Role Play Discussion of the Advancement of Knowledge

While the clan was bitterly arguing about where to pitch the tents blastoid, bored by what he had started rose again, raised his sun leathered arms to gain attention with the muttering hordes. And spoke

We have more to consider than just where we will place our privies. In line with where to leave we need to ponder what we shall learn as well. We are have the knowledge to make small craft and have built the wheel. What knowledge should we seek next? Should we study to the way of the field and the animals to tame the boars to the north, should we learn the secrets of the hills and the rocks beneath, or should we look towards god and his, more vague secrets. Let us speak now before decisions must be made. These decisions our tied to where we settle, all the more point to discuss him before the stones and timbers are set.

And the Blastoid sat down to let the other voices rise.

"I believe our next avenue of research should be towards the catching and trapping of beasts of the wilds. We can learn how to explore and understand the land, while using it to keep us alive. If we learn these ideas, we will be able to send out our soldiers in smaller numbers, and at a faster pace. This is paramount to Understanding, as we must Know what is beyond the borders of our sight."

We can not forsee without better understanding the gods. We must learn to understand mysticism so We can Forsee.

I'm a scout and hunter by trade. It should be obvious what I recommend . . .

I have seen many rocks suitable for flintknapping and grinding in the nearby hills. There seems to be even more under the ground. If we could find a reliable way to get at these stones, then making and repairing tools would become much easier and we could spend more time on other pursuits. We would also have more weapons to fend off the local beasts. A curious thing is happening among some nimble-handed men and their mates. They are wearing strange stones around their necks and are being met with green-eyed stares from other folk. Some of those stares become icy when the other folk look at each other. I asked around about where these couples had acquired the stones, and met plenty of silence. One man turned an odd way and made several furtive motions. If I interpreted him correctly, these strange stones can be found in the hilly regions. It seems the hills contain a great deal of mysteries.

Speaking of mysteries, I am struck by how unlikely it is that all of these excellent food sources just happen to be near us, as if they were placed in our way. Perhaps we should inquire as to who gave us these resources, and pay the proper respect. He/She/They might have some insight on where we should settle, and perhaps would be mightily offended if we were to use the gifts improperly...

As a hunter, a barbequer, and story teller (join me at the pub for a tall one) I would very much like to see us learn the ways of the land first and then turn toward knowledge that may help in sharing my stories with others. Such knowledge might also help us to at least better understand why things happen to us? Why did we manage to wander onto that hill by the river at the edge of the forest? I felt that we could have been lost in those woods forever. My life has known of nothing but living near the trees and streams. Was it luck? A trick of circumstance? Were we guided here? If such understanding can be gleaned from mysticism then I'd like to learn of that eventually, but for now, let us focus on harnessing all that the land has to offer us.

Though Timus agreed with Prochon, he also knew the best road to survival for these people was learning how to make use of the land around them for food, shelter, and protection. Take care of the tribe first, before seeking to do anything else.

Tel listened to the words of Rashiminos with great interest. He had not yet seen these stone wielding members of the tribe. He wondered if they also heard the callings as he did? Cleansing his mind of these thoughts for the moment, he wondered again upon what Rashiminos was saying. Is this possible? Could they dig into the very rock he stood upon and use it to benefit people? This was something that greatly intrigued him.

"I agree with Rashiminos. Let us look into the mysteries of the stone and see what it can do for us."

Rashiminos said:

It seems the hills contain a great deal of mysteries.

Click to expand...

Tel smilies at the words as he recalls his recent travels.

A young mand stands up on the perimeter of the small circle of philosophers. He starts out in a low voice but is soon nearly yelling at the others, his voice not breaking into a falset even once;

"Clearly, the most important thing to find out is better ways to appease the gods! What matters rocks under the earth or wild beasts if the sun will never more rise and the land be swept in darkness? What matters tiny shelters and weapons if we cause the gods' wrath? I have heard that one of the other villages nearby have engineers who build large monuments as tributes to their gods! We should try to learn this art, and that should be as soon as possible! Nothing has priority over immidiate survival, and the way I see it, immidiate survival is dependant on the gods. The gods decide if our fishermen haul any food, if any plants grow near our village! We must find a way to honor the gods for such great assistance or they will think us ignorant fools!"

After a few days of the commotion of the returning Warband dying down, the circle of philosophers was called again to discuss the direction of the tribe. Aelbeorht, and older man dressed in long brown robes, known as the Head of the Protectors of Faith faction, was the first to speak.

"Brothers, we have discovered many things from the journeys of the Warband. We also know that many of our tribe have been experimenting with special etched symbols that represent our language visually. This is all very exciting, but I must warn you: If we don't step back and tend to the spiritual needs of our people, we will soon lose ourselves. I suggest we devote some time to studying the ways of the spiritual world, so that we may greater honor it. We cannot delve so deeply into the material world without taking time to consider the immaterial."

While Aelbeorht speaks, the young monk known as Diamondeye, the Hand of Faith, stands in the backgrounds. He is struggling to avoid yelling at the other philosophers for being so blind, and only his respect for the Head Of Faith holds him back. As Aelbeorht finishes his speech, Diamondeye heaves himself to his feet and looks around at the philosophers, before talking through his teeth:

"I agree with The Head Of Faith, although I would myself choose less vague words. We should be careful not to lose our heads to this new knowledge that we have been so lucky to uncover. I say, the people, our people, the normal, un-enlightened villager of Arete, needs not to be confused with more of these new ideas from this circle. What they need is to be calm and to know that they are safe. This is most easily achieved by elliminating any threats, be it physical or spiritual threats. Seeing as we are now protected by our brave warriors, I say we need to take care of the spiritual needs of our people. We need to learn to build monuments to honor the gods, and to develop a system so that we can spread the interpretations of godly symbols and blessings to the common man! I say we need to forget all of our horses and weapons for a while and focus inwards, on our souls. Regain control of our mind and spirit."

Aelbeorht nods and smiles as he listens to the young Diamondeye speak. He may be a little headstrong, but still, with youth like him in the tribe, ready to take leadership, the future of the Aretans looks bright. Once he had finished, Aelbeorht chimed back in:

"He makes a good point, brothers. Developing our military prowess is fine, but no amount of military can ensure the safety of our civilization. Only faith can do that."

Gaiyut steps forward, a weathered man with fresh scars from the Lion attacks that the warband suffered, a permanent memory of the sacrifice in their journey.

"Aretans, I wish to tell you of a fireside chat I had one night with a man, who had wandered far from his village one night, while tending to his goats. This man spoke a language very different from our own, and had a carving of a cow hanging from his belt. We did have a common language at least in terms of drawings we made in the sand to depict what we knew of the area. Through some common pictures and some words I had learned dealing with the many other villages and their people, whom I had contacted as part of the Warband, we could roughly speak of common things."

"He claimed to be from Spain, where a dark Woman ruled over them. He spoke of large pillars of stone with carvings on them illustrating the deeds of their many Gods. He spoke also of hills and trees, and rivers...much I had already known. He laughed when I told him a story about riding horses. He claimed to have seen horses, but thought that riding them was crazy talk."

"Anyway, it was this talk of Gods that piqued my interest. I only know of a life ruled by dirt, trees, animals, wind, water, and the powerful sun. He claimed that there are awesome beings more powerful than the elements in many ways that existed beyond the natural world. He claimed that these beings controlled events like wars, famine, plague, love, fertility, farming, sailing, etc... I was enthralled by the man's devotion and the way he carressed the cow-form hanging from his belt."

"His pillars were some kind of testament...a monument, he called them...to the Gods, in an attempt to secure their favor. Apparently, the spanish knew how to build them and how to communicate to their gods and were already seeing great benefits from the hard work. The carving on his belt, he said, was a personal totem of fertility. According to him, cows were a sign of fertility and luck for farmers and herdsmen. More than that, he claimed that cows had a central function in something he called a religion, the faith of Hinduism."

"I was too confused and lost to continue talking to him about his faith. I didn't have enough understanding in it to even know what it was he was presenting to me. I do however, know that this knowledge was important to their way of life, and it was a way of unifying the people."

"If there are indeed Gods more powerful than the beings that we claim to understand and worship...the animals, the dirt, the winds, the waters, and the Sun, then shouldn't we also learn of them and find a way of gaining their favor?"

((You know, it is hard to get into the whole role playing thing when I have to read a freaking novel to get to the point.))

((*shrug* none of the posts so far have been very long. In fact, I quite like this thread, just wish it was utilized more))

((OOC: ))