Anred Tirchanus, Sage of the Wheel
Who is the greatest philosopher of your world. Describe what they taught and how it changed the the way people react to the world.
"...what I need you to understand, class, is that the Garden would not be what it is today without Anred Tirchanus. Most of the Nations would not be what they are without him. He was born into an age of barbarism, and though he didn't live to see it, his vision and his teachings helped shape a safer, more orderly world.
You're actually very familiar with Tirchanus' teachings- you all learned about the Divine Wheel when you were small. What you probably didn't realize is that this view of the world, as one in balance across the Nations, with everyone having an important place and purpose, wasn't always clear.
Once, the world was full of chaos. The Nations were defined only on a personal level: you knew to which you and your family belonged, and the Patron Spirits' teachings were passed down orally. There was almost no governing structure, no organization. There was constant conflict between the nomadic Nations, and cities and towns fended for themselves against marauders and aggressive wildlife alike.
Chimeara were everywhere in this time- No, please! Settle! You can't judge our ancestors by our standards! I urge you to consider with compassion a world where Masks are spread out all over the world, and there are precious few in your corner of it. Your only options are a mixed marriage, inbreeding, or your bloodline dying out. It's a terrible choice, but it's an understandable one.
Okay, have it your way. Discuss. I'll wait."
"May I continue? How kind of you.
As I was saying, Chimeara were everywhere in this time. As a result, there was a higher rate of acceptance to their existence- to a point. Typically, children who had complimentary features could skate by, but those of... exotic parentage were cast out even as they are today.
Now that I have set the stage, let's discuss Tirchanus. He was born into a merchant family and traveled widely in his childhood. He befriended children from almost every walk of life and Nation, learning their hardships, their beliefs, and their cultures. Yes, Kirri?"
"What Nation were his parents?"
"Funny you should ask- we don't know. That information seems to have been lost to time. In the records, he's described as having a fairly androgynous appearance, and artwork of him is slightly different everywhere. Each Nation seems to make him their own. He has sharp features in the Catlands, a Mask here in our own Kingdom, and the Deepwater represents him with scales. Yes, Gryp?"
"Wouldn't that mean he was some kind of Super-Chimeara? Why should we listen to something like that?"
"Scholars don't think so, and it's easy to understand. If all of the artwork is true, he would have had ancestry from almost all Nations, which is considered an impossibility. There's just no way such a child would survive past infancy, if it were born alive at all.
The prevailing theory, and I believe this is true, is that his message was so powerful, so important, and resonated so strongly with all the people he came into contact with, that when they immortalized him in art every Nation made him their own. The confusion of his bloodline and history actually makes the Divine Wheel even stronger because no one Nation can claim it. Do you see?
Where was I... right. So, he grew up with a deep appreciation of all cultures and beliefs. He saw that all of the Virtues were important to all people, even if they didn't celebrate them as the core of their identity. Can someone give me an example of a Virtue that's important in your life, besides Courage? ...Staaldier?"
"Uh... Love?"
"Very good! Most of us spend all our lives obsessed with love. We want to find true love, and we suffer if we don't get enough love from our friends and our families. And yet this is not the center of our culture, it's not the virtue we are rooted in. And we certainly don't celebrate it and understand it on the same level that the Wolf clans do.
Tirchanus saw this deep connection with all of the Virtues, in all peoples, and in his mind that expanded to all peoples being connected within the world, and being important to it. That's what this is, that's what the Divine Wheel teaches us. He spent his entire life bringing people together and making peace. He was part of the first negotiations between the Wolf clans and the Cat tribes that designated their ranges. His teachings helped unite the Masks under a common banner. He laid the foundation for the world we live in today.
That's why we'll be studying his life for the next few weeks of this class. Next lecture we'll begin to discuss his companions and their impact, and yes, Skollie, they will be on the exam."
Children
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