The Oracles

[RockCrystal]

...I never thought I'd be saying something like this...

I've just had a chance to read what you have so far, and... honestly? It kinda disturbs me.
Let me go over the things that jump out at me briefly.

Seekers:
Seekers are those who have not yet been permitted to join the Oracles, but wish to. Seekers are those pilots, tradesmen, and even militants throughout Sirius who have heard the call of the Shrine - or who have had their minds opened to it by an Oracle Speaker - and have begun their journey to discover the Shrine's location and learn it's secrets. Seekers come from all walks of life, but in the end have the same purpose: joining the Oracles, and gaining a life of coexistence with the universe.

From the Wikipedia article History of the Quakers:

From 1652 onward (George) Fox was closely associated with an earlier, very loosely organized movement of religious dissenters, the Seekers. Seekers typically believed that there was no true church in existence, and resigned themselves to waiting for God to reestablish his kingdom, either spiritually or temporally. They had many practices that were similar to the emerging Quaker movement; they had discarded all ceremony in worship and begun the practice of silent meetings which, as Fox rapidly gained followers among the Seekers, became the practice of Friends.

In other words, Seekers are at this point, both a kind of proto-Quaker and a kind of proto-Nomad.

I guess the rest of my 'objections' if that's what they are, stem around the surface level similarity between reaching decisions by consensus (the Quaker way of doing things) and reaching them via telepathic link (also a kind of consensus).

Now, a confession. I'm as guilty of Nomad-hating as Tinkerbell is. I was comfortable with seeing the Oracles as simple human dupes of the nomads. So at least part of this uncomfortable feeling in my gut is from realizing that, far from being simple, they do have a high and lofty goal in mind...sort of. BUT. Is there a chance that there exists someone who only knows the Quaker oats guy, reading all about the Oracles, then finds out a bit about Quakers and says 'oh, they're just like them Oracle folks'?

I realize that at this time you are making a lot of changes to this faction. I hope there is room in your plans for what I have to say. Or in Quaker words: I hope that we can reach clearness over this issue by recognizing that the Spirit moves us all in different ways. :)

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Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
J.M. Barrie