Morality and Virtue, penned by Triel Dilshanae

Chapter I: Hate versus Love
One has to wonder, is hate ever really worth it? If a person has done something to deserve your hate do they really deserve the time and effort that it takes to hate them? What purpose does that hate serve? Does it stop them from doing whatever it is that offended you in the first place? Hate is self consuming. It breeds only more hate, it feeds on itself, and thrives. Hate does not lift us, it does not live beyond us, it does not strengthen us. Hate is the weapon of evil and destruction. Evil uses hate to control us, evil is supported by hate. By gathering hate into your heart you take yourself to that same level, you swing the balance toward evil. Hate is easy, but hard on the soul. It is much easier to hate than to love.

Love can change a person's perception of the world when you show it through adversity. Be an example to others, love those who spurn you, love those that hurt you. This definition of love is not the same as that for husband and wife, or mother and child. Love can be mercy for the weak or clothing for the poor. Defending the defenseless, or just showing kindness to someone that shows hate. Love breeds love, it also feeds upon itself. It brings hope and light. It is the shield of good, the bane of evil. Love is the final, best gift you can leave the world. How will you be remembered when you leave? How will the lives of others be changed?

Chapter II: Selflessness
To be selfless you must help others, give of yourself with no expectation of reward. Be an example to all that doing good is its own reward. To be selfless is to forgo praise and reward with grace as well. Even if we feel spurned for our service we must never let those we serve see it. In the end it only matters what the Gods see and how they feel about our service.

With service comes all manner of decisions. To question those we serve does not show cowardice. You must be prepared for what it is you will do in service. If your charge is to clear a band of brigands that plague a peaceful village, you should know how many. How are they armed and if they have reinforcements. Walk into each challenge armed with as much knowledge as you can get, even to the extent of ensuring your charge is just.

Use caution when you take on a challenge to help others, only a fool blindly trusts a stranger. Do not assume that the person asking for your help has altruistic goals in mind. As in the example above, make sure the town elder is asking you to discharge the brigands to protect the village, not because they are competing with his own villainous plans for the area. To help evil, even unwitting or under duplicity, can have severe consequences on your soul. We must never help evil meet their goals.

We thwart evil by showing mercy even to those who have harmed us. We must accept surrender for even those who would not accept it themselves. Remember that altruism must be tempered with respect for the dignity of sentient beings, even in death. By setting aside revenge, avarice, and anger we are truly selfless.

Chapter III: Charity
Charity is quite simply the act of giving what you have to those who have not. A virtuous person will give his last loaf of bread to the hungry, his extra clothes to the naked. He brings hope to the hopeless, lodging to the homeless, and money to the destitute. Someone might ask, does it not reduce you to hunger if you give up your food? No because the Gods provide for those who provide for others. They may also ask, why do those Gods not provide for the needy in the first place? I smile and say, they do, through me.

Giving charity also means giving concern for the dignity of those you help. Do not call undue attention to their plight. You must also give charity without concern for their moral character. By doing this we show even the most vile person that we are above holding a grudge. In the end, all those in need must be helped if we are capable of doing it. Do not fall into the evil dogma that those in need are too weak to help themselves therefor deserve their lot. It is not our place to pass judgement on the why, only try to change what is.

Chapter IV: Healing
If it is within your capabilities do not hold it back without good reason. Heal without regard for moral character, for the touch of our patron may lead to redemption for your patient's soul. At the least your good act sways the balance in our favor. Showing this type of kindness is an example of the teachings of our faith and our morals. It is also an example to those who witness your kindness so that they may also know the virtue of our faiths. This includes the more mundane healing arts as well. Any little bit that you can offer helps, and when you do it selflessly your example will shine. Besides your example even the most meager aid can mean the difference.

There are many other ailments than physical injury. Even these need to be treated if they are within your skill. Some people suffer from mental illness. Something as mild as sleeplessness to full on madness. It takes special training to deal with this in many cases, but sometimes even a kind word can make a huge difference. Some help you can offer is to protect these people from others and themselves. Some do not understand, and at times even fear others who suffer from mental illness. More common ailments are emotional. People everywhere suffer from forms of depression for many reasons. We must be a counselor to those who suffer. Help them avoid sinking into despair or doing something foolish.

Chapter V: Personal Sacrifice
Personal sacrifice is defined by helping others at great personal risk or cost. It is evident when we do our work, without asking for reward for our risk, we show the most basic form of personal sacrifice. We must forfeit all claims to recognition or praise, nor should our help be contingent on serving personal interests. If those you help insist on rewarding you, do not insult them by refusing more than once, but later give what is extra to those who need it more. Accept with grace but be sure that accolades do not change your outlook.

There are many forms of personal sacrifice. Charity in its extreme can be great sacrifice, as in giving your last coin to a destitute man, or giving your last bit of food to the hungry. We also sacrifice when we give of our time without complaint. When we devote ourselves to serve with virtue we must be prepared to put our own interests and time aside. Personal enjoyment can also be sacrificed. That is not to say we should avoid these things but they are secondary to our service to the greater good. Those of us who devote ourselves to this extreme can hope that we find someone to be in our lives who understands this and supports us. In the most extreme circumstances we may be called upon to make that final, greatest sacrifice. If our life is the cost of saving many then consider it a small price to pay. We are not all destined to pay it, nor does it mean you are a coward if you don't, but you will know if it is your calling and you will find the strength.

Chapter VI: Mercy
Giving quarter to an enemy that surrenders is paramount to a virtuous life. It is tempting to treat enemies as they treat others, but that would bring you to their level and give support to their ideals. You must accept surrender no matter how many times you are betrayed, or attacked. Accept their surrender with kindness and dignity, regardless of their own actions. This does not waive the need to be prudent. Most of your enemies will take advantage of your benevolence. They will beg your mercy with thoughts of stabbing you in the back at first opportunity of escape. Be ever vigilant.

You must treat prisoners with dignity and respect. Torture is unacceptable, even on the most evil of subjects. Besides being evil in and of itself torture never reveals the truth. A person under excruciating pain will tell you anything to make it end. Prisoners must be kept healthy, and well fed so that they know that virtue has no bounds. Every little thing we do may save one soul for redemption and a little kindness is worth that. If the final sentence is necessary then we must carry mercy with us. Execution is sometimes needed, either to protect innocents or for a person that will not reform. If we must bring this sentence on someone then it must be swift and as free of pain as we can possibly make it.

Chapter VII: Forgiveness
Along the same track as mercy lies forgiveness. To forgive you must believe that even the most evil person can change. Every soul deserves a chance at redemption, and your forgiveness may encourage evil to seek it. They may see that altruism is the right path and that we are above petty grudges. In the end do not hold any grudges, do not hold it against them once forgiveness is given. Be above it, be worthy of divine grace, be better than what is expected as normal.

Forgiveness is the first, essential step to redemption. Evil that is seeking redemption can easily revert if they feel despair or sense hate from all sides. True forgiveness can help avoid all that and strengthen their foundation of virtue.

Chapter VIII: Hope
Hope is how we counteract the despair that is spread by evildoers. We must combat apathy which can stifle all hope. It is hard to define, or measure hope, for there is little physical or tangible benefit. The absence of hope is more noticeable though. Depression, illness, and despair are all symptoms of hopelessness. Hope can mean the difference between success or defeat in battle. Hope can be the difference between life or death in a serious illness, it can be the anchor by which we hold our lives together. Hope is a vision of a good future, a vision that can bring us all that we need to survive. Many times those who need hope the most are those who live under the oppressive weight of tyranny. We can help by showing kindness, this simple action can help them by giving them a vision of what live can be like. A hope for the future.

Chapter IX: Redemption
Probably our greatest struggle, and our greatest act of good is that of helping to redeem a soul. Converting evil not only helps the villain find peace but it helps the innocents that villain would have come into contact with. You save the villain from eternal torment and suffering in the afterlife. By redeeming their mortal self and in turn their mortal soul it can also change the balance toward the side of good.

It may be tempting, but sword-point redemption simply does not work. Not only does it smack of evil but it robs them of their free will and dignity. It also brings into question their willingness to convert. If it is forced do they really mean it? Redemption is a long and arduous process, but it is worth it. When we turn an evil soul to the light we have gained so much more for our side than can be imagined.

Some creatures, such as demons and devils are beyond redemption. These beings thrive on evil, and feed on it to survive. They have no connection to a soul, that is why they collect them through sacrifice. Without a soul there is nothing to redeem. All, though, must be approached with an open heart. If no violence is threatened then none should be given. All sentient beings of this world are the children of the Gods and deserve a chance to feel acceptance into the light. It only takes one spark of goodness to ignite a wildfire. If that one spark is an orc that does not grow up to be evil it can change the world. If we go out and extinguish every spark with no cause then we may never see that change.

Chapter X: Ends and Means
A challenging question that plagues many virtuous people is whether evil ends can justify good means. For example, if torturing a prisoner can save many lives is it justified? Is it justified to lie to save another goodly person? Is it virtuous to murder an evil person to save a goodly one, or defile the dead in order to fight other undead? Quite simply, no. The consequences can be more far-reaching than we think. What does it say about our example, our ideals, if we throw them out the window so easily? This is by far one of the hardest virtues to conform to, but sometimes it can be the most important.

It may seem as a form of personal sacrifice to give up one's soul to evil in order to save many, but that is a deadly trap. Purity of soul is not a commodity to be traded away. Sacrificing your soul to save another should not be an option so easily considered. When we decide to commit an evil act, the consequences are broader than just personal ones. We let down those who look to us to be a shield against evil. We open ourselves to the seduction of evil through the ease of its path. We sway the balance toward the darkness, and just like the great impact redemption of an evil soul can be, the impact of a fallen virtuous soul can be just as great for the other side. In the end it is not personal sacrifice at all but a concession to evil.

A challenge for us can also be whether we associate with an evil person to further our goals. Associating with them is not evil itself, and can sometimes be a good thing, giving them an example of virtue to see up close. You must be careful though. Working with evil in a virtuous endeavor is hazardous. They must not commit evil in any form during the endeavor. If they do they should be turned away immediately. You must also be sure that their own evil goals are not furthered by the joining. You must be wary of them at all times. You may find yourself vulnerable, or in need of trusting them for your survival. They may be tempted by an opportunity to betray you and you must not give them that chance.

Chapter XI: Violence
Violence is sometimes necessary in what we do, though it is not always the answer. Do not hesitate to defend yourself or others, but if words can diffuse a situation then it is our responsibility to use them. If violence is used it must be for a just cause. We should adopt the mantra - no violence given without violence threatened. This includes when dealing with the 'evil' races. Launching an attack on a group of orcs just as a precautionary measure is not a good act. This action would only provoke them to commit evil in retaliation. Revenge is also not a good reason to use violence. Revenge removes forgiveness from your heart and allows evil in.

Violence, when necessary, but be given with good ends in mind. It should not be for profit or gain as the primary motivation. This does not mean that you cannot be paid for your services, especially when the goal is stopping evil. The means of the violence must be as good as the intentions. Evil spells, those that cause undue suffering, channel negative energy, summon evil beings, or defile the dead, should never be used. Torture or methods that cause extreme suffering should also be avoided. Finally, violence against non-combatants is never a good act. Killing the young of evil creatures, to prevent future harm, is unconscionably wrong, as is killing the weak and defenseless of any race.

Chapter XII: Relationships
Family and friends are one of the foundations for a strong, virtuous life. These relationships should be built on mutual respect and caring. There is certainly nothing wrong with humanoid sexuality, though some of the good faiths take vows of chastity for personal sacrifice. All relationships must avoid exploitation or abuse, and along with this the use of children, slaves or forced prostitution are vile practices. People involved in relationships must do so of their own free will and consent. The temptation of coercive magic should also be avoided because it robs the subject of their free will. Though this type of magic is not always evil it carries an ethical responsibility.

Besides the close relationships of friends and family there is the less tight knit bonds of a traveling party. All members of a group should be treated fairly, with respect, and you should value their lives. A goodly person should avoid working with evil except in the most extreme cases, and only if they do not commit evil while you are working with them. As goodly people we have a heavy burden to show them an example of the life and eternal rewards of a virtuous person.

Chapter XIII: Crime and Punishment
In respects to law and order, a legitimate legal authority is always preferred over any form of vigilante justice. When in the wilds it is not necessary to use subdual tactics, unless that is your mission, but if a criminal surrenders you must accept that surrender and take him in for trial. When in a community with an established legal system, evil doers must be captured and made to pay for their crimes, unless they give you no choice.

The treatment of criminals is a testament to your virtue. They should be taken care of, fed, and kept healthy. In the absence of powerful magic, a free confession, or rock solid witnesses, you can never be completely sure of the guilt of a man. Regardless of the possibility of innocence, all sentient beings are due humane treatment and dignity, even in death. The death penalty is not evil and sometimes unavoidable, but the means of the sentence can be evil. Executions must be swift and merciful. If you do all you can to prove the guilt of a man your soul will rarely be in danger if you were wrong and gave the accused swift and painless death, but if you caused them undue suffering through a drawn-out death there is no question about the forfeiture of your soul. Along with this, the torture of criminals is certainly not the behavior of a virtuous person.

Chapter XIV: Tyranny and Justice
What is Tyranny? A tyrannical government oppresses their citizens instead of supporting them. In a tyrannical society the leaders usually consider themselves above the law. When a leader is a tyrant their land is built on the backs of their citizens, not carried on their shoulders. Tyranny itself is not always evil, but it is not a good form of government either. An oppressive society can breed many forms of evil and tends to attract a large criminal element.

When a government is supportive of their citizens they will find that the people have a higher level of trust in their officials. They are more supportive of a government that is clear about the laws and protections as well as the rights of the people. These are the aspects of a just society. This kind of government drives its citizens to accomplish more to better their lives, and the society itself. In a just society no one at any level is above the law.