The Path Of Virtue

From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki

Title: The Path of Virtue

Author: Brother Maynard

After years of meditation and thought; after hundreds of quests along the mental, physical and spiritual path to peace and fulfillment, a person might reach near perfection in the eight virtues of Avatarhood. Only while an individual continues to strive against the external and internal forces of evil, can he or she be said to be on the path of the Avatar.

The ankh is the symbol of peace and benevolence toward all creatures, worn as a sign by those on the lifelong Quest of the Avatar. Ankhs are believed also to enhance courage and loyalty to goodness and to help ward off harm for knights striving to achieve the eight virtues, which are as follows:

Honesty,

is scrupulous respect for truth--the willingness never to deceive oneself or another.

Compassion,

is nonjudgmental empathy for one's fellow creatures Valor, is the courage to take actions in support on one's convictions.

Justice,

is the devotion to truth,tempered by love.

Sacrifice,

is the courage to give of oneself in the name of love.

Honour,

is the courage to stand for truth, against any odds.

Spirituality,

is the concern with one's inner being and how one deals with truth, love and courage.

Humility,

is perceiving one's place in the world, not according to one's own accomplishments, but according to the intrinsic value of all individuals.

Each of Britannia's eight leading townes celebrates one of the virtues of Avatarhood, and each has raised a shrine to that virtue.

The shrines are located in retreats to ensure tranquility in natural settings, so travelling to some shrines requires a considerable journey from their townes.

The only requirement for using a shrine is knowing the mantra for that virtue.

A mantra is a sound repeated continuously during meditation, helping to clear the mind and focus the spirit. Each virtue has a specific mantra that works best for it, an d sincere meditation can bring great wisdom.