Instrument of Calculus
We asked Dafyd, "what's the use in such an abacus? Who would consider this a miracle?" He replied with, "any creditor, any bookkeep, any merchant, tradesman, tax collector." He knew that we could easily convert the commonfolk, the scared and cowardly who wanted to believe in a higher power. But how do you convert the man who believes that a coin can turn the world?The Instrument of Calculus was one of the holy relics created by Saint Dafyd in the Monastery of Elmarie in his attempts to push the boundary of the art of magic. It is often described as looking like a abacus, with metal circles threaded on thin poles, but below it were the mathematical operations inscribed on pieces of wood. By moving the circles along the poles and pressed the wooden pads, the circles would then move on their own to produce the correct answer. It was originally meant to be stored in the Monastery of Jaunport, but a fire burnt the building to the ground and the relic was lost.
History
When Dafyd constructed the device, it was initially used for simple impressive feats of mathematical prowess. In 261 RB, it allowed him to easily perform arithmetic much faster than the other monks. Soon many would ask for Dafyd's assistance in small arithmetic matters.
When Dafyd travelled, he demonstrated the device to merchants and traders, all who found it fascinating and many tried to buy the device from Dafyd. It is the topic of a famous fable, written in the Words of Dafyd: the Insurer:
In Jaunport, there was a dock that was decidedly busy. Dafyd was visiting and showing the people how he could use his instrument of calculus. A miserly insurer was speaking with a boatsman who was arguing for the cost of insuring his ship. Dafyd approached the men. The boatsman claimed that the insurer wanted too high a price to insure his ship; four times what he had last paid. The insurer told the man he was a high risk; that the boatsman had sailed five different ships and all had met terrible ends in less than a year. He refused to budge. And so Dafyd took the risk the insurer claimed and the value of the boatsman's boat. In a few moments, he revealed that the insurer had emerged with a profit on the payments the boatsman had already made. Dafyd declared the insurer should lower the price. The insurer was amazed but embarrassed. When the boatsman had paid and left, he asked Dafyd for the device so that he could accurately cost his insurance for his other customers. Dafyd decline. The insurer offered money. Dafyd declined again. The insurer offered money far more than he had asked of the boatsman initially. And at this Dafyd proclaimed: "My device is not for profit, either in service or as an asset; it is a priceless gift from Hom to show us that there is method to our madness, but it is madness all the same. Insurance should benefit both parties and not just one. If you offered prices that were reasonable and affordable, you'd have no need of the device." The insurer did not like this. He went home and plotted against Dafyd. He hired three men to steal the instrument. The first man he paid poorly. When the man approached Dafyd, he made a mistake and was caught, and then taken away. The second man he paid luxuriantly. This man did not bother at all and instead disappeared with the money. The third man he paid wisely - not too much, and not too little. They managed to steal the instrument without being seen as Dafyd slept. On delivery, the insurer tried to use the instrument but it would not work. It was then he realised that he had done as Dafyd had asked - he had paid the thief a reasonable amount. His attempts to come away with too much or too little had failed. He realised Dafyd was right - he had no need for the instrument. When Dafyd awoke, he was none the wiser that his instrument had been stolen. Indeed, it was right beside him.This story is debated as there would be no way that Dafyd knew of the crime committed against him. Nonetheless, the instrument eventually found its way to the Royal Court during his time as Emperor Consort. It is said that the Advisor of Coin, Julian Bancs, used the device to manage the Empire's finances. When Dafyd passed, the device no longer functioned, and was sent to Jaunport where it was stored in the Monastery of Jaunport from 308 RB until 314 RB when the monastery was burnt down. Since then the instrument has been missing. Some say the instrument lies in DryDry, having been taken by the Bancs family to assist in the running of the city. There has been no substance to this claim.
Significance
The significance of the instrument of calculus is to symbolise that people care for money too much in the modern society. It was a means to show that a complicated calculation was nothing more than abstraction of the real world. While it assisted people that Dafyd met, it was also meant as a symbol to show that meaningless numbers could not represent the real world. The tale of the Insurer tells that those who care most of numbers attempt to manipulate them to suit their needs, when really the true answers lie in the morals and teachings of Hom - that we should work with one another for everyone's benefit.
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