Kirkbride: Created page with "Category:Winds of FortuneCategory:388YE Autumn While we draw inspiration from history, we are not slaves to it. In light of the revelations of the Lepidean Librarian on the original nature for recognising Paragons and Exemplars, let us go forward with new and clearer intention. Those we recognise as Exemplars are those who Synod has agreed are the best examples for..."

2026-09-10T02:40:19Z

Created page with "Category:Winds of Fortune Category:388YE Autumn <quote by="Nekoda of the Shattered Tower, General Assembly, Upheld 1371-288, Summer Solstice 388YE">While we draw inspiration from history, we are not slaves to it. In light of the revelations of the Lepidean Librarian on the original nature for recognising Paragons and Exemplars, let us go forward with new and clearer intention. Those we recognise as Exemplars are those who Synod has agreed are the best examples for..."

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[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:388YE Autumn]]
<quote by="Nekoda of the Shattered Tower, General Assembly, Upheld 1371-288, Summer Solstice 388YE">While we draw inspiration from history, we are not slaves to it. In light of the revelations of the Lepidean Librarian on the original nature for recognising Paragons and Exemplars, let us go forward with new and clearer intention. Those we recognise as Exemplars are those who Synod has agreed are the best examples for teaching the Way of Virtue, they are virtuous inspirations who demonstrate Doctrine. Paragons are individuals whose Synod recognises as having transcended the Labyrinth, and as such teach us lessons that define Doctrine in our pursuit of understanding the Way. Those raised in Exultation are those whose Synod recognises are on the path to Exemplarhood, to be closely investigated once their story is complete...
</quote>
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==Overview==
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The General Assembly of the Imperial [[Synod]] elected to uphold a [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_27|single statement of principle]] this past season. It was submitted for judgement by '''Nekoda of the Shattered Tower''', now [[Cardinal of Courage]], and elevated for consideration by the General Assembly by '''Dagon Barossa''', the [[Cardinal of Loyalty]].

The statement made crucial statements on the one of the issues fundamental to [[the Way]], the nature, role and purpose of paragons, exemplars and the exalted. It was passed with an overwhelming majority, 1371 votes to 288. Support was far from unanimous, and so it fell short of a greater majority, but it was clear that it had the backing of many, many priests across the Empire.

It was broadly well received then, at the summit at least. Would the same hold true beyond the borders of that Anvil?

==Popular Support==
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* '''The Wisdom of the General Assembly is plain for all to see'''
* '''People expect the General Assembly to reflect this Wisdom in the Doctrines of the Faith'''
* '''If the General Assembly amends the Doctrine of the Paragons to reflect this statement, it will resolve all the remaining problems caused by the revelations about Vardas'''

If anyone was holding their breath to see how people might react to this bold vision, they would soon be pleasantly surprised. It takes a little time, more in some places than others, but the Wisdom of Nekoda's statement seems to strike a chord with people. It gives them a way to make sense of the Way, to better understand legendary figures like the ''[[The Marked]]'' and ''[[The Sentinel]]''. It lets them be inspired by the great heroes of the past like ''[[Inga Tarn]]'' and [[The Little Mother]]''. And it lets them aspire to become exalted, to have their Virtuous deeds recognised and applauded in this life, rather than the next.

That's a little simplistic perhaps, but the common people of the Empire are not interested in esoteric philosophical meanderings; they want clear guidance. They're not simple - by the standards of its neighbours, the Empire is a utopia of education and learning, but they still want practical ideas that make sense to them and which apply to their lives. They're not interested in the thousand hours of discussion that takes place on every issue between the great minds of the Empire - they just want the cliffs notes.

There is widespread popular support for the statement that the Assembly have passed. It resonates with the faithful and calls them to Virtue, reminding them of the stories of the paragons that they studied when they were young. They ''like'' it...
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But of course that leads to the obvious question. What are the Synod going to do about it?

The General Assembly have made not one, but two changes to the [[Doctrines of the Faith]] in recent years. People often criticise the Synod, claiming it is unable to get a greater majority, yet the proof is in the pudding. When the Synod needs to act - it can. And it seems to be on a tear at the moment, working to revitalise the Way and making it relevant to modern lives. Ideally, the Doctrines of the Faith would reflect the timeless Wisdom of all mortal experience, but it's hard to argue that that Doctrine of Human Destiny didn't reflect older times, from a period in the Empire's past that many would rather forget.

It was changed - and so that begs the question. The Synod has set out its stall; it has staked out a position. The priests of Anvil agree wholeheartedly with it - the people of the Empire have taken it to their heart. So... will the Synod now change the [[The_Doctrines_of_the_Faith#The_Doctrine_of_The_Paragons|Doctrine of the Paragons]] to reflect this Wisdom?

Nobody is expecting this to happen quickly. They understand that consensus takes time. Arguably one of the Synod's great strengths is the way it takes time to consider matters in detail before it acts. "Best to line up the plough, before you hitch up the oxen" as the Marchers proverb has it. But surely someone could find a way to formulate this statement into a clear, concise statement of belief that could be enshrined in the Doctrines?

Doing so would have a profound effect, reinvigorating people's faith. The faithful have been forced to endure a number of hammer blows to their faith in recent times, with the revelations of [[Vardas]]. If the General Assembly can incorporate the Wisdom of this judgement into a clear statement and then pass a change of Doctrine to adopt it, then it will draw a line under the confusion and doubt sown by the discovery of the truth about Vardas. People will be able to move past the hurt created by the discovery that something they thought was foundational was a lie. The General Assembly will have acted definitively to resolve the concerns and doubts that were created, and the incident will no longer hinder the Empire.

==The Silent Question==
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* '''Nekoda's statement seems to elide a single question that remains unanswered'''
* '''It is unclear what the position of the General Assembly is ''at this time'' on declaring an exemplar someone who is still alive'''
* '''The General Assembly did not uphold a proscription on the practice of raising a judgement of recognition for a living being'''
Wise though Nekoda's statement is, it leaves one important question unanswered. Shrewd observers of the Synod suspect that may not be an accident. Citizens with some experience of Anvil and Synod politics are not blind to the fact that the best way to avoid a statement being derailed by a contentious issue is to avoid saying anything about it. Maybe that is what happened, maybe not - it doesn't really matter why the matter was not addressed. What matters is whether the Synod can address it.

The question pertains to the thorny question of living exemplars.

Nobody imagines that you can be a living paragon. It doesn't seem to make sense given most people believe that one of the ''essential'' signs of the Paragon is that you have escaped the cycle of reincarnation and transcended the Labyrinth. It doesn't help that the last person who tried to make claims of something even remotely like that [[Schisms_and_Heresies#The_Yaelian_Schism|founded a heresy]] that nearly tore the Empire in two.

Equally, it's very clear that you can be a living exalted. Almost by definition, you must be alive to be exalted. It's hard to be on the path to anything when you're dead. Of course, it's a fundamental doctrine of the faith that humans reincarnate, but still. The most obvious way to interpret being on the path to becoming an exemplar is the idea of a life in progress towards that goal. Being exalted is something that has to happen when you are alive.
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But what of exemplars? Those individuals who ''"are the best examples for teaching the Way of Virtue... virtuous inspirations who demonstrate Doctrine"''. Can someone be an exemplar when they are alive?

In a technical sense, the answer is very clearly yes. In a legal sense, an exemplar is someone who has been declared an exemplar by the Synod, and there's no requirement to be dead to qualify. '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian''' raised a [[388YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_57|proscription]] last season to consider it an [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] to raise a judgement of recognition for a living being, which was not upheld 524 votes to 1526. Still, '''Skywise Rykana''' was the last living person [[382YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_17|declared an exemplar]] in 382YE by the Greater Majority of the Synod, and he is very much still alive. That situation is by no means unique - there have been a tiny handful of cases in the past where people have been declared an exemplar before they have died.

But there have been precious few - the Synod has usually shied away from this and perhaps with good reason. Someone who is alive has not yet finished their story. It can take enormous Wisdom to judge the worth of a life that is not yet over, for who knows what pages will be added to its story? It also changes the way people view their exemplars. It is one thing to be inspired by an exemplar; it is perhaps another thing to meet one down the pub.

Of course you can take the opposite view. There are people who believe that nothing is more inspirational than to actually ''meet'' an exemplar in the flesh, to see them, to talk with them, to be inspired by them. It's all well and good to read about them in books, but as Vardas illustrates, books can lie... Anyone who doubts the existence of Skywise Rykana can buy him a drink next time they're at Anvil.

There are a dozen more arguments in this vein, all of which could be placed on one side of the debate or the other. Everyone has their own view, but there is only one body in the Empire who can settle the matter - the Synod. There are arguably three stances that it could take:

* '''There are Living Exemplars:''' Skywise Rykana is one of the precious few living exemplars, but he need not be. The Synod could acknowledge that the living can be every bit as inspirational as the dead, and embrace those whose Virtue shines brightest. It could give a clear sign that Living exemplars are part of the Doctrine of the Paragons and that the Synod should not feel inhibited about making more.

* '''There are no Living Exemplars:''' This would be a devastating verdict to pass down for those whose status has been recognised by the Synod but who still walk among us. Legally, it might not require the Synod to de-recognise all living exemplars, but in practice that would be the only sensible interpretation. If the Synod made this statement part of the Doctrine of the Paragons, then they would have to remove the status of Rykana and other living exemplars, and there could be no more.

* '''The Synod must not recognise an exemplar until their life is over:''' Everyone likes a good compromise, especially one that makes nobody happy. The Synod could say that it must not recognise an exemplar until their life is over. Technically, that would have no legal implications for the existing living exemplars. By inference, the statement would be saying that there ''could'' be living exemplars, but that the Synod must not presume to declare them. In effect, it would say nothing about Skywise Rykana's recognition or his status as an exemplar - instead, it would pass judgement on the Synod itself by implying that they acted hastily and recognised someone's Virtuous before it was Wise to do so.

Of course the Synod could simply duck the question completely. Changing the Doctrine of the Paragons would require the greater majority of the General Assembly to vote in unison, no easy feat. Adding a contentious statement about the nature of exemplars - whether they can be alive or not - would not make such a change of Doctrine easy to accomplish. The sensible thing to do could be to say nothing and focus instead on what can be agreed. But would this be Wise - would it be truly striving towards truth?

Politics is hard, and no matter what they might claim, the Synod is made up of people, and people are political. The ''easiest'' way to proceed would be to just ignore the question completely.

Good thing, then, that the Virtue of Courage says ''"The Virtuous face unwelcome truths as boldly as any barbarian charge."''

In the presence of you - Revision history