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PostPosted: Aug 25th, '08, 14:40 
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The Glorious Paths of Goodness
by Illiani Dourana the Hoardless

Introduction
To some it would seem strange, perverse even, that one with a history so dark as my own would ever contemplate the authoring of such a book as the guide you hold before you.

Many events caused me to turn from the paths of darkness to that of light -- chief among these was the love of Elrathruul the Starscale. You too must find your own path to goodness if you wish such to be worth more than a handful of prayers and ill thought actions. The greatest good in the world comes from he that knows the seduction of darkness.

The paths of goodness are not easy ones, nor as would many have you believe, is it always filled with friendship and love. With determination and purpose it is possible to find your way upon such path, no matter how dark your previous ways. What you read here is the result of many months of careful meditation on the subject of goodness, may it prove of use to you.

Illiani Dourana the Hoardless Descendant of Claran'nathar.



The Deeds of Altruism

Helping Others
The primary concern of the good man is those actions that aid others. A good man must place the wellbeing of others before his own.

When approached by another for aid a selfish man will as for payment; an evil man will seek to gain as much as possible; the good man must aid the seeker not for coin, or reward, but because it is a pure and just thing. Many times for his deeds a good-man will be rewarded, but this must never be the reason to give aid. Following the paths of goodness does not mean you must follow qa path of stupidity however; never accept a request for aid until you know the details of the quest before you. Giving aid blindly will only invite the Dark Powers and their Servants to abuse you and your good intentions.

A good man should never decline a request for aid as long as the requester is not asking for aid because of nefarious, or malign reasons. If you find a task s beyond you never decline the request on that feeble basis. Instead search to find others to aid you on your quest, or offer to fetch other good men and heroes to perform the deed in your sted. In doing so you do not for fill the quest, but you do still aid the requester.

Charity
Evil men see those who are needy to deserve their place in society. No good man should ever follow this 'might makes right' dogma. a good man needs to understand that most folke who require his aid are in such a situation through no fault of their own. The Orphan, The Homeless and The Insane are mostly in such situations due to outside influence and deserve charity.

When giving charity the goo man should be sure to give the respect thart all men deserve and to be consciously in avoidance of offending their dignity. A good man should offer food to the hungry, lodging to the homeless; understanding and absance of bigotry to the mentally ill.

Healing
As a walker on the road of goodness you must be willing to relieve the ails of others. Even those who do not possess the Celestial Aid of the Paladine, or True-Cleric can still do their part. A man who is suffering from a ravaging disease is suffering twofold. Firstly he is suffering from the disease of the body. Secondly he is suffering from the disease of the mind; despair.

A True Cleric, or Paladine, can remove the physical disease curing the disease of the body, but those without the healing touch can aid with the disease assaulting the victim's mind. By offering kind and reassuring words the inflicted's despair can be lessened which in turn would aid him in his body's battle against the physical disease.

The Healing Touch also carries another gift; that of mercy. A True-Cleric of Good lending his powers to a man of darkness shows that man the mercy of the light. Each time this occurs the man of darkness will take one more step towards turning away from his dark ways.

Sacrifice
A good man must be willing to sacrifice everything, even his own life, in the name of goodness; a good man must be willing to give all he has to charity; a good man must be wiling to battle the darknesses of the world regardless of when it might occur, or who it occurs to; a good man must be willing to stand in the way of danger so that others can escape if the situation calls for such.

Even sacrificing ones' own feelings of mortal-love is expected sometimes. Turning your back on the pleasures of the mortal world so that you can better perform your duty is a great sacrifice -- one even greater than sacrificing your own life.

Mercy
A good man must be willing to give mercy to even the vilest of villains. It is what cements the differences between a truly good man and a man that dabbles in goodness.

Should a foe ever ask for mercy grant it. This does not mean he can be released to cause more suffering, but he should not be slain. Sometimes a villain will escape, or betray you, but remember that you granted mercy and have a purer heart because of such. The rewards for mercy come at unexpected times and from the most unexpected places.

Occasionally mercy will demand a darker duty, but mercy-killing is not something any good man should enter into -- under normal circumstances. I have conducted only a single mercy-killing in my time and I have yet to lose the feeling of guilt over it.

You should only ever commit euthanasia if you are absolutely certain beyond any doubt that there is no other way. If at all possible you should seek to make tem as comfortable as you can. If you intend to do the deed it is sometimes best to not inform the victim of your intentions so that they do not suffer undue stress. Subtle quick acting poisons are the best method, especially those that cause the victim to slip into unconsciousness rather than rack their bodies with pain.

Forgiveness
While mercy is the act of treating the darkest villain with respect and as if they were a being worthy of mercy; forgiveness is the placement of faith in a for, faith that even the vilest of villains can change towards goodness.

This does not mean that the good man should ignore any wrongs done to him, rather he should be willing to forget them and abandon any perceived right to revenge should the wrongdoer show signs that they wish to repent. Forgiveness and Mercy are both the foundations that reinforce the act of Repenting Evil.

Forgiveness is essential because it not only reinforces those that wish to repent, but also shows other evil doers that the path of repenting is open to them.

Hope
To a city oppressed by a Tyrant Overlord; a land plagued by undeath; or a village besieged by bandits, the hero is a symbol of hope and that the end of darkness may be at hand.

The good man must be aware that when he enters a land in need of hope he must act as a figure of that hope; he must act in a manner perceived as heroic. Even the simple act of polishing one's armor before greeting the oppressed masses sets you above the norm: a hero come out of a Bard's tale to free them from the darkness dressed in glistening armor atop a proud horse.

Your companions too must adhere to this image, sometimes this requires you to all act in a manner that could be considered stereotypical, but remember that by acting like heroes -- even if you are not -- you raise the moral of your viewers. You prove the much needed light in their dark, deprived world.

Redemption
Many would agree that the greatest thing a good man can ever hope to accomplish is the redemption of an evil ridden soul. Not only because it saves them from the torment of the Lower Planes, but also because it ceases their tyranical pursuits in the world of men.

Any being seeking to redeem themselves should be encouraged and helped by the good man. This is where forgiveness comes into play as to help a dark soul seek redemption you must be willing to forgive their dark deeds.

The good man must be aware that some creatures in our world are beyond redemption. Some creatures are innately evil, or so inclined to evil that they can never be redeemed. An evil dragon for example has only the most minute chance to be persuaded from darkness, while undead will always be evil. Be aware that those creatures that are usually evil, such as Drow and Orcs should be approached with a heart and mind open to the possibility of redemption.

Redemption must be an act willingly sought, threatening a dark warrior at sword point and declaring that they shall turn to Elrathruul or die, removes the person's free will and choice. They are also more likely to turn their back on you and your cause if forced into action. Showing a person mercy is usually the first step in leading them on the path of redemption.

The End and The Means
Does a minor evil become justified if it prevents a greater evil? Is torture -- something all good men should shudder at the thought of -- acceptable if you are using it to gather information that stops the production of an army of undead? A legion of undead? What about a plague of undeath? Would telling a lie be justified if it stopped the death of a man? What about ten men? One hundred men maybe? Perhaps an entire civilization? Could the killing of an evildoer who yielded be justified if it stopped him causing a great harm to a world of innocents in the future?

The lure to use evil as a means for good is one that is always there. It might seem that the use of evil against itself is justified by the end result. Such is a grave and sad misconception. Each action of evil, no matter the reason, has repercussions far beyond your event. for each act of evil tilts the balance in the favor of the Dark Powers. Even if the result is ultimately good, the scales will still have been tilted.

Some believe that they can sacrifice their own purity for the greater good. This too is a misconception as it turns your spiritual purity into a coin to be bartered with darkness. Such deprives the forces of good of another warrior and provides the Dark Powers a two fold tilt in their favor. Treat your spiritual purity with the gravitas it deserves.


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