Loyalty is one of the greatest tests of character in existance. Your
Loyalty to those you love shows how much you TRULY love them. But there
are many beings that one can be Loyal to these days. You have your
Divine, your Family, your House, various clans and organizations, and
most of all, yourself. If it comes down to it, can you chose which one
your ultimate Loyalty lies with? I will attempt to touch on that
subject, by prioritizing a list of Loyalty, based on reason.

The Ultimiate Loyalty
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Ultimately, one should be loyal to himself and his beliefs. By
compromising your beliefs for anyone or anything else, you allow your
true identity, the essence of what you are, become lost.

Order
-----
To be in the service of a Divine is no small thing. It is a great honour
and privelege, and should not be taken for granted. The members of your
order become like another family to you, and should be treated as such.

One question that may be raised arguing against this is 'What if my
Patron/Matron has me betray my House/Family?' If your House and Family
are truly important to you, you would know that upon seeking the
attention of a Divine. Is your chosen one who would do something of that
nature? Are your personal beliefs cherished by your Divine? In the end,
it all boils down to the Ultimate Loyalty, to yourself and your beliefs.

Your Family
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You can never escape your family and close friends. They will be with
you your entire life, and will see you through your many struggles and
trials. To keep your family close is to deepen the bonds between blood,
marriage, and friendships. Even if all other roads are closed to you,
you will always have a family to come home to.

Your House
----------
When you join a house it is usually because you believe in it's ideals.
Houses provide a social setting, new comrades who can share your views
on life with you, as well as guidance and support. To betray your house
is to destroy any trust and friendship you've gained as a member of that
House.

Social Clans
-----
Clans come and go. The people in such clans may become close to you as
friends, but to allow them to stand between you and any of the other
organizations mentioned implies that you do not truly believe in the
values set forth by them, thus degrading and discrediting them.

Some may find this tree not fitting to their lifestyle, however it was
created as a suggestion. Some may find their Family and Order
Interchangeable. Some may find their House not as important to them as
their friends from elsewhere. At any rate, each individual should always
know what is expected of them in each of these organizations, and know
where there loyalties lie.

Mardosi Rumenea-Crescent

Penned by my hand on the 9th of Valnuary, in the year 432 AF.