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| | <quote>Seven Paths.<br>Seven Virtues.<br>One Way.</quote> |
| | {{CaptionedImage|file=Labyrinth.jpg|width=243|height=240|align=right|caption=The labyrinth is a common symbol of the Way}} |
| ==Overview== | | ==Overview== |
| The '''Way of Virtue''' – often simply known as The Way – is the dominant and pre-eminent religion of the Empire. It found its birth amongst the [[Highguard|Highborn]] and was adopted across the Empire at the Founding, though its roots go back to the very Dawn of Time, and it is one of the forces that binds the Empire together. | | The Way of Virtue – often simply known as the Way – is the religion that was adopted across the Empire when it was founded. |
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| At its core, The Way of Virtue teaches: | | At its core, the Way of Virtue teaches: |
| * Human flesh is perishable but human spirits are immortal. After death, the spirit must traverse the [[Labyrinth of Ages]] before being reborn through reincarnation. | | * Human souls are immortal and, upon death, will eventually be reincarnated as a newborn child. |
| * Only human spirits are immortal. As a consequence of this, humans – especially the Citizens of the Empire who follow The Way of Virtue – are the greatest agents in Creation. | | * Reincarnation is not instantaneous. The soul must first travel through the [[The Labyrinth of Ages and the Paragons and Exemplars|Labyrinth of Ages]] before being reincarnated. |
| * The Way of Virtue is composed of the [[The Virtues|Seven Paths of Virtue]] each of which was shown to humanity by one of seven [[Paragons]]. | | * Those who follow the paths of Virtue pass through the Labyrinth more quickly and with greater integrity of their soul; wicked souls are trapped in the Labyrinth for longer and perhaps forever. |
| * Imperial Citizens who are guided by the Seven Virtues have a greater link to their past lives, are empowered in the present, and find the passage to their next life much smoother.
| | * The Way teaches that all laudable human qualities are rooted in the paths of Virtue. For example, the [[The Brass Coast|Freeborn]] commitment to truth is actually an expression of Courage and Pride. |
| * Imperial Citizens are not required to choose one Path over another as all will prosper them, but some individuals and Priests devote themselves to a single Path. | | * Souls who attain sufficient purity of spirit, predominantly through perfection of virtue, pass through the Labyrinth to enlightenment. These individuals are called paragons. |
| | * There are some [[Religious skills|priestly ceremonies]] that require dedication to a single Virtue. Dedication is practised by those who have a calling, such as priests, pilgrims, exemplars and paragons. |
| | * For most Imperial citizens, dedication is not required. It is sufficient to know of the paths of Virtue and how they can positively influence this life, and the next. |
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| | The Way of Virtue is promoted and protected by [[The Synod|the Imperial Synod]] and is shaped by [[Imperial Theology|Imperial theology]]. |
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| The Way of Virtue is promoted and protected by [[The Synod|The Imperial Synod]] and is shaped by [[Religion|Imperial Theology]]. | | ==The Paths of Virtue== |
| | | Imperial [[The Doctrines of the Faith|doctrine]] currently states that there are seven paths of Virtue that make up the Way. These are: |
| ==The Seven Paths of Virtue==
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| The Virtues embodied by the Seven Paragons are:
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| * [[Ambition]] | | * [[Ambition]] |
| * [[Courage]] | | * [[Courage]] |
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| * [[Wisdom]] | | * [[Wisdom]] |
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| Each Virtue is, by itself, regarded as a Path through the Labyrinth of Ages. Collectively, the Paths of the Paragons are known as The Way of Virtue.
| | ==Further reading for religious PCs== |
| | | * [[Imperial Synod]] |
| ==The Doctrine of Reincarnation== | | * [[The history of the Way|History of the Way]] |
| | | * [[The Labyrinth of Ages and the Paragons and Exemplars|The Labyrinth of Ages]] |
| Reincarnation is at the heart of one of the Core Doctrines of [[Religion|Imperial Theology]]. The Doctrine was written by the theologians of [[Highguard]] following their experiences with the substance called [[liao]]. However, the idea that human spirits reincarnate goes much further back and is found in different forms within most pre-Imperial nations.
| | * [[Paragons and exemplars]] |
| | | * [[Citizens, priests, pilgrims and dedication|The Way and Imperial Citizens]] |
| Liao is a substance whose dream and vision-causing properties were discovered by the [[Navarr]]. It was sold widely for recreation and relaxing, until the Highguard found a way to refine the herb. Upon refinement, liao grants one person a vision or dream of another time and place. Theologians from Highguard investigated these visions and, they claim, have archaeological evidence that supports they are true memories, which the Doctrine of Reincarnation states are one of the visionary’s past lives.
| | * [[Religious skills]] |
| | | * [[Religious Crimes]] |
| The Priests of the Way have found many ways to use refined liao in religious ceremonies, called [[Liao Ceremonies]], including ones relating to:
| | * [[Malign spiritual presences]] |
| • Dedication
| | * [[Symbols of the Way]] |
| • Consecration
| | * [[Imperial Theology|Imperial Theology]] |
| • Sanctification
| | ** [[Liao]] |
| • Purification
| | ** [[The Doctrines of the Faith]] |
| • Oath-Swearing
| | ** [[Signs of the paragon and exemplar]] |
| • Exaltation
| | ** [[Schisms and Heresies]] |
| • Denouncement
| | ** [[Investigative Theology]] |
| • Ministry
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| To aid with Liao Ceremonies, the [[The Civil Service|Imperial Civil Service]] grows and distributes liao to all religious leaders in the Empire (i.e. those who possess a Church or equivalent).
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| ==The Labyrinth of Ages and the Paragons==
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| The Labyrinth of Ages is a term coined in Highguard to refer to the cycle of reincarnation. Theological studies claim that not all spirits are reborn immediately after death and, it is believed, the journey from death-to-rebirth is not a straightforward one. As a consequence, some spirits are said to wander between lives for years, even generations, before being reborn. Some may wander lost forever.
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| The Way teaches that living a Virtuous Life holds the key to successfully traversing the Labyrinth of Ages swiftly, safely and with the strongest link to past lives. Evidence of this truth exists in the Paragons. The Paragons are humans who have been reborn time-and-again, lived virtuous lives and done miraculous deeds. It is said that Paragons can access the knowledge of their past lives without the use of external aids like refined Liao. | |
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| The Paragons are said to date back to the Dawn of Ages, before the Empire, before the Nations, before humans even set foot on this land. They are attributed with great miracles that have helped steer the course of human destiny.
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| Extensive study of visions, relics and legends has led the theologians of Highguard to conclude that there are Seven Paragons – though each has lived many lives. What separates these Paragons is that each espouses and embodies a particular Virtue that guides them through life and the Labyrinth of Ages. It is widely accepted that the First Empress was, herself, a reincarnation of one of the Paragons – though there is much dispute as to which one.
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| ==Citizens, Priests, Pilgrims and Dedication==
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| For the average Citizen of the Empire, it is simply enough to know of the Seven Virtues and how they apply to their lives. There is no requirement to honour one above another for all seven are part of The Way and will guide their spirit through the Labyrinth of Ages.
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| Priests of the Way have made greater study of the mysteries and Doctrines of the faith. They provide guidance to Citizens about how to live virtuously and have learned ceremonies that enrich the lives of Virtuous Citizens and enhance an individual’s understanding of the Virtues.
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| The liao-ceremony of Dedication allows a human to more sharply focus their spirit onto one particular Virtue Path. This focus enables a Dedicated Priest to perform other Ceremonies that provide greater insight and illumination into the Virtue. Consequently, Dedication is reasonably common amongst Priests who wish to provide ministry and guidance relating to a specific Virtue Path, whilst other Priests choose not to Dedicate and so represent all Seven Virtues equally.
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| Dedication is regarded as being of little benefit to the average Citizen as it is not believed to aid reincarnation by itself. However, some layfolk do choose to become Dedicated for their own reasons. Such individuals are called Pilgrims and are said to walk in the Path of the Paragon. A few Pilgrims even go on to be recognised by the Synod as Exemplars of the Virtue whose words and deeds are an inspiration to others.
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| Despite some claims to the contrary, the evidence is that whilst a Pilgrim or Dedicated Priest may continue to respect all Virtues, a spirit can only be Dedicated to one Virtue and attempts to Dedicate to more than one results in a loss of focus and, consequently, Dedication. The individual is then free to seek to Dedicate themselves anew.
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| ==Idolatry, Blasphemy and Heresy==
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| As The Way embodies the soul of the Empire, and is the only religion recognised in the Imperial Constitution, Idolatry, Blasphemy and Heresy are crimes under Imperial Law.
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| * '''Idolatry is defined as:''' Subsuming human will and destiny to any entity or force, including the worship and veneration of the same. | |
| * ''Blasphemy is defined as:''' The denigration of the Paragons and their Paths, including following the teachings of False Paragons. | |
| * '''Heresy is defined as:''' Wilfully rejecting or perverting the Orthodox Doctrines of the Faith as laid down by the Imperial Synod, or teaching False Doctrines.
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| As the nature and severity of these crimes can vary by circumstance, the Judiciary has significant latitude in weighing the merits of each case.
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| ==Symbols, Icons and Trappings==
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| The Way of Virtue has several symbols to represent it across the Empire, but there are two that are widely used by the Imperial Synod:
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| * '''The Seven-Spoked Wheel''' – The wheel is a symbol of the journey that each spirit must make and each of the spokes represents one of the Virtues all of which converge on a single point, that of rebirth. | |
| * '''The Labyrinth of Ages''' – The Labyrinth is depicted in a number of ways, but usually within a circle. Some designs favour seven co-centric circles or other elements to represent the seven virtues. | |
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| Priests of The Way may have items or regalia marked by such symbols. They are less popular with Pilgrims who have dedicated themselves to a single Path.
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| As The Way is concerned with the journey of the spirit from birth-to-death-to-rebirth, many Priests and Pilgrims carry or adorn themselves with items and regalia of travel. For instance, it is not uncommon for Priests and Pilgrims to carry a Staff as a symbol of safety and stability whilst travelling.
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| ==The Way and the Non-human==
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| Refined Liao has an equal effect on all adult humans, including those of Lineage descent. However, it has no particular effect on Orcs, Ratfolk or other non-human species. This is taken to support the Doctrine of Reincarnation’s claim that only human spirits traverse the Labyrinth of Ages.
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| Opinions are divided as to what this means for the non-human. Some maintain that they are incapable of following The Way because of their natures. Others maintain that, even if they do not reincarnate, they should still be encouraged to follow the example of the Paragons.
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| [[Category:Religion]]
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| [[Category:The Empire]] | | [[Category:The Empire]] |
