[EVENT] Courtyard of Public Opinion

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: January 10th
Location: Central Keeliai - Courtyard of Public Opinion
Situation: A meeting has been called to determine the status of the Foreigners in the city, including the upcoming and highly anticipated Shangpar race. The major NPC players can be approached, and Foreigners have a chance to make a case for their treatment within the city.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The Courtyard of Public Opinion has been around since before Emperor Eshai's death, a relic of a time when all kedan would have preferred talking about their problems instead of fighting. Even now that the spell suppressing their true nature has been removed, none of the kedan want more trouble than Keeliai already has, especially where the Foreigners are concerned. Violence is frowned upon - though by no means forbidden - and while discussions can get heated, a disagreement will usually be taken outside the Courtyard before it comes to blows.

The Courtyard isn't any bigger than some of the open fountain areas in the Water Sector, and it isn't set up the way some of the Foreigners might imagine a political debate area to be set up. There’s no podium, no chairs apart from the stone benches too heavy to be moved, and no grand banners or archways. This is done deliberately; everyone is meant to have an equal voice in the Courtyard, so everyone is on level ground. Apart from the greenery, the stone paths, and the low stone walls surrounding the Courtyard, one could almost imagine it’s just another Market Day in an open square.

The kedan arrive early in large groups of eight or ten at a time, and they'll exhibit a wide variety of reactions to the Foreigners' arrival - everything from open disapproval and fear to a new and very cautious optimism.

---

LINKS
Shangpar Races | Foreigner Status | Tu Yunxu - The Snakes | Zanru - The Metalworkers | Heojin - The Woodsmen | Milyn - Cherrywood Healer | Questions

OOC
There are six starters for various parts of the discussion, one specifically on the races, one on the Foreigners' overall status in Keeliai, and then one for each of the major NPCs. Characters are present for the entirety of the conversations listed below, and those who wish to input or engage on the first two topics should reply to them in the relevant comment, and the NPC comments are for directly speaking with that NPC or those in that group. The rest of the post is for Foreigners talking and organizing amongst themselves.

Comments

Heojin - The Woodsmen

[ironwood]

When Heojin’s party arrived it had been noticeably late, late enough that the other family heads had begun without him. Now, his party was notable because of the wide berth they drew, and the stares, and the mutters. Some of them weren’t so discreet.

“Look, it’s the Coward!,” some kedan sneered without bothering to lower their voices, pointing. Their disdain was enough that the especially outspoken kedan would quite willingly talk to even Foreigners to tell them the story: how, during the invasion, Heojin the Coward had taken all the kedan outside the city and fled with them into the hills, and left the kedan within the city to fight alone. Most of them left out the part where Heojin’s people waged guerilla warfare against the invaders attempting to take over their farmlands, and cut off the supply-lines for the invaders inside the city.

Heojin only sat quietly in spite of the accusations, his back straight and expression calm and open, examining the Courtyard and those inside it with an even gaze. The two guards at his back took more offence, stepping toward anyone who got too close or too loud with scowls. They were armed with hoes and sickles -- farming instruments, not weapons. One was tall and gangly, with freckles and purple hair that stuck up everywhere, and he was the one who kept shifting from foot to foot, gazing around with a nervous sort of restlessness. The other was shorter and calmer, blonde and heavyset, leaning on his hoe and gazing into the distance in a manner that belied his attention to his surroundings.

Every now and then Heojin spoke to the third man beside him, smaller and older and with a wooden board and a scroll, and brush; a scribe, taking notes. Heojin spoke quietly, but just as he addressed the other family leaders, his tone was even and measured and didn’t seem capable of diverting from that.

Though none of them approached anyone themselves, or even seemed interested in speaking publicly, the guards didn’t stop anyone from approaching. At least, they didn’t stop anyone who proved they had no rotting fruit or weapons.

Re: Heojin - The Woodsmen

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis had listened to the tales. He also knew enough about people to know that everyone had reasons and justifications to what they did. So, now he was approaching the guards. He'd left his sword with the rest of his stuff, so he was unarmed: Zel had enough confidence in his other skills to be comfortable without a visible weapon.

"So, what happened outside the city during the invasion?" he asked.

[rawiron]

"Oh, so n- nice of you to a- ask," grumbled the purple-haired youth. "B- b- because it's so d- d-difficult t- to ask instead of pre- presume--"

"Lin," said Heojin evenly, and Lin subsided with a rising blush that clashed with his hair, though it was hard to tell whether it was from embarrassment at the stutter or the reprimand; either way, he kept eyeing the people around them with rebellious indignation. Heojin regarded Zalgadis for a moment before speaking.

"The Chihuelan invaders attacked the farms first. They sought to cut our supplies by taking them for themselves. We were obliged to retreat in the face of their unexpected and well-armed assault."

"It's basic strategy," said the bored-looking guard without looking over. "No one can do nothin' without supplies. 'Course, everyone in the city thinks we should've just stood our ground and got slaughtered, like there's nothing wrong with that. They forget it would've been a mite difficult to take back the supply line if we'd all been dead."

He didn't speak loudly, but his voice knew how to carry itself, and his words garnered some scowls and mutters from the kedan giving them distance.

"Ran," said Heojin.

Ran shrugged. "Well, it's true, i'nit? No one inside the city was botherin' to do anything about it."

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis nodded. "The invaders were depending on their ability to capture the farms and outlying districts, then?" Because that was the problem with islands: your own supply lines were dependent on the weather and sailing conditions. And in this case, what direction the island was swimming. Unless the invaders could live on saltwater and fish, or had extensive stores, they'd need to pillage from the fields.

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

The guards' voice had drawn Sonja's attention. She moved closer to the conversation and started taking more notice (and notes) of this blue stone man and this Heojin the Coward. She wondered if she could use Heojin's obvious mind for strategy as an in.

[rawiron]

"They sought to claim the turtle's back," said Heojin. "A prolonged siege requires an uninterrupted supply line. Those within the city were most pressed in direct conflict, it is true, but resources dictate the end of a battle. Depriving us of ours for an extended length of time would would have led to starvation and disease within the city's walls. It is one of the few ways a force of three hundred could take an ungoverned city of thousands."

"N-no one inside the c- city thinks of th- th- that, either," Lin muttered, glaring at one of the kedan making a mockery of running away.

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

"Practicality is rarely valued over theatrics," Sonja says, temporarily forgetting that people could hear her when she spoke.

[gathersnomoss]

"It's usually more useful, unless you need to sway public opinion," Zelgadis said. he knew some very theatrical people. The ones who did the best in it were in politics. He was a more practical man, though.

[rawiron]

"Who has th- that m- much use for people, anyway?" Lin said.

"Lin." Heojin turned his head to to include the girl in his regard, addressing his response to both of them. "It is true, pragmatism is not as well regarded as it perhaps should be," he acknowledged, "but the will of the people cannot be ignored. Perhaps it is not always wise, or useful, or even necessary; but never ignored. On occasion, theatrics are necessary."

[gathersnomoss]

"I imagine you're not completely self-sufficient. In terms of tools and such. So keeping some knowledge on the town is necessary."

[rawiron]

"Many of our tools are hereditary," Heojin said, "but we have no blacksmith outside the city. On occasion, there are trades we are required to make in addition to our produce."

[gathersnomoss]

"I don't think there's a blacksmith among the Foreigners, but there's technically minded people."

[rawiron]

Ah. There, perhaps, was the reason the Foreigner had approached, and Heojin regarded him for a moment before asking directly, "Is that a request, or perhaps an offer?"

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis considered. "I'm handy, but it would be better if I put you in touch with other Foreigners that are more so. Of course, it depends on your technical needs. Anything past a printing press is well beyond my own technology level."

[rawiron]

The fact that the man wasn’t trying to secure work or alliance for himself, but simply for the Foreigners at large, spoke well of him. Of course, Heojin wasn’t the sort to rush blindly into such alliances.

“If you c- can’t offer us anything, what’s th- the point in saying it at all?” Lin demanded irritably.

“Lin,” said Heojin, with no outward show that he was tiring of the quiet censure. He said to Zelgadis, “I will consider the situation. It may be that the Foreigners will be more available to the Woodsmen than the Metalworkers.”

[gathersnomoss]

"I'll speak to my contacts, then," Zelgadis said. "My own skills are not bad for construction and earthmoving. and a bit of minor healing."

[rawiron]

All of which might be useful under their own merit. "I will consider," Heojin repeated. "Have you further subjects for discussion?"

[gathersnomoss]

"Not at the moment. Good day."