Dear Priestess Reina,

To tell you the truth, Reina, I enjoyed reading your post. In fact, I
haven't laughed so hard in ages. Let me explain this to you, Reina:
Ashtan does not condone nor condemn the use of Gleam. Ashtan does not
produce Gleam. And most importantly, we don't keep tabs on those who do.
You attempting to blame this on people other than yourself is simply
pathetic. I was a gleam user for a good ten years, and lost most of my
fortune because of it. And why did I quit? Because I willed myself to.
Because _I_ am the master of my own creation, and thus the bringer of
ruin to it. I did not seek a scapegoat for my problems, because I knew
that I brought it upon myself.

Tell me this, Reina, were you pressured by your friends to use it? Were
you priests and priestesses having Gleam-parties and snort socials? Or
did Kortoxian come knocking at your door and forcing it up your
nostrils? Oh! I know, all of Ashtan got together and we decided that we
were going to put a little of it in your food and water everyday so you
slowly became physically dependent upon it! Yes! We are certainly an
evil bunch, we are!

So, tell us, Reina? Why did you start? Something in your life
unfulfilled? Did you secretly ACHE to feel the sinful pleasure that your
city seeks to hide from its members? I know gleam. I know how wonderful
it is and how it makes your nostrils simply SING with ecstacy. I'm sure
you loved it too. Still do, eh? Of course, the rest of the world is to
blame for YOUR mistake. Not the poor Reina who simply wished to live her
own life according to HER rules. No no no... Asthan and its orphan-gland
industry! That is who is to blame. Let me tell you, Reina. I have lived
in Ashtan for over forty years now, and I haven't seen a single gold
sovereign for all the Orphans that I enrolled into the Orphanage.
Ashtan's got nothing to do with the producction, so therefore the
Orphanage has nothing to do with production. Therefore, glands have
nothing to do with gleam production.

I'd enjoy telling you what IS in the miracle drug, though I do not think
you'd like the answers. You see, Reina, the answer would make your brain
hurt because it has NOTHING to do with bodyparts harvested from small
children, though you Shallamese DO that have wonderfully sick
imaginations for thinking such. In fact, that mind-boggling, delicious
substance that you snort is actually a plant. A natural plant that is
harvested in the southern areas, most likely warm and temperate areas
that could produce citrus plants. You know the places, the Savannah,
Delos... oh yes, Shastaan and the Pash Valley as well! So so so close to
home, isn't it? What a nice little botany lesson for you!

So, to keep myself from flying off the handle and saying that you're
nothing but someone who runs from herself, I'm going to leave you with
these words, Reina, because I do sympathize with you. I really do. I
just don't like it when people try to blame everyone but themselves. So,
here are these words:

"Those who feel shame for themselves will shame others. Those who accept
themselves will accept others."

Yours in the Chaos that Struggles like this Bring,

Nolar D'Ischai-Rybnik

Penned by my hand on the 14th of Chronos, in the year 387 AF.