View source for UO:1998-03-31: Interview With The Church Of The Black Sun Founder, Tarrant

{{InfoHeader UOFiction
| shard = Catskills
| title = Interview With The [[UO:Church Of The Black Sun|Church Of The Black Sun]] Founder, Tarrant
| author = Genn Wintord
| type = Town Cryer
}}<div class="uofiction">

[[UO:Moonglow]] - There art many who come forth with new ideas or ways of thinking. They often wish to better the realm, but only time shows whether their method proves as valid as they, and sometimes many others, had wished. Tarrant of the [[UO:Church Of The Black Sun|Church of the Black Sun]] is such a man. In a short interview with one of our reporters, he spoke of his goals and methods:

Town Cryer - Greetings Father...

Tarrant - Just Tarrant is fine. Titles tend to blur the issues.

Town Cryer - Ok. Thank thee for meeting with me Tarrant.

Tarrant - My pleasure.

Town Cryer - Let us cut right to the heart of the matter. When ye founded the [[UO:Church Of The Black Sun|Church of the Black Sun]], what didst thee hope to accomplish?

Tarrant - It was, and still is, mine hope that by founding this church and that by finding others of like mind, we can strive to improve this world. Indeed, t’is a very large goal and not something that I could expect to succeed in by mineself nor shall my vision of how this world could be come within my lifetime, even with the help of others.

Town Cryer - Seems a noble goal, but what direct actions art thou taking to bring this about?

Tarrant - I have begun working towards this goal in two different ways. The first is to speak to those who art interested and to try and teach them things that I have learned in my life. The second is the pursuit of the destruction of magical items.

Town Cryer - I’m glad ye brought up the destruction of magic items, as I wanted to speak to thee about that, but first could ye elaborate a bit more on the things that ye teach?

Tarrant - I really haven’t had the opportunity to phrase mine beliefs in a satisfactory manner yet as I usually prefer to teach by answering questions, but I’ll attempt to describe one of them now. I have met many a wealthy man. I have met many powerful men, both in a political and magical sense, but rarely have I found these men to be happy. I was once an accomplished mage and scholar, but I can’t say that my times as such were truly happy. The question I asked myself is why? They have what many wish for and yet they art not content. I came to the conclusion that many fall into one of two categories. The first is the age old fact that for those who seek wealth and power, they often tend to think that they’ll be happy if they had one gold pile more or just a couple more magical staffs. For this type of man, there is little to do. A man such as this just cannot comprehend a world different from the one he sees in his own mind. I try to help this type of man understand the rewards of giving.

The second type that I’ve found often is not happy, not because he does not have enough, but because others lack for the basic necessities of life. All his gold and all his power won’t solve this problem. But that is where he errs. One man offering what he may to the needy will not solve this problem completely, but many men offering their extras will. There art other lessons I attempt to teach, but art there any questions before I go on?

Town Cryer - Yes, I’d like to get into the destruction of magical items if thou art willing.

Tarrant - Certainly. This came after many years of watching others corrupt magic. Magic is and should be a wondrous thing, but the uses to which it is being put art blasphemous. Everyday I see it being used to defraud others or to injure and kill the defenseless. This is not what magic is meant for! Magic should be used to help those who can’t help themselves. There is a larger issue here with those who art able to use magic but who do not use it wisely. I seek the more obvious problem of magical items. The time it takes to learn magic keeps the average person from gaining the power needed to create large-scale problems, but magical items do not require anything on the part of the bearer. The problems that this causes art wide-scale, therefore I’ve dedicated most and my time and money to collecting these items and destroying them.

Town Cryer - What types of magical items?

Tarrant - I mainly keep an eye out for some of the more powerful unique items, although I watch for the more normal types as well.

Town Cryer - Why dost thou not keep these items instead?

Tarrant - That would be the same as leaving them out in the world. While my intentions art good, I will not live forever, nor can I watch so many items all the time. If these items art not destroyed they will find their way into the hands of those who would do evil once again.

Town Cryer - How dost thou acquire these items?

Tarrant - Several ways. I’ve found many powerful items simply by searching out references in ancient texts and tracking items to their present owners. For these I generally offer some form of compensation to the owner if necessary. Others art donated, and as a last resort I have had to use force on occasion to recover items.

Town Cryer - Force? Some would question the integrity of such an action.

Tarrant - I realize this, but I feel it’s analogous to a child with a dagger. If ye see that a child is about to injure himself with a dagger, art thou not obligated to take the dagger if thou art able? Force is a last resort, but some understand no other form of communication.

Town Cryer - Is there a location and time where others can reach thee to discuss thy ideas?

Tarrant - I am very busy and work different hours depending on the task that needs doing, but when I am available ye may find me at the [[UO:Church Of The Black Sun|Church of the Black Sun]] which is just south of the Encyclopedia Magicka to the North-East of [[UO:Moonglow]] proper.

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