Books from Arcanum

Discussion in 'Roleplaying Forum' started by ytzk, Jan 23, 2012.

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  1. ytzk

    ytzk Well-Known Member

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    Response to "The Soot of the Gods" found in the library of Tulla.

    SOOT FROM THE GODS: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

    by Jessered Palkanepolee, half-elven wanderer and scribe.

    I write this in response to the writing of Sir Amac Lucan in the hope that I can make a worthy contribution to this debate. I shall not try to refute the logic of Sir Lucan, as I have received no schooling in the esteemed art of argumentation, but I shall instead try to show another perspective on the Magick versus Technology debate.

    As Sir Lucan has shown in his logical paper, whenever Magick and Technology, or nature as he, in my opinion, wrongly calls it, work in close proximity to each other, unforeseen consequences arise. The effects may cancel each other out, or one may work and the other fail, or the expected results be warped because of the opposite natures of Magick and Technology. I understand full well why Sir Lucan refers to Technology as "nature", since Technology depends upon and utilises the naturally ocurring laws of physics, gravity, chemistry and the like. But the reason I balk at the use of the word "nature" in this respect is that the much vaunted Technology, while building upon the laws that govern nature, does little to work in harmony with it.

    Any visitor to Tarant has seen and experienced the many wonders of Technology, and I for one agree that Technology has many uses and, indeed, has made life more interesting. But these same visitors have also experienced the soot to which Sir Lucan refers. If one were to make the journey to the countryside surrounding Tarant, one would see the deforestation and the pollution of the waters close to the fair city. With these things in mind, it becomes clear that Technology, though it has brought some good to our world, has also brought some evils. The polluting of the skies and the waters are in themselves bad enough, but the felling of whole forests?

    It saddens me to see how the shorter lived humans, who make up half of my heritage, disregard the needs of their own descendants. To so easily fell the forests so that their children and grandchildren may have to travel far distances to see the grandeur that only a great forest can possess! My elven heritage lets me know the land and its suffering, and I know that a force that does this to the land cannot be purely a blessing.

    The Magick/Technology conflict has another frightening consequence, should Technology reign supreme as Sir Lucan predicts. From perusing the works of John Beddoes it is clear that many of the races that constitute the population of Arcanum harbour in their very tissue mystical vibrations. These virbrations are found in the races of Halflings, Gnomes, Ogres, Half-Ogres, Orcs, Half-Orcs, Elves and my own race, the Half-Elves. These vibrations stem from the fact that these races are not naturally evolved, as are the Humans and Dwarves. Nay, these races are the result of what Beddoes calls supernatural selection and are descended from the naturally evolved races. I have travelled the world for a century, and I can see that the words of Beddoes are not simply idle speculation, and I suspect he may be correct in his theories.

    These facts, combined with Sir Lucan's paper, make me uneasy, for if Technology should reign supreme and Magick thus die out, what then shall become of the races begotten by Magick? The vibrations common to these races are evident even after death but should these vibrations die out together with Magick, would these races then too cease to exist? It is known that devices of great Technological wonder can make people with great aptitutde towards Magick ill. If technology should turn all-pervasive, would all these "Magickal" races then fall ill and die out? Also, we must not forget that, as Sir Lucan points out, the very Gods themselves are not "natural", and so must be Magickal. Should Magick die out are then the Gods themselves destroyed?!

    I beg Sir Lucan to apply his logical intellect to this problem and reconsider. In my travels I have visited most of the cities of our fair land, and in Caladon I have seen the true wonder of Magick and Technology existing peacefully in the same city, without the terrible soot and pollution of the waters! Truly Farad is a great and visionary ruler to have made this possible, but I ask you this, when the coextistence of Magick and Technology is possible in Caladon, could it not be so in all the lands of Arcanum?

    It remains a truth to this world that all notions that exists have a counterpart. There would be no light if not for darkness, for how would we then recognise the light? If there were no evil actions, then how could we appreciate good actions? With the advent of Technology in the recent years, the wonder of Magick has become even more apparent. Do not be blinded by the wonders of Technology, yes, they are many, and they are joys to behold, but there are wonders in other things too. There is wonder in the silent whispers of a stream running through the forest at night. There is wonder in the starlit sky when resting on the great plains after a day of wandering. There is wonder in the rising of the sun over the waters when at the coast. There is wonder in the laughter of small children, be they human, gnomish, elvish or any other race.

    To the shorter-lived races of Arcanum I offer this advice. Take comfort in these wonders as well and do not trust blindly in Technology nor Magick. The Gods still exist, and they have apparently intervened before with moments of supernatural selection. If we become too complacent or confident in our Magick or Technology, then who is to say that the Gods themselves might not intervene again to teach us all a lesson? Even as this might never come to pass, the advice remains sound. Hastening into anything might be perilous, and while Technology has achieved some astounding breakthroughs recently, we must be careful not to blindly embrace everything these new wonders might show us. Temperance in introducing new Technology might mean the difference of putting many lives, even whole races, at risk, or living in a peaceful coexistence and bringing all of Arcanum to new heights of wonder.
     
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