Abbot Marco,
Within these pages, please find my term paper for this semester's divinity class. For this piece, I am writing a quick and no-nonsense reflection on the Book of Duty, focusing on explaining the first fifteen of Saint Baudri's twenty-one tracts to a layman. It is my hope that my work can then be used as a teaching tool to bring those cursed by idleness to the blessing of duty and hard work.

Issac Stonecutter

Friends, I understand how at first the bonds of sloth seem golden. On the surface it is a beautiful concept. Many ache to live a life with nothing to be done but appease one's basest needs. However, Bor made us more than just things that eat, sleep, fornicate, and excrete. The great prophet Baudri knew this, and shared his visions with the masses through a series of writings which he handed out to all and any who would listen. Although he was not always greeted with acclaim at first, his word spread by way of these tracts. These tracts make up the bulk of the Book of Duty, one of the five most holy works of Bor's word. They warn the unfaithful that their actions may bring them to ruin. Herein are the abbreviated descriptions of the first fifteen tracts, followed by the lesson that each teaches.

The Tracts of Baudri

The Light of Justice

Jasper refuses to heed the words of a strange, pious man who warns him of his impending doom. Instead, he follows the advice of some young, nubile women who talk him into telling untruths to his clan in exchange for carnal favors. This tract ends with an army of demons taking advantage of Jasper's lie and razing his town to the ground. Jasper weeps as his clan is slaughtered, and is visited by the same nubile women. The demon's illusion is dropped just at that moment, and the women are revealed to be undead zombie servants who drag Jasper screaming to his own purgatory of undeath. The pious man walks unharmed from the town, saddened by the turn of events. --Truth and Justice are the light of Bor

The Blessing of Work

Bim and Sark are both servants of Bor. Bim is hardworking and dilligent, always putting the needs of Bor's church before his own. He fufils every duty he is given, answers every request, and eventually dies after working himself to the bone in the service of his church. Sark is also a servant of Bor, but he tends to put his own needs before those of his chosen lord. He is a mighty warrior, committed to the cause. He keeps some of his income for himself, rests one day out of each week, and has been known to raise a pint of mead or two on occasion. Sark dies in battle, making the ultimate sacrifice fighting for Bor. Later, in the Elysum fields, Bor appears and looks over all his faithful. His hand reaches down, and he scoops up Bim and leaves Sark to be reincarnated and try again to reach paradise. --In order to achieve paradise, know no glory or pride. Sacrifice all and work only for Bor.

Witchcraft

Walter is a misunderstood and clumsy fellow more intent on studying and learning than on getting along with others. He is mocked and hated by his peers. They call him names, and one fellow named Maalik beats him up. Later, Walter finds a tutor who understands his plight and teaches him the lore of the world. Walter comes to trust his tutor's words, and after taking another beating from Maalik, the tutor begins to teach Walter witchcraft. Using the tomes of the Serpent folk, Walter learns how to cast spells that keep him from being beaten by Maalik a third time. Walter's power grows until his power allows him to rule the local area. Maalik returns with a pious old man who is immune to Walter's spells. The old man tells Walter that unless he takes Bor to be his master that Walter will be damned to undeath for eternity for his transgressions. Walter rejects the pious old man and flees, only to run into Maalik one more time. Maalik beats Walter to death this time, and Walter ends the story waking from his death as a zombie at the call of his former tutor. --Witchcraft is a tool of the Abominations

Sloth is a Deadly Vice

Mitat and his brother Ishmial both go to a party. Both drink heavily, but the next day Mitat manages to drag himself to do Bor's work building a bridge although Ishmial is not able. Instead he is sick as a dog from drinking and cannot even raise his head because of his hangover. A pious old man arrives and explains to Mitat that by not working, Bor will remember this day once he has died and pass over him in the Elysum fields. Ishmial cannot see how one day's recovery from a night of heavy drinking can keep him from Bor's paradise. A week later, both Ishmial and Mitat are killed because the bridge they were working on collapsed. In the Elysum fields, Bor passes over Ishmial and scoops up Mitat for paradise. --Do nothing that could jeopardize Bor's work.

The Serpent People

Tells of how the Serpent people were born of the Abominations to ruin all of Caedes. It uses a common example of serpent "magic" which is entirely not of Bor. It tells of the twisted rituals they perform in the service of their "god" the great Serpent itself. They also worship the false gods of "sorcery", and believe that this power holds the key to paradise. However, all know that only the chosen of Bor are saved from the pit to live in Bor's light. Luckily, Bor's servants crushed the Serpent people and they are no more. However, their lore still remains and must be guarded against. --The serpent people are the enemy.

That Damned Dryad

This tract tells of an Elven people who overcame the evils of the serpent people, only to fall into another trap. After the great battle to rid the world of the serpents, a forest witch began to gather followers into a false faith based on nature. There are no laws to this faith. There are no bonds of duty or service. There is not even any scripture written to hold up this nymph's claim of godhood. She calls Bor one of her underlings but that is not the case. She is merely an individual with a superiority complex, who has several servants which spread her lies. --The Druidic faith duped the Elves into turning away from Bor.

Defeating the Serpent People

In the past, the serpent minions of the feaster spread like maggots across the corpse that was Caedes in the past. The word of Bor was all but forgotten. The minions of the Abominations slaughtered, razed, and enslaved many. One elf named Sualc Atnas was true to Bor. He and a group of elven wisemen (or wizards, depending on the translation) freed the world from the tyranny of the serpent men. Sualc Atnas was killed in the battle, but it is said that he was later taken to paradise by Bor. --Bor has been a force in all facets of history.

The Dark Elves

A wounded elf with skin as dark as night approaches a farmhouse. He looks inside and sees a family working hard serving Bor. Later, the youngest boy child discovers the elf and offers him healing, food, and shelter within their home. Later that night, the elf calls on his dark brothers and repays the servants of Bor with death. Later, in the Elysum fields the family is told the dangers of befriending the Drastin by a pious old man. --The Drastin are all bad.

The Feaster Fears

Gallo grows up strong on his father's fields on hard work and the word of Bor. His might is challenged as he reaches adulthood by a robed man promising untold riches and power for Gallo's service. Gallo scoffs at the robed man, saying that only hard work and abiding by Bor's law will bring the gift of paradise, which is more valuable than any riches or power. Gallo then slays the robed man, only to find that he was in fact a demonic Abomination. --Don't fall for the Feaster's tricks.

The Use of the Undead

A man named Heckob leads a life of good works, but he makes use of necromatic magic in order to use the dead as slaves for his work. Later, he finds himself raised by his kin and used as a personal servant as well. Denied the peace of the Elysum fields, and the chance to know the lord Bor Heckob is damned until a pious old man arrives and destroys his body using the power of Bor, releasing Heckob to join the others to wait for reincarnation at the Elysum fields. --Those who raise the dead are doomed to become the restless dead themselves.

In the Beginning...

Bor strode across the void and struck a lifeless rock, making it live, bringing life to Caedes. In the early days there were the elves in the forest, the serpent-men in the deserts, the lizard-men in the swamps, the goblins in the hills, the Ur-trullen in the mountains and the humans in the valleys. All of them killed animals for food, huddled in caves and were ignorant and afraid. Yet, the elves slowly awoke to the nature of the world around them, their long-lives gave them time to think, time to learn. They built an arboreal civilization, learned to trade, to read to sing. The serpent-men found they had an in-born talent for sorcery and used that talent to build a great civilization. As these two races disturbed the primeval order, Bor was looking away to the other worlds where he was lord and master and noticed it not for none called upon him. Such was the state of affairs before the Abominations took notice of Bor's world and corrupted it in an attempt to make it theirs. --Bor created the world. The Abominations seek to destroy it and drag Bor's people to eternal undeath. Any questions?

The Cult of Lies

In the wake of defeating the Serpent people, humanity reveled in their victory by celebrating their three great kings who Bor blessed with the power to lead. However, there are those who went even farther by worshiping these barbarians as gods, on par with mighty Bor. Feel pity for these poor souls, who do not know that the joy of paradise is denied them because of the lies they have been fed. Do your best to change their minds and bring them the peace of serving Bor. --Gorm, Harr, and Ing were merely servants of mighty Bor and should not be glorified as gods.

A Dream of Death

Anna and her friend Hannah have grown up together, and now they have settled down and started families of their own. Anna is a heathen, and does not believe in the power of Bor. Hannah is a devout follower, but she does not force her beliefs on Anna because she fears that she will loose her friend if she does. Both live pious lives filled with joy and service. One day, Hannah dreams that Anna has died and becuse of her beliefs she is forced to spend eternity as an undead thrall of the Abominations. Anna cries out from the grave, wailing that Hannah should have told her the truth while she could. Hannah awakens, determined to witness to her friend and bring her to Bor -- even if that means ruining their friendship. Unfortunately, Anna has already died in her sleep. --It is for people's own good to know Bor.

Heresy

Isaac is a good man who serves Bor. He heals the sick, tends the elderly, and fights to bring order to existence. However, He questions the church elders as to why he shouldn't give shelter to a heathen in a deadly storm. Later, once the storm has wiped out everyone, a pious old man approaches Isaac and explains that he would have been chosen for paradise if he only accepted his elders' words with faith. In his next life, Isaac follows directions without question and is scooped from the Elysum fields by Bor once he has passed away again. --Don't question Bor's will.

Bor's Word is Law

Callon is a thieving, whoring, parasite on society. He breaks every law he can find. Some to survive, some just because he wishes it. Callon gets himself killed by some guards of Bor for stealing a loaf of bread. As he breathes his last breath, a pious old man tells him that living the lawless life will bring him nothing but ruin. In the Elysum fields, Callon changes his ways and lives his next life fearing the law of Bor. After his next life, Callon is taken to paradise by Bor. --As the title says, "Bor's word is law". Don't you forget it. Heathen dog.