Solarean Adventures LARP Lore
New Zanshia
New Zanshia is relatively isolated and exists underneath the greatest shame of the Zanshian Empire: the fall of Zanshia during The Descent.
Table of Contents
General Information
"The remnants of the imperial high elves’ society isolated themselves on the renamed Island of New Zanshia, which had been the origin of all Citadels. The Creation and The Descent left parts of the island barren and treacherous, full of magical irradiation. The victorious rebels were uninterested in searching for what was left of the high elves and decided it was best to leave them to their own devices." - From Cultural Treasures of the Zanshian Empire by Fardithas Elmspark
New Zanshia is an island nation of high elves descendant from those of the once-great Zanshian Empire. Much beyond the southern regions of the idland are inhabitable in this day and age. Leftover ire from the Empire's reign has lead to New Zanshian society to be quite isolationist. Contemporary Zanshian culture still rejects divinity and focuses on Aspectism and smaller feats of magical technology are still common on the island, though there is nothing as great as the Citadels that once flew overhead.
The Five Philosophies
While many can assume there is a shared contempt for the old Zanshian Empire among the world, there are varying schools of thought with New Zanshia itself. Many New Zanshians were not alive for the empire. The New Zanshian view of the old empire is mixed, and usually falls into one of five philosophies:
The Ashen Reckoning
This is a school of thought that believes The Empire’s downfall was deserved. They believe The Empire is a cautionary tale about hubris, greed, and magical excess. This philosophy is not so openly followed in larger cities. Oftentimes, elves who are “Ashen” are labeled as cynic or traitors. They have been accused of letting outsiders influence their thinking. “Ashen” will have public debates where philosophers recount imperial sins and seek lessons. They want to learn from the fall of The Empire. This group of Zanshian elves will also reject the old lifestyle most in New Zanshia adhere to. They reject luxuries. To accept luxury is to accept imperial arrogance that caused it all in the first place. This way of thinking tends to lie with younger elves, often those whose families were deeply affected by the fall of the empire.
The Broken Continuum
The Continuum believes that despite the citadels falling, the Empire’s influence lingers everywhere, in laws, trade, architecture, even rebellion against it. Historians catalog how current nations still use Zanshian inventions or bureaucratic systems. Some even argue the Empire should be reborn, but with humility this time. This way of thinking is heavily criticized because both nostalgic Gilded Memory adherents and the “Ashen” accuse this school of being “lukewarm”. They are refusing to grieve or glorify, stuck in the middle. Elves who follow this philosophy can be found anywhere if someone is looking. However, Continuum scholars often become recluses, distrusted by all but the most pragmatic merchants.
The Erasure Doctrine
These elves believe that Zanshian blood and memory are burdens. The best way forward is to erase names, sever ties, and live as if the Empire never existed. Elves who follow the Doctrine voluntarily renounce surnames, noble titles, and family crests. They will take pilgrimages to ruined citadel sites, where adherents cast tokens of their family history into the sea. Some even go so far as to remove their memories through medicinal, magical, or medical means. Most other Zanshian elves, regardless of beliefs, will call those who follow the Doctrine cowards, abandoning the very thing that makes them Zanshian. In New Zanshia, it is unknown how many elves follow the Erasure Doctrine, as the settlements would be remote or far removed from cities. Rumors have it that many of them have left the continent to settle elsewhere, feeling no ties to their kin.
The Gilded Memory
This is a school of thought that The Empire was the pinnacle of civilization, and the duty of every Zanshian elf is to preserve its legacy. There is a big focus on preservation in art, scholarship, and bloodlines. There are a large number of older elves who believe in this philosophy. Larger, older settlements in New Zanshia heavily identify with these ideals. Families will curate genealogical records with semi-religious devotion. Artisans replicate old imperial styles. They study from ‘the greats’ or relevant artists from the older era. They try their best to authentically replicate art, depict important feats, even if resources are scarce.
The Phoenix Compact
Collapse of the Empire was inevitable, but the elves who follow The Phoenix Compact also believe it is all a cycle. Like fire clearing a forest, the Empire’s fall makes way for a truer, humbler rebirth. The founding of the Compact also came with the founding schools and guilds devoted to innovation and cultural renewal. Elves who follow these ideals emphasize a shared responsibility: every elf has a part in building the “next” Zanshia. Some may impose this belief on others, but mostly they look inward to themselves, what they as individuals can do, rather than others. While this sentiment may seem tempting, other schools see them as dangerous idealists who may ignite another cycle of hubris. The Phoenix Compact is much more popular with the younger generation. Elves who did not see the fall of the empire with their own eyes may romanticize it as well as ignore larger flaws.
(Writing credit: Alli Downing)