//------------------------------// // Night Guard: Equitism // Story: Ink Blot's Unassorted Encyclopedia of Absolutely Everything // by Nevlamas //------------------------------// Metaphysical Background Despite extensive research and the opportunity to question numerous historical figures personally, little to nothing is known about the higher mysteries of the night. We are aware that in the old days, a moon cultist’s rank was derived directly from their knowledge of these mysteries and that the Night Guard practice them zealously still today, but what they entail is unknown to anyone but the moon’s faithful themselves. The author has interviewed dozens of experts on the subject, but has only managed to extract the knowledge of one single mystery known as the school of Equitism. It combines elements of a creation myth and a metaphysical world view with the practical aspects of an oracle system and is popular among the waning Night Guard castes: Black Priests, Moonlight Shadows and Dream Reapers. Numerous members of all three believe in both its practices and doctrines. Lady Shimmer Swirl, convinced that clinging to esoteric baggage is only slowing her order down, shared this information for the sake of historiography – and has, as I’ve come to hear, been harshly reprimanded because of it. The creation myth of Equitism correspondents with the Dawn Theory of the ancient Celestian Solari, which states that the night is just the symptom of a massive, singular process that is slowly turning the world from Chaos to Harmony – daylight. A common origin as propaganda from the Twilight War has been suspected but thus far lacks scientific proof. Equitism in contrast declares that in the beginning there were Harmony and Chaos, one of them eternally creating, the other one ever destructive. These two powers were trapped in an eternal circle: Harmony forms a reality in the endless expanses of the void, Chaos tears it down again. The catalyst that would eventually break that cycle had to be an original part of the two forces, for there was yet nothing else. Chaos on the one hand was a single, formless thing that was everything and nothing. It possessed every attribute at once and yet none – thus, the eternal change could never change itself. Harmony however was a web, a system of perfect order in between all attributes that are, categorized in relation, opposition and so on. The fact that it was a construct made from countless little modules allowed the eternal order to change. “For that which is one must always be many – only that which is many can make them one” is how the Night Guard’s own scriptures phrase it. At the same time, the powers of Harmony could not create a stable world on their own any more than Chaos could, and the Spirits knew that: “For even the golden one [in this case probably referring to the sun or even day as a whole, not Princess Celestia] will turn to unrest if it will not change.” From its own matter, Harmony created a compromise. It broke itself into two parts: pure Harmony on one side and another kind on the other, one that combined the uncertain and unrestful of Chaos with Harmony’s stability and benevolent being: day and night had been born. The unstable nature of this compromise would allow it to survive only in a constant state of change. Day and night couldn’t exist alongside, but also not without each other and thus were forced to tirelessly replace each other in a circular, delicate balance. Thus a new cycle was created, but this one was a peaceful exchange and no longer a conflict, it occurred dictated by and within the framework of Harmony as a whole now re-enacting that cosmic conflict within itself. The world so constructed passes through change without ever fully dissolving. The laws of Chaos gained a stabilizing outlet, change was canalized into a perfect circle and pure Chaos thus banished forever. This concludes the creation of the world’s most basic elements: day and night, pure Harmony and the hybrid entity needed to balance it out. In the Equitist mysticism, both have a symbol associated with them: a long line for the day and a broken one for the night . Together, they form the two laws of reality: time, which would later manifest itself as the endless sky, and space that would become the earth beneath, a circle within a circle within a circle. Due to this, the natural world can be depicted as two lines on top of each other: sky and earth, time and space. By the nature of the forces that formed them, both will always have to be absolute (diurnal) or relative (nocturnal), which results in four possible conditions: These conditions form the framework, the four corners between which all of reality takes hold. They are traditionally equated with the natural elements of the Elemental Theory in the following order: Sky absolute, earth absolute: water. Sky relative, earth relative: fire. Sky relative, earth absolute: earth. Sky absolute, earth relative: air. However, these are not sufficient to describe reality as a whole. Soon after the creation, a third power takes its place in the circle: life (represented by the five vital elements in the Elemental Theory). Only together do time, space and life encircle the world in its entirety and since the world is Harmony incarnate, their sum thus equals Harmony itself. Adding life to time and space, a third line must be drawn beneath the other two, resulting in eight individual symbols. The ideas associated with these true elements vary from the ones of the scientific perspective presented in their corresponding article, hence a brief summarization: Day. Time, space and life are certain. This symbol represents pure Harmony. Night. Time, space and life are relative. This symbol represents chaotic Harmony. Magic. Time and space are relative, but life is not, for it has transcended them both by understanding the true nature of the world. This sign represents enlightenment. Kindness. Time and life are relative, space is not. Time flows onwards, space remains stable, life is untouched by either and does not interfere. This symbol represents effortlessness. Generosity. Space and life are relative, time is not. Though everything changes, one moment in time has been made eternal. This symbol represents grace. Laughter. Space and time are certain, life is not. Even as time and space are stern and stable, life surpasses them easily. This symbol represents transcendence. Loyalty. Time and life are certain, space is not. Life pushes onwards through time, changing space by force. This symbol represents restlessness. Honesty. Time is relative, space and life are not. Life maintains space against the flow of time. This symbol represents stubbornness. Yet even these eight symbols do not suffice to fully describe reality: since the world is eternally changing it can never be expressed as one of the eight, but only as a process from one to another – after all, Harmony is not within any element, but in between them all. As a final result, each of the eight symbols is connected with every other in pairs of two, forming the 64 processes, the essence of the changing world. The Equitistic Oracle: Instructions Since the world passes through the strictly ordered pathways of Harmony, Equitism states that the initiated adept is capable of comprehending and predicting the future. In order to do so, priests use a set of three silver coins painted black on one side – but any coins will do. In order to consult the oracle, the inquirer must first speak their question aloud, then toss all three coins at once: their silver side stands for the day, their black side for the night (when using regular Equestrian Bits, the side not labelled with a number is usually considered to represent the night). The adept adds the results together, counting one point for each ‘night’ and two for each ‘day’. Subsequently, the following results are possible: 3: Midnight. Absolute darkness has been achieved. However, since no extreme can persist in the great circle of things, it will soon change to dawn and day. 4: Night. 5: Day. 6: Noon. As the opposite of midnight, this symbol represents the brightest light, that by nature tells of the coming dusk. The result is written down and the procedure repeated another five times. The adept dedicates each toss to a specific element in their systematic order: Magic, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty and Honesty. After the sixth toss, a full symbol will have come together that is supposed to stand for the present. The unstable numbers – midnight and noon – will not stay still for long, however, and quickly revert to their opposite, thus creating a second symbol that stands for the future. From the relation of these two symbols, the adept will then attempt to read the best course of action. Before proceeding to the 64 symbols in detail, the author feels the need to remind the reader of three important details: firstly, every symbol consists of two parts, its image and its judgement. The former describes the situation the symbol indicates, the second suggests a way to react to it. Secondly, since the oracle is a Harmonious kind of magic, it requires at least two persons – an inquirer and an adept – to work. And as a final note: even the Night Guard themselves consider Equitism to be nothing but archaic superstition, and no enlightened reader should at any given time expect the oracle to work at all. The 64 Symbols 1: True Day above Day, the Absolute beneath Day, the Absolute Image: The shadows waver. The sun dictates. Creation triumphant. Judgement: Great blessings. The sage embraces renewal. Woe to the fool who seeks the shade. 2: Dawn above Day, the Absolute beneath Night, the Relative Image: The darkness takes its leave. Stones rise from mud. The waters clear. Judgement: Opportunity. The sage finds certainty. The mists retreat. 3: The Fanatic above Day, the Absolute beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: The absolute surpasses the enlightened. The balance is threatened. The forests grow without measure. Great Opportunity. Great danger. Judgement: Purity turns against itself. Light blinds. Light burns. The sage seeks the shadows. 4: Justice above Day, the Enlightened beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Effort to the absolute. The sun burns, however tempered. The eye tears the world in two. Judgement: The sage follows the heart. Who is guilty, who is not? Blades fall. Choices must be made. 5: The Mirror above Day, the Absolute beneath Generosity, Graceful Image: Daylight surpasses grace. The mirror speaks true. Judgement: Great blessings brings the open eye. The sage does not choose comfort. Pain to knowledge. Knowledge to pain. 6: The Shackle above Day, the Absolute beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: The chains weigh down the wanderer. Life grows weak. The old laws bind. Judgement: Great danger. Crushing purpose. The sake breaks free. 7: The Sunray above Day, the Absolute beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: The sunray pushes onwards. Its light is power. Its way is certain. Judgement: The sage follows. The path is clear. Great blessings. Great opportunity. 8: The Crone above Day, the Absolute beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: The stubborn to the absolute. The world rests within knowledge past. Harmony lingers. Little opportunity. Judgement: The sage accepts. Great blessings brings the leaf that floats. 9: True Night above Night, the Relative beneath Night, the Relative Image: The outlines fade. The moon rises high. Nothing is. Everything could. Judgement: Hesitation. Wonder. Doubt. The sage will remain. Little opportunity. 10: Dusk above Night, the Relative beneath Day, the Absolute Image: Change. Opportunity. What is lies dormant. What could awakens. Judgement: Triumph of the meek. Doom to the brash. The sage will look to every path at once. 11: Doubt above Night, the Relative beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: Darkness conquers knowledge. Thoughts all veiled. Void of reason. Judgement: Danger. Shaking ground. The sage finds a way. The fool finds too many. 12: Tranquillity above Night, the Relative beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Change without changing. Minds unburdened. All things flowing gently. Judgement: The sage hears the silence. Thousand voices without a word. Great blessings brings the heart joining space and time. 13: Humility above Night, the Relative beneath Generosity, the Graceful Image: The uncertain surpasses the fair. The gentle powers reign. Judgement: The humble will be highest. The sage hides the light, for the circle will make it shine all the brighter. To contradict is to foresee. 14: The Orphan above Night, the Relative beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: Mind stumbles. The transcendent lost in darkness. Frightened children, far away. Judgement: Danger. The fool has strayed too far. The sage seeks earth and sky. 15: Apathy above Night, the Relative beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: The darkness chokes the restless heart. The sky tires. The earth slumbers. Judgement: Energy fading. Power fleeting. The sage knows that which must not be lost. 16: Oblivion above Night, the Relative beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: Persistence wavers. The night consumes the stubborn. The sky feeds off the earth. Judgement: Great danger. Mind fades, eye fades, heart fades. The sage prepares, but does not hope. 17: True Magic above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: Mind over all. The sage has conquered. Life triumphant. Judgement: Great blessings brings the open mind. Great opportunity. The sage is first among the stars. 18: Temperance above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Day, the Absolute Image: The spirit watches the absolute. The enlightened sits by the fire. The sun is tamed. Judgement: The sage questions carefully. To advance is to step lightly. To run is to turn the circle. 19: Clarity above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Night, the Relative Image: Life pierces through the veil. The circle at its brightest. New shadows rise. Judgement: The moment is truth, truth just a moment. The sage grasps the flashing light, the fool lets it slip. Both will fall again to night. 20: The Heartless above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: The enlightened leaves all ease behind. The open eye forgets to see. Judgement: A price for clarity. Too high? Too much? The sage knows that which must not be given. 21: Hunger above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Generosity, the Graceful Image: The enlightened goes beyond the graceful. The body suffers, the mind roams free. Judgement: The circle moves. No extreme may stand. Through the hungering flesh, the sage appeases the mind. Opportunity. 22: The Solari above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: The grasping goes beyond the grasped. The enlightened seeks to surpass. Judgement: Danger. Wisdom blowing in the wind. The seeds of vanity are spread. The fool looks to the world and calls it wise. The sage looks well beyond. 23: The Explorer above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: Feet carry the body. Mind guides the body. Judgement: Blessings brings the restless spirit. The sage moves forward, guided by the light. 24: The Scribe above Magic, the Enlightened beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: Truth is close. The way is barred. The paths are many. The ways are barred. Judgement: Questions. Answers. The sage looks back to move forwards. The circle turns. 25: True Kindness above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Sky and life fleeting over solid earth. Change without force. Force without effort. Judgement: Rivers flows. Wind blows. The sage delights. The fool laments. Both drift. 26: Mercy above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Day, the Absolute Image: The effortless tames the absolute. The stern bows to the gentle. Judgement: The universe rejoices. Great blessings brings the hesitating hand. The judge’s sword falls silently. 27: The Lover above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Night, the Relative Image: Doubts dispelled without effort. The circle turns to day. Judgement: Two before one. One before all. Two is the circle. Two is Harmony. The sage seeks the second. 28: Naivety above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: Ease through isolation. The gentle turns to sloth. Judgement: Danger. Opportunity. The sage will walk. The sage will be wary. The paths wait. The circle turns both ways. 29: The Changeling above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Generosity, the Graceful Image: To surpass the form without effort. Faces change. Hearts remain. Judgement: Danger. What seems conceals. What is close may break. The circle turns. 30: Innocence above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: Beyond and back. Wind in the trees. River flows to nowhere. River flows to everywhere. Peace awaits it all the same. Judgement: Great blessings. Beyond the obvious the sage will step with ease. What was may be gone without effort. The world in Harmony. Sun and moon shine brightly. 31: Cowardice above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: Water retreats from the rocky shore. Stones on the roads drive the wanderer away. The bird rides the gentle wind. Judgement: Danger. The world seeks the effortless. The circle spins easily. The sage questions. The sage may follow. The sage may fight. 32: The Lake above Kindness, the Effortless beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: Beauty on the shores. Fish in the waves. Still waters are deep. Judgement: The sage rests on the shore. The sage is not a fish. Peace may be given or the waters will drown. 33: True Generosity above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Generosity, the Graceful Image: Beauty in the circle. The graceful triumphant for the moment. Forms flee. Time persists. Judgement: The sage looks to the future. In all hearts, the sage shines. The circle will turn. 34: The Maiden above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Day, the Absolute Image: Beauty may be questioned. Beauty remains pure. The graceful surpasses the absolute. Truth in hearts. Judgement: Confidence. The sage will let the storms go by, unmoved. Mirrors break, the eye stays true. 35: Vanity above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Night, the Relative Image: To know is to believe. To speak is to presume. To do is to inflict. Judgement: Danger brings the confident heart. The sage does not seek for the reflection, but takes the image inside. 36: The Artist above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: Without transcendence, the ways are few. The world seeks relief from enlightenment. The artists speaks without speaking. Teaches without telling. Judgement: Opportunity. Guidance must be given. Helpless stand the trees threatened by fire. The sage shows without showing. The sage leads without leading. 37: The Mother above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Guidance through Harmony. Onwards through the circle. The gentle hand leads. Judgement: Love leads to necessity. Necessity leads not to force. The sage sees what is and what isn’t. 38: The Snowflake above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: The graceful acts through the transcendent. The world fades to black. The moment liberating. Judgement: Triumph of the evanescent. Grace for a heartbeat. The circle moves quickly. The sage knows. 39: The Songbird above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: The graceful is driven. The restless is graceful. The circle. A target. The endless in motion. Judgement: Great blessings bring the storm and sea. The sage drinks the foam. The sage rides the wind. 40: The Flower above Generosity, the Graceful beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: Beneath the soil, a young thing awakens. That which remains is the seed in the ground. Judgement: Opportunity. The circle slows. The sage looks to the roots. 41: True Laughter above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: Laughter. That which is Harmony surpasses itself. The stars dance. The sun and moon dance. Judgement: Joy. The simple mind triumphant. The beyond must be sought. The sage surpasses. 42: The broken Shackle above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Day, the Absolute Image: The narrow eye is conquered. The small heart is vanquished. That which bound the mind is gone. Judgement: The circle moves towards the sage. The sage moves not, for there is no need. The old shackles are forgotten. A new night comes. 43: The Night Guard above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Night, the Relative Image: The relative strengthens the transcendent. The eye goes beyond the beyond. Judgement: The sage must know what cannot be known. The sage must move past that which is in motion. The sage must turn the circle. 44: The Child above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: Feeling without seeing. Space and time without life. The heart goes beyond. The spirits knows not how. Judgement: Great blessings brings the heart that lets go of the mind. The sage knows before knowing. The sage thinks without thinking. 45: The Dream above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Time surrenders. Space surrenders. A dream arises. The circle turns. Judgement: Some purposes are out of reach. Some purposes are not. The sage seeks not the beyond, but the beyond seeks him. 46: Ecstasy above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Generosity, the Fair Image: All that is is one. Sun and moon are all the same. The mind walks in between the lines. The circle turns. Judgement: Danger. That which is is not what will be. The graceful heart turns greedy. The joyous heart turns mad. The sage knows not to rise too far. 47: Lightning above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: Force pushes down. Destruction from creation. The beyond at war. The circle turns. Judgement: Great danger. The sage assembles an army. New threats forming. The waters rise. 48: Trust above Laughter, the Transcendent beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: What is trust? What is naivety? It lies beyond the eye. Space without life. Space without time. Judgement: Great blessings brings to root out the seeds of Chaos. The sage remains. The world will not move the peace. 49: True Loyalty above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Loyalty the Restless Image: Change to change. Day to night. The circle to Chaos. Chaos to Harmony. Judgement: Great blessings. The sage turns the circle. The circle turns the sage. Even change must change. 50: The Fool above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Day, the Absolute Image: Driven. The restless surpasses even the absolute. The eye seeks where there is nothing. Judgement: Danger. The blind know not that they are blinded. The sage knows that he knows not. The sage hesitates. The fool is proud. 51: Courage above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Night, the Relative Image: The shadows do not fade by themselves. Space and time linger. Life may energize. Judgement: Opportunity. The sage pushes forwards. Greatness brings the great deed. Pursue the further. 52: Brashness above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: That which must be known left behind. That which would be known ahead. Before life, Harmony wavers. Judgement: Temperance. The sage leaves not the pillars that hold him. The earth carries the sky. Harmony the circle. 53: The River above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Through ways long set the river runs. The present walks alongside the past. Time is fleeting. Space is still. Judgement: The circle moves in place. Forwards but silent. With force, but without effort. Wild, but still. So does the sage. 54: The Dragon above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Generosity, the Graceful Image: The dragon hoards. He craves the earth. He stems himself against the sky. His hunger is his creed. His creed is his hunger. Judgement: Danger. The fool loses Generosity to Chaos. The sage turns away from the hungering world. For the circle turns, and the richest will be poor. 55: The Trickster above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: Through means beyond the visible, the strong acts. Through the sky, the trickster plays with life. Judgement: Opportunity. Triumph of wit. The sage knows when to play and when to hide. 56: Innovation above Loyalty, the Restless beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: The restless surpasses the stubborn. Sky changes earth. The circle turns. Judgement: Form renewed. Earth in motion. The sage looks to the worldly. 57: True Honesty above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Honesty, the Stubborn Image: Rock. Soil. The earth awakens life. Life holds the earth. Judgement: The circle slows. Little opportunity. The sage seeks to preserve that which is, as does the world around it. 58: The Mountain above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Day, the Absolute Image: The absolute strengthens the stubborn. That which would withstand withstands. Judgement: The sage rages. The mountain holds. The world will push. The sage resists. 59: Memory above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Night, the Relative Image: Through stubbornness, live overcomes the relative. Sky fades. Earth persists. Judgement: Forgotten. Returning. The sage regards the backwards. 60: The Warrior above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Magic, the Enlightened Image: The circle turns from Magic. Sky is fleeting. Life will hold. Judgement: Danger. The path closes. The sage acts swiftly. 61: The Bridge above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Kindness, the Effortless Image: Above the gentle waters stands a sturdy bridge. The wanderer crosses with ease. Judgement: Triumph of unity. Harmony strengthens. The sage does not walk alone. 62: The Gemstone above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Generosity, the Graceful Image: Deep in the earth lies a gleaming gem. The stubborn guards the graceful. Judgement: Tenacity. Triumph of the tireless. The sage breaks the earth to find the stone. The fool reaches for the soft fruit hanging from the tree. 63: Profanity above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Laughter, the Transcendent Image: The stubborn suppresses the transcendent. For now the circle moves in place. Judgement: The sage seeks not the great beyond. Triumph of the small things. Seek the ancient. 64: Strength above Honesty, the Stubborn beneath Loyalty, the Restless Image: With energy, the stubborn forges onward. What is aimed for must be reached. Judgement: Great blessings brings the sage who holds such power well. Woe brings the fool who leaves Loyalty behind.