Timewaster's Guide Archive

Local Authors => Writing Group => Topic started by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on April 13, 2004, 10:51:59 PM

Title: first time experience
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on April 13, 2004, 10:51:59 PM
Being a good little Mormon, I just realized I have no idea what it's like to pray for the first time, something my character is about to do.

Any of you got any hints for me? Here's what's really happening:

Character is expected to kneel at an alter and pray all night. Instead of just messing around with his friend, who is there with him, he decides to give it an honest try... but he doesn't know how.
He believes in the god he'll be praying to. He's just never prayed before, and he doesn't know what he's supposed to get out of it or put into it, and he just doesn't know why he should pray in general.. So I'm not sure how to explain what he does when he tries.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock on April 13, 2004, 11:36:39 PM
Why not just have him fall asleep? I know most young-in's aren't up to staying up and kneeling for hours on end.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on April 13, 2004, 11:41:56 PM
because that won't work in the plot till later
Plus he's 17 and being trained as a knight.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: EUOL on April 14, 2004, 06:05:23 AM
I still think he might fall asleep.  Probably common in the order, despite the fact that no one would acknowledge it.

I don't think he wouldn't know HOW to pray--he just might not believe that what he's doing is important.  I guess that would depend on the character.  Does he believe in god?  Or, is he the type that would even wonder if there is a god?  If not, then he'd probably see the ritual as a formality, and wouldn't really think about it as 'praying' at all, but going through the motions.  If he does wonder, then perhaps he'd think that he's supposed to come up with a short prayer, and repeat it all night long.  That seems like it's the more common interpretation of praying, as opposed to the LDS/protestant 'make it up as you go along' method.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on April 14, 2004, 07:29:39 AM
well, he is going to fall asleep, but first he tries, then his friend interrupts him and they talk, then he tries again and snoozes off.

He does believe in the god. just hasn't ever even considered trying to talk to him.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: EUOL on April 14, 2004, 08:36:08 AM
How did he get that belief?  Formal religion?  Taught by parents?  Cultural conditioning?
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on April 14, 2004, 09:27:44 AM
mostly cultural conditioning. He doesn't have doubts in it because other supernatural beliefs of the culture he has personal experience with, and he sort of makes it an all or nothing situation.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Maxwell on April 26, 2004, 01:58:18 AM
(character one)[kneeling and putting his hands together in an unsure manner]"u-uh um God? I-I'm not sure exactly what I should be d-doing...I havent ever asked you for much but now I-uh need to ask you for the courage and strength to be a knight... " something like that I would imagine, I'm not christian so I have more than one god but I think the premise is the same.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Master Xaio on April 27, 2004, 08:06:22 AM
Do you mind my asking what religion you are?
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Entsuropi on April 27, 2004, 11:52:30 AM
Not paying much attention are you?

We are all followers of Diablo if you must know.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on April 27, 2004, 12:02:36 PM
I'm pretty sure he was asking TFO about religion, whom we have not inducted.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Mad Dr Jeffe on April 27, 2004, 01:09:18 PM
He's a member of the Cheetos heresy.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Mad Dr Jeffe on April 27, 2004, 01:10:24 PM
I guess the praying depends a lot on wether he gets an answer or not and what he's praying for.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Maxwell on April 27, 2004, 07:44:09 PM
I'm...polytheistic, lets just leave it at that,(worshpping many nameless gods amd celebrating celtic rituals and traditions)
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Master Xaio on April 27, 2004, 08:49:19 PM
Hm, ok interesting.  

Tho I can't say Ive ever prayed, I'd imagine that you'd do something along the lines of kneeling, clasping of hands, bowing of head etc. Then saying a short prayer of the top of the head and repeating that.  Pretty much what EUOL said
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Entsuropi on April 27, 2004, 09:11:23 PM
Do any of you newbies have a BRAIN? He knows HOW to pray physically. He is wanting to know how a person who has never done it before might go about pulling it off.

And TFO, your 'religion' equates to 'Dude! They have nude chicks dancing around fires!', right?
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Maxwell on April 27, 2004, 09:16:14 PM
not really... more like sitting around huge fires and getting presents while eating obscene amounts of red meat(yum) then praying to our nameless gods.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Entsuropi on April 27, 2004, 09:23:42 PM
That, then, is not a religion. That is an excuse.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Maxwell on April 27, 2004, 09:27:41 PM
excuse for what, besides is a summary and there are religious aspects to it and quite frankly I think christianity sis just an excuse to conquer people but i dont go telling it to the christians faces.  you seem to be really insullting at of me at the moment and i would like to calmly ask that you lay off my religious veiws cuz thats just not right man
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Sminja on April 28, 2004, 01:28:17 AM
Well, Max, someone could just as easily use the same reasons that you are against christianity for your religion and be "anti-Celtic" from the same perspectives as you...
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Maxwell on April 28, 2004, 10:10:09 PM
wha?
that made no sense
my point was: I dont ragg on your religion, so I would like you not to ragg on mine.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Entsuropi on April 29, 2004, 08:06:47 AM
Quote
I dont ragg on your religion


Damn right. I don't have a religion to 'ragg' on.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: JP Dogberry on April 29, 2004, 09:10:50 AM
Don't you?

Y'know guys, that LOTR tabletop game really stinks. Unsurprising really, seeing as how Games Workshop have never made a decent thing in their existence.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: Spriggan on April 29, 2004, 09:16:10 AM
WTH did that come from JP, I mean I know we like to change topics here but that was so off base?  Anyway the rumor is, all started by all the ex-Decipher RPG employies that got laid off, that Dechipher is going to sub-lincenese the LOTR RPG to GW.
Title: Re: first time experience
Post by: JP Dogberry on April 29, 2004, 09:39:20 AM
That came from the fact that Entopy is a major fan of many GW  games. I was joking that that was in fact his religion.