Tu Shanshu | Logs

Characters: Come one, come all!
Date: The 24th of May
Location: The Courtyard of Public Opinion, in Central Sector
Situation: This is the second public forum to be called since the Foreigners' return. It's led by the three family heads, but specifically designed to allow anyone the chance to speak. This particular one was called because of the Foreigner muggings, the Chihulean threat, and the rumours of remaining cultists; however, a variety of other things might get brought up as well.
Warnings/Rating: Added as they become applicable.

The Courtyard of Public Opinion 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.

Since the Foreigners are also residents of Keeliai, the Courtyard Forum will be a public opportunity for Foreigners to ask questions and air concerns of their own. This can range from something specific to individuals or making requests of all the major NPCs.

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LINKS
Soul Gem Muggings | Cultists | Chihuelans | Turtle Sinking | Sky Sector | Individual NPC Interactions | OOC Questions

OOC
There are starters for various parts of the discussion, covering all the major topics regarding the happenings of Keeliai lately. NPCs will be available for all of the conversations below. The first five topics are general city occurrences which everyone in the Courtyard will be able to hear; use these threads as discussion between PCs as well as NPCs. NPCs will contribute to discussions as necessary, but won't be engaging in every line of conversation occurring in the general topic starters.

The NPC comments are for directly speaking with that NPC or those in that group; if your character has a specific issue to bring up with an NPC, this is where it should be done. The rest of the post is for Foreigners talking and organizing amongst themselves.

Characters: ALL and plus ones.
Date: April 15-22 2015 (2016 in-game)
Location: Farmlands outside the city walls, but this log can also be used for locations within the city.
Situation: Spring planting - fourth wall event, week one!
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The days for the festival dawn sunny if a bit chilly, but the air is clear and the soggy ground has dried enough that there isn’t too much mud in the lanes between fields and homesteads. The broad dirt path to the Woodsmen’s land leads past the tram-line construction, lined with waving ribbons on sticks along the sides. The Woodsmen’s territory circles the city, separated from the city’s walls by five hundred yards of neutral land.

The festival’s central area is Liangken’s Clearing, and this is where the festival will begin and end each day. Liangken is an ancient tree, among the oldest on the turtle’s back. Though it doesn’t flower or bear much in the way of leaves anymore, the kedan have cultivated it carefully and now it’s an excellent representation for the revitalisation of old wisdom.



The lanes between the fields and homesteads will house the stalls, contests and walking areas. The Woodsmen will be keeping an eye on these to prevent anyone from walking off the marked paths. The homesteads provide ‘hotspots’ in among the lanes and fields, with Woodsmen families lending their yards to the comfort and entertainment of their guests.

In general, the Woodsmen are a taciturn, soft-spoken lot who nevertheless take great pride in their work. Their lands are all but sacred -- they accept no attitude, no trespassing, no attempts to thwart their authority. This causes some noticeable tension with the Snakes, who are accustomed to being the sole enforcers within the city; but though there may be some ill tempers and raised voices, at no point will anyone come to blows. It’s hard to argue with someone built like a brick wall and carrying sharp farm implements.

The Woodsmen are a touch anxious about having strangers on their land and this shows in them being overly officious or bossy, but at the same time their pride shows clearly and they are eager to show off the state of their lands, their greenhouses, and their farming processes -- practically without being asked. The residents of Keeliai tend to think of the Woodsmen as ‘cowards’, and the Woodsmen are taking this opportunity to prove themselves otherwise with feats of strength and tall tales.

Due to the farmers’ hours of “early to bed and early to rise”, the festival ends in the early evening at sundown, but begins again before dawn -- usually by greeting the sun with a song.

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LINKS
Heojin, Ran and Lin | Liangken’s Clearing | Stalls and Lanes | OOC Information post | 4th Wall Character Check In

OOC
While Heojin and his bodyguards are open to everyone (including fourth-wall characters!), they are not available for small talk and general directionless CR. For the integrity of the mod’s inbox, please only request a thread with him if you already have an idea of what you’d like your character to ask/do. Other NPCs can be requested by sending a PM to the appropriate journals directly, with the same guidelines.

The top-level comments are for the festival, but fourth-wall characters should feel free to use the rest of the post for anything within the city of Keeliai itself! Just remember to label the top-level comment for location and date.