Highguard
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==The Nation== | ==The Nation== | ||
{{CaptionedImage|file=HighVeil2.jpg|align=right|width=200}} | |||
* [[Highguard People|The People]] | * [[Highguard People|The People]] | ||
* [[Highguard Culture and Customs|Culture and Customs]] | * [[Highguard Culture and Customs|Culture and Customs]] | ||
Revision as of 19:48, 19 July 2012
“The empire is our destiny.”
The Highborn are men and women supremely confident of their own manifest destiny. They revere the highest ideals, to epitomize Imperial Virtues, to reflect the noble obligations of leadership and thereby to embody the very spirit of the Empire. Their destiny is to drive the barbarians from the land and unite all humankind; they will accept nothing less.
The chapters, the great stone settlements in which most Highborn dwell, are scattered across the plains that lie between Urizen and the Bay of Catazar. Many are built on ancient battle sites, scenes of triumph in the historic wars that wrested control of the land from the barbarians. All are heavily fortified, with granite quarried from the southern mountains, for the Highborn will brook no expense to protect what is theirs. “Wood burns, stone endures” is an old Highborn aphorism that says much about their perspective.
Although the First Empress put aside her nationality when she united the Empire, the Highborn consider their nation the proud parent of the Empire, and themselves to be its founders, tutors and guardians. They protect the Empire with their armies, guide its hand in the Senate and guard its soul in the Synod; perhaps most important of all, they keep the Imperial Histories to record and tell of the deeds that make the Empire great.
“This is Highguard, the birthplace of the Empire. Our people, the Highborn, are the Empire’s proud parents, devoted lovers, stalwart protectors and wise guides. We are the people of virtue, who enumerated the Paragons, and unlocked the Labyrinth of Ages. We are destined to be the conquerors of death, slayers of gods and false prophets, and the greatest hope of all humanity.”
Five things to know about the Highguard
- We made the Empire. The First Empress was Highborn. She pulled the scattered human nations together and enlightened them to the true faith.
- Only actions are virtuous. Thoughts and feelings are never virtuous or vile. It is only the actions that you undertake that demonstrate your worth.
- The purpose of the past is to inspire the present. We study history not to argue over the facts but to identify lessons that can inspire us today.
- Virtue and vice are contagious. A virtuous life leads the faithful to further righteous action but vile behaviour spreads just as easily if not checked.
- A chapter is bound by spirit, not blood. Amongst the Highborn family ties matter less than shared belief, purpose and vision.
What the Highguard are not
- Irrational Or Petty. The Way of Virtue owes its roots and form to spiritual exploration and reasoned debate, and was spread through enlightening others rather than aggression, threats, conquest or bullying. Highguard supremacy is inherent and self-evident and no Highborn is sufficiently insecure to need to force this realisation on others.
- A Nation Consisting Entirely Of Hospitallers. Although Highguard was the birthplace of the Imperial Religion and they have a strong martial tradition, this is a full and living nation with scholarly Magisters, affluent trading Benefactors, and a competitive sporting tradition. Non-martial Chapters comprising roles for people who are not priests or temple knights are just as valid.
- Space Marines. There are Chapters and they serve a Human Empire with a bias against extraplanar entities, but this is not the Games Workshop universe, nor any other that explores similar themes. As with any external sources, please avoid overt references to notable settings, characters or details that may divert attention from the world we are creating or otherwise adversely affect immersion.
