The recent POLL 40 on city vulnerability echoed the feelings of the Pantheon and the Pinnacle meeting's result, where in attendance were all those who had or are actively involved in their city's military in a constant role -- i.e. those to whom fell the unenviable duty of defending their city from destruction, not those merely cheering from the sidelines incapable or unwilling to do the same. They carried a motion which to those not involved in warfare may seem strange until you dig up history, look at the objective lesson, and realise the eternity of fear is not a pleasing world for the generals and marshalls of the realm.

I will repeat the specific words: \"strong but vulnerable\" carried two thirds majority against \"inviolate\" and \"very vulnerable\". The distinction is time to achieve a city invasion and the cost or strategy to do so. It should be, for any active city these days, theoretically possible but practically unthinkable to happen because it still has people in it. That was the feeling of those involved in warfare. It is for more than just razing each other to the ground and creating an endgame where none should exist.

With the return of warfare resurged an unwholesome obsession with destroying each other. In the old days, cities could only be occupied, not destroyed. It was not necessary to burn them down to win. It was also unnecessary for everyone to devote days of real life to know warfare and to protect yourself, your city-mates, or your city culture. There were other ways to contribute and protect those things valuable to you.

Officially now, city forts hit back murderously hard and last longer than they did two years ago, such as to require real months to years of siege to break into a city. It can be successfully averted by being responsive to the gatehouses, keeping them waxed and built high, with ample men on their walls. Everyone should know something of warfare in that eventuality, but are not daily or weekly demanded to do something they dislike. The new Soldier badge and warfare Masterclasses will ensure a level of competence, at the very least, amongst all seniors today and forever after.

For those who are uninterested in warfare, breathe a sigh of relief, for your own interests have leapt back to their old position of importance.

Warfare returns to its pre-2006 model as a complementary aspect of Avalon. It is not relegated; it stands alongside combat, trade economics, farming/labours, crafting, politics, adventure, and reputation. All are important components of Avalonian existence, with no single one deciding the fate of a community nor able to be decided by the supremacy or incompetence of a single individual.

The essential lesson to everyone today is that for a city to be a true city, it must have something of everything. True survival of a city will be marked by how imbalanced in its population or interests, as it once had been. The winners are those who allow these complex mechanics to play out over real years, in an orchestra of expertise, competition, and cooperation.

Written and shown unedited exactly as rendered by text based game bulletin board on Avalon Online RPG and by my hand on the 14th of Leaflost, in the year 1445.