The Path of Benevolent Destruction (Journal)

[Prosopeio]

as told by Rhal'rhiki the Breaker, Devout of Rhalgr

 

To know the Path of Benevolent Destruction, one must understand that Destruction, in of itself, is simply a means to an end. Tis neither good nor bad, but can be used for both in equal measure. It is those who wield Destruction that decide how it shall be used. Examples of this are all over, from your average adventurer who would slay monsters to protect the livelihood of others, to the over-eager beastmen who would toss bombs hither and yon for the simple joy of explosive destruction in all its loud glory, to the natural tornado that cares not a whit whether its path is laden with innocents and sinners alike.

 

'How do you wield Destruction BENEVOLENTLY?' one may ask.

 

By wielding it for the sake of others and yourself. There are many who are held back by restraints both physical and mental. The enslaved or wrongly persecuted who are bound by shackles, the abused who fear their oppressors touch, or the refugees who seek sanctuary past unmoving barricades. The Path of Benevolent Destruction teaches those who walk it to shatter these bonds and barricades... and if necessary, break those who would place these upon others. In doing so, we allow the oppressed and restrained the Freedom needed to reach out and grasp their potential once more.

 

Of course, one cannot simply go out upon this Path and expect to wield Destruction Benevolently from the get go... the process itself is like any Path, and must be attained one step at a time.

 

There are three things one must Destroy before they can walk upon the Path truly. The Mind, the Body and the Heart.

 

Destroy the Mind: We are ruled by our preconceptions. Our past colors us to what we see in the present, and oft times allow us to jump to conclusions far too easily. As such, we must first Destroy the Mind. Shatter all preconceptions and look upon things with open eyes as if for the first time. No two beings are exactly alike, for good or ill, and when dealing with ANY living creature, tis always better to do so as if meeting them for the first time instead of instantly assuming they are one way or another.

 

Destroy the Body: Arguably the easiest of the three, to properly wield Destruction Benevolently we must first destroy the weakness in our physical forms. Daily training and learning all we can in the Arts of War and Magic will aid any who walk the Path to not only protect themselves, but in so doing grow stronger to defend others. In this way, we must also Destroy our Limitations, striving to become stronger with every passing day in whatever way we can. For those who follow the arts of War, this can mean anything from honing your preferred style of fighting til you have no equal, to branching out and grasping a new weapon and style to widen your range of skills so none may predict what you do next. For those of the Arts of Healing, restoring those who have been broken is another form of destroying Limitations and allowing fellow walkers of the Path to go further than they ever could alone.

 

Destroy the Heart: Arguably the most difficult, for the Heart is harder to Destroy than the Mind. The Heart is where we keep the memories of that which has affected us the greatest. This is not so easy as the Mind, which is ruled by our day to day memories or what we have learned from others... but sometimes the most scarring of circumstances that may have put us upon the Path to begin with. The sibling who was slain by beastmen would have one hate all beastmen. The lover Tempered by a Primal would have one ignore all else to throw one's life away and slay said Primal. The nation which destroyed or conquered one's home would see all who call that nation home as bitter enemies. The man or woman who wronged the self would have one fear another's touch if not hate it outright. The Path of Destruction would have us shatter this final barrier, for without an open heart one is liable to bring Destruction upon those who deserve it not.

 

Once these three aspects of the Self have been Destroyed, one can be reborn. Free from that which has held us back, we are free to walk upon the world, Free. For that is the true nature of the Path of Destruction... Freedom. Freedom from the shackles we place upon ourselves so that we might aid in unshackling others. Free to break any and all barriers that block our Path, and live life to its fullest.

 

But be wary... for there is a fine line between Benevolent Destruction and Wanton Destruction. In enjoying this newfound Freedom, there have been those who begin to simply Destroy with no thought as to who or what they are affecting. One must be ever mindful of the forces they wield, for that is the price we pay for Freedom. Slavers that were Destroyed to free the Enslaved may still have friends and family of their own, who would be eager to end the Pathwalker's life for the loss of their loved one. The Primal, struck down by the hand of the Pathwalker and their friends, would suffer the wrath of the beastmen who called it Master. This is part and parcel for the life of an Adventurer, but truer still for the Path of Benevolent Destruction.

 

Some have asked me if the Path ends in one's own Destruction. In the end, the simple answer is 'Yes'. For when one is Destroyed, one can no longer walk a Path. But one should never walk the Path SEEKING their own Destruction, for in truth the Path has no set route. Instead, one must create their own Path Markers to guide them. Goals to set that, once reached, they may move further onward down the path.

 

In the end, one must always remember one thing. Once the Mind, Body and Heart are Destroyed and the Self is Freed, once one sets foot upon the Path... it is always nice to have others walk alongside you. For what one can Destroy in a day, many more can destroy in mere moments. The Heart that is Free eagerly seeks others to join it. The Mind that is Free seeks the stimulation of another. The Body that is Free seeks others to challenge it, all so that they may grow stronger and reach their full potential.

 

After all, Rhalgr, God of Destruction, is father to Byregot, God of the Arts, and Halone, Goddess of War, and attendant to Nymeia, Goddess of Fate. He is not alone in his Path, so too would the Pathwalker emulate Rhalgr and seek allies and family to join in their journey.

 

In this Journal, I shall share in my own Path, of how I Destroyed my Mind, Body and Heart, and in repeatedly doing so as new limitations are found and broken, I continue to follow my Path of Freedom in Benevolent Destruction. I do not ask others to emulate me, but seek, instead, to show others the results of my Path and perhaps show them how they may begin their own.

 

May you find Strength in Rhalgr.

[Prosopeio]

All Paths begin with the first step. Some are shown where to begin, some wander upon it by happenstance, and very very few start on it from before they realize there was ever a Path to begin with.

 

I was born a Miqo'te named J'rhiki Tia, child of J'talhdi Azih of the Fists of Rhalgr. Raised within one of the branch Temples of Rhalgr in the border of the Black Shroud and Abania Gyr. It served as a border guard in case of Gridanian approach, but mostly it was a Temple I was proud to call home. For as long as I remember, I had been surrounded by the Teachings of Rhalgr... and as many a curious youth, questioned them fervently to find out 'why'.

 

My mother had told me my first question was whether or not Rhalgr was a nice person. After all, breaking things was bad and got one punished with extra drills, so does this mean Rhalgr was a bad God who broke everything and made people sad? She had taken me upon her knee and smiled softly before pointing out the window to the sprawling Shroud in the distance. "My child, Destruction is a simple thing. A tool, a means to an end. Consider the Botanist. By cutting down trees and harvesting plants, he Destroys them, for those plants and trees will no longer grow. If he does so simply to Destroy wantonly, then this is a Bad Thing, and the spirits of the Forest would punish him alongside those who hold the forest dear. But, if he is instead doing so carefully, cutting what he only needs to build a house for his family and make medicines for those in need, then he is wielding Destruction benevolently.

 

We worship Rhalgr because he has these two sides. We pray to him because we recognize that we, too, have these two sides. As His Fists, we must show others that our Fists of Destruction can be used properly, else we will only tarnish our God's name. Do you understand?"

 

At the time, I only barely understood, but as the years went by my understanding grew. By my tenth year, the King of Ruin, Theodoric, announced his Nymeian Claim. When the Main Temple was under attack, all the senior Monks, my mother included, left to give reinforcement to those trapped within. Somehow sensing her own Destruction, she had gifted me a set of plain clothes, some of the Teachings of the Order, and sent me off to the Shroud in the diorection of the Sanctum of the Twelve alongside many of the other trainees and one of the supervising Monks as a guard. Should things go well, she would send word for us to return.

 

I already understood what it meant if word never came.

 

And so were we one of the firsts refugees of Ala Mhigo. Due to Rhalgr's Benevolence and the skills we learned, we were able to make it to the Sanctum with few problems, and while reserved, the priesthood within allowed us Refuge.With little else to do, we resumed our training as we waited for word. 

 

.... Sadly, the only word that reached us was of the Main Temple's loss. While a part of me understood this, I was still a child... and thus did my grief join the chorus of wails that echoed within the hallowed halls of the Sanctum.

 

Many of us wanted to deny this as truth, older ones cried for revenge. Myself? I curled up in my room and held tightly to the teachings my Mother left to me, the only memento aside from my memories that I would ever have of her.

 

Days past where all I did was pour over the Teachings like a lifeline, hoping that somehow, some way, I would find something more to connect to my fallen mother. After all, our entire life was devoted to training in the Way of the Fist together, and while I knew my mother's day-to-day personality, I knew nothing of why she was a Fist, of what it meant to be a Miqo'te of the J Clan. What was a Keeper of the Sun? To this end, teachings in hand, I wanted to find out. Announcing my intentions, I left the Sanctum of the Twelve to seek out my History.

 

This was the first step towards my Path of Benevolent Destruction... for only by seeking out the History I didn't know would I be able to Destroy the shackles that unknown History bound me with.

[Prosopeio]

With my lack of knowledge, I was at quite a loss. All I knew of the world was Ala Mhigo and Abania Gyr, as well as parts of the Shroud that lay near the border. My entire world revolved around the Monastary and honing my body with daily training. As such, I traveled with a merchant group to Gridania, in hopes of expanding my horizons and to seek out information of the J tribe of which my Mother and I were connected to.

 

My first step, of course, would be finding a way to acquire funds for necessities. After all, I knew little of the Shroud, and aside from hunting beastkin I had little ways of acquiring food. As such, I joined the Lancer's Guild to satisfy several of my needs at once.

 

Now, one might ask 'Why would a Fists of Rhalgr trainee seek out the Lancer's Guild?'.

 

The answer is sadly quite simple. It was the only martial guild in the area that would allow me to expand my horizons and still fight face to face with my enemies. Rhalgr's symbol, aside from the falling meteor, is a staff. While there are some Fists who also take the path of Black Magic to broaden their potential, those who do not learn how to fight with pole weapons in order to honor Rhalgr as well. Whilst fighting with a Spear is different, it is still a similar enough concept that I could adapt relatively well to it. The Guildmaster was quite understanding of my plight, even when I spoke of my origins, though he did not know the location of the J tribe either. Even still, he told me that by improving myself and gaining reputation, I may be able to find what I seek. A waymarker in my Path. Accepting his wisdom, I trained earnestly with and without the spear, diligently doing the tasks asked of me and properly testing my mettle against the foes required of my standing.

 

Looking back on it, I was too serious of a child. 

 

Likely seeing this too, the Guildmaster went out of his way to forbid me from training once a week, going so far as to tell me 'If I did not gain a mark from the Orphanage showing I played properly, I would not be allowed to train with a spear again.'

 

It was an odd case. I understood punishment and diligence, but I lacked what the Guildmaster perceived as a proper childhood. I understood right and wrong and how things had two sides... but lacked knowledge of the games children usually play. Whilst I did not understand HOW the Guildmaster could prevent me from training if I focused on it, Mother had taught me to respect my teachers. So, once every seven days, a new waymarker was placed on my path... to 'Play as children do'.

 

Lacking in proper knowledge of this, I spent time simply observing them. If I recall correctly.. at the time the children were dancing in order to make an Elezen girl laugh. Was laughing such an important thing? Still, it was a diligent effort of the group, yet the child did not smile. I did not know any dances, but I knew something similar. Nodding to myself, I moved to stand in front of the girl and clapped my hands hard to get her attention. The girl jumped slightly and looked at me, wondering what I was doing along with the rest of the children... before I let out a proper warcry and began performing one of the katas of the Fists of Rhalgr. 

 

It was likely quite odd, watching a child move in this way within Gridania, but I did my best. When I finished, I let out a breath and knelt down, watching the girl curiously. While she did not laugh or smile, she did look curious at me as I stared back. Nodding, I stood up and walked forward, placing a hand on her head in a soft pat, not unlike what my Mother would do to me in the past. "Good, you are not sad anymore." Glancing at the other children, I tilted my head to one side as they still just stared at me oddly. 

 

"Does this count as playing?"

 

I did not understand why the girl broke out into laughter at that time, but in the end they taught me a few games. I earned my marker after making a promise to come 'play' again. I did not yet understand why my footsteps felt lighter, though the Guildmaster seemed satisfied after saying 'That is a good smile.'

 

And thus, my horizons broadened in unexpected ways. I am sure my Mother would have been proud.