The year is 360 MA. If there is one thing that I have learned that I can
honestly say transcends all other kernels of wisdom, it is that
everything is cyclical. Trends are cyclical. Leaders are cyclical.
Cultural movements, even, are cyclical. With every turn of the decade,
the cities, guilds, and other organizations of Sapience assess
themselves and their allies and rivals both; where and how and to what
extent they have changed as a people. Not every entity will feel as
satisfied with their progress as some others. Some will see their
membership dwindle, their greatness diminished, and the quality of their
leadership degenerate to the point where 's/he was the only one who
wanted the job' becomes the reason for their election.

With every generation, the current leaders must deal with the windfall
of their predecessor, for better or for worse. The foundation in which
they've stepped up to continue building is either sturdy as stone or
weak as rotted pinewood. Every decision made by the former seat carries
through to the present and future day like ripples of water - a light
touch in the center of a pool can have a dramatic effect for a great
distance in all directions. Whether it was a good or a bad leader, the
situation now falls into the lap of the current leader to address,
account for, and fix if necessary.

Should a city be held to the failures of its past?

If you had asked me this question twenty years ago, I would have
answered no. Regimes have ushered in dramatic changes, as we have
observed, and when certain parties fall out of power, so too go the
policies and cultural mindsets they helped foster. The fallout from
these policies and mindsets is an unfair burden to place on the
newly-minted leadership. They should not be blamed for the poor actions
of their predecessor, right?

What about their triumphs?

Parents invest in their children, teach and educate them so that they
become fully-grown and productive members of society. No matter their
background or definition of 'productive', they always progress beyond
the helpless infant they are born into. Guilds train their green members
into becoming capable of realizing their potential. Schools educate the
masses so that the baseline knowledge of their students is increased.
Wars are fought by a city's militia so that peace may be enjoyed for
future generations. Politics are debated and fought so that progress can
be made, change can be adopted, and cultures can gradually shift to
accept them.

Knowledge decay is one particular phenomenon that accompanies both of
these. Should you ask me about how Duiran policies have changed from one
hundred years ago to where they are now, I would only be able to roughly
estimate based on my own experiences and hearsay. Should you ask a
fresh-faced novice what it was like to be at war twenty years ago, he or
she would stare at you blankly. And yet, this individual enjoys the boon
of what was fought for twenty years ago. He does not know the hardships
of war, but he knows the peace and wealth he enjoys. I do not know what
truly occurred in my council before my time, but I can tell you with
certainty all that I have experienced during.

Why are failures, as well as triumphs, credited to a particular time, or
a particular regime? It is simple to lay blame at the feet of the
leadership responsible for a daft mistake, but even they were elected at
some point. At some point, they won a popular vote in an election of
your peers to represent your beloved and honoured home. They are sworn
to serve you, protect your interests, and ensure the success and glory
of your city or guild for as long as they remain in their position. In
short, you have more power than you think, for they are empowered by
you. They can act only as long as they act within the interests of those
who have supported them.

For every policy change, every decision made, you are endorsing their
decision by a personal decision of your own - the decision to agree and
accept. And if you disagree, but you actively make the decision to
remain silent, you accept it in another fashion. If we all follow a
destructive path and no one speaks up to say so, all are responsible for
what results. If we all participate in changing something new, and
wonderful, we all enjoy the improved quality of life it brings us.

All enjoy triumphs, and all are accounted for its failures.

Penned by my hand on the 20th of Khepary, in the year 360 MA.