Seven virtues of rule

From PathfinderWiki
A Sihedron Rune. Each of the seven Thassilonian runes and its associated virtue and reward follows its associated point on the star, clockwise from top: generosity (greed), zeal (sloth), charity (envy), love (lust), humility (pride), kindness (wrath), and temperance (gluttony).

The seven virtues of rule are the ideals of wise governance first articulated by Emperor Xin of the ancient realm of Thassilon in what is today Varisia. They include charity, generosity, humility, kindness, love, temperance, and zeal,12 and were developed from the teachings of the goddess Lissala.3 These virtues were often interpreted in action, such as through eager striving, or love encouraging fertility.4

Xin believed that the seven virtues conferred seven rewards of rule to righteous and wise rulers. The seven rewards eventually became corrupted under the successors of Emperor Xin, the runelords, and transformed into the seven sins or seven vices: greed, lust, pride, gluttony, envy, wrath, and sloth.35 Both the virtues, the sins of rule, and one of the seven Thassilonian schools of magic are associated with each other and represented by the seven-pointed star of Thassilon, the Sihedron Rune.6

Virtue Reward School of magic
Generosity Greed Transmutation
Zeal Sloth Conjuration
Charity Envy Abjuration
Love Lust Enchantment
Humility Pride Illusion
Kindness Wrath Evocation
Temperance Gluttony Necromancy

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. ↑ James Jacobs. “The Shattered Star” in Shards of Sin, 67. Paizo Inc., 2012
  2. ↑ Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition retroactively changed the seven virtues of rule. See Meta:Seven virtues of rule.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wolfgang Baur. “The History of Thassilon” in Burnt Offerings, 74. Paizo Inc., 2007
  4. ↑ James Jacobs. (September 17, 2015). Why the change in the Thassilonian virtues?, Paizo messageboards.
  5. ↑ Joshua Birdsong, et al. “Runelord Archetype” in Rival Academies, 114. Paizo Inc., 2025
  6. ↑ Richard Pett. “Chapter Two: The Skinsaw Murders” in Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition, 74–75. Paizo Inc., 2012
• •
Philosophies of Golarion

Of divinity

Of government

Of nature

Of the occult

Of self-perfection
and honor

Of spirits

Of
distant worlds

See also: Edicts and anathema • Sentience and sapience
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