..A Treatise on Post War Artistic Movements of Imperial Varana and Dasaria (595 to Present)
By Vergilius of Cear
Imperial Triumphalism (~595 to ~615)
Imperial Triumphalism is a natural outgrowth of the Great War artistic movements and styles designed to rally the people for the long hard war. Idealized design and characters is a near universal constant for all parts of this movement, from plays to paintings to poems. Many of the post-war monuments to Varanite heroes were sculpted in this style, focusing on bodily perfection and heroic stature. Obviously, the most common subject of these statues was General (later Emperor) Marcus due to his direct involvement in the final conquest of Dasaria and the later putting down of the Canite Rebellion.
The art and architecture of this era is commonly the most popular with the population, being seen as the classic Varanite style. Large pillars and arcs, extensive use of black marble, and high vaulted ceilings are hallmarks of the architecture of the period. Art was focused on the idealized, though realistic, form with extensive use of high contrasting colors and ideas. Favorite subjects of art often included Varanite triumphs in battle, often the final breaking of Dasar, though other subjects were also very popular. The only Dasarian influence in the art style was in portrayals of Dasarian architecture and the handful of realistic portraits of Dasarians nobles that were painted by Varanite artists which were done in a realistic but not idealized style so to make them less perfect than their Varanite counterparts (this style would become known as Dasarian Realism and greatly influence the later Transcontinental Romantics).
Common characters of the era were the noble and brilliant Varanite soldiers, commonly opposed by the monstrous and destructive Dasarian warriors. Portrayals of Varanite nobles, generals, soldiers and all involved was universally positive and idealized, and any rumors of atrocities carried out by the army the result of poorly laid out schemes of Dasarian opponents. The only Dasarian portrayed in any sympathetic light was Marcus' wife, the once-queen of Dasaria and later Empress of Varana. Typical portrayals of her are of a well-intentioned women who was thrust into a position and manipulated by those in power, commonly the Kingseekers and Templars, for their own ends and in need of rescuing from their clutches, a roll heroically fulfilled by Marcus.
As time went on within the movement, a subtle parody began to build up by continual exaggeration of the two sides opposed traits. Varanites went from being merely idealized to outright over the top perfection, always making the right calls, their plots laid perfectly and them always being better than the Dasarians at fighting, loving and living (ideas that, if true, were in stark contrast to the generations of near-stalemate warfare between East and West, despite the East’s significant advantage in personnel and resources) while the Dasarians became outright baby-eating inhuman monsters, a view that obviously did not fit in with who the Dasarians actually were even based on the little interactions that common Varanites may have had with them. The absolute height of this parody was within the play The Morning Siege concerning the final Siege of Dasar, in which actual monstrous races were used to portray the Dasarians (it was in this play that the famous hobgoblin actor Snarflin gave a particularly memorable and over the top performance as the manipulative, cruel , truly terrifying and hammy Raeflyn E'doras) while some of the most famous and beautiful actors and actresses of the era portrayed the Varanites (Eliam Altinus' portrayal of General Marcus was said to have brought even Emperor Marcus himself to boisterous laughter).
By the early 600s Perhaps the only group that supported playing the black and white themes straight was the Church of Lochwar, which continued to put on plays on this style mainly focusing on the evils of the heretical Dasarian religion well into the 630s. This genre became known as Lochwarian Triumphalism, and consistently focused almost exclusively on the heroic efforts of the Lochwarian clergy in ferreting out heresy and punishing (often in over the top displays of violence) the heretics. A major subset of these plays, know as the Thrall’s Gate Style after the powerful and active Dasarian sect of the Church, actually involved the punishments of heretics, using the plays to express their heretical crimes before meting out Lochwar’s punishment.
Transcontinental Romanticism (~610 to ~635)
Transcontinental Romanticism sprung forth from two main streams of creative efforts. The initial efforts came from various actors and bards who had grown tired of the constant idealized portrayals of the Great War and were looking for new ways to tell the stories. The population had also grown cynical concerning the Imperial Triumphalism's trappings, as seen by the rising popularity of the parodies. The first major play in the style that would later be known as Transcontinental Romanticism was The Tale of Two Thrones. This popular play was a both an epic biographical poem and series of biographical plays about Empress Nelina, and unlike earlierworks, did not portray the rank and file Dasarians as over the top monsters, but rather regular people misled by self-interested and petty nobles. Further, the Varanites moved from perfect ideals to a more realistic portrayal of them as humans, with flaws and making mistakes (with the obvious exception of the Emperor). The villains of the piece continued to be the petty and vain Dasarian nobility, the warmongering and elitist Templars, and the self-serving and self-aggrandizing opportunistic Kingseekers though this was in contrast to the earlier portrayals in that they were less monstrous and more manipulative seeking only their own glory and power. The Soliloquy of The Tale of Two Thrones is still held up as a near perfect representation of this era's portrayals: a paladin of Rel driven by great personal desire, but still human, doubting her choices but still holding to them unto her death (which comes, of course, as justice by the gods for her villainy). Likewise, it was rumored that the Empress’ mournful soliloquy from the same play brought the Empress to tears when she saw it performed, striking a chord between remorse over failing her people and hope for the future.
The second major stream that fed into Transcontinental Romanticism came from what some might see as an unexpected source: the Imperial Academy of Arts itself. The Imperial Court is said to have been bothered by the constant monstrous portrays of regular Dasarians, and is said to have felt that such overt hostility did little to lead to integration and subjugation of the Dasarian people, rather it was thought to be hardening resistance to Varanite rule. So the Imperial Academy began to encourage a relook at the people of Dasaria themselves, focusing on a more tragic image of the people as genuinely good folks who were deceived and manipulated by the nobility and "heroes" of the era. From this sprung an entire genre of plays, songs and tales: the Heroic Dasarian Tragedy. Built around rank and file Dasarian soldiers who were fighting in the Great War, Varanites were often not even portrayed as characters, but rather an impersonal and unstoppable force. The soldiers sent to stand against it by their manipulative and corrupt officers and nobles are tragic figures, motivated by honest camaraderie and noble ideals, but thrown against an unstoppable tide just so that the upper class could hold onto power for a little more time. The actions of the Varanites, instead of being a glorious conquest, instead become a sad necessity to free the people of Dasaria from their bonds. The apex of this style was an epic poem called “Redboots Arise” about the last stand of the Dasarian Redboot Brigade against the Varanite Legions. Focusing on dialogue between three Redboots: a youthful and hopeful recruit fighting for queen and country, a hardened veteran sergeant who fought because it was all he had left, and an officer, who in the end sacrifices the other two in a vain attempt to escape.
It was not just the rank and file who had a second look, some Dasarian heroes even were rehabilitated from villainous monsters into tragic figures in this style. Many of those who were not leaders instead become powerful catspaws for those who were in charge. One unpopular, though radical, play called Fortunbrass: Friend or Foe sought even to rehabilitate that great villain as being delusional and under the control of Rel as the god sought to depose Lochwar.
Perhaps the height of Transcontinental Romance was the play The Almaran Matter. Written by the renowned playwright Artorius Severmus after supposedly ten years of research, it is noted for its nuanced portrayal of many of the Kingseekers. Often portrayed as monsters, it showcased many moments of genuine camaraderie between them. This play was well received in both sections of the Empire, the Western Empire intrigued by its complex and compelling emotions, while the Eastern Empire enjoyed a portrayal of their old heroes that was nuanced and did not thrive on demeaning them, giving them moments of genuine heroism and showing them tied by both their desires and their reputations.
One character that was adopted straight from the Dasarian mind in this period was the manipulative and only out for themselves Culnulite. The Cult of Culnul had never been very prominent in Varanite storytelling; however, they played a major role in the waning days of the Great War for the Dasarians, being in conflict with the Dasarians almost as often as the Empire. Often used in plays to allow the Dasarians to be heroic and win in conflicts without belittling the Empire, they were fickle and untrustworthy, sometimes aiding both sides before betraying them both. Perhaps the most famous line came from the play “The Mission of Meldvion” concerning the taking of the fortress of Ravenwatch by the Dasarians late in the war. In this, some followers of Culnul aided in the defense of the fort with the Varanite Legions, much to the chagrin of many of the soldiers there, leading to a random Centurion issuing the classic declaration: “Better to stand with a Dasarian than these Culnulites, for with the barbarians at least you will strike you from the front.” This line, of course, is foreshadowing in that in the end the Varanites were betrayed by the Culnulites who attempted to seize the fortress themselves rather than let either the Empire or Kingdom hold it, and thus allowing the Dasarians to take the fortress.
On the visual front, Art in this period moved from the idealized styles of the Imperial Triumphalism to a more nuanced style as well. Portrays would often show blemishes that previously would have been hidden and architecture moved from showing off towards a more practical design. Dasarian Realism, which began under Imperial Triumphalism as a way to demean Dasarians compared to the perfect Varanites, was the dominate movement for all portraits, and art tended to focus less on images of battles, victory and people to landscapes, panoramas and nature.
Some scholars have suggested that the theme of the nobility verses the commoner that was often present in the plays and songs of the Transcontinental Romantics was meant not to represent the classes of Dasaria, but rather many of the petty and vain Varanite nobles of the time, though none was explicitly said in the plays and the Imperial Academy of Arts rejects such interpretations as flawed. This note is only included here to dispel any consideration of the matter by the curious, as official studies of art have determined that any parallels to Varanite nobility were purely coincidental and unintended by the authors and artists.
Modern (~625 to Present)
As public obsession with the Great War dwindled, plays and songs focusing on them became less popular. Unlike the Transcontinental Romantics, who purposely opposed the styling of the Imperial Triumphalism, the Modern schools of the arts came out of a more simple desire: a desire to move on from the past. As such the focus of plays and songs became more personal affairs, with less of an epic scope. Comedies began to surge in popularity after so many years of being overshadowed by more serious works. Portrayals of Dasarians began shifting too as the war waned in people’s minds. As stories of private journeys through the Eastern Empire spread to the common population, a new vision of a wild nearly untamed land grasped the minds of Western citizens. This new vision of the lands led to a new vision of the people becoming popular: that of a free spirited people whom civilization fit like a ill sized glove.
A rising number of romances told by bards to the well to do ladies of Varana showed Dasarian men to be rugged and exotic, as opposed to the ideals of Varanite men as commanding and masterminds. Meanwhile men enjoyed the portrayals of the subjugation and domination of the free willed Dasarian women by Varanite men as they became molded to their ideals. Further, Dasarians were beginning to be portrayed as closer to the earth than the more urban Varanite culture, not quite so much as elves, but somewhat so.
Art in this time began diversifying into many styles and designs. A resurgence in popularity of the idealized style of the earlier Imperial Triumphalism, but with a twist, instead of simply the Varanites having an ideal, the Dasarians began to be portrayed in such form as well. Where the Varanite ideals emphasized intelligence and a balanced bodily form, the Dasarian ideal was slowly morphing into that of a champion and warrior.
One of the more popular play of the modern period was The Ivory Woman, both a romance and comedy focusing on the attempts of a Varanite noble to mold a backwoods Dasarian woman into the perfect Varanite lady because of a bet with his peers. During the course of the play the Varanite noble falls in love with the woman, though she resents him and constantly tries to run away. The ending of the play often depended on the location it was shown in. The preferred ending in the Western Empire, which was outright banned in the East involved the woman running away from the nobleman, and making a fool of him. Meanwhile, the required ending in the East showed a more typical ending of the woman becoming subjugated and happy under the nobleman.
The later modern style is yet to be clearly defined, as the rise of the Canites and division of the Empire into East and West has thrown a unified art style off the rails. As this scholar has been stuck in Cear since the war truly began, he can only comment on the current trends there and speculate on what has happened in the East.
In the west, what is being called Dasarian Revivalism is becoming popular, a style which tends to focus less on modern times and more on early Dasarian history and Firstking Siril’s defeat of Canas in those days. This style bears an uncanny resemblance to the Imperial Triumphalism in tone, and the themes of self-sacrifice and heroism are in the forefront. Individual tales of Dasarian victories from the Great War have also become popular, though they are treated with surprising grace by the Dasarians, as many are well aware that the troops fighting to defend them against the Canites are Varanites far from home. In an inversion of the manipulated Dasarian rank and file from Transcontinental Romanticism, in these plays it is the Varanite soldiers being portrayed as used by Varanite nobles for their own ends.
submitted by Peregrinus