A Priestess's views on Insight and Mentorships

In the damp corners of Dar's dark magic emporium, or within the magically glowing walls of Deviln's priestly shop, me Elder eyes watch. It grabs me heart with slight pain and nervousness as I anticipate the outcome of the new bond about to be set in stone.


The shopkeeper asks of the seemingly wiser Aisling, "You wish to mentor a novice Aisling? You may mentor an Aisling who has two to five insights. You must continue to mentor that student every day, or the student might choose another mentor. After his or her 11th insight, you may end mentorship. If your student died very few times, you will both receive a large experience reward."


The Mundane then proceeds to ask the name of the student and then turns to the student to say, "This Aisling wishes to be your mentor. If you sincerely belive this Aisling will teach and take care for your well-being, consider accepting the Aisling as your mentor. Otherwise, don't be lured into a trap. This Aisling wishes to be your mentor. You should only accept if this person has proven helpful in teaching you of Temuair and your legend, that of the Aisling." If the student accepts, then the shopkeep will turn back to the teacher and speak the other all important words, "This Aisling has accepted you as mentor. Teach the Aisling the way. Keep the Aisling safe from the cold clutch of Sgrios, where all the dead go, and you will learn much. When your student has had the 11th insight, then shall the knowledge be known. If it be that your student does not perish in that time, then you will both have insight. Mentorship should be completed within one Temuairan year." The shopkeeper then turns back to the duties they were interrupted from completing.


Tears well up in me priestly eyes and me heart is forced to drop in pain, once again.


"Now go to the crypt or the Enchanted Garden and hunt." "But where is that?" "Just follow a bridge, cross it, and cross another one and you'll find it." (The young Aisling looks puzzled and ponders for a moment.) "Be careful and don't die. Remember my name and whisper to me when you are 11th insight and you can get some rings and insight." "Rings?" "Yes, don't worry about that now, I'll tell you about them when you get them." "Well what do I do now?" "Well, someone needs me now, so I have to leave you. You'll be ok though, just stay away from centipedes." (The young Aisling tries to mutter a question about just what a centipede is, but is abruptly cut off.) "Just find someone your own insight to hunt with, and remember, don't die." With those final words a young Aisling's mentor walks off in pursuit of his own concerns, without so much as buying the student some proper armor. This poor young Aisling is left, new and alone, wondering what he is to do next. *sigh*


These words seem all too familiar to me as they pierce me very soul every day amongst the researching wizards in Dar's shop or the ever busy priests running through Devlin's shop with no time to spare. Perhaps 'tis not that these wizards and priests are as busy as they seem. Perhaps they get so involved in their research or other duties so they do not hear those harsh words, so carelessly uttered from the mouths of some of the so called "most insightful" Aislings known in Temuair. In mine eyes, some of the youngest and most inexperienced Aislings seem to be more wise, knowledgeable and understanding than some of the more insightful and ever arrogant "older" ones. Do not get me wrong, this is not a debate against the Elders, I am seeing too many of our Elders just simply fading away into oblivion, never to be seen again, for lack of respect from the newer, "very insightful" Aislings. I do not believe that all extremely insightful Aislings are this way, not even a half perhaps, but I am not a mathmetician, I am a mere servant of Deoch. But, we cannot blind ourselves of this behavior merely because of someone's outward insightful appearance. I must say that most of these seemingly insightful Aislings do not even know the history of Temuair, much less have the heart of a great mentor. I, myself, considered by some as an Elder, am but a moderately young priestess, and can only pray to Deoch and Glioca that they will never take away from me all signs of unconditional love and great compassion that flow through me veins this day.


By the will of our great gods, we are all allowed at the young insight of 15, to become a mentor of another newborn Aisling. To our great and truly insightful Aislings, this is another opportunity to help others in need and to teach of our heritage as an Aisling. To some greedy, self-absorbed, power-hungry Aislings, this is just the great opportunity to quickly gain outward insightful appearance.


Why do I say "outward insightful appearance"? Perhaps 'tis because of all the naivete I observe every day in Temuair. Some young Aislings seem to have never known what was meant by the term of insight, and some of the Elders, seem to have forgotten it. I spend much of me days, and nights for that matter, quietly observing the actions and mannerisms of other Aislings. It does seem to me that our land is going mad, as if the darkness is growing ever stronger. There are petty arguments amongst the Aislings. The Elders seem to think that the young Aislings have no good points to be learned, and the young seem to think that the Elders are rude, arrogant and stuck in their ways. As an elected Guard of Mileth, I only see that much more of it. Just this week, in my travels to Rucesion, I watched as the newly appointed guards of Rucesion used illegal trickery to keep the citizens of Rucesion, and all those of Temuair, out of Antonio's shop because they did not want anyone to vote, as this is also temporarily the new town hall of Rucesion. They were threatening Temuairan citizens saying they would be banished from Rucesion if they did not leave and if they continued to plead to be let in. I did let them know that this was a disgrace! Ah, I could go on about this for an entire Deoch, but I seem to be drifting away from me points. Ah yes, *mumbles* the differences between outward insightful appearances and actual insightfulness..


Aislings were created in the image of love. What we have is a gift that should be shared with all. I believe what our insight should be used for is to take back from the darkness what is rightfully ours, the light. In this quest for the light, we must also teach new Aislings the way. Spend time with ye students. Walk amongst the petty rats and spiders, if for no other reason as apparent as saving ye young student from harm, just to converse with them and to be a friend. Walk with them, teach them techniques, protect them if the need arises. Even to hide in the shadows and watch their learnings from afar without notice is the least ye should do. But do more! Teach them of the histories of Temuair. How did we come to be? Who is Danaan? How many gods do we have? What do those gods stand for? How many Aislings out there can answer these few simple questions? Not many that I have met. Perhaps this is from lack of instruction. Perhaps out of lack of yearning for knowledge. This, I do not know, but I do try to teach all that I meet. I have even met many Aislings that have had over 20 insights now that do not know what Suomi is, much less how to get there. Disgraceful! The reasons for this, I do not know either. I do try to teach all that I meet, but this cannot be held on one Aisling's shoulders alone. 'Tis the responsibility of the mentor, but what do I do? Do I let these Aislings go on with their life seeming to be insightful when it is all a lie? I cannot. Sadly, me heart grows dimmer each day.


The young ones can, will and should seek guidance from a respectable Aisling willing to lend their time to help another. If an Aisling is orphaned, by all means, take them under ye wing, but beware, do not tread lightly. A title is only a title and can be ripped away from ye just as swiftly and thoughtlessly as it was given. A title turns into something more when love, compassion and instruction is added. Do the unknowing, young, trusting Aislings deserve to be taken advantage of for ye own gain? Nay, I should think not. They deserve a warm smile, gentle hand and wise words to help them grow. They should not have to go venturing out on their own. Ye are their mentor, prove ye'self worthy. Will ye not reap the rewards when ye fledgling has come of age? Do not foolishly believe ye deserve to revel in the rewards of what ye have not sown with ye own time, tired limbs and blood. But do let me clarify, I do not under any circumstances whatsoever, condone Aislings trying to swoon a student away from any mentor for their own gain. I have also seen this happen to the very best of mentors. Greedy Aislings have a way of convincing some rather trusting young Aislings that if they will have them as a mentor, the rewards will be greater. This is a disgrace! Never ever take a student from another unless that student asks ye first and ye know the student to be honest in feeling abandoned. This defeats our purpose in our quest for the light. We let the darkness win with greed instead of the light shining through with compassion and knowledge.


In conclusion, I should think that there is more an ethical role in all of this jibber than anything. We are all children of the light. As such, we should act accordingly. There is compassion and concern in all our hearts and we should not forget this. I understand, as I've said before, we're on a quest for knowledge and to live for the light. But in helping others do we not gain even more valuable insight and understanding of our world? I would say that what we learn from others, by helping them, is a most important lesson in our growth. Let us teach the young ones this also. Let us preserve what we know to be our Temuair and the way of truth.

~Lethalia Horidre
Priestess of Deoch
Self appointed keeper of the peace and the old ways

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