Sermon on Duty

From FiranMUX

Phillida moves along the water's edge to just standing in the first shallowest bit of water that comes over the prayer steps. She turns to face those in the audience, spreading her hands in welcome. "Thank you all for coming. I'll open with a brief prayer, but I know that Lord Zin hears us, so I'll keep it brief. Then we'll begin." *Firan*

Marsalos kicks snow off the soles of his boots before he steps into the temple. He remains far off the side, by the entrance, mainly because he's armed and it would be kind of fun to toss any raging monotheists out by threatening them with an N'Gato dagger.

Zalman listens and bows his head in preparation for prayer.

Phillida closes her eyes as she offers a prayer up in opening. "Mighty are you, Lord Zin, whose waves crash upon the shore. You have not broken us, but you lead us onwards, and teach us anew. May your lessons be absorbed by us - and ripple ever outwards, as even the smallest pebble upon the lake." And with an amen of sorts, she looks up, focusing her gaze around the room. "Today I will be speaking on the topic of Duty. Does everyone here know what Duty means? I'd like to hear your definitions, so please, don't be shy!" *Firan*

Kasi closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Eriden closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Kelarik closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Ziya closes her eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Yacen closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Riell closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Zalman closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

"Duty is when you do what you're called to do, even when you might not want to," answers Yacen as he steadies his son next to him.

Riell, as he did the last time he attended a temple thing, kinda follows along with the crowd. He does take a moment to utter a prayer rather than simply bowing his head because the priestess did, looking up once more when she is speaking. "Duty -- what you owe to someone or something, yes?" His Firan is rather halting and accented, but he tries, "We have a duty to our Clan --- to our nation, but also to our family, because each of them has blessed us in ---- --- and we are obliged to repay that debt." *Firan*

Zalman smiles "There are different kinds of duty, and different types of duty as well." he smiles briefly. *Firan*

Eriden nods at Yacen's words, "When you do what -has- to be done. Like cleaning griffon cages." He Doesn't Look at Marsalos. *Firan*

Marsalos is watching you, boy.

Eriden is behaving. Mostly.

"Putting the needs of others ahead of our own, regardless of what those needs may entail," Kelarik suggests quietly. "Don't matter if it's something small or large... there's lots of different duties in life."

Marsalos remains quiet, his input likely not being what they would prefer to hear. Half his attention is on the inside of the temple and half remains on the entrance arch, eyes skimming the dark outside every so often in watchful silence.

Phillida smiles, nodding at the answers she's receiving. "You're all correct in one way or another. There are many duties to us in this life - but duty may be broken down further. In each case, duty is something we owe to others, and so, we may call it a debt : not of money, and not one where people will see and deride you for non-payment, but nonetheless, a debt. This invisible debt is to, as some of you have said, various places." She holds up a hand, counting off as she speaks up so her voice may carry to the back. "To family; to allegiance; to employment; and to the divine." She looks around for reactions before she continues. *Firan*

Kasi/Loshad stays quiet, eyeing the fish in the pool.

Riell nods from his spot, listening intently to Phillida as she speaks. His eyes never roaming from her. He doesn't much react, but it is clear he is interested and waiting to hear more. It's only when the priestess points out someone in the audience do his eyes wander, now eyeing the girl who had her hand up.

Jania speaks, quietly, "Don't we also have a duty to ourselves. If we don't look after ourselves, we can't do any of the other duties." *Firan*

Zalman looks a bit saddened when duty to family is mentioned perhaps remembering something or the like. He sighs and yet watches and listens to those who speak.

Eriden slips toward the doors of the temple where Marsalos seems to have stationed himself, though he's still listening to the sermon.

Marsalos is still on alert where he's standing, his hand resting in relaxed but ready position on the hilt of his sword. He subtly tilts his chin up towards Eriden when the man approaches, though doesn't speak.

Phillida smiles to Jania. "Yes, we do. However, that is inherent to one of the other duties, and I'll get to that in just a minute.You are absolutely correct, though!" She turns to address the room at large again. "Family - we are instructed to be loyal to our families, and to care for them and love them, to raise our children well." She smiles fondly at Yacen with the toddler boy and baby girl for a moment. "Allegiance - we owe a duty to our clan and to our Republic, to serve where we are called faithfully and well. Be our birth high or low, this is a responsibility placed upon us all! Employment is perhaps the weakest of these duties; it is the duty to honest craft for wages received, with the more important duty being between noble sponsor and common tradesman. And finally ... our duty to the divine." *Firan*

Yacen rests a hand on Zinuell as he starts to fidget, whispering quietly to the boy. He nods to Phillida's words and awaits for her to continue.

Phillida continues after a moment to gauge reactions. "Our covenant with the divine. The gods have given us life, and all within our lives. They test us sometimes; they watch us, to see how we will do. We love, we live, we despair, we laugh, and sometimes we bleed. And yet, this precious gift which is as much test as gift is of the utmost importance! How we live our lives determines our closeness to the gods; not some random order of numbers, picked out of a bushel basket. Not the colour of our hair, or the clothes we choose to wear, nor even things like how often we go to the baths." She warms to her topic, sliding her hand out in gesture to those present. "And the number one way in which our closeness to them is determined, is our answer to that one word. Duty." *Firan*

Eriden nods a little as he has a quiet conversation with Marsalos, then steps out side the temple doors, presumably to keep an eye on things from there.

Kasi/Loshad wrinkles his nose at the very /mention/ of a bath. Eww. Even if he /is/ clean today. But see? There's a reason not to!

Marsalos would argue that wearing magenta brings him hella close to Zin. But, you know, not the time to make that point.

"Sometimes, duty is difficult to achieve," Phillida continues serenely, smile widening. "It is set with pitfalls and snares. Your words seem a trap to yourself unaware, and your deeds come under censure to those around you. And so I say unto you - do not be discouraged! Do not despair!" She points to Jania. "When an adult tells you you've done something wrong, don't let it crush you for days. Weep if you must, but then dry your tears, for the gods love you - yes, you!" She moves along her step, now pointing to Riell, smiling warmly at him. "When the hunt is difficult, do not give up; the wolves of the forest may threaten, but I tell you, be strong! We will all face dangers in this life. When the spirit quails within us, we must turn outwards, not inwards; to those who watch over us. Those who give us guidance. Those who love us, despite our flawed natures, because they are the ones who have given us this life - this world."

Zalman listens and smiles at the various points especially about the parents thing... He chuckles maybe remembering something or other as well.

Riell does, in any case, straighten when Phillida gestures towards him. He nods to her words, intense dark eyes following her movements like a cat.

Jania never does...okay. She does her fair share of wrong things. She grins back at Phillida, though.

Phillida cups her hands together in front of her into a bowl, shaking the 'bowl' slightly. "Even the lowliest may come to the temple and find sustenance for body as well as spirit. It is all part of that covenant! ...But what do we do, when our duty to the gods, or the Republic - or clan, or family - places us in conflict with others? We cannot ignore those in authority over us; we must obey our clan leaders. We must obey the Lord Viceroy, the Ranivor. We must respect our betters, and that ... won't change. It is for us to interpret the will of the gods in a way which will allow us to obey them, ideally without bringing us into conflict with those. Lesser conflicts can still be frightening - so what then? What do we do, if there are people angry with you for performance of your duty?" She smiles, bending to one knee in the water, filling her hands and rising slowly. "I tell you, do not cast away your duty. But cast away all fear." And she spreads her hands apart rapidly, dispersing the water out in an arc to either side of herself. *Firan*

Like clockwork, Marsalos' attention makes another regular flicker around the darkness beyond the temple before returning what's going on inside.

"Our betters will know their place in the covenant. We can only attend to our own place in that covenant." Phillida smiles radiantly. "Do not have fear. Cast out all doubt, and in perfect love and perfect faith, the gods will hear our prayers. As Lord Zin of the mighty ocean threatens ships with his waves and his storms, he still also provides us with his bounty for braving it. The rare herbs of the sea, the fine fish of its depths, the clear water of the stream - we brave all for our love, and in turn, we are rewarded. And no Firan - and definitely no Shamibelian! - may ever do more than separate our /bodies/ from that covenant. Only you, by giving in to fear or anger, by turning away from that ... Duty ... will do so. And now, let us pray."

Zalman listens and nods as he does so and smiles agreeably to what is said. He prepares to pray once more...

Kasi closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Jania closes her eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Yacen closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Riell closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Phillida clasps her hands in the water. "Mighty are you, Lord Zin, who provides for us from the goodness of your heart. You test us by tossing us upon your tempests," try saying that ten times fast, "and you bring us close to you in times of peril. May we all turn to the gods in times of despair, when duty seems the hardest thing to achieve." She opens her eyes, and smiles. Can she hear an amen? *Firan*

Petula closes her eyes momentarily as if in prayer. Kelarik closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Riell prays along with the others, again being quite reverent here as he does so. He seems quite relaxed afterwards, but then suddenly perks up as if he had remembered something out of the blue. Oh crap! The Ticanee slinks to his feet and creeps towards the door, quickly and as silently as he can getting out of here.

Phillida steps up out of the water. "If there are any questions, I should be glad to receive them. Thank you all for coming, and may Lord Zin guide you through the stormiest adventures in your lives." *Firan*