What is Truth?
Buserian: I think we can make a constructive debate about the concept of "Truth"aside from our master's involvement with...umm, Order, Violence or Illumination.
Lhankor Mhy: I don't want to object in the course of debate.
Irripi Ontor: But we cannot make ignorant to reach wisdom in the mere debate.
Lhankor: Freely call Madness as Wisdom.
Buserian: Stop! I said "constructive"! Firstly, about the Origin of it.
Buserian: Truth is one of the Ten Glorantay, and Dayzatar was given this essense from his father, Aether Primolt. And I am his nephew, a son of his brother, Emperor Yelm. And My Uncle fascinated me to the wisdom of Sky World and led me to study how to see Astrologically our World.
Lhankor Mhy: Orenoar is my mother and one of Eight and Five, the Member of Celestial Court of Spike. The Court of Fire Tribe insisted they and their servant Stone Tribe possessed All Truth. But half of Hidden Knowledge is once the possession of vile Water tribe, but Orlanth liberated it with great sacrifice in Well of Wisdom Hero Quest.
Irripi Ontor: Both are right and both are wrong. Verithurusa, the daughter of Source of Wisdom, once lived peacefully in Celestian. But she voluntarily abandoned her peaceful states for reaching higher understanding what we cannot understand without difficulty. Because our world involves the potential of "evolution" and should change as the state of her. She went underworld for obtaining the wisdom of Bijiif.
Buserian: Then why we must study and obtain new knowledge in the limited world?
Buserian: We know all in the Sky World which is required for ruling the Realm of the One. But the factor which have appeared from the Outside. (I don't know why. Maybe Lhankor or Irripi know this answer or pretend to know the answer.) Truth is literally non-changeable of state of the Time and Space as West Logicians taught that. And I know Yelm always the greatest god and hold Divine Justice under Order of Polaris as we can see in the Sky, the Old Age was Best. But we must strive against Evil for we only know Justice under the Tutelage of Antirius.
Lhankor Mhy: World is changeable as Orlanth once changed when he killed the Emperor and ended Stagnant Age. But Chaos is another bad state of being which wants to collapse without any Will and Effort. Truth, my Wife, Divine Inspiration of Light was once vanished to Underworld, Cosmic Compromise is the State of Being which is created by Arachne Solara chose after our Lightbringer's Quest. Truth is not changeable under the Compromise, but Variation of the Being is non-limited. We call it freedom, and so I must study these varieties.
Irripi Ontor: Chaos is not the factor of Outside, as Yelm finally reached the Illumination in the Underworld, we can control it as Yelm and TakenEgi have defeated one by one the others, Water, Darkness and Chaos. Sedenya is Illumination and she taught how to make Balance of Peace in the both of Cycle and Evolution. Lhankor Mhy and Barbarians taught it Evil, but they don't understand why their kingdom is eventually collapsed, and why trickster always bothers them. Truth is Changeable in a sense because Barbarians always try to rebel against Civilization.
Buserian: Then, what is Hero Quest and how it can be in the Mundane World?
Buserian: As Murharzarm, Anaxial, Avivath, and Khordavu, we know the Fire and the Fuel which lead these Exaltants to rightful actions. I can see in their course of Action over the Sky World, because it is written. But Once the order was shattered by the rebellion and Kazkurtum. I don't know what is changed before the "Dawn" and after that. (Other Two insist on they know the cause of the phenomenon.) But people of the Mundane World must live in the unhappy status after the False Emperor, I only know the True Successor of Muraharzarm only knew the course of Action, it is far more important than Heroes.
Lhankor Mhy: Heroes are blessed by the rightful Gods, but sometimes the people of mundane world don't know who is true Hero or not, as Arkat the Betrayer or Argrath the Wyrmlover. But we can try not to stray out from righteous path, as our knowledge indicated. Hero World is Changeable and the written record and the world of oratory are sometimes contradicted for Unknown Reason. Maybe that is because we can only make limited explanation, or there is complicated fact, or Unknown Reason coming from "Greg Stafford". Truth Contest only explains what occured.
Irripi Ontor: Perhaps Truely Enlightened People can understand it, our Illumination status is not perfect without more research to the Original Teaching of Rashorana and Nysalor. We knew all human have common nature to reach higher Status... Lunar Heroes were Incarnate of each these Lessons to acquire that. Storytelling is required for teaching non-educated people, and all humans are equal before Red Goddess...but we still need the existences of Heroes for this practical reason. (Lhankor: But you have slaves for same "practical reason"...)
Buserian: Finally, please teach us your method of Recording and Control of Knowledge..
Buserian: As Anaxial made a record for his roster, I have relied on Classical Method of recording, and that is most reliable though we no longer live in the Ancient World. About censorship...um, basically I ban the record without precedence in Golden Age.
Lhankor Mhy: But do you remember the condition in Golden Age?
Buserian: Uggh...Yes.
Lhankor Mhy: Freedom is Orlanthi Doctrine except for Chaos and we usually apply it to Our recording, and we everyday have invented New Taxonomy. Recently I wrote a Great Volume Book about "History of Invention of Taxonomy of Taxonomy."
Buserian: I look forward to new version of your work...
Lhankor Mhy: Editor is Eurmal. But I guess complete list of our work is under the wave of Godlearners after the ravage of our work. I think that is our life.
Irripi Ontor: there is no unbreakable or unchangeable thing in this world as illumination taught us. Sheng Seleris seemed to have a power to destroy Adamant and the Face of Gods Wall. But what do you think about the Library of Alkoth? As you know, Alkoth is in Underworld with conjunction of Spirit, Sorcery and Divine. And their City insists their city have never fallen before Conquerors...
Buserian: And they don't feel Time even though it seems they could live same lifetime as outside if it is required. They feel perpetual Cycle around them.
Lhankor Mhy: I think they are connected to Chaos. or that is merely political propaganda.
(Lhankor: What about Thanatar?)
Lhankor Mhy: What do you think about the cause makes Illiteracy Era after Hero Wars in Prophecy, and effect
to our cult and Sorcerers?
Buserian: I don't know.
Lhankor Mhy: I don't know.
Irripi Ontor: I don't know.
The Difference of Buserian, Lhankor Mhy and Irripi Ontor by Peter Larsen in Hero Wars Mailing List |
| There's a couple of differences between the three. Off the top of my head: 1. Buserian -- The "oldest" continuous tradition. Whatever the classification system, it is old, universal, and fairly rigid -- the Solars are not noted for their wild invention. I image that there are two systems -- one for the oldest records (on clay or metal tablets) that is simpler (deals only with prayers, rituals, tax records, etc) and another for whatever system of writing the Dara Happans now use (on some flexible media -- paper, parchment, papyrus, etc) that should be more complex and able to deal with letters, reports, poetry, etc. I picture the Buserians as archivists rather than librarians -- they are concerned with collections of documents past their first use that are stored and used as units (the rituals enacted by Alexfergumander, Priest of Yelm, during his tenure, for example). The concern should be with having, preserving, and accessing knowledge, not necessarily knowing it. Order is all. 2. Lhankor Mhy -- The focus is on knowing, whether through memory, inspiration, study, or records. We know that there is no set classification system. Sages arrange things as suits them. In large libraries, smaller collections are erratically incorporated as the sages die, Chief Priests reorganize when they can manage it, and other sages swipe things, mess with the records, etc. While the Buserians are essentially state functionaries, Mhyites are independent scholars in a loose community (should there be enough of them in the area) rather than librarians. They also always charge for services, if I recall. It would not surprise me if Mhyites saw writing and records as a sort of "external memory" -- sacred and personal (so no imperative to make it accessible to other users). 3. Irripi Ontor -- Somewhere between the other two. They are not as rigid as the Buserites, nor as erratic as the Lhankor Mhyites. They are not necessarily part of a state apparatus (although they can be), nor do they need to charge for services. They have a balance between access and knowing. They probably have a variety of classification systems depending on whether they are librarians, archivists, or scholars and the traditions of the institution they serve, if any. While I suppose there is a mandated Imperial Classification System (perhaps LC or "Lunar Classification"), I doubt it is really universal -- lots of local collections, especially those of Dara Happan institutions have been clumsily incorporated with mixed results. A few further points -- none of these systems will have anything like a card catalog. At best, the various "volumes" will be recorded on shelf lists, which are more inventories than finding aids. Indexing and cross-referencing seems pretty much unlikely. You find about specific title through friends and mentions in other sources; bibliographies are limited to the minds of the scholars (and Thanitari heads, I suppose, for the unsqueamish). Jane Average Gloranthan, even if literate (making her not average), will need to go to a B, LM, or OI to find anything. Besides, no one is going to let a non-initiate browse in the stacks -- you ask for something by topic, author, or title, and you take what the cultist gives you. Peter Larsen |
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