Hail, Sapience.

I delivered the following sermon at Stygian Crossroads in Mhaldor, on
the 24th of Valnuary, 382 AF. If you have any questions, I am always
available to answer them. I hope this sermon will aid your religious
education.

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Hail, Sapients. I greet you, citizens of Mhaldor. Welcome also to our
honoured guests, who grant me the privilege of their attention.

Hear my words, those who seek wisdom in Evil. The Malevolent One
requires much of us, that on the fateful final day we may scourge His
enemies, fulfilling His malignant commandments. We, who have sworn our
bodies, minds, and souls in service to Evil, must serve Lord Sartan in
all things.

I have often preached, Mhaldor, about personal advancement, by
encouraging strength and removing weakness. I have preached against the
weaknesses of drunkenness, indiscipline, ignorance, and morality. Yet
weakness does not only manifest itself in such barefaced forms.

I have preached about strength. True strength lies in service to the
Malevolent One, in following His teachings and scourging His enemies.
The true Mhaldorian seeks strength over all, that he or she may thus
better serve the Malevolent One.

Mhaldor is a diverse city. We have fighters and hunters, scholars and
merchants aplenty. All seek the Malevolent One through their own skills.
The fighters seek defeat of heretics in combat. The hunters fortify the
Lord's reserves of essence. The scholars deepen and broaden our
knowledge of Evil. Our merchants supply Mhaldor with the necessities of
life, and enrich the city through tax revenues.

Which of these, then, is the true Mhaldorian, the archetype that the
Malevolent One's slaves should seek to emulate? The fighter destroys the
weak, leaving only strength behind. The hunter lives a life of devotion,
continually making offerings at the Lord's shrines. The academic delves
deeply into the mysteries of Evil, bringing a greater understanding of
the Malevolent One's teachings to the realm. The merchant underpins the
Mhaldorian economy,

Each one of these Mhaldorians might say that they are the paragon of
iniquitous virtue. The fighter may point to the other Mhaldorians, and
note that he can slay any of them at a whim. The hunter may point to
other Mhaldorians, and note that they do not continually offer unto the
Malevolent One. The academic may point to other Mhaldorians, and note
that they have spent comparatively little time studying the unholy
texts. The merchant may point to other Mhaldorians, and note that
without supplies they would starve. Each of these Mhaldorians would
perceive themselves to be the bedrock upon which Mhaldor's society is
built - and each one would be wrong.

Where would Mhaldor be with only fighters, only scholars, only hunters,
only merchants? With only fighters, we would surely scourge our enemies
- yet lack an understanding of the theological justification. With only
scholars, we would have theological justifications aplenty - yet be at
the mercy of the heretics of Sapience. With only merchants, we would be
materially wealthy, yet barren of the less tangible benefits of
existence. With only hunters, always out seeking essence, Mhaldor would
be bereft of all inhabitants save daemons and undead. With an imbalance
of talents, Mhaldor would be strong, yes - but in the same manner that a
cripple with a wasted body may indeed have one strong arm.

Is then, the perfect Mhaldorian one who combines these talents? The
masterful fighter, who studies the Sartanic lore between battles? The
hunter, who stocks their shop with the trophies of their forays into the
wilderness? Somebody who manages the all-but-divine feat of
proficiencies in all these talents?

I say nay. Life in Mhaldor is about more than raucous battles, learned
scholarship, the joy of the hunt, or the accumulation of wealth. These
are but barren occupations when undertaken for their own ends. The
perfect Mhaldorian knows the reason why they develop these talents. The
inhabitants of the City of Evil, alone among the polities of Sapience,
realize that there is only one way to perfection in this mortal realm.
This is through service to the Malevolent One.

The perfect Mhaldorian lives life only to serve Lord Sartan. The perfect
Mhaldorian fighter slays not for the pleasure of the fight, but as an
act of worship, to bring agony and horror to the heretics who oppose the
will of the Malevolent One. The perfect Mhaldorian scholar studies not
for their own intellectual mastery of the topic, but so that they may
bring the wisdom of Evil to Sapience. The perfect Mhaldorian hunter
bashes not for the chance to live life as a greater dragon, but to serve
the Lord's thirst for the essence of mortal creatures. The perfect
Mhaldorian merchant trades not for their own wealth, but for the
economic strength to be found when unencumbered by monopolistic treaties
undertaken in restraint of trade.

Will Mhaldor then be capable of truly serving the Malevolent One when
peopled only by those who live to serve Him? Not necessarily, I regret
to say. There is yet an important barrier that the servants of Evil must
yet overcome.

I have shown you, Sapients, how the City of Evil requires a multiplicity
of skills to serve Lord Sartan. Just as a cripple may yet have one
strong arm, it requires more than excellence in one area to be truly
strong. In a similar vein, to use a martial metaphor, the strongest of
warriors will stumble if they cannot coordinate their own limbs. Just as
Mhaldor is truly strong in various fields of endeavour, so too is
Mhaldor at times riven with petty mortal jealousies. The fighters look
down on the academics, we hear that one person or another does nothing
but bash, and so on ad nauseam. I was guilty of this myself when I was
younger - I was of the illusion that my own service to the Malevolent
One was close to the ideal. I was dreadfully incorrect, and spiritually
weak in my hubris.

In fact, Mhaldor, your own petty mortal egos are an impediment to truly
serving Evil. The perfect Mhaldorian recognizes that we all serve Evil,
and that every contribution is valuable. As even the meanest temple
acolyte plays a role in the worship of the temple's patron diety, so too
does the least Slave in Mhaldor have a role in serving the Malevolent
One. Every moment that His servants bicker over mortal trivialities is
one more second we are not pursuing the Seven Truths of Evil.

Pursue perfection, Mhaldor. Seek to excel at your chosen field of
endeavour. Make of your excellence an act of worship, to glorify the
Malevolent One and all His works. Focus your attention exclusively on
what advances Evil, and the heights of glory shall be yours.
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In service,
Parson Wulfen

Penned by my hand on the 24th of Valnuary, in the year 382 AF.