The Unified Pact
A Proof of Wisdom
The Unified Pact is a set of international agreements made to improve recordkeeping and societal standards. Its contents can be summarized as follows:
Standards for Historical Records: Historical documents must not be altered for the sake of narrative. It is necessary to strive for an unbiased truth in recordkeeping.
Denouncement of the Superstitious: Member countries must work to establish a separation of superstition and reality in the minds of their peoples. The most egregious of occult practices—human sacrifice, cannibalism, and all forms of blood rituals—must be abolished. More benign practices such as the making of myths and legends can remain as long as there is a clear separation from reality.
Standards for Society: There shall be no second-class citizens in member countries. All forms of slavery—including as punishment for crime—count as second-class citizenry. A court system that considers all citizens equally must be established.
Fifty Years of Grace: All new member countries to the pact are permitted a fifty year grace period where other member countries can not aggress upon them. This is nullified if the new member country acts as an aggressor to another member country.
Origin of the Pact
Early in her rule, Queen Melodie of Oremaris was faced with rebellion. The cause of said rebellion was the rampant falsification of history throughout the Broken Isles. During the Age of Legends, the so-called historians would create narratives loosely based on actual events. Depending on where the historians lived, their retelling would bend to the biases of the locals.
After reclaiming full control of her kingdom, Melodie moved to reform the standards by which history was recorded. She was now fully aware of the dangers of choosing narrative over truth. Upon the implementation of her reforms in Oremaris, she looked to reform the world. She first proposed similar reforms to her own in Vallis. Through the negotiations of the two kingdoms the Unified Pact was formed.
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With the support of Oremaris and Vallis, Queen Melodie spent the rest of her life pushing for the pact’s implementation in all major countries. For her efforts she has been dubbed the Mother of Reason.
Consequences of Its Creation
Destruction of Legere: For its major betrayals against the pact, Legere was destroyed in the thirty-seventh year of the Unified Calendar. It’s lands were split amongst its neighbors with most of its territory going to Sol Corona.
First Century Land Rush: Freeing feuding nations from each other for a half-century allowed them to move their gazes elsewhere. More often than not, their focus landed on unclaimed territories and smaller nations who had refused the pact. Much grief was had by the peoples of these coveted lands.
Creation of Multis: The combination of the above led to the creation of Vallis’s only adversarial nation for the past half millennium.
Age of Reason: The first day of the Unified Calendar, the day on which the pact was signed, is considered the end of the Age of Legends and the beginning of the Age of Reason. Thanks to the pact, we now have a reliable record of the last five hundred years. The supernatural has been abandoned for all, but entertainment and multiple countries are now promoting the study of the world around us.
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In Consequence
Diane is ready to complete proofs of wisdom for multiple subjects in National and International History.
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For Peace of Mind
Since the news of my mother’s death was announced to our subjects, the crime rate in the capital has risen. The staff can’t stop themselves gossiping about how much more dangerous the capital has gotten. I assume the worry is much greater in the valley below.
It appears, however, that the capital guard has done its job. They’ve found a man who they claim is responsible for most of the recent murders. His execution will be on the morrow. Now, whether this man was responsible for all the murders he was accused of or if they just chose any one murder to take the blame, I can not say. Festivals are important events for both the capital’s and the country’s reputation. I doubt that Parliament would refrain from action considering our current situation. If they wanted to frame a criminal and hide reports of murder for a time, it was well within their ability to do so.
Regardless of where the truth lies, things seem to be going their way. The staff now speak of their relief that the perpetrator has been found and the majority of their conversations are taken up by them sharing their plans for the festival.