Collected Writings

Collected Writings of Brother Martin Orchard of Pickham
“Let every word you speak carry meaning;

do not use forty when four will do.”

NOTE: Many of the topics here are theological discussion. If you wish to talk more in person, I can regularly be found at the village of Pickham in Tower March, or the Marcher Camp or Hub at Anvil Summits.

Winter 383 Edition

The Britta Lesson
A Vigilant Warning about the danger of Disloyalty Winter 380 YE.

Britta Gilderling, the Young Empress. Her achievements need no explanation, nor do her Courage and Wisdom in attempting a decapitation strike on the Thule. But her legacy has been tarnished by her Disloyal supporters. Somehow ashamed that they did not follow her into the Labyrinth, they attempted to smear any key Imperial figure who did not join her raid as a “coward” or “splitter”. THE COURAGEOUS FACE UNWELCOME TRUTHS BOLDLY. THE LOYAL LIFT OTHERS UP, THEY DO NOT TEAR THEM DOWN. If you do not volunteer for a battle out of mere fear, it is right to know shame. If you held back because you would have been better placed elsewhere, then YOU SHOW UNUSUAL COURAGE AND SHOULD BE PROUD.

We are not the JOTUN, to say “You must die for us or live as a slave”. We are not the DRUJ, to attack with hordes of barely-trained subjects. We are the EMPIRE and we are LOYAL to our citizens. Any child with the ability will be trained in sword and buckler, but that does not make them a soldier. The Sentinel Gate at Anvil opens the way to points of great reward, but also great risk. Points we CAN change, difficult though they may be. However, it will not know if a dozen troops marching through are determined soldiers, or fearful citizens desperate to avoid accusations of cowardice, and yet SHOWING their lack of Courage in not saying “No. This is not where I belong”. Those cowards are a BURDEN to our forces.

The Sentinel Gate’s use requires our best, and nothing less than total commitment. An uncertain soldier will get their comrades killed and objectives failed more surely than an untested one will. We cannot afford to be so discriminating in our armies, but we can for volunteer missions. With that in mind, there is no reason to excessively value veterans of Sentinel Gate battles for office. To do so would be to repeat the folly of Britta’s inner circle. Indeed, with the Skarsind Massacre in mind, holders of key positions should consider where their Loyalties lie, and how many burdens they can bear. Is your place in the line of battle still, or are the hours you spend arming, fighting  and recovering better used in countering more subtle threats? Is one more blade in line of more value than a Senator being available to those who need her? Are you needed on the field for one Ritual, but not outside that situation?

This applies equally to the most respected Archmage as it does to the common physick. It can be hard to put down the bill, even for a time. The Virtuous are driven to take action, and battle is a clear way to serve the Empire and people to whom you are Loyal. But the easy path may not be the Virtuous one. Wisdom is in knowing the right question. Ask yourself  “Do I belong in this fight?” Then act with Virtue, whatever your answer.

Negligent Blasphemy,
Or “Did we accidentally start a Cult?”  Condensed Edition. Spring 380YE

How can blasphemy be negligent?

For want of a better phrase, Negligent Blasphemy is “A failure of Vigilance, which leads to a Virtuous follower of the Way setting up fertile ground for Vice. Certain magics, tactics and policies may seem expedient, and may not in themselves be Unvirtuous. However, they may end up promoting malign attitudes.

Example One: Night Auras of Rage and Rebellion.

There was a proposal recently to use an aura of rebellion upon Sarvos. Created by Night Magic, it would encourage citizens to take up arms against the Grendel. It was rejected as the Empire was under sustained assault by an Anarchy cult. Citizens encouraged to be rebellious are in a mindset where Anarchy may seem appealing, and are less inclined to follow the rules and dogma of the Way. Secondly, an Anarchy cult may trick citizens by mixing their Viceful auras in with mere magic ones that have no direct influence on the soul. Such tools are valuable, but should only be used when the risks are worth the reward.

Example Two: Terror tactics/Winter Auras of Terror

The Navarri in particular are known to use terror as a weapon.. Virtue or Vice lies in intent. If the Intent is Vigilance, if it is the only way you see to protect your own, then your ethics may be judged but not your Virtue. However it may still be a Virtuous act to oppose you, should your actions be judged as a threat. We may be protected a little by the fact we are fighting Orcs, who have no contact with the Labyrinth of Ages. But how many Human Spirits must enter the Labyrinth with Fear in their hearts before we are tainted by that malign presence? How carefully must we watch those who use such tactics to ensure they see terror only as a last resort, not a path to venerate?

Equally, a Winter aura of dread is NOT an aura of Fear itself. You could not declare such a thing Blasphemous, for it is not of the Spirit. Any more than you could declare the Chamber of Pallas to be an Aura of Prosperity. Fear cults rely on accepting fear as if it were a Virtue. A path worth following, not a threat to be confronted. However, Wendigo has been known to hand out the tools to create SPIRITUAL Auras of Fear,  which are direct dangers to the Spirit. Beware of these.

The Line That We Walk

Virtue is separate from mere feelings and simple tricks of magic. It is of the soul. We all feel hate, fear, and apathy but the Virtuous spirit does not seek these out or see them as guiding forces, merely as passing emotions. As challenges to be overcome, while your heart and spirit stay on the true path of Virtue.

The Virtue in Our Enemies?
Or, What If An Exemplar Is Malevolent? Winter 380YE

CITIZENS! We know well of the VIRTUE of the IMPERIAL EXEMPLARS, and their BENEVOLENCE. The EMPIRE is great and VIRTUOUS, so who would oppose it? Merely feckless blasphemers and weak-willed Idolators?

NO. TO OPPOSE THE EMPIRE MAY DEMONSTRATE GREAT VIRTUE, WHICH SHOULD BE RECOGNISED BY THE SYNOD.


 * The EMPIRE is POWERFUL: To fight us shows COURAGE.
 * We are a THREAT to our Enemies: To act on that shows VIGILANCE.
 * To STAND FAST rather than defect to us demonstrates LOYALTY.

Recognition as a Paragon or Exemplar is NOT a reward to friends and allies. It is an admission that a soul has performed great and inspiring acts of virtue.

The EMPIRE exists to promote VIRTUE, but VIRTUE does not exist to serve the EMPIRE. Benevolence does not purely mean “Serves our interests”. For example, consider the Vyig, enemies of Imperial Law. They believe themselves VIRTUOUS, and certainly show Loyalty. They have INSPIRED a criminal underground. They show BENEVOLENCE to those in their gang. It is not impossible that a Vision or other evidence could indicate  clear signs of the Exemplar in such a gangster, despite their motivations and means.

The Virtuous face unwelcome truths as boldly as any barbarian charge.

We MUST consider how to deal with such unwelcome truths, should they ever occur.

In the Winter of 378YE, the General Assembly issued a Statement of Principle that:

“That which is good for the true pursuit of The Way of Virtue is good for the Empire. If revelations on the nature of The Way should come into conflict with the principles of the Empire, it is the Empire that must change.”

Before the Empire, before the Way even, there was the SENTINEL. There was TIAN. There were THE MARKED. Today, there are still those who act with great and inspiring VIRTUE, even though they lack the REVELATION provided by the WAY. We must turn our gaze OUTWARD, to our foes, to our rivals, to foreigners who do not yet follow the Way of Virtue.

WE MAY ALL BE REINCARNATED AS FOREIGNERS OR BARBARIANS.

Without a reminder of VIRTUE to grasp for, we risk WASTED lives and SPURNED chances. It is one thing to tell tales of far-off Exemplars in the Empire, but another to exalt a local hero, or honour a fallen foe as misguided but truly VIRTUOUS.

Vigilance Mummery
The Insidious Enemy Within,  Spring 380 YE

What Is Vigilance Mummery?

-The performance of allegedly “vigilant” actions that give the appearance of action, yet distract from thwarting malice.

How does it differ from True Vigilance?

-True Vigilance is being ALERT to threats and PREVENTING harm.

- If you squander your time and Prosperity on pointless reassurances and smug excuses to belittle others,  you are guilty of Vigilance Mummery.

-If in thwarting malice, you instead BECOME the malice, you are guilty of Vigilance Mummery. Stab the mosquito that’s biting you, and you’ll hurt yourself more than it ever could.

What are its dangers?

-Look no further than the Emperor Nicovar, the Butcher of Ankarien. In his fixation on implausible threats, he himself became one of the greatest dangers the Empire has ever faced, before an act of Vigilance ended his rampage.

-Virtue comes from taking MEANINGFUL ACTIONS. We can see this from the effects Auras inspire us to take. In celebrating the meaningless, we distract ourselves from the pursuit of VIRTUE.

Examples of Vigilance Mummery

-”Vigilance pegs” which promote nothing but wasteful paranoia. Drills should be targeted to true threats, for example by placing a note inside a book of confidential documents to indicate you could have read it. Not to random clothing defacement.

-Nicovar’s WASTE of the Empire’s mana supplies on pointlessly esoteric divinations.

-The SIMPERING FOOL who thinks they have been sufficiently Virtuous by calling out the use of the word “hope” or “freedom” in a context UNRELATED to the False Virtues of Fortune or Anarchy, while cults fester unhindered.

The Destiny We Forge By Human Will
How Virtue is a Choice, not a destination. Summer 380YE

Introduction

The Paragons have transcended the Labyrinth by their great Virtue. Through their Miracles they used their PERFECT SPIRIT to serve Humanity in their lives. Now Transcended, they serve Humanity as INSPIRATIONS. We often speak of Human Destiny glibly, with little care as to what it means. Destinies are not the set tale of a mummer’s play. They are not a groove in which we run like some rolling marble, blind to our choices. WE ARE NOT MACHINES. We are HUMAN*, and day by day, choice by choice, we forge our own Destiny. We pick our own paths to ASCENSION. Our actions while alive will determine what influence the next generation of Paragons will have on this world, the Legacies they shall leave.

On Exemplars and Inspiration

Consider, for a moment, the sign of Benevolence. The Synod recognises how much easier it is to demonstrate Virtue in a self-serving way than it is to always choose those Virtuous actions that will build a better world. And that to pursue Virtue in a Benevolent manner is of greater value, worthy of Recognition as a Sign of the Paragon or Exemplar. We further recognised that “the Exemplar is defined above all by their capacity to inspire” (SoP Spring 379YE).

In my work “The Virtue in our Enemies”, I have touched on how we must often fight our fellow Virtuous, because their work opposes our own. How even scoundrels may show great Virtue, and yet we do not hold them up as Exemplars. They may have achieved Virtue, but they do not INSPIRE the Empire, far from it. They are more of a horrible warning. Thus, we should consider further the role of the Synod. Are we to be the curators of Virtue or its shepherds? Is our Destiny to grease the machinery of Virtue, or take control of it? These are not easy questions and I have no easy answers here.

See also Magistrate Reinholz’s excellent “CLEMENCY – A GUIDE FOR PRIESTS”. It explains how a choice that shows a little Virtue is not sufficient to override the laws of the Empire. The laws we have the LOYALTY to cleave to and the COURAGE to uphold. Clemency may only be granted when the crime was the only Virtuous action the culprit had left to them.

Our Choices in VIRTUE

Given a choice between Virtue and Inaction, or Virtue and Anathema, we must always take the Virtuous road. We choose VIGILANCE over Vengeance, COURAGE in the face of Fear, AMBITION over Apathy. But when you must choose between two Virtuous decisions, those choices are what will shape your Destiny. Those are the knife-edge moments so often seen in Past Life Visions. So consider the virtue of AMBITION. Of setting your sights on a lofty goal and pursuing it unrelentingly. Do not blunder through this life hoping to stumble over chances to be Virtuous. Do not treat your life as some mere score-board. It is not enough to pick over your actions later in the hope of pinning Virtue on them. Seek your Legacy. Be the Inspiring presence you would wish the Friars to tell tales of in centuries to come.

A person may have an undeniably Virtuous soul, paired in this life with a heart as black and flinty as any Volodny’s. They may commit terrible acts in the the name of VIGILANCE, to protect that which they care about. They may hold LOYALTY to cutthroats and sorcerers. And it is here where choices matter. We can not, MUST not condemn such actions as “Unvirtuous” when truly we mean “distasteful” or “immoral”. We must always frame our condemnation clearly in a named lack of Virtue. We may, however, show VIGILANCE in casting down such people, COURAGE in our convictions that we may better our souls in the way we know is right.

We may potentially recognise destructive Exemplars in the form of an “honoured foe”. Accepting that their Virtue is great, but their means are to be condemned. Their death becomes a way to send their Virtuous Spirit to be reborn into a mind and body that make them an opportunity, rather than a threat.

* If you are reading this as an Orc citizen, I recommend you find a theologian better schooled in the Howling Abyss than myself.

A Seduction By Vice: Why “expediency” is not a Virtue Defence
Autumn 381.

One year ago, the Hatred poisoning the Mourn showed its true face. Our cousins in Whittle, long cut off from their Nation and Empire, had turned in desperation to a novel power. A power they saw as effective, useful, a worthy tool in a time of threat. They offered us Marchers that poison chalice of Hate, seeing it as the hand of friendship. And now some of us condemn them, while in the same breath they talk freely of strategy driven by Fear. Of how “efficient” a tool that Vengeance might be. Have these Citizens not the courage of their convictions, to hold themselves to the same standard as they do Whittle?

Had we given ourselves over into Hate, we could have raised resistance fueled by blind fury, and conquered the Mourn that bit swifter. We could have ordered our armies to seek the deaths of our enemies at any cost to body or soul.

AND YET THE MARCHERS DID NOT.

We held fast to the Seven True Virtues, even in our darkest hour. Even as Orchard’s Watch fell to Jotun conquest, we showed Loyalty to those tempted by Hatred and sought to LIFT THEM UP FROM THE BRINK OF VICE. I offer to lift you too, from the brink.

'''“EASY” DOES NOT MEAN THE SAME AS “NECESSARY”. PROVE IT.'''

Clemency may indeed justify much, but ONLY when your back is to the wall, and it is a choice between a terrible act or Vice. Generals and magicians alike have failed in justifying their choices to those whom they serve.

“War is diplomacy with the gloves off” speaks the proverb, and it speaks truly. How we wage war affects our ability to influence the world, and thus spread the word of Virtue. It affects our chances to end wars and negotiate treaties. If we are seen as naught but bloodthirsty animals, our rivals and foes will find no value in a peace, even for a time. No resort but to exterminate us, as we would a Husk or a Druj.

Brutality as a standard does NOT let us “use every available tool”. It DENIES us the tools of diplomacy we need to end wars, recruit allies, and conquer where WE choose.

I see in our course the folly of the berzerker. The soldier so set on wreaking death that they endanger all around them. The more the Empire takes the path of the Manticore, the more we shall be poisoned by Fear, Vengeance, and Hatred. War is a tool to defend and expand the Empire we are Proud of. If our tactics cause us chaos and tempt us to Vice, they are NEITHER EFFECTIVE NOR VIGILANT. They merely move the danger from without to within.

Excerpt from “In the Footsteps of Ahraz”
A theological discourse prepared for the Liberty Pact summit, Winter 382.

Is an Aura or Tenet of Vigilance Hindered by Slavery?
We define “hindered” as those circumstances arising from slavery that sufficiently strongly deny the Pilgrim the agency to act in accordance with the imperative imparted by the spiritual aura or described in the Tenet.

That the imperative may be more difficult or that less opportunity may be afforded for it falls below the high threshold set by this treatise. Each contributor has used their experience and judgement of their Virtue to assess which imperatives meet this threshold and are thus hindered.

Anointings
Hindered (2): The Merits & Preparations.

Unaffected (2): The Demands & the Price

(Merits) This Anointing actively encourages the Pilgrim to bypass existing power structures and cooperate with others who share your concerns. A slave lacks the legal and practical freedom to bypass their overseers or masters, and the caste system within a slaving society prevents effectively working together across levels. It may encourage a slaver to take their captives more seriously, at the best.

(Price) It would enable, but not encourage enslaving others. I could see myself being suddenly willing to try raising a conscript army while under this Anointing, but I would not feel encouraged to.

(Demands) Being generally suspicious of people does not require personal liberty or a high level of agency.

(Preparations) This Anointing requires forward planning and the space to think beyond immediate survival and towards future, active defence. It requires more resources than simply those alloted by an enslaver to keep their “property” in working order. A pilgrim with little wealth could still choose to buy medical supplies at the cost of something else, or make and drill with simple staves. A slave must take what they are given, and will be likely banned from owning arms.

''Note: precisely how this works in Asavea is unknown, and it is probable that higher-status slaves might be able to accomplish this. Asavean slaves have opportunity for advancement within a rigid system, but not full freedom of Ambition).''

Consecration
Hindered: The Consecration of Vigilance causes a desire to protect those things one truly cares for, and heightens one’s realisation that their decisions are crucial in this. Even an armed slave-soldier has little more choice than a chained guard dog, set to guard what their master wills. They are labouring to protect people or property that they do not care for, and do not gain pay they could spend on protecting their own. Slavery robs a person of the freedom to make their own decisions as to how they labour.

Hallows
Hindered (4): Arbiter, Scale, Sentinel,Unconquered;

Unaffected (3): Archivist, Bell, Scout

(Scale) One cannot uphold the law in order to protect the innocent when the law demands that the innocent are treated as mere property. The Faraden system of slavery as a criminal punishment would not, however be hindered by this.

(Sentinel) The drive to take strategic action requires the possibility of setting great projects in motion, or at least of influencing others to do so. A slave may be ordered to work on such projects, but would rarely have the agency or reason to start them or recruit others to do so.

(Unconquered) The most obvious actions require either the freedom to take preventative safety measures, or the successful use of deadly force against one’s enslaver. Neither stands a reasonable chance of decisive success for a slave. An urge to resist threats would not be hindered, but this Hallow demands that your actions be decisive in overcoming a threat.

(Bell/Archivist/Scout) A slave may find this difficult or face retribution, but they should be able to find information, and alert others to it.

(Arbiter) Either a group of people you consider significant are a threat to you, in which case why are you using them as a critical workforce, or they require your protection. If they are to be protected, you cannot do so by becoming the greatest threat to their persons. I consider this unhindered by being enslaved, and potentially of use in discouraging sympathy for one’s masters. I consider it hindered by being a slaver.

Is It Heresy?
Correct as of 380 YE

Congratulations, Vigilant Pilgrim. You have taken your first step to defending the Way from credulous cultist and closed-minded Fool. Many citizens cry Religious Crime or lack of Virtue merely at things they do not like. This guide is your spear against bullshit. Or, more appropriately,  your shovel.

Idolatry

We start with IDOLATRY, the crime of

“Subsuming human will and destiny to any inhuman entity or force.”

In plain Imperial, this means “Letting something be more important than Virtue”

Examples:


 * “I would give my soul for the good of the Empire” - placing the Empire above Human Destiny to reincarnate and Ascend. Idolatry.
 * “We should make deals with this Eternal to benefit our Nation” - Loyal and Prosperous.
 * We should do what This Eternal says, it’s always right” - Idolatry.
 * Kneeling to a giant gold statue of Leviathan and shouting that only it can teach spiritual truths to Humanity - Absolutely Idolatry.

If you are following a cause because it is your Ambition or that which you are Loyal to, that is Virtuous. Should you place that cause above Virtue, it is Idolatry.

Blasphemy

“The denigration of the paragons and the paths of virtue.” Includes promotion of False Virtues/Exemplars/Paragons.

Examples:


 * “Personal freedom is important so that we can make Virtuous choices” - Not Blasphemy, stop being a pedant and go hunt cultists. The word is on the bloody Senate.
 * “FREEDOM WILL GUIDE US THROUGH THE LABYRINTH, BURN THE OPPRESSIVE MILITIA!” - Utter Blasphemy. Refers to Freedom as a “Virtue”.
 * “Vardas wasn't a real Paragon” - Denies Paragonhood, denigrates Paragon. Blasphemy.
 * “Berechiah’s approach to Vigilance was a danger to the Empire, but undeniably Virtuous” - Exemplars and Paragons are not infallible.

This does not explicitly cover denigrating Exemplars, but the Synod can probably make a charge stick, or otherwise punish the culprit.

Desecration:

Do not exercise spontaneous Virtue Auras. Do not vandalise Legacies. Simple.

Heresy

Actually quite a difficult one as there are a lot of ways to teach false claims of the Way. Does their idea sound fishy? If yes, get their name and nation and tell a priest. Inquisition is often the best way to sort things out. It is fine to debate the truth of doctrine, and to propose ideas. Teaching then as true without Synod backing is heresy.

Common Heresies:


 * Unitarian Heresy: “All Seven Virtues are really one.”
 * Various Heresies: “Pure Liao Visions are not from past lives.”
 * Excessionism: “Too much Virtue is bad for the soul.”
 * Scourging: “Orc souls are damaged or corrupt Human ones.”
 * Heretical Vitalism: “Diet is just as important than Virtue”.

Abuse of powers:

Using Synod powers or Liao ceremonies for personal gain, rather than to promote Virtue. For example, revoking a Cardinal because you are too impatient to wait for the election may be Ambitious, but it makes a mockery of the Synod. As does placing an obscene Testimony for mere personal amusement. Take Pride in the Way.

Dealing With Suspected Religious Crimes.


 * Writings: Take every single one you can see. Bring them to a priest. Under Imperial Law it is only Theft if you do not intend to return the items. You would also have a solid Clemency defense of  “No other way to stop people reading it short of destroying it.”.
 * Preaching: Get the preacher's name. Write down the claims. Write down names of other reliable witnesses. Ask them to write down accounts. Bring it all to a priest.

It is important to remember that a criminal may only be found guilty following a successful Judgement of Condemnation by the Synod. So the Militia are only directly useful as reliable witnesses until then.

“A Bell Rung In Salvation’s Name”
A guide to the identification of Malign Spiritual Presences

''1st Ed. Winter 383 YE''

In all cases, the names given for auras are the author’s choice. They aim to be descriptive and aid the Vigilant in talking calmly and unsympathetically of them.

THE PRISON THAT IS PURITY
The presence that we may also know as Disgust, Intolerance or Hatred.

Why Purity Is Not a Virtue

Purity is not hatred of one’s enemy, but the desire to make an enemy of those who are merely different. To despise the threatening, the coward or the half-hearted is a Virtuous act. Purity demands you hate without reason. We knew it was in conflict with Wisdom, but just a cursory glance by a priest will show you so much more as to why Purity rots Virtue and society alike.

Purity is not about what something is, but what it is not. It despises Wisdom, for if we ask questions, we cannot all be slaves to mob opinion. It despises Ambition, for to rise above others is to show a difference which cannot be tolerated. It despises Loyalty, for it is not about who you choose to serve, but in demanding others must serve a cause against their will. It despises Vigilance, for it encourages you to see those who are no danger as your enemy. It despises Prosperity, for it enslaves individuals to serve a community that may not be worthy of them. It despises Courage, for it demands mindless fear of the outsider. It despises Pride, for it demands disrespect.

Some of the auras seem benign, and yes, very useful. But therein lies their danger. They tempt us, and if we give in to their call we become a stagnant, primitive, fearful society like the Feni. The truth of any spiritual force lies not in any one aura, but in what they speak of when taken as a whole.

Malign Auras of Purity

Consecration: The Stagnant Jail


 * This aura makes you feel the area is clean, and nothing should change or despoil it. It has been described as very similar to auras created by the Eternal Ylenrith. (There is a possibility this may be a misidentified Day aura used by a cult. The consecration has also been described as “force of will”)

Hallowings


 * The Hallowing of the Shackle
 * You feel a desire to unite your community, and believe a ‘strong’ community empowers everyone.
 * The Hallowing of the Insular
 * This gives an urge to shun strangers and turn them away.
 * The Hallowing of the Fool
 * You feel an urge to trust your gut instincts.
 * The Hallowing of Leaden Foot
 * This gives a desire to defend traditions from detractors.
 * The Hallowing of the Oppressor
 * This wills you to rebuke the tolerant, and gives a delusion that tolerance is the crack in a strong society’s foundations.
 * The Hallowing of Disrespect
 * This gives an urge to be outspoken of what you really think towards someone.
 * The Hallowing of The Entitled
 * This drives you to eliminate any influence you consider unhelpful, and see those who do not help as a threat to your community.

(We hear there is a Hallowing that makes you wish to protect the ‘innocent’. Combined with the others, it is clear this drives you to protect them from different opinions or sorts of people, to keep them under your control).

Anointings


 * The Gnawing Loneliness of Purity
 * You gain an overwhelming sense of self, and a feeling that others are all different.
 * The Tyranny of Purity
 * You want to make everyone behave the way you do. Any who differ are wrong and must be forced to act as you will.
 * The Enmity of Purity
 * You appear to consider a named group your greatest enemy. You seem to gain a paranoid superstition that any ‘outsiders’ may be compromised by this group.
 * The Chains of Purity
 * You gain a great sense of empathy with those who are like you, and a dismissal of any who differ. Someone under this was dismissive of people not of their nation, except for someone they knew to be a Purity dedicate.

THE TRAP OF ANARCHY
A warning on the presence known also as Freedom, Liberty or Chaos.

 Malign Auras of Anarchy 

Consecration: The Whims of Chaos


 * This aura makes you feel a strong disregard for rules and a desire to disobey or ignore them.

Hallowings


 * The Hallowing of the Mutineer
 * You wish to encourage others to follow their instincts and ignore orders.
 * The Hallowing of the Envious
 * You are filled with an urge to attack the powerful. This is especially strong if you feel they abused their power.


 * The Hallowing of the Agitator
 * You wish to free the ‘downtrodden’ from those who ‘oppress’ them.
 * The Hallowing of the Gambler
 * You want to take huge risks in order to preserve your freedom.

Anointings

We have no reliable reports of what Anointings of Anarchy feel like. Please contact a member of the Assembly of Vigilance if you have more information.

THE CYCLE OF VENGEANCE
A warning on the presence known also as Justice, and that has been mistaken as Reckoning.

The following descriptions are paraphrased from a tract of Vengeance uncovered by Sophus Cascade of Urizen, while investigating a Vengeance sect. It is likely accurate, but gives a favourable picture of Vengeance.

Malign Auras of Vengeance

Consecration of Vengeance: The Cycle of Pain.

The author has personally experienced this and can confirm.

You feel every wrong that has been done to you like it is a raw, open wound.

Anointings


 * The Oath of Vengeance
 * You swear a geas that drives you to destroy a named person that you state to have wronged you.
 * The Spite of Vengeance
 * You will bear no insult.
 * The Eyes of Vengeance
 * You wish to avenge slights to those you hold dear.
 * The Chains of Vengeance
 * You may “make a blood bond over a mutual enemy”.

Hallowings


 * The Hallowing of the Retributor
 * You wish to demand reparations and punish the guilty.
 * The Hallowing of the Single-Minded
 * You wish to trust in your judgements and pursue Vengeance over all else.
 * The Hallowing of the Hanging Judge
 * You wish to record all wrongs and show no mercy.
 * The Hallowing of the Vengeful Mob
 * You wish to inspire others to exact vengeance in the open.

THE SUBMISSION THAT IS HOPE
A warning on the presence known also as Fortune.

We have no reliable reports on the Consecrations or Anointings of Hope.

We have no direct proof that the following is a Hallowing of Hope specifically. It fits with the known information on Hope, and appeared spontaneously on several images of Empress Lisabetta shortly after her coronation. They were removed with the cooperation of the Imperial Household.

Malign Auras of Hope

Hallowings


 * The Hallowing of the Supplicant
 * You feel a strong connection to the person depicted, and a feeling that they will solve your problems.

BUT IS IT MALIGN?

When dealing with suspected items of False Virtue, I follow two rules.


 * 1) Get a source of spiritual strength. You do NOT want these items drawing you into malevolence. I prefer an Anointing, and whenever I encounter new blasphemous auras, I aim to allow suitably protected priests and investigators to examine them. Forewarned is forearmed, and the items are easily made safe to handle. Simply examine them in a Consecration or a magical Chamber, if you do not possess either heroic might, or a source of spiritual strength bound to you. Then destroy or secure them once you are done.
 * 2) Keep an open mind, and make absolutely sure that the aura is ACTUALLY of a False Virtue. I have previously been handed a mixed selection of items recovered from a blasphemous sect, but only two of the three Hallowed items bore Anarchy auras. The final item was a Hallowing of Bolstering Bill! It did not feel Anarchic to me, so I asked about and confirmed it was a Loyalty hallow. If you need to do this in a hurry, the definitive but expensive way is simply to perform the Insight ceremony on an object. It will either tell you it is a recognised hallowing of a True Virtue, or that it is not a True Virtue aura.