A Minmir Proclamation: Flamerule 184
*The letter is decorated with an illuminated letterhead which swirls and gilds a symbol of Bane in the center*
More than a year to the date and what has your insipid crusade accomplished little Alis? You have certainly taken it upon yourself to shew forth the filth of your preposterous Order and gilt it with lie upon lie to justify the chaos you bring into this world. You are a selfish woman, Alis, the suffering and hardship so felt by the isle of Arelith comes not at our hand, not by our actions, but by your continual escalation and diffusion of the words of the Pretender.
It becomes quite easy to paint those of the Banefaith so damnably when one removes the critical context of such complex occurrences. Not to mention the outright perpetuation of false information presented as ineffable fact. Sans objective evidence as always.
Where I come from in Phlan, one does not offer words on a matter they do not fully understand. A virtue that I would give much to see emulated here upon Arelith. Unfortunately for you and I, kind civilized folk, there are a plethora of those hereupon Arelith who would pass their words off to you as if tangible fact. One of whom is Dame Alis Grantz. It becomes a momentous undertaking in of itself to sift through the ramshackle accusations of a silly little girl. Yet as I will illuminate; we of Minmir are no strangers to duty, and it is my duty to cast the light of God's truth into the world. To stand abreast with my brothers and sisters against the rising tide of chaos.
I will then, as I have time and again, provide for your benefit an unfiltered expos to recant, recall, and rectify the slanderous drivel laid against Minmir and our blessed Black Lord Bane. What will certainly be exhaustive in length, I do not apologize, instead, take up your grievances with those who fling such imbecilic words against us. I will address each falsehood in meticulous refutation, paragraph by paragraph, line by line; in response to Dame Alis's recent statement addressed to Minmir. (REF: Knight Commander's Statement Regarding Minmir Church)
From the onset, the Dame's missive is heaped in misinformation and unsubstantiated assumptions. I will repeat this a dozen more times throughout, so best to memorize these words now. The rite so claimed to have been conducted upon the Earl Manfried is no rite nor ritual at all. This supposed "unleashing" is nothing more than the participation or in this case the lack thereof, of Minmir forces in the defense against the Earl's undead horde. At no point in time have we sought to release said Earl from his confinement. Instead what was witnessed was an active decision on the part of Minmir to withhold our military's participation in this decades-long defense against the Earl and his horde of undeath.
There is no obligation for Minmir to provide its resources and manpower in this unending mission. It is something we have taken upon ourselves, a service, to bring about the order so demanded by our God. If it is then asserted that we would be so callous and self-destructive as to aid in the release of the Earl from confinement out of a "tantrum." It speaks volumes to the twisted perception held in the minds of these supposedly good men and women. When something as simple as decided inaction can be leveled as justification for obliteration then one must step back and realize the gravity of the situation.
This decision to abdicate our committed repulsion of the undead and cease active containment efforts was not one made lightly. When it is repeatedly and fanatically expressed that the Black Lord Bane will be expelled from Arelith. We of Minmir felt no other option but to demonstrate to you all exactly what such a place this isle would become. The perils faced were but a fraction of what you all have to fear should the grasp of Bane slip from this isle. We have never expected your admiration nor your thanks, nevertheless this total disregard for the importance we play in the continuation of Arelith as we know it, was and still is, unforgivable.
Minmir will accept no ridicule for this decision, nor accept the manufactured infractions conjured up by the minds of those who wield the law against the Lawful. There is no treachery in refusing to complete a service for an isle who thinks they are better off without us upon it.
If there is a fault to be made aware of on our part from this ordeal it would be this: it was beyond our fathoming that the isle would descend into such bold-faced ignorance and gullibility. We of Minmir are open and honest in all communication yet the public seems to indulge itself eagerly in the slanderous drivel of rumor-mongering. We provide God's truth to you so you may have the same tools as we, to make informed decisions for yourselves, it is your folly that you choose to not utilize them. It is the doom of those who do not accept Bane as the One True Master to fall victim to these mortal weaknesses.
With this point exhausted, we move on to the next fabrication of misinformation shared in the Dame's missive. Being so blessed as to have been at the mantle of Minmir both times war has been declared upon us by the Radiant Heart; I have full insight into the matter.
On the twenty-eighth day of Kythorn AR 183 by the hand of Dame Alis Grantz herself, a crusade was called upon the Banefaith of Arelith. By her own stated declarations. (REF: Declaration of Holy Crusade Against the Church of Minmir)
They defile our sacred temples, corrupt our noble traditions, and desecrate the very essence of life itself. Their presence in Minmir, amidst blackened keep, is a symbol of Hate that must be destroyed.
-paragraph 3 sentences 2-3
We will not rest until every vestige of Bane and its allies are cast down in Minmir.
-paragraph 4 sentence 4
Let us become one in Vigilant Purpose to see the blight of Bane's Church in Minmir expunged in totality.
-paragraph 7 sentence 3
This declaration contained no identified evils nor crimes, yet heaps judgement upon judgment to stir the masses towards your vendetta against Bane. Yet your carelessness has outdone itself in your writings Alis and your true intent is laid bare. You seek not to bring holy justice, for what justice is there to be had in genocide? What allows you to stand upon your hallowed grounds and shew forth such a thing as the desire to eradicate an entire faith? What tenet of your Divines gives you the right to forsake anothers right to live, to defend themselves, and to seek personal absolution through chosen faith?
Not once will you hear such debased and abhorrent intent expressed by the Fearful of Minmir. Even we recognize that the taking of a life is no triviality and would never issue such blanketed calls for death. We are a faith of law, of leadership, of purpose, and know better than to pack the city of the dead with souls that could otherwise be made to be productive contributing members of society. A task that the Order of Ascension cannot comprehend as they have demonstrated their problem-solving ability is limited to what they can stick their swords into.
I draw your attention back to the recent statement issued forth from Dame Alis, one filled with supposition and justifications for this crusade of hers. Some of which may have been of concern had they had in fact taken place before the declaration of war was inked. After all, when faced with the options of being "expunged in totality" or choosing to live another day, it became all but inevitable for us to broker these associations. This is why an agreement between Minmir and any outside faction did not exist until you issued forth your foolhardy crusade. Agreements were not made until Flamerule the following month, at minimum three days after the fact. Until the day these calls for total annihilation are stricken down, we will secure our continued existence by any means necessary.
Continuing to wade through the swamp of this text, Minmir holds no alliance with the Zhentarim. Confused with our momentous unification with the True Banite Church of Zhentil Keep. This decision to recognize High Imperceptor Fzoul Chembryl as the Black Hand's chosen is not one any outside of the Church had sway in. This matter lies entirely within our convictions, as such it has already been finalized. Another event that took place post-declaration; on the fifteenth day of Nightal AR 183 a full six months after this war started by your hand.
Once again, the causality attributed to recent events is a presumption if not negligent dispersal of opinion as objective fact. There was no interference for these brigands to play upon our unification with the Church of Zhentil Keep. Instead, what was experienced by the Lawful brothers and sisters of Minmir was an ignorance-fueled reaction to our personal choice. Targeted expulsion from all settled areas on the surface of Arelith, the persecution of members of our faith, and the assertion that we are inhuman. All of which culminated in a decision to abstain from our defense of the undead that continually spills forth from the lands. Your turmoil was felt due to our absence and would still be felt had we not chosen to retake up this thankless pillory.
I will additionally remind the public that it is the Radiant Heart who squat upon the Earldom of Minmir, under which the faith of Bane is law and shared dearly by its titleholder: Queen Jennifer Eldren. Minmir has belonged to Lord Bane since the day the monks of the Minmir Monastery saved the sole surviving Eldren from the fallout of the Earl's curse. From that day we have toiled to not just contain this undead horde but sought repeatedly to organize efforts to cleanse the curse once and for all. Efforts that are repeatedly ignored and brushed aside so others may have their attempts at single-handed glory. Tell me Alis were you able to sweep away the curse as you claimed you could? Is it by your hand the Earl destroyed? Can you name even one observable effect you have had upon the hills of Minmir?
I draw attention now to the indictment of harboring of animators and raising of liches, the latter of which is more easily addressed. You are out of your mind if you believe that Minmir Keep is capable of, let alone inclined to, creating such an undead. Lord Bane has willed what greater undead He intends into this world and provided unto us the tools through which to command those lesser forms. While you turn your own eyes from its usage within the ranks of the Jergalites, which you welcome within your auxiliary rank. We of Minmir have set forth our own divinely bound and pervasive rules in which its controlled usage is thoroughly defined and codified. Those animators who are housed within our halls and stand within our rank are all sworn to compliance and strive day and night to wield this tool mindfully and conservatively.
Continuing, the Dame hurls generic accusations of cooperation with all manner of lowly individuals. There is no denying we do indeed deal with these sorts regularly, but to stretch the circumstance to assert fraternity; is preposterous. There is no need nor want for friends under the Black Hand. We deal with these sorts to see them brought into order under the Law that is Lord Bane. Under which reformation into a properly fearful and order-centric behaviour can occur. A case example is our own Mother Epidermis who has made bountiful strides in curtailing her impulsivity and frivolity.
Finally, to address Dame Alis Grantz and the Order of Ascension who began this charade, and those who have lent their aid to perpetuate her reckless prancercising. You will never be absent tyranny so long as the law is used to exclude others. You will never quench the fire of hatred so long as it burns as brightly within you towards us as it does us for you.
HATE WITHIN, HATE WITHOUT
Signed,
Lord Verta Sataa
Dread Seneschal of Minmir
The sigil of Minmir Keep is depicted in wax just beneath the signature: An imposing stone keep and perched atop it, a vigilant green dragon spreading its wings in an impressive display of power
Day 27, Month 7 (Flamerule (Summertide)), 184 AR
Verta Sataa
[Wiki Editor's Note: This proclamation was originally done in two parts to fit on IG board, but has been combined here for recording]