The Avatari Virtues
From MoongatesWiki
The Avatarian view of Virtue, whilst based upon the System of Infinity, does deviate from that philosophy in several ways. By far the most obvious alteration is the fate of Compassion, known to the Avatari as "The False Virtue"; for it is, as the texts say, a trick of the Guardian, and the cause of mankind's woes and weaknesses. There can, however, be counted several other, less obvious changes. Here in can be found several promenant texts, penned sermons, and holy works explaining these opinions. A great many are taken straight from the lips of holy men and women, most often in public address to the Guardsmen Militia during the dark days of old.
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The Stonekeep Sermons
Compassion
Adjudicator Evermore, Servant of the Light:
Compassion. Whom amongst us does not know of this most vile of tricks played upon us by the Guardian and his servant Awindar? Let it be know that the Higher Being created the Seven Virtues; Humility, Valour, Honour, Spirituality, Justice, Sacrifice, and Honesty. And through these Virtues his children would prosper and thrive! But if they failed to uphold these Seven Virtues, then they would know of death. The Guardian in his wickedness created Awindar, the first of his bastard children. This first elf was then sent forth to speak the great lie unto Evah and Zog! The lie of Compassion! By tricking the Lords' children into following this false virtue, the Guardian made them weak: For Zog and Eva felt compassion for him and his kin. And they were allowed to survive by the children of the Lord. And through their worship of this False Virtue the Children of the Higher Being went against their creator! And The Lord saw fit to have the whole of the world consumed save for two of Zog and Eva's off spring. But the Guardian also saved two of his wicked creations. And thus mankind now lives in a world of sin and death. It is our task as Guardsmen to do battle with that sin! To put a stop to the crime within these lands! But some of you may find yourselves swayed from your duty when you look upon a fragile appearing elf. Perhaps you do not see the danger they pose to us! Perhaps you believe they are no threat at all! Perhaps you feel pity for them! NO Guardsmen! NO I say! For pity leads to one thing. MERCY! And If you show Mercy upon your enemies then you are exercising Compassion for them! Compassion! That which has cursed us since the beginnings of time! Who are you to decide whether that elf should be put to the blade?! Who are you to decide that Justice need not be served this day?! Dare you put your own judgment before that of the LORD?! If the Almighty sees fit to spare a creature, be it man, elf, or even orc, do you think he would not stay your blade? Do you believe yourself more powerful than the Higher Being?! Nothing in this land passes without his knowing! It is He who decides the fate of those we face in battle! It is He who shall decide when Justice has been served! Forgiveness is for the Lord alone to grant! So I say to you Guardsmen! Cast aside those feelings of weakness! Those doubts of action! When that daemon spawn that is an elf-child looks up at you with big watery eyes and begs for its life, you will know what to do! Fall not into the trap of the Guardian! Show no PITY! Show no MERCY! And above all show no COMPASSION! Strike with the knowledge that your actions are just and holy! Strike with a clear conscience! And strike a blow for the Righteous! Compassion is for the weak!
So it is Written! So it shall Be!
Honesty
Sister Le Marc, Disciple of the Higher Being
Honesty, Guardsmen. Honesty! Are ye honest men? Do ye know what it means to be honest? Honesty stems from the principle of Truth. But Honesty is more than not telling lies. Honesty is about being honest and true to oneself, to those around ye, but most importantly being honest and truthful to God, the Higher Being. Follow Honesty as ye live your lives; speak no words but those of truth. If ye sin, be truthful to yourself, and those around ye. Do not hide behind excuses or lies! Admit thy error! Be honest with oneself, for only when ye art honest with yourself, may ye be honest before the Lord! Only when ye are honest with yourself over your sins may ye then look to our Lord the Higher Being and be honest with him. The Higher Being is truly omnipotent, yet truly merciful, turn to him when ye have sinned. Confess to him your sin! For it is he, the Higher Being our Lord and Faithful Master who will judge ye when ye die. It is he who will decide your fate in the afterlife! Only the Higher Being may grant ye true clemency, and only through the Higher Being will ye find salvation. So go forth in your duties and follow the virtue of Honesty, and may your lives of truth and honesty bring ye closer to the Lord!
As it is written. As it shall be!
Advocate Salrathian, Humble Servant of the Light
'Honesty; something we all must have, for without such one cannot tell the difference between truth and lie. Father Evermore doth speak to you about fear, such is thy honesty to admit such; to confess to it. Guardsmen thou must be honest to thyself, thou must be honest to thy fellows, but above all thou must be honest to the LORD! Thou may lie to thy fellow man, thou may even blind yourself in these lies, but Guardsmen the Lord can see through any lies you dare speak! Lies are but one of the ways of the Guardian! He moves against thy very soul! This is the very reason the Lord doth give us the virtue of Honesty. But if thou stray'st from the path, if thou doth embrace the ways of Baphomet, Lord of Lies; then thou shalt surely be lost to the Stealer of Souls! Thou would be in embrace with the Guardian himself! And the Lord shalt cast you down to the fiery pits of HELL! To lie is to sin! And for thy sins thou shalt pay ten fold wence you stand before the LORD! Thou shalt burn in your very sins for all time! Remember thy only salvation, Guardsmen! Uphold the Virtues of thy Lord! Be honest to thyself! Be honest to thy fellow Guardsmen! And most important of all: be honest to thy LORD!
Humility
Father Evermore, Humble Servant of the Light
Humility, Guardsmen. Humility. The quality of being humble. Having a modest opinion of one's own importance. This is the accepted definition of the word. Ask yourselves, Guardsmen; Do you know what it is to feel humble? I for one do! Each time I think of all the good Lord has given us, I am humbled. A modest opinion of myself? Indeed! For we are but one arrow in the quiver of the Higher Being! Do not misunderstand me, Guardsmen! Ours is a task we may be proud of! But remember always that we are merely men. Men who are given to sin. Men who are with fault. Men who possess fear! Yes Guardsmen. You all have fears. This is a fact. And these fears will make you feel humble; they will make you realise you are neither invincible nor immortal. And these fears will make you better servants of the Lord! For you shall know you are below the Almighty! You shall know that whilst you may control the path you walk, it is HE who controls your final fate! Take no shame from that knowledge, Guardsmen. For the Lord gave us this feeling of Humility, this Virtue, so that we might better understand our relationship to Him. No, Guardsmen, take no shame from those fears, merely let them keep you modest, let them keep you from the sin of arrogance. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. Rather it is something to be overcome. The only shame in fear is allowing it to defeat you! Perhaps when you find yourself in the midst of a band of cut-throats you feel the urge to flee. Or perhaps you fear you will find yourself speechless when conversing with an educated man. These are normal fears Guardsmen. You must simply remember that the Lord shall protect his faithful. And by overcoming these fears you shall grow stronger! You shall become stronger, Guardsmen! You shall become stronger men! And you shall become stronger servents of the Lord! So I say to you this; Guardsmen! Know your weaknesses. For we all have them. Know that you are not absolute perfection! For you are not! Know that you are flawed! For you are! Know all of these things Guardsmen, know them and be humbled!
Justice
Father Evermore, Humble Servant of the Light
Justice. The very reason the Guardsmen were formed. The Militia has been charged with the task of enforcing the laws of our good King British and dispensing justice when needed. And an immensely important task it is! For where would we be without Justice? Where would the world be? I do not belive I would care to know the answer to that! For without Justice there can be no law. Without law there is no order. Lack of order breeds chaos. And in chaos lies the hopes of the Guardian. For a man is most vulnerable to the Prince of Darkness when he is at his weakest. And without law and order, without Justice to give us strength, man would be susceptible to the Guardian's every whim! Thieves, murderers, bandits, wytches, elves, orcs and every other manner of daemonic spawn: They would plauge mankind like no disease ever seen. What keeps a man on the path to righteousness? If a man covets his neighbour's wife, what stops him from simply cutting the throat of said neighbour and taking that which he desires? JUSTICE! JUSTICE stays his hand! JUSTICE keeps him in check! And it is JUSTICE that holds all those with evil in their hearts in check! But you ask; "What of those who go unpunished? What of those whose actions there is no law denouncing?" Know this Guardsmen: Whilst you serve a necessary and honourable task, there is yet a higher court. And over this court presides a judge — a judge to whom all facts are known, a judge who requires no jury to find guilt or innocence. A judge whose ruling is final in every sense of the word. That judge is the Higher Being himself! And though a mortal man may escape the justice of his peers, his immortal soul shall never escape the justice of his creator! To do wrong by our Lord is to condemn yourself to whatever punishment He chooses worthy. You will not be able to DEAL! You will not be able to LIE! You will not be able to BEG FORGIVENESS! NO! By the time you stand before him, it will be to late for regrets! Any wrong you have done shall be repaid upon thee one hundred fold! Then and only then, as your immortal self languishes in despair for all eternity, only then shall you know the true meaning of the word JUSTICE! So I say to you now; study the path you walk! Ask yourself where it leads you. To the rewards of the faithful and righteous? Or to an eternity of unspeakable punishments for your wrongful acts? Justice is absolute! It may not find you on this world, but rest assured it will find you! Repent now and turn yourself over to the Lord. Those who do his bidding shall surely bask in his light until the end of all time. But those who stand against him stand with the Guardian! And those who would stand with the Guardian, will be judged as enemies of LAW! Enemies of MANKIND! And enemies of the Higher Being! And in this life we shall punish those enemies! We will dispense justice to those deserving! And, when necessary, we shall send them on to meet their final judgment, and the indisputable justice of the Lord!
So it is written! So it shall be!
Sacrifice
Father Evermore, Humble Servant of the Light
Sacrifice. What does it mean? No doubt you each have your own answer to that. But let me tell you what it means to ME! Let me tell you what the Virtue of Sacrifice is truly about! But first, let me tell you what the Virtue of Sacrifice is NOT! Do you believe that by dropping a few coins into a blind beggars bowl you have made a Sacrifice? Have you aided him in his life? Would he not have been better off if you had commanded him to get up and earn his keep? Has in fact the blind man in question not made a Sacrifice of his pride? No Guardsmen, giving a few coins to a unambitious soul is not much of a Sacrifice at all, is it? Taking this man under your wing, and forcing him to re-enter the struggle for survival! Teaching him a skill to feed himself with. These are all Sacrifices in the true spirit of Virtue! For whilst gold shall pass through your hands all your life, it is time that holds the highest value! And therefore time is a great Sacrifice to make indeed! Let us take the lowly Footman; walking a patrol in the dead of night, alone in the dark. He has made many Sacrifices! He has Sacrificed his warmth and comfort to see that you may keep yours! He has Sacrificed his sleep so that a small child may sleep soundly knowing they shall not be devoured in the night by some hideous beast! And it may come that this cold, lonely, tired Footman may be called upon to make an even greater Sacrifice! That of his only life! But what better Sacrifice could one hope to make? To die protecting the innocent! To fall in the battle with Evil! To be laid waste by the forces of the Guardian, as you do battle in the name of the Lord! That is the most holy of Sacrifice many of you will ever have a chance to make! Certainly there are men who live safer lives. Lives with greater monetary rewards. Lives away from the front lines of the battle between Order and Chaos! Between Light and Dark! Between Good and Evil! The place you brave men call home! But are those lives truly worth living? I say to you Guardsmen! You who have Sacrificed your safety, your comfort, and all hopes of any wealth; you have gotten the better of the bargain! For what will these soft men say when the good Lord calls upon them? What will they answer when the Light asks them what Sacrifices they have made? They shall have no answer! But you! You, Guardsmen, shall know the answer! Those of you with faith in your hearts shall be able to hold your heads up high and say "I have sacrificed all in your service." And there is no greater goal than that. For to live and lose one's life in service to the Lord is the utmost any of us may strive for. What of those who make no Sacrifices, you ask? I have news for you, Guardsmen, all men make Sacrifices. Even those who would choose to follow the Guardian himself! For it is their everlasting souls that THEY Sacrifice! And the Good Lord is willing to take that trade! They would Sacrifice their salvation for a few moments of pleasure and laziness upon this earth! For this life is but fleeting! The rewards for YOUR Sacrifices shall await you in everlasting utopia! The Rewards for THEIR Sacrifice shall await them in an everlasting fiery pit of molten rock, where the flames consume the flesh only to be reborn again and again in a never ending cycle! Always remember Guardsmen, your service and Sacrifices have value! Never question your worth to this world! Does the Hammer ask the Smith why it must mould the steel? Does the Hatchet question the Lumberjack's motives? NO! And nor should you question the Sacrifices you are called upon to make! Let Death come for you in any matter, be it a crushing blow from an orcish hammer, or the lightning of a wicked wytch; you shall die knowing you have made the truest and greatest Sacrifice you could! That of your life..
So it is written! So it shall be!
Spirituality
Adjudicator Evermore, Servant of the Light:
Spirituality, Guardsmen. How many of you feel the power of the Lord within you? How many of you give thanks to the Almighty for granting you such a healthy body to wage war upon his enemies? How many of you pray for the souls of those foolish enough to resist the Higher Being? How many of you go for months on end with out speaking to the Lord in any means, only to call upon him when you feel the need? How many, I do so wonder! I wish to explain something to you, my children. The Lord does not grant wishes! He does not come at our beck and call! The Almighty does not exist to serve US! WE exist to serve HIM! He has granted us the power and will to go forth and seek out all those who would oppose Him! To go forth and put an end to their vile, pagan ways! Whether it be through conversion or conquest, our task is the same! Spread the word of the Lord! And if you serve HIM! And if you have faith in HIM! Then pray not for your own safety, my children! Pray for those foolish enough to face the servants of the Lord! For just as a lighted candle casts off the shadows of a darkened corridor, so too shall the Holy Light forever burn away the Shadows of the Guardian! Faith is our strongest ally! Faith shall see us through! Faith shall conquer all! Know this! Believe this! Then you shall feel the power of the Lord within you, just as I do every day! And You shall give thanks to the Lord for putting you in this place at this time to wage THIS war! And you shall know the truth about the foes you face, and you shall be moved to pray for their souls! Let the Higher Being work through you, Guardsmen! Let yourself become the weapon of RIGHTEOUSNESS you are intended to be! To do so, you must first devote your life to the Lord and His teachings! You must give yourself over to HIM! You must NEVER question His motives! You must know with every fiber of your being that He is ALWAYS correct! HE makes no mistakes! HE knows what is best for you! Let the power of God into your life, Guardsmen! Paying lip service is not enough! You must BELIEVE it! You must LIVE it! You must BE it! This is the true meaning of Spirituality! This is why the Lord would have us follow this Virtue! So that we may better serve HIM!
So it is written! So shall it be!
Valour
Father Evermore, Humble Servant of the Light
Valour. Something all Guardsmen have. For if they do not possess Valour, they shall not last long as Guardsmen. I have spoken to you of Humility, and of fear: Valour is the other side of that same coin. To overcome one's fears, to boldly charge into battle knowing you may fall, to show courage in the face of danger! That is Valour! That is the Gift the Lord has granted us! To be able to overcome one's fears! As Guardsmen you are all expected to behave bravely. To be willing to give your life in the line of duty. To most of you this would come naturally. Yet some, both civilian and within our own ranks, do not know how to behave with Valour. These men are cowards! They trust not in the Lord! For if you believe in your creator the God Almighty, then you shall be able to cast aside your fears! You shall be able to ignore that feeling in the pit of your stomach! You shall be able to charge against that horde of Orcs and save the poor peasants! For that is the reason the good Lord has given us this virtue of Valour! So that we, and those like us may do our duty and not fall victim to the Guardian and his wicked tricks! For the Prince of Darkness shall seek to sow seeds of doubt within you, Guardsmen! He shall seek to make you afraid! To make you weak! To make you Cowards! But the Higher Being, as you know, is stronger! Have faith in HIM and you shall be courageous! Have faith in HIM and you shall be strong! Have faith in HIM and you shall be VICTORIOUS! Let the Stealer of Souls attempt to weaken your knees, for faith in the Lord shall stand you straight! Let the Merchant of Mayhem count on your being held in terror! Faith in the Light shall set you free! Let the Sultan of Sin send forth his armies of slaves to strike terror into your heart! Faith in the Higher Being shall fill your heart with courage and allow you to act in a truly Valourous manner. And that, Guardsmen, is the reason we are here. Not to gain wealth. Not to flex our muscle. And not to grow fat off the labors of the peasant. But to defend those peasants from the forces of Darkness! And that Guardsmen, requires Valour.
So it is written! So shall it be!
