Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

The Thirteen Black Candles Spreading His Black Radiance

Candle VIII. - Hatred

The Dark Prince is the lord of Hatred. Spread Hatred and turn brothers into bitter foes.

Hatred is an oft misunderstood thing. Misunderstood by many, including the Old Tyrant who held sway over it before Our Lord's glorious ascension. But the Black Sun has revealed to us the true role of hate in the workings of the cosmos - one that fits neatly in the greater framework He had provided us - that all that matters is Power - and everything else are merely means to an end. And so is hatred. But how can emotion be leveraged in the upwards strife for power, control and domination? The answer is simple - the key is not experiencing hatred oneself but inspiring it in the hearts of others. Hatred is a sister to strife. Sow hatred between thy opponents to divide and conquer. Make thy underlings hate thy opponents to motivate them to action, and through the shared hatred - unify them. Make the more susceptible of thy foes hate thee - so their minds will be shrouded with emotional reactions and force them into reckless mistakes. The control over Hatred among mortal souls is a bejeweled cup from which our Lord drinks in celebrations of his manifold victories.

But what about thy own hatred? It is wrong to hate? No. But also yes. Hatred as one's own emotion needs to be handled with care. Used sparingly so it motivates and pushes into action, but does not lead one into the pitfalls of recklessness and tunnel vision. Hate should be also dispensed wisely, towards the ones who truly deserve it - the sworn, declared foes of the Black Sun. Those who are, indeed, an anathema to Him. Everything else is below hatred. For hatred is, in the end, a form of acknowledgement. One does not hate something clearly inferior. One contempts that thing. A subtle, but important difference. Learn to control and manipulate hatred both within thyself and within others, and conquer with the Black Sun's blessing.

The Thirteen Black Candles Spreading His Black Radiance

Candle IX. - Tyranny

The Dark Prince is the lord of Tyranny. Suffer no dissent to his name.

Power is everything that matters, but Power to count needs to be Power realised. And realisation of Power comes in the form of domination over others. It is never given freely. It needs to be earned, asserted, clawed into, and constantly warded. The strife never ends - at least not before all is subsumed into the One. But true Power, true dominion, true Tyranny knows no bounds. It is not constrained by law or order. A Tyrant idealised is a tyrant whose word is all that is - and subject to change at his every whim. This is the pinnacle of the expression of Power, towards which thou shall strive. This is the kind of power that the Black Sun is destined to wield over entirety of creation. His dark seat, the Supreme Throne, wrought of black iron, from he oversees his darkness spreading, is the portent of things to come.

Serve Him well, and He will reward thee, by delegating some of His Power towards thee. Those blessed by His Black Radiance are to be His governors, his stewards, overseers of His rule over the wretched masses below. And in their rule, they shall emulate Him. As thy Power ultimately comes from the Black Sun, thou are utterly dependent on it. This is why thou shall suffer no dissent to His name wherever thou are in control, and it is thy duty to spread this control, for both His and thy own sake. For wherever His Black Radiance falls, His servants, like thee, are elevated as well.