She is the goddess of the night, of darkness, of loss. For that reason, most shun her, fear her. But we don't fear the dark. We know it, and prefer it to the falsehoods others offer. Pain and hope alike are only illusions. In the darkness, in emptiness, we are our true selves.
The goal is to embrace loss, to learn to accept it. But I was still an acolyte. I still sometimes struggle with all of it. If I'd had more time, it would be easier to answer you and agree.
It does. All of those things are only distractions from her perfect darkness. To truly embrace her is to move beyond such things. I've never been able to get all the way there.
But knowing how it feels to lose people they love helps them to care for the ones they have left. And to appreciate the time they still have together. People's love for each other is what makes them—function.
Without those kinds of emotions, their humanity would break down and deteriorate.
Perhaps that's what you believe. Or what you've been taught. People's love for one another is often more prison than true support. How often is the thing that holds someone back from pursuing what is truly right their concern for the fate of a loved one? How many people live unsatisfying lives because they're afraid of being alone?
It is a restriction, in a way. Loving someone without control over it. But that's something you could dig into forever. Everyone is created with their own set of genetic code determined by their parents that will set some form of guidelines for their life. Just like they're born into circumstances or with physical features outside of their control.
And yet, they can still make their own decisions. People can still prioritize what's right over the fate of a loved one.
I suppose I don't see the point in denying yourself indulgences all together. Moderation makes sense, depending on the indulgence...
But there are many temptations that are harmless to give in to, and would only bring you happiness. I don't see why anyone would want to live a life without happiness.
As I see it, it's a matter of needing contrast. You need to have both happiness and sadness. Without sadness, there's nothing to compare happiness to. It turns to boredom. It has to be fleeting, or else it would become the new baseline and cease to really exist.
And Shar is a relief from all of that. It's why so many come to her - rather than chase meaning and be disappointed, to follow her is to accept that she is the only meaning.
Without her, I have nothing. No identity, not even a history, or family to speak of.
Many people enjoy the journey. Trying new things and eventually finding what brings them happiness. But I suppose there are people who have only found disappointment so far. People who give up.
You would rather put effort into discarding things than finding new ones?
I struggle with doubts that are slightly different than the desire to hold onto my possessions. There are - let me give you an example, one that troubles me.
There was a group of refugees. They left a city that fell into the hells. They traveled across a dangerous road, and many of them were robbed and killed along the way. They took shelter amongst druids who hated their kind and sought to drive them out, and were stalked by a band of goblins who sought to slaughter them. At every turn, some of them died, while others were fortunate enough to be spared due to the efforts of others who pitied them. They continued through treacherous lands, not knowing that journeying through these lands would subject them to a shadow curse, which would surely sicken and kill each and every one of them. And they were ambushed on these roads, their leaders captured, and many more killed. But once again, the bedraggled survivors were fortunate. A woman, a holy woman of the goddess Selûne, sheltered them. Day and night, she burned her magic and wore ought her body to cast a sanctuary spell powerful enough to shield to keep them safe from the shadows long enough that they might once more continue their journey.
And where is that journey headed? To a city that they all speak of with hope, a place they will finally have safety and a future. Little do they know that the city is filled with robbers and murderers, and most denizens of that city despise their kind.
So, isn't that holy woman, in all of her kindness and sacrifice, merely prolonging the suffering of people who at each turn have proven helpless to protect themselves? Unlike fickle Selûne, we Sharrans do not cling to comforting lies and false hopes. We recognize that loss can be a kindness. To stop struggling, to succumb to what is inevitable. The shadow curse would have been a peaceful end.
I see the wisdom and logic of this, but I have always been given to sentimentality all the same. I wanted them to make it.
[ ramiel is prone to blurting out whatever they're thinking, in most cases, but they do listen to all of this quietly, and then sit with their thoughts for a moment before speaking. ]
Whether it would be a kindness to let them pass or would only extend their pain is something up to each person. Someone outside of the story will never be able to reach a conclusion on what was right for them. Even myself.
But in the moment, even in hardship, even when thinking and saying that they don't anymore... Most people want to live. If they had no will to live, I don't think they would have survived everything else they went through. It is better not to give people false hope if you know what lies ahead, but if you don't—then it is a kindness to keep people going.
I think that the gamble for a better life is worth taking. No one knows the future until they're there, after all.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
...I don't know.
no subject
[ hmm. ]
Tell me about Lady Shar.
no subject
She is the goddess of the night, of darkness, of loss. For that reason, most shun her, fear her. But we don't fear the dark. We know it, and prefer it to the falsehoods others offer. Pain and hope alike are only illusions. In the darkness, in emptiness, we are our true selves.
no subject
... Loss is an important part of the human experience, I suppose. I can understand a faith that doesn't want to shy away from it.
Then does reaching an afterlife of comfort go against those teachings? Had you hoped for emptiness instead?
no subject
[frowning, because. yeah.]
The goal is to embrace loss, to learn to accept it. But I was still an acolyte. I still sometimes struggle with all of it. If I'd had more time, it would be easier to answer you and agree.
no subject
What does it mean to accept loss? Does it mean to not grieve? To not care? I'm not sure that I understand that part.
no subject
no subject
[ they have. thoughts. ]
But knowing how it feels to lose people they love helps them to care for the ones they have left. And to appreciate the time they still have together. People's love for each other is what makes them—function.
Without those kinds of emotions, their humanity would break down and deteriorate.
no subject
no subject
It is a restriction, in a way. Loving someone without control over it. But that's something you could dig into forever. Everyone is created with their own set of genetic code determined by their parents that will set some form of guidelines for their life. Just like they're born into circumstances or with physical features outside of their control.
And yet, they can still make their own decisions. People can still prioritize what's right over the fate of a loved one.
no subject
But in service to Shar, we are asked to refrain from the things that might lead to temptation.
no subject
But there are many temptations that are harmless to give in to, and would only bring you happiness. I don't see why anyone would want to live a life without happiness.
no subject
[but in saying this, she seems more sincere, less like she's trying to convince someone else.]
no subject
As I see it, it's a matter of needing contrast. You need to have both happiness and sadness. Without sadness, there's nothing to compare happiness to. It turns to boredom. It has to be fleeting, or else it would become the new baseline and cease to really exist.
no subject
no subject
Deciding that nothing means anything is a little bit different from nothing objectively meaning anything. It's self reinforced determinism.
[ ... to be polite: ] I think.
no subject
Even so, if there is meaning to all of it, it's a mystery to me.
no subject
People spend their entire lives trying to find meaning. It's a mystery to most people.
no subject
Without her, I have nothing. No identity, not even a history, or family to speak of.
no subject
You would rather put effort into discarding things than finding new ones?
no subject
no subject
no subject
I struggle with doubts that are slightly different than the desire to hold onto my possessions. There are - let me give you an example, one that troubles me.
There was a group of refugees. They left a city that fell into the hells. They traveled across a dangerous road, and many of them were robbed and killed along the way. They took shelter amongst druids who hated their kind and sought to drive them out, and were stalked by a band of goblins who sought to slaughter them. At every turn, some of them died, while others were fortunate enough to be spared due to the efforts of others who pitied them. They continued through treacherous lands, not knowing that journeying through these lands would subject them to a shadow curse, which would surely sicken and kill each and every one of them. And they were ambushed on these roads, their leaders captured, and many more killed. But once again, the bedraggled survivors were fortunate. A woman, a holy woman of the goddess Selûne, sheltered them. Day and night, she burned her magic and wore ought her body to cast a sanctuary spell powerful enough to shield to keep them safe from the shadows long enough that they might once more continue their journey.
And where is that journey headed? To a city that they all speak of with hope, a place they will finally have safety and a future. Little do they know that the city is filled with robbers and murderers, and most denizens of that city despise their kind.
So, isn't that holy woman, in all of her kindness and sacrifice, merely prolonging the suffering of people who at each turn have proven helpless to protect themselves? Unlike fickle Selûne, we Sharrans do not cling to comforting lies and false hopes. We recognize that loss can be a kindness. To stop struggling, to succumb to what is inevitable. The shadow curse would have been a peaceful end.
I see the wisdom and logic of this, but I have always been given to sentimentality all the same. I wanted them to make it.
no subject
Whether it would be a kindness to let them pass or would only extend their pain is something up to each person. Someone outside of the story will never be able to reach a conclusion on what was right for them. Even myself.
But in the moment, even in hardship, even when thinking and saying that they don't anymore... Most people want to live. If they had no will to live, I don't think they would have survived everything else they went through. It is better not to give people false hope if you know what lies ahead, but if you don't—then it is a kindness to keep people going.
I think that the gamble for a better life is worth taking. No one knows the future until they're there, after all.
no subject
[it makes some sense, and it does speak to her a little.]
But that's not what I'm meant to believe.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)