Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Uncertainty

He found Elogyn in one of the small chapels. Since the deception that lead to the rescue of the evil prisoner, she didn't say a single word and Eolar was worried.
She was meditating, so he took the place next to her and joined in. After a few minutes passed in silence, she looked up. "How can you ever be sure what's right and what's wrong? How can you decide if a decision is just or an action is good? I really don't know anymore!"
She looked at Eolar who took some seconds to answer: "The world is complex and it often is not possible to determine what's good and what's evil without having all the facts. You should not try to be the judge yourself! We have laws, rules and traditions to give you guidance and St.Cuthbert, courts and councils to cast judgment onto the ones who break or bend them. Being good or evil is not significant as long as one has a place in the hierarchy and obeys orders and traditions. It is this obedience that keeps society together!"
"But what if these orders tell you to do evil? Even St.Cuthbert taught us that evil has to be fought because it erodes society and generally leads to chaotic behaviour! I read the scripture over and over again, and I think evil has to be destroyed in order to enable a stable society! And I helped evil and fought good people!!"
"We were deceived and acted on good faith. I know this is no excuse and I'm as guilty as you are. Even more as I'm your mentor! I dared to challenge a decision of a legitimate ruler and St.Cuthbert taught me a lesson. A lawful family has been destroyed through our action and this will torture my mind till the end of my days"
"I should have killed him as soon as we've found out and turned myself in. This would have been honourable and the tragedy would have been averted! It was a test and I failed!"
"You didn't know all the facts at the time to pass judgment! For all that you knew he had been jailed unjustly!"
"I KNEW he was evil!! That was enough! I won't fail again!"

They were sitting there for a while in silence. "I apologise for my disrespect! I should not question you!" Eolar looked at her and a tortured smile scurried over his face. "Sometimes you should as the last days have shown. But don't let your heart blind you! And don't make it a habit!" With these words he left her alone. She stared at the face of the patron statue in front of her. After a while she got up and went to the room of paladins, Ozul had guided her to. She was looking at the paintings and the oath, waiting for something to happen. She realised that she came to this room in the hope Ozul would be here to tell her what to do. But he didn't have to. She knew it all along.

1 comment:

Hedzor said...

moral ambiguity.
It's what makes DMing fun.
:)