Korin Soroyoto

Overview

Korin Soroyoto, known as the Philosopher of Obedience, was the most influential thinker of the Soroyoto dynasty and one of the defining figures of the Stars Age. His writings formed the theoretical foundation of imperial power and shaped the political philosophy of Sorestia. In his texts obedience is not treated as a virtue but as a natural law of society, and discipline as the highest form of wisdom.

Life and Work

Korin was born during the height of the empire into a family of generals and advisers to the throne. From an early age he showed an aversion to martial pursuits and a devotion to study. While most Soroyoto of his time sought glory on battlefields, he sought it in texts and in the halls of philosophical schools.

He studied the history and theory of power and soon began writing his own treatises which circulated throughout the courts of the Sorestian planets. His principal work, “Order and Obedience”, became the cornerstone of imperial doctrine. In it Korin described society as an organism that cannot survive without hierarchy and fear. Fear, he wrote, is the primary emotion that makes people recognize their limits, and limits create obedience. From this comes his well known triad of sayings:

• "Fear is the teacher of obedience"
• "Power is the mother of fear"
• "Victory is the source of power"

His teachings influenced generations of emperors and intellectuals. He believed that stability preceded freedom and that obedience to higher law was the measure of virtue. His writing was austere, cold and logical, filled with reasoning that seemed irrefutable. Because of this his work acquired an almost sacred status.

Legacy

After his death his works were collected and taught in imperial academies. For centuries Korin Soroyoto was regarded as a prophet of Order and a philosopher of imperial harmony. Later historians, however, saw in his writings the early seed of totalitarianism. His theory of fear as the foundation of power became a tool of repression, and obedience, which he saw as a virtue, became a weapon in the hands of tyrants.

Centuries later Emperor Raiken Soroyoto stood before his ancestor’s statue in the Ancestral Hall and silently blamed him for what he had created. The teacher’s words that shaped him echoed again, "Fear is the teacher of obedience", "Power is the mother of fear", "Victory is the source of power". Raiken understood that his ancestor’s wisdom was also the root of his own ruin.

Character and Philosophy

Korin Soroyoto believed that humanity was inherently unruly and dangerous and that only strict hierarchy could shape people into citizens. He rejected the idea of equality and held that obedience to a superior was the only form of freedom that did not lead to chaos. Fear, for him, was not evil but a divine instrument of discipline. Authority had to inspire fear rather than love to ensure stability.

His speech was clear and absolute, filled with rigid logic and propositions that left no room for doubt. Later centuries honored him as the sage who codified the doctrine of Sorestia but also recognized him as the thinker who provided a theoretical foundation for the cruelty of imperial authority.

Memory

In the Soroto Ancestral Hall the statue of Korin Soroyoto stands beside those of Makio Soroyoto and Sei Soroyoto. When Raiken Soroyoto looks upon them he sees the roots of imperial paranoia. Their theories became laws, laws became fear and fear produced obedience without light. Yet Korin Soroyoto believed that within fear lay the perfection of Order.

Quotes

• "Fear is the teacher of obedience"
• "Power is the mother of fear"
• "Victory is the source of power"

Category: Character Tags: Governance, Sorestia, Politics, History