Concerning the "shrine" erected, then destroyed, in Ashtan and your concerns about the Church's stance and holy nature allow me to say first that your concern for the direction of the is truly touching but that you need not worry. In responce to your original post (3756) Echo l'Altro di Rienzi stated that it was believed that the "shrine" in Ashtan was constructed "by a power not affiliated with the Church for the sole purpose of creating strife a mockery of our sacred beliefs and traditions" (post 3760). I second her in this belief.

You yourself (post 3761) defined a "shrine" as, "a structure erected by those who are devoted to the Gods benevolent to the Church and do so to honor those Gods." In this matter, I agree with you, Twilight. Assuming that this shrine was indeed created and placed in a most public and obvious location in Ashtan by "a power *not* affiliated with the Church for the sole purpose of creating strife and a mockery of (the Church's) sacred beliefs and traditions", then it would hardly meet the requirements you laid down for being a "shrine", now would it? If it was NOT a structure erected by someone devoted to the Gods benevolent to the Church, nor did it so honor those Gods (of which I am one, and I was not honored by it) then it cannot be a shrine, by your definition. Therefore the golden object parading as a shrine in Ashtan of late was *not* a shrine, but merely a tool to create additional strife and conflict in the lands.

The Church, in agreeing to have it removed, only followed its nature to help alleviate such strife and assist in what way they could to remove this mockery of a *true* shrine.

That thing which Oneiros removed from Ashtan was not a shrine any more than Iron Pyrite is real gold. Did that object have the appearance of a shrine? Of course - otherwise it would have not been effective. As it's common name implies (Fool's Gold), one would be a fool to believe that Iron Pyrite was real gold simply because it looked like it at first glance. In the same manner one would be just as fooled to believe that the "shrine" in Ashtan was anything less than a unholy forgery. Your own words and wise definition of a "shrine" has shown me that surely, *you* are not such a fool, Twilight.

Deucalion, God of Righteousness

Penned by my hand on the 12th of Glacian, in the year 238 AF.