The Divine Bridge - A manifesto on the forces of disorder

Copies of the following article, each printed on fine, crisp paper and marked individually with the wax seal motif, have started flooding the streets of Stormwind, coming in little notebooks bound in red leather which are being pinned to trees, tied to lamp posts, and left on doorsteps of both organisational and residential buildings. As of yet, the author remains unattributed.

Update:

I, Preface
II, The Universe - An explanation of the forces of disorder and the balance between them
III, Disorder of the Light - Specific elaboration of the disorder caused by the Light and the forces working to address the imbalance
IV, Tenets of Darkness - The truth about the Shadow and its influences
V, My Proposal - An outline of how we can and should improve the symbiosis of forces for both ourselves and the universe
VI, Postface


I am no heretic. The Light still shines strongly on my soul, a resilience of being to which I accredit the correctness of my beliefs; I do no wrong, and I wish no wrong. While I will not judge you for your differing beliefs, I cannot possibly ask you not to judge me. So instead I merely ask you recall your virtues - Have the Respect to tolerate my beliefs, have the Compassion to appreciate the adversity I face, and have the Tenacity to hold your blade at bay.

The beliefs I express in this manifesto are neither propoganda nor are they in any way targetting the Church of the Holy Light or any other organizations. There is no dark ulterior motive behind my words. I wish only to spread the knowledge that I feel is important.


It is difficult to make observation of the universe, as we are unable to look inward. Instead, we must look outward to the universe around us, and extrapolate what little we can. But like most things, the universe can be explained simply as conflict in forces. Imagine a pot of water. If there is little water in the pot, then when it comes to boil, it will not bubble and spit nearly as fiercely as when there is lots of water. The universe is innumerable in size, and the forces being acted upon it are of far greater quantity and strength than the water in our boiling pot. It is for this reason that the universe is both a chaotic and symbiotic host.

Every force in the universe is by definition a force of disorder, even the Holy Light itself. An overabundance of any one force, though it may quell the chaos, will also quell the symbiosis required to sustain life. To refer back to the example of the boiling pot, too much heat will cause the water to evaporate, and too little heat will cause no reaction at all. Chaos quelled in both instances, and yet we are left with either the heat with which we no longer have anything to boil, or the water with which we cannot heat. An overabundance of one force leaves to a dire want of another, thus creating disorder.

Now think if you will to two forces to which you will likely be most familiar - the Light, and the Shadow. We know that these two forces are the antithesis of one another, and in our society the Shadow is condemned for that very reason. To the human race, and a few of our like-minded peers, the Shadow represents everything wrong; fear, guilt, temptation, to name but a few. We have witnessed the unliving embodiments of the Shadow, and the havoc they have wrought, and we deny it access to our hearts and minds. Though in doing so, we only damn ourselves.

Hark back to the boiling pot. Imagine now that the Shadow is the heat, and the Light is the water. And we, as we are, are in the water. A constant balance between the forces of the Light and the Shadow will lead the pot to boil, and with the boiling there will be chaos. If the Shadow becomes great enough to overpower the Light, the Light vanishes, and we are left with no host, only the sizzling heat of the Shadow, and all the negatives of such you are surely all too familiar with. But think also, what would happen if the Light were to overpower the Shadow. The chaos would cease. There would be no death, no fear, no impurity. As desirable as this may sound at first, take mind of the consequence. Without death, there can be no natural end to the cycle of life; life and death are somewhat one and the same, in a symbiotic relationship where one cannot exist without the other. Without the darkness within our souls - the fear, the greed, the lust - would our souls truly be pure? Are these not important factors in the balancing of the mind and the body? As previously mentioned, both the Light and Shadow are forces of disorder. If one is to attain greater quantity and power than the other, then there will be disorder. But if the two forces are balanced, the counteracting forces of disorder cancel one another out, creating order. It is this order that allows the universe to sustain life. The perfect balance of chaos is our greatest ally.

I call this line upon which we tread between the Light and Shadow the Divine Bridge. To either side of the bride are streams, the Light and the Shadow respectively. Tread too far from the sanctity of the bridge and be taken by the current of the streams; swallowed whole by the forces of disorder. It is to this end that the balance must be maintained, the Divine Bridge must stay standing, and we must not succumb to disorder.


In modern times, the Light has taken on a new meaning to many of us. No longer is it merely a beacon of hope and warmth, but it is now a bladed gauntlet with which to strike at the Shadow and its amalgamations. We have made the mistake of seeing the Shadow as something alien and wrong, when in fact it is as old, as powerful, and as important as the Light. Truth be told, the Shadow has been with us all along, addressing the imbalance caused by the Light.

Think to the three virtues themselves. Respect is a strong virtue not to be taken lightly. Lack of respect, particularly for ones adversaries, can lead to great disaster. But ask yourself this, do you really show your true respect? If you reading this now are a firm believer of he Holy Light and are taking great offence to these interpretations, are you truly respectful to these views? Likewise, are you respectful to demons? To the Scourge? To death itself? It is the doing of the shadow itself that you do not feel such respect. Contempt is an agent of darkness, and we are all subject to its power. Too little Contempt can lead to overestimation, equally as dangerous as underestimation, and likewise too much can result in great prejudices and hatreds, persecution of others for their differences. Respect and Contempt must be at a point of balance.

Equally so, Tenacity is a force of disorder. While it is an often strong trait, too much Tenacity could be devestating. Think of the Scourge. They know no fear, no hunger, no lust, no irresolution of any kind. Surely they are the very model of Tenacity, but yet they are soulless, the great imbalance of Tenacity forcing away what once made them living. To this end, we require our own darkness. Without Fear, we would have no sense of self-preservation. Without Hunger, we would starve. Without Lust, we would never procreate.

Lastly, to Compassion. Compassion, like the others, is a necessary force in moderation. Without Compassion, we would be as cold hearted as demons, with no understanding of the arbitrary rights and wrongs. Equally so, there cannot be a positive imbalance of Compassion. At which point does a soldier take too much pity on his foe? While this may sound harmless, given great enough strength of Compassion, this could be gravely harmful, and could even lead to the opposing force of disorder, be it the Shadow or another, overcoming the Light completely. To this end, we require Hatred, burning bright and pure. Not enough that we see no reason not to hate, but enough that we can allow ourselves to do what is necessary, to travel along the Divine Bridge and hold at bay the forces of disorder. Whether we admit it or not, we are all subject to Hatred, and we must embrace it in some form for our own wellbeing.

The teachings of the Light are strong and meaningful of themselves, but they are not and never can be a be all and end all to life, and to the universe. While maintaining your virtues is important, an act I myself do indeed strive for, it is equally important to allow the opposing forces into your heart and mind, to maintain balance in your spirit.


It is a well documented and questioned fact that all sentient races hold an irrational fear of the darkness, whether it be a moonless night or a candleless room. We, in our grand Light-focused scope, overlook the most base instinct gifted to us - Fear. Fear is a true force of disorder, prone to cause chaos of its own right. Yet Fear is also one of the greatest forces of order in the universe. It is true that without Fear, even the most long-living of races would suffer an enormous mortality rate. And it is likewise true that Fear is what separates us from the soulless unliving constructs; demons, the undead. Fear is the most important of our emotions, and yet many seek to root it out, to destroy the great sources of Fear, and remove it from their souls for peace of mind. Yet in place of peace of mind, they will find nought but turmoil and disorder.

It is negative emotions such as Fear that we neglect so freely. Just as the Light makes manifest the positive emotions, so does the Shadow make manifest the negative. By denying what has been so graciously gifted to us, we create our own disorder, unsettling the balance of our souls, and helping to spread the great disorder of the universe. Would our lives not be better if we learned to not only master, but to embrace these negative emotions in lieu of denying them their rightful place in our hearts, in our minds, and in our souls? Many fear the Shadow itself, and equally the great negativity it can wreak, yet they do not realise that the Shadow is within them! The Shadow is as natural a force as the Light, moulding and shaping us from birth to death, filling our minds, hearts and souls with the things that truly make us who we are. You can pretend to be a shining beacon of the Light, and that the Shadow has no influence over you, but you are only lying to yourself.

As previously mentioned, Death is one of the great gifts of the Shadow. Consider that every being spends far more time being dead than alive. Death is not, as so many put it, a part of life. It is in fact instead the case where life is a byproduct of Death. In reality, the universe itself is a grand body of darkness and Shadow, with a beating heart of life, the Light. When the Light's gift of life runs it's course, the necessary force of Death finishes what it started. The death of another being, be it even one you love dearly, ought not be mourned or condemned. Death in and of itself is a celebration of life, and how the two juxtapositional forces of disorder found order amongst the chaos of the universe, order with which to spawn this endless cycle of Life and Death.


The current position of both the Stormwind Kingdom itself and the Church of the Holy Light is wholly unsustainable. We as a race have entered a new era, no longer are we blind to the Shadow in ourselves. Most other races have already accepted this as natural and necessary, and yet our leaders remain stubborn and unmoving, creating the very conflict that they are fighting against. Were the Kingdom of Stormwind to see sense and embrace it's darker nature, there would be peace and harmony for all. To this end, I propose the following resolutions:

Free practice of the Shadow studies of Shadowmancy and Divine Shadow worship - For as long as these practices are outlawed or even controlled, there will be great disorder not only for the universe but for our society. If the Shadow is institutionalised as it is in other societies, then it cannot be used for wrong any more than the Light or the Arcane can.

Limited Necromantic practices allowance - Necromancy is an unnatural school of magic, bending the Shadow to ways it was never truly intended for. It upsets the order, but as Undead take a larger place in the universe, we must be prepared to accommodate. Scholars ought be allowed to study Necromancy, though as per normal it should be banned from general practice.

The founding of a state-sponsored religious body devoted to the Shadow - As I have outlined, the teachings of the Shadow are just as important as those of the Light. While the Church of the Holy Light ought be able to reserve the right to exclusively worship the Light, the option must be left open to the masses, and the Shadow teachings ought not be hidden away from public view.

I thoroughly believe that enacting these resolutions would improve both the stability of the Kingdom of Stormwind and the stability of humanity and its place in the universe.


I appreciate that now that you have read this proposal you may well seek to punish me, the author, for preaching the Shadow. Within a week, I will make my identity known, and should any disciplinary action be deemed necessary I shall submit accordingly, even to my death.

Know that I write this not as a terrorist nor as a threat to the Light, but as a simple preacher wishing only to help the world.

whatever your fucking name is wrote:Free practice of the Shadow studies of Shadowmancy and Divine Shadow worship - For as long as these practices are outlawed or even controlled, there will be great disorder not only for the universe but for our society. If the Shadow is institutionalised as it is in other societies, then it cannot be used for wrong any more than the Light or the Arcane can.

This piece in general is excellent, and this part in particular interested me personally. My character currently is relatively of the same mind set and actively preaches that the coming of Arthas and the Scourge was a result of a lack of balance in the universe, where the Light was overly powerful while the Shadow was completely diminished.

I like the idea behind this a lot, i.e the establishment of a state sponsored Shadow worshipping/educational facility. It may even lead to a Stasi sort of approach by the Light/Stormwind authorities where they monitor your every move and treat you like Palestinians are treated in Israel.

A sincere good luck to an interesting Melneragesque concept.

PREACHING HERESY! YOU SHALL BURN!

("Were the Kingdom of Stormwind to see sense and embrace it's darker nature, there would be peace and harmony for all." Oh my..darker nature being murder and depression? I hope you are prepared to face the wrath of the Lightdogs for preaching Forsaken views!)

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Rae Wulfgnar wrote:PREACHING HERESY! YOU SHALL BURN!

("Were the Kingdom of Stormwind to see sense and embrace it's darker nature, there would be peace and harmony for all." Oh my..darker nature being murder and depression? I hope you are prepared to face the wrath of the Lightdogs for preaching Forsaken views!)

The person who wrote the virtues of the Forgotten Shadow was a Bishop of the Holy Light.

E P H I T O S wrote:

Rae Wulfgnar wrote:PREACHING HERESY! YOU SHALL BURN!

("Were the Kingdom of Stormwind to see sense and embrace it's darker nature, there would be peace and harmony for all." Oh my..darker nature being murder and depression? I hope you are prepared to face the wrath of the Lightdogs for preaching Forsaken views!)

The person who wrote the virtues of the Forgotten Shadow was a Bishop of the Holy Light.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was, being the key word.

Wellsworth reads the pamphlet as she stuffs her mouth with greasy sausages to quell her hangover. She nods along, until she gets to the proposal. She sighs. "Just 'ad to take it one step too far..."

Wellsworth rips the bottom off the paper and pins the rest of he essay to the notice board in the back room of the Pig & Whistle, adding her own little note for the braves.

(( For those that wander into the P&W basement, the article and Thea's added note can be seen here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ))

As Jasmine's gaze goes down over the pages, she tilts her head a bit, biting her lower lip. "Perhaps there is still faith.." She sighs as she reads the last bit shaking her head a bit.. "They'll kill you. Lightdogs don't understand.." She mumurs a bit as she puts the book away, saving it for some other day.

Rae Wulfgnar wrote:

E P H I T O S wrote:

Rae Wulfgnar wrote:PREACHING HERESY! YOU SHALL BURN!

("Were the Kingdom of Stormwind to see sense and embrace it's darker nature, there would be peace and harmony for all." Oh my..darker nature being murder and depression? I hope you are prepared to face the wrath of the Lightdogs for preaching Forsaken views!)

The person who wrote the virtues of the Forgotten Shadow was a Bishop of the Holy Light.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was, being the key word.

Exactly. It's not Forsaken exclusive, at all.

Somebody should tell Adry about Mandui lol

Damian flicks through the pages, his interest seeming to grow with each word. "Maybe I need not fear the light so much after all..." He puts the book away and continues on.

Virra looks through the writing in her study, before slowly closing the book and looking out the window in thought.

"Good luck to those willing to stick out their heads for this..."

Very nice Adry. Enjoyable read.

IC: "Blasphemy!", Averin mutters as she tears off the poster from the wall, crumpling it and throwing it in the canals. She repeats the process for the next five posters, however upon reaching the sixth she folds it nicely and crams it into her overly full satchel, looking about anxiously.

OOC: Iznice! Well written and interesting read, much-needed knowledge. Not sure how long whoever wrote that will survive, though. :p

Thanks for all the comments! I look forward to making some headway on this when I'm back at home again

Thaldir halts by one of the booklets and stops, peering past his goggles to read. His lips curls a bit, and he snicker, walking on.

-

Simaria stops by the same one, she however takes it and stuffs it into her satchel after making sure noone is watching, then scurries off.

It is a wonderful day, the week had been nothing but sunshine and rainbows for Ariel and she was now heading back to Stormwind from her business trip to Gilneas to buy more ale on the black market, because everyone know black ale is the best ale. Ariel has finally arrived home, she sits down into her chair and starts reading through the many books that she have bought. She reads through the information intently and often shifts in her sitting position in the black leather chair, the cozy fire heats up the room and gives it a warm feeling.
When Ariel finally finishes the book and smiles happy before laughing out into the lit room. "That's what I have been thinking all the time!"
When she finally stops laughing she leans her back over the manchette of the chair and smiles into the air while breathing heavily, her breath can be seen now, for the fire have burnt out and the room is now filled with a cold dim light.
"I got to stop doing that.." Ariel says to herself, still laughing now and then while she smiles brightly.

(( How did I miss this?! Its awesome! ))

Adry wrote:Within a week, I will make my identity known, and should any disciplinary action be deemed necessary I shall submit accordingly, even to my death.

Do you still intend to do this? I was hoping to do an IC response but I have been waiting for you to reveal your identity before sending it out   

Sorayah wrote:

Adry wrote:Within a week, I will make my identity known, and should any disciplinary action be deemed necessary I shall submit accordingly, even to my death.

Do you still intend to do this? I was hoping to do an IC response but I have been waiting for you to reveal your identity before sending it out   

She did it ages ago.

Sorayah wrote:

Adry wrote:Within a week, I will make my identity known, and should any disciplinary action be deemed necessary I shall submit accordingly, even to my death.

Do you still intend to do this? I was hoping to do an IC response but I have been waiting for you to reveal your identity before sending it out   

Derp, I should probably have said something on the thread about it... I'll edit the first post!

Gah! It happened ingame? Oh well   
*probably needs to play more*