Letter To Malin's People #10

[Dry Crackers 268]

In the dark of morning when few are about in Leyu'lin a shady Elf with a heavy brown cloak and a battered hat pulled low over his face nails up perhaps a half-dozen handwritten copies of a letter about the town.  He vanishes before dawn.

 

To whom it may concern-

     Indeed, it has been an age since last I wrote of affairs in what has become a rapid succession of elvish states.  Events surrounding the fall of Haelun'or as the domineering lord of all Elves proceeded at such a rapid pace it was almost impossible to keep abreast.  But now the dust has settled, and we are confronted with a new document proclaiming the end to our struggles for stability and peace with the rise of a new political entity - Laureh'lin

 

     Upon cursory examination of that document, this time calling itself a charter, all appears well and in order.  There are no blatant declarations of supremacy or otherwise distressing topics.  Upon closer examination, however, a concerning point is to be noticed, specifically the section concerning trade and business.  I provide a quote; Section Four, Article One, reading: "Citizens may not purchase private property," and further a quote; Section Four, Article Two, reading:  "All trades and businesses belong to the Leyulin Merchant's Guild."

     These are indeed most concerning, and though Article Three of that same section perhaps attempts to justify it as in the interest of fairness, these regulation smack of SOCIALISM and the system of governmental domination of the economy that spawned two rebellions and a massive outcry during Anthos.  Further, it is ludicrous to assume that the current burst of prosperity and population created by the return of independent government to Wood and Dark Elves will last indefinitely.  Once this initial bubble of enthusiasm which we are seeing vanishes - indeed, it is already fading - the only way to retain a stable population shall be through the attraction of business interests.  The extreme implementation of Socialist policies and governmental manipulation of minutiae can only succeed in arresting the development of business and therefore the maintenance of a stable population.

     (On a related note, the recent construction of walls and the implementation of a closed-gate policy further threatens the long-term prosperity of the city through not only annoyance to visitors but further the cultivation of a purportedly stable and well-intentioned group of residents which, though not inherently bad, is inherently unstable and will deteriorate in time as there will be few attractions for potential new residents.  Thus a two-pronged (though inadvertent) attack upon the long-term viability of our city is created.)

     Governmental regulation of private interests in not inherently bad.  I will be the first to defend public work projects, as the building of roads or bridges; the demolition of improper buildings; the halt of interests which are dangerous or contrary to the values of a moral society to name a mere few.  However, this policy of Article Four is these concepts taken to an illogical extreme to the extent that were it not for my close personal relationship with the head of the Merchant's Guild I would immediately condemn it as a blatant attempt to seize personal power, indeed such an extreme it eclipses even the draconian Dwarvish bureaucracy which regulates business in that nation.

     Do not assume this writer is naught but a speculator and shameless critic, for my own ideas on the proper development of business are well-formed and shall be presented to the reading public in time.  Were it not for the already extreme length of this letter I might explain them here, however I am out of space and am,

 

Yours Truly,

O. Sylvanus Treemail

[Samson Option 9652]

Duvaindir folds the letter and tucks it under his tunic, he writes a more curt response:

 

"Firstly, for the walls, I am not truly a fan of them and yet I am given to patience the most hallowed virtue. As I understand it, these walls are primarily present to enable us a line of defense for our near-future skirmishes with the Embermoore Immortui. Sing songs of vigilant patience and persevere, I do wish and I humbly am sure that these walls will be deconstructed after our defeat of the Immortui.

 

Secondly, for the prospect of private property, I find a clever situation unfolding. With the war with the Immortui, we have those most base and pitifully desperate manipulators within our own city. If they were so granted a parcel of land, we might expect tunnels built or some haven for these undesirables. As someone who has recently acquired the chance to build a lodge for those most practical of mendicants, I can tell you that you can chance upon private property. You merely need to speak with Dwyn Tinuvial or Artimec Camoryn.

 

((PS: As with the most lauded issue of 'saying sky-gods', I don't know how to credibly present in IC fashion the fact that Leyulin's region seems to be locked and we've been trying to get GMs to expand our region to enable more building projects. As such, unfortunately, we are bound to RPly restrict private land plots because GMs can't either a: take my diamond VIP and latch on some additional land or b: Take JadeKadoa's Nemkhasir plot and just move it and merge it to Leyulin's region proper. I'm not trying to go OOC, but part of why folks have to or end up saying sky-gods is because we have no fictionally realistic or credible way to explain things.))

[Aelu / Rel (Combustionary) 1540]

A small reply is posted.

 

The matter of private property is simply a means to prevent large arguments when a cultist or criminal must be removed. Only when one is banished are his things removed. Except in that case, all a citizen's things and his home are untouched.

 

I do agree the wording is off, but the general gist is that the town is free to remove anybody who is exiled, and take what is left behind. Shops are of the same principle.

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

In essense Aelu is correct, while homes and merchant buildings belong to the state ultimately their usage is entirely up to the resident much akin to if they owned the property privately.

There are actual restrictions to what circumstances the state is allowed to evict someone from his home or workplace, such as said person being in direct violation of one of Laureh'lins written laws. I should have this added visibly in the charter, so I thank you for the insight. 

[Heero 4092]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.