Surebleak Culture Study

Research Goals

The Delm of Clan Korval -- a First-In Scout Commander lifemated to a native 'Bleaker -- asked Lady Kareen yos'Phelium, an expert of The Liaden Code of Proper Behavior, to study Surebleak's history, customs, and society, with the objective being to help shape a Surebleak Code. Presumably this Code will provide a basis for the benefits of judicial, educational, medical, and other social systems amidst a diverse yet well-articulated culture. It may inform law and aid in peace keeping.

Kareen yos'Phelium to Scholar Kamele Waitley: "The Scouts hold -- and they are in some measure correct -- that all custom is valid, and all law is just -- inside the society which formed them. It is therefore my task to discover the ethos and the rule of Surebleak -- the core of its custom -- and codify it, not only so Korval will find its place more easily, but so that Surebleak will know itself again."

Lady Kareen yos'Phelium: "It is my duty to deduce Surebleak's society before it is fractured yet again, and its core hidden forever....That is why I must be located in the city."

Lady Kareen yos'Phelium to Professor Kamele Waitley: "The Delm requires me to observe the society in which we now find ourselves, and compile a plan for the clan's new direction, now that the Code no longer...constrains us, as the Delm would have it. I prefer informs us."

Val Con yos'Phelium: “I hope to see a culture mutually acceptable to those who were Liadens and those who are Surebleakean formed in my lifetime.”

This Surebleak Code is to help describe Korval's place within this society, with the hope being that Clan Korval and the breakaway Surebleak Scouts and the various Mercenaries, and all immigrating individuals, guilds, and clans -- including those following Liaden Tenets -- do not overpower the native culture, but harmonize with it.

Writing a Book

“Mr. Mark wanted to know if you’re writing a book,” she said. Kareen’s lips bent in one of her rare smiles. “Do you know?” she said, and the smile got just a little deeper. “I believe that I will.”

📒“Kamele and Kareen are about to publish the first Compiled History of Surebleak”

Research Group

To achieve these goals, Lady yos'Phelium formed a group of researchers. They work at her house on the corner of Dudley Avenue and Farley Lane, Penn Kalhoon’s territory, Surebleak

• Lady Kareen yos'Phelium — group leader
• Scholar Kamele Waitley
• Scout historian vey'Loffit and a few more Surebleak Scouts
• Silain —- the Luthia of The Bedel may have "records of Surebleak before its... collapse" because "the kompani has been on this world for...an amount of time..."

  "In the City Above, there are two wise women who seek to bring together the several families of the gadje into one family...They need to understand what this world was meant to be. We, the kompani, hold dreams from an earlier time which might help them."

• Droi of the Bedel - "a skilled researcher with a strong memory"-- to access Surebleak history through dreaming. "The Bedel archived their knowledge and their skills in dreams; thus, to dream was to learn."

• Tassi -- a visitor who helped the team for some weeks: "Tassi has been helpful. She’s a good researcher and a truly talented linguist. We’d had...a pile -- more than an archive -- of texts that we couldn’t quite puzzle out. Tassi’s grasp of language shift has been invaluable there.”

((Spoiler: ***** Tassi is Researcher Veeoni, The Uncle’s sorta-sister))

• Luzeal / Luzee —- a native 'Bleaker, frequently works with "the Perfessor and the Lady

  "...there's maybe things in here we could adapt for the Surebleak Code, like the Lady talks about. It was the Human Resources manual, after all, an' far's I know 'bleakers and newbies is all human."

  (see Block Party)

Interviews

The research group invited every Surebleak native to come tell them a story from their past (hoping it will elucidate the culture, codes, ethics, norms by which they lived).

• 'Bleakers with a story to tell are invited into Lady Kareen's comfortable front parlor, transformed into an "interview studio"

• Miri Robertson told a story, for example, of hungry children noticing a pie cooling on Gran Eli's windowsill.
• Rebbus Mark, a descendant of Kristofer Mark, operations economist for Gilmour Agency - the guy who set up the tollbooths -- told Road Boss Miri how the tollbooths were originally supposed to work, for the benefit of all. Miri encouraged him to speak with the Council and gave the research group his contact info.

Surebleak Historical Search and Archival Library

The research group created The Surebleak Historical Search and Archival Library

• To stock the shelves, the group made a public plea for old documents, newspapers, letters, recipes, receipts, legal briefs, photos, etc.
• They make copies of all the old documents 'Bleakers bring them, cataloging and filing them, and returning the original if requested (See Block Party)
• Luzee responded to the plea. Her great-grandma worked as office manager for the chairman of Gilmour Agency, and kept the agency files, including the Human Resources Manual proving that Gilmour Agency broke their own plan for evacuating ALL the colonists, if needed

"Names and dates. The way Luzeal told it, the Surebleak Historical Search and Archival Liberry din't think there was nothin' better'n names and dates."

TerraTrade Document Request

TerraTrade requires port examination and certification in order to publish it to Pilots and Traders as a safe stop. TerraTrade’s small survey team requested documentation regarding longitudinal changes in Bleaker society, norms, crime rates, and culture. Lady Kareen was pleased to be able to meet their needs with documentation and demonstrate that Conrad’s recent reforms had not harmed the people.

Pat Rin had spoken to his mother, Lady Kareen, who had received a request from the TerraTrade survey team for documentation illustrating Surebleak’s social and economic situations during the Gilmour Agency years, under the Old Bosses, and under the care of Conrad and the so-called New Bosses. Scout Historian vey’Loffit, so Pat Rin’s mother assured him, was competent and willing to review and certify the requested documentation. She, herself, was as excited and pleased as he ever remembered hearing her, in all his life. “For I tell you, we have treasure to place into the survey team’s hands,” she said crisply.