Written By Reigna
Feb. 5, 2019, 3:04 p.m.(7/8/1010 AR)
The question, "Do the ends justify the means" is a trick. There is no yes or no answer, and nearly everyone who replied returned with 'it depends'. Which is true, but I think the crux of the matter is neither the ends nor the means. The point is in the word 'justify'.
Morality, as I recently told someone, is a binary thing. Something is either good or not. Something is either evil or not. Humanity, however, is anything but binary. We are creatures who dwell within the space between the shades. We can walk a weaving path, sometimes good, sometimes bad. But that does not change the fact that deep down inside, we all can recognize if something is good or bad. We know if something we want is shady. We know what we "should" do. And we, as a people, are deeply capable of moralizing and rendering into grayscale, just about anything. We justify. We bargain. We say, 'this large good outweighs this small bad'. It is an easier thing to weigh that balance when it is someone other than ourselves that is paying that price. To that, I say, in your heart you know what you are doing. Tehom's voice is there, in your mind, whispering the truth that is uncomfortable to hear. The Sentinel's eyes see all. By the grace of Skald we are all given the ability to choose, but that does not ever free us from the consequences of those choices. And when you weigh the means against the end, ask yourself... who is it that is *really* bearing the burden of this cost? Is it someone else? What does Tehom's voice tell you, when you look into the mirror. What do you see?
There is no universal answer to whether the ends justify the means. It is a question we can only answer ourselves. But think on this, as this debate rages back and forth about Thralldom and how and when to abolish it:
Which god is served by Slavery? How much moralizing must one do to profit off of the oppression of another human being? Who is bearing the burden of that choice? What would Skald say?
For those that are criminals, treat them as the Compact does. Send them through the Courts, let them be punished, and let them live free once they have paid for their crime.
For those who believe that there will be a civil war (an oxymoron if ever there was. No war is ever civil.) think on this. By embracing the laws and principals of the rest of the Compact, you prove you believe in the ideals to which we keep. That man is born free and choice is a sacred thing. As such, should there be houses that choose to Abandon the ways of the Compact, that is their choice. And the consequences of that choice is theirs to bear.
It is easy for me, an Oathlander to sit on my hill, away from the potential upheaval and suffering and preach about morality, the costs for me are different, but not nonexistent. Know that Oakhaven is already making plans to spend the marks and coin necessary to elevate the quality of life of the serfs that live within our lands, because when Brass spoke of their hardships... that was a powerful moment. And one, in my gut, I knew he was right about.
Written By Alrec
Feb. 5, 2019, 1:54 p.m.(7/8/1010 AR)
Written By Alrec
Feb. 5, 2019, 1:05 p.m.(7/8/1010 AR)
Written By Rinel
Feb. 5, 2019, 1:05 p.m.(7/8/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Cerdensulathara
In my opinion, though, the consideration does not rely on ease. Lord Skald has declared slavery an abomination. We must be true to our Gods.
Written By Peri
Feb. 5, 2019, 12:43 p.m.(7/8/1010 AR)
I do not know if you are out there, but if you are: Hi! I am Lady Peri, the heir of House Seliki.
I don't know what you will be curious about. Lately I am reading backwards through many journals. Sometimes I want to bellow at the writers: Why do you not use full names! Where are the titles! Lord So-and-So? Lord So-and-So who? There are three Lady So-and-So's! Who are you talking about? The High Inquisitor or the Guildemaster? Why did you stop talking about that ship? Did they already finish building it? How long did it take! I know the necklace is very pretty, but what about that ship!
Future Scholars, I am very sorry for not listing all of the full names as well as the details for what you want to know about our time.
Today's date is 7/8/1010 AR. Current time: 6:23. Does that even make sense to you?
Apologies,
Lady Peri
Written By Gianna
Feb. 5, 2019, 7:49 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Joscelin
Written By Amund
Feb. 5, 2019, 7:43 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Shard
Written By Willow
Feb. 5, 2019, 5:20 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Written By Willow
Feb. 5, 2019, 5:06 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
gnaws at me
a hungry ache, unfulfilled
a flame snuffed
riotous lust distilled
and all I see
are fading ghosts
like your smell on my skin
phantom
Written By Bliss
Feb. 5, 2019, 4:19 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Whisper House remains neutral. We support those in the Compact who are making this decision and are available for advice, but our real work will be after it is made - in forging the bonds of Civilization no matter what path is taken from here. The transition can be a painful one, or it can be one into which we take efforts to ease into smoothly.
Now, for disclosure, what I write next is as someone who did help resettle former thralls into, of all places, the Telmarch.
My advice for everyone is simply this: be better.
I've thrown those words out before, and they are intentionally always a little vague, but I will clarify what I mean here this time.
First, understand who it is you are going to be, who you are trying to be. Picture yourself in utter success and abject failure both. Become comfortable with both of these visions, for which of you it may be is not entirely under your control. Sit and think on the myriad paths your life will take after you make the decision you do, and try to understand who the person coming is. Is she a grand defender of the ways of her homeland, strong and supportive even against opposition, recognizing the flaws of our society but deeming them necessary for us to continue? Is he a liberator, fierce and strong, unrepentant in his desire to see freedom - no matter the cost?
A wise pragmatist, who knew that pride would only cut us down, and who saw a better way and chose to take it even if it meant risks for such esoteric things as who we are? A stalwart defender of the Faith, holding strong against the corrupting outide forces who seek to make us less than what we were promised?
Hold all these people in your mind. See them at their best. See them at their worst. Who feels right to you?
But we're not done yet. Not by any means.
Now we move a hundred years in the future. Your story is being told, and everything is stretched to its extremes, both your flaws and your failures. You are being used to teach a lesson to children - what do you want them to have learned when they look at your life and the decisions you've made, for yourself and your land?
Five hundred years. Your name is synonymous with your values, and things are attributed to you that you never did because maybe bards telling stories associated with you added creative embellishments or twisted what was told. How does the story change? Who are you to these people?
A thousand years. Your name is forgotten, and you are little more than a concept that has left its mark in the world. What does the society that bore your influence look like? Are you proud, imagining it?
Best and worst. Success and failure. Hold these in mind.
When you know who you want to be with all this in mind, be better. See your goal, understand where you are, and lay the path out that you will have to take. Start with the step in front of you, and move to others off of that. Develop smaller goals that you can achieve and work to them. Understand your tools fully.
Be better. Whatever it is you are, be the best version of it you can be. Then get to work.
We all need to be at our pinnacle in the coming days, no matter what happens next.
Written By Cerdensulathara
Feb. 5, 2019, 3:15 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
One figure offering esoteric teachings of the Arts, unusual but powerful weapons (or weapon forging, rather).
I believe these gifts from Brass should be given solely House Thrax (and all houses freeing their thralls for it, in equal proportion of loss).
This will be best. The fifth of the Compact will lose, and then gain. Thralls will be freed. Are will be armed.
Make no mistake, this is not an offer of help AND a request. This is a demand that conditions be met in exchange for goods and teaching.
This is my limited, flawed understanding. This is my opinion. I see no reason to elaborate more on this topic in the Journals, unless my personal opinion changes.
In other news, I have had some requests to teach, and I have had the pleasure of teaching a Lord Zaffria about the care, feeding, and mentality of horses. I was grateful for the write given in exchange. A large burden as been lifted from my shoulders.
I have read about the battle of Pride Hall, the Weight of Wisdom, A Harlequin's treatise on dogs, birds, studied Gray Wolves, Elk, and birds. The list I maintain of books I've read grows longer, but I still wish to venture out, with a group, explore and risk and chance. I'm so eager to join the Society of Explorers that I even petitioned the Scholars for acceptance. I hear it's even more dangerous.
Written By Shard
Feb. 5, 2019, 1:21 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Amund
People can either believe me or not. But you see his work on the streets every night.
Written By Alrec
Feb. 5, 2019, 12:07 a.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Tris
Written By Willow
Feb. 4, 2019, 11:02 p.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Written By Selene
Feb. 4, 2019, 10:22 p.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Resist the perfection of emerald drops cut in thin spires for the ear or the viridian pendant hanging from a thin chain. Then the danger grows intensely when they hold up a piece to their throat, their earlobe, their wrist. Just imagine, they whisper.
Imagination is the most potent of wines, a liquor distilled that will banish all reason. Oh, these pieces she weaves snare dreams and manifest an echo in the soul. I have conjured up three outfits just to match one of these gorgeous bangles, and I don't even own it. If you want the perfect accessory or signature piece to build an idea around, come to me and I will soothe your soul.
Moonlight tumbles between my fingers, and I am captivated by its fire when caught underneath facets that plunder my focus. No more can I hope to write. This is a sonata without sound, a symphony in warm metal and brilliant minerals that sings for me.
Written By Quenia
Feb. 4, 2019, 10 p.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Many thanks to those of you who were patient and put up with my worrying and fretting. Debuting new wines is, and has always been, a fretful event for me. I am very much looking forward to introducing our peach wine, our black cherry and black currant wine, and re-releasing our Zephyr's of spring wine.
So, here's to taking a deep breath and looking forward to an evening of entertainment, and maybe a few prizes if you are all lucky. I'll announce those closer to the event, and start taking down information for a raffle next week as well.
Written By Aleksei
Feb. 4, 2019, 9:34 p.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Victus
Written By Aleksei
Feb. 4, 2019, 9:27 p.m.(7/7/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Willow
Maybe you should actually know what a person has done before you start mocking them for having done nothing.
Children may not be able to inherit the debt of their parents' anymore, thank the gods. But the thralldom reforms didn't actually forbid enthralling children for other reasons. We're not seeing the end of child thralls. And here's the thing:
Every silver we pay people to buy the debt of thralls? Is just silver for people to make new thralls. To pay for reaving the next shav village and bring home new quarry. The reforms _don't slow the creation of new thralls_.
The _only way_ to stop this -- actually, really stop it -- is to stop thralldom. Actually stop it.
Also, like, a whole _ton_ of people are saying "not know." I can literally point at the journals.
Written By Alrec
Feb. 4, 2019, 9:25 p.m.(7/6/1010 AR)
Written By Shard
Feb. 4, 2019, 9:22 p.m.(7/6/1010 AR)
Relationship Note on Willow
does not
end
thralldom.
It only contributes to creating more thralls because you are paying the slavers ludicrous amounts of money to give you slaves. Ludicrous amounts that they made up. You are paying a ransom over and over and over again. You are accepting that it is better to buy people than to fight the actual system. It's illegal to make a child a thrall in House Thrax. They have numerous vassals that have not, and will not, adopt those reforms. Furthermore, what about the people that aren't children any more? Are they somehow more deserving of slavery because they got too old to be good fodder for you to beat your chest over? What about the parents of those children? What about older siblings? What about their families?
What kind of an argument is this that people keep going 'well, what are YOU doing?' I'm advocating to release all of them, that's what I'm doing. I'm pointing out why Brass's offer is important, and not just because he can give us shit. And, among other things, I was actually there to help the freed thralls from Kennex, I was there to see what was going on, I was one of the people Aleksei pulled in to do just that. Audric and I recruited a whole lot of them into the Valorous Few, which isn't great work for most people, but is, at least, work, for which they are actually paid a decent amount of money. I don't bring that up every five minutes because I think arguing about who is and isn't qualified to argue against slavery is fucking stupid.
We shouldn't be buying slaves. We should be dismantling the entire thing, brick by Slaver laid brick, as quickly as possible, because these are not crates of goods or racks of clothes or a heap of lumber, these are people. They have families, they have friends, they have fears and joys and obnoxious habits. Ending thralldom shouldn't be measured with /time/, it should be measured with the number of lives we're forcing to live like that every single day.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.