when she reaches Lesser Goddess.

1998: Gaul participates in the 1998 Scavenger Hunt, winning mention in the Room of Records on [[Plaque22].

March 25, 1998: Jerald posts The Ballad of Gaul.

April 1, 1999 - Gaul is pked by Beelzebub. This came about because Gaul went ahead and grouped Beelzebub in the guild to make it easier to talk, and Beelzebub promptly portaled him to a no exit, no recall, no teleport room & killed him.

September 3, 1999: A GT is held at Grandma Tony's in Tucson, Arizona. In attendance are: (Mortals) Kamil, Elistan, Majere, Rubicant, Nydus, Gaul, Rocky, Marisa, Trap, Kennet, Jahiliya, Nyx, and (Immortals) Cordir, Syla, and Thaygar, with Asia arriving just as the GT was ending.

January 6, 2000: Gaul announces his Retirement.

October 8, 2001: Gaul logs in and finds himself a first level mage.

March 15, 2002: An impromptu vote on Gossip is held for the most famous mortal... votes include Stouthbound, Clue, Gaul, Noctus, Syrinx, Ozymandius Kaern, Alecto & Zara, Daelin, Ozious, Keller, Huey, and Pez.

May 18, 2002: A GT is held in Phoenix, Arizona at Tranquility's house in Arizona, with Tranquility, Ptarchyzk, Tianna(sp?), Cordir, Nyx, Jahiliya, Kennet, Tripper, Belsambar (via phone), Foolkiller, Gaul, Tirant, Kain, Majere, Syla, Tokugawa, & Marisa attending.

March 9, 2003: Gaul stops by for a visit

March 12, 2003: Gaul levels to 5 warrior. Gaul reports that he 'tripped over a stray dog...'

March 16, 2003: Gaul Stone joins the Chosen of Fate. (See below for notes)

March 18, 2003: Gaul Stone of Fate ascends to Wa:15 and then duals to Cleric

March 19, 2003: Gaul Stone of Fate ascends to Cl:2\Wa:15.

March 21, 2003: Gaul Stone levels to Cl:4\Wa:15.

June 21, 2006: Gaul recreates as a level 1 Warrior, and over the course of a month reaches level 11, then fades away again.



[ 23] Cordir: Your pledge
Fri Mar 14 07:18:07 2003
To: Gaul

It was with great pleasure that I received and read your words. 
They fill me with a quiet joy I have not felt in many years. I 
cannot convey the overwhelming humility that the oath of those
who have been, to me in mortal days, the heroes and heroines I
looked up to, who taught me as a youngling, or gave some small
word of encouragement, or even provided rescue in times I fell
into peril.

You are one such soul. 

I am deeply honored and touched, beyond measure.

I would set before you a choice: It has ever been my tradition
that those who seek to join the Chosen complete a quest.  Only
in the strangest or most dire circumstances were oaths granted
completion without the quest first being finished. However, an
oath such as yours does not come often, and your prowess - the
sole purpose of the quest's span being to measure such skills-
is well known. 

I shall leave the decision in your hands. If you wish to accept
the duty, let your eyes fall upon the ancient runes that circle
the binding-chain within my temple. These runes detail a small,
but thorough quest for entry.

I look forward to speaking with you further... 

Cordir

[ 24] Gaul: I accept the challenge of the Rune Quest
Fri Mar 14 10:29:17 2003
To: Cordir
I accept the Quest and believe it will help me set my feet more firmly on my new path.
I have changed my title as the Runes dictate and I have attained level 12.  I shall ask Lanfear for sponsorship
as she has been instrumental in inspiring me to take this step.  Darkclaw too. :)

I'd like to do that "interview" too, if only to make sure I'll be a good fit to your weave, as it were.
I've had old acquaintances come out and tell me (after seeing the new title) that I'm making a mistake
It doesn't FEEL like a mistake.  But I admit I've been away a long time and am not up on all the politics 
(I never liked Mud politics)
I'm sure you can reassure me.

Player Information: