>>6347240>Develop [MA] [as much as needed DI] - White Horse>Preq-Tech: Profound Arts, Dance Of The Bixie, Poetry, Enlightenment>Preq-Resources: N/A>Failed conversion attempts on members of this civ suffer backlash equal to the conversion attempter's conviction (i.e. they lose obstinance, and if it gets low enough they get converted instead)Profound arts aplenty, cultivators currying favor with the beauties of Mount Ao with shows of skill, valor, and excellence.
But what of those with lesser aptitude? Those less blessed in physique, with copious amounts of time to reflect upon the world?
They would argue.
By heaven and law would they argue.
"A white horse is not a horse" they would say to one coming to break their necks.
"How?" their attacker would ask, sealing his own fate.
"'Horse' is that by means of which one names the shape. 'White' is that by means of which one names the color. What names the color is not what names the shape. Hence, one may say 'white horse is not horse'" they would smirk.
"If there are white horses, one cannot say that there are no horses. If one cannot say that there are no horses, doesn't that mean that there are horses? For there to be white horses is for there to be horses. How could it be that the white ones are not horses?" their attacker would object, long forgetting their ability to bash their opponent's head into paste.
"If one wants horses, that extends to yellow or black horses. But if one wants white horses, that does not extend to yellow or black horses. Suppose that white horses were horses. Then what one wants (in the two cases) would be the same. If what one wants were the same, then 'white' would not differ from 'horse.' If what one wants does not differ, then how is it that yellow or black horses are acceptable in one case and unacceptable in the other case? It is clear that acceptable and unacceptable are mutually contrary. Hence, yellow and black horses are the same, one can respond that there are horses, but one cannot respond that there are white horses. Thus, it is evident that white horses are not horses" the eristic would counter, already seeing his path to victory.
On and on they would continue, until the beauty would fall for the well-learned scholar's mastery over his field, whilst the musclebrained idiot would continue fumbling in what he knows not. Or so they would claim, for more often than not, they would be bashed within an inch of their lives by the second point, and the beauty taken in by the better protector's charms.
However, what effect their arts would have on the less-learned, is more than redoubled against those attempting to debate, for they would not even have the option to attempt alternate paths of victory, and would often end up too broken in spirit to contend any longer.
