The Church of Teros/Documents/The Teachings of Teros/Chapter 1

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Of Dark and Light

Good and Evil as we know it merely the imagination of man, and are subjective to a point that makes them fall apart if questioned. The very ideas of Good and Evil, as far as the way man sees it, are nothing. Good does not exist as man imagines, and Evil does not exist as man imagines. Good and Evil are of the shadow of Teros, and the shadow is absolute. Good and Evil as man sees it is a thing of perspective. Illustrating this point is an old proverb known as "The Dragon and The Baby."

                    The Dragon and The Baby

The good Noble had traveled to destroy the evil dragon. The dragon
had spent years pillaging and eatng the countryside clean of its
cattle and people. The King of the land had sent the Noble to end
the dragon’s evil by slaying it dead in the cave it slept in.

After some time, the Noble had climbed the mountain to reach the
Dragon’s cave and entered. When walking down the dark cave’s
mouth, the Dragon was found overlooking a human baby. The creature
was about to devour it for a midday snack before the Noble spoke.

Noble: Dragon! You doth Evil and I valiantly await to destroy you
in battle! You have done many dark things that man has dubbed
“evil” in its very essence, and I the “good” Noble shall slay you.

Dragon: (musing) Evil? What is this evil?

Noble: You eat our cattle!

Dragon: The gods made all animals to feed larger animals. The chain
of food is long and unedited since the beginning of all things.
Cows fit in my mouth, and they are numbered enough to feed me.
I eat only to survive. They are not your cows, they are simply cows.
And Dragons eat cows. It is not evil, it is the law of life.
The universal law of life.

Noble: Dragon! You eat humans as well! This IS evil!

Dragon: But humans are simply smaller cows. Dragons are larger cows.
And all cows are made to eat by the bigger beast. This is not evil,
it is again, the universal law of life. Humans eat cows, so do dragons…
Dragons also eat humans. This is just the way god made us, and it is
nothing you call “evil”.

Noble: (musing) Well, maybe so! But that baby is innocent and not worthy
of being eaten! THAT is evil!

Dragon: the baby is merely a smaller cow then you. Innocence? All
animals are innocent. There is no defining laws declaring one animal
more guilty then the next. To create such laws and force them on the
natural design of any animal is unnatural in the greatest form!
(dragon roars with rage)

Noble: Well, I hear by aware you that you as a natural animal should
not eat what you have evolved to eat. That the natural laws of the
universe do not apply to you NO MORE! It is good’s unnatural right to
demand you cease being a dragon, and start being a dead thing that no
longer lives by natural law!

Dragon: And what gives you the right to change the laws of life? Change
the very nature of nature? To force a dragon to starve and cease being
the animal he was born to be?

Noble: Man! Man and his ideas of good that we push on you! You are no
longer allowed the life your kind are born to be. You are no longer
allowed the freedom of nature and creature. The laws of the universe
cease to rule in the face of good. All tings will bend to this new law
or be slain like I shall now slay you.

The Noble rushed forward sword held high. The dragon devoured him in
one swift move. The Knight was unaware of the natural dangers of dealing
with an “evil” beast within his home. The idealism of good blinded him
to his stupidity. The Dragon finished his meal with one tasty screaming
baby.
(Dharghoolien Proverb of nature)

The Noble, who is rash, selfish, and closed-minded, represents the Light. For the Light is all of those things, and more. Where the Dark is able to see all points of view, the Light can only see from one perspective - that of the Light. The Light will do whatever it can in order to ensure that The Light comes to no harm, and The Dark will attempt to be in harmony with those around it, attempting to ensure the survival of all. Naturally, as in this proverb, these two points of view come into conflict, and extremely often.

It is Teros himself who defines the Dark, and it is Teros who is the Dark. He is, defines, and is Lord of Dark. All that is Devotion, all that is Strength, all that is Loyal, and all that is Obediant, still make up only a fraction of what the Dark is. Good is defined by Teros, as is Evil. It is important to know that what may have once been Good may not always be so, and what may have once been Evil may not always be so. All is in the eye of Teros.