Jackal Among Snakes

At the time I write this, 97AC, there is both tremendous optimism for the future and a growing sense of caution. After the Last Calamity, people had nothing to lose but time. After 92 years of labor, many people feel as though there is far more to lose than there is to gain by continuing to test the boundaries. Others, especially the younger generation, approach new innovations eagerly.

Some believe it too early to call an end to the Age of Revolutions, as the most prominent historians among us have. While largely dictated by the arbitrary date in which the crown vested its remaining power in the prime minister’s office, some nonetheless believe that new fields will continue to experience new and revolutionary advances. I count myself among such cautiously optimistic people.

Others suggest that the good times cannot continue on forever, and posit that curbing optimism might be the best course for the future. Most can safely say, however, that the philosophies of the age have ceased to expand as rapidly. It was the change in attitude and approach that led to rapid advancement, and most agree that the ideas of the age can carry civilization forth for a long way.

To reflect the formative movements of the age, and to conclude this volume, I shall write out their views toward both how society should be, and how they believe society will be.

Rationalism

Formed by Arcanists who transitioned away from the religion, rationalists believe that it is the moral duty of every living person to be as rational as possible. In particular, they eschew short-term thinking, focusing instead on long-term consequences that will benefit society as a whole. They both embrace and despise ignorance—in other terms, they’re quick to admit what they don’t know, yet they strive to remedy that as quickly as possible.

They earned a great deal of ire from all directions after their founding. Deemed pretentious, absolutist, and unfailingly arrogant, some dub their movement an extremist reaction to the faiths of the previous era. Decried as a ‘cult of reason,’ pressure came from all walks of life. Rationalist artistry—be that satirical literature or caricatures of prominent priests—mocking faith in all its forms nevertheless reached great prominence, especially after the religious conflicts of the prior age.

Card-carrying Rationalists remain relatively uncommon due to their poor reputation, but their philosophies permeate the Blackgard Union. Their ideal society would be a totally rational one, wherein actions are divorced from subjectivity. Their general consensus on society’s direction, however, is both that of pessimism and optimism. They acknowledge that people will continue to be irrational, but they believe their continued efforts will eventually win out and reshape society into a better place. In part, that’s already happened. Only time will tell if that remains to be the case.

Mysticism

In practice, mysticism may be considered the most prevalent ideology throughout Vasquer, although most wouldn’t describe themselves as such. It represents the interweaving of faiths in search of spirituality. What spirituality actually entails differs between each faith, but the prevailing idea is that of pluralism. Indeed, some don’t truly practice any faith at all, but take facets of each in search of a nebulous idea of enlightenment.

Mysticism lauds spiritualism, and laments the trend of secularism to veer into excesses wherein people are disconnected from the spirit. They predict society will continue on with this trend, and lament growing innovation as a departure from genuine happiness. They can be considered a moderating force, testing the steady march of progress to ensure it doesn’t lead to ruination.

Communalism

Before the Last Calamity, subterranean mountain tribes lived in enclaves underground called communes. Back then, they had the ability to create automatons capable of fulfilling all of their needs. That, coupled with a strong tradition of solidarity, created an environment where ownership of property was largely collective. Their ability to create such automatons disappeared along with the Last Calamity, yet that culture persisted in them.

It was in the Age of Revolutions that this culture began to receive scrutiny from wider intellectual movements. Increasingly, people came to consider the idea of the nation being the property of the people, and consequently something to be distributed equitably as it had been after the end of the Last Calamity.

This movement received condemnation from the crown, directly. In particular, Argrave publicly stated on multiple occasions that government power would need to be centralized to the point of absurdity, and that advancement and innovation would stagnate as people lose incentive to endeavor for the benefit of others.

Because of this, the movement was consigned to the fringes, where only the most anti-imperial and radical personages persisted. It was most influential in morphing some political parties subtly. In particular, their advocation for anti-monopolist practices and accessible land ownership helped preserve the Blackgard Union’s principle of meritorious distribution for opportunity-seekers.

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Regardless, the notion of a communal society, wherein all receive precisely what they need and most of what they want, continues to resonate in people. In particular, prominent writers promoting theories of a just society draw in more and more admirers. Attempts to establish pockets of communal society within the Union have been unsuccessful, though communalists claim outside persecution as the primary obstacle.

Unionism

Unionists—more a political group than a genuine intellectual movement—believe in the preservation or extension of the power of the central government, considering it the foundation of the Blackgard Union. Their voice has always remained someone prominent. Largely traditionalist, they advocate for stronger oversight from the educated elite to prevent the erosion of unified government direction.

The party is largely considered that of the wealthy, as the vast majority of its members come from the beneficiaries of the Age of Reclamation. They experienced firsthand both the devastation of the Last Calamity, and the rebuilding following it shortly after. Many view them as the last holdouts of a generation coming to a close.

Unionists predict an erosion of social values that will ultimately lead to the downfall of the Blackgard Union itself. Their voice remains extremely prominent, in part due to the enormity of the wealth they’ve accumulated. They prove to be a cyclically prominent political party, rising in prominence when the populace sees excesses of change resulting in worse outcomes for all.

Autonomism

As the principal proponent for lessened imperial authority, autonomism cited high levels of autonomy given—from governors decided local laws, to families given true ownership of land—as the true reason for the Blackgard Union’s ascendance. Their primary idea is the decentralization of government, vesting power in the hands of the people.

Their identically named political party achieved widespread success in giving governors more freedom from the laws of the central government. The many different, highly-diverse regions in the Blackgard Union came to have different ideas about how things should be run, but the autonomists bridged this gap by suggesting everyone be given more liberty to decide how things should run. They achieved widespread support for these reasons.

Other, more radical ideas have caused the movement to lose steam as the imperial court waned in power. The elimination of taxes and the total abolition of the central government in all its forms are the most glaring culprits, leading some to dismiss the autonomists of today as mere anarchists. Their utopian idea of totally autonomous communities has been largely dismissed as fanciful, but they insist the steady march of progress will eventually make their ideas more feasible.

For the sake of brevity, I’ve included only the five most prominent ideologies of the age. These short descriptions cannot adequately do justice to the endlessly complex political debates that occurred in the Age of Revolutions, but the vast majority of them take their ideas both from the history of the Blackgard Union, and these notions explored during the age.

As we move into the new age of yet unnamed by historians, I have little doubt these opposing perspectives will war against one another, creating ideas anew that come to serve as fuel for the engines of tomorrow. It marks the turn of an era where the crown has totally separated itself from governance, and the people themselves begin to dictate the path they take.

Before I move on to the bibliography, I’d like to thank—

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Upon processing the word ‘bibliography,’ Argrave shut the book. He set it down on the table beside his chair, then leaned back in quiet reflection. It was a very peculiar thing, to see one’s life talked about in this fashion. He couldn’t quite place how he felt about it. He’d avoided it entirely until his son informed him that he was a contributor. Then, there wasn’t any more excuse.

After a few long moments, Argrave rose and retrieved the book, turning off the lamp that’d been illuminating the text. Argrave walked through the library of dark wood bookshelves, holding the book in his arms. His slippers were barely audible on the carpet as dim morning light filtered through the windows. He came to a set of double doors, beautifully embossed, and opened them. They let out nary a creak as they parted.

Beyond, the master bedroom awaited. Argrave certainly never expected to have a bedroom this large. A canopy bed, a walk-in closet, a grand bathroom with everything from a sauna to a tub more adequately called a pool, even the personal library just adjacent to it… such luxuries would’ve drawn disdain from the younger him. But as he looked around, he could only feel contentment.

Anneliese walked out of the closet wearing a green robe, her long white hair wreathed around her like a cloak. “Hey,” she greeted him quietly, moving to the mirror.

“Hey,” Argrave returned, taking slow steps until he stood behind her.

Anneliese braided her long hair with a century’s worth of expertise as Argrave came to look into the mirror from just behind. Neither of them had changed much, going by appearances. Argrave had rough stubble, and Anneliese experimented with a new braid every year or so. That was about it. But everyone said they looked different, somehow. And it was beginning to dawn on the both of them just how long ‘eternity’ was.

“Did you finish the book?” Anneliese asked, looking at him in the mirror. “I want to read it again before Garm arrives. Or… at least skim it.”

“Yeah.” Argrave set the book on the dresser nearby. “It was strange, reading it.”

Anneliese nodded as she looked into the mirror, but eventually she turned back from the mirror and looked at him directly. “What?”

“Nothing,” Argrave dismissed. “Just… we’re old.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Anneliese scoffed, then looked back at the mirror. “That realization didn’t strike you holding your great-great-grandchild last week?”

“I was too busy trying to commit the name to memory. At this rate, we’ll have a thousand names to memorize this time next century, Anne,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders as he joked.

“Sounds like one of those good problems,” Anneliese dismissed idly as she finalized her braid. She held her arms out. “How do I look?”

“Edible,” Argrave said simply, and Anneliese shook her head, used to his antics.

“It’s the big day,” Anneliese said, then touched his hands still leaning against the shoulder. “Don’t get too relaxed, baby.”

“Yeah… yeah.” Argrave conceded with a resigned nod. “The big day.”