Honestly, yeah.
However, I think it is because it is extremely hard not to feel royally screwed when you're fighting an enemy that seems so extremely efficient and powerful compared to anything you've ever met anywhere else in the game, and has a past of being blamed/convicted/etc. of clanning and game exploits, that even though they're supposed to be in the "clear" now, it is hard to ever feel like something fishy isn't going on or like you just aren't getting a fair chance.
Not to mention that Mendicant and his gang is extremely easy to hate. You know this. You all purposely play your characters as really arrogant and pompous and above everyone else. Which is fine, of course. I mean you're certainly good at it. But playing that way, combined with the all the stuff I mentioned above, just rubs people really weird.
I'm not saying it's justified to feel/be that way, myself included, but I think that's the source of it.
I'm quite sure we were never convicted of game exploits, at best a minority of characters were in a "Clan" of dubious definitions.
As to your point on not getting a fair chance, I understand that, and I don't like it either. Which is why when I was speaking to Barca I happily tried to arrange for a set battle where we both only use a maximum of a thousand men, or to let them pick when/where the war will be fought and in what manner, and it's why Mendicant let the 'Moot challenge him into attacking Maeotis, and then promptly the Knight Hausos again tries to arrange for terms in which the war will be fought against D'Hara. And it is also why Aurvandil refrained from looting Rettleville rogue and then heading to Twainville to do the same, and it's why Aurvandil tried so hard to get an amicable peace with Barca rather than forcing terms on them. Things are much more interesting when you empower your enemies, and give them a chance, and even more interesting when you leave them alive for future wars, ventures, expeditions etc. But at the same time you have to balance that OOC prerogative with what is I.C./R.P. for your character and realm.
As for Mendicant being arrogant, well I'd say it's more pride than outward obnoxiousness and pomposity, he is the High Sovereign, people wouldn't accept him if he was unduly humble, but he's never especially rude or belittling to other rulers or nobles for the sake of it.
