The Doctrine According to Artax

The Doctrine According to Artax

Everyone has the capacity to be nearly anything. It is all a matter of how their flame decides to spread into the world. We all have a great flame inside us. It kindles our passions, makes us thrive, and it must be harnessed. Even the non-humans have a flame. It is essential for life. Much like real fire the flame of one’s soul is alive. It is what each of us truly are at the most pure level. Yes, pure is the best way to describe it. Flame does not try to hide, it does not try to deceive, it simply is what it is. That is why my course is set so clearly.

Many can not see that to truly thrive they must set their flame free. To many beings try to hide their true selves from the world. They build up walls within themselves. They build them up and up until it threatens to stifle the flame of their innermost being. Then to hide the fact that the fire is dying they gloss over the walls with cosmetics. Surface changes witch may appear to be effective but are truly useless because they do nothing but add to the thickness of the walls around their soul. They feel that if thing look good to others and have a genuine appearance to others then everything will work out fine. As a result of this their fire smothers even more. That is where I come in.

I am a priest of the Escatonic order. Once we were hunted, branded as evil for our knowledge and the clarity of our thinking. This is no more. We have shown others the truth to our paths and the purity of our souls acts as a beacon for all. You may wonder why I said “paths” this was no mistake. Just as no two flames are identical no two paths are exactly the same. The church had made this mistake before we came along. The church believed that only their way was correct and the everyone must fit into their mold. But what does fire do when you try to force it to act a certain way? It will rebel. It will fight for it’s dear life for to be contained is to begin a slow road to destruction. This is what we teach the church.

True Fire must spread just as the word of truth must spread. But if you try to force a flame to go one direction it will find a way to get around your barriers. The church once hunted any who did not fit into their mold exactly. Well the fire found a way. Unfortunately the church couldn’t recognize this. By containing the flame of each person’s soul we all grew weaker and weaker. That is when the darkness came to try to claim us all. Many flames were extinguished by the choking darkness. It was we, the Escatonics, who had been kindling the flame in our souls who became the true saviors. The darkness was not ready for us and it was the purity and power of our burning souls that drove the darkness away. Much like a candle will drive real darkness away our own inner power served to drive those foul demons of darkness away.

We taught everyone that a strong burning flame of a soul can not only provide you with warmth and security but it can also, when allowed, burn the evil that was befouling everything. The demons fled for they could not deal with the combined righteous fury we possessed. The church though once misguided realized the error of their ways and in a way the repented. They asked us to join with them and to help to drive the darkness not only from the lands but from the very souls of all people. To this day that is what we all do. Far too long has everyone felt the need to build these walls around themselves. It is my sworn duty to help to rekindle the flame of every being I come across. I accept this mission with pride for I am one of the few whose eyes have been permitted to see the light. No being is beyond hope. For no until death does the flame die. Some have claimed that their flame no longer exists… This can not be.

More likely that they have allowed it to burn low and after seeing little good in the world they feel that it would be better to let their soul continue on this poorly chosen path. I have met many in my travels and teachings. Some were so dangerously close to letting their flame die but I will not give up. Even if the fire is not readily evident their may yet be coals that can be rekindled and brought back into a roaring flame. It is truly a joyous moment when I can bring a flame back to a healthy burn. The difficulty lies with breaking through the walls that they have set up around their soul. Many times they have had a hard life, been hurt deeply, or quite often it has been both. This make them feel that since things are so bad or since they were hurt that they need these fortifications to protect themselves. That is the mistake. Yes, the fortifications will keep them for getting hurt again but while the keep the possible bad out they also keep the good out as well. No one can ever know true happiness unless they allow their flame to be free…NOT CONTAINED.

True an open flame may get blown about and take some damage but if it is good and strong it can weather any storm. Besides no one has to stand alone. While I exist I will do what I can to protect any flame. No flame is so far gone that it can not be saved. That is pretty much a basic outline of what I am and what I do. I go where I can and help as many as I can. I have helped many people in my time and I hope to help many more.