Written By Aldwin
Nov. 10, 2016, 7:31 a.m.(1/28/1005 AR)
I have grown into my golden years of life thankful for the opportunities I have found, the friends the gods have blessed me with, and the duty that has given me the purpose needed to remain this happy with what I have become. There are few who now remember me as I was before I took my vows to the gods and the crown, and that makes it easy to forget that I was ever any other kind of man before. As I begin to read of the dissatisfaction that some of those residing in the Burroughs have for their lot in life I am reminded of my own origins.
A lifetime ago I crawled out of the gutters, wearing naught by torn rags and with not a copper to my name. It was by the grace of the gods and their servants in the Faith that I was able to become more than a beggar sitting on a bench in Common's Square. It was through the charity of the Disciples of Gild that I was given clothes that allowed me to respect the man I saw in my reflection. It was through the devotion of the Mercies of Lagoma that I was healed of the cough that plagued me after inhaling too much smoke in a fire. It was through the benevolence of a Scholar of Vellichor that I learned to appreciate and develop curiosity about the world around me.
None of them asked me for a coin. None of them demanded that I take vows in return for their kindness.
I have come far since those days. Yet I have not forgotten them. I remember my life before I was Archscholar Aldwin.
It pains me to know that some of you reading may not have had the same supportive experience with the Faith that I had. It pains me to know that not all who chose to represent the gods are as sincere in their efforts as we might wish. But many, nay - Most - are. The Faith is still here to serve the people of Arx. Whether you live in the Burroughs or reside in a noble demesne, the Faith is here to help our fellows in humanity.
A peer of mine is fond of teasing me for my simple style, my plain robes, and my choice to remain in residence in the Burroughs instead of residing at the Rectory. The truth of the matter is these things remind me of where I come from and of the purpose we have to serve all walks of life.
A lifetime ago I crawled out of the gutters, wearing naught by torn rags and with not a copper to my name. It was by the grace of the gods and their servants in the Faith that I was able to become more than a beggar sitting on a bench in Common's Square. It was through the charity of the Disciples of Gild that I was given clothes that allowed me to respect the man I saw in my reflection. It was through the devotion of the Mercies of Lagoma that I was healed of the cough that plagued me after inhaling too much smoke in a fire. It was through the benevolence of a Scholar of Vellichor that I learned to appreciate and develop curiosity about the world around me.
None of them asked me for a coin. None of them demanded that I take vows in return for their kindness.
I have come far since those days. Yet I have not forgotten them. I remember my life before I was Archscholar Aldwin.
It pains me to know that some of you reading may not have had the same supportive experience with the Faith that I had. It pains me to know that not all who chose to represent the gods are as sincere in their efforts as we might wish. But many, nay - Most - are. The Faith is still here to serve the people of Arx. Whether you live in the Burroughs or reside in a noble demesne, the Faith is here to help our fellows in humanity.
A peer of mine is fond of teasing me for my simple style, my plain robes, and my choice to remain in residence in the Burroughs instead of residing at the Rectory. The truth of the matter is these things remind me of where I come from and of the purpose we have to serve all walks of life.
Written By Aldwin
Nov. 10, 2016, 6:57 a.m.(1/28/1005 AR)
Relationship Note on Sophie
I first encountered Princes Sophie only a short time after the Tragedy at Sanctum. It was a horrid event, and one that I dearly wish everyone could have been spared having to live through. Since then I've watched Princess Sophie grow into a fiercely dedicated person and one of the finest Mercies of her generation. We all have our tragedies; Sophie has not let hers hold her back, but rather used it to propel herself forward.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 25, 2016, 7:42 a.m.(12/8/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Nadia
I have been fasting all week. I will spend the next week at the shrine in meditation. Prelate Aeden and the others should have things well in hand while I am away.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 24, 2016, 8:17 p.m.(12/7/1004 AR)
I pen this here, between the white leather folds of my public journal, that all may bear witness.
We are charged by Vellichor with a sacred duty to guard the knowledge of the world. Whether you believe in the literal meaning of the Canticle of Vellichor or take it for a metaphor showing the demons of ignorance that we face every day, our duty as Scholars remains the same. We wear the mantle of guardianship over the knowledge of the world.
There are those who argue that guarding knowledge does not mean that we need to share it. Others stand on the opposite side, claiming that the only true way to keep knowledge from perishing is to ensure that everyone has it. I will admit that I err more to the latter than the former. If we do nothing but keep knowledge locked away then it dies even as it is written on the velum of its eternal prison.
That is not to say, however, that all knowledge should be granted freely. For those who wish to know the best way to tend their fields, we will grant this without a second thought. For those that wish to know herblore, we may exact a demonstration of discernment. We, as Scholars, do not charge for this knowledge, but we must make an effort to ensure that it will be used somewhat wisely.
We are charged by Vellichor with a sacred duty to guard the knowledge of the world. Whether you believe in the literal meaning of the Canticle of Vellichor or take it for a metaphor showing the demons of ignorance that we face every day, our duty as Scholars remains the same. We wear the mantle of guardianship over the knowledge of the world.
There are those who argue that guarding knowledge does not mean that we need to share it. Others stand on the opposite side, claiming that the only true way to keep knowledge from perishing is to ensure that everyone has it. I will admit that I err more to the latter than the former. If we do nothing but keep knowledge locked away then it dies even as it is written on the velum of its eternal prison.
That is not to say, however, that all knowledge should be granted freely. For those who wish to know the best way to tend their fields, we will grant this without a second thought. For those that wish to know herblore, we may exact a demonstration of discernment. We, as Scholars, do not charge for this knowledge, but we must make an effort to ensure that it will be used somewhat wisely.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 18, 2016, 6:09 p.m.(11/17/1004 AR)
I spent the morning and much of the afternoon tending to those who required it at the House of Solace. It's a good reminder that no matter what titles we might give ourselves, we are still godsworn, and still in service to the people of this realm.
That, however, isn't the lesson I want to capture today.
While walking through the back room I heard an older man cry out, "Mercy! Mercy!" Thinking he had just seen the white of my robes and wanted a healer, I went to kneel beside his bed.
"Mercy! Mercy!" he cried, but I could see now his eyes were closed, his skin flushed with fever. I took his hand to hold to provide what comfort I could. I could feel the strength still there, the calluses from decades holding a blade.
For an hour I knelt there, saying prayers, mopping his brow with a cool cloth. He never woke. His voice went hoarse from his cries for mercy.
Finally he wheezed out his last breath, a whispered, "Thank you," before his last rattle. His face relaxed, his body went limp. I heard a clatter on the floor. A small medallion of Tehom had fallen to the floor when his hand had finally unclenched.
This was a sobering reminder that Lagoma is not the only of our gods that can grant mercy. As much as healing might be a mercy, it is not the only one. Sometimes it is death we pray for.
I found out that the old man was Sir Jenry. He had served for forty years, defended the helpless, the weak. He had fought Shavs to reclaim territory for his liege. Sir Jenry had given a tithe to the church and a fed the poor in the Lower Boroughs. He was a man worth remembering. A man who had started life as a pig farmer and ended it as an inspiration to over a dozen squires-turned-knight in his lifetime.
That, however, isn't the lesson I want to capture today.
While walking through the back room I heard an older man cry out, "Mercy! Mercy!" Thinking he had just seen the white of my robes and wanted a healer, I went to kneel beside his bed.
"Mercy! Mercy!" he cried, but I could see now his eyes were closed, his skin flushed with fever. I took his hand to hold to provide what comfort I could. I could feel the strength still there, the calluses from decades holding a blade.
For an hour I knelt there, saying prayers, mopping his brow with a cool cloth. He never woke. His voice went hoarse from his cries for mercy.
Finally he wheezed out his last breath, a whispered, "Thank you," before his last rattle. His face relaxed, his body went limp. I heard a clatter on the floor. A small medallion of Tehom had fallen to the floor when his hand had finally unclenched.
This was a sobering reminder that Lagoma is not the only of our gods that can grant mercy. As much as healing might be a mercy, it is not the only one. Sometimes it is death we pray for.
I found out that the old man was Sir Jenry. He had served for forty years, defended the helpless, the weak. He had fought Shavs to reclaim territory for his liege. Sir Jenry had given a tithe to the church and a fed the poor in the Lower Boroughs. He was a man worth remembering. A man who had started life as a pig farmer and ended it as an inspiration to over a dozen squires-turned-knight in his lifetime.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 11, 2016, 1:56 p.m.(10/23/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Nadia
It has been quite some time since I received a gift basket. Yet this morning I returned from my sunrise devotional at the Shrine of Vellichor to find a messenger standing outside the Academy with just such a thing. Duchess Nightgold has seen fit to send her regards with a fine journal, interesting quills and...admittedly, closer to my heart, a veritable panoply of teas. I have no idea where she found this red variety. I have not tasted it in a decade and none of the merchants in Arx have been able to find it for me.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 9, 2016, 2:22 p.m.(10/17/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Rook
Master Rook Grayward brightened my morning when he stopped by the shrine and talked for a time. He is quick of word and wit, and it should be interesting to see where the two take him.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 8, 2016, 7:15 a.m.(10/13/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Nadia
Duchess Nadia and the House of Nightgold seem to be among the few Northern families that profess to follow the ways of the Pantheon instead of Shamanism. She is polite, intelligent, and curious.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 6, 2016, 7:39 a.m.(10/7/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Freja
Princess Freja has made a good impression for her people, and I am hopeful that we continue to show that the Faith and the North can work together. I will be assisting her over the next weeks in honing her ability to scout in a different way. She will learn to hunt knowledge, not just animals and shavs.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 5, 2016, 7:03 p.m.(10/6/1004 AR)
Relationship Note on Aeden
Aeden Grayhope, Prelate of the Black, is as sharp a mind as the Scholars have ever taken into their rank. The vigor and zeal with which he pursues his duties is commendable. Great things will come of this one, should he not let his drive and motivation blind him to the pitfalls in his path. There has been more than one occasion when I have had to speak to the Censor at length, reminding him that the entire tradition of the Prelate of the Black is to argue against censoring. Aeden does this quite well. Should he ever fail to argue, we will truly know a piece of knowledge is dangerous.
Or that it is time to find a new Prelate of the Black.
Ah. Was I ever this young? Did I ever argue with his passion?
I have tasked the Prelate with wandering the Burroughs and hearing the voice of the people. If he believes that knowledge should be shared to make us all stronger, than I want him to know what the people are curious about. If we are the caretakers of the people, then we should know what they want and what they need. It is learning to tell the difference between the two that takes real wisdom.
Or that it is time to find a new Prelate of the Black.
Ah. Was I ever this young? Did I ever argue with his passion?
I have tasked the Prelate with wandering the Burroughs and hearing the voice of the people. If he believes that knowledge should be shared to make us all stronger, than I want him to know what the people are curious about. If we are the caretakers of the people, then we should know what they want and what they need. It is learning to tell the difference between the two that takes real wisdom.
Written By Aldwin
Oct. 5, 2016, 5:51 a.m.(10/4/1004 AR)
Each morning comes earlier than the one before. The previous Archscholar would claim it was the result of growing closer to the gods, of the spirit longing to spend more time in conscious worship of their divinity. I have been around enough old men to know this is just the way of life. The body ages. It requires other things. New routines. I will not profane Vellichor's sacred duty with lies of exaggerated piety.
Today I will travel to the Tragedy and other sites, ensuring the Disciples continue their efforts to keep literacy among even the poorest. If I am a proud man it is in this: No child need ever be at the mercy of another because he cannot understand the written word.
Today I will travel to the Tragedy and other sites, ensuring the Disciples continue their efforts to keep literacy among even the poorest. If I am a proud man it is in this: No child need ever be at the mercy of another because he cannot understand the written word.
Written By Aldwin
May 14, 2016, 9:03 p.m.(6/26/1003 AR)
Relationship Note on Lailah
Very few choose the Scholars of Vellichor as their first choice. We have many reluctant members who come because scholarship is an easy, steady employement, but I find Lailah to be different. She has a passion for it, and I could see great things in her future.
Written By Aldwin
May 14, 2016, 8:57 p.m.(6/26/1003 AR)
Relationship Note on Fawkuhl
I've seen several different Domini in my time, recording the Elevation of the Pantheon when a new Dominus is risen up after the last has joined the Pantheon in Elysia. Fawkuhl seems highly intelligent, far more so than he lets on to most, and is an ambitious man. The faithful must believe he has the best intentions of the Faith at heart. He must, after all.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.