Greetings, People of the Basin,

The amount of misconceptions on all sides that have been written on this
public news lately have been staggering, and yet I feel the need to
clarify some positions that are held by myself and others in Magnagora.
Certainly I do not speak on behalf of the citizenry, but I do speak on
behalf of those who are of like mind as myself.

Let us discuss the Taint, in all its various forms. It is oft repeated
that the Taint is an extension of Kethuru's grasp, and that those who
are Tainted seek to destroy all existence and free the Soulless Gods
from their prisons. This is a lie and unfortunate misconception, and
cannot be further from the truth. It is true that the Taint holds its
origins in Kethuru's release from his Astral prison, yet His taint which
is anathema to all life is not the Taint that is today found in
Magnagora, the ruins of Old Celest and surrounding seas, and the
Glomdoring Forest. When Kethuru possessed the Elder Goddess Viravain, He
Himself made explicitly clear that he despised the Taint of today, and
He sought to destroy Tainted Magnagora, as we were a powerful threat to
His presence in the Basin. The Taint helps us stand strong against the
Soulless Gods who seek to destroy all creation. The Taint that we use
today is not a living or malevolent entity: is nothing more than a force
of change, a factor that accelerates the evolution of all life. This is
a natural change; only it is sped-up a thousand fold.

The Taint is a tool that must be used with care and consideration, like
any tool. However, the Taint can be far more powerful a tool and thus we
must always be conscious of its application. Does this mean we should
not use it? Of course not, because we must always strive to learn more
of ourselves and of the world around us, and through the Taint can we
learn much about how things adapt and overcome obstacles to survive in
even the harshest environments. The Taint allows life to flourish where
it would otherwise not be possible.

However, we do not allow ourselves to be wholly consumed by our tool.
Lord Gorgulu, once known as King Gorgaliel of Shallamar, is a
demonstration of the necessity for care when using this powerful tool.
We do not advocate that the Taint should be allowed to wholly consume
life, for this would unmake us as surely as would sole reliance upon any
other tool or force. Strip away the Taint, and what are the Nihilists?
We would be the Fatalists of old, the Prophets of Shallamar, and a
powerful force to be reckoned with. Strip away the Light, and what are
the Celestines? They are a band of evangelists with no purpose or cause.
The Taint comprises an aspect of who we are, but it is not all that we
are. The same cannot be said of those who follow the Light, and that is
the folly of the Light. Those who follow the Light have allowed
themselves to be wholly consumed by it, for they have not learned the
lesson of Lord Gorgulu, of moderation and restraint.

However, I have said enough for this day on the nature of the Taint.
Before I pen my farewell, I feel that the current situation between New
Celest and Serenwilde must be addressed, as one of the Nihilists has
written on the subject and been cruelly answered by Seneschal Gregori. I
care not to discuss the influence that New Celest has displayed over the
peoples of Serenwilde, for that is evident to all. What I will say,
though, is that simply because an agreement does not exist on paper or
has not been recorded in the annals of history does not mean that it
does not exist. Gregori, I know you are a man of reason from our
conversations together, and surely you know this to be true. While
yourself and the Moonhart Circle may not have ratified any such
alliance, all the most prominent warriors of your Commune (without
exception) have made that alliance a reality in agreement with the
Prince and leaders of New Celest without your approval or consent. That
you choose to allow this to continue is your choice, and one that I will
not seek to intrude myself into in this public forum. However, to
chastise one so young for her clear observations on what is actually
happening, instead of what is written into flimsy paper documents of
little intrinsic value, is certainly beneath one of such intelligence as
you.

Heresiarch Nokraenom d'Erlette, the Voice of Truth

Penned by my hand on the 18th of Roarkian, in the year 120 CE.