Pavus Family/Orsino/VicesInVirtues
Vices in Virtues
by Orsino d'Aquini Pavus
A wise man once told me an important line. In consideration, perhaps he was not wise at all. The words he told me: “The road to doom is paved with good intentions.” In the moment, I thought he was a knave. But then I began to ponder, and I realised that there was some truth to what he said. Many truths, perhaps. Then I realised, it is not only paved, but there are great walls and an elaborate ceiling. Windows to pretend you are not delusional, and with more furniture than the greatest hoarder in all of Dwilight.
First, we should establish what good intentions are and how important they are in the grand scheme of things. Do intentions matter more than the end result? This is perhaps the most important question. If we subscribe to the ideology that it is our actions and our intentions that define morality, it is far easier to know what is and isn’t moral. It is all orderly, everything is in a box. Whether you lead a massacre on your ally to make your kingdom the greatest of all, or leads to your death, it is equally as morally reprehensible. Or, is one such man killed destined to kill tens of thousands, and so while lives are taken, many are saved? Do we punish actions that are planned but not taken, suppress alternative thoughts? All these can be done with good intentions, but cause results so terribly negative.
Democracy is dangerous and more tyrannical than if one man called the shots. People can easily stand against a lone man, overthrow him when he makes poor choices. But democracy? You can vote to murder a fellow noble to better your positions. There is peasant-like mob created. They are united not by ideology, but group conduct. It is dangerous and increases power for the lessers. Many realms reach such a system with intention for good, but is it? Would you rather be led by an aged war hero who has lived in your land for two score, or participate with a weak vote equal to him? Such is poor conduct beneath nobles. As soon as some rogues and thugs scheme against him, he will not be the rightful ruler that he should be, but a bloodied corpse born of opportunism. The intentions are so that the people continue ruling, but the outcome is that the greatest man alive is dead.
Perhaps there are times where bad intentions lead to good outcomes. Where one intends to do something but realises he cannot go through with it, and so changes his entire lifestyle. Such is honourable. If you do not think so, you know nothing of honour and what it is and isn't. In short, what is seen as honourable is what a person perceives to be good. Sir Myr the Honourable served the Empress Isabella the Bloodless despite her overthrowing his bloodbound Emperor. While she was to become the Empress of One Day, few have done such an honourable deed - and never will again. Of the entire Ordo Leonis, who their fealty to the throne, he was the only one to do so. The rest still parade themselves as honourable in their service, which is entirely dishonourable. Understandable? Absolutely, but such is not honour. The Ordo Vulpes base their values on how effective things can be done, which is also very honourable. To risk honour to create it is quite a wonderful service.
I have even heard a duel to the death be called dishonourable, which is perhaps the most half-witted and vapid thing I have ever heard. That said, such a comment came from somebody very jejune, and so we shall take it with a pinch of salt.
If duels are not always honourable and knights do not serve their oath, the most absurd situation. For such to be honourable or acceptable? I cannot say I know how. Alas, I am a scholar not a knight.
Each of us have vices and virtues both, and all serve us for who we are. I have been known to be hot-headed and speak in the wrong way - for it is not what one is saying, but how he says it. Such is the way in much of the known world, of course. To hold ourselves to these standards above peasants, where they at least serve loyally and do not backstab one another for a hobby.
This I conclude this piece with a question. Are you honourable? I will answer it for you - of course you are. And your enemy? Perhaps not, though you certainly share an important trait.
