There is still debate about just what brought the Totem to Tasur'ke, it
seems like something that no one on any side can agree about. Just as
Duiran has been unable to form a decisive policy on the sprawl and
Haern's Order has contradicted itself on the public boards many a time,
so too has the CoT had its infighting and disagreements. Having taken on
the title of interim leader and supported by all of the clan save for
two people, I'm making a change to the clan's basic policy.

The CoT is no longer interested in making Tasur'ke a city. Our sole
goal, and what has always been the sole goal of those who were in the
clan to begin with it and have stayed in it since it began to decline
has been the protection of Tasur'ke. We realize that part of the reason
that little Tasur'ke has been attacked is because there were those who
wanted to make it bigger, and in making it larger many trees would have
been cut down and much land altered over time. In this way planting the
totem was considered by many of the forest dwellers as a defensive act,
not as a malicious attack upon a defenseless village of fishermen.

I've many reasons for doing this.
First of all, by making an official declaration like this the clan
should succeed in cutting from its ranks those who are still in it for
their own selfish gain. The gold reward for saving the village is still
being offered, the nobleman status is not as Tasur'ke is too small to
have any 'nobles'.

Second of all, I realize that Haern's Order will be more likely to
negotiate if they know that sparing the small but ancient Tasur'ke
civilization will not disturb their view of the balance of nature.

If Haern's Order agrees to remove the totem, I give my word of honour
that I will not support any attempts to have Tasur'ke expand pasts its
original size, though I would probably help them rebuild the areas that
have been lost to the sprawl and the rising ocean. Even if Shoimoro were
to surprise us all and return alive, which is doubtful after all this
time, I would not follow him in his attempts to build upon Tasur'ke. I
realize that he used me as he used others, that he told me what I wanted
to hear so that I would help him in his personal quest for power and
that I pretended to believe it because I was paid extremely well. But
this hasn't helped anyone. I repeat, our only goal now is to save
Tasur'ke, the human village with an ancient culture of music and
jewelry.

Also, though I realize my words fall upon apathetic ears, if Tasur'ke
goes then Ashtan, Shallam or perhaps one of the other villages will be
next. And in the short run, if Tasur'ke becomes burried beneath the
sprawl then that is one less marketplace for all of you craftsmen,
leading to a direct and significant rise in the price of many
commodities. Despite what you all say, this is the problem of all
civilized people.

I know that this is a long post, if you aren't at all involved in
Tasur'ke then you can stop reading it now.
The CoT is instituting a system of clan enemies similiar to the one used
by most cities now. As protectors of Tasur'ke, anyone seen attacking
Tasur'ke villagers will be enemied from the clan. This enemy status will
go into affect after one aetolian month and will stay in effect until a
fine is paid. Lists will be kept, and anyone who has achieved full enemy
status will be attacked by the clan guard if they enter the village
territory. I doubt anyone can reasonably call this unfair as it is
really no different then the systems employed by Ashtan, Shallam and
Bloodloch. We are not using this kind of system because we want Tasur'ke
to be a city but rather because it is a tried and tested, effective way
of defending the place and should operate with fewer misunderstandings
then the Swordsaint operation of many years ago did. The minister of
Tasur'ke Security is Grand Duke Utansi, his aides are Fayea, Holden and
myself.

Of course, repairing damage to or aiding the sprawl is also an enemyable
offense. As is giving direct aid to those who are doing so... attempts
to halt rejuvination of the sprawl will be immediate but will not leave
the sprawl area, other then that the enemy status has the normal one
month waiting time before being within the Tasur'ke area becomes
dangerous for the offenders.

Extremely young people will be given a warning and put on a warning list
before being marked with enemy status. It would be appreciated if those
of you in charge would direct them to more nearby 'bashing' areas such
as the great rock and upper Azdun or the islands instead of teaching
them how to walk across the continent to Tasur'ke.

Penned by my hand on the 13th of Arios, in the year 76 MA.