If this has nothing to do with you, don't read it. Move on. I'm sure you have more important things to be doing.

Moving on to the subject matter now.

Due to the increasing number of individuals asking me why, or expressing interest in why, I have decided to construct this News Post. That way I can quit sending letters out in a repeated fashion.

I, at the onset, never had any native roots in Duiran. I did, however, over time, come to the Heartwood and take the Oath. Then I joined the Sentinels.

And then Salma happened. I watched children to young to hold weapons get sacrificed. I watched Aelir when he was Speaker, attempt to save them, and then I watched Heartwood citizens, for lack of a better way of putting it, deny him. I kept my thoughts and my disposition on the matter to myself, and continued to maintain my loyalty to Duiran.

Then the Holy War between The Hunter and the Jade Lady happened. Per orders, and instruction, I was bade not to fight. To avoid defending His shrines, in order to prelude a greater attack. One that never came. I had to watch His shrines get defiled without being allowed to intervene. The Heartwood, though not a branch of His Congregation, supported this, even if indirectly. Poor strategy. Poor tactics. Poor intent. I accepted this, and continued on.

Then Duiran lost the war against Spinesreach, and now it has an Occupation General. I refuse to live under occupation. I refuse to watch foreign occupiers be allowed to walk freely through the Heartwood. I refuse to accept the disposition of my superiors and leadership towards the occupation.

And, though it happened after I left, the Public New Post that Yesufa made, where she offers APOLOGIES to Spinesreach, no matter what the logic is, was, and is, and always will be, to me: Disgusting.

Yesufa. You sound more like a civilized official, than a Wood-Wild leader. I will never forget how much you sucked up in that News Post. If I had not left despite the occupation of Duiran, I would have left shortly after reading that News Post. The entire time I have known you, I have NEVER seen that sort of behavior from you. You are NOT the strong, vibrant leader I remember you to be. It doesn't matter the logic behind why you worded it the way you did. You can sit down, and skin that goat a billion different ways with me, but at the end of it all, I will always have a massive loss of respect for you. Enjoy bending the knee. I refuse to live under such a grade of leadership. Nor will I ever. You couldn't pay me in gold or credits to do so.

People will say what they want of me. That I am a coward. That I have thin skin. That I am not cut out for what was going on. The only thing that I need to say to that, is that the opinions and observations of others, is not something I require. I do not need affirmation, or acceptance towards my choice to leave. I am a grown ass adult. Making grown ass decisions. My choice, was a personal one, where I wielded my executive mental powers, and came to the conclusion, that I am in fact, better off, being outside the realm of a political and cultural umbrella, be it Duiran, Enorian, Spinesreach, or Bloodloch. I am a free and feral man. I belong out in the World, living under no other banner than my own. I can not maintain my temper, my pride, or my general mental health, due to the configuration of my individual personality, by staying with a City, or the Heartwood. This decision is for me. People will be angry, and they will disagree, and they will formulate, and weave, whatever thoughts they need to generate, in order to make sense of what I have decided to do. That is fine. They are all adults, and they can say, and do, and feel, however they want about me. But at the end of the day: I am free.

And I intend to keep it this way, for a long, long, LONG time. I am not a fortune teller, and I can't see the future, and my choices may change. But until then, I will exist outside the borders of population centers, save for the point of my origin in Kalebb. Because it is the best decision I can make. No matter what argument anyone has to the contrary.

Duiran. I am obviously much to Wild for you. Best of luck doing what you do.

And to anyone else, that has made it this far, reading my reasons directed to Duiran, whether you are a member of Duiran, or a citizen elsewhere, I've got this to say to you: The Realm is larger than you realize. If you have issues regarding political or cultural problems where you live under the umbrella of a City (or the Heartwood), I am going to point something out to you - It takes more courage and bravery, to live as a Rogue (one-without-a-faction), than it does, to live under the presiding rule of any organization on the face of this Continent (or anywhere else for that matter). If you have the backbone for it, a truly free Soul, and the combination of courage and bravery to live by your own means, than the only thing left for you to do is to void out any fear of Death. If you can do that, the free and wild life of a Rogue may just be for you. Spare yourself, if you need to do it.

Anyone else that's happy where they are at, Faction wise: None of this is for you. Disregard it entirely.

~ Stigandr Sokolov, The Woodsman.

Penned by my hand on Gosday, the 1st of Omeian, in the year 9 AC.