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Anti-Dismantlement Bill Stalls in Parliament
WROAT -- Supporters of a bill condemning warforged dismantlement acknowledged on Wir that they don't have the votes to pass the measure as a parliamentary decree. "I have the utmost respect for my fellow members," said Hannval ir'Tenko, a member of parliament from the Old Bandras region, "but I'm disappointed that they're turning a blind eye to a great injustice that is taking place within the borders of this nation."
Dismantlement -- the practice of taking apart criminal warforged -- is no longer practiced in Breland's major cities. However, this form of punishment is still meted out in more rural jurisdictions.
Supporters of ir'Tenko's decree say that imposing what amounts to a death penalty on a warforged who commits a crime is fundamentally unfair -- especially when the sentence for the same crime would be much lighter for a human criminal. Tales abound of warforged who have been dismantled in vigilante fashion because townsfolk suspected them of crimes.
Other members of Parliament hold differing opinions on this issue. "The dismantlement issue is a complex one that shouldn't be simplified into a right-or-wrong debate," said Tannis ir'Yamberra, a member of parliament from Three Rivers. "What we really need to look at is a more fundamental question -- to what degree do we want warforged mixing with the living races? That issue touches on every aspect of Brelish society, so we need to go slowly and respect the traditions that made this land great.
"The warforged did indeed make great contributions to Breland during the Last War," ir'Yamberra continued. "And no one would dispute their value as soldiers. But you don't use a plowshare to trim your beard. Not every tool can adapt to every purpose, and these creatures were clearly designed for war, not peace. Anyone who thinks that warforged fit seamlessly into the Brelish way of life has his head in the sand.
"The crown's Office of Warforged Affairs has been inundated with reports of warforged reverting to wartime behavior and attacking humans without provocation or warning," ir'Yamberra said.
According to ir'Tenko, the decree will be reintroduced in the autumn. At that time, the Breland Parliament is expected to include a number of new faces.
About the Author
David Noonan is a designer/developer for Wizards of the Coast. Before coming to Wizards, he was a daily newspaper reporter in Washington state. Apparently the city hall beat is good practice for an Eberron campaign.
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