Well, has Ashtan suddenly got its knickers in a twist. They say they
don't
care so why the explosion of posts on the matter on this board?

Firstly, I speak as just a single Sentinel, and not for the guild.

The undisputed fact as I know them: three Sentinels recently were robbed
by Ashatan citizens of the very thing they usually crave. One Sentinel,
when asking for the stolen goods to be returned, even got killed for
asking. The Ashtan "leadership" says it's no skin of their nose.

Now we Sentinels are a pretty close bunch. We stand by eachother, and
help solve eachothers prolems. We elect the leaders that go with that,
our supposed Dictator. Now he, upon learning the facts of the case,
and sppeking with the elected rulers of Ashtan, seeks not omly to
solve this matter, but to get a resolution for future like incidents,
as well, as Ashtan is notorious in its neglect for certain matters we
hold at heart. Freedom from getting robbed whereever we roam, freedom
from getting killed just because we spoke.

Ashtan replies, that they hold freedom above all. Apparently only
for themselves, I think, because this supposed freedom is not granted
for non-citizens. This used to be called the law of the Jungle, Might
is Right.

Well, thinks Covenant, since Ashtan won't deal with our issue, we stop
dealing with them and he issues a ban on sales to Ashtanites. The guild
follows its chosen leader. Not like a bunch of mindless sheep, because
no doubt he will get enough verbal play from dissenters, but we follow.

Now the people with the most problems, apart from the innocents, are
those
with affiliations in both "camps". Though for them the matter should be
straightforward, even though painful. To us, the Sentienls come first.
Therefore, they are not banned from buying, but should refrain from
selling to fellow Ashtanites. Therein lies the rub.

I know of one who holds this Ashtanite version of egocentrical freedom
so dear, that the whole thing riles him to his very soul. Yet he agrees
that the incidents were something wrong and had to be dealt with.

Well, take it from me, Ashtan, freedom is a thing shared, and when one
intrudes upon anothers freedom, that he or she himself holds dear, there
is an inequality of freedom, which must be redressed. And sometimes
the individual (or actually, usually) is not strong enough to seek or
enforce redress him of herself. And that is where we Sentinels start
to act as a guild united with the victims.
Mazur, speaking for himself.

There is no such thing as absolute freedom, as long as there is another
person alive sharing the world.

Penned by my hand on the 16th of Valnuary, in the year 298 AF.