A Response
Hark, my dear countrymen, and take heart once more; though our nation is now plagued by anxiety and dread misgivings, we yet ride the wave of hope and light which has already brought us so far from the dark days behind us.
I would like to address recent claims made by the Ardently Faithful, those few who view themselves as the sole defenders of the Halonic Church and the freedom of true believers in Ishgard. While I have often differed from them in their views and written to you, my nation, accordingly, I would like to address their most recent circulation to both share in some of their concerns and correct their falsehoods for the general public.
To begin, I would like to address their demand for the execution of the True Brothers of the Faith still in the custody of the law. I freely admit, my dear reader, that I had forgotten that any were still held at all; I would have believed, for weal or for woe, that they had already gone to the Fury for their judgement, and rest now in the Halls or languish in damnation.
I am unaware whether the Ardently Faithful are correct in accusing the nobility of keeping the True Brothers of the Faith in custody to continue torturing them for the names of “co-conspirators.” This is a dire accusation which unfortunately bears likely credibility - for why else are the prisoners held in secret, with no governmental transparency? I call now upon my dear friends within the House of Lords and Temple Knights to ascertain the truth of this claim and to correct this grave injustice if the Ardently Faithful are justified in their suspicion.
However, though I sympathize with their reasoning, I cannot condone the Ardently Faithful’s demand for the True Brothers’ execution. It is said in the holy books that our goddess, our beloved Halone, is a merciful goddess, who graciously accepts the penance of sinners and grants them salvation; why must we, Her Chosen people, not follow in Her example? It would be unjust to execute them all; some charismatic few may argue skillfully that the True Brothers guilty of murder should by all rights be executed, yet the lives of those guilty only of the crimes of kidnapping, ransom, and conspiring against the nation ought to be spared. They must be sentenced appropriately, and dwell in confinement until their sentence is done, yet when spared execution these men and women will be able to live in liberty for the remainder of their lives and redeem their names and legacies in the eyes of their countrymen.
I would like now to refute two false claims the Ardently Faithful have either made explicitly or implied in their latest circulation. They cast all of their admonishment upon the nobility, in the House of Lords, for the suppression of the Faith, free speech, and liberty within Ishgard. Their latest circulation, “Execute the True Brothers Now,” claims indignantly that the Lords forbid the reading of their words. I tell you now that while many within the House of Lords are in opposition to the Ardently Faithful, no suppression of free speech has thus far been enforced. Secondly, the Ardently Faithful paint an unflattering picture of our beloved Republic, casting it only as the tool of lords to oppress the unlucky many below them; this is a blatantly untrue statement and irresponsible lie on their part, as the House of Commons, whose members rank the poorest among us - the peasantry, the merchants, and the artisans - wields as much influence in the Republic as the House of Lords.
I tell you, my dear countrymen, that the Republic is no malevolent lie of the privileged few.
Take heart, my dear countrymen, be you of any estate, that Ishgard moves ever forward in progress, yet history does not in itself arc in the course of justice; it must be bent, and thus we must ever be observant.
In closing, I petition once more the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and the Temple Knights to ascertain abuses of law and common decency in regards to the True Brothers’ anguish.
