The Pelagic Mysteries: a Summary

I. Introduction.
…..A. The history of the Mother Countries is a history of ideas.
……….1. The ideas of the giants swept away what came before.
……….2. The ideas since their Arrival have been a reaction to the Arrival.
…..B. The context of the Pelagic Mysteries
……….1. The Pelagic Master
……………a. Early history is sketchy
……………b. Longtime companion of Marquess Ol-Rasta
……………c. Recognized as greatest practitioner of non-Dark-based magic
……….2. The Marketplace of Ideas
……………a. The Mysteries as reaction to the Dark
……………b. The Mysteries as reification of Million Gods Theology
……………c. The Mysteries as profit-making enterprise
…..C. Overview of the Pelagic Mysteries
……….1. Mystery One: Who We Are
……….2. Mystery Two: Where We Come From
……….3. Mystery Three: Where We Go
……….4. Mystery Four: What We Owe One Another
……….5. Mystery Five: the Coda
II. (First Mystery) What is Sentience?
…..A. Sentience is the Knowledge of the Dark
……….1. Implicit in the knowledge of the Dark is the power to reject the Dark
……….2. The Dark dwells within the Sentient
…..B. Sentience is the Capacity to Know the Runes
…..C. Sibeccai
……….1. Know of the Dark
……….2. Have the capacity to know the Runes
……….3. Are Sentient
…..D. The Purpose of Sentience Will Be Revealed Later
III. (Second Mystery) What is the World?
…..A. The World is Word made matter
……….1. All things are composed of Runes
……….2. The World can be edited through magic
……………a. Ideas can be edited through magic
……………b. Ideas are of the same stuff as basal matter
…..B. The Dark is not of the World
……….1. The Dark may be affected by magic but is not of magic
……….2. The Dark was not present prior to the Arrival
…..C. The Ideas of the World Exist
……….1. They are called Spirits
……….2. They are more properly considered self-sustaining Runes
……….3. They were worshipped as the Million Gods
IV. (Third Mystery) Death
…..A. The Celestial Firmament May Be Surpassed
……….1. The world is not a closed system
……….2. Runes may enter or leave
……….3. The Smelter of Souls guards the threshold out of the Mother Countries
…..B. Beyond is an infinite ocean
……….1. Infinite sea (“Pelagia”)
……….2. Infinite variety filling that sea
……….3. The Smelter of Souls guards the threshold into the Mother Countries
…..C. Theory of Runic Conservation
……….1. Runes are eternal
……….2. All things are composed of Runes
……….3. Runes cannot be created or destroyed
……….4. What appears to create Runes rather calls them from elsewhere
……….5. What appears to disperse Runes rather banishes them to elsewhere
……….6. The sentience of sentients is Runic in nature
V. (Fourth Mystery) Ethics
…..A. All Runes are Equally Eternal and Potent
……….1. All Sentients are fundamentally Runic
……….2. All Sentients are therefore equal
……….3. What appears to be inequality is transient
……………a. Luck may temporarily organize Runes
………………..i. Someone may appear fortunate or cunning
………………..ii. Someone may appear unfortunate or obdurate
……………b. This Inequity is Passing
………………..i. Giants and sibeccai are composed of the same runes
………………..ii. In Pelagia’s infinity random good or bad luck cancels out
……………c. All Runes Strive for glory
………………..i. All Runes are equal
………………..ii. This Striving naturally cancels itself out
…..B. Therefore everything is appropriate
……….1. The consolation of the powerful is now
……….2. The inheritance of the weak is eventual
……….3. Over a long enough time, these balance perfectly
……….4. The short scale (the lifespan of a sentient) is not a long enough time
……….5. Neither is Living Memory
…..C. Luck orders Pelagia
……….1. The short scale features gross inequality and apparent cruelty
……….2. None can control the Luck that orders the short scale
……….3. Luck can be thwarted only through kindness
……………a. A good deed ripples through Pelagia
……………b. Altruism runs contrary to the randomness of the Striving
……………c. Through charity we remake Pelagia into something gentler
……………d. This cannot be detectable over the short scale
……………e. It is the only way Pelagia can be affected by Sentients
……………f. It is the ultimate aim of Sentient existence
VI. (Fifth Mystery) Wisdom
…..A. The Student Struggles Against the World
…..B. The Master Accepts the World
…..C. The Inequities of the World Are Illusory
VII. Conclusion
…..A. Pelagic Mysteries as Upholder of Status Quo
…..B. Inherent Recognition of Personal Dignity

SEE ALSO: Basic Cosmology, Religion in the Mother Countries, the Smelter of Souls