The Order

Derived from the tenets of an Order of Paladin that was not to be, the principes that are known collectively as "The Order" can be best described as the adoption of the doctrines of the failed Order of the White Dragon as an Imperial Guideline of Faith and Spirituality for all citizens of the Empire to attempt to live by and understand without the need for the state to offer direction on a personal level.

It is best described as a marriage between the traditional views of the duality of Light and Shadow, and the pragmatism of the Drakar'ri faith that is known as The Natural Order; namely that the Order teaches the dangers of the Shadow and the glory of the Light. However, it also warns that the Light can be just as blinding as the Shadow (as in the case of Sun's Keep), and that the Shadow can be manipulated for the greater good if placed in the hands of one who is strong of faith and generally pure of heart.

However, the doctrine of The Order is absolute in that it teaches that the Light - as a natural force of divinity - is inherently good, while the Shadow - as an equally natural force of the arcane - is irredeemably corrupt. This doctrine places emphasis on the bigger picture, rather than the individual, while making sure to avoid the zealotry of the Church of True Light at all costs.

The Order can also be said to be "Black and White" with no time for "Gray"; for it is said by the architect of the creed that "Gray" is not a color but a blurring of two others, and that "Gray" represents indecision.

Regardless, it is generally viewed as being a popular interpretation of faith that severs all connections with the exceptionally unpopular extremism of the Church of True Light, while making extensional allowance for the direction that Fastheld is headed with the (relatively) recent "Shadow Amnesty" policies and the equally contemporary advent of the "Silver Dawn" that has seen many emerge as Sunkissed citizens.

These precepts have been are generally accepted by the majority as being open to all as a moral compass and personal, pragmatic religious theism that demands nothing from an individual in exchange for offering much.