BRENDEN.MSG

{100}{}{You see a stern, young initiate with a book.} {101}{}{You see Initiate Brenden.} {102}{}{Good day. How may I be of assistance?} {103}{}{I'm looking for Master Scribe Vree.} {104}{}{I'm looking for General Maxson.} {105}{}{I'm looking for Paladin Rhombus.} {106}{}{What're you reading?} {107}{}{Gaahh.} {108}{}{Hmm. Apparently I may not be of assistance.} {109}{}{Master Scribe Vree is on level three, in the computer lab.} {110}{}{General Maxson is usually on level four, in the council chambers.} {111}{}{Paladin Rhombus spends most of his time on level one, in the supply room.} {112}{}{Is there anything else I can help you with?} {113}{}{Thanks. Good day.} {114}{}{Actually, it is a journal that I am keeping. I'm working on a treatise on the social dynamics of the Brotherhood.} {115}{}{Hmm. Sounds interesting.} {116}{}{So, what's the point?} {117}{}{Indeed. I've been researching information about our predecessors from before the war and about the societies of the outside world. I think that the Brotherhood comes closest in organization to the Knights Templar of the so-called 'Dark Ages'.} {118}{}{Why did you decide to study this?} {119}{}{The Knights Templar?} {120}{}{Although the Brotherhood places a high emphasis on hard sciences and applications technology, there has been little in the way of research into the soft sciences, like psychology and sociology. For a well-rounded education, we must apply scientific thought to all endeavors.} {121}{}{So what have you discovered?} {122}{}{I've come to the conclusion that the Brotherhood functions mostly like a pseudo-religious organization. We have the strong military hierarchy, combined with codes of honor passed down from our ancestors. Combine this with our technical skills and I think that there are two paths of development for the Brotherhood: a techno-religious dictatorship or a benevolent research society.} {123}{}{What could influence the development of the Brotherhood?} {124}{}{Ultimately we have a command hierarchy, with the Elders at the top. The most influential positions, then, are the Elders and the High Elder. A charismatic High Elder could direct the Brotherhood almost completely. We need to be careful to make sure that we have a leader who is both strong and visionary. Thankfully, I think that General Maxson fits that description.} {125}{}{According to my research, the Knights Templar were a military brotherhood which focused upon the acquisition of wealth and knowledge. Although they had some religious overtones in their structure, their quest for knowledge ultimately made them a secular organization. I think that they would have been a more theocratic organization if they had a greater interest in wealth and power, since the church of that era was primarily involved in control of gold and land.} {126}{}{And how does this relate to the Brotherhood?} {127}{}{We must understand our past if we are to recognize our directions for the future. . . but I'm sure you wouldn't understand that.}