BY LETTER
Kalevalists
 Image from Bernd Helfert |
The oldest Kalevalist groups arose in the 6800s in the Keter Domain. The name suggests some connection with Polyvalism, though no definite link has been found. Though there have been various other groups with similar goals to the modern Kalevalists dating back as far as the Age of Consolidation, none of these have been shown to have a definite historical link with the Kalevalists. The services these groups offered made them well known enough for various others to start emulating them and forming other Kalevalist groups across the Sephirotics. Over time, other organisations with similar ideas - such as the Ouroboros Sociotects of Cableville, or the Rosette Cluster Economy Artists started operating under the Kalevalist name.
Usually Kalevalists will have separate enclaves to act out their societies in systems where they reside. Some Kalevalists will live in the enclaves the entire time, while other will travel elsewhere when they are not taking part in a designed society. Most Kalevalist enclaves are found in the MPA, NoCoZo, Utopia Sphere, Deeper Covenant, and amongst the Sagittarius Preservers. Some groups also have strong connections to Cyberia and the TRHN.
A number of Kalevalist groups are willing to test experimental society types for others (a highly useful service for proponents of philosophies and religions espousing an ideal social order). Collectively such groups are known as Sociotects Incorporated.
Most major clades are represented, though there is a definite preference for those with a high degree of mental flexibility. Many biont Kalevalists are from Clades Cyborn and Kanuma due to the high degree of mental flexibility those clades possess. Other Bionts joining the Kalevalists will often take on nanoborg implants to become more adaptable. Vecs and virtuals also make good Kalevalists, though some society types may require that virch members become incarnate. The Kalevalists have a number of higher toposophics amongst them and, if according to some, a single enigmatic archailect.
The supposed archailect of the Kalevalists is called Kale. Whether it actually exists is a matter of some debate among godwatchers and archailectologists. Though it has never verifiably been seen to act directly (though there are, of course, numerous anecdotes), a number of transapient Kalevalists have asserted Kale's existence and claimed to be acting according to its dictates. Modosophont Kalevalists have a variety of different beliefs on the matter. Some explicitly disbelieve in Kale, some acknowledge it, some worship it as either an archailect or a supernatural entity. An individual Kalevalist might subscribe to all of these at different times depending on what form of society it is currently living in.
Sometimes a Kalevalist society will become sufficiently complex to achieve sophonce as an emergent phenomenon, forming a type of Sophstem. Generally this will require at least 100,000 participating Kalevalists. Sophont Societies are broadly similar to the Business Minds of the NoCoZo, but far more diverse. Sophont Societies are one of the few society types that the Kalevalists don't mind persisting, and those responsible for designing them are highly respected among the Kalevalists.
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Development Notes
Text by Liam Jones
Initially published on 20 July 2011.
Initially published on 20 July 2011.
