Lectures at Sundren University

[Nwilmen]

Talk begins to circulate around the city of a new and engaging lecturer recently hired at the University. Upon hearing of the young woman's substantial wisdom and extraordinary beauty, those familiar with her letters would recognize the esteemed reputation of Priya Sera. While gaining popularity amongst bored young noblemen studying at the univeristy, Sera's lectures are slowly drawing the notice of professors and armchair philosophers throughout the city.

The lectures are modestly publicized each week via a small flier at the Four Lanterns Inn, Sundren Comfort Inn, and Sundren Library.


(Feel free to decide your character heard about a lecture and attended. Priya welcomes any questions or discussions in-game.)

[Nwilmen]

Week 1 - Philosophy: The Concept of Love


In one of the larger class rooms at Sundren University, a woman stands at a podium with several sheafs of parchment set neatly in front of her. As students, auditors, and civilians take their seats, she regards each with a gaze full of warmth and anticipation. Those who know her see that she's dressed modestly for the occasion, at least for her: a fitted floor-length gown of dark crimson offset by golden silk draped about her middle and thrown over one shoulder. Her hair is held at the back of her head by a pair of golden stilettos, and her hands are encased in delicately embroidered gloves.

Young men in the audience begin to trade excited whispers as older men look upon the elegant woman with a heavy dollop of skepticism. As the hour closes upon noontime, the last few trickle in and take their seats as she begins to speak.

"I'd like to thank you all for joining me. It is my great privilege and honor to be speaking with you today on a topic which concerns us all, but before I begin I would like to introduce myself. My name is Priya Sera, and I come to you from the country of Damara. Throughout my life I have been afforded the opportunity to travel to far and distant lands, and it is my purpose to impart to you what I've seen and learned. Through shared experience, it is my hope that we may come to better appreciate and evaluate our place here in Sundren.

"The majority of my study took place in the far eastern region of Kara-Tur, and as such some of the topics I will discuss may seem strange. Do not be tempted to disregard such things simply because they are different. While people may not always agree completely, there is something to be gained from understanding a different viewpoint. Let us take this opportunity to explore how others see the world, to discover new truths and shed light upon our own situations.

"The topic that we will explore today is a subject that unites every single person in this room, regardless of race, class, age, gender, or religious belief. What I speak of is love."

She takes a moment to let the word sink in, heedless of quiet snickers and furrowed brows amongst the listeners. Folding her hands in front of her, she begins to move slowly and sumptuously from behind the lectern to stand before them.

"Love is an emotion we all experience at some point in our lives - romantic love, maternal love, love between friends. It is what we sing about, what we write about, what we act foolishly for, what we risk our pride and our lives for. Every generation experiences the same course of love and relationships, and goes through the same patterns. Yet... The same problems persist. Why can't I make this person love me? How can I show them how I feel?

"Throughout civilization, we have propelled ourselves beyond every obstacle. We build bridges over rivers, we carve roads through mountains, we create entire continents where once there was nothing. The sciences of architecture, alchemy, and the weave of magic have become mere tools to accelerate our growth. And yet, such a primordial emotion continues to befuddle our minds and make fools of us all. How is this possible? How can we begin to contemplate something without shape or form?

"We may try to identify love by giving it a definition, a neat sum of words to clarify the meaning. 'A deep affection for another person. A feeling of warm personal attachment. The object of such passion and affection.' Does this make matters any more clear?

"We may think we are in love when we experience intense feelings of desire for another person. But as many tragic plays and ill-fated ballads of star-crossed lovers will demonstrate, desire begets suffering. The fact of the matter is, when we desire someone and fail to possess them as our own, we are filled with frustration, jealousy, and anger. That is not love. Even if we manage to obtain the company or life-long companionship of our desired person, life is impermanent, and death will take them from you. This leads to sorrow and regret."

As the mood in the room begins to lean towards the dour, the lovely woman smiles radiantly.

"I am not here to tell you that love is a misguided path toward suffering. Anyone who has felt true love knows that, despite its difficulties, we manage to glean moments of pure, unadulterated joy from the connections we make with others. But how can we recognize true love, without selfish desire? It is possible to adjust our way of seeing the world that will allow more love to flow our way.

"I propose a new definition of love: wanting others to be happy. It is a sentiment free from desire for self-satisfaction or possession, only the wish to see the ones we love fulfilled and joyful. We have all met couples, friends, and mothers who exhibit this pure kind of love, souls who are content merely in the knowledge that the other is happy. When two people connect and stake this contentment in the happiness of one another, a bond of true, pure love is formed - each is kept joyful by the other's well-being.

"This love is unconditional, and requires a great deal of courage and self-acceptance. One must be content in the knowledge that they will never possess the object of their affection, but instead have faith in the other's devotion. I intend to speak further on the topic of courage and self-love in the weeks to come. Love's power and significance is not to be underestimated, and deserves a portion of our study and attention."

In the moments following, the lecturer returns to her post and her forgotten notes, leaving the audience a little time to reflect. There is an extended silence as her dark gaze sweeps the room, her voice strong and impelling.

"Love is not beyond your reach, but something we all deserve. It is not a mere luxury meant only for the rich or beautiful, but is the source of all inner and outer peace that are fundamental to the continued survival of our civilization. Love destroys and creates as powerfully as any act of war, and only through careful consideration can we temper our souls to wield love as an instrument for the greater good. I hope you will join me."

With these final words, the woman draws her lecture to a close, and remains behind at podium as the audience filters out of the room.

[Nwilmen]

Week 2 - Philosophy: The Art of Tolerance

It's noontime once again in the lecture hall of Sundren University, and the room is abuzz with gossip. Rumor has it that Lecteur Sera was recently seen leaving the Sundren Comfort Inn with a man later identified as a Myrkulite, and the conclusions drawn by the strange rendezvous vary from the tenable to the outlandish. Some say the renowned Sunite has been duped into the service of their twisted clergy, while a few others suggest that she is a full-blown agent of the Lord of Bones. While the lecture's attendees seem torn between chalking the beautiful young woman up as a gullible fool or a wicked beguiler, the controversy surrounding her topic of the day has undoubtedly increased turnout.

"Good afternoon."

The buzz fades as the lecturer's voice issues across the assembly, somehow able to reach the farthest corners of the room despite its softness. The Sunite is dressed no less splendidly than the week before in a warm pink gown edged with emerald embroidery. Though she wears a smile, her expression is tempered with austere purpose.

"I would like to welcome back those of you who attended last week's discussion, and those who are joining us for the first time today. My name is Priya Sera, and the subject of today's lecture pertains to the philosophy and art of tolerance."

Amidst a sea of blank stares and raised eyebrows, the Sunite begins to wander away from the podium as seems to be her style, and she begins to pace up and down the rows of chairs and benches, speaking to the air.

"Tolerance is not often regarded as a virtue. In fact, the connotations of the word 'tolerance' can be quite negative indeed. We are said to tolerate what is distasteful or annoying to us, and this is done so in a grudging manner - or we tolerate the trespasses of others against us, which is seen as a habit of the weak. Other times, it is misinterpreted as agreement with the act or notion being tolerated.

"It becomes obvious that tolerance, while a familiar notion, is subject to vast misunderstanding. Yet it is a virtue that is a cornerstone of the Path to Enlightenment, a school of philosophy in Kara-Tur that strives toward inner peace and self discipline. And while we do not all wish to become tonsured monks and spends our lives in silent meditation, we can apply these concepts to our daily lives in both small ways and grander ones that will guide us toward a more joyful existence."

Her skirts whisper softly against the carpet as she takes a turn down the aisle, slowing as she makes her way back toward the front of the room to linger among the crowd.

"So what is tolerance? The Enlightened Path states that tolerance is the acceptance that others hold different views from ourselves, and the willingness to allow others to be different in their ideas and actions. Above all, tolerance is the absolute avoidance of using power, violence or coercion to force others to think or believe as we do. We can bear ourselves with an attitude of loving kindness towards individuals with whom we disagree, or whose actions we find absolutely abhorrent. Therefore, intolerance may be defined as the act of using power, violence or coercion to make others believe and act as we do. It spans varying degrees, from social or physical exile of those who we hate, to systematic extermination of entire groups. Indeed, it is the cause of so much of the world's suffering."

At the head of the room she turns gracefully in place, hands clasped before her.

"Tolerance does not come easily for many of us, and as any other skill it must be practiced and honed. Personally, I like to think of tolerance as an art, requiring skill, creativity, and imagination to disagree with the practices of others while at the same time loving the individual. But I am being vague, so I will provide some examples.

"For one, I cannot fathom the life the Bedine. They are an unusual culture dwelling in the Anauroch, where they live in the burning wastes of the desert and organize themselves in tribes ruled by men. These sheikhs often take on multiple wives, force their women to cover their faces at all times, and measure their wealth in the number of camels they own. I would not choose to live my life in that way, nor do I agree with the way their society is organized. But I recognize that they are living beings, just as I am. If I were to meet a Bedine, I would not agree with his viewpoint, but I would still feel the same kindness and good will toward his humanity.

"But it is a far more difficult thing to practice tolerance toward those who are not only different, but who have harmed us in some way. Tolerance of those who accidentally trespass against us, or act without ill intention, is forgiveness. But how can we tolerate those who act against us with malice?

"It can be argued that we should not be tolerant of those who preach violence and fear, and who wish to lay us low. Criminals, murderers, terrorists - are we to tolerate them? I say the answer is yes."

Murmurs and sibilant whispers are traded amongst the audience, but Priya continues unabated.

"Intolerance, as was previously defined, is the use of force, violence or coercion to make others agree with our ways. If we act with intolerance toward our enemies, we lower ourselves to their level and participate in the same despicable acts of hatred and manipulation. One cannot be intolerant of intolerance - it is a contradiction.

"An Enlightened One once said, 'Hatred is not appeased by hatred; by love alone is hatred appeased. This is the eternal law.' One suggests that we must exercise compassion toward our loathsome enemies, for those enemies are living in a world of hell. Bearing hatred toward others will always lead to suffering, and the cruel tyrants, wicked foes and evil oppressors of our world are living in a state of disease and pain. Condemn the acts, but pity the individual - for they are living beings as we are. I would go further to suggest that to have an absolute enemy is actually helpful to us, for does our enemy not provide us an opportunity to exercise tolerance, a chance to develop our personal strength and enlightenment?

"I am not suggesting that our enemies are to be allowed free reign to break the law or commit violence against us. Sometimes society must exercise power to isolate these individuals - or in extreme cases, ensure that they are never able to hurt others or themselves again - but power must always be tempered with love. Just as the parent who, out of love for the child, forcibly restrains him from doing something that will harm him, we must strive to protect those who have strayed from the light. Not with vengeance in our hearts, but with true compassion and desire to see that person realize that they can know peace if shown the way.

"This is the method by which we can disagree with others or even be repulsed by their actions, while at the same time extending them love and kindness. Show them the light by example if you can, but always exercise vigilance to protect your own well-being. It is not always easy to be tolerant in every single case in every situation, but the world will be a far happier place if tolerance becomes a habit for everyday life."

Drawing the argument to a close, the Sunite retreats behind the podium once again, and offers a respectful bow of the head to the assembly.

"My thanks to you for listening today. I will be more than glad to entertain any questions in the foyer. Farewell, and may you walk in love."