Councilor Runehammer,
I write to you now out of respect for your stature and position within Sanctuary's community. As a dwarven warrior and a former Watch member, honor, valor, and intellect are your hallmarks-and it is to these qualities which I appeal now. I confess that I ultimately understand little of the apportionment of power in Sanctuary-perhaps this is intended-but I do understand that what I have recently seen of the actions of the Sanctuary Watch and Spellguard cries for limitations upon their activities, as this letter will detail.
Sanctuary was founded as a society of freedom-a community of escaped slaves, unlike perhaps any other in the long darkness of the Night Below, where which all goodly races could seek refuge from the terrors that howl throughout the long caverns outside its gates; a place where the tyranny of the races that claim to master this forsaken realm holds no sway. As is natural for many humans and those of other races, laws were established-but they were intended to protect this society of freedom, to enhance its ability to defend itself, not to stifle the freedoms of those people beneath the laws.
This day, 151 years after the founding of Sanctuary, that perpetual freedom is in danger of being suppressed, or worse-swept aside into chaos. The Eleint Accords, so recently enacted by your Council, have aroused malcontent and discomfort from citizens in both the Upper and Lower Wards. Hundreds of goblins breed freely in the Lower Ward, adding a potentially dangerous insurrection by their kind to the threats Sanctuary faces. The shadow of the kobolds in the Canal Ward looms over the settlement. Yet worse, the scars of the conflict with the lizardfolk of Ssal'teesh remain upon Sanctuary-it is an ordeal that the city will not soon recover from. All of these recent events, and more, have taken a heavy toll, physically and mentally, upon the populace of Sanctuary.
This is a time in which every good, honest citizen of Sanctuary becomes an integral part of the society. The many adventurers who dwell within its gates, who have often stood at risk of death to defend this city, become even more valuable, with the heavy losses inflicted upon the Sanctuary Watch during the lizardfolk assault. The citizens who simply wish to live and work in a society that tolerates and encourages their freedom of activities become all-important; no male or female who only seeks a good, proper way to live should be pushed aside during this time.
I have nothing but the greatest of respect for the Sanctuary Watch's members. The males and females of the Watch have exhibited a courage and valor that I envy-standing fiercely and bravely in the face of overwhelming odds, giving the entirety of their efforts, and for some their lives, in defense of this settlement. I do not question the Watch's commitment to Sanctuary's defense, nor would I ever.
However, in attempting to defend Sanctuary so vigorously, the Sanctuary Watch has overstepped its boundaries severely in the enforcement and sentencing of petty, ill-documented laws, and the gradual aggrandizement of power it has seen fit to take within the gates of Sanctuary. The most obvious of these is the enforcement of the weaponry-carrying laws. Sanctuary is surrounded on all sides by creatures of darkness and horror. Many of the citizens who have fled to its gates are escaped slaves-individuals who have made their freedom by use of the blade, and who continue to support it by lifting the blade in defense of Sanctuary. Yet the Watch's enforcement of petty regulation in regard to these weaponry-an enforcement that is selective and only applied to certain adventurers-has led to the blossoming of the charges against Seeker Emanuel Lucas-a man who has clearly demonstrated he is willing to give everything, including his life, for the safety of Sanctuary and its citizens-into an unjust, entirely ill-founded death sentence.
Further, the Watch have seen fit to often make their own judgments concerning the implementation of the laws, without allowing due process through the Council, as is proper. A case in point-the captivity of the five insane gnomes. These were recently escaped slaves, no doubt having been severely tramautized during their long captivity in Traensyr. The Watch allegedly arrested them for "being a nuisance." Imprisoned within a cell again, their insanity only grew-and when they attempted an escape, the Watch Privates not only repeatedly beat these unarmed, defenseless prisoners, they even went so far as to suggest murdering them without a trial, to avoid the "trouble of dealing with them." Had these gnomes been properly aided counseled, instead of being unilaterally held, beaten, and threatened with murder by the Watch, they may have been able to recover, rather than die an ignominous death in the grips of insanity.
In spite of the unjustness of these actions, the recent activities of the Spellguard are far more distressing. Sanctuary's laws prohibit the casting of magic within its gates, excepted within appropriately-warded buildings. As the Spellguard presents its magic-restrictions, they may seem entirely appropriate; after all, the Spellguard claims that all manner of foul creatures would descend upon us, following such magical casting, if it was done excessively. I do not disagree in their desire to restrict unnecessary spellcasting, but consider this-their laws forbid citizens from using magic, even when those citizens are in direct danger of losing their lives, and even when Sanctuary itself is in direct danger.
The Weave's echo within all beings-small and uncultivated for most, much greater for some-is one of the greatest gifts that has been bestowed upon the goodly races of the Realms. The Highest Art is a means of knowledge, grace, empowerment-it comprises all things, and it ebbs and flows through all beings. Yet its power, and its beauty, can be misused-and it is misused frequently, by the Dhaerrow, the lizardfolk, the mindflayers, the other savage Underdark races-who wish to see Sanctuary destroyed. They encourage and support the use of magic-wielders among their number, with no restrictions upon them.
The fact that the law of Sanctuary prevents its citizens from wielding magic in the defense of their lives, and of Sanctuary itself, is both foolish and wrong. The empowerment and knowledge granted by those who study the Highest Art can allow the adventurers of Sanctuary to stand toe-to-toe with these great dangers of the Night Below. Without its empowerment, however, the terrors of the Night Below have a decisive edge against Sanctuary's defenders. Refusing to allow those gifted in the Weave to use its powers to aid in the defense of their lives, and of Sanctuary, is akin to allowing the deaths of many who will die in combat-when the power of the Weave could have sustained them, and allowed them to triumph and live.
Further, consider this-again, many of Sanctuary's citizens are escaped slaves. To escape, they would have used every means at their disposal-including the manipulation of the Weave. The Spellguard's own founder, Melinda Bresley, is noted for being a powerful spellcaster-she used her power freely to enable the escape and survival of Sanctuary's early members. The Spellguard are few in number, and Sanctuary's enemies are great-allowing the law to restrict them alone to manipulating the Weave during imminent danger, again, takes away one of Sanctuary's greatest assets. It is also patently obvious that the Spellguard's diatribe concerning the threat of scrying is not nearly as valid as they would suggest-enemies have had no trouble locating Sanctuary when they have exerted the effort to do so.
Yet further, consider the recent actions taken by the Spellguard against minor adventurers, who undertook to do battle to drive hobgoblins from the Lower Ward, and to halt a swarming tide of undead from overrunning a Dunwarren Stairwell and slashing into the Upper Ward. In both cases, the Spellguard Agent Manth was present-in disguise for the first case, no less. The citizens accompanying him during the two sorties were relatively new to Sanctuary. They were faced with grave tasks, during which they called upon magic to defend themselves, and to help defeat their foes-as any slaves who have used the Weave to escape and fight for their lives would do. In response, Agent Manth arrested them on charges ranging from minor to capital. In fines, he did not take a small sum of coin-he took their entire pay, and added fines of several hundred coins atop that.
Consider. A recently-escaped slave, forced into a life-or-death situation to help defend the settlement he has so recently found-only to be imprisoned and divested of a large sum of coin-simply for defending his own life? Is this just, goodly, or lawful? It is an egregious violation of that citizen's freedom, and of his rights-and it is sad, indeed, that the few members of the Spellguard would focus on such petty regulation, rather than on strengthening Sanctuary's defenses.
I have written only briefly of the infractions the Watch and Spellguard have deigned to commit as of late. I could go on, but overburdening you with information is not the intent of this missive. Instead, I will bring up a final consideration, before I come to my complete point. The mentality of Sanctuary's own populace.
The recent case of the orcblood Winston is the most physical sign of the discontent and unease with the Watch and Spellguard that have been flowing through Sanctuary's populace. Be assured, it flows through many more-citizens worry about the loss of their freedoms, that they will be unjustly arrested and divested of coin or worse, that the Watch and Spellguard will enact further laws that will limit their ability to aid the settlement they have come to call home. For every vocal opponent, there are several who are unwilling to speak out-perhaps because of fear, perhaps because of other emotion. Regardless, if this discontent continues to spread among the populace, the success of the Eleint Accords will be called into doubt. It is a very real possibility that more insurrectionists will spread among the city-both Upper and Lower Wards-and that the city's already-weakened state will be called into serious danger as a result.
In light of all this, I come to my point. I ask you to help lead the Council in investigating and halting the petty infractions and laws being upheld by the Watch. I ask you to prevent them from using their powers to detain and fine selectively and frivolously, and to use your own example of service to remind them of how a proper Watchman should act.
Further, I call for a provision to the anti-spellcasting laws; that spellcasting be made legal, when the spellcaster's life is threatened, the spellcaster is confronted with danger, or Santuary itself is under immediate danger or assault. I also call for a severe reduction in the penalties for unauthorized spellcasting-a simple warning for the first infraction, usually committed by a recently-escaped slave who has no knowledge of Sanctary's laws-instead of a massive fine that strips said individual of what little coin he has amassed.
The Seekers, since the organization's founding, have stood to perptetuate and protect the freedom of all those who have found their way to the embrace of Sanctuary's gates. While true freedom will only be found by returning to the moon-kissed realms above us, we remain committed, as we always have, to the security, the defense, and the protection of Sanctuary and its citizens. These freedoms are now in danger, however, of being trodden upon by excessive enforcement and unjust, immoral activities. Further, they weaken Sanctuary greatly-and now, with the terrors of the Night Below no doubt watching our weakened state-is not a time for Sanctuary's citizens to be weakened and left powerless and disenchanted by the Watch or Spellguard.
I have no doubt that you will work to see that the light of freedom continues to burn brightly throughout the fair city of Sanctuary, Councilor. I am grateful that your integrity and courage stand to benefit Sanctuary, during these dark and troubled times.
-Agent Earas, Hall of the Seekers