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While there is but one Church of Auros, His Light is oft understood in a different matter. One who sees light pour through the colored glass of His cathedrals sees a different Sol than a mariner watching the sun complete the long journey across the sky as the day closes, after all.


Such a difference of perception is observable in the heated topic of the lesser races. To His Excellency, the Right Reverend Bishop of Aquileia, even the benighted creatures could be brought into the Light of Auros while they still draw breath. Contrary to his position, the Once-Reverend Father Merrin sees all lesser races as incompatible with Mercian blood or religion, and all must be brought to the Light with all possible fervor.


The words of the Father ring true to my ears. Even of our race of humans, only those of Mercian blood can claim that any of the Light of Auros inhabits them on this temporal realm, and only death will bring others into His Light. As a knight of the church, I understand that therefore more can be brought into the Light by my sword arm than by my prayers, and that often our inner lights are better guarded by steel or mail than by the garments of priesthood.

Yet to the Father I would respond as such: temperance and wisdom are virtuous traits to be valued even among the mighty. To eschew our alliance with the dwarves and Mirdain, many of whom are virtuous creatures, for the sake of bring them to the Light of Auros would be the doom the entirety of the Mercian people -- and indeed the whole of Agon -- to the benighted alliance. The Light of Auros can only be brought to these beings after the greater threat from the Demon Prince below us is also defeated.

Most of all, let us be sure of the strength of our own inner light before we seek to rend the flesh of those who claim us as allies and brothers-in-arms, so we may be sure of our righteousness and goodly intentions in welcoming them to the Light. Malaut himself may seek to further his vile aims by dividing the forces arrayed against him.

Auros has given us the capacity to reason, in addition to our physical ability to destroy the benighted.Let us use both equally as we carry out His divine Word.

10.3.08