From the Hymns to Seshweay, Common Prayer Book of the Ancestors.
When the Setaai [1] repeats what the Tifisa [2] has just played it cannot make the same sounds, and it cannot play the same notes. It can, however make recognizably the same music, the same air, the same lilt of an age long past. But it can do so only when the same self logic is applied to both, one can still pick up the dissonance, the grate of notes similar but so different, hanging in the air; mocking is the inability to duplicate the haunting plucking of the Tifasa.
Cultures are like music, never do the same notes played by different instruments make the same song. Our ancestors believed that by imitating to perfection our Lords [3] culture, they could reach their level of perfection. Our ancestors believed that they could translate the notes from the Lords culture to their own, that was false. Translation implies a note for note exchange, impossible when you consider that the Setaai and the Tifisa even when played note for note sound so different. This led to only a crude approximation of the tune of Cultural perfection, it was through this crude approach our ancestors, found they were unable to destroy the Arkage, unable to fend of the Satarai, unable to save themselves from Empire, and unable to defend the Fatherland. They failed, we shall not.
Transposition of notes holds more promise, music is not made of a limited number of notes thinking so will only lead to error because of the innate complexity of the sum of the whole. Culture is instead an infinitely complex piece, full of different stimuli and influences, it cannot be exactly repeated, nor can it be imitated, there perhaps exists a possibility of transpositioning the notes from instrument to instrument. What must be saved from the transition between the four strings to the forty keys is the true essence of the culture.
We must transpose the spirit, not the literal meaning, for in the spirit lies perfection.
In practice to fulfil this goal we must restore the Republics true glory, we must restore Sesh our spiritual home and we must ignore the old Fatherland our future lies elsewhere across the seas of the world away from a shattered past.
We must resolve to live not on the mere echoes of a world once known or a tune once heard in passing, we must reshape our culture to play not the echoes of the great song but the great song itself.
No longer shall the Exiled States be exiled, they will be true home of all Seshweay, for where the banner of New Seshweay goes the Seshweay will rally and where our people are persecuted they shall find solace in our existence and know that help is at hand.
For the Republic, For Unity, For Moralism, For the Ancestors, For Seshweay.
Unitary Prime.
Speech before the Senate House of the New Seshweay Republic.
Years since the death of the Revered Ayase 947.
Years since the death of the First Republic 947.
It is the most humble of supplicants who speaks before his honourable brother Senators, many know that of a certain father of mine, once a Senator of the Empire of Sesh, pronounced upon the last of the line of Tyrant Emperors these bold words, You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of the Ancestors, go." It was a show of the decay of Republicanism that the last honourable voice in the Senate was saved his head only by the intervention of a minority in the military left with any decency. Many of those who saved his life did not survive, but many more fled to the safety of New Seshweay, many amongst their number now sit in this exalted body and saved our Republic from the death throes of the great enemy to the South.
It is not the intention of this speaker, to give an account of the grounds which first moved us to take up arms, and engage our lives and all that was dear to us in this cause, nor will this speaker speak of the sacrifices for the Lords above we have made, for we have all made them. But let it be known that the Republic will rise, all our endeavours will not be for nought, and the Lords above watch us their unworthy servants with favour. Despite all the difficulties, despite all the contests of wits and strength, the endless to and fro, the flight of many from our homes with recourse of extraordinary actions assisted by our Lords we will overcome.
This speaker has listened to the debate that was put forward is this hallowed chamber, and agrees that the Supreme Authority, should be the Senate, devolved upon Ancestor fearing men and of approved integrity. It is hoped that the stain of Empire will be forgotten through the true government offered by the Senate, its good governance, impartial justice and service to the people. This glorious cause should never again require the intercession of arms by a single ruler to dictate by fiat, fear, treachery and chain the course of a true Republican government, nor shall it be tolerated. The Republic shall be for all Seshweay, it shall be the true beacon of government to the many and the varied, the last true hope of Seshweay.
Even now messengers pour in the from the coast requesting our help, weary veterans from the war swell our military, men lead families from the south weapons on everyones hip and we welcome them. Our glorious cause demands it, the strain they put on us is immaterial, even now they help us seed cities, reclaim territory and found colonies all over our world. Soon we shall reclaim what was lost to us, we hunger to take back what was ours.
Never again shall we fail. Never again shall we deviate. Never again. Nevermore.
For the Republic, For Unity, For Moralism, For the Ancestors, For Seshweay.
First Speaker of the Senate House of the Republic of New Seshweay.
A humble supplicant, Seshweay Common Prayer Book
During the last days of Empire, many of the soldiers of the Empire fled the collapse, I was one of them. One day the TaPa [4] of our VaSe [5] stopped the whole column, calmly he rose before us covered in the dust we were all covered in, he repeated the orders he had received from the Emperor in Sesh, tears in his eyes, voice halting we heard how the Emperor had betrayed the Fourth Army. The Fourth had been surrounded and destroyed; the Emperor had ordered it to advance from its positions where it had been cut to pieces by the enemy. The way to the Fatherland, Lord of our Hearts, Seshweay was open; we knew why he was crying now we might not be able to reach home to save it. But he continued to read, those now hearing this message must make haste to the line of the Sesh, but not cross to the right side of the River, that is lost howls of anger and indignation were followed ominously by silence as each man contemplated what obeying the orders would mean, abandoning the Fatherland to the enemy. The TaPa quietly continued we cannot follow this course, I received word from third army just moments ago, TaPaSe [6] Aya has decided that his service to the Empire is at an end and not a single man of the third didnt decide to follow him
He didnt even get a chance to finish the sounds of men beginning to march with new purpose towards home drowned him out, the Imperial pennants were discarded the symbols of the Republic of Seshweay which hung under them were with special reverence were put back on top. We later found out that not a single Seshweay army had listened to the Emperors orders whole Seshweay divisions in mixed armies fell out of step and left, sometimes the Arkage would try to stop them demanding to know what they were doing all ignored them and marched as fast as they could towards home.
We fought for everything, we failed, we starved, we thirsted, we died from disease, we died from the constant skirmishing and sieges but we fought on. City after city fell, town after town, we stopped being able to fight them honestly we took to the hills, the desert, and the hidden places and fought on. Many packed up and headed north that was where it was safest, the Exiled States became our solace and saviour, fellow Seshweay long removed from their brothers fought alongside us, we could never stop them flooding out of the desert but we bloodied them. They never got to the Exiled States in great strength those few hosts who did died. Whole columns of the fleeing headed north, the Exiled States for as long as they could manage, held the roads open helping untold numbers flee north. We seldom heard about what was happening across the river we didnt care, we knew they were fighting and dying the same as we were but faced with our own fleeing families and ruined cities we couldnt help. TaPaSe Aya was killed in a particularly bloody engagement escorting the last Seshweay Senators of the Empire away, our Senators fought alongside the soldiers they died as readily as we did. But they carried by the far the holiest relics of the Seshweay, the symbols of the Senate and the Gold Busts of the Ancestors from Sesh.
The immediate danger passed, the fighting cooled, the Fatherland was ruined, the desert grew and once fertile land was useless but many of us survived. The Senate reconstituted, the Exiled States united, Senators from all walks of life took up seats. From the Soldier Senator Tiseie formerly a TaPa in the Imperial Military, to the Speaker of the Senate himself who was an ex-Imperial Senator the last of the truly great Republicans in the Imperial Senate to AtTaMa a half Arkage and half Seshweay Lawyer to EisIe a former Naval man in the Imperial Navy who had managed to wrest control of the home fleet and sail the part of it that survived the conflict to the Exiled States to the Arch Republican of the Old Guard Senators MaSh a veteran of the Exiled States military and Old Senate to The All Highest Moralist Kema another half Arkage and half Seshweay head of the Moralist philosophical school however reduced it was and to the Unitary Prime a living example of what the ancestors want in men. The first session of the Senate decided to retain the Republican Government against all tyrants and decided to rename the Exiled States, New Seshweay.
The Senates first act of governance was to issue a general call to arms for the whole male population not engaged in essential agriculture, fisheries or industry thousands of refugees and ex-soldiers many in the last stages of their lives rallied to the standards. Armies that had long since ceased to exist except on beaten bronze taken from the capital in the last days reformed, but instead of the orderly ranks of men armed and clad in bronze that made up the armies of the empire, the fledgling armies of the Republic had little armour, bows crafted of horn and wood were common the weapons of the last desperate days. Antique armour was worn by many and units were reformed some armed with bows, some equipped with the rare armour and bronze weapons while a large majority made do with spears tipped with bronze melted down from anything that could be found. Ancient Bronze law tablets were copied onto wax then melted down to assist the reclamation as it came to be known. Ships which had been abandoned in the mud were re-floated and made seaworthy. Chariots were built in vast quantities, the amount of bronze in them being reduced to the absolute minimum, bronze pins were replaced with a wood which expanded and got stronger when it was dried. The Republics navy sailed to the now mostly coastal enclaves of the Seshweay outside the Republic, built on hills and other natural defensive sites, the old settlements in the lowlands having been abandoned. Upon seeing the galley in the distance the populace would raise their gates upon seeing the glorious flag of the Republic the people would open the gates and stream out tears in their eyes, weeping in happiness and gratitude at the safety that the Republic assured them of. Our soldiers would train and arm the populace and assist in the destruction of bandits. Bandits and others who put the interests of the few against the majority were given a choice, join the Republican military or die. Many choose to join up, eyes misting, the oldest remembering service in the military in the last days would weep at the years lost to treason. Those who resisted and were captured were turned over the population they had terrorised and ripped apart by the mob. Those settlements to far from safety were encouraged to move into the most fortifiable settlements, the soldiers and the populace would expand the defences, some soldiers would stay to drill the populace and the navy would head to the next settlement spreading safety.
I was present for much of the reclamation, cities were rebuilt and partially populated, settlements were fortified, order restored, the few against the many were hunted down, the navy was enlarged, the army was rebuilt, large swathes of the coastline were bought under the Republics control. The most important acquisition was the restoration of the Holy City of Sesh, negotiations with the Janians as the Arkage called themselves allowed a reclamation force to liberate the ruins and begin to restore the walls. The Senate house of the Empire was consecrated, the insignia of the Emperor were cast down and the insignia of the Republic was restored to pride of place. The Fatherland would be triumphant, the heart of hearts and the holy of holies was reclaimed on marched the people of the Ancestors.
Translators and Historians note:
The first piece is the work of a Unitary Prime the main issue is which one, there exists a range of some 200 years over which it could have been written and no less than 5 Unitary Primes that could written it, the consistent style indicates that it was written by one person. It is now the official preface for the Common Prayer Book of the Ancestors and has been since at least the rule of the 65th Unitary Prime.
The second piece is definitely only the abridged first speech of the Speaker of the Legitimate Second Senate; it is likely that the speech ran to an hour or more of reading. The original bronzes used to reside in the Sepulchre of the Republic and Tomb of the Ancestors Temple but at some stage they have disappeared.
The third piece is likely not the work of a single author, it runs from the very first rebellions of the Seshweay part of the Imperial Military against Imperial Authority to at least a hundred years after the collapse and first reconstruction efforts of the new Senate after decades of near collapse by the exiled states. It is likely that for at least seventy years after the final collapse of the Empire Seshweay armies operated in defending the Sesh delta area so it is well within the realms of possibility that many would have remembered serving in the military of the Empire of Sesh or it least its Seshweay successors immediately after the collapse. There is a great deal of evidence supporting whole units of the Imperial military ending up in the Exiled States, there is also a wealth of evidence showing that refugees did flee in great numbers to the Exiled States, names which were previously of Imperial stock are found in legal bronzes and pottery in great abundance in that era.
[1] A key instrument with only a limited number of keys, which hit a layered bronze board very rarely played expect in the largest traditionalist orchestras, beloved for its dissonance.
[2] Simple 3 stringed violin like instrument, beloved for its complex sound
[3] Lords were a common name for the Ancestors and in Old Seshweay the word Lords is the same word as Ancestors, showing perhaps best how the Old Seshweay worshipped only the Ancestors and not mortal men in the form of a despot.
[4] General, or at least a senior officer normally commanding over 10,000 soldiers.
[5] roughly 10,000 soldiers in each.
[6] Highest level military officer, roughly equal to a Marshall in the current system, could command up to the whole Empire of Seshs army, likely in this case only around 25,000-50,000 soldiers.
OOC: Kind of combined orders/story, I thought i would try something new, orders will be in soon NK