User Tools

Site Tools


eunomia

Eunomia

Know that -
There is no chaos, only order.
There is no fluidity, only eternity.
All creation is realization; all invention is discovery.

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, Ordained Oreteus, had started to steer the nation towards peace and reconciliation.

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.

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, but Eusenia handled it surprisingly well, taking the opportunity to denouce those who would attempt to sow discord. Her calm yet positive outlook gained her a significant amount of popularity and credibility as a Guide.

In the following years, Eusenia became known as something of a radical. Working with Visionary Despina, a prodigiously talented and startlingly young member of the Visionary Council, she pushed for greater caste fluidity, eventually resulting in the creation of the Iridescent Provinces, test cases for a new, fluid form of castes. At the same time, she encouraged more openness and freedom of speech, even among the lower castes.

While these changes were broadly supported by the Guides and members of the Visionary Council, they were seen by many as too radical. The opening up of theological debate led to the development of mysticism and specific cults, notably including the Cult of Fluidity, who preached an understanding of the Eternal Order based on fluidity and the ultimate incomprehensibility of reality. Guides Ilias and Eusenia attempt to reason with the cult for over a year, before a group of traditionalists, frustrated both by the cults and the new Iridescent Provinces, take up arms against the Cult of Fluidity without prompting from above.

This prompted the Guides to step in themselves. Guide Acantha took the lead of a military operation to crush both rebellions, successfully quelling both the traditionalists and the Cult. In the following investigations, it was found that Visionary Despina was at the head of the Cult of Fluidity. Some have theorised that Despina’s closeness with Eusenia is the reason that, rather than being made casteless as a matter of course, the Cult were instead ordered to join the Iridescent provinces or leave the planet. In the end, many chose to leave the planet on specially built missionary ships to spread the word of the Eternal Order throughout the galaxy.

Eunomia now

In the years since the Cult left, Eunomia has remained largely peaceful, and the marks left by civil unrest have started to fade. The Iridescent Provinces appear to be a successful experiment, though the results of the test won’t be known for at least another fifty years - enough time for a generation to have grown up knowing nothing but. In the meantime, more provinces are being designated Iridescent and the freedom of movement into them has proven popular.

Ordained Oresteus has remained in power for the past thirty years, and has now begun speaking of stepping down in favour of a new ordained. It is generally assumed that this will be one of his three children, but the question of whether he and the Council will nominate Ilias, Acantha or Eusenia is very much a live one. The question of succession joins many of the questions that Eunomia has, now that things are more up for debate, and the future seems, for the first time, somewhat uncertain.

While Eunomia and Selas have remained hostile towards each other, the fact that the Eunomians were busy dealing with problems in domestic politics has meant that their foreign policy with Selas has been somewhat neglected, with the exception of a few propaganda missions. The planet does harbour a number of Selasi Reunificationists who fled persecution on their own planet and came to Eunomia, where home were found for them in the Iridescent Provinces. Many have proved their talents and moved into the Visionary caste.

The People of Eunomia

We are all instruments of the Eternal Order. Some are suited to rule, some are suited for war. Only time and trust can show us what the Order has in store. – Teachings of the Visionaries

Every member of Eunomian society belongs to a caste. This caste dictates their role in society, and may change over time based on the individual’s talents and skills. All children are assigned the ‘Potential’ caste at birth, and then assigned one of the other four castes once their natural inclinations are uncovered. Potential is also the caste assigned to those who feel their current caste no longer works for them, or those who have lost their way in the Eternal Order.

Eunomians do not have surnames; where international diplomacy requires one, Eunomians will use their caste title. Education is universal and mandated, initially very general with specialisation once the child’s caste is determined. While there is no prohibition on intercaste relations, old habits die hard and they are often frowned upon by society.

The castes are as follow:
Guide - Royalty
The Guides rule over Eunomia from the highest position. The Guides have historically belonged to one family, but when the current generation pass away it is assumed that the next generation will be elevated from the current selection of Visionaries, to guide Eunomian society forwards.
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
The Potential are those who have the potential to become any of the other castes - hence the name. For this reason, this is the caste to which most children belong, but also those who have lost their way within the Eternal Order.
The colour of attire for Potentials on formal occasions is iridescence.

eunomia.txt · Last modified: 2019/06/17 13:24 by gm_cynthia