Circle of Balance

Alignment	Seal, Sword, Bone
Holy symbol	Circle

“The Balance suffuses all things, feels all, is all. Where there is existence, we must bring Balance, the great cycle of the world must continue, lest there be no world at all. The land lives, the earth breathes, and it changes every second with the breath of every living thing. In stillness, there is balance – but balance also in the great tapestry of existence, its threads winding inexorably towards the future. We are like the weaver at her loom, you and I. We guide the threads, work the warp and stabilise the weft. So it has been, so it will be. And remember this, if you remember nothing else: A forest burns so that new life can grow from the ashes of the old. Only in dying, life. Only in darkness, light. And in all things, Balance.”

From the gospel of Saint Hilda

History

Some worshippers of the Balance claim it is a primordial god, from a time before the other gods existed, though this is hotly debated by followers of many of those other gods. It has also been seen as a god of nature, or of the world. It is certainly true that the Balance is not like other gods – all priests can send souls to it, just like the Death Gods, and it somehow is part of all three pantheons. 

There is no one orthodox church of the Balance – the faith lacks an Avatar, and the closest thing to organised centres of worship are Talaik in the south and the Palatinate around Durholme, which has sometimes been ruled over by a Prince-Bishop selected by the Balance.

Philosophy

The Balance teaches that this world, and the balance within it, are important. Upon death, a soul travelling to the Balance will be judged and weighed according to the balance within that soul. There is debate within the faith about whether balanced actions contribute to this judgement, or whether it is maintaining a balanced inner self alone that provides true salvation. If the soul is found lacking in balance, it is sent back into the world to be reborn anew, and hopefully to try again to cultivate balance. If instead the soul has attained sufficient balance, then it becomes one with the Balance itself, becoming absorbed into a greater balanced whole.

It is in part for this reason that Balancites also seek balance in the world around them – they may be required to go through mortal existence several times before attaining union with their god, and so the world must be kept balanced to ensure future Balancites have the best possible chance at such enlightenment.

It is known that it is possible to worship fragments of dead gods through the Balance. There is debate in the faith about whether the dead gods worshipped in this way are the remains of the dead gods themselves – perhaps the Balance caught their divine souls as it does for its mortal worshippers – or whether they are the result of the Balance shaping itself to fulfil mortal desires for their vanished divinities, though the latter is the majority view.

The Balance exists in all three pantheons, and some theologians claim that the Balance would exist in any pantheon created and that without the Balance, no other gods or pantheons would be possible – another view denied by a number of other faiths.

Strands

Keepers of Self

These Balancites focus on the self, and cultivate balance within one’s own life. Some are hermits or otherwise set themselves apart from the wider world, living alone or in monastic communities, but even these will usually offer sanctuary to those around in times of danger, seeking to protect the world immediately around them and trusting other Balancites will do the same further afield. They often view themselves as maintaining ‘islands of Balance’ across the world.

Keepers of Nature

Keepers of Nature focus on balance within the world around them. They do not shy away from the violence and harshness of nature, but view this as part of the natural cycle of life and death. Keepers of Nature are often proficient in destroying demons and undead, viewing them as unnatural and with no place in the world. Some live within nature, avoiding contact with built-up areas, and the most radical Keepers of Nature have even argued that towns and cities are by their existence inherently unbalanced.

Keepers of Faith

The Keepers of Faith focus on the Balancite faith and spreading it and its teachings to others. Sometimes they are philosophers, teachers, or community leaders, seeking to lead a balanced life and inspire those around them by example. Others may be funeral directors, presiding over the flow of souls of their community through the cycle of Balance, extolling virtuous balanced lives and praying for the dead’s union with the Balance. Some are holy warriors, seeking to bring balance to the wider world, by force if necessary.

Strictures

Strive to maintain balance within your life.

Seek to understand death, as with it comes life.

Protect the world, for it is nature’s home.

You will gain an additional stricture from the refs based on your personal philosophy, such as worship of a dead god.

Domains

Like priests of other gods, priests of the Balance have access to one primary domain and five secondary domains. These domains are determined by the refs with consultation when you take the Devotion skill.