Null State

The null state is a philosophy characterized by the belief that all life begins in a state of void blankness; nothing is known except what is learned. As a result, when one feels that the world is unjust or has wronged them, that belief must be true -- there is no objective truth, as everything must be learned, and, therefore, whatever one has learned is inherently correct in some way. Such an epistemological notion is not necessarily unique to the null state philosophy, but adherents to this philosophy soon learn that the null state is more than simply a belief in empiricism. The null state belief is that the universe, too, began in a null state, only to "learn" over time that violence, despair, wrath, and all other forms of negativity reign as the universal law. As a result, the null state encourages its followers to reach into themselves and let loose the grief weighing on them. By doing so, they adhere to what the universe has learned, and they will find peace once they have exhausted that well of violence and released it into the world. In this state of peace, they can return to their own null state, untouched by grief and despair, and be liberated.
The null state philosophy is the defining mark of the martial disciplines known collectively as "harbingers" for the perception that they contribute to the sorry state of the world. While this is true for some, in reality, there are just as many harbingers who turn inwards and try to "defy" the law of the universe as defined by the null state or otherwise protect people from succumbing to grief the way the harbinger has. Such optimism is sometimes dictated by a belief that the world might return to its null state someday -- a world of perfect balance and peace with no joy nor strife.
Though not every harbinger follows the null state philosophy, and there are, in fact, numerous accounts of harbingers who are not even aware of the philosophy, it is almost universal that all of them will intuitively believe in the major tenets of the null state; no one can become a harbinger without the belief that such a violent world must be countered with its own weapons in order for there to be any change.
Category:Ealdremen Philosophy
Category:No Spoilers