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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SHARK" data-source="post: 900778" data-attributes="member: 1131">Greetings!Indeed, Teifling, I may have made some of the statements by various characters somewhat more melodramatic in my paraphrase, but the gist remains accurate to what they said.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> After all, on occasion, characters do say some things that I simply cannot repeat *verbatim* here, as I'm sure you can imagine!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Pielorinho, Umbran, Gothmog, et. al.; In discussions of various characters "killing babies" it can easily be inferred that such "babies" in this case, Gnoll babies--are somehow the moral equivalent of *human babies*. Indeed, some feel that there is no moral distinction whatesoever. Then again, there are many who would argue that there is a vast gulf between the two. As mmadsen pointed out, many Valloreans view such creatures as Evil--and therefore it is their moral duty to exterminate them whenever and wherever they are found.In Vallorea, there are many, if not the majority that would subscribe to such a view, that such humanoids are not "free moral agents"--that is, truly capable of genuine moral choice and consciousness. By way of example, I will describe the following:In the Vallorean Empire, the High Magisterium determines who and what qualify as "Free Moral Agents"--beings that are deemed capable of moral consciousness. Beings and races that are deemed as such "Free Moral Agents" are considered to qualify for whatever Laws of War that are appropriate, as well as any considerations of chivalry and other such civilized conventions. In general, Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Urrgan, Harthak, Ogres, Treants, Sylvan creatures, all qualify and are considered moral races. In some areas of the Vallorean Empire, some Dragons, some Giants, and some Minotaurs are considered moral creatures. Everything else is generally considered evil and unnatural, and opposed to the natural order of things, and can be exterminated at will. Of course, as Valloreans encounter some unusual races and creatures, like half-elementals for example, then in such a local area, they would be considered moral creatures as well. In such highly unusual races, it is deemed an unusual circumstance, and a specific dispensation of blessing is given for them, as an individual, or as a specific community. It depends, and can vary significantly.With the more traditional barbaric humanoid races--specifically Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Hags, Hobgoblins, Harpies, Medusa, Giants, Dragons, Minotaurs, other monsters, and Beastmen, such creatures are not generally considered to be moral creatures, and are thus incapable of being "Free Moral Agents." The vast majority of the common population and of the leadership of the Vallorean Empire believes that these evil races are incapable of redemption, and are a blasphemy upon the earth. They are a grevious insult to the holiness of the gods, and are to be expunged at every opportunity.In addition, historically, the Vallorean Empire has existed for some 2500 years, and for all of this time, and for the previous several thousand years as the Vallorean tribes--at that time, there were seven tribes, and all of them were barbarians then, living as hunter-gatherers and organized by Chieftains--they have been fighting huge wars against the forces of Darkness--generally the evil races mentioned above, especially Beastmen. Gnolls are considered a sub-race of Beastmen, and have opposed the Valloreans as well, for all of this time. The Valloreans have been involved in a life-and-death struggle with these hordes of evil humanoids that lurk on the frontiers, and there has been no peaceful contact or relationships, certainly not in the broader consciousness. That doesn't mean that an individual Beastman, Orc, or Troll, or even a family or two--haven't been peaceful, and they have been recieved peacefully by an individual Vallorean who has encountered them. On the whole, however, such occurances are unheard of, and unknown. The incidence of such occuring is very rare, and even when it does occur, it doesn't mean that all of Vallorea has heard of it. Even if they did, it is unlikely that anyone would believe such is possible, and would reject the notion out of hand. It wouldn't be believed. To persuade the average Vallorean of its truth would take quite some time, and lots of evidence before they would in their own minds, allow for such an unusual exception.The Valloreans have been a people, and an empire, at war for survival, both physically and spiritually, and their world-views reflect this harsh reality.The Elves, on the other hand, though they have certainly been involved in great wars, maintain a different world-view. The Elves have a different pantheon, a different moral world-view, and different spiritual and philosophical experiences. The Elves in general, have embraced a world-view that seeks compromise, reconciliation, and peaceful relationships, in large part due to the fact that Elves simply cannot afford the loss and casualties to always fighting wars. Thus, the Elves seek to make friends where they can, and avoid confrontation where possible. There are Lawful Elves, however, that are more in line with the Valloreans, and have their share of disagreements with Elves who hold to the aforementioned philosophy. The Elves have also had to change their ancient ways of thinking, as reality made demands upon them that could not be denied. The humans alone are a force that the Elves simply could not defeat militarily, and thus they had to learn to give way and back down whether they really liked it or not. Elves have not had the power to enforce their will entirely, and have had to seek security by other ways. These developments of over a 5000 year period have brought changes to the Elves' world-view. Thus, it can be seen that between the two very different political, military, religious, and economic histories of the two cultures, that different moral philosophies and world-views have developed over time, and become embraced by the larger population in question.Semper Fidelis,SHARK</blockquote>

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