Non-interference policy: Difference between revisions

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== Origin ==
== Origin ==
Rassilon wrote down his principles of non-intervention, following a nightmarish vision of a monstrous imperialistic Gallifrey. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Final Chapter (comic story)|The Final Chapter]]'')  
Rassilon wrote down his principles of non-intervention, following a nightmarish vision of a monstrous imperialistic Gallifrey. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Final Chapter (comic story)|The Final Chapter]]'')
 
:''These do not appear to have been formal law.''


Following the [[Eternal War]] ([[TV]]: ''[[State of Decay (TV story)|State of Decay]]''), the Time Lords abandoned the use of violence, but still continued to involve themselves in the affairs of the wider universe. This had catastrophic results for the people of the [[planet]] [[Minyos]] whom they gifted with high technology. The Minyans regarded the Time Lords as god-like beings.
Following the [[Eternal War]] ([[TV]]: ''[[State of Decay (TV story)|State of Decay]]''), the Time Lords abandoned the use of violence, but still continued to involve themselves in the affairs of the wider universe. This had catastrophic results for the people of the [[planet]] [[Minyos]] whom they gifted with high technology. The Minyans regarded the Time Lords as god-like beings.


As a result of being granted technology they did not have the cultural maturity to use responsibly, nuclear war broke out on Minyos and the [[Minyan]]s were nearly made extinct. The Time Lords left Minyos at around the same time. ([[TV]]: ''[[Underworld]]'')
As a result of being granted technology they did not have the cultural maturity to use responsibly, nuclear war broke out on Minyos and the [[Minyan]]s were nearly made extinct. The Time Lords left Minyos at around the same time. ([[TV]]: ''[[Underworld (TV story)|Underworld]]'')


On the same line, due to meddling on [[Klist]], [[evolution]] was reversed for the inhabitants, while on [[Plastrodus 14]] the inhabitants were all driven mad. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Quantum Archangel (novel)|The Quantum Archangel]]'')
On the same line, due to meddling on [[Klist]], [[evolution]] was reversed for the inhabitants, while on [[Plastrodus 14]] the inhabitants were all driven mad. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Quantum Archangel (novel)|The Quantum Archangel]]'')


Horrified by the results of their meddling, the Time Lords adopted a strict policy whereby they would only observe the events of the wider universe, and never become involved personally. ([[TV]]: ''[[Underworld]]'')
Horrified by the results of their meddling, the Time Lords adopted a strict policy whereby they would only observe the events of the wider universe, and never become involved personally. ([[TV]]: ''[[Underworld (TV story)|Underworld]]'')


Time Lords appeared to have been mentally conditioned against interfering in history. Challenging this rule could result in [[amnesia|memory loss]], shutting down whole aspects of personality, and madness. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Time and Relative]]'')
Challenging this rule could result in [[amnesia|memory loss]], shutting down whole aspects of personality, and madness. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Time and Relative (novel)|Time and Relative]]'')


== Exceptions ==
== Exceptions ==
Like many of their principles, the Time Lords' attitude to the non-interference policy was somewhat flexible, even to the point of hypocrisy. During the [[Millennium War]], [[Rassilon]] broke the policy and joined the fight against the [[Mad Mind of Bophemeral]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Quantum Archangel (novel)|The Quantum Archangel]]'') Before the Doctor's departure he was able to make the Time Lords implement a ban on [[miniscope]]s, an act which earned him great respect in the wider [[universe]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Carnival of Monsters]]'') It was the Time Lord [[Irving Braxiatel]] who organised the [[Armageddon Convention]], which led to the banning of many weapons of mass destruction amongst leading civilised species. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Empire of Glass]]'')
Like many of their principles, the Time Lords' attitude to the non-interference policy was somewhat flexible, even to the point of hypocrisy. During the [[Millennium War]], [[Rassilon]] broke the policy and joined the fight against the [[Mad Mind of Bophemeral]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Quantum Archangel (novel)|The Quantum Archangel]]'') Before the Doctor's departure he was able to make the Time Lords implement a ban on [[miniscope]]s, an act which earned him great respect in the wider [[universe]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Carnival of Monsters (TV story)|Carnival of Monsters]]'') It was the Time Lord [[Irving Braxiatel]] who organised the [[Armageddon Convention]], which led to the banning of many weapons of mass destruction amongst leading civilised species. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Empire of Glass (novel)|The Empire of Glass]]'')


The Time Lords later breached the policy on a major scale; after beings from [[Andromeda (constellation)|the constellation of Andromeda]] were able to infiltrate [[the Matrix]] and steal its secrets, they devastated the planet and moved it light-years across space to conceal what they had done and prevent the secrets reaching Andromeda. They also manipulated events and individuals on [[Thoros Beta]] to prevent [[Crozier]] from discovering an effective means of immortality. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet]]'', ''[[Mindwarp]]'') The Doctor eventually discovered what had happened to Earth but was unaware of the reasons. Apparently fearing his reaction, the Time Lords put him on trial for his life, the initial pretext being (ironically enough) his repeated breaches of the policy. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'')
The Time Lords later breached the policy on a major scale; after beings from [[Andromeda (constellation)|the constellation of Andromeda]] were able to infiltrate [[the Matrix]] and steal its secrets, they devastated the planet and moved it light-years across space to conceal what they had done and prevent the secrets reaching Andromeda. They also manipulated events and individuals on [[Thoros Beta]] to prevent [[Crozier]] from discovering an effective means of immortality. The Doctor eventually discovered what had happened to Earth but was unaware of the reasons. The Time Lords put him on trial for his life, the initial pretext being (ironically enough) his repeated breaches of the policy. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]'', ''[[Mindwarp (TV story)|Mindwarp]]'')


At the pleading of [[Clara Oswald]], the Time Lords broke the policy to save the Doctor's life. He was destined to die in battle on [[Trenzalore]] due to lacking the ability to [[regeneration|regenerate]] once more. The Time Lords sent the Doctor a new cycle of regeneration through a [[Time Field|crack in time]], allowing him to defeat the [[Dalek]]s and become the [[Twelfth Doctor]], changing his personal future and the future of Trenzalore which had changed from a planet with life and a farming village to a massive battlefield graveyard with millions of people buried in the now-[[alternate timeline]] where the Doctor died. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor]]'')
At the pleading of [[Clara Oswald]], the Time Lords broke the policy to save the Doctor's life. He was destined to die in battle on [[Trenzalore]] due to lacking the ability to [[regeneration|regenerate]] once more. The Time Lords sent the Doctor a new cycle of regeneration through a [[Time Field|crack in time]], allowing him to defeat the [[Dalek]]s and become the [[Twelfth Doctor]], changing his personal future and the future of Trenzalore which had changed from a planet with life and a farming village to a massive battlefield graveyard with millions of people buried in the now-[[alternate timeline]] where the Doctor died. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'')


=== The Doctor ===
=== The Doctor ===
On occasion, [[the Doctor]] was used by the [[Time Lord]]s to do their bidding for them. As he was a renegade, they could deny they had any influence on him. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Two Doctors]]'')
On occasion, [[the Doctor]] was used by the [[Time Lord]]s to do their bidding for them. As he was a renegade, they could deny they had any influence on him. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Two Doctors (TV story)|The Two Doctors]]'')


It was partly the non-interference policy which led to the [[First Doctor]] leaving [[Gallifrey]]. He felt that there were evils which should be fought, and positive ways of interfering. Additionally, he claimed he was bored at home and wanted to experience the universe first hand. When the Time Lords eventually located him in his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]], he was put on trial for breaching the policy.
It was partly the non-interference policy which led to the [[First Doctor]] leaving [[Gallifrey]]. He felt that there were evils which should be fought, and positive ways of interfering. Additionally, he claimed he was bored at home and wanted to experience the universe first hand. When the Time Lords eventually located him in his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]], he was put on trial for breaching the policy.


In defending his actions, the Doctor managed to convince the Time Lords that there was some merit to his argument of justifiable interference. An ironic result of this was that the Time Lords punished the Doctor for repeatedly involving himself in the affairs of less-advanced planets by involving him in the affairs of a less-advanced planet for an extended period of time: they [[Exile on Earth|exiled him]] to [[Earth]] in the [[20th century]] with his [[TARDIS]] rendered inoperative. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games]]'')
In defending his actions, the Doctor managed to convince the Time Lords that there was some merit to his argument of justifiable interference. An ironic result of this was that the Time Lords punished the Doctor for repeatedly involving himself in the affairs of less-advanced planets by involving him in the affairs of a less-advanced planet for an extended period of time: they [[Exile on Earth|exiled him]] to [[Earth]] in the [[20th century]] with his [[TARDIS]] rendered inoperative. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'')


The Time Lords repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to involve themselves in the affairs of the universe, using the Doctor as an unofficial (and frequently unwilling) agent. For a considerable period of time they used his talents to further their own agenda:
The Time Lords repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to involve themselves in the affairs of the universe, using the Doctor as an unofficial (and frequently unwilling) agent. For a considerable period of time they used his talents to further their own agenda:


* The [[Second Doctor]] appears to have carried out a series of missions for the Time Lords. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Two Doctors]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[World Game]]'', etc)
The Time Lords sent the [[Third Doctor]] to [[Uxarieus]] to stop [[the Master]] gaining control of the [[Doomsday Weapon]] ([[TV]]: ''[[Colony in Space (TV story)|Colony in Space]]'') and to [[Solos]] to help the natives complete their natural metamorphosis. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of Peladon (TV story)|The Curse of Peladon]]'') All of these occurred prior to the formal lifting of the Doctor's exile.
* The Time Lords sent the [[Third Doctor]] to [[Uxarieus]] to stop [[the Master]] gaining control of the [[Doomsday Weapon]], ([[TV]]: ''[[Colony in Space]]'') to [[Solos]] to help the natives complete their natural metamorphosis, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Curse of Peladon]]'') and (probably) to [[Peladon]] to help the planet's bid to join the [[Galactic Federation]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mutants (TV story)|The Mutants]]'') All of these occurred prior to the formal lifting of the Doctor's exile.


Following the lifting of the exile it was harder to tell which of the TARDIS' unplanned landings were a result of Time Lord intervention and which were simply caused by poor piloting. It is known that at some point they installed a [[remote operation module]], which allowed them to surreptitiously control where the TARDIS went. They found the Doctor would make the right decision when he believed he was there by choice. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[No Place Like Home]]'')
Following the lifting of the exile it was harder to tell which of the TARDIS' unplanned landings were a result of Time Lord intervention and which were simply caused by poor piloting. It is known that at some point they installed a [[remote operation module]], which allowed them to surreptitiously control where the TARDIS went. They found the Doctor would make the right decision when he believed he was there by choice. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[No Place Like Home (audio story)|No Place Like Home]]'')


* The Time Lords appeared to have helped the Third Doctor pursue the [[Dalek]]s to [[Spiridon]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Frontier in Space]]'', ''[[Planet of the Daleks]]'')
* A [[Ferain|Time Lord]] appeared to the [[Fourth Doctor]] in person at the start of his mission to [[Skaro]] to avert the creation of the Daleks (a mission to ultimately have [[Last Great Time War|dire consequences]] for the Time Lords). ([[TV]]: ''[[Genesis of the Daleks (TV story)|Genesis of the Daleks]]'')
* A [[Ferain|Time Lord]] appeared to the [[Fourth Doctor]] in person at the start of his mission to [[Skaro]] to avert the creation of the Daleks (a mission to ultimately have [[Last Great Time War|dire consequences]] for the Time Lords). ([[TV]]: ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]'')
* The Doctor believed his arrival on [[Karn]] was the result of Time Lord interference. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]'')
* The Doctor believed his arrival on [[Karn]] was the result of Time Lord interference. The presence on the same planet of the remnants of the renegade [[Morbius]] would seem to suggest he was correct. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'')
* Much later, the [[Sixth Doctor]] believed his involvement in the [[Cyberman (Mondas)|Cybermen]]'s attempt to destroy Earth in [[1985]] was a result of Time Lord machinations. ([[TV]]: ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)|Attack of the Cybermen]]'')
* Much later, the [[Sixth Doctor]] believed his involvement in the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]]'s attempt to destroy Earth in [[1985]] was a result of Time Lord machinations. ([[TV]]: ''[[Attack of the Cybermen]]'')


Some of these missions (or perhaps all) may have taken place under the auspices of the [[Celestial Intervention Agency]], a shadowy Gallifreyan faction who took a particular interest in the Doctor. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'')
The full extent of the [[Celestial Intervention Agency|CIA]]'s activities were unknown, and individual Gallifreyan attitudes to the policy varied - [[Rodan]] appeared to regard it as inviolable, whereas [[Romana I]] accepted being asked to leave Gallifrey and assist the Doctor. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Invasion of Time (TV story)|The Invasion of Time]]'', ''[[The Ribos Operation (TV story)|The Ribos Operation]]'')
 
The full extent of the CIA's activities were unknown, and individual Gallifreyan attitudes to the policy varied - [[Rodan]] appeared to regard it as inviolable, whereas [[Romana I]] accepted being asked to leave Gallifrey and assist the Doctor. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Invasion of Time]]'', ''[[The Ribos Operation]]'')


== Breaking of the policy ==
== Breaking of the policy ==
The Time Lords, in order to survive the Time War, decided to make the biggest break of the policy: destroy the universe in order to survive as beings of pure conciousness, a plan devised by [[Rassilon]] himself. The [[Tenth Doctor]] stopped them with the help of his companion [[Wilfred Mott]] and {{Simm}}. In this instance, the Doctor banished the Time Lords back into the War to die and also prevented numerous other threats from coming through that would have turned the universe into hell, as the Time War was. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'') However, Gallifrey was never destroyed, only frozen in a moment and placed in another dimension. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor]]'')
The Time Lords, in order to survive the Time War, decided to make the biggest break of the policy: destroy the universe in order to survive as beings of pure conciousness, a plan devised by [[Rassilon]] himself. The [[Tenth Doctor]] stopped them with the help of his companion [[Wilfred Mott]] and {{Simm}}. In this instance, the Doctor banished the Time Lords back into the War to die and also prevented numerous other threats from coming through that would have turned the universe into hell, as the Time War was. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'') However, Gallifrey was never destroyed, only frozen in a moment and placed in another dimension. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')


[[pt:Política de Não Intervenção]]
[[Category:Time Lord history]]
[[Category:Time Lord history]]
[[pt:Política de Não Intervenção]]

Revision as of 01:23, 1 May 2017

The policy of non-interference was fundamental to Time Lord attitudes towards and dealings with the rest of the universe.

Origin

Rassilon wrote down his principles of non-intervention, following a nightmarish vision of a monstrous imperialistic Gallifrey. (COMIC: The Final Chapter)

Following the Eternal War (TV: State of Decay), the Time Lords abandoned the use of violence, but still continued to involve themselves in the affairs of the wider universe. This had catastrophic results for the people of the planet Minyos whom they gifted with high technology. The Minyans regarded the Time Lords as god-like beings.

As a result of being granted technology they did not have the cultural maturity to use responsibly, nuclear war broke out on Minyos and the Minyans were nearly made extinct. The Time Lords left Minyos at around the same time. (TV: Underworld)

On the same line, due to meddling on Klist, evolution was reversed for the inhabitants, while on Plastrodus 14 the inhabitants were all driven mad. (PROSE: The Quantum Archangel)

Horrified by the results of their meddling, the Time Lords adopted a strict policy whereby they would only observe the events of the wider universe, and never become involved personally. (TV: Underworld)

Challenging this rule could result in memory loss, shutting down whole aspects of personality, and madness. (PROSE: Time and Relative)

Exceptions

Like many of their principles, the Time Lords' attitude to the non-interference policy was somewhat flexible, even to the point of hypocrisy. During the Millennium War, Rassilon broke the policy and joined the fight against the Mad Mind of Bophemeral. (PROSE: The Quantum Archangel) Before the Doctor's departure he was able to make the Time Lords implement a ban on miniscopes, an act which earned him great respect in the wider universe. (TV: Carnival of Monsters) It was the Time Lord Irving Braxiatel who organised the Armageddon Convention, which led to the banning of many weapons of mass destruction amongst leading civilised species. (PROSE: The Empire of Glass)

The Time Lords later breached the policy on a major scale; after beings from the constellation of Andromeda were able to infiltrate the Matrix and steal its secrets, they devastated the planet and moved it light-years across space to conceal what they had done and prevent the secrets reaching Andromeda. They also manipulated events and individuals on Thoros Beta to prevent Crozier from discovering an effective means of immortality. The Doctor eventually discovered what had happened to Earth but was unaware of the reasons. The Time Lords put him on trial for his life, the initial pretext being (ironically enough) his repeated breaches of the policy. (TV: The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp)

At the pleading of Clara Oswald, the Time Lords broke the policy to save the Doctor's life. He was destined to die in battle on Trenzalore due to lacking the ability to regenerate once more. The Time Lords sent the Doctor a new cycle of regeneration through a crack in time, allowing him to defeat the Daleks and become the Twelfth Doctor, changing his personal future and the future of Trenzalore which had changed from a planet with life and a farming village to a massive battlefield graveyard with millions of people buried in the now-alternate timeline where the Doctor died. (TV: The Time of the Doctor)

The Doctor

On occasion, the Doctor was used by the Time Lords to do their bidding for them. As he was a renegade, they could deny they had any influence on him. (TV: The Two Doctors)

It was partly the non-interference policy which led to the First Doctor leaving Gallifrey. He felt that there were evils which should be fought, and positive ways of interfering. Additionally, he claimed he was bored at home and wanted to experience the universe first hand. When the Time Lords eventually located him in his second incarnation, he was put on trial for breaching the policy.

In defending his actions, the Doctor managed to convince the Time Lords that there was some merit to his argument of justifiable interference. An ironic result of this was that the Time Lords punished the Doctor for repeatedly involving himself in the affairs of less-advanced planets by involving him in the affairs of a less-advanced planet for an extended period of time: they exiled him to Earth in the 20th century with his TARDIS rendered inoperative. (TV: The War Games)

The Time Lords repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to involve themselves in the affairs of the universe, using the Doctor as an unofficial (and frequently unwilling) agent. For a considerable period of time they used his talents to further their own agenda:

The Time Lords sent the Third Doctor to Uxarieus to stop the Master gaining control of the Doomsday Weapon (TV: Colony in Space) and to Solos to help the natives complete their natural metamorphosis. (TV: The Curse of Peladon) All of these occurred prior to the formal lifting of the Doctor's exile.

Following the lifting of the exile it was harder to tell which of the TARDIS' unplanned landings were a result of Time Lord intervention and which were simply caused by poor piloting. It is known that at some point they installed a remote operation module, which allowed them to surreptitiously control where the TARDIS went. They found the Doctor would make the right decision when he believed he was there by choice. (AUDIO: No Place Like Home)

The full extent of the CIA's activities were unknown, and individual Gallifreyan attitudes to the policy varied - Rodan appeared to regard it as inviolable, whereas Romana I accepted being asked to leave Gallifrey and assist the Doctor. (TV: The Invasion of Time, The Ribos Operation)

Breaking of the policy

The Time Lords, in order to survive the Time War, decided to make the biggest break of the policy: destroy the universe in order to survive as beings of pure conciousness, a plan devised by Rassilon himself. The Tenth Doctor stopped them with the help of his companion Wilfred Mott and the Saxon Master. In this instance, the Doctor banished the Time Lords back into the War to die and also prevented numerous other threats from coming through that would have turned the universe into hell, as the Time War was. (TV: The End of Time) However, Gallifrey was never destroyed, only frozen in a moment and placed in another dimension. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)