Born with insight

Emma jerked her hand back as if scalded. The short dagger was not hot, but as soon as she'd touched it, she'd felt the powerful aura surrounding it. Thoughts of everyone who had ever wronged her had flashed through her mind like lightning, filling her with the desire to see them get their just deserts for the things they'd done.It was an innocuous thing, for all that it was a weapon of war. The shopkeeper had seemed to know its worth, when she'd told him she was looking for something special for the earl of her house, he'd led her straight to this. She hadn't understand what could possibly justify the price until, encouraged by her host, she'd put her hand on the hilt. That's when the power of the hallowed aura had flowed over her.She'd promised her earl, she would find some rare item in Caitun, but she'd never imagined something like this. She pondered the matter for a moment, trying to consider all the logistics. It's not like she could leave the thing lying around... that would be... ill-advised. She had nowhere to stow it - so the only practical choice would be to keep it on her person. She could thread the scabbard loop through her belt easily enough and nobody would think twice.The thought of bearing that aura all the way back to Laroc made her nervous. What would that do to her? Was it safe? But then the Cardinals of the Assembly of Nine had managed it... it couldn't be that dangerous... whatever they now said. Her feelings warred with each other as she wrestled with her desire to know more about the dagger and its strange aura and the nagging voice that reminded her that the Synod had urged everyone to turn their back on such items. Was the possibility to learn more really worth the risk?"How much did you say it was again?" she asked her host.

Overview

Rather than encourage the faithful to engage with false virtues to try to learn more about them, the General Assembly has moved decisively to counter the threat they pose, enacting a clear mandate that warns people of the dangers of false virtues and encouraging everyone to be Vigilant against them. The decision was far from unanimous however, with nearly five hundred votes lodged against. Many of these votes may have been from the Assembly of Wisdom which has consistently supported their Cardinal, Silas of the Cenotaph throughout, arguing that his approach was grounded in Virtue and has delivered valuable insight into the nature of the false Virtue of Peace.

The effects of that opposition are important however - failing to get a greater majority in support of their mandate undermines the authority of the Synod, so their words have less effect in those nations that are most prone to question the leadership of the Synod, Urizen, Varushka, and most recently Wintermark.

Wintermark had already taken steps to try to counter the influence of false Virtues, indeed their rejection of the moral leadership of the Synod was in part based on the way it was openly experimenting with malign spiritual auras. Now an important statement has been passed in the Varushkan Assembly, one that goes much further than other assemblies and reminds Varushkans of their history fighting the perfidious influence of the false Virtues.

Both have options to follow up their position, and the Vigilance Assembly could try to encourage them to cooperate. Working together would likely be more effective than working apart.

With a Furious Mind

The Varushkan Assembly could use a mandate to encourage the nation to confront those who meddle with false virtues The mandate will give Varushkans opportunities to confront the spread of false virtues head on before it can take root If they enact the mandate, Varushkan people will expect their leaders to show no tolerance eitherWe Varushkans know well the value of the wisdom of those who walked our roads before us. Those forebears knew the peril of welcoming false virtue into their homes and hearts, and Vigilance they showed then should be an example to us now. As the Heirs of Vardas strove tirelessly to crush the anarchist Firestarters wherever they arose, so too must we move against those who would bring blasphemy and heresy to our motherland. Tolerate no folly nor malice, and guide the law’s hand to inflict the punishment that has been earned upon those who would risk the spirits of our people.Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka, Varushkan Assembly, Summer Solstice 378YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority 276 against 10

The statement by Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka does not pull any punches. It reminds everyone of the efforts of the so-called Heirs of Vardas (who probably need a better name) to defeat the wicked Firestarters and urges people to move against those who would bring blasphemy and heresy to Varushka. These are fighting words, and coming from a renowned warden, someone sworn to hunt down those who break the law and to battle supernatural threats. This is not a simple call to eschew the dangers of false virtues, rather it is a rallying cry to take up arms and actively oppose them.

The call resonates strongly with fundamental Varushkan beliefs. Varushkans know that danger is always present and they have little time for fools who meddle with powers that invariably bring ruin down on everyone. Every Varushkan child is taught to keep to the road - you don't just wander off in the woods to see where it takes you. That way lies terrible danger for you and potentially for your whole family. Critics of Varushka often accuse them of bargaining with the dark powers, but what outsiders often fail to appreciate is that such deals are a last resort - something to fall back on, only when the steel axes of the schlacta have failed to split the danger in two. Iron is the thing most Varushkans use to defeat the fell creatures of the night.

With the greater majority of the Assembly backing the Wise warden's words, they could enact a mandate to spread this fighting talk across Varushka.

Seek out the poison! We send {named priest} with 75 doses of liao to urge Varushkans to move against those who would spread blasphemy and heresy. Tolerate no folly and guide the law’s hand to inflict the punishment that has been earned.Synod Mandate, Varushkan National Assembly

This mandate won't stop Varushkans experimenting with false Virtues - that ship has sailed. There will always be those who are intrigued by such things and those individuals will look to the example set by the Assembly of Nine and be inspired to emulate them. However if this mandate is passed with a greater majority then most Varushkans will be alerted to the danger and they will be eager to take up their axes and fight. They won't break the law, Varushkans are notoriously law-abiding people, but they won't shirk from danger as they guide the law to bring the uncompromising hand of justice down on those who would meddle with false Virtues. Schlacta will keep an eye out for the danger and will be ready to answer the call when the horn blows for battle. Warden fellowships will actively confront the threat, seeking to directly oppose those who meddle with malign spiritual auras.

The result will be that any time there are significant problems arising in Varushka caused by the malign influence of the false Virtues, the Varushkan nation will be much more likely to have opportunities to confront the problem head-on. It will be much harder for these malign threats to take root, as the Varushkans will seek every chance to confront the menace at an early stage. The mandate won't keep false Virtues out of Varushka, but it will put everyone on the alert ready to fight them wherever they appear.

Of course, the mandate will need to be passed with a greater majority to have an effect, otherwise people will question it's legitimacy and it will fail.

The mandate will also create an expectation that Varushkans at Anvil will be equally alert to the dangers posed by false Virtue and just as ready to fight them when they appear. So far, no Varushkans have been corrupted by false Virtues, that anyone is aware of - those who embraced the false auras were Highborn, Navarr and Dawnish (though one later moved to the League). If any prominent Varushkan were to openly dabble with false Virtues, people would expect swift action to deal with it. After-all why should they be ready to take up the axe and risk their own lives fighting false Virtues if their leaders aren't willing to do the same. They will expect their Assembly and their leaders at Anvil to show no tolerance for the presence of false Virtues in Varushka or the Empire.

Action Must Be Taken

There are rumours of false Virtues on a farmstead in Hahnmark The Wintermark Assembly could directly confront those involved and arrest anyone who is breaking the law The Assembly could alternatively try and talk to those involved, but they will flee if those talks go badlyCold cannot compromise. We send Rafe with 75 doses of liao to urge anyone who encounters an aura of malign or unknown providence to speak with the Crows. They will help you mend your skein.Rafe, Wintermark Assembly, Summer Solstice 387YE, Vote: Upheld with a Greater Majority 330 against 0

The Varushkans are not the only ones to question the authority of the Synod. Mindful that their people will not accept the leadership of the Synod except where it is backed by a greater majority, the Wintermark Assembly took it upon themselves to urge those who discover a malign spiritual aura to warn the stormcrows of what they have found. The mandate they have enacted ensures that people will let the stormcrows know if there is any sign of false virtues.

And sure enough, it seems there just might be. To be fair, it could be something and nothing, but Reet Thaneson happens to mention to a passing stormcrow that one of the farmsteads near his fathers hall might be up to no good. The Grieversonns always seem pleasant enough, but they keep strange company and all of it from outside the Mark. Valdr Grieversonn, the head of the family, used to attend Anvil with his wife decades ago, but the old man came home alone one year and he never returned. The rumour at the time was that his wife had been executed for some terrible crime, but that was years ago.

Reet says he went out to the Grieverson farm a decade ago, to take the news of Britta's death and while he was there he noticed there was a strange aura on the house. He didn't go in, but even standing on the threshold he could feel the power of it and it wasn't like any other aura he'd ever experienced. As best he can remember it, it made him think how important it was that the three people of the Mark all respected each other. It seemed pretty innocuous at the time.

By itself, none of that would amount to much. A man is entitled to some peace after his wife dies, and being private and having odd friends isn't exactly a crime. But what just might be, is that recently Valdr Grieverson has taken more than a passing interest in the Sungate - the terrible legacy of the invasion of Cold Sun, two pillars that burn with the light of the sun any who come to close. The Sungate is the best part of ten miles from Valdr Grieversonn's farmstead, and yet he's been seen poking his nose round it half a dozen times in the last six months.

It could all be something and nothing. Doubtless there will be more like this in the coming seasons, someone will overhear another Wintermarker cursing after hitting their thumb with a hammer and go running to the Crows, telling tales of how their neighbour is about to unleash pure hatred on their hall. Still it bears looking into, it's just a question of how:

We send {named priest} with 5 doses of liao to urge local magistrates to confront Valdr Grieversonn.Synod Mandate, Wintermark Assembly

The Wintermark Assembly could use a simple mandate to authorise a Stormcrow to go down there and work with local magistrates to confront Valdr Grieversonn. If he's not going anything to hide, then there won't be a problem, but if he is up to no good that will likely turn into a confrontation. If it does turn violent, and Grieversonn puts up any kind of resistance, then the local militia will try to contain it until the reinforcements from Anvil can arrive to defeat him and his kin in battle. If he is involved with false virtues, this option will put an end to it, but the Assembly would lose the chance to find out what it was.

We send {named priest} with 5 doses of liao to urge those who know Valdr Grieversonn well to encourage him to talk to the Assembly.Synod Mandate, Wintermark Assembly

The alternative would be to try and approach him to talk to him about what he's up to. There might be an innocent explanation for it all, he might feel what he is doing is justified. If the Assembly choose this mandate then it will set up an opportunity to talk to Valdr at the next summit. There would be a chance to find out if the Grieversonns are involved with false virtues and try to help Valdr mend his skein.

The problem with this approach is that if those discussions go badly, then Valdr and his family are likely to flee, making it much harder to stop them carrying out whatever plan they have. Given it may involve the incredibly dangerous Sungate, that could be too big a risk to take. If that is the case, it might be better to get the Unfettered Mind to use a Declaration of Concord to ask members to investigate what is going on at the Sungate.

These two mandates are competing; the Wintermark Assembly can choose one but not both of these approaches.

Sick of Complacence

The Vigilance Assembly could use a mandate to encourage Wintermark and Varushka to combine efforts to fight the influence of false Virtues The Vigilance Assembly could declare the fight against false Virtues to be their highest calling

The Wintermark Assembly and the Varushkan Assembly have both rejected the leadership of the Synod at different times. Both have adopted a hard line on orthodoxy insisting that there can be no truck with false Virtues. The Wisdom Assembly appears to believe it is Virtuous for important priests to embrace malign auras to learn more about them, but there seems to be precious little support for that view in the North of the Empire. Varushka has long been an orthodox nation, insisting on strict adherence to the rules, but that has not always been mirrored by the people of the Mark. Could that now be changing?

Working together, the two nations might be better placed to form a bulwark against the malign influence of false Virtues. They don't share a common border, not anymore, but they could still cooperate to push for a hard line stance in the Imperial Synod. That would allow members of both nations to work together. The Firestarters were most active in Varushka, but they didn't confine their attacks to Karov and the other territories. If people do dabble with false virtues, then the problems are unlikely to stop at any one nation's borders. Varushka and Wintermark could try to pool their efforts to fight the influence of false Virtues in the Empire, but it is hard for any one national assembly to encourage that kind of cooperation.

The solution could be for the Vigilance Assembly to try to get both nations to work together. There are likely to be members of the Vigilance Assembly in both nations, they would be best placed to talk to their colleagues in their national assembly. Any cooperation is unlikely to be successful without the support of the nations in question - but if they are amenable to the effort the Vigilance Assembly could use a single mandate to encourage wider collaboration.

Seek out falsehood and expose the truth. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to urge Wintermarkers and Varushkans to work together to seek out and oppose the false Virtues at every turn. Let us seek out the poison in our neighbours fields.Synod Mandate, Vigilance Assembly

If this mandate were enacted with a greater majority, then there would be opportunities for Wintermark and Varushka to cooperate to oppose the influence of false Virtues when they arise. Of course, the two nations might discover that trying to work together causes more problems than it solves. Doubtless there would need to be much discussion between the various assemblies before making a final decision whether to proceed.

The Vigilance Assembly has been tireless in defence of the Empire against the effects of malign spiritual auras, so they may well believe that this approach does not go far enough. It's one thing to try and get Wintermark and Varushka to join forces against the influence of false Virtues but the Assembly could go much further. To do so effectively, they would need to focus on the issue, and declare the problem to be the highest calling of the assembly.

Be alert to all dangers; within and without. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of liao to urge followers of Vigilance to be alert for any sign of false Virtues. To thwart this malice before it strikes is the highest calling of our Assembly.Synod Mandate, Vigilance Assembly

If this mandate is enacted with a greater majority then followers of Vigilance all over the Empire will prioritise the fight against false Virtues above all other threats. They will be alert to the dangers and report any sign of it they find, and they will be ready to take action, legal or not, to thwart this malice before it can act.

These mandates are not competing - it is possible for both to be enacted.

Rip the System

The Wisdom Assembly could defy the General Assembly and reiterate their position That would allow the Assembly to continue investigating false auras Doing so would help spread malign auras in the Empire and could spark a crisis of faith

The Assembly of Wisdom has stood solidly behind their cardinal throughout, issuing repeated statements demonstrating their support and explicitly vindicating his actions as Wise. The General Assembly may believe it is too dangerous to meddle with false Virtues, but the Wisdom Assembly appears to think otherwise.

It's clear that the Cardinal was able to learn a lot from the study he made of the hallowed item. The tenets teach that Wisdom knows all knowledge is incomplete - if false Virtues are as dangerous as the General Assembly claims, doesn't that make it more important to find out about them, not less? Can anyone imagine the Military Council meekly accepting orders from the Senate not to use scouts to find out what was on the battlefield because it was too dangerous for the scouts?

The Wisdom Assembly could refuse to accept the judgement of the General Assembly to turn aside from the investigation of false Virtues. Openly opposing the General Assembly would inevitably lead to a huge confrontation - it could risk turning into a full-blown crisis of faith in the Empire. Given how high the stakes are, devotees of Wisdom would only contemplate it if the Assembly are prepared to stake everything on it's importance by clearly identifying it as their highest calling.

Wisdom is finding the right question. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of liao to encourage devotees of Wisdom to carefully investigate false virtues. Test what we learn about malign spiritual auras is the highest calling of this assemblySynod Mandate, Wisdom Assembly

If this mandate is enacted with a greater majority then followers of Wisdom all over the Empire will be inspired by the actions of their Cardinal. They will embrace false Virtues in an effort to learn more about them and share what they learn with the Empire. This will lead to more opportunities for the Wisdom Assembly to experience and explore false virtues and to increase their understanding by personally engaging with them in the coming year.

However it will fan the flames of false virtue in the Empire, making it easier for advocates of malign spiritual auras to convert others to their beliefs. That could bring the Assembly into direct conflict with the Vigilance Assembly and indeed the General Assembly - at worst it would be a crisis of faith.

Something Must be Done

Judgements by the Assembly of the Nine have gained little traction outside AnvilIt is the considered view of the Assembly of Nine that engaging with False Virtue is a religious crime if it does not meet all the requirements of Judgement 42, Winter 386YE. Allowing yourself to fall under the influence of a False Virtue, without the listed mitigation, should result in a trial for the crimes of Blasphemy and/or Heresy as appropriate. In this we reaffirm the judgement made by the general assembly.Yosephus Morningson, Assembly of Nine, Summer Solstice 387YE, Vote: Greater Majority 7 against 0We in the Assembly of Nine move that the general standard we expect from synod priests is that an inquisition must be conducted before a condemnation is raised. It is an abuse of priestly powers to do otherwise; if you feel you must do so and there is a good reason for it, do so in the full knowledge of the above and prepare your virtue defence.Nekoda, Assembly of Nine, Summer Solstice 387YE, Vote: Greater Majority 7 against 1

The Assembly of Nine has also weighted in on the matter of false virtues. Yosephus Morningson reiterated support for Judgement 42 in the General Assembly at the Winter Solstice 386YE on behalf of the Cardinal of the Way, while Nekoda expressed the opinion that condemnation should only follow on from inquisition on behalf of the Cardinal of Courage. Current events, the embrace of false Virtues by the cardinals, has tarnished the reputation of the Assembly of Nine, however, and so for the most part these statements gain limited traction beyond Anvil at this time.

In either case, it may be difficult to convince a suspicious population that Judgement 42 can form a sound basis for engagement with false Virtues, since it appears to restrict such activities to those who attend Anvil ("clause 2 - The action was taken in full view of the synod"). As has been previously identified, the one position that nobody will accept is the idea that cardinals and the priests who attend Anvil should be free to investigate false Virtues while the common people of the Empire must not. The followers of the Way look to the cardinals for inspiration - they expect the leaders of the Synod to exemplify the true Virtues. If the Synod ultimately decides there is a basis for engaging with false Virtues, then people will follow that lead and ignore any element that tells that it is not safe to do so. They will do as the people at Anvil do, not as they say.

Chief Magistrate Karkovitch reiterates the request to the Imperial Senate; that they not make any changes to Imperial law on the matter of religious crimes until the review of religious law is complete. The guidance of the Assembly of Nine will be borne in mind, but the situation is not straightforward. For the moment the magistrates will still limit their role in cases of religious law to ensuring that no miscarriage of justice is being enacted. As long as a condemnation shows why the actions the suspects are accused of are broadly compatible with the legal definition of blasphemy or heresy, magistrates will not try to assess whether actions constitute a religious crime or not. That determination has already been made by the Synod and they will restrict their judgement to assessing whether or not the individual committed the actions they are accused of.

This means that the proposal by Nekoda that condemnation only follow an inquisition will not be taken into account by the magistrates, and neither will any of the guidelines put forward in Judgement 42. If an assembly condemns someone in accordance with current practices, the magistrates will treat the matter as a religious crime and prosecute accordingly regardless of how the condemnation is raised or whether it took place "in full view of the Synod."