Herenicus,

Firstly, allow me to state that I fully respect you for the time and
effort you must have put into that sermon - it was quite well written.
That statement, however, does not mean that I accept what you have said
as a truth, by any means, and this post will just attempt to point out
what I feel are a few flaws in your arguement, and question some of your
statements a little.

1) Perhaps what troubles me the most is the misapprehension that you
appear to be under regarding our laws as they relate to 'mental
security'. Shallam is the City of Light. It's not actually too hard to
understand that people extolling the 'virtues' of Evil are going to be
asked to leave. We are not your friends, Herenicus - we are under no
obligation to listen to what you have to say, as we stand in direct
opposition to the values you preach, and if you are asked nicely to
leave the city, because you are quite frankly, annoying us, then we
would appreciate if you'd do so. Shallamese are prohibited from entering
Mhaldor - we extend our hospitality towards Mhaldorians, with the
provisio that you behave to the absolute letter of our laws.

2) Regarding orphans. Personally, while I find the Orphanage extremely
distasteful, the Ashtani orphans are Ashtani citizens, and under Ashtani
jurisdiction. They are not under my personal control, or bound by the
laws of my homeland. On this, I agree with you. However, I strongly
question your unsupported statement that 'Shallam would turn Ashtan into
its vassal state'. While I am no friend of our Ashtani brethren, which
may perhaps even be a slight understatement, I do actually respect the
majority of them. Use of such exaggerations in your post have to be seen
for what they are - attempts to score what I would call cheap points by
preying on the stereotypes that many people in these realms hold.

3) As for your enemying. It is possible to look at this from two points
of view. From my perspective, it seems like a perfectly reasonable
request. You were asked politely to leave the city, as far as I can
tell, and when you didn't, you were enemied. If you were truly
attempting 'to fit within the...laws of Shallam', then you would have
known that if you are asked to leave by a city official, then you must
do so, and that there is a due process of appeal in such cases. Now,
looking at it from another perspective - I am no scholar of the Truths
of Evil, and I am writing from memory here - but isn't one of the truths
based along the lines of pain and cruelty being used to eliminate
weakness? If we *make an assumption* that such an action was cruel,
'draconian', 'foul', and 'unjust', and also assume that you truly follow
Lord Sartan's teachings, should you not be thanking Anu and Shallam, for
eliminating some of your weakness through the application of pain?

For those that view anything I have said as insulting, I do not intend
it to be so. The views expressed in this post are purely my own, and
bear no relation to city laws.

Regards,

Liam Rybnik

Postscriptum : The question that finishes off my third point is not
rhetorical, and is a serious question - I would appreciate it if someone
more well versed in the Sartanic doctrines than I would be able to
clarify that matter from their viewpoint.

Penned by my hand on the 7th of Glacian, in the year 372 AF.