======Eunomia====== //Know that -\\ There is no chaos, only order.\\ There is no fluidity, only eternity.\\ All creation is realization; all invention is discovery.\\ {{ :download.jpeg?300|}} \\ Know that -\\ No other paths exist.\\ To tread the phantom paths is to struggle in vain.\\ In empty struggle lies all suffering.\\ \\ Know that -\\ We are instruments of the Eternal Order.\\ In the Eternal Order we trust.//\\ \\ -The Eternal Order \\ * Eunomia is situated on the sole habitable planet in its system, encircled by beautifully symmetrical planetary rings. * It is a theocratic autocracy ruled by an Ordained emperor supported by a council of scholars, with extreme division of labour enforced through a rigid caste system. * Believing themselves to be destined, Eunomians traditionally adhered to an expansionist policy. * The Ordained at the time of [[:the_ananke_conference|the Ananke conference]], Ordained Oreteus, had started to steer the nation towards peace and reconciliation. * In the aftermath of the Ananke conference, Eunomian relations with Selas devolved into an ongoing cold war. =====A history of Eunomia===== Eunomia was founded by visionaries and people willing to champion and realize that vision. Together, they built a society from scratch, with every detail preconceived and perfected to abide to the Eternal Order – the ultimate truth of reality, the nature of all things, the only blueprint of history. It was built to be a utopia, where every person has a purpose, where from purpose comes joy, where humans can be liberated from the suffering of aimlessness and conflict. Eunomia grew to be one of the greatest powers in the galaxy; its culture flourished, the School of Eternal Order a centre of learning far and wide; its people content and trusting in their ruler. It was then that they decided to spread their way of life. This hubris led to wars large and small for centuries to follow, and conflicts within and without - the most impactful and mournful of all schisms the rebellion, or independence, of what later became [[:selas|Selas]]. The expansionism came to an end during the reign of Ordained Oreteus. Unlike his predecessors, he had a vision of peace. This shift caused controversy amongst scholars, and more so in the military. Hushed dissent existed even amongst the royalties. But the vision of the Ordained is the Order that must be followed. Seeing the Ananke conference as an excellent opportunity to reshape Eunomia’s diplomatic relationship with others, especially Selas, their long-lost kin, Oreteus sent out a large team of delegates; amongst them was his own daughter, Princess Eusenia. A mild scandal erupted when Eusenia was accused of plotting her own assassination in order to bring about war with Selas: although the Princess denied all claims, the questions and rumours persisted and, undoubtedly, hampered the young guide’s political career. In 1265, Ordained Oresteus passed the throne onto his son, Prince Ilias, with the support of the Visionary Council. However, in a somewhat unusual move, Guide Acantha remained a significant political figure, rallying support from various factions. Her broad support base meant that she was able to force a number of concessions from the Ordained, largely encouraging a more aggressive policy towards Selas. Initially, Acantha had a lot of support for the so called ‘Determinist’ faction, whose adherence towards the Eternal Order demanded a strict condemnation of time travel. It is known that the faction were able to gain some concessions, including development of anti-time-travel technology, but they fell out of favour following the rise to prominence of Visionary Despina, also known by her pseudonym Enduring Light, whose eloquent theological speeches swayed many to believe that time travel could be an integral part of the Eternal Order. Several years into his reign, Ilias adopted a young Visionary called Faustina, with the approval of the Visionary council, in a move some suspected was to lock Acantha out of ordainedship. However, as any future Ordained must be confirmed by the council before taking on the role, Faustina’s ascension is by no means guaranteed. Some have questioned the wisdom of the decision to have so many politically prominent Guides active at the same time, but they have only done so in hushed tones. Diplomacy between Eunomia and Selas was attempted for after years, but the strained negotiations regarding repercussions of the events that took place on the Ananke and the treatment of the Selasi Reunificationists eventually broke down, resulting in a Selasi-Eunomian arms race and gradually intensifying cold war. =====Eunomia now===== //"We are the light in the darkness, the guide of the stray. We open our arms to all who would join us, to long lost brethrens and new found friends..."//\\ - A sermon\\ Physically speaking, Eunomia has not suffered much from the ongoing hostile relations with Selas: the planet has not been the direct target of much external attack. While there has been significant political and theological debate among the Visionary caste regarding the true nature of the eternal order, this has never led to conflict more significant than the odd subtle assassination. However, the revelation of chemical weapon stocks, increasingly harsh diplomatic policies and occasional outbursts of civil strife have locked Eunomia into a cold war with Selas. Eunomia now also harbours a number of Selasi Reunificationists who fled persecution on their own planet. Although the Eunomians have used these Selasi as evidence of their reasonable policies, in reality the Selasi occupy an extremely uneasy position, as they do not fit into Eunomia’s strict caste system. =====The people of Eunomia===== //We are all instruments of the Eternal Order. Some are shaped to rule. Some are sharpened for war.//\\ - Teachings of Visionary Nava Every member of the Eunomian society belongs to a caste. Having only a first name, their caste titles serve as effective surnames. There are officially four castes in Eunomia, with the Casteless forming the fifth. Officially, the castes are equal; however, in practice, some are more equal than others. Decades of civil war have slightly confused the position of the castes, but as the government claws its way back into stability, they are making an effort to shepherd the caste boundaries back to their traditional places. Universally enforced education (conditioning) starts from birth. There is no fluidity between castes.\\ The castes are as follow:\\ **Guide** - Royalty\\ The Guides are born and raised to rule. The Ordained would normally select an heir from the Guides before passing. In the rare cases that no heir would be named, the Council would select one instead.\\ The colour of attire for Guides on formal occasions is white. **Visionary** - Theologian/Scholar\\ All scholars belong to the Visionary caste. In Eunomia, there is no distinction between a scholar and a theologian. The three subdivisions of the Visionaries are the Councillors, the Diplomats and the Scholars.\\ The colour of attire for Visionaries on formal occasions is gold.\\ **Champion** - Military\\ Officially there are two subdivisions of the Champions. The Internal force (mainly the police force), the Shield; and the External, the Sword. The one that is not mentioned - but has become the most important in maintaining the Ordained’s power - is the secret service, the Gun.\\ The colour of attire for Champions on formal occasions is black.\\ **Realizer** - Craftsman/Labourer\\ The rest of the Eunomian citizens are the Realizers, despite not being given any political rights, they are the lifeblood of the civilization.\\ Artists also belong to this caste. Their role has always been somewhat debated.\\ The colour of attire for Realizers on formal occasions is dark-red.\\ **Potential** – Casteless Outcast\\ The Potential are removed from society - sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently. These are criminals, dissenters, etc, people who have failed to realise their full potentials for the good of the society. Only upon their potentials being realised //correctly// would they be allowed to return to society.\\