I may have primed myself for a negative outlook after last week’s check-in talking about the power of stories in Illithiust.  While the power of individuals like our Fey and Bard to create and guide stories in an attempt to make a better world is at the heart of the hopeful stories I’m trying to tell, watching things unfold in my home country of the USA is a bit more depressing.

Statistics claimed without providing facts to back them, statements on a sequence of events in direct contrast with video footage, and contradicting statements (with belittling counter statements) have all seemed to come out of the executive branch of my government in recent weeks.  Learn any amount of history and it’s far from unique, control of the news and narrative are constant and powerful tools for a reason.  I think a thing it did for me this week though was settle a bit of a debate I’ve had in my mind on just how Illithiust would play out, especially without Landians to act as an anchor on what is the truth or what actually happened.

It makes a world where everyone can believe their version of facts, and in Illithiust they would be correct in so far as that versioncould manifest into the world.  However, Illithiust would still have a bit of a settling point when two points of view came to each other and engaged.  In Illithiust the stronger belief would win, and at least part of me wants to belief the stronger belief is the one that is the most right.

The counter point in real life is that often we don’t have that confrontation point.  Which brings me to thoughts about comfort and complacency.  Those two are powerful drivers but not without their significant downsides, chief amongst them a stifling of growth.

So, I think the counterpoint to my concerns about the loss of truth is where I want to end this for the week.  I’ve talked before about writing to understand and this would be a case where my writing opened up questions for me to think about.  I’m not at the end of that thought process and my guess is that doing so will lead to more things I’ll want to spend time thinking about.  However, I think taking the time to go down that thought process, to talk it through, and pretty much do anything I can to engage vice push the uncomfortable aside, that is to avoid being comfy and complacent.  As such, my request to you reading is don’t shy away from digging into the unknown.  There’s power in stories but the adage of there’s power in knowledge is certainly just as true.

Knowing more is good, even if it can bring small moments of crisis based reflection.  Doing it is one way to go forth and do good things.

Sean