Wheel of Time MUD

Synopsis: Celeste speaks with Divina about how to establish truth in historical documents.

Participants: Celeste, Divina

RPlized.


Study of the Brown Ajah
Tall, arched windows in the northern wall open to a balcony, providing a
choice view of the Erinin as it flows south from the Borderlands. Half the
seating in the room is drawn up around the windows, showing that the
occupants appreciate the panorama. The remaining seats are drawn up in
circles of six to eight, allowing Brown Sisters to discuss the furtherance
of knowledge, or new theories in an informal atmosphere. Colorful wall
hangings depicting still lifes decorate the pale white walls.
[ obvious exits: S ]
A large desk made of fine, thick wood stands across the room from here.
Lady Divina Souvraya, Elder Historian of the Wheel is standing here.
A silver-haired Aes Sedai sits here, reading.
A Brown Sister is here, frowning pensively.
Danelle Sedai, sitter for the Brown Ajah stands here deep in thought.


Celeste curtseys to her audience.




Celeste totters in almost obscured by a pile of books and scrolls.



Divina smiles happily.


Divina says 'To what do I have the pleasure today dear'


Celeste says 'I wanted to ask some questions about historical sources Aes Sedai'


Celeste ponders life, the universe, and everything.


Celeste says 'Well, maybe sources isn't quite right'


Divina says 'I see.'


Divina says 'Go on'


Celeste says 'I was wondering if you had any insight on how to extract historical data from ahistorical sources.'


Celeste sets her pile of books down on the desk with an audible thunk. The smell of old parchment wafts through the air.


Celeste says 'For instance'


Celeste retrieves a book of collected folk tales, its pages interleaved with notes.


Celeste opens the book to a faded illustration of Lenn flying to the moon in the belly of a firey eagle.


Celeste says 'How am I to extract truth from fancy in a story like this?'


Divina says 'The simply answer is there is no hard solution here.'


Celeste presses her lips together in thought. She plucks a page of notes from the story book.


Celeste says 'It seems to me safe to assume that there might be some nugget of truth in the story of Lenn'


Divina says 'Part of the problem here is are you researching this particular story for truths within it, or is it simply taken at face value for a story?'


Celeste says 'That is kind of the crux of my interest I guess'


Celeste says 'The story of Lenn could be entirely fantastical'


Celeste says 'But we do know from other sources that the Aes Sedai of old probably had some kind of flying machines'


Divina says 'As a researcher, one of the biggest problems we often come up against is personal bias.'


Celeste says 'What kind of biases do you mean Aes Sedai?'


Divina says 'It is usually just in the form of our inability to fully objective when we focus on something that we crave.'


Celeste nods in agreement.


Divina says 'You enjoy the story and the elements that drive your mind crazy. I can see how easily anyone would be engrossed in the subjct.'


Celeste says 'I do enjoy the story'


Divina says 'It becomes easier for our mind to accept objects and elements of a story that may not have a logical reasoning to them.'
Celeste says 'And at a certain level I suppose I do want it to be true'


Celeste says 'Even though the 'Belly of an eagle' must be some kind of allegory'


Celeste stops herself and corrects: 'Is 'probably' some kind of an allegory'


Celeste says 'How can I guard against those kind of biases? Other than by researching things in which I have no interest'


Celeste says 'Which I suppose is pragmatic but not exactly fulfilling'


Divina says 'I don't think there is an actual answer to that.'


Celeste ponders life, the universe, and everything.


Divina says 'My only advice would be to focus on knowing when might be susceptible to it. '


Celeste nods thoughtfully.


Celeste says 'Perhaps I could try to develop a practice of acting as both pro and con'


Divina says 'And cases where that might be possible is when there is little to no other evidence that corresponds with a story.'


Celeste says 'What kind of evidence would convince me the story was merely a fantasy vs what would I consider to be evidence it was true'


Celeste says 'It is my belief that there is SOME truth in every story'


Celeste says 'Even if it is only tangentially related to the subject matter'


Divina nods in agreement.


Divina says 'Understanding is a three edged sword.'


Celeste says 'A three edged sword?'


Divina says 'An analogy for impossible.'


Divina says 'Your side, Their side and the Truth.'


Celeste ponders life, the universe, and everything.


Celeste marks a triangle on the edge of one of her notes in stylized swords.


Divina says 'Every situation usually has parts of all 3 elements.'


Celeste emote: Celeste marks a triangle on the edge of one of her notes in stylized swords.


Divina says 'Just like a story.'


Celeste says 'Hopefully the distance between my side and the truth is short in most cases'


Celeste smiles tightly.


Divina says 'Sometimes you may never know just how much truth there is.'


Celeste nods in agreement.


Celeste says 'Do you think the story of Lenn is just a fantasy Aes Sedai?'


Divina says 'What I would say to you with regards to evidence.'


Celeste says 'Sorry, I didn't men to interupt'


Divina says 'Always be wary when you can only find one side to a story.'


Celeste ponders life, the universe, and everything.


Celeste says 'Can you give me an example of what that looks like Aes Sedai?'


Celeste says 'Only one side of the story I mean?'


Divina says 'This will be quite a poor example since it is much more recently than your story.'


Celeste snickers softly.


Celeste says 'It is often easier to demonstrate a point with a less nebulous example than a half remembered legend that was current when the continents had a different shape'


Celeste giggles.


Divina says 'When we look at the downfall of King Laman of Cairhien and the events surrounding it. We have come to understand many of the motives that drove both sides of the conflict and what lead up to and how it played out.'


emotes thinks back to classes on the Aiel War.


Celeste thinks back to classes on the Aiel War.


Divina says 'There is documented evidence of the events. Accounts of those that were there.'


Divina says 'Many aspects of the events can be analayzed from the perspective of both parties.'


Celeste nods in agreement.


Celeste says 'So we have the Aiel view, the Cairhienin view, and the truth?'


Divina says 'But in saying that, as fresh and well documeted as it is. We will never truely know and understand all the motives and decisions that were made.'


Divina nods at Celeste.


Divina says 'Indeed.'


Divina says 'Now there will be truths within each sides view point of course.'


Celeste nods in agreement.


Celeste says 'I can see where that rapidly becomes very murky'


Celeste says 'It might be true that King Laman didn't think anything would happen if he chopped down the Tree'


Celeste says 'But it might be more accurate to say that he hoped nothing bad would happen and that he convinced himself that the good he would reap would outweigh any negative consequences.'


Celeste draws her hands apart to show an expanding field of possible interpretations.


The master of scouts narrates 'Sorvitor was spotted A Winding Road'


Divina smiles happily.


Divina says 'Those sound like very logical view points based on what we know around his motives at the time.'


Celeste says 'and obviously whatever the differences between Altara and Cairhien culture they are narrower than the gulf between Aiel cultural assumptions and my own'


Celeste says 'I shouldn't say obviously'


Celeste says 'That is a weak word'


Celeste says 'If something is obvious then it does not need to be stated.'


Divina nods in agreement.


Celeste twists her lips as though tasting something sour.


Celeste says 'I wonder if I can extrapolate anything from the fact that a particular story has survived at all...'


Divina says 'I think you shouldn't dismiss the fact'


Celeste makes a few more notes with a stub of pencil.


Celeste says 'It would be better if I could find more older versions of the story...'


Divina says 'But the same could also be said of bed time stories told to scare little naughty children.'


Celeste says 'Maybe see what is conserved and what has changed...'


Celeste nods thoughtfully.


Divina nods at Celeste.


Celeste says 'Unfortunately, even though we know there was some kind of flight during the Age of Legends'


Celeste says 'It dosen't follow that Lenn is therefore true'


Celeste says 'Any more than the existence of a fast horse implies the existence of a horse that can outrun the sun...'


Celeste says 'Fliers might even be more likely to come up with such a story given they knew that flight was possible'


Divina smiles happily.


Divina says 'Sounds like you have come to a valid conclusion'


<<<Divina has to leave>>

Divina says 'I wish you well on your studies dear.'


Divina says 'I would enjoy hearing more of this in the future but I must make my leave'


Divina opens the carveddoor.


Divina says 'Be well'


Divina waves.


Divina leaves south.


The Wheel of Time turns...


An Aes Sedai has arrived from the south.


An Accepted has arrived from the south.

Awards:
Rplizer +1 qps : 1
Extra meticulous edit +1 qps : x
Length bonus +1-2 qps : x
Summary: +1 qps : 1


Please say "RECEIVE" at a silver-haired sedai located in every Ajah wing.

Divina 1