Greetings,

I write this post, not as a Crow, but as a simple mugwump who cherishes
the value of honour and integrity. No doubt many of you may scoff, as I
kill the young and the old, and therefor simply "could not be
honourable". My code is not the same as many other's, but it is a strong
one nonetheless. Do not kill without a good reason, do not lie, and
remain a gentleman even in matters of combat.

These are some very basic principles that I believe all denizens of the
Basin can agree upon. While we may differ in our individual perceptions
of "good reason", what makes a "lie", and the actions of a gentleman, I
believe that these values are thoroughly etched into the very essence of
our beings. Communities, from city to commune to guild to clan, grow
from these seeds of common values. The most tragic act a mortal can
perform is to discard the values they claim to hold dear, and to abandon
their way. That is what this post is truly about.

Serenwilde, your beliefs are likewise simple in their essence. These
core rules, as unlikely as it may seem, have many parallels to my own.
Cities are not to be trusted, for they are the heralds of pain, the
harbingers of destruction. Cities have their uses, and should not be
shoved away, but they are not worthy of our loyalty. I may be a Crow,
but in the end, I have those commonalities with your denizens.

It is with these similarities, these unbreakable bonds of mutual belief,
that I must ask Serenwilde a question. Why have you abandoned your
beliefs? Why do you toss aside that which you hold dear? Cities are not
worthy of loyalty, and yet you cling to Magnagora as a babe to its
mother. A treaty has been penned, allowing free travel through the
Ethereal realm by the servants of bricks and mortar. You even pay them a
tithe because they permitted you to sway a village to your cause. How
can you so casually discard the very essence of what makes your
organisation live?

Yet this is not the only deviation from a shared set of beliefs. I wrote
earlier of killing only with just cause, of integrity, of honour in
combat. Despite these beliefs, Nikua Gladheon retains leadership of the
Serenwilde commune. These morals cannot be discarded, true, but Nikua
has set the bar so low that he pushes you ever closer to being little
more than a band of thugs and miscreants. I call upon Serenwilde to look
at what he has done.

Not a month past he shattered any expectations gentlemanly conduct by
luring Guido to his death. His only response is a feeble apology, where
he only apologised for using the guards to slay Master Flagg. No apology
was offered for the lies he used to bring Guido to a position to be
killed. This thug used the word "tricked".. Yet there was no cleverness
nor trickery. There was blatant lying and cowardly deception.

In that same month, Nikua and his bandits, namely Marcalo and Gwynn,
also descended upon Richter. Master Carthan was nowhere near the
Serenwilde, and was strolling along, speaking with one of his friends.
To say the least, Richter was rather surprised when the horde of
miscreants descended upon him. He spat bitter sentiments at Nikua once
he died, to which your fearless leader replied... "Your mom".

Is this what Serenwilde believes in? Are these the kinds of acts
Serenwilde endorses? Slay the Crows if you feel the need to, but don't
do it simply because they're Crows. Should they enter your forest, kill
them. Should they try and harm you, kill them. But don't kill them
simply for daring to live. Serenwilde and all of its denizens need to
take a long, hard look at who they really are.. Will they be known as a
circus of bandits and thugs, or will they cast off those who shroud
their eyes in the blackness of immorality?

The choice is yours, good Serenwilders.

Writing as a man, not a Crow, nor a Warrior,
Visaeris Mae'loch

Penned by my hand on the 15th of Roarkian, in the year 103 CE.