Though Much is Lost...

My favorite novel is The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. Not "one of" my favorite, and not "a good book". My single, favorite novel of all time. It’s a fantasy story that is very, very light on fantasy – limited to a young boy who can see what’s happening around his family members, specifically when they’re in danger.

The novel itself is a parallel of the Moorish kingdoms at the dawn of the Spanish Reconquista. It’s a tale of the lesser kingdoms of Al-Rassan as they struggle with the fact of their waning power in comparison to the strength of three successor kingdoms of Esperana, specifically the kingdom of Valledo. To top it off, Al-Rassan follows the religion of Ashar, whereas the kingdoms of Esperana worship Jad, the god of the sun. Added into the mix is the Kindath, a religion of wanderers hated by both.

Pretty basic stuff, right? You’ve got surrogate cultures representing Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and a setting that closely mirrors the Spanish and Moorish kingdoms when the tide turns on the Iberian Peninsula. You can find the same thing anywhere, right?

The difference comes in the way Kay presents his five main characters, weaving compelling and heart-wrenching characterizations that you, as a reader, can really relate to. For, even though each has a religion and a nationality, throughout the story, Kay offers compelling reasons for each character to feel torn in their loyalties. I’ve never read a story that better conveys the sense of confusion and uncertainty when one culture gives way to another.

The themes are magnificent and eternal. It undermines the glory of war, the demonization of the other, the value of religion, and the debt owed to the culture and religion one was born in. You find yourself admiring the beauty, sophistication, and elegance of Al-Rassan, even as you’re disgusted by effects of internal brutality and inter-family bloodshed not only on those involved, but the innocent people of the towns and countries affected. Al-Rassan is moderate in its interpretation of religion and tolerate of outsiders, except for the occasional need to demonize and slaughter them for political purposes.

At the same time, the kingdoms of Jad are much more straightforward in their objectives, and the Jaddites are more honest in their sense of honor, but they are fully without any sophistication or appreciation for anything resembling culture. And always present are the Kindath, the most intelligent, most skilled members of both societies, yet forever seen as outcasts.

Naturally – as we all know how the Reconquista ended – Al-Rassan falls, but by the time it does, you’re left with a hollow sense that something beautiful and precious has been snuffed out of the world. Yet, at the same time, it’s clear Al-Rassan had its fatal flaws that could not and would never result in long-term stability. It was a hot mess, but one that contributed to everything that makes life worth living nonetheless.

And in that, I find myself sharing the same sentiment as one of the main characters, Ammar ibn Khairan (all of the proper nouns are cities and cultural centers that patronized the arts in Al-Rassan, left smoldering ruins by the machinations of both Jaddite and Asharite lords):

Ask Fezana what has become of Fibaz,
And where is Ardeno, or where Lonza?
Where is Ragosa, the seat of great learning,
How many wise men remain there?
Where is Cartada, city of towers,
In the red vally of its power?
Or Seria where the silk was spun?
Where are Tudesca, Elvira, Aljais,
And where, in this twilight, is Silvanes?
The streams, the perfect gardens,
The many-arched courtyards of the Al-Fontina?
The wells and fountains weep for sorrow,
As a lover does when dawn comes
To take him away from his desire.
They mourn for the passing of lions,
For the ending of Al-Rassan the Beloved,
Which is gone.

It’s a remarkable story, and it bears more than a passing resemblance to what’s happening now in Eve.

For, just like Al-Rassan, the CFC is being destroyed for its sins, for the greed and arrogance of its leaders, and for the crimes it has perpetrated among those who now gather for its destruction. Just like Al-Rassan, the core principles and behaviors that led to its creation in the first place have been eroded by time, leaving a rotting power structure with no steel beneath it. Just like Al-Rassan, the CFC lives more as an idea than a reality.

And yet, one cannot deny that the CFC created a culture that certainly contributed positive things to the gameworld, and showed Eve a vision of what could be. Through the CFC, Eve saw the advantage of growing deep roots and lasting connections among various alliances, along with the pooling of spoils doled out according to contribution. During the conquest of the north, Goonswarm granted large tracts of very good space to its allies and made them strong. No other organization save Provibloc deserves the title, “Coalition”, and the fact that the CFC was able to keep so many players as happy as it did for so long was remarkable.

Combined comms, combined jabber, combined forums… and that was only the least of the benefits. Several regions of safe ratting space, fleets run 24/7 during deployments and at least once in each time zone when not deployed, the opportunity to move around alliances freely without restriction… and intel channels, which made virtually everything else so much more effective.

The level of sophistication, the scale of organization, and the ability to drive over 50,000 players in one direction are all consequences of the CFC. They all showed Eve a vision of how far players could mold and craft the game. They took the sandbox and pumped it full of steroids.

And like the Jaddites in Lions, the forces destroying it are destroying a culture as they slowly strangle the CFC to death. They’ve already killed the myth of the invincible coalition, and in so doing, they’ve already destroyed the most powerful part of the coalition: its reputation. But the death of the CFC will also bring about the death of a style of gameplay.

Yet, die it must. Like the petty kings who succeeded to the power of Al-Rassan in the book, they suffer fatal flaws that deserve the destruction they receive. Yes, a culture was destroyed, but that was an unfortunate side-effect of the errors of the city-states who practiced it.

In Eve, the CFC made many decisions, demonstrated several kinds of behavior, and displayed an arrogance that has resulted in a fearsome collection of enemies, and all are justified in wanting its destruction. Just because something unique is being destroyed doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve its fate.

Only, as we witness and participate in the final dismantling of a myth and a culture, let us recognize the complexity of what we do, and feel conflicted. Al-Rassan deserves to and must fall, but we can still feel a little sad when it’s gone, even if we were the ones wielding the axe that felled it.

For, the myth of the CFC is, indeed, gone.

Ask Tenal what has become of Fade,
And where is Tribute, or where Vale?
Where is directorbot, the seat of great pinging,
How many supercap battles shall be announced there?
Where is Deklein, region of ratting carriers,
Basking in the glow of its power?
Or Pure Blind where the reclaiming was sprung?
The tears and fountains weep for sorrow,
As a lover does when dawn comes
To take him away from his desire.
They mourn for the passing of bees,
For the ending of the CFC the Protected,
Which is gone.

Let us at least acknowledge the accomplishments of our enemy as we put him down.