Nihilism

Nihilism Effect for Adherents: Your trauma factor is increased by 4.

“What is real, you ask? Who knows with certainty that anything is real? What if it is all a dream, or perhaps some strange game?” -Maserya IV

Nihilism is perhaps not so much a philosophy as an anti-philosophy, concerned mainly with denying the existence of answers altogether. To a Nihilist, it is impossible to know that anything definitely exists. Nihilism holds that all philosophy and life is inherently meaningless, and disregards any attempts to invent such a meaning.

Most scholars believe that modern Nihilism descends from pre-Alacrian superstitions about fate and destiny which originated with the Antecessors. When Nihilists do bother to produce academic material, it seems to bear this out - a sort of resignation to the unalterable pointlessness of reality is a common theme throughout their writings.

Still, the most common form of Nihilism is far more casual - many Nihilists are simply people who have decided to live their lives free of philosophical concern or consideration, necessarily adopting a degree of "unreality" into their worldview. Others are disillusioned former adherents of more stable ideologies, or young adults discouraged from taking a stand by the many contradictory ideas of Lur-Asko. Meanwhile, more studied Nihilists might have a well-developed theory that nothing whatsoever is real, or perhaps that their lives are nothing but a figment of some real higher power’s imagination. In any case, Nihilists are a diverse lot, and can include anyone described as "good," "evil," or a thousand other words from other philosophies. Two of them may have very little in common, other than a decision not to relate any kind of philosophical or moral significance to their actions or beliefs.

Precisely because of its trademark apathy, Nihilism has fewer committed enemies than one might expect, though Rationalism is a longstanding critic.

A simple, empty shape, most often a square, is all that is typically used to symbolize Nihilism.

Subschools Survivor's Code Replacement Effect: You gain one extra expertise re-roll in a Study of your choice, even if you do not have enough tiers in that Study to have re-rolls normally. Whenever you finish a 4-hour rest and do not need to restore this re-roll, you may move it to another Study instead.

“All things have a limited lifespan. Therefore, to live long, one must become many things.” -Rowan

The Survivor’s Code was a book written by the Cevelkian general Rowan during the Imperial Wars. A product of a cynical, brutal time, the Code emphasizes total pragmatism in the face of life's inherent meaninglessness. Before the vast indifference of reality, survival is the only coherent goal. The Code holds that even belief itself is merely a tool that evolved sentients use to forward their own survival; even the belief in survival itself is a paradoxically meaningless one. "Coders" take noncommitment to an extreme even for Nihilists, adopting whatever belief, practice, or identity seems most likely to promote their survival.

Today, many soldiers and bandits have adopted the Survivor’s Code as their own - often in secret - as a way to focus their skills on survival. These are usually ridiculed by older adherents of the Code, who base their entire existence on limiting danger and preserving their life, often going through multiple identities in the process. The Vampire Lords of Cevelky are the most iconic Coders, having built an entire culture around extending their lives and insulating themselves from harm.

Enlightened Replacement Effect: Your trauma factor is increased by 2. Your maximum insight is increased by a value equal to your number of Attributes.

“True insight comes not from desire, but from letting go, and finding peace in the flow of impermanence.” -The Unknown Sage

"Enlightened" Nihilism is the name given to a trend of writings that became popular during and after the reign of Atro Imætis. The first of these writers remained anonymous, fearing persecution from Imætis' regime; this precaution has since evolved into a tradition of humility within the subschool, with even its greatest writers remaining unknown and unthanked. According to their writings, Nihilism is both a viable alternative to dominant philosophies and a source of hope and compassion. This contrasts with the public perception of Nihilism, as well as many other Nihilist traditions, which tend to view the Enlightened sages as unnecessarily meditative or "preachy."

Enlightened Nihilism emphasizes the transient and empty nature of all things. From this it concludes that becoming too attached to any part of "reality" invites suffering and loss. By internally rejecting desire (a clear reaction against the Dark Path), the Enlightened claim to experience acceptance and personal transformation. Compassion is another trademark of the subschool; by realizing that all living beings are subject to the same travails of suffering and desire, the Enlightened cultivate empathy even for their enemies.

Of course, enemies are not in short supply. Enlightened beliefs appear absurd to most of the rest of the world, and even those Aterr who spurned the legacy of Imætis continued to combat the Enlightened. Still, the movement survives. Though organized sects of Enlightened are rare, many members can be found in the ranks of any faction which promotes peace or opposes the excesses of desire.

Mysticism Replacement Effect: Your bWILL is increased by 1. You gain an extra Attribute at 7th and 11th tier.

“Who can reason out the reasons of the heart? The heart is not to be governed, but followed.” -Joel the Gilded

Reacting against the many thinking-oriented systems of philosophical thought, Mysticism is differentiated even from other forms of Nihilism by its focus on the emotions. All of life’s choices are seen as a result of the heart’s emotions, thus Mystics seek the most enjoyable emotional experiences they can find. They claim that putting the mind to rest and enjoying life is the ultimate freedom for sentients, and the only coherent goal in a meaningless reality; opponents accuse them of hedonism and debauchery.

Although most Mystics do not have the resources to be truly dangerous, the philosophy has also produced some of Lur-Asko’s most hated bandits, pirates, and killers. Mystics are notoriously disorganized and individualistic, and their behavior varies widely with their mood. One Mystic may seem entertaining or incredibly empathetic, while others may be truly frightening. Sometimes, the same Mystic might be all of the above.