Ratialis

**Ratialis** was a philosophy developed by Mul Dwarves in the period after the Infinite War, and became the dominant philosophy/religion amongst Dwarves until the introduction of Tulkonism around 400 AT. An atheistic philosophy, Ratialis (literally meaning "rationalization") focused on scientific pursuit and the natural world, while also answering questions of perception and reality.

Tulkonism's introduction to the Onor peninsula led to Ratialis falling out of favor, with many of its practitioners converting to the new religion. Ratialis became virtually extinct after the Dwarven Genocide, but it remained a significant influence on Dwarven forms of Tulkonism and eventually Prophetism.

## History

The E'Ash ancestors of the Dwarves fled to the island of Noral at the beginning of the Infinite War. These people worshipped the E'Ash pantheon, which included the Great Conscience and several other deities, including the island's namesake, Noral. Ratialis' primarily atheist perspective suggests that the Infinite War shook the early Noralites' faith, leading them to eventually abandon worship of the pantheon and focus on developing an atheistic philosophy.

After the Infinite War's end, the Dwarves left the island of Noral and settled the Onor peninsula. eventually coalescing into two distinct cultures: the Mul and the Onor. The Mul began further developing the philosophy of their island ancestors, creating Ratialis. Ratialis spread rapidly around the Onor peninsula, even crossing borders between the then-politically separated Onor and Mul. The philosophy encouraged scientific development, leading the Dwarves to become much more technologically advanced than any of the other Earthly Peoples.

In 400 AT, a conflict developed between the Onor and the Mul, but was mediated by Tulkon Kytoya. Kytoya introduced the religion of Tulkonism to the Dwarves, which attracted many converts, especially amongst the Onor. By 448 AT, Tulkonism rivaled Ratialis in number of practioners. Onor Tulkonists combined some elements of Ratialis with Tulkonism, creating one of many regional variations of the latter. Tulkon Rum, who had been revealed in 448 AT, promoted Ratialis as a symbol of Dwarven unity.

In 448 AT, the Dwarven Genocide was carried out by the Iloisa Empire as a plan to kill the young Rum and begin the Iloisa Conquest. The genocide resulted in Rum's death as well as 80% of all Dwarves, including most of the Mul, rendering their culture and philosophy virtually extinct. The previous neglect and eventual destruction of the Library of Nenihr, an Onor center of Ratialist learning, resulted in a staggering loss of Ratialist knowledge, as well. Surviving Dwarves lived on the Onor Reservation, where Ratialis was strictly prohibited by Iloisa forces. At the end of the conquest in 476 AT, the Onor left the reservation and settled across the rest of the peninsula. Dwarf General Balgro, a hero of the rebellion, tried promoting Ratialis in memory of his Mul ancestors, but his attempts gained little traction, resulting in the philosophy's death.

Despite Ratialis' extinction, it remained a significant influence on Dwarf culture. After the 40-Year War, the Dwarves pursued a state atheism policy, albeit one that deliberately distanced itself from the more cosmologically-minded Ratialis. Prophetism, at first a derivation of Tulkonism that featured significant Ratialis influence, gained traction as a religion in southern Onor, and its practitioners left the Onor peninsula and founded the nation of Nodal in 1470 AT.

## Beliefs

Ratialis, as an atheistic philosophy, lacked any sort of pantheon or deities. The philosophy encouraged scientific advancement as well as an understanding of the natural world, with practices ranging from deep nature walks to intensive scientific study. As a result of their practice, Dwarves were proficient in the fields of astronomy, chemistry, engineering, physics, and psychology, with their technological advancements nearly reaching pre-Infinite War levels by 400 AT.

Ratialis, aside from natural and scientific pursuits, also delved into the realms of perception and reality. Ratialists believed that the world was entirely a figment of imagination and was purely a product of perception, and that all beings are simply minds, lacking any physical form and creating the reality around them. Despite the idea that the world was not real, Ratialists still believed that understanding the reality around them was of the utmost importance.

One idea heavily promoted by Ratialists and ancient Dwarven scientists (as well as some of the world's other major religions) was that there was a single ancestor civilization that preceded the 10,000-year Infinite War. The idea of a single people was tied to the idea that all people were different facets of a single consciousness that built its own reality; this was a significant influence on Prophetism, which developed from Ratialis-influenced varieties of Tulkonism in southern Onor. The ancestor civilization theory was later found to be true, as it was discovered that the Four Earthly Peoples were descended from the survivors of the E'Ash civilization.