Written By Orazio
Feb. 12, 2018, 10:37 p.m.(3/1/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Estaban
It is ironic to quote the House model while fulfilling the very thing that it asks one not to do.
To use a House Blade to settle a personal dispute is rankest dishonor, and it shames not just the blade, the House, and the hand that has chosen to do so, but it shames every person who ever held that blade, including the former Baronness, and the very concept of the office. When you 'stand with' the one who committed that dishonor, you spit on Kima Saik's name, her honor, and the prestige of the office of Sword.
I have no idea when it has become fashionable to spit on the name of Gloria among the peerage, but it is a trend we could all do without.
To use a House Blade to settle a personal dispute is rankest dishonor, and it shames not just the blade, the House, and the hand that has chosen to do so, but it shames every person who ever held that blade, including the former Baronness, and the very concept of the office. When you 'stand with' the one who committed that dishonor, you spit on Kima Saik's name, her honor, and the prestige of the office of Sword.
I have no idea when it has become fashionable to spit on the name of Gloria among the peerage, but it is a trend we could all do without.
Written By Orazio
Feb. 9, 2018, 4:25 p.m.(2/23/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Ford
As a small addendum to words I understand that Marquis Ford Kennex has penned:
It must be noted that Master Esra is not a Scholar, nor was he a Scholar at the time his unfortunate ramblings were scattered about the city. He had been removed from that office and that trust before he was expelled from House Wyrmguard due to a pattern of behavior unbecoming of a Disciple of the Faith in general, and a Scholar in specific.
It is highly unlikely that any true Scholar would betray their oaths in such a fashion.
It must be noted that Master Esra is not a Scholar, nor was he a Scholar at the time his unfortunate ramblings were scattered about the city. He had been removed from that office and that trust before he was expelled from House Wyrmguard due to a pattern of behavior unbecoming of a Disciple of the Faith in general, and a Scholar in specific.
It is highly unlikely that any true Scholar would betray their oaths in such a fashion.
Written By Orazio
Feb. 9, 2018, 4:21 p.m.(2/23/1008 AR)
To the Faithful Reader:
There is a reason that the Faithful do not worship one god above all others, or to the exclusion of the others.
Each god of the Pantheon is a virtue to be aspired to, a representation of all that is best in the world, and in humanity. But for humans to live among humanity, each virtue requires the support and moderation of the other virtues. Justice must be willing to acknowledge that people have the capacity to change and grow from their mistakes, but charity and generosity must recognize that to forgive the unrepentant and wicked is to allow those sinners to remain in position to betray and betray again. Freedom of choice must balance with accepting our duty, having the courage to face the consequences of our decisions, and recognizing the obligations we swear to one another.
When one becomes violently obsessed with a simplistic rendering of a single god's purpose and virtue, when one places it above all others and fails to examine one's actions and ideals through all the virtues of the Pantheon, one's thoughts and heart can become shuttered and blinded. It is as if one narrowed one's field of vision to simply one color, and could see only that color in the world. How we would stumble and fall, so blinded!
Each color is needed to understand the full spectrum of creation. Every god holds a virtue to aspire to, and they stand equal and indivisible in our hearts and in our Faith.
There is a reason that the Faithful do not worship one god above all others, or to the exclusion of the others.
Each god of the Pantheon is a virtue to be aspired to, a representation of all that is best in the world, and in humanity. But for humans to live among humanity, each virtue requires the support and moderation of the other virtues. Justice must be willing to acknowledge that people have the capacity to change and grow from their mistakes, but charity and generosity must recognize that to forgive the unrepentant and wicked is to allow those sinners to remain in position to betray and betray again. Freedom of choice must balance with accepting our duty, having the courage to face the consequences of our decisions, and recognizing the obligations we swear to one another.
When one becomes violently obsessed with a simplistic rendering of a single god's purpose and virtue, when one places it above all others and fails to examine one's actions and ideals through all the virtues of the Pantheon, one's thoughts and heart can become shuttered and blinded. It is as if one narrowed one's field of vision to simply one color, and could see only that color in the world. How we would stumble and fall, so blinded!
Each color is needed to understand the full spectrum of creation. Every god holds a virtue to aspire to, and they stand equal and indivisible in our hearts and in our Faith.
Written By Orazio
Feb. 6, 2018, 10:12 p.m.(2/17/1008 AR)
The Day of Vows is not long past, and I neglected to write on it. For this, I apologize. It has always been a sacred day for me, above and beyond being a holiday. Limerance is the god of love, and as I recently told someone, love has informed nearly every action of my life.
No, I'm not about to confess to a tragically broken heart that caused me to flee into the Church.
Or perhaps I am. The deaths of my parents, youngest siblings, and so many of the people I knew did break my heart. It seemed pointless and cruel. An undeserved punishment from cruel gods - or proof that no gods existed at all. In the aftermath of those deaths, in the depths of my heartbreak, I faltered in my duty and my love. I failed in my fidelity, and nearly fell into despair forever.
I won't say any great strength of will or spirit saved me, then. This is not the story of a miracle. It is the story of a struggle. I had to choose between hope and despair, duty and dereliction. And then I had to choose again. And again. And every moment and day since, I have had to make that choice. The only reason I live to write this is because I have made the same choice on the occasion of each morning, and perhaps there is no one who can say for certain that it is the right choice. In fact, I have often thought that the world, and the many people I love, would have been better off had I chosen differently on one of those mornings where it seemed like it would be much easier to simply slip away, and take whatever judgement the Sentinel offered me.
When that choice loomed, it was always to the Pantheon I looked. Not to speak with as people, or to expect to be spoken to in return. But as ideals, and guiding lights on a journey that sometimes seemed very dark. In their light, I asked myself how I might live up to those ideals, and respect the duties I had as a lord, and later as a priest - duties which were rooted in those very ideals. I embraced my vows, and my duties, and my responsibilities. Not just because I believed them to be right, although I do, but because they brought me comfort and purpose.
Perhaps that is its own weakness, to want to see yourself in relation to others, rather than as a creature alone. To see the world in the bonds we make, and what we owe to each other. Perhaps it speaks to a weakness that I could not stand alone without such vows and bonds holding me fast.
It is, then, a weakness I am content with.
No, I'm not about to confess to a tragically broken heart that caused me to flee into the Church.
Or perhaps I am. The deaths of my parents, youngest siblings, and so many of the people I knew did break my heart. It seemed pointless and cruel. An undeserved punishment from cruel gods - or proof that no gods existed at all. In the aftermath of those deaths, in the depths of my heartbreak, I faltered in my duty and my love. I failed in my fidelity, and nearly fell into despair forever.
I won't say any great strength of will or spirit saved me, then. This is not the story of a miracle. It is the story of a struggle. I had to choose between hope and despair, duty and dereliction. And then I had to choose again. And again. And every moment and day since, I have had to make that choice. The only reason I live to write this is because I have made the same choice on the occasion of each morning, and perhaps there is no one who can say for certain that it is the right choice. In fact, I have often thought that the world, and the many people I love, would have been better off had I chosen differently on one of those mornings where it seemed like it would be much easier to simply slip away, and take whatever judgement the Sentinel offered me.
When that choice loomed, it was always to the Pantheon I looked. Not to speak with as people, or to expect to be spoken to in return. But as ideals, and guiding lights on a journey that sometimes seemed very dark. In their light, I asked myself how I might live up to those ideals, and respect the duties I had as a lord, and later as a priest - duties which were rooted in those very ideals. I embraced my vows, and my duties, and my responsibilities. Not just because I believed them to be right, although I do, but because they brought me comfort and purpose.
Perhaps that is its own weakness, to want to see yourself in relation to others, rather than as a creature alone. To see the world in the bonds we make, and what we owe to each other. Perhaps it speaks to a weakness that I could not stand alone without such vows and bonds holding me fast.
It is, then, a weakness I am content with.
Written By Orazio
Feb. 3, 2018, 2:52 p.m.(2/11/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Laric
Allow it to be known that if Prince Laric ever did decide to join the Faith, it would be awkward to turn him down. Not because of his grasp of doctrine, which meets and even exceeds those who have devoted time to the Faith before, but because of his sure devotion to his spouse and his children. They would sorely miss him, I'm sure, and the Faith would never advocate severing those bonds, no matter how much we might be strengthened by his wisdom and, yes, occasional piety.
It is good to see that more than the godsworn do read and understand their scriptures.
It is good to see that more than the godsworn do read and understand their scriptures.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 26, 2018, 3:22 p.m.(1/16/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Aleksei
With all due respect to Blessed Aleksei, I feel a public record must be corrected.
Prince Abbas was not removed from his post for the slaughter of Abandoned. He remained Warlord for a significant time afterwards, all the way up to the Darkwater assault on Malestrom, and was only removed from his post and whipped as punishments for even more heinous acts committed after the slaughter of tens of thousands of children and noncombatants. Up until that point, he had the full support of Prince Victus, and remained the supreme commander over the forces he led in acts abhorrent to Gloria.
Where Prince Abbas is concerned, Prince Victus has consistently done the least he could do to correct or control him. The literal least he could do.
Prince Abbas was not removed from his post for the slaughter of Abandoned. He remained Warlord for a significant time afterwards, all the way up to the Darkwater assault on Malestrom, and was only removed from his post and whipped as punishments for even more heinous acts committed after the slaughter of tens of thousands of children and noncombatants. Up until that point, he had the full support of Prince Victus, and remained the supreme commander over the forces he led in acts abhorrent to Gloria.
Where Prince Abbas is concerned, Prince Victus has consistently done the least he could do to correct or control him. The literal least he could do.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 26, 2018, 12:22 p.m.(1/15/1008 AR)
I am old, and my heart is a tough thing of scars and sinew. It does not break easily.
Seeing nobility of the Compact defend the murder of children and the use of disease as a weapon of...not even of /war/, because war implies a conflict between warriors, on a field of battle. The use of disease as a weapon of /slaughter/. The imprisoning of those captured in war, holding them in cages riddled with human filth and disease, torturing them until you were sure that they were infected with a deadly malaise, and then sending them home to their children, their spouses, their parents, making them an instrument of the murder you were too dishonorable, cowardly, and craven to commit.
To the tune of tens of thousands dead, most by disease and torment.
Understand this: When you excuse such acts, then you normalize them. And aside from the sheer horror of that on an theological and moral level - the next time you go to war with YOUR enemies, it may be your children whose face and limbs swell and rot, your children's screaming that you hear as you try desperately to calm them, to prepare them for an agonizing death you know that they cannot possibly understand. Because you have said to your vassals, your allies, and your enemies that this is an acceptable tactic of war. That this a "hard choice" that a courageous man makes.
Allow me to say, as Legate of Concepts, as the Shield of the Faith, and as the Voice of the Most Holy: There is nothing honorable or courageous in what Abbas Thrax has done, on any of the (several) occasions that he has committed such acts. The actions of Abbas Thrax were not necessary to "save the Isles", and if they were? Then the Isles were not worth saving. When you defend those actions, you take dishonor on yourself, and it is a stain which will prove most difficult to remove.
And the Faith will remember who has championed such dark causes, and embraced such dishonorable acts.
Seeing nobility of the Compact defend the murder of children and the use of disease as a weapon of...not even of /war/, because war implies a conflict between warriors, on a field of battle. The use of disease as a weapon of /slaughter/. The imprisoning of those captured in war, holding them in cages riddled with human filth and disease, torturing them until you were sure that they were infected with a deadly malaise, and then sending them home to their children, their spouses, their parents, making them an instrument of the murder you were too dishonorable, cowardly, and craven to commit.
To the tune of tens of thousands dead, most by disease and torment.
Understand this: When you excuse such acts, then you normalize them. And aside from the sheer horror of that on an theological and moral level - the next time you go to war with YOUR enemies, it may be your children whose face and limbs swell and rot, your children's screaming that you hear as you try desperately to calm them, to prepare them for an agonizing death you know that they cannot possibly understand. Because you have said to your vassals, your allies, and your enemies that this is an acceptable tactic of war. That this a "hard choice" that a courageous man makes.
Allow me to say, as Legate of Concepts, as the Shield of the Faith, and as the Voice of the Most Holy: There is nothing honorable or courageous in what Abbas Thrax has done, on any of the (several) occasions that he has committed such acts. The actions of Abbas Thrax were not necessary to "save the Isles", and if they were? Then the Isles were not worth saving. When you defend those actions, you take dishonor on yourself, and it is a stain which will prove most difficult to remove.
And the Faith will remember who has championed such dark causes, and embraced such dishonorable acts.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 25, 2018, 6:22 p.m.(1/14/1008 AR)
A Prayer on a Fragile Vessel of Paper
From the font eternal,
from the sky and the sea,
you are there, O, Mangata,
our breath, our hope, our feast.
May our love for you
be as deep as the ocean,
as quenching as aged wine,
as strong as the swiftest currents.
May we feed those who hunger,
as you feed us in abundance,
with bright air and clean water.
By doing so, we sustain what sustains us.
O, Mangata, forgive us our needs,
forgive us when we call out to you for more,
but do not recognize all that you have given.
Envy turns our hearts empty with hunger.
Let our voices rise in your praise,
and let this simple vessel,
filled with hope and love in abundance,
find its way to you on the currents of the sea.
From the font eternal,
from the sky and the sea,
you are there, O, Mangata,
our breath, our hope, our feast.
May our love for you
be as deep as the ocean,
as quenching as aged wine,
as strong as the swiftest currents.
May we feed those who hunger,
as you feed us in abundance,
with bright air and clean water.
By doing so, we sustain what sustains us.
O, Mangata, forgive us our needs,
forgive us when we call out to you for more,
but do not recognize all that you have given.
Envy turns our hearts empty with hunger.
Let our voices rise in your praise,
and let this simple vessel,
filled with hope and love in abundance,
find its way to you on the currents of the sea.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 25, 2018, 5:55 p.m.(1/14/1008 AR)
Relationship Note on Mae
I don't often enough acknowledge those who do well, as opposed to speaking of those who fail to live up to expectations. It is one of my flaws, that I often look to the flaws of others rather than their strengths. I wish to rectify this, in part, in speaking of the Disciple Mae Grayhope. Her service for the Faith has been impeccable in all of my interactions with her - she has hope and strength, and my every interaction with her has left me impressed with her acts as a Disciple.
It is my hope that she will stay with the Church for many more years.
It is my hope that she will stay with the Church for many more years.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 17, 2018, 12:25 p.m.(12/25/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Aleksei
I will personally ensure that, however, if such a proviso is included in the High Lord's will, it will be enforced.
I might charge admission, as well. I wonder if we could rent out the Assembly for it?
I might charge admission, as well. I wonder if we could rent out the Assembly for it?
Written By Orazio
Jan. 12, 2018, 2:32 p.m.(12/14/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Edain
To His Grace, Prince Edain (marked by a small tab, if you please, for the Scholar who accepts this journal - please do not remove, even if it does ruin the uniformity):
I accept your words, and admire you for committing them to writing. There is nothing harder in this world than accepting criticism (and I am well aware that I am not always kind about mine), and nothing more praiseworthy than attempting to do something constructive with it as you walk forward into the future.
I accept your words, and admire you for committing them to writing. There is nothing harder in this world than accepting criticism (and I am well aware that I am not always kind about mine), and nothing more praiseworthy than attempting to do something constructive with it as you walk forward into the future.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 12, 2018, 1:43 p.m.(12/14/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Edain
Let us not forget who it was who hosted the Nox'Alfar when they came to the city, and allowed their guests to be insulted and threatened, blocked their guests from seeking honorable redress for these grievances, and then spent months claiming in public that the Nox'Alfar never intended to negotiate honestly or sincerely, despite the fact that they have never broken any formal commitment they have ever made to the Compact, and in fact gifted several king's ransoms worth of expensive items even when no treaty obligated it.
As odd and often violent and unpredictable as they are, when it comes to "needing to earn trust", there are other names which, based on their behavior, I would put far higher on the list.
As odd and often violent and unpredictable as they are, when it comes to "needing to earn trust", there are other names which, based on their behavior, I would put far higher on the list.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 9, 2018, 12:54 p.m.(12/7/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Sparte
A noble who has time to cook for themselves on a regular basis is a noble who is spending too much time avoiding their actual duties.
I remember my father's daily routine, which usually involved getting up before dawn to visit the vines and check on the holdings most vulnerable to thieves and natural disasters. Assuming nothing had broken or been stolen, there were audiences most of the day with those who needed the aid and support of their liege, and then answering correspondences from other barons, requests from his liege, or consulting with the household staff on the various entertainments that a noble is expected to provide - hunts, balls, luncheons, etc. My mother was typically better at numbers, and enjoyed martial training a bit more than my father, so she spent most of her day handling the family's financial obligations and making sure that alms were distributed to those in need, as well as training the house guard and taking the lead on deploying guardsmen to deal with small incursions of bandits and raiders. They both had hundreds of people in their care, many of whom wished to speak to them at length about issues that, while they might have seemed small in the moment, could have great repercussions for the future - a squabble between farmers could easily become a murder or series of raids if left to fester, and a notification about a small crack in an irrigation canal could lead to an entire field's crop lost if not repaired.
Admittedly, my parents were the heads of the house, and our demesne was small enough that there was a limit on the staff we could afford to handle some of this. I certainly had more leisure time than either of them, but even then, that leisure was expected to be used in ways that benefited the House and my people - training, learning about our major exports and economic needs, handling minor conflicts and inquiries by vassals, and building relationships with other nobles of a similar station. Sometimes, those personal relationships are all that stand between a border war that kills hundreds.
For the record, as a young noble of the Lyceum, I also had a valet to help me dress and do other supportive tasks. Fashion, particularly formal fashion, is often designed to require a second pair of hands (or the unnatural ability to reach to the middle of your own back) in order to put it on correctly and without tearing something painfully expensive. For that matter, I often have someone do likewise of a morning in my current duties. A Legate of the Faith should never look disheveled, which means trusting an expert to make sure that I don't. I also do not do my own laundry, make my own bed, or clean my own rooms, and I am grateful and thankful for those who do such things for me. In turn, the Church compensates them well, and I try to make sure that the things I do honor and protect them.
I remember my father's daily routine, which usually involved getting up before dawn to visit the vines and check on the holdings most vulnerable to thieves and natural disasters. Assuming nothing had broken or been stolen, there were audiences most of the day with those who needed the aid and support of their liege, and then answering correspondences from other barons, requests from his liege, or consulting with the household staff on the various entertainments that a noble is expected to provide - hunts, balls, luncheons, etc. My mother was typically better at numbers, and enjoyed martial training a bit more than my father, so she spent most of her day handling the family's financial obligations and making sure that alms were distributed to those in need, as well as training the house guard and taking the lead on deploying guardsmen to deal with small incursions of bandits and raiders. They both had hundreds of people in their care, many of whom wished to speak to them at length about issues that, while they might have seemed small in the moment, could have great repercussions for the future - a squabble between farmers could easily become a murder or series of raids if left to fester, and a notification about a small crack in an irrigation canal could lead to an entire field's crop lost if not repaired.
Admittedly, my parents were the heads of the house, and our demesne was small enough that there was a limit on the staff we could afford to handle some of this. I certainly had more leisure time than either of them, but even then, that leisure was expected to be used in ways that benefited the House and my people - training, learning about our major exports and economic needs, handling minor conflicts and inquiries by vassals, and building relationships with other nobles of a similar station. Sometimes, those personal relationships are all that stand between a border war that kills hundreds.
For the record, as a young noble of the Lyceum, I also had a valet to help me dress and do other supportive tasks. Fashion, particularly formal fashion, is often designed to require a second pair of hands (or the unnatural ability to reach to the middle of your own back) in order to put it on correctly and without tearing something painfully expensive. For that matter, I often have someone do likewise of a morning in my current duties. A Legate of the Faith should never look disheveled, which means trusting an expert to make sure that I don't. I also do not do my own laundry, make my own bed, or clean my own rooms, and I am grateful and thankful for those who do such things for me. In turn, the Church compensates them well, and I try to make sure that the things I do honor and protect them.
Written By Orazio
Jan. 3, 2018, 2:55 p.m.(11/24/1007 AR)
To the Faithful Reader:
First, I am reminded that it is through the blessings of Vellichor and the hard work of the Scholars of Vellichor and all of those who hold knowledge dear in our hearts that so many of the Compact's people are able to write their thoughts, concerns, and truths down, making them sacred and inviolate for the generations who follow us. I am certain that this is a gift to be appreciated and respected, and I am equally certain that when the children and grandchildren of the Compact grow to an age where they can look up the words of their parents and grandparents, reading that which they they considered worthy during a time of the Compact's greatest challenges, many of them will be proud and warmed by what they find. Others will have plentiful ammunition for the traditional squabbles between parent and child, and proof that, yes, their parents were once just as immature as they are.
Second, I must say that I love the idea of the 'paper fleet' as put forth by Guardsman Sparte. Often when people come to the Church, it is with the idea that they will ask what the Church, or the gods, can do for them. "I need," and "I want," are often on their tongue, and the anger can be powerful when the Church declines to promise that a blessing will be fulfilled, or the gods do not answer a prayer in the way the supplicant desires. It is much more rare to see a layman of the Faith step forward and propose a worship that is not about "I want" but rather about "I love". To give thanks to the gods for everything that they have already given us, from the breaths we take to the food we eat, and to give an outpouring of affection and worship without expecting anything in return. There is nothing childish about expressing this love, or encouraging others to do likewise.
My paper boat will carry a prayer of thanks and gratitude for the rain, for the bounty of the sea, for the bounty of the vine and the food on our tables. For the thousands of gifts we have been given from the moment of our birth, until the moment of our death, and beyond, let the gods be thanked. Not because they require our thanks, but because sincere gratitude and faith cannot help but be expressed in thought, word, and deed.
First, I am reminded that it is through the blessings of Vellichor and the hard work of the Scholars of Vellichor and all of those who hold knowledge dear in our hearts that so many of the Compact's people are able to write their thoughts, concerns, and truths down, making them sacred and inviolate for the generations who follow us. I am certain that this is a gift to be appreciated and respected, and I am equally certain that when the children and grandchildren of the Compact grow to an age where they can look up the words of their parents and grandparents, reading that which they they considered worthy during a time of the Compact's greatest challenges, many of them will be proud and warmed by what they find. Others will have plentiful ammunition for the traditional squabbles between parent and child, and proof that, yes, their parents were once just as immature as they are.
Second, I must say that I love the idea of the 'paper fleet' as put forth by Guardsman Sparte. Often when people come to the Church, it is with the idea that they will ask what the Church, or the gods, can do for them. "I need," and "I want," are often on their tongue, and the anger can be powerful when the Church declines to promise that a blessing will be fulfilled, or the gods do not answer a prayer in the way the supplicant desires. It is much more rare to see a layman of the Faith step forward and propose a worship that is not about "I want" but rather about "I love". To give thanks to the gods for everything that they have already given us, from the breaths we take to the food we eat, and to give an outpouring of affection and worship without expecting anything in return. There is nothing childish about expressing this love, or encouraging others to do likewise.
My paper boat will carry a prayer of thanks and gratitude for the rain, for the bounty of the sea, for the bounty of the vine and the food on our tables. For the thousands of gifts we have been given from the moment of our birth, until the moment of our death, and beyond, let the gods be thanked. Not because they require our thanks, but because sincere gratitude and faith cannot help but be expressed in thought, word, and deed.
Written By Orazio
Dec. 20, 2017, 9:31 p.m.(10/22/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Zhayla
I only met Dame Zhayla a few times, I must admit. But each time, she impressed me with her bright and unsullied heart and optimism for the future. She was a young warrior who I thought would change the world, if only because she was far too energetic not to change what she could, and for the better.
And now she is gone. I know that she is beyond pain, resting in the Shining Lands, so when I mourn, it is more for the world which has lost her, and for all that might have been, more than for her. We are the poorer for her passing.
And now she is gone. I know that she is beyond pain, resting in the Shining Lands, so when I mourn, it is more for the world which has lost her, and for all that might have been, more than for her. We are the poorer for her passing.
Written By Orazio
Dec. 2, 2017, 11:30 p.m.(9/13/1007 AR)
Relationship Note on Tessa
I had a lovely time with the Lady Tessa Moore. She is a bright light, and more thoughtful than I think some give her credit for. And now I am intrigued by the idea of a Concept of Legates, although I would certainly agree that I am not one. Perhaps it should be a statue series? Concept of Disciples, Concept of Godsworn, Concept of Seraphs, Concept of Archlectors, Concept of Legates, Concept of Dominus.
It might be intriguing to see who would be the model for each one, hmm?
It might be intriguing to see who would be the model for each one, hmm?
Written By Orazio
Nov. 28, 2017, 12:06 a.m.(9/3/1007 AR)
This should, perhaps, go in the blacks, but I shall leave it in the whites, I think. I write it with a glass of strong, southern wine and the breeze coming in from an open window. Outside, the city is dark, but not quiet. Even here in the Ward of the Crown, I can hear the sounds of laughter and merriment as people pass from one entertainment to the next. Inside, it is quieter, more solemn. But not silent. Even in my bedroom, where I write this, my bird sings to herself in the other room, and the building settles around me, minute creaks of wood and stone.
I have lost many people in my life. This does not make me unique in the Compact, or even unusual. The plague that took my parents and my youngest siblings killed many of the people of the Saiklands, and we all grieved together. The 'sickness' that killed my last brother came about when a great many others died, while they were just trying to do their duties. When Eos was slain, many soldiers died with him, bravely defending themselves and their liege. Kima's death was quieter, it seems, but I don't fool myself - many others have died by the same means, many others will die in the future by the same means. There is nothing that makes my losses greater than others, or unique, or special. Everyone knows grief. Even the gods know grief, I think.
And yet, I dwell on them of late more than I should. I have so much to do, so many people who still can be saved. I should not see those who I have already failed imprinted on my thoughts, waking or sleeping. They are beyond my aid. And yet, when I learn more about who they were, it is like losing them all over again, failing them all over again. If I could have been better. Stronger (or maybe softer and more comforting), more of a role model (or perhaps less of one), closer (or perhaps more distant). If I could have been /different/, then perhaps they could have been different. Perhaps things could have been different.
But I wasn't. And they weren't. And that is, I think, the lesson that must always be taken from death. It marks the point at which nothing can be changed. For better or for worse, we must close the door on what has passed, and try to make better choices in the future. But, some days, it is hard. So terribly hard.
I have lost many people in my life. This does not make me unique in the Compact, or even unusual. The plague that took my parents and my youngest siblings killed many of the people of the Saiklands, and we all grieved together. The 'sickness' that killed my last brother came about when a great many others died, while they were just trying to do their duties. When Eos was slain, many soldiers died with him, bravely defending themselves and their liege. Kima's death was quieter, it seems, but I don't fool myself - many others have died by the same means, many others will die in the future by the same means. There is nothing that makes my losses greater than others, or unique, or special. Everyone knows grief. Even the gods know grief, I think.
And yet, I dwell on them of late more than I should. I have so much to do, so many people who still can be saved. I should not see those who I have already failed imprinted on my thoughts, waking or sleeping. They are beyond my aid. And yet, when I learn more about who they were, it is like losing them all over again, failing them all over again. If I could have been better. Stronger (or maybe softer and more comforting), more of a role model (or perhaps less of one), closer (or perhaps more distant). If I could have been /different/, then perhaps they could have been different. Perhaps things could have been different.
But I wasn't. And they weren't. And that is, I think, the lesson that must always be taken from death. It marks the point at which nothing can be changed. For better or for worse, we must close the door on what has passed, and try to make better choices in the future. But, some days, it is hard. So terribly hard.
Written By Orazio
Nov. 14, 2017, 5:50 a.m.(8/1/1007 AR)
It is wonderful to see a dream come to fruition.
Not easily, no. When I first approached the Velenosa regarding the partnership to create a ship like none seen before, a ship capable of matching the rumored vessels of Cardia, and to convey people safely (or at least successfully) to landmasses beyond the sea, it seemed a daunting task. Nigh impossible, even. I stand in admiration for the skill of the shipwrights who came together to design and build this vessel, and give thanks to Jayus for their skill, creativity, and dedication to their craft. It was not an easy journey to get from a wistful dream to the ship that now sits in the port of Arx.
It took trial, error, and significant resources to create this vessel together, with the intent to allow our people to expand their knowledge and wisdom, as Vellichor wills, and the sail Mangata's waters in reverence and with Gloria's courage. This vessel, as per our arrangement with Velenosa, will be available to be used for Faith activities when desired, and I hope that in doing so, we can sponsor a new era of exploration and travel among those who are devout and who support the Church's aims and goals throughout the Compact.
Sail in the light of the Pantheon, Carlotta, and may your beauty and strength always be set to a righteous purpose.
Not easily, no. When I first approached the Velenosa regarding the partnership to create a ship like none seen before, a ship capable of matching the rumored vessels of Cardia, and to convey people safely (or at least successfully) to landmasses beyond the sea, it seemed a daunting task. Nigh impossible, even. I stand in admiration for the skill of the shipwrights who came together to design and build this vessel, and give thanks to Jayus for their skill, creativity, and dedication to their craft. It was not an easy journey to get from a wistful dream to the ship that now sits in the port of Arx.
It took trial, error, and significant resources to create this vessel together, with the intent to allow our people to expand their knowledge and wisdom, as Vellichor wills, and the sail Mangata's waters in reverence and with Gloria's courage. This vessel, as per our arrangement with Velenosa, will be available to be used for Faith activities when desired, and I hope that in doing so, we can sponsor a new era of exploration and travel among those who are devout and who support the Church's aims and goals throughout the Compact.
Sail in the light of the Pantheon, Carlotta, and may your beauty and strength always be set to a righteous purpose.
Written By Orazio
Nov. 7, 2017, 9:33 p.m.(7/17/1007 AR)
To the Faithful reader:
I am now officially fifty-one years old. Sometimes, it feels as if the last three years have passed more slowly than the forty-eight which came before. Certainly, this last year has been packed with revelations, tragedies, triumphs, and new beginnings. Sometimes, I do envy those who are younger than I in this awakening age. But it has still been a gift of the gods to exist, and live, and learn through these turbulent days.
I must also thank the lovely Whisper Champion, Bliss, for keeping me company on the day. I have not laughed like that in a while.
I am now officially fifty-one years old. Sometimes, it feels as if the last three years have passed more slowly than the forty-eight which came before. Certainly, this last year has been packed with revelations, tragedies, triumphs, and new beginnings. Sometimes, I do envy those who are younger than I in this awakening age. But it has still been a gift of the gods to exist, and live, and learn through these turbulent days.
I must also thank the lovely Whisper Champion, Bliss, for keeping me company on the day. I have not laughed like that in a while.
Written By Orazio
Nov. 5, 2017, 4:50 p.m.(7/12/1007 AR)
On the bright side, at least the most recent argument in the city's white journals is one over a substantial and complex issue.
However, it does feel that a few things need to be clarified:
The actions of the Liberators did not cause any economic instability, according to all reports. Anyone who claims otherwise is in error, unless they can offer evidence to show for their assertion. The Scholars may be able to help if anyone wishes to research this in greater detail, and it would certainly be wise to undertake such study before putting oneself out into the public eye in this matter.
Likewise, the actions of the Liberators were not undertaken with any sort of malice or ill-intent towards any House of Thrax fealty. In fact, they were planned to cause as little disruption of the houses as possible, and largely succeeded in this aim. House Navegant's subsequent actions are their own responsibility. Further, the Faith leveraged no penalty or condemnation on House Navegant's people, merely choosing to acknowledge the ruling family's actions as contrary to active Discipleship in the Faith. The trade embargoes by other Houses were their own decision, and I suspect had far more to do with the unreasonable and odd restrictions on 'foreign' trade and travel than anything to do with thralldom. It could be considered an object lesson in the truth of our system: yes, a ruling noble has nigh absolute power within their own domain, but every decision carries with it consequences, including other people exercising their power against you.
To blame anyone for the actions of House Navegant aside from House Navegant is insulting to the ruling family of that House, who are presumably able to make their own decisions and accept the consequences for them like the intelligent adults I presume that they are.
Further, the Faith opposition to the practice of thralldom is not new, nor has it wavered in over a thousand years, even without the knowledge of Skald guiding our understanding of the gods' wills. While the Discipleship of Skald is new, and characterized by youth and enthusiastic zeal in its mission, its aims are not new for the Church, and its methods are remarkable only by the rising enthusiasm by the rest of the Compact to support them, and a growing willingness among the people of Thrax to consider the end of the institution.
While it is true Blessed Aleksei could learn to be more tactful in his conversations with nobility, he was not wrong: The god of First Choice and Freedom is unlikely to approve of any institution that robs choice and freedom from its victims, and if one wants to aspire to the virtue Skald represents, thrallholding is incompatible with that aim. Of course, the Faith of the Pantheon is about aspiring to a plethora of virtues, and synthesizing the essential natures into a doctrine by which one can live, which means that no one god's virtue should be considered a prime virtue. Exercising Freedom without the Wisdom to guide one's actions, or the Courage to abide by the consequences of them can lead one away from the Faith as surely as rejecting the virtue itself. Understanding that balance and deciding how we will embrace each of the virtues is the ongoing spiritual challenges of every one of the Faithful; the gods cannot be considered in isolation, but rather as a balanced, harmonious whole.
It is my hope that ignorance can be addressed, freedom can be honored hand in hand with wisdom and justice, and the values of charity and civilization will prevail, with each of us remembering the oaths we have sworn and the bonds of fealty and obedience both within the Faith and without.
However, it does feel that a few things need to be clarified:
The actions of the Liberators did not cause any economic instability, according to all reports. Anyone who claims otherwise is in error, unless they can offer evidence to show for their assertion. The Scholars may be able to help if anyone wishes to research this in greater detail, and it would certainly be wise to undertake such study before putting oneself out into the public eye in this matter.
Likewise, the actions of the Liberators were not undertaken with any sort of malice or ill-intent towards any House of Thrax fealty. In fact, they were planned to cause as little disruption of the houses as possible, and largely succeeded in this aim. House Navegant's subsequent actions are their own responsibility. Further, the Faith leveraged no penalty or condemnation on House Navegant's people, merely choosing to acknowledge the ruling family's actions as contrary to active Discipleship in the Faith. The trade embargoes by other Houses were their own decision, and I suspect had far more to do with the unreasonable and odd restrictions on 'foreign' trade and travel than anything to do with thralldom. It could be considered an object lesson in the truth of our system: yes, a ruling noble has nigh absolute power within their own domain, but every decision carries with it consequences, including other people exercising their power against you.
To blame anyone for the actions of House Navegant aside from House Navegant is insulting to the ruling family of that House, who are presumably able to make their own decisions and accept the consequences for them like the intelligent adults I presume that they are.
Further, the Faith opposition to the practice of thralldom is not new, nor has it wavered in over a thousand years, even without the knowledge of Skald guiding our understanding of the gods' wills. While the Discipleship of Skald is new, and characterized by youth and enthusiastic zeal in its mission, its aims are not new for the Church, and its methods are remarkable only by the rising enthusiasm by the rest of the Compact to support them, and a growing willingness among the people of Thrax to consider the end of the institution.
While it is true Blessed Aleksei could learn to be more tactful in his conversations with nobility, he was not wrong: The god of First Choice and Freedom is unlikely to approve of any institution that robs choice and freedom from its victims, and if one wants to aspire to the virtue Skald represents, thrallholding is incompatible with that aim. Of course, the Faith of the Pantheon is about aspiring to a plethora of virtues, and synthesizing the essential natures into a doctrine by which one can live, which means that no one god's virtue should be considered a prime virtue. Exercising Freedom without the Wisdom to guide one's actions, or the Courage to abide by the consequences of them can lead one away from the Faith as surely as rejecting the virtue itself. Understanding that balance and deciding how we will embrace each of the virtues is the ongoing spiritual challenges of every one of the Faithful; the gods cannot be considered in isolation, but rather as a balanced, harmonious whole.
It is my hope that ignorance can be addressed, freedom can be honored hand in hand with wisdom and justice, and the values of charity and civilization will prevail, with each of us remembering the oaths we have sworn and the bonds of fealty and obedience both within the Faith and without.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.