Liokv

A Priest’s Thesis on Rest Father Reinhardt Introduction Often as a child, I’d hear prominently the Reinmaren phrase ‘wer rastet, der rostet.’ The common translation of such would be ‘he who rests, rusts.’ This phrase is applicable to most all things that require effort and maintenance, though I believe this should be an especially useful mindset to take when living as a virtuous Canonist before God. As I see it, there are those who are lax in their duty to God. Those of this nature pay little to no thought to Him, essentially removing God from the most high within our lives, as if He is second to worldly institutions and concepts like one’s nationality, worldly pleasures, and material concerns. Having worldly desires, of course, is not sinful in of itself as long as He remains priority above all. However, when we violate God’s word in exchange for worldly desires, such is a matter that necessitates repentance and forgiveness granted by His mercy. As the scrolls are the Word of God, we as Canonists must seek to abide by them as best to our ability in all things. Rest, then by my definition in the context of this thesis, is forgoing our duties and putting aside allegiance to God, demoting Him from utmost prominence in our lives even if for just a moment. When sometimes we idle before God, we rest as Canonists, which is expected of us, for none are flawless besides God. However, when we forgo Him continuously without regret or remorse, we are left to rust, straying further from His Holy Light, and it takes greater effort to recover. Thus, I center my thesis upon the topic of ‘rest’ – as in resting from God – for the sake of the education of His flock in keeping Him above all. For he who rests in his duties to fulfill God’s covenant, will eventually rust and begin to wane in faith, more prone to turn away from His Holy Light. Through God’s mercy, however, we might recover no matter what condition we find ourselves in. Resting When a blade is stowed away in idleness, left to the elements that weather away its shine, it grows dull and useless to its wielder. Likewise when we put our faith in God to rest and let it idle so without maintenance, we stray ever farther from God’s Holy Light and his grace. Verily, God is above all and without peer—there is only one God the Creator who is the source of all things. He is all-good, omniscient, and omnipresent. Thus, God is above all things and his will is the utmost will. This is the utmost tenant of our Faith - that God is the most supreme authority of our world, and that all we do should be in adherence to his command. This is prominent throughout the scripture of the Holy Scrolls, and is expressed clearly within the Scroll of the Gospel: 43 The first man held GOD with great fear and marvel, and did as he was bid, and rose to the Sixth Sky beneath the throne of the Lord. 44 But the first woman loved her children even greater than GOD, and would not leave. 45 So the Lord was wroth, and uncovered the imperfections of the Sons, so that she would know her folly. 46 And the first woman wept, and was humbled, for all things are imperfect before GOD. 47 And she did as she was bidden, and rose to the Sixth Sky. (Gospel 1:43-47) It is made clear in this scripture that turning away from God - even out of concern for our children - is a folly worthy of God’s wrath. This is because God knows all, and knows all paths which we will take, and which our children will take. We must not be concerned for our children when God bids us so, for we must know and trust that God’s path for them is virtuous. To rest from God is to put aside his will in favor of another’s, even for a moment. The first woman’s folly was rather straightforward, as God bid her to his will clearly. However, God’s will is not always immediately apparent. Here, we must depend on our own judgment as Canonists and the guidance of his Holy Church. As all are imperfect before God, we might make lapses in our judgment, and it might be that we make missteps in our understanding of God’s will. Verily, this is punishable by God, but God in his everlasting mercy offers us grace and forgiveness. However, we must not use God’s mercy as a crutch to excuse every mistake we make, for God is fully aware of our true intentions, and knows whether our mistakes are true, and whether our souls are virtuous. From the Scroll of Spirit: 13 There can be no laxity in faith for any reason, not war nor peace, not wealth nor poverty. 14 The Lord lasts through all adversities, for He is their source and their remedy—without Him, they are uncured. (Spirit 2:13-14) So, we must remain ever diligent in our faith, and adhere to God to the best of our understanding. In the Scroll of Virtue, it is decreed as such: 8 So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not be idle, nor forget your duties in favor of sloth. (Virtue 4:8) Then, a slight misunderstanding or uneducation should be the extent to which our will should stray from God’s will, to which our faith wanes in the face of the temptations of worldly desires. Beyond this, we stray a dangerous distance from God’s Holy Light - our diligence in faith wanes, and turns into sloth. Rusting When a blade continues to weather the elements, left lingering in the dirt for too long, it rusts. It is marred with a physical sign of its disuse, and it is possible that this blade might never return to its former shine. Likewise when we continually fail to maintain our relationship with God and fail to consider his will foremost above all, it eventually accumulates until our souls are marked by our extreme distance from God’s Holy Light. This extreme distance from God is what I shall define as rusting - the continual absence and disregard of God and his Holy Light in one’s life. This is demonstrated in the Scrolls through the Harrenites and their vices. From the Scroll of Gospel: 47 For three days Harren drank to excess and feasted, and he took many concubines. 48 His soldiers went into the villages of Aaun and Edel and pillaged them, and Harren took the riches into his home. 49 On the third day, Harren drank to stupor. 50 So he did not fast, but slept into the midday. 51 And there came upon him in the evening the Aengul Artifai, who commanded him “Here, twice you rejected the gift of GOD. (Gospel 3:47-51) Harren so indulged himself in worldly pleasures that he rejected God’s gift thrice. Harren’s laziness in faith so led him to a point where he failed to recognize that all things are granted by God, and his worldly pleasures likewise were only granted through God: 3 Verily, brother, the Lord GOD devised for us the metals of the earth, and the wine of the vineyard. 4 And verily He has granted the pleasures of the flesh and ordained the estates of all men, high and low. 5 But He has also spoken the Virtue, and commanded us to His word. 6 And you live only by His grace, and upon His earth. (Spirit 3:3-5) When we rust, we are alike to Harren in that we no longer acknowledge that God’s will is the utmost will, and our actions are instead only directed by our own judgment without regard to the fact that God’s hand is in all things. This is a dangerous state to remain in, for in it we are prone to fall from God’s path and tumble into the likes of hereticism, or atheism, or into the clutches of our own worldly indulgences. We must make every effort to recover our shine and return to a state in which our faith in God directs everything that we do. God’s mercy is everlasting, and though it might take greater effort to return to his path, it is possible. Recovery A blade might linger to the point where it rusts, but by the hand of a skilled blacksmith might the blade return to its former glory, perhaps even shining brighter than it had ever been. Likewise, God’s eternal grace and mercy allows us to seek penance so that we might live once more in God’s Holy Light. The path to recovery may be difficult, but it is possible. God gives us the tools to right ourselves back to his path with the help of his Holy Church - we only need make use of them and stay the course in our penance. This is assured in the Scroll of Virtue: 5 And as I have created for you the struggles of the world, so too do I create the struggles of the spirit. 6 And as I have created the struggles of the world and the spirit, so too do I bring their remedies. 7 For I have given you the pains of the world, and I have given you their cure. 8 And you shall know the trials of this theater of virtue, and know that they shall strengthen you. (Virtue 5:5-8) Foremost, recovery should involve prayer and the guidance of His Holy Church. The clerics of His Church are bid to serve God’s flock, and it is no imposition to seek them out for repentance. Penance might come in a number of ways, and it might be that we must go on pilgrimage, or donate to charity, or submit ourselves to a time of monastic living. In the end, our penance is equal to the sin we’ve committed, and we must fulfill it to fully return to our faith in God. Conclusion Through reading this thesis, I hope that the layman would be able to associate such simple phrase as ‘he who rests, rusts’ and apply it primarily to humanity's duty to God and the importance of maintaining allegiance to Him, so that we might never succumb to idleness, and always put Him first before all other desires or allegiances. WER RASTET, DER ROSTET Father Reinhardt of the Bishopric of Gelimar

Reinhardt goes on a tailoring frenzy the night prior to the showcase, and manages to deliver the finished garments to Frederica right on time.

"..We need special clothing for that..?" Reinhardt replies after a brief moment of silence, with clear confusion crossing his face. "I spent all my allowance.." He mutters, then continuing to shelf his newly-purchased bottles of imported Aaunic ale, a bit less excitedly.

Heinrik von Reinmar plops the cap atop his head, testing its fit.

IGN: Liokv RP NAME: Heinrik von Reinmar PERSONA ID: 77086

Olaf von Reinmar joins his liege in the aftermath of the battle - their horses keeping an even pace as they made their return to home.

Olaf von Reinmar trudges along a quiet path, with the silence broken only by the rustle of leaves and distant chirping of birds. Every step seemed to carry a weight only he knew the source of. Then, an utterance could be heard from Olaf: “KILL STASSIONITES, WER RASTET DER ROSTET,” he announced before picking up his pace.

Full Name of Man - Sir Peter Stroheim Date of Birth of Man - 1892 Full Name of Woman - Abrielle Date of Birth of Woman - 1898 Location of Ceremony - Temple Heiligen Johann und Vander Date of Ceremony (Year) - 1921 Name of Clergyman who performed ceremony - Father Theo

Wally von Reinmar readily tears open the mail addressed to his liege and quickly skims through its contents. He promptly delivers said letter to Duke Wilheim’s office.

Full Name of Man - Sir Ludolf Barclay Date of Birth of Man - 1888 Name of Woman - Julietta Varoche Date of Birth of Woman - 1892 Location of Ceremony - Minitz Date of Ceremony (Year) - 1916 Name of Clergyman who performed ceremony - Theodore Bishop Gelimar

Full Name of Man - Sir Irid von Minitz Date of Birth of Man - 1882 Name of Woman - Audrina von Theonus Date of Birth of Woman - 1883 Location of Ceremony - Reinmar Date of Ceremony (Year) - 1914 Name of Clergyman who performed ceremony - Theodore Bishop Gelimar

Full Name of Man - Myrios Sarran Date of Birth of Man - 1880 Name of Woman - Eloisee von Minitz Date of Birth of Woman - 1886 Location of Ceremony - Minitz, Tempel Heiligen Date of Ceremony (Year) - 1912 Name of Clergyman who performed ceremony - Father Theodore

would love to use this myself and see it used across the server

Full name: Theodore Lothar Barclay Summers’ old: 26 Clerical role: Priest Diocese of Service: Gelimar Minister of Ordination: Pontian IV Racial identification: [!] “Human, child of Horen” had been filled out on all admission forms [!] Sex: [Username: Liokv] [Discord: Liokv#8858]

Wally von Reinmar pens his name upon the sign-up sheet. Name: Wally von Reinmar Representing: House Barclay

OPEN THE CASEMENT, AND UP WITH THE SUN DEATH OF EMIL BARCLAY The boy read, “He who rests, rusts.” It was etched into the plaque above the entryway to the keep. The words had always been there, but it seemed the boy never put much thought to them. Now, though, he stood like a statue as he gazed upon the words, and a spark ignited within him for the first time. - The little soldier’s bright smile widened as he brandished a new wooden sword before his brother. In the boy’s eyes, it seemed to gleam under the light of the fire– shining just like a real sword. “Vater made this for me– for Tuvsmas, see?” The light of the fireplace reflected the proud shine within his eyes as he presented the sword. - The father gazed upon the baby with some sort of uncertainty as he laid resting in his cradle. “..Leon. Would you like that name, hm?” He then gathered the bundle into his arms, and the weight against his chest warmed the father to his core. - The squire grasped on tightly to his halberd as it breathed a blaze of bright flames into the darkening sky. “Behind me, son– stay behind me!” The squire gasped to the blonde boy beside him as the assault continued upon the large tendrils the isle had sent out to harm them. Yet even as the stream of flames eventually dwindled, the flames within the squire’s soul burned ever brighter. - The aged knight mumbled to himself as his attention remained fixed upon the tree’s foliage. He urged his horse onwards then, rounding the corner that blocked his vision from the figure sitting before the fire. “...Who dares?” A slouched, dark figure sat cross-legged before the tree’s base. . . . The struggle between the pair continued even as the leaves of the tree wavered from the wind, unbothered by the frenzied ongoings below its boughs. “...there is a place promised for you that acts as escape from me. But maybe I shouldn’t allow it.” A flame– ever-burning within the depths of his soul– ignited at that moment, and rage seemed to course through the aged knight as his intense attack upon the figure continued. The tip of his halberd caught upon the figure’s battered chestplate, tearing it free from his body. . . . Even as the aged knight’s eyes dimmed, the flames within them gleamed. Then, he finally slipped into darkness. Ser Emil Barclay 'The Guardian' 1834— 1901

At receiving the news, Emil Barclay sat down his work and lit up a cigar in celebration. He then continued his work in the cloning chambers, having already produced three Barclay clones at order of the Duke of Minitz this week! "Oh-- oops.." He let out as the cigar fell into the cloning vat he was working in.

EMIL BARCLAY, FATHER OF THE TO-BE HUSBAND, PREPARES FOR GRANDCHILDREN

Dim light flickers within an isolated room occupied only by the form of one Emil Barclay. He was still, silent-- reminiscing about past times so filled with joy.

Herman clutches tight to a flask of Carrion marked with the initials of K.B.

Herman races home to have his uncle Johann @Frymark pen an application for him! After years of begging, a loyal steed at last! Name: Herman B. Race: Human Do you promise to take good care of your new horse?: Yes. I will take dutiful care of the steed.

Persona Name - Emil Barclay IGN - Liokv Nation - Haense

"Your majesty," Emil Barclay's head dipped into a low nod of respect. He then spoke loudly before the king's court: "My son, Leon-" He laid a gauntleted hand upon the boy's shoulder, "I see in him a passion- determination to pursue knighthood like no other." He recalls the boy's unforeseen participation in his own knight's quest... "He seeks to follow the path of his forefathers- Ser Brandt, Ser Cedric, and Ser Reinhardt." He paused then, casting a short glance to the ground, before returning his gaze to Sigismund with determination shining in his eyes: "..should it please you, I ask that you take Leon as your page- to be taught both the stories and the realities of knighthood."

"Boys-- Herman? Leon?" Emil Barclay rose his fist once more to lay a few knocks on the door, and at getting no response, finally pried the door open. The room his two sons shared was completely devoid of said boys, with the only evidence of their presence the scattered mess of maps, clothes, and books draped about the floor and shelves. The boy's father breathed a small sigh at this, though his lips ticked up in a slight smile as he backed out of the room and shut the door with a quiet click.

"No, no, no--" One Emil Barclay directs to the bustling workers as they go about rearranging the Lord Marshal's office. "I want the chair here, and place my nameplate on the desk there-- And for GOD's sake, take down that calendar!"