Dear Bretheren -

Many of you don't know me, and that's to both be expected and fine
as I recently returned to the realm after 60 years away.

But as such, I qualify as an 'older' priest, having served Light as
best I could in the days when landmarking was a forced activity
to preserve our class and every so often we had very, very real
possibilities of occies and mhaldorians just being able to raid
and PK at will if we goofed up that tough task. Many were the
friends of mine who lost many circles of experience from this,
and many were the months where I did nothing but chase after icicles,
bloodbash, and spend virtually all my gold on buckets as I snuck into
every city in the realm to deny them to our enemy.

What being a priest then was very, very clear.

Now, I've returned. I cannot say that my dwarven responsibilities will
keep me here, but what I can say is that I'm confused.

As the gods have seen fit to disband our class - for reasons that
appear to these mortal eyes to be both reasonable and consequences that
appear to be potentially unintended - I'm not so sure what it means to
be a priest now.

Oh, don't get me wrong.

Keturah taught me my first lessons as a neophyte, and Solontus laughed
as he had to rescue me from crashed bashing (or was it me him!), so I'm
not questioning the leadership of the church. Nor do I know the
situation
in the House Empyreal well enough to comment on the current leadership
of
the House past the issue of opening the House to other classes.

But I was very startled to discover that the issue of opening up the
House to other classes has apparently been percolating for a while.

Honestly, I don't know what I feel about it yet. I haven't been back
long enough to really talk with enough Acheans to get a feel for
what the structure of the realm is to devolve to.

But what I do know is this.

A decision as monumental as this - to essentially disband hundreds of
years of
tradition - CANNOT be made through the vulgarities of a challenge to the
House
leadership alone. Whomever wins this election MUST open debate to all
ordained
members of the class on this topic before ANY final decision is made.

Why?

Since to me, at least, this is what will determine what it means to be
a priest for years to come.

And I think we should all have a say in it. Despite what our holy
sponsor
and her immortals - may they be worshiped and respected, and my voice
should
not be taken as a call for anything else - may intend or want, it is and
always
has been up to the Bretheren of this class to decide their own fate.
Only once
do I recall that that was coopted, when a class head turned to Dark and
the
entire structure of the land challenged.

And that, to me, is the essential argument of this debate. It's not
about
leadership of the House, or obeying divine will, or plans upon plans.

It's about what it means to be a priest now. And that decision to me, at
least,
cannot be made by an elected leader - but must be made by all of us.

Because if it isn't, I suspect people's feet will vote where they can't.

Anyway, I never have played politics in my 88 years, and have no desire
to
now. But I did think a view of an oldster recently returned to a world
turned
upside down might have some value.

Cheers.

Tyer

Penned by my hand on the 5th of Ero, in the year 402 AF.