Technolodendron

Throughout all the Heliopolis, the Technolodendron is the most illustrious representation of all knowledge and wisdom accumulated by Panhumanity. Its branches encompass the achievements of science and culture, technology and society as a whole.



Roots and Crown
Within the Technolodendron is embedded a history of all things man-made, drawing one continuous lineage from the most advanced technologies at its crown back to the deepest roots where the first fire and handaxe lie. Every branch sprouting from the trunk of panhumanity's achievements represents a newly founded discipline, each a new specialization therein. Finally, each leaf and needle on the tree is one more invention, some blossoming into the greatest achievements of civilization.

Growth and Depiction
The Technolodendron is an ever-growing, undying tree. Always expanding along with the horizon of knowledge, no depiction of the tree could ever be complete. Yet there are many places, from university to cultish temples, seeking to display the Technolodendron in all its glory. Such a feat, so far, was only ever achieved in the Otherworld, though there are rumors only a true Benthic Entity could fully grasp the extent of such an image.

The growth of the Technolodendron is facilitated mostly by the independent scientists and thinkers transcending nations as commanded by the Symposium. As the commandments state, the growth of the Technolodendron is tantamount with the progress of Panhumanity and civilization but could lead all the same to their downfall if pursued recklessly.

Dangerous Arts
The reason for such danger is the Dangerous Arts, poison thorns of the Technolodendron. These are technologies with great potential of both growth and destruction.

Dangerous arts cannot be truly named, for every single achievement bears some danger in it. The first stone cut flesh from prey was the same that slit the first murder victim's throat – there is no sense in forbidding everything which could be abused. Instead, arts are deemed dangerous by the Symposium as a result of the never-ending debate, always re-evaluating the standing of any discipline among all worlds and nations. Most importantly, no single entity is to have exclusive rights to new technologies which would provide an advantage above all. And only when the safe use of new technology is fully determined, is it to enter the free realm of all the Symposium.

Synthesis of Technology and Biology
To some souls of the Heliopolis, the Technolodendron is not merely standing on its own but the mere pinnacle of the much larger, endlessly more complex work of biological evolution – technology is seen as one more step of adaption of the species. This the essence of the cosmic holism, the understanding of all as one, interconnected processes within the universe. Such teachings have a following of varying degrees among the worlds of the Heliopolis, and although they remain subject of great debates, they have never fully left the consciousness of many souls since they first arose.