[A-IC:] An Open Letter to the Citizens of the Alliance

Puzzled by all the angry churchmen stuffing letters into his hands and shouting “FOR DELIVERY,” Myrdred sat on the Cathedral steps, his cloak warding his armor against the morning dew.

He read the letters as they came, dimly elated despite the parcels clearly not being for him. He was utterly baffled by the “schism” mentioned within. They certainly all tasted the same, what more was there to argue about?

He had been forced to stifle the urge to pet the large worgeness that had just come out, he did not feel it would be appropriate. Petting things, bizarre, likely a side effect of all that crusader meat.

He wondered if a city wide calamity could be avoided by simply throwing all of this correspondence away. A page approached again, with a great brown bag bulging with mail, funnily, he seemed quite irate.

Kicking Myrdred in one steel sheathed shin, the page snatched the letters and stomped off, cursing about “already opened mail.”

“But they are letters from the church TO the church. Why would it matter if they are open?”

Myrdred sat and pondered some more, of the opinion that this whole debacle was like a rampaging Tauren, easily avoided, yet juicy.

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Pinches his brow as he shakes his head at the letter and takes quill to pen again

"This is the narrow-mindedness I have come to expect. The regurgitating of an accuser’s arguments in response without knowing what they are saying. But what can one come to expect from a place were speech is eavesdropped on,and squelched.

The line between pride and humility is not understood here at all. You speak of Sacrifice when me and mine risked our own necks, and the injuries you are so PROUD of healing were inflicted defending the Cathedral itself. But that is but splitting hairs. Humility does not mean one should sit idly by and do nothing, especially as more and more information is discovered of the Cathedral clergies corruption.

I am not the first to see it nor will I be the last. Humility does not mean I need be the mouse, sometimes humility is knowing to risk yourself and be the lion and roar at the injustices at risk to ones self. I have had my life threatened for merely wearing a piece of cloth reminiscent of another order which is in fact dead for all purposes. Humility does mean though that one should bear no title outside their role with the clergy or holy orders. Ennobled by accident of birth, a noble has the blood; they need not proclaim it holding secular titles. It is pride to have many titles, and nobility in fact means nothing without nobility of action. I was born to Noble blood, a Dukedom no less, but many in our family traditionally cast those worldly titles when the light called to us. And quite frankly seeking such power is foolish. Any power I wield has been given to me by others for their faith in me as I put faith in the light.

In my “Hubris” I have gathered those cast out that still wish to do good, that seek redemption but will not hide what and who they are. The humility of not hiding the Scarlet Flame is this: It invites reminders of what the Old Crusade did, wearing it is a penance for the insults hurled and taken on by my order is like a scourging. A process of cleansing by taking on the sins of others and offering them to the light for forgiveness. Its is no less comfortable than a flea-infected hair shirt and ashes.

But in the Cathedral in all its humility they did not deign to ask questions, they made presumption. This is more on the side of hubris than humility. Humility means asking questions first. And the schism has been made very simply by humbly questioning. The clergy cannot, and should not speak for the light. Its speaks for itself. The figurative language and metaphor of me considering them apostates is but a response to show them what their own actions and words inflict on others. But such is beyond those who follow blindly. To look at the light the wrong way makes it as blinding as the deepest darkness. Humility means to take personal risk for something that is evident.

The Cathedral has used others in the past and will likely do the same in the future, to compound this they have tried to destroy these allies the moment their eyes are opened to the truth. And yes I would be ashamed of accusing a light-forged human of being fakes if they showed an inch of the purging necessary of attitude and arrogance THAT is required to become light-forged. To be as the guard behaves now the very process would not take they would be rejected or killed by it.

When not in battle the light-forged is peaceful, serene even. Patience is their watchword. The light-forged show fury when actually facing true evil and do it without insult or arrogance they just do. They simply are. They fight selflessly. Can anyone look at the guard who seem to sport light-forged armor or some form of light-forging to make their hair light, with their army of the light tabard and wonder. Why a light-forged guard for mere temple duty? Why are they not deployed were they would serve best hunting the evil of Sylvannas? Instead, they are standing there pushing their ideology on others though most the guards are near illiterates.

Enlightenment means a serenity, as I write these words I realize the truth will set people free in time. I know that my banner has people flock to it, not run away as the clergywoman would declare. I do not coerce for people to join me, they just see the alternative of the Cathedral as it is and make their choice. Instead of hoping for any sincere path for the light for me I will show this woman’s example. She makes a wish at the end which is mere lip service.

A true enlightened soul would not resist my path unless it resorted to the spilling of blood. Words, should be endured by the enlightened. Because unless they have truth, what powers do words have? If I am supposedly slanderous then why do I meet more and more people every day who testify what they witness? Why is testifying suddenly forbidden by the cathedral? A true enlightened soul would understand discourse is necessary, or the worship will grow stagnant and meaningless. Squelching speech actually makes the cathedral appear weak.

Offering argument to a point of view and demanding unrealistically that there is no variance in the form of worship, this is hubris. No one person truly believes the same, or has the same relationship with the light as anyone else. The light calls on each of us to fulfill a role. I may be seen as a villain for now by those who are less than honest and upright. I bear the sins I did not commit for the old crusade for one reason, during my brief stint in it as a grief-broken man, mourning the loss of my Darling Elaine and Eleanor, I did like what many Silver Hand did, joined Fordling and Mograinne to fight back. When I saw corruption take root I rescued a mere handful of crusaders who also saw what I saw. I left. For years the fact I did what I could but not enough has haunted me.

Over a decade serving the Silver Hand again did not absolve this. I felt I had not done for all those who were corrupted and twisted by unseen powers. Powers of true evil. We blame the Crusade but festering in their midst was something not of the crusade but foul, a corrupter by nature who had corrupted others. I take the suffering for wearing a tabard upon myself to redeem the souls that were lost. The tabard heraldry speaks of this commitment. Heralding our message loudly to those who would examine rather than accuse.

The background is black as a sign of mourning, of the ashes of penance. The trim gold to represent the dawn and the hope a new dawn will bring. The Flame to show the passion and the fact that the symbol itself is not evil without evil intention. Yes, it inflames, but that is rather the point. We take heat and the sins of others on our backs, and we will still root out the very real undead threat. None of my people have killed women or children. Obviously, if we were such we would have burned the cathedral down by now. Our war has been the peaceful path, the war of words. If people are blind to our cause it is their problem and we pray in time they will corrected before anything calamitous befalls them.

I do not hate the guard or clergy, I pity them. I pity them for a great many things. In good faith I have offered my hand many times to have it slapped away. And in the case of a few of the temple guard they have showed a vapidness and rabidness, that is unbecoming to the supposed serenity claimed, especially by lightforged. I can be speaking to a fellow when they come trudging upon us in armor surrounding us and loudly make spectacle over a conversation not for their ears. Part of the sanctity of any temple would be to allow discourse between its members yes? Every other temple balances this social necessity with the devotion to the light. Why not here?
And even this I will forgive in time but forgiveness must be asked for, I know I will bear no grudges and do not even now. You can of course say you know my intentions. But that is prideful, for my intentions are between myself and the light alone save when I declare them.

The clergy forget they are tenents, renting their position to do works. These works should not include eavesdropping, mockery, gossip, libel and slander. All of this the clergy has been guilty of. But ignore the other testimonies sent to the cathedral. Ignore that many of us speak the same truth. Learn the further lesson of light. Tirion Fordling was treated thus and exiled in his time, for an issue that was beyond others to know what was right and wrong. Did the light abandon him? No. Even Uther the light-bringer could’nt abandon him, despite Tirion’s humiliation.

Consider this: change is also natural thing with the light, if those who claim to serve do not serve well. There is nothing to fear with change. Let the light judge them. Let the necessary change take root. All they will lose is power which one with the light should not crave for themselves. They still will have the power to help others, merely their word will not be law over the light. Which it should not be in the first place.

Consider the further truth, if the light has left neither of us yet, this is a sign. Perhaps some of us have not yet had opportunity to see the light. There is a difference to look at a thing and to see a thing with all its flaws and beauty and still deem it worthy. It takes patience, humility, and forgiveness. "
Light bless,

Chrysagon De La Croix
Highlord of the Scarlet Fury, former Knight Commander of the Silver hand esq.

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< Nazereth sighs wearily as she passes by the notice-board. She turns to the hooded figure beside her >

"Ah yes. The Church. They may dress their ugly truth up in golden finery, but it still repugnant. By definition alone, any who reject the church and her teachings is an apostate… and look around you! Are our scholars not forced into hiding in catacombs? I have seen riots breaking upon the cathedral steps over treatment of the clergy against those they classify as heretics.

Did the ‘Lightforged’ of this alternate Draenor not overturn the peace that our people secured to subjugate and oppress the Orcs? There is no ‘peace’ in the Light… and I - for one- want nothing to do with their kind of ‘unity’."

< she breathed a sigh then turned to leave with her companion. Perhaps others heard her, perhaps they did not. She didn’t care. >

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The Light is weak! GREAT IS THE TIDEMOTHER.

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