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.
- Other virtuous qualities may be laudable, but they do not aid you in the Labyrinth of Ages. Some may actively hinder your passage.
- 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 benefit from 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.
The Seven Paths of Virtue
The Seven Paths of Virtue illuminated by Paragons and Exemplars across history are:
Each Virtue is, by itself, regarded as a Path through the Labyrinth of Ages. Collectively, the Paths are known as The Way of Virtue.
The History of The Way
Priests and Scholars of The Way have unearthed myths and legends of Exemplars and Paragons that go back as far as any history or saga. Belief in reincarnation pre-dates understandings of the Labyrinth of Ages and can be found in multiple disparate cultures.
The Way of Virtue first began to take shape during a period of Highguard history called The Revelation. A Highborn Chapter called The Scions of Atun found a way to unlock the potential of liao, a herb previously used only for medicinal purposes.
Through a complex system of refinment and purification, The Scions of Atun were able to create Pure Liao which - when used - opened up a person's mind to the Labyrinth of Ages and granted them a vision of one of their past lives. This was the spark that ignited The Revelation in Highguard. During this time, another Highborn Chapter - The Distant Shores - uncovered proof that the visions were of events that had truly happened by matching up archaeological evidence and historical record with the visions witnessed. Further study by the Scions, Shores and other Highguard Chapters uncovered other secrets, such as the nature of the Labyrinth of Ages, the Seven Virtues and the identities of some Exemplars and Paragons.
Having taken root in Highguard, several Chapters - most famously the Winds of Virtue - carried The Way to the other Nations. The Wayfarers learned about Exemplars and Paragons that had manifested in those lands, taught the people of the Labyrinth and the Virtues, and invited pilgrims to come to Highguard to experience the truth of The Way through the Pure Liao visions.
The spread of The Way amongst the nations coincided with the rise and ascendence of the First Empress who, when she founded the Empire, recognised The Way as the religion of the Empire and granted The Way authority and influence by creating the Synod and enshrining it within the Imperial Constitution.
Since the founding of The Empire, the combined insights of priests, holy mystics, scholars and wise ones from all nations have further informed the understanding of the Virtues, the Paragons and the Labyrinth of Ages. Further study of Liao has also revealed it has applications in Ceremonial Rites that can facilitate, or hinder, a spirit's passage through the Labyrinth of Ages as well as demonstrating and aiding the power of Virtue in this lifetime.
The Labyrinth of Ages and the Paragons and Exemplars
The Labyrinth of Ages is the name, coined in Highguard, of the twisting realm of pure spirit that is integral to the cycle of reincarnation. It is understood that the journey from death-to-rebirth is neither simple nor instantaneous. Indeed, some spirits are said to wander between lives for years, even generations, before being reborn. Some are condemned to wander lost forever.
The Way of Virtue teaches that living a Virtuous Life holds the key to successfully traversing the Labyrinth of Ages swiftly, safely and with the purity of spirit that strengthens ties to past lives. This is supported through insights gained from the Liao Ceremonies conducted by priests of The Way. These same insights revealed the nature of the Seven Virtues and the presence of powerful individuals throughout history who have burned with Virtue and been legendary heroes known as Exemplars. A few, rarer still, have been recognised as Paragons, possessed of such a state of Virtue that they have transcended the Labyrinth of Ages and never again need to be reborn. This is held to be the ultimate destiny of humankind.
Although The Way teaches the supremacy of the human spirit, and rejects false gods, there are some superstitious corners of the Empire in which simple folk venerate the transcendent Paragons. The Synod tolerates this idolatry by affirming that prayer to the Paragons achieves nothing more than meditating on their example for inspiration on how to take action oneself.
The Synod, and the Highborn Chapters that pre-date it, have found evidence of Exemplars and Paragons going back to the Dawn of History, preserved in myths and legends. To many are attributed wonders and miracles that have helped raise up humanity from darkness, and primitive superstition, laying the groundwork - in their own way - for the Empire and The Way. It is also widely held that the First Empress was herself a Paragon, though there is some debate as to which Virtue she may have been a Paragon of.
Citizens, Priests, Pilgrims and Dedication
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 external 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, Ratfolk or other non-human species. This is taken 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.