Amilthi Camlenn
Meditation Junkie
Amilthi threw a last, dejected glance at the colourfully painted monastery in the mountains behind her before she continued her way on the rabble road downhill.
She had ventured to the remote Halsoun Monastery on Bardotta in the hope of learning from the ascetic sages who resided there. They were reclusive and wary of outsiders, and skeptical of any who would learn their teachings. The abbot had nonetheless agreed to meet Amilthi, whose humble exterior had given him confidence. But he did not, it had turned out, speak a word of Galactic Basic, and one of the volunteer laymen who tended to the monks' needs had had to serve as a translator. Seeing the young Bardottan struggle for words, she had wished to alleviate his burden and had, though not an expert at the art, attempted to convey her thoughts through the Force for the abbot to understand. But this had proved to be a grave mistake, for the elder Bardottan did not appreciate her intentions. Their order, Amilthi had to learnt, disapproved in the strongest terms of all practical applications of the Force to manipulate the physical and mental world around the individual. The only permissible pursuit was the perfection of the self and the striving for insight. Concluding that Amilthi was inclined towards a more disruptive approach, the abbot politely declined to grant her access to the order's teachings and techniques.
Amilthi had known that the Dagoyan Masters, as they were called, did not engage in martial training, but had been unaware that they took their restraint to such extremes. It was a disappointment to have gone all the way to this isolated place to learn nothing but this lesson, but Amilthi had thought the matter through and concluded that there was no reasonable way she could have known this beforehand. She would not repeat the mistake, and perhaps other followers of the school, who did not remove themselves quite as much from the world as those who dwelt in this place, would even be less dogmatic.
The problem was to find and gain access to them. When the First Order had taken control of the planet, the practices of the Dagoyan Masters had not been forbidden, for they helped to keep the populace meek and peaceful, which under the circumstances was for their own good. But naturally the Masters had been dislodged from their position of political influence, and a human seeking them out might raise suspicion from natives and occupation forces alike.
There was no point in dwelling on regrets, and having reminded herself that there were still more possibilities, Amilthi soon felt lighter and happier as she focussed her attention on the rhythm of walking as she directed her steps towards the small village that lay at the foot of the mountain on which the Halsoun Monastery had been erected. From there she would find a way to return to a larger city.
She had ventured to the remote Halsoun Monastery on Bardotta in the hope of learning from the ascetic sages who resided there. They were reclusive and wary of outsiders, and skeptical of any who would learn their teachings. The abbot had nonetheless agreed to meet Amilthi, whose humble exterior had given him confidence. But he did not, it had turned out, speak a word of Galactic Basic, and one of the volunteer laymen who tended to the monks' needs had had to serve as a translator. Seeing the young Bardottan struggle for words, she had wished to alleviate his burden and had, though not an expert at the art, attempted to convey her thoughts through the Force for the abbot to understand. But this had proved to be a grave mistake, for the elder Bardottan did not appreciate her intentions. Their order, Amilthi had to learnt, disapproved in the strongest terms of all practical applications of the Force to manipulate the physical and mental world around the individual. The only permissible pursuit was the perfection of the self and the striving for insight. Concluding that Amilthi was inclined towards a more disruptive approach, the abbot politely declined to grant her access to the order's teachings and techniques.
Amilthi had known that the Dagoyan Masters, as they were called, did not engage in martial training, but had been unaware that they took their restraint to such extremes. It was a disappointment to have gone all the way to this isolated place to learn nothing but this lesson, but Amilthi had thought the matter through and concluded that there was no reasonable way she could have known this beforehand. She would not repeat the mistake, and perhaps other followers of the school, who did not remove themselves quite as much from the world as those who dwelt in this place, would even be less dogmatic.
The problem was to find and gain access to them. When the First Order had taken control of the planet, the practices of the Dagoyan Masters had not been forbidden, for they helped to keep the populace meek and peaceful, which under the circumstances was for their own good. But naturally the Masters had been dislodged from their position of political influence, and a human seeking them out might raise suspicion from natives and occupation forces alike.
There was no point in dwelling on regrets, and having reminded herself that there were still more possibilities, Amilthi soon felt lighter and happier as she focussed her attention on the rhythm of walking as she directed her steps towards the small village that lay at the foot of the mountain on which the Halsoun Monastery had been erected. From there she would find a way to return to a larger city.