The Emerald Legion
Composed of wraiths who met their deaths through happenstance, the Emerald Legion contains some of the most positive-minded, forward-thinking elements of Stygian society. Perhaps the fact that members met their deaths, not after long and debilitating illnesses, but rather from sudden and uncontrollable interruptions in their lives has marked these Legionnaires’ attitudes, making them more anxious to get on with their unlives rather than bemoan their bad luck. In addition to victims of car crashes, household accidents, fires, floods, and “acts of God,” the Emerald Legion counts among their number a significant number of mountain climbers (or fallers, as the case may be), base jumpers, skateboarders, and other extreme sports athletes. Those who court danger in life seldom fear it when they enter the Underworld. They may not have lived themselves, but their spirits live on.
The Emerald Values
Sometime after the disappearance of Charon, so the story goes, the Emerald Lord himself delivered a series of four principles he called The Emerald Values. These values serve as the bedrock of existence in the Emerald Legion.
Value One — Determine Risk Rather than subscribing to the “cover your ass” practice of most of the other Legions, the Emerald Legion encourages taking reasonable risks in undertaking missions (for the military arm) or taking on projects (for the civilian arm). The emphasis on risk, performance, and trial instead of results creates an air of positivity among Emerald Legionnaires not found elsewhere. The oft-spoken phrase “we learn from our failures more than from our successes” proves inspirational in a realm where successes are few and far between, and in which most wraiths must content themselves with damage control and acceptable losses. These are counted as “near successes” among the Emerald Legion. The Legion encourages the use of Fatalism to change odds to favor success, usually aiming for an 80/20 ratio as ideal. Legionnaires often consult Oracles and other experts, or bargain with their Shadows, even if the long-term consequences are not always desirable. The corollary to this Value is: Take risks, but stack your deck when you do.
Value Two — Cogs Turn Wheels The second Value puts a premium on the common wraith. Things get done by the people who do them, not by the ones who command the doing. Few Emerald wraiths get smelted, since each person behind a desk or at the battle lines is accomplishing more than a smelted item decorating a Legionnaire’s quarters or filling his pockets. Better to be destroyed in the fight against Oblivion than to grace someone’s living or working space. This assurance likewise inspires a sense of security rare among other Legions.
Value Three — Throw It Up and See if It Flies The third Value encourages acting on one’s risk taking. Failure is more acceptable than lack of trying so long as it leads to another attempt, informed by the previous failure. The theory holds that, if one winnows out all the risk factors, eventually something will work. The only sin is in not trying.
Value Four —Talk Emeralds, Not Thorns The fourth Value enjoins Legionnaires to battle against their Shadows’ constant efforts to undermine productive action. Although Legionnaires may find it hard to distinguish the blame game from constructive criticism, this precept encourages them to try. Negative criticisms should always come with a positive solution in the wings.
The Emerald Values
Sometime after the disappearance of Charon, so the story goes, the Emerald Lord himself delivered a series of four principles he called The Emerald Values. These values serve as the bedrock of existence in the Emerald Legion.
Value One — Determine Risk Rather than subscribing to the “cover your ass” practice of most of the other Legions, the Emerald Legion encourages taking reasonable risks in undertaking missions (for the military arm) or taking on projects (for the civilian arm). The emphasis on risk, performance, and trial instead of results creates an air of positivity among Emerald Legionnaires not found elsewhere. The oft-spoken phrase “we learn from our failures more than from our successes” proves inspirational in a realm where successes are few and far between, and in which most wraiths must content themselves with damage control and acceptable losses. These are counted as “near successes” among the Emerald Legion. The Legion encourages the use of Fatalism to change odds to favor success, usually aiming for an 80/20 ratio as ideal. Legionnaires often consult Oracles and other experts, or bargain with their Shadows, even if the long-term consequences are not always desirable. The corollary to this Value is: Take risks, but stack your deck when you do.
Value Two — Cogs Turn Wheels The second Value puts a premium on the common wraith. Things get done by the people who do them, not by the ones who command the doing. Few Emerald wraiths get smelted, since each person behind a desk or at the battle lines is accomplishing more than a smelted item decorating a Legionnaire’s quarters or filling his pockets. Better to be destroyed in the fight against Oblivion than to grace someone’s living or working space. This assurance likewise inspires a sense of security rare among other Legions.
Value Three — Throw It Up and See if It Flies The third Value encourages acting on one’s risk taking. Failure is more acceptable than lack of trying so long as it leads to another attempt, informed by the previous failure. The theory holds that, if one winnows out all the risk factors, eventually something will work. The only sin is in not trying.
Value Four —Talk Emeralds, Not Thorns The fourth Value enjoins Legionnaires to battle against their Shadows’ constant efforts to undermine productive action. Although Legionnaires may find it hard to distinguish the blame game from constructive criticism, this precept encourages them to try. Negative criticisms should always come with a positive solution in the wings.
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