Overview
The original document on which this report is based was prepared for Caleb of the Cenotaph Minister of Historical Research. It followed on from earlier work relating specifically to a reported past live vision experience of Adelina Barossa, prepared for their predecessor Ioseph of Phoenix's Reach. The investigation touched on matters of the malign spiritual presence of Hate, which is also called "Purity" in some documents.
In the months since the original work was done, additional research has cast further light on this topic, and on the role of Hatred in the early Empire. This more general discussion of Hatred, and a commentary on the history of Maud, Daughter of Esther, has been compiled by Leontes the Scribe, the Imperial Archivist.
The original documents sent to the Minister for Historical Research are appended at the end of the essay.
Foreword
Investigation into the life of Maud, daughter of Esther, has proved to be a delicate undertaking. Some of those contacted during the compilation of this report - Amanda Scriber, John Tallfellow, and Ephas Canterspire in particular - found the whole matter distasteful. Even within the Department there are some topics which prove divisive, or require careful handling. Few scholars are comfortable with examining the role the malign spiritual presence of Hatred played in pre-Imperial history. That it did play a role - that it was very nearly included by the Imperial Synod alongside virtues such as Courage and Vigilance - is uncontested however. It's not the place of the Department to dwell over-much on the nature of the Virtues - at least not in this document - but it is difficult to separate Imperial attitudes to the spiritual force of Hatred from a discussion of Maud, Daughter of Esther.
Few documents dealing with Hatred, or with Maud, Daughter of Esther, survive to the current day. This is due not only to the legacy of Emperor Nicovar but also to the obvious fact that such writings dealt with topics of heresy and blasphemy and have largely been destroyed. While the satirists of the League like to imagine a sinister Highborn "dark library" full of "forbidden texts" the fact of the matter is much more prosaic. Documents dangerous to the spiritual welfare of Imperial citizens are invariably destroyed, not ferreted away by wicked archivists to some secret collection of "banned books."
What sources remain tend to be dry, academic in nature, and deal in generalities rather than specifics; and what is true of the nature of Hatred is just as true as those historical figures associated with the so-called "false virtue". The primary source for the life of Maud, Daughter of Esther, is probably the recent fifth volume of Echoes of the Labyrinth, in which a League citizen (now a citizen of Highguard) reportedly experienced the true liao vision recorded there. The Department tends not to view accounts of past lives as entirely reliable sources of information and always attempts to secure confirmation from contemporary historical documents. Visions are often subjective - even without considering the possibility that someone might simply lie or be mistaken about their experience.
A biography of Maude daughter of Esther
Some of the biographical information about Maude comes from Highborn archivist Bartholomew son of Idwin. A member of Josiah's Alarum chapter and an actual descendant of Maud, his report on the life of his ancestor unfortunately appears to be coloured by his respect for his lineage and his chapter. The basic details, however, appear to be uncontested. Maude, daughter of Esther, was born in 32 BE, at the chapter of Esau’s Choice in Bastion. Records show she died in 38YE, at the chapter of Josiah's Alarum, in Necropolis. A contemporary of the First Empress, she was a prominent figure in the Assembly of the Virtuous, the Highborn precursor of the Imperial Synod. She is believed to have been heavily involved in the early discussions around the foundation of the Synod, and thus the modern Way.
According to Bartholomew, she spent time in her early life as a wayfarer. There is a Maude daughter of Esther of Esau's Choice among a list of missionaries working in Tassato and the Marches during the years prior to the Marcher civil war. She returned to Esau's Choice shortly before the outbreak of the so-called Cousin's War where she is reported to have taken the role of preacher, spiritual advisor, and teacher to the people of of her chapter.
Certainly a delegation from Esau’s Choice attended the first summit at Anvil, and it is not difficult to imagine that an experienced wayfarer such as Maude would have been a leading member of that delegation. While Bartholomew paints Maude as a proponent of what would eventually become the Assembly of Loyalty, much of this is unfortunately speculation on the part of the archivist and not supported by any documentation other than some old, partial records inherited from Esau's Choice now kept at Josiah's Alarum.
Bartholomew's account then goes on to talk about the "spectre of heresy" - painting Maud's association with the spiritual presence of Hatred as a heresy. This is unfortunately at odds with historical fact. It is generally accepted that at the founding of the Empire the spiritual force of Hatred - or the virtue of "Purity" as it was more commonly known in early Imperial documents - was a significant force recognised by the forerunners of the Imperial Synod. Indeed, it is common knowledge that it was nearly included as one of the Seven. It is easy to feel sympathetic to Bartholomew - it must be difficult to acknowledge that the dangerous teachings of Hatred were once as popular as those of Courage, Ambition, or any of the other true Virtues. How much worse, then, to acknowledge that one's direct ancestor was a proponent of this wicked philosophy?
What I think we can be confident of is that Maude never held the rank of "Cardinal of Purity". While there were certainly priests recognised as being experts on the matters of the individual virtues, the title of Cardinal does not appear in any significant way in pre-Imperial religious documents. The first Cardinals are appointed as part of the work of the early Imperial priests in founding the Synod. While their inspiration is likely to be the Speaker for the Assembly of Highguard, their role was established as part of the constitutional mandate to "establish assemblies that each may know their virtue and select the most virtuous amongst them to lead". At best, we can assume that if Maude was a respected Highborn priest, and a proponent of so-called "Purity", she was recognised as one of the important voices arguing for the inclusion of Hate in the Doctrine of Seven, itself a product of the first years of debate among the priests of the first Imperial Synod.
Paradoxically of course, prior to the reign of Empress Teleri the original cardinals wielded political power more often through the Imperial Senate rather than the Synod. Possessing powers equivalent to those of a Senator, they appear to have been much more concerned with secular matters and presented a potent, if often fractured, voting bloc. It is a sobering thought to imagine what might have happened if one of the eight original cardinals had been a proponent of this malignant spiritual power.
The Practice of Hatred
While it may once have been recognised by priests of the pre-Synod Way, Hatred is very clearly counted alongside the other dangerous spiritual powers such as Peace, Anarchy, and Vengeance. At the absolute outside, it might in theory be recognised as a spiritual power that does not hinder the passage of the spirit through the Labyrinth - as described in the Doctrine of the Seven - but most theological scholars are very clear that it is antithetical to the existing Virtues and that embracing its power is variously, heresy, blasphemy, or both.
It is reassuring to imagine that the practitioners of Hatred were restricted to a limited number of heretical chapters in Highguard. While that may be comforting, it is unfortunately not borne out by the evidence. While Purity was never as dominant as familiar virtues such as Wisdom and Prosperity, it was recognised as a power by the Highborn, and also among the Marchers, the people of Dawn, and the Varushkans. While its dangers are obvious to us today, in less enlightened time its message of closed-communities that protected their traditions and local practices against outsiders was not unappealing. On one level, the spiritual practices promoted by the followers of "Purity" relating to ideas of tainting or corrupting were easily entangled with entirely practical suspicion of malign magical forces or - perhaps ironically - wicked spiritual forces. By casting entities such as the vallorn, or obviously questionable ideas such as foreign religions or actual heresies as "corruption" that must be "rooted out", the followers of "Purity" were often able to establish themselves not as abhorrent gatekeepers, but as heroic defenders of their communities. Such communities often proved quite resistant to outside change.
Even in pre-Imperial times, however, the practitioners of "Purity" were often looked at askance by their peers. There are some fragmentary records of early arguments between Lepidus and an orator called "Simon of Greatwood" in which the paragon repudiates a philosophy suggesting that the Highborn must not teach the Way to outsiders lest they open themselves to dangerous and unvirtuous influences in return. Conversely, dedicates of "Purity" in the Marches railed against those monks who brought the Way to the households, and some scholars point to the opposition of Sulemaine and her sword-scholars to Highborn wayfarers as a manifestation of this suspicious, hateful principle that loathes and fears "outside" ideas.
After the establishment of the Doctrine of the Seven, however, any uncertainty was dispelled. Preaching that "Purity", "Freedom", "Justice", or the rest were equal to the true virtues was clear heresy and treated as such. There are first-hand reports of direct action taken to put-down dangerous cults including several recalcitrant chapters in Newland (later Casfall) in Casinea at the same time the Empire was campaigning against Alderei the Fair. Indeed there are reputable reports that some of the warriors who fought under the tyrant-boyar's banner were openly inspired by the force of Hatred turning their zealous ire against all non-Varushkan soldiers intruding into their dark woodlands. In both cases, interestingly, the rune Cavul or the image of a war-like swan, were used by the cults - a symbology that recurs again and again through Imperial history. The murderer known as "the Swan" who terrorised the lineaged of Tassato Mestra in the late first century, for example, carved the rune into the flesh of their victims as a "calling card." That same connection was most recently seen fifty years ago when the "Fraternity of the Swan" openly decried the inclusion of the Imperial Orcs among the Imperial nations; while their organisation was swiftly dismantled, investigations by the magistrates conclusively pointed to auras of Hatred being employed by the leaders of the movement.
Not everything is as cut-and-dried however. There are records of a knightly order known as the "Order of Golden Zeal" in Dawn in the 53YE. Associated with the Hounds of Glory, these questing knights were reported to be particularly zealous in fighting against the orcs threatening the Empire's eastern borders. While their battlefield fury was often lauded at the time, their enthusiasm for butchering prisoners was considered uncomfortably extreme. The final reference to the Order is in 54YE, where Empress Richilde herself is believed to have taken steps to disband them although frustratingly no details have survived to the current day beyond a reference to a "House Silvertongue", a name that has been heard recently in the Judgements of the Dawnish National Assembly. Ser Thomas Aurelius, who raised that judgement and its escalation, might have known more, but the secret may have died with him.
These stories, and others like them, recur again and again and there is no doubt in the minds of most serious scholars that the heretical power of "Purity" is a stubborn weed, difficult to root out. To the lay person, it is sometimes difficult to separate the strangling vines of Hate from virtuous Vigilance or Pride. A healthy awareness of external and internal threats can sometimes be mistaken for a black-souled hatred of all that is different, and vice versa. Likewise, taking comfort in one's cherished traditions can sometimes be mistaken for a Hateful commitment to custom that opposes all influences from outside the community.
The ceremony of insight can be used to detect dedicates of Hate, but it is of limited use when dealing with the equally insidious problem of normal citizens who simply embrace its tenets. Especially given the rhetoric of the Imperial Synod itself; more than one theologian has pointed out the danger inherent in urging the people of the Empire to hate their enemies. Spiritual auras do not arise solely from the practice of liao ceremonies after all; enough people united by their hatred of outsiders can give rise to spontaneous hallows, consecrations, anointings, and even in very rare cases to dedications. The sects of Hatred had to begin somewhere, after all.
The Teachings of Hatred
It is an unpleasant truth that Hatred is a source of spiritual power similar to the seven Virtues. Those who are dedicated to its teachings are capable of using liao to create auras that draw upon this force just as a priest of one of the true Virtues might create a consecration, hallow or anointing. The nature of these auras are not as well-documented as those of the true virtues for obvious reasons, but thanks to a combination of Highborn archivists and Varushkan scholars (who wish to remain anonymous), and to the vigilance of the Silent Bell, and the 383YE investigation into the sect of Hate in Whittle, some details of the teachings of "Purity" have emerged.
At its root, Hatred represents the fundamental urge to regard the world in terms of "we who are pure" and "they who are corrupt". It is the distrust of the outsider, of the stranger. It is the contempt for the different and the strange. The hateful see tolerance as weakness, and strive to defend their way of life against any outside influence.
The sects are by no means united, but certain phrases recur over and over. These might be seen as similar to the tenets of the true Virtues and include phrases such as: "Your enemies do not deserve pity: their suffering is not your concern"; "trust the instinct that recoils from the unknown"; "tolerance is the crack in the foundation of a strong society"; "Hate is the purest form of active will, a sword to defend what we hold dear"; and "those who are not with us are against us; there is no other path". Those investigating the sects of Hatred would do well to remain alert for speeches or turns-of-phrase that declare sentiments such as these.
The dream of Hatred - as practiced by a dedicate of the malign spiritual force - is anecdotally said to have some similarities to that of Vigilance, bringing threats before the recipient's sleeping mind. Where the dream of Vigilance draw upon the recipient’s own experience, the dream of Hatred tells them exactly what to hate: quite simply, anything that is not like they are.
The consecration of Hatred appears on the surface to be a positive, strengthening aura. It causes a place to feel special, good, clean; a place to be protected. At the same time, however, it urges those who partake of it to keep out any external influences, and to be prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep the place "safe".
The anointings of Hate follow this theme of uniting those who think the same way, and exiling or opposing those who have different ideas. It is easy to see why the spiritual force is dubbed "Purity" by its adherents. Some who have experienced anointing of Hate speak of being driven to suppress dissenting voices, and finding the idea of compromising with others to be nauseating. Others - including a respected agent of the Silent Bell involved in the Whittle investigation - spoke of a profound and empowering understanding of his own identity, coupled with a pernicious awareness of how others were different from him, and how those differences were unsettling and offensive.
Finally, several objects have been examined over the years that appear to bear hallows of Hate. It's possible that some of these are in fact spontaneous auras, but there are enough similarities to propose a short, and certainly not exhaustive, list. Such relics may encourage one to shun strangers; favour instinct over reason; defend traditions from any perceived slight; openly oppose voices that preach tolerance or understanding; unite one's people; and protect the innocent by eliminating influences one deems to be "unwholesome."
As the archivist Gabbatha of the Litharge wrote in 342YE "It is easy to see why the early Synod considered the inclusion of Purity alongside the true virtues. Some of the auras, taken at face value, appear to be of benefit to the virtuous. Yet when one looks closer, the cracks begin to show. Wielded injudiciously there is a very real chance these auras would tear the Empire apart, turning nation against nation, and neighbour against neighbour in pursuit of a single truth that must, as long as humans are mortal creatures, remain elusive."
A Note on "Purity"
In the 214YE book "Purity and Spite", Engus of Highguard quoted a statement of principle from the General Assembly, allegedly from the reign of Empress Richilde, warning the Synod to be alert to the dangers of tolerating hatred. The unknown priest reportedly wrote that "We call it Purity, but we know that it is hate. We must defend against our enemies for Vigilance's sake, because they are a threat to our people. If we urge our congregations to fight with hatred in our hearts, then we have lost the Way, no matter what words we might use to hide our endorsement of that malignant force." Engus expands on the topic in some detail, discussing the idea that neither Virtues nor the malign spiritual forces are concerned with semantics. "If we urge people to hate," he concludes, "then we are also urging them to Hate, and that way lies disaster."
Earlier Documents
These reports were provided to the Ministers of Historical Research following their initial requests.
The Past Life of Adelina Barossa
This document was prepared by Octavia of Stream's Source spire for Ioseph of Phoenix Reach, shortly before the Spring Equinox 382YE. It touches specifically on the life of Maude, daughter of Esther.
Expand
Introduction
It should be noted that - lacking any other details other than “the past life of Adelina Barossa” - this report would otherwise have been very short. Happily, Livia Cascade, the Seer of the Gateway, has recently published her account of Adelina’s vision - assuming this account’s accuracy, it seems that the historical figure to be investigated is “Maude, daughter of Esther, Cardinal of Purity at the beginning of the Empire”. As it relates to the early history of the Empire, I am the natural researcher to take on this task.
I will say that all my normal caveats about the perils of historiography - especially in the period of the founding of which so much is lost - apply here. I have been strongly asked by my superiors in the department to refrain from snippy comments about the scholarship (or otherwise!) of various nations and so I will not repeat them here. All that I am saying is that if there are holes in the following narrative, if things are lost to history, it is not hard to guess which scholarly tradition - or lack thereof! - might be to blame - probably the scholarly tradition most concerned with preserving so-called “Virtuous stories”. Anyway. Yes. I shall not be reprimanded again.
The history of the Synod
There is evidence that suggests that the form of the Synod evolved considerably over the reign of the First Empress. It is thought to have grown out of the old Highborn Assembly of the Way, whose existence began sometime between the Revelation and the founding of the Empire. It began as a way for individuals across Chapters to meet, discuss the Way, and celebrate it - there is some evidence that it began as a tradition of meeting once a year on some suitable anniversary of the Revelation. At some point, the custom arose to name individuals whose virtue was “cardinal” amongst their peers, and it is from here that the notion of a “Cardinal” arose.
The Assembly was not originally concerned with the finer points of doctrine, however - that was the preserve of the Tribunal - but over time the two became quite enmeshed. Sadly, the details of the Way in its pre-Imperial form are lost to history - however, there has always been some evidence that, for instance, there was some disagreement as to exactly which Virtues were True.
The nature of the chapters, however, meant that it was perfectly possible for one chapter to believe in seven virtues, rejecting, say, Loyalty in favour of the false virtue of Hatred, while another to believe in seven virtues, the seven that we know today are True. While the influence of the Tribunal worked to try and homogenise things, for whatever reason this did not successfully occur - suggesting, perhaps, that the Tribunal was just as riven on the issue or distracted by defending the Way from the differing philosophies that other nations shared.
On the foundation of the Empire, the Highborn Assembly of the Way became what we know of today as the Synod. The constitution as we know it today certainly suggests a Synod much like the modern form; but the constitution was always a statement of intent, of axioms, and there is some evidence from passing references in other texts that the transfer between the axioms laid out there and actual practice was not immediate but gradual, over time. It is only with the full codifying of Imperial Law under Emperor Giovanni that this transition ended. So, then, there was a continuum between the Highborn Assembly of the Way - a single assembly of Highborn, able to speak on all matters of Virtue, disinclined towards making statements of dogma or doctrine - to the pluralistic Synod which we ended up with. But it is lost to history exactly how this change occurred, or at what pace.
Hatred, or Purity
It is a relatively well-known historical fact that Hatred was strongly considered by the early Synod before being rejected. There is some evidence - Adelina’s vision seems to directly confirm this - that it was once known as Purity. Adelina’s vision is clearly at a time when something much like an “Assembly of Purity” appears to exist, but it is unclear who exactly is a voting member, or what the title of “Cardinal” truly means here. It appears that Maude-who-would-be-Adelina was the “Cardinal of Purity”. Did the early Empire truly fully recognise Purity as a virtue; was there a Cardinal in the “Assembly of the Nine” - did such an Assembly exist at the time? We do not know, and perhaps may never know; this history is quite extensively lost, which I for one find highly suspicious.
I see various avenues which my research could progress further along:
I could investigate further the false virtue of Hatred itself, under its other name of Purity, and track what is known about its nature throughout history. This is likely to turn up evidence of theological interest but of perhaps little practical use.
I could investigate occurrences of actual support for Hatred and Purity throughout history. This would be likely to resolve the question as whether or not the Empire ever truly recognised a “Cardinal of Purity”, as well as tracing any known cults to the modern day.
I could spend more time looking specifically into the life of Maude, daughter of Esther, perhaps discovering what she did with her life after the events of the Past Life Vision. This might turn up something interesting, but perhaps not - it is hard to know how well she hid or, indeed, where she went.
I could spend some time investigating the pre-Imperial Way; records will surely exist somewhere. This moves away from the original focus of the research but, I suppose, might be of interest to theological historians.
I could spend some time investigating the very early history of the Synod and how it moved towards its modern form, perhaps with particular reference to the Constitution. The evidence here is very scant, but given time to focus on it, who knows what might be found?
A suitable announcement in the Senate will direct the Department in the usual fashion.
Click to expand.
Maude, Daughter of Esther
On investigating Maude daughter of Esther and whether there was ever a proper Cardinal of Purity, John Tallfellow Summer, 383YE. The Department of Historical Research has a note that this document, and the three that follow, might have gone to the previous Minister of Historical Research by mistake, and offers sincere apologies to Caleb of the Cenotaph.
Expand
The lady I was looking into was part of a defunct chapter, Esau’s Choice. In the very early days of the Empire, when she’d have been in her early thirties, that chapter which had stood for a good couple of hundred years fell apart and dissolved, no reason given, and it was by far not alone. Compared to times before and since, if you know where to look - a really surprising number of chapters fell in the first decade of the Empire. Yes, there was a war on - but there is a war on today, and I didn't see half a dozen chapters going missing last year.
I've attached the kind of testimony that's all you'll get from those who will speak at all, and all I’ll commit to paper is that it is so full of Virtue there is room for nothing else. The Way as revealed by the Highborn contained seven Virtues, and claiming otherwise is one quick way that a citizen's tongue can blacken their eye. Mentioning people's ancestors in terms suggesting other than spotlessness of soul does not make you their
friend.
What I have learned in Highguard - that is, all that I have been told, and all that I have read - is this. Maude was a prominent priest, yes: a priest of Loyalty, and that's the end of it. Heresy certainly did not come from within Highguard, not now, not ever.
Bastion, the heart of the Faith, has stood as the firm foundation of all seven Virtues since the Revelation, has never been anything else, and that is that.
Purity? Never has a word narrowed eyes faster: and yes, quite a few people knew that word for what it was. Truly I tell you, I’d have been more politely received if I was asking where the local temple of Sadogua was. On this job I have had to reassure literally dozens of vigilant folk that I was on official orders, to the point that I took to wearing uniform and calling everyone Citizen even in the taproom of an evening, and still people had trouble taking the hint.
As a historian I can quite happily tell you that the most we know of the title Cardinal around the start of the Empire is that we don’t know. The word wouldn’t have been unknown, it’s attested in letters to people like the crown of Wintermark, it was supposedly mentioned in the papers of Aldones di Sarvos before those all got set on fire. The First Empress was said to be attended by people who were like cardinals, but if I list everything she was said to be then this letter will outweigh most books. As for whether it was an Imperial title with an official fancy hat, we’re less sure. Certainly by the time of Empress Teleri it was, because that’s when they were throwing their weight around for the first time and making waves in the histories: and by then, of course, Purity was a poisonous memory.
If you want my opinion, I would look at the modern sodalities for a model about how official Imperial Positions came to be. Take the Anvil Hospital, for example: some enterprising folk put up a tent, had a whip-round for herbs and tools and plied their trade without waiting for permission. The Library the same, someone saw a thing that needed doing and did it. The New Scions of Atun, were they not doing their thing for a long time before they went official? It’s my guess that ‘Cardinal of Virtue’ was a phrase long before there was any suggestion that it gave you official powers, ‘Assembly of Virtue’ was just literally people assembling to chat about virtue.
But of course there’s no evidence and never will be. The early Synod was concerned far more with getting Virtue straight and making sure that everyone knew it, than they were with keeping records of every time anyone was wrong. People who invite all and sundry to watch their sausages being made don't make decent sausages. And lastly let me just say this: reading between these lines I just wrote will be bad for your health. Speaking personally I have requested a transfer back to Upwold, and the news has been around the department. Any further historical researchers sent to
poke around the possibility that early Highborn might have been heretics are likely to be Dawnish or Highborn, and Wisdom help us all in either case.
If you want more answers here, you want the Silent Bell, who are far more used to insulting people’s Pride for a living, or the Grey Pilgrims , who might want to set their own house in order before talking about someone else's. Or perhaps there are Eternals who might know more, like the Eternal of Purity her own self. The wizards might tell us that one has got nothing to do with hatred: but the question really is whether the heretics of old knew that.
Click to expand
Hate and the Formation of the Empire
Upon the practice of the Heresy of Hatred around the Formation of the Empire, Ephas of Canterspire, Summer 383YE
Expand
The heresy of Hatred, called Purity, has been a pernicious one for as long as heresy has been fought. As a malign spiritual presence arising from the Human Soul, as with Anarchy and Vengeance, it is not something that can ever be truly stamped out. No matter how much the weed is cut down, it will arise again, for it is easy to rediscover. Unlike Anarchy and Vengeance, Purity calls to history, craves it. The nature of hatred is divisive by its very nature, yes, but within a homogeneous group it is conservative: it drives a community to come together in rejection of the common enemy, and practitioners of Purity will often claim a great and storied history to justify their hatred. Is Whittle truly a survivor of pre-Imperial ‘old ways’? It is quite simply just as likely that their self-proclaimed priests heard rumours of such upon the wind and latched onto them to lend legitimacy to their grubby little nest.
It is a simple fact, I am sad to tell you, that very few of the agencies which investigate these heresies are fond of recording the sordid details of heresy rather than the signs by which they may be known. Also as always, the difficulty of a pre-Nicovarian investigation rears its ugly head. The paltry information I collect here comes mostly from records of military or Militia dispatches archived beneath the Castle of Thorns.
Dated shortly before the war with Alderei the Fair, our investigators found a mouldering dispatch from a small but significant military action that must have been coordinated by the nascent Civil Service. It called upon the heroes of the Empire to call their private banners to them, and descend upon a nest of ‘recusants and blasphemers’ that had taken over a series of chapter houses upon what would then have been lands bordering orcish territory in Newland, Casinea. The symbol that these heretics were using was simply the rune Cavul, ‘purity’, daubed in white on black.
Another correspondence from the early Imperial era, a dispatch from the Granite Pillar, details an engagement with the forces of ‘the fair Boyar’, almost certainly Alderei. It recounts the bloody ferocity with which the schlacta defended a place that they had only recently taken, and contains a testimony from a captain who experienced a malign aura within the schlacta’s camp. Whatever the intended effect of that aura, its effect upon the normally disciplined Highborn soldiers was to drive them to burn the camp with the prisoners inside. The animal used as a symbol for their shrine was the swan, red-beaked and angry and yet immaculate.
From first-century Tassato Mestra, we have a report from militia investigating a series of killings of Lineaged. Again, the calling-card of the murderers was the rune Cavul, here carved into the flesh of their victims, translated this time as ‘the Swan’.
Then again, around fifty years ago, an organisation named ‘the Fraternity of the Swan’ was active once more in the League. They preached hatred against orcs, decrying what they saw as the corruption of the Empire by inhuman influences, and again made bloody use of the rune of purity. While the militia of the time declared the organisation stamped out, they would have been under significant political pressure to do so, and one never
knows. Interestingly, a feature of this cult was Lineaged citizens of Tassato who had self-mutilated after the Highborn custom.
In Dawn, around the fifth decade YE, we have a series of fascinating dispatches from the Hounds of Glory detailing over several seasons the behaviour of an organisation known as the Order of Golden Zeal. The first two seasons’ worth of communiques refer to the glorious frenzy with which they led the charge against the orcish foes. The third describes in a somewhat less enthusiastic tone the way that they took to the task of eradicating the remaining barbarians with even greater zeal than they had shown on the battlefield, and then the fourth one is an outright plea to the general to rein them in before the line troops began to ape their brutality.
Apparently a song had become popular among the troops of the army, calling for the execution of orcish civilians rather than taking them as slaves: the author of this song was the Order’s principal troubadour, one Imelda Silvertongue. A later communication asks the General to convey their thanks to Empress Richilde ‘for her decisive intervention in our little discipline matter’, so presumably the issue was solved by the Paragon. One does note, however, that the name of a Silvertongue family has been heard recently in the Judgements of the Dawnish National Assembly. Perhaps Ser Thomas Aurelius, who raised that judgement, would know if it were the same family.
It is extremely unlikely that any of the above are isolated examples. While we need not pretend that the claims of the heretics are ultimate wisdom, neither can they be discounted entirely. They are highly unlikely to be everywhere, as their type has claimed since one human first ever lied to another: they might well, however, still be somewhere.
While on the subject of historical heresies, I should make mention of an organisation that my predecessor even half a century ago would not have needed to name. That name is the Tribunal of the Virtuous. While not themselves - as far as we know - a heretical organisation, this group had as a founding principle the idea that the Way of Virtue was perfected in the time of Empress Teleri. During my own apprenticeship, their name was somewhat of a bogeyman: have a care that your work does not draw too near to the foundations of the Way, I was taught, or some humourless and very well-educated Highborn will be having a quiet word. They were not heretics: emphatically not. They caught heretics, and scotched them.
But the Tribunal is today a spent force, if even it exists at all. The Young Empress had set herself against them after a series of ill-judged clashes during her electoral campaign, and those who crossed her had a very unfortunate way of finding themselves onto dangerous skirmishes and returning shoulder-high as safely dead heroes. Doubtless they are better off gone - but with them went all of the knowledge of last generation's self-appointed guardians of the Way, and that will have included details that nobody ever entrusted to paper.
Lastly, please, allow me to speculate. The speculation goes like this - a word that is used a great deal regarding the cults of Hatred in the early Empire is ‘recusant’: namely, one who refuses to submit to a religious edict. In other words, these were not people who had recently come to the heresy. These were people who had refused to abandon it, presumably upon the orders of the early Synod. In other words? It is inconceivable to me that Hatred was unknown to the Highborn before the formation of the Empire. It is inconceivable that alone among all nations the Highborn could recognise the folly of Hatred without the worked example of the Empire and the incalculable benefits of its cultural diversity. Therefore, I postulate that Hatred was practiced - probably as Purity - as part of the Way by the early Highborn. And then when it was discarded by the early Empire, the Highborn would have pulled together in their Pride and destroyed it as best they could, and burned out every last vestige of every piece of evidence that it had ever been part of their Way.
In short, reader, I should expect that historical Highguard was quite riddled with Purity. I should be far from surprised if Highguard were found to have been the place where its ideals were first codified as a Virtue, in the same fashion as Courage and Vigilance and the others. I postulate a long, quiet battle between the Virtuous and the recusant: and while the Virtuous have emerged the inevitable victors, I should not be at all surprised if there were survivors on the losing side.
In terms of further investigation, being Urizeni myself, I shall take it upon myself to suggest that one treat with Eternals. It is certain that the Eternal Ylenrith , the Swan, associated with the rune Cavul and the concept of purity, will have opinions upon the mortal use of the spiritual force people use that name for. In Vigilance, though, I must warn the reader that those opinions might be strong and not entirely helpful to us.
Roshanwe , whose domain is the search for truth, who is interested in the Way, might well have useful questions for a scholar who could draw her in discussion, but is unlikely to provide answers, for that is not the creature's nature. Leviathan would almost certainly have witnessed events that would have been of interest, but the difficulty with Leviathan is to formulate a request correctly. Personally I see no mystery here that might interest Sung , but your own seers might.
Among foreign humans, it might be the case that Sumaash priests of Vigilance might have information upon Hatred - but it might well be the case that they do not, or are unwilling to speak of it. More willing to speak, but possibly less capable of answering usefully, could be the Commonwealth. Intermediate between the two might well be the Axou: once upon a time, it was well known that Axos was where heretics fled if they could, and if there were a place where Hatred were practiced to this day, I might think of Axos. Less openly, but possibly more fervently, those who work towards the downfall of the religion and government of the Iron Confederacy might also be a reasonable place to find any of the false virtues.
I hesitate to recommend the Silent Bell, unless one can find a target for them more specific than ‘cultists in the Empire, mostly southern and western, although possibly also in the north or east’. The Vigilant are already looking out for cultists in the Empire in general. It is somewhat by way of being our way of life! But if something more specific than this has come to light, the stiletto of the Nine is every bit as sharp as ever it was.
I remain, Your devoted fellow in Vigilance,
Ephas of Canterspire
Click to expand
Auras and Teachings
Upon the Malign Auras and the Teachings of Hatred, Ephas Canterspire, Summer 383YE
Expand
I warn you, reader. What you see here will be familiar. It is a common theme when writing upon the subject of heresy: that of which we speak is a thing that strikes a chord in the human soul. Of course it does. If it did not, then the heretics would find no converts, would be unable to Dedicate, would have no use for liao. In Loyalty I say, do not worry when what I discuss is unpleasantly familiar to you: in Wisdom I say, do not consider this familiarity to be some kind of sign of enlightenment. And in Vigilance - take care as to how this knowledge is taught.
The dream of Hatred, or so we hear, is similar to that of Vigilance, bringing threats before the sleeping mind of the recipient. But where the dream of Vigilance draws upon the recipient’s own experience, the dream of Hatred tells them exactly what to hate: quite simply, anything that is not like they are.
The consecration of Hatred is apparently an innocent-feeling thing, on the surface of things: it makes somewhere feel special, good, clean, a place to be protected. But from what, one asks: from what? And Hatred has only one answer to that - the Other. Anything that is not like you.
The hallowings of Hatred, and the anointings as well, likewise should follow this theme, picking out individual notes within. Those that I have heard tell of, call upon individuals to call out the outsider in their midst, to cast them out, to bring together those who are like them, to despise those who are not. And importantly, to protect the innocent.
In short, reader: one can see immediately why this is called Purity by its adherents. And one can see immediately why it should not be so called by the followers of the true Way. Wash their hands as they like, the foulness of the adherents of Hatred comes solely from within.
If what I have written here feels dangerously familiar… why, this is not surprising. If I have learnt one thing on this foray into this particular recess of the human spirit, it is that when they say that vice is contagious and attractive, they are being quite literal.
This malign spiritual presence strikes a chord in my soul that disgusts me - in turn, I recoil, I reject it. Every right-thinking person, I feel, must despise it. I begin to think indeed that I should write no more lest the dangerous ideas of these outcasts escape my pen to corrupt the innocent, forsooth - If heresy were not so attractive, it would not be so pernicious. In Vigilance I enjoin you, reader. Watch for these things. But be careful how you teach
them. I remain,
Your devoted fellow in Vigilance,
Ephas of Canterspire
Click to expand
Adelina Barossa's Vision
From Echoes of the Labyrinth, Volume 5, as compiled by Livia of the Spire of the Celestial Union. This excerpt is included for the sake of completeness.
Expand
Adelina Barossa di Tassato Regario (League)
Accompanied by Tancred de Rondell (Dawn)
Adelina was selected as a visionary by the winner of the Virtuous Auction. The visionary gave their permission for these notes to be made public. The testimony was presented by the visionary with some assistance from their guide.
The visionary awoke in front of an altar, with their right hand raised and their left hand down. On the altar was a bowl with antlers in. There were other tables around that had knives and horseshoes on them.
Kneeling in front of the visionary was a woman in white, with a black hood that had a short capelet and gold trim. The woman had pointed ears and cuts on her forehead where antlers would have been. (According to the visionary, she had a somewhat similar look to the late Vitoria Barossa.)
With that woman was another woman, this one with long red hair and wearing black, who had a washcloth and bowl of water and was washing the woman in white. The two of them were both dressed in Highborn clothing. The woman in white said she felt pure and cleansed, and that she felt better. She appeared to the visionary to be in shock; she seemed to be half laughing, half crying.
On the visionary's left was a Marcher man, wearing a red and blue quartered tunic. On the visionary's right was a Varushkan man wearing a fur brimmed hat. The two of them congratulated the visionary on finishing a ceremony for the virtue of Purity. (The guide noted that there didn't appear to be any liao around that might have been used in the ceremony.)
Another person, tall with floppy black hair and looking Highborn, came into the room. They initially said, "We've lost the vote", then picked up a white veil that was nearby and put it on, and continued, "We've lost, this is now Hatred."
The Marcher and the Varushkan asked the new person "how?", and the Marcher added, "How can I go back and tell my people this?" The Varushkan said, "You mean you didn't tell them the vote was happening?" to which the Marcher said, "No, because I thought we'd win".
The visionary asked how many votes they had lost by, and the person in the veil said, "a few". The visionary also asked who had voted against them, and the person said, "The usual people". From a little more conversation, the vote had apparently been in the Highborn assembly.
Then argument broke out about what they should do next. The Varushkan said they could go to the north of Varushka, as there was a fair boyar there who would take them in. (This was very likely Alderei the Fair.) The person in the veil said that they should go underground, explaining, "I'm an Unconquered, I know how to keep you safe. This is what we do."
The Marcher said he would give his congregation to his apprentice who was always more about Loyalty than Purity, and that he would fall on his sword and be shrived in the wicker man. There were then loud arguments between the Marcher and the Varushkan, and the visionary told them to stop arguing with each other and speak to each other respectfully.
Meanwhile, the Unconquered whispered in the visionary's ear that the boyar had an army massing that could do serious damage to the Empire, and that they couldn't afford another war. The Marcher, in his arguments, had mentioned the War of the Cousins (the civil war that had happened in the Marches when households disagreed whether or not they would join the Empire).
The visionary said that they would stay with the Empire, and keep the Empire strong. In response, the Varushkan yelled, "Typical Highborn", and the Marcher left, saying he was going to the wicker man. The Varushkan said, "If you think the Vigilance assembly won't catch us out, if you think that the Virtue assemblies are stupid", to which the visionary replied, "well, yes" somewhat dismissively. They discussed their traditions, and what they would do about them now, and the visionary said that a tradition was not a place, but that their chapter and their people kept the traditions.
The woman in white said to the visionary, "You're no longer Cardinal - how can you be so calm?" The visionary said, "I could get angry if that would help." The woman replied, "It would make me feel better", and then added, sounding frustrated, "sometimes I just want to fight them", and hurled the altar over. The vision ended shortly after this. Adelina had their soul examined by the rite of Insight before and after the vision. Before the vision, their soul had a dedication to Loyalty with the strength of a single priest, as well as two testimonies: "Devoted Prince" with the strength of three priests, and "Inquisitor's Ally" with the strength of one priest.
After the vision, the testimonies were still present, but their dedication to Loyalty had been replaced by a dedication to Hate with the strength of a single priest. They then had themself rededicated to Loyalty.
There was an aura on them that made them want to reject compromise and suppress dissenting voices, with the strength of four priests behind it. This was treated by replacing it with the anointing of Clarity of Wisdom, again with the strength of four priests.
Tancred also had his soul examined before and after the vision. Both before and after the vision, his soul bore a dedication to Loyalty with the strength of a single priest, as well as two testimonies: "Returning Soldier" with the strength of seven priests, and "Twice Sworn" with the strength of one priest.
The coven of the Spire of Auric Horizon also performed divination rituals on Adelina after the vision to gain information about their past life and corroborate what the vision indicated.
The Day divination ritual indicated that the visionary's past self was Maude, daughter of Esther, and was Cardinal of Purity at the beginning of the Empire. She wore white robes and had stumps under her veil, as a result of being Unveiled.
The Night divination ritual showed a set of scales with red human blood in the pans, and a chock stopping the scales from moving either way. It was not clear which way they would fall when the chock was removed, as there was a storm gathering around the scales, but whichever way they fell it would alter the course of the Empire.
For more information about these rituals, please ask Auric Horizon. The ritual included the visionary putting on a blank mask to symbolise taking on their past self's identity. It seemed to interact strongly with the League hearth magic of masks, causing Adelina to alternate between remembering they were Adelina and believing they were Maude, from when they had the ritual, for much of the evening.
Click to expand
Further Reading