An address by Atos to the Council of the Tarasha
The last Tower falls.
For four hundred years the Towers have stood, their eleven-hued Fires flaming firm against evil's menace. For four hundred years Tarasha Lehe has flourished--our new homeland, the fortress haven of new Spring. Now, dark winds break down our last defenses, and the rot of the dead West , storms of blood, magic and machine--death's legions--have reached us at last.
The Council speaks of hope. For a century now, a few of our Order have labored in secret to transform three of our holy Stones into weapons of flame. They are to be used when all else have failed, when the choice is between extinction and something worse; they are meant to rouse the burning heart of our world, the winds of stars, the force of life to purge the world; and allow what remains of humanity to begin anew--but without us.
To send the fallen continent, our motherland, into forgotten dreams. To completely cleanse the world of our tortured demon-twisted brethrens is in fact to destroy ourselves that the world may live. That is our 'hope'. For once the Art has been turned to warfare and murder--for however pure and holy the purpose, we can no longer turn back. Even self-defense, over the last four centuries, has darkened the souls of many and poisoned our civilisation. Both deep and superficial wisdom speaks with one voice: the sword once unsheathed, will remain unsheathed. The mark of a weapon like this, once completed, once used, cannot be eradicated. To heal the world, we must hide the Stones once more--all the Stones, not just the three. The field of Light that has nourished our people for 10,000 years will be no more. And the Guardians and our Art must disappear from the view of most. And even with this, the mark of the day of Fire shall remain in the deepest memory of man. And one day, in the far distant future, mankind, even without the Art but goaded by restless memories, may rediscover his doom.
And know this well: the use of the Stones of fire means the Flame itself shall withdraw. Our children will live in despair. For they shall call in the halls of the Eleven-hued Fire, and there shall be silence. The songs of our ancestors shall be emptiness; and the past a taunting scourge, a canopy of unreachable stars disturbing the growing night--not the stars of our forebears, when they, stirred by star-fire skies and hearts, set out on their ancient journeys upwards into fiery secrecies of wisdom and power. But the stars of our children will be old light, unreachable and dead, remnants of fading shadows echoing black space.
Our children will beg to forget. And mercifully, they will.
For they shall look at their neighbors with envy, young races crude and inexperienced and weak perhaps, but free from an enormous burden of guit, the guilt of a people who has broken the world--unburdened with memories that cannot be recovered, with no need to curse one's past for the terrors of the present. Our children will yearn for that freedom. And thus slowly, gradually, they shall stop believing in the old ways in a harsh new world bereft of the Flame and the Art. Plagued and weakened and growing fewer, they will unite with the freedom they seek.
And all that remains of us will be whispers and dreams.
I was born in the last years of Atlantis, and saw its beauty before it fell. Elders of Tarasha Lehe, all of you here, save one, could not fully mourn what you did not know. My heart is still there in the land of my youth, though centuries have passed since I left. I remember the voyage of the Stones, the raising of the Towers of Flame, the birth of Tarasha Lehe. I saw the new Spring and the triumph of the Light--the years of joy. And now, it seems, I would see the work of centuries, the prayer of ten thousand years, fade away. I have seen Atlantis die. And now I must see it die again.
Senate of the Tarasha, Leaders of the last Atlanteans, no one here has more to mourn, more to lose, or more memories, than I, the forger of the 3 Stones. Who mourns the loss of the Art more than one who has spent his long life teaching and refining it? Yet, with darkness nearing Salem itself, I know there can only be one right way.
It is the will of the Flame that our Order obey the will of the Council. Your word will decide the fate of the world.
And there is hope for mankind--even after this. Yes, some things are beyond healing. Thousands of years of blood-lust and violence shall reverberate from the closing days of our age. A thousand burning cities will echo the screams and fires of Abra Lodesh, the holy city of the Flame. The visions and weapons of our fallen brethrens will haunt the wars of future generations. And the demons unleashed unto the minds and bodies of men will remain, though they will be much weakened. But then there is hope. For hell is yet at bay, and earth, though fallen and bloodied, will still be earth; and humans, though crushed, short-lived, miserable, weak, would still be human.
And the Guardians of the Flame, dispersed from here, may awaken new springs in some of the younger races. And therein lies our greatest hope. For then the Flame will remain, though no longer Eleven-hued. If humanity can still remember the dream held by our forebears in the desert of our wanderings--that of immortality and truth, that of transfiguration, that of burning flame--then our songs will still be sung, in different tongues but still one in essence one-pointed towards the Love that broods over this earth. And one day, perhaps, Mercy will fall.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Read one of your old posts way back in 2005 or was it 2006? on elite schools. Interesting, and would like to give my 2 cents worth.
Nowadays, there is perhaps not much to distinguish "elite" schools from "neighbourhood" schools, seeing that mnay of the "neighbourhood" schools have caught onto teaching methods of "elite" schools and have introduced more creative teaching methods, unusual CCAs like fencing or drama. What separates these 2 types of schools is probably the background of the alumni (lawyers/doctors/bankers vs the working class).
However, there was a time when going to a "elite" school did make a greater difference to a student's life. At the risk of appearing "elitist and snobbish", student in "elite" schools tend to have better family background where wealthy parents meant they had opportunities for overseas travel or extra music/drama/dance classes. And perhaps that their parents tended to be more vocal and supportive of their children's education, many of them sending their offsprings to their alma mater, the relationship between ex-students and their schools are maintained by the current generation. Requests to fund school programs are more easily achieved. It would be hard to find a "neighbourhood" school that could have the funds to invite drama troupes/ opera troupes to the schools to put up performances for their students.
In addition, overseas trips in the name of education were also implemented. Annual trips to see Potsdam/Ayers Rock were organised such that batch after batch of students could see for themselves places where historical conferences were held and geographical features pointed out.
It really depends on which country you are talking about. In countries like India and Singapore, getting into the right high school can still make a big difference--though for somewhat different reasons.
You are??
In response to the original comment, I would like to point out that elite and neighbourhood schools do differ in several ways, even if "teaching methods" are largely similar between them.
Firstly, the students differ in learning attitudes. To enter an elite school, you would require excellent results as well as maintaining these results. Therefore, a positive learning attitude and the ability and passion for studying is more prominent in elite schools than in neighbourhood schools.
Secondly, the two types of school differ in learning opportunities. These overseas trips and exchange programmes that are a significant feature of elite schools are not as readily offered in neighbourhood schools. And that is not because the elite schools are richer, but rather, students of elite schools show higher interest and commitment towards these opportunities. Since students from neighbourhood schools already have difficulty with their academic performance, they would not be expected to take part in so many extracurricular activities.
Thirdly, elite schools largely have a better reputation than neighbourhood schools, because their students' achievements have made them so. The elite schools will tend to produce groomed talents who will succeed and excel in our society more than neighbourhood schools. Honestly, would any big shot tell you he was from a neighbourhood school? This is a key distinguishing factor and very important, because when you are looking for employment etc, the standard of your school is very crucial.
With regards to the claim that elite schools contain students with richer parents than neighbourhood schools, I strongly disagree. I am from an elite school, but I am from a middle-class family, and my interaction with classmates have shown that most of the students are from middle-class families, some perhaps even poorer. I would like to make it clear that we entered an elite school by merit, not by cash. In fact, there are many financial assistant schemes in our school which caters to these students because the school administration knows very well that there are several students in the elite school that are not wealthy at all... perhaps even more to the contrary.
Sorry if I have sounded offensive in any way, but I really want to make my point clear about what truly distinguishes an elite school from a neighbourhood school.
Supreme chairshark,
That was a very "pointed" essay...."firstly", "secondly", "thirdly"....
Well, this is perhaps the first time I have seen/heard people admitting they hail from an "elite school", and I can quite tell from your post.
You've raised a couple of interesting points, and I would like to take the discussion further.
"Firstly, the students differ in learning attitudes. To enter an elite school, you would require excellent results as well as maintaining these results. Therefore, a positive learning attitude and the ability and passion for studying is more prominent in elite schools than in neighbourhood schools. "
>> I will not deny that many students in the "elite" schools have a more positive learning attitude than their peers at less "elite" schools. But notice that I used the word "many". Not all students in "elite" schools have positive attitudes. Similary, there also are students from non-"elite" schools who have positive learning attitdues. Perhaps the perception is that students from "elite" schools are more conscientious. Really, it could even be that students from "elite" schools recognise that they have a wide berth of opportunites for them to grasp, opportunities that their teachers and seniors have shown them. Many teachers in non-"elite" schools prepare their charges for further technical education, not academic pursuit. It may be pragmatism at work here, but given the right nurturing, I would be so far as to stick my neck out to say that what really matters is the environment the student is in.
"Secondly, the two types of school differ in learning opportunities. These overseas trips and exchange programmes that are a significant feature of elite schools are not as readily offered in neighbourhood schools. And that is not because the elite schools are richer, but rather, students of elite schools show higher interest and commitment towards these opportunities. Since students from neighbourhood schools already have difficulty with their academic performance, they would not be expected to take part in so many extracurricular activities."
>> If you see your seniors before you recounting the fun and what-nots they had from their overseas trips and exhange programs, you would come to expect the same for your schooling experience, no? If you are in an environment where the headmaster's greatest concern is to see his charges at least learn a technical skill so that they would support themselves when they leave school, these "extra" programes could be the least of your concern. And if you happen to be a student in these schools, where there has not been a history of such programs, you will not be expecting them, yes?
"Thirdly, elite schools largely have a better reputation than neighbourhood schools, because their students' achievements have made them so. The elite schools will tend to produce groomed talents who will succeed and excel in our society more than neighbourhood schools. Honestly, would any big shot tell you he was from a neighbourhood school? This is a key distinguishing factor and very important, because when you are looking for employment etc, the standard of your school is very crucial."
>> A vicious cycle perhaps? A school produces academically inclined students who go on to win scholarships, thereby attracting parents who want their offsprings to have a shot at those coveted scholarships thereby spuring teachers and headmasters to work harder and so on and so forth. Really, if these "good" teachers and headmasters are relocated to non-"elite" schools and fail to elicit the same outcome, is it due to the calibre of the students or the non-capability of the teaching staff? It takes more than a hand to clap.
"With regards to the claim that elite schools contain students with richer parents than neighbourhood schools, I strongly disagree. I am from an elite school, but I am from a middle-class family, and my interaction with classmates have shown that most of the students are from middle-class families, some perhaps even poorer. I would like to make it clear that we entered an elite school by merit, not by cash. In fact, there are many financial assistant schemes in our school which caters to these students because the school administration knows very well that there are several students in the elite school that are not wealthy at all... perhaps even more to the contrary."
>> I'm sure many students enter "elite" schools by academic merit, but there is no denial of the fact that there are less academically-inclined students who were given scholarships to these "elite" schools to boost their reputations at sports events. Basketball scholarships to college? I'm not saying that this exists, but there is always a nagging suspicions that given the right connections and such (cash is perhaps to vulgur to articulate here), there is always a way to enter your school of choice. When there's a will, there will be a way.
I didn't think that you sounded offensive, but this is an enjoyable discussion.
And apologies to mad hermit for using his?hers? comments here to discuss an issue totally unrelated to the current post.
:D
mad hermit was once my teacher, so he was in fact from a elite school. I don't suppose he will mind us discussing this issue.
Well before I would express some disagreement over your points made, I would like to point out that you are contradicting your original stand. Your original stand was that elite schools and neighbourhood schools vary little, and the only main difference is that elite schools have students with richer parents than neighbourhood schools. You will see how much you have moved away from your original stand as we move on.
Yes, it is true that some students in neighbourhood schools are also highly committed learners with positive attitudes, but would it be appropriate to consider this minority in our comparison? If you were to compare politicans and odd-job workers and declare that a politican has a higher degree of education than an odd-job worker, you will not consider those odd-job workers that really have a high level of education.
And I agree that elite schools focus on academic pursuit and neighbourhoods focus more on technical education instead. Which contradicts the point made in your original post that "there is not much to distinguish elite schools from neighbour schools..." To fulfill their respective objectives in nurturing their students, elite schools and neighbourhood schools have adopted a highly different approach in the curriculum.
You make the observation that elite schools have a history of overseas trips and exchange programmes that neighbourhood schools lack. Once again, this proves that elite schools adopt different learning methods, if not better, than neighbourhood schools.
Perhaps it might be a vicious cycle for elite schools to continually groom talented individuals and neighbourhood schools to produce less people who shine, but isn't that just the purpose of our education system? A rather ingenious system, I would say. Children have been taught from young that if you get into a good school, an elite school, you will excel in society. Likewise, they have been reminded that neighbourhood schools do not ensure a better future than elite schools. There is no way we can blame poor management or unskilled teachers for the poor performance of neighbourhood school students.
To the last point of elite schools "buying" sports talents with scholarships, perhaps we should consider that education is no longer restricted to academic results. A holistic education requires physical well-being, so there is nothing wrong for elite schools to have students that do well both academically and physically. Even if they had scholarships to get into the elite school, they got in because of their ability, be it academic ability or sporting ability.
I hope you will consider my points carefully.
hey hey. when mad hermit was around his school wasn't elite yet. Isn't it? Its a sorta upstart elite.
I'd imagine we should leave elite schools out of this argument because the divide between rich and poor doesn't manifest itself in only this way.
A good enough, elite enough elite school makes sure it isn't seen as overly elitist.
Damn, I don't make sense. Well i'm saying that there are always people who're poor who make it into elite schools- because where we hail from elite schools admit students on the basis of meritocracy. Like it or not, poor students will be admitted.
Let us also remember that poverty and hardship are great catalysts for improvement. It is the torturous grind of tribulations in life that strengthens and enhances the human spirit. Look at the lump of coal- it turns into diamond under high pressure and temperature. Naturally, poorer students with less students will feel the impelled to study harder as a means of breaking out of the cycle of poverty.
It is rich students who will eventually decay and crumble. Those born with a silver in their mouths are ensconced in luxury and decadence during their formative years. They are ignorant of the struggles and hardships associated with poverty.
There is a limit to the efficacy of tutors. When push comes to shove, richer students crumble because they will be unable to handle the magnitude of milestone examinations like the general certificate exams, for they have had a cushy life and are defenseless against stress.
Poor students have the dynamo of volition. They possess the energy wrought from a genuine desire for improvement in their lives. They will work harder for their own futures, for they know that education is their only way out.
I did not notice this fiery debate simmering in a corner of my typically forlorn blog.
While the mad hermit is no doubt laughing and spouting a barrage of political incorrectness inside, my public persona will take a different tact:
There is PROBABLY indisputable evidence somewhere that the family background and economic circumstances of the AVERAGE IP and GEP student (especially) are significantly different from those of the average neighborhood school student. =)
I wouldn't want to wade too deep into the fray here, so I am not going to address other arguments except these two:
For KW's information about 'wanna-be elite schools' (ahem): the pecking order among Sec schools (at least in terms of academic performance and at least among the top 5) has not changed since my student days. If it is wanna-be then, it is wanna-be now.
For Shark's 'Which big shot...'. Just a few weeks ago at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness, Prof Kishore Mahubani (he used to run the Ministry of Foreign Affairs--among other credentials), pointedly declared in front of a very large audience that he was from a neighborhood school.
Need to advise Shark to be more more tactful and qualified when commenting on neighborhood schools. If you don't, you may well be perceived as an elitist snob (I suppose you are not).
But it is good to see some comments on my blog =).
Not an elitist snob, but a pro-elitist. Elitism is not a crime, and I cannot stand someone trying to shoot elitists down.
Post a Comment