Greetings,
It is my intention to express the truth behind Antioch, a vile,
detestable city populated by the worst of rats. I was happy there for a
moment, while I stood blind to the obvious, but I have my lady Icarus to
thank for awakening me to the facts. Antioch is dubbed the "Oasis". I
have a few titles that would probably fit better.
How about "Antioch, City of Hypocrites"? The only case that I have to
bring against this is the simple fact about how well they seem to join
with magick-users despite their otherwise over-zealous anti-magick
policy. I ask, do you follow these dictums only when it suits your
purposes and then forsake them at other times? Yes, I know of how a team
of Antioch citizens and Kinsarmarians attacked Icarus. Did they both
have reason to? That is beside the point. I would think that someone so
aligned against magick that they would question my own faith long before
these past events transpired would not care about the ultimate purpose
of said alignment. I served loyally, defended the city against
magick-users within the walls, and was immediately questioned because I
did not believe in them being slain on general principle unless they did
something directly to attack the city. This is the repayment I get for
my services, contributions, and losses. Interrogation. I will not even
bother bringing up the 1,000,000 gold that I personally donated to the
city for it to have a library built, which, to my knowledge, still does
not stand. Take the million and call it my payment for my own stupidity
in thinking that I could trust you, and to buy my freedom from the
sands.
Antioch is a city that doesn't even know its own values well enough to
stand by them. You pick and choose which ones you want to uphold when it
suits you to do so. Hypocrisy at its finest.
How about "Antioch, City of Betrayers"? When someone is in need of help,
what steps do you take to protect them? Do you come to their aid? Let me
answer that for you. No. You don't. You are too busy dealing with other
things that are trivial in comparison. I was abducted once a long time
ago, brought into Stavenn, trapped, beaten, and left helpless while
people readily made dolls of me to use as they see fit. What advice did
you give me? To die if I could. You didn't even -try- to arrange an
assault to attempt to get me back. You were too busy telling jokes over
the city channel. You left me to rot. You did the same to Icarus. For
decency, I will not mention the activities that kept the lot of you
preoccupied during her own torment. And you wonder why, in the end, we
are now against you. How about Harker? Remember him? Ask him of his
views. But you won't. You are happy in your ignorance. This was the
initial thing that opened my eyes to the true nature of Antioch. In the
days coming, perhaps not this month, or the next.. perhaps not even this
year, or the next.. but eventually, I will have my vengeance. You can
mark my words on that.
You forsake your own in their times of greatest need, and then turn
against them when they are angered at your lack of action. Betrayal at
its finest.
For those of you young ones still within the City, blinded by their
"righteous" cause in eliminating the foul scourge of magick from the
Realms, that is, when your superiors don't ask the users of the same
foul magicks to aid you in your own inadequacy, I would ask you: How
well do you know your fellow citizens? I am a man of honour. I always
have been. I do not lie. I tell the facts as they have been revealed to
me, and believe me.. I have my ways of discovering the truth. Everything
I have said here is nothing but fact. Do you still trust them, or will
you believe their lies as they try to cover up what really happened? I
leave that for you to decide. Put your faith where you feel it is
warranted. But I would suggest that you watch your back, because no one
else in the city is going to look after your well-being unless they have
something that they can usurp from your presence.
Lastly, to Neko Savann, the epitome of disgust.. you are already
head-hunting me, so saying this will make little difference. You are the
most excellent example of everything that I have mentioned here. You saw
me hand a vial to Icarus, and then had me removed from the Wardancers. I
did nothing. A group of people came and attacked you. I did not assist
you or them. I took no aggressive action against those that were
tormenting you, just as the City as a whole took no action to help me
when I needed it, but neither did I take any aggressive action against
you. What did I get? I was kicked out and branded a traitor for doing
nothing. To say that I was assisting them is a lie, because I didn't do
anything, unless of course you want to claim my vial hand-off as an
action. I didn't meet to fight Icarus. I met for parley, and most
honourable warriors when asked by even their greatest enemies to meet
for formal talks will take no action against them, and sometimes as a
measure of faith will offer them minor assistance to show their own
sincerity in meeting peacefully. But you didn't bother to find that out,
did you? To say that I was allied with magick-users would incriminate
yourself, oh glorious warrior who teams with Lorekeeprs and Bards when
such allies suit him. You seem to want to claim my head for yourself,
even though I have done nothing to harm you. To the City of Antioch, I
give you another heretic to play with. Enjoy.
-Mahanaxar
Penned by my hand on the 20th of Naturalis, in the year 434 AD.
