Fortune of Fallen (Voon-dih-ha oov veem-mah)
Fortune of Fallen is a concept in Krea that functions similarly to what we might recognize as Karma in our world, though this term doesn't exist in their vocabulary. This theory revolves around a balance of actions and has largely to do with a list of 5 downfalls and 5 fortunes, similar to the 7 sins and virtues, saying that for every good or bad thing one does there is an equal reaction of the other side to retain balance.
This tradition people uphold has nothing to do with religion. While most educated Krealings acknowledge that Fortune of Fallen has no verifiable metaphysical mechanism, it remains culturally significant and influences daily behavior. Similar to how some cultures maintain traditions they know are symbolic rather than literal, Krealings often act as if Fortune of Fallen is real despite intellectual skepticism. Many parents teach it to children as a moral framework, and adults reference it in conversation, making decisions with it in mind—even those who would explicitly deny its literal truth if pressed. This creates a curious cultural situation where a concept is simultaneously treated as fictional and influential.
The balance between fortunes and downfalls is generally believed to occur quickly—typically within moments to minutes after an action. Different cultural groups attribute this enforcement to different sources: Followers of Penta and Shen might claim these entities manage the balance, while others see it as an intrinsic property of the world itself. Some philosophically-minded Krealings refer to it simply as 'Penta's Fate' or 'Shen's Destiny' acting through the world, creating a circular explanation that satisfies most without requiring deeper examination.
Unlike personal karmic systems found in some philosophies, Fortune of Fallen operates on a global scale rather than an individual one. When a Downfall occurs—be it an act of Greed, Chaos, or Slander—people don't expect the perpetrator to personally experience negative consequences. Instead, they believe that somewhere else in the world, a Fortune of equal magnitude must manifest to maintain cosmic balance. This worldview creates an unusual moral framework where individuals can rationalize harmful actions by claiming they indirectly cause good elsewhere. A merchant who hoards resources during a drought might comfort themselves by thinking, 'My Hoard ensures that somewhere, someone experiences great Luck.' Cynical individuals often invoke this reasoning to justify selfish behavior, regardless of whether they truly believe it, while more conscientious people strive to embody Fortunes directly rather than rationalize Downfalls.
The 5 Downfalls are as follows:
- Greed (The concept of wanting more of something, with intended mal-intent towards others. This downfall is not referring so much as simply desiring more of something, but the actual act of gaining more than one needs of something with the idea of 'no one but me should have this'.)
- Degenerate (Perverse in nature, the concept essentially has to do with people who lust after others in ways that are not accepted or reciprocated. This downfall is more than just pervertish nature and goes into making targets feel like accessories, tools, or worse.)
- Hoard (Somewhat combining gluttony and selfishness, the concept of hoarding has to do not with mal-intent but rather collecting certain things in abundance with the unintended effect of hurting others in the process. This downfall usually is not done directly to hurt others, like greed, and is generally done by people either out of fear of missing out on things or running out of things. An example of this is not giving out the plenty of water you have to people in a drought because you might need it yourself.)
- Chaos (Chaos is the act of causing problems and disturbing or disrupting those around. This downfall is more than just momentary discomfort and is more acts that completely uproot people or cause mass hysteria. An example of an act that causes this is a murderer running around and killing people left and right and causing people to flee.)
- Slander (Also known as rumors, this downfall is meant to spread harmful or hurtful words to cause the target or group of targets to befall misfortune. It's not simple gossip, however, and refers to more targeted words with actual malice behind them. Whether they are true or not, the aim is generally to make others lose favor with the target or to make the target fail in their endeavors.)
The 5 Fortunes are as follows:
- Luck (This fortune extends beyond simple luck, and is generally regarded as the most common fortune. This isn't merely random good fortune but specifically occurring when someone truly needs it or has been suffering. Examples of this fortune is being 'in the right place at the right time' or things that extend past simple coincidence, and generally is of considerable favor to the target.)
- Peace (The concept of peace refers to mostly a calm state, rather than alliances. This isn't just absence of conflict but a positive state of contentment. It's a period lacking chaos, where one can relax without others bothering them or worrying about anything, as long as they don't start anything. This fortune is unfortunately often overlooked on the receiving end as people oftentimes don't recognize it until after it's passed, but otherwise helps to curb anger.)
- Justice (Generally on the receiving end instead of the giving end of the Fortune of Fallen, this concept refers more towards the people enacting justice on others who deserve it rather than people getting justice enacted on them. This isn't just punishment but restoration of proper order. An example of this fortune is learning someone scammed your child and beating up the perpetrator for it and preventing it from happening to others.)
- Sacrifice (This fortune refers to giving up things you cannot feasibly give up for the betterment of others, usually putting yourself in a worse position to help the others not be. True Sacrifice must be freely chosen, not coerced. This doesn't usually refer to anything specifically life-threatening but can. This selfless fortune is often referred to being 'too kind for your own good' because small acts from people in this manner are thought of as them thinking others are better or more worthy than themselves in those moments.)
- Charity (The act of giving what you have to others, even if it's to your detriment, because someone else needs it more or you'd rather give it to them. This fortune does not refer to simply donating or getting rid of what you have extra of, but the act of helping someone else without expecting anything in return. The purest Charity is anonymous, with no expectation of recognition. An example of this is a man running a food stall giving an apple to a little boy for free because he's hungry and doesn't have money.)
Unlike personal karmic systems found in some philosophies, Fortune of Fallen operates on a global scale rather than an individual one. When a Downfall occurs—be it an act of Greed, Chaos, or Slander—people don't expect the perpetrator to personally experience negative consequences. Instead, they believe that somewhere else in the world, a Fortune of equal magnitude must manifest to maintain cosmic balance. This worldview creates an unusual moral framework where individuals can rationalize harmful actions by claiming they indirectly cause good elsewhere. A merchant who hoards resources during a drought might comfort themselves by thinking, 'My Hoard ensures that somewhere, someone experiences great Luck.' Cynical individuals often invoke this reasoning to justify selfish behavior, regardless of whether they truly believe it, while more conscientious people strive to embody Fortunes directly rather than rationalize Downfalls.
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