The raging debate that appears to be the current topic of discussion has
finally prompted me to reach out and make a response, out of concern for
the well-being of all parties.

Fancy words and arguments have been used back and forth, comparing the
various sides to many things, and attacking the metaphors of all others.
One side claims that theirs is the "True Way" and that it will always
triumph over the other side. They all claim that the other way is truly
evil and that they will take delight when it crumbles beneath them.

This debate will not and cannot be solved by Mortals. Even if Lord
Varian himself were to enter this debate, and state quite simply the
reality as he reckons it (and thus the way it truly is), I believe that
the other side would still disbelieve, and seek to discredit his
argument.

Thus, I did not come here to further the debate of either side, but to
offer a perspective of my own on the whole affair and the consequences
it is having on us all.

It has been said that Evil is the absence of Empathy, and in that, I
place great merit. What both sides in this debate lack is any form of
Empathy with, or for, their fellow Aetolians. Those who claim to be the
Avatars of the coming Darkness discard their empathy for the mundane
(though very real) concerns of the general populace in order to pursue
some hefty and abstract ideal of "Darkness". They cast aside all that
held meaning to them, and deem it to be weak.

Likewise, the warriors of Light cast aside Empathy for their fellows,
chosing to judge them from black-or-white standpoints with little or no
insight into the situation. They close their minds to the truth, and
shroud themselves in doctrine. For every so called evil being they smite
down, they smite down a part of themselves. In the end, they become no
better than the "Monsters" they fight, and end up becoming a hate-filled
being filled with nothing but the drive to kill.

Truly, both sides are evil. Neither can be said to be more or less evil
than the other, not by any Mortal standards, for such things are beyond
the ken of all but the most enlightened Mortals to reckon. As I was
meditating on my thoughts for this post in the Garden of Epicurus, he
happened to recall a piece of wisdom that was entirely relevant to the
current situation. He said, "That which is happy and imperishable,
neither has trouble itself, nor does it cause trouble for anyone else
therefore, it is not subject to feelings of either anger or indebtedness
for these feelings only exist in what is weak."

Evil is weak. It is self-loathing, and most common people realise it for
what it is, whether it is the Evil of Darkness or of Light. Evil is
generally bought to its knees by its own failed plans, and mercifully
spared from the pain of continuing life by some force.

That is not to say that all who walk in Darkness or Light are evil, in
fact, that could not be further from the truth. There are those among
the servants of Darkness that I hold in far higher respect than some of
the staunchest advocates of Light, simply because they have a great deal
of Goodness inside them. Likewise, there are countless followers of the
path of Light who are shining examples of purity and all that is good in
metamhunkind.

I for one walk the blessed path of Lord Rahn, for he has caressed me
with his flame and transformed my soul. I believe that I must purify
myself, and cast off the imperfections that have caused me to be a
lesser person, and that is why I have come to believe in what I have.
Before I felt his touch, I was a very Angry person. My heart was black
and bitter, and I thought of people in terms of how much I could work
them over to my own goals. Lord Rahn's Purifying Flames have helped me
to burn away my anger, and now I feel compassion and love for my fellow
Sapients.

I do not walk into the night brandishing weaponry and an angry desire to
slay what I see, but I walk into the night WITH ONE CHEEK ALREADY
TURNED. I do so to win over the hearts and minds of those I care about,
to help them be the best they can be, for that is what is truly
important to me in life. I have attained some measure of purity through
my empathy, and it allows me to reach out to others in need. Anger
breeds Anger. Love breeds Love.

That is not to say that I would not stand up and fight if something I
love was threatened, but I would do so against any opponent, regardless
of creed. All the while I would seek to change the mind of my opponent,
and win them over to the correct path, and that, I believe, is they key
to being a true Warrior of Goodness and Purity.

Yours faithfully in a spirit of Respect and Trust,
Daelar O'Lyryus

Penned by my hand on the 13th of Ios, in the year 139 MA.