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Post by Septon Abelar on Mar 25, 2019 3:02:53 GMT 1
Septon Abelar makes his way to the chambers of Septon Roswyn. It is good that I never dreamt this day would come . . . otherwise I would have despaired long ago.
The barefooted septon raises a hand and knocks on the door.
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Post by Father on Mar 25, 2019 17:29:28 GMT 1
 In Abelar's recollection, Septon Roswyn was the mastermind that had outmaneuvered the "puritans" after Septon Leobert, their leader, passed away in his sleep, or at least that is what those sharing Leobert's opinions believed. But it remains a theory, though one it is not hard to find support for, given how all those Leobert had groomed for advancement in the hierarchy one by one were appointed to positions on the periphery. The man himself seemed to be in the center of it all, or at least the one rising the fastest, but he also had never been among the most vocal. Since the days of the Old King, exceptionalism, that Targaryens were different and thus exempted from the laws against incestuous relations had always held sway until it had been so ingrained in the tenets of The Faith, with Aegon's Conquest heralded as proof of The Seven making their will known on the matter. Leobert had (after he were appointed one of the Most Devout) began to circulate writs, asking, though not arguing, if the death of the dragons might have proven otherwise. Under a different king than Baelor I, one might not have dared to broach such topics, but one might have suspected that the hand of Prince Viserys, later King Viserys II, might have been at work behind the scenes to strengthen those arguing against it. And while one cannot say for certain, it is thought that King Aegon IV found it expedient to give ambitious men the cause and backing to crush such discussion. But if so, it had been far more subtle than how that king usually got things done. Would Roswyn find it expedient to throw Abelar to the dogs or perhaps his schemes would be better served with some other outcome? Assuming the man had not simply been waiting for a chance to still the last vocal voice of an old rival. Or maybe Abelar and his fellows simply had thought wrong? Maybe Roswyn merely had risen in the ranks on account of merit alone? Or simply advanced by keeping himself out of the squabbles. More likely he did so on account of favors owed by those having wrestled power and influence to themselves. He greets Abelar with a single question, what would he do if the faith found that his actions at Highgarden were to not be grounds for any sort of consequences for his future work, off-handedly he mentions that there are those who would think him best appointed to the task of copying and preserving holy texts or some other task at a septry, work that Roswyn appears to think Abelar very much over-qualified for, but re-assignment to the Shattered Rock where a septon might spend his mornings reading as he pleased from over a thousand years of history, his afternoons preserving the words of the older tomes so that they would not be lost a thousand years from now, and a man as skilled as Abelar could surely write his own contributions in the evenings, but only the most scholarly inclined would care to visit to read such a tome, and for every one septon seeking lore forgotten elsewhere, there would be ten maesters, and only rarely would the words of the latter be read outside the Citadel. |
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Post by Septon Abelar on Mar 26, 2019 1:48:40 GMT 1
Abelar tries to keep his filthy feet off of the nicer parts of Roswyn's floor. Instead, he remains still while he ponders Roswyn's question.
"If there were no consequence, I would seek to empower the church. For the glory of the Seven. I would seek a return to the traditional rights of trial, where it could be found." The irony is not lost on Abelar, who fumes internally for a moment. It is not opportune, at a moment like this, to sit in the chair of the accused.
"I would travel, and preach, as I have done. But I would approach things differently than I did at the Black Tourney or even the years leading up to it. I would seek cooperation from lords and knights before moving towards action. And from the humble folk, I would seek forgiveness and wisdom." He glances at a bookshelf. "As you know, I've done my fair bit of reading and writing. I've found it more rewarding to experience history through my own senses, not through the words of the dead."
He eyes Roswyn. "You and I are alike in that regard, I think. We both want to have a hand on the reins of history. For the good of the flock."
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Post by Father on Mar 26, 2019 13:22:39 GMT 1
The traditional rights of trial, Roswyn repeats, and this would accomplish what exactly? Who could The Faith then try? And to what punishment?
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Post by Septon Abelar on Mar 30, 2019 4:56:50 GMT 1
The septon explains his position, which is a return to the pre-Targaryen days, before the dragons broke the strength of the Church. Back to the true Andal traditions.
I've left it a bit ambiguous, since the canon is a little unclear on exactly what rights the Faith used to have.
It could be as simple as the right to try their own (instead of asking permission from a lord to do this) or go as far as the right to sit in judgment on trials that don't involve the Faith. I was thinking something along the lines of: the Faith can hold its own trials if the accused or the victim is a member of the Faith, or if the crime itself goes to religion itself--blasphemy, slaying someone on a holy day, adultery or violation of marriage vows, perhaps even violation of a knight's vows. However, this is all subject to our shared agreement regarding what the historical standard is. Abelar is not advocating anything beyond what existed pre-Targaryens, although he aspires to the maximalist examples that existed at that time, rather than the historical average, which I assume involved mixed practices across different regions and eras.
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Post by Father on Apr 2, 2019 15:10:50 GMT 1
King Maegor near on exterminated all who agreed with such positions, Roswyn notes, and thus everyone now have been thought by those more comfortable with the present state of things. How many septons would even be prepared for such duties now? And the entire construct was founded upon the faith militant, if only lords have swords, only lords will have the final words. But what king would possibly want the faith militant back? Or what lord for that matter? All who gain power have a tendency to jealously guard it from any encroaching rivals.
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Post by Septon Abelar on Apr 5, 2019 5:14:53 GMT 1
Abelar is not unprepared for this line of reasoning. The reason there is no Faith Militant now is due to a royal decree, brittle and ancient, and issued in the days of Maegor and Jaehaerys. Lift the decree and they will come. Not all knights aspire to be mere sellswords or killers for lords. They will come.
As for the crown itself, a crisis of legitimacy would be eased immensely if the High Septon were to insert himself into the dispute, backed by septons preaching the same in every back alley and farm-side sept. Swords may win battles, but no war is won without the support of the people. Words win them over, not swords. Without the dragons to fear, the people are less cowed by fear and more open to follow the path of the righteous. And no lord or king may walk that path if the church stands in his way.
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Post by Father on Apr 5, 2019 16:10:56 GMT 1
And who would lift such a decree? Roswyn is dismissive of the notion. The Lords of the Realm may disagree on a great many things, such as the color of a true dragon, but such lords who would even consider raising their voice in support of that motion would be shouted down and mocked by a massive majority preferring things to be as they are. And the smallfolk are not like to rise to demand such drastic change. A preacher might stir them to demand such action, for a time, but they have mouths to feed and fields will not till themselves. Riots and movements occurs in times of chaos and upheaval, when people are desperate and starving. But the armies of the barefooted tends to get crushed eventually, drastic measures requires a host commanded by lords. In fact, in the days of petty kings, none near enough so powerful as to not shrug off the strength of the faith militant, the word of The High Septon could make or break almost any lord or king, that is, until the Targaryens.
The dragons may be gone, but all the realms now answer to the Iron Throne, and the lords like it that way. Better to rebuild the power of the faith gradually, Roswyn suggests. Small gestures, small favors, small concessions. To do so, more men and women with vision and patience must be appointed to the Most Devout, if one wishes a Faith complacent and compliant with it's present role, one need not change anything. Many of the Most Devout are frightened by change, having been brought up to revere the days of King Baelor I, Roswyn is not impressed with that one, a pious king, yes, but a man as unfit to reign as the lackwit stonemason he named to the office of High Septon had been in administering the church.
Even more of the Most Devout would become frightened and defensive, growing ever more resistant to such change as Abelar desires were he to keep preaching as he has done at Gyldenhaal and Highgarden.
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Post by Septon Abelar on Apr 6, 2019 5:29:19 GMT 1
In the fat of peacetime, lords may find it unfashionable to take up a lost cause like this one. But in times of desperation, when a lord or king's fortunes balance on the edge of a precipice, they will meet any condition. Maintaining neutrality until the right moment, while quietly making the desire known . . . that's the ticket. The timidness of the clergy is an unfortunate thing, but it is only through bold action that the scales can be lifted from their eyes. Years of commonness cannot be undone in a day, but at least we could light a fire in our best. Even Roswyn must acknowledge that the mediocrity of the septons and septas can be attributed in part to a lack of ambition by the church. If it's seen as a profession for shuffling, subservient pedants, more of the same will follow.
These are the people who would resist even Roswyn's minor, incrementalist reforms. If he suggests an inch of progress, they'll compromise to an eighth. What a man like Roswyn needs is someone to lead the advance; to push them for a full foot. Then it's Roswyn who reaps his preferred result when the compromise is a couple inches. And that man is Abelar. Keep him in the faith and give him a long leash. Let him roam and preach and cast judgement and demand concessions. Say little--just let him put the pressure on, and if he goes too far, you can always just say nothing and it will be assumed he speaks for himself. But if he does extract a meaningful concession, snap it up and use it.
Every good leader needs a foil. The type of man who demands the world and starts fights. Then a man like Roswyn appears and is willing to resolve the strife by accepting a modest, appropriate sort of boon for the church.
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Post by Father on Apr 6, 2019 15:45:08 GMT 1
Interesting idea is Roswyn's only comment, adding that he hopes Abelar proves able enough to see himself exonerated and then deliver what he claims himself able to.
Shall we call that a scene so that we hopefully might start wrapping up the event?
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Post by Septon Abelar on Apr 6, 2019 16:15:49 GMT 1
[/scene]
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