AoA.Lore The Platinum Scrolls

Doctrinal Teachings

On the Cardinal Values of Bahamut

In the pursuit of Bahamut's will, observe the two greater values: Justice and Mercy. Pursuit of only one or the other leads to an unbalanced life of either famine or feast and neither honors the Platinum Dragon. In measuring the necessary response in any given situation, we are given the two lesser values: Truth and Power. Truth, the enlightenment granted in vision and prophecy and wisdom by Bahamut himself guides us with a will towards the correct path. Power, the force of one's self to enact the necessary recompense. And so, Truth and Power grant us the strength to understand and pursue Justice and Mercy. In this, the lesser values build a foundation so we may live out the greater values in honor of Bahamut's blessing upon us."

On Justice

Of course, when we speak of Justice, we speak of one receiving the due they have earned. Whether through our actions or decisions, we each create the consequences which follow us through our lives, And as followers of Bahamut we seek for these consequences to be Just in all things. When we have earned a living wage, we expect to be justly compensated. And when a fellow citizen has harmed us, we expect just recompense. Thus this greater value serves as a simple reminder we are all unified and connected in our living alongside one another. My actions, my attitude affects those around me. I must consider, am I living in such a way so the Justice for my actions would benefit those around me?

On Mercy

"Let us consider the second greater value. Whereas Justice is the receiving of our due for good or ill, Mercy is the blade which severs the cord between us and the just retribution we deserve. It is the provision of an undue bounty in a moment of need. Mercy is a gift freely given when counteracts a Justice earned. Mercy is the sweet fragrance of flowers in bloom after hours in a mineshaft. Mercy is rain on barren lands cracked dry from a summer's heat. But how and when is Mercy to be delivered? How are we to know when to show Mercy instead of Justice? For Mercy, sweet and intoxicating as it is, could seem an indulgence which leads to a society in need more of Justice if taken to extremes. Thus the Platinum Dragon calls us to discernment, to weigh the cost of both Justice and Mercy and live out the value which will bring the Platinum Dragon's will forth.

On Truth & Power

Within the Cardinal Values, these two lesser values of Truth and Power grant us the necessary insight and strength to pursue the greater values of Justice and Mercy. Truth is the thread which ties together all the others. It is the foundation on which must make the case for either Justice or Mercy to follow the actions of ourselves and fellow citizens. Power is the culmination of strength and self-mastery required to provide the recompense due, whether it be the Just or Merciful response. One without the other is an unbalanced and off-kilter life. To walk in Power but not Truth is to invite one's own judgement to a decision rather than Bahamut's greater will. To live with Truth but lack Power is to be of correct mind but one's body and life out of alignment. Thus Truth and Power, both of which we find in the disciplines of following the Platinum Dragon, guide and fuel us further towards Justice and Mercy and ultimately Bahamut himself.

On Righteousness

Righteousness is the result of Justice and Mercy carried in equal measure through the strength of Truth and Power. When one not only knows which side of the same coin best serves the situation at hand, but provides the necessary recompense as well. Righteousness is Mercy when Mercy's due and Justice when Justice's called. Righteousness is to hold both Truths as equal, with an internal Power to pursue both in one. Thus, to be a bearer of Righteousness is to master within one's self the four carindal values of Bahamut and for each to serve as the guidepost of one's journey.

Idioms from the Scrolls of Wisdom

“Justice is silence when one will not listen. But Mercy is a soft welcome when one is ready to hear.”
“To expect Mercy is often to invoke Justice instead.”
“Walk with the open hand of Mercy until the fist of Justice is necessary.”


“Mercy and Justice are the double edged claw which cuts to the marrow of a man.”
“As Platinum reflects the light, so too should our souls reflect the goodness of the Platinum Dragon.”
“Just as Tiamat has many faces, so too are the duplicitous distant from Bahamut.”
"Justice without mercy its own enemies makes."
"Forgotten Truth is Seldom Justice Nor Mercy"
" Power without Truth is seldom Righteous"
"If one of the Cardinal Values grows too heavy, perhaps you have dropped its counterpart along the way."
"One cannot hold Truth unless they possess the Power to carry it through."
"Let not he who offers only Justice be the first in line for Mercy or so too will they earn the response which they extend."

Purpose

The Platinum Scrolls serve as the primary recordings of Avraathe's understanding of Bahamut, his will for their city and individual lives, and the life to which he calls each of his followers. The scrolls are passed down through the Temple Keepers and High Priests and added to as new wisdom is presented in liturgy, prayer, prophecy, or historic events.

Type

Manuscript, Religious

Medium

Canvas

Location

Avraathe

Signatories (Organizations)

• Temple Keepers