From the notes of Caarad Surestrider, submitted to Borrum Binbalik and Stavil Hynd for their work "On The Bearers of Akasha"
As noted in the journals of Garnel, Maxwell and the renegade Rokk Krinn journal, Gort had been dead some time before work on this project began. In order to get a sense of the man, I interviewed some of his companions and members of his Liferock. The bulk of text below was from an interview I conducted with Karagian, elder of Gort's Liferock. Afterwards, I have included excerpts from other interviews concerning the obsidiman warrior.
Gort stood eight feet exactly, and weighed nine-hundred and thirty pounds. His skin color was black, with streaks of silver. In every facet, he was an average obsidiman, except in personality. Karagian's tale raised many questions which tragically, will never be answered. From all accounts of his companions and his Liferock brothers, Gort was a loyal friend, a brave warrior and a credit to his race.
Spoken by Karagian, Elder of the Dragon's Neck Liferock
"On the day of Gort's emergence from the Liferock, an elder obsidiman had a vision of a burning land. Taking this as an omen, Gort's Liferock brothers Named him Engortrabileniltriello, meaning 'A Vision of Fire'. Among the other Name-Givers, this Name was shortened to Gort. From that moment on, it became evident that Gort was anything but usual. He was the first to emerge after the Scourge. He took a great interest in the Scourge and the amazing legends in the days before. This hunger for other lands was in stark contrast to his learning of the obsidiman lifestyle. Although he was well-trained in the cultural and religious forms, he seemed to dismiss them as formality and inconsequential.
"Early on, Gort studied the religious Passions of other cultures. In the Passions of Thystonius and Chorrolis, Gort found revelations into himself. His studies of legends and Horrors implanted the ideals of heroism and the test of battle in his mind. He became driven with a need to learn more and to live those ideals, no matter the cost. He discovered that his life had a destiny. The Passions helped him understand the meaning behind his Name, and interpreted it as a sign of what he must do. His life was a continual training session, and the many battles he would fight tests. In the end, it would culminate in one final confrontation. This would be both the culmination of his preparation and the darkest hour of his life. At that moment, Gort believed, Thystonius would come and give him the courage to fight the battle.
"From then on, Gort began to train his mind and body toward this end. He chose an iron pole arm with a steel blade as his weapon of choice. Although he was under-average strength-wise, he was a foot taller and much more dextrous than the average obsidiman. He volunteered for patrols, and worked hard at his weapon training and research. Eventually, his physical training earned him tutalidge under the great warrior, Olanth. Olanth took the time to teach Gort the various forms of combat as well as the knowledge of tactics and strategy.
"His other studies, though, concerned the elders who felt that Gort was not taking his responsibities as a member of the obsidiman community seriously enough. When they addressed this, Gort had a most un-obsidiman burst of anger, and responded that in the face of fighting evil, customs and traditions were unimportant. Gort later regretted his harsh words, since he did respect and care for the way of his people. Still, he never relented that what he was doing was paramount above all else. The pressure mounted as time went on, and Gort began to break under it. Fearing that he would forsake his own beliefs, he left with only his clothes and his weapon for the world he had read so much about."
After such an interesting story, I inquired how they felt his sudden death fit into that picture. Karagian's answer surprised me greatly, both because of its claim and because the resounding ring of truth it has.
Amongst the elders, there was a belief that Gort was released by the Liferock for the specific purpose of going out to help fight for the Name-Givers in the dangerous days after the Scourge. In essence, Gort might have been the Liferock's own way of helping to heal the damage done. When Gort left, despite all that he risked, this belief flourished enough to prevent the elders from calling him back. Rather than weaken that argument, Gort's death transformed it into canon. The brotherhood of the Dragon's Neck Liferock belief that Gort was a harbinger of momentous times to come and an example, whose beliefs and deeds would forge a certain type of champion for Barsaive and all Name-Givers. When I asked Karagian to specify what he meant, he answered,
"Look at what has happened since Gort left - the return of Thera, of Cara Fahd, the death of Varulus and the fall of Kaer Eidolon are just a few of the amazing events that have occuured since Gort's departure. Fighting at the forefront of each of those events were The Bearers of Akasha, whose roots can be traced directly to our brother. This is no coincidence, for the threads of Gort's destiny can still be seen today. His driving belief, to fight evil at any cost no matter what traditions or customs might dictate is the very essence of The Bearers of Akasha. Garnel's throwing down of Neden's badge, working with Therans to stop the war, and all of them putting themselves in harm's way by infuriating Iopos and Ishkarat are all in keeping with Gort's example. Gort did not know how his destiny would unfold, but it is evident that his destiny is tied to the deeds of others. We are proud of him, and thankful that the Passions blessed us with such a brother."
The Adventuring Journal of the Adepts of Bryhn
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