Atlantic Roleplay Community Boards

[Rufus Oryan]

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Friend Bartholomew,

Initially, I almost grew offended at your reply. But to probe deeper and truly understand you hold an honest conviction to Virtue and to genuinely be interested in the preservation of a governing body and its head, I cannot help but to commend you. Though I am positive that you meant nay a bit of offense or disrespect, I must allow you your opinion and feelings. Both of which, were well versed and it’s subject overviewed properly.

But in the interest of ideals, and feelings, I cannot stray from my own issues regarding balance and my feeling on the ideal. Never have I denounced virtue or the principles that have crafted and attributed to each of the more vocal pillars and well known assets of the following. My ideals of Balance do come with the idea of an ultimate and divine harmony and a moment of clarity within the realm and the individuals within. Balance is an ideal of understanding, learning, and patients. All my decisions and such regarding these principles are tempered and relate to Virtue and all the traits that craft the individual virtues (as we call them). In straying from virtue even partly, I would indeed be disregarding the constitution and the Spirit of the Regency. I am a firm believer in emotions and intellect. The combination will make for more conscious decisions and an understanding of beings spirits, hearts and mindsets. To follow any ideal blindly and without relation to realistic situations and the various instances where we walk paths and meet obstacles on such paths. These interactions and their outcome determine our growths. But to nay combine either ideal (Virtue or Balance) With the thought and hold regard to realism would be foolish.


“Balance

From the marrage between two Forces, one each from Chaos and Order, come the principles of Balance:

Tolerance and Ethicality combine to form Harmony, the ability to be at peace with oneself, other individuals and the world.

From the union of Enthusiasm and Discipline springs Dedication, that which permits one to surmount obstacles and lead others.

Emotion tempered by Logic results in Rationality, the ability to comprehend life and understand the world around us.”
(The Book of Balance)

I understand that the ideal of Virtue is nay a thing one can simply turn away from at the drop of a hat. Or even turn it “on” and then “Off” when need be. But one MUST relate it to reality and the world around us. I forever hope to raise the spirits of individuals and maintain a positive mindset within them, as well as myself. Virtue can provide such stability. If one were to follow it in perfection, I could only imagine the grand results and level of equality in their lifestyle, as well as their personal happiness. But…Nay an individual amongst us is crafted in perfection. In turn, realistic principles of tolerance, ethicality, Enthusiasm, Dedication, emotion and logic will only aid us; all while Combined and Tempered by the Virtues.

Mayhaps I have rambled far too long. But nay have I strayed from virtue. For I believe it to be the foundation of the Regency, and that virtue will in all honesty be the force that does keep it strong and prosperous. Organizations such as yours do maintain and interpret these ideals so that generations and new comers will accept and understand the Virtues. And the Regency will remain a government Crafted in Such. To accept your will would renounce my individuality and views on Spirituality. But, I cannot stray from a debate. So at thy convenience I am available for a word. Or mayhaps we can trade missives; Long as it been since scholars have tossed parchments of their feelings and truly aided in the enlightenment of Society. It is in my own Genesis and growth that I have begun to grasp the principles that I do, I have become who I am from that understanding and enlightenment. Still, thou is allowed his opinion. I await your reply friend.

Respectfully,

Rufus Oryan

Governor-Regent of Britannia
Sultan of Nujel’m
Prophet of Balance
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"Balance - the harmony between the Principles of Order and Chaos...Harmony, Dedication and Rationality, the three Principles of Balance, are our highest ideals."

[Bartholomew]

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Friend Regent Rufus,

I guess my first reaction would be to confess that you should color me foolish as I hold the Three Principles and their ensuing Eight Virtues above all else and hold such as my realism. I see all through the prism of the Virtues and thus, in your eyes and the eyes of many, see a tainted view of the world removed from realism. This, bless the Virtues, is my allotted place as the High Celebrant of Virtue for the order of the Holy Church of the Virtues. Thus is the lot of those who dedicate themselves to the purest pursuit to honor and live the Virtues above and regardless of all else.

To take from your own musings, “If one were to follow it in perfection, I could only imagine the grand results and level of equality in their lifestyle, as well as their personal happiness. But…Nay an individual amongst us is crafted in perfection.” Where I agree in whole with this statement, unlike yourself, I do not see the impracticality of perfection as reason to travel a lesser path. Only by striving for perfection through the constant pursuit of Virtue in all actions will we reach the personal and societal happiness of which you refer. To surrender to our humanity and set standards due to their being more accessible, more easily attainable, more realistic, and of lesser expectations is to further allow us as individuals and a society to stray further from the high Principles reflected in the Virtues. I myself freely admit that my struggle is oft with Pride and I find myself needing to remind myself of Humility and the peace from my own self-indulgent clattering it does provide. This imperfection does not take from me the ideal of attaining a life of Virtue but rather serves to remind me that it is through the constant striving for Virtue that I better myself and all that surrounds me.

I am sorry if I cannot find that seeking a path of least resistance and seeking to live by goals simply because they are attainable and recognize all and refute none. I am aware of the reality of the world around me. This knowledge does not prevent me from wishing only the highest expectations from my fellow travelers. To see all and say, yes, all has a place as this allows equal acceptance is not acceptable to me. I see things as they are and ask how can they be improved through the Virtues rather than how can I adapt my view of the place for Virtue in balance with other philosophies and doctrines to accept the world as it is. The whole concept of the Principles and the Virtues is to set an unattainable goal that we may improve ourselves and our society in the constant pursuit of the ideal. Yes, we shall stumble, nay, even fall and fail miserably in our daily struggles. This does not negate the value or validity of the Virtuous goals we have set before us. All our failings give us is a stronger resolve to try harder and to renew our convictions in Virtue, anything less is to fall and simply decide to remain fallen by the wayside.

Virtue is the way set for us by Lord British. Virtue is the guide toward a more perfect society. Virtue is our light and our path. And it is with the lamp of Virtue I shall do all in my life to find my way along the path of Virtue. To do less is to dishonor not only the legacy of Lord British, but to dishonor myself as less than I am possible of becoming.

Yours In Virtue,

Bartholomew
High Celebrant of Virtue
Holy Church of the Virtues
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Bartholomew; Celebrant of Virtue {HCV}