Greetings everyone,

I come to you today in quite a biased position. I am wearing my
Shallamese hat, my Church badge, and waving my Elysian pennet around
frantically.But I like to think I've taken off my fanatic's sash and am
just honestly voicing my opinions.

At this point both the Jewel and Bastion are well aware of the tensions
regarding their city's orphans. Quite truthfully, I believe that both
cities feel themselves the victim. I think Shallam began to react when
she noticed elevated levels or orphan theft and murder, and I think
Ashtan began to react when she noticed elevated levels of orphan theft.
I don't wish to even bring up the matter of blame, but instead want to
discuss the orphans themselves.

The Ashtani mentality regarding the Church and its choir is
understandable, and quite frankly I'm not sure that I would feel
differently in their position. I believe they think, "Who the hell are
they to come into *our* city and decide what should be done with *our*
orphans?" And, I think this gets right to the heart of the matter,
because the orphans from both cities are impressionable.they will
blindly follow the first lollipop or candle they see, and their ultimate
fate then becomes the decision of the leading individual, be it the
choir, the orphanage, the jeweler, the fourth option, or murder. And who
are the Church members to say what should be done with the orphans of
Ashtan?

I think it's quite unfortunate that the deep-seated resentment of the
Church in the ranks of Ashtan, and others, may play a role in the
decisions of some, especially with the more unsavory alternatives. I
have heard before the refrain, 'better dead than in the choir", and
while I don't even hope to dispel some of the feelings of ill-will with
just words, I do ask that everyone takes a moment to reflect on the
implications of leading the orphans to the orphanage or simply murdering
them. Killing orphans. I think that many of us, in both cities, have
fallen into the trap of just seeing the orphans as insentient beings who
happen to wander around. This is not so. They are parentless children.
And the actions of some lead to their deaths, whether or not that may
faze you

Perhaps, and please do brace as some may be about to recoil in
revulsion, the Church and two cities could work together to reach a
happy solution for all. Keeping the orphans of Ashtan alive doesn't have
to be a victory for the church that makes some instinctively flinch
violently and attempt to do just the opposite. Instead, it could be a
method of enriching their city, quite independent of the Church or any
of her ideals. Realizing that I have no executive power whatsoever in
matters of state or Church, I would like to propose a fair solution for
both cities. Perhaps an additional alternative, sponsored by the
governments, could be provided for the orphans of the respective cities,
a program that would give them a chance at life and a way of life that
benefits their home. In Ashtan, this would provide an alternative for
those that do not wish to murder their orphansand while the jeweler
Amadia is an option, she can take on only a very limited amount of
apprentices. In Shallam, this would provide an alternative for those
that balk at the idea of bringing youthful children into the (clutches
of the) Church. All citizens would then have the option of completing
the quest in both cities, without either a distinctly benevolent or
malicious result. To be sure, one of our few similarities is that we're
all very patriotic, and I would think the idea of the orphans helping
our cities grow would be a well-met one indeed.

Naturally, all of us must do our best to save face and uphold our
respective ideals. The Church will announce that the orphanage is an
abomination that murders innocent children and should be closed down
immediately, and Ashtan will respond that they are the city of the free
and the orphanage will remain as a choice for those that wish to enroll
orphans there. Ashtan will say that war will be declared unless their
orphans are left undisturbed within the city, and Shallam will say that
while we do not desire war, we are not afraid of it. And, of course, we
all believe we are right and the others are wrong. But, maybe, we could
open dialogue and work towards a solution that would be beneficial for
both Ashtan and Shallam and actually weaken the Church's monopoly on "a
good path" for orphans.

I eagerly welcome thoughts from citizens of both cities and members of
the Church. I'm certainly willing to compromise and attempt see things
from other points of view, if everyone else is as well.

-Elysian Kail

Penned by my hand on the 15th of Lupar, in the year 370 AF.