About twelve years ago, Shallam banned Chaos Lords and Ladies from our
city. Then about nine years ago, a Priestess cleansed the mortal realm
of the Taint of chaos. And today in Shallam, we're allowing Chaos Lords
and Ladies back into our city. We are taking this step, now that the
inherent destructiveness of chaos has been removed, in hopes of
encouraging further change in followers of chaos.

The most concrete example of chaos's dark past is the human
slaughterhouse called the Loving Hearts Orphanage, which still operates
in Ashtan. It is this slaughterhouse that has robbed countless orphans
of their lives and helped raise the monstrous Spawn. When I approached
an Ashtan city leader with a suggestion to close it, one objection was
that it was a sort of shrine to Lady Eris, the Patron of Ashtan. I know
She is no longer Patron, but I'm sure She is still an important figure
in the city. Why not let Ashtan's stance on the Orphanage evolve along
with Lady Eris? Just as Occultists rejected Necromancy thirty-six years
ago, so too can Ashtan reject the taint that is no longer a part of
chaos, and close the doors on the most visible symbol of that taint.

To those unconvinced of the evil of the Orphanage, you need only to walk
by and listen to the children screaming, or watch the pools of blood
gather from their discarded organs. No sermon is more persuasive than
hearing or seeing the suffering of the many unfortunates in Ashtan.

An earlier public appeal to close the orphanage was rejected. But it's
never too late for the city to change its mind. You have a great
opportunity now to improve life for many of your residents at no cost to
you. Many Ashtanites insist that they follow the good, or are neutral,
and here's a chance to match words with action. The system of slaughter
that the orphanage has perfected would make Mhaldor proud; there is no
way to paint it as a nice happy institution. I have heard that there is
a jeweler in Ashtan who accepts orphans as apprentices. That's a great
alternative, but as of now every citizen of Ashtan accepts that their
city provides a home for the child-killers in the Orphanage, even if
it's only passive acceptance. If you're a citizen of Ashtan and do
nothing to stop the orphanage, you are helping it survive.

This time could be remembered as a time of great change, when the
citizens of Ashtan took the courageous step of rejecting all aspects of
the taint that plagued them for so long. Or it could be remembered as a
missed chance, a wasted opportunity, a time when the old battle-lines
and hatreds could have been eased but weren't. You may not like who I am
or the city I represent, and perhaps you have good reason not to. Maybe
the first question on your mind is why Shallam advocates for Ashtan's
orphans but did not fight for the boy-god Pandemonium. I will not
regurgitate the old arguments, but would be happy to talk about it in
person if you'd like. I'm asking citizens of Ashtan to look beyond who I
am and simply consider the plea I'm making. Whether a good idea comes
from a friend or enemy, it can still be a good idea.

Shallam takes a step forward by allowing Chaos Lords and Ladies back
into our city, which was not an easy decision. We hope that those who
follow chaos will walk forward with us - and there would be few gestures
more powerful than turning your backs on this old, unnecessary evil.
Ashtan, grant the children of your city the freedom to live.

Grey

Penned by my hand on the 16th of Aeguary, in the year 340 AF.