The Path of the Flame

[SmartScout 239]

The Path of the Flame

The Philosophical Musings of Elros Silma

The 13th Year of the Second Age

 

1. Foreward

Some view the mali as twice cursed. Few in number and forced to endure the pain of the world in a way others do not. The life chosen for the Mali is a hard one, for our blessing brings with it an expectation, a duty, which the other races do not have laid out for them. For in our long life comes a challenge to improve and better ourselves, so we may better serve the world. For who are better to serve as preservers of history than those who live through it, as craftsmen than those who have many lifetimes of men to hone their craft, as a shield against the dark armies of the nether and the void than those who have decades or centuries to learn and train, or as a steward of nature than one who can see its patterns and cycles run over the centuries. If you are to learn one thing from this work, then let it be this - do not despair thinking of the pain or hardships a long life may bring, for despair only stays the hand and squanders your gift. Instead, look to your many years as a challenge, to use each moment as best you can, for with time and effort, nearly all things are possible to you.

 

2. On the Blessing of the Mali

The blessing of the Mali is nearly unique among the blessings, for it does not simply offset to a degree our curse, but does more. The Bortu were granted to be strong of mind and hearty, so they may survive and engineer great contraptions deep in the mountains seeking the wealth of the earth they were cursed to crave. The Uruk were granted a degree of honor to try and offset their mindless bloodlust and rage, and the Vallah were granted a special afterlife to make up for their short time in this world. In our gift of eternal life, we may certainly have more time to bear children, which offsets our sterility, but in our blessing we find ourselves appointed as stewards of the world.

 

Compared to us, the other races live on this earth for but a short while, and can thus often be short-sighted. We must worry for the future not only for our children, but for ourselves. If we are to live in the world for a long time, then we must face the outcomes of the decisions made by ourselves and others centuries on into the future. In some, our gift of long life fosters idleness, for they believe that since we have a long time, we can take our time in life. In others, it fosters apprehension, for they fear the many years of pain and tragedy they will face more than they look forward to the good. This has led to some, most notably our brothers of the Bronze, to declare that we are twice cursed. But I suggest that instead of living in dread or idleness, we view our long lives enthusiastically. As a great challenge to overcome, a challenge to improve. We have all the time in the world to master our crafts, to learn of the world and its intricacies, to protect the world from those who seek it harm or those who cause it inadvertently. This is our duty, and in doing our duty, we do good.

 

3. On Duty and Good

A mali has several duties in life. A duty to self, to kin, to nation, and to the world. All of these must be kept in balance, for they are all important in one’s life, and one should not be left entirely forfeit for the sake of another. The highest good for a mali is to, in their own way, serve to better the world in which we live. For no two mali are the same, so thus the path to good is not static. The closest thing to an explanation of the path to good, in my view, is to do your best to find your talents and to excel at them to the greatest of your ability, and to then put them to use to save the world. A man of great strength may seek to become a fighter to protect his people from attacks, natural and supernatural, while one of compassion and wisdom may seek to become a healer. In any situation you are placed into, one must assess themselves and decide their best course of action to aid in it. That best course is almost never inaction, for idleness feeds stagnation, and the stagnant and passive are left to be easily subjugated or torn asunder by the active and dynamic. If you see a building alight, a strong man may assess they should go into the building to save its residents, for they have the ability to do so, and thus in doing so they prove their courage and work towards the good. But what of one who is weak? For them going into the building is recklessness, but doing nothing is negligence. In asking for help or gathering water or healing the injured afterwards, they work towards the good, for they help the situation in a way they are suited to without making things worse. This is the path of the righteous, and what we should all strive for.

 

Some may say that employment and duty are one and the same, for they are both vocations we dedicate ourselves to. But I say they differ in a way. A man has a duty to his employer, a craftsman a duty to make the product requested to the best of his ability. And for performing that duty satisfactorily, the employed is paid by the employer, the commissioned paid by the commissioner. This is only right, for the hard work of a craftsman or the risk of a merchant bearing goods down harsh roads must be compensated, but what of those whose work aligns with higher duties and higher principles, such as the druid, the scholar, or the guard? Ones who follow those paths should follow them not on a duty to gold or silver, but to the world, the truth, and their people, respectively. Thus, the question comes if they should be paid at all. On one hand, it makes sense to compensate those who work hard or are at risk for their efforts, but on the other, pay can draw in those who are not dedicated to the principles they should uphold. A guard working for mina more than loyalty to his people may be bribed to betray them, a scholar working for compensation rather than out of a duty to knowledge and the truth may bend the truth or break it, and a druid who doesn’t see their duty to nature and the world first and foremost may seek to control nature and bend it to their will rather than defend the balance with its help. Thus, it should be assured that people in those sorts of vocations should always put duty and honor above coin, lest corruption seep into our midst.

 

4. On Leaders and Nations

The leaders of the elves should be the servants of the people, not their betters. The mali race does not take well to conquerors, for we have faced many over the past four centuries.  We do not take well to tyrants either. The Mali live long, and thus grow independent, and thus they follow most often those who they deeply respect. The respect of the people can be gained through many ways, but it is often best gained through shows of wisdom, compassion, skill, and tact. Some will follow those who are overly forceful, or who build their regimes on violence, fear, and censorship. But often, sooner or later, a large resentful party will grow to overthrow such a regime. Better to gain the respect of a people through decisive action and driving and enabling action in the city. For a city with nothing to do - no guilds and no military - will surely fail. The leader may accomplish this in many ways. They could allow guilds the freedom to grow and act on their own, or they may constantly and actively promote activity sponsored by the government. Either method is valid, though the former requires far less maintenance than the latter. However, the point remains - some are doers and some are followers, and the goal of the leader should be to aid the doers as much as he can to keep his city flourishing and his streets full.

 

Nothing kills the drive of a doer and turns them into a follower or rebel more than being slowed and scorned by bureaucracy. Doers thus scorned will often either become reluctant followers, no longer willing to put in the effort when the system works against them, or they become rivals to the leader, believing themselves as doers could organize the system in a better manner. This is natural manner in which stagnant and failing regimes fall and new, more active ones take their place. So thus another role of a good leader is to keep enough control on this cycle to assure that the right new leader rises to take their place when they are no longer able to fulfil their office. For if one steps down gracefully when worn out and unable to fulfil their office rather than holding onto power until the breaking point, they are able to have some choice in who should follow them. It is better to give up one’s own power to one more worthy for the sake of the betterment of the people and nation than it is to hold onto power when unable to maintain the nation and thus trust the future of the nation to chance. Chance that is often cruel, for when a leader is overthrown, it is more often by the violent, brash, and over-ambitious than by the tempered, wise, and kind.

 

5. On Society and Tradition

Tradition is the core of Mali society. The knowledge, wisdom, culture, and experiences of our forebears are forged from millennia of life and are not to be ignored, forgotten, or violated. But to focus only on those traditions, and to emulate the past when we can look back and see its failings or look to the present and see the same problems, choosing not to progress by appending and improving these old traditions and systems using our own wisdom and experiences is folly. To the long-lived, the cycles of history are clear. I remember the fall of Malinor and the Dominion, and I see the same seeds that led to the collapse of those societies being sown here today. Many try to say that Elvenesse is not like the Dominion simply because it has a smaller military, more isolationist politics, and has rid itself of the Court of Princes and the Elective System, however they ignore the many similarities that come in turn. A nation for all mali dominated by the will of one subrace, topped by a large, slow, and often inefficient bureaucracy.

 

I would argue that the best times of my life were spent among smaller groups such as seeds and guilds, or in smaller nations, like Laurehlin before the Orenian Subjugation or the Principality of Aegrothond in Atlas. Small groups or nations that were united by their culture and ideals, and where every member of the small group was willing to work actively for the betterment of his people and the maintaining of their culture, traditions, and ideals. The mali are best served when at peace with each other and able to interact with each other as equals, but also when they are able to organize themselves into smaller groups where they are able to practice their culture freely with those of like mind rather than being pressured and assimilated into a single way of life. Siramenor exemplified this ideal in recent times, in that it had a close knit community of similar ideals that ran itself and focused purely on practicing its culture the best it could. If a system of groups of a similar model could arise in the form of guilds based on each culture within the larger nation, and if these groups are allowed the autonomy to prosper, I believe this could lead to a more ideal society for the Mali. While this may or may not be true, it is unknown unless tried, and trying new ideas is far better for the progress of the race than staying entirely in the past. For when one tries new things, they are able to learn from the problems they face to get closer and closer to the greatest system possible, while treading the same paths as we have for centuries can only lead to stagnation into predictable cycles of success and failure.

 

6. Conclusions

My philosophy can be simplified down to but four ideals. The Ideals are as follows:

1. The Mali’s blessing of long-life and nigh-eternal youth serve not as a curse or call to stagnation, but as a challenge to improve one’s talents beyond the capacity of other races. The life of an elf is precious beyond measure, and should not be wasted if it can be avoided.

2. The Mali should use their talents and gifts to serve the world in the way they are best suited. What way depends on the individual. Wasting your talents and gifts or using them for the ill of your people are the two paths of evil.

3. The Mali should be led by one wise, kind, and decisive, chosen by the people for his merits. He should also be willing to pass power to one better able to do the job when incapable of keeping up.

4. Do not dwell too much in the past, for while traditions and culture are of utmost importance, emulating failed societies and ideas will ultimately breed naught but failure in the future.

Follow these, and the Mali will prosper. Fail to, and we may well once again fall under the rule of tyrants, foreigners, and fools, with empty halls, bare hearths, and complacent people.

Edited March 3, 2021 by SmartScout

[mmat 7461]

"This has nothing to do with flame!"

 

Flame mascot Avius exclaims in faux outrage, after barely skimming the text.