Master Wu, Quellious, the Demi-Plane of Serenity, and the Monk Epic thus far...

[Cusashorn]

<p>Warning: The following book is from the monk epic. If you do not wish to be spoiled, then don't look at the image. Otherwise, here is the backstory of The Hand of Serenity.</p><p><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a291/Cusashorn/HandofSerenity.png" alt="" width="609" height="867" border="0" /></p>

[x0rtrun]

The History of the Hand - A Gift From the Heavens During the Age of Turmoil, Quellious, the Goddess of Tranquility, imparted a portion of the Plane of Tranquility to create the demi-place of Serenity. Where Tranquility governed the overall state of peace and calm in Norrath, Serenity was created to focus on the personal, inner peace of one's mind and soul. At this time, Quellious came to Master Wu the Enlightened, the only mortal at the time to achieve true enlightenment through a lifelong dedication to tranquility. She raised Master Wu to demi-god status and charged him with the stewardship of the Plane of Serenity and to serve as her emissary of Peace. Then the invaders to the Plane of Power came. The lesser planes began to blink out of existence as their energy was needed by the greater planes to withstand the assault of the power-hungry mortals. With heavy heart, Quellious came to Master Wu and told him the energy of the Plane of Serenity was needed by the Plane of Tranquility in order to survive and that she would have to reclaim it. Wu knew this has to be, but asked Quellious for just a small portion of the energy that he may create a planar artifact to further the cause of Serenity among the mortals. Quellious agreed to this and Wu set to work. Master Wu created the Hand of Serenity, a special katar made of five blades. Although it functioned as a weapon, its purpose was much more as a teaching device than as instrument of destruction. Each of the five blades represented an aspect of Serenity and had its planar symbol etched into it: Peace, Order, Balance, Harmony, and the central, greatest blade Tranquility. With just an expert's touch, the five blades could fly open like a fan to demonstrate each individual concept, or swing together to form one harmonious and stronger blade. Master Wu took the Hand of Serenity and descended to Norrath in order to bestow it upon mortals. He entrusted the blade to the monks of the Ashen Order at their refuge in T'Narev and instructed them that they were to champion the cause of Serenity. They must be the teachers of the world. The Hand of Serenity was protected by the Ashen Order from generation to generation, used in teaching and instructing in the matters of peace and serenity. It wasn't until the Battle of Defiance at the closing of the Age of War when the Hand would be carried into battle to fight alongside the forces of good. During the raging battle, the Hand of Serenity struck the Avatar of War with such cosmic force, the katar shattered into its five blades. Following the great clash, the elders if the Order realized that Serenity was truly missing from the world. They decided that to best spread the word of Peace, Tranquility, and Serenity that they would each take one of the five shattered blades and go out into the world to spread the word of Quellious. They designated a time when they would all come together once again just as the blades would when they were whole. However, when that time came, only one of the elders would return to the humble walls of T'Narev. That elder would set out again to the lands of Kunark to find the others. He was never seen again...

[Cusashorn]

... so let me get this straight? You go and type out the entire story instead of just letting people READ the text I already posted?

[Gukkor2]

So Wu's a deity, eh?  Always happy to find out about another member of the pantheon.  Thanks, Cusa! <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

[x0rtrun]

I typed it out cause text in a forum post will last longer than image hosting typically might. And it's searchable. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[troodon]

<cite>x0rtrunks wrote:</cite><blockquote>I typed it out cause text in a forum post will last longer than image hosting typically might. And it's searchable. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src=" width="15" height="15" />" width="15" height="15"></blockquote><p>It's photobucket, it'll last until the user deletes it, and Cusa's a responsible fella who wouldn't go around deleting images important to threads.</p><p>But your intention is appreciated, at least by me.</p>

[Allisia]

Image hosting sites are not always available to everyone; due to filtering issues for example. Without his text version I would have been unable to read it due to photobucket being blocked here.<div></div>

[Cusashorn]

feh. Just read it when you get home. ¬_¬

[Allisia]

I don't read the forums at home -- that's time I could be playing. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Gnobrin]

<p>Goodness gracious folks, <b>hold off the argument</b>... in a thread regarding the story of <i>Quellious</i>, <i>Master Wu</i>, the Plane of <i>Tranquility</i> and the demiplane of <i>Serenity</i>, <b><i><u>nonetheless</u></i></b>.</p><p>  Thank you <b>SO</b> much for the lore as well as Epic input, Cusahorn!  Thanks go as much to x0rtrunks for saving us from the always "<i>interesting</i>" photobucket as well as giving us something to search from as well as giving some folks a means to read it at work!  As a tag-team, you've helped to spread the lore of the game as well as made me post to wedge in the middle of your Erollisian lovefest.</p><p>~Gnobrin! </p>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<p>One *teeny* caveat to the computer illiterate:</p><p>A (long) while back now I tried to direct link an animated gif. to a post I made (can't remember whether it was this forum or a server forum).</p><p>The gif. was innocemt enough, but the result was, well suffice it to say, <b><u>very</u></b> offensive.</p><p><b><u>ALWAYS</u></b> post any graphics through something like PotoBucket or ImageShack.  Direct linking often has some unintended, (and often offensive), consequences.</p><p>Just FYI.</p><p><i></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">-We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.</span></i> </p>

[Coniaric]

<p>Well, from the story ...we now know for sure that Wu himself had been raised to demi-god status and basically the demi-god of Serenity. Too bad the plane was absorbed. But where did Wu went to? Did he stays with Quellious in her plane?</p><p>So, Wu is/was a demi-god ... then who was the avatar of Tranquility? That monk is still unnamed and I assume it was he who took the Hand and struck the avatar of war.</p>

[Cusashorn]

<cite>Coniaric wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Well, from the story ...we now know for sure that Wu himself had been raised to demi-god status and basically the demi-god of Serenity. Too bad the plane was absorbed. But where did Wu went to? Did he stays with Quellious in her plane?</p><p>So, Wu is/was a demi-god ... then who was the avatar of Tranquility? That monk is still unnamed and I assume it was he who took the Hand and struck the avatar of war.</p></blockquote>The very last mob  you have to battle in the Quellious avatar fight is Master Wu himself. He gives you one final chance to stand down and accept tranquility or face demise.

[teddyboy4]

<cite>Cusashorn wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Coniaric wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Well, from the story ...we now know for sure that Wu himself had been raised to demi-god status and basically the demi-god of Serenity. Too bad the plane was absorbed. But where did Wu went to? Did he stays with Quellious in her plane?</p><p>So, Wu is/was a demi-god ... then who was the avatar of Tranquility? That monk is still unnamed and I assume it was he who took the Hand and struck the avatar of war.</p></blockquote>The very last mob  you have to battle in the Quellious avatar fight is Master Wu himself. He gives you one final chance to stand down and accept tranquility or face demise.</blockquote>That's kind of a bummer huh? I don't like story lines like that that put you in direct opposition with your deity. Kinda sucks that a way couldn't have been found to reassemble the Hand without having to oppose, and eventually confront Quellious and her hand chosen avatar of Serenity. I'd think that that is exactly what a follower of Quellious would not want to do and would drop the quest when they found out that that what had to be done to rebuild it.@ Coniaric:It sounds to me that when the demi-plane of Serenity had to be reabsorbed Quellious was forced to send Master Wu back to Norrath. And I am thinking that it was indeed Master Wu who was the Avatar of Tranquility during the Rallosian War, and it was him who put the smack down on the avatar of War. Even though it isn't stated that it was Master Wu who was the Avatar at that time, it's a reasonable assumption to make I think. We know that he descended back to Norrath before the War, and when the war started and each god went in secret to find an avatar on Norrath it is reasonable to assume that Quellious would choose the "only mortal that had achieved true serenity" and one that had served as a demi-god

[Cusashorn]

<p>Well I've never participated in the Quellious avatar event. I never would. However, the player never actually fights her. Master Wu is the last mob of the event. If you defeat him, She leaves, stating that she'll come back when the world has had a chance to further learn what tranquility means and stuff.</p><p>I'm not level 80 yet, so I can't tell what the details of the epic line have us do, but I do not believe that we are being put in direct opposition of Quellious, Master Wu, or Sensei Makoto Shoda, who gives the quest in the first place AND is Quellious' prophet.</p>

[teddyboy4]

Ooooooooohhhhhh, I see.....I thought the last encounter of the Monk Epic quest was facing down Master Wu. That's what I was referring to when I said it kinda stunk that the Monk epic puts you in direct opposition of Master Wu, and through relation, Quellious. But I see what you meant, the last part of the Quellious Avatar encounter, not the last encounter of the Epic line, is Master Wu, that makes much more sense.Ok, ignore the part in my previous post descrying the Monk Epic putting you in opposition w/ your diety. It seems that isn't case at all, and I just misunderstood.

[BtilTheMage]

Wrong thread, ignore!