A new Origion for Greybeard

[greybeardabbot]

A NEW ORIGION for my Character… Opening a few more Dagorhirian possibilities.
Based on a little “What If” in Matthew 27:50-53

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

The STORY…
My memory is hazy about a great many things… (try, if you will, to recall your phone number from your first apartment? A number that you could at one time rattle off with out hesitation is now long forgotten. Such is the state of much of my own memory.) I do not, for instance, remember even the names of all the women who have been my wife. I have perhaps been married some two dozen times. But do not call me a philanderer. For each of my wives, with the exception of my first wife, has preceded me in death. I have and will, out live them all.

To the best of my understanding, since the day I was raised to life in the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ, I have belonged to those who are so-called immortal. I am one of those five hundred or so who were declared ‘holy’ and raised as witnesses to the faith. To the best of my knowledge, we all remain here upon the earth until the Day of Judgment, or so I imagine. I have, so far, only met six others besides myself, three of whom I remain in close contact and twenty three others of whom I have been greatly suspicious and I keep vigil hoping to meet them again.

I was in my first life, like my Lord Christ --a carpenter… although I was a gentile convert to the faith through my first wife Leah. I died quite suddenly, I am guessing now, some one hundred and fifty years before the Year of our Lord’s Birth. Since the day I has called out from the tomb, I have been in my Lord’s Service in anyway I thought best. I have intentionally kept a low profile as have the rest of the “immortals” for very likely the same reason, which is humility before God and man.

These days I have taken the cowl of the Knights of St. John of Malta, and serve as Abbot to the House of Hospitallers in Aethenu. It is a poor house, true, but I have my own means of wealth, with although not a great fortune, certainly enough to sustain me… but then… what need have I of sustenance?

I will live whether or not I have means, I should suspect. Oh, I have been cut down in battle innumerable times, which has resulted in “death” but which has really only been a moments rest before I heal. I have been gravely wounded… and apparently dead for long periods of time. But usually I rise within a day mended and well.

Chained in a dungeon I slept forgotten in something like death for nearly ten years… Like the vampire stories I lived again, not on blood, but upon the refreshment of water… that happened quite by accident. I have so far survived three beheadings, so the highlander mythology does not seem to apply. I have suffered faint and not so faint scars from burns I received in battle and rescue… I am not sure what the pyre would do to me and I do not wish to find out…

MORE to COME... Comments welcome as I flesh this out.

[Alric, son of Harland]

The story is good, the punctuation is confusing. Would be happy to help in any way possible.

Alric

[ken]

I like it

[greybeardabbot]

Ok... Time has passed and I read it again... Needs like other orifices to be tightened up...
Frost hates the immortal thing... but I thought it had potential in that it brings an interesting take on a possible origin for a "modern" immortal.
My Seminary profs always warned me not to 'play in the gaps' when it comes to interpreting scripture... but this gap seems custom made for this situation... a few saints resurrected, but no account of their ever dying again, not even in Christian tradition... we assume they did... but hey... we have a nice literary device here that could provide some harmless speculation... a little fantasy... a little poetry... a little whimsy... can often tell a truth better than nonfiction.
Anyway... MY mythology of these 'so called immortals' demands that since they were resurrected as saints they must remain saints and while they might also be sinners, they cannot... or perhaps will not... apostatize. it does limit these "so-called immortals" developmentally to always being 'good' guys, but I could see the possibility that if certain circumstances arise, they could find themselves on opposite sides in a political conflict... each defending what they hold their consciences captive to.
Sort of Like The civil war when brother fought against brother.

In my mythology, the 'so-called immortals' can be killed in battle. They will rise to life again in due course depending on the degree to which they were wounded. Anywhere from a few hours to a few days. In the case of one of the beheadings... DeGeis remained "dead" for nearly a month. In that time He was in a dream state, where his headless body was seeking his head... a spiritual 'connection' that resulted eventually in a physical re-connection.

Rather like in the movie "Iron Giant" the parts 'call' to each other and will 're-assemble' given time... the gruesomeness of that can provide a bit of drama I think. But body parts will not "Re-grow" so to speak. Knit... yes... Repair... yes... but not re-grow... Unless I choose to take a cue from the Jeebs character in "Men in Black" no loss of memory even after his head was blown off... it just grew right back... I don't know which way for sure, but I guess I'm leaning more toward the Iron Giant way of things.

DeGries is not certain what death by burning would do... He was severely burned on two occasion and still carries the scars, albeit they are faint... He and I both suppose that being made into ashes would effectively kill him for good... well... at least until the Day of the Resurrection of all flesh... what we would call Judgment Day...

Other "Deaths" have been long lasting... but not permanent... Chained and starved, long forgotten in the dungeons of the Château Deif placed him one more in a twilight state... not altogether unpleasant... He looked something like Alucard in "Hellsing" when we first meet him. A mummy for all practical purposes. The story of that resurrection might prove entertaining.

[Baethor]

...vin diesel did the voice of the iron giant.

are you comparing yoruself to vin diesel?

[greybeardabbot]

Yeah... wierd isn't it.

Beathor I knew there was a reason I liked you... You know that sorta 'chitma' too. Having just popped that video in the VCR a few weeks ago I caught that little tid bit... When the Movie came out I didn't know who Vin Deisel was... but now I do... so I thought... Cool!

OK... technically you are still an abomination... but...
"We choose to look over that!" ;D ;D ;D

What do you think of the mythology though??? Huh?!? Huh?!?

[berengaria]

Vin Diesel, NOTHING the least bit wrong with him or being compared to him or anything. (Can you tell I like Vin Diesel?)

All that aside, I like your eternal character Greybeard, it is different and opens up all sorts of possibities in terms of stories.
Ever read Melmoth the Wandered by Charles Maturin? Here's a quote about it:

“But what is ‘Melmoth’? Why is HE classed as ‘a great allegorical figure’?” exclaimed many a surprised reader. Few had perused—few know at this day—the terrible story of Melmoth the Wanderer, half man, half devil, who has bartered away his soul for the glory of power and knowledge, and, repenting of his bargain, tries again and again to persuade some desperate human to change places with him— penetrates to the refuge of misery, the death chamber, even the madhouse, seeking one in such utter agony as to accept his help, and take his curse—but ever fails."

Now your character has nobler or more good origins but is human no? I just like the idea of how weary it can be living on and on - whole lives lived one after another, pretty awesome. It's a long read but you never forget it when you've read it. It is written as a story within a story, within a story, within a story, you almost forget where you began at times but it's always interesting because the main figure is eternal. I don't think there are enough stories written like that.

You have a lot of story to relate, I hope you get to writing it down though it will take some time!

Berengaria

[greybeardabbot]

Thanks... I'm working on it wan I have time... think about too occationally.
And yes... totally human... noble but still a little flawed.

[Sir Nichtmar]

Coolest Immortal


I collect the TPB of these and I think it's just a great story of a lone immortal.