Tanvii ora Toha

"Dutiful, learned, honest... The sticking point is 'loyal'. Loyal to the people of Rauatai, above all others. Fearless in their defense, and bold in aspiration. Tireless in battle or industry, an inspiration to one's people... But it seems it's not that far a leap from there to the idea that we must cast out foreign influences."

- Kana

The Tanvii ora Toha, loosely translated as Book of Virtues, is a Rauatai sacred text. Preserved in the form of a chant and passed down the generations of chanters, it is distinguished from songs of worship by its contents. It describes an ideal, virtuous citizen by emphasizing duty, learning, honest, and loyalty. That last virtue is the subject of controversy, as there are many interpretations. These range from emphasizing loyalty to the people of Rauatai through excellence in war, industry, and politics, to the more sinister advocating of Rauatai cultural purity and isolationism.

The text is commonly believed to have been authored by the founders of Rauatai or their preceding culture, but the actual origins of the text are unknown. As a result, there is no authoritative interpretation and arguments over its meaning continue, together with new translations being made. Kana Rua, a Rauatai scholar, theorized that the text was actually created with the aid of an outside culture - the Engwithans - based on a fragment of the chant found in an Aedyran book, translated from an Engwithan tablet. He set out to locate it in Dyrwood, eventually locating a two thousand year old copy beneath Caed Nua... However, the stone tablet was completely destroyed.