To the most esteemed Arbitrary Arbiter, from your colleage Du-Ur
Your wisdom and mercy are legendary.
As the new head of the Ministry of Civilization, I come to your wise counsel in order to ascertain the state of mortal affairs in the Gardens and the lands beyond. Because there could be none more qualified than you are in the knowledge of such matters, I know your arbitrary knowledge will be true and accurate.
What became of the civilizations after the flood caused by the overflowing Bowl? What is the state of door technology among the denizens of the Gardens?
It seem I have accidentally joined a gift with this letter, oh airhead me. You may feel free to ignore my mishap, your excellency.
Peace be with you
To the letter is joined a hefty bribe of exotic foods
You receive a letter in reply; it smells heavily of fruit. There is a small amount of grease around its rightward margin.
黄暴君
To the MINISTER OF CIVILISATION (大蓝官员),
How fare your mother and father?*
This usage of this word amuses and interests us for this is the first We have heard of this word! In the days of my fellows, now rightfully slain, We had called it the Protectorate or the Kingdom Under Heaven during its more unified periods. We suppose, with the state of the Kingdom in this time, perhaps the Gardens is a more appropriate term. Under the Nod of our Glorious Sun (赞美上帝，所有的福气从那里流淌), shall the crops of mortality and civility once more shoot forth rightly!
The Gardens, in the tumultuous rule of your predecessors, were sown with dissent and rebellion; the signs of our Heavenly Lord's disappointment. As punishment, Our generation's Mandate was thusly withdrawn and by Our hand did We grant assent to this usurpation in the manner of celestial law. However, in this chaos did We all ignore our duty to the mortal sphere and for this is our Glory diminished.
That which remains is a loosely held core of cities and towns (several li high and several li wide), unified more by tradition than by law. They are weak and limited, but knowledgeable in the Culture of Civility. A Son Under Heaven (or was it a Daughter?) still rules, though without Our Guidance Nor Love. Truly it is, that they may yet serve Our deceased generation. Who can know until the Ministries perform their duties?
In all other parts of the Garden, nature has taken what had been conquered from her bosoms in eons pass. So quick is she, how fluid her grace, that her armies of root and leaf have encroached on great cities and great temples. Nature must be humbled, her yoke re-attached and made known her status as vassal. This We (黄暴君) advise.
However, bands of tribes, villages, towns and even surviving cities still yet survive in the untamed wilds of resurgent nature. Some of these have suffered and degenerated thusly, seeing the past as a sacral time of the impossible. For many, they live now in a post-apocalyptic era, where their gods are dead and Heaven does not answer. Prove their lamentations wrong MINISTER OF CIVILISATION (大蓝官员).
Now, you ask Us of the floods of your hand. This we say, has contributed to the encroach of nature and destruction of many cities. Many mortal souls (and several of higher worth) entered the Underworld by your actions, MINISTER OF CIVILISATION (大蓝官员). Were it not a time of turmoil, you would be punished in the most severest of degrees. As an ascending god of Heaven however, your actions are mere triflings and of worth in themselves.
You also ask of the mortal sphere beyond the Mandate that which We were granted. Whilst We question your curiosity for barbarians, We shall indulge your wonder.
Many hundreds of li to the north and west lie the Great Steppe. Here live many hundreds of thousand barbarian tribes, many of nomadic nature. Sparsely scattered are cities, guarding oasis and trade route. Nearer our border lies more populated realms, in which city-states of greater size squabble for power and influence. Some, can be said, to be kingdoms of not. Many li to the east are the peoples of celadon porcelain, were blue jade is found. They war and trade eternally for power along the Great Sea, but are more civilised than other barbarians.
To the southwest, lies an intrusion of that which was not and cannot. It is...a land that should not be. It was an accident, a chaotic mistake, of old eons. The land is bone and tar and eye and otherwise. The invasion of disharmony and concrete beings began from there. Remnants of their...ilk still hide in the Garden and elsewhere in the world.
By journeying rimward, one encounters the Kingdom of Dalhim, a land of ascetics and many mountain villages. They derive a miniature mandate from their Book of Names. Whilst barbarians, their custom is peaceful and non-aggressive. Their lands are poor and useless and for this reason did Our generation never bother with their conquests.
Spokeward lies the Barbarian Empire of Yan, who holds a mandate from their own power. Reports are varied. Some say their Mandate is from a Moon, whilst others say they derive their legitimacy from the Dead. Their lands are narrow, but dense, for they dig deeply into the earth. Their lords are new and of this generation, like yourself and your collaborators.
We hope in good faith, that your mother and father are well. Should any more queries enter your mind, We beseech that you write once more.
Under the Nod of our Glorious Sun (赞美上帝，所有的福气从那里流淌),
The Arbitrary Arbiter (黄暴君)
*Traditional archaic greeting
Merciful Arbitrary Arbitrator, font of all knowledge.
What is the title of the Head of the Ministry of Teleporation?
What bribes would you recommend for usage within the heavenly Bureaucracy?
Who keeps murdering the Archivists and why?
What is the current state of the Garden of Heaven? My memories are a bit muddled from that time I died for a while. I'm pretty sure we had bronze weapons?
I hope you aren't angry about that time we brutally murdered all your old colleagues? No hard feelings and all that?
What is the Sun? A god? Something else? Very bright ball of light and fire in the sky that is somehow source of heavenly authority?
What is Glory?
- Cordially, Mion, Archivist
You receive a letter in reply; it is sealed with a sigil of black and gold. The colours of warning.
To the ARCHIVIST (勋爵),
How fare your mother and father?*
Firstly, We understand the grandeur of youth and of ascension. That being so, We first warn you of your indiscretion; there are no bribes, for this is against the Law. To offer a bribe to Us is to commit crime. We surely believe that you did not mean to commit crime under the auspices of Heaven. As such, We ignore this line of thought and recommend you burn this letter.
Now, as you ask about the Ministry of Teleportation's Head. Their title is Technician-General.
As for your question of murders, We can only advise this: "Keep your house in order".
Now, you ask about the Gardens. The Gardens maintained many forms of weaponry in the days of the Protectorate. Truly did the metal of bronze reign supremely, although more esoteric and experimental metals were used.
Recall that in the tumultuous rule of your predecessors, the Realm was sown with dissent and rebellion; the signs of our Heavenly Lord's disappointment. As punishment, Our generation's Mandate was thusly withdrawn and by Our hand did We grant assent to this usurpation in the manner of celestial law. However, in this chaos did We all ignore our duty to the mortal sphere and for this is our Glory diminished.
That which remains is a loosely held core of cities and towns (several li high and several li wide), unified more by tradition than by law. They are weak and limited, but knowledgeable in the Culture of Civility. A Son Under Heaven (or was it a Daughter?) still rules, though without Our Guidance Nor Love. Truly it is, that they may yet serve Our deceased generation. Who can know until the Ministries perform their duties?
In all other parts of the Garden, nature has taken what had been conquered from her bosoms in eons pass. So quick is she, how fluid her grace, that her armies of root and leaf have encroached on great cities and great temples. Nature must be humbled, her yoke re-attached and made known her status as vassal. This We (黄暴君) advise.
However, bands of tribes, villages, towns and even surviving cities still yet survive in the untamed wilds of resurgent nature. Some of these have suffered and degenerated thusly, seeing the past as a sacral time of the impossible. For many, they live now in a post-apocalyptic era, where their gods are dead and Heaven does not answer.
You ask Us also if we bear ill-will for the succession of Mandates. We maintain the memories of our colleagues and offer rice wine and mandarins at their shrines - to please their shades. This said, their time was over, as concluded by the Sun - and your success.
As for what our Glorious Incandescent Lord is...there are many ideas. We cannot answer in truth for it is the duty of all gods to imagine to their best, the essence of Our Lord. Under the Nod of our Glorious Sun (赞美上帝，所有的福气从那里流淌) do we have these precious moments of contemplation. If Our Lord is a mere god, why then do we venerate his Nods? Age? Worth? Power? There are many reasons, and many such are valid as long as we recognise the Sun's supreme power.
That said however, one should not confuse the Sun with the same entity as the mortal light upon the earthly word. That, We must say, is a more complicated subject that can be conveyed in a mere letter. To be short, it is best to think of the earthly sun as a vehicle for theurgic contemplative energies, some of which emanate from the Sun.
We hope in good faith, that your mother and father are well. Should any more queries enter your mind, We beseech that you write once more.
Under the Nod of our Glorious Sun (赞美上帝，所有的福气从那里流淌),
The Arbitrary Arbiter (黄暴君)
*Traditional archaic greeting
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Topic: Hierarchy OOC: Turn 0 (7/7) (Read 6496 times)