Years ago, as is known to the majority of Sapience a venom ban was
imposed upon Shallam. This ban was put up in retaliation for new
laws they deemed absurd which made it illegal to hide inside a shop
or phase in the city and the POSSIBILITY existed, and I will repeat
the word possibility, that violators could be fined or enemied. The
Syssin didn't trust Shallam to make a distinction between thieves and
people innocently using their skills.

It's been nearly 10 years or more since that ban was put into affect
which I will admit is finally affecting innocent pages, and squires.
And in all that time as I've carefully scrutinized all dealings of
our Security and watched the logs to be sure the law was not being
abused, as Rahn is my witness, there has only been a single Syssin
or Shadowsnake even FINED for violation of that law. And that was
Exodus who we found not only hiding inside a shallam shop, but also
following one of the shopkeepers with keys to it. I don't think it
takes anyone with half the brains of a goblin to realize there could be
no INNOCENT reason behind that. (About as innocent as sitting inside
a stockroom with the hands full of shop inventory.)

I could understand Syssin anger if we were going around filling the
enemy list with every guildmember found hiding, and using the law as
an excuse to get people in trouble. But I've seen to it personally
that this in fact has NOT been the enforcement of this law.

Yet the Syssin still insist this law is absurd, and that we're only
using it to limit their skills. I, Sir Alcor of Aalen, hereby
challenge the Syssin guild to PROVE to me there is any logic behind the
venom ban upon Shallamites by naming one SINGLE member of their guild
who has ever been fined (let alone banished) from the City of Shallam
for violation of this law save Exodus in the case mentioned above. If
the Syssin are unable to respond to this challenge, then I ask that
they withdraw the venom ban or declare to all of Sapience openly that
the TRUE reason for their venom ban is to protect shop thieves and
ensure they can only be punished after their hands are full of loot
from the shop. You claim we are judging people guilty before proven
innocent, and yet the only way I can see that a thief can be more
guilty than that is when their hands are full of the inventory of the
shop owner. By that time, friend, it is a little too late to do
anything about it. We sure as heck can't force the thief to return the
items and I'd like to see the Syssin secretary or GM who would ever
aid in the recovery of stolen items.

I will give the Syssin one Aetolian year to come up with an answer
to this challenge. Failing that, or failing to provide any evidence
or proof whatsover that we have in fact used this law to punish those
INNOCENTLY using their skills and not in fact attempting to murder or
steal from a shallam citizen or law protected guest, then I ask for
the support of all infernals and paladins in Sapience who believe in
Courage and Honor to support me in the enforcement of a ban on the
creation of all whips until such time as logic returns to the Syssin
guild. I am Sir Alcor of Aalen, and I seek not for injustice, but
only to pull it down.

---Sir Alcor of Aalen, Wind Crusader

Penned by my hand on the 14th of Severin, in the year 114 MA.