Written By Piccola
Jan. 5, 2021, 9:53 p.m.(9/13/1014 AR)
Relationship Note on Sydney
A wise general once told me that the best way to protect your neck is to ensure no one has cause to remove your head.
Written By Piccola
Jan. 4, 2021, 8:49 p.m.(9/11/1014 AR)
Ten years ago, I met a woman who told me about a braggart who frequented a nearby village's tavern.
I went with her to see this man and, lo, he told anyone who would listen of his feats. He fawned on my friend, but she was repulsed by him, as was I. Another night, I came by with my company, and there he was, mocking them at the bar and boasting of his many victories. When my captain went to get a drink, he challenged him to a fight, but before my captain could react he was boxed about the ears. We retreated from the tavern that night.
When we returned after a successful hunt, there was the braggart at the bar. He called himself the village champion and he laughed at us. He called us names. He made fun of the woman, who was the mayor's wife. So I drew my bow, nocked an arrow, and shot him through the throat. He died in the street, choking on his blood and kicking at the dirt.
The moral is, wise general, that there are limits to false courage.
I went with her to see this man and, lo, he told anyone who would listen of his feats. He fawned on my friend, but she was repulsed by him, as was I. Another night, I came by with my company, and there he was, mocking them at the bar and boasting of his many victories. When my captain went to get a drink, he challenged him to a fight, but before my captain could react he was boxed about the ears. We retreated from the tavern that night.
When we returned after a successful hunt, there was the braggart at the bar. He called himself the village champion and he laughed at us. He called us names. He made fun of the woman, who was the mayor's wife. So I drew my bow, nocked an arrow, and shot him through the throat. He died in the street, choking on his blood and kicking at the dirt.
The moral is, wise general, that there are limits to false courage.
Written By Piccola
Jan. 2, 2021, 4:30 p.m.(9/6/1014 AR)
One day a dozen years ago, I was a young woman in a small mercenary company.
My captain told me to train with a village yeoman for a month while the company left to guard a lord's holding deep in a forest. After a couple of weeks I was lonely for my company, so I left the village and traveled into the woods to find them. When I did, I rushed into the camp at about dinner time, expecting to be received at the table with the rest of the young men and women.
Instead, my captain dragged me out of the camp by my hair and beat me within an inch of my life.
"You fool," he shouted at me. "What good is cloth cut from the loom half-finished?" I explained why I had left, and he called me a deserter. "What good am I without my family?" I asked of him, broken-hearted. And so he asked of me, "what good is a soldier who cannot follow orders?" I felt the shame rise inside of me and I walked back to the village in dishonor.
A week later, I learned my company had been ambushed and annihilated completely.
My captain told me to train with a village yeoman for a month while the company left to guard a lord's holding deep in a forest. After a couple of weeks I was lonely for my company, so I left the village and traveled into the woods to find them. When I did, I rushed into the camp at about dinner time, expecting to be received at the table with the rest of the young men and women.
Instead, my captain dragged me out of the camp by my hair and beat me within an inch of my life.
"You fool," he shouted at me. "What good is cloth cut from the loom half-finished?" I explained why I had left, and he called me a deserter. "What good am I without my family?" I asked of him, broken-hearted. And so he asked of me, "what good is a soldier who cannot follow orders?" I felt the shame rise inside of me and I walked back to the village in dishonor.
A week later, I learned my company had been ambushed and annihilated completely.
Written By Piccola
Jan. 1, 2021, 11:33 p.m.(9/5/1014 AR)
Wise general, embrace humility.
When we buy new clothes not to keep ourselves warm but to look well-dressed, we are not providing for any important need. We would not be sacrificing anything significant if we were to continue to wear our old clothes, and give the money to relieve the hunger of others. By doing so, we would be preventing another person from starving.
Rather, one might as well give the money away, rather than spend it on clothes which we do not need to keep us warm. To do so is not charitable or generous. It is not the kind of act which philosophers and theologians will call an act which it would be good to do, but not wrong not to do. On the contrary, we ought to give the money away, and it is wrong not to do so.
Want not and waste not.
When we buy new clothes not to keep ourselves warm but to look well-dressed, we are not providing for any important need. We would not be sacrificing anything significant if we were to continue to wear our old clothes, and give the money to relieve the hunger of others. By doing so, we would be preventing another person from starving.
Rather, one might as well give the money away, rather than spend it on clothes which we do not need to keep us warm. To do so is not charitable or generous. It is not the kind of act which philosophers and theologians will call an act which it would be good to do, but not wrong not to do. On the contrary, we ought to give the money away, and it is wrong not to do so.
Want not and waste not.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 28, 2020, 10:23 a.m.(8/24/1014 AR)
Relationship Note on Haakon
I write this to respond to my friend, my comrade, and a man I would walk into war with readily.
Perfection is a matter of perspective. A woman sees the situation perhaps differently than you would. I can tell you from where I stand that I see the world very differently than you. For, you see, I oft wonder what it would be like to be a man: I wonder if I would be able to keep my beard from getting tangled in my bowstring; I wonder how it feels to feel the pleasure around me rather than in me.
Oh, that I were a man.
I tell you, as a woman, that I have seen many fall to many weapons. I have felled an opponent with an arrow from across a field; I have knocked an opponent off his horse with a lance; I have cut an opponent down with a sweep of my sword; and I have had the unfortunate fate of setting myself upon one with a knife. Of these events, the most intimate is having was the last. A man says many things in his final struggle, but it is what he does not say that stays with you: the feeling of his life on your skin; the sound of his body struggling to breathe in blood; the way his eyes open wide for a few moments and then forever when the Queen takes him.
Oh, that I were a man.
To me, it matters not the size of a man's weapon; what matters is the outcome. Through that lens, I find myself finding seeking that which is smooth, warm, and soothing. When I think of perfection, I leave the thoughts of steel and shields for the gossamer of sweet, savory scents. I am sure you understand what I do not speak of, as does your wife.
I wish you all the best, my friend.
Perfection is a matter of perspective. A woman sees the situation perhaps differently than you would. I can tell you from where I stand that I see the world very differently than you. For, you see, I oft wonder what it would be like to be a man: I wonder if I would be able to keep my beard from getting tangled in my bowstring; I wonder how it feels to feel the pleasure around me rather than in me.
Oh, that I were a man.
I tell you, as a woman, that I have seen many fall to many weapons. I have felled an opponent with an arrow from across a field; I have knocked an opponent off his horse with a lance; I have cut an opponent down with a sweep of my sword; and I have had the unfortunate fate of setting myself upon one with a knife. Of these events, the most intimate is having was the last. A man says many things in his final struggle, but it is what he does not say that stays with you: the feeling of his life on your skin; the sound of his body struggling to breathe in blood; the way his eyes open wide for a few moments and then forever when the Queen takes him.
Oh, that I were a man.
To me, it matters not the size of a man's weapon; what matters is the outcome. Through that lens, I find myself finding seeking that which is smooth, warm, and soothing. When I think of perfection, I leave the thoughts of steel and shields for the gossamer of sweet, savory scents. I am sure you understand what I do not speak of, as does your wife.
I wish you all the best, my friend.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 27, 2020, 12:50 p.m.(8/22/1014 AR)
You will find, wise general, that solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition.
We suffer a lot in our society from loneliness. So much of our life is an attempt to not be lonely. In my travels, I see those attempts as plain as day: in the abuser who curry power so others must do as he says; in the braggart who shows off his strength so others must stare at him; in the fop who natters incessantly so others must hear him. They all say, in their own ways: "regard me, that I may feel less alone in the world." They are trying to escape the inevitable, like those who vainly try to beg and cajole to avoid the Queen of Endings.
We can pretend. We can entertain each other; however, that is the best we can do. When it comes to the actual experience of life, we are all alone. To expect anyone else to take away our loneliness is asking too much.
We suffer a lot in our society from loneliness. So much of our life is an attempt to not be lonely. In my travels, I see those attempts as plain as day: in the abuser who curry power so others must do as he says; in the braggart who shows off his strength so others must stare at him; in the fop who natters incessantly so others must hear him. They all say, in their own ways: "regard me, that I may feel less alone in the world." They are trying to escape the inevitable, like those who vainly try to beg and cajole to avoid the Queen of Endings.
We can pretend. We can entertain each other; however, that is the best we can do. When it comes to the actual experience of life, we are all alone. To expect anyone else to take away our loneliness is asking too much.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 25, 2020, 12:21 a.m.(8/17/1014 AR)
Remember, wise general, the nature of etiquette.
The acme of etiquette is this: goodness among equals cannot be extorted by force. All people have a right both to defend himself from injuries. All people may seek to exact punishment or restitution for wrongs done to them. And when a man attempts to take what does not belong to them -- life or property -- every honorable person takes alarm and believes they do right when they run to defend or seek revenge for the injured person.
But think of these injuries: when a parent fails in the ordinary degree of affection towards their child; when a child seems to want that reverence expected by their parents; when siblings conspire against each other; when a person shuts their heart against compassion and refuses to relieve or recognize the misery of his fellows. In all these cases, the sufferer can only complain, the spectator can only advise, and the compassionate can only listen. To do otherwise is seen as insolent or disrespectful. We all know of these occasions.
So it is that cruelty and goodness are embraced in equal measure. We do not demand goodness from our peers because our mores prohibit it. We do but stand as bystanders while the small cuts are made one by one, day by day. We never talk of the quiet things that no one ever knows because it would shed the weakness we share with our equals: that we would rather watch the cruelty continue in silence than dare over-step out boundaries. And then we wonder why others see us as barbaric.
To us, the mere want of beneficence seems to merit no punishment from equals. Instead, we talk of the virtuous and meritorious among us, and exalt those who have shown that goodness without demand and unselfishly. It is not the absence of that apparent goodness that poisons the heart of society, but the deafening silence between us when we fail to condemn or simply demand better from one another. The man who barely abstains from violating either the person, or the estate, or the reputation of his neighbors has very little merit; however, because he fulfills all the rules of what we consider justice, he remains among us. He may therefore remain as cruel and vile as he is because we cannot demand he be better.
Thus, among peers, wise general, etiquette is the binding on a wound which never heals and inevitably kills.
The acme of etiquette is this: goodness among equals cannot be extorted by force. All people have a right both to defend himself from injuries. All people may seek to exact punishment or restitution for wrongs done to them. And when a man attempts to take what does not belong to them -- life or property -- every honorable person takes alarm and believes they do right when they run to defend or seek revenge for the injured person.
But think of these injuries: when a parent fails in the ordinary degree of affection towards their child; when a child seems to want that reverence expected by their parents; when siblings conspire against each other; when a person shuts their heart against compassion and refuses to relieve or recognize the misery of his fellows. In all these cases, the sufferer can only complain, the spectator can only advise, and the compassionate can only listen. To do otherwise is seen as insolent or disrespectful. We all know of these occasions.
So it is that cruelty and goodness are embraced in equal measure. We do not demand goodness from our peers because our mores prohibit it. We do but stand as bystanders while the small cuts are made one by one, day by day. We never talk of the quiet things that no one ever knows because it would shed the weakness we share with our equals: that we would rather watch the cruelty continue in silence than dare over-step out boundaries. And then we wonder why others see us as barbaric.
To us, the mere want of beneficence seems to merit no punishment from equals. Instead, we talk of the virtuous and meritorious among us, and exalt those who have shown that goodness without demand and unselfishly. It is not the absence of that apparent goodness that poisons the heart of society, but the deafening silence between us when we fail to condemn or simply demand better from one another. The man who barely abstains from violating either the person, or the estate, or the reputation of his neighbors has very little merit; however, because he fulfills all the rules of what we consider justice, he remains among us. He may therefore remain as cruel and vile as he is because we cannot demand he be better.
Thus, among peers, wise general, etiquette is the binding on a wound which never heals and inevitably kills.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 23, 2020, 10:43 p.m.(8/15/1014 AR)
On charity, wise general, remember this:
Charity is a calm, severe duty. It must be intellectual, to be advantageous. It is not a merit: its fulfilment is only what we owe to each other, and is a debt never paid to its full extent.
Charity is a calm, severe duty. It must be intellectual, to be advantageous. It is not a merit: its fulfilment is only what we owe to each other, and is a debt never paid to its full extent.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 22, 2020, 9:09 p.m.(8/13/1014 AR)
Wise general, remember to enjoy silence.
You cannot have a sweet and wholesome home unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms. You cannot have a strong body and a bright countenance unless you admit into the mind thoughts of goodwill and serenity. Yet remember that anger can no more be separated from calm than heat from fire.
So embrace calmness that you may use anger.
You cannot have a sweet and wholesome home unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms. You cannot have a strong body and a bright countenance unless you admit into the mind thoughts of goodwill and serenity. Yet remember that anger can no more be separated from calm than heat from fire.
So embrace calmness that you may use anger.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 17, 2020, 7:58 a.m.(8/2/1014 AR)
On a contract I met a man in tattered clothes who offered me a drank. I scoffed at him, for I was dressed in my finest weapons and armor, and suggested I buy him one. In response, he chuckled and asked why I so offered, to which I answered, "because I am richer than you, Signore, and I am an honest and generous soldier."
To that, he asked me, "and who is more powerful than a soldier?" I responded: "a noble with many riches, of course."
In reply, he asked with a smile: "and who is more powerful than a noble?" I responded, after some thinking: "why the sun, of course, because without it the crops would not grow and the people would starve."
In reply, he laughed and asked another question: "and what is more powerful than the sun?" I responded, again after thinking: "a great cloud, I suppose, one that could block out the light."
In reply, he grinned and asked: "and what is more powerful than the darkest cloud?" I laughed, and responded: "the Great North Wind, for it can move anything?"
In reply, he laughed again and asked: "and what can the Great North Wind not move?" I shrugged, and responded: "a boulder on a plain."
In reply, he asked on more question: "and what can break that boulder?" And I, weary of the game and wanting the drink that had arrived, told him: "the Gods, I suppose; I don't know."
And then he took from under his shirt his chisel and hammer, for he was a stonecutter, and I laughed, surrendered, and let him pay for the first round.
To that, he asked me, "and who is more powerful than a soldier?" I responded: "a noble with many riches, of course."
In reply, he asked with a smile: "and who is more powerful than a noble?" I responded, after some thinking: "why the sun, of course, because without it the crops would not grow and the people would starve."
In reply, he laughed and asked another question: "and what is more powerful than the sun?" I responded, again after thinking: "a great cloud, I suppose, one that could block out the light."
In reply, he grinned and asked: "and what is more powerful than the darkest cloud?" I laughed, and responded: "the Great North Wind, for it can move anything?"
In reply, he laughed again and asked: "and what can the Great North Wind not move?" I shrugged, and responded: "a boulder on a plain."
In reply, he asked on more question: "and what can break that boulder?" And I, weary of the game and wanting the drink that had arrived, told him: "the Gods, I suppose; I don't know."
And then he took from under his shirt his chisel and hammer, for he was a stonecutter, and I laughed, surrendered, and let him pay for the first round.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 16, 2020, 10:25 p.m.(8/1/1014 AR)
Lest I appear cruel I want to state the following.
I said mercy blooms from love. I also said the working of mercy is our keeping in love. I think love is a wonderful thing; I think it must be cherished where it is found; and I think it is important to cultivate. Embrace love when you can. Do not let it go.
I said mercy feeds on pity. I also said the working of mercy turns us to do good to others. I think it is virtuous to do good; I think altruism is wondrous; and I think it should be praised. Give what you will to others. Give as much as you can.
I said mercy is selfish. I also said the working of mercy is to unburden our hearts. I think we ought to feel no shame indulging in mercy; I think there is no wrong in liberating ourselves; and I think there is no ill in doing so. Dive into healing. Let it surround you.
What I said is there is no room for the meek in service. Boldly give your loyalty to your soldiers, your excellence to your liege, and your life to your realm. Support these pillars of our society and when you march onto the battlefield, you will do so with the acme of honor.
If my vision seems stark and unrelenting, so be it.
I said mercy blooms from love. I also said the working of mercy is our keeping in love. I think love is a wonderful thing; I think it must be cherished where it is found; and I think it is important to cultivate. Embrace love when you can. Do not let it go.
I said mercy feeds on pity. I also said the working of mercy turns us to do good to others. I think it is virtuous to do good; I think altruism is wondrous; and I think it should be praised. Give what you will to others. Give as much as you can.
I said mercy is selfish. I also said the working of mercy is to unburden our hearts. I think we ought to feel no shame indulging in mercy; I think there is no wrong in liberating ourselves; and I think there is no ill in doing so. Dive into healing. Let it surround you.
What I said is there is no room for the meek in service. Boldly give your loyalty to your soldiers, your excellence to your liege, and your life to your realm. Support these pillars of our society and when you march onto the battlefield, you will do so with the acme of honor.
If my vision seems stark and unrelenting, so be it.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 14, 2020, 10:03 a.m.(7/24/1014 AR)
Wise general, be careful with mercy.
Mercy blooms from love. The working of mercy is our keeping in love. But it is neither your duty nor your obligation to love those who show themselves to be your enemy. It is also neither nor your power nor your responsibility to temper your acts with mercy, for you are neither your enemies' liege or judge. Yours is to bear the sword and the banner, to accomplish the deeds, and to do so for the benefit of your realm.
Mercy feeds on pity. The working of mercy turns us to do good to others. But it is neither your duty nor your obligation in the pursuit of your objectives to do well to or on behalf of others. It is also neither your power nor your responsibility to malign or shame your enemies by giving them a pittance without their request. Again, you act for the benefit of your realm.
Mercy is ultimately selfish. The working of mercy is to unburden our hearts from the weight of the death we are asked to deliver. Feel no shame indulging oneself when it is convenient; however, your life is neither of convenience nor gratification. At all times when executing your orders keep in mind the three pillars of virtue: devotion to your realm; excellence to your liege; and loyalty to your soldiers.
There is no room for the meek and mild in service.
Mercy blooms from love. The working of mercy is our keeping in love. But it is neither your duty nor your obligation to love those who show themselves to be your enemy. It is also neither nor your power nor your responsibility to temper your acts with mercy, for you are neither your enemies' liege or judge. Yours is to bear the sword and the banner, to accomplish the deeds, and to do so for the benefit of your realm.
Mercy feeds on pity. The working of mercy turns us to do good to others. But it is neither your duty nor your obligation in the pursuit of your objectives to do well to or on behalf of others. It is also neither your power nor your responsibility to malign or shame your enemies by giving them a pittance without their request. Again, you act for the benefit of your realm.
Mercy is ultimately selfish. The working of mercy is to unburden our hearts from the weight of the death we are asked to deliver. Feel no shame indulging oneself when it is convenient; however, your life is neither of convenience nor gratification. At all times when executing your orders keep in mind the three pillars of virtue: devotion to your realm; excellence to your liege; and loyalty to your soldiers.
There is no room for the meek and mild in service.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 13, 2020, 7:09 p.m.(7/23/1014 AR)
Remember, wise general, the importance of penance.
Of all professions, you will hear the wail of remorseful winds loudest in your ear. You will see in your dreams the face of every man and woman who has begged to see their family one more time. You will remember the words of those who pleaded for mercy. But neither the Gods nor your lieges require you to be a judge. Instead, they demand you become intimate with our wretched world, who knows no rest as she sobs through the deep of time.
The law can never save us. She is nearest to the Gods' forgiveness who with a contrite heart discerns most clearly and feels most profoundly that perfectly divine law which impeaches and condemns her. Those who feel that the irony and shame know that the only true forgiveness afforded by the Gods is the opportunity to act. So it is, wise general, that penance is more than an emotion, a tear, or a prayer.
Know what your sin is and confess it. Do not beguile yourself to be a penitent by confessing sin in the abstract. The wise general has penance done, and more penance will do. It is the curse and duty of those who live beyond the wars to ceaseless devote themselves to the betterment of others. Thus, remember, wise general, that your work is never done.
There is always more to do.
Of all professions, you will hear the wail of remorseful winds loudest in your ear. You will see in your dreams the face of every man and woman who has begged to see their family one more time. You will remember the words of those who pleaded for mercy. But neither the Gods nor your lieges require you to be a judge. Instead, they demand you become intimate with our wretched world, who knows no rest as she sobs through the deep of time.
The law can never save us. She is nearest to the Gods' forgiveness who with a contrite heart discerns most clearly and feels most profoundly that perfectly divine law which impeaches and condemns her. Those who feel that the irony and shame know that the only true forgiveness afforded by the Gods is the opportunity to act. So it is, wise general, that penance is more than an emotion, a tear, or a prayer.
Know what your sin is and confess it. Do not beguile yourself to be a penitent by confessing sin in the abstract. The wise general has penance done, and more penance will do. It is the curse and duty of those who live beyond the wars to ceaseless devote themselves to the betterment of others. Thus, remember, wise general, that your work is never done.
There is always more to do.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 9, 2020, 2:26 p.m.(7/14/1014 AR)
Wise general, remember compassion.
Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. The more we care for the happiness and pain of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. It is the antidote to the poison of fear and insecurity. It is the food that gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.
The Gods have made it so compassion brings the greatest happiness. It is thus in our nature to cherish it above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. The need for compassion lies at the feet of all of the evils which walk the earth. They result from the interdependence we all share with one another, which the weakest and most despicable of us tries to undermine. Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.
Where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless. One would rather see the world run by men who set their hearts on toys but are accessible to pity, than by men animated by lofty ideals whose dedication makes them ruthless. In the chemistry of man's soul, almost all noble attributes — courage, honor, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc. — can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us. It is compassion rather than the principle of justice which can guard us against being unjust to our fellow men.
Therefore, when the kind words no longer register and your enemies cannot be redeemed, remember well the importance of mercy. Be compassionate when you terminate resistance: do not give in to hate or malice and do not belabor the inevitable with compromise and pity. Be swift and end the suffering of those who have turned their backs on others and you will find in the end the peace that no one else has the courage to bring.
Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. The more we care for the happiness and pain of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. It is the antidote to the poison of fear and insecurity. It is the food that gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.
The Gods have made it so compassion brings the greatest happiness. It is thus in our nature to cherish it above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. The need for compassion lies at the feet of all of the evils which walk the earth. They result from the interdependence we all share with one another, which the weakest and most despicable of us tries to undermine. Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.
Where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless. One would rather see the world run by men who set their hearts on toys but are accessible to pity, than by men animated by lofty ideals whose dedication makes them ruthless. In the chemistry of man's soul, almost all noble attributes — courage, honor, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc. — can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us. It is compassion rather than the principle of justice which can guard us against being unjust to our fellow men.
Therefore, when the kind words no longer register and your enemies cannot be redeemed, remember well the importance of mercy. Be compassionate when you terminate resistance: do not give in to hate or malice and do not belabor the inevitable with compromise and pity. Be swift and end the suffering of those who have turned their backs on others and you will find in the end the peace that no one else has the courage to bring.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 7, 2020, 8:38 a.m.(7/10/1014 AR)
Wise general, understand forgiveness.
Forgiveness means you should not develop feelings of revenge. Revenge means to harm another; it is a form of violence. With violence, there is usually counterviolence. This generates even more violence, so the problem never goes away. But always remember that you are an expert in dealing violence: not as the swordsman, whose blade kills, or the archer, whose arrows impale, but as the commander who must order her swordsmen and archers to deliver death. The harm to them -- death deals harm to both parties -- is your responsibility to bear.
Forgiveness means you should try not to develop feelings of anger toward your enemy. Anger solves nothing: it often brings uncomfortable feelings to yourself. Anger destroys your own peace of mind. Anger will blur your vision or shut your eyes; it will blind you to what is important. But always remember that you are responsible for what happens in your heart. Violence does not always lead to anger; violence may be committed by the most serene and under the epitome of calculations. Command without anger and be not be afraid of violence.
Forgiveness is not absolution. The rabbit does not hate the fox for hunting it, and the fox does not seek the rabbit's forgiveness for killing it. The rose does not despite the winter for taking its petals; the winter does not ask for absolution for what is in its nature. Your enemies stand against everything for which you believe, but that does not mean you must hate them or that you cannot forgive them; rather, forgive them for who they are, for what they cannot change, and crush them inexorable as a rolling boulder does the earth beneath it.
And then forgive yourself.
Forgiveness means you should not develop feelings of revenge. Revenge means to harm another; it is a form of violence. With violence, there is usually counterviolence. This generates even more violence, so the problem never goes away. But always remember that you are an expert in dealing violence: not as the swordsman, whose blade kills, or the archer, whose arrows impale, but as the commander who must order her swordsmen and archers to deliver death. The harm to them -- death deals harm to both parties -- is your responsibility to bear.
Forgiveness means you should try not to develop feelings of anger toward your enemy. Anger solves nothing: it often brings uncomfortable feelings to yourself. Anger destroys your own peace of mind. Anger will blur your vision or shut your eyes; it will blind you to what is important. But always remember that you are responsible for what happens in your heart. Violence does not always lead to anger; violence may be committed by the most serene and under the epitome of calculations. Command without anger and be not be afraid of violence.
Forgiveness is not absolution. The rabbit does not hate the fox for hunting it, and the fox does not seek the rabbit's forgiveness for killing it. The rose does not despite the winter for taking its petals; the winter does not ask for absolution for what is in its nature. Your enemies stand against everything for which you believe, but that does not mean you must hate them or that you cannot forgive them; rather, forgive them for who they are, for what they cannot change, and crush them inexorable as a rolling boulder does the earth beneath it.
And then forgive yourself.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 2, 2020, 10:17 a.m.(6/28/1014 AR)
Reflect, wise general, on your pain.
For as long as I could remember, I was abandoned. My siblings and I were taught that the strong survive to rule by parents who believed that the fate wrought by time should not be an impediment but merely a problem to overcome. When we were exiled, my father suffered his destiny but my mother chose hers, being nowhere when I was to learn how to be a lady rather than a survivor. And when the rest of my family scattered to the wind -- our pasts made it impossible to trust one another -- I too became a leaf on the wind.
And then I was summoned to serve my House once more.
But my House cannot be around me at all times. The nights in which I drank myself to sleep are not so far behind that I cannot feel their touch at the back of my neck. I feel all too much the sensation of being alone, but not lonely, in a crowd of peers who smile and laugh together, warmed by the sort of company they are familiar with. But I can neither attend dances surrounded by sellswords nor expect to be embraced by those who will judge me not on where I have been but where I have been. My hands are empty; my arms strained; and my eyes dried.
You must believe, wise general, that there is a greater purpose for your suffering than simply to be tempered by it.
For as long as I could remember, I was abandoned. My siblings and I were taught that the strong survive to rule by parents who believed that the fate wrought by time should not be an impediment but merely a problem to overcome. When we were exiled, my father suffered his destiny but my mother chose hers, being nowhere when I was to learn how to be a lady rather than a survivor. And when the rest of my family scattered to the wind -- our pasts made it impossible to trust one another -- I too became a leaf on the wind.
And then I was summoned to serve my House once more.
But my House cannot be around me at all times. The nights in which I drank myself to sleep are not so far behind that I cannot feel their touch at the back of my neck. I feel all too much the sensation of being alone, but not lonely, in a crowd of peers who smile and laugh together, warmed by the sort of company they are familiar with. But I can neither attend dances surrounded by sellswords nor expect to be embraced by those who will judge me not on where I have been but where I have been. My hands are empty; my arms strained; and my eyes dried.
You must believe, wise general, that there is a greater purpose for your suffering than simply to be tempered by it.
Written By Piccola
Dec. 1, 2020, 8:03 p.m.(6/27/1014 AR)
A wise man asked me what honor was.
For many, honor is the way you treat others. But this is a form of conduct. We honor the Gods; we honor the dead; and we honor our agreements. This is not what the wise man meant.
It is more difficult to describe what honor is. The consistency of doing what one says one will is honorable, but it is not honor to me. For me, honor is made up of the quiet things that no one ever knows. This is that desirable conduct which others find in us and means the most to those who step onto the battlefield. It is worth dying for; it is worth killing for.
Knowing what is the right thing to do is a matter of wisdom. Seeing it through is a matter of courage. And never seeking payment for it is honor.
Do well and mind your honor, wise general.
For many, honor is the way you treat others. But this is a form of conduct. We honor the Gods; we honor the dead; and we honor our agreements. This is not what the wise man meant.
It is more difficult to describe what honor is. The consistency of doing what one says one will is honorable, but it is not honor to me. For me, honor is made up of the quiet things that no one ever knows. This is that desirable conduct which others find in us and means the most to those who step onto the battlefield. It is worth dying for; it is worth killing for.
Knowing what is the right thing to do is a matter of wisdom. Seeing it through is a matter of courage. And never seeking payment for it is honor.
Do well and mind your honor, wise general.
Written By Piccola
Nov. 30, 2020, 8:58 p.m.(6/25/1014 AR)
Remember, wise general, that courage has little to do with anger.
A man lost in rage is not courageous; he is irrational. A woman of courage is cool and calm. The bravest soldiers have the least of a brutal insolence, so that when they find themselves at the height of danger they are often at their most serene, pleasant, and free.
Rage makes a coward forget himself and fight, so what is done in fury can never be on account of courage.
A man lost in rage is not courageous; he is irrational. A woman of courage is cool and calm. The bravest soldiers have the least of a brutal insolence, so that when they find themselves at the height of danger they are often at their most serene, pleasant, and free.
Rage makes a coward forget himself and fight, so what is done in fury can never be on account of courage.
Written By Piccola
Nov. 26, 2020, 7:21 p.m.(6/17/1014 AR)
When prosperous the fool trembles for the evil that is to come.
In adversity the wise general smiles for the good that she has had.
So it is that hard times are best to remind us of the blessings we have.
Never fear loss when you have so much to be thankful for.
In adversity the wise general smiles for the good that she has had.
So it is that hard times are best to remind us of the blessings we have.
Never fear loss when you have so much to be thankful for.
Written By Piccola
Nov. 25, 2020, 3:42 p.m.(6/14/1014 AR)
Seek not political power, wise general.
Wisdom in warfare is the epitome of intelligence. Intelligence, however, is the antithesis to popularity. An opinion about the nature of the world is often so abhorrent to the people's sensibilities -- they use them without inspection and out of traditional habit -- that no man or woman seeking the approval of others dare affirm it in public. Although our leaders are not elevated by public opinion, it remains nonetheless important for all nobles to remain in good standing with their people and their peers, else they invite the sort of villainy and treachery later proclaimed just by ignorant victors.
Straightforwardness without civility is like a surgeon's knife: effective but unpleasant. Candor with courtesy is helpful and admirable, but of little use when a man is bleeding his life out onto a floor. Let those tasked with dissuading skullduggery seek and maintain political power, and remember, wise general, that you are their doctor: employed as necessary in their times of need and tasked often with completing the most dire and unpopular of tasks.
There is no virtue in political power.
Wisdom in warfare is the epitome of intelligence. Intelligence, however, is the antithesis to popularity. An opinion about the nature of the world is often so abhorrent to the people's sensibilities -- they use them without inspection and out of traditional habit -- that no man or woman seeking the approval of others dare affirm it in public. Although our leaders are not elevated by public opinion, it remains nonetheless important for all nobles to remain in good standing with their people and their peers, else they invite the sort of villainy and treachery later proclaimed just by ignorant victors.
Straightforwardness without civility is like a surgeon's knife: effective but unpleasant. Candor with courtesy is helpful and admirable, but of little use when a man is bleeding his life out onto a floor. Let those tasked with dissuading skullduggery seek and maintain political power, and remember, wise general, that you are their doctor: employed as necessary in their times of need and tasked often with completing the most dire and unpopular of tasks.
There is no virtue in political power.
Please note that the scholars may take some time preparing your journal for others to read.