• Logout
  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE!
    #11
    Her head drifts lower as Scorch speaks, as ears swivel in opposite directions, casting away as lingering thoughts of uncertainty plague her mind.  What had she gotten herself into?

    Anxiety clutches at her heart making each staggering breath harder to drag in and push back out.  The ground feels as though its tilting without her, losing her footing with each flickering moment.  Panic settles around her, the primal urge to flee long gone now, as she finds that her legs have suddenly gone too heavy to move.  

    Rapidly her eyes search for something, anything to give her ground.  At last a flicker of something stands out as her gaze shifts to the glimmer of gold, recognizing the bright eyes she had come to discover not so long ago.  And he offers her a smile of mischief and she clings to the odd mixing emotions of irritation and infatuation like buoy as it slowly begins to draw her up from drowning in anxiety.

    At first she merely glares back at him, but is pleasantly surprised by how much higher her head has raised and finds herself smiling lopsidedly back in his direction.  If nothing else, he is a reminder of why she chose to call Nerine home as she collects her thoughts on the topic she was given.  The girl wanted to prove herself amongst her Sisters and Brothers and at least she will be able to say she gave it her best attempt.

    [OOC: So I included a little preamble for character devlopment purposes XD]

    _____________________________________________________________

    There are times when it is good to categorize.  For example edible versus inedible plants or drinkable versus undrinkable water sources.  These are items that can be divided into appropriate categories.  However, attempting to categorize people based upon their ideas and beliefs cannot be done as simply.  People are complicated and are influenced by remnants of their past, what is happening in the present, and what goals they set to achieve for themselves in the future.  Many do not directly lean towards only one point of the light, dark, or neutral trifecta, but  find themselves somewhere between the three.  Tactically it could prove treacherous to allow those with similar minds to become isolated from the rest of the population, as well as subjecting us formulate preconceived prejudices.  Simply stated, I believe it unwise to separate individuals based upon their suspected light, dark, or neutral affiliations.

    It would be easy if we were simply labeled as light, dark or neutral, then siphoned off into the appropriate categorial kingdom, to live and prosper with those of minds akin to our own until our deaths.  But the world is not black and white, because people are not black and white.  Dividing the people into kingdoms of light versus dark versus neutrality is like trying to split a mass of gray back into its predecessors of black and white. It would be a complicated process and I believe discerning who would fall under the title of light, dark, or neutral would prove just as complicated.  We are not strictly good, bad, or neutral in our thinking patterns, but the sum of a collection of beliefs and experiences.  Who is to say that a person labelled as "Light" could not or would not have any "Dark" thoughts in the right situation or even have had a "Dark" past?  And likewise who is to say that an individual labelled as "Dark" could not or would not have any feelings associated with the "Light" or had been born into a "Light" family but chose a "Darker" path instead?  As far as neutrality goes, I believe a large sum of people would find they have feelings of indifference towards certain circumstances as well.  If you were to observe the world and her people at a distance and with a different perspective, it would be evident that people are multi-faceted and prone to varying emotions.  It sounds so simple to categorize people, but really who is to be the judge of who goes where? Is there an altruistic force that divides us?  Or do we leave the people to their own devices?  Should we trust that they can categorize themselves appropriately?  But what of those of us who are indecisive or lack confidence?  Is it fair for them to cast themselves off to the darkest realms with a guilty concious for merely having a single ill thought towards someone else?  Or what of the person that lives in the fairest of kingdoms, who murders his violent, wayward brother in what he believes to be a small sacrifice for the greater good?  The answers to these questions I ask are debatable, but my point is static-- to segregate people into singularly labelled categories is wrong and complicated.

    Which brings me to another point that placing a label on someone fosters preconceived prejudices.  Having someone introduced to be from a dark kingdom, what do you automatically think of them?  The majority would think to hold them in wary regard or perhaps even elicit feelings of paranoia. On the reverse side, what if this person stated they hail from a light kingdom?  Many would most likely relax and allow for easy conversation to take place, perhaps even going so far as to trust in the other.  The children born into these light/dark/ or neutral realms would be expected to live up to the standards of these labels, presumably to be cast away from their families if their viewpoints stray from the normal processes associated with such labels.  It's sad to think of, but this would be the truth of the reality in which we would live.  And to think, that as we push away these young minds from their friends and families, could this be the start of the path that takes them into shadows?

    For tactical reasons, I think it  unwise to allow the darkness of Beqanna to remain isolated from the population.  Imagine the vile thoughts that are sewn into the minds of the darkened; to be left to fester and feed off of minds similar to their own.  To allow them to unite under a common goal would be an injustice to our world.  If they were to be given enough time, they could grow in numbers and perhaps one day seek to destroy whatever light remains in Beqanna.  The light of our world should not go unchecked either.  It is just has bad for the lightened to feed off of each other's thoughts and reasonings until they begin to believe that they are so pure they could do no wrong.  Maybe even going so far as to deem themselves God-like and perpetually pure.  And those of the neutral mindset, what becomes of them?  They would become the simple folk caught somewhere between good and evil, never to bask in all the glory of the light or dwell amongst the shadows of the dark.

    Drawing dividing lines between the people of Beqanna is not the answer.  Instead, I offer you the idea of allowing people to be themselves, to live amongst who they choose to, and to live the life they should be free to pursue.  We are all composed of light, dark, and neutrality and that is what makes each of us unique.  Intermingling those of us who lean more toward dark or light or neutral would help to dilute any strong outliers and perhaps even encourage us to set examples for one another and accept each other as the beautiful, complicated creatures we are.
    #12




    “A spy caste? That is a complex question with a simple answer. In a kingdom such as this, a spy caste is not only important- it’s absolutely essential. Trouble brews on the horizon of both of our kingdoms, trouble that threatens our very way of life. We know for a fact that we can count the kingdom of Sylva among our enemies; and as their relationship grows with Loess, can we expect the same from Arthas? What of the other leaders? Certainly, they may say that they are our allies, but there are so many unknown variables in such a system. Unknown variables that a kingdom such as this, successful and blossoming, cannot afford to ignore. Even the best of warriors may lose a battle if the opposing side possesses the element of surprise. That is where the spies come into play. Spies eliminate such variables, delving into the very nature of a foreign territory. Good spies are particularly talented at extracting secrets from their targets, leaving no trace behind. A spy caste allows us to incubate such talents in individuals, to train them in the art of cloak-and-dagger, and to release them into a world unsuspecting. Such information gathered can make the difference between kingdoms which we speak of in historical accounts, and those which still prevail today.”

    “This is not the first time that I have seen the workings of a hierarchy. Nor the first that I have played along in this game of politics that organized kingdoms do love to engage in. I understand that there could be a measure of political risk involved with sponsored espionage. I would be remiss, however, to forget the tale of how a spy saved my life.”

    “Long ago and far from here, in a world where a girl could be…”
    here the spotted mare paused, for the first time breaking her intense gaze and looking off over the waves, as if they could deliver her from whatever troubled her. After a moment, she took a deep breath, looking back to her debate partner with passion renewed. “In a place where terrible things could happen to fillies, there was one whose actions rescued me and several others from a terrible fate. Such was the nature of the place of my birth; the residents were calloused and wicked, and passed that cruelty on to the children of the kingdom, believing it would strengthen them.”

    “He was from a kingdom known for their good deeds, but he disguised himself in order to freely enter the house of my birth. A spy, in other words. He was quite charismatic and did nothing more than gain the trust of the locals, slipping unnoticed into places he didn’t belong. He took back to his homeland a world of new information, from geography to hierarchy to overheard plotting. When his work was complete, he was betrayed, and his true identity revealed. He was met with scorn from both kingdoms: those from my own former home for betraying their trust, and those from his own kingdom for jeopardizing relations between the two kingdoms.”

    “The argument made by those of his homeland was irrelevant, however. Relations between the two kingdoms were tenuous at the best of times, and the intelligence delivered to his king was of great benefit to those people. Due to the spy’s actions alone, an ambush against his homeland was prevented, and many children were freed from the atrocities of that terrible place. Still, his people wished for a scapegoat to blame for the troubles of the day, and even when the lords of his kingdom recognized his contributions, he was shunned. Should there have been a spy caste at the time, perhaps he would have been prevented from this terrible time of excommunication. He would have been far better equipped to keep his infiltration a secret shared only between himself and his leaders. He would not have achieved fame nor glory, for those would have betrayed his secrets; but such is the life of a spy, traversing the shadows and the storms, only to know that their actions have saved others.”

    “To me, that spy will always be a hero, both on a personal level and as a hero of the kingdom that saved me. Without his actions, I would have been left to face a cruel fate and a terrible way of life. If an official spy caste had existed, and his actions better understood, I think that many more would have recognized his true worth and contributions to his homeland. Having an official caste will also attract others to those positions, particularly those who do not fit well into the existing castes. Allow me to serve as an example in that scenario: I possess neither the silver tongue of a diplomat, nor the fires of war that burn in the heart of a warrior. Yet I have learned certain skills from the darkest times of my upbringing, skills which may benefit the land I pledge loyalty to. In social scenarios, I can become nameless, disappearing into the background of a kingdom like so many insignificant faces. I can vanish among the shadows, becoming nothing, no-one, nowhere. I suspect that I am not the only one with such talents. With a spy caste in place, I can hone such skills, and benefit my home in a way that I am best suited.”

    “Thus, creating an official spy caste is a move that not only benefits the kingdom as a whole, but also directly benefits her occupants. It could yield valuable information from our enemies as well as our supposed allies, and allow individuals who do not easily fall into existing castes to contribute. As such, I believe I’ve made it quite clear why I am in favor of a spy caste, and why I believe that you should be as well.”


    #13
    Jesper vs Eros winner: Jesper (content was of higher quality aside from quantity. Touched on many important issues surrounding the topic and wrote convincingly)
    Caw vs Bristol winner: Bristol (default win)
    Mosrael vs Reshi winner: Mosrael (content was of equal quality, both had good points and pulled from similar influences; winner was chosen based off better grammar)
    Takei vs Traton winner: Traton (content was more convincing, pulled from factual and personal influences. super fun to read and gave plenty of insight into the root of the issue)
    Wishbone vs Leilan: UGH THIS ONE WAS STUPID AND HARD. Im going with Leilan cause his was a little more understandable and he pulled from personal experience which made his argument more convincing.
    Viserion vs Breckin: Breckin (content was of higher quality aside from quantity. Touched on many valid points and had an excellent debate/essay structure while remaining within the realm of BQ)


    -----

    Hey y'all, sorry this is so shitty but I figured I should put up the results before I peace out for the next two weeks. If anyone has any questions feel free to PM me <3
    :)




    Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)