As he listened to Chell's words, he couldn't help but think of how Eorzea as a whole treated beastmen, and to an even greater extent how Garleans treated anyone not of their nation and race. While few people in his experience took pride in the slaying or oppression of beastmen, many felt entirely justified in doing so, either due to the undeniable destruction and suffering wrought by the Primals they summoned, or simply due to competition for resources. Even the label of 'beastmen' served to mark them as an 'other', as lesser. Less deserving of consideration, of available resources, of life.
And of course the Garleans labeled any not of their nation and race as 'savages' to justify their campaign of conquest and domination. Primitives, who relied on superstition and magic rather than science and magitek, and who needed to be either brought to heel or crushed beneath it. Of course, how many Garleans truly believed such things and how many simply used their nation's policies to satisfy their own desires for violence or power was unknown to him, as were the thoughts of conscripts from conquered nations forced to serve in the Garlean military, but the ultimate result was the same.
And even among the 'civilized' races of Hydalyn, such divisions were not uncommon. The Au Ra often faced discrimination outside their native Othard, and his own people, the Duskwights were mistrusted in many places, and labeled as cave-dwelling savages by some, especially in Gridania, which in a way was the irony of ironies, as their people had lived in the Twelveswood long before Gridania as a city state ever existed. But because their Gelmoran ancestors- who did indeed live underground, but in a magnificent city, not simple caves- had refused to join in the pact with the Elementals in the Twelveswood, and because his people as whole tended to shun the current cities, they were misliked and mistrusted, painted as criminals and worse.
Yet could he truly call any of these 'monsters'? Perhaps certain individuals among the Garleans, true madmen who gloried in the death and suffering wrought by their magitek weaponry. And some few depraved individuals among all races, mad men and women whose depraved mentality or lust for power had warped them past the point of redemption. But for the most part, man or beastman, Eaorzean or otherwise, he could, on some level, understand their actions. The world was a harsh and uncaring place, so how could one expect the people who inhabited it to be any less? Hard enough to care for yourself and your own, let alone those who were no kin to you. And cruelty and indifference were far surer and safer than kindness and caring. Wiser to rely on them than to leave yourself vulnerable to pain and betrayal.
"Aye," he said. "Though even if I no longer act out of madness and cruelty, neither can I claim that any of my actions are out of kindness. Indifference, perhaps, as those I once sought vengeance on are now forever out of my reach. I can't claim to be especially sorry for my past actions, and that is unlikely to change; I merely see them for what they were now, and have little reason to repeat them. And the rest is more enlightened self-interest than anything else. Any fool can see the way the wind blows in this world, and unlike the so-called teachers here, I'm neither stubborn nor stupid enough to resist turning my cloak out of sheer spite. If they would rather rot, it makes no odds to me, but I will not be dragged down with them, and will advise others to similarly disregard their idiocy."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2024-05-27 09:29 pm (UTC)And of course the Garleans labeled any not of their nation and race as 'savages' to justify their campaign of conquest and domination. Primitives, who relied on superstition and magic rather than science and magitek, and who needed to be either brought to heel or crushed beneath it. Of course, how many Garleans truly believed such things and how many simply used their nation's policies to satisfy their own desires for violence or power was unknown to him, as were the thoughts of conscripts from conquered nations forced to serve in the Garlean military, but the ultimate result was the same.
And even among the 'civilized' races of Hydalyn, such divisions were not uncommon. The Au Ra often faced discrimination outside their native Othard, and his own people, the Duskwights were mistrusted in many places, and labeled as cave-dwelling savages by some, especially in Gridania, which in a way was the irony of ironies, as their people had lived in the Twelveswood long before Gridania as a city state ever existed. But because their Gelmoran ancestors- who did indeed live underground, but in a magnificent city, not simple caves- had refused to join in the pact with the Elementals in the Twelveswood, and because his people as whole tended to shun the current cities, they were misliked and mistrusted, painted as criminals and worse.
Yet could he truly call any of these 'monsters'? Perhaps certain individuals among the Garleans, true madmen who gloried in the death and suffering wrought by their magitek weaponry. And some few depraved individuals among all races, mad men and women whose depraved mentality or lust for power had warped them past the point of redemption. But for the most part, man or beastman, Eaorzean or otherwise, he could, on some level, understand their actions. The world was a harsh and uncaring place, so how could one expect the people who inhabited it to be any less? Hard enough to care for yourself and your own, let alone those who were no kin to you. And cruelty and indifference were far surer and safer than kindness and caring. Wiser to rely on them than to leave yourself vulnerable to pain and betrayal.
"Aye," he said. "Though even if I no longer act out of madness and cruelty, neither can I claim that any of my actions are out of kindness. Indifference, perhaps, as those I once sought vengeance on are now forever out of my reach. I can't claim to be especially sorry for my past actions, and that is unlikely to change; I merely see them for what they were now, and have little reason to repeat them. And the rest is more enlightened self-interest than anything else. Any fool can see the way the wind blows in this world, and unlike the so-called teachers here, I'm neither stubborn nor stupid enough to resist turning my cloak out of sheer spite. If they would rather rot, it makes no odds to me, but I will not be dragged down with them, and will advise others to similarly disregard their idiocy."