Loyalty
The Path of Loyalty
It is easy for citizens to claim Loyalty but, as with many of the Virtues, its proof lies in the testing. For those that claim to be Loyal, or to inspire Loyalty, all may seem well in times of peace and prosperity. It is in hardship, when errors are made, that temptation arises, if not to betray, but to doubt and undermine. Time and again, history has shown that when loyalty is needed most, it is most scarce. The Empire stands on the foundation of the loyalty of its citizens. If they be not Loyal, then the Empire surely cannot stand. Day-to-day loyalty is seen in the student to their teacher, in the soldier to their commander, between lovers and spouses, and between the citizens and the Empire.
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:
- Know your heart and what commands its devotion above all else.
- Even the wicked can be loyal when times are prosperous and judgements are unfailing; the truly virtuous are loyal even through hardship and misfortune.
- Loyalty is not displayed by words or deeds alone, but by the unity of both.
- The Virtuous build up their fellows; they do not tear them down.
- Despise treachery; even the strongest may err, but deceivers will lie again.
Paragons and Exemplars
Identifying the Paragons and Exemplars of Loyalty has taxed the theologians of The Synod and the Highborn before them for they rarely act alone. Furthermore, in some incarnations the Paragons and Exemplars inspire great loyalty; in others, they demonstrate exceptional loyalty to another. Examples from history include:
- The Marked - or one thereof - is regarded as the oldest Paragon. So the legend goes, The Marked were a group of tattooed slaves who came together and swore the First Oath to one another. The details are lost to history, but this oath contained bonds of loyalty that sustained the Marked through trial, torment and even death to the point that their inhuman masters were overthrown.
- Lady Elayne Silverlark of Dawn, who was an exceptional troubadour gifted in many arts - musically, poetically, dramatic and more - and was highly sought after by great houses and exceptional knights, offering gold, glory, love and more. Yet Elayne was unwaveringly Loyal to Endric, whose skills and reputation were never more than adequate on a good day. Many households sought Lord Endric's services, not for his talents, but for those of the one who accompanied him. It is said that it was Elayne's belief in Endric that gave him the will to confront an orc warband many times his number and hold them at bay until reinforcements arrived. Lord Endric died of his wounds, and ever after, Elayne exemplified her loyalty by ensuring that all of Dawn learned of his sacrifice.
- Bolstering Bill is a character generally believed to have been a Marcher - if he existed at all - who appears in a number of comic songs, stories and poems in various parts of the Empire. He (or very occasionally, she) is presented as a simple yet well-meaning soldier, usually wielding a pole-arm, whose companions encounter any number of amusing or hair-raising scrapes and who survive or triumph with the aid of their companion, Bill combines good humour, honest camaraderie and more than a little tough love with an absolute commitment to never leaving a friend behind. While the truth behind these tales is contested, the character of Bolstering Bill is often considered to be an Exemplar of Loyalty. Even the critics of the Bolstering Bill stories note that it is likely that many of them recount the adventures of real people, and have simply been ascribed to Bolstering Bill by later generations of storytellers to make them more accessible to their audiences. (see also the Good Neighbour, a polearm occasionally called a bolstering bill).
Symbols, icons and trappings
The Path of Loyalty has many symbols across the Empire, but one of the more common ones is a Chain. This symbolises not only the humble origins of the earliest Paragon as a slave, but is composed of single links given length, strength and purpose by being inextricably linked to others. Along similar lines, a Rope of many strands or two interlinked Rings are also common symbols.
Some Priests and Pilgrims dedicated to this Path have been known to wear chains around their necks, or either a chain or rope around their waist indicating their ties. Although the exact description of the slave Tattoos of The Marked is lost to time, several Priests and Pilgrims will be tattooed, often with some reference – obvious, oblique or symbolic – to that which holds their Loyalty.
It is more shameful to distrust your friends than to be deceived by them.