Being an aspiring monk, and not a Bard, I shall attempt keep the
flowered speech and poesy to a minimum. In light of recent events I've
made a few observations that have cleared my head a tad, and despite the
subjectivity of such, and in light of the way I realize I impose upon
the world as it is, I shall thus transcribe my thoughts here for
speculation and criticism.
The chain of events leading to this clear thought, this satori if you
will are abbreviated thus: The Mhun were attacked, and I rallied to
their cause out of my own qualms with victimization. Granted,
victimization is a relative terminology, but hey, this is why I went.
While there I took part in the skirmishes and attacked many of those
attacking the Mhun. "All this is fine and good" thought I. Later I was
attacked by one of these individuals. "Fair enough"says I, "Do I deserve
any less?" No, I had helped take life, deviated from my course for the
sake of defense. It is only fair that I should reap what I had sown, and
despite my rationalizations; receive the violence I had begotten.
This, I believe, is the spirit of the current PK rules as I understand
them. The "intent" as it were. But this seems only common sense to me,
you harm and are harmed in turn. Done and done. But through the haze of
regulation it occurs to me that announce post 1492 absolves me of having
owed this individual anything, or anyone else I attacked there for that
matter. So it would seem that tallies up two free deaths to answer for
the single one of mine. Also, having taken my property, it would also
stand to reason that said individual is a thief. Thus forfeiting any
sort of divine aid to defend him against the wrath and whim of the rest
of the world.
Now then, mistake me not for shedding tear over someone who murdered me
in cold blood as I stood acceptant of my lot to the extent of
nonresistance. No, I merely ask what exactly the "PK rules" do for
Sapience. No other concept is as misused, misunderstood and misapplied
as this.
Mortals, by their very nature, seem to wish to kill one another. Whether
reasoned by cruelty or glory or action or reaction or worse: in hopes of
abstract experience; the means tends to be the same. Not bad or good,
just part and parcel to being beasts, but with less sense in our heads.
Some of us -- notably those of us that pick the respective noses of our
self-important little base natures and flick the treasures we find
therein at others in effort to assuage hurt feelings or assert
intellectual or physical superiority -- find it all too easy to validate
our transgressions against others.
We do it all the time, we bend "intent" and squat over the "word" of any
structured code of conduct we come upon. Cleansing our blemishless
actions with the soothing spray of self-denial, we prove ourselves to be
the very opposite of what I believe these rules are instituted to
protect: Those innocent souls attempting to raise themselves up from the
dregs of the rest of us and happen to be standing by when Milord Foe
stubs my toe and I lash out at him for his aggressive action.
These mandates are not to add formulaic steps to the dance of hate and
death that we weave around ourselves, no "two steps forward, three back"
sort of thing; but to shield those that would have nothing to do with us
from our churlishness and petty squabbles.
Still, any port in a storm I suppose, and if you put up an orphanage,
someone will get the bright idea to use it as an arsenal, or even worse:
an ambuscade. If there exists a rule then it will be abused. I therefore
confess the guilt of my heart for it's immediate intent to sink to that
level and formally apologize to those that such venues truly exist to
help for my instantaneous leap to thoughts of valid revenge venues (and
if you know who you are, I'm not speaking of you, My self-validating
friend).
I for one vow and urge each individual to take realistic responsibility
for their actions. Stop hiding midst excuse and skewed reason. Don't
seek to pester the Divine for their attentions, aid and succor over what
we irrelevantly deem slights. Accept the whirlwind that you whistle up
so that we simpletons, illiterates, violents, thugs, criminals,
pseudo-intellectualists, mercenaries and anyone else that stands behind
the word of the law to hide from the repercussions of our actions can
expend our nonsense upon one another and drift away, leaving the world
for those who actually deserve it.

In apology for a betrayal of ideal and heart
a simple monk

Penned by my hand on the 22nd of Mayan, in the year 354 AF.