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Public News Post #13149

A lesson to be learned

Written by: Dark Lady Silverstorm Trismegistus
Date: Thursday, August 26th, 2004
Addressed to: Everyone


Every few years, a new generation of Ashtanites grows up to discover the
resources and possibilities of its city. Every few decades, a generation
of the Church enters deep rest, and new acolytes take their place upon
the pulpit. And every generation, the same debate begins.

Shallam: Stop killing orphans!
Ashtan: (with an innocent look) What orphans? We don't have any orphans!
Shallam (leading a string of orphans out of the city): Nope, not
anymore!
Ashtan: You stole our citizens! DIEEE!
Shallam: They'll have a much better life singing in the choir.
Ashtan: (leading a string of orphans out of Shallam) That is not your
decision to make
Shallam: Murderers!
Ashtan: (with another innocent look) Murderers?! We don't touch the
orphans! We are nice to the orphans! We LOVE the orphans.
Shallam: Liars!
Ashtan: Meddlers!
Shallam: Enemy!
Ashtan: Keeel!

Servelan DeVermiis, one of the greatest if not THE greatest Occult minds
to have ever lived, had a chance at making the case for the safety of
the orphanage. There has been countless documentation to the contrary by
generation after generation of researchers, adventurers, and deities -
both subjective and Neutral. If either generation cared enough to take a
glance in the past and learn from the history, perhaps a different
conversation might ensue.

Shallam: Stop killing orphans!
Ashtan: Our ethics, morals, alignment and personal beliefs do not bar us
from making these sacrifices in the name of science and progress.
Shallam: That's cruel and inhuman!
Ashtan: Please point out where in "Help Ashtan" does it say we engage in
humanitarian work.
Shallam: We will save the children!
Ashtan: Incorrect. They are outside your jurisdiction. As an independent
state, we are bound by neither your morals nor your laws. When entering
the city, you, on the other hand, become bound by OUR laws. If you
attempt to take our orphans and our LAW says you may not, you will face
consequences. That is justice.
Shallam: (sputtering) How dare you speak of justice!
Ashtan: Justice is not good or evil. Justice is consequence for action.
Shallam: But your laws are cruel!
Ashtan: Yes. But they are OUR laws. And the only people who can change
them are OUR citizens. If you wish to save the orphans, perhaps you
should start by talking to them.

The base of this debate is not "good or evil" action. It is the
sovereignty of a city and the principles of said city. It is a
long-established FACT what occurs in the DeVermiis orphanage - a fact
that, when denied, significatly lowers the credibility of whoever makes
the denial. It is, frankly, astonishing to hear that the stance Reznik
propagated was "heard for the first time" by the Church and Shallam. My
question is - Where have you been and where have you been looking?

Look to the history to get your story straight. Then throw away the
inanities of he said she said I feel you feel, and boil this down to one
point:

Does Ashtan have jurisdiction of all its inhabitants WITHIN THE CITY?
Unless there has been an Imperial takeover while I was knitting, the
answer is yes.

Draw your conclusions accordingly.

- Silverstorm Trismegistus

Penned by my hand on the 13th of Chronos, in the year 371 AF.


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Public News Post #13149

A lesson to be learned

Written by: Dark Lady Silverstorm Trismegistus
Date: Thursday, August 26th, 2004
Addressed to: Everyone


Every few years, a new generation of Ashtanites grows up to discover the
resources and possibilities of its city. Every few decades, a generation
of the Church enters deep rest, and new acolytes take their place upon
the pulpit. And every generation, the same debate begins.

Shallam: Stop killing orphans!
Ashtan: (with an innocent look) What orphans? We don't have any orphans!
Shallam (leading a string of orphans out of the city): Nope, not
anymore!
Ashtan: You stole our citizens! DIEEE!
Shallam: They'll have a much better life singing in the choir.
Ashtan: (leading a string of orphans out of Shallam) That is not your
decision to make
Shallam: Murderers!
Ashtan: (with another innocent look) Murderers?! We don't touch the
orphans! We are nice to the orphans! We LOVE the orphans.
Shallam: Liars!
Ashtan: Meddlers!
Shallam: Enemy!
Ashtan: Keeel!

Servelan DeVermiis, one of the greatest if not THE greatest Occult minds
to have ever lived, had a chance at making the case for the safety of
the orphanage. There has been countless documentation to the contrary by
generation after generation of researchers, adventurers, and deities -
both subjective and Neutral. If either generation cared enough to take a
glance in the past and learn from the history, perhaps a different
conversation might ensue.

Shallam: Stop killing orphans!
Ashtan: Our ethics, morals, alignment and personal beliefs do not bar us
from making these sacrifices in the name of science and progress.
Shallam: That's cruel and inhuman!
Ashtan: Please point out where in "Help Ashtan" does it say we engage in
humanitarian work.
Shallam: We will save the children!
Ashtan: Incorrect. They are outside your jurisdiction. As an independent
state, we are bound by neither your morals nor your laws. When entering
the city, you, on the other hand, become bound by OUR laws. If you
attempt to take our orphans and our LAW says you may not, you will face
consequences. That is justice.
Shallam: (sputtering) How dare you speak of justice!
Ashtan: Justice is not good or evil. Justice is consequence for action.
Shallam: But your laws are cruel!
Ashtan: Yes. But they are OUR laws. And the only people who can change
them are OUR citizens. If you wish to save the orphans, perhaps you
should start by talking to them.

The base of this debate is not "good or evil" action. It is the
sovereignty of a city and the principles of said city. It is a
long-established FACT what occurs in the DeVermiis orphanage - a fact
that, when denied, significatly lowers the credibility of whoever makes
the denial. It is, frankly, astonishing to hear that the stance Reznik
propagated was "heard for the first time" by the Church and Shallam. My
question is - Where have you been and where have you been looking?

Look to the history to get your story straight. Then throw away the
inanities of he said she said I feel you feel, and boil this down to one
point:

Does Ashtan have jurisdiction of all its inhabitants WITHIN THE CITY?
Unless there has been an Imperial takeover while I was knitting, the
answer is yes.

Draw your conclusions accordingly.

- Silverstorm Trismegistus

Penned by my hand on the 13th of Chronos, in the year 371 AF.


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