Elvetan Morality

**Elvetan Morality** derives from the teachings present in the Ticai Baca, the holy scriptures of the Elvetan prophets. All three books of the Ticai Baca include moral instruction, but morals are most clearly described in the Book of Athdus; whereas the Books of Yalvon and Aceron are concerned with the stories of the gods, the Book of Athdus is chiefly concerned with how mortals should live.

## Virtues of the Gods

The nine Virtues of the Gods are considered to be the foundational principles of Elvetan morality, and the simplest expression of how the gods desire mortals to live. The nine Virtues are very similar to the seven cardinal virtues of Christianity, but Elvetans do not have a concept of the seven (or eight) deadly sins.

Following all the virtues, or at least earnestly trying one's hardest to, is known as *Lotar*, a term typically translated as Chivalry. The term *Lotar* also has many martial connotations as it is closely associated with knights, especially the first knight Saint Therion the White, but its original meaning simply means following all the divine virtues.

The nine Virtues of the Gods are as follows, in no particular order:

* **Prudence**, or **Wisdom**: To rationally determine the appropriate course of action despite your passions
* **Courage**: To fight for the Gods, for those you love and for what is right, despite any fears you may have
* **Justice**, or **Fairness**: To judge people and situations fairly, to never assume guilt without evidence, to work to uphold justice, and to not judge others for past sins they have already atoned for
* **Chastity**: To practice sexual restraint, to be faithful to your spouse and to not engage in premarital sex
* **Temperance**: To practice self-restraint in avoiding excessive food, wealth and power, to hold back one's anger
* **Charity**: To give any time and resources you can spare to those who need it more than you
* **Diligence**, or **Determination**: To work hard and complete your duties
* **Humility**: To never presume you are superior to others through your status, to treat every person with respect, and to have proper reverence for the gods
* **Honesty**: To always tell the truth, even when the truth is harmful, and to abide by oaths and vows

## Abhorrent Crimes

In Elvetan teaching, certain wicked deeds are referred to as Abhorrent Crimes, which has also been translated as Unforgivable Crimes. These are crimes against mortals or against the gods which are so heinous that it is impossible to atone for them in life, and can only be properly punished and repented for in the Underworld. These are crimes for which the Book of Athdus demands the death penalty, and they continue to be punished with execution in the Nesarian Empire in the modern day.

Within the classification of Abhorrent Crimes, there are two further classifications, of "higher order" and "lower order". While the punishment in the mortal world for both is the same - though Athdus calls for beheading, the Nesarian Empire also frequently executes by firing squad - each type is punished in the Underworld differently, with higher order crimes having much harsher and longer punishments than lower order ones. Whilst lower order crimes are still severe and heinous, higher order crimes are considered to be the worst possible sins a mortal can commit.

### Mercy Dialogue

Much of the foundation for the concept of Abhorrent Crimes and the distinction between higher and lower orders comes from the Mercy Dialogue in the Book of Athdus, a dialogue between two men - Caserion and Rigosan - who discuss the virtues of forgiveness and mercy and to what extent it is right to bend the law for those who truly repent. Both men are presented as holy and highly educated, with Caserion being more on the side of the law and Rigosan being more on the side of mercy.

Rather than showing that either strict legalism or merciful forgiveness is always better than the other, the purpose of the Mercy Dialogue is to show that both sides have valid merits, and it impresses upon the reader that a good judge must always take into account the balance between both sides, and must always consider each case individually to determine the appropriate punishment. Some theologians have also pointed out that the Mercy Dialogue serves as an example of a reasonable and healthy argument, as both parties show patience and understanding and they do not merely lay out their differences, but also build common ground on several issues.

The concept of the Abhorrent Crimes, while not explicitly laid out in the Book of Athdus, is derived from those crimes which even the strongly mercy-leaning Rigosan agrees should be punished by death, and the higher order crimes are those that Rigosan stresses cannot be punished by anything *other* than death, regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

### Higher Order

Only three sins fit into the classification of a higher order crime, two of which are not sins committed directly against living mortals. Desecrating a temple or icon of the gods ranks first amongst them, as it is the first crime that the Book of Athdus mentions as one that must be punished by death. Desecrating the dead ranks second, which includes not only violating graves and corpses but also tombstones and Limacave, the "pools of the dead" into which the blood of sacrificed animals is poured.

Under the Elvetan definition, desceration refers to deliberate unnecessary damage or violation; damaging a temple, icon or corpse by accident does not count as desecration, nor does demolishing a temple to erect a new one in its place - though demolishing a temple to make way for anything other than a new Elvetan temple would count as desecration.

The only crime mortals commit against one another that is classified as a higher order crime is rape, the reasoning coming from the following statement delivered by Rigosan in the Mercy Dialogue:

> "It may be said that every mortal crime can have some measure of justification behind it, warped though it may be. One may murder for revenge, one may steal out of desperation, one may drink to escape sorrow - even slavery may have its reasons, to mobilise a people in crisis. But there can never be a justification for rape. There is never a reason beyond bestial lust, never a cause besides the cruel urge to violate another for gratification, especially if the victim be a child. If we could call holy all-knowing Yésa to join us, I know she would agree - there is no act a mortal can commit against another that is more vile or needless."
>
>

What Elvetans have specifically define as being rape has changed throughout the millennia. For example, the sources suggest that prior to the 1st century AD, Nesarians did not believe that it was possible for a person without a penis to commit rape. It does not appear to have had a concrete definition until Emperor Athdus passed a series of laws protecting women at the behest of his wife Avemiri; the Athdusian law described rape as "any forceful or unwanted penetration", which expanded who could be recognised as a rapist but still did not consider a woman forcing herself upon a man to be rape.

It was Empress Rixa I who changed this by rewording the definition to be "any penetration or intercourse without consent", which ever since then has formed the foundation for what Imperial Law - and, consequently, Elvetan priests - considers to be rape. Some sources suggest that the reasoning behind the change was that Rixa's own husband Eron was either raped or nearly raped by a woman and Rixa realised she could not actually condemn the aggressor as a rapist under the current laws - but given that the supposed rapist's identity is never given by these sources and there is no record anywhere of Eron being raped or Rixa executing a woman for raping her husband, this is highly unlikely.

## Universalism vs Evangelism

The Elvetan religion is somewhat peculiar in that although worship of the Gods is believed to be a great virtue, one does not necessarily have to believe the Gods are real in order to be rewarded in the afterlife; souls are primarily judged by the morals they lived by and not their religion. The exception to this is those who were once Elvetan who apostasised, since apostasy is believed to be a great sin.

There are two different strains of thought amongst Elvetan theologians as to why this is the case. The first strain states that when Verasan the Judge passes his judgement on souls in the Underworld, unbelief is treated as the default state and belief is a positive mark for a soul which leads to rewards, rather than belief being the default state and unbelief being treated as a negative.

The second strain states that unbelief is in fact a grave sin which prohibits all rewards in the afterlife, but Verasan is only concerned with the current state of belief of a soul and not their religion in life, meaning that any who repent at the gates of the Underworld are forgiven. Adherents of this second school of thought mostly (but not entirely) believe that all souls will give up any false religion they previously adhered to upon meeting the Gods, and any who are foolish enough to reject the truth in front of them deserve the punishment they receive.

With this being the case, Elvetans are split - coincidentally, almost exactly in half according to surveys - between two competing schools of thought on how Elvetans should interact with unbelievers. The Universalists are those who believe that morals are essentially all that matters, and even though correct belief is certainly a great boon, it is ultimately secondary to the matter of correct virtues. The Evangelists are the opposite, believing that even though an unbeliever may be rewarded in the afterlife for their virtues, it is still of utmost importance to teach the true faith to all, and that morals are secondary to belief.

The Imperial Government of the Nesarian Empire has consistently acted with a Universalist attitude, though its precursor - the Kingdom of Ascaria - was decidedly Evangelist. Most Evangelists criticise the Universalist position as being an artificial philosophy born from political pragmatism, a justifiable excuse for the Imperial Government to not infringe upon the religions of the diverse people it rapidly annexed in the 1st and 2nd centuries. Even at this early stage, a minority criticised the Empire for its toleration of pagan faiths; and in response to the argument that the policy was necessary to maintain the Empire, these critics typically stated that it was better to lose the Empire than lose their religion. The Universalists, for their part, earnestly believe that Universalism is a valid theological position.

## Marriage and Divorce

Much like in Christianity, Elvetans view marriage as more than merely a legal contract between two individuals, as it is believed to bind together the souls of husband and wife. Though the material and legal union is overseen by mortals, the union between the souls is overseen by the Gods, and it continues into the afterlife.

As a result, Elvetans are both greatly opposed to divorce and greatly concerned that both parties strongly consent to marriage. A marriage cannot go forward if both husband and wife do not earnestly consent and if there is any evidence that either one is being pressured to consent. Unfortunately, this was not always historically the case; there are recorded instances of people being pressured by their families into marriages they did not want, which the priest overseeing the union was either unaware of or was bribed or threatened to ignore.

Because marriages are considered to be an eternal union of two souls, extreme circumstances are required to validate a divorce, and a divorce can only be permitted after all possibilities of fixing a marriage have been exhausted. Traditionally, the only permitted circumstances of divorce are adultery, the murder of kin or loved ones, domestic violence or the two parties becoming so hateful of one another that violence is certain. Although it is not listed in the Ticai Baca as a valid reason for divorce, Elvetan priests will also grant a divorce for a protracted refusal to have a child, but not the inability to have a child. Simply falling out of love is explicitly forbidden by the prophet Athdus as a valid reason for divorce; he writes in the Book of Athdus that "oaths, both of marriage and in general, are to be upheld regardless of personal feelings", meaning that marriage cannot be ended unless an oath-breaking act is committed.

Marrying anew after a divorce is permitted only once, and may only be conducted if the priest overseeing the marriage is absolutely sure that the two parties do love each other. The ritual of a second marriage is a far less joyful affair, intended to bring about an air of penance. On the other hand, a divorced couple who re-marry experience the same joyful ritual as the first time, as the Gods are greatly pleased that their terrible break has been healed.

Unlike in the western world, the traditional symbol of engagement in Elvetan tradition is not a ring, but a dagger. Traditionally it is the male who presents his wife-to-be with the dagger, but in recent times the prevalence of women presenting the dagger has increased. This dagger hearkens back to the tale of the first marriage, the union between King Yacela and Queen Isera, where Yacela presented Isera with a magically powerful dagger and informed his wife that she had the right to kill him if he ever broke his oath to her. Although such a practice is forbidden by Imperial law, it was historically very prevalent - and is still somewhat common - for an adulterous or kinslaying partner to be murdered by their spouse with this dagger. A small number of Elvetan realms in the past did in fact enshrine this as the prescribed method of execution for adulterers and kinslayers, unless the spouse was unwilling.

## Sexuality

The Ticai Baca considers all sexual activity outside of marriage to be sinful lust, and the Book of Athdus additionally stipulates that marriage is between "one man and his wife". Any kind of premarital or extramarital sex is condemned - which necessarily includes homosexual sex and sex with multiple partners in polygamous marriages. Elvetans do not regard homosexual marriages as real, and only consider someone in a polygamous marriage to actually be married to the first person they married.

Whilst the wording of the Ticai Baca prohibits homosexual sex by implication, it does not make any specific reference to prohibiting homosexuality; it is not singled out as a sin, and homosexual lust is not commented on as being any more sinful than heterosexual lust. Though Elvetans tend to have a broadly negative view of homosexuality, attraction to the same sex is not actually considered a sin by any of the three books of the Ticai Baca, nor is having a romantic relationship with a member of the same sex - so long as that relationship is completely abstinent. Some Elvetan states have historically regarded homosexuality as a crime, but there is no scriptural basis for this; the only crime that homosexuals may be charged with concerning their relationship is if they proclaim to be in a homosexual marriage, which would be fraud, as homosexual marriages cannot exist under either Imperial Law or Elvetan teaching.

A large minority - and, at points through history, a majority - of Elvetans believe in further restrictions surrounding sex. Since one of the key purposes of marriage in Elvetan belief is to have children, Elvetan priests have argued that any non-reproductive sexual act - including sex with contraception - should be considered lustful and a distortion of the natural purpose of sex. However, this belief has often been criticised for relying on excessive "elaborations" of scripture rather than actually taking directly from the words of the Ticai Baca. None of the three books of the Ticai Baca mention that sex should always be reproductive; they do not actually go into detail on the topic at all beyond stating that it is only legitimate between a married couple.

### Hermaphrodite Question

The Ticai Baca's words on marriage were written long before Elvetan societies came into contact with hermaphrodites; either their existence was not known of or they were so rare as to be considered irrelevant. The Elvetan societies that first encountered them on any real scale classified them as "women" (a distinct concept from "females"), which permitted them to marry men - as this satisfied the prophet Athdus's description of marriage being between "one man and his wife" - but this found itself immediately protested against.

For starters, fully hermaphroditic races such as Vampires had no choice but to marry hermaphrodites to hermaphrodites, for they are incapable of having children with other races; Elvetan societies mostly conceded this fact early on. Some Elvetans argued that hermaphrodites should be understood as men in a religious context, whereas others argued they fell entirely outside of the definition of marriage in the Book of Athdus. In general, the ability of hermaphrodites to have children with males, females and each other did not fall into the neat divisions of Elvetan thinking, and - like in the rest of Inecuria - the difficulty of coming to a conclusive answer meant that most early Elvetan societies only permitted hermaphrodites to marry each other, so as to keep them completely separate and not interfere in the "natural" unions of men and women.

After a long, bitter and occasionally violent debate, the Elvetan priesthood and the Imperial state eventually arrived at the modern legal and religious status of hermaphrodites. They are recognised as biologically and psychologically distinct from both males and females, and therefore the teaching of the Ticai Baca must be understood in its spirit rather than its literal words, for its direct commandments on marriage cannot be applied to them. Elvetan priests eventually concluded that a "natural" marriage was one that produced children (or rather, produced children under normal circumstances, given the absence of infertility), and since hermaphrodites can have children with each other, with males and with females, they are permitted to marry all three.

## Abortion

Elvetans consider life to begin at the moment of conception and therefore abhor abortion. The practice is explicitly condemned in the Book of Athdus, where it is labelled as infanticide and is given as one of several valid reasons for divorce (where either the mother aborts her child or the father forces the mother to abort her child).

Modern Elvetans often use scientific arguments to justify their position against abortion, but the principle originates from the Book of Aceron, where Lady Calisa tells her mortal champion Therion the White:

> "I could tell even whilst you slept in your mother's womb that you would be the greatest of warriors and the purest of hearts, and so I chose you before you first opened your eyes."
>
>

This statement - particularly coming from Lady Calisa, the goddess of chivalry and honour - not only refers to a child in the womb as being alive (albeit sleeping), but clearly lays out that the gods have affection for what children in the womb are and will become, and consider them to be entirely human.

## Body Coverings

The Book of Athdus gives precise definitions of what constitutes the intimate parts of the body (*Seroganore*, "the parts that must be chaste"), which must be covered in public and may only be uncovered before kin or spouses. These coverings must be enforced after the age of eight, but parents are recommended to get their child used to these practices before then.

In both the case of men and women, the clothing used to cover the *seroganore* must be opaque.

### Men

Men have somewhat more relaxed rules compared to women when it comes to body coverings, as the region of their *seroganore* is smaller. The parts of a man that fall into his *seroganore* are essentially everything from his navel to his knees, but particularly the genitals. No impression of the genitals may be visible from the exterior; if it is, additional layers must be worn, or the man must switch to looser clothing. It is not expected that the shape of the buttocks be utterly obscured, since this is sometimes not possible, but it may not be emphasised. A part of a man that must be *un*covered is his head whenever he enters a temple or comes before a shrine; wearing a head covering is seen as both insulting and as an act of cowardice, as it is believed that a man uncovering his head before the Gods leaves him open to judgement.

### Women

Women have a more extensive region of their body which must be covered compared to men. The parts of a woman that fall into her *seroganore* are essentially everything from the shoulders to the knees in addition to the feet, but particularly the breasts, midriff, genitals and buttocks. Opinions differ on whether the arms are included in the *seroganore*, as no mention of the arms is made in the Ticai Baca but it is a widespread tradition for women to cover their arms.

When in a temple or before a shrine, a woman must additionally cover her hair, but this is not necessary elsewhere. The prophet Athdus praises women who always cover their hair out of holiness, but fiercely condemns those who do it for vanity's sake, in a desire to appear holy rather than out of actual piety. The tradition that arose from these writings is that lay-women only cover their hair in temples and before shrines, but monastic women cover their hair all the time.

In the Ticai Baca, it is written that a woman must veil the shape of her breasts and buttocks with loose clothing, but it is accepted that obscuring these entirely may not be possible; it is more stressed that they are not to be emphasised rather than completely obscured. In later eras, concessions were made for female soldiers, who must wear tighter clothing for practicality.

Hermaphrodites are to follow the same rules as women when it comes to the *seroganore*, with the inclusion of the ruling on male genitals (i.e. that they may not be visible).

## Alcohol and Drugs

The Book of Athdus forbids intoxication "of any sort", but does not prohibit moderate consumption of alcohol - a practice which is in fact shown in a positive light at moments in the Books of Yalvon and Aceron. With the proliferation of other intoxicating drugs, most Elvetans have interpreted this verse to mean that moderate consumption is permissible as long as an intoxicated state is not achieved.

However, many priests recommend against powerful intoxicating drugs (such as opioids) on the grounds of physical wellbeing, due to how easily one can become addicted and how dangerous withdrawal can be. Some priests also recommend against any usage of LSD, DMT and other potent psychedelics because even a small dose can "distort the mind and the way of thinking". Ultimately, however, this is simply the advice of priests; the scriptures do not prohibit moderate consumption of any drug.