Dwilight University/History/A Concise History of Occidentalism, Volume II

There is also a volume one.

Occidentalism

The politics and culture of the Occident are a matter of much interest to that region's residents but, also, to many who dwell outside of our lands. Years ago, I wrote a work called A Concise History of Occidentalism which offered an insight into what it means to be "Occidental," or rather, what it meant. In the intervening years, that document has revealed itself as somewhat dated, despite two rounds of revision. As such, I have endeavored to produce this second volume to the Concise History of Occidentalism, in the hopes that it may prove as useful as the first.

Geography

Occidens is, according to the formal geography of Dwilight presently in use by the cartographers and academics of the University, the large, western landmass of Dwilight. However, for the purpose of discussion, this landmass often also includes the Tomb Islands and the Madinan Archipelago, which have played important historical roles in the development of Occidens, as well as the island of Libidizedd, and even Averoth. However, in general, Occidens is the large, contiguous, western landmass. Thus, Occidentalism would be the attitudes or ideas which typify the peoples of Occidens.

Demography

However, this does not answer the question of what Occidentalism actually is. Indeed, to define Occidentalism as a cohesive cultural idea will, paradoxically, require the exclusion of certain parts of Occidens; namely, Astrum and Iashalur, and, to an extent, Kabrinskia. Though Sanguis Astroism is an increasingly integral element in Occidentalism,the theocratic realms have never been a native component of Occidental culture, but rather a projection onto it of Toprakian ideals. The focus this paper shall be to describe Occidental culture, history, and life as it is distinguished from Toprakian, which is overwhelmingly Astroist and centered around powerful theocracies. Thus, Occidentalism is characteristic of those areas which could be called Maroccidental, Far Western, and Mesoccidental. D'Haran culture would also be included. Furthermore, a distinct sub-group of Occidental culture would be the Orvandeaux-Saxon community. While an effort to give some limited description of this group and their role shall be attempted, they represent a recent immigration, largely from Toprak, and manifestly different ideals in many cases. Furthermore, they are an insular society, little connected to the rich intellectual world which has historically tied together Occidens, Toprak, and Forland.

The Origins of Present States

Natural Occidental Cultures

The ancient roots of Occidental realms like Terran, Barca, Asylon, and D'Hara are well-explained in the previous volume of this work. They shall be referred to as "Natural Occidental" cultures, as they have been naturalized in the area. The lost realms and cultures of Caerwyn and Madina would also be considered "Natural Occidental" cultures. These societies represent a fusion of Madinan, Lurian, and Toprakian influences, as well as indigenous Maroccian, Echi'urean, and Zuma cultures. Their founding ideals and beliefs are described in some length in the previous volume, but, over time, have coalesced into a proud belief in intellectual and cultural participation, the honor of the nobility, the independence of realms, hostility to barbarism, and political self-reliance. In the Véinsørmoot these ideas have manifested themselves through collaborative, republican political ventures. In Asylon, they display themselves through a monarchy of regional and religious plurality, and unilateral foreign policy in defense of smaller states. But the Natural occidental cultures are no longer alone.

The Two Toprakian Migrations

It came to pass that an organization called the League of Nations waged war against Astrum, and Sanguis Astroism in general. The realms of that alliance were Averoth, Caerwyn, and Madina. Over months of fighting, Caerwyn was defeated and destroyed. Its western duchy of Via joined Asylon, its core duchy of Golden Farrow became wildlands, and its north-western duchy of Itau seceded to form the tyranny of Itaulond, populated by anti-Astroist hardliners. These divided territories quickly saw rationalization as Terran occupied Lavendrow, Terran and Asylon together destroyed Itaulond, and Itau was annexed by Asylon, and the Astroist realms conquered the Golden Farrow duchy. From that duchy was formed Kabrinskia, named for Allison Kabrinski, a then-popular priestess-warleader of Astroism. This theocracy was founded by Astrum, and populated by many of Allison's largely conservative, expansionist faction of Astroism– thus the extent of traditional Occidental culture was greatly reduced. Even so, after a brief and stale-mated war between Terran and Kabrinskia, a peace accord was signed, Allison removed from power, and Kabrinskia became a friendly neighbor for Terran (though war between Asylon and Kabrinskia carried on for some time).

Yet this was not the only Toprakian wave. As League of Free Nations realms faced defeat, many of those nobles and their supporters fled south. Caerwynians and many Saxons in particular fled to Madina, while Aurvandil was people by old allies of the Saxons. This migration south is the movement known by many names– pejoratively as the "Vandal Migrations," or less pejoratively as the "Orvandeaux-Saxon Migrations." Madina's long civil war was eventually lost, and the divide between the Orvandeaux and the Saxons was healed, reforging the old cultural unity that drove Averoth in the north. Ultimately, a new realm, called the Falkirkian Freestate was formed.

Thus the two Toprakian waves gave rise to widely divergent cultures: radical Astroism in Kabrinskia, and radical anti-Astroism in the deep south around Candiels and Madina.

Recent Events

The Rise of the Véinsørmoot

The alliance between Barca, Terran, and D'Hara has been a long and stable feature of Occidental politics. However, after the founding of Barca, its cause for cooperation was oft-forgotten. When Kabrinskia attacked Terran, old alliances were re-awakened, and the activity of the Véinsørmoot was restored. Internal reforms to governance, as well as increasing concerns about Zuma Coalition aggression, moved these old allies into even more uniform friendship. The solidifaction of the south had only one exceptional component: the present of ethnically Orvandeaux lords in southern Barca. Even as Terran fought against Kabrinskia, the armies of Aurvandil, fresh from conquering Madina, attacked Barca in order to compel their cooperation in negotiations regarding Barca's internal management of disputes surrounding the south-Barcan lords.

The Aggression of the Orvandeaux-Saxons

The history of Occidens had, until the Orvandeaux assault on Rettleville, seen three instances of invasion. Caerwynian attacks on Terran, settled by treaty; Madinan attacks on Terran and D'hara, settled by the conquest of Paisly; and Kabrinskian attacks on Terran, settled by stalemate and treaty. In all three conflicts, disputes were essentially territorially, and posed no existential threat to the ideals of natural Occidental cultures. Yet the Orvandeaux attack came paired with insults against the Republican tradition of the Moot, and demands for changes to the internal governance of Barca. The Moot, being a collection of self-reliant nobles quite proud of their republican institutions, did not back down, and initiated full-scale war. Shortly afterwards, Luria attacked D'Hara as well over old territorial claims. The Lurian war, like other territorial disputes faced by the Moot, was eventually resolved by stalemate and a peace settlement. Yet the war with the Orvandeaux-Saxons has continued. Especially as Astroism slowly claims more converts within the Moot, including the author of this paper, the Orvandeaux-Saxon hostility to religion, and their sheltering of Allison Kabrinski, founder of a heretical sect of Astroism, the war with the Orvandeaux has grown graver and more serious than any conflict yet faced by the Moot. The expansion of the war to include the Falkirkian Freestate, especially after their attacks on the Grand Duchy of Fissoa broadened the war to a many-fronts multinational conflict. The Moot's former foes, like Luria Nova and Kabrinskia have even deployed soldiers to fight alongside the Moot. Orvandeaux establishment of a puppet-tyranny in Paisly, as well as the devastation of the Long Winter in the Maroccidens, has left many in the area deeply embittered against the implacable and arrogant Vandals, as they are called by many.

The Revolutions of the Mesoccidens

One final series of events define the modern Occidentalist experience. Allison's return to power in Kabrinskia was controversial enough that it ignited great debate in Kabrinskia, and opposition to her reign was so strong that the realm collapsed, rejoining Astrum. Astrum then refounded a knew realm, and it adopted a republican system of governance not dissimilar from Moot realms. This new Farronite Republic quickly formed a friendship with Asylon via the Council of Mech Albion, and maintained friendly ties with Terran and D'hara– the first ruler, Khari Kye, even married D'Hara's Prime Minister Rynn JeVondair. This solidifcation of diplomatically cordial, non-theocratic Occidental realms restored to old cultural norms of the area– though Astroism remained ascendant.

Structure of the Occidens

Settlements

With the Occidens far more widely settled than previously, but haven seen major demographic crises in the Long Winter and the fall of Caerwyn, population patterns changed significantly. Greater Golden Farrow is much less dominant than it once was, with only 70,000 of the 600,000 "occidentals"– half, as a percentage, of it's height under Caerwyn. Meanwhile, substantive settlements in the 15,000 to 25,000 range have grown up in Chesney, Port Nebel, Port Raviel, Candiels, Madina, and Shokalom. The largest settlement between Chesney and Candiels, however, is Evanburg, as the Long Winter and the ravages of war have taken a heavy toll on the towns of Barca, and on Paisly. All the deep Maroccidens is lightly populated, though Barca has established government over the whole territory. Meanwhile, Asylon's cities have also remained well below potential. The capital of Via has over 10,000 peple, but Itau, Echi'ur, and Koshtlom remain lightly populated. Chateau Saffalore has also shrunk as a population center, though Terran's rural regions have all grown into prosperous domains, as have those of Kabrinskia and Aurvandil.

Religion

Occidentals are a religiously diverse people. Undoubtedly the most numerous faith is Sanguis Astroism, as it is the faith of the Farronite Republic, and also present to a significant degree in D'Hara, Asylon, and Terran. After Astroism come a plethora of smaller faiths: Verdis Elementum, once large is now confined to parts of old Madinan lands, Barca, and D'Hara. Triunism operates on a national basis within Terran. The Cult of Bloodmoon has its base in Asylon and preaches widely throughout Occidens. MEanwhile, a heretical Astroist sect called Orthodox Astroism, led by Allison Kabrinski, was founded in Aurvandil. To counter it, the essentially atheistic Orvandeaux-Saxons founded the Cult of Reason. As such, the fringes of Occidens have an increasingly diverse religious environment, while the realms bordering Astroist lands are increasingly brought into the fold of the church. Indeed, Astroist soldiers have been prominent in supporting Terran especially against Aurvandil.

The Idea of Occidentalism

The old Occidental ideas have encountered resistance in new migrations: from Kabrinskian fanatics to Vandal butchers and absolutists, Occidentalism has encountered many difficulties. Yet, even so, the basic idea of the Occidental man as colonizer and orderer, as a bringer-of-light, as a trader and civilizer, remains. The stubborn individualism of our people is not wholly exterminated yet. The expansion of Republicanism to the Farronite Republic testifies to the ongoing strength of the Occidental idea, while the resilience of the Moot in the face of wars on all fronts has kept the core of Occidentalist thinking alive. Indeed, these many struggles, against the Long Winter and many foes, have reaffirmed the confidence of the Occidental man in his proper right to possess that land he calls his own, his unwillingness to ever surrender claim, and to prove his worthiness of honor by long and arduous struggle. Even as some elements of Toprakian culture, be it in state-centric militarism or the Astroist faith, move southwards into the Occidens, they are indelibly altered by our culture, changed forever, so that Astroism becomes a faith of republics, and great armies flounder in the woods.