Conceptual Sustainability

Conceptual Sustainability

by Alaksanteri Elithysius

Index

3 ........................................... Preamble

4 .................................. Culture Manifesto
5 ................................. Culture Intentions
6 ............................... Societal Reflections

7 .........................................Final Words

Preamble

The letter adjoined to the fourth page of this volume was forwarded to
the Council of Freedom on Dvarsh 14th of 508 CE. Certain parts of it
have been concealed or dessicated to preserve the secrecy of information
not meant for the eyes of the Basin. The rest of this volume aims to
explore various roles of culture, its importance and how it affects the
sense of self of entire nations.

I would first like to thank Steingrim, without who a manifesto would
probably not have been sparked within this reality by my hand, and who
also gave his full support and encouragement to the culture of the Free
Empire of Gaudiguch. Many thanks are also owed to Kistan, an
outstandingly prolific author of Gaudiguch who keeps our shelves
supplied with so many books and interesting stories. Then this volume is
also dedicated to Lord Ein, the Restless, as His presence inspired me to
continue exploring this subject and compile new observations to the
pages within, following the initial letter a few years later.

[An old, willingly damaged and burned letter rests between the pages
here. A few handwritten paragraphs of a delicate yet assured style are
still decipherable.]

Dear Council of Freedom,

A lot of importance is placed upon power generation. It is indeed quite
important to maintain guards posted, city security and to energize our
combatants. It is lovely to see the efforts in power generation being
rewarded and I hope to see this initiative continue. Though the essence
is then forwarded to the Flame and eventually consumed forever without
adding much novelty. It must never be forgotten to elevate the eternal
realm of ideas and culture and all will fall into place, or at least,
leave artifacts behind to tell of the story of our civilization.

The blessings offered by culture, books, plays and ideas are manifold.
Each single aspect of the cultural system that we manage to take earns
us more and more power every single weave. Then if we succeed in being
the cultural centre, this adds an additional one thousand power to the
city per weave to that total. For this, we need a steady supply of new
books and ideas from many. It is entirely possible to earn over
thirty-six thousand motes of power in one year if our city manages to
remain the cultural centre, at its performance peak, for all this time.

Building a collection of books for a library is a lengthy and slow
process which dates back to ages ago. The hands of many librarians have
overseen it along the creativity of many authors and scholars. Then
there are the many aides, many ones curious about culture and the
generous support of many leaders or organisations. How the library fares
is often a reflection of not only the current work placed into it by
many but also of all the previous many minds to have influenced it
before. How the library flourishes then has a lasting effect upon our
continued growth years and years later.

Books then fulfill the more durable function of creating our identity,
researching new ways to do things and they spread ideas and knowledge
which would have otherwise remained hidden or died with their
originators. The ideas in a book will not be consumed to naught through
time or use. Perhaps a short story which never managed to pass the
prestige comittee will reignite the collective imaginary centuries from
now for its genius, which was rediscovered after all this time, then
lead to other discoveries. Such things can never be foreseen. Ideas and
unconventional research are the soul of our city and one reason why many
of us reside here. For all the work, the time and the pieces of oneself
placed in a written work and the many possibilities it opens for the
city, authors deserve their recognition.

If one book then receives a prestige mention from the scholars of the
Basin, it means that it was deemed a very interesting read and of high
quality compared to another selection of volumes chosen within the
entire Basin. It is quite an achievement! A prestige winning work then
provides the city with twelve thousand motes of fuel for the Eternal
Flame over the course of the following two years. This alone is without
counting all the other aspects it is helping us to work towards in the
culture system in order to be recognised as Empire.

I could have spent time on the Astral plane, around one day to generate
one thousand to two thousand motes of essence. Then the same wheel would
have kept on turning. Instead I spent time stretched upon three weaves
investigating to bring this information before you with the hope that it
helps the city achieve better sustainability and balance, maybe initiate
a positive change within our city. This letter is as lengthy as a scroll
I could have written for our library.

Take this, draw fleshy things all over it, make some points evolve... I
hope that this provides certain tools to help our nation now or in the
future.

Your Librarian,
Alaksanteri Elithysius.

Culture Intentions

Culture has a very different mission than any other sphere of activity
and should be analysed or rewarded independantly, in a way that is not
entwined with the rest of the market. While it is often being marketed
and sold, marketing cultural products as if they were like any other
activity can lead to a decrease of quality in favour of quantity. Within
another spectrum of ideas, the thinkers who seek to make a living from
this activity should also be paid for their time and according to what
creations they spark into this universe as well as how it is able to
shape it. Such is too often the eternal misfortune of so many artists
who produce quality content as they lose visibility and a possible
public to seas of mainstream pieces of art without a soul. They are,
however, ones who would deserve more recognition for their work and
their ideas.

While there may be as many reasons to create as there are artists in
existence, one of two principal intentions can be extracted from most
art productions. Both intentions also send very different messages to
the consumers of culture and assist with shaping individuals or nations
in distinct ways.

One aims to explore through genuine, intuitive self-expression or to
educate. It is often different or eccentric as it often seeks to explore
concepts considered taboo, not within the social norms or reality
through different lenses. This is a process which takes time and
thought, and this intuitive process must remain untouched by the
economics of the market if it wishes to offer a genuine experience which
changes perceptions. Many explore the possibilities which go against
many sorts of norms being followed during their time, the reality of
ones who are different than most, interesting matters not yet popular or
expose injustices unheard of so far and present such things in an
appealing way.

The other seeks to partly or entirely replicate what is popular in order
to achieve fame and success. Less effort is usually placed upon the
content offered as it falls in line with what is expected as per the
notions of traditional marketing. To understand what a public wants and
be able to deliver something to content it has more to do with economy
than a genuine process of art creation. This piece of art will be
successful, yet fail as it does not align with the self-expression of an
artist and it does not explore to widen one's understanding of this
world. The consumer will also not earn a greater understanding of
educational notions and will not be faced with difference or
questioning. It is also the role of culture to expand the minds and
often to shock in this process, wether that is enjoyed or not. In this
sense, the piece only seeks to comfort and fails its true mission while
still being more popular than many others.

It is thus very much possible to experience success while producing
nothing of substance, simply by understanding how marketing works. It is
also possible to achieve timeless success by creating a piece of art
which opens the mind of a smaller public, even if they might have
disliked what they saw. For this, fame and success are very often not
equal to true success when we look at art.

Following specific norms or trying to establish rules for artists to
follow would be an antithesis to the creative process. True art would
be subjective to the vision of the artist and would break many norms in
search of this depiction of the natural and intuitive chaos which
inhabits one.

As an example, the Seal of Beauty is the shallowest representation of
mainstream art present in the Basin. Aside from the nauseating amount of
rules and norms which must be followed to enter, a specific vision is
imposed then ordered to be conceptualised for the pleasure of the senses
of a majority of consumers. The aim is not to add ideas of substance nor
to convey a message, not even to design an object appreciated by a user.
It is to obtain fame, success and fortunes as fast as one possibly can.
All of this happens while the ones who laid the foundations for their
organizations with ideas unheard of before, who then shaped the minds of
many through their art remain unseen after centuries of their work. It
fails to recognize that each organization holds a common myth and a
temple of ideas which may greatly diverge or not from the norms imposed
by this Seal, and that flesh is simply not as aesthetically pleasing for
the majority of the Basin as a gleaming crystal may be. A gleaming
crystal can be added to any designed creation and its sight will be
appreciated by most. Flesh takes time and observation to be appreciated
as fully as a crystal, as per the standards of most, including from the
scholar divines.

Art is meant to be controversial, diverse and it breaks rules by its
inherent nature. Art follows a process and a method as much as sciences
do and they both must seek to challenge the status quo, challenge what
currently is and explore in order to always move forward with a new
understanding. Blindly following the norms established without fully
understanding or questioning what is currently in place means that
either would have failed their mission for society.

Societal Reflections

When faced with the aftermath of Project Cosmic Hope, the City of
Magnagora and the Commune of Glomdoring were entirely reshaped by the
touch of the Soulless and it is interesting to see how each community
responded to the event as they strived to rebuild themselves as
independant nations, relying on the Old Celest no more for guidance.

Magnagora ackowledged then asserted its pain as well as its anger. The
nation revolted itself violently against all who would stand against
them choosing to defyingly embrace the touch of the Soulless bestowed
upon them, instead of running back towards the Light, and expose their
raw truth as it happened before their eyes.

Lady Nifilhema, Queen of Insufferable Cruelty, is the very symbol of One
who suffers for Her art and distinguishes Herself by forbidding no
method or imposing no taboos to achieve beauty in order to express
Herself freely, with no regard given to the wishes of others. Art is
also portrayed as an everlasting process with no true ending even in
death itself.

Lord Gorgulu, of the Thousand Hungers, is a symbol of how what one
consumes changes their being. One individual, many individuals, can
become the product of a society through what they feed to their mind as
well as their body. The culture, the education and the environment will
absolutely change one and one can become condemned to the resources
surrounding them out of a necessity for survival. With this loss of
control over one's consumptions, potentials are soon extinguished to
face a fated reality. Starvation can occur through all things without
thought or without meaning which are fed to oneself and absorbed without
discernment.

Glomdoring silently rebuilt itself in the shadows, fortifying a dome
around the forest as they swore that never again there would mercy. They
would empower and perfect themselves so that no one would ever take
advantage of any perceived weakness once more. There is great anger
there as well, though in this culture actions have higher weight than
words offered.

Wether a nation - or an individual - revolts violently, shows distrust
of others or even decides to suppress memories to avoid emotions are all
very natural reactions and all share an equal part of intense pain and
admirable self-empowerment after a traumatic event. For them, in
particular, a firm knowledge of their own culture is an important tool
to defend themselves or to see the continuity in the rebirth of their
identity. For the ones who are or were oppressed, self-expression
through art can become a way to survive wether this is for one
individual or an entire nation as a way to soothe, heal and share one's
own reality.

Gaudiguch and Hallifax are in a rather different situation as they were
frozen in time and must seek to fill a great abyss between themselves
and the rest of the Basin. For centuries, they have been entirely out of
touch with progress in sciences or in technology and even this weave,
they must adapt and catch up with this loss of time and posibilities
which fell upon them. In this process, there is not a doubt that their
own identities will and should be questioned as well as how they should
continue to evolve with the Basin as it stands very changed, nowadays. A
break from their past selves, and perhaps a rebirth, are to be expected
as their identity must evolve to keep them going towards a future
holding many more mysteries to be solved and possibilities.

For all nations, a future in which they are free and where most of their
points of reference have suddenly shifted lies ahead, awaiting to be
defined.

Conclusion

The cultural works and writings consumed by your nation, just as what is
absorbed by the self, are able to change it and place it on an entirely
different course. One single volume or aetherscroll is all this can
take, at times. The ideas become a part of the individuals themselves
and a reflection of an entire nation's sense of self. Tend to the ideas
you feed to your own with love and care as they might forge your
identity and be returned to you in more nuances and for a longer time
than first anticipated. Ultimately, what is given to another is able to
be powerfully returned to many through that one vessel. Make certain
that is a change you are prepared to see within this universe and
willing to see applied upon your own person too.

"As above, so below."

- Lord Ein, the Restless -