This post is in response to the posts made by Riven and Mordyval, of
which I have discerned a few glaring fallacies that demand immediate
clarification lest they be used as a biblical truth for later
generations to come.

Riven, when you were ex-communicated, you knowingly broke a rule which
otherwise states that anyone who joins the City of Ashtan would face the
unpleasant fate of ex-communication. You could have been uninitiated,
perhaps, but it was no excuse.

The essence of a rite of prayer is not for the based purpose of gaining
experience but rather, as a way of reinforcing our relationship with
people from outside the Church. It is an avenue whereby the Church
thanks her friends and potential allies alike. If rites were originally
conceived to just give an experience boost, church-members then would
not be excluded from the congregation unlike in actual circumstances
whereby the only priest or paladin allowed in the room for that matter
has to be the person orchestrating the rite.

Riven, you were not being particularly credible when you failed to name
the two members of the Church who unfortunately slew said Warlock for
disagreeing with our beliefs. The two culprits whom you have so merrily
asserted were most likely fairly young members of the Church. These two
most probably would not have attained the neccessary education needed in
learning both the spirit as well as the letter of the Codex. While their
actions cannot and will not be justified, they nevertheless do not speak
for behaviour of the Church per se.

The reason why many of us immolate fallen enemies stem from our ideals
of compassion. You rightly sounded out that particular interview
question whereby novices were asked if it were in their moral conscience
to help a fallen enemy. Henceforth, it is neither a 'joke' nor a farce
when members of the Church, to quote you, 'heal/shield/reflect or feed
those who are in its eyes "evil"'. Moreover, the priests, I believe,
give out blessings to most achaeans from all walks of life, provided
that they are not serial enemies of the Church or Shallam. I have yet to
see Andelas or perhaps Mephisto receive a blessing from a fully-fledged
priest (and not an excomm one) for that matter.

And Mordyval, we could have been 'hypocrites and prejudiced buggers'
when we assert that Ashtan as a whole is against the Church. But then,
you have revealed yourself to be a 'bigger hypocrite and bugger' than
you have made yourself out to be. It is common knowledge that Ashtan
opposes the Church in all ways of life. Ashtan prohibits her members
from worshipping Gods who are sympathetic to the Church. Posts on the
Ashtan forum are usually filled with anti-church rhetoric. A member of
the Church to an Ashtanite is almost a synonym for the anti-thesis of an
Ashtanite.

Under all these mitigating factors presented, how can you call us
simplistic when we believe that the whole of Ashtan is against the very
survival and existence of the Church?

In your third paragraph, you said, 'Ashtan as a whole believes in the
individuals right to believe as they wish'. Later on, you added that the
Church oppresses any belief which differs from theirs.

Here's what I think of said paragraph. It is but just 'simplistic
musings from an otherwise myopic observer'. Ashtan forcefully oppresses
anybody who shows the slightest trace of sympathy towards the Church. In
all my life here, I have yet to see any Ashtanite who is even mildly
sympathetic towards the Gods of Shallam, be it Miramar, Deucalion,
Aurora and Lord Pentharian. But mind you, the 'oppressive' twin towers
of Shallam and the Church have had Yeshua, Xandor and Guiliaume who were
members of Orders which are not friendly to us.

Next, you proceeded to show us the inner workings of a deranged mind
which undoubtedly would have made an interesting case study for Sigmund
Freud. In the fourth paragraph, you claimed wildly that the Church
perceives any set of ideology which does not parallel that of the Church
to be 'evil'. If that is so, the Church must have gained a far wider
range of vocabulary for we would need to include the beliefs of many
neutral and harmonious Order as 'evil' too for they are not the beliefs
of the Church.

In your final paragraph, Mordyval, you confused both the institutions of
Shallam and the Church. You noted that Shallam declared you an enemy for
theft of orphans, not Church. You need not be incredulous at this
decision as there is no good reason for you to be in Shallam - one in
which you have showed contempt for many times - during the Crossing
other than for the purpose of stealing orphans. In this context,
prevention is evidently better than cure.

I profess my deepest sympathy for the erroneous views of both Riven and
Mordyval. The Church is a venerable institution. The Church constructed
the highways. The Church provides a stabilising force. We are not about
to forsake faith for fashion, creed for compromise and doctrine for
doubt just to please anybody.

I stand by my statement today.

Walter Weltsdown, Bloodsworn

Penned by my hand on the 23rd of Valnuary, in the year 303 AF.