Eleasis 6, 151 Bartholomus Scribe's Abode Regard Printing Manuscripts
Scribe of Sanctuary, I seek the following manuscript to be published. Please remit any costs or contracts that require approval to further this process.
Respectfully,
Barrister Fawkes
Many good folk seek to destroy magical items they deem of immoral character, especially those that animate or summon undead or otherwise use negative energies. In Sanctuary, some goodly peoples use gnomish trash bins; renowned for their immediate consumption of all contents; for the destruction of "evil" magical items.Without delving into the unethical destruction of Mystra's bounty based on a moral argument as sufficient reason to not conduct this destructive behavior; there is a greater argument against the destruction of "evil" magical items-especially in this method. Unbeknownst to these goodly people, they are fostering greater evils.
First, no one knows confidently if these gnomish bins "destroy" their contents or transport them to a way station; a garbage dump where they are sorted from 'trash' which is destroyed by the very creators of these machines; the svirneblin who are now Chosen wererats in service to the evil god Urdlen. Considering the vast numbers of necromancers within the Chosen warrens, it is unwise to risk funding them with a never diminishing supply of necromantic items.
Secondly, rashly destroying items which bind a mortal soul is dangerous. Special rituals bind spirits to items, such as Haunted Lutes, Bone Whips, et cetera. Simply smashing, or destroying these objects consigns the soul bound to similar fates. Only special rituals performed by knowledgeable lore masters are trusted to free souls from bondage. By heedlessly smashing or 'trashing' these items, many good intentioned priests have unwittingly destroyed a soul they sought to free.
The destruction of "evil" items, a term used for anything created from the Weave for the harm of goodly folk or which utilizes ties to the Plane of Negative Energy, is risky. Such items may merit destruction, but placing them in a 'gnome trash bin' with no evidence it is destroyed and not transported is ignorant at best. Such items require destruction in extreme flames or places of positive energy. The fires of an enchanted Orog Furnace or the heart of a volcano will suffice, but there is no responsibility or moral oversight in tossing such items into a bin and believing you have done your moral duty.