The Beginning

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A forest on the edge of town….

        Raulwicke breathed heavy as he lowered himself onto the ground. His arms ached and his chest hurt. “10…” He said weekly, counting the last pushup of the day. The gnome rolled onto his back and tears poured down his face. Some grand adventurer he was, scarcely able to push himself off the ground and trudge back to his den. 

        Raulwicke Legendsinger they called him. More of jest than a genuine title. It was gnome tradition that when a gnome child came of age they were given a second name that would guide their life and their profession. His father had been a Leaftender, his mother a Seamweaver. But the gods and elders had delighted in naming the pudgy and academic gnome to be Legendsinger, a bard and adventurer. Raulwicke snorted with laughter. The very idea that one day he would go out and tell the stories of great adventurers and adventures he himself had lived was ridiculous. Raulwicke rubbed his sore shoulder as he opened the door to his cozy little home. He looked out at the rising sun and a new day beginning.

        “Fine,” he thought to himself, “If this is the path the gods have set for me then I shall not disappoint them. Before the year is done, I will have earned my name.”


And thus the Legend of the Legendsinger began.

Greetings and well met, fellow adventurer!

My name is Nicholas, but my fellow nerds and geeks know me as Raulwicke Legendsinger. To put everyone’s minds at ease I am not a 4’3″ Gnome, but a 5’10, 260lb human male. And I want to change that.

Much like Raulwicke, I’ve been assigned a lot in life I’m not happy with. Raulwicke has been given the name of someone who great things are expected of, and I have been given the lot of someone whose impulsiveness, ADHD, and generally poor habits have lead to being twenty and severally overweight. But I’m going to do something about that.

I discovered NerdFitness about a year ago, reading articles and learning about how to exercise better, but the process didn’t stick. Then I really learned about what NF was and read the book Level Up Your Life and I think I can make a change. I know I can make a change.

My number one problem with weight loss and being active is that I have no accountability. If no one is holding me to my routine and plan, then the likelihood of me actually doing anything drops dramatically. I was reading the NerdFitness Facebook page and a fellow Rebel posted about his WordPress blog and keeping himself accountable using it. I was inspired. My goal is to update the blog three times a week, but at least on Sunday (I’ve got the free time, I’d better use it).

Now, no one may read this blog, but that’s not the point. The readers aren’t going to keep me accountable; Raulwicke is. You see, I know Raulwicke’s story. I know the adventures he has gone on, the Legends he has told, and more than anything I know what he is capable of. Raulwicke is my role model for everything I want to be: Suave, Funny, Adventurous, and able to handle any situation thrown at him whether physical or intellectual. That’s what I’m striving for.

The idea behind NerdFitness is leveling up your life by using experience points assigned to various activities and skills (if you want to see my Epic Quest click here) and I like that idea, that’s why I’m going to take Raulwicke through his FIRST adventure over the next year. I’m going to keep doing things to help improve myself and Raulwicke is going to mirror my progress. My job is to help my friend get to the point where he can fight dragons and bring down towers using nothing but his charm and skill.

What’s the plan then?

Have I rambled enough? Are you thoroughly bored with this idea yet? If you’re still reading then you aren’t. Good. I know this is a lot of information for a first post, but bear with me: My writing will get better as we go, I promise.

Raulwicke has four “main” skills that make him who he is:

  • Acrobatics
  • History and Storytelling
  • Musical ability
  • Sleight of Hand/ Parlor Tricks

My goal is to mirror these skills in the best way I can.

  • Acrobatics: Parkour, Gymnastics, and Running
    • Leaping over Orcs, dashing behind walls, and dancing nimbly around enemies, these are all feats that Raulwicke has done over his time as an adventurer. Over the next year I will get my body in a physical shape that allows for the physical exertion and stamina needed for a Street Performer and Adventuer
  • History: Writing about Raulwicke’s world and embracing creativity
    • While it probably would be more accurate to learn the history of MY world, my creative side is something I want to nurture. For the last few years I’ve been writing bits and pieces of Raulwicke’s story through many different mediums and I think it’s time I collect them all and really put forth an effort to craft the story. Within the year I will have 200 pages of Raulwicke’s story done.
  • Musical Ability: Piano, Violin, Guitar, Drums
    • Over my life I’ve picked up various instruments and tried to learn them. The biggest problem has been I won’t commit to just sitting down and practicing. Raulwicke is a master of music, and I want to be as well. I am currently learning Piano, and by the end of the year I will be able to play three pieces from musicals on the piano.
  • Sleight of Hand/Parlor Tricks: Card Tricks, Prestidigitation, Ventriloquism
    • Raulwicke has astounded and baffled both audiences and enemies with his use of sleight of hand and prestidigitation. Whether it’s a card trick to woo a crowd or a flash of fireworks to distract an ogre, Raulwicke always has the right trick up his sleeve. In the next year I will learn a solid 20-30 minutes worth of card and sleight of hand tricks to be able to use at parties and social gatherings.

And that’s it. That’s everything. I’ll be keeping a daily record of my eating habits here (if you care about that sort of thing) and you can watch my progress for my Epic Quest on the link above and here, but this is where I will track my progress with Raulwicke and going preparing for the next great adventure.

“May the World never bore you, and the tricks you play be clever.” – Raulwicke Legendsinger, traditional goodbye of a disciple of the Trickster