=Instrument of The Triad=

[Alexander Holgart]

=Instrument of The Triad=
((Music))

The following manuscript is likely written by a trembling or unexperienced hand, every letter and word seems to have taken more time and effort than it would normally take for an educated writer. Despite everything, it is legible.

---

=Torm - Dogma=

-Considerations-

I find myself in pieces, contemplating the statue of The True. My body shattered and my voice silenced, though the more my body suffers the more my mind is quenched and tempered like a blade. The suffering of the body for the learning of the mind. It is now that I truly find the path of reflection on what it means to be a Knight of The Loyal Fury, I don't pretend to know the answers, I don't pretend to teach, I don't pretend to know His will.

This document is a collection of reflections and considerations that I have made in this path of enlightment, as my pragmatic mind slowly starts to walk next to the Divine Scriptures.

---

• Salvation may be found through service.

To serve the Loyal Fury is to walk the path of obedience, Lord, Higher Power or both. With obedience comes Loyalty, the beating heart of the Dogma. It is becoming an instrument of the Triad that we find salvation, meaning, wholeness.

---

• Every failure of duty diminishes Torm and every success adds to his luster.

Servitude is not enough if there is no effort to be victorious, efficient, ready. To walk this path is to constantly train the mind and body, as every failure of duty is a stain on our honor but also a lesson to be learned. In this path of Knighthood our bodies will be tempered, our minds unwavering and our shields solid.

---

• Strive to maintain law and order.

To uphold the virtues of the Triad we must believe in an orderly and fair society, we must believe in a world that can offer equality and justice to the Beggar and the King in the same way. No matter how utopian this might sound, we will use it as our Guiding Light in our path.

---

• Obey your masters with alert judgement and anticipation.

There is no rest in our Path of Servitude, like a Sword asks no respite when it is drawn, a Sword only rests when it is broken. We will always be alert and observe the moves of our enemies as well as our Lords, we will not follow orders blindly if such orders go against the virtues we want to represent.

---

• Stand ever alert against corruption.

Corruption is the perversion of law and order, a taint that lurks within the cracks of an orderly society. Corruption takes refuge among seats of power and laws to consume fairness and equality, to favor disparity and tiranny. We shall strive to find it and correct it.

---

• Strike quickly and forcefully against rot in hearts of mortals.

The Loyal Fury is the Sword of the Holy Triad, as such we are expected to strike against the enemies of Justice, Mercy and Duty. To use violence is not something we should do with joy, we should always be mindful of the potential consequences and the suffering we might bring to the innocent, those who might be involved in the aftermath of our decisions. To strike doesn't always mean to use violence, there are many ways and means to confront our enemies, most of them are peaceful.

---

• Bring painful, quick death to traitors.

Betrayal is the opposite of what The Loyal Fury represents, as such it will be punished. Those using the Virtues of the Triad to hide their foul deeds and then stab the Good People of Faerun in the back shall find the punishment they deserve. Such punishment will be their end, in respect of the lawful and orderly society we strive for. Death and Pain can be interpreted, we are not the Judge, we are the Sword and Shield. What we will do is act to make such punishment as severe as possible.

---

• Question unjust laws by suggesting improvement or alternatives, not additional laws.

In our Path to an orderly society we must be vigilant and alert with those who would attempt to make laws and codes more complicated than they should, the more bricks we add in our structure the more cracks corruption will find to hide and grow. We should also point at the rules that contrast with the Virtues we uphold, make an effort to see them changed or removed.

---

• Your fourfold duties are to faith, family, masters, and all good beings of Faerun.

This is what we defend and serve, The Light we will never allow to fade. Faith as the the Virtues of the Holy Triad. Family as the most pure bond of care and growth. Masters as those who Lead with Justice, Mercy and Loyalty. Finally, all those who still have Light in their hearts and hope for a better future, for themselves or for others. To those we shall offer hand, to sustain and protect.

[Alexander Holgart]

=Tyr - Dogma=

(Music)

-Considerations-

In my path to extend my knowledge and servitude toward the Triad as a whole I find myself contemplating and studying the Dogma of the Maimed God. As my life will be a life of servitude, this path leads me to the one that the Loyal Fury serves as Sword and Shield. I see the Even-Handed as a wise father, a righteous leader and the prime defender of law and truth, in the Triad.

---

• Reveal the truth, punish the guilty, right the wrong, and always be true and just in your actions.

The first and perhaps most complex part of Tyr's Dogma.

The truth is often hard to find and discover, as it is perceived by as many perspectives as there are eyes in this world, punishment is easy to deliver but not as easy is for it to be just, and appropriate.

We should strive to find and unearth the truth and use it to guide our judgement in telling what is proper and just punishment for the guilty, in order to right the wrong.

---

• Uphold the law wherever you go and punish those who do wrong under the law.

Similar to the first line of the Dogma, this one focuses on the idea of law, similarly to the Tormtar faith.

Tyrrans make of this concept a central point of their faith and dogma, they saw laws as a structure that can be built in order to deliver just sentences, though for this to happen the structure must be healthy and wisely assembled.

Law and order shall be respected for what they represent, though it must be remembered that the authority to deliver punishment is for those who have the right to do it.

We may stir things in order for that punishment to be delivered but overstepping our boundaries to deliver judgement when we have no authority to do it would be against the concept of law we try to uphold.

---

• Keep a record of your own rulings, deeds, and decisions, for through this your errors can be corrected, your grasp on the laws of all lands will flourish, and your ability to identify lawbreakers will expand.

This line can interpreted in a very personal way and in a more generic one.

For the individual, it is good habit to keep record of our own rulings and our code in order to always have it clear and at hand to understand where we failed and what we did wrong. Adhering to our code and rulings and give ourselves proper punishment and penance is a good excercise for the mind, if we are to uphold Tyr's Dogma.

As for the generic and more symbolic view, the excercise of drafting and enforcing laws is perhaps the best way to understand the concept of order itself. Through this our knowledge and wisdom will grow and our ability to find the guilty with it.

---

• Be vigilant in your observations and anticipations so you may detect those who plan injustices before their actions threaten law and order.

Another line that resonates well with Torm's Dogma, a reminder that the work of those who defend order is not starting only when injustice has been committed, but also before that.

We must be vigilant and prepared to act in order to prevent such things to happen, at the same time we must not forget to be just and fair as this view can easily lead us to extremisms and a form of zealotry that would make us see wrong where there is not, make us punish invidivuals who did nothing wrong.

---

• Deliver vengeance to the guilty for those who cannot do it themselves.

I see this last line as the goal of delivering punishment, the word vengeance to imply a just and fair repercussion for lawbreakers.

What is the purpose of law and order if not to make us equal in a fair society?

To keep us from the chaos and violence of a world dominated by those who are stronger we must be prepared to deliver punishment to those who hold such power, to maintain equality and reassure the weak that no matter who the lawbreaker is, justice will find its way.

---

[Alexander Holgart]

=Ilmater - Dogma=

(Music)

-Considerations-

I find myself as a witness of Ilmater's Dogma becoming manifest fairly often, through the actions of Ilmatari around me, Sister Ashenie especially. Ilmater's Dogma is welcomed by my nature for many reasons but it is also hard to reconcile with some of my own opinions, and the Dogma of the other two of the Holy Triad. Ilmater resonates with my protective nature, the will to take the suffering away from others and take it upon myself. To follow the steps of Ilmater is to live a life of sacrifice so others may be spared and sheltered.

---

• Help all who hurt, no matter who they are.

The Dogma immediately begins with one of its strongest and impactful lines. Mend the suffering, heal the wounds of the body and mind, and to offer this to anyone even to the least deserving. This does not have to conflict with the idea of punishment that is implicit with bringing Justice to those who are guilty, those shall be helped in finding answers, the reasons why they brought suffering upon others, and should be shown a healthier way to live.

---

• The truly holy take on the suffering of others.

Another core concept of the Ilmatari ways, suffering is considered holy when taken willingly to spare it from others. This fits well in the role of the Knight, from the moment we unsheat our weapons and we take our shields we are making a decision, and that decision is to use our skill and strenght to be a wall between suffering and those who cannot protect themselves from it.

---

• If you suffer in His name, Ilmater is there to support you.

This line is almost like a direct consequence of the one before. I have seen with my own eyes what this means, Ilmater's favor makes incredible efforts possible if those efforts are pursued in His name, and to follow His Dogma. Ilmater bestows on His followers the power to endure incredible amount of physical and mental suffering, far beyond what mortals are normally allowed to.

---

• Stick to your cause if it is right, whatever the pain or peril.

Resolve and determination, no matter how small the steps are, if you know that your cause is right you must keep walking that path. This line of the Dogma offers much inspiration but it is also one of the hardest to follow, there is no path too steep for an Ilmatari and not everyone has the willpower to see this line accomplished to its full meaning. This also brings determination to a level that is often confused with insanity and madness, even among the faithful at times, the answer to this is in the following line.

---

• There is no shame in a meaningful death.

The idea of martyrdom is an important part of the Ilmatari faith, if there was no will to accept death to pursue a meaningful goal all the Dogma would crumble into pieces. Accepting death is the ultimate consequence one has to accept, if our chosen way of living is to take all the suffering we can from others and face impossible odds, we need to walk to path to the end or every line of this Dogma would just be hypocrisy.

---

• Stand up to all tyrants, and allow no injustice to go unchallenged.

Ilmater reminds us of the opposite and darker side of an orderly society, the use of laws to crush those without power with strenght and cruelty. I believe that this line works as inner look upon ourselves, to remind us that defending law and order has to be done keeping mind that they can also transform into an instrument of suffering and injustice, which we have to stop and challenge whenever we see it.

---

• Emphasize the spiritual nature of life over the existence of the material body.

It is true that our efforts have meaning in the material world we live in, there is much violence and suffering that we can stop or take upon ourselves that will harm and test our own bodies, though this hardly catches the bigger picture, the higher order of things. Our deeds and choices have much deeper repercussions than what we can see immediately upon things material. Ilmater's Dogma reminds us to open our eyes to the spiritual world and the afterlife, in order to see the true meaning of what we do, and we should help others see things this way as well.

[Alexander Holgart]

(Music)

---

=Following the Steps of Old Impiltur=

The way to become a Triadic Knight impose not following just one Dogma, but three. It is evident that there are considerations to be made especially between some core conflicting concepts. I was not able to find much of the The Order of Old Impiltur, The Order of the Triad, so I will have to rely on myself and the wisdom of those around me.

The path to rebuild the phisolophy of the Order of the Triad starts with the opposing ideas of Mercy and Punishment.

• Mercy

"Help all who hurt, no matter who they are." - "The truly holy take on the suffering of others."

Ilmater's Dogma offers something apparently clear about mercy. Taking suffering from others, helping those who hurt, all of them. Though even among Ilmatari there are different ways to approach this, there those who bring the Dogma to the extreme and forsake any means to cause suffering to mend suffering in all its forms, and there are others accepting to bring mercy by killing those who would do harm to others.

• Punishment

"Reveal the truth, punish the guilty, right the wrong, and always be true and just in your actions."
"Deliver vengeance to the guilty for those who cannot do it themselves."
"Strike quickly and forcefully against rot in hearts of mortals."
"Bring painful, quick death to traitors."

Both Tyr and Torm mention forms of punishment in their Dogmas, even using strong words such as vengeance and painful death. This is why many see the Triad as a self righteous violent force that moves to destroy those with opposing ideas, and sadly this is also how some followers enact the Dogma. Like the Ilmatari faith there are those enacting punishment almost to its extreme consequences, and there are those less radical. Both ways imply that there needs to be punishment for those committing mistakes, the severity of said punishment is debatable.

• Mercy & Punishment

I used to struggle in finding a way to concile the two but now I believe that they cannot be divided. True wisdom is achieved in balancing the two, and perhaps this is why the Gods of the Triad are so close to each other.

Mercy tempers Punishment. Punishment tempers Mercy.

A fair judgement must be reached considering the reasons why an individual deserves mercy as equally as the reasons why he or she is worth punishment. Like a scale has two holders, justice cannot be achieved without laying both punishment and mercy on them, to observe how the two find balance.

To find the Way of The Triad we must not be blinded by either and be aware of both.

[Alexander Holgart]

(Music)

---

=Duties and Obligations as a Triadic Knight=

My attempt to walk the footsteps of Old Impiltur continues, sadly there isn't much left about how they codified three Dogmas into one. It becomes necessary for me to start thinking about what that Code would have been, what their Duties and Obligations were, in order to embody the spirit of three different ways of life.

What is Duty in the first place? Duty is a task, depending on our role and position our Duties change. For us Knights, it is a task from the Gods, something that we are expected to do and honour.

It becomes necessary to understand exactly what kind of task are Tyr, Torm and Ilmater giving us, in order to form a Code of Conduct.

• Justice and Fairness - Tyr

If we had to summarize the Dogma of the Maimed God we could say that its key concept is judgement, which implies a strict adherence to the law. In a Triadic view Tyr is the scale itself, a scale that we must use in order to achieve Justice, for everyone. I believe that Tyr's task for us is to believe in an orderly and fair society, in which judgement delivers the guilty and protects the innocents.

• Mercy and Sacrifice - Ilmater

The Broken God takes His place on the scale as the embodiment of Mercy, a reminder that in our path to Justice forgiveness takes an equal weight as punishment. Not only that, He is a God of sacrifice, a virtue that must be kept close to our hearts in our lives as Knights. The will to suffer for the benefit and protection of the innocents, to take the pain and bring it onto ourselves as it is our Duty to do so.

• Retribution and Courage - Torm

The other side of the scale, punishment. The Loyal Fury is the sword and shield, the loyal servant delivering judgement. I believe his task for us is to find the Courage to act and punish the guilty, protect the innocent, be inflexible in front of corruption. His role, like Ilmater, is to stand on the scale to remind us that at times forgiveness and mercy are not enough against the enemies of the society we believe in.

• The Meaning of Duty

I find this last paragraph absolutely necessary, because I see Knights often forgetting why we do all this, why we tie ourselves in limitations and codes. This is not about pleasing the Gods, this is not about achieving an abstract form of virtue, this is for the people.

"Deliver vengeance to the guilty for those who cannot do it themselves." Tyrran Dogma

"Help all who hurt, no matter who they are." Ilmatari Dogma

"Your fourfold duties are to faith, family, masters, and all good beings of Faerun." Tormtar Dogma

This is the task the Triad shares as a triumvirate, a task we must never forget as Knights, we do all this for those who have no means to bring Justice upon themselves. The children, the old, the farmers, the nobles, everyone. Justice is for everyone, each one of them, the good of the people is why we must fight for a better society.