[Notices put in the Crone, Rock, Mushroom etc]

A simple question for all Candidates in the Sanctuary Election!

Should all Duergar be told to leave and stopped from trading in Sanctuary?

YES? OR NO?

Any that say YES, they should be told to leave and pledge to do something about it... can count on many votes from the Stout folk.

Any that say NO, they can stay... can count on many votes for their opponents.

Ya will have seen how many Stouts there are in the Town... you do the feckin Maths!!

Make sure ya answer this question when ya make ya bid, if ya say nought then we guessin ya love the Greys.

KM

written in below hastily

Speaking from the perspective of a man who was delivered into the shackles of slavery by the filthy Grey Dwarves, I can assure you the policies I have in mind should I be elected would favor a slow, and steady departure away from the Sanctuary Dependence on the Duergar Miners.

Such things are not done quickly, or easily as I understand it. The bulk of the city would have to join together, and be unified in our disdain for the slaver Duergar. Human and dwarven smiths, like the Mikkelson family and the Stoutheart clan would require funds from our citizenry, Council, and adventurers alike.

If elected, I will do everything in my power to distance this city from the vile Aberration experiments gone awry, the slaving Duergar. Any further questions on my policy shifts can be sent to the Society of the Ordered Mind.

Candidate Castile

The duergar hold unfair practices ! Not all ! But Too many !

One in particular is the source of much misery ! Fathand !

Deauxfortes will make a new bank

No profit. No gain. Controlled by the council. Entirely secure.

Stouts, vote for Deauxfortes ! He hears your plea !

As is evidenced from my campaign posters, economics are not my great concern, however, the real trouble here is readily visible to me. The Grey Dwarves are without question an unwelcome presence in the city. However to completely remove them, unfortunately, can not be easily done.

The Duergar are very deeply ingrained in Sanctuary's economy, and to remove them would remove a very large source of equipment which we have a great need of here in Sanctuary. A slow process of removal is the only method, but it is my guarantee that I am in favor of any measure that may be taken to remove the Duergar from their positions in Sanctuary.

Candidate Gibbon Meldren

Words are words and action is action, candidates.

The Duergar will be removed by the will of Dumathoin and actions, not words, can be made to ensure that Sanctuary and the Children of Moradin continue to prosper. The Duergar are not only capable of forging steel or removing ore. The Dwarves can see to this and more. The Dwarves see little reason to trust men who make promises of gradual removal of brigands and our own foes. Your candidacy will only last but a month or two, which will be little time to see to such action in it's completion. Clearly, any man with plans to take such disrespet and theft as grave as the Duergar as something to pussy-foot about has no intentions to end it. The Stoutheart Clan wants solid plans and obvious intent to end this mockery and insult.

Candidates, you play a game of words and these are not things the Dwarves or your own people need. Make promises backed by solid plans of -true- action. But do not be hasty, lest this wisdom be lost on you.

Walk the way of the Earth.

Talhund Obryn Morunden

Shame on you KM, for attempting to simplify a complicated issue and sell the votes of your people to those candidates that will give you the answer you want. It is not the job of the public officials in the Council to pander to the desires of special interest groups, but rather to enact the will of the majority of their constituents.

If the majority of the people of Sanctuary, some fourteen and one half hundred souls, not the twenty to thirty dwarves that compete with the duerger for ore and gems and hearth, desire to sever ties with the Grey Dwaves, then it is the duty of the represented official to do so. However, even should these events occur we shall need alternatives to the duergers skill. You and your clan desire to become powerful and influential, I understand, and support you. If you push for any major changes to Sanctuary it is your duty to find feasible alternatives. I know this talk of mine will not make friends of your people to myself, but I can think of two among your ranks at least that know me for a fair and reasonable person. The dwarves among the Stoutheart Clan that are capable of forebearence and possessed of wisdom should council those dwarves who live their lives on unexamined emotion rather than introspection.

I will represent the will of the citizens of this city, all citizens, and I will always attempt to act in the best interests of them. I will not let my personal feelings get in the way of a balanced and fair perspective. If the majority of our people feel as you dwarves do, I shall do my utmost to ensure that your will is done in accordance with a well thought out plan.

Your Servant in Good Faith, Maeturorant Gorthaurca

[A New notice covers the old ones]

We know where ya stand now, for good or ill.

Among a -lot- of other important problems with this "extortion" of votes, comes the fact that Duergars control the ore supply for the region as a whole, and that they could have -easily- betrayed us when the town suffered its greatest challenges, the plague and the numerous invasion attempts. Yet, they -never- did.

You shouldnt be so quick to judge a race as a whole- we will be working closely to making Sanctuary "more" independent, but your extortion at the time is ludicrous, and any who would side by it for the simple sway of 30 or so votes is lacking serious foresight,

I am even more repel by the hypocrisy that most of the surface dwarves, and adventurers are equiped by duergar merchandise- removing this source on a "erratic" decision would probably triple those cost as well as tarnish our diplomacy with our closest neighbour.

I side with the voice of integrity and refuse your extortion demand.

-Council Candidate Thanath Dhyms.

[Posted over original]

We know where ya stand

if you beleive this is extortion then you are wrong, we wish only to find out what councilers agree on the removal of the Duergar. Also the fact that you speak of hypocracy amongst us dwarves is upseting at the least, i make sure to equip as many stouts as i can with weapons and armour made by others than the greys and so please council candidate Thanath Dhymes, do the leg work before you go to accuse our clan of being hypocrites.

Elder Fist and Master Forgesman Runehammer of the Stoutheart clan

Candidates,

You are welcome to search my person for duergar steel. I carry none and refuse to bear or even touch the cursed metal.

Sanctuary is composed of far more than a few dozen Dwarves, and I assure the candidates that they would be more prone to side with their own kindred and clergy than the misled feelings of greedy men who accept stolen goods.

If votes and power matter more to the candidates than performing and serving the will of Dumathoin, the keeper of Stone and Dwarves alike then consider what the Duergar are; The grey-skins didn't betray Sanctuary because even in this city's weakened state they could have done little. What do arms matter when one deals with plague? They are too feeble to combat a city of a thousand and more folk.

No, the Duergar are as wicked as any man expects, and I question the -integrity- of any man fool enough to stand by the scum and accept their coin gladly.

Candidates, the majority speaks and today the majority of you have shown that you would rather hide behind empty words or falsities than show a wllingness to take action.

Talhund Obryn Morunden

Simply removing them in an instant would have a devestaing effect on the econemy. I won't relay on some false promise to remove them, many stouts already know I can be trusted and I won't do anything to jepordize their trust in me.

Kaddaz.

Kaddaz,

I suggest you read my first notice.

The Dwarves can see to these needs.

Talhund Morunden

The duergar are cruel, merciless slavers, and anything that can be done to get them away from our town will have our support. That being said, we cannot do that while our economy is so reliant on them. I am aware that many would promise the same, but, as the Order of the Penitent Heart has helped the Stoutheart Clan acquire the land they needed, we will continue to help them build a forge and supplant the duergar in our economy.

The Stoutheart Clan in their meetings with me have told me, however, that in order to begin producing metalwork on such a scale we will need to find and use another mine. As a Councilor I will work to try and reorganize searches for alternative sources of ore. Regardless of this, however, I would support high tarriffs being placed on the duergar, and once another group begins producing and selling metalwork I will support the removal of the duergar from Sanctuary entirely.

As I have promised in my speeches and fliers, if the Stoutheart Clan can begin producing metalwork, they will have my full support. The duergar are, and will continue to be, sworn enemies of me, and Ilmater.

- Candidate Julian Fryar, Order of the Penitent Heart

The Stouthearts act on more than simply the need of coin for those who do not care where their steel comes from, whether it be Duergar, Drow, Illithid or Human.

I will be in contact with those few men who wrote to me. I suggest the others seek prayer to Grumbar if not Dumathoin for his forgiveness.

Talhund Morunden

Just because we cannot simply exile them does nto mean we desire their presence. I do care where my steal comes from. It may surprise you to learn that neither my sword, sheild, nor helm where forged by Duregar hands, and my plate was made by worshipers of Grumbar, one of the gods you surgest I pray to for forgiveness.

In short, most candidates realise that in having them here, we are tolorating the lesser of two evils, since without them we may find defending ourselves from another potiential drow attack dangerous.

[signed] Kaddaz

Candidate Kaddaz,

The true threat is the division of your city and the relative lack of defense present in your lower gates.