The Truth Unchained

[thiccpazuzu 542]

[!] This exhaustive polemic is made public to the citizens of Karinah’siol, as well as dispatched throughout the Continent via courier pigeons. Those foreigners who pick up this missive would also find it inscribed upon the back the following: “You are invited for tea in Haelun’or.”

 

The Truth Unchained

 

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It is of no novelty to any citizen of this World, the isolationist nature of the people of Haelun’or. In no small part because of this, it has been perhaps difficult for those foreign to the lands of the Silver State, to grasp the nature and culture of its inhabitants.

 

And indeed, one brief discussion with most foreigners would indeed support this initial supposition. As a consequence, whether unknowingly or with malicious intent, misinformation about the people of Haelun’or runs rampant within the conscience of those living abroad. 

 

With the regrettable civil strife within the Silver State still in fresh memory, it has become clear more than ever, that such misunderstandings must be addressed, and that their existence are not only an affront to Truth, but a threat to the security of the children of Larihei.

 

As such, it is the purpose of this issue to attempt to dispel some of the myths and illusions that persist about the society of Haelun’or, in an effort to unchain the truth, and foster better understanding between the Descendants.

 

ON MAEHR’SAE HIYLUN’EHYA

 

Maehr’sae hiylun’ehya, literally translates from Elven as “progress and health”, and constitutes the central philosophy of the Mali’thill (Elven for “pure Elves”). It is one of the few writings that survived from Larihei’s initial realm, and as a result has been of paramount importance to Her followers.

 

In the simplest of terms, this philosophy, or way of life, simply bids to a continuous effort to self-fulfilment. As a result, maehr’sae hiylun’ehya takes vaguely different forms for every person, as each person’s aspirations are different. It teaches that the individual should, through its own efforts, better oneself spiritually and physically. 

 

It is important to note that maehr’sae hiylun’ehya is a philosophy. As a result, it can be followed by people of any race. For instance, a human shielding its body from harm, maintaining optimal shape, and dedicating one’s life to the perfection of its abilities, can be described as adhering to maehr’sae hiylun’ehya.

 

However, it should be maintained that, and indeed philosophers like Lucion Sullas have pointed this out, that maehr’sae hiylun’ehya is best followed from within the walls of the Silver State, generally because of the excesses and temptations of the outside World, that could impede the efforts of the individual.

 

ON RACISM

 

It is true that the Mali’thill of Haelun’or view the outside people with a certain distrust. One could not hope to do as eloquent a justice on this topic as Lucion Sullas did in his book “On Racism”. But alas, one is aware just how difficult it is to find the works of Lucion Sullas outside the walls of the Silver State.

 

First, let us point out that this distrust, or racism that High Elves may show towards people of other races, is not at all like the deplorable hatred which, for instance, various Valah ethnic subdivisions show towards one another.

 

The sense of superiority for the High Elves is purely scientific, and comes as a result of their genesis. The High Elven people took form when various Proto-Elves, chiefly Larihei among them, bathed in magical pools, Golden Pools. These pools, their effects well documented, enhanced the Proto-Elven body, by making it fairer, taller, improving overall the magical and intellectual abilities of those that bathed in them.

 

For those desiring one more concrete example, the Golden Pools had the effect of elongating the ear lobe of the Proto-Elven body. As such, High Elves have sharper hearing than their cousins.

 

These all aforementioned improvements mean that, scientifically speaking, High Elves are the optimal biological model.

 

Of course, one must with sadness admit that at times this fact has been taken far too much into the extreme. One must admit that the Silver State did have, at times, leaders that, blinded by their superiority, like the tyrant Othelu Orrar, affirmed publicly that “lessers are only slightly better than cattle”.

 

Such a proposition is obviously false. The Mali’thill knows its nature to be superior, but that does not inherently mean that Mali’thill are better at everything than everyone else, or that everyone else is useless. No sane Mali’thill would believe oneself to be a better fighter than the Uruk, or a better shipwright than the Almenodrim, without first dedicating decades, even centuries, to the effort. 

 

There are many areas, academically and artistically, in which people of other races triumph, and the Mali’thill are fully aware that all Descendants can store knowledge and be the catalysts of worldly progress.

 

The term “lesser” is more of an umbrella term, designed to describe all those that have not had the privilege of bathing, or not descending from those who had, in the Golden Pools. It is used to emphasise the relation between foreigners and Mali’aheral. It is not intended, however, to downplay the ability or intelligence of non-Mali’aheral, but merely to situate them in reference to the Mali’aheral history.

 

If it is of any consolation to that reader that may be characterised as “lesser”, in recent years there has been a drive within the Silver State to renounce the usage of the term, owing to the contentious reputation it possesses.

 

ON JINGOISM

 

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It has been maintained, recently with increased frequency, that the Mali’thill of Haelun’or are jingoists, militarists that seek to wage war upon their brethren.

 

Firstly, let us point out that the Mali’thill originally did not even build walls around their first settlement in Asulon. It was only after their city became the target of frequent raids, that they saw fit to fortify their habitat. For the sake of fluidity, we will skip all the historical details of all the traumas that fell upon the Mali’thill.

 

 It will suffice for the reader to know that Mali’thill are not jingoists. Mali’thill generally refrain from warfare. Those that did engage the nation in such activities, like Othelu Orrar or Dimaethor Elervathar, are rare, figures of great contention and division between Mali’thill. Mali’thill would rather conduct their business in peace, internally through argumentation, debates, and direct democracy, and externally usually through a most splendid isolation.

 

The main military force of Haelun’or, the Sillumiran (Elven for “Weeping Blades”), is designed as purely defensive, and the name reflects the tragedy of war. The society of Haelun’or actively refrains from glorifying combat and violence, through various policies, like maintaining the anonymity of soldiers, because High Elves, once more, are not jingoistic. They are pacifists. The act of joining the Sillumiran is seen as a sacred sacrifice one makes to defend the harmonious way of life of the collective.

 

This attitude is also one of preservation. For the Mali’thill are aware, as a consequence of the Curse of the Most Foul, that all descendants of Malin are doomed to lower numbers among their ranks, and casualties are far more expensive to replenish, than for people of other races.

 

ON ACID PITS

 

The usage of the Acid Pits by the administrations of the Silver State have constituted, throughout time, one of the most common points of those that sought to demonise the Silver People.

 

The actual substance, referred to as acid, was invented by a Mali’thill named Silvos Sythaerin, many centuries ago, and was designed to serve indeed, as a means of exectuing those most vile of criminals, such as murderers.

 

There can be no doubt that perhaps the overzealousness of some past regimes, and the light handed manner in which execution sentences were passed, especially upon foreigners, muddled the reputation of these pits.

 

However, one must realise that Acid Pits remain still, the most ‘humane’ method of execution. Far superior to beheadings, which if executed improperly can last minutes and require multiple strikes, or hangings, which can extend into the half hour, be the rope not properly secured.

 

Acid Pits cause instantaneous death, utterly painless. Further, due to the acidic nature of the substance, these pits are also the most sanitary, requiring no body disposal or further cleaning. From the perspective of suffering, one realises that executions via Acid Pits are the least monstrous of all the methods known to Descendants. 

 

Some people have raised the point that Mali’thill condemn to Acid Pits everyone they do not like, a point made more recently by the regrettable A’eollaja Ello’janna-Valwynn, which maintained to witnessing “mali being melted in acid or burned at the stake for their blood, ‘thill and ‘aheral alike”. Such a claim can easily be dismissed upon consulting the recent history of the Silver State.

 

The last recorded execution of a criminal via Acid Pits occurred in 1768, when Aerendyl Lor’demar was sentenced to death for his role in the assassination of the Maheral Azorella Elibar’acal. 

 

Thereafter, the Acid Pits would fall into complete disuse. The last mention of them existing can be found on the year 8 of the Second Age, when it is recorded that the adoptive daughter of Nelgauth Maehr’tehral committed suicide by jumping into the Acid Pits of the first city of Karinah’siol.

 

The city of Karinah’siol was rebuilt entirely that very same year, and since then the technology of Acid Pits has been lost to the Mali’thill of Haelun’or.

 

ON HAELUN’ORIAN SOCIETY

 

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This section will be dedicated to various other false complaints, less prevalent but nonetheless vexating.

 

There have been Mali’aheral, those that have been at odds with the Silver State, to accuse the society and administration of reactionary thought, of regressive behaviour for insisting upon the importance of tradition.

 

Such an idea is, of course, unfounded. Tradition and progress are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they complement each other. Tradition, the remembrance of past epochs and leaders, is paramount to the development of Mali’thill society. Not only must one learn of history so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past, but also to learn of the achievements of the past, so that one may strive to overcome them in a continual process of collective progress.

 

On that same trend, some have accused Mali’thill society of misogynism, which is an even more absurd claim. Mali’thill society, since the days of Larihei, has been absolutely egalitarian. It is a well-known fact to all Mali’thill that the intellectual abilities of males and females are utterly identical. As such, within society, within law, within administration and truly within all aspects of life, all adult Silver People are completely equal, since forever.

 

Then there are the talks of Haelun’orian society being unwelcoming to interracial relations. Let us begin by pointing out that, in fact, most nations on this World view such partnerships with unfavourable eyes. There are many moral arguments to bring against such unions. 

 

Mali’thill are, biologically, predisposed to have uncommon longevity, so much to the point that it is unclear if Mali’thill are capable of dying of old age. It is because of this that, despite what one may originally think when falling in love with someone of another race, entering a relationship with someone other than a Mali’aheral will bring a great deal of suffering to that Mali’aheral. One will be doomed to watch their love age and die, likewise one will be condemned to watch their children, who will be societal outcasts in most Nations, also age and then die. There is perhaps no greater tragedy upon this World, than that of a parent having to watch its children perish. 

 

Then there is the issue of religion. Firstly, Mali’thill are not atheists. Deities exist, that is undeniable. Some Mali’thill have lived long enough to even meet some of them. However, Mali’thill reject worshipping of such deities, in no small part because such practices go against the interests of the Mali’thill. Deities seek to further their own influence upon worldly affairs, only using the Descendant as a means to an end. Further, deities, since they have not bathed in the Golden Pools, are, by definition, lessers.

 

Similarly, the reverence for Larihei is not a religion. Larihei is a concrete historical figure that, through genius and uncommon strength of character, built a civilization that has lasted for millennia. She is not a deity. There are no prayers dedicated to her, nor temples built in her name. Mali’thill only have deep respect for her actions that directly led to the birth of the Mali’aheral race.

 

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Issued by the office of the Okarir’san, the Committee of Truth,

2nd of the Sun's Smile, year 74 S. A.

[puffables 1125]

"What splendid a work - mister Aildhuin never ceases to impress!" the Sohaer would smile with bright eyed-gaze, a raise of his teacup in a motion of toast. "maehr'sae hiylun'ehya; let TRUTH be known."

[SteppeNomad 1552]

"I would posture an argument that every institution of great silvered law IS IN ITSELF a temple to lady Larihei! Through her example, and that of our most revered ancestors, we strive forwards to greatness ever-growing! Building upon the eternal glories of all our past! For what is the fruit before the seed? Larihei, like our great ancestors, are living in this reality, spiritually and metaphysically, and even physically through all of us!" A toga'd philosopher would point out some finer points of elven life

[Havsbris_ 441]

“I don’t even know who any of you are.” Listed the lady envoy.