Petition: Remove Scrolls of Animation

[Raksha]

A parchment is posted on the trading board, unobtrusively but strongly warded against the constant rain as well as minor vandalism.

To Whom It May Concern:

Events have recently called to my attention, and the attention of several others, a highly troubling good for sale at the Exigo Trading Post. Elassir, the elven merchant of scrolls and arcane supplies, openly carries and sells scrolls of the third-circle necromantic spell Animate Dead. Animation of corpses through necromantic methods is not only forbidden by Sundren law, but is a despicable practice that is justly considered degrading and evil.

While I and others freely admit that applications of the school of necromancy have their place, that place is not in the animation of the dead. This discovery is doubly troubling because the Trading Post is often frequented by adventurers new to the craft, and having harmful and illegal scrolls commonly available to them as they learn may encourage some down a darker path simply due to their availability.

Before Sundarian law can step in and make a ruling, I urge the Trading Post to 1) remove any offending scrolls and items from the inventory for sale, and 2) screen all future merchants to ensure that Exigo licensed goods are in accordance with the most basic standards of safety, morality and legality.

I, personally, have often shopped at Exigo-owned vendors, and I am still using gear purchased from Exigo suppliers. I would be glad to continue my business, as would others of similar opinion, as soon as this oversight is corrected.

Sincerely,

Tamryn Jorandur
Favored of Torm
Noble Judicator of the Temple of the Triumvirate

(There is space underneath for additional notes and signatures)

[Lollercide]

Hano, of course, adds his signature to the petition.

[Allielliot]

Sain sees the note, and ,after a scoff of outrage that such an abominable spell was being put in such an easily accessible place, adds his name to the petition.

[Jai_V]

Quietly reviewing the Petition, Cazen sighs and adds his signature to the document in tight, neat manuscript. If asked why his name is placed on the Petition by anyone who knows of his usual blithe and permissive demeanor, he'll shrug and say frankly "You know how much of a bitch it is for me to kill something that's already died?"

[Verrath]

Annie signs without hesitation, in her trademark crooked scrawl.

Chani considers the document a moment, then also signs, figuring, much like Cazen if she only knew it, that it would just cause her twice the work to kill them again anyway.

Mirko, of course, can't read.

[sharringtonm]

Walking by, Abel can be hear to say softly;
"Amazing how they are giving a list of targets to the mages that rule this land. And they willingly do it too, believing that their voices will be entertained, much less acted upon."

[Larando]

Larando scowls at the letter as he reads it. This is absurd! These people have no business dabbling with the arcane! he thinks to himself. The discgruntled mage quickly scribbles his own note and posts it alongside the previous note:

To those interested in the removal of certain scrolls, understand this: There is no law against the sell of these scrolls that I have found. It is most unfortunate for those whom uphold the law when someone would use these scrolls to cause harm or general mischief. However, it is important to remember that the field of arcane knowledge is a dense field to study. Many times, it is important to study certain verbal or somatic aspects of a spell to use in the formation of new spells or in the customization of old spells. If you force this petition to Sundren or if Exigo censors these goods from its vendors, arcane mages will suffer greatly in already limited resources for studies.

Perhaps a better avenue would be to stiffen the penalty for using such spells to raise the dead. None the less, Sundren is in great need of a board or body of some sort comprised of mages to govern such issues as they are far more capable of dealing with arcane matters.

Just the input of a mage concerned about temples meddling with arcane arts too much,
Larando de'Kaun

[Fezzik]

Cybil Gelley, looking at the note, nods her head in agreement and signs her name after recently having fought along side Tamryn and Hano in a pitched battle against the foul undead and their creators.


A little while later, straining up to see what is going on in the world and on the wagon, Archy Galley looks up, shocked to see one of the other orphan children is in Sundren, and wonders why he hasn't seen her yet.

[MKartMaster]

Larando scowls at the letter as he reads it. This is absurd! These people have no business dabbling with the arcane! he thinks to himself. The discgruntled mage quickly scribbles his own note and posts it alongside the previous note:

To those interested in the removal of certain scrolls, understand this: There is no law against the sell of these scrolls that I have found. It is most unfortunate for those whom uphold the law when someone would use these scrolls to cause harm or general mischief. However, it is important to remember that the field of arcane knowledge is a dense field to study. Many times, it is important to study certain verbal or somatic aspects of a spell to use in the formation of new spells or in the customization of old spells. If you force this petition to Sundren or if Exigo censors these goods from its vendors, arcane mages will suffer greatly in already limited resources for studies.

Perhaps a better avenue would be to stiffen the penalty for using such spells to raise the dead. None the less, Sundren is in great need of a board or body of some sort comprised of mages to govern such issues as they are far more capable of dealing with arcane matters.

Just the input of a mage concerned about temples meddling with arcane arts too much,
Larando de'Kaun

A much smaller note is attached beside Larando's, without a name.

"What he ( <-- ) said."

[Dark presence]

A stern and conflicted priestess studies this petition and considers it quietly for some time. She silently weighs the very real problem of arcanists, and the twisted goals of the Exigo, versus the greater concern of free trade. Eventually she comes to a conclusion and pens a response.


"It is without question that the raising of undead creatures is illegal in Sundren. It therefore is utterly irrelevant and unnecessary to penalize mere trade of arcane implements, regardless of how they may be used. It is a non sequiter to suggest that the purchase of such a scroll will result in the use of said scroll to create undead within Sundren. It does not follow. In fact, were someone to "use" this scroll, in the vaguest context of the word, it would not even guarantee the result of undead creatures being animated. For example, should they merely decide to study the magics involved in the scroll or to cast the spell with full lack of the required component to actually animate a corpse, there is no crime committed.

"Furthermore, it is wholly wrong to suggest that trade should be infringed. The act of trading goods in the name of Waukeen enriches us all, and what a buyer does with their purchased goods in no way shall have any reflection on the seller. Shall the next petition call for the ban of the trade of food because men may choke on it? Perhaps swords because some men murder another with them? Unthinkable, yet it is a slippery slope. When one item is illegal to trade, soon become many more, for even more frivilous, foolish and ultimately irrelevant reasons.

"This petition therefore suggests an act that would infringe legitimate and legal use of the aforementioned product, and unnecessarily restrict its sale and usage as allowed within the law. Further this petition seeks to establish an entirely redundant legality. The raising of undead creatures has already been established prior to be illegal. There is no further need to restrict actions that are in no way certain to lead to that end result.

"Therefore in the interests of Trade and scholarship, this petition should be ignored and destroyed."

Catalina de la Cruz, Priestess of Waukeen

[Xille]

Casually reading over the petition Xille'r thinks to himself...

My brother would be sorely dissappointed to see such a thing... These people do not trust their brother's and sister's of the arcane to use their knowledge for benefit of the masses.

[Bane336]

Nilas carefully reads as he walks up to the sign. "Well thank the gods that they are trying to get rid of the blasted undead. The blights of the land. These scrols just increase the numbers of the damned things." Quickly adds name to the petition.

Raistlin casually reads the note with some disdain. "How dare they try and restrict our craft. Just becasue of a few that seem to not know what they are doing they are trying to ruin it for everyone else." Scolfs quickly and walks away.

[Kaeldorn]

Not one to normally pay much attention to the board, Yashia just walks past as usual... almost. When her eye meets the word 'necromancy', she simply feels too drawn to it and goes to read it in full, too curious to let the posted message slip from her.

"Hmm... good call, Tam. Why didn't I think of this?"

A large number of familiar names to have already signed manage to put a slight smile on her face as she sets her backpack on the ground beside her.

"Oh well. You have my support, that's for sure." Yashia thinks to herself while she starts digging through her pack in search for a pen. Many healing kits, potions, scrolls, back-up weapons, clothes and crafting materials later, she finally finds what she was looking for and writes her name down at the bottom of the petition.

[RPMike17]

*Ru'umel, while searching for possible signs of his family's heirloom blade at the Post, notices the petition and the responses and carefully considers his thoughts...*

"The living are trouble enough to deal with, the dead should be left...well, dead. But I'm not sure restricting one's trade is the right answer. I need to think about this."

*Tightens his cloak about himself to ward off the rain and starts towards the road*

"Doesn't the sun ever shine out here anymore"

[Peridan]

Mirumoto passes the sign and reads the words carefully, as he has just recently learned to read the language of these lands.

"Animation of the dead? Certainly forbidden, but my Lady Sol has always been one for freedom of the arcane..."

He decides to not to sign, and walks on by.