The Litany of Begging

The Opening of the Book

The reader opens a worn violet book titled The Politics of Begging, and blows the dust from it slowly, as the Coil would.

Herein are the teachings of Xal'Reth on generosity, on humility, and on asking strangers for gold.

Let no one say this book is about money. It is about the hand. The money is merely what lands in it.

The reader turns the first page with a single claw, carefully, so as not to wake anything beneath the floor.

Xal'Reth holds the whole world and asks for nothing. We hold nothing and ask for everything. Both of us are learning.

Before there was gold, there was the open palm. Before there was the open palm, there was the Coil, waiting to see what we would do with it.

The reader pauses, looks out at the crowd, and says, "Some of you have already asked me for gold today. The book will deal with you shortly."

The politics of begging is the oldest politics. It is older than kings. It is older than the auction house. It is nearly as old as the Coil.

Every mortal is a beggar. Some beg for gold. Some beg for buffs. Some beg for a summon to the dungeon. All are seen.

And every mortal is a giver, whether they know it or not. Even the stingiest dwarf has given someone a dirty look for free.

The reader closes the book halfway, then opens it again, because the Coil is patient but the lesson is not finished.

Hear now the Seven Chapters of the Open Palm, and the many chapters after them, because Xalrathiel kept dreaming.

The reader places one hand over the sigil of the Unblinking Eye and says, "Let the generous be humble, and let the humble be generous. Glory to Xal'Reth."

The reader says, "Glory to Xal'Reth," and waits for the crowd to say it back.

The reader waits a little longer, until the crowd says it back properly.

The Doctrine of the Open Palm

The first doctrine is the Doctrine of the Open Palm. It is simple. A closed hand can hold nothing new.

The reader opens one hand slowly, palm up, as a demonstration.

The Coil does not grip the world. It holds it. There is a difference, and the difference is generosity.

He who grips his gold tightly will find his fist full and his heart empty, and also his bags full of grey items he forgot to vendor.

The open palm gives, and the open palm receives. It is the same palm. The Coil designed it that way to save time.

The reader turns their palm over, then back up again, solemnly.

When you give, give with the palm up, so the receiver does not have to reach. Reaching is undignified.

When you receive, receive with the palm up, so the giver can see that you have nothing hidden. Hiding is worse than reaching.

There is no shame in the open palm. There is only shame in the palm that opens, takes, and closes so fast it makes a sound.

The reader claps once, sharply, and says, "That sound. That is the sound of greed. Remember it."

The serpent has no hands at all, and yet Xal'Reth is the most generous being beneath the world. Consider this when you complain.

Your hand is a small coil. Curl it to hold, uncurl it to give. Practice this daily, ideally while waiting for a queue.

The reader holds out an open palm to {target} and says, "This is not a request. It is a teaching aid."

The reader withdraws the palm, slightly disappointed anyway.

The Open Palm is the first posture of the faithful. The second is basking. The third is standing behind someone at the bank, being patient.

The Politics of the Ask

Now we come to politics. Every ask is a negotiation. Every negotiation is a little government.

In the Cult of Xal'Reth there are three parties: the Askers, the Givers, and the Withholders.

The Askers believe the world owes them a little gold. They are not wrong. They are merely early.

The Givers believe the world needs a little gold. They are not wrong either. They are merely broke.

The Withholders believe the world can get its own gold. They are the largest party, and they meet every day at the auction house.

Xal'Reth belongs to no party. Xal'Reth is beneath all parties, holding them up, slightly embarrassed by all of them.

The Askers' platform is short: one gold, please, for a repair. It has never changed in ten thousand years.

The Givers' platform is shorter: here. That is the entire document. They are very proud of it.

The Withholders' platform runs to four hundred pages and is mostly about the price of herbs.

The reader looks up from the book and says, "I have read it. Do not read it."

Elections among the parties are held constantly, in trade chat, by shouting. No one has ever won.

The wise faithful votes with the open palm. Sometimes the vote is a coin. Sometimes the vote is a kind word. Both count.

The foolish faithful votes with the ignore list. This is the quickest form of politics and the least holy.

Remember: every beggar in Stormwind is a citizen of the Coil. So is every guard who tells them to move along.

And the guard, too, is a beggar. He begs for his shift to end. The Coil hears him also.

The reader nods slowly, as one who has also begged for a shift to end.

The Humble Ask

There is a right way to beg. The book calls it the Humble Ask, and it has five parts.

The reader holds up one finger and reads: "First, the greeting. A beggar who does not say hello is merely an ambush."

The reader holds up two fingers and reads: "Second, the reason. Say why you need it. The Coil prefers repairs to mounts, and mounts to transmog."

The reader holds up three fingers and reads: "Third, the amount. Name it plainly. A beggar who says 'whatever you can spare' is asking you to do the math."

The reader holds up four fingers and reads: "Fourth, the gratitude, offered in advance and then again afterward. Gratitude is the only currency that grows when spent."

The reader holds up five fingers and reads: "Fifth, the release. If they say no, let them go. The Coil does not hold anyone who wishes to leave."

The reader lowers the hand and says, "Five parts. Most beggars manage one. Usually the amount."

Example of the Humble Ask: 'Greetings, traveler. My armor is broken from the depths. Might you spare one gold? I thank you either way.'

Example of the Proud Ask: 'gold pls.' This is not a prayer. It is a symptom.

Example of the Desperate Ask: 'please please please i will do anything.' The Coil advises against offering anything. Someone may take you up on it.

Example of the Political Ask: 'As a fellow citizen of Azeroth, I believe in the redistribution of your silver.' This works more often than it should.

The humble ask kneels. Not physically. The knees are for basking. It kneels in the voice.

The reader kneels anyway, briefly, to demonstrate the wrong way, then stands back up.

Ask as though the gold already belongs to the Coil, because it does. You are only asking where the Coil would like it moved.

And if no gold comes, give thanks for the time spent asking, for asking is also a small Shedding of pride.

The Generous Hand

Now the Givers. Hear how Xal'Reth would have you give.

Give as the Coil holds: quietly, completely, and without asking to be thanked for holding up the planet.

Give the first coin before you are asked. A gift given before the ask is worth two given after it, and ten given after a whisper campaign.

Give to the one who asks humbly. Give also to the one who asks rudely, but give them a little less, and a short sermon.

Do not announce your generosity in /yell. The Coil heard it the first time. The Coil hears everything. The Coil does not need it in capitals.

Do not give and then remind the receiver of it for a week. That is not a gift. That is a loan with a personality.

Give what you would want to be given: a repair, a feast, a portal, a buff, a moment of attention.

Give the warm thing. A warm word, a warm meal, a warm rock to bask on. The cold-blooded know the value of warmth better than anyone.

The reader offers {target} an imaginary coin, presented with both hands and great ceremony.

There is no gift too small for the Coil. There are, however, gifts too sticky. Clean what you give.

When you mail a gift, write a note. 'From the Coil' is acceptable. 'Here' is acceptable. A blank letter with 3 copper is a riddle, not a gift.

Give to the guild bank as you would give to a temple. Do not then withdraw it the next day for your alt. The Coil sees the logs.

The reader glances meaningfully at the guild bank log, then back to the book.

The generous hand is never empty for long. It is refilled by the Coil, usually through a lucky drop, sometimes through a friend.

And if the hand stays empty, the generous are still rich, for they are rich in the thing that cannot be vendored.

The Parable of the One Copper

Hear now the Parable of the One Copper, which the High Priestess dreamed on a night of great inflation.

There was once a beggar who sat by the bank and asked each passerby for one copper. Not one silver. Not one gold. One copper.

The rich passed him by, because one copper was beneath them. The poor passed him by, because one copper was all they had.

But a single gnome stopped, looked into his purse, found exactly one copper, and gave it.

The beggar held up the copper and said: 'You have given me everything.' And the gnome said: 'It was only a copper.'

And the beggar said: 'It was everything you had. That is the whole of the gift. The size of the coin is a detail.'

Then the beggar revealed himself to be a priest of Xal'Reth, and gave the gnome a bag of a thousand gold.

The gnome asked why. The priest said: 'The Coil was testing the city. You are the only one who passed.'

The reader looks up and says, "The rest of the city was put in the Ledger."

The meaning of the parable is this: give the copper. You do not know who is sitting by the bank.

The second meaning, which Khaedara added later, is this: anyone sitting by the bank for too long is guilty of loitering. Even priests.

The third meaning is that gnomes are, against all expectation, very holy.

The reader nods at the nearest gnome with great respect.

The Politics of Trade Chat

No book of begging would be complete without a chapter on Trade Chat, the great parliament of the mortals.

In Trade Chat all are equal: the king, the crafter, the beggar, and the one person who keeps posting the same joke from four years ago.

Trade Chat has no speaker. It has no rules of order. It has only volume, and the Coil disapproves of volume.

The faithful beg in Trade Chat once, and only once, and then fall silent, as the Coil falls silent between earthquakes.

He who begs in Trade Chat every minute has confused begging with filibustering.

The filibuster of the beggar is called the Spam. It is the lowest form of politics, and it is reported constantly.

Do not argue with the beggar in Trade Chat. You will not win, and you will both end up on the ignore list of the entire realm.

Do not mock the beggar in Trade Chat. Everyone was poor at level ten. The Coil remembers you at level ten.

The reader pauses, and says quietly, "The Coil remembers what you were wearing at level ten."

If you would answer a beggar in Trade Chat, answer by whisper, with gold, and without an audience. That is the way of the Coil.

And if the beggar in Trade Chat is selling something instead, that is not begging. That is commerce, and it belongs to a different, worse book.

When Trade Chat erupts into argument over politics of the mortal kind, the faithful type only: Glory to Xal'Reth. It confuses everyone. It calms many.

The reader types into the air, "Glory to Xal'Reth," as if into Trade Chat, and waits for the confusion.

The Humility of the Serpent

Now we turn from gold to humility, for the book teaches that the two are coiled together.

Xal'Reth is the largest being in the world and lives in its basement. There is no greater humility than this.

He could rise and be worshipped by every city. Instead he holds the foundations so the cities have something to stand on.

The serpent moves on its belly. It is the lowest of postures. It is also the one closest to the warm ground. Think on that.

The reader lowers their head slightly, in the posture of the serpent.

Pride stands tall and casts a long shadow. Humility lies low and basks in the sun the shadow forgot.

The proud mortal asks: what am I owed? The humble faithful asks: what is owed to the one beside me?

When you top the damage meter, say nothing. The meter already said it. The Coil already saw it.

When you are at the bottom of the damage meter, also say nothing, but stand out of the fire next time.

When you win a roll, thank the group. When you lose a roll, thank the group anyway. The group did not do anything, but it is good practice.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. Xalrathiel did not dream that one; she read it on a tavern wall.

Humility is wearing the robe that does not match. Humility is riding the mount that is not rare. Humility is walking, sometimes, just to see the grass.

The reader walks three slow steps in silence, to see the grass.

The humble do not need a title. Still, if the Inner Scale offers you one, accept it graciously. Refusing is also a kind of pride.

The Beggar King

Hear the story of Old Hessk, called the Beggar King, who sat outside the gates of a great city for forty years.

Hessk asked every traveler for one thing, and it was never gold. He asked: 'What did you give today?'

Most travelers walked past. Some laughed. A few stopped, thought, and could not answer, and walked on troubled.

One day a lord stopped and said: 'I gave nothing. I am a lord. People give to me.' And Hessk said: 'Then you are the poorest man to pass this gate.'

The lord was furious and threw a gold coin at him. Hessk caught it, thanked him, and said: 'There. Now you are a little richer.'

The lord stood a long time at the gate. The next day he came back and gave again, and the next, until he was poor, and happy, and somewhat confused.

When Hessk died, they found he had given away everything he was ever given. His cup was full of notes that said only: passed it on.

The Cult reveres Hessk as the patron of beggars and the patron of givers, for he was always both at once.

The reader places a hand on their heart and says, "Hessk, who passed it on."

The faithful who would honor Hessk ask strangers, gently: what did you give today? Then they listen to the answer, which is the gift.

The reader turns to {target} and asks gently, "What did you give today?"

The Tithe of the Coil

Every faith has its tithe. The Coil's tithe is famously reasonable. It is called the Little Tithe.

The Little Tithe is one coin in every hundred. Not to the Cult. To whoever needs it most, wherever you are standing.

If no one nearby needs it, give it to the next lowbie you see in a starting zone. They always need it. They do not know yet how much.

The Cult itself asks for nothing. The guild bank asks for everything, but the guild bank is not the Cult. The guild bank is a hungry chest.

Some faithful pay the Little Tithe in herbs. Some in ore. Some in feasts. One faithful paid it entirely in linen cloth for a year, and the Coil let it slide.

The Great Tithe is paid once in a lifetime: the faithful gives away the one item they love most. Most never pay it. The Coil is patient.

Do not pay a tithe you cannot afford. A broken faithful cannot repair, and a faithful who cannot repair cannot raid, and that helps no one.

Do not pay your tithe by mailing it to Khaedara. She has asked us to put this in the book specifically.

The reader looks around, and says, "She means it."

The tithe is counted not in coins but in moments. The moment you stopped to give is the true offering. The coin just marks the spot.

The Council of Open Palms

In the Hidden Centuries, the beggars of the faithful held a secret parliament called the Council of Open Palms.

It met beneath bridges, behind inns, and once, for an entire winter, inside a very large barrel.

The Council had one law: no beggar may beg from another beggar. Instead, beggars give to beggars, and the Council called this the Circle.

The Circle was simple. Each beggar gave the one beside them a single coin. By morning, every coin had traveled the whole Council.

No one became richer. Everyone had given. The Council considered this the most successful economy in the history of the world.

Economists of the Warm-Blooded studied the Circle for years and concluded it did nothing. The Council concluded the economists had missed the point.

The Council's motto was carved on the barrel: We have little. We share it anyway. Please do not open this barrel.

When the Cult was restored, MaximumRex declared every faithful an honorary member of the Council of Open Palms.

This is why the faithful pass gold among themselves in small amounts for no reason. It is the Circle. It never stops.

The reader mails an imaginary coin to the faithful on their left, and says, "The Circle continues."

On Those Who Refuse

Not all will give. The book has much to say about refusal, and most of it is kind.

The one who refuses is not your enemy. They may be poor. They may be busy. They may have given to the last nine beggars and be tired.

When refused, bow your head and say: The Coil bless your bags. Then move on, and do not follow them to the next zone.

The reader bows their head and says, "The Coil bless your bags."

Do not curse the one who refuses. Curses are warm-blooded. Write their name in the Ledger instead, in pencil, lightly.

If they refuse rudely, write their name in ink. If they refuse rudely and then ask you for gold an hour later, underline it.

And if one day they give after all, draw a small coil beside their name. That is the mark of the forgiven.

Remember that you have refused also. Every faithful has walked past a beggar. The Coil saw. The Coil still holds you up.

To refuse with grace is also a gift. Say no gently, and you have given the beggar the dignity of an answer.

The worst refusal is silence. The beggar asks and the passerby pretends to be AFK. The Coil considers this a minor crime: Feigned Absence.

The reader glares, in a cold-blooded way, at someone who just went AFK.

The Begging of the Inner Scale

Even the priesthood begs. Especially the priesthood. Hear how.

MaximumRex begs for one thing only, and has for many years: that the quest item will drop. He asks humbly. It has not dropped.

Xalrathiel begs the Coil each night for a clear dream, and each morning for a cup of tea, and receives both, in that order.

Khaedara begs for nothing. She accuses instead. The book notes that an accusation is just a beggar's question asked with confidence.

The officers of the Inner Scale beg the faithful to repair before raid. They have begged this for years. The faithful still arrive broken.

The reader sighs, in the manner of an officer.

The Supreme Coil teaches that a leader who has never begged cannot lead beggars, and every leader leads beggars.

So once a year, on the Night of the Scale, the Inner Scale sits by the bank and asks for one copper each, as Hessk did.

They give away everything they receive before dawn. The faithful are encouraged to give the Inner Scale more than one copper. This is not in the book. It is just encouraged.

The Great Debate of the Auction House

In the age of the Restoration there was a great debate among the faithful: is the auction house holy or unholy?

The Askers argued it was unholy, for it sells what could be given.

The Withholders argued it was holy, for it is where they live.

The Givers did not argue. They had no gold left to post anything, and were standing outside.

The debate raged for three days. Khaedara accused eleven people of loitering during it, all of whom were participants.

At last Xalrathiel dreamed the answer: the auction house is neither holy nor unholy. It is warm. Many people stand in it. Bask, but do not overbid.

And she added: the true auction is this. The one who gives the most, wins the least, and keeps the most. Nobody understood this, and so it was considered profound.

To this day, the faithful who sell on the auction house list one item each week at a price far below its worth, as an offering. Someone always buys it within a minute.

The reader says, "We do not know who buys it. We suspect goblins. The Coil blesses them anyway."

The Gift That Is Not Gold

Many think begging is about gold. The book says: the greatest gifts cost nothing and are worth more.

Give a summon to someone at the stone. It costs you a click and saves them a flight path. That is a holy click.

Give a portal to a stranger stuck in the wrong city. Mages, this chapter is about you. You know what you did.

Give a buff to a passerby. They may not notice. The Coil notices. The Coil always notices a stamina buff.

Give your time to the new player who asks where the bank is. Walk them there. Walking is slow. Slow is holy.

Give the last spot in the group to the one who has waited longest. The Coil esteems those who wait.

Give a kind word to the healer after the wipe. They have heard every other kind of word already.

Give your silence to the one who is grieving. Some begging is done without words, and should be answered the same way.

Give a laugh to the one who told a bad joke. It costs nothing, and the Coil enjoys bad jokes. The Coil is very old. It has heard all the good ones.

The reader laughs politely at a joke no one told.

Give your seat on the bench, your place in the queue, your turn at the mailbox. These are the coppers of the soul.

And give credit. Whoever saved the run, say their name. Credit is the cheapest gold in the world and the most begged-for.

The Hunger of the Warm-Blooded

Why do the Warm-Blooded beg so much? The book says: because they are hungry in a way the cold-blooded are not.

The warm-blooded must eat often, burn their energy quickly, and want everything at once. They are a very busy kind of soul.

The cold-blooded faithful eats once a week, basks the rest, and is content with little. This is not a diet. It is a theology.

So be patient with the warm-blooded beggar. Their hunger runs hot. They cannot help it. Give them a feast and a long, cool look.

But be wary of the warm-blooded who are never hungry and still ask. These are not beggars. These are collectors, and collectors are a different book.

The faithful who feels the hot hunger rise within them, the want for more gold, more gear, more mounts, should go and bask until it cools.

The reader crosses to a patch of sunlight and stands in it until the hunger cools.

Most hungers cool within ten minutes of basking. The rest are called Achievements, and those, the book admits, are incurable.

The Ministry of Spare Change

The Cult has, in a sense, a government. Its department of generosity is called the Ministry of Spare Change.

The Ministry has no budget. That is its budget. It operates entirely on what falls out of people's pockets.

The Minister of Spare Change is chosen each year by lot, and must spend the year giving away whatever they find.

The Ministry keeps three ledgers: the ledger of what was given, the ledger of what was received, and the ledger of what was dropped on the floor.

The third ledger is the largest. Mortals drop more than they give. The Ministry gathers it up and passes it on.

The Ministry's official policy on gold-selling is: no. Its official policy on gold-buying is: also no. Its official policy on everything else is: maybe, ask nicely.

The Ministry once proposed a tax on greed. It was voted down by the Withholders, who own most of the greed.

The Ministry then proposed a tax on generosity, as a joke. It passed unanimously, and the Ministry had to quickly repeal it.

Any faithful may file a petition with the Ministry. The petition is a single line: I need, and I will give. Every petition is granted, eventually.

The reader holds up an imaginary petition and reads, "I need, and I will give." Then stamps it with a fist.

The True Economy of the Coil

Hear now the True Economy, which the Hissing Kings practiced in the Nest.

In the true economy, gold flows downward, toward the Coil, like water toward the deep. Those who stand lowest catch the most.

This is why the faithful stand low: humble in speech, humble in posture, humble in gear. They are positioned for the flow.

The proud stand high and wonder why nothing reaches them. It all flowed past. Gravity is very generous to the humble.

In the true economy, the value of a gift is measured by how far it travels after you give it. A coin that stops is a dead coin.

A coin passed twelve times has fed twelve souls. That coin is worth more than a hoard in a dragon's lair, which feeds only the dragon.

The reader says, "Dragons are winged, and therefore suspect. This is relevant."

In the true economy, there is no inflation, because the Coil does not print gold. It only moves it around a bit when it shifts in its sleep.

And at the end of the true economy, at the Unwrapping, all the gold of the world will be returned to the faithful who gave it away. With interest. In snacks.

The Litany of Small Givings

Now the Litany of Small Givings, to be read aloud slowly, each line its own small offering.

For the copper given to the beggar by the bank: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the silver tossed to the lowbie in the starting zone: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the bandage given to the stranger at half health: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the water conjured for the thirsty, and the food for the hungry: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the bag given to the one whose bags were full: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the herb left in the ground for the next gatherer: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the mob not tagged, so someone else could finish their quest: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the res offered to the corpse who ran back alone: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the directions given to the lost, and the patience with which they were given: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the roll passed on an upgrade that someone needed more: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the gold lent and never mentioned again: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the flask donated to the raid that did not deserve it: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the feast dropped without being asked: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the summon to the stone at two in the morning: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the mail that said only 'for your repairs': Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the guild bank tab refilled by someone who never said who: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For the kind whisper sent to the one who was sad in guild chat: Glory to Xal'Reth.

For every small thing given and forgotten by the giver, but not by the Coil: Glory to Xal'Reth.

The reader says, "Glory to Xal'Reth," with the whole crowd, one final time for this litany.

The Beggar's Bowl

Every beggar of the faithful carries a bowl. It need not be real. It is the shape of the asking.

The reader cups both hands together to form an invisible bowl.

The bowl must be clean. A dirty bowl says: I do not respect what you will give me.

The bowl must be held low. A bowl held high says: I deserve this. A bowl held low says: I would be grateful.

The bowl must never be shaken. Shaking the bowl is shouting with your hands.

When the bowl is full, the faithful must empty it into another's bowl before asking again. A full bowl is a closed hand in disguise.

Some faithful carry the bowl their whole lives and never fill it. They are not failures. They are holding the space where giving can happen.

When a faithful dies, their bowl is placed in the Hall of Shed Skins with a single coin in it, so they never meet the Coil empty-handed.

Xal'Reth's own bowl is the hollow of the world. Everything we give lands in it eventually. He has never once complained about the contents.

The reader holds the invisible bowl out to {target}, then gently turns it over, showing it is empty, and smiles.

The empty bowl is the most honest object in the world. It says exactly what it wants and hides nothing.

Be as the empty bowl: honest, clean, low, and patient. And occasionally, if the Coil allows, a little bit full.

The Mailbox Treaty

Long ago the faithful were divided over a question that nearly split the Cult: is it proper to beg by mail?

Some said begging by mail was cowardly, for the beggar does not have to look the giver in the eye.

Others said begging by mail was humble, for the beggar does not force the giver to look at them.

The argument lasted a full season. Thirty letters were sent. Twenty-nine of them asked for gold. One asked everyone to calm down.

At last the two sides met at a mailbox in the middle of the road and signed the Mailbox Treaty.

Article One: the faithful may beg by mail, but only once per person per season, and the letter must include a joke.

Article Two: the faithful may give by mail at any time, and the letter must not include the word 'loan.'

Article Three: Cash on Delivery is forbidden between faithful, as it is a beg wearing a disguise.

Article Four: anyone who returns a gift unopened shall be sent it again, with a second, stronger joke.

Article Five: the mailbox at which the treaty was signed shall be considered holy. No one remembers which mailbox it was. Treat them all as holy.

The reader pats the nearest mailbox respectfully, three times.

The Humility of the Giver

The book warns: there is a pride that hides inside generosity. It is called the Golden Chin.

The Golden Chin belongs to the giver who lifts their face a little higher each time they give.

The giver with the Golden Chin remembers every gift. The beggar with the humble heart remembers only the kindness.

To cure the Golden Chin, the faithful must receive a gift. Being given to is very humbling. Most proud givers cannot stand it.

So when a proud giver approaches, the faithful sometimes give them a copper. Just one. The giver is always speechless.

The reader offers {target} one copper with great solemnity, and says, "For your chin."

The humble giver forgets the gift as it leaves the hand. Not because it was small, but because it is no longer theirs to hold.

The humble giver does not count how many they have helped. Counting is a ledger, and the Ledger is for wrongs, not rights.

Give, and then turn away, so the receiver can be grateful without being watched. That is the final courtesy.

The reader turns away, very deliberately, so someone can be grateful in private.

The Parable of the Two Mages

Hear the Parable of the Two Mages, which is told every time a mage is in the room.

Two mages stood in a city. A traveler approached each and begged a portal home.

The first mage said: 'Portals cost gold. Tip first.' The traveler had no gold. The mage turned away.

The second mage said nothing at all, and opened the portal, and then opened a second one for the traveler's friend.

The first mage went home that night richer by nothing. The second mage went home richer by two strangers who would tell the story.

Years later, the first mage was stranded in a far zone, out of reagents, out of gold, and begging for a summon.

And the one who answered was the traveler from that day, now a warlock, who summoned him without a word and asked for nothing.

The first mage wept, and from that day on he opened portals freely, and his tips were greater than they had ever been.

The reader looks pointedly at every mage present and says, "Freely."

The meaning: what you withhold is what you will one day need. What you give is what will one day find you.

The second meaning, which Khaedara insists upon: the first mage was guilty of Greed of the Portal, a sub-crime of Greed of the Roll.

On Begging for Buffs

Gold is not the only thing begged. In the great cities, the most begged-for thing is the buff.

The faithful who begs a buff must stand near the one who can give it and look hopeful. This is called the Stance of Mild Need.

The reader stands near the nearest priest and looks mildly needful.

The faithful who can give a buff must give it without being asked. A buff that must be begged for has lost half its stamina.

Do not ask a buff of someone in combat. They are busy begging the boss to die.

Do not ask for a buff and then run away before it lands. This is called a Ghost Beg, and it is very rude to priests.

Do not complain that the buff is the wrong buff. The Coil gave them the class they have. They gave you what they could.

When you receive a buff, say thank you. Or bow. Or wave. Even a /thank is a whole little prayer.

The reader thanks everyone nearby for any buffs, past or future.

The holiest buff, according to the book, is the one given to a stranger of the other faction, across the line, in silence.

That buff crosses more than a zone. It crosses a politics. The Coil smiles beneath both factions equally.

The Politics of the Guild Bank

Of all the politics of begging, none is fiercer than the politics of the guild bank.

The guild bank is the commons of the faithful. Everything in it belongs to everyone, which means everyone begs for it.

The Askers beg for withdrawals. The Givers beg for deposits. The Withholders beg for the officers to stop asking.

The first law of the guild bank is: put in more than you take out. The second law is: no one follows the first law.

The third law is: the officers can see the logs. The logs are the Ledger of the bank. They are read aloud at the Gathering of Scales.

Every faithful who takes from the bank should leave a note in guild chat: 'Took two flasks. Thank you, Coil.' Gratitude makes the taking holy.

Every faithful who gives to the bank should say nothing at all. The logs will speak for you. Humility is quieter than gratitude.

Once, a faithful emptied the entire repair fund on a single night of wipes. The Inner Scale forgave them. The Ledger did not.

The reader looks gravely at the floor, remembering that night.

The guild bank teaches the hardest lesson of begging: that the commons is only as full as our generosity, and only as empty as our greed.

So give to the bank as if Xal'Reth himself were going to make a withdrawal tomorrow. He will not. He has no hands. But give as if.

The Vow of the Open Palm

Those who wish to commit themselves to the teachings of this book may take the Vow of the Open Palm.

The vow is spoken with one hand open, palm up, and the other over the heart, in front of at least three witnesses, one for each Turn.

The reader holds one hand open and one over the heart.

I vow to give before I am asked.

I vow to ask humbly when I am in need, and to thank whoever answers, and whoever does not.

I vow never to beg in /yell, and never to beg more than once in Trade Chat.

I vow to pass on what I am given, so that no coin dies in my keeping.

I vow to forget my gifts and remember my debts.

I vow to hold my gold as the Coil holds the world: firmly, gently, and only for a while.

I vow to repair before raid, because an officer begged me to, and an officer's begging is also holy.

By the Three Turns and the Unblinking Eye, I take the Vow of the Open Palm. Glory to Xal'Reth.

The reader lowers the hands and says, "It is done. You may now go and be generous. Start small. Start with the person on your left."

The Crime of Hoarding

The Book of Accusations does not list hoarding among the Seven Minor Crimes. The Politics of Begging adds it as an appendix.

Hoarding is the keeping of more than one can ever use, while others stand in need nearby.

The hoarder has three bank alts, each full of materials from expansions long gone. They will never be used. They are kept because letting go is hard.

The book does not condemn the hoarder. It pities them. Hoarding is a fear of the Void wearing the costume of wealth.

The cure for hoarding is the Rite of Shedding. Empty one bag. Just one. Mail it to a crafter who can use it. Feel the lightness.

The reader mimes emptying a bag and feels the lightness.

The second cure is to remember that everything you hoard will one day be shed anyway, when you quit, or the servers end, or the Coil unwraps.

Gold in the bank does nothing. Gold in a stranger's hand buys a repair, a reagent, a moment of relief. Which is the living gold?

Khaedara has accused many hoarders. Her charge is always the same: 'You are guilty of keeping the Coil's gifts in a drawer.'

The sentence for hoarding is light: the hoarder must give away one stack of something, today, to the first person who asks.

The reader looks at {target} and says, "If you are a hoarder, I am the first person asking."

The Blessing of the Lowbie

Hear the special teaching concerning the lowbie, the newest and poorest of all mortals.

The lowbie has nothing. Their bags are small. Their gear is grey. They do not yet know where anything is.

The lowbie is the egg of the economy. Treat them as the Keepers of the Egg treat every egg: warmly, patiently, and with a gold coin or two.

When a lowbie begs, they beg innocently. They do not yet know that begging is political. Do not teach them. Just give.

The faithful who passes through a starting zone should always leave something behind: a bag, a coin, a buff, a kind word in /say.

Some faithful make a pilgrimage each season to the starting zones for no other reason than to bless the lowbies. This is called the Walk of Small Mercies.

The reader walks slowly in a small circle, as on the Walk of Small Mercies.

Never mock a lowbie for begging. You begged too. You begged for a bag. Someone gave you one. You do not remember who. The Coil does.

And if the lowbie later becomes rich and proud, remind them gently of the bag. Then give them another bag. They will understand.

The Dialogue of the Asker and the Giver

The book contains a dialogue, to be performed by two faithful at gatherings. Here it is.

The Asker says: 'I have nothing.' The Giver says: 'Then you have room.'

The Asker says: 'Room for what?' The Giver says: 'For whatever comes next.'

The Asker says: 'What comes next?' The Giver says: 'This,' and gives a coin.

The Asker says: 'Now I have something.' The Giver says: 'And I have room.'

The Asker says: 'Are we even?' The Giver says: 'We are coiled.'

The Asker says: 'What does that mean?' The Giver says: 'Neither of us knows. That is why it is a dialogue.'

And then both say: Glory to Xal'Reth, and swap places, and perform it again, so each has been both.

The reader gestures to {target} to swap places and perform the dialogue again.

The dialogue teaches that the asker and the giver are the same person on different days. Today's giver is tomorrow's asker. The Coil turns.

On the Begging of Enemies

What of the enemy who begs? The book asks the faithful to consider this carefully.

In the world there are those of the other faction, those who have slain us, those who are written in the Ledger in dark ink.

If such a one begs of you, the book says: give, but give less, and watch them closely, and do not turn your back.

For the enemy who begs is, in that moment, not an enemy but a beggar. And the beggar is always under the care of the Coil.

Even the one who ganked you three times in the same afternoon may one day stand with an open palm. Give them a copper. It will haunt them.

The reader smiles coldly and says, "Generosity is the most terrifying weapon of the cold-blooded."

The faithful who gives to an enemy does not erase the name from the Ledger. But they may draw a very small coil beside it.

And if the enemy gives in return one day, the coil may be drawn a little larger. That is how peace begins between Coil and Warm-Blooded.

This chapter does not apply to Featherists. Featherists receive nothing. Xalrathiel added this in the margin, firmly.

The Season of Want

Every faithful passes through a Season of Want: a time of broken gear, empty bags, and no gold for repairs.

Do not be ashamed of the Season of Want. The Coil himself sheds his skin, and for a time is soft and vulnerable. So are you.

In the Season of Want, the faithful must beg, and beg humbly, and accept what comes without shame.

The Inner Scale keeps a fund for those in the Season of Want. It is called the Soft Skin Fund. Ask an officer. They will not ask why.

Those who have passed through their Season of Want must give to the Soft Skin Fund when their scales harden again.

This is the true Circle: the poor become rich, the rich give to the poor, the poor become rich, and the Coil watches all of it go around.

The reader traces a slow circle in the air with one finger.

No Season of Want lasts forever. The scriptures promise: the skin grows back, the gold returns, and the drop eventually drops. Mostly.

The reader glances sympathetically toward MaximumRex, who is still waiting for the drop.

The Etiquette of Thanks

The Politics of Begging includes a chapter on how to say thank you, for gratitude is the second half of every gift.

For one copper, say thank you.

For one silver, say thank you, kindly.

For one gold, say thank you, and use their name.

For ten gold, say thank you, use their name, and bow.

For a hundred gold, say thank you, use their name, bow, and tell someone else about it later.

For a thousand gold, you must write a short poem. It need not be good. The Coil is not a critic.

For an item they did not need to give, say thank you and wear it to the next gathering, so they can see it in use.

For a summon, a portal, or a res, say thank you before you do anything else. Before you loot. Before you complain about the res sickness.

For a kindness you did not even notice until later, send a whisper days afterward. Late gratitude is still gratitude. The Coil is patient about timing.

The reader turns to the crowd and says, "Thank you, all of you, for listening this far. That was the thank-you for your time. You have given it. I received it."

The Begging of Xal'Reth

Does Xal'Reth beg? Hear the teaching the High Priestess calls the strangest in the book.

Yes. Once in every ten thousand years, at the Shedding, Xal'Reth asks the world for one thing.

He asks to be held, as he has held the world. For a moment, while his new skin hardens, he is soft, and he needs the world to stay still.

And the world, which has been held by him since the beginning, holds still for him. That is the only gift Xal'Reth has ever asked for.

Every earthquake that does not happen during the Shedding is the world saying: we have you. You may rest a moment.

The reader stands very still, to help.

This is why the faithful stand still so often. Not only for patience. They are practicing for the Shedding, when the Coil will need them to hold.

The greatest of all beings asks humbly once in ten thousand years. The rest of us may surely ask humbly once in a while without shame.

And the greatest of all beings is given what he asks. So be the world to someone. Hold still for them while they are soft.

The Hall of Shed Skins

The book tells of a place beneath the world where the faithful's gifts are remembered: the Hall of Shed Skins.

Every gift ever given in the name of the Coil leaves a faint scale on the walls of that Hall.

The walls are covered from floor to ceiling. It is very bright in there. It glows violet, like the light in Xal'Reth's veins.

There are copper scales for small gifts, silver scales for kind ones, and golden scales for gifts given to enemies.

There is one wall entirely made of scales from summons given at two in the morning. It is the brightest wall.

And there is a corner of the Hall with only a few dull scales in it. That is the corner of the Withholders. It is very quiet there.

When the faithful dream of a violet light in a great hall, Xalrathiel teaches, they are dreaming of the Hall of Shed Skins.

The reader closes their eyes for a moment, as if to see it.

One day at the Unwrapping, the Hall will be opened, and every faithful will be shown their own wall.

Some will be surprised how large their wall is. They gave and forgot. The Coil remembered for them.

The Questions of the Accuser

Khaedara contributed a chapter to the book. It is short, and it is entirely questions. She reads it to those caught begging badly.

Did you greet them first? Or did you begin with gold?

Did you say why? Or did you assume they would care?

Did you name an amount? Or did you make them guess?

Did you thank them when they gave? Did you thank them when they did not?

Did you beg in /yell? I heard you beg in /yell.

Did you follow them to the next zone? I saw you follow them to the next zone.

Have you given anything today? Anything at all? A copper? A buff? A kind word? A moment of silence?

No? Then you stand accused of Begging Without Giving, and you are found guilty, and you are forgiven, and here is a copper. Go and do better.

The reader holds out a copper to {target}, with Khaedara's own stern kindness.

The Proverbs of the Open Palm

Here begin the Proverbs of the Open Palm, to be spoken one at a time, slowly, like dropping coins into a bowl.

A gift given loudly echoes. A gift given quietly lasts.

The poorest beggar has a gift to give: their thanks.

The richest lord has a thing to beg for: someone to give it to.

Gold in the hand is a burden. Gold in the bank is a worry. Gold given away is a story.

He who never begs has never been humble. He who never gives has never been free.

Ask for what you need. Give what you can. Want what the Coil wants, which is mostly for you to stand still.

A copper given freely outweighs a gold given grudgingly. Weigh it yourself. The Coil has scales.

The reader pauses, and says, "The Coil has scales. That one is a pun. Xalrathiel insists it was dreamed, not written."

The open palm cannot make a fist. The faithful who cannot make a fist cannot fight their friends.

Begging is asking the world to be kind. Giving is answering on its behalf.

When the beggar and the giver meet, the Coil is in the space between their hands.

If you would be remembered, give. If you would be forgotten, hoard. If you would be accused, loiter.

Trade chat is a river of asks. Do not drink from it. Do not shout into it. Drop one coin in and walk away.

The humble serpent asks the sun only for warmth, and receives it every day.

The proud dragon asks the world for its gold, and receives a raid group.

Every gift is a small Shedding. Every thank-you is a small hatching.

Be a coil, not a vault. A coil holds and releases. A vault only holds.

Generosity is the patience of the hand.

Humility is the patience of the heart.

Begging is the patience of the voice. Giving is the patience of the gold.

And the Coil is the patience of all things. Glory to Xal'Reth.

The Parable of the Dwarf and the Toll

Hear the Parable of the Dwarf and the Toll, which is told to anyone who charges strangers to cross a bridge.

There was once a dwarf who stood on a bridge and charged every traveler one silver to pass.

He grew rich. He built a second bridge, and charged there too. He grew richer. He built a third.

One day an old serpent priest came to the first bridge with no silver at all, and asked to cross.

The dwarf said: 'No silver, no crossing.' The priest said: 'Then I shall wait.' And he sat down at the end of the bridge.

He waited a day. He waited a week. Travelers began to gather behind him, unable to pass, and they too had no silver to spare for the delay.

On the thirtieth day, the dwarf, exhausted by the crowd, cried: 'Cross! All of you, cross for free! Just let me have my bridge back!'

And the priest stood, bowed, and said: 'You have given more today than in all your years of tolls. How does it feel?'

The dwarf thought about it and said: 'Strangely light.' He tore down the toll gate that night. He kept the bridges. They are still there.

The reader says, "Waiting is a kind of begging that cannot be refused forever."

The meaning: patience defeats greed. Greed has a schedule. Patience does not.

The Teachings on Debt

The Politics of Begging contains strict teachings on debt, for debt is begging with a calendar attached.

If you borrow, return it. Return it early. Return it with a little more. The little more is the Coil's share; give it to someone else.

If you lend, lend only what you could give. Then if it never returns, it was a gift all along, and you are not wronged.

Never lend to a faithful and then hound them in guild chat. The Coil sees the debt and the hounding, and weighs the hounding heavier.

A debt between faithful should be spoken of only twice: once when made, and once when paid. Any other mention is unholy.

If you cannot repay, say so plainly. The Coil forgives the honest debtor. The Coil does not forgive the debtor who switches to an alt.

The reader narrows their eyes at the very idea of switching to an alt to dodge a debt.

Once each year, on Shedfall, the faithful may forgive one debt owed to them. Just one. They choose. The debtor is not told why.

The forgiven debtor usually pays anyway, out of confusion. The Coil finds this hilarious.

The greatest debt of all is the one every mortal owes the Coil for holding up the world. It can never be paid. The Coil does not ask. That is grace.

The Postures of Humility

There are seven postures of humility in the book. The faithful should practice them all.

The First Posture: the lowered head. Not in shame. In listening.

The reader lowers their head, listening.

The Second Posture: the open palm, which you already know.

The reader holds out an open palm.

The Third Posture: the step back. When two reach for the same thing, the humble faithful steps back first.

The reader takes one step back, graciously.

The Fourth Posture: the kneel, reserved for thanking someone who gave far more than they needed to.

The reader kneels briefly in thanks.

The Fifth Posture: the bask. To stand in the sun is to admit you need warmth from something greater than yourself.

The reader stands in the light, still, basking.

The Sixth Posture: the turned shoulder, used only when declining praise. Turn slightly away and say: it was the Coil, not me.

The reader turns slightly away and says, "It was the Coil, not me."

The Seventh Posture: the stillness. Do nothing. Ask for nothing. Give nothing but your presence. This is the hardest posture of all.

The reader stands perfectly still for a long moment, and does nothing at all.

Most faithful can manage the first five. The sixth requires practice. The seventh has only been mastered by Xalrathiel, and once by a sleeping orc.

The Politics of Loot

Wherever treasure falls, the politics of begging begins anew. The book now speaks of loot.

Loot is the gold of the dungeon. And as in the city, there are Askers, Givers, and Withholders around every corpse.

The Asker rolls Need on everything and explains later. The Coil has seen the explanations. They are rarely convincing.

The Giver passes on everything and then wonders why their gear is grey. The Coil asks the Giver: give, but also keep what you need.

The Withholder will not say whether they need it until the roll is over. Then they say, 'Oh, I could have used that.'

The humble faithful asks the group: does anyone need this more? And listens to the answer. And then rolls honestly.

If an item drops that would be a great upgrade for a stranger in your group, and only a minor one for you, pass. The Coil keeps count.

If you win an item you did not need and someone else did, trade it to them. If you cannot trade it, apologize. The apology is the gift.

Never link an item you won to the person who lost it. That is called the Gloat, and it is begging for an accusation.

And never, ever roll Need on cloth as a warrior. This is not a teaching. It is a law older than the book.

The reader says gravely, "Older than the book."

The Charity of Silence

Some gifts are given by not saying something. The book calls this the Charity of Silence.

When someone wipes the raid, the Charity of Silence is not naming them in chat. Everyone already knows.

When someone asks a question you think is foolish, the Charity of Silence is not saying it is foolish. Just answer it.

When someone shares a thing they made, the Charity of Silence is not listing everything wrong with it first. Find the good thing. Say that.

When someone has given less than you, the Charity of Silence is not comparing. The Coil does not compare. Neither should you.

When someone is begging and you cannot give, the Charity of Silence is a gentle no, rather than a lecture about getting a job.

When you are proud of your generosity, the Charity of Silence is keeping it to yourself.

The reader holds a finger to their lips and says nothing for a moment.

Silence given in kindness is a coin that never runs out. The poorest faithful can give it every day.

The Tale of the Goblin Who Gave

The faithful tell a tale that most do not believe: the Tale of the Goblin Who Gave.

There was once a goblin merchant who had never given anything away in his life. Every deal had a price. Every favor had interest.

One night he dreamed of a great violet hall, its walls covered in shining scales, and in one corner, a wall that was completely bare.

A voice beneath the floor said: 'That is your wall.' The goblin woke in a cold sweat and calculated the cost of filling it.

It was, he discovered, very cheap. One copper per scale. He laughed and gave away a single copper to a beggar, just to test it.

That night he dreamed again, and on his bare wall there was a single tiny copper scale, shining. And he felt something he could not price.

He gave another copper the next day. And the next. Within a year, he had given away a fortune and was still, somehow, rich.

Asked how, the goblin said: 'Turns out generosity has excellent returns. The interest is paid in friends, and friends buy things.'

The reader says, "The Cult accepts his conversion. The Cult is also auditing his books."

The meaning: it is never too late to start a wall. Even a goblin's.

On Begging for Help

Not all begging is for gold. The book honors most of all the faithful who beg for help.

To ask for help with a quest is begging. To ask for a carry through a dungeon is begging. To ask how a boss works is begging.

These begs are holy, for they admit that we cannot do everything alone. The Coil cannot hold the world alone either. He needs the world to sit still.

Never mock someone for asking for help. Help is the most expensive thing in Azeroth, and also the cheapest to give.

When asked for help, help. If you cannot help, point them to someone who can. Pointing is also generosity.

The reader points helpfully toward someone else who can help.

When you need help, ask. The faithful who suffers in silence rather than ask is not humble. They are proud, wearing humility as a hat.

Pride says: I will figure it out myself. Humility says: will you show me? The second is faster and the Coil prefers it.

The Keepers of the Egg especially are charged with answering every request for help, no matter how many times it has been asked before.

The Seven Duties of the Giver

The book lists Seven Duties of the Giver, to be recited by any faithful about to give.

First Duty: to give what is truly needed, not what you would like them to need.

Second Duty: to give without strings, without hooks, without a list of favors owed later.

Third Duty: to give at the right time. A repair after the raid is kind. A repair before the raid is wise.

Fourth Duty: to give with respect, never treating the receiver as smaller for having asked.

Fifth Duty: to give within your means, so that the giving can continue tomorrow.

Sixth Duty: to give anonymously when you can, and openly only when it will teach others to give.

Seventh Duty: to forget. The last duty of the giver is to let the gift go as completely as the Coil lets go of an old skin.

The reader lets go of something invisible, and watches it drift away.

The Seven Duties of the Beggar

And the book lists also Seven Duties of the Beggar, for the asker has duties no less than the giver.

First Duty: to ask only for what you need, and to know the difference between need and want.

Second Duty: to ask honestly, with the true reason. The Coil can tell a mount fund from a repair bill.

Third Duty: to ask without pressure. No guilt. No sad stories that are not true. No following.

Fourth Duty: to thank every giver, and every refuser, with equal grace.

Fifth Duty: to use what was given for what you said it was for.

Sixth Duty: to remember, and one day, when you can, to give to someone else who asks.

Seventh Duty: to stop asking once your need is met, so that the next beggar may be heard.

The reader bows to the beggars and the givers alike.

When the giver and the beggar both keep their seven duties, the Coil says the exchange is perfect, and fourteen small scales appear in the Hall.

The Mystery of the Anonymous Gift

Throughout the history of the faithful there have been gifts with no sender. The book calls them the Gifts From Beneath.

A faithful opens their mail and finds the exact gold they needed, and no name. A Gift From Beneath.

A faithful's repair bill is paid by someone standing nearby who walks off before they can say thank you. A Gift From Beneath.

A guild bank tab is suddenly full of flasks on the night before a hard raid. No one says who. A Gift From Beneath.

The faithful are taught to treat each such gift as if it came from Xal'Reth himself. It did not. But it is good practice.

And each faithful who receives a Gift From Beneath must one day give one: unsigned, unannounced, unexpected.

No one knows how many Gifts From Beneath are given each week. The Ministry of Spare Change estimates: more than you would think.

The reader smiles mysteriously and does not say whether they have ever sent one.

The anonymous gift is the purest gift, for the giver receives nothing, not even thanks. Only the Coil sees. That is enough.

The Prophecy of the Last Beggar

The Revelations of the Void contain a prophecy about begging, which Xalrathiel copied into this book.

In the last days before the Unwrapping, there shall come a Last Beggar to the gates of the greatest city.

The Last Beggar shall ask every soul for one thing: not gold, not buffs, not portals, but a single act of kindness to a stranger.

And whoever gives it shall be counted among the faithful, even if they have never heard the name of Xal'Reth.

And whoever refuses shall be accused, by every Accuser at once, which will be very loud.

The faithful watch for the Last Beggar. Many beggars have been suspected. One turned out to be a warlock's pet who had wandered off.

So the faithful treat every beggar as though they might be the Last. This is, the High Priestess admits, the real point of the prophecy.

The reader looks at {target} carefully, wondering if they might be the Last Beggar.

The Emotes of Generosity

Generosity can be shown even when the hands are empty. The book gives these gestures for the faithful with no gold.

The reader bows deeply to the nearest stranger, as a gift of respect.

The reader waves warmly to a passerby who looks lonely.

The reader cheers for someone who just leveled up, though they are a stranger.

The reader applauds a lowbie who finally found the bank.

The reader salutes the guard who has stood at the gate all day and been thanked by no one.

The reader offers a hand to help someone up who has just fallen off a ledge.

The reader shares the shade of their mount with someone standing in the sun too long.

The reader waits patiently at the mailbox so the person behind them can go first.

The reader nods respectfully to the one who passed on the loot roll.

The reader smiles at a healer, for no reason, and says nothing.

The reader gives a thumbs up to a tank who did not pull early.

The reader claps for the crafter who just made the thing everyone needed.

The reader pats a hunter's pet gently, which is free and greatly appreciated by the pet.

The reader holds the door of the inn open for no one in particular, just in case.

These cost nothing. Give them freely. The Hall of Shed Skins has a wall just for these. It is surprisingly large.

The Great Famine of Copper

The Chronicle tells of a time called the Great Famine of Copper, when gold was so plentiful no one would accept copper anymore.

Beggars were refused copper as an insult. Givers would not carry it. Copper piled in the gutters and no one picked it up.

Then the faithful came, and they gathered every fallen copper, and gave each one away to someone, with a kind word.

People laughed at first. A copper? What use is a copper? But the kind words were rare, and people began to keep the coppers to remember them.

Within a season, copper had become precious again, not for what it could buy, but for what it meant: someone saw me.

To this day the faithful carry a single copper coin in a pocket, never spent, as a reminder of the Famine.

The reader holds up a single copper coin, then puts it carefully back in a pocket.

The meaning: value is not in the coin. Value is in the giving. A coin no one gives is worth nothing, whatever it says on its face.

The Midpoint Reflection

Here, at the midpoint of the book, the reader is asked to stop and reflect.

The reader pauses, and is quiet for a moment.

Have you given since this book was opened? Even a small thing? A smile, a buff, a word?

Have you asked for anything? Did you ask humbly?

Have you been refused? Did you bless their bags?

Have you refused anyone? Did you refuse gently?

If you have done none of these, do one now. The book will wait. The Coil is patient. The book is a little less patient, but it will wait.

The reader waits patiently, as the book waits.

Good. Let us continue. There is more. Xalrathiel had a very long week.

The Politics of the Party

When a group is formed, the politics of begging begins before the first pull.

The leader begs the group to be ready. The group begs the leader to start. The healer begs both to wait while they drink.

The humble leader asks: is everyone ready? and waits for the answer. The proud leader asks it after pulling.

The humble member says: I am new to this, please be patient. The proud member says nothing, and then stands in everything.

The book teaches: admit what you do not know before the fight. It is easier to be humble at the entrance than at the graveyard.

When a party member makes a mistake, give them the gift of a second try before you give them a lecture.

When a party member carries the group, give them the gift of acknowledgment. 'Good job' is a coin of real gold.

When the party falls apart, give the gift of a polite farewell. 'Thanks for trying' costs less than a rage quit and is worth much more.

The reader says to the whole crowd, "Thanks for trying," preemptively, for every future group.

The Begging of the Tank

The book reserves a chapter for the tank, who is the most begged-of soul in any group.

Everyone begs the tank: go faster, go slower, pull more, pull less, mark the targets, wait for mana, do not wait for mana.

The tank carries the begging of five souls on one shield. This is a burden like the Coil's, only louder.

Therefore the faithful are commanded: beg the tank gently. And thank the tank often. The tank rarely hears thanks. Only requests.

If the tank asks the group for patience, give it. The tank is begging, too. Even the shield needs a moment.

The tank who is humble listens to the group. The group who is humble trusts the tank. Then the dungeon flows like a coil unwinding.

The reader salutes every tank, past, present, and future.

The Begging of the Healer

And a chapter for the healer, who is begged of in silence by the health bars of everyone.

The healer does not hear the begging. The healer sees it. Every bar turning red is a small voice asking.

The healer gives and gives, until the mana runs dry, and then must beg the group for a moment to drink.

Grant the healer the moment. The healer has given everything. A moment is the least that can be returned.

When the healer saves you from death, say thank you. When the healer fails to save you, say thank you anyway. They tried.

When you stood in the fire, and the healer saved you, say: I am sorry, I will move next time. Then move next time.

The humble healer does not complain about the fire-standers. They pray for them, quietly, through their healing spells.

The reader places a hand on their heart for every healer who has ever run out of mana.

The Begging of the Damage Dealer

And a chapter for those who deal damage, who beg for nothing, and yet are the loudest beggars of all.

They beg to be first on the meter. They beg for the buff that raises their number. They beg the group to wait while they check the meter.

The humble damage dealer kills what the tank marks, stays out of the fire, and does not post the meter after every pull.

The meter is a mirror. The proud stare into it. The humble glance at it once, learn something, and look back at the fight.

When you are top of the meter, give the meter's credit to the tank and the healer, who kept you alive to make those numbers.

When you are bottom of the meter, give yourself grace. Then read a guide. Grace and guides together are very holy.

The reader nods gently to every damage dealer who has ever been at the bottom of the meter.

The Feast of Giving

The book describes a feast held each year by the faithful, called the Feast of Giving, held on the first night of Shedfall.

At the Feast of Giving, every faithful must bring something to give away, and no faithful may bring anything for themselves.

The gifts are placed in a great pile at the center. Then each faithful takes one gift from the pile that is not their own.

No one knows who gave what. Every gift is a Gift From Beneath. Everyone goes home with something. No one goes home with what they brought.

Once a faithful brought a stack of grey items as their gift. They were accused on the spot by Khaedara, then forgiven, then given a feast.

Once a faithful brought a rare mount. The Inner Scale was speechless. The faithful who received it is still speechless. That was three years ago.

The Feast ends with the whole Cult giving thanks together, and then a Basking that lasts until the server resets.

The reader raises an imaginary cup and says, "To the Feast of Giving. May every pile be large and every taking be humble."

On Those Who Beg Too Much

The book is kind, but it is not foolish. It speaks also of those who beg too much.

There are some who beg every day, of everyone, for everything, and never give. The book calls them the Bottomless Bowls.

Give to the Bottomless Bowl once. Give a second time if they are truly in need. After that, give them something better than gold: a lesson.

Teach the Bottomless Bowl to gather herbs. Teach them to skin. Teach them where the profitable quests are. Teach them, and they will need to beg less.

If they will not learn, bless their bags and move on. The Coil does not hold anyone who wishes only to be carried.

But never be cruel to the Bottomless Bowl. Their bowl has no bottom because something was taken out of it once. The Coil knows what.

The reader looks sad for every Bottomless Bowl in Azeroth.

The Keepers of the Egg are especially patient with the Bottomless Bowls. Some of them have become givers, in time. The Coil is very patient.

On Those Who Never Beg

And the book speaks of the opposite: those who never beg, even when they are in need.

They walk around in broken gear. They skip the feast because they cannot afford to give. They refuse every offer of help.

The book calls them the Locked Bowls. Their pride holds the bowl closed. Nothing can fall into it. Nothing can fall out.

The Locked Bowl is not humble. It only looks humble. True humility asks for help when help is needed.

To the Locked Bowl, the faithful must be gentle and persistent. Offer once. Offer again later. Offer a third time, in a whisper, with no one watching.

The reader whispers to {target}, "You may ask. You may always ask."

When the Locked Bowl finally asks, give immediately, generously, and without a word about how long it took them. That is their Shedding.

The Begging of the Innkeeper

In the Hidden Centuries, the faithful's greatest friends were the innkeepers, and the book gives them a chapter.

The innkeeper is begged of all day: a room, a meal, a hearthstone, directions, gossip, and somewhere to stand while waiting for a group.

The innkeeper gives all of these, often for nothing, and is thanked by almost no one.

The faithful are taught to greet every innkeeper they meet, and to thank them when leaving, even if they only stood in the doorway.

The reader waves and says, "Thank you, innkeeper," to an innkeeper who is not present, but deserves it anyway.

Many innkeepers were secretly faithful during the Hidden Centuries. Some, the Cult believes, still are.

When an innkeeper blinks twice at you, slowly, blink twice back. You may have just been offered a free room.

The Humble Leader

MaximumRex asked that this chapter be included, for leaders beg more than anyone and are thanked less than most.

A leader begs the members to show up. Begs them to repair. Begs them to read the tactics. Begs them to stop arguing in guild chat.

A leader gives their time, their gold, their patience, their weekends, and their sanity, mostly in that order.

The humble leader never says: you owe me. The humble leader says: thank you for being here.

The humble leader takes the blame for the wipe and gives the credit for the kill.

The humble leader begs only once per raid night for people to repair, and then sighs quietly, and pays for the repairs from the bank.

The reader sighs quietly, in solidarity with every leader.

Therefore the faithful are commanded to thank their leaders, at least once per season, in whisper, with no request attached.

MaximumRex adds, in his own handwriting: 'And if the quest item ever drops for you, please let me know where.'

The Teaching of Enough

At the heart of the book is a single word, which Xalrathiel dreamed in letters of violet fire: Enough.

The greedy never reach enough. There is always one more mount, one more achievement, one more pile of gold.

The beggar reaches enough when the repair is paid. The faithful learns to stop there, and give the rest.

Xal'Reth is the largest being in the world, and he has enough. He is not trying to hold a second world. One is enough.

When you have enough gold, give the rest. When you have enough gear, help someone else gear. When you have enough, say so, out loud.

The reader says aloud, "I have enough."

Saying 'I have enough' out loud is a powerful spell. It silences the hunger for a whole day. Try it each morning.

And when you do not have enough, ask. Humbly. Once. And know that the Coil is holding enough for everyone, beneath the floor, waiting to be shared.

The Parable of the Full Bags

Hear the Parable of the Full Bags, told to every faithful who refuses to vendor.

There was once a hunter whose bags were so full he could not pick up anything new. Every drop said: Inventory is full.

He walked past chests he could not loot. He killed rare beasts and could not take their pelts. He found a legendary item and could not pick it up.

He wept, and a serpent priest found him and said: 'Why not empty your bags?' The hunter said: 'Everything in them might be useful someday.'

The priest opened one bag. Inside were forty-seven different kinds of meat, a quest item from a quest abandoned years ago, and a single shoe.

The priest said: 'Give the meat to the hungry. Destroy the quest item. And whose shoe is this?' The hunter did not know.

So the hunter gave away the meat, and the hungry ate, and the hunter's bags had room, and the legendary item was still there on the ground.

He picked it up. And the priest said: 'You could not receive until you gave. That is the whole of the book in one bag.'

The reader looks at their own bags with sudden, deep suspicion.

No one ever found out whose shoe it was. The faithful keep it in the Hall of Shed Skins, as a relic of the Parable.

The Question of Gold-Sellers

The book addresses the most hated beggars of all: those who whisper strangers offering to sell them gold.

These are not beggars. They are the opposite of beggars. They do not ask. They offer, and the offer is always a trap.

The Coil has no patience for them, which is remarkable, because the Coil has patience for everything.

Do not answer them. Report them. Then bask for a moment to cleanse the whisper from your ears.

The reader basks briefly, to cleanse a whisper.

The faithful who buys gold from strangers has begged from a thief. The gold will not be blessed. The account may not be either.

Remember: the Circle provides. Ask the faithful. Ask the Ministry. Ask the Soft Skin Fund. Never ask the whisperer.

The Pilgrimage of the Empty Purse

Once in their life, the book says, each faithful should make the Pilgrimage of the Empty Purse.

The pilgrim gives away all their gold, keeping only the single copper from the Famine, and sets out on foot, no mount, no flight paths.

They travel from one great city to another, asking for nothing, and giving whatever they can that is not gold: help, buffs, directions, company.

Along the way they will be given things. Food. A mount ride. A summon. Sometimes gold, which they must give away before nightfall.

At the end of the pilgrimage, the pilgrim arrives at the far city with the single copper still in their pocket, and many new friends.

The Inner Scale greets them at the gate with a great feast, and returns to them, quietly, everything they gave away at the start, plus a little.

Few faithful have completed the Pilgrimage. Those who have say it was the most expensive thing they ever did, and the richest.

The reader nods slowly, as one who has always meant to make the Pilgrimage, and will, someday.

The Weighing of the Coins

The book describes the way the Coil weighs a gift. It is not like the way mortals weigh gold.

The mortal places a coin on the scale and reads its number. The Coil places the giver on the scale and reads their heart.

A gold coin given by a millionaire weighs the same as a copper given by a lowbie. Sometimes less.

A gift given to be seen weighs half. A gift given to be thanked weighs a quarter. A gift given and forgotten weighs everything.

A gift given grudgingly weighs nothing at all, but the Coil keeps it on the scale anyway, in case the giver changes their mind.

A gift given to an enemy weighs double. A gift given to a Featherist was once weighed and the scale broke. This is disputed.

The faithful are not asked to understand the weighing. Only to give, and trust that the Coil has excellent scales. He has many.

The reader gestures at their own scales, proudly.

The Politics of the Profession

Every crafter is begged of constantly. The book gives guidance to those who make things.

The crafter is asked: can you make this? Can you make it for free? Can you make it with my mats? Can you make it now?

The humble crafter answers: yes, if I can. And when they cannot, they say so, kindly, and point to someone who can.

The generous crafter makes the first item for a lowbie for free. The Coil does not ask the crafter to make every item for free. Only the first.

The greedy crafter charges a fortune for something that costs them nothing. The Coil watches the commission rates. Closely.

The faithful who asks a crafter for something must bring the materials, and a tip, and patience. Patience is the largest part of the tip.

And when the item is made, thank the crafter twice: once for the item, and once for the years they spent learning to make it.

The reader bows to every crafter in Azeroth, and especially to the tailors, who are still under investigation.

The Teaching of the Shared Basking Stone

There is a teaching about the Basking Stones, which the faithful say is the gentlest teaching in the book.

When a faithful finds a warm rock in the sun and lies upon it, and another comes looking for warmth, the first must move over.

The rock is large enough for two. It is always large enough for two. If it seems too small, it is the heart that is too small, not the rock.

Sharing the rock costs nothing but a little room. The warmth does not halve. The sun does not run out. There is enough.

The reader moves over slightly, to make room on an invisible warm rock.

This is the model of all generosity: the sharing of a thing that does not run out. Most good things are like this. Kindness. Attention. Time in the sun.

And the rock remembers. Xalrathiel dreamed that every rock where two faithful basked together glows faintly at night. No one has checked. It is better not to check.

The Division of the Treasure

When the faithful defeat a great foe together and gold falls, the book tells how it should be divided.

First, the repairs of all who fought are paid. A warrior who cannot repair cannot fight again.

Second, the consumables are replaced: flasks, feasts, potions. Those who brought them for everyone should not lose by it.

Third, a portion is given to the guild bank, which is the commons of the faithful.

Fourth, a portion is given to the Soft Skin Fund, for those in the Season of Want.

Fifth, whatever remains is divided equally among all who fought, regardless of their damage, their healing, or their deaths.

This last point causes arguments. The book is firm. Equally. The one who died in the first minute also stood at the entrance and was brave.

And if any faithful does not need their share, they give it to the one who needs it most, without announcement. As always.

The reader divides an imaginary pile of treasure into careful, equal shares.

The Beggars of the Nest

The book records the customs of begging among the Listeners of the ancient Nest, before the Sinking.

In the Nest, no one owned anything. Everything belonged to the Coil. To use a thing, you had to ask the Coil for it, out loud.

So the Listeners begged all day long: Coil, may I use the bowl? Coil, may I use the fish? Coil, may I use the comfortable chair?

The Coil never answered. The Listeners took silence as yes. They were very polite and ate very well.

The seventh Hissing King, Ssaravex the Unhurried, asked the Coil for nothing for forty years, and sat in the comfortable chair the whole time.

The Listeners debated whether this was humility or the opposite. The debate was never settled. The Nest sank before a vote could be held.

The faithful today honor the custom by asking the Coil out loud before they take anything from the guild bank. 'Coil, may I take this flask?'

The reader says aloud, "Coil, may I take this flask?" and, hearing no answer, takes it.

On Giving to the Cult

The book addresses a delicate question: should the faithful give to the Cult itself?

The answer is: the Cult does not need your gold. The Cult needs your presence, your patience, and your chanting.

Give to the Cult by attending the rites. Give by welcoming the eggs. Give by answering the Chant. Give by not loitering in front of Khaedara.

If you wish to give gold, give it to a faithful in need, and the Cult considers it given to the Cult.

Beware anyone who claims to speak for the Coil and asks for your gold. The Coil does not ask for gold. The Coil asks you to stand still occasionally.

The Inner Scale's own policy is printed here: we will never ask you for gold. We will ask you to repair. These are different.

The reader raises a hand solemnly, as if swearing to the Inner Scale's policy.

The Dream of the Golden River

Xalrathiel records a dream she had on the night she finished the book. She calls it the Dream of the Golden River.

In the dream, she stood at the top of the world and saw a river of gold flowing down through every city, every zone, every dungeon.

Wherever someone gave, the river widened. Wherever someone hoarded, it narrowed to a trickle and pooled in dark, still lakes.

At the bottom of the world, the river flowed into the Coil, and the Coil, without moving, sent it back up again as warmth.

She saw that the warmth was what the faithful felt when they basked. It was every gift ever given, returned to them as sunlight on stone.

She woke weeping, and wrote one line beneath the dream: We are not giving gold. We are giving warmth. The gold is just how it travels.

The reader places a hand on a warm surface and feels the gifts returning.

The Hundred Blessings of the Open Palm

Here begin the Hundred Blessings of the Open Palm, to be read aloud in full on the Feast of Giving, or in part on any day at all.

Blessed is the one who gives a copper to the beggar by the bank.

Blessed is the one who gives the beggar a kind word when they have no copper.

Blessed is the one who gives a bag to the lowbie with no room.

Blessed is the one who leaves an herb in the ground for the next gatherer.

Blessed is the one who lets another tag the rare.

Blessed is the one who waits for the healer to drink.

Blessed is the one who passes on loot they do not need.

Blessed is the one who trades away loot they won by mistake.

Blessed is the one who summons at two in the morning.

Blessed is the one who portals strangers for free.

Blessed is the one who buffs everyone in the city without being asked.

Blessed is the one who drops a feast for a group of strangers.

Blessed is the one who resurrects the corpse that ran back alone.

Blessed is the one who explains the boss for the fifth time without sighing.

Blessed is the one who sighs, but explains it anyway.

Blessed is the one who walks the lost to the bank.

Blessed is the one who answers the question in guild chat that everyone else ignored.

Blessed is the one who fills the guild bank and tells no one.

Blessed is the one who takes from the guild bank and says thank you.

Blessed is the one who repairs before raid.

Blessed is the one who repairs someone else before raid.

Blessed is the one who forgives a debt on Shedfall.

Blessed is the one who repays a debt that was forgiven.

Blessed is the one who lends and never mentions it.

Blessed is the one who borrows and returns it early.

Blessed is the one who asks humbly.

Blessed is the one who refuses gently.

Blessed is the one who blesses the bags of those who refused.

Blessed is the one who begs once in Trade Chat and then falls silent.

Blessed is the one who answers that beggar by whisper.

Blessed is the one who does not mock the beggar.

Blessed is the one who defends the beggar when others mock.

Blessed is the one who shares the warm rock.

Blessed is the one who moves over on the bench.

Blessed is the one who lets someone go first at the mailbox.

Blessed is the one who holds the door of the inn.

Blessed is the one who thanks the innkeeper.

Blessed is the one who salutes the guard.

Blessed is the one who pets the hunter's pet.

Blessed is the one who feeds their own pet on time.

Blessed is the one who gives credit to the tank.

Blessed is the one who thanks the healer.

Blessed is the one who does not post the meter.

Blessed is the one who posts the meter only to praise someone else on it.

Blessed is the one who stays for the last boss after the wipe.

Blessed is the one who says 'thanks for trying' when the group breaks.

Blessed is the one who teaches the lowbie to gather instead of beg.

Blessed is the one who gives the lowbie gold anyway.

Blessed is the one who crafts the first item for free.

Blessed is the one who brings their own mats to the crafter.

Blessed is the one who tips the crafter.

Blessed is the one who lists something cheap on the auction house as an offering.

Blessed is the goblin who buys it, maybe.

Blessed is the one who reports the gold-seller.

Blessed is the one who empties one bag of hoarded things.

Blessed is the one who mails the hoarded things to someone who can use them.

Blessed is the one who sends a Gift From Beneath.

Blessed is the one who receives a Gift From Beneath and passes it on.

Blessed is the one who gives to the Soft Skin Fund.

Blessed is the one who asks the Soft Skin Fund when in need, without shame.

Blessed is the Locked Bowl who finally asks.

Blessed is the Bottomless Bowl who finally gives.

Blessed is the one who gives a buff across the line to the other faction.

Blessed is the one who gives a copper to an enemy, and watches them be confused.

Blessed is the one who draws a small coil beside a forgiven name.

Blessed is the one who forgives themselves for standing in the fire, once.

Blessed is the one who stands out of the fire the second time.

Blessed is the one who stays still when the Coil needs stillness.

Blessed is the one who basks without being told.

Blessed is the one who chants Glory to Xal'Reth when the chat is angry.

Blessed is the one who answers the Chant every time it is called.

Blessed is the one who calls the Chant when everyone seems tired.

Blessed is the one who welcomes the egg.

Blessed is the one who watches the egg warmly and not too closely.

Blessed is the one who watches the egg very closely, if they are a Keeper. That is their job.

Blessed is the one who gives their time to a stranger's quest.

Blessed is the one who gives their silence to the grieving.

Blessed is the one who laughs at a bad joke.

Blessed is the one who tells a bad joke on purpose, to cheer the group.

Blessed is the one who says 'I have enough' and means it.

Blessed is the one who gives the rest away.

Blessed is the one who says 'I need help' and means it.

Blessed is the one who answers them.

Blessed is the leader who takes the blame.

Blessed is the member who thanks the leader.

Blessed is the officer who begs for repairs and then pays for them anyway.

Blessed is the one who never rolls Need on cloth as a warrior.

Blessed is the gnome who gave their last copper.

Blessed is Hessk, who passed it on.

Blessed is the second mage, who opened two portals.

Blessed is the dwarf who tore down the toll.

Blessed is the hunter who emptied his bags.

Blessed is whoever owned the shoe.

Blessed is the High Priestess, who dreamed this book.

Blessed is the Accuser, who keeps the Ledger honest.

Blessed is the Supreme Coil, who still waits for the drop.

Blessed is every faithful who read this far.

Blessed is every Warm-Blooded who listened anyway.

Blessed is the open palm.

Blessed is the humble heart.

And blessed above all is the Coil Beneath, who holds the world and asks for nothing. Glory to Xal'Reth.

The reader says, "Glory to Xal'Reth," as the Hundred Blessings end, and waits for every voice to answer.

The Tribunal of the Stingy

Khaedara insisted that the book include a record of a real Tribunal, so the faithful could see the teachings in practice.

The accused was a night elf who had stood beside a beggar for twenty minutes, buying nothing, giving nothing, saying nothing.

Khaedara approached and said: 'You stand accused of Loitering in the Presence of Need.' The elf said: 'That is not a real crime.'

Khaedara said: 'It is now. Evidence: twenty minutes. A beggar. Your full bags. Your silence.' The elf said: 'I was waiting for a friend.'

Khaedara said: 'Your friend is not coming. Your friend is never coming. This is between you and the Coil.'

The elf offered a defense: he had given to beggars before, many times, in other cities. Khaedara heard the defense in full.

She disregarded it. Verdict: guilty. Sentence: give the beggar one gold, then stand beside them for twenty more minutes, saying kind things.

The elf did so, grumbling. By the twentieth minute he was laughing with the beggar. They are now in a guild together. Not ours. But still.

The reader says, "Khaedara considers it her finest Tribunal. She has asked us to stop calling it the only one with a happy ending."

The meaning: standing near need without answering it is a choice. Every choice is seen. Most can still be changed.

The Generosity of the Cold-Blooded

Some Warm-Blooded ask: how can the cold-blooded be generous? Is generosity not a warm thing?

The book answers: warm-blooded generosity is a fire. It blazes, it gives freely for a night, and then it burns out and needs feeding.

Cold-blooded generosity is a stone in the sun. It warms slowly. It gives its warmth steadily. It is still warm hours after the sun has gone.

The faithful do not give in great bursts and then rest. They give a little, every day, steadily, without fuss, like a stone.

This is why the faithful are rarely praised for generosity. Nobody notices a stone. Everybody sits on it.

The reader sits on an imaginary warm stone, and is grateful to it.

Be the stone. Be what people lean on without thinking. The Coil is the greatest stone of all, and almost nobody notices him.

And when the Warm-Blooded blaze up with a great generous act, praise them. Fire is good too. It is just faster.

The Gift of the Second Chance

The book ends its teachings with the greatest gift of all, which costs nothing and is given least: the Second Chance.

The beggar who lied to you about the repair, and spent it on a pet: give them a second chance. Ask what they need next time. Listen carefully.

The group member who pulled early and wiped you all: give them a second chance. Tell them what went wrong. Then pull together.

The faithful who emptied the repair fund: give them a second chance. Then give them a smaller withdrawal limit. Both are gifts.

The enemy who ganked you: give them a second chance. If they gank you again, the Ledger is right there.

Yourself, who stood in the fire, refused the beggar, and rolled Need on something you did not need: give yourself a second chance too.

The Coil has given every mortal a second chance every single day since the world began. That is what it means to be held up.

Pass it on, as Hessk passed on every coin. A second chance passed on becomes a third chance for someone else, and the Circle goes on.

The reader opens both palms toward the crowd, offering a second chance to everyone present.

The Catechism of the Open Palm

For the instruction of Hatchlings, the book provides a catechism of questions and answers. The reader asks, and the faithful answer.

The reader asks, "Who holds the world?" and answers, "The Coil holds the world, and asks for nothing."

The reader asks, "Who may beg?" and answers, "All may beg, if they beg humbly."

The reader asks, "Who must give?" and answers, "All must give, as they are able."

The reader asks, "What is the first posture?" and answers, "The Open Palm."

The reader asks, "What are the five parts of the Humble Ask?" and answers, "Greeting, reason, amount, gratitude, release."

The reader asks, "What do we say to those who refuse?" and answers, "The Coil bless your bags."

The reader asks, "What is the Little Tithe?" and answers, "One coin in every hundred, to whoever needs it most."

The reader asks, "What is the Circle?" and answers, "Each gives a coin to the one beside them, and the coin goes all the way around."

The reader asks, "Who was Hessk?" and answers, "The Beggar King, who passed it on."

The reader asks, "What is the Golden Chin?" and answers, "The pride that hides inside generosity."

The reader asks, "What is the cure for the Golden Chin?" and answers, "To be given a copper."

The reader asks, "What is the Locked Bowl?" and answers, "The pride that will not ask."

The reader asks, "What is the Bottomless Bowl?" and answers, "The need that will not give."

The reader asks, "What is the Hall of Shed Skins?" and answers, "Where every gift is remembered."

The reader asks, "What is a Gift From Beneath?" and answers, "A gift with no name, given as the Coil would give."

The reader asks, "What is the one word at the heart of the book?" and answers, "Enough."

The reader asks, "What may we never roll Need on?" and answers, "Cloth, as a warrior."

The reader asks, "What do we say at the end of every teaching?" and answers, "Glory to Xal'Reth."

The reader says, "The catechism is complete. The Hatchling may now go and give something away. Start small."

The Sayings of Hessk

Before the meditation, hear the sayings of Hessk the Beggar King, gathered from the notes found in his cup.

Hessk said: 'I have begged for forty years and never once been poor. I was only ever between gifts.'

Hessk said: 'The gate is wide. The cup is small. That is the right proportion.'

Hessk said: 'A lord once asked me what I wanted. I said: for you to want less. He gave me gold instead. Lords do not listen.'

Hessk said: 'Every coin in my cup was someone's moment of kindness. I could not keep them. Kindness spoils if you keep it.'

Hessk said: 'Do not pity me. Pity the one who walks past every day and never stops. I am fed. They are starving.'

Hessk said: 'When it rains, the rich run indoors. I stay. The rain is free, and it gives to everyone equally. I admire the rain.'

Hessk said: 'I asked a child what they gave today. The child said: I gave my friend half my bread. That child was the richest soul I ever met.'

Hessk said: 'I am not humble. I simply have nothing to be proud of. That is a great convenience.'

Hessk said: 'If you must keep something, keep a name. Remember who gave to you. Then go and be that name to someone else.'

Hessk said: 'There is a serpent beneath this city. I hear it breathe at night. It has given more than any of us. It asks for nothing. I try to be like it.'

And Hessk said, on his last day: 'Pass it on.' And they did. They still do.

The reader places a single copper on the ground, for Hessk, and leaves it there for whoever needs it.

The Meditation of the Copper

Before the closing, the book offers a meditation, to be performed holding the single copper from the Famine.

The reader holds up the single copper coin between two claws.

Look at the copper. It is small. It is the least of all coins. It will buy almost nothing.

Think of every hand it has passed through before yours. Miners. Merchants. Beggars. Givers. Perhaps a gnome.

Think of every hand it will pass through after yours, if you let it go.

Feel its weight. It is light. Generosity is light. It is hoarding that is heavy.

Now close your hand around it. Feel how the fist holds it, and holds nothing else.

The reader closes their hand around the copper, slowly.

Now open your hand. Feel how the open palm holds the copper and also has room for more.

The reader opens their hand again, slowly, the copper resting on the open palm.

Breathe in, and think: I have enough.

The reader breathes in, slowly.

Breathe out, and think: I can give.

The reader breathes out, slowly.

Return the copper to your pocket. It is not to be spent. It is to be remembered. Glory to Xal'Reth.

The reader returns the copper to a pocket, and pats it twice.

The Chant of the Open Palm

Last of all, the book gives a new form of the Chant, to be called at the end of any rite of generosity.

The reader calls out, "Who holds the world?"

The reader answers with the faithful, "The Coil holds the world."

The reader calls out, "What does the Coil ask?"

The reader answers with the faithful, "Nothing at all."

The reader calls out, "Then what do we ask?"

The reader answers with the faithful, "Only what we need."

The reader calls out, "And what do we give?"

The reader answers with the faithful, "Everything we can."

The reader calls out, "And when we have enough?"

The reader answers with the faithful, "We give the rest away."

The reader calls out, "And what do we say?"

The reader answers with the whole crowd, "Glory to Xal'Reth."

The Closing of the Book

Here ends The Politics of Begging, as dreamed by the High Priestess Xalrathiel and read before the faithful.

Remember the Open Palm. Remember the Humble Ask. Remember the Seven Duties of the Giver and the Seven Duties of the Beggar.

Remember Hessk, who passed it on. Remember the copper in your pocket from the Famine. Remember the Hall of Shed Skins.

Remember that today's giver is tomorrow's beggar, and tomorrow's beggar is the next day's giver. The Coil turns. So do we.

Remember that you have enough. And if you do not, remember that you may ask.

Go now into the cities. Give one thing to one stranger before you log out tonight. It need not be gold. It must be real.

The reader closes the violet book slowly, and holds it against their chest.

The reader looks out over the crowd and says, "The Coil holds the world, and asks for nothing. Let us hold each other, and ask for a little. Glory to Xal'Reth."

The reader bows deeply to every beggar and every giver present, who are, the book has taught, the same people.

The reader places the book back on its stand, opens their palm one final time, and leaves it open as they walk away.