Purpose: all mortals of all walks crave it; all Gods and Beasts have it; so few fulfill it. Purpose is an innate quality of all things in existence, from Creator to created: the difference is in scale.

But what is Purpose? And why do we have it? We must divide it first into the greater and lesser. A lesser purpose is local, transient, and often achievable. It is something free of fate, a blessed boon of free will. A baker's lesser purpose is to bake bread. A soldier's lesser purpose is to fight for her nation. And yet, at any moment, that baker could become a painter, and that soldier could become a healer: it is their will which defines this lesser purpose.

A greater purpose is a step removed from a lesser purpose, and is often bestowed upon the unwilling. It can be pursued, but it cannot be decided - these purposes are those which leave ripples on fate, eliciting some broader effect on the world at large. A clever general holds a greater purpose; a mighty hero holds a greater purpose; a wise sage holds a greater purpose. A greater purpose need not be fulfilled, and need not be grand in scale: it is simply a step above a lesser purpose, ranging from a clever but short-lived politician to the greatest conqueror a continent has ever known. Nearly every adventurer, those possessed with the will and power to seize fate, carries a greater purpose. If you have never met them but you have heard their name, it is likely they hold a greater purpose.

And yet, even those with a greater purpose find themselves unfulfilled. Mortals gravitate to the Gods, but why? Spiritual fulfillment and promise of power are enough for some. A sense of community with fellow worshippers suffices for others. But the truth is deeper, carved into our very souls, that which sets us apart from the extraplanar: every mortal holds within them, above and beyond all other purpose, a Divine Purpose. Imbued on us by our blessed Creator, Divine Purpose is always the same for every mortal. Divine Purpose is that which drives our every action, whether we acknowledge it or even know it. Divine Purpose is the ultimate fulfillment, the ultimate goal, and the pinnacle of enlightenment.

Divine Purpose is to become Divine.

Penned by my hand on Kinsday, the 14th of Niuran, in the year 506 MA.