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Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

I thought I'd write a treatise on the Virtues, but since I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to writing in one sitting, I'd make it modular. Please feel free to post your observations and discuss these.

I'll start with some generic information about the Ultima concept.
There are 8 Virtues that are grouped into three 3 Principles: Truth, Love and Courage. Each has a symbol and a colour associated to it. These are:
Virtue : Symbol : Colour : Principle
Compassion : Heart : Yellow : Love
Honesty : Open Palm : Blue : Truth
Honor : Chalice : Purple : Truth and Courage
Humility : Crook : Black : None
Justice : Scales : Green : Truth and Love
Sacrifice : Tear : Orange : Love and Courage
Spirituality : Ankh : White : All
Valor : Sword : Red : Courage

From Wikipedia's entry on the Virtues of Ultima:
-Begin-
The relationship between the Principles and Virtues is often explained this way:

Honesty is respect for Truth
Compassion is Love of others
Valor is Courage to stand up against risks
Justice is Truth, tempered by Love
Sacrifice is Courage to give oneself in name of Love
Honor is Courage to seek and uphold the Truth
Spirituality is to seek Truth, Love and Courage from one's own self and the world around
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.
-End-

These are cryptic on their own, as they refer only to themselves and each other for explanation. I'll try to explain these as best I can from my own interpretation and meticulous pondering of the meaning of the Virtues.
_________________
Galrom, Site Admin
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Galrom MacRae
Smiter of Various Evil Things
Follower of the Virtues
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Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

The Virtue of Humility

Symbol: Crook
Colour: Black
Dungeon: None/Doom
Mantra: Lum
Opposite: Pride

Humility is basically being a generally humble person. You can be proud of an achievement without rubbing it in (sore winner). It's also about questionning yourself (your motives, your capablilities, your actions, etc.) to know the true meaning of youself.

Humility is described as independant from the Virtues and acts as their foundation. This is because without Humility, each of the Virtues loses it's value.

Compassion without Humility is Ethical Blindness: Assuming your actions are kind based on your interpretation of intent is bad: your intent isn't necessarily well-founded. Remember, white slavemasters thought they were doing the black peoples a favor, feeding them, clothing them and giving them a roof. This does not make their actions Compassionate in any way because they -took- freedom by assuming they were correct.

Honesty without Humility is Gossip: If you don't question what you know, you can't be sure you know the real Truth. This will lead to you assuming what you know is the truth.

Honor without Humility is Blind Fealty: You can easily betray yourself if you don't question motive. For all you know, your "honorable" actions could be in fact very Evil when guided by the unvirtuous.

Justice without Humility is Dictature: Like Honesty, without doubt you won't be sure to know all the facts. It brings about arbitrary opinionated judgement.

Sacrifice without Humility is Grandeur: If you elevate yourself (socially or materially) through sacrifice, it's not sacrifice at all. It can also bring meaningless self-destruction.

Spirituality without Humility is Fanaticism: The path you chose in life is not the path of others nor is it the "one correct path". This means pressing your beliefs against another.

Valor without Humility is Foolhardiness: Rush into battle without thinking and you put yourself and others in danger. This is what is meant by "Discretion is the better part of Valor".
_________________
Galrom, Site Admin
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Galrom MacRae
Smiter of Various Evil Things
Follower of the Virtues
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Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

The Virtue of Spirituality

Symbol: Ankh
Colour: White
Dungeon: Hy(th)loth
Mantra: Om
Opposite: Hylotheism/Sacrilege

Spirituality, in Ultima, is cultivating one's own spirit and that of others. It involves fostering the values of Truth, Love and Courage to better oneself and others.

This seems simple at a glance, but it is very difficult to genuinely grasp the extent of our own actions, and what they mean on a subliminal level. Even harder is grasping the meaning behind the actions of others as we often have no idea what they are thinking.

On a basic level, following the Virtues and encouraging others to follow them, either explicitly or implicitly, is Spirituous.

Many religions and societies try to achieve this through doctrine and rule, which can help on a surface level, but one must strive to help others understand the true depth of the Principles so that they not only follow these rules, but live them.
_________________
Galrom, Site Admin
=-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-=
Galrom MacRae
Smiter of Various Evil Things
Follower of the Virtues
=-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-==-=

Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

Reserved for Honesty

Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

Reserved for Compassion

Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

Reserved for Valor

Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

Reserved for Great Justice :p

Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

Reserved for Sacrifice

Galrom · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Canada

Reserved for Honor