A Challenge to Purist Policy

The First Challenge to Purist Policy

Introduction

This paper outlines the case against the Purist policy of Storm Keep, and relates how it is inconsistent and fails our purpose, our principles, our vision and most importantly the Prophecy of Singularity.

History

"Shay was disappointed in what he found in San Gohdam Keep.  Divided among many gods and permitting even balance-keepers to walk with them, and of such diverse race as to resemble a zoo or circus, their discipline was a faint shadow of their rivals.  With Ishamael Rinji and Malcom drak'Martys, he sought to find ways to remedy this. 

The three perused Eclipse's library for days, seeking records of the old times to determine when Eclipse had ventured from true discipline.  And in their research, they learned much.  They learned that Gohdam had founded Eclipse as Necrucifer's own, and with only his own human brethren, but Targetter in his power-struggle had changed it all.  They came to believe that Targetter's changes were err, and sought to rectify them.  With their human brethren, they planned a revolution."

These are the words spoken in our early history of the foundation of our defining event - the Purist Wars.

What our founders discovered in the ancient text of the Sunset Dawn was that San Gohdam had left the Knighthood of Serpantol to form Eclipse. He took the Serpantolian Knights who were loyal to him and built up a following to do war with Knighthood. Alas, Eclipse's founder fell quickly to the lawless murders of Malice who had become a large part of their army. Gohdam's vision failed because of the quality of the army which joined him. The more numerous Malicians lacked law and discipline and sought only plunder. This was not because they were human, but because of their quality and lack of dedication to the cause.

From this point, Moderate then Targetter assume control. Targetter is responsible for Eclipse growing in strength, partly because he opens Eclipse to all races and those who are neutral. Through the Dark Alliance of Eclipse, Ogres and Minotaurs, complete world domination was all but assured. Then the control over the dragons was lost when the Draconus was retaken by the Conclave. The furious chromatic dragons vented their rage upon Eclipse for having enslaved them and drove them from the field with crushing loss. Would Eclipse have held the line if the same vision of Evil and strength of Brotherhood was true? That question is consigned to history.

The Singularity - The Prophecy of drak'Martys - The return of Necrucifer to Algoron

Consider the nature of the Prophecy to the Knighthood of Necrucifer. Everything else stands beneath the return of the Lord to Algoron. Honor, friendship, truth, honesty, racial purity and other things we might hold dear because of our beliefs, our nature, or relics of our history would fall by the wayside to see the Finality of His Return. By clinging to our historical relic of human purity, the Knighthood of Storm Keep are limiting the potential of our power to deliver the Prophecy.

The Proposal

There are those of other races and of Necrucifer who are capable of being held to our high standards who remain underutilized in advancing the Vision. When Shay Kayen refers to Eclipse being like a zoo or a circus then this is more an issue of recruitment policy than race purism.

I propose that our founders made both wise and unwise decisions to form the basis of our Order.

Wise

1. San Gohdam decided to split from the decadent Serpantol to follow the way of Necrucifer

2. Targetter allowed capable beings of any race to join Eclipse to increase their capability and likelihood of success.

3. Shay Kayen, Ishamael Rinji and Malcom drak'Martys returned Eclipse to be an order of Evil to return the focus of the order and to share the common vision.

Unwise

1. San Gohdam sought the lawlessness of Malice to defeat the order of the Knighthood of Serpantol which he lost control of, which led to his downfall.

2. Targetter allowed those of neutrality to join the Eclipse, which led to a lack of discipline, focus and common vision and collapse during the Dragonwars.

3. Shay Kayen, Ishamael Rinji and Malcom drak'Martys concluded that San Gohdam's reasoning for a human-only order as a divine mandate, rather than the historical relic of Serpantol. Eclipse only began as a human-only order because that Eclipse had roots in the human-only order of Knighthood of Serpantol. 

The proposal is that we adhere to the outcomes of the wise decisions, and renounce those which were unwise: An independent Order, judged by their capability rather than their race, forged in the common purpose of Necrucifer's Evil for the Singularity.

The Three Principles - Unity, Brotherhood, Finality

This position is constant with the Three Principles.

To show Unity, we must be inclusive to the followers of all paths of Evil, though only those of Necrucifer will have absolute loyalty to Him and the Vision. Inclusion will increase the scope and popularity of our movement. For those of Evil who are racist against humans, this will increase their desire to be a part of our world order. In order to maximise our potential, this should be done regardless of race.

To show Brotherhood, we must all be of one mind, for the purpose of achieving the Singularity - His Return. Just because they are Evil and of Necrucifer does not guarantee them a place in Storm Keep, and knights are expected to be of that quality. As unsuccessful humans are turned from Storm Keep, so should it be for any race. Those who would have a kinship with one another and would see a stronger bond forged between this band of brothers. This should be done regardless of race.

To show Finality, we must be willing to sacrifice all to achieve the Singularity - His Return. To be best-placed to deliver this, our membership should be open to all regardless of race.

Evil

Those of Neutrality will not stand with us at the Final Battle. Targetter was wrong to allow those with such meek views of balance to become part of Eclipse. It is only those who are capable of the Lower Principles of Evil who will do the Lord's bidding, and only those who are capable of the Higher Principles of Evil who will be given the glory of leading the armies of Evil at Necrucifer's behest. Only those who are capable of delivering on the Higher Principles of Evil ought to have a home in Storm Keep, regardless of race.

Conclusion

Wise and unwise decisions have been taken by our leadership in the past which have shaped the Orders of Eclipse and Shadow. Some of these decisions have catapulted Eclipse and Shadow to the apex of its power from being a breath away from complete world domination, while others have left few of the faithful in empty halls dreaming of former glory.

It is important that all decisions the Council takes to be well-reasoned, and to serve the Prophecy of Singularity.

In order to maximize the power of Storm Keep so that the Singularity of the Prophecy can be achieved, the Shadowknights of Necrucifer would do well to consider the application of disciplined, ordered, spiritually and physically strong believers entry to Storm Keep regardless of their race.

Ibiza le Toad, Umbrian Mystic

The Second Challenge to Purist Policy

Council of Storm Keep

Long has Necrucifer's home been approaching a crisis.  Our numbers dwindle,

our halls are silent.  

We have one purpose as defined in the Prophecy.  If God approached us

tomorrow and announced his intention to return and required our support, we

would fail him.  

By putting our faith in humankind, we are facing extinction.  Humankind,

once numerous and powerful from the times of San Gohdam and even Shay Kayen

have been out-produced and out-evolved by new races and old - many of which

may follow Necrucifer.  

Although evil holds sway over Algoron, Storm Keep has neither the capability

or the capacity to deliver Algoron to Him.  Bands of unruly killers dominate

the land.  Mages of unspeakable power are the only balance to them.  How can

evil hold sway, but Storm Keep be only a spectator?  Are we not supposed to

lead the armies of evil?  The reality is that the bandits of Bloodlust -

those we previously used as unwitting soldiers - lead.  

And here we in Storm Keep do not believe Necrucifer's own creation are

worthy to join our halls.  

We need to take a lesson from the book of Targetter.  In order to increase

our capability and capacity we need to broaden our appeal or face

irrelevancy.  To allow all devout followers of Necrucifer capable of passing

our tests regardless of race.  

What benefit has human purism brought to our halls in recent days?  To what

purpose do we seek to exclude so many of Necrucifer's capable followers?  

Kwainin's creation of humans means nothing to Necrucifer, so I put to you

again the challenge to racial purism policy.  Tradition serves no purpose

and must give way.  Our anthem's chorus asks us to "Tear down our great

divides."  Let it be done.  

We are not here to serve humankind, but Necrucifer - and we are failing Him.

le Toad, Master

(Referencing the challenge to Purist Policy, and the success of Targetter)