The principle of the South is new beginnings without compromise or remorse, trying the new and unknown, and the Burners do what they can to follow that. They can be harmless enough, when they form spontaneous choirs in the streets or disturb sessions of parliament that were entirely foreseeable. But also quite bad, when they upset delicate balances, or burn down entire cities to redistribute wealth."Burn it! Start new! What do you expect this old thing to do for you? Has it served you more than once? Can it even ever again? Burn it! Free yourself!"
— Burner Tshaklai, to a citizen
Artists' notes
"Köhler" is a charcoal-burner, but it seemed so long that I went with just burners instead. They came up when I thought about what kinds of spiritual currents there would be in Genius Loci, and of course there are those who hold up one principle of the Four above all else. Potentially problematic, when that principle is "starting over, unburdened by the past".
This is one of the very coolest groups yet. That quote - that quote! Expertly done!
ReplyDelete-Sam
It's always great when I can speak as people with an agenda. I think it's the greatest trouble with the burners - they are SO right, almost every time. Not so cool to burn down your parliament with everyone in it because they've become set in their ways, but definitely cool to burn down the treacherous merchants' guild HQ to kill all debt proofs. They do provide good protection against placespirits though, with upheaval in their wake.
DeleteOther orders uphold other principles of the Four and don't always make sense either (like the True, practically the diametrical opposite of the burners). Articles on them coming up!