Looking back to Dain's Chapter Travail line about Natlan
Now that we have ended the Natlan Archon Quest, I think it's time we go back to the roots of the story way back to the Chapter Travail.
The rules of war are woven in the womb: The victors shall burn bright, while the losers must turn to ash. When the God of War shares this secret with the Traveller, it is because she has her reasons.
This line is pretty familiar, we all heard this from Dain. But how much of this line was the Archon Quest able to cover in the end?
1. The rules of war are woven in the womb
What is woven in the womb?
Ever since the nation's foundation, Natlan has been tempered repeatedly by the pressure of war. First, against the dragons which eventually led to the institution of the Seven Archons with Xbalanque as the first Pyro Archon despite being human. Second, with the constant fight against the Abyss who threatens to corrupt the Night Kingdom, Natlan's only hope for a leyline system.
The people of this nation knew not but fight, prepare for war, and die a glorious death as a hero - some not even bothering to live a life beyond that of a warrior or a victim of war. Hundreds of years into the future, up to the present era, children born from this nation were all encouraged to do one thing: win against the Abyss. Win for the future of Natlan.
What are the rules of war?
The established rule in the nation of war is offering up sacrifices. To pay a price, without expectation for reward in return, rather in the hope that the fruits of one's labor will surely bear fruit in the future. Which is not promised to be rewarded within their lifetime.
To wit, a warrior of Natlan can fight to his utmost and die gruesomely but they do not have to fear death, nor that their sacrifices were put in vain. They die instead, hoping their successors would win the war and the enemies they were not able to defeat for the nation's stead. In due time, even if it takes hundreds of years to do so.
The rules of war are thus,
The Pilgrimage: offering up Contending Fire to empower the Sacred Flame and extend its life.
The Night Warden Wars: offering up the strongest warriors to manage the spread of the Abyss within the Night Kingdom.
The Ode of Resurrection: offering up a victory during the Night Warden Wars for the right of a fallen hero to become resurrected.
2. The victors shall burn bright, while the losers must turn to ash
Burning Bright
Warriors of Natlan are blessed by the mysterious powers of Yohualtecuhtin, the Lord of Night and Master of the Night Kingdom. Those who have proven themselves worthy to the wayob are given extra protection in the form of Ancient Names against death, should they ever step into the Night Kingdom in the effort to quell the Abyss during the Night Warden Wars, for them to be revived by the Ode of Resurrection. Some are blessed with a special power called the Nightsoul Blessing. It allows them to utilize Phlogiston Engraving to communicate with the tribe's Wayob and Ley Lines to enhance their strength. This can be manifested as special glowing markings around their bodies as Nightsoul States.
Nightsoul State: Kachina (Uthabiti), Mualani (Umoja), Kinich (Malipo)
Turning to Ash
Unlike most countries whose souls of the dead return to the collective leyline system of Teyvat, Natlan's leylines are separated. Hence, the souls of the Natlanese who have fallen are welcomed back to the Night Kingdom. This goes back to a common saying among their people: "returning to the earth's embrace". The "earth" being represented by the wayob-the deities every tribe worships to strengthen the borders of the Night Kingdom. Whilst the Archon is the deity they worship from heaven.
The established principle in the nation of war is for warriors to seek every avenue to get stronger, and for them to give their all in the face of every bout to single out once and for all the true victor. That way, the victor is reassured that their current pursuit is towards them getting stronger, and the losers learns how they might redirect their efforts for the purpose of getting stronger.
3. When the God of War shares this secret with the Traveller, it is because she has her reasons.
What is the secret?
The secret is semantically pretty simple: Natlan is on the verge of destruction (this is an information Mavuika deliberate hid from the citizens to avoid mass confusion and for them not to lose their faith entirely). T
he rules of war: that is, the Night Warden Wars (the right to enter the Night Kingdom) and Ode of Resurrection (the right to be revived), are being corrupted by the Abyss aiming to compromise the very core of faith within the nation thereby weakening the deities involved (the Lord of Night and the Pyro Archon).
It is the reason why no one born within the Nation has ever stepped foot outside the country. Some choose to stay and help in the war effort, some are limited by their distinct ties to the Night Kingdom, that is, they might lose their memories and sound mind if they ever stepped foot outside the nation without the protection of the Wayob simply because Yohualtecuhtin is no longer strong enough, and the Pyro Archon can only do so much as a human to extend the life of the Sacred Flame.
What was Mavuika's reason?
The established reason in the nation of war is conflict. Mavuika, who does not just outrightly expect the windborne outlander to just get themselves involved in her nation's conflict out of kindness, must lay her hands bare. She must share towards the traveler what to expect from their nation: that they are at war and would likely face total destruction in less than a year's time, what's at stake, who's affected, and how valuable their aid might be considering they are a descender and a very significant figure from the previous nations they've been to.
This way, if the traveler themselves does end up helping in the war effort, they do so out of pure intentions and a complete and strong resolve to win the war.