Let's make one thing clear. Anyone willing to give their loyalty to
Ashtan is welcome within her walls. Anyone within Ashtan can worship
whoever they like. Horns, halos, wings, hooves, it doesn't matter much.
All that Ashtan asks in exchange is loyalty. Any member of Pentharian's
order, Lorielan's, anyone following Tarah, Deucalion, Miramar, Aurora
can be a citizen of Ashtan, so long as they do not harm the city. The
'propaganda' on Ashtan news, which you seem to be so well aquainted
with, is the opinions of each individual citizen. And unlike Shallam,
they have the freedom to write whatever they feel or think, without fear
of punishment. Because in Ashtan, it's okay to disagree. It's okay to be
Good, Righteous. It's okay to be Evil, Dark, Chaotic. Any guild. Any
order. Any clan. All are welcome, all are free, and all can speak their
minds and CHOOSE HOW TO LIVE THIER OWN LIVES in Ashtan.
Which isn't to say that Ashtan will kick itself in the head by offering
protection to those entities as oppose her, such as Lord Pentharian and
Lord Sartan (oh the sweet irony). Yet while the power symbols of either
are not protected, neither are they illegal. And certainly, a citizen
may follow either God and remain a citizen of Ashtan.
Live your lives as you please. Forge your own paths. Choose day by day
how you wish to live and believe. All we ask is that you do not harm the
city. Do not harm the citizens. Come together when necessary for the
strength of the city as a whole, to keep our freedom alive.


Moving on. Do you honestly believe doing good is the sole realm of the
Church? By the Gods, I've lost count of the number of people I rezzed,
helped materially or otherwise. Some were my friends, others strangers.
The difference being it was my personal choices that dictated my
actions, not an outside code. I don't need a piece of paper to be
compassionate, or to do good. Yes, it's amazing.A die-hard Darkie can
feel love, affection, care. A die-hard Ashtanite can wake up in the
morning and feel the simple joy of creation, the beauty of a rose, the
immense complexity of the colour blue. But I do not want to be forced
into the joy of living and doing what I do, good or bad. I am free to
live my life. And because I am free, you brand me as evil.

Yeshua was a Darkwalker for many years. But he was not of Shallam. He
served the Paladins as a guildmaster, and served well. He never harmed
the guild. It grew under his care. He was Dark throughout. Doesn't that
tell you something? He was cast out of the guild, now. He had done
nothing wrong but been Dark at one point in his life. No questions
asked. Xandor was cast out and replaced. I'll not speak of the third, as
his story is far less intimately known to me. Just recently, a dear
friend was outcast of a Shallam-affiliated guild that claims to not be
'good' per se... because she chose to follow the Father. I hope this
settles any misconceptions you had about the church's tolerance.

Confusing the Church and Shallam? All too easy. The Church has a
deathgrip on the throat of the city. Anyone claiming otherwise is a
fool, blind, or delusional. End of story.

Look at yourselves. You speak of building highways? That was the old
church. Look to the roots of it. It was not founded on the basis of
fanatical hypocricy. It was not founded on the hellbent eradication of
all that dares to be different. That was not the power which created the
roads. You have forgotten how to live, how to create, how to nurture.
You only know how to rant, rave, and destroy.
I could turn this into a book, but I wouldn't want to abuse my 1K. I
just hope that these words won't fall entirely on deaf ears.


Dark as ever,
Silverstorm
Archon of Ashtan, city of the Free

Penned by my hand on the 24th of Valnuary, in the year 303 AF.