As Ebengaurd, we are defenders of The Golden Balance but what is that exactly? We are told “The Golden Balance, the true hidden harmony of the world. The line that crosses through us all, segments the great forces, and brings order to the chaos of existence. The law of all life.” But what does that mean?
10 Likes
There cannot be bad without good, nor good without bad. We watch and ensure that neither overtakes the other. We exist to keep that balance. Look at Yin and Yang. So many call Ebenguardians warriors, but I think we can also be quite similar to monks. We feel the state of balance in the world and we must frequently exist on a knifes edge. Tipping one way or the other to keep the balance. Otherwise all would descend into chaos.
12 Likes
I think I’m in the minority by saying I’ve never really viewed Ebenguardians as fighters or warriors in the typical sense. It could be the polyguild in me, but I think Ebenguardians campaign for balance and justice in a similar way that truly unbiased judges do (or at least as unbiased as possible because it’s extremely difficult to find a 100% impartial person). I don’t see us going out fighting wars with weapons, but more for fighting for peace and equality. To me, the Golden Balance represents the balance between leniency and justice; between humans and nature; between helping people and favoring one side over the other.
I can also see a sort of Robin Hood interpretation of the Golden Balance. Like if it’s taken too literally, you could take from someone and give it to someone else just to keep the balance. Or go and knock down buildings in order to restore animal habitats. So in that sense, I think Ebenguardians also have their own internal Golden Balance that keeps most of us from going out and doing things like I mentioned.
16 Likes
I agree with your thoughts, my only addition is that I feel Ebenguardians fight to maintain balance and if that requires them to physically fight and be warriors, then they would do so only as a last resort/when totally necessary, but they would be the most dedicated and ferocious fighters to the end.
A little off topic towards the Golden Balance, but shrugs an idea. Feel free to disagree.
10 Likes
I would make the comparison of Jedi (except they push to one side). There is a middle ground in the Star Wars universe I don’t remember.
7 Likes
That would be the Je’daii order.
9 Likes
or in universe, it would be the Grey Jedi.
They follow the balance of the force, knowing the dark and light equally, but never falling to the dark’s true corrupting influence.
literally they can use the dark powers without being corrupted by them
10 Likes
I feel we do a few things.
The Golden Balance, is both external and internal.
Externally, it is the contest of wills that is the battle of light and dark. We fight to protect the balance, so we stride along the boundary, neutrally working through the different pieces that are causing the scales to tip too heavily to one side.
Internally, its is the battle we ourselves wage within. between impulse and control, light and shadow, madness and serenity. we have to keep our own balance to push forward. thus we can influence the balance in ourselves and in the world through many small variations.
We are warriors, but the term warrior can be used in many different ways. from being a peaceful warrior of social change, to being a literal fighting revolutionary. so we train, in both peace and war. we keep our skills sharp and ready, no matter the situation.
I personally think i polyguild into one or two other guilds, but i can never be so sure.
it might be my internal balance trying to find that stability.
16 Likes
When I read about Ebenguard, I immediately resonated with The Golden Balance because in my life, I struggle with achieving the highest good while also allowing myself to be human. I know there are ideals that I strive to live up to, but the imperfect person I am sometimes (often!) falls short of those standards. I have such a hard time feeling okay with accepting flaws when it comes to my own emotions.
So, the way I look at it is that The Golden Balance asks us to both consider the ideal and the reality, and find ways to maintain the balance of both. But, obviously, this is something I feel on a super internal level.
20 Likes
There are many fascinating answers in this thread, and I especially love this bit:
I hope it’s okay if I add my thoughts to the mix!
The Golden Balance is part of everything and everyone, but Ebenguardians seem to feel its weight the most - and are, indeed, both “burdened and blessed”. And I think burgeoning Ebenguardian might not identify with the whole warrior aspect at the beginning: the desire for neutrality and harmony, to not tip the scales too heavily on one side, can often manifest itself through inaction and be perceived by others as passivity and lack of character.
But for most of us I think, there is often this feeling that drives our every actions: something that tells us “this doesn’t feel right”, or “I’m on the right track”. We can feel the (dis)harmony between ourselves and the world around us, “a world of gray that separates who [we] are from what [we] do” - this is the Golden Balance, both internal and external, calling for us to act as we know we should, to be who we know we are.
As the House of Purpose, we are driven to find the harmony between these two scales: to find our place in the world in a way that is both true to ourselves, and that brings some form of good outside of ourselves. Doing one without the other simply tips the scales and brings back the feeling of wrongness, and so we keep thriving, moving, acting, being, to bring back harmony - because this is what it’s all about: not just knowledge, not just compassion, not just freedom, but true harmony.
And at some point, we learn that preserving superficial harmony and being neutral often isn’t the right choice. But then again, when presented with two extremes, we might not want to join a camp - because for evey tools being created in service of good, there are many more ways to use them as weapons. We’ll be searching for a third option born from the other two, a compromise that does the most good and limits the harm that can be done, because this is what we do.
I think that’s what being Ebenguard means: we can be many things, and we’ll always be thriving for something; but on our path for inner peace, we’ll have to learn how to bring harmony to the world as well, because we are part of it. We can’t do so by always staying out of conflict, choosing neutrality by default, or focusing inward all the time; but we can do so by engaging with others and finding this third option that rings true to this inner feeling driving us and the world at large forward, the Golden Balance resting on the shores between land and sea.
“No matter who you choose to be, when the scales tip to the side of disorder and darkness, you are called to right it, a warrior for peace and truth and harmony. For harmony and true peace are only possible through the dedication and diligence of those willing to swear their life’s work to it.”
6 Likes