As I tend to do from time to time, here's a snippet from David Dunham's write-up of our house Seattle Farmers Collective campaign. The players are a group of Colymar tribesfolk who have taken the Stormwalk Path to the Holy Country in searching of the Heir of Sartar. It's a long post, but hopefully provides at least a new (and somewhat sympathetic) take on Temertain:
Freezeday/Stasis/Fire/1613
Beautiful Stranger set sail south over the Mirrorsea. Nisk
Maniskisson tried to grab seaweed to bring to Bentpine, but it was
much further down than it looked, the water was so clear. There were
a vast number of fish. Some of them even flew. And there were some
fish-headed sea people, who ignored the ship. The captain made a
gift of fish to them.
The first sight of Seapolis was a tall tower, at least 10 times as high as a normal building, with its top shining like the sun. The captain called it the Miradore Lighthouse, a beacon for sailors.
Seapolis was actually a collection of islands, close to each other. But Beautiful Stranger sailed up to an island made of wood planks, which Konchako called the Bob & Berth. Other ships were tied to this island as well. Konchako said they'd have to hire a pilot to take them into Seapolis.
They were greeted by the guards, who gave a list of local rules, many of which related to the waters and the creatures that lived in them. (All these laws were to prevent the sea gods from reclaiming the city.) They said we could hire a pilot. The Lore Repository was on Twelve Birds Island. Kaylin Manisiskisdottir asked after a temple to Ernalda; they said that she was worshipped on the dry land.
On closer inspection, most of the islands seemed to be manmade. Everything smelled of the sea.
Since it was late afternoon, they decided to seek hospitality at the common house on Bob & Berth. Most of the guests were from the other Sixths of the Holy Country, or from the west or Teshnos. The main form of entertainment was getting drunk. Some smoked on long pipes until they were dazed and lethargic. The guests at the common house avoided the Colymar - and they ended up sleeping outside along with their aggressive winged bull.
Waterday/Stasis/Fire/1613
The next morning, they hired a small barge and were poled to Twelve Birds Island. On the way, they learned the Pharaoh had a colony in far-off Teshnos. He had to worry about Wolf Pirates, the pirates of Alatan, and the people of Handra.
Many of the buildings were made of reeds and wood. Twelve Bird Island was a natural outcrop, with predominantly wooden structures. A stone bridge extended to the lighthouse. By the beach were twelve statues of birds, each set with a crystal, which Lhankor Mhy sages were observing. They sent a boy to fetch Bendraving.
A man came from the lighthouse, accompanied by tridentwielding guards. He was Bendraving, Head Heliographer and Chief Librarian of Lhankor Mhy. Korlmhy the Poet introduced everyone as companions of Gorangi Vak (Wilms Willandringsson). He said that the Pharaoh had directed them there to speak to someone. Bendraving seemed to assume it was him.
Korlmhy said he was here to see one of his distant kin. Bendraving seemed surprised. Korlmhy recited the lineage of the heir, as given by the Pharaoh, but expanded into a poem.
One of the sages, a short balding man in his middle years, said that he was Temertain, son of Jotisan, son of Markalor, son of Eonistaran, son of Sartar. He asked how Korlmhy was his kin, and Korlmhy gave another poemm reciting his descent from a daughter of Saronil, son of Sartar. Temertain seemed confused at all this. Finally he asked if the Colymar had eaten, and extended hospitality.
His house was one of the bigger ones on the island, made of wood and stone. He had a number of retainers. The inside had chairs rather than benches, and a large number of books. He had a number of figurines made out of iron. When Gorangi Vak asked, he said that he studied the theory of "Forms". Temertain explained his theory of "Forms" like this:
"When a master carpenter puts together a house, he knows in advance how a house ought to be put together. He knows what materials ought to be used and how they ought to be arranged. Unlike the bystander, who thinks that a house is just so much wood or cement slapped together, the master carpenter knows the "laws" that govern a well-built house. He knows the stresses and the strains and the right proportions. How a house ought to be put together is a matter of precise interrelation of parts, of symmetry, of order. If this idea or basic blueprint is not followed, the house may not only not be a good house, it may cease to be a house at all: it may collapse. The same is true for a shipbuilder. Ships can vary in shape or size, but the structure of any ship -- if it is to float and move well -- is an idea more or less comprehended by the master shipbuilder. What makes a house work as a house and a ship function as a ship is not a matter of "opinion." Craftsmen have know-how. Beyond the specific blueprint they are working with, they have in mind a general blueprint that defines and determines the success of every finished product of a certain kind. All actual ships are imperfect; what is perfect is the idea or ideal of a perfect ship that the shipbuilder grasps however adequately or inadequately and wishes to bring into concrete existence. The intention of master craftsmen to outdo themselves -- their perfectionism -- is their presupposition that for every type of finished product, there is an idea of "the best," an ideal, a perfect model."
"The "theory of Forms" can be explained in this way. "Form" means structure, arrangement, order -- how a thing must be put together in order to be what it is. Every material being, insofar as it exists, has form. Every living being, insofar as it continues to live and function, possesses order. A squirrel exists and goes about his business because he is put together as he should be; his parts are where they belong and they work together harmoniously. The ideal "Form" of the squirrel is the basic blueprint that all existing squirrels must replicate, however imperfectly, in order to function. The ideal form of a ship is the structure, the symmetrical arrangement, that must be imitated in order to make a ship. What makes anything good (like a good ship) or real is the degree to which it succeeds in reflecting its perfect appropriate form. A bad ship lacks form or correct arrangement. If it has no ship-form at all, it ceases to be a ship. In the specifically human or social sphere, health is the harmonious arrangement and interaction of bodily parts, individual justice is the correct arrangement and interaction of the parts of the soul, and social justice is the correct arrangement and interaction of citizens in the city. Health and justice are ideas or ideals -- forever sought by true physicians and true politicians, but never perfectly "embodied." Just as the physician ought not to believe that health is something "subjective," so the political expert must not quit the task of searching out the true meaning of justice by saying that justice is "relative," etc."
Vonlanth tried to mock these theories as gibberish, but Temertain insisted that he dealt with the underlying truths of the world. Gorangi Vak asked if he could apply his theory of forms to politics. Temertain mentioned how the Brithini imagined a perfect world.
Gorangi Vak attempted to engage him in a discussion about rulership. Temertain thought a proper ruler was fair, truthful and above all one who sought to embody the true meaning of justice. Justice is performing that task for society which is in accordance with one's natural abilities. A ruler's role is to promote justice: creating an environment where all folk recognized their common purpose and how they fit in. All disputes would be resolved in a manner which betters the community. There are underlying true laws. Chaos is a denial of those truths.
Temertain said his father was a learned man, who dedicated himself to the study of the natural world. His father had insisted that he be initiated according to the ways of his ancestors, but it seemed like something foreign to him. Temertain's grandfather Markalor left the murders, intrigue and unrest of Boldhome, and became a great man in Karse. He presented Jotisan to the Pharaoh, and had himself been presented to the Pharaoh. A few years ago, the Pharaoh had stationed guards to protect Temertain, though he wasn't completely certain why.
Temertain thought Seapolis was an exciting place to be, because at the Opening, the Pharaoh had built the Quicksilver Lore Repository there, where foreign lore was to be brought.
Jorator purchased livestock for sacrifice. Kaylin went to the temple of Ernalda to ask two questions of Kev. Temertain was clearly the heir, and could withstand the poisonous Lunar philosophy.
Nisk tried to purchase a night for Brolulf on the Island of Red Shadows.
Gorangi Vak and Korlmhy continued their discussion of rulership, likening Sartar to the true form of a just ruler. They persuaded him to go to Sartar to fulfill his destiny by bringing philosophical advice to the kings of Sartar.
They invited him to participate in a ceremony to Sartar. Unfortunately, it was not an auspicious location, and while the ceremony was successful, Korlmhy was not able to cross to the Other Side.
Temertain was excited about the opportunity to be the Philosopher Prince, able to apply the truth to the mundane world. It would take him some time to put his affairs in order. He arranged for a boat take everyone from Seapolis to Karse, on Freezeday of Movement week.
-- Jeff
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