Sermons Of Virtue II
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: Sermons Of Virtue II
Author: Loki
I pray that this selection of a Regent does not become another missed opportunity. This time our society is in flux and with the proper dedication to the Virtues by a strong Regent could restore the Regency as the central pillar on which we can begin again to build a society of Virtue and for the people.
Now, some may ask whom I would prefer or recommend for the position of Regent. Well, other than myself, I will reserve my opinion as it is of minimal importance. The opportunity for new choices has been squelched by those choosing a closed selection. So we have on one hand Isk, and on the other hand Nazralte, and between the two is the sole choice. Between these two candidates I cannot say, I am nowhere near well enough acquainted with their pasts to judge.
And does their past really matter? I have heard tales and rumors of the past of some belonging to this Church, and they have realized and changed to the Light of Virtue. Then there is myself, one who preferred a tome, an old book, tablets of ancient times, or anything from the long past over the troubles, times, and peoples of today. But here I stand after my awakening to my calling. In this same vein I am praying the same inspirational evolution will guide the new Regent beyond any personal past or present shortcomings of person and Virtue.
No matter who is chosen to be Regent to lead the Regency and our peoples, I will refrain from judgment on past behavior or tendencies and wait to see what their truth is shown through their actions as Regent. I have learned through my studies that sometimes the most honored and respected among us can be given position and by such turn to darkness and self-delusion. Other times those considered of poor quality have turned around once the mantle of responsible leadership has been laid upon their shoulders.
So, in this spirit I will only hope that our new Regent will become the shining Light that he is capable of becoming. Further, I offer any assistance that our new Regent may request of myself or of the Holy Church of the Virtues. I hope that in this time where the cacophony of voices claiming to know the way to the future clamor and clatter with great volume that we can manage to hear the voices of Virtue through the din. I hope for the best for our people and our institutions. Let us all pull together in this time of intense change and together turn it into a time where we leap forward in Virtue in harmony and Principle.
Upon planning for his departure, our Lord British, may Virtue light his path, formed a political body called the Regency. The Regency was supposed to rule in his stead and represent those values he held most dear, the Eight Virtues derived of the Three Principles. The Regency was supposed to be the center of all alliances where Guilds swore an oath of fealty and town councils could bring their disputes for Virtuous judgments. Looking at the hodge-podge of Alliances and Organizations and the weakness of the Regency, one wonders what went wrong and where? Well, the first and most glaring deficiency is found within the Regency itself. No longer does the Regency represent the Virtuous Values Lord British declared be the central pillar for his government in absentia. They now serve balance, or at least the Regency did and he was the guiding force for the Regency. There are those who claim that this balance is rooted in the Virtues, but this is a falsehood. The Balance places Chaos and Order on an even footing thus relegating the Virtues to a secondary value at best. This does not serve the community, nor does it serve the Regency, and thus the Regency no longer serves the community as intended.
This cannot be tolerated as it weakens our society and strengthens those who serve not the Virtues. It gives validation to those who serve Chaos. Further, it not only places Order and Chaos as equal parcels of society, but also places Virtues and Anti-Virtues as equals. By doing this, the Regency has displaced those guilds of Virtue it was intended to strengthen and unite. By doing this, the Regency has violated itself and become a menace to the Virtues. Due to this desertion from its principles and the Virtues, I call for the dissolution of the current Regency and replacing it with a new Regency that is steeped in the Virtues. I call for the Guilds and peoples of the Virtues to reclaim their rightful governance through the Regency.
I call for this not just because it is righteous and Virtuous, but because it is the only true path to save our lands and serve the memory and desires of Lord British. This will not be an easy path, nor will the task we face weigh lightly upon our shoulders. Quite to the contrary, we will face opposition every step of the way. Those who have perverted our Regency and seized, nay, usurped ill gotten power, all the while relegating the Virtues to a minor role in the ruling decisions, will do every conceivable evil and anti-virtuous act to forestall the return of Virtue as the center column of our Regency, our government. This was evident at the last public meeting of the Regency Grand Council. When it was brought forth to the attention of those gathered that a member Guild of the Regulators has banned the preaching of the Virtues within their borders. They even were willing to arrest this humble Celebrant for publicly preaching Virtue within their borders. Only due to the Virtues causing their jail doors to refuse to open was I simply escorted from their lands and allowed to walk free and continue to spread the light of the Virtues.
When it was further noted that two of those sitting in positions of power and title also had sworn allegiance to another entity, the Regulators, an alliance that allows membership of those who openly oppose acceptance of all the Virtues as a whole and woven truth, and that this was against the Constitution and by laws upon which the Regency was formed and founded, the defense offered by those holding the positions with questionable allegiance was to point to other Guilds who also held a title of power that also does not hold the Virtues as pure truth. They pointed to others trying to deflect the light being shone on their duplicity. They simply pointed out that the Regency as a whole has repudiated the Virtues and the truths bestowed upon the Regency at its founding by our beloved Lord British.
I say we honor their defense that the Regency is now based outside of its founding documents, its founding intents, its founding in Virtue. I say we grant that the Regency is as their assertion states, fully tainted and compromised through and through. I do realize that there are those within the Regency who are of Virtue and hold to the hope that our Regency can still be returned to Virtue, to the path of the Lightbringer. I call for these Guilds, these individuals to join with others of Virtue from our society and renew the Regency to Virtue. This will, most unfortunately, require a baptism by fire to purge those who do not stand in Virtue from the Regency and reunite with those who the Regency has left in the destructive wake of its turning from the true roots of the Virtues.