The Great Debate: Origins of the Synod (Part 1 of 4)

(I have really enjoyed thinking about what caused the division of the Mages Guild and, seeing as how there is no current lore on the specifics, decided I would write an overview on the events that transpired through the Synod's perspective. A link to the whole text can be found here Enjoy! )

Introduction

The Great Debate of 4E 02 is considered the most significant event in the history of magicka in Tamriel, even more so than the very foundation of the Mages Guild itself. The grounds of discussion during this event were a defining moment in the direction of academia as a whole and influenced not only the study of magic as an abstract entity but rather religious and metaphysical avenues from which magicka stems. The Oblivion Crisis triggered a string of events that changed all of Tamriel, and not even the Mages Guild was immune to conflict. From these events came a major conclusion within the echelons of mages, a revelation so profound that the very understanding of magicka would never be the same. The Great Debate of 4E 02 brought forth the birth of the Synod as well as the horrific rise of the College of Whispers. Ever since, the Synod has thrived in an understanding of Mundus that has benefited all of Man and Mer.

This manuscript provides a step-by-step analysis on the events that preceded the Great Debate and how they transpired to the division of the Mages Guild between the wheat and the chaff - between those who would use magicka for their own selfish gains and those who would use magicka for the betterment of Tamriel. It is a tragedy that the Mages Guild had to be dismantled, but it is in the heart of disorder that the Synod learned of the truth of Aetherius and Oblivion. Tamriel will never be the same again, and the Synod will persevere as vanguards of magicka research and defenders of the mortal plane.

Part 1: The Oblivion Crisis

The origins of the Synod have seeds that were sewn in the midsts of the Oblivion Crisis, an event so monumental to the history of Tamriel that scholars sectioned the time that has followed into an entirely new era. The Fourth Era began as Martin Septim sacrificed himself during Mehrunes Dagon’s assault on the Imperial City, forever guaranteeing that the Dragonfires would stay lit and a barrier would stay erected between Mundus and the Planes of Oblivion. While we will forever honor his sacrifice to all mortals, the Dragonfires were an overall fragile concept to preserve this boundary. Akatosh himself blessed St. Alessia and the line of Cyrodilic emperors with the Amulet of Kings to symbolize His commitment; it was a good choice to entrust this responsibility to the most powerful individuals in Tamriel, but they were nevertheless just mortals.

The motivations of mortals can never be underestimated, for they can find their conviction in any powers-that-be. In the case of the Oblivion Crisis, Mankar Camoran and the Mythic Dawn sought vassalship under the Prince of Destruction and aimed for paradise in Oblivion. They were willing to sacrifice Mundus for reward in the realms beyond. Our existence in this plane is a blessing from the Aedra, and there will always be mortals who take this privilege for granted. Thus, we can say that Daedra worshippers care more about Oblivion than Mundus, their summonings proof of their discontent with the mortal plane and their desire to seek power from outside its boundaries.

Mundus is a realm that is now safe from the Daedra so long as they are not summoned into this plane. This truth is an absolute and there is no middle ground: to summon the Daedra and request their power is nothing short of an incursion by the forces beyond to invade and occupy the mortal plane. Gaius Octavus, a Master-Wizard of the Mages Guild at the time and eventual first Arch-Mage of the Synod, was the first member of the Council of Mages to demand the prohibition of summoning, a decision that would eventually escalate into the Great Debate weeks later. The dissidents who would later form the College of Whispers stood by their conjuration. They believed that future disasters could be prevented by educating mages to understand how to responsibly experiment with the laws of Mundus, a foolish assumption that all who wield power would use it carefully and never for personal gains.

Even now, chapters of the College of Whispers continue to have problems with Daedra, but their stubbornness will forever shadow the conclusions that the Synod reached long ago. We are eternally grateful for the sacrifice of Martin Septim to forever seal the Dragonfires and close shut the jaws of Oblivion, and our vigilance to protect the barriers of Mundus must never cease lest we are to permit the Daedra to gain more power and pick apart the mortal plane piece by piece. While the perversions of the College of Whispers still allow it, we must be twice as persistent to slow the damage and contrive new methods to protect Mundus.