The Seekers' Oath
Proto-Seekers spend two years at the Eddy learning to master their ability to sense and manipulate water. At the end of this time, if the Sages deem they are ready to attain the title of Water Seeker, the protos have one last task to accomplish. That is to learn and declare the Water Seekers' oath, a series of promises that all Seekers are expected to uphold, no matter where in the ocean they may end up.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the oath is to define clear limits on what it is acceptable or not acceptable for Water Seekers to do. The small-scale tuning skills are the most limited, as they have few practical applications outside of those banned by the oath.
Historical Details
Background
The Water Seekers of the Old Eddy didn't have any codified principles they all lived by. They were drawn together by a common fondness for the calm of the ocean gyre, and their reputation for intervening in island crises was motivated by a desire to maintain that calm. No Seeker of that time would have thought it necessary even to say out loud that they should avoid causing suffering.
Kezlaf's rise to power within the Unity exposed terrifying new possibilities. Even his children, whom he cared for and who have expressed fond memories of him, admit that he reveled in others' pain. Once he eliminated the original Seekers, he was free to experiment with ways to use water manipulation to interrogate, torture, control thoughts, and override willpower. He taught his elite guards to do the same, and in less than two decades the public respect for Water Seekers was replaced by the fear of Wringers.
Kezlaf's rise to power within the Unity exposed terrifying new possibilities. Even his children, whom he cared for and who have expressed fond memories of him, admit that he reveled in others' pain. Once he eliminated the original Seekers, he was free to experiment with ways to use water manipulation to interrogate, torture, control thoughts, and override willpower. He taught his elite guards to do the same, and in less than two decades the public respect for Water Seekers was replaced by the fear of Wringers.
History
In the aftermath of the Dissolution the former Wringers were exiled to the Eddy, subject to laws that forbid them from ever again setting foot on the Cluster Islands. Sage Alcendis Varenonde, who had accepted the title of Dancinglight, hoped to make the Eddy once again a haven for those with strong waster sensitivity. Despite the area's natural attraction, for five years no one came. Sage Varen then took a tour of the islands to recruit future Seekers, but only a handful of candidates from outside the Cluster would take the risk.
The following year Seeker Istlourn, formerly Wringer One, began writing the oath both to provide a guide of what skills may and may not be taught, and as evidence of the Eddy's intention to turn away from the Wringers' repertoire.
The following year Seeker Istlourn, formerly Wringer One, began writing the oath both to provide a guide of what skills may and may not be taught, and as evidence of the Eddy's intention to turn away from the Wringers' repertoire.
Public Reaction
The oath has only partially accomplished its goal. Its text has been widely publicized, but from the rumors that still circulate it's clear that, even twenty years after its writing, many people don't believe in it.
Legacy
Among younger Water Seekers at the Eddy today, there is a growing feeling that the oath is too extensive and vague. It bans not specific skills, but any use of tuning on a person's body or aura, even though in medical contexts such interventions could save lives or treat aura conditions like Deeps' Draw.
Authors
The Oath Tested
Only once has the oath been broken seriously enough to warrant removal from rank. An itinerant Seeker intentionally performed a minor wringing on a Seeker candidate as a demonstration. For that violation, he admitted fault and readily accepted the penalty.Fifteen years later, he is still required to return to the Eddy annually and make an accounting of his travels over the past year so that the Sages and Dancinglight can investigate and determine if he has at any time broken the oath further.
Given the attitudes I've observed during my time at the Eddy, I think it's likely the oath will be revised in the near future to make a distinction between beneficial and harmful tuning. The former Wringers are still vehemently opposed to this, especially Istlourn.
Scribe Elan
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