I, Divine Pontiff Artreus write this letter to my brothers and sisters of the light, however I also write this to all the people who wish for a better world, one driven by a desire to do good. I write to you to lend you a little bit of light in a now dark world. While my words be that just of a mortal man, I pray that the guidance I impart upon you is as close to the will of the gods of light as can be delivered through a mortal and frail frame.
Times have changed, of this have no doubt. Some things for the better, some for the worse, but at the end of the day I must believe that this is Valos’s grand plan, and that in the end, the light will prevail. We live in a world, were demonic forces have already destroyed our way of life, and we struggle to pick up the pieces and rebuild. We live in a world were dark forces have seized this occurrence and have manipulated it to their benefit. They are tolerated now, not only by the laws of the land, but also by the public court of opinion in the hearts of normal men and women. We should not fault them for being fooled, for all of us are weak at times, and the enemy is smarter and more cunning than we have in the past believed. The common person is cloaked in deception and to dispense justice with the sword is no longer the fast and easy route. This battle must be primarily fought and won in the heart, mind and soul.
This manipulation of society is strong, and while some of you may feel hard to admit this, I suspect the blanket of deception has fallen on all of our eyes. As devote followers of the light, we must fight hard to remove it from our view, for it clouds our judgment and keeps us farther from our gods.
There is no truce between the gods, there is no agreement or understanding, there is only our current situation in which our challenge is now more difficult. But no strong believer will fall prey to failure, for with the light of our lords will we stand above the fray, see right from wrong, see light from within the darkness, and so choose to rise to the occasion, in this, our darkest hour.
It is and always has been paramount to prove that the force of good is far greater than the force of evil. If we serve our lives to this, then when we die, we will have passed with great purpose. But what does it really mean to prove this point? While at times necessary, the slaughter of evil is not how we prove this. We prove the greatness of good, through kindness, selflessness, love, compassion, understanding. We prove the greatness of good, by admitting we are flawed and faulty and that understanding our weaknesses can be one of our greatest strengths. We prove the greatness of good by deeds and actions that inspire others around us to be better people. We prove the greatness of good, by being good.
How do you live in a world were evil has poisoned the perception of those around you and can walk beside you unharmed? Persistence of Faith. Guarded Optimism. The will to see good prevail. Watch the evil that you must at a cautious distance, be persistence and diligent in your spreading of good, and keep hope for a better tomorrow. Be willing to try to convert the enemy to your side, for that is a battle far greater to win than that of simple bloodshed; to this end you may engage, but always seek to prove to the evil that its course is wrong, and that redemption must be sought for salvation. Watch the enemy with a close eye, and take advantage of the fact that you know that they are there. Be present if they choose to commit a vile act of evil and take the life of an innocent, and prevent such acts at all cost, with lethal force if the occasion calls for it. Be present to undo thier poisonous words and allow your words to act as an antidote to those effected.
What you must not do is allow evil to blind you with their shroud of deception. You must not conscribe to thought that their beliefs in the name of thier dark powers are anything but evil and poison to the world, for this is fact, and to loose track of this understanding is to loose track of your own faith in good.
As if our enemies walking amongst us is not enough, the excommunicates embolden themselves as a renegade church. Make no mistakes, they are misguided and mislead and are the embodiment of all that was wrong with the church for a millennia and more. However do not believe that they are the enemy, for misguided as they are, most of them want the same result, though they sin greatly in the process. Being misguided is not a cause for death or violence, and so we must simply inform the masses that the words that the excommunicates preach are tainted with falsehoods and inaccuracies, and hope that those who truly believe in the light can understand the truth of it.
Atop all of this, a new or returned religion claims existence and grows in power and popularity among the desperate. We still know very little about this religion, its true intentions, and this is a concern that must be approached cautiously.
Brothers and sisters, we have so many obstacles in our way, but we have the love and approval of our gods of light to strengthen us. I declare that goodness is in our blood and in our veins and now more than ever the gods are with us not only in spirit, but in flesh and blood. Our battle will be a new one, and it will be hard fought, though nothing worth fighting for has ever been easy in this world.
We shall rise to the occasion, in this, our darkest hour. We shall prove the greatness of good, by being good.
Be Strong in the Light,
Divine Pontiff Artreus
- James C. Kimball Director, Knight Realms
