La Société de la raison éclairée

La Société de la raison éclairée is a small but growing group of educated yet delusionial Dementlieuse whose faith in modern science mirrors that of a zealot in his religion. Prominent among its members are biologists, chemistists, and engineers.

By modern science the society understands material science: the science of things and of the mechanical, mathematically bound universe in which they were purported to exist. Science is the study of the great machine of existence. Existence consists of matter in motion. Being that is not matter in motion is being that should not exist, in fact is being that does not exist. Men are biological machines. Thougtht is electrical impulses. Philosophy is, at best, groundless speculation and, at worst, obscurantist superstition. Magic is, at best, smoke and mirros and, at worst, is as yet unexplained instances of matter in motion. Religion and the gods are obscurantist superstition.

The society owes its ideology to science as it is practice in Lamordia. The group's existence does not reach back into the false history of Dementlieu. Instead the society came to be two after Dementlieu came into existence on the southern border of Lamorida.

It is at least possible that the seed from which the society sprung was planted by Lamordia's Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens. At present the two groups have little to say to one another. Whereas the Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens prompts violence against being that should not be that it might in fact not be, La Société de la raison éclairée believes in the power of a quiet discussion and clear thinking to rid the world of enigmas and mystery. The Lamordia group would happily orchestrate the death of wizard. The Dementlieuse group would invite the wizard to tea and, after persuading itself that he is not a simply charalton, offer him instruction in the methods of science so that all may arrive at the truth of what he is doing when he thinks that he is casting spells.

The emminent reasonableness of the society is, of course, an illusion. A wizard who sits down with the society is permitted to arrive at the truth of his magic only in terms of matter in motion. The prejudices of society are vitriol that would invariably reduce every alien term to those of material science. This quickly exhausts the good-will of even the most patient of wizards so nothing productive is forecoming from the discussion.

The matter is far worse with clerics. Wheras wizards are seen as tickers in need of the genuine understanding afforded by principles of material science, clerics are held to be stiffling the search for truth with the cold comfort of outright lies to which they themselves succumb. And the situation is not defused in the least by the fact that clerics hold much the same opionion of the member of the society. Indeed, it is the informal policy of the society to not even bother trating with clerics.