On the Doctrine of Human Destiny - Revision history

Twiggy at 14:56, 1 April 2026

2026-04-01T14:56:04Z

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	[[Category:History]][[Category:Religion]]		[[Category:History]][[Category:Religion]]
	<quote by="Announced by Severin von Holberg, Minister ~~for~~ Historical Research, ~~WInter~~ 383YE">To conduct Historical Research into the context, politics, rationale and personalities pertinent to the formulation and ratification of the Doctrine of Human Destiny</quote>		<quote by="Announced by Severin von Holberg, Minister of Historical Research, Winter 383YE">To conduct Historical Research into the context, politics, rationale and personalities pertinent to the formulation and ratification of the Doctrine of Human Destiny</quote>
	==Overview==		==Overview==
	This report was put together in Spring 384YE by the [[Historical_research#The_Department_of_Historical_Research\|Department of Historical Research]] at the behest of the [[Minister of Historical Research]], Severin Teyhard von Holberg. It looks into the origins of the [[The_Doctrines_of_the_Faith#The_Doctrine_of_Human_Destiny\|Doctrine of Human Destiny]], one of [[the Doctrines of the Faith]] that help guide pilgrims along the Way. This particular doctrine has proven increasingly controversial since the [[Imperial Orcs]] became part of the nation, and has also fuelled conflict with the [[Sumaah Republic]].		This report was put together in Spring 384YE by the [[Historical_research#The_Department_of_Historical_Research\|Department of Historical Research]] at the behest of the [[Minister of Historical Research]], Severin Teyhard von Holberg. It looks into the origins of the [[The_Doctrines_of_the_Faith#The_Doctrine_of_Human_Destiny\|Doctrine of Human Destiny]], one of [[the Doctrines of the Faith]] that help guide pilgrims along the Way. This particular doctrine has proven increasingly controversial since the [[Imperial Orcs]] became part of the nation, and has also fuelled conflict with the [[Sumaah Republic]].
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	==The Patrician War==		==The Patrician War==
	To understand the significance of this, we need to consider the social impact of the Way and the broader context of the Patrician War. As far as we can tell, a central tenet of Patrician society was that their leaders could trace their ancestry back to the foundation of their nation. Effectively the claim was one of a historical right to rule through this link to the navigators and the great figures of Highborn history, of [[Atuman]] and [[Atun]]. This seems so astonishing to our modern sensibilities, honed as they are by the Way, that it is easy to discount the importance of it. But rank and privilege were central to Highborn life at that time, and they were predicated not on Virtue, as the modern Empire does, but on birthright. Those who could claim a link to ~~Autuman~~ ruled, those who did not or could not prove such a link were, by inference, lesser, and were ruled over.		To understand the significance of this, we need to consider the social impact of the Way and the broader context of the Patrician War. As far as we can tell, a central tenet of Patrician society was that their leaders could trace their ancestry back to the foundation of their nation. Effectively the claim was one of a historical right to rule through this link to the navigators and the great figures of Highborn history, of [[Atuman]] and [[Atun]]. This seems so astonishing to our modern sensibilities, honed as they are by the Way, that it is easy to discount the importance of it. But rank and privilege were central to Highborn life at that time, and they were predicated not on Virtue, as the modern Empire does, but on birthright. Those who could claim a link to Atuman ruled, those who did not or could not prove such a link were, by inference, lesser, and were ruled over.

	The revelations of the Way and the facts of reincarnation inevitably led to the Patrician War because they demonstrated that any one of us might have been one of Atuman's navigators in a past life, ''or we might have been nobody.'' Reincarnation transforms your world view, because it creates a more powerful link between the present and the past. How can your right to rule be based on your line of descent from Atuman, if I can prove that I ''was'' Atuman in a previous life? Reincarnation undermined the justification for Patrician rule - and it led to their downfall.		The revelations of the Way and the facts of reincarnation inevitably led to the Patrician War because they demonstrated that any one of us might have been one of Atuman's navigators in a past life, ''or we might have been nobody.'' Reincarnation transforms your world view, because it creates a more powerful link between the present and the past. How can your right to rule be based on your line of descent from Atuman, if I can prove that I ''was'' Atuman in a previous life? Reincarnation undermined the justification for Patrician rule - and it led to their downfall.

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial Synod" to "[[Synod"

2026-01-15T21:30:07Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial Synod" to "[[Synod"

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	==Introduction==		==Introduction==
	The Doctrine of Human Destiny was enshrined in the years before the Empire was founded. This is a period that is clouded in mystery, with much of the historical records having been destroyed. While we're all familiar with [[Emperor Nicovar\|Emperor Nicovar's legacy]], it is important to stress that it looks strongly like his decision to destroy as many of the original contemporaneous documents as possible, was not the only act of sabotage. The records of the early years of the Empire show signs of being tampered with, both before Nicovar's time and since. The department are experienced at identifying the more obvious distortions, but it is impossible to speak with certainty about what went on during this period. This is our best effort to collate and present the events of the period and in particular the context and politics that led the first [[~~Imperial~~ Synod]] to adopt the Doctrine of Human Destiny.		The Doctrine of Human Destiny was enshrined in the years before the Empire was founded. This is a period that is clouded in mystery, with much of the historical records having been destroyed. While we're all familiar with [[Emperor Nicovar\|Emperor Nicovar's legacy]], it is important to stress that it looks strongly like his decision to destroy as many of the original contemporaneous documents as possible, was not the only act of sabotage. The records of the early years of the Empire show signs of being tampered with, both before Nicovar's time and since. The department are experienced at identifying the more obvious distortions, but it is impossible to speak with certainty about what went on during this period. This is our best effort to collate and present the events of the period and in particular the context and politics that led the first [[Synod]] to adopt the Doctrine of Human Destiny.

	==Pre-Imperial==		==Pre-Imperial==

Twiggy at 17:56, 1 August 2025

2025-08-01T17:56:51Z

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	The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.		The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.

	So it's quite wrong to think of this period as being constituted of human nations threatened by orc powers, in fact the period is more properly ~~characterized~~ by a back and forth of hostilities between a dozen rival powers, all of whom were vying for supremacy over all of those who surrounded them. To understand the significance of the Doctrine of Human Destiny you first need to appreciate that the average Highborn citizen of that era would likely have treated a Dawnish folk or an Urizeni with the same distrust with which we might look upon the Grendel or the [[Thule]] today.		So it's quite wrong to think of this period as being constituted of human nations threatened by orc powers, in fact the period is more properly characterised by a back and forth of hostilities between a dozen rival powers, all of whom were vying for supremacy over all of those who surrounded them. To understand the significance of the Doctrine of Human Destiny you first need to appreciate that the average Highborn citizen of that era would likely have treated a Dawnish folk or an Urizeni with the same distrust with which we might look upon the Grendel or the [[Thule]] today.

	==The First Empress==		==The First Empress==

Dre at 10:41, 30 June 2024

2024-06-30T10:41:41Z

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	The people who founded the Way, who enshrined the Doctrine of Human Destiny didn't do so on the basis of a careful assessment of how great each species was. Rather it was a leap of faith, brought about by the First Empress' revelation that all humanity is united through the bonds created by our countless lives across the generations. Crucially it was a statement made at a time when a Dawnish noble or Urizen mage would have no more reason to consider a Highborn Empress to be an ally than they would a Druj [[Druj_lore#Buruk_Tepel\|buruk tepel]] or a Thule warlock. The Empress wanted to end the constant wars between the human nations, she wanted to unify them ''politically'' because she understood that they were one people ''spiritually''.		The people who founded the Way, who enshrined the Doctrine of Human Destiny didn't do so on the basis of a careful assessment of how great each species was. Rather it was a leap of faith, brought about by the First Empress' revelation that all humanity is united through the bonds created by our countless lives across the generations. Crucially it was a statement made at a time when a Dawnish noble or Urizen mage would have no more reason to consider a Highborn Empress to be an ally than they would a Druj [[Druj_lore#Buruk_Tepel\|buruk tepel]] or a Thule warlock. The Empress wanted to end the constant wars between the human nations, she wanted to unify them ''politically'' because she understood that they were one people ''spiritually''.

	The modern Imperial Synod presents the Doctrines of Faith as metaphysical statements of reality, but the historical context for these claims was that of a burning need to spread revelation to all humanity, to make bold inspiring statements that opened people's eyes to the truth, to ~~covert~~ them to the Way. The Doctrine of Human Destiny isn't a cold statement of facts about the nature of the human soul, it's a inspirational call to Virtue based on the commonality of the Human condition. It states that human being are the greatest of all beings in creation, not because the founders of the Way concluded that on the basis of the facts available to them but long since lost, but because they wanted all human beings to put aside their differences and unite behind this lofty [[Ambition]].		The modern Imperial Synod presents the Doctrines of Faith as metaphysical statements of reality, but the historical context for these claims was that of a burning need to spread revelation to all humanity, to make bold inspiring statements that opened people's eyes to the truth, to convert them to the Way. The Doctrine of Human Destiny isn't a cold statement of facts about the nature of the human soul, it's a inspirational call to Virtue based on the commonality of the Human condition. It states that human being are the greatest of all beings in creation, not because the founders of the Way concluded that on the basis of the facts available to them but long since lost, but because they wanted all human beings to put aside their differences and unite behind this lofty [[Ambition]].

	The founders of the Way did not create the Doctrine of Human Destiny to convince humans everywhere that orcs or trolls should be seen as lesser. Their words might have had that effect, but there's precious little evidence to suggest that they gave those species any real thought at all. What the founders cared about, what they wanted was for Dawnish people to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Highborn, for the Highborn to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Winterfolk. They wanted human beings in every land that we now think of as the Empire to see themselves as part of one great whole.		The founders of the Way did not create the Doctrine of Human Destiny to convince humans everywhere that orcs or trolls should be seen as lesser. Their words might have had that effect, but there's precious little evidence to suggest that they gave those species any real thought at all. What the founders cared about, what they wanted was for Dawnish people to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Highborn, for the Highborn to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Winterfolk. They wanted human beings in every land that we now think of as the Empire to see themselves as part of one great whole.
	==Further Investigation==		==Further Investigation==
	In Summer 384YE, shortly after this report was compiled, [[Cardinal of the Way]] Skywise Tulva directed the [[Silent_Bell_(Sodality)\|Silent Bell]] to [[384YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_153\|investigate the provenance]] of the document. They provided the [[cardinal]] with a report, but the contents are not at this time a matter of public record.		In Summer 384YE, shortly after this report was compiled, [[Cardinal of the Way]] Skywise Tulva directed the [[Silent_Bell_(Sodality)\|Silent Bell]] to [[384YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_153\|investigate the provenance]] of the document. They provided the [[cardinal]] with a report, but the contents are not at this time a matter of public record.

Rafferty: /* The Foundation of the Way */

2023-08-03T10:13:06Z

The Foundation of the Way

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	The founders of the Way did not create the Doctrine of Human Destiny to convince humans everywhere that orcs or trolls should be seen as lesser. Their words might have had that effect, but there's precious little evidence to suggest that they gave those species any real thought at all. What the founders cared about, what they wanted was for Dawnish people to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Highborn, for the Highborn to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Winterfolk. They wanted human beings in every land that we now think of as the Empire to see themselves as part of one great whole.		The founders of the Way did not create the Doctrine of Human Destiny to convince humans everywhere that orcs or trolls should be seen as lesser. Their words might have had that effect, but there's precious little evidence to suggest that they gave those species any real thought at all. What the founders cared about, what they wanted was for Dawnish people to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Highborn, for the Highborn to stop thinking of themselves as better than the Winterfolk. They wanted human beings in every land that we now think of as the Empire to see themselves as part of one great whole.
			==Further Investigation==
			In Summer 384YE, shortly after this report was compiled, [[Cardinal of the Way]] Skywise Tulva directed the [[Silent_Bell_(Sodality)\|Silent Bell]] to [[384YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_153\|investigate the provenance]] of the document. They provided the [[cardinal]] with a report, but the contents are not at this time a matter of public record.

Hastur: /* Foreword */

2023-04-14T16:07:42Z

Foreword

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	I spent quite a bit of time looking at this question - of how the Doctrine of Human Destiny came about - and the problem is that there isn't a lot to go on. I can say with certainty that the first time the Doctrines of the Faith appear with the wording we recognise today is in 73YE. I can say that the most well-known commentary on the Doctrines - the one many school children are familiar with - wasn't actually written until 106YE by a [[bishop]] of [[the League]]. None of that will help with the fundamental question of where the Doctrine of Human Destiny came from.		I spent quite a bit of time looking at this question - of how the Doctrine of Human Destiny came about - and the problem is that there isn't a lot to go on. I can say with certainty that the first time the Doctrines of the Faith appear with the wording we recognise today is in 73YE. I can say that the most well-known commentary on the Doctrines - the one many school children are familiar with - wasn't actually written until 106YE by a [[bishop]] of [[the League]]. None of that will help with the fundamental question of where the Doctrine of Human Destiny came from.

	So I made the decision to invite Siward the Beacon, a scholar from [[Hahnmark]] who lectures at [[Holberg#The_City_of_Holberg\|Holberg University]], to write this document. He's spent considerably longer than three months reading,writing, and thinking about the Doctrines. He's also a devout [[dedication\|dedicate]] of [[Wisdom]]. We have to delve into speculation, and I'd rather have someone who I know is passionate and well-informed about the subject do that speculation.		So I made the decision to invite Siward the Beacon, a scholar from [[Hahnmark]] who lectures at [[Holberg#The_City_of_Holberg\|Holberg University]], to write this document. He's spent considerably longer than three months reading, writing, and thinking about the Doctrines. He's also a devout [[dedication\|dedicate]] of [[Wisdom]]. We have to delve into speculation, and I'd rather have someone who I know is passionate and well-informed about the subject do that speculation.

	But when you grab a duck in the dark, you have to stick with it.		But when you grab a duck in the dark, you have to stick with it.
	<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;"><quote by="The Doctrine of Human Destiny">''Only human spirits reincarnate, therefore humans are the greatest of all beings in creation for only human spirits gain strength, knowledge and enlightenment through rebirth. The paragons not only personify Virtue but the full potential of humanity.''</quote></div>		<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;"><quote by="The Doctrine of Human Destiny">''Only human spirits reincarnate, therefore humans are the greatest of all beings in creation for only human spirits gain strength, knowledge and enlightenment through rebirth. The paragons not only personify Virtue but the full potential of humanity.''</quote></div>

	==Introduction==		==Introduction==
	The Doctrine of Human Destiny was enshrined in the years before the Empire was founded. This is a period that is clouded in mystery, with much of the historical records having been destroyed. While we're all familiar with [[Emperor Nicovar\|Emperor Nicovar's legacy]], it is important to stress that it looks strongly like his decision to destroy as many of the original contemporaneous documents as possible, was not the only act of sabotage. The records of the early years of the Empire show signs of being tampered with, both before Nicovar's time and since. The department are experienced at identifying the more obvious distortions, but it is impossible to speak with certainty about what went on during this period. This is our best effort to collate and present the events of the period and in particular the context and politics that led the first [[Imperial Synod]] to adopt the Doctrine of Human Destiny.		The Doctrine of Human Destiny was enshrined in the years before the Empire was founded. This is a period that is clouded in mystery, with much of the historical records having been destroyed. While we're all familiar with [[Emperor Nicovar\|Emperor Nicovar's legacy]], it is important to stress that it looks strongly like his decision to destroy as many of the original contemporaneous documents as possible, was not the only act of sabotage. The records of the early years of the Empire show signs of being tampered with, both before Nicovar's time and since. The department are experienced at identifying the more obvious distortions, but it is impossible to speak with certainty about what went on during this period. This is our best effort to collate and present the events of the period and in particular the context and politics that led the first [[Imperial Synod]] to adopt the Doctrine of Human Destiny.

RichardRaynor: /* Pre-Imperial */

2022-07-03T14:57:50Z

Pre-Imperial

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:57, 3 July 2022
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	To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.		To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.

	It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly , and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the North\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.		It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly, and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the North\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.

	The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.		The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.

Rafferty at 13:45, 16 June 2022

2022-06-16T13:45:29Z

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	The document begins with a foreword written by Leontes the Scribe, with the rest being written by a Wintermark scholar named Siward the Beacon, a lecturer at Holberg University.		The document begins with a foreword written by Leontes the Scribe, with the rest being written by a Wintermark scholar named Siward the Beacon, a lecturer at Holberg University.
	~~<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;"><ic>The Doctrine of Human Destiny states:<br>~~
	''Only human spirits reincarnate, therefore humans are the greatest of all beings in creation for only human spirits gain strength, knowledge and enlightenment through rebirth. The paragons not only personify Virtue but the full potential of humanity.''</ic></div>
	==Foreword==		==Foreword==
	I spent quite a bit of time looking at this question - of how the Doctrine of Human Destiny came about - and the problem is that there isn't a lot to go on. I can say with certainty that the first time the Doctrines of the Faith appear with the wording we recognise today is in 73YE. I can say that the most well-known commentary on the Doctrines - the one many school children are familiar with - wasn't actually written until 106YE by a [[bishop]] of [[the League]]. None of that will help with the fundamental question of where the Doctrine of Human Destiny came from.		I spent quite a bit of time looking at this question - of how the Doctrine of Human Destiny came about - and the problem is that there isn't a lot to go on. I can say with certainty that the first time the Doctrines of the Faith appear with the wording we recognise today is in 73YE. I can say that the most well-known commentary on the Doctrines - the one many school children are familiar with - wasn't actually written until 106YE by a [[bishop]] of [[the League]]. None of that will help with the fundamental question of where the Doctrine of Human Destiny came from.
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	But when you grab a duck in the dark, you have to stick with it.		But when you grab a duck in the dark, you have to stick with it.
			<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;"><quote by="The Doctrine of Human Destiny">''Only human spirits reincarnate, therefore humans are the greatest of all beings in creation for only human spirits gain strength, knowledge and enlightenment through rebirth. The paragons not only personify Virtue but the full potential of humanity.''</quote></div>
	==Introduction==		==Introduction==
	The Doctrine of Human Destiny was enshrined in the years before the Empire was founded. This is a period that is clouded in mystery, with much of the historical records having been destroyed. While we're all familiar with [[Emperor Nicovar\|Emperor Nicovar's legacy]], it is important to stress that it looks strongly like his decision to destroy as many of the original contemporaneous documents as possible, was not the only act of sabotage. The records of the early years of the Empire show signs of being tampered with, both before Nicovar's time and since. The department are experienced at identifying the more obvious distortions, but it is impossible to speak with certainty about what went on during this period. This is our best effort to collate and present the events of the period and in particular the context and politics that led the first [[Imperial Synod]] to adopt the Doctrine of Human Destiny.		The Doctrine of Human Destiny was enshrined in the years before the Empire was founded. This is a period that is clouded in mystery, with much of the historical records having been destroyed. While we're all familiar with [[Emperor Nicovar\|Emperor Nicovar's legacy]], it is important to stress that it looks strongly like his decision to destroy as many of the original contemporaneous documents as possible, was not the only act of sabotage. The records of the early years of the Empire show signs of being tampered with, both before Nicovar's time and since. The department are experienced at identifying the more obvious distortions, but it is impossible to speak with certainty about what went on during this period. This is our best effort to collate and present the events of the period and in particular the context and politics that led the first [[Imperial Synod]] to adopt the Doctrine of Human Destiny.

Rafferty: /* Pre-Imperial */

2022-06-16T13:31:53Z

Pre-Imperial

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:31, 16 June 2022
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	To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.		To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.

	It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly , and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the ~~north~~\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.		It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly , and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the North\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.

	The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.		The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.

Rafferty at 13:31, 16 June 2022

2022-06-16T13:31:29Z

Show changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:57, 3 July 2022
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	To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.		To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.

	It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly , and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the North\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.		It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly, and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the North\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.

	The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.		The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:31, 16 June 2022
Line 20:		Line 20:
	To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.		To fully appreciate the crucial role of the Doctrine of Human Destiny, it is essential to be clear on the political and historical context that predates it. After the fall of Terunael, humanity was split into a dozen different nation kingdoms. Some of those nations may well have been descendants of the Terunael: there is speculation that the [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] were once part of Terunael, and the [[Navarr]] almost certainly were. However these appear to be the only direct descendent of the Terunael Empire that survive to this day, despite the fact that we know that nation was extensive and covered much of the lands that form the modern Empire. That raises the rather obvious question of what happened to them.

	It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly , and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the ~~north~~\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.		It is possible that other Imperial nations are also descended from the survivors of the Terunael disaster, but historians of those nations argue strongly , and with substantial evidence to back them up, that that is not the case. There's good evidence to suggest that the Highborn came to these lands, long after Terunael fell. [[Dawn\|Dawnish]] historians likewise trace their ancestry back to foreign shores, while the [[People of the North\|Steinr and the Vard claim to have fallen from the sky]]. While that is clearly allegorical, it is presumably a mythic retelling of an arrival here from ''somewhere''.

	The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.		The point of this meandering is to demonstrate that there was a patchwork of human kingdoms scattered across the geographical lands of the modern Empire at this point, none of which had any basis, historical or otherwise, for cooperation. Indeed some of them such as Dawn and [[the Marches]], or [[the Brass Coast]] and [[Highguard]], had solid reasons for not cooperating. Modern citizens often assume that these nations enjoyed harmonious relations with each. Everyone knows that they were engaged in an existential war with the various orc powers that threated them. Urizen, for example, came close to being wiped out by the [[Grendel]] and by the [[Druj]] on separate occasions. What is far less commonly appreciated is that these human kingdoms fought brutal wars with each other.Highborn [[cataphract\|cataphracts]] rode into battle against the Dawnish with the same fervour and the same frequency that they attacked the Druj.