Guide to Enhiarg

1.8 Enhiargeans' Attitude Toward Life and Death

The fact that Enhiargeans don't treat bodies with a special reverence does not mean that lives of creatures' are entirely meaningless in their eyes.

To be sure, the vast majority of them regard murder of a resurrectable creature much in the same way dwellers of worlds on which body manufacturing technologies are absent view infliction of grave bodily harm. In some cities, such as Anlimor, a painless murder is deemed less severe a crime than torture or rape. As for the Alae, they even immortalize in stone all those who manage to slay a vile adept of Aenaora.

That said, the conversation changes drastically for most when talking about unressurectable creatures or those too poor to afford a replacement body. By taking the life of such a creature, the killer doesn't merely deprive the victim of an expensive skin; rather, he severs all relationships, puts an end to all business dealings, and annihilates a unique, inimitable individual. Naturally, this is a problem for the vast majority of Naerites, who are brought up to respect individual identity—each individual in each of their incarnations.

Their thinking is more or less as follows. Sure, a final death in no way harms or alters the core of the creature's soul. Sure, their new Path will likely resemble the old one. A natural teacher will also work with children in their new life. Perhaps even more successfully. Perhaps less. But they definitely won't do it in exactly the same way as now. Their current, distinct, one-of-a-kind identity would be lost. Indeed, this identity is more than simply the reflection of their soul's core. It was formed over time, through many phases and owing to many factors: from the specific features of their physical body to their environment, climatic and cultural and everything in between, to their lifetime of experience—encompassing every situation and action, every success and failure. It was the totality of all those factors that formed their truly singular identity—never to be replicated quite the same way again. And, therefore, imparting to it special value.

Alas, it must be noted that the above view is not held by all Naerites. Lindgorites, Elaaneans, Helraadites and many denizens of Laennes are quite averse to such "humanistic gibberish." And even those who happen to agree with it, their own self-serving motives, hatred or fear for their life may still push them to murder.

"I object, Your Justice! My client has all the respect in the world for the life of another. He values another's identity. But also his own! Put yourself in his shoes: a precious antique statue is falling right on top of you. You've got no time to jump to the side. You've got only two choices: either allow your skull to be crushed or blow the aggressor to smithereens by activating a ring of lightning that luckily happened to be on your finger".

From the speech of an Anlimorean lawyer

In the remote territories of Enhiarg there are several mortal nations whose custom it is to commit suicide to atone for a mistake or at the onset of decrepitude. However, analogous examples can also be seen in worlds whose inhabitants aren't guaranteed immediate reincarnation after death.

Being aware of the cycle of births and deaths, and also the high probability that their new incarnation will manifest in the same region as the old, motivates many Naerites to consider improving the quality of life in their native homeland (or, at the very least, not ruining it).