Bodhi of the Forest - Tsiv

[Sage Altino]

Welcome, traveler!

The path to Enlightenment begins here, where the Sages will take a day or two to ask questions and get to know you. This will help the region to understand who you are, what drives you, and what you can do. Sages and the Enlightened will ask questions freely as they come to mind, so keep checking back. To follow your Awakening Quest you'll be given a task - called your Bodhi. After its completion, you will ascend to the ranks of the Enlightened and be blessed with the power to know and to do in Karma what the unenlightened cannot.

Your Awakening Quest begins now.

To begin, tell us about why you have decided to embark on an Awakening Quest? Do you have any great plans for Karma or for your own future in the region? What's the dream?

[Takura]

What is your opinion of ranch dressing?
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Best season?
How are owls the best?

[Tsivikh]

To begin, tell us about why you have decided to embark on an Awakening Quest? Do you have any great plans for Karma or for your own future in the region? What's the dream?

I feel called to take a stronger stance for the things I believe in. One of those beliefs is that Karma is a thoroughly wholesome community filled with enigmatic, supportive, admirable people that I am proud to call friends. I identify as one of them and I'd like to be identified this way in kind.
At the moment, my Karma plan folder is empty. However, I have saved it under benevolentworlddictatorship.zip and it is one of a couple dozen tabs I refuse to close. Will accept missions if assigned!
I can see myself doing some moderating, or taking another diplomatic role within Karma. I feel comfortable with confrontation and mediation, but I'm unfamiliar with NS gameplay and the NS community as a whole so interregional diplomacy feels out of reach for the time being.

What is your opinion of ranch dressing?

I can't stomach it personally, and I feel mild to moderate disgust watching others eat it. No shame, though. It's not you, it's me.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Usually the need to pee. Sometimes hunger if I'm watching cooking videos. Most recently a variety of strange noises coming from the opposite side of the house. Seriously though, I struggle with it. I really thought I would have improved by this age, but it's tough every single day. I often sleep on the couch now in part because it makes getting up easier.

Best season?

Fall or spring, for sure. But why spend the whole year waiting for 1 or 2 beautiful weeks when you can move somewhere where it's gorgeous almost 24/7/365? San Diego. I'm talking about San Diego.

How are owls the best?

Owls are majestic af. They are the monks of the trees, the wizards of the sky, the diviners of the unseen, they constantly ask not "why?" but "who?" which really makes you think. If reincarnation is a thing, you better believe owls were humans in a past life. Ditsy, goofy, aloof humans that really enjoyed scritches, but humans nonetheless.

[Michi]

Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles: which is the best breakfast staple?

Have you seen my stapler?

Do you speak any other languages?

What's your ideal vacation?

Is time just a social construct?

If you were to create a social construct, what tools would you need?

What's the best tool at your disposal?

What tool do you feel you should dispose of?

What's your favorite animal?

If you could be reincarnated as an animal, would you want to come back as your above mentioned favorite animal?

[Dust]

Hi Tsiv!

What did you expect Karma to be like when you first came here?
If you're having a bad day and you're not in the highest spirits, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
What's your opinion on omelettes? Especially those made from owl eggs?
What are you afraid of in life?

[Tsivikh]

Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles: which is the best breakfast staple?
The elusive savory waffle is my fave. Sriracha, scrambled eggs, and lots of herbs on a Belgian waffle? Oof. Delish.

Have you seen my stapler?
Have you checked the jello fridge?

Do you speak any other languages?
I speak Spanish, but I'm pretty rusty. I don't get enough practice back in the U.S. I've lived in a few places I was the only English speaker. They say immersion is the best way to learn and I whole-heartedly agree. I still hope to learn other languages, though, especially Portuguese or Russian.

What's your ideal vacation?
It really depends on what it inspires me at a given period in my life, but I always lean towards good food, good company (meeting strangers), seeing how people live in an utterly different place, and harmony. The best vacations are filled with peace and harmony - not worrying about money, sticking to a schedule, seeing sites/sights. Just living the day by day to the fullest in a new place. I desperately miss sailing though, and my dream trip is to sail around the Mediterranean and visit all the coastal cities. A more realistic dream trip in the near future would be working on a vineyard in Georgia (the country) and studying with a master chef.

Is time just a social construct?
The argument depends on the scale, but without a doubt. In the grand scheme of things, it makes zero sense that we would have progressed through numerous eras in what - to the universe, or even just Earth - is a single moment. And yet our entire existence as humans is accelerating through waves of time faster and faster, or at least how we perceive time.
On a small scale, such as if I show up 15 minutes late to a meeting? When it suits me.

If you were to create a social construct, what tools would you need?
A mode of communication, an attentive audience (of one, no more), and a dash of charisma (defined in this case as the ability to impart one's will onto the surrounding world)

What's the best tool at your disposal?
First of all, great question. My best tool would be one that assists me in all or nearly all that I do. Comprehension of the English language is wildly powerful, but easily debatable. Instead, I would say my entire understanding of human behavior. It's very tough to participate or be taken seriously if you cannot obey certain norms in society. But a vast understanding of people and how they are both similar and different will give you the ultimate advantage in any aspect of life - getting what you want (love, wealth, happiness), making the most of life (turning your passions into a future, negotiating circumstances), and improving yourself.

What tool do you feel you should dispose of?
Funny enough, this calls to mind your question about time being a social construct. My worst habit of thinking "not now". Currently: I need to eat, but "not now".  But I can't eat anyway because I need to buy groceries, but "not now". I need to find a job, but "not now". I need to buy a valentine's day present for my girlfriend, but "not now" (it's 11:38pm on 2/13). I need to travel the world, but "not now". Time is a tool I wish I could dispose of. This sense of immortality, not permanent but certainly until tomorrow. And almost definitely until next year. And quite likely for the next decade. I can't shake it.

What's your favorite animal?
I never like to name one, because the answer is obvious but a cop out. It's dogs. The world would never recover if dogs vanished. But my "I'm creative and unique, look at me" answer is the margay.

If you could be reincarnated as an animal, would you want to come back as your above mentioned favorite animal?
I already am a dog. People tell me this all the time and have for a decade. I'm just a fluffy golden retriever. So no, I would come back as something that can fly, travel great distances, afford to live alone or with groups, and feels deep, deep emotions. So maybe a bird, or maybe a flying elephant. Definitely a flying elephant.

What did you expect Karma to be like when you first came here?
What did most of us expect when we joined our first NS region? Roleplay of course. We figured everyone would be either in character or a political science major-to-be. Karma was not my first region, for the record, but I don't remember anything from pre-6-year-NS-hiatus. What a joy it's turned out to be though.

If you're having a bad day and you're not in the highest spirits, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
Frankly, I usually drink. Couple that with either a good movie, singing, or spoiling myself with real good food, and I can usually turn the funk around real quick.

What's your opinion on omelettes? Especially those made from owl eggs?
I can't say I've ever had an owl egg omelette, as that would be called cannibalism, my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies. Regular omelettes I can get down with, but I've been suspicious of them in restaurants ever since the price seemed to spike up to $10-15. I have a good 80% success rate these days on my own. I can't make a Japanese or French style to save my life, though.

What are you afraid of in life?
Now my life sure hasn't been all butterflies and rainbows, but all things considered, I've been hella lucky. And my greatest fear is that is all going to change in a split second, and worst of all, that I will be the cause of it (ether directly, or out of negligence). The first example that comes to mind when I venture down this dark rabbit hole is usually the idea of a friend spiraling, unbeknownst to me because I haven't checked in in a while.

[Paulus]

Tsiv <3

What's wisdom?
What's the most important thing in life?
Why do owls get a reputation for being wise?
Should we fear the dark or the ones who can see in the dark?
What would you change in NS?

[Tsivikh]

Disclaimer: I'm a bit sleep-deprived. The following words might not make as much sense on paper as they do in my head.

What's wisdom?
Wisdom is the ability to discern right from wrong on a foundation of your choosing (ethical, strategic, etc), and to combine statistics and usually psychology in an unbiased analysis to determine optimal tactics. In short, it's not just about finding a good solution to a tough problem, but the ability to compare it to a plan established for you and determine its efficacy. Wisdom is NOT defined by a tendency to make wise decisions. One can be chock-full of wisdom and appear to rarely make wise decisions. The conviction to put this wisdom in action is another trait entirely.

What's the most important thing in life?
The world is bigger than you.

Why do owls get a reputation for being wise?
Owl lady Athena was the pinnacle of wisdom. My concept of her is the ultimate parent/adult - acting upon intuition and sensibility, considering but realistically valuing emotion and logic as independent yet equally flawed cornerstones for a system of foresight. Instead, I imagine her concept stemming from a visceral relationship with the universe and its functions, much like twins often share a subconscious understanding of each other's psyches and could, in theory, predict the other's actions using this "tool". Yes, I imagine Athena as an entity both admired and feared for her preeminent grasp of the psyche of the universe. The owl was one of her symbols, and surely any witness to such divinity would learn a thing or two, no?

Should we fear the dark or the ones who can see in the dark?
Fear is a flawed, but vital emotion. Do not fear the dark, for a fear of the dark is a fear of one's own incompetency.
If you see a child alone in the street, you should fear for their safety, but not because the street is worth fearing. Instead, your fear is based upon the incompetency of the child - you are afraid they lack the powers necessary to keep themself safe in the street. An adult in the street you can more often trust to see themself safely to the other side. However, is the adult psychotic? Delirious? Drunk? The fear for their safety returns.
Do not fear the jungle, the ocean, the dark. Be afraid of being in a situation for which you are unprepared. The jungle is far less intimidating if you travel with a naturalist. The ocean feels almost powerless from the deck of a cruise ship. The dark is not feared if it's merely what you see when you close your eyes. Prepare yourself, and relieve yourself of fear. It is a flawed emotion. Don't fear the one's who see in the dark - befriend them and let them guide you, if they are worthy of your trust.

What would you change in NS?
Every old game and community suffers from the same affliction I don't believe has ever been cured. When your game has been around for 5 or 10 years, you have to factor that in to how you appeal to newcomers. In some ways, you have to give them advantages to even compete with those that have been around for a year or two, but not to the extent where the hard work of the veterans is blatantly discounted. I have no clue what the solution is, but I'd like to see more veteran-new player interaction and gratification. I'd like to see this in most things in life, to be fair. New stuff though, always new stuff. That way we can all experience it for the first time together.

[Aav]

Why did you come to Karma?

What draws your attention?

Do you like murder mysteries?

[Tsivikh]

Why did you come to Karma?
Back when I was a wee ol' owlet, I spent a lot of time in online chat room things. Like, a LOT of time. Some of the people I met were my first real friends, and quarantine had be heckin nostalgic for those times. So about a year ago I started perusing some different MMos and stuff to find a new community to settle into, and I landed in Karma! Specifically what drew me was the meritocratic government, and integration of personal development and civic duty.

What draws your attention?
People. I have this awful thing where I can't help but stare at people when I pass them. I'd make an awful New Yorker. The more anxious or caffeinated I am, the more I find myself staring hard at every person I pass on the street, in the grocery store, gym, anywhere where the custom is to sort of act like you are in a bubble and no one can see you. Ironically, I find it really hard to look into someone's eyes when I speak to them face to face. Also babies. How can you not stare at babies?

Do you like murder mysteries?
I don't read many mystery books, anymore at least. I do love a good mystery/forensics show, and movies occasionally. I do love the form of detective stories, set up with clues and twists and red herrings, but I'd simply call that good writing. However, I'm not as quick-witted as I was in my younger days, and I find myself missing big hints that I probably wouldn't have back when I used to read dozens of books a year. But if you have any recommendations, send 'em my way! Movies, shows, or literature, I'll try it out.