Citizens:
There are some species of sea stars that can reproduce by fragmenting themselves. A piece or whole arm of the star is torn away by malice or accident, and is swept away in the currents. But sometimes the piece spends its remaining resources to grow a new stomach and digestive system, in a budding pouch-like body, and continues life. Eventually the piece regrows the rest of its body, duplicating the flesh it had once been a part of. The old starfish continues, while a new one has sprung up from just a scattered piece of flesh. It's a brilliant system: a tiny investment in resources for a potentially large return to the species.
According to legend, a group of fishermen - unhappy with some starfishs' impact on their mollusk catch - would wake early and trap starfish. They'd take their thick knives and cut the starfish into pieces, tossing the pieces away. But unbeknownst to them, they were really just helping the starfish, whose population swelled in response.
We can learn from the starfish in several ways.
First: have you told a friend about Talossa? Maybe not. Maybe you're afraid they'll think it's weird or think you're weird. Maybe they'll mock you?
Let me assure you that any mocking will be dwarfed by their interest. It's a fascinating, cool life we lead - one that not a lot of people ever get to experience. In all the world, we are unique. And since there are so very many people, that's often a hard claim to make. But it's true: there are only a handful of Talossans, and you are among their proud ranks. If you bear that pride with you and show it when speaking of your country, people will respond accordingly. And even if they don't decide to join Talossa, you will have spread knowledge about it. It's a small investment of your time, scattering out a little piece of yourself into the oceans. But it may repay you in a big way, with a brand-new Talossan someday coming into being. You can be a part of that. Try telling a friend, today.
Second: there has been fear over the efforts of Robert Madison, our deposed first monarch and founder. It's only a little fear and not very widespread (many new citizens know him only by the whispers and histories) but it has been heard. I say to you now that we should not fear. Conflict has always helped Talossa. The Cone War became a glorious legend. The riotous arguments of the departure of the Penguineans/Republicans spurred vast growth and brought the country out of Robert I's direct mastery. And the demands of Robert I for the membership rolls of the CLP eventually forced his abdication. We as a nation have only grown when challenged. We have the plain, unvarnished, glorious truth on our side. We have nothing to fear now except an opportunity to rise to the challenge.
Third, and finally: my father often told me a story about starfish, one that can serve us. In a low voice and with a half smile, he would speak:
Once there was a young boy who lived by the sea, in a narrow harbor. He was a quiet but happy boy, who loved the play on the shore. But he noticed that whenever there was a storm, starfish would wash up on the shore by the thousands. They'd be caught in the currents and deposited by the waves, and the next day they would die.
The boy began rising very early in the morning, every day after a storm, and going down to the shore. His breath steaming in the morning chill, he'd pick up starfish and throw them back in the water, to give them another chance. Bend down, pick one up, walk to the water, throw it in, walk back, and do it again. Over the course of a morning before school, he'd managed to throw in perhaps fifty or a hundred starfish.
An old sailor had seen him do this, many times, as he brought his boat in after a night trawling the depths with a net. It was frustrating to watch the boy's futile efforts, and even a little annoying. What was the point, after all? One day, the old sailor hurled aside his net and stalked up to the boy, demanding, "Boy, I see you do this every morning after a storm! Look at all these starfish! You could do this all day and never get them all. Nearly every one will die! What difference does it make?"
The boy threw a starfish into the water, and replied, "Made a difference to him."
Remember that you are Talossan. You are part of something very special. When you spread the word about Talossa, you are helping make the lives of others a little more special, too. It might not make a difference to everyone, but it will make a difference to some.
Long live the King, and long live Talossa!
Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan
