Good evening, to you each! It is my great pleasure to meet with you, this night.

I'm treated to you familiar faces, but to those of you I may not be yet acquainted with, I am Acolyte Moxiette Poplucia of The Lord's Faith. As it happens, it is an aspect of 'faith' I mean to speak on with you, presently.

It may come as a bit of a surprise, given that we mortals among the corporeal plane tend to unite by worship of deities, but ultimately, faith represents a solitary path. That is to say, despite the institutions of temples, and the congregations that populate them, despite holidays that bring us together and group rituals, you will face your judgement day alone. 

You will be assessed by the sum of your own devotion and subsequent actions. Whatever they mean to you in life, you will eventually be without your friends, lovers, countrymen, family, and religious peers. I realize acknowledging this aloneness that awaits us all may create a sense of melancholy. And I don't fault you for that, by the by, dear congregants; loneliness is a feeling no one can be entirely immune to.

Oh, I can almost hear some of you, now. 'But I don't keep many friends! I find most people to be utterly obnoxious. Partake in community? Me? Never, just look how much leather I'm wearing!'

And yet, here you are, in a social setting. Consider the grouchiest, most aloof individual you've ever met. Where did you meet them? Likely within a township, your family unit, or by some association. Even stand-offish sorts tend to be drawn to others in some way, because the lot of us are social creatures by design.

But while our mortal instincts might sort ultimate solitariness as a sorry subject at first,  we would do well to temper our feelings, because solitariness is actually a blessing for The Lord's fold. I don't mean isolating oneself out of pettiness or stubbornness, but rather by discipline that our spirits steep in Darkness, and we emerge reinvigorated to do His will.

'Darkness,' as it happens, is not necessarily a holy symbol of Dahkoar because it is the absence of light, or because it pairs well with skulls and serpents. Rather, it is descriptive of a meditative state, devoid of distractions that distance us from The Lord. When you experience this figurative darkness, often helpfully supplemented by actual darkness, you are alone with Dahkoar. Solitary darkness opens us up to deeper understanding of His will.

When we fear being alone, and the loneliness that may ensue, it is because we are afraid to face what The Lord may say to our hearts if we cannot avoid listening, and if we linger where we cannot distract ourselves from the pressing, crushing, imperative of service. To that, I say...

 'Have courage.'

Seek solitariness, be it in darkness or otherwise, because it is a precursor to your final destination, and it will benefit your connection with your divine master.

Now, when you do emerge from your sabbaticals of solitude, I certainly urge you to resume the commitments you keep with other people. They are valuable, of course. I am not advocating a life lived entirely separated from others-- community, and fellowship can reap wonderful bounties. Keep in mind, though, that even the most pious and worthy of social gatherings, like those hosted by The Lord's Temple, are meant to supplement your journey rather than become your sole focus. Resist the urge to become preoccupied with others, coin, material possessions, and so on. Recognize that they will not assist you in those trials of the spirit that you are destined to face alone.

When you bicker tirelessly with your faith or guild mates, or toil endlessly for personal riches, or chase political titles, or what have you, you are building an idol for distraction. You are placing mortal institutions before Dahkoar. In those cases, redirect yourself to the imperative of walking The One, True Path. Focus on your personal subscription to the tenets, to furthering Darkness. If we could all prioritize this way, we would cease to fall victim to our follies. 

I have one final note for you, goodly listeners: because a life lived righteously in the name of The Lord can be boiled down to adherence of His word, and because all other personal affairs, material possessions and worldly accolades are negligible by comparison, I would bade that you do not attempt to devote to Dahkoar in pursuit of these. Do not seek devotion because you want friends. Do not seek it because you fancy the atmosphere, or the superficial benefits of being part of a congregation.

Rid yourselves of these intentions, because they will never be enough to fuel your spiritual journey, and they will not soothe the sacrifices you will be called to make for your Lord. The moment the exciting relationships and material perks cease, you will find yourself unable, or unwilling to abide by the grave, somber oaths you swore; how could the motivation of a bit of fun and a raven cord ever motivate you to rise to The Lord's great occasions? to emblazon his will upon your soul?  You will find yourself overwhelmed....

And likely dead.

Honorable attendees, bear in mind the solitary nature of faith, of walking The One, True Path. Embrace fellowship as you might, but remember that when you devote to Dahkoar, you are devoting to Him, and His way, exclusively. You are not devoted in this extreme sense to your fellow devouts. You may no longer serve coin and trinkets as though they were your master. Therefore, if people annoy you and your treasures rust and spoil, pay it little mind, and rather weld your focus to The Lord. Take time in prayer, away from these auxiliaries in solitude, and develop your commitment to Dahkoar.