Hail, Sapience.

(Originally, I had planned to direct this only to Mhaldor's citizenry.
However, it is more useful as a religious treatise, directed at those
mortals who mistake the nature of Evil.)

Acquisitiveness, of itself, is not incompatible with the vigorous
pursuit of the malevolent virtues of the Seven Truths of Evil.

Thievery, to take one practice among the varied activities of the
citizens of the City of Evil, may be undertaken by a true adherent of
the Seven Truths of Evil. The cunning thieves of the Naga, for instance,
pluck jewelled baubles from the very fingers of their prey (Truth Six),
and lift veritable fortunes from heretics' purses. In so doing, the Naga
risk their life and limb, running gauntlets that would make lesser
mortals quail (Truth Seven).

Commerce, as another practice, is often mistakenly understood as too
mundane for a servant of Evil. What, say the ignorant, could be less
Evil than gaining the freely-given consent of another party to a
transaction? Nothing could be farther from the Truths: the exacting
demands of unfettered commerce act as searing flames (Truth Three),
burning away the failures of Sapience: the indisciplined, the lazy, and
the unprepared (Truth Four).

On the field of battle (Truth Five), taking trophies has a long and
noble tradition. Many a crushed and defeated opponent has dropped a pile
in gold, a mountain of crystals, or a fortune in herbs. The weak are to
be crushed (Truth Two), and they shall properly serve the strong, in
death if not in life.

There is, however, a more odious manner of seeking wealth that has come
into prominence in the realm. (I refer, of course, to the type of fraud
practiced by individuals such as Oron and Martir.) The usual tale is
that another Sapient is offered a great amount of herbs, or crystals, or
some commodity, for a large amount of gold. Of course, the commodities
are never received by the buyer, and the scammer makes off with the
gold.

I call your attention to the First Truth of Evil:

"What is called evil is simply the drive for advancement, for greatness.
We seek, through discipline and pain, to spur the advancement of nothing
less than sentient life."

As is plain to even the most unschooled novice, the common scammer does
not seek the wisdom of the Seven Truths of Evil. These craven
standard-bearers for mortal debasement choose to wallow in their own
weakness, rather than struggling for the triumph that is within every
mortal's reach (contrary to Truth One). They are slack and sluggardly,
neither submitting to any regulation from without, nor the self-control
of the meanest labourer (contrary to Truth Four). Hardship is the proper
fate of the servant of Evil, and this is precisely what the scammer
seeks to avoid (contrary to Truth Seven).

The mewling wretchedness exemplified by the scammer, or those who would
profit from these activities, have no place in Mhaldor.

In service,
Father Wulfen
Tyrannus of Mhaldor

Penned by my hand on the 3rd of Daedalan, in the year 413 AF.