*The following pamphlet is seen throughout Haelun'or*

[Boknice275 1588]

[!] The following pamphlet is seen throughout Haelun'or, some outside the homes of residents and others nailed to the walls of various landmarks across the Silver city. The cover of the pamphlet is crafted from a blue leathery-type substance, with the words "VICE OF PURITY, VOL 1." emblazoned across it. Below would be a phrase written in-cursively in blue ink, "By Awylan Wistari" 

 

 

Chapter 1. The Meaning of Purity

 

“Perhaps the greatest fault among world cultures at this juncture in the temporal realm, or at least the fault in the culture of my native kin the High Elves, is the notion of purity. This arbitrary, abstract concept that is wholly up to interpretation and therefore has stripped itself of any foundation within reality enables others, particularly those within the silver walls of Haelun’or, to exclude any and all external cultures, practices or beliefs from their borders. This enables one to drift into complacency with their current state of being as opposed to embracing that which might bring change, that which might be different, and that which might be beneficial.

 

But the greater question I have concerns this notion of purity, what does it actually mean? To many within Haelun’or, or particularly the purists of high elven society, purity may mean the avoidance of inter-mixing. Purity may also mean keeping within the culture and not outsourcing one’s  mental faculties to another culture. Commonly, the aforementioned is what purity has stood for. But if this is what purity means then wouldn’t a better word for this be isolation as opposed to being pure?

 

I do not see what is pure about ignoring mutual romantic affections that may not particularly be with one within your own culture. I call that self-neglect at the highest bidder. I do not see what is pure about not questioning the status quo and towing the line for the purists in High Elven society. I call that complacency. All in all, this arbitrary notion of pure that has been imposed upon those of high elven dissent is one of ignorance and intellectual dreariness as opposed to genuine preservation.

 

 

Chapter 2. “Remove those ears, they are unclean!”

 

I remember when I stepped off a boat and made my way to an assortment of carts that take people to various destinations. The area around these carts, rather predictably, have a lot of humans (and others, but mostly humans) congregating near them. As I stepped off of the boat and walked towards the congregating humans, a gentleman that belongs to canonism, a fringe human religion, denigrated me for being of elven descent. Not only that, but he repeatedly told me how he was in support of exterminating all “impure” elves (those that had their natural ears). He also told me how homosexuals, insubordinates, dark elves, orcs and others who did not fit his mold deserved to be exterminated as well.

 

Of course, his reasoning wasn’t very sound, as it rested on the notion of impurity.  He offered to purify me of my impurity several times by way of severing my ears. The problem with this being a way to ensure purity is that I am still elven by blood, you cannot remove that by removing a part of me. For example, if you sever the stem of an apple it doesn’t become any less of an apple. It becomes an apple without a stem, but an apple nonetheless. Of course, this man was not thinking rationally, the same notion of purity and cultural supremacy that those in Haelun’or value had infected his mind and driven his actions, insofar as severing eyes would meet his standard for purity.

 

A shame.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3. “BY BLOOD WE ARE CHOSEN!”

 

As I mentioned earlier in Chapter 1, many of those in Haelun’or believe simply by the fact of them existing they are pure, and if one were to intermingle with those who are different than they might be, whether it be culturally or racially, they have tainted themselves and are now impure. They must be ostracized from society, excluded from the Silver city, subjected to the most severe mistreatment all because they refused to conform.

 

The broader issue here is not just one of treatment, even though that is a sizeable part of my dissent with the practice of exclusion, but it’s one of conception of the notion of purity. If your stake to purity is something completely external to your control, to your power, then how is that superiority or purity on your part? Your purity is relegated solely to the hands of time and fate, not your own achievements, which means you are truly not superior, time is. One cannot be superior or pure for simply existing if one does not do anything within that existence to ensure himself and others are progressing from their initial state of being. If you are conceived into the natural world at point A, and you manage to exit it at point B perhaps you can make a stake to superiority or purity. However, if you are conceived at point A and you leave the world at point A and all you have to do to point to your purity is your name, culture and the type of blood that courses through your veins, you have deluded yourself into thinking you are more than you are. As I said before, mere existence is not purity, it is existence. Biological composition isn’t purity, it’s biological composition. Denotative meanings of these concepts are not very complex, it’s the connotations that cultures that wish to stroke their egos attach to them that are troublesome.

 

Chapter 4. Challenges to the purists.

 

But to those who would contend what I’ve laid out in this book, I have a series of questions to ask them

 

If you believe in cultural superiority, in which way do you believe said cultural superiority materializes? If it materializes in the form of grandiose structures, ornate practices, language and so on, then isn’t your superiority utterly relative? Don’t you have a standard of superiority that could be wholly different than someone else’s? Wouldn’t that take away from the term being superior?

 

2. What is your standard for superiority and why is it better than anyone else’s?

 

 

Three, why should someone be subject to the sword for not doing as you do? Four, why is an elven woman that loves a human “impure” and five, would cultural heterogeneity bring destruction to your culture? If so, can you point to any civilization on our planet who’s downfall has been to having multiple ideas and cultures in their area?

 

As time goes on, these are the questions I hope are answered, the debates that are had. The status quo has been in place for too long, I intend to challenge it until it’s shackles are broken and we, as a people, are elevated to a state of enlightenment.

 

 To those who read this and share the message I have conveyed, thank you and keep fighting for a better world. For those who read this and attempt to take my life or burn this piece of literature into time immemorial, your message is the product of a decaying world. With or without my writings it’ll die, it is inevitable.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jake the Dog 290]

An pure Mali'aheral coughs as she reads over the writing. "Sounds like something an impure would write."

[KorusPrime 130]

"This is exactly what an impure would write. Foolish impures, get out of our city."  Cinh makes a shooing motion to the air.

[Ixli 1472]

"I would answer those questions, but I wouldn't dare waste my time on an impure." The proud High Elf states. "If you do not believe the severing of the ears is removing your impurity, then perhaps we can make it easier for all of us. OFF WITH THE HEAD!"

[trinn 5146]

Andri pins a note underneath.

 

REGARDING SUPERIORITY's MEANING

 

I do apologize if I miss anything in this little note. I'm in a hurry, of sorts. 

((Also known as, sorry for grammatical errors. I woke up like 10 minutes ago.)) 

 

All those of pure Mali'aheral descent originate from the followers of Larihei. These followers bathed within the Golden Pools as the other mali refused to do, and became what is known today as a Mali'aheral. The effects of entering that pool are notable by our physical appearance, but also through the mentality that we are prone to sharing in regards to how we perceive the world-  Logic, and progress.  To mingle with those of lesser blood - particularly those who shunned our ancestors - is to taint this blessing we received, to destroy the effects of the Golden Pools. And thus, your purity is physically tainted. The preservation of your body's purity is part of the Maehr'sae Hiylun'ehya, where you treasure your health from the infection of lesser blood or touch. 

 

To PROGRESS forward does not mean destroying our culture. Maehr'sae Hiylun'ehya - such is the phrase we use to describe our culture, Progress and health in the common tongue. Progress is a part of our culture. You need not learn about cultures from the legs of lessers, sacrificing our dignity and health as you bend to intimacy. Progress should be made without intimacy, regardless. Logic is a cold truth, not a toy.

 

You may question the laws, llir. But the laws were placed for a reason - preserving purity. 

 

REGARDING PHYSICAL ALTERATIONS

 

As addressed in the previous paragraphs, our bodies are the product of the Golden Pools. And not only should we preserve it by not mingling with lessers, we also protect it from ourselves. Altering our bodies means altering the work and blessings the Golden Pools have gifted upon it. And so to harm, mutilate, or alter the colorings of any parts of our bodies is considered impurity.

 

If these things were forced upon you, there is no impurity in that. It is when you are willing when you step forward to see the body you should protect be changed, that you have committed a crime. You change a body in which your ancestors would be proud of, as it has the blessing of the Golden Pools. You break that blessing. 

 

A BROKEN trinket of silver is better melted and forged anew. 

 

 

CHOSEN BY BLOOD

 

I'll keep this one short, llir. We are chosen by blood, it is an indisputable fact. We are chosen, as our ancestors were the few that bathed in the Golden Pools. In result, our blood was the chosen few that had the privilege of feeling it affects. Never the less, stagnancy with complacency mixed together is an impurity in itself. Though we are chosen by blood, those who refuse to further develop and progress are no better than the impures who taint their blood. The way to achieve purity is to find the balance between the Maehr'sae Hiylun'ehya. 

 

 

A final note.

A lesser will never understand our concept of purity, as they do not have the mind to. We do not seek to impose our beliefs upon our cousins of the wood and dark - simply for them to respect it from afar. You want to run around barefoot in the woods, we do not stop you. Perhaps our concept of purity is not better in the eyes of the 'ame - but that is because they have their own beliefs, of the Aspects and the Woods. We all have our own beliefs imposed upon us as we were a child, and ours was made in order to perseve the blood of Larihei's children. 

 

Perhaps your parents deemed it wise to give you these sets of beliefs. I, on the other hand, will give you gold. 

- A. Izalith

[Thomas 3014]

"Haelun'or is sitting backwards on the naughty chair in the corner of despair anyway, so at this point who gives a crap." The Artificer commented as his work on a constructed machination continued, "Purity, no purity. It's not like it matters anymore. No one to enforce it, no one to improve it. We're following the fundamental ideals of people long dead with no true progression or development. I do not agree with this, but I do not agree with how things are currently."

 

With a final crack of the belted metal against steel, his gaze turned across towards the Golem in the corner as he idly stood. "When stone and metal have more dignity and class than the pompous and fundamentalists, there will always be cessation in culture and ruling. Pitiful, all of this."

 

As the stone construct lulled it's head forward, chunks of stone chipped to the floor. Dust littered the air nearby the long deactivated Golem, it's golden optics having ceased to glow many years passed. "These people are doomed." Crumena stated with a solemn grumble, "And this time I'm not going to save them."

[ChaoticallyCheshire 637]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.