Courage

Latest revision as of 21:50, 1 April 2018

From A Children's Primer of the Way

The Path of Courage

Courage is a popular virtue amongst the soldiers of the Empire who must face bloodthirsty foes and the spectre of death. However, the Virtue of Courage has lessons for those in all walks of life. Courage calls for citizens to stand firm in the face of all that would cause them to falter. The senator whose conscience compels them to vote against the populist measure; the proud leader who must face the shame of a secret exposed; the general who must pass on ill news to their people – all of these must draw on the Virtue of Courage in their time of trial. It is easy for many citizens to pay lip service to the Virtue of Courage but harder to cling to when the challenge finally comes.

Guidance on the Path

Through meditation on the auras of Courage, and study of the lives of paragons and exemplars, the priests of the Way have gleaned insight into the heart of the virtue and how best to pursue it. There are collections of parables, tales, sayings and teachings that distil this for Imperial citizens to learn from. The following are a handful of teachings and sayings deemed to be essential to understanding the path:

The Virtuous face unwelcome truths as boldly as any barbarian charge.
Do not fear to act; only be shamed by inaction.
Cleave to what you know is true, even where others wish you to doubt.
Never accept defeat; adapt your strategy and try anew.
Despise cowardice which steers the spirit to weakness and inaction.

'I shall despise the cowardice that steers me to weakness and inaction. I shall face unwelcome truth as boldly as any barbarian charge. I shall not fear to act; only be shamed by inaction. I shall never accept defeat; I shall adapt my strategy and try again. I shall cleave to what I know to be true even when others wish me to doubt.'

A Highborn Litany of Courage

Paragons and Exemplars

Recognised paragons and exemplars of Courage include:

The oldest recorded paragon, Korl, whose legendary learned the secrets of metal in the darkest places of the world and used them to craft the first axe, with which he drove back the dark forest and slew the beasts who dwelt within.
The exemplar Permion of the Highborn who opposed the wicked power of the corrupt Patrician’s Council and empowered the Assembly of the Virtuous in its place.
The exemplar Gilda Ashwine of Dawn whose fortitude and commitment freed her family and brought down the corrupt earl who had enslaved them.
The exemplar Inga Tarn of Wintermark whose fearlessness and forthrightness inspired generations to seize the opportunities life presents.

Symbols of Courage

Common symbols of Courage across the Empire are those associated with the iconic tools or weapons of favoured paragons and exemplars. One of the most common and prevalent is the axe. This is symbolic of the axe created by Korl as both a weapon and a tool with which to tame the wilderness and overcome obstacles. Axes and hatchets are popular weapons among priests and pilgrims dedicated to the path of Courage for this reason. The hammer, the iconic weapon of Inga Tarn is likewise favoured as a weapon by pilgrims, and is especially popular among those dedicated to Courage in the southern Empire especially the Marches - a common saying is that a pilgrim in the south is much more likely to encounter problems that can be solved with a hammer than with an axe.

In Wintermark, courage is often signified by a jackdaw, while in Varushka the virtue is associated with the strength of the boar and the bear. Jotra, the Rune of Battle which represents challenges to be overcome, is used by some magicians as a symbol of Courage.

Those who take a less martial approach to the virtue use the Blue Rose as a symbol, in honour of Gilda Ashwine. During the Spring flower festival celebrated by the urizen by contrast, crimson and scarlet blossoms are associated with this virtue, perhaps representing shed blood.

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+{{CaptionedImage|file=ChildPrimer2.jpg|width=168|height=240|align=left|caption=From ''A Children's Primer of the Way''}}
 ==The Path of Courage==
-Courage is a popular Virtue amongst the soldiers of the Empire who must face bloodthirsty foes and the spectre of death. However, the Virtue of Courage has lessons for those in all walks of life. Courage calls for Citizens to stand firm in the face of all that would cause them to falter. The Senator whose conscience compels them to vote against the populist measure; the proud leader who must face the shame of a secret exposed; the general who must pass on ill news to their people – all of these must draw on the Virtue of Courage in their time of trial. It is easy for many Citizens to pay lip service to the Virtue of Courage but harder to cling to when the challenge finally comes.
+Courage is a popular virtue amongst the soldiers of the Empire who must face bloodthirsty foes and the spectre of death. However, the Virtue of Courage has lessons for those in all walks of life. Courage calls for citizens to stand firm in the face of all that would cause them to falter. The senator whose conscience compels them to vote against the populist measure; the proud leader who must face the shame of a secret exposed; the general who must pass on ill news to their people – all of these must draw on the Virtue of Courage in their time of trial. It is easy for many citizens to pay lip service to the Virtue of Courage but harder to cling to when the challenge finally comes.
-===Guidance on The Path===
+===Guidance on the Path===
-Through study of the Paragons and Exemplars, the priests of The Way have gleaned insight into the heart of the Virtue and how best to pursue it. There are collections of parables, tales, sayings and teachings that distill this for Imperial Citizens to learn from. The following are a handful of teachings and sayings deemed to be essential to understanding the Path:
+Through meditation on the [[auras of Courage]], and study of the lives of paragons and exemplars, the priests of the Way have gleaned insight into the heart of the virtue and how best to pursue it. There are collections of parables, tales, sayings and teachings that distil this for Imperial citizens to learn from. The following are a handful of teachings and sayings deemed to be essential to understanding the path:
-* The Virtuous face unwelcome truths as boldly as any barbarian charge
+* The Virtuous face unwelcome truths as boldly as any barbarian charge.
-* Do not fear to act; only be shamed by inaction
+* Do not fear to act; only be shamed by inaction.
-* Cleave to what you know is true, even where others wish you to doubt
+* Cleave to what you know is true, even where others wish you to doubt.
-* Never accept defeat; adapt your strategy and try anew
+* Never accept defeat; adapt your strategy and try anew.
-* Despise cowardice which steers the spirit to weakness and inaction
+* Despise cowardice which steers the spirit to weakness and inaction.
-===The Paragon===
+<ic><p><i>'I shall despise the cowardice that steers me to weakness and inaction. I shall face unwelcome truth as boldly as any barbarian charge. I shall not fear to act; only be shamed by inaction. I shall never accept defeat; I shall adapt my strategy and try again. I shall cleave to what I know to be true even when others wish me to doubt.'</i></p>
-The Paragon of Courage has walked the world in many forms over the centuries. The oldest on record is '''Kord''' who, so legend has it, went deep into the earth where the darkness is so thick all light and hope is consumed, and learned the secrets of metal. Returning to the surface, Kord crafted the first axe with which he drove back the dark forest and slew the Chimerae that dwelt within, and so his courage ensured the safety and prosperity of his people.
-Other well-known incarnations of the Paragon include:
+A Highborn Litany of Courage</ic>
-*  '''Permion''' of the Highborn, the Last Navigator, who stood up in defiance of the wicked and corrupt Patrician’s Council, dissolved the Council and empowered the Assembly of the Virtuous in its place. Permion’s martyrdom inspired the Chapters to overthrow the Patrician forces.
+==Paragons and Exemplars==
-* '''Gilda Ashwine''' of the Freeborn who, as a child, witnessed her Dhomiro making a pact with a Foriegn power to sell her people to slavery. She spoke up and, though none believed her and sought to destroy her wits and good name, she did not yield until the truth was known and her people saved from their fate.
+Recognised [[paragons and exemplars]] of Courage include:
+* The oldest recorded paragon, [[Korl]], whose legendary learned the secrets of metal in the darkest places of the world and used them to craft the first axe, with which he drove back the dark forest and slew the beasts who dwelt within.
+* The exemplar [[Permion]] of the [[Highguard|Highborn]] who opposed the wicked power of the corrupt Patrician’s Council and empowered the Assembly of the Virtuous in its place.
+* The exemplar [[Gilda Ashwine]] of [[Dawn]] whose fortitude and commitment freed her family and brought down the corrupt [[earl]] who had enslaved them.
+* The exemplar [[Inga Tarn]] of [[Wintermark]] whose fearlessness and forthrightness inspired generations to seize the opportunities life presents.
-===Symbols, Icons and Trappings===
+==Symbols of Courage==
-The Path of Courage has many symbols and icons across the Empire, but one of the most common and prevalent is an Axe. This is symbolic of Kord’s creation of both tools and weapons with which to tame the wilderness and overcome obstacles. Several Priests and Pilgrims who walk the Path of Courage carry axes for this reason.
+<onlyinclude>
+Common symbols of Courage across the Empire are those associated with the iconic tools or weapons of favoured paragons and exemplars. One of the most common and prevalent is the '''axe'''. This is symbolic of the axe created by [[Korl]] as both a weapon and a tool with which to tame the wilderness and overcome obstacles. Axes and hatchets are popular weapons among priests and pilgrims dedicated to the path of Courage for this reason. The '''hammer''', the iconic weapon of [[Inga Tarn]] is likewise favoured as a weapon by pilgrims, and is especially popular among those dedicated to Courage in the southern Empire especially [[the Marches]] - a common saying is that a pilgrim in the south is much more likely to encounter problems that can be solved with a hammer than with an axe.
-Many who follow a less martial form of courage use the Blue Rose as a symbol, in memory for the influential role in played in Gerta Ashwine’s tale of unwavering resolve.
+In [[Wintermark]], courage is often signified by a '''jackdaw''', while in [[Varushka]] the virtue is associated with the strength of the '''boar''' and the '''bear'''. '''Jotra''', the [[Jotra|Rune of Battle]] which represents challenges to be overcome, is used by some magicians as a symbol of Courage.
+Those who take a less martial approach to the virtue use the '''Blue Rose''' as a symbol, in honour of [[Gilda Ashwine]]. During the Spring flower festival celebrated by the [[urizen]] by contrast, crimson and scarlet blossoms are associated with this virtue, perhaps representing shed blood.
+</onlyinclude>
+==Further Reading==
+* You can learn about the various spiritual [[roleplaying effects]] created by priests [[Religious skills#Dedication|dedicated]] to Courage [[Courage_roleplaying_effects|here]].
+* You can learn about the skills that priests can use to support the virtue of Courage [[Religious skills|here]].
+===The Seven Virtues===
+* [[Ambition]]
+* [[Courage]]
+* [[Loyalty]]
+* [[Pride]]
+* [[Prosperity]]
+* [[Vigilance]]
+* [[Wisdom]]
+===Religion===
+*[[The Way|The Way of Virtue]]
+*[[Imperial Theology]]
+*[[Imperial Synod]]
+*[[Religious skills|Religious Skills]]
+*[[Recent history|Recent History]]
 [[Category:Religion]]
 [[Category:The Empire]]

Courage

Latest revision as of 21:50, 1 April 2018

Contents

The Path of Courage

Guidance on the Path

Paragons and Exemplars

Symbols of Courage

Further Reading

The Seven Virtues

Religion

Profound Decisions[edit | | ]

Community[edit | | ]

Wiki Editors[edit | | ]