Séven's Treatise: Fate's Waltz Stance

[SoL - Lore]

Fate – Defiance



The ultimate discussion of fate and the nature of humanity’s desire to defy it. There is a notion that accepting fate is a limitation of freedom, one could say that accepting that things cannot change would mean that no matter what action you take, nothing in the end matters because the destination would be the same. Fate itself, as I believe and have discussed, is not a fixed thing, to say that such an abstract concept could be bound by mortal understanding would be laughable. Still, that being said, this need to *defy* fate still burns inside of the soul once the thought of *freedom* is challenged.



Why does this need to be free burn so bright in our hearts? What is actually binding us that we need to break the chains of this perceived imprisonment. Our belief is the need to overcome. Humanity’s need to overcome strife and conflict is what really drives us, and we create these ultimatums that we aspire to defeat. It comes in many forms, a thought that is contrary to popular belief or a dogma created by a community, maybe a religious belief that permeates in a community... all of these things have one thing in common. The destruction of human interaction and of free will, the collective is something that many people fear. When a group begin to think as one...then the *self* disappears and we lose our identity. Why think for yourself when others have created a roadmap on how to think for you, years in advance.



Those who believe they are enlightened see this *fallacy* and reject it, clinging to some sort of contrarian idea that anarchy or *true freedom* can only be obtained by breaking this seemingly cyclical paradigm. Can it be broken, is it something that exists, we won’t pretend to have that answer, to have peace of mind we observe this quality of humanity and act occordingly.

[Sword of Legend]

School of Thought – Balance



Strife, it is one of the things that define mortal history throughout the realm of Eternia, as those who observe, we move forward with a sense of understanding that others will not. There is a balance to everything that exists in this world. Where there is light shining on the world, a shadow is cast among the stars, a darkness that lives in our hearts is coupled with a light of our morality that keeps our darkest desires from being acted on.



The realm is an interesting place, with groups that all have a sense of dogma that they wish to enforce upon those who challenge their ideas. It isn’t as simple as good against evil, in the stories of each living thing, they believe that their growth trumps all others. People will move together with a mindset that stregnthens this dogma. We do not judge, not harshly, it isn’t an easy task however. We are products partially of our surroundings, whatever ideal that we were raised will be the foundation of anything that this stance on life takes. We must be careful and understand others, challenge our own ideals constantly, that challenge is what brings us to our center.



A balance and a willingness to see beyond our rigid ideology.

[Sword of Legend]

School of Thought – Impartial Perspective.



There are perspectives that people take on an argument, usually one that aligns with the ideals that they had formed early throughout life. We must continue to observe diligently so that we may learn the motivations of those who move forward in life without abandon. There are dangerous levels of social oppression that exists in our land, rigid ideology that leaves no room for compromise. We have to look between the lines, observe the motivation of others and make our call silently.



Every person in this realm has a story, and in their story, they are the hero. It is hard to believe that each person you encounter will believe they are right? We are not here to change their mind about their perspective, the only vantage point they will ever have been their own. We are different, through the threads of fate that we see, we have an advantage that others do not. To see the world as it truly is, and as the ripple effects change the direction of the story of others, we see that each action can culminate into a grand design...one that is written by the hearts and minds of those who wish to see change.



It is a contradiction, as many things in this treatise are.

[SoL - Lore]

School of Thought – Combat



What is the point of this form, this way of life? We learn to strike with unrelenting speed and force, but are we soldiers that move through the realm as weapons of the state? Maybe even weapons of faith? Or wanders that seek battle? What does it mean to be a combatant? The nature of combat is rooted in duality, to seek strength and enforce an idea or even to prove to ourselves that we deserve to believe in what we believe.



Some believe that combat is an expression of will, our will to do more, to survive, to conquer. Combat itself is an expression of will yes, that desire is going to vary person to person, but one that that it cannot do is be miscommunicated. It is a language that transcends all moral and even divine language. It speaks to the most primal part of existent, and should only be used when your words cannot reach the person who wishes to hear. Combat isn’t something that should be taken lightly, it is an ultimatum in most circumstances that it is truly engaged with. That kind of commitment should not be taken lightly, no matter the reason you truly wish to speak this primordial language.



There will be points where you tempted to speak this language right from the start, there is no judgement, each person will see the need when the time comes. All that needs to be understood is that the dynamic between the two parties will change *forever* once you speak this language in its purest form.

[Sword of Legend]

School of Thought – Death



Death, the ultimate enemy of progress and the building of your story. It is something that will come naturally, for magi we have extended lives due to our abilities but because of this we are at risk because of the nature of humanity. Many times, conflict will drive us to action, and death becomes a very realistic possibility.



Do we fear death? Is death something that we should prevent through a passive lifestyle, through a life of positive energy? Do we surround ourselves with people to shield ourselves from death? Do we shy away from danger and protect others from death? It is a choice that is heard to make due to the fact that humanity... in fact, all living things are genetically coded to fear this concept.



Death isn’t something that should define our lives, we should shy from it, but she wouldn’t ignore it either. Death, for most mortals, is an unavoidable part of the cycle of life. Our souls are immortal in a sense, sent to the stars after our mortal coil ceases to function due to many possible factors. We must understand that death must be held sacred, and that life should be bountiful in experience. Many believe that death is unnecessary, but that is a lie. We are built with lifelines that will end, whether in battle, in sickness or in old age.



There is a beauty in humanities fleeting lifespan, the ability to create such beauty and abhorrent violence a like. Death and life bring balance to the realm and that balance, that cycle, should never be disrupted, at all costs. As we embrace the reality of death, we transcend our understanding of life in its fullest form. We must live with that knowledge and act accordingly, whatever that means to you will show through your actions every day.



To be ignorant and to be stagnant is TRUE death.

[SoL - Lore]

School of Thought – Self-Actuallization



The process of self-actualization is different for everyone, and not all individuals achieve all levels of their desire throughout their lives. While Magi believed achieving self-actualization is somewhat rare and posited that only about a few of the adult Magi population has self-actualized, current research shows this number may be higher. Further, self-actualization has not been found to correlate with age, gender, income level, or race.

Self-actualization is thought to be best conceptualized as the sum of its parts rather than as traits viewed in isolation. For example, a person who has a creative spirit, which is one trait of self-actualization, may still not be fully self-actualized. Some experts say the theory of self-actualization is more about how open a person is to growth and health rather than about achieving ideals such as perfection, success, or happiness.

In addition, those that do self-actualize will not necessarily remain in that state. People may travel between several levels of personal and magical growth over their lifespan, based on life circumstances, individual choices, and mental health.

A keen sense of awareness is also important. And it can make it easier to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of one’s full potential.
Because self-actualization involves a strong sense of purpose and self-awareness as well as the imperative that one's basic needs are met, it can be a challenging goal to reach. However, people who do self-actualize at some point in life may be able to retain access to this level because they have learned the necessary skills to achieve fulfillment.

Not all people seek self-actualization as a goal, and different people or cultures may have differing opinions about what constitutes a self-actualized state of being. Self-actualized people approach every aspect of life with creativity. Be it problem-solving or social skill, they employ a creative spirit to achieve personal growth and help others grow along the way.

[Sword of Legend]

The Spirit Realm – The Entrance



The Spirit Realm is a place that we are all connected to through our souls. When we are bound by our mortal coils that connection is weakened greatly, but there is a way to reach it without the use of a gate or a warden. It takes a decent amount of focus, but as we become acclimated to seeing the threads of fate, we gain the ability to manipulate them to reach the realm where we stand. A veil of purified energy, an energy magi will have more of a chance to reach it on their own but as you begin to walk through the realm of destiny, you too gain the same level of access. That access has it limits, in this realm our power is weakened greatly due to our mortal coils still encasing our souls.



The realm of spirits...are field with many different things, levels that only those who are deserving can enter. It isn’t a place to tread alone or without fear...the darkest creatures of existence tread there and haunt the denizens who have been lost and have not learned to let go...the more you tread, the more you will be enraptured and trapped there until the end of days...

[SoL - Lore]

The Spirit Realm – Alfheim



The realm of the meek, a place that each non-magi spirit dwells, a place of peace and tranquility. It is always interesting to try and understand those who have not awakened the ability to evoke their magical abilities. All are capable of magic, but in a lifetime only a select few can trigger that initial spark that awakens their latent powers. That power can isn’t something that can just be channeled when you have not awakened your true self. Non-mag of Alfhiem can finally feel that bliss of using the power of their soul, a place that inspires more from all who visit.



That being said, it is also prime for corruption, those who are meek are susceptible to corruption of many kinds. As we enter here, we can learn from them, to learn that childlike imagination that only one who has never experience this can feel. It might be called the realm of the meek, but to us it’s much more, here we can learn true focus as they do. In many passages to the spirit realm we, in most cases will be here first. Walking a fine line of mastery will be easy from here, seek this place as you delve deeper into your soul when you initiate your communion with this place.

[SoL - Lore]

The Spirit Realm – Joruheim





The realm of the brave, and the home of the free. Joruheim is filled with those who made the ultimate sacrifice during battle, war, or any kind of conflict that came with a clash of ideology. A place that is rooted in the protection of the realm of spirits, here is a place that will gain you strength in the realm of spirits.



Battle in the spirit realm is different, you won’t feel the same sensations as you do in the physical realm, damage doesn’t translate the same way. Here, you will be grounded, while the soul itself is immortal and everlasting...it can be destroyed. Do not EVER forget that fact, contemplating what true oblivion entails is something that no one has ever recorded... Be mindful that your physical body will suffer for injuries in the realm of the spirits, but here you will learn what you need to know to survive and what to do to reach this realm.



Dedication in life, motivation beyond death in the most benevolent of forms could even see you become a warden after your mortal coil is discarded. This isn’t an easy task and requires you to draw from the lifespan of another. How it relates to this stance is simple, you draw from the extra sensory forces that you gain from just being in and out of the realm of spirits. A seventh sense develops, an indescribable intuition that only sprit-walkers could understand....walk tall in life and embrace death no matter when it comes.

[Sword of Legend]

Spirit Realm – Deities



This will be an interesting topic...in the realm of the spirits there are beings that rule over each layer of the spirit realm. The number of realms within are unknown, there are not many mortals who have done exploration in this realm for an extended period of time. Being there too long can trap you there for life so a map is difficult to determine. On top of that, spirits that leave the realm have memory loss of being in the realm due to entering the physical realm again.



That being said, there are those who retain everything, their memories, their power, their will and rise the ranks within the realm and proclaim themselves as deities. This isn’t an easy feat, and in most cases, it’s just the nature of their soul, loaded with will power that exceeds that of any mortal that enters or even those that created the realm itself. Note that I use the word Deities and not Gods, a true god of the realm holds FAR more power than those that claim the title of deity, but the gods of the spirit realm are similar to those of the physical, they observe silently an only intervene when the fabric of existence is threatened to a degree that cannot be ignored.



The power of these deities come from two singular place, neither mutually exclusive. Direct Worship is the first, if you read through texts, an example of these kind of deities are the Urayan Gods. Their power directly scales from those that believe in the physical or the spiritual realm. Their level of understanding of the plain and their natual affinity for holy magics allowed them to rise to a level unseen by normal essences or wisps. Luckily, they are benevolent.



The second comes from the absorption of spirits themselves. Inhaling the power of other spirits and assimilating them can increase the power of a deity by a significant margin. There have been many cases where a spirit or a nethradin have gained power this way and used that power to take claim to an aspect of life. Rage, greed, benevolence, war...the realm of spirits translates concepts like these into ethereal form, a tangible form in this realm and allows them to do things that wouldn’t be possible in the physical.