Dunkelzahn's Will

From the Lair of Dunkelzahn

If you are reading this, then I am dead. Undoubtedly, my death has generated a media frenzy the likes of which the world has never seen - a media frenzy that will fade away just as quickly as it erupted. So while my fifteen minutes of fame last, I'd like to make the best use of my notoriety. I'd like to speak frankly about the future of metahumanity. I'd like to lay it on the line and say everything that I couldn't while I lived. (And I'll keep it short so that your attention doesn't wander before I'm finished.)
To paraphrase one of your own writers, you're living in the best of times and the worst of times. On one hand, you've achieved a level of technological and intellectual development unequaled by any of the civilizations that have passed before you. At the same time, more people have been consigned to lives of malnutrition, hopelessness and fear than ever before. A privileged few enjoy the fruits of "progress," while the SINless and most metahumans - who make up the vast majority of the world's population - struggle simply to feed and clothe themselves.
As some of you may already suspect, the world is seriously out of balance. Megacorps continue to despoil the Earth in the name of profit. Nation fights nation, the mundane among you fear and loathe the magically talented, humans have turned on their metahuman brothers and vice versa. If things continue unchanged, it's all going to come crashing down, probably sooner rather than later. And when it does, no-one will escape unharmed. That's right. Regardless of how much nuyen you have stashed away or how many street samurai you have at your beck and call - you're not going to escape. From the most powerful corp exec to the lowliest gutterpunk, all of you are in the same boat - and if that boat starts to sink, you'll all go down with it. Trust me on this, I've seen (meta)humanity come close to kicking the proverbial bucket before.
The good news is that you have the power and means to restore the balance of the world. As I've already said, you've achieved a level of technological and intellectual development that any of your predecessors would envy. Plus, you're rapidly rediscovering the ancient art of magic - and magic is the key. For with the twin arts of science and magic at your control, you truly have the power to reshape the world in some fundamental ways. Of course, this power could just as easily be used to throw the world even further out of balance, but that's less likely to happen because of the very nature of magic. Every good magician knows and respects their limits. They know that their power comes from the universe around them, comes from working with the natural order of the universe rather than against it. And it's that kind of wisdom that will help metahumanity turn things around.
Quite simply, I'm telling you to GROW UP. In this age, you've got more power at your fingertips than your ancestors ever dreamed was possible. Continue to push the envelope of knowledge. Continue to dream the big dreams, by all means. But you must begin using your knowledge and power wisely, because thousands of years may pass before metahumanity regains the strength and tools needed to successfully weather the coming storms - and you may not get another chance.

Purpose

The Last Will and Testament of the Great Dragon Dunkelzahn.

Document Structure

Legal status

Although the will was carried out as intended by the Draco Foundation, some of the Great Dragons still dispute its legality as it did not follow the customs of dragonkind.

Historical Details

Background

See Dunkelzahn's death.

Read the Document

Dunkelzahn's Will

I Dunkelzahn, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last Will and Testament.

>(12.32 Mp deleted)
>In an effort to "get to the good stuff" that we’re all interested in hearing about (in other words, who gets what), I have skipped over all of the legal mumbo-jumbo that every such document includes and cut right to the bequests. Because the will consists mostly of short bequests to a broad variety of individuals, I have kept the file read-only in order to keep it from getting cluttered with a lot of babble. Discussion of the will can be posted in the related SIG linked to this file. Once in that area, keep your posts related to the topic at hand or they will be nuked without mercy. This is your only warning.

— Captain Chaos
Transmitted on 15 August 2057, at 12:46:19 (EST)

On the execution of my will

I have managed to accumulate considerable possessions over the course of my lifetime, almost against my will. That, I suppose, is the nature of dragons, to acquire and accumulate physical representations of our long memories and pasts. We are sentimental creatures at heart; I have yet to know a dragon who can simply throw away anything possessing even the smallest amount of meaning to him.
To see to the Herculean task of administering my ridiculously vast estate and assure that my wishes are carried out, I authorize my executor, Nadja Daviar, to use what funds are necessary from the balance of my estate for the establishment of the Draco Foundation. This Foundation will have a Board of Trustees consisting of Ms. Daviar and six others to be appointed by her. The trustees will oversee the administration of the Foundation and the execution of my last wishes as described in this will.
I suppose it is necessary that I acknowledge how dramatically I have broken from the traditions of my race by arranging for my effects to be distributed according to my own instructions. I will simply say that this is an eminently sensible idea I borrowed from humankind with the sole intention of avoiding the traditionally destructive events that almost always follow the death of one of our kind. I hereby warn my fellow dragons against contesting this document in the usual way, for doing so will reflect poorly on our reputations in this Awakened age.
I have been compiling and updating this document off and on for many years, always striving to make my will accurately represent … well, my will. (My understanding is that most humans use their wills as instruments of encouragement and revenge, and it seemed like an excellent idea.) If I appear to have missed the mark, then please view my efforts charitably, and keep in mind that I take the very long view of things. In addition to designating specific recipients for the many things I have accumulated that will serve a better purpose in other hands, I have made bequests that I hope will foster the development of some of my favorite metahuman characteristics.
I have always wished to aid metahumanity in its quest for knowledge, but have been reminded by a friend that I should not deny them the joy of discovery in doing so. Therefore, I have committed certain assets to encourage the most noble endeavor of the human intellect. I have found in my long life that truth is quite often a matter of opinion, and that it is possible for many truths to be held by many people at the same time without one truth being necessarily greater than another. It is my wish to advance the cause of truth in the world only as much as I can advance understanding. The concept that all beings are equal in the eyes of the Universe, regardless of their appearance or origins, without concern for their beliefs, goes against millennia of human history in which slavery, torture and murder were the order of the day for those where did not conform to the will of the State. More amazing still is that a nation founded upon such a radical principle was able to survive and prosper. Therefore, I have committed certain assets to honor the revolutionary dream that sparked a vision of a world where justice prevailed for all.

Bequests

TBC

Close

Type

Manuscript, Legal

Medium

Digital Recording, Various

Authors

• Dunkelzahn

Signatories (Characters)

• Dunkelzahn