Gardan’s Steelyard

First Appearance and Context

Introduced via an in‑world dictionary entry as a guideline of reasoning, and soon after invoked in discussion among avout weighing explanations for astronomical observations and instrument pointing.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

Used within the mathic tradition as a comparative test between competing hypotheses: imagine them on the arms of a steelyard and favor the one that “rises” (i.e., the simpler or lighter hypothesis) over a heavier, more complex alternative. It is treated as a useful guideline rather than an iron law; some real phenomena can fail it, yet it remains a common check against needlessly complicated explanations.

Colloquial usage: avout sometimes say “The Steelyard says …” to favor a simpler, tighter connection between events. For example, in weighing whether Fraa Paphlagon’s Evocation and Fraa Orolo’s difficulties are related, a peer cites the Steelyard to argue they should be considered connected rather than coincidental.

Related: the Steelyard Problem—an informal critique flagging arguments that violate this guideline by invoking needless machinery.

Descriptions/Characteristics

Named for Fraa (later venerated as Saunt Gardan) (−1110 to −1063). The steelyard is a balancing arm pivoting on a fulcrum; in this metaphor, lighter theories rise higher and so are preferred. Alternate names in use include Saunt Gardan’s Steelyard and the Steelyard.

Current Status

Actively cited by avout in reasoning and debate when comparing explanations, particularly in contexts where multiple models could fit limited observations.