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: Anyone!
Date: 5th of May, 2015 (2016)
Location: South-east of Keeliai, near the shell’s edge
Situation: Unexpected disaster has struck one of the new radio stations outside Keeliai. Time for a rescue!
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The radio broadcast originated from a newly built radio-station on the turtle’s hind section of the shell, near his right some ways above his hind flipper. This is one of six and among the furthest out, and was built into the side of a shallow valley between scutes facing seaward, in prime position to be both protected from high winds and still be able to receive transmissions from elsewhere.

Until now. The valley leads all the way to the shell’s edge, and water has rushed into its opening like a bursting dam, roaring high up on the ridge and only petering out to an end nearly a half-mile inward. The water inland swirls with evidence of habitation: a table, chairs, soggy books, mattresses, other random detritus that might be found in a temporary dwelling or dorm.

By the time rescuers arrive the river flows several feet below the station’s level, but the station itself is obviously damaged. Parts of the outside wall have been ripped away entirely, revealing the gutted dormitory mostly bereft of furniture or personal belongings. Where the equipment met with water there are scorches on the walls and floor, and a fire might have broken out if everything weren’t so damp.

None of the electrical goods are working but the generator is still on, and sparking. Electrocution is a risk for anyone attempting to investigate the area, with the damage and the generator running.

The kedan living at the station are nowhere in the immediate vicinity, but a quick aerial search will reveal bright emergency flags laid out on a ridge some feet above the radio station, on a stable outcropping of rock. There are three women and one man all wrapped in thick blankets; two of the former are brunettes, the third a redhead, and the man is blond. He has a broken arm and one of the brunettes is dazed, half-unconscious. All of them are waterlogged, still coughing from water in the lungs, bruised and limping and shivering.

The redhead identifies herself as the senior of the group, but the dazed brunette is the one who deployed the SOS and was nearly caught in the flood.

They’re not sure what happened, explains the redhead. One moment everything was normal while they worked on the equipment and the next there was a minor tremor and a tilt, and the water came rushing down the valley. The man was outside and almost got carried away. They all might have, except that they were rescued.

The redhead seems unwilling to say more, but if pressed she’ll admit that she’s certain she recognised Commander Celaunn among the rescuers. Certainly their saviours vanished back into the mountains just as soon as the kedan were all safe. Though all of the radio operators will eventually admit to the same thing, if asked -- that they were rescued by Chihuelans -- none of them will say anything more than that or give any more distinguishing descriptions, and anything said against the Chihuelans will make them close-lipped and belligerent.

If any of the Foreigners perform a survey of the area, they’ll find that the shore-line along the shell’s edge, glittering in the distance, has shifted. Now it’s close, leading up to the inlet that the valley has become. Ridge descends right into water, bushes barely break the surface, debris is floating among the gurgling currents.

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OOC Notes
This log will not be NPCed; the radio operators’ actions and personalities beyond the information given above will be at player discretion, as they will not be able to give any further information on their rescuers. The network post should be used for any IC plotting, and OOC questions can go into the comment marked below.