Schools of Thought
“Find a stone that is perfect and untouched but by the moons and the songs of the stars, and call your spirit forward and it will bind you to the stone, to the sound of the stone, to the dream of the stone, and the thoughts of the dirt beneath the pads of your feet will become your thoughts…” – Verm Lōd Norel, The Eight Secrets
Philosophy seeks logical answers to questions about existence, knowledge, mortality, virtue, and reason. Different schools of thought take these questions in different directions, all in an attempt to understand the world and people’s place in it. There are many different types of philosophy, including the philosophy of religion which is discussed in more detail under Divinity. Philosophical questions common to life on Teréth End include:
- How was the world created?
- Where did everything come from?
- What does it mean to be Awakened?
- Do the Awakened races have one purpose or many?
- Is the construct of Veils an echo of Mortal experience?
- What is the value of Mortal existence versus Immortal?
- What are the values of Virtue, and do these change across the Awakened?
- Which race among the Awakened is the most worthy heir of the Bloodlings?
- Is godhood an immutable state or an achievement of transcendent beings?
- If godhood can be achieved, can it also be lost?
A mainstay of Teréth End philosophies is the undisputed belief in the existence of gods. There are few atheists in a world where the presence of gods are so apparent. Most deniers focus on the provenance of gods, i.e. Wall of Souls.
Dekàli
Most Dekàli philosophy can be traced back to the Nine Flames of Anū Gyð (e.g., Artuin, Egirhin, Vikiruin, Silurin, Hirdun, Kiruid, Eluin, Erduin, Haruin) that were presented to the ancient Panæðyr by the Pæði aspect Kugùntor.
The Kdar
Krydàren is not a common word in the late Fourth Age. Krydàren are isolated compounds that once dotted the Dekàli countryside, providing travelers with a civilized oasis after days of hard travel. Established by priests, scholars, and monks, the kdar (as they came to be known) were both milestones of Yrūn expansion into unfriendly lands and pillars of learning, philosophy, and faith. While many kdar were established by religious orders, others were founded by people wishing to remove themselves from the pressures and influences of mundane life. In these secluded environments, the devout could study, learn, and grow in ways unavailable to their urban brethren.
The term kdar refers to the structure and the group of people within its walls. There are four main types of kdar: philosophical, religious, scholarly, and militant, though most evolved into a composite of two or more.
Philosophical kdar concerned themselves with the secrets of life and the mysteries of the Yrūn soul and purpose. Within these kdar it was common to find monks exploring the Yrūni condition (and limitations) through endless exercises in abstinence from food, water, people, and paradoxically enough — thought. Members of a Kændàli kdar in the 10th century claimed that through deep meditation they could travel vast distances without their bodies. Though ethereal travel may not have been the goal of the kdar, they claimed that the study of the mysteries of Yrūni nature had been fruitful. Further experimentation with this practice is believed to have greatly angered the Eylfāe (for reasons not completely understood), and may in part have precipitated the Second Acèntyra-Dekàli War.
Religious kdar were often missionary enclaves devoted to spreading the word of a deity or providing outlanders with access to religious services. With the possible exception of Pæði kdar, very few developed with devotion to one Dekàli god. Even the kdar of Zyrr became a melting pot of Pæði and Drāūni worship.
Scholarly kdar have served many purposes such as housing libraries, observatories, &c. Following the fall of the Dekàlan empire, local kdar served as repositories of history and knowledge lost during the war. When it was first learned that regional kdar might harbor treasures of information, many were looted and left to rebuild. Others, learning from this, hid their libraries in secret caches before being found and razed. The location of many such caches have long been lost.
Military kdar first appeared in Ummon, but soon appeared in all areas of Dekàlas where proficient and resourceful combatants were needed. The most famous military kdar was built near Jædð. The Esàra’shal Kdar studied the strange unarmed and simple weapon techniques of the Sha’al and within generations were able to adapt the alien movements to Yrūn use. Though the Yrūn monks were not as strong as their Sha’al adversaries, they became quite formidable.