"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
05-08-2018, 03:13 PM (This post was last modified: 05-10-2018, 10:40 AM by Scorch.)
Welcome to the first round of the Nerischian tournament! This is the debate round. Every Nerinian has been paired against an Ischian - so have fun!
Word limit: 1000
How it's judged: Grammar, evidence provided, convincingness, structure; the judgement is SUBJECTIVELY judged by Sid, Tiny, and Devin. Though there's not really a rubric, we'll try to give as much feedback as we can in the moment.
Posts: Either of you can post first, they will be judged in comparison to one another but not consecutively the way a battle post would be. What this means is that the two posts are only connected by the topic, not by each other's actual responses - it's like you're both presenting prewritten papers, not a debate back and forth.
Your posts are due: May 15th.
@[Mosrael] vs @[Reshi]
Mosrael will be arguing PRO. We SHOULD.
Reshi will be arguing CON. We SHOULDN'T.
Topic: Separating kingdoms based on magics - i.e the Old Way of myhtics vs nonmythics, or how it is now.
@[Leilan] vs @[Wishbone]
Wishbone will be arguing PRO. We SHOULD.
Leilan will be arguing CON. We SHOULDN'T.
Topic: Allowing the opposite sexes to participate in the sisterhood and brotherhood.
@[Viserion] vs @[Breckin]
Viserion will be arguing PRO. We SHOULD.
Breckin will be arguing CON. We SHOULDN'T.
Topic: Separating kingdoms based on their light/neutral/darkness.
@[Caw] vs @[Bristol]
Bristol will be arguing PRO. It SHOULD (like how it was before, with the Jungle spirit and Dale river spirit animals).
Caw will be arguing CON. We SHOULDN'T (like how it is now, with very little involvement).
Topic: Beqanna expressing it's magic to residents through excessive means.
@[Jesper] vs @[Eros]
Jesper will be arguing PRO. We SHOULD (hand-raise heirs).
Eros will be arguing CON. We SHOULDN'T (instead we should pick from the ranks).
Topic: Heirs being hand-raised by monarchs vs worthy kingdom members ascending the throne from the ranks themselves.
@[takei] vs @[traton]
Traton will be arguing PRO. We SHOULD.
Takei will be arguing CON. We SHOULDN'T.
Topic: Having a spy caste.
Any questions, pm Sid, Tiny, or Devin!
CLARIFICATION:
The anticipated format for debate posts are a first person paper written from the perspective of your character, with no preamble. What this means is that there is no “Scorch cleared her throat before continuing/shuffles her hooves” - it would just be “debate debate debate debate essay essay essay” and then be finished. The 1000 word limit is for your characters opinion entirely. Your characters are allowed to “know” historical facts that they normally wouldn’t to use as evidence for their debates.
Offering his services to Nerine was only the beginning. Now he had to prove it. Hestia required he take a captive of Sylva but why not impress the queen a little farther. Show her that he was loyal and could be trusted. So he offers his name to represent Nerine against the Brotherhood of Ischia. He has only heard banter over what they were and how they came to be. He wasn't one to spread rumors nor consider them true, so until he knew the truth, he held his judgement.
They arrived though and volunteered just as he had. Each having something to prove, he is most certain. Why else would you go through such pain staking work for not? His golden eyes view them. They look no different then they and so he waits for instruction. Finding it to come quickly and from the lips of Scorch, Hestia's right-hand women. She instructs them to their pairings and then their topics of discussion. He is pleased to find his something he was passionate about. The raising of blood heirs to ascend the throne or picking those have earned such a place. If raising an heir for the right of rule was required in his old home, he would have never received such an honor to serve his people.
His turn comes and he stand square. The picturesque form of a solider with his high head carriage. A flick upwards of his nose, brings his thick forelock to one side to clear his view before he begins his appeal. "If one is to be chosen by blood alone then how do we determine their suitability to lead? Would not choosing a seasoned solider or diplomat be the best option? Often these ranks were not given with no reason, so clearly they have earned their place. I would rather be led into battle, not by some immature child, but by a comrade that has fought along side me. One who has shed blood just as I have. Someone who is as committed to our cause, that they have worked their way up from nothing. Only those who have nothing, were born from nothing, have the most to gain through dedication..." With a nod of his crown, he concludes his debate. Knowing all to well of what he speaks, to be the truth.
Outwardly, she is nothing special. There is no uniqueness about her that sets her apart from anyone that gathers now. Even inside Nerine, she is not unique by any means. Her entire family lives here and it is riddled with magic. Manipulation of the light runs rabid in her bloodlines and so she is no more special than the next. It saddens her some that she is not as skilled in her magic as some of her other family is. Practicing took a lot of work and often it was tedious. The only part she had ever been good at was creating twinkling lights that danced about the blackish-blue hue of her pelt.
When instructed, she gathers around. Shyly, she looks to the strange faces of Ischian visitors. There were many more gentleman than ladies -which made sense considering they were a Brotherhood- that have come for a tournament of skills. She couldn't slide under her grandmothers radar this time. Family requirement you could call it. So she steps forwards and with a downward gaze she hears her grandmother speak to her. Outlining her topic and what her position was to be.
She finds the answer to be simple actually. With more confidence, she looks up to those watching and gives her take on the idealization of separation by mythics. "I believe the required segregation of mythical and non-mythical equids would allow an imbalance of power throughout Beqanna. Thus causing the destruction we have already experienced. How is a regular horse to defend itself against someone who wields powers of the earth, water or fire? They could not call upon a better matched member of their herd to defend them, as they would not have magic either. The scale would tip greatly into the favor of the mythics and then there would be an inequality of strength. Causing the non-mythics to give into the more dominant kingdoms out of fear." Her position is strong and her words do not falter. Leaving those listening to draw up their own opinions be it for or against hers.
05-10-2018, 02:28 PM (This post was last modified: 05-10-2018, 02:32 PM by Leilan.)
Leilan eyes the others present before thinking of what he wants to say. He smiles mischievously at the spotted Knabstrüber mare, and he finally knows her name, now that she has stepped forward to proclaim her attendance. She knows him then, too, but he supposes that should she have had the nerve to ask Scorch about her family in a general way, she would have known before him.
The debate round proves a challenge for Leilan. He just argued for allowing women to earn their rank in Ischia earlier, and now he’s supposed to go against all that. This is why he needs time to think, but eventually he figures that he can make some arguments up.
”Of those who remember me back then, I suppose you’ve always thought of me as a pain in the neck to have around the Amazons. Or perhaps a pain in general, please, I won’t differentiate there. I know how some of you respond to my presence. I have a twin sister, and Wrynn is everything sweet in the world - but most of all, she was the girl and I was the boy. Unfortunately this always meant I was the lesser of her, at least in the eyes of an Amazon. Never able or allowed to achieve a rank.
To feel that - you just have to be the exception for a time, I guess. It’s a tension not easily explained. Be it the stallion or colt in the women’s club as I was, or the filly or mare in the Brotherhood - really it just doesn’t work. You’ll always feel like you have to try harder than the ones around you to achieve the same level.
I’m not saying that one is the lesser of the other. I’m just trying to tell you that however much one can try, if you don’t fit in in the first place, that means that you never will. Not fully. Instead of recruiting for ourselves, we should be convincing a male that his place is with his brothers, and a female that her place is with her sisters. We are sister kingdoms - again, thinking of it, that is a female word that you’ve chosen to use there - and we should be able to recruit for both kingdoms, not trying to take in everybody who wants to sway some way or another. We are a sisterhood and a brotherhood, not two mixes in different percentages. If we take in both sexes, there would be nothing that differentiaties us from any other kingdom in the Beqannan lands, and you know it as well as I.“
He pauses to breathe, fully aware that playing the devil’s advocate could suddenly convince someone of a thing he does not stand for, and hoping that his mother and his Nerinian sisters don’t take him too literally. He’s not one to turn anyone away himself - but he has one last argument to add.
”To take in females in a men’s group also means that she will always have to work harder than the rest. We are not equally built. Men are naturally muscled, where women are not. Of course they can achieve such a feat, but with an equal amount of training a man may eventually be stronger than a woman, and a woman may naturally be more cunning in his stead. But since we are not equally built, we should not pretend to be. We have different kingdoms where one can reside and train in for this very reason - we are different, we have unsimilar fighting styles, and we should stop pretending. Separate what is naturally estranged. We are equal, but not alike.”
He inhales sharply then, ears twitching, simply hoping not to be lynched for this.
Total debating words: 438
Total words including preamble: 620
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
i fell like a dreamer for sweet tea and lemonade; it clings to my t-shirt it’s loud and it lingers, designed to suffocate. i light up to find what i’ve known all this time, there’s some beauty here yet
There was once a time when the Brotherhood and Sisterhood was split into their subjective genders. Before Beqanna tore down the foundations of its residents there were the Tundra and Jungle of the Old, crafted from ancient leaders looking to create a haven for their respective gender. And, in truth, this theory could have continued for many years — in fact, it did. But as times change, so do ideals and morals and theories. So must the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood change with them.
Inclusiveness is an important quality to have within a kingdom, for excluding certain beliefs or backgrounds or genders would give the kingdom a pig-headed, egotistical, and ignorant public image. For a certain individual to decide whether a kingdom suits their own personal belief or background or moral compass is one situation, but for a kingdom to purposefully deny a home to someone in need based on their belief or background or gender is another entirely different one.
In terms of physicality, discrimination against sexes based on weight and size can be considered a thing of the past. There have been stereotypes surrounding the proclaimed “dainty, petite, and fragile” appearances of women, when I personally know more women that are built as though they could take down a man just as easily as any other opposite gender. There are plenty of womanly bodies suited for war just as there are plenty of manly bodies suited for diplomacy and the fact that kingdoms might continue to restrict an individual’s personal growth on the basis of their gender rather than their build is old-fashioned and ancient thinking.
Finally, we can be understanding of certain mindsets involving men (as the Sisterhood of the Old often regarded them as sex-driven, stubborn, and irresponsible) and women (as the Brotherhood of the Old often regarded them as male-dependent, whining, and irreversibly optimistic) and how their desires might be to protect their own gender from these stereotypes. But the truth about the matter is this: if there is ever a personal unrest within a kingdom — a supposed danger from a certain individual in their midst — the kingdom should be able to act in the best interest of its people, regardless of gender.
In recent years there has been an influx of movement towards a spy caste. From what I understand of this caste, it has the responsibilities for maintaining and gathering information about both its own kingdom and outside of it. This can include frequent trips to the common areas of Beqanna, trespassing on other kingdoms’ borders, and intruding conversations with personal kingdom members. All of this is customarily done while reporting to an assigned kingdom-member in charge of the spy caste and its members.
This caste shows signs of immediate concerns even when looking at the basic understanding of it. For starters, the traditional organization of a kingdom is categorized mainly into military and diplomatic castes under the observation of the ruler(s) and whoever their council might be — if there is one. With this style of coordination being the longest-running and most well-used, there must certainly be reasons for that. I can only assume this is because it is the tried-and-true method, preferable for all kingdoms due to its efficiency and effectiveness.
Secondly, having a separate caste dedicated solely to the gathering of information requires fully-invested members of the kingdom. This could take away from more important duties of a kingdom such as mocking, stealing, and recruiting. Aside from thinning out the rankings of the traditional castes, this could also present some mistrust within the kingdom members themselves. In a traditional spy caste, only the overseer of the spies knows which members are spies. Individuals might become accustomed to operating on the anxieties of thoughts such as: “If I confide a secret to my friend that could be a spy, will they turn around and relay that information to the authorities?” Mistrust and doubt within members are sure to weaken its structure, which won’t do the kingdom any favors when it comes down to it.
Perhaps a more pressing issue compared to any of the afforemented would be a betrayer among the kingdom. Gathering, maintaining, and delivering such secrets within a kingdom can come with a risky price if a member of the spy caste betrays or even simply leaves their kingdom. Although the members of an active spy caste could be as strong as a hundred trees grown right alongside one another, if one member leaves or betrays the kingdom everything could fall apart. This could easily result in the complete opposite of the spy caste’s goal: a dramatic loss and spread of all the secrets and gathered information they might hold close.
As the onyx stallion considers his thesis, Jesper finds himself torn. He is the Warrior King's grandson. He carries the blood of a monarch in his veins. Except, he was not hand-raised by Brennen. He neither asks to be treated as royalty, nor does he behave in such a manner. He prides himself as an active member of the kingdom earning his way to the top versus demanding ranks based on entitlement. At last, he decides his own experiences will best support his position.
A hand-raised heir would be chosen, by a monarch, just as one would select a herd member from the ranks of their kingdom. The selection is based upon qualities possessed and, not blood ties or, favors owed. A hand-raised heir is chosen from among all of the kingdom's children to be groomed as the next leader. Hand-raising the next monarch is invaluable to a kingdom.
From a very young age, you can instill a strong sense of loyalty. This loyalty would not just be to the monarch's ideals and morals but, also, to the land and, its people. A monarch raised among his or, her people will better command the trust of the governed. The people will be familiar with the prospective monarch and, vice-versa. Since the foal will be from among the members' progeny, he or, she, will represent the whole of the people. A foal will spend his or, her, whole childhood learning the ways of the kingdom and, its members. He or, she, will respect the land, the people and, what the monarchy stands for in relation to both. This close relationship between monarch and governed ensures stability and unity within the kingdom.
A child, hand-raised by a monarch, offers the opportunity to educate, shape and mold a future. A child is more receptive to learning. Thus, the proper ways of a King or, Queen, shall be taught versus risking the development of his or, her, own views as a result of unguided maturation or, impulsive and, risky strategies. Hand-raising your heir allows the monarch to control what is taught and, how it is presented. A monarch may better guarantee that his or, her, responsibilities land with a qualified individual. Hand-raising your heir is a calculated and highly beneficial decision which benefits the kingdom and, its people.
05-12-2018, 02:16 PM (This post was last modified: 05-12-2018, 02:17 PM by Viserion.)
Viserion has found his way back into the familiar ties of the old. Perhaps it was fate that had awaken him at the exact moment to find himself yet again within the brotherhood he grew up as a child. Viserion, without a doubt, was also eager to show his dedication to the brotherhood of Ischia so it was not out of character to see himself a volunteer with the tournament between his new home and Nerine.
Even finding himself among the semi-familiar faces of Ischia (although strangers only for a time) and Nerine members, he finds the old ties of the past are rebirthing themselves in this new world. Viserion is glad to see such old traditions unfolding and finding their way into the light again.
The first round is rather simple. Viserion was taught from a young age by his father and aunt about the history of Beqanna. He was descended from generations of his family living in kingdoms as well.
When it is his turn he steps out, an answer to his side of the argument had already been quickly formulated and laid out. Viserion was quick with his thinking and even with his words. “Beqanna has always been filled with different minds. Each of these minds are unique and live according to their world perspective. There are those who perceive their world in different shades, such as light, evil, and neutral. It is more common for us to befriend and live among those who think and live like we do ourselves.” Viserion pauses for a moment, looking over the faces. “We find those that will life us up and make us better people, not those that will tear us apart and make us nothing. Separating kingdoms between light, neutral, and dark allows us to know where we can find these other minds just like our own. It gives us a community; a community that believes in something we too believe ourselves. We do not have to speculate what certain kingdoms believe when we are separate into light, neutral, and dark.” Viserion then falls silent, giving them all a nod before he draws a close to his debate.
The tournament had begun and Mosrael took her place among the other island dwellers. The balded mare dolls out the assignments and Mosrael listens with growing interest. The assignment was one that she related to strongly, having been raised alongside siblings gifted with various magical talents. It was only recently that she'd won her own water immunity. Compared to others, however, her's was minuscule.
The mare Reshi steps forward, shyly glancing around. Her roaned appearance was unfamiliar to the appaloosa, but she listened to her arguement. There was much to be attributed to what she was saying, but Mosrael knew that she could not relate to a life of normalcy.
Once it became her turn to pose her arguement she strayed from her father's side, sparing no tedious side glances. Straight faced and stoic she cleared her throat, "I'm afraid that I must disagree," she began. "Having known the sting of being born magicless, I know the disappointment well. The segregation of magical beings to those born without such gifts would help prevent a number of misfortunes from occurring. Foals are not always able control their magical abilities, putting those incapable of performing such tasks powerless to protect themselves. This practice would help protect the magicless by ensuring that those who might seek to use their powers against them, are kept carefully away."
Pleased by her answer, Mosrael melted back into her spot within the crowd of Ischains.
It is hard to imagine any tale of old in which some strange magic of these lands did not feature. In fact, part of what makes Beqanna special is the magic to be found here and the loyalty of the people to its lands and to each other. I believe that when Beqanna imbues its lands and people with the magics, it encourages these loyalties and ties to each other more than the current situation where the only thing that holds a land or people together is the actions of mere mortals. While Beqanna itself still offers magic for the using and the gifting, the impersonal nature of confining this generosity to visits to a neutral land perhaps does more harm than good.
As to my first point, I will remind you of the tales of old, and the fierce loyalties people held to their lands and histories, sometimes above and beyond what they held even for their own families. While these land-ties were not always supported by magical entities and powers imbued within the Kingdoms themselves, they became a major factor as time went on. The lands grew up around an idealogy often supported or underlined by the Kingdom magics, and monarchs and leaders were able to draw upon those entities and magics to help bind their people together. For instance in the Tundra and the Jungle, the Kingdom magics were shaped directly to aid in the oath-taking and marking of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood, giving them visible and concrete evidence of who belonged, and in turn, who had betrayed their oaths. Perhaps this discouraged the joining of the uncertain, but it created incredibly strong bonds within the orders and tied them to their homes. Another example is the healing waters of the Dazzling Waterfalls, where the people's tendency towards true neutrality and offering their home always as a sanctuary to any who did not mean them harm was bolstered by the magic healing properties of their signature feature. This helped them in their mission, as well as giving the people who chose to make the Falls their permanent home a point of pride in the land itself.
But contrast, today's Kingdoms seem to struggle to find a purpose. Often, that purpose changes at the whim of the current ruler, leaving the people forced to adjust to the new world order or up and leave their home and find another. This does not encourage long-term loyalty to any place, and tends towards making Beqanna as a whole a strangely nomadic people. Furthermore, each move divides established friends and breaks up families, which cannot possibly be seen as healthy to the populace as a whole. Beqanna giving the lands themselves some magical properties which will hold a people together even through changes in monarchy would encourage stability and promote the strengthening of familial and fraternal bonds.
My other point is in part related and tied in closely with the first; the current situation where the fae sometimes still gift the people with magic but from the impersonal and impartial mountain stronghold. This is of a benefit to individuals, especially those who choose not to serve a Kingdom, and the fae are gracious to continue this gifting. However, this limiting of magic to only the mountain and their gifting also fails to take into account the bonds amongst the people that are being sacrificed by drawing magic out of the lands themselves. As a punishment for behavior the land and the fae did not approve of, the leeching of magic was certainly effective, but how long are the people to be punished in this way? For surely the continued effect the lack of land-magic has on the nature of the very lives we lead is continued punishment. Surely it would be better for everyone as a whole for the world to settle once more, and for that settling to include the introduction of magics back into the world at large to stabilize each land or Kingdom into a mission or mindset that its people can truly become loyal to.
In conclusion, I believe I have made clear that the benefits of more magic in Beqanna would be greater than any potential drawbacks. Most of the greatest atrocities of our past have been committed by single individuals with too much power, not by the forces of Kingdoms turned into true homes for families and friends alike by the magic that once bound us.
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Jesper
