Intergalactic Summit

Thank you, Praefecta.

One question: I get the sense that your Societas is ... sort of a haven of Amarrian intellectuals. Is this so?

If so, it's a mixed blessing from my perspective. I'd fit in well among scholars, but ...

Intellectualism seems to involve a little bit of detachment.

If I talk to Nicoletta Mithra at Athra, I expect I'd hear and learn mostly the same things as if I talk to her at New Caldari.

I might learn more dealing with people who are not similarly detached.

Oh Gosh. I am almost speechless. I confess to some amusement. Me? A detached intellectual? I've been called many things but

How does that square with sharing a corporation with Nicoletta Mithra?

Forgive me; it's maybe none of my business, but ... it seems like you and the praefecta have issues between you.

If I talk to Nicoletta Mithra at Athra, I expect I'd hear and learn mostly the same things as if I talk to her at New Caldari.

You wear the Blood Raider logo on your shoulder who happen to be the most violent sect of the Sani Sabik religion....and you are trying to reassure people you're not what you show yourself to be? You may not eat people, but you drain them of their blood and use their blood for both food and ritual. I would say that's close enough.

-Eran

Hello, pilots.

I have qualms about posting this in such a public place. It is very personal, and I don't want to go acting like my own circumstances are naturally worthy of discussion here.

But, this is the only place to post this. This project is a sort of outgrowth and continuation from something I started here before, long ago: the "Small Truths" articles, which I think were some of the most interesting things I wrote.

And maybe if this is a totally crazy idea, someone here will say so.

In "Small Truths," I sort of tried to distill cultures and beliefs down to their essential core, as a way of explaining the "soul" of a people. It was pretty well received-- well, the one on the Gallente was, anyway.

The thing is, in doing that work, I never stepped outside of my own perspective. These were the Gallente and the Caldari according to the Achura. I lived as an Achur, thought as an Achur, saw as an Achur, wrote as an Achur. Even if your faith is obsessed with insight, you're still going to miss things if you never leave home.

My head is full of knowledge of this sort: knowledge I left to myself, even when all my experiences have gone. It's not "wrong," mostly, I don't think (but then, I wouldn't). Instead it's ... maybe just sort of shallow.

What's worse, it's full of echoes from the person I used to be. The more I follow the architecture in my own head, the more I sound like her-- well, me. The darkest parts of me may have gone with my most painful formative memories, but what if they didn't?

I'm afraid to see where that road leads.

It's the loss of my old point of view that suggests a solution. I have no memory of family or friends, much less of home town, home world, or nation. I feel more sense of kinship with random capsuleers than I do for the State.

Maybe this is a sad loss. I don't know. Even if it is, It is also an opportunity to see our war-wracked star cluster with unclouded eyes.

I've decided to do some traveling. I want to see the way people live in all different places, and why they live that way. I want to learn about their "small truths," and why those truths don't seem so small.

Since I'm maybe still a little naiive, I'll be starting with the empires. I'd rather not end up ritualistically drained of blood during my first effort, whether I might learn a lot in the process or not.

My existing knowledge base is already Caldari-influenced, and what I "know" about the Gallente would make it really hard to treat them fairly. I apparently used to be sympathetic to the Minmatar; if I'm trying to put distance between myself now and myself then, I'll need to look somewhere else at first.

... Which leaves the Amarr. I've already started trying to arrange a place.

Here are the basic terms (here and in the future):

My role is that of a visiting scholar. I expect no rank, no honors, and no special treatment, aside from whatever is needed to allow my presence and departure. I will live and work as a faction pilot. I will participate and take orders in fleet operations; my abilities are at your disposal, as long as I remain.

As far as I am able, I will obey your laws and live according to your culture. However, I will not be required to convert, or otherwise to bind myself permanently to your cause. I will remain until either my host or I decide it is time for me to leave. My departure, like my arrival, will not be inhibited.

I will seek the opportunity to interview pilots and staff at various levels, and will expect reasonable cooperation with this aim. What I learn, I will write about, with as much clarity as I can manage. My purpose is not to judge; only to observe and learn, and to help others do the same. I will not remark on fleet tactics or other sensitive intelligence beyond, for example, the importance of Amarrian religion in ship design. My focus will be culture, faith, and way of life.

It must be understood that my position will require me to play my part wherever I travel. It must also be understood that most factions are at least a little disapproving of most others. My host may take no retribution for damage I have personally caused by working with other factions.

My host also may not take vengeance for any perceived slight or inaccuracy in my writing, though I am willing to receive criticism and post corrections as necessary. In other words, call me arrogant, careless, blind, or prejudiced (probably all of these will be true at some time); just don't jail, torture, or execute me for it.

Writings will appear in the form of a series of notes, journal entries, and essays.

I will consider offers from potential hosts at any time.

Organizations affiliated with Sansha's Nation need not bother: without going, I could never be sure I'd ever really leave, whether it looked like I did or not. If I did go, and became sure, it would likely be too late to do anything about it.

(Besides, if we believe their propaganda, we're all going there anyway.)

I admit--I am not very familiar with Achur beyond the religion but I am very much interested to hear what discoveries you had that made you associate again with the Achur and even what events caused these realizations.

Curious minds would like to know.

Personally, I still think it'd serve you, or anyone for that matter, a great deal in learning to have this "sojourn" to other groups. I'd even suggest having a stay with some of the groups who seem more questionable.....I suggest the Angels, only because they were so sweet to me before stabbing me in the heart.

Prudent journalist would like to keep her access.

Well ... maybe I can explain a little.

We Achura (and Caldari generally) have a morally-relativistic streak an AU wide. This is most visible in our international attitudes and our approach to religion: we mostly keep to ourselves and don't try to spread either our values or our faiths to others. It appears in other places, as well, though.

We rather admire mercenaries. Take Mordu's Legion, for example. If they end up on the other side of a firefight from us on occasion, well, that's just the nature of their work.

It turns out the Amarr have a different way of looking at it.

Amarr: "So you're essentially an intellectual mercenary?"

Me: "Hm. I suppose that's true."

Me: "Why are you looking at me like that? Is that a bad thing?"

Suffice to say I will not be shedding blood on behalf of the Empire unless I truly come to believe in the Amarrian cause.


That's pretty much the plan, and I haven't ruled out the more "questionable" groups, though I've been warned not to approach the Sani Sabik and I know better than to deal with Nation.

Probably the core empires first, though.