Monday, October 21, 2013

Egalitarian?

Remember, this is a industrializing fantasy world, wrought with political turmoil akin to Europe around the dawn of the 20th century. Although it’s already embodied in a select few countries on Shaar, the idea of egalitarianism is largely suppressed and unheard of on Greater Shaar. The concept is simple: sorcerers and humans live as equals under a firm meritocracy. Easier than said done of course, and old habits die hard. Traditionally the monarchies of Shaar are very close-knit (read: inbred) and have a high (but not assured) occurrence of thaumaturgy as do their respective aristocracies. This promotes a feudal system where the upper tiers, royalty, nobility, freelance sorcerers, have a supernatural advantage over the largely ordinary human estates of the merchant and working class. 

In newly industrializing nations the advent of certain technology has leveled the playing field and improved the quality of life for humans and wizards alike, but the archaic social structure in practice is quickly becoming obsolete as humans feel less and less inferior to their gifted counterparts. Although democracy and egalitarianism are not explicitly linked, most activists for equality also cry for a form of government that represents the population adequately, although this is a source of conflict within revolutionary circles, as people tend to take their details of government very seriously. The Church of Ulanazar and the Nine Royal Houses of Greater Shaar each deal with this threat to their power very differently, but at the outbreak of war they still consider it only a minor terrorism problem within their own borders, setting harsh examples and turning a blind eye to the vast international conspiracy to overthrow all magic establishment at the first chance. The exception to this is the Nexus Corporation of Deltora, which, despite being a leading technology developer, seems oddly determined to maintain the status quo in Deltora. They’re not particularly attached to any ruling house, as evidenced by their mercenary support of whoever happens to be residing in Blackheart Palace, but they’re firmly against, (or at least deeply curious,) about this impending global rebellion, and have spies planted deep within, observing but not reporting back to the Deltoran Royal family as of 6009.

What I need to figure out is if there’s a better name for this movement, even if the specific names never comes up. Anarchists, terrorists, and criminals are the more common labels for the particularly active individuals intent on stirring up change. And indeed, the vast movement is deeply divided over courses of action. A small but vocal and violent minority would rid the world of magic through genocide or any other means necessary. At the outbreak of war very many citizens are swept up in the frenzy of ultra-nationalism, but as the war proves futile and unforgiving, a large sentiment of  pacifism pushes in the opposite direction driving people to look to alternate forms of government to bring their children home. What needs to be fleshed out further here?



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