Good afternoon.
I was asked to begin this day, this Memorial service, with an invocation to the Goddess Waylumi and Her holy tenets - tenets of Love, of Honor, of Wisdom, and of Vigilance. These teachings are the bright and unbroken chain that is woven inextricably throughout the Illuminated Path and our lives, and they are the foundations of our faith. I am no stranger to such invocations. But today, I would like to offer something a little different.
Love, Honor, Wisdom, Vigilance. In every invocation, every prayer, every blessing, and every word, we of Waylumi's faith ultimately refer back to these four tenets. But, while it is always present, less often do we give voice to the fifth - the unspoken creed not just of Waylumi, but of every religion, nation, city, guild, man, and woman.
Sacrifice.
Sacrifice is ever present. Love cannot exist without the passion to make a sacrifice in its name. Honor cannot persist without the gumption to accept it. Wisdom cannot reign without the knowledge of its potential, and Vigilance... Vigilance is Sacrifice's closest companion. They walk forever hand in hand, as brothers on a long road. It is Vigilance that reminds us that when we find a battle truly worth fighting, we have also found a cause worth sacrificing for.
So as we turn our gaze towards the memory of Commander Rothar Telrith, let us know these fundamental truths: we stand today as free peoples - denizens of a world where we may think, and love, and act, and exist as we so choose - thanks to the sacrifices of those who have come before us.
They did not charge us coppers or crowns for this luxury. They demanded neither tribute nor worship. They did not ask for our praise or our adoration. In fact, as is the nature of sacrifice, they asked for nothing at all. How do we repay those who have given everything without asking a single thing in return?
We repay them by remembering. As the sun falls each night, remember them; when it rises again in the morning, steady and sure, remember them. In the moments between, in the bold light of day and the soft glow of twilight... remember them, and remember their sacrifice. This is what we can do.
And this is the tone I wish to set for us as we share this day together. This is my prayer. Mine is not a traditional invocation because I do not call just upon my Goddess in this celebration of Sacrifice and Memory. I'm calling upon me, and you, and all of us here, too. Today, let us not be silent when observing the true nature of Sacrifice. Instead, let us speak its name and remember a man who knew it well.
Where "sacrifice" may have been a whisper, a thing born softly in our hearts and carried quietly, today... let it become a battle cry on our lips, and a song unto the world.
[Included here is a painsakingly detailed sketch of the Shield of Light.]
Presented to Sarah, the mother of Rothar Telrith, by the good acolyte Tanyl:
The ultimate test of a man's soul and strength is his willingness to sacrifice something today for the tomorrows of others.
On behalf of the Goddess Waylumi, Her bright clergy, and Her devoted servants, we would like to present to you, Sarah, the Shield of Light on behalf of one Rothar Telrith. This Shield is awarded to those who exemplify, by way of great action and unyielding moral fiber, the Lady's tenets in word, mind, heart, and body. The Shield is not a token given lightly: only one other man has been awarded such since the Fall of the Guardians, and he sits here among us now.
For service not only to the Crown, but also to his friends and peers, Rothar Telrith has earned great honor. For his valor on and off the battlefield, Rothar Telrith has earned the grace of the Lady Waylumi, and the respect of the people. And for his unerring dedication to the ones he loved, Rothar Telrith has earned the Shield of Light.