Sunday 13 September 2020

Punth: A Primer Ch. 9 - Conditions

Punth! Square cities by the bending river. Gene-mod oxen pull the ploughs. Goatherds gather their flocks into elevated shelters for fear of carnivorous leaping lizards.  Sentries with khaki fatigues and long spears.  

(Newcomers may wish to seek wider context here and here).

Punth has seasons, weather and varous social and physical conditions to communicate, same as any other land. Now, whilst those in the same community comprehend elements of this implicitly or by non-verbal cues, the incomer may not (be they Punthite or otherwise). Thus, a list of expressions from the Codes may be used to communicate these certain set of notions. 

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Cold Chill as the desert night is the people without a code.

Heat The heat of noon is to be preferred to Incorrect Thought

Wet As full of water as the Codes are full of merit.

Thirsty A dry interior is like a man with his bones only.

Hungry Neither trees nor men should be hollow.

Exposed, in want of Shelter To be roofless is to be skinless.

Wounded If the body is broken, who may avail?

Poisoned/Stung  Foreign substances degrade the body.

Ill Sickness is rife where Incorrect Thought dominates. 

Enchanted Just as the body, the mind may be imprisoned and trammelled. 

Short of Supplies Action must persist, whatever the conditions.

Prosperous The wealth of nations is found in a proclaimed code.

Stunned Codeless are those that fall head-first.

Dying The fruits of Correct Thought persist, though its proponents fall. 

Disgraced The Sky Princes cast down only those who offend. 

Praiseworthy Dutiful them that strive, twice so them that succeed. 

Dirty The dust may soil it, but Correct Thought clears all stains. 

Rain The earth is refreshed, thus so are its inhabitants.

Thunder A noise from the heavens, as the knell of the Sky Princes.

Clouds All things but the light of Correct Thought may be hidden.

Sunny Merciless is the gaze of the sorcerer.

Winds The howling of the dunes scours those who do not follow Correct Thought. 

Sandstorm A thousand in directed motion will flay a giant. 

Migratory animals Watch for the turning of the year, as the roaming beast does.

Troop movement Make room on the roads, in the houses, in all other efforts, for the soldiers of the state.

Goods movement Bring the sought commodities to where they are needed; not all work is creation. 

Qryth visit The Sky Princes foot-fall is a wondrous trumpet-blast.

Government bulletin When adjustments to standard policy must be made, envoys will tell it.

A death A useful life is all the epitaph one needs.

A birth Offspring raised in the code are a social good surpassing all others. 


2 comments:

  1. "GLORY TO THE GROUP OF SEVENTEEN!"

    (runs)

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    Replies
    1. Yup. There's a good summary of that here: https://www.gwern.net/docs/culture/1983-wolfe-thecitadeloftheautarch-thejustman, which I would suggest for anyone unsure of what this refers to.

      Next planned post is the Qryth as a class for the 52 Pages. Watch this space...

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