Following The Virtues…
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: Following the virtues...
Author: Elric Telamon
Following the virtues in our modern times
Alas, you might sneer or cringe when reading the title of this tome. After all, who worries about virtues in these days ?
Whether you visit the first bank of Britannia ( a common meeting place of citizens ), or say, the market-place in Luna, you will see a lot of people who apparently have forgotten about those eight virtues Lord British developed.
Why should they care about them, after all ? Sure, if all you worry about is thine profit, the sound of coins in your treasure chest, the sheer amount of valuables you have stashed away... if all you desire is fame, or ranking as the most notorious murderer in Sosaria... why would you care about the virtues ?
Even for an honest citizen, the virtues might not look all that appealing.
And if someone requests more details on, say, the effect of following the virtue of Honour, all they usually worry about is the benefit of it: the "bonus" of some of the virtues, such as the ability to walk among agressive beasts while embracing your honor.
It is a sad thing to see that those people do not spend any thought on the philosophy and purpose of the respective virtue.
It is sad that many people have not even heard of the tales of Jaana, or Katrina, or Iolo, companions of their respective virtues.
"So what do I get out of following those virtues ?" you might ask now.
Well, remember why Lord British has established them. Sosaria was in turmoil after the mysterious Stranger had shattered the Gem Of Immortality.
As you might remember, the whole world was reshapened after this, new towns were established, travellers from other dimensions appeared.
Lord British tried to create a guideline to go by... not rules and laws.
Those are recorded in the Sosarian law books.
Now... eight virtues to go by.
Those, if followed by enough citizens, were supposed to help establish order and peace in our world.
To possibly even lessen the need for a lot of laws and enforcement of these laws.
And a lot of people did try to go by the rules. If you would take the time to study Sosaria´s past, rich of legends and tales, you would soon discover enlightening tales about some of those champions of the virtues... mighty warriors who displayed honor and valor, with their sword raised, facing the most terrible dangers.
Of monks and healers who excelled in compassion and sacrifice.
Paladins who both displayed honesty, justice and spirituality.
So what IS the benefit of following them ? There are several answers to this, which I will explain to you now.
Following some or all of the virtues might earn you ridicule or mockery by some of the less honorable or ignorant citizens of this world.
Yet, you should consider going by the virtues not for your prestige or personal gain ( as in "material gain" ), but for the improvement for you as a person.
Following them can be quite fulfilling, satisfying, enlightening.
It is up to you to decide whether you will follow them. Yet, you will not be the only person who will benefit from it.
Your benefits will be way beyond mere material needs... you will grow and develop as a person, worthy to call yourself a champion of one, two, or even all of the virtues.
However, achieving that goal means to interact with people... to actually be an active follower of the virtues.
Imagine the joy of a beggar or orphan that you share your last few coins of gold with.
The gratefulness and respect of a companion in battle, whom you risk your life for, maybe sacrificing it ( and fortunately, in our world, death in battle does not mean an eternal end to your existence ).
The respect of those who see you face great perils, displaying valor.
The trust you might get from an employer or guildmate because they know you are honest at all times, and can be trusted without the fear of being stabbed in the back, or stolen from.
Let me relate a short tale that proved my theory about the satisfaction and ( more than material ) benefits of following the virtues.
When I was a young fighter, I once went down to the pits of the dungeon called Wrong. There, I encountered the spirit of an even younger, less experienced warrior.
He had been slain by some of the terrifying monsters dwelling the dungeon.
I resurrected him... the only way for me to do so, being a paladin not experienced in the use of magic, was to cast the "Noble Sacrifice" spell, thereby risking my life, as my lifeforce was lessened to a very small amount, as a "prize" to pay for resurrecting the young warrior... I was a bit nervous about doing so, surrounded by powerful evil creatures, yet I knew that I had resurrect this young citizen.
I did, and I also handed him some armour and weapons I had collected elsewhere, in order for him to safely escape from Wrong.
He thanked me, and I didn´t see him again for a long time.
Many moons later, I travelled to the dangerous lands of Felucca, where I was soon hunted and surrounded by a group of blood-thirsty murderers, eager to shed my blood. Even though I did try to defend myself and chase them away, I was soon overpowered.
Suddenly, from amid these rogues, stepped a person clad in black clothes. Seeing his face under the hood of his robe, I quickly recognized him... it was the warrior I had resurrected in the pits of Wrong.
He now was one of the leaders of a vile group of murderers. He told his companions to leave me alone, and let me escape, in order to repay his debt ( which I didn´t consider a debt, yet there must be a small amount of honor left even in the wretched brain of a murderer ).
Should I have tried to attack them, even though I knew I wouldnt have survived ? After all, I would have followed the virtue of Valor then.
Yet, I chose to leave, knowing that my freedom and live were saved by the fact I had displayed sacrifice, compassion, even honor, when resurrecting the young warrior long ago...
And this also goes to show you that following ALL of the virtues sometimes can be very difficult. Following one of them might bring you in conflict with another one.
Its up to you to decide which one to go by. BUT... going by at least one of them is more than a lot of people ever accomplish, and in my opinion is way more valuable than just chasing for more gold, more possessions.
If more of us would decide to follow the paths of the eight virtues, this land would be more peaceful. And instead of chasing for rainbows, we might be able to find peace and fulfillment in ourselves, by striving to live a virtuous life.
It might gain us the respect of our fellow citizens, but even if all our attempts will go undetected, being a virtuous person should be something you do for yourself, not others, or for material gains.
The least you could do is educate yourself about the former champions of virtue, the philosophy and intention of each one of those virtues, and to consider whether money and fame is all in live worth striving for.
The choice is up to you... who knows, you might find an all new kind of excitement trying to be virtuous...
Elric Telamon