This week’s reflection was inspired, most directly, by a comment from Linguistic Dragon, regarding my commitment to one (in particular) of my chosen Lenten penances: not playing video games. It’s something I chose to take on in part to be in solidarity with my daughter, who similarly gave up gaming until Easter. You see, last week — on the UDIC Discord server (which you are encouraged to join) — a few people were lightheartedly trying to find loopholes for me which would allow me to play the recently-released Mass Effect: Andromeda ahead of Eastertide, but I wasn’t having any of it…which in turn prompted Linguistic to quip that I had gained Honor points.

Which got me thinking.

Honor, as presented in Ultima lore, is supposed to be the union of Truth and Courage. It’s supposed to be having the courage to stand up for what is true regardless of the personal cost one might incur for doing so. So why do so many of the Honor-related gypsy questions present an example of “honor” that not only does not align with this definition of the Virtue, but often actually contradicts it entirely?

Listen to the Episode

The season of Lent — the (roughly) forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that precede Easter— began on Ash Wednesday (which, this year, fell on March 1st). It will continue until Holy Thursday (April 13th), and will thereafter be followed by the Triduum (comprising Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil). The Easter season then runs for another (roughly) fifty days, ending on Pentecost (June 4th).