The Way

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 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.

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.
• The journey from death to rebirth is not instantaneous, and passage through the Labyrinth of Ages is influenced by how virtuous a soul is.
• The Way of Virtue comprises the Seven Paths of Virtue each of which prospers the individual in life, enhances the purity of their spirit, and speeds their reincarnation through the Labyrinth of Ages.
• The Way teaches that all laudable human qualities are rooted in the Seven Virtues. For example, the Freeborn commitment to Truth is actually an expression of Courage and Pride.
• Outside of the Seven Virtues there are spiritual forces, or qualities, that are malign and which The Way teaches actively hinder a soul in life and the Labyrinth.
• Individuals who have attained sufficient purity of spirit, predominantly through perfection of a Virtue, pass through the Labyrinth of Ages unhindered to Enlightenment and are never again reborn. These individuals are called Paragons.
• Individuals who embody, or illustrate, a particular Virtue, or Virtues, are called Exemplars and are considered to be strongly on the path to becoming a Paragon, if indeed their spirit is not already ready.
• There is no expectation that every Imperial Citizen be an Exemplar or Paragon, though that is the eventual goal of The Way. For the majority it is sufficient to be aware of the Seven Paths of Virtue and how they influence your life so you can pass through the Labyrinth of Ages.
• There are some priestly ceremonies that require dedication to a single Virtue. As a result, dedication is only normally practiced by some priests and individuals who aspire to be Exemplars of that Virtue.
• Only human spirits reincarnate. As a consequence of this, humans – especially the citizens of the Empire who follow The Way of Virtue – are the greatest agents in creation and are inherently superior to non-humans.

The Way of Virtue is promoted and protected by The Imperial Synod and is shaped by Imperial Theology.

Index

• The Seven Paths of Virtue
• The History of The Way
• The Labyrinth of Ages and the Paragons and Exemplars
• Citizens, Priests, Pilgrims and Dedication
• Idolatry, Blasphemy and Heresy

Idolatry, Blasphemy and Heresy

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.

• Idolatry is defined as: Subsuming human will and destiny to any inhuman entity or force. This includes the worship and veneration of any such being or power.
• Blasphemy is defined as: The denigration of the Paragons and the Paths of Virtue. This includes teaching False Virtues and the examples of False Exemplars or False Paragons as the equal, or greater, of the Imperial Virtues and Paragons. The Feast of the Broken Wheel practiced by the Freeborn is considered blasphemous by some priests in other nations.
• Heresy is defined as: Wilfully rejecting or perverting the Orthodox Doctrines of the Faith as laid down by the Imperial Synod, or actively teaching and promoting False Doctrines.

As the nature and severity of these crimes can vary by circumstance, the Judiciary has significant latitude in weighing the merits of each case.

Symbols, Icons and Trappings

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:

• 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.

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.

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.

The Way and the Non-human

Pure Liao has an equal effect on all adult humans, including those of Lineage descent. However, it has no particular effect on Orcs or other non-human species. This understood to mean that the non-humans have no 'past lives' and thus supports the Doctrine of Reincarnation’s claim that only human spirits traverse the Labyrinth of Ages.

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 and Exemplars.