Herein I offer the uneducated a basic civics lesson.

You're welcome.

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Lord Twilight is Hashan's patron. If a Seneschal leads Hashan into a shrine war and Hashani fight and die to raise Lord Twilight's shrines, that makes sense. Hashan would not be puppets. They would be Hashani acting in Hashani interests, led by a Seneschal who is promoting Hashani interests through spreading the influence of Hashan's patron.

Lord Phaestus is Cyrene's patron. Lord Neraeos was Cyrene's patron quite recently. If an Imperiate leads Cyrene into a shrine war and Cyrenians fight and die to raise Lord Phaestus' shrines or Lord Neraeos' shrines, that also makes sense. Cyrene would not be puppets. They would be Cyrenians acting in Cyrenian interests, led by an Imperiate who is promoting Cyrenian interests through Cyrene's current or former patrons.

Following so far? Great. Let�s try a thought experiment.

What would happen if Hashan's Seneschal had his own private god, a patron of foreign cities and foreign interests that does not remotely benefit the average Hashani citizen? And what if he then led Hashan into shrine wars on behalf of his private god, against the average Hashani�s best interests. Oo! What if he took old shrines to Lord Twilight and replaced them with new shrines to his private god! Would that make sense?

Correct! That would not make sense.

One would hope that Hashan would depose a leader who, on behalf of his own private god, drove the rest of the city to war and installed his own personal shrines willy-nilly. Citizens who fought for that leader would be fundamentally betraying themselves. If we're generous, we might call them puppets.

Now the good part.

Cyrene. Hi. I'm talking to you. Listen up!

Your Imperiate has a private god, Lord Aegis, who is not a patron of your city. Serving Him does not remotely benefit Cyrenian interests and His tenets specifically contradict a good number of the values you hold dear. If your Imperiate is leading you into shrine wars and stirring conflict on behalf of her own private god against your interests, one would hope that you would depose her. If she placed Aegean shrines on top of old Nerai shrines (she did that), one would certainly expect some opposition. Citizens fighting on behalf of your Imperiate and her private god are fundamentally betraying themselves.

If we're being generous, we might call them puppets.



Your favourite teacher,

Kuriel Al'Jafri
Tenured Civics Professor

Penned by my hand on the 7th of Daedalan, in the year 845 AF.