Pride and paragons - Revision history

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

2026-01-15T21:31:19Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:31, 15 January 2026
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	In summer, the [[Lepidean Librarian]] took the Courageous decision to publish in full the library's findings on the [[Life of Vardas]]. This research appeared to show that [[Vardas]] was not a paragon, that in fact they had never existed. Their entire life story was essentially a collection of tall tales, penned by [[The_League_magical_traditions#mountebank\|a League mountebank]] to make a quick ring. Some of the inspirational stories from the paragon's life were based on things actual people had done and the author simply changed the name, but there was no evidence that the man called Vardas had ever existed at all.		In summer, the [[Lepidean Librarian]] took the Courageous decision to publish in full the library's findings on the [[Life of Vardas]]. This research appeared to show that [[Vardas]] was not a paragon, that in fact they had never existed. Their entire life story was essentially a collection of tall tales, penned by [[The_League_magical_traditions#mountebank\|a League mountebank]] to make a quick ring. Some of the inspirational stories from the paragon's life were based on things actual people had done and the author simply changed the name, but there was no evidence that the man called Vardas had ever existed at all.

	Vardas has been recognised as a paragon of Vigilance for well over three centuries - they were recognised by the Highborn Assembly of Vigilance in 34BE - thirty four years before the Empire was even founded. The discovery that it was all a lie and there was no Vardas threatened to be as a [[True_faith\|hammer blow to the faith]] that would damage people's faith in the judgement of the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod]]. If they were taken in by these lies, what other mistakes may have been made?		Vardas has been recognised as a paragon of Vigilance for well over three centuries - they were recognised by the Highborn Assembly of Vigilance in 34BE - thirty four years before the Empire was even founded. The discovery that it was all a lie and there was no Vardas threatened to be as a [[True_faith\|hammer blow to the faith]] that would damage people's faith in the judgement of the [[Synod]]. If they were taken in by these lies, what other mistakes may have been made?

	At the Autumn Equinox, the Synod moved decisively to prevent a full-blown crisis of faith from developing, using a judgement of recognition to renounce Vardas as a paragon. This decision has prevented a schism in the faithful, but just as anticipated, it has raised more questions than it answered.		At the Autumn Equinox, the Synod moved decisively to prevent a full-blown crisis of faith from developing, using a judgement of recognition to renounce Vardas as a paragon. This decision has prevented a schism in the faithful, but just as anticipated, it has raised more questions than it answered.

Twiggy at 18:50, 9 August 2025

2025-08-09T18:50:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:50, 9 August 2025
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	"I invite my chapter to consider that this development is an opportunity we should embrace, not fear." Her voice was growing stronger now as she warmed to her subject. She'd practiced this sermon with Enoch so many times and she tried to convince herself this was just the same.		"I invite my chapter to consider that this development is an opportunity we should embrace, not fear." Her voice was growing stronger now as she warmed to her subject. She'd practiced this sermon with Enoch so many times and she tried to convince herself this was just the same.

	"The age in which we live is filled with Virtue. Our leaders have set in motion events that will one day rid the world of slavery. Our generals dragged the Druj to the verge of destruction. As archivists, we are trained to sift through the dirt of the past to find the virtuous jewels. But I ask you all to consider how our world would look to us if we saw current events in the same way we see the past. What if our obsession with the inspirational figures of the past is blinding us to the extraordinary reality of the present. What if we didn't have the paragons and the ~~examplars~~ to inspire us - what if we had to look to each other for inspiration?"		"The age in which we live is filled with Virtue. Our leaders have set in motion events that will one day rid the world of slavery. Our generals dragged the Druj to the verge of destruction. As archivists, we are trained to sift through the dirt of the past to find the virtuous jewels. But I ask you all to consider how our world would look to us if we saw current events in the same way we see the past. What if our obsession with the inspirational figures of the past is blinding us to the extraordinary reality of the present. What if we didn't have the paragons and the exemplars to inspire us - what if we had to look to each other for inspiration?"

	She paused to draw breath and carefully took another sip of water. She worried someone might shout out some interruption, but the room was silent as the grave. What did Enoch use to say - so quiet you can hear the ghosts breathing.		She paused to draw breath and carefully took another sip of water. She worried someone might shout out some interruption, but the room was silent as the grave. What did Enoch use to say - so quiet you can hear the ghosts breathing.

Twiggy at 18:43, 8 August 2025

2025-08-08T18:43:35Z

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	What makes it worse with Vardas is that, of all the paragons, he was one of the few whose life felt relatable to many citizens in the Empire. He felt real to people, in a way that [[the Marked]] or [[the Sentinel]] or some of the others do not. The names, the places, the people described in the stories of Vardas' life were familiar to people - you could visit the places described in the tales about him.		What makes it worse with Vardas is that, of all the paragons, he was one of the few whose life felt relatable to many citizens in the Empire. He felt real to people, in a way that [[the Marked]] or [[the Sentinel]] or some of the others do not. The names, the places, the people described in the stories of Vardas' life were familiar to people - you could visit the places described in the tales about him.

	Many of the paragons feel less real and strangely that makes the truth of their lives feel less important. One Highborn archivist gives the example of [[Tian]]. There are citizens who believe that Tian actually took fire from the actual sun... but there aren't that many. Most people, if pushed, think that on some level, the story of Tian's life is a metaphor. There are known to be copies of Tian's Epic, kept secretly in Highborn chapter houses, but people aren't pressing to have them dragged into the light of Day because there is a sense that it doesn't actually matter whether Tian took fire from the Sun or just discovered Summer magic as some scholars ~~hypothesize~~. What matters is that her life inspires. If it came out that actually she just robbed a passing torch seller, then people would be devastated, it would just be Vardas all over again, but nobody imagines that is likely to be the case.		Many of the paragons feel less real and strangely that makes the truth of their lives feel less important. One Highborn archivist gives the example of [[Tian]]. There are citizens who believe that Tian actually took fire from the actual sun... but there aren't that many. Most people, if pushed, think that on some level, the story of Tian's life is a metaphor. There are known to be copies of Tian's Epic, kept secretly in Highborn chapter houses, but people aren't pressing to have them dragged into the light of Day because there is a sense that it doesn't actually matter whether Tian took fire from the Sun or just discovered Summer magic as some scholars hypothesise. What matters is that her life inspires. If it came out that actually she just robbed a passing torch seller, then people would be devastated, it would just be Vardas all over again, but nobody imagines that is likely to be the case.

	People are still angry and distressed by the lies of Vardas. But rather than push to have every paragon and exemplar thoroughly vetted, people are asking much more profound questions about the nature and role of the paragons and exemplars. There are as many questions as there are faithful, but broadly they fall into three main areas.		People are still angry and distressed by the lies of Vardas. But rather than push to have every paragon and exemplar thoroughly vetted, people are asking much more profound questions about the nature and role of the paragons and exemplars. There are as many questions as there are faithful, but broadly they fall into three main areas.

Twiggy at 13:48, 16 July 2025

2025-07-16T13:48:29Z

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	The plan for the Grand Inspiration of the Way was conceived in Spring 385YE. The Imperial Senate had asked Naomi of Virtue's Rest to [[appraisal\|appraise]] what could be done to [[384YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Pilgrims_of_the_Way\|encourage pilgrims of the Way from foreign nations to come to the Empire]] with the explicit intention that Bastion take its rightful place as the birthplace of the Way and diminish the importance of its rival in [[Sumaah_Republic#Timoj\|Timoj]]. If Naomi had been able to carry out the appraisal, history might have taken a very different course, but the Senate had already assigned her to a different appraisal and so [[Appraisal#Eilian_Sweetwater\|Eilian Sweetwater]] was given the task in her place.		The plan for the Grand Inspiration of the Way was conceived in Spring 385YE. The Imperial Senate had asked Naomi of Virtue's Rest to [[appraisal\|appraise]] what could be done to [[384YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Pilgrims_of_the_Way\|encourage pilgrims of the Way from foreign nations to come to the Empire]] with the explicit intention that Bastion take its rightful place as the birthplace of the Way and diminish the importance of its rival in [[Sumaah_Republic#Timoj\|Timoj]]. If Naomi had been able to carry out the appraisal, history might have taken a very different course, but the Senate had already assigned her to a different appraisal and so [[Appraisal#Eilian_Sweetwater\|Eilian Sweetwater]] was given the task in her place.

	~~Ellian~~'s proposal to create a new holy city of the Way was breath-taking in both scale and grandeur. A contest was arranged to find an artist with the vision to imagine this grand new edifice. The Assembly of Nine [[The_cities_and_the_city#Bastion:_the_Grand_Endeavour\|chose to take elements from two designs]]; the sketches by '''Millward Cowley''' that laid out the basic design of the city building on conceptual art by '''Skywise Gralka''' that captured the idea of soaring towers and pealing bells. Together, they formed a plan for a new religious city. All that was needed was a thousand wains of white granite and 250 thrones to build it!		Eilian's proposal to create a new holy city of the Way was breath-taking in both scale and grandeur. A contest was arranged to find an artist with the vision to imagine this grand new edifice. The Assembly of Nine [[The_cities_and_the_city#Bastion:_the_Grand_Endeavour\|chose to take elements from two designs]]; the sketches by '''Millward Cowley''' that laid out the basic design of the city building on conceptual art by '''Skywise Gralka''' that captured the idea of soaring towers and pealing bells. Together, they formed a plan for a new religious city. All that was needed was a thousand wains of white granite and 250 thrones to build it!

	This was easily the largest [[commission]] the Senate has ever authorised, and it was clear it would take years to gather the materials needed. Fortunately, a number of nations were prepared to support the project. The national assemblies of the Marches, [[the Brass Coast]], [[Wintermark]], [[Navarr]], [[the League]], and Dawn all encouraged the Virtuous citizens of their nation to donate wains to support the project. Coupled with the ongoing donations from citizens of Highguard, the people of the Empire donated more than five hundred wains to the project. Sadly, most of those donations have now ended, only the Highborn people are still contributing to the Grand Inspiration of the Way. Without significant additional donations of white granite and money from wealthy citizens who attend Anvil, the civil service estimates it will take approximately ten more years to gather the remaining resources needed.		This was easily the largest [[commission]] the Senate has ever authorised, and it was clear it would take years to gather the materials needed. Fortunately, a number of nations were prepared to support the project. The national assemblies of the Marches, [[the Brass Coast]], [[Wintermark]], [[Navarr]], [[the League]], and Dawn all encouraged the Virtuous citizens of their nation to donate wains to support the project. Coupled with the ongoing donations from citizens of Highguard, the people of the Empire donated more than five hundred wains to the project. Sadly, most of those donations have now ended, only the Highborn people are still contributing to the Grand Inspiration of the Way. Without significant additional donations of white granite and money from wealthy citizens who attend Anvil, the civil service estimates it will take approximately ten more years to gather the remaining resources needed.

Vsabo: /* The Next Question */

2025-04-22T16:23:34Z

The Next Question

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:23, 22 April 2025
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	Most of the scholars of the [[Lepidean_Librarian#Lepidean_University\|Lepidean University]] are traditional Highborn [[Highguard_history#Archivists\|archivists]]. To an archivist, the purpose of studying history is to find inspiration. The blunt truth is that many of them would have preferred to discreetly drop the research on Vardas before the truth could come out. There is some suggestion that they have done this in the recent past. Many of those who work at the Library are now filled with anguish and grief at the outcome of their painstaking work.		Most of the scholars of the [[Lepidean_Librarian#Lepidean_University\|Lepidean University]] are traditional Highborn [[Highguard_history#Archivists\|archivists]]. To an archivist, the purpose of studying history is to find inspiration. The blunt truth is that many of them would have preferred to discreetly drop the research on Vardas before the truth could come out. There is some suggestion that they have done this in the recent past. Many of those who work at the Library are now filled with anguish and grief at the outcome of their painstaking work.

	To an archivist, the past is not a set of facts to be curated, but a rich source of inspiration that provides a Way to Virtue. Some archivists describe themselves as sculptors, cutting away the minutiae of the past to allow the Virtuous story to emerge. A number of archivists are firmly of the view that it doesn't matter in the slightest that Vardas wasn't real - what matters is that their legend inspired Imperial citizens for three hundred ~~year~~ to be vigilant and fight crime. And now, instead of an inspirational legend that generations of Highborn will grow up aspiring to imitate, the Empire is left with a sorry tale about the importance of not putting too much in faith in inspirational figures in case they turn out to be liars and thieves. They regard what happened with Vardas as destructive iconoclasm that has aided nobody.		To an archivist, the past is not a set of facts to be curated, but a rich source of inspiration that provides a Way to Virtue. Some archivists describe themselves as sculptors, cutting away the minutiae of the past to allow the Virtuous story to emerge. A number of archivists are firmly of the view that it doesn't matter in the slightest that Vardas wasn't real - what matters is that their legend inspired Imperial citizens for three hundred years to be vigilant and fight crime. And now, instead of an inspirational legend that generations of Highborn will grow up aspiring to imitate, the Empire is left with a sorry tale about the importance of not putting too much in faith in inspirational figures in case they turn out to be liars and thieves. They regard what happened with Vardas as destructive iconoclasm that has aided nobody.

	After lengthy discussion, the scholars who feel most strongly about this point have decided to retire in the coming months. The thought that they might be asked to investigate the life of [[Tian]] or [[Kethry]] or [[Atuman]] and be forced to discover and reveal some tawdry detail about a great paragon's life is too much to bear. It would take some time for the Library to replace these experienced individuals if they all retired en masse, and so a painstaking compromise has been agreed.		After lengthy discussion, the scholars who feel most strongly about this point have decided to retire in the coming months. The thought that they might be asked to investigate the life of [[Tian]] or [[Kethry]] or [[Atuman]] and be forced to discover and reveal some tawdry detail about a great paragon's life is too much to bear. It would take some time for the Library to replace these experienced individuals if they all retired en masse, and so a painstaking compromise has been agreed.

Vsabo at 16:09, 22 April 2025

2025-04-22T16:09:06Z

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	"As you know, the General Assembly have renounced Vardas. The pioneering work published by Hazelelponi, our Lepidean Librarian, has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that his life was a fiction." A murmur went through the room, but she was too nervous to sense the meaning of it. Her hands tightened on the rostrum, and she pressed on.		"As you know, the General Assembly have renounced Vardas. The pioneering work published by Hazelelponi, our Lepidean Librarian, has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that his life was a fiction." A murmur went through the room, but she was too nervous to sense the meaning of it. Her hands tightened on the rostrum, and she pressed on.

	"I invite my chapter to consider that this development is an opportunity we should embrace not fear." Her voice was growing stronger now as she warmed to her subject. She'd practiced this sermon with Enoch so many times and she tried to convince herself this was just the same.		"I invite my chapter to consider that this development is an opportunity we should embrace, not fear." Her voice was growing stronger now as she warmed to her subject. She'd practiced this sermon with Enoch so many times and she tried to convince herself this was just the same.

	"The age in which we live is filled with Virtue. Our leaders have set in motion events that will one day rid the world of slavery. Our generals dragged the Druj to the verge of destruction. As archivists, we are trained to sift through the dirt of the past to find the virtuous jewels. But I ask you all to consider how our world would look to us if we saw current events in the same way we see the past. What if our obsession with the inspirational figures of the past is blinding us to the extraordinary reality of the present. What if we didn't have the paragons and the examplars to inspire us - what if we had to look to each other for inspiration?"		"The age in which we live is filled with Virtue. Our leaders have set in motion events that will one day rid the world of slavery. Our generals dragged the Druj to the verge of destruction. As archivists, we are trained to sift through the dirt of the past to find the virtuous jewels. But I ask you all to consider how our world would look to us if we saw current events in the same way we see the past. What if our obsession with the inspirational figures of the past is blinding us to the extraordinary reality of the present. What if we didn't have the paragons and the examplars to inspire us - what if we had to look to each other for inspiration?"

Vsabo at 16:08, 22 April 2025

2025-04-22T16:08:38Z

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	Screwing her Courage to the sticking-place she turned and mounted the steps of the pulpit. She put her notes on the rostrum in front of her and then looked up. The small chapel was full, it seemed like every member of their chapter was here. All forty seven of them. She swallowed nervously and realised her mouth was dry. She glanced down at her notes and spotted the glass of water Enoch had put there an hour earlier. She felt his Loyalty wrap round her like a cloak as she wet her lips. No more delays she thought, it's now or never.		Screwing her Courage to the sticking-place she turned and mounted the steps of the pulpit. She put her notes on the rostrum in front of her and then looked up. The small chapel was full, it seemed like every member of their chapter was here. All forty seven of them. She swallowed nervously and realised her mouth was dry. She glanced down at her notes and spotted the glass of water Enoch had put there an hour earlier. She felt his Loyalty wrap round her like a cloak as she wet her lips. No more delays she thought, it's now or never.

	"The General Assembly have..." she cracked and broke before she could finish the first line. She'd been working on for the last two years, but her stomach was churning. Come on, she thought, you can do this, you can do this. "The General Assembly have..." She stopped again.		"The General Assembly have..." she cracked and broke before she could finish the first line. She'd been working on this for the last two years, but her stomach was churning. Come on, she thought, you can do this, you can do this. "The General Assembly have..." She stopped again.

	"As you know, the General Assembly have renounced Vardas. The pioneering work published by Hazelelponi, our Lepidean Librarian, has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that his life was a fiction." A murmur went through the room, but she was too nervous to sense the meaning of it. Her hands tightened on the rostrum, and she pressed on.		"As you know, the General Assembly have renounced Vardas. The pioneering work published by Hazelelponi, our Lepidean Librarian, has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that his life was a fiction." A murmur went through the room, but she was too nervous to sense the meaning of it. Her hands tightened on the rostrum, and she pressed on.

Hailmur at 03:01, 19 April 2025

2025-04-19T03:01:02Z

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	</ic>		</ic>
	<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=Assembly_General.png\|caption=The General Assembly\|align=left\|width=300}}</div>		<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=Assembly_General.png\|caption=The General Assembly\|align=left\|width=300}}</div>
			{{PDFLink\|align=right\|link=File:Pride and paragons.pdf\|caption=Click for pdf version}}
	==Overview==		==Overview==
	In summer, the [[Lepidean Librarian]] took the Courageous decision to publish in full the library's findings on the [[Life of Vardas]]. This research appeared to show that [[Vardas]] was not a paragon, that in fact they had never existed. Their entire life story was essentially a collection of tall tales, penned by [[The_League_magical_traditions#mountebank\|a League mountebank]] to make a quick ring. Some of the inspirational stories from the paragon's life were based on things actual people had done and the author simply changed the name, but there was no evidence that the man called Vardas had ever existed at all.		In summer, the [[Lepidean Librarian]] took the Courageous decision to publish in full the library's findings on the [[Life of Vardas]]. This research appeared to show that [[Vardas]] was not a paragon, that in fact they had never existed. Their entire life story was essentially a collection of tall tales, penned by [[The_League_magical_traditions#mountebank\|a League mountebank]] to make a quick ring. Some of the inspirational stories from the paragon's life were based on things actual people had done and the author simply changed the name, but there was no evidence that the man called Vardas had ever existed at all.

Hailmur: /* Further Reading */

2025-04-18T22:58:42Z

Hailmur: /* Outstanding Work */

2025-04-18T17:44:30Z

Outstanding Work

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:44, 18 April 2025
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	* '''One of the staff at the Library has publicly asked the Marcher Assembly to pass judgement on the matter'''		* '''One of the staff at the Library has publicly asked the Marcher Assembly to pass judgement on the matter'''
	* '''This request is informal and the Assembly has no legal right to intervene in this way, but any response is likely to influence the outcome regardless'''		* '''This request is informal and the Assembly has no legal right to intervene in this way, but any response is likely to influence the outcome regardless'''
			* '''Friars, monks, and congregation owners of the Marches will receive a letter in their pack from ''Mattias of Virtue's Rest'''''
	In Summer 386YE, the Lepidean Librarian instructed the Library to [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Research_Tom_Drake\|research the life, history, and personal values of Tom Drake]]. The instruction came a season after the Library were asked to look into the life of Vardas, which may have influenced how people feel. The work is now overdue, but it is has become painfully clear that the Library are dragging their feet. They keep asking for more time to check their findings and have dropped veiled hints to the Librarian that they are struggling to meet the expressed goal - to find ''"information on his Legacy can re-inspire that Pride for things, both small and great."''		In Summer 386YE, the Lepidean Librarian instructed the Library to [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Research_Tom_Drake\|research the life, history, and personal values of Tom Drake]]. The instruction came a season after the Library were asked to look into the life of Vardas, which may have influenced how people feel. The work is now overdue, but it is has become painfully clear that the Library are dragging their feet. They keep asking for more time to check their findings and have dropped veiled hints to the Librarian that they are struggling to meet the expressed goal - to find ''"information on his Legacy can re-inspire that Pride for things, both small and great."''

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	And some people are asking more profound questions. Why is Highguard pouring their efforts into building this giant monument to the Way, when the faith itself seems to be failing? Is this edifice actually the best way to safeguard the Way? What if [[Blood_will_thicken#No_Price_Is_Too_High\|Aspar was ''right'']] when he implied the Grand Inspiration was quite literally a folly? The Way is in crisis - again. Surely Highguard should try to shore up the faith itself rather than shoring up the building meant to house it?		And some people are asking more profound questions. Why is Highguard pouring their efforts into building this giant monument to the Way, when the faith itself seems to be failing? Is this edifice actually the best way to safeguard the Way? What if [[Blood_will_thicken#No_Price_Is_Too_High\|Aspar was ''right'']] when he implied the Grand Inspiration was quite literally a folly? The Way is in crisis - again. Surely Highguard should try to shore up the faith itself rather than shoring up the building meant to house it?

			<ic>"I'm just saying, maybe this proves that now is the time for a grand inspiration..." Amos sat with her mug of coffee slowly cooling down, staring out the window at the miserable weather.

			"Face facts, love, t'other nations aren't putting granite in any more. It'll prolly take decades." Hezekiah was doing that thing that he did sometimes, where he tried to be helpful but just made it slightly worse.

			"The Empire has taken almost forty decades to get this far. Do you honestly think another one would make a difference?" Amos took a swig of her drink and looked at her partner. "Hezzy, I love you and I probably always will. But sometimes I just need you to hear me and not try to solve my problems."

			Hezekiah flushed, his labyrinthine markings turning a shade of deep bronze. "Aye, but what 'bout t'other stuff? We've got forts and citadels and who knows what else that need granite."

			"I care about virtue, Hezzy." Amos finished her drink, grimacing slightly at the dregs. "I always will, and I know that others might question the building of this. But I think building it is the right thing to do." She smiled as she stood up and picked up her things. "I know that part of being virtuous is facing unwelcome truths, but I don't think that's what this is. This is a difficult thing, and I accept that."
			</ic>

	==Further Reading==		==Further Reading==