This document was published by the instruction of the Church via motion, the first and only of its kind (the power thereafter being assigned exclusively to the Senate and the Council of Six), raised by Mother Brine in Autumn 226. It is a letter on various subjects of faith penned by Mother Brine.
1st Letter to Bordevar
Written from The Narrows of Lorricazzo, unto an Unnamed Lord of Bordevar, in the 226th Summer after the establishment of the Church of the Divine Spheres.
I.
My belaboured soul did find comfort and solace in thine recent correspondence. Thine words and concerns, did act as a balm unto my soul. Thine epistle hath found a mirrored reflection in myself; like thee, I am oppressed by profound queries and perturbations of the spirit. The weighty affairs of the Mortal Sphere, akin to the tempests that beset the mariner upon the vast and treacherous seas, hath detained me of late.
And yet, it gladdens mine heart apostolic to share my burden, and to hear of thine. As sacred wisdom doth declare, a sorrow divided is halved. And in granting our brethren succour, we oft uncover the clarity we have been denied. I pray thou find comfort in the words I have so carefully crafted.
That said, I would be truly wretched were I not to acknowledge the belated dispatch of my response, thanks to the craft with which it was prepared. But how can one swiftly render upon parchment answers to the complex questions thou hast placed before me? These are contemplations that would preoccupy the discourse of our wisest scholars for centuries. Mine own scribe was quick to advise me that three drafts of this letter had already been prepared by him this last month - and beseeches me that this be the last. Perhaps there is further wisdom to be gleaned in their request for relief from their quill’s endless wisdom. Perhaps no response I can craft will ever encapsulate the divine mysteries.
Even so, it is my solemn duty, as a fellow shepherd of the flock, to attempt to offer the counsel thou hast humbly besought, And, as a fellow student of the Spheres’ most divine mysteries, permit me to commence this with a recounting of the whirlwind that presently assails my own soul.
II.
Multitudinous are the gales that seek to divert each of us mortals from the ordained path of the Divine Spheres, and the Journey they would prepare us for. It would be a crude deceit to pretend that, at the last summit, that their efforts did not find success. I have stumbled from the path. But only stumbled.
For we are but flesh, subject to the failings inherent in our flawed souls. Though I aspire to the pinnacles of sanctity the Spheres exemplify, I must also confess my own capacity for blights and failings. My sole redemption lies in the only weapon I might bring to bear against them: to refuse that my vulnerabilities should define me.
This duality resides in all who tread this earthly Sphere. Within us lurk the abyssal depths of perversity, whither wretches such as the Warjackal or Jalen descend. But within us are also contained the divine altitudes of Paragon Halig. Our quest upon this mortal Sphere is to determine whether or not we possess the fortitude to vanquish the storms that would forever lead us astray.
Hence, I ascribe accountability for these missteps unto myself, not to any quirk of fate that did lead me to this point. Though I have endured much in recent days, I lacked the spiritual vigour to overcome all trials. I was measured, and found wanting.
Nevertheless, were another to traverse my path, I would repudiate such self-reproach. The laity cannot be held culpable for the labyrinthine voyages charted by our questions of faith and divinity. They are not initiates in the arcane lore of the Spheres; they are ill-equipped to navigate such boundless oceans.
The doctrines we impart to our faithful, as priests, are far more elementary. ‘Be faithful to thine ambition.’ ‘Safeguard the innocent.’ ‘Aspire to transcend thy bounds.’
But unto us, as leaders of the Church, falls the charge of navigating the most treacherous of moral paths, the ones that are not so easily surmised in simple statements for the layman and woman. It is our divine responsibility to delineate the course that none else may discern.
Thus, any of our failures rest squarely upon our own shoulders. We wear both the albatross around our neck, and the target upon our chest.
And so, I would not impute blame to one of our fold for faltering in the defence of Arachelli El’Obregon, nor for failing to redirect Lyam De’Rosa or Maximillian Villeneuvre unto righteousness. What is the essence of the heretic, and by what means do we redeem him from his errant ways? These and similar questions are exclusively the remit of the Church. And so we, as its force upon this temporal world, must assume this onus.
For we are the last shelter before the deluge. The final port before the open expanse of the sea. Upon our episcopal frames alone do these yokes belong.
Thus, I admit to thee my own stumbling - that I could not shoulder the burden imposed upon me by the Spheres. Three souls hath perished through my inadequacies, and I shall atone for them in the great pilgrimage that lies not far ahead of me. I know my age well. I accept that, very soon, Cervitas will bid me answer why I could not resolve the quandaries it presented.
In like manner, the interrogations raised in thine missive transcend the simplistic crusades of virtue the Heralds do enlist the common citizen of the Concord in. And, I believe like myself, thou hast faltered in thine endeavour to surmount these obstacles. Perhaps I err in this judgement. Perhaps I see too many of my own failings in thee.
But I shall still essay to furnish thee with guidance, for we constitute a holy ecclesia, and if we cannot jointly traverse these turbulent oceans, they shall remain forever unmapped. And perchance thou, in turn, mayest alleviate my own blights and failings, lest I falter before the Concord as I did at the recent Summit.
Either of these trials would seem insurmountable.
Yet we are of the Sphere of Steel.
III.
Upon profound reflection and prayer, I have reached the following conviction: that thou hast erred in thy supplication to the Warheart. In beseeching that the Legionnaire be liberated to pursue the Journey unhindered, thou hast strayed beyond the light of the Spheres. Such a deviation was doubtless unwitting. Perhaps it was discernible only in retrospection. Our Sphere is renowned for swift decisions, not for interminable navel-gazing.
But as our Curate did instruct us at the last Summit, when pronouncing sentence upon Arachelli, a decision made doth not absolve us of culpability if it proveth erroneous.
I will, briefly, enumerate my thinking for thee into eight arguments for thine review. Forgive me for basing mine approach upon the Shardcircles, but on matters of such philosophy and theology as this, it seemed the best course.
- It is manifest, upon contemplation, that our mortal judgments are imperfect, for we are of the mortal realm.
- We know that true wisdom cometh to each of us solely through the Spheres.
- Thus, it is the Church's sacred duty to shepherd souls in harmony with the Spheres' teachings.
- The Warheart's actions constitute a divine lesson for all, and are beyond question.
- They are beyond question, for the Spheres possess the divine qualities of both omniscience and beneficence.
- It is therefore inevitable that the Warheart's acts are pure of purpose and design.
- We are disciples of the Spheres, and it is not our province to dictate unto the divine.
- Though the task bestowed by the Warheart be arduous, we must embrace it. To impugn it is an iniquity.
IV.
Perfect dogma and judgement cannot be attained, for we reside outside of the Spheres.
Let us ponder, for an instant, the soul of a malfeasant.
Manifold are the guises this criminal might assume. Some that spring to mind are the capos of Lerona Mere, the New Butchers of Wolstad, or the Thralldring of the Iron Valley. Their machinations, deeds, and comportment vary as wildly as the brilliant splendour of Anarch.
And yet a singular element they all share: the certainty that their iniquities are justifiable. I harbour no doubt that such a felon could present themselves before me and offer an eloquent defence justifying their cold-blooded murder of a Concordian citizen. And I harbour no doubt that they would be wrong.
I comprehend not why the Spheres hath burdened mortals with this burden of imperfect moral rectitude. Perchance it shields us from the harsh realities of this mortal. Oft are we confronted with choices wherein all paths will yield sorrow. Mayhaps we are only able to persuade ourselves of our choice's righteousness to evade unending, inevitable remorse for each choice we make. Or perchance these are cicatrices upon our soul, inflicted by the world’s banalities, and our own failings, as they become too much to bear. Such questions transcend even the Church's purview, and answers lie only at the end of our Journey.
I despise Monsieur von Voyant's acerbic mien and vainglorious posturing. Yet I concede that my appraisal of him must be flawed, for undoubtedly, facets of his conduct mirror the gold of Panoply. (Such facets are scant, however. His soul is crude-forged, lacking even a single refinement from the Journey.) The world mires us in its mundanity, and curses our judgement to be forever imperfect.
This axiom is enshrined in our Tenets:
- "As souls adrift from our true home in the Spheres, we are imperfect and should ever strive to be worthy of the Grace that we receive, lest we lose it."
We are flawed. Whilst we may aspire to worthiness, the burdens and trappings of mortality ever veil our vision from true clarity.
Thus, I deem it demonstrated that our moral discernment is imperfect. The corollary of this argument, I believe, is evident.
V.
Veracious guidance deriveth only through the Spheres.
Let us again meditate upon one of our sacrosanct Tenets. I note it is common to both the Concordian ecclesia and our Artebezzan siblings, and thus hold the lesson it containeth as one that hath been repeatedly confirmed.
- "We know that the Spheres furnish us Precepts for our existence, each peculiar to the Spheres, each a vocation for all to heed."
The Spheres do delegate their authority unto the Church, and the Church hath repeatedly affirmed that the supreme mandate of every soul is adherence to the Spheres' doctrines. In so doing, the soul shall attain Grace and eternally abide amidst them.
Ergo: the Spheres' teachings are an immutable truth.
For instance, we know that to derive personal growth from the example of another is virtuous, as the Ardent Mind hath instructed that this is so. This can not be refuted. Wouldst thou deny that an apple, released from a hand’s grasp, inevitably descendeth earthward?
Further logic resideth in this new tenet I have proposed. As I stated prior, our moral judgment is fallible. This is known unto us through the Spheres' lessons and calls to uplift our flawed souls beyond the trappings of this mortal existence. Hence, we must trust that the Spheres' guidance is unadulterated, for it is the measure by which we know our own to be impure.
Let us note also that the quest for Grace spanneth our innumerable incarnations. It surpasses any mortal soul’s single odyssey across our world. And we are not perpetually graced with Heralds amidst us to resolve each conundrum of morality that we face. The apt application of a Herald's or Eternal's precept is a trial each soul must confront many, many times. And we shall not invariably prevail in such a confrontation.
As thou hast professed in thine epistle, thou undertook this same trial at the Summit just passed. Thou believest, as a prelate of the faith, that thine highest duty is to escort all souls along the Journey. Didst thou require a Herald to directly decree this to thee? Nay.
Yet thou hast drunk deeply from the cup of the Spheres' wisdom, augmenting thine flawed judgment with their pristine intent. A task that is only possible through dedicated study of the Spheres’ example, as passed on by our most divine Church. This leads to my third point.
VI.
The Church shepherds souls in concordance with the Spheres' precepts.
Notwithstanding the frequent clamours to the contrary - oft issuing from the alleys of Legend City, I must admit - the Concordian Church is of cardinal importance to the Concord. It is our mandate to guide our flock's souls to their celestial destiny, a task we can only accomplish by recounting the Heralds' and Eternals' teachings.
I will ask thee to imagine the Spheres' voices conjoined in celestial chorus. The Eternals form the profound basses and tenors, their lessons, deep and principled, establishing the chords and cadence for the choir to adhere to. Aloft them soar the voices of the Heralds. Their soprano tones bear the melody, occasionally ascending in individual solos, or elaborating on the Eternals' foundation.
And should the Church's voices mingle in this chorus of the Spheres, we would only furnish the harmony; the role of the alto. We dictate not rhythm, tonality, nor key. We adjudicate not right from wrong.
I personally believe this role ariseth as much from pragmatic necessity as from divine ordinance. As I previously observed, the Heralds' and Eternals' moral example cannot spread to every corner of this globe without our assistance. And yet, at all times, we must not conflate our necessary function to mean we can supplant the role of the Spheres.
If a Herald did pronounce an act immoral, we would carry that decree to every territory of the Concord. If, upon reflecting upon an Eternal's teachings, we did discern the Senate had erred in a motion, we would invoke our sacred veto. But, always and ever, this is done in accordance with the Spheres' will, not our own.
VII.
The Warheart hath bestowed teachings upon us.
I would bear the opinion that, until this point, my points would not strike thee as contentious. Their construction is robust, and firmly adheres to our Church’s orthodoxy. These are tenets we have canonized, after all.
Now must I build upon this firm foundation that was laid in earlier argument. I advance beyond truths enshrined by our Church to those less easily perceived by us. And herein, I find my conclusion that thy deeds were not in the Light of the Spheres. For let me be unequivocally clear, as far as our mortal judgement might allow me to: the Warheart hath acted. This is a lesson.
Likely, it is a lesson you and I have yet to fully fathom. I do not comprehend why the Warheart only now summons a soul felled in Wolstad in eons past, nor why it hath selected an Artebezzani. As a denizen of Lerona Mere, that the Sphere of Storms might esteem their legionnaires so highly is a revelation I have wrestled to assimilate. I am yet to discern its implications for the nature of Heralds and Eternals, or their origins.
Does the chicken assume the farmer who feeds it was also hatched from an egg? Or, far more likely, do they simply assume that their existence to be a constant that predated their own?
This, I do know: the Warheart's course hath been established. One of three most authentic facets of our Sphere hath selected this path. We know this, through our visions and ministrations with the Legionnaire. It is an empirical truth.
I return to my earlier metaphor, of another empirical truth: that of the apple's descent. In times past, we knew not its cause. Our understanding was nascent. Yet in time, we came to comprehend it. Likewise, we shall one day grasp the Warheart's rationale for its action. Even if its sagacity eludeth us at this time, we can know that it is present, for the Spheres’ impart unto us holy instruction.
It is a Divine Choice by the Sphere of Arcadian.
VIII.
The Spheres are omniscient and beneficent.
I shall not linger upon this point, as I have others. Its wisdom is self-evident.
We know the Spheres survey each soul's journey and their course upon the world. They are omniscient.
We know the Spheres bask us in their holy luminescence. They are beneficent.
Were either of these facts untrue, they would merit not our adoration. Sans omniscience, they would lack divinity. Sans beneficence, they would inspire no veneration. Thus, though we cannot comprehend the mind of an Eternal, we can take solace in knowing all of its deeds just and ultimately merciful.
IX.
We are students; the Spheres are our teachers.
Herein cometh the end of my ponderings, not solely concerning thy deeds, but the path we each ought pursue in the future. Were thou one of my flock, I would simply bid thee weigh thine finite wisdom against that of an Eternals'. As I address a peer, I will forgo a touch so genteel.
Thou art not wiser than the Warheart. The Spheres' instruction of thee continues yet.
It befitteth not the pupil to contest the teacher's edicts. An Eternal hath proffered a lesson unto thee, and this world. I will feign not any comprehension of its impulses. Perchance, upon our passings, if our Journey is triumphant, and we return to this Sphere, our soul may accrue the necessary insight. The lesson will be gleaned in generations to come. But in this sacred moment, we need not comprehend it entirely.
Recall what I have established in this letter thus far: authentic moral wisdom originates from the Spheres alone, who are omniscient and beneficent. This is the basis of our dogma, is it not? One need merely look upon the following tenet of our Church. Though it pertains to Heralds, it is assuredly applicable to their overseeing Eternals.
- "At times, it may seem that a Herald has come to act against you directly, or is hostile to you. Know that everything done by a Herald is a Divine choice, and may be some boon in disguise - a teaching moment, a needed lesson in humility, a reminder of the power of the Spheres."
Thus, through prayer and meditation, I reach a conclusion. Even absent comprehension, we must prepare this soul for the office the Warheart hath assigned it. I readily admit, I know not how to execute this with the compassion it does require of us. Yet I know we must. Perhaps, at the impending Summit, new avenues shall be unveiled to us.
Thy epistle evokes various musings in my mind, that may contain a balm for thine worries. Mayhap we simply undervalue the epochs wherein Eternals and Gravetrees transact their business upon this Mortal Sphere. The Sphere of Steel enjoins us to act with alacrity and puissance, but shall it permit the Legionnaire to spend an eternity beside the Gravetree, until his woes are transcended? Does there exist a manner we might adopt, which would rekindle his previous devotion unto the Warheart? Have our erudite colleagues from across the ocean insights to proffer unto us? At present, I cannot foresee the ramifications of thine choices. I believe that if we are to find a solution to our shared dilemma, we will need to do so as a Church.
I have discoursed amply on theology, yet scarcely on thee and my appraisal of thy deeds. Permit me now to address this with the candour due a colleague and comrade.
X.
Thou hast questioned not only thyself, but also an Arcadian Eternal.
The Church's tenets and canons deem not thy acts blasphemous by the letter of its law. Yet, this fact notwithstanding, I must maintain that thine conduct profanes the Sphere of Steel.
Not only didst thou exhort another to alter thine course, despite thy service to the Sphere of Arcadian, but the one thou exhorted was none other than an Eternal of our Sphere. I deny not thy noble intent and priestly zeal, and have no doubt that thine actions were taken with purest intent. Verily, only upon exhaustive introspection - let us note the myriad pages of this missive - do I discover thy error.
Had I accompanied thee on that Conflux, perchance I, too would have trod thy path, not seeing where it did lead. Thus, I scorn not thy deeds, and exhort thee to eschew shame. After all, hath I not bared my own soul's putrescent core at this letter’s inception, and laid bare the lapses that doth plague me? I am no more a Paragon than thee.
But we are entrusted with the gravest dilemmas of morality as servants of the Spheres. And though our role demandeth impeccable conduct, blights and failings pervade slyly, in their temptations. The gales that would drag us from our path are vehement.
XI.
And now, in noting all this, my hand is forced. I must address that most interesting contradiction of our Sphere; the tangled knot I have spent mine life laboring to untangle, and still, have not.
Let us both concur, first, that the Sphere of Arcadian dissuadeth reconsideration of thine action. Our primal impulses are those to be most trusted, as The Striking Serpent teacheth that they are oft veracious. Virtue lieth in thy displayed tenacity, and to sway an Eternal's mind is audacious. It is a formidable quest thou hast embarked on.
But I ask: is it a blight to revise one's trajectory when folly hath manifested? Such conduct doth diverge from Arcadian's precepts. Let us remember that the Timid Husk, who I adhere to most devoutly, discourages such vacillation.
I state that I have grappled with this contradiction for mine whole life. And now, in mine twilight years, I find myself championing introspection. The Striking Serpent teaches that it is meritorious to persist in error. But, perchance, its lore applieth not universally. Earlier, I demonstrated our judgment's imperfection in moral matters; it would be a fallacy to believe that we must remain committed to a cause when it has been demonstrated that our initial impulse was wrong.
Ah. Woeful are the questions of philosophy we are posed this season. Should thou reconsider? Even I cannot answer such a question. Perchance deeper wisdom gleameth from the Timid Husk beyond the Church’s prior exposition. Yet such bold questions exceedeth this correspondence, already distended with eight pages of meandering observation as it is.
Thus, I await thy thoughts before coming to any conclusion. There is no rush. Summit lies yet many months away. And this time, any decision we make can be well-considered.
XII.
Sundry matters yet remain. I remain yet vexed by Jalen von Voyant's presence and sway over Lerona Mere's souls. It is a burden that should not be shared outside mine home Realm, for matters of our politics belong solely to our people, despite the unity of our Concord. And yet, I must still decry not his Panoply devotion, but the egoism fueling it.
Even so, I concede he hath placed himself beyond my influence, and is desirous of no amendment to this fact.
This is a lesson from the Spheres I do struggle with. Perhaps I will until one of us passes from this Realm. For he is steel that, wrought and purified, could become Lerona Mere's needed leader. And it is fate's caprice that he spurneth such refinement. Is there a word, a lesson, that can pierce such gilded ego? I have doubts.
I yearn to be his salvation, but in dark moments, with doubts abundant and pervasive, always insinuating… I fear that I might instead be his downfall. Or he, mine.
I have sufficiently taxed mine scribe with my circuitous discourse. I simply hope my words confer wisdom upon thee, good Lord, in their mercy and censure, their lauded strengths and unveiled frailties. And may, in all endeavours, thou discover consolation in the Spheres' light.
In Strength, Service, and Steel,
Mother Brine