Epistle to the Britannians: The Eighth Virtue
Gannon Balthazar
Gannon Balthazar,
Patriarch of the Cult of Virtue.
Gannon Balthazar
When the Shadow had consumed Sosaria, and hope for man in this dark corner of the cosmos seemed lost, Our Prophet and Lawgiver, Cantabrigian, codified a series of Eight Sacred Virtue, and though his Wisdom, he provided for the Salvation of Man.
You know the Principles of which I speak. Truth. Love. Courage. Compassion, derived from Sacred Love. Valor, from Noble Courage. Love and Courage, together, become Sacrifice. Love and Truth, Justice. Spirituality, derived from the Three Principles, is the Sum of All Virtue, whereas Humility, the Sacred Virtue our Blessed Queen gave her life for, is derived from none.
But what is ...Humility?
To know Humility, one must first know its opposite, Pride. For it was Pride that urged a man to wage war upon his own people for a Crown that was not his. Pride, that led the Magincians to believe themselves ...inassailable, even as the Demons fed upon their Sin, giving them the Strength to triumph. Pride, which caused a once humble man to make a pact with the Shadowlords, forever blackening his immortal soul in exchange for dominion over this World.
The seeds of Pride are spread amongst us, even now, by those who claim themselves the most humble.
But what is Humility? Some philosophers have argued that, if Spirituality is the Sum of All Virtue, and Holiness, then Humility must be its opposite, the Void. This is Falsehood, derived from a misguided interpretation of Virtue. For I tell you now, Brothers and Sisters, Humility is not the Void, but instead the foundation upon which Virtue is based. For what is Compassion, if it is for show? What is Valor, if it is for no more than Vain Spectacle? What is Justice, if it is for the glorification of a Corrupt State?
Thus Virtue, without Humility, is folly.
I ask again, What is Humility? I tell you now, Brothers and Sisters, 'tis not the absence of Pride, just as it is not the absence of Virtue. For there is no shame in an artisan priding himself on the fruits of his labor. Nor is there evil in a Brave and Noble Knight taking pride in all the things he is willing to shed his blood, and his life, to protect. His Family. His Home. His Country.
No, my friends, Humility is not the absence of Pride, nor is it the absence of Principle. Humility is, instead, an understanding of your place in the World. It is knowing, without vain spectacle, without gilded adornments and material wealth, that you are human, a living soul, and that you have worth. That your value is not measured on achievements, on honors, but instead because you live, you breath, and you have a right to those things. That you are a Child of the Light, that you deserve to Live, Breathe, and bask in the Light of Life and Virtue.
You cannot purchase that.
Magincias Sin was not in their Architecture. It was not in their wealth, considerable as it was, nor in the lavish lives for which they lived. It was, instead, because the Magincians measured themselves on these vain, material things, and thought without them, they were worth nothing. That the beggar on the street was less than human. That the poor farmer was a tool. Thus the Magincians horded their wealth, Prided themselves upon it, oblivious to the nature of Demons, who are not living, sentient creatures, but instead the creations of our Evil, who feed upon our subconcious desires, fears, and of course, Pride.
Humility. 'Tis the Virtue our Queen, Blessed Dawn, gave her life for. Humility, the antithesis of the Bane, who gains strength from our Pride. But is it not also Prideful, Brothers and Sisters, to believe that the Queen, blessed as she may be, is the sole person sacred enough, humble enough, to consecrate herself and draw upon the Fires of Virtue?
That too, is folly.
Thus I received a Vision. A Foretelling, from the Light, to share with one and all. I beheld an Army of Light, arrayed in Glorious Splendour, mounted upon a Hill. You, Children, Brothers and Sisters, standing in defiance against the Devil of Magincia. And we lost. We lost because Pride remained within our hearts, and Pride strengthened Our Enemy. But then I beheld another Vision, the same Vision, of the same Army of Light, arrayed in Glorious Splendour. But unlike the previous Vision, each man, each woman, bore with him a token of Virtue, consecrated upon the Shrine of Humility, a reminder of all that he, she, you, fight for.
I beheld a man who wore a necklace, a crude leather braid, but made with the love of his son or daughter. I beheld another, the flowers she had once grown in her garden, woven through her hair. I saw one, wrapped in a simple tan cloak spun by his wife, a humble thing to keep him warm, and another, bearing an hunting spear given to him by his grandfather.
All these things, blessed upon the Altar of Humility. And with these things, We, the Britannians, triumphed, for the Devil of Magincia could not stand against Truth, Love and Courage, nor could he feed on our Pride. Our Virtue shined brighter than the Sun. And thus we banished him into the Void. Forever.
Thus I implore you, Brothers and Sisters, find that token, a reminder of all the things you fight for. All those things you would be willing to die for. Take them to the Altar. Bless them. And together, we shall defeat the Evil, the Corruption, Pride, and drive Sin from Magincia.
You know the Principles of which I speak. Truth. Love. Courage. Compassion, derived from Sacred Love. Valor, from Noble Courage. Love and Courage, together, become Sacrifice. Love and Truth, Justice. Spirituality, derived from the Three Principles, is the Sum of All Virtue, whereas Humility, the Sacred Virtue our Blessed Queen gave her life for, is derived from none.
But what is ...Humility?
To know Humility, one must first know its opposite, Pride. For it was Pride that urged a man to wage war upon his own people for a Crown that was not his. Pride, that led the Magincians to believe themselves ...inassailable, even as the Demons fed upon their Sin, giving them the Strength to triumph. Pride, which caused a once humble man to make a pact with the Shadowlords, forever blackening his immortal soul in exchange for dominion over this World.
The seeds of Pride are spread amongst us, even now, by those who claim themselves the most humble.
But what is Humility? Some philosophers have argued that, if Spirituality is the Sum of All Virtue, and Holiness, then Humility must be its opposite, the Void. This is Falsehood, derived from a misguided interpretation of Virtue. For I tell you now, Brothers and Sisters, Humility is not the Void, but instead the foundation upon which Virtue is based. For what is Compassion, if it is for show? What is Valor, if it is for no more than Vain Spectacle? What is Justice, if it is for the glorification of a Corrupt State?
Thus Virtue, without Humility, is folly.
I ask again, What is Humility? I tell you now, Brothers and Sisters, 'tis not the absence of Pride, just as it is not the absence of Virtue. For there is no shame in an artisan priding himself on the fruits of his labor. Nor is there evil in a Brave and Noble Knight taking pride in all the things he is willing to shed his blood, and his life, to protect. His Family. His Home. His Country.
No, my friends, Humility is not the absence of Pride, nor is it the absence of Principle. Humility is, instead, an understanding of your place in the World. It is knowing, without vain spectacle, without gilded adornments and material wealth, that you are human, a living soul, and that you have worth. That your value is not measured on achievements, on honors, but instead because you live, you breath, and you have a right to those things. That you are a Child of the Light, that you deserve to Live, Breathe, and bask in the Light of Life and Virtue.
You cannot purchase that.
Magincias Sin was not in their Architecture. It was not in their wealth, considerable as it was, nor in the lavish lives for which they lived. It was, instead, because the Magincians measured themselves on these vain, material things, and thought without them, they were worth nothing. That the beggar on the street was less than human. That the poor farmer was a tool. Thus the Magincians horded their wealth, Prided themselves upon it, oblivious to the nature of Demons, who are not living, sentient creatures, but instead the creations of our Evil, who feed upon our subconcious desires, fears, and of course, Pride.
Humility. 'Tis the Virtue our Queen, Blessed Dawn, gave her life for. Humility, the antithesis of the Bane, who gains strength from our Pride. But is it not also Prideful, Brothers and Sisters, to believe that the Queen, blessed as she may be, is the sole person sacred enough, humble enough, to consecrate herself and draw upon the Fires of Virtue?
That too, is folly.
Thus I received a Vision. A Foretelling, from the Light, to share with one and all. I beheld an Army of Light, arrayed in Glorious Splendour, mounted upon a Hill. You, Children, Brothers and Sisters, standing in defiance against the Devil of Magincia. And we lost. We lost because Pride remained within our hearts, and Pride strengthened Our Enemy. But then I beheld another Vision, the same Vision, of the same Army of Light, arrayed in Glorious Splendour. But unlike the previous Vision, each man, each woman, bore with him a token of Virtue, consecrated upon the Shrine of Humility, a reminder of all that he, she, you, fight for.
I beheld a man who wore a necklace, a crude leather braid, but made with the love of his son or daughter. I beheld another, the flowers she had once grown in her garden, woven through her hair. I saw one, wrapped in a simple tan cloak spun by his wife, a humble thing to keep him warm, and another, bearing an hunting spear given to him by his grandfather.
All these things, blessed upon the Altar of Humility. And with these things, We, the Britannians, triumphed, for the Devil of Magincia could not stand against Truth, Love and Courage, nor could he feed on our Pride. Our Virtue shined brighter than the Sun. And thus we banished him into the Void. Forever.
Thus I implore you, Brothers and Sisters, find that token, a reminder of all the things you fight for. All those things you would be willing to die for. Take them to the Altar. Bless them. And together, we shall defeat the Evil, the Corruption, Pride, and drive Sin from Magincia.
Gannon Balthazar,
Patriarch of the Cult of Virtue.