Chapterhouse of the Silver Serpent - Faith and the Avatar

I'm pulling together some texture and details for the background of my character and the chapter of our guild. I need a little more background on the starting premise of SotA and the player's place in it but here is what I have initially. I am also weaving a Christian theme into the path of the Avatar.

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The Chapterhouse of the Silver Serpent (of the Fisher Kings Guild) is a Knightly or martial group focused on the virtue of Valor. I want to take it in the direction of a warrior priesthood with the goal of Avatarhood being the final step. (I'm thinking Paladins and Crusaders i.e.- D&D).

Here's some material I've pulled together and played with so far: (please feel free to make suggestions)


The Embodiment of the Virtues in the game is the Avatar, the character who the player is roleplaying. He (or she) is commonly seen with an Ankh which represents life.
The relationship between the Principles and Virtues is often explained this way:
Honesty is respect for the Truth
Compassion is the Love of others
Valor is the Courage to stand up against risks
Justice is Truth tempered by Love
Sacrifice is Courage to give of oneself in the name of Love
Honor is the Courage to seek and uphold the Truth
Spirituality is to seek the Truth, Love, and Courage from one's own self and the world around you
Humility is the opposite of Pride - the absence of Truth, Love or Courage
Humility is the most difficult Virtue to describe, as it cannot really be understood without its Anti-Virtue, Pride. Pride merely has nothing to do with Truth, Love and Courage; Humility is similar, but rather than being a complete antithesis, it exists independently of the Principles and acts as their foundation.
Humility: The absence of Truth, Love, and Courage is Pride. Pride is the surest measure of goals never attained. Pride goeth before, Shame cometh after. This Shame leads to awareness of Humility, the root from which all Virtues grow. Humility is to strip oneself of all conceits.

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Ultima Virtues, Shroud of the Avatar, and Christian Values.
There will be opportunites for vice in this game. Drinking, Drug use, and using prostitutes. Obviously you will want to follow the righteous path.
Magic- magic functions within the fantasy mileau as an important tool to accomplish goals and quests. My personal opinion is that this is very different from the pagan rituals and magic we know from our culture. You are all adults - use your good judgement and inform yourself. Perhaps there is a white path or Path of Light/Order in the use of Magic? (still working through this)

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The virtues of Ultima and Christian beliefs

The virtues exist in a sort of secular vacuum. They are an ethical path but not a moral or righteous one. And so we hunger for more. For the Word.
The Virtues are a start. A foundation. Perhaps we will come across the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom? Might we find a path there?
In bringing an Avatar candidate from Earth, we have opened this universe to His Word and His Light. Let us go forth brothers and sisters, Share the Word, Live the Virtues, Love the Light!


Avatar's Prayer:

Lord, Creator, bless this thy Humble servant.

I am unworthy but through your Son, the first Avatar, and his Sacrifice I am saved.

Your endless Compassion shows me the depth of your Love.

In the furnace of hardship and tribulation you imbue me with Valor, forge me with Honor, and teach me Courage.

The Truth of your Word illuminates the way of Honesty and delivers us Justice.

You are that which encompasses the whole of all undeniable Truth, unending Love, and unyielding Courage, Lord, which slakes our Spiritual thirst, and shows us, the Avatar of your Word, what we may become.

AMEN.

(shows all 8 virtues and the three parts of infinity that combine to form them.)

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I loved Ultima IV so that's where a lot of this is coming from. I guess SotA is just an excuse for me to take the Path of the Avatar to the next level.

 

I have not read Blade of the Avatar, but s0 far we've only seen Truth, Love, and Courage.

 

The virtues combined with the bonus of religion....Nice!

Awesome prayer! Great start to a Paladin and Crusader Order!

 

Good verse for a Blacksmith