Taint
I feel that when it comes to the church and religion in general, I am not the best person qualified to give an impartial view. My history dealing with matters connected to the Light and Dark has created a deep-rooted cynicism. To remain impartial, I have pierced together excerpts from the book An Ode to Light recently released by my mentor Claytus Tome. (Check it out in any reputable Archivist shop.)
Taint (aka The Tainted Path):
An Imperial concept connected to the idea that if a person commits a crime or acts in a way that doesn't follow the Pure path then they taint themselves and begin their Descent to Esh. Once a being has deviated from the Pure path, they can either continue descending the steps to Esh or attempt to purify themselves by redeeming their crimes and following the The Virtuous Path.
In short, the more one deviates, the greater the taint accumulates and the further you stray from purity. You aim to reverse, stage by stage, the impurities that have festered inside your soul over the years of being a tainted vessel and make amends for them.
Reporting a tainted one:
If you believe a person is tainted and acting in a way detrimental to others, you can report this person to the Church. If they agree to get involved, they will send a representative to speak with this alleged tainted person and see if further action is required. If the person has committed no crime, they can choose to face the The Lord's Pendant or not.
Only if a crime was committed, with witnesses present, will a City Guard force the criminal to answer questions under a Truth medallion. (But only if a priest is nearby).
A tainted person who genuinely wants redemption must first acknowledge his situation with the church, who will document his request and then send a priest to diagnose the level of taint that exists. Once the problem is diagnosed, the priest will recommend how the patient can return to the pure path.
The process of removing taint:
A long and arduous journey lies ahead as the patient must follow the exact order explained below to purify themselves.
1.) The Judicial and punishment stage:
If the patient's tainted action requires the services of Imperial Law, then they must first face trial and accept the punishment given.
2.) The Confession Stage (can be done during the punishment phase):
After serving out their punishment, they must then confess to their advising priest precisely what they did, and if they prove (under the Lord’s Pendant) that they are repentant, the patient can move to the next stage - providing the victims are willing to meet.
3.) Open Session Stage:
Where appropriate, the patient must speak to their victims in an open, honest way, explaining exactly what happened, why they committed the crime and the reasons it was wrong. The victims can include family members who were affected by the patient’s actions. If they want, the victims can give one response, which the patient must answer. (Also, under the Lord’s pendant)
It is possible, for minor taint crimes, that the acceptance and forgiveness can be resolved simultaneously, but for the more serious misdemeanours, all parties involved are given time to reflect on what was said before the forgiveness stage can begin.
4.) Forgiveness Stage:
The patient attempts to earn forgiveness in the eyes of those he wronged. In the least severe cases, this stage can be resolved with a handshake or a hug with the grieved person. In more extreme cases, it could require years of completing tasks to meet the requirements of all that suffered from the crime.
The forgiveness stage is a two-way process where the patient asks the person or family who was wronged what he can do to help them. They collaborate with the priest to find acceptable measures to resolve. In extreme cases of violence/abuse or death the people wronged may refuse any kind of dialogue with the patient. Under these conditions, the priest will talk with them and function as an intermediary to find a Resolution. (Tasks that can be proposed are listed later).
This forgiveness stage will have to be done for every person who was wronged. If the victims make any unreasonable requests, the priest will step in. If they continue refusing to show any form of forgiveness, the victims themselves could face being tainted by 5 steps to Esh for mental abuse connected to vengeful behaviour. However, this is a delicate matter, and the priest will need to understand both sides, especially if the victim suffered serious injustice at the hands of the patient.
It is because of this stage that revenge is not permitted in Imperial society - if a person commits a terrible crime on someone, then if a criminal wants to get back to the pure path, he is beholden to all the victims he wronged. They have the power to decide his fate, and if they choose not to forgive him, then his light will remain tainted. Thus, at death, his Soul light will struggle to find a new vessel to bond with. It is in the criminal's best interest (with the priest's help) to find a compromise with the victim to allow him back on the pure path before his death.
5.) The path to redemption Stage:
To fully redeem oneself, the patient must then begin The Virtuous Path by completing each path on his way back to Purity. Completing one path allows him to move on to the next one, and this continues until all taint has been removed. The patient has two potential routes: the more challenging heroic deed route or the standard route. The heroic path allows the truly righteous to redeem themselves quickly.
Final consultation:
The priest has a final consultation with the patient using his pendant to confirm all the taint was removed or if more action is needed.
Tasks that can be offered to the victims during the 4th stage to earn forgiveness:
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