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Rationalism Effect for Adherents: Your bINT is increased by 1. Forcing insight gives you a 20% penalty to INT rather than 50%.

"Reason is what we do; the flourishing of all sentients is why we do it. And by the ideals of progress, we make it our ambition never to stop." -Platon I

    The philosophy of Rationalism is widely held to have raised the Alacris above the rest of the antecessoroid species. Until the Second Alacrian Era, most people believed that gods or fate controlled all of life. The Alacrian core principles of "Reason, Flourishing, and Progress" enabled them to leave these superstitions behind and create a glorious, though ultimately doomed, civilization. Alacrian Rationalism has since been restored to Lur-Asko by the elves, and is the dominant cultural philosophy across the seven realms. Having long since replaced superstition and now no longer revolutionary, it is generally taken for granted.

    Rationalism can be hard to define given its popularity and breadth of interpretation, but all forms include three basic concepts. First, the primacy of reason - although they obviously value happiness, Rationalists believe reason must take precedence over all emotion and intuition, and that truth can be obtained through honest inquiry, skepticism, logic, and argumentation. Rationalists debate in good faith, deliberately try to remain objective, and (at least ideally) reject prejudice. Second, flourishing, sometimes also translated contentment or well-being. This is the foundation of Rationalist ethics, in which actions are evaluated morally based on whether they promote the flourishing of sentient beings; individual rights of dignity and choice comprise many of the conclusions of this system. Third, progress - all forms of Rationalism include some degree of optimism that civilization is always progressing upward (or at least has the possibility to), and that the work of reason is never done.

    Critics of Rationalism point to the Fall of the Alacris as proof that the philosophy is utterly incapable of controlling even its own definition of evil. Rationalists usually counter by pointing out the influence of other philosophies in the ancient world, and assert that the Alacris could have endured if they remained more true to Rationalist principles.

Subschools Vanguard Replacement Effect: Your bINT is increased by 1. Your depth tier counts as 1 higher when calculating your party's dynamic tier.

"When the waters are rising, it matters little to debate the color of the levees. If reason cannot persuade the rulers, then it is time for it to awaken the ruled." -Aratoran Vanguard Council, Resolution One

    Vanguard Rationalism can be said to hold a much more pessimistic view of debate and argument than baseline Rationalism. More specifically, it holds that the lengthy process of overcoming irrationality by words alone - which for some entrenched varieties can take generations of effort - is a luxury that civilization cannot always afford. The subschool was born during an utterly clear demonstration of this fact: the environmental crisis of the late First Alacrian Era, when "irrational," self-interested elements of the ruling classes prevented all viable efforts to avoid the disaster.

    Vanguardists devote themselves as full-time leaders of Rationalist thought, with the goal of educating the masses and inspiring large-scale action, typically with the assistance of many other Vanguardists. Other than holding themselves as a leading force of reason, they are also distinguished by their willingness to use radical and disruptive methods, with the bloody Alacrian Revolution as the most iconic example. Though they seemingly embrace elitism, many Vanguardists also exhibit a sort of humility; they view their radical leadership role as temporary, always hoping for a world where such actions as their own become unnecessary.

    In modern Lur-Asko, many Vanguard Rationalists ironically find themselves voicing moderation in the face of more extreme revolutionary voices, such as those of Post-Declarationism or Preamblianism. Others retain their radical flavor, fomenting unrest in Cevelky or purging Eer'Kallan operatives from Rationalist governments, for example. In every age, they generally represent the more action-oriented and progressive side of Rationalism.

Ethical Replacement Effect: Your bINT is increased by 1. Your maximum insight is increased by 2 for every Attribute you have which is favored by Rationalism.

"We who value flourishing have our foundation. Right and wrong are thus no less real than any other aspect of our universe - and no less in need of study by science and the rational mind." -Aurelius the Ethicist

    Ethical Rationalism is a self-reflective strain of the philosophy clearly born from the post-Fall soul-searching of the Recovering Age. Originally, their movement was a question: What happened? Where did we go wrong? The first of what would become the Ethicists sought answers in the principle of flourishing, and the systems of morality built upon it by Alacrian law. Clearly, some part of that system had failed, as there could hardly be an event less conducive to flourishing than the Fall. They concluded that the Alacris' advancement had outpaced their conscience, and had been outlasted by enemies with more steadfast moral convictions. Abandoning failed Rationalism was one option; those who didn't abandon it now needed to learn from its failings.

    Ethicists can rival Draconic and Ascendancy adherents in their construction of elaborate rules and legalisms, though they always ground their dictums in logic and evidence rather than the authority of a dragon or state. Although some may appear humorless and stern, they can be equally empathetic and community-minded; even Vanguardists' excesses against others can be too much for an Ethicist to stomach, despite their common Rationalist foundation. Conversely, Vanguardists criticize Ethicists for taking the wrong lessons from the Fall, and giving in to the draconic trap of guilt and blame that will only serve to distract from reason in the future. Of course, most baseline Rationalists find the extremes of either side rather distracting.