The Land Of Marind Bell

[emerald arcanix]

With this topic i invite all citizens of Marind Bell, both new and old, to share the opinion they have about the land of MB. Dont be afraid to post, there is no right or wrong in here, there is only personal opinions and this is the most important aspect, to say how you see it, not how others tell you to see it. every opinion has value and at the end we will all learn something from one another. Here is my description of MB:


Marind Bell is a pilgrimage, a journey. A journey that we must all take, we must all challenge the stairs of our self so that in the end we emerge better then we were at the first step. We all start blind and helpless, inside a small cube and every step we take on the marble dales makes us move inside a bit greater cube then the last one. The trials we shall face inside Marind Bell will give us more then knowledge, will give us understanding. We move from the state of blindness to Enlightenment.

We move walking a stair, and every stair is a trial. Marind Bell is the land of stairs, the land of trials. This land can be a battlefield for the mind or a serene oasis for the soul. It has the power to heal and purify but also twist and possibly taint. Like a fine weave of reality and imagining, of questions and answers, a repository of secrets.

MB is a perpetual pilgrimage in search of understanding, its about you finding yourself and understanding yourself. In this land the Angiens wings may rise our minds to new heights or the dark arrows of the chaos archers may bury deep into the soul the poison of despair.

Champion's Dome awaits its champions. Look deep into its walls and see yourself. Touch its seal and touch you soul.

(yes a part resembles the Introduction to MB post but not because i copy pasted but because i helped make that introduction)

[Jubaris]

Well, it's been a while but Emerald asked me personally to post here, again

just recently, a youngling asked me about Marind Bell, so I answered like this (certain parts are censured due to some spoilers, certain parts are added):


well... as you may noticed, identity of the lands was formed by the creator of the game to attract certain attributes in people.
Marind Bell and Necrovion, as well as Loreroot and Golemus represent two sides of the same coin.

MB and NV are same coin in sense that they are both spiritual in nature, only MB has that lighter motive, while NV has that darker and sometimes sinister.

LR and GG are same coin in sense that they are both realistic and non-spiritual in nature, only LR again has that lighter motive (in sense of moral norms) while GG applies "goal justifies the means", something that you may picked up in the sign in front of the GG.

MB also as a land (note: I am speaking about supposed nature of lands, not their communities) encourages individuality, and evolving of the individual - new challenges, new questions, new paths to the answer, a lot of that is symbolized in the Stairs through out Marind Bell.

As you can see, landscape of MB is 'human-made' settlement, yet, made with co-existance of nature (it did not try to step nature aside) so you can notice the un-destructive nature of MB (in essence), its respect for life.
Perhaps even non materialistic nature, at least, that's how I see it, the soul goal of a Marindian would be expanding his "cube", understanding new things, becoming "better", stronger, progress.
GG is also perceived as a land with thirst for knowledge, so I have to make some differences.
I would see GG as a land that accumulates practical knowledge, something it can use for easier life, while MB would accumulate knowledge of the soul, finding out more about yourself, becoming "better", finding out WHYs not -how we can use-.

-----
now to continue, what was unsaid.

It is also perceived via certain descriptions in MD, as well as in Story Mode, that Marind Bell also encourages that purity of person, honesty of yourself. Being true.
There are also tons of "facts" and speculations about nature of MB in some other things, but I guess that would be a bit offtopic, and frankly, I did it in hurry just to pay my respect to Emerald, bear in mind that I am lazy and that I will be snobbish enough not to spend my energy focusing on describing things to random people. If anyone has a concrete doubt/question, post it here.

[b]*disclaimer: this is my opinion, do not take it as granted
[/b]

Edited March 27, 2011 by Rhaegar Targaryen

[Fyrd Argentus]

I appreciate your analysis - in particular I gained some GG insight.

To extrapolate something you said - about MB being about individual spiritual progress - Necrovion does appear to be about social regimentation.

I would refine what you said about Loreroot, MB, spirituality and nature. I think LR glorifies the spirit of nature, while MB glorifies the spirit of Mankind. I think MB seeks to tame nature, while LR worships it in it's wild state, perhaps tries to emulate it.

[Udgard]

I'd agree with the sentiment that Necro reflects social regimentation. I believe this is best reflected in the shades themselves, in that they are in fact one entity, but is divided into many beings, some on the lowest level (1 drop of black water) while some are on the higher level (formed of several drops of black water).

On the non-destructive nature of MB in relation to nature, ancient lore wise, MB was made by destroying a part of the xxx woods (I kinda forget the name). Now ancient lore we should not use anymore, but I am inferring that the story at least to that point was created by taking into account the nature of MB as Mur intended. Instead of non-destructive, I'd say that MB is protective, but its nature is not beyond destructive if the need arises.

I know that I'm not a citizen of MB, but I thought I'd share some of my views here. I hope you don't mind.

[Windy]

Greetings fellow citizens:

I have lived in MB for quite sometime and finally become a citizen. I will not discuss my former liason with Loreroot, so please do not ask.

MB has a lot to offer to citizens. It is not so vast that one cannot tour her, but vast enough that one must pack a sack with food to see all of her splendor. She is still a yet untapped resource and is basically still a wild frontier. So, since I am new, citizenship wise, I ask a simple question.

What had been done so far to bring more citizens into our fold? I will try to read all the topics I can to learn these things. However, I would like to hear for you, as well.

Yours, Windy.

[Maebius]

Hmm, I can't believe I never replied to this....
My thoughts, as correct or otherwise as they are:

The Lands of Marind's Bell are a training ground, and a memory of times past. It is probably the first true sign of life and community we encounter, as one leaves the paper cabin and completes the entry into this realm. While the story of Marind seems so viscerally real at first, once it is completed, what remains seems almost an exploration of past prosperity.
The park, central of course to the Land itself, is always bustling with chatter and fighting, with young and old alike. The capital, seems eerily quiet most times, as a resting place, and simple shop for infrequent guests, but it is peaceful there, in contrast to the park's crowded chaos.

Overall, the open accessibility of the townland, to me, makes it a good place to be, and to learn, and to train, but in a deeper sense, is stifled by the sheer diversity of the inhabitants.

It is a town, much like "The Carnival" many encounter along the Story. It is active, and live, and full of life, but ultimately, shallow for these self-same reasons. As for the inhabitants, I agree there is a spiritual nature of it’s inhabitants. While it is somewhat less active than Necrovion or Loreroot to my younger eyes in the MD realms, this is partially reflective of the Alliances themselves.

The Knights of the Bell are a described military force, yet the connotation of Knights is one of protective servitude, more-so than active aggressive force. I have not yet met one who is actively seeking to defend the town, as the current climate of peace seems to be steady, and thus, not requiring of Force. There are codes of honor to not stir up trouble with the neighbors, which are mentioned in the rather terse Laws of the Land. The second Alliance within Marind’s Bell is the Seekers. They are welcomed in the Laws to remain neutral if preferred, and are a collection of researchers and potentially introspective folks, who seek the deeper mysteries of the Angiens and realm, from within.

Personal identity and inner strength appear to be a shared behavior/personality of the citizens of this land. Truth to one’s self, in whatever facet may be formed by the individual, and it’s relation, personal accountability. The citizens of Marinds Bell grow to strengthen themselves, rising to each challenge and stepping above it, and as each member improves, the Land grows stronger for them. Once again, this learning is personal, and self-reflective, as much of the Land seems to support.

While the Marble Dale Park/Sparring Grounds is in this lands, by way of physical coordinates, the Sparring Grounds are not ‘owned’ by Marind’s Bell, and are a more open social ruling.

As for the larger populous, Marind’s Bell seems to be less in number than the more active lands, and those members who are still around seem to have been involved with the realm for quite some time. As a newer inhabitant of MagicDuel, this further reinforces the idea that Marind Bell is a place of history, and that while less active at the current time, it was once greater.

Those who call it home are involved for the longer term, you might say. Perhaps history can rise up and renew itself as a beacon of learning and support for the next generation of souls in Magic Duel. I hope this will be so.

As for a single individual who may embody Marind's Bell, I unfortunately could not settle in my mind one particular example. The ones who seem most active all are a bit unique. It is this uniqueness and strength of personal character that I feel reflects Marind’s Bell itself, but at the same time prevents, and even prohibits, a limited ‘example’ without accompanying details to explain such things. Interestingly enough, with my own Story choices, I find it interesting that the Gates ...[redacted]. The symbolism there seems important, but I can't explain why yet.