Greetings, Sultan of Shallam.

First, allow me to begin by congratulating you on your recent
appointment as city leader of the Jewel of the East. As two individuals
who were born but a single day apart, in a way it seems oddly fitting
that the two of us should serve as representatives for our respective
cities, does it not? That aside, I shall proceed to the heart of the
matter.

"Shallam did not, does not and will never negotiate with terrorists."
This is a statement of yours in response to the capture of Ylniri, a
young Sentaari Monk that is currently being held against her will inside
the walls of the city of Mhaldor, and reasonable requests that Mhaldor
has made in order to ensure her safe release back to her family, friends
and loved ones. We asked either that Shallam take up the mantle of war,
or failing that, offer Mhaldor ten million gold sovereigns. To be blunt,
the city of Mhaldor cares not for the funds and has no need of them. Our
goal is to appeal to those bloodthirsty citizens of Shallam that wish to
rise up and rid the continent of Sapience of the foul and vile influence
of "Evil" once and for all. There are a surprisingly large number of
them, I have spoken with them personally on many occasions. They have
implored me for war, and Mhaldor can do only so much. We slaughter your
citizens at a whim, we snatch them from the safety of their comrades and
hold them captive, we butcher the villages about your city to sate our
bloodlust, and still the city of Shallam claims that they have nothing
to gain from a war with Mhaldor. So then, with this most recent event
fresh in our minds and your comment quoted, let us review some documents
that I have taken the liberty of perusing.

The following are excerpts from "The Holy Codex of the Church of
Achaea".

- If you wish to look up the definition of "Righteousness" as recorded
by the sages you will see, "n. - doing what is right or good. Just.
Upright. Godly." However if you "truly" wish to understand these
deceptively simple-looking words then you will come to find that they
cannot be defined completely by a scholar's pen, nor by any single
action, but instead by the course of a person's life, dreams, ambitions
and actions.

- To kill in order to destroy evil when it rises against the church or
otherwise opposes the forces of good in the land is one thing and indeed
can be a righteous act.

- PROTECT THE INNOCENT. Innocence is sometimes a difficult concept to
define. The scholars define it as, "free from guilt, blameless,
harmless". The innocent are not necessarily simply those who support the
Church but they are most frequently the ones whom the evil and wicked
will try to oppress. If a group of an individual is being threatened
with physical, emotional, or spiritual harm, the church shall seek to
champion them who are unable to do so themselves.

- SEEK TO END ALL EVIL. It is the ultimate goal of the Church of Achaea
to put an end to evil of all kinds in the lands.

- DEFEND THOSE THAT WOULD DEFEND YOU. Treat well those who would
befriend the church and support it. If not you may soon find you stand
alone in your struggles.

- It shall be this code, laid down upon this parchment by divine quill,
which shall serve to lead and guide those who would be members of the
Church of Achaea. As in faith itself, it is the strength the 'spirit' of
the law that is most important. However, do not ignore its 'letter' in
arrogant belief that you understand its spirit well enough to alter the
'letter'. The Letter of the Law is for clear guidance.

- May you forever bring glory to the Church of Achaea.

For those that may not be able to draw a parallel between these words
and the present situation, I shall do so. The first two quotes are self
explanatory, I do not believe they require any further elaboration.
Regarding the protection of the innocent, I believe that Ylniri would
certainly qualify as 'blameless' and 'harmless' in this instance. She is
small, weak, unable to fend for herself and has done nothing to deserve
this cruel and harsh treatment. What of the eternal struggle to end all
evil, or defending those that would support the Church? As a Sentaari
Monk, I would certainly expect Ylniri to be one that supports and
defends the Church of Achaea, regardless of her citizenship or lack
thereof.

Here are further quotes, cited from various sources:

- "Shallam is known primarily as the city of Light and Justice".

- "Shallamese society is helmed by ideals of Righteousness, Justice and
Truth"

- "The Priests, as well as the rest of the Church, base their beliefs on
both the sacred text named "The Holy Codex" and the fundamentals of
Light, Righteousness and Order."

- "The purpose of the Paladins is to uphold the teachings of the Church,
however they may change."

- "The Magi Guild resides within the walls of Shallam, and seeks to
further the causes of Good and Order in Sapience. They follow the ways
of Good in search of the greater rewards its values bring."

- "Finally, the way of the Magi is one of unselfishness."

- "Vigilant against evil, the Sentaari strive for Perseverance, to stand
firm against all odds and defend the ideals they are so dedicated to.
All members of the guild share these goals"

- "Sentaari monks seldom initiate aggression, but will act swiftly to
defend their guildmates, their ideals, and their city"

- "Shallam did not, does not, and will never negotiate with terrorists."

It is not my intent to judge or point fingers. I merely seek
enlightenment, so to speak. How is it that this one remark can be so
contrary to the remainder of the material I have presented? How is it
that the city of Shallam can turn its back so callously on one of its
innocent 'sheep' that has been so viciously wrested from the comfort of
her flock, when the avenue of her return is such an easy one to walk?

With the utmost respect,

Khoraji,
Tyrannus of Mhaldor

Penned by my hand on the 11th of Glacian, in the year 379 AF.