Philosophy for the Races

[Arrgh! Mark!]

I've recently been putting together some philosophy, when I had a good idea - What of Philosophy for Dwarves? Having a background in philosophy, I immediately went and wrote some things down.

Now I'm half complete, but I was wondering how interested people really would be with this? Or is it something really background? It would certainly flesh out the races some, with a greater background than "Och, I drink Ale" or whatever.

I must admit I completely stole the first paragraph. But the whole thing was never about making a new philosophy, as I'm not a dwarf - and cannot do something like that. But I can on the other hand give a decent impersonation of what I think a dwarf would think like.

Heres the first part at any rate

Das In Handarbeit machen des Steins

The Crafting of the Metals


I, Lorek, will attempt to explain the facets of attaining what it is to be Dwarf. It must be known that in the fires of creation, each Dwarf is made differently, with different strengths and weaknesses in the Metal/Soul. Even the type of metal is important in the making. This is known as the Metal/Soul. Through his life the dwarf shall be hammered, cooled, and finally when he dies his Shape is determined by his choices and his willingness to overcome. The Metal/Soul and the Shape are the two fundamentals Dwarfkind must accept if it is to continue past the rage of the gods.

The First Facet – The Hands of Magic

(. The scene. The Thronerooom of a ruined palace. King of the Dwarves is sitting on his throne, terribly wounded. Around him are the corpses of a hundred warriors, and a hundred demons. Enter Prince of Hell.)

Prince of Hell: So it has come to this at last.

King of the Dwarves: I am beset. I am betrayed. My family eaten by the phosphorate magics, my towns are destroyed and my Thanes are dead. Before our last battle, I ask why?

Prince of Hell: So it always was. So it is. So it always will be. When you created the Gods..

King of the Dwarves: ..The gods created I. Otherwise, nothing.

Prince of Hell: Then die.

- Saga of Styngar. Act 1, Part 1.

I.

So it is that throughout the years, Dwarves have died. The great halls of our dead, our heroes, our kings outnumber the living. So it is that entire cities have been abandoned to the wanderings of Stone Guardians..

A pick is a tool. A sword is a tool. These tools are used for a purpose and have no higher goals in themselves. These tools do not subvert; a weak mind is subverted by desire, not a tool. A strong mind understands a tool for what it is; he takes care of it and it will take care of him.

One must be careful in taking care of his tools. A new axe has a shaft and a head. After awhile, the shaft may break. It is replaced, the same tool continues. A while later, the head breaks, and is replaced. Is it still the same tool? Grandfathers axe is just as good as it always was. The myth continues. The nature of belief is in this.

II.

A dwarf uses his hands and achieves what he can despite weakness. It is in overcoming weakness that he gains value. It is in knowing your limits do you begin to know your strengths. It is in knowing what one cannot do does he only begin to forge his Shape..

 

[Yair]

Interesting. I am currently working on fleshing out the Elan race (XPH, and of course RSRD). This is an interesting way to think about the race, let me try to see what I can drum up.
Mind you, this will be quite a different style… I think I’ll try to go with the Bhagavad Gita…

The following text is taken from a lost tomb in the Haran desert. The writing is in an ancient dialect of Falin, translated only through the assistance of magic. It is the only fragment that probed susceptible to translation, as most of the find is in another language that proved impervious to my divinations. - Jalarond Avarsil

As Sanjaya saw Brahshiva in his great sorrow, crying sorrowful tears, he spoke to him thus: Oh how have you sank into terrible sorrow, great Brahshiva? It is not proper for an immortal. From the furthest dreams your name shall be stricken, oh Brahshiva. Feint heartness does not become you; stand with pride, oh Brahshiva Who Defeats the Enemies!
Brahshiva said: Oh Sanjaya, Taker of Lives, how will I take the life of mortals, while they are worthy of my respect? Evil as they may be, killing them will forever stain my spirit. I know not what is best – that I shall kill them and gain life, or that I die and let them live. Oh Sanjaya, I shall not take their lives.
Blessed Sanjaya said: Speaking your things, you lamented what cannot be lamented. The wise one lements neither the living nor the dead. There is no time in which you, me, and even the mortal were not or cease to be. As the soul passes from the body in its death, so it returns to its pure state, oh Sanjaya, for that which exists shall not cease to be.
Oh Brahshiva, all mortal things come to an end. It matters not, for they leave no mark. Only the eternal matters, oh Brahshiva, for only it endures. Kill the passing spirit, then, and eternally seek temporary dwelling, for the eternal soul remains forever unharmed, the transient spirit but as always passes, and the eternal spirit passes on to the endless future and past.

But Brahshiva was not consoled, and approached Sanjaya thus: Oh brilliant Sanjaya, how can the evil be eternal, when they lack spirits, Sanjaya?
Sanjaya replied: Look around you, oh Brahsiva, at this world you live in. Look at the changing light, as hour chases hour, day turns to night. Look at the changing of life, as spring turns to winter, young turns to old. Look at the changing land, as mountains turn to valleys, deserts to seas. All is change, Brahshiva, for this is the substance of matter – that it always changes. But for how long has it been thus oh Brahshiva? Has it not been so forever? And forever more? Say then, that matter is eternal in his ephemeral change.
This, then, is that nature of evil, oh Brahshiva, that it is eternal in existence and temporary in effect, and that is why the mortals die, for they are evil and transient, souls corrupted by the transient flesh. You can kill a blade of grass, but other grass will flourish. You can crush a certain stone, but matter will endure. Make no mistake, Brahshiva: when taking a life you cut a beautiful flower, but not flower-quality itself. Thus too are the mortals eternal, Brahshiva, in their way.

I see now, great Sanjaya, said Brahshiva, that evil is passing, and so cannot truly come to harm. But are not we too beyond harm? How will I, eternal spirit, be harmed through my inaction? Surely, I need take no lives.
Divine Sanjaya shook his head. Oh Brahshiva, how you have fallen, forgetful thoughts. Have you so distanced yourself from the eternal? How you sunk so low into the depths of carnality? Oh heed my words, Brahshiva, and return to the golden path.
Eternal you are, and eternal you shall remain. For countless eons you have existed, Brahshiva, and for countless more you shall. Gods rise and fall, Brahshiva, yet you endure. On the plains of Assilut I met you, when you were a girl. On the battlefields of Azzarghat I found you, an old men, commanding legions. You were a priest of Frod on Kalinar, now both forgotten. All these and more you are, or were, or will be. But what use is merely being, oh Brahshiva? It is the quality of souls; evil exists. You must transcend existence, Brahshiva, don’t you see?
Oh I do Sanjaya, cried Brahshiva, but how can I when bound in flesh? Eternally transient existence sorounds me, Sanjaya, I see no escape.
You must expand your awareness, Brahshiva, answered Sanjaya. Meditate as I have taught you, so you could remember, so you could feel, so you could foresee. Eternally you shall strive, oh Brahshiva, through countless lives you shall travel, passing through the life of one mortal to another, an eternal braid of thoughts strung through transient bodies. But at its end, oh Brahshiva, at its end at endless time you shall remember all of me, and be me as I am now, whole and all remembering, for I am Krishna, and remember all. Many births I have passed, as have you Brahshiva. I know them all, and you shall too. I know this, for I remember you Brahshiva, teaching me as I now teach you. Come, Brahshiva, take his life, so that your shall eternally remember.

 

[JBowtie]

The thing with philosophy is that, in general, it cuts across race in much the same way religion does. Culture and race do not have to be identical, and in most cases settings are more interesting when they are not.

When you're looking to be more race-centric, I think a mythos is bit more revealing and appropriate. In my campaign world, each race has a set of myths and legends that look at the world from a distinct viewpoint.

This of course borders on and sometimes incorporates religion and philosophy, but the important distinction is that

1) These are myths and legends, not tenets of faith or belief systems. Most people tell and enjoy hearing the stories, but don't really base their lives on them. Philosophies transcend culture and will spread to any intelligent beings that can understand each other.

2) They are not transferable. An elf may understand and embrace the ooloi idea that music created the world and that life proceeds from the sea, but it is highly unlikely that any elf would believe that they exist only because the traitorous sharks needed a patsy to pin some crimes on. (Actually, the ooloi don't really believe that either, it's just a legend, right? But somehow it makes them feel better about being short-lived aquatic beings instead of nigh-immortal land-dwellers).

3) They do not need to be the least bit consistent. Nice for DMing purposes.

 

[Yair]

The thing with philosophy is that, in general, it cuts across race in much the same way religion does... When you're looking to be more race-centric, I think a mythos is bit more revealing and appropriate. In my campaign world, each race has a set of myths and legends that look at the world from a distinct viewpoint.

I pretty much agree. Which is probably why both me and Mark! actually wrote myths, not philosophy. Both were pieces of fiction that implied or hinted at some underlying philosophy, but neither was a philosophical discourse (though mine was closer, I guess).
And even myths are not applicable to whole races, as our own human experience obviously reveals. So my little piece, for example, represented a more-or-less lost culture of Elan, which is much more Good-oreinted then the current dominant culture in my campaign. It was just an excercise in Elan thought.

I do not believe Mark! was suggesting all dwarven philosophers subscribed to the same views. But it is plausible that nearly all dwarves subscribe to the same general philosophy, which is surely (as you rightly point out) espoused by their mythos. I just find that approahing the race from the viewpoint of trying to nail down its philosophy and mythos are an interesting an novel way to flesh it out. Kudos to Mark! for the suggestion.

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

Thanks for the compliments, Yair.

And your right; I wouldn't assume that a single philosopher would be the way to truly get at the heart of anything - and of course with fantasy being the way it is often myths and traditions are far more respected than reason. But a philosophy is a way to really get down into the way they think; they are the myths unfolded, or without the fluff, in a way. Have a philosophy and you can make any tale you wish from it. Alien as the creatures may be, of course.

As a game note: I created a dialogue between a player character (A cleric of a homebrew but good god) whose name was (no joke) Euthphryo and a rather socratic character named Sohcrahthey. *Coughs*. Well, I have no originality. Regardless, it was some interesting moment - as a few weeks earlier in the game-time that character found an item of unsurpassing goodness, which was granted by the other good god to another paladin. The item itself was created by a wizard long ago (has a story and all, but don't need to get into it). Do the gods love the object because it is good, refuting their power other than what they materially can do, or is it good because they love it?

Eventually, he decided to give the shield to the other church, healing the rift between the two churches but being cast out himself (And getting a lot of nasty doubt - he chose the object was good in of itself.) . The best way I can think of to get an item out of the players ability from the game. Ahh, the memories.