The Keys to a Wholesome Life, Ymphian Edition

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[SIZE="6"][tface=fraktur]The Keys to a Wholesome Life[/tface][/SIZE]

[SIZE="4"][tface=fraktur]Ymphian Edition[/tface][/SIZE]

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[SIZE="3"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Drawn from the teachings of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, Damara and the trials of the isle of Ymph.

Scribed by the hand of:

Lord Balthasar III of Ehrenhas, 1382 DR[/FONT][/SIZE]

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[SIZE="4"][tface=fraktur]Dolor accendo sapientia anima[/tface][/SIZE]
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[INDENT][tface=fraktur]Foreword:[/tface]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]The numerical listing of the keys does not denote their order of significance, rather each key held in equilibrium comprises the wholesome life. Their ordering within this work signifies their relevance to the condition of life on the isle of Ymph, and the hamlet of Mistlocke.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[Aethereal]

I. Resilience: the Acceptance of Suffering

[INDENT][tface=fraktur]I. Resilience: the Acceptance of Suffering[/tface]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]There is nowhere in all of Faerun that has not borne its touch, there is no man, woman or child who will go without knowing its meaning, and all who live to gain anything from their tenure in this life, must come to accept it as a necessary burden for their furtherment.

Without suffering, we grow complacent, without pain to overcome we will not find ourselves in a utopia of immutable pleasure as one might think, but a delusion void of all Reason, doomed to entropic stagnation and to become as nothing. It is our ability to feel suffering which makes our lives worth living!

Hearken to the folly of H'bala, the dread Maiden of Ymph, who believes that in imposing universal undeath she will cure all of pain and suffering; she is the utmost example of the delusion of a painless existence:

She would will the destruction of rational and free thought, to subjugate all living beings into a state of complete compliance, without the physical manifestations of pain, yet forever suffering the soul's indenture to her will. It is a lie, a delusion, and it is why we must bear the pains brought on by life and in enduring become all the stronger for it.

So it is, my brothers and sisters, that the first key to a wholesome life, is to accept suffering, to take it in your stride and harness its offering for your own betterment.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[Aethereal]

II. Equanimity: Tempering the Mind

[INDENT][tface=fraktur]II. Equanimity: Tempering the Mind[/tface]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Once we are aware of the role of suffering in our lives, we must not become conceited or mislead by its purpose. Under no circumstances is it right to suffer without reason, nor is it acceptable to bring suffering unto others for any reason aside that of self-defence or prevention of greater unreasonable suffering.

We must temper our minds with Reason and any who take a strong role within our society must not only be ready to understand the pain of the people but act in order prevent unreasonable suffering. Hearken to the folly of the fourth Lord Mayor of Mistlocke, Jokast Pleate and his ill-imposed Summerset Act:

It was early Marponeth, 1381 DR, Erica Summerset, clerk of the recently established Mistlocke Bank had gone missing, the keys to the bank's vault taken with her as she was stolen into the tower of the Old Stones and held for ransom. The ransom was ignored, the dear girl never returned and it is then that Jokast enacted his vengeance, citing that the criminals of the Old Stones would have no quarter. In purposeful ignorance, the man condemned the poor ailing souls within, counting as the majority, for the acts of the few criminals responsible, who would find other means to exit the tower anyway. He enforced suffering, and were Erica still within, condemned her as well to a fate beyond return.

Furthermore, Ymph works in mysterious ways, for the barricading of the Old Stones amplified the Founder's curse for yet unexplained reasons. The darkness cloyed about the crumbling walls, and the minds of the people were struck by forces beyond current documentation. Whilst I shall admit that foretelling of the curse's amplification would be beyond the then mayor's understanding, his response was an unjustified extreme borne of a lack of rational consideration of the suffering of others.

We feel the ramifications of Pleate's foolhardy decision yet, for it is in the early months of the thirteen hundredth and eighty first year as reckoned by the Dales that the curse of the Founder's tower began to pervade beyond its walls and threatens the hamlet itself. It is a suffering which cries out for reconciliation and with the gates shut once more, its moment draws near.

Thusly the second key to a wholesome life is to remain forever wary of suffering, to not welcome it with open arms, yet not deny it when it must be borne and overcome. The mind must remain always awake and considerate of not only the self, but of others as well.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[Aethereal]

III. Worldly Necessities: Nourishment and Well-being

[INDENT][tface=fraktur]III. Worldly Necessities: Nourishment and Well-being[/tface]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Arguably the primary concern of all living beings is the acquisition of sustenance and the nourishment of the mortal form. Despite the plight of the shrouded isles, the Withering which threatens to consume us all, many of the living peoples are able to meet their worldly requirements.

In great part, we are given this reprieve by the Mist which cradles us well within its incorporeal womb. The fundamentals of community are granted to us as cooperation forms the key to our survival. Whilst the peoples' basic needs are met, the constituents of a complete and wholesome diet are not widely known.

The consumption of fruit and vegetables is essential to avoiding a whole slew of ailments ranging from scurvy to the poxes. Meat and dairy products are vital to the maintenance of one's bodily vigour and strength of the bones. And whilst bread and products of grain form the mainstay of many a family, they alone cannot provide the nutrients for a healthy body. Remember this: a healthy body is the requisite of a healthy mind.

Furthermore, it is imperative to prepare food away from the unsanitary influences of day to day activity and in order to prevent the spread of disease, to not prepare food whilst suffering from an ailment.

Fermented drinks hold their own unique healing properties, and there is nothing quite like a goblet of wine with your evening meal. Be wary however to avoid excess. Excessive consumption is the sin of gluttony, and it breeds its own illnesses.

The precise art of healing cuisine is too lengthy to include in this work. However let there be no doubt that one of the greatest and most underestimated cures and preventative measures to the many-fold ailments of the living is to eat well. Thus, the third key to a wholesome life is to eat well to be well.
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[Aethereal]

IV. Charity and Society: Embracing Compassion and Community

[INDENT][tface=fraktur]IV. Charity and Society: Embracing Compassion and Community[/tface]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]The act of giving is its own reward. The man who has never aided his fellow Man denies not only benefit to another but forgoes the fulfilment which comes with the knowing that one's actions have improved the life of someone else. Charity is inherently good for the soul and thus one's complete well-being.

It is under the premise that no matter what your station and situation in life, there is always someone more needy than you. While the craven might delight in this reality; to covet the suffering of others is a deep affliction of the mind and must be imperiously treated. From a truly reasoned standpoint, if all people strive for the improvement of the self and that of one another, we can suffer nothing but an improvement of society as a whole.

To work for the betterment of Man, is the dignified path of furthering the qualities of the human race, in opposition to the corruption of the otherworldly and the inhumane. We must remain stalwart in the support of our community and it in turn will support each of us.

So it is the fourth key of a wholesome life, to regard your fellow Man with respect and act with dignity and compassion within society. Espouse the betterment of all, and so shall you be bettered.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

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V. Wholesome Knowledge: on the Path to Enlightenment

[INDENT][tface=fraktur]V. Wholesome Knowledge: on the Path to Enlightenment[/tface]

[SIZE="3"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Knowledge of the world, based upon experiences, recorded by those who have come before, designed inherently to move us forward and beyond the foundations they have laid for us, is a contribution without parallel to the cause of Humanity. To seek out and learn from such worldly wisdom is to improve yourself, and from there improve your environment and community.

Wisdom of this nature must not be confused with knowledge tainted with eldritch machination which inherently only serves the pursuit of power, raw and literally manifest from the chaos that is known as the Weave of Magic. These fell tomes teach how to gyrate, to flick wrist, twitch fingers and speak nonsensical words of binding power; actions completely alien and frivolous and not suitable to the world of Man. To visit oneself with such activity is to descend into the path of madness, for the chaos of the otherworldly will destroy the precious Humanity within, transforming the user into monstrosity, less than a shade of what it is to be Man.

As long as you avoid the path of madness and learn well from true wisdom, you may in turn contribute to the collective future of Humanity. This is your imperative, your contribution to the wellbeing of your children, your children's children and the total legacy of Man.

And so it is the fifth key to a wholesome life, to pursue enlightenment through wholesome knowledge, avoid the path of eldritch madness in so doing and build upon what you have learnt, for posterity and all of Humanity.[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]