Disobiki - User contributions [en]

Ghyll talk:Cartographer's Nerves

2004-09-20T12:42:14Z

Araes Domandred: Minor clarificiation

Some commentary on your notes at the bottom as I understand them as they are written.

If read the way it sounds, then the length of all material bodies travelling in the ether is 0. IE, since light propogates instantly (and therefore has infinite velocity) then the ratio of any objects velocity to that of light is 0 unless that object is also an instantly propogating mechanism.

As a commentary on making everything in Ghyll relativistic even at low speeds, ie, things like the distance to grandma's house, this is going to make a map nigh impossible for Ghyll. One time the distance could be 8 hours to an individual observer walking at what he believes is a fixed pace while another time it might be 3.

In addition, two observers starting off at nigh identical times might arrive days, months, or years apart from one another due to some simple factor like the fact that they can't be standing inside of one another when they start.

Also, if distance of any material is a function of such an astounding range of factors, then life would have a difficult time functioning. Buildings would change and contract based upon whether you took a bath or not, the distance between sub-particles in your body might become vast due to a way you moved your arm.

My thoughts are that at least for sanity of mind we ought to try and keep ourselves living in what could at least marginally be called a Newtonian Universe for everyday life. Things like rolling a rock up a hill should always result in it coming back with a relatively predictable velocity, because otherwise the difficulties in creating a functional society are almost too vast to surmount.

Exotic behavior could be limited to a subset of materials which defy some but not all of the laws of Newtonian physics or are relativistic within somewhat constrained bounds. IE. A bindlet ball isn't suddenly going to become the size of the world or shrink out of existence, because both of those would preclude ever having a game.

--[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 08:39, 20 Sep 2004 (EDT)

Ghyll talk:Cartographer's Nerves

2004-09-20T12:39:10Z

Araes Domandred: Comment on relativistic physics

Some commentary on your notes at the bottom as I understand them as they are written.

If read the way it sounds, then the length of all material bodies travelling in the ether is 0. IE, since light propogates instantly (and therefore has infinite velocity) then the ratio of any objects velocity to that of light is 0 unless that object is also an instantly propogating mechanism.

As a commentary on making everything in Ghyll relativistic even at low speeds, ie, things like the distance to grandma's house, this is going to make a map nigh impossible for Ghyll. One time the distance could be 8 hours to an individual observer walking at what he believes is a fixed pace while another time it might be 3.

In addition, two observers starting off at nigh identical times might arrive days, months, or years apart from one another due to some simple factor like the fact that they can't be standing inside of one another when they start.

Also, if distance of any material is a function of such an astounding range of factors, then life would have a difficult time functioning. Buildings would change and contract based upon whether you took a bath or not, the distance between sub-particles in your body might become vast due to a way you moved your arm.

My thoughts are that at least for sanity of mind we ought to try and keep ourselves living in what could at least marginally be called a Newtonian Universe for everyday life. Things like rolling a rock up a hill should always result in it coming back with a relatively predictable velocity, because otherwise the difficulties in creating a functional society are almost too vast to surmount.

--[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 08:39, 20 Sep 2004 (EDT)

User:Araes Domandred/notepad

2004-09-19T11:48:53Z

Araes Domandred: More ideas, future topics

== Plans for Items I'd Like to Dib ==

=== Council for Quezlarian Research ===

====Important Items of Note From Previous Sources====

According to the Council, Quezlar 6 himself may be the first person in recorded history, other than Andelphracia, to have used Andelphracian Lights during his triumphant crossing of the Elminster Mire.

The Council is highly secretive. They've tried to deny and cover up things like their Quezarian numeral discoveries.

The Council vice chairman is Bysted Timperton

Tim Timperton was a former member and is now a Folktown Records writer.

Morbus Iff was once a member of the Council until he was found in disreputable circumstances. They now call his work deeply flawed.

The Council has some connection to the classic journal Quester and Phorrus through which some (all?) of their results are published.

The Council performed some groundbreaking research into the origins of Quezlarian numerals which were a byproduct of Quezlar's dislike for the script number within his name.

The Council assists the Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge in performing large segments of its research, such as their examinations into the history of the Quezlarian Ooo.

Past members apparently will things of wealth to the society after they have passed on.

The Council provides a number of the members for the steering committee of the BoFK from their pool of ex-members.

====Personal Commentary on the Direction of the Entry====

This Council so far almost sounds like an illuminati of the Ghyll world. Highly secretive, with members in upper class positions throughout modern society, and possessing a large bulk of the currently available information. They are, however, more public and willing to cooperate on research. Although in much the same way as big government, they try to hide and black stuff out when it doesn't go their way. Their numbers are currently unknown and most likely a secret that only the inner circle is privy to. Could even be something more along the lines of a cell network where only the upper cells know the total power structure and lower members only know their fellow initiates and possibly those who pledged for them. Course, could also just be a like a University or Senate that's locked up tight like a government research installation. Only that which is deemed good for the public makes it out. Could also be kind of like the country club of the wealthy and powerful within the region or world, as they seem to gravitate towards power and prestige.

=== Cataclysmatology ===

====Important Items of Note From Previous Sources====

Fairly lightly written about, only appears in the burnflies article and seems to infer a sect of people much like archeologists/anthropologists who examine the fossile and artifact record in an attempt to understand the past and infer relations about groups in the present.

The name seems to imply that they are heavily based on theories of cataclysm and upheaval, although as of yet I haven't found anything to indicate that the period before -200 EC was marked off by a cataclysm or is simply murky due to poor recording techniques. Therefore, I'd say that their history would probably have to point to the discovery of a great cataclysm farther back in the past of Ghyll which drastically shifted the world and sparked interest in the field in the present day. Something so large that obvious signs of it are available in the world.

Obviously have access to something along the lines of carbon dating or better as they can infer dates as far back as at least -10,000,000 EC. For comparison, from the Earth parallels, "The low activity of the carbon-14 limits age determinations to the order of 50,000 years by counting techniques. That can be extended to perhaps 100,000 years by accelerator techniques for counting the carbon-14 concentration." For comparison to how long ago 10,000,000 EC would be if they were Earth years and the relative ranges of dating, the following graph can be examined. [http://anthro.palomar.edu/time/images/comparison_of_time_ranges.gif]

Perhaps Awal phenomena could tie into this, as the luminescence of the bulbs or some other type of decaying chemical reaction could be used to register exact dates far back in time.

Considering how recently most information was lost about the world, -200 EC, dating techniques for objects of even recent time periods would be quite useful.

On a wild note, there could be the potential for different fundamental forces in this world, which would throw a screw into everything from a linear point of view. Instead of just gravity, weak/strong nuclear and electromagnetic, there could be other effects which either replace or add to the list. This would open up all kinds of options for dating of materials, although once again, they would generally need to be some time dependent process with a linear growth or loss curve to ensure reliability.

====Personal Commentary on the Direction of the Entry====

Probably make it a very formal entry discussing the concept of cataclysmatology in a very broad sense at first, and then narrowing in to cover some of the specific tools they utilize, the findings they've uncovered, the reason for the creation of the field, and any major players in the realm of cataclysmatology.

=== Other Options Since I Was Slow and They Got Dibbed ===

An animal of some type. Used for food and with skin/shell that is useful for other things. (Caufilla as a name?)

An annoying, universal pest, like a mosquito.

Some type of element or basic building block of the universe. (Is science that evolved?) Maybe a type or rock or more complex element found somewhere if it isn't.

A social phenomenon - maybe comment on the amount of secrecy that seems to be a driving factor of the world?

Some type of garment - possibly something ceremonial like a dress or a skirt in our world?

A game, something like chess or checkers that is universally known across the world.

A medical technique or practice?

A social event, like a celebration or holiday.

Mathematical concepts

Common home accessories for Ghyll(washing machines, sinks, toilets, ect...)

Archeological dating tools like I was talking about for Cataclysmology (radon, carbon-14, magnetic shift).

Types of music

Vehicles or methods of conveyance in the world.

--[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 07:48, 19 Sep 2004 (EDT)

User:Araes Domandred/notepad

2004-09-17T18:02:32Z

Araes Domandred: More concepts and thoughts

Ghyll talk:Ghyll Index

2004-09-17T17:06:26Z

Araes Domandred:

== Out of Game Discussion ==

One thing that would be nice to have in this page for the currently phantomed references organized by letter, would be a listing of the links to those phantoms like is displayed in the "phantoms by popularity" version. Maybe even something smaller like just a number next to their name which heads to the links page. Help immensely as right now I'm basically looking at a link, then openning up a window and inserting it directly into a whatlinkshere. --[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 12:22, 15 Sep 2004 (EDT)

We could certainly include just a regular old link tag after each phantom, to shortcut the method you're doing (anyone could add that stuff with any regular edit), but it'd be difficult to get the number of links programmatically displayed (not impossible, just not a good use of the time available to me). --[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]] 20:56, 15 Sep 2004 (EDT)

Understandable, if it would be a load of work to do then there's really no reason to go down that road. Just figured if it was easy it would make a nice addition. --[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 13:06, 17 Sep 2004 (EDT)

User:Araes Domandred/notepad

2004-09-15T16:53:44Z

Araes Domandred: Notes for Upcoming Entries

Ghyll:Ghyll Index

2004-09-15T16:25:39Z

Araes Domandred: /* Encyclopedia Entries */

The following is a list of all encyclopedia entries, who originally phantomed them, and the entry author.

==Phantom Entries==

These are entries yet to be defined. You can also see phantoms [[Special:Wantedpages|sorted by number of citations]].

<table class="ghyllidx" style="float:left; padding-left:1em; width:48%;">
<tr><th>Entry Name</th><th>Phantomed by</th></tr>
<tr><td>[[Aliens Everywhere]]</td><td>[[User:tehwalrus|Edward Shwarmph]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Alezan Script]]</td><td>[[User:Juzh_Iruk|Juzh Iruk]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Aminfarances]]</td><td>[[User:Deusx|Tamlin Moon]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bavarian Creame]]</td><td>[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Betrothal march]]</td><td>[[User:Talliesin|Talliesin]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bordingbras his hatt!]]</td><td>[[User:Ginestre|Ginestre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bysted Timperton]]</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Captain Riquiras]]</td><td>[[User:Dok|Dok]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Cataclysmatology]]</td><td>[[User:Joe Bowers|Joe Bowers]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Cataract Road]]</td><td>[[User:Joe Bowers|Joe Bowers]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Conflict That Is Not Happening]]</td><td>[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Council for Quezlarian Research]]</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Cranee Historical Society]]</td><td>[[User:Crschmidt|Christopher Schmidt]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Day of Champions]]</td><td>[[User:DrBacchus|DrBacchus]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Darvekian Party]]</td><td>[[User:DrBacchus|DrBacchus]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Deathbug]]</td><td>[[User:D8uv|Melik Fizzou]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Doggerel plague]]</td><td>[[User:PhineasCrank|Phineas Crank]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Edvard von Craghelm]]</td><td>[[User:Prothall|Prothall]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Evesque Valley]]</td><td>[[User:D8uv|Melik Fizzou]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Fefferberry]]</td><td>[[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Folktown Records]]</td><td>[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Heh-blammo balance]]</td><td>[[User:Jcowan|John Cowan]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Hive-Lord]]</td><td>[[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Iganefta]]</td><td>[[User:Robbi|Makarii Spitignev]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Jesper's constant]]</td><td>[[User:Ginestre|Ginestre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[King Harandraff the Great]]</td><td>[[User:Bartmoss|Bartmoss]]</td></tr>

</table>

<table class="ghyllidx" style="float:right; padding-right:1em; width:48%;">
<tr><th>Entry Name</th><th>Phantomed by</th></tr>
<tr><td>[[Karcist League]]</td><td>[[User:PhineasCrank|Phineas Crank]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Luminous manuscript]]</td><td>[[User:Bast ResNovae|Bast ResNovae]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Lumogram]]</td><td>[[User:Talliesin|Talliesin]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Meldersen]]</td><td>[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Mute Chukarandos]]</td><td>[[User:PhineasCrank|Phineas Crank]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Nanit]]</td><td>[[User:Pixel|Eric Vitiello]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Nitenmangrey]]</td><td>[[User:Jcowan|John Cowan]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Occultologists]]</td><td>[[User:Juzh_Iruk|Juzh Iruk]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Odlucian Library]]</td><td>[[User:Prothall|Prothall]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Palace of Lost Souls]]</td><td>[[User:Bartmoss|Bartmoss]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Paramount Queen]]</td><td>[[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Professor Altoxian]]</td><td>[[User:Robbi|Makarii Spitignev]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Pyxie]]</td><td>[[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Quester and Phorrus]]</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Rejah]]</td><td>[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Sarfelogian Mountains]]</td><td>[[User:DrBacchus|DrBacchus]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Spelgof]]</td><td>[[User:Ginestre|Ginestre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Sphoxolis Trees]]</td><td>[[User:Dok|Dok]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Splak]]</td><td>[[User:Deusx|Tamlin Moon]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Supetupheraraphes]]</td><td>[[User:Jcowan|John Cowan]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Raking]]</td><td>[[User:Ginestre|Ginestre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Tarkherk Corps]]</td><td>[[User:Bast ResNovae|Bast ResNovae]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Third Avazian War]]</td><td>[[User:Pixel|Eric Vitiello]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Timperton Clocktower]]</td><td>[[User:Bartmoss|Bartmoss]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Unquisition]]</td><td>[[User:Joe Bowers|Joe Bowers]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Vorpcara]]</td><td>[[User:Crschmidt|Christopher Schmidt]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Whingelism]]</td><td>[[User:Jcowan|John Cowan]]</td></tr>
</table>

<div style="clear: both;"></div>

==Encyclopedia Entries==

These entries have been defined.

<table class="ghyllidx" style="padding-left:1em;width:92%">
<tr><th style="width:50%">Entry Name</th><th>Phantomed by</th><th>Defined by</th></tr>
<tr><td>[[Adlorst Vinifera]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:DrBacchus|DrBacchus]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Aelfants]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Agony uncle]]</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td><td>[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Alarius]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Bartmoss|Bartmoss]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Alezan]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Crschmidt|Christopher Schmidt]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Alezan pantheon]]</td><td>[[User:Arnia|Fingest Arnia]]</td><td>[[User:Juzh_Iruk|Juzh Iruk]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Alezanians]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:tehwalrus|Edward Shwarmph]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Altoxian Bulb]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Robbi|Makarii Spitignev]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Aminfarances Institute of Science and Technomancy]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Deusx|Tamlin Moon]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Amphitheatre aristocracy]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Arnia|Fingest Arnia]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Anaximancer]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Prothall|Prothall]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Andelphracian Lights]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Anise Engine]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:PhineasCrank|Phineas Crank]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Aquentravalkeration]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Jcowan|John Cowan]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Arariax]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:D8uv|Melik Fizzou]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[AuroAnthropology]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Joe Bowers|Joe Bowers]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Avazian Box]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Pixel|Eric Vitiello]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Awal shrinkage]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Ginestre|Ginestre]]</td></tr>
<tr><th style="width:50%">Entry Name</th><th>Phantomed by</th><th>Defined by</th></tr>
<tr><td>[[Ball Lightning Liqueur]]</td><td>[[User:PhineasCrank|Phineas Crank]]</td><td>[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]]</tr>
<tr><td>[[Baron Claude Lloyd Albert Smallwood]]</td><td>[[User:DrBacchus|DrBacchus]]</td><td>[[User:PhineasCrank|Phineas Crank]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Battle of Barnum Stones]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Ginestre|Ginestre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Berell]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Besq Boats]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Dok|Dok]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bethany Mboya]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Talliesin|Talliesin]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bindlet Ball]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:DrBacchus|DrBacchus]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bobby Shwarmph]]</td><td>[[User:tehwalrus|Edward Shwarmph]]</td><td>[[User:Bast ResNovae|Bast ResNovae]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Brothers of the Lantern]]</td><td>[[User:Joe Bowers|Joe Bowers]]</td><td>[[User:Jcowan|John Cowan]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]]</td><td>[[User:Bartmoss|Bartmoss]]</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Burnflies]]</td><td>[[User:Arnia|Fingest Arnia]]</td><td>[[User:Joe Bowers|Joe Bowers]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bursine Calendar]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Bute University]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Bartmoss|Bartmoss]]</td></tr>
<tr><th style="width:50%">Entry Name</th><th>Phantomed by</th><th>Defined by</th></tr>
<tr><td>[[Quezlarian Numerals]]</td><td>-</td><td>[[User:Sbp|Sean B. Palmer]]</td></tr>
</table>

Ghyll talk:Ghyll Index

2004-09-15T16:22:50Z

Araes Domandred: /* Out of Game Discussion */

Ghyll:Bute University

2004-09-15T16:22:12Z

Araes Domandred: Spelling mistakes corrected

The bastion of academic excellence known as Bute University is soon to celebrate its four hundredth anniversary. In its time it has seen wars, of all shapes, sizes, reasons, it has seen famine, it has once been besieged by a King and it has even been at the centre at some of the most politically interesting events in Ghyll history. How Bute began can explain its influence today.

'''The Beginning'''

Bute began life as an experiment in tolerance. During the reign of [[King Harandraff the Great]] times were very different and scholarly pursuits were frowned upon. There was only one true history and that history was literally the Kings Story. A group of freethinkers, Teachers, landed nobility and their respected hangers on decided something had to change. It is arguable that this group of like minded people not only began the university (which they did) but were the forerunners of the [[Amphitheatre aristocracy]].

Soon after beginning its life Bute managed to anger the King by releasing a view of history that made Harandraff's family less than perfect. However, it can be said that this version of history made his family seem more real, that they had achieved a lot through adversity. However, the King decreed that his family "Always were here, Always will be here". Which was unfortunate considering events to come.

The King raised an army and marched on to Bute. At this time Bute was a small collection of buildings in the market town of the same name. However, that town being a site of economic and strategic interest merited a wall and some considerable defenses, most brought by the nobility that supported the ideals that Bute was standing up for (it is said this was mainly a version of history that made their families look more important).

The siege began. It lasted only six months before breaking as the Kingdom now found itself in a Civil War. This war lasted seven long years resulting in the total extermination of all remaining family members of the King and descendants. There would now never be any more of that noble if somewhat closed minded line.

Bute being recognized as the place where everything began therefore had a hand in the administration that followed. Bute and its collection of Masters, Mistresses, Deans and Chancellors has never been able to keep out of politics ever since.

'''The Campus Today'''

Bute has a large campus comprising three lakes, a forest and what can only be described as blasted moorland. The buildings are mostly around 200 years of age dating from its bicentennial, however the new science buildings have only recently been completed, the Chancellor having decided that a major building project should be undertaken for "....every 200 years of fine academic achievement".

The modern campus has been a hotbed of interesting events. There have been some famous people walking these halls, the most famous being [[Bysted Timperton]], who served for five years has the Chancellor, the most prestigious position the university has to offer. His leadership can only be described as opportunistic. Though a fine scholar his book purchases and governorship showed a man who was willing to challenge today’s status quo. Also it was under the Chancellorship of Bysted Timperton that the house system was reorganized. There would be 5 teams competing over 23 events in the academic year. This has now become tradition. However his choice of houses and the number of events is telling.

Once of the most interesting features of the Bute campus is the famous [[Timperton Clocktower]], this was built in the second year his Chancellorship and it became something of an obsession. During the final nights of construction it is said that the Chancellor spent almost every waking hour inside. Strange lights and the sounds of "...chanting like monks" could be heard within.

User:Araes Domandred

2004-09-15T00:10:20Z

Araes Domandred:

==Araes Domandred, Ghyll Scholar==

An almost primarily road based scholar and investigator, Araes is also a registered judge in one of the areas he sometimes frequents, and the (hush, hush) silent partner of a bakery in another. Prefering to mainly study social phenomena and interpersonal relations, he published several minor works on the operating manner of midwives and the pathenon's of Ghyll before his involvement with the creation of the Ghyll Encyclopedia. If needing to be contacted, your best bets are to take a walk on a country road or stop by a bakery to have some bread. Not that those will help you find him, but at least you'll be sharing in his two favorite activities.

==Araes Domandred, Person==

My actual name is Gabe and I'm not nearly as scholarly in real life. Well, maybe a little bit, as I'm working towards a PhD over in France right now, but I'm not exactly cataloging Awal shrinkage or Burnflies over here either.

Ghyll talk:Berell

2004-09-14T23:59:24Z

Araes Domandred:

==Out-Of-Game Discussion==

Incredible first entry! I did a quick skim but will be looking through it again tonight. Your citations need some work though: you've got two citations to existing entries, and only one phantom. You need one more phantom (created by you, or previously created by someone else). --[[User:Morbus Iff|Morbus Iff]] 15:04, 14 Sep 2004 (EDT)
----
A meeting of Berell's followers would be interesting to observe. Imagine a group of people, each member of which is certain that his or her point of view is the only one that can be believed. --[[User:Dok|Dok]] 09:30, 15 Sep 2004 (EDT)
----
Whoops, totally swapped those in my head. Alright, working on defining the next phantom entry. --[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 19:41, 14 Sep 2004 (EDT)
----
Alright, all fixed. Hopefully that will work out a little better even though I've used a phantom that has been reffed a lot already. Thought about the luminous manuscript, but the alien's everywhere guys just didn't seem like a good match. --[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 19:59, 14 Sep 2004 (EDT)

Ghyll:Berell

2004-09-14T23:57:18Z

Araes Domandred:

Currently revered as a patron among rural communities, the being now known as Berell is rumored to have once simply been a member of the [[Brothers of the Lantern]]. From this context, it can be assumed that even the name we now refer to him by may simply be an alias, as is typical of the order. The definitiveness of these origins is questionable at best, but a popular folkstory has sprung up around them, which can be found in the "Folklore and Tales" section of the [[Odlucian Library]], and generally progresses in the following manner:

<blockquote>Around -180 [[Encyclopedant Calendar|EC]], Berell is said ot have been contemplating a moral problem presented by another of the [[Brothers of the Lantern|Brothers]], wherein a woman is presented with two options. Having just become the benefactor of a large sum of money, which specified upon its receipt that it be used for the betterment of Ghyll, the woman theorizes that on one hand, she might spread the money among many others to enhance their lives and provide them comfort. On the other hand, she also considers simply keeping the sum herself, as she is an inhabitant of Ghyll and through its use for her benefit she will be bettering Ghyll as well.</blockquote>

Now Berell, after having examined the problem from a number of angles, eventually came to the conclusion that she should keep the sum. His reasoning for this claim was that the betterment of her own existence should be paramount to that of others, as it is under her direct control and imperative to her survival. If such a boon were instead squandered on other beings, whose morals and choices are suspect at best, it would be equivalent to throwing that money away and might even result in the detriment of Ghyll, should one of its benefactors use the funds wrongly.

Naturally, this would have been viewed as quite a selfish tact by many of his fellows at the time, and an uproar at once took hold amongst their number that one so selfish could still claim brotherhood. It is said that then, after a period of nearly three months of debate, Berell was eventually asked to leave the [[Brothers of the Lantern|Brotherhood]], as their goals had become far too divergent, and that if he truly believed his credo, then he should attempt to make his way in the world alone and exposed.

== General Views and Credo ==

The general views of Berell and his followers are to this day almost a direct decent of his original precepts. Secrecy and the accumulation of personal wealth are held to be the paramount goals of any intelligent being. Naturally, this world view is a favorite among merchants and trademongers, as their very existence supports his goals. However, Berell also speaks highly to a large number of the smaller, more enclaved, rural communities, which hold his teachings of secrecy in particulary in high regard.

Prime among the tenements of Berell is a single credo which is meant to guide the lives of his followers. It is stated by most of his sects as follows:

<blockquote>"Honor thyself and guard its safety well, for it is the only vessel to which Ghyll's message is made clear."</blockquote>

To the casual observer, a couple of points should be noted about this rather simple message.

The first of these is that the protection of a single existence is apparently paramount. Other life is secondary to the observers as their interpretation (or possibly even existence, depending on the translation used) is questionable. The actions of another life cannot be accurately predicted by a single individual, yet their own may be tightly controlled, so in any situation in which a value judgement must be made between their own life and that of another, the observer's life must always take precedence. In practice, this has led many of their number on a path of suspicion and paranoia which borders on the pathological, as every choice outside of their control (of which their are vast numbers) is a suspect point of compromise to their life. Mountain holes and deep swamps are often the abodes of this lot.

The second point is that the credo seems quite final and implies a distinct lack of prospects beyond the observed existence. Expectedly, this point is argued fiercely by some scholors and theologians, as they claim it simply emphasises the need for individuals to form their own interpretations of the world, free of any corrupting bias. Some have also taken the meaning in a much more geomantic sense to imply that the very world of Ghyll has a purpose for each being. This view, however, is not widely held and the purvue of a limited number of sects.

To worsen matters, all of these disparate and disjointed views have not been helped by one of the prime tenements of Berell, that of secrecy, which is claimed to aid in the preservation of life. Views between sects are rarely discussed in an open market, and many times, it is difficult to even wrestle an admission of faith in Berell from a known follower. As such, the actual number of followers of Berell and the number of splintered interpretations of his credo are both issues which are interesting to debate for any scholar who has the time or patience.

== The Followers ==

To call the followers of Berell an organized faith would be a vast overstatement of their capacity to communicate. Due to their secretive nature, the collective praise of Berell is usually a muted affair, occuring in homes or among tightly knit communities with only a handful of members. As a sign of private faith, some merchants and business owners are also known to place minor items, such as a brown cloak hanging in a corner of a shop, as a symbolic gesture of their leanings. Even these, however, are almost universally clandestine and designed to only draw the attention of those who should truly care.

In some circles, it is rumored that the [[Aminfarances Institute of Science and Technomancy]] (AIST), may hold some affiliation with the faith of Berell. Although many of Institute's members assert to a heritage even before the written word, a vast selection of their current practices and modern operations seem to be directly lifted from Berell's teaching. If their claims of distant ancestory are in fact truthful, however, then one explanation of this phenomenon may be a gradual absorption of the teachings and practices of Berell into their own edicts over such a long history of coexistence. Possibly, the Institute's own teachings may have already pursued similar lines and as the two came into contact, those aspects which enhanced their practices may have been acquired while the chaffe was thrown aside.

With respect to services of faith, during formal gatherings of organized service to Berell, officiation is usually performed by the oldest member of the group present. This leader, or [[rejah]], will perform such actions as leading the voicing of the credo, asking the present members for their perceptions of reality, and the symbolic refusal of name and status. Gatherings of this type rarely take more than an hour and only happen once every two weeks or less to allow members the privacy they desire.

--[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 19:57, 14 Sep 2004 (EDT)

Ghyll talk:Berell

2004-09-14T23:41:01Z

Araes Domandred: Doh, silly mistake on my part

Ghyll:Berell

2004-09-14T18:44:28Z

Araes Domandred: Linkage, fixing some typos, and expansion

Currently revered as a patron among rural communities, the being now known as Berell is rumored to have once simply been a member of the [[Brothers of the Lantern]]. From this context, it can be assumed that even the name we now refer to him by may simply be an alias, as is typical of the order. The definitiveness of these origins is questionable at best, but a popular folkstory has sprung up around them which in the following manner.

<blockquote>Around -180 [[Encyclopedant Calendar|EC]], Berell is said ot have been contemplating a moral problem presented by another of the [[Brothers of the Lantern|Brothers]], wherein a woman is presented with two options. Having just become the benefactor of a large sum of money, which specified upon its receipt that it be used for the betterment of Ghyll, the woman theorizes that on one hand, she might spread the money among many others to enhance their lives and provide them comfort. On the other hand, she also considers simply keeping the sum herself, as she is an inhabitant of Ghyll and through its use for her benefit she will be bettering Ghyll as well.</blockquote>

Now Berell, after having examined the problem from a number of angles, eventually came to the conclusion that she should keep the sum. His reasoning for this claim was that the betterment of her own existence should be paramount to that of others, as it is under her direct control and imperative to her survival. If such a boon were instead squandered on other beings, whose morals and choices are suspect at best, it would be equivalent to throwing that money away and might even result in the detriment of Ghyll, should one of its benefactors use the funds wrongly.

Naturally, this would have been viewed as quite a selfish tact by many of his fellows at the time, and an uproar at once took hold amongst their number that one so selfish could still claim brotherhood. It is said that then, after a period of nearly three months of debate, Berell was eventually asked to leave the [[Brothers of the Lantern|Brotherhood]], as their goals had become far too divergent, and that if he truly believed his credo, then he should attempt to make his way in the world alone and exposed.

== General Views and Credo ==

The general views of Berell and his followers are to this day almost a direct decent of his original precepts. Secrecy and the accumulation of personal wealth are held to be the paramount goals of any intelligent being. Naturally, this world view is a favorite among merchants and trademongers, as their very existence supports his goals. However, Berell also speaks highly to a large number of the smaller, more enclaved, rural communities, which hold his teachings of secrecy in particulary in high regard.

Prime among the tenements of Berell is a single credo which is meant to guide the lives of his followers. It is stated by most of his sects as follows:

<blockquote>"Honor thyself and guard its safety well, for it is the only vessel to which Ghyll's message is made clear."</blockquote>

To the casual observer, a couple of points should be noted about this rather simple message.

The first of these is that the protection of a single existence is apparently paramount. Other life is secondary to the observers as their interpretation (or possibly even existence, depending on the translation used) is questionable. The actions of another life cannot be accurately predicted by a single individual, yet their own may be tightly controlled, so in any situation in which a value judgement must be made between their own life and that of another, the observer's life must always take precedence. In practice, this has led many of their number of a path of suspicion and paranoia which borders on the pathological, as every choice outside of their control (of which their are vast numbers) is a suspect point of compromise to their life. Mountain holes and deep swamps are often the abodes of this lot.

The second point is that the credo seems quite final and implies a distinct lack of prospects beyond the observed existence. Expectedly, this point is argued fiercely by some scholors and theologians, as they claim it simply emphasises the need for individuals to form their own interpretations of the world, free of any corrupting bias. Some have also taken the meaning in a much more geomantic sense to imply that the very world of Ghyll has a purpose for each being. This view, however, is not widely held and the purvue of a limited number of sects.

To worsen matters, all of these disparate and disjointed views have not been helped by one of the prime tenements of Berell, that of secrecy, which is claimed to aid in the preservation of life. Views between sects are rarely discussed in an open market, and many times, it is difficult to even wrestle an admission of faith in Berell from a known follower. As such, the actual number of followers of Berell and the number of splintered interpretations of his credo are both issues which are interesting to debate for any scholar who has the time or patience.

== The Followers ==

To call the followers of Berell an organized faith would be a vast overstatement of their capacity to communicate. Due to their secretive nature, the collective praise of Berell is usually a muted affair, occuring in homes or among tightly knit communities with only a handful of members. As a sign of private faith, some merchants and business owners are also known to place minor items, such as a brown cloack hanging in a corner of a shop, as a symbolic gesture of their leanings. Even these, however, are almost universally clandestine and designed to only draw the attention of those who should truly care.

In some circles, it is rumored that the [[Aminfarances Institute of Science and Technomancy]] (AIST), may hold some affiliation with the faith of Berell. Although many of Institute's members assert to a heritage even before the written word, a vast selection of their current practices and modern operations seem to be directly lifted from Berell's teaching. If their claims of distant ancestory are in fact truthful, however, then one explanation of this phenomenon may be a gradual absorption of the teachings and practices of Berell into their own edicts over such a long history of coexistence. Possibly, the Institute's own teachings may have already pursued similar lines and as the two came into contact, those aspects which enhanced their practices may have been acquired while the chaffe was thrown aside.

With respect to services of faith, during formal gatherings of organized service to Berell, officiation is usually performed by the oldest member of the group present. This leader, or [[rejah]], will perform such actions as leading the voicing of the credo, asking the present members for their perceptions of reality, and the symbolic refusal of name and status. Gatherings of this type rarely take more than an hour and only happen once every two weeks or less to allow members the privacy they desire.

--[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 14:44, 14 Sep 2004 (EDT)

Ghyll:Encyclopedant Calendar

2004-09-14T18:31:36Z

Araes Domandred:

To nurture the creation of a Ghyll Encyclopedia that will be of use to all of Ghyll's citizens, the Encyclopedants--key editors, and instigators of the encyclopaedic effort--are taking certain measures to ensure that some regional variations are ''normalised'' to canonical systems. One of the regional variations that the Encyclopedants have felt it foremost necessary to address is that of dates and times.

What this means to scholars is that when you submit entries that contain dates and times in a regional system, you will be asked (if we can get a message back to you) to provide them instead in the Encylopedant Calendar. It is the aim of this notice to define that calendar, and provide you with tips on the conversion. Should it be impossible for you to be contacted, the Encyclopedants will take up the changes themselves, attempting to provide normalisations where possible, and omitting dates otherwise.

==The Encyclopedant Calendar==

<div style="background-color:#eee;border:1px solid #ccc;float:right;margin:1em;padding:0.5em;width:275px;"><strong>EC Linking Shortcut</strong>: When using EC dates in your entries, always use the special <nowiki>{{EC}}</nowiki> syntax to link back to this page. For example, typing "<nowiki>-20 {{EC}}</nowiki>'" will produce the proper text, as well as an automatic link back to this explanation and timeline (below).</div>

The Encyclopedant Calendar (EC) is based on years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. There are sixty seconds to a minute, sixty minutes to an hour, twenty-four hours to a day, seven days to a week, four weeks to a month, and a dozen months to a year. Hence there are three hundred and thirty six days in a year, as corresponds with a full rotation of our seasons.

The epoch for the Encyclopedant Calendar, i.e. 0 EC, is based on the date that the call for entries was first set forth over the fair lands of Ghyll. Hence, the first year of the creation of the Ghyll Encyclopedia will take place throughout 0 EC. Since scholars will generally be mentioning dates only when they have occured before the creation of the dictionary, it is expected that dates prior to 0 EC will be most heavily represented in entries: the syntax for doing so is to use a negative number for the amount of years. Note that -1 EC is the year before the creation of the Ghyll Encyclopaedia. It is expected that the first round of definitions for the twenty six letters of the alphabet will take one EC year to complete, and hence the next time we call for definitions of words beginning with "A" is predicted to occur at the start of 1 EC.

To identify a Ghyll month, use the year followed by a slash followed by the number of the month. Likewise, for a day, use the year followed by a slash followed by the number of the month followed by another slash followed by the day. ''Example: the fifth day of the seventh month of -20 EC would be written as -20/7/5 EC.'' For the names of individual months and days, consult the [[Bursine Calendar]] (on which the EC is based).

==Ghyll Timeline==

In order to aid scholars' abilities to convert their regional dates into EC, the Encyclopedants have taken it upon themselves to research the dates for the events described in the first set of entires received for the letter "A". It has been a painstaking and laborious process, but it should enable scholars to more easily research the EC date for events that they describe. The timeline is as follows:

<table class="ghyllidx" style="padding-left:1em;">
<tr><th>Date</th><th>Ghyll Event</th></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-??,???,??? EC</td><td>The Avazian civilization falls.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-10,000,000 EC</td><td>(Circa) Common ancestors to Ghyll humanoids and [[Burnflies]] roam the planet.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-900 EC</td><td>The [[Nitenmangrey]] culture became extinct.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-400 EC</td><td>Primitive forms of [[Bindlet Ball]] have been discovered in art of this period.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-400 to -323 EC</td><td>(Circa) The [[Battle of Barnum Stones]] takes place.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-330 EC</td><td>Birth of Andelphracia.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-300 EC</td><td>Andelphracia and Quezlar 6 were active in this period.</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-280 EC</td><td>[[Arariax]] the poet was born in the [[Evesque Valley]].</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-??? EC</td><td>The [[Brothers of the Lantern]] school is established (exact date unknown).</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#eee"><td>-200 EC</td><td>''Historical records start to become difficult to decipher.''</td></tr>
<tr><td>-192 EC</td><td>Birth of [[Captain Riquiras]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-180 EC</td><td>[[Berell]] is rumored to have left the [[Brothers of the Lantern]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-172 EC</td><td>Earliest recorded drawings of [[Besq Boats]] date from this time period.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-158 EC</td><td>The [[Battle of Barnum Stones|Barnum Stones]] are moved to Stindersgrough by Corvin Axehand.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-157 EC</td><td>Death of [[Captain Riquiras]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-150 EC</td><td>Earliest known use of the phrase "[[Andelphracian Lights]]".</td></tr>
<tr><td>-150 EC</td><td>(Circa) Alarius published "Stepping Stones", considered one of his greatest poems.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-100 EC</td><td>The [[Brothers of the Lantern]] begin to specialize in four classical subjects.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-98 EC</td><td>[[Supetupheraraphes]] founds the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-98 EC</td><td>[[Supetupheraraphes]] becomes President of the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-77 EC</td><td>[[Meldersen]] becomes President of the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-70 EC</td><td>Two transcriptions of the Echecharion are known to exist.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-62/7/11 EC</td><td>Birth of [[Baron Claude Lloyd Albert Smallwood]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-60 EC</td><td>(Circa) The current form of [[Bindlet Ball]], based on [[Awal shrinkage]], starts.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-58 EC</td><td>Birth of Windsor Creame.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-58 EC</td><td>Birth of [[User:Qwentyth Pyre|Qwentyth Pyre]], scholar.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-56 EC</td><td>Rancticirchiretic becomes President of the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-54 EC</td><td>Ghyll Bindlet League, for [[Bindlet Ball]], is founded.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-53 EC</td><td>The [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]]'s Steering Committee begins using three oxen in its motif.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-50 EC</td><td>[[Ball Lightning Liqueur]] and "Awal Sleeps" begin to see common usage.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-46 EC</td><td>Brother ([[Brothers of the Lantern|of the Lantern]]) Honuphrius denounces [[Arariax]]'s early/middle poems.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-38 EC</td><td>Incumbent Folktown mayor loses re-election; purportedly prefers another [[Bindlet Ball]] team.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-32 EC</td><td>Awal becomes President of the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-25/4/1 EC</td><td>H.A.N.D.B.A.G. petitions the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]] and is ignored.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-20 EC</td><td>Death of [[Edvard von Craghelm]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-19 EC</td><td>[[Bindlet Ball]], Its Rules And History published (Aliens Press, 964 pages).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-18 EC</td><td>Birth of Gibbous Saunders.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-17 EC</td><td>The [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]]'s motto is translated, and quickly changed.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-14 EC</td><td>An act is passed that prohibits professional [[Bindlet Ball]] players from running for political office.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-14 EC</td><td>[[Bobby Shwarmph]] publishes paper in [[Brothers of the Lantern]] scholarly journal.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-13 EC</td><td>[[Folktown Records]] weekly newspaper founded, 22nd March.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-11 EC</td><td>[[Doggerel plague]] sweeps parts of Ghyll.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-11 EC</td><td>Blivingdel becomes President of the [[Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-11 EC</td><td>Much-publicised marriage of artist Siam Sinch and statesman Gabson Foye.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-11 EC</td><td>First [[lumogram]]s of [[Bethany Mboya]] released.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-11 EC</td><td>First writings by [[Bethany Mboya]] released.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-8 EC</td><td>Birth of Morphous Ibb.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-8 EC</td><td>Windsor Creame weds [[Bavarian Creame]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-7 EC</td><td>The longest, and still in the 4th period, [[Bindlet Ball]] game starts.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-4/7/22 EC</td><td>Last known appearance of [[Bobby Shwarmph]].</td></tr>
<tr><td>-2 EC</td><td>[[Bethany Mboya]] exposed by Gabson Foye.</td></tr>
<tr><td>0 EC</td><td>Ghyll Encyclopedia founded.</td></tr>
</table>

==Folktown Records History==

<div style="background-color:#eee;border:1px solid #ccc;float:right;margin:1em;padding:0.5em;width:275px;"><strong>FR Editions Script</strong>: To convert the number of a Folktown Records edition into an EC date, you can use the [http://inamidst.com/misc/folkrec/250 online script]. Just replace the number in the URI (the Web address) with the one that you want the EC date of.</div>

From the first set of entries received for the Encyclopaedia, it is clear that many dates are stated indirectly using Folktown Records edition numbers. Since the Folktown Records has only been running since -13 EC, this only works for recent events, but those are the events most relevant to the inhabitants of Ghyll today, and the Folktown Records are common and popular enough that we can expect more excerpts from them in entries to come. As the editions of Folktown Records have been produced without fail every week from -13/3/22, we can provide the following dates for landmark issues:

<table class="ghyllidx" style="padding-left:1em;">
<tr><th>Date</th><th>Folktown Records Event</th></tr>
<tr><td>-13/3/22 EC</td><td>The 1st edition of the Folktown Records (FR1).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-12/4/1 EC</td><td>The 50th edition of the Folktown Records (FR50).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-12 EC</td><td>Windsor Creame joins the writing staff.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-11/4/15 EC</td><td>The 100th edition of the Folktown Records (FR100).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-9/5/15 EC</td><td>The 200th edition of the Folktown Records (FR200).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-8/6/1 EC</td><td>The 250th edition of the Folktown Records (FR250).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-7/6/15 EC</td><td>The 300th edition of the Folktown Records (FR300).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-7/9/15 EC</td><td>Gibbous Saunders [[AuroAnthropology|writes]] to FR312. Managing Editor: Garth Haversham.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-5/7/15 EC</td><td>The 400th edition of the Folktown Records (FR400).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-3/8/15 EC</td><td>The 500th edition of the Folktown Records (FR500).</td></tr>
<tr><td>-2/1/8 EC</td><td>FR519 conjectures about [[Bobby Shwarmph]]'s possible death.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-1/4/1 EC</td><td>Morphous Ibb [[Quezlarian numerals|writes]] to FR578. Tim Timperton responds.</td></tr>
<tr><td>-1/9/15 EC</td><td>The 600th edition of the Folktown Records (FR600).</td></tr>
<tr><td>0/1/1</td><td>Ghyll Encyclopedia founding coincides with FR614.</td></tr>
</table>

Note also that the following dates are currently unknown:
*[[User:Joe_Bowers|Mr. Bowers]] had a series entitled "Ersatz Bite: False Teeth through Time" published.
* The current owners of the Folktown Records are of the [[Amphitheatre aristocracy|Amphitheatre Elite]].

Ghyll:Berell

2004-09-14T18:26:23Z

Araes Domandred: First draft, needs one more link

Currently revered as a patron among rural communities, the being now known as Berell is rumored to have once simply been a member of the [[Brothers of the Lantern]]. From this context, it can be assumed that even the name we now refer to him by may simply be an alias, as is typical of the order. The definitiveness of these origins is questionable at best, but a popular folkstory has sprung up around them which in the following manner.

<blockquote>Around -180 EC, Berell is said ot have been contemplating a moral problem presented by another of the [[Brothers of the Lantern|Brothers]], wherein a woman is presented with two options. Having just become the benefactor of a large sum of money, which specified upon its receipt that it be used for the betterment of Ghyll, the woman theorizes that on one hand, she might spread the money among many others to enhance their lives and provide them comfort. On the other hand, she also considers simply keeping the sum herself, as she is an inhabitant of Ghyll and through its use for her benefit she will be bettering Ghyll as well.</blockquote>

Now Berell, after having examined the problem from a number of angles, eventually came to the conclusion that she should keep the sum. His reasoning for this claim was that the betterment of her own existence should be paramount to that of others, as it is under her direct control and imperative to her survival. If such a boon were instead squandered on other beings, whose morals and choices are suspect at best, it would be equivalent to throwing that money away and might even result in the detriment of Ghyll, should one of its benefactors use the funds wrongly.

Naturally, this would have been viewed as quite a selfish tact by many of his fellows at the time, and an uproar at once took hold amongst their number that one so selfish could still claim brotherhood. It is said that then, after a period of nearly three months of debate, Berell was eventually asked to leave the [[Brothers of the Lantern|Brotherhood]], as their goals had become far too divergent, and that if he truly believed his credo, then he should attempt to make his way in the world alone and exposed.

== General Views and Credo ==

The general views of Berell and his followers are to this day almost a direct decent of his original precepts. Secrecy and the accumulation of personal wealth are held to be the paramount goals of any intelligent being. Naturally, this world view is a favorite among merchants and trademongers, as their very existence supports his goals. However, Berell also speaks highly to a large number of the smaller, more enclaved, rural communities, which hold his teachings of secrecy in particulary in high regard.

Prime among the tenements of Berell is a single credo which is meant to guide the lives of his followers. It is stated by most of his sects as follows:

<blockquote>"Honor thyself and guard its safety well, for it is the only vessel to which Ghyll's message is made clear."</blockquote>

To the casual observer, a couple of points should be noted about this rather simple message.

The first of these is that the protection of a single existence is apparently paramount. Other life is secondary to the observers as their interpretation (or possibly even existence, depending on the translation used) is questionable. The actions of another life cannot be accurately predicted by a single individual, yet their own may be tightly controlled, so in any situation in which a value judgement must be made between their own life and that of another, the observer's life must always take precedence. In practice, this has led many of their number of a path of suspicion and paranoia which borders on the pathological, as every choice outside of their control (of which their are vast numbers) is a suspect point of compromise to their life. Mountain holes and deep swamps are often the abodes of this lot.

The second point is that the credo seems quite final and implies a distinct lack of prospects beyond the observed existence. Expectedly, this point is argued fiercely by some scholors and theologians, as they claim it simply emphasises the need for individuals to form their own interpretations of the world, free of any corrupting bias. Some have also taken the meaning in a much more geomantic sense to imply that the very world of Ghyll has a purpose for each being. This view, however, is not widely held and the purvue of a limited number of sects.

To worsen matters, all of these disparate and disjointed views have not been helped by one of the prime tenements of Berell, that of secrecy, which is claimed to aid in the preservation of life. Views between sects are rarely discussed in an open market, and many times, it is difficult to even wrestle an admission of faith in Berell from a known follower. As such, the actual number of followers of Berell and the number of splintered interpretations of his credo are both issues which are interesting to debate for any scholar who has the time or patience.

== The Followers ==

To call the followers of Berell an organized faith would be a vast overstatement of their capacity to communicate. Due to their secretive nature, the collective praise of Berell is usually a muted affair, occuring in homes or among tightly knit communities with only a handful of members. As a sign of private faith, some merchants and business owners are also known to place minor items, such as a brown cloack hanging in a corner of a shop, as a symbolic gesture of their leanings. Even these, however, are almost universally clandestine and designed to only draw the attention of those who should truly care.

During more formal gatherings, officiation is usually performed by the oldest member of the group present. This leader, or [[rejah]], will perform such actions as leading the voicing of the credo, asking the present members for their perceptions of reality, and the symbolic refusal of name and status. Gatherings of this type rarely take more than an hour and only happen once every two weeks or less to allow members the privacy they desire.

--[[User:Araes Domandred|Araes Domandred]] 14:26, 14 Sep 2004 (EDT)