"The quill is mightier than the sword, for it carves not wounds but worlds, shaping the very fabric of reality with words." - Unknown
DAY - 1
I have arrived at Ephias Well after many sunbaked days of wandering North. The learning institution here is a bit worse than advertised, but every great lexicon starts with blank parchment.
I've not found any mention of the Divine Alphabet, but I shan't let this deter me. Perhaps I will write some theories and see what my academic "colleagues" bounce back.
DAY - 2
I have read From Sewers To Sandstone (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=709077.0) and garnered the following wisdom from within.
1. One must recognize that the path of prosperity is often laid with trials and tribulations. Like the humble sandworm, which thrives in the harshest of environments, we too must learn to adapt and flourish amidst adversity.
2. The most luminous treasures are often found in the darkest of places, but only to those who dare to venture.
DAY - 5
Upon finishing Ten Days Upon the Wheel (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=707988.0), I have had time to reflect and distill it down into a few key lessons.
Kulamet's Wisdom:
1. By giving names, individuals are categorized, leading to discrimination and division.
2. Language is an invention that curses humanity, creating illusions and false realities. He suggests that language has been the root cause of wars, suffering, and the decline of civilizations.
3. The mind is the origin of all suffering, deceit, and treachery.
Twindari's Wisdom:
1. Names and memories are essential for honoring the past and preserving the essence of those who have lived.
2. Language and words are what connect us to our history, memories, and the souls of those who have passed.
3. Words and memories are the only tangible connections we have with the eternal soul.
DAY - 6
In the silence of study, one hears only the thunder of truth.
DAY - 7
Assessment on Treatise on Healers Oath (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=709060.0)
1. By the Wheel's turn, we weave the tapestry of health. Each thread a vow, each color a testament to the Healer's Oath.
2. As healers, we must navigate the labyrinth of the human form, each corridor a mystery, each chamber a revelation.
DAY - 9
I think that I have started to make a name for myself, and set myself apart from the other scholars at the University. I've met interesting people, who have eagerly introduced me to other, sometimes more interesting people. People are reading my works and engaging with me in meaningful ways. It bodes well for me.
1. Live and Think.
DAY - 11
I have met a kind and curious Acolyte of the Sybilline Sisterhood named Ameile. Following a rather curious conversation about the act of Brooking, a thought crossed my mind. They said that those who Brook are physically marked. Could these marks be fragments of the Alphabet?
She gave me a book of hers to read called In Errantry Upon the Sands, and I was unable to put it down. I eagerly sought out more of her work, landing upon The Fate of the Garden (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=707413.0) which I have distilled into three points of undeniable Flow. -- The other book will take more time to study.
1. From the tears of creation to the sorrow of growth, life persists amidst adversity.
2. In the dance of creation and destruction, even deserts bloom under the steward's care.
3. With wisdom, the wounded shall teach themselves to wield the thorns of their trials.
DAY - 14
It was objectively the right decision, and this has been a tumultuous task of inner conflict to resolve. To have brought the artifact to the Professor, would have been a shift of accountability. Once we picked up that amulet, we went from passive observers of the unrest to active influencers. Had we taken the relic out, we would have made a conscious choice to leave the undead at unrest. This could have had major repercussions, including haunting, curses, a desire for vengeance or retrieval at the risk of wherever the artifact was squirreled away to. We no longer were just witnesses, but engagers in the moral and ethical dilemma of leaving the anguished in anguish.
1. A silent witness becomes the story's scribe when action intertwines with fate.
2. The weight of relics is measured not in ounces, but in the balance of conscience.
3. Turning away from a path alters not just the journey, but the destination itself.
DAY - 20
I stumbled upon Daoud's work entitled The Science of Magic and have broken it down into the following key points for my journey.
1. Energy, in all its forms, is the eternal constant of existence – never created nor destroyed, only transformed, guiding us to see the interconnectedness of all things.
2. Magic is not a distant marvel, but a part of our world, waiting to be understood and wielded by all, not just the mystically elite.
3. Just as the invisible force of magnetism is revealed by a lodestone, so too are the hidden energies of our world awaiting discovery.
4. The duality of magnetic poles reflects life's intricate balance, teaching us that opposing forces are essential to the whole.
DAY - 27
The Metaphysical Roundtable was a rousing success. We pulled enough attention to the subltler signs, enough to fill the entire central seating section, and the 5 in the wings.
From the Metaphysical Roundtable (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=709340.msg756925#new), I was able to hear every angle of the Disk on some subjects, and form a cohesive, Mono-Wheel solution of Wisdoms.
1. The path to enlightenment is not a straight line but a circle, bringing us back to where we began, but with new understanding.
2. True wisdom is not in speaking but in listening -- in debate, we hear the universe speaking through our adversaries.
3. Questioning the nature of the divine is like trying to capture bottled sparks. it is the act of questioning that matters, not the answer.
4. In the pursuit of truth, one must be prepared to journey not just outward into the world, but inward into the self.
5. We are not mere observers of the cosmos, but active participants in its eternal dance.
DAY - 35
I recently have read the book Resolve (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=707709.0) and found some interesting threads of Flow within.
1. There is dignity in all forms of work. Qualities of Determination and dedication are not lessened by manual labor.
2. Love of ones family can lead to the strongest resolve, among the lowest places of societal impact.
DAY - 40
Nine are the numbers.
DAY - 41
I recently picked up Eamon's new work entitled The Wanderers Parable (https://www.efupw.com/forums/index.php?topic=709469.0) and have found a trove of wonderful insights. His need for God really allowed him to tap into a wellspring of profundity.
1. A shared burden is a halved burden. In community, we find our strength.
2. True might lies not in the sword raised, but in the hand extended for peace.
3. The path of life winds not to a destination, but through the lessons of the journey itself.
4. In the shadow of loss, the light of faith guides us to new dawns.
5. The legacy left behind is the true measure of a life well-lived.
6. Pilgrimage teaches us that each step is a prayer, and every destination is within.
7. As the sands shift, so must our perspective; adaptability is the companion of wisdom.
DAY - 42
Some things that Sofia said resonated with me, as we talked about getting her to publish works on the Il-modan faith of the Dome.
1. Faith enables a second set of senses, allowing one to see, hear, feel, and taste the often imperceptible.
2. Knowlege can be harmful, treacherous, but wisdom is a friend one can always rely on.
[Some leaflets find their way into the book, memories of a Debate]
QuoteDebate Format
Each Bout will consist of two phases. The first is the Initial Statement. The second is the Rebuttal Phase.
Initial Statement - 4 Minutes, til Yield
In the Initial Statement, you must state your base argument. In this phase, you should not attack what your opponent has said or may say, but instead focus on your main point. Once your main point is complete you may Yield.
Yielding in the Initial Statement will add your remaining time to your Rebuttal Phase.
Rebuttal Phase - 4 Minutes, til Yield
In the Rebuttal Phase, you may expand on your own topic or attack your opponents perspective and argument. Once you have made the points you wish to make, you may Yield.
Yielding in the Rebuttal Phase will stop your time, until the next volley. There can be as many rebuttals as the participants yield for.
The bout will begin when the question is read in its entirety. The second to go will go immediately after their opponent has yielded.
Participants will not be told to engage after a yield, this must be done automatically. If your opponent yields their time, it is then immediately the others turn, until time runs out.
QuoteTopic:
Residency and Citizenship is a hot button topic for every league within Ephia's Well. While some believe that residents should go through stricter processes for Citizenship, others think that Citizenship should be based mainly on the conviction that one wishes to reside.
Stance A is to defend the idea of strict requirements for residency to be promoted into citizenship. Stance A should be prepared to offer suggestions as to what these requirements should be, and their benefit to the State as a whole.
Stance B is to defend the idea of loose requirements or none, for residency to be promoted into citizenship. Stance B should be prepared to explore what it means to be a citizen, when it is not limited in exclusivity.
QuoteTopic:
There are some with the belief that knowledge, in all its forms, should be open and available to any who seek it. On the other side of this coin, there are some who believe that knowledge should be shared, only when it is earned, or hoarded.
Stance A is to defend the notion of sharing knowledge freely. Stance A should be prepared to offer examples of what a free-knowledge state would look like, and what it could achieve.
Stance B is to defend the idea that knowledge is not meant to be shared ubiquitously, and must be safeguarded, hidden, and hoarded. Stance B should be prepared to explain how keeping knowledge has benefits.
QuoteTopic:
Some believe that there is no place for Faith when it comes to matters of governance or of jurisprudence.
Stance A is to support the idea that divine guidance is crucial in governance and advocate for a theocratic approach. Stance A should be prepared to advocate the ways that a Godly tribunal has benefited society.
Stance B is to represent one who believes in separating religious beliefs from governance, promoting a secular state. Stance B should be prepared to defend how the separation of divine and state would change the perspective of law and civics.
QuoteTopic:
The desert has many oddities, macabre and innocuous alike. Among these things are ancient technologies that we have repurposed for our wants, but don't seem to really grasp their original purposes.
Stance A is to represent the idea that ancient technologies and artifice should be used to protect the Disc in all its forms. Stance A should also be prepared to explain how technology we have already adapted has influenced our current lives.
Stance B is of the mindset that if we don't know what something is, in its fullest form, we should simply not use it. Stance B should be prepared to advocate for deeper understanding over experimentation.
QuoteTopic:
The ramparts of Nusrum are constantly besieged by orcs of the different thousand clans. Many believe that they should be ruthlessly and endlessly culled, while a subset of others might claim that they are a barrier from the Sibilant to the South.
Stance A should defend the idea of wanton slaughter and purging of them from our Mountains. Stance A should also be ready to explain the positive effects that this would have on our caravans, and likewise.
Stance B is concerned that if we strike at the Orcs without any thought, and see them only as enemy combatants, we may shift the tug of war that is their fight against the Sibilants, and the Sibilant will replace them, and be a worse foe upon our doorstep.
QuoteTopic:
Bribery is a cultural tradition of the Sultan's people. Some believe that this practice should be abolished in place of other means of lobbying.
Stance A should defend Bribery as a means of lobbying governmental powers. Stance A should be prepared to offer examples of how Bribery benefits our electoral and civic services.
Stance B should argue against Bribery as a means of lobbying governmental powers. Stance B should offer alternative methods that may work as well, or better, and explain how bribery has negatively impacted life in the Desert.
QuoteTopic:
When it comes to the Creep, there are two primary schools of thought. The first is that the Creep is a necessary part, and the other is that it is only a detriment.
Stance A is expected to side with the Creep in this argument. Stance A should be prepared to offer factual areas win which the continued operation of the Creep benefits the Well and society.
Stance B should be against the establishment as a whole. Stance B should be ready to offer examples of malign and detriment.
QuoteTopic:
For most of us, writing down our thoughts and findings on Historical matters, and lineages is a natural way of life. For Stonefolk, however, they believe only in orally transmitting history through song and verse.
Stance A is to explain why the passage of history would and should be done through Verse. Stance A should consider the longevity of a well-passed tale and the ease of which a listener can adopt new information.
Stance B should defend the written word. Stance B should be prepared to offer supporting arguments based on the fact that conceptually, the story is immutable through writing, only able to be destroyed.
QuoteTopic:
For most of us, the Well was not Home before Ringfall. We are a city of refugees, who, by and large, have adopted local customs and been asked to forget our own. This has been a struggle for some, who hold onto the belief that their way is the 'right' way.
Stance A should be for the adopting of a culture, over being set in ones ways. Stance A could make the argument of a life of more ease, not going against the grain.
Stance B believes that their culture from their home, wherever it may be, will follow them to death. Stance B should argue against the idea of abandoning ones rites, Gods, cuisine, and traditions for that of the foreign, and unknown.
QuoteTopic:
The topic of Faith is one that comes up often, no matter where you look in Ephia's Well. It is a cultural staple, and common to have practitioners who are not priests. Some could make the argument, that for these laymen, they put their faith in their Priesthood, more than the God they serve.
Stance A should make the argument that Faith for the common, non-clergy man, the faithful layman, lies more in the teachings and guidance of the Priesthood than direct connection with a higher power.
Stance B believes that true faith is a personal and direct connection with the divine, transcending the need for intermediaries like the Priesthood. Stance B could argue for the individual's ability to commune with their deity without reliance on religious institutions.
Day - ?
I almost forgot about you. How could I forget about you? Months ago, you were the only friend I had. The only wisdom on the Disc. But your name, it left me for some time.
I don't know if you are dead, or in rest. I don't know if you ever existed, or just the sermons that I was taught about you did. I don't know if you grow from each word we write. I have gotten comfortable, and I have been numbed to the catastrophic loss that you represent.
Help me. I am in over my head.