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A COMMENTARY ON THE CODE OF TORM, Volume 1
Scribed by Tamryn Jorandur, noble daughter of Procampur and favored of the Loyal Fury
0. Preface
Sir Balthasar and Brother Lysander both encouraged me, to better understand both myself and my god, to write out my thoughts upon the code that governs the conduct and lives of all Tormites -- especially those who tread a paladin's path. I state clearly here that my qualification for writing this is dubious at best; I have been a worshipper of Torm for most of my life, but not as devout as a dedicated priest until recent events stirred his gift in my soul. However, Brother Lysander encouraged me, and said that a person from the outside of the faith might have a fresh perspective that could give insight into what drives us.
Therefore, I urge you, the reader, to take this commentary with the proverbial grain of salt. Torm may work through me, but I can be quite the fool nonetheless.
The Code of Torm
Be the champion of the weak and the defenseless.
Be stern, unyielding and unswerving in your battles with evil.
Obey your masters with alert judgment and anticipation.
Serve the common good and the rule law established by honorable rulers.
Seek prowess and skill in all endeavors.
Stand ever alert against corruption.
Every failure of duty diminishes Torm and every success adds to his luster.
Be ever mindful of the code , and use them in your actions to swiftly enact justice.
1. Be the champion of the weak and the defenseless
I have encountered all too often an attitude among warriors that those who cannot or do not fight are somehow subhuman, or not worthy of respect. These warriors all too often are the same ones that fail to look beyond the tips of their own swords; they do not recognize that as much as the citizens depend upon their knights and soldiers for safety, we depend upon them.
'Weak' is, I believe, used here in almost an ironic sense. For indeed, the blacksmith and the farrier and the farmer cannot stand against a trained warrior. But how long can a soldier march without supply? How long can a pikeman stand in the battle if he has no pike, or a knight travel over rough country on a shoeless horse? Soldiers and knights are only the tip of a spear; there are dozens and dozens of supposed 'weak' who stand behind them and lend their strength.
But to limit one's thinking to supply and war is to be as the warrior that I mentioned who does not look past the tip of his own sword. In times of peace and security, the common people advance our understanding of the world, feed and clothe us, produce works of art and music that lift us closer to the gods. Can we honestly look upon the temple that the hands of common laborers built and say that we are greater than they?
To be a warrior of Torm, one must understand that we are not the champions of the defenseless because we are their superiors, but because we are their servants.
2. Be stern, unyielding and unswerving in your battles with evil
We look upon the depraved, the twisted, the sadistic, and the foul creatures that they breed, and feel security in our own moral superiority. How, we think, could we ever become one such as they? How could we trade our oath to protect the people for one to destroy or enslave them?
The answer is 'all too easily'. And this is the first reason that compromise with evil is the greatest danger that any who would fight it will face.
Consider for a moment the insidious statement that 'the ends justify the means'. Were you to pose this to any person on the street, they would tend to generally agree. Yes, they would say, if an action results in good ends, an evil method to achieve it is generally acceptable. Protecting the land, or defending innocent life, or preserving something beautiful is surely a necessary enough goal that using undead, or employing torture, or intentionally deceiving friends is acceptable.
This simple concept has led to the fall of more heroes than can be named. It is evil's most potent weapon.
While the statement on the surface appears to be logical, it implies foreknowledge of the ends. This cannot be gained by humans or even gods; the future cannot be divined with any accuracy. Therefore, employing an evil action to attain a good end is false; one is merely employing an evil action towards the hope of attaining a good end. And the tragedy of this is that evil actions tend to lead to an end that destroys the original goal. Consider: How many times has the leader of an undead horde ended up being a truly benevolent leader? How many times has a torturer stopped with one, necessary victim? How many times has a single deception sufficed, instead of leading to an ever more tangled web of deceptions and lies?
When human beings act in ways that are wrong, it inevitably leads to wrongness because of our own tendency to crave that which is wrong. Therefore, in your battles, resist the tendency to do what is expedient. Do not falter from your convictions, and do not show approval of actions from others that are obviously wrong. Keeping true to your morals will save both your soul and those who look up to you for an example.
Scribed by Tamryn Jorandur, noble daughter of Procampur and favored of the Loyal Fury
0. Preface
Sir Balthasar and Brother Lysander both encouraged me, to better understand both myself and my god, to write out my thoughts upon the code that governs the conduct and lives of all Tormites -- especially those who tread a paladin's path. I state clearly here that my qualification for writing this is dubious at best; I have been a worshipper of Torm for most of my life, but not as devout as a dedicated priest until recent events stirred his gift in my soul. However, Brother Lysander encouraged me, and said that a person from the outside of the faith might have a fresh perspective that could give insight into what drives us.
Therefore, I urge you, the reader, to take this commentary with the proverbial grain of salt. Torm may work through me, but I can be quite the fool nonetheless.
The Code of Torm
Be the champion of the weak and the defenseless.
Be stern, unyielding and unswerving in your battles with evil.
Obey your masters with alert judgment and anticipation.
Serve the common good and the rule law established by honorable rulers.
Seek prowess and skill in all endeavors.
Stand ever alert against corruption.
Every failure of duty diminishes Torm and every success adds to his luster.
Be ever mindful of the code , and use them in your actions to swiftly enact justice.
1. Be the champion of the weak and the defenseless
I have encountered all too often an attitude among warriors that those who cannot or do not fight are somehow subhuman, or not worthy of respect. These warriors all too often are the same ones that fail to look beyond the tips of their own swords; they do not recognize that as much as the citizens depend upon their knights and soldiers for safety, we depend upon them.
'Weak' is, I believe, used here in almost an ironic sense. For indeed, the blacksmith and the farrier and the farmer cannot stand against a trained warrior. But how long can a soldier march without supply? How long can a pikeman stand in the battle if he has no pike, or a knight travel over rough country on a shoeless horse? Soldiers and knights are only the tip of a spear; there are dozens and dozens of supposed 'weak' who stand behind them and lend their strength.
But to limit one's thinking to supply and war is to be as the warrior that I mentioned who does not look past the tip of his own sword. In times of peace and security, the common people advance our understanding of the world, feed and clothe us, produce works of art and music that lift us closer to the gods. Can we honestly look upon the temple that the hands of common laborers built and say that we are greater than they?
To be a warrior of Torm, one must understand that we are not the champions of the defenseless because we are their superiors, but because we are their servants.
2. Be stern, unyielding and unswerving in your battles with evil
We look upon the depraved, the twisted, the sadistic, and the foul creatures that they breed, and feel security in our own moral superiority. How, we think, could we ever become one such as they? How could we trade our oath to protect the people for one to destroy or enslave them?
The answer is 'all too easily'. And this is the first reason that compromise with evil is the greatest danger that any who would fight it will face.
Consider for a moment the insidious statement that 'the ends justify the means'. Were you to pose this to any person on the street, they would tend to generally agree. Yes, they would say, if an action results in good ends, an evil method to achieve it is generally acceptable. Protecting the land, or defending innocent life, or preserving something beautiful is surely a necessary enough goal that using undead, or employing torture, or intentionally deceiving friends is acceptable.
This simple concept has led to the fall of more heroes than can be named. It is evil's most potent weapon.
While the statement on the surface appears to be logical, it implies foreknowledge of the ends. This cannot be gained by humans or even gods; the future cannot be divined with any accuracy. Therefore, employing an evil action to attain a good end is false; one is merely employing an evil action towards the hope of attaining a good end. And the tragedy of this is that evil actions tend to lead to an end that destroys the original goal. Consider: How many times has the leader of an undead horde ended up being a truly benevolent leader? How many times has a torturer stopped with one, necessary victim? How many times has a single deception sufficed, instead of leading to an ever more tangled web of deceptions and lies?
When human beings act in ways that are wrong, it inevitably leads to wrongness because of our own tendency to crave that which is wrong. Therefore, in your battles, resist the tendency to do what is expedient. Do not falter from your convictions, and do not show approval of actions from others that are obviously wrong. Keeping true to your morals will save both your soul and those who look up to you for an example.