It is the duty of all to serve the Greater Good.
The nobility do not rule of their own accord. Their privilege does not stem from their own person. The rights afforded to them do not come without proportional duties.
With this in mind, due to recent events, I find it prudent to publish my views on the great loss of life in Petal Court and Crookback Bay, my kinswoman's role in the latter, and the resultant Diet. Moreover, and more importantly, I intend to make clear why I believe and act as I do. Treat these words as a fragment of a manifesto— a declaration of intent and reasoning.
Preface:
All living beings with the capacity for reason, as living beings, are called to increase the quality of Life itself, taken as a whole. Each must do this within the fullness of his own ability, according to his knowledge of what is best, and his ability to enact his will towards that end. This is merely the Universalist restatement of those foundations our Empire is built upon: That all are called to the fulfillment of Humanum, through service to the Great Way, which will one day bring about Paradise.
To bring about this eventual Greatest Good for all - this paradise - it is only sensible that each should serve differently; one person has different capacities, desires, and personal goals from another, and thus the two are most naturally suited for different lots in life. But these different lots are not more or less important, merely different. Both are necessary for the eventual end, as it is all-encompassing. The farmer who is best suited to be a farmer, and fulfills his duty as a farmer, serves the Greater Good just as effectively as the noble who is best suited to be a noble, and fulfills his duty as a noble.
And yet, they are different roles: "Suitability" is determined by the inherent and circumstantial measure of a person. A good farmer, as a farmer, is not identical to a good noble, as a noble.
The Special Place of Nobility:
For indeed, Nobility is specially endowed with a high degree of agency. A noble has the ability to affect the world around them to a disproportionate degree. Their ability to enforce their will, especially upon their fellow-man, is generally greater than that of any other role in society. They are the delegates of the Imperial Authority, and act with the mandate of that central guiding principle. For this, the nobility are granted rights and privileges not afforded to others.
But agency to enforce one's will is always matched, pace-for-pace, by the directness of one's duty to use this power for the Greater Good.
A noble, to be a good noble, must be able to discern the effective course from the ineffective one.
A noble, to be a good noble, must be able to discern the moral course from the immoral one.
A noble, to be a good noble, must seek the good of all their fellow-men as the goal in itself. Pure and unadulterated.
In other words, truly good nobility may not be irrational or quick to judgement. They may not be taken by undue passions or short-term cares. They may not be self-serving, or indeed biased towards their own personal good above that of others.
How many can claim to truly fulfill every criteria, always? Certainly not myself. But it is the measure by which we seek fulfillment; proximity to perfection is always the aim.
The Burning of Crookback:
All this in mind, I must openly condemn my kinswoman's participation in the destruction of so many livelihoods, and the resultant slaughter of so many lives. It was not prudent, nor reasonable. It was not just, nor moral. It did not result in the Greater Good for any. Lives were lost, and livelihoods were lost, because of blind rage. Dame Humaira Reinard should have known better than to involve herself in it in any way, other than attempting to put an end to it directly. His Imperial Holiness' verdict upon her is indicative of a more general reality; slaughter and destruction taints the soul, and indeed distances those who participate in it from Humanum itself.
Indeed, because my kin had a part in it, and I failed to ensure that proper values were upheld in her, I have stated many times that I intend to aid in the rebuilding of Crookback Bay. As a father is responsible for his children, a patriarch is responsible for his House. I have stated this in public, and in private. There are nobles who know my intent, and there are citizens of the Bay itself who know my intent. For as a matter of principle - not of law - I must value the quality of life of all my fellow-men. I cannot rightfully ignore the plight placed before us, because I must seek the Greater Good in general. The kind of person does not matter, merely that they live.
The Diet:
And yet, for the very same reasons: I defend my reluctance to answer those questions and criticisms laid upon me during the Noble Diet, regarding my conduct and beliefs, as desired by those questioners and criticizers. For just as my kinswoman failed to take into account the reality of the situation and the course which would result in the greatest overall good, due to an overwhelming failure to suppress passion, so too are many of those who called for the harshest condemnations guilty. The discourse at the Diet was largely driven by arguments from emotion, jumping to conclusions, a failure to take into account the full circumstances of all that was said, and, most of all, a failure to consider the outcome which would result in the greatest good overall. My kinswoman fell to the trap of revenge-seeking. Of seeking vengeance for its own sake. So, too, did many of those at the Diet, who angrily screeched for her disownment, stripping of all honours, and even permanent maiming. The magnitude of these actions is not as great, perhaps. But magnitude alone, does not determine proper action; inherent principles do. And the inherent principles behind these unbridled calls are as flawed as those which led to this wanton death and destruction.
I have condemned and do condemn my kinswoman's actions. But not by an emotional reaction to the destruction she caused, nor a personal stake in doing so, nor even by the law. Rather, because they were unvirtuous, and destructive to the Greater Good, and thus against those principles by which all are called to live— particularly those of noble stature.
It was for this reason that I qualified my statements, and for this reason that I did not support what the majority seemed to wish for. Because to do so, would have been to fail in my noble duty. To fail to fulfill the definition of a good noble.
Conclusion:
And was my hesitation not vindicated? For His Imperial Holiness, in His wisdom, offered an alternative solution. His words carried a message throughout: Constructiveness, and forgiveness. For by the Spirit, He said, redemption is always possible. Is this not the most virtuous solution? Is it not the most effective solution? It results in the most gain, and the highest quality of Life. Harm should not be met with harm. Death should not be met with death.
It is by the same principle that I seek the good of those alienated people of Crookback Bay that my condemnation can never be wholesale. For the best solution is always for those who failed, to improve. A punishment should never, so long as redemption is possible, destroy the possibility of redemption. It is always best that what was destroyed be rebuilt better than it was before.
So I say to all: you are welcome at my table. But as you are welcome, so too are all those who may improve yet, and may yet serve the Greater Good. Who may yet serve the Great Way. This stance is necessitated by my role. I cannot presume to make exceptions.
By the Grace of Providence,
His Lordship Augustin Reinard,
Count of Baarlowe,
Baron-Consort of Ajonfontaine
His Lordship Augustin Reinard,
Count of Baarlowe,
Baron-Consort of Ajonfontaine
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