Why, historically, have the “Supernatural Nations” allowed humanity to become so

[Con]

I think The Denarians attempt of an apocalypse by releasing the Black Plague was a method of stopping the advancement of humanity is science, culture, standard of living etc

The theory that the Black Plague/ Dark Ages set humanity back centuries isn't anything new.

We know the Denarians had a hand in that and that the OG Merlin did his best to preserve humanity- saving the Library of Alexandria, setting up the Catholic Church as a repository of knowledge, helping set up the Fae Courts.

It makes sense he had Supernatural enemies fighting against him on those fronts Denarians being one of the front runners, probably Drakul, as well and atleast one or two dragons depending on the Arthurian myth.

The interesting pivot for me about Supernatural influence on humanities advancement is

1. The Venatores. Who have arguably done countless damage to various supernatural beings over the millenia.

2. Kemmler: WW1 was a melting pot of advanced technologies of the time used in war. Do you think Kemmler could have pulled off such a monumental war without those advancements. i.e. the rest of the twentieth century that followed.

3. White Council Wizards themselves probably didn't anticipate how advanced computer systems would be developed and that they'd be at a severe disadvantage in the modern world because of it. WC was a victim of their own success of the advancement of humanity.

[Cthoniq]

Jim has actually talked about this at cons and the like. A lotof it is on the white council. They patronized and mentored many of the great minds of the Renaissance and englightenment eras, and presumablythey helped stuf a lot of the big bad dudes into demoreach. Any given supernatural being isn't necessarily going to understand the significance of one particular monkeyworking out that you can skip the river part of a water wheel if you boil water in an enclosed space to generate steam, for example. I'm betting most of the beings who would really have worked hard to stop humanity's ascension didn't realize what was happening until the indistrial revolution was already underway. The less perceptive of them would probably have seen it as a good thing. The apes figured out fertilizer, sanitation, and engines, so they quadrupled their population in a century? Yay! More food. A human in 1800 wasn't all that much better off against a supernatural threat than one in 1080. Maybe worse off, because the authorities of the day were saying magical nonesense was a hoax. But cut ahead 150 years and suddenly they have radios, machine guns, and man portable high explosives.

[The_Sibelis]

Consider Nemesis repeating"apocalypse is a state of mind". The denarians aren't creating the apocalypse, they're feeding off of the little apocalypses they create. Which prevents others from being impowered by, or concentrating too much "apocalypse" energy into any one spot.
Causing pain and suffering=more power for bonded denarian yea? They're feeding.  And what does the intentional placement of an Apex predator on a food chain do to competing predators trying to move into the same area? Pretty much that.

[Basil]

If I were a cattle rancher, would I consider myself more rich with more cattle or with less cattle?  Particularly, when the cattle feed, clothe and largely police themselves.  I think that is they answer.