[A slender Elven woman is seen putting up these posters, they can be found throughout Sanctuary]

Citizens of Sanctuary, in the light of the Banite's speech at the Town Hall and their efforts to sway others to join their cause I would like to state just what exactly they intend to do to our town.

These Banites claim to want to unite our town under the banner of Bane so as to better our lot in life yet what they offer is nothing but a slavery of a different sort.

They seek to rule over us with an iron fist and deal with any who speak against them harshly. This was proven by the way they acted when one of Sanctuary's citizens questioned their beliefs. The poor woman was greeted by a menacing stare which said more than simple threats ever could and it was only due to the actions of the Watch and an unknown human mage that this Banite didn't stirke the woman down where she stood. They care little for our town and it's well being.

Do not mistake my words and think that I do not want to see Sanctuary united. I do, but I want it to be ruled by a wise council who will see beyond the petty conflicts that rage throughout our town and threaten to consume us all. I want a council who are devoted to the true path, the one which Sir Bresley so bravely followed, I speak of the way to the surface.

Yes, I know what you think, the surface is an unattainable goal and it is not something that we as citizens of Sanctuary will ever see. But I tell you now that you are wrong. Granted it will be difficult to find the way but we must try, surely it is better to try than to merely sit here and watch ourselves waste away and to live in constant fear of our neighbours. Yet we can only begin our search for the Way in honest when we do not have to worry about these Banites and what they plan to do with our town and Sanctuary is united. It is not too late to see the threat these evil people pose to our city. Stand up and let your voice be heard, if we all are to unite as one then these wretched curs will have no choice but to be driven away from our town and retreat to whatever evil pit that spawned them. Every one of you is capable of making a difference.

Isovien Liamyn Room 8, The Last Stand

[A notice is placed under one of the posters.]

Yes, some of what this woman is saying is true, but twisted to cause dissention and misinformation within the city. I speak for myself as a servant of Bane Almighty, recently brought into his glorious service by Sister Hikaru Ayumi who helped me see the way.

I was the one who fixed the citizen - the dissenter - with a gaze during the speech. Disrespect is something that is far too tolerated by people within this city. If she had objections to be made, she should have remained silent until the speech was complete. I approached her afterward and told her as much - that respect was demanded of all citizens toward everyone. Strength and Honor are things that are first found in common respect for one another. Respect to let another speak even if you don't agree is a sign of true integrity, of which that citizen, like the one who has made the above posting, has none.

She claims to want to chase lawful citizens away from Sanctuary. I ask you this: How long has she been here? I was born into slavery. I managed to find myself lucky enough, as a young child, to accompany individuals who managed to get free and find this city. I spent my entire youth and life here within Sanctuary, growing up among you. I have bled for you. I have fought for you. I am willing to put down my life and die for you, if that is required. This is my home. I claim it, not for myself, but for all of us.

I ask you: What does this citizen want? She wants to abandon our home. She is foolish, not only in her ideals, but in her threats. I ask you: Do you believe for a single moment that an entire city could be taken from the depths of the Underdark and lead to the surface - safely? No. That is absurd. I have no desire to leave. This is my home. She wishes to force us to leave, and yet by her own admissions is perfectly willing to abandon this city to ruins and dust once she finds a way to escape.

No. I say to you, Isovien Liamyn if you have such a desire to flee Sanctuary then go. Go and do not look back. I have spent my entire life here, I grew up as an orphan child on the streets of Lower Sanctuary, I grew up seeing things that no child should ever see or experience. I stand here - with Bane - to end this. To unify this city in strength, in honor, and in hope for something better.

Only unified can this city stand strong, and that unity shall only be spawned from Bane. I reject chaos. I reject apathy. A new age is upon us now, an age that has long been in the coming.

Isovien Liamyn you are wrong in all ways but one: Every one here is capable of making a difference. Divided we are weak; we are vulnerable to threats from both inside our walls and out, but united we are strong. It is not hopeless oppression that comes with Bane, but the hope of a stronger society one that breeds hope and prosperity for all. From those who live on the streets here and to those who live below.

I ask every citizen, if you will but stand with me I will stand with you. United we are strong, divided we are weak - do not let people like Isovien Liamyn lead you astray. I urge you all to seek out the wisdom in Sister Hikaru Ayumi's words so that you too can see the truth.

Signed, Dedrick

[Isovien is seen putting up more posters in response to the notices]

This is why I wish to see the Banites driven out of Sanctuary, they see something as simple as one voicing their opinion as a sign of disrespect and dissension. Their very presence in here is an affront to all Sanctuary stands for.

Should my words not convince you you need only to look at what has happened to other townships which have fallen under the influence of Bane, you need only to look towards the Moonsea to see what these Banites are capable of. The Black Network has power over most of the cities in the area and they rule with an iron fist, they deal harshly with any who dare speak up against them either putting them behind bars for the rest of their life or killing them--slowly. It is common knowledge that the Black Network are servants of Bane. Do we really want tryants such as them to rule our city? They claim to want to unite Sanctuary for the good of all but all they really want is to spread Bane's influence throughout Sanctuary. Mark my words when I say that as soon as Sanctuary is united under the fell banner of Bane we will only be made slaves yet again.

This one seeks to question my intergrity and loyalty to Sanctuary, if he had only bothered to as others of what I have done for this town he would find that I too have bled for Sanctuary, I too have fought for Sanctuary, I too am willing to give up my life for the good of Sanctuary and many times I had come close to doing just that.

He claims that I will abandon Sanctuary once I have found a way to the surface! I do not intend to ever abandon Sanctuary or her people, should I find the way to the surface I will do everything that is within my power to get the people of this town out of these caves. I know it will be difficult to get every one to the surface but as I said before it is better to make the attempt and be free than to stay here and watch our lives waste away, if we are to die, let us do so while seeking the surface! You must also remember that this town of ours was never meant to be used as a permanent settlement, the Bresleys only wished us to use this town as a temporary camp until we have found the Way. We must always keep this in mind

Dedrick, you do not know what you promote, this god of yours is a cruel master and for all his talk of order and unity he is no better than the gods worshipped by the Drow. Turn away from Bane, there are many other ways with which one can bring peace and security to Sanctuary and I tell you now Bane is not one of them! I ask, nay I implore you to open your eyes and see Bane for the monster that he is. I say this not only to Dedrick but to all the others who have been taken in by the falsehoods preached by this priestess, it is not too late to turn away fromt he teachings of Bane.

Isovien Liamyn Room 8, The Last Stand

Isovien Liamyn for all her pretty words offers no solutions to our problems. Her solution is this: to flee. Isovien Liamyn you live in an idyllic dream that clouds your vision of reality. If you wish to follow Fredrick Bresley's dream then go forth and do so. No one is stopping you. However, I would urge those who read this to remember one thing: Fredrick never returned. If he found the surface world - which I do not believe he did - then he did not bother to come back and tell anyone here. Why should you be any different Isovien Liamyn? How will you succeed where Fredrick Bresley failed - and mark my words he did fail.

However, even if you manage to succeed I would not return with you. Sanctuary is my home. It is my home. No one who is true in their hearts can abandon their home, and it is not just my home but the home to many others. You call it a layer of the hells and wish to flee. I call it home and wish to make it safe.

Our city is known as Sanctuary. Yet its name is very misleading. It is not a Sanctuary but a pit of corruption and vileness. A place where short-sighted leaders rule, a place where its citizens are exploited, its people under constant assault from within and without. This is not yet a Sanctuary, but someday soon it shall hold true to its name. It will be a beacon of hope for all within this place - a place where every slave knows by name and every slaver trembles when it is uttered.

Yes, Bane brings tyranny. That is his nature. However, tyrants need not be evil. They only need to be strong. Freedom has a price that must be paid, you are not under a slave masters whip because strong people were able to break free and forge a life here. Yet here we stand divided against ourselves with enemies within and without our walls. What good is it to be free if you cannot defend that freedom?

Where shall we turn when enemies besiege our gates? Will we turn to New Dunwarren? They have abandoned us to hide behind their own gates. They use the Watch as a shield and its citizens the same. If they wish to abandon us then I wish they had left our city entirely. Why make the Watch be their first line of defense?

Will we turn to Lower, a place ruled by criminals who take advantage of the people? A place, I mind you, Isovien Liamyn that your precious Seeker organization finds ideal - a place where "true freedom" as they call it reigns. Chaos. That is what it is and people suffer because of it. This is what your vision of freedom brings - it is already a reality there, shall you bring it here, too?

Will we turn to the Spellguard? Certainly, they have the power to protect us but they too have turned their backs on the city. They have proclaimed themselves independent of our laws so that they can pursue their own goals. At least they still assist in bringing defense to our city, but in truth that is mostly for their benefit, and it shall be the Watch who gives their lives if the city is attacked. Not the Spellguard.

Will we turn to Mycopolis? The Tribe of the Blade? The Tribe of the Blade has already abandoned us - disappeared. Gone. Mycopolis has no interest in our city as a whole.

So I ask you, Isovien Liamyn, where shall we turn? To the Seekers who have done nothing but sow dissention within this city since the day they were founded? To a Council who may harbor good intentions, but lack the ability to make those intentions a reality?

I ask you Isovien Liamyn! Where shall we turn when our very city is threatened? When Drow infiltrate it and threaten to enslave us all one by one. Where shall we turn while we bicker among ourselves, as our right hand does not know what our left is doing? Where shall we turn, Isovien Liamyn!

That answer is always lacking. That is why Bane is important. He brings tyranny, yes, but he also brings order. He brings stability. He brings peace. He brings strength.

You see, Isovien Liamyn, we are like ants. An ant can carry three times its own weight while still running at full speed. An ant is strong, but individually they can be crushed in a single step without even noticing. Yet, an ants true strength is not in the individual but in the power of the whole. If each ant does its part, by working together they can work as one. You may crush them at will, but they will fight to work their way into your eyes, your ears, your mouth, and they will devour you from the inside out. They will pick you a part to the bone and carry your remains away to their lair. In that lair they feed to emerge once again stronger than before.

We are like the ants, individually strong, but easily crushed. Through unity that can be found in Bane we can overcome the obstacles that face us. We can overcome our enemies both from within and without. We can be a strong, unified society, that shines as a beacon of hope to all slaves within the Underdark. A place where slavers fear.

You need not flee this place Isovien Liamyn. You can remain, you can aid us in making this city strong. You can aid us in bringing hope to our people. You can call this place home, too, if you wish it. And if you do so, then you will feel the same as I do. You will see the error of your ways. You will regret the words that you write and speak, because you will realize the evil behind them - the evil that undermines our only chance at unity, of hope and prosperity.

I encourage all who read my words to understand one thing. Freedom is not free. There is always a price to be paid. Freedom is a useless thing to have if you cannot defend it. Look around you and ask yourself who has your best interests at heart and you will find the answer. Just as I did.

Dedrick

[Yet more posters are put up in response to the new ones] Dedrick, I can see that the time you have spent in the service of your god has addeled your mind greatly, so I will not bother to continues this long winding debate of ours, I shall leave the choice to the people of Sanctuary. I am hoping that they will make the right choice

In the meantime try and keep your heads covered, for it seems that someone wants rotten fruit hurled at all of you and for once it is not me. Enjoy your time in Sanctuary while you can Banite.

Isovien Liamyn Room 8, The Last Stand